Balancing אמונה and Service: The Haredi Dilemma in Military Conscription and Torah Study Commitment | Scaling Tradition: Reevaluating the Chazon Ish’s Conscription Exemption in a Growing Community | Study Time Required for to be מקיים והגית בו יומם ולילה

Thank you for this week’s program.

I am about half way through and I am not sure if any quotes the Chazon Ish in his actual sefer. Y”D 151:3. There he writes that if a city would be only composed of T”C, they would have to do the natural actions to keep themselves safe and not rely on nisim.

But, as long as the natural actions to keep themselves safe will be done, the T”C are putur from being involved in these actions.

This directly fits into this discussion.

But, the Shulchan Urach only applies this to T”C- people who have as their primary focus mastering the Torah and they have proven that they have done so already- (Y”D 243:2).

When I was studying in Israel in the years 2010-2013 the Chabad Yeshivos where having an issue with the students getting permission from the army to go study for a year in 770 as is the custom for Chabad Yeshivos.
In order to solve this issue one of the chabad askanim worked out a deal with the army that the bochrim would be given permission to go to 770 for a year and then after that they would serve. It is my understanding that my Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yakov Katz, the Rosh Yeshiva of The Central Chabad Yeshiva in Kfar Chabad, agreed to the plan. But then there was another Rosh Yeshiva who gave a fiery speech against the plan (I remember he screamed “Will there be no talmuday chachomim in lubavitch”) and it is my understanding that my Rosh Yeshiva retracted his support for the plan after that and it did not come to fruition.

My Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yakov Katz was born in Europe in Chelm. He was so generous with his time with me and other bochrim and really built us up
After listening to the podcast and it’s entirety, I had another insight that came from a story that happened with these two honoured Roshai Yeshiva.

I was by the table of Rabbi Yaakov Katz asking him a question, and it came the time for the Shuir klolie which was to be given by the other Rosh Yeshiva. It was Thursday afternoon before an off Shabbos, so much of the yeshiva had left early, and when the other Rosh yeshiva entered to give the Shuir klolie , he was standing in front of an empty bais medresh.
The other Rosh yeshiva began screaming about the chutzpa that everyone had left. Rabbi Katz turned to me and said quietly “He is screaming at the bochrim who are here”.

The truth is I think it is the same in this situation. This is a decision that needs to be made by the leaders of our generation. My personal thought is that that everyone should go to the army, but ultimately I’m modeh that this question must be decided by our leaders, and not by the Klal. That’s not to say that the klal shouldn’t go to our leaders and talk to them. There are many examples of this in the Torah. But ultimately this is their decision.

The alter rebbe is his hilchos talmud Torah explains the chiyuv of limud hatorah beautifuly

One last thing

Over Shabbos, I mentioned your podcast on this topic to a father whose son is currently in Gaza, of a Dati leumi background, and he raised the question of “Is it really helpful to be talking about this now in middle of a war?”

Thank you for your wonderful shows, and sorry for over messaging!