Rabbi Reuven Mann: Young Israel of Phoenix
The establishment of the modern state of Israel must be ranked as one of the greatest miracles in Jewish and world history. First it puts to rest the noxious Christian claim that our exile signified G-d’s rejection of the Jewish people and the abrogation of His Covenant with them. Today, virtually all branches of Christianity have renounced the doctrine of “supersession” (that they were the new chosen people). In the book of Deuteronomy the Torah states that in the end of days G-d will “gather you from all the nations among whom you have been dispersed,” and “He will bring you to the land that your fathers inherited and you will inherit it and He will increase you and do good to you more than to your fathers.” Let us hope that we are in the midst of the unfolding of this promise and that we shall witness its total fulfillment.
A lot depends on how we respond to the great opportunity presented by the existence of the state of Israel. For the first time in centuries Jews have a place they can call their own. Jews are no longer helpless against our many enemies, as Israel has created a military force second to none. Israel has become an advanced, democratic society with scientific and technological achievements – especially in the areas of agriculture and medicine – that have had a worldwide impact. We should recognize the great significance of Israel and the role it can play in the Jewish future. Many who are alienated from Judaism feel a strong kinship with Israel, which can facilitate their identity as Jews. A visit to the country can awaken a feeling of Jewish pride and a renewed sense of belonging to the Jewish people. Let us all give thanks to G-d for the great gift of Israel and resolve to visit and support it in every way we can.
Rabbi David Rosenberg, Beth Emeth Congregation of the West Valley, Sun City West:
Our literature is full of the hope we will come back to our homeland and reclaim our right to live in peace in our own land. Much of our history is based on the sojourns of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through the land; Jerusalem was built on the site of the binding of Isaac and the building of an altar to God.
In the First Temple, Judaism was practiced through the cultic sacrificial practices of the high priests. The destruction of the Second Temple left a void, and the rabbis filled it by instituting a very effective way to practice Judaism without a Temple: They replaced animal slaughter with prayer. Jewish life today – our leadership, governments, the rules of living – all came from Temple practice. The Torah requires every Jew to make a pilgrimage to the Temple three times a year – at Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot – maintaining people’s relationship with Jerusalem.
The destruction of the Second Temple and the exile created a radical shift. Our prayers included the hope that eventually God would gather us from the four corners of the earth and bring us back to serve Him as we did in the past. In the early 20th century, Judaism underwent drastic changes. The Hassidic movements still saw Israel as a way of bringing the messianic redemption, while the secularized Jew who went to the university aspired to a Jewish homeland that would be based on the freedom of self-determination through our values. Israel gave us that. Israel is one of the greatest technological nations of the 21st century. The aspiration for a Jewish homeland is no longer necessary because Israel exists. The freedom of American Jews has sidetracked them from their religious heritage. This is the conundrum we face – how to connect Jews to Israel. Israel’s place at the forefront of technology does not address the religious aspirations of Jews. Those have to be fed through home education.
