Aug 17 2009
Parshat Shoftim: Military Exemption
I remember during my basic training in the Israeli Army when I made a very important discovery about the system.
Basically, it goes like this.
There are only two types of soldiers:
#1: The motivated
#2: The unmotivated
The motivated want to fight for their country. They can have a torn ACL, asthma, reflux, and severe IBS, but when they interview with the military, none of this will get mentioned at all. As far as they’re concerned, there is nothing that can stop them from defending the Holy Land.
The unmotivated will go to the end of the earth to attain medical documentation that proves that they are physically incapable of performing even the most mundane of tasks. The army won’t fight these claims. After all, who wants to be defended by someone who doesn’t have his heart in it, whose sole goal is to run from his civic duty?
When did I make this discovery?
For several regrettable reasons I was in a non-combat unit, and for weeks I watched as soldier after soldier held up a little note called a “patur” (exemption) at every available moment. This one couldn’t run. This one can’t stand for long periods of time. Another one was not allowed to wear army boots, so he wandered around in sneakers the whole time.
If it wasn’t so sad, I would say it was actually rather comical.
“Soldier, you did that wrong. Run around the base once!”
“I’m sorry sir, I have a patur from running.”
“Oh. Well then stand at attention until I return!!”
“I’m sorry sir, I have a patur from standing.”
“Oh. Well, just sit there until I get back…”
“Yes sir!!”
And the game continued on and on…
That is until the big announcement.
“Soldiers! Today’s fitness activity will be… basketball.”
And I watched as the heads of dozens of sneaker wearing, sitting young boys slowly turned their beads toward their commanding officers, and with big, sad puppy-dog eyes, they gently murmured the words:
“I, I… I think that perhaps… perhaps maybe I can play…”
And everything I had seen up to that point flashed through my mind. And I understood that the system was not invented to place the most physically fit in the most challenging positions, but to weed out those too unmotivated to be worthy of defending our homeland.
But the government of Israel seeks inclusivity, thus tens of thousands of citizens serve relatively useless non-combat roles.
Interestingly enough, this is quite similar to the original draft of the Jewish people as mentioned in Parshat Shoftim, this week’s Torah portion. One of the details is as follows:
“Who is the man who is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return to his house, and let him not melt the heart of his fellows, like his heart.” (Devarim/Deuteronomy 20:8)
The Israeli army says: If you’re not man enough to defend your people, we’ll make you a cook or a parachute stuffer.
The Torah says: If you’re not man enough to defend your people, go home.
May we all have what it takes when the time comes to fearlessly stand in the face of any and all dangers and proudly defend our holy and blessed nation.
