What about the religious soldiers that died? Remember, this the rabbi that said the Ashkenzazi Jews deserved to die in the Holcaust! He is a disgrace to his people and to His people!

Secular IDF soldiers are wonderful warriors (as are observant IDF) who fight and die for Israel and the Free World. My thanks and gratitude to all the wonderful IDF both secular and religious who fight for Israel and the Free World against global jihad - against the enemies of humanity.

As an observant Jew, I can say with all honesty that one of Israel's greatest enemys is the rabbinate. They themselves propagate "Sin'at Hinam" - unjustified hatred - among Jews. Rabbi Ovadia would do a greater mitzva if he would take a lesson from Chabad and showed more tolerance for his fellow Jew. It is more important to be a "Mench" than to pray, observe Shabbat or anything else. A person who is good and kind to others is more religious than the greatest rabbi who can only find fault with everyone and is only interested in hurting people. Don't forget that more than half of the Ten Commandments (starting with "Honor thy Father and Mother") deal with the interactions between people. As for the commandments dealing with man's relationship with G-d, G-d does not need a lawyer. Any Rabbi - or any individual - who presents themselves as G-d's lawyer is setting themselvs in a position above that of G-d. That is surely presumptious.

Or do you concentrate only in Jewish ones? Did you ,or your family,volunteer to fight for America against Islamists?Against their terror? You are not Israeli!Why so much effort in here?There is not enough job to fight for in your own home?

He who knows not and knows not that he knows not is a fool, shun him.

The Shas Party is made up of Jews from Arab countries. For many of us who are also from Arab countries they are an embarassment. No different than the Mullahs in Iran.

If rabbinical superstition protected people from harm, then let' see Ovadiah explain why proportionately more Eastern European Orthodox died in the Holocaust then Secular and Reform Jews.

If one looks at so many posts condemning what rabbi Yosef uttered during his last prayer, one may rightfully ask himself/herself what was Yosef's aim, if any. I sincerely think that any rabbi should unite our people and not drive a wedge between religious and secular, between ashkenazi and sfaradi, between left or right. If many rabbis encourage these common goals and ,consequently, urge their religious followers to go fight the wars alongside the seculars, Ovadia's words surely do the opposite. One riddle, though - how can a rabbi like Ovadia Yosef, known in public as a religious authority, throw so much discord among our fellow Israelis, time and again ????

the man should not be holding any high position in sephardic jewry.

Judaism was changed by the Jews after the fall of Israel and Romes victory approx. 2,000 years ago. Levite priests were to be the 'experts' of Jewish law. We ( the Jews) changed this, we gave power to the Rabbi's and now, we see the results. All you supposed 'experts' forget the Torah, and bow to some newer man made 'experts", Rabbi's. Get real, take the Torah literally, and 'teacher's', Rabbi's have no place in these matters. We have all gone astray, we deserve what we get. Parasitic old self made experts on anything but the Torah. And, when did the 'most righteous' Rabbi's, get expemption from military duty? Where in the Torah does it say that? We substitued Levite priests for this and, sacrificial animals with prayer. We did this, now, are we still so pious and self righteous? May G-d help Israel to know the difference between fact and fiction.

...after all these jewish soldiers desecrated several shabats, and even Yom Kippur? Didn't their rabbis tell them to continue their fast until sundown, and then - after the end of Yom Kippur - strike back? Israel's enemy didn't respect Yom Kippur - in the contrary, they used it. Thus, also the IDF didn't keep the fast on Yom Kippur - and God didn't punish Israel, instead Israel was saved miraculously - the Egyptians were pushed back, Ariel Sharon's army crossed the Suez canal, some Israeli tanks stopped an overwhwlming larger Syrian tank army in the Golan... How does this fit to Rabbi Yosef's worldview?

Exodus 20 (the Ten Commandments) and moved away from idolotry of the rabbinate. No offense to be taken.

If I'm not mistaken, didn't you live in Brazil and only move to Israel recently? If I recall you put great efforts into expressing your opinions while you lived there. And what's wrong with a Jew expressing her opinion on an ostensibly Jewish topic? Keep in mind, Linda's remarks were very pleasant and positive. Surely nothing she said merits consternation. She was thanking all our soldiers. Do you have a problem with her?

From listening to the video clip, the word for secular in hebrew doesn't occur. Rav Ovadia says 'soldiers', in general, NOT 'secular soldiers', in particular. That is a media or editor's interpolation but not the rav's actual words.

of the Ynet article on the front page. The author writes Secular Soldiers Die in War. Look in the article and try to find that statement the Rabbi made. It is not there! The closest words to the title of the article is --- The rabbi continued to say that “when soldiers believe and pray, God helps them during the war. (These soldiers) don’t get killed.” Notice how Ynet put in the parenthesis of "These soldiers". They tried to interpert the Rabbi wrong and wrote a title about something he never mentioned.

Rabbi Ovadia, You have a heart of stone. Where is your compassion my old man? How can you sit there on your throne, waving your hand, and talking so callously? Who are you to judge? I suggest you take off your fancy hat and robe, sit in sack cloth and ashes, and wonder where you went wrong. If you are sending the wrong boys to war, and you earnesly believe Hashem will fight for Torah scholars, send you own yeshiva boys into fight, and see how Hashem protects Israel with a Holy army. Or do you hesitate because you don't fully believe what you preach? That would classify you as a coward, and a bad leader, wouldn't it? Hanina

You would have to hear the israeli broadcast and hear what ovadia said himself. still in itself his comments were cold and leave us no alternative. If Hashem said not one hair on the men's heads would be damaged when they go out to war, send in the most prestigous religious jews, maybe that is what G-d is waiting for.

I'm trying not to react to Keren anymore . She does not understand what people are writing , she is ignorant on most domains . I'm not always agreeing with Linda's TB's , but here i can't find anything wrong , she was very supportive of ALL the IDF soldiers . But this keren does not understand .

winners dont evacuate land remember that

The argument is absolutely stupid. The religious parties fight tooth and nail to get their boys and girls exempted from military service or to put them in Hesder units protecting chicken coups or other noncombat situations. If you fight religious boys who do serve in combat units, you will find no difference in their casualties from non-religious. On the other hand we could use the same arguments in the holocaust to show that the religious Jews were highly visible targets and the first to be murdered by the Nazis. This totally blows up Yosef's idiotic argument. Furthermore, we also remember the similar argument from the idiot Yitzchak Peretz that the children of Maalot were massacred because of Shabbat. People who use such stupid arguments cannot be taken seriously.

It is always a problem when people attempt to explain God's ways. And while Jewish tradition is full of examples of punishment in kind, the final verdict seems to accept the recognition that we cannot understand the rewards of the wicked or the suffering of the righteous. Why any one would want to try is beyond me when it inevitably causes pain to those who suffer and approbation on those who make these judgements especially when there is no doubt that inflicting hurt on other and bringing insult to the Torah is forbidden. Never mind what others have said or the context in which it was said, Torah scholars must be careful in what they pronounce. Perhaps it is time for some religious leaders to demonstrate another Jewish value - humility - and ask for forgiveness during this time of repentence. It would be a far more meaningful lesson than suggesting one can judge the spiritual value of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of the Jewish people.

Don't you know that in case of danger you may transgress many religious laws ? it's called i think "pikuach nefesh" . To save someones life you not only may but HAVE to desecrate a Shabbat and even Yom Kippour if necessary .

he said also : that's no wonder that not observing , not putting on tefillin , were killed .

Don't come with this stupid argument that religious people don't serve in the IDF . They serve in most units , and surely also in combat ones . The charidim , that's another point , they avoid serving our country

I just cannot believe the deliberate rubbish, deliberate misunderstanding and blind hatred of the Anti Ovadia dummies who are responding. He said if you keep the mitzvot you will be better protected from harm. He prayed that they would return to religious ways and have a good and peaceful life. Who then is INSANE Rav Ovadia or you?