BS"D
Opportunities for Public Kiddush HaShem in Israel Beckon
by Rabbi Noson Shmuel Leiter,
Executive Director,
Help Rescue Our Children,
Over the past several weeks, many have read in The Jewish Press (or heard on various hotlines) about the plight of a number of Torah-observant girls languishing in Israeli jails, suffering cruel and inhuman treatment - all for the "crime" of not enlisting in the Israeli military, the IDF. It is prohibited for girls to enlist in the military according to all Torah authorities, across the spectrum. Furthermore, as clearly articulated by many Torah leaders, that obligation is "yaihoraig ve'al ya'avor," something for which we are obligated to give up our lives to avoid. Although these girls are on the front lines of the resistance to the Israeli drafting of girls, that same obligation to combat Giyus Banos (drafting girls) is incumbent on all of us.
To illustrate, it's known that the Brisker Rov ZT"L was reluctant to join demonstrations, because he held it was life-threatening for the demonstrators, giving Torah-hating elements an opportunity to find a "legal" pretext to kill Jews. However, he did join the protests against Giyus Banos. That was because Giyus Banos is a battle which is "yaihoraig ve'al ya'avor" - and that means "yaihoraig ve'al ya'avor" for all of us, not just for the girls and their families. In those early days of the state, EVERYONE went out to protest. Even an older grandmother with a heart condition sought no excuse to stay home. (In their rage, the Israeli government shot ladies and girls with water cannons, as photographed.)
Recently, an astounding audio recording of one Israeli refusenik came to light. It was made by then incarcerated Orah Chaya bas Bruria. She is an indisputably Chareidi girl, the older of two sisters who encountered complications in the process of securing her legal rights to her religious exemption from the IDF. She was arrested with her sister the Wednesday evening before last, outside of the Kossel area, reportedly on the pretext of the "crime" of raising money at the Western Wall, to save their father's life. [Their father is suffering a very serious ailment, and they're in a very difficult financial situation.]
Until her tentative release late last week, she endured inexcusably intolerable conditions in Israeli incarceration, most recently in a military holding camp, in Tel HaShomer. Her ordeal would require a separate article to properly detail.
She is out now, but facing a hearing tommorow, Tuesday, to determine if she will be exempted from the IDF, or will be forced to endure yet more incarceration.
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Please daven and learn beretzifus for both her and her sister, Orah Chaya bas Beruria and Moraih Leah bas Beruria, and for Lidar Shirah bas Yaffa (awaiting a hearing on a possible ONE YEAR sentence for"draft dodging"), and for Mayan Chana bas Ilanit (serving over EIGHTY(!) days in military prison) as well. Please alert others to their plight, particularly those with kosher access to social media and the like.
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In the audio, Miss Rocklin speaks about the obligation of "Mesiras Nefesh," giving up one's life when necessary to avoid sacrificing one's soul to antireligious coercion (a.k.a. "Kefiyah anti-Datit,") ie. to avoid succumbing to those who seek to be ma'avir al HaDas -- as required under the commandment of Kiddush HaShem (Sanctification of the Divine Name). For the Halachos see Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Daiyoh, 157 and nosei kailim.
Astoundingly, both sisters actually recited the brocho on dying on Kiddush HaShem - with Shaim U'Malchus. The police subjected them to criminal attempts to draw them away from their Torah observance, employing almost unbearable threats and torment (apparently placing them in a situation of "ovair le'asiyoson" of mesiras nefesh mamash, at the very outset of their incarceration). Perhaps it was only by sanctifying themselves by reciting the brocho, exactly as they did, with Shaim U'Malchus that they merited to receive the Heavenly Assistance to employ the superhuman resolve required to resist the overwhelming threats and torment to which the Israeli civil and military police mercilessly subjected them.
It is impossible to describe the importance of this brief presentation on the actual fulfillment of mesiras nefesh mamash, in our own days. Many Rabbonim and Rebbitzens would immensely gain from it as well.
Therefore we present the bulk of it here, in a just-received unedited translation of a transcription from the Hebrew:
[any omissions are indicated by an ellipsis ("...")]
Orah Chaya Riklin speaking, minutes before her judgement:
"Shalom to all the women and girls who are listening to me now. I, Orah Chaya, daughter of I’mee Moratee Bruria, am thrilled to inform you that my younger sister Moriah Leah has been released. I myself am in the middle of the court case. Please pray hard for me, Orah Chaya bat Imee Moratee Bruria, that I too should be successful, and that I too should be released and return home yet today.
I want to tell you that I've been through a tough time in prison. I've literally been tortured, just like in the Inquisition. I want to tell you that in this lowest of places, הקב''ה gave me the merit to Sanctify His Holy Name. We did not transgress any commandment, either great or small. Our sages teach us that at a time of גזירת שמד, even if you are told to transgress only a lighter transgression, the הלכה is that one must allow oneself to be killed and not transgress ד'’s commandment. We are happy to have merited to fulfill this מצוה – למות על קידוש ד'. Their aim in imprisoning us was that we should forfeit our Judaism;.that we should profane the Shabbat; that we should lose our modesty; that we should enlist in the army (the IDF); that we should wear their army uniform; that we should exchange our outlook on life completely.
Every time, after they tormented us, they asked, now are you willing to transgress such and such? We refused. Again, now are you willing to transgress? They tried to break our spirits with all kinds of psychological tactics, torments, shame and disgrace. And, nonetheless, we are happy that הקב''ה gave us the merit to fulfill the מצוה of Sanctifying His Holy Name. We are happy about this.
There is also a second reason. I want to share with you another reason that enabled us to be strong; despite all the hardship and torment, to fight for our ידישקייט.
We say daily – אלוקי, נשמה שנתת בי טהורה היא. On what condition can a Jew say this prayer? On condition that he did not sell his soul to the Satan!
If our soul is still in the hands of ד', if we did not sell our soul to the Satan, if we did not forfeit our religion, then we can say this statement.
This is what gave us strength. We said to ourselves: If they manage to convince us to sell our souls to the Satan, our lives are not worth living!
Let them torment us. Let them do what they want. Theres no point in living in this world if our souls are not in ד'’s Hands – if our souls are ח''ו sold to monasteries, to the Inquisition, to the Zionist medina, to שמד!
On this we are not prepared to give up!
I said – הקב''ה, my body is dust and ash. You created me, and they want me to transgress one of Your commandments that You commanded me. I’m prepared to die for this! My body is nothing! It’s worthless. Whatever happens to it, and I don’t care what, my body is worthless. I’m dust and ash. ...
The main thing is the soul. שהנשמה שבקרבי טהורה היא. That my נשמה should return to You clean and pure. That I didn’t sell my soul. This is the greatest satisfaction for a Jew. Our greatest sages wanted, pleaded – הקב''ה, please give me the merit; give me the מצוה of Sanctifying Your Holy Name.
Boruch Hashem, we merited to say this blessing, I must tell you. The torture of the handcuffs, locked so achingly tight, already started in the police car on the way to Neve Tzivia Prison.
My sister and I said – now we will make a blessing that not many Jews have merited to say –
ברוך אתה ד' א' מלך העולם, אשר קידשנו במצותיו וצונו למות על קידוש ד'. Because for us, this already was death. Because there is no point in living if they want to take our souls, if they want to change our very outlook on life, our Orthodox ideology, stopping us from going in the ways of our forefathers. [If they take this away from us] there is no point in living in this world.
I’ll say this again. I have no idea what the outcome of this court case will be, but come what may, I’ll never, ever, ever surrender.
ד' wants that I should not surrender to the Satan. I won’t surrender to the Satan. I’ll continue to give up my life to Sanctify Your Holy Name, until You release me from this captivity.
Now I would like to say a ברכה. My younger sister has now been released. I’ll say a ברכה and you’ll say אמן.
ברוך אתה ד' א' מלך העולם, מתיר אסורים.
Dearest Jewish women and girls, I would like to thank you, from the depths of my heart, that you are praying for my sister and me. That you surpassed yourselves, united, standing behind us, giving us tremendous support. You dropped all your activities. You prayed that we should be freed from captivity. This helped us to fulfill the מצוה of קידוש
ד'. I’d like to thank all the organizations that helped us, brought us kosher food, that merited the מצוה of פדיון שבוים, and gave us the strength to be imprisoned in order to sanctify ד'’s Holy Name.
We thank you all from the depths of our hearts. May ד' bless you all.
In this merit, משיח will come quicker – speedily and in our days, אמן."
