Opinion  Nahum Barnea
The rabbis and the army
Nahum Barnea
Published: 04.07.11, 21:46
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20 Talkbacks for this article
1. The Rabbis are only undoing the damage of Ynet and the media
Ariel   (07.04.11)
2. God forbid the Torah should have a place in a Jewish Army !
Yisrael ,   Jerusalem , ISRAEL   (07.04.11)
OK, if you want to be a totally secular Jew ( which in theory cannot be, as being Jewish means doing what the Jews do: ask Ruth !), then what the hell are you doing here ? In this lousy neighbourhood ? For old times sake, you want to put your life on the line ? Or is there, perhaps some mystical, dare I say divine, connection a Jew feels for this barren wasteland , filled with the ghosts of our past greatness, and sublime stupidity ? Yo, wake it up ! The mangal did not save the Jews, the Torah did. Like it or lump it !
3. "IDF haredi rabbis...lived like parasites" STOP THE RACISM!
Barnea   (07.04.11)
4. Golani 51
al green ,   canada   (07.05.11)
My son is currently in trainig and has told me for the past 4 moths that motivated soldiers are religious and they do not make excuses to get out of training and tough situations they are also trained harder perhaps Mr Barnea can explain why most of the senior officers in Golani are dati, why is there a disproportionate number of combat soldiers his ideas seem to reside in the jobniks and draft dodgers in Tel Aviv
5. Chaplains
Kyle ,   Southpark, CO, USA   (07.05.11)
Armies all over the world have chaplains embedded within the troops. The first Jewish chaplain in the U.S. Army was appointed in 1862. Objecting to chaplains in the IDF is just weird.
6. Love
michael Pielet ,   boca raton, Israel   (07.05.11)
I loved the article. Nahum knows that the national religious, giborai Israel are taking over the army, great. nahum, perhaps its time for you and your friends to move on to another place, Russia or poland, perhaps.
7. ynet i love u but...
Ester   (07.05.11)
dont talk like this about rabbis!!! my fiancee was in op cast lead and he told me that the speech of the rabbi before the operation gave him the strengh to enter in gaza.. and hes an atheist!!
8. Keep religious corecion out of the army
Haim ,   Tel aviv   (07.05.11)
lets face it these free loaders are just looking for a meal ticket, forcing religion on non belivers has no place in a modern army. Seperate religion and state
9. perhaps the author remembers the jewish national disaster
sweeter than honey ,   far away   (07.05.11)
of the rabbinate promoting a war. like bar kochba against the romans. if you don't know the history you are doomed.
10. Great News, Go Rabbis!
Eli ,   USA   (07.05.11)
I served in the IDF and I can say that I would rather go into battle with a Rabbi than with anyone else. This is a spiritual war, the enemy draws his strength and convictions by believing in Jihad. We must fight this evil spiritual enemy with a devotion to the one true God of Israel. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you. The odds against Israel are great only with spiritual guidance can we defeat this global enemy.
11. Religious Guidance
jerry ,   haifa   (07.05.11)
Chaplains are included in all armiesT.HESE RABBIS GIVE RELIGIOUS GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT ,ESPECIALLY DURING stressful times.Barnea your anti-religious feelings are transparent to all.
12. Army Chapalins
Norman Gellman ,   Rehovot   (07.05.11)
All armies have a Chaplin’s Corps, their job is to console soldiers, give religious advice and help with burial rites and conduct religious services. If the rabbis do not preach every day trying to convert soldiers to orthodoxy and stick to the basic Chaplain’s Corps jobs , then why not have regimental chaplains.
13. Rabbis
Ronnie ,   Australia   (07.05.11)
The Australian Army has Chaplins. They do Catholics,Anglicans and Jews...all in the same breathe when required. It is seen as NORMAL. Politics in not permitted in the Australian Army BY ANYONE...it is a professional army. The IDF is Gods Army so Rabbis front an centre.
14. They are just reminding soliders what they are fighting for
David ,   Nave   (07.05.11)
After being influenced by the media about what a crappy country we have with so many problems, they are just doing good to soldiers reminding them what it is they are fighting for exactly.
15. AMEN
Benjamin Franklin ,   Boston, Mass   (07.05.11)
AMEN. This is God's nation, thus it is God's army! Barnea's ramblings of 'voodoo' is contemptuous and reveals only a deep-seeded hate for Judaism and religiosity!
16. Rabbinic training
Ehai ,   London, England   (07.05.11)
Having a properly educated Rabbi nearby for properly trained military personnel is not a question that submits itself easily to a democratic resolution. By this I mean if you asked the soldiers to choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’ do you want a Rabbi with you...... how do you treat the minority. Do you draw a line in the sand that limits the Rabbi’s authority to instruct the minority who say ‘no’. If a majority say ‘no’, how do you respect the wishes of the minority who say ‘yes’!! I suggest the important question to examine for the future of this issue is this: How much archaeological knowledge is mandatory to qualify a properly educated Rabbi. Soldiers and Rabbis have fought for the land of Israel. What once upon a time lay buried and has now been excavated presents us with a new view of the Torah’s divinity. This must be respected to justify how we all qualify our argument against Israel’s enemies that the land we are fighting for is ours. Not promised by a GOD couldn’t speak Hebrew...... because there was no Hebrew language until to 11th/10th century BCE..... that is five to six centuries after the best chronology for the Exodus....... under the cataclysm of an exploding volcano..... isle of Thera. Now this question of a proper archaeological perspective in rabbinic education must be addressed. Many of Israel’s military personnel have a basic knowledge of this archaeology. Whereas the Rabbis have been educated in Yeshiva........ where archaeology is anathema. GOD didn’t ask Muslims to pray to Mecca. It’s not in the Quran. Some muslim clerics came up with that idea. GOD didn’t speak Hebrew until the establishment of the Israelite monarchy. Knowledge is power.......... but whose knowledge shall we trust? Who and what are we fighting (defending) for? Rabbis should get an education and stop mixing politics and religion like fire with oxygen.
17. 16 G-D is almighty and possess..
ORA ,   JERUSALEM   (07.05.11)
all the languages in all times.
18. Sounds like a bad omen
Carpenter ,   Nazareth   (07.05.11)
These rabbi's will not be like Chaplin's in professional armies whose job is to cater to the religious requirements of religious soldiers. These rabbis will be coming with a political ideology that they say is sanctified by God (never mind what other streams of Judaic thought might have to say about their opinions) and in doing so they will lead army into disaster. These are the same rabbis who encouraged their students to desecrate Jerusalem with their hate march in June and the same rabbis who violate the Halakah when they say Israeli civil law is merely guidance. Israel has become bewitched by charlatans and fanatics. Just like before the 2nd Temple was destroyed and Bar Kochva after that. The false Messiah is religious Zionism
19. to 10
nana ,   jerusalem   (07.06.11)
god says ...somepeople warship god on a border line so when they win it is okey but if they loose they will return back as if they put the rule -- the religion is to win - but army is to defened more than to win and religion is the right even if you are failed to win this is the case in jihad but many people do not understand the purpose of jihad they think it is to conquer no more ,,but it is to do the right t is defendence more than to win
20. Thank G-d!
Yoni ,   Shomron   (07.06.11)
Good for the Rabbi's! Maybe now we'll start winning some wars for a change!
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