Shas MK Yoav Ben Tzur delivered an emotional address in the Knesset on Monday during debate over the Basic Law on Torah Study, calling on lawmakers from across the political spectrum to recognize the central role of Torah in the life and survival of the Jewish people.

Opening his remarks, Ben Tzur said, “I stand before you today not only as a public official, but as a son of the Jewish people, whose greatest day in history was at Har Sinai, when the Torah was given. This is not a political or sectoral law, nor is it a matter of coalition versus opposition. This is the foundational law of the Jewish nation’s soul.”

Ben Tzur emphasized that Torah study has been the force that sustained the Jewish people throughout centuries of exile and persecution. “Throughout two thousand years of exile, in the face of persecution, pogroms, and attempts at annihilation, we had neither military might nor political power. The Book protected us—the eternal Book of Books.”

He continued by pointing to the endurance of the Jewish people despite the collapse of mighty civilizations. “Nations and empires disappeared, yet we remained steadfast and strong,” he said. “The holy Torah is our identity, our moral compass, and the eternal flame that warms the heart of every Jew.”

Explaining the purpose of the legislation, Ben Tzur said the bill simply enshrines an obvious truth: “That Torah study is a supreme foundational value in the State of Israel. Torah scholars—those kollel scholars and yeshiva students—are not a burden. They are the spiritual defensive wall protecting us all. They are the ones who continue the unbroken chain of generations, from Moses receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai until our own day.”

Ben Tzur also appealed for unity, urging lawmakers to rise above the country’s political divisions. “I appeal from here to every member of this House, from every part of the political spectrum. In recent years we have experienced many storms, divisions, and disputes that have torn us apart. Precisely at moments like these, we must return to the roots we all share.”

He stressed that the Torah belongs to every Jew, not to any single political party. “The Torah does not belong to the haredi parties—it belongs to the entire Jewish people,” Ben Tzur declared. “As I have said from this podium time and again, as a reserve captain in the Nahal Brigade and as someone who recognizes the value of Torah study, our unity is our strength, and the Torah is the deepest common denominator that unites us all as one people—haredim and secular Jews alike, from every segment of society.”

Ben Tzur described passage of the bill as a historic affirmation of Israel’s Jewish identity. “Alongside our unwavering support for our soldiers—the finest of our sons—who are courageously fighting our enemies, the State of Israel is a Jewish state, and it recognizes the value of Torah study in protecting our nation and our soldiers. The State of Israel acknowledges that alongside military and economic strength, it is our spiritual strength that guarantees our existence forever.”

Concluding his speech, Ben Tzur urged lawmakers to support the legislation. “This is the time to rise above the considerations of the moment, to look toward the future while remembering our glorious past, and to support this important Basic Law. Together we will send a clear message to future generations that the flame of Torah in the Land of Israel did not go out during the darkest periods of history—and it will never be extinguished.”

The Knesset on Monday began a five-day legislative marathon, with the Basic Law on Torah Study becoming the first bill to come before the plenum. Later this week, lawmakers are also expected to vote on legislation approved by the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that would temporarily suspend the arrest of yeshiva students for the coming months.

{Matzav.com}