But then something happened that saddened me. At army functions they have immodest performances by female performers that includes public singing. The gemara forbids a man from listening to a woman singing or to even be present at such an event [see brachos 24 and bava basra 57b]. The army is filled with sweet, pure bnei Torah who put their life on the line because that is what the Torah wants them to do. The same Torah that forbids these events. These boys don't want to pick and choose, they want to keep the whole thing. This Chief Rabbi ruled that it is forbidden for them to leave such performances. His ruling is based in a large part on non-halachic principles and the halachic principles he uses are not applicable here. With all due respect there are many greater Torah scholars then he in this country and I wish he would have deferred to them.
I believe that the highest value in the army should be the pasuk - והיה מחניך קדוש, your camp shall be holy. How unfortunate that many people are now going to have to choose between their allegiance to the army and to the halacha, fracturing an already fractured army and country.
OYY THE GALUSSSSS!
