02 Jan 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.