Political scientist Shlomo Avineri argues that the resilience of the democratic tradition in modern-day Israel stems from centuries of communal self-governance experienced by Jews in the Diaspora. He writes that as a result of the lack of statehood and sovereignty the communities were ruled by its own members. I think it important to add that this description also applies to centuries of post-Temple communal self-governance by Jews in the Holy Land. While Passover is over for this year, it is still useful to point out that the Passover Haggadah is a time capsule that describes the onset of a lengthy...