GALUT - EXILE

While not engaging in polemics, consider the term лGALUT╗ sees лElectronic Jewish Encyclopedia╗: лGalut (literally` exile `), forced the Jewish people stay away from his homeland Eretz Yisrael. This term is usually denoted by the period since the destruction of the Second Temple until the establishment of the State of Israel, which is perceived by the historical consciousness of the Jewish people as the homeless and the persecuted nation. Voluntary stay a large part of the people, even most, outside of Eretz Yisrael, especially if there is it ethnic, political and religious center, was defined in the Hellenistic era Jews learned Greek culture, the Greek word diaspora (literally `scattering`). In Hebrew, there were no special term for diaspora, and the word galut means any residence of Jews in the scattering. Only with the emergence of the State of Israel came into use tfutsa within the meaning of the word `diaspora` unlike galut (see also exile). On the demography and the history of the Jewish dispersion in dvuhtysyacheletny period galuta see Demographics, Israel - people in the Diaspora. The concept galuta held during certain stages of Jewish history: from the perception galuta as exile from the homeland, the loss of state independence and the destruction of a religious center to the notion of лgalut Shhina╗, ie the disappearance of God''s presence (see Shhina) in the Holy Land. The traditional idea of the exclusivity of Jewish history leads to a special understanding of how the Land of Israel, and galuta in the national-religious consciousness of the Jewish people. The Jews - the people chosen by God (see God chosen people; Testament), the country of Israel - the chosen land, granted by the people as a sign of the grace of God. People forefather Abraham was not born there, and went there on the behest of God. At the dawn of its history, the Jews were in Egypt and were enslaved there. They had to rescue themselves from slavery by God through Moses, and emerged as a nation during a four wanderings in the desert on the way to the promised land. In the Torah, the expulsion of people from the land of Israel is one of the most terrible punishment which God threatens the Jews for the violation of God''s covenant. The ancient prophets of Israel has repeated this threat, and saw in the Assyrian and Babylonian captivity it. However, the expulsion of Jews from Israel (the North) after the destruction of his kingdom of Assyria (8. BC. E.) Are not seen as galut, because the Jews (South), the kingdom continued to exist about a half centuries (see Assyrian captivity and the Babylonian captivity). During the Second Temple in the Hellenistic world (mainly in Egypt), as well as in Babylonia there were large Jewish communities that have maintained a close relationship with Eretz Yisrael. The brutal persecution in times of Antioch Epifana (2. BC. E.) And the success of the ensuing uprising Makkaveev (see Hasmonei), as well as the struggle for the independence of the Jews in Eretz Yisrael Roman authorities contributed to a sense of alienation in galute, longing for motherland and the unity of consciousness of the Jewish people. After the destruction of the Second Temple and the loss of the political center in Eretz Yisrael on the causes and purposes galuta takes many minds: Why sinful people are prospering, and elect people to suffer? The author of the book Ezry IV, apocryphal work written at the end of 1. Mr. e. tries to explain galut as a way of suffering, which must be passed in order to achieve good. Scientists era of the Talmud did not meet the general reference to the sins of the people as an explanation galuta. They try to discover the causes that led to the destruction of the Temple and enslaved the people. Rabbi Abbahu at the end of 3. compares the expulsion of the people as punishment for the violation of God''s covenant with Adam''s expulsion from paradise after the violation of the commandments of God. The creators of the Talmud believed galut temporary. They saw the main evil galuta that Jews are not concentrated in one place, but scattered among the nations, like лgrains dispersed in the blood spade, and no grains are not lies next to another╗ (Sfira, Be-hukkotay 6). Suffering caused galutom, nor any other mukam together (Deuteronomy Sif.. 43), it is лlike a bottomless pit of death, and╗ (Mid. Ps. 71:4). In exile Israel - beggar (ibid. 9:15), devoid of any pride (Hag. 56). The very soul of a Jew struck galutom, it becomes лguilty of abominations╗ (Song R. 8:14). Shhina лstonet as golubitsa╗, and God лrychit, like a lion╗, crush of the destruction of the Temple and the fate of the sons of Israel (Br. Over). The teachings of Rabbi Akiva and his contemporaries reinforces the belief that лwherever Israel was exiled, expelled, and Shhina╗ (Meg. 29a), and establishes a link between the expulsion of Israel and the fate of the world. It is thus a source of inspiration and belief in the imminent deliverance. Therefore, some Talmudic sages believed that, despite the suffering and oppression, galut not lead to a general loss of the Jews. They saw in exile and scattering of one of the necessary conditions for revival of the Jewish people (Song R. 2). These sages taught that assimilation does not provide refuge to Jews and the rest (Gen. R. 33:6), and that opposition to the people as a whole and each individual gives meaning to its temptations and suffering of those odds, which are linked to this struggle in galute. Efforts to comprehend the spiritual leaders of Jewry galut and emphasize that galut - only a transient phenomenon in Jewish history, especially increased since the strengthening of Christianity (4.), Which saw in the scattering of the Jewish people a sign that Israel, having rejected Jesus as the Messiah, has lost the Divine benevolence, and the place chosen people took the Christian church, called Himself Verus Israel ( `true`, Israel). In the Mishna, Gemare and Midrashe contains many indications of the persistence of the wise men not only to give a detailed interpretation of the notion of galut and justification related suffering, but also to support the hope for deliverance. In general, these efforts were successful. The desperation and the defection of marginal phenomena in Judaism, and in spite of long ordeal in galute, in the Jewish Messianic expectations of the people strengthened and reinforced the faith in deliverance, and the return to Zion. History of Jews in the Middle Ages, has heightened the perception of the hardship galuta. Strengthening the religious and secular authority, the limitation of economic activities of Jews, depriving them of many civil rights, forced to frequent religious disputes in the Christian states and their subjection to the provision of secondary citizens in Muslim countries (see Zimmi) - all of which led to search for new answers to the question about the meaning of galuta and required to rethink the concept of galuta by the changing conditions of life. During the Middle Ages among Jews and non-Jews dominated primarily view galut regarded as a political and social status of the Jewish people, characterized by unfamiliarity environment, humiliation and dependence. The danger to the lives and well-being and the threat of expulsion have been constant companions of the Jews in galute. So there were thinkers who saw in galute test nisposlannye to raise the spirit of the Jewish people, expiate the sins committed in this world and prepare it for disposal. Sa''adiya Gaon (early 10 cent.) Thought galut temporary Kara, which is, however, a large inner meaning, as it is лpart of a punishment, and partly a test╗. Rashi, a former witness to the deteriorating situation of Jews in Europe at the turn in 11. and 12 at., saw the cause of cruel persecution of the Jews to envy people that Israel, despite all that he has to undergo, is the people chosen by God. This explanation was widely circulated among the Jews. Inner dilemma generated by the search for causes galuta, especially highly expressed Yehuda ha-Levi in the book лKuzari╗, where he puts forward a theory of ethnic election of the Jewish people, which has a right to be proud of their misfortune in exile, all monotheistic religions are proud of martyrdom. In mystical teachings ърссры√ in which Jewish people have an important role in combating the world''s forces of good and evil, galut served as one of the stages of this struggle. Kabbalist Isaac Luria (the mid 16 century). Galute sees the reflection of space disasters occurring in the emanation of divine forces in the world created by God. In the early 17 century. Yehuda Liva ben Bezalel of Prague has made the religious and spiritual and social nature galuta in terms that are close concepts of Jewish and Christian thinkers in the 19.: лThe state of exile - the change and deviation from the order, because God has placed each nation on its corresponding location ... According to the natural order, suitable place for the Jews - the Land of Israel, where they should live as an independent nation ╗. One of the leaders of Jewish communities in Western Europe Menashshe Ben Israel (17.) Saw in the scattering of the Jews лon all ends of the world╗ phase in the implementation of their divine mission in history. In the new era (mid-18 century). In Jewish intellectual circles has become increasingly express the view that the changes that have taken place in European countries in an era of education, an opportunity for the integration of Jews in the mixed community (see Assimilation, Jew, Emancipation) . New perspectives on galut lead to organized movements, trying to change the nature of Judaism (see reformism in Judaism, Haskala). Some thinkers have sought to justify galut as legitimate historical phenomenon (see M. Mendelson, S. Dubnov, F. Rosenzweig). In addition, the shape has become an ideology aimed at the revival of Jewish national, political and cultural center in Eretz Yisrael (see Zionism, L. Pinsker, Ahad-ha-''Am, T. Herzl, A. J. Cook). However, until the 2 nd half of 19 century. Judaism prevailed in the west of the current, which sought to put an end to galutu through the merger of the Jews from the surrounding peoples or galut interpreted as a moral mission of the Jews in the world. In the 2 nd half of 19 century. the situation has changed. Anti-Semitism and national movements in Europe have led to disappointment in the possibility of integration of Jews in the environment. Awake Jewish national identity, expressed with particular force in Zionism - the ideology, which is based on a fundamental denial galute. The fight between the two main viewpoints on galut resumed with a bang in the middle of 20 century. One area, the most striking of which was by D. Ben-Gurion, saw Holocaust of European Jewry, the inhumanity of those who render it, the majority of the peoples of the world indifference to the tragedy of the Jewish people in the fateful years (1939-45), the difficulties of the world Jewry and strengthening the assimilation in galute as proof of the dangers associated with the continuation of the scattering, so the only way to avoid this - the elimination of galuta and returning to Israel. Proponents of the opposite view point to the political freedom and equality, the law allowing citizens-Jews and Jewish organizations in most countries in the world and intense cultural, social and political activities of Jews in those countries. They believe, like many in the past, the fact that scattering makes sense and the right to exist. The Six Day War (1967) has strengthened in most of Jewish consciousness and the unity of the Jewish people a sense of interdependence between Israel and the Jewish communities in the world. She became one of the reasons for the awakening of national consciousness of Jews Soviet Union. Throughout the history of the Jewish people''s awareness galuta is one of the drivers of the development of Jewish thought and the desire to revive and preserve the people in the most difficult days of his life. The controversy between Jews and non-Jews on this issue, national pride and dedication to their religion, galutom generated, led to the formulation of new options for explaining the fate of the Jewish people in exile and raised a Jew the opportunity to carry the suffering without losing dignity and faith in the eventual return to their homeland. ╗