Chodesh tov umevorach!

I regret that I have not posted since before Pesach and I hope to
resume soon. In the meantime, I'd like to call to your attention the
following important articles for Yom Haatzmaut from volume 14 of Alei
Etzion, which is available online at www.haretzion.org/alei.htm --

"The Religious Significance of the State of Israel" by HaRav Yehuda Amital

"Rav Soloveitchik's Approach to Zionism" by HaRav Aharon Lichtenstein

"The Religous Meaning of Yom HaAtzmaut" by Rav Mosheh Lichtenstein

In addition, as in prior years, I'd like to share the remarks of the
Telzer Rosh Hayeshiva, HaRav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, regarding Yom
Haatzmaut. Over fifty years ago in Cleveland, Ohio, Agudath Israel
joined other Orthodox groups acting through the local Orthodox Jewish
Association in a communal Yom Haatzmaut celebration commemorating the
sixth anniversary of the independence of Medinat Yisrael. Agudath
Israel was represented by R. Bloch, who shared the podium with
representatives of Mizrachi, Hapoel Hamizrachi and Young Israel, and
addressed a large crowd on "Looking Ahead with Religious Zionism."[1]
R. Bloch was subsequently called upon to explain Agudath Israel's
participation in the celebration, and he did so in a letter written
to a skeptical inquirer shortly following the event.[2] The letter, an
important expression of daat Torah by this great leader, furnishes a
striking example of a Torah giant speaking out for Jewish unity.
Although R. Bloch was a fierce partisan and zealous advocate of
Agudah ideology, he was firm in his conviction that all Torah Jews
can and should unite in grateful celebration and support of the State
of Israel. His approach is characterized by uncompromising honesty,
enlightened pragmatism and solicitude for Jewish unity, not to mention
an unabashedly positive attitude toward the Jewish State. Passages
from R. Bloch's letter follow:

". . . . The independence of Israel and the establishment of the
State are important events in the life of our nation. It is
worthwhile for members of Agudath Israel to take advantage when
possible to express this opinion and outlook before large assemblies
in order to influence them in the spirit of the Agudah, and
neutralize the widespread slander of Agudath Israel.

"Despite all the defects and deficiencies in the management of
the State of Israel, the fundamental fact of its establishment,
which occurred by means of obvious miracles, is of a significance to
which we must relate with appreciation and satisfaction. We must
express this appreciation publicly for two reasons. First, the
truth must be spoken and revealed. Second, everyone must know and
acknowledge that our opposition to the government of Israel is not
directed against the existence of the State itself.

"The propriety of participation with Mizrachi in such a way that
Agudath Israel is free to promote its views was recognized at the
time of the formation of the Religious Front (Hachazit Hadatit), and
Agudath Israel is always justified in renewing it. I am indeed
aware that we are at odds with Mizrachi in fundamental beliefs and
our opinions are by no means consistent with theirs. . . . Yet,
there are nevertheless many matters on which we can act in concert
and thereby fortify Torah true Judaism and its influence on national
life.

"With this preface, we approach the subject of our participation
in Chag Haatzmaut. . . . Agudath Israel's participation assured
that all the speeches were courteous [and free of criticism of
Agudath Israel]. It gave Agudath Israel the opportunity to
publicize its viewpoint and opinions before a gathering of more than
one thousand people, and the [other] factions related respectfully
to Agudath Israel and its leaders. Thus, our participation would
have served a legitimate purpose even if we were not positively
disposed to the State of Israel. [Our participation was proper] all
the more, given my opinion that the establishment of the State of
Israel is a truly important event in the life of our people, toward
which we have a positive attitude.

"On the subject of our cooperation with Mizrachi, although the
Religious Front (Hachazit Hadatit) has been dissolved, there exists
in Cleveland a union of Torah observant Jews known as the Orthodox
Jewish Association in which representatives of all the Orthodox
synagogues participate (Agudath Israel, Mizrachi, Young Israel), as
well as the Orthodox educational institutions. It is based on the
express condition that the organization will not engage in any
activity that any single faction disapproves. . . . Thanks to this
organization we have, thank G-d, achieved many good things that have
strengthened the hand of Torah true Judaism and enhanced its
prestige (including elimination of the scourge of non-kosher food at
United Jewish Appeal and other affairs). Thus, if we had disagreed
on organizing a Yom Haatzmaut gathering, we could have prevented
this organization from doing so, but, as stated, we have a favorable
outlook and therefore participated in it. . . .

"In previous years [we did not take part because] all the Zionist
factions [both religious and secular] organized the event according
to their spirit and approach, of which we, of course, would have no
part. But this year, [Mizrachi] approached us with the suggestion
that an event should be arranged only by observant Jews in
accordance with the spirit of the Torah, and they asked if, in that
format, we were prepared to participate. Thus, despite that we are
now in the throes of battle with Mizrachi more than in the past, we
found it appropriate to demonstrate that we are prepared to proceed
in concert with them as to matters on which their actions conform to
our opinions.

"As a general matter, I have already expressed my view that we
have lost a great deal by refusing to acknowledge proper things just
because the secularists and . . .Mizrachists glorify in them to
fortify their mistaken views. To my mind, it is not our justified
rejection of false opinions that prevents our outlook from appealing
to the broader community, but our negative position in opposing
things that are quite proper, like Tanach study, lashon hakodesh and
Eretz Yisrael. . . . If we would emphasize our positive stance
relative to the measure of truth in the possession of the
secularists while opposing their falsehoods, the community would
understand us. I also want to state that this approach of ours is
not an innovation of recent years in the spirit of American life.
This was also our approach in Lithuania,[3] although we were then as
now total zealots regarding anything that, G-d forbid, is not in
accordance with the spirit of the Torah. . . ."


_____________________________

[1] According to the program for the event, Mrs. Mordechai Gifter of
Neshei Agudath Israel (the wife of another revered Telzer rosh
hayeshivah) co-chaired the Hospitality Committee, and Pirchei Agudath
Israel joined Benei Akiva in presenting the Israeli flag. A copy of
the program appears at the end of Rabbi Jacob J. Schacter's "Facing
the Truths of History" in The Torah U-Madda Journal 8, pp. 200-76
(1998-1999).

[2] R. Bloch's letter is reproduced in its entirety in the first
edition of Mitzvat Hashalom (pp. 605-7) by the great exponent of
mussar hahalachah, Hagaon Rav Yosef Dovid Epstein. For an
account of the criminal harassment of R. Epstein that resulted in
his reluctant omission of R. Bloch's letter from the second
edition of his sefer, see Mr. Gerald Parkoff's letter in The Torah
U-Madda Journal 9, pp. 272-4 (2000). Copies of the complete Hebrew
text of R. Bloch's letter are available from The EHS Chaburah upon
request.

[3] R. Bloch's position in this paragraph is indeed remarkably
consistent with the teachings on the subject of emet and shalom of
his brother, Hagaon Rav Avraham Yitzchak, Hy"d, and their father,
Hagaon Rav Yosef Yehudah Leib, zt"l, the last roshei hayeshivah
of Telshe Yeshivah in Lithuania, as articulated by R. Avraham
Yitzchak in his Shiurei Daat, pp. 80-93. In addition, R. Bloch's
position is in keeping with the tenor of prior declarations by Agudath
Israel and its leaders -- for example:

A. Resolution adopted by Agudath Israel at its convention in
Frankfurt at the end of 1918:

"The Jewish religion and the Jewish nation form an inseparable unity.
Our task is to prepare the Jewish nation and the Jewish land for their
reunification under the sovereignty of God and His Torah according to
the prophetic promise. ... The preparedness of the Jewish land
demands its settlement with Torah-true Jews. ... While the Diaspora
exists Eretz Yisrael must become the spiritual center of the nation
united and organized under God's law." (Quoted in Mordechai Breuer's
Modernity Within Tradition, p. 393.)

B. When certain Agudath Israel activists promoted the adoption of
a statement against the Balfour Declaration at an Aguda assembly in
Vienna, the majority of rabbinic leadership opposed it and declared
through R. Yosef Engel, who headed the assembly with R. Meir Arik:
"The hand that signs [the proposed statement] will be chopped off."
(Quoted in R. David Samson's Torat Eretz Yisrael, p.248.)

C. 1947 statement of Agudath Israel representatives, Rabbis
Yitzchak Meir Levin and Moshe Porush, to the United Nations in
connection with deliberations concerning the partition of Palestine
and the founding of the State of Israel:

"We must first declare that which the entire Jewish people agree upon:
Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish people are bound to one another
forever. ... This historic event must bring home to every Jew the
realization that the Almighty has brought this about in an act of
Divine Providence which presents us with a great task and a grave
test. We must face up to this test and establish our life as a people
upon the basis of the Torah. We are sorely grieved that the land has
been divided and sections of the Holy Land have been torn asunder,
especially Jerusalem, the Holy City. While we still yearn for the aid
of our righteous Messiah, who will bring us total redemption, we
nevertheless see the Hand of Providence offering us the opportunity to
prepare for the complete redemption, if we will walk into the future
as God's people." (Quoted in R. Shimon Apisdorf's Judaism in a
Nutshell: Israel, p. 130.)