He then clarified the reality of Jewish suffering throughout the centuries: “The objective required a nation that was poor in everything upon which the rest of mankind builds its greatness and the entire structure of its life. To all appearances being at the mercy of other nations armed with self-reliant might, it was to be directly sustained by God Himself, so that, in manifestly overcoming all opposing forces, God would stand revealed as the sole Creator, Judge and Master of history and nature.”
Essentially Rabbi Hirsch declared that the Jewish people finds its strength in what conventional wisdom views as weakness.
The frustrations of almost sixty years of Jewish statehood, the unwillingness of the nations of the world to once and for all side with this island of democracy in a sea of hate and violence, is explained by Rabbi Hirsch’s insightful understanding of the nature of Jewish life. True, the Jew lives in this physical world – but his future and his very safety are dependent not on conventional wisdom but rather a metaphysical connection with God, which, through all the trials and tribulations endured, vouchsafes our existence and future.
And so Sharon’s action is easily understood. By not subscribing to the Jewish condition ordained by God, he could only see Israel’s future through the conventional function of states.
Gaza was boiling over with hate. Hamas was passionately supported by the general population. What future was there in maintaining Jewish enclaves in a hostile environment, especially when doing so required a massive deployment of Israeli troops to protect a rather modest Jewish presence? Ain Breira – there is no choice, we simply must pull out, hoping we can contain Hamas and work out some kind of compromise.
Judaism is not a passive religion. Rabbi Hirsch surely isn’t teaching us that we should allow the world to have total sway over our existence. Jewish law not only requires self-defense, it codifies permitted and mandated wars. Ultimately, however, the Jewish future lies in our steadfastness of faith, in our fulfilling God’s will.
A Jewish state unwilling to factor into its decision-making the very purpose of the Jews becomes overwhelmed with the reality of its situation. Ain Breira – compromise after compromise with little if any hope for a positive result – seems to be the only alternative for those who do not embrace the unique role of the Jewish people.
It is time Israel moved from being merely a State of Jews to a Jewish State pursuing the destiny God has prepared for all of us.