In times of crisis, nations often look to generals, politicians, and analysts for leadership. But in the Jewish tradition, when our people face moral, spiritual, or national upheaval, we turn to our sages — our Torah leaders, those who carry the weight of generations on their shoulders and guide us not with slogans, but with truth.
That is why I recently brought U.S. ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee to meet some of the most revered Torah giants of our generation — Rabbi Dov Landau and Rabbi Moshe Hillel Hirsch, leaders of the Moetzes Gedolei HaTorah — in the heart of Bnei Brak. It was not a political move. It was a moral one. It was an act of kavod haTorah — honoring Torah and those who represent it.
Ambassador Huckabee, a longtime friend of Israel and a man of deep biblical values, did not hesitate. He understood what this visit represented: that in order to stand with Israel, one must also stand with the spiritual legacy that defines her.
In that room, no deals were made. No statements were issued. Instead, a message was sent that transcends headlines and talking points: In times of war and internal division, we must return to our core. To our faith. To our Torah.
Today, Israel faces existential threats from outside — from Iran and its proxies — and wrenching debates within, particularly over the future of Torah learning and the status of yeshiva students in Israeli society. The political fallout has been swift and dramatic. Coalition parties representing the Torah-observant public have withdrawn in protest over conscription laws that many believe threaten the soul of the Jewish people. There are fear, uncertainty, and fragmentation.
But there is also hope. That hope comes when leaders have the humility to recognize that not all guidance comes from military or economic analysis. Sometimes it comes from men who sit with ancient texts and weep for the future of Klal Yisrael.
As the founder of Dirshu, a global Torah organization that empowers over 200,000 Jews across the world to engage in rigorous daily Torah learning and testing, I have seen firsthand how spiritual discipline translates into moral clarity. It is not a coincidence that those immersed in Torah are often the ones holding communities together in times of chaos.
Ambassador Huckabee’s visit to Bnei Brak reflected that understanding. He came to listen. That is the kind of diplomacy the world desperately needs.
Too often today, faith is dismissed as an artifact of the past. In the corridors of power, tradition is treated as quaint or irrelevant. But the truth is the opposite. Without a moral foundation — without the anchoring wisdom of Torah and other timeless values — our societies drift. Our policies become rudderless. Our unity dissolves.
Now, more than ever, we must forge partnerships not only among governments, but among moral frameworks. The bond between America and Israel cannot rest solely on shared interests; it must be built on shared ideals — on the biblical values that shaped both nations’ founding identities.
The visit to our sages was not a photo op. It was a statement that we must remember who we are. When a rabbi and an ambassador sit together at the feet of Torah giants, they are building a future rooted in unity, in morality, and in faith.
And if we want to preserve what is best about our people, our traditions, and our nations, we must keep doing exactly that.
Rabbi Dovid Hofstedter is the founder and Nasi of Dirshu, an international Torah organization dedicated to strengthening Jewish learning and leadership across the globe.
Image: hendricjabs via Pixabay, Pixabay License.