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By Haim Hermon The State of
the Jews or a Jewish State? It is time for a change of consciousness, now,
and to recognize the fact that a state of Jews but without Judaism
cannot fulfill its role or even preserve the Jewish people. All signs
point to the fact that the redemption is right at hand! We as Jews certainly
believe and pray that we will be worthy to take part in the redemption for a
better world! But what does
it mean in practical terms? The answer is the establishment of a socially and
morally reformed Jewish state on the one hand, and one that follows the path
of the Torah on the other. In the essay
The new Israeli State of The Geulah, I propose a
Jewish state, a Jewish government, a reformed society and economy that will
be in the spirit of the prophets, to bring the divine light to the entire
world. Table
of Contents: Introduction
- Part 1: The
People of Israel in the Land of Israel – 1. What kind of
state do we want? - 2. God will
reign forever and ever - 3. How to
establish a state? - 4. Why a
Jewish state? - 5. The
Commandment to Appoint a King - 6. The
Structure of Government - 7. From
Zionism to Redemption - 8. The
Covenant with God - Love for Man - 9. The People
Must Strengthen Their Faith and Torah - 10. The
Immigrants - 11. The
Temple - 12. Faith
Strengthens - Part Two: The
Structure of Government and the Legal System - 13. The
Structure and Institutions of Government - 14. The President,
the Council and the Sanhedrin - 15. The Institution of the Presidency - 16. Law and
Justice in Israel - 17. Building
Trust in the Legal System - 18. The
Structure of the Courts - 19. The
Investigation Teams and the Police - 20. The
Advantages of the Proposed Legal System - 21.
Punishment as a Means and Not as an End – 22. Law
Enforcement - 23. Traffic
Police - Part C:
Security and Social Policy - 24. Status of
Gentiles and Status of Immigrants in Israel - 25. The
National Significance of "Peace" - 26. Military Service and National Service - 27. National
Service - 28. Social
Policy - 29. Foreign
Workers and Industrial Subsidies - 30.
Employee-Employer Relations - 31.
Matchmaking - 32. The
Education System - 33. The State
and Shabbat - 34. Freedom
of Expression and Journalistic Ethics - Part D:
Economic Policy - 35. Economic
and Taxation Policy - 36.
Agricultural Reform - 37. The Transportation System - 38. The
Medical System - 39.
Environmental Quality - 40. Recycling
and the Recognition of the Importance of Education – Introduction In the parshas of (section of the Torah) Behukoti
(Leviticus 26:44) it is written: "And even this, when they are in the
land of their enemies, they shall not be enslaved or exiled to their
destruction, to break my covenant with them." This is the important
message that the people of Israel receive before entering the Promised Land,
and this is also what was the trigger for me: Even
if we sin, and even if we go into exile - God is always with us on the path
to fulfilling the destiny of the Jewish people. I simply did not have the
exposure to this insight. I started in a political youth group under the
guidance of Yossi Schwartz, the leader of "Mazpen"
(a radical leftist group), but from there I directed myself in the opposite
direction: I joined the "Dov"
organization, where I was exposed to the biblical logic of Israel Eldad and the poetry of faith of Uri Zvi
Greenberg. And later I learned that everything written in the Torah is true!
The people of Israel have a role in the world and we cannot escape our
destiny, and exile is another tool in God's hand to prepare us for
redemption. To bring the values of justice and divine wisdom to
the peoples of the world after we ourselves have been worthy to worship God. During my
journey, the question of the legitimacy of the Israeli state also arose. It
is clear that its establishment was correct and justified in light of our
historical right, but its establishment in isolation from its heritage is a
childhood disease from which it will suffer in the future. The establishment
of the state was intended to take advantage of a historical opportunity to
provide a refuge for the Jews of the world on the one hand and to establish a
new society, a national melting pot, on the other. However, as Prisoner of
Zion Jonathan Pollard accurately put it in an interview he gave after
returning to Israel after 30 years in an American prison: "To this day I
feel like I am in exile. I have not returned home to a Jewish state that is
run according to the will of God." The correction according to the will
of God is one of the goals of the essay. The initial
version of this essay was formulated in 1995. On Tuesday, Elul 5762 (2002),
what is known as the "Forum of the three Commandments for the
Appointment of the King" convened. This was also the trigger for the
publication of the essay online. As a believing Jew, it is clear to me that
the establishment of the Israeli (Zionist) state is a stage in redemption in
preparation for a Jewish state that will be established according to the
teachings of Israel. After all, I grew up on the legacy of the leaders of
Zionism: Herzl, Ze'ev Jabotinsky,
Uri Zvi Greenberg, Avraham
Stern (Yair), Israel Eldad,
Menachem Begin and David Ben Gurion.
Leaders who, even if they did not adhere to the slightest thing, were clear
that the state would be a state for the Jews and that it would be established
on the basis of the heritage of Israel. Unfortunately, things have changed a
bit since then, and we still have a long way to go. Awareness of the
uniqueness of the Jewish people and the observance of the commandments as
part of national resilience must be strengthened, in the face of the discourse
that dominates today about a free (from Judaism) and democratic (for the
ruling elite) state. In
retrospect, I understand that all the hardships and suffering that the people
of Israel are going through were created with the aim of preparing the people
of Israel for its role in the world. To bring redemption to the world. With
all the pain involved, it is clear to me that the Holocaust also has a
central significance for our future. The Holocaust, which is also implied in
the parshas of Behukoti, is
the final chord of the exile, and in fact it can be said that the murdered -
with their blood they established the State of Israel! The beginning of the
growth of our redemption. The struggle against the Arabs for the Land of
Israel also forms part of the people's preparation for redemption. When it
comes to the revival of the people and redemption - everyone has a historical
role: both the Arabs and the Torah-observant and the free. I believe that
unlike in the past when Haredi Judaism did not
recognize Zionism, this situation will change! Everyone has a part in the
establishment of the Jewish state, both spiritually and militarily. The
paradox is that the state was founded mainly by free Jews, but their role is
critical to the redemption (see also Dov Lior). Without them, we cannot establish the Jewish
state. Rabbi Kook, who has copyright on the idea of establishing
the Jewish state, calls the division of roles the holy floor built on the
mundane floor ("The Religious Significance of the State of Israel"
- Y. Amital). The Jewish
State - presents a practical plan for establishing a Jewish state that will
be established after and in place of the Israeli state. Here, ideas are
presented on how to build a moral and correct Jewish governmental system,
based on a president and a Sanhedrin. The essay details the necessary
amendments in all areas of life, starting with the legal system, continuing
with the education system and the relationship between citizens and the
state, and ending with issues of security, economy, transportation and
environmental quality. The essay
sees redemption as a means to fulfill the purpose of creation, the purpose of
humanity, to bring the name of God before the peoples of the world for
recognition of the meaning of creation and supremacy. The
Creator, and the recognition of moral values and
justice. The purpose of the essay is also to present the connection between
spiritual and conscious redemption, and between improving the quality of
life. The initial condition for all of the above is Jewish rule in the Land
of Israel according to the Torah of Israel. Part One: The
People of Israel in the Promised Land, 1. What kind
of country do we want? The Gemara (Sanhedrin 33:1) quotes Rabbi Yochanan
as saying: "No son of David comes, except in a generation that is
entirely righteous, or entirely guilty." Rabbi Eliezer
says: "If Israel repents, we will be redeemed," this is a
generation that is entirely righteous. Rabbi Yehoshua
says: "The Blessed One raises up for them a king whose decrees are as
harsh as Haman's, and Israel repents," this is a generation that is
entirely guilty. From this we learn that if our generation is indeed guilty,
then the Blessed One will force us to repent and be redeemed. One of the principles
of faith according to Maimonides is the expectation of salvation: "If he
delays - wait for him." A person should be so imbued with the
expectation of redemption that he feels how much he lacks it. The combination
of a generation that is entirely indebted, along with the clear signs of
redemption, gives us hope that we will soon see redemption, and redemption
will come, ultimately, not just the individual redemption of the Jewish
people, but the redemption of the entire world. Then man will recognize the
fact of the creation of the world by God, which will also be expressed in
accepting God's authority. Redemption
can never come without the people of Israel. When the people of Israel sin
against God, they also sin against the whole world, and therefore their sin
is doubled and multiplied (and so is the punishment...). The Jewish people do
not have the privilege of losing themselves to know. Neither through
assimilation nor through physical loss. But we also cannot ignore the fact
that the historical genetic charge of the people of Israel is intertwined
with the threads of redemption. Without the vision of redemption, there is no
point in the existence of the Jewish people. The purpose of the existence of
the Jewish people is the worship of God and the redemption of man, both of
which lead to the same place. We see the important role destined for our
generation in the revival of the people and the redemption of Israel. We will
overcome the polarization between parts of the people regarding Jewish consciousness
and national consciousness. We, the third and fourth generation of the
Holocaust and its revival, high-tech and educated, Torah students and pious,
will devote ourselves, with God's help, to the vision of redemption and
liberation. (physical and spiritual) and join the
important goal of establishing a Jewish state. The Jewish
state that we have dreamed of all our years of exile will be established
according to the teachings of the great men of Israel, as I will explain
later. This includes a leader who will gather the rejected of Israel, build
the Temple, and re-establish the institutions of the state with an emphasis
on the Sanhedrin. Even if the commandments are not enforced, education will
be Jewish for everyone, and the character of the state will be Jewish with an
emphasis on observing the Sabbath in the public sphere. And to paraphrase
Theodor Herzl's words in the introduction to his book 'The Jewish State',
"Deep down in my heart I am convinced that justice is done to me... The
Jewish State is a necessity of the world - therefore it will be
established," I also see the Jewish State as a necessity, therefore it
must be established. By the way, Herzl, in the original German and Yiddish,
his book is called The Jewish State, not The Jewish State, and the term
"The Jewish State" says something about the translator and many
others in secular Zionism who refrained from giving religious significance to
the state in which the Jews will be concentrated (Yorem
Hazoni- Did Herzl want a Jewish state?). This time
we will work to establish a Jewish state according to the heritage of Israel
and on the basis of the Torah of Israel. What is a
Torah Jewish state? Rabbi Yehuda Ifrach, in his
reference to Ido Rechnits'
book (State according to Halacha), tries to explain
its practical meaning: "The Torah state is based on a type of Torah
constitution, which partly deals with broad arrangements and partly with more
specific arrangements, and alongside them it allows for broad human-civil
legislation... In areas where Halacha has a
well-organized and detailed subordination, Halacha
will lead the legislation, and in other areas the
dominance will be of civil legislation. Halacha
responds to developments in the market through regulations, just as civil law
developed. Just as copyright law was created in response to the invention of
printing, corporate law was established in response to changes in trade
patterns, and labor law developed in response to social change – so too will halakhic regulations operate.” Denial of the
need to establish a Jewish state harms the existence of the Jewish people,
and in fact harms the divine reality and the existence of humanity in the
world in general. Jews must recognize the significance of the role that God
has assigned to the people and strive to achieve redemption without having it
forced upon us, so that we may merit the fulfillment of our destiny. The
means to achieve redemption is, in the first instance, the rule of the people
of Israel over the Land of Israel together with recognition of the Kingdom of
God. Hence, the Land of Israel is only a means and certainly not an end.
After we are mentally prepared for redemption, the natural continuation is
the establishment of a Jewish political entity that will be founded on the
foundations of the Torah of Israel. I call for the unity of all those who
consider themselves members of the Jewish people, we will be united as one
people with one heart believing in the Creator of the world and in our role
as His messengers. As stated, I have no intention or thought of fixing and
saving what is called the "State of Israel". Although the Israeli
state has a critical role in the resurrection of the people of Israel in its
land, we must move forward to the real thing. Let's face
it: The establishment of the Israeli state, with all the criticism we have
about its path, is a historic step in the redemption of the Jewish people,
which came as a continuation of the Holocaust and was established thanks to
the Holocaust. And also the fact that the state was established by the
Zionists, most of whom did not strictly observe the commandments, says Darshani. In contrast to the rabbis (Rabbi Hirsch) who
argued that the state that Zionism aspired to establish had no religious
value, and in contrast to Ben-Gurion who thought that in the state that would
be established there would be no need for religion, Rabbi Kook determined
that the State of Israel is the foundation of God's throne in the world (Orot Yisrael 6, 7), and that it
should be established without having to wait for the coming of the Messiah,
when the destiny of the Jewish people could only be realized with the
establishment of the Jewish state. In his view, Zionists have an important
role in the divine plan, which He placed on the "earthly level,"
after which they would be elevated to the holy level (Rabbi Itay Esman, Elite Exchanges in
the Mishnah of Rabbi Kook). For this reason, I see no point in engaging in
criticism of the path of the Israeli state in these pages, and will focus
only on the redemptive Jewish state. Incidentally, it is definitely
recommended to refer to the ideas put forward by many good people on the
subject of the ideal Jewish state, [Rabbi M. Kahane,
M. Feiglin, Prof. H. Weiss, Rabbi S. Ben Hamo, M. Karpel] As well as a
series of very important articles by great thinkers published on the Daat website of Herzog College, and serious books of
thought that suggest how Jewish law can be applied in the State of Israel,
including Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog, Prof. Nachum Rakover, Prof. Eliav Shochtman, and Rabbi Naftali
Bar Ilan, whose summary of his important work was
published in his book "Government and State in Israel According to the
Torah." Rabbi Uri Sharki refers to a halakhic state (as opposed to a religious state that
imposes religiosity), in which Jewish law is recognized as having legal
validity but also recognizes the laws of the Knesset as "public
regulation." All of these are of course blessed with a comprehensive and
precise halakhic perspective on the subject and
expand on some of the ideas presented here. However, this work is
distinguished by the fact that it focuses on the redemptive Jewish state that
will soon be established in the Land of Israel, and not on the reform that is
being called for by many good people in the State of Israel. In my view, if
it is a Jewish state, it must be established on the basis of the Torah and
the tradition of Israel. Does a
Torah-based Jewish state require a king to be at its head? Unlike the more common
approach to the question of appointing a king, the essay proposes the
presidential and Sanhedrin leadership system. The presidential system also
has its origins in Jewish tradition. Tractate Sanhedrin (according to Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz in the introduction
to Tractate Sanhedrin) describes a governmental system with a president or
king, and there exist side by side the courts of the Sanhedrin whose
authority is granted by the Torah, and the courts of the state that deal with
all matters of state order whose authority derives from the laws of
government. With regard to the physical rule that the tractate deals with, it
is clear that the king (also called the president) does not necessarily come
from the House of David and his position is not inherited. The president is
obligated to consult with the Greater Sanhedrin, especially regarding policy
decisions that concern the entire nation, such as declaring war. It is also
clear from the tractate that the executive branch, while being subject to the
laws of the Torah, It is completely independent. The king/president has
judicial authority, and he heads a system of courts that judge according to
the "royal laws" - the orders and regulations of the government. Now is the
time to wake up and return to the worship of God, to the Torah, to establish
a Jewish state according to the Torah of Israel, and to restore to the
national discourse our commitment to the expectation of redemption. And this
is the place to present the practical plan for the establishment of the
Jewish state - the State of Redemption. 2. G-d will
reign forever In these days
when redemption is closer than ever, we would do well to treat redemption as
something real that requires us to make a practical change in the way we see
the process so that we can also apply it to ourselves. First, it is important
for us to clarify for ourselves what redemption actually is. Outwardly,
redemption is national liberation, social liberation. More inwardly, it means
recognizing the kingdom of G-d. But the core and foundation of redemption is
truly a redemption of consciousness. Redemption of
consciousness means liberation from the shackles of prejudice and
self-deception while eliminating our inner need to lie – to hide our
nothingness. It is clear that as long as we are enslaved to stupidity and
prejudice, we will not be able to rise above our bed in the muddy water and
think purely about redemption as the key to heavenly happiness that will fall
upon the world in the regime of divine justice. We must
remember that we are human beings created in the image of G-d, and we must
keep His Torah. The words of the prophet Zechariah, “These are the things
that you shall do: Speak truly to your neighbor, and judge with justice, and
judge with peace in your gates” (Zechariah 8:16) teach that truth and justice
are the meaning of serving God and are the condition for bringing peace to
the world. The meaning of peace is reconciliation with the Creator, and more
than that, fulfilling man’s part in completing creation. For the sake
of redemption, and by extension for the sake of the world, everything
possible must be done! One of the implications of this approach is that
redemption will come when we want it. God does not arrange the plan of life
for people individually, even if this does happen in reality without our
awareness, but God gives us the tools to participate with Him in creation, in
the cultural development of humanity, in the advancement of science. And the
philosopher. These tools are first of all reason - the human being's ability
to observe and the ability to learn. And from reason also comes the obvious
insight that in order to be good, one must think well (positively) about
God's other creatures and do everything for the common good, because this is
part of creation. In Psalms (34:12-15) it is already said: "Go, my
children, listen to me; the fear of the Lord is what I teach you. What man is
there who desires life, who loves days to see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Turn away from
evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it." We must remember and
memorize these verses well, in order to strengthen our kindness. Fairness and
mutual assistance are an existential necessity of life in society, and most
importantly: to speak only the truth! 3. How to establish a state? The tools are
the Torah and the commandments given to the people of Israel. The tools are
the people of Israel whose mission is to be the spearhead in making humanity
more humane. The tools are the Land of Israel where the Jewish people
(Israelis - in the philosophical sense of the word) can strengthen themselves
nationally so that they can continue to spread the morals of Hashem among the peoples of the world. From this it is
clear my position that the state is a tool, not a goal, and should be treated
as such. In this state, we determine the procedures of
government according to the method that we believe serves the public
and the national goal in the best way, of course in a manner that is
appropriate to the Torah of Hashem and the morals
of Hashem. When Hashem
demands of us to behave in His image, He charges us with determining the most
appropriate social path to serve this message. True, it is not simple at all
and there have been many who have already dealt with the issue of state and
law and morality, from the first to the last, from Zionists to Zionists. But
this time it is different, we are actually in the process of redemption. The
redemption that is happening right before our eyes when at the same time we
are experiencing an abysmal polarity that is opening up between the different
groups among Jews, and also between those who are not Jews according to their
identity. We need to think about how we want to see the state, all the issues
of the system of government down to the smallest details, even about the
balances between the different streams in Judaism, and the interaction
between religion and state, in order to avoid mines that will emerge later. I
am certainly not the first to ask what life will look like in a redeemed
state and therefore it is better to raise the issues on the subject now.
There have been many who have talked about this but in this essay we will
also suggest how to do it correctly so that it really works. This proposal
tries to stay as close as possible to the path of Torah while creating the
insight that there is not and cannot be a contradiction between the Torah and
the call for a just society. The first
condition for implementing the redemptive method is obviously Jewish rule
over the Land of Israel. And of course, control must be achieved through
conquest, first internal and then external, which means that we must first
control ourselves, our instincts, truth and morality, and only then will we
be able to achieve the conquest of the land. Even if the right to the land
exists forever, we must know that in order to realize it, we must fulfill our
commitment to serving God. In any case, our residence in the land is not the
goal but a means. The goal is the worship of God and the sanctification of
God, which is realized by spreading the divine truth to all the peoples of
the world. Even if we wanted to, we could not escape our commitment to the
covenant with God. If the people violate their part in the covenant, God will
not absolve us of it. The method
proposed in the essay is based on a web of ideas that challenge the
democratic system of government that we are familiar with today in the State
of Israel, when it became clear that in times of trial, democracy is from
then on. Not only does democracy fail in real time, it is also a fertile
ground for the growth of corrupt politicians and a rotten legal system in
which one person watches over the other. Moreover, it turns out that this is
the case in the world, not just here. It is true that during elections,
politicians come out with beautiful words to please the public, but the next
day everything is forgotten until the next elections. This is how the system
works, especially when the public itself is inflamed and ignorant, fed
propaganda from all directions and incitement from the media,
and it is also unable to choose in an informed manner. Now we have reached
the moment of truth. We can no longer avoid a thorough treatment of the issue
of the correct system of government. Judaism itself is also not democratic at
its core. The leading people and/or rabbis are not elected by the entire
public. There are bodies whose job it is. Ostensibly, this is how one
distances oneself from hatred and controversy and unites around what is
agreed upon. If the appropriate conditions are in place, this is very
significant on the way to establishing a just and cohesive society with the
goal of getting closer to the values of God Almighty. I have ideas,
which I believe are correct from all aspects, including from a Jewish
perspective. I am not the first to talk about a presidential system instead
of a monarchical system. I am certainly aware of the existence of other
opinions according to which the monarchy should be restored (in a practical
or symbolic way) and the House of David will reign forever and ever, etc. But
in my opinion, in order to prevent atrocities, the only way is the system
proposed here of a president and a Sanhedrin and a council of elders. And
even if it is not democratic in the broad sense of the word, it certainly
implements micro-democracy in the system in order to bring about the election
of the best, and it is also the key to success. The Sanhedrin is responsible
for Jewish law and for electing the president, and the council of elders
decides who will be on the Sanhedrin. Civil rights are the basic requirement.
Even for non-Jews. I see no contradiction between a Jewish state operating
according to Jewish law and basic rights, both towards those who do not
observe the Torah and mitzvot and towards a
resident alien. The head of
the Jewish state will be the president, who will be elected by the Sanhedrin
and will serve in office without age limit (until the age of 70 or more, as
long as his power allows him). However, unlike the monarchy, the president
will be subject to the criticism of the Sanhedrin, which has the authority to
remove him from office if, in its opinion, he is acting contrary to the path
of the Torah. This system, it should be noted, is closer to the method of Abarbanel, who abhorred granting absolute power to a
single person (A. Tenenbaum) and, if we are to
merit a prophet, that all Israel is worthy of the monarchy, is also closer to
the method of Maimonides (Likkuti Sichot) (Y. Blidstein). The Sanhedrin
of 71 is a body familiar to us from ancient tradition, but when it is
reestablished it will create for itself the content it will deal with, in
accordance with the needs of legislation and control. The areas of activity
in halakhic law and advice to the president will be
defined by the president of the Sanhedrin and on the condition that they do
not conflict with the president's authority. The president of the Sanhedrin
will effectively serve as the acting president of the state. The Sanhedrin
will be elected by the Council of Elders or Sages. The Council of Elders is a
body consisting of 12 people who are elevated from the people, whose main
function is to appoint the members of the Sanhedrin, and the appointment of
its members will be the responsibility of the president. In fact, technically,
the president will be able to influence the character of the state by
influencing the character of the Council of Elders, on the recommendation of
his advisors. Obviously, in order to achieve optimal cooperation with all
groups, he will have to be wise in all matters related to the appointment of
council members. Another
innovation found in this composition is the abolition of compulsory military
service, and those who wish to enlist will receive full pay, with the aim of
making the army professional in every sense. At the same time, those who do
not enlist will be required to perform national service for a period of one
year. There will be no exemptions, except for married women and those with
disabilities. The composition
also proposes a radical change in the justice and penal system. The use of
prison facilities will be greatly reduced and an educational correction
system will be established in their place. Offenders who have a chance of
rehabilitation will spend periods of up to two years in a semi-open
agricultural educational facility where Torah and work will be combined, with
the goal of removing the person from the negative atmosphere, but without
becoming a financial burden on the system. On the other hand, repeat
offenders Crime will be punished with severe punishment or deportation,
severe punishments will also be imposed for offenses such as rape, violence
or incitement. Along with
the change in the perception regarding punishment and the need for corrective
education, the legal system will also change fundamentally - first of all,
trials will not be postponed. And to put it mildly: if, for example, half of
the country is criminal, the other half will be at the service of the
corrective system (education/law) in order to provide an immediate response.
The basis of the system will be the establishment of judicial investigation
committees. These will deal with theft, fraud, breach of trust and other
offenses that do not involve the use of violence, and will be served by
high-level investigators suitable for judging. The investigation committees
will be dedicated and will be given extensive scope and investigative powers.
They will have the authority to conduct the investigation, prosecute the
offender and try him at the same time without procedural delays. Of course,
there will also be a regular police force whose traditional role will remain
unchanged, such as maintaining Public order and handling of violent offenses:
prevention, arrest, investigation and prosecution. The investigation
committees will also staff the composition of the fast-track court in a lower
instance. Serious offenses or appeals will be heard in a district court,
according to the standards we know today, in which representation by a lawyer
will be possible. Special
emphasis will be placed on economic, social, environmental and health issues.
For example, in the area of taxes: the total tax on labor and
capital gains (including 5% health and national insurance) will be up to 35%
(except for exceptions) and the value-added tax will be 10%. Manufacturing
companies that do not withdraw their profits will be exempt from corporate
tax in most cases. There is no obstacle to integrating the laws of tithes
according to Jewish law into the tax system through tax credits for those who
pay according to a relative value to be determined. The state
will be very involved in initiatives and investments in the fields of
agriculture and industry. Protecting the environment will be our top
priority. The state will make a special effort to encourage the use of
alternative energy sources, prevent polluting transportation and invest
everything necessary in research and development of non-polluting vehicles. All of the
above will be possible first and foremost if the principles of justice and
good governance are maintained. The Salvationist system requires integrity in
government, economics and religion, and most importantly, the man on the
street. Without this, we will not achieve true redemption, which means that
the human soul will be freed from the shackles of slavery to lies and will
open up to absorb wisdom and insights that in a normal situation are limited
by barriers and prejudices that prevent it from advancing to a high human
level on a practical level. Hence, it is
important that those in positions of authority be true people, with a lot of
goodwill and also the intellectual and faith-based ability to meet the
challenges of fair service to the public. Not that I think that people today
are not like that, after all, this can be found in every person if they have
received the best education. For this, it is worth investing all the
resources required to create a loyal and efficient public service. I have no
doubt that in doing so, the return to the state will
be tens of times greater. Creating a model society in the Land of Israel that
will be a light to the nations and sanctify heaven there in many - this is
the dream that I believe will certainly come true. Then we will be able to
fulfill our destiny in spreading the divine light - in helping other peoples
in the world, in educating them in love, in spreading technology and in
restoring faith in man. By the way, as I speak High on the need to be good,
and to help, so I am also very extreme on the other side - in the war against
what is called "evil", and against all the haters of the name who
aim to increase suffering in the world. 4. Why a
Jewish state? This essay is
intended to bring the good news of redemption to all Israel wherever they
are. I believe, and all signs support this, that redemption is at hand.
Therefore, it is important to transform it from an abstract interest into a
living and breathing matter. Many books and essays have been written about
the days of redemption by the sages. Maimonides publishes a systematic
Mishnah on the subject of the monarchy (Laws of Kings and more). And
recently, Rabbi Yehuda Zoldan compiled a collection
of essays on the subject of the Jewish state in his book (Kingdoms of Judah
and Israel). The abundance of publications indicates the importance of the
subject among Torah-observants. And this is where
my essay comes in, which covers the practical side, which today seems
irrelevant, but whose critical importance for initiating the processes of
redemption is undeniable. It will be difficult to trust people from the
community, certainly from the Torah community, to be able to successfully
undertake such a huge national, economic, political, industrial project. And
this goes beyond the laws of government and monarchy (which also require
further discussion). Responsibility for these issues must not be left to
fate, or more accurately - to party members and officials without the
required experience, as is done today in the most cynical way. The key
question that must be answered before we begin to offer solutions is what is redemption. What do we want to see.
What do we expect. And in general, what will come
out at the end of the redemption process and the return to Zion and the
revival of the people of Israel in its land. As stated in the introduction,
on the personal level, redemption means liberation. Liberation from mental
restraints, from external bondage, from stigmas and prejudices that will
enable openness to the words of God. On the national level, it means the gathering
of all those who were rejected to the Land of Israel, the adoption of the
Torah of Israel, the establishment of Jewish rule in the Land of Israel, a
rule of justice and light for the Gentiles (and yes, a rule of justice also
goes hand in hand with Judaism). In short: utopia. We will realize, from a
national perspective, all the most imaginative dreams we have ever had. We
learn from the Ramban (in the introduction to the
book of Exodus) that the redemption does not end with the gathering of the
exiles or with self-government. Although these are important stages in the
redemption process, it is only with the construction of the Temple that we
can bless the completion. The
well-known command from the Torah: "And you shall inherit all the
inhabitants of the land from before you" (Numbers 33:5), teaches that
beyond the obligation to live in the land, one must inherit its former
inhabitants, in order to reach perfection and harmony with God's requirements
in the redeemed state and with the goal of instilling Godliness in the world.
We must not stop talking about redemption and the ways to achieve it: the
national poet and herald of redemption, Uri Zvi
Greenberg (Irish: 33), laments in his poem: "I am a criminal if I live
for one day of mourning... and I do not cry out a great and bitter cry"
(Between Blood and Blood, 1918). Silence is part of the crime,
everyone must be warned and made aware that the Fourth Day is coming. We cry
out that it is still possible to save the The
Jewish people and receive redemption. Do not despair!! In his song "One
Truth, Not Two," the IDF enlightens our eyes to the facts that we refuse
to see: Your teachers teach: There is one truth among
the nations: Blood for blood – and it is not the truth of
the Jews. And I say: There is one truth and there are
no two. As there is one and as there are not two Jerusalems. Written in the Torah of the Conquest of Moses
and Joshua The
importance of this period, the period of redemption, is beyond anything we have
experienced in the history of the people of Israel and the entire world,
therefore we must not compromise on our truth and we must not hesitate to
publish the unambiguous message that our Holy Torah commands. Starting with
the national commandments such as the conquest of the land and ending with
the moral commandments - to love man. For this reason, it is also important
to publish the composition in these times. It should not be understood from
this that I demand redemption here and now, everything in its time, but I do
demand and beg for repentance, which is also a condition for redemption. It
is necessary to strengthen faith and prepare the people for an ideological
revolution for redemption and a complete repentance of the people. Here I
must note that redemption will come under any conditions and circumstances,
only the question of the price remains. The price depends largely on the
people and their willingness for redemption. We have gone through two
thousand years of exile, we have gone through the Holocaust, and we will also
overcome the final obstacle, which is the religious and moral rupture. When
we return to being with the Torah and recognize ourselves as the rightful
existence of the Jewish people, the Gentiles will also recognize our rightful
existence. 5. The
Commandment to Appoint a King The Torah
commands us, "You shall set over you a king whom the Lord your God will
choose" (Deuteronomy 17:14). Later, the Talmud further reinforces the
obligation to appoint a king: "Rabbi Judah used to say: Three
commandments were commanded to Israel when they entered the land: to appoint
a king for them, to exterminate the seed of Amalek,
and to build them a house of choice" (Tosefta,
Sanhedrin 4:3 and Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin, 20). Is it
obligatory to appoint a king? Yes, if there is a demand from the people. When
the time came and it was necessary, the people demanded that Samuel appoint a
king - and to this Samuel objected: "And the thing displeased Samuel,
when they said, 'Give us a king to judge us'" (Samuel A 8. 6). It is
possible that Samuel saw monarchy as a negative phenomenon, especially in
light of his experience that his sons did not follow in his path, but God
decreed that the will of the people must be fulfilled and the monarchy established. In fact,
there is a disagreement between Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nehorai
precisely on this issue of whether the commandment to appoint a king is an
obligation or a permission. "Rabbi Nehorai disagrees and says that this parasha
was not spoken except against the resentment of Israel." If we read the
previous verse: "When you come to the land that the Lord your God has
given you and possess it and settle in it, and say, 'I will set a king over
me like all the nations that are around me,'" we understand the context
to which Rabbi Nehorai is referring. The fear that
the people will want to appoint a king like the Gentiles and even from among
the Gentiles is why God stipulates that the king must come from among the
people, but there is no obligation to appoint a king. Ido
Rechnitz expanded on this issue in his book 'Medina
Kehalacha' (pp. 21-27) and also in his essay
"Appointing a King - A Divine or Democratic Appointment." The
solution proposed by Rabbi Nehorai is to be
satisfied with the president of the Sanhedrin who will also take on the
leadership of the people. Rabbi Yehuda, on the other hand, advocates the
separation of powers: the Sanhedrin will deal with law and the king with
political leadership and management of the needs of the state. Most of the poskim, including Maimonides, support the separation of
powers as demanded by Rabbi Yehuda. The
leadership of the monarchy over the people of Israel should be the most
effective way to bring about the fulfillment of redemption and lead the
people to their destiny: to bring the name of G-d before the peoples of the
world. To this end, a strong and authoritative person is needed who is
completely afraid of G-d and all those around him obey him. In terms of the
instructions of the Torah, it is clear that the king will lead the people
according to the laws of the Torah and its prophets, in justice and law. Indeed, in
Jewish thought, the issue of monarchy is much more complex: the Torah does
command the appointment of a king, but how, how, and when? There are a number
of approaches to this presented by the great men of Israel, all of which rely
on the sources. And to increase the difficulty in implementing the monarchy,
our rabbis added a caveat, that in the future, the
king would only come from the house of David! The monarchy was promised to
David by the prophet Nathan, who determined that his throne would be true
forever, and hence it was determined in the law that the monarchy would
return only to a king from the house of David. As above, the question of the
identity of the Messianic King arises: In Yerushalmi
(Berachot Chapter 2 Halacha
4) it is said, "If he is from the living, his name is David. If he is
from the dead, his name is David," and according to Moses, the meaning
of the resurrection of the dead will be David himself. The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that
the soul of King David will be clothed in the Messianic King. (Likkuti Sichot Volume 35, p.
206). We learned
that, except for a few like King Hezekiah, we have not been blessed with
kings who adhered to the Torah of Israel. Neither from the house of David,
nor from the house of Israel, nor from the house of Hasmoneans.
They did indeed lead the people, but they did not bring them closer to the
Torah as they were commanded. More than that: According to the law of the
monarchy, the king's son is the legal heir. Here too, there was
disappointment with the course of the heirs who did not adhere to the Torah
of Israel. Here are the
different approaches in Judaism, in a nutshell, regarding the appointment of
the king: Rambam: ( Kings
1. 3): "No king is appointed at first except by a court of seventy
elders and by a prophet, like Joshua whom Moses appointed and his
court," meaning that the consent of the Sanhedrin is required for the
appointment of the king. But if the heir is the king's son - there is no need
for a prophet. The Ramban explains that if there is no prophet, it is
possible to appoint a king not according to a prophet, but it is important
that he be an Israelite and not a Gentile. The Gra
explains, according to the Jerusalemite, that the basis for appointing a king
is the consent of the nation. From this we learn about the law for appointing
a king who does not come from the House of David. The right of the House of
David remains permanent, but if this is not possible, it is possible to
appoint a king who is not from the House of David by temporary decree, but
according to a prophet and/or Sanhedrin. The Ramban
resolves this problem by stating that it is possible to appoint a king by
temporary decree without anointing him, "for there are no anointers
except kings from the House of David." The Torah also refers to the
president: "If a president sins and does any of the commandments of the
Lord his God, which are not done unintentionally and
with impunity" (Leviticus 4:22). The Mishnah asks: Who is the leader,
the king, as it is said, “And he did one of all the commandments of the Lord
God, who has no one above him but the Lord God” (Horoyot
3:3). The sources do not refer to the leader of a tribe, but to a leader who
is also called a king, but from this we can also see the leader as a leader
who is elevated above the people, but humble. He is not obligated to be
anointed in order to gain the recognition of the people, and he is not
obligated to be related to the House of David, and hence the laws of royal
succession to his son in this case are not relevant. On the other
hand, Ibn Ezra writes that there is no obligation
to appoint a king even if he is not against the system of monarchy. Abarbanel (1437 – 1509, exiled from Spain to Italy) also
stated that there is no obligation to appoint a king, but he explained this
by the disgust that monarchy causes to the people, and explained that this is
why the Torah came first, “And said, I will appoint a king over me,” and he
also based it on Shmuel’s opposition to the idea.
Similarly, the Natziv of Volozin,
in his opinion, should allow the people to determine whether a monarchy is
suitable for them. In
conclusion, and according to many commentators, it is clear that there should
be a separation of powers: a leader on the one hand and a legislative council
(Sanhedrin) on the other, with the leader being a man who is elevated above
the people but humble and not forceful. For this method, the election of the
leader by the Sanhedrin provides the best answer. 6. The
structure of government Three
institutions make up the government in the Jewish state (Figure 1): the
president, the council, and the Sanhedrin, which have special interrelationships
that lead to presidential rule but not to a single government. The Sanhedrin
is appointed by the Council of Elders, and they have real powers and teeth,
since it is the Sanhedrin that elects (or dismisses) the president and
supervises his actions. The circle is completed by the president, who
appoints the members of the council only based on the recommendations of a
special committee. In this way, we have dual control mechanisms here that
will reduce the risk of any of the elements taking on excessive powers and
thus jeopardizing the harmony in this delicate system. I do not know
which of the three bodies will be the first to rise up,
it all depends on the circumstances. There may be a leader who will lead the
War of Redemption, and upon its conclusion will be recognized as the
president who will act to appoint the Council of Elders and the Sanhedrin,
but there is another possibility that the leader who will lead the War of
Redemption will act temporarily until the Sanhedrin is elected, which will
elect the president. Obviously the initial path is contingent on the course
of the Redemption, for example: will it be a slow and deliberate process, in
which everything will proceed according to the book? Or will it be a rapid
and traumatic process led by a leader who emerged from the people or even by
God Himself? There are no answers yet, and it is not important for the
purpose of the discussion. The president who will head the state will indeed
be of the rank of a king with all the powers, except of course for the fact
that the position is not inherited. It will be the task of the Sanhedrin to
choose the leader most suitable (in their opinion) to be president.
Figure 1: The
structure of government (Sanhedrin appoints the president) Indeed,
Maimonides requires the renewal of the Sanhedrin even before the redemption
and permits the establishment of the Sanhedrin if all or most of the sages of
the generation agree to the move. I of course expect that the people will
understand the significance of the time of redemption (because without the
people there is no redemption), and the elders of the generation will give
their consent to the Sanhedrin. The members of the Sanhedrin will be elected
by the Council of Elders of Israel, which will include 12 of Israel's great
elders who will be recommended to the president by a special committee. The
council will also be authorized to cancel an appointment to the Sanhedrin if necessary.
This system, which separates powers between the electorate and the governing
bodies, is a brave and innovative idea that will neutralize the phenomena of
corruption and the persecution of populism by giving more power to the
reviewing bodies. In this system, the president's influence on the electorate
is indirect and of a low degree. Unlike any
monarchical system that we know from the past, the system proposed here is fair, and much more representative of the good of the
state and the good of the public compared to any "democracy" of
today. This is the only system in my opinion that will work and give a chance
for a fair and considerate regime for the public on the one hand and
consistent with Halacha on the other. On the
surface, this is not a revolution or a deviation from the path of Halacha, but rather the adoption of the general lines of
the Sanhedrin's rule. But beneath the surface, this is a real revolution
coming To create an integrated governmental system in which the special
balances between the governing bodies, such as the President of the Sanhedrin
and the President of the State, maintain a clean and moral government. The absurdity
is that in a so-called "democratic" regime, the public ostensibly
elects its leaders, but in the process also neutralizes them because of the
leaders' desire to please public opinion. The absurdity reached its peak
recently when the administration danced to the tune of media consultants and
public opinion pollsters who managed to bring about a 180-degree change in
the agenda of a prime minister, while exploiting his weakness and the
deterioration of his status (2005, the decision to carry out the move known
as "disengagement"). In general, we were quite disappointed with
the performance of the politicians elected to the institutions and they did
not particularly excel, except for their foul language, which gave politics a
very bad name and drove good people away from it. The failure of the system
ultimately comes at the expense of the public good. In the proposed system of
a presidential-Sanhedrin regime in the State of Redemption, the condition for
its existence is that Complete abolition of the culture of lying. Today this
is not possible because there is no faith, no truth, and no integrity. If we
succeed in establishing a faith-based society that is both intelligent and
honest, this will be possible! Once there is agreement that for the good of
all of us it is forbidden to lie and there are no exceptions, only then will
it be possible to build a community as I propose on the basis of the Torah of
Israel. In addition,
there is a special importance in publishing the method proposed here to show
the entire public that there is an alternative to the rule of Sodom and
Gomorrah. As stated, the immortal verse: "We will keep your tongue from
evil and your lips from speaking deceit" (Psalm 34) will be a candle for
our leadership and we will act according to it! This is the path that will
lead the struggle to change the face of society, the state, and the entire world,
to create a new society in which truth is a candle for its leadership. There
are several other important things to be done related to a society that
advocates true equality and freedom of thought: a free economy, reducing
bureaucracy, a free press, human dignity, national service, and proper
administration. Of course, respect and weight will also be given to social
issues such as that the Jewish way knows, including reforms in the legal
system and providing sympathetic treatment to the environment in which we
live. This is not an election slogan, this is the
definition of the goal and ideal. The public will only be blessed if it is
led by true leadership that stands the test of Torah, justice and wisdom. To
this end, the public must be protected from all possible leadership failures,
through unique review institutions and judicial bodies. This essay also
emphasizes the importance that will be given to a legal system that is very
efficient but also sensitive to the plight of those facing trial, and this
according to the elementary principles of justice. Everything is done with
the intention of transforming redemption from another abstract word into a
concept that expresses quality of life in all respects: a perfect world.
Which is in fact the purpose of creation and the
idea of redemption. 7. From
Zionism to Redemption The seed of
redemption has long been germinated, but the people have not yet formulated a
practical worldview for themselves regarding the Jewish state. Unlike in past
periods, the state must also give appropriate weight to economic issues,
advanced industry, air pollution and sophisticated crime, and therefore the
system of government is required to do much more. Judaism is not a religion
that freezes on its own, the opposite is true - we have learned that Judaism
adapted itself to the life of the period without violating the rules of halakhah. But we need to mobilize courageous leadership,
on the one hand, and agreed upon, on the other, that can take responsibility
for the future state, a leadership consisting of the leaders of the people, a
Sanhedrin and a leader. Therefore, I am opening a discussion here on the
subject of adapting the state's government to Jewish halakhah.
If we postpone the discussion of redemption and the state to the future and
expect everything to fall on us from the sky, we will not be able to meet the
timetable that redemption will require of us. Because if we do not discuss it
in a balanced way today, we will be forced to make rash decisions in
stressful situations in the future. My practical awareness of the Jewish
state began after a comprehensive study of the history of the Jewish people
during the Second Temple period and the modern era, as well as studying
topics in Jewish law and morality, and then chapters concerning the structure
of society and the utopian government of the redemption period came to me. As mentioned,
giving up on dealing with the questions that arise here today will cost us a
high price later. The method presented here may perhaps provide relief to the
sick of the current administration, but in fact it is intended for the
utopian government of the redemption, and this is because far-reaching
changes are required here in the social structure and philosophy of our
lives, before the successful assimilation of Jewish laws. Today, society is
built on the insight that "whoever is strong - decides" in which in
order to advance in politics you must step on corpses and there is no chance
for my method to exist in such a situation. If we become a society in which
only people of truth and wisdom will be appreciated and promoted, if such a
significant change is achieved, this is what will make it possible to realize
the Jewish idea in practice. Therefore, all the solutions and proposals
presented here will probably wait for the days of redemption. But in the
meantime, we must work for the unity of the Jewish people around the Torah
and the establishment of the faith, and at least raise the courageous
questions for serious discussion in order to prepare ourselves for
redemption. It is important that everyone understands what the people are
marching toward, and knows how to define their goals and methods of action.
When we are united under the Torah of Israel, all the steps to realize
redemption will be clearer and will open the way to complete redemption. Then
we will bring faith in the one God to the world and establish justice and
world peace: "For from Zion shall go forth the Torah,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." There is no
need to go into great detail with historical reviews to convince us that
change is needed. Many and those greater than me have already dealt with this
in a very detailed and comprehensive manner. Therefore, I will briefly
present a few of the issues relevant to our concern, mainly on the subject of
Zionism. Zionism, in my view, is basically a secular movement that came to
provide an alternative to the Jewish path. Indeed, it was this secular
Zionism that fulfilled the Jewish redemption in the first stage (in the sense
of establishing the Jewish state while making the exile a secondary factor in
terms of its importance in the Jewish world), but this success came at the
expense of the Jewish path. Observance of the commandments became irrelevant
for practical Zionism. It must be admitted that secular Zionism was a correct
and necessary step at the beginning of the path, but then when the initial
fulfillment was achieved, it did not have the strength left to continue on to
the second stage because along with the death of the commandments, faith in
the righteousness of the path also died, and today there is hardly anything
real left of that secular Zionism. This fact is expressed in symptoms of
fatigue, weakness, and national weakness that have become a dominant factor
in the lives of the country's non-religious citizens. According to
many, there is great doubt about the country's ability to withstand the long
term. Talk of a second Holocaust is no longer taboo. Wars and despair
contribute to foreign thoughts such as immigration or a desire to create a
shared culture with the locals in the area, (initially these were the
"Canaanite", later "human rights" of sorts) with the
hidden intention of being accepted as part of them. The belief in peace has
become a substitute for religion, in the understanding of the
"progressives" that the other side wants peace no less than they
do, if only they will give it what it wants. And for this supreme goal it is
worth paying any price. Even if their hope is somewhat distorted in the face
of the bitter reality, and their understanding that there is no Muslim
equivalent to those aspirations, they do not abandon the faith. But the
fanatical belief in peace harms the security of the state. Even within the
state, the progressives will do everything for equality and democracy, even
if it means supporting the state of all its citizens and eliminating the
Jewish character of the state. Their influence is enormous because they
completely control the media, the establishment, the legal system, and the
leadership of the security apparatus, and thus manage to manipulate the path
of society and government in Israel in a direction that aligns with their
agenda. If the bodies
that control the establishment achieve what they want for a state for all its
citizens, then this will be the end of the Zionist dream. The silent majority
is unable to cope with the lie. They see the values of
democracy (what is it?) as a supreme value that is supposedly forbidden to
contemplate. To understand how we got to this situation, we must return to
the issue of education and determining the order of priorities in society.
The educational failure in building national insight began at the beginning
of Zionism, when the founders indeed came with many good intentions to realize
orderly social ideas as part of the national revival movement, but the dream
of a healthy and egalitarian socialist society, workers of the land without
exploitation, faded very quickly along with other values. We lost Zionism
along with sociality and cooperation when Jewish values were
abandoned in advance in favor of the latter. We were left with nothing. The second,
socialist aliyah (1904-1914), even if it greatly
influenced the character of the state in the making, was not the only one in
Zionist history. We must do historical justice and mention the aliyahs of the Hasidim in 1777, who
strengthened the connection between the Jews of the land and the Diaspora,
and the disciples of the Gra, led by Menachem Mendel of Shklov,
starting in 1808. There were also observant and well-known rabbis who called
for aliyah to the land. Let us recall Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, who in his book "Minchat
Yehuda" (1840) called for aliyah to the Land
of Israel and later wrote a detailed plan for the establishment of a Jewish state
("Goral L'Ha" 1857), and also Rabbi Zvi Hirsch Kalischer, who
called for the return to Zion and the renewal of the work of sacrifice:
"Come, let us strengthen ourselves for our people and for our country,
and establish a vibrant society in which beloved enemies will unite" (Shivat Zion, 1862). However, it must be admitted that his
influence on the Haredim was small: his supporters
were accused by Orthodoxy of attempting to delay the end. Aliyah
to the Land involved a certain violation of the halakhic
command and a break from the community. Prominent
rabbis issued a pamphlet condemning Zionists who violate the three oaths, that they will not rebel against the nations and
will not bring Israel to the wall (Ketubot 11a)
(the third oath demands that the nations not enslave Israel too much). The
strictest interpretation of the oaths was given by Rabbi Yitzchak de Leon (WikiYishva), who was one of the first. He interpreted the
oath not to go to the wall, "that we will not rebel against the nations
and go to conquer the land by force," and from this he concluded that
there was no commandment to settle the land until the redemption, and this
was due to the fear that, due to the difficulties of the exile, they would be
able to make aliyah to the Land without the
practical ability to build it and would lead to destruction and crisis rather
than the beginning of the redemption. However, according to the other great rishonim and aharonim, The
commandment to settle the land is permanent and exists at all times, as the Ramban wrote, and as ruled in the Shulchan
Aruch (Aha 18:3-5), (Rabbi Mordechai
Greenberg, Rabbi Eliezer Melamed). The
interrelationship between religion and settling the land is a very complex
matter and is influenced by the subtle differences that exist between
communities and rabbis. For example, the "religious Zionist" sector
of Torah-observant Zionists who called for aliyah
and settling the land despite the haredi approach,
consists of an extremely broad spectrum. Among them were those who dreamed of
establishing an army and agriculture, years before the establishment of the
state. The first "Zionist" according to the accepted definitions
was the haredi Rabbi Akiva
Yosef Schlesinger, who immigrated to the Land of
Israel from Hungary in 1870, established the settlement body, and worked to
establish an agricultural settlement in Hebron and later in Petah Tikva. At the end of the 19th century, "Kol HaTor" was also
published by Rabbi Hillel Rivlin of Shklov, who saw it as a call to support Zionism. The religious
Zionists were forced to contend, on the one hand, with the Haredim who opposed actions to settle the land before the
coming of redemption, and on the other hand, there were the assimilated ones
who aspired to be free from the shackles of religion, with the Zionists among
them even seeing Zionism and nationalism as a substitute for religion, thus
striving for the Jews to be like all peoples. In the end, the one who
determined the character of the future state was the pioneering,
non-religious aliyah. This aliyah,
especially the second and third aliyah, was
characterized by idealistic pioneers who, along with the separation from
their home and homeland, also separated themselves from the Jewish heritage,
preferring the socialist revolution over the tradition of the fatherland. On the other
hand, the old settlement also contributed to the secular dominance of
settlement in the Land of Israel when it closed in on itself, cut off
contact, sanctified the division and trampled on all A fence-breaker who expressed
his desire to break away from the partition and build the country, like Rabbi
Schlesinger. For this reason, they consciously reduced their influence on the
character of the Yishuv in the Land of Israel.
Rabbi Kook was exceptional. According to Rabbi Kook, the Zionist movement and
the establishment of the State of Israel have cosmic significance. Rabbi Kook
perceived the process of the Return to Zion as a process intended to bring
redemption to the entire world; he believed that a profound revolution would
soon take place in the Jewish religion and that a new Torah would be created
in the land – the ‘Torah of the Land of Israel’ that would be connected to
man and his soul. (Ehud Firer). Rabbi Kook
worked to bring all parts of the Yishuv closer
together and, unlike the rabbis of the old Yishuv,
did not shy away from being active among the secular as well. And as Rabbi
Kook feared, over the years the members of the Zionist Aliyah
lost their Jewish identity as a result of the emphasis on pragmatic values such
as work and education while neglecting Jewish education. However, in contrast
to the ignorance of the current generation, the people of the Aliyah at least remembered A version of infancy from the
Talmud in the Diaspora. It is therefore no wonder that some of the thinkers
at the beginning of Zionism created a unique Jewish philosophy combined with
revolutionary socialist ideas. As mentioned, because of the rebellion in
religion and the disconnection in education, nothing remained of Judaism, and
the fate of socialist fervor was no better among the grandchildren's
generation, a fact that saddened many of the veterans. Let us return to the
days of the first pioneers: the question of Jewish national identity occupied
quite a bit of the first thinkers of the Zionist movements: A.D. Gordon saw
the pioneers as stemming from Judaism, which he adopted in his own unique
way. The new society he dreamed of was supposed to be, first and foremost, a
Jewish society, drawing its inspiration from Jewish tradition, and thus he
wrote: "Life will tell what Judaism is." And also: "The land
cannot be redeemed without the revival of the people, and there is no revival
of the people without the redemption of the land (...) Hebrew labor is the
foundation of the national revival, just as it is the foundation of the
redemption of the national land" (from His letter, 16 Sivan, 1912). Berl Katznelson wrote:
"The Land of Israel Workers' Movement is a messianic movement, it urges
the end, it sees Zionism as part of human redemption
and it sees socialism as flawed if there is no redemption for the Jewish
people" [Arachim Genuzim
125]. Some tried to
correct the weakness of Zionism in the Jewish and spiritual realm. Rabbi Y.L.
Hacohen Maimon (Fishman)
worked hard to promote the establishment of the Jewish state on the
foundations of religion and according to the prophets of Israel, relying on
the verse "And a redeemer will come to Zion and to turn away
transgression in Jacob, says the Lord, and I will establish my covenant with
them, says the Lord, My spirit that is upon you and My words that I have put
in your mouth shall not depart from your mouth or from the mouth of your
descendants, says the Lord, from now on and forevermore" (Isaiah 59:21).
Rabbi Maimon's approach well expressed the
aspiration of religious Zionism to establish a state based on Halacha. According to this approach of Rabbi Maimon and others, it is impossible to separate religion
and state, between the commandments between man and his fellow man and the
life of the state, everything was one association whose details were
interconnected. This can also
be learned from what is written in the Torah: "If you walk in my
statutes... and eat your bread to the full and dwell securely in your land,
and I will give peace in the land and you will lie down and no one will make
you afraid... and the sword will not pass through your land, and you will
pursue your enemies and fall before them by the sword" and then it
continues: "And I will put my dwelling among you... and I will be your
God and you will be my people" (Leviticus 22:3-11). From this we see
that religion and the state both draw their strength from the same source -
from the Torah of God. Similarly, thinker Prof. S.H. Bergman wrote:
"...we should not be ashamed, and admit, Israeli history is not a
secular history, but a religious metaphysical one, and Zionism is a result
and conclusion from this history... The primary fact of our existence and our
path in history and of our return to our land will not be understood with the
tools of the sciences, even the most modern, of psychic and physical
research, because it is a metaphysical-religious fact." The sanctity of
the land is a fundamental principle of Judaism, and in view of this, a
conflict arose more than once between the halakha
and the constraints dictated by the political situation. Rabbi Kook was asked
to sign a compromise proposal in 1930, according to which the Jews would
recognize the ownership of the Western Wall by the Muslims and in return, the
Muslims would recognize the right of the Jews to access the Western Wall.
Because of the tense security situation, the leadership of the Yishuv was ready for this proposal, since there was a
question of saving lives, but Rabbi Kook did not agree to sign the waiver and
his response was "I cannot give up what God has given to the people of
Israel," and he added: "God forbid! The people of Israel will not
beg us to give up the Western Wall in its name! We have no right to do so.
If, God forbid, we give up the Western Wall, God will not want to return it
to us either." This is indeed how we should relate to the Land of
Israel. Sometimes we
are amazed by the phenomenon of self-alienation to the point of disloyalty to
the state and, in extreme cases, even sympathy for the enemy. This can be
understood as a desire to be just, kind, to act impartially, even
excessively, and to demand absolute justice. But sometimes, out of a desire
to appear fair, we tend to self-alienate. A different opinion is forbidden to
be expressed in their system. It seems that their greatest fear is that they
will try to change their minds. However, in contrast to the apparent liberal
side they present in public, in private they are tough and stand their ground
resolutely. The phenomenon of killing everything that was sacred to us in the
past has recently reached the Supreme Court. After the legal coup initiated
by Judge Barak, the question of the uniqueness of the state in relation to
the Jewish people is no longer self-evident. Dr. Aviad
Bakshi wrote in this regard: "In the last
twenty years, there has been a dramatic erosion of the weight that the
Supreme Court gives to Israel's Jewish identity" (Kohelet
Forum) (Zionist Strategy Institute, May 15, 2016), and from there came the
demand to enact a nation-state law that would enshrine in law issues that
were previously clear and agreed upon. The insight that the goal of Zionism
is to establish a Jewish state is today in dispute. Giving preference to Jews
over the "natives" in a country where equality is a supreme value
is no longer acceptable in progressive circles. As stated, in the religious
approach, Zionism is a means and not an end, as part of the redemption of the
Jewish people. When the goal is the service of God in the Land of Israel.
Therefore, all the fuss today about peace and our acceptance into the family
of nations is based on a lie and a distortion of reality. True, the pursuit
of peace is part of Judaism, but it is clear that the intention is peace
between man and man and not the state's submission to its enemies. To the
absurd extent, partial loss of Homeland is precisely the punishment promised
in the Torah to Jews for violating the commandments. 8. The
Covenant with God – Love of Humanity Keeping the
divine covenant with the people is a guarantee of our continued existence,
but it has the condition that we also keep the covenant on our side. In fact,
the continued existence of the Jewish people despite all the hardships is
further proof of the existence of God. When serving God is the goal, and everything else is the means. But in the context
of the goal that is considered number one today – achieving peace with our
Arab neighbors, there is no reason for illusions. Even if there is a miracle
and we achieve “peace” with the enemy, we will not reach rest and
inheritance. Historically, when the Jewish people compromised, both in the
Torah and in the state, the results were disastrous for the people. Logically
– it is clear and declared by the enemy that their goal is to destroy us, and
their way to do this is to extort false agreements from us in order to
overthrow us. And certainly, from a Jewish perspective, there is a
fundamental contradiction between forced peace and maintaining allegiance to
God. God is the only one who blesses with peace, and if we do not follow the
path that God has shown us, there can be no peace by definition. The
fulfillment of redemption will be possible when the entire nation unites in
the path of the Torah. The Torah
stands on the love of man, the way of the earth, and the fear of God. The
truth must be told: He who truly loves God will also love man, who was
created in His image and likeness, or at least will learn to respect and
value every person. The path of hatred contradicts faith in God (here I must
note that in my opinion, man is fundamentally good! What appears to us all as
"evil" is nothing more than an expression of stupidity and
intellectual and behavioral limitations). The theme of love for man is the
second thread that runs through all of Israel's traditions and stems from the
commandments and education, and the more we believe, the stronger the quality
of love will be in our hearts. Maimonides also addresses the subject:
"It is commanded upon each one of us to love each and every one of
Israel as himself" (Rambam, Hilchot De'ot, Chapter 6). Love and inner light reflect the interior of
the soul to the purity of our souls and to love God. In fact, the
commandments of loving one's fellow man and loving God are interconnected,
and fulfilling one commandment in its entirety naturally leads to fulfilling
the second commandment. This is how we must educate, and I am confident that
this education will prove itself to the people and the state. We, as humans
and certainly as Jews, are obligated to uphold the morality that actually
constitutes the basis for serving God with love. In everyday life, this means
self-control, not reaching a state of hatred and jealousy. And just as every
private individual is required to respect others, so much the more so are
public figures required to respect others, and it is appropriate for all
representatives of the establishment to treat the public with respect and
attention as if they were their closest family. Indeed, if by changing the
atmosphere for the better we eradicate alienation and hatred, and improve the
quality of life, the degree of trust between people will also be strengthened
and people's willingness to contribute and support society will increase.
Mutual responsibility is one of the foundations of Judaism, as it is said: "And
they stumbled every man against his brother" (Leviticus 26:37). Rashi interprets "and they stumbled each other in
their sins" as meaning "all Israel is responsible for each
other." The war for
the liberation of the land does not require giving up any measure of
humanity. I see no contradiction between values such as
preserving human dignity and our duty to return to our land, or the need to
harm and destroy the enemy. On the contrary, the Jewish liberation movement
allows the Jewish people justice and the restoration of human dignity to an
equal status with other peoples in the world. The return to Zion is a just
historical process that the believing world accepts as the will of God, while
the unbelieving world sees as a threat. On the other hand, people who claim
to follow the path of Islam believe that Jewish existence contradicts the
will of God, regardless of the reason. Their ambition is to impose Islam
(Islamic Sharia law) on the entire world. Unfortunately, the world watches
from the sidelines the destructive intentions towards the Jewish people and
the spread of Islam and does not realize that it will very soon reach them as
well. It should be
noted that to the credit of the people of Israel, it has never stopped To
dream of returning to their land despite two thousand years of exile. For our
historical sins that led to our exile – the people paid a heavy price and yet
the Jewish tradition was preserved and even strengthened thanks to the great
men of Israel. It is no longer a novelty to state that the exile rebuilt the
people of Israel. Although the idea of redemption is no longer
at the center of our being, people are fighting for redemption and we must
believe that it will come every day. When we see the miracle of the establishment
of the State of Israel, it is impossible to ignore that we are in the period
of the beginning of redemption. Even if many still believe that the
democratic Zionist state is the pinnacle and from their perspective, an
attack on the values of democracy as they see it is the
beginning of the end. It is very difficult for them to cope and see the
difficult reality clearly unless God, the Almighty, awakens and enlightens
their eyes with power. Ostensibly, the Six-Day War was a rare moment of God's
will to bring about the redemption of Israel. Unfortunately, we rejected with
both hands the rare window of opportunity that followed the war, partly out
of fear of what the Gentiles would say. There is no other
people in the world that can be said to have escaped by the skin of
their teeth from real dangers to their existence and still does everything to
please their haters. Zionism is being lost along with the pages of the Siddur
and the Gemara, which are removed from the general
education system. On the other hand, the ultra-Orthodox Torah believers are
so anxious about the continuity of the generation that they are unwilling to
take any part in the Zionist state, and I am saddened but cannot criticize
them for that. Even if they are right, the bottom line requires everyone to
take part in saving the state for the redemption of Israel. (Or on second
thought, this separation was apparently decreed for us from heaven...). If everything
is directed from heaven, apparently even the separation from Jewish values is
part of the very difficult path to redemption: when God "activates"
the enemy to awaken the people of Israel. In my opinion, everyone has a part
in redemption, even those who abandon tradition, as we saw in the revival of Herzlian or socialist Zionism. And in my opinion, there
is also a kind of paradox here: at the moment of truth, precisely these
people have the degree of conscious courage to act resolutely for the cause
(see also Rabbi Kook's parable of the unleavened wine in the Light of God
below). And indeed, the ways of supreme providence are wonderful.
Incidentally, regarding divine providence, I also see the state's
renunciation of the Temple Mount (and still, despite everything, I weep over
its destruction) as God's will to prevent us from secularizing the holy
place. Rabbi Yuval Sherlow, in his response to the
issue of the Temple Mount now (see Orot Shaul), warns that in the current situation, the fear is
that it will become a "sophisticated synagogue" instead of
"like a city that is joined together." There are no shortcuts:
first we are ready for faith, then we can build the
Temple. This is part of the healing process that the people must go through!
Of course, when we reach the time of redemption, the people will be more
ready, we will gather exiles and conquer the land, and then we will also be
able to fulfill our duty on the Temple Mount even without having to reach the
consent of the Gentiles. We need to free ourselves from the exile mentality
and renew the covenant between the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and
the Land of Israel. It turns out that only the traumatic "educational
series" that God will put us through will enable the cognitive
transformation and liberation from the shackles of exile. The criticism
is of the leading leadership. Ministers and leaders are unable to present a
minimal level of national dignity as can be expected, which greatly weakens
the spirit of the generation and causes the atrophy of national challenges.
The Jewish leadership itself is seriously ill with national degeneration and
has lost the ability to implement Zionism in practice. The removal of ideals
from our hearts has left a vacant space, and the place is occupied by a
culture of hedonism and self-indulgence. However, in parallel with the spiritual
decline in the general public, there is also a significant strengthening of
the status of the religious public. The pioneering leadership is being taken
by those wearing knitted kippahs who are engaged
almost alone in the sacred work of settling parts of the country after it was
abandoned by the veteran settlers from the socialist movements. Shamefully,
institutional Zionism is actually engaged in encouraging Muslim settlement
and inhibiting Jewish settlement. All of this is done in a despicable way of spreading
false information and creating delegitimization for
the entire religious public. On the other hand, Yehezkel
Dror writes that instead of leading, our leadership
is being led, lacking a backbone and showing no political maturity.
"Memorandum to the Prime Minister: Building a State" (1989, p. 40).
According to him, due to the lack of a state tradition, the Jewish people
have indeed demonstrated their ability to survive as communities and a
culture, but have failed in everything related to establishing a political
and governmental framework due to the lack of social discipline habits among
the people and the weakness of leaders. It is
appropriate that the people of Israel should improve their path and make a
full repentance even without the need for threats and severe punishments. But
unfortunately, this is not the reality. We are probably walking the hard way,
and punishments will come and we will suffer beatings because we are probably
not so wise and brilliant as to be able to
understand basic things such as the reality of God and the need to obey His
commandments. Apparently, this insight will have to come through the legs.
Either way, for better or worse, we hope that we will be worthy of believing
in God in preparation for redemption. There are many who believe that one
must act by all means to realize redemption (redemption now), provided that
it is done through faith and not through shortcuts. Otherwise, the public
must be allowed to lead its own path, even if it is into the abyss, and when
they realize their mistake and see the miracles of God, the great
enlightenment of faith in God will come. We have seen, for example, the
displays of heroism by the settlers of Katif on
their land, or by the so-called "hilltop youth" who guard the land
with devotion - and most of the people remain indifferent to their heroism,
especially when they serve as human shields for the rest of the public in the
country against terrorism. The obvious question is why are
there such heroes and do they not despair despite the scum and
criminal guilt that is tried to be attached to them? They add points of merit
to the people of Israel while the others subtract from it. At the end, God
draws up a balance sheet and at the bottom line there is a price tag. We have
seen this pattern since the sin of the spies. Redemption is a very complex
process because in the end it will bring humanity to an understanding of the
essence of creation. Therefore, its hearts require a tough transition of man
in a challenging, revolutionary and conscious reality, and therefore its
realization must go through the "deep plowing effect." They say
about redemption "in its time we will remember it." If we are
righteous - it will come immediately, we will not need the difficult experiences
before it comes. But we are not, so it will come in its time, even if in a
difficult way, because that is how we are - we are unable to believe unless
it is forced upon us. But until redemption comes, we must be alert and
cautious, learn and accept with understanding even difficult situations. So
that when the time comes we will be ready to accept redemption in due time
and with love. One of the
most significant figures in instilling faith in love for the sake of the
people of Israel and for redemption is the Lubavitcher
Rebbe,
(Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson)
is the head of the Chabad movement, which is at the
forefront of preserving the Jewish embers in the Diaspora. Chabad performs miracles among the remote, especially in
light of the Holocaust that is happening before our eyes in Diaspora Jewry. Chabad is the ultimate example of teachers who do the
work of the righteous not in order to receive a reward, and through this they
will be the vanguard of the word of God in the difficult days of redemption.
Today it is difficult for us to understand the process, but the return to
Judaism will be at the time of the miracle of redemption. This is a natural
and understandable process. The events that will occur in the redemption and
the miracles that will come upon the people of Israel will lead to the
opening of people's hearts to the new and old Torah. Then the truth will be
revealed. Then it will become clear that the values on
which an entire community was raised, such as peace, equality, and democracy,
are false values whose consequences are disastrous for our
existence. Divine truth will once again be the starting point for everyone.
The sorrow over the difficulty that awaits us is dwarfed by the joy over the
redemption that is coming upon us. The nations of the world will repent
together with us, to correct the injustice and harm done to us throughout
history, and they will take part in the restoration of the Jewish state so
that it may serve as a light to the nations in imparting the values of
justice and divine peace. To conclude
the chapter, I will quote from Ecclesiastes: "The conclusion of the
matter, everything has been heard: Fear God and keep His commandments, for
this is the whole of man" (Ecclesiastes, Koheleth
12:13). This is the ultimate answer to the meaning of life and also the basis
of Jewish faith. The meaning of the verse can be understood simply: Man was
created (by God) in order to worship Him and recognize Him as the Supreme
God. Hence, humans must identify with God and His act of creation, and to that
end, they must at least keep His commandments. The verse that follows
reinforces this view, "For He will bring all into judgment."
Worshiping God is the purpose of creation and existence, and no one should
doubt this. Thus, the purpose of this essay is to convey the message: serving
God is the goal and the observance of the commandments by the people of
Israel in the Land of Israel according to the Torah of Israel is the only way
to accomplish it, and with God's help, who will bring us redemption, we will
not be disappointed. Our faces are turned toward redemption, and time is
short and the work is great. The
combination of matter and spirit (which are worthless on their own) together
give rise to the human creature - man. All the added value that man receives
after his creation - a priceless value, stems from the touch of God's hand.
God breathed a soul into our bodies and gave us life and even provided the
physical and spiritual conditions for the continuation of human existence and
even the moral basis for justifying human existence. The inheritance of the
principles of the moral basis for man's existence, to all of God's creatures,
is incumbent on man himself, and therefore all the laws and commandments were
given to us, as well as the punishments if we violate this obligation. There
are many things on the subject that are beyond our understanding, and faith
bridges the gap. This explains to us the personal need for faith and even
gives us real motivation to live according to the measure of grace and truth.
The bottom line is that man is not above all. We must internalize the
message: Man should not consider himself more than he is truly worth, he is a small zero in front of God. Although man is
a part of God, he must always humble himself in front of his Creator and
certainly not place himself above other people. All people have the same
basic value, but the baggage they have acquired, their humility and
righteousness, boosts the special value of people. I believe that in every
creature on the face of the universe, living or inanimate, there is a part of
the spirit of God, its Creator, with creatures differing in their value and
in the level of their souls. It would be
fair to say that just as man is in the image of God, so too is man's inner
image a shadow of that man's outer image, and therefore allows us to see the
inner nature and purity of the soul, who is good and who is evil. From here
we can develop the Torah of the Face, which teaches about the inner nature
according to the outer. However, even if a person is born with negative
potential, he is able to control his basic nature and successfully cope with
the evil inclination, when this ability is imparted by education in the
values he has absorbed throughout his life. It is a pity that
there are also those who are incapable of self-control, a condition that
allows the inclination to control them. I would classify these as people on
the lowest level. And on the highest level are the righteous - whose hearts
are not at all given to the troubles of the inclination and whose entire
thought is meritorious, which radiates an aura of holiness upon their
surroundings. As stated, man was created in the image and likeness of God,
and this creation was created with the aim of worshipping and admiring God and
the act of creation. "In his image and likeness" means that his
image The human being is the two-dimensional photograph of the real thing,
the source of truth, which is a multidimensional being. God created the
physical and spiritual skeleton according to which man was created, and God
also fills it with content and values in order to grant him
physical life. However, in order to complete the granting of life, man
himself is asked to contribute his part and realize as much as possible the
divine potential inherent in him in the desire to understand and draw closer
to God. The path to self-realization begins with the recognition of the
creation of the world and the supremacy of God. After this stage, the
self-realization will be clear that the people of Israel have a central part
in global historical processes and the people of Israel serve as God's
messenger in all those processes. This is also how we can see the exile of
the people of Israel among the nations and the disasters and calamities that
came to prepare the people of Israel to fulfill its role in spreading the
principles of God's morality to the peoples of the world and sanctifying the
name of heaven in many ways. It is
impossible to deny the fact that the presence of the Jewish people among the nations
has contributed greatly to the culture of morality and the strengthening of
monotheism in the world. The eternity of God And His covenant with Israel
provides the people with infinite strength to withstand all the troubles in
the world, because this holy nation is a part of God, and its role in the
world was even determined by Him. It is a great privilege that the eternal
God, the Creator of the world, chose the people of Israel to represent Him
before the world and also dedicated the Land of Israel to His people as a
homeland. This choice is eternal, just as God is eternal and the laws of
nature are eternal. 9. The people
must strengthen their faith and Torah in order to survive Knowing the
future does not spare us the Jewish fate. In the parshah
Ki Tifou, Moses tells the people of Israel what
will happen to them: "And the Lord will scatter you among all the
peoples, from one end of the earth to the other...and among those nations you
will not find peace or rest...and your life will hang in doubt, and you will
fear day and night, and you will not have any confidence in your life"
(Deuteronomy 25:64-66). These words are exhortations, but Moses admits that
the people are not in a position to listen to his warnings: "And the
Lord has not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to
this day" (Deuteronomy 29:3). "This day" is the redemption.
The difficult path the people go through is essential to preparing the people
to receive the Torah at the time of redemption. However, the encouraging
thing is that all the covenants and all the promises of God remain valid
regardless of the people's behavior, and accordingly, all the concessions and
withdrawals are also invalid. The connection to the land originates from
the divine promise in the Covenant of the Pieces, the same covenant between
Abraham, the father of the nation, and God, who made an eternal and triple
covenant that actually binds the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and
the Land of Israel, and in which the borders of our land were also determined
(Picture 2) "from the river of Egypt to the great river, the
Euphrates" (Genesis 15:18). To remove any doubt, this covenant was also
renewed with Isaac and Jacob: "The land on which you lie I will give to
you and to your descendants" (Genesis 28:15). A Jewish state that does
not see itself committed to the Holy Torah and the Covenant of the Pieces
loses its right to the land and places itself on the same level as the other
nations in the region. This is the explanation why the Israeli governments
have an alienated attitude towards the Land of Israel, as if they did not
recognize the exclusive ownership of the Jewish people, and therefore the
Gentiles will also see us that way. Despite Yes - the very existence of the
Jewish state is the clear sign of the beginning of redemption. This divine
enlightenment will make it possible to re-establish the Jewish state, at the
center of which will stand the Temple, and this will be established in the
spirit of the prophets of Israel and there will be no more disasters and
holocausts.
Picture 2.
The borders of the Land of Israel (postcard published by the "Sulam" movement, 1955) From this
point we will return to the main issue today: the Jewish people are not
spiritually mature enough to understand the meaning of redemption and
therefore are required to strengthen their faith before the redemption can be
realized. This is the cardinal problem at hand at this moment. When will we
know that the people are capable of accepting redemption? When the people
prove that they place all their trust in God, personal security and national
security. Security in the stronghold of Israel and its Redeemer is not the
most prominent trait in the Zionist leadership, and hence the gap between the
methods of leadership and the recognition of national aspirations according
to the Torah. Uri Zvi Greenberg likens the leaders
of the people to "peddlers" who close the gates of the land to
redemption ("In the Ears of a Child I Will Tell" - 1930). In all
cases where large parts of the Land of Israel were liberated, the leaders
refused to see this as a sign from God, but treated the Holy Land as a
deposit for the King of Peace. There is no doubt that disrespect for the
holiness of the Land exacts from us - the Jewish people the most expensive
possible price. The Yom Kippur War is an example of what happens to a
complacent people who put all their trust in themselves and not in their God.
At that time, the state was in great danger to its existence, and only
miraculously managed to overcome all its enemies, but it failed to learn the
message that God wants us to understand after the terrible war. The Yom
Kippur War expressed God's disappointment in Israel for their failure to
observe the holy things of Israel, the Sabbath and the commandments. The
timing of the war on the holiest days for the Jewish people, Yom Kippur,
which fell on the Sabbath, indicates the public desecration of the Sabbath by
the people and as the main reason for God's wrath, who did not forgive the
people and demands national atonement from the people, just as an individual
atones for his sins. Towards the place on the Yom Kippur fast. Our national
Yom Kippur was very painful, but this is only a sign and a warning to us that
the price for desecrating the holy and desecrating the Sabbath will be very
traumatic and painful. In fact, the issue of atonement should be seen as part
of the process of redemption, without which it cannot be realized. The Jewish
people are always faced with the demand to elevate and purify themselves so
that they will be able to distinguish between good and evil. This
distinguishes them from the rest of the nations of the world and justifies
their status as a holy people. This status was not created by the
righteousness of the people, but by the virtue of the fathers who also made a
covenant with God, a covenant that the people cannot annul because it binds
the entire Jewish people for all generations. In light of being the chosen
people of God, Israel must set an exemplary example and meet the highest
standards, which is why God always takes great care with Israel. Israel must
successfully meet all expectations and this will be the test in the eyes of
the Gentiles of the power and existence of God. From this it is clear that
the people of Israel do not have permission to abandon the path of their
ancestors from generation to generation, and any attempt to evade the tasks
entrusted to them brings many disasters that will continue until they return
to the right path. I believe that everything God does in the world is not
accidental and is done according to the rules of universal justice and that
His actions are directed so that they will lead, through His messengers, to
the spread of God's Torah in the world and the assimilation of faith among
all people. The
aspiration is for the people to draw closer to God. However, the process of
drawing closer is a long and ongoing process that is not achieved in a single
leap, but rather through the hard work of many generations, and is contingent
on improving the moral standard of all humanity. It is possible that some of
God's actions are beyond human comprehension and questions of faith will
arise for many, but a look back at all the developments in world history
shows a clear and logical line leading to a very defined goal, and any
deviation from it could have been disastrous for Judaism and human society as
a whole. Why do the good people give their lives for the sanctification of
God? The answer stems from the question, after all, our soldiers on the
border and the innocent citizens who gave their lives to the Creator do not
pay for sins they committed or did not commit. They atone with their righteousness
for the sins of the entire people. In order for the pain (and subsequent
repentance) to be in our bones, God takes the best and most precious to us! Although this
may seem unjust, this is the difference between the feeling of subjective
justice and divine justice. The people of Israel must know that there is a
price that everyone pays for blasphemy. Incidentally, the pain in one form or
another will also be felt by those who have already managed to break away
from Judaism. Those who have faith that is independent of anything will not
break or fall into crises following disasters and private or national pain.
Disasters and calamities are mentioned several times in the sources, such as
in Parashat Ki Tavo (see
above) and also in Parashat Behukoti:
"And you will perish among the nations, and the land of your enemies
will devour you. And those who remain of you will be consumed in their
iniquity in the lands of your enemies, and even in the iniquities of their
fathers they will be consumed... Or then their uncircumcised heart will be
subdued, then they will desire their iniquity... And even this, while they
are in the land of your enemies, neither will they be redeemed nor will they
be redeemed, to destroy them, to break my covenant with them, for I am the Lord
your God" (Leviticus 26:38-44). This strengthens the thesis that the
Holocaust, for example, is part of the punishment that continues throughout
the generations that the Lord imposed on us for our sins even before the
destruction of the Second Temple. The exile and the return are mentioned
again in the words of Moses in Parashat Ve'techanan: "And the Lord will scatter you among
the nations... and you will seek the Lord your God from there, and you will
find... and you will return to the Lord your God" (Deuteronomy 4:27-30).
However, as compensation for all the suffering, redemption will follow the
exile. Also The prophecy of Ezekiel (20:35) "And I will bring you out
from among the peoples ... and bring you into the wilderness of the peoples,
and there I will judge you face to face" explains why the punishment for
the people is so severe, because God, blessed be He, judges Himself first of
all by imposing a severe punishment on the people of Israel. Unfortunately,
there is no easier way to save the people of Israel in the current situation.
The decline and difficulties that the people are going through are part of
the path to redemption. Indeed, Rabbi
Kook wrote about the Midrash's interpretation of the verse "Shamanta Avita Kisita" (Shirat HaAzinu) that "We accept that there will be a
spiritual rebellion in the Land of Israel and in Israel." The physical
peace that will come to some of the nation will diminish their souls and
their aspiration for ideals, and in turn the spirit will decline and sink.
Until a storm comes and turns into a revolution and it will be seen that
Israel's strength is in God, blessed be He, and in His Torah (Orot 44). According to the words of the Rabbi, three
stages must be distinguished in the course of the redemption of the people of
Israel: the first stage is the awakening of the nation, which on the one hand
will have ideals and a structure, and on the other hand is dependent on
rebellion against the values of Judaism and the Torah of
Israel. After the initial success, the second stage will come, the decline of
ideals, followed by the third stage. Then there will be a spiritual
revolution and a return to the faith and Torah of Israel. Later (Orot 45:11) the Rabbi also refers to the important role
of those who are called "wicked" (the secular) in the survival and
resurrection of the people: "Just as it is impossible to make wine
without yeast, so it is impossible to make a world without the wicked. And
just as the yeast makes the wine ferment and preserve it, so the coarse will of the wicked causes existence and standing
for the influence of all life." These words of his were written more
than a century ago, but they are still true today, and according to them we
are in its second stage. As I
understand it, the redemption process is first described in detail in the Parashah of the Laws (Leviticus 26). Redemption, as we
learn, is God's commitment to the people of Israel. God knows that the people
of Israel will abandon His ways and follow other gods. God even describes in
horrific detail the punishment of exile and suffering in the lands of our
exile, "And the sound of a trumpet pursued them, and they fled from the
sword, and fell, and there was none to pursue them" (Leviticus 26). It
is evident that these punishments are in fact self-punishment because the
people are part of God. In fact, the first part of the prophecy has already
been fulfilled, the land is desolate and the people have been exiled. The
enemy's land has devoured the Jewish people, and those who remain in exile
have paid for the iniquity of their ancestors who sinned while still in the
Land of Israel. Now we are at the stage of "And I will remember to them
the covenant of the firstborn" (Leviticus 26:45). The covenant of the
firstborn is redemption, the covenant of the firstborn is the promise, the covenant of the firstborn is the eternal destiny of
the people of Israel: to spread the name of God among the nations. The role of
women also has great significance in the process of redemption. They are the
human element that pushes for redemption. On the one hand, if they do not
have the divine spark, with their great power they can hinder many good
people, but if they are blessed and have the divine spark, they will be the
first to lead us all to redemption. We saw this recently in the struggle
against what is called "the disengagement." They were blessed to
lead the struggle, and the women's prayer moved and shaped the consciousness
of all of us. And the author of "The Precious Vessel" has already
stated in the Parsha of the Spies that the people
(men) would hate the land and say, "We were given a head and were
carried away from Egypt" (Numbers 14:4). But the women would love the
land and say (the daughters of Zelophehad)
"Give us a possession" (Numbers 27:4), and therefore the Blessed
One said, "It would be better to send women who love the land, because
they will not speak against it." The central place of women is not
absent from the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe: the woman does not serve as an "auxiliary
helper" in the sense of a substitute for him, but rather is the
"principle of the house" - the house is the sphere of her
government. The great Torah scholars and the righteous are known to have
honored their wives more than themselves. On the other hand, one must also be
careful to preserve their honor in all respects and in all institutions.
These things are also true of the authorities who serve in the sanctuary.
Rabbi Kook addresses this type of problem and says that "it is forbidden
to have a fear of heaven that suppresses a person's natural morality, because
then it is not a pure fear of heaven." Such a "fear of heaven"
is an improper fear (end of Orot Hakodesh 3, Rosh Devar 23-27).
In my opinion, it is important that the entire public learn to internalize
this statement even in matters that are seemingly taboo, that are forbidden
to be touched upon. 10. The
ascended to the mountain top (Ma'apilim) Before we get
carried away with the idea of redemption to the point of
escaping from reality, we must stop and examine ourselves. The idea of "redemption
now," redemption at any cost, especially when we ignore the spiritual
state of the people, has no real basis and is therefore not helpful. Even if
there is a real desire for redemption, for the building of the Temple, in the
hope that this will bring the people back to repentance, we must first
examine whether these shortcuts are wise and where they may lead us. We have
already seen in Parashat Shelah,
the Parashat Ma'apilim,
after the people recognized the great sin of the spies and the punishment of
Preventing entry into the land for 40 years, he tried to somehow correct the
sin by "going up now" to the Land of Israel. Moses warns them not
to do this, "Do not go up, for the Lord is not among you, and you will
not be defeated before your enemies" (Numbers' {Bamidbar}
14 42). Indeed, the people, who were not mentally and spiritually prepared
for the Aliyah to the Land of Israel, failed and
paid a heavy price. It turns out that they had to wait 40 years in the desert
to become strong and strengthened in faith. Similarly, the two thousand years
of exile were also like this, during which most of our Jewish assets
developed and our great sages arose who built Judaism as it is today. Jews
have always aspired to go up to the Land of Israel and many did so in a
practical way, but still it was carried out little by little without
eliminating Diaspora Jewry, and I say that is how it should have been. In the
last hundred years, immigration has been stronger, mainly by Jews who broke
away from the Torah of their ancestors, and this is the great paradox: it was
precisely their breakaway that made possible the accelerated immigration that
ultimately led to the establishment of the State of Israel, which absorbed
the remnants of the disappearing European Diaspora Jewry. Therefore, here
too, we cannot lament the course of the Minister of History, despite the cost
of creating a new people cut off from the Torah. It turns out that Zionism
also needed religious rebels in order to develop and reach where it has
reached. They are the ones who established the state and prepared the ground
for redemption, a role that came to them from heaven even if they did not
really intend it, because redemption is a very complex process. The ways of
God are hidden. And this is
the place to clarify: Redemption is first and foremost a spiritual, conscious
redemption, hence as long as our souls remain enslaved (and it does not
matter in what way: prejudices or addiction to hatred, etc.), the liberation
of the homeland, or the conquest of the Temple Mount, has no redemptive
meaning. It is a fact that has already been We conquered the Temple Mount but
didn't know what to do with it. I assume, of course, that there are reasons
from above why the redemption must be delayed as long as necessary. First,
mentally, we live in exile: the state is not a Jewish state but "the
state of all its citizens," the law is not Jewish, the state's leaders
act according to dictates from outside, and the leading idea of the
state is to resemble the countries of the world and adopt their culture. The
delay in redemption also stems from the demand to complete the cup of torment
of two thousand years of exile. These are the final payments for the sins of
our ancestors as written in the Torah, even if we don't always understand
where it comes from. The delay in redemption is necessary because the people
are still spiritually immature and unaware of the huge process taking place
today. It is impossible to clothe ourselves in a redemptive state without
being able to implement it spiritually. Ostensibly, as long as we are in this
swamp of ignorance, stupidity, and hatred, the situation is not expected to
change on its own. It is also
necessary to understand why God is not raising up all the Jews of the
Diaspora now. As painful as it may be to admit this, the Jews of the Diaspora
(still) have a vital role to play in serving as backup for the people who
reside in Zion after the War of Redemption. Until then, there is no point,
and we must not deceive ourselves, because we can shorten the course of our
suffering without making true repentance. We need to go through the current
stage in any case. It is part of our healing, part of the training course
that we must go through. Canceling these stages through the actions of
"illegal immigrants" is completely out of the question and could
lead to our downfall. Ostensibly, one can talk about establishing a state of
redemption by force, while requiring citizens to observe the laws of the Torah,
but that will not work. Not only because those who are disconnected from
Judaism will rebel because they will not accept the religion in any way, even
if they are told that it is life or death, but also the ultra-Orthodox Jews
will not accept it at all, and therefore such a state will not be able to
survive. Without faith in the Torah and the way of the land, such a state
will immediately disintegrate in strife and basic disunity. The world is
still unaware of the global role reserved for the Jewish people, and the Gentiles
are still our enemies and many in the region, but everything is temporary.
When the day comes and we are freed from exile, physical exile and spiritual
exile, we will also be able to enter the spiritual land. When the redemption
comes, everyone will see it clearly and without hesitation. This does not
mean that nothing can be done today to bring the redemption closer. On the
contrary, faith must be strengthened among the people in terms of "and
whoever saves one soul in Israel is as if he had saved the whole world."
Education is certainly a lifesaver and the most important thing that can be
contributed to today. 11. The
Temple The center of
the world is Jerusalem, and the heart of Jerusalem is the Temple Mount. The
Temple, which was built on the mountain, is located, according to tradition,
at the point of the initial creation - the "foundation stone". Our
national situation is linked to the status of the Temple Mount. Today, a
mosque stands in the place of the Temple, and Muslims practice the custom of
rulers, entering the Holy of Holies without fear, which expresses Israel's
national humiliation. A condition for redemption is the rebuilding of the
Temple and the restoration of the work of the priests. Almost a third of the
commandments cannot be fulfilled today because they are related to the Land
of Israel and the work of the Temple. The building of the Temple is one of
the principles of Judaism and it brings the people of Israel closer to their
God. Today, we have a sovereign state, and this fact only rubs salt in our
wounds - that at this very time we are still not free and independent to
return to the Temple Mount. It has already been said: "It is time for
you to sit in your houses, shut up, while this House lies in ruins"
(Haggai 1). It seems absurd when, on the one hand, we are at the beginning of
redemption, but on the other hand, Israel is cut off from the Jewish
religion, from the Temple Mount, and has neither exaltation
of God nor a vision of redemption in its heart. But these facts only strengthen
our feeling that the time is near. Certainly, at the time of the redemption,
the structure that the Gentiles erected in place of the Temple would no
longer be relevant and would not delay the construction of the Temple. During
the War of Independence, we refrained from liberating the Old City. They
feared that control of the Mount would also bring about the demand to rebuild
the Temple. Therefore, Ben-Gurion made sure to commit to Abdullah in advance
that he would retain control of the Old City and the Temple Mount, and the
commander of Jerusalem, Shaltiel, carried out the
policy. During the Six-Day War, Dayan also rushed to transfer possession of
the Temple Mount to the Waqf for the same reasons.
In their opinion, Jewish rule over the Temple Mount would be interpreted as a
provocation against Muslims and worse - encouraging the redemption and the
kingdom of Israel - this became the source of their nightmares. Since then,
the institutional policy has not changed. In this respect, we are still in
exile - in both the physical and spiritual sense. And when is
there an obligation to rebuild the Temple? Chazal
(Sanhedrin 20:2) taught that "three commandments were commanded to
Israel upon their entry into the land: to appoint a king for them, to subdue
the seed of Amalek, and to build them a house of
choice," and we teach that the three commandments must be carried out in
this order. First, appoint the king, and only after he has delivered us from
all our enemies should the house of choice be built. However, according to
Maimonides, the proof of who the Messianic King is depends precisely on the
building of the Temple: "The Messianic King is destined to stand, and
restore the kingdom of the House of David to its former state, to the first
government, and build the Temple and gather the outcasts of Israel" and
further, "If he does and succeeds, and conquers all the nations around
him, and builds a Temple in its place, and gathers the outcasts of Israel -
then this is certainly the Messiah" (Laws of Kings, Chapter 11).
Maimonides suggests that it will not be possible to build the Temple before
the coming of the Messiah, and alternatively, we can say that the leader who conquers the nations, gathers the outcasts of
Israel, and builds the Temple - is in fact the Messiah! The Lubavitcher Rebbe also states
that only the righteous Messiah can build the Temple. Does this arrangement
of postponing the construction of the Temple until completion delay the
offering of sacrifices? The answer is no. One can begin with the sacrifices
even before the construction of the Temple, because the commandment to build
the Temple is a special commandment in addition to the commandment to offer
sacrifices. And how will the Temple be built? Some say that the Temple came
down perfect from heaven, and some say that it will be built by man. There is
an opinion that there is no contradiction between the two: in contrast to the
Jerusalem of the lower world, there is the Jerusalem of the upper world. Only
after the spiritual building of the upper world is built, can we also build
the Temple for which we are commanded. In the prophecy of Ezekiel, man is
charged with building the Temple: "And you, son of man, declare to the
children of Israel the Temple... make it known to them and write in their sight,
and they shall make it" (Ezekiel 43:10-13). Similarly, Rabbi Zvi Kalisher in his book
"Desires Zion" proves that man must build the Temple. According to
the Rambam, for the purpose of building the Temple,
it is permissible to ascend the Temple Mount even in impurity (Tuma'a) (Hilkot Bet Habehira 7:23). 12. Faith
Strengthens We learned
from Tractate Avot that "Any love that depends
on something is null and void, love is null, and that which does not depend
on something is never null and void" (Avot 5:20).
This is how faith in God is - it does not depend on anything. Faith should be
strong and exist under all conditions, even in difficult times of apparent
concealment, and not just in times of prosperity and peace. The relationship
between man and his Creator is a relationship of fear and love, fear of a
supreme judge who examines the kidneys and hearts, and love for the one who
does justice and mercy. In my view, everything stands in judgment and every
event has a meaning (even if it is not always clear to us), therefore we must
accept the unsympathetic reality with understanding. Difficult situations
such as the Holocaust - one of the most difficult and humiliating events that
befell the Jewish people, are part of God's judgment, as written in the Torah
and as prophesied by the prophets of Israel, and we should not blame the
victims or the people for this, they are not guilty. The victims of the
Holocaust did not die for their sins, but for the sins of their ancestors.
This is part of a historical process that began during the destruction of the
Temple and its roots have existed since the exodus from Egypt. Faith in God
is acquired through study and education and is strengthened with the
acquisition of the ability to independently examine and analyze the human-God
relationship. Ultimately, all human beings are commanded to believe in God,
the Almighty, and part of the role of the Jewish people is to instill faith
in the Creator of the world to all nations. The faith of the Jewish people is
expressed practically in keeping the commandments and striving for justice
and love for humanity. Part 2: The
Structure of Government and the Legal System 13. The Structure and Institutions of Government At the time
of the outbreak of the Redemption, I assume that we will already have a
figure who will lead us to re-establish the state. This is the time and place
to discuss the form of government that we will need to establish. It is no
secret that Judaism has never claimed to be "democratic." This
system is certainly not possible in a place where we are trying to unite
world Jewry under the umbrella of the Creator's work in the same place that
the Creator has instilled for us. This is not the place to attack the
so-called "democratic" system, which may be the least evil in the
polarized situation in which we find ourselves today, but on the other hand
it is an opening for deception, lies, and personal and governmental
corruption, not to mention the court that appoints itself and gives itself
The authority to invalidate any law with Jewish ties on the grounds of
discrimination is forbidden in the face of equality for all peoples. I have
learned that Judaism advocates the selection of leadership by the
intellectuals who lead the people, and this is an important point in the days
of redemption when society will be a Jewish society that believes in the
Creator of the world as the basis for the existence of the state. I argue
that a believing society is also a better society that can accommodate the
Jewish form of government in the most beneficial way. Of course, I do not
delude myself that all those who claim to be Torah-observant are also believers, this is certainly a huge educational challenge.
It is possible that at the beginning of redemption many of the people will
lack a background in Judaism, and therefore, precisely because of this, we
must ensure strong leadership on the one hand, which will serve as an
educational example on the other. The issue of
the leader and the government has been discussed many times in the writings
of the Sages and can serve as a source of inspiration even today for the
issue of how to choose a leader. The Sages discussed the idea of a
king from the house of David during the days of the Redemption, but on the
other hand, they also accept the monarchy with a half-hearted heart, as
inferior and not as an ideal solution. Regarding the appointment of a king,
there is interpretive disagreement as to whether it is a right or an
obligation, but in general the spirit of the Torah sees the appointment of a
king as an insult to Israel. In the Torah, the people are commanded to
"set over you a king whom the Lord your God will choose... only he shall
not multiply horses for him, nor shall he bring the people back from Egypt...
nor shall he multiply wives for him" (Deuteronomy 17:15-17). Rabbi
Yehuda sees this as a commandment of "set over you a king," since
the people are commanded that the fear of the king be upon them (Sanhedrin
20:2). On the other hand, Rabbi Nehorai disagrees
and believes that this is not a commandment, since it is said that you shall
set over you a king only if the people ask for a king like all the nations,
and Rashi also believes the same, since the king's
law according to the prophet Samuel was to take the people as slaves and to multiply
horses and maidservants, so that the very king's parsha
in Samuel was spoken as a punishment for Israel's resentment. "Whom the
Lord your God chooses" - means that the people have no involvement in
choosing the king, but there are several options for choosing the king: one
is when the will of the Lord is revealed to us and the king is chosen through
the prophets, and the other is by the people's choice, but then there is the
fear that without explicit divine guidance, a person who is not versed in the
Torah of the Lord will ascend to the throne and will continue to lead the
people astray. According to the sources, such a person is called a
"foreigner" because he is a stranger and estranged from the people
and their values. Maimonides rules (Hilchot Melachim 81) that there is a commandment to appoint a
king, and this is to gather all our nation and lead
us to settle the land. Rabbi Yehuda says that three commandments were
commanded to Israel upon their entry into the land: to appoint a king for
them, to exterminate the seed of Amalek, and to
build them a house of choice (Sanhedrin 20 b). From the
summary of the words of the Sages (Chazal), it can
be understood that kingship is a desirable matter, but one must be careful in
everything related to the king's law. Of course, the king must be a faithful
observant of the commandments, and his role is to strengthen the status of
the Torah in Israel, "and he shall sit on the throne of his kingdom and
write for him this Mishnah of the Torah in a book before the Levitical priests" (Numbers 17:18). If so, the ideal
king is the one chosen by God, the Holy One, or according to God's system
according to the laws of the Torah. However, if we continue in this
direction, it is clear that the kingship is not passed from father to son,
but is given to the appropriate person who is chosen by the body that is
morally capable of appointing the leader who meets the criteria mentioned
above. From the sources, we find that the king receives the title of
president: "And my servant David was president over them" (Ezekiel
34:24). In light of all this, it is possible to grant the leader the title of
president and not king and grant him powers accordingly. Although close to
the monarchy system, it is definitely not a monarchy because the Sanhedrin
elects and judges the president. The bodies that will oversee and elect the
president are the Sanhedrin and indirectly also the Council of the Sages of
Israel. Rabbi Kook also reinforces this point, according to which the consent
of the Sanhedrin to the appointment of the president is necessary. On the
surface, it seems that the work here offers an original approach to choosing
the leader and the method of government, but a review of our sources shows
that this method is the one recommended by the Sages of Israel. And God
willing, this method will be accepted by all of Israel in the future,
according to what is detailed below. 14.
Institutions of Government - The President, the Council and the Sanhedrin The Jewish
regime will be based on a triangular governmental structure. The three
vertices of the triangle will be the President (King), the Council of the
Elders of Israel and the Sanhedrin (the Knesset of Israel). The Sanhedrin
will be headed by the President of the Sanhedrin (as opposed to the President
of the State). The parallelism of powers will be built on a balance in which
everyone will be connected and dependent on each other (see also Figure 1).
The advantage of this system is that on the one hand there is no absolute
single government here, but rather there are balances between the components
of the establishment. On the other hand, this will not be an anarchist
democracy of the masses. In fact, it will be an elite governmental framework
that is accepted by the people and its representatives, even if they are not
directly elected, will be obliged to account for their actions. There will be
a clear division of powers between these three bodies, and each will have a
specific area of responsibility as will be detailed below. The
government will be headed by the President. The second body is the members of
the Council of Elders, who are 12 of the greatest sages of Israel. The third
body is the Sanhedrin of 71. The president will have the sole executive
authority in the government (except in those cases in which the president of
the Sanhedrin has supreme authority). The powers of the President will be
limited only by the President of the Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin will also be
the body that will supervise the presidency, as will be detailed below. The
Council of the Elders of Israel (hereinafter referred to as the Council) is
the body that elects the members of the Sanhedrin. The members of the Council
will continue the tradition of ordination, as an essential part of their
duties. However, in addition, their duties will also include criticizing the
conduct of the Sanhedrin and, in very extreme cases, even intervening and
acting to terminate the duties of a Sanhedrin member. The President will have
a formal, although indirect, influence in determining the candidates for the
position of the Council of the Elders of Israel, who will also guide the
people in the principles of morality. To this end,
the President will be assisted by an advisory committee that he will select
and which will bring before him the candidates to serve as members of the
Council. The President bears executive responsibility for all government
executive bodies, and therefore the Sanhedrin, which examines the President's
actions, will also ask him to account for all government actions. Since the
Sanhedrin is an institution He himself will be under constant supervision by
the Council - it follows that all government institutions and office holders
will always be under scrutiny and will be held accountable. The election
of the President will be until the age of 70 (with the possibility of
extension for two periods of 5 years each). All executive office holders in
the government will be appointed by the President and will be accountable to
the President. The Sanhedrin has the authority to call the President to
account whenever necessary and to summon the heads of the security agencies
directly for a security review, without the need for the President's consent. The Council
of the Elders of Israel will consist of 12 individuals whose spiritual
contribution to the Jewish people and the state will be above and beyond and
who are acceptable to the President and the people. These individuals will be
selected by an advisory committee headed by the president, and its members
will be appointed by the president based on recommendations received from the
leaders of the people and spiritual figures acceptable to the president. The
committee will select the members of the council who will serve for an
unlimited period of time. Membership in the council may also be for short
periods, all depending on the circumstances. The appointment process by the
committee will always be approved with the president's signature. The members
of the council will be the spiritual elite in Israel, and by virtue of their
role in the council, they will have a great influence on the state through
the selection and authorization of members of the Sanhedrin. The council will
appoint the members of the Sanhedrin through a complex selection process that
will reflect compliance with the criteria set by the council. The process
will begin after the council formulates an appropriate list of candidates
(possibly with the help of advisors outside the council). These candidates
must have a broad education - Torah and general, and in addition, they must
be recognized as innocent and honest people. All of this is important in
light of their complex role, which includes supervising the president on the
one hand and ruling on halacha on the other.
Approval of the candidacy of a member of the Sanhedrin will require the
consent of Seven council members (out of 12). The council will exercise
discretion and may take any steps it deems appropriate, including oral or
written examinations. The term of office in the Sanhedrin will be five years
with an option for an additional five years. After one break in the term, the
position may be returned to serve another double term. Breaking the
continuity is for the benefit of the system and is intended to allow the
addition of more people, the best of whom will be able to return to the
Sanhedrin after a break. Furthermore: the council will also elect Sanhedrin
members from among the substitutes, who will be temporarily assigned to the
Sanhedrin according to the decision of the president of the Sanhedrin. If
necessary, the council may cancel an appointment to the Sanhedrin even during
the term, and this is usually by a qualified majority of eight council
members. The Sanhedrin
plenum will always consist of 71 people and will be headed by the Sanhedrin president.
The president will be elected by the council for an unlimited term of
appointment subject to the council's decision. The Sanhedrin president will
have the status of deputy and acting president of the state and will have the
authority to summon the heads of the security forces to hear periodic reports
from them. This matter is essential to enable the Sanhedrin president to
fulfill his additional role of acting president and in charge of all
oversight of the institution of the presidency. The Sanhedrin president will
summon the president to hear from him a review of the situation in any field.
Such reviews will be given periodically, on the order of 6-12 months, with
the Sanhedrin president authorized to invite additional listeners for the
same review. The Sanhedrin is the supreme halakhic
institution that rules in all matters of halakhic
[Rabbi Shochman] and state, but he must be careful,
on the other hand, not to interfere with the president's powers in all
matters related to the practical management of state affairs. Maimonides
insists that the king has judicial authority that goes beyond the ordinary
law of Halacha. The king has the authority to
deviate from the ordinary rules of Halacha, which
are very strict about numerous and difficult-to-obtain evidence, in order to
"rectify the world as the hour requires." Hence, according to the
method of Rabbeinu Nissim
(Haran) and others, the existence of the judicial system of the President
(the King) allows the judicial system of the Sanhedrin to adhere only to pure
halacha [Rabbi Haim Navon]. In my view, the President of the Sanhedrin is the
one who will rule in the event of a dispute over powers, but if the President
does not agree with his ruling, he can ask the Council of Elders to be the
arbitrators in the dispute. The Sanhedrin can of course express verbal
criticism of the President's actions, but never interfere in his decisions,
certainly not before receiving the approval of the President of the
Sanhedrin, and even then the only step they can take is to depose the
President. When is it obligatory for the King (the President) to address the
Sanhedrin? A typical case according to the sources is before going to war for
the state. A comprehensive
study on the subject of the renewal of the Sanhedrin in our time was done by
Rabbi Yosef Carmel: The Sanhedrin in particular and
the judicial system in general have a sacred status as those who represent
the Divine Presence. According to the sources, the power of the head of the
Sanhedrin is limited to issues related to the laws of the Elder of Mamre, and temporarily, as a temporary order, to issues
related to strengthening religious life. The king's power is greater than
that of the judge in that he obligates every person and his powers are in all
matters related to maintaining the order of government and security. In a
situation where there is no king, the head of the Sanhedrin is the one who
should receive the powers of the king [Rabbi Shaul
Israeli]. The question of what issues the members of the Sanhedrin are
authorized to deal with arose from the early days of the Mishnah, as some
members of the Sanhedrin believed that one should deal only with Torah
without public activity and others went in the direction of dealing with
public needs in parallel with studying Torah. All in accordance with the
political needs of the time, if they were forced to fill vacancies in the
leadership - they also did a lot to save the Jewish community at that time. Despite the
crucial role that the Sanhedrin plays in determining the character of the
state, I will not go into details here about how they will do this, since the
subject is very complex and charged, especially in relation to the
differences in approach between the various streams. But I have no doubt that
a true Sanhedrin will indeed succeed in bridging the gaps and finding the
golden path that will unite all Jews under one tradition and law. Internal
unity will also bring honor to God throughout the world. As I write these
things, I see before my eyes the Temple in its place, shining in the distance
and its glory walking in the world, and the Sanhedrin sitting in the ashlar
chamber, and the priests renewing the work as we were commanded. 15. The
Institution of the Presidency As stated
above, the head of state is the president, who will be entrusted with the
broadest powers. The president's term of office is for life until the age of
70. Beyond this age, the president's term of office will be extended by an
additional 5 years depending on his performance. This system has many
advantages: First, the president will not dictate his course precisely based
on populist considerations, which is an important issue, since the current
state was destroyed as a result of using irrelevant considerations in order
to attract more voters, until it reached the point of absurdity when a leader
changed his beliefs in which he believed and on which he was elected, because
that is what the publicists and opinion pollsters said. Considerations that
stem mainly from the desire to be popular with the masses have no place in a
system that claims to operate according to absolute justice. The phenomenon
of populism was not born in a democratic regime; in the early days of the
monarchy, Saul justified his mercy on Agag the
Amalekite by his desire to satisfy the will of the masses, "because I
feared the people and listened to their voice" (Samuel A 15:24). In
addition, there is an advantage to a longer term in that the experience that
President Joseph will gain will greatly strengthen the state. The creation
of a presidential rather than a monarchical government, along with the other
limitations imposed on the president, will reduce the possibility of mishaps,
exceptions, or deviations from the path of justice and the Torah. It is
important that the Sanhedrin always have its finger on the pulse of what is
going on in the president's house, and if necessary, they will help him and
guide him on issues that they believe require correction. At the age of 70,
the president will undergo a re-evaluation by the Sanhedrin. Although the
Sanhedrin has the technical option of considering continuing the presidency
even before retirement age, in accordance with expectations of the leader,
this option will only be put to a practical test when the president reaches
the age of 70. Beyond this age, the president's suitability for his position
will be tested again every 5 years. Already in
the sources, our prophets described in detail the qualities required of a
leader, "And the Spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of
wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of
knowledge and the fear of the Lord... righteousness will be the belt of his
waist and faith the belt of his loins" (Isaiah 11:1-5). The election of
the president will be carried out by the Sanhedrin alone and not through
general elections. Naturally, the people do not have the ability to make a
correct distinction between a hypocrite and a righteous person, unless all
the people are righteous and prophets. According to Maimonides, "A king
is not appointed first except by a court of seventy elders and by a
prophet" (Hilchot Melachim,
Kings 1:3). The need for a prophet is also appropriate for the selection of
the first president who will lead the redemption, and then the conditions
will mature for a more orderly and secure framework that will be based on the
Sanhedrin and elders. The leader, of course, must be accepted by the people
(the Sanhedrin) and cannot take power by force, as it is said: "But if
one man rises up and rules over Israel by force, Israel is not obligated to
listen to him" (Hilchot Melachim,
Kings 3:8). Presidential
candidates must present themselves or be proposed by others, with the
selection process taking place internally in the Sanhedrin. When the
Sanhedrin faces a candidate who is not qualified, it is authorized to shorten
the selection process and appoint him directly. Every Jew will be authorized
to propose himself or others as a candidate for the position of president.
This is if he is suitable for the position according to basic conditions.
This includes general and Torah education, high intelligence, deep fear of
God, excellent performance, and high motivation to uphold the law and
justice. None of the above qualities have fixed values or
standardized tests. The Sanhedrin will listen and be impressed, and will give
weight to each quality according to its understanding. In the first stage, an
initial screening of those who meet the above requirements will begin by
members of the Sanhedrin and their representatives. In the second stage, the
candidates will present their "I Believe" before the Sanhedrin.
Upon completion of this stage, each Sanhedrin member will have the right to
publicly question the candidate about his path and intentions before he is
brought to a final selection by the members of the Sanhedrin. Several
candidates will be selected for advancement to the next stage, and from among
them, the one and only one will be chosen for the position of president, and
he will be the candidate who receives the greatest support among the members
of the Sanhedrin. The appointment will be completed and will take effect
after re-approval by the members of the Sanhedrin by an absolute majority of
41. The appointment ceremony will be conducted by the President of the
Sanhedrin in a religious format, while ensuring respect and dignity. Even
after being elected, the president does not disengage from his commitment to
the Sanhedrin. The president must work in cooperation with the Sanhedrin by
providing regular reports to the Sanhedrin and consulting with the president
of the Sanhedrin when necessary. The president, when sitting on the throne of
his kingdom, will act according to the way of the Torah, and so that he does
not forget this even for a moment, it was commanded: "And write for him
this Mishnah of the Torah on a scroll before the priests and the
Levites" (Deuteronomy 17:18). It is important that he does not forget where
he came from and where he is going. It is important that he knows that all
his functions derive their authority from the Torah and the way of the Torah
is his way. However, the Sanhedrin will also continue to check and monitor
the president's performance and examine his steps in practice. They must
ensure that the president does not abandon the national interests of the
Jewish people. In order to validate the status of the Sanhedrin, the
president must report on his policy to the members of the Sanhedrin on regular
dates or at the request of the Sanhedrin through the president of The
Sanhedrin. The Sanhedrin
can make comments to the president and demand corrections, but despite all
this, the president is not obligated to formally approve his steps and
policies. The only way for the Sanhedrin to impose its will on the president
is through the process of electing a new president, an act that, if carried
out, will most likely be done after deep and responsible thought. In order to
approve such a move, at least 46 members of the Sanhedrin will be required to
approve it. Maimonides lists the rights of the king (Hilchot
Melachim, Kings 3:8-10): a. Permission to kill with
the sword a rebel in the kingdom. b. Permission to kill anyone who
disrespects the kingdom (the institution of the presidency) and c: Authority
to kill murderers who exploit the law in order to evade punishment. Hence,
there is an approach that the king's authority is not fixed and is based on
Torah law, and its entire essence is based on the authority given to it by
the people. Although the
president's powers will be very broad, the law of the monarchy will not be
fully applicable to him. He will not be able to bequeath the presidency to
his sons and he will have to answer for the failures of his officials. The
president must choose the best and most suitable for public positions and
will have complete freedom in distributing executive powers among his people.
It can be assumed that each president will have a different approach
regarding the delegation of powers and management style, but in all cases of
failure - it is the president who will be asked to answer. If the president
does not take good control of his team and his kingdom - then the Sanhedrin
must warn him and remove him from office. The success of the appointments of
his team of assistants will in fact determine the success of the president.
Criteria for selecting a team of assistants and public servants must be based
on standards of honesty, wisdom, and of course observance of the commandments,
but they must also be tested and pass various tests, objective and
subjective, using methods such as psychotechnical
tests, handwriting analysis, analysis of the candidate's facial features
(there is such a thing!), and more. The president must ensure that all public
servants behave in a civilized manner towards the public. This will be done
using internal and external control mechanisms and not necessarily
investigative committees. Of course, the president will be able to fulfill
his duties with honor only when the team of assistants and officials he
appoints is good. A failed selection of assistants will not allow for proper
administration. 16. Law and
Justice in Israel I believe in
the approach that man is inherently good because that is how man was created
by God. Man's entire intention is only to do good deeds. But man is not
always intelligent enough to distinguish between good and evil, and also to
understand that a good deed to others is good for himself,
and a bad deed to others is first and foremost bad for himself. So sometimes
he harms others, violates the laws of the Torah and the state, damages
property or harms the state itself. In an orderly society, there are courts
to judge the sinner, and he of course needs to be punished so that next time
he will be more careful with his actions. In an unordered society, each
person judges for himself and we enter a cycle of blood feuds on the one
hand, or victims and helplessness with no one to ask or answer their cries,
on the other. God has given us, humans, the law to
use our power to create an orderly and just society. However, if we evade
this obligation, the law will return to God, but then God will be forced to
judge society as a whole. And by the way, everyone bears the punishment, the
good and the bad without distinction. The responsibility of the entire
society for the crimes of the individual when there is no appropriate
response, and the punishment of the entire public that bears the
responsibility, is the meaning of divine justice. Here we are trying to
answer the question of why a righteous person is bad for him and a wicked
person is good for him. Or why the best people pay the most expensive price.
The answer is terrifyingly simple and yet also just and understandable:
because only then will the entire public feel the punishment most painfully,
along with the divine message. The Jewish ideal is that there will be no need
for laws at all. Everyone should know the law and everyone should be careful
about the Torah and the way of life. Perhaps there will be a few exceptions
who will sin and then the court system will issue its judgment in order to
warn and deter. To point out the injustice and denounce Sin. But of course,
the most important thing is good education, which will have a positive effect
on human and social awareness and will leave the courts empty of justice. The
public itself will also have to exert internal social pressure against the
phenomenon of crime. The leaders and judges are also part of the public and
should serve as an example and role model for the people who see them and
follow in their footsteps. And the Sages have already said (Shabbat Kelt): "If you have seen a generation that many
troubles come upon it, go out and examine the judges of Israel. Every
calamity that comes to the world comes only for the sake of the judges of
Israel." Establishing
state courts (in addition to the courts of Mammon or the Small Sanhedrin) is
an important necessity, especially in times when people are not careful about
keeping the law in general and keeping the Torah in particular. After the
situation stabilizes in terms of education and awareness of keeping the law,
crime will also decrease significantly, and at the same time we will also be
able to reduce the scope of the judicial system. In any case, the law in the
courts will be Jewish law, known for its strictness in the laws of evidence,
to the point that it is very difficult to convict without direct evidence. We saw in
Ezekiel that God judges His flock in the law of justice, "And I judged
between a healthy lamb and a lean lamb" (Ezekiel 34:20) and continues by
transferring responsibility to humans: "And I appointed over them one
shepherd...My servant David" (Ezekiel 34:20). Society must be led by a
flesh-and-blood leader whose qualities include judging his people with
justice without partiality. The social
system is responsible for appointing a leader in order to create an orderly
system capable of bringing its residents to justice. If you do not do so,
God, blessed be He, will seize your authority and return the law and the
kingdom to Him, not through the mediation of the leader, with all the painful
consequences that such a move has. As it is said: "Behold, I am against
the shepherds, and I will require my sheep from their hand" (Ezekiel
34:10). The meaning of the betrayal of the shepherd-leader in his position is
extremely serious. It causes loss of the way, moral deterioration, and
corruption, and for all of these, the one who gives the judgment is the
public, not the leader. The punishment is also for the seemingly innocent who
are part of the public. This is what is said: " He visits the iniquity of parents on
children..." (Exodus 34:7) and also "The fathers have eaten unripe
fruit, and the children's teeth are set on edge," when there is no law
and no judge - the generation of the fathers sins and causes the generation
of the children to sin, who pay for everything. However, at the time of
redemption, this judgment will no longer be spoken, for a person will die for
his sin (Deuteronomy 24:16,) which is the ideal situation. The Jewish
people are required to obey the laws of the place, and it is interesting that
among the Gentiles, the Jew is indeed disciplined and obedient. The Torah
instructs us in the section on Laws to obey the law: "And you shall do
according to the word that they shall tell you from that place which the Lord
will choose, and you shall be careful to do according to all that they shall
tell you. According to the Torah that they shall tell you and according to the
law that they shall tell you, you shall do; you shall not turn aside from the
word that they shall tell you to the right or to the left" (Deuteronomy
17:10-11). Similarly, each and every one must be obedient to the public and
its representatives, but at the same time it is clear to everyone that any
instruction that contradicts the path of the Torah should be ignored. True,
obedience to the law is not an absolute value, blind to reality, but
obedience to the law is a fundamental value in human society that must be
adopted in any system of government, democratic or non-democratic, and
especially so during the time of redemption. And again, subject to the laws
of the Torah. Loyalty to the law should be applied by everyone, including the
president and his ministers. However, upholding the law does not exempt from
assuming responsibility in judgment, especially if harm is caused to the
public as a result of mental blindness. The implementation of absolute
justice requires the judicial system to have courage in exercising
independent judgment in unconventional decisions. Here lies the
great difference between the law of the state (the State of Israel) and the
law of the Torah - Hebrew law. According to Hebrew law, a person whose guilt
is in doubt is entitled. The existence of such a doubt will be determined
according to that person's history, according to the list of rights or, to
distinguish it, the list of convictions that preceded the case. It is
certainly possible that someone who allegedly committed one offense but is
known for his righteousness and many rights, will
have the benefit of the doubt and not be convicted. If the offenses are
repeated, that is a different story. Unfortunately, in contrast, Israeli law
does not take into account the past rights of a defendant. On the other hand,
in Israeli law there are those who are guilty of bribery or any other offense
who manage to escape prosecution with the help of connections and money. In
law. And if the perpetrator is also a member of a criminal organization, there
is a good chance that the law enforcement system today will not make an
effort towards him for fear of getting involved. There are also known cases
in which the prosecution system keeps an eye on a rebellious politician, for
example, and then, according to them, it is a simple matter to pin some
offense on him in order to humiliate or delay him. The system of here and
there in law enforcement in which those who receive immunity for irrelevant
considerations such as the fear of representatives of the authorities
supporting the perpetrators or because of political kinship and other
connections is immoral and will not be acceptable at all after the reforms in
the legal system of the Jewish state are implemented. Flexibility
in penal law is an existing fact. In many cases, for example, when there is a
priority for bringing peace at home and outside the home, as we found in the
case of a pervert, "even the name of God was erased in order to make
peace between a man and his wife." Justice should be part of the inner
nature of each and every one of us, but we know that this is not a sufficient
condition for achieving ideal justice. First of all, proper education and
legal procedures are needed, in that order. I am also an enthusiastic
supporter of strengthening citizen involvement in the actions of the
establishment and monitoring the integrity of the system. To this end, the
legal system must allow for true feedback. Giving the public the opportunity
to express its grievances will lead the system to treat citizens more fairly.
Steps in this direction will increase the public's trust in the establishment
and contribute to the success of the system. It seems that representatives of
the establishment are interested in suppressing the little citizen, including
in the field of justice and law. Sometimes phenomena such as a lack of
empathy and paranoia between people cause internal destruction of society
when one does not care about the other. This is expressed in a complete
disconnect between different parts of the population, indifference to the
sorrow of the other, in cruel and inconsiderate strikes on the one hand, and
in abject neglect of workers and pensioners on the other (and contrary to
what might be expected - there is no connection between the cases). The legal
system should have something to say on the subject and should say its word
clearly, the legal system has a responsibility to compromise and find common
ground between the different groups, to establish peace. Unfortunately, this
is not what the legal system is transmitting today, an atmosphere of
alienation that only exacerbates the problems that Israeli society suffers
from. This is just part of the neglect of justice and the law in the State of
Israel, and because of this, society as a whole is
paying a heavy price. 17. Building
Trust in the Legal System I assume that
the primary role of the state is to protect the interests of its citizens and
provide them with the best possible quality of life. But the citizen must
also play his part for society with loyalty and dedication. The above
interests are reflected in the existence of a legal system that maintains a
balance in the mutual obligations of each party. The assurance that there
really is a system that is ready to demand justice, or alternatively a system
that takes the lead in the war on crime without bias, is very important for
maintaining national security. The citizen relies on this. Therefore, the
first thing to do if you want to gain trust in the system is to start with
reforming the legal system. To this end, it is clear that it is not enough to
issue just verdicts, they must be issued in a timely
manner without torture. After all, it is a well-known rule that there is no
justice where the trial drags on for too long. Delays in the trial show contempt
for the public and a breakdown in the system. Contrary to what one might
think, I do not blame the current legal system for being solely responsible
for the slowness because it is a combination of many factors, including a
lack of budget and standards, an outdated law, and only in the end a problem
with the work ethic and quality of judges, without referring to the legal
system itself. All of this
requires a fundamental overhaul: breaking the system The old system and the
construction of a completely different new system in its place. The starting
point here is that the current administration will cease to exist following
the events that will come in the redemption, and therefore there is no real
need to fight against the old legal system, although an appropriate
alternative needs to be prepared. The legal system needs to be structured so
that it can meet all the demands in real time in the face of the danger of
harm to the individual or society. It is so important that it is better to
starve and lower the standard of living as long as the high standards of
justice and law are not harmed. The legal system is no less important than
education and security, as it is the number one educational factor, and if it
fails, it will also drag the education and security systems with it. Logic
says that the integrity of any social system is contingent on the trust it
manages to gain from the citizen. The success of the legal system in
successfully meeting its tasks will determine the character of the state and
its future. My hope is that on the way to the redemption state, we will not
fail in disputes regarding the character of the legal system and the path
proposed here will be accepted in principle, otherwise it will be too late to
correct and the price will be high. For all of us. Therefore, it is important
that the leadership itself proves its loyalty to the law and justice until
this becomes the norm so that the public knows that justice and the law are
above all else. On the practical level, and this is good for any form of
government, everything necessary must be invested in establishing an
enlightened and high-level legal system. The judicial
system will be under the responsibility of the Inspector of Courts
(hereinafter referred to as the Inspector). The Inspector will not only
appoint judges but will be responsible for establishing investigative teams
that will be part of the judicial system, and will also be responsible for
assigning tasks. Although the Inspector will not be a judge, his role will be
to check whether the work of judging is done according to standards of
justice and without bias. A judge will not be immune to criticism, all
judgments will be published, along with a full protocol of the hearing in
video format (and if possible also a computerized transcript), so that more
observant eyes will be able to gain a retrospective impression of the trial.
This will allow for public, civil criticism of the judicial system in
addition to the Inspector's criticism. Exposure to the media will encourage
more citizens To refer any public or private matter that they consider to be
a violation of justice and has not been addressed by
those responsible, to the appropriate courts and thereby expand the public's
right to stand trial. As stated: openness to public criticism is one of the
conditions for an enlightened and just government. It is
important to note that the courts or judicial investigation committees are
not a small Sanhedrin but a civil system operating on the basis of the laws
of the law and the state. The institutions of the Sanhedrin (the small and
the large) will operate in parallel, with the large Sanhedrin sitting in the Heichal Hagazit on the Temple
Mount. 18. Structure of the Courts First,
because the courts will operate according to Jewish law, the judges and dayanim will be men: Regarding a woman judge, the Mishnah
says, "Anyone who is qualified to judge is qualified to testify"
(Tractate Nida), but someone who cannot testify is
not qualified to judge. In general, a woman cannot testify, and therefore
cannot judge. Although it is stated that anything that is entrusted to a
woman is trustworthy to testify about (Tosafot Pesachim), and in sensitive humanitarian cases, their
testimony is accepted. And there are opinions (Sefer
Ha-Hanuquh 77) based on the precedent of Deborah
the Prophet, that only in matters of property can a woman be accepted as a
judge. Of course, at
the time of the redemption, the law will be Jewish. In my opinion, Jewish law
is much more moderate, tolerant, and even gives more room for discretion,
which emphasizes the insight unique to us that it is not the severity of the
punishment that will cure delinquency, but mainly the atmosphere in the home
and the environment - they will have the greatest influence. This has already
been stated in Tractate Sanhedrin: "Rabbi Shmuel
bar Nachmani said, Rabbi Yonatan said: Every judge
who judges a true law in its truth causes the Divine Presence to depart from
Israel... and when he does not do so, he causes the Divine Presence to
depart." Rabbi Tzadok Ha-Kohen
of Lublin interprets: "The laws of the Torah are true, but there is
truth in its truth, as they said in the Sanhedrin, except for a fraudulent
law, whose law appears to be true according to the Torah according to the
claims, but is not true in its truth." In other words, those who judge
the law solely from the sources, detached from reality, do not get to aim for
the truth In fact. Jewish law
covers many subjects and there is almost no need to expand on it, but
absurdly enough, today, with the establishment of the Israeli state, Jewish
law is theoretically valid in cases of lacunae in the law, but in practice it
does not receive an opportunity and is abandoned due to lack of understanding
and its nullity compared to general law. Whereas in the Jewish state, general
law will be the secondary law and will constitute a collection of regulations
and directives that the government will publish and it does not contradict
Jewish law. In cases where there is no unequivocal statement in the law (Jewish
or general), the court will act according to its understanding. Laws,
regulations and directives will be the responsibility of the president and
his government (as opposed to the laws of halakhah
under the authority of the Sanhedrin). The president will enact laws and
regulations in the executive areas related to the activities of his
government and if there is a concern about a conflict with Jewish law, it is
advisable for the president to consult with the president of the Sanhedrin,
who can also intervene on his own initiative. In cases where the president of
the Sanhedrin invalidates a legal directive of the president as contradicting
the spirit of halakhah, the president can ask the
members of the council to decide with authority which of the two is
responsible. The Torah
courts (Small Sanhedrin) that will be established will specialize in areas
such as: courts for family and children's property matters, Shabbat, and
everything related to religion. Alternatively, litigants will be able to
request arbitrators who are professionally suited to the dispute (according
to the Zevla method - each litigant chooses one
judge for himself, according to Torah law), according to the choice of the
litigants (in my understanding, in the event of agreement from all sides - a
woman can also be chosen for the role of arbitrator). All criminal matters
will be heard in courts of the investigation committees (the peace). Civil
disputes will be heard in a court appointed by the Small Sanhedrin. In all
cases, it is important that the judges demonstrate multidisciplinary
understanding and education that will allow them to question witnesses
professionally, invite and understand expert opinions, and have the courage
to rule according to their feelings after thoroughly examining and
researching all parties, because this is what distinguishes the Jewish legal
system, in which judges actively investigate, compared to the accepted system
in which the judge allows the litigants' powerful to manipulate the trial to
their own ends. The judge must demonstrate public courage, as it is written:
"And you shall judge justly between a man and his brother and his
neighbor. You shall not respect persons in judgment; you shall hear both the
small and the great. "You shall not be envious of anyone, for the
judgment belongs to God" (Deuteronomy 1:16-17). The court
system will be headed by the Superintendent of Courts, who will be of
ministerial rank. Below him will be regional superintendents who will be in
charge of the district courts and the courts of the peace/investigation
teams. The superintendents will be professionals in their field of
responsibility, and like the investigation teams, those in charge of the
designated courts will be highly skilled experts in these matters. In terms
of seniority, the superintendents will be higher than the judges, but they
will not be able to judge or interfere with the judges' judgments. Their
authority will be administrative (appointments) and technical in order to
inspect the judicial conduct and review the judgments. Their role will also
be to protect the interests of the litigants, and in the event that there is
criticism of a particular judgment, they will forward their comments to the
Chief Superintendent of Courts along with recommendations such as a retrial
in a higher judicial instance. The superintendents will also be responsible
for distributing the work arrangements of the legal teams to According to
needs. If a judge is found not to meet the criteria for judging, the
inspectors will be able to warn him and then also terminate his term with the
approval of the Chief Inspector of the Courts. An appeal against their
decision will only be before the Supreme Court/President of the State. There
will be no judicial instance above the inspectors, only the Chief Inspector
and the President of the State, in order to allow them to fulfill their
duties without fear. The inspector has a personal responsibility to check the
proper course of legal hearings. If the inspector finds questions of
principle that have a halakhic interest and are
precedent-setting, they will be handled by the President of the Sanhedrin,
who will decide whether to bring them to the Sanhedrin to determine a law.
The Sanhedrin has the authority to request a review of a court ruling if they
find a significant contradiction there with the rules of halakhic
law, subject to the decision of the President of the Sanhedrin. 19.
Investigation teams and the police I believe
that justice must first be seen, in order to strengthen public confidence in
the justice system. The first step is to do everything possible to speed up
judicial proceedings that will meet reasonable deadlines. My understanding is
that the right way is first to spare no effort in establishing proper courts
that will allow trials to be held without delays. And in addition, and this
is the main thing, to establish the investigative court (investigation teams)
that will focus on criminal offenses, for example, in economic matters,
breaches of trust and corruption. In addition, violent offenses handled by
the police will be brought to trial before three judges from the
investigation teams when the police provide the investigation material to the
court. A legal hearing that lasts a long time, the effect of the punishment
dissipates. Bypassing bureaucratic barriers does not necessarily come at the
expense of justice. On the contrary, justice only benefits if the
investigation and trial are conducted at a 24/6 pace. It is important that
the sentence be seen and made as close as possible to the time the offense
was committed. It should be noted that this system is somewhat reminiscent of
the French system where there is an Investigating judge, but here it grants
much more authority to the investigation teams. The investigating court will
be made up of experts who will be trained for a judicial role and to conduct
complex investigations. The training system for the investigating judges will
include academic studies, practical training in the field of investigations,
and of course specialization in laws and Jewish law. The courts of the Small
Sanhedrin will of course be composed of qualified judges who have the
authority to adjudicate property laws, Family and more. Of course, I expect
all judges on the investigation committees and the district court to be
observant of Torah and mitzvot. And we
emphasize again: the police (and not the investigation teams) will handle
offenses that are violent or a low-level violation of the law. It is the sole
authority responsible for preventing crime and maintaining public peace and
will serve as the executive arm of the government and the court. The
investigation teams, on the other hand, will focus on corruption offenses:
corruption in the public and private service, fraud, extortion, breach of trust, embezzlement, bribery, tax offenses,
perversion of justice, incitement, false advertising, waste of public funds,
discrimination, unlawful abuse of authority, and more. If necessary, the
police will assist the investigation teams by providing appropriate backup.
The supervisor of the investigation teams may also transfer an investigation
from the police to the investigation teams for completion. In particularly
serious cases, the trial can be transferred directly to a district court.
Sensitive Investigations Related to Heads of Government and the President's
House will be entrusted to the President of the Sanhedrin, who will appoint
his own investigators. The role of
the supervisor of the investigation teams includes concentrating the
investigation subjects and dividing them into appropriate teams according to
the information coming from the police or the public. Each investigation team
will deal with only a small number of cases at a given time so that they can
complete the investigation and trial without delay. The process will be based
on an open or covert investigation, a legal hearing, a summary, and finally a
verdict and sentence by at least three judges from the investigation team.
The meetings will be videotaped and transcribed, so that if a question arises
about the legality of the trial proceedings, it can be checked. The maximum
penalty that the investigation teams can impose is a fine and imprisonment in
a rehabilitation facility. The speedy
trial system will restore public confidence in the justice system. Everyone
will see that for every offense there is an immediate punishment, and it will
not help even if the offender is rich in money and social connections. The
reform will not be complete before a radical change is also made to the
system The punishment/rehabilitation as detailed below. The silence of
witnesses and interrogators will be imputed to the duty of the silent
witness/interrogated. Public figures must adhere to the purity of their
morals. It is enough if it is proven that they acted improperly and without a
satisfactory explanation, even if they did not take money into their pockets,
they will be considered to have betrayed the trust given to them and will be
convicted of at least breach of trust. In any case, public figures who remain silent or do not tell the truth will not be
able to continue in their positions. In serious offenses, even close family
members will have to testify. And when the justification changes - it is more
appropriate to use sanctions and imprisonment to extract information. We
learned from Maimonides: "We were commanded to give testimony before the
judges about everything we know... and whoever violates this commandment and
withholds his testimony - his sin is great" (Sefer
Hamitvos, Asa 175). It
should be clear to everyone - in the war against crime, one must take off the
gloves and fight it by all means, those who
undermine the effort will bear all the consequences. What means investigators
will be able to use - we will leave that to the judiciary and supervisors.
The courts will be supervised by the Supervisor of Courts, who will routinely
review the progress of hearings to reduce the fear that investigators will
deviate from the standard of investigation and judges will not do their job
faithfully. The representation of the accused in court will be discussed
later. Legal
professionals will be given enough authority to be able to fulfill their
mission properly, but if they do not follow the rules, control mechanisms
will be activated. Control will begin at the stage of appointing legal
professionals according to standards. What are the required qualities? We
have already been warned in the sources, "For a bribe blinds the
wise" (Exodus 23:8) and "For a bribe blinds the eyes of the
wise" (Deuteronomy 16:19). 'Wisdom' is a comprehensive knowledge of the
laws of the Torah and 'wise' is mental acuity, and the Maimonides emphasizes
that the judge must be humble and love people (Hilkot
Sanhedrin 2:7). The Gra interprets this to mean
that the judge must be excellent in Torah and knowledgeable in worldly
affairs (Aderet Eliyahu).
At the same time, candidates for the position of investigating judge will
undergo in-depth training in the field of Jewish law, general law (at an
academic level, as is customary today), investigations, and another general
field. Age will not be a limitation. In this context, it is worth noting that
the law allows for the appointment of a young judge who has completed his or
her studies, "because at this time there are books and law verses on
most subjects, and the judge is not required to be a genius in order to issue
halachic rulings." As already
stated, each investigation team will be headed by a team leader who will also
serve as the ab beit din
(president of the court). He will conduct the investigation and the trial. He
has the authority to initiate an investigation after prior or retrospective
approval from the inspector, as well as to carry out a 48-hour detention for
the purpose of the investigation. The teams will work according to a work
arrangement determined by the inspectors, taking into account the workload of
the investigations. If necessary, the inspector will appoint additional teams
to expedite investigations. The activities of an investigation team should
not be limited to a specific geographical area,
everything will be in accordance with the interests of the matter. In addition
to recording all hearings, and in addition to the review by the regional
inspector, the national inspector (for the investigation teams) will also
serve as an additional step in the control mechanism. His job will be to
ensure that the local inspectors are doing their job faithfully and
impartially. In any case, the accused will be able to appeal to the District
and/or Supreme Court. Although the appellant must take into account that if
the appeal is rejected, he may also bear the legal costs or receive an
increased sentence. Very serious offenses that can be punished with the death
penalty will be tried in the district court from the outset. Appeals or
special offenses (as determined by the president) will be heard in the
Supreme Court, presided over by the president. 20.
Advantages of the proposed legal system The legal
systems in the modern world are certainly more advanced and egalitarian than
in the past. However, because the system strives to sanctify the law, it
follows that the right to basic justice is violated, the system is convoluted
by bureaucracy, and cannot withstand the burdens it itself creates. It is
clear that in this situation, the criminals are left to their own devices
until their trial ends in dubious transactions or nothing at all. It is only
a pity that the victims and law-abiding people pay the price. In contrast
to the legal system practiced today, which sanctifies the rights of the
accused to evade responsibility if he can afford to hire lawyers whose area
of expertise is to turn the trial into a show, Jewish law also
has a religious significance beyond its function of doing justice. In Jewish
("Hebrew") law, justice is a central part of the work of God.
Hence, the legal weight tends to tighten the conditions for conviction
(compared to civil law), along with strict adherence to the duty of judges to
uphold the principles of justice and holiness of the Jewish people. A person
will not be convicted based on his confession alone and at least 2 witnesses
are required to bring about a conviction. This actually works in the favor of
the accused who will not be convicted when there is doubt or when their
confession was extracted by fraud or force. This is in contrast to the legal
situation prevailing today, in which if the system is interested in a
conviction, a false confession can be extracted by force and some other marginal
thing can be invented to assist. The judicial
investigation committees and the courts will act according to Hebrew law, as
well as according to national law, and if there is a situation in which there
is no legal reference or where using the legal source will only distort
justice, the courts are entitled to act in the way they see fit, with
reasoning. In the event that there is no conflict with Hebrew law, civil laws
and practices also receive a halachic seal in what
is called the "public regulations" in the context of the
integration of the legal systems. And I quote Justice Menachem
Alon: "This foundation on the basis of the
king's law and the principle of the 'public regulations' is undoubtedly -
from the perspective of the world of halachah - the
classic way to ever in the future bring about a unification and integration
between Israeli law and historical Hebrew law." In today's situation
where there are no nearby dayanim, legal
professionals will be sufficiently learned people to rule according to general
law and according to Hebrew law. According to Rabbi Kook, when the
understanding of the halachah in a particular case
is not clear enough, or cannot be applied, this situation should be treated
as a question of regulation and prioritize the laws of justice and fairness,
as the Noahide covenanted. Therefore, the source of
their authority will be the biblical obligation to judge according to the
laws of honesty and to do justice and to judge justice or according to
another opinion: "Their mission is to judge their servants." The
judges are the messengers of the ancient courts, even though they have no
authority of their own to judge Torah law. Without any
connection to Jewish law or general law, the legal system must be simplified.
We must strive for trials that are conducted continuously and end as quickly
as possible so that there is no legal torture for either the accused or the
victims, especially not for the victims. It is more important for the public
to know that for every offense, they are put on trial and immediately see the
results, rather than the question of how severe the penalties should be and
what constitutes a deterrent punishment. Personally, I do not believe in
deterrence, criminals almost always return to crime. It has more to do with education
and mental disorders that limit their ability to choose freely to the point
that they are unaware of the consequences of their actions. But most
importantly: if the public knew that there is a law and a judge, they would
not remain indifferent to crime, and would weed out those people who have
adopted a criminal norm for themselves. It is known that the length of the
trial leads to a loss of trust and many do not even seek help from the
system. In special cases, it is better to work around the clock and even ask
the judges to make a special effort to complete the trial on time, so that
justice can be seen by all. The presence
of lawyers requires thought. Does their presence in criminal trials add to
justice or detract from it? The answer is probably made up of several
factors, starting with the financial resources of the person on trial, the extensive connections of the lawyer, the manipulations
he manages to create, and the ability of the judge standing before him to
hold the reins of justice. In criminal cases, it must be taken into account
that the system will be completely different from what is practiced today:
there is a judicial investigation committee, not one person who investigates
and decides to take shortcuts for himself, and there is a team leader who is
supposed to know the case in question well, and who is effectively
supervised, and the verdict is given by several judges, not one. In my
opinion, this is better than the situation today, where the weak, those who
were not blessed with deep pockets or, alternatively, did not steal money and
take bribes to finance their expensive defense, are precisely the ones who do
not get justice in the current legal system. In addition, the damage that
lawyers cause to the justice system can be enormous, mainly because of the
trials that drag on endlessly, the judges are fed up and they compromise on
the law and justice, and there are difficult cases that are closed without a
trace. In contrast, in civil lawsuits or criminal appeals, there is a point in
hiring lawyers, especially if the issue is complicated and complex, but here
at least the judge can also use experts on his behalf. The main problem
remains in the length of criminal lawsuits, therefore, at least in the first instance, the lawyers should be kept away. Moreover,
according to Jewish law, one is not in a hurry to convict, and even if
convicts do not send to long imprisonment and prefer a framework of
corrective education. I emphasize again: in the judge-investigator system,
there is more involvement and less distance, and one can expect the judges to
behave with excessive fairness while understanding the side of the accused.
But if, God forbid, there is a complaint about miscarriages of justice, these
will be examined by a number of additional review mechanisms as will be
detailed below, and in any case, in the higher courts (district court and
above) there will be the possibility of hiring a lawyer. I expect that
everyone: the litigants and the lawyers will cooperate with the justice
system to the extent possible in order to reach the truth, and any act
intended to prevent the truth from being reached is a criminal offense.
Maimonides (Hilkot Sanhedrin 21 Halacha
1) recommends that the court is permitted to help the litigant who does not
know how to present his arguments and to give him relief and guidance in
order to try and understand. At the same time, the judge must frequently
interrogate the witnesses in order to reach the truth (Hilkot
Edut Chapter 1 Halacha
4). The substance of the case must be clear to the parties (unless there are
weighty considerations to prevent this) and the court must allow the
litigants to say whatever is on their minds but to direct their words to the
issues relevant to the hearing. There is
evidence that in the past, a court was required to Jewish law excels in the
speed of judicial decisions. For example, a review of historical documents
from the city of Krk shows that in the Middle Ages,
regulations were enacted requiring that each trial in a lower court be concluded
in no more than three days, while in the middle and high courts in up to nine
days, and if not, the judges would pay out of their own pockets for the
community. For balance, it is necessary to moderate the speed in determining
the verdict. Rabbi Yehuda the Hasid says that a judge should not rule on the
same day even if the law is clear to him, because there is always a second
thought or a delayed internal revelation and it is appropriate to wait a day
or several days. According to the main tenets of Torah law, a judge can even
judge alone, but in most cases, it was customary in Jewish law to judge in
threes (Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat, Section 3,
Section 2). In order to achieve fair judicial conditions, it is necessary to
prevent from the outset the establishment of a court in which there is no
harmony among its members, which could introduce foreign considerations into
the court. The Talmud states that two judges who hate each other do not sit
together. In the law (Sanhedrin 29, p. 1), and in my opinion, in such a case,
the team of judges should be carefully examined, as at least one of them
cannot meet the requirements for moral purity, which casts a stain on the
entire system. In any case, it should be ensured that the judges act in the most fair manner towards the litigants, and this is within
the authority of the supervisor of judges. What qualities are required of a
judge? The judge must see himself as God's messenger in the trial, and any
evasion of the mission is a betrayal of God. The most important quality in a
judge is the fear of God and faith. Without faith, the judge is liable to
fail in contempt and haughtiness of heart, as we found in Jehoshaphat:
"For you shall not judge for man, but for the Lord... Thus shall you do
in the fear of the Lord, with faith and with a perfect heart"
(Chronicles b 19:69). From this verse we can learn that the judges themselves
are put to the test and must not neglect their great responsibility, since
the Lord watches over them at all times. According to the
accepted practice in Jewish law, the verdict given by the court is anonymous
and is signed by all three without specifying which of the court members were the acquitters and which were the convicters.
In any case, it should be examined whether this method is preferable or
whether the minority judge should be allowed to write his opinion separately
from the verdict. The Commissioner of Courts has the authority to intervene
(especially if convinced by the minority judge) and bring the matter to a
retrial or to another panel or to a higher court. The
importance of the trial of justice is so high that it is said, "And
Jerusalem was not destroyed, nor was Israel exiled, except by the annulment
of the trial" (Tur Hoshen
al-Mishpat, Section 1). In civil law, the priority
of compromise over the trial is important in order to increase peace and
justice. However, in criminal law, the current widespread phenomenon of 'plea
bargains' that result from an overload on the system must be prevented. This
is also an anti-educational act that contradicts the values of
justice and honesty. After the reform of the judicial system, this phenomenon
will have no place in the courts and in fact will not be necessary for
several reasons: (1) The prosecution and/or members of the investigation
committee will also be able to convict based on the testimonies and their
impressions of the accused and his cooperation in the test of truth. (2) The
court and the prosecution will conclude the case as soon as possible so that
there is no torture or burden on the court, and therefore a plea bargain will
no longer be relevant. (3) The court will not need the defendant's confession
in order to convict him and will be able to do so based
on its subjective impressions of the testimonies. (4) In a judicial process
carried out by the investigation team, there will be no official prosecutor
or defense attorney, so only the accused, on his own initiative, will be able
to request a reduction in sentence or a plea bargain (although this would not
be really relevant in Jewish law - in my opinion), but such a request must be
reasoned and convincing. It should be
taken into account that this reform will reduce to a certain extent the
distance between the honorable court and the accused, but it will also allow
the accused more opportunities to present his arguments to the judges, who
will also be more attentive to him. First, the members of the investigation
committees will question the parties and the background to the case outside
the courtroom (subject to the obligation to document), and only after they
have formulated a position and an indictment will they continue with the
formal trial process, in which the accused will be given the opportunity to
present his position again and explain his actions, as well as to have
witnesses testify, and more, and the judges will review and re-examine their
judgments. This stage will be the public stage, and it will be documented and
open to the public. In order to establish such a system, one must begin with
A new and orderly way of working. The judicial system must reliably document
all hearings and investigations conducted before and during the trial, so
that it will be possible to thoroughly examine the legality of the
proceedings after the verdict is issued (at the request of all interested
parties). I believe that by the time of the reform, we will have the
technological means to record the minutes of the legal hearing in a
computerized manner so that this issue will not be a stumbling block to the
implementation of the reform. Everything necessary must be invested in order
to shorten the duration of the trial to the most reasonable period of time. I
should note in a side note that the resources allocated to improving the
judicial system will ultimately return as profit to the national GNP as a
result of reducing the waste of working days resulting from an inefficient
judicial system. The state will finance special legal advisors who will
provide litigants in civil and criminal cases with any assistance that will make
it easier for them to independently manage their claims. A lack of
professional manpower, neither in investigations, nor in trial, nor in
supervision, must not be the cause of legal torture. If necessary, then it is
permissible to employ one team for every 1000 residents, and it is better to
be careful in choosing the judges. Probably at the time of the redemption we
will not need such a high number of courts, if at all. To summarize
the issue, the investigation teams will also serve as magistrates' courts,
and thus there is a chance that the hearings will not continue until they
lose all meaning. If the best judges are appointed, this system will reduce
legal errors and bias in trials. Regarding civil law, justice must be seen
there too, and if a person wins a large lawsuit and is unable to realize the
winnings - this is not justice. A debtor who refuses to pay his debt will
risk criminal prosecution and may be punished with a fine or imprisonment.
Magistrates' courts or magistrates' courts will also serve as arbitrators in
personal disputes at the request of the defendants. 21.
Punishment as a means of prevention, not punishment In a
civilized country, it is forbidden to see prison as a purpose or solution to
crime. The purpose of imprisonment is first and foremost correction (which is
unfairly called "punishment"), and only secondarily, and when there
is no other choice, is the purpose also exclusion from society. On the other
hand, in my opinion, certain weight should also be given to feelings of anger
and revenge on the part of the victims. The victims deserve to see that the
offender pays freely or in any other form. In addition, they deserve
compensation from the offender according to his ability. It is important that
the punishment be carried out quickly and decisively. It is like striking the
iron while it is still hot. On the other hand, the offender needs to be
rehabilitated. Although he is a sinner, he is probably himself a victim of an
unsupportive environment and he also deserves a real chance to be
rehabilitated. And if we talk about rehabilitation, an offender who returns
to crime a second or third time will not be rehabilitated until after being
removed from society for a long period. In Jewish
law, imprisonment is not the preferred solution. Imprisonment, or by its
ancient name, "the punishment of the prison" (a small cell), is
mentioned as a means of punishment during the Talmud. If someone is beaten
and beaten, the court puts him in a prison, and they feed him with his skin
until his stomach bursts (Sanhedrin 9.5). From this we learn that one should
avoid depriving a person of his freedom, at least for the first offense, and
only when there is no other choice is one placed in detention. Usually, one
is arrested for a serious crime that carries the death penalty or other
corporal punishment. Rabbi Hirsch addressed the issue of imprisonment (see Elishai ben Yitzhak) referring to the sources (Exodus
21:6): "The punishments of imprisonment for all the hope and moral
corruption that reside behind the walls of the prison, for all the grief and
sighing that they bring upon the prisoner's wife and children - have no place
in the Torah of God. They will not recognize their place, on the miserable
prison fortresses of crime - in the realm of the Torah." And before
conviction, is there a law that allows for detention until the end of the
proceedings? Rashi interpreted that detention is to
prevent the suspect from escaping: "They detain him until it is
determined whether the person being beaten will die or not, and bandage him,
apparently so that he will not escape. From this it is clear that it is
permissible to place a person in detention to prevent his escape, or other
disruption during the trial. (See discussion of the Central Board of
Education for Jurisprudence on the Torah's view on the penalty of
imprisonment.) But there is
another consideration, and that is the public consideration: Rabbi Yitzhak
Bar Sheshet (Rivash) says
that in addition to the desire to prevent the suspect from escaping, there is
a public interest in arresting those suspected of serious offenses, because
"someone who has committed an offense for which there is a fear of being
punished should not walk around the market while a court is examining,
considering, and passing judgment." In my opinion, these are appropriate
touchstones and one should proceed accordingly. Does there
have to be a direct connection between the severity of the offense and the
punishment? Under the Reform system, there may not be a direct connection
since there will not be imprisonment by definition, but rather educational
rehabilitation, and this is scheduled for two years in most cases. Of course,
a financial fine will also be imposed for the benefit of the injured party or
for the benefit of the state. The prophets warn that if society does not
exercise its right to punish the offender, then the offenses fall on the
entire public and it will bear responsibility. In ancient times, the typical
punishment was a financial fine (or alternatively, slavery) and corporal
punishment up to and including the death penalty. Today, the punishment is
imprisonment and/or a fine. In this situation, the chances of sinners
reforming their ways are low. And when criminals of all kinds are imprisoned
together, they continue to practice crime even in prison. Rehabilitation in
prison today is completely voluntary, and at most provides an occupational
solution and allows those who would have returned to society to return to
society anyway even without rehabilitation to return to society. But most of
the prisoners in prison today are those who chose a life of crime in the
first place, because that is the culture in which they grew up.
Rehabilitating such prisoners really means re-education, which does not exist
today. The fact that many of those imprisoned have been in prison more than
once indicates the failure of rehabilitation programs for those prisoners.
Ostensibly, the same law applies to everyone, but if the justice system has
an agenda - they are stricter with the accused. This happens mainly for
political reasons - revenge becomes legitimate and convictions are upheld
even if there is no evidence or testimony. It is enough to extract a
"confession" from the victim under torture and the person is thrown
in prison for the rest of his life. This is an absurdity that exists in a
rotten justice system. In a trial The Jew has no chance of such a thing (only
on the basis of two or three witnesses can one be convicted, not even based
on a confession!). How socially
and morally just is the system of imprisonment, how much does it contribute
to stabilizing society? In order to
provide an answer, one must first ask what the goal of imprisonment really
should be. One option is to remove bad people from society, so that they will
no longer endanger it. From the perspective of society, this is the easiest
way. Here, society does not take responsibility for the crimes of the
criminals. Another option is to work towards the true rehabilitation of the
prisoners. This is the more difficult way in which society takes
responsibility for the criminal acts (and therefore here the punishment will
not be proportional to the severity of the crime) and will work to provide
the criminals with a new life, so to speak. Ostensibly, both ways are
correct: these people should be removed from society and, on the other hand,
provided with the opportunity to rehabilitate them. In the US, prisons are
called rehabilitation institutions. But even there, prisoners are not truly
rehabilitated. Unfortunately, the result shows that prison is no less a
school for criminals, while society continues to wash itself with forced
cleanliness. So what can be done? According to
the proposed reform method, prisons have no right to exist. Prisons are left
with only their traditional role of distancing people from society, and there
are cases in which prisons continue to punish prisoners by making their
conditions of imprisonment more severe. And there is the drug problem in
prisons, which is an unwritten curse. It turns out that not many prisoners,
those who come from difficult social backgrounds, manage to break out of the
cycle of crime. Many others deteriorate and destroy their future and lives
with their own hands. The conclusion: If we really want to rehabilitate, the
first thing we need to do is change the way we look at prisoners. It should be
remembered that violent criminals, most of whom come
from difficult backgrounds and cruel fates, are first and foremost human
beings. Some were born into ruined families and fell into social traps that
degraded them to their current situation. On the one hand, they have not
learned how to really deal with life, and on the other hand, they have
absolved themselves of responsibility for their fate with the insight that
society screwed them over and therefore society owes them something, and
hence they have an internal moral justification for their actions, which are
explained by the need to repay society for what it did to them. Hence, the
question of the existence of moral justification for their imprisonment
arises, since they themselves are social victims. Not that I am trying to be
nice and deny our right to bring about the imprisonment of people, but that
this discussion will first of all bring about a fundamental change in the way
we view the offender and the path to his rehabilitation. While there
is agreement that prisoners need to be rehabilitated, the perception that
they can truly be rehabilitated in practice is a revolution. Today, crime is treated
as if it were an inevitable social reality, and therefore also the alienation
and indifference regarding the lives and fates of those imprisoned, to the
point of agreement with the solution according to which criminals are removed
from society and that is the end of the matter. And despite many years of
cries to heaven about incarceration conditions that are beyond reproach, the
public remains indifferent to the fate of the prisoners, when, as mentioned,
the daily hardship in prison is a double punishment without a trial. Assuming that
society shares the blame for the offender's sins, society must also take
responsibility and deal with the social failure that led to this. On the
other hand, the offender is not exempt from responsibility either, and more
than that: serving prison time does not atone for his actions, at most only
serves society's desire for revenge. I accuse the state of getting away with
its failure in the education and welfare system cheaply, but it throws the
victim of the failure into prison, and that is where its responsibility ends.
In fact, one could expect the state to investigate every such case of a
person who has fallen into crime, as part of the repentance process that we
need to undertake. There is no point or logic in bringing the offender to a
state of losing all humanity, without rights, without consideration for basic
needs, including many situations of humiliation and oppression, without
presenting a way to a solution. And if he is not prepared to integrate with
criminals in prison, then his punishment is doubled. And as mentioned, the
incarcerated are themselves victims of society who need compassion and mercy.
Some of them went through difficult experiences in their childhood, destroyed
families, and more. And this is true, by the way, even for children from
seemingly normative families. In a side note, I must clarify that there is a
distortion in the understanding of the concept of criminal today. These are
not only thieves and robbers, we should also include
the small crooks and big crooks who present false representations for their
personal benefit and to exploit others. Unfortunately, this area falls
between the cracks in today's legal systems and such people escape justice
despite the seriousness of their actions. And if we are talking about
distressed families, the real distress is in the functioning of the family
and the system needs to locate them and lift them back up. This system is us
- the people on the street, the friends and relatives, and the establishment.
And if this system, instead of supporting them, disowns them and throws them
into the gutters. We do not wash our hands clean. Despite the
claim that responsibility for crime falls on the offender and on society,
this does not mean that the offender is exempt or will receive psychological
support as an alternative to imprisonment. If the offender is a mature person
in his soul, he should take responsibility for his actions, at least atone
for them from the heart and make amends. The agreement to begin with a
process of repentance is the main part of rehabilitation, without it it is a waste of everyone's time. So now we are talking
about rehabilitation, and about the offender's agreement to cooperate with
the rehabilitation process. This agreement is the first and main barrier that
must be overcome in order to succeed in rehabilitation. The rest will flow
more easily. If an offender is not ready and able to rehabilitate, he will be
placed in a closed framework of work and study, not exactly prison, until he feels
that he is ready for rehabilitation. Rehabilitation
is first and foremost an educational process, a framework that provides the
prisoner with full educational activity along with professional training. It
goes far beyond that and includes work arrangements, housing, and more.
Things that are actually due to every citizen of the country. The
rehabilitation period is not at all the same as the period that the offender
was supposed to spend in prison according to today's standards. The natural
punishment is a financial fine and compensation to the victim, rehabilitation
is not part of the punishment and therefore its length will in principle be
two years, unless otherwise decided (such as in cases where the offense is
minor or was committed by mistake and distraction) and according to the
condition of the rehabilitated person. Rehabilitation
will take place in open institutions, not in the city but in the countryside.
Something like open farms. Although the rehabilitator will be subject to a
strict regime with a daily schedule of studies and work, there will be no
police officers and no fences to give the place a formal image. As mentioned,
a rehabilitator who has improved the trust given to him will move to a
different institutional framework that is more suitable for people who do not
have much hope of being rehabilitated and brought back to a normal life. The
difference between the two types of institutions will be in several main
points: instead of open rehabilitation, it will be a closed institution where
there will be a routine of regular productive work (if the prisoner is
interested), and this will be a long-term arrangement, something like until
retirement. As part of
the rehabilitation, the offender will also pay the financial fine imposed
from his share of the remuneration for his work during the rehabilitation
period. At the same time, national service volunteers will also provide
support and encouragement to both the prisoner's family and the victims, if
any. This is in addition to their social and central role in supporting the
general public in general, and youth experiencing social difficulties in
particular. Hopefully, the resources allocated to this will be in line with
the need, and will lead to a reduction in the number of youths who will be
defined as "problematic". Is there a
connection between the punishment (including
educational) imposed on "classic" offenders and the chance of
correcting their ways? In my opinion, there is a greater chance of success
here, even if not complete. On the other hand, offenses such as hate crimes
and incitement, treason, turning a blind eye, embezzlement and immorality
will probably receive a different treatment accordingly in order to uproot
them from the root. Here there is also a matter of fighting a distorted
worldview that harms the public and the social fabric. It is true
that an offender should be given the opportunity to repent and also receive
the appropriate support from society. However, woe to him if he fails a
second time. If he drags on even after the system has trusted him and not
been harsh with him, and has also received education and professional
training in the process, and rehabilitation, then it is likely that the
system will not be forgiving towards him the second time. If he previously
spent time in a correctional and educational institution, this time the court
can sentence him to a long prison sentence and not just additional
rehabilitation. The key point in my opinion is that no concessions will be
given for repeat offenses, and then the defendant will be considered a
habitual offender and will be punished severely. In this way, people who have
a chance at rehabilitation will indeed receive the rehabilitation, and if
they do cooperate with the rehabilitation mechanism and do not repeat the
crimes - the system will be forgiving towards them. And pay attention! When I
talk about forgiveness, it depends on the case: there is no forgiveness and
pardon for cases of rape and murder with malicious intent, incitement, or any
other serious harm that endangers society as a whole. The death penalty is
legitimate for crimes committed by people who do not recognize the right of
society to exist. In this case, human rights are also null and void. And
again I want to emphasize: vengeful punishment is unjust, wrong and
ineffective - if possible, then it should be
addressed in other ways. Because in the end, the effects of ostracism,
exclusion and harm may return like a boomerang to society itself. As a side
note to the law practiced today in the State of Israel, it pains me to see
women who killed their abusive husbands, and the judge is forced to convict
them of murder despite the mitigating circumstances. In Jewish law, this
would not happen and I also believe that we will not reach situations of abusive
husbands without society uprooting such problems. And in general, I hope that
at the time of redemption there will be (almost) no criminals. Suffice it to
say that today a large part of the serious crimes are committed by foreigners
and in redemption criminals from this sector will simply be removed with
their families. In parallel
with the closure of the prisons Institutions for rehabilitation and remedial
education will be opened. These will be established in combination with
workplaces, and some will be established specifically in rural areas in order
to integrate agricultural work, since in my opinion this is an integral part
of the reform. These institutions will be completely open. Fines, if imposed,
will be paid in part in exchange for days of work, and even those with money
who were arrested will pay part of the fine in exchange for days of work, all
according to the court's decision. In principle, institutions such as the
agricultural farm in the village will be intended for people who have been
convicted and their punishment will be determined in a way that will allow
them to mend their ways through study and agricultural work. They will be
able to leave and enter the facility without restrictions in their free time,
but they will be required to be present at meetings on site. The therapeutic
reform is not linked to the severity of the punishment and aims to bring
about the rehabilitation of those who can be helped, and this will be done
within the civil framework. The intention is to avoid stigmatizing a rehabilitable offender. Of course, corrective education
is good for all of us, not just for criminals who have already been caught,
but on this occasion (of standing trial), at least
the system will be able to provide a solution for those who certainly need
rehabilitation. I hope that everyone else will receive quality education in
the further course of establishing the Jewish state, as part of the
educational reform. There will be an organized educational program that will
allow everyone to receive lectures on moral issues, etc. When
considering punishment, several factors must be taken into account, such as
the type and severity of the offense (even if it was not actually committed),
the amount of the financial fine, and the rehabilitation path appropriate for
the offender. The period of stay in the facility will usually be up to two years, in exceptional cases it will be possible to return
the offender for an additional period. In cases where the offender is not
willing (or unable) to mend his ways and is not willing to accept the rules
used in those institutions intended for his rehabilitation, his continued
treatment will be according to stricter criteria. As stated, the purpose of
this chapter is to convince of the necessity of steps to rehabilitate
offenders and restore the human dimension to every person, in parallel with
the all-out war on crime. The levels of
punishment will be determined in accordance with a new concept that aims to
combine punishment with full rehabilitation. Such a solution requires
separating the offender from his old environment and placing him in a better
and more beneficial social environment where volunteers and professionals
will serve to provide supportive attention. An attempt to analyze the factors
that brought the offender to his situation will lead to the conclusion that
the way to get him out of there (from the cycle of crime) requires investment
and attention in everything, starting with addressing families with
difficulties, continuing with guiding potential parents in good parenting, as
well as monitoring problematic youth who are dropped from the education
system, and ending with the rehabilitation of the offenders themselves. I
assume that in a Jewish state this would not be a problem at all, but as of the
time of writing these lines it is clear that everything must be done to
prevent drugs (and to address the scourge of smoking in general). Drugs are
plunging many good people into the abyss, and slavery to them is also
responsible for the scourge of minor and disturbing property offenses. It
should be noted that many drug users began smoking regular tobacco and from
there "progressed" to stronger substances. So of course this
reinforces the need for a total war on smoking beyond the argument of
improving the quality of life. Restorative
punishment will be based on combining work with education. Work of course has
educational value, beyond the financial reward, and this is the feeling that
you are doing something useful and productive, and also recognizing the value
of work and channeling your energies for construction rather than
destruction. After the work period, there will be reinforcements through
programs in the fields of morality, society, deepening the Jewish background,
improving the level of education and improving the ability to communicate
with the environment. The enormous investment in professional manpower is
worthwhile all the way and, of course, will pay for itself at the end of the
day thanks to rehabilitation that will reduce the return to crime. There will be
a tightening of the law for hate crimes, even without physical harm, up to
the death penalty. This is mainly because of the ideological meaning involved
in the desire to harm humanity in general and a Jew in particular, which expresses
a sublimation of hatred for G-d and the rule of supreme and absolute justice,
the sanctity of life and the sanctity of man. The law for prosecuting Nazis
that exists in the law book today is actually an example of this type of law
(although it is not implemented in practice). It should be emphasized: our
war on anti-Semitism also means a war against those who deny human rights to
live in equality and peace. Crimes of this type include: incitement against
Jews (or any other nationality), desecration of graves And causing damage to
property. Hence, incitement in general, no matter against whom, is a serious
offense! An example of
another type of offense that should be considered is, for example, the
desecration of Shabbat to anger and in public. This is not a religious
offense as some tend to think, but a hate crime that harms the entire
country. Deliberately desecrating Shabbat brings discord among the public,
harms unity and consensus, and of course brings bloodshed upon the entire
public, as I also expand on in the chapter on Shabbat. And as for
bloodshed, some abortions are also considered a serious offense according to Halacha. It is just a pity that awareness of the issue is
very weak among many. It is forbidden to treat it with equanimity as if it
were fish in the sea and not our children. According to Halacha
after 40 days, the fetus begins to be a living creature and harming it is
killing, except in a situation where there is great necessity. The solution
to an unplanned pregnancy should be done with a moral and pro-social
approach, such as giving the newborn up for adoption, of course, while
providing fair compensation to the mother for her efforts and suffering. 22. Law Enforcement Will the
State of Redemption even need the police? Will there be crime? Or will
everyone probably be completely righteous? There is no answer to this, and
since I live among my people, I assume that crime will probably not
disappear, and therefore we must act according to a work plan that takes into
account every possibility. When it comes to maintaining law and order, we
must act firmly against those who dare to dare and with leniency for those
who are entitled to it. But under no circumstances must we ignore a violation
of a law or code of conduct. Since public disdain for a law or custom can
lead to contempt and overall social harm. This is even more
true when it comes to the State of Redemption, which is supposed to
present the ultimate legal system. This does not
mean that we will have to enforce the law through a police state, the
opposite is true. Education and personal example are what will make the moral
and ethical turn. However, if there are those who do not accept its values and
laws, society must know how to defend itself against them. The tools will be
The police, the investigative committees and the security service (although
personally I would prefer to subordinate it to the blue police). The police
will first be required to be an example and role model for good citizenship
in their own right and only then act as men of law and government. The duties
of the police: fighting crime, maintaining public order, traffic control,
securing individuals and institutions, implementing government policy and
court decisions. All of these will be carried out according to a clear
definition of powers that must be strictly adhered to. The fight against
crime requires police officers who are motivated and imbued with public
appreciation, and not bitter and vindictive. The police officer will have
limited powers of arrest (24 hours), along with broad discretion in his
actions. His powers are: demanding the production of documents, conducting a
search and arrest, using force as required. His duties: wearing an
identification badge, maintaining a degree of justice and morality, and a
duty of loyalty. In cases
where there are points of friction between the police and the citizen, such
as during demonstrations, maintaining order and making arrests, restraint and
discretion are always welcome qualities (on the other hand, protests and
demonstrations will only be within the framework of the permits that will be
granted). Every citizen has the right to demonstrate as long as it does not
harm public order. However, if reasonable limits are crossed - patience will
run out. In extreme cases, when a demonstration gets out of control and
becomes a mob riot, it will be permissible to use all means to restore order,
including tear gas and the use of firearms, regardless of the identity of the
demonstrators or the purpose of the demonstration. In contrast, if it is a
riot involving a single person or people who do not endanger public safety
and property, then maximum patience must be exercised. The policy regarding private
weapon possession will be strict. Licenses will be distributed sparingly only
according to immediate need. When the need is over - the license will be
revoked. A condition for a license is the license holder's level of
competence, keeping the weapon in a safe where it will be kept when not in
use, and a real need for a weapon. The reason for the aggravation in the
issue of weapons is clear: there are more casualties from improper use of
firearms. Even settlers in dangerous areas (if there still are any) will not
be exempt, first of all because this will be a state of law, and only the
security forces are responsible for protection against rioters. A detainee
will be released after 24 hours. Unless there is approval from a district
judge. The detention can be extended by seven days or until the end of the
proceedings. A police officer whose behavior is violent and rude will not be
able to serve in his position. The police officer's commander will also be
removed from his position if he does not take measures. Every police officer,
as part of his training, will also undergo training in the field of contact
with the civilian population in order to turn the police officer into a guide
and an adult brother whose authority will be rooted in the citizen's consciousness.
In addition, to raise the profile of the police, appropriate salaries must
also be provided, which will increase the quality of recruits. Along with
raising the level of recruits and improving training, supervision of police
operations should be expanded by establishing internal investigation teams
(of the Ministry of Police). These teams will be established from former
police officers (with five years of seniority and at any rank) who will
receive training and authority from legal investigation teams for this
purpose. The team will be headed by a legal investigator (citizen). Their
role will be to investigate suspicions and complaints from the public about
disciplinary and criminal offenses by the police, and their actions will be
more professional in light of the investigators' police background. In
addition, the investigation teams will be subject to quality control and
monitoring by the supervisor of the investigation teams, like the other
investigation teams. 23. Traffic
Police. The issue of
dealing with traffic offenses is seemingly a minor issue, but when approached
correctly, it saves lives. We must start from the premise that the driver is
not the public's number one enemy. Instead of fighting him, we must help him.
Think positively: improve road safety and accessibility for drivers. The main
efforts in the fight against road accidents Education for good manners should
be addressed as part of school. Speeding offenses are the easiest to enforce,
but the main problem lies with those who drive while distracted, on the
phone, or drunk. The main task of the traffic police will therefore be to
prevent human safety hazards or objective safety hazards on the road, remove
obstacles, and ensure the flow of traffic. Speed cameras are
good for the state treasury, not for driving culture. Yes, we need a lot of
cameras at intersections and on roads, and this is to enable real-time
traffic alerts. Part 3:
Security and Social Policy 24. The
Status of Gentiles and the Status of Immigrants in Israel The issue of
the sojourner is discussed extensively in our sources, "For the land is
mine, for you are sojourners and residents with me" (Leviticus 25:23).
The term sojourner is associated with the non-Jewish residents of the land,
who are considered Resident Converts, compared to a righteous sojourner who
is part of the people of Israel. A Resident Convert is a foreigner who is a
resident of the land and has accepted the Seven Commandments of the Children
of Noah out of recognition and faith in the prophecy of Moses. According to
Maimonides, a Resident Convert is guaranteed a place in the world to come and
is part of the Righteous Among the Nations (Laws of Kings, Chapter 8). A
non-Resident Convert is forbidden to reside in the land since he is
considered an enemy whom the Torah commands to destroy lest he become a mine
(Deuteronomy 12:17). Regarding the issue of the joining of a righteous
convert to the Jewish people, there are opinions here and there. On the one
hand, Rabbi Chalbo said, "The converts are as
difficult for Israel as a flock" (Kiddushin
70b), which was based on the verse, "And we will bring the stranger upon
them, and they will be joined to the house of Jacob" (Isaiah 14:1), and
on the other hand, Rabbi Eliezer says (Pesachim 87) "The Holy One, blessed be He, did not
exile Israel among the nations except so that converts might be added to
them." Rabbi Avraham Chalbo
(Tosafot, Kiddushin) sees
a point in praise of the converts in Rabbi Chalbo's
statement, "Since the converts are well-versed in the commandments and
are meticulous in them, they are difficult for Israel." As a
branch." Unlike Rabbi Halbo, he also
interprets Isaiah so that the joining of the Gentiles to Israel at the time
of the redemption is an expression of God's mercy on Israel. The prophet
Isaiah describes all immigrants to the Land of Israel, including the
converts, as a blessing and a source of pride for Israel. Hence, the joining
of Gentiles to Israel is a distinct characteristic of the era of redemption. Indeed, this
issue is particularly relevant today, when the percentage of assimilation
among Diaspora Jews is very high. For example, it turns out that among
immigrants from the former Soviet Union there is a very large proportion of
non-Jews according to Halacha. Whereas Ethiopian
Jews had to undergo a conversion to HaMura because
of doubts about their Jewishness. At the time of redemption, masses of
immigrants from the seed of Israel are expected to immigrate who will also
need to undergo a conversion process. In my view, we should not reject them.
They should be accepted as lost brothers, of course, provided that they truly
want to return to Judaism. Accordingly, we will need to prepare education,
information, and guidance for mass conversions. Of course, we must ensure
that the immigrants are indeed willing to convert and are prepared to observe
the main commandments. As stated, I
do not rule out the presence of non-Jewish residents in the Land of Israel
even if they do not intend to convert. There is no halakhic
difficulty here, provided that they accept the Seven Commandments of the Noahide Children as commanded in the sources,
and of course Jewish sovereignty over the land. Rabbi Yitzhak Halevi Herzog has already stated that "a foreigner
who does not practice idolatry [...] may not be prevented from residing in
the Land of Israel." This statement in particular and an in-depth
discussion of the status of foreigners in general are clearly presented in
the in-depth work of Ariel Picard (Status of the Foreigner, Foreigners in a
Jewish State - Rabbi Herzog, Rabbi Israeli) when he also presents the
position of Rabbi Shaul Israeli justifying the stay
of foreigners who are not in the status of resident aliens - with the
argument of the weakness of the state in our time today. Rabbi Elisha Aviner specifically referred to Muslims in comparison to
other religions that are not enemies of Israel and conditioned their
remaining on full acceptance of the Israeli government, paying taxes,
enlisting in the army or national service, and renouncing key appointments in
the state government. It is certainly possible that Gentiles who truly
recognize God and Judaism will also want to join the Jewish people, and not
just remain in the status of "Noachian children." Despite the
relative flexibility that I present here, it should still be clear to
everyone that the right of Gentiles in the Land of Israel completely recedes
in comparison to the right of the People of Israel, a right based primarily
on the commandment of God. The Torah commands us to conquer and settle in it
and inherit it from the rest of the inhabitants of the land, while our right
to the land is a permanent right and is not conditional on our actions or the
degree of our loyalty to the Creator of the world. Even when we were in
exile, our right was preserved. Therefore, if there are Gentiles who dare to
claim ownership of the Land of Israel, it means rebellion against God, which
denies them the right to exist. Gentiles can claim ownership of any place in
the world - except for the Land of Israel. On the other hand, the same demand
of loyalty to the land to which the immigrants and the children of Noah
commit, I also demand from the citizens of the land of Jewish origin. Even
today, when the State of Israel is at the beginning of the redemption, the
Jewish duty of loyalty to the state is fulfilled, which negates any talk of
handing over land to the enemy or to foreign interests. Let it be
clear: handing over territories from the Land of Israel to the enemy (other
than by defeat in battle) is treason and apostasy in the essence of the
Jewish people. The special connection to this land was learned 3300 years ago
when the people of Israel prepared to enter the land and the first thing they
did was to announce to whom the land had been given, as it is said: "And
you shall set up for yourself large stones and engrave them with a stone and
write on them all the words of this Torah before you, so that you may enter
the land that the Lord your God is giving you" (Deuteronomy 27:2). As long
as the people of Israel were exiled from their land because of their sins,
the land was desolate and uninhabited. When the Ishmaelites
who were in the land during our exile turned it into a wasteland. In this
context, the Zohar writes: "And his sons (the sons of Ishmael) will rule
over the Holy Land when it will be empty of Israel for a long time, and they
will hinder Israel from returning to their land until that right (the right
of Ishmael's circumcision) is fulfilled when the Lord visits his people"
(Zohar, Parashat Va'era).
During the time of the wilderness, there was only
one people who remained faithful to the Land of Israel throughout all the
years of exile, and that was the people of Israel. It is possible that
without the loyalty To the Land - arising from the strong faith in God, the
people would be lost and assimilated into the Gentiles. This strengthens our
belief that in the redemption, the people of Israel will inherit the Promised
Land. The Torah
teaches and commands that God gave the Land of Israel to the people of Israel
as an eternal dowry. Even when the people are temporarily in exile, the dowry
(the Land of Israel) is preserved in the hands of God for better days. I do
not deny the role that God gave to the Gentiles to serve as an instrument in
carrying out the punishment for the people of Israel, a situation that still
exists, since we are still subject to punishment, but unfortunately the
Gentiles took advantage of God's anger, turned things around and claimed that
the punishment of exile proves that the inheritance of the land was
transferred from the Jews who sinned to the Ishmaelites.
We are asked, who put them in the place of God to
decide what the status of Israel will be in the future? Perhaps, in our lack
of faith, we even reinforce this thesis. In our great desire to hand over
parts of the homeland to the Gentiles, we greatly reinforce their thinking as
if they have property rights to the land. Betrayal is not only a sin against
God, but also a mortal injury to the future existence of the Israeli state.
Even if it turns out sweet (i.e. the paradox that betrayal of the State of
Israel is a necessary condition for redemption), it is absolutely forbidden.
In this context, it is important to understand that there is a covenant between
the people of Israel, the Torah of Israel, and the Land of Israel, a covenant
that is made anew every day by putting on tefillin
with the blessing "And I will bequeath you to me forever...". On
the other hand, we must trust in God, who maintains absolute loyalty to the
people of Israel regardless of our good deeds towards God. The principles of
faith are that the right of the people of Israel to the Land of Israel is
indisputable and it stands forever and the land should not be shared with
others. Anyone who does not believe in this is an infidel in the meaning of
being a Jew. The commandment to settle the land is not a
permission but an obligation, and not only an obligation but a divine
necessity, and any attempt to evade it will only lead to serious harm to the
Jewish people in all its diaspora. The Gentiles
who decide to stay in the land will have to, as stated, pledge allegiance to
the state and accept the commandments of the Noahide
people (non Jews). From the sources we learn that
the local population has three options: compliance, departure, or war. In
Tractate Shevi'it (6:1) in Yerushalmi
it is stated: "Yehoshua sent three letters
before they entered the land: The first he sent to them: Whoever wants to flee, let him flee. And he sent again: Whoever wants to settle, let him settle. And he returned and sent:
"Whoever wants to make war - will do it." In my opinion, if we are
forced to reach the third stage of war, we will not have this luxury to stop
in the middle of the war and talk peace (as unfortunately happens every time
the State of Israel wins), the war will end only after the cause of the war
disappears and is destroyed. Foreigners
who remain in the country will have the status of resident aliens. The choice
to adopt this status will be theirs. The state will not tolerate the
phenomenon that foreigners, on the one hand, receive settlement rights in the
country and, on the other hand, undermine it with the aim of destroying it
from within. Once they agree to the conditions and are allowed to stay, the
way back will be impossible. I am not a supporter of the method of expelling
populations at all. Although this is ostensibly considered generous towards
the enemy in terms of destruction, therefore the foreigners who are not loyal
will stand trial and be judged for treason. They and all those around them.
If they do not manage to join us in truth and sincerity, it is better for
them to find themselves another place where they feel more comfortable.
Otherwise, their heads will bleed. If we consider the situation The current
situation, in which Muslims are the dominant non-Jewish sector: if they were
loyal to the state and respected their benefactors, the entire national
conflict would not exist at all. Leaving the land to the Israel-hating
Islamists will mean that the people of Israel will pay a heavy price in
blood. Perhaps the high price we pay will teach us later not to give in to
the feeling of mercy. Ostensibly,
the law regarding the fate of the enemy should be clear: "I will pursue
my enemies and destroy them, and I will not turn back until they are
consumed" (2 Samuel 22), but in fact, after the redemption some of them
will turn from enemies to lovers after they realize God's righteousness. The
Jews have a bloody history of conflict with Muslims. On the one hand, we
strive to please them and reach peace with them, and on the other hand, we
learn the hard way that their values by which they live are
completely different. We need to remind everyone that peace will only come to
us when we are strengthened in the Torah, this is the only condition, and
then we will also be strong in our spirit and in our army, as it is said:
"And I will give peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one
will make you afraid...and you will pursue your enemies, and they will fall
before you by the sword" (Leviticus 26:6-7). During the period of
Joshua's settlement, only cities that were located outside the boundaries of
the tribes and were willing to accept the supremacy and sovereignty of the
God of Israel and his people could continue to reside in the land in a
special status. However, when we did not act according to these instructions
- and we left enemy cities within the boundaries, we suffered defeats from
those cities that remained in their previous status within the boundaries of
the land. Regarding the
Gentiles who belong to the first part that surrenders to the people of
Israel, we can mention the historical fact that the Hasmoneans
and Herod annexed entire conquered cities to the Jewish people. Nowadays, mass
conversion is a sensitive and charged issue and is not acceptable to many.
However, at the time of the redemption, I predict that the issue will return
to the agenda because many will want to join us: Gentiles who immigrated to
Israel and joined the Jewish people, or Gentiles resident in the land who
will transfer to resident alien status, are also candidates to join the
Jewish people. In fact, even the Sages take the issue seriously, and
according to one method, the Jews will be so popular that the Gentiles will
want to join the Jewish people on their own initiative. Assuming that the
conversion process (of Muslims with resident alien status) will take a long
time, perhaps many years, it must be declared that there will be equality of
rights and obligations for everyone. Every naturalized citizen (resident
alien) will be entitled to all civil rights and all obligations, such as
national and military service on the one hand, and support and welfare on the
other. In the second stage, after they complete the conversion process, they
will take part in the fate of the Jewish people for better or worse, and then
their status will also be equal from a religious-national perspective.
Gentiles of the Islamic faith will be allowed to use houses of prayer but not
to build mosques and mosque minarets. The condition for citizenship is
receiving resident alien status with all that this entails, for example,
abandoning beliefs that contradict the foundations of our faith. Those
Muslims who accept the conditions that entitle them to resident alien status
will also be closer to To adopt the Jewish religion
and are eligible to begin the process of joining the people of Israel.
Conversion will be done in three stages: 1. Resident alien status and
acceptance of Noahide commandments, 2. Studying the
basics of Judaism, 3. Completing the conversion process and accepting the
yoke of Torah and commandments. The status of a resident alien will not be
recognized until he signs a declaration of loyalty in the following words:
"I undertake to maintain loyalty to the people of Israel and its laws
and I recognize the exclusive sovereignty of the people of Israel over the
Land of Israel as commanded by God and written in the Torah of Israel, and I
undertake to act in the spirit of this declaration of loyalty." Those
who refuse will be tried for the offense of supporting the enemy and will be
punished. The paradox
of the Holocaust: The trauma of the Holocaust greatly affects our daily
routine, especially our interactions with our Muslim enemies. In the
Holocaust, we went through the danger of annihilation and miraculously
survived. However, absurdly, instead of making us more cautious and
suspicious of the Muslim enemy in light of his intention to destroy us, we
become more cautious and suspicious only of ourselves, lest we become like
the Nazis, and this fear actually paralyzes our survival mechanism as a
people in existential danger. So much so that if you ask me today what the
most serious damage to the Jewish people was as a result of the Holocaust,
the answer would not be a decrease in the number of Jews, but rather the
damage to the natural survival mechanism in the face of those who hate to
destroy us. The people of Israel are being delegitimized before our eyes. The
victim of Nazism is transformed overnight, through aggressive incitement,
into a Nazi aggressor who brutalizes an innocent civilian population. But the
truth is so opposite: we are forced to defend ourselves against a Nazi
civilian population with both hands tied behind our backs so that they will
not accuse us of the same war crimes that the Nazis committed against us in
the Holocaust. At the
present time (of the Israeli state), one of the most difficult problems of
consciousness is the very fact that there are Jews who believe that the
status of Muslims is the same (and perhaps greater, because they are
considered natives) compared to our right to the land. And we are talking
mainly about those who are disconnected from the Torah and lack faith. In
this, we are paying today for the consequences of the failures of the first
immigrants who turned the rebellion in Judaism into an ideology, when in
their opinion the time for religion had passed and the time had come to
establish a new society. At that time, it was agreed that the right of the
Jews to the land was clear and self-evident, because those immigrants, even
if they rebelled against religion, still maintained the version of Judaism
they received in the room. But their children after them did not get to hear
anything about Judaism, and thus, what was self-evident to the parents, did
not exist for the next generation that broke away from Judaism and absorbed
new values of equality for all and recognition of Muslims as
victims of Jewish colonialism. Historically,
Zionism brought prosperity to the region, which attracted many Muslims from
neighboring countries, who significantly doubled their numbers. They (the
Muslims) did not, of course, emigrate for religious or national reasons, but
for economic reasons. Among the immigrants were Bedouins, Egyptians,
Sudanese, Saudis, Horranians, and more, who came
with the encouragement of the authorities. The truth is that by the time the
Jews arrived, the land had been depopulated during the centuries of Muslim
rule and abandoned by its inhabitants. A few thousand Muslims remained in
agricultural settlements and were subject to harassment by Bedouin bandits on
the one hand and high taxes from the Ottoman government on the other. In
addition, because the local economy was based on uncontrolled grazing (the
black goat), the land underwent a process of accelerated desertification. It
should be noted that the local Muslims never demonstrated exceptional loyalty
to the land, which explains the mass departure and escape during the War of
Independence following the withdrawal of the invading Arab armies, contrary
to the theory of "attachment" to the land. Even today, their
"love of the land" is evident in the fact that they are willing to
systematically set fire to every grove and forest in their natural
environment. A true and responsible people would strongly condemn this type
of vandalism. Insensitive behavior toward the values of nature
is the antithesis of faith in the Creator of the world. Even if
Muslims have immigrated and lived in the land for hundreds of years, their
apparent "right" no longer applies to them. After two thousand
years of abandonment in the Land of Israel, under the rule of many foreign
kingdoms, it is clear to everyone that the land is returning to true Jewish
ownership. This is the period before the redemption. The redemption, and with
it the international recognition of the bond of the people of Israel to the
Land of Israel, will come, whether in time or not. The redemption will be
aided by the Gentiles of the world, they will be partners in the redemption
in many ways, and therefore we must also see the Gentiles of the world in the
correct perspective - not as enemies but as lost, and we must of course help
them (by the way, this is also true of the Muslim residents of the Land of
Israel! Everyone has a role in the redemption as decreed by God). Judaism is
tolerant of other religions and peoples, and the reason is the mission for
the sake of faith in the universal God. Various Gentiles live in the land,
some love and some hate those who preach the destruction of the people of
Israel in the Land of Israel. It is enough to think that it is permissible to
kill the Jews, and this can bring a great disaster to the public that thinks this, and the same goes for those who encourage such
thinking (including Jews). We learn this from our rich history when all the
Gentiles who tried to overthrow us fell from their greatness or disappeared
from the pages of history, so do not be surprised if this will be their fate
as well. If the Gentiles living in the Land sincerely want to continue living
here in peace, they must radically correct their ways to the point that they
will take an active part in the process of the return of the people of Israel
to their land and in the building of the land. Their rights as citizens of
the land will also be preserved, as I already mentioned in the introduction
regarding the resident alien. In
conclusion, I will return to the main topic: There are two options for
resolving the question of the presence of the Gentiles in the Land of Israel:
a path of peace or a path of war. Peace is of course the preferred one, but
its only meaning is full identification with the Jewish people, acceptance of
Jewish conversions and acceptance of the seven commandments of the children
of Noah. At the end of this process, it is possible and likely that the
Gentiles will join the people of Israel. Without fulfilling these conditions,
one should refer to Gentiles as an enemy in war. In the context of the issue
of conversions, in my opinion, no obstacle should be placed in the way of
those who truly want to take part in the Jewish destiny and join the people
of Israel. This connection must be established legally and officially because
this is the best way to solve this painful human and national problem. 25. The
national meaning of "peace". The basis of
the dispute in our region between Jews and Muslims is, first and foremost,
religious/cultural. Because the other side is an ideological enemy, the path
of compromise has no significance for the issue of Israel's safe settlement
in its land. Of course, there is a complete prohibition on making peace with
the enemies of God from any religion in general and Islam in particular. My
explanation in a nutshell regarding Muslim hostility is that Muslims believe
that God canceled the covenant with the Jews because they sinned against God
and therefore the exile came, and hence God chose to favor Muhammad as His
prophet. In their view, this also nullified the right to exist of the Jewish
people, and all privileges and positions automatically passed to the Muslims,
the descendants of Ishmael, Abraham's eldest son. Jewish independence in the
Land of Israel is a contradiction to the foundation of the Muslim faith, and
from their perspective this will not be forgiven. Jews have always been in
the inferior status of Jewish protectors in Muslim countries, while today the
Jews are considered infidels, monkeys and pigs. In their view, the conflict
is going to be decided in favor of the Muslims, who will defeat us on the
battlefield, and if not, then at least on the demographic battlefield when
they succeed in destroying the state from within. In fact, I believe, on the
contrary - by the "right" of the hesitation and concessions of the State
of Israel, redemption will come before the Muslims achieve the demographic
majority that is supposed to overthrow the Israeli state from within. Hence,
the war of redemption will begin earlier than expected. If it weren't
for overt and covert miracles, the cooperation of the Jewish people here with
what is called the Muslim "peace" would have accelerated the
process of destroying the Jewish people in their country and brought about
the abolition of the Zionist entity in general. The first step towards the
end of the state would be the recognition of what is called "the state
of all its citizens." The second step would be when the Muslims show us
the way out as part of their demand for historical justice. In my opinion,
those residents of the country of Jewish origin who lose every trace of their
Jewish heritage will decide, in the aforementioned state of distress, to emigrate to countries of the world where they are safe.
Today, it can be seen that the settlement of residents of Jewish origin in
the country is a matter of expediency: they are comfortable here because they
were born here, their family is here, and their livelihood is here, but when
it becomes clear to them that their concept of "peace" has
collapsed, they will be the first on the planes. Only those without means or,
alternatively, those with ideals, will remain in the country despite
everything, despite suffering the horrors of war on the home front and in the
front. The facts must be acknowledged: Muslims are not willing to give up
their preliminary demand for the resettlement of the "refugees" in
Jaffa, Lod, Ramla, and
Haifa, a destructive step from the perspective of Jewish Israel, and hence
peace for them is a tactic and not a goal at all. There are many proposals
for solutions to the conflict, but even if there were a miracle and we
achieved agreement on an inter-regional solution through population exchanges
and a redistribution of the Middle East, in reality, fundamentalist Islam is
unable to recognize a Jewish entity as an existing fact and certainly not as
a sovereign state. The current path of Israeli statesmen, which advocates
baseless agreements, only guarantees the continuation of the war. The
Jewish-Muslim conflict is inevitable and is fueled by ideological, cultural
and demographic explosives. However, this will explode only when Muslims
realize that Israel is sufficiently weakened that it no longer poses a
danger. In this situation, all the lofty ideas of peace will turn into dust
in yesterday's newspapers. Today, we are also beginning to recognize that
terrorism pays off and all the Dalits have
prevailed. Perhaps this recognition will bring about a change in values, so
that even the most naive will understand reality. When Muslims are already a
minute away from destroying the country to the ground, it will be a little
too late for To fix, however, the severe crisis will bring about renewed
self-awareness, the breaking of our heart of stone, and this is already a
hint of what is to come that explains how the transformation in faith and the
return to God will take place in the process of redemption. 26. Military
Service and National Service Military
service will not be mandatory. The first year will be voluntary, and then
anyone who wishes will continue to serve with full pay, except of course in a
real emergency, when soldiers will also be conscripted if necessary. It has
already been said: "He who desires peace - prepares for war", peace
and strength are intertwined, as we indeed ask in our prayer "The Lord
will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with
peace" (Psalm 29:11). In this way, we associate the service of the Lord
with peace and tranquility. Only when the Blessed One blesses us with
strength and security - will peace prevail on earth. According to this view, our
strength is not measured by the number of tanks or soldiers, but by the
virtue of spiritual strength. In my opinion, the main potential inherent in
our military strength comes from our resourcefulness and wisdom in war. We
must not rely on our military strength alone, but on our faith in the
righteousness and power of the Blessed One. Even so, maintaining a huge army
is not economically viable; the enormous burden will also come at the expense
of our quality of life, thus putting the wheel back on the path to harming
our security. For these reasons, which are certainly security considerations,
we should work to reduce the army and increase investment in the economy. It
is better to invest more in society and infrastructure and less in nurturing
the army, whose physical size does not indicate its strength. Perhaps this is
nothing new, but every security decision also has economic significance, and
army leaders must be taught to consider the economic aspect as well. A lot of
money went down the drain in the past because of the small-minded policy.
Unnecessary fortifications, separation fences, distribution of emergency kits
without justification, unnecessary bureaucracy, equipment at astronomical
prices just because of a stricter standard, and more. This message is
important not only for the military establishment but for the entire public
establishment, according to which public servants must be accountable to
themselves and the public for all their decisions so that they do not appear
to be disrespecting public money. Reducing the
military force structure is a necessary and first step towards saving on
security spending, and it can also be carried out without harming deterrence,
by reorganizing the army along with more responsible care in maintaining our
military superiority in the Middle East. Reducing the military force
structure (regular) will also allow for a very significant reduction in
non-combatant auxiliary forces and a corresponding reduction in security
spending. Security will not be harmed if, in parallel with the cut, there is
an improvement in the level of soldiers and the level of command through
professional training of the forces and service for long years. As part of
the military reform, all security concepts as they are currently accepted by
the security establishment will be changed to adapt to the security concept
that relies on small, agile forces with long-term operational capabilities,
backed by massive reserve units. This concept, which relies mainly on
reserves, requires the creation of vast demilitarized spaces on both sides of
the border so that the border will be very far from population centers, so
that any unusual military activity in areas near the border will result in an
immediate response, along with the mobilization of reserves if necessary. Even if there
is a paramount value for military service, I do not see any practical or
moral justification for compulsory military conscription. Despite this, every
citizen should be allowed to volunteer for the army regardless of nationality
and regardless of their health status, and therefore volunteering for the
army will be a right for everyone (as opposed to national service, which will
be mandatory for everyone except for conscripts). A person who is not
interested in serving for any reason, fear, lack of motivation or any other
reason, will not be required to be drafted and will instead serve in national
service for a period of one year. Of course, the state will provide a fair
grant to volunteers for the army in accordance with criteria that it will
determine. In order to
achieve maximum capability despite the reduced reserve force, the army must
be reorganized according to real needs. Service in the army will be based
more on permanent service, and there will be fewer reserve days and less
regular service. The regular army will concentrate only on training, not on
administration or ongoing security. Regular personnel will carry out the
ongoing military activity - ongoing security, readiness, etc., while
maintenance and administrative positions will be served by professionals who
are civilians or permanent employees, not regular personnel. Regular military
service will be shortened to one year, designated for basic training at the
individual, team, and company levels until the warrior reaches a high level
of military proficiency. In my opinion, every soldier, even if he or she
intends to continue in a non-combat role in the regular army, should undergo
fitness training, close combat, and marksmanship, in addition to basic
soldier training. Soldiers who continue in command and officer roles will
sign up for permanent service (at least five years), which is necessary in
order to meet the high professional requirements required of them. The
additional periods are intended for military completion and training as
detailed above. Soldiers
interested in a technical career in the army will serve as regulars for the
first year (if they wish to enter the permanent service). Their integration
into technical professions will be possible only after completing the
soldiering trend in the first year of service. Regular soldiers will be free
to engage exclusively in training and exercises without the harassment of the
BTS (current security), which will anyway be based on the service of
professional soldiers. The changes that will be required in the army's
structure will include rethinking the distribution of tasks, the order of
forces, and the logistics of equipment and weapons. As mentioned, the army
will employ professional soldiers in current security and activate reserve
soldiers only in emergency situations. The share of reserves in the SDAK will
be relatively high, but even these will not be used for current security but
only for emergency situations, but two weeks a year will be dedicated to
training. Reserve personnel will receive full pay for the two weeks a year in
which they train, and will also receive a fixed salary (according to their
rank) for one month a year for simply maintaining readiness. Reducing the
regular army and employing small units of professional military personnel
will require improving the reserve army and its level of readiness. A rapid
recruitment system of 8 hours should be established for some reservists
(according to their military role) and 24 hours for the rest. This situation
will be made possible by improving the readiness system in the army and
improving transportation routes. The reform of
the army requires a radical change in all issues that were considered sacred
cows. As mentioned, the army will be cut in size mainly at the expense of the
administrative part, ongoing security will be carried out by professionals,
the units will be specialized units with a high level of technological
sophistication, for example, effectively guarding the border line will first
begin with determining the optimal border line, a line that will run along
clear geographical lines and be isolated from settlements, when the system
will switch to electronic observation and sensing means that will replace the
need for stationary posts. Aerial patrols together with observation balloons
will replace mounted patrols. In any suspicious incident, airborne forces
will be deployed in combination with ground backup. The army will
make greater use of attack helicopters as well as miniature and unmanned
aerial vehicles. Although war involves a risk to human life, in my opinion it
is possible and feasible to reduce the level of casualties to a minimum.
Personal protection will be improved, and I intend to demand the development
of more effective but lighter and more comfortable protection for all
vulnerable parts. The share of missions that require unnecessary personal
risk, such as fighting in built-up areas or fighting in inferior conditions,
must be reduced. These situations are usually determined by irrelevant
political considerations and should be avoided altogether. For example, in a
built-up area, more technological and engineering measures will be used to
overcome obstacles, with engineering vehicles clearing the way. And as long
as there is resistance, soldiers will not enter the built-up area. The Border
Guard will become a military unit, unlike the police officers who are usually
stationed at the country's entry gates. Ongoing security at the borders, as
well as terrorist incidents within the country, will be within the military's
jurisdiction. Women's
service will also be possible, and this, of course, in accordance with the
limits of modesty. Women's service in the defense system will be in an
appropriate civilian framework and with full pay and will constitute a
professional career for all intents and purposes. In no way as regular
soldiers. Women will serve mainly in the auxiliary forces and not in combat
roles, and their service in the auxiliary forces will also be possible only
if the basic conditions for serving women in the same place are met,
including organized transportation to their homes, etc. 27. National Service The program I
propose is mandatory national service for everyone who is not serving in the
army, for a period of one year, for both women and men. Married women and
those with severe disabilities will be exempt from national service. Those
serving in national service will be called volunteers despite the obligation,
and this is because without the willingness, sense of volunteerism and
sacrifice for the common good, there is no point in starting the national
service project. Within the
framework of national service, volunteers will fulfill roles according to
their ability and health. The type of tasks that national
service volunteers will perform are mainly in projects of national
importance. Starting from projects in the field of construction and
agriculture, and ending with issues in the education and health system that
are also adapted for people with physical disabilities. National service will
also be mandatory for girls. They will serve mainly in the education and
health system. National service volunteers will receive a salary that is
raised to half the minimum wage (depending on the level of physical
difficulty required). Private entities that will use national service
volunteers (such as farmers) will pay the state their share of the costs of
the service at the level of the minimum wage or as determined. Refusals who refuse to volunteer for national service will be punished
with fines and imprisonment for a period of one year. Of course, national
service volunteers will be compensated for their contribution to the public,
similar to what is customary for military volunteers, and will receive rights
in money and the equivalent of money, such as housing credits from the state.
If we weigh the positive side of national service against the negative side,
which is the coercion and difficulty of work, it seems that the scales
clearly tip in favor of mandatory national service, due to the following
considerations: A. Developing the social commitment of the future generation
for their country. B. An act of the young for themselves. C. Education for
work and discipline at work. D. Providing basic knowledge of essential jobs at
home. E. The state must do everything not to rely on cheap foreign labor but
on the values of Hebrew labor. We live in a
society even if we don't want to, and naturally we must subordinate our will
to the good of society, otherwise everything will fall apart, and the price
will be very high. Contributing to society through national service or the
army is a value that every person should adopt for themselves, especially in
the State of Redemption. First and foremost, the one who will benefit from
national service will be the citizen. And I'm not just talking about life in
old age, where we rely more on others to maintain our quality of life, but
also about everyday life, where young people will start on a higher ramp by
receiving partial or full rights to housing and a reduction in general
expenses directed to medicine and taxes, for example. All the impossible
hassles that enslave young couples to work multiple jobs in order to survive,
pay their mortgage and other necessary expenses will be a thing of the past,
I believe. And this is without mentioning the contribution to the unity,
education, and morale of the country's residents. 28. Social
Policy The Torah
commands us to care for the weak: the stranger, the orphan, the widow, and
anyone who needs public charity. This is the social Torah by which the people
of Israel walk. The Jewish community has always been known for its acts of
charity, and it is understandable that the rich set aside their money for the
poor. All of Israel is a guarantor for one another, Jewish law has taught us.
And it is understandable that the State of Redemption will continue in the
direction of mutual guarantorship in an orderly and
efficient manner. Some of the nation's leaders continue to uphold the
principle of mutual guarantee, a Torah from the series presented by Ze'ev Jabotinsky (the Five of
the Zionist Movement) as well as other leaders from the Zionist labor
movements. Unfortunately, class-social ideals have become the main thing,
while the principles of the Torah, the people and the land have been pushed
to the margins and disappeared. It seems as if the immigrants to the land in
the first aliyahs intended to learn and apply
certain sociological theories, which explains the high status of the kibbutz
movement in those years. According to
the definition of the role of the state, the state must provide a means of
subsistence and education for its residents. This is in addition to its role
of providing physical security within a certain socio-political framework.
There is a feeling that because the state is so concerned with military
security, the issue of economic security has been pushed to the margins. This
should not be the case. The weakest groups are the elderly and the
unemployed, who have no power or influence over policymakers, and therefore
the establishment must be doubly careful in everything related to treating
the weak. The state must ensure security Social (pension) for every elderly
or disabled person, even if they did not take care of themselves in advance.
The help can be in the form of money, but more important is the personal
touch and social support from the supportive environment. Reform must be done
throughout the system, there is no question about
that. And the State of Redemption is more structured than any form of
government to meet the social challenge, especially in light of the support
for the establishment of the National Service for the Community, whose main
function will be to provide direct contact with the populations in need, as
well as to provide material support with the help of private or public
charities. In principle, government support in money will be reduced to the
minimum possible. Any citizen who needs it can demand that the state
contribute to living expenses. In addition, weak families who are unable to
go to work and need living expenses support will be exempt from rent if they
move to public housing. In addition, they will be entitled to meals brought
to their home once a day. The labor
relations system will be different from the current situation in that it will
prevent political activity in committees and will be more limited to
volunteer activity for the employee, not tied to specific workplaces. Pension
funds will be private insurance companies under state supervision with minimum
fees. There will be no obligation to participate in pension funds, but since
they are tax-exempt, they will be attractive to the public. The public
medical service will be transferred and managed by the state. The protection
of employee rights will be supervised by a public body that the state will
establish and finance, similar to the Ombudsman. Irresponsible strikes will
result in prosecution and full compensation for the victims of the strike. Any question
regarding labor relations that does not receive a response from the public
body for labor relations will be brought to the court's decision as a last
resort. If the court does not see fit to provide relief to employees who feel
harmed, there will be no choice and they will have to find another job. When
a person is unable to save enough for old age, the state will ensure that the
elderly person is provided with a pension that will allow them to live in
dignity, while all their other needs will be provided by voluntary
organizations and volunteers (national service, etc.). The volunteers will
take care of everything necessary, such as a hot meal, laundry, cleaning, and
medical help. Ostensibly, this policy requires the investment of many
resources, but since it relies on volunteers, the burden on the public purse
will be Minimal. The elderly will be cared for in their homes as much as
possible, and only when there is no other option will they be transferred to
state nursing homes, with hospitalization expenses covered by the state. The
right direction, in my opinion, is to invest more in personal attention and
less in financial support. This means that people who need help will receive
support mainly in their homes, and all their basic needs will be met,
including meals and home maintenance. There will always be someone who will
visit their homes every day or two and meet their needs for food, attention,
and home services. Any elderly person who needs this will receive a discount
or complete cancellation of all taxes and expenses for electricity, water, property
taxes, energy, and more. Another
aspect of social policy is welfare and unemployment benefits. The criteria
for receiving benefits will be tightened in order to return more people to
the workforce. On the other hand, workers will be rewarded by the state if
they undergo vocational training and adopt required professions, even if they
are less popular. Another issue is support for families with many children.
In principle - I am against a child allowance. A family with many children
receives its blessing from God. But of course there will be a subsistence
allowance for all those in need without the need to provide proof. The
commandment to have many children will probably be fulfilled regardless of
the child allowance, and family owners will be able to provide for their
household members with dignity, with God's help. 29. Foreign
workers and subsidies for industry The state
must act against the importation of foreign workers, who constitute a social and
economic time bomb. If there is an agricultural or other sector that is in
dire need of working hands, the shortage can be filled with the help of
national service volunteers and by paying more attractive salaries. If the
sector is unable to meet high wages, but the sector is essential to the
economy, then there is another option for support, which is through state
participation in the wages. If the state has an interest in local production
of a product that is labor-intensive, then please subsidize the factory or
product directly. If the product is not essential or the factory is not a
preferred factory (i.e., it constitutes an essential component of the
employment of the residents of the region), then it should be closed. The
same is true of agriculture! Even though there will be subsidies for the
agricultural sector, farms that fail despite everything will close. The
number of manual workers should be reduced as much as possible and mechanized
alternatives should be developed. National service volunteers will also
contribute their help during the burning seasons. Efforts should be made to
ensure that the agricultural sector is economical,
otherwise it is better to focus more on particularly profitable sectors
suitable for export, at the expense of other sectors, while the deficit is
imported. 30.
Employee-employer relations The state has
the responsibility to protect the interests of workers, and workers must be
careful in all matters related to the use of the strike weapon without
discretion. In the reformed state, salary arrangements in the public sector
will be determined by a special committee to determine equal criteria for all
employees. The criteria for determining salary will be seniority, experience,
level of education, military service, rank at work, excellence at work, level
of difficulty at work, level of knowledge and education required for the job,
responsibility required for the position, risk associated with that
profession, and scope of the position. All of these criteria will be given a score
in accordance with the committee's determination, and it will also take into
account the nature of the position. The final salary will be determined
according to the total of the accumulated scores. Care must be taken that the
gap between the minimum and maximum salary in the public service will not be
extreme. The committee will also prevent any situation of circumventing the
criteria by using personal contracts or providing illegal benefits. Private
entities will also be able to use the committee to determine salary levels,
free of charge. However, in any case, the private sector must pay salaries
that are not lower than the minimum wage. Another right that will be
preserved for employees is severance pay, which amounts to one month's salary
per year and will be paid to every employee who is fired or forced to resign.
Action must be taken to cancel restrictive agreements that prevent, for
example, the fair dismissal of an employee. In my opinion, these lead to a
decline in work ethics and a dire injustice when there is no way to reward
the good and no way to punish the bad. The free economy will constitute the
second thread in the social Torah in the State of Redemption, and this is
also the appropriate opportunity to try and implement it in the best possible
way. In addition
to the establishment of the committee to determine the level of wages in the
public system, the institution for compulsory arbitration will be
established. This institution will be a legal body under the authority of a
district court, which has the authority to hear all labor disputes in the
economy. Any labor dispute declared by employees or any other entity with an
employer-employee relationship, in public or private bodies in which a clause
dealing with methods of resolving labor disputes has not been included in the
labor agreement, will be brought to the institution for mandatory
arbitration. This institution will sit and decide, after hearing all parties,
which of the parties is right and to what extent their claims will be realized.
Since this institution is equivalent in authority to a district court,
appeals against its decisions will be before the Supreme Court. At the same
time, the striking employee must take into account that if the court finds
that the strike was unjustified, he must bear the full damage he caused,
including compensation to the factory or any other injured party, and from
the outset it must be clarified that if an employee, especially in a public
body, feels that the level of pay for his labor is too low, he has the right
to seek a more profitable job, without denying the employee the right to
severance pay. 31.
Matchmaking And finally,
I will address an important issue that also belongs to the social sphere,
which is the matching of matches. Which is the work of It is truly sacred to
ensure that no one is left alone without a partner. After all, the other way
is to ignore the issue and all the slanderers are men, and we are
unfortunately seeing the results today. I hope that in the days of
redemption, the education system will be entirely Torah-based Jewish, and
will also take part in the above issue. In my opinion, there are cases in
which the spiritual guide in the community must take his own initiative to
help young people who are not in a hurry and are taking their time, even if
they have a partner, to move forward towards establishing a family unit while
receiving appropriate guidance. Today, in many cases, couples are mistaken in
thinking that the other person always has to give up in order to maintain the
partnership. But if we succeed in convincing them that each person must do
everything on their part for the sake of the joint partnership, both parties
will benefit. Establishing the family unit on the basis of our holy Torah
should be our soul's desire and will bring about a change in the quality of
life of many and dear ones. It is painful to see the suffering that is the
lot of children in divided families that were established from the beginning
on a distorted foundation. The unsettled foundation stems, among other
things, from the reality that dating is part of a method of entertainment and
fun, without obligation. And for that reason, a partner is sought in places
of entertainment. In my humble opinion, this will no longer be the case in
the State of Redemption. Also because dating will be done in a faith
community by professionals or family, and also because places of
entertainment where promiscuity reigns will no longer interest us. 32. The Education System In this article,
I do not intend to address the shortcomings of the past, but we will only
remember that general education at the time of writing the essay is far from
anything Jewish. Values such as Judaism is
religion, nationalism is fascism, and democracy is sacred. It turns out that
focusing on the values of democracy is truly the state's
self-destruction mechanism. The meaning of the democratic lesson is focusing
on the understanding of the state of all its citizens when the enemies of
Israel should be given the right to determine the character of the state. On
the other hand, if education were to focus on Jewish studies, I assume that,
along with the values of respect for the state and
institutions, we would be strengthened in our love for man as he is (created
by God). I do not
intend to determine here whether one Hasidic court is superior to another or
whether the education we know today as "national religious" is
superior to that of the Haredim. It is clear that I
have an opinion at least regarding the curriculum, according to which general
studies should be combined with Torah studies. This curriculum is found in
high school yeshivahs and state religious schools.
And there is a problem with introducing it into the Haredi
system. From their perspective, there is a question of whether to open Haredi society to external influences? What will be the
price? I would like to hope that over time general subjects will be
introduced in all schools, in all sectors. However, at the same time, the
Torah and faith will not be harmed, perhaps even strengthened. In my opinion,
the Sanhedrin, which will also be concerned with charting the course, will
have something to say on the subject. The future of
children's souls is conditioned by the education system. Therefore, as a
guideline, I would not be mistaken if I would like to build a system that can
also meet the special needs of a public that is just joining the circle of
observant Jews, or, to put it differently, a public whose faith is still weak
and in need of strengthening. Hence, the entire Jewish people will be exposed
to an education system that is at least traditional with Jewish law and
philosophy. In my opinion, education should be viewed as a kind of investment
whose fruits will come to us later. We should invest seriously and not skimp
on recruiting teachers. The goal is to strengthen faith and impart basic
values in Judaism. Will strengthening faith be the same for
those who repent as for those who observe the commandments? The answer is no,
"Educating a boy according to his own path," each group will
receive a system that suits it. But I expect that within a few years the gap
will gradually narrow until we can establish an educational system with a
similar agenda for everyone. Of course, we will still have to learn to live
with an education system that is adapted to different factions and committees
in the Haredi or religious sector. However, on the
other hand, I would expect compromise, agreement, and rapprochement between
the sectors to the extent possible. When we know that the path Redemption is
promoted first and foremost through peaceful means between man and man and
between man and place. I of course hope that it will at least be possible to
begin with education for openness: to accept, understand, and know how to
deal with opinions that differ from your own. This is a difficult task even
today and will be even more difficult to achieve in the future in a society
that fears any change in its way of life, and rightly so. The alternative is,
unfortunately, the continuation of religious wars and the continued disdain
for others and hatred for those who are different from you. The education
system must, for the most part, operate according to national state
principles that guide the entire Jewish people. The financing and management
of the education system will be carried out by the state, although an
independent education system will be permitted by law, but it will still be
under supervision and will operate according to the guiding principles of the
state. An infrastructure for general education and an infrastructure for
Jewish education that combine science and technology with religious studies
must be established and developed. Technological education must be
implemented from an early age (from kindergarten) together with Jewish
education and the student's thinking and learning patterns must be
encouraged. One of the foundations of the educational system will be the
principle of "educating the boy according to his path," which is
the adaptation of a variety of educational programs to the student body,
which is of course heterogeneous in terms of personal ability. The demand for
technological education is necessary if we want to respond to the need for
the development of advanced industries. Just as I expect the non-religious
sector to take on the study of Torah and mitzvot,
so I hope that the Haredi sector will also take on
secular studies, for the reasons presented below. I believe that among the
other miracles that will occur in the days of redemption will be the miracle
of opening our hearts to Torah and enlightenment, which until now we have not
been open to for many reasons, and thus we will be able to accept the
teachings of science and the science of Torah as part of the reality of
creation and redemption. According to
the halacha, it has already been said by Rabbi Nehorai, "I give up every craft in the world and I
teach my son nothing but Torah, nothing but Torah" Kiddushin,
page 82a. However, many make excuses that he only applies this to himself since
he saw his son succeed in Torah studies. The Chatam
Sofer qualifies Rabbi Nehorai's
words and explains that the profession serves as a source of livelihood and
therefore "he who does not teach his son a craft is as if he is teaching
him robberies." He adds that even if the craft serves not only for
livelihood but for the "settlement of the world" and contributes to
technological progress - the craft has great importance and is considered a
mitzvah as if it were the work of the land related to the development of the
Land of Israel, in contrast to our situation in exile when we lived abroad
and had no interest in contributing to the soldiers of the Gentiles and the
settlement of the world. Hence, according to the Chatam
Sofer's interpretation, Rabbi Nehorai's
words refer to exile when we are scattered among the nations. The nature of
the education system will clearly be education in Torah and mitzvot. However, at the same time, it is clear to me
that in every Jewish education system there will be variants of one kind or
another, and I am not in a position to determine at this time what the
direction will be or what autonomy will be given to the various schools. As I
mentioned earlier, I also do not have an answer to difficult questions
concerning the unity of education in the days of redemption, such as the
division between a Sephardic and Ashkenazi, Lithuanian or Hasidic, Haredi or knitted kippah
education system, and so on. Given the current situation, it is likely that
some degree of difference will still remain among the many streams. However,
in my heart of hearts, I hope that the main educational trend will be
according to the path of Rabbi Kook, which is tolerant by nature and is also
designed to accept into it people from all denominations and all streams with
sincere love of Israel. However, according to whatever system it is, the
system must educate in Torah and mitzvot with faith
and love, love of learning, education in the way of the land and love of the
land, and in science and knowledge. Education for love of country will be
given great weight in the system because from it we draw the strength to
fight and fight for our beloved country against all those who rise up against
us, an issue that is currently very much in short supply. The educational
challenge will require a great effort from all branches of government to
contribute their share to the cause. This is the first reason for shortening
military service along with national service to two years, and for the same
reason reserve service will also be carried out during the summer period
only. Increasing the education fund will only be possible if education is
free and available to all and caters to all levels of education and types of
students. Elementary and high school education should be exempt from fees, as
should preferential subjects in higher education. In addition, maintenance
scholarships should be given to students in higher education according to
criteria such as the importance of the subject of study, excellence,
volunteerism, and more. In the field
of education and discipline in schools, it is understood that obedience and
pleasant behavior should be demanded of students. Order and discipline in
schools are also the key to increasing the level of
education. Students who are not interested in a particular idea in their
lives will naturally find empty and negative matters to fill the gap. In
order to avoid situations of lack of discipline, the issue of morality should
be set as an ideological goal (as part of Torah education), and the managements
of educational institutions should also be given autonomy in choosing the
teaching staff, but these will be under state supervision. Schools will also
have autonomy in providing salary supplements (under supervision and in
accordance with criteria, for both teachers and principals) and in collecting
these expenses from students, as well as in choosing the students who will be
accepted and/or continue to study at the school. In my opinion, the school's
obligation to accept every student should be abolished in principle and not
panic if a student cannot find a school close to his or her place of
residence. Each student will be held personally liable for his or her
behavior during the school year, and if necessary, the student's studies
should be terminated, otherwise the entire education system will be harmed.
It should be noted here that such phenomena in the Torah education system are
relatively rare compared to the general education system. The education
system should educate for ideals, personal fulfillment and taking
responsibility. Education for responsibility on the one hand also requires
ideological openness on the other, although within the limits of good taste
and law and order. Intellectual openness (as opposed to educational openness)
is, in my opinion, essential in a technological society, a society based on
the principle of free information and the development of industry and
competition in the economic world. However, openness must be accompanied by
constant fear and apprehension, as Rabbi Kook also warned, because
unfortunately many of the descendants of those who opened up to general
culture, especially during the Enlightenment movement, but also in recent
times, ended up loosening their grip on the Torah of Israel. In my opinion,
with a strong enough Torah foundation, it will be possible to expand to
general education with less fear of falls and stumbling. I believe in the
need for technological education and true cultural openness that, on the one
hand, will give us the tools to withstand most external temptations and, on
the other hand, will place us at the center of matters in the economy and
technology. Additional
principles by which the education system will operate are: 1) the freedom to
choose the educational institution, 2) the system will provide appropriate
solutions for outstanding students as well as for students who are having
difficulty in their studies, 3) holding national exams upon completion of
high school, however, admission to higher education institutions will also be
based on internal exams according to the department of study, 4) the
possibility of an independent curriculum (with the approval of the Ministry
of Education), 5) maintaining strict monitoring of each student so as not to
lose the weak and the excluded. In this area, it is also possible to utilize
the national service, which can provide solutions and help to students and
encourage them to continue their studies by providing personal attention (in
the style of today's "Project Perach") as
well as free tutoring after school hours. 33. The State
and the Sabbath The Sabbath
and the people of Israel are one, in fact the
Sabbath is the second name of the people of Israel. This is due to the fact
that the Sabbath is a testimony to the covenant between God and the people of
Israel, and the covenant is also the reason for the existence of the people
of Israel in this world. The meaning of keeping the Sabbath covenant is
recognition of the act of creation and acceptance of the yoke of the Kingdom
of Heaven. Our very identification with God and the work of creating the
world is expressed through our cessation from all work on the seventh day.
Beyond that: the Land of Israel was given to us for faithful stewardship with
the goal of worshiping God in it, by keeping the Sabbath and remembering it
in this holy place. Hence the national importance of the Sabbath in
everything related to our right to the land and our continued existence on
this land. In fact, the desecration of the Sabbath causes the cancellation of
the right of the people of Israel to the Land of Israel. And it has already
been said: "Jerusalem was not destroyed except because they desecrated
the Sabbath in it" (Shabbat 119). The Sabbath is equivalent (according
to the Ramban) to all the commandments, and whoever
violates the Sabbath is as if he has denied the creation of the world and
thus transgresses all the commandments of the Torah. So also is the summary
of the Shulchan Aruch,
which adds: "And whoever openly violates the Sabbath is like an idolater
in all his words. If he touches wine, he is forbidden, and the cake he bakes
is like the cake of a foreigner" (Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, Shabbat, 72).
The Gentiles, knowing that the abolition of the Sabbath is the abolition of
the entire Torah, the separation of Israel from its Torah, and the cessation
of Israel's eternity, when they sought to uproot Israel from the world and
transfer it from its religion - they decreed first of all the Sabbath. Every
framework of a Jewish state must be established on the basis of Sabbath
observance; otherwise it is not a Jewish state but a state of nations.
Without the Sabbath, the Jews living in such a state will not be different in
their right and essence from the other nations in the state. In the future,
the Jewish state in the Land of Israel, which will be established on the
basis of Jewish law, will be distinguished from the rest of the world in
observing the Sabbath as a supreme value, with a national consensus on the
importance of the Sabbath for the people and the state. According to
the Torah, the people of Israel must observe the Sabbath, but beyond that,
the state must ensure that the law is observed. It has not only the moral
basis but also the obligation to demand from the individual as well as from
the general public, to observe the Sabbath. In public. On the other hand,
those who desecrate the Sabbath in their homes bear personal responsibility
and the state will not judge or pass judgment for this. But when the
desecration of the Sabbath is done in public and in front of everyone - the
sin is on the entire public and the entire society will be forced to bear the
harsh consequences if it does not act. In my opinion, there is no question at
all what the price of the Sabbath is. We are talking about the most expensive
price, the price of life. Many accidents and disasters can be attributed to
the desecration of the general Sabbath, and this is based on the Torah (and
this is without even taking into account the unnecessary deaths of drunken
revelers on weekends), therefore Jewish society must be careful to observe
the Sabbath in public for the good of the public. And it is important to
remember: those who desecrate the Sabbath are not punished directly for their
sin, the entire nation is punished with them,
because of the shared responsibility. From the
verse: "then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals.
During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of
your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals"
(Leviticus 26), we learn about the importance of the commandment of Shabbat.
From the fact that Shabbat and Yuval are practiced only in the Land of
Israel, we can learn that the land of the land has its own
"uniqueness", its own soul that emanates from God. However, if the
desecration of Shabbat repels us from the Land of Israel, it goes without
saying that the desecration of Shabbat will have a similar result. And we
have already been told that if we keep Shabbat in the land - we will deserve
to dwell in our land safely, and if not, the land will vomit us out. On the
other hand, it seems that Shabbat in the Diaspora does not have the same law
as Shabbat in the Land of Israel, since the Jews in exile suffered whether
they kept Shabbat or not. At most, assimilation increased. But there, Shabbat
preserved the people of Israel in another sense, in the sense of preserving
Jewish continuity throughout two thousand years of exile. The power of the
Sabbath in protecting the Land of Israel here and the Jewish people there
creates a parallel between Shemitah and going into
exile, and between Shabbat and exile. The result is that the sanctity of
Shabbat is higher in the Land of Israel. Here, more effort must be made to
sanctify Shabbat. The same sacred uniqueness that the land of the Land of
Israel has, which causes it to cry out when the Shabbat is violated, is also
true here: the land cries out and cries out when the Shabbat is violated. In
my understanding, and I hope that others understand this as well, there is a
metaphysical connection between the land and the land, and between Shabbat.
Shabbat, like the Shabbat, creates a connection between the people and their
land as well as between the people and their God. This land literally
"feels" Shabbat and "feels" when trust in it is violated.
And just as a person cannot accumulate days without sleep, so the earth
cannot accumulate years without rest, and in the end it will restore
everything to itself, as it truly did during our exile, when the land
remained desolate and neglected, as if it had restored all the Sabbaths to
itself and is now waiting only for us to make it bloom again. As mentioned,
keeping the Sabbath applies to every Jew everywhere in the world, but in the
Land of Israel there is the aspect of "rest of the land" as we saw
in the mitzvah of Shemitah. The mitzvah of the
Sabbath is a mitzvah with a spiritual dimension, thanks to which, by virtue
of its observance, peace and rest are radiated over the entire land. This
thesis also has practical significance regarding our attitude towards
non-Jews in the Land of Israel. In my opinion, all inhabitants of the land
must respect the Sabbath outwardly in order to show that they respect the
people and the Name. If they show a proper attitude toward the Sabbath, and
if they maintain the character of the Sabbath of rest, even the keepers of
the covenant will be able to enjoy the Sabbath more in their places of
residence, especially if they border one another. It is clear
that the non-Jewish residents of the land will have the status of resident
aliens, and the Seven Commandments of Noah apply to them, and it is natural
that they are commanded to respect the customs of the place,
otherwise they are not considered resident aliens. The customs of the place
are not only a recognition of Jewish ownership of the land but also the
adoption of the ways of the settlement, such as respecting religion or
respecting the Sabbath. They are of course exempt from the Sabbath laws, as
long as it is in their home, but they will not flood the roads with their
vehicles and will not operate commercial and entertainment establishments
that are in conflict with maintaining the holy atmosphere on the Sabbath. The
suspension of work performed in public (except for essential services) will
be recognized as part of their sincere desire to integrate into society and
perhaps even join the Jewish people as righteous aliens. Jewish and
non-Jewish residents will be asked to maintain the sanctity of the Sabbath in
public. In
conclusion, there are two reasons for the demand that aliens residing in the
land respect the Sabbath outwardly: The first reason is simply a matter of
respect for the Jewish people and admiration for their customs. Assuming that
only Gentiles in the status of immigrants will be allowed to live with us in
the Land of Israel, the Torah asks us something similar: "You shall not
do any work, you and your son...and your neighbor who is within your
gates" (Deuteronomy 5:14). The second reason is the metaphysical reason,
which means that the land must rest in a practical way every Sabbath and
every seventh year. The rest of the land goes beyond the people's duty not to
desecrate the Sabbath individually. The outward sanctity of the Sabbath is a
national matter in the broadest sense. The obligation of Gentiles to honor
the Sabbath can be justified by the fact that by their very existence in the
Land, they accept the supremacy of the Torah, and moreover, by their loyalty
to the Jewish people they rise to the rank of immigrants in the broadest
sense of the word. My gut feeling says that the land does not distinguish
between Sabbath desecration committed by Jews or by non-Jews, the
responsibility is ours. If we allow immigrants to live in the land, we must
also be responsible for ensuring that the atmosphere of the general Sabbath
is not spoiled, because everything will ultimately come to our account. The Torah
says: "And the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to make the
Sabbath throughout their generations an everlasting covenant, between me and
the children of Israel it is a sign forever, for in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed"
(Exodus 31:16-17). From this verse, the Sages learned: "There is no
Sabbath that is void of Israel forever." Desecrating the Sabbath is a
contradiction of the covenant with God (and in effect, abandoning Judaism).
The meaning of the covenant is that the people of Israel will inherit the
land as promised in the covenant between the two halves. For example, in the
verse ("To your seed I will give this land...") we see again the
inseparable connection between honoring the Sabbath and our right to the
land. Hence, the meaning of desecrating the Sabbath is a mortal injury to ourselves and a betrayal of the sanctity of the land of
Israel. Additional evidence of the metaphysical connection between the
Sabbath and the Land of Israel can also be learned from the prophets and
other sources. We have come to see that history occurred exactly as written
in the Torah, as described, for example, in the rebuke "In My Laws"
(Leviticus 26). Therefore, if we are guilty of grave betrayal of God, the
punishment for violating the sanctity of the Sabbath and the Land of Israel
will be, respectively, the desolation of the land from its inhabitants. We
have all seen the practical expression of desolation in the very act of going
into exile and destroying the land while abandoning it to the robbers who
plundered it for two thousand years. If we do not learn from history, then
the land will vomit us up again. The sanctity
of the Sabbath also requires a general revision in the area of sweeping
permits received by security, industrial and other bodies that allow them to
desecrate the Sabbath without any connection to the issue of the protection
of life under which the permits were granted. In my opinion, if it is a
function that is truly a protection of life, such as security, it is better
that it be performed by Jews, and if it is a question of protection of life,
it is better that it be performed by gentiles. It is important to clarify
that the law will allow legal action to be taken against those who desecrate
the Sabbath in public, and these people should be treated as potential
bloodsuckers, even if they have not actually shed blood. 34. Freedom
of Expression and Journalistic Ethics One of the
foundations of the ideal social system is the preservation of freedom of
expression (subject to the reservations noted below). For me, freedom of
expression is the touchstone for society. Whether we will pass it
successfully or unsuccessfully, only time will tell. A free press is a brake
on the takeover of society by the forces of darkness, and freedom of
expression is one of the important means to combat the forces of darkness,
etc. It is accepted that this is also one of the signs of the maturity of a
society that is able to withstand criticism (even if it is destructive
criticism). The law itself requires the publication of wrongs committed in
order to prevent possible continuation of the perverted behavior of public
figures, primarily. Thus it is stated in the Gemara:
"The flatterers are published because of the blasphemy of the Lord"
(Yoma Pu 2). The value of
freedom of expression is so important that it outweighs the fear of using
harsh and offensive language. We prefer journalists who use harsh and
offensive words to journalists who are afraid to speak. It is better to allow
the use of words and nicknames, but the red line is lies and curses. A
journalist who publishes a lie and is found guilty will be severely punished.
The investigative committee that will examine the reliability of the report
will be authorized to discreetly investigate the sources for that news. If
there were anonymous sources, or well-founded and verified ones. If it is
found that the journalist acted fairly and checked the reliability of the
sources (theoretically, such a scenario is also possible), he will receive
legal protection. The intention here is not to give freedom to incitement or violence, these are serious offenses in themselves. Here
too, the halakha places many restrictions on the
freedom of gossip and we learn this from the Gemara
"Minyan le'omer davar lahbiru..." (Yoma 4b). One must
fight for the other's right to express an opinion, but to restrict it as long
as it does not harm the public interest. The rules and restrictions that must
be imposed on society will include preventing verbal violence and
establishing the boundary between what is permitted and what is prohibited in
all matters related to the exercise of the right to freedom of expression.
Whitewashing a person's face in public, especially when things are not true,
is like shedding blood. And it is said in the Gemara
(Archin 15a): "Slander is as serious as
shedding blood, for every killer kills only one soul, and the one who tells
slander kills three: the one who tells it, the one who receives it, and the
one who is told about it. A journalist
or anyone else must give himself an account before any publication on gossip.
Has he done everything to verify the accuracy of the information? Is the
information of public concern? Most often, even if the stories in the press
are based on truth, they can lead to sin and harm to people. Especially if
the narrator tells a lie and then gives others a bad name. And in the Torah
it is written, "You shall not go about as a gossip among your
people," and by Solomon it is said: "Death and life are in the hand
of the tongue" (Proverbs 18:20). Every
journalist who publishes something in public must verify the truth of the
news before publishing it. If he is not sure that the publication is fair or
reasonable, an ethics committee will be available to him, which will provide
him with advice, practical assistance in clarifying the facts, or moral
support. This committee will be available to all interested parties 24 hours
a day and will be structured so that it can respond as quickly as possible
according to the situation, out of awareness of the urgency of the
journalistic reports. Similarly, in the event that a journalist is about to
publish security information, the ethics committee will be able to guide him
along the way or refer him to the appropriate authorities. It is worth noting
that there is no obligation on the journalist or any other publisher to use
the ethics committee, and its decisions are merely recommendations. It is
also worth noting that every newspaper has an editor who, naturally, also
filters news and articles that are worthy of publication according to his
considerations, so that even if a reporter makes a mistake, there is an
additional brake before entering a situation from which there is no return.
However, if, despite all efforts, a journalistic publication is published
that is not true or based on truth but is unjustifiably offensive, the matter
will be investigated by the legal investigation committees and the punishment
for those responsible will be in accordance with the severity of the offense,
starting with a financial fine or the denial of the right to work as a
journalist in the case of a minor offense without malicious intent, and
ending with the death penalty in the case of incitement against population
groups. Herein lies the great difference between the
lawlessness that exists in today's press, which frequently publishes false
and irresponsible news in the media, and the self-restraint that will be the
lot of many in the future. I am of course certain that as a reformed society
we will not reach such a lawless press and we will not lose all restraint of
judgment. Part D:
Economic Policy 35. Economic
and Taxation Policy The economic
policy will be an open market policy, but will also allow for deep state
involvement. My starting point is to start the economy from the human factor.
I expect all those involved in public affairs to be competent and honest
people. Not those with agendas or foreign interests influenced by capitalists
or pressure groups. When the State Comptroller provides real-time feedback on
those involved in public affairs. The rule is that in any case of conflict of
interest, the interest of the public good comes before the benefit of the
system, and in the event of doubt or conflict of interest, it is permissible
to consult with the Comptroller, the Civil Service Commission or external
parties. I believe that
real expression should be given to economic market trends and forces, but one
must know when the government system should intervene, especially when it
comes to a monetary crisis or when it is necessary to save a large company
that is getting into difficulties... then it is permissible and necessary to
intervene. I also support government intervention in R&D issues, such as
serious government investment to encourage technological entrepreneurship,
investments in research and development in industry and academic
institutions, support for research institutions, and more. It is better to
invest the money in creating jobs rather than welfare benefits, this way both
sides will benefit. Other issues that require revision in the economy are the
need to lower the tax burden on the economic system to encourage growth.
Support for the weak should be provided in material rather than monetary
terms. For example, one could apply Jabotinsky's
principle of the five basic necessities: food, shelter, clothing, a teacher,
and a doctor. According to this approach, people whose fate has not been
kinder to them will receive a modest apartment in a housing project, and all
their other expenses (electricity, water, food stamps) will be borne by the
state in accordance with the criteria. At the same time, the public must be
educated and brought to greater social environmental awareness, mainly
through public involvement, helping those in need,
and sharing projects in the community. These will probably reduce the gaps in
society. On the other hand, the establishment must also show that it treats
everyone the same, not the privileged or powerful groups. One of the
ugliest things is the phenomenon of corruption. Corruption can take several
forms: financial corruption, organizational corruption, political corruption,
or just bad deeds. This issue is very complex, and investigative committees
may not always be able to put their finger on the sources of corruption and
eradicate them, so it is most important that the public know how to identify
situations that encourage corruption in their own backyard and deal with them
accordingly. I expect the public not to cooperate and not to turn a blind
eye. If someone who deviates from the right path sees that his friends do not
accept his actions, he will understand on his own that his actions are not
normative and it is better for him to change his ways himself. Changing the
social standard in its attitude towards corruption is also incumbent on us.
With proper education and ending with creating an appropriate atmosphere and
the participation of the entire public. There are places in the world where
the corrupt have no chance thanks to the standards by which the public judges
itself. Part of corruption is taking high salaries without any proportion,
which shameless managers take for themselves in public companies or even in
private companies. If the public knew how to vomit such people, not to crowd
around them or admire them, the managers would also know that it is better to
meet the accepted standards even if the temptation is great and not to grab
the altar horns and say I deserve it. In my
opinion, the government should ensure that funds are poured into research and
development, even if there are projects that do not succeed. However, the
funds are not lost, because they provide oxygen for research and development
in the long term, and hence strengthen industry and the economy. In addition,
the government should initiate and finance the establishment of essential
industrial plants that were decided upon as national projects of strategic
importance. If I may mention a failed attempt Seemingly in the past, this was
the Israeli Lavy fighter project, which, even if it
cost a lot of money and was wasted, was by all accounts a vital project and
contributed to other projects. This is the place to mention the shortage of
manpower in simple jobs such as agriculture, construction and nursing. When
the solution lies with us in the national service that I mentioned earlier. I
propose mandatory national service, when the boys will serve a year in
agriculture and construction as a commitment to the nation, while the girls
will serve in the national service helping the elderly and in hospitals.
There is no reason why this should not be done, especially in light of the
Jewish principles of mutual aid and the guarantee of the individual to
society and society to the individual. Of course, the national service
volunteers will receive an equivalent value for their wages, such as housing
rights and more. Foreign workers are a disaster from a national, economic and
social perspective. The people must return to believing in themselves and
their power to carry out the economic transformation in question according to
the rules that will be detailed below. The
government must allow conditions that will encourage investors to invest in
this country without fear of economic or security surprises, and this means
that strengthening the economy will not be possible without establishing
security and peace in the country. In my opinion, it would be better for the
government to also initiate industrial projects itself, especially those that
are investment-intensive and whose vital importance to the economy is clear,
such as the automotive and aircraft industries. It is possible and even
advisable for the government to establish publicly owned factories, and at
the right time, when they can reach a balance, to privatize those companies.
However, the government is prohibited from competing with the private sector,
and therefore will only operate in the industrial sector where there is not
enough investment. This can be called an integrated, centralized liberal
economic policy, and as such, it requires a lot of thought and vision, and in
my opinion it is the most appropriate for us. A comprehensive program in the
field of employment will also answer the problems of the shortage of
unskilled labor that we currently suffer from. Activating national service
volunteers is only one way to deal with the issue. However, the state has the
duty and responsibility to promote industry and agriculture that will be
compatible with our era in which science has much to add, and with the help
of full automation we can avoid establishing factories whose entire right to
exist derives from the exploitation of cheap labor. Relying on cheap labor
may prevent technological development in the future while leaving certain
areas of production far behind. In this way, the economy will be able to
direct more manpower to the areas of research and development, raise the
standard of living of workers, and it will also be possible to direct more
human resources in the theoretical and Torah direction. For example, it is
possible to save most of the manpower employed in agriculture by using
industrialized methods in agriculture that are currently well known in Israel
and around the world. Improving construction methods will also allow for a
cut in unprofessional manpower along with shortening the time required for
construction and making it significantly cheaper. The state will not
encourage the private sector with financial benefits, but it will greatly
ease the bureaucratic burden and the tax burden. It is better to see the goal
in a larger sense, which is to encourage economic development and encourage
the productive sectors in the periphery, for example by allocating land or
buildings at a reduced cost. It is clear
that the success of the economy will be possible provided that the work ethic
of both workers and managers is improved. I have no doubt that the best
encouragement for attracting entrepreneurs will be the economic
attractiveness of the country while reducing bureaucracy and taxation and
actions to strengthen trust in the country's economy among the global public.
Proper management is the first step towards an industrial economy operating
on sound foundations. In the public sphere, the state will train managers (as
it does today) and at the same time there will be a body that will monitor
the quality of the managers' work. If criminal suspicions arise, the matter will
be brought to the attention of judicial investigation committees that
specialize in economic matters. These committees will also examine the
private sector when managers, controlling shareholders, or service providers
are suspected of breach of trust and embezzlement. Such and similar cases
will be investigated and punished to the full extent of the law by the
investigative committees. Economic
growth is the main economic goal, and according to this starting point, the
entire economic system must continue to be planned. The issue of the tax
burden is an example of how an ideological worldview affects the country's
economy. For example, pseudo-socialist policies usually advocate imposing
high taxes on the middle and upper classes in order to reduce the social gap,
but in doing so they also indirectly harm the lower classes, who will have difficulty finding work if the economy
suffers. Exaggerating the tax burden can lead to systematic tax evasion and
false reporting as the norm. The intention of national service volunteers for
projects of national importance will also reduce public spending on road
infrastructure and buildings. The maximum
tax will be 35%, depending on the tax rates they determine. The above tax
will also include health and national insurance tax in the amount of 5%, as
will be detailed below, however, at low salary levels that are eligible for
exemption from income tax - the exemption will also apply to health and
national insurance tax. For unreasonably high salaries, a committee will be
able to impose an additional tax on salary recipients, in addition to the
possibility of examining at the criminal level if the salary withdrawal comes
at the expense of the company's stability or results in harm to customers or
investors. Income tax
components: Every source of profit: active (work) or passive will be taken
into account in order to determine the tax threshold above which income tax
will be paid. It is possible to propose a 10% tax when salary levels exceed a
threshold of three times the minimum wage. When, as stated, the tax brackets
will reach a maximum tax of 35%. In addition, a fixed tax of 10% on passive
income if it exceeds a threshold of three times the minimum wage. I prefer to
harm savings and investments that are not particularly high as little as
possible. Passive income will include interest, profits Capital, unusual
gifts, dividends, rent, etc. There will be no double taxation, and no double
taxation will be imposed on profits from abroad in accordance with the
relevant tax treaties. Expenses for nursing care services will be recognized
for tax purposes. Donations to approved entities will be recognized for tax
purposes. The taxation system will be territorial,
any source of income that generates funds in Israel or abroad will be taxable
in accordance with the double taxation treaty. Corporate
tax: The tax on manufacturing companies will be 0 percent if the profits are
invested in production. A tax will be imposed on the withdrawal of profits
from the company or on retained profits. The tax on service and trading
companies will be up to 25%. The general direction to which one should strive
in terms of taxation is the need to simplify bureaucracy in every field,
while reducing discrimination (however, there will be a preference for the
manufacturing sector, of course). The principles presented above are given in
general terms, but when the opportunity arises, all the small details will
also be completed by professionals. The State of Redemption will implement
the halakha in tax matters and will incorporate the
laws of tithing into the tax system on a voluntary basis. Another
component of the tax system is a value-added tax. This tax will be in the
order of 10%. The health tax and the National Insurance will form a single
unit at 5% of the salary and without an upper limit. The unemployed and those
with low wages will of course be exempt from this tax. The tax payment date
will be adjusted to the income tax payment date. The tax will be transferred
directly to the state treasury and the state will be responsible for
providing medical care to all residents without exception, even to those who
are apparently uninsured. This tax also includes all the components of the
National Insurance system, such as disability benefits, welfare, survivors,
old age, and more. Similarly, the treatment of road accident victims will
also be an integral part of health insurance, in contrast to the current
situation (it should be remembered that the state will be responsible for
insurance The obligation to own a car (based on a mileage tax) is also more
just since it is proportional to the actual amount of travel, and only
comprehensive insurance will remain in private hands. No child allowance will
be paid, which will be transferred to the needy in other ways. In every
neighborhood, there will be community workers who will help direct the
services of the voluntary bodies, including schoolchildren, community
activists, veterans, and of course, national service women who will work
closely with the professional bodies. The advantage of operating the national
service is that they will be able to reduce a high burden on state resources
and allow for more direct involvement of the younger generation in the
problems of the older generation. These volunteers will handle all aspects of
social care, such as in hospitals or nursing homes and distributing hot meals
to the elderly. In
conclusion, the bottom line of the economy will be determined by industrial
development and production. In my opinion, a huge economic leap forward can
be made after a revolution in the energy sector if we succeed in harnessing
non-renewable energy sources. Conventional technologies such as nuclear
fusion for complete control by man or other technologies, we can achieve
everything. This is how I see the economy of the future redemption state:
development of modern technologies, reduction of bureaucracy, protection of
the environment, clean and green energy sources, international cooperation in
the development of strategic technologies, a breakthrough in the field of
operating nuclear fusion reactors and the use of fusion technology for
desalination of seawater, which will also enable the production of elements
and chemical materials. I believe that this will also be a time of God's will
that will lead us to technological progress and bring us to scientific
breakthroughs in all fields, some of which will even solve the main economic
problems for us and the whole world. I am sure that this country will be the
leading economic and technological power in the world, which will be achieved
through proper management and economic initiatives on the part of the
government and the public. 36.
Agricultural reform Agricultural
technology today is among the most advanced, but there is still much to
learn. And to advance, both technologically and in terms of the methods of
implementation in the life of a state that operates according to Halacha. There is a need for reform and it should include
adapting modern agriculture to the requirements of Halacha,
for example, observing the laws of Shmita and
tithes, etc., and the reform should also include a clear agrarian policy and
land policy. Since this is the State of Redemption, the laws will apply to
the entire country and all its residents - Jews and Gentiles alike. Technologically
- it is possible to produce agriculture even in relatively limited areas and
provide food in quantities that will be sufficient for additional countries.
Agriculture will advance in the near future to biotechnological engineering,
"genetically modified food GMO". This food is not necessarily
dangerous or defective and its advantage is better resistance to pests and
improved nutritional quality. We must focus on land development, the
development of recycled water sources for industry and agriculture,
desalination technology, the utilization of solar energy, and more. I see
agriculture undergoing A radical change from traditional agriculture to
industrial agriculture. Some agriculture will also be carried out in
factories in an industrialized and intelligent manner. Land will no longer
have the same traditional role in agriculture and it will be possible to find
better alternatives to expensive land. An alternative technology, for
example, is hydroponic agriculture. No more crops that are at the mercy of
the weather and its vicissitudes. No more crops that require a huge workforce
with limited output per worker. With a not particularly high initial
investment, it is possible to build habitats suitable for almost all types of
vegetables in which the vegetables will grow separately from the ground
(which will allow growth even in the seventh year) and in this way it will be
possible to install growing beds on several floors, which will also allow for
extremely fast and mechanized handling and collection, as well as automatic
fertilization through irrigation systems. Automation should not be the sole
consideration in determining the type of crop. There are crops that are
attractive to mechanized farmers, such as cotton for export, but this also
requires expensive water unless we manage to lower the cost through
desalination methods. As Also mentioned in the chapter on environmental
quality, agriculture should strive to avoid pesticides or switch to
biological pest control. In my opinion, the experts of the Ministry of
Agriculture should intervene more in the programs and provide price insurance
to the farmer in order to maintain market stability. If the brokerage gap
also decreases, then it is guaranteed that the price to the consumer will
also decrease significantly. In industrial and developed agricultural
systems, there is no reason to employ more than 3% of the farm's workforce.
And if agriculture is managed scientifically, then a small number of manual
workers will work in the field, while the rest of the employees will be
engineers and managers. The lower number of manual workers required will
allow for more intelligent use of national service volunteers who will also
be employed in agriculture. The path and
goals we must achieve in the field of agriculture are: to increase yield and
productivity, to increase the utilization of land units and the utilization
of the water available to us, to reduce manual labor in agriculture, to work
to eliminate the use of hazardous pesticides and to switch to a biological
pest control method, to develop a more balanced fertilization technology for
the soil and healthier for agricultural produce, to adapt crops to climatic
conditions, to carry out research and development with government support in
the field of agriculture, such as improving the crop through genetic
engineering, developing alternative agriculture (hydroponic), and more. I
aspire to direct part of the increase in productivity in agricultural produce
to the hungry in the world as support from the Jewish people. Since I believe
that one of our roles in the world is to help the world in material terms and
not just in spirit to all peoples, agriculture must be planned according to a
maximalist approach and for this purpose research resources from the country
and the rest of the world must be designated. Knowledge that can serve
agriculture in the world must be released and even supported with training
and funds. Agricultural
land is one of the most important resources of the state, and therefore, in
my opinion, ownership of agricultural land should be in the hands of the
state to the extent possible. The state is permitted to lease the land for
fixed periods. Private ownership of agricultural land by Jews and non-Jews
will be possible but less acceptable. In this way, the state will also have
more control over preventing the conversion of agricultural land into land
for construction. The trend of landowners to dry out agricultural crops in
order to illegally change the designation of the land will be stopped. Such
speculation will be a violation of the law in all respects. To this end, the
national order of priority must be re-determined and state land leased
according to just and national criteria. Owners of private land that is
expropriated will receive appropriate compensation, determined according to
the value of the land and the price they paid for the land. It should be
taken into account that many lands were transferred by the state to farmers
without payment, and these did not always remain loyal to their land.
Similarly, there are many state lands that were seized without law. The same
will also be true for built-up lands that were seized illegally or built on
illegally. There will be no better legal status for landowners, and those who
refuse the compensation agreement determined by the state will lose. In any
case, if the expropriation is decided, the compensation will be determined by
a special committee of professionals with the status of judges, and the
committee's decisions can be appealed in a district court. Urban construction
can be directed to mountainous areas such as Samaria or the Golan Heights,
where the quality of life is better and agriculture is inferior than in the plains. At the same time, the green areas that
still remain in the lowland and coastal lands must be preserved and even
expanded. Invest in establishing large agricultural farms where agricultural
and grazing developments will be implemented. Although the economic planning
of agricultural resources will be at the state level, everything will be done
to encourage large private entities to enter and invest in the agricultural
sector. The entrepreneurs will receive help from the state with agricultural
knowledge and technology, and they will be guaranteed minimum prices for
agricultural produce and compensation in the event of natural damage. At the
same time, I do not rule out the existence of small farms. Farmers who
own land who cannot or do not want to continue cultivating the land
themselves will be compensated financially or given the opportunity to join
And together establish large groups to initiate projects in the agricultural
field. The state will support these groups until they can stand on their
feet. The state will establish research institutes in the field of
agriculture that will be attached to agricultural farms. I expect that these
research institutes will develop new techniques for food production in every
field, from research on the development of separate soil substrates suitable
for Shemitah, to issues such as the development of
varieties and genetic engineering. Part of the effort in the organic
direction will be directed at curbing the current lawlessness in the field of
food additives and preservatives. The food industry does not give due weight
to the health issue when they introduce preservatives and coloring into food.
Sometimes the substance can only be identified as toxic after years of use,
when statistical data begins to accumulate. The testing institute will not
only test suspicious ingredients but will try to predict the toxicity of
unknown substances. All offenders who are caught will be punished to the full
extent of the law. 37. The
transportation system I am thinking
about the State of Redemption and I already have a pretty clear and detailed
model of how There should be development of the transportation infrastructure
in the modern country. Part of my belief also includes the insight that
promoting the redemption requires an advanced and technologically developed country
and this also requires efficient transportation between points in the
country. The ability to get to work or school in a reasonable time in order
to allow better flexibility in work options even in more distant locations.
The mobility of workers determines how the economy will develop in the
technological country. Improving mobility is also related to the ability of
people to acquire a good education and listen to lectures and take nature
trips and so on. Hence I find justification in adding this chapter to the
compendium I am publishing. Although it is apparently not directly related to
the redemption To think that
the development of the transportation infrastructure must be one of our top
priorities, sounds rather trite, but I have no doubt that it is one of the
conditions for advancing the country and society. A strong central government
is a guarantee for the success of such projects. The establishment of
infrastructure for light rail/subway in cities cannot be delayed and the
money should come from the state budget in combination Investments of
business companies. Unfortunately,
it is known that in the current situation, the level of maintenance on the
country's roads is beyond all scrutiny. Expenses are being saved in order to
meet multi-year plans despite the cuts. The result is that the roads are
being destroyed very quickly, and in the final analysis, the costs of
rehabilitation are much higher. In addition, this also has an impact on human
lives, which are priceless. Many roads were not built according to the
standard or were built according to old standards while excessively saving on
costs. The result is roads that are too narrow with sharp curves and steep
slopes without adequate safety measures. Such roads are dangerous and require
comprehensive re-planning. The construction and paving standard must be
adjusted to the standards. An inter-urban road will have to be built
according to the strictest standard that allows a twenty-year interval
between maintenance instead of 3-5 years today. Such a road will have to be
multi-lane, with at least 4-6 lanes, and will be built with separation fences
and safety barriers. The intercity route will be carefully chosen and will be
as straight and safe as possible, using tunnels, bridges and interchanges, and
for the purpose of choosing the route, it will be possible to expropriate
areas according to the public interest. Roads of this type will be able to
contribute to reducing the number of annual road accidents. It should be
remembered that saving human lives is like a huge saving in resources. It is
clear that the higher the investment in roads, the greater the benefit to the
economy. The absurdity is that we, who have always had human life as our top
priority, do not show this trait in everything related to road safety.
Regarding the sanctity of human life - we remember well that hundreds of
murderers were released and millions of dollars were paid for the life of one
Jewish hostage, but in contrast, how much do we invest in saving hundreds of
lives every year on the roads? Public
transportation must also be improved. A developed system of suburban trains
must be urgently established that will operate above and below ground
according to the needs and conditions of the place. The availability of
public transportation is very important for the development of cities, so to
encourage the use of public transportation, it is
worth setting symbolic prices or allowing free travel in the city. The
possibilities for developing public transportation in cities and between
cities have long been discussed by all professional bodies, but
unfortunately, when it comes to practical matters, there are major delays in
implementation. Regarding
driver delinquency, the most important thing is traffic education that will
reduce the role of the human factor in accidents, starting in schools.
Effective education is expected to reduce the number of accident victims
accordingly. In
conclusion: Driving lessons should be included in the curriculum for high
school students. If not practical, then at least theoretical. Refresher
classes for drivers would always be a welcome step. Safe vehicles and vehicle
safety accessories should be subsidized. The use of public transportation
should be encouraged at a subsidized or free price. The road and railway
network should be expanded so that they can withstand high traffic loads
without increasing the time spent on the road. 38. The
medical system Public health
is a basic need in society, and certainly in the State of Redemption. We have
learned That "all of Israel is a guarantor for each other" is
certainly true for medicine. However, there is a difference between public
medicine on paper and its implementation in practice. In order to implement
true free public medicine for everyone in need, one must also invest economic
and human resources and a lot of goodwill is needed.
Doctors need to be motivated and caring. The same goes for administrative
workers. It is not possible to provide free medical service without the
tremendous help of the National Service women. This group will provide oxygen
to the basic medical mechanism, which needs motivated young people who will
serve as an auxiliary force and provide relief to patients. The low cost and
human quality will give a good chance of lifting this project without
burdening the public purse. I would also like to address another problem that
is well-known in the medical system: a significant number of patients are
also harmed by an overdose of medications or unnecessary treatments. This is
not only unnecessary resources but also unnecessary suffering. We need to be
more careful on the subject on the one hand, and reduce legal liability for
omissions made in good faith by doctors on the other (it is forbidden to
cause the doctor's considerations to be influenced by fear of a malpractice
claim, and therefore recommend excessive treatment! They will only be careful
in very extreme cases). In principle,
every person will be entitled to free medical treatment even if he is a
tourist or an infiltrator. However, in any case, the state will not prevent
private medicine, which will also be subject to public and professional
control. I have no doubt that even under conditions of equal medicine, there will be a need for private medicine that
provides the extra touch along with treatments that are not defined as
essential. Medical facilities will be concentrated in a number of huge
centers according to geographical distribution. These huge centers will be
divided into sub-centers, each of which will specialize in a special field,
with at least two medical centers in Israel specializing in each specific
subject, also for security reasons. In terms of service to the citizen,
medical efficiency and economic savings, there is a great advantage in
establishing a number of medical cities that will provide the full range of
medical services and where the medical team will live on site and be
immediately available. These medical cities will be linked by a rapid
transportation system to all population centers in the country so that it
will be possible to reach any center directly in a short time. For example, a
patient from the Medical City in Jerusalem will be able to reach the Medical
City by train in 30 minutes. . Medical
research and development will be financed from public funds and directly by
the government, as part of the general policy of investing in research and
development in academic institutions. One of the dilemmas that currently exists is determining the order of priorities in medical
treatment, which treatment and which medicine will be financed by the state.
As is customary today, a committee will be established to regulate the issue, The
uncontrolled use of medications and drugs is a serious social and medical
problem. We are trying to deal with this issue today and will probably
continue to deal with it even at the beginning of the days of redemption.
People are addicted to painkillers, sleeping pills, and more. And this is in
addition to addiction to hard and less hard drugs. Smoking addiction will
also be treated by the state like other drugs. Every addict will receive both
medical and psychological treatment in order to save him from addiction.
Those who are addicted to nicotine will also receive what they need. The sale
of cigarettes in the markets will of course be prohibited. 39. Environmental quality Environmental
quality is not only our quality of life, it is
recognition and integration into creation. Hence the importance of the issue.
Today, the issue is neglected and for this we will pay with compound interest.
In truth, we are already beginning to feel the results of global warming as a
result of air pollution, but this is only the tip of the iceberg. The damage
to human health is already burned into genetics. Either we act yesterday to
fix the world or the human race will degenerate and disappear (it is
impossible, for this is why God established the Jewish people...). And here I
come with my motivation to join everyone possible in the awareness group for
the value of life. The motive of love for God is enough for us to move the
world in favor of preserving the environment. Education is also important. I
argue that there is a direct connection between the level of intelligence,
for example, and the state of the environment. In an extreme case, it can be
stated that the importance of the environment is like the Sabbath and the
Torah. After all, both have an impact on the laws of life. We discussed the
matter of keeping the Sabbath in the previous chapters, while we will discuss
the matter of preserving the environment in this chapter. Our Torah is the
Torah of life, this is the purpose of the commandments and this is the
purpose of preserving the environment. The Torah refers to this issue in the
context of the conquest and settlement in the Land of Israel, "When you
besiege a city for many days to fight against it to capture it, you shall not
destroy its counsel, nor shall you wield an axe against it, for you shall eat
from it, and you shall not cut it down, for man is a tree of the field, to
come before you in the siege" (Deuteronomy 20:19). All of this
reinforces my view that we must be very careful to preserve the environment,
which is truly the laws of life. Do we take
into account the commandment "and you shall take great care for your
souls" in environmental considerations? The bottom line is that
everything must be done to preserve the environment, and we can see
improvement in this regard today, although it is still insufficient in light
of the environmental destruction being carried out in large parts of the
world. We still pollute the air, pollute the soil and water, pollute the sea,
pollute the food, and so on. The loss of direction is so serious that even
the leadership itself is not aware of it and does not know how to prevent the
catastrophe. I expect that
even in the first stage of redemption, when the power and authority are in
the appropriate hands, immediate and urgent actions will be taken to prevent
the continued deterioration of the situation in the field of environmental
quality. We will start to fix it in our country and continue anywhere else in
the world where external intervention is required. Since the impact of
environmental pollution is global, I believe there is a need and obligation
for active intervention in what is happening in the rest of the world,
including poor countries that, due to lack of knowledge and lack of
resources, allow themselves to deplete the flora and fauna in their country
and the world without accounting. The global trend should be to reduce the
use of renewable energy sources (liquid fuels, wood, and coal) and move to
the use of non-renewable energy sources such as hydroelectric plants,
geothermal sources, solar energy for heating and
solar energy for electricity, nuclear energy, and fusion reactors. 40. Recycling
and recognizing the importance of education on the subject Recycling
will be the keyword for the economy of the future. And the method for dealing
with what is currently called "garbage" because in fact garbage is
only in our heads. There is no such thing as garbage, and the fact that we
produce it is one of the sources of problems in Western society. Just as we
are looking for ways to reduce production costs today, so technologies must
be developed that are suitable for recycling industrial products after use.
Of course, research and development for this should be encouraged by the
government, but also according to regulations that bind manufacturers and
importers. Those who make economic considerations are wrong when discussing
the feasibility of recycling. Although recycling is not a cheap process, in
the long term there is no substitute for recycling, mainly because of the
preservation of nature and the quality of life. It is advisable to put
everything on the recycling list - glass and plastic bottles, metals and
electronics, paper and cardboard. In addition, after collection, the garbage
will undergo further recycling, but this time by mechanized means. The state
must finance the collection and subsidize recycling. In addition, the state
must open recycling plants and research and development of recycling in order
to reuse construction waste as well as waste from the chemical and metal
industries. Any factory,
in any industrial field, will not receive permission to operate without first
solving the problem of waste treatment. This includes a plan for wastewater
treatment and reducing the amount of pollutants to a minimum by treating
wastewater within the factory. In contrast to the current situation where
there may be a law but no one oversees the law, appropriate resources will of
course be allocated to oversee this issue. Only in the final stage will the
waste be evacuated to a party outside the factory for final treatment. Here are the
things we can do ourselves to benefit the issue. The first thing is outreach
and education. Outreach among students, in the field of environmental quality
as part of chemistry, biology and society studies. Direct government
investment in the field of developing alternative energy sources with a zero
pollution level. Providing subsidies for vehicles powered by clean engines,
along with removing polluting vehicles from the roads. Finding a biological
solution for pest control, and this too with government investment.
Encouraging the food industry to avoid using preservatives and food colorings
that are known to be harmful to health and improving water quality.
Prohibiting the use of antibiotics in livestock. Establishing an effective
enforcement system to fight against environmental pollution offenders
responsible for hazards such as: landfills, garbage dumps, medical waste and
industrial waste, with the offenders being subject to severe penalties and
company managers also being held personally responsible for any offense in
this area. In the field of medicine, it is recommended that a professional
committee be established to investigate and review the excessive use of drugs
or radiation devices, and to establish procedures in this regard. The
committee will also closely monitor the implementation of the recommendations
in the various hospitals. Reducing
noise pollution to the minimum necessary: preventing the use of
horns except for life-saving purposes, prohibiting the use of alarms in
vehicles and businesses, limiting the volume of noise at events and work, and
prohibiting the use of loudspeakers, unless previously authorized. These
issues have been briefly mentioned here, but they are detailed in
professional literature in a way that is clear enough to be frightening in
the face of real reality. At least on
this issue there should be general agreement among everyone - regardless of
their beliefs and political affiliations. However, on the other hand, I do
not live under illusions and do not expect that everyone will understand the
seriousness of the situation and agree to draconian laws in order to fix what
can still be fixed. Therefore, even if not everyone understands and accepts
them with agreement, the laws must be enacted! Even if this harms the
public's way of life. Our country must take the role of global leader in the
war for improving the environment and the quality of life. This is what the
people of Israel are designed for. And once again, we emphasize: the
significance of spreading faith in God also includes understanding man's part
in God's creation. A consensus
must be reached in the IDF on binding common standards in the field of
environmental quality. In light of the fact that there is a global impact of
air pollution from transportation and industry in every corner of the world,
there is justification for establishing an international task force that will
find solutions for clean energy and enforce standards. The question of the
price of clean energy should not be of importance. Even if the price is tens
of times higher. The state must contribute the knowledge accumulated here to
other countries free of charge or at a subsidized fee, since the interest in
preserving the quality of the environment is shared by all and political
borders are irrelevant in this case. Cooperation in the IDF is even more important
for the development of the nuclear fusion reactor that will be the ultimate
source of energy of the future. With regard
to the issue of global warming, it is clear that the phenomenon is becoming
more extreme at alarming rates. Although it is difficult to solve such a
problem within the limited framework of a plan for a Jewish state, the
importance of the issue nevertheless demands it. The problem is so serious
that it is not enough to reduce the use of fossil fuels and polluting energy,
but rather we must begin planning the technology that will be able to return
the situation to normal, by removing huge amounts of pollutants from the air,
the sea and the ground. The more pressing issue at the moment is greenhouse
gases, mainly carbon dioxide, which is responsible for the significant
increase in the Earth's temperature. Today, for example, there is a proposal
for a technological solution to greenhouse gas pollution by means of a system
that could pump huge amounts of air into the depths of the sea and thus
invest the carbon dioxide in the form of rocky sediments until its excess is
removed from the air. Of course, this is not enough and this is just the
beginning. However, I can already imagine biochemical systems that, using
advanced methods of genetic engineering, will use engineered bacteria
immersed in giant ponds so that, using sunlight, they will convert carbon
dioxide into sugar, fuel, or other organic substances on demand. Later, we
will create an enzymatic machine that operates without the need for the
mediation of bacteria. The
transformation in the perception of ecology as a national mission must be led
by the top brass, and public servants must set an exemplary example. This
situation reinforces the urgent need for a radical change in the system of
government and the moral atmosphere in society in general. A radical change
in the perception of life by the top brass of the establishment will also set
a positive example for the rest of the public and public servants. A public
servant must be responsible enough to notice in time if damage is being done
to the environment, even if it is not in his area of responsibility,
and then cry out and warn if necessary. If they do their work out of a sense
of national mission, they will be able to stand before the public with a
clear conscience. I state this with great pain, since I know what struggles those who are crazy about talking have to fight
against an indifferent and flightless bureaucracy at best, or one that
collaborates with interested parties at worst. The recycling of sewage and
waste is a negative example of the poor functioning of the bodies that handle
the issue. There is a potential risk here for decades for the entire
population! To give
validity to the good intentions described here, environmental protection will
be in the hands of a supervisory body that will have technical tools to
monitor environmental pollution as well as legal tools to enforce the law and
take punitive measures. On this occasion, I call on all countries in the world
to cooperate as one for this purpose. To summarize the chapter and the entire essay, the issue of our quality of life is important at all times and in all places, and we must all unite together to lend a hand in the struggle to improve the environment. We must begin drafting a social charter today, and demand that every government consider the issue of environmental protection as the apple of its eye. All national and international aspects of environmental quality must be taken into account in order not to harm the future of human existence. From a practical perspective, urban construction must be limited to appropriate areas, a comprehensive water survey must be conducted throughout the country, and toxins must be prevented from entering our food chain and groundwater. The state must find alternative energy sources to stop air pollution by transportation, factories, and power plants. Protecting the environment also faithfully represents our true desire to follow the ways of God and to observe His laws so that we can serve Him for many years and with joy. These and these lead us to a long life of mitzvot and worship of God, these and these prove the sanctity of life and hence the degree of respect with which we give our Creator. |
