SinaiStock! November - Summer of '13

Ger class 21 taught by Rabbi David Katz 
This class focuses on the topic of keeping Shabbos. Who can keep Shabbos? Who is the Goy, the Ger, the Ben Noach and the Righteous Gentile? 

• Finally! - Noahide Shabbat Explained
• Rambam and The Rebbe
• Sinai...and More Sinai
• Many Types of Nations
• Shabbat and End of Days
• Both Sides of The Coin
• Shabbat or Not to Shabbat?
• etc.

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An Encounter With Rabbi Arush

From time to time, it is nice to have a little confirmation from others of who the ger of the Torah is. 

Today in Jerusalem at the wall, Rabbi Katz had a rare encounter with Rabbi Arush. 

After a day of prayer and study at Kever David, Rabbi Katz headed off to the wall to pray Maariv. By total hashgacha pratis, he had the chance to speak with Rabbi Arush and ask him some questions. 

Rabbi Katz asked who is the Ger in Likutei Mohran [Torah 14]? Is he a Jew or a non Jew? Rabbi Arush responded that he is both he non Jew and the convert; two connotations. 

Rabbi Katz asked if the Ger in the 10 commandments [Yevamot 48b] was convert or not convert [Ger Tzedek]. Rabbi Arush responded it is both. 

Rabbi Katz [reiterated] asked if the Ger Tzedek was convert or non convert, and Rabbi Arush responded, it is both. 

Rabbi Katz asked, then why do they teach that he is [always] a convert? Rabbi Arush responded, because unfortunately they teach it inaccurately.
And the Rav promptly responded with "Beracha and Hatzlacha" in response to the request to quote the Rav on these issues, along with a great smile and two pinches to the cheek.

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Vill Zeh Real Rabbi Please Stand!?!

The beginnings of Torat Eretz Yisrael - Rav Kook. It began with the concepts of Tzion-ite Gra-ite [foundings of Zionism through the Gra]


IsraelNationalNews:



Occasionally, people from the hareidi community question or attack my articles. Even though they are well aware that I strive to follow in the path of Maran Harav Kook zt”l, nevertheless they argue: “Why don’t you accept the authority of the Gedolei haTorah (eminent Torah scholars)?” The simple answer is: I don’t consider them Gedolei haTorah.

They definitely are important talmidei chachamim (Torah scholars) whose fear of sin precedes their wisdom, educate many disciples, and it is a mitzvah to respect them. But they are not Gedolei haTorah.

Gadlute beTorah (Torah greatness, eminence) necessitates an all-embracing, fully accountable handling of serious issues facing the generation, including: the attitude towards Am Yisrael in all its diversity and various levels – both religious, and non-religious; the attitude towards mitzvoth of yishuv haaretz (settling the Land) and the on-going war which has surrounded it for over a century; the attitude towards science and work, and the contemporary social and economic questions.

Technical Questions as Opposed to Fundamental Questions

It is important to note that merely addressing these questions is not sufficient, because it would be easy to settle for trivial answers offering technical ways in which an individual Jew could survive the changes and revolutions facing the nation and world in modern times. To accomplish this necessitates expertise, and the more complicated the situation, the greater the amount of competence required. But this does not demand gadlute beTorah.

The type of expertise leaders and public figures already possess is quite adequate; if they are loyal to the path of Torah as taught by their rabbis, and understand the social realities before them, they can find creative solutions to problems faced by different sectarian groups (hareidi or dati, Ashkenazic or Sephardic). This is presently the type of expertise required of Knesset members, ministers, and mid-level theorists. Clearly, they can take advice of rabbis who are familiar in this field, but this does not necessitate significant Torah input.

However, true Gedolei haTorah are required to deal with fundamental questions, in order to provide significant and important answers to the perplexities of the generation. They need not offer detailed plans for immediate implementation, but they must set a vision, thoroughly analyze the events and phenomena confronting them, distinguishing between the positive and negative points, and offer direction wherein the positive can triumph over the negative, and even rectify it.

What is Gadlute beTorah?

How this is determined is a weighty and important question indeed. Obviously, the mere fact that a person decides to tackle the important questions does not entitle him to the designation of gadol baTorah as long as he lacks the competence to do so. Likewise, it is clear that it is not determined by the degree of proficiency. Throughout all the generations there were talmidei chachamim famous for their great erudition, but nevertheless, their knowledge did not place them in the top row of gedolei haTorah, because that is determined by the degree of comprehension and penetration into the roots of the matter.

In very general terms, there are three levels of Gadlute beTorah:

The first level includes those who merit understanding the root of the svara (rational inference) of every individual halakha or agadah they learn – these are the regular talmidei chachamim.

The second level includes those who merit delving deeper, understanding the inner svara which clarifies several halakhot collectively, and thus know how to resolve various questions. For example, rabbis who present the important lectures in yeshivot, who are able to explain numerous sugiyot (issues in the Talmud) along the lines of one concept, and are great in lamdanut (erudition).

They can also be important poskim (Jewish law arbiters) who, out of their profound comprehension, understand numerous halakhot, and know how to contend with new questions, and usually are gedolim in a some fields of halakha. Some of those on this level merit comprehending the inner svara which clarifies various matters of aggadah, and they are gedolim in machshava (Jewish philosophic thought) and emunah (faith).

The third level includes those who delve deeper into the inner roots of the svarot, both in halakha, aggadah, and pnimiyut ha’Torah (the deepest aspects of Torah). Consequently, they understand the general rules of the Torah more profoundly, and as a result, the details of halakhot and midrashim are clearer to them; they know how to give comprehensive instruction and guidance in matters concerning the affairs of the clal (general public) and the prat (individual), the spiritual, and the practical. These are the true Gedolei haTorah. Naturally, there are also numerous intermediate levels, according to the extent of profound thought and inner orientation in the various areas of Torah.

Maran Harav Kook zt”l – The Gadol of Recent Generations

Maran Harav Kook zt”l was one of Israel’s unique Gedolei haTorah. He was gifted with tremendous natural talent and by means of his extreme diligence, righteousness, and virtue, merited delving into all areas of Torah to an inconceivable extent, particularly in general issues comprising both halakha and aggadah collectively, clal and prat, sacred and secular.

God performed an enormous act of kindness to His nation Israel, and the entire world, by sending us such a great and holy soul to illuminate our path in these extraordinary times – generations filled with highs and lows, tremendous scientific achievements and terrible moral confusion, the revealing of individual talents and the decay of national, societal, and family values.

In generations where all orders of life are shifting, it is essential to delve deeply into the Torah so as to instruct, correct, and redeem all that is continually revealed. In order to contend with such types of challenges, regular gadlute baTorah is not sufficient – not even of the third level. What is called for is the type of greatness of Moshe Rabbeinu and Ezra the Scribe.

Torah Scholars Who Do Not Understand the Teachings of Rav Kook

Needless to say, someone who does not understand the teachings of Maran Harav Kook zt”l cannot be considered one of the Gedolei haTorah of the generation. He can be an expert and well versed in numerous details from the technical side of halakha and aggadah. But he cannot truly be Gadol baTorah.

Even among those who understood Rav Kook’s teachings, there are two main distinctions. There are those who accepted his general instructions regarding the importance of Eretz Yisrael in our times – the generation of kibbutz galyiot (Ingathering of the Exiles) and atchalta degeulah (beginning of the Redemption). Also, they agree with his teachings in relation to science and work, and the fundamental attitude towards Jews who abandoned Torah but identify with the values of the nation and the Land, or universal values. Owing to their identification with his teachings and luminous character, such talmidei chachamim merit being spiritually connected to the third level.

And then there are a select few who delve deeper in understanding the ideas, which genuinely illuminate life, and pave a path to redemption via the light of Torah guidance.

It should be noted that among the elder rabbis of the previous generation, whom the hareidi community consider as Gedolei haTorah as well, there were many who were significantly influenced by Maran Harav Kook zt”l. And although they did not follow his path of public leadership, they accepted some of his ideas, remained admirers, and honored his image all their lives. Among them: Rabbi Frank zt”l, Rabbi Aeurbach zt”l, Rabbi Eliyashiv zt”l, Rabbi Wallenberg zt”l, and Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, shlita, may he live a long life.

The Words of Rabbi Charlop

Similarly, Rabbi Kook’s great disciple, Rabbi Yaacov Moshe Charlop zt”l, wrote in his book “Mayanei Hayishua” (Chap. 9), that at the present time, Gedolei haTorah must engage in the general rules of the Torah.

In that chapter he explains that the prophets dealt with general rules for life, because when the general rules are set right, all the details fall into place. However, as a result of Israel’s transgressions, the general rules deteriorated and the Holy Temple was destroyed; consequently, our main task in galut (Diaspora) was rectifying the details themselves. But when the beginning of salvation occurs, and as the world gradually recovers, the longing for the general rules increases (and when the general rules from the source of the Torah are not provided, consequently, they are sought after in alien places, and chutzpah (audacity) and lawlessness intensify).

“Israel’s gedolim must be deeply aware of this yearning, and pay heed to speak inspiringly, at length and in brief, about rectifying the general rules. In a way that not only will speaking about the general rules not obscure the details, but rather, will add force and strength, yearning and enthusiasm for the details and their rectification…”

“At that time, if narrow-minded people come forward, assuming to hasten the final redemption by speaking only about rectifying the details alone, failing to speak favorably about correcting the general rules, they fall into the category of ‘a student who has not reached the level of teaching, but nevertheless teaches’, disarranging all the spiritual conduits, because the hidden light is best revealed through illuminating the general rules, and uplifting the worlds.

"It is appropriate to make vigorous efforts against such thoughts. The true gedolim wrap themselves with might and strength to stand at the head of the nation, guide them in the correct path, and know that truth and God are with them.”

The Chief Rabbinate

As a continuation to the vision of revealing Torah in its greatness, Rav Kook viewed the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate as a nucleus from which a significant and united Torah leadership could develop. However, after Rav Kook zt”l passed away, the independent status of the Chief Rabbinate steadily deteriorated. From a rabbinate which presented a vision emanating from a totally autonomous position, devoid of subordination to public institutions or to public circles, the rabbinate grew to be a subordinate public institutions, subject to the present legal establishment.

No longer was the focus on offering a comprehensive vision, but rather finding halakhic solutions for presented situations, shaped by public and political leadership. Even the attempt of Rabbi Herzog zt”l to suggest an alternative constitution for the State of Israel, was not an effort to propose an all-inclusive constitution, rather, to find ways to ‘kasher’ the norms of the country’s leaders, within the framework of halakha.

Still the Chief Rabbis and the members of the Rabbinical Council were for a long time, the greatest talmidei chachamim of the time in Israel. Gradually, this status eroded, with the rabbinate recently becoming a supervisory department for a handful of religious matters, such as marriage, conversions, and kashrut.

In such a situation, although the rabbinate plays a very important role in managing these affairs, we are no longer talking about a supreme, moral, and spiritual Torah authority of mara d’atra (lit. “master of the house,” i.e. Israel's authority in Jewish law). Rather, the role of the Chief Rabbi became at best similar to that of a director of religious affairs, and at worst – the spokesperson for religious affairs.

This underscores just how much we must continue studying, delving, and identifying with the great vision of Maran Harav Kook zt”l, in order to increase and glorify the Torah and elevate the status of its bearers, so the light of the redeeming Torah can illuminate the entire world.

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Look! A Mall! Ick!!!

My Favorite Two Guys [sarcasm, anyone?]

Today's [Israeli] Judaism loves to acknowledge itself in the scholarly realm based on political stripes [see commentary to Mordechai Ish Yehudi on Purim and how politics prevent geulah]. Not only is this against every deah of emes, and shows lack of true scholarship, but this has been a thorn in Jews' sides since the Temple days. Our leaders are supposed to be Talmidei Chachamim  - not Naftali Bennet.

But since Rabbi Yosef wants to say that this is Jews today, and he goes on further to say that Bennet is Amalek [and a knit kippa - wearer] - what does that say for his followers? Why would anyone follow an Amalekite? I'll even go further to strengthen the claim [which i noted when this baalagan began] in that בנט in אתבש is שטן.

Even though the Name Causes and Bennett is not a nice guy, what does this accomplish by making this war, consisting of battles of thinking small? Why can't our leadership begin to think big and come back to Torah instead of ego strokes over outdated Zionism? Why can't the institutions that be deal with real Jewish issues? - [on my ultra-biased view] where are the Gerim in halacha, Ger Toshav, educating rabbis in these areas, etc.? This may be my biased view, but it is my biased view because this is Jewish Reality today! Converts, Gerim, "goyim", falling religions, etc. is the larger terrain of what is going on, and this is what the Torah is going on about to the tune of every Parasha!

[for those still curious over the "ger" issue; they are halachically not bnei noah nor goyim, nor Jews - they are a quasi - keter [kabalah] status, a joined member of Israel [the 4-headed shin], are the gentile version of the baal teshuva [hence ger tzedek - not to be compared to convert ger tzedek, just like you wouldn't compare a frum BT and a new BT yet both are called BT] and is a member of Olam HaBah. Would it not be a better cause to Love the Ger [to the tune of 46 times in the Torah] which brings Love of God, fellow man,etc. and stop calling everyone Amalek and Erev Rav while disregarding the sources as to what these entities are?

[For the record Erev Rav (also known as Amalekites) is any entity that goes up a level of holiness lo lishmah; we learn it from Moses who brought out Gerim in hopes that they would remain emesdic Gerim and not fall to temptation of false aliyah into poor conversion not for the sake of heaven. Thus when Moses went up, Ahron signed the death certificate by aiding their endeavor, and they died from rachamim, being allowed to live beyond their infamous moment.]

Klal Yisrael has issues, and Bennet is the smallest of those issues, name connotation or not. There is a much more positive energy side to the Torah that is virtually untapped, taking place in Israel, and is our way out of galus.  Our job as it always was, was to choose, and by choosing, be prepared to do what God makes clear to the person what he is to do.

TheJewishPress.com:

Shas party’s spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said Saturday night he really loves knitted-kippa Jews,” but it’s just their political leaders who are “Amalek” – the eternal enemy of Jews. The national religious community in Israel now can breathe easier and know that Rav Ovadia really loves them. Sure, the distinguished rabbi said last month that national religious Chief Rabbinate candidate Rabbi David Stav is “evil” and an “enemy to Judaism,” but, heck, that was just meant to cheer up Shas’ favorite clientele, the dwindling Sephardi community that still feels oppressed by the elite Ashkenazi community. 

Indeed they are, but they are equally oppressed by their own leaders. So what better way to keep the common people in line by telling them that the Rabbi really loves Jews, even those who wear a knitted kippa. But what about Shas Rabbi Shalom Cohen, who said in a sermon a week ago that “as long as there are knit kippot, the [divine] throne is not whole? That’s Amalek. When will the throne be whole? When there is no knit kippa.” If a listener thought Rabbi Cohen, who is a member of Shas’ Council of Torah Sages, meant that knitted-kippa Jews are Amalek, he did not understand correctly God forbid he should say such a thing. Rav Ovadia, who sat silently on the podium as Rabbi Cohen spoke, knows exactly what he really meant. Sure, Rabbi Cohen said some things against” those rebellious national religious Jews with knitted kippot, but he was only referring to their political leaders, opined Rav Ovadia. 

Love, love, love, he said. Love for everyone – with one small exception. It is the political leaders of the knitted-kippa crowd who are problematic. They not only are problematic. They are the true Amalek, Israel’s eternal enemy dating back to the days of the Exodus from Egypt. And who is the real knitted-kippa modern Amalek of the Jews? None other than Naftali Bennett, chairman of the Jewish Home party, which, unlike Shas, took the daring move in the last elections to welcome secular Jews as Knesset Members and put the emphasis on nationalist instead of religious. Rav Ovadia has his grounds for considering Bennett Amalek. 

The Jewish Home party is against exempting Haredi youth from IDF service forever. That means that Shas yeshivas would have less youth learning , or at least registered as learning, in their institutions, If there are less students, there is less money from donors, especially from the Israeli taxpayer whose hard-earned money has been going into black-hat yeshivas for years with the payback that the future Torah scholars and eternal voters for Shas are defending the nation by learning Torah, even if they are just listed as learning and actually working or stashing home. 

Now that Rav Ovadia has explained Rabbi Cohen and has mended ties with the national religious community, except for those enemies of Jews like Bennett, Israel is ready for Tu B’Av, which begins Sunday night. The Talmud lists it along with Yom Kippur as the most joyous days of the year when, according to the Talmud, that the daughters of Jerusalem go out dressed in white and dance in the vineyards and said, “Young man, consider who you choose (to be your wife).” Tu B’Av is the same day of the 40th yearin the desert when the ban was lifted on female orphans marrying into another tribe. It is the perfect day for a daughter of a Shas rabbi to become engaged to the son of a national religious politician. And God willing, Rabbi Cohen and Rav Ovadia will perform the marriage ceremony.

The Ger [Torah] teaches to Love, not to "not hate (too much)" - there is a difference between justifying that you didn't taunt the Ger/BT vs. going out of your way to Love them. The difference is a heart filed with God as opposed to Politics as a religion, and then putting that religion on to others who just left one and are trying [and are commanded as such] not to re-enter the matrix. The World wants God, and God wants the World - maybe the time is now to work on the relationship(s)?

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Let's Get Political!

Is this for real? When they said chachmas sofrim [and all the like], I didn't think the in-house fighting would be that bad.

It is.

What happened to the good 'ole days when at least one was called a baal ha-baas or an am ha-aretz? Are we playing by terms of evil [openly] now? If so, the rabbi wars are sure to be prolific at the very least. 

Toldos Yaakov Yosef says there are 3 types of galus: a) Israel among nations b) talmid chacham among amei ha-aretz [as was Rebbe Akiva] c) kosher talmidei chachamim among false talmidei chachamim.

Rav Yosef pulled out the big artillery...should we assume the final galus is upon us? In a largely gadol-less dor, it would seem this is our task in the End of Days, to use free will to ascertain kosher from treif, as the Toldos Yaakov Yosef goes on to explain concerning the 3rd type of galus.

JPost.com

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef issued a fierce attack against candidate for the chief rabbinate Rabbi David Stav Saturday night, calling him "an evil man."

Yosef's comments come just days after the rabbi instructed Shas MKs to block the so called Amar bill which was designed to allow serving Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar to stand again for election.

The terms of the deal were for Amar to support Stav in return for Bayit Yehudi helping pass the legislation to enable Amar's re-election.

"This man is dangerous to Judaism, the Torah and the rabbinate," said Yosef in reference to Stav during his weekly Torah lesson.

"Rabbi Amar is an upright and righteous man by they are using his name to elect an evil man who is unfitting to be anything," Yosef continued.

"Suddenly everyone is shouting that they want Stav [as chief rabbi]; if he was a Talmud Hacham [learned Torah Scholar] they would hate him," the rabbi claimed.

On Sunday, the five members of the oversight committee for the chef rabbinate elections will be presented to the cabinet and are expected to be confirmed.

Once this body had been appointed it will no longer be possible to make any legislative changes to the process for electing chief rabbis. This will kill off once and for all any chance of Amar being able to stand again for chief rabbi.

The oversight committee will include for the first time two women, who have been appointed by Deputy Minister for Religious Affairs Eli Ben-Dahan, who emphasised his work in the past promoting women's advancement in society.

Dahan said that he hoped the process would lead to the appointment of a national religious rabbi.

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Fireworks Are Coming Out Of Tzfat?

How far right is Israel going and for how long will neo-Kahanism last?

Bennett is having his way with the country on issues such as Haredim and involvement of the Chief Rabbi election, of which Rav Eliyahu of Tzfas Ir Hakoydesh [as is known by Tzfat-nics] is a leading candidate. The interesting point to note is Rav Eliyahu's past position on right-wing issues such as Arabs, nature of Jews in the World, etc.

Rav Eliyahu has been in Tzfat a long time, and we know of his character, yet what may be quite compelling is to see how he performs under the National spotlight, a podium that his late father graced quite well. How far right will he allow himself [and the government] to wander?

Israel could become a new flavor of Zionism [that echoes Kahane] more than we know!


Israel HaYom:

Shas spiritual leader Rabbi Ovadia Yosef made an unequivocal decision on Thursday that Shas will not cooperate with Habayit Hayehudi in the process of electing Israel's chief rabbis. Yosef rejected the deal suggested by national religious rabbi Haim Druckman, under which Habayit Hayehudi would support the "Amar law," which would allow a presiding rabbi to remain in office for an additional term (namely, it would allow current Sephardi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar, Shas' preferred candidate, to serve an additional term), in exchange for Shas' support of a law allowing rabbis over the age of 70 to run for the position. 

The second law would benefit the national religious favorite and Habayit Hayehudi choice, Ramat Gan Chief Rabbi Yaakov Ariel. Yosef had harsh words regarding Habayit Hayehudi, telling his associates that they were responsible for "decrees of religious persecution against the haredim (ultra-Orthodox)." Yosef's associates explained that the rabbi was very angry at the religious Zionist camp and that he viewed Habayit Hayehudi as being complicit with a coalition that persecutes the Torah world. 

They said further that Yosef feels Habayit Hayehudi had joined forces with the haters of the Torah. "Haredi Judaism is under attack. We mustn't cooperate with our enemies," said a senior Shas source. Sources within Habayit Hayehudi warned that Yosef's decision not to participate in the plan would cause the haredim to lose their bid for Sephardi chief rabbi, and end up with two national religious rabbis in the chief positions. 

On Sunday, MK Elazar Stern (Hatnuah) is expected to bring a bill before the ministerial committee on legislation that is expected to win a large majority. The bill, if approved, would change the composition of the 150-member body that elects the chief rabbis, which is widely considered to be controlled by Shas. 

The new law would change the body's composition to include more women and non-haredim, which could lead them to elect a non-haredi chief Sephardi rabbi as well. 

The person who stands to gain from these squabbles is Tzohar founder Rabbi David Stav, as well as Safed Chief Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, who are set to become the two leading candidates in the race for the rabbinate. Stav has the support of most parties within the coalition. According to understandings within Habayit Hayehudi, if Rabbi Ariel is not able to run due to his age, Rabbi Stav will receive the support of the religious Zionists.

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High Definition: A Noahide In Light

Click Here For Class 3 Of The Ger! - The First Ger In Abraham!

Every Wed Night 11 P.M. A new edition of the Ger series

Click Here To [save and] Enter Yeshivat Shem V' Ever!

Also Motzie Shabbos Israel 10 P.M. - Parasha Shavua!

Enjoy The Light and Make Sure To Share Amongst Friends!

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Haredi Rambo Talmudic Warrior Sir!

King Bibi has 2 weeks until the Bennet - Lapid tagteam will be given free reign to wrestle away the downtrodden king's crown. This brotherhood of conspiracy [Yaakov anyone?] seems focused to bring Israeli Spring into high gear, one that will offset the finale of Arab Spring, that is on a collision course with Israel. Something tells me Shas and Bibi are out, something that Israel wants.

Shas should maybe learn that numbers don't outshine the glory of learning Leshma, and maybe the IDF will be good for a buchor of 21 years. Never in Jewish history [or anywhere else in the world today] is/was it the custom to [semi] shteig all the way to retirement. The best pounded the gemara, and became rebbes, teachers, mechabrim, etc. while the baal habas was something of an institution of itself. Since when is it illegal to be a baal habas? If Haredishkite is to survive, then a dose of reality will be a requirement [maybe 5 doses?] - the entire system has been built on exploitation, along with every other chachmah post- WWII - hence this is the overall social reform the neo politician bond seeks to employ coupled with the eradication of General King Bibi.

As much as the neocons represent a [logically] good change of pace, the real reality check for everybody is simple: we are in galus, with galus problems, and only Moshiach answers  will solve them and bring things to a happy medium.

In the midterm, this will be sure to wake people up if Bibi is forced to go back into business and Rabbi Yosef is forced to resign to strictly learning Torah, while avoiding the plague of politics, that ultimately hurts the buchrim worse than anything and delays the geulah.

Pirkei Avot - "Don't become overly familiar with the Government"

B''H the Beis Midrash wil be restored [last mishna Sotah vis a vis End of Days] and will return to be a makom chidush and an institution of learning Leshma, quality Torah. As ironic as it sounds, I think Israeli politics derech agav will revert the plague that exists in yeshivot today called bitul Torah.

JPost.com:

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu placed the blame for his failure to form a government on Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and Bayit Yehudi chairman Naftali Bennett on Saturday night, after receiving a two-week extension for coalition negotiations from President Shimon Peres.

“The reason there is no coalition so far is because there are boycotts of an entire public in the State of Israel and that does not match my views,” Netanyahu stated, sitting across from Peres in the press room at the President’s Residence in the capital.

Lapid publicly and explicitly stated for the first time Saturday night that he would not sit in the same coalition as ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism, while Bayit Yehudi stuck to its commitment to enter a government only if Yesh Atid joins as well.

“When products made by settlers in Judea and Samaria are boycotted, we justly protest, and the people who need to understand this more than anyone is the settlers who are subjected to daily boycotts,” Netanyahu said.

“In my view, throughout our history, we underwent tragedies as a result of hatred and fighting between brothers, and when we look around us and see the tremendous challenges, we need to unite forces and not split up.”

The prime minister said he is doing all he can to unite the nation, working for four weeks to build the broadest coalition possible with an emphasis on economic issues and equality in the burden of national service, adding that these were issues on which the haredi public is willing to compromise.

“I want to use the coming days to try to form a wide government, and I hope party leaders will show responsibility. Responsibility and leadership, in my eyes, is to unite the nation and not divide it, and for that I need additional time,” Netanyahu concluded.

Peres granted the prime minister two more weeks to form a coalition, setting a March 16 deadline and saying that the country needs a stable, organized government as soon as possible to deal with security, diplomatic and social issues.

Earlier on Saturday, Lapid posted a lengthy status on his Facebook profile explaining that while he does not reject haredi people, he does not want to be in the same coalition as haredi parties.

“I do not believe that Shas and UTJ can sit in a government that will make the changes for which we went to elections: Changing the criteria for [subsidized] housing, core curriculum studies for all, equality in the burden of enlistment and the necessary cuts in yeshiva budgets....

This is the new civil agenda, which most citizens of this country support, but the haredi parties firmly oppose. That’s their right, but politicians have to be prepared to pay the price for their positions,” he wrote.

Lapid also criticized the haredi parties’ political tactics, writing that they do not accept the rules of the democratic game.

“No one likes to lose, but everyone accepts the basic idea that sometimes you’re in the coalition, and sometimes in the opposition,” he explained, adding that if Yesh Atid ends up in the opposition, they will go proudly, without feeling that someone hates or rejects them.

“Everyone, that is, except for the haredi parties,” he said.

Lapid pointed out that no matter what ideology won the last election – “Left, Right, socialist, capitalist, two-state solution or whole Land of Israel” – the ultra- Orthodox are always willing to be in the coalition.

“Did someone change the law and didn’t tell us? Can a government be formed with the Likud, without Labor, without Kadima, without Meretz, without Arab parties, without any party at all, but the haredim always have to be in the government, otherwise you’re boycotting and rejecting them? What kind of strange democracy is that?” the Yesh Atid leader wrote.

“The obvious conclusion is that no tragedy will happen if, in the next term, they sit in the opposition.”

Bennett published a similarly long manifesto on Facebook, accusing Likud Beytenu of boycotting Bayit Yehudi before accusing the latter of doing the same to ultra- Orthodox parties.

“The message from the Likud was simple: At no price will religious Zionism be in the government. Forget about it,” he wrote.

“While the prime minister met twice with Lapid, with [Hatnua chairwoman] Tzipi Livni, with [Labor leader] Shelly [Yacimovich], with [Kadima leader Shaul] Mofaz, and even with [Meretz leader] Zehava Gal-On, only religious Zionism was boycotted.

Likud said they want a government with the Left and haredim, explaining that they can’t have peace talks with the Bayit Yehudi in the coalition,” he said.

Bennett explained that he and Lapid agreed that neither would enter the coalition without the other, and that at the time, Likud Beytenu was pursuing Yesh Atid and snubbing Bayit Yehudi. He wrote that he intends to keep his word, even though the opposite is now true, because Netanyahu wants a government with the haredim and without Lapid.

“We don’t boycott any parties.

Not Shas, not UTJ. No one else, either. The only one who boycotted anyone was the Likud boycotting the Bayit Yehudi, and that is in the past,” Bennett wrote.

Bayit Yehudi chief negotiator MK Uri Ariel referred to Netanyahu’s comments on settlement boycotts, saying that “before the prime minister shoots arrows of criticism at the national-religious community in connection to boycotts and our connection to Yesh Atid, I would be happy to get a clear answer about how he explains his strange connection with Miss Tzipi Livni, whose agenda on boycotts and [construction] freezes on the settler population is known to all.”

On Friday, Bayit Yehudi MKs were busy responding to reports that Likud Beytenu negotiators told Yesh Atid representatives they needed Lapid’s party in the coalition, without Bayit Yehudi, in order to evacuate small settlements.

Coming out of talks with Bayit Yehudi, chief Likud Beytenu negotiator David Shomron called the reports “lies and deceit.”

MK Ayelet Shaked (Bayit Yehudi), a close Bennett ally, chalked up the reports to attempts to break her party’s alliance with Yesh Atid.

“Likud Beytenu is playing a double game, in which they ask us to break the agreement with Lapid, and ask Lapid to break the agreement with us,” she explained. “The explanations as to why it’s important to split change depending on who is listening.”

Shaked expressed feelings that Likud Beytenu does not have “a truth or a clear ideology” in forming the coalition, calling the negotiations a game of poker.

“We will stand strong facing the attacks and pressures, and do all we can to help form a government that will deal with socioeconomic issues that are fundamental problems for the Israeli people,” she said.

Bennett and Netanyahu were planning to meet on Sunday, Likud Beytenu said.

The Torah of Eretz Yisrael [which God personally governs; Names are in the Land] is seen as a bad option?

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Moshiach "Comes / Av"?

The Haredi World lost a luminary. May the merit of learning Torah bring a Speedy Redemption!

...roshei tavos of Rav Elyashiv's Name:     יוסף שלום בן אברהם חיה מושה is:
 משיח בא\אב
"Moshiach Comes / Moshiach Av
"Chazal teach us that when a tzaddik passes from this world, he is immediately replaced by another tzaddik. "

The Ramchal says, "One Malchus does not impose upon another."


May This Be The Merit Of Geulah, And May Death Be Swallowed Up Forever!

JPost.com:

Rabbi Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the leading rabbi of the Ashkenazi haredi community, died Wednesday afternoon in Jerusalem at Shaarei Zedek Medical Center at the age of 102. He was one of the leading forces behind the formation of the haredi political parties.

He had suffered from congestive heart failure and been hospitalized several times in recent years.

He had been in the cardiac intensive care unit of the Jesselson Heart Center under the supervision of cardiology branch head Prof. Dan Tzivoni and his personal physician.

The medical center’s entire 10th floor is dedicated to cardiac care, from diagnosis and treatment to prevention and rehabilitation. Thus the large foyer managed to accommodate the rabbi’s family members who came to pray for him, consult with the medical staff and “stand guard.” But police were needed to keep out curious onlookers and nonrelatives, who reached the main fourth-floor lobby.

Only months ago, Elyashiv – who lived in a very modest apartment in Mea She’arim – underwent the insertion of a supportive stent in his aorta because of a leak.

During previous hospitalizations, surgery to implant a ventricular support device to strengthen the pumping of his own heart was ruled out because of the patient’s age and condition.

Elyashiv, an only child, was born in Siauliai (Shavel in Yiddish), Lithuania, came to Mandatory Palestine in 1922 when he was 12 years old. He lost his wife, Sheina Chaya, (a daughter of the famed Rabbi Aryeh Levin) in 1994, as well as five of their 12 children; his surviving “children” are in their 70s and even older.

Elyashiv controlled the “Lithuanian” Degel Hatorah political party that, which together with the hassidic Agudat Yisrael party, make up the United Torah Judaism faction in the Knesset. Additionally, Elyashiv, as the leading figure in Lithuanian haredi Jewry, had huge influence over the outlook and stance of the community toward contemporary issues within Israeli society.

He was widely seen as having continued along the same conservative path that was laid out by Degel Hatorah founder Rabbi Elazar Shach, who split from Agudat Yisrael in the late 1980s.

Shach, who died in 2001 at age 103, came to lead the Lithuanian, or nonhassidic, haredi world and opposed haredi integration within Israeli society, such as service in the army and integration in the workforce.

Previously, some have compared Rabbi Shach to former Supreme Court president Aharon Barak, and Rabbi Elyashiv to Barak's successor Supreme Court President Dorit Beinisch.

Elyashiv, on the other hand, having less charisma and dynamism than Shach, had sought to preserve the established order and has opposed what some refer to as the “new haredim,” those from a small but growing community who serve in the IDF and have joined the mainstream labor force.

In December, Elyashiv spoke out against the integration of haredim into mainstream society, saying that “haredi educational institutions must be under the control of the rabbis...and must exclude all paths that lead to national service, secular studies or the army, even if they have a special programs for haredim. Such a programs put haredim under the control and culture of secular Jews.”

There are two leading haredi figures who may succeed Elyashiv as the spiritual and political leader of the Lithuanian community: Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman, who lives in Bnei Brak and heads the Ponovitz Yeshiva kollel; and Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, who lives in Jerusalem, heads the Maalot Hatorah yeshiva and is the son of Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, who was the greatest haredi arbiter of Jewish law before his death in 1995.

Shach, in the years before he died, unofficially designated Elyashiv as his heir apparent, overlooking Shteinman, who is now 97.

Shteinman is seen as slightly more moderate than Elyashiv was, and has supported the Nahal Haredi army battalion set up to enable ultra-Orthodox Jews to serve in the IDF and preserve their lifestyle. He also does not oppose the increasing trend of haredim joining the army and the general workforce.

Auerbach, however, was closer to Elyashiv and more inclined to his conservative outlook, opposing the “new haredim” and seeking to preserve the old order. He is charismatic and has many devoted followers.

Ner Hashem - Nishmat Adam
Ner Mitzvah Torah Ohr
May the Merit of Rav Elyashiv Zatzal bring Geulah and an Aliyah in Torah!

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Tal Kadima "Huh" Law? Exactly

So why did Kadima join King Bibi in the first place?

Jpost.com:


Kadima faction members on Tuesday overwhelmingly voted to leave the government following a failure to reach a compromise in replacing the Tal Law.

Kadima was left with no choice but to leave the coalition after a failure to bridge the gaps between party its position and that of the Likud, Kadima leader Shaul Mofaz told faction members in a closed-door meeting Tuesday, party sources said.

Mofaz was unwilling to compromise on the issue, and therefore was left with no choice but to pull his party from the coalition, according to the source.

All but three Kadima MKs voted to leave the government. The three MKs were Avi Dichter, Otniel Schneller and Yulia Shamalov Berkovich.

Netanyahu held meetings with Kadima MKs on Tuesday in hopes of convincing them to remain in the coalition. Mofaz called a meeting of the faction at its Petah Tikva headquarters for 5 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss whether the party should leave the government.

Leading into the meeting, Mofaz on Tuesday afternoon rejected, what Netanyahu had characterized as a compromise offer, to resolve the Tal Law crisis.

According to Mofaz, the offer was that fifty percent of haredim between the ages of 18-23 would be drafted by the IDF and another 50% would be drafted into national service between the ages of 23-26.

Mofaz said that the proposal violates the ruling of the High Court on the issue, the principle of equal sharing of the burden of military service, is not proportional and does not meet the ultimate test of effectively resolving the issue.

Mofaz also noted that the proposal also did not include all draftable persons, and therefore, in reality, would merely maintain the unmanageable status quo.

Earlier, Mofaz’s associates had bashed Netanyahu for expressing optimism at Monday’s Likud faction meeting that an agreement with Kadima could soon be reached.

“I don’t know where his optimism comes from,” a Mofaz associate said. “Optimism has to be based on something concrete. No headway has been made.”

At the Likud meeting, Netanyahu denied reports quoting officials in his office saying that when the Knesset returns from its summer recess, the prime minister would initiate an election that would be held at the beginning of 2013.

“Since the government was formed, people are always warning that there will be elections,” Netanyahu said. “There will be elections in the end because the law requires it. You have to be ready because elections could be initiated at any given moment. But wait patiently. Elections are not coming up. They could be held in [October] 2013.”

Netanyahu told the faction that the bill he hopes to pass by the end of the month would result in a huge rise in haredi and Arab enlistment. He estimated that 6,000 haredim will enlist in 2016, compared to 2,400 that signed up in 2011 and 300 in 2007.

“We are committed to equalizing the burden,” Netanyahu said. “I am working with Mofaz on a solution. There are many things we agree on and there are still gaps. I hope that by continuing cooperation, we will succeed in bridging the gaps over the next few days.”

The Supreme Court requires that an alternative bill to the Tal Law be passed by the end of the month.

The Knesset will vote Wednesday on a bill sponsored by Yisrael Beytenu that would require all 18- year-olds to serve. Coalition discipline will be enforced to ensure the bill’s defeat, but Netanyahu gave Yisrael Beytenu ministers and MKs special permission to support it.

“I hope everyone with a brain supports the bill,” Liberman told his faction at the Knesset. “I call upon Likud and Kadima to pass the simplest bill possible without shticks and tricks. All 18-year-olds must serve in army or national service, period.” Opposition leader Shelly Yechimovich called upon Netanyahu and Mofaz to disperse the Knesset and advance the next election.

Tal Law 5772

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Milah, Amalek, and...Ruach Eliyahu!

Elijah's Cave

If Germany is Amalek, Angela is Magog, then is Eliyahu pushing the Milah card in Merit of Israel?

The Zohar makes one thing clear: Israel's Merit and key to Geulah is Shmirat HaBrit. This could be a big win for the Jews of Germany!


Jpost.com:

Chancellor Angela Merkel's spokesman promised Germany's Jewish and Muslim communities on Friday they would be free to carry out circumcision on young boys despite a court ban which has provoked concerns about religious freedom.

In a country that is especially sensitive to allegations of intolerance because of the Nazis' slaughter of 6 million Jews in the Holocaust, the government said it would find a way around the Cologne court ban in June as a matter of urgency.

"For everyone in the government it is absolutely clear that we want to have Jewish and Muslim religious life in Germany," said Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert. "Circumcision carried out in a responsible manner must be possible in this country without punishment."

European rabbis descended on Berlin this week to lobby against what they see as an affront to religious freedom - with the backing of Muslim and Christian leaders in an unusual show of unity, as well as the support of many German politicians.

Ruling in the case of a Muslim boy taken to a doctor with bleeding after circumcision, the Cologne court said the practice inflicts bodily harm and should not be carried out on young boys, but could be practiced on older males who give consent.

This is not acceptable under Jewish religious practice which requires boys to be circumcised from eight days old, nor for many Muslims, for whom the age of circumcision varies according to family, country and branch of Islam.

"It is well know that in the Jewish religion early circumcision carries great meaning, so it is a matter of urgency that this right be restored," said Seibert, adding that Merkel's own office would be involved in efforts to resolve the problem.

"We know a quick decision is needed and that this cannot be put off. Freedom of religious practice is a very important legal right for us," he said.

European rabbis defiant

Germany is a close ally of Israel and its ambassador there has promised parliament's Diaspora Affairs Committee to defend the rights of Germany's growing Jewish community.

European rabbis ended their meeting in Berlin on Thursday in a defiant mood. They plan talks with German Muslim and Christian leaders in Stuttgart next week to see how they can fight the ban together.

The ruling by the Cologne Regional Court applies to the city and surrounding districts with a total population of just over 2 million people. The total population of Germany is about 82 million. Cologne is home to about 120,000 Muslims, whose plans for a new central mosque has stirred anti-immigrant sentiment.

The head of the Conference of European Rabbis urged Jews in Germany to continue carrying out circumcision despite the ban.

But the German Medical Association, while opposing the ban because it could drive circumcision underground with greater risk of infection through poor hygiene, advised doctors not to carry out the operation until the legal situation is cleared up as they could risk prosecution.

Pinchas Goldschmidt, the Swiss-born chief rabbi of Moscow who organized the meeting, said the ban was a fresh example of creeping prejudice in European law against non-Christians, after a Swiss ban on minarets, French and Belgian bans on Islamic veils in public and an attempted Dutch ban on halal meat.

"Circumcision represents the basis for belonging to the Jewish community. It has been practiced for 4,000 years and cannot be changed," said Goldschmidt.

Germany is home to about 120,000 Jews and 4 million Muslims. Many of the latter originating from Turkey, which has also condemned last month's court ruling.

Moser Nefesh for the Bris, Tikkun of Moshe Rabbeinu, crack in Magog, and the Path to Redemption!

Is There A Path To Geulah Being Paved? 

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The Fallen Bibi Project

The Gemara in Sukkah predicts a future War between Erev Rav and Erev Katan. It is said that the Erev Katan get in the last word and effectively win the War.

Rosh Chodesh Av could be the battlefield of this arena, one where the Haredim demand to be excused from IDF.

People think Bibi will win and this could trigger Gog Magog in the 9 Days...only Erev Rav are destined to lose. That would mean Bibi caves in - as usual...Gog Magog delayed...as usual...Chillul Hashem ensues...as usual.

Only now the Geulah is even more: "in its time, I will hasten it." - one of the major principles of Geulah. Of course in the meantime, maybe Bibi got super-ego neshama of Gog like proportions! But really, in my opinion - same ole Bibi.

Here's looking to '72 [the rest of...] but in reality, I look forward to an exciting 5773. Why? - because it seems more practical and aligned with the Zohar. The only precedent of 5772 as an only option scenario, one I have never bought into, is from Rav Kaduri - who literally guaranteed it as such! As great as he was, a Prophet he was not.

With that said, we rely on the children, as it says, "in the End even a child will be able to predict a date.
May 5772 really be it! And if not, the waiting train trucks along to 5773, and destiny with Zohar awaits.

EuroNews.com:

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s biggest coalition ally stepped up threats on Wednesday to quit Israel’s government in a widening dispute over its demand to curtail military draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Military service is a highly emotive issue in Israel, where most men and women start a two- or three-year service at the age of 18 and many are subsequently called up for reserve duty into their 40s. Many fervently Orthodox Jews are exempted so they can pursue religious studies, angering the more secular majority.

The issue has rocked Netanyahu’s 3 1/2-year-old government ahead of an August 1 deadline, when a law granting blanket draft exemptions to ultra-Orthodox youths expires following a high court ruling that it was unconstitutional.

Netanyahu appeared to ease the tension by declaring support for draft reform on Sunday after the centrist Kadima party threatened to bolt from his government and 20,000 Israelis marched in Tel Aviv to protest at draft exemptions.

He and the Kadima leader, Vice Prime Minister Shaul Mofaz, named a team to draft a new policy headed by Yochanan Plesner of Kadima, who published recommendations last week to slash the number of exemptions, and Deputy Prime Minister Moshe Ya’alon, a former general in Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party.

A new dispute flared on Wednesday, however, over Plesner’s demand to set a quota for exemptions and impose stiff penalties on any violators. Plesner’s report called for reducing the exemptions from a current 50,000 to 1,500 by 2016.

Netanyahu’s rightist allies objected, apparently wary of angering influential religious leaders opposed to draft reform. Mofaz responded by saying he had been authorised by Kadima members to decide on “a possible departure from the coalition”. “If we don’t wind up with legislation to bring before the cabinet, we cannot continue with this partnership,” said Mofaz, who only just joined Netanyahu’s coalition in May in a manoeuvre that helped avert an early national election.

Netanyahu and Mofaz failed to bridge their differences in talks on Wednesday night, Israeli media said.

Kadima has 28 seats in Israel’s parliament. Its departure would not immediately undermine Netanyahu’s government but could seriously weaken his large coalition and move up national elections, now expected to be held in November 2013.

Ya’alon accused Kadima of “creating a deliberate impasse,” telling reporters the government could survive without meeting the August 1 deadline by following the current exemptions policy pending new legislation. “If the law is not passed by August 1, we shall implement the necessary military directives,” Ya’alon said.

Mofaz wants the new draft legislation approved in parliament before it adjourns for summer recess this month. Reform of the military draft was one of the main promises Kadima made when it joined Netanyahu’s rightist-dominated government in May

Military service is a rite of passage for many Israelis, who view the army as a core element of national identity and the essential bulwark against the country’s Arab and Islamic adversaries since its founding in 1948.

But secular Israelis have long complained that their ultra-Orthodox compatriots have never shared the burden of national defence.

Current Day Masada?

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Av [and] Gog 5772: A [literal] Warmup?

Chavrusa Style Yeshiva

The Yeshiva World is a fortress that has yet to be infiltrated; it has withstood the trials of Time. Any entity that is not Torah - even if run by Bnei Torah simply will not find its way in.

However the leakage is there, much like Yaakov's Gid Hanashe - there is a weakness and a gateway. Amalek has its foot in the door; thus the time is now.

The question is, how much influence did Haman's offspring achieve in the study halls of Bnei Brak, as mentioned in mesora?

Whatever the ratio's: Simcha vs. Sasson is on in tandem against real Kedusha that has been guarded in the Beis Midrash within the sacred Shechina that dwells in the Chiddushim of the Torah there.

How do Chazal define a Beis Midrash? - as the place of the Chiddush. May this be the last chiddush that is awaiting to come out called Moshiach ben David!


Reuters.com:

Zalman Deren spends his days studying the Torah in a small synagogue near the Western Wall in Jerusalem. He's young and able-bodied, with a wife and three children to feed, but has no job because that would distract him from his vocation. A short walk away, at Israel's largest Torah school, Mir Yeshiva, noise levels in the spacious study halls reach a low roar as hundreds of men of all ages decipher and debate the holy texts for hours. Most of them are also married with children and do not earn a living.

Israel has an estimated 60,000 full-time scripture scholars like this, who live in poverty and study to follow what they say is their faith's highest calling. In return, Israel pays them modest stipends and exempts them from compulsory military service for all Jewish citizens.

This 64-year-old pact between the state and the ultra-Orthodox is headed for a major overhaul, however.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed at the weekend to reforms capping the number of students around 1,500 by 2016 and penalizing draft dodgers.

Full details of the plans, which should come into force by August 1, still have to be agreed within Netanyahu's broad coalition. But any tightening of the rules will have wide support in Israeli society.

An opinion poll last year showed 93 percent of the non-ultra-Orthodox population favored requiring these men to serve in the army or in alternative civilian service.

About 20,000 people marched in Tel Aviv on Saturday night demanding "equal sharing of the national burden."

In the yeshivas dotted around Jerusalem, students and rabbis feel misunderstood and reject accusations they are milking the welfare state or shirking their duty.

"The ultimate Jewish activity is studying Torah - it is the word of God," insisted one grey-bearded rabbi who teaches at Mir Yeshiva.

"In doing so, we are fulfilling the highest commandment and we deserve the greatest reward."

"This is not a choice," said the rabbi, who asked not to be named to avoid publicity. "In the Talmud, it is explicitly written that God wants us to study his word."

One of his students, a father of five who has studied at Mir for 18 years, thought the gulf between Israel's secular majority and the Haredim - the Hebrew term for ultra-Orthodox that means "those who tremble before God" - was unbridgeable.

"You can't explain the color green to a blind man," the student, who also did not want to give his name, told Reuters during a recent visit to the school.

A TRADITION OF TORAH STUDY

Judaism has always revered its religious scholars and some pious believers say the continued study of their sacred texts has saved the Jewish people through millennia of persecution.

The Haredim justify their military exemptions by saying Torah study gives the army spiritual strength, and even some of their critics have sympathy for this traditional view.

In centuries past, few men in a community could afford to study full-time. But after the state of Israel was founded in 1948, its welfare system has allowed far more men to say "Torato Omunato" (Torah is my work) and opt out of mainstream life.

Now 60 percent of ultra-Orthodox men study all day, five days a week, for as long as they want. They and their large families are a drag on the national economy and their draft exemptions mean the army has a shrinking pool of new recruits.

The ultra-Orthodox indignantly reject accusations that they are not being responsible citizens. "The most important thing in life is Torah," said Yerach Tucker, parliamentary aide to an influential Haredi deputy in the Knesset, Moshe Gafni.

"People think if the students don't go into the army, they're on vacation, but it's really difficult to sit and study all day," he said. "This is a dialogue of the deaf."

The draft is not the only issue that puts the Haredim at odds with Israel's secular majority, however.

As the fastest growing sector of the population, they are expanding to new neighborhoods where they establish strict religious enclaves where modern Israelis don't want to live.

They have outraged many by forcing women to sit at the back of public buses in their enclaves or trying to ban women from singing at army festivals. Some of them bully and spit on women and girls they think are not modestly dressed.

The ultra-Orthodox have also overplayed their hand in Israeli politics - many secular Israelis resent the kingmaker role their parties play in coalitions that has allowed them to demand a high level of subsidies and exert what they say is excessive influence on religious policies.

Yedidia Stern, vice president of research at the Israel Democracy Institute, said most Haredi men should serve in the army and join the world of productive work, while the top scholars continue to study.

"The issue here is not studying Torah, but maintaining their special identity," he said. "The state doesn't have to finance their identity."

SUBSIDISED STUDY

This system of widespread Torah study, unknown in the ultra-Orthodox communities in New York, London or Paris, depends heavily on families as well as subsidies from the state.

The Mir student, who is 38, said his parents still pay part of his expenses. He earns some money working for a U.S.-based company over a "kosher Internet" connection with strong filters to screen out the secular world.

"I don't read anything from the outside world," he said proudly.

Deren, a 26-year-old American immigrant studying at a yeshiva run by the Hasidic movement Chabad, said half his monthly budget was paid by donations from his family, 30 percent by his wife's salary as a preschool teacher and 20 percent by an Israeli state subsidy.

Unlike other Haredi movements, Chabad discourages life-time study, so its students rarely stay more than five years or so.

The daily routine for married full-time students usually starts with prayers at home and sometimes early study sessions with classmates. Study halls open around 9 a.m. and usually continue until 6 or 7 p.m.

The Mir Yeshiva rabbi said there were students "from 18 to 80" among the 7,000 Torah scholars there. "Our oldest student studied here for 68 years and died in his 80s," he said.

"The only reasons to leave are if you get a job as a rabbi, you lose your financial support or you come under family pressure," he said.

Speaking before Netanyahu's turnaround, students and rabbis seemed sure things would not change much no matter what the government did. "We know what we are doing is right," the rabbi said.

Deren, who grew up in Pittsburgh, said it was not surprising that people outside the Haredi world had trouble understanding why some preferred spirituality over worldly success.

"If life is all about running after money, then I'm crazy," he said during a break in his study of Halakha, the Jewish religious law. "If there's something more, then they're crazy."

Rosh Chodesh Av 5772

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