Ruhama Weiss Reflects on Combining Torah Study and Work Amid Haredi Political Struggles

Ruhama Weiss shares her personal journey balancing pacifism, national service, Torah study, and work, highlighting the challenges and privileges of integrating religious learning with practical livelihood. She explains that although she did not serve in the military due to family opposition and her pacifist beliefs, her children did, with her son serving in an elite unit and her daughter in a special needs framework. Weiss recounts how her school forbade Talmud study until age 17, after which she pursued it alongside completing her matriculation exams and national service.

Weiss emphasizes that it is possible to combine Torah study with core secular education and community contribution, as she did while working in household jobs and teaching to support herself through university. She also studied practical skills like makeup and graphic design but ultimately did not need to work in those fields. She stresses that women’s right to study Torah, especially oral Torah, is a relatively recent development and a significant achievement.

Drawing on Talmudic examples, Weiss illustrates that many great sages, including Rabbi Yehoshua, Shammai, Hillel, and Rabbi Akiva, combined Torah study with manual labor or other work to support themselves. She notes that these sages did not seek financial support and often worked in humble or difficult jobs, underscoring the dignity of labor alongside religious devotion.

Weiss critiques Haredi politicians for opposing integration of Torah study with core secular education and employment, arguing their true aim is to preserve the insular Haredi community’s political power rather than protect Torah learning. She calls for sharing examples of combining Torah and work and invites readers to discuss how they balance these aspects in their lives.