Senior gedolei Torah in Eretz Yisroel—Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman, Rosh Yeshivas Rashbi; Rav Dov Landau, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka; Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka; Rav Aviezer Piltz, Rosh Yeshivas Tifrach; Rav Chaim Feinstein, Rosh Yeshivas Ateres Shlomo; and Rav Dovid Cohen, Rosh Yeshivas Chevron—have written special letters to kehillos in the United States, calling on them to join an upcoming tefillah gathering against the draft decree in Eretz Yisroel.
Earlier today, Matzav.com shared a poster containing the names of American rebbes and roshei yeshivas calling for an atzeres tefillah. As mentioned, both Satmar factions will unite, with both brothers, the two Satmar Rebbes, Rav Aharon Teitelbaum and Rav Zalman Leib Teitelbaum, participating together in the rally, whose date and location have not yet been announced.
Now, the gedolei Torah of Eretz Yisroel have joined in calling for participation in the rally.
In his letter, Rav Meir Tzvi Bergman writes, “To my dear brothers and friends, the Torah community and yeshiva students in the Diaspora of America, God-fearing and God-honoring individuals, and every Jew. The terrifying warning of my father-in-law, Rabbeinu HaGadol, the Avi Ezri zt”l, is already well known, that the decree of drafting yeshiva students is a decree of spiritual annihilation and religious coercion. This is a matter of ‘Yeihareg v’al ya’avor’ (one must be killed rather than transgress), as explicitly stated in the laws of Kiddush Hashem in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De’ah. He asked that this be publicized in his name. Every Jew is obligated to do everything in their power to save the nation, lest they be among those who did not come to the aid of God among the mighty.”
In his letter, the Rosh HaYeshiva addresses the yeshiva students who refuse to appear at the draft offices: “All of Klal Yisroel should honor and elevate the yeshiva students in the Holy Land, the mighty warriors standing on the front lines of the battle, who do not report and do not cooperate at all with the military authorities.”
Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch wrote: “From the mountains of Tzion comes the call that to our deep sorrow, in recent times, the hand of those who fight against our holy Torah and the preservation of Judaism in the Holy Land has intensified. They do not recognize that our nation is a nation only by virtue of its Torah, as Rav Saadia Gaon said. They pursue and impose harsh decrees on yeshiva students and kollel scholars, uprooting them from the study halls and severing them from the source of life, burdening their families and threatening the survival of the yeshivas, which are the foundation of the Jewish home, so that they may falter, and the honor of the Torah and its scholars is brought to the dust.
“Therefore, it is of great importance and benefit to raise a loud and unified cry of protest from all the communities in their places of residence across the globe, to raise the banner of our faith in the Torah and its scholars, to frighten and protest against their evil schemes, and to call a rally in the public square to pour out prayers and supplications, so that the decree is removed from the sanctuaries of our lives—the Torah institutions and their students.”
In their letter, Rav Aviezer Pilz, Rav Chaim Feinstein, and Rav Dovid Cohen write: “We are raising a cry from the sanctuary of Hashem in Tzion to those who fear Hashem and tremble at His word regarding the hand of the wicked that has been raised against the Torah scholars, the precious yeshiva students and kollel scholars. With force and coercion, they work to uproot them from the tents of Torah, sever them from the source of life, and throw them into the abyss. They also burden the families of the Torah scholars and the survival of the yeshivas and kollelim, so that they may falter, and the honor of the Torah is brought low.
“Our brethren in the Diaspora, wherever they dwell, come to the aid of Hashem among the mighty in their fight for the foundations of the Jewish home. Raise the banner and proclaim that our nation is a nation only by virtue of its Torah. Torah scholars are the purpose of creation, its crown, and its splendor, and all their evil schemes will not succeed. Raise your voices, cry out, and rally in the public square, stand by your brothers, for this will greatly benefit the success of this existential struggle for the soul of the Jewish home. We pray before the Giver of the Torah that the path of the wicked will not succeed, and their schemes will not come to fruition, and we will merit to see the return of Hashem to Tzion, like precious stones shining with splendor, speedily in our days.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
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