Hagaon Rav Dov Landau, Slabodka rosh yeshiva, delivered a powerful address of chizuk at the Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer Yeshiva following the arrest and imprisonment of one of its talmidim by the Israeli Military Police, sharply condemning the move and calling it a “horrific crime.”
The Rosh Yeshiva spoke Wednesday night in the beis medrash of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer after talmid Yitzchak Rebibo was taken into custody and incarcerated in a military prison on charges of being a so-called “deserter.”
“All observant Jews are shocked to the depths of their souls by the horrific crime of throwing a yeshiva student into prison,” Rav Landau declared. “A student of your yeshiva — Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Ozer, led by my esteemed colleague the great gaon Rav Menachem Tzvi Berlin — is imprisoned solely because of his ‘crime’: that he learns in yeshiva and does not enlist in the army of their regime. This is something utterly terrifying.”
Rav Landau went on to say that the Torah world must respond with strength and clarity. “We must proclaim that ‘no weapon formed against you shall succeed,’ that their decrees will be nullified like dust of the earth, and that all will be able to continue learning Torah without interference.”
Addressing the imprisoned talmid directly, Rav Landau offered words of chizuk. “To the bochur Yitzchak Chaim ben Shlomit, we strengthen him that he stand firm against the plots of wickedness, that he pay no attention to empty temptations and false persuasion, and that he merit to emerge soon from the prison in which he is being held.”
Turning to the yeshiva and its leadership, Rav Landau urged them not to be demoralized. “Do not allow your spirits to fall. Be strong and courageous. In these days of Chanukah, grasp the attribute of the Chashmonaim, who stood with bravery against those who sought to make them forget Your Torah. Just as then, so now, may Hashem show us miracles and wonders in our time, and we will prevail.”
{Matzav.com}
