Trom Tironut

I would love to say that in my first week of the army I did something really cool. But its quite the opposite.
Despite being Purim on Sunday, we were told to arrive at a base in Baer Sheva where we met up with our unit and mefaked. From there we took a bus for n amount of time to our training base (bach).
I've heard the base was nice but I didn't realize how true it was. Tzanchanim is an American funded unit so they built us a beautiful modern base. Each plugah, or group of about 100 soldiers has their own building, a central courtyard plus a building for the mefakdim. Unlike other bases where soldiers sleep in tents, we sleep in rooms with closets and air conditioners. The other facilities are also new and top of the line. The food is amazing too which is really important.
On Sunday we heard speeches from the Mefaked of the base and other Mefakdim about Tzanchanim and about the main event of the week: the gibushim. The gibushim that took place were for gadsar and maglan and a separate one for duvdevan. Hundreds tried it but I decided not to.
On Monday, everyone, even those not trying the gibush, had to prepare two bags with borrowed equipment from the army, so that of course took all day.
We woke up on Tuesday at about 3 am to organize for the gibush that I wasn't doing. Then we were separated into groups and they left. Those not going cleaned our building for a few minutes but then we went back to bed for an hour or two. And then for the next three days all I did was pick weeds. Tuesday. Wednesday. Thursday. There are just too many of them. It's impossible to get kill them all.
On Thursday, I got to do the coolest thing I had done all week. After picking weeds in the morning, I painted boxes for Maglan and Duvdevan. I'm no Picasso, but I think I did a pretty solid job.
And then on Friday we were sent home.
Our Mefaked was awesome, didn't yell at us and laughed at all the jokes we made. But the week that I am entering will most definitely not be like that. This week things will get serious. And I'm pretty sure we will start shooting. And running. But probably not at the same time.

First Days

If this is what the army is like, then so far I love it.
My Giyus was this past Wednesday which means I went to Bakum again to complete the becoming-a-soldier process. But for some reason, getting a shot, filling in a few papers, eating lunch and changing into a uniform takes about 10 hours.
I got to the lishkat hagiyus at about 10am where there were hundreds of teary eyed parents and soon to be soldiers dancing (mostly the religious ones). Then we signed in and loaded buses to a different part of the base. And we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Finally we made it to the part where we got all our stuff and uniforms and tried them on. When we were sure that everything fit nicely, we left that area and waited. And waited and waited. While waiting we did a few attention calls. But in the end all the waiting was worth it because unlike Nachal, who also had their Giyus that day, we went home. Fast days in the army are like sick days on base plus the first shabbat is almost always free, so they just let us go. Since then I've just been enjoying walking around Jerusalem, despite the random people on the street who yell "tzair" at me. "Tzair" means young and in the army it is the nickname for new soldiers.
A few words about our uniform: because we are tzanchanim, we get a different uniform. Our boots are red, the pants are the same but our shirts are totally different. They have four pockets on the front and we wear a second belt over the shirt which is not tucked in. One of the things people say to make fun of us tzanchanim is pointing out that we wear "skirts".
On Sunday, I actually start the army when I report to a base in Baer Sheva where there are buses to my base.

Golan Tiyul

This past Thursday, Friday and Shabbat, my class in yeshiva went on a trip to the Golan to have some fun before the army.
A few highlights:
- A high ranking commander spoke to us. Not only did he serve in Shayetet 13 (water-based unit similar to the navy seals), he was also a commander in Egoz (an elite recon unit), Sayeret Golani, and completed the ship captain course. Imagine how many pins he wears on his uniform!
- We visited the site where Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser were kidnapped after their Humvees were ambushed. On a nearby hill right across the border we were able to see a Hezbollah base. We were told they were watching us and probably listening to us.
- We went to see an outpost right on the Lebanon border. Very cool place. It looked exactly like a level in a video game. Rav Ashi's grave was right there. Just across the border was a UN base.
- On Friday night we heard from a rabbi who is now doing his miluim in Shaldag, the air force's elite unit. But the most impressive thing was that he served in Hayechida, Sayeret Matkal, which is the best unit in the IDF and possibly in the world. Apparently it runs in the family because he has sons in Shaldag and Duvdevan (the counterterrorism unit).

Less than 10 days left!!


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Why? Part II

The following is based on an essay written by Rabbi Herschel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshiva University in the Journal of Halacha and Contemporary Society.

In 1948, all the Arab countries surrounding us promised to push us into the ocean and tried unsucessfully to destroy us. According to many opinions, since they have not renounced their vow, that original war of independance is still ongoing and the quiet periods are mere lulls in the same war. Therefore, it can be concluded that Israel is in a state of war even when there is no fighting (except with Egypt who signed a peace treaty with us, but lately, who knows if that will continue).

Next, is this ongoing war a milchemet reshut or milchemet mitzvah? The main differences are as follows:

A milchemet reshut is a "permissible military venture" which must first be allowed by the Sanhedrin. When getting ready to wage a milchemet reshut, newlyweds, people who have just built a house or planted a vineyard, or who are afraid were sent home. This is based on a pasuk from Devarim (20:8) and a Mishnah in Sotah 44b.

A milchemet mitzvah is a war required by the Torah in which everyone must go out to war (possibly women too), people who would normally be exempt from a milchemet reshut. (My roommate's mefaked got married the night before Operation Cast Lead so he would have been exempt if it was a milchemet reshut. Nonetheless, he had to go lead his troops. Not long into the war, he entered a house that was booby-trapped. He very nearly died, but thank G-d has made a full recovery).

The answer is that it is a milchemet mitzvah because the countries with whom we are at war do not have a court like the Sanhedrin that is moral and spiritual. Therefore, based on a Gemara in Sanhedrin 59a and an interpretation by the Chatam Sofer, any war fought against these enemies is automatically considered milchemet mitzvah, and that status carries over to our defense as well.

It probably can't be proven halachically these days that everyone needs to fight but I just wanted to point out a few things that seemed interesting.

Giyus in 3 weeks from today!!


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Why? Part I

This is the first installment in a series of explanations of why I am joining the army.

When I tell Israelis that I'm going to the army, I usually get one of two reactions. The first usually goes something like "kol hakavod". The second reaction is usually "Really? Why?". It has happened to me a few times where sabras, usually older, start ranting about how much they are fed up with Israel and then tell me never to live here and to stay where it is peaceful. They just don't understand why a kid my age would want to get involved in defending a country that I technically do not belong to. What they apparently don't understand is that this land was given to every single Jew, no matter where they are living now. Therefore, I feel an obligation to protect it, the Jews living in it, and the Jews who still haven't realized that they need to be living in it. Because it isn't just a land. If it had just been about a place to put the Jews, Uganda could have worked. But Israel is the only place where Jews belong because Hashem chose His favorite piece of land for us. It is also the only place in the the world where we can live properly as Jews under our own rule without the fear of persecution.

So since my land is more or less constantly in a state of war, I feel the need to do my part and protect it. An American kid in yeshiva once said to me while we were discussing the army, "But why should I join, they don't need more soldiers, there's no war now". But what he naively doesn't realize is that a soldier is not made overnight, there are months and months of training until he is ready to fight in a war. Who knows what will happen in a year from now. Plus, most of the army is made up of miluim soldiers, and by not going to the army and say, making Aliyah later in life, they would not be able to be called up if the need arises.

Others claim that if all Jews would sit down and learn, Hashem would protect us and the army would be unnecessary. I couldn't believe that people actually think that is true today. First of all, we have to show effort in order for Hashem to help us. Yes, I truly believe that learning Torah will and does help protect us, but Gemaras do not stop bullets (maybe masechet shabbat in oz v'hadar does). Second, it is impossible to get all Jews to learn right now. Many Jews don't even know they are Jewish. If it was possible, maybe it would would be more of a claim. Third, even in the times of David HaMelech and the like, Hashem didn't magically erase their enemies. The people went out with swords and shields and physically fought their foes. Yes, Hashem told them when they would win and performed miracles so that would happen, but miracles happen every day here in Israel too.

In fact, passion for the army and the general advance of Israel for the first few decades after the establishment can be found in the hearts of secular Zionists. Lately, the religious Zionists have replaced them and now make up a large portion of the commanders and special forces as well as being the best regular soldiers. It is the religious that feel responsible to put their lives on the line nowadays, which includes me.

Simply put: I am Jewish. Therefore, Israel is my country. Hence, it is my job to protect it.

That was the moral side of my reason. Next, I'll explain why I think there might be a halachic reason to join the army.


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Tzanchanim!!

Finally, the moment I was waiting for. I made it into Tzanchanim!!
Soon I'll be jumping out of planes and wearing the famed red beret.
Luckily, both my English speaking friends made it as well. More to
follow...

Aaron Taylor

Chiyul

I can finally say that I am a chayal. I now carry with me an ID card from the army that identifies me as one. I got this card this past Thursday when I went through the process of the chiyul. Basically, there are two steps to becoming a chayal: chiyul and giyus. Most chayalim do both these things on the same day. For hesder guys though, the chiyul happens 8 months before the giyus (but only 2 for me) and continues after active service. During the time between the chiyul and the giyus, we are considered chayalim on the shalat card, or sheirut l'lo tashlum. Shalat means service without payment. With this ID, we ride trains for free, pay a maximum of about 10.70₪ for buses, and skip security checks, but we are not allowed to tremp (hitchhike) for fear of being kidnapped.

The day of the chiyul was our first day of the army so it was run like a well oiled machine. Each person was told to arrive at his enlistment office where buses were provided to Tel Hashomer. My enlistment office happens to be at Tel Hashomer anyway. I got there at around 10am and was happy to see that I would be going through the chiyul with a friend from Toronto. From the enlistment office, we board a bus which takes us to another part of the base. Soon thereafter, we gather outside, wait for our names to be called, and are given stickers with bar codes on them to be given in at the upcoming stations. The next thing we do is sit down in a theatre-type place and listen to the head of the beinishim speak. He tells us about the hesder track and the rules of the shalat period. Then we signed a document. I think it was an agreement to serve the machal track. Honestly, it would have taken me and a dictionary the whole day to read the thing, so I just quickly scanned it and signed. We were also given a questionnaire, similar to the one on the gibush, and an information booklet about our hesder track. Then the process started. The stations went as follows:

Teeth Pictures: This was funny. I enter the room and this chayelet tells me to hold my mouth open and she shoves a mirror in my mouth and snaps a picture. Okay. Then she says something else really really fast and I have no idea what she's saying. I ask her what she said and she says it again. Still didn't understand. Then she starts to yell at me, kind of like, what's the matter with you, don't you understand Hebrew. Well no, I don't. But I made it through. A friend of mine from yeshiva who did the chiyul last year tells me the same exact thing happened to him.

ID Pictures: One regular photo and one jail-style side view photo. Some kid with a huge kippah tried to argue with the chayelet so that he wouldn't have to take it off for the shot. Not a good idea. These chayalot are tough.

Fingerprints: This was probably the coolest part. They have these awesome machines about the size of an ATM with a glass pad on them, and a chayal or chayelet places your hand, palm, and then each individual finger on the pad to get the print.

X-Ray: This was exactly like the machines at dentist offices. Just an X-Ray of the teeth. This chayelet was even nice enough to speak English to me.

Bone Marrow: Totally optional but I'm already on a list to donate so no need to do it again.

DNA: This was kind of funny. It's a prick in the finger and then they use your blood to paint in two circles. I wonder if it's fun for the chayalot to do it.

Shots: I'm not really sure what they were for but there were two of them in the shoulder.

Signatures: There are a few documents to sign. Again, I'm not exactly sure what they said, but something about a pledge of allegiance to the State of Israel and another about not releasing army secrets. I guess I better read the rules of the secrets before I write too much here on the blog and end up in prison. Also, the chayelet wanted my bank account information, but I don't have one. Sometime in the next two months I need to open one. I hear it's difficult for a non-Israeli. I'll definitely write a post about it.

And then the moment I had been waiting for...

I got my ID Card!!

They give you:
1. the ID card in a little green case
2. a paper card with your information on it and Geneva Convention rules for kidnapped soldiers (kind of chilling)
3. Two dogtags and a chain, for boots and around the neck

Then we went to eat lunch, very similar to gibush food, and again very good. After davening mincha, we filled in a few medical forms, spoke with mashakiot tash, and then after checking that everything had been taken care of, we were released. On the way out, we walked through the area where in two months we will be given everything we need for the army and the place where we will first put on our uniforms before loading buses to the bases. I can't wait!!

On a separate note, I heard that results for tzanchanim are coming in about a week. Fingers crossed!!


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