In the early years of the State of Israel, Ben Gurion proposed the conscription of all women into the Israel Defense Forces. This issue became a major source of controversy between the secular Zionist leadership and the Torah world. At that time a compromise was reached that exempted religious women from this compulsory draft. Both the Mizrachi and the Agudah supported this solution.
The Brisker Rav, “Reb Velvel,” remained vehemently opposed to this resolution. It now was obligatory for all the women who did not claim the religious exemption, to serve. Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik reported [related by his son Rav Yosef Shlita]:
Rav Michel Feinstein told me in the name of his father-in-law, my uncle, the Brisker Rov, that he was very opposed to the conscription of women, more so than all the other gedolim. Because when Ben Gurion wanted to mobilize Jewish girls into the Israeli army and, of course, all the Orthodox Jews were opposed to it, but the religious parties, the Mizrachi and Agudas Israel, made a compromise with Ben Gurion. The Orthodox girls would not be mobilized. This had the blessing of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah and everybody. But the only one who protested against this compromise was the Brisker Rov. The Chazon Ish was already niftar at the time. The Brisker Rov was very strong in his protest against this compromise. One of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah said if they would not agree to this compromise then they would mobilize all the Yeshiva bachurim, and all the yeshivos in Israel would close up. The Brisker Rov was banging on the table and he said: Let them mobilize all the yeshiva students and let all the yeshivos close, but not a single Jewish girl should be mobilized into the army. And what kind of nafkeh mina is it, Orthodox girls or non-Orthodox girls. Whoever heard of such a distinction? he protested. One of the great Rabbonim said to the Brisker Rov: “In a milchemes mitzvah (battle waged in a religious cause) all go forth, even the bridegroom out of his chamber and the bride out of her bride chamber” (Sotah 8:7). The lomdus that Ben Gurion knew, everyone else knew. All the members of the Knesset from Agudas Yisrael and Mizrachi also knew this lomdus. The Brisker Rov said that he also knows this din that the bridegroom and bride go forth. First of all, the Radvaz says it doesn’t mean that the girls are mobilized. The Radvaz in one lashon says that it means since the chosson has to be mobilized in the army, memaila, the kallah has to leave the chuppah. But he is not talking about that. He said that a war atmosphere is very immoral.…
You want to subject the Jewish girls to this demoralizing influence. On the contrary. If they would have said that Orthodox girls are not exempt and davka non-Orthodox girls are—of course it would be an outrage—but I could understand the logic. It is a crooked logic. But to say that Orthodox girls are exempt and nonOrthodox girls are not exempt! Who is more likely to succumb to temptation! An Orthodox or a non-Orthodox girl? Of course, a non-Orthodox girl. So where is the logic!"
That is what the Brisker Rov said to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah. He protested vehemently.
