Rabbi Dovid Povarsky, head of the Ponevezh Yeshiva, on Thursday morning released a letter of encouragement for yeshiva students, discussing the Draft Law disagreements and the status of Torah scholars.
In the letter, which is addressed to “the beloved and precious yeshiva students,” Rabbi Povarsky expressed: “It goes without saying that your greatness and exalted stature, and the entire strength and success of the Jewish people, derive solely from the power of Torah.”
Criticizing the government's attitude toward Torah learners, he added: “Tragically, the wicked regime completely ignores this and, driven by unrestrained hatred on the part of ignoramuses and wicked people towards Torah scholars and righteous Torah students, they declare Torah learners to be criminals and draft dodgers.”
Rabbi Povarsky stressed, “The opposite is true, and those who have no share in Torah are the deserters and destroyers of our existence.”
However, he warned, “It is not our job to engage in debate with them and discuss their nonsense,” he wrote.
Instead, Rabbi Povarsky urged, “We must only remember the second blessing in the blessings before Shema in the evening prayer: that G-d’s love for Israel stems from our love for the Torah and our engagement with it day and night.” He concluded by urging his readers to have “complete faith that His love will never depart from us.”