IDF LOWERS OBSERVANCE? | Rabbi Ari Shvat | Beit Midrash

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Q. My son is serving as a paratrooper and has been ‘traveling’ around (Gaza, Lebanon, Syria) in a very tough, meaningful, scary (*for me) service. He’s now based in the Shomron entering Nablus (Shchem) and ‘other similar places’. Unfortunately, his commitment to ‘Yiddishkait’ has gone down - my guess is that the military burden is too overwhelming to add T&M on top. I wonder IF the Haredim are maybe right after all… IDF service does sometimes take a toll on spirituality in some cases… A. Like you, my sons and SIL are in and out of milu'im already for 2 years. In fact, you can find my friend R. Yehoshua Shapira, Rosh Yeshivat Ramat Gan, on the web, has been speaking a lot over the last couple of years, about how in religious-Zionist circles, we don't "insulate" children or "separate" enough, and perhaps mix too much with the chilonim and their culture, and perhaps the Haredim have a point on this particular issue of how much to mix... It's true that in a hashkafa where everything is black and white, and whatever isn't Torah in it's simplest form, is seen as bad, it's a little easier to raise children, without going to the army, without work, without the G-dly-revealed computers, without secular education & modernism, without Zionism. The problem is that the Haredim are still living in the shallow Torat HaGalut (exile), and we and our children and most of today's generation, have grown out of that simplistic stage. For those who didn't notice, the Holocaust proved that we need a Jewish army, Jewish State & inevitably Jewish everything!
We see in this week's parsha that when the world was primitive, "the entire earth was of one language and MONOLITHIC", simplistic, black and white. The Ohr HaChaim seems to explain (he refers to this "kabbalistic secret", upon which Rav Kook often elaborates) that just as the individual matures to eventually appreciate the beauty of complexity and harmonizing the different tones and streams, so too mankind needed this "upgrade", and this was part of G-d's original plan. In fact, this is part of what "gathering the exiles" back to Israel is about, to show how to "unify the opposites", where the harmonic symphony of ideas proves the Oneness of the Creator (Rav Kook, Drashat "HaDegel", Orot HaKodesh ii, p. 439; Orot Yisrael 5, 2). The world today is ready and demands that symphony (HaDor, p. 114).
R. Shapira agreed with me that we can't change our true hashkafa just because of worries or suspicions, and the mitzvot of Milchemet Mitzvah, Aliya, settling Eretz Yisrael, celebrating Yom HaAtzma'ut etc. are not "going anywhere", for that's what we need in the deep and beautiful, & from now on eternal Torat Eretz Yisrael. In fact, these all-important mitzvot are also very spiritual and extremely altruistic (=Godly)! You are not the first to ask this question, and the Ramban (Dvarim 23, 10-15) points out that the Torah already refers to a tendency to slip spiritually even in a religious Jewish army (accordingly, the extra commandment of digging latrines there). Nevertheless, all agree that the Israeli army camp is holy (Dvarim, ibid) & Israeli army service supersedes all other mitzvot, and all agree the boys should (!) drive on Shabbat and even give their lives, if necessary for Am Yisrael & Eretz Yisrael (Rambam Hil. M'lachim 5, 1). During your son's time in the IDF, he is actually MORE religious, for he is preoccupied with the most important mitzvot, even more than Shabbat and life itself! He is rejuvenating the return to authentic Judaism after 2,000 years of exile, where all of the heroes of Tanach led the army, spoke Hebrew, and placed the military needs of Am Yisrael above their own needs, even above their everyday religious practice. Our sources say that it's especially important to davka observe those mitzvot which many in your generation don't do (like the Chafetz Chaim writes about Shmirat HaLashon, epilogue, ch. 3; Sefer Hasidim 736; Sefer Haredim 1, 6), and IDF service is a classic example, where unfortunately most (!) orthodox men, among Haredi & Jews abroad neglect, thus "reforming" original Judaism.
Obviously this doesn't mean that one is exempt from Shabbat when not on duty, but it's important to put things into perspective, appreciating & respecting your son's religiosity. Similarly, it's obviously best to encourage him to serve in a totally religious unit (of which there are many!), where that's the norm. Truth is, today, most of the boys in most of the combat units are religious.
Torat Eretz Yisrael is complex, includes the all-encompassing Torah, and reveals Hashem in everything, on the personal and national, spiritual and physical realm. Inevitably, a complex message is going to confuse some of the younger people, especially during their time in the IDF, when they really are stressed & over-loaded (davka bc of those neglecting this super-important mitzva!), and often truly exempt from certain mitzvot. Today's world is complex, and the beautiful and multifaceted Torah has the answers, but life is not black and white anymore, and even the Haredim are slowly revealing that. Exile is likened to DARKNESS (e.g. Zecharya 14, 7), where the MORE FURNITURE in the room- the more you FALL, as opposed to Eretz Yisrael, likened there to light, where those same furniture, plants & accessories add to the beauty, convenience and completion (HaDor, p. 114).
Your patient approach is correct, and keep your connection with and respect for him strong, and eventually there's a good chance he will return to the entire Torah (maximum, the most common scenario is when they have to choose a school for their children, and clearly see that religious education is by far better on all accounts than chiloni, that's when they eventually & finally return). Shabbat Shalom, Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)

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