Of late, there have been several articles published, in particular Wielding Ideology by Sam Ser and Fundamental Flaws by Rabbi Moshe Reiss, that have taken a critical look at the perceived threat of Jewish fundamentalism in Israel. I hope to dispel the myth surrounding what it means to be a Jewish fundamentalist, and to show that, in reality, what today is defined as Jewish fundamentalism is consistent with traditional Jewish thought and teachings.
Rabbi Moshe Reiss and Sam Ser both make reference to the following theme, as it appears in Rabbi Reiss' article:
"A usually religious movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism."
Based on this definition, one must draw the logical conclusion that every observant Jew in Israel (and possibly the world) must be considered a Jewish fundamentalist.
Let us take a look at the three characteristics that both Ser and Reiss make reference to:
The belief in the absolute supremacy of religious law.
How could any religious, G-d-fearing Jew disagree with this statement? That is not to say that a Jew is not obligated to follow the laws of the land in which they live (the concept of dina d'malchuta dina). This would obligate the Jew to pay taxes, follow traffic laws, etc.; however, this obligation to follow the law of the land only applies where the law in question does not conflict with Jewish law.
The contention that secular regimes, though they may pay lip service to religious law, have rejected this law and rely instead on outside, and particularly Western, influences to guide the state.
While the State of Israel does base many of its laws on Jewish law, by no means are all its laws based on Jewish Law (all one has to do is look at Israel's Supreme Court and the values that it promotes). Additionally, Jewish law is rarely the main factor in determining the State of Israel's foreign and domestic policies. Culture (movies, books, TV, radio, clothing) in Israel is primarily based on Western culture and values (or the lack there of).
The State of Israel, from its inception, has been pulled in two conflicting directions. Her founding fathers desired to create a "New-Jew" in Israel. A Jew that would no longer be bound by Jewish Law, which was associated with the Judaism of the exile. Israel was to be a nation like all others, with a Jewish majority, which would allow for the normalization of the Jew. On the other hand, Orthodox Jewry (and of late, Religious Zionist adherents) wanted Israel to be a Jewish State in more than just demography, but also in character, spirit, identity and culture.
This conflict, to this day, has not been resolved, and as such, the State of Israel more often than not seems to be leading a double life similar to that of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.
The insistence that the only way to restore the people to their rightful status is to wrest control and implement a "return" to the divinely inspired code.
Three times a day a Jew is obligated to pray. Let us take a look at some of the prayers that a Jew says each time he prays:
From the 11th blessing of the Amidah prayer: "Restore our judges as in earliest times... and reign over us, You, HaShem, alone with kindness and compassion...."
From the 14th blessing: "And to Jerusalem, Your city... may You rest within it as You have spoken. May You rebuild it soon in our days as an eternal structure, and may you speedily establish the throne of David within it."
From the 17th blessing: "Be favorable, HaShem... and restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your Temple. The fire offerings of Israel...."
From the Aleinu prayer:
I do not know if Sam Ser or Rabbi Moshe Reiss are familiar with these prayers, and if so, how they are able to reconcile the internal conflict that reciting these prayers would undoubtedly create within them. I can only imagine that, for Jews like Reiss and Ser who do recite these prayers, they can take comfort in the words of the Kuzari by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi. When speaking of the Jews who, in spite of all their prayers expressing a desire to return to Israel, chose to stay in exile, Rabbi Yehudah referred to their prayers in the following way: "But rather as the speech of a parrot or the twittering of a starling, as without the correct intention of the heart we say these things and others."
For 2,000 years, the Jewish people hoped, yearned and prayed to return to the Land of Israel and to reestablish Jewish sovereignty. Why? Not so that we could be the only democracy in the Middle East, but to create an authentically Jewish State, true to Jewish teachings and heritage. This would be refelcted not only in the laws and policies of the state, but through its culture and educational system, as well. To have a Jewish State one needs more than a simple Jewish majority.
Let me be clear in saying that I do not advocate bringing this about through religious coercion. This is what the Jewish people, as a nation, should be striving to achieve. It may be some time before this vision becomes the reality in the State of Israel, and this will only come to pass through love of our fellow Jew, intensive Jewish education, true Jewish leadership, and more than a little help from Above).
I do not doubt that the concept of Jewish fundamentalism makes Jews like Ser and Reiss uncomfortable, because it directly conflicts with their ideal of being a modern Jew accepted by the world, in which the State of Israel exists as a nation like all others. It must be painful for Ser, Reiss and others when they are confronted with the truth that Judaism is not concerned with winning any popularity contests, but about the Jewish people being true to their G-d, to His law and to themselves. Only through that will the world come to respect the G-d of Israel, along with his chosen nation, the Jewish people.
This concept is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism, and as such, according to the likes of Ser and Reiss, those Jews who adhere to it must be considered Jewish fundamentalists. It is ironic, that the very ones whom Ser and Reiss view as posing the greatest threat to the State of Israel are specifically those who have remained true to the teachings and heritage of our forefathers.
I am confident that, just as Abraham merited being the father of the Jewish people in spite of the fact that he was considered a Jewish fundamentalist for his uncompromising belief in the G-d of Israel, similarly, the Jewish fundamentalists of today, of whom Ser and Reiss are so fearful, will ultimately lead the Jewish People to their redemption, and to the birth of a true Jewish State in the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Moshe Reiss and Sam Ser both make reference to the following theme, as it appears in Rabbi Reiss' article:
Three themes that Judaic and Islamic fundamentalists both share are: (1) the belief in the absolute supremacy of religious law; (2) the contention that secular regimes, though they may pay lip service to religious law, have rejected this law and rely instead on outside, and particularly Western, influences to guide the state; and (3) the insistence that the only way to restore the people to their rightful status is to wrest control and implement a "return" to the divinely inspired code.Here is the definition of a fundamentalist:
"A usually religious movement or point of view characterized by a return to fundamental principles, by rigid adherence to those principles, and often by intolerance of other views and opposition to secularism."
Based on this definition, one must draw the logical conclusion that every observant Jew in Israel (and possibly the world) must be considered a Jewish fundamentalist.
Let us take a look at the three characteristics that both Ser and Reiss make reference to:
The belief in the absolute supremacy of religious law.
How could any religious, G-d-fearing Jew disagree with this statement? That is not to say that a Jew is not obligated to follow the laws of the land in which they live (the concept of dina d'malchuta dina). This would obligate the Jew to pay taxes, follow traffic laws, etc.; however, this obligation to follow the law of the land only applies where the law in question does not conflict with Jewish law.
The contention that secular regimes, though they may pay lip service to religious law, have rejected this law and rely instead on outside, and particularly Western, influences to guide the state.
While the State of Israel does base many of its laws on Jewish law, by no means are all its laws based on Jewish Law (all one has to do is look at Israel's Supreme Court and the values that it promotes). Additionally, Jewish law is rarely the main factor in determining the State of Israel's foreign and domestic policies. Culture (movies, books, TV, radio, clothing) in Israel is primarily based on Western culture and values (or the lack there of).
The State of Israel, from its inception, has been pulled in two conflicting directions. Her founding fathers desired to create a "New-Jew" in Israel. A Jew that would no longer be bound by Jewish Law, which was associated with the Judaism of the exile. Israel was to be a nation like all others, with a Jewish majority, which would allow for the normalization of the Jew. On the other hand, Orthodox Jewry (and of late, Religious Zionist adherents) wanted Israel to be a Jewish State in more than just demography, but also in character, spirit, identity and culture.
This conflict, to this day, has not been resolved, and as such, the State of Israel more often than not seems to be leading a double life similar to that of Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde.
The insistence that the only way to restore the people to their rightful status is to wrest control and implement a "return" to the divinely inspired code.
Three times a day a Jew is obligated to pray. Let us take a look at some of the prayers that a Jew says each time he prays:
From the 11th blessing of the Amidah prayer: "Restore our judges as in earliest times... and reign over us, You, HaShem, alone with kindness and compassion...."
From the 14th blessing: "And to Jerusalem, Your city... may You rest within it as You have spoken. May You rebuild it soon in our days as an eternal structure, and may you speedily establish the throne of David within it."
From the 17th blessing: "Be favorable, HaShem... and restore the service to the Holy of Holies of Your Temple. The fire offerings of Israel...."
From the Aleinu prayer:
For he has not made us like the nations of the lands, and has not emplaced us like the families of the earth; for he has not assigned our portion like theirs, nor our lot like all their multitudes. For they bow to vanity and emptiness and pray to a god which helps not. But we bend our knees, bow, and acknowledge our thanks before the King who reigns over kings, the Holy One, Blessed is He....Can anyone honestly argue that in these prayers the Jewish people are not asking HaShem to restore to them sovereignty in the Land of Israel, in order to create a Jewish State where the judges will rule according to Jewish Law, where the leaders, from the House of David, will be, first and foremost, faithful servants of HaShem and of His laws and teachings, where the Holy Temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and serve not only as the spiritual center of the Jewish People, but for all of mankind?
Therefore we put our hope in you, Hashem our G-d... to remove detestable idolatry from the earth, and false gods will be utterly cut off, to perfect the universe through the Almighty's sovereignty.... All the world's inhabitants will recognize and know that to You every knee should bend, every tongue should swear... and they will all accept upon themselves the yoke of Your kingship that you may reign over them soon and eternally. And it is said: HaShem will be King over all the world - on that day HaShem will be One and His Name will be One.
I do not know if Sam Ser or Rabbi Moshe Reiss are familiar with these prayers, and if so, how they are able to reconcile the internal conflict that reciting these prayers would undoubtedly create within them. I can only imagine that, for Jews like Reiss and Ser who do recite these prayers, they can take comfort in the words of the Kuzari by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi. When speaking of the Jews who, in spite of all their prayers expressing a desire to return to Israel, chose to stay in exile, Rabbi Yehudah referred to their prayers in the following way: "But rather as the speech of a parrot or the twittering of a starling, as without the correct intention of the heart we say these things and others."
For 2,000 years, the Jewish people hoped, yearned and prayed to return to the Land of Israel and to reestablish Jewish sovereignty. Why? Not so that we could be the only democracy in the Middle East, but to create an authentically Jewish State, true to Jewish teachings and heritage. This would be refelcted not only in the laws and policies of the state, but through its culture and educational system, as well. To have a Jewish State one needs more than a simple Jewish majority.
Let me be clear in saying that I do not advocate bringing this about through religious coercion. This is what the Jewish people, as a nation, should be striving to achieve. It may be some time before this vision becomes the reality in the State of Israel, and this will only come to pass through love of our fellow Jew, intensive Jewish education, true Jewish leadership, and more than a little help from Above).
I do not doubt that the concept of Jewish fundamentalism makes Jews like Ser and Reiss uncomfortable, because it directly conflicts with their ideal of being a modern Jew accepted by the world, in which the State of Israel exists as a nation like all others. It must be painful for Ser, Reiss and others when they are confronted with the truth that Judaism is not concerned with winning any popularity contests, but about the Jewish people being true to their G-d, to His law and to themselves. Only through that will the world come to respect the G-d of Israel, along with his chosen nation, the Jewish people.
This concept is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism, and as such, according to the likes of Ser and Reiss, those Jews who adhere to it must be considered Jewish fundamentalists. It is ironic, that the very ones whom Ser and Reiss view as posing the greatest threat to the State of Israel are specifically those who have remained true to the teachings and heritage of our forefathers.
I am confident that, just as Abraham merited being the father of the Jewish people in spite of the fact that he was considered a Jewish fundamentalist for his uncompromising belief in the G-d of Israel, similarly, the Jewish fundamentalists of today, of whom Ser and Reiss are so fearful, will ultimately lead the Jewish People to their redemption, and to the birth of a true Jewish State in the Land of Israel.
