Rav Dov Landau Warns: “There Is No Agreement Whatsoever for Sephardim to Enlist in the IDF”
Maran Rav Dov Landau delivered a powerful shmuess at Yeshiva Ma’or HaTorah on Sunday, issuing an unequivocal declaration that there is no consent whatsoever for yeshiva bochurim from Sephardic communities to leave yeshiva and enlist in the IDF.
The gathering, hosted by Rav Avraham Salim, a member of the Moetzet Chachmei HaTorah of Shas, centered on the current climate surrounding the draft debate and the claims being circulated regarding Sephardic bnei Torah. Rav Landau devoted his remarks to affirming the unwavering position of the Torah world.
Rav Landau began by highlighting the rich Torah legacy of Sephardic Jewry throughout the generations, noting that many of the greatest sages of all time were Sephardic. “Many of our greatest teachers throughout the generations were Sephardic sages: the Rambam, the Rif, the Ramban, the Rashba, Maran HaBeis Yosef, the Mishneh LaMelech, the Machaneh Ephraim, the Sha’ar HaMelech, and other giants whose teachings we absorb to this day,” he said. “In every beis midrash we immerse ourselves in their Torah just as we do in the teachings of the Ashkenazic sages.” He recalled the powerful impression made on him in his youth by the rosh yeshiva of Porat Yosef, Rav Ezra Attiya, whose noble and refined character left a lifelong mark on him.
Rav Landau then reflected on the early years of the State, which he described as a time of profound spiritual assault on Sephardic communities. “At the beginning of statehood, in a cruel and sweeping spiritual destruction orchestrated by the heads of the government, Sephardic Jewry suffered a catastrophe that claimed countless souls,” he said. In response, he noted, the great leaders of both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic worlds fought with all their strength to rebuild Torah education. The prominent Ashkenazic yeshivos opened their doors to students from the Sephardic communities, many of whom went on to become outstanding talmidei chachomim and marbitzei Torah.
He described with gratitude the extraordinary growth of Sephardic yeshivos over the past decades. “Today there are many yeshivos for Sephardic bochurim that are an inseparable part of the world of Torah,” he said. Their standard of learning, their atmosphere, and their spiritual stature, he noted, rival the finest of the veteran yeshivos. Leading them are great Sephardic roshei yeshiva whose dedication and leadership have built a vibrant Torah world filled with “excellent bnei Torah and young tzorvim growing into talmidei chachomim who sanctify Heaven’s name.”
With emotional intensity, Rav Landau turned to the rumors and claims being spread regarding Sephardic bochurim and the draft. “To our great sorrow, there are inciters and agitators who malign the roshei yeshiva, as if there is some agreement—chalilah—for bnei Torah from Sephardic backgrounds to abandon the wellspring of Torah and enlist,” he declared. “Chalilah v’chas! May the mouths of the liars be sealed. There is no such agreement and no such consent.”
He stressed that roshei yeshiva invest their full strength into every talmid, without distinction of origin or ability, guiding even those who struggle with patience and devotion, exactly as the Gemara instructs. Those who attempt to sow division, he warned, inflict deep harm on the entire Torah world and desecrate the name of Heaven, whether knowingly or unknowingly. “One who desecrates Hashem’s name is accountable regardless,” he said.
Rav Landau concluded with a heartfelt charge to bnei hayeshivos: “Every yeshiva student must understand our mission: to learn Torah with depth, diligence, and total immersion, disconnected from the influences of the street.” He closed with a prayer that Torah learning continue to expand without interruption: “May Hashem help us continue to see the flourishing of the batei medrash and the increase of Torah learners without limit. Avinu Malkeinu, remove harsh decrees from us. May the earth be filled with the knowledge of Hashem as water covers the sea, and may we merit to see the return of Tzion, speedily in our days. Amein.”
{Matzav.com}
