Rabbis Yigal Levinstein and Tamir Granot Analyze Israeli Societal Divides
Rabbis Yigal Levinstein and Tamir Granot discussed the roots of secular fears regarding a Halachic state and analyzed the underlying reasons behind Haredi resistance to IDF enlistment.
In the 19th episode of the "Mehashvim Maslul" ("Recalculating the Route") podcast, two prominent religious Zionist rabbis with differing perspectives — Rabbi Yigal Levinstein of Eli and Rabbi Tamir Granot of Tel Aviv — met for an in-depth discussion. Despite their ideological nuances, both leaders immediately established their shared foundation: their worldview and relationship with the State of Israel are deeply rooted in the teachings of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, viewing today's complex reality as an internal process of spiritual growth and renewal.
Why Do Secular Israelis Fear a "Halachic State"?
The rabbis sought to analyze the root causes of the secular community's anxiety. Rabbi Tamir Granot explained:
"The absolute root of this fear is personal freedom. Secular individuals worry about losing their personal liberty, creativity, and self-expression under what they perceive as future religious coercion."
This anxiety is often fueled by historical precedents of church rule in Europe or radical Islamic governance in Iran.
To address this, Rabbi Yigal Levinstein introduced a fundamental distinction: the core issue is the historical absence of "Torah of the Collective" (Torat HaKlhal). Throughout two thousand years of exile, Judaism focused almost exclusively on the "Torah of the Individual" (Torat HaPrat) — personal, familial, and communal observance. However, the application of Torah to statecraft, public morality, warfare, and national policy was rarely formulated in halachic literature.
When the secular public hears terms like "Jewish State" or "Halachic State," they automatically assume that individual religious restrictions will be imposed on the collective through state coercion. The rabbis concluded that once the "Torah of the Collective" is properly developed and articulated — focusing on national administration rather than restricting personal liberties — secular anxieties will begin to fade.
The Haredi Fear of Changing the "Operating System"
Turning to the ultra-orthodox (Haredi) sector and the contentious issue of IDF enlistment, Rabbi Tamir Granot emphasized that public arguments regarding the neglect of Torah study do not capture the core issue.
The true reason is far deeper: the Haredi world operates on an "operating system" that successfully preserved Jewish survival through two millennia of exile. In contrast, they view the religious Zionist model as sociologically unproven due to modern dropout rates. Consequently, they feel a historical responsibility to protect their community from dissolution.
Rabbi Yigal Levinstein revealed another critical dimension from his discussions with Haredi figures. The genuine Haredi fear of military service stems from national sentiment. When a Haredi youth enlists in the IDF and fights alongside fellow soldiers, a powerful national connection is awakened. However, the Haredi Torah world currently lacks a religious framework to interpret this national sentiment. Without rabbinic mediation, this feeling is perceived as a secular force that could lead the youth away from Torah observance.
Spiritual Growth in a High-Risk Society
Addressing the internal challenges of the religious Zionist sector, the rabbis discussed the spiritual drift among some youth despite the unprecedented growth of yeshivas. Rabbi Tamir Granot noted:
"We are inherently a high-risk society."
Unlike the Haredi community, which maintains high protective walls, religious Zionism encourages youth to engage with the modern world. However, today's postmodern environment actively dismantles basic identities such as family, community, and nation, with social media delivering this confusion directly into homes.
To counter this, the rabbis proposed three educational anchors: moral certainty and stability over the cultivation of doubt; emotional passion and heartfelt prayer over rote observance; and a renewed sense of mission and responsibility toward the Jewish nation.
