[Avodah] Charedim and the army

[Marty Bluke]

Here is a quote from an article of R' Aharon Lichtenstein on
exemptions for yeshiva students (Tradition, Fall 1985):

"Finally, even if we grant that the Rambam's statement does imply a
categorical dispensation in purely halachic terms, it remains of
little practical significance. We have yet to examine just to whom it
applies. A levi [sic] is defined genealogically. Those who are equated
with him, however, literally or symbolically, are defined by spiritual
qualities; and for these the Rambam sets a very high standard indeed.
He present an idealized portrait of a selfless, atemporal, almost
ethereal person - one whose spirit and intelligence have led him to
divest himself of all worldly concerns and who has devoted himself "to
stand before God, to serve Him, to worship Him, to know God; and he
walks aright as the Lord has made him and he has cast off from his
neck the yoke of the many considerations which men have sought." To
how large a segment of the Torah community - or, a fortiori, of any
community - does this lofty typology apply? To two percent? Five
Percent? Can anyone... confront a mirror and tell himself that he
ought not to go to the army because he is kodesh kodashim, sanctum
sanctorum, in the Rambam's terms? Can anyone with even a touch of
vanity or a concern for kavod contend this? Lest I be misunderstood,
let me state clearly that I have no quarrel with economic aspiration
or with normal human foibles per se. Again, least of all do I wish to
single out b'nei yeshivot for undeserved moral censure. I do feel,
however, that those who would single themselves out for saintliness
should examine their credentials by the proper standard."

In essence, RAL's point is that requires a tremendous amount of hubris
for a person to say that my learning is so important that I don't need
to go to the army and fight, especially when in many other areas the
person doesn't show such great faith (as RAL describes). It is very
nice for a person to say that they are joining Shevet Levi, but who
says that they were accepted?