HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, issued a warning Wednesday evening about what he described as growing government pressure on the Chareidi community, saying the challenges extend far beyond the military draft controversy and threaten nearly every aspect of Chareidi education and communal life.

The remarks were delivered during a meeting with Rabbonim and community representatives from Rechasim, who visited the homes of HaRav Hirsch and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau for guidance and brachos ahead of Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections.

HaRav Hirsch told the delegation that the public may not fully appreciate the scope of the difficulties confronting Chareidi institutions.

“I don’t know if you are aware of the policies of the current government,” the Rosh Yeshiva said. “Everyone knows about the problems with the army, but there are problems in every single area. In Chinuch Atzmai, in the chedarim, in the seminaries. Everywhere they can create difficulties for us, they do so.”

According to HaRav Hirsch, government policies have changed significantly from previous years, with restrictions and administrative obstacles now affecting institutions that previously operated without such interference.

“Things that for all these years they did nothing about, today they are taking action in every area, putting everything in danger,” he said.

The Rosh Yeshiva went on to express concern that the pressure on Chareidi institutions reflects a broader effort to influence the community’s future identity.

He suggested that some policymakers are motivated by concerns about Israel’s changing demographics and the possibility that the Chareidi population will become a much larger share of the country in the coming decades.

“They are openly afraid of what will happen in 20 years, when they will become a minority,” HaRav Hirsch said.

“What is their solution? To change us, so that by then we will not be so Chareidi, and consequently they will not lose their power in the country.”

HaRav Hirsch characterized the situation as an existential struggle from the perspective of those he believes are seeking to reshape Chareidi society.

“We have to understand that for them, this is a war of survival. And when someone is fighting for survival, he fights with tremendous determination,” he explained.

The Rosh Yeshiva emphasized that confronting these challenges requires not only political and organizational efforts, but also extraordinary Siyata Dishmaya.

“The only way we can fight this through natural means, before the Ribono Shel Olam, is if we ourselves do something truly extraordinary,” he said.

“We need extraordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary Siyata Dishmaya to succeed in every area. And for the Ribono Shel Olam to grant us that special Siyata Dishmaya, He must see that we want Him.”

HaRav Hirsch continued by explaining the connection between spiritual commitment and Divine assistance.

“If the Ribono Shel Olam sees that we want Him, there will be Giluy Shechinah. If He sees that we do not care about the Ribono Shel Olam, there will be Hester Panim. This is what the Gemara teaches.”

Turning to the upcoming elections, HaRav Hirsch stressed that the present political circumstances require an exceptional level of effort from those involved in United Torah Judaism’s election campaign.

“This coming term is something very, very unusual, and the Siyata Dishmaya required must also be extraordinary,” he said.

He then called for maximum participation among the party’s potential voters.

“Every single person must do his part and achieve 100%. One hundred percent of those who are eligible to vote for us must vote,” HaRav Hirsch declared.

He concluded by reiterating that, in his view, the community’s efforts during the election campaign must be accompanied by spiritual strengthening and a recognition of its dependence on Siyata Dishmaya.

“If in every location we achieve 100% participation among those eligible to vote for us, then we will have Siyata Dishmaya, through natural means, to prevail,” he said.

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