IDF Prepares To Conscript Charedim Who Receive Salaries Despite Declaring ‘Torasam Umanusam’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In a dramatic change in strategy, the IDF is preparing to send draft notices to 3000 young charedim who are working and receiving salaries despite declaring that Toratam Umanutam (i.e. they are solely involved in Torah study).

This is the first time that the IDF is attempting to conscript charedim, since most of the previous soldiers who enlisted from charedi backgrounds were at-risk youth or those who had ceased to maintain religious practices. The current target group are those who are working in tandem with their yeshiva studies or instead of studying in yeshiva, and who are receiving official salaries according to the National Insurance Institute.

The charedi parties are maintaining silence at present, since they have not yet received instructions from the gedolim on how to react if thousands of draft notices are submitted to charedim.

Some members of Agudas Yisrael believe that if draft notices are sent, the charedi parties should create a coalition crisis and even topple the government.

“The IDF had never demanded the conscription of thousands of charedim in a few months, next year they want 5000 more, how can we accept this?” one Aguda MK questioned.

“We already know that in the current coalition we won’t be able to pass an acceptable law to regulate the status of Torah learners, so what are we waiting for? We need to get answers from the gedolim.”

Shas MKs also didn’t respond, preferring to wait for the gedolim to decide. One of them said that “We heard a clear ruling from the head of the Sephardi council of Torah sages Rabbi Moshe Maya, who said that it is forbidden to conscript even those charedim who aren’t learning and they shouldn’t show up at the base. The rabbi stressed this in the past, we are now waiting for his decision on the matter.”

In a recorded discussion of the matter, Rabbi Maya stressed that even those not studying should not enlist: “Even if you have no framework [don’t go], you will become secular there, it is a shmad- a coercion to leave religion. One who causes to sin is greater than one who kills others, this is clear.”.

Rabbi Shlomo Machfoud, another member of the council said that “We must fight this with all our power, as it will lead to a spiritual holocaust like they did to us when we immigrated to this country. They used to tempt us in different ways and now they come with this- another way to cause sweet bachurim to abandon their faith.”

Rabbi Machfoud warned all charedim who had studied in yeshiva- even those who have left – not to agree to be drafted to the IDF.