That is what we call what happened yesterday in Jerusalem. An entire city was shut down due to the outrageous mass protest of Haredi men having the gall to protest against the draft. That is, the draft for them, but for all others, no problem. Interesting that while they state that they cannot afford to take time away from their studies, certainly not to defend the nation in which they live, oh for sure, but their hands are always open and extended so secure the benefits and grants which they reap from the government.
For some reason this particular group claims every one of their male progeny, from 16 to 26, all geniuses of course, hence are excused from serving in the army, of serving the nation. Even the thought of a year's national service, not in the army, is anathema to them. Apparently, the only thing excusable for them to get out of the study hall is to go to demonstrations with the lives of all in those areas rendered asunder. With their leaders shouting for riot and chaos, threatening to disrupt the coalition, even to leave the country. Well, that did not go over so well as there were hordes of people volunteering to pay for a ticket or two for them to indeed leave the country.
It is a known fact that every one of our honored scholars and rabbis all had jobs. All worked. What makes this generation think they are special and are entitled to take of and from the nation in which they live and contribute nothing, other than supposed intense hours of study, year after year, and for what? For whom? Certainly, not for their countrymen, their fellow Jews and citizens, Druze, Circassians, Bedouin who all serve this nation in which they live. Worse. It's when we observe the slavish obedience to the rabbis of their seminaries, we delight our enemies. We have ceded independent thinking and pride of our history and survival.
More egregious than that is the fact that when they sit in the study hall presumably to study, why there are so many walking the streets in the middle of the day? Why is it OK for them to leave their wives to do the work, to bring in money, to take care of the numerous children they have? No, there is something very wrong with this system and unless this government in all honesty in full transparency puts this large segment of the population into the same categories of requirements and obligations into which all other citizens are called upon to fulfill, we will always be shamed in the eyes of the world, a nation who will refuse to defend itself.
The Torah makes it very clear which wars are wars of mitzvah, of must, of survival and which are wars meant more for perhaps selfish reasons. The Torah is very, very clear as to who can be drafted, who is deemed obligated to serve and who is not. If the Torah takes such time to detail this, then who are these modern-day Chassidim to unilaterally decide that they are exempt from these injunctions of the Torah? All according to their own thoughts and rules and regulations.
When we demonstrate like that, not to bring home the Hatufim, not to feed the poor, the widows and widowers, the parents, the orphaned children, but to save their own necks, as another has to be taken to serve yet another long stint of service, in their place, to put somebody else in their place, to die in their place - NO!!
This is wrong. This is so wrong in so many ways. We will have gifted our enemies with the encouragement to continue to carry on, to perpetrate even worse atrocities upon us. Why are these Haredim massing in the streets of Jerusalem instead of hanging their heads in shame? When they read of a 37-year-old reservist, father of five, called in to serve yet another term in the Army, they should cringe and hide their faces, not riot and gloat how they do not serve, yet are in fact, enriched by government grants. To do the shopping, perhaps take a baby for a walk, is not considered service to the nation.
A shame upon their nation is what they are and always will be unless and until the politicians stop catering to them in order to maintain their political power. To serve this nation is an obligation, an honor, and a privilege, given the chance to perform yet another mitzvah, a chance to even partake in the commission of more mitzvot, as commanded in the Torah. The mitzvah to fight a war of survival, for righteous reasons, for defense, and that is what this war is. And they spurn it, even as they roam and protest, burn dumpsters, throw stones at their own people, the very same ones who are on call, always, to protect them, to help them.
In behaving in such a manner, they will have gifted our enemies with deeper wells of courage to perpetrate even worse atrocities upon us. So many of our soldiers, boys and girls, men and women are killed, exhausted by their repetitive terms of service. Even as the young man we need to train to fight, to protect this nation, to relieve our soldiers, are amongst crowds of people impossible to distinguish one from the other, only to know that they mean no good for the nation of Israel, shirking their responsibility, saving another in to die or be wounded in their place. Somewhere along the line, we went astray. We had become too often a nation of argumentative sex who have forgotten the importance of the phrases Ameride, one nation leverad 1 heart. Hello While the young men we need to train to fight to protect this nation are amongst crowds of people impossible to distinguish one from the other, only to know they mean no good for the nation of Israel, shirking their responsibilities, sending another in to die or be wounded in their stead.
Somewhere along the line we went astray. We have become too often a nation of argumentative sects who have forgotten the importance of the phrases - Am Echad, one nation,
Lev Echad, one heart,
Elokaynu Echad, one G-d,
Torah Achat, one Torah,
One Etmol, one yesterday,
One Hayom, one today,
One Atid, one tomorrow.
Forget those phrases in our own peril and stupidity, and we are responsible for the awful to follow.
We have got to, MUST, do better than this.
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