Who Benefits More: The Charedim from the State, or the State from the Charedim?
This is a question often asked — sometimes in sincerity, sometimes with accusation. Critics of the Charedi community point to government subsidies, tax breaks, kollelim stipends, and social benefits and ask: *"Who is supporting whom?"
But this question reveals a deep misunderstanding not just of economics — but of the spiritual underpinnings of the Jewish People. If one looks only at salaries, taxes, or budgets, one will miss the bigger picture entirely.
The Torah, the Talmud, and our mesorah all teach: it is not armies, GDPs, or infrastructure that determine a nation's success. It is Torah. It is emunah. It is kedushah.
The Torah’s Accounting is Different
In the eyes of the Torah, those who learn, teach, and live Torah are the backbone of Jewish existence — not a burden on it.
"Hashem is your shadow upon your right hand" (Tehillim 121:5)[1]
The Vilna Gaon explains: Just as a shadow mimics your movements, so too Hashem mimics Klal Yisrael. If we cling to Torah, He sends blessing.
The Mishnah says clearly:
"Al shloshah devarim ha'olam omed: al haTorah, v'al haAvodah, v'al Gemilus Chasadim" — The world stands on Torah, service, and acts of kindness (Avos 1:2)[2]
If Torah is the foundation of the world, then a kollel yungerman is not a taker — he is an essential pillar. And those who support him are building the very structure upon which all success rests.
What Do Charedim "Give" the State?
Let’s speak plainly:
- Torah Learning Protects the State. As the Gemara in Sotah 21a says: Torah maginah u'matzlah — Torah protects and saves[3]. This is not poetry. It is a spiritual fact.
- Moral Compass. In a world of confusion, the Charedi world anchors Klal Yisrael to a timeless moral framework. Even secular Jews often turn to rabbis in times of crisis, war, or uncertainty.
- Spiritual Economy. The presence of Torah observant Jews brings bracha to the land. As the Chofetz Chaim once said, *"If there is a town with Torah, there will be parnassah even for the tailor and the shoemaker."
- Real Unity. The Charedi world may not serve in the army, but it davens for every soldier. When there’s danger, Charedi communities around the world unite in fasting, Tehillim, and zechusim for protection.
A Secular Jew May Not Believe This — But That Doesn’t Make It Untrue
Someone once asked Rav Avigdor Miller zt”l:
"But what about those who don't believe that Torah learning helps?"
He replied:
"A cow doesn’t believe in electricity either, but that doesn’t stop the light from going on."
Truth doesn’t depend on belief. Just because someone doesn’t recognize the spiritual economy of the world doesn’t make it any less real. Torah is not dependent on votes or headlines — it is Hashem’s design.
If the State Understood…
If the State of Israel truly understood the zechus it receives from the Torah world, it would:
- Beg Charedim to learn more — not less.
- Celebrate every kollel like an airbase.
- Honor every ben Torah like a prince — because that’s what he is.
As Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt"l once said:
"A soldier holds a gun. A ben Torah holds the world."[4]
Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt”l explained that a Torah home creates a force field of kedushah that protects beyond what any army can accomplish[5]. Rav Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l taught that even in wartime, the kollel must not close — because the Torah inside is more valuable than any war strategy[6].
Who's Really Supporting Whom?
It is true that Charedim benefit from the State — as do all Israeli citizens:
- Subsidized health care
- Child stipends
- Educational funding
But we must also ask:
Who receives the bracha of Torah in their midst? Who benefits from the tefillos offered daily for the country? Who gains spiritually and physically from the presence of lomdei Torah?
And we must be honest:
Just as a field benefits more from the rain than the cloud benefits from the field — so too the State benefits more from the Charedim than the other way around.
Sources and Footnotes
- Tehillim 121:5 – Interpreted by the Vilna Gaon on the reciprocal relationship between Klal Yisrael and Hashem.
- Avos 1:2 – The world stands on Torah, avodah, and gemilus chasadim.
- Sotah 21a – “Torah maginah u'matzlah” – Torah protects and saves.
- Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt"l – Public remarks, quoted in Derech Emunah and Tzaddik Yesod Olam.
- Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus zt"l – Cited by his students in Nefesh Shimshon (Shaarei Chizuk).
- Rav Pinchas Scheinberg zt"l – Oral teachings recorded by talmidim in Mashmi'a Yeshuah.