Why the Charedi IDF Draft is Destined to Fail

With 54,000 draft orders underway, arrests being made and protests in full swing, I wanted to share a few words on why I believe the current effort to draft Charedi Yeshiva students into the IDF is destined to fail.

I’ll start off by saying I don’t think it’s the wrong decision.

I understand the pro-draft camp. It makes total sense politically. Especially in light of the ongoing war where manpower is real issue and soldiers are sacrificing their lives on a regular basis, it is very grounded to support that all citizens should share the burden of military service.

And from a halachic point of view as well, not to get into the whole discussion on this post, but the clear halacha is that we are in a Milchemet Mitzvah and there is no exception to just learn Torah in mass and ignore army service.

That being said, to go about the Charedi draft in the way it is happening is destined to fail.

It will never work and in fact just make things worse.

To fully understand why it is doomed from the beginning, let’s offer the counter example to gain some perspective.

Imagine the roles were reversed and the Charedim controlled the government. They felt that Torah study was the most important thing to help Am Yisrael and they created a law that mandated that every 18 year old young man in the country enroll in a Yeshiva, and if not, they will be arrested.

Don’t worry they tell you, there will be no religious coercion, they will set up separate Yeshivot for students of more secular backgrounds, but study is a must and they start cracking down.

What do you think the average secular family in Tel Aviv, Haifa or Beer Sheva would do?

Well, the government said it, I guess we’ll just send our boys off to Yeshiva?

Guess again.

I would imagine protests and civil disruption on a level never seen before in this country.

It would make the judicial reform protests look like a petting zoo.

And would it work in making more young men learn Torah? No, absolutely not! It would only create animosity and resistance.

So apply that idea back to the current situation.

We are not here to discuss whether the Charedim are right or wrong.

They have their beliefs and their leaders. They have been consistent in their party lines since the inception of the State. And as a growing segment of the population, they have to be understood and worked with, not against, as hard as that can be.

Let me offer 3 rules of engagement that could be implemented immediately to shift the current policy and create a plan that will actually work.

1) Admit that change will take time.

As I already said, I understand why the powers that be want a full solution to this NOW, or better off yesterday. But the idea of sending draft orders to every man in Yeshiva is going to back fire.

The Charedi community is very skeptical and wary of outsiders, especially when it comes to government pressure.

Programs like the new Charedim bridge Chashmonaim and new Charedi Hesder Yeshiva programs are brand new. It’s going to be years before these programs earn the trust of the Charedi population. Nobody wants to make their son the guinea pig of some new army project. Trust has to be developed and the final product has to be materialized before they can scale up in numbers.

2) Be open to change in the larger government and army structure.

Running the IDF is a complex task, not only militarily, but socially as well. You have to deal with 1000’s of people from all walks of life, religious beliefs, political views and create a cohesive, well oiled machine.

And if the IDF really wants to make the army are more Charedi friendly environment, they might have to make some tough choices.

In what way are army generals open to consulting leading Charedi poskim on military decisions and calculations and taking their position seriously?

Would the IDF be open to the thought that the overall spiritual stature of the army is just as important to winning wars as the military prowess?

Would the current powers consider having Charedi kollels on IDF bases paid for with military budget?

If the answers to all of those questions is unequivocally NO, then can we really expect Charedi families to send their sons into the IDF?

Change is going to have to be a two way street. That might be uncomfortable for some to admit, but the idea of the majority simply using brute force and arrests to put pressure on the draft without having real compromise on their end as well is going to be fraught with frustration.

3) Value the guys sitting and learning. 

By attempting to draft every Ben Torah in the IDF, the government is saying that we don’t value your learning. 

You’re wasting public funds. You’re abandoning your people. You’re just sitting around and doing nothing. Come and join the army and do something with yourself!

And again, while I hear that position loud and clear, it’s the greatest insult to the Charedi community. 

They take tremendous pride in their Yeshivos, Kollelim, and Talmidei Chachamim. 

And for the IDF to gain trust from the Charedi community, they have to show value for what the Charedim believe. 

What would happen if the top IDF brass came a learned Torah for an hour with Rosh Yeshivas from around the country?

How crazy would it be to suggest a group of army soldiers get a night off and get the experience of learning with Charedi boys in a Yeshiva?

What would it take for political leaders to declare that there is a sacred partnership between the soldiers and scholars of the Jewish people?

Not with an agenda, a coercion or a slight of hand. 

From a place of genuine effort and concern to bridge the gaps in the society. 

This is NOT going to be easy. 

But there is a better way forward. 

And I hope and pray that our leaders both religious a political have the insight to navigate this historic time in a way of peace and building our Holy Nation. 

Am Yisrael Chai.