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8.22.2006

ZIONISM / ANTI-----aguda ,satmar & brisk 2

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As far as benefiting from the crime, there are three opinions about this among our Gedolim.

1) Your opinion is that of the Satmar Rav ZT"L. Those who follow this opinion do not take any money from the Israeli government, do not vote in the Israeli elections, and of course do not participate in the government (which would make you an accessory after the fact, according to them).

2) Rav Aharon Kotler ZT"L. Held that even though the Medinah should not have been made, now that it is here, we cannot allow the non-religious to grasp the control and influence of so many Jews, thereby making it much worse. It is a Mitzvah, he held, to vote in the elections, to participate in the government, and use whatever influence exists out there to make sure that the Ratzon Hashem is not violated more than it already has been.

3) The Brisker Rav ZT"L. Those who follow the Brisker Rav do not vote in the elections, do not take money from the government, but do not consider doing so an outright aveirah. "Voting in the Israel elections is not as big an Aveirah as the Satmar Rav holds and not as big a Mitzvah as Rav Aharon holds," the Brisker Rav said.


...No, Danny. You’re confusing two issues. Except for the Mizrachi, all Gedolim agreed that the founding of the State of Israel was wrong. This includes Rav Shach as well. And the Mizrachi has not even begun to provide any legitimate answers for the Torah claims leveled against them, despite their numerous attempts. There is no question that Yom Haatzmaut was not a happy day for Klall Yisroel.

And incidentally, regarding the Chacham Ovadiah, he too declared the creation of the state to be against the Oaths while he was still Chief Rabbi. I remember then, that his parallel (ashkenaz) Chief Rabbi, Goren, came out strongly against him for saying that (Goren was a hard core Zionist who was later discredited when he allowed Mamzerim to marry plain Jews).
The second issue is, now that the entity is here, whether participation in governmental processes, such as voting and even being in the Knesset is a positive thing since it can help frumkeit, or does it make you an accessory after the fact.

The Satmar Rebbe held that we should not participate in elections or the government, and Rav Aharon Kotler and others, which is the position Rav Shach had, holds that we should do all we can to improve the bad situation as much as possible.

But even Rav Aharon held that the creation of the state was wrong. The only question is, what to do ex post facto regarding involvement.

One of the reasons, incidentally, for the Satmar Rav's opposition to involvement was exactly because of your post. He held that such involvement would constitute in the eyes of many an approval of the State's existence which is what nobody ever intended. Your post shows that his fears were well founded.

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