B'chasdei Hashem, over the past almost 20 years, Beis Mevakesh Lev has produced over 13,300 audio shiurim and over 31,000 written posts, unmatched by any one-person website - all completely free of charge. There are no paywalls or anything else. Now we are turning to you for help so we can continue - any amount will help. Even 99 cents! Thank you to my sweetest and most beloved friends!!!:-)!!
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One of the major reasons that the Charedim are so resistant about going to the army is the fear that this will be the end of their community and belief system. An experience like the army has a way of impacting one's religiosity in very negative ways. The fact is that many many many young boys [and girls!!] either completely stop being religious or at least go down in ruchniyos in the army. [The Chazon Ish was asked by a young man about going to the army. He said that he knows he will remain observant but will have a yeridah in ruchniyos. The Chazon Ish said that going down in ruchniyus is יהרג ואל יעבור]. The response is NOOOO!! You will have special units and you can remain as Charedi as you want!! Come, come! You'll see!:-)!
I was reading an article by one of the major individuals [himself raised Charedi - I was actually a Talmid of his father and my wife learned secular studies from his mother] involved in trying to *integrate* the Charedim into general society.
He writes:
לפני שלוש שנים בחרתי להתגייס למסלול שלב ב' בצבא – שירות סדיר מקוצר, המיועד לחרדים שקיבלו פטור משירות צבאי, אשר בוגריו משתלבים בשירות מילואים – ושובצתי בתפקיד המבטא היטב את יכולותיי האזרחיות בתחומי החירום. בחודשיים וחצי האחרונים, במהלך שירות המילואים הראשון שלי, פגשתי את החברה הישראלית בצורה בלתי אמצעית, מתוך סערת המלחמה ותוך כדי פעילות שוטפת סביב השעון. מפגש זה עורר אצלי מחשבות נוקבות על החרדיות ומפגשה עם המציאות. החוויה המטלטלת שחוויתי, חרדי שלראשונה בחייו משרת כתף אל כתף עם ישראלים מן השורה, שינתה את נקודת המבט שלי על שילוב חרדים מהקצה אל הקצה.
Three years ago, I chose to enlist in the Stage B track in the army – a shortened regular service, intended for Charedim who received an exemption from military service, whose graduates integrate into the reserve service – and I was assigned to a role that well expresses my civilian capabilities in the field of emergency. In the last two and a half months, during my first reserve service, I met Israeli society directly, from the storm of the war and while working around the clock. This meeting aroused in me poignant thoughts about Charedism and its encounter with reality. The shocking experience I experienced, a Charedi who for the first time in his life serves shoulder to shoulder with ordinary Israelis, changed my point of view on the integration of Charedim from end to end.
Exactly!!!
Going to the army changed his Hashkafa. He still wears a black kippah but his world view is far from Charedi [the Pope often wears a large Yom Kippur type kippah. But he is a Tamei Pope...]. Listening to him talk it can be defined militant [anti Charedi] modern Orthodox. [Among other things he is super מבזה תלמידי חכמים and מוציא שם רע on בני ישיבות - classic, militant MO rhetoric. As a recovering תינוק שנשבה בין הכלבים של ה-אפפער וועסט סייד I have heard endless such talk].
