Come on, inappropriate for learned men to have driver's licenses? There are tons of charedim driving around. At least have the common courtesy to be honest about the reason, which probably has something to do with the fact they are worried if the boys get licenses, it will be way easy for them to get to those places they shouldn't be at. Charedim, sometimes you are just plain absurd.

Is it allowed to ride a donkey? Is it allowed to BECOME a donkey? Let's all go live in caves like our ancestors, the Neanderthal life-style is obviously what G-d intended. What? The Neanderthals are extinct! How could that have happened?

Wasn't life wonderful in the 15th Century? No electricity, no antibiotics, plagues & epidemics, famine, infant mortality sky-high, death in child-birth as high as one-in-three, mass illiteracy, superstition & ignorance, limited transportation, poor communications, people living in un-heated, un-airconditioned hovels, no plumbing, lice & other parasites ..... Gee, wasn't it wonderful? Oh, how I long for the ''good old days'' ........

The Yeshivas don't want SINGLE BOYS at Yeshiva having driving licenses, except in circumstances such as with the crippled father, because - and read this carefully - Yeshivas receive donor's funding for boys to concentrate solely on learning Torah. Experience has shown that once they get a driving license, they start hiring cars, taking time off from learning for joy trips to the north, and generally are not doing what they are supposed to be doing. Therefore, fine, if they want to do all this, let them do so, but not under the auspices of the yeshiva.

In Tel Aviv , I often see Rabbis outside brothels , I don't see them holding donkeys , unless they leave them in a parking lot.

B"H The usual haredi bashing without informing on the issues involved.

Because so many people hate them without understanding anything about them. I'm not saying I prefer their way of life, but let's at least be fair. Cars are very distracting from a learning-intensive (!) period at yeshiva. Also, the two people most responsible for cars' dominance in society were Henry Ford (the biggest anti-Semite in the US) and Adolf Hitler (inventor of the people's car). Why should we adopt the crazy habits of the countries we left? Read the history, it's interesting!

We should ask ourselves why this trend towards cult-like religious extremism? This kind of lunacy does not develop in a vacuum. We allow it to flourish by fostering the conditions that allow self-isolation & lack of reality contact. Welfare, child-suppport, separate educational systems, no military service - all this is OUR fault & of course, the fault of our crap political system. Understand, I am NOT bashing the religious - the vast majority of religious people are not crazy fanatics. I may not have any religious beliefs but I respect our traditions. But I don't think insanity & irrationality is part of our religious tradition.

Nothing I hear about the Haredim surprises me any more. They're getting more extreme day by day, I shudder at the thought that one day they may be a majority here. It amazes me that people can spend their entire lives studying Torah and yet miss some of the Torah's most basic and simple messages. I wonder, if Abraham were alive today, what would he think of the Haredim - and what would they think of him? I have little doubt they would shun him for not being strict enough.

Such a backward religion, scared to embrace society, whats the whole point of learning the torah if you can't apply it to practice in society and test yourself. Ultra-orthodox jews just isolate themselves and are not faced with soceity's issues and reality. These people are just cowards for living in a cocooned manner why can't they challenging themselves in today's community.

Terry, I would push that reasoning even further. The same applies to our Arab cousins in the degenerescence that some of their own religious zealots are now going through , ranging from the woman's place in society to idiotic rules like the one about driving. Same causes produce same effects...anywhere in the world and religious excess has ALWAYS Yield OBSCURANTISM. Mollahs and Rabbi alike represent a danger for mankind as they all have a tendancy to believe in their own righfulness and their exclusive relation with god ( if there is one that is which one may or may not believe) .

Yes Henry Ford was a big Anti-Semite, so? If you feel so strongly about not "adopting crazy habits of the countries we left " why don't you go to the Kennest and tell them to turn in all those Ford F-350's that the army uses. Or better yet, how about banning all Ford vehicles in Israel. While we are at it let's ban all Japanese vehicles too because they fought on the side of Germany. So what does that leave us with? GM? Oh they are bankrupt. Next time think before you write your talkback.

mother who would not allow Ruth to take a job during the Great Depression because she was a "lady", even though they did not have the money to pay for a C.O.D. package. Ruth replied, "Ladies EAT, don't they?" Sometimes it is necessary for the gentlemen and ladies to do things not considered appropriate for their class. Since working was verboten, Ruth married instead and let her husband work to bring in an income. But eventually Ruth decided to work outside the home and even went back to college to get a teaching degree. But she was not happy working outside the home even though she did so as her heart lost its trust in God's provision if she stayed at home. It was a happier home before she worked outside the home and I understand the logic in trying to be traditional in the old fashioned way. Working outside the home made Ruth brutish and cruel and hateful toward her husband and children she began to despise because she was so tired all the time.

your right- a serious single Yeshiva man should be concentrating on his learning. There is really no "need" for the car in Israel. Turn it around- this shows the concern the Yeshiva heads have for their boys to be serious and not waste Clal Yisraels's money- wouldn't that have made a nicer and truer story- it's not all about "control" of the flocks.

these people need some Mao-like re-education programmes- mandatory re-education programmes- and fast, before we turn into banana republic!! its bad enough that they live parasitically off everyone else's hard earned wages; clearly the yeshivas are doing whatever they can to prevent their "students" (students of what exactly, i don't know) from EVER working!

This is the most practical and the best way to prevent car accidents. Yes, here we a have an example of how to reduce the amount of people driving in israel, and therefor reducing the amount of accidents. Greate. Now just teach them how to cross the street, specially at night, you know, with all that dark clothing they at least should ware a reflective streep on the hat.

I went to a Haradi Yeshiva so I know the drill this restriction only applies to young single students around the 17-23 age range. If they are married and have a family this does not apply. This is a passive way to encourage them to spend more time studding (when they do not have a family to provide for) and less time doing other activities.

given like that, i can understand why it's forbidden to the Yeshiva students. I hope it's a good reason, as it's forbidden for watching TV... but this is a single case that doesn't occur in all the Yeshivos. I understand it's dishonest to make some tours while you're paid for studying... but we can also break their legs if we don't want them to go out. I don't agree with it, because it's a way to become independant for their future life. It's abnormal to see so many religious as hitch-hikers at the Jerusalem entrance. They endanger their lives when they accept going into some arab's car.

I am shocked of the narrow minded people. If these Rabbis remember that these boys will one day be husbands, men, then it is essential for them to have a license to be able to travel with there future wife's and children that they should be blessed with instead of climbing on to a bus, pram in one hand, baby in the other and the other eight children screaming for their mother because there is no where to sit of fighting who sits where. Or do these people want the wife to drive and put every thing on her shoulders like she does not have enough giving birth to the other nine kids, feed them wash them etc.

you must have seeing "rabbis" outside brothels in Tel Aviv. You probably dont see the rampant prostitution and barbarisms in Athens as your focus is too out of range!

The reporting was incomplete, as usual. There has to be some reason. what worries me is that boys of 18 to 23 are expected to have so little self control. Therein lies a lot of the Hardi problems. They assume no self control instead of expecting it. Same story with the segregated buses. We are responsible for ourselves, even at 18.

A car needs to be insured, not cheap, it needs petrol, not cheap, it needs regular servicing, not cheap. How can they afford to run a car when they don't work?

I don't understand why men can't have a licence... Would riding a horse be ok? A bicycle? What about getting on a bus? I don't understand...

If the boys don't like the rules - then go to another yeshiva that does allow driving. If they want this yeshiva in particular - then like with all institutions - accept the rules - it's not like it came as a surprise. And why is this newsworthy?

Of course you are'nt suprised. YNet is doing a phenonenal job in digging up every tiny bit of anti-Hareidi reporting they can find.

Seek we still more degeneration? Secular culture and values have permeated the entity which is currently occupying the land of Israel to the very core. One can hardly walk down the street without seeing women of looseness and the men who loosen them. Shall we hurl our holy students of Torah into this terrible world of vice by giving them access to whatever lewdness is available? By giving them free pass to defilement and the abodes of lasciviosity? May the Merciful one guard us from such a foolish thought. A Yeshiva student's home is the House of Study, his lover, the Talmud, and his ale the Tradition. Holiness is his lot. To change this would be unthinkable. No cars. Not on my watch.

Man, Are those "gunfighters" going to get heavy ticketed, driving their Maserati's 'n Lamborghini's n' Jags around TA, without a license. Hmmm.What would a 14th century victim, I mean student in waiting want with a learners permit anyway.

these boys come here and the yeshiva is responsible for them. I know of a case where boys were told not to rent cars, one boy did and was killed driving back from the north. This is another reason for this stipulation. You folks are SO ready to criticize..... try getting the whole story, read another news service.