VOLUNTEERING FOR THE MILITARY CHAPLAINCY 1940s

QUESTION: The question has arisen whether it is in accordance with Jewish law to volunteer for the chaplaincy and thus take on the dangers of military life.

ANSWER: There is no question that, in Jewish law, military service, when it is required by the government, must be accepted wholeheartedly by subjects or citizens of Jewish faith. The duty to respect the commands of the government is clearly stated and emphasized in Jewish law. This attitude of respect and loyalty to the government is summarized, for example, in the introductory statement(on page 10) of Isaac Elchanon Spector’s Ein Yitzhak Hasheni(who quotes Proverbs 24:21, Aboth 3:2, Jer. 29:7, Yoma 69a-Simon the Just to Alexander): The specific duty to serve in the army is described in detail by the Chofetz Chaim (Israel Meir Hacohen of Radun) in his Introduction to Machanei Yisrael:“It is a great sin”, he says,“to evade service in the army.”

This, of course, refers to compulsory service which, being the command of the government(tzivui hammemshalo), according to Jewish law must be obeyed. But our question does not directly concern itself with obeying the command to serve(about which there is no doubt) but volunteering on one’s own initiative. Is such volunteering in accordance with Jewish law?

The basic question involves the laws of sakkana, danger to life, as to whether one may put himself in danger and also whether there is not to the contrary the duty to escape from such dangers. There is a definite command in the law to avoid all dangers. This law has a number of different aspects. One of them is based upon the verse(Deut. 4:9):“Be careful and preserve your soul.” The Talmud (Berakhot 3a& 8b, et al) speaks of the obligation to guard Against endangering oneself by entering a ruin, drinking unsafe Water, etc, Maimonides codifies these various dangers(Yad, Hil. Rozeah u-Shemirat Nefesh XI. 4& 5). So does the Tur and the Shulhan Arukh(Yoreh Deah 116). See especially the long note by Isserles . Maimonides says that whoever does not avoid such