Jerusalem – Israeli president Shimon Peres attended a meeting Tuesday evening with a large group of yeshiva students during which he listened to their thoughts and concerns about the current state of Israel and told them to value their education, join the workforce, and strive to “be like the Rambam.”
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ARUTZ SHEVA 7 (http://bit.ly/14lhyYN) reports that the event, which included yeshiva students from the Mir, the Hevron Yeshiva, and Ponevezh, was organized by the Leil Shishi Aktuali forum.
In sharing their thoughts, students told Peres that, while Israel is their “home,” they feel that the inter-community trust and respect that once existed is gone, and that the ongoing campaign to delegitimize haredis that has resulted from the controversy surrounding the haredi draft is negatively affecting the haredi way of life.
Peres told them, “There’s no contradiction between keeping the 613 mitzvoth and getting an academic degree. Higher education is a condition for well-paid work that allows people to live with ease while keeping the mitzvoth.”
“One shining example,” Peres continued, “is the Rambam, who was a great rabbi and brilliant doctor. The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon) was an influential Torah scholar in the Middle Ages who studied Torah full-time for many years, and began working as a physician after much of his money was lost when his brother drowned at sea.”
Peres also stressed that Israeli employers have a responsibility, as well.
“Haredi Jews need to work,” Peres said. “And the non-haredi Israelis need to let them work. We have to consider the haredi community’s needs and provide the conditions to allow the haredi lifestyle to be integrated with a dedication to work.”
In concluding, Peres said, “The basic Jewish books like the Mishnah and Talmud are essentially democratic. Their purpose was a deep spiritual debate over the essence of Judaism, and they allow for arguments and give a space to the minority view. The haredi community is an important part of the Jewish people and the state of Israel…There is no room in Israeli society for either religious coercion or anti-religious coercion.”
He is right, of course.
Classic haskala garbage from 150 years ago.
the Rambam wrote in Igeres Teiman that we cannot have a Jewish State because of the 3 oaths. btw i did go to college and he is right there is no contradiction between college and mitzvah observance – but then again i went to Touro
Maybe Peres should be more like the RambaM ; a statesman as well as a devout practicing Jew.
Is he out of his mind!! If you want to see what a rambam would like
Although we have no one close to him let him go take a ride to bnei brak and see the rav chaim kanevski. The rambam didn’t admire the umos haolam like the yiddisha goyim do. I always find the irony of how people misconstrue history to their liking.
Peres has some nerve asking anyone to be like the Rambam.
When is he coming to speak to New York Yeshivos?
Speak softly and carry a big stick. Or as the ultra orthodox have erroneously interpreted, run away from sane ventures to carry a special privilege. The reality is that Knowledge is not only from a prayer book and that Torah exceeds all ways and the trust in Hashem is carried out by an intellectual and hard working soul. So if you really want to be a Torah jew, speak softly, carry a big stick, and hold your own with a better lifestyle based on Torah and honor and dignity as well as trust in a better tomorrow. The yeshiva stool does not cut it for the entire choice of a better jewish style in heaven.
The brisker ruv knew the rambam well and opposed the state of Israel. I’m going in the footsteps of the heilige rambam…
Does this mean we have to move to Egypt like the rambam?