Roshei yeshivos and heads of central kollelim from all Torah-true circles and communities throughout Israel, alongside leaders of Torah-true cities, shepherds of the world of Torah and Chassidus, gathered together this past Sunday evening in response to the cry and outcry of the leaders of the generation, headed by HaRav Dov Lando shlita, in reply to the dire situation of the Torah world contending with the flood of harsh decrees plummeting down upon us from all sides by the sinners of our people and enemies of religion. These figures sought to rally an emergency protest gathering, expressing a huge outcry to shake up the entire country, to rouse up the entire diaspora in fire for the sake of the continued existence of Torah in Eretz Yisroel.
HaRav Dov Lando shlita
We find ourselves in a dire situation indeed. Whoever possesses the spirit of Torah, everywhere, senses this acutely. The Torah and its scholars are being trampled upon. They have been drastically persecuted for these many past years and the situation is only worsening, finding us totally helpless.
The decrees against the Torah are unbearable and they encompass many different areas, both spiritual and material. But Hashem fulfills His covenant and promises not to, "despise them or scorn them to break My covenant with them, for I am Hashem, their G-d."
We stand by and cannot but be amazed at the staunch stand of the Torah scholars in the face of all of these edicts. We stand in awe of the unique stamina and devotion of the yeshiva students and avreichei kollel to the study of the sacred Torah and even more, to the swelling of the places of Torah and of their scholars, and also of those very many attaching themselves to bask in the light, and cleaving to its study and students.
We all, all of us, bnei Torah, feel partners, verily and truly, with the young avreich stifling under the financial pressure of the edicts which crush him day by day and the new decrees surfacing daily, giving us the premonition that by natural ways, they will be unable to feed their families, may Heaven forfend.
We all pour out our hearts before the A-mighty, that He have pity upon the Torah students. Our hearts bleed and our eyes fill with tears of great dread for the future and the future of their families in view of the arrests, the sword of the mobilization and the harshness of all the decrees. Our hearts go out to them and the pain of their families. We empathize deeply with the fears and tears of a wife and of a mother of an avreich, equally afraid of any exit from the home lest he be seized by evil hands.
We believe and trust in the promise of the Creator that Torah shall not budge from out lips and the lips of our offspring for all time, but undoubtedly, our apprehension and pain are so very profound.
To those evil ones of our very people who pursue the Torah, let it be stated: "The Jewish People, and in particular, its Torah students who have suffered harsh and brutal oppression, horrible and sophisticated wicked decrees throughout the years: the Torah is eternal, and its followers have always stood steadfast even with supernatural stamina. The Torah is truth and will exist forever."
But you, the oppressors, how are you not ashamed? You, the descendants of the seed of Avrohom, Yitzchok and Yaakov, how can you presume to fight against the Torah and its scholars in Eretz Yisroel? If your parents and grandparents who stood up to our enemies throughout the extent of the diaspora were to rise up from their slumber, what would they say to you?
Shame upon you! You are a disgrace! You are pursuing the path of those who oppressed Torah. Hang your heads in infamy! Your path is doomed to failure!
The people of the Torah will persist in the study of Torah, and the entire diaspora will burst into flame, the fire of Torah, and we will surely merit to see the promise unfolding of the Redemption, speedily and in our days, Amen!
HaRav Meir Tzvi Bergman shlita
With due respect to the eminent rabbonim assembled here:
We, Klal Yisroel, find ourselves in a fearful, dreadful period, in a time of severe darkness. Here, in Eretz Yisroel, The yeshiva community is being persecuted in a horrible manner. One of the weapons they hold to harass us is to withhold funds, which will cause us to capitulate.
Let us then state this firmly and clearly: We are prepared to lay down our very lives [for Torah]. None of their threats will avail. Our Torah leaders have traveled abroad as emissaries of our community, to assist us and stand by the side of the Torah world. We all pray for Heavenly assistance and that Hashem grant them success in their ventures.
I hereby urge each and every one of us to contribute for the sake of Torah, for not only is this the most important tzedokoh that exists in the world, to fulfill the promise that Torah not be forgotten from our descendants but also to declare that 'we do not exist from them' and we shall not submit to any threat, be it what it may, We will not give up on any single student. And may be speedily merit the ultimate and complete Redemption.
