Words of Chizuk From Rav Yehoshua Shapira, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivas Hesder Ramat Gan
Regarding the importance of Torah study in the current time
Here is a recent question and answer from Rabbi Yehoshua Shapira, Rosh Yeshivas Hesder Ramat Gan:
Q. I am an avreich and feel useless in such a difficult time...
A. The Gemara in the Sanhedrin tractate quotes Rav Yosef's words, who explained that a heretic is one who says "What good do the Torah scholars do?- they only study for themselves." And the truth is that we believers believe that the Torah sustains the world and gives strength in all creatures, and especially for the struggles of the Jewish nation. And indeed, even if though Torah study is greater than all else, if there is a mitzvah that is impossible for others to do - a person should stop studying. And so in a mitzvah war, a groom comes out of his room, and certainly in such a war we are in. But the nation needs to consider broadly the totality of her needs, and just as it should be considered when it is necessary to recruit all the bakers from the bakeries, that's how all professions should be considered, and above all those who illuminate the light of the divine soul among us, Torah students. And this consideration should be done after deploying the situation professionally by entrusting it to the elders of the Torah, on whom the responsibility for all the affairs of Israel rests. Their shoulders are in a balanced and correct manner that does not, God forbid, skip over the light of the Torah as the soul of the nation.
Wow, he combines the Emunah that Torah protects with the Emunah of Daas Torah into one neat little package! Truly, I say, there is far that unites us than divides us. At least for people like him. מי כעמך ישראל!
Shkoyach for the chizzuk!
About Rabbi Doctor's latest post, while he has some points which the Chareidim surely need to discuss, he is a bit too "altruistic" for my taste. He presents what he deems to be the argument, insinuating that it is Chareidim who need to change, but he deals not with the fact that there problems just as large on his side. And what he implies is the resolution is actually the problem. Sorry for the tongues; here's what I mean: The deal is that Torah is important. It is what protects us. If he wants to believe in his garbage theories that we are just like the rest of the nations who live purely by naturalism, that is not "exposing conflict," it is creating it. If he were to be a bit more Jewish here, and even if he wishes to side with those who "rationalize" everything and wants to claim that he is following Rabbi Lichtenstein or something like that, we won't call him an apikorus, and so be it. But we are just as entitled to our opinion that Torah *does* in fact protect. Until he can listen to the fact that there is someone who disagrees with him, yes HE is the hate-monger among us.
Chareidi ideology may have serious issues to contend with and may need to make changes during this war, but if he is someone who is actually trying to help, let him give an inch our way. "Yes! Torah is important. It is the most important thing that we have on this earth. But..." He can't say that, because not only does he not believe it, we aren't even entitled to our opinion to believe it is so. And because of this, he is so angry at us that he wishes "the taboo on Arabs in the government will be replaced with a taboo in Haredim in the government." - https://www.rationalistjudaism.com/p/the-growing-divide/comment/49091474
Also, with his voice he should also share the fact that there needs to be more Torah from the non-Chareidi department. Let them learn and daven better, let them care about Hashem a little bit more. If they do that, if a teshuva movement would premeate the secular and even DL culture (who surely have some tremendous people, but they also have some pretty weak folk). we will have a yeshuah and geulah based on that alone as we are constanly told by Chazal. Both sides have things to fix, them as much as us. But no, let's point fingers and pretend that we are altruistically "exposing" divide.
Of course he'll do that because he actually believes we are the only ones who deed a fixin'.
People who appreciate Torah as the most important thing are the most destructive force in the world, bar none.
So, whatever manpower shortages the IDF has, it's always the Dati Leumi who will have to leave yeshiva to make sure up the shortfall, never charedim. And if even that's not enough, then it's just too bad for Israel. Got it.