Channel 14 on Thursday revealed new details about the first Haredi brigade in the IDF since the establishment of the Jewish State in 5708. The Haredi soldiers of the Hasmonean Brigade must pledge to observe the commandments, wear Shabbat clothes during prayers and meals on the Day of Rest, and participate in daily Torah lessons. The kashrut standards will be the most "Mehadrin," and the soldiers will be obligated to pray three prayers a day - four on Shabbat, and five on Yom Kippur.

THESE ARE THE 10 COMMANDMENTS OF THE HASMONEAN BRIGADE

Finally: the soldiers will be required to wear a black kippah throughout their service, dress in Shabbat clothes on non-operational Shabbat days, and maintain a Haredi lifestyle throughout their service, even while at home. And they will be prohibited from using unfiltered cell phones.

Before we end this report and wish our Haredi soldiers a huge Mazal Tov, I'd like to make one personal observation about the name picked for the new Haredi unit by the powers that be in the IDF: the Hasmonean Brigade. It is named after the dynasty that ruled Judea from the 2nd century to the first century BCE. The Hasmonean kings were the offspring of the five sons of Mattathias the priest, who led the revolt against Seleucid rule. From the start, the Hasmoneans violated the long-held tradition that Judea must be ruled by the offspring of King David, and not by priests, who were from the tribe of Levi. As a result, the entire line of Hasmonean kings were removed from office either due to madness, or assassinations. They were loathed by the sages, founding fathers of the Rabbinic tradition, who mistrusted their intentions and feared their affiliation with Hellenism. Wasn't there a less controversial name for this very important IDF division?

During a meeting in July with Rabbi David Leibel for the purpose of establishing the Haredi brigade, Major General Zini and the head of the Planning and Human Resources Management, Brigadier General Shai Taib, were attacked by dozens of extremist Haredim who surrounded their vehicle, threw objects and bottles at them, and shouted insults. But I don't think it was because of the choice of a name for the new unit...