Reply To: Herzog’s column

If you meant disagreeing with melamed – yes, most of the religious zionist community disagrees with converting without kabalas hamitzvos. But the fact that someone thought of as a senior posek can say that, reveals where zionism leads. It’s only a matter of time before his ideas become more mainstream; what was considered reform became conservative, and what was conservative became fringe MO, and that effect continues until people return to authentic Torah and drop alien garbage.

Religious zionism has varying levels of how much nationalism affects their halachik pronouncements. I have yet to encounter one whose zionism has not impacted their psak at all – perhaps rabbi willig in YU; I’ve not heard anything from him that shows nationalism contaminating halacha.