When Prophecy Meets History: The Gradual Dawn of Redemption

Rabbi Shay Tahan

 

There is no doubt that we are experiencing a moment in history unlike any our nation has seen since the days of King David and Shlomo. For two thousand years, we endured every form of persecution in every corner of the world, facing relentless and often vicious accusations. We were charged with horrific crimes without the ability to defend ourselves.

The world itself has not fundamentally changed—even after the Holocaust, deep-seated prejudices and accusations have not disappeared. We continue to encounter old narratives in new forms. Just as we were once subject to blood libels of killing children, we are still blamed and called baby killers. Just as we were accused of controlling the world, we continue to face those same claims—now repackaged in modern forms, such as accusations that Jews manipulate global events or push America into a war for their own benefit.

Public figures and political voices contribute to these narratives, reflecting how enduring and complex these perceptions remain across different societies. Figures such as the Pope have joined in criticizing the recent war, and leaders in countries like Spain—the very land of the Inquisition—position themselves at the forefront of opposition to the Jewish people.

Yet something remarkable has changed. As our Prime Minister has often emphasized, we are no longer helpless. Today, we possess the ability to defend ourselves—and we do so with strength and success beyond all expectations.

 

Rising Lion

The unimaginable success of the Jewish nation is evident in many fields. Militarily, the Israeli army is regarded as a world power, known for its technological advancement, intelligence capabilities, and operational effectiveness. Economically, the shekel has shown notable strength and resilience over time, reflecting broader indicators of stability and growth.

In innovation as well, Israel has earned the reputation of a “Start-Up Nation,” producing leading developments in cyber security, agriculture, medical technology, and high-tech industries that are used around the world. Its contributions to science, medicine, and technology continue to grow, often far exceeding its size and resources.

Across many other areas—education, research, culture, and humanitarian aid—its achievements are striking and widely recognized, reflecting a pattern of influence and advancement that continues to expand.

On top of all this, in the Land of Israel the Torah world is flourishing like never before. Torah study is taking place in numbers unprecedented in history, alongside widespread acts of chesed and a growing atmosphere of kedushah. Cities are filled with Torah schools, yeshivot, and tinokot shel beit rabban, creating vibrant centers of learning and spiritual life throughout the land.

 

Step-by-Step Redemption- Talmud View

This very phenomenon is already described in the Talmud and the Zohar as part of the process preceding the coming of Mashiach in the end of days—how Israel will rise slowly and steadily, step by step, until it shines forth upon all the nations of the world.

Chazal describe the process of the Geulah—the final redemption—as unfolding in a gradual manner. Contrary to popular belief, it will not occur all at once, but rather slowly, step by step. The Yerushalmi (Brachot 1,1) opens with the following story: “Rabbi Chiya bar Abba and Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta were walking in the Valley of Arbel when they saw the first light of dawn. Rabbi Chiya said: So too is the redemption of Israel—at first it comes little by little, but as it progresses, it grows stronger and stronger.”

He compared it to the progression of the Jews in the story of Purim, where the salvation unfolded gradually:

“At first—‘Mordechai sat at the king’s gate’; then—‘Haman took the royal garments and the horse’; afterward—‘Mordechai returned to the king’s gate’; then—‘Mordechai went out from before the king in royal garments’; and finally—‘the Jews had light and joy.’”

The Maharal (in his introduction to Ohr Chadash on Megillat Esther), explains that since the redemption comes from Hashem, it does not occur all at once, but rather unfolds in stages. It is impossible to ascend to the highest level of redemption in a single moment.

The reason for this, as the Midrash Tanchuma (Dvarim 1,2) explains, is that when Hashem reveals His light upon Israel, He does not bestow all of His goodness at once, because they would not be able to endure such an overwhelming abundance. If He were to grant His full goodness in a single moment, they would all perish.

For this reason, Chazal compare the redemption to a deer, which advances through swift leaps—one jump after another. So too the Geulah: beginning from the lowly state of Israel in exile and striving toward the highest heights, it must proceed gradually and cannot come all at once.

Chazal explain that just as the night is completely dark, so too was the exile—filled with unimaginable suffering of every kind. Just as the darkness before dawn is the deepest darkness—as the Midrash Shocher Tov teaches (68)—so too, Israel experienced its greatest suffering, as in the Holocaust, just before returning to its land (see also Kli Yakar, Shemot 6,1).

Then, as the day begins, a faint light appears on the horizon and gradually grows brighter and stronger. So too is the redemption: it does not come all at once, but rather unfolds slowly, as Israel becomes stronger and stronger gradually over time. At the moment when a ray of light first begins to shine, the sky is still mostly dark. So too is the beginning of the Geulah: it does not happen all at once. When it begins, there is already some light—glimpses of success—yet much darkness and suffering still remain. But as time progresses, the light grows stronger and the darkness fades. In the same way, Israel continues to grow stronger, and the suffering gradually diminishes, until finally, the sun emerges in full strength, shining with complete intensity. And just as anything that comes too close to the sun is consumed by its power, so too will Israel stand in its ultimate strength.

Today, that which our grandparents yearned for over generations—we are privileged to witness with our own eyes.

 

The Zohar Words

The Zohar (Bereshit 160,1) also follows this principle: “‘Mi zot hanishkafah’—this refers to Israel. When Hashem will raise them up and bring them out of exile, He will first open for them a very small, thin opening of light. Afterwards, He will open another gate, slightly larger than the first, until He eventually opens for them the higher gates that face all four directions of the world.

This is comparable to a person who has been sitting in darkness all his life. When one wants to illuminate him, one does not suddenly flood him with great light. Rather, one first introduces a small ray of light—like the eye of a needle—then a slightly larger light, and so on, gradually increasing it, until the full light is revealed properly.”

 

The Malbim

The Malbim (Micha 4,8) also explains this process in detail, describing the restoration of the Jewish people as a “strong fortress” that will unfold in three stages:

1.     Those exiled from Yehuda and Binyamin will begin to return to Tzion.

2.     A “small government” will emerge, similar to the period before the first monarchy in Israel, led by shoftim (judges). (It is remarkable to note that he describes a stage in which the country would be led by judges rather than leaders, or a prime minister, etc. Some have observed that in today’s reality, the judicial system plays a very significant role in the governance and legal framework of the state, influencing many aspects of life in the country.)

3.     Ultimately, there will be the establishment of the Malchut Beit David, the Davidic kingdom.

 

Is Zionism Compatible with the Torah View?

Contrary to the popular belief that Zionism was purely a secular movement, some of its earliest founders were devout rabbis:

Rabbi Tzvi Hirsch Kalischer (1795–1874), a student of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, was one of the earliest and most influential rabbinic voices to articulate a religious framework for Jewish return to Eretz Yisrael in the modern era.

At the core of his ideology was the belief that redemption does not come through miraculous intervention, but unfolds through natural historical processes initiated by human action. He strongly rejected the idea that Jews must remain passive in exile while waiting for divine redemption. Instead, he argued that the nation has a responsibility to actively pursue settlement in the Land of Israel, agricultural development, and communal rebuilding, even before the arrival of Mashiach.

In his seminal work Derishat Tzion (“Seeking Zion”), which received many warm rabbinic approbations (haskamot), including from the Malbim and Rav Tzvi Pesach Frank, Rabbi Kalischer outlines a vision in which the ingathering of the exiles and the rebuilding of the Land are not contradictions to faith, but rather expressions of it.

A key element of his thought is the idea of “natural redemption” (geulah tiv’it), meaning that historical processes themselves can serve as instruments of divine providence. In this framework, political sovereignty, economic development, and settlement activity are not merely secular developments, but potential stages in a larger redemptive unfolding.

Rabbi Kalischer also emphasized practical steps: encouraging agricultural training, supporting Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael, and establishing institutions that would enable a self-sustaining Jewish presence in the land. He saw these efforts as not only permissible but spiritually significant, potentially hastening the final redemption.

Although controversial in his time, his ideas later became foundational for various religious Zionist approaches, which saw in his writings an early articulation of the concept that redemption can develop gradually through historical and national revival rather than occurring solely through sudden supernatural transformation.

In this sense, Rabbi Kalischer’s ideology represents a shift in emphasis: from waiting for redemption to participating in its unfolding.

Rabbi Yehuda Kalischer expresses the idea of gradual redemption:

“The redemption of Israel for which we await should not be imagined as something that will come suddenly—where Hashem will descend from Heaven to earth and say to His people, ‘Go forth,’ or that He will send His Mashiach in an instant from the heavens to sound the great shofar for the dispersed of Israel, gather them to Jerusalem, and surround it with a wall of fire.

Certainly, all the prophecies will be fulfilled in the end of days, and not a single word will be lost, Heaven forbid. But it will not occur in haste, nor in a single day. Rather, the redemption of Israel will come little by little. The beginning of the redemption will be through an awakening of generous spirits and through the will of the nations to gather some of the dispersed of Israel to the Holy Land…

And when many of the dispersed of Israel will be in the Holy Land and in Jerusalem, and they will offer their sacrifices as a pleasing fragrance to Hashem, then it will be will before the Master of all to bestow upon His people the light of Ruach HaKodesh.”

This passage powerfully reinforces the central theme: redemption is not a sudden miracle, but a gradual, unfolding process—beginning with human initiative and culminating in divine revelation.

 

Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai

Another rabbi was Rabbi Yehuda Alkalai, a student of Rabbi Eliezer Papo- the Pele Yoets, who was among the early rabbinic figures to advocate for active Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael. He developed a religious framework that emphasized human initiative in the process of redemption, arguing that the return to the Land of Israel should be advanced through practical steps such as organized settlement, communal cooperation, and the establishment of Jewish agricultural life in the land.

Rabbi Alkalai viewed these efforts not as a replacement for divine redemption, but as part of the unfolding process through which Geulah would gradually emerge. He drew on classical sources to support the idea that Israel has a role to play in preparing the conditions for its own national restoration, thereby hastening the fulfillment of prophetic redemption.

Those rabbis lived roughly fifty years before the emergence of modern secular Zionist figures such as Theodor Herzl, and in many ways they helped lay the ideological groundwork that later influenced the development of the Zionist movement, rather than the other way around.

 

Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal

Rabbi Yissachar Shlomo Teichtal (1885–1945), author of Eim HaBanim Semeichah, was one of the most striking rabbinic figures of the 20th century to radically reassess his earlier views on Jewish settlement in Eretz Yisrael in light of the Holocaust.

Originally a member of the Hungarian Orthodox establishment, Rabbi Teichtal initially opposed active Zionist initiatives and held the prevailing view in his environment that redemption would come only through divine intervention, not human-driven national rebuilding. However, during the horrors of World War II, as he witnessed the destruction of European Jewry firsthand, he underwent a profound intellectual and spiritual transformation.

In Eim HaBanim Semeichah, written while in hiding during the war, he argues passionately that the Jewish people had erred in remaining passive regarding the rebuilding of Eretz Yisrael. He re-examines classical sources and concludes that redemption is not meant to be awaited in passivity, but rather pursued through action—particularly through settling the Land of Israel, strengthening Jewish unity, and taking responsibility for national restoration.

A central theme of his work is that human initiative is not a contradiction to faith, but part of the divine plan. He interprets historical suffering as a wake-up call, urging Am Yisrael to engage in practical steps toward redemption rather than relying solely on miraculous intervention.

 

Summery

When we think about Zionism, it is important to distinguish between different meanings of the term. Secular Zionism is a national-political ideology that is independent of Torah values which is negative. However, Zionism as an idea of return to Eretz Yisrael has deep roots within Torah sources and rabbinic thought long before its modern political expression.

Of course, there are many different approaches within this discussion—from rejectionist views such as those associated with Satmar, to various intermediate positions—but I felt it important to highlight voices that are often overlooked. These rabbinic figures are frequently not given a platform in popular discourse, despite the fact that their vision, in many respects, has unfolded before our own eyes in remarkable ways.