Gedolim Attack Rabbi Leibel’s IDF Initiative: ‘A Danger To The Future Of The Torah World’

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Several leaders of the Lithuanian charedi community have spoken out sharply against the new initiative of Rabbi Dovid Leibel, the head of Achvas Torah (Kollelim for working Bnei Torah) . Rabbi Leibel is in the process of setting up a charedi brigade in the army, which will be called Mishmar HaTorah.

Rabbi Dov Landau and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch published a letter in Yated Neeman Tuesday in which they attacked the new idea:

“Our generation has merited with G-d’s help to increase Batei Midrash, yeshivos and kollelim, and tens of thousands of Avreichim KY have taken off the yoke of public service and separated from worldliness in order to sanctify themselves with the sanctity of the Torah and service of G-d. Besides the inherent virtue, this is also the only assured way to protect the sanctity of Am Yisrael. Even those who work for their livelihood are basing their lives on Torah values with the outlook that we received from our teachers of blessed memory.

“Recently one person has risen and claimed all kinds of false claims against this, basing himself on all kinds of weird reasonings and acting on dangerous initiatives to change the unique style of the Torah world and to decrease Torah study. He influences his disciples to leave the leadership of Daas Torah and to find other broken vessels and he is even assisted by those whose goal is to destroy charedi Judaism HY.

“The gedolim, including Rabbi Chaim Kanievski zl, Rabbi Karelitz z’l, Rabbi Gershon Edelstein z’l and Rabbi Aharon Leib Steinman z’l all fought against him after he opened “crooked” institutions for avreichim [with secular study programs in the afternoons], and now he wishes to establish a Mishmar Torah program which will cause the draft of Bnei Yeshivos, and claims that the rabbis agree with him. We wish to register a strong protest and warning that all of his views are evil spirits in Am Yisrael and all of his initiatives and actions are designed to cause damage and are a danger to the future of the Torah world, so people should beware of helping or giving him recognition and prevent him from carrying out his designs.”

Last week, Rabbi Meir Tzvi Bergman, the son-in-law of Rabbi Shach z’l, attacked Rabbi Leibel, stating that “There’s a person called Leibel, all the time he has new ideas, he’s looking how to destroy and ruin the Bnei Torah. Tell them that one must beware of him like a fire.” Rabbi Bergman added that “This is all arrogance to search for ways to destroy Bnei Torah HY.”