Page 13 - HaMizrachi Sukkot 5783 USA

Rav Chanan Porat zt”l

An Introduction by Rabbi Aron White

Every society is shaped and defined by its heroes. From sports and brought his unique perspective to the halls of the Knesset.
teams to local synagogues, from small towns to nations, each He was the first Religious Zionist Israeli hero.
community possesses certain individuals who become entwined
in the fabric of its history, whose individual lives become the “When King David would study Torah, he would be soft as a
embodiment of the society’s ideals and dreams. worm, but when he would go out to war, he would be as tough
as wood” (Moed Katan 16b). Like King David, Rav Porat cannot
Who are the heroes of the State of Israel? In the early decades be labeled or categorized in the way of most Jewish leaders. He
of Israel’s existence, the heroes of Israel came largely from the was a leader revered by thousands, yet maintained a lifestyle of
secular Labor Zionist camp. From the heroism of Joseph Trumpel- utter simplicity. He could be fearless and unwavering in pursuit
dor at Tel Hai, to Ben-Gurion and Weizmann the architects of the of his goals, spending sleepless nights campaigning to keep Kever
State, and then to early military heroes such as Moshe Dayan and Rachel under Jewish sovereignty and for greater assistance for the
Ariel Sharon, the Israeli hero was strong and secular, a new type thousands of Ethiopian Jews, but was a kind and gentle teacher of
of Jew who radically broke from the traditional religious mold. Torah who made time for students of all backgrounds and levels of
Professor Dov Schwartz of Bar-Ilan University argues that this led observance. He was a leading student at the right-wing Yeshivat
to a Religious Zionist inferiority complex; without heroes, they Merkaz HaRav, but also a founder of the open-minded Yeshivat
felt themselves to be playing only a peripheral role in building Har Etzion. A fervent Religious Zionist, he nevertheless developed
the State of Israel, merely supporting the Labor Zionist camp. close and meaningful relationships with secular Israelis.
Rav Chanan Porat changed everything. During the dark and pes- Though his status within Israel’s Religious Zionist community is
simistic years that followed the trauma of the Yom Kippur War, legendary, little of his life’s work has been translated or dissem-
Rav Chanan burst onto the public scene – young, bright-eyed, inated in English to date. In commemoration of his 11th yahrzeit,
idealistic, and energized. A student of Rabbi Tzvi Yehudah Kook we are honored to dedicate this edition to his memory. May
and a passionate Religious Zionist, he led a spiritual revolution the sweetness of his Torah and the powerful example of his
that invigorated and transformed the Religious Zionist commu- extraordinary life continue to inspire us and generations to come.
nity and vaulted the community to a leadership role in broader
Israeli society. For the next five decades, he led the Jewish people A special thank you to Effie Rifkin, a close student of Rav Porat, for his help
with this edition.
(PHOTO: RACHEL PORAT) | 13
back to Yehudah and Shomron, built numerous Torah institutions