There is a fascinating meeting that took place in 1952, that had serious ramifications on the religious direction the young State of Israel was choosing.

The meeting was between Prime Minister David Ben Gurion and the “Visionary Man” of the religious world, know as the Chazonh, Rabbi Avraham Yeshayahu Karelitz.

This encounter was prompted by the demand that religious Israeli girls be granted an exemption from the army. But the real issue was how it could be possible for religious and secular Jews to live together in a single state.

The Chazon Ish gave a parable of a case mentioned in the Talmud. There was a ruling that if two camels meet on a path where they cannot pass simultaneously, the camel drawing the wagon with the heavier load, gets the right of way.

The Chazon Ish told Ben Gurion that the loaded camel represents 3,000 years of Jewish tradition, commandments, and heritage. The empty wagon represents the secular Zionist movement that is empty. They should step aside towards the “full wagon.”

Ben Gurion replied that his wagon is not empty. The secular pioneers worked hard at building and defending the land.

Ben Gurion clearly was impressed with the saintly rabbi. The meeting did create a better understanding of the two views. The realization was that the religious and secular world were not as far apart as previously thought.

It appears that the gap between these two worlds of the secular and religious, is narrowing. There is the realization that we are one people and we must remain united.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)