The Ashkenazi Revolution

96itself with it, my flesh recoiled, for I said: Woe to us, if the desire of Zion isnot successful for us, and woe, woe to us if they do succeed… it is better forus to migrate to the Holy Land only after we fix ourselves and prepare thegeneration for this, in a way that will first be, or at least be at the sametime with, the redemption of the land and will come also with theredemption of the soul.” (A. Orinovsky, The History of the New HebrewLiterature, volume 1 page 248).The work of demagoguery and deception in these words of Yehuda LeibGordon is absolutely astounding. On what basis does Yehuda Leib Gordonclaim, “Such a nation cannot succeed in creating a state”? Religious Jewsmaintained a kingdom in the Land of Israel for about 1300 years and onlythe legions of Rome put an end to it. But Yehuda Leib Gordon hasdecided: “cannot succeed”. Moreover: After the destruction, religiousJews returned and again took possession of the Land of Israel and, morerecently, they established Pethah Tiqwah. Is it not interesting that, as hewas confronted for the first time with the need to act, Yehuda Leib Gordondenies rationalism for himself and seeks an escape in complete mysticismin the guise of “preparing the generation” or “redemption of the soul”? Inthis confrontation he acts more Catholic than the Pope, and interpretscomplete mysticism as a foggy “preparation of the generation”, at the sametime that rabbis such as Mohilever and his friends presented tangibledemands and action such as settlements, a return to working the soil andthe acquisition and fortification of the Holy Land.On “The Auto-emancipation” by Pinsker, Yehuda Leib Gordon respondswith these words:The voice of the author hews tongues of fire and the sound of the greattrumpet is heard, and his words descend like dew of light upon he whoreads them. It is not possible for any Jewish soul that hears them to refrainfrom trembling to its core from this mighty reading, which is heard like thesound of the trumpet of the messiah on the last judgment day… But will thedead of the world awaken from the sound of the trumpet? Can the dropletsof dew bring life to the dry bones that are frozen black? Our hearts will