In 1952, David Ben Gurion met the foremost sage of the time, the Chazon Ish, Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, zt”l, in Bnei Brak and discussed matters and conflict between the new state and religion. The Chazon Ish and Ben Gurion held strong to their opposing positions. The Chazon Ish famously remarked that when two wagons meet at a path, the one with an empty wagon, having just begun its journey, must yield to the fully loaded wagon. Seventy-five years after the creation of the state of Israel and given recent events, now is a ripe time to ask—what is the fill of the wagon?
My four-hour trip to the Washington, DC Jewish Unity Rally last Tuesday allowed plenty of time for such thoughts.
Like most grandiose plans, things don’t end up the way they are envisioned, for anyone. Those that were hoping for the creation of a “new Jew,” unburdened from its Judaic yolk of responsibility and resultant diminished world animosity (antisemitism) have fallen short. Those yearning for the rebirth of the “old Jew,” strictly observant in its Judaism might be equally disappointed. They shouldn’t be. After all, Impossible takes longer.1 The wagon is filling with a potpourri of “revitalized” Jews. Jews that are emboldened, proud, capable and willing to contribute and be recognized throughout the world in their attempt to advance the light of Torah and technology, might and menschlichkeit, agriculture and Talmudic argumentation. Ben Gurion prophetically commented, “Our country is in danger—the Arabs still want to destroy us—and we must find a way to bring all the different parts of our people together. This is the fundamental problem: We have many kinds of Jews, and how will we all live together?”
To everyone’s regret, the prior 12 months saw the wagonload embroiled on a path of civil implosion centered around the issues of judicial reform and opposing political views from the right and left. As the months passed, the tone of the debate escalated to hysteria, vicious name calling and worse, with entire segments of Israeli society unable to find value in each other. This led to an individual, collective, military and governmental distraction setting the milieu for the October 7 massacre. As a result, we now stand united.
What’s next? What about tomorrow?
Sergeant Major Yossi Hershkowitz, who was tragically killed by Hamas booby traps in Gaza on November 11, created an inspirational video prior to his demise. He pleaded on a personal level for Jews not to speak ill of one another, not to distinguish between one Jew and another and not to look back. We are experiencing a national reboot. We can’t afford a backwards glance. The prescription for future fill is not easy, but the elixir was pinpointed with bullseye accuracy by Nathaniel Buzolic, an Australian, Christian actor of Croatian origin and staunch supporter of Israel. He was asked on Israeli News 13: “What would you think we as Israelis, as Jewish people, need to do better in order for the world to know the truth of what we are going through?” He answered, “It’s a tragic reality that Hamas brought this nation together. Don’t let it be Hamas that keeps you together. Let it be Hashem.”
History has taught us repeatedly that Hashem wants his children, all of his children, to move closer to him and to each other.
Let’s fill the wagon.
- Daniel Gordis. “Impossible Takes Longer.” HarperCollins, 2023.
The writer is the director of the Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders in Englewood, New Jersey.
