Joshua's Revolution and Isiah's Light Unto the Nations
Dear Reader,
One of the latest movements in Judaism is the Aliyah movement. People, by the thousands, are picking themselves up and moving to Israel. There are many incentives to moving to Israel. If you go to Yeshiva University and then make Aliyah, after two years they will pay off some of your loans for you. If one pledges to move to Israel, the government supports him with college tuition and a place to live. It seems to be truely better than anyone has ever hoped or dreamed: go to the Holyland and get a hefty incentive to do so.
I would just like to share some thoughts about it. We are not on an Island. Israel is good, it should be our headquarters, but not our end-all be-all. It says in Isiah 42:6, "I, the Lord, Have Called you in Righteousness, and Will Hold your hand and Keep you. And I Will Establish you as a Covenant of the people, for a Light unto the nations." This implies that we should interact with other nations. Setting an example for other nations to follow would be the ideal according to the Torah. If we all live in one rather small country, the Jewish world presence would be greatly diminished. The world needs Jews, not just Israel.
In Isiah 60:2-3, he prophecizes, "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a thick darkness the nations. But G-d Will Shine upon you. Nations shall then go by your Light and kings by your radiant illumination." How can a concentrated light as Israel illuminate the nations without support from emmisaries in the Diaspora. We are supposed to be teaching the nation a greater ethic and a great purpose. We cannot do that if we all move to Israel, there must be some left behind to act as those inspirational teachers bringing light to the darkness that is reality. Interaction between gentiles and Jews will allow us to set that example. Leading is not something you can telecommute from Haifa for.
I know I used the Book of Joshua last post, but here's another concept: heraldng the revolution in society. Joshua and the nation of Israel 'modernized' the land of Canaan. Joshua succussfully conquered the land while taking in those who were weak. Even the deception of the Gideonites (the Gideonites misrepresented themselves as far-off traders in order to make an advantageous treaty with the nation of Israel, as a result, when the deception was discovered, they were allowed to live and work for the nation of Israel rather than perish for their deception) could not hold him back from this glorious revolution. The great equalizer was that any man, woman, or child who wished to join this newly triumphant meritocracy could.
In Jonah, God sends Jonah to request repentence of a gentile city. This sounds a bit odd in the context of jewish egocentricity, but the truth of the matter is that it is up to us to be that light that Isiah talked about. By arguing amongst each other and giving each other the short end of the stick, we are showing the nations that Judaism is about the success of the individual regardless of the community. This is wrong. We are not an island, we must interact with others.
Shakespeare's impression of Jewish interaction is simply stated:
"I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,
walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat
with you, drink with you, nor pray with you."
-Shylock, Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene III
The limitations on Jewish interactions with gentiles is already limited by the Torah. Moving away from the world of gentiles hurts the little interaction we do have with them. How can we all be a light unto the nations if we withdraw ourselves from the gentile world?
-Marc Kolb
One of the latest movements in Judaism is the Aliyah movement. People, by the thousands, are picking themselves up and moving to Israel. There are many incentives to moving to Israel. If you go to Yeshiva University and then make Aliyah, after two years they will pay off some of your loans for you. If one pledges to move to Israel, the government supports him with college tuition and a place to live. It seems to be truely better than anyone has ever hoped or dreamed: go to the Holyland and get a hefty incentive to do so.
I would just like to share some thoughts about it. We are not on an Island. Israel is good, it should be our headquarters, but not our end-all be-all. It says in Isiah 42:6, "I, the Lord, Have Called you in Righteousness, and Will Hold your hand and Keep you. And I Will Establish you as a Covenant of the people, for a Light unto the nations." This implies that we should interact with other nations. Setting an example for other nations to follow would be the ideal according to the Torah. If we all live in one rather small country, the Jewish world presence would be greatly diminished. The world needs Jews, not just Israel.
In Isiah 60:2-3, he prophecizes, "For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a thick darkness the nations. But G-d Will Shine upon you. Nations shall then go by your Light and kings by your radiant illumination." How can a concentrated light as Israel illuminate the nations without support from emmisaries in the Diaspora. We are supposed to be teaching the nation a greater ethic and a great purpose. We cannot do that if we all move to Israel, there must be some left behind to act as those inspirational teachers bringing light to the darkness that is reality. Interaction between gentiles and Jews will allow us to set that example. Leading is not something you can telecommute from Haifa for.
I know I used the Book of Joshua last post, but here's another concept: heraldng the revolution in society. Joshua and the nation of Israel 'modernized' the land of Canaan. Joshua succussfully conquered the land while taking in those who were weak. Even the deception of the Gideonites (the Gideonites misrepresented themselves as far-off traders in order to make an advantageous treaty with the nation of Israel, as a result, when the deception was discovered, they were allowed to live and work for the nation of Israel rather than perish for their deception) could not hold him back from this glorious revolution. The great equalizer was that any man, woman, or child who wished to join this newly triumphant meritocracy could.
In Jonah, God sends Jonah to request repentence of a gentile city. This sounds a bit odd in the context of jewish egocentricity, but the truth of the matter is that it is up to us to be that light that Isiah talked about. By arguing amongst each other and giving each other the short end of the stick, we are showing the nations that Judaism is about the success of the individual regardless of the community. This is wrong. We are not an island, we must interact with others.
Shakespeare's impression of Jewish interaction is simply stated:
"I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you,
walk with you, and so following, but I will not eat
with you, drink with you, nor pray with you."
-Shylock, Merchant of Venice, Act I, Scene III
The limitations on Jewish interactions with gentiles is already limited by the Torah. Moving away from the world of gentiles hurts the little interaction we do have with them. How can we all be a light unto the nations if we withdraw ourselves from the gentile world?
-Marc Kolb
posted by Marc Kolb | 10:18 AM
1 Comments:
I understand you to be a very Zionistic Jew, and I have never had any issue with that, but even the smallest of nations builds embassies in other countries. With the political world as it is today, it is very important to maintain a comfortable relationship with those would would like it.
In order to lead, especially to lead by example, there should be no barrier dividing our sides, we need to be in the diaspora just as much as in Israel.
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