Amid growing public tension surrounding the Draft Law, Harav Yitzchak Yehuda Yaroslavsky, member of Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad and rov of the Nachalas Har Chabad community in Kiryat Malachi, sent a special letter of encouragement to Menachem Aviv Hertzman, a Lubavitch bochur currently in military prison for avoiding service.

Hertzman is one of over eleven Lubavitch yeshiva bochurim detained at Ben Gurion Airport and transferred to military custody for questioning and trial after completing the kvutza program at 770. Most were released after a short time; however, Hertzman still remains in prison.

Another letter of encouragement was sent by renowned mashpia Reb Chaim Sholom Deitsch, Rosh Kollel of Tzemach Tzedek in Yerushalayim.

“Ashrecha, ashrecha,” Rabbi Deutsch wrote. “You are praised for making a public Kiddush Hashem and for following the Torah without worrying about the punishments you may receive.” He writes that Herzman is acting in the same spirit as the Frierdiker Rebbe under Communist Russia.

In recent weeks, the drama and public debate – splitting the country – over Israel’s draft law for yeshiva bochurim has intensified, as lawmakers rush to pass a bill before the Supreme Court–imposed deadline in a few weeks, which requires a revised plan to end mass exemptions for yeshiva bochurim.

The Beis Din Rabbonei Chabad also released a public letter calling on all bochurim to stand firm against attempts to undermine the long-standing arrangement allowing Chabad students to dedicate themselves to Torah study and hafatzas hamaayanos before military service. Despite repeated efforts, talks between Chabad in Eretz Yisroel and the IDF collapsed months ago, with the army refusing to compromise on four proposals aimed at renewing the “Chabad Arrangement.”

Since 5776 (2016), Chabad yeshiva students could defer service until their mid-20s, making Chabad the largest Charedi group to enlist, with over a thousand participants. However, the law enabling this arrangement was repealed two years ago, and attempts to establish a new framework have repeatedly failed.

The following is the full text of Rabbi Yeruslavsky’s letter:

To Hatomim Menachem Aviv Hertzman, sheyichye

Greetings and blessings!

I am writing to strengthen your spirit in light of your arrest and imprisonment for the sake of Torah study. Unfortunately – and to our great distress – this has occurred in our holy land, may it be rebuilt and restored speedily. In the spirit of the words and letter of the Rebbe, yeshiva bochurim defend Eretz Yisroel through dedicated and diligent Torah study, and through this, they also give strength to the soldiers to fight.

Do not let your heart be discouraged; be strong and courageous. The strength of our rebbeim, who gave their lives in action for Torah study – and who were themselves imprisoned, as well as the great Chassidim, is also granted to our generation in the footsteps of the Moshiach, and it is sufficient for us to follow in their ways.

In the spirit of the month of Kislev, the month of geulah, I daven that there be a great victory, that another Yom Tov be added in Kislev for the T’mimim and torah learners, and that no opposing forces prevail against you.

There is no measure for the joy of our Rebbe in seeing that even today the T’mimim are filled with mesirus nefesh for Torah study and meticulous observance of the mitzvos, all of this stemming from the limitless strength given to us by our Rebbeim and our Rebbe.