Aliyah is Forever

30 Kislev 5772

Jerusalem Post
 
Dear Mrs. S.:
 
I want to write to thank you for writng a piece in Sept. about Meira R., the young mother who made aliya as she was sick with cancer. It was an important article. I was moved by her actions and also prayed for her.
 
I recently learned that she passed away not long after. May her memory be for a blessing.
 
I wanted to make one comment about the style of the article if I may. I don’t think articles like this should say “even though she knows she won’t be able to hold it (her Israeli ID) for long”. Even if someone’s death seems certain, I think we should not speak of it that way. We should say “even though she fears” or something like that.
 
And besides, it is not so true she won’t be able to hold it for long. She can hold it for eternity. Every mitzva one does in this world stays with them. Especially a great mitzva like making aliyah.
 
Thank you again and happy Hanukah.

Anger over Shalit Deal

By Chanoch the Gardener                                       Friday, 2nd day of Sukkot

Anger, Pain. Hurt.

After all these years of hoping Israel would bring back Gilad Shalit by strength, we are told we are going to give in to terror.

Instead of saying we will bomb Gaza if Shalit is not returned, we are releasing killers.

I am sad at our failure to educate our brothers to strength.

I am afraid for Am Yisrael who will have more wild animals lurking after it.

I am angered by ministers who drive in $200,000 armored cars and have security guards protecting ther homes and families deciding to let these killers loose.

I would prefer the families of IDF soldiers to make this decision than for the farce of a government.

Shechem

23 Nisan 5771 Jerusalem

On Sunday some Jews went to pray at Josef’s Tomb in Shechem and were shot at by The Arab Police there. They had not coordinated with the IDF their visit. But the Arab “policeman” shot them stam, not because he thought they were dangerous.

Israel needs to be in control of all areas in our state. We can not let others be responsible for security here.

The Def. Minister says “it is unacceptable”. He always has the right words. He does not have the right actions. He is against Gilad Shalit being held hostage, he is against Jews being killed. That’s nice. My father says one must judge a politician by his actions, not his words. We gave up control of Shechem a number of years ago. I pray we take control over all of Eretz Yisrael speedily.

holiday over

Today is the 7th day of the Omer. Peasch here in Israel just ended. I do feel purified by the holiday. I am inspired for the discipline of holiness. Discipline in eating, drinking, sleeping, working, studying, and so on and so on.

Discipline is a result of, that is to say, based on, Faith. The matza is supposed to fill you with faith. I was thinking about my failed marriage. I believe that with a little more effort it could have worked and not failed. But to keep putting in that effort, you need the faith you can succeed.

No, Mr. Minister

9th Adar Bet, 5771

On Erev Shabbat the Fogel Family was attacked. Our Defence Minister says “the iron fist of the IDF will find the killers and punish them.” What rhetoric. “Iron Fist” was the phrase Yitzchak Rabin used to describe the IDF in the 6 day war. What a cruel piece of rhetoric. To use a phrase used to describe a fighting army and apply it to a case where our response is so paltry. We investigate it like it was a police matter. We do not respond in a way to create deterrence. We do not uproot villages. We should. Throw three nearby villages out of their homes. At least temporarily, like for a year. Let those return who we think are okay.  Or relocate them abroad.

What is worse, the DM says “The world will not let us rule over another people.”  The Minister is mistaken. We do not rule over another people. We barely rule over ourselves. This is a very hefker country where the roads are barely patrolled by police. The question is whether we will rise to the occasion of ruling over our own country.

If Israel is our country, then we are responsible for the security here. Therefore everything we do to assure that Israel is a safe country is not ruling over another people, but ruling over our own people.  The people in Israel, be they Jews, Arabs, citizens, residents, tourists, legal or illegal aliens, are all the people of this country, to whom we, the Jews, have an obligation to ourselves and to them to ensure are secure.

Therefore, when the DM says, “The world will not allow us to continue to rule over another people,” he is in effect saying, “I have been convinced by non-Israelis that we are not allowed to rule over and defend our own country.” As a statement made by a Minister of Defence, such words are self-testimony that such a minister is unfit for his office. The Defence Minister, as every citizen, must believe that we are obligated to make our country and people safe. May Hashem help give us, through our efforts, a more worthy defence minister soon.

Syrian Woodpecker

Today, 24th of Tevet, I saw a Syrian Woodpecker, strangely enough it was close to Eli Cohen Street in Katamon, on the top of Tel Hai Street.

hey birdie

 I was davening the Amidah, in the Bet Yisrael synagogue in Yemin Moshe, one winter morning (12 Tevet 5770), when I noticed the outline of a bird on the tree branch outside.

It was around 6:38 am, just the time of the netz (sunrise) that day, and there were strong winds (it would rain the next day). I had just said “mashiv haruach V’moreed haGeshem”, which I repeated several times, when I noticed him, sitting there, swaying with the branch, out the window, with the Old City wall silhouetted behind him.

I did not recognize him, but I later identified him as a common kingfisher, using the bird guide I had in my knapsack.

He sat there for all my davening, till the last kaddish, and then he took off. No one saw him except me. I was waiting till the end of the prayers to point him out to others.

Photo courtesy of Elroyie David’s bird website.

Shabbat “at the limit”

This Shabbat I went to my friends in Yishuv Aday Ad, in the Shomron. The word settlement is really appropriate to the place, it feels small and new, pioneering like.  It is sort of like going to Walden Pond, but there are other people there too, but that is good. Thoreau did not go to be a hermit, just to be close to nature and have time to think and write.

The 148 bus was full and did not stop for me, but I got out there with hitch-hikes. Hitchhiking makes me feel connected to my people, can you imagine doing it in America? Got a hitch home Sat. night too.

You can see the stars well from there. And you can see for miles in each direction. Feels a bit like the moon at night. Strong winds, and on Fri. night, you could see massive lightning storms in the distance. The minyan there is at sunrise, also on Shabbat.

Counting the Omer – What’s the Weather?

Jerusalem, 10 Iyar ’69, 25th of Omer, Netzach Sheh B’ Netzach

We are now counting the 7 weeks between Pesach and Shavuot. A tense period, during which certain mourning rites are observed. As I type, I look out my Jerusalem window, and see a dust-filled sky and city. That’s right, it’s a Hamsin, a hot, dust-storm day. 

Did you know that the Arabic word Hamsin is related to the Hebrew word Chamishim? Chamishim means fifty. A Hamsin is likely to occur during this 50 day period between Pesach and Shavuot, the period of the counting of the Omer.

I learned about this from the book, Nature in our Biblical Heritage, by Nogah Hareuveni, director of Neot Kedumin, the Biblical Nature Preserve.

During these weeks, the “seven species” of Eretz Yisrael are particularly vulnerable and their agricultural fate is in the balance. Therefore, farmers  count off each day with trepidation and hope.

Post Matza Syndrome

For the Seventh Day of Pesach this year I was in Har Nof, at my friends the Golans. It was very nice. I davened at the Breslov minyan there, and had the parting seuda at Breslov too.

After the holiday I helped the Golans to pack up the Pesach dishes, etc.

So by the time I caught a bus home, it was close to 11 pm.

As the #2 bus climbed to the top of the neighborhood, near the entrance with the silly sculpture, I saw two young kids gleefully carrying a pizza home. It reminded me of when I was a kid visiting my gramma in Florida and how we also went out for pizza at the end of the holiday. I smiled to myself, glad that those childish chametz needs no longer suppress me. But like Ezekiel in his visions of the dream (Ch. 8), a voice silently whispered from behind my head, Wait, Son of Man, I will yet show you worse than this!

The #2 bus goes down Bet Hadefus Street, which is home to two major Jerusalem Bakeries: Berman’s and Angel’s. Wow! What a mob scene. The stores were packed, and nearly completely by religious people. People are literally running back to cars, bags of bread in hand. Double-parking, honking. The bakers are dumping the rolls into baskets and the people are scooping ‘em up like seagulls grabbing minnows.

In the car next to my bus, opposite Angel’s Bakery, a family is waiting for the light. In the back seat, a boy of about nine is munching some chametz, as he looks out the window watching the other lunatics running down the steps of the bakery with the “goods” in hand. His father, driving, evidently unable to contain himself any longer, has his wife pass him a half a roll and tears off a piece with his teeth.

I laughed out loud, and still feeling completely contented with the matza shmurah I had eaten at the parting meal, was glad that there are at least some desires in this world which I have risen at least somewhat above. Better we should rise than the dough.

30 Nisan 5769  Baka-Geullim