On Thursday, Rav Dov Landau, the 95-year-old rosh yeshiva of Slabodka, made a personal visit to Beit Lid Military Prison to meet with Refael and Baruch Yitzchakov, two yeshiva bochurim from Tel Aviv who were detained for failing to appear at the IDF draft office.
Despite his advanced age, Rav Landau chose to make the journey due to the significant concern and distress their arrest has caused within the chareidi community.
Those close to Rav Landau said he has been deeply involved in addressing the recent arrests of Torah learners, holding urgent meetings on how to respond. They shared that he is “unable to sleep” knowing that bochurim are being held behind bars.
While speaking with the imprisoned yeshiva students, Rav Landau offered heartfelt encouragement: “Be strong and hold on. All of chareidi Jewry is behind you. With G-d’s help, you will get out soon, you will be yeshiva students again, as you were until now. G-d will help you with everything. Be strong and don’t be enticed by anything. Everything is fake, nonsense.”
He explained why he felt it necessary to come in person: “I came to be here and join you. It’s a bit difficult for me, I’m a bit old, but I still came. I wanted to see and visit you and give you support.”
When the young men expressed their appreciation for his visit, Rav Landau replied with humility: “I did what everyone must do, and I’m not here on my own behalf; I come on behalf of chareidi Jewry.”
Before concluding, the rosh yeshiva offered further words of strength and hope: “I wish you again that soon you will be yeshiva students again and G-d will help, hold on tight, stand strong, brave, don’t pay attention to their temptations. Falsities and nonsense, lies.
“You are yeshiva students, we are all with you together, and I come not just on my own behalf; on behalf of chareidi Jewry, who wants what’s good for you, that you’ll be back in yeshiva, and outside they’ll begin to understand that yeshiva students are really yeshiva students. You can’t do whatever you want to them.”
{Matzav.com Israel}
