Jews In The Diaspora Have Two Choices – By Adin Steinsaltz

By Adin Steinsaltz

On the ninth of Av in 586 B.C.E., the Holy Temple was destroyed, the city of Jerusalem was demolished, and much of the Jewish nation was forced, in chains, into exile.

Degraded and demoralized, their Temple in ruins, the Jews of the Babylonian exile (Galut Bavel) and their way of life should surely have disappeared. But they did not. Indeed, they thrived: Prayer replaced the Temple sacrifices, and it continues today. Scholarship flourished, through the development and study of the Babylonian Talmud, and it continues today.

We don’t know whether the generations of Galut Bavli discussed “continuity,” but they certainly achieved it.

There is much concern about continuity in the Jewish world today. Achieving continuity is not an end in itself, however. We must be concerned not only with how to assure continuity, but why? That is, what is it that we are so anxious to pass on?

Jewish continuity is a centuries-long relay, in which the “baton” is some manifestation of our special relationship with God. Abraham and Sarah passed the tradition on to Isaac, and he and Rebecca passed it on to Jacob. And just as the upcoming runner strides in tandem with his predecessor before the latter completely relinquishes the baton, so, too, each of us – ideally – has the opportunity to share our understanding and appreciation of our tradition with our offspring, before entrusting them to continue the journey.

Many Jews would say that the State of Israel is the answer to the unsolved problems of the Jews in the Diaspora. If we just send our children to Israel to be “inoculated” against assimilation, we will not have to worry about Jewish continuity in the U.S. Israel is important – there is no question – but not everyone is going to Israel. The Jews did not all return to Jerusalem when the Temple was rebuilt, and they are surely not all returning now. Depending on Israel to save American (or Russian or European) Jewry is asking a lot – Israel has enough to do to save herself.

We cannot live in the past, and we cannot live through others. Life is not a vicarious activity. Just as I cannot eat for someone else or sleep for someone else, I cannot study for someone else. Life is something each of us must do on our own. And if this is true of the mundane actions that keep my body alive, it is even more true of the exalted activities that nourish my spirit.

Jews in the Diaspora have two choices. They can give up, close up shop, and admit defeat, or they can create something new. Forgive my chutzpah, but I think there is a possibility, and even a need, to emulate the ancient Jews of Galut Bavel, to build a second center of Jewish life, a vibrant and creative community outside the State of Israel.

Such an effort will require massive changes: different plans and different ways of planning. It will require changes not only in institutions, but in individuals. It will require a deeper involvement by a much broader base of people, committed to personal growth and eager for challenge. That is what continuity – meaningful continuity – means.

To all appearances, as individuals, American Jews have done quite well, but as a people, they are yet to create a common, inspiring future. If American Jewry is to have such a future, many people will have to make a much larger investment. I am not talking about money – although money will certainly be necessary – but about doing something more difficult that writing a check. I am talking about people investing themselves: their time, their energy, their passion, their souls.

This requires a huge commitment, far more than anything that has been done before. It requires those with knowledge and enthusiasm to reach out to the many fine people who are estranged from everything Jewish. Together, they can establish the foundation for the renaissance we need.

We cannot re-energize Diaspora Judaism, any more than we can re-build the Temple, without hard work, determination, and hope.

These are worthy promises for our future, and goals within our reach. Tomorrow will have meaning, and the Judaism we pass on to our children will have substance, only if we invest the effort. No other people in history has survived, let alone grown and flourished, in exile, except the Jews. We must look to the example of Galut Bavel and create something new and exciting in America. Then we will be sure that subsequent generations will proudly continue the journey – as ever, a light unto the nations.

This article has been reprinted with permission from The Aleph Society, Inc.


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50 responses to “Jews In The Diaspora Have Two Choices – By Adin Steinsaltz”

  1. Tzvi Avatar
    Tzvi

    Sounds wonderful. Now where do we start?

  2. ChasidaYerushalmit Avatar
    ChasidaYerushalmit

    Wait. Why isn’t he for encouraging mass aliyah? I don’t understand this.

  3. Yisrael Sabijan Avatar
    Yisrael Sabijan

    Building a second center of Jewish life outside of the state of Israel is completely irresponsible and a terrible tragedy as it ignores over 2000 years of horrific anti-Semetic tragedies. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Well we’ve been dancing to the INSANE tune of diaspora communities for over 2000 years and it’s time to wake up.

    Maharal of Prague in his Sefer Netzach Yisrael states: “Ever since we were exiled from our Land and scattered among the nations we exist unnaturally. The existence of exile prevents nature from fulling it’s God given task of implanting each nation in its homeland. Therefore, the Holy One Blessed be He, Who rules the world and gives nature the power to pursue its way without interference, will ensure (through various and diverse events) that our Holy Land will return to us and that we will return to it, as in days of old. Exile, the obstacle which prevents us from dwelling in our God-given Land, will be eliminated” (Netzach Yisrael 1).

    Sefer Kuzari states: “The fact that only a minority of Jews returned with Ezra to Eretz Yisrael, while the majority remained in Babylonia prevented the fulfillment of that which was destined for the Second Temple. Chazal assert that the second redemption should have been everlasting but sin prevented it (Sanhedrin 98b). The Maharasha explains that the sin was that the Jews did not all return to Eretz Yisrael (Maharsha, Yoma 9b).
    The Ya’avetz bemoans our lack of interest in returning to and dwelling in Eretz Yisrael – “Since we subsist peacefully outside the Land, we imagine that we have already found a different Eretz Yisrael and Jerusalem. This caused great misfortune to the Jews who dwelt comfortably in Spain and other lands and they were all expelled. There is no remnant of Jewish people left in that land. Hashem is righteous for they completely forgot that they were in exile and they assimilated among the nations. All this has happened because we neglected to return to our homeland, the Land of the Deer”(Ya’avetz’s introduction to his siddur – Sullam Beit El, p. 13a).

    I am sorry but you can’t argue with these Great Torah Giants and Tzadikim – there is only one choice for Diaspora Jews and that is Aliyah to Israel NOW!

  4. mordechai goldman Avatar
    mordechai goldman

    I clicked on the original article, and found it was written almost 10 years ago. I agree with the previous talkbacks that aliyah, and only aliyah, is the answer. I feel that it is irresponsible to have republished this article without asking Rabbi Steinsaltz whether HE still agrees with what he wrote, or if he too now sees even more urgency in encouraging aliyah for all Diaspora Jews.

    1. Elad Nehorai Avatar

      I actually reached out to Steinsaltz’s organization, the Aleph Society, in order to get permission to publish the work. I imagine and hope that their organization is in line with his mission.

      Also, considering that Steinsaltz is a Chabad rabbi, I find it extremely unlikely that he would ever encourage mass aliyah until Moshiach arrives.

  5. Irene Rabinowitz Avatar
    Irene Rabinowitz

    Here is my answer. It might not be for everyone, but it does for me and others of my generation. http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/homeland-vs-diaspora-asked-and-answered/

  6. Ota Benga Avatar
    Ota Benga

    Why should we leave America? It has given us liberty, prosperity, and evolving continuity for centuries. Also, Israel has no right to a jury trial. Nor does it have a formal constitution. There is no bedrock there except the ancient iron-age constitution contained in the Tanakh and the Talmudic “clarifications” of it.

    For Americans like me, making Yerida to Israel is *not* an option!

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