In 1982 David Hartman wrote of two metaphors for how we are to relate to Israel: Auschwitz demands vigilance against external threats, prioritizing the value of Jewish survival; Sinai sees Jewish sovereignty guided by the aspiration to achieve the covenant with God.
Three decades later, this tension remains in our communal conversation. Which metaphor is more accurate in understanding the state of Israel, and what does it mean to hold onto such metaphors in our relationship to it?
Shalom Hartman Institute
Jerusalem, Israel
July 2, 2013
Lecture at Rabbinic Torah Study Seminar
February 15, 2014
Limmud NY
Originally broadcast on Shalom TV