In 5731 (1971), the Steipler was shown an item in the journal Hapeles which stated that the Israeli government had plans to reintroduce legislation making Sherut Leumi (national service, to parallel army service) compulsory for all girls. The Steipler immediately wrote to one of the rabbonim in America, "Please, have mercy on us, on Jewry, and do anything that you find can to be of any help in effecting a rescue. I don't know how, maybe by sending an influential delegation to the Consul, maybe through an article in a newspaper with wide circulation, to beg for mercy, that the blood of shomrei Torah umitzvos should not be shed, to have their daughters slaughtered before their eyes R'l . . . "
This letter made a deep impression and the recipient passed it on to a friend of his who asked the Steipler for permission to circulate it in the botei medrash. The Steipler replied, "The matter needs to be reflected on, because I think that my choice of words implied that I was testifying that they are planning to issue a decree etc. whereas, regarding the facts, I am a dweller of tents who knows nothing of what happens beyond what others tell me. Last year they told me that there was some plan to make the above decree and then they told me that all they wanted was to ensure that irreligious girls would be unable to resort to trickery and present themselves as religious. However, I didn't know what the true facts were. I wrote my letter to the above rov in response to an article which I was shown in Hapeles of erev Shavuos . . . where everything which I wrote about appeared. I was aghast, for it appeared that the decree was very close at hand chas vesholom, and that nobody was taking action to prevent it, may Hashem yisborach have mercy. At any rate, it did not occur to me that my letter would be so widely publicized, for when something is to be made public it is imperative to take great care over how it is phrased and the source [of the information] should have been brought, rather than giving the appearance of my testifying about it."
Two days later, the Steipler addressed another letter to the same person. "Regarding my letter of two days ago, now there is an ongoing rumor to the effect that the danger of the evil decree is very great, and I repeat my request and cast my supplication: please, make every possible effort in any direction that you judge might be helpful. You can do whatever you see fit with the letter that I wrote to the rov, shlita."
In 5732 (1972), the law of compulsory national service for girls was reintroduced with added vigor, and the Steipler was again active. Originally, he formulated the following letter: "Concerning the rumor that has come to pass . . . this dreadful decree hovered over us twenty years ago . . . and all the gedolei hador, the mighty Torah scholars who were then alive, trembled and raised a commotion over it and ruled that it was a stringent and fearsome prohibition in any form . . . and all because it is an accessory of immorality, R'l . . . We feel obliged to make it publicly known that this prohibition against conscripting girls, in any way or form whatsoever, is still fully in force, with renewed vigor, for the burim are slipping lower and none come to ask . . . "
This was the letter which he originally intended to publish. However, he eventually decided that he preferred to publish the original ruling of HaRav Tzvi Pesach Frank, HaRav Isser Zalman Meltzer, HaRav Zelig Reuven Bengis and the Tchebiner Rov, and to add a few lines explaining why the ruling was being publicized, that would make it clear that it was still in force. He then decided that his opinion that the original ruling still applied should appear explicitly and when that had been prepared, he asked that HaRav Shach add his signature so that it would be clear that they both concurred in this ruling.
The announcement was signed in this form on the twentieth of Cheshvan 5732. Two days later, it was decided that the letter should be sent to the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah of Agudas Yisroel and, after a slight amendment had been made, it was signed by four of the members of that body (including of course, HaRav Shach). However, since the Steipler was not a member of the Moetzes, his signature was omitted from that letter. It appeared on a second version, which was printed separately alongside the other one.
A month later, an additional letter signed by the Steipler and ylct'a, HaRav Shach was sent to the British Chief Rabbi, asking him to intervene.
