Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu Beit Midrash Session

“Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu” A textual exploration of Messianism and how it relates to the modern State of Israel.

Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-960-5228 • [email protected] www.eimatai.org

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Source #1 Prayer for the State of Israel Artscroll Rabbinical Council of America Version

Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-960-5228 • [email protected] www.eimatai.org

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Source #2 Prayer for the State of Israel Singer’s Prayer Book (O!cial Siddur of the British Commonwealth)

Source #3 Prayer for the State of Israel Composed in 1949 by many halachik luminaries including Rav Yitzchak Isaac Herzog zt”l, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l, Rav Yechezkal Sarna zt”l, Rav Zalman Sorotzkin zt”l, Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank zt”l, and others.

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Source #4 Rabbi Norman Lamm A statement of uncertainty, not disbelief.

I must make clear that I do not deny that ours is an era of incipient Messianic redemption. What I am saying is that I do not know whether it is or not, and that I challenge the certainty of those who assert such superior knowledge. I consider it spiritually presumptuous to declare, without the benefit of prophetic inspiration, that we are privy to divine secrets. God’s plans are known to us only retrospectively. “Thou shalt see My back, but my face shall not be seen” (Ex. 33:23). The ways of God in history are too wondrous , too mysterious, for us either to deny or assert that we are in a particular phase of a pre-ordained drama. One thing we can learn from current history is that we are unredeemed and need Messiah. One thing we can learn from past history is that it is dangerous to pretend to know when he is coming - or came.

A deep commitment without Messianism. My commitment to the State of Israel does not require Messianic presuppositions. That commitment was forged in the fires of the crematoria; in the hatred of and indi"erence to Jews by the “civilized” countries of the West; in a love of Eretz Israel and Am Israel which are the purpose of Medinat Israel; in the expectation that Torah has a better chance in Israel today than in the Diaspora. Therefore, especially because I can get along without a Messianic undergirding for my love of Israel, I will not risk premature Messianism which, history has taught us, can lead to psychological and spiritual disasters. (Excerpted from Shma 4/73 May 3, 1974)

Sources #5-6 Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook “The nationalist ideology of Rabbi Kook and his followers views the history of Zionism as an inevitable and decidedly messianic process, leading to the realization of prophetic predictions: ‘the State of Israel as the fulfillment of the biblical vision of redemption.’ Messianism is no longer to be seen as the antithesis of concrete reality. It is no longer merely a critique of what is, nor is it addressed only to the future. Rather, messianic redemption springs from present events; it is embodied and realized in them. “ -Aviezer Ravitsky

“Zionism (and the State of Israel) is an inevitable and decidedly messianic process” - Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook

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Source #7 Rabbi Shlomo Teichtal “Now, in recent years thousands and tens of thousands of our Jewish brethren have flowed into Eretz Yisrael from all corners of the Diaspora. This is certainly a sign of the beginning of the redemption... The wars of recent times are also a sign of redemption. there have been constant conflagrations ever since the outbreak... this coincides with the Kabbalist's description of the time of redemption and is exactly what has happened today. therefore, this is a great sign that we are close to redemption.....” (Excerpted from Eim Habanim S'meicha 210-213)

Source #8 Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer “Israel’s salvation will come little by little; slowly will the horn of redemption flower.” - R. Kalischer

Source #9 Rabbi Hayim Druckman In the words of a eulogy of R’ Zvi Yehuda Kook delivered by one of his principle disciples, Rabbi Hayim Druckman… ‘He was one of the few in his generation… to grasp fully the messianic revelation the State of Israel represents, to see the light of the Messiah shining forth from the State of Israel….He was the only one who taught us how to embrace wholeheartedly the truth that this state, with all its problems, is a divine one.’ -Aviezer Ravitsky

Sources #10-11 Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson “We must not heed them in their call to achieve redemption on our own, for we are not permitted to hasten the End, even by reciting too many prayers, much less so by corporeal stratagems, that is, to set out from exile by force.”

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“Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson… granted explicit legitimacy to collective political and military Jewish organization in the Holy Land, “in matters of defense, vehicles and horses,” and his followers are deeply involved in many spheres on the state. (Part of this discrepancy was resolved by maintaining that the state exists “in the time of exile,” thereby preventing a verbal contradiction with the statements of his predecessors, who opposed going out from the Exile by “material powers and stratagems.” -Aviezer Ravitsky

Sources #10-11 Anti-Israel and Anti-Zionist Leaders

We must not minimize the seriousness of the grave sin of rejoicing, or appearing to rejoice and making a festival on the terrible Day of Blasphemy, that they call: "Yom Atsmaut" (Israeli Independence Day). The day that the members of the conspiracy against G-d and His Messiah, established their Kingdom of Atheism over the Jewish People, by uprooting the Holy Torah and the Faith. At that time, the shedding of blood of myriad's upon myriad's of Jews began. This is much worse than accepting idolatry, because they not only accept it, but celebrate and rejoice in the terrible rebellion against G-d and His Holy Torah. There are many sinners and even deniers of the Faith, whose hearts trouble them, because they are not serving G-d, but they are unable to stand up against temptation and against deceitful ideologies that confuse them. However, those who rejoice in this sin, are guilty of much worse, blasphemy. -Joel Teitelbaum, the late Satmer Rav

Neturei Karta stresses those portions in rabbinic literature which state that because of their sins, the Jewish people went into exile from the Land of Israel. Additionally, they maintain the view basing it on the Babylonian Talmud - that any form of forceful recapture of the Land of Israel is a violation of divine will. They believe that the restoration of the Land of Israel to the Jews should only happen with the coming of the Messiah. -Aviezer Ravitsky

Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-960-5228 • [email protected] www.eimatai.org

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Yeshiva University • 500 W. 185th Street, Suite 440 New York, NY 10033 • Phone (212) 960-5261 Fax (212)-960-5228 • [email protected] www.eimatai.org