What a fantastic Shabbat and fantastic presentation! Rav Baruch Gigi, the rosh yeshiva of Yeshivat Har Etzion (Israel’s largest Yeshivat Hesder), served as scholar-in-residence at Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck, on Shabbat Parshat HaChodesh/Vayikra 5778. Rav Gigi made three outstanding presentations, including a most fascinating shiur on the topic of Sephardic rabbinic approaches to Zionism.
Rav Gigi began by presenting the anti-Zionistic approach of the Satmar Rav. This approach is rooted in the Gemara (Ketubot 111a) that states that Hashem imposed a shvua (oath) upon us that we would not take Eretz Yisrael by force (shelo ya’alu Yisrael b’choma). Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk (the famed author of the Meshech Chochma and the Ohr Sameach) reacted to the League of Nations ratification of the Balfour Declaration’s granting the Jews a national home in Eretz Yisrael with three words, “Sar pachad hashevua,” the concern for the oath not to take Israel by force no longer applies, since permission was granted by the international community. Teshuvot Avnei Neizer (Yoreh Deah number 456) agrees. However, the Satmar Rav insisted that the oath remained in effect even when permission for Jews to reside in and eventually govern part of the land was granted by the League of Nations and the United Nations. The Satmar Rav regarded the political pressure placed on the League of Nations and United Nations delegates by Zionist leaders to constitute returning to Eretz Yisrael by force.
This represents a fundamental opposition to Zionism and not just a feeling of unease with cooperating with non-observant Jews. Rav Gigi argues that such fundamental opposition to Zionism is virtually non-existent among leading Sephardic rabbis.
Rav Gigi noted that the Maharsha to Ketubot 111a clearly supports the approach of the Meshech Chochma and Avnei Neizer. The Maharsha explains that Nechemia was permitted to rebuild the walls of Yerushalayim (Nechemia Perakim 1-9) since he had permission from the Persian emperor Artaxerxes.
Rav Yehuda Alkalai, a great Sephardic Rav from Serbia, is counted among the founders of modern-day Zionism. His work espousing large-scale Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael, “Minchat Yehuda,” predated Theodore Herzl. Moreover, Rav Alkalai presents (in his work “Goral LaHashem”) a detailed plan for the reestablishment of the Jewish state in Eretz Yisrael, which is said to have greatly influenced Herzl’s extremely impactful work “The Jewish State.”
Rav Alkalai argues that the natural redemption precedes the supernatural redemption. He refers to this as the Mashiach ben Yosef preceding the Mashiach ben David.
A major and well-known idea of Rav Alkalai (that appears in Minchat Yehuda) is regarding the statement of Rabi Eliezer (Sanhedrin 97b, which is codified by the Rambam Hilchot Teshuva 7:5) “Ein Yisrael nigalin ela b’tshuva,” the Jewish people will not be redeemed without teshuva.
Rav Alkalai distinguishes between teshuva of the individual and teshuva of the community. The individual must repent in the most straightforward manner: he must correct any lapses in his Torah observance. The national teshuva refers to our nation returning to Eretz Yisrael. Rav Alkalai proves this point from the etymology of the word teshuva, which means to return to one’s original place of residence, as in the pasuk “U’tshuvato haramata ki sham beito” (Shmuel I 7:17).
After Rav Alkalai made aliyah in 1874 he moved to Jerusalem where he engaged in major debates with the rabbis of the Yishuv HaYashan, the traditional Jewish community in Jerusalem that opposed activist settlement in Eretz Yisrael.
The great Moroccan rabbanim, ranging from Ribi Shalom Messas to the famous Babi Sali, were enthusiastic supporters of Zionism. Indeed Rav Gigi recalled, from the years in which he was raised in Morocco, that there was widespread support and enthusiasm for Zionism in all circles. Ribi Shalom Messas believed in reciting Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut even with a bracha. However, out of respect to the ruling of Chacham Ovadia Yosef he said Hallel should be recited without a bracha (Teshuvot Shemesh U’Magein 3:63:6).
The Baba Sali, in turn, asserted that the State of Israel was created in the merit of the poem composed by his son the Baba Meir called “Degel Yisrael Heirimah,” the flag of Israel has been raised. When the Baba Sali was told that secular Jews were building the State of Israel, the Baba Sali replied by citing the tefillah of Nacheim we recite on Tisha B’Av, “Ki atah b’eish hitzatah, u’vaeish ata atid livnota,” with fire Yerushalayim was destroyed and with fire it will be rebuilt. He explained that just as Jerusalem was destroyed by the fire of avoda zara, it will sadly be rebuilt by avoda zara.
Israeli agents for aliyah were well received in Morocco, and Rav Yitzhak Abuhatzeira, the chief rabbi of Ramle, should be remembered for allowing his house to serve as a place of transition for Jews making aliyah. Although there was great debate in Moroccan communities about the Alliance schools, which brought secular studies to Sephardic communities, the debates were concerning these schools influencing their students to abandon Torah ways and had nothing to do with Zionism.
Finally, Rav Amram Aburbeh was a noted Moroccan rav who was an enthusiastic supporter of Zionism and predicted Israel’s massive victory in the Six-Day War with Hashem’s help, months before his passing in 1966.
Rav Ovadia Yosef, in turn, recited a Mi Shebeirach for chayalei Tzahal each time the Heichal was opened to remove the Torah on Shabbat morning. Rav Ovadia expresses his strong support for the State of Israel in Teshuvot Yabia Omer 11, Choshen Mishpat 22, where he explains his position permitting the exchange of Israeli land for peace. Shas ministers are permitted to serve as cabinet ministers in the Israeli government, unlike the Ashkenazic charedi members of Knesset who joined the governing coalition but were forbidden by their rabbinic leaders to serve as cabinet ministers. The Yalkut Yosef of Chacham Yitzchak Yosef is replete with instructions for Israeli soldiers, something that is (sadly) anathema in many Ashkenazi circles.
A contrast between Chacham Ovadia’s reaction to the great Entebbe rescue in 1976 with that of the Satmar Rebbe is most instructive. Whereas the Satmar Rebbe reacted with condemnation based on the Mishna Gittin 45a, Rav Yosef reacts with the utmost enthusiasm (Teshuvot Yabia Omer 10: Choshen Mishpat 7 and Teshuvot Yechave Da’at 2:25).
Rav Yosef rules (Teshuvot Yechave Da’at 5:63) that one must fully comply with Israeli tax regulations. In this responsum, Rav Ovadia even endorses Rav Kook’s ruling that a government accepted by the Jewish people in Eretz Yisrael enjoys the status of a melech in certain regards. Rav Yosef frequently cites Rav Kook in his teshuvot in the most respectful and reverential manner, which sadly is not always the case among Ashkenazic charedim.
Rav Gigi noted that there were Sephardic rabbanim who oppose Zionism and even issued proclamations to refrain from voting in Israeli elections. He presented us with the text of their declaration. He observed, though, that the opposition was not rooted in a fundamental opposition to Zionism. Rather, it stemmed from upset at non-observant members of the Israeli government and the improper pressure placed on Sephardic olim to enroll their children in secular public schools that encouraged the abandonment of a Torah lifestyle.
Rav Gigi concluded by noting two great Sephardic rabbis who were enthusiastic supporters of the State of Israel and Religious Zionism, Rav Haim David HaLevi and Chief Rabbi Ben Zion Meir Hai Uzziel. Rav Haim David HaLevi, who for many years served as the Sephardic chief rabbi of Tel Aviv, makes his support for Religious Zionism clear in his works such as his Teshuvot Aseh Lecha Rav. His Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Mekor Chayim has served for decades as the basic halachic work taught in Religious Zionist schools.
Rav Uzziel served as the first Sephardic Chief Rabbi of the State of Israel and composed, together with Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Herzog and Shai Agnon, the Tefillah Lish’lom HaMedinah. Rav Uzziel wrote “A great and miraculous merit has been revealed in this generation, to fulfill the words of the nevi’im to establish a Jewish State in Eretz Yisrael.” Rav Uzziel proceeded to implore all Jews “to return to full Torah observance and to guard the people and State of Israel.”
Support for Zionism is quite strong among Sephardim, even among charedi circles. Fundamental opposition to the State of Israel such as was voiced by the Satmar Rav is virtually unheard of in the Sephardic community. Thus, I was not shocked to hear Shaarei Orah member Jeff Essas report that Rav Eli Mansour, a Sephardic charedi leader in Brooklyn, strongly encouraged his followers to attend the AIPAC Policy Conference in Washington.
By Rabbi Haim Jachter
Rabbi Haim Jachter is the rabbi of Congregation Shaarei Orah, the Sephardic Congregation of Teaneck (Yeshivat Har Etzion 1981-1983).
