As Chag Matan HaTorah approaches, HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau published a special letter to bnei yeshivos on their tafkid before Kabbalas HaTorah, and in a rare statement, the Rosh Yeshivah stated that if bnei yeshivos are forcefully recruited to the army, “we will be required to take actions we do not desire.” The letter states: “As everyone knows, for over a year now we have been in a period of great confusion, as the legal status of Lomdei Torah regarding their conscription has not yet been regulated as it has been for all the years, and many of the authorities are openly plotting to conscript Lomdei Torah. More and more time has passed, and to our regret, a legal solution as we had in the past has not yet been found.” “Our thoughts are constantly on this matter, that the limmud of bnei yeshivos and kollelim should take place in peace and tranquility for them and their families. And if chalilah, they will forcibly conscript bnei yeshivos, we will not be able to stand idly by, and we will be required to take actions we do not desire. We will all stand up for every single individual so that, chalilah, they will not be conscripted. “And as we stand before Chag Matan Torah, we must be mechazeik ourselves and one another and our families, for our tafkid is only in limmud Torah. And this tafkid is the most praiseworthy, exalted, and glorious that exists in creation. And we should also be mechazik in love of friends and correcting our middos.” אשרנו מה טוב חלקנו ומה נעים גורלנו שנתן חלקנו בתורתו וקדשנו במצוותיו. “ויה”ר שיזכנו השם לשיש על תורתו (ולייחדו באהבה), ולא ימוש ספר התורה מפינו ומפי זרענו מעתה ועד עולם. HaRav Landau signed the letter: “Writing with great sorrow and great hope, Dov Landau.” (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)