There is an interesting debate going on as a result of the incessant rocket fire from Gaza on Southern Israel. The question was presented to Rav Chaim Kanievsky by a number of different yeshiva bochruim. The question asked repeatedly is whether someone from Ashdod who is studying in yeshiva in Bnei Braq (or anywhere, but the questions mentioned referred to Bnei Braq), should go home for Shabbos to his family in Ashdod. Considering the increased level of danger currently in Ashdod, and other areas of the south, can one put himself in danger and go "home". The question was also posed the other way - a student from bnei Braq who is in yeshiva in the south but was home for Shabbos - could he go back to yeshiva.

According to the report on Kikar, Rav Kanievsky's opinion on this has consistently been that a person should stay where he is - if he is in the south (where it is dangerous), he should not leave. If however he is somewhere else, even if he only went there temporarily, he should not go to the south. The yeshiva student in Bnei Braq should not go home to Ashdod (for now), and the student in Netivot should not leave and go home to "safety" in Bnei Braq.

Srugim, on the other hand, reports that the rosh yeshiva of the yeshiva in Sderot Rav Dovid Fendel, disagrees, Rav Fendel is of the opinion that now is the time for the yeshiva students to "step up to the plate" and to show that they really believe that the Torah protects. They should now show that they too are soldiers on the front lines, remaining with the people, not abandoning their cities. Rav Fendel points out that people use the excuse of "parnassa" regularly, rightfully so, to put themselves in different types of danger. Rav Fendel also discusses the necessity of not abandoning the city in distress - the soldiers can't leave, the mayor would never leave even temporarily, etc.

I would suggest that there might not be such an argument. Rav Kanievsky also said people should not leave, though his focus was mor eon the question of whether one should go to the city in danger - Rav Kanievsky said if you are not in the city, you should not now go to it. Stay in Bnei Braq, or wherever, temporarily, and go back when things quiet down. He did not say those currently in Ashdod should leave.

It's not an easy decision when rockets are falling nearby.


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