http://www.divreinavon.com/pdf/TheThreeOathsOfJewishHistory.pdfThe first oath enjoins “that Israel should not ascend [altogether] like a wall.” This oath restricted the Jews from coming en masse to the land of Israel but by the same token permitted Jews as individuals to come.11 Indeed, since the onset of the Roman exile until modern times, history has borne witness to the successful immigration of Jewish individuals as opposed to immigration en masse.
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With the successful establishment of fruitful agricultural enterprises, the sign that “it pleases” God for the Jews to return was established and the first oath was effectively annulled. For the first time in almost 2000 years, Jews were able to immigrate to the land of their forefathers – en masse.18 Those who recognized this historic sign boldly took fate into their hands and participated in the destiny of the people of Israel. For others, the trees of the return obscured the forest of redemption, and thus they awaited a second historic event.
The second oath states that, “the Holy One, blessed be He, made Israel swear that they would not rebel against the nations of the world.” In his halachic work entitled “Avnei Nezer” (Y.D. 456), R. Avraham Bornstein [1839-1910] explains that once the nations of the world give permission for all the Jews to go up to the land of Israel, the oath is annulled.19 In April 25, 1920, the San Remo Resolution effectively fulfilled this requirement:
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The third oath declares that “the Holy One, blessed be He, made the nations swear that they would not oppress Israel too much.” R. Betzalel Ashkenazi (Sheeta Mekubetzet, ad loc.), in the name of the students of the Rashba, writes that God cannot bear to see Israel oppressed, so that if the nations oppress Israel too much, this will arouse God’s compassion for them, “causing the redemption before its time (shelo bizmana) as it is stated in general: When the time of their redemption will come (k’she’yagia zemanam ligael), God will install a king whose decrees are like those of Haman causing the Jews to return to their better selves whereupon they are immediately redeemed.”
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Conclusion
In conclusion, the oaths are not pledges entered into by mutual consent but laws of nature, of fate, woven into the fabric of time. Each oath bound the Jewish people to bear the burden of the exile; conversely, the annulment of each oath afforded the Jewish people a historic opportunity to return to the land of their forefathers. With all three oaths revoked, the official establishment of the state of Israel was declared. Those who chose to return to their land, chose to take part in destiny; those who did not, chose to continue to be blown by the winds of fate. The oaths that bound the Jewish people to a difficult fate have been removed and a new fate, the fate of redemption, calls to action. An epic opportunity to turn fate into destiny, to participate in the unfolding of history, and to effect the very perfection of creation expectantly awaits in the land of Israel.