Tonight, Motzoei Shabbos Chol Hamoed, Sephardic Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchok Yosef addressed the recent missile attacks on Israel, attributing the nation’s protection to lomdei Torah.
Reflecting on the onslaught of thirteen thousand missiles, Rav Yosef asserted, “What miracles. By whose merit is it? In the merit of the Chief of Staff? In the merit of the Torah learners, the yeshiva students. This is the correct perspective.”
Despite facing criticism for his previous remarks on the Draft Law, Rav Yosef remained steadfast in his conviction, stating, “A few hesder yeshiva deans…called on me to rescind my statements. I said that I will not rescind them. Anyone who does not believe in this is a heretic.”
Last month, Rav Yosef’s comments stirred controversy when he remarked, “There are young men who are serving in reserves there, not everyone merits to learn Torah. We all merited to be yeshiva students who are exempted from the army? But shevet Levi is exempted from the army. They do not draft them, under any circumstances. No matter what. If they force us to join the army – we will all travel abroad. We will buy tickets…there is no such thing.”
Expounding on the significance of limud haTorah, Rav Yosef emphasized, “All of these secular people who do not understand this – they need to understand that without the Torah, without the yeshivas – there would be no existence, they would not have success in the army. Whatever is successful, the army, it is only in the merit of the soldiers…. sorry, the Torah learners. The soldiers are successful in the merit of the Torah learners. Rabbis, everyone needs to say this with pride. Yes, we busy ourselves with Torah, and the Torah is what protects us.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
The miracles were in the merit of the Torah learners, the yeshiva students.