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December 6, 2004

Three Prominent Rabbis Criticize Refusal of Orders to Dismantle Settlements (2004)

Zionism Israel & the Middle East Religion & State
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Sanctifying Insubordination (2005)

Recently, the Israel Defense Forces dismissed a number of officers who, for religious reasons, signed a letter declaring that they would refuse to evacuate settlers from the Gaza Strip and some areas of the West Bank. This is most distressing, especially for Orthodox Jews, and most especially for Orthodox Jews who are Zionists or are sympathetic to Zionism. What is upsetting is not the army’s disciplinary action, but the religious officers who have allowed certain nationalistic right-wing rabbis to convince them that disobedience in this case is mandated by the Halacha — and thus have contributed to a massive “desecration of the divine Name.”It should be clear that these Israeli “refuseniks” are not draft dodgers looking for a way out of their national duty. Service in the army is their chosen career, one for which they have volunteered and worked hard in love and devotion. This is their career, and we are proud of them.What we are not proud of is their decision, unlike so many of their colleagues, to follow the lead of those rabbis who declared it a sin to assist in the disengagement initiated by the Sharon government — and which has the support of the majority of the Israeli public in this democracy.Rabbis who preach refusal undermine Israel's army. Ultimately, the fault lies with those rabbis — including a distinguished former chief Ashkenazic rabbi, an eminent talmudic scholar. The problem revolves about the commandment to settle the Land of Israel — Yishuv Eretz Yisrael. Unquestionably, there is such a mitzvah. But they have absolutized this one mitzvah over and against all others. In the process of so doing they have succeeded in setting religious against secular, and religiously observant against religiously observant — thus placing their own students and other yeshiva graduates in a quandary, having to choose between their religion and their patriotism.By sanctioning and sanctifying insubordination, these rabbis have jeopardized whatever unity prevails in I…
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Correspondence

Exchange with R. Borowitz about R. Lamm's Debate on Messianism with R. Spero (1974)

Dear Norman, Shubert has asked for a chance to respond to your response. On reviewing the exchange, I (and Nat) found it to be of such intrinsic merit that we believe it is worth printing. I’ve asked Shubert to send a copy of his next response to you directly, so that you may then make your final comment if you wish. But I think the material should commit you both. The material should not be designed as between issues! The exchange should be a head to head at my insistence for editorial purposes. We will hold the material exchange for two episodes and then print the 4 pieces at once. I do think the clearest case from your original statement is at stake and the meaning of the theological “center” to Judaism is a common man’s one as the definition of the current polarization is clear. Hence to open a symposium is apt – and that is what the “exchange” will mean. We shall break our self-imposed strategy that each of the two should respond in full to Shubert’s response to your response. Forward to you with response to my request for a statement. All my best – Gene
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Letter from R. Jakobovits about His Concerns Concerning Religion and Politics in Israel (1974)

Dear Norman, I am turning to you, amongst a select number of leading personalities in Israel, to seek your advice, and possibly your assistance, in an effort to make some contribution towards alleviating the grave crisis afflicting our people in the wake of the Yom Kippur War. Even greater than the threat to Israel’s security from the might and machinations of our enemies from without is the mortal danger from within of disunity and disintegration, sapping Israel’s inner strength, resolve and morale. To Jews with a historical awareness, the present fragmentation and bitter strife in Government, inside the political parties and even in the Rabbinate cannot but be ominously reminiscent of the "Sinat hinam" which, as our Sages invariably maintained, caused the destruction of Jerusalem 1900 years ago.I have urged, both publicly and in private discussions - at any rate during the present emergency when religious faith and national unity are suoh indispensable assets to Jewish survival - that we shift the emphasis in our spiritual confrontations and challenges from legislation to education. Hore specifically, I suggest that 1) secularists be persuaded to admit some regular religious education and religious experience in all schools in Israel and 2) a moratorium be called on all new legislation of religious significance, such as conversions, civil marriage, public Shabbat observance and autopsies.At the root of our perilous predicament, to my mind, is a profound spiritual erisis revealed and accentuated by the Yom Kippur War. Israeli society is being acutely polarised and, worse still, demoralised by ever more bitter divisions on the very ideals which have sustained the spirit of our nation and united us in all our past tribulations.We are now paying a fearful price for the lack of a spiritual faith amongst 30 many of Israel's children. The rigid demarcation in the State system between religious schools for only a minority and non-religious schools for the rest, has raise…
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