Religion and Coercion in the Jewish State

Religion and Coercion in the Jewish State

If I don't keep Shabbat Will I be stoned?

This what Manhigut Jehudit has to say

A Fundamental Solution Must be Found

The schism between the observant and non-observant public in Israel has widened to a gulf, making it impossible for the nation to function in a healthy manner. While it is true that interested parties in Israel -- including politicians and the media, encourage this rift -- there is admittedly an essential problem that must be addressed. Belief based leadership must find the way to heal the nation -- certainly not by religious coercion, and not by adopting a "status-quo" to temporarily reduce tensions. Rather, true, Jewish leadership must fashion a fundamental solution for the problem.

The Roots of the Problem

From its very inception, modern Zionism severed its connection to traditional Judaism. The tone was set by Theodore Herzl, who asserted, "Zionism has no connection to religion." The Zionist left radicalized this outlook, taking it to an unequivocal, anti- religious extreme. Thus, the Israeli society created by modern Zionism defined itself as secular. This secular identity not only ignored Jewish heritage and religion, but also saw it as antithetical to the Zionist movement. Until this very day, the secular leadership of Israel perpetuates its active opposition to Jewish religion and heritage, viewing it as a central and integral part of its ideology.

The religious populace in Israel also has its part in creating and maintaining the religious/secular divide. The past century saw eighty to ninety percent of the Jewish people traverse the lines from orthodoxy to secularism. To defend itself against further disintegration, the religious populace set a clear border. A Jew who did not fulfill the daily commandments as delineated by the Code of Jewish Law was no longer considered a legitimate part of the Orthodox community. No leeway was given, effectively creating two separate and mutually unreceptive populaces.

Often, Jewish organizations and well-meaning individuals suggest compromise as a basis for mending the rift between secular and religious Jews. The integral flaw with this solution is that it assumes that the rift will always exist. The compromise is suggested as a way for everybody to remain in their position while feeling reasonably comfortable with the other side. Although it may serve to reduce tensions, compromise leaves the problem intact and even perpetuates it.

Jewish Identity

In truth, the distinction between religious and secular is inapplicable. First, there is no Jew who fulfills every commandment -- not even the daily commandments of the Code of Jewish Law. Instead, there are Jews who are more observant or less. Second, there are almost no Jews who succeed in not observing any commandments at all. Most of the Jews who define themselves as secular observe many commandments with no coercion -- circumcision, bar/bat mitzvah, Passover seder, Yom Kippur fast and more. Thus, there is no basis for a black and white definition of a Jew’s level of observance. Rather, there are many shades of adherence to commandments on the Jewish observance continuum.

With this in mind, Manhigut Yehudit suggests a solution to the secular/religious divide based on a concept that goes over and above religious factions. At the foundation of the solution is the factor that unites all Jews -- our Jewish identity. When we accept and love every Jew, no matter what his affiliation, we have laid the groundwork for expressing the inner truth in the varying viewpoints, and clarifying their intrinsic good. The positive atmosphere of acceptance created when we recognize our organic unity will motivate all involved to express their Jewish identity in the most authentic way. This is a project that involves all the Jewish People. The dialogue created will likely evolve through many generations.

Religion and State

How can the regime that governs Israel reflect the Jewish identity of the state?

Surely, Torah law is the Divine blueprint for the Jewish state. The reality, though, is that currently, Torah law does not relate to the nuts and bolts of governing a state, but rather to personal, family and community issues. Since the exile from Jerusalem two thousand years ago, Jewish sages did not develop the codes of law that relate to government. This requires a major and multi-generational effort of the rabbinical leadership of the Jewish people. Building on the foundations delineated in the Torah and Rabbinic literature, they must develop Jewish law that can be applied in a modern and multi-faceted Jewish state. This includes the laws of the kingdom of Israel, Sanhedrin, justice, economics et al.

When applied, the Torah laws of Israel must be relevant to a Jewish state that is modern, developed and structured to express the true spirit of the People of Israel. The laws must be germane to a state relevant to its era, that has international relations and that can incorporate all the achievements of mankind in all areas of life. Israel must be a state founded on liberty and freedom of choice, in which the current sociological classification between religious and secular no longer exists and the mutual basis of its citizens is Jewish identity. In this atmosphere of creative unity, coercion is completely irrelevant.

Until the time that Jewish law for the Jewish state can be developed and applied, our choice of regime is Jewish Democracy -- which emphasizes the moral, historical and cultural values of the Jewish People. Jewish democracy is vitally needed now to replace the foreign values currently prevalent in Israel -- values that strip Israel of its Jewish identity and of the historic, Divine goal of the Jewish state.


(Also see Leadership of the Likud) and Religious Leadership Versus
Belief Based Leadership

Posted by Ted Belman at August 29, 2005 04:51 PM

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Comments

1. Mary Hogan said:

Where do you find these conmen? "When applied, the Torah laws of Israel must be relevant to a Jewish state that is modern, developed and structured to express the true spirit of the People of Israel. "

This person looks at the thread and misses the tapestry.

A modern Jewish state, huh? What, a Jew must be corrupt so that he fits into...a society that is blubbering about making up the rules as they go?

This writer doesn't even understand spirit. The True Spirit of the Jewish People is God likeness.... refining oneself to the point of abject truth.

This writer likes the words "in truth" when in truth, this writer is clueless. The Truth about the Mitzvot is that it is a goal, not a whip. Getting to do a mitzvah perfectly is done step by eeny step. And then doing it naturally as a rule...is a process. The Master, is God...not world. The Audience is not world, but God. It is like this person is at madraga one.....and trying to con us into believing that he knows what he is talking about.

This next comment, I believe is a bold faced lie..."The past century saw eighty to ninety percent of the Jewish people traverse the lines from orthodoxy to secularism"

First off, there is a big difference between eighty and ninety percent. This is clearly pulled out of the hat of a person who is justifying his choice for his life. He has chosen to do his own thing. He thinks by typing words in an article, probably published in a questionable at best locale...rag, that he is somehow exonerating himself for his actions...and waste of life.

I would be interested to find out if in a frum family of 10....if indeed the average...is that all the children...because this assumes 2 of the ten are parents...but all 8 children in every instance...as an average...turn to world.

Naw....it takes the choice of a parent...and then it erodes, slowly. It has to.

This is what I've notices is one of the most powerful tools of the Accuser, THE LIE!!!

Propaganda is not just political. It is based on one person's ideology spreading like a virus. The beauty of the Hassid, is that Torah is not like valueless transience. Torah has a Life....

It is like a person who lived on a mountain before the automobile. He wouldn't go into town unless necessary. Now there may have been a saloon or gambling house in the town. The flatlander who lived near the saloon has a greater chance of corruption, than the man on the mountain.

Kinda makes you think about Lot...and Avraham.

If we let writers like this, one's whose apathy is far greater than their commitment, if we let writers like this talk all over us....than shame on us.

This writer needs to go up the mountain instead of sliding down any further into the abyss.

Modern means....less clothes, less integrity, less honor, less fair trade, less chesed, kindness. Modern is not what it portrays itself to be.


Posted by: Mary Hogan on August 29, 2005 05:40 PM

2. ShyGuy said:

I'm not sure what Ted's title for this piece is supposed to imply.

If Ted means that the answer is an emphatic NO to the title's question, then why didn't he simply give us a more accurate title, such as "Manhigut Yehudit's Concept of A Jewish Democratic State"?

But if Ted means that Manhigut Yehudit's article implies the reestablishment of Jewish capital punishment, then maybe Ted was already stoned when he posted this. :)

Mary, I'd comment on your comments but to me your point(s) got lost in the sauce (no pun intended to Ted's drinking status ).

Posted by: ShyGuy on August 30, 2005 05:11 AM

3. BobW said:

I think Torah law does relate to the nuts and bolts of governing a state. Some matters are obsolete now eg amputation of a hand, but the foundation is present.

Some tangent examples;

Spinoza was excommunicated by "codes of law" developed by a "rabbinical leadership" - acknowledging this same "rabbinical leadership" is currently deficient.

The Levitical decrees on marriage are a foundation for modernization. Remember the rabbis are new to the scene. If a 28 day war bride can become Jewish, consular marriages are not needed for a current nation.

The foundation of economic doctrine, ie political economy, are in the Torah (for specific accuracy; the Tenakh).

Inheritance rules allow for a foundation for current times.

The sins of the Sanhedrin (Eze 8:11) are applicable today to GOI's Supremes as they were ages ago.

International relations has "nuts and bolts" examples from ages ago.

Additional "nuts and bolts" stuff like property rights are established in the Torah, eg Jewish slaves owned by non-Jews. Modernization is needed but the foundation and original doctrine is there to serve current times.

The reference to "Leadership of the Likud" is oxymoronic.

Kol tuv,
BobW

Posted by: BobW on August 30, 2005 01:53 PM

4. ShyGuy said:

Bob, "amputation of a hand"??????

Wrong religion.

Either that or you're a Ka'arite!

Posted by: ShyGuy on August 30, 2005 02:47 PM

5. BobW said:

Shalom Shy Guy,

See Deuteronomy 25:12

JPS and Artscroll Stone Ed English is the same.

Kol tuv,
BobW
/s/Bob

Posted by: BobW on August 30, 2005 03:35 PM

6. ShyGuy said:

Bob,

Any young Jewish boy learning the weekly Torah portion with Rashi's commentary has learned that this was never taken literally:

12. you shall cut off her hand You shall not have pity.
You shall cut off her hand [This verse is not to be understood literally, but rather, it means:] She must pay monetary damages to recompense the victim for the embarrassment he suffered [through her action. The amount she must pay is calculated by the court,] all according to the [social status] of the culprit and the victim (see B.K. 83b). But perhaps [it means that we must actually cut off] her very hand? [The answer is born out from a transmission handed down to our Rabbis, as follows:] Here, it says לֹא תָחוֹס,“do not have pity,” and later, in the case of conspiring witnesses (Deut. 19:21), the same expression, לֹא תָחוֹס, is used. [And our Rabbis taught that these verses have a contextual connection:] Just as there, in the case of the conspiring witnesses, [the literal expressions in the verse refer to] monetary compensation (see Rashi on that verse), so too, here, [the expression “You must cut off her hand” refers to] monetary compensation. — [Sifrei 25:161]

Posted by: ShyGuy on August 31, 2005 09:57 AM

7. ShyGuy said:

Correction:

I should have started off saying "Any young Jewish boy or girl." :)

Posted by: ShyGuy on August 31, 2005 10:01 AM

8. BobW said:

Shalom Shy Guy,

Initially I was not addressing interpretation; was responding whether the "nuts and bolts" are present for the Torah to serve as a foundation.

Slavery is no longer accepted in Judaism. This might serve as a better example requiring modernization. Ditto animal sacrifice. Then again, we cannot look at cooper snakes on poles and be cured from poisonous snake bites. Numbers 21:8

My actual area of interest is the world trade topics, eg the Tarshish fleet I Kings 10:22 and caravans from Tema Job 6:19

I know too little about the Torah but get me started on a subject in it and that's the only matter I'll pursue to include forgetting about eating and drinking....which reminds me: Isaiah 56:12

Kol tuv,
Bob

Posted by: BobW on August 31, 2005 06:04 PM

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