Friday, September 29, 2006

IDF does NOT = Zionism

Being a soldier in the Israeli army does not mean you have any particular Hashkafa. An apikores is someone with a heretical Hashkafa, which one can have whether in the army or not. In fact, Belz, very Torahdik and anti-Zionist in their Hashkofos, (Rav Yisochor Dov ZTL was one of the leading fighters against Zionism and Zionists) is well represented in the Israeli army. While it is true, I imagine, in general that Zionists by virtue of their Hashkafa would serve in the Israeli army, the converse is not true, that all people who serve in the Israeli army are Zionists.

We must pray for Hashem's protection for the Israeli soldiers, together with all acheinu bnei yisroel hanesunim batzarah. And we must do what is in our power to protect them, whether it be donating bullet-proof vests, or praying, or whatever, to protect them. On the contrary, it is a terrible thing the Zionists did by creating a situation where we have to have Jewish Neshomos put in danger to fight wars. When Ben Gurion sr"y asked the Chazon Ish, if you were the Prime Minister of Israel, would you arm our soldiers with guns or Gemorahs, the Chazon Ish answered that if not for the Zionists, we wouldn't need guns.

However, there are Zionists who believe, in their twisted thinking, that it is worth it for Jewish lives to be spilled in order for there to be a State of Israel. This is terrible cruelty. Even if the State of Israel would not be a terrible violation of the ratzon Hashem, even if it would be a positive thing, it would not be worth even one Jewish life. The discounting of Jewish blood by Zionists in this way is unforgivable.

Rabbi Aryeh Ginsberg, a Rabbi in New York, related how he saw Rav Shach go through an operation on his foot without anesthesia, because he did not want to be groggy when he gave shiur afterwards. He endured the entire operation without one hint of the pain he was going through. Such was his control.

Yet, the same Rabbi, a short while later, was present when Rav Shach received news of the fatal crash of an Israeli Army helicopter.

Rav Shach broke down, crying hysterically.

That is how a true Torah Jew views things.

Being in the army is not the same as being in the government. They may be fighting wars that they shouldn’t be fighting, true, but if the Zionists cause a war, then, ex post facto, it doesn't make you a modeh b'avodah zorah if you say to yourself, if I don't fight in this illegal war, more Jews will be killed. The question is not whether being in the army is wrong or right or whether the wars are wrong or right, the question is whether being a soldier makes you an Apikores. It doesn't.

Labels:

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home