Rav Yehuda Amital, born in 1924 in a small shtetl in Romania, lived through the revolutions of 20th-century Jewish history. He survived the concentration camps and fought in Israel’s War of Independence.
After the war, he studied and taught in premier yeshivot, founded Yeshivat Har Etzion/Gush, and deeply shaped both the Torah world and the settler movement. His life became a microcosm of Jewish destiny – and left an enduring imprint on religious life in Israel.
He instilled in me three pillars of religious thought that continue to shape my worldview.
Jewish History
Jewish history isn’t a scattered series of events. It is purposeful, driven by a divine arc with a clear beginning and an ultimate end: redemption. Living with that awareness is part of religious consciousness.
Kiddush Hashem isn’t only about personal sacrifice. G-d’s presence is bound up with the condition of the Jewish people. When we flourish, His presence is revealed; when we suffer, His presence diminishes.
The “state” of the Jewish people and by extension the “state” of Hashem’s presence in our world isn’t measured only by Torah and mitzvot. It also encompasses the general state of the Jewish people: their physical well-being, national stability, and dignity. When our collective state improves, G-d’s presence is magnified.
The Holocaust was the greatest chillul Hashem since the destruction of Yerushalayim. Attempts to erase the Jewish people are, at their core, assaults on the divine. That darkness cried out for a renewed kiddush Hashem – not to erase the horror, but to restore the desecration of Hashem’s presence. The return to our land and the birth of a sovereign state created such a sanctification.
Rav Amital brought the words of Tanach and prophecy to life. He used prophecy as a lens to interpret our unfolding reality, breathing relevance into its eternal words. Unlike those who irresponsibly link specific events to particular prophecies, Rav Amital carefully employed prophecy to provide spiritual context and orientation to current events.
Rav Amital embraced the State of Israel but was cautious in his approach. He was deeply inspired by the enthusiasm of Rav Kook, whose writings he carried with him throughout the Shoah. However, Rav Amital recognized that both the Holocaust and the intensely secular nature of the emerging state had not been witnessed by Rav Kook. Therefore, Rav Amital understood that Rav Kook’s perspective on Zionism had to be adjusted in light of these new realities.
He lived through triumphs – Israel’s founding, the Six-Day War – and tragedies, especially the Yom Kippur War, where eight of his students were killed. Redemption, he reminded us, is not instant. It unfolds slowly – kim’a kim’a – through setbacks and surges. But it never halts.
The Tone of Religion
Rav Amital pursued truth relentlessly. He rejected performative religiosity and exhibitionist piety. He urged students to find their own voice, once saying: “I don’t want mini-Amitals.”
He championed conscience alongside halacha. Religion must be morally alert, not just legally correct.
He also helped us live with religious tension. As we reached upward, he reminded us we would stumble. He wanted healthy striving, not crushing perfectionism.
He taught us to laugh – at ourselves, and sometimes gently at others. Humor made space for humility. It helped us accept our limitations without shame.
His serenity came from survival. Faith tested by the Holocaust left him calm. He didn’t preach fear-based religion. He modeled strength, faith, and quiet joy.
Courage
Courage lies at the heart of faith. Faith demands that we embrace realities that are not immediately apparent or obvious. We believe not because we have proof, but because our faith has been passed down to us by our teachers, our families, and by Hashem. It is not always easy to believe. The world around us does not always support our beliefs. Current events do not always align with our expectations. Our personal lives often veer in directions we cannot anticipate, moving the goalposts in the middle of the game. Courage allows us to tenaciously hold onto our faith in the face of a harsh and cold reality.
Rav Amital possessed that courage lived it, taught it, and passed it on.
