A powerful voice rose late Wednesday as thousands of yeshiva students and supporters gathered at the gates of Prison 10 to protest the arrest of a yeshiva bochur. In a special broadcast addressed to the demonstrators, Rav Moshe Shternbuch denounced the actions of the authorities and broke down in tears as he rallied the crowd.
The protest at the prison followed the detention of Ariel Shamai, a student of Yeshiva Ateret Shlomo, arrested for refusing draft enlistment. Thousands of yeshiva bachurim assembled at the gates of Prison 10 for an initial demonstration.
Speaking from his home in the Har Nof neighborhood of Yerushalayim, Rav Shternbuch condemned the authorities’ conduct as unprecedented cruelty: “We have never heard of such cruelty before. Students are learning Torah and in the middle of their learning they are hauled off to prison. They are distressed and thereby they distress us as well.”
Turning from denunciation to deep emotion, Rav Shternbuch said that the situation calls for unceasing mourning and firm resistance: “This is a situation we never dreamed we would reach — wickedness and cruelty. And those who have sinned — their sin is that they learn Torah; has anything like this ever been heard? It would be fitting for each and every one to cry day and night, and the Shechinah is certainly in great sorrow, but with Hashem’s help we will not give up; without Torah we are truly like beasts, we have no reason to live and why should we live like this.”
He went on to denounce the policy’s perpetrators and express confidence in the enduring strength of Jewish faith: “They are accursed wicked ones, cursed one and cursed again, but with God’s help they will not succeed, for we have a hidden strength; the heart of a Jew will never give up on Judaism, and the holy Torah is our life and the length of our days, and in it we will labor day and night and may Your love not depart from it forever.”
At one point the rov wept bitterly and appealed for a place to give expression to his grief: “Oh, oh, find me a place where I can cry and shed tears. We will not give up, and this voice will be raised everywhere in the country and abroad.”
Rav Shternbuch concluded with an urgent call to Jews abroad to join the struggle: “We call upon our brethren abroad: do not remain silent — know that this trouble will come to you as well; do not think you will be exempt. Go out with self-sacrifice and you will succeed, and I promise you that you will succeed, and we will see it with our own eyes very soon.”
{Matzav.com}
May the rishaim arurim erev rav be completely exposed for who they are, and immediately destroyed.
Did you know that every IDF army base has a sefer Torah, sefarim, and a Rav? Over 900 kedoshim have sacrificed their lives so we can sit and learn. Many more reservists have sacrificed their parnassah and their time with their wives and children so we can sit and learn. In what ways can we show support and gratitude to them? Learning mishnayos for the niftarim? Saying tehillim and learning for those in combat with the monsters in Gaza? Visiting injured soldiers in the hospital? I am Chareidi and my son is a reservist. His service has opened my eyes to the reality of the situation.
Nebach. I feel for you.