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The Relevance of the Jewish and Tibetan Diasporas to Humankind At this time of renewed soul-searching among Jews—with faith in Israeli nationalism severely shaken following Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza—attempts to base Jewish identity upon identification with the political entity called the State of Israel are increasingly called into question. As ethnic identity becomes steadily weaker, the need for a renewedsenseofpurposebecomesallthemoreurgent. It seems evident that the ethical sense remains strong among younger Jews today. Their disproportionate involvement in movements for peace, justice, and social change is one testimony; their seeking after the transcendent, manifested in their interest in Eastern spirituality,isanother;theirsympathyandactivityonbehalfoftheTibetancommunity,both under occupation and in exile, still another. Many younger Jews have been particularly inspiredbythededicationoftheDalaiLama —andwithhimKalonTripaSamdhongRinpoche, the first elected prime minister of the Tibetan Government in Exile—to a self-determining Tibet as a nonviolent Zone of Peace, whether as a genuinely autonomous region of China or as a fully independent state. Echoes and associations with the Jewish example of exile are rich, resonant, and strikingly reminiscent of Yochanan ben Zakai (circa 30-90 ce) establishing the Academy at Yavneh; resemblances to Rabbi Tamaret’s principled yet practicalsenseofnonviolentmissionmayalsobediscerned . Tamaret might well be understood as articulating a vision of nonterritorial communal survival and post-nation-state existence. At a time when numerous conventional national boundaries are being challenged by both ethnic strife and transnational globalization, and largenumbersofhumansarebecomingrefugeesinalienlands,Tamaret’sdeclarationofthe relevanceoftheJewishDiasporatohumankindasawholedeservesfreshconsideration.This sense of broader purpose and wider mission may well enlist the idealistic energies of many Jewishyouthtoday. ThoughTamaretwrotethefollowingpiecealmostacenturyago,itissurprisinglycontemporaryandcompellinglyrelevanttoallJewsconcernedwiththemeaningofourlivesandthe broadhumansignificanceofbeingJewish.I T he events of history move rapidly in this world: nations decline andnationsarise.Everynationinitsheydayholdstheworldfirmlyinthepalm ofitshand:itplucksthewoolwithouttiring,devoursthefleshravenously, and at the same time tries to breathe in its soul and spirit, believing absolutely in the just merits of this procedure. Widely engaging in these two estimable practices—exploiting and plundering all men, and “teaching” and “guiding” all men— every ascendant nation for a certain time manages to boast and behave foolishly until finally it descends from the pinnacle and its place is taken by another nation, also half despoilerandhalf “guide.” 56 T I K K U N W W W. T I K K U N . O R G N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 0 The Exile of the Presence and the Presence of the Exile by Aaron Samuel Tamaret, translated by Everett Gendler Rabin Sz. A. Tamres, a rabbi in Milejczyce, published an expanded version of this essay in Hebrew as chapterfouroftheKnesset Yisrael u-Milchamot Hagoyim, ZydziI walka narodow (The Community of IsraelandtheWarsoftheNations)inWarsawin1920.ThankstoRabbiEverettGendlerforproducing thiscompressedEnglishtranslationforTikkun. Published English Versions of Other Writings of Rabbi Tamaret/Tamares “Politics andPassion—AnInquiryinto the Evilsof OurTime,”Judaism, Volume 23, Number1, Winter1963,pp.36-56 “PassoverandNon-Violence,”Judaism, Volume17,Number2, Spring1968, pp. 204-210 “AncientVisions, FutureHopes— Rabbi Aaron SamuelTamaret’sObjectionto Zionism as We KnowIt,” Tikkun, July/August 2003,pp.25-30 “AncientVisions, FutureHopes: Recallinga Religious Objector to JewishNationalism” (longerversion),Issues, Fall2003 CREATIVE COMMONS/DAVID ROBERTS Religion_1.qxd:Politics rev. 10/12/10 1:00 PM Page 56 Persistence of the Jewish People Through all this long history of the succession of nations, one nation in the world trailed in the wake, Israel by name. Time after time it was cast about and driven from one country to another. Its rucksack, always ready at hand, was filled largely with books— books for the study of the Torah. Within the bundle of books were found also a small Siddur and a small wax candle. As soon as the wanderer had located a night’s lodging, just so soon would he arise at midnight, find some corner in the inn, seat himself on a low stool, light the dimcandle,openhistidySiddur,andreciteTikkunChatzot(MidnightPrayersofLamentation ). In his reciting he would, half hungry and half shattered, cry and bemoan his physical sufferings.Butmainlyhewouldpourouthisheartbecauseofhisspiritualtravail,becauseof “theExileofthePresence.”Hewouldgaspbitterlyandrecite: ThenwasIhisonlybeloved AndtheGloryoftheMostHighwasIcalled; NowtothedepthshaveIdescended, AndmyMostBelovedtotheheightshasascended. Calumnies about the Exile The “seventy nations” and the mockers see this tragedy and are content to explain it lightly and cynically: “For you, accursed Jew, it is fitting indeed to bemoan and bewail ‘the Exile of Presence,’ for you are plagued, smitten by the Lord and afflicted, having neither Presence...

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