Jewish Perspective (32nd WRC)

Idea of an Ideal Government

Jewish Perspective
by Dr. Karen R. Mock
Human Rights Consultant, Toronto

Abstract of Theme Speech

The Jewish religion embraces all aspects of life, not only ritual matters, because Judaism conceives religion as being inseparable from nationhood. I remember vividly the teenage discussions growing up: is Judaism a religion or a culture or an ethnicity? It is all of the above. All members of the Jewish “people” are members of the Jewish religion. And one cannot be part of the Jewish religion without being at the same time part of the Jewish people. Being a distinct “nation”, Judaism gave religious directions regarding the organization and form of government (Rakover, 1999). I will draw on both my personal experiences (as a layperson); and in my presentation I shall elaborate some of the following concepts based on my review of the origins of Jewish perspectives on the ideal government:

  • Judaism creates a unique blend of democracy and theocracy. The evidence of the democratic process can be seen in the primary biblical text regarding the appointment of leadership.
  • Judaism seeks to integrate religious practices into the everyday life; there is no contradiction between spiritual and practical way of life. There is mutual contribution between the religious system and the social system.
  • From the Jewish perspective, the system of government can be seen as a combination of both the religious wing and a secular one. “The Torah leaves the decision-making to man, not to heaven” (Rakover, 1999)
  • The Jewish ideal of government differs from the conventional concept of theocracy in that it does not regard the head of the state as the representative of God on earth. This is intended to eliminate the danger of the ruler using the name of religion for negative purposes.
  • Religion plays an important role by laying down certain over-arching values that resemble constitutional basic principles, which consensual legislation must take into account. The power of the ruler in the Jewish government is secular, while religion serves as a check on it, to prevent the abuse of that power.


Traditional Jewish System of Government

While the biblical model of governance is monarchical, the people as a whole play a key role in the ruler's election and authority. Moreover, in being subject to the law, the king is bound by a social contract that makes demands of him in relation to the people as well as to God, ensuring this democratic spirit is not undermined by any illusion of superhuman status. Government is clearly not an end in itself, but has the purpose of serving the public. A special ceremony every seven years precisely to affirm the rule of law emphasized the status of the king as representative of the people ( Exodus 19.5-6) Similarly, the priesthood, although a position dependent upon tribal affiliation by birth, derived its mandate from the idea of representation. That is, the priest is viewed as an agent of the people, and a democratic concept was superimposed upon the otherwise hierarchical structure of the Temple service.

* Examples of the various institutions that made up the traditional Jewish system of government and how they cope with the danger of abuse of power in the name of religions:

1. The Rule of Law:

God is the supreme authority; however, the rulers do not rule in His name but according to the laws He gave, the Torah. The people are not subordinate to the rulers, but rather to the law. The government that the Torah presupposes is the rule of fixed laws, and these laws are not man-made, but revealed by God. In the ideal Jewish state, the power in the hands of the ruler and the high priest is soley the power to maintain and/or elucidate the Torah. A central theme in Judaism is that interpretation of the law is in the hands of human beings, and not in heaven. There is latitude given to consensus in civil law and other areas.

2. The Priesthood:

The power is not deposited in the hands of the priests; rather, their role is to teach Torah and to serve in the Holy Temple of Jerusalem. This highlights two key principles: a) A person does not need the mediation of the priest in order to have connection with God; and b) learning the Torah is the right and obligation of every Jewish person and is not the privilege or the elite few. The relationship between the people and God is considered a “covenant”, based on mutual free will.

3. The King:

The fundamental source of power in the Jewish system of ideal government is the people. The people rule through their representatives, whose freedom of action is controlled in a variety of ways. The monarch's authority is seen as the consent of the people, not religious dictate. Choosing
the ruler involved religious elements (one of the 613 commandments of the Jewish religion is the obligation to appoint a king.) The King is subject to the rule of law; and if the monarch transgresses a religious prohibition or commits a civil offence, he is to be judged as any other person. (e.g. King Saul,
when David was chosen to replace him after his transgression – I Samuel 15,11).

4. The Prophets:

The prophets had an important role in religion and society, in that they denounced dictatorial and immoral practices of the King (Isaiah 1, 23). They could effectively influence the King as a moral opposition and provide Divine answers to the King on practical questions.

5. The Sanhedrin:

The high court of 71 sages had a major role in government as the supreme judiciary and served as a legislature for the Jewish people, enacting laws according to the country's needs. They had some executive function to make certain appointments in the public service, and they judged
according to religious law of the Torah; but they too required the assent of the people. In the Jewish system of government, the King (or democratically elected ruler) is head of the secular wing, while the Sanhedrin is head of the religious branch. But the secular wing contains some religious elements, and the religious wing has some secular segments as well Qualities of an Ideal Leader, and Principles of Leadership The medieval Jewish philosopher Maimonides (Rabbi Mosheh Ben Maimon) identified seven qualities which characterize an ideal leader:

(i) ability and standing;
(ii) fear of God;
(iii) humility;
(iv) truth and honesty;
(v) freedom from monetary ambitions and from susceptibility to corruption;
(vi) wide knowledge and understanding (i.e. the ability to adapt existing knowledge to deal with new and unparalleled situations);
(vii) enjoyment of public confidence.

British Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks recently pointed out that the phrase “Jewish leadership” is ambiguous, in that it can mean leadership by Jews, but it also means leadership according to Judaic principles and values. He too has suggested seven principles for leadership done in a Jewish way, which I believe reflect a Jewish perspective on ideal government – the institution to which we look for (and from which we expect) leadership.

  • Leadership begins with taking responsibility – At the heart of Judaism are three beliefs about leadership: we are free, we are responsible, and together we can change the world.
  • No one can lead alone – in Judaism, leadership is an emergent property of multiple roles and perspectives.
  • Leadership is about the future – As with Moses, before you can lead, you must have a vision of the future and be able to communicate it to others.
  • Leaders learn – As Jewish leaders have shown us through the ages, study makes the difference between the statesman and the politician, between the transformative leader and the manager.
  • Leadership means believing in the people you lead – Judaism prefers the leadership of influence to the leadership of power.
  • Leadership involves a sense of timing and pace – One of Moses' greatest frustrations was the time it takes people to change. Good governance and leadership involves the delicate balance between impatience and patience. Transformation takes time, and often more than a single generation.
  • Leadership is stressful and emotionally demanding – Reflected in the words of Moses, Elijah, Jeremiah and Jonah, among others, most transformative leaders at times feel burnout and despair – to lead is to serve, and living the responsible life is worth the pain that often accompanies hard work.


In summary, as Rabbi Sacks points out, the single overarching question of Jewish existence in the modern age is: what is it to live as a Jew in the public domain, in a world without walls? And he concludes that never in history has there been a better time to be a Jewish leader. However, he stresses that there is a right way for future Jewish leadership to go, and a wrong way. Rabbi Sacks cautions that “the wrong way is to emphasize antisemitism and the assaults on Israel, to exaggerate the tensions between the different streams in Jewish life and to bemoan the lack of Jewish leadership. The right way is to make friends within and beyond the Jewish community, to emphasize the ethical and spiritual dimensions of Judaism, to find social action projects we can work on across other divides and to find ways of making Jews feel proud to be Jews”.

In Judaism, values currently accepted in a democratic society (eg. freedom, human rights and the sanctity of life) carry significant weight, because we are taught that human beings were created in the image of God (Exodus 1, 27). Therefore, as Rabbi David Rosen emphasizes, a fundamental tenet of Judaism is
that any act of disrespect to another human, is an act of disrespect towards God Himself. Therefore it is not possible to be truly God fearing unless one behaves with respect towards all human beings. Accordingly, this view of the individual is key to the effective functioning of the democratic ideal in Judaism -- an ideal which emphasizes not only the importance of public authority, but above all, the obligation of the system to provide for the greatest protection and enhancement of human life and the dignity of all people.



Selected Sources:

Rakover, Nahum (1999) The Role of Religion in Government – the Jewish Perspective.
Professor emeritus, Bar Ilan University.
Rosen, Rabbi David (2010) Democracy: A Moral Imperative in Judaism. Barcelona, Spain: A Universal
Ethic for a Globalized World – Sant Egidio.
Sacks, Rabbi Jonathan (2012) Seven Principles of Jewish Leadership (excerpt). Toronto:
Canadian Jewish News, June 21, Page 9
Weiss, Raymond L. (Ed) (1975) Ethical Writings of Maimonides (Moses ben Maimon). New York:
Dover Publications, Inc.

 


 


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