Plesner's call to religious Zionism

The Plesner proposal gives religious Zionists the chance to represent themselves.

By SHALOM HAMMER
Orthodox man prays w soldiers at Wall 390 (photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
Orthodox man prays w soldiers at Wall 390
(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
While the Plesner proposal is the main topic of discussion today, its focus has been at the forefront of Israeli debate for decades.
To date, the main rift within Israeli society is caused by the issue of who serves in the army and the understandable resentment towards those who do not.
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu recently addressed this issue: "After 64 years in which this issue has not been properly dealt with, we are facing a historic move, a dramatic increase in the participation of the ultra-Orthodox and Arab publics in bearing the burden (of serving in the IDF)."
The need to address and deal with mandatory military service for all of Israel's citizens, without exception, is long over due. The haredim must readdress not only its communities role but its duty to provide constituents with alternative options whether they like it or not – an important by-product of this entire process.
Even if a major change in the law is not implemented, the fact that these issues are finally being addressed is significant in itself.
When concerns of this magnitude surface around the Jewish world, it is important to gain perspective and assess the ramifications on both a national and personal level.
As a religious Zionist rabbi, I believe that the Plesner proposal facilitates an opportune platform for religious Zionists to boldly declare who we are and what we represent. We can turn to the haredim and demonstrate our success in establishing large institutions of Torah. We should then turn to the Israeli secular population and pronounce that there are major differences between religious Zionists and the haredim – a fact many secular Israelis do not appreciate or recognize. We must tell them of our shared, passionate desire to represent our community in the IDF; a desire based on a sincere commitment to Zionist ideals and a devotion to the State of Israel. As such, religious Zionism not only represents a fine balance between two ideologies, but remains the only active force which can accentuate the connection between the Torah, the Jewish people and the Jewish land.
The Torah portion of this past Shabbat describes how Pinhas was commended by God for taking action. When he witnessed the desecration of God's name, Pinhas executed the perpetrator without delay. Pinhas may have preferred to isolate himself within the walls of the yeshiva, but he knew that duty calls and he responded immediately. God recognized Pinhas's conviction with the "covenant of peace,” pronouncing his descent from Aaron the high priest. The rabbis say that Aaron "loved peace and pursued peace.” When he saw a rift developing within the Jewish nation, Aaron would actively try to bridge the gap between the two parties.
As yeshiva students, many of the religious Zionist young men from Yeshivot Hesder (which combines Torah study with military service) would prefer to sit in the yeshiva immersed in a portion of the Talmud instead of serving in the IDF. However, they are aware of the fact that duty calls and they too respond by serving in the army with conviction.
The religious Zionist soldier wears a kippah on his head, dons his tzizit over his uniform, and straps his tefillin to his body. He embodies the values of the Torah "whose paths are those of peace.” Yet, we are prepared to take action as our ancestor Pinhas did before us. Our goals are the same as that of Aaron; we want to mend the rift between the Jewish people and to facilitate unity.
This is a time of historic consequence. Religious Zionists must remind the nation of our crucial role and contributions. Through these pursuits we can help Israel restore the covenant of peace.
The writer teaches at Hesder Kiryat Gat and serves as a lecturer under the Harel Division for the Rabbanut of the IDF. He is also an author and lecturer on Israel, Religious Zionism and Jewish education. www.rabbihammer.com.