The Sanzer Rebbe said that while the media has fueled hostility toward the Torah world, most secular Israelis still respect Torah and those who study it. His remarks came during a special meeting with a young bochur who had recently been released from military prison after refusing to leave Torah study. The Rebbe also addressed the ongoing campaign against bnei yeshiva and proposals to unite leading rabbonim in response.

The meeting took place on Thursday night, Parshas Eikev, at the Rebbe’s home. The Ziditshov Bnei Brak Rebbe visited together with his son-in-law, Rabbi Chaim Pinter, a descendant of the Sanzer dynasty, and his son, Shmuel Shmelke Pinter, who had recently completed a prison sentence imposed after his arrest by the military police for remaining in yeshiva.

The Sanzer Rebbe warmly encouraged the young man and his family, recalling a story his father, the Klausenberger Rebbe zt”l, often told about Rav Aharon of Kriz zt”l, who was imprisoned. When people asked the Divrei Chaim to daven for Rav Aharon’s release, he reminded them that Yosef HaTzaddik, the Maharam of Rottenburg, and the Ruzhiner Rebbe had all been jailed. When someone suggested that imprisonment was a chilul Hashem, the Divrei Chaim answered that the true chilul Hashem is forgetting Hashem, even for a single moment.

The Rebbe explained that he intentionally refrained from sharing the story while the bochur was still incarcerated.

“I did not want to say this while he was still sitting in prison… Not everything can be imitated… But now that, Boruch Hashem, he has been released, it is appropriate to tell this story.”

The discussion then shifted to the draft crisis and the treatment of Torah learners. The Ziditshov Rebbe raised the idea of convening leading rabbonim to place a cherem on those leading the campaign against the Torah world. The Sanzer Rebbe responded by recalling that his father had long ago proposed organizing chareidi attorneys to defend the interests of Torah Judaism through the legal system in Eretz Yisroel.

“He was wise and could foresee the future… He wanted to gather chareidi attorneys who would coordinate everything related to protecting the interests of Torah Judaism through the legal system in Eretz Yisroel.”

The Rebbe said that government authorities today often act arrogantly and without restraint.

Despite his criticism of government officials and institutions, the Rebbe emphasized that they do not represent the feelings of the general public. He said most Jews in Eretz Yisroel have faith in Hashem and maintain a genuine respect for Torah and religious life, while the media creates the false impression that anti-Torah voices represent the majority.

The Rebbe related that he has personally experienced this in places such as Netanya and even Caesarea, which he described as a left-wing city. During visits there, many non-observant Jews approached him to ask for brachos or treated him with great respect as he walked through the streets.

“This is the majority of the Jewish people in Eretz Yisroel,” he said.

Speaking about the ongoing war, the Rebbe said it has created confusion among many Israelis who do not understand the sanctity of Torah, but it has also inspired countless others to strengthen their faith and seek brachos and tefillos.

Addressing hostility toward the chareidi community, the Rebbe said many secular Jews cannot be judged harshly because they are tinokos shenishbu who were never properly taught Torah. However, he added that when one encounters intense hatred of religion and an organized campaign against Torah-observant Jews, his father attributed such behavior to the influence of the Eirev Rav.

The Rebbe concluded by expressing absolute confidence in the eternity of Torah, recalling his father’s frequent assurance that Torah will never collapse regardless of the challenges facing the Torah world.

Before the young bochur departed, the Sanzer Rebbe gave him a heartfelt bracha, telling him that he had been chosen from Heaven to sanctify Hashem’s Name on behalf of Klal Yisroel and expressing the hope that the future joy of the Torah world would far outweigh its present suffering.