In 1912, Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook, in a letter to the rabbis of the Jewish People, addresses the possibility of civil war, G-d forbid, and discusses how to avoid it. He writes:
"If we do not make sure, while there is still time, to buttress the status of religion and faith so that they remain the property of the entire Jewish People, our national situation will be absolutely terrible. The scandals and complications owing to hatred between brothers will necessarily become worse and worse.... And if we establish a sovereign state, are we not liable to face fierce confrontations in light of the diametrically opposed views, and the corresponding deeds, different as night and day?
"When the central beam that unites the entire nation together is missing, its spiritual and religious foundation, then such quarrels can destroy even the strongest nation by means of civil war, G-d forbid.... Surely, we have been battered enough. Surely, we know full well the power of hatred between brothers and quarrels within families. The way to prevent all this in the future is through a national effort to buttress the status of religion and faith....
"For the sake of our people and the cities of our G-d, for the sake of our status as a nation and for the sake of Zion, the object of our collective yearning, we have a request to make of all our Jewish brethren.... Let them strengthen faith and exalt the status of our religion. Let them work towards restoring our entire people to tangible, practical fulfillment of our Torah. From this will result great blessing.... Then, the internal animosity hidden within the hearts of so many, and their vigorous opposition, will weaken and disappear totally." (Zichron HaRe'iyah 11. Mossad HaRav Kook)
Today, Rabbi Kook's words, written almost a hundred years ago, bear witness to his enormous foresight. He wrote these words after the Zionist movement declared, "We have nothing to do with religion." Quite the contrary, Rabbi Kook came out scathingly against this pronouncement, saying:
"For Zionism to succeed and increase its strength down through the generations, our nation in the aggregate will have to maintain a steadfast link to our living Torah. If they abandon the Torah, then there is no hope." (Iggerot HaRe'iyah 497)
Rabbi Kook saw the awful crisis awaiting us in the future Jewish State, in the event that the nation would not view a connection between that state and Torah, faith and religion as a matter of utmost importance. Unfortunately, there are political parties and leaders who advocate separating religion and state, and transforming the State of Israel into a "state of all its citizens", G-d forbid. Such talk poses an enormous danger to the continued survival of the State of Israel.
Therefore, in the face of disengagement from the values of religion, faith, the people and the Land, we have to establish a movement of strong, large-scale reengagement that will encompass most of the nation, a movement that will work a change in our country. We have to raise up the banner upon which will be engraved in large letters, "The State of Israel is irrevocably bound to faith, religion, the people and the Land!" We have to pass on this idea, lovingly, to the entire Jewish People, without fear. The nation needs this. They are worthy of it. They shall rise up and proudly and joyously follow the banner of reengagement with love. And with G-d's help, love will win out.
[For more information regarding studies at the Machon Meir English Department, please visit http://www.machonmeir.org.il/english.... or email English1@machonmeir.org.il.]
"If we do not make sure, while there is still time, to buttress the status of religion and faith so that they remain the property of the entire Jewish People, our national situation will be absolutely terrible. The scandals and complications owing to hatred between brothers will necessarily become worse and worse.... And if we establish a sovereign state, are we not liable to face fierce confrontations in light of the diametrically opposed views, and the corresponding deeds, different as night and day?
"When the central beam that unites the entire nation together is missing, its spiritual and religious foundation, then such quarrels can destroy even the strongest nation by means of civil war, G-d forbid.... Surely, we have been battered enough. Surely, we know full well the power of hatred between brothers and quarrels within families. The way to prevent all this in the future is through a national effort to buttress the status of religion and faith....
"For the sake of our people and the cities of our G-d, for the sake of our status as a nation and for the sake of Zion, the object of our collective yearning, we have a request to make of all our Jewish brethren.... Let them strengthen faith and exalt the status of our religion. Let them work towards restoring our entire people to tangible, practical fulfillment of our Torah. From this will result great blessing.... Then, the internal animosity hidden within the hearts of so many, and their vigorous opposition, will weaken and disappear totally." (Zichron HaRe'iyah 11. Mossad HaRav Kook)
Today, Rabbi Kook's words, written almost a hundred years ago, bear witness to his enormous foresight. He wrote these words after the Zionist movement declared, "We have nothing to do with religion." Quite the contrary, Rabbi Kook came out scathingly against this pronouncement, saying:
"For Zionism to succeed and increase its strength down through the generations, our nation in the aggregate will have to maintain a steadfast link to our living Torah. If they abandon the Torah, then there is no hope." (Iggerot HaRe'iyah 497)
Rabbi Kook saw the awful crisis awaiting us in the future Jewish State, in the event that the nation would not view a connection between that state and Torah, faith and religion as a matter of utmost importance. Unfortunately, there are political parties and leaders who advocate separating religion and state, and transforming the State of Israel into a "state of all its citizens", G-d forbid. Such talk poses an enormous danger to the continued survival of the State of Israel.
Therefore, in the face of disengagement from the values of religion, faith, the people and the Land, we have to establish a movement of strong, large-scale reengagement that will encompass most of the nation, a movement that will work a change in our country. We have to raise up the banner upon which will be engraved in large letters, "The State of Israel is irrevocably bound to faith, religion, the people and the Land!" We have to pass on this idea, lovingly, to the entire Jewish People, without fear. The nation needs this. They are worthy of it. They shall rise up and proudly and joyously follow the banner of reengagement with love. And with G-d's help, love will win out.
[For more information regarding studies at the Machon Meir English Department, please visit http://www.machonmeir.org.il/english.... or email English1@machonmeir.org.il.]