Should Yeshiva Students Serve in the IDF? The Torah Case for Saying Yes, with Rabbi Menachem Copperman (296)

June 29, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

The Torah Case for Military Service: A Conversation with Rabbi Menachem Copperman

In a pointed exchange on the Orthodox Conundrum podcast, Rabbi Menachem Copperman argued that military service in the IDF is not merely a civic duty but a clear religious obligation rooted in Jewish law, morality, and the Torah's demand that Jews take responsibility for one another. Speaking with host Scott Kahn, the communal rabbi of Kehillat Avnei Chen in Ramat Beit Shemesh and a former artillery soldier, Copperman challenged the Haredi community's widespread avoidance of the draft, insisting that the arguments used to justify exemptions do not hold up under serious halachic scrutiny.

Three Levels of Obligation

Continue reading the full summary in the app — free to try.

Read Full Summary →

Free • No credit card required

Listen to Audio Summary Open in App

Never miss an episode of Orthodox Conundrum

Get every new episode summarized in your inbox — free, ~5 minutes to read.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

What you'll learn

1 (00:27) **Opening: The Personal Halachic Question** - Rabbi Menachem Copperman frames the debate as an individual’s responsibility before God, not a communal branding issue.
2 (02:04) **Introduction to the Episode** - Host Scott Kahn sets up the debate, framing Copperman’s thesis as a Torah-based obligation for military service.
3 (05:29) **The Three-Level Torah Case for Service** - Copperman presents the Halachic, moral, and practical foundations for his position.
4 (10:53) **Can Torah Learning Ever Justify an Exemption?** - Copperman argues Torah and army service are complementary, not conflicting values.
5 (17:04) **The Full-Time Learner Argument vs. Reality** - Copperman challenges the claim that only genuine full-time learners should be exempt.
6 (22:09) **Fear of Losing Identity Is Not a Religious Argument** - Copperman responds to the fear that army service will destroy Haredi observance.
7 (27:22) **The Rambam at the End of Hilchot Shemittah V'Yovel** - Copperman dismisses the common Haredi source for exemption.

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Scott Kahn

Show Notes

Check out Orthodox Conundrum Commentary on Substack and get your free subscription by going to https://scottkahn.substack.com/ - and members get this and other episodes of the Orthodox Conundrum Podcast ad-free and with early access and additional bonus content!

Last week on the podcast, Rav Shaya Karlinsky presented the case for broad draft deferments for full-time yeshiva students. This week, we continue that conversation by hearing a very different perspective.

My guest is Rav Menachem Copperman, who argues that military service is not merely a civic responsibility or a practical necessity - although it is certainly those, as well. He believes it is a religious obligation rooted in halachah, Jewish morality, and the Torah's demand that we take responsibility for one another.

In our conversation, we discuss whether Torah study can ever justify exemptions from military service, whether the IDF has done enough to accommodate religious soldiers, the relationship between Torah learning and national responsibility, the meaning of leadership and religious authority in this debate, and what both the Religious Zionist and Haredi communities can learn from one another.

Whether you agree with Rav Copperman or not, he presents a thoughtful, passionate, and deeply Torah-based vision of why he believes more yeshiva students should serve. As with last week's episode, my goal is not to tell you what to think, but to help you better understand one of the most consequential debates facing Israeli society and the Jewish world today.

As always, I hope this conversation challenges you to think more deeply and more carefully about an issue that affects us all.

Please listen to and share this podcast, and let us know what you think on the Orthodox Conundrum Discussion Group on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/groups/432020081498108).

If your business is interested in advertising to our engaged Orthodox audience, or if you'd like to sponsor an episode in honor of a loved one or simcha, please reach out to [email protected] to support meaningful Jewish conversations.

Thanks to all of our Patreon subscribers, who have access to bonus JCH podcasts, merch, and more - we appreciate your help, and hope you really enjoy the extras! Visit the JCH Patreon site at https://www.patreon.com/jewishcoffeehouse.

Write to [email protected] to learn all about creating your own podcast.