Leading Haredi Rabbi: You May Not Desecrate Shabbat in Israel To Escape the Draft

Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, a prominent Lithuanian-haredi rabbi and member of the Council of Torah Sages, has refuted claims that he permitted desecrating Shabbat to avoid military service, emphasizing that his remarks were misconstrued, according to a report by Lechatchila cited by Israel National News. The clarification comes amid heated debates over haredi conscription and Torah study in Israel.

During a recent Torah class, Rabbi Zilberstein addressed reports falsely attributing to him a halachic ruling allowing Jews to violate Shabbat to evade IDF service. “Whoever publicized that does not know his right hand from his left hand,” he stated, dismissing the claims as “a tale.” He explained that his original comments referred to a hypothetical scenario where a government bans Torah study, in which case leaving the country on Shabbat would be permissible to escape such restrictions. “But where is that happening here in the Land of Israel? Do the authorities prevent Torah study? Of course not!” he emphasized, noting that IDF service does not preclude Torah study.

Rabbi Zilberstein reacted strongly to a claim from a listener whose son was desecrating Shabbat, citing the rabbi’s alleged ruling. “Maybe he had a dream!” Zilberstein retorted. “I did not say that.” He clarified that his guidance was specific to extreme circumstances abroad, not applicable in Israel, where the government supports Torah study.

Addressing young haredi men who do not dedicate themselves to full-time Torah study and instead “spend time in the streets,” Rabbi Zilberstein endorsed enlistment in the IDF’s Netzach Yehuda battalion, a unit tailored for haredi soldiers that combines military service with religious observance. “Such a young man should enlist where Rabbi Shteinman said, of course,” he stated, referencing the late Rabbi Aharon Leib Shteinman’s support for the battalion.

The controversy follows ongoing tensions over haredi exemptions from mandatory military service, a divisive issue in Israel. The Netzach Yehuda battalion, designed for haredi recruits, allows soldiers to maintain religious practices while serving. Rabbi Zilberstein’s remarks aim to dispel misinformation and reinforce that Torah study remains unhindered in Israel, urging non-studying youth to contribute through military service.