Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef on Saturday night clarified during his weekly lecture that yeshiva students should not cooperate with the Military Police when they come to arrest haredi draft evaders across the country.
At the start of his remarks, Rabbi Yosef said that the IDF’s achievements and the survival of the state depend on Torah study, adding, “Your Torah, yeshiva students, and the heads of households who study in the morning and evening - it is in this merit that even the heretics are victorious,” Rabbi Yosef said.
“How is it possible? The Chief of Staff was a heretic, what about Rafael? Do you remember him? How was Ariel Sharon? How were the heretics? How were the anti-religious? And they succeeded? How did they succeed? Torah.”
Rabbi Yosef claimed that public leaders do not understand the contribution of Torah students to the State.
He explained, “They don’t know this. If they knew, they would grant us all sorts of benefits. Anyone who learns in yeshiva, who is a son of Torah, would get a free apartment, exemption from municipal taxes. The sages have always been exempt from taxes,” he said. “But they don’t know, they don’t understand. Poor things, they were educated in non-religious schools; they don’t understand what this is.”
In the most pointed part of his remarks, he called on yeshiva students to resist any attempt by security forces to enter the yeshivas.
“Thank God, they don’t enter the yeshivas. Don’t be afraid. If the Military Police come, stand up to them. It is unacceptable for them to go there. They will not come. Don’t think about it at all,” he emphasized.
Rabbi Yosef repeatedly stressed the connection between Torah study and protecting the country from external threats. “The entire people of Israel who were saved from the missiles the Houthis are firing - it is in the merit of Torah study. You are giving strength to the soldiers. This is our Torah,” he said. He concluded: “Anyone who says otherwise is a heretic, G-d forbid.”