The ‘De la Victoire’ Synagogue in Paris
About two months ago, I participated in a conference of rabbis from across Europe in Paris organized by the Amiel movement, Ohr Torah Stone, and the Mizrachi movement. I will write about my thoughts following the conference on the challenges of shlichut (mission work) on another occasion. This time, I’ll write about the visit to the Great Synagogue of Paris on ‘La Victoire’ Street, which can accommodate about 2,500 worshippers, and was inaugurated 150 years ago, in 1875.
Rabbi Moshe Sebbag, the synagogue’s rabbi, told us about it, and also showed us the benches where world’s wealthy sat, including: Baron Rothschild (among Europe’s banking leaders), Baron Hirsch (king of railway tracks in Europe), and French Foreign Minister Adolphe Crémieux (president of the Alliance Israélite Universelle). There were distinguished wealthy people who attended the synagogue on holidays, and donated enormous sums to support their brothers from poor communities in Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Among the conference participants were cantors who sang emotional songs, and the prayer for the peace of the State of Israel and IDF soldiers, and I thought about all the talented and wealthy Jews from Western Europe who were central partners in Europe’s political, economic, scientific, and cultural development. They hoped to create a new and repaired world, and almost all their work was lost in the terrible Holocaust that befell our people in Europe.
Nevertheless, one spark flew from Paris to the Land of Israel, from which a great salvation grew. The contributions of Baron Rothschild, the known benefactor, who donated about 20 percent of his wealth to building the country, were a cornerstone in the building of settlements that led to the establishment of the State of Israel.
Opening for Evening Prayer
Before the evening prayer, I spoke words of preparation and awakening: “We are here in Paris, which was the cradle of modern culture. One hundred years of spiritual and cultural development led to the French Revolution (1789) that changed the world. The revolution’s slogan, which sought to bring redemption to man and the world, was 'Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.' This slogan summarized modern thought, and from it, grew all the social movements that changed all monarchies.
"The liberal, democratic, capitalist, and ‘post-modern’ movements all developed from the value of ‘Liberty’, including severe extremes that led to the dismantling of identities and family. The socialist movement developed from the value of ‘Equality’ and its extremist movement, communism, established oppressive regimes, and caused the murder of tens of millions of people.
“The aspiration to establish nation-states developed from the value of ‘Fraternity’, leading to its extremist movement, fascism, and the Nazi movement.
"The great deficiency in all these movements, which basically advocated correct values, is that they did not connect to their roots to the belief in one God. Consequently, they could not create balance and harmony between them, and along with the truth and good they encompassed, they also led to destruction and ruin. The heaviest price for all the failures in these ideas was paid by the Jews, who hoped to see salvation from them, and instead received the communist evil regime, the Nazi Holocaust, assimilation, and loss of faith.
”Thus, we must read the Shema and its blessings, return to the foundations of faith in one God, strengthen ourselves in Torah study through which we can refine all ideas, pray to God for wisdom and repentance, for the ‘Ingathering of the Exiles’, and building the Land, for strengthening the State of Israel economically, socially, and spiritually, for the destruction of wickedness and the growth of salvation, and through this, merit fulfillment of our destiny to bring blessings to all the families of the earth.”
The Attraction of Many Jews to the Enlightenment Movement
In the days before leaving for the conference, I was engaged in writing the last chapter in my book ‘Faith and Its Commandments’ as part of ‘Peninei Halakha’ series, about the challenge of faith in recent generations. This was good preparation for me to participate in the conference that dealt with bringing Diaspora Jews closer to their Jewish identity, to faith and Torah, to observance of the commandments, and to immigration to Israel.
For two reasons, the Jewish people were especially drawn to the Enlightenment movement, and gave it their energy and talent:
The first reason is that for many generations Jews lived in terrible humiliation and severe discrimination, and now a movement arose claiming that all human beings were created equal, and striving to give everyone, including Jews, equal rights.
With the success of the Enlightenment movement, opportunity opened for Jews to realize their talent, integrate into the fields of natural and humanities sciences, economics, society, and art, and to achieve wealth and honor. Jewish talent began to shine, and Jews began to lead in all areas of science, society, and economy.
The second reason was that Jews always believed in world redemption, so the vision of the Enlightenment movement to redeem man from all his distresses, resonated in Jewish hearts. As the Enlightenment movement succeeded in actually bringing about more revolutionary changes to advance man and society, more and more Jews began to believe that this was indeed a redemption movement.
Thus, the messianic vision whose essence is Israel’s return to their Land to fulfill God’s word, and bring blessing to all the families of the earth, was dimmed. In its place, a new messianic vision of social and moral reforms was set, along with the development of science and technology for the benefit of humanity.
Jewish Existence in the Diaspora Depends on the Hope of Israel’s Redemption
Contrary to what happened to all other nations that underwent exile, for close to two thousand years of exile, and despite all the suffering and persecution, the people of Israel managed to survive, as God promised His people to protect them, even in exile.
This protection was done in a miracle that was realized through natural means, i.e., in a way that has a logical explanation. The explanation is that the redemption vision of the people of Israel is so great and mighty, that no exile and suffering could overcome it. And as Rabbi Kook wrote: “The anticipation of salvation is the sustaining force of Diaspora Judaism” (Orot, Eretz Israel 1).
But when an alternative messianic vision arose, the trial became much harder.
The Roots of the Enlightenment Movement in Jewish Ideas
It’s worth adding, that without the Jewish tradition and the prophetic messianic vision of redemption, the Enlightenment movement would not have arisen, because it would not have occurred to human beings to presume to bring about a revolution, and change the world for the better. The Jewish heritage in the Bible, including the Exodus and the Giving of the Torah, which brought about a revolutionary change in human consciousness, and the prophecies that continued to echo the vision of redemption, were the basis for the enormous daring to create a movement that strives to repair the world.
Therefore, many Jews felt that the Enlightenment movement, with its various branches, echoed what was hidden in their hearts, and when rabbis objected to it, they argued against them: ‘Finally, when the redemption we all waited for begins to happen, you stand opposed, and deny it.’ Thus, many Jews joined the Enlightenment movement, and in a gradual process, distanced themselves from Judaism, and assimilated among the Gentiles.
The Enlightenment Movement and the Possibilities That Opened Following It
To explain what changed in recent generations, that suddenly the Enlightenment movement arose and ascended, one needs to look at God’s guidance in the world. Rabbi Kook explained in his essay “MaamarHa’Dor” (‘Essay for The Generation’), that as long as the decree of exile continued as punishment for Israel’s sins, Jews bowed their heads and accepted their fate, because they felt that this is what they deserved, and by this, they atoned for their sins, and the sins of their fathers. Throughout that period, Judaism survived through a conservative stance that was cautious of any innovation, since the main goal was to survive. This state radiated to all nations, as Israel among the nations, is like the heart among the organs.
However, there is a limit to punishment, and when the measure of suffering was filled, divine guidance began to awaken the hearts of human beings to recognize their greatness, and reveal their talent. From this, they began to seek liberty for man and nations, and to create economic, technological, and transportation conditions that allow the realization of the vision of Israel’s return to their Land, in a miracle that appears through natural means.
The Choice and the Disappointment
But as always, man has the choice of whether to express his greatness in pride and tyranny, or in adding good. The Jewish people – the heart of the nations – stood before a choice: to join the global Enlightenment movement and be absorbed in it, or to fulfill the divine command and ascend to the Land, to grow in Torah and mitzvot, and establish an exemplary society for the glory of our people and humanity, until “from Zion shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3).
Unfortunately, most Jews gave up on Israel’s unique vision and stopped observing Torah and commandments. Later, many of them suffered severe disappointment, when on the altar of the ‘new world’ they were forced to sacrifice everything dear to them – and even their lives.
-Many Jews who worked with dedication for the communist movement were executed in humiliation by the Soviet murderous regime, while understanding that the revolution they had been part of caused terrible suffering to many people, and even to their own people.
-Many Jews who identified with German culture and contributed their best talent to it, were humiliated, and murdered.
Through the fruits of the technological development of the Enlightenment movement, masses of Jews could ascend to the Land and settle it, but instead of millions of Jews boarding the railroad trains on their way to the Land of Israel, on these very railroad tracks they were led to the extermination camps. Also, among the Jews who emigrated to the new world in America and gave up their precious tradition to gain ‘paradise on earth’ – many were disappointed, and had to deal with antisemitism and discrimination, and a value system that is far from ideal.
Repentance in the Study of the Torah of the Land of Israel
Despite all the justified criticisms of the Enlightenment movement, its critics did not recognize the truth within it, and therefore, failed to prevent the great drift of the masses who joined it, and left religion. Rabbi Kook explained in “Maamar Ha’Dor“, that in all generations until the modern era, those who abandoned the Torah were those who were drawn after their evil inclination, stole and robbed, betrayed and committed adultery. However, those who abandon the Torah in the new generation believe in the values of truth and good, and sometimes are even willing to dedicate their lives for their realization. To bring them back to repentance, we need to appreciate their aspirations and desires:
“We will not deprive from him (the young generation) of all light and goodness,” “we will not desire to suppress under our feet… the young and fresh forces… but rather, we will illuminate the path before them.”
For this purpose, Torah study should incorporate awareness of the general vision of Tikun Olam (world repair) in the Torah, and with a deep understanding that this great vision is revealed through all its general principles and details of the Torah (Orot HaTeshuva 4:10). Through this, the achievements of the Enlightenment movement will not interfere with the revelation of faith, but will intensify and elevate it, and assist in revealing the light of the Torah in practical life.
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.