The Big Problem With Seeking a ‘Halachic State’

I already explained why I oppose the quest for making the State of Israel “Jewish”, or “Halachic”. But the quest is foolish — even on its own terms.

The foremost requirement of changing matters is diagnosing the situation with accuracy. What we have today best resembles “Caesaropapism”.

Wikipedia introduces the concept:

Caesaropapism is the idea of combining the power of secular government with the religious power, or of making secular authority superior to the spiritual authority of the Church; especially concerning the connection of the Church with the government…
Max Weber (1864-1920) wrote: “a secular, caesaropapist ruler… exercises supreme authority in ecclesiastic matters by virtue of his autonomous legitimacy”. According to Weber’s political sociology, caesaropapism entails “the complete subordination of priests to secular power.”
In its extreme form, caesaropapism is a political theory in which the head of state, notably the emperor (“Caesar”, by extension a “superior” king), is also the supreme head of the church (pope or analogous religious leader). In this form, caesaropapism inverts theocracy (or hierocracy in Weber) in which institutions of the church control the state. Both caesaropapism and theocracy are systems in which there is no separation of church and state and in which the two form parts of a single power-structure.
This sounds like Israel (unless you prefer “Clerical fascism“). If we were merely distant from the ideal, it would be difficult enough to achieve it. But, no. The state of Israel is an inversion of a Medinat Halacha (Halachic State)!
Again, here’s what is required to achieve anything:
  • Knowing what is.
  • Deciding what ought to be.
  • Determining what steps lead to the desired end.
  • Determining what steps lead away from the desired end.
  • Knowing which is which.
Any time you are informed of a planned revolution, not just difficult to achieve, but the exact opposite of present reality, make well and sure the organizers know what the real situation is at present, and also that they have a clear model not only of what they want but also a means of determining regarding each and every step if it’s a step forward or backward. It’s very easy to fool oneself and others with political inversions.
And last but not least, be sure you, too, deem their barometer accurate (see here)!
And that’s if you actually seek out the same inversion they do. If you agree with me, a “Halachic State” is not even the goal, however…