Q&A: ZAKA and the IDF
ZAKA and the IDF
Question
Given that the main activity of ZAKA is collecting all parts of a body, including wiping up blood and so on—something that is fundamentally halakhic in nature and not something required from a humanitarian standpoint—and in light of the fact that ZAKA’s primary activity is collecting body parts, including wiping blood and gathering tiny remains, an activity rooted in Jewish law and not required in the humanitarian-universal sense (since among other nations there is no parallel organization, and there is no phenomenon of bodies scattered in the streets; rather, they simply are not particular about collecting every fragment or drop of blood)—
can one say that there is no justification at all for viewing this activity as a substitute for military service?
This is unlike bodies such as Magen David Adom or United Hatzalah, whose purpose is saving lives—an essential universal human need.
Likewise unlike the role of a military rabbi, whose necessity for the army is clear, in order to guide soldiers how to act according to Jewish law within the framework of service.
Can this halakhic-religious activity, then, be seen as “military service,” or does it have no connection at all to actual military roles such as evacuating the dead or providing an operational response?
Answer
The reasoning is unrelated to the conclusion. By your logic, the Military Rabbinate would also have no justification, since it deals with religious matters unrelated to military functioning. Beyond that, ZAKA also collects bodies and not only drops of blood. In my opinion they do this in other armies as well, but I haven’t checked.
But ZAKA is not a substitute for military service regardless of the question whether they collect bodies or blood. The Military Rabbinate is supposed to handle this, and there is no reason for a civilian body to be doing it. This is just another evasion of military service. By the way, on October 7 there were serious claims against ZAKA that it was engaged in public relations and harmed the actual work itself (because of lack of professionalism), just to justify its existence (like the power struggles with Magen David Adom and the various rescue organizations). I do not know whether this is true, but that too is an aspect that comes up.
Discussion on Answer
This is just pointless insistence. I already answered that. The Rabbinate also provides wine for the Sabbath, propaganda talks, and there are also singing troupes, the Education Corps, and so on. That’s it.
I emphasized that the Military Rabbinate actually does have justification, because the religious soldier needs to know how to behave on the Sabbath, etc.,
unlike collecting body remains, which is some kind of halakhic matter—that is, it is a halakhic activity.
Can a person who puts on tefillin be exempted from service?
After all, he is fulfilling Jewish law? Obviously not.
Can collecting body parts as fulfillment of Jewish law be compared to putting on tefillin, with the common denominator being that neither is connected to military service or to helping save lives?
(Again, unlike the Military Rabbinate, which perhaps assists the soldier as part of the mental health system.)
As for collecting bodies themselves, perhaps only that humanitarian action could be considered military service, but that is not ZAKA’s role or expertise. They do that too, but it is not their purpose.
Any person can do that.
It is clear to me that this is not the reason they do not enlist.
I am just asking about the basic idea: can a body that comes to fulfill some Jewish law say, hey, this is instead of military service?