The Ins and Outs of Deferments For Yeshiva Students

 Nadene Goldfoot                                                  

In Israel, " Ultra-Orthodox men studying in religious seminaries and learn what's necessary to become a rabbi.  They learn the art of debate here, as our Jewish leaders used to get together and present their view to be acceptable of interpretation of the law of Moses.  I'm connected to Rashi, a famous teacher from Troyes, France who opened his own school.  Rashi is still #1 in this in our Tanakh.  Possibly, Netanyahu is also connected to him or others like him, as he has a rabbi ancestor, and he is the best speaker and defender of Israel I've seen for many years, and I'm related to Bibi's mother's side of the family.  

Yeshiva boys have enjoyed sweeping draft exemptions or deferments, even as other Jewish Israelis face compulsory military service.  As it turns out, we Jews are also related to each other with that connection going back pretty far for most of us, I agree there, but we have a connection to each other.   The arrangement about exemptions creates a perverse incentive: remaining in religious study is the path to avoid conscription, while leaving the seminary – and entering the labor market – exposes a young man to the draft. The result is a system that discourages employment and places an increasingly unequal military burden on the rest of society. Adding insult to injury, the Israeli taxpayer is forced to pay subsidies to the yeshiva students – rather than the students paying tuition as those in university do."

These boys are the country's insurance policy that the religion was live, will survive any wars.  They are to carry on the direction of G-d in the lives of remaining people.  Is it so bad as to insure that the Ten Commandments, along with the rest of 613 commandments are known about at least?  To look at today's civilization, an alien from outer space might wonder about that.  The surrounding goals of Iran to destroy Israel worries the Religious element in our family as well, and they pray for everyone's protection.  

If Israel changes with a new Prime Minister, or even if Netanyahu again tries to alter this rule, the Religious Parties no longer will be a part of Labor, giving it strength.  The question is:  why is this exemption so necessary for the religious students?

       Today, even our women must fight, for all hands on deck is the word.  Female Israeli citizens (primarily Jewish) are subject to compulsory military service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) upon turning 18, with standard service lasting 24 months for non-combat roles and up to 32 months for combat or specific specialized roles.  

The answer is that this country was founded on the ability to be Jewish. It's as Jewish as Saudi Arabia is Muslim. 

             Jewish lady of 18 in IDF Over 90% of IDF roles—including air force pilots, navy sailors, tank crews, and mixed-gender infantry combat battalions—are open to women, Israel has no other choice-In the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the length of mandatory military service for men is 32 months (2.67 years), following a legislative extension by the Knesset.  Conscription Scope: Mandatory service applies to Jewish, Druze, and Circassian males upon reaching age 18. Non-Druze Arab citizens are generally exempt, though individual volunteering is permitted.  

 Only we do enjoy having 20% of our citizens being Christians/other religions and in Arabia, they don't.   In all the other countries we have lived in, Jews were treated as 2nd class citizens or worse.  They were the object of always being the scapegoat, suffering under attacks out of the blue.  This country was founded by Kings Saul, David and his son Solomon who fought and died for it to enable them to follow what they saw and said was G-d's wish and plans. So many of us feel all young men should be like David and Saul;  fight for our country when needed.  Now there's a huge need.                                    

No other country has been as old as Israel and survived.  No other country was founded being able to follow one G-d and practice their religion without fear.

Now, let's look at some of the men who were leaders and believed in our rights.

1.  King Saul of the 11th Century BCE was a son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin.  Samuel came from a Levitical family, straight from Aaron, brother of Moses, so he had  a powerful role among people.   The Prophet as well as a judge, Samuel, went on a quest looking for a proper king at a time the people were clamoring for one.  By this time, all the other surrounding people had kings, and they knew it.  They only had Judges for smaller gatherings.  They wanted uniformity for all.  They felt weak.  Their lives were being threatened by the occasional attack by the Philistines and Ammonites, neighbors who wanted to take more land.  

So Saul immediately got all the strong men and trained them to fight. King Saul's army size changed at different times in the biblical account:

Standing / Selected Force: Saul initially chose 3,000 men for himself—2,000 with him at Michmash and Bethel, and 1,000 with his son Jonathan at Gibeah (1 Samuel 13:2). 
Dwindled Army: After desertions and fear during the war with the Philistines, Saul's force shrank down to about 600 men (1 Samuel 13:15).
Campaign Against the Amalekites: When summoned later to Telaim to fight the Amalekites, the army numbered 200,000 foot soldiers from Israel and 10,000 men from Judah (1 Samuel 15:4).

 They fought back on raids attacking them by now and experienced winning the battle with little losses.  One fight remembered was at Michmash which pushed back the Philistines.  Another group, the Moabites attacked and suffered great losses from Saul's army.  They had won over the Moabites, Ammonites, and Arameans who had stepped in as well.  The ancient Battle of Michmash (c. 1025 BCE) was a decisive clash recorded in the Hebrew Bible (1 Samuel 13–14) where the fledgling forces of the United Kingdom of Israel, led by King Saul and his son Jonathan, defeated the Philistines.                                                 

                                 

Later, another battle ensued and Saul was replaced by Saul with David who he appointed as king .

  David, younger and better looking, a gingy,  red cheeked, bright eyes from the tribe of Judah, A skilled shepherd who played the harp, wrote poetry, and composed many of the Book of Psalms,  had become most popular with the people  by his fighting capabilities and this had caused intense jealousy on the part of Saul who bitterly persecuted David and drove him from the country.  Then,   this new attack came upon them from the Philistines and Saul could only fight defensively and fell with his 3 sons including Jonathan in the battle on Mt Gilboa.  A surviving son, Ishbosheth, was temporarily acknowledged as Saul's successor over part of the country.  Saul's death was felt as a temporary domination of the Philistines.  However, the groundwork Saul had done and left for a successor proved effective in establishing a strong and independent Israelite monarchy. 

                                                         

David, king of Israel from 1000 to 960 BCE was the youngest of the 8  sons of Jesse, who was the grandson of Ruth and Boaz of the tribe of Judah.  Jesse was from Bethlehem but for fear of Saul, lived for some time in Moab, outside of the perimeter of his country,  and knew King Saul very well.  He had been Saul's armor-bearer at age 25.  Today, Moab is a part of Transjordan.  The Moabites were relatives of the Israelites being, like the Ammonites also were, descended from Lot, who was the son of Abraham's brother, Haran.  Their shepherds had a quarrel over pasture land, so they had divided up with Lot  trying to live in Sodom and needed Abraham to rescue him from these rather evil people.  They escaped from Sodom and his 2 sons were Ammon and Moab.  These sons had the reputation among the people later as having a drunk for a father.  They just happened to be the boundary neighbors of Israel.  

Even going back 4,000 years and one find the same problems people have today,  It's amazing!  .  Ammon and Moab ceased to exist as independent ancient nations after being conquered and absorbed by successive Mesopotamian and regional empires—primarily the Neo-Babylonian Empire in the 6th century BCE—and their territories eventually became part of modern-day Jordan.  Okay Palestinians, perhaps that is the answer.  Continue trying to live in Jordan under an established Kingship.  Leave Israel in Peace.  

Why King David Is Still Adored

Nadene Goldfoot

King David accomplished the political and spiritual unification of ancient Israel, established a regional empire, and founded Jerusalem as the nation's capital.  Our ancestors were part of the Empire of Israel, because of David. 

David(1000 -960 BCE)  is described in the Bible as a red-cheeked, bright-eyed, handsome, and youthful shepherd from Bethlehem who became a musician, a giant-slayer, and the second King of Israel. I've read that he had reddish hair.   The youngest of seven or eight sons of Jesse from the tribe of Judah living in Bethlehem.  Background: Spent his early life tending his family's sheep in the rugged hills around Bethlehem.  

Musician: A skilled harpist whose music could soothe King Saul's troubled spirit.  
King Saul did not live in or rule from Bethlehem, but the city was the source of his greatest political threat and the home of his most famous servant. As a Benjaminite from Gibeah, Saul's connections to Bethlehem—a city in Judah—were defined entirely by his complex relationships with the prophet Samuel and David.  After God rejected Saul for disobedience, the prophet Samuel traveled secretly to Bethlehem to anoint a new king from the house of Jesse. Samuel explicitly feared that if Saul discovered the purpose of his trip to Bethlehem, Saul would have him executed for treason. This event established Bethlehem as the birthplace of the rival Davidic dynasty. When Saul was tormented by an "evil spirit," his servants sought out a skilled musician to soothe him. They identified David, described as the son of Jesse the Bethlehemite. For a long period, David divided his time between Saul's royal court in Gibeah and his family home in Bethlehem, routinely traveling back and forth to look after his father’s sheep.

Spiritual heart: Known as "a man after God's own heart," deeply devoted to Yahweh, and the author of many of the Psalms (Tehillim). 1st book in the Haagio-grapha of Bible, contains 150 p. Talmud says only 147;   written by David (180 to Asaph) which are written in 1st person singular, opening words of "Hallelujah', "Give thanks," and "A song of Degrees.", songs concerning events in the lives of individuals like David, including effusions of sorrow and joy.  This anthology of lyric-poems of high artistic standard and suffused with a deep religious feeling have assured its popularity among many people: Jews and Christians, perhaps others, and have found their incorporation into liturgies of both religions.  #3, A psalm by David, as he fled from Absalom his son,  Hashem, how numerous are my tormentors!  The GREAT rise up against me!  The GREAT say of my soul, "There is no salvation for him from G-d, Selah!  But you, Hashem, are a shield for me, for my soul, and the One who raises my head.  With my voice I call out to Hashem, and He answers me from His holy mountain, Selah.  I lay down and slept, yet I awoke, for Hashem supports me.  I fear not the myriads of people deployed against me all around.  Rise up, Hashem;  save me, my G-d, for you struck all of my enemies on the cheek.  You broke the teeth of the wicked.  Salvation is Hashem's, upon Your people is Your blessing, Selah.  [In Psalm 3, selah (סֶלָה) is an ancient Hebrew term—appearing three times in verses 2, 4, and 8—that most scholars and translations view as a musical or liturgical pause meant for reflection. I think we need to hear this Psalm right now, as the GREAT are all of Europe and their followers.  
Contributed to Scripture: He is traditionally credited with writing a large portion of the biblical Psalms. 



Complex flaws: David exhibited human weakness, including committing adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating the death of her husband Uriah. One thing about the Torah and other writings;  nothing bad about people have been left out.  The writings tell all.  

Major Accomplishments

Defeated Goliath: As a young shepherd, he killed the Philistine champion Goliath with a sling and stone.
 Warrior and hero: Gained fame by killing lions and bears while shepherding, and defeating the Philistine giant Goliath with a sling and a stone.

                                        Talking to all                                       of them at the                                     threshing floor 



































Unified the Kingdom: He brought the twelve tribes of Israel and Judah together under a single monarchy, reigning for roughly 40 years (c. 1010–970 BC). 


Conquered Jerusalem: He captured the fortress of Jerusalem from the Jebusites and turned it into the political and religious center of the kingdom, ("City of David"). King David captured the Jebusite stronghold of Jerusalem (then called Jebus) around 1004 BC by sending his commander Joab through an underground water shaft connected to the Gihon Spring,   The Jebusites felt safe behind massive walls and mocked David, claiming their fortress was so strong that even the blind and the lame could keep his army out.   David offered a reward and told his men that anyone who wanted to defeat the Jebusites had to climb up through the city's hidden water tunnel or shaft.  : Joab led an elite unit up through the dark underground water passage, emerged inside the city, opened the gates, and let the rest of the Israelite army in to take control.



Brought the Ark of the Covenant: He moved the sacred Ark to Jerusalem to anchor the nation's spiritual life. 



The First Attempt: David gathered 30,000 men and placed the Ark on a new oxcart instead of having Levites carry it with poles as required by Torah law.
The Death of Uzzah: When the oxen stumbled at the threshing floor of Nakon, a man named Uzzah reached out to steady the Ark and was struck dead by God for touching it. 
At Obed-Edom’s House: Fearing God, David left the Ark at the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, bringing immense blessing to Obed-Edom's household.
The Second Attempt: Realizing the proper procedure, David had consecrated Levites carry the Ark on poles. 
Dancing in Jerusalem: David wore a simple linen ephod (priestly garment) and danced with all his might before the Lord as they entered the city. 
Michal’s Disapproval: David’s wife, Michal (Saul's daughter), watched from a window and despised his passionate dancing, leading to a rift between them.
Placement: David placed the Ark inside a special tent he had pitched for it in Jerusalem, offered sacrifices, and distributed food to the people.



Expanded Military Borders: He decisively defeated regional threats—including the Philistines, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, and Syrians—building a dominant local empire. 



Prepared for the Temple: Though barred from building the Temple himself, he gathered massive material resources and commissioned his son and successor, Solomon, to construct it.  David contributed 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver from his personal treasures and national spoils, alongside additional offerings from the leaders of Israel.
Bronze and Iron: Quantities of bronze and iron were weighed out in such abundance that they were described as "beyond weighing" to be used for the temple gates, fixtures, and structural couplings.
Timbers: David secured massive quantities of cedar logs from the regions of Tyre and Sidon, delivered through agreements with regional leaders. 
Stone and Finished Masonry: He commanded the gathering of dressed stones, fine ashlar blocks, and onyx and turquoise stones for setting, ensuring that the heavy quarrying work was already underway before Solomon took the throne.
Resource:
AI
The Stone Edition of the Torah, etc.
The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia