recognition

• ALAN JOTKOWITZ

n Independence Day 2016, Rav Eli Sadan, head of the Bnei David (army preparatory academy), will Who is receive the Prize for Life- Otime Achievement. Notwithstanding the fact that he has been called the most important and influential leader in the religious Zionist community in the last 30 years, many in the general public are unaware of the revolution he has led and its impact on religious Zionist youth. Sadan was born in Budapest on May 13, 1948 (one day before the State was estab- lished). He was a member of as a youth and, after making aliya, served in the IDF Paratroopers Brigade. He studied for 13 years in Yeshivat Merkaz Harav as a leading student of Rabbi Zvi Yehuda Kook and Rabbi Zvi Tau. In 1988 he co-founded and headed the first army preparatory academy, Bnei David, located in Eli, north of in Eli Sadan? the , and it is in this role that his influence has spread. There are now more Israel Prize recipient than 50 pre-army mechinot, both religious and secular, throughout Israel. The purpose of the academy is to prepare Eli Sadan’s quiet religious boys for the army. Aware of the fact that more than 50 percent of young revolution has had a men who enlist in the army directly from high school stopped being religious in the army – and the number is even higher for major impact on our those who enlist in the elite units – Sadan founded Bnei David to help arrest this phe- society and its youth nomenon. The mechina’s preparatory program, fos- RABBI ELI SADAN’S army preparatory tering spiritual and mental strength to en- academy has given religious youth able religious boys to serve in the army, has the tools to serve in the IDF and completely changed the reality. Religious maintain their religious observance. boys are no longer reluctant to enlist in the (Illustrative/IDF Flickr) army. The idealistic spirit that they nur- tured in Bnei Akiva, Ezra and Ariel (religious youth movements) pushes them forward in the army, in the security services after the army and in settling the land – in the West Bank, as well as in the Negev and develop- ment towns.

HOWEVER, SADAN’S aspirations were even higher. Bnei David is more than a preparatory for those unable or unwilling to serve in the army through the route; it views full army service (and sometimes even more through service in elite units and beyond) as the ideal route to take. This attitude is based on a theological perspective different from the one adopt- ed in many hesder yeshivot, and is heavi- ly influenced by the messianic thought of his teacher, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of British Man- datory Palestine. Kerem B’Yavne, the first hesder yeshiva, was the b’diavad (permissi- ble)model of hesder; , under the leadership of Rabbi Yehuda Ami- tal and Rabbi , argued that in today’s circumstances hesder is l’hathila (closer to the ideal). PRESIDENT REUVEN RIVLIN As Lichtenstein expressed in his classic meets with Sadan in 2014. article “The Ideology of Hesder,” hesder (Courtesy) provides a convenient framework for dis- charging two different and to some extent

20 MAY 6, 2016 SADAN WITH a group of ‘mechinot’ students on Jerusalem Day at the Old City. (Courtesy)

conflicting obligations. It enables the a holy nation.’” mitment to Torah, mitzvot and the Sadan is a supporter of democracy student, morally and psychologically, In his introduction to his new book redemptive theology of Rabbi Kook. In in Israel and is strongly opposed to to salve both his religious and his na- Musar Aviv, Lichtenstein alludes to this his thought, “serving God is not just soldiers refusing orders. According to tional conscience by sharing in the col- phenomenon: personal service, but dedication to the him, stands on three lective defense burden without cutting “My discussion of yeshivot hesder State, the nation and the public.” pillars: The eternal truth of Torah; the himself off from the matrix of Torah. primarily dealt with the contention How does Sadan go about producing State of Israel is the first flowering of Hesder at its finest seeks to attract and that bnei Torah should be complete- these leaders who are charged with the eventual redemption and the mes- develop bnei Torah who are profoundly ly absorbed in Torah and they should influencing and redeeming Israeli so- sianic age. “On 5 Iyar, 1948 we were motivated by the desire to become se- therefore defer army service. In today’s ciety? His approach is not one of coer- reborn as a nation”; the importance of rious talmidei hachamim, but who con- environment, it is important to answer cion or argumentation: the unity of the Jewish people, as ex- currently feel morally and religiously those who want to limit or even dispar- “At Bnei David in Eli we emphasize pressed in unconditional love for all its bound to help defend their people and age the value of intensive Torah learn- personal example. In other words, members. their country. ing and support full army service.” don’t try to convince someone of the Sadan’s receipt of the Israel Prize Sadan goes further: The goal of Lichtenstein is to pro- correctness of your approach and never recognizes his personal achievements “Serving God means more than just duce Torah scholars even among those attempt to prove to others that you are as a representative of the thousands wearing tefillin or observing Shabbat. who choose not to pursue a career in better than they are. Do only this – live of young people who have graduated Everything connected to protecting the rabbinate or education. A commit- your life filled with faith and joy. Why? from pre-army seminaries, both reli- the Jewish People and enabling it to ment to service at the expense of per- Because I believe that [Moses] and his gious and secular, and have dedicat- live a normal and healthy life on its sonal gain is a core value for Lichten- Torah are true. I believe that every Jew ed themselves to defending the Jew- land [Israel] is part of serving God, stein, but the years in yeshiva should has a Jewish soul that is thirsty for the ish people and rebuilding the Jewish because He took us out of Egypt and first and foremost be spent mastering truth, and I believe that most of the homeland. ■ gave us His Torah so we would be able the details and minutiae of the Talmu- apostasy in our generation is because to live a normal and healthy life on dic corpus. of the wrongful actions of religious The writer is a professor of Medicine our land and do charity and justice. Jews. They did not lead in building the and director of the Jakobovits Center for At Sinai, God did not say that He was SADAN’S GOAL is to produce leaders Jewish State, and even today the Torah Jewish Medical Ethics at Ben-Gurion Uni- giving us the Torah so we could be in Israeli society who are imbued with world is on the sidelines; add to this versity of the Negev and a senior physician a collection of yeshiva bochurs, but idealism, a passion for the Jewish peo- the shameful behavior of many people at Soroka University Medical Center. The rather to be a ‘kingdom of priests and ple and the Jewish State, and a com- considered religious Jews.” views expressed are his alone.

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