Call to Arms: Battalion of 650,000 Ba'alei Battim battle 65,000 Battlonim

Dear Rabbi,

Re: Call to Arms: Battalion of 650,000 Ba'alei Battim battle 65,000 Battlonim

New initiative to rescue Torah Learning in the holy land

Now that at least - according to news outlets - the Israeli Government's recruitment of Yeshiva students has become law (or at least, it's in the process of being enshrined in it), perhaps it is time to look for volunteers to fill the void, which will inevitably occur when 65,000 Torah learners leave their shtenders - for an unspecified period of time.

How about roping in people in the wider Jewish community worldwide, to contribute an hour a day to learning any subject of Torah, with another Yid who has never learned before?

All one needs to do is this: Ask your learning partner to decide what pursuit* could be forfeited le-'iluy Nishman the Kedoshim who were slaughtered on Simchas Torah, only because they were Yidden!

* e.g. reading one newspaper less per week, giving up a football / cricket game per season, oreven visiting your favourite restaurant less often

Such an endeavour will have the double-edged sword (SFTP = sorry for the pun...) effect: It will assuage those who bemoan the loss of Torah learning and - perhaps more importantly - it will encourage 650,000 pensioners, youngsters and even full time workers to trade in their pastime activities for a productive and life-enhancing pursuit?

To enlist in this project, you will be asked to choose a name of one Kollel Man or Yeshiva Bochur, who will be enlisting in the IDF, so that you can take part in providing cover for his loss of Torah learning.

More details to follow...

In the meantime, I wish you Chodesh Tov, Shabbat Shalom and much הצלחה, מזל, ברכה and בשורות טובות,

Menasche Scharf