Rabbi David Stav, the chairman of the Tzohar rabbinical organization, responded to Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef who on Saturday made remarks belittling the work of the IDF and said that those who study the Torah are the ones who are really protecting Israel.
“There should be absolutely no contradiction between honoring the importance and responsibility of Torah study and going out to fight a just war in defense of the land and people of Israel in its time of pain," Rabbi Stave opened.
"The harmful and disdainful words of the Chief Rabbi regarding the Chief of Staff and our dear soldiers at the height of this deeply costly and painful war are a complete desecration of Hashem’s name and a rejection of the overwhelming gratitude and appreciation that should be expressed towards our military at this time,” he added.
During his weekly lesson on Saturday, the Sephardic Chief Rabbi stated: "Thirteen thousand missiles were thrown at the country - what miracles. By whose merit is it? In the merit of the Chief of Staff? In the merit of the Torah learners, the yeshiva students. This is the correct perspective."
Referring to the backlash to previous statements he made about haredi enlistment in the IDF, he said: "A few hesder yeshiva deans...called on me to rescind my statements. I said that I would not rescind them. Anyone who does not believe in this is a heretic."