The war between Israel and Hamas has brought Israelis closer to spirituality
When the war in Gaza began, hundreds of Israelis volunteered to tie tzitzit for soldiers going into reservist service. Apparently, the 50,000 pairs of green tzitzit the army had in stock were not enough to meet the demand of the thousands of reservists who wanted to wear them when they went on duty or into battle.
However, if you were to ask many of the kippah-less soldiers who chose to wear these tzitzit if they would formally identify as “religious,” the answer would be a resounding “no.” There are also stories of soldiers who do not know the blessing of the hagomel – which is said when one is rescued from a dangerous situation – and ask their religious comrades to recite the blessing with them. Women who do not formally identify as religious host challah baking parties to feed and support the soldiers, and many have also chosen to light extra Shabbat candles on Friday nights for the hostages in Gaza. Restaurant owners in Tel Aviv who were proud of not being kosher have converted their restaurants to kosher so their cuisine could be delivered to the front lines.
These are just a few examples of a trend since the war began in which a small portion of Israelis who would not describe themselves as “religious” are adopting religious customs and mitzvot (although a poll in December found that most do not feel any closer to religion).
On the one hand, this should not be surprising, as Israeli society is culturally linked to Judaism. The majority of secular Israeli Jews celebrate Shabbat in one way or another: 69%, for example, eat a special meal on Friday night; over 60% fast on Yom Kippur; and over 92% give their sons a brit.
And yet these stories of “secular” Israelis embracing religious observances stand in sharp contrast to the fierce divisions caused by the role of religion in society, including the ongoing legal dispute over whether Haredi, or ultra-Orthodox, Israelis should serve in the military (or how to find a gentle way for them to do so). This renaissance is not due to rules or policies issued by the government through the State Rabbinate, which has oversight of many of the Jewish population’s religious matters, including marriage, divorce, adoption and conversion.
Many Israelis currently feel disconnected from the state’s rabbinical authority because most of its members are ultra-Orthodox, meaning they often do not serve in the military and do not have the life experience of much of the rest of the population.
And the processes of the rabbinate can often be coercive and burdensome. For example, a young man I know who is in the process of converting recently failed a hearing in a state rabbinical court because he was unable to recite the long blessing after meals (which most Jews read in a prayer book or on their cell phone) in its entirety. At the same time, the court gave him no credit for the great effort he had made to wrap tefillin every day while deployed in Gaza since the war began on October 7, simply because they had no context for such an experience. They ordered him to come back to court for another hearing in three months.
When I perform a wedding ceremony, Israeli law requires me to ask the bride for a receipt proving that she visited a mikvah, a ritual bath, before the ceremony, as required by halacha, religious law. I would prefer if this receipt were not required and I could simply rely on the bride’s judgment. I believe it is sufficient if I had spoken to the couple before the wedding about the importance of using the mikvah and given them the contact details of such a facility.
Religious authorities do not always reflect the general population
When religious authorities are unreflective and do not value the experiences of the general population, the “amcha,” it impacts the way we all view religion and how its institutions serve people. In too many cases, non-Orthodox or non-formally religious people are not seen and understood by the state rabbinate as equals, but are viewed as a weak link in the chain of Judaism – as people who need to be told what to do and how to do it.
This separation between the state system and society is the reason why the number of marriages performed by the rabbinate or other religious authorities affiliated with the state is declining.
It is important to remember that in Israel there is no legal requirement that soldiers wear tzitzit, that families give their sons a brit, or that Israeli Jews observe Shabbat or fast on Yom Kippur. What we should learn from this flourishing of religious practices during these difficult times is that this interest in practicing these practices has arisen quite naturally. It has realized an idea quoted in the fourth chapter of Psalms: “You delivered me out of trouble” – a spiritual deliverance that follows or accompanies trauma.
All of this is clear evidence that religion is more successful in the free market of ideas without the use of coercion. At the same time, both secular politicians and Jewish religious leaders have a duty to create a context in which Judaism can be nurtured.
This idea is deeply rooted in our tradition, particularly in Maimonides’ Mishneh Torah, the 12th-century work that attempts to describe all of Judaism’s laws. In Laws of Kings and Their Wars, Maimonides describes three mitzvot that Israel must fulfill upon entering the Promised Land, including appointing a king and waging war to eradicate pure evil. On the third commandment upon entering the land—to build God’s chosen house—Maimonides’ choice of words is significant: “Seek His presence and go there,” he writes. “Seek” underscores that spiritual or religious life is effective only when it comes from individuals, not from authorities who impose it on people.
This is what we are seeing today: people are seeking Jewish practice and spirituality. The struggle to eliminate the obvious evil of Hamas is certainly part of the impetus that is driving more people to embrace these customs. But as Maimonides put it, the people of Israel will not begin to build God’s chosen house, or a spiritual life, until they have set out to destroy evil.
As we hope and plan for better days, as the threats from Hamas and others gradually recede, politicians who care about preserving Israel’s strong Jewish identity must find a way for religious life to flourish without coercion. In practice, this means offering a choice of different forms of Jewish education and more flexible and understanding paths for prayer, conversion and lifestyle. It also requires addressing challenges within the religious framework.
One of my goals and that of the Modern Orthodox institution I lead is to give people a more accessible and understanding experience of religion. That is why we discuss with the young generation how they feel about the current system and instill values such as the obligation to respect those who are different from themselves.
I don’t have to compromise my halachic standards to be respectful of others. For example, I’ve never prayed in an egalitarian prayer space, but I understand why it’s important that there be a separate, agreed-upon area near the current official space at the Western Wall, our holiest site, where men and women can pray together if they so choose.
Maimonides and countless Jews for thousands of years could not live in the Land of Israel, form a government, fight evil in the region—let alone establish a spiritual epicenter here. Today, the spiritual epicenter in Israel is greater than it ever was, not even in the days of the Second Temple. This spiritual epicenter is essential to our survival, to maintaining our moral compass in the face of the evil of Hamas or our own personal challenges. And that will only happen without coercion if religion is a welcome choice.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of JTA or its parent company, 70 Faces Media.
Virgin Flying Club cannot book rewards with Air France or KLM; it is “expected” to work again “in early” August 2024
Dowagiac pastor co-authors book on history of faith and race in America – Leader Publications
COREY TAYLOR OF SLIPKNOT: ELOY CASAGRANDE “was the only” drummer “brave enough to get in a room with us”
About The Author
