The same figure who stood at the head of the system that launched a wave of arrests oflomdei Torah was herself taken into custody
The first meeting that signaled that the chareidim intended to back the law — with reservations, but not ones that would halt the committee process — took place last week at the home of Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch in Bnei Brak.
For an hour and 40 minutes, Degel HaTorah MKs Moshe Gafni, Uri Maklev, Yaakov Asher, and Yitzchak Pindrus sat in the Rosh Yeshivah’s room.
Rav Moshe Hillel came prepared. On his desk lay the 40-page draft of the law, with his handwritten notes and an open pen beside it. He’d gone through each clause carefully, marking the problematic sections.
This was the classic choice of the lesser of two evils. One option was bad, the other worse. The Rosh Yeshivah spoke about the damage that would result from sending yeshivah bochurim out to mass protests and disrupting the rhythm of the yeshivah world.
“Does anyone understand what would happen if we send the bochurim to dance in the streets day and night?” he asked — and didn’t wait for an answer.
Create a free account to keep reading.
