When Prophecy Fails

The term “Cognitive Dissonance” describes a psychological process that aims to reduce mental tension between conflicting understandings. Such conflicts happen, for example, when an individual or a group discovers that certain events contradict previous assumptions or beliefs. The greater the gap between reality and the presupposition, the greater the dissonance. So, when a fundamental religious belief is confronted with facts that seem to totally contradict it, there is a tremendous psychological pressure to find a way to alleviate that tension. This article reviews how the Satmar Rebbe reacted after realizing that his greatest fundamental beliefs were contradicted by a series of historical happenings. On the one hand, he wholeheartedly believed that Zionism was a great sin that forced God to punish His beloved people with the Holocaust. On the other hand, however, it appeared that God not only allowed the establishment of Israel, the pinnacle of the Zionist quest, but also blessed it with success to overcome the many obstacles it faced during its early years. Israel’s greatest achievement was its outstanding victory in the Six-Day War and the liberation of the holy places in Jerusalem’s old city. This article examines how the Satmar Rebbe sought to resolve the discrepancy between his fierce anti-Zionist stance and Israel’s triumph that even the Haredim believed was a heavenly miracle

Political science · Theology · Archaeology and Historical Studies · Global Maritime and Colonial Histories · Islamic Studies and History · History · Philosophy