Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:6-192:2

Hook

For millennia, Jews around the world have concluded their meals with a profound series of blessings, culminating in a fervent prayer for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. 'בונה ירושלים' – 'Who builds Jerusalem' – has been uttered daily, a future-oriented declaration of longing and hope. But what happens when that ancient prayer, born of spiritual yearning and a deep covenantal connection to a land and its holy city, confronts the realities of a modern nation-state? This is the heart of Zionism's complex journey. We stand where ancient prayers for return meet the tangible work of state-building.

How do we reconcile the sacred and the secular, the divine promise and human endeavor? How do we hold the spiritual resonance of our texts while grappling with the practical, political, and moral complexities of sovereignty in a contested land? This tension is not a contradiction, but a dynamic to understand. Our text today, the Arukh HaShulchan, offers a window into the deep roots of this enduring connection, showing how integral the Land of Israel and Jerusalem are to Jewish identity, long before modern political Zionism.

Text Snapshot

The Arukh HaShulchan, a foundational work of Jewish law, elaborates on the blessings after meals, highlighting the centrality of the Land of Israel and Jerusalem:

• "We must bless for the Land and for the sustenance..." (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:6)
• "...for You, O Lord our God, have given us a pleasant, good, and spacious land..." (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:8)
• "And regarding the blessing 'Who builds Jerusalem,' even though Jerusalem is built today... we pray for it to be rebuilt with the Holy Temple." (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 191:7, paraphrased essence)
• "And the fourth blessing, 'Who is good and does good,' was instituted after the destruction of Beitar and the permission to bury the dead, emphasizing God's goodness in the Land of Israel." (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 192:1-2, paraphrased essence)

Context

Date

Rabbi Yechiel Michel Epstein (1829-1908) completed the Arukh HaShulchan between 1884 and 1908. This period places its completion squarely in the nascent era of modern political Zionism, as Theodor Herzl articulated his vision and the First Zionist Congress convened in 1897. While a codification of ancient Jewish law, its publication coincides precisely with the moment these longings for Zion began to take on new, modern political dimensions.

Actor

Rabbi Epstein was a prominent Litvak rabbi and halakhist, serving as the rabbi of Novogrudok for over three decades. He was a deeply respected authority, known for his encyclopedic knowledge and clear articulation of complex halakha. His work remains a foundational guide to Jewish law, widely studied and relied upon today.

Aim

The Arukh HaShulchan's primary aim was to provide a practical, detailed, and historically grounded guide to Jewish law for his generation, integrating rulings from the Shulchan Arukh with later commentaries. Epstein sought to present a living tradition reflecting actual Jewish practice. In meticulously documenting the blessings for the Land of Israel and Jerusalem, he wasn't innovating but ensuring the continuation of the profound, millennia-old religious connection of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland, even as the world around him was beginning to change dramatically.

Two Readings

The Arukh HaShulchan's detailed articulation of the blessings after meals provides fertile ground for understanding the Jewish people's enduring connection to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem. Its timeless teachings, codified at the dawn of modern Zionism, can be read through multiple lenses, each offering crucial insights into the evolving relationship between spiritual longing and national actualization.

Reading 1: The Enduring Covenantal Mandate

This reading understands the Arukh HaShulchan's emphasis on blessing God "for the Land and for the sustenance" and "Who builds Jerusalem" as a profound articulation of an eternal, covenantal relationship between God, the Jewish people, and the Land of Israel. The text reinforces that this connection transcends any political reality or geographical location. Even when Jews lived far from Eretz Yisrael, scattered across the globe, the Land remained the spiritual and theological center of their existence.

The Arukh HaShulchan meticulously details how these blessings are not merely optional expressions of piety but halakhic obligations – fundamental components of Jewish daily ritual. This transforms the longing for Zion from a poetic sentiment into a concrete, commanded act of faith. By reciting these blessings, Jews continually reaffirmed their belief in God's promise to their patriarchs, the sanctity of the Land, and the ultimate redemption tied to Jerusalem. The text highlights that the Land is "a pleasant, good, and spacious land" (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:8), a divine gift, not merely a territory. The emphasis on Jerusalem’s rebuilding, even when physically desolate, underscores a future-oriented faith, a deep-seated conviction in divine restoration. This is about divine goodness that "is good and does good" (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 192:1), even after profound destruction, such as Beitar, reflecting an unwavering trust in God's benevolent plan.

In this frame, the text serves as an anchor through millennia of exile. It ensured that the memory and aspiration for return were never lost, not through political subjugation, forced displacement, or the passage of time. The daily recitation of these blessings cultivated a collective Jewish identity profoundly rooted in the Land and Jerusalem, providing solace, strength, and a shared spiritual compass. This perspective sees the Arukh HaShulchan as primarily concerned with maintaining the spiritual integrity of the Jewish people's relationship with God and His Land, ensuring that the covenant remained vibrant and central, irrespective of external conditions. The Land is a theological concept as much as a geographical one, a constant reminder of God's faithfulness and the Jewish people's unique destiny. The emphasis is on prayer, faith, and the enduring nature of God's promise, forming the bedrock of Jewish peoplehood.

Reading 2: The Precursor to Modern Action

While Reading 1 emphasizes the eternal, spiritual nature of the covenant, this second reading views the Arukh HaShulchan as unwittingly laying critical groundwork for the eventual emergence of modern political Zionism. The text, by codifying and mandating daily blessings for the Land and Jerusalem, created a powerful, persistent, and universally shared national consciousness that was ripe for activation when historical circumstances allowed.

The constant repetition of prayers for rebuilding Jerusalem, for God's goodness in the Land, and for the restoration of the Davidic dynasty meant that the idea of return and sovereignty was never truly dormant. It wasn't a radical new political concept dreamt up in the 19th century; it was a deeply ingrained, almost subconscious, national aspiration woven into the very fabric of daily Jewish life. The Arukh HaShulchan's meticulousness in ensuring these blessings were recited, even in exile, demonstrates how vital this connection was to Jewish identity and continuity. This wasn't passive longing; it was active, ritualized yearning, a continuous act of national self-affirmation.

When we read the Arukh HaShulchan's insistence that "even though Jerusalem is built today... we pray for it to be rebuilt with the Holy Temple" (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 191:7, essence), it reveals a mindset that sees any present, imperfect state of Jerusalem as temporary, always aspiring towards a fuller, messianic redemption. This constant aspiration, cultivated over centuries, became the spiritual fuel for the physical enterprise of modern Zionism. It provided the telos, the ultimate purpose, that animated early pioneers and later state-builders. The theological imperative to bless God for "a pleasant, good, and spacious land" (Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:8) could be interpreted not just as gratitude for a divine gift, but as an implicit call to actively return to and cultivate that gift.

In this light, the Arukh HaShulchan, alongside countless other Jewish texts and traditions, served as a vast, collective memory bank and a source of national will. It translated abstract spiritual concepts into concrete daily practices, thereby ensuring that when the opportunity arose to move from prayer to political action, the Jewish people were, in a profound sense, already prepared. The religious yearning, codified and perpetuated, became the deep cultural and psychological wellspring from which the Zionist movement drew its strength and legitimacy for many, demonstrating that the return to Zion was not merely a political project, but the culmination of millennia of sacred longing.

Civic Move

Action: Engage in Dialogue on "Sacred Longing and Secular Action"

In a world often quick to categorize and simplify, it is crucial to foster nuanced conversations about the multifaceted motivations behind the Jewish people's connection to the Land of Israel and the State of Israel. Our civic move is to initiate and participate in dialogues that explore the complex interplay between deep, millennia-old religious longing and the modern, secular, and often challenging realities of political action.

Gather a small group—friends, family, colleagues, or community members—from diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Share the core insights from the Arukh HaShulchan regarding the blessings for the Land and Jerusalem. Then, facilitate a discussion around the following questions:

1. Bridging the Gap: How do you perceive the relationship between the historical, religious yearning for Zion, as articulated in texts like the Arukh HaShulchan, and the establishment and ongoing existence of the modern State of Israel? Is the modern state a fulfillment of, a departure from, or a complex evolution of that ancient longing?
2. Motivations and Meanings: For those connected to Israel today, how much of that connection is rooted in religious or historical-covenantal narratives, and how much in modern political, cultural, or security concerns? How do these different motivations coexist or, at times, create tension?
3. Responsibility and Complexity: If the Land of Israel is seen as a divine gift and a sacred trust, what responsibilities does that impart upon those who live there or support its existence? How do we hold this sacred dimension while also acknowledging the human-made political and ethical complexities of statehood in a contested region?

The goal is not to find a single "right" answer, but to cultivate a space for honest inquiry, mutual listening, and empathetic understanding. By examining how ancient texts inform contemporary realities, we can deepen our appreciation for the diverse spectrum of Jewish and non-Jewish connections to this land, acknowledge the profound historical roots, and navigate the present with greater clarity and compassion. This dialogue can help us move beyond simplistic narratives, fostering a more robust, resilient, and ultimately more hopeful engagement with the future of Israel and its people.

Takeaway + Citations

The Arukh HaShulchan reminds us that the Jewish people's connection to the Land of Israel and Jerusalem is not a modern invention, but a sacred, living tradition woven into the very fabric of daily life for centuries. It's a connection forged in covenant, sustained by prayer, and animated by an unwavering hope for redemption. Modern Israel, in all its complexity, stands as a testament to the enduring power of this ancient longing, transforming prayer into purposeful action. As we navigate its future, let us carry both the deep reverence for its spiritual roots and an open heart for the human challenges and responsibilities that come with building a just and secure home.

Citations

• Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:6: https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim_190:6
• Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 190:8: https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim_190:8
• Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 191:7: https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim_191:7
• Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 192:1: https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim_192:1
• Arukh HaShulchan, Orach Chaim 192:2: https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim_192:2