Jan 23, 2014

Soldiers in IDF make siyyum

Hmmmm.. a group of religious female soldiers, ina  program through Midreshet Lindenbaum meshing Torah studies for women with army service, have just completed a grueling 5 month army course. They celebrated the completion of the course, as soldiers sometimes do, but in a different way than how most soldiers celebrated.

These female soldiers celebrated their successful completion of the course by completing a couple of tractates of Gemara and making a siyyum. Some finished Gemara Brachos, and others finished Gemara Chagiga.
source; Srugim

So, does army service mean you also cannot do any learning during the duration of the army service? Does serving in the army for 2 or 3 years mean that for those 2 or 3 years learning Torah will not be possible or allowed?

If these girls can do it, the yeshiva boys can't?

Is this better or worse then girls putting on tefillin?


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3 comments:

  1. :-/ Everything is upside down and backwards before Ge'ulah. (sigh)

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  2. Mordechai Y. ScherJanuary 23, 2014 8:09 PM

    Rafi, I don't even understand your closing question. How are the two things comparable? And certainly if the girls are going to serve, by their choice, it is a positive example for other women and men, both. There are two elements there: one, that they maintained their learning during their training and two, that they chose a siyum mesechet as their way of celebrating the completion of training. How else does a Jew celebrate an achievement (and a relief!)? By thanking Hashem, by giving back to Him in a way that promotes His Torah and magnifies His holy name among the public. We can do this with through many mitzvot, but the way they chose really sends a message and challenges others to live up to a positive standard of commitment and learning. If I had a daughter who chose to serve in Tzahal, I would have been very proud to have her celebrate completion of tironut or a course with a siyum. I knew quite a few girls my age who served and maintained a good religious standard throughout; but none who organized this sort of celebration after tironut or a course.

    ReplyDelete
  3. that was meant to be a joke, as was the comparison to yeshiva boys serving and learn (with just a trace of seriousness)

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