To paraphrase a famous quotation: If someone comes to you and claims he is a Zionist believe him. If someone comes and tells you he is a Religious Jew, believe him, but if someone comes and claims he is a Religious Zionist, don't believe it. It's not possible. You can be one or the other, but not both at the same time.
Following are selected quotes taken from the book The Empty Wagon by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro.
"The Zionists do not want to shmad the Jews in order to create a state. They want to create a state in order to shmad the Jews." Rav Chaim Soloveichik, zt"l
"I have no doubt that I am a Zionist, because the Jewish people is a very nasty people, and its neighbors hate it and they are right." Vladimir Jabotinsky, one of the founding fathers of Zionism....
"Those loathsome Jews [are] vomited out by any healthy collective and state - not because they are Jews, but because of their Jewish repulsiveness." Uri Zvi Greenberg
Zionism was not created to deal with anti-Semitism - it was created to deal with Judaism.
Why did the Zionists think the Jews were nasty and loathsome? The Zionists were secular, gentilized Jews who harbored vastly different ideas of what is honorable and beautiful, and conversely what is shameful and ugly, than did the Torah Jews. The Zionists were Jews who had adopted the values of Esav...and in so doing, had come to loathe the values and lifestyle of Yaakov's progeny - the traditional Torah Jews - as shameful.
...the Zionists didn't just want to be safe from the gentiles or have equal rights with the gentiles; they wanted to be like the gentiles.
One of the reasons the Jews were shameful was that they did not have their own nationality like the gentiles had.
"Oh, what a pitiable figure we cut!" complained Leo Pinsker, for "we do not count as a nation among the other nations." (The Zionist Ideology)
...In April 2010, Israeli radio talk show host Gabi Gazit referred to chareidim as "parasites", "leeches," and "worms." Said Gazit:
They are parasites of the worst kind, and as far as I am concerned - if it was realistic - I would pack them up in one package and send them to their brothers in the dark courtyards of Brooklyn, Queens, and all the other places they should live in ... They should live there ... Let us run a modern, moral country without their distorted lifestyles.
This from the likes of those who champion the sodomites and transvestites, who pour our daughters into skin-tight army uniforms, sling a rifle on their backs and then parade photos of them in front of the whole world extolling the virtue of the Israeli fighting woman - fighting alongside the men, r"l!!!
The Shlav Bet program is part of a broader trend in Israel toward integrating religious women into the IDF. While the Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) population remains largely exempt from military service—due to both ideological and practical concerns—there is increasing participation from national-religious and Orthodox women. In 2019, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the Education Ministry must create pre-army programs for national-religious girls, paving the way for higher enlistment numbers. Furthermore, in 2022, the IDF introduced a female-only company catering to religious women, providing a more accommodating environment for those wishing to serve in the military.
The growing participation of religious women in the military is also aided by initiatives such as Ohr Torah Stone’s “Maaminot BeMadim” (“Believers in Uniform”), launched in August 2023. This program provides Torah-observant women with the spiritual, halachic, and practical support necessary to navigate the complexities of military service while maintaining religious observance.
What possible commonality can the religious Jew who loves the Torah, and clings to it, find with the likes of the Zionists who hate the Torah and want only to destroy it forever? And more importantly, what possible value could any Torah-loving Jew see in attempting to mix the two? The result is akin to mixing matter and anti-matter...
The combined mass of the matter and antimatter is transformed entirely into energy in a reaction so energetic that "explosion" doesn't do it justice. Scientists call it an "annihilation." (Source)
Continuing to quote Rabbi Shapiro's book...
...the question the Zionists asked themselves when creating Zionism was "How can we best expunge Judaism from the Jewish people and become normal like the goyim?"
...The Zionists never cared much about Jewishness. All they ever wanted was to get Hashem and the Torah out of the way so that the Jews could become "normal" people, like the goyim.
Zionism was not an ideology; it was a social engineering project.
...Zionism was not created as a stand-alone ideal but as a cure specifically for the "disease" of Jewishness. It is more dangerous than other heresies because, as opposed to all other heresies, it was custom-tailored to destroy Jewish identity. It was designed to uproot very specific beliefs and behaviors of the Jewish people. ...Zionism was manufactured to be the antitoxin to the poison of Judaism.
[The goals of Zionism as explained by Yosef Chaim Brenner (1881-1921)...]
We want their [gentile] culture in our own streets, in our own land, in our people - and that which we would do if we were assimilated with them we want to do amongst ourselves in our own way.
Most of all we want to be vital and alive, without the yoke of Torah and mitzvos and without the lies and beliefs of religion.
Compare this to Gabi Gazit's 2010 statement quoted above. Is this not what they still want to do?
The Zionist Israelis want it all for themselves so they can live like Americans or Europeans without the permission of the Americans or the Europeans, and they are increasingly unwilling to continue to tolerate the Jews they hate so much, those who are a constant reminder of their ignominious origins. That's why they have imported so many non-Jews as a counter-balance.
The point should be well taken by now, so let's move on to the Unholy Mixture, as I think of it - Religious Zionism, an oxymoron if ever there was one.
Before we can proceed further with a discussion about the oxymoronic term Religious Zionism, a few points which have been raised in a couple of recent comments need to be addressed.
Quote...
1) Like I have stated previously, many have hijacked, distorted, and outright lied about what Zionism is.
2) I see the true Religious Zionist as simply someone, say from a hill near Yitzhar, who observes the entire Torah to the best of his ability, and residing in the Land, conquering whatever we can, and building it up is simply part of the Torah.
3) ...I'm too stubborn to allow the fakes to lie and to misrepresent Zionism, which I believe to mean that the Land of Zion belongs to the People of Israel.
1. Many more have failed to educate themselves or to accept the truth about the true and unhidden nature and goals of Zionism.
2. The things you find admirable in Religious Zionism are, as you say, "simply part of the Torah" and exist independent of Zionism.
3. Zionism is a 19th century invention which has never pretended to be anything other than what it is. It is the "Religious" who have misrepresented it in order to justify participation in its sins.
[Let me note here that the return to Zion and what passes as the chareidi response to it is a separate matter which will be addressed, God willing, when the present matter has been put to rest.]
Quote...
1) Neither the haredi world nor the dati leumi are monolithic blocks.
2) Thus, it is completely incorrect to say that across the board the DL embrace evangelists.
3) ...DL soldiers are being killed disproportionately to their numbers, al kidush Hashem, to protect us all, many leaving behind widows and orphans.
4) I suggest reading Em Habanim Smeichah by Rav Teichtal HYD, ....
Hitoreri
1. That should go without saying.
2. I should perhaps explain further what I meant by "across-the-board." Speaking from personal experience, I mean that Jews who identify as Religious Zionists have made common cause and relationships with self-identified Chr*stian Zionists in every place where Religious Zionists live and work and learn, from the leadership all the way down. No, it certainly does not involve all, but those who actively oppose are definitely in the minority.
3. I'm not sure what your point is in regard to the claim that Religious Zionist soldiers "are being killed disproportionately to their numbers. It's not a good thing and it's not a "kiddush Hashem" in my view. It means they, and likely their parents, are invested in the Zionist idea of blood sacrifice for the Holy Medinah, which does not fight a war to win it and which is well known by the entire nation to put the soldiers at unnecessary risk in order to placate foreign powers.
The Tanakh teaches that when we are a righteous army, we do not suffer losses in battle. We should be demanding to know why that is no longer true. If all were well, I would think the result should be just the opposite.
4. Thanks for suggesting the book, I've actually read it a few times. I walked over and took it off the shelf and among all the dog-eared pages, I came to this highlighted portion on page xvi of the "Historical Introduction"...
The Rise of Zionism
Thus, the "enlightened," assimilated Jews reformed the Jewish religion and renounced all ties to Eretz Yisrael and Jewish nationalism*. The Orthodox Jews, on the other hand, zealously guarded traditional Judaism and, of course, retained a holy reverence for their forefathers' Land. Ironically, however, a significant shift took place on just this issue.** These "enlightened" Jews, as far as they were from traditional Judaism, called for a renewal of Jewish nationalism*, a rebirth of the Jewish nation in its ancient Homeland. They saw this as the only solution to the perpetual problem of anti-Semitism.
Something which history has proved was merely wishful thinking. I'd like to pause here for a moment to make some important points with regard to defining our terms.
----*See the definition of "nationalism": "identification with one's own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations."
----Now, see the definition of "nationhood": "the fact or status of being a nation; national identity or independence."
Nationalism was a fitting term for the National Socialists movement in 1940s Germany just as it is a fitting term for the Chr*stian nationalists in the USA today. It is also fitting for the Zionists who wanted to "be like the other nations", but it has no connection to the Torah's definition of Am Yisrael, for whom the word nationhood (in English) is much more applicable. I daresay the author of the Introduction to Eim Habanim Semeichah should have made the distinction.
The Torah reveals the following solid truth about our "nationhood"...
...has any god performed miracles to come and take him a nation from the midst of a[nother] nation, (גוֹי֘ מִקֶּ֣רֶב גּוֹי֒) with trials, with signs, and with wonders, and with war and with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great awesome deeds, as all that the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes? (Devarim 4.34)
We were forged into a nation while mired in the depths of Egypt. Our nationhood was not then, nor is it now, dependent on Land. The entire idea of "rebirth" assumes this dependency. That is not to discount the value and the place that Eretz Yisrael holds, but neither our presence in it, nor our absence from it, defines us as a nation. If it did, then all the goyim living here could claim to be part of the Nation of Israel by virtue of living in the land.
This is also why Jews are always perceived as strangers in other lands. Whether we like to admit it or not, we are a nation in exile no matter where or when we live and that means we are not free to be part of any other nation. And if we do view ourselves as part of any other nation than the goy kadosh we were created to be, it is a betrayal of HKB"H and our relationship to Him.
Now, continuing to quote from "The Rise of Zionism"...
Initially, the Orthodox reaction to this unexpected development was mixed. Some (mainly in Czarist Russia) viewed Zionism as a return to authentic Judaism. Others (particularly in Austro-Hungary and Germany) remained silent, waiting to see how things would develop. It soon became clear, however, that the secular Zionists longed for a Jewish nationalism that mimicked European nationalism, with no ties to Torah and mitzvot. The Zionist Congress determined that "Zionism has nothing to do with religion." Many Orthodox groups saw this as a continuation of the Enlightenment movement, simply another attempt to strip the Jews of their sacred traditions.
Thus, the vast majority of Orthodox Jewry strongly opposed the Zionist movement. They still loved and longed for the Holy Land; they opposed only the call for a renewal of Jewish national independence. To underscore this difference, many religious leaders explained that it is inconceivable that God would fulfill our ancient hope of redemption through secular activism. Some even attributed the secular Zionists' success to the forces of evil, arguing that Satan wanted to confuse well-meaning Jews.
...There were, of course, religious Zionists, like the members of Mizrachi. However, they were not fully accepted by either group. The ultra-Orthodox condemned them for cooperating with sinners, [Me: a violation of halachah] and the secular Zionists accused them of not cooperating enough, of dual loyalties.
That, right there, proves the point that Religious Zionists simply refuse to accept. It's an unholy mixture!! Religious Jews were already making aliyah and settling the land in preparation for the redemption before the Zionists entered the scene and continued to do so afterwards. There was really no need to put a foot in each camp and straddle the fence like that except that the nationalist ideas appealed to the ego.
[For the Orthodox establishment, there was a classic Failure of Conception that I am saving for later.]
Until next time, I'll leave you with this footnote from the book The Empty Wagon by Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro...
(The Brisker Rav, vol. 3, p. 220) "Their main goal was to uproot religion from the Jewish people and turn them into a nation like all other nations"; ibid., p. 221: "The main goal of the Zionists is . . . the promotion of the idea that we are a nation like all other nations, to be achieved by leaving the path of Torah"; ibid., p. 222: "The Zionists want a land of Israel? They want to move Klal Yisrael [away from its religious observance]"....
No one in his right mind today can refute the prescient words of the Brisker Rav, as their war on Torah is being played out every day across the pages of our daily news.
** Way back up at the beginning, I starred this quote: "Ironically, however, a significant shift took place on just this issue." Because the Zionist leadership saw that they had no influence over the religious Jews without a common point of contact; therefore, they chose to make an appeal based on settling the Land of Israel and it worked. How many were lead astray by this method?
"This will be for you a sign: when you see that the Nero of the East has fallen in Damascus, the kingdom of the east will fall, and then the salvation of Israel will grow, and the Messiah of the House of David will arrive and [the Jews] will go up to Jerusalem." (Otzar Midrashim)
We have been waiting a long time to see this. The following was posted at the Yeranen Yaakov blog in 2012!! It shows that it was the Arabs themselves who first identified Assad as "Nero of the East."
“And Yaakov went out” - This seemingly innocent opening of our Parasha is really not as simple as it may appear. Think about it: From where is Yaakov going out and where is he going to? He is departing from Yitzchak and Rivka's warm home, from the cozy tent (as the verse says, “he dwelt in tents”), from a pure and wholesome environment (and Yaakov was “tam”, meaning wholesome or pure). And where is he headed? To a cold, cruel world of murderers and swindlers. Yaakov, a wholesome, pure man, whose only desire is to serve G-d, finds himself fleeing from his brother who wants to kill him. He is on the way to a place he is not at all familiar with. Sure, it's his uncle. But what kind of uncle is this? Lavan the Aramite, the cheat and scoundrel. Does Yaakov really need all this grief?
Remember, Yaakov tried to avoid all this in the first place. It wasn't his idea to steal the blessings, which was what got him into this mess in the first place. It was his righteous mother who incited him to do it. Yaakov wanted to sit in his tent, to bask in the radiance of his father, to absorb Torah from him, to elevate himself spiritually. And now? He is alone and unsure of his destination, with but a stick in his hand. This is a situation he never dreamed he would find himself in. And again, where is he headed? To his uncle. If only he knew what waits for him there. With brothers and uncles like that, who needs enemies? How are we supposed to understand this? Why does G-d wish to see Yaakov go through all these difficult circumstances? Esau, Lavan, and let us remember his greatest sorrow of all – the loss of Yosef. Why doesn't G-d allow this righteous man, whose entire life's goal is to sit in the tent of Torah and serve G-d – why doesn't G-d allow him to fulfill his aspirations? Instead, this man of enormous potential must waste his thoughts and his efforts in scheming how to avoid his murderous brother. Is this not a waste of talent? Isn't there a more optimal way this spiritual giant can use his time? What is the reason for all these trials and tribulations which befall Yaakov, turning his life into one of brutal hardships, a life he himself sums up as: - “few and evil have the days of the years of my life been.”
In order to understand, “And Yaakov went out”, we must understand “And Yaakov sat”, which is two Parashot ahead of us. On this seemingly mundane phrase “And Yaakov sat”, the sages tell us: “Yaakov desired to sit in peace, but there sprang upon him the troubles of Yosef. When the righteous desire to sit in tranquility, the Almighty says: Is it not sufficient for the righteous that which is prepared for them in the world to come, but they seek to sit in tranquility in this world too!”
What is so wrong about wanting to sit in tranquility? Don't the righteous deserve it? This is basically the same question we have been asking all along. And the answer is a resounding, No! The righteous are not supposed to sit in tranquility. Yaakov was put on this earth to be a “And Yaakov went out” man, and not a “And Yaakov sat” type of person. This is a novel idea in this generation. For up to now, we have been taught that the complete Jew is one who spends all his time learning in the Beit Midrash. Not true. There is a time for sitting in the Beit Midrash and a time to go out to the people. People are suffering. There are ideals that must be fought for. There are problems that must be solved.
Therefore, it is wrong to think that Yaakov “went to waste” wandering and investing energies to foil con-men and murderers. All these experiences, which may seem as needless aggravation and wastes of time, bring the Jew to loftier heights. A Jew who must face all this while remaining steadfast in spreading G-d's word and doing the right things; the one who takes on the wicked - and does it all out of a connection to G-d and guidance from the Torah he is engrossed in during every moment available to him – such a Jew reaches far greater heights than the one who dismisses himself from such “politics,” and sits only in the Beit Midrash. Yaakov is a symbol for the sons who succeeded him, the nation of Israel. Yaakov does not sit in tranquility. The days of Messiah have not yet arrived.
Jew! In this world there are problems which are sometimes difficult, and one must deal with them, and if necessary, fight them. This is part of your destiny. Why do you think there is Esau and Lavan in this world? For you! They did not sprout up by themselves. G-d created them! They exist in order to harass the wholesome Jew. They exist to test him. And the tests are difficult ones. True, you do not have to go and look for tests. But don't worry, they will find you. Each one according to what has been designated for him. But take comfort, Jew: In the end, these tests and trials mold you and give you the chance to reach greater heights, and to prove your faith and trust in G-d. And that's what being a Jew is all about.
The “gedolim” of all generations, who are our guiding light from the days of Avraham until today – they are people who never fled from struggles. When Yaakov starts to fatigue, and it happens, G-d throws all kinds of challenges his way – events which awaken him from the cocoon of tranquility he tries to curl himself into. They awaken him and say: Yaakov, Yaakov, there is no rest in this world! Don't worry, don't take it too hard – if only you knew what awaits you in the next world! And then he is awakened, inspirited, anxious to do battle. We are amazed to see Yaakov, this pure and simple man being forced to deal with the devious Lavan, and overcoming him. Sure, Yaakov is “tam,” but when he leaves his tent, he knows how to deal with evil...
[From "The writings of Rav Binyamin Ze'ev Kahane, HY"D ", commentary on Parashat Vayetze]
* "Klipah - Literally husk or shell in English, the klipah refers toany spiritual blockage preventing us from spiritual growth ortransformation."
~ ~ ~
We have to begin having a serious talk about "Religious Zionism." This is a klipah that has to be discarded before we can be ready to receive Mashiach, now more than ever as the time grows short.
HKB"H arranged it so that this was the group my family landed in when we came to Eretz Yisrael and converted (again) to Judaism. It wasn't long, however, before I began having questions similar to what occurred soon after I became an adult in the church. Something was off.
Without getting into the entire back story, we had some experience with Conservative Jews and what first put me off of them was their constant harping against "The Orthodox." We were determined to have a kosher conversion so that brought us to the rabbanut which led to being put in touch with some Modern Orthodox people, who subscribed, of course, to a Zionistic ethos. Early on, I was a bit shocked by their constant criticism of "The Chareidim." But, the enemies of the Torah, the secular "chilonim" were given a free pass. They were "tinokot shenishbu" - like babies kidnapped at birth - and not accountable for their actions. This was all very confusing.
Time passed, raising a family, making a living, learning when and where possible, I felt more of a kinship with and an emotional attachment to chareidi Jewry, even though I was looking in from the outside. My worldview, firmly rooted in the teachings of Tanach, was more and more challenged by the ideas I was exposed to in the dati leumi (national religious) world.
As I've mentioned here before, I knew nothing of Zionism or even Israeli history before I came to Eretz Yisrael and only began to be educated about it after settling here. I came for HKB"H, not the land, although I appreciate the land as a gift from Him - a home for Us. It would not have mattered to me who was ruling over it, although ideally that would be a Jewish king.
Skipping forward to the present, I believe, based both on experience and learning, that the Chareidim are closest to having it right while National Religious Zionism is a klipah* that needs to be discarded. It's one of those unholy mixtures like Hellenism and Judeo-Chr*stianity, which also explains their across-the-board love for and attachment to Evangelical Chr*stians.
With God's help, this is what I'll be writing about in the near term.
Aharon Chaim Zimmerman (1914 – March 9, 1995) (7th Adar II 5755) was a Ukrainian-born American Orthodox rabbi. He was the son of Rabbi Yaakov Moshe Zimmerman and nephew of Rabbi Baruch Ber Lebowitz. He was known as a child prodigy ("illui"). As a teenager, he studied at the Kaminetz Yeshiva headed by his uncle, Baruch Ber Lebowitz. He left Russia at age 15 with his father, and immigrated to the U.S.
Zimmerman received rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Moshe Soloveitchik in 1939. His first published work, "Binyan Halakha", contains a letter of approbation from the Chief Rabbi of Eretz Israel, Rabbi Yitzchak Halevi Herzog, attesting that the young author was "fully knowledgeable in the entire Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, Rishonim, and Achronim".
He served as Rosh Yeshiva of Hebrew Theological College in Chicago until 1964, and later a Rosh Yeshiva in New York City and in Jerusalem. He immigrated to Israel in 1972. He died on March 9, 1995. (7th Adar II 5755)
He published several books on Halacha and Philosophy. He was renowned as a genius in Torah learning, and was also well versed in mathematics, physics, and philosophy.
...In his book Torah and Existence, he cogently argues that the purpose of the world revolves around Torah. The first chapter contains an elaboration of his opinion that the founding of the modern State of Israel constituted the "Atchalta d'Geula" (Beginning of the Redemption), though he strongly opposed much of the policies and leadership of the state.
Sharing from his book Torah and Existence...
...The kedusha of eretz-Yisrael, and the people in eretz-Yisrael possess more kedusha than in any other place. The secularists in eretz-Yisrael who do not keep Torah and mitzvot - their tuma is the greatest. That is why the permissiveness here in Israel for the chilonim is the greatest and the strongest, more so than in any other democratic place. I have never heard of people destroying a synagogue where religious people pray, as was done here in eretz-Yisrael recently by the secular administration of Jerusalem, under the pretense of the law. No Jew would dare take the responsibility, no matter what his belief is, to destroy a makom-kadosh, a mikdash me'at. Only one who is involved with mem-tet sha'arei-tuma could do such a thing with a clear conscience and not be afraid that he will be punished by G-d, to have destroyed a makom-kadosh, where the Shechina of G-d rests.
Only in eretz-Yisrael could orthodox people go up on the har-habayit for the sake of tefila with a motive of national aspirationand not be worried about the issur-koret. In the democratic countries, no orthodox Jew would dare to transgress an issur-koret for the sake of tefila, whatever his motives are.
The Halacha of Shmirat-Hamikdash Today
The Rambam says, it is a mitzvat-aseh (positive commandment) to fear and revere the mikdash because it is written: "Umei-mikdashai tirau - and from my mikdash you shall fear" - which means you should stay in awe in front of the mikdash. (The words mikdash and beit hamikdash are usually translated as sanctuary and Temple Mount....)
The Rambam continues in the 7th chapter of Hilchot Beit Habechira: "This does not mean to fear the mikdash as such, but to fear G-d who commanded to respect the mikdash. What did this (command) to reverence imply? That one might not enter the mikdash with his staff, or with his sandals on his feet, or in his undergarment, or with dust upon his feet, or with coins wrapped up in his kerchief; and needless to say, it was forbidden to expectorate any place in the mikdash. If one found it necessary to expectorate, he had to absorb the spittle in his cloak.
Nor might one use the mikdash to shorten his way by going in through one entrance and going out through the opposite entrance, but he had to go around it from the outside. One might not enter it at all save for a religious duty . . . One might not act in a frivolous manner while facing the East Gate of the azora, which was the Gate of Nicanor, because it was directly opposite the kodesh-kodshim. Whenever anyone entered the azora he had to walk quietly to the place where he was permitted to go and regard himself as standing in the "presence" of G-d. ...He would have to walk with awe and fear and trembling,....
Even though the mikdash today is in ruins because of our iniquities, man is obliged to reverence it in the same manner as when it was standing. One should not enter save where it is permissible, nor should anyone sit down in the site of the azora or act irreverently while facing the place where stood the East Gate...."
[Why do we hear nothing of the following Rambam from the nationalist Jews?]
...The next chapter in the Rambam is about the mitzva of shmirat-hamikdash. The Rambam says: "It is a mitzva-aseh to watch the mikdash, even when there is no fear of enemies or robbers. Because this shmira is only as an honor guard to the mikdash. It is not similar - a palace that has no shomrim, to a palace that has shomrim. . . The mitzva of this shmira is to watch the whole night. The shomrim are the Kohanim and the Leviim, ....
[They were to guard the entrance gates and watch and give warning to those who might transgress...]
The Vilna Gaon indicates...for the honor of the beit-hamikdash, the Torah saystake extra precaution and watch that those who are forbidden to enter should not enter.
He goes on at length to explain further and regarding the shmirah, ends with "all this can be done today!" And yet here we are with "record numbers" of Jews ascending with no one available to assure all is done in accordance with the halachah, to prevent sincere Jews perhaps unintentionally sinning grievously.
This would have been an excellent first step to pursue, but this is one of the troubling aspects of this movement, that it is not concerned with proceeding in a logical, Torah-prescribed order of action. The result is chaos, unholy mixtures, and a stumbling block to the blind. HKB"H plays no part in such schemes which are doomed to fail as a result, but what harm they cause along the way!
I've been putting this off, but now the time has come. It can't be delayed any longer. I have to speak up on a touchy subject - ascension to the Temple Mount. I'll try to keep this short, but first, a little background.
I, myself, have been on Har Habayit a number of times, but no more than I can count on my own two hands. I was in with a group that promoted it, way back when, and I trusted they were telling me the right things. I thought it was what HKB"H wanted from me and I was eager to fulfill ratzon Hashem.
It's been years now since I have gone up there, and I now regret that I ever did. Without the Beit Hamikdash and the ability to bring korbanot, there's really nothing to gain and everything to lose.
I was initially instructed by a rabbi at the Temple Institute on how to prepare and how to behave. I was made very aware of the need for awe and respect for the place where the demands for sanctity go beyond any other place on earth. Consequently, those demands, if violated, carry an extremely heavy penalty - karet - which is defined by Rambam as follows...
In the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides suggests that karet refers to losing the eternal life of the soul in the World to Come. “The reward of the just is, that they will acquire the sweetness thereof, to be in such goodness; and the punishment of the wicked is, that they will not share in such life, but will suffer excision and eternal death,” Maimonides writes. “And, whosoever does not earn such life, is to be dead, without coming to life forever; for he is severed from life by his iniquity and goes to oblivion like an animal.” In this view, karet is akin to what animals face after death — having one’s soul fade into nothingness rather than partake of eternal life in the World to Come. (Source)
In my experience, people who advocate for Jews to make the ascent to Har Habayit tend to minimize that danger while those who advocate for a complete ban on such activity cite it as the main reason for doing so.
Recently, I heard someone compare this situation to the decision to add a blue thread to tzitzit. Does anyone know the penalty for adding a blue thread if it's not the right color or dye? I don't, but I don't think it would be karet. I don't see the two as similar at all, but that's me and I'm obviously not a rav.
Those in favor of ascension defend their position from a few points. (1) They say that it is certain in these days which parts of the Mount are allowed to walk on and which are not, so as long as we follow current knowledge in this area, we will be ok. (2) Another thing they cite is the Rambam's account of his own ascension and how it was so important to him that he established the date as a family holiday to be remembered. (3) More recently, I have heard the Mount being referred to as the Beit Hamikdash itself with the claim that we have an obligation to visit it.
It seems we have gone from a time when Jews "should be allowed" to go up to now Jews "must" go up, or there is something wrong with you. From the same source, I heard a claim that the people who stand opposed are a "cult." I don't understand the reference, so I won't try to explain it.
Anyone who knows me, knows that my 'common-sense' position (which can in no way compare to a rav's ruling) has always been that NO ONE should be going up there. I think we would all have been much better off if, in 1967, the Mount had been set aside as a protected holy place that did not allow visitors inside its perimeter. Not only would we be protecting unsuspecting but well-meaning Jews from inadvertent error, but there would be no desecration by idolaters and murderers on a daily basis. No mosque - no incitement. A constant recognition of the holiness of the place to be secured until which time the actual Beit Hamikdash can be rebuilt.
As to point number one above, I, for one, would not want to take the responsibility for the entire general public who goes up there to be sure for a certainty that not one of them deviated, intentionally or not, onto forbidden ground. And I do believe that anyone who pushes others to go will be held accountable.
As to point number two, who among the general public who might ascend is of the stature of the Rambam when it comes to knowledge of the laws and halachah? Can just anyone in the general public claim the knowledge and the stature of the Rambam? Since I am lacking, can anyone reading here tell me if at any time or place the Rambam left instructions that every Jew should at some point endeavor to make a pilgrimage to the Temple Mount? Did he ever do it more than once in his own lifetime? It would be very instructive to know.
As to point three, this was a completely alien idea to me, but then I am still learning. I've never heard anyone imply that visiting Har Habayit was tantamount to visiting the Beit Hamikdash itself, and that we are obligated in it even today. Though maybe I misunderstood. That's the trouble with making everything available to the world on the internet where questions and clarifications can not be requested in real time. If I misunderstood, then others have too, you can count on it.
If it is the case that someone is teaching this, I have a question: what do you do about HKB"H's admonition not to come up "empty-handed?"
Devarim 16.16 with Rashi commentary...
Three times in the year, every one of your males shall appear before the Lord, your God, in the place He will choose: on the Festival of Matzoth and on the Festival of Weeks, and on the Festival of Sukkoth, and he shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
"...and he shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed."But bring burnt-offerings of appearance (עוֹלוֹת רְאִיָּה) [which are obligatory when appearing before the Lord in Jerusalem on the Festivals] and Festival peace-offerings. - [Chag. 8b]
Or maybe that only applies during the shalosh regalim.
When I was instructed about going up, I was told about mikvah and no leather shoes, etc. I was told not to carry anything in my hands or in my pockets, nothing profane, like coins, etc. I left my teudat zehut with the police and I left all my belongings in a bag in a safe place and I made my "appearance" and said some prayers and left. No unnecessary conversation, no sightseeing, no laughing out loud or just hanging out.
Very few Jews were going up at that time. I know there are people who go every single day or every week or every Rosh Chodesh. I only went for very special reasons, just a handful of times, not even every year. There is a saying, "Familiarity breeds contempt." I did not want it to become so common for me that I would lose the proper awe of it. But that's me. Other people think differently.
I have to tell you that the situation that has developed up there today is a clear indictment of this idea that we should all be going. Although I've not been up myself for a long time, I see the videos that people are taking and the first thing I wonder is how are they carrying a phone up there and making videos? I see people pushing baby carriages and kids running around. Sometimes fights break out from people pushing the margins of what the police will allow and Jews are drug along the ground.
There's a supposedly Jewish woman, covered in tattoos, including the image of the Temple and Hashem's name, sometimes in pants, leading weekly tours for all comers. Evangelical Chr*stians, egged on by the nationalist Jews, go up in droves and actually perform their avodah zarah in that place. The Arab desecrations are already well known.
There is now constant - CONSTANT - talk about building the Third Temple in partnership with people like this. A "House of Prayer for All Religions" - God forbid! They'd do it if they could!! Hashem yerachem!
Some national religious deride the chareidi Jews praying at the Kotel HaMa'aravi accusing them of disdaining Har Habayit and idolizing "that Wall." I've heard them say it outright and never without a smug superiority in the voices. On the contrary, I think the chareidi adherence to their own da'at Torah shows a greater reverence for it and for ratzon Hashem.
In my view, the obsession with Har Habayit and Bayit Shlishi is misplaced and an unfortunate distraction from what really should be our obsession right now.
Jeremiah 30...
3 For, behold, days are coming, says the Lord, when I will restore the captivity of My people Israel and Judah, says the Lord, and I will restore them to the land that I gave their forefathers and they shall possess it.
4 And these are the words that the Lord spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah.
5 For so said the Lord: A sound of quaking we have heard, fear, and there is no peace. [October 7th??]
6 Ask now and see whether a male gives birth. Why have I seen every man [with] his hands on his loins like a woman in confinement, and every face has turned to pallor?
7 Ho! For that day is great, with none like it, and it is a time of distress for Jacob, through which he shall be saved.
8 And it shall be on that day, says the Lord of Hosts, [that] I will break his yoke off your neck, and I will break your thongs, and strangers shall no longer enslave them.
9 And they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will set up for them.
Hosea 3...
5 Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God and David their king, and they shall come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness at the end of days.
Ezekiel 37...
21 And say to them, So says the Lord God: Behold I will take the children of Israel from among the nations where they have gone, and I will gather them from every side, and I will bring them to their land
22 And I will make them into one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be to them all as a king; and they shall no longer be two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore.
23 And they shall no longer defile themselves with their idols, with their detestable things, or with all their transgressions, and I will save them from all their habitations in which they have sinned, and I will purify them, and they shall be to Me as a people, and I will be to them as a God.
24 And My servant David shall be king over them, and one shepherd shall be for them all, and they shall walk in My ordinances and observe My statutes and perform them.
25 And they shall dwell on the land that I have given to My servant, to Jacob, wherein your forefathers lived; and they shall dwell upon it, they and their children and their children's children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.
26 And I will form a covenant of peace for them, an everlasting covenant shall be with them; and I will establish them and I will multiply them, and I will place My Sanctuary in their midst forever.
27 And My dwelling place shall be over them, and I will be to them for a God, and they shall be to Me as a people.
28 And the nations shall know that I am the Lord, Who sanctifies Israel, when My Sanctuary is in their midst forever." [The final piece in the puzzle!]
It's typical of the Sitra Achra to take an impulse for good and distort it until it goes from being a mitzvah to an aveira. If we stop trying to put the cart before the horse and start putting first things first, then all will fall into its proper time and place.
Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook in Torat Eretz Israel, p. 283...
When people approach me with this proposition [to rebuild the Temple], I say: ...Just as there is a precept to build the Temple, there is a sequence to its fulfillment. The Gemara says, "Israel was commanded with three precepts when they entered the Land: To appoint a King; to annihilate the seed of Amalek; and to build Hashem's chosen house. And the Gemara continues, And how do I know which comes first? You have to say raise up a King. And how do I know whether to build the Temple first, or to annihilate the seed of Amalek? You have to say first annihilate the seed of Amalek. The Gemara is speaking of the initial entry into the Land and of the construction of the first temple, but the Rambam decides that this is generally true. 'Israel was commanded with three precepts upon entering the Land...the King's appointment precedes the war with Amalek, and the annihilation of Amalek precedes the building of the Temple.' This is a clear order not a haphazard arrangement."
You can see from the references above from Tanakh the order that precedes that:
Regathering the exiles from the nations (in process)
Seeking out Hashem - national teshuvah (in process)
Appointing "David their king" - Mashiach
I know the nationalists don't like to hear it, but yes, we are waiting for Mashiach while we work on the first two parts because only when we are finished with Democracy and have a king like David will we be able to defeat all our enemies, and only once all our enemies are defeated can we even think about building the Temple, so that it does not end up being defiled by the enemies of God.
What people are suggesting, no matter how pure the intentions, to take things out of order, would be a nightmare! And anyway, HKB"H is never going to allow it. Meantime, damage is being done to individuals and it is slowing down our progress, which invites unpleasant events that serve to speed it back up since there is an ultimate End that must be reached.
I call on those who are pressuring their fellow Jews to adopt their own viewpoint and follow their errant example to cease and desist and consider the possibility that their own conclusions about ascending Har Habayit may be flawed, seriously flawed.
If only all the money and energy and mussar would be spent preparing the way for Mashiach!
...here are my own personal thoughts and opinions on the world situation, for what it's worth.
The global battle for world hegemony is being waged between West (Chr*stianity) and East (Islam). Whose "New World Order" will prevail? They each want to rid the world of each other and both want to rid the world of Jews.
The West concocted a Master Plan to accomplish this. (It goes without saying that HKB"H is the Ultimate Controller over whether and when any part of it succeeds or fails.)
We know how the story ends, but how we get there is being revealed slowly over time as events take place. When we are far enough down the road, we can look back and see how it all played out up to now, and by following the path already laid down into the future, it might be possible to guess what might be next.
The September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center is believed by many to have been an "inside job" - a false-flag attack - to provide an excuse for the United States and its allies to launch their War on Islam.
If you recall (Ret.) General Wesley Clark revealed in 2007 that the US had a plan to take out seven nations in five years - Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran.
However, Mr. John Loftus made the same claim already in 2003:
Over the next two years, America is going to "take out all seven dictatorial regimes in the Middle East," ...[In order] to "liberate" all the democracy-starved hordes of the Middle-East and rebuild all the war-torn countries courtesy of the American taxpayer (to whom Israel is also beholden, reminds Mr. Loftus, lest we Jews ever forget), and create a climate in which "moderate Islam" can flourish. (See US Plan for MidEast Dominance Revealed in 2003)
Obviously, it didn't go quite as quickly as originally conceived, but 23 years later, six of those countries are now qualified as "failed states" with unstable governments. Only Iran remains of the original seven. Iran - the only Islamic State. The one who most threatens the West. Iran, who supplied Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza to keep Israel pinned down and constantly drained by continuous warfare, keeping her at bay from stopping their plans to get nuclear power in order to rule the Middle East.
It's no coincidence that the powers that be chose to equate the Simchat Torah Massacre with the attack that set this plan in motion - "Israel's 9/11" - as what happened on October 7, 2023 was also an "inside job," carried out by the same perpetrators. Israel had to have an excuse to go to war with Hamas and eventually Hezbollah. The West needed them to be weakened to the point where they could not threaten their moves in Syria. But, they were never, ever going to allow them to be defeated or taken off the board entirely. They are too valuable for keeping Israel under control.
Assad has survived this long only because of Russia's support. For Russia, it means protecting their only access to the Mediterranean Sea through their bases in Tartus and Latakia. And this is their only toe-hold in the Middle East. However, Putin was lured into a war with Ukraine which, after nearly three years, has now weakened his position and considerably drained his resources. Iran has also not escaped the after effects of its proxies' downfall and the disruption of their supply lines, along with losing the focus of its patron Russia.
Which brings us to today. It seems obvious to me that the next step is to unseat Assad, effectively removing Russia's only sphere of influence in the region. Is something planned for Ukraine that will force Putin to let it go and abandon Iran's defense?
Clearly the end goal to this particular plan, and the entire War on Terror, has always been the reconquering of the only Islamic State with the reintroduction of the previous Shah's son into power. Never forget that this is at its core a religious war. It would not be an exaggeration to call it the modern crusades.
The West used Israel to goad Iran into attacking it outright - twice! And we're still waiting for a third "retaliation," but it doesn't look like Iran is going to be stupid three times. According to reports, they lost their air defenses in the last go around. They are going to be a lot smarter in future while the West succumbs to its unlimited ego and pride.
As for next steps, the West has shown it wants to maintain its hypocrisy of needing a "reason" to finish off Iran. They pretend they don't want war when the entire time, they are war-mongering and putting Jews and Israel at the forefront to make it look like we are the ones using them rather than the other way around.
Will they do another "9/11" on NYC on New Year's 2025? (If I recall correctly, Rabbi Richter says, like Eisav's head fell from his body, Edom is destined to fall at the head - Rosh Chodesh - of the month of Tevet, one of the months when Eisav is strongest.)
Or might Iran be the actual perpetrator this time after being accused so often? ("Rabba bar bar Ḥana said that Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda, son of Rabbi Elai: Rome is destined to fall into the hands of Persia...." Yoma 10)
On the other hand, if I recall correctly, Rabbi Richter said Kislev will see the fall of Persia.
Or might it limp along until after Trump takes office? Maybe Iran will fall fittingly at Purim and the West, like ancient Egypt, at Pesach. ("...In contrast, Rav said: Persia is destined to fall into the hands of Rome." Yoma 10)
Either one is a possibility until our actions - our merits - determine the outcome. The end result is assured, but the process by which we arrive there has a lot of built-in variables.
Whatever the case, it seems we are right on the cusp of finishing this phase of the redemption. The downfall of Edom and Yishmael with the Erev Rav shortly to follow. Ken, yehi ratzon!!
Of all the stories about the patriarchs and matriarchs, I have to say I find the stories about Ya'aqov and Eisav to be the most fascinating since their stories are still being played out by their descendants today.
"I loved you," said Hashem, and you said, "How have you loved us?" Was not Esau a brother of Jacob - the words of Hashem - yet I loved Jacob. But, I hated Esau and I made his mountains a desolation, and his heritage for the desert serpents.
~ THE TWO BECOME ONE ~
Though Edom said, "We have become destitute, but we shall return and rebuild the ruins"; so said Hashem, Master of Legions, "They may build, but I shall tear down; they shall call them, 'the boundary of wickedness, and the people who infuriated Hashem to eternity.' Your eyes shall see and you shall say, 'Hashem is great beyond the boundary of Israel.'" (Haftarah Toldot, Malachi 1.2-5)
From the Stone Edition Chumash Commentary...
Through Shem, God conveyed to [Rivkah] that the unborn infants represented two nations and two conflicting ideologies - Israel and Edom - and that their struggle in the womb symbolized the future rivalries between them, which would end with the younger prevailing over the older (R' Hoffmann). Thus, the turmoil within her was due to the irreconcilable conflict between two nations that was already taking shape (Mizrachi).
The Sages teach that the two of them will never be mighty simultaneously; when one falls, the other will rise (Megillah 6a). History has demonstrated this prophecy in practice. Two regimes, one espousing morality and justice and the other standing for license and barbarity, cannot long coexist. They must always be in conflict until one comes to dominate the other, whether through victory on the battlefield or in the contest for men's minds.
_________________________________________________
God's blessing to Abraham specified that only one of Isaac's children would be heir to the mission of Israel (see Rambam, Hilchot Melachim 10:7), meaning that the Torah would go to Jacob or Esau, but not to both.
Not only is Donald Trump returning for a second administration as president of the United States, he's coming back to finish the job he started at his first coming as president. Sound familiar?
"...our president retweeted that he was king of Israel, the second coming of God." (Source)
In the entire history of America no president has ever been described in terms of messianic expectations - not until Trump. It's probably bigger than you realize. Check out this small sampling of headlines from Google...
Preacher, prophet, messiah: Trump cult takes on religious overtones
The King Messiah Trump
A new video casts Donald Trump as a Messiah-like figure
Trump and the politics of the Messiah
Donald Trump: messiah or naughty boy?
Donald Trump "The Quasi Messiah"
Is Donald Trump the modern-day Messiah?
And it's not just among the goyim. Even some Jews have referred to Trump as a "messianic figure."
Rabbi Mendel Kessin: "I’ve mentioned many times who Trump is. He’s an Edomite – a messianic figure of Edom. His job is to assist the Jewish people to do the tikkun (to spiritually rectify the world).
Which he’s doing! Which is amazing. He doesn’t even know who he is and he’s still doing it."
Keep in mind that Eisav=Edom=Christianity=Western Civilization. That is crucial to a proper interpretation of the facts.
Some rabbis have noted that Trump's name has the same gematria as Mashiach...
“...Donald Trump in Gematria (Hebrew numerology) equals 424, which is the same as Moshiach ben David (Messiah from the house of David),” Rabbi [Yosef] Berger pointed out. “This certainly does not mean he will be the Messiah, but it indicates that he will play a role in preparing the way for the arrival of the Messiah. He clearly has this inclination.”
I would posit to you, my readers, that Donald Trump is most certainly a "messianic figure," but a false messiah who will challenge the real Mashiach as he attempts to fulfill a 2,000 year-old mission that failed.
No less a gadol than the Arizal claimed that Yeshu, the false prophet and false messiah of Israel, was a gilgul of Eisav.
"...according to the teachings of the Ari’zal, revealed to him by none other than Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah), Yeshu was none other than the reincarnation of Esav, the brother of Ya’aqov Avinu (ref. Sefer HaGilgulim of the Ari’zal, chapter 67).
Would it be such a stretch then to say that Donald Trump could be a gilgul of Yeshu himself? As it says, "all of our enemies return at the End of Days."
Author Helgard Müller writes:
During the presidency of President Donald Trump, it became evident to me that the prophecies about the Son of Man, as predicted by Jesus in the Bible were, to a significant extent, fulfilled at the hands of Mr. Trump. The Bible speaks about two different Christs - or Messiahs. Jesus, the Son of God is the one Christ, whereas the Son of Man is the other. Jesus always referred to the Son of Man in the third person. The greatest distinction or significance between the Son of Man and the Son of God (the Lamb) is their respective positions at the throne of God. There are numerous differences between the Son of God and the Son of Man, but overall, people read these scriptures and they do not realize that the Son of God (the Lamb) stands in front of the throne of God, whereas the Son of Man, is positioned on the right hand of God. Jesus spoke about two different killings in the four gospels of the New Testament. People read these scriptures and are unaware that Jesus (the Son of God) predicted his own killing in the first person, as opposed to the several prophecies that He made in respects to the Son of Man who will be crucified. The New Testament speaks about "two Kings;" Jesus, the Son of God, is the "King of the Jews," whereas the Son of Man is the "King of Kings" who will be a world-ruler, and He will rule all the nations (the tribes) of the earth with a rod of iron. This book will explain in depth how "Donald John Trump's" full name literally means: "The Ruler of the World, graced by Yahweh (the LORD) and a descendant of a Drummer." Upon reading this book, the reader will be captivated when they realize how President Donald John Trump fulfilled most of the prophecies as the Son of Man. It speaks about End Time Prophecies and Biblical revelations regarding "President Donald J. Trump, the Son of Man. The Christ."
This is where it's going. Eisav wants his birthright back. He believes it is his destiny to be the anointed of God to save the world - not Ya'aqov. This has been the contest between Christianity and Judaism since Yeshu walked the earth. This is where the idea of American Exceptionalism comes from and hence why davka now! Christian Nationalism must take control.
Every Jew knows that Yeshu was no messiah. He was an anti-messiah. He fulfilled not one prophecy that the true Mashiach was prophesied to accomplish, just the opposite!
Another, more familiar way to express the idea of an anti-messiah is anti-christ. "Donald Trump" in gematria (424) could be equal to that of "Mashiach ben David" in the same exact way that the gematria (358) of "nachash" (snake) is equal to "Mashiach." They are antagonists of each other. Mortal enemies.
"It's a halachah: Eisav soneh et Ya'aqov."
Eisav has been gunning for Ya'aqov for 2,000 years with blood libels (beginning with his own execution at the hands of the Romans!), with expulsions and pogroms and holocausts. He has one plan left - Judeo-Christianity...
"The One New Man"
In the future, Esau will wrap himself in a tallis, sit down next to Yakov and say to him, "You are my brother". ...Yakov will say to him, "My brother, you will not be like me. I will lead you to death, I will be the pestilence that leads you to Sheol (Hoshea 13,14). Had I upheld decrees that you promulgated against me, I would have been guilty at the eyes of Heaven. Had I violated them, you would have killed me (Yalkut Shimoni, Yirmiahu 333).
"That was Esau's intention when he told Yakov, 'Let us travel together and I will go before you' (Genesis 33,12). He wanted them to join together in both this world and the world to come, to meet each other halfway, with each modifying his conduct until they were alike (Yalkut Shimoni, Genesis 133).
Ironically, the Greek Testament itself gives an obvious sign as to the identity of the End Times Antichrist...
"One of the heads of the beast appeared to have received a fatal wound, but its fatal wound was healed, and the whole earth followed after the beast in amazement. (Revelation 13:3)
What happens to the Jews who made common cause with the Chr*stians in the belief that it didn't matter because Yeshu was never coming back anyway. But, what if he does come back? What if he has come back??!
