The Difficulties Involved in Waking Up – as in the Days of Yore

The Difficulties Involved in Waking Up – as in the Days of Yore

The magnitude of the miracle of the establishment of the State of Israel

The new, recently published book shows the extent to which we are not aware of the miracles that God does for us. Now we can get to know them a little more.

Can We Count on Israel? Partially.

Just like we don't rely totally upon the State to build Yeshivot, so too we cannot rely blindly upon it to actualize the values of Zionism.

The Value of Nationhood

Translated by Hillel Fendel

In the Book of Shmot, we are no longer individuals, as in Breishit, but rather begin to appear in history as a Nation. Why is a national framework so critical?

How Can We, As Orthodox Jews Support & Celebrate a Non-Religious State?

The most basic quesion in religious-Zionism, is how can we religious Jews support & even selebrate on Yom HaAtzma'ut, a non-religious Jewish State? True, it's a lot closer than anything else around, and today, Israel is clearly the Torah Center of Judaism, and aside from the holiness and mitzva of Eretz Yisrael, what should our relationship be towards Medinat Yisrael? The Rambam already presents a precedent where we celebrate 200 years of sovereignty on Chanuka, even though admitting the Macccabean dynasy was problematic religiously (they were Kohanim & also for most of the 200 years not that religious, hellinists etc.). The she'ur concisely explains in 5 points, why a Jewish State is so important, even if it's not as religious as we like.

May I Participate in the Census?

Is the State of Israel permitted to conduct a census of its population? Does an individual violate the mitzvah by being a census taker, or by providing the census takers with his information?

The Status Quo

Are We Obligated to Pay Taxes?

It seems to me that when a king comes to power, the Knesset will not be disbanded; neither will the institution of elections be discontinued. The government will not lose its importance. There will still be a need to run the state as we know it today.

Regarding the Consensual Acceptance of Judges

On the biblical verse, “These are the laws that you must set before (the Israelites),” the Gemara states, “‘Before them’ - but not before the nations; ‘before them’ - but not before unordained judges.”

Israeli Rule: A Mitzvah

"When I reflect on the extreme loyalty to the Land of Israel displayed by the religious-Zionist camp, I cannot help but ask myself: 'What is its source? Does it spring from a sense of religious obligation, or is it the fruit of nationalism?' "

Settling Eretz Yisrael

: Sometimes an act which results in severe short-term damage, serves the important role of making a clear statement concerning the importance of settling the Land, and impresses upon all the preference of Divine law over transient political rulings.