Leading Sephardic Posek Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi Declares: 'They Don't Need Us in the Army - They Want to Destroy Torah'

HaGaon Rabbi Ben Zion Mutzafi, one of the most influential Sephardic halachic authorities in Israel, has issued a defiant message to Torah scholars amid the escalating confrontation over military conscription, declaring that the state's draft enforcement campaign has nothing to do with military necessity and everything to do with hostility toward the Torah world.

In a letter sent to avreichim at a kollel in Ofakim, Rabbi Mutzafi framed the current crisis in stark terms: "For 70 years, the Erev Rav have been exerting all their strength and exploding when they see Jews who are bnei Torah sitting and engaging in Torah study. They don't need us in the army at all - they have additional soldiers, surplus soldiers."

The letter, which circulated widely in Haredi communities, represents one of the most direct statements yet from a mainstream rabbinic leader characterizing the draft enforcement as fundamentally anti-religious rather than a matter of national security. Rabbi Mutzafi's use of the term "Erev Rav" - a loaded biblical reference to those who joined the Israelites at the Exodus but later caused spiritual corruption - signals the depth of alienation felt within significant segments of the Torah world.

Seventy Years of Failed Attempts

Rabbi Mutzafi's letter catalogued what he described as decades of systematic efforts to undermine Torah study in Israel. "What haven't they done every single year, four times corresponding to the seasons, all kinds of regulations, difficulties, decrees, sanctions, enticements, threats, incitement against Torah learners, and nothing succeeds for them," he wrote.

The posek invoked prophetic promises to reassure his audience: "Hashem Yitbarach promised us through Moshe, His faithful servant: 'It will not be forgotten from the mouth of his descendants.' And through Shmuel His prophet: 'For Hashem will not abandon His people, nor will He forsake His inheritance.'"

His message comes as hundreds of rabbinic leaders gathered for an emergency assembly to address what they characterized as the most severe crisis facing yeshiva students in recent decades, with draft enforcement intensifying and yeshiva budgets being eliminated.

Cultural War Beyond Military Service

Rabbi Mutzafi's letter extended beyond the draft issue to what he portrayed as a broader cultural assault. "They cannot succeed, they will not subdue us, because their goal is to cause the Torah to be forgotten, all the entertainment programs, the licentiousness disguised as freedom, the donkey parades, they only add disgrace and shame to themselves," he stated, referencing pride parades and secular cultural phenomena.

The posek concluded with a message of resilience: "We will not abandon the Torah, and it will not abandon us forever and ever. Remember, my friend, every night we bless: 'And Your love will not depart from him forever.' Hashem Yisbarach declares: 'I love you.'"

The letter's circulation coincides with unprecedented gestures of support from Torah leadership for imprisoned yeshiva students, including personal phone calls from members of the Moetzes Chachmei HaTorah to families of detained scholars. HaGaon Rabbi Avraham Salim recently told the mother of an imprisoned student that her son was "making a great Kiddush Hashem."

A Mainstream Voice Adopting Confrontational Language

Rabbi Mutzafi's statement is particularly significant because it comes from a widely respected posek within the mainstream Sephardic rabbinic establishment, not from more radical anti-Zionist factions. His characterization of the situation as a fundamental clash between the state and Torah values reflects what observers describe as a dangerous radicalization of previously moderate voices.

The timing of the letter is critical. Mass protests have erupted across Israel, with demonstrators blocking major highways and confronting police. A yeshiva student was seriously injured during demonstrations on Route 4, and coalition fractures have deepened, with Shas chairman Aryeh Deri reportedly blaming Prime Minister Netanyahu directly for mishandling the crisis.

Rabbi Mutzafi's assertion that Israel has "surplus soldiers" and doesn't actually need Haredi conscripts directly contradicts the government's stated rationale for draft enforcement—that Israel faces a severe manpower shortage following the October 7 war and subsequent multi-front conflict. His framing suggests that from the perspective of significant rabbinic leadership, the entire draft campaign is viewed not as a security imperative but as ideological warfare against the Torah world.

Further updates to follow as the crisis continues to unfold.