A PRE PASSOVER THOUGHT

Recently a Google video search under Zionism yield a film from www,shofar.org concerning Judaism and Zionism. The film was disquieting and inspiring at the same time. The film took quotes from Hetzel, Nordau, Jabotinsky as well as others in the Zionist Pantheon.

Each of these leaders the film quotes had either said or written things hostile not just Judaism but to the validity of a distinct Jewish Identity. The Jewish state was envisioned as a conduit for Jewry embracing values and mores of Western Civilization. The Jewish state was envisioned as being devoid of its own heritage and values. The new Jew to be forged in the new state was envisioned as one unshackled by the baggage of the past whether imposed by hostile host countries or by G-D Himself through Torah.

What these visionaries envisioned was indeed shortsighted. The concept of Zionism did not take hold until it was marketed as a redemption movement. As a Professor interviewed in the film put it The Zionist Leaders believed There is no G-D, but presented Zionism as fulfilment His promise. The flag has two blue stripes reminiscent of a prayer cape’s stripes. Blue was selected as it is symbolic of the tehelet, the blue dye applied to Zitzit fringes during Temple times and while now lost will be restored in the Messianic era. Zionism was to be the herald of a Messianic era.
A return to the land absent the yearned for redemption would not nor could not be accepted by the Jewish nation.

This contains a fantastic lesson. A perception of a Jewish future, a Jewish fulfillment and a Jewish utopia stripped of Jewry’s identity, stripped of the Jewish Heritage and Jewry’s worldview is a non starter.

Certainly, there are Jews who consciously run away from who and what they are, but these are the exceptions. Rank and File Jews may or may not be particularly observant, that is a function of education, but to abandon Jewish identity and heritage or destiny is unthinkable. Netzach Yisrael Lo Yishaker-The Eternity of the Jewish people will not be rendered false.

As Passover approaches this comes in to focus. Departure from the Exile is not for Israel to takes its place in the family of nations. Rather redemption is the freedom to be who one was meant to be to fulfill one's destiny to realize G-D's promise in totality with Mashiach in our lifetime.