Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David Part 3

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Rav Avraham Itzhaak HaCohen Kook (Abrahahm Isaac the Cohen Kook) was said to be a genius. Well learned in Torah, I think if he was more worldly, he may have been another Albert Einstein. To this day, many are still studying his works.

It is said of him that "Zionism was the body, and he and the Orthodox masses was to be the soul of that body"

He came to Israel (called Palestine then) and became the Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem. His intent was to infuse the secular zionists with a bit of Torah. However, the older rabbis who were in Israel were non to happy about this new "kid on the block."

With the secular on one side and the religious on the other, Rav Kook tried to find a middle ground. The only problem is, nobody wanted to play on that seesaw!

In an attempt to find the good in both, Rav Kook wrote that the secular zionists should be praised for their physical actions. Indeed, many came to the land, rolled up their sleeves and got to work. They tilled the land, paved roads, grew agriculture, built homes, buildings, offices. They worked very hard! Too bad there wasn't a before and after photo of Israel. All we have is perhaps Mark Twain's words when he visited there long long ago. He said,

"..... A desolate country whose soil is rich enough, but is given over wholly to weeds... a silent mournful expanse.... a desolation.... we never saw a human being on the whole route.... hardly a tree or shrub anywhere. Even the olive tree and the cactus, those fast friends of a worthless soil, had almost deserted the country."

Indeed, even in the hot summers, there are botanical gardens to visit, parks green with grass. It is a little trickier in the summer, I do wonder how they manage. Oh right, my water bill. oy. Okay back to the subject...

The Zionists have contributed greatly to the body of the land. However, the religious, because they knew and felt no commeraderie with the Zionists, were not willing to praise them for anything. In fact, they declared them evil (even as many packed their bags and headed for Israel). And in fact, it was a gift on loan like the splitting of the sea and rescue of the Jewish people from Egypt. Like giving a crown to an undeserving. You hope the undeserving turns away from a life of lust when he sees the honor he is given.

Well, Rav. Kook boldly said it: The Zionists were more perfected in the soul (i.e. body, physical actions, etc) and the religious were more perfected in the spirit (Torah learning, religious duties -mitzvot, prayer, etc). The religious would have non of this! How dare Rav Kook praise the Zionists with having anything as 'better' than the religious? Some compared his praise for physical activity to praising "futbol."

I'm cutting the history short here, but after much ado on the matter, a new group emerged. The National Religious/ Dati Leumi. This group was a combination of religious people, but people who also believed that working the land was important, going to the army was important, getting involved in government was important. To what degree is debatable within that group. They began to dress differently too.



No longer was the religious relegated to wearing their European styled clothing; they wore clothing that were more in tune with working, moving, etc. Now there was a distinction. Those who choose to stay with the European style dressing and none or small physical activities and who delve in Torah all day were called Ultra Orthodox or just Orthodox or Chareidi. Those who dress casual, different colored kippas/yarmulkes, and who usually have a profession are called National Religious or Dati Leumi.

It was finally happening! Religion was being infused in the Holy Land! The holy land that "consumes its inhabitants" was comsuming its inhabitants to holiness! a land that actually has a "Hebrew name" of Zion. The loan was begining to get paid off.

But the secular felt threatened. More and more Dati Leumi were entering the Knesset, the government, policies were changing, more accommodations were being made for the religious. At times I've wondered if these reasons were what caused the government to give up gush katif, to end settlements (some settlements are two or three ram shackle huts) - to demoralized the Dati Leumi progress? Interesting that alot of those settlements chosen for demolition were religious ones.

So here is where we stand. We've got three main groups: An old spirit from olden days of European greats (Hareidi), a new body with all the lusts of a body (Zionists of old), and an infused soul for that new body (Dati Leumi). We are still missing a spirit to put on top of the soul, and a neshama to put on top of the spirit.

To be continued...

p.s. I want to note that what I mean by the "secular" being "evil" is in the sense that they do not accept that as part of the Jewish people that they have a calling to be a bit higher than simply chasing after the lust that what they see others have (they wanted a prostitute on the street corner of Tel Aviv for example). Like reverting back to the days of Egypt. Not accepting that they have a Godly mission.