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The Revolutionary Idea




                                      of Covenant






                                              Rabbi Doron Perez


       Last month, Mizrachi Press and Gefen Publishing House released “The Jewish State – From Opposition to Opportunity”
            by Rabbi Doron Perez, Executive Chairman of World Mizrachi. The following essay is adapted from the book.


                  uman life is first and foremost   conjure on its own. To understand this   system encourages the individual to be
                  about relationships, particu-  transcendental, divinely inspired concept,   driven by a commitment to the greater
                  larly those that matter to us   we must juxtapose it with the human con-  good. The goal of the individual in a cov-
        Hmost. We have different types      structs of agreements and contracts.   enantal system is to dedicate oneself for
        of relationships – with our families, our   One of the most influential political phi-  the sake of society as opposed to utilizing
        communities, and with G-d. According   losophers, Englishman Thomas Hobbes,   society to serve oneself.
        to Jewish tradition, there is one central   was the first to define the organizing   This can only be done when individuals
        organizing principle to all these critical
        relationships. The Tanach introduces us to   principle of human society and the state   transcend personal gain and protection
                                                                                of their own individual space and focus
                                            as “the social contract.” In his 1651 book
        one of the most transformative ideas in all   Leviathan, he described the way human   on fulfilling the needs of others. Values
        of religious history – the concept of a brit.
                                            beings create societies through a type of   and moral commitment are at the heart
        Mentioned 283 times in Tanach, this revo-  social contract in which members of soci-  of the covenant, whereas parochial indi-
        lutionary idea creates a unique framework   ety commit to collectively protecting their   vidual needs and interests are at the heart
        to define the nature of the relationships   own individual rights. The main motiva-  of normative agreements and contracts.
        between G-d and humanity, G-d and the   tions of a functional society are self-inter-  Contracts protect rights; covenants delin-
        Jewish people as a whole, G-d and each of   est and self-preservation. People agree to   eate mutual responsibilities. Contracts are
        the founding fathers of the Jewish people,   a central governing mechanism to try to   built on what each party can get; cove-
        the founders and their descendants, and   ensure that no one harms another, in an   nants specify what each party ought to
        indeed, the relationships among all mem-  attempt to live and let live.   give. Contracts are self-serving; covenants
        bers of the Jewish people for all genera-                               transcend the self.
        tions. The brit is the paradigmatic frame-  A biblical covenant could not be more dif-
        work through which Jews are charged   ferent. While the social contract focuses   Rav Kook highlights this very distinction
        to relate to each other, to their historic   predominantly on self-interest and per-  between general human societies and a
        community, and to Hashem.           sonal benefit, the covenant focuses on the   distinctly Jewish one. A general society
                                            collective. The focus is less on the protec-  may be compared to a large insurance
                                            tion of individual rights and more on peo-  company; in essence, every citizen is
        Covenant versus contract            ple’s responsibility to society as a whole.   ensuring his or her personal needs by
        The brit forges a covenantal bond beyond   While preserving individuality and per-  being part of this society. Not so a Jewish
        what the rational human mind can    sonal dignity in the process, a covenantal   society, which should be based first and


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