The Three Oaths is the popular name for a midrash found in the Talmud, which relates that God adjured three oaths upon the world. Two of the oaths pertain to the Jewish people, and one of the oaths pertains to the other nations of the world. The Jews for their part were sworn not to forcefully reclaim the Land of Israel and not to rebel against the other nations, and the other nations in their turn were sworn not to subjugate the Jews excessively.
Among Orthodox Jews today there are primarily two ways of viewing this midrash. Haredim who are strongly anti-Zionist often view this midrash as legally binding, and therefore the movement to establish the state of Israel and its continued existence would be a violation of Jewish law, whereas Religious Zionists have the view that either the oaths are no longer applicable or that they are indeed binding, but the current movement is not a violation of them. Both buttress their positions by citing historic rabbinic sources in favor of their view.
The Midrash and the text upon which it expounds
The context of the Talmudic dialogue containing the Three Oaths is a discussion in which attempts are made to defend Rav Zeira's desire to leave Babylon and go to the Land of Israel. It begins on Ketubot 110b and continues on 111a (where the Three Oaths are plainly conveyed). The Gemara quotes R. Yossi ben R. Chanina: Why/What are these Three Oaths? One, that Israel should not go up [to the land] in a wall { i.e. en masse, RaShI interprets: forcefully}. Two, the Holy One adjured Israel not to rebel against the nations of the world. Three, the Holy One adjured the nations that they would not oppress Israel too much.
The Midrash is in large part an exegetical analysis of three separate verses in the Song of Songs, and naturally reflects the traditional interpretation, which sees the entire book as an allegory for the relationship between God and the Jewish people. The three verses are:
Song of Solomon : identical to 2:7.
Other midrashim concerning the Three Oaths
There are several other midrashim that pertain to the Three Oaths and they are primarily recorded in Shir ha-Shirim Rabbah which is also known as Midrash Hazita:
"If it is a wall": if Israel had ascended like a wall from Babylon, the Temple would not have been destroyed during that period for a second time. Rabbi Zeira went to the marketplace to buy something. He said to the one who was weighing: that was weighed very fairly. He responded: Do not depart from here, Babylonian, because your ancestors destroyed the Temple. At that moment Rabbi Zeira said, are not my ancestors the same as the ancestors of this one?! Rabbi Zeira entered the house of study and heard the voice of Rabbi Sheila who was sitting and teaching: If it is a wall': if Israel had ascended like a wall from the Exile, the Temple would not have been destroyed a second time." He said: the unlearned person taught me well. R. Yossi bar Chanina said: "There are two oaths here, one for Israel and one for the nations. Israel swore not to rebel against the nations [R. Yossi bar Chanina views Israel's two oaths in Ketuvot as just one], and the nations swore that they would not overly burden Israel, for by doing so they would cause the end of days to come prematurely." Rabbi Chelbo says ... And do not ascend like a wall from the Exile. If so, why is the King Messiah coming? To gather the exiles of Israel. When Reish Lakish would see Jews from the Exile gathering in the marketplace in the Land of Israel he would say to them, 'Scatter yourselves.' He said to them: 'When you ascended you did not do so as a wall, and here you have come to make a wall. "Rabbi Yitsḥak opened: Before the day breathes and the shadows flee (Song of Songs 4:6). Before the day breathes—the exile of Israel; that they would be subjugated in exile until the day when rule of the peoples is ended. For we have learned that Rabbi Yitsḥak said that the dominion of all peoples together over Israel would last one thousand years. There is no אוּמָה (ummah), people, that would not subjugate them. 'One day' corresponds to: But it shall be one day which shall be known to YHWH (Zechariah 14:7).