Month: March 2026 – כ״ד באדר תשפ״ו
Hmmm, I Don’t Think Army Commanders *TAKE* Commands From Their Jewish Troops…
The head of the Sderot Hesder Yeshiva, Rabbi David Fendel, together with the yeshiva’s rabbinic staff, recently sent a letter to students currently serving in the IDF. The letter responds to questions from soldiers about whether it is permissible under Jewish law to serve in close quarters with female personnel, particularly in the context of the cramped space inside military vehicles.
At the beginning of the letter, the rabbis cited the Jewish laws of seclusion. They referenced the ruling in the Shulchan Aruch stating that a woman should not be secluded with a man, even if additional men are present, unless one of them is her husband. Similarly, a man should not be secluded with a woman, even when other women are present.
The rabbis also acknowledged the more lenient position of the Rabbi Moses Isserles (Rema), who permitted certain situations involving three men and one woman in an open area or at night when the individuals involved are considered respectable and not prone to improper behavior. However, the authors of the letter argued that relying on this leniency is difficult in the current era. They wrote that widespread exposure to immodest media makes it harder to assume that the condition of “respectable and not unchaste people,” required by the Rema’s ruling, is met today.
The letter also raised additional concerns that may arise in these circumstances. According to the rabbis, being together in confined spaces could lead to issues such as improper gazing, excessive familiarity, or thoughts that violate religious prohibitions.
They further noted testimonies they had received indicating that in the tight quarters of military vehicles, avoiding physical contact can sometimes be difficult. Because of these realities, the rabbis concluded that soldiers should not remain in such situations.
The letter ends with a clear directive: soldiers should avoid being in these circumstances. If a soldier encounters such a situation, the rabbis wrote, he should request that his commanders and the military rabbinate prevent it from occurring. They added that especially during wartime, maintaining the moral and spiritual integrity of the military camp is of particular importance.
Read the rest here…
Since we are talking about the army, let’s use a military metaphor. If Jews save lives but lose what makes themselves Jewish, isn’t that called “winning the battle but losing the war”?!
Anarchism: Law VS Negotiation
Without going into his actual statements on religion (which seem contradictory, or, I suspect, actually concern post-“Early Cursedianity”), here is a famous quote by P.J. Proudhon:
I stand ready to negotiate, but I want no part of laws: I acknowledge none; I protest against every order with which some authority may feel pleased on the basis of some alleged necessity to over-rule my free will. Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of government.
Read closely (and assuming his anarchism is due to his ground basic belief in Divine justice, though corrupted by the Enlightenment), this echoes the exact distinction made in many places.
For example, Makos 3b:
ואמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל האומר לחבירו ע”מ שלא תשמטני שביעית שביעית משמטת לימא קסבר שמואל מתנה על מה שכתוב בתורה הוא וכל המתנה על מה שכתוב בתורה תנאו בטל והא איתמר האומר לחבירו על מנת שאין לך עלי אונאה רב אומר יש לו עליו אונאה ושמואל אומר אין לו עליו אונאה
הא איתמר עלה אמר רב ענן לדידי מפרשא ליה מיניה דשמואל על מנת שאין לך עלי אונאה אין לו עליו אונאה על מנת שאין בו אונאה הרי יש בו אונאה ה”נ על מנת שלא תשמטני בשביעית אין שביעית משמטתו ע”מ שלא תשמטני שביעית שביעית משמטתו
Or Rambam Nezirus 18:8:
האומר הרי עלי לגלח נזיר חייב להביא קרבנות תגלחת טהרה ומקריבן על יד איזה נזיר שירצה אמר הרי עלי חצי קרבנות נזיר או אם אמר הרי עלי לגלח חצי נזיר הרי זה מביא חצי הקרבנות לאיזה נזיר שירצה ואותו נזיר משלים קרבנותיו משלו אבל אם אמר הרי עלי קרבנות חצי נזיר הרי זה מביא קרבנות נזיר שלם שאין לנו חצי נזירות.
Much of what passes for law doesn’t even meet the bar of Noahide law. What they call “law” is אין בו אונאה.