My friend and neighbor, Ariel Ben-Yohanan, founder of the Jewish Yisrael E-Group, asked me to post the following piece for him. It's the latest in his "Demos, Cratos" series. His line is getting harder and harder in front of our very eyes.
We look forward to seeing more of Ariel in the JBlogosphere in the near future, with his own blog. In the meantime,....
A Revolutionary Idea: "Hashemcracy"
by Ariel Ben-Yohanan (Bereny)
In occasion of Israel's 60th anniversary let us remember that the Knesset, Israel's parliament, is an institution non prescribed by the Torah.The Knesset therefore is unsuitable for a truly Jewish State: a parliamentary democracy, per definition, can not be a Jewish Sate as a Jewish State has to be based on the Jewish Constitution, on Torah.
Let us remember that the Creator especially tells us in His Torah to respect His laws and to fight tyrants. Tyrants are men who coerce their fellow men.
Knesset members are doing exactly this: by producing laws they are coercing their fellow men. They are telling us what to do, what not to do, how to do it and when.
The Knesset is a legislative body and just by being it is coercing Israelis not to respect the Torah. What is of course a lot worst, is that it is doing this evil with the participation in it's ranks of Amalekite Arab MKs. This has to be declared unacceptable. In Judaism the law is given by Hashem and administered by expert judges!
Let us remember that following the people's wishes the Jews construct the Golden Calf. Let's not forget this!
Let's not forget that the Golden Calf is not only an object and an idol but also is an institutional model by which power flows the wrong way, it is the case to say "upside down", from down to up, instead of from up to down. This is in clear opposition to the Torah system: Hashem, in Eretz Israel, wants us to obey His Law, not any law of the land.
Let's not forget that in democracy the flow of power is from down to up as well. In fact demos means people and cratos power. Democracy is people's power. In Greek.
Greece in Greek is Hellas. Jews know or should know pretty well what Hellenism is and what it means for us. Every year, for thousands of years now, we celebrate our victory over Hellenism and Hellenists, Jews and non Jews, at Chanukah.
If the Knesset in particular and the modern State of Israel in general is built like the Golden Calf and acts like the Golden Calf, shouldn't Jews fight it and demolish it rather then dance around it and worship it?
The reform which Jews really need in Israel is a Torah revolution, for redemption: institutional discontinuity, not "elections". Also because elections are divisive and we are told to unite and stay united. Part-y membership and activity, participating in the vote therefore clearly are condemnable, terrible, Golden Calf sins.
So, if Judaism is the exact opposite of democracy should Jews chose Judaism or democracy? Can elections or even democratic institutional reforms bring in the change we need or are they just simple improvements on the evil Golden Calf system?
Well, if democracy is an evil system for the Jews, against which stands the entire Torah system, then mis-taking the possibility of majority decisions allowed for the Sanhedrin for democracy clearly is an error.
Jews are about Hashemcracy. That's why we are here, in this world, and that is precisely why we are hated by the nations: we are revolutionaries, by design.
The true fight against anti-Semitism has nothing to do with ADL type coordinated action. It has to do with standing up for authentic Jewish values and Torah.
The Jews in Eretz Israel today, like so many times in our history, have to chose between worshipping Hashem, our G-d, or show our back to Him by worshipping foreign idols and influences. The sooner we understand this the better.
Not participating in the Banquette of the King is not easy. Nevertheless, we are told to stay away. So, let's stay away! Let seculars and the secularists have their democratic republics, G-d loving Jews know, it is not "them" and it is not "for them".
If we want to be Jews in Israel we have to support our nascent Torah institutions!
Let us be in Eretz Israel not just physically like any nation but spiritually and institutionally: as the Torah's nation! We have a G-d given right to the land only in this way: by obeying Hashem, not Knesset.
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Please leave a comment, or feel free to contact Ariel at: jewishyisrael-owner@yahoogroups.com
Would this author consider himself a zionist?
ReplyDeleteB"H If Zionism = actively seeking Jewish soveignty over the Land, then yes.
ReplyDeleteThe wool has been pulled over many eyes by the likes of Shimon Peres, et al. And the so-called Religious Zionist rabbis have no vision, and perfectly happy with the status quo (including the Arabs), as long as any aggression against Israel stops.
Religious Zionism of today falls short even of Rav Kook's vision.
Many have tried to censor him, as well.
I'll let ABY speak for himself though.
bs"d
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, the short answer is no, I don't consider myself a Zionist, I consider myself a Jew, in as much as Judaism is inclusive of Zionism whereas Zionism is exclusive of Judaism.
Ariel Ben Yohanan