What Does The Geulah Actually Mean? Part II

What I find interesting is even with all the evidence pointing to this, many people are, and have been for about 200 years, against going to Israel.

When the Zionist Movement started, many Rabbanim in Europe were approached by the Zionists, asking them to be involved with getting people to move to Israel. And these Rabbanim said no. Chief among them was Reb Shamshon Raphael Hirsch, the famous leader of German Orthodox Judaism who waged a never-ending war against the influence of the Reform Movement. His reason for not wanting to get involved? The Zionist movement was secular movement and he didn't want to give the impression that he supported a non-Torah, non-Orthodox movement, which was what the Zionist Movement was at that time (see Hirsch biography from Mesorah [ArtScroll] Publications). (Here, by the way, is one instance in which ArtScroll did, as far as I'm concerned, write something negative about a Gadol, though they probably thought it was very noble of Rav Hirsch to not be involved with those horrible, terrible Zionists...)

Did Reb Shamshon Raphael Hirsch miss the boat on this? I feel pretty strongly that he did. I understand to the desire to not be seen in a certain light, but what if this was the opportunity to be in the forefront of the Aschalta D'Geulah? What if this was to be the beginning? Even more, imagine how Israel would look today if the early Zionists had had the influence of such great Rabbanim as Rav Hirsch! When the Zionists asked for the involvement of the Rabbanim, the Rabbanim could have said yes and attached certain conditions, such as that the State, when formed, would be a Jewish State, not an Israeli State - a state run according to Torah (and still be a democracy...), a state where Torah would be far more respected than it is now. Perhaps even a state where today no one would dare try to organize a Gay Pride Parade in the middle of the world's holiest city!! Perhaps today there wouldn't be such terrible hatred rampant in Eretz Yisrael between the Chareidim and pretty much everyone else, or more globally, between the religious and the secular.

Eretz Yisrael had lain pretty much deserted for many centuries. Oh, sure, there were settlements here and there, but it never became truly populated until the Zionists started coming in. Why didn't the Rabbanim see this opportunity to return home, grab it, and hang on for dear life? I don't know, but I firmly believe this was absolutely the wrong decision.

The Rabbanim missed this golden opportunity to not only infuse Torah into a secular movement, but to encourage many people to exit Europe en masse, perhaps minimizing the damage of the Holocaust, or maybe even avoiding it altogether!! Did Rav Hirsch, as a chacham should, see the nolad? I don't know. I do know, as I've mentioned before, that Gedolim, no matter how great, are not infallible and they have been known to make mistakes, even grievous ones. If Rav Hirsch were given a second chance and had been shown the future, would he have changed his mind? I would like to think so.

Today, thanks to Rav Kook, who did indeed see the nolad, Religious Zionists who have an unquenchable love for Eretz Yisrael, abound, both in Israel and abroad. They have shown it is possible to live in Eretz Yisrael, be a Zionist, and be religious, all at the same time.

The Geulah, I believe, as do many others, has been in motion for a while now. We are living in the middle of it. The turmoil in the world today, and especially in the Middle East very frighteningly reflects the turmoil described by the Nevi'im when they prophesied about the final redemption.

The Three Weeks are rapidly approaching. It is a time to reflect on our situation, where we are, what we have accomplished, and where we have failed miserably. It is a time to mourn the past, but it is also a time to commit to rectifying the mistakes of that past.

Something to think about.