Most Hasidic Groups In Israel Will Keep Yeshivas Open During Summer Vacation Due To The War

Major hasidic groups in Israel, excluding Chabad, will not close their yeshivas for the normal summer vacation period that runs from approximately Tisha B’Av to Rosh Hodesh Elul. The official rationale for this move is supposed to be the idea that Torah study provides protection for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel and, during a time of war, that protection is especially needed. But public relations is also playing an outsized role.

File photo: Gur hasidim in Israel

Most Hasidic Groups In Israel Will Keep Yeshivas Open During Summer Vacation Due To The War
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com

Major hasidic groups in Israel, excluding Chabad, will not close their yeshivas for the normal summer vacation period that runs from approximately Tisha B’Av to Rosh Hodesh Elul, the Jerusalem Post reported.

Gur (Gerr), Belz, Vizhnitz, Sanz and several smaller hasidic groups will keep their yeshivas open and run reduced study programs.

The rationale for this move is supposed to be the idea that Torah study provides protection for the Jewish people and the Land of Israel and, during a time of war, that protection is especially needed.

However, haredi yeshivas fled southern Israel when the Hamas started firing large barrages of rockets at Ashkelon and other cities there, causing Zionist Orthodox Jews – whose yeshivas did not flee the south and whose students actually serve in the IDF – to lash out at haredim for running away, ridiculing the above-stated theology of protection.

After all, haredim insist that their Torah study protects the army, the people and the land and claim that is why they should not be compelled to serve in the IDF like everyone else.

But to have that theology, dodge the draft and then flee at the first sign of trouble?

That is a public relations disaster.

“You cant say the whole time that those who study Torah provide protection and salvation for the Jewish people and then go on vacation. When the country needs to be defended then it is not appropriate for yeshiva students to go on holiday,” a Gur spokesman told the Post.

Non-hasidic haredim appear to be ready to cancel special vacation trips and events, but may still close their yeshivas, an unidentified spokesman told the Post.

The Post also notes that the haredi weekly newspaper Mishpacha published pictures and short biographies of many IDF soldiers killed in the Gaza operation and notes that this “is the first time that a haredi publication has adopted this practice and one haredi commentator described it as a significant development within the community.”

But what the Post fails to report is that Mishpacha is the most moderate and least accepted of all haredi publications in Israel, and has repeatedly faced bans from haredi leaders for being too religiously left-wing.

Yated Ne’eman, Hamodia and the other haredi daily and weekly papers have not published pictures of the fallen IDF soldiers or their brief biographies – and often fail to mention the IDF itself by name in their reporting.

Also, all but one or two very minor haredi calls to have haredim say special prayers now because of the war have been issued by senior haredi leaders without specifically mentioning the soldiers (or the IDF itself, for that matter) as people who should be prayed for – also a fact the Jerusalem Post has consistently failed to report.

Related Post:

As Rockets And Missiles Fly, Haredi Yeshiva Flee, Zionist Orthodox Yeshivas Stand Put.

Comments

[MM]

My read on the Torah is that repentance brings God's protection, not studying about what this or that rabbi had to say. What would happen if the Prime Minister or say the mayor of Tel-Aviv called for a day of repentance? (maybe even on T'Sha Ba'av) Might that not have more merit in God's eyes than if all the Haredim study another page of Talmud? Some say this war started with a kidnapping, I say it started with a parade. Not planning on stoning anyone or not acting with compassion , but maybe shouldn't be all that eager to celebrate it either. And why were all those Sodomites struck blind anyway, was it really about finding a door?

[Abracadabra]

Do everyone a favor - close the yeshivos, stop throwing rocks at cars driving on Shabbos, stop screaming "Shaaaaaaaaaabbiiiiiiiiiss," and instead go enlist in the IDF like real men, or volunteer to help the IDF where they need manpower and muscle.

Nobody needs you to keep the yeshivos open, running from the battlefields like a bunch of cowards, going to sit and learn on a bench in a safer part of the country.

Get up and go fight like real men, or lend a hand to the men who are fighting and risking their lives for your ungrateful backsides. Do something radical and risky and make a significant difference in this war for a change.

[Ira Kleiman]

I get it. Whatever they do is terrible. If they close, it's "how dare they when they say the Torah protects us", if they stay open, it's "it's all public relations, who needs 'em, let them go into the army".

[Yahoshua David]

Seems to be a political move to keep them out of the military.

But anyhow just to note that trying to remotely effect future outcomes by 'waving wands' or a collective life-force is witchcraft plain and simple. Paganism. While the gods and spirit world are different, it's still pagansim.

You can ask Hashem personally to have mercy on Israel, but he's in control and you can not have any expectation that he'll do as you wish or make any demands on him. You need to acknowledge that he controls everything and be humble and without pride. Be thankful for what he's already done and acknowledge this to Him.

Dont go trying to use earthly life force methids and take personal responsibility for keeping israel safe. That is filled with pride and takes the place of hashem's greatness. Hashem is saying 'lol! These humans actually think they're protecting this land?! Funny! Then i guess they dont need me anymore!'

[jancsibacsi]

According to my knowledge a bunker protects you much more then the pie in the sky:)

[jancsibacsi]

Yahoshua David---! Funny! Then i guess they dont need me anymore!'

You sound like you are talking to youreself,your imagination is youre own fabrication such nonsense.

[Raishit Chachma]

What is the inference, "Except Chabad." They are the ones going out onto the front lines and bringing some respite to the soldiers. I can also list 20 Chabad boys from around the world that are actually in the army fighting right now. What about you and your cronies Scott? You little chicken shi@@ sit on the sidelines and do squat.

[Jekyll Jacobson]

Abracadabra
Running from religion is equally cowardly.
All your so called logic, reasoning and conclusions you claim to have drawn intellectually, should be allowed for religionists to apply to their way of life as well.
In fact we view you as the real coward.

[Alter Kocker]

So the cowards will huddle in their yeshivas over the summer while REAL JEWS defend them. Lets see, so far: They won't enlist in the army, their rabbis refuse to acknowledge that the iron dome is responsible for the safety of Jewish lives, they won't directly pray for the IDF, and now they will stay in the yeshiva all summer long and likely ask for another stipend or two.

One solution: Send an IDF brigade to each yeshiva. Induct the denizens of that yeshiva. If anyone objects, induct them first. Drive the new recruits to a facility for basic training. Done.

[Sarek]

They get a summer vacation? I thought they had to daven 24/7/365?? Shabbat, sure. Shmita, fine. But where is summer vacation in Torah? Who will protect Eretz Yisrael from the rockets if nobody's home at the yeshiva?

[gevezener chusid]

I attended a Chassidic yeshiva 30+ years ago and we did NOT have any "summer vacation" (a/k/a "bein hazmanim").

[Audrey T Benjamin]

These hasidic motherfuckers will destroy Israel from within before Hamas can so much as make a dent.

[Simon]

Nobody asked you to continue forcing helpless teenage boys to sit all day learning the Talmud.

Nobody asked you! Don't expect any gratitude.

[Alter Kocker]

Who will protect Eretz Yisrael from the rockets if nobody's home at the yeshiva?

Posted by: Sarek | July 30, 2014 at 09:29 AM

The Flying Spaghetti Monster, that's who!

[Edmond Dantes]

@Alter Kocker I can tell you 5 ways that idf soldiers (who are not on the front line) are full of BS. But that's not the point.

Cancel all torah learning, and enlist everybody in the army. Good job; I'm sure g-d would love that

[Edmond Dantes]

But it's not about g-d, is it? I'm sure you think if we made you president you can win the war. But try to entertain the possibility that g-d actually runs this world. Don't like it? Don't believe it?

Yah, well you must be having a rough time being a jew.

[Edmond Dantes]

Pop quiz! How many of you actually live in Israel and know what's going on?