A few weeks ago, my brother passed away. It is an extremely difficult time, but I took some comfort in the Jewish laws and traditions of mourning. These, and all of our laws and traditions are what kept the Jewish people during They were and are central to our religious and national life.
Unfortunately, now that we have returned to our indigenous and ancestral homeland, there are some who would like to rid us of some of our most important laws and traditions. Ironically and unashamedly, it is those who cloak themselves in the garb of religiosity who appear most ready to ignore our central precepts. This is no truer than in two issues central to our national debate and even our future in our land: whether into the IDF and whether they should continue receiving money and benefits for learning Torah.
Firstly, it should be remembered that all our greatest Biblical heroes were warriors. Avraham, Moshe, David and Yehoshua, and many others, all knew that there was a time for battle, and they never flinched in going to war if necessary. Between the Exodus from Egypt and the entry into the Land of Israel, the Torah itself details all the men of fighting age who can be relied on to defend the People of Israel against enemies.
Surviving in the wilderness and conquering our homeland were not a given; our ancestors had to literally fight and do battle to achieve these objectives. It is these examples which ensured that the rabbis of the Mishnah provided the dictum that all must fight in I.