This article has been written by Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat), Rosh Midreshet Tal Orot in Michlelet Orot, Elkana. He has graciously offered to share his wisdom with the readers of Tzipiyah.com, and given me a few, very powerful and all very relevant, articles to share with you. This is the first part of the first article. Enjoy!
In order to know how to approach the secular Jews in Israel, we must first understand where they‘re coming from. What was it that drove their grandparents away from Torah, and subsequently, what will bring them back?
One of the most puzzeling aspects of the secularization, is the fact that regarding the other aspects of redemption, such as the ingathering of the exiles, revival of the Land of Israel, the hebrew language, etc. there is obvious advancement over the last 100 years. Davka regarding religion, where we expect the most important improvement during the ge’ula process, the last century has seen a drastic decline! Why?
This question is sharpened even more by the fact that already 1,800 years ago (!), we are taught that preceding the ge’ula, there is going to be a universal and national rebellion against religion.
“In the advent of Mashiach, chutzpa will heighten, expenses will skyrocket, there will be fruit but wine will be expensive. Governments will turn heretical, and noone will rebuke. The House of Sudy will be exchanged for prostitution, … those border-dwellers will wander from city to city and will not be pitied! The wisdom of the rabbis will be scorned, and the religious will be hated, truth will be sorely lacking. Youth will embarrass their elders, the elders will stand for the young, the son will scorn his father, the daughter will rebel against her mother, the bride against her mother-in-law, a man’s enemies will be from his own family. The generation will have the face of a dog (impudence), the son will not be ashamed even before his father.” Sotah 49b
If today’s rebellion was foreseen in such an ancient tradition, even at a time when everyone in the world was religious, that infers that this must be part of some G-dly plan. The question is, what kind of benefit could possibly result from such a spiritual tragedy that would make it part of the G-dly plan? Why must such a rebellion against religion and tradition preempt the magnificent ge’ula?
If we compare the modern non-religious with their historical counterpart from Biblical and midieval times, we find that their flights from Judaism were a result of not only different, but opposite reasons.
Being raised in a monotheistic society, we see religion and moralty as being intrinsically connected, but in paganist society, the more religious one was, the more immoral he became! Polytheism is not just a question of mathematics, but one of morality, as well. In Biblical times, we find that in a generation where prophets castigated Israel for paganism, they also had to rebuke them not only for child sacrifice, but also fo exploiting the widow , orphan and convert, theft, drinking, and promiscuity. Problems בין אדם לחברו, regarding mitzvot between man and his fellow, and weakness b/w man and his G-d, inevitably were inseperable. One can summarize by saying that the son who rebelled against his Father in heaven, the בן סורר ומורה, in biblical times, was motivated by hedonistic pleasure, to be a זולל ושובע, a satiated glutton.
Even during the long exile, the average Jew who abandoned his religion did not do so out of idealism or theology, but as a result of his desire for life or standard of life! In exiles where Jews were in danger, or were not allowed to buy land, attend university, work in certain (or most!) trades, or reside in most neighborhoods, understandably, many abandoned Judaism for ulterior motives (to live “normally”)!
Put simply, in previous generations to be a religious Jew demanded not only sacrificing those pleasures prohibited by G-d, but also foregoing all those basic pleasures which gentiles forbade the Jews. For those who left, Judaism was just too difficult.
On the other hand, about one hundred years ago, when teenagers began to be attracted to the Zionist youth movements in Europe, the appeal was in the ideology. Upon being asked by their fathers: “What did you discuss today at snif?”, the son would answer: “We spoke about the ideals of national revival, zionism and aliya (T. Herzl), Jewish labor (A.D. Gordon), reviving the Hebrew language (Eliezer Ben-Yehuda), socialism (Berl Katznelson), Jewish pride and self-defense (Jabotinsky), and the need for Jewish culture and literature (Ahad HaAm).”
The reaction of the “fathers” and many rabbis in Europe, to this long list of ideals of the “sons” was one big “NO”.
*They opposed nationalism, seeing Judaism as a religion and the Jewish State and aliya, as a messianic dream, some even actively opposing it, seeing zionism as a rebellion against G-d’s degree of exile.
*They were against their sons becoming farmers and menial laborers, seeing the ideal as learning Torah, and if one must work, he should opt for a clean profession befitting a “nice Jewish boy”, not a “goyishe” trade.
* The elders saw Hebrew as Lashon haKodesh, meant to be used for prayer and study, and not for secular conversation.
* Standing up to fight was seen as the non-Jewish way. The galuti Jew even rationalized his weakness by turning it into an ideology of pacifism: “We don’t stoop down to their level.” “The goyim fight with weapons, the Jews, with prayer and passports.”
* Socialism was associated with atheism, and Karl Marx’s “Religion is the opiate of the masses”.
* Seeing Judaism as a religion and not a nationality, Torah, mitzvot and gefilte fish were seen as the Jewish culture. The elders didn’t see a need for Jewish theater, university, or literature which dealt with secular topics. On the contrary! Most saw modern culture as competition and a threat to Judaism.
Upon being informed that Judaism and zionism were diametrically opposed, the sons opted for the modern, idealistic nationalistic ideology, and rebelled against what they saw as a stagnant, old-fashion and shallow religion.
Rav Kook points out that as opposed to the rebel in biblical and midieval times, the chalutzim ran from Torah not because it was too difficult or “high” for them but the opposite, because it was too “low” for them. They wanted ideals and were answered with negatives.
The chalutzim were not lazy people! For the ideals that they believed in, they were willing to move to a far and deserted Land, to struggle and often die fighting malaria and Arab marauders. They simply did not find Judaism as an ideology but as empty ritual.
