JERUSALEM (VINnews) — In the last few days, three leading charedi rabbis have clarified their positions regarding enlisting in the IDF. All three qualified previous statements which implied that they were opposed to IDF enlistment even for those who are not studying in yeshiva and are working full time.
Join our WhatsApp groupSubscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Rabbi Moshe Maya initially signed a letter which prohibited all forms of enlistment in the IDF even for those who are not currently studying. However in recent days he stressed that if the IDF order enables a charedi to maintain his religious lifestyle in the army, he would not oppose enlistment for charedim.
Former Chief Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef, who has been one of the strongest opponents of attempts by the IDF to conscript yeshiva students, and even stressed that those who are not learning should tear up their draft notices, qualified his statement and said that he was only talking of those who are going through a difficult period in their enthusiasm for study but are still connected to yeshivos, but those who are working as waiters in restaurants can definitely be conscripted into the IDF.
בעד גיוס חרדים לא לומדים?
הרב יצחק יוסף מבהיר אחרי שאמר כי גם לחרדי ״בטלן״ אסור להתגייס:
לא התכוונתי שבחור שעובד במלצרות בלילה לא יילך לצבא – דיברתי על בחור ישיבה שנמצא בתקופת משבר. pic.twitter.com/LRv2jJiCtZ
— מה חדש. What’s new❓ (@Gloz111) August 27, 2025
Rabbi Yitzchok Zilberstein, the rabbi of Ramat Elchanan and a son-in-law of Rabbi Elyashiv zt’sl, also qualified a statement attributed to him, claiming that a person can desecrate Shabbat rather than serve in the IDF if it will lead him to abandon his religious lifestyle. Rav Zilberstein stressed that the frameworks approved by Rabbi Steinman (Nahal Charedi, and apparently the new Chashmonaim brigade) would be good options for those who are not studying in yeshiva, and are the preferred option if they are wasting their time otherwise.
מאז פרסום הכתבות שלנו על ה”לא לומדים ולא מתגייסים”, 3 רבנים מובילים, חברי המועצות של המפלגות החרדיות, שינו את דעתם בפומבי.
קודם הרב מאיה מש”ס (עם הסתייגויות), היום הרב יצחק יוסף ועכשיו “לכתחילה” מפרסמים את התיעוד של הרב זילברשטיין, חבר המועצה של דגל התורה. @N12News @lechathila pic.twitter.com/Pzxq8HBJln— אלי הירשמן Eli Hirschmann (@eli_hirschmann) August 27, 2025
anyone on the internet reading this is definitely eligible for the draft
Maybe we could start a new unit to wage war against the Supreme Court that’s probably responsible for more than half the soldier deaths
How do we expect to win a war without enlistment? This is clearly a milchemet mitzvah.
The IDF doesn’t even try to win wars anymore no point in enlisting also it’s known that it’s a place for znus
OK, so after all the ill will created by the previous pronouncements of these three individuals, they are now backtracking – notwithstanding their claim that these are only “clarifications”. However, there’s already been tremendous damage done to the standing of Torah and Rabbanim amongst the Israeli population due to the extreme positions previously expressed by these individuals and their fellow leaders of the Chareidi community – the Chilul Hashem is staggering, and they were ultimately forced to back down anyway. “Eizehu Chacham? Haro’eh es Hanolad.” There were some major blind spots here…
I only hope that the Mesirus Nefesh shown by other groups of Shomrei Torah uMitzvos in the defense of Klal Yisrael will help mitigate the damage.
Geee thanks. All you guys working for a living can enlist.
Mazal Tov. They finally agree to Moreinu Harav A.L. Shteinman ZYA position – who took a lot of heat for it. Rav Y. Yosef is breaking away from his father’s opinion.
I want posted the Gedolim who are against it too, the bias is unacceptable, besides that accuracy and the full truth about what chareidim hold matters.
What exactly were Rav Zilberstein’s words? That seems odd.
Lots of double speak
Time for all of these bench warmers to defend their Fatherland & serve in the IDF!
And the entire Chareidi media complex just ate crow…
wow, the minute a psak comes out people don’t like and agree with, “daas Torah” goes out the door and the Hamon Am become Rabbanim to argue. amazing. and then people wonder why so many go off the derech – because of the hypocrisy and selfishness.