Letter: Giyus update From Roshei Yeshiva and leading Admorim in Eretz Yisrael

Kislev, 5779

     K 'lal Yisrael in Crisis: Re: Impending Draft Law – ‘Chok Hagi’us’

The following is a reply to leading Rabbonim in America, from preeminent Roshei Yeshiva and Admorei Chassidus in Eretz Yisrael In response to your inquiry about the current situation here:

As the ‘Memshala’s’ legal counsel has already made clear, the impending bill is designed to upend the Olam Hayeshivos, as well as to stymie the mores and ethos of emunah and sanctity of Yahadut.

To begin with, any deferral of B’nei Yeshiva is linked to the caveat that the Chareidi community at large, fill quotas of conscripts. We’re talking about recruiting thousands periodically, to compensate for those who continue to study full time; if this proviso isn’t met, all yeshiva students will forfeit their deferral status.

This places the entire future of the Torah community at risk, since the only way to fill the actual total of required recruits will be to conscript many B’nei Torah who are ‘Torasum umnasom’ – full time learners, as well; not to mention the Torah observant, not currently studying full time, who opt to live a life of fealty to our mesorah.

The ‘Tzavah’ or army’s environment and atmosphere is not particularly user-friendly to a Torah-true lifestyle. – The reality testifies that so many were impacted by their army experience in a less than positive manner – even to abandon Torah and mitzvos, ר"ל.

The adjustment of the ‘chok’ or law will have a seismic effect on, and will change the contour, of the entire Chareidi segment of the population.

The sponsors of this bill claim it can’t be implemented without the cooperation of the Chareidim; to acquiesce is to spell our own spiritual demise, ר"ל.

There is a school of thought that argues, things can be mitigated by adding a clause to the law, that within six years, the government will author a new chok to address the issue. This is irrelevant, as the past has demonstrated that any new bill has always been more stringent than the former. The Supreme Court struck down the old law in order to promote ‘Shivyon’ or equality. If the totals don’t reach numbers of equal proportion to those in the secular sector, the High Court will negate this law as well.

Our only option is to oppose this ‘chok’ with mesiras nefesh – we ask the Roshei yeshivos and heads of Chassidus in Chutz la’Aretz to spare no effort that this bill not pass. Would this be a situation of life and death, you in the Diaspora would do all you could to prevent disaster. We are now in a predicament of ‘hatzolas neshamos’ in a literal sense.

We affix our signatures with awe, fear, and a tefilla that Hashem grant us rachamim with salvation, very soon.

יוסף משה שניאורסאהן ראש ישיבת כוכב מיעקב - טשיבין	יוסף דוד טייטלבוים כ"ק האדמו"ר מסאסוב	מאיר הייזלער ראש ישיבת עמק התלמוד
משה ברזובסקי                                יוסף בנימין וואזנער

Hebrew version below