This isn't the type of weight problem that can be cured by Dr. Atkins' diet, ameliorated by statins, or prevented by pushing yourself away from your plate at the next sumptuous meal in your sukkah. But for all those who naively thought that religious Zionism's philosophy is on the rocks because of the Disengagement, I can only offer a letter written over 100 years ago by Rabbi A. Y. Kook to his father-in-law, the Aderet. The letter is quoted and explained by Rabbi Tzvi Tau in Emunat Iteinu, volume 1, pages 76-84 (see also Orot Hat'chiya paragraph 44):

"Yeshurun became fat and rebelled. You grew obese, thick and gross. Israel abandoned the Lord who made it, and spurned the Mighty One who was its salvation... and made Him angry with vile deeds." (Devarim 15-16) The Sifri writes on the verses: "So you find in the in the days of the Messiah, that the reason for Israel's rebellion against God will be eating, drinking and tranquility.... The three words 'obese, thick and gross' refer to three generations before the coming of the Moshiach." This period of materialism, that will bring an eclipse of spirituality, will affect the Land of Israel and all of Jewry, at the beginning of the renewal of the nation. This revolt , which will of necessity come to the whole nation of Israel in a very powerful form, will come after the long exile, in which the necessity, and possibility, of these materialistic activities had been completely closed to Jewry. A large segment of Jewry will thus believe they have already reached their ultimate purpose, their 'Promised Land', since the goal they set for themselves will be totally materialistic, a 'safe haven', with a Jewish economy.

This revolt will lead to the Chevlei Mashiach, the difficult times leading up to the coming of the Messiah. Had Mizrachi fulfilled the task of imbuing those involved in the practical building of the Land with an appreciation of the spiritual, holy source of their Zionistic aspirations and strength, then these Chevlei Mashiach would not be necessary. These practical powers and activities will be needed by the new nation, but in the present, lowly spiritual state of Jewry, history will play itself out with storms and fury, tortures that will feel like a hangman's noose around the neck, preventing speech, closing off air."

Nontheless, the Almighty will act for the sake of His own Name, and bring closer the end, His salvation, "v'nisgav HaShem l'vado" (Yeshayahu) soon in our days. Not in response to any of our actions, but because of our treasured historical status, the Divine light shining in the depth of our national soul, a light which continually strides forward, gaining strength. This "growing obese, thick and gross" is a hidden secret of the Divine Merciful One, that the history of our Redemption needs to occur thus. And our role is to strengthen ourselves, to stand firm in our holy mission, and lend strength to both sides: those who believe in the Almighty and his Torah, but don't yet realize that God, His Torah and the Nation of Israel are one; and on the other side, strengthen the builders of this country, who don't realize, and don't want to know, what is the real source of their power. Let our spirits not fall due to all the chutzpah of these times of "the footsteps of Moshiach", all of which was foreseen by our holy ones thousands of years ago, so that we may minimize at every step all type of split and division in the general body of the nation. By stressing the positive, and keeping away from all negativity and political sniping, the negative will stand out in bold contrast. May all our efforts be directed to increase peace and unity between all the parties of this nation."

So writes Rabbi Kook. But Rabbi Kook didn't make all this up, he merely explained words of Torah and chazal, our rabbis.

As we leave Yom Kippur, with its fast, a negation of "shamanta" - materialism - and its pushing of the soul to the fore, we would do well to study Rabbi Kook's words about our national soul. On the Shabbos between Yom Kippur and Sukkot, we read parshat Ha'azinu, which our rabbis called a summary of all of Jewish history, including "shamanta" - "you grew fat". It behooves us to study that history.

On Sukkot, we all sit together in the sukkah, and we all take the arba minim, the lulav, etrog, hadas and arava, which symbolize this united nation. Obviously, Jewish tradition always viewed this nation as including all its elements, Jews of all stripes and colors, and not as some write: "We are no longer one people, we have nothing in common with them." This is the sinat chinam that fuels the ability of one wing of our people to prey on and sacrifice another segment. On Sukkot, we all (not just "Messianists", whoever they are; all Jews believe in some sort of Messiah) read the Haftarot of the end of Jewish history, of Gog and Magog, and Moshiach, and they, too, deserve attentive study.

If we take all this to heart, we will be able to "lose the weight " of shamanta, shorten these Chevlei Moshiach, and see the better times that we all deserve and pray for.