[Avodah] Wartime Orders

[Dov Kay]

<<The question that bothers me is what about in training?  There must be a 
point
where one should not do things during training on shabbos because the
environment is not truly a sakkanah.  However, one can also argue that 
training
is a crucial and essential part of fighting a war.  If so, if a soldier 
decides
not to follow orders because it is shabbos, and he doesn't want to carry his
weapon (a probable derabbanan) or use his weapon (a probable deoraysah) to 
what
extant can one argue that this endangers the mission and the other soldiers 
and
may be permitted on shabbos?>>

This question is touched upon in a letter by R. Soloveitchik in "Community, 
Covenant and Commitment", in which the Rav was asked whether the Orthodox 
community should provide chaplains to serve with US forces in Korea.  He 
deals with the lomdus of putting oneself in a position of pikuach nefesh in 
the finest English prose.  It is truly Brisk meets Oxford!  He also 
discusses the risk of court martial for not following orders where pikuach 
nefesh is not applicable and the weight to be given to that risk in 
determining the permissibility of joining the Army in the first instance.

Kol tuv
Dov Kay
Manchester, UK

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