Religion and Theology

Modernity has a major impact on the development of Judaism. The Jews of Western Europe, who had been restricted to ghetto life, were now emancipated and given full rights as citizens. With emancipation came nationalism. There was a call for the restoration of the Jewish nation  a restoration of the Old Israel. As Herzl noted

The Jewish question still exists. It would be foolish to deny it. It is a remnant of the Middle Ages, which civilized nations do not even yet seem to able to shake off, try as they will. They certainly showed a generous desire to do so when they emancipated us  We naturally move to those places where we are not persecuted, and there our presence produces persecution (385).

The call for the restoration of Israel is a universal call among Jews. It defines their existence, character, identity, and purpose. In any case, what does restoration has to offer For centuries, Jews faced persecution in Europe, North America, and the Middle East. Restoration would allow Jews to assimilate by intermarriage. A Jewish state would restore the dignity and character of the Jewish race.

The Rabbinic Tradition and Israels Role among the Nations
Now, the rabbinic tradition expanded the meaning of Torah through rational reflection and legal argumentation. The existence of Israel has both a theological and philosophical basis. As Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Jeremiah argued

The rabbinic tradition tells us that Israel must, by necessity, exist. The All-Powerful God had decreed that Israel is the reflection of political, social, and religious imperative of the Divine Majesty. Indeed, Israel is not just a state, it is a divine invention. This divine invention has political and social structures which are derived from the rabbinic tradition (77).

After establishing the necessity of Israels existence, there is a need to define its role among nations. According to Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Jeremiah, Israel was considered as the model nations which all the nations of the earth should imitate. In order to achieve this end, it must have a strong religious and political foundation. Rabbinic tradition tells us that God fashioned Israel from his own sovereignty. As a nation, Israel was considered a supreme nation of laws and worship to the One True God. By implication, Israel must then be the formalist extension of Gods authority.

Call for Restoration
Restoration is not a reversion to an old order but merely a renewal of the past. The Jewish religion is attached to the state because religion is the sole foundation of the state. Like Catholic France, Israel derived its strength from religious unity. As Herzl noted

No human being is wealthy or powerful enough to transplant a nation from one habitation to another. An idea alone can achieve that and this idea of a State may have the requisite power to do so. The Jews have dreamt this kingly dream all through the long nights of their history. Next year in Jerusalem is our old phrase. It is now a question of showing that the dream can be converted into a living reality (386).

The Jewish state would have to be the hub of a restored identity. It would be unfair to assume that Jews were suited to a stateless life. Even assimilated Jews long for the return of Israel  the Old Israel. This is not a dream. This is reality. After the War, the Jewish state of Israel was established by Britain and the United States. For many Jews, this was a sign that God favored them. This was an indication that heaven has fulfilled its promise to the Jewish race  a renewed homeland.

Theologically, the state of Israel is an imagery of divine power. It is the sign of Gods filial love for His people. It is indeed the representation of a nation which obeys the commandments of God. The state of Israel is merely the instrument to carry Gods message to the world.

Epistemologically, the state of Israel may be regarded as the ideal construct  that is, the ideal nation to be imitated. God is one with Israel  a perfect God and a perfect nation. As Buber argued
This is so why in the Scripture the divine voice addresses man not as an isolated individual but always as an individual member of the people. Even before there is a people of Israel, its father-to-be, Abraham  God again and again addresses Himself to a thou of each individual in each generation of the people  the will of God  conceives Himself as the individual condensation of the people (389).