Why are most Charedim willing to receive financial support from the government of Israel if they oppose the state ideologically?

This question touches on a deep misunderstanding—both about Charedi values and about the very nature of what it means to give and receive in Jewish thought.

Let us begin with the simple truth: The State of Israel benefits far more from the Charedi world than the Charedi world benefits from the State.

This may sound bold—but let us explain.

1. We Do Not Owe Allegiance to an Ideology by Accepting Funds

Accepting financial assistance from the government—whether for yeshivos, families, or institutions—does not mean we approve of the secular ideology behind the State. It means we live here. We are citizens. We pay taxes. We are entitled to our share.

Every government in the world collects taxes and redistributes them to its citizens. There is nothing ideological about this; it’s a simple matter of justice and responsibility. Charedim pay VAT (17%), income taxes, municipal taxes (Arnona), and other levies like every other citizen.

Our yeshivos, Bais Yaakovs, and large families receive support, yes—but this is not welfare. It is part of a natural redistribution of national funds. And more than that, the Torah world elevates the entire country—in ways that most do not even see.

2. What Do We Give the State? Far More Than Money

While secular citizens often view “contribution” only in terms of taxes or military service, the Torah has a far broader—and deeper—definition.

"אִם ה' לֹא יִשְׁמֹר עִיר, שָׁוְא שָׁקַד שׁוֹמֵר"
“If Hashem does not guard the city, the watchman stays awake in vain” (Tehillim 127:1).

The ultimate security, success, and blessing of any Jewish community comes not from human effort alone, but from Torah and mitzvos. The Charedi world contributes to Israel's survival and flourishing in a way no secular institution ever can.

Let’s be honest:

• Do you believe that the success of Israel’s army—outnumbered, surrounded, constantly targeted—comes from military genius alone?
• Do you think the tech boom, the economic growth, the low infant mortality, the miraculous recoveries from wars—come from luck?

As Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l once said:

"If the yeshivos would close for one day, you would see rockets falling without end."

Chazal already taught us:

"תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מַרְבִּים שָׁלוֹם בָּעוֹלָם"
“Torah scholars increase peace in the world” (Berachos 64a).

And the Gemara (Sotah 21a) compares Torah learning to a spiritual shield. Without it, the Jewish people would be vulnerable, no matter how many tanks or planes we have.

If the State truly knew the value it gains from the Charedi community, it would be building more yeshivos and demanding that we open more kollelim. Instead of constructing movie theaters, they would invest in shuls, mikvaos, and Torah institutions. Just because they don’t “see” the value doesn’t mean it isn’t there in a very real and tangible way.

If they understood, they would treat the B’nei Torah like the princes that we are—the spiritual elite who carry the merit of Klal Yisrael on our shoulders, just as the Levi’im and Kohanim did in previous generations.

3. Our Chesed Infrastructure Lifts the Entire Society

The Charedi world doesn’t just pray and learn—it also gives and serves far beyond its share:

• Gemachim (free-loan funds) worth billions of shekels that help Jews of all backgrounds.
• Hatzalah, ZAKA, Ezer MiTzion, Yad Sarah, and countless other organizations—many of them founded and operated by Torah Jews—who give lifesaving help to all Israelis.
• Volunteerism rates in the Charedi world are among the highest in the country, especially in times of crisis.

The idea that we “take” and others “give” is simply false. We give—and we give more than we take.

4. We Did Not Ask to Be in This Situation—We Are Navigating It

When the State was created, Torah leaders did not want this type of government. But we were forced to operate within it. Refusing financial support would mean destroying Torah infrastructure, closing schools, starving large families, and allowing secular forces to overtake everything.

That would be irresponsible. Worse—it would be a surrender.

“To refuse funding is not holiness—it is foolishness.”
— Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach zt”l

When possible, we create independent institutions (like Chinuch Atzmai or Maayan HaChinuch HaTorani) that accept funds without compromising Torah values. When not possible, we navigate cautiously, with the guidance of Gedolim, ensuring no ideological concessions are made.

5. Even Non-Charedim Benefit from the Torah’s Merit

Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l wrote in Igros Moshe that even non-observant Jews benefit spiritually and materially from living in proximity to Torah observance.

“The zechus (merit) of Torah protects even those who oppose it.”
— Igros Moshe, Choshen Mishpat 2:29

So even if someone drives on Shabbos, eats treif, or denies Hashem, his safety and success may be riding on the back of a yeshiva bochur in Bnei Brak. This is not arrogance. It is how Hashem designed the world.

In Summary

• Charedim accept financial support not as a political endorsement, but as a practical necessity—while giving far more in return.
• We contribute taxes, chesed, education, and spiritual merit beyond measure.
• The miraculous success of Israel—militarily, medically, technologically—is not a result of secularism, but despite it, in the merit of the Torah that is still alive in its midst.
• If the State truly understood what it gains from Torah, it would build yeshivos before museums, and mikvaos before malls.
• We have every right to sustain our Torah way of life—and those who attack us for “taking” are often blind to what they themselves are receiving in return.

Sources and Footnotes

1. Tehillim 127:1 – “If Hashem does not guard the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.”
2. Berachos 64a – Talmidei chachamim increase peace in the world.
3. Sotah 21a – Torah compared to a protective shield.
4. Rav Chaim Kanievsky zt”l – Publicly cited during Operation Protective Edge (2014); testimony from family and talmidim.
5. Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igros Moshe, Choshen Mishpat 2:29 – On communal merit and Torah protection.
6. Rav E.M. Shach, Michtavim u’Maamarim, Vol. 3 – On accepting funds to preserve Torah without conceding ideology.
7. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l – Letter on Chinuch Atzmai and state funding (archived in Kovetz Teshuvos).
8. Israeli Bureau of Statistics & Bituach Leumi – Charedi contribution to the economy and taxes.
9. Studies on gemachim – Documenting billions in micro-loans, open to all sectors.
10. Chazal, Vayikra Rabbah 25:1 – “Ein Yisrael nigalin ela b’zchus haTorah.”