[Avodah] shivyon hanettel

[saul newman]

seen online----

The Netziv operates from a value system that is as charedi as you can get.
In *She'er Yisrael *11, he states that Torah is the main weapon of the
Jewish people in defending itself against its enemies. He simultaneously
notes that those who support Torah study have a share in such defense. And
in*Haamek Davar* to Bereishis 49:14, he notes that the tribe of Yissacher
were not suited to war, and studied Torah instead - until David HaMelech
forcibly drafted them!

Apparently, then, under certain circumstances, even those learning Torah
and defending the Jewish People in that way are nevertheless supposed to be
drafter for actual combat. However, what is even more interesting is
Netziv's description (in *Haamek Davar* to Bereishis 49:15) of what happens
in other circumstances, when those learning Torah are not drafted. He
states that they pay higher monetary taxes to support the military! And he
states that they are to be available for whatever purposes the nation
requires (i.e. some sort of national service). Furthermore, in *Haamek Davar
* to Devarim 33:18 he notes that they must actually accompany the soldiers
to study Torah and pray at the front line (presumably either because the
protective force of Torah is geographically concentrated, or in order to
boost the morale of the soldiers).

This raises a fascinating question. Since the Netziv believed that learning
Torah provides the primary protection, why did he say that Yissacher has to
pay extra military taxes and perform national service? I don't know the
answer. But perhaps it was because he recognized that you can't claim to be
sharing the burden when you're not putting yourself out in a way that
meaningfully matches the sacrifices made by others.


---- one must say that the Netziv's position has not been accepted....
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