The catchphrase in the Jewish world today is the word "disengagement". Some are in favor, others opposed, but everyone is talking about it. Should Jews voluntarily disengage from portions of the Holy Land, or are our ties to our country too deep to easily disengage?
It is interesting that this question is even being considered. This is the first time in Jewish history that Jews have considered parting with portions of our holy land. The history of our people is replete with military battles. Many nations have challenged our right to live in Israel and we have always defended that right. We were defeated on two occasions, once by Babylon in 350 BCE and once by Rome in the year 69. On both occasions, our ancestors fought to their last breath.
On both occasions, our prophets and scholars, aware of the heavenly decree against Jerusalem, advocated surrender. On both occasions, they were refused by zealous militiamen who spurned the very thought of surrender. Our sages did not view this zealotry in a favorable light, because it spurred our enemies to great atrocities.
The zealots were wrong, but at least they loved the Jewish land. Their ties to their country ran deep and they could not easily disengage. That cannot be said of ourselves today. Today, Jews are prepared to disengage from parts of the Holy Land with nary a second thought or hesitation.
This is only possible because we are emotionally already disengaged. Our allegiance to Israel stems from our connection to G-d and to our people. As Jews, we enjoy a vertical connection to G-d and a horizontal connection to our people. When our vertical and horizontal connections attain their full measure of depth, we are rewarded with our land.
Settling the land of Israel depends on successful connections to G-d and to our people. The settlement process requires divine blessing and protection, because of the many dangers that can derail it. It also requires the hegemony of the Jewish people, a single individual cannot settle the land.
Our sages taught that the first Temple was destroyed, and our people exiled, because our ancestors spurned G-d and his blessing at that time. Our sages further taught that the second Temple was destroyed, and our people again exiled, because of the senseless hatred that Jews harbored towards each other at that time.
Without a tangible connection to G-d and to our fellow Jew, it is unrealistic to expect a strong feeling for our homeland. We speak casually of disengagement because we are emotionally disengaged. Reengaging our love for G-d and for our people will reengage our love for our land.
We must counter the winds of disengagement through a dual effort of reengagement. Let us reengage each other. The Torah teaches that we must love every Jew as we love ourselves. Let us reengage our bothers and sisters in uncompromising and unconditional love.
This includes not only those with whom we agree, but also those with whom we don't. Our points of contention are numerous, but our areas of common ground are even greater. We might not agree on disengagement from Gaza, but we must agree on re-engagement with each other.
Let us also reengage with G-d. Let us resolve to make G-d a priority. We must commit to study the Torah and learn about G-d. To perform the mitzvot and think about G-d. To count our blessings and come to love G-d.
When we, as a people, collectively reengage with G-d and with our fellow Jew, we will find ourselves passionately engaged with the land of Israel. Its sanctity will beckon us and rekindle the passion of our collective soul. We will rediscover our intimate, yet tangible, connection with our holy land.
When we engage the land on a spiritual and emotional level, the land will engage us too. G-d will deliver peace and security, enabling us to preserve both sanctities - that of our lives and that of our land.
It is interesting that this question is even being considered. This is the first time in Jewish history that Jews have considered parting with portions of our holy land. The history of our people is replete with military battles. Many nations have challenged our right to live in Israel and we have always defended that right. We were defeated on two occasions, once by Babylon in 350 BCE and once by Rome in the year 69. On both occasions, our ancestors fought to their last breath.
On both occasions, our prophets and scholars, aware of the heavenly decree against Jerusalem, advocated surrender. On both occasions, they were refused by zealous militiamen who spurned the very thought of surrender. Our sages did not view this zealotry in a favorable light, because it spurred our enemies to great atrocities.
The zealots were wrong, but at least they loved the Jewish land. Their ties to their country ran deep and they could not easily disengage. That cannot be said of ourselves today. Today, Jews are prepared to disengage from parts of the Holy Land with nary a second thought or hesitation.
This is only possible because we are emotionally already disengaged. Our allegiance to Israel stems from our connection to G-d and to our people. As Jews, we enjoy a vertical connection to G-d and a horizontal connection to our people. When our vertical and horizontal connections attain their full measure of depth, we are rewarded with our land.
Settling the land of Israel depends on successful connections to G-d and to our people. The settlement process requires divine blessing and protection, because of the many dangers that can derail it. It also requires the hegemony of the Jewish people, a single individual cannot settle the land.
Our sages taught that the first Temple was destroyed, and our people exiled, because our ancestors spurned G-d and his blessing at that time. Our sages further taught that the second Temple was destroyed, and our people again exiled, because of the senseless hatred that Jews harbored towards each other at that time.
Without a tangible connection to G-d and to our fellow Jew, it is unrealistic to expect a strong feeling for our homeland. We speak casually of disengagement because we are emotionally disengaged. Reengaging our love for G-d and for our people will reengage our love for our land.
We must counter the winds of disengagement through a dual effort of reengagement. Let us reengage each other. The Torah teaches that we must love every Jew as we love ourselves. Let us reengage our bothers and sisters in uncompromising and unconditional love.
This includes not only those with whom we agree, but also those with whom we don't. Our points of contention are numerous, but our areas of common ground are even greater. We might not agree on disengagement from Gaza, but we must agree on re-engagement with each other.
Let us also reengage with G-d. Let us resolve to make G-d a priority. We must commit to study the Torah and learn about G-d. To perform the mitzvot and think about G-d. To count our blessings and come to love G-d.
When we, as a people, collectively reengage with G-d and with our fellow Jew, we will find ourselves passionately engaged with the land of Israel. Its sanctity will beckon us and rekindle the passion of our collective soul. We will rediscover our intimate, yet tangible, connection with our holy land.
When we engage the land on a spiritual and emotional level, the land will engage us too. G-d will deliver peace and security, enabling us to preserve both sanctities - that of our lives and that of our land.