Halacha:

Chanukah 

Machshava:

Chanukah 

Collections: R' Shvat on the Holidays

Description

The most quoted source by Haredim for exempting yeshiva boys from the IDF, is a "pseudo-halachic" paragraph from the Rambam in the end of the laws of Sh'mitta which seemingly exempts Kohanim (and to their mind, yeshiva boys) from going to war. A closer look shows that the source itself actually obligates yeshiva boys to serve in the IDF, like the Maccabees & Boris Gurman HY"D who immediately rose to fight the enemies of Israel, and not wait those long 10 minutes while Jews are being hunted in Australia, and many of the gentile police were hiding to save themselves!