The Yearning for Zion among Beta Israel

The yearning for Zion and Jerusalem – i.e., for the Land of Israel – was the fundamental underlying element of the Beta Israel community’s existence in Ethiopia and features clearly in their prayers, ritual sacrifices, and especially the Sigd holiday. For the members of the community, Ethiopia was but a temporary exile. They lived with an explicit consciousness of their imminent return to Zion and in a state of constant readiness to embark on the journey. This consciousness was expressed at every religious ceremony and even in daily life. They would raise their eyes to a passing airplane or to a flock of storks on their seasonal migration to and from colder climes via the Land of Israel and call out to them: “Take us to Jerusalem.” This intense and poignant consciousness raises the question: Why didn’t the Beta Israel ever leave Ethiopia and set out for the Holy Land? The Ethiopian Church’s connection to Zion and the waves of pilgrims from Ethiopia to Jerusalem that began in the 4th century only serve to amplify our question: Why did Christians fulfill their longing for Zion while Beta Israel left it as a dream? The answer can be found in the responsa of Aba Yitzhak to Filosseno (“Ohev Ger”) Luzzatto: “The Shabbat spread over us a screen that prevents us crossing the ocean. The Torah forbade walking on the Sabbath day.” Beta Israel interpreted the prohibition of exceeding the prescribed limits of Shabbat travel in the most stringent possible manner. According to them, any walking, riding, or sailing on Shabbat was absolutely forbidden. It was this fear of desecrating Shabbat that prevented them from realizing their yearning for Zion.