As Israel buries its sons who fell defending our nation in Gaza, including numerous Hesder yeshiva students who embodied the highest ideals of Torah and military service, an ultra-Orthodox Rabbi has chosen this time to launch a vicious attack on the Hesder program.
The bitter irony seems lost on him: the very Torah study he champions exists only because of these "corrupted" soldiers he condemns. His students can pore over their Gemaras in peace because Hesder soldiers stand guard, knowing each day could be their last. The sanctity of his beit midrash is protected by the same young men he claims are spiritually compromised.
His recent remarks, claiming Hesder yeshiva leaders will face divine judgment as "inciters and corrupters," come as we still mourn Hesder students who died sanctifying God's name while protecting Israeli civilians. These young men, who balanced intense Torah study with military service, demonstrated the precise opposite of the spiritual corruption Rabbi Amit describes.
Let us be clear: Every page of Gemara studied in this Rabbi's yeshiva is made possible by the sacrifice of these soldiers. Each shiur he delivers happens because somewhere, a Hesder graduate is manning a checkpoint or patrolling a border. His freedom to condemn these heroes is guaranteed by their willingness to die defending it.
Consider the bitter irony: While thus Rabbi warns of heavenly condemnation for those who "sacrifice" Torah study for military service, dozens of Hesder students have made the ultimate sacrifice in Gaza, dying with Gemara pages in their vests and weapons in their hands. These soldiers lived and died exemplifying the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik and other great Torah leaders who saw no contradiction between serious Torah study and defending the Jewish people.
The timing of this attack is particularly cruel. Families of fallen Hesder soldiers are still sitting shiva. Communities are still grappling with the loss of young men who embodied both Jewish scholarship and military courage.
Obviously, he is entitled to his learned opinion. But – to suggest these heroes somehow chose a lesser path, especially at this time, is like poking a stick into the hearts of their family members. It's harsh, insensitive and downright cruel.
Instead of wondering how many "extra pages of Gemara" these soldiers could have learned, perhaps we should be asking how many Jewish lives they saved – including the lives of those learning in Rabbi Amit's yeshiva. Instead of condemning their teachers as "inciters," we should be thanking them for nurturing a generation of Torah scholars who were willing to die protecting their people.
The blood of our fallen Hesder soldiers cries out against such divisive rhetoric. Their sacrifice demands better from our religious leaders. In this time of national crisis, we need unity, not baseless condemnation of those who have paid the ultimate price for their commitment to both Torah and the defense of Israel.
The Rabbi may see heavenly accusations in his vision of the World to Come. But here on earth, we see the fresh graves of Hesder students in military cemeteries across Israel. Their memory, and the ongoing sacrifice of those who guard his yeshiva even now, deserves far better than this.
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