History of Eretz Israel - Introduction

July 7, 2008 · Filed Under History of Eretz Israel ·

There are those who say that Religious Zionism started with Herzl, as a way to combine the secular ideology of Zionism with the religious teaching of Torah. Those people are wrong.

There are those who say that Religious Zionism started with Rav Kalisher, Rav Gutmacher and Rav Alkalai, the “mevasserei hatzionut” (callers of Zionism), who preceded Zionism with a religious call to go back to Israel and build a state. Those were some of the greatest talmidei chachamim of their times, students of Rav Akiva Eiger and the Pelei Yoetz. Yet, they were not the start of Religious Zionism.

Some people go even further back. To the GRA, the Vilna Gaon, who called on his students to build a Jewish State in Israel; to the Ramban, who tried to encourage mass aliyah to Israel in his time; to Rav Yehudah Halevy, who famously said “My Heart is in the east”.

Modern Religious Zionism started the day where the Jews were exiled from their land, as you can see from all the Tanaim who lived right after that time. Religious Zionism as an ideology came even before! It started with Avraham who left his land to get to Eretz Israel. The importance of the land of Israel came even before! It came even before the creation of this world!

The goal of this new series will be to look at the history of Eretz Israel, look at history in order to understand what is so special about this land and its connection to Klal Israel and the Jewish People. We will go all the way back to the creation of the world and move forward, slowly, post by post, until we get to the modern Zionist movement.

Stay tuned for more!

You liked this post? Here is a list of related posts:

- Land of Israel/ Eretz Israel: by Aliza
- The History of Eretz Israel - Eretz Israel and Itzhak Avinuhi by Dan Illouz
- The Religious View of the Secular State of Israel - Introduction by admin
- History of Eretz Israel - From Creation until the Flood by Dan Illouz
- Rav Kook’s answer to the Zohan by Dan Illouz
- The History of Eretz Israel - Eretz Israel and Yaacov Avinu by Dan Illouz
- Im Tirtzu - Bringing Zionism Back To Israel by admin

Chaviva Says:
July 7th, 2008 at 11:30 pm

I look forward to this series. I often get frustrated in academic circles (and in general public discourse) when people say that the driving force of the late 1800s and early 1900s for Zionism was religion and Herzl. Herzl sought to solve the "Jewish question" of mass anti-Semitism by bringing the Jews to a common ground and to commune with a political might. It wasn't so much about religion as it was about creating a political basis for the Jewish community in a homeland where emancipated Jews could convene and live. It's interesting how in just over 100 years Zionism has grown and changed perhaps from what Herzl envisioned. But as you point out, it goes far beyond Herzl to the sages and into an idea of religious Zionism.

Dan Says:
July 8th, 2008 at 6:24 am

That's exactly what I want to counter. First, the public discourse discredits zionism in general by saying its new and therefore does not hold up against the "ancient" rights of the people who "were there before". Zionism is, however, not new. On top of that, maybe people look at religious zionism as a weak attempt to combine secular values with a religious outlook. They therefore accuse religious zionism of not being authentic judaism. I hope to show (through historical empiricism) that there is nothing more authentic in judaism than religious zionism. Thanks for your comment, I look forward to your continued comments

EV Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 12:50 pm

But religious Zionism became detrimental to the safety of the Jewish People and the existence of Israel as a Jewish democratic state after 1967, when idolatry of the land increased exponentially among "religious Zionists." I would love to see an examination of the fanaticism and borderline dementia of contemporary religious Zionists on this blog.

Dan Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 1:12 pm

Well, this series is exactly for you because you will slowly see that what you call "idolatry of the land" is nothing more than the authentic Jewish view which has lasted over 2000 years. I know, this might be hard for you to digest, but you'll have to wait for this series to get to contemporary times before getting to that conclusion. Until then, you will be see that the love of the land of israel always existed in judaism. Now, if what you are referring to as "idolaters of the land" are people who promote killing other jews in order to save the land… well, I disagree with those people and do not see any reason to defend their views. However, I do disagree with your portrayal of a whole movement (religious zionism), of whom the great majority are idealistic people who only show the greatest love for any member of klal israel, as fanatics. Most of the religious zionist world would fall under the category of being the most productive sector of Israeli Society and the Jewish people, with only a small, insignificant minority (which unfortunately always makes the news) being detrimental.

EV Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 1:25 pm

I know that worship of the land is an authentic Jewish view — but it was much easier to develop and maintain that view in "Exile," without the ethical dilemmas Israel has faced once it attained genuine power and control over the land. It was the religious Zionist movement, in collusion with several other factions in the flush euphoria following the Six Day War, that spearheaded the settlement movement which has been an absolute catastrophe for Zionism, for Israel, and for Judaism itself. I want to see an examination of this here — how ideals formed in Exile can be corrupted and turned into destructive impulses once the lofty ideals meet the hard-edged facts of reality. I don't know what you're referring to in the phrase "killing other Jews in order to save the land," but I'm glad you "disagree with those people." Do you promote "killing Arabs in order to save the land"? "Most of the religious zionist world would fall under the category of being the most productive sector of Israeli Society and the Jewish people" - I think that's wishful thinking, but I admire your lofty train of thought born in Exile. If religious Zionists actively advocate for the development of Israel, that's great. If they actively advocate for the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank, even better. But if they actively advocate for the further development of settlements that are leading to the end of Israel as a Jewish democratic state, I have a problem with them. They are fanatics destroying the country and the religion, and they must be stopped for the sake of Israel and the Jewish future.

Dan Says:
July 9th, 2008 at 3:50 pm

I think that you are using your disagreement with religious zionist as to the benefits of the settlement movement as a way to completely discredit their worldview. It's not because they disagree with you (and the kassams in sderot and the war in lebanon seems to have confirmed their worldview) that you need to call them "fanatics". To me, it seems that since you cannot argue against their arguments, you are simply discrediting them and insulting their persons. Not really a high high intellectual level if you ask me. I promote killing those who want to kill us in order to protect us and if there are civilians killed in the process, I find this very unfortunate, but if it is the only way, it is necessary. The fact is that the main job of any government is to protect it's civilians, not it's ennemy's civilians. So no, I do not promote blindly killing arabs in order to save land, but i do promote killing those who attack us and understand that some civilians will be killed in the crossfire. -If religious Zionists actively advocate for the development of Israel, that's great. They do! -If they actively advocate for the dismantling of settlements in the West Bank, even better. They don't because for both practical and religious reasons, which have been proven time and time again, they believe this would be to the detriment of Israel (and go against your first clause). Therefore, their support of the dismentalment of settlements would be supporting something detrimental to Israel - something they are not willing to do. As for our thought to be born out of exile - you're right - ever since we got to exile we dreamed of coming back. The only reason it wasn't born before is because we didn't need to dream - it was a reality. Now, the main problem I have with all that you said is the way you discredit a movement simply because you disagree with their political position. It would be equivalent to someone saying that leftists are "anti-israel" because they want to give away settlements - something which I would never say because i know the issues are more complicated, and I know it is not out of an anti-israel feeling that they do that.