Let's See What The Chazon Ish and Harav Eliyashiv REALLY Said About Joining the IDF

לא תעמוד על דם רעיך

Let's begin with the Chazon Ish! 

ליקוטי החזון איש

( קי"ד..ו')או"ח מועד, הלכות עירובין, ליקוטין, סימן) 

  דזה פשיטא,דבשביל פיקוח נפש והצלת העם כולם חייבין. אלא אפילו בזמן שאין צורך אלא למספר מסוים, היה רשות ליקח חתן מחדרו, שאין להחוזרים שום זכות במלחמות מצוה, וכן במלחמת רשות, אינן פטורין אלא בזמן שאין נצחון ישראל תלוי בהם שמספר הצבא שצורך בהן יש בלעדן, אבל אם יש צורך בהן חייבין לבוא לעזרת אחיהם

Loose translation!

There is no question that for the sake of Pikuach Nefesh and the salvation of the people, everyone must join [the army] But even at a time when there is no need but just a certain amount of soldiers, one can draft   a groom even from his marital room,  they have no exemption in wars of mitzvah ,but even in wars that  not for a mitzva, they are not exempt except when there is sufficient people in the army and they are not needed, but if it is necessary, they must come to the aid of their brethren‎

הגרי"ש אלישיב

(חשוקי חמד, בבא מציעא, ק"ח א')

דכל מה שת"ח פטורים, היינו כשעדיין לא באה מכת הגניבות, שאז תורתם תגן שלא יפגעו, אבל כשהמכה החלה, והגנבים השתלטו על המקום ומכירים כל מבואותיו, אין סומכין על הנס וחייבים להשתתף

Loose translation!

A Talmud Chacham is only exempt from the army when the thieves (in our case, murderers) have not yet arrived, in that case, their Torah Learning will protect them that they shouldn't get hurt, but when the thieves (in our case, murderers and rapists) have already managed to dominate and all know that they are already here and for what purpose, then one can no longer rely on a miracle and one is required to join! 

Last week, during the 9 days, Rav Mordechai Neugroschrel, a well-known Chareidie speaker, a clean-shaven "rabbi," addressed a well-attended gathering in Ramat Beit Shemesh and lectured the crowd on why Chareidim should NOT serve in the army! 

I walked in a bit late and walking in I thought I was in the wrong place as the entire crowd burst out in laughter, mind you, this was during the 9 days! Before I had a chance to find a place and sit down, the crowd burst out laughing again and I started thinking this guy must be doing Stand-Up comedy! 

The clean-shaven rabbi continued with his "jokes" in rapid-fire! I found it inappropriate, for a rabbi to joke about a serious topic while Jewish children were dying just a few miles away! 

I need to point out that Beit Shemesh itself lost quite of few of our children in Gaza and in the North and in fact one Beit Shemesh family had just gotten up from Shiva. 

Which genius invited this guy to speak in a city that was mourning its finest? 

 One guy who was army-age, and turned out to be a Hesder soldier, challenged him, and asked him how can he lecture that Charedim should not share in the burden of their neighbors? He pointed out that he loves to learn, actually learns and is a Shomer Torah Umitzvois and so are his buddies and so what is wrong of being in the army like him and learning? 

He continued, asking why is it that there are practically no Chareidim at the funerals of the fallen soldiers? Why is it that you never find Chareidim visiting the wounded soldiers?

The clean-shaven rabbi started pandering to him and said that "he feels for them bla bla bla! 

I keep reminding you guys that he is "Clean-Shaven" because normally someone who considers himself "Chareidie" would never take a "rabbi" like this seriously! But since he is taking up their cause, suddenly he is a celebrity and their hero! 

To support his position that Chareidim even if they "batel" and don't learn should not enlist he brings a Zohar! 

The Zohar is talking about a "Yissacher/Zevulin" relationship where they agree that one learns and the other one supports him! But this whole premise is totally flawed because this "Yissacher/Zevulin" relationship is an "agreement" between the parties. Note: "AN AGREEMENT" not that Yissachar imposes his will on Zevulin. Besides this has nothing to do with a war where even Yissacher, the learner, has to fight just like everyone else!  Even a chassan under the chuppah is dragged to fight! 

This challenge from the soldier was only at the end of the lecture that was peppered with continued jokes and hysterical laughter from the crowd! Clean-Shaven Neugroschel quoted all HIS gedoilim but conveniently left out the  Chazon Ish , Rav Eliyshiv's Pask seen above, and Rav Shach's psak below! 

See a letter from Harav Shach, where he writes only someone whose "Torahorah is Umnosah" should get a "patur" everyone else goes to the army! In other words only someone whose intention is make Torah, his profession gets an exemption!