Do Charedim Believe the Holiness of Eretz Yisrael Is Diminished by Secular Control?
It’s a question that often comes up—sometimes from curiosity, sometimes from confusion, and sometimes, let’s be honest, from tension:
“If Charedim believe that Eretz Yisrael is so holy, how can they still speak of its kedushah when it’s run by a secular government?”
It’s a fair question. After all, when the values of the government often clash with Torah—when chillul Shabbos is public, when Torah is sidelined, when modesty and morality are mocked—how can the Land remain kadosh?
The answer is rooted in a deeply Jewish idea: Kedushah is not a political product. It’s Divine. It comes from Above.
Let’s explore what that means in the eyes of Charedi hashkafah.
Holiness That Never Fades
The Rambam writes clearly in Hilchos Beis HaBechirah (6:16) that the holiness of Eretz Yisrael is eternal:
“קדושה ראשונה קידשה לשעתה וקידשה לעתיד לבוא.” “The first sanctification sanctified it for its time and for all time to come.”¹
In other words, once Eretz Yisrael was sanctified by Yehoshua and later by Ezra, that holiness became part of the fabric of the Land itself. It doesn't depend on who rules it. It doesn't vanish if sinners take power. It is a spiritual reality, independent of politics.
This idea is echoed by the Ramban, who insists that the mitzvah of living in Eretz Yisrael continues even in times of destruction and exile.²
To the Charedi worldview, kedushas ha’aretz is not subject to cancellation. It is baked into the soil, breathed into the air, and anchored in Hashem’s will.
Distinguishing the Land from the State
One of the biggest misconceptions about the Charedi position is assuming that criticism of the secular State of Israel means rejection of the holiness of Eretz Yisrael.
But these are two completely separate things.
- The Land is holy because Hashem designated it so.
- The State is a political entity created by people—many of whom, tragically, sought to establish a Jewish identity without Torah.
So yes, Charedim may express pain, frustration, or outright opposition to certain aspects of government policy. But that doesn’t mean they view the Land itself as any less holy.
In fact, it may make it more painful, precisely because the Land is so holy.
As the Chazon Ish is reported to have said: “Eretz Yisrael is a palace of a King—how tragic it is when strangers trample through it as if it were theirs.”
What Happens When the Holy Is Abused?
Does secular control dull the light of the Land?
Here’s where the Charedi view brings nuance: the Land remains holy—but that holiness can be hidden, obscured, or misused.
Think of a sefer Torah: if someone chas v’shalom desecrates it, does it lose its kedushah? No. But the tragedy is even greater because of its holiness.
So too with Eretz Yisrael.
When the Land is used to build Torah, it flourishes.
When it is used to oppose Torah, it cries out.
This echoes the words of Chazal in the Midrash:
“ארץ ישראל שותה מי גשמים והקב"ה משגיח בה תמיד...” “Eretz Yisrael drinks directly from Heaven’s rain; Hashem constantly watches over it.”³
Even in times of spiritual descent, the Divine attention doesn’t leave. The kedushah is still there. It waits to be revealed again.
The Light Within the Darkness
Many Charedim, while deeply concerned about secular control, also recognize that Hashem runs the world. Even when things seem broken, there are sparks of geulah hidden beneath the surface.
Charedim don’t see the secular government as the fulfillment of redemption—but neither do they deny the miracles of Jewish survival, kibbutz galuyos, and the chance to live in Eretz Yisrael again.
The State is not the dream—but the Land still is.
As Rav Shach zt”l once said in a public address:
“Eretz Yisrael is ours. Not because of a government. Not because of a declaration. But because the Ribbono Shel Olam gave it to us in His Torah.”
The dream, then, is that one day, the kedushah of the Land and the leadership of the Land will once again be aligned.
Living in Holiness, Despite the Storm
So how do Charedim respond?
They build.
They open yeshivos, seminaries, kibbutzei Torah.
They raise generations of children in Torah and mitzvos—even in a society that sometimes pushes in the opposite direction.
They live in Eretz Yisrael not because it's easy, but because it's holy.
And they pray that the day will come soon when the holiness of the Land will shine with full clarity, untainted, revealed to all.
Conclusion
To the Charedi world, the holiness of Eretz Yisrael is untouched by secular control. It is independent. Eternal. Divine.
Secular rule may obscure the holiness, but it cannot erase it.
And while Charedim may not see the State as the fulfillment of geulah, they remain rooted in the belief that the Land is Hashem’s gift, and that our mission is to live here with reverence, Torah, and a longing for the day when the Land will once again shine in full spiritual glory.
Sources & Footnotes
- Rambam, Hilchos Beis HaBechirah 6:16 — “קדושה ראשונה קידשה לשעתה וקידשה לעתיד לבוא”
- Ramban, Hasagos to Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvas Asei #4
- Midrash Tanchuma, Parshas Eikev, s.v. “והיה אם שמוע” — describing Hashem’s direct supervision of Eretz Yisrael
- Rav Elazar Menachem Man Shach, cited in “Michtavim u’Maamarim,” vol. 1