How Much Did Israel Really Suffer From Kochi V'Otzem Yadi Syndrome?

One of the criticisms regularly leveled at the IDF, and at the political echelons that direct the IDF, by the Haredi public is that they are infused with a sense of kochi v'otzem yadi. They forget God's part in their success and assign credit for success solely to the superior training and fighting ability. If you hear a rav speak about how such a great army in 1967 could suffer such a serious blow in 1973, for example, you will hear about how the sense of kochi v'otzem yadi was so prevalent, so they were knocked down to size.

No doubt there is a sense of kochi v'otzem yadi in the army. I don't doubt that. The IDF is, or was. a largely secular institution, and it is natural that they would take such credit for their fighting ability, for the strategy, and tactics, though from a Jewish perspective it would be nice to hear them not totally leave God out of the picture.

Having heard this regularly over the years, I was a bit surprised when reading something that paints a different picture. I still have no doubt that there is a certain sense of kochi pervasive in the army and political echelons, that is fairly natural, but I now question how pervasive it really is (or was) and if perhaps God has been brought into the picture more than has been thought.

I am in the middle of reading an amazing book called "The Prime Ministers", written by Yehuda Avner. Avner worked under four different prime ministers (Levi Eshkol, Golda Meir, Yitzchak Rabin and Menachem Begin) in various positions, from speech writer to note taking to diplomatic positions, and this book is basically his memoirs. Avner relates stories, incidents and conversations  that he was witness to, and the book is a wealth of historical background and a behind the scenes look at Israel's formative years. The book is fascinating and anybody interested in Israel's history should read it.

I just read the portion on the Six Day War and everything that led PM Levi Eshkol to make the decision to go to war, and how they decided to attempt to capture the Old City of Jerusalem and the reactions to the success. While the politicians of those days of Israel were largely secular, they were very "Jewish", and I think they were far more "Jewish" than we give them credit for nowadays.

For example, after the first day of the Six Day War, Avner relates an incident in which menachem Begin went to the Prime Minister's Tel Aviv Bureau "where they found an exuberant Levi eshkol in animated conversation with half-a-dozen equally elated ministers. "Mir dafen machen shecheyanu - we have to recite a thanksgiving blessing" called Eshkol to Begin, and he made him privy to the single most spectacular piece of news he had ever heard in his life. In a surprise attack that morning, the Israeli Air Force had virtually wiped out the Egyptian Air Force...... "Baruch Hashem!" exclaimed Begin...."

the first reaction was to make a shecheyanu. to say baruch hashem.

Avner continues relating more, and it gets to a point where the ministers are debating whether to move to take the rest of Jerusalem or not. When the decision was finally made to capture Jerusalem, the army did so with immediate success. Soldiers were pouring into the Kotel area and Menachem Begin went down to the Kotel as well.  The soldiers were dancing and singing "Zeh Hayom Asa Hashem".. "As Begin touched the Wall, they ceased their song, and utter silence reigned when he laid his head upon one of its weathered stones. he spread out his arms in embrace, and then solemnly drew from his pocket a sheet of paper on which he had written a prayer. he had composed it himself for this very moment -a supplication suffused with scriptural and liturgical allusions to the Jewish people's rendezvous with their most sanctified of places..." and he goes on to relate the entire prayer, a few paragraphs long.

The book is peppered with such incidents and anecdotes and I had not even really noticed it until I was shocked by Eshkol's initial response to the first day's success - we must make a shecheyanu.

Were they secular? No doubt. Did they suffer from the "kochi v'otzem yadi"? No doubt. Were they very Jewish despite being secular and thank God for their success? Yes they did. It was not pure kochi v'otzem yadi as they are generally accused of. the State of Israel might be a secular state, but it is, and always was, very Jewish.

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