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The Goal of in Medinat Yisrael — Today By Yaakov Filber Translated from Hebrew by Matis Greenblatt

Medinat Yisrael, which came into being by miraculous us from our inception until now. In opposition stands means, presently stands at a crossroads. Secular Zionism Religious Zionism, which on the one hand is working to imagines that it has realized its goals and currently strives to preserve the Jewish character of Israeli society through its attain two objectives: (1) peace with its Arab neighbors, broad educational network, and on the other hand, is work- and (2) the continued formation of a Western state, made ing to establish settlements wherever possible to fight the up of in the Middle East. In order to achieve these attempt to reduce the completeness of the Land. This twin goals it is prepared to pay a heavy price. In exchange for struggle carries a price: tension is created and deepens the peace, it advocates relinquishing sections of the birthplace gap between the various segments of Israeli society. But which were freed during the Six Day War; and on behalf of before discussing the state of Religious Zionism today, achieving a Western state, it is willing to become estranged Zionism in past generations will be described. from the unique Jewish way of life which has distinguished Since its birth 100 years ago, Zionism has brought about a revolution in the Jewish People which may be divided Rabbi Filber is one of the chief editors and expositors of Rav Koo k ’s into two periods: the first prior to of the wo r ks. He is rosh yes h i va h of Yes h i v at Yer ushalayim La’T z’i r i m . State, and the second after its establishment. Secular

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 Zionism, which viewed the State as the crowning achieve- community’s integration into the governmental framework ment of Zionism, was, until its establishment, the domi- at the same time that it is in opposition in many areas. nant force and carried high the Zionist banner. During An opposite trend also occurred within Religious that period Zionism was occupied with three tasks: Zionism: after years of subservience to the secular leader- of Jews to Eretz Yisrael, settlement of the uncultivated por- ship, it shook itself free from secular ideology and began to tions of the Land, and protection of the [Jewish set- direct its own path in accordance with the truth of Jewish tlement] against the Arabs, who from the outset sought to sources. This revolution, whose beginning was small, grew undermine the Zionist achievement. Religious Zionism stronger in the course of time and Religious Zionism suc- was a partner in the Zionist undertaking, and sought, in cessfully constructed a Zionist world which now addition to the above goals, to create a Jewish image for the encompasses tens of thousands of young people educated in Zionist movement, but its efforts were accompanied by an the myriad institutions of the Religious Zionist system. inferiority complex which made it necessary to prove that And we are privileged to witness the mature products of Religious Zionism was capable of achieving all that her these institutions who have graduated from schools secular sister had achieved. The third group in of higher Torah learning, completed their aca- the nation, the Chareidi community, viewed demic educations and are occupying key itself not merely outside of the Zionist positions: in the rabbinate, as dayanim, movement, but saw in Zionism the foe educators, in strategic positions in of and related to it with sus- , the army, economics, picion. medicine and academia. One After the establishment of the can find the wearers of the kip- State, but particularly after the pah serugah in all strata of Six Day War, great changes took Israeli society. place in all three groups: Yet in spite of these suc- Secular Zionism saw in the cesses, there are shadows State the actualization of its troubling the Religious dreams, and began to refer to Zionist leadership, especially Zionism with quotation marks , in two areas: the Oslo reflecting a phenomenon pre- Rav Avraham agreements, which have dicted by Rav Kook in l920 in Yitzchak Kook brought about withdrawals his seminal work, Orot: Mate- from the territories freed by rial tranquility will come upon a the Six Day War, have segment of the nation which aroused doubts and confu- imagines that it has attained its sion in in the goal, stunting its ; and days will Redemption among the arrive about which it will be said, Religious Zionist community, “there is no more desire.” The yearn- particularly among the young. ing for lofty and sanctified idealism will How can there be withdrawal dur- cease and consequently the spirit will ing the “Beginning of the decline and sink. And in fact, idealism has Redemption?” The dealt with gradually declined in Israeli society, particular- this question when they explained that the ly in that part that has distanced itself to the point exodus from Egypt included, and the final of alienation from Jewish tradition and the Jewish way of Redemption will include, revelation and concealment: life of past generations — a decline that has resulted in a that is to say, there will be periods of success when cooling of the Zionist fire. reveals Himself, and there will also be periods when He A change has also occurred within the Chareidi commu- hides His face; there will be failures and setbacks in the nity since the early Zionist period: whereas it had been process of Redemption. It is also possible that included in withdrawn, and opposed joint action with Zionist society, the yisurim [suffering] which one must endure in order to today — if not de jure, at least de facto — it is acting simi- gain a share in Eretz Yisrael are not only physical suffering, larly to the Mizrachi in its early days, by engaging in con- but also suffering of the soul, including confusion and certed action with secular groups, such as in joining govern- doubt. mental coalitions and influencing legislation which impact The second problem area is that of education. Here upon the general populace; also, whereas it originally Religious Zionism is enduring the phenomenon of “more banned the Chief Rabbinate and the Religious Councils, riches, more worry.” In spite of the quantitative growth of today it is active in determining their composition and join- the student population, there are educational failures from a ing them. All these are striking indications of the Chareidi religious standpoint attributable to two factors: the open-

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 ness of Religious Zionist education exposes students to per- ment of settling the Land and views our age as the missiveness and to the media, which is largely secular, and “Beginning of the Flowering of our Redemption.” The to all the negative influences which a student encounters. function of this group is not merely to create a bridge, but All of these factors cause dropouts from . most importantly, to bring about the coming together of In addition, with the expansion of yeshivah education, the these two groups into one Redemption, so that all parts of children from less committed and observant families now the Jewish community will carry the burden and responsi- attend yeshivot. Though new schools open every year to bility for the realization of the idea of the Jewish people liv- accommodate these students, the quantitative success also ing in Eretz Yisrael according to Torat Yisrael.With the creates problems. But these failures need not weaken the joint efforts of all segments of the nation, Eretz Yisrael will spirit; rather, it is incumbent upon us to join hands and be constructed as a State in the forefront of modern eco- continue in the path on which we began, as it is written: nomics, technology and the sciences, and at the same time “Let us be strong for the sake of our People and for the sake conduct itself according to the ideas and ways of the Torah of the cities of our God — and God will do what is good in of . Such a Medinah was described by Rav Kook His eyes.” when he envisaged the Medinat Yisrael of the future as a The function of Religious Zionism in our day remains means toward the unfolding of the Kingdom of God on what it was from the beginning. At the two extremes of earth: The State is not man’s greatest source of happiness; such Israeli society are two communities: the Chareidi, whose can be said concerning an ordinary state whose value lies in faithfulness to Torah caused it to withdraw from, and at nothing more than providing security for its society, but whose times to negate, the State; and the secular, whose zeal to be many principles which are the crown of life remain hovering “a nation like all the nations” and a State like all the states, above the state; this is otherwise for a state whose foundation is has distanced itself from the Torah. The gap widens and idealism, within whose very being is inscribed the most sub- deepens from day to day. Between these two groups stands lime ideal, which is in truth the greatest happiness of the indi- a great camp of “keepers of the ” — a group that ful- vidual. And it is this state that is our State, Medinat Yisrael, fills mitzvot, sees in the strengthening and development of the foundation of God’s throne in this world, whose total wish Medinat Yisrael the actualization of the positive command- is that God be One and His Name One. JA Reflections on the State of Religious Zionism By Dr. David Berger

Poised between the aggressively anti- tion in accordance with the laws of the Torah. of mainstream secular Zionists and the passive Messianic Whether the primary religious objective was or faith of the bulk of believing Jews, nineteenth-century , the national arousal of the Jewish people would, Religious Zionism was born on the horns of a dilemma. they believed, elicit a divine response allowing the fulfill- Embracing both horns, its leaders affirmed the validity of ment, in whole or in part, of a millennial dream. For all tradition and its divinely-assured Messianic Age, while the stresses in this marriage of modern nationalism and arguing that human initiative, hardly distinguishable from age-old faith, it was precisely the outnumbered religious the behavior of secular nationalists, was crucial to the Zionists who united the profoundest forces that lay at the Redemption of Israel. For some, the redemptive dimension heart of a nationalist movement whose leaders spoke of sec- receded, and the religious aspect of their nationalism was ular means and secular goals — but could not digest a expressed in terms of the commandment to settle the Land Uganda solution because of a misty-eyed attachment to a and the opportunity to establish a state that would func- land they had experienced only in verses and that they professed not to believe. Dr. Berger is Professor of History at Brooklyn College and at The God of history has awarded victory to Zionism writ the Graduate School, City University of New York. He is the large as well as to its religious exponents, and yet irrele- author of Jewish-Christian Debate in the High Middle Ages vance, even defeat, can emerge from the jaws of victory. and co-author of Judaism’s Encounter with Other Cultures: The triumph of Zionism is, of course, the State itself. The Rejection or Integration? edited by J. Schacter. He is triumph of Religious Zionism lies in the near impossibility the current president of the Association for . of constructing a coherent Orthodox theory of Providence

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 in which the return of the to the Jewish Herzog strove to incorporate as much halachah as possible People is anything but a monumental gift of God; the into the still inchoate legal system of the new nation, and struggle to establish the State has received the unmistakable the Mizrachi leader Rav Yehudah Leib Maimon imagined haskamah [a p p r obation] of the Ribbono Shel Olam Him s e l f .1 that he could found a Sanhedrin. (He is reported to have But there is another side to this coin. Zionism as a whole been asked how it would be possible nowadays to locate must contend with the irrelevance which bedevils any participants who “spurn ill-gotten gain” [Exodus 18:21]. movement that has achieved its objective, while the crisis of His reply: “Nowadays, for money you can anything.”) Religious Zionism is a far more complicated matter. For all the shortcomings of these efforts, Israel incorporated First, a word about post-1948 Zionism. It could no much of Jewish law into its fundamental legal and social longer mean advocating the establishment of a Jewish structure, from rabbinic control of marriage and divorce to homeland. Rather, for all but deeply-devoted adherents the public observance of the Sabbath. who were committed to aliyah, it was reduced to the And there is the rub. Enforcement of halachah in a pre-

Photo courtesy of American Friends of Yeshivot

proposition that Jews both in and out of the new State Messianic environment with a largely secular populace runs should work for its welfare. Active anti-Zionism in a secu- the risk of generating hatred of the Torah and of its adher- lar context could only mean that the State should cease to ents. During the controversy over the closing of Bar-Ilan exist, and with it masses of Jewish residents who would be Street in some years ago, I rode through the con- wiped out with its destruction. Since this position was troversial area on a bus and saw large Hebrew signs unthinkable, vigorous Jewish anti-Zionism virtually disap- announcing, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” peared even as Zionism itself was redefined. I was stunned by the intensity of my reaction. Shabbos, I Religious Zionism had larger objectives than a “mere” thought to myself, is something only God could have state, and 1948 brought neither a medinat haTorah nor the invented, and yet secular Jews looking at these signs will Messianic Age. These dreams remained to be fulfilled. react not with sentiments of spiritual exaltation, but with First, there was the Torah state. Yitzchak intense, even venomous, hatred of Judaism. By the time I

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 Irrelevance… can emerge “from the jaws of victory.” arrived at my destination in Mt. Scopus, my eyes had filled non-Zionist Orthodox Jews, especially in the Diaspora, is with tears. by no means as sharp as the rhetorical level would lead us Religious Zionism faces the ironic, heart- w r enching chal- to expect. Most of the latter care profoundly about the lenge of deciding to forego the enforcement of Torah, even welfare of the State and its inhabitants — more profoundly in some areas where such enforcement is politically attain- than most nominally Zionist Reform Jews. It is easy to able, in order to foster love of Torah. To take one highly envision a politically conservative, non-Zionist Orthodox co n t r oversial example, I believe that the Rabbinate should in the United States voting for a liberal Democrat with maintain control of divor ce, but that the State should per- a pro-Israel stance; it is much harder to imagine a political- mit civil marriages that will not lead to ma m ze ru t . The pro- ly liberal, Zionist Reform Jew voting for a pro-Israel con- hibition of civil marriage not only creates profound res e n t - servative Republican. It is also considerably more likely ment; it produces power ful pres s u r es to accept dubious con- that the child of the non-Zionist will one day reside in the versions which we should not be prep a r ed to rec o g n i ze . 2 State of Israel. The anti-Zionist rhetoric in some The line between self-defeating aggres s i v eness and meritori- Traditionalist circles is strident indeed; nonetheless, in a ous firmness is difficult to draw, but few worthwhile bound- world where Zionism effectively means concern and sup- aries are established with ease. We cannot allow ourselves to port for the interests of Israel, most of Traditionalist be deterred from struggling towa r d a proper balance by the Orthodoxy, for all of its refusal to thank God for the mira- fu r ther irony that the non-Zionist Orth o d o x are among the cle of the State, is staunchly Zionist. In Israel, most of st r ongest advocates of a medinat haTora h . non-Zionist Orthodoxy is actively involved in the political Indeed, the line between Religious Zionists and most life of the State, but because the critical practical divide is

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 army service rather than on Yom HaAtzma’ut, the see the final fulfillment in our generation or even the next. issue is much more sharply drawn. Religious Zionism does face a crisis. Confidence that the And then there is the Messianic dimension. Here too birth of Israel guarantees the imminent advent of the Religious Zionism faces the need for serious introspection. Messiah is theologically dubious and pragmatically unwise. To some degree, I believe that Messianism has been made The realization of a full Torah state must await his coming, to shoulder an unfair measure of blame for the full range of and a sober examination of contemporary realities should militant positions proffered by Religious Zionists. While impel us to consider the religious benefits of some retreat some extremist behavior has resulted from Messianic fervor, even from the . Indeed, we may well have waited I do not believe that this is the primary explanation for so long that the policies of the past will be swept away ’s confrontational approach born on the streets without our consent in a Kulturkampf that all segments of of Brooklyn. It is not Messianism, but the novel opportu- Israeli society must strive mightily to avoid. nity to exercise power which has led some religious At the same time, the core aspiration of Religious Zio n i s m to advocate the literal application of certain components of has been power fully vindicated. God has given us back our the tradition that are deeply hostile to . The need Land. This awe-inspiring event, captured in so simple a sen- for a nuanced understanding of these texts is a challenge to tence, creates a set of obligations which are at the heart of the very soul of Religious Zionism. Religious Zionism today: to thank God for this gift, to pre- At the same time, the impact of Zionist Messianism is se r ve and nurtu r e it — optimally with our physical pres e n c e , real and often disturbing. It is, I think, a theological error and to infuse it with genuine Jewishness in a manner that to see the State as the certain harbinger of imminent will inspire all Jews to say that the ways of the Torah are Redemption. As the Rambam makes clear, we have no def- ways of pleasantness and all its pathways are peace. JA inite knowledge of when the Messiah will come. Moreover, when Messianic confidence is translated into political action, theological error can become temporal danger. Notes Positions on Oslo and Wye should not be a function of 1. I have discussed this point more fully in a contribution Messianic analysis. We can say reshit tzemichat geulatenu to a symposium in Tradition. See “Reflections on the Six- [“the beginning of the flowering of our Redemption”] as an Day War After a Quarter-Century,” Tradition 26:4 (1992): expression of faith that the State will not be destroyed 7-10. before the End of Days or as a hope that the Messiah will 2. I argued this position in greater detail in “Divided and soon appear, but not as a definitive affirmation that we will Distinguished Worlds,” Tradition 26:2 (1992): 6-10.

Two Images of Medinat Yisrael By Rabbi Translated from Hebrew by Matis Greenblatt

The Six Day War produced a substantive change in cal front, Religious Zionism joined every government, and Religious Zionism: until then it had been dominated by a its political stands were consistently moderate. realistic approach which related to the State of Israel as a After the Six Day War, Religious Zionists raised to the place of refuge for the Jewish nation, where a Jew had the ideological forefront the theory of Geulah [Redemption] as opportunity to direct his own life. The was to expounded by the school of Rabbi Kook. make known that the spilling of Jewish blood would not be Although he died before the advent of the State, Rav Kook tolerated and that Jews would no longer submit to alien perceived in the Religious Zionism which began in the rule. But even as they spoke of “The Beginning of the mid-nineteenth century (through the efforts of Rabbi E. Sprouting of our Redemption” and the State of Israel was Gutmacher, Rabbi Zvi H. Kalischer and others) the “begin- linked with the belief in the Messianic Era, the primary nings of the light of the Messiah;” and in the return of the approach was pragmatic, nevertheless. Even on the politi- Jewish people to their Land, the beginnings of the process of Redemption. His teachings were based on kabbalistic Rabbi Cherlo w is the rosh yes h i v ah of Yes h i v at Petach Tik v a sources, as well as his down-to-earth analysis of reality; on and author of Torat Eretz Yi s r a e l and V’ayrastich Li L’Ol a m . the views of the (for example, the statement in

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 “ What we see today in Medinat Yisrael is quite dif- ferent from what Religious Zionism hoped for…” Sanhedrin that the flourishing of Eretz Yisrael was a sign of wherein most of the events of the Tanach occurred and the Redemption), as well as on a powerful inner sense that which are Eretz Yisrael in the Biblical sense. On the heels was part of his personality. His teaching formulated the of the war, the first blossoms of teshuvah revealed them- first steps of the Redemption and proposed a unique expla- selves. The famous picture of the paratrooper crying at the nation for the fact that the Zionist movement was led by Kotel was explained as proof that beneath the secular veneer those who had forsaken the life of Torah and mitzvot: he a Jewish heart beats, searching for a way to Judaism. The believed that the attachment to Eretz Yisrael, even if it State of Israel moved from economic stagnation to dramat- ic growth. The Religious Zionist Torah world began developing and the ideology of Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav (led by Rabbi Kook’s son, Rav Zvi Yehudah Kook) had great influence upon the yeshivot and the additional Religious Zionist yeshivot. These and other matters brought about a simultaneous spiritual and political revo- lution. From the spiritual aspect, a pride- ful sense emerged of belonging to a piv- otal movement of the State of Israel. The youth ceased to be embarrassed by being religious and wore the knitted with pride. They triggered the flowering of the world of the yeshivot, and began to serve in the army with distinction, becoming involved in all areas of life within the State. In the political area, the began to articulate posi- tions in matters of foreign affairs and defense, and identified with the continued comes from non-religious sources, flows from the treasured reoccupation of all areas of Eretz Yisrael. Jewish soul, and will ultimately bring the entire nation to The Yom Kippur War did not stop this development — on teshuvah; the prevalence of non-belief and the abandon- the contrary, even though the secular sector fell into a pro- ment of the religious life will compel the Torah world to found crisis from which it has not recovered to this day, the dramatically revise study of the Torah by including the pro- Religious Zionists converted the wound into a means of fundities of in the curriculum of the yeshiv- spurting even further ahead. The prevailing defeatist mood ot (in place of the exclusive preoccupation with Gemara in Medinat Yisrael was converted by Religious Zionism into and halachah); the divisions and splits within the Jewish fuel which made it the Zionist torchbearer. These were nation is part of the process of achieving a new Jewish days of growth for the movement and its ideas, and it was identity which is essential to the preparation for the com- then that its place was established within the Israeli plete Redemption. community. One of the results of the Six Day War was the broad The ability to overcome the effects of the Yom Kippur identification with the teachings of Rav Kook, and concur- War resulted from the fact that there was a systematic ide- rently with Religious Zionism. The war demonstrated that ology with regard to the central questions of Medinat the State of Israel, in fact, had meaning as laying the foun- Yisrael. Relating to Medinat Yisrael as the “Beginning of dations for the State of the Messiah. What Rav Kook had the Redemption” brought with it the proposition that the written concerning the reawakening of the nation, the Redemption will suffer no setbacks; whatever appears con- Land, and study of the Torah was beginning to become trary is in reality progress in disguise. The Shir reality. Eretz Yisrael was once again given to the Jewish HaShirim on the passage, “The voice of my Beloved is nation, and especially the Yehudah and Shomron regions coming, He skips over the mountains and leaps upon the

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 “ On the heels of the war, the first blossoms of teshuvah revealed themselves”. hills,” compares the Redemption to the running of the and mitzvot. gazelle: when he runs in mountainous regions, he is visible All of these developments make it increasingly difficult to only when he climbs the mountain; when he descends, he remain attached to the teachings of Rav Kook. Will the cannot be seen, but even then he is moving ahead. The current situation result in a change in the basic religious Redemption, too, is sometimes not visible and seems to conception of Medinat Yisrael as the “Beginning of the have descended Redemption?” Can from the heights; one continue to but in reality it is Photo courtesy of BoysTo wn of Jerusalem cling to the continuing to midrashic image of move ahead, even the gazelle, or per- when not seen. In haps one should addition, the rela- employ another tionship of the image from the Jewish People to Song of Songs, Eretz Yisrael upon which Rabbi achieved a system- Joseph B. atic ideology Soloveitchik wrote regarding the and warned: “I importance and opened the door for centrality of the my Beloved, but my mitzvah of settling Beloved had slipped Eretz Yisrael in all away,” that is to say, its breadth. the time for In the last few Redemption was years, additional lost and we should difficulties have relate to Medinat arisen for the Yisrael in a natural, redemptive and rational way and messianic perspec- remove from it the tive. The settlement of all of Eretz Yisrael began to suffer crown of Redemption? Perhaps even to embrace the from significant difficulties. The retreat from Sinai and Chareidi approach? Yamit, the almost total evacuation of Chevron, the Oslo The response to this question can be divided into two Accords and additional agreements created a breach parts: in the main, the teachings of Rav Kook are alive and between a significant segment of the Israeli populace and well. This is so because of the sources as well as the reality. the settlers of Yehudah and Shomron. Furthermore, the As previously indicated, the sources for his teachings are hope that the entire Jewish nation would return to Torah lengthy chapters in which speak of very problem- was revealed as unduly optimistic. What we see today in atic generations, as well as in Talmudic texts such as those Medinat Yisrael is quite different from what Religious in the at the end of Tractate Soteh and in a num- Zionism hoped for. It is not merely that people have ber of places at the end of Sanhedrin. And from a practical become distanced from tradition and that the Russian emi- standpoint, the history of the Jewish People’s return to its grees are far from religious understanding; even the sparks Land has seen comparable periods. So it was at the end of of teshuvah which have arisen through the movement the 40 year journey in the desert when, after the great spirit reflect a different type of return to , extremely of Joshua’s conquests and the building of the Tabernacle, a remote from and much narrower than the ideology of difficult period came – the period of the Judges – when the Religious Zionism. Even the Religious Zionist world of people were not faithful to their Land, nation or God. The Torah which has attained great achievements finds itself Temple was not built until 400 years had elapsed. This involved in certain secular manifestations and with a also happened during the return to when the second younger generation moving away from fulfillment of Torah Temple was built: The numbers of the returnees was piti-

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 ful; Cyrus’ edict was more modest than the hopes engen- which forced Religious Zionism to occupy itself with fun- dered by the prophets’ ; the leaders married damental questions regarding the Medinah. The question wives; the enemies of Judah disturbed the building of Torah and democracy; the parameters of the obligation of the second Temple; and the optimistic spirit which had for army service were questioned in the light of the deci- prevailed during the early years of the return was replaced sion of the Chief Rabbis that one should refuse to obey a by dejection and complaints to God. For this reason, as command to withdraw from Eretz Yisrael; the position of difficult as the reality is, it does not contradict the teach- the Supreme Court — these are the key issues before us ings of Rav Kook. and they reveal that, from the time it was decided to say Even from a practical perspective one cannot overlook the Hallel on Independence Day and to give thanks to the pr ofound, positive changes that have occurred to the Jewi s h Lord of the Universe for the establishment of the Medinah, nation. Despite all the difficulties, Med i n a t Yi s ra e l co n t i n - no systematic approach has been formulated. This ues to develop; the Jewish people have returned to their becomes difficult sevenfold as Medinat Yisrael continues to homeland; substantial parts of Eret z Yi s ra e l ar e under Jewi s h adopt the American paradigm of separation of religion and rule; the nation continues to solidify and Torah is studied in state, a process which makes it more and more difficult to un p r ecedented prop o r tions, perhaps greater than any time view the establishment of the State as the “Beginning of the since it was given at Sinai. Howeve r , Rav Kook foresaw that Redemption.” The main question facing Religious the process of Zionism is the return would be Photo courtesy of BoysTo wn of Jerusalem appropriateness ex t r emely diffi- of continued cult, not without identification ups and down s . with enthusiasm On the contrary, for the establish- in his view the ment of the pr ocess of heres y State. is not merely pos- T h e re f o re , sible, but f rom the histori- inescapable — as cal aspect, the a means of achiev- question of ing pure faith and Me d i n a t Y i s ra e l rem o ving all the as the er r oneous notions “ Beginning of that had crept in the Re d e m p t i o n” th r ough alien has not yet been in fl uences during decided. If the the period of State will contin- ga l u t . ue to re m ove its But, neither can Jewish identific a- one ignore the tion — if it will, wide gap between the hope and the reality.Today’s reality in fact, conve rt to what is characterized as “a state for all is mingled with much that was not anticipated in his its citize n s” and rescind the — it is likely vision. Though we have returned to large sections of Eretz that disappointment in the Me d i n a h will increase and the Yisrael, some is being taken from us in the process which l e vel of Religious Zionist identification will continue to began with the Camp David agreements, and no one diminish. On the other hand, it is possible that another knows where it will end. Though the Jewish population in p rocess will unfold in which the State will shake off its Eretz Yisrael is growing, this growth has not brought about p re vailing weakness and strike out in a new, independent unity, and there is a split which continues to deepen within d i rection. Even the partial reconciliation of political Israeli society. The Religious Zionist Torah curriculum is p rocesses will permit a debate as to the Jewish nature of different from that which prevails in the Chareidi commu- the State, and if the Jewish character of the State will ni t y , though Rav Kook thought the gap would be narrowed . assume its proper place, it will become clear that Me d i n a t However, the core shift in the Religious Zionist commu- Y i s ra e l is not merely the “Beginning of the Re d e m p t i o n” nity in Medinat Yisrael is the shift in its main focus. If in but the profound foundation for the ideal Me d i n a h of the the past we were mainly preoccupied with the settlement of Redemption, for which eve ry Jew hopes. The influ e n c e the Land, it has now become evident that we lack an orga- upon this process is the essential challenge of Re l i g i o u s nized and consistent concept regarding Medinat Yisrael. Zionism today and is what will ultimately decide the The murder of Yitzchak Rabin was like an earthquake meaning of Me d i n a t Y i s ra e l. JA

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 Reordering Priorities: From Historical Action to Spiritual Achievement By Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein

The sense of a crisis within Religious Zionism has deep- desolate Yerushalayim that he found, or the depiction in ened and intensified during the recent past. Few within the Tisha B’Av of the ruined, empty and desolate the Religious Zionist fold would dispute the existence of city of Zion and the current state of affairs cannot but real- such a crisis. The manifestations of this are multifaceted, ize the enormity of the achievement and feel overwhelmed ranging from political frustration to abusive language, ad by our debt of gratitude to God. Even an afternoon spent hominem attacks and even physical violence, on the one in the library, perusing 19th century newspapers, will suf- hand, and to persistent and perplexed questioning of the fice to firmly impress this point on one’s mind. role of Torah shebe’al peh and the value of Torah lishmah, on However, the goals of the two movements were not iden- the other. These doubts express themselves within the tical; whereas Herzlian Zionism aspired to provide Jews yeshivah world in the search for a more mystically oriented, with a land of their own, the establishment of a secure spiritualistic learning style, and outside the yeshivah world national political entity — similar to those of other nations in the burgeoning number of Religious Zionist youth who — its ultimate goal, Religious Zionism’s agenda was con- choose to forgo the classic yeshivah experience in favor of a ceived and experienced in religious terms. The return to military vocation, coupled with an alarming rise in the Zion was not merely a manifestation of 19th century number of post-yeshivah and/or post army youth seeking nationalism, but the Provident fulfillment of the Biblical spiritual solace in the Far East. prophecies. Though general Zionism comes in different Tracing the root of the problem should clarify the underlying flavors, ranging from the minimalist “safe haven” approach issues and options and facilitate my attempt to address them. to the expanded version that views the Zionist enterprise as Religious Zionism has enjoyed a fruitful and productive a fulfillment of Jewish destiny, the common thread in all of relationship with general Zionism. Though its theoretical them is a secular framework of reference, and it is precisely roots antedate Herzl and the founders of modern Zionism, this issue which divides it from Religious Zionism. it was the willingness to align itself with general Zionism Thus, although Religious Zionism differed with general that was of greatest import to Religious Zionism. Together, Zionism on the most basic of issues — a fact not lost on the two movements have been extremely successful, realiz- the religious anti-Zionist camp – the two movements ing their dreams and fulfilling their historical mission in a worked together to achieve the common goals that both dazzling manner.Viewed from any historical perspective, wanted to advance. The tactical goals of Religious Zionism the return to a lost homeland; the successful settlement of being largely identical to those of general Zionism, both the Land; the establishment of an independent political striving to establish a secure Jewish state in the Land of entity; the realization of a potent military capability; the Israel and both believing that human endeavor and involve- transformation of an ancient language from a literary and ment in history is the means by which to bring this about, liturgical tool into a vibrant vernacular; the ingathering of there was a shared agenda. Therefore, as long as this goal the dispersed exiles from the four corners of the Earth to was yet to be achieved, the two movements could work in Israel; the creation of a viable and vibrant economy cou- harmony towards the accomplishment of the desired end pled with a vigorous cultural and religious life is a list of and feel the true existence of a real partnership that benefit- achievements that is nothing short of amazing. Anyone ed both sides and that interested all parties. pausing to reflect upon the Ramban’s description of the Howeve r , the moment that this goal was achieved, the inevitable differences between the two approaches wer e Rabbi Mosheh Lichtenstein teaches at in bound to undo the partnership that would no longer share . He recently served as rosh of Kollel Torat enough common ground, and this is precisely what hap- Tzion. He notes that in this article he treats a particular pened in the aftermath of the Six Day War . Par a d ox i c a l l y , brand of Religious Zionism as representative of the whole, due the source of the current problems of Religious Zionism is to its dominant influence on public affairs. Zio n i s m ’s greatest moment of success — the Six Day War .

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 For it was at that point in time that the basic security of the basic differences between general and Religious Zionism to State of Israel — from the geopolitical perspective — was rea l i z e themselves. The shared common goals having been firmly established. While many of the security concerns ac h i e v ed, the agenda of the two movements suddenly dif- ha v e yet to be res o l v ed, the ver y existence of the State itself fe r ed. Howeve r , even though the divergence of the two ide- is no longer perce i v ed as being in doubt. (The Yom Kippur ologies began some thirty years ago, it did not immediately War , for all of its terrible human price, served to prove the result in a collision course between the two. Ini t i a l l y , each point that the results of the Six Day War had provided vital one simply went its separate path. This enabled Rel i g i o u s strategic depth; for even when Israel was surprised and Zionism to pour its energy into settling the newly acquired un p re p a r ed, it was still able to defend itself.) territories, unassisted but undisturbed by the general public. It was at this point that Religious Zionism and general As long as there was no Arab party willing to negotiate seri- Zionism parted ways; for general Zionism, the war was the ou s l y , there was not much threat to the general public’s con- terminus point of the Zionist enterprise, the moment at cept of security from the settlement movement, so that a which it successfully achieved its historical mission. “l i v e and let live” atmosphere to the matter preva i l e d . Hen c e f o r th, two options presented themselves ; Wid e s p r ead settlement throughout the West Ban k spiritually sensitive could apply their has been essentially a Religious Zionist effort. energies to the furthering of social justice Gone wer e the days of the ’30s and the ’40s and invol v ement with cultural affairs, when areas such as Emek Beth Shean and while others who simply desired res t Emek Hefer wer e jointly settled by all and repose from the charged and elements of the Zionist movem e n t , challenged life that had prev i o u s l y religious and non-religious ki b b u t z - engaged them slacked off. im located side by side, as was the Relaxation and gratifica t i o n , of the pre- s t a t e h o o d le i s u r e and pleasure rep l a c e d period which counted a Sho m e r sa c r i fi ce and toil as the guiding HaT zair ki b b u t z amongst its lights of the public. A popu- The Six Day War members. From its perspective, lar song played endlessly on was a turning point... the Labor government of the the radio in the mid- ’80s per- time yielded to the settlers’ fectly summed up the change demands and allowed the area to in sentiment with the follow- be settled, not seeing much ing lyric: “Eretz Yi s ra e l is my point in having a major con- America!” One is almost fr ontation over an issue which tempted to claim that the logic did not really disturb the peace. behind the lyric is impeccable; All this was dramatically for if the Zionist goal was to changed, though, the moment that establish a secure state — as the a serious Arab partner emerged; the Americans have achieved — so two agendas have been on a collision then Israel is just like America and course ever since, as the program of one may engage in the pursuit of each party endangers that of the other. happiness, American style. The general public perce i v ed the Rel i g i o u s However, if for classical secular Zionist insistence on settling and possessing Zionism the war signaled the realization of the territories as a major obstacle to reaching an the dream, Religious Zionism viewed its results ag r eement with the Arab neighbors, thereb y jeopar- as the prelude to the next stage of its dream. For if, dizing the opportunity to bring calm and security to the from the security perspective, the hills of Yehudah and region, while the Religious Zionist wing rea l i z ed that the Shomron were a bargaining chip to be negotiated away in general public’s policy of trading land for peace would elimi- return for peaceful coexistence and the populated cities and nate what it saw as — no more and no less — the fulfill - refugee camps were simply a security headache, from the ment of the divine promise to bring about the Geu l a h th a t vantage point of the Tanach, these very same places are the would ultimately lead to Mas h i a c h and the final rea l i z a t i o n heart and soul of the Land, the places where Avraham, of Jewish destiny. The basic differences wer e finally out in Yitzchak, Yaakov and their progeny lived out their des- the open and became a source of acute tension between the tinies. The return to the Land of our forefathers and to the various factions. holy cities of the past was seen as the unfolding of grand The original fault line can be readily identified — Yamit new vistas waiting to be incorporated into the paradigm of 1982. Yet, Yamit in the Sinai, a settlement originally con- atchalta de’Geulah [the Beginning of Redemption]. ceived out of security considerations and whose status as Thus, the achievements of the war set the stage for the part of the historical Land of Israel was highly doubtful,

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 …Judaism is interested in the love, awe “and commitment to God much more than in bringing about the Geulah”. was only the opening round. The more the debate got for its insistence upon the sphere of action. Having raised closer to home and focused upon areas whose historical sta- a generation on the idea of spiritual fulfillment through the tus was rock solid, the more exacerbated it became. historical process, it must now cope with the current his- Concurrently, the chance for an agreement with the torical situation. This, though, has proven to be very diffi- Palestinians became a reality, thereby increasing the secular cult under the circumstances, thereby inducing some mis- public’s insistence upon enacting territorial compromise. guided souls to try and force History’s hand, while others It is the unraveling of the partnership between Religious who feel perplexed are seeking alternate sources of spiritual Zionism and general Zionism that has precipitated the fulfillment, whether they be in the world of action, military aforementioned crisis within Religious Zionism. Religious or otherwise, or in other forms of the world of spirit. Zionism, a movement that seeks to bring about Geulah, The shift in focus from the historical achievement to the cannot disassociate itself from the general public. Geulah is spiritual situation of the people is a vital spiritual and reli- a national event, the historical fulfillment of a nation. The gious need that is necessary and imperative in and of itself, individual can achieve personal redemption; historical not only as a means to solving a contemporary crisis. This, Redemption, though, is granted only to a nation. though, is an issue of much greater scope (and importance) Therefore, the Religious Zionist vision requires the align- than the topic at hand. To state the matter telegraphically, ment of the nation; estrangement from the people is possi- Judaism is interested in the love, awe and commitment to ble from the Bnei Brak perspective of individuals and social God much more than in bringing about Geulah. If one groups striving to lead their individual Torah lives, but is must choose between a society that is religiously corrupt impossible from the Mercaz HaRav Kook vantage point of accompanied by Geulah or an average society living a stan- atchalta de’Geulah. The division within the nation, a reality dard Judaism without Geulah, there is no doubt that the that can no longer be denied, is what has brought about latter choice is the preferable one. It should be emphasized the current plight of Religious Zionism. that the current crisis in Religious Zionism is not the rea- The strife within the nation and the disparaging rej e c t i o n son to change course; rather, it itself is the result of these of the Religious Zionism Geu l a h model by the general public misguided priorities. Therefore, every effort must be made as messianic can either lead to the adoption of a Geu l a h and all resources devoted to encouraging an awareness and model, in which the nation is unwillingly coerced into parti c - a yearning for God amongst all segments of the nation. All ipation or to a recognition that the current situation is a set- actions and policies must be evaluated for the impact that back to the realization of the dream. The dangers of the firs t they will have on the relationship of the general public to ap p r oach are alienation and increased confrontation with the God. Maximizing spiritual life, increasing our identifica- no n - r eligious public. The frustration and bitterness accom- tion with Torah and fostering positive feelings towards panying the unsuccessful attempt to thrust the Rel i g i o u s Jewish tradition is the yardstick by which our actions will Zionist agenda upon an unwilling public have only paved the be judged (and not how much they have contributed to way to the verbal and physical violence that have all too fre- bringing about the Geulah) and it is these actions that will quently occurred in recent years. The more the general pub- eventually bring about the long-awaited Geulah. The fate lic does not respond to the attempt to force the Geu l a h up o n of Har HaBayit (and, l’havdil, Har Homa) will be decided it, the greater the need to go to greater extremes to do so. by the amount of yirat Shamayim and ahavat Torah [fear of However, postponement of the vision’s fulfillment, while Heaven and love of Torah] in Tel Aviv and Har Adar and undoubtedly the truer and more responsible course of not by political or physical confrontation. action, is not without its perils either. The shift from a Moreover, recent years have tragically demonstrated how prophetic vision on the verge of being fulfilled to a distant slippery and treacherous is the slope that descends from an long term curve is a very difficult transition, requiring great intense preoccupation with possession of the Land to the spiritual fortitude. Despair and the search for alternate immoral use of force. An alarmingly large number of spiritual expressions are the possible, or even likely, out- Religious Zionist leaders, both political and (what’s worse) comes of such a transition for many. spiritual, have exhibited a disturbingly cavalier attitude to Simply put, both alternatives are due to the fact that a the use of violence, even when directed against innocent spiritual world rooted in the historical moment, viewing individuals. These have ranged from understanding and the world of action as its primary focus, is paying the price silence to half-hearted and qualified condemnation of

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999 abhorrent acts, be they the deliberate overturning of Arab be right around the corner. The phrase “at c h a l t a de’ Ge u l a h ” fruit stalls in Chevron, taking potshots at the rooftop water masks a wide variety of options, ranging from initial boilers of local villagers or massacres such as those perpetr a t e d ac h i e v ements with the potential to become something far by Bar uch Goldstein, of unblessed memory. See m i n g l y for- gre a t e r , to the claim that most of the process is behind us getful of the most basic message of the prophets that moral and that the rest is a matter of time. As events unfold and behavior is of cardinal importance, an essential requirement our possession of the Land is unfortunately decrea s i n g that takes priority over possession of the Land and is a pre- rather than increasing, the more extreme position that the requisite of such possession, oblivious to the Ramban’s Geu l a h is a done deal seems to be less and less tenable. Th i s remark that a similar lapse made by Sarah Imenu towards ma y , God forbid, lead to disillusionment and spiritual crisis, her Egyptian maidservant Haggar is the source of all our if not to desperate acts. The remedy being proposed by future misfortune at the hands of Haggar’s descendants; many prominent and responsible educators and rabbis with- dismissive of Tosfot’s concise formulation of the Socratic in the fold, that we are indeed on the Geu l a h train but that ethic that “one must be more diligent not to cause harm the journey may have its ups and downs, may go a long way than to avoid being harmed;” insensitive to Rav Kook’s tow a r ds solving the acute educational dilemma, but still observation as to the necessity of withdrawal from morally remains in denial of Tan a c h ’s most basic truth that Am tainted political activity, the leadership has looked on as Yi s ra e l ’s historical fortunes are a function of our rel a t i o n s h i p things have gotten out of hand. with God and predicated upon religious observance or devi- In the process, rabbinical leadership has entered the politi- ation. The idea that crime and punishment can delay, post- cal arena in such detail that it has often left its legitimate pone or even nullify historical achievement is hammered “H igh Pol i t i c s ” perch and entered into the trenches of “Lower home to us time after time by all of the prophets, and we Politics,” exposing itself to all of the attendant pitfalls to spiri- would do well to remember the Gem a r a ’s statement that tual respect and dignity that is the price of such exposure. In rec o r ded prophecies are those that transcend local circu m - addition, such a policy has contributed to the general public stance and are theref o r e rel e v ant for all future generations. associating Torah with the geo-political issues to the excl u s i o n The concept that loss will result from sin and that divine of all the other riches that the Torah has to offer. Providence supervising our destiny may decide to curtail or Ren e wed emphasis upon the world of ideas req u i r es rea f - roll back historical accomplishment is professed ever y morn- firming the value of Tora h li s h m a h — the study of Torah for ing and ever y evening in the second portion of Kr i y a t its own sake as an autonomous discipline — as a central She m a ; there is no reason to think that we are different than value of our religious life. The recent proliferation of any other generation in this reg a rd . pre p a r a t o r y institutes (whose entire raison d’e t r e is the need This does not mean that God has not worked historical to prep a r e their students for the spiritual and halachic rigors wonders for us. Our generation has been granted posses- of military life) as a valid alternative in the eyes of many to sion of Eretz Yisrael and has witnessed the ingathering of an actual yes h i v ah course of study, and their booming enrol l - Jews, a privilege denied to our forefathers for over 2,000 ment, attest to the fact that a large segment of Rel i g i o u s years. Thus, what is necessary is the recognition of all that Zionist youth are either incapable or indifferent to the need God has granted us, coupled with proper expression of to devote time to high-le v el intensive . Th e thanksgiving to Him, tempered by a realistic assessment of choice of a “me c h i n a h ” and extended quality military servi c e these historical achievements, and accompanied by the real- by some of Religious Zio n i s m ’s best and brightest as a voc a - ization that future advance or decline is a function of our tion, admirable and laudatory as the me s i ra t ne f e s h may be, is relationship with Him and that nothing in the process is an additional manifestation of religious energy preferring the guaranteed against sin and error. ac t i v e life over the contemplative one. Though both the The transition from a historically-oriented avodat ac t i v e and the pensive world have their place in the scheme Hashem to an ahistorical foundation should help to allevi- of things and although military service is an essential ele- ate the potential for spiritual crisis resulting from the cur- ment of the Religious Zionist ethos, Religious Zionism must rent geo-political situation; minimizing the absolute value ne ve r theless ask itself, who is its poster boy? Is it the rel i - of Geulah should be able to relieve some of the disappoint- giously observant brigade commander whose ki p p a h pe e k s ment with the situation, while the emphasis placed upon out from under his helmet throughout the many years of life the inner religious life will provide an outlet for the posi- spent in the army outside the be i t me d ra s h or is it the rabbi tive . who served in the army, but devotes his time and energy to Therefore, a redirection of religious life from the world of teaching and preaching Tor a h ? action to the world of ideas, on the one hand, and on the Af fi rmation of the moral imperative and the supremacy of other hand a more limited historical claim for Zionism — the world of ideas and Tor ah study will also enable the that is also appreciative of the vital spiritual importance of Religious Zionist movement to more realistically assess our the nation as one People — are necessary to reinvigorate historical situation and to buffer the disappointment from and recharge Religious Zionism, so that it may return to the realization that Mas h i a c h and the final Geu l a h may not being a potent spiritual force. JA

JEWISH ACTION Fall 5760/1999