Israeli politician Betzalel Smotrich caused an uproar when he recently said that he wants Israel to be a Halachic State. Netanyahu outed him after that statement. Even some religious people aren't interested.
That is SOOOOO weird. One of the 13 principles of faith is that we believe in and anxiously await Moshiach's coming EVERY DAY!!! Moshiach's job is to make the State Of Israel a theocracy. In the words of the Rambam [Melachim 11-1]:
המלך המשיח עתיד לעמוד ולהחזיר מלכות דוד ליושנה לממשלה הראשונה ובונה המקדש ומקבץ נדחי ישראל וחוזרין כל המשפטים בימיו כשהיו מקודם מקריבין קרבנות ועושין שמטין ויובלות ככל מצותה האמורה בתורה וכל מי שאינו מאמין בו או מי שאינו מחכה לביאתו לא בשאר נביאים בלבד הוא כופר אלא בתורה ובמשה רבינו שהרי התורה העידה עליו שנאמר ושב ה' אלהיך את שבותך ורחמך ושב וקבצך וגו' אם יהיה נדחך בקצה השמים וגו' והביאך ה' ואלו הדברים המפורשים בתורה הם כוללים כל הדברים שנאמרו ע"י כל הנביאים אף בפרשת בלעם נאמר ושם נבא בשני המשיחים במשיח הראשון שהוא דוד שהושיע את ישראל מיד צריהם ובמשיח האחרון שעומד מבניו שמושיע את ישראל [באחרונה] ושם הוא אומר אראנו ולא עתה זה דוד אשורנו ולא קרוב זה מלך המשיח דרך כוכב מיעקב זה דוד וקם שבט מישראל זה מלך המשיח ומחץ פאתי מואב זה דוד וכן הוא אומר ויך את מואב וימדדם בחבל וקרקר כל בני שת זה המלך המשיח שנאמר בו ומשלו מים עד ים והיה אדום ירשה זה דוד שנאמר ותהי אדום לדוד לעבדים וגו' והיה ירשה וגו' זה המלך המשיח שנאמר ועלו מושיעים בהר ציון וגו':
In the future, the Messianic king will arise and renew the Davidic dynasty, restoring it to its initial sovereignty. He will build the Temple and gather the dispersed of Israel.
Then, in his days, the observance of all the statutes will return to their previous state. We will offer sacrifices, observe the Sabbatical and Jubilee years according to all their particulars as described by the Torah.
Anyone who does not believe in him or does not await his coming, denies not only the statements of the other prophets, but those of the Torah and Moses, our teacher. The Torah testified to his coming, as Deuteronomy 30:3-5 states:
God will bring back your captivity and have mercy upon you. He will again gather you from among the nations... Even if your Diaspora is at the ends of the heavens, God will gather you up from there... and bring you to the land....
These explicit words of the Torah include all the statements made by all the prophets.
Reference to Mashiach is also made in the portion of Bilaam who prophesies about two anointed kings: the first anointed king, David, who saved Israel from her oppressors; and the final anointed king who will arise from his descendants and save Israel in the end of days. That passage Numbers 24:17-18 relates:
'I see it, but not now' - This refers to David;
'I perceive it, but not in the near future;" - This refers to the Messianic king;
'A star shall go forth from Jacob' - This refers to David;
'and a staff shall arise in Israel' - This refers to the Messianic king;
'crushing all of Moab's princes' - This refers to David as II Samuel 8:2 relates: 'He smote Moab and measured them with a line;'
'decimating all of Seth's descendants' - This refers to the Messianic king about whom Zechariah 9:10 prophesies: 'He will rule from sea to sea.'
'Edom will be demolished' - This refers to David as II Samuel 8:6 states 'Edom became the servants of David;'
'Seir will be destroyed' - this refers to the Messianic king as Ovadiah 1:21 prophesies: 'Saviors will ascend Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esau....'
So to be a believing Jew means to hope that the State turns theocratic. It goes without saying that if we could make the State more religious [without coercion] even before Moshiach comes then that is the ideal. Why are people who are observant opposed to this? I saw a prominent personality [who even wears a little kippa-le] write that Israel must remain a Jewish and Democratic State, so Smotrich is wrong and we can't have a Halachic State. What makes a State "Jewish" if not Halacha?
Reminds me of the ooooollllddd joke where the rabbi was told that he can't talk to his congregation about Shabbos or Kashrus or Taharas Hamishpacha because they don't keep them and it would offend. So what should he talk about, he asked.
"Talk about .... Yiddishkeit..."
Yishayahu HaNavi prophesied a theocracy:
And we JUST READ what the Torah says about what will happen when we don't keep his laws in His Land:
טו וְאִם-בְּחֻקֹּתַי תִּמְאָסוּ, וְאִם אֶת-מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּגְעַל נַפְשְׁכֶם, לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת אֶת-כָּל-מִצְוֺתַי, לְהַפְרְכֶם אֶת-בְּרִיתִי. טז אַף-אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה-זֹּאת לָכֶם, וְהִפְקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם בֶּהָלָה אֶת-הַשַּׁחֶפֶת וְאֶת-הַקַּדַּחַת, מְכַלּוֹת עֵינַיִם, וּמְדִיבֹת נָפֶשׁ; וּזְרַעְתֶּם לָרִיק זַרְעֲכֶם, וַאֲכָלֻהוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶם. יז וְנָתַתִּי פָנַי בָּכֶם, וְנִגַּפְתֶּם לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם; וְרָדוּ בָכֶם שֹׂנְאֵיכֶם, וְנַסְתֶּם וְאֵין-רֹדֵף אֶתְכֶם. יחוְאִם-עַד-אֵלֶּה--לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ, לִי: וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם, שֶׁבַע עַל-חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם. יט וְשָׁבַרְתִּי, אֶת-גְּאוֹן עֻזְּכֶם; וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-שְׁמֵיכֶם כַּבַּרְזֶל, וְאֶת-אַרְצְכֶם כַּנְּחֻשָׁה. כ וְתַם לָרִיק, כֹּחֲכֶם; וְלֹא-תִתֵּן אַרְצְכֶם, אֶת-יְבוּלָהּ, וְעֵץ הָאָרֶץ, לֹא יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ. כא וְאִם-תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי, וְלֹא תֹאבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ לִי--וְיָסַפְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַכָּה, שֶׁבַע כְּחַטֹּאתֵיכֶם. כב וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי בָכֶם אֶת-חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה, וְשִׁכְּלָה אֶתְכֶם, וְהִכְרִיתָה אֶת-בְּהֶמְתְּכֶם, וְהִמְעִיטָה אֶתְכֶם; וְנָשַׁמּוּ, דַּרְכֵיכֶם. כג וְאִם-בְּאֵלֶּה--לֹא תִוָּסְרוּ, לִי; וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי, קֶרִי. כד וְהָלַכְתִּי אַף-אֲנִי עִמָּכֶם, בְּקֶרִי; וְהִכֵּיתִי אֶתְכֶם גַּם-אָנִי, שֶׁבַע עַל-חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם. כה וְהֵבֵאתִי עֲלֵיכֶם חֶרֶב, נֹקֶמֶת נְקַם-בְּרִית, וְנֶאֱסַפְתֶּם, אֶל-עָרֵיכֶם; וְשִׁלַּחְתִּי דֶבֶר בְּתוֹכְכֶם, וְנִתַּתֶּם בְּיַד-אוֹיֵב. כו בְּשִׁבְרִי לָכֶם, מַטֵּה-לֶחֶם, וְאָפוּ עֶשֶׂר נָשִׁים לַחְמְכֶם בְּתַנּוּר אֶחָד, וְהֵשִׁיבוּ לַחְמְכֶם בַּמִּשְׁקָל; וַאֲכַלְתֶּם, וְלֹא תִשְׂבָּעוּ. {ס} כז וְאִם-בְּזֹאת--לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ, לִי; וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי, בְּקֶרִי. כח וְהָלַכְתִּי עִמָּכֶם, בַּחֲמַת-קֶרִי; וְיִסַּרְתִּי אֶתְכֶם אַף-אָנִי, שֶׁבַע עַל-חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם. כט וַאֲכַלְתֶּם, בְּשַׂר בְּנֵיכֶם; וּבְשַׂר בְּנֹתֵיכֶם, תֹּאכֵלוּ. ל וְהִשְׁמַדְתִּי אֶת-בָּמֹתֵיכֶם, וְהִכְרַתִּי אֶת-חַמָּנֵיכֶם, וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-פִּגְרֵיכֶם, עַל-פִּגְרֵי גִּלּוּלֵיכֶם; וְגָעֲלָה נַפְשִׁי, אֶתְכֶם. לא וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-עָרֵיכֶם חָרְבָּה, וַהֲשִׁמּוֹתִי אֶת-מִקְדְּשֵׁיכֶם; וְלֹא אָרִיחַ, בְּרֵיחַ נִיחֹחֲכֶם. לב וַהֲשִׁמֹּתִי אֲנִי, אֶת-הָאָרֶץ; וְשָׁמְמוּ עָלֶיהָ אֹיְבֵיכֶם, הַיֹּשְׁבִים בָּהּ. לג וְאֶתְכֶם אֱזָרֶה בַגּוֹיִם, וַהֲרִיקֹתִי אַחֲרֵיכֶם חָרֶב; וְהָיְתָה אַרְצְכֶם שְׁמָמָה, וְעָרֵיכֶם יִהְיוּ חָרְבָּה. לד אָז תִּרְצֶה הָאָרֶץ אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ, כֹּל יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה, וְאַתֶּם, בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶם; אָז תִּשְׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ, וְהִרְצָת אֶת-שַׁבְּתֹתֶיהָ. לה כָּל-יְמֵי הָשַּׁמָּה, תִּשְׁבֹּת, אֵת אֲשֶׁר לֹא-שָׁבְתָה בְּשַׁבְּתֹתֵיכֶם, בְּשִׁבְתְּכֶם עָלֶיהָ. לו וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּכֶם--וְהֵבֵאתִי מֹרֶךְ בִּלְבָבָם, בְּאַרְצֹת אֹיְבֵיהֶם; וְרָדַף אֹתָם, קוֹל עָלֶה נִדָּף, וְנָסוּ מְנֻסַת-חֶרֶב וְנָפְלוּ, וְאֵין רֹדֵף. לז וְכָשְׁלוּ אִישׁ-בְּאָחִיו כְּמִפְּנֵי-חֶרֶב, וְרֹדֵף אָיִן; וְלֹא-תִהְיֶה לָכֶם תְּקוּמָה, לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם. לח וַאֲבַדְתֶּם, בַּגּוֹיִם; וְאָכְלָה אֶתְכֶם, אֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיכֶם. לט וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּכֶם, יִמַּקּוּ בַּעֲוֺנָם, בְּאַרְצֹת, אֹיְבֵיכֶם; וְאַף בַּעֲוֺנֹת אֲבֹתָם, אִתָּם יִמָּקּוּ.
14But if you do not listen to Me and do not perform all these commandments,
15and if you despise My statutes and reject My ordinances, not performing any of My commandments, thereby breaking My covenant
16then I too, will do the same to you; I will order upon you shock, consumption, fever, and diseases that cause hopeless longing and depression. You will sow your seed in vain, and your enemies will eat it.
17I will set My attention against you, and you will be smitten before your enemies. Your enemies will rule over you; you will flee, but no one will be pursuing you.
18And if, during these, you will not listen to Me, I will add another seven punishments for your sins:
19I will break the pride of your strength and make your skies like iron and your land like copper.
20Your strength will be expended in vain; your land will not yield its produce, neither will the tree of the earth give forth its fruit.
21And if you treat Me as happenstance, and you do not wish to listen to Me, I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins:
22I will incite the wild beasts of the field against you, and they will bereave you, utterly destroy your livestock and diminish you, and your roads will become desolate.
23And if, through these, you will still not be chastised [to return] to Me, and if you [continue to] treat Me happenstance,
24Then I too, will treat you as happenstance. I will again add seven punishments for your sins:
25I will bring upon you an army that avenges the avenging of a covenant, and you will gather into your cities. I will incite the plague in your midst, and you will be delivered into the enemy's hands,
26when I break for you the staff of bread, and ten women will bake your bread in one oven, and they will bring back your bread by weight, and you will eat, yet not be satisfied.
27And if, despite this, you still do not listen to Me, still treating Me as happenstance,
28I will treat you with a fury of happenstance, adding again seven [chastisements] for your sins:
29You will eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters you will eat.
30I will demolish your edifices and cut down your sun idols; I will make your corpses [fall] upon the corpses of your idols, and My Spirit will reject you.
31I will lay your cities waste and make your holy places desolate, and I will not partake of your pleasant fragrances.
32I will make the Land desolate, so that it will become desolate [also] of your enemies who live in it.
33And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you. Your land will be desolate, and your cities will be laid waste.
34Then, the land will be appeased regarding its sabbaticals. During all the days that it remains desolate while you are in the land of your enemies, the Land will rest and thus appease its sabbaticals.
35It will rest during all the days that it remains desolate, whatever it had not rested on your sabbaticals, when you lived upon it.
36And those of you who survive I will bring fear in their hearts in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a rustling leaf will pursue them; they will flee as one flees the sword, and they will fall, but there will be no pursuer.
37Each man will stumble over his brother, [fleeing] as if from the sword, but without a pursuer. You will not be able to stand up against your enemies.
38You will become lost among the nations, and the land of your enemies will consume you.
39And because of their iniquity, those of you who survive will rot away in the lands of your enemies; moreover, they will rot away because the iniquities of their fathers are still within them
