Volume XXXIi No. 9 September, 1977 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAim OF Mfim BffBO^ Bl OSAT UOTABI Robert Weltsch True, some unexpected achievements or con­ stellations after the unprecedented sufferings and catastrophes of the Holocaust were apt to be interpreted as miracles in accordance PITFALLS OF MESSIANIC THIMING with the age-old vision of the Prophets. There had always been an element of messianic What the Shofar teaches us belief in Zionist ideology, but confusion of earthly occurrences within history with the The Holy-days at the beginning of the cline of the Messiah'", Messianism—in thc concept of absolute (outside history) future, Jewish Year are designed as a period of moral literal sense or in disguise—remained the what the Prophet called acharith hayamim. stock-taking for the community as well as for "Spirit of History" (Chapter 6) even after the end of time, ought to be avoided. Such the individual. When the Shofar indicates the spreading of secularisation and Hegelian phantasy could easily be an inducement to that the world is re-born, the time has influence and after Jewish national ambitions exaggerated hopes and the cause of aber­ arrived not only for introspection and an and a new sort of political activity had rations in practical politics. It was likely to account for man's conduct and even for his appeared on the stage. Now, in real life, two lead to disappointments and setbacks. emotions, but the New Year's Day, also awkward consequences evolved from misappli­ called Yom Hazikharon, the Day of Remem­ cation of the Messianic idea: one was the Disregard of realities and replacement of brance, means looking back at what has hap­ appearance of figures, impostors among them, "politics of the possible" by wishful thinking pened in the last year or years and what who were falsely regarded as Messias and has been noticeable in Zionist policy during may sometimes be better untJerstood with the created turbulence among the credulous the past thirty years, if not earlier. A clas­ help of experience gathered in the past. Is masses of their followers. This happened also sical case of miscalculation of this kind, one this the stuff History is made of? In the in Christian societies which awaited the of the fundamental causes of the present-day turbulent years of the 19th and 20th century, "Second Coming" during the religious strug­ crisis, is analysed by Amitzur Ilan in the lews were shaken by history, and the nation­ gles at the close of the Middle Ages. Assum recent issue of the Wiener Library Bulletin alist "awakening" has been hailed as the ing that the end of mankind was arriving, (Vol. XXX New Series 41/42, 1977) under re-entry of the Jewish people into the orbit chiliastic sects like the Anabaptists preached the characteristic title "Messianism and Diplo­ of active history-making. In the post-assimil­ a new morality which actually led to law­ macy 1945-48". We cannot enter into the ation period in which we live, this is a new lessness and horrors. The notorious Munster whole scope of the problems discussed in this phenomenon deriving from the contact of uprising of 1532-35 (theme of Robert Ham- essay; it serves to correct some deep-rooted Jews with the Gentile world and with modern merling's poem Der Konig von Zion and of and almost generally accepted views on Israel's ideas. Meyerbeer's opera Le Prophete—recently suc­ recent history and the role played by the The relation of the Jewish people to History cessfully re-emerging from the archives—) outstanding personalities in this drama. In has become a problem to the modern scholar presumed to have founded the Kingdom of essence it is a well documented attempt at because from the destruction of the Jewish God, the new Zion. It ended in catastrophe. contrasting the views of Weizmann and Ben- State onwards, and owing to the dispersion, The second and more confusing distortion Gurion who became sharp antagonists in the normal standards were not applicable. Jewish is the use of Messianic phrases in a rather last phase of the struggle for the State. Under thinking about current events was confined metaphysical way in matters of temporal life the guidance of Ben-Gurion, relying on hia within theological terms and derived from and about down-to-earth events which one army (the Hagana), Weizmann was removed Biblical analogies. In Jewish historiography wants to describe as god-sent. Jewish pro­ from all power and even reviled because of there is a gap from Josephus Flavius (S"/- nouncements throughout the ages were often his cautious and long-range deliberations 100) until the Enlightenment of the 19th misleading, rhetorically greeting some favour­ which avoided all unrealistic pretensions. century. The causes and consequences of this able development like the benevolent act of When the State was proclaimed in 1948, Ben- situation are explained in a learned and in­ a ruler, as announcing the coming of the Gurion could not avoid offering Weizmann structive book by Lionel Kochan*. The new Messias. At the time of emancipation in the the Presidency, making him a figure head, era was inaugurated by pioneers like Solomon 19th century, Jewish reformers eliminated from as he later (1952) unsuccessfully tried with Juda Rappaport (1790-1867), Nachman Kroch­ the liturgy all hints to Messias because the Einstein. Actually, Weizmann became "the mal (1785-1840), Isaac Marcus Jost (1793- grantuig of civil rights to the Jews had antici­ prisoner of Rehovoth" without any say in 1860) and the sponsors of Wissenschaft des pated redemption and made the Messias Israel's policy, which he regarded critically Judentums in Germany. One of the peculiar redundant. Germany—or France—had now and apprehensively. The nadir of popular results of 1800 years of negative attitude to become their Zion; so was America where sentiment that had been fabricated was indi­ Hi.stor>' as worked out by Kochan was the full equality was taken for granted from the cated by slogans painted on walls, like "down Priority of the concem with the future over very beginning. with Weizmann-Petain". the pursuit of the past. The records were Han's analysis demonstrates the fallacy of mainly of martjTology; speculation was dir­ Messianism in actual politics. Quite justly, ected towards redemption. Consciously or Events in Palestine Ben-Gurion has been glorified as the creator unconsciously, the expectation of a Messias of the State. It is only natural that a whole and the davim of a Messianic age permeated More plausible, for nationalist and geo­ myth was built around his personality and Jewish group mentality throughout the ages. graphical reasons, was the application of Mes­ achievements. As one commentator, Noah The overall effect of this fact is thoroughly sianic concepts to various phases of contem­ Lucas, put it: "... Only Jabotinsky more elaborated in Kochan's treatment of the works porary events in Palestine, e.g. in 1917, 1920 incisively sounded the national spirit, but Ben- of major writers of the Middle Ages and of (San Remo), 1947-48, 1967, when at least Gurion silenced his voice... by adopting his the pre-enlightenment period; only singular one part of the two-fold Messianic Promise political strategy in all its essentials... he figures like the chronologer David Gans in seemed to be fulfilled, namely the return of came finally into the capacity of military Prague (1541-1613) established contact with the dispersed tribes to the land of Israel, leadership."** Professor Lucas also quotes pentile scientists and acquired secular know- while there was no sign of making good the a characteristic paragraph from Ben-Gurion's 'ege. Yet, despite the more rationalist other intrinsic part, namely Redemption of speech at a Mapai meeting in January 1948, approach from the 16th century onward and Mankind in a transcendental sense. Yet, the °f what Kochan calls (Chapter 5) "The De- elevation of—possibly transient—political or *• Noah Lucas: The Modem History ol Israel. Weiden- leld & Nicolson, London, 1974, p.246. Tha author, now In military events to the rank of eschatological Sheffield, has also lectured at the Hebrew University In c, * The Jew and his HIstofy. By Lionel Kochan, Bearsted consummation is nothing but heresy. The Jerusalem. peader in Jewish History, University oJ Warwick. Macmlllan, London, 1977. blowing of the Shofar was premature. Continued on page 2, colmnii 1 Page 2 AJR INFORMATION September 1977 PITFALLS OF MESSMMC THINKING TO COMMEMORATE OUR NEAREST ONES Yad Vashem Hali of Names Centianed from page 1 Faced with this situation, the failure of voluntary mass immigration after the establish­ On several previous occasions we informed where he passionately assessed the importance ment of the State, the Zionist leadership had our members that a "Hall of Names" had of the forthcoming war on which all energies to look for inhabitants to fill the vacant terri­ been constructed at "Yad Vashem" (Jeru­ must be concentrated because it would decide tory from which the Arab population had salem) to preserve the names of the martyrs. Israel's fate: been removed (leaving aside the contro­ This month, during the Holy Days, our "The eight months before us are not like versial question whether it had been «iriven thoughts are particularly concentrated on the any eight months we have known, nor per­ out or had left of its own free will). Thus memory of relatives and friends who had not haps like any eight years or any eighty one turned to the oriental Jews who pre­ the good fortune of finding refuge from perse­ years, and I have no hesitation in saying— ponderantly had been ignorant of Zionism.