It will be interesting to see what his Rosh Yeshiva will say this time. Dov Lipman has proven once again that wearing a black skullcap does not make you Haredi. Yair Lapid's useful idiot has called for criminal sanctions against Haredim who don't serve in the army.
When asked regarding the criminal sanctions being proposed for the
law for hareidi draft-dodgers, which Jewish Home chairman Naftali
Bennett has counter-proposed with economic sanctions, Lipman noted that the edict is really no different than the laws for any draft-dodger in Israel.
The Equal Burden of Service Law does not focus on the hareidi
community per se, according to the MK, but rather promotes equality
among the various sectors of Israel's population.
Thus, economic sanctions would promote inequality, says Lipman; the
wealthy would be able to pay the fines and keep dodging the draft,
whereas the less wealthy will not.
Really? How many university students who evaded the draft (given that draft evasion in Israel stands in the 40-50% range and the Haredim make up 10-20% of the population, there must be some) are going to be thrown in jail? Will Aviv Geffen face criminal sanctions?
The future of the State of Israel lies with those who are committed to
Jewish observance and tradition in some way that can be deemed
significant. This certainly does not mean that all Israelis will be
fully observant, orthodox, or hareidi in the foreseeable future; but
there is no future for those with an exclusively secular ideology.
Nearly one third of all first graders in Israel today are enrolled in Hareidi schools. Close to 60%
of all first graders are enrolled in Hareidi, Hareidi Le’umi
(Nationalist Hareidi), or Dati Le’umi (Religious Zionist) schools. It is
routine for religious/hareidi families to have 6-10 children. It is
rare to find a secular family in Israel with more than one or two.
If Secularism struggles to provide the depth of motivation and
commitment necessary to bring children into the world, how can it
possibly hope to provide the commitment and motivation necessary to
maintain a Jewish state in the face of worldwide demonization – the UN
has passed more resolutions condemning Israel than any other nation in
existence – and fanatical Arab/Islamic hordes bent on her destruction?
The Torah describes our slavery in Egypt as a “fiery refining furnace.”
In the ensuing 3,400 years nothing has really changed. The mission of
our people has required us to endure an ongoing series of “refining
furnaces” across the ages. In the end only those that cling to the
eternal values of the Torah can thrive and grow through such a process.
If Dov Lipman would like to make a real contribution he should point out to Yair Lapid – as I wrote about at length in an earlier article
– that the Hareidi community has been demonized and marginalized since
the early days of Zionism. The Hareidim has been treated as 2nd
class citizens since the founding of the state. Secular Israelis have
bent over backwards in their attempts to make peace with the murderous
Arabs/Islamists who surround them. It is time to now to make peace with
their own Hareidi brothers and sisters. The study of Torah is the only
thing that kept the Jewish people alive for thousands of years; the
study of Torah is national service of the highest order and without it
the Jewish people and the State of Israel would disappear.
A final message to Dov Lipman: If you want to return to your true Torah
roots and accept the authority of the great Torah sages when it comes to
the education of our children, we will accept you back with open arms.
If not, remember one thing and one thing only: When you hear Yair Lapid
say “jump,” that is your cue to say, “how high boss?!”
Rabbi Aharon Feldman apologizes to Rabbi Dov Lipman
After being shown the Times of Israel article that I lined here, Rabbi Aharon Feldman, the Rosh Yeshiva of Baltimore's Ner Israel Rabbinical College, has apologized to Yesh Atid MK and Ner Israel alumnus Rabbi Dov Lipman. Rabbi Feldman says "I never called him a Rasha (wicked person) (Hat Tip: Soccer Dad via Baltimore Jewish Life).
Let's go to the videotape.
There's also a fascinating exchange between Lipman and Mishpacha Magazine's Contributing Editor Yisrael Besser here.
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
