Q&A: Separation of Religion and State
Separation of Religion and State
Question
I recently heard a lecture by the Rabbi in which he spoke about separating religion from the state. My question is: doesn’t it seem from the Torah that the Holy One, blessed be He, actually does want a people that lives in a state governed by Jewish law? And if so, shouldn’t a religious person want and strive for the current State of Israel to move more in that direction rather than toward separation of religion and state?
Answer
The Holy One, blessed be He, wants us to observe commandments. I do not know what a “state governed by Jewish law” is. The state is not Jewish and no obligations apply to it. Obligations apply to Jews (and also to a Jewish collective). But my support for separating religion from the state is because of the current makeup of the population. If everyone were committed to Jewish law, there would be no problem, and then of course it would be preferable for all of us to observe Jewish law. In the current situation, in my opinion, the lack of separation leads to less commandment observance and does not increase it.