Within the irreligious population "The Zionist Idea" has been dead basically since Oslo, at least that's the first we've seen of it. Although the idea of "Yeridah" has been going on ever since the "Aliyah" started, it was done mostly to look for better financial pastures. Today most young people in Israel have no love for Israel as a homeland although they claim to love it as their country, especially when it comes to defaming the religious. Now we've seen a new phenomenon, propagated by the left for the better part of 10 years now, that of self-denial and hate.
Never has a people been so unsure of itself and of what it's been doing and has done for 100 years. History books are being re-written by rabid leftists with the "exposure of the evils done to the Arabs", the originals inhabitants of the land. That idea has not sunk in fully yet, simply because that would defeat the whole purpose of Israel, but the idea of the Occupation being evil has sunk in fully, with the inhabitants of the territories seen as "provocateurs" and worse.
It used to be that the Charedim were worthless and could be beaten to death because they were "parasites" and didn't contribute to society. They just had children and sucked the blood out of the Israeli economy. They didn't serve in the IDF and just "Kvetched Benk" in Yeshivos, also worthless institutions in their eyes. Today we see that the fact that people give their lives for the country makes no difference. The fact that they serve in the IDF and excel at it makes no difference. The fact that they contribute to society and keep on coming from other countries makes no difference. "It's the Yarmulke, stupid."
So, now the Religious Zionists are at a crossroads; either they realize what the population in Israel thinks of them and recognize their collective mistake, or make as if none of this affects them, and "turn the other cheek." The problem with option 2 is that the idea that the State is the "Aschaltah DeGeulah" and that the IDF is the "holy army" is embedded deep within their collective psyche, and that does not go away just by expelling Jews and beating the living daylights out of them. Renouncing the state and it's institutions would also somehow mean that all the Rabbonim who supported the Zionist dream were wrong, with Rav Kook at the top of the list.
16 comments:
The last forty years (of his life) the rebbe was part of the zionist fabric through and through,now there is no one to help us come to our senses.
1) how was he part of the fabric?
2) who's the "we" that needs to come to its senses?
Great post.
Anonymous, the Rebbe was part of the Zionism that's a part of our Jewish tradition. The Rebbe hardly had nice things to say about the state. And for good reason too: just look at the churban!!!!
score one for Satmar.
I sense that Rotz is angry, I'm not quite sure what about yet. Maybe with time.
Rav Kook was wrong, the Brisker Rov was wrong, the Lubavitcher Rebbe was wrong, Rav Kadoorie was wrong, Rav Shach was wrong, the Chazon Ish was wrong.
No-one knows what's coming. Nevius left Bnei Yisroel a long time ago.
Snag
and I guess you were right, eh?
Can you stick to the topic discussed in the original post?
Zionism is breathing its last, and its most fervent supporters are hanging on for dear life. I think everybody was right, and HaRav Kook was wrong.
HT
why is the fact that the secular Jews in Israel are beating the h--- out of their fellow Jews the "end of Zionism"? Is it dependent on the police behaving itself? Why can you not be a Zionist and not be a part of the establishment? or better yet, soon enough the whole leadership can be in the hands of the religious!
TVbuff
I missed your point there, care to elaborate?
For as long as I can remember the Rebbe always spoke positively about Israel as the "Holy Land" - the land where the eyes of Hashem were always focused. Among many issues over the years the Rebbe was concerned that only people born of a Jewish mother or who converted halachically be legally considered Jews in Israel and there were a number of campaigns to ensure this. In later years he emphasised not giving up land which belongs to us and appointed our own Yossel Gutnick as shaliach for the integrity of the Land of Israel. The Rebbe always seemed to have time for Israeli politicians and many came to Sunday "dollars" - not to mention major visits by Zalman Shazar, Menachem Begin and others.
Be that as it may, the chassidim had by and large ignored Israel. Before Gimmel Tammuz some parents sent their children to learn in Israel but most seemed to go to yeshivos in America. As chassidim we were concerned in general about Israel and the Jews that live there but did not take a proactive stand.
All of a sudden, Chabadniks are the biggest Zionists! There is even a Lubavitcher running for the World Zionist Conference - which I find mind boggling. Chabadniks in Chutz La'aretz were at the forefront of the anti-disengagement rallys and in Israel the ubiquitous yellow flag was seen at all the demonstrations. In Melbourne it seems that the anti-disengagement crowd scared away Mizrachi which, one would have logically assumed, would have been extremely active in this area.
It is obvious that Eretz Israel is of major importance to us a Jews. We should be concerned about what is happening there at least as a matter of Ahavas Yisroel. It is only right that we should be taking an active part in supporting Torah values in Israel.
But it seems to me that Lubavitchers today, rather than spreading yiddishkeit, see our main role in politics and at demonstrations. Maybe if those of us who aren't actually on shlichus - ie. Rabbis in Chabad Houses, teachers etc - would put more of our energies towards mivtzoim as the Rebbe seems to have wanted, rather than getting involved in politics, our movement would be in better shape.
There is no shortage of work to be done and many different ways to do it. Apart from the YG bochrim and Ohel Chana girls who go on Mivtzoim each Friday there is much that can be achieved. If you want to be involved and don't know where to start my advice would be to contact the various Chabad Houses to see how you can be of assistance. Another avenue is the Shluchim at Yeshivah Gedolah who do a great job of organising mivtzoim and would be pleased to recruit Anash to help. Nshei Chabad also provides opportunities for "outreach".
In expending our energies on mivtzoim rather than politics hopefully we can refocus on the core values of Chabad as expressed by the Rebbe.
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Aussie
but don't these people see Shleimus Ha'retz, the demonstrations and the politics as important as Mivtzoyim?
The conflict between Lubavitch and Religious Zionism was always over the RZ's partnership with secular Zionism. When BILU started, the Rebbe Nishmoso Eden, the big anti-zionist, said that if only they'd added the next two words, Be'or Hashem, he'd have joined them. Now that the RZ are realising that their partners have abandoned them, and that secular zionism is dead, their differences with Lubavitch are becoming much less significant.
milhouse
that was the Rebbe MoHaras"h, not the Rashab.
BILU began in 1882, so it's just possible that it was the Rebbe Maharash, at the very end of his life, but I heard that it was the Rebbe N"E, and the timing seems to make that more likely.
The Rebbe Maharash did once threaten the Russian government that if they didn't back down on some gezera he would go on aliyah and take all his chassidim with him.
Milhouse
I think it's safe to say that the Rebbe Rashab was against all forms of Zionism, although BILU was not part of political Zionism. However, if we say that the Maharash was the one who said he'd go to Israel with BILU if only, then did the Rashab change from his father's approach?
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