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Women are also commanded to save lives and settle the Land. Nevertheless, according to Jewish tradition, women do not serve in the army. There are two explanations for this. First, the Sages tell us it is not the way of women to fight and conquer. Even at times of war, the nation needs to strike a balance. While the men are needed to risk their lives on the front lines, the women are needed to keep things as normal as possible on the home front. Second, the fraternizing of men and women in the army poses a threat to standards of modesty, as well as a dangerous distraction for the soldiers. As we mentioned in the previous section, the holiness of the camp demands a higher standard of modesty.
Although some maintain that women should enlist, serve in auxiliary roles, and even go into combat in cases of emergency, this is a minority opinion among Orthodox rabbis. Ĥaredi rabbis feel it is a serious transgression for women to serve. Most Religious Zionist rabbis feel that while there is no intrinsic prohibition, it is preferable for women not to serve, because of the modesty problems mentioned above. Additionally, experience shows that serving in the army leads some women to become less religious. Thus, the negatives outweigh the positives. Nevertheless, a religious woman soldier who contributes to the security of the State while sanctifying the name of God is fulfilling a mitzva.
