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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial>From: Harvey Benton <harvw613@yahoo.com><BR>"<BR><BR>>>
moshe's reasoning and anger at the 2 tribes who did not want to go into the
land, was that it was not fair that some people risk their lives, homes and
properties, while others stay behind in lush lands and graze their cattle. why
does this reasoning not apply to today's army exemptions? which, the groisa
rabbonim, are fully aware of????? many of them are baki b'shas, and if not baki
b'shas, they are fuly aware of this pasuk(im) and their import and meanings.
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<DIV>>>>>></DIV>
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<DIV>The two tribes were not proposing to live an austere life of Torah learning
with minimal material comforts. They were proposing (Moshe thought) to
live in the lap of luxury in chutz la'aretz, on lush and beautiful farms, with
all the wealth and comfort humans can imagine, while their brethren had yet to
conquer their allotted property and did not yet have parnassah or a place to
live. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Instead of asking why Torah scholars should be exempt from the army, you
should ask why is it permissible for us to live lives of material plenty and
abundance in America while our brethren face war and economic hardships in
Eretz Yisrael? Did the writer of this post himself serve in the Israeli
army? (That's an actual question, not a rhetorical question -- perhaps he
did, I don't know.)</DIV>
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<DIV>I would answer -- though it is only a very partial answer -- that
Jews who do enjoy material wealth in chutz la'aretz have an obligation, at the
very least, to provide material help and support to their fellow Jews in Eretz
Yisrael, especially to those who live in poverty in order to learn Torah day and
night. At least those who live in chutz la'aretz would thus be enabled to
some degree to share in the zechus of those whose Torah learning they
support. I would also say they should support other organizations in Eretz
Yisrael as well, in addition to yeshivos and kollelim -- organizations like Yad
Sarah, Tomchei Shabbos, Zaka, children's homes, organizations that help
soldiers, and many many other worthy causes.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR>================</STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 color=#000000 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF" PTSIZE="10"><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR>_____________________
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