The Chief Rabbinate; A Blessing or a Curse? part 4

Following the First World War, which also saw the Land of Israel come under the control of Great Britain under a mandate from the League of Nations, Rav Kook became Chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Jerusalem. He appealed to the leadership of the Zionist movement to establish a central, recognized rabbinate for the entire country. Many were opposed to Torah authority in general, let alone a State recognized rabbinate. (It must be remembered that in nearly all European countries, all clergy are government appointed and salaried). Using all his influence and prestige, a central rabbinate was established in 1921. There had long been a position of Rishon L'Tziyon (lit. First of Zion) which served as a sort of Chief Rabbinate, but without political standing. Almost all who occupied that position were Sepharadic. Now, the Rishon L'Tziyon became the Sepharadic Chief Rabbi of the country, together with Rav Kook as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi. Israel has had two Chief Rabbis ever since. Shortly thereafter, he established his own Yeshiva and Seminary, called Mercaz HaRav. The name has a dual meaning. It can mean "The Rabbi's Center", or "the Center of the Many". Mercaz made a point of teaching all traditional ideas and practices, while leaving room for appreciating what the secularists were doing for the building of the Land. Whereas most "Moderrn Orthodox" types are somewhat wishy-washy, Mercaz was, and is, anything but. It has all the fervor of the Hasidim, the scholarship of the Lithuanians, the inclusion of Sepharadic teachings, while maintaining a strong Zionist identity. Rav Kook established very high standards for those seeking to be ordained rabbis. The breadth and depth of knowledge required to be ordained at the Chief Rabbinate, is exponentially greater than at any Yeshiva I know of. What did Rav Kook have to gain from these institutions? First of all, the acceptance of the idea of a Chief Rabbinate stamped Zionism with a Jewish spiritual identity, rather than just an ethnic, national one. This is analogous to visiting the home of a non-observant Jew, who nevertheless has a mezzuzah on his door. It is a statement. Secondly, as all legal rabbinical positions must go through the Chief Rabbinate, charlatanism became virtually impossible. Outside of Israel, many rabbis receive smichah (ordination) as a favor, or attend phony rabbinical programs (as little as two weeks training). These rabbis often get work, as the congregants are not equipped to judge their competency I shudder when I see videos of popular online rabbis, who stumble over Hebrew words and expressions, or who present superstitions as Judaism. In Israel, one cannot serve as a rabbi without being approved by one of the Chief Rabbis. To be rabbi of a city, one must be approved by both Chief Rabbis, as well as by at least three members of the Supreme Rabbinical Council of the Chief Rabbinate. Since they are completely in control of marriages and divorces for all Jews, the problem of offspring from forbidden unions, who, in many cases, are forbidden from marrying according to Torah law, is exceedingly rare. Rav Kook wanted all Jews to be able to marry all Jews. I t is perhaps the worst thing about being a rabbi in America. I sometimes have to tell a couple that they are not marriageable, by me or any other Orthodox rabbi, nor will any of their descendants be able to. Thanks to Rav Kook, this almost never happens in Israel. Criticisms of this system were many. Allowing secular authorities a say in who can and can't be a rabbi can be dangerous. The Chief Rabbis are chosen not by other rabbis, but by a government committee. More right leaning (religiously) rabbis who have difficulty with the institution of a government rabbinate, cannot legally be chosen as a rabbi by a community (Theoretically, he is subject to arrest and imprisonment, but this has never been enforced) The Chief Rabbinate became, in fact, the rabbinate of a small segment of Orthodox Jews in Israel; those who supported Rav Kook's ideology. Rav Kook's successor, Rabbi Herzog, wrote in his diary that he was very disappointed after Statehood had been achieved, that he was not invited to cabinet meetings to give the "Jewish view" on issues. To a large extent, the critics were right. The rabbinate was merely a fig leaf. But a fig leaf that was in a position to ensure the rights of the religious minority, in a society that was overwhelmingly hostile. I can never forget seeing on TV, a prominent Israeli journalist, who later went into politics, saying "Religious Jews are vermin, and need to be treated as such". That they are not so treated, is in no small measure due to the institution of the Chief Rabbinate. However, the sense of unity that was envisioned by Rav Kook, soon displayed cracks. That will be my next post.

The Chief Rabbinate; A Blessing or a Curse? part 3

Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook (1865–1935) must be accounted as one of the most influential figures in Jewish history. Many love him, many hate him, but no one can ignore him. His father was a scholar in the Lithuanian "Yeshivish" tradition. He, too, was educated in that path. His mother's family were long standing Chabad Hasidim. His thought encompassed both. As we have seen, there were different approaches to Kabbalah; ARI saw it as a repair of the Universe, Hasidism saw it as a repair of the individual. Rav Kook did not ignore either of these, but also gave Kabbalah a nationalist and political bent. He saw the yearning for Zion that was unfolding among many European Jews, as an awakening of the Redemption, the Geulah. He believed that even the most anti-religious followers of Zionism, were ultimately responding to a subconscious religious impulse to establish the Kingdom of G-d on Earth. He pointed out that although in the Holy Temple, only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, and he only on Yom Kippur, if something was in disrepair, a common laborer could also enter. Those coming to settle the Land, even those who were avowed atheists, many of them favoring suppression of religion even by force, were those laborers who would ultimately build the Temple. They were not to be hated, but loved unconditionally. He came to the Holy Land in 1904. He became the rabbi of Jaffa. Unlike other rabbis, who concerned themselves only with the faithful, he reached out to all the Jews in Jaffa, as well as surrounding, mostly secular, agricultural communities. He maintained close personal contacts with the leaders of the burgeoning Zionist enterprise, winning concessions for certain public recognition of Jewish observances on their part. He spent World War I in Europe, returning immediately after the war, becoming Chief Ashkenazi rabbi of Jerusalem. He would soon make that Chief Rabbi of Eretz Yisrael, but that will be discussed in my next post. Many openly hostile secularists could not help but be impressed with the man's friendliness and respectful approach, which melted away a great deal of their animosity towards Torah and religious Jews. The "old line" community of ultra Orthodox Jews was decisively against him. They felt that he was strengthening the secular, becoming a "fig leaf" for their anti-Torah stance. ("See, even we have a rabbi on our side!"). One prominent Jerusalem rabbi said "Rav Kook's great love for Zion has taken him out of his mind, and away from the mind of his Creator". Lest we accept the prevailing misconception that he was all "Kumbaya", much has emerged in recent decades to show that this was not the case. Original manuscripts and letters have emerged, which are substantially different from the "official" versions, published in the 1950s by his students. In fact, he was appalled by the character and style of the Zionist leadership, and found maintaining a friendship with them very taxing. He even predicted an eventual revolution. But, at this juncture in history, he believed that G-d was working through them, and they needed encouragement. I was told in 1988 by an elderly Jerusalem Hasid, that when his son was born, he asked Rav Kook to be the Sandak (the great honor of holding the baby during circumcision). Many prominent rabbis asked him how he could give this honor to one who encourages the enemies of G-d. He answered "I know. But when I look at him, I see an angel of the L-rd of Hosts". Anti-Zionist Hareidim still see him as the Benedict Arnold of Judaism. Religious Zionists see him as the Seer of modern Judaism. He considered the establishment of the Chief Rabbinate as his greatest accomplishment. His reasoning for that, as well as the reasoning of the idea's opponents, will be the topic of my next post.

The Chief Rabbinate; A Blessing or a Curse? part 2

Herzl organized a number of conferences for all who accepted the ideal of a Jewish State. The first meeting was held in 1897. It was a sort of congress of different factions within the Zionist movement, and eventually became The World Zionist Organization. It became clear quickly, that certain factions wanted a formal declaration denying Torah, and religion in general. This was in line with Socialist ideology, which considered religion to be "the opiate of the masses", and saw a need of "destroying the old order to its foundations". Herzl, though himself completely secular, did not see this as a good thing, and felt that rabbinic support would be essential for getting a broader Jewish following. The rabbi who was chosen was Rabbi Yitzchak Yaakov Reines (1839-1915). Rabbi Reines had been a member of the pre-Zionist Hovevei Tziyon, who sought the founding of religious agricultural settlements in the Land of Israel. He had founded a movement called "Merkaz Ruchani" (Spiritual Center), later abbreviated to "MIzrachi", a name which would henceforth be associated with religious Zionists, and for most of the twentieth century, with a party founded on those principles. He had long thought to synthesize religious and secular learning in the Lithuanian Yeshivot, an ideas strongly opposed by most of his colleagues. He joined the Zionist movement, and argued that religious Jews needed to take part in this dream. He made clear that he did not see in the return to Zion any fulfillment of prophecy. It was merely pragmatic. Europe was becoming less and less safe, and its culture was rapidly decaying from within. He did not ask of the secular to accept Torah, but only to be tolerant of those who do. When the British proposed setting up a Jewish State in Uganda, he was all in favor. He would have preferred the Holy Land, but Uganda seemed to be a much more pragmatic solution. (This proposal was eventually turned down by the WZO). Some factions of the WZO welcomed a detente with religion, as a means of getting Orthodox Jews involved in their project. Others saw this a capitulation to the old order, and a "selling of their souls". Secular Zionists were henceforth divided between those with a "live and let live" attitude towards the religious, and those who felt that religion must be suppressed until it is destroyed, by whatever means possible. Reines urged religious Jews to forego their feelings of indignation, in favor of a project of national emancipation, that would be to the benefit of all concerned. A Messianic interpretation of Zionism was to await another rabbi, with enormous influence.  That rabbi was Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook. Much of what is written about him online is far from truthful, with many ideas put into his mouth that he never said, or, probably, even thought. What he DID say and do is of utmost importance. He founded the Chief Rabbinate. How? Why? That will be my next post.

The Chief Rabbinate; A Blessing or a Curse? part 1

In order to truly understand the background of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, indeed, of the entire Secular-Religious divide that has plagued the Jews in the Holy Land since the late nineteenth century, we need to examine the foundations of Jewish settlement in the Land of Israel, and the place of religion at every stage.
There was never a time in the last 3,300 years, that Jews did not live in the Holy Land. After the confrontation with Rome in the first and second centuries CE, most of the Jews were either killed, or taken as slaves to Rome, and other parts of the Empire. The situation for Jews in the Holy Land was grim. Especially after Rome turned to Christianity in the fourth century, the persecution became not only ethnic, but religious and ideological. The vast majority emigrated. Others remained, under constant oppression. That oppression continued, becoming much less only after the Muslim conquest of the region. Jewish life under Islam has often been romanticized, but there was, in most times and places, persecution nevertheless. But it was far better than in Christian lands, where the Jews had no rights, but survived at the whim of the nobility. Under Islam, there were clearly defined rights, albeit as second class citizens. When the Crusaders conquered the Holy Land, Jews and Muslims fought side by side, and both were ruthlessly put to the sword in huge numbers in 1099 by the Christian soldiers. A small, devout Jewish community continued to exist, replenished by immigrants fleeing Spain and Portugal at the end of the fifteenth century and afterwards. Jews primarily occupied four cities; Jerusalem, Hebron, Tiberias and Safed. They were merchants and craftsmen. Some were farmers, especially in Hebron. Significant numbers of East European Jews came in the late eighteenth, and early nineteenth century. These were pious individuals, who believed that redemption was at hand. They were representing their brethren in Russia and Poland, and almost always lived on charity from the masses whom they had left behind. The Turkish authorities were always suspicious of these Ashkenazim. They suspected these Jews of continued loyalty to the Czar, whereas in Russia, the Czarist government saw a threat in Jewish institutions supporting a community in the Ottoman Empire. Already in the 1880s, groups of young, religious, apolitical Jews came to settle, occupying themselves with agriculture.
A turning point came when, in 1894, an assimilated, German speaking Jewish reporter named Theodore Herzl, covered the infamous Dreyfus case in Paris. Dreyfus had been a captain in the French Army. France had just lost a war with Prussia. Dreyfus had been framed as a collaborator and spy. Mobs ran through the streets of Paris yelling "death to the Jews". Herzl was terrified at the success of antisemitism in France, the land of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. At first, he advocated a mass conversion of Jews to Christianity, as a means of ending antisemitism. When he saw that his proposal won no support, he came up with the idea of a Jewish State. Ideally, it would be in the Land of Israel, but anywhere would do (Argentina and Uganda were at various times possibilities). His motivation was purely survival for the Jewish people, with no thought of religion. Herzl was a doer more than a thinker. He negotiated with leaders both in Western Europe and the Middle East, paving the way for a Jewish State. The real ideologue of Zionism was Max Nordau. The period we are speaking about was the Age of Nationalism. Empires were breaking up into small nation states. Every ethnic group wanted its very own country. The result of this movement was the First World War. Nordau reasoned that the Jews were first and foremost a nation. Moses had given them a religion to bind them together. As they went into exile, the rabbis had made the religion more demanding, so as to keep the nation together, though scattered. At the turn of the twentieth century, however, religion had become a divisive force, and needed, according to Nordau, to be eliminated. A geographic focal point was now necessary. He saw Europe degenerating in every way, and envisioned a completely secular, egalitarian, classless society to be formed by the Jewish people in their own nation state. Many East European Jews were receptive to the messages of Herzl and Nordau, although their views were denounced by nearly all Orthodox and Reform rabbis. After all, the Orthodox saw Judaism as the raison d'etre of the Jewish people. Reform was, at that time, dedicated to the OPPOSITE ideal; we are not a nation but rather a religion. A Jew in France was a Frenchman of Mosaic belief. The so-called "enlightenment" had, in Western Europe, taken the form of a Judaism in the image of Western ideals and culture. In Eastern Europe, it had taken the form of secular Jewish culture. Hebrew and Yiddish novels and theater groups abounded. Although the majority were still Orthodox, there were now many thousands who had abandoned religion.The dream of some to become accepted as equal citizens in Russia were dashed as pogroms, antisemitic attacks, became more and more widespread. Many turned to Socialism. Herzl and Nordau's ideas struck a receptive chord. A secular, anti-religious, dictatorship of the Proletariat, were now the ideal. Until the mid-1950s, the Soviet Union was referred to by many Zionists as "the Second Motherland", and Josef Stalin as "the Sun of the Nations". As thousands flocked to the Holy Land, a confrontation with the Old Yishuv, the Old Settlement of devout East East. European Jews, as well as Sepharadic Jews who had lived there for many centuries, was inevitable,

The Purpose of the Mitzvot part 8

As we have seen, the Kabbalah regards all of the Torah, indeed, all of creation, as combinations of energies, which can be expressed as letters, which ultimately are Names of G-d. Often these combinations are derived from a verse; often prayers are composed with these combinations in mind. An example would be the forty-two letter Name. It consists of seven groups of six letters, each representing an upward movement of energy, particular to a specific day of the week. Already in Talmudic times, a rabbi who was also a Kabbalist composed a poem, which begins with the words "Ana B'Koach", whose initial letters are this sacred name. it is found in every traditional prayer book. It is located at points where an upward-reaching energy is called for. Most worshipers are unaware that this is anything but a supplication. For the mystic, this is a virtual rudder for elevating prayers. Another very central Name is that of 72 combinations. it consists of three verses in the Torah, right before the Splitting of the Sea. These verses are seen as containing the Names of Divine power of salvation from Evil. The letters are combined and put into a sequence by the Zohar. These Names are utilized for many purposes, especially for meditation. There are also Names and combinations of Names associated with the fulfillment of each mitzvah. This holds a very central place in the writings of the ARI. There are Kabbalistic prayer books with a few words of the traditional prayers on each page, the rest being Holy Names to meditate upon while praying. Similarly, these prayer books contain the appropriate meditations and Names not only relating to our observances, but also for everyday activities. Thus, all of our life is an encounter with G-d. Every action a connection, as well as to restore unity and harmony in the Microcosm, as well as the Macrocosm. I will illustrate with a story. A silver kiddush cup was damaged by a toddler who thought it would be fun to throw. I took it to a repair shop in Jerusalem. The craftsman said it would be ready the next day, and would only cost 10 Sheqels. I came back the next day, holding out my ten Sheqels. the man said "not so fast". I thought "Oh, no! He is now going to raise the price!". Instead, he handed me a card. On it was a mystical prayer, containing the meditations for the mitzvah of paying a workman on time. He said that I could only have my cup after I said that prayer! Can you imagine a world in which every act is a mitzvah, every act, a meditation, every act a connection with G-d?