Iyar 5772
To my dear friends, students of our yeshiva, Yeshivas Rashbi:
Regarding the decree to annul the military deferment and force Torah students to leave the yeshiva and enter the authority of the army:
Upon the establishment of the State, our gedolei hador declared that this decree [of drafting yeshiva students] was tantamount to uprooting our faith, and the Rosh Yeshiva ztvk'l proclaimed that one must lay down one's life rather than serve in the military. It is clear that Torah students must not go into the army, to us and to them, but they think that by persecuting chareidim they can gain more votes and that they will gain by not having to support yeshivos.
Perhaps they also believe that they can utilize the animosity in absolving themselves of providing social services to the needy.
They don't know and don't feel that they are sawing off the very branch upon which they are perched, for the entire world exists because of those who toil in Torah, and their very existence depends on the meager aid they extend to Torah students and to poor shomrei mitzvos. This is especially true in these times when we are faced with the Iranian threat.
Our only recourse is to strengthen ourselves in Torah and not be influenced by the various weekly publications which urge compromise and divisiveness among chareidim. Indeed, we must all unite, all shomrei Torah umitzvos, Torah students alongside those who work for their livelihood but adhere to the proper hashkofoh, to pour out our hearts before our Father in Heaven that He have compassion on our remnant and implant in the hearts of our wayward brothers the awareness that there is a G-d Who conducts the world. Who can conceive of Eretz Yisroel for the Jewish people without the Presence of the Shechinah in our midst?
Familiar is the account in Brochos (61b) that tells how R' Akiva sacrificed his life for the sake of Torah, even though Torah study is not one of the three sins for which we must lay down our lives rather than transgress. But in any case, Torah study is our very life. You cannot apply the rule "and you shall live by them" because nullifying the Torah is tantamount to nullifying life and their very underlying motive is to make us violate our faith.
When our path is so clear, we have nothing to fear.
In the hope that Hashem will send down a new spirit to teach the wayward wisdom. May we soon merit the new light that will shine upon Zion.
Your friend who anticipates the salvation of Hashem,
Meir Tzvi Bergman
Yeshivas Rashbi
Zichron Meir, Bnei Brak
