Disengagement and Halacha
Panel of Yeshiva Rabbis Say Disengagement Is Halachically Sound
Eitan Kastner
Issue date: 3/29/05 Section: News
Three prominent rabbis within the Yeshiva University community recently addressed a packed Rubin Shul on the religious aspects of contemporary political issues in the State of Israel. Chancellor Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm, Dean of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary Rabbi Zevulun Charlop, and Mashgiach Ruchani Rabbi Yosef Blau held a panel discussion on Wednesday, March 2, sponsored by the Yeshiva University Israel Club (YUIC).
The event was moderated by YUIC co-president, Dovid Wildman, YC '05, who opened the event by asking the panel for the religious outlook on the upcoming Israeli unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent handover of the land to the Palestinian Authority.
Rabbi Blau was the first to respond to a list of questions that were given in advance to the speakers and he made sure to make clear the purpose of the evening's event. "I have no intentions of making any value judgments about the political situation because nothing in my rabbinical background gives me particular expertise in any of these areas." He went on to clarify that his only goal was to discuss the religious aspects of the issues. In response to Wildman's question, Rabbi Blau asserted, "I consider the government of Israel to be halakhically serious, and it can make decisions about its welfare." He quoted the opinion of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, saying that "Eretz Yisroel is obviously very important but it is not an absolute. Therefore, if the government feels that the welfare of the country depends on giving back territory then they have the right to do so. I do not understand the concept of making yishuv Yisrael (settling Israel) yehareg v'al yavor (be killed, rather than transgress)."
Rabbi Blau also discussed the controversy regarding Israeli soldiers refusing orders to evacuate the settlements under the disengagement plan. "It is my position that it is not appropriate for someone to refuse orders even if he finds the order to be distasteful." To support his position, he quoted biblical laws where someone who is afraid of battle may not serve in the army because he will wound the morale of his fellow soldiers. So too in the contemporary case, Rabbi Blau argued, if some soldiers disregard orders, it will no doubt bruise the morale of the other soldiers and go against the very nature of the army.
The event was moderated by YUIC co-president, Dovid Wildman, YC '05, who opened the event by asking the panel for the religious outlook on the upcoming Israeli unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip and the subsequent handover of the land to the Palestinian Authority.
Rabbi Blau was the first to respond to a list of questions that were given in advance to the speakers and he made sure to make clear the purpose of the evening's event. "I have no intentions of making any value judgments about the political situation because nothing in my rabbinical background gives me particular expertise in any of these areas." He went on to clarify that his only goal was to discuss the religious aspects of the issues. In response to Wildman's question, Rabbi Blau asserted, "I consider the government of Israel to be halakhically serious, and it can make decisions about its welfare." He quoted the opinion of Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, saying that "Eretz Yisroel is obviously very important but it is not an absolute. Therefore, if the government feels that the welfare of the country depends on giving back territory then they have the right to do so. I do not understand the concept of making yishuv Yisrael (settling Israel) yehareg v'al yavor (be killed, rather than transgress)."
Rabbi Blau also discussed the controversy regarding Israeli soldiers refusing orders to evacuate the settlements under the disengagement plan. "It is my position that it is not appropriate for someone to refuse orders even if he finds the order to be distasteful." To support his position, he quoted biblical laws where someone who is afraid of battle may not serve in the army because he will wound the morale of his fellow soldiers. So too in the contemporary case, Rabbi Blau argued, if some soldiers disregard orders, it will no doubt bruise the morale of the other soldiers and go against the very nature of the army.