Letter 9: Exile
The purpose of exile; did Rav Hirsch believe that exile was an ideal?!
Summary
In the previous letter, Rav Hirsch asserted that the role of Eretz Yisrael was a means to the end of establishing a country that would serve as a home for Hashem in this world (dira b’tachtonim, in the language of many Midrashim). By running a country and society according to Hashem’s laws and values, we could create a place that could host Hashem and begin to spread those values throughout the world.
This letter picks up where letter 8 left off. Unfortunately, we did not use Eretz Yisrael properly. Aside from the Golden Age of David and Shlomo, our time in Israel was marked by idolatry, infighting, and the disregard of Divine law. Therefore, Hashem sent us into exile; if we’re not going to use the means correctly, then there is no reason for us to have it.
Hashem’s intended goal for exile was two-fold:
The main goal was to refocus us on the what was supposed to be the essence of our existence, the Torah. By removing the state as a facet of our national identity, we were left with Torah alone as the essence of Judaism. By refocusing on that, we would prepare ourselves for a return to Israel and another opportunity to reach the ideal described above.
Additionally, exile served as an opportunity to spread Divine ideals to the rest of the world. While that mission was best accomplished through living in Israel and having the nations of the world observe our example, integrating into non-Jewish communities and forming individual relationships provided a different means to accomplish it.
For thousands of years, the Jewish People have shown their ability to maintain their commitment to Hashem. Our story is marked by persecution and torture, but through it all, the Jews have held on to Hashem and His Torah as the essence of their identity. Only in the past two-three hundred years, “now that this altar has stopped smoking,” have Jews begun to decouple Jewish identity from Torah — with disastrous results.
This marks the end of Part 1 — Moriah. Letters 10–14 constitute Horeb, giving a quick overview of how the world of mitzvos concretizes and communicates the ideas described previously. In Letter 15, Rav Hirsch will circle back to Benjamin’s questions from Letter 1 and respond to them using the framework he developed in his responses.
Next week, Letter 10.
Diving Deeper
I want to highlight one of Rav Hirsch’s exceedingly creative reads of a pasuk in Tanach. He quotes a pasuk from Yirmiyahu 2: “Ki mispar arecha hayu elohecha, Yehudah.” This pasuk is normally translated as “For your gods have become as numerous as your cities,” criticizing the Jewish People for their glut of false gods.
But Rav Hirsch reads it differently, and in fact more literally: “For the number of your cities have become your gods, Yehudah”! The Jewish People’s emphasis on their economic success caused them to lose sight of the reason they were given a land in the first place.
This seems to be the thrust of Devarim 8:
כׇּל־הַמִּצְוָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם תִּשְׁמְרוּן לַעֲשׂוֹת לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּן וּרְבִיתֶם וּבָאתֶם וִירִשְׁתֶּם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּע יְהֹוָה לַאֲבֹתֵיכֶם׃
…
כִּי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ מְבִיאֲךָ אֶל־אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה אֶרֶץ נַחֲלֵי מָיִם עֲיָנֹת וּתְהֹמֹת יֹצְאִים בַּבִּקְעָה וּבָהָר׃
אֶרֶץ חִטָּה וּשְׂעֹרָה וְגֶפֶן וּתְאֵנָה וְרִמּוֹן אֶרֶץ־זֵית שֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ׃
אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לֹא בְמִסְכֵּנֻת תֹּאכַל־בָּהּ לֶחֶם לֹא־תֶחְסַר כֹּל בָּהּ אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲבָנֶיהָ בַרְזֶל וּמֵהֲרָרֶיהָ תַּחְצֹב נְחֹשֶׁת׃
וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ עַל־הָאָרֶץ הַטֹּבָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן־לָךְ׃
הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר מִצְוֺתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם׃
פֶּן־תֹּאכַל וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבָתִּים טֹבִים תִּבְנֶה וְיָשָׁבְתָּ׃
וּבְקָרְךָ וְצֹאנְךָ יִרְבְּיֻן וְכֶסֶף וְזָהָב יִרְבֶּה־לָּךְ וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר־לְךָ יִרְבֶּה׃
וְרָם לְבָבֶךָ וְשָׁכַחְתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ הַמּוֹצִיאֲךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים׃
…
וְאָמַרְתָּ בִּלְבָבֶךָ כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת־הַחַיִל הַזֶּה׃
וְזָכַרְתָּ אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי הוּא הַנֹּתֵן לְךָ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת חָיִל לְמַעַן הָקִים אֶת־בְּרִיתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה׃ {פ}
וְהָיָה אִם־שָׁכֹחַ תִּשְׁכַּח אֶת־יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהָלַכְתָּ אַחֲרֵי אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים וַעֲבַדְתָּם וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם הַעִדֹתִי בָכֶם הַיּוֹם כִּי אָבֹד תֹּאבֵדוּן׃
כַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר יְהֹוָה מַאֲבִיד מִפְּנֵיכֶם כֵּן תֹּאבֵדוּן עֵקֶב לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּן בְּקוֹל יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם׃
The major threat to our prospering in Eretz Yisrael is that it can cause us to forget about Hashem as the source of our prosperity. The result is that we’re kicked out of Eretz Yisrael until we relearn the lesson of putting Hashem first.
Rav Hirsch and “Exile L’chatchila”
Based on this letter, some have characterized Rav Hirsch as preaching “exile l’chatchila,” that galus is actually an ideal state of existence. (One noted Zionist rabbi went so far as to claim that Rav Hirsch venerated “Berlin as the new Jerusalem.”) The very fact that exile is a limited phenomenon that will end in redemption is enough to render such a claim bizarre. As he opens this letter, Rav Hirsch of course held that the ideal was our time in Eretz Yisrael. The fact that our “mission was not rescinded” in exile, and that we happened to accomplish our task better in exile than we did in Eretz Yisrael, does not make it ideal, but an expression of the fact that every aspect of our existence is meant to represent Hashem to the world, wherever we are and in whatever context we happen to find ourselves.
On page 21 of his siddur commentary, Rav Hirsch writes: “To our prayer for the eventual universal acknowledgement of God’s rule, and for a status of greater freedom in the meantime as regards the unfettered avowal of our faith, there is added the hope and the prayer that we may soon be gathered from our dispersion and brought back to the Promised Land.”
About the berachah Teka B’shofar, he writes: “This is the plea for the geulah of the entire Jewish community, for whom there can be no cheirus while it is still in galus… Our people can expect collective geulah only after all of us have reacquired for ourselves the only true perspective of things, and after we all will have returned to His Law and to His faithful service so as to be deserving of forgiveness and pardon.”
Hashivah and V’la’malshinim: “These prayers represent the plea for the entire Jewish community. As long as the Jewish national organism is dispersed in exile it is sick.”
About Jerusalem specifically, Rav Hirsch writes: “Jerusalem is the permanent dwelling-place for the national geulah which will be accomplished through kibutz galuyos.”
Positive Aspects of Exile
It is also important to note that Rav Hirsch is not the first to suggest that exile carries with it the opportunity for positively impacting the nations of the world. Rav Elias points out the following sources in his commentary:
The Gemara in Pesachim says:
וְאָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר: לֹא הִגְלָה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְבֵין הָאוּמּוֹת אֶלָּא כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתּוֹסְפוּ עֲלֵיהֶם גֵּרִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּזְרַעְתִּיהָ לִי בָּאָרֶץ״. כְּלוּם אָדָם זוֹרֵעַ סְאָה אֶלָּא לְהַכְנִיס כַּמָּה כּוֹרִין.
Hashem brought about the exile “only” in order to bring converts on board.
The Maharsha explains:
לא הגלה כו'. דאי משום עונש חטאם אפשר היה לו לעונשם בדברים אחרים אלא כדי שיתוספו עליהם גרים דהיינו לפרסם האמונה גם בשאר עובדי כוכבים
If the goal was punishment, He could have punished us in many other ways [Rav Hirsch may disagree, as the punishment fit the crime]. Rather, the goal [of exile] was to publicize and spread belief even among the nations of the world/idolaters.
The Kad Hakemach (Rabbeinu Bachya, 14th century) writes about the reasons for exile:
ולפי שנתחייבו ישראל כליה בחטאם ואי איפשר לכלותם לכך גזר עליהם הפיזור והשעבוד בין האומות, וטעם הפיזור לפי דעתי לשני ענינים, האחד כדי שיתפשטו ישראל בכל הקצוות בין האומות שאין בהם תבונה וילמדו האומות מהם האמונה במציאות השם יתברך ובענין ההשגחה השופעת בפרטי בני האדם, והטעם השני לפי שישראל חטאו בארץ הקדושה שהיא נקודת העולם ואמצעות האקלימים והסיעו עצמן מן הנקודה העליונה הנקראת קו האמצעי של מעלה מכוונת כנגד קו האמצעי שלמטה וחללו את קדושתו והוציאו עצמן מרשותו ונשארו ברשות שאר הכחות העליונים לכך נגזר עליהם גלות שיגלו אל יתר הקצוות מן הארץ שהיא נקודה תחתונה מדה כנגד מדה ועם הגלות והשעבוד עונותינו מתמרקין ואנו ניצולין בו מדינה של גיהנם ועל כן בירר לנו אאע"ה את המלכיות
Both in this letter and in Horeb 236, Rav Hirsch expresses this idea using the language discussed in the previous letters, the Jewish People’s role as a “kingdom of priests and holy people.” Our role is to bring an awareness of Hashem to humanity, and that can be accomplished both in and out of Eretz Yisrael.
The Four Steps of Exile
In a couple of places in his Commentary to the Torah, Rav Hirsch refers to a four-step process needed to leave exile. Commenting on the pasuk “V’zacharti es brisi Yaakov, v’af es brisi Yitzchak, v’af es brisi Avraham ezkor, v’ha’aretz ezkor,” Rav Hirsch writes that the initial stages of exile will be Yaakov-like, marked by persecution and upheaval. If we succeed in hanging on to God throughout those challenges, then we will graduate to a Yitzchak-like existence, tolerated but eyed with suspicion when we succeed. If even then, we maintain our hold on Hashem and His Torah, we progress to the Avraham stage, marked by proclamations like “Nesi Elokim atah b’socheinu” — respect and camaraderie from the nations of the world.
This can present the most significant challenge to us, as has indeed been borne out by our experiences over the past 200 years. The Enlightenment, marking one of the first times the non-Jewish world opened itself to the Jewish community, was met with widespread abandonment of Torah and Hashem; the Jewish experience in friendly, open America is marred by a shockingly high intermarriage rate. On the other hand, the antisemitism on display over the past year and a half, marking a return to earlier periods of Jewish history, has been accompanied by an awakening in Jewish identity.
If we ever make it through brisi Avraham, then we can finally reach the stage of v’ha’aretz ezkor, returning to Eretz Yisrael and attempting to use it the way it was intended. If we succeed, we reach full geulah.
One wonders how Rav Hirsch would interpret today’s reality, when we have been returned to Eretz Yisrael before seeming to have passed the stage of brisi Avraham. One response could be that Hashem articulated another track that would return us to Eretz Yisrael: the chillul Hashem caused by our being in exile. Because we represent Hashem to the world, anything that happens to us reflects on Hashem. Periods like the Holocaust cause people to question whether Hashem exists and whether He has the power to protect His people. See Yechezkel 36:
וָאָפִיץ אֹתָם בַּגּוֹיִם וַיִּזָּרוּ בָּאֲרָצוֹת כְּדַרְכָּם וְכַעֲלִילוֹתָם שְׁפַטְתִּים׃
וַיָּבוֹא אֶל־הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ שָׁם וַיְחַלְּלוּ אֶת־שֵׁם קׇדְשִׁי בֶּאֱמֹר לָהֶם עַם־יְהֹוָה אֵלֶּה וּמֵאַרְצוֹ יָצָאוּ׃
וָאֶחְמֹל עַל־שֵׁם קׇדְשִׁי אֲשֶׁר חִלְּלֻהוּ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ שָׁמָּה׃ {פ}
לָכֵן אֱמֹר לְבֵית־יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה לֹא לְמַעַנְכֶם אֲנִי עֹשֶׂה בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי אִם־לְשֵׁם־קׇדְשִׁי אֲשֶׁר חִלַּלְתֶּם בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר־בָּאתֶם שָׁם׃
וְקִדַּשְׁתִּי אֶת־שְׁמִי הַגָּדוֹל הַמְחֻלָּל בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר חִלַּלְתֶּם בְּתוֹכָם וְיָדְעוּ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי־אֲנִי יְהֹוָה נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה בְּהִקָּדְשִׁי בָכֶם לְעֵינֵיהֶם׃
וְלָקַחְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִן־הַגּוֹיִם וְקִבַּצְתִּי אֶתְכֶם מִכׇּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת וְהֵבֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם אֶל־אַדְמַתְכֶם׃
Either way, now that we’re here, the goal should of course be to accomplish the original purpose — creating a society that revolves around Hashem at the center by actualizing His laws and ideals, highlighting what a Divinely inspired life and society can look like.