There is a story in the Torah of the “professional curser” Bilam (see the Book of Numbers). Seeing the Jews leave Egypt and march toward the “Promised Land”, get attacked and defeat a few groups along the way, King Balak of Midian decides on a new national defense strategy. Rather than direct confrontation with Israel, he hires Bilam to curse the Jews. Bilam, not wanting to admit that he’s just your run of the mill “bad mouther”, tells the king that he can only say what G-d tells him to. Appealing to G-d to help him curse Israel, Bilam is repeatedly told by G-d, “They are blessed.” Bilam three times attempts to curse Israel, but all that comes out of his mouth are more blessings.

In what traditionally has been a guiding national policy for the Jewish people, Bilam proclaims, “Hen Am Livadad Yish-kon, Uv’Goyim Lo Yit-Chashave” or “Behold! It is a nation that shall dwell alone, and shall not be counted among the nations.” (Numbers 23:9) Jews really don’t need to look beyond their own tradition for policy guidelines that warn not to get into “entangling alliances.” Traditional Jewish commentaries to these verses explain that the Jewish people get their strength and prosperity not from alliances with other nations and cultures, but from their single-minded adherence to their own unique Torah culture – Judaism – their single-minded worship of the G-d of Israel, their single-minded control over their own land and lives, and their single-minded defense of their own interests. In a nutshell, liberty, freedom and national independence.

Editor’s note: This was an excerpt from a larger article by Ariel Pasko at https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/331079?ssr=1?utm_source=whatsapp&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

I quoted the part that was more relevant to Parshat Balak.

1. The Initial Halachic Dilemma

• The speaker (in a Hebrew YouTube video) had been ascending the Temple Mount for two or three years.
• The Conflict with Authority: He discovered published pamphlets stating that his deeply revered spiritual mentor, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, strongly opposed ascending the Mount. This created an immediate internal and halachic conflict for him.

2. The Face-to-Face Encounter

• Seeking Atonement: The speaker used the occasion of his son’s Chalekeh (3rd birthday haircutting ceremony) to approach Rabbi Eliyahu directly. Expecting a reprimand, he asked how he could atone for ascending the Temple Mount for the past 2–3 years against the Rabbi’s rumored stance.
• The Crucial Distinction (How vs. If): Instead of issuing a blanket ban, Rabbi Eliyahu asked a vital clarifying question: “How do you ascend?”

3. Strict Adherence to Halachic Protocols

The speaker explained that he does not ascend carelessly, but strictly follows traditional halachic boundaries:

• Performing ritual immersion (tevilah) beforehand.
• Avoiding leather footwear (walking barefoot or in non-leather shoes).
• Sticking strictly to the permitted halachic pathways (staying within the boundaries of the Camp of the Levites), a route heavily researched and established by figures like Rabbi Elbaum.

4. An Unexpected Blessing and Obligation

• The Rabbi’s Approving Reaction: Upon hearing that the speaker followed exact halachic protocols, Rabbi Eliyahu became deeply interested, clapped his hands, and enthusiastically told him: “Hazak U’Baruch (Strong and Blessed), you continue to ascend.”
• From Permission to Duty: While the speaker’s wife originally urged him to ask the Rabbi in hopes he would stop out of fear, the encounter had the opposite effect. The speaker notes that he no longer ascends merely as a personal choice, but feels a spiritual obligation (chovah) based on Rabbi Eliyahu’s direct directive. For this reason for more than two decades he has frequently visited the Temple Mount.

5. Disappointment with Contemporary Rabbinic Leadership

• Evasiveness of Other Sages: In the years since, the speaker has challenged various other prominent rabbis on the topic.
• “Filling Their Mouths with Water”: He expresses deep disappointment that many modern rabbinic authorities choose to remain silent or evasive, failing to provide clear, robust halachic arguments against ascending when proper purification and boundaries are maintained.

Editor’s comment: I believe both the pamphlet and the speaker in the Hebrew YouTube video from which I got this information for this post were telling the truth about Rabbi Eliyahu’s outlook on the Temple Mount.

I believe the pamphlet was directed towards the general audience and the answer to this speaker was based on a more precise knowledge of who was making an inquiry into the subject.

I remember on Election Day in Israel, one person asked Rabbi Eliyahu which party to vote for? He suggested a certain right-wing party that was running.

The questioner thought this was a general endorsement for everyone and made Rabbi Eliyahu’s opinion public.

Rabbi Eliyahu put out a clarification that his endorsement was specific for this particular person and for other people he might endorse a different particular party.

This answer might help us judge also some of the other rabbis, לכף זכות.

A translated excerpt from Rabbi Zuriel’s Otzrote Hatorah, Korach (1)

In summary: “Take fast hold of Mussar, let her not go; keep her; for she is thy life” (Proverbs 4:13). And they said concerning this: “A parable of one who is cast into the midst of the water, the captain extended the rope and said to him, ‘Hold this in your hand and do not let it go. For if you let it go, you have no life.’ Thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel: ‘Take fast hold of Mussar, let her not go'” (Bamidbar Rabbah, end of Parashat Shelach). And indeed, “fools despise wisdom and mussar” (Proverbs 1:7). The verse divides them into two, to teach us that there is a “wise man” like Korach, but his heart is consumed by jealousy and love of authority. And this is what Rabbi Yisrael Salanter answered when he was asked by someone what to study, since he was busy with his livelihood all day. When he asked a certain rabbi, he answered him to study only practical Halacha (law). But one Rosh Yeshiva answered him to study only Gemara, because that is the base of everything. And a rabbi wise in secrets answered him to study only Kabbalah, because that is the peak of the Torah’s loftiness. And another rabbi answered him to study only Scripture, because that is what we heard from Sinai from the mouth of Hashem. When they neglect ‘Mussar’, then there is no guarantee in the Torah itself that it will save a person from going down to the pit. And the Ramchal spoke much about this (in his introduction to “Mesillat Yesharim”). “Behold, the fear of Hashem, that is wisdom,” only it alone is wisdom, and the rest of the occupations of the Torah will not compare to it (see there for his proofs).

Summary of his video filmed on the Temple Mount by Gemini AI

The Core Thesis: The Wilderness “Educational Series”

Rabbi Wolfson identifies a distinct, interconnected narrative arc spanning three consecutive Torah portions: Beha’alotcha, Shelach, and Korach. This is not a random sequence of historical events, but rather a profound, divine “educational series” intended for all generations. Its purpose is to deeply root a fundamental truth within the Jewish heart: The Torah of Moses is eternal, divine, and absolute. It cannot be compared to, replaced by, or bypassed by anyone—not even by the greatest spiritual giants of a generation or the highest halachic institution, the Sanhedrin.

Breakdown by Torah Portion

1. Parashat Beha’alotcha: The Mistake of Miriam and Aaron (False Equivalence)

• The Transgression: Miriam and Aaron—who were immense righteous figures and prophets in their own right—erroneously misunderstand Moses’ unique status. They assume a level of spiritual equivalence, claiming, “Has the Lord spoken only through Moses? Has He not spoken through us as well?”

• The Divine Response & Lesson: God reacts with anger, clarifying unequivocally that Moses is entirely different from any other prophet. While others receive visions in riddles, Moses speaks with God “mouth to mouth… and beholds the likeness of the Lord.”

• The Eternal Message: Moses cannot be compared to any other human being. His prophecy and his Torah occupy a singular, unassailable baseline.

2. Parashat Shelach: The Spies and the “Ma’apilim” (Human Logic vs. Moses’ Decree)

• The Transgression of the Spies: The spies were not simple sinners; they were the heads of the tribes, spiritual giants, and righteous leaders. According to the Zohar, they acted based on a “majority consensus” of the generation’s greatest minds and possessed complex, highly sophisticated theological calculations as to why it wasn’t the right time to enter Israel (e.g., calculations regarding the years of exile). Their mistake was believing their rationalizations could override God’s command given through Moses.

• The Mistake of the Ma’apilim: After the decree of the 40-year wandering, the people realize their sin and attempt to force their way into Israel (“We are here, and we will go up”). Moses explicitly tells them not to go because God is no longer with them in this endeavor. They defy him, ascend anyway, and are decimated.

• The Context of the Sanhedrin: Immediately following this story, the Torah introduces the laws of Par Ve’sa’ir (the communal sin offering brought when the Sanhedrin errs and mistakenly permits idolatry).

• The Eternal Message: The Sanhedrin and the leading sages represent the Oral Torah, but they are not the Torah itself. Even the highest court can make a mistake. The spies failed because they relied on their own logical “calculations” instead of surrendering to Moses’ word. Absolute loyalty to Moses means that if he says “go,” you go; if he says “stay,” you stay—regardless of human intellect or majorities.

3. Parashat Korach: The Ultimate Defiance (Accusing Moses of Personal Interest)

• The Transgression: Korach and the 250 leaders challenge the foundational authenticity of Moses and Aaron. They suspect that Moses’ appointments are politically driven—that he simply “arranged a nice setup for his family” (nepotism) rather than acting on divine command.

• The Divine Response: The truth is clarified in the most terrifyingly objective manner: the earth opens its mouth and swallows Korach and his assembly, proving once and for all that Moses acts solely as a direct conduit of God’s will.

Conclusion and Practical Application

The Rabbi concludes that the Jewish people are commanded to have absolute, unwavering loyalty to the Torah of Moses (comprising both the Written and Oral Torah as transmitted by the sages). Nothing supersedes or bypasses the Torah of Moses. To illustrate this absolute boundary, the Rabbi notes that if the Sanhedrin issues a ruling, but a Torah scholar knows with absolute certainty that they have erred against the true law of Moses, he is forbidden to follow them. The Torah of Moses remains the supreme, eternal compass for the Jewish nation.

Comment: After the death of Moshe Rabbeinu there is a different set of rules, regarding when can an individual defy the ruling of the Sanhedrin. One should not be quick to draw conclusions from this lecture how to react under today’s reality. See Likutei Halachot of the Chafetz Chaim on Horayot for more details.

This is a transcript of a recent YouTube video put out by Avi Abelow. Since many avoid using YouTube for various reasons, we have provided a transcript with the help of AI of Abelow’s thoughts on this topic.

Many Jews and Israelis still don’t fully see it. But we are dealing with a dangerous level of corruption and entrenched power at the high highest levels of our government institutions, a deep state of unelected officials that often works against the interests of the Israeli people and our elected leaders, against the voice of the people. Because our elected leaders represent a strong nationalist religious direction for the Jewish state of Israel as the majority of Jewish Israelis, which is abhorrent to those deep state officials.

 

Most Jews and Israelis remain in the dark about all this because the mainstream media is not reporting on it as they are active partners in protecting the agenda of those unelected officials. Now, take a step back and internalize this. It has been over 210 days now, maybe 211 days since the IDF military advocate general was formally declared a suspect in a criminal investigation for an offense that she herself admitted to. She subsequently allegedly attempted suicide, during which her mobile phone, potentially containing incriminating evidence, was mysteriously lost in the ocean. 210 or 11 days in which the Supreme Court, the institution of justice for the people, has blocked the appointment of an investigator to investigate the crime of the military advocate general, a crime again that she admitted to doing. 210 or 11 days in which the attorney general, the highest legal authority in the land, has not been questioned about her own role in the affair and covering up for it. It took the IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, 209 days to finally announce the dismissal of the military advocate general from the army, a pathetic fake dismissal with no revocation of rank, no indictment, and no real accountability whatsoever. Meanwhile, she has been sitting comfortably at home collecting a generous lifetime pension while the entire senior echelon of legal security and intelligence officials who colluded with her continue to laugh in the faces of the Israeli public as they get away once again with their abuse of power.

 

And the worst part? This woman, the military advocate general, admitted responsibility for leaking the infamous video that pushed the vicious blood libel claiming that IDF soldiers raped Hamas terrorists. The video showed nothing, absolutely nothing, yet her poisonous messaging with the video turned it into international ammunition against our holy soldiers, racking up billions of views leading to UN condemnations and to the greatest ongoing international blood libel against the Jewish people in history that will plague the Jewish people forever. Yet how much attention is this injustice garnering in the Israeli Jewish public discourse? Zero.

She ruined the lives of our holy IDF soldiers. She falsely accused One soldier took his own life. Others saw their lives destroyed, divorced, businesses destroyed. The diplomatic damage to Israel was enormous. The UN just did something else against Israel because of this. If you ask me, the military advocate general did not think of this idea on her own.

 

Remember, this leaked scandal, this video scandal, occurred in August 2024 during the final months of the Biden administration and many in Israel believe the leak and the way it was pushed were intended to give the Biden administration ammunition to invoke the Leahy law and restrict US weapons shipments to Israel, which is exactly what the Biden administration did even without enacting the Leahy law. Not everyone remembers, but there were significant forces inside Israel’s establishment, including politicians, Lapid, Gantz, Yair Golan, and retired senior security and intelligence officers who worked and protested tirelessly to halt the war, weaken Netanyahu’s government, and help the Biden administration force Israel into submission. It is inconceivable that the military advocate general, whose core duty is to protect our idea of soldiers, acted alone in creating and promoting the most damaging blood libel against our own troops that will plague the Jewish people forever. No way. Other unelected officials were undoubtedly involved in that vicious backstabbing decision. Her firing now after 210 or 11 days, it’s not justice. It is the rotten elite system of unelected officials protecting one of its own, no matter how much damage she caused the Jewish state, the Jewish people, and our holy idea of soldiers.

The message to every idea of soldier is clear. If you’re religious, if you wear a Messiah patch on your uniform, if you fight with Jewish pride, you’ll be hunted and jailed for 30 days. 30 days!

 

That’s what happened to the soldier that had a Messiah patch. But if you’re part of the corrupt elite club, pushing dangerous agendas and blood libels that damage Israel on the world stage, helping a US administration that was bad to Israel, and you helped damage our soldiers, oh, you’ll be protected. This is the moral rot we are dealing with that the mainstream media covers up, and it must end. Instead, we are fed headlines about Minister Ben-Gvir taunting terrorist-supporting international activists.

Do you understand how warped the reality is that we are told day in and day out by our mainstream media, including in the Jewish Israel space? Don’t care about the real important issues. Care about these other insane, not really important issues, but those are really important. The Jewish people deserve real leadership and real accountability. We will overcome our external enemies and the internal channel challenges as well. Victory and truth are coming. Every day, more Israelis are waking up to this troubling reality as these people continue to expose themselves, these unelected officials, especially in the justice system.

The reason is painful but clear. They are far more frightened by the rise of a strong, proud, and unapologetically Jewish Israel than they are by the threat of massacre from our jihadi enemies. It’s difficult to have our heads wrap around and accept, but it’s the truth. We will overcome it all and hopefully one day this military advocate general responsible who admitted responsibility to leaking the video that caused all this damage will be sitting behind bars for many, many, many years.

We’re going to overcome it all, folks. We are an unbelievable generation. We are back home in our unbelievable, beautiful, ancestral, indigenous homeland.

Abelow concludes with an explanation why he brought up the issue and made an appeal to support his “Pulse of Israel” videos.

The motivation of vilnagaon.org to quote from Abelow was to provide necessary background information to some of our other posts, such as:

• According to IDF Leadership: Shaming a Statue of the Virgin Mary, Go Straight to Jail! But Shaming the Jewish Messiah, No Problem!
• Based on Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah it seems on the ideal level there is a value of Torah Scholars participating in a war against enemies like Sisera.
• About 200 bereaved family members—parents who lost their children in the massacre at the Nova party and in the war—have filed a complaint today (Sunday), at the Yarkon Police Station in Tel Aviv, against the former head of the Israel Security Agency (Shabak), Ronen Bar. They Blame him for the Oct. 7th / Shmini Atzeret Massacre.

 

Using Google Maps I tried to locate where one might be able to put a square of 500 cubits onto the Temple Mount, using the popular cubit measurement of Rabbi Chaim Naeh, who claimed the cubit was 48 centimeters, which would translate into 240 meters if we wanted to measure 500 cubits.

I asked Rabbi Itai Elitzur if this (picture) is indeed his viewpoint about the location of the sanctified 500 cubits by 500 cubits of the Temple Mount. He answered, yes.

Posted by Shlomo Moshe Scheinman. Elsewhere on this web site I provide evidence against using large cubits, such as the cubit of the Chazon Ish.

I wish to stress that although Rabbi Elitzur’s opinion is a very legitimate interpretation of the data we know, it is not the only interpretation. For those that read Hebrew, see my article about the Temple Mount, where other possibly valid opinions about the location of the Temple’s 500 by 500 sanctified cubits are discussed.

I am hoping my doubts will be resolved in the relatively near future by Muon detectors. See the article Studying What is Beneath the Temple Mount with Muon Tomography, AI and Pattern Recognition and a Discussion About Carbon-14 Proofs for an explanation of the concept.

Summary by GEMINI AI

Dr. Ben Ari opens his lecture with the traditional greetings of “Chag Sameach and Shabbat Shalom,” highlighting the unique calendar confluence (in 5786 / 2026) where the festival of Shavuot (the Giving of the Torah) directly connects into the holy Shabbat of Parashat *Naso*.

 

1. The Essence of Matan Torah: The ID Card of the Jewish People

 

The lecturer explains that just as every nation possesses a defining symbol or monument that captures its identity (like the Eiffel Tower for France), the Jewish people’s identity is defined by the Torah. He quotes Rav Saadia Gaon: *”Our nation is only a nation by virtue of its Torahs.”*

 

* **A Top-Down Revelation:** A foundational element of Jewish faith is that the Torah was not invented by human sages. Rather, it was a top-down revelation from G-d at Mount Sinai. The Talmudic concept that G-d *”held the mountain over them like a cask”* signifies that the Torah is an absolute, binding reality, not subject to human alteration or personal whim.

* **”Were it not for this day”:** Dr. Ben Ari shares the Talmudic anecdote of the sage Rav Joseph, who celebrated Shavuot by stating: *”Were it not for this day, how many ‘Josephs’ would there be in the marketplace?”* The Torah is what elevates, individualizes, and preserves the Jew; without it, the nation would dissolve and disappear in the diaspora.

* **Passing the Torch:** Mentioning the self-sacrifice of Jews during the Roman persecutions in the days of Rabbi Akiva, he emphasizes the commandment of *”and you shall teach them diligently to your children.”* Studying Torah with one’s children—even for just 5 or 10 minutes a day—is crucial for maintaining Jewish continuity.

 

2. Megillat Ruth: Simplicity, Nature, and the Spirit of Lovingkindness

 

As a Bible (Tanakh) teacher of many years, Dr. Ben Ari expresses a deep, uniquely emotional connection to the Book of Ruth. He describes it as a text that provides “tranquility to the soul” and a comforting place “to rest one’s head.”

 

* **The Landscape of the Land:** Most of the narrative unfolds in the wide-open spaces, fields, and threshing floors of the Land of Israel during the barley and wheat harvests. This agricultural setting infuses the story with a natural, serene atmosphere.

* **The Greatness of Small Acts (Boaz’s Toast):** The lecturer highlights the text’s profound simplicity through the scene where Boaz roasts grain for Ruth (*”And he offered her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left thereof”*). The Sages note that if Boaz had known this minor act would be eternally recorded in the Bible, he would have prepared a lavish feast with top chefs. Yet, the true power of the Megillah lies in this unpretentious, natural benevolence and open-heartedness.

 

3. The Sin of Elimelech vs. Mutual Responsibility

 

Dr. Ben Ari draws a sharp contrast between the altruism of the Megillah’s protagonists and the behavior of Elimelech, who deserted the Land of Israel for the fields of Moab during a famine.

 

* **Elimelech’s Alienation:** The Sages judge Elimelech harshly. As a wealthy leader of his generation, he should have opened his storehouses to help the community weather the crisis together. Instead, he chose self-preservation and fled.

* **Separating from the Community:** The lecturer references the rabbinic dictum: *”When the community is suffering, a person must not say: ‘I will go to my home, eat and drink…'”* Those who separate themselves from the community in times of trouble will not live to see its consolation—as evidenced by Elimelech’s family, who lost all their wealth and whose sons (Mahlon and Chilion) died abroad.

* **A Modern Analogy:** He shares a poignant story about the late father-in-law of Noam Federman (David Haramati, a righteous convert). During the Yom Kippur War, while still a non-Jew abroad, he witnessed young Jewish men rushing to public telephones to book flights back to Israel to fight for their country. This display of absolute mutual responsibility deeply moved him, inspiring him to convert and join the Jewish people.

 

4. Ruth’s Devotion and Her Heroic Speech

 

Upon hearing that *”the Lord had remembered His people in giving them bread,”* Naomi decides to return to Bethlehem. On the road, she attempts to convince her daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, to return to their maternal homes, realistically painting a bleak picture of their future if they stay with her.

 

* **Orpah vs. Ruth:** Orpah makes a pragmatic, realistic calculation, kisses her mother-in-law goodbye, and turns back. In contrast, **”Ruth clung to her.”**

* **Ruth’s Absolute Resolve:** Ruth delivers a magnificent speech born of pure internal truth: *”For whither thou goest, I will go… thy people shall be my people, and thy G-d my G-d; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.”* Ruth is not seeking wealth or future royalty; she is entirely prepared to pay the heaviest price to bind her fate to the Jewish nation and its Torah under the wings of the Divine Presence.

 

5. The Encounter in the Field and Family Redemption

 

Ruth goes to glean ears of corn in the field of Boaz (fulfilling the biblical commandment of *Leket*, which protects the poor). Boaz, a wealthy landowner, is revealed to be a deeply sensitive man who treats his laborers with profound respect.

 

* **Welcoming Countenance (*Hesbarat Panim*):** Boaz notices Ruth, ensures her safety from harassment, and invites her to drink water alongside his youths. Ruth bows to the ground, asking why she has found such favor and hospitality since she is a foreigner. Boaz replies that he was fully informed of the immense kindness she showed Naomi, comparing her journey to that of Abraham, who left his father’s house and birthplace for an unknown land.

* **Initiative and Redemption:** Naomi realizes that Boaz is a close relative and a potential redeemer (*Goel*). When the harvest season concludes and no action has been taken, Naomi proactively orchestrates the encounter at the threshing floor. Boaz eagerly steps into the role of the redeemer.

* **Resolution of the Crises:** The lecturer concludes by citing the late Rabbi Professor Yehuda Kiel (editor of the *Da’at Mikra* commentary) regarding the two core crises in the Megillah:

1. **The National Crisis (Famine):** Resolved early on when God remembers His people with bread.
2. **The Family Crisis (Death and Extinction):** Resolved at the climax through the marriage of Boaz and Ruth and the birth of their son, Oved, the grandfather of King David.

 

 Conclusion and Contemporary Prayer

 

Dr. Ben Ari closes his lecture with a sobering yet hopeful reflection on current events. In these challenging times (May 2026 | Sivan 5786), marked by national grief, fallen soldiers, bereaved families, and widows, he offers a heartfelt prayer that G-d remember His people on both the national and personal levels, bring speedy salvation and redemption, and cause the horn of His servant David to flourish.

Revised 4th of Sivan, 5786 (May 20, 2026)

Case: #1

Recently two Israeli soldiers were sentenced to military prison for placing a cigarette in the mouth of a Virgin Mary statue in southern Lebanon. The soldier who placed the cigarette was given three weeks (21 days) in jail, and the soldier who filmed the incident received a two-week (14 days) sentence.

Case: #2

I asked Gemini AI Why was a soldier in Israel recently arrested for putting a messiah patch on his uniform? Who backs the army’s decision and who opposes and why?

The response:

The arrest and sentencing of an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldier to 30 days in military prison for wearing a “Messiah” (Mashiach) patch has sparked a massive political and social firestorm in Israel.

 

The incident occurred during a visit by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir to a Nahal Brigade guard post in the West Bank. Zamir noticed the unauthorized patch on the combat soldier’s uniform, leading to immediate disciplinary action. The fallout extended well beyond the individual soldier; four levels of the chain of command were penalized, including a suspended sentence for the platoon commander and a formal reprimand for the battalion commander.

 

Here is a breakdown of why the soldier was arrested, who backs the decision, and who opposes it.

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Why Was the Soldier Arrested?

The official reason for the arrest is a strict breach of military discipline and dress code regulations.

 

The IDF implemented an updated dress code that explicitly bans non-military patches, stipulating that troops may only display the Israeli flag, their name, and their official unit emblem.

 

However, the context goes deeper than standard uniform rules:

• The Erosion of Discipline: Chief of Staff Zamir had recently warned commanders about a general decline in military discipline during the protracted, multi-front war. The patch was seen as a direct manifestation of this “rebellion” against army standards.

   

• Ideological & Geopolitical Concerns: The “Messiah” patch—deeply associated with Chabad-Messianism and religious-nationalist ideologies—frames military service as a divine or apocalyptic mission rather than a state-directed defense operation. The IDF command is highly sensitive to the perception that the army is fighting a religious war, especially amid international scrutiny and separate incidents involving soldiers displaying unauthorized religious behavior in operational zones.

   

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Who Backs the Army’s Decision and Why?

The decision is supported by the IDF Senior Command, the military establishment, and center-left/opposition politicians.

1. The IDF High Command (Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir & Col. Arik Moyal)

• The Argument: An army cannot function effectively without absolute discipline and uniformity.

   

• Nahal Brigade Commander Col. Arik Moyal stated to his officers: “The story is not the patch, the story is the values on which we educate… a lack of discipline in operational incidents and in routine brings us loss of human life.”

   

• Zamir echoed this, stating that the uniformity of the uniform is what connects all Israelis, warning that without a strict adherence to orders, military frameworks “may fall apart.”

   

2. Centrist and Left-Wing Politicians (e.g., Opposition Leader Yair Lapid)

• The Argument: The military must remain a sovereign state institution, entirely separate from religious or political sectorialism.

• Opposition Leader Yair Lapid called the patch “really provocative” and demanded that politicians “take their hands off the army.” Supporters of this view argue that allowing ideological patches erodes the concept of the IDF as the “people’s army” and risks dividing troops along ideological lines.

   

---

Who Opposes the Army’s Decision and Why?

The backlash has been fierce, led primarily by right-wing, religious-nationalist ministers and Knesset members.

 

1. Right-Wing and Religious Ministers (e.g., Itamar Ben-Gvir, Amichai Chikli)

• The Argument: The punishment is wildly disproportionate and severely damages the morale of combat soldiers risking their lives on the front lines.

   

• National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir llamado the sentence “unnecessary” and harmful to the fighting spirit, stating that even if the patch is against code, a 30-day prison sentence for a combat fighter is absurd.

   

• Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli heavily criticized Zamir, accusing the military leadership of a double standard. He pointed out what he viewed as selective enforcement, contrasting the swift jailing of the soldier with the military’s handling of reservists who threatened to refuse service during the 2023 judicial reform protests.

   

2. Right-Wing Lawmakers (e.g., MK Boaz Bismuth, MK Tally Gotliv)

• The Argument: The IDF command is buckling under media and foreign public-relations pressures.

   

• Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee Chairman Boaz Bismuth called the move “grave and scandalous,” pointing out that a year prior, Zamir had suggested he wouldn’t personally tear patches off soldiers and would leave it to local command. Bismuth questioned if “external pressures” caused the shift.

   

• MK Tally Gotliv went as far as saying that Zamir’s “severe distortion of thinking” should warrant the Chief of Staff himself being sent home.

   

3. Religious-Nationalist Public & Commentators

• The Argument: The army is treating foundational Jewish concepts as public relations liabilities.

   

• Many critics argue that unauthorized patches (like sports team logos or home country flags) are routinely handled with a simple command to “take it off.” By issuing prison time for the word Mashiach (Messiah), critics argue the IDF is signaling that it views Jewish spiritual motivations as dangerous or embarrassing, rather than a legitimate source of strength for religious soldiers.

A translation of Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah (Ish Shalom) Parsha 11″

Another interpretation [of the verse]:  There let them recite the righteous acts of Hashem, the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of his villages in Israel … (Judges 5:11):

If there is a small town in Israel, and the people stood up and built for themselves a synagogue and a house of study, and hired for themselves a Sage, and hired for themselves teachers for the children—then even another town close to it, once they saw this, they too stood up and built a synagogue and a house of study and hired for themselves teachers for the children.

The result is that many houses of study are established in Israel forever, as it is said: “Then the people of Hashem went down to the gates” (Judges 5:11).
And from within these many houses of study in Israel, happy is the one who innovates words of Torah from his own mouth; he is like one who is made to hear [the word] from Heaven. The Holy One, Blessed be He, says to him:

“My son, My great House of Study is yours,” as it is said: “Let the L-rd choose new things (ie. new innovations)“ (Judges 5:8).

From here they said: If forty thousand of Israel gathered and went out to war, and there is among them even a single pair of Torah scholars, it is as if [G-d] delivered [the enemy] into their hands, as it is said: “A shield if it shall appear and a spear among forty thousand in Israel” (Judges 5:8).

Comment #1 Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah interprets Judges 5:8 in a positive light. The shield and spear are symbols of the pair of Torah scholars appearing among the forty thousand soldiers.

Comment #2 Each person should consult with a recognized Halachic authority on how to implement this ideal in the face of current difficulties.

According to current surveys, Religious-Zionist families in Israel that encourage serving in the secular I.D.F. lose a much larger percentage of their children to the secular world in contrast to the Charedim who do not encourage joining the I.D.F.

I leave the responsibility of how to implement the ideal of Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah in the hands of others.

Here is the original Hebrew of Tanna D’vei Eliyahu Rabbah to double check the translation

תנא דבי אליהו אליהו רבה (איש שלום) פרשה יא

דבר אחר, שם יתנו צדקות ה’ צדקות פרזונו בישראל, עיר קטנה שבישראל, ועמדו ובנו להם בית הכנסת ובית המדרש, ושכרו להם את החכם, ושכרו להן מלמדי תינוקת, אף עיר אחרת קרובה לה כיון שראו עמדו אף הן ובנו בית הכנסת ובית המדרש ושכרו להן מלמדי תינוקת, נמצאו בתי מדרשות רבים בישראל (לעולם), שנאמר אז ירדו לשערים עם ה’ (שם /שופטים ה’/), ומתוך בתי מדרשות שרבים בישראל (לעולם) אשרי מי שמחדש דברי תורה על פיו, דומה כמי שמשמיעין אותו [מן השמים], (אמר) [ואומר] לו הקדוש ברוך הוא, בני בית המדרש (גדול) [הגדול] שלי שלך הוא, שנאמר יבחר אלהים חדשים (שם /שופטים ה’/ ח’), מיכן אמרו ארבעים אלף מישראל שנתקבצו ויצאו למלחמה ויש ביניהן זוג אחד של תלמידי חכמים דומה שהוא מסרם (בידו) [בידן], שנאמר מגן אם יראה ורומח.