One of the most bitter battles waged by Torah Jewry was
against the Sherut Leumi ("National Service") law
passed in the early days of the State. After the
government agreed to exempt girls who declared their
observance of mitzvos from service in the army, there
was an attempt to enact a compulsory Sherut Leumi law
outside of the military framework. Gedolei Yisroel were
strongly united against the initiative. The first
letter was published in 5712 (1952) signed by HaRav
Isser Zalman Meltzer, the Tchebiner Rov, HaRav Tzvi
Pesach Frank and HaRav Zelig Reuven Bengis zt"l. They
wrote: "The prohibition against drafting women fully
includes Sherut Leumi... we turn to all Jewish
daughters... and you are obligated to prefer being
jailed and to accept poverty and suffering and to
sanctify His name yisborach..."
The issue came up again and again. When they saw that
they could not make it compulsory, they set up a
voluntary organization, hoping that they could entice
girls to join. The Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah published a
strong letter in 5732 (1972) whose signatories included
Maran HaRav Shach, HaRav Chaim Shmuelevitz, HaRav
Yechezkel Abramsky, the Admor of Gur and the Admor of
Vishnitz. It read, in part, "...it is a serious issur
for a bas Yisroel to join voluntarily Sherut Leumi in
any framework..."
The Steipler wrote, "...there is no doubt that through
this kind of draft most of them will be messed up
Rachmono litzlan, and the Rambam z"l wrote that one is
influenced by his surroundings etc. and all the more so
girls, and the enticements and incentives for a life of
hollelus and prikas ol are without number and what can
the girl do so as not to sin?"
This psak was accepted by Torah Jewry. However the
rabbonim of the National-Religious movement decided
that the graduates of its educational institutions
should serve in Sherut Leumi. Some of the rabbonim even
thought about permitting serving in the army (as quoted
by Rav Moshe Sheinfeld).
What reminded us of the historic battles was a recent
article that appeared in the feature section of the
magazine BeSheva that is put out by Channel 7, a
national-religious publication. Entitled "Zehirut,
Sherut Lefonech," parts of it seem like material
that the rabbonim read before writing their sharp
letters. "The enticements and incentives for a life of
hollelus and prikas ol" are presented in detail.
The mother of a girl who had just finished school in
the Shomron and was doing her year of sherut in a
totally secular institution for youth-at-risk
complained: "With all the importance attached to the
ideals of giving to Am Yisrael — that I do not
for a minute minimize — how lema'an Hashem
do they allow a religious girl to be almost completely
alone in a place like this?" She discusses the
influence of the environment: "Man is a creature that
is influenced by what surrounds him. Even if she is the
strongest of most secure intellectually, whether she
wills it or not, after a year she will be influenced by
what surrounds her... It is beyond my comprehension how
our organizations allow a place like this one. Did
anyone fully investigate the challenges to faith and
values that arise from the situation into which they
put her?... It is a situation of `What can the boy do
not to sin?' Next to her apartment is a group of
chilonim her age, idealistic and serious, but what is
there to do? They have a world of different values from
hers and it is very problematic."
One girl who did Sherut Leumi several years ago in an
internal medicine ward in one of the hospitals said,
"The atmosphere during the day was not for me... I
called the coordinator and explained what I have to
deal with. She listened to me impatiently and said,
`I'll get back to you.' I am still waiting for her to
get back to me." She left the whole program in the
middle of the year.
There are many stories of the difficulties the girls
have and some of the dangers that result from contact
with all sorts of elements including young Arab co-
workers. That rav of Ramat Gan, Rav Yaakov Ariel,
expresses his concern: "Over and over again I encounter
problematic situations with girls in Sherut Leumi.
There are girls in the police, in government offices,
in hospitals, and there is not enough supervision. I
will say something very sharp, but I am pained to say
that the Sherut Leumi has lost its way... Today in the
Sherut Leumi that are too many cases of more damage
than benefit... The girls change their outward
appearance and of course this expresses also an inner
change." Rav Shmuel Eliahu, the rav of Tzfas, says, "It
is osur for any girl to serve in the police, the court
system, the prison system, the hospitals and any of the
places that are known to have evil results. It is
yehoreig ve'al ya'avor."
Not surprisingly, when the reporter asked officials of
the organizations responsible for Sherut Leumi they
minimized the problems and insisted that they
supervised all the girls carefully. But the problems
are real and well-known.
Once there were even voices within the chareidi
community that "could not understand" the objections of
gedolei Yisroel to something as seemingly innocuous as
national service. But time as made clear to all what
the gedolim saw in advance with their clear vision.
Whoever wants to draw inferences from the strong
current protests against the various paths and
enticements to serve in the army, is free to do so.
