My Opinion
Holy places and fetishism
Tsvi Sadan
Israel is a secular country. Secular values shape our culture and guide our government. Many people view this an achievement, since democracy, with its embedded liberal tendencies, is regarded as ten times better than any other kind of regime. To be clear, despite all of its problems I enjoy the many benefits our democracy gives me and am happy to live under such regime. I would even say that it is ideal – but for one small problem: our democracy has become numb, indifferent, and even hostile to everything sacred. Such resistance and opposition to the sacred present severe problems, since Israel still holds to the idea of the uniqueness of the Jewish people – by definition is a sacred concept. In essence, therefore, a secular form of democracy undermines Israel’s uniqueness.
For many Israelis, this presents no problem at all. On the contrary: major voices claim that Israel’s future can only be ensured by erasing all traces of this “uniqueness.” So, for example, Jonathan Gefen entitled his recent column in Maariv “The Killing Wall” (haqotel hamaaravi) – a clever word play on “the Wailing Wall” (hakotel hamaarvi). Gefen opened by quoting some lines from a popular song from the Six Day War: “Hakotel – hyssop and sadness; hakotel – lead and blood. There are people with hearts of stone, there are people with hearts of men” (Sofshavuah, 1.8.2008, p. 10). Gefen identifies this song as “a fascist hit from the beginning of the empire.” For Gefen, the Wall is a symbol of Israel’s fetishist culture, which in turn creates a fascist state. What for generations was considered to be the most holy place for Jews has now become a nuisance.
Unrelated to Gefen’s column, the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom published an ad featuring the coming savior riding on a donkey, but with a “cute” twist: the savior is simply a handy man who is ready 24/7 to fix your plumbing (see ad). Here, the sacred is reduced to a cheap advertisement.
Is there such thing as holy place, a holy man, a holy object – or is everything “sacred” merely a fetish? Jacob said: “How dreadful is this place! This is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:17). With respect to a “holy man,” a “man was thrown into the grave of Elisha, and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood on his feet” (2 Kings 13:21). And what about objects: can things be holy? Well, about the altar, for example, Scripture says: “The altar shall be most holy” (Ex. 40:10).
It would appear, therefore, that enlightened ancient Israelites did not hold the same worldview as some of today’s vocal, modern, enlightened Israelis. Furthermore, it seems that from the perspective of the people after whom we are called, treating a holy place such as the Temple Mount with contempt is indicative of a nation who has no clue about the divine. Our forefathers would probably wonder what the point of Israel’s existence is if it cuts itself from its holy places. In their mind, and I prefer to listen to their wisdom, Israel’s future does not depend on devotion to secular democracy but upon consecration to God and the holy things He has given us.