Rav Shmuel Dvir, head of the halacha track in Yeshivat Bet Moriah in Beer Sheva, has written an interesting psak in Techumin.
Rav Dvir writes that a newly married groom is obligated to be home for the entire first year of marriage. This obligation contradicts the military service of a fighting soldier in the army. A soldier serving in a combat unit can only be home on weekends, in the best of situations.
Rav Dvir says the Torah clearly means to say, when it says a chosson must be home for one year and a new groom should not go out to the army, that it is better to get married after army service has been completed, or, alternatively, more than a year prior to serving. The only exception is one who is going to serve near his home and can go home daily..
Rav Dvir also says that even if the kallah is willing to allow her new husband to serve, and she forgives his lack of presence, it might not help his situation.
Rav Dvir concludes that one must do everything possible to postpone getting married until after one's army service has been completed, or get married before serving and then wait a year before serving, or serve in a non-combat unit in which one can go home daily - and then only get married after his training period is over..
source: NRG and Srugim
Lots of men do get married during their IDF service. Either this psak will be ignored, or it will influence major changes in society. It will probably be ignored.
------------------------------------------------------
Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel
------------------------------------------------------