“My question is, there are so many bachurim who are “officially” in yeshiva, but are sitting in their rooms all day watching movies or in internet cafes. Don’t you think it would be a good idea for these boys to go to the army. Maybe it would knock some sense into them and help them mature.”
First of all, would you trust the secular, often anti-religious Israeli government to decide who’s learning well enough and who’s not?
Second, the bochrim spending all day online or watching movies are the worst people to put in the army. To put them into an entirely secular, if not blatantly anti-religious environment can do no good.
kfb:
“I don’t get what the big deal is for these guys to take off from learning full time for a couple of years to protect other Jews. There are 613 mitzvos, not just one mitzvah to learn.”
We hold li’halacha that one should not be mevatel talmud Torah for a mitzva that is efshar la’asos al yiday achairim, and the Chilonim are perfectly capable of doing this by themselves.
“Perhaps the army could teach these bochrim to grow up a little and take responsibility instead of takin handouts from the government.”
Or perhaps it would teach them to live a debased, secular life. Is the slim benefits really worth taking that chance?