Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, a leading figure in the Lithuanian Haredi community and a staunch opponent of drafting Haredim into the IDF, sent a message Sunday morning to yeshiva students before leaving for a fundraising trip to the United States. In a short letter to yeshiva students and married scholars, he urged them to begin the day with a half-hour of "silence fast" at the start of the study session until the end of the High Holidays.
Hirsch said the practice is difficult, but that its difficulty reflects self-sacrifice and would bring great honor to Heaven. He wrote that this would draw divine favor, adding that without special help from Heaven, "it will not be possible to win against those who are fighting us." He said the community would receive that assistance and "win this war," and that it could also lead to very high spiritual levels not previously reached. He added that heads of kollels should speak about the matter.
At the same time, former Sephardi chief rabbi Yitzhak Yosef spoke sharply Saturday night against the police. He said it is hard to draw closer to officers who, in his words, hate Jews, beat Torah students, humiliate them, and tear their pants. He said the pain comes from seeing what is done to yeshiva students and said the goal is still to bring people back to repentance.
Yosef also claimed that US President Donald Trump changed his attitude toward Israel because of pressure on Torah students, saying that since David Ben-Gurion's time yeshiva students had been exempt from service and that the Torah protects Israel. He then attacked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, accusing her of issuing the orders, and said the police are like "captured children" who do not know better, though he added that it is still difficult to bring them back to repentance because of the hatred he sees.
