An Ascending Jewish Political Philosophy

It is rare indeed that an impactful social activist changes his stripes to become a serious and respected academic, eschewing action for theory.

Such an exception is Ronen Shoval, who, as a soldier returning to Hebrew University in the aftermath of the 2006 Lebanon War, encountered professors who accused the Israel Defense Forces of war crimes and the State of Israel of being a colonialist, occupying power.

In his desire to push back on such demonization, Shoval, together with Erez Tadmor, established Im Tirtzu, which has grown to become the largest grassroots Zionist organization in Israel. Shoval left Im Tirtzu in 2013, pursuing a Ph.D. in political philosophy at the Sorbonne and then going on to start the groundbreaking Argaman Institute in Jerusalem.

It would be incorrect to assume, however, that his two careers, while different in practice, are unrelated. In Shoval’s new book Holiness and Society: A Socio-Political Exploration of the Mosaic Tradition, he makes the case for the “Bible’s political structure of meaning.” The book delineates a consistent and coherent political worldview that emerges from God’s revelations and commandments, which lead to a highly developed and consistent structure of a moral society.

In doing so, Shoval helps to put the lie to the idea that the origins of Western political philosophy are to be found only in the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers. To the contrary. While the origin of the Jewish political view is from God and not based on man’s self-conception of what is the ideal society, the book points out that on several occasions God deliberately makes room for man to be his partner and figure out how best to adapt and employ the meta-principles that God bestows on humanity.

“Holiness and Society” approaches the Bible for the wisdom, lessons and messages that it conveys, not for its revelatory truth. The book perceives the genius, albeit a seeming paradox, of the decision to further the perfection of mankind through the mission of one particular family and then through one particular people.

The book traces the development of the relationship between God and the Jewish people, and sees in the creation of a collective holiness—as evinced by God’s depiction of the Children of Israel as a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation”—a vital step to establishing a relationship with a people whose mission is, in turn, to bring the teachings and requirements implicit in that relationship to all of humanity.

A central focus of the book is on the idea of holiness, which Shoval sees not as an abstract ideal or a “mystical experience” but as a “practical plan of action.” In other words, it is through holiness that God is able to articulate a political philosophy and model to enable the Jewish people to be his enduring partner in an unbreakable covenant, one that will help heal and perfect God’s greatest but most frustrating creation: man.

It is exciting to see the Bible through Shoval’s eyes. He finds in the story of Abraham a culmination of God’s exasperation with the idea of perfecting man, choosing one man, and then his family, to be the bearer and expositor of all that God seeks to imbue into humanity.

The relationship with Abraham is sealed with a covenant, and it is through the covenant that the partnership between God and man is enshrined.

Shoval is awed and fascinated by the Ten Commandments, seeing them as immutable meta-principles that apply for all time. While men can and do enact, reinterpret and repeal laws, the Ten Commandments cannot be altered, modified or reconfigured. They therefore provide an enduring set of values, principles and limitations that serve to undergird man’s continuing efforts at moral perfection.

It is bracing to see in “Holiness and Society” the coming of age of Jewish political thought. Shoval himself is a product of the fulfillment of Zionist aspirations, seeing development, maturation and leadership in all facets of Jewish life. That maturation has provided an invitation to see, in our tradition and our great works, facets and depth that might not be readily perceivable elsewhere.

That maturation not only inspired a powerful envisioning of Jewish political philosophy but motivated and enabled Shoval’s social activism on the grassroots level to defend Zionism and counter its detractors.

“Holiness and Society” is a serious read that demands the reader’s attention and thoughtfulness. It also invites the reader to assess what its author is asserting and to consider his wisdom within the same tradition that most readers will be ensconced in.

As Shoval might say, Jewish political thought wouldn’t want it any other way.