Five resolutions were recited at the huge atzeres tefillah in Jerusalem against the arrests and imprisonment of Bnei Torah on Thursday afternoon.
1. The atzeres declares publicly and unequivocally that the Torah is our life and the joy of our hearts. For thousands of years, our forefathers were moser nefesh for its limud and observance. ‘We have no portion other than this Torah,’ and ‘our nation is a nation only through its Torah.’ The Torah has always stood by us to protect and deliver us, and even in these days, it is the Torah alone that safeguards the yishuv in Eretz Hakodesh and Am Yisrael, and we exist only in its zechus. Therefore, it is inconceivable to diminish the number of its learners or restrict their paths. Therefore, the atzeres firmly demands from the authorities to preserve the longstanding arrangement that has always existed for Lomdei Torah: that anyone who wishes to dedicate themselves to limmud Torah can do so without limitation or interference. Halacha explicitly rules that anyone who devotes their life to Torah study must not be burdened with any other yoke, for ‘they are the hope of our nation.’
2. The assembly expresses its deep protest against the Chillul Hashem caused by the shameful arrest and imprisonment—under harsh conditions—of holy talmidei yeshivos engaged in Torah and avodas Hashem. This constitutes a grave violation of their right to choose to dedicate their lives to Torah study, as well as a violation of freedom of religion, as guaranteed by state law. The Chareidi community will never accept this intolerable situation! The atzers also protest the contemptible attempts to restrict and hinder the Olam HaTorah in Eretz Yisrael and obstruct its growth.
3. The atzeres protests against the judicial system and legal bureaucracy, which fight against the Torah and its scholars with brazen audacity. All of their rulings, decisions, recommendations, and advice stem solely from a desire to lomdei Torah and hinder them. Sadly, the passuk has been fulfilled in us: ‘In the place of justice, there is wickedness.'”
Watch the reaction of HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau as the above sentences were recited:
“The atzeres calls upon these institutions to retract their corrupt path—their schemes will not succeed. It also expresses sorrow toward the Israeli government for failing to prevent this disgraceful situation. We will continue studying Torah under all circumstances and in every situation!”
4. The atzeres appeals with a painful heart to Acheninu Bnei Yisrael, including those who have not yet merited to experience the light of Torah, with an impassioned plea: “Our brothers! Throughout all generations, our ancestors sacrificed their lives for the holy Torah. Can it be that precisely now, when we have merited to dwell in Eretz Hakodesh, lomdei Torah will be persecuted?! It is inconceivable that throughout the world anyone may study Torah freely, and only in Eretz Hakodesh, Bnei Torah are persecuted.”
5. The atzeres honors the talmidei yeshivos and avreichim who immerse themselves in Torah day and night, dwelling within its four amos, dedicating all their days to the study of the holy Torah. Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or be dismayed by those who plot against you. Continue to toil diligently in the Toras Hashem. The bracha of all Am Yisrael accompanies you with honor and esteem: may you be blessed and succeed in your study—for the glory of the nation of Torah, for renown and praise.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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11 Responses
i do not understand. the torah specifies 3 reasons for exemption from the army, and the study of torah isn’t one of them. could these learned rabbis have a different torah?
https://www.instagram.com/p/DQcYK1PjUI7/
So not only did they do this — not one person stood up for her. Wow.
> Halacha explicitly rules that anyone who devotes their life to Torah study must not be burdened with any other yoke, for ‘they are the hope of our nation.’
I think this is a clear resolution that anyone who is not a full-time learner should go to the army. There is not one word here that says that someone who is not a learner needs to be protected. If you claim otherwise, it is your word against the words of 600 gedolim in front of the whole am yisroel.
“It is inconceivable that throughout the world anyone may study Torah freely, and only in Eretz Hakodesh, Bnei Torah are persecuted.” Midvar sheker tirchak. Plenty of countries have mandatory conscription with no exemption for Yeshiva students (e.g. Switzerland), though they don’t have large orthodox populations. In America, at times when there has been a draft, there was a divinity exemption that generally didn’t apply to Yeshiva students.
You say ‘only in Eretz Hakodesh, Bnei Torah are persecuted’. If you moved somewhere else, what do you think other governments will give you? No special treatment! You will be conscripted where there is conscription, and you will have to join the workforce to bring in money. Why not some hakoras hatov for the beautiful opportunity hashem has given us for so many years through the sacrifice of the chilonim, rather than this sense of entitlement??
This represents a fundamental change in their position, as they are only asking that full-time learners not be drafted.
That is precisely what Likud MK Edelstein proposed, that full-time learners be exempt and all others be drafted. And there would be fingerprint scanners installed in all institutions whose talmidim claim to fall into the category of full-time learners, to verify their full-time attendance.
This proposal was previously rejected.
Now it looks like it’s accepted!
Who asked you to have a Medina before the coming of Messiah
Maybe the Israeli public will finally wake up and believe them when they say נמות ולא נתגייס.
Those who are not learning also expect to be exempt from the army, what’s their official excuse?
There should be a complete revolt against that Nazi Court that lives to feed terrorists and give them extra pillows. The dictators that cancel every law that the government passes and undermines the Prime Minister every day of his life. I don’t know how it got to be like this but I know Aaron Barak is definitely one of the names responsible for this terrorist Council. May he burn in hell
Nothing to add.
shloime:
No, it is you who have not properly learned the Torah, of course. The Zionists and their army do not fall under the rubric a properly constituted Jewish kingdom and army, of course. That army is that of shmad and, in addition, of all three of the cardinal sins which, as you do likely know, one is required to give up his life rather than violate those.
dreambig:
Kishot atzmicha kodem… Other countries have clergy exemptions from even taxes, life-long! And Switzerland allows “conscientious objectors”, including for religious reasons. And most of the world does not have a mandatory draft. Only in the “Jewish” “State” are those Jews persecuted for engaging in what, in the Jewish religion, is the most noble “occupation” for a Jew.