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Shma Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael Emanuel Feldman

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Shma Yisrael and Eretz Yisrael Emanuel Feldman (Continued from page 107) So somnolent was the audience that the significance > Our attempts to pray with a Torah have struck a of one of the speaker's statements completely raw nerve in the North American Diaspora, as they eluded them. Had they been listening, they follow closely on the heels of the effort to change would—or should—have been stunned by the im- the Law of Return. The Kotel is the central symbol plications of his words. Jewish education of our of the Jewish people, and should be accessible to young people in the Diaspora must be upgraded, all Jews to pray as they desire. As we learned in declared Dinitz. Furthermore, all Jewish education the round of coalition talks this past November, must have as its central focus the State of Israel. when the Jewish identities of thousands of people Then his peroration reached its climax. Raising his in the Diaspora would have been affected by agree- voice and lifting his arms, he cried out, "Teaching ments with the religious parties, everything is up Sh 'ma Yisrael is fine, but Sh 'ma Yisrael must lead for political grabs. The Kotel is also governed by to Eretz Yisrael\" the Religious Ministry, presently under jurisdiction of the National Religious Party. But What if the Zionist Orator Means it? There are those who are upset that "Israel has The audience stared ahead glassy-eyed, either un- enough problems now," why do we need this one? concerned with, or unaware of what they had just For those of us involved, who believe that the heard. They had just been served a large portion ol» Mashiach will not come unless the women's issue is religion-less Zionism in its unadulterated form. resolved, this is a step in the tikkun that must hap- Dinitz's claim needs some examination. pen. I believe that the Israel which allows women to davven in safety, that encourages religious plu- Sh 'ma Yisrael is the pledge of allegiance of the ralism, that has more women in leadership posi- Jew. It affirms that the essence of Judaism is to rec- tions, is the Israel that will find peace and security ognize that there is one G-d, and that the accep- for her existence. • tance of the laws of the Torah is the means by which this goal is achieved. Shma yisrael and eretz yisrael But Dinitz was saying that all of this—G-d, reli- gion, Torah—is acceptable provided it leads to a Emanuel Feldman higher religion: the State of Israel. And while he No one quite knows why there was a need for yet did not say it explicitly, the implication was entirely another conference, and despite the ballyhoo, no clear: a Sh 'ma Yisrael which does not lead to Zion- one quite knows what was accomplished. But the ism is not worth very much. "Prime Minister's Conference on Jewish Solidarity with Israel" took place as scheduled at Purim time Dinitz spoke on Purim, and perhaps he can be for- in Jerusalem before fifteen hundred carefully se- given his personal 'ad delo yada (until one doesn't lected Jewish "leaders" from around the world. A know). But the fact is that he inverted the truth. good time was had by all, identity with Israel was Every literate Jew knows that Eretz Yisrael is a in all likelihood enhanced, and top Israeli officials fundamental concept in Judaism. When Abraham were trotted out before the delegates in the cav- was told, "Lech lecha," to go to the land which ernous Binyanei HaUmah. G-d would show him, he was not told the direction One of these was Simcha Dinitz, Chairman of the towards which he should travel. Nevertheless, as Executive of the World Zionist Organization and Nahmanides explains, Abraham began traveling to- the Jewish Agency, and a veteran war-horse of wards Eretz Yisrael because that land was known Israeli-Diaspora relations. The speech began as a for its ability to bring a man closer to spirituality. typical exhortation from an Israeli official to a Di- aspora audience: the need to close ranks in the face This is because the divine presence dwells in this of common enemies, to support Israel economi- land. For this reason it is a mitzvah to live in the cally, politically and emotionally, to strive for Land of Israel. Hundreds of mitzvot can be per- greater unity of purpose between Jews of the Golah formed only here, and all mitzvot are enhanced by (exile) and those of Israel. The bromides were fre- being performed in the Land of Israel. For this rea- quent, the cliches abundant, and the listeners were son the Sages say that living in Eretz Yisrael is the lulled to sleep by yet another convention address by equivalent to all the mitzvot of the Torah: the per- yet another of Israel's leaders. formance of each of them is enhanced by the Land of Israel. EMANUEL FELDMAN, on sabbatical in Jerusa- The "Zionism" Inherent in the Torah lem, is rabbi of Beth Jacob Congregation, Atlanta, and Editor of Tradition. Eretz Yisrael is vital to the Jew, but only for this p ' reason: that it enables him to keep the Torah and to We see these issues from the perspective of many : come closer to his G-d. years and many children (though really not that i many children when you consider either historical I In other words, Eretz Yisrael leads to Sh 'ma precedent or biological possibility). We see these I Yisrael. issues from the perspective of classical liberal edu- ( That Eretz Yisrael is merely a vehicle for the per- cations, graduate degrees, and prestigious fellow- formance of Torah explains how the Jewish people ships for both of us. We do not see these issues • existed two thousand years without Eretz Yisrael from the perspective of wealth or even economic ' but nevertheless consistently produced giants of the ease. But our lives and our choices have brought | spirit, from Rashi to the Vilna Gaon to the Chafetz and continue to bring us the greatest happiness and Chaim. On the other hand, as evidence of what be- satisfaction we can imagine. It seems only fair to comes of Jewish life without Sh'ma Yisrael, one give this setting to our reactions to Sharon's article. need only look to the spiritual bankruptcy of mod- ern secular Zionism, a bankruptcy too obvious to Along the way we have never felt that our feminist be belabored. values needed reconsidering. And we have always been ardent feminists if that means that both wo- a , That Dinitz and his colleagues continue their ef- men and men should fulfill themselves in ways that i forts to revive a dead Zionism is an act of great and they find most consonant with their personalities ' touching faith, but it is misguided faith. The streets without feeling pressure to apologize for their ! of Los Angeles, New York and Montreal are filled choices or, on the other hand, to impose those with Israeli yordim (emigres) who studied in a choices on others. For years, I, as the mother, have „ school system which declared that Eretz Yisrael is experienced a whole range of reactions from awe to the ultimate goal of life. At the same time, aliya of condescension to disbelief to envy, both expressed Westerners to Israel consists predominantly of and hidden, from other women because I have a those who seek a more spiritual life in Israel—who large family and stay home to care for my children. seek more of Sh'ma Yisrael. As the father, I have met with expressions of shock that anyone would want to be "saddled" with such Dinitz and his colleagues will be much more suc- financial burdens and such "drains" on my time and cessful in creating solidarity among the Jewish peo- freedom. We live in a general and a Jewish commu- ple when they realize that at the core of Jewish nity that says it values its children but really existence lies Torah and Mitzvot. They will then be doesn't at all. 1 able to create a solidarity not only with the Golah but with four thousand years of Jewish history. A Proper Agenda for the Jewish Future And this, as Sh'ma Yisrael itself declares, will It is certainly true that housekeepers and day-care 1 guarantee that we will flourish in this "Eretz hato- people are raising many Jewish American children, i vah"—this good land—which G-d has given us. • but these caregivers are not "nobody" as Sharon calls them. She says she has seen terrible things in her last twelve years as a parent—terrible things i (We continue our discussion of Sharon Strassfeld's done by housekeepers. We, too, have seen terrible article, "On Reconsidering My Feminist Values," things done—many by the parents themselves. Her «i from issue 19/374.) point of view is dictatorial. Some parents do better and make better contributions.at work than at f On not changing our feminist/other values home. Would she deny them their children? How- Nancy and Richard Gallin ever, we do desperately need to create an environ- ment in which those who passionately wish to stay Sharon Strassfeld has written from the heart and at home—mothers or fathers—need not apologize i has raised questions and addressed issues about publicly or privately. child care that should, indeed, concern all Ameri- cans, of Jewish, Christian, Muslim, atheist, or any As far as passing along Jewish values and traditions 1 i • other religious or philosophical persuasion.
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