"Be careful not to engage with the authorities": Rabbi Dov Lando instructs yeshiva students how to respond to IDF draft

The Lithuanian leader, the head of the yeshiva, Rabbi Dov Lando, delivered a special talk last night (Sunday) to mark the beginning of the Nissan bein hazmanim period. At the end of the talk, the head of the yeshiva gave clear instructions to Torah learners on how to deal with draft orders. "Kikar Hashabbat" presents the full text of the head of the yeshiva’s words.

This is what he said:

"We are in a very difficult situation; there’s no need to elaborate on this. Those who oppose us are persecuting the Torah world, taking actions that all harm yeshiva students and married scholars, with their strict instructions all aimed at damaging Torah study.

It is the duty and effort of every single yeshiva student and married scholar to act according to the published instructions: not to report to the draft offices, not to answer any calls from the military, to completely ignore them, not to sign any military document, and to be very careful not to engage with the authorities.

One must be very careful not to approach border gates without prior coordination. Many people violate this (they think they’re very smart) but sometimes it’s better not to be so clever… A lot of things happen because of this.

We are in exile, a harsh exile. Exile is tough, and may God help us that through the merit of Torah study, those who learn Torah and engage in Torah, I’m not here to talk about things; it’s already been said several times by others.

This is the only thing that can be rationally understood about how we continue to exist here. The Arabs are acting, and according to simple logic, the Arabs should have swept through the land, but everything is due to the merit of Torah study.

And we hope that Torah study will protect us to carry out what we’ve been instructed: not to engage with the authorities, nothing at all. And may God help us that all the decrees pass and be nullified through the merit of Torah study, which is what protects us. And God promised us, ‘This book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.’"