ZIONISM-----eilu v'eilu? 2

-

twenty_two Posted - 28 December 2006 16:41

---

If im not mistaken, "religious Zionists" believe that they are not violating the oaths because of how they read the Gemora in Kesuvos about the oaths and I think it’s the meshech chochma who says that if the goyim don’t keep their side then the Jews don’t have to either.

So why is it apikorsus, isn’t it, at worst, a misread in a Gemora? If there’s a machlokes between the maharshal and r' akiva eiger about how to understand a rashi, does that mean that they hold that the other party is an apikores?

MODERATOR Posted - 28 December 2006 17:24

---

Two reasons.

One, Zionism isn't only against the Oaths. As Rav Ahron Kotler said, it is Kefirah against our belief in Bias Hamoshiach;

as the Brisker Rav said, when he was told that the Satmar Rebbe said the State of Israel's existence is against the Oaths:

"Against the Oaths? It is not only against the Oaths! It is against the entire Torah! It is against belief in Hashem's Hashgacha on Klall Yisroel, etc. etc."

The Satmar Rebbe, for the record, also agreed that the State of Israel is not only against the Oaths. He writes that the Oaths are an added punishment for the Kefirah of believing or acting against the belief of Bias Hamashiach.

He says this is why, even though the Rambam quotes the Oaths in Igeres Taimon and warns us not to dare violate them or death with ensure, he did not quote them in Mishna Torah. The reason, he says is because the Oaths are a deterrent - they are an added punishment that makes this Kefirah particularly lethal, but the aveirah itself is Kefirah.

And the Rambam, when warning us not to violate them, quotes the Torahs deterrent and the terrible punishment, but added punishments and deterrents don’t go in Mishna Torah - the Halachah itself does.

Second: Zionism is not the result of a misreading of the Gemora. Misreading the Gemora is the result of Zionism. As the Chazon Ish said, Zionists know deep down that Zionism is wrong (as the Gemora implies about the Tzedukim) - it’s just a cover for following the Yetzer Horah (see the "Arguing with Zionists" forum, where the Chazon Ish is quoted in full).

And this is because, as I demonstrated elsewhere in these forums, Zionism is so black and white against the Torah, that only an agenda and preconceived conclusions can cause one to believe in it. It's not a wrong pshat - it's the projecting of a pre-determined anti-Torah idea onto the Gemora. Big difference.

Of course, as is the case with all mass Kefirah, the original "scholars" among them are the ones responsible. As the generations go by and the garbled teachings are passed on, sprinkled with false information, to younger generations as if it was real, they are less and less responsible, like Tinokos shenishbu.

It’s hard to determine the personal culpability a person has for his beliefs, since it depends on WHY he believes them. Much easier, however, to determine the status of the beliefs themselves. And here, it's very easy.