Rabbi Aviner – Dean of Yeshivat Ateret Cohanim in the Old City of Jerusalem - responded on the "havabooks.co.il" website. The question was succinctly posed:
"Rabbi Elyashiv explained that the hareidim should join the coalition despite the destruction of Gush Katif that is liable to be caused by this, by saying that above all it he is obligated to ensure the revival of Torah study [via] obtaining the necessary budgetary allocations, in accordance with the teachings of the Sages emphasizing the overall importance of Torah study."
The question, "What do you think?" was implied but not stated. Rabbi Aviner responded:
"There is no shadow of a doubt that we must ensure the existence of Torah study, and that the Torah is the soul of our entire existence in our land. At the same time, we must remember that Torah means the entire Torah, and not just a part of it. As is written, ' Everything that G-d said, we will do and we will listen' – not just part of it.
"The Torah itself includes the commandment to protect and defend the Land of Israel. It is a commandment just like all the others in the Torah, and one that people gave their lives for throughout the generations. The Torah also includes the commandment not to perform the terrible injustice of uprooting Jewish communities from the Land, and the Torah also includes the commandment to protect the residents [of the Negev and elsewhere] and not to abandon them to enemy front lines.
"This situation can be compared to an army that must protect all the fronts, because if one is left unprotected, the enemy can infiltrate through there and attack all the others from behind.
"The general principle is that the Torah includes many aspects: the commandment aspects, and the social aspects, and the Land of Israel aspects, and the faith aspects."
"Rabbi Elyashiv explained that the hareidim should join the coalition despite the destruction of Gush Katif that is liable to be caused by this, by saying that above all it he is obligated to ensure the revival of Torah study [via] obtaining the necessary budgetary allocations, in accordance with the teachings of the Sages emphasizing the overall importance of Torah study."
The question, "What do you think?" was implied but not stated. Rabbi Aviner responded:
"There is no shadow of a doubt that we must ensure the existence of Torah study, and that the Torah is the soul of our entire existence in our land. At the same time, we must remember that Torah means the entire Torah, and not just a part of it. As is written, ' Everything that G-d said, we will do and we will listen' – not just part of it.
"The Torah itself includes the commandment to protect and defend the Land of Israel. It is a commandment just like all the others in the Torah, and one that people gave their lives for throughout the generations. The Torah also includes the commandment not to perform the terrible injustice of uprooting Jewish communities from the Land, and the Torah also includes the commandment to protect the residents [of the Negev and elsewhere] and not to abandon them to enemy front lines.
"This situation can be compared to an army that must protect all the fronts, because if one is left unprotected, the enemy can infiltrate through there and attack all the others from behind.
"The general principle is that the Torah includes many aspects: the commandment aspects, and the social aspects, and the Land of Israel aspects, and the faith aspects."