Page 6 - HaMizrachi Yom HaAtzmaut 5783 USA

A Vision for

Unity in Israel

David M. Weinberg

BOOK REVIEW

Rabbi Doron Perez, The Jewish State: From Opposition to Opportunity

(Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House and the Mizrachi World Movement, 2023)

eaders of this magazine know Rabbi “Yishayahu’s vision of a Jewish state being
Doron Perez as a master organizer ‘a light unto the nations’ means being a
and motivator who has revitalized positive example of how modernity and
Rthe World Mizrachi movement. In morality, statecraft and spirituality, par-
this new book, his second, he becomes ticularity and universality can be woven
known to us also as a fine historian, cre- together for the sake of a better spiritual
ative theologian, and uplifting educator and ethical world.”
committed to Jewish unity.
Perez presents a plethora of biblical and
With a clairvoyance that precedes the rabbinic sources, from the teachings of
current terrifying conflict over judicial Avraham Avinu through the Vilna Gaon,
reform, Rabbi Perez makes the case that Rav Kook, and Rabbi Jonathan Sacks,
internal disputes are more threatening fashioning a broad cultural platform for
than external threats to Israel. He argues Jewish unity. He reminds readers of their
that there is a significant spiritual correla- covenantal relationship with G-d and their
tion between Israel’s metaphysical state responsibility to build a society involving
and the geopolitical reality it faces. real dialogue between Jews of all types.
The way forward is to build a society based
on “authentic inclusive Torah values”, In short, Rabbi Perez’s solution to Jewish
“finding space one for the other” and disunity is a renewed deep dive into a spir-
“space for the G-dliness in each other.” itual paradigm drawn from Tanach and Essentially, he argues that the greatest
And then, perhaps, Israel can become reflecting the Divine mission with which spiritual endeavors of the Jewish people
“both the example and impetus for all of the Jewish people have been bestowed. in every generation – such as the establish-
humanity to find space for one another.” ment of the State of Israel in our times –
MOST INTERESTING to me is the first invariably are met with the greatest oppo-
“When Yerushalayim has a genuine space half of this book (subtitled “Opposition”), sition and condemnation by her enemies.
for all, then the Beit HaMikdash can be where the author offers an ideological And this opposition clarifies the holiness
rebuilt because there is space for Hash- framework for understanding two thou- and spirituality of the enterprise itself.
em’s shechinah – His presence – to be felt in sand years of “opposition,” meaning
Jerusalem, Israel, and indeed throughout antisemitism and genocidal campaigns Perez delineates three archetypes of his-
the world.” against Jews. torical antisemitism, based on a teaching

6 |