These thoughts came to me after reading Daniel Pinner's Zachor: Remember Forever. There's no talkback on the Torah articles on Arutz 7, so I'd appreciate if someone would bring this post to the author's attention. Thank you.
"And Moshe said to Joshua: ‘Choose men for us who are brave, strong in mitzvot, and victorious in war;" Torah reading for Purim morning, Exodus 17:8-17; this year being Purim meshulash, in Jerusalem it is the Maftir reading for Shabbat, the 15th of Adar II.
The negative reactions to what I wrote here about the Christian origin of deferring rabbinic students from the IDF, Israel Defense Force, have surprised me. According to Jewish Law and Biblical history, war is a mitzvah, a religious commandment. It's not a way to give legitimacy to people's violent tendencies.
During the 1973, Yom Kippur War, my husband had a job in Sha'are Tzedek Hospital. Because of the war, he had to be there on Shabbat and Holidays. The rabbi of the hospital said that only religious workers could take Shabbat and Holiday shifts. That was because they had to do it as a Mitzvah, not because it didn't bother them to work on Shabbat or holidays.
Defending our People and our Land is a mitzvah, too. That's why religious and also chareidi Jews must serve in the IDF. There actually has been in increase, even in such elite units as the Air Force. The more Torah observant Jews serving, the more Jewish the IDF will become. Granted, the transition won't be easy, since there are those who oppose such change. But we mustn't fear their opposition.
During the 1973, Yom Kippur War, my husband had a job in Sha'are Tzedek Hospital. Because of the war, he had to be there on Shabbat and Holidays. The rabbi of the hospital said that only religious workers could take Shabbat and Holiday shifts. That was because they had to do it as a Mitzvah, not because it didn't bother them to work on Shabbat or holidays.
Defending our People and our Land is a mitzvah, too. That's why religious and also chareidi Jews must serve in the IDF. There actually has been in increase, even in such elite units as the Air Force. The more Torah observant Jews serving, the more Jewish the IDF will become. Granted, the transition won't be easy, since there are those who oppose such change. But we mustn't fear their opposition.
Contrary to the old Jewish Agency slogan,
Life in Israel is a rose garden. Just beware of the thorns.
Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach!
May You Have A Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat!
4 comments:
Although I basically agree with you Batya, let us remember that our gov't is far from being a religious one, which means that they control the IDF, & can make the Tzva L'Hagana into a Tzva L'Geirush. I don't envy anyone who needs to serve in the IDF today.
Our shul, like many others, has added one word, "L'Tova," in the Mishebeirach for Tzahal, when we ask that Hashem should bless all of their deeds -- L'Tova, for the good, only for the good of Hashem, His Holy Torah, and His Holy People!
yitz, we have the power. We just must use it. Nothing will be helped by standing back and saying that it won't work.
I also posted this on my a7 blog. Read the comments there.
Okay, I read the post comments on Arutz 7 & they're fairly equally divided between your & my opinion. Actually, if we take out your comments, there may be more on my side...
I'd expect that from the a7 people. Yes, you can take my comments and any other duplicates out for your poll. Did you calculate according to "Aretz" and Chu"l?
It's a very important issue.
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