The Rosh Yeshiva once related the following story to me in a private conversation. Moshe Dayan visited the United States
soon after the Israeli cabinet had considered
the issue of drafting yeshiva students into
the Israeli army. The debate in the cabinet was fierce, and Moshe Dayan carried
the day. Despite the fact that Dayan was a
secular Jew who was raised on a left-wing
kibbutz, the American roshei yeshiva felt it
important that they personally convey their
appreciation. Because Rav Hutner spoke
Israeli Hebrew fluently, he was asked to be
the spokesman of the delegation. After Rav
Hutner thanked Dayan, he asked Dayan,
"What motivated you to champion the
right of Israeli yeshiva students to maintain
their Torah study vigil?"
Said Dayan, "In my
childhood home, Yom Kippur was like any
other day. We ate breakfast and lunch. In
high school, I was once asked to memorize
a poem of Bialik. I chose Hamatmid - the
Talmud student. Bialik describes the idealism of the Talmud student and then Bialik
says, "Mi ata shamir." "How do you, emery
stone compare?" "Umi ata chalamish." "And
who are you flint stone?" "Lifnei naar ivri
ha'osek baTorah." "In comparison to the iron
dedication of a Jewish youth who is occupied in Torah study." Dayan continued, "For
two thousand years this emery stone, the
stone of Torah study preserved the Jewish
people; could I be the one who would shatter this stone?"
