Jerusalem – It’s possible to study Torah and fight on the battlefield, Bayit Yehudi leader Naftali Bennett said in his first speech to the Knesset Tuesday, matching messages with his partner in coalition talks, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid.
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Bennett focused on haredi (ultra-Orthodox) enlistment and education, two of the topics on which his party has coordinated with Yesh Atid in coalition negotiations.
Opening his speech by calling his fellow MKs his brothers and sisters – terminology frequently used in his party’s campaign – Bennett asked them to join him in being “freiers,” a slang term for “suckers,” or as he translated it, “someone who helps others and doesn’t get anything in return.”
“My parents came [from America to Israel] to be freiers.
Our parents educated us to be freiers and do the right thing even if we have to pay a price.
Let’s be freiers for the citizens of Israel,” he said.
The Bayit Yehudi chairman called for MKs to be unafraid of paying a political price, for example, in breaking monopolies’ and unions’ stranglehold on the market, which he said would be possible if parties worked together.
He also condemned schools that “spoil” students, calling for values-driven education, and said religious services in the country had turned into a “job-providing machine” instead of showing “the beauty of Judaism to all of Israel.”
“Torah study is not the interest of haredim, but is of interest to all of us; it is what helped us survive for 2,000 years in exile,” Bennett said. “The haredim are our brothers, but this situation cannot continue.
Even you, my haredi brothers, know not everyone learns Torah.”
Using a military metaphor, he said that “the national stretcher is going to fall” if the haredim did not help carry the burden.
“My haredi brothers – serving in the army is a mitzva, too,” he said. “I served with dear brothers who knew to carry a stretcher and learn Torah, charge into a battlefield and open a page of Talmud.”
As for diplomatic issues, he said that although he lived in Ra’anana, he felt safe knowing his brothers were protecting him from the hilltops of Judea and Samaria.
“There is no room in this small and lovely land God gave us for another country; it won’t happen,” he said.
“Friends, before we debate territory, we have to say: The Land of Israel belongs to the people of Israel. Now, lets argue.”
Fellow Bayit Yehudi MK Uri Orbach spoke afterward, congratulating his party leader on becoming a member of Knesset.
Orbach compared Bennett to Prince Charming kissing Sleeping Beauty – otherwise known as religious Zionism – and waking her up.
Content is provided courtesy of the Jerusalem Post
Kol Yisrael areivim ze lazeh. When all the Jewish people everywhere feel like one and share the burdens as one entity, hopefully Mashiach will come.
In our Holy Torah we have 613 Mitzvos not 614 Mitzvos
The issue is purely political and inoperative. The resources and manpower the military will need to devote to this is unavailable- the soldiers have to address themselves to defense issues and not socialogical intolerance which the political factions are trying to sow. This may be frustrating to some of you out there,but those are the facts. Maybe we should keep in mind the bitter pill that the religious community has to swallow daily when a country of holy origin is being run by those void of its historical religious values. In my grotesque opinion, that’s a lot worse.
Why should chareidim join an army that’s anti frum. Look what they did to those settlers who were in the army in gush katif. They threw them out like dogs.why don’t they take the arabs to the army or make them work as volunteers. The arabs even have a judge in supreme court but no chareidi judge. Hypocrites. The army is made up of 30 per cent non jews. They don’t lack soldiers.
Mr’ bannete: you might be right, but as of now jews who go’s their got OTD, they forcing to listen to female singers what a BIG BIG sin, & not observing shabbos fully
Bennet? Which Yeshiva did you learn in? Where is this mitzvah in the Shulchan Aruch? Which Parsha in the Torah is it found? Is it M’DoRaisa or M’DRabanan? Where can I find this “Mitzvah” in the Rambam? Did Maran HaRav HaRAYH Kook ZT”L write it in a Teshuva? (would he approve of the size of the doily you wear on your head and that your wife does not cover her hair?) Make no mistake Rav Kook was a Gaon Olom and whatever he said can be relied upon (Rav Eliyashiv’s words) but I do not dare assume that he added Mitzvos
It’s interesting to see how many people simply don’t know the factual situation. Those who are conscripted into military service are doing it for one reason only. Those who think that it’s for defense should wake up and rub their eyes. Those days are LONG GONE ! I personally think that the military should be comprised of ONLY religious soldiers. Send the women home! Send the misfits, the drug addicts, the drunken sots and the permiscuous vermine HOME ! The army will be much more effective and have much more Seyata DeShmayo. The Defense Dept should be run by chareidim and so should the military. That will definitely make an improvement in the country and probably bring Moshiach
To all of you mitzva lovers,
If you can avoid this whole self defense excuse it is totally NOT a mitzva to fight & being mair so much Jewish blood!
Just give it up! Don’t you all see for your selves where the medinah is up to?
After all this years, so many lives has been taken away, such a huge chilul hashems, &…..now what?
What do you have? A normal country???
Fighting all day, seing an Arab with a knapsack on the st everyone is afraid that it is a bomb,
This is what you call freedom?
The Jews lived in peace before the very bitter day for klal yisroel when the reshoim went & were mechalel shem shomyim on a way it has never happened before!!!
Is putting oneself in a makom sakuna called a milchamos mitzva? Yidden leave israel it’s a mitzva.
1. “My parents came [from America to Israel] to be frei.”
And they, and you, succeeded beyond all expectations.
2. ““Torah study is not the interest of haredim, but is of interest to all of us; it is what helped us survive for 2,000 years in exile…”
Indisputable. So then why don’t you learn?