Alerts

Rivkah Duker Fishman on The Man of Vision: The Ultra-Orthodox Ideology of Rabbi Shach

The Worldview of Rabbi Eleazar Schach The Man of Vision: The Ultra-Orthodox Ideology of Rabbi Shach (Ish Ha-Hashkafah: Ha-Ideologia Ha-Haredit al pi HaRav Shach), by Avishay Ben Haim, Mosaica Publishers, 179 pp. [in Hebrew]. Reviewed by Rivkah Duker Fishman
Share this

Table of Contents

Jewish Political Studies Review 18:3-4 (Fall 2006)

 

The Worldview of Rabbi Eleazar Schach

The Man of Vision: The Ultra-Orthodox Ideology of Rabbi Shach (Ish Ha-Hashkafah: Ha-Ideologia Ha-Haredit al pi HaRav Shach), by Avishay Ben Haim, Mosaica Publishers, 179 pp. [in Hebrew].

Reviewed by Rivkah Duker Fishman

 

During the final decades of the twentieth century, Rabbi Eleazar Menachem Shach (1989-2001) emerged as one of the major leaders and thinkers of haredi (ultra-Orthodox) Jewry. Rabbi Shach served as head of the Ponevitz Yeshiva, which was transplanted from Lithuania and reconstituted in B’nai Brak, Israel.

As a Lithuanian Torah scholar, Rabbi Shach was a misnaged-not a Hasidic, charismatic type of rabbi but a figure who advocated diligent, continuous study of the Talmud, meticulous observance of Jewish law, scrupulous morality based on the Torah and the Talmud, and an uncompromising vision of the unique place of the Jewish people and of haredi Jewry in the world. He did not eschew political involvement, despite belonging to a world that, destroyed during the Holocaust and rebuilt in the state of Israel, was remote from the concerns of daily life and the customary language of social and political discourse.

Rabbi Shach founded the haredi political party Degel HaTorah (The Banner of the Torah) and urged the faithful to vote in the Knesset elections of 1984 and subsequently so as to ensure funding for Torah institutions and representation of haredi Jews and advancement of their interests. His party broke away from the Agudat Yisrael party and then rejoined it in a bloc called United Torah Judaism.

In this brief study, Avishay Ben Haim, religious-affairs reporter for the Ma’ariv Hebrew daily, describes Rabbi Shach’s worldview. Because Rabbi Shach did not write a book coherently expounding his philosophy, Ben Haim analyzed his sermons, public statements, newspaper articles in the haredi press, and bulletins devoted to commentaries on the weekly Torah readings available in synagogues. Ben Haim concludes that Rabbi Shach viewed himself and his flock as “guardians of the threshold” (shomrei hasaf), not closed off entirely from society like haredi groups such as the Neturei Karta (“the Guardians of Walls”) but participating in the system, though not sharing its culture and values.

 

A Traditional Standpoint

According to Ben Haim’s selection of articles, speeches, and comments, Rabbi Shach took the classic view of the Jewish people as a “people that dwells alone” (Numbers 23:9), whom God preserved because of and in order to fulfill the commandments of the Torah. Shach rejects secular Zionism and nationalism and regards Torah observance as the only valid means of preserving the Jewish people. He also rejects the view of religious Zionism that the state is the “beginning of the redemption.”

Zionism, Rabbi Shach asserts, did not end anti-Semitism, and becoming a “normal people” cannot give Israel security and continuity. He mistrusts Gentiles in general and has no faith in their promises. Hence, he doubted the worth of the peace process of the 1990s.

However, his disdain for the secular leadership of Israel and its ideology, which encompassed hatred of religion and haredi Jews, led him to prefer the Right over the Left. For him, the Right (embodied in the Likud Party) represented the “simple people,” and the Left, the anti-Torah elite.  According to Rabbi Shach, it is the haredi Jews who are the true lovers of Zion. They love the Land and the Torah and are true to the spirit of Judaism. Therefore, they will prosper and multiply while others will not.

Ben Haim places Rabbi Shach in the context of Orthodox Jewish thought of the past century and of Israeli society and politics. Above all, Man of Vision presents the outlook of a leading haredi thinker and not simply his individual legal decisions or random accusations of his opponents. Ben Haim quotes Shach’s statements amply, albeit selectively, and offers illuminating commentaries. He also commendably brings sources to light that are not readily available, although some are difficult for non-haredi readers to understand.

Rabbi Shach’s vision deserves to be taken seriously by thinkers of the different movements of Judaism and Zionism. Accordingly, Ben Haim has made an important contribution by making Rabbi Shach’s rigorous views accessible to the Hebrew-reading public.

 *     *     *

RIVKAH DUKER FISHMAN is lecturer in Jewish history at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Rivkah Fishman-Duker

Rivkah Fishman-Duker is a Lecturer Emerita in Ancient Jewish History at the Rothberg International School of the Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Share this

Subscribe to Daily Alert

The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Related Items

Stay Informed, Always

Get the latest news, insights, and updates directly in your inbox—be the first to know!

Subscribe to Jerusalem Issue Briefs
The Daily Alert – Israel news digest appears every Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday.

Notifications

The Jerusalem Center
Canada investigating Israeli-Canadian IDF soldiers?
JCFA senior researcher, Amb. Alan Baker slams the probe as a “political PR stunt with no legal basis.” “This isn’t justice—it’s a betrayal. Canada is siding with PLO propaganda over facts.”
11:29am
The Jerusalem Center
What makes a child believe killing a #Jew is justified?

In PA textbooks, Jews are called liars and frauds; their fate: elimination. This is #indoctrination—not #education. But change is happening. On East to West, @IMPACT_SE CEO Marcus Sheff exposes how #UNRWA-funded schools are fueling extremism—and what real reform looks like.  Listen now on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/2JHqh973U  Watch on YouTube: youtu.be/8OkJTGNfVUc

11:43am
The Jerusalem Center
Highlights from the @Jerusalem_Post Annual Conference in NYC:

Dr. @Dan_Diker, President of the JCFA: “October 7 wasn’t just an attack on Israel — it was a blow to the U.S. on Israeli soil. It demands moral clarity and a united front between Israel and the U.S. to defeat jihadist terror.”

2:20pm
The Jerusalem Center
@XAVIAERD says it like it is

Well, @XAVIAERD says it like it is: If you’re part of “#Queers for #Palestine,” he’ll pay for your flight to #Gaza. Go see for yourself how they treat LGBTQ+ people over there. Don’t miss this bold take on the Israel-Hamas war and the woke right.

2:32pm
The Jerusalem Center
“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.”

“This isn’t Israel vs. Hamas — it’s the frontline of the free world.” On Our Middle East by @JNS_org, @Dan_Diker@KhaledAbuToameh (JCFA/@GatestoneInst) break it down: If Hamas isn’t crushed, Iran wins. The jihadis—from #Gaza to your campus—get the green light. Diker: “This war is for the West.” No fluff. No filters. Just raw insight from two insiders who actually know what’s going on.  Watch: youtu.be/4Aq_zcbb4Yo

2:15pm
The Jerusalem Center
5/5 Lt. Col. Kalo on East to West with @smartinezamir:

“This operation showcases Israel’s strategic intelligence superiority both regionally and globally. It demonstrates the moral commitment to recovered soldiers and also strengthens Israel’s position with allies.” youtube.com/watch?v=nIvNNi

2:07pm
The Jerusalem Center
4/5 The operation built on intelligence gathered during the 2019 #Baumel recovery

#Mossad agents operated under cover in #Syria for years, visiting a graveyard multiple times under fire to collect remains for DNA matching. The intelligence community’s evolution combines technology, big data analysis, and human intelligence capabilities.

2:02pm
The Jerusalem Center
3/5 This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander

This recovery coincided with the release of Israeli hostage Edan Alexander from #Hamas in #Gaza, significantly boosting national morale amid an ongoing conflict now stretching over 18 months. The dual successes demonstrate #Israel‘s unwavering commitment to bringing all soldiers home.

1:58pm
The Jerusalem Center
2/5 The operation used the power vacuum following #Assad’s fall from #Damascus

Lt. Col. Avi Kalo, former head of IDF Prisoners & Missing Persons Division, calls it “an outstanding event that brings hope and new spirit to the people of Israel.” The operation utilized the power vacuum following #Assad‘s fall from #Damascus, allowing #Israeli intelligence to deploy ground capabilities in #Syria.

1:56pm
The Jerusalem Center
1/5 Israeli forces recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi Feldman

In an unprecedented operation, Israeli forces have recovered the remains of Sergeant First Class Zvi #Feldman, missing since the 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub. The complex #Mossad mission was conducted deep within #Syrian territory, 43 years after his disappearance. This follows the successful 2019 recovery of Zachary #Baumel from the same battle.

1:54pm
The Jerusalem Center
A molotov attack on a bus = a “barbecue party”?

That’s what #Palestinian kids are being taught under @UNRWA  — from grade school to graduation. This isn’t education. It’s indoctrination. Marcus Sheff of @IMPACT_SE  breaks it down with @smartinezamir

12:51pm

Close