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Three Oaths
The Three Oaths is the name for a midrash found in the Babylonian Talmud, and midrash anthologies, that interprets three verses from Song of Solomon as God imposing three oaths upon the world. Two oaths pertain to the Jewish people and a third oath applies to the gentile nations of the world. For their part, Jews were sworn not to "ascend as a wall" to reclaim Land of Israel and not to "rebel against the nations of the world." In turn, the other nations were sworn not to "subjugate the Jews excessively."
Among Orthodox Jews today there are primarily two ways of viewing this midrash. Haredim who are strongly anti-Zionist often view this midrash as legally binding, and therefore the movement to establish the state of Israel and its continued existence would be a violation of Jewish law, whereas Religious Zionists have the view that either the oaths are no longer applicable or that they are indeed binding, but the current movement is not a violation of them. Both buttress their positions by citing historic rabbinic sources in favor of their view.
The three oaths are derived from Biblical verses during a sugya, or Talmudic passage, about Zeira's desire to move from Babylonia to the Land of Israel. Zeirva realizes that his teacher, Rav Yosef, considers it a Biblical sin to leave Babylonia for the land of Israel. The sugya begins on Ketubot 110b and continues on 111a (where the Three Oaths are plainly conveyed). The Gemara quotes Jose bar Hanina:
Why/What are these Three Oaths? One, that Israel should not go up [to the land] in a wall {i.e. en masse, RaShI interprets: forcefully}. Two, the Holy One adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations of the world. Three, the Holy One adjured the nations that they would not oppress Israel too much.
The Midrash is, in large part, an explanation of three verses in the Song of Songs with the phrase "I adjure you". The midrashic exegesis of these verses is consistent with the traditionalist understanding of the entire book as an allegory for the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The three verses are:
Versions of the oaths also appear in midrash anthologies. Song of Songs Rabbah has two additional oaths for Israel: to not "force the end" and not reveal secrets. Midrash Tanchuma on Deuteronomy has three oaths for Israel: to not reveal the end, not force the end, and not rebel. Ravitzky also sees the idea of the oaths in an earlier, tannaitic midrash, Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael.
Maimonides cited the Three Oaths in his famous Epistle to Yemen, written around 1173. In this letter, Maimonides attempted to strengthen the morale of the Yemenite Jews, who were suffering from a decree of forced conversion to Islam as well as a false messianic movement that led many Yemenite Jews away from traditional practice. In the letter he states:
בזמן הראוי ויאבדו בכך וישיגום הצרות הזהיר מכך והשביע עליו על דרך המשל ואמר
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Three Oaths
The Three Oaths is the name for a midrash found in the Babylonian Talmud, and midrash anthologies, that interprets three verses from Song of Solomon as God imposing three oaths upon the world. Two oaths pertain to the Jewish people and a third oath applies to the gentile nations of the world. For their part, Jews were sworn not to "ascend as a wall" to reclaim Land of Israel and not to "rebel against the nations of the world." In turn, the other nations were sworn not to "subjugate the Jews excessively."
Among Orthodox Jews today there are primarily two ways of viewing this midrash. Haredim who are strongly anti-Zionist often view this midrash as legally binding, and therefore the movement to establish the state of Israel and its continued existence would be a violation of Jewish law, whereas Religious Zionists have the view that either the oaths are no longer applicable or that they are indeed binding, but the current movement is not a violation of them. Both buttress their positions by citing historic rabbinic sources in favor of their view.
The three oaths are derived from Biblical verses during a sugya, or Talmudic passage, about Zeira's desire to move from Babylonia to the Land of Israel. Zeirva realizes that his teacher, Rav Yosef, considers it a Biblical sin to leave Babylonia for the land of Israel. The sugya begins on Ketubot 110b and continues on 111a (where the Three Oaths are plainly conveyed). The Gemara quotes Jose bar Hanina:
Why/What are these Three Oaths? One, that Israel should not go up [to the land] in a wall {i.e. en masse, RaShI interprets: forcefully}. Two, the Holy One adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations of the world. Three, the Holy One adjured the nations that they would not oppress Israel too much.
The Midrash is, in large part, an explanation of three verses in the Song of Songs with the phrase "I adjure you". The midrashic exegesis of these verses is consistent with the traditionalist understanding of the entire book as an allegory for the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The three verses are:
Versions of the oaths also appear in midrash anthologies. Song of Songs Rabbah has two additional oaths for Israel: to not "force the end" and not reveal secrets. Midrash Tanchuma on Deuteronomy has three oaths for Israel: to not reveal the end, not force the end, and not rebel. Ravitzky also sees the idea of the oaths in an earlier, tannaitic midrash, Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael.
Maimonides cited the Three Oaths in his famous Epistle to Yemen, written around 1173. In this letter, Maimonides attempted to strengthen the morale of the Yemenite Jews, who were suffering from a decree of forced conversion to Islam as well as a false messianic movement that led many Yemenite Jews away from traditional practice. In the letter he states:
בזמן הראוי ויאבדו בכך וישיגום הצרות הזהיר מכך והשביע עליו על דרך המשל ואמר