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Rabbi Yaakov Medan Slams ‘Basic Law: Torah Study’ as a Distortion of Judaism

How 3 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

67% centerFirst reported by Mako · Jun 17, 2026

Center 2Right 1

What happened

Rabbi Yaakov Medan denounced the proposed Israeli “Basic Law: Torah Study” as a distortion of Torah values because it honors study without requiring observance or action. He said the law should also have tied Torah scholarship to commandment keeping, military duty in a “milchemet mitzvah,” and public sanctification of God’s name.

01Rabbi Yaakov Medan condemned the Torah study bill as desecrating and distorting the Torah.
02He said the law honors study without requiring observance of commandments.
03Medan urged a clause tying Torah recognition to service, duty, and moral conduct.
04He cited Maimonides, who warned against profiting from Torah study without working.
05He said the bill was politically extorted from Netanyahu and should be opposed outright.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

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