"The Decrees of Then and Today"

10 Adar Bet 5774

The "Enlistment Law" passed - no surprise there. Some of you already know that Bayit Yehudi MK Yoni Chetboun broke coalition protocol to vote against the law in accordance with his conscience. It cost him dearly, but Hashem will surely reward him beyond whatever loss he will suffer.  This is part of what he said in his Knesset speech announcing his intent to vote against his own party's wishes:

“I will not be a part of the incitement and I will not be a part of the anti-Jewish move… The initiators of the law succeeded and the split from the chareidi tzibur is complete and therefore, I will not vote for it. As a major in the IDF reserves, and as an officer and a commander, I have decided today to stand firm on my principles and to oppose this anti-religious trend. I love the Torah and love our state, and I am a big believer in our wonderful people. ואהבת לרעך כמוך”, adding “this verse does not apply just in the IDF, but for each and every Jew, left or right, Ashkenazi or Sephardi, and even the chareidi tzibur”

[He]... question[ed] when the day will come that the “Israeli secular elite” will recognize the value of limud Torah and the contribution of the chareidim. He mentions the numerous anti-religious bills that have been pushed through in this Knesset, the cuts for monthly child allowance payments, the cuts to hesder yeshivot and much more. “My friends, this is an Israeli cultural war”.  (YWN)

Yasher koach, MK Yoni Chetboun! Kol hakavod lecha!

Now, listen to Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi on the subject...