The JP writes about an interesting new development. The IDF has introduced phones (and a mouse) that minimize any problems of Shabbat for religious soldiers on duty. The phones are designed and produced by the Tzomet Institute that Jameel has written about in the past.



More interesting than the phone is the IDF’s investiture in the technology.

Sometimes there are halachic problems that arise with serving in the IDF (besides the Expulsion which was one of the biggest desecrations of Judaism), and while they have a confused ethicist who writes and screws up the IDF’s moral value system with his Leftist idiocies (read the article), halacha occasionally goes to the backburner due to the overall membership of the organization.

And that’s why this is so interesting.

As a result of so many religious soldiers beginning to take significant positions in the IDF, they have begun to be able to influence the army (from the inside) to start taking religious issues more seriously.

Just like in many other organizations in Israel. Years ago they weren’t concerned with Jewish issues (Kashrut, Shabbat, etc.) but as religious Jews entered those spheres, things began to change for the better.

And as unfortunately, too many of our ideologically strong youngsters are declining to enter the army after the Expulsion, I still assert that that decision is a mistake.

Yes, a ShabbatPhone is a small thing in the big picture, but just like the Foreign Ministry wasn’t kosher decades ago, until religious Jews started to join, the army is just the same.

Rejection is not the answer.

Joining, standing firm on your values (and knowing what your values are), influencing from the inside, and making a difference is the only way to make change and the only way to eventually take over.

Perhaps one day, that may even include rewriting the IDF Code of Ethics and basing them on Jewish values.