Reply To: working vs. army

abra-

I didn’t address your first two points because I agree with them. In other words, if the army can’t be relied upon to meet religious needs or if a person follows those opinions that the Medinah is ma’aseh satan, then I understand why a person would avoid the army even if it means not working and living in poverty. That’s why I started with my two assumptions which addressed your points.

My question was, if (and I’m not saying that that’s the reality) the Medina would meet all of a person’s religous needs, and if a person subscribes to a shitah that attributes no positive or negative significance to the medinah, why is there an issue of going to the army? Why isn’t it treated as a prerequisite to earning a parnassah?

And I know my question doesn’t address all learners because I don’t want to discuss whether learning is more important than army service. That debate has been (and is still) raging on on this site. I am simply asking that if a person would decide to stop full time learning in order to work, why is it problematic for that person to join the army (or some other national service if that option exists) simply in order to enable him to enter the workforce?