Mark Okrent: Sovereignty is Conditional: A Zionist Cautionary Tale for Shavuot 2026
(Based on a Shavuot Sermon)
I am a firm believer in not just “davening” the words of our prayers but in understanding the meaning of the verses we seemingly mumble. Therefore, every ten days, I send out to my grandchildren a short explanation of a verse chosen from our daily prayers titled “Saba’s Thought of the Day”. My primary goal is to encourage them to deeply understand the words of our tephila (prayer)—to move beyond mere mechanical recitation and the distraction of singing melodies, and instead to look closely at what our liturgy is actually saying to us.
Examples of what I have sent out would be:
- “אל ישלוט בנו יצר הרע”
“May the evil inclination not control us”
- “ּבְטוּבוֹ מְחַדֵּשׁ בְּכָל־יוֹם תָּמִיד מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית”
“In His goodness, He renews the work of creation every day, continuously”
- “אֱלֹהַי נְצוֹר לְשׁוֹנִי מֵרָע וּשְׂפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה”
“My God, guard my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking deceitfully”
- “השיבה שופטנו כבראשונה”
“Return our judges as in the beginning”
This Shavuot, my thoughts have gravitated toward a profound discussion I had some forty years ago with an older, deeply respected friend regarding a pivotal verse from the Mussaf Amidah recited on the Shalosh Regalim.
The liturgy forces us into a sharp, historically painful irony. On the exact days when Jews are supposed to celebrate in Jerusalem, we stand in synagogue and remember why, historically, we could not do so. The prayer states:
“מפני חטאינו גלינו מראצנו וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ מֵעַל אַדְמָתֵנוּ”
“Because of our sins we were exiled from our land and removed far from our homeland”
The original justification for this verse is radical in its introspection. Rather than pointing fingers at external enemies—whether the Babylonians or the Romans. The verse looks entirely inward. By uttering these words, the Jewish people accept absolute spiritual and moral responsibility for their own exile. According to the Talmud, the Second Temple was not destroyed by Roman military superiority alone; it fell primarily due to שנאת חינם (baseless hatred).
The Dilemma of the Modern Israeli
Decades ago, my friend explained a view that has since gained structural footing in contemporary Israel. In the Israeli Masorti (Conservative) siddur, this verse is treated as optional or altered. The argument is simple: the phrase was composed centuries ago when Jews were scattered across the globe, powerless, and utterly unable to return to their ancestral home. With the miraculous establishment of the State of Israel, this reality has fundamentally changed. To sit in a modern, beautiful synagogue in the heart of a sovereign Jewish state and cry out, “Woe unto us, we are trapped in exile because we sinned”, feels like a denial of Israel’s historical success. Critics argue it creates an unhealthy spiritual dissonance, reducing our prayers to a robotic recitation of ancient history rather than a true reflection of real life. To resolve this, one option of the Masorti liturgy adapts the phrase to the past tense:
“מִפְּנֵי חֲטָאֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ הָגְלִינוּ מֵאַרְצֵנוּ וְנִתְרַחַקְנוּ מֵעַל אַדְמָתֵנו”
“Because of the sins of our ancestors, we were exiled from our land.”
A Radical Act of Humility for 2026
While I understand that perspective, I believe changing the verse misses its ultimate value. The phrase is not just an outdated historical marker about the year 70 CE; it is a constant, living warning uniquely relevant to us in 2026.
Reciting this verse in the present tense serves as a jarring reminder that political sovereignty is neither guaranteed nor permanent – it is strictly conditional. Retaining the original text is a radical act of humility. It shakes the praying individual out of political complacency, serving as an urgent warning that our “Third House” (Modern Israel) – can crumble just like the first two if our moral foundations rot from within.
The ancient rabbis did not limit their diagnosis to abstract spiritual failures; they noted that the Second Temple fell due to baseless hatred and the total breakdown of social justice. Today, as Israel navigates its 78th year, we find ourselves entering the exact same historical danger zone that proved fatal to our ancient commonwealths, both of which collapsed within several decades due to internal civil strife, corruption, and fanaticism.
Sins Tearing the Fabric of the State
When we look at our society today, we see the very fractures that the biblical prophets warned would destroy a society:
- The Assault on the Judiciary: The continuous attacks on our legal systems and democratic institutions represent a modern failure of law and justice.
- The Evasion of Mutual Responsibility: The systematic draft evasion and refusal to share the burden of national defense is a direct sin against the core commandment,
“לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ”
“Do not stand idly by the blood of your fellow.”
signifying a prohibition against folding one’s arms while the blood of your neighbors is spilled.
- Tribal Warfare: The toxic, factional infighting dominating our streets and political halls is nothing short of modern-day שנאת חינם (baseless hatred).
The Zionist Cautionary Tale
By retaining and saying “Because of our sins…” the modern Israeli is forced to acknowledge a terrifying reality: “If we continue down this path of internal decay, we are actively committing the exact same sins that caused our ancestors to lose everything.”
Keeping the verse in the present tense is an admission that history can repeat itself. It demands that we look at ourselves honestly: Look at how we treat one another. Look at the corruption of our justice. Look at the unequal distribution of our national burdens. Look at the hatred screaming through our streets. We are actively executing the sins of exile right now. If we do not repent and repair our social fabric, the dust of history waits for us once again.
This is the ultimate Zionist cautionary tale. The purpose of saying these words is not to predict doom or wallow in despair but to demand a collective awakening to the terrifying fragility of this amazing, miraculous country.
I can only pray:
May our shared love for this land eclipse the deep fissures that threaten to divide us
May we find the wisdom to build a society firmly rooted in true justice and unconditional love
And may our prayers and our actions ensure that we anchor our roots so deeply into the soil of Zion that we will never again experience the pain of exile, remaining safely, peacefully, and justly in our home for generations to come
