The Land of Israel and the Jewish people are bound together in mysterious ways that go beyond convention. Here is a nation that has too much history and too little geography, as Sir Isaiah Berlin said. Yet even in their exile, the Jews never truly left the land of their birth. Rather, they lifted it from its native soil and transformed it into a portable homeland, taking it with them to all corners of the earth. Only in 1948 after nearly two thousand years did the Jewish people return to its original home. How is it that contrary to all the laws of history, the Jewish people outlived so many powerful empires? How was this tiny nation able to make an unprecedented contribution to the well being of all of humankind? Why did the Jewish people become a source of endless irritation to those who opposed its ethical teachings? Finally, how can the State of Israel rediscover its Jewish identity as the source of its greatest blessing and hope? Nathan Lopes Cardozo addresses these and other questions throughout this remarkable collection of essays.
Review
When the international community formally acknowledged the rights of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland after the First World War, it was implicitly understood that this connection emanated from nearly 3,000 years of Jewish law and tradition. Rabbi Cardozo eloquently reminds his readers of that very fundamental truth in a period when many in the world have unfortunately forgotten it. –Ambassador Dore Gold
Perhaps one of the most under-appreciated Jewish theologians of our time is Rabbi Dr. Nathan Lopes Cardozo of Jerusalem. I say this because despite the eloquence and timeliness of his message, found in over half a dozen books, Cardozo is rarely cited in religious or political circles. That is unfortunate for all of us and this review is an attempt to rectify that.
In his latest book of essays, lectures and studies entitled For The Love of Israel and the Jewish People, issued by Urim Publishers in honor of Israel s 60th birthday, Cardozo sets out to impart a message of hope and confidence in our faith and people.
Cardozo does not hesitate for one moment to deal with topics that would challenge others. Love for the land of Israel is addressed in seven detailed essays in a sharp and unapologetic manner. Absent is the mindless jargon common among others in the nationalist camp. The style is that of a teacher and rabbi instructing his readers to appreciate the history and religious value to our claim on Eretz Yisrael. There is a pathos that flows through his writing, laced with a clear romance for the land by one whose love for it is based upon the divine commitment to its habitation. No apologetics are forthcoming….
If there is but one book you wish to choose to read about Israel this year, this is the one. Each essay is self contained and can be read in one to two sittings, an ideal situation for those short on time. Cardozo has the unique talent of being able to make a complex concept easily understood. He is an excellent teacher, thinker and darshan, whose talent will be better appreciated in the years to come. –Alan Jay Gerber, The Jewish StarHe possesses the talent to address the major issues confronting our people with eloquence, sophistication and originality.
—Rabbi Professor Norman Lamm