Thursday, November 30, 2017
In Israel
Ultra-”Orthodox”
Want benefits
Sans obligations
Ultra-”Orthodox”
Want benefits
Sans obligations
ISRAEL IS INVOLVED, SADLY, IN A conflict between “Orthodox” extremists and all other Israeli citizens.
The conflict is the result of a Ben Gurion “compromise” that (a) exempted yeshiva “boys” from serving in the military or national service (equates to VISTA in the U.S.) and (b) exempts the extremists’ organizations from taxation.
Some in the current government are attempting to force the yeshiva “boys” to do SOMETHING for the country that protects their rights to sit on their posteriors, often while their wives work and raise large families.
Ben Gurion needed the “Orthodox” parties to get support for his new government, in particular to prevent Begin from becoming prime minister, ergo the “compromise”: the “Orthodox” would join the government aligned with Ben Gurion’s Labor party, in return they were exempt from everything the average Israeli had to do.
To be very clear, not every observant Jew in Israel dodges his duty to the State. There even are yeshivot – Hesder yeshivot – whose students serve in the army. Many observant young women perform national service rather then military service. National service is an option open to the “Orthodox” yeshiva “boys.”
When did the “Orthodox” decide that studying the talmuds – there are two: Bavli and Yerushalmi – was more important than protecting their right to do so? When did the “Orthodox” decide that studying the talmuds was more important than providing for their families?
It was not always this way.
Back in the day, when Israel was battling the Canaanites, etc., even the Cohen haGadol (chief priest) went to war with the fighters, The only people exempt from going to war were (a) those newly wed, (b) those with an as yet undedicated house, and (c) cowards.
We had the Torah then, but not the talmuds. (We need the talmuds to explain some parts of the Torah.)
Perhaps it was during the time that the rabbis were laying the groundwork for the talmuds that someone decided they were too good to participate in the county alongside “amai haaretz” – the common man. I have a book, Masters of the Talmud1 that provides mini-bios of many of the contributors to the talmuds; I don’t recall any of the luminaries having military experience. Most of the contributors had a source of income (other than begging); some were international diplomats when that job was riskier than today.
IN ANY EVENT, Jews – including Orthodox rabbis – have been “going to war” for generations. I’ve known a few (rabbis in the military) personally and even more non-rabbinical observant Jews in the U.S. military. These man had studied in yeshivot and they continued their independent studies in the field as well as haverut studies when they were on a base. The military was, for them at the time, a job, albeit a job for their country.
I’m a dual-national but because I’m in the States and not Israel, I know it is NOT my place to tell the Israelis what to do.
Still, it seems to me that if a person (or group of people) receives government benefits – aid to schools, welfare, etc. – the recipients of the government’s largess (some of which comes from outside Israel) there out to be some type quid pro quo.
Since the “Orthodox” extremists (both Ashkenazi and Sefardi) contend that it is the Torah (that, by them, means the talmuds) that defend Israel, not the military, the least these yeshiva “boys” could do would be to to to the fronts with the soldiers and study in mobile classrooms (trailers, caravans), clearly marked so the enemy won’t attack at them. Allotting space on a ship for three or four yeshiva “boys” probably is out of the question, but surely some arrangements could be made.
It is interesting that some of the “boys” graduate to be schnoorers; schnoorers who fly around the world begging for this cause or that … “My son, one of 17 children, needs money to get married.” (That’s exactly what one told me; chutzpah.)
I have no problem with yeshivot, but I do have a problem with yeshivot “boys” not giving anything back to the community.
Let the “boys” go out in teams to perform national service; when their job for the day is over, they can sit and study as late as they like – however not so late that they are unable to do their jobs the next day; even the talmuds demand that.
1. Masters of the Talmud, Alfred J. Kolatch, Jon. David Publishers, ISBN 0-8246-0434-2 ©2003
PLAGIARISM is the act of appropriating the literary composition of another, or parts or passages of his writings, or the ideas or language of the same, and passing them off as the product of one’s own mind.
