Torato Omanuto
Encyclopedia
Torato Omanuto is a term describing one who's Torah study
Torah study
Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...

 ("Torato"; as a religious commandment) is his main occupation ("Omanuto", his artistry). In Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, the term is used in context of the special arrangement for the Israeli Haredi Judaism
Haredi Judaism
Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....

 sector, the Torato Omanuto arrangement, in which it enables the young men of the Haredi Judaism Yeshiva
Yeshiva
Yeshiva is a Jewish educational institution that focuses on the study of traditional religious texts, primarily the Talmud and Torah study. Study is usually done through daily shiurim and in study pairs called chavrutas...

 academies to complete their studies before they fulfill the compulsory enrollment to the Israeli army (applied upon each Israeli citizen, when he or she turns 18, for a three years stint), and since the Israeli Haredi Judaism sector maintains that the Torah studying practice (or reciting) by itself, when practiced by great Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...

 scholars or their disciples, is what is defending the state of Israel and its people (as if an additional praying division for the Israeli army), practically, the Torato Omanuto arrangement, serves as a legal status for the Haredi Judaism Yeshiva Rabbis and disciples, in which it enables them to either enroll for a shortened service period (4 months), or excuse themselves from the compulsory military service on the grounds of Torato Omanuto (Torah is their main occupation).

The source of the phrase
Torato Omanuto is taken from the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....

:

History and public discoure

Originally, along with the establishment of the state of Israel, the 1st Prime Minister of Israel
Prime Minister of Israel
The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...

, David Ben-Gurion
David Ben-Gurion
' was the first Prime Minister of Israel.Ben-Gurion's passion for Zionism, which began early in life, led him to become a major Zionist leader and Executive Head of the World Zionist Organization in 1946...

, during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, reached a special arrangement with the Haredi Judaism sector (represented by Agudat Yisrael and Yitzhak-Meir Levin
Yitzhak-Meir Levin
Rabbi Yitzhak-Meir Levin was an Haredi politician. He had political roles in Poland and Israel. One of 37 people to sign the Israeli declaration of independence, he served in several Israeli cabinets, and was a longtime leader and Knesset minster for Agudath Israel and related...

), in which a small allotted portion of senior Haredi Judaism Yeshiva disciples (400 men), would temporarily be excused from military service, pending their sole occupation is the Torah Study practice (which Haredi Judaism devote and occupy themselves with, for most part of their time and day, as a religious commandment), and the new legal status was then named Torato Omanuto, as a prescriptive regulation. The original purpose was to create this legal status as part of creating the comprehensive religious Status quo
Status quo (Israel)
In Israel, the term status quo refers to the political understanding between religious and secular political parties not to alter the communal arrangement in relation to religious matters, in a predominantly secular population...

, between the secular Yeshuv community and the Haredi Judaism sector within Israel, and prevent an internal Jewish-conflict while pleading to the U.N as a Jewish and Democratic State. Over the course of the years, when the Israeli population grew, so did the number of the allotted portion of the Haredi Judaism Yeashiva men eligible for obtaining the Torato Omanuto legal status (800 in 1968, 41,450 in 2005 compared to a 7 million entire Israeli population), and the issue turned into a political discourse within the Israeli society as to who is or is not obliged to risk his life serving in the Israeli army, when many non Haredi Judaism Israelis, including the Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism
Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...

 sector (who maintain the need to combine Torah study practice along with partial military service, under Hesder
Hesder
Hesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...

 Yeshivas), started to complain over the uneven burden of military service and life risking (beyond the three years of regular-compulsory service, men also serve as military reserve force, including military exercises on regular basis until they turn 50).

For many years the legal status of Torato Omanuto remained a regulation under the jurisdiction of the Defense Minister of Israel (Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion parallelly served as Defence Minister as well), who was authorized to allot and grant these postponements or special exemptions, and after many years of public discourse, a ruling of the High Court of Justice of Israel forced to arrange and set it under a prescriptive law, eventually under the Tal law.

See also

  • Haredi Judaism
    Haredi Judaism
    Haredi or Charedi/Chareidi Judaism is the most conservative form of Orthodox Judaism, often referred to as ultra-Orthodox. A follower of Haredi Judaism is called a Haredi ....

  • Hardal
    Hardal
    Chardal ; Hebrew: חרד"ל, acronym for חרדי לאומי, Charedi Le-umi, lit. "Nationalist Charedi", Plural: Chardalim refers to the Ultra-Orthodox Jews who support the ideology of Religious Zionism...

  • Status quo (Israel)
    Status quo (Israel)
    In Israel, the term status quo refers to the political understanding between religious and secular political parties not to alter the communal arrangement in relation to religious matters, in a predominantly secular population...

  • A Jewish and Democratic State
    A Jewish and Democratic State
    "A Jewish and Democratic State" is the definition of the nature and character of the State of Israel, as the Jewish nature was first defined within the Declaration of Independence of 1948, and the "Democratic" character was first officially added to the "Jewish" nature in the amendment to the Basic...

  • Tal committee (the "Tal law")
  • Religion in Israel
    Religion in Israel
    Religion in Israel is a central feature of the country and plays a major role in shaping Israeli culture and lifestyle, and religion has played a central role in Israel's history. Israel is also the only country in the world where a majority of citizens are Jewish...

  • Hesder
    Hesder
    Hesder is an Israeli yeshiva program which combines advanced Talmudic studies with military service in the Israel Defense Forces, usually within a Religious Zionist framework...

     - combining the Torah study
    Torah study
    Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...

     practice and Military service, for the Religious Zionism
    Religious Zionism
    Religious Zionism is an ideology that combines Zionism and Jewish religious faith...

     ("National Religious") sector.
  • Sherut Leumi
    Sherut Leumi
    Sherut Leumi is an alternative voluntary national service in Israel for those that cannot or do not wish to serve in the Israel Defense Forces...

  • Atchalta De'Geulah
    Atchalta De'Geulah
    Atchalta De'Geulah is a term for a concept of an idea, derived from the Gemara. It refers to the notion of a period of time in which a new stage of revival in the process of the redemption and the coming of the Jewish Messiah...

  • Torah study commandment
    Torah study
    Torah study is the study by Jewish people of the Torah, Hebrew Bible, Talmud, responsa, rabbinic literature and similar works, all of which are Judaism's religious texts...

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