Religious Zionism and the three oaths

Hi All,

Q:Hannah, Could you explain religious Zionism in the context of Ketobut 111a?

A:

This question is being asked because the passage in the Talmud is often used as a "proof text" for those Orthodox Jews who oppose Zionism and the creation of modern Israel, most notably the Neturei Karta and Satmar sects .

I would like to point out , though, that every religious Jew   is actually a Zionist of sorts , because even those opposed to the creation of Israel as a state, do acknowledge and believe that Eretz Israel (land of Israel) was promised to Jews by God and that the right of Jews to this land is permanent and inalienable. Where there is difference is the agency i.e. the mechanism which is used for Jews to set up a state and see Jews return to the land. 

You see before the creation of Israel, many ( but not all as there always was a strand of religious Zionism) religious Jews did argue that to attempt to recreate Jewish rule in Israel was blasphemous because it would rely on human agency only. Furthermore hastening salvation and messiah's coming was considered a sign of disbelief in God's abilities and therefore rebellious against him , therefore secular atheist Jews could have no part in God's divine plan. Indeed so the argument goes, we cannot act on our own initiative to return to the Land.

The key text for this is Ketubot 111a. The brief summary of this passage is:

ג' שבועות הללו למה אחת שלא יעלו ישראל בחומה ואחת שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את ישראל שלא ימרדו באומות העולם ואחת שהשביע הקדוש ברוך הוא את אומות העולם שלא ישתעבדו בהן בישראל יותר מדאי.

"Why/What are these Three Oaths? One, that Israel should not storm the wall. Two, the Holy One adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations of the world. Three, the Holy One adjured the nations that they would not oppress Israel too much".

So :

A). We don't have the agency to act without God 

and

B)

1). Israel (Jews) cannot reclaim the land by force

2). Israel (Jews) cannot rebel against the nations of the world

3). The nations will not oppress Israel (Jews) too much.

The problem with A is that the first exile was brought to and end by human agency. In fact not just that but by a non Jew ! Called Cyrus of persia, who conquered and ruled in benevolent strength a vast and mighty empire (2 Chronicles 36:22-23) who issued a decree allowing the Jews to return from exile and to rebuild the Temple! Obviously it was G-d who delivered Babylon into Cyrus's hands (Cyrus himself acknowledged this); but the same could be said regarding World War I, when the gentile British captured what was then Palestine from the Ottoman Empire and subsequently permitted Jewish immigration to the Land. 

Indeed Nachmanides wrote:

"That we are commanded to take possession of the Land which the Almighty, Blessed Be He, gave to our forefathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov; and not to abandon it to other nations, or to leave it desolate, as He said to them, You shall dispossess the inhabitants of the Land and dwell in it, for I have given the Land to you to possess it, (Numbers, 33:53) and he said, further, To Inherit the Land which I swore to your forefathers, (to give them,) behold, we are commanded with the conquest of the land in every generation."

Rabbi Yitzhak Kook argued that even atheist Jews have a spark within their soul and were actually committing Mitzvah for God :

"Secular Zionists may think they do it for political, national or socialist reasons, but in fact – the actual reason for them coming to resettle in Israel is a religious Jewish spark ("Nitzotz") in their soul, planted by God. Without their knowledge, they are contributing to the divine scheme and actually committing a great Mitzvah.

The role of religious Zionists is to help them to establish a Jewish state and turn the religious spark in them into a great light. They should show them that the real source of Zionism and the longed-for Zion is Judaism and teach them Torah with love and kindness. In the end, they will understand that the laws of Torah are the key to true harmony and a socialist state (not in the Marxist meaning) that will be a light for the nations and bring salvation to the world."

And what of point B? 

On a technical level one could argue that the three oaths because they are Aggadic Midrash, and therefore they are not Halakhically compulsory . Aggadic Midrashim, as opposed to Halachic Midrashim are not traditionally understood as a valid source for Halacha.  Furthermore The Rambam, Moses Maimonides, in his Epistle to Yemen specifically states that the Oaths are “metaphorical” and in his writings he places great value upon living in the Land of Israel, and forbids leaving it.

But let us take at face value that they have some force as far as creating Israel is concerned. In fact Jews didn't take the land by force. Let us remember that there has been a continual Jewish presence in the Holy Land even during exile. Let us also recall that like Persia the super power of the time, the other super power - the British empire - issued its own decree allowing Jews in exile to return. 

Furthermore let us recall  later on that the United Nations , the body that represents the nations of the world , voted by resolution 181 to recognise a Jewish state. Jews therefore did not take the land by force and neither did they upset the  majority of the nations of the world. The nations of the world actually encouraged and recognised that Jews could set up a state. 

That the full might of Arab armies tried to crush this state meant that the subsequent war of independence for Israel was not a war of conquest ,but of self defence,  and this is true of subsequent wars including the 1967 war in which east Jerusalem and Judea and Samaria were taken from Jordan ( not a mythical Palestine) and Gaza from Egyptian occupation. 

Finally the third oath can be seen to be null and void as the nations of the earth have not oppressed Jews in a small way, but in a massive way . In fact the holocaust and even pre holocaust ,  shows the opposite: the nations did hurt and hate Jews. Therefore the first two only apply if the third was kept. This clearly did not happen.

Finally a thought from Rabbi Ben-Zion Meir Hai Uziel ,  reflecting my own hope of  idealistic  religious Zionism: 

" The ingathering of exiles, which has taken place during the past few years, is the seed from which will flower the complete redemption. The appointed time will then arrive and the Creator of the world who has His chosen people and Holy Land will cause the spirit of wisdom and strength to rest with us. In the hearts of all our brave pioneers may they receive the crown of victory and may He give us this land, which was sworn to our forefathers. 

Remember this, know and believe that it is the hand of God that performs this in order to fulfill the words of His holy prophets and for the eternal peace of the Jewish nation and for the peace of the whole world. 

He has caused peace to be dependent upon Israel and their adherence to the Torah and commandments, for by their hand, the Holy One of Israel will be sanctified and will redeem and teach the nations to know the oneness of God. 

This belief will bring upon its wings peace and truth within our fold and a just peace between all the nations and man shall neither fear nor destroy his fellow man, neither will government nor nations destroy one another for they will all know Him. The land will be filled with the knowledge of God as the waters of the sea.

I end with this blessing:

“May the Lord our God remain with us as He did with our fathers and may He neither abandon nor forsake us, and may our hearts yearn for Him to walk in all His paths, to follow His commandments so that we may be blessed with goodness for all our days.”