Does Hesder Yeshiva Prove That You Can Both Learn and Serve in the Army?
At first glance, the Hesder Yeshiva model appears to present a solution: a way to serve in the IDF while continuing Torah learning. Many in the Dati Leumi world see it as the best of both worlds. But from the Charedi Torah perspective, there are fundamental concerns—both spiritual and halachic—that cannot be overlooked.
1. Torah Is Not a Compromise
The Charedi world believes that Torah is not something to be “balanced” with other national priorities—it is the priority. As the Rambam writes, Torah learning is the foundation of the world, and one who accepts the yoke of Torah is patur from the yoke of worldly burdens (Hilchos Shemitah V’Yovel 13:12). In the Hesder model, Torah learning is often treated as a secondary activity, one that must be interrupted or adapted to the demands of army service.
But Chazal teach us: "Im yeiresh eino domeh mishenatan retzef echad l'mi shenatan hafsakos hafsakos" — Torah that is learned without interruption is not the same as Torah learned with breaks (Berachos 35b). Even short breaks—let alone the intense upheaval of army service—can disrupt the deep spiritual growth that yeshiva is meant to nurture.
2. Thousands Have Fallen Spiritually
Even within the Dati Leumi world, there is deep concern over the spiritual damage army service can cause. Stories abound—thousands of them—of young men who began their Hesder path with idealism and dedication, only to return from the army distant, confused, or spiritually broken.
The challenges are not only physical or emotional. The culture of the army, the exposure to inappropriate speech, immodesty, coarse behavior, and secular ideologies—all present dangers that even the most idealistic youth are often unprepared for.
Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook zt”l himself, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav, once warned that even within Hesder, *“not every soul can survive the spiritual storms of the battlefield.”*¹
3. It Doesn’t Address the Core Charedi Objections
Even if one were to argue that Hesder “works” for some, it still does not answer the fundamental reasons Charedi Gedolim oppose military service:
- The Chain of Command: Soldiers are trained to obey orders—immediately and without question. In the IDF, those giving the orders are often not only not religious, but openly hostile to Torah values. A ben Torah cannot function under such a system where the word of a secular commander overrules his own conscience or halachic sensibilities.
- Cultural Environment: The army's environment is far from the kedushah and shemirah required for spiritual growth. The exposure to coarse language, mixed settings, and at times outright anti-religious sentiment is spiritually hazardous.
- The Hashkafah of Melting Pot: As mentioned in previous chapters, many secular leaders have openly admitted that one goal of drafting Charedim is to break down their religious identity and “integrate” them into the larger cultural mainstream.² No matter how many safeguards one tries to set up, this remains a foundational flaw in the system’s intent.
- No Replacements for Yeshivos: Most importantly, even those who survive spiritually do not return to the same level of Torah that they once had. Hesder may offer a return to learning—but not a return to retzifus (unbroken learning), to hasmadah, to the pure beis medrash atmosphere that is vital in producing gedolei Torah and avdei Hashem.
4. The Gedolim Were Clear
Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l warned:
“Even if they create religious frameworks within the army, it cannot provide the atmosphere of a yeshiva. The dangers—both spiritual and ideological—remain. Klal Yisrael needs talmidei chachamim more than it needs religious soldiers.”³
Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, when asked if Hesder was a possible alternative for Charedi youth, responded firmly:
“Let them stay in the yeshiva. Torah protects. The army does not.”⁴
Rav Michel Yehuda Lefkowitz zt”l said:
“You cannot mix oil and water. Torah is Torah. And the army is the army. Even if you try to combine them—it will always be the Torah that suffers.”⁵
Conclusion
No one denies that there are sincere and dedicated Jews within the Hesder system. We love them as brothers and respect their mesirus nefesh. But their model is not one that the Charedi world sees as viable. It is not a solution. It is a concession.
The Charedi position remains: those who are able to learn should do so uninterrupted, for as long as they can. Torah is not one of many mitzvos—it is the source of all mitzvos. It is the greatest zechus for Klal Yisrael, and it must be protected with every fiber of our being.
Footnotes & Sources
- From a sichah of Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook, published in LeNetivot Yisrael Vol. 2, p. 131
- See quotes from secular politicians in the chapter: Is there truth that the draft is meant to secularize Charedim?
- Letter from Rav Shach, Michtavim U'Maamarim, Vol. 2
- From personal testimony of Rav Nissan Kaplan, cited in Ohr HaShteinman, Vol. 1
- Quoted in B’tzel HaChochmah, memoirs of Rav Lefkowitz’s talmidim