“Anyone Who Persecutes Bnei Torah May Lose Their Share In Olam Haba”

A harshly stated letter was published in the Hamodia newspaper in Israel (which is affiliated with the Gerrer chassidus) on Wednesday in response to the recent wave of arrests of lomdei Torah, including a Gerrer chassid who was arrested and sentenced to military prison.

The Gerrer chassidus announced on Tuesday that a protest will be held outside Military Prison 10 on Wednesday afternoon. According to the plan, thousands of Gerrer chassidim will participate in the protest, which has been coordinated with the police.

The letter, written at the personal request of the Gerrer Rebbe, was signed by senior Rabbanim from across the Chareidi spectrum, including HaGaon HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman and HaGaon HaRav Yitzchak Yosef, and numerous other Rabbanim, poskim, and Roshei Yeshivos.

The letter states, in part: “To Acheinu Bnei Yisrael: With the intensification of the persecution of the Torah world and Yahadus by state authorities who seek to uproot Yavneh and its sages and Batei Medrash from Yisrael, chalila, and who don’t hesitate to use any means to harm Lomdei Torah, including harming their parnashah, children, and every aspect of life.

“Recently, they have gone even further and launched a campaign of hunting down our precious Torah scholars, uprooting them from their Batei Medrash and throwing them into prisons for their ‘sin’ of wanting to engage in Limmud Torah, and maintain kedushah without foreign influences. The honor of Torah has been trampled, while new decrees are enacted to restrict the steps of Lomdei Torah. Those who dwell in the tents of Torah are being plundered, and the Shem Shamayim is desecrated to the utmost when a Jew throws another Jew into prison for this ‘offense.’ Such a thing isn’t found even among the nations where Acheinu Bnei Yisrael live.

“We hereby declare the Da’as Torah l’halachah that there is great reason to fear that there will be Heavenly retribution upon anyone involved in these persecutions and in the arrests of avreichim and bnei yeshivos engaged in Limmud Torah—lest he inherit Gehinnom and lose his share in Olam Haba.”

“The Rambam has already ruled (Hilchos Talmud Torah, Perek 1, Halacha 11): “Anyone who disgraces the Chachamim has no share in Olam Haba, and is included in the verse ‘for he has despised the word of Hashem.’ And Chazal warned (Shabbos 119b): “Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav: Anyone who disgraces Talmidei Chachamim — there is no cure for his wound… What is the meaning of ‘Do not touch My anointed ones’? These are the Tinokos shel Beis Rabban. ‘And do not harm My prophets’ — these are the Talmidei Chachamim.”

“We are confident in the koach of Torah and rely upon the Giver of the Torah, that the Divine promise will be fulfilled for us: ‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue that rises against you in judgment you shall condemn; this is the heritage of the servants of Hashem, and their righteousness is from Me, says Hashem.’” (Yeshayahu 54:17).”