Or la’Goyim
As the Zionist project gained steam around the turn of the twentieth century, the
movement’s mainly secular, socialist leaders thought of a Jewish state as the vehicle for Jews to
finally overcome anti-Semitism and become a goy k’chol hagoyim--a nation like all other
nations. To Theodor Herzl and other leading Zionists of the day, Israel would become the
political home of the Jews; this would then elevate the Jews to the level of the Germans, British,
or any other nationality. However, basically the exact opposite has occurred since the inception
of the State of Israel--especially in the last few years. Israel as a state is isolated more and more
from the rest of the world, and the dramatic rise in global anti-Semitism shocks day after day.
But despite all the hatred toward Jews and Israel, there can be no mistaking the simple fact that
we are actually living in the greatest time for Jews. Now, in order to capitalize on the religious
freedom and acceptance that we currently enjoy, we must strive to perfect the state of Israel as a
Jewish and democratic state while maintaining our most treasured Jewish values.
Staunch defenders of the current policies of the State of Israel often cite its human rights
record and Western values as compared to those of its neighboring countries. They are, in most
ways, right to do this. Yet, as Jews, I believe that it is our divine responsibility to push the State
of Israel to be even better--to be the most democratic, just, and equitable society in the world. In
fact, one of God’s central requirements of the Israelites before they inhabit the land of Israel is
“‫ ֲא ֶשׁר י ְהוָה ֱאֹלהֶיָך נ ֹתֵ ן לָך‬,‫ָאָרץ‬
ֶ ‫שׁתָּ ֶאת ה‬
ְ ‫“( ”◌ְ צֶדֶ ק צֶדֶ ק תִּ ְרדּ ֹף ְל ַמעַן תִּ ְחי ֶה ְוי ַָר‬Justice, justice you shall pursue so that
you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God gives to you”) (Deut. 16:20).
We must not forget that our divine mandate for the land of Israel is directly tied to our pursuit of
justice within it. We cannot occupy the land if we do not pursue justice. This must be the core
tenet of the State of Israel if it is to be a foundationally Jewish state. And the justice we must
pursue cannot be only legalistic, ending in the courts. There must also be social, economic, and
religious justice.
Indeed, the Torah gives us strong credence for these kinds of justice as well. For
example, when prescribing a census, every man in the Israelite community must pay a halfshekel. This is primarily to make sure that there is a systematic procedure for counting the
population, but, underlying the method, there is a significant meaning for Jewish society. The
half-shekel is paid to support the building of the tabernacle, and, as the Etz Hayim comments,
“The tabernacle belongs equally to every Israelite, without regard to social status or wealth. As
all human beings are equal before God, there is to be one standard contribution from all, to be
neither exceeded nor reduced” (Etz Hayim 524). In ancient Israelite culture, every man was equal
before God, the one true judge. Living now in a much less homogenous society, Jews must still
remember that precept: all humans are created in the image of God and are equal before God. In
Israel, everyone must be viewed as equal: haredi, chiloni, dati-leumi, Arab, Druze, and all others.
Beyond achieving formal legal equality for all, we must make financial justice an
achievable goal in the State of Israel as well. Many of the first leaders of Israel were socialists.
The backbone of the Israeli economy was, until recently, the many independent kibbutzim
dotting the countryside. The economic egalitarianism that these initial Labor Zionists wished for
has, however, not come to fruition. Indeed, over the last few years, Israel has been plagued by a
number of financial protests arising from economic inequality and the high cost of living.
Through both governmental policy and individual action, we must restore the original Zionist
dream of a just Jewish economy. Once again drawing upon the Torah, we see the foundations of
tzedakah and reaching out to the poor in the mitzvot of pe’ah, leket, and shich’chah. As Jews
living in the Holy Land, we must remember the less fortunate among us through not only
financial charity, but also educational opportunities. The great Jewish scholar Maimonides is said
to have proclaimed: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you
feed him for a lifetime.” By striving for charity of all kinds, the Jewish state of Israel becomes a
more just state and the people of Israel a more just people.
The slogan for the early Zionist movement under Theodor Herzl was “‫ אין זו אגדה‬,‫”אם תרצו‬
(“If you will it, it is no dream”). I believe wholeheartedly that Israel can become a truly just and
equitable state through traditional Jewish principles. We have been set apart from the world as a
people because, above all, we are a nation-faith. There are no other Hebrew-speaking countries;
there are no other majority-Jewish countries. All we have is Israel, and, as such, we must work
tirelessly to make our holy land the best state it can be. In parashat Balak, the foreign priest
Balaam curses the Israelites as they are about to enter Eretz Canaan, declaring: “‫הֶן עָם ְלבָדָ ד י ִ ְשׁכּ ֹן‬
‫שּׁב‬
ָ ‫”וּבַגּוֹי ִם ֹלא י ִתְ ַח‬
(“There is a people that dwells apart, not reckoned among the nations”) (Numbers
23:9). The Jewish people have been set apart throughout history, and until this point, we have far
too often been degraded and humiliated. But through the land of Israel, we have an extraordinary
opportunity to become the light unto the nations that Isaiah prophesied. Indeed, we have what
John Winthrop wished the United States would become: a city upon a hill. Through the Jewish
people’s actions in the State of Israel, and through the State of Israel’s actions in the world, we
can show the world the immense and awesome power of Judaism. Our hopes and dreams can-really, must--become reality as we form the most just and equitable society for all to gaze upon.