Reishit Tzmichat Geulateinu?

Back in my charedi days, my objection to the prayer for the State of Israel was that it describes the state as reishit tzmichat ge’ulateinu, the first sprouting of redemption. As my mentors taught me, how on earth can such a claim be asserted? After all, the state was founded by secularists!

Later, as I started to learn more about Jewish theology and history, and realized that events of profound religious significance do not necessarily have to involve people of impeccable religious credentials, ...