24 October 2010

Extreme piety without civic exemptions

The Haredi impulse to separate themselves away from the mainstream culture is largely diasporic in character. It makes sense for them to maintain themselves in a ghetto so long as they are interested in maintaining their exilic frame of mind. 
The State of Israel is a direct threat to that exilic frame of mind. Haredim can practice their diaspora in any country but Israel. In Israel, the ultra-Orthodox will have to re-invent their extremely pious ways of life so as not to depend on exempting its adherents from fulfilling their duties to the people and to the state. 

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