The Torah view about the zionist celebrations

14 בינו׳
זמן קריאה 3 דקות

l'maan achai veRaei! Speech that was given by Rabbi Dovid Cohen (Congregation Gvul Yaavetz, Brooklyn) to the Torah Umesorah Convention in 1983 (printed in The Jewish Guardian, Summer 1983)

I hope that his words will find a path into your heart

I have been asked about a very delicate question. Basically it is almost like religion and politics, something you do not discuss. Is it wise to talk about something that divides us? Yes it is. I would like to be heard with light and not heat, as I would like to make this into an intellectual discussion.

Jewish educators are faced with many questions. How do the following apply to us? 1) Holocaust Day 27th of Nissan, 2) Yom Haatzmaut Israeli Independence Day 5th of Iyar, 3) Yom Yerushalayim…

Let me tell you what I have to say. Take it or leave it. But, first listen.

To say to celebrate that day which was the day of decision to make a medina (state), I think is highly questionable. It is much worse than that.

As history shows, it was by a hair’s breadth that Ben-Gurion decided to proclaim a state. The members of the Jewish Agency had to come to a decision because five Arab armies were threatening them and they had no arms. It was a fifty-fifty vote. And most of the members were apikorsim gemurim (heretics and atheists), as they had to include the Tzur Yisroel clause on the declaration. Many people felt they would never make it. It was Maimon, I think, who broke the tie and they proclaimed the state.

Let us think – in our value system, what is worth more, no matter how many points you give to medina (state), do you give less points to the ten thousand Jews, who died, clearly died as a result of the proclamation of the medina?

The decision to proclaim the medinah was a clear cut decision which brought about the avadon (loss) of ten thousand Jewish neshamos (lives). The great tragedies we know – that the Jews who were killed were both husbands, fathers, sons, and grandsons all wrapped up into one. What kind of a loss and tragedy this was! It is not up to us to measure. Even it if is one Jewish life, we do not measure lives.

By gentiles, for nationalistic or chauvinistic reasons, for the muterland, one does this. But in our value system, what is worth more?

So this momentous decision to say that we are taking medinah over Jewish lives is to me a decision which is grounds for mourning rather than simcha.

The Gemara says that when someone hears that his father died, he recites two blessings: one that G-d is the true judge and one for his inheritance. But what does he celebrate the next year? The yahrzeit or the fact that he got his inheritance? A year ago his father died so it is a yahrzeit.

The fifth of Iyar is a yahrzeit.

The medina is not more important than the loss of ten thousand Jews, who died as a result of this decision. That decision was a momentous error. It was an achzarius (extreme cruelty).