The IDF Military Rabbi: Between a “Kohen Anointed for War” and a “Religious Services Provider”

Aharon Kampinsky

doi:10.3390/rel11040180

Abstract

Military rabbis in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are an integral part of the army and currently posted in almost all army units. The role of the military rabbi has undergone fundamental changes since the founding of the State and the IDF, most notably in the past generation. While the formal definition of the military rabbi’s role has remained relatively stable; in practice it has undergone dramatic changes on the backdrop of processes in the IDF Military Rabbinate and in the religious-Zionist sector in Israel. Whereas in the past military rabbis were viewed as religious service providers, during the term of Chief Military Rabbi Rontzky (2010–2016) they viewed themselves in the role of a “Kohen anointed for war” (Meshuach Milchama). Harking back to the biblical description of the Kohanim who strengthen the people at a time of war, this military figure is entrusted with strengthening soldiers, morally and spiritually, before they go into battle. Nonetheless, a return to the religious services provider model can be discerned in recent years, mainly in response to the contention of religionization in the military. The article focuses on the changing role of the IDF military rabbi and identifies three major explanatory factors of these changes: (a) Differences between the formative period of the IDF Military Rabbinate and later periods; (b) Demographic changes in the composition of the IDF, mainly the growing number of soldiers from the national-religious sector; (c) The changing character of the Chief Military Rabbi’s background which affected the nature of the military rabbi’s role. The article aims to show that the Military Rabbinate has not been immune to the struggle over the collective Jewish identity of the State of Israel, and its underlying processes reflect the complexity and diversity of Israeli society.

Highlights

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military rabbis are the backbone of the Military Rabbinate which is responsible for religious affairs in the army
While the formal definition of the military rabbi’s role has remained relatively stable, processes that occurred within the IDF Military Rabbinate and in the religious-Zionist sector in Israel have created a change in the role perception of the military rabbi as a “Kohen anointed for war”
Rabbi Rontzky’s term as Chief Military Rabbi in the years 2006–2010 was characterized by a central process-espousal of the “Kohen anointed for war” model in practice, as a religious tenet

Summary

Introduction

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) military rabbis are the backbone of the Military Rabbinate which is responsible for religious affairs in the army. While the formal definition of the military rabbi’s role has remained relatively stable, processes that occurred within the IDF Military Rabbinate and in the religious-Zionist sector in Israel have created a change in the role perception of the military rabbi as a “Kohen anointed for war”. A military figure whose role is to strengthen soldiers, both morally and spiritually, before they go into battle This is described by Rabbi Eliyahu Blum: In the history of the People of Israel that is recounted in the bible, the Kohen anointed for war is mentioned when he encourages the spirit of the soldiers going out to battle. I begin by comparing the IDF Military Rabbinate and Chaplains Corps in other armies and discuss the shifting role of the IDF military rabbi as a reflection of changes in Israeli society, identifying three major explanatory factors for the fundamental changes

The IDF Military Rabbi Compared to Military Chaplains in Other Armies

Background—The Military Rabbinate in Israel

Development of the Role of the IDF Military Rabbi

The Change Since 2000

Discussion

Differences between Periods

Demographic Changes

The Changing Role of the IDF Chief Military Rabbi

Summary