What Do the Gedolim Say About the Government’s Efforts to Force the Draft?
The forced drafting of yeshiva bochurim into the Israeli Defense Forces has been a deeply painful issue for decades. For the Charedi world, it is not just a political dispute—it is a gezeiras shmad, a decree aimed at uprooting Torah from Klal Yisrael. The gedolei ha’dor across generations—Litvish, Chassidish, and Sephardi alike—have responded to this threat with clarity, strength, and unwavering emunah.
The Draft Is Not Just About the Army—It’s About the Soul
Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l called the draft "a milchamah al hakehilah haCharedis." He warned that it was not about security, but about ideology: “They want to break us. They want to create a new Jew who doesn’t hear ‘na’aseh v’nishma’ but ‘tzavah v’nishma.’”
Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, known for his calm demeanor, nevertheless declared firmly:
“The danger is not just to the guf, but to the neshama. You can’t throw a ben Torah into an environment where he is commanded by people who deny the Torah.”
Rav Shmuel Wosner zt”l ruled clearly:
“To enter the army, even with a beard and sidelocks, is still a spiritual danger. The environment, the culture, the commands—all are poison to a yerei Shamayim.”
A Gezeirah Aimed at Torah Itself
Rav Dovid Soloveitchik zt”l said:
“The Zionist state is not content that we don’t serve. They want us to change. They want to drag us into their melting pot. But the Torah is not hefker. It is not theirs to melt.”
The Steipler Gaon zt”l wrote in Karyana D’Iggarta:
“Even if they create ‘Charedi’ battalions, it is a trick. The army is not a place for bnei Torah—not with its atmosphere, not with its goals, not with its structure.”
The Army Is Not Run by Torah
One of the fundamental issues raised by Chassidishe Rebbes is that the army is not—and cannot be—a Torah-guided institution.
The Satmar Rebbe, Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum zt”l, warned:
“When Jews are led by kofrim [heretics], no good can come from it. The purpose of their draft is to break the yeshivos, not protect the people.”
Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach shlita of Belz stated:
“The very structure of the IDF demands bittul haTorah and bitachon in man. A soldier cannot say, ‘I will only act according to halacha.’ That is not how it works.”
Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Be’er Yaakov, said:
“Obedience in the army is absolute. But a Jew obeys only One: Hashem Yisborach. We cannot raise a generation that confuses human command with divine command.”
The Torah World Will Not Bow
Chacham Shalom Cohen zt”l, Rosh Yeshiva of Porat Yosef, thundered:
“We will go to jail, but we will not send our sons to fall. We will not sell the Torah for convenience!”
Chacham Moshe Tzadka shlita, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Porat Yosef, declared:
“They can take away funding, they can threaten prison, but they cannot break our souls. The Torah is not theirs to uproot.”
Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel shlita once said:
“The Zionist regime wants to redefine a ben Torah into a soldier. But Hashem didn’t take us out of Mitzrayim to make us soldiers. He took us out to be ovdei Hashem.”
A Story: The Yeshiva Bochur Who Refused to Hide
In recent years, as pressure increased, one bochur from Bnei Brak was summoned to report to the IDF office. His Rosh Yeshiva advised him to apply for an exemption as usual. But the process dragged on, and the army began making threats.
Friends told him to lay low—to disappear until the situation cooled. But the bochur refused. He said, “Why should I hide for learning Torah? Let them come. I am not ashamed of the Torah. They should be ashamed for trying to destroy it.”
Eventually, the case was dropped.
His friends said he won by being stubborn. But he later said:
“No. I won by not being afraid. And that courage, I got from my rebbeim—who taught me that Torah is everything.”
Conclusion: This Is a Battle for the Soul of Klal Yisrael
The attempt to force yeshiva bochurim into the IDF is not about manpower or equality. It is about reshaping the Jewish people—forcing Torah Jews to bend their values to the will of the State. But Torah is not negotiable. Our gedolim, from every camp and background, have stood firm: We will never trade a sefer for a rifle.
We answer to Hashem. Not to the army. Not to politics. Not to the world.
Footnotes & Sources
- Rav Shach zt”l, Michtavim U’Maamarim, vol. 3.
- Rav Aharon Leib Shteinman zt”l, Ayelet HaShachar, public letters 2012–2016.
- Rav Wosner zt”l, Shevet HaLevi, vol. 9, Igros section.
- Rav Dovid Soloveitchik zt”l, Shiurim U’Drashos, vol. 2.
- Karyana D’Iggarta, Letters of the Steipler, vol. 5.
- Rebbe Yoel Teitelbaum, Vayoel Moshe, Maamar Ḥakirah.
- Statements by Rebbe Yissachar Dov Rokeach, 2018 Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah gathering.
- Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, Dibros Moshe introduction on Torah education.
- Chacham Shalom Cohen, speeches to the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah.
- Chacham Moshe Tzadka, Shiurei Emunah, 2022.
- Rav Elya Ber Wachtfogel, Vaad Roshei Yeshiva, Lakewood, 2014.