Amid Draft Debates, Haredi Rabbi Explains: "We Do Serve (Just Differently)" 

As tensions over Haredi enlistment intensify amid Israel's security challenges, Rabbi Meir Pinhasi offers a compelling Torah-based response in the second installment of his series "Know What to Answer," published on Kikar HaShabbat.

"We stand at the peak of a difficult period where our enemies, from within and without, attempt to ram their horns into Torah learners and the holy yeshiva students," Rabbi Pinhasi writes. "They shout in the streets and spread slogans: 'Equal burden,' 'Freeloaders,' 'Parasites,' 'Draft dodgers,' and more... Therefore, every yeshiva student must know the truth of what to answer, first to himself." This series tackles each question and claim separately, with the second episode focusing on: "We do serve!"

The core question troubling many: Why must soldiers protect you? Why don't you share the war effort? Why no equal burden? Why can a mother in Degania lose sleep fearing for her son's fate in Gaza combat, while a yeshiva boy's mother in Gevat Shaul, Ramat Elchanan, or Bnei Brak sleeps peacefully without worries? Where is the morality and justice?

Rabbi Pinhasi counters with a vivid analogy: The army comprises various divisions, infantry, air force, navy, engineering, and brigades like Golani, Givati, armor, paratroopers. Yet, there's another division, the most crucial and needed of all: "Torah learners." Without this "division," he warns, a massive systemic failure is guaranteed. "We yeshiva students are recruited to this division and stand guard with full strength."This unit's role? Literal protection, not just for soldiers but for all Israel against enemies.

While one doesn't rely on miracles and needs an army and security today, Rabbi Pinhasi insists Torah learners must stand alongside soldiers. He cites King David: "Our feet stood within your gates, O Jerusalem" (Psalms 122:2).

What caused our feet to triumph in war? Jerusalem's gates engaged in Torah study. "Torah study is the merit that stands to guard soldiers on the battlefield and engraves the victory upon it."

Yes! King David didn't attribute victories to intelligence systems, strategic commanders, weapon might, or his vast experience, as in "Who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war" (Psalms 144:1). Rather, to one thing: "Jerusalem's gates"! Torah study! It's the nuclear weapon that aided David in his wars.

King David says simply: Not only do you soldiers protect us, but we protect you too! We share the burden equally!!!

Engineers brainwash the public morning and evening to harass Torah students for not enlisting. But their words are nonsense! Yeshiva students are deep in the war, just like other soldiers, no less!!!For illustration, in a "soccer" game, it's built on players racing back and forth across the field.

Yet, there's another player no less important: the goalkeeper standing at the goal.Can one ask the goalkeeper why he stands still and doesn't bear the game burden like teammates toiling back and forth? Why dodge the game??? Everyone understands the goalkeeper serves the most important and needed role over any other player, without him, no game! The equation is precise: Without yeshiva students sitting at the camp's gate, there'd be no aerial or frontal defense. "Your gates, Jerusalem" create the best defense system against the enemy!

These words are explained in Rambam: "And why did Levi not merit inheritance in the Land of Israel and its spoils with his brothers? Because he was set apart to serve God, to minister to Him and teach His straight paths and righteous judgments to the many, as it says 'They shall teach Your judgments to Jacob and Your Torah to Israel.'

Therefore, they were separated from worldly ways, do not wage war like the rest of Israel, do not inherit, nor acquire for themselves by bodily strength, but they are 'God's army' as it says 'Bless, O God, his substance,' etc. And not the tribe of Levi alone but every man from all world comers whose spirit moves him and his knowledge understands to separate to stand before God to serve and worship Him to know God, etc., behold he is sanctified most holy."

And in Talmud Sanhedrin: "Were it not for David, Joab wouldn't wage war, and were it not for Joab, David wouldn't study Torah." Rashi explains: Were it not for David, who studied Torah, Joab wouldn't wage war, but David's merit stands for Joab in David's wars.

It's clear there's mutual guarantee between Torah learners and soldiers.In the holy Zohar, Rabbi Hiyya said on the verse: "Your right hand, O God, glorious in power," this is Torah, and through it "Your right hand, O God, shatters the enemy," for nothing in the world breaks enemies' strength except when Israel engages in Torah, for as long as Israel engages in Torah, God's right hand strengthens and nations' power weakens, etc.

Not only that, but a soldier can foil and prevent an attack from launching, but if, God forbid, he fails and the attack occurs, he has no power or control to save the people. In contrast, a yeshiva student has the power in his Torah not only to protect but also to save through Torah study so there are no casualties, and also through Torah's power to perform miraculous things beyond nature and human control.

The fundamental difference between protection and salvation: "Protection" – prevents damage from coming, but when damage arrives, no control over it and need "salvation."I'll bring several examples from recent times:Who caused the Iranian president's private helicopter to crash without any logical reason? The Israeli cyber array? Or perhaps the air force involved? They immediately declared publicly in global media they took no part in his plane's crash. So who is responsible?

Isn't it the Torah of thousands of yeshiva students? Who caused thousands of missiles from Iran carrying hundreds of kg of explosives not to kill or injure against all odds?Who caused missiles fired toward Israel from Gaza to return on their senders and kill dozens of Gazans inside a hospital in a blow of killing and loss?Who caused bombs installed in three buses to explode the night before? Is this also human error?

I heard from someone in a senior Iron Dome role that Israel sold Ukraine an Iron Dome system back then, guaranteeing 85% interception success. Along with the sale, sent top experts to help build and operate said systems. But in practice, this Iron Dome defense battery operated inefficiently there, succeeding to intercept less than 50% of missiles.

Iron Dome system workers didn't understand how in the country this system proves itself with over 98.2% success rates, after all, same interception missiles and same aerial defense system. Deep in the system, senior Iron Dome defenders admit fully: We have only one answer! The assistance of Torah learners helps us! Otherwise, no explanation for it.

A good friend who fell in the recent northern war, the holy Guy Shabtai HY"D, told me on Sukkot eve 5785: "In the battlefield, we saw God every moment, even soldiers far from Torah and mitzvot observance shouted fully God's finger it is."Who caused these miracles? Did it come from Sabbath desecrators' power, or from wearers of immodesty and arrogance, or from eaters of carcasses and treifot?

These miracles occurred through the power of yeshiva students immersed in the Talmud's depths. At that hour when they were busy debating Rashi's simple meaning, "God gives strength to His people" - God in heaven sat and saw our merits and through the holy Torah saved us with abundant mercy. After the crushing victory B"H in the "Six-Day War," Israel walked feeling "to Him befits praise," donning songs of praise.

The Maggid Rabbi Shabtai Yudelovich zt"l recounted, in that period he was invited to speak at one of the bases in central Israel, and upon arriving sees sitting before him three hundred commanders and officers from IDF's high ranks, one air force commander stood on a high stage, and said to them in this language: "So far I summarized for you what the air force gave for the fighting's success, what our paratroopers contributed for the war's success, what the "commando" – naval contributed for the dizzying success, now a rabbi from Jerusalem arrived to tell us what was the yeshiva students' contribution for the fighting's success, with honor [to] the rabbi"...

Rabbi Shabtai Yudelovich a"h stood before the audience, and thanked that he truly didn't intend to converse on this topic, but if they already raised the question, he has a decisive answer, and so said: "Behold this is no secret my commander that the state prepared 60,000 thousand burial caskets! My commander surely knows this. Also this no secret, that they allocated all Tel Aviv exhibition gardens for burying the fallen in war.

Likewise in Jerusalem allocated "Sacher Garden" for burial purposes, these things are known to you dear soldiers, said Rabbi Shabtai in his melodic voice."And so I want to ask you one question, who was responsible to bury all those soldiers who would fall G-d forbid in war, you? After all you were busy in air, land and sea, surely the purification and burial task fell on yeshiva students, and they already spoke with us to prepare our guys for it."

And so the Holy One loves our Torah, and didn't want us to stop and idle from it for a moment, He loves us and had mercy on us and let us continue studying, and made a miracle we all witnessed with our eyes, something contrary to all human logic and intellect, and if so if you ask what we contributed for the war's success: "We contributed 60,000 thousand burial caskets," the Maggid replied to applause from all participants.

Gentlemen! This is no mere saying, Torah protects and saves, when we sit here and study Torah a soldier on night guard is saved from terrorist ambush. A Jewish child now in Guatemala crossing the road, saved from traffic accident. A Jew in Paris in hospital, discharged, because this is Torah's power to protect and save. Our erring brothers fighting for yeshiva students' enlistment unknowingly cut the branch they sit on!

As such, it's recounted that Maran Chofetz Chaim, saw need to establish a Jewish hospital for Israel's ill, stood and convened some rich men and spoke to their hearts to donate each some beds for the hospital and much spoke from his pure heart walls until each rich donated some beds and thus reached a total donation of about fifty beds, and suddenly midst the convention some yeshiva students entered to the Chofetz Chaim to explain something in their learning way, The Chofetz Chaim delayed with them a long hour while the other rich person was forced to wait, one rich man was angered at this and dared say, "Behold we the people's rich, donated for the hospital each so and so beds, these yeshiva students what did they donate to the hospital that the rabbi dedicates so much time to them"?

The Chofetz Chaim replied: "These youths with their Torah power cause no ill at all and thus won't need beds at all."When Prime Minister Mr. Menachem Begin decided to bomb the Iraqi atomic reactor, sent State Secretary Mr. Yechiel Kadishai, to Maran Rabbi Schach zt"l head of Ponivez yeshiva to bless the operation succeeds and forces return safely. Rabbi Schach asked: "At exactly what hour the operation launches?" the state secretary answered, "At two in the afternoon."

Rabbi Shach pondered and requested to delay the operation to four PM, the government secretary was surprised but promised to convey the message, cabinet members heard Rabbi Shach's request and decided to delay the operation to that hour Rabbi Shach set since no operational meaning to it. And indeed pilots took off attacked the reactor successfully and returned safely. Mr. Kadishai returned to thank Maran yeshiva head for his blessing, but he requested from the rabbi to know "why instruct to delay the hour?"

Rabbi Shach answered: "At two the boys in yeshiva rest and not all study, but at four no doubt all thousands of boys returned to the study bench and through Torah study the operation succeeds!".

In all world religions it's accepted from time immemorial to dedicate and allocate religion priests, they preserve the religion and heritage characterizing the people and country.

Those religion's priests, don't go to war, don't pay taxes and receive various privileges. Even Pharaoh allocated and preserved his state's religion priests more than the rest of the people. Shall we Israel entrusted with the ancient of religions not preserve the Torah that preserved us in exile hundreds of years?

Especially today IDF recognizes the value called "elite athlete," "elite artist," and exempts these people from full IDF service. Meaning leadership heads understand beyond doubt, for the people's and country's future must exempt and preserve these people too despite not bearing equal burden. In the same measure we believe yeshiva students are needed for the nation's existence and preservation many times more despite not fighting on the battlefield.

Especially that we didn't come to innovate or grasp a foreign new faith, this is a solid faith Israel is entrusted on for thousands of years, upon it the Jewish people is founded, our ancestors' ancestors jumped to fire and with "Shema Yisrael" cries gave their souls, for this faith.