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Parashat Matot/Masei
What is the Torah View on Recruiting
Yeshiva Students for the Israeli Army?
Gratitude for Our Soldiers’ Self-Sacrifice to Fight our Torah
Mandatory War
My heart is filled with gratitude towards the IDF – Israel Defense
Forces. Before we had an army to defend ourselves, Jews went like sheep to the
slaughter during the Holocaust, and Arab marauders murdered Jewish civilians
right and left. Before we had our own army, old men were knifed, and women were
raped by our ‘cousins’ while the British looked the other way. Without our
brave and holy soldiers where would Israel be today? Personally, I doubt that I
would have been able to return to my land and my roots had it not been due to
the relative security we experience in the State of Israel thanks to the IDF. Now about 300 days into the current Gaza war,
things aren’t easy, and the high spirit of unity when the Yeshiva students
prepared Tzitzit for the soldiers is threatening to break apart. Hashem is
testing – not only our military resilience – but especially our moral strength
and endurance. Now more than ever we are called upon to remain united against
all the odds. This implies supporting our leadership even if we don’t agree
about everything. During a war, it is not the proper time to criticize and
protest against our prime minister. He needs our backing and support to be
successful and bring about our victory. I’m thankful to Binyamin Netanyahu for
standing up strongly for Israel’s right to defend itself against world opinion
and sadly even against some of our own people. There is no question that our
current war is a milchemet mitzvah (mandatory war from the Torah), which
entails the mitzvah of saving Jews from attacking enemies, and the mitzvah of
settling the Land of Israel.
I support the Supreme Court ruling on June 25, 2024, that the
Israeli government must enlist draft-age Charedi men into the military. After
76 years of exemption and political and societal controversy and strife over it,
there is now a legal obligation for young Charedi men to join their Jewish
Israeli comrades and serve in the military. When it comes to a milchemet mitzvah – “the
entire nation must go out to war, even a groom from his chamber, and a bride
from her Chuppah” (Rambam
Laws of Kings 7:4). The
difference between the mitzvah of fighting a war, as opposed to the standard
mitzvah of saving a life, is that the mitzvah of fighting a war requires mesirut
nefesh (self-sacrifice), which overrides the obligation to protect one’s
own life (Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg, Responsa, Tzitz Eliezer 13:100). For
this self-sacrifice of our young men and women for the sake of protecting us
all I’m overwhelmingly grateful.
Moshe only agreed to the request of those tribes after they voiced
their complete commitment to the Jewish mission of conquering and settling the
land of Israel:
ספר במדבר פרק
לב פסוק יז וַאֲנַחְנוּ נֵחָלֵץ חֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד אֲשֶׁר אִם
הֲבִיאֹנֻם אֶל מְקוֹמָם וְיָשַׁב טַפֵּנוּ בְּעָרֵי הַמִּבְצָר מִפְּנֵי ישְׁבֵי
הָאָרֶץ: (יח) לֹא נָשׁוּב אֶל בָּתֵּינוּ עַד הִתְנַחֵל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִישׁ
נַחֲלָתוֹ:
Although the tribes of Reuven and Gad requested to live outside of the Land of Israel, they were well aware that their responsibility to conquer it was no less than those inheriting inside of the land. They not only offered to join their brothers in the battle for the Land of Israel, but these two tribes were even willing to fight at the head of the camp. Since they committed to be partners in the war like everyone else, Moshe’s concerns abated.
The Torah Values the Soldiers Even More than the Kohanim
Parashat Matot further elucidates the appreciation
due to the soldiers through its division of the large collection of spoils that
the soldiers – who went to war against Midian – took back with them. Hashem
commanded Moshe how to divide the spoils. The booty was to be divided equally
between the soldiers and the rest of the population. There were 1,000 soldiers
per tribe, 12,000 in total. The census in Parashat Pinchas enumerated a
total population of 601,730 (Bamidbar 26:51). It seems an unfair
distribution that 12,000 soldiers get the same as the 589,000 rest of Israel. This teaches us that the soldiers are greatly
valued in the Torah, their disproportional allotted share of the spoil expresses
profound appreciation for their service. The benefits that our modern Israeli
society grants to soldiers who serve our country are rooted in our Torah. The tithes
of the Kohanim and Leviim – who provide spiritual strength – are minuscule
compared to what the Torah designates for the soldiers. The Kohanim receive 1/500th of the soldier’s
half. The Leviim get 1/50th of the general population’s half. While we value
the contribution of the religious leaders the soldiers’ contribution is
appreciated even more.
Politically Incorrect Statements about Israeli Warfare Causes
Uproar in the Jewish World
When I recently quoted Rabbi Manis Friedman about the Intimacy Crisis one
of my students pointed out that many reputable Rabbis have accused him of being
a heretic. I was quite shocked as I know him to be wise and erudite in Torah
with a special gift of inspiring people of all levels of observance and
backgrounds. When I researched the critique and Rabbi Friedman’s response, I
found his words taken out of context and the accusations offensive and rude,
calling the Rabbi – who has a long white bear – Santa Clause. The vehement
attacks didn’t make sense until it dawned on me that it was his radical
statements about Torah warfare that elicited such condemnations. In addition to
publishing To
Win a War (The Jewish Way): A Guide for post-war Sanity Rabbi
Manis Friedman’s comments about warfare published in Moment Magazine caused a
great uproar and a flurry of criticism from the Jewish world both in the USA
and Israel. As the ‘tolerant’ Western world accuses Israel of “murdering
innocent civilians” Rabbi Friedman took a bold unpolitical correct stand and
wrote: “The only way to fight a moral war is the Jewish way: Destroy their holy
sites. Kill men, women and children (and cattle)” – a statement which obviously
would arouse massive resistance. Yet this statement may also be taken out of
context. The abhorred statement must be understood on the background of
“addressing some of the ethical issues related to forcing the military to
withhold fire from certain people and places, at the unbearable cost of
widespread bloodshed (on both sides!) – when one’s own family and nation is
mercilessly targeted from those very people and places” explained Rabbi
Friedman. He also clarified that it was a response to the question of “how to
act in time of war, when our neighbors attack us, using their women, children,
and religious holy places as shields?” https://crownheights.info/general/18856/rabbi-manis-friedman-clarifies-his-statment/ Whereas the first part of his answer may have been written too
harshly, I do believe in the truth of the continuation of Rabbi Friedman’s answer:
“The first Israeli prime minister who declares that he will follow the Old
Testament will finally bring peace to the Middle East. First, the Arabs will
stop using children as shields. Second, they will stop taking hostages knowing
that we will not be intimidated. Third, with their holy sites destroyed, they
will stop believing that G-d is on their side. Result: no civilian casualties,
no children in the line of fire, no false sense of righteousness, in fact, no
war…”
Rabbi Manis Friedman’s Radical Statements Concur with the Torah
Rabbi Manis Friedman’s view on war ethics reflects the numerous Torah
commandments to conquer and utterly wipe out our enemies in the Promised Land. In
Parashat Masai, on the verge of completing forty years of wandering the
wilderness, Hashem prepares the Israelites to capture the land of Israel:
ספר במדבר פרק
לג פסוק נג וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם
אֶת הָאָרֶץ וִישַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ כִּי לָכֶם נָתַתִּי אֶת הָאָרֶץ לָרֶשֶׁת אֹתָהּ:
Rashi understands the word וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם/vehorashtem
– to mean to wipe out all the inhabitants:
YOU SHALL CLEAR OUT THE LAND - You shall vacate it of
its inhabitants, and then you shall “settle in it.” Only then will you be able
to survive there, but if you do not do this, you will be unable to survive
there (Rashi, Bamidbar 33:53). The uproar caused by Rabbi Manis Friedman’s
reiteration of this concept so clearly expressed by universally acclaimed Rashi
displays how greatly the current Jewish world view still is from the Torah
outlook.
Gratitude Focus for the Week of Parashat Matot/Masei –
Some Tips for Showing
Gratitude to Our Soldiers
As Israel faces terrorist organizations like Chamas, Chezbollah, and Islamic Jihad, none of whom hide that their agenda is to wipe away Israel from the map, our brave IDF soldiers put their lives on the line to maintain the security of Israeli civilians every single day. Every one of our soldiers serving during this current war has given more to our people than many of us do in a lifetime Our soldiers, who invest their time, withstand challenges, and are willing to risk their lives to protect the State of Israel from its enemies and ensure the safety of the people they love deserve our undivided gratitude. Here are a few tips on what we can do to express the grateful feeling in our hearts for our dear soldiers:
- Pray for the Soldiers Daily – You can pray in your own words from your heart, or you can use the following prayer: May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our soldiers from every trouble and distress and every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies to fall under our soldiers’ sway and may He grant the IDF salvation and crown them with victory!
- Pray for the Recovery of Injured Soldiers – get a list of names or even one specific name to include in your daily prayers. Several websites provide lists of names of soldiers to pray for. Here is a link to one: https://www.ctvp.org/templates/articlecco_cdo/aid/1182483/jewish/Names-of-Wounded-Soldiers-Who-are-in-Desperate-Need-of-your-Prayers.htm
- Visit Injured Soldiers in the Hospital – show them empathy, and compassion, and share encouraging words. This means a lot to the injured soldiers. Each visit gives strength and brings about recovery. You could bring books of Tehillim to the injured soldiers and tell them how you pray every day for the soldiers’ safety, how you are thinking about them, and how all over the world, Jews are praying for their recovery. Strengthen the spirit of the injured soldiers and their families‚ by bringing them gifts and providing them with emergency aid and any basic necessities needed. This gives them the strong and important message that they are not alone.
- Pay Fallen Soldiers Last Respects – As heartrending as it may be, it is a very great mitzvah to attend their funerals and comfort the mourners. By fulfilling these mitzvot you are saying thank you to these soldiers, and their families. You honor what they stood for. You can also pray for their souls, light a candle for the fallen soldiers, and dedicate specific mitzvot and Torah learning to their soul elevation.
- Express Your Appreciation for the Soldiers in Writing – You can send messages to soldiers through this email info@israelforever.org. All messages are sent directly to Lone Soldiers through The Lone Soldier Project™ of The Israel Forever Foundation. You may include drawings and photos to warm the soldiers’ hearts. Please note that while all letters are greatly appreciated, not all soldiers will have the opportunity to reply.
- Send Care Packages to the Soldiers – They are operating in extreme heat, fighting terrorists day and night, with no access to laundry facilities. The harsh conditions they face make them prone to issues like fungal infections, jock itch, and sunburns, which can become quite serious. Soldiers don’t always have all the items needed to go on long missions or to stay clean and safe. Fresh underwear, socks, protein and energy bars, dried fruits/nuts, headlamps, and tools make a big difference! They also need G-shock watches, head flashlights, portable phone chargers, and more. At all the Lone Soldier Center branches, they have closets full of various basic supplies and items they need. Due to the Israeli customs fees and bureaucracy, don’t send items by mail. Bring the items to Israel or send them with a friend.
- Commit to Educating as Many People as Possible – about the importance of the mission of our soldiers to defend the people of Israel against cruel barbarism, and how grateful we should all be for their bravery.
A tremendous Yasher ko'ach to you for writing this post! it is so clear and straightforward. Would that it was so simple in actual reality (No charedi yeshiva dean will even consider the halachic position of a national religious Rabbi like Rabbi Melamed) & of course those who demand immediate enlisting of charedi yeshiva students haven't made any practical preparations for accommodating such an influx.
ReplyDeleteBut thank you for your tips on supporting our soldiers. Can I ask in our local hospital if they have wounded soldiers & if I can visit them? Would that not be giving private information to strangers?
I was so surprised to read what you wrote about the Jews in the holocaust going to their deaths like sheep to the slaughter. Do you know who made up these lies about our Kedoshim? The secular Zionists who wanted to compare themselves, the fearless brave soldiers, to the weak religious Jews of Europe! Don't they know that the mighty army of France could not stand up to the Germans? Don't they know that it took the combined might of England, the Soviet Union, and the U.S. five long years to finally overcome them? How exactly were unarmed civilians supposed to stand up to them? It's truly evil how they have denigrated our martyrs who died al kiddush Hashem.
ReplyDeleteAs for your extolling the IDF and saying how protected they make you feel, it's kind of a strange time to be saying such things. Here in the U.S., the Jewish community is becoming more and more aware of just how vulnerable and weak and small the IDF is in the face of our many enemies who are stronger and far, far more numerous and far better equipped than we are. Our hearts go out to the soldiers who risk their lives to protect their fellow-Jews, who often lose their lives or limbs in the process. It pains us no end. It seems to be Hashem's way of showing us that we have been placing our trust in the wrong entity. It's only our G-d who has made miracles for us until now to save us, so many, many miracles, without which Israel would not be here. If you would just look at this week's parsha, there is the answer. 1,000 troops per tribe, period! It's Hashem doing the work, not the soldiers! Midian was a huge force. They had 32,000 females under the age of three, so one can imagine how huge their army was! Now is the time to put our energies into more learning, more davening, more Mitzvos, more Torah students toiling in the Yeshivos, not less!
Another thing that bewilders us here, is why our best and brightest are being sent into booby-trapped buildings and tunnels when they can be easily bombed from above or burned by a firestorm without the loss of precious Jewish lives just as the cities of Berlin, Hamburg, and Dresden were destroyed from the air. This is, of course, not the fault of the soldiers but of the policies of the IDF and the government. Now they want to send our Yeshiva boys into those tunnels? In what merit then will we be saved?
There is so much more on my mind, but suffice it to say, that I am deeply disappointed to see your views on this subject.