S5 Ep19 - Civil Unrest Part 2

Um, so we talked about basically, a short overview of previous episode was that we talked about that Zionism was largely, I have to generalize in a huge way, but largely founded by Eastern European Ashkenazi Jews who had left their Judaism behind, not exclusively, but overwhelmingly secular Jews who came from often religious or, or a traditional background.

So they knew something, but were looking to create a new version of a nationalist, in keeping with the spirit of nationalism that was very prevalent in Europe in the 19th century.

The solution to the Jewish question of how we will escape from all the persecution and finally bec- be able to breathe is our own na- is our own nation.

Uh, and they-

And just to say, like Zionism doesn't, um, discount the fact that there were still Jews living in Israel at that time.

Zionism was the movement to create Israel into a functioning sovereign state for the Jewish people.

So the idea that it was just Zionism that created the state of Israel is crazy, because there's Jews that have been there for thousands of years.

So I just wanna-

Exactly

... clarify that for anybody who maybe is listening to this for the first time.

Very good.

Yes.

We always say we're the newest old nation.

Jews were around the land of Israel for many, many, many, many centuries.

First and Second Commonwealth.

Go back and read, uh, read some Jewish history.

Read, read my Crash Course in Jewish History book.

You know, listen to previous episodes.

There was never a period of time when there were no Jews in Israel, but we see with Zionism is a, a massive increase in the Jewish population of Israel and the creation of a modern Jewish state, a modern Jewish commonwealth, after 2,000 years of being expelled from our land and the land being occupied by m- mostly Muslims, but other groups of people who, who occupied the land and conquered it, one from the other.

[clicks tongue] Um, but the movement was overwhelmingly founded by a bunch of Jews who did not see the creation of a modern Jewish nation state as something that was spiritual or religious.

The Bible had only y- y- the only ...

The use of the Bible was as this historical document and as a connection to the land and our history, but that was it, and therefore it met with tremendous opposition from the majority of religious leadership.

When I say religious, we're talking about Ashkenazi Jews of Europe, and at this period of time, and the m- the vast majority of Jews are now living in Eastern Europe, in the Russian Empire, which includes, uh, Ukraine, parts of Poland, uh, you know, White Russia, Russia itself, Lithuania.

Uh, most of them seeing that as we read last week, Tsadikk HaKonev Lublin, that we only lost the land 'cause we didn't keep the Torah, that how do we expect a bunch of people who are basically anti-religious to be able to rebuild the state? And then I ended up by talking about how, you know, all of human history and our history is an interplay between the decisions we make and God's infinite knowledge and control, that whatever happens in history is always the will of God, and that the state of Is- the- The, it, it was successful, not without tremendous challenges and constant warfare and terrorism and infighting, but w- an impossible event, a unique event in human history that a people who lost their land twice in history, went into exile, came back, reestablished a state, and that that state flourished.

So I ended up with a thought that neither the, I would say, the rabbinic, the most of the rabbinic leadership of Eastern Europe or the secular Zionist founders of the state of Israel would be, I would say, pleased.