The Social Challenges Confronting the State of Israel
The Social Challenges Confronting the State of Israel
By Harav
Yehuda Amital
ztl
Translated by
I
In view of what is going on in Israel today, it seems that the social
challenges facing us are more or less clear: lessening polarization and
increasing a sense of unity between the various sectors of society; closing the
economic, social and cultural gaps within society; raising the standard of
living of those in financial straits while ensuring employment for all; social
and cultural absorption of new immigrants; cultivation of moral sensitivity
towards all people in short, building a more ethical, more Jewish, more
responsible and more caring society.
However, as an educator I feel that we cannot speak of these challenges
while simultaneously resigning ourselves to the existence of phenomena which
block significant advancement in these areas. Therefore I would like to speak
about a number of negative phenomena which have, of late, become more widespread
in Israeli society. These phenomena are not unique to our society. They exist in
other places as well, particularly in Western countries. However, in our compact
society, replete as it is with political, religious, ethnic and social tensions,
their effect is destructive in the extreme.
The first phenomenon which I would like to discuss is the sense of
freedom from commitment. Here I am speaking of a feeling and a prevailing mood,
not of an ideology although on the fringes it involves an ideology as well.
The placement of liberal individualism as a central pillar of our
culture, coupled with the ranking of the rights of the individual at the top of
our scale of values, has led to the prevalent sense of freedom from commitment.
The very commitment to a cause or an object runs contrary to the concept of
freedom. Therefore any commitment whether to the nation, the state, society,
or to ones spouse and family has no place in an era of freedom of the
individual. This does not mean that people have stopped working to improve
society. Nor does this mean that positive and constructive action has dwindled.
These continue to exist, but they stem not from a sense of commitment but rather
from free choice, and the emphasis is placed upon free choice. It is as though
the individual has announced: I have no commitments, and what I do I do out of
free choice. I do not act because I must; I act because I so choose. Commitment
contains an element of coercion, which we find galling. And we must admit that
action stemming from liberty and free choice contains something beautiful and
alluring. The problem arises when the desire to act gradually diminishes.
Indeed, when a sense of commitment is lacking, this is a common occurrence.
This prevailing mood has its effect upon many and varied areas. It finds
expression inter alia in the recent drop in the number of marriages
performed in
To my mind, this sense of freedom from commitment constitutes a
significant factor in the decrease of motivation in the army, a recent topic of
concern among caring and involved citizens. In this context I would like to add
a comment. When people speak of the decrease in motivation in the army, they
usually point out that religious soldiers motivation remains intact. In my
opinion, the pervading lack of commitment is slowly seeping into the religious
community as well. I fear that in a few years the differences in motivation
between religious and non-religious soldiers will have vanished, with the
ensuing unity being based on a completely negative foundation.
I recently visited a large Modern Orthodox synagogue in
As we all
know, the Torah was given in two ways. One is the manner characterized by naaseh
ve-nishma, in which the nation received the Torah of its own free will. The
second way is characterized by the midrashic phrase, Kafa aleyhem har
ke-gigit (He held the mountain over them like a cask). God forced the
Jews, as it were, to accept the Torah. When I examine what is going on today in
parts of the religious community, I conclude that many observant Jews keep the
commandments not out of commitment, echoing the second way of receiving the
Torah, but rather because they have chosen to keep the commandments and are
happy that way.
Until now I have spoken about a feeling and mood, but we cannot deny that
there is also an ideological school influenced by postmodern trends trends
which negate the placement of values at the heart of culture, literature and
art. And it is from here that post-Zionist expressions arise in
This group, as noted, is marginal, but according to the laws of social
dynamics an ideology of freedom from commitment at one extreme promotes and
strengthens the ideology of fundamentalist commitment at the other extreme,
whether in the religious or national sphere.
This phenomenon of freedom from commitment also means freedom from social
justice. I am aware that many of the statements we have heard concerning social
gaps and social justice since the establishment of the state have been pure
lip-service, but I believe nevertheless that even lip-service has its own
positive dynamic. I do not believe that one can address the problems arising
from social gaps purely out of election campaign concerns, without emphasizing
the importance of social justice as a moral and national value. When there is no
commitment to the social aspect, the sense of caring about what goes on in
society also disappears.
I also think that one cannot speak about hedonistic inclinations and the
clear trend towards materialism to which we are witness without mentioning the
destructive atmosphere of the feeling of freedom from commitment. I suspect that
there is also some connection between the feeling of freedom from commitment and
the sense of permissiveness which we regularly encounter.
Allow me to add the following: The first message Judaism came to convey
was that of commitment to justice and righteousness. It is said of Avraham
Avinu, For I know him, that he will command his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and
righteousness. It does not say to observe the Lords commandments, because
the mitzvot hadnt yet been given. There is here, therefore, an ethical
commitment to justice and righteousness. The pagan world did not recognize any
form of commitment. The relationship with the various idols and gods was one of
give-and-take. Pagan society feared the gods and was continually looking for
ways to appease them and seek their favor by offering them gifts.
Hence, from a Jewish point of view, too, I see the spreading mood of
freedom from commitment as something extremely negative and destructive. In my
opinion, one of the most important challenges today is to educate towards
commitment: commitment to the nation, to the family, to society, to the state,
and to Judaisms world of values.
II
The second phenomenon I wish to discuss is the influence of the media on
peoples thought-processes. In every society, a considerable portion of the
population is characterized by a simplistic mentality these people simply are
not accustomed to complex thought. In general, this sector also entertains no
pretensions as to the importance of its own independent thought; it is satisfied
to accept and echo statements by those whom it considers leading personalities.
Recently it has begun to look as though this type of simplistic thought is
becoming widespread among those in society who pride themselves on individual
and independent thought.
This can be
traced back to the influence of the media, principally the electronic media.
Simplistic thought seeing issues as black-and-white, and an inability to
perceive a whole and complex picture has become a national epidemic. The media
continually broadcast simple and uncomplicated messages. There is no time for
involved explanations which require more air-time. The media prefer to emphasize
the extremes, the black and white, the unequivocal, almost ruling out anything
in-between, anything gray or complex. There are no doubts. The expression
doubtless is repeated over and over by those interviewed. A situation has been
created whereby simplistic thought has not only gained legitimacy but has become
the accepted language even among circles which have pretensions as to the
importance of their own opinions.
In a situation where everything is seen in black and white, there is no
room for genuine tolerance. If I think white while someone else thinks black,
then at the very most we can hope for polite behavior and an avoidance of
voicing our true opinions because if I think its completely white and he
thinks its completely black then hes either an idiot or simply despicable. If
he really believes its black, then sensible and honest people obviously have no
business listening to him. True tolerance exists only when a person sees the
full picture in all its complexity and sees the various possibilities, the
different opinions which could arise from that same picture, and thus recognizes
the legitimacy of someone elses opinion. This type of tolerance is the soul of
true democracy.
The Talmud (Eruvin 13b) recounts: For three years there was a
difference in opinion between Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel. The one side
claimed, The halakha is in accordance with our teachings, while the other side
insisted, The halakha is in accordance with our teachings. A heavenly voice
issued forth and declared, Both these and those are the words of the living
God, but the halakha is according to Beit Hillel. The Talmud goes on to ask: If
both represent a true picture of Gods intention, then by what merit did Beit
Hillel deserve that the halakha be determined according to their teachings? The
answer is that they were more tolerant, and used to study both their own
teachings and those of Beit Shammai; they even used to mention the opinions of
Beit Shammai before mentioning their own. This is the absolute antithesis of a
black-and-white worldview. Both are the words of the living God in other
words, both are legitimate. But Beit Hillel even went so far as to mention first
the opinions of Beit Shammai, which were opposed to their own. This is true
tolerance. The simplistic approach increases polarization because there is no
place for black and white to co-exist. Its one or the other.
Using complex thought, the religious person is able to understand the
point of view of the secular person, and vice versa. In such a situation the
demands of each side towards the other side decrease. Each side understands that
things obvious to them are not necessarily obvious to the other; sometimes they
are even completely unintelligible. In the absence of such an approach,
statements about openness are simply meaningless. The same can be said of the
relationship between the political left and right. When one appreciates the
complexity of
I must admit in all honesty that I dont have any quick solutions for
dealing with simplistic thinking, especially considering that fact that as I
see it the political system isnt particularly keen on changing the situation,
and sometimes by its actions even leads to a strengthening of this phenomenon.
In any event, I believe that merely pointing out and defining the problem has
educational value.
III
The third phenomenon Id like to discuss briefly is that of mysticism.
The attraction of non-rational thought and primitive forms of mysticism is a
problem that has taken on national proportions. It seems that a person doesnt
need to be religious in order to believe in superstition. Horoscopes have become
the rage. Look how many pages they occupy in the Friday newspapers. In certain
circles within the religious community there are a growing number of
personalities who supposedly have unlimited wisdom about both heavenly and
earthly matters, and who are turning the Torah into a modern-day oracle.
Allow me, on this point, to add a personal note. We are living in a
generation where the elderly among us witnessed the Holocaust with their own
eyes. I personally was in
In order to lessen the polarization of society, all agree that we need
dialogue particularly genuine dialogue, in which one actually listens to the
other party. For this purpose a certain cultural standard is needed I am
speaking here of human culture, not computer technology. In a situation of
cultural shallowness, the chances of real dialogue taking place are small. There
is a good chance that instead of ongoing dialogue, which is a precondition for
mutual understanding and engagement, dialogue will remain a one-time event that
increases polarization rather than decreasing it.
We have neglected the study of the humanities in the educational system
instead of focusing on the human spirit, we have placed the emphasis on
technology and practical concerns. This mood of pragmatism has penetrated
religious life too, to our sorrow, in parts of the religious community. In the
words of one of our classical authorities from the Middle Ages, Rabbeinu Bachya,
the duties of the limbs have taken priority over the duties of the heart. Belief
in mysticism and magical forces causes people to believe in immediate solutions;
every problem must be solved right away, and if it isnt then someone is to
blame, and the guilty party must be condemned. And if one senses that some
problems cannot be solved immediately, that means that they have no solution.
The concept of process has fallen into disuse among the general public. Every
problem must be solved immediately, and if it cannot be solved by regular means
then pressure must be applied. After all, nothing stands in the way of force. In
this way, the use of and reliance on force penetrate and control a wide sector
of society.
We know that mysticism is flourishing in the
Take note of the way in which we relate to the Knesset as opposed
to the way in which the Senate and House of Representatives are perceived in the
States. While no one in
I believe that there is another factor at play here, and that is the wish
to solve all problems as quickly as possible now and immediately, along the
lines of Peace Now and Mashiach Now. Dealing with social problems by
means of education and public awareness is a long and arduous process. The
presentation of the problem in the Knesset and subsequent appropriate
legislation or at least the transfer of the issue to one of the Knessets
subcommittees gives the appearance that the problem is being solved quickly
and efficiently.
A few months ago in
What do you mean? they asked.
I answered: If I wish to involve Jews in Torah and Judaism well, I
have no quick way of doing this, but I do know one thing. If there is anything
that can be done, its not going to be done in the
Knesset or via the
Knesset. On the other hand, I see
religious Knesset members who, when
they wish to prevent Jews from eating chametz on Pesach, believe that
they can achieve this end by means of legislation, with the assistance of the
coalition of which they are members. Your main concern is that the
Knesset should recognize Reform
marriages and conversions. I believe that the main problem which should be
occupying you is how to get your message across to Israeli society in the
religious, ethical and social spheres. If you believe that you have relevant
messages which will bring secular, non-believing Jews to faith in God, and which
will raise their ethical and cultural level, then come to Israel and do it the
difficult and slow way by means of personal influence and by building cultural
and educational institutions. Then youll realize that
Knesset recognition is a side issue. I
dont know how successful youll be, but theres one thing I can promise you:
Not only your children but your grandchildren, too, will remain Jewish.
It was interesting, by the way, to hear their reactions to what I had
said. One reaction was, Youre right; educational influence is the principal
issue, but the Knesset is the key to
achieving that. Another reaction, by one of the leading women Rabbis in the
movement, was, I must admit we dont yet have any relevant messages for the
Israeli public. And someone near me murmured, Unfortunately, even in the
States we have a problem when it comes to conveying our messages.
Im telling you this because I really believe that one of the most
important challenges facing
If this issue takes its rightful place on
[This lecture was delivered at a conference in memory of General Aharon Yariv,
at Tel Aviv Universitys Jaffe Center for Strategic Studies on 20 Shevat
5757 (January 28, 1997).]