Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch
Rabbi Moshe SternbuchFlash90

Rabbi Eliezer Yehuda Finkel, head of the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, on Thursday visited the home of Rabbi Moshe Sternbuch, head of the Eida Haharedit rabbinical court, to ask his advice on the matter of American students arriving for a "gap year" program in Israel.

The visit took place following concerns expressed by American students and their families regarding whether it is safe to study in Israel during the current war against the Hamas terror group in Gaza and Iran's other proxies in the Middle East.

During the meeting, Rabbi Finkel asked Rabbi Sternbuch's opinion regarding the current security tensions. In response, Rabbi Sternbuch expressed a firm position in favor of encouraging continued Torah study in Israel.

He also stressed that challenging situations have happened in the past, and expressed his belief that continuing to learn Torah will provide protection for the students.

"There will always be difficult situations," he stressed. "If they come to the yeshiva and learn Torah, then we will have more merits, and no bad will happen to them. The Torah is [protection] against any ill and illness."