A Voice From the Front 2

Guest Post

I was contacted yet again by same author of the previous post who is actually serving right now, and who is fighting for all us. We should all take chizuk from this person in our learning, tefilos, and mitzvos, which for most of the readers here in chu”l, is our main contribution.

In a recent post, a certain blogger set out to define what he believes to be the Datti Leumi position vis a vis the Charedim on the current war. Although I am presently in the army and quite busy, I nonetheless felt that for the sake of the unity of Clal Yisroel, it was important to provide a proper response. Although he is wrong on the issue, it is impossible to have an honest discussion about this without emphasizing certain facts that would be a kitrug upon Clal Yisroel. Therefore, I do not wish at this time in history to deal with his thesis, but merely to comment on his contention that this is the view of the Datti Leumi community.

Most of the people that I am currently serving with, as well as many of my friends and acquaintances are Datti Leumi, and they certainly do not feel the way that this blogger contends that they do. Many of them have great admiration for full time Torah learners and realize the vital role that they play in both the moral and physical continuity of the Jewish people. Even among those who don’t share this appreciation of full time Torah learners, they tend to realize that this is a sincerely held position, that even if they feel is incorrect, is still deserving of respect.

The Datti Leumi community is not monolithic, and of course there are always individuals who don’t share their community’s values. In general there are 2 groups among the Datti Leumi who are truly resentful of charedim. The larger one is the hard left of the Datti Leumi community, that practices a “light” form of Judaism and is generally secular in their worldview. Their resentment of charedim is largely the result of a universal phenomena in which people resent those who are accomplishing that which they ostensibly believe in but are not themselves willing to make the effort to accomplish. This is a well known historical phenomena that has always caused resentment by the less authentically religious towards the more authentically religious. This resentment is unrelated to Army Service as they are equally resentful of the chardalim, who serve in the army with distinction.

The second group, and the one that is relevant to our discussion, is the community of largely English speaking immigrants to Israel, that adheres to a Datti Leumi ideology. Among this community, almost universally those that bitterly resent the non service of charedim in the army have themselves not served. They tend to have a very idealized notion of what the IDF is, both in terms of its relationship with religion and it’s actual roll in defending Jewish people. In their idealized picture, the IDF is largely populated by idealistic people in love with the Jewish people and willing to sacrifice anything for their well-being. Even if these imaginary people are not religious, they still see their great commitment to the Jewish people as being something elevated, towards which all others should aspire. When they lived in chutz laaretz, Zionism was a major part of their Jewish identity, and they never really progressed beyond that. To question such a central Zionist ideal as the IDF is to threaten a core element of who they are. 

Those who have served time within the IDF are well aware of how far this naïve view is from reality. Even if one actually believes that the IDF is what is standing between the Jewish people in Israel and total annihilation, it is still clear that the moral imperative (otherwise known as backbone) for this commitment must come from somewhere outside of the IDF.

Right now my battalion and those around us, are awaiting a battle in which we will not have the proper equipment, or an effective battle doctrine. We also suffer from senior leadership that is confused, and whose commitment to victory is questionable (the junior leadership tends not to share these characteristics). We are well aware that the IDF is not up to the task of keeping the Jews safe, and that our own lives and futures are leaning upon a thin reed indeed. If we make it through this and prevail without suffering horrendous casualties, it will only because of sincere prayers and the merit of those who make Torah their life’s mission. We need more Bnei Torah much more than we need more soldiers.

Those around me (the religious ones, not speaking of the secular soldiers) are mostly from the Datti Leumi community, and generally share my opinion. Many have expressed it to me without being provoked. So no, our blogger’s position, while it is "a thing" among certain anglo immigrants, is not very mainstream among the Datti Leumi community, especially its more sincerely religious elements.