Reply To: Is anti-Zionism the sin of the spies?

MTAB,

I do not know how long you have been out of America or where you lived (or where you live in Israel). Today in the Obamanation (as opposed to red states – which is a very ironic appellation) you might very well sit between a man who is marrying a man and a woman who is marrying a woman – and woe to you if you do not congratulate them. Not to mention the fact that you would, as we say in keriat shema, worship foreign gods (go to Xmas parties, give Xmas tips, love your Sundays, which one rav derisively called “Shabbat sheniah shel galuyot”).

Rav Kook explained that these Jews rebel because of a misconception of Judaism. In his time it was that Judaism is only spiritual (and BTW, the King is a secular official who has significant Jewish influences). Today the main problem comes from so-called religious parties (Rav Chaim Zimmerman called them clerical parties because they use religion for political purposes) which have turned off many Israelis.

However, despite all this according to all of the polls Israelis are becoming more religious. Even HaShomer HaTzair kibbbutzim are building shuls and asking for rabbanim to come and give shiurim. In the heart of secular Tel Aviv there is a kiruv organization called Rosh Yehudi. As for “stealing” Jewish symbols, why would someone steal something he hates?

Sam and Health, as Rambam says at the end of Hilchot Melachim, we will not know exactly what will be until it happens. It could be that all other countries will retain sovereignty but the International Court of Justice will be the Sanhedrin. It could also be that they will turn to Israeli think tanks for advisory opinions regarding the sheva mitzvot.

BTW, Health, Zionism is part of Judaism. For two thousand years we have prayed to return to Zion. Of course, some people only pray by force of habit. There is a story about a Jew who was window shopping when he felt a punch in his chest. Seeing nobody around him he realized that he was a “selach lanu”. Once after the tefilla the Gerrer rebbe welcome someone home from his world tour. He said that Jews are much better at business than goyim because we have three times each day to think about it.