Our Expectations of the State of Israel and the Extent of their Realization
Yom Ha-atzma'ut
Our
Expectations of the State of Israel
and the
Extent of their Realization
Based
on a sicha by
Harav
Yehuda Amital ztl
Translated by Kaeren Fish
"Ascribed to the musician on the death of a son (al mut la-ben); a psalm
unto David:
" (Tehillim 9:1)
"This song is meant for the time to come, when the youth and youthfulness of
Not only man
grows old; nations also grow old. When the youth of
Seemingly,
David is already singing praise, "The enemy it has come to an end, in
perpetual ruin" (Tehillim 9:7), but nevertheless he pleads, "Be gracious
to me, O Lord; see my affliction from those who hate me" (9:14). The issue of
the relations between
This day has a
dual character. On the one hand, there is remembrance of the past "He has made
a remembrance of His wondrous works" (Tehillim 111:4); the day has the
status of a yom tov, a festival, and the festive meal that is held on
this day has the status of a se'udat mitzva. But beyond this there is
praise for "Your miracles which are with us every day"; for the existence of the
State its political, social, economic existence.
The Gemara
records that "Rabbi Yossi said: Let my portion be with those who recite
Hallel every day" (Shabbat 118b). But this cannot be right: Hallel
was instituted for special occasions; its recital on a daily basis represents a
diminishing of our praise to God; it is a form of blasphemy! The Gemara
therefore explains that Rabbi Yossi was referring not to the actual Hallel,
but rather to pesukei de-zimra (the section of the morning prayers that
expresses praise to God). Why then did Rabbi Yossi mention "Hallel"
rather than "pesukei de-zimra"?
By rights, a
person should truly recite Hallel every single day "for Your miracles
that are with us every day." However, as the Meiri explains, if we were indeed
to recite it daily, the prayer would no longer make its special impression on
us. Nevertheless, every individual and certainly the state as a whole must
know that we are obligated to thank and praise God every single day.
Our thanks
extend further with every new house that is built "Walk about Zion and go
around about her; count her towers" (Tehillim 48:13). The story is told
of Rabbi Sonnenfeld zt"l who used to walk about Jerusalem, counting every
new building that was constructed. We must give thanks for every additional
home, and certainly for every new synagogue and beit midrash.
Several
decades have passed since the establishment of the State. Let us look back at
the expectations that that time, and examine what we have achieved.
There were
three expectations in 1948: one on the part of religious Jewry; the second, on
the part of those among us who do not maintain our tradition, along with the
righteous gentiles of the world; and the third on the part of those who hate
us.
Religious Jews
hoped for greatness; the expectation was that along with the physical redemption
there would come a spiritual one "And I shall sprinkle upon you purifying
waters, and you will be purified" (Yechezkel 36:25). In this realm there
is great disappointment; progress is very slow, and often there is no visible
progress at all. "My Beloved is like a deer" (Shir Ha-shirim 2:9) as
the deer bounds over the hills, it is sometimes visible and at other times
obscured.
The
expectation of the Zionist movement, along with the righteous of the nations of
the world, was that the State of Israel would lead to a state of normalization
for the Jews of the world. They believed that this would solve the problem of
anti-Semitism and hatred of Jews. This hope animated even the most
positively-inclined of the nations, and they came to help the Jews to become a
normal nation. They, too, have been disappointed: anti-Semitism continues to
exist, and the existence of the State of Israel has perhaps even intensified it.
As for
Israel's enemies, they never imagined that the country would survive for this
long; at most they gave it a few years.
The question
that should occupy us is whether the State of Israel is an act of God or a human
creation.
The Midrash
Rabba interprets the verse, "You prepare a table for me in the presence of my
enemies" (Tehillim 23:5), as a reference to the nations of the world, who
predicted that once we left Egypt, we would die out in the wilderness. "In the
presence of my enemies" who did not believe that our freedom would persist,
and that the State would survive.
For many
years, Christianity refused to recognize the State of Israel. They understand
that "it is not by their sword that they inherit the land
but [You, God] have
accepted them with favor." If Israel were a secular country, a mere political
entity, they would have no problem accepting us, but they perceive the religious
significance of the State of Israel, "for Sovereignty belongs to You." Chazal
teach, concerning the verse, "The Lord reigns; let the nations tremble" (Tehillim
99:1), that when the nations saw that the Children of Israel had entered the
land, they trembled. When the Jews return to their land, this means that "the
Lord reigns" and this is something that the nations understand. They remind us
of our unique nature, "This people I have created for Myself" (Yishayahu
43:21), for "You have chosen us from all the nations." Only this gives us hope
and security, "for Sovereignty is Yours, and You shall reign in splendor
forever."
We should not
take too much notice of those who speak about a "secular state" and have no idea
why they are living in
"'Who has despised the day of small things?' (Zekharia 4:10) What
caused the righteous to have their table for the Time to Come diminished? It was
their own smallness, in not believing in God." (Sota 48b)
The
establishment of the state was for the purpose of sanctifying God's Name. "It is
not for your sakes that I act
."
We pray,
"Praise God, all the nations" (Tehillim 117:1) but we know that there
is still a long road to travel. While we do say, "All nations shall call you
blessed, for you shall be a land of delight" (Malakhi 3:12), the
condition for this is that we are first a "land of delight" in our own midst.
This is not something that is measured in laws passed by the Knesset, not even
if all the laws of the Shulchan Arukh were passed as law. It is measured
by the people, and what is going on amongst them. As for our enemies, whose
expectations were not realized thank God.
Concerning the
second expectation, by those seeking normalization for Am Yisrael, this
is impossible; we are " a nation that dwells alone." Am Yisrael is
different; "their youth becomes apparent." The historical laws that apply to us
are different. The State of Israel has religious significance, "for sovereignty
belongs to You" this is Jewish sovereignty. Am Yisrael, according to
Chazal, is either like "the dust of the earth" or like "the stars of the
heavens." Neither the lowly dust nor the exalted stars represent a normal
situation.
As to the
disappointment felt by religious Jewry: we had hoped to approach redemption with
great strides, but we did not merit this. There was another period in history
when the redemption was eagerly awaited. Rabbi Yehuda ha-Levi, in the Kuzari,
writes that all the prophecies of Yishayahu were meant to be fulfilled in the
Second Temple, but they were not, because the people did not return willingly
and gladly to the land; most remained under foreign sovereignty, unwilling to
leave their homes. "Open for Me, My sister" on the 5th of Iyar,
5708, the gates were opened
this is certainly something to think about, and a
possible response to our disappointment.
It may be that
there is another answer, too. Chazal teach that God sought to make King
Chizkiyahu the Messiah, but in the end he was not the Messiah because he did not
praise God. Perhaps we were not appropriately grateful and did not express our
thanks and praise to God as we should have, for all that He did for us.
Chazal
teach, "But the Lord has not given you a heart to perceive" (Devarim
29:3) a person does not fully understand his teacher's thought until the age
of forty. Perhaps now that we have passed our fortieth year, we will understand
the thinking of our Teacher, the Holy One, blessed be He, and perceive what He
wanted of us at the time of the establishment of the State. Then we will merit
for God to pour a spirit upon us from on High, as Rabbi Yehuda ha-Levi said: "As
I emerged in Your direction, I found You emerging towards me."
(This sicha was delivered
on Yom Ha-atzmaut 5747 [1987].)