Zionism’s Paradox: Claiming the Land Through a Torah They Reject

Last updated on 25 Aug 2025

One of the most striking inconsistencies in the secular Zionist claim to Eretz Yisrael is this: They base their right to the land on the Torah—but deny the authority of the Torah.

This creates a logical and spiritual paradox:

If the Torah is not true, then who says this land is ours? But if the Torah is true—then how can we pick and choose which parts to believe?

Secular Zionism often tries to have it both ways:

They quote "לזרעך אתן את הארץ הזאת" — “To your offspring I will give this land” (Bereishis 12:7) to justify Jewish ownership.
But they ignore "ושמרתם את חוקותי ואת משפטי" — “You shall safeguard My statutes and laws” (Vayikra 18:26) that define the conditions for staying in the land.

You cannot embrace the Torah as a land deed and reject it as a life guide. That is not belief—it’s selective mythology.

As Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro zt”l once said: “Those who wave the Torah to gain rights to the land must also accept the Torah that defines how to live in the land. Otherwise they are holding a title deed they don’t believe in.”【5】

A Torah That Is True in Part… Must Be True in Whole

The Torah is not a menu—it is a covenant.

If one part is valid, the rest follows:

If the promise to Avraham is true, so is the bris milah.
If “I will give this land” is true, so is “You shall be holy”.
If Yerushalayim is holy, so is Shabbos, kashrus, and taharas hamishpachah.

The Rambam writes a powerful rule in Hilchos Yesodei HaTorah (9:1):

“Any prophet who claims that Hashem commanded him to add or subtract even one detail from the Torah is a false prophet.”

The same applies to ideologies: Any worldview that tries to build on Torah while cutting out its heart is false—even if well-meaning.

Chacham Ovadia Yosef zt”l once thundered: “They say, ‘This land is ours—it is our right!’ But they ignore Who gave it! If you throw away the Giver, what becomes of the gift?”【6】

What’s Left Without Torah?

Without the Torah, the secular claim to Eretz Yisrael weakens dramatically:

History? Many peoples have historical connections.
Suffering? Many nations have suffered.
UN votes? They can be reversed.

Only the Torah gives us an eternal claim. And only Torah observance ensures we deserve it.

The Gemara (Kesubos 111a) says that if we violate the Torah, Eretz Yisrael becomes spiritually allergic to us. The land “vomits out” those who defile it.

So we must ask: If the secular state believes in the Torah’s promise—do they not also fear the Torah’s warnings?

Rav Dovid Povarsky zt”l, Rosh Yeshivas Ponevezh, said: “It is tragic to see Jews demand their portion in Eretz Yisrael while abandoning their portion in Torah. The two are one and the same.”【7】

A Covenant—Not a National Park

Eretz Yisrael is not a piece of real estate. It is kedushas ha’Aretz—a holy covenantal space.

The land is a gift—but it is a gift with a mission. As it says:

“ואתם תהיו לי ממלכת כהנים וגוי קדוש” “And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Shemos 19:6)

We were not promised the land so we could build high-tech startups and cafés. We were promised the land so we could build a makom Torah, a society of kedushah, mishpat, and rachamim.

If you believe that Shemos 19:6 is Divine, then you must also accept Shemos 20:1 — “Anochi Hashem Elokecha”—the first of the Aseres HaDibros.

You can’t quote one without the other.

Conclusion: Don’t Hold the Torah in One Hand—and Cut It With the Other

The Charedi world doesn’t reject the claim to Eretz Yisrael. We reject empty claims—claims divorced from the Torah that made them possible.

A State that declares:

“We are the Jewish nation!”
“This is our homeland!”

…but at the same time:

Legalizes chilul Shabbos
Sponsors chillul Hashem parades
Undermines yeshivos and Torah learning

—is not protecting the Jewish mission. It is contradicting it.

We don’t need a secular stamp to make us legitimate.

We need Hashem’s stamp—which comes through Torah.

As Rav Elchonon Wasserman zt”l taught:

“Zionism without Torah is a train without tracks. It may run fast—but it’s headed for disaster.”【1】

Footnotes & Sources

Rav Elchonon Wasserman, Kovetz Maamarim, “Al HaGeulah V’al HaTemurah.”
Rav Chaim Kanievsky, quoted in Aleinu L’shabeiach, Lech Lecha.
Steipler Gaon, Karyana D’Iggarta, Letters on Emunah.
Rav Shimshon Dovid Pincus, Tiferes Shimshon on Eretz Yisrael.
Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro, Shaarei Shemuos, Vayikra.
Chacham Ovadia Yosef, Yabia Omer, Vol. 7, Teshuvos on Medinas Yisrael.
Rav Dovid Povarsky, Yishmeru Da’as, on Kedushas HaAretz.