R' Aharon Leib and R' Chaim: solution for decrees - to strengthen learning

Against the decree on the recruitment of yeshiva students to the IDF, this morning (Tuesday) Haredi dailies advertise a letter by Hagaon R' Aharon Leib Steinman and Hagaon R' Chaim Kanievsky which call to strengthen the study of Torah, "Only our holy Torah will protect us."

The letter is published after Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu ruled in favor of the Minister of Finance, Yair Lapid and instructed the defense minister to be flexible about imposing criminal penalties on haredim who will not to enlist in the IDF.

The letter read thus:

"To our dismay at this time wreckers and destroyers from our own people have risen, and are conspiring to uproot the Torah and those who study it, something that was never before that Jews have risen to ban Torah study and prevent us from being engaged in holy Torah, woe to us that we have this today."

"And when we see that the Hester Ponim has increased, and we do not know for whose sake this assault is, and we have no prophet to tell what to fix to undo this harsh decree, we should search our paths and investigate, and perhaps because our hands have weakened from the Torah, therefore we are being persecuted on this issue".

"Hence, it is incumbent on us at this time to guard the Torah and its learners with all our might, and it is brought in Nefesh Hachayim Sha'ar daled Chapter 15, "If you see pangs pawing, run into rooms of Torah, and immediately the suffering will leave you, as it says "lech ami bo bachadareicha". And we hereby came to suggest to strengthen and increase Torah study continuously and without interfering, especially the days that are lax such as Friday and Shabbos in which people are very slack and to fix Sedorim in which one will strengthen Torah study. And the Roshei Yeshivos should inspire this thing. "

"In addition we should get stronger in prayer and supplication before the Creator to abolish all the decrees. And by strengthening the dealing in Torah and Tefilla, we hope that He should remove from us all bad and harsh decrees and soon we will merit to fill the world with knowledge of Hashem as the waters cover the seas."

Until this part of the letter, the authors of the letter did not refer to the demand for equality of burden, but only claimed that what hides behind it is the intention to prevent the haredi public from engaging in Torah. In the second part, they imply that the yeshiva students also bear the burden, as Torah study protects the state:

"And we hereby turn it to anyone who wants to hurt those who study Torah, "al tigu bimshichai", for at this time that the enemies of Israel come to destroy us, G-d forbid, only our holy Torah is to save us. Do not hurt and diminish those who learn for this is a danger in body and soul, G-d forbid. "

The letter concludes by R' Chaim Kanievsky's additional hint of opposition to demonstrations: "All the above said," he wrote, "is simple and clear, and that is the only way to cancel the decree."

'בחדרי' גם ברשתות החברתיות - הצטרפו!