Satmar's Contribution To Tzahal

One of the elite units in the Israeli Army is called "Egozi". To be accepted one has to pass extremely tough tests of physical and emotional endurance and then once accepted one must further push oneself to the limit with a rigorous training regimen.

The boys in this unit deserve all of our gratitude because they are suffering much discomfort in order to protect us from our enemies.

One of the members of this unit is a celebrated soldier who was plucked from "enemy" lines. He is the great grandson of the previous Satmar Rebbe, Rav Moshe Teitelbaum [the author of the Beirach Moshe], and was raised in Boro Park. People are in AWE of him. A true hero. Look at the brave decision he made in order to serve his people!! From Satmar to Tzahal. WOW!

I am not as enthused. Not that I am a Satmar Chossid. Far from it. Not that I don't think we need an army. Until Moshiach comes and all of the bad people are gone we are going to need an army. Not that I don't respect bravery and self-sacrifice - I bless myself that I should be brave and self sacrificing in all that I do.

What bothers me is when I think of his parents. They brought him into the world and raised him, fed and clothed him and took care of all of his needs. He then gets to an age where he is independent and no longer needs them and gives them just about the biggest slap in the face possible. For a Satmar Chossid, serving in the army is like eating pork on Yom Kippur that falls out on Shabbos without a bracha while smoking a cigarette and watching MTV. Slight exaggeration but you catch my drift. I imagine the amount of anguish his parents must be feeling, the shame that they experience [especially since he is in the news and hundreds of thousands of people know his story].

I was taught that one must never ever cause one's parents even the slightest amount of pain. If a parent tells one to go against the Torah then one of course may not listen. But in this case, there are many other qualified boys who would happily take his place in the army and he could continue life without hurting his parents. He still wears a kippa [small and sruga as it may be] which would indicate that he is still religious. I am curious if he asked a Rov. Maybe he did [not one from Boro Park I am sure...] and received a heter in order to fulfill the great mitzva of protecting Am Yisrael. Maybe.

My point is NOT to criticize the boy who seems well meaning. My point is to highlight the fact that a parent is like Hashem. According to the Yerushalmi, one must honor a parent MORE than he honors Hashem [according to the Bavli they are equal]. Some people are such great fans of the army and hold soldiers in such high regard that for them, everything is permitted in order to serve. I am not a member of that group and don't subscribe to such an attitude. The point of army service is to prevent our enemies from hurting us. If by serving one hurts one's parents then I am not sure it is the right thing to do.

Rav Yaakov Ariel, the Chief Rabbi of Ramat Gan, wrote a teshuva [באהלי תורה ח"א סי' י] about  becoming an officer in the army against the will of one's parents and concluded that it is permitted.

Bi-aniyusi, I am not so sure and the jury is still out.

Food for thought.