Do We Pray for the End of the Secular State of Israel in Shemoneh Esrei?
The daily Shemoneh Esrei—the central prayer recited three times a day—was authored by the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah (Men of the Great Assembly), including Nevi’im and early sages. Every word is infused with depth, precision, and eternity. Within its blessings are clear yearnings for the future of Am Yisrael, the rebuilding of the Beis HaMikdash, and the restoration of the Davidic monarchy through Moshiach.
But when we pause to reflect on the plain meaning of many of these brachos, a striking conclusion emerges:
We are davening for a future that is fundamentally at odds with the values and structure of the modern secular State of Israel.
This is not a political statement. It is a tefillah statement. The very words of our Shemoneh Esrei call into question the spiritual legitimacy and permanence of a government divorced from Torah.
Let’s examine the relevant brachos.
1. “השיבה שופטינו כבראשונה” – Restore Our Judges
“Restore our judges as at first and our counselors as at the beginning; remove from us sorrow and sighing, and reign over us—You alone—Hashem, with kindness and mercy…” (Shemoneh Esrei, Bracha 11)
This is a direct plea to nullify the secular legal systems that are based on Western, democratic, and anti-Torah values. We are asking Hashem to return us to a Sanhedrin, a halachic court system guided by Torah alone.
Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l wrote explicitly:
"ואנחנו מתפללים שלוש פעמים ביום: השיבה שופטינו כבראשונה... מלוך עלינו אתה ה' לבדך, ולא ממשלה אחרת..." “We pray three times a day: ‘Restore our judges as at first… Reign over us You, Hashem, alone—and not any other government…’” — Kovetz Ma’amarim, Maamar “Torah and Nationalism” [1]
2. “ולירושלים עירך ברחמים תשוב” – Return to Yerushalayim
“And to Yerushalayim Your city, return with mercy… rebuild it soon in our days… and establish the throne of David within it.” (Shemoneh Esrei, Bracha 14)
This is not a prayer for Tel Aviv or Knesset Hill. It’s a plea for the rebuilding of Jerusalem as Hashem’s capital, centered around the Beis HaMikdash and the Davidic monarchy—not democratic elections or secular flags.
Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l would say this bracha with visible emotion, understanding its yearning for true Geulah, not a stopgap government based on compromise with secularism.
3. “את צמח דוד עבדך מהרה תצמיח” – Rebuild the Kingdom of David
“Speedily cause the sprouting of David, Your servant, to flourish… for we hope for Your salvation every day…” (Shemoneh Esrei, Bracha 15)
This bracha expresses our longing for the reestablishment of the Davidic monarchy, not a prime minister or coalition government. The language is clear: Hashem’s kingship must be revealed through His chosen redeemer, not through man-made sovereignty.
The Rambam writes that one who does not yearn for Moshiach’s arrival and the reestablishment of Torah sovereignty denies one of the 13 ikkarim of our faith. [2]
4. “ותחזינה עינינו בשובך לציון ברחמים” – Let Our Eyes See Your Return
“May our eyes behold Your return to Zion in mercy…” (Shemoneh Esrei, Bracha 17)
This is not a metaphor. It’s a literal request for the Shechinah to return to Zion. According to Chazal, this only occurs with the Beis HaMikdash rebuilt, korbanos restored, and the world governed by Torah—not by secular politicians or military leaders.
So... Are We Davening for the End of the State?
If the current state of Israel is a secular democracy that governs without Torah, then yes—we are asking Hashem daily to replace it with a Torah monarchy, Sanhedrin courts, and Divine rule.
This does not mean we wish harm on Jews, chalilah, nor are we insensitive to the good that may have come through Hashem’s hidden hand. But the structure, the ideology, and the founding principles of the state—as a secular rebellion against Torah leadership—are not the goal of the Jewish people.
As Rav Reuven Grozovsky zt”l wrote:
“The very existence of a Jewish state without accepting the yoke of Torah is itself a chilul Hashem.” — Bayos HaZman, p. 59 [3]
But Wait—Don’t Dati Leumi Jews Daven the Same Shemoneh Esrei?
This is the hardest question of all.
Dati Leumi Jews believe in the same Torah, recite the same prayers, and long for Moshiach. So how do they reconcile their deep attachment to the secular State of Israel with the Shemoneh Esrei that prays for its nullification and replacement?
Some reinterpret these tefillos as referring to spiritual renewal, not political change. Others believe that the current state is a first step toward redemption—atchalta d’Geulah. But from a Torah perspective, that reinterpretation does violence to the plain meaning of the words. The structure we pray for is not this one. It is Divine, not democratic. Torah-based, not Western-inspired.
Conclusion: Pray With Your Eyes Open
Every Jew must ask: When I daven Shemoneh Esrei, do I mean what I say?
If I ask for Hashem alone to rule, for the Sanhedrin to return, for the Davidic throne to be restored, and for Jerusalem to be built anew according to halacha—how can I cling ideologically to a secular system that opposes these very goals?
Charedim are not anti-Jewish. We are pro-Torah. And our daily tefillos are the clearest declaration that we seek not coexistence with secularism, but the full revelation of Hashem’s Kingship in this world.
Sources
- Rav Elchonon Wasserman, Kovetz Maamarim, Maamar “Torah and Nationalism”
- Rambam, Hilchos Melachim 11:1 and Peirush HaMishnayos, Sanhedrin, Chapter 10
- Rav Reuven Grozovsky, Bayos HaZman, p. 59