'Reclaiming Redemption Vol. II': Tracing Jewish survival from exile to war – book review

Rabbi Moshe Taragin, an educator at Yeshivat Har Etzion, has released "Reclaiming Redemption Vol. II: Faith, Identity, Peoplehood, and the Storms of War." This book, written during three years of conflict, reexamines Jewish faith, identity, and peoplehood through contemporary events and the Jewish people's return to their homeland. Taragin explores how humanity, over the past 500 years, has advanced and is now "inching closer to a state of 'readiness' to be inspired by God through Am Yisrael."

• The book addresses the profound questions left by the Holocaust and current trials, emphasizing that faith is sustained not by abstract ideas but by the example of resilient individuals.
• It highlights Jewish survival through 2,000 years of exile among hostile nations, transforming the world into a vessel of monotheism.
• Taragin discusses the concept of the Jewish people as a "stubborn and rebellious child" in relation to God, emphasizing an unbreakable bond despite failings.
• He posits that Jewish stubbornness, a historical shortcoming, became a strength during exile, enabling survival and the rebuilding of the homeland after the Holocaust.