Amid threats from Finance Minister Yair Lapid to work to oust the Chief Rabbis of Israel for expressing their opinion regarding women serving in the IDF, Rishon L’Tzion HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef Shlita reiterated his position. The Rishon L’tzion stated “There is no doubt that it is prohibited for women to serve in the IDF”, adding doing so is an isur d’oraissa.
“נשים לאו בנות מלחמה נינהו” stated Rav Yosef, citing the Gemara in Meseches Nazir and a psak from Maran HaGaon HaRav Ovadia Yosef ZT”L appearing in Yechave Daas permitting a woman to handle a weapon, but not to serve in the IDF.
“יש בגמרא במכת נזיר, הגמרא אומרת לא יהיה כלי גבר על אישה, מה זה כלי גבר? כלי זין, אסור לאישה לקחת אקדח, רובה, זה איסור דאורייתא, זה לא ילבש. אם זה מקום סרר – שם אין ברירה, יש תשובה ב’יחווה דעת’ שאפשר שאישה תיקח כלי נשק. אבל מלכתחילה שאישה תלך לצבא? וודאי שאסור”.
Rav Yosef reiterated “do not be afraid” regarding opponents to his words, adding there is no heter for girls and women to serve in the IDF, a position Gedolei Hador throughout the generations. Rav Yosef added that if one knows of a female family member who is going to serve in the IDF, he is obligated to warn her of the isur d’oraissa.
Back in January 2014 Lapid announced he will work to oust the Chief Rabbis of Israel after they announced their support for the long-standing psak Halacha against women serving in the IDF.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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3 Responses
Please correct יש בגמרא במסכת נזיר,
He does understand that he’s a civil servant working for the zionist state? Actually, he probably thinks he was elected as the chief Sefardi gadol. He may be (or will be), but the job he has is as a bureaucrat for an organization that sees Torah as something undesirable. Based on his reputation, he’ll stand up to the state, and lose his job but win the respect of the Bnei Torah.
YEHARAIG VLO YAVOR said the Chazon Ish.