Talmidim of Yeshivas Grodna who were arrested following a protest outside the home of a senior military police official were welcomed back Thursday night at the residence of the rosh yeshiva, Rav Moshe Shmida, where he delivered a forceful message defending the bochurim and rejecting any intimidation.

The gathering came after the students were released from custody by court order and placed under house arrest within the yeshiva. The arrests followed a demonstration outside the Ashkelon home of Brig. Gen. Yuval Yamin, head of the Military Police, an incident that drew widespread attention and condemnation, along with reported sanctions directed at the rosh yeshiva.

Upon their return to the yeshiva campus in Ashdod, each of the released talmidim was greeted personally by Rav Shmida. A larger reception then followed, with bochurim and members of the community assembling for a lechaim gathering, during which the rosh yeshiva addressed the crowd.

“I do not want to go on at length, but only to sharpen a few points that must be clear. And it is important to say and to prove: the fact that you are all here, alive and with us today, proves clearly that everything that was attributed to you was a false accusation. Because if there had been even the slightest basis for what was claimed against you, you would not be here today, and everyone knows this well. It has been proven beyond any doubt that everything that was attributed to you was a false accusation.

“You are precious sons of Tzion, refined like gold. You have only one ‘offense’ that pains them and irritates them: that you and we sit and learn Torah. That is the only ‘offense,’ and everything else is fabrication.

“It is very painful that we are under a wicked government whose entire goal is to undermine those who learn Torah. As our great Torah leaders already saw at the founding of the state, that this was the only objective—to uproot Torah in Klal Yisroel.

“And we declare here clearly—know this well: our fathers and your fathers gave up their lives for Torah study in every place they were. You cannot deny this; they literally gave up their lives. If we speak about the terrible basements in communist Russia, where they persecuted those who learned Torah, our fathers sacrificed themselves with real danger to life—exile to Siberia, terrible punishments—but they knew that this is the existence of the Jewish people. There is no existence for the Jewish people without this, and this is what has sustained us and will continue to sustain us, with God’s help, for generations.

“And, thank God, today we see that this absolute truth is spreading further, and larger groups already admit that there is no other way. Everyone agrees today that this is the only path—to fight and to stand up for our very existence. We hereby declare clearly: nothing will deter us, not sanctions of any kind, not delays, and not decrees. Nothing will deter us.

“And we follow in the ways of our rabbonim and under their guidance. The rosh yeshiva zt”l who established the foundations here with a pure worldview, and who made it the banner upon which the yeshiva stands; the words of the Chazon Ish, that against suicide battalions nothing will help you—this is what stands here and what will continue. This is our strength, and with it we proceed in the path of our rabbis according to their precise directives: the rosh yeshiva zt”l, and rosh yeshiva Rav Shmuel of blessed memory who built the community of Torah scholars, and after him rosh yeshiva Rav Asher zt”l, and today, thank God, we remain completely faithful to the path of the great Rav Azriel, may he live long.

“All year, what is our way? Our way is in the bais medrash—in learning, in understanding, in deepening Torah, in yiras Shomayim, in tefillah, in goodness and kindness without limit. But on the other hand, when there is a temporary directive, we fulfill it with all its demands and with self-sacrifice. When our rabbis instruct us to leave the bais medrash, we carry out that directive as well, outside the bais medrash, with all our strength and with total self-sacrifice.”

The rosh yeshiva continued by emphasizing determination and a return to learning.

“Nothing will deter us—no ridicule and no decree. We will continue to overcome everything with strength and inner resolve. And as you see, even this gathering took place between study sessions, and we are returning with increased energy and strength to our learning. We have merited to bring about a tremendous sanctification of God’s name in these days, as preparation for the giving of the Torah.”

{Matzav.com}