02 Jul WHAT TORAH SHOULD A SOLDIER LEARN?

A soldier in active
times, which sadly we
find ourselves at the
time of this writing,
often has only a few
minutes a day in which
he can learn Torah. In
this extremely limited

time, what should he learn?
Obviously, a soldier’s primary duty is his
military mission. This must take priority
and he should not do anything to jeopardize
it. Assuming he does have a few minutes
of unstructured time, what Torah should
he learn? I have never personally served in
the army but current and past soldiers tell
me that there is almost always time to learn
something. What follows is what I have
seen published. I am sure there is more and
everyone should ask their own rav or rosh
yeshivah.
I. Learning Torah in the Army
Rav Nachum Rabinovitch, the late rosh
yeshiva of the Hesder Yeshiva in Ma’aleh
Adumim, was asked about soldiers
attending entertainment events that include
women singers (Responsa Melumedei
Milchamah, no. 116). He begins by saying
that “bnei yeshiva,” soldiers who went to
yeshiva, should spend whatever free time

they have learning Torah and should not
attend entertainment events in the army.
The question, says Rav Rabinovitch, is
whether soldiers who are bnei yeshiva
should object when other soldiers attend
such events.
In an article in the Sivan 5723 (May
1963) issue of the IDF Rabbinate journal,
Machanayim, Rav Shlomo Goren discusses
the obligation to learn Torah in the army
“between battles, between missions and
between conquests.” He points out that the
very source for the obligation to learn Torah
day and night was a command to Yehoshua,
as he was about to lead the nation in
conquering Israel (Josh. 1:8). The Gemara
(Megillah 3a-b) explains that an angel came
to Yehoshua during war and accused him
of failing to learn Torah when he was not
fighting (Josh. 5:13-14). Rav Goren, at the
time Chief Rabbi of the IDF, concludes that
every soldier is obligated to learn Torah
whenever and wherever possible, whether
“at military bases and camps, at positions
and posts, at home and in the field.”
In normal circumstances, a man is obligated
to learn Torah day and night. In theory, he
is advised to divide his study schedule in
three — one third for Tanach, another
third for Mishnah and a third for Gemara

(Kiddushin 30a).
However, Rabbeinu
Tam (Tosafos, ad loc.,
s.v. lo) explains that
today we can fulfill this
by learning Gemara,
which includes biblical
verses and Mishnayos.
Rema follows
Rabbeinu Tam in his
glosses to Shulchan
Aruch (Yoreh De’ah
246:4). The Shach (ad
loc., 5) adds that a
working man, who can
only learn three or four
hours a day (!), should make sure to learn
practical halachah in addition to Gemara.
You have to know how to follow Jewish
law in your daily life and you can only do
that by learning practical halachah.
However, this does not eliminate other
learning obligations that stem from other
requirements. We still must complete the
weekly Torah portion with the community.
This means that each week we must review
shnayim mikra ve-echad targum (the verses
twice and translation once). In order to
practice Judaism properly, in addition to
learning practical halachah, we also need
to strengthen our faith and our ethics.
Learning Mussar texts is an important part
of daily life just to maintain your religious
state, and certainly to grow.
II. What to Learn in the Army
Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, known as
the Chafetz Chaim, wrote a halachah
manual, titled Machaneh Yisrael, for
the many Jewish soldiers in the Russian
army. In chapter 6, the Chafetz Chaim
emphasizes the importance of a soldier
studying practical halachah, whether
from his book, Shulchan Aruch or any
shorter codes like Chayei Adam. You
have to know, and constantly review, how
to act. However, adds the Chafetz Chaim,
a soldier who cannot learn that should at
least learn something — Chumash, Navi
or just say Tehillim. If he has free time, he
should fill it with Torah because otherwise
the time can lead to improper activities.
In 1986, Rav Zechariah Yosef Ben Shlomo
(of Yeshivat Sha’alvim) published a
comprehensive halachah guide for Israeli
soldiers, which he expanded in 2001. His
Hilchos Tzava is a pocket-sized, softcover
900 page book with 100 chapters. Chapter
8 addresses the obligation to learn Torah.
Rav Ben Shlomo writes (par. 5) that since
time is extremely limited, a soldier should
learn practical halachah, particularly
those laws that apply to a soldier’s
situation. Preferably, he should learn from
a concise code, such as Kitzur Shulchan

Aruch, Chayei Adam, Ben Ish Chai or an
equivalent (he is too modest to recommend
his own book). If he is unable to learn
halachah, he should learn Tanach, whether
the weekly Torah portion or something
else. Particularly at night, when a soldier
is tired and struggles to concentrate, he
should learn something easy.
Both the Chafetz Chaim and Rav Zechariah
Shlomo emphasize the importance of
learning Torah together with other soldiers,
when possible. It strengthens yourself and
others, and enables the learning of those
who do not have the skills or ability to do
so on their own.
I heard in the name of Rav Avigdor
Nebenzahl that a soldier should endeavor
to do Shnayim Mikra because the Gemara
(Berachos 8b) says that one who does so
merits a long life. Presumably this is a bare
minimum of what to learn.
Rav Shlomo Aviner (Piskei Shlomo, vol.
6, p. 265) was asked what a soldier can do
to avoid spiritual decline while serving in
the army. While this is requires a lengthy
discussion, Rav Aviner briefly offers five
pieces of advice, of which two are relevant
our conversation:
1) Whenever you have free time, learn
Torah on any subject you want
2) Learn Mussar, like Mesilas Yesharim
Rav Mordechai Tzion, the editor of this
and many other books by Rav Aviner,
told me that this is a general principle Rav
Aviner teaches to soldiers. The Gemara
(Avodah Zarah 19a) says that a person
can only learn Torah from a text that his
heart desires. Rav Aviner advises soldiers
to choose a Torah text that excites them
and keep a pocket-size volume with them
constantly for learning when there is time.
The very conversation about soldiers
learning Torah is itself inspiring. May all
the Israeli soldiers see continued growth
and success, health and holiness, long lives
and spiritual wholeness.