REBELLIOUS SONS TODAY and YESTERDAY- p. Ki Tetzeh
Rav Kook in his classic article (“HaDor”, Ikvey HaTzon, p. 109), differentiates between the rebellious sons of the past and of today. The parsha tells of the son who is “a glutton (meat) and a guzzler (wine)” (Dvarim 21, 20), and our sages explain similarly, “Israel did not serve idols, only in order to allow themselves forbidden sexual relations” (Sanhedrin 64a). In biblical times, sin was motivated by hedonistic pleasure, to enjoy life.
Similarly, during the long exile, the many Jews who abandoned religion, did not do so out of idealism or theology, but in order to save their lives, or to at least improve their standard of living. In exiles where Jews were in danger, or were not allowed to buy land, attend university, work in certain (or most!) trades, be members of guilds or reside in most neighborhoods, understandably many abandoned Judaism, not because they believed in the Christian “trinity”(!), but for ulterior motives (to live or to live “normally”).
In exile, to be a religious Jew demanded not only sacrificing those pleasures prohibited by G-d, but also foregoing all those basic pleasures which gentiles forbade the Jews. Accordingly, many left Judaism, because it was too difficult.
On the other hand, about 130 years ago, when young Jews in Europe began to be attracted to the Zionist youth movements, the appeal was in the IDEOLOGY for which they were willing to sacrifice. Upon being asked by their fathers: “What did you discuss today at snif?”, the sons would answer: “We spoke about the ideals of national revival, Zionism (Herzl) and aliya to Israel, Jewish labor (A.D. Gordon), reviving the Hebrew language (Eliezer Ben-Yehuda), equality (Berl Katznelson), Jewish pride and self-defense (Jabotinsky), and the need for national culture and literature (Ahad HaAm).” The common reaction of the “fathers” and many rabbis in Europe, to this long list of modern ideals of the “sons” was one resounding “NO”.
* They opposed nationalism, seeing Judaism as a religion and the Jewish State and aliya, as a messianic dream, some even actively opposing it, seeing Zionism as a rebellion against G-d’s degree of exile.
* They were against their sons becoming farmers and menial laborers, seeing the ideal as learning Torah, and if one must work, he should opt for a clean profession befitting a “nice Jewish boy”, not a “goyishe” trade.
• The elders saw Hebrew as Lashon haKodesh, meant to be used for prayer and study, and not for daily conversation.
• Standing up to fight was seen as the non-Jewish way. The “galut” Jew even rationalized his weakness by turning it into an ideology of pacifism: “We don’t stoop down to their level.” “The goyim fight with weapons, the Jews, with prayer and passports.”
• Socialism was associated with atheism, and Karl Marx’s “Religion is the opiate of the masses”.
• Seeing Judaism as a religion and not a nationality, Torah, mitzvot and gefilte fish were seen as the Jewish culture. The elders didn’t see a national need for theater, university, or literature which dealt with secular topics. Contrarily, most saw modern culture and education as competition and a threat to Judaism.
Upon being told by their “fathers” that Judaism and Zionism were diametrically opposed and that they had to choose between the two, the sons opted for the modern, idealistic nationalist ideology, and rebelled against what they saw as an old-fashion, shallow and irrelevant religion. They preferred to be “non-Jewish Jews”, for the religion was too low and old-fashion in their eyes.
Rav Kook points out that as opposed to the rebel in biblical and medieval times, the chalutzim ran from Torah not because it was too difficult or “high” for them but to the contrary, because it was too “low” for them. They wanted ideals and were answered with negatives.
The chalutzic pioneers were clearly not hedonistic people! For the ideals that they believed in, they were willing to move to a far and deserted Land, to struggle and often die fighting malaria and Arab marauders. They (like the IDF soldiers of today) were not scared of difficulty, but simply did not find Judaism as an ideology, just as empty ritual.
The chidush (innovation) of Rav Kook was that he explained to the fathers and sons alike, that the youthful rebellion was not against Torah but against exile Torah, and that’s a rebellion whose time has come! An objective examination of the “original” and authentic Torah (as opposed to the “galut” one) finds that those very ideals of the Zionist pioneers not only did not contradict Judaism, but in those respects, the rebellious sons were even more “religious” than their elders! Thus explains Rav Kook the final mishna in Sotah, that part of the messianic era is a rebellion against the Judaism which had been customary in the exile. Those rabbis who presented Judaism as either-or, were “out of practice” from authentic Judaism, which is both religious and Zionist.
Especially as Israel approaches elections prone to divisiveness, the key to national unity is to remind the secularists that Judaism is also a religion (Shabbat, Kashrut…), and the Haredim that Judaism is also a nationality (army, language, economy, …). All of our Tanach heroes, the ideal Jews whom we eternally emulate, were RELIGIOUS-ZIONISTS: they all lived in Israel, spoke Hebrew, loved all Jews, served in the army, were active in the state and worked for a living. This bridge is the essence of the Living Torah of Eretz Yisrael, and the key to Jewish unity. It includes not only learning Talmud and ritual, but our yeshivot learn the depth and beauty BEHIND the mitzvot, via studying ALSO Tanach, philosophy, mussar, hassidut, ta’amei hamitzvot etc. These are banners around which we could and should all rally and unite. Shabbat Shalom! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat)
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