Religious Zionism (Hebrew:צִיּוֹנוּת דָּתִית,romanized: Tziyonut Datit) is a religious denomination that viewsZionism as a fundamental component ofOrthodox Judaism. Its adherents are also referred to asDati Leumi (דָּתִי לְאֻמִּי, 'National Religious'), and in Israel, they are most commonly known by the plural form of the first part of that term:Datiim (דתיים, 'Religious'). The community is sometimes called 'Knittedkippah' (כִּפָּה סְרוּגָה,Kippah seruga), the typical head covering worn by male adherents to Religious Zionism.
Before the establishment of theState of Israel, most Religious Zionists were observant Jews who supported Zionist efforts to build aJewish state in theLand of Israel. Religious Zionism revolves around three pillars: the Land of Israel, thePeople of Israel, and theTorah of Israel.[1] TheHardal (חרדי לאומי,Ḥaredi Le'umi, 'NationalistHaredi') are a sub-community, stricter in its observance, and more statist in its politics. Those Religious Zionists who are less strict in their observance – although not necessarilymore liberal in their politics – are informally referred to as "dati lite".[2]
In 1862, German OrthodoxRabbiZvi Hirsch Kalischer published his tractateDerishat Zion, positing that the salvation of the Jews, promised by theProphets, can come about only by self-help.[3] RabbiMoshe Shmuel Glasner was another prominent rabbi who supported Zionism. The main ideologue of modern Religious Zionism was RabbiAbraham Isaac Kook, who justified Zionism according toJewish law, and urged young religious Jews to support efforts to settle the land, and the secularLabour Zionists to give more consideration to Judaism. Kook saw Zionism as a part of a divine scheme which would result in the resettlement of the Jewish people in its homeland. This would bring Geula ("salvation") to Jews, and then to the entire world. After world harmony is achieved by the re-foundation of the Jewish homeland, theMessiah will come. Although this has not yet happened, Kook emphasized that it would take time, and that the ultimate redemption happens in stages, often not apparent while happening. In 1924, when Kook became theAshkenaziChief Rabbi ofMandatory Palestine, he tried to reconcile Zionism withOrthodox Judaism.
Religious Zionists believe thatEretz Israel (the Land of Israel) was promised to the ancientIsraelites byGod. Furthermore, modern Jews have the obligation to possess and defend the land in ways that comport with theTorah's high standards ofjustice.[4] To generations ofdiaspora Jews,Jerusalem has been a symbol of theHoly Land and of their return to it, as promised by God in numerousBiblical prophecies. Despite this, many Jews did not embrace Zionism before the 1930s, and certain religious groups opposed it then, as some groups still do now, on the grounds that an attempt to re-establish Jewish rule in Israel byhuman agency was blasphemous. Hastening salvation and the coming of the Messiah was considered religiously forbidden, and Zionism was seen as a sign of disbelief in God's power, and therefore, a rebellion against God.
Rabbi Kook developed atheological answer to that claim, which gave Zionism a religious legitimation: "Zionism was not merely a political movement by secular Jews. It was actually a tool ofGod to promote His divine scheme, and to initiate the return of the Jews to their homeland – the land He promised toAbraham,Isaac, andJacob. God wants thechildren of Israel to return to their home in order to establish a Jewish sovereign state in which Jews could live according to the laws of Torah andHalakha, and commit theMitzvot of Eretz Israel (these are religious commandments which can be performed only in theLand of Israel). Moreover, to cultivate the Land of Israel was a Mitzvah by itself, and it should be carried out. Therefore, settlingIsrael is an obligation of the religious Jews, and helping Zionism is actually following God's will."[5]
Socialist Zionism envisaged the movement as a tool for building an advancedsocialist society in the land of Israel, while solving the problem ofantisemitism. The earlykibbutz was a communal settlement that focused on national goals, unencumbered by religion and precepts of Jewish law such askashrut. Socialist Zionists were one of the results of a long process of modernization within the Jewish communities of Europe, known as theHaskalah, or Jewish Enlightenment. Rabbi Kook's answer was as follows:
Secular Zionists may think they do it for political, national, or socialist reasons, but in fact – the actual reason for them coming to resettle inIsrael is a religious Jewish spark ("Nitzotz") in theirsoul, planted by God. Without their knowledge, they are contributing to the divine scheme and actually committing a greatMitzvah.The role of religious Zionists is to help them to establish a Jewish state and turn the religious spark in them into a great light. They should show them that the real source of Zionism and the longed-for Zion isJudaism and teach them Torah with love and kindness. In the end, they will understand that the laws of Torah are the key to true harmony and a socialist state (not in theMarxistmeaning) that will be a light for thenations and bring salvation to the world.
Shlomo Avineri explained the last part of Kook's answer: "... and the end of those pioneers, who scout into the blindness of secularism and atheism, but the treasured light inside them leads them into the path of salvation – their end is that from doing Mitzva without purpose, they will do Mitzva with a purpose." (page 2221)
Some Haredi Jews view establishing Jewish sovereignty in the Holy Land before the coming of the Messiah as forbidden, as a violation of theThree Oaths. This would apply whether those who established this sovereignty were religious or secular.[6]
Another reason Haredi Jews opposed Zionism that had nothing to do with the establishment of a state or immigration to Palestine was the ideology of secular Zionism itself. Zionism's goal was first and foremost a transformation of the Jewish People from a religious society – whose sole shared characteristic was the Torah – into a political nationality, with a common land, language, and culture.[6][7]
Elchonon Wasserman said:
The nationalist concept of the Jewish people as an ethnic or nationalistic entity has no place among us, and it's nothing but a foreign implant into Judaism; it is nothing but idolatry. And its younger sister, "religious nationalism (l'umis datis)", is idol worship that combines Hashem's name and heresy together (avodah zarah b'shituf).[8]
Chaim Brisker said, "The Zionists have already won because they got the Jews to look at themselves as a nation."[9]
Sholom Dovber Schneersohn, also known as the Rebbe Rashab, was the fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe. He opposed both secular and religiousZionism. In 1903, he publishedKuntres Uma'ayan, which included a strong criticism against Zionism. He was concerned that nationalism would replace Judaism as the basis of Jewish identity.[10]
Rav Elyashiv also denounced the actions of religious Jews joining Zionist organizations as separating from authentic Judaism. In 2010, Rav Elyashiv published a letter criticizing the Shas Party for joining theWorld Zionist Organization (WZO). He wrote that the Party "is turning its back on the basics of Charedi Jewry of the past hundred years. He compared this move to the decision of the Mizrachi movement to join the WZO [over one hundred years ago], which was the deciding factor in their separation from authentic Torah Judaism.[11][12]
The first rabbis to support Zionism wereYehuda Shlomo Alkalai andZvi Hirsch Kalischer. They argued that the change in the status ofWestern Europe's Jews followingemancipation was the first step toward redemption (גאולה), and that, therefore, one must hasten the messianic salvation by a natural salvation – whose main pillars are theKibbutz Galuyot ("Gathering of the Exiles"), the return to Eretz Israel, agricultural work (עבודת אדמה), and the revival of the everyday use of theHebrew language.
TheMizrachi organization was established in 1902 inVilna at a world conference of Religious Zionists. It operates ayouth movement,Bnei Akiva, which was founded in 1929. Mizrachi believes that theTorah should be at the centre ofZionism, a sentiment expressed in the Mizrachi Zionist sloganAm Yisrael B'Eretz Yisrael al pi Torat Yisrael ("The people of Israel in the land of Israel according to the Torah of Israel"). It also sees Jewish nationalism as a tool for achieving religious objectives. Mizrachi was the first official Religious Zionist party. It also built a network of religious schools that exist to this day.
In 1937–1948, theReligious Kibbutz Movement established three settlement blocs of three kibbutzim each. The first was in theBeit Shean Valley, the second was in theHebron mountains south ofBethlehem (known asGush Etzion), and the third was in the westernNegev. KibbutzYavne was founded in the center of the country as the core of a fourth bloc that came into being after the establishment of the state.[13]
TheLabor Movement wing of Religious Zionism, founded in 1921 under the Zionist slogan "Torah va'Avodah" (Torah and Labor), was calledHaPoel HaMizrachi. It represented religiously traditionalLabour Zionists, both in Europe and in the Land of Israel, where it represented religious Jews in theHistadrut. In 1956, Mizrachi, HaPoel HaMizrachi, and other religious Zionists formed theNational Religious Party (NRP) to advance the rights of religious Zionist Jews in Israel.
The NRP operated as an independent political party until the 2003 elections. In the 2006 elections, the NRP merged with theNational Union (HaIchud HaLeumi). In the 2009 elections, theJewish Home (HaBayit HaYehudi) was formed in place of the NRP.[14]
Other parties and groups affiliated with religious Zionism areGush Emunim,Tkuma, andMeimad.Kahanism, a radical branch of religious Zionism, was founded by RabbiMeir Kahane, whose party,Kach, was eventually banned from the Knesset.
Today,Otzma Yehudit andNational Religious Party–Religious Zionism are the leading Dati Leumi parties.
.jpg)
The flagship religious institution of the Religious Zionist movement is theyeshiva founded by Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook in 1924, called in his honor "Mercaz haRav" (lit., the Rabbi's center).Other Religious Zionist yeshivot includeAteret Cohanim,Beit El yeshiva, and YeshivatOr Etzion, founded by RabbiHaim Druckman, a foremost disciple of RabbiTzvi Yehuda Kook.Machon Meir is specificallyoutreach-focused.
There are approximately 90Hesder yeshivot, allowing students to continue theirTorah study during their National Service (seebelow).The first of these wasYeshivat Kerem B'Yavneh, established in 1954; the largest is theHesder Yeshiva of Sderot, with over 800 students.Others which are well known includeYeshivat Har Etzion,Yeshivat HaKotel,Yeshivat Birkat Moshe inMaale Adumim,Yeshivat Har Bracha,Yeshivat Sha'alvim, and Yeshivat Har Hamor.[15]
These institutions usually offer akollel forSemikha, or Rabbinic ordination. Students generally prepare for theSemikha test of theChief Rabbinate of Israel (the "Rabbanut"); until his passing in 2020, often for that of theposek R.Zalman Nechemia Goldberg.Training as aDayan (rabbinic judge) in this community is usually throughMachon Ariel (Machon Harry Fischel), also founded by Rav Kook, orKollel Eretz Hemda; the Chief Rabbinate also commonly.TheMeretz Kollel has trained hundreds of community Rabbis.
Women study in institutions which are known asMidrashot (sing.: Midrasha) – prominent examples areMidreshet Ein HaNetziv andMigdal Oz. These are usually attended for one year either before or aftersherut leumi.Variousmidrashot offer parallel degree coursework, and they may then be known as amachon.The Midrashot focus onTanakh (Hebrew Bible) andMachshavah (Jewish thought); some offer specialized training in Halakha:Nishmat certifies women asYoatzot Halacha,Midreshet Lindenbaum asto'anot; Lindenbaum,Matan, and Ein HaNetziv offer Talmud-intensive programs in rabbinic-level halakha.Community education programs are offered byEmunah, and Matan, across the country.
For degree studies, many attendBar Ilan University, which allows students to combine Torah study with university study, especially through itsMachon HaGavoah LeTorah;Jerusalem College of Technology similarly (which also offers a Haredi track).There are alsoseveral colleges of education which are associated with theHesder and theMidrashot, such asHerzog College,Talpiot, and theLifshitz College of Education. These colleges often offer (master's level) specializations in Tanakh andMachshava.
High school students study atMamlachti Dati (religious state) schools,[16] often associated withBnei Akiva.[17]These schools offer intensive Torah study alongside thematriculation syllabus, and emphasize tradition and observance; seeEducation in Israel § Educational tracks. The first of these schools was established atKfar Haroeh byMoshe-Zvi Neria in 1939; "Yashlatz", associated with Mercaz HaRav, was founded in 1964, and predates several schools similarly linked toHesder yeshivot, such as that at Sha'alvim;see also the school-networksAMIT andTachkemoni.Today, there are 60 such institutions, with more than 20,000 students. ADati Leumi girls' high school is referred to as an "Ulpana"; a boys’ high school is a"Yeshiva Tichonit".
Some institutions are aligned with theHardal community, with an ideology that is somewhat more "statist".The leading Yeshiva here isHar Hamor;several high schools also operate.
Most Religious Zionists embraceright-wing politics, especially the religious right-wingJewish Home party and more recently theReligious Zionist Party, but many also support the mainstream right-wingLikud. There are also some left-wing Religious Zionists, such as RabbiMichael Melchior, whose views were represented by theMeimad party (which ran together with theIsraeli Labor party). Many Israelisettlers in theWest Bank are Religious Zionists, along with most of the settlers forcibly expelled from theGaza Strip in August and September 2005.
Generally, all adult Jewish males and females in Israel are obligated to serve in theIDF. Certain segments of Orthodoxy defer their service, in order to engage in full-timeTorah study for purpose of spiritual development in unison with warfare. Religious Zionist belief advocates that both are critical to Jewish survival and prosperity.
For this reason, many Religious Zionist men take part in theHesder program, a concept conceived by RabbiYehuda Amital which allows military service to be combined withyeshiva studies.[18] Some others attend a pre-armyMechina educational program, delaying their service by one year. 88% of Hesder students belong to combat units, compared to a national average of below 30%. Students atMercaz HaRav, and someHardal yeshivot, undertake their service through a modified form of Hesder.
While some Religious Zionist women serve in the army, most choose national service, known asSherut Leumi, instead (working at hospitals, schools, and day-care centers).[19]In November 2010, the IDF held a special conference which was attended by the heads of Religious Zionism, in order to encourage female Religious Zionists to join the IDF. The IDF undertook that all modesty and kosher issues will be handled, in order to make female Religious Zionists comfortable.
Religious Zionists are often calledKippot sruggot, or "sruggim", in reference to the knitted or crochetedkippot (skullcaps; sing.kippah) which are worn by the men (although some of the men wear other types of head coverings, such as black velvetkippot). Otherwise – particularly for the "dati lite" – their style of dress is largely the same as secular Israelis, withjeans less common; onShabbat, they wear a stereotypically whitedress shirt (recently apolo shirt in some sectors), and often a whitekippah. Women usually wear (long) skirts, and often cover their hair, usually with a hair accessory, as opposed to asheitel (wig) in the Haredi style.
In theHardal community, the dress is generally more formal, with an emphasis on appearing neat. The kippot, which are also knitted, are significantly larger, and it is common fortzitzit to be visibly worn, in keeping with theHaredi practice;payot (sidelocks) are similarly common, as is an (untrimmed) beard. Women invariably cover their hair – usually with asnood, or amitpachat (Hebrew for "kerchief") – and often wear sandals; their skirts are longer and looser fitting. On Shabbat, men often wear a (blue) suit –atypical in Israel outside the Haredi world – and a large white crochetedkippah.
At prayer, the members of the community typically use theKoren Siddur or theRinat Yisrael. Homes often have on their bookshelves a set of theSteinsaltz Talmud (much asthe Artscroll is to be found in AmericanHaredi homes),Mishnah with Kehati,Rambam La'Am,Peninei Halakha, and/orTzurba M'Rabanan; as well as a selection of the numerous popular books by leadingDati Leumi figures on theweekly parsha,the festivals, andhashkafa (discussions on Jewish thought). Similar to Haredi families, more religious homes will also have all of"The Traditional Jewish Bookshelf".
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
| Branches | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Education | |
| Politics | |
| Rabbinates | |
| Organizations | |
| Laws | |
| Philosophies | |
