Jerusalem Post July 30: Pray for the IDF, not instead of it!

Sir, - Rabbi Shalom Cohen, the successor of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef as the spiritual leader of Shas, has demonstrated a grievous lack of sensitivity, a gross ingratitude, and an offensively mistaken appreciation of Jewish priorities when asserting that "Israel doesn't need an army because prayers protect it." 

At a time when tens of families are crying over the loss of those most dear to them, and when almost the entire people of Israel are united in sharing their heartbreak for the fallen precious fathers, sons, and brothers – all members of the IDF, who gave their lives in order to defend us from annihilation – , Rabbi Cohen, instead of issuing some message of comfort and hope chooses to make a declaration that offends us all.

While praying is of extreme importance at all times, happy and sad, Jewish history bears no record of their being sufficient in themselves, neither for warding off evil nor in Heaven's appreciation. The great European centers of Torah and piety were obliterated despite the oceans of tears and the myriads of fervent prayers. When the Bible confronts the Israelites with an attack by Amalek, Moses orders Joshua to choose men to go out to do battle. He does not suggest that they pray or sit and learn.

As a spiritual leader, Rabbi Cohen should indeed be praying by leading prayers of Hallel and Thanksgiving to the Almighty for the miracles He has wrought for us through the agency of the IDF's valiant soldiers and its brilliant technology.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Youtube, Israel Defense Forces]

Toxic Remarks: Tzipi Livni and Rabbi Nissan Kaplan

Sir, - Readers of the Jerusalem Post were confronted with two disturbing headlines on Sunday May 18 and in fact both reflect a venomous posture towards the state of Israel and its people. The first headline relates to the unauthorized meeting that took place in London between Tzipi Livni and the PA's Mahmoud Abbas; the second cites a repulsive and toxic statement from a rabbi of the Mir Yeshiva who declared that "government officials should in theory be killed."

It appears to me that Naftali Bennet's comments about Livni that describe her as a "satellite lost in orbit, with no connection to the planet earth" can unhesitatingly be applied to the Yeshiva scholar Rabbi Nissan Kaplan as well. The physical disconnect that Bennet describes is, however, unfortunately inadequate to fully portray the depth of their folly. They both seem to lack a basic appreciation or understanding of the 'heavenly miracle' that is the State of Israel or the real concerns of its people and their core values.

Tzipi Livni, in her desperate pursuit of an Israel-Palestinian peace treaty, is evidently willing to ignore the real danger that is inherent in meeting with a unified Hamas-PLO entity, wherein Hamas insists on its intention to annihilate the Zionist state. Their continuing rocket attacks against Israel and attempts to kidnap soldiers clearly demonstrate an implacable intent to unite their words of enmity with murderous deeds. She needs to understand that her primary obligation is to the security of the people of Israel with absolutely no room for compromise or weakness. 

The words describing the Israeli government as 'Amelekites' and therefore worthy of being killed borders on pathology no matter if it emerges from Rabbi Kaplan or any so called 'Gedolim,' be they Ashkenazi or Sfardi. His pathetic remarks and inane games played with his children are both symptoms of the terrible growing divide that separates the Haredi world from the rest of Israel, and worse is the Haredi world's ingratitude for the fact that currently there is more Torah being learned in the state of Israel with the support of the 'Amelikites' and the security provided by the IDF than any other period of Jewish history. It is time that these facts were honestly recognized by the Yeshiva world, and that they gather the courage to thank the Almighty for His daily miracles even when they come dressed in non-velvet kippot.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: WEF and Wikimedia user yoavlemmer]

Mis-God-ed Haredi Values

Sir, - Rabbi Berel Wein succeeds in presenting us with a most insightful and robust analysis of some of the important tensions and contradictions that plague the Lithuanian Haredi community. He succeeds in doing so by employing satirical humor and thus is able to some degree soften the portrayal of the often very sharp conflicts that exist in that very distinct community. He is further aided in his coherent analysis by a sensitivity that stems from a sense of identity (since he identifies himself as belonging to this community) which serves to endow his critical remarks with not only a profound sense of poignancy but also with the ring of truth and accuracy.

He correctly points to some of the crucial matters in which the Lithuanian Haredim have adopted customs that intensely highlight the dissonance between their present communal practices and the desired righteous path expounded by our Prophets and prescribed by our sages. The dignity of labor that enables economic sustenance and the avoidance of becoming a burden to others, alongside the proud participation in a military that defends the Jewish people and the state of Israel, are two of the most important of these divisive issues. The ambiance within which these pivotal attitudes find expression is pervaded by a deeply felt sense of distrust of the entire Zionist enterprise and of all its institutions based on an attribution of illegitimacy to any major development in the story of our people that has not yet won the imprimatur of those who see themselves as God's spokesmen. This is especially so in their view of the fact that many of the State's founding fathers were visibly secular.

Unfortunately, their extreme misguided and mis-God-ed outlooks have also succeeded in influencing and misshaping the values of other segments of the Haredi community. The former Poale Agudath Israel, with its healthy positive outlook toward the nobility and importance of labor, and favoring of the full participation in the economic and military life of Eretz Yisrael within a framework of diligent observance, has slowly witnessed the erosion of those values and their substitution by a separatist orientation. The former Shas MK Rabbi Chaim Ansalem has bemoaned the negative and alien inroads made into the mores and values of the traditional Sephardic community regarding attitudes toward the Zionist program and the necessity to maintain a vibrant work ethic and a vigilant security structure.

The story related by Rabbi Wein about the Haredi professional engineer who sought his counsel about making a trip to America in order to "schnorr" funds for a child's wedding, when questioned if it was not more desirable to work in his profession rather than go begging, replied that in the milieu in which he was living a father who worked (and did not spend his full time learning) would have a negative effect on the Shidduch prospects. This extreme anecdote, while inviting both pity and revulsion, also serves to illustrate the extreme problems within the Haredi community.

Above all, one would expect from those who claim to value Torah to be first in their ability to discern the Divine Presence that accompanies Jewish History and that endows the life of Am Yisrael and its reborn sovereign State with distinctive majesty and eminent religious significance.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Amnon Yitzchak: Why Women Shouldn't Drive (According to the Torah)

Sir, - Alongside the sober headlines concerning the outrageous murder of a chayal and the somber news about the negotiations with Iran, the Jerusalem Post is to be commended for providing some comic relief when it quotes Amnon Yitzchak's "Don't allow women to drive." Both this papal pronouncement and the arguments presented in its support border on the ludicrous.

Amnon Yitzchak concludes that women should not drive because we lack any knowledge of their being engaged as wagon drivers before wagons evolved into cars. Needless to say, we lack that same information about women being accountants, lawyers, doctors, plumbers, or university deans. Incidentally, that same lack of information relates to men as well, where we have no evidence in the past of men serving as pilots, truck-drivers, or bond traders.

On a more serious note, when Amnon Yitzchak attempts to back his abrasive pronouncement by arguing that women's driving exposes them to immodest behavior by bringing them into contact with men, I would like to call his attention to the fact that Moshe's wife Ziporah, Yitzchak's wife Rebecca, and Yaakov's wife Rachel were all met at wells, where the presence of male shepherds was most definitely noted.

The socio-economic realities of the modern era have engendered the need for women to be fully and actively engaged in the marketplace and in all aspects of commercial life. Haredi society also promotes this as wives are encouraged to be the bread-winners in order to support their husbands learning Torah in a Kollel.

Finally, modest behavior is an extremely important element in the standards of  Jewish values, but this depends on the deportment of the individual, male or female in whatever professional context they are engaged in, and does not preclude driving a car or a spacecraft. 

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Keep Jerusalem UNITED, Keep Jerusalem JEWISH

Sir, - Gershon Baskin's article is basically another one of Baskin's attempts to deceive and thereby influence the Israeli public towards accepting his perverse pro-Palestinian position.

The attempt at deception begins with the very title "Negotiating Jerusalem, negotiating peace" -- by which Baskin means that he would like to see Israel totally capitulate to the Palestinian position and accept their claims of entitlement to the Old City and East Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine. Presently Jerusalem is united under Israeli sovereignty, so the P.A. has nothing to offer at the so-called negotiations other than what exists in Baskin's delusional scenarios.

United Jerusalem as Israel's capital affords unprecedented equal rights and access to all its citizens, as well as full freedom of worship. Throughout the millennia it has never served as the political or religious capital of any sovereign entity other than that established by the ancient Davidic Kingdom or the modern state of Israel. 

The hundreds of years of Muslim dominance in this region have always placed the capital cities in Damascus, Baghdad, or Istanbul -- but never in Jerusalem. Baskin has the effrontery to cite Jordan's annexation of East Jerusalem in 1949, when Jordan joined several other Arab countries in their attack to eliminate the new state of Israel. In the 19 years of Hashemite rule, Jerusalem was never considered its capital. It did, however, manage to divide the city by barbed wire fences and walls that cut off the Old City and the Jewish holy places from Israel and the Jewish world.

Baskin's unmitigated gall continues with his positive approval of the Palestinian position as including the entire Old City of Jerusalem including the Jewish Quarter and the Jewish holy places. He is, however, willing to accept a division of the Old City that would leave the Jewish Quarter under Israeli sovereignty while the other three quarters -- Armenian, Christian, and Muslim -- would come under Palestinian sovereignty. Under what flight of fancy should the Armenian or Christian quarters be turned over to Muslim rule, when faced with indisputable evidence of deliberate Muslim deprivation of the Christian community of Bethlehem and active anti-Christian behavior throughout the Muslim world???

Baskin is most treacherous when trying to tackle the question of the Temple Mount. He makes himself completely oblivious to the harsh reality where the Muslim Waqf absolutely forbids Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount. A Jew is presently not permitted to move his lips without being stopped by Muslim officers. If this shamefully abusive denial of freedom of worship for Jews exists while under general Israeli sovereignty, can any honest and sane person other than Baskin truly believe it would change under Muslim sovereignty? I challenge Baskin to find any recognized Muslim religious authority that would back his claim that Muslim Sharia law permits the Jews to pray in the Temple Mount mosques. 

He goes on, cynically finding support for his anti-Jewish bias in some rabbis from the orthodox world who oppose praying on the Temple Mount. Their objection is based on the state of sanctity of the Temple Mount and their zealous concern that this sanctity not be defiled. He obviously does not understand that their opposition would have to include Muslims as well.

Finally, Baskin -- who is unable to offer any coherent reasons for denying the status quo -- asks the Jews to accept his Palestinian program and wait for the Messiah to solve the difficulties inherent in his myopic views. I too suggest that we all await the coming of the Messiah, but until then a united Jerusalem should and must remain the capital of Israel.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

[Lower image credit: Wikimedia user Ori~]

J.Post June 14: What Would Moses Say to Haredi Protesters?

Sir, – The challenging retort of Moses to the tribes of Reuben and Gad in regard to their request to settle on the east of the Jordan while the remaining tribes were to be engaged in the battles necessitated by their entrance into the promised land, should serve as a most appropriate rejoinder to those haredim in New York who were protesting against Israel’s drafting of yeshiva students for military service (“Thousands of haredim in lower Manhattan protest IDF draft,” June 11).

“Shall your brothers go out to war while you sit here?” (Numbers 32).

 Is there a need for any more to be said?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva 

Manhattan Haredi Protest: The Ugly Truth

Sir, - I was both profoundly grieved as well as deeply angered when reading about American haredim who planned a major rally in Manhattan to protest the draft of Israeli yeshiva students. The planned rally was canceled before it was held. I would like to address my thoughts about the rally and its subsequent cancellation and how it reflects an ugly, growing and misguided gap between that group of American haredim and the God-fearing, Torah observant, Zionist community in Israel.

 

Although the Almighty's thoughts are beyond our mortal comprehension, I would venture to say that He desired the cancellation of the rally, because if it were held the Desecration of His Name and that of the State and people of Israel would have been beyond his sufferance. A number of glaring aspects of the portrayal of the reasons for the rally and its cancellation testify to its being conceived in sin and motivated basically by ill-will toward the State of Israel and its glowing accomplishments.

 

Unfortunately Agudath Israel still is unable to embrace the reality of the sovereign State and is thus forced into the tortured casuistry expressed by its executive vice president who states that "while Agudath Israel was not a sponsor [(why not?)] of the rally it nonetheless enjoys the strong backing of Agudath Israel's rabbinic leadership." It is important to note the anonymity of the rabbis in support of the rally, while the only named rabbinic luminary, Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, who assumed the mantel of world Torah leadership upon the passing of Rabbi Shlomo Elyashiv, was reported to be against the event.

  

Agudath Israel spokesman Rabbi Avi Shafran, usually an intelligent and well-balanced presenter, is evidently forced into the unenviable comical position of trying to explain the patent absurdity of the reasons for the cancellation. He offers that "the senior ultra-orthodox rabbis felt that now [(i.e. during the wake of the Boston marathon attack)] would not be an appropriate time to gather masses of visibly Jewish Jews into one area for such an event." We are compelled to ask Rabbi Shafran how this rally is any different from the tens of rallies held by visibly Jewish haredim -- and this rally was

scheduled for Manhattan, which is a fair distance from Boston.

 
However, the most troubling question is what was the initial purpose of the rally and how that relates to the Torah-committed and army-serving community in Israel. We are informed that it was intended as a forum for prayers for "heavenly mercy" in the face of the ''possibility" that full time yeshiva students may be required to serve in the Israeli army. It is again worthy of note that there are far more efficient ways to evoke heavenly mercy, such as declaring a day of fasting and prayer, that do not require the presence of screaming masses.

The biggest violation of truth and self deception took place when the formerly quoted Agudath Israel executive vice president emphasized that the rally was not meant to be "a demonstration or protest against the State of Israel, or an effort to enlist the American public or the American government in a campaign to fight the proposed new law." I am sorry to say that anyone with a minimum of intelligence and integrity, including the anonymous rabbis themselves, would understand that a visible mass demonstration like the one planned was designed to accomplish exactly that.

 The important truths concerning this issue may be summed up as follows. The draft laws in the state of Israel are not those of Czarist Russia which meant being drafted into a hostile environment. There are tens of thousands of Hesder Yeshiva students that willingly and proudly study Torah and combine it with army service vital to the security of Israel and the continued existence of the Jewish Homeland. Instead of organizing massive protests against the State, any rabbi worthy of the title should positively embrace the state of Israel and the fact that here, where we are surrounded by major hostile forces, God has enabled and blessed the State of Israel with the ability to engulf in its midst more Torah learning and learners than any other period of Jewish history, while at the same time enhancing His name by the state's achievements in science and technology, agriculture, medicine, and all worthy areas that can alleviate suffering, and help make His world a better place.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: IDF spokesperson]

Ultra-Orthodox Chutzpah Won't Appreciate IDF

Sir - The ugly and irresponsible statements made by self-styled ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student Doniel Hool provide stark evidence that the curriculum of his yeshiva is heavily weighted toward teaching ingratitude, resentment and hate, while leaving little time for the actual study of Torah or the meaning of "Ahavat Yisrael." 

 

He describes the State of Israel (of which he feels no part) as the biggest freeloaders in the history of mankind because it receives large sums in military and hospital aid. If Doniel was to remove the blinders from his eyes, he would appreciate the fact that it is the men, women and children -- including tens of thousands of haredim -- who constitute "Klal Yisrael," that are the beneficiaries of this largesse when they receive the protection provided by the IDF or, when ill, fill its hospitals.

When Doniel relates the story of Ben-Gurion and Hebron as told by Rabbi Sarna to his father, he seems to be unaware that Rabbi Sarna himself begins with "when Jewish soldiers captured Hebron" and an appreciation of that fact is lost on Doniel. Ben-Gurion may have indeed expressed willingness to acknowledge the contribution of the Hebron bocherim and their spiritual input to the final outcome, but in no way did he imply that Hebron was won due to the sole effort of those bocherim. We are sadly left with the irony of Ben-Gurion's granting recognition to the spiritual side, whereas according to Doniel's understanding there is no recognition or appreciation that is due to the heroic fighters of the IDF.
 

Doniel describes his father as a most worthy man who volunteered to come to Israel during the Six Day War, and I say therefore with a degree of certainty that he does not seem the type that would besmirch the good name of Israel by repeating the malicious blasphemies and falsehoods about those "who want to close down yeshivot and other houses of ultra-Orthodox study."

 

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Ponevezh Time Movie: A Disturbing Glimpse

Sir, - 'Ponevezh Time,' the film made by Yehonatan Indursky, provides us with an intimate, yet obviously caring look into one of the haredi world's most prestigious bastions of study. Indursky, who from the age of 16 spent three years at the Ponevezh Yeshiva in Bnei Brak, brings an insider's knowledge to his portrayal, together with a great measure of empathy and understanding. However, his film alerts us to a number of serious concerns that are common to huge institutions, be they haredi or secular. 

 

click here to view full trailer

The most blatant of the concerns begins with the circumstances that caused Indursky himself to feel compelled to leave the Yeshiva that he so much admired. He relates the feeling of being "utterly at sea there" and "on your own, with no one to turn to." Did this most respected institution maintain an atmosphere that valued excellence in Torah studies above the emotional health and well-being of the individual student? 

In view of the fact that most of those who enter Ponevezh are of adolescent age -- and are thereby afflicted and conflicted with much inner emotional turmoil regarding their religious, theological, sexual, economic, social, and military behavior -- it would seem that a major priority would be a staff that combined great Torah knowledge with a warmth of personality to provide a responsive ear and understanding for their concerns.

 

The great Torah sages throughout Jewish history knew how to combine their brilliance in Torah with brilliance of character -- along with a deep understanding of the human condition -- so they were successful at imparting their love of learning to their disciples with warmth, acceptance, and love. 

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid: Not Haredi-Haters

Sir, - Shas's labeling of the Bennet-Lapid ties as a "bond of hating ultra-Orthodox" is utterly reprehensible. Besides being completely false, it appears to be maliciously slanderous. It most unfortunately and gratuitously injects the element of hatred where it is not present, and it thus further tears asunder the national cohesiveness that we so desperately need.

Not having participated in the convoluted political maneuvering of coalition building, I cannot and will not attempt to rationalize or justify any of the machinations involved, but I most assuredly assert that they are not at all grounded in hatred. The contrary seems to be closer to the truth. Both Naftali Bennet and Yair Lapid have clearly stated and demonstrated their respect for Torah Learning and have stressed its importance in our national calculus. They do have differences with the Haredi parties on plans for trying to find solutions to the very real problems of equitably sharing in the national burden of military and civilian service. My impressions are that they are sincere and not in the least motivated by hatred of Haredim. In fact, it was the Shas mentor who was first to introduce contempt for the other side by labeling the 'Bayit Yehudi' membership as "goyim."

At a time when our country is surrounded by increasing hostility and hatred it is of the utmost importance that we do everything possible to establish a completely unified sense of national purpose.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Wikimedia]

J.Post March 8: Heroic Chabad Women

Sir, - It was indeed most welcome and quite refreshing to read the positive and wholesome article featuring the 'Shluchos' of International Chabad-Lubavitch. These women emissaries came together for their annual International Conference, and a reader very quickly understands and appreciates why the article is titled "Heroines in their own right."

These 1,700 emissaries, from Chabad outposts across the globe, gather in order to gain strength from each other's experiences and share their stories of great hardships as well as those of enormous achievements. They are often confronted by the glaring absence of facilities for the education of their children and the other basic necessities of Jewish life. Obtaining kosher food is accomplished only with great difficulty. Although they must start from scratch and raise their own funds, they have succeeded in transforming these outposts into centers of Jewish vitality, warmth, hospitality and tradition. Their motivation is based on the importance of reaching out to all with acceptance and respect, and encouraging the tiny spark of Judaism which is to be found in every Jew. These women are called on to be educators, mothers, hoteliers, accountants, public relations experts, builders, and together with their husbands (the Shluchim) are committed to radiate and spread the positive warmth of Judaism as far as possible.

The inspiration for this idealism and sacrifice are attributed by all to the revered 'Rebbe' of Lubavitch, the venerable Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson who, more than any other, was responsible for the spread of Ahavat Yisrael and Jewish values during the 20th century.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

J.Post January 8: Accusation and Insult

Sir, – Kollel teacher Daniel Adin, in his pious, self-righteous zeal to protect his perceptions of certain Torah values and institutions, is evidently unable to do so without resort to ungracious accusations and personal insults (“Pundits from afar,” Comment & Features, January 6). It is of utmost importance to examine whether the targets of his condemnations are indeed deserving of his opprobrium.

Adin attacks the representatives of the American Jewish Committee for their focus on and criticism of the Chief Rabbinate while the organization itself has failed to curb the 50 percent rate of assimilation existing in American Jewry. Is the AJC alone guilty of this deficiency? Is he not at all disturbed by the persistent reality of this rate despite the existence of a vast network of Jewish day schools, yeshivot and kollelim that are active throughout the United States? [Have the glorious centers of Torah learning succeeded in curbing the encroachment of the Haskalah movement and the assimilation of European Jewry?]

In dealing with the magnitude and the serious ramifications that the conversion issue has for the whole structure and security of our Jewish state, I believe that Adin could be far more appreciative of the sacred work being performed by God-fearing people on behalf of the well-being of clal Yisrael.

Perhaps some hint of a proper direction can be found in Chabad, which insists on maintaining proper halachic standards while at the same time recognizing the infinite worth of that dormant Jewish spark to be found in all and creating the inclusive, warm and nonjudgmental atmosphere necessary for its revival.

Adin also chooses to vigorously condemn the late Rabbi Shlomo Goren and, unfortunately, goes well beyond stating wherein they disagree while maliciously accusing him of manipulating Halacha for purposes of personal political gain. I, however, firmly believe that the people of Israel, and particularly its religious element, owe a great debt of gratitude to Rabbi Goren for boldly using his great knowledge of Torah and Halacha to show how Torah and Jewish values can and must be applied to our new conditions of sovereignty and modernity.

[His well-deserved paratrooper wings went a long way in showing how a bearded and learned Hevron Ilui, can fully participate in all parts of the emerging Israel reality. The fact of Kashrut in the IDF kitchens is one of the many achievements whereby he has undoubtedly merited honorable recognition in the heavenly roles.]

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

J.Post November 27: Words Better Said

Sir, – I begin this letter with a great deal of trepidation. It is essentially being written in reaction to statements made by two men, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky and Rabbi Gershon Edelstein, both saintly Torah giants for whom I have the utmost esteem and reverence.

I feel compelled to respectfully differ with their joint response when asked during Operation Pillar of Defense whether people from the South who were under bombardment should leave their homes. Both answered in the affirmative, saying these people should go to Bnei Brak, where they themselves reside. In a place where Torah is studied, they said, damage cannot be inflicted (“Rabbi Ovadia Yosef: May our enemies fall by the sword before our soldiers,” November 16).

Unfortunately, their explicit promise of safety cannot find support in the historical record – the martyrdom of Rabbi Akiva and the plague that decimated thousands of his pupils; the annihilation of entire Torah communities by the Crusaders; and the Holocaust’s extermination of Europe’s greatest Torah centers together with six million of our brethren.

I am troubled as well by the obvious impracticality of the suggestion.

Is the city of Bnei Brak in fact able or willing to accommodate an influx of a large group of outsiders? Most troubling, however, is the negative and divisive implications in the worthy rabbis’ advice (perhaps unintentional) that separated those who might choose to make the move and the many left to their fate.

Would it not be far more appropriate for the rabbis to have issued a declaration that all of Israel is worthy of the Almighty’s favorable countenance, without distinction of location? Should they not have been among the first to acknowledge with pride that in fact there is more Torah learning by more Torah learners in the State of Israel today than in any other period of Jewish history? Finally, should rabbinical leadership not be offering a message of encouragement and solace to the myriad of people whose lives and well-being have been shattered by years of constant terrorist violence? Should they not be the leaders who joyfully point to the daily miracles that we witness in our relatively few casualties, and the miracles being performed through the Iron Dome defense system? Should they not be involved with urging and beseeching the general populace to listen to and obey the safety instructions of the Homefront Command? And should they not be praying for and thanking the Creator for his care for all those who participate in the defense of our beleaguered country, and joyfully and publicly proclaim that the “Guardian of Israel neither slumbers or sleeps?” 

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Perplexed: Yona Metzger on Israeli Conscription

Sir, - After a careful reading of the interview with Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, I feel much in need of a guide for the perplexed. I found his answer to the most crucial question posed to him as a Chief Rabbi, namely "What do you think should replace the Tal Law?" to be most problematic.

After describing his own service as a gunner in the IDF's 7th Armored Brigade, his convoluted response "Unfortunately, there is a relatively large number of boys officially registered or partially registered at yeshivot, and some of them aren't registered at all, and they wander around, and sometimes become involved in crime and drugs. There are said to be more than 10,000 such youths today. They could fill several brigades in the IDF." This reply gives the impression of an attempt to avoid a direct and clear response, and is both confusing as well as bordering on the deceptive.

Are we to understand that Rabbi Metzger is "donating" ten thousand delinquents for service in the IDF? What about the tens of thousands of  haredim that were exempted by the Tal Law? Why indeed does Rabbi Metzger not propose their conscription for army service combined with Torah study, similar to the program he himself participated in with apparent great success?

Isn't it about time that a Chief Rabbi in Israel declares, that just like Torah study is an obligation for every Jew, so too is service to the country and the security of its people no less an obligation, and incumbent on all its citizen?

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petach Tikva

[Image credit: Lior Golgher]

J.Post August 17: Growing Rifts

Sir, – As one who has profound respect for Torah learning, in addition to being a citizen who is also quite concerned about the growing rifts among our people, I was deeply disappointed when reading the article by Avi Schwartz (“Studying Torah can be a national service,” Comment and Features, August 14). Since the challenges that we face are of the utmost gravity, they warrant responses that are serious and respectful of both sides and not based on either naivete or flippancy.

To propose a program that places men in army uniforms for them to undergo a daily one hour training session with the rest of the day devoted to Torah learning is simply making a mockery of the uniform and unfortunately reveals a lack of basic understanding of the nature of the present haredi- secular schism.

While a Jewish state must recognize the vital contribution of Torah learning to the well-being of its people, it is also incumbent on the Torah world to recognize and respect the contributions that other groups make to the nation. Perhaps Avi Schwartz can answer why his designated “Guardians of our Security” cannot find the justification to include in their rituals, prayers on behalf of the State of Israel and for IDF soldiers.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

[Image credit: Israel Defense Forces]

J.Post May 6: More Than a Definition

Sir, – In his edifying article “Who is ‘haredi’” (Comment & Features, May 3), Haim Amsalem identifies himself as haredi but wants the term to be inclusive of all who “tremble” to fulfill God’s word. This, according to Ansalem, can encompass Zionists, people who work, those who “receive a well rounded education” and those who wear a “knitted kippa and colored shirts!” While I wholeheartedly subscribe to his message, I would like to emphasize several additional factors that are worthy of consideration.

Torah learning must be an important element in the description, as well as military or national service. I would recommend that haredi yeshivot initiate a hesder program that mixes service with study where one can serve both God and country [see my Feb 27, 2012 letter to the editor].

Of course, if one adopts the above programs while accepting Ansalem’s inclusive parameters, we end up with a very worthy description of the national-religious ideology with a well established hesder program that permits us to hold our heads up with pride.

ZEV CHAMUDOT

Petah Tikva

[Image Credit: IDF spokesperson]

J.Post February 27: More on Tal Law

Sir, – The controversy regarding the Tal Law and its invalidation threatens to do violence against the unity of our society that is so vital for our security and survival.

The necessity for all citizens to contribute to their country’s well-being in equal measure should be beyond dispute.

There is a real problem, however, in being able to measure or quantify the contributions of the different segments of our nation. Which carry greater weight? Which are more dangerous? Which are most important in helping forge the type of social structure we all aspire to? While it behooves the Jewish state to recognize the role of Torah learning as a vital element in achieving that desired society, the yeshiva world must at the same time unbegrudgingly recognize the absolute importance of military service.

The hesder program of Torah study combined with army service provides an almost ideal vehicle for serving both God and country. It produces great achievement in Torah studies and some of the finest, idealistic and dedicated army officers.

Would it not be a wonderful solution to some of the dilemmas plaguing our country?

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva 

A Beloved Tzadik: Reb Aryeh Levine

Sir, - Jonathan Rosenblum is to be highly commended for introducing a positive note and healing balm into our fragmented and fractious social fabric. He does so by portraying the very exemplary lives of those saintly men who did indeed fulfill the Torah imperative that 'the name of Heaven should become beloved through you.'

I would like to add a name to that very special group; that of Reb Aryeh Levine who was called the 'Tzadik Hayerushalmi.' He earned that title by living his entire life dedicated to the service of others. He was able to bring warmth and hope to those still confined in Jerusalem's leper sanitarium and to those imprisoned by the British in Acre,and especially to those unfortunates who were condemned to the gallows. He permitted neither distance nor travail to discourage him from bringing aid and succor to anyone in need.

I have met members of 'Lehi' who not only revere his memory but admit to having their lives transformed by his noble qualities of heart and devotion. He was the object of adoration by almost all segments of society and his biography in English is aptly titled A Tzadik in Our Time.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva

J.Post November 6: Judging Goldstone

Sir, – How are we to relate to Judge Richard Goldstone (“In NYT op-ed, Goldstone defends Israel against ‘apartheid’ claims,” November 2)? It is indisputable that the Goldstone Report was a most injudicious document that was used to vilify the State of Israel and cause it irreversible damage. Yet today, a wiser Goldstone has transformed himself into a proactive defender of the Jewish state’s legitimacy and the justice of its behavior.

But is this enough to warrant our forgiveness? I suggest that the Torah’s way of relating to a person who killed another without intent can help guide us in our search for direction.

The Torah repeatedly labels such a person a murderer and requires that he remove himself to a designated city of refuge in order to be safe from one who seeks revenge, and concurrently undergo a process of atonement.

Even though the person’s act might not have been intentional, the Torah regards it most gravely.

It must be acknowledged, however, that the Goldstone Report was quite intentional in its malicious judgment of Israel.

It accused us of the deliberate mass murder of innocents and other crimes against humanity. It was the product of an enormous ego and a totally biased panel member, and was morally flawed because it listened to only one side of the story.

There remain many who, like the blood avenger, are unable to forgive Goldstone. Minimally, he must persevere in his quest for atonement by continuing to dedicate his legal skills and talents toward the defense of the State of Israel and its citizens.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petah Tikva

Whose Values?

Sir, - I was surprised and disappointed by Gil Troy whom I respected as a fair-minded moderate, to be so verbally abusive of the book 'Torat Hamelech' and its author. This is especially so when the impression one gets is of Troy's reliance on the opinions of others and not having read the book himself.

I was also deeply troubled by Troy's unhesitant association with the group of national deprecators who use the words yeshiva and hooligans as if they were hyphenated. By doing so he joins the defamers of some of our best and most dedicated youth, who are committed to Israel's highest ideals of service to God and to the people of Israel.

I humbly suggest that he carefully read the article by Dr.Tzipora Pinner that was printed in the Post directly below his own.The author analyses the book chapter by chapter and draws reasoned and positive conclusions. Nowhere does she find any message of racism or incitement, but rather an attempt to set halachic parameters for the very vexing and complex issues that emerge during the time of war.

ZEV CHAMUDOT
Petach Tikva