A video clip circulating online features Rav Asher Weiss discussing his meeting with a yeshiva student who served in the army and lost his right hand and legs. Rav Weiss recounts to charedi students how this young soldier sought guidance on which arm to wear tefillin, whether to perform netilat yadayim on his right stump, and if he should recite Shehechiyanu upon receiving a prosthetic hand. Rav Weiss emphasizes to his listeners the importance of the charedi community recognizing and respecting these individuals. Despite differing lifestyles, everyone must strengthen their Torah study, prayer, and acts of kindness.
This video is significant as it depicts a charedi rav urging his listeners to admire the soldiers, emphasizing that there are individuals who are committed to defending the country while being equally devoted to Torah and mitzvot. However, some believe Rav Weiss should have gone further, perhaps concluding with a call for everyone, including charedim, to serve in the army.
I do not live in Israel, and my perspective on Rav Asher Weiss’s statement may be limited based on that fact. The charedi opposition to army service often stems from the belief that Torah study protects the country as much as, if not more than, military service – a debatable point. However, the real issue for many charedim seems to be a distrust of the secular government, a sense of not belonging to Israeli society, and a concern that their religious needs will not be met in the army. They believe the army environment is spiritually harmful and will undermine the charedi way of life. The argument goes that one cannot remain religious in the army, as many who have served have left religion. They view the IDF draft law as a form of shmad – coercion against religion – and therefore feel all charedim must refuse to serve.
How do we counter this argument? First, in reality, charedi leadership may not change their stance until external pressure forces them to do so, such as funding only those yeshivot that send students to the army or providing financial benefits solely to yeshiva students who serve. However, alongside external pressure, there is a need to change the culture of distrust and the belief that the army is spiritually harmful to an observant Jew. By demonstrating that one can be passionate about defending the country while remaining committed to halacha and Torah values, respect for observant soldiers can grow. This, in turn, can weaken the core argument of the charedi community against army service.
Rav Asher Weiss’s statement that we must respect those passionate about Torah and mitzvot while defending the country may seem obvious to those familiar with this perspective, but not necessarily to the charedi camp. His assertion that some soldiers embody the highest ideals of halacha might be evident to religious Zionists but not to charedim.
Since he has the attention of many charedi students, his message fosters respect and is a positive step toward the eventual acceptance that serving in the army is not shmad, not a threat to Torah and Torah values in the charedi community. This dual commitment to both defense and Torah can be achieved.
