Sparks From Israel

Sparks from Israel

Pesach 2007
I was arriving at the old city of Jerusalem for Pesach when I passed a family with that hippie biblical look you see everywhere in Yehuda and Shomron. The father was carrying a baby goat over his shoulder and when I looked back the little goat was looking at me with a beautiful smile. It was as if he was saying ‘How lucky I am to be a Pesach offering. Every beast is returned to the ground, but my body will become elevated and my animal soul will become spiritual’.
It was so nice to see this vision, for it reminded me of what used to be. The whole Israelite Nation would arrive at this time and with each family group a goat. It made me feel that soon we will rebuild our temple. A half hour later I spoke to my brother in Canada and told him of my experience. He informed me that the army did not allow the family to make their Passover sacrifice. How was it possible that he knew about the family I had just passed on a road in Jerusalem. ‘It was on CNN’ he explained.
Some say that it’s the world outside that affects the tensions and the growth within our Nation while others say the opposite. It’s the tensions and the growth within our Nation that affects the very nature of the world. I’m inclined to believe the latter. Why else would a Nation of less than 1% of the worlds population be mentioned nearly everyday on the news around the world? Why is the world so interested in this one family who really wanted to fulfill the mitzvah of Pesach?
I think back to September 11th and wonder how 33 evil men managed to destroy so much and change the course of history. What could 33 righteous men build I wonder; maybe the Beit Hamigdash? At any rate it makes you feel like your part of something very important. The eyes of the world are always watching us. Are they waiting for us to become the Light unto Nations? Or do they fear that we will rebuild our temple and bring more Godliness into the world? I suppose their hopes and fears are similar to our own. The same forces within our Nation struggle between pleasing the world and pleasing G-d. I hope this Pesach brings true freedom to rebuild the eternal and tear down that which is already rotten. Chag Somayach


The Tribes of Israel
Shabbat has many faces, especially in Tel Aviv. To some it’s sipping a beer at the beach. To others it’s leaving work early and shopping on Shenkin or the Ports. Every where you look there are street fairs and street musicians. One group of drummers always begins their drum circle Friday afternoon on Nachalat Binyamin and people randomly jump in, dance wildly to the tribal rhythms, and then continue on their way. Another group meets each week for traditional Israeli dancing by the promenade.
The one constant theme in the ever changing pattern of events is Shabbat, the physical and spiritual day of rest. To some it’s more physical to others more spiritual. Each one finds his or her own tribe that gives expression to this idea of Shabbat. Whether it’s doing a tribal dance or dressing in white and reciting prayers, the tribes of Israel cannot help but mix with each other on this tiny Island in the Middle East.
There are those who never leave their tribe, those who rebel and change tribes and those like myself who have friends in all of them. One can find a wild uninhibited nature within the most observant, as well as a deep spiritual vision within the completely untraditional. We are all part of the same family, and always going through changes. It’s nice to be part of a somewhat unified nation made up of many tribes.

The Air Raid Siren
I haven’t yet had the experience of hearing an air raid siren in Israel. Although I was here in the last war the missiles fell short of Tel Aviv. In North America, an air raid siren is only heard in old movies and is completely obsolete. In Israel unfortunately they must be ready for any emergency. There is however a positive side to being a tiny country always under attack. To keep our air raid sirens in good working condition we pipe music through them every Friday before sundown with the traditional Shabbat song ‘Shalom Alechem’.
The effect is tremendous. Instead of the fear and tension that we would expect from an Air Raid siren, it is transformed into a warm feeling of brotherhood and a sense of security from above. The music reminds us that Shabbat is about to begin and even in the capitol of non-observant Israel it strikes a chord deeper than prayer or ritual. Through the speakers comes a memory that we heard before we were born and will continue after us. Today instead of missiles falling, peace will be ushered in. It’s time to stop working, light your candles, or meet your friends. And tomorrow ‘swords will be beaten into ploughshares’ and Air Raid Sirens transformed into Sound Systems.

The Table of Kings
There are angels above in the heavenly court that decide many things that occur below. These angels are purely spiritual beings and cannot act outside of their jurisdiction. There are physical humans below that can transform themselves into angelic beings of an even higher order. In fact it is they who influence the judge who then commands the angels above.
The court proceedings begin by transforming the synagogue into a banquet hall and placing the herring on the table. After more herring, salads, and three bottles of vodka the red faced rabbis are shaking heaven with their refutations about the true nature of what is constructive and what is de-constructive. They lash out at each other with pointed words in an expression of their love and how best to manifest it.
After kicking the weak leg of each argument and destroying them, another l’chaim is passed around and the opposing ideas are merged as one. As the vodka reaches its zenith, the Heavenly Judge, impressed with the verdict dispatches His angels forthwith.
There are those who rub shoulders with Generals and Kings, but I have the good fortune to sit at the court that determines their actions. Ours is not the only court. There are others that can be found, not in palaces or mansions, but in tiny synagogues in market places such as ours. I don’t understand the language too well, so I have no opinion, but the herring is very good.




Sparks For Israel

Prayer and Lag B’omer
On the 33rd day of the Omer, the plague that killed 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva stopped. It later coincided with the yorzeit of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and has become a day of celebration and an end to mourning. Hundreds of thousands flock to his gravesite in Meron and pray and petition the Tzadik to answer their prayers. There are some opinions that say the plague really alludes to the war against Rome. Rabbi Akiva enlisted his yeshiva students to fight this war and to bring Moshiach who he claimed was Bar Kochba. In the end they lost and were killed. One student who escaped death was Rabbi Shimon. The Romans heard of how he had fearlessly condemned them in a time when the Nation had been crushed and destroyed and to save his life he and his son hid in a cave for many years and lived from the fruit of a carob tree and a stream of water. Here is where he wrote the Holy Kaballa.
Before my trip to Meron on Lag B’Omer I enquired as to the meaning of prayer and the significance of the Tzaddik. Now I am very litvish in my thinking and the idea of someone interceding between me and Hashem sounds heretical to me for what could be greater than talking directly to ones father? It also makes the Tzadik out to be more merciful than Hashem and moreover suggests that the system above is run like the Knesset below with kombina (having friends in the right places). My research into prayer is ongoing and the book is not yet closed but here is a sketch of my current thoughts on prayer, for what it’s worth.
Heard three things
I have heard three ideas about prayer. Number one, it must be sincere and every sincere prayer is heard by Hashem, especially those that open the gates with their tears. Number two, for a minyan the gates of prayer always open. Even if you don’t feel worthy of approaching Hashem, in the company of ten other Jewish men, your prayer passes through with theirs. Number three the main idea of prayer constitutes the idea that you are truly standing before G-d.
Faith (Emunah in Hebrew) comes from the root word ‘Oman’ (artistry) and also related to ‘Imun’ (exercise). It appears that faith is something we are always shaping and developing like an art or a craft, or an exercise that develops our ever changing and growing relationship with the Almighty.
And so with each prayer I try to feel like a child standing before his father and asking for the things he desires in his heart, or to request guidance or to aide someone who is suffering. For me to mumble a few words alone I feel sometimes is not much more than mumbling words to myself. But with a minyan of ten I am in the company of others who are whispering their concentrated thoughts, and so mine become more concentrated too and have more weight. Even if I feel unworthy or Hashem seems too far and inaccessible to me, I know my prayers are carried together with the congregations of Israel when said in a minyan.
So what place does the Tzadik have in all of this? If we are sincere and standing before Hashem, why do we still need an interceder? If we are not worthy, isn’t the congregation worthy as a whole? The way I currently understand prayer is like this. Most people can find enjoyment from singing a song or playing a melody and connecting with the higher world of music. Those same people would stand in awe, however of a virtuoso who can sing or perform at the highest levels would demonstrate their ability in front of them. We are well aware that every virtuoso did not arrive at their place by accident, but with talent plus many years of hard work that helped them to shape their talent. We are inspired therefore, not only at the brilliance of his inspiration, but also the dedication that he must have made in order to arrive at this stage.
As sons and daughters of the covenant, we are all free men and even those enslaved are never permanently so. We all were impregnated by the Shechina. Willingly or unwillingly each of our lives creates an essential piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is the image of G-d. The ‘virtuoso’ in our example inspires us to bring out our own music through discovering our inner voice, which is part of Hashem’s voice, and dedicating our efforts that will channel it more beautifully and maximize our potential.
What is the work that the Tzadik has done that is rewarded by such a large gathering of the greatest sages of Israel? What is the place of the Tzadik in our prayers and how does he intercede? What was the work the Tzadik had done that preceded his inspiration to write the holy books that people study and bring on that memorial day?
The work that always precedes is self-sacrifice. He dared to say truthful things that were not popular but had to be said. He made himself a target by not allowing himself to be intimidated by Rome and fearing only Hashem. As his teacher Rabbi Akiva was, so was he. He was one of the fighters rebuilding the Temple despite all the odds. Even though 24,000 died and they lost the battle, and we still die and lose the battle today, Hashed is always counting. It is not the end result that matters but the deed itself and the ramification that follows. It is the courage to stand against adversity and wage Hashem’s wars, that endears Hashem and brings Him closer.
And so on this anniversary we remember not just a gifted miracle worker. We remember one who with his gift maximized his potential and crafted his faith by exercising it. Actions of self sacrifice for the sake of truth and the glory of Hashem, will always win in the end, against all odds. The end result of this sacrifice and lifetime of toil in Torah is the overflowing multitudes that are drawn to this light, and by their presence increasing it.
And so as I stand before Him sincerely and reflect on one of His very special souls I know that the gates of prayer are open wider than the opening made by ten Jewish men, but rather 300,000 Jewish souls. Even if I am not worthy, I reflect and submit my petition, that I should receive some of this inspiration and have the dedication and courage to implement the commandments of Hashem, to live by them and to improve my deeds before my maker.

Chanuka 2005

Sparks From Israel


For Better or Worse
I told myself I would never write another Sparks from Israel. But tonight I am absolutely drunk, and it’s the 5th night of Chanuka and so I will tell you about the holiness of our nation, even though I still think we are a bunch of slaves and taskmasters.

At 3 am, after drinking all night in one club, I went to another club that was still packed, and lo and behold at 3 a.m. two men with black hats and beards had the DJ stop the music, as they lit the Chanuka candles, and the crowd sang along with the Chanuka prayers. I thought I was hallucinating, but no, this is Israel.

At 4 a.m. as I left that bar and staggered home, I stopped into the chips store, and asked the cook, what wisdom he could impart on the 5th night of Chanuka. He told me, that he always liked the passage regarding Yacov, that he worked for 7 years for Rachel but to him it seemed like only days. I kissed the Rav of the chips, and blessed him that his light should increase in the world.

Who would think the man who fries potatoes in oil all night would think of such passages of Torah. Such holy people, even though they worship America, and New York, and all that is there. Still in the middle of their parties and drunken stupors, they can light Chanuka candles and give divreh Torah.

There is no other people like the Nation of Israel, and in my mind, I don’t even have a choice to leave here. There is nothing like this land and I have absolutely no desire for a different land. Even if we lack vision and faith, still this is a land like no other. These are the sons and daughters of prophets, and the sons and daughters of slaves. There is absolutely no other choice in my mind. Better an Israel that is infected with foolishness, than an exile that dreams of a perfect Israel that will never be.







July, 2006


Sparks from Israel


Soldiers off to War
When you watch those old Hollywood movies of young people going off to war, it always seems so distant, like a far off time of romance and adventure. Here in Israel the war time past is always present. You see eighteen year old boys dressed in uniform, machine gun slung over their shoulder riding the bus with their girlfriend on their way to the base. You see them in love and kissing wondering inside if it will be the last kiss. Bravery and self sacrifice are part of the fabric of this society and distinguish it from the complacent and fearful worlds that exist in other places.

We are a strong and passionate people, an army of poets and scholars. Even though we stumble like a lion cub tripping over its feet I still feel proud to be part of this Nation. I heard in Seattle one crazed Arab went and shot some Jews. The city was immobilized. Every synagogue was locked. Although the military plans of our leaders may not accomplish the job, our brothers in the exile have no plan at all. There is no force that protects them except trying to look invisible.

I feel far safer here in the middle of the raging sea then alone in a world disconnected from the current of life. Certainly everywhere there is existence. But existence is not life. It’s better to be alive and living well in Israel than being invisible and safe in a lonely guarded palace.

A friend of mine who is a 16 year old chabbadnik recently got his drivers license. He has rented a car and gone repeatedly to the northern border to put tefillin on the troops. He described to me the deserted highways, the missiles falling all around, dodging the bits of shrapnel on the roads. For him and his friends it was a thrilling experience. He wondered jokingly what was a better way to die; by a Ketusha or by a Kassam. These are your people Israel, from soldiers to civilians. There is no fear, only duty, perseverance and prayers.






Rosh Hoshanna 2006

Sparks From Israel


Gush Katif a Year Later
On Rosh Hoshanna, a year after the Hitnatkut I sat at a Shabbat table with some exiled Gush Katif residents. We reflected on the teshuva the Nation had done over the year. Our host, who was a resident of Sfat, had lived through a summer of 600 katusha missiles falling in his back yard. He said he could not help thinking as the missiles were falling all around him, what his friends in the Gush had lived through for many years and realized that even he, who was sympathetic to their plight, could have felt more and done more.

Surprisingly some Tel Aviv friends of mine who were ardent supporters of the Hitnatkut where shocked when the Arabs had the audacity to bite the hand that gave them Gush Katif. They mostly have woken up to the realization that the Arabs are not interested in creating a Palestine, but rather in destroying Israel. I didn’t think one needed to be a rocket scientist to come to this conclusion, but some of my friends actually are rocket scientists, and they are still putting together the broken pieces of their delusions.

We spoke about the strange fate of Sharon, not alive and not dead from the moment the Hitnatkut began till now. A friend of mine heard from a Mekubal that the reason he has not died is because the earth does not want to take him. The man who disturbed the dead and unearthed so many Jewish graves may not have the privilege of being buried and like the rest of the Nation he too must go through a process of teshuva before being laid to rest.

When asked how the Hitnatkut had affected their faith, one of the exiled guests said some remarkable things. She said her faith had not been diminished even though she had fought to the last minute expecting a miracle. In retrospect, she said, one must also accept that this decree was Hashem’s will. She went on to say that one of the Rabbi’s of the Gush comforted the people by telling them that they had the privilege of being the Tzadikim who were sold in order to avert possibly harsher decrees against the whole Nation and like Yoseph who was sold to Egypt these perfidious events are still unraveling and leading us somewhere.

The most haunting image that she remembered was the teshuva she witnessed entering the hearts of even the hardest soldiers. They had been trained to expect an armed rebellion and were ready to shoot and possible kill their brothers. What they met were people dancing with Torah’s and singing and praying. They saw the heart and the soul of the Jewish people and no one had trained them for this experience. The children and grand-children of those who had escaped persecution had now become the persecutors and this was the family that they never knew. Many soldiers broke down and were sobbing.

She went on to say, that the effect that the Hitnatkut had to the Nation and the war that followed was profound. Not only did the whole Nation see that we are all Gush Katif but the seeds that were sown from those tears are still bearing fruit.

From the self sacrifice of the children of the Orange Revolution, the Tzadikim who’s homes and livelihoods were destroyed, the soldiers who found a crack in their armor just below their hearts, the masses of Northern refugees that suddenly became Gush Katif, the tears of the families of the fallen, the bubble of indifference and complacency that was shattered, the isolation and fear, which is the beginning of faith and wisdom, all of these pieces are finding their place in the puzzle as the new light of the year approaches. May it speed the way for us to rebuild all that which is broken.





Yom Kippur 2006


Sparks From Israel



The Quiz
In the old country before January 1st you might see some news shorts about people and their New Year resolutions, along with a list of places to party. In Israel, however, it is a little different. The day before Yom Kippur I was stopped on the street by a group of 12 year old kids. Their teacher was taking them on a Yom Kippur outing and their job was to interview people about Yom Kippur. They asked me if I planned to fast this year, and what was the meaning to me. Was their anything I would do differently this year? What was the meaning of the Yom Kippur prayers to me? What role does Hashem play? They wrote down my answers in their books and it felt so nice to connect with the children of our Nation on such a deep level regarding the meaning of prayer. Our New Year isn’t a party, but a re-awakening.

Outside and Inside
A late comer ran into the synagogue to say Kadish in a loud voice followed by a Baruch Hu. The congregation answered ‘amen’ and then one person said to him we don’t do ‘Baruch hu’ now, we have an order that we follow, you should come early. He yelled back at this man for embarrassing him and went on to say that he missed the Boruch Hu prayer and it’s the obligation of the congregation to respond ‘amen’ regardless, and then others began debating and the man said in a loud voice. ‘Is there anyone else who would like to publicly embarrass me the day before Yom Kippur, please, I invite you’.

Threatened with the prospect of divine retribution the crowd settled down and after a few more moments of bickering everyone was sitting at the same table eating a nice Kiddush sharing Vodka and words of Torah. I turned to my Canadian friend and said ‘you see how normal it is here? Where we come from people are polite and that person would have held his resentment inside for a week a month, maybe years, from one silly comment. Here people react, they get upset, they yell at each other, and then it’s forgotten and they are brothers again. It’s great to be Jew in a land of Jews and learn how to be the same outside as you are inside.

Compilation from May 2005-June 2006


Sparks From Israel (May 28,2005)

My Personal Pesach

Often people ask me why I chose to come to Israel, especially at this time. I say I didn’t come I was ‘taken’.

There are times in ones life when one sees G-d’s hand in history and can’t ignore it. Take September 11th for example. On that day we all knew the world was a different place. The events of the world and the events in one’s personal life are not disconnected; they are all taken into account by the Creator who fashioned each of us and placed us in this moment. We are given the free will to recognize the moments, to hear Hashem’s whispers, and to trust our intuition.

A year after the events of September 11th and the series of plagues that followed and continue to afflict every place we consider to be ‘safe havens’, I was fortunate enough to recognize the road of my personal exodus and follow it.

In the siddur there are two expressions for G-d’s hand of redemption. ‘Yad chazaka’ and ‘Be Chozek Yad’. A year before my exodus I remember asking what the significance of these two expressions were, but the only answer I found was one is masculine and one is feminine. After living through my own personal exodus, I now have discovered a meaning behind these two expressions.

There were three factors that contributed into my hurried departure. The events of our times, a love interest in Israel, and a free trip that was offered to me. I arrived like a king during chol hamoed Pesach, staying in one of the best hotels and tasting the finest fruits of the Land of Israel. With hardly any money in my pocket I decided to extend my trip and found a yeshiva that gave me free lodging. I wanted to see if I could survive in Israel and continue to do the same business as I did in chutz l’aretz. I realized right away, that not only could I survive, I could do even better. Israel is a modern country, yet is thirsty for new things all the time; a perfect place for those with an entrepenurial spirit.

After my first week in Israel, I realized that the ‘love interest’ wasn’t for me, but there was a greater love that surpassed all previous romances; the love of the Land of Israel. From each perspective, as a king, as a pauper, with romance or without there is always a feeling of satisfaction each day and fulfillment. I realized it was the hand of Hashem that had lured me out and I was ‘taken’, for I followed. After a months time I returned to fill out the Aliyah papers, get rid of everything I didn’t really need, and then I returned. This time it was ‘I’ who made the decision, and instead of leaving secretly, I left with certainty and with a trust that comes from experience.

In every way, I see the story of Pesach as ‘my’ story. Just as the Jewish people celebrate the ‘times’ of Pesach when we were taken and the ‘times’ of Simchat Torah when we willingly accepted our marriage vows, I too celebrate two dates. The day I was taken with a feminine ‘Yad Chazaka’ and the day I left with a masculine ‘Be Chozek Yad’.

This will be the first year that I will do Birkat Hailanim, the blessing on two fruit trees during the month of Nissan. I see now the significance of Pesach and blossoming of trees that is short lived like the fragrance of inspiration. It’s a season that blooms without fail; a season that arrives whether we are ready or not. Just as Shabbat arrives with it’s motto ‘ stop the world of action and reflect’ Pesach arrives and ‘blooms’. We must (as my brother once so aptly put) ‘grow or die’.

There are times in all of our lives that the doors of exodus seem clearly open but the flame inside flickers as the winds of doubt find their opening. Once I stood frozen as a giant wave crashed down on me. My experienced friend and laughed and advised me not to be scared of how big the wave is. ‘Just jump into the wave and go under it and you will come out on the other side. He was right. I hope Pesach becomes a personal experience for all of you as well. Take the plunge. Chag somayach. (Pesach 2004)




Sparks From Israel (Aug7,2005)

Obstacles to Peace
Many of my closest friends are ‘obstacles to peace’. They weren’t born that way, they just happened to move into a new apartment on the other side of an imaginary line which made them an ‘obstacle to peace’. There are hundreds of small settlements and towns that dot the country side and from a travelers perspective one cannot tell which one of these beautifully designed neighborhoods are filled with peaceful citizens or ‘obstacles to peace’.

I suppose one way you can tell is when you notice 55,000 soldiers and hired goons waiting to evict you or beat you for non-compliance. I suppose sometimes only brute force and violence shocks one into the realization that the last 25 years of building bright horizons and raising well adjusted patriotic families was a crime that finally caught up with them.

The Times They Are A Changing
There is a protest movement going on in Israel, the old revolutionaries are now the establishment, and have no answers for the troubled times we live in. While many of their children took cues from their parents and exchanged whatever was left of tradition and ideology for the gods of materialism and moral relativism, another generation born of more traditional parents has begun a new revolution that is growing every day.

The Nation is being overturned in a way that America was overturned in the 60’s, but not for drugs, orgies, and pacifism. This revolution is based on brotherhood, idealism, and the struggle for justice. Their love is felt on every street corner where they hand out orange ribbons from the Temple Mount to Tel Aviv. One can see the light in their eyes reaching out to their brothers and succeeding in winning the hearts of many, especially the young.

As they stand in the Gush, face to face, a fence separating soldiers and protesters, they speak to each other, for after all they are brothers. Brothers engaged in enforcing evil decrees stand opposite other soldiers who are engaged in defending their homes and the Land that they love; a Land they both have sacrificed for. The soldiers talk to each other between the holes of the wire fence and they pray together from both sides. The Final Revolution has arrived and it has everyone fighting inside of themselves between all the grey areas we thought were black and white.

It only takes a small light to enter a large dark room for it to be enlightened. History has always been written by these lights, and the indifferent masses are simply shaped by the changing tides. Today the light is more refined, and the masses are not as dense as they used to be. It’s a good time to be living in, for here ‘The Times They Are a Changin’, very rapidly.


Sparks From Israel(Aug 12,2005)

The Other Side
All across the country one sees determined young people standing at busy street corners handing out orange ribbons. These kids who would normally be spending their summer vacation at the beach and traveling with their friends, have done something different this summer – they have made a revolution.

Even the threat of prison has not deterred thousands of young people from taking to the streets to protest on a regular basis throughout the summer. Recently public outcry forced the ‘democratic’ state to release three girls ages 14-16 after being in jail for forty days for their crime of civil disobedience.

Now there is a different color ribbon – the blue ribbon. This ribbon is worn by the side of those who support the apparently ‘necessary’ expelling of their brethren from Gush Katif. Although one sees predominately orange ribbons, even in Tel Aviv, I have seen the blue ribbon on a number of cars as well and sometimes blue and orange together.

There is one thing, however, I have not seen. I have yet to see a youngster, or anyone of any age, standing on a street corner handing out blue ribbons. Despite all the money and government support on the ‘blue’ side, I have yet to see one protester out on the street fighting for their cause. Why is that? Where are the determined youth of the ‘blue’ side? Why aren’t they spending their summer vacation opposing the opposition?

I suppose they are busy enjoying their summer and not thinking too much about ‘politics’ or ‘Zionism’. The revolution of Gush Katif is a revolution against apathy. Those who support the expulsion of their brethren are embarrassed to say so and believe it to be a necessary evil that will enable them to continue their private lives undisturbed. Strangely enough, they continue to be disturbed.

They are not so disturbed by future Arab missiles that they hadn’t thought of, or of throwing their ‘fanatic’ brothers out of their homes. They are disturbed by something else. They see the conviction, faith and love that their brothers demonstrate each day and I’m sure must ask themselves, where does this come from?

The ‘blue’ side is silent. They have no answers. When they speak it is in an apologetic tone, as they convince themselves that the rape and pillage will be done with sensitive hands. However, as a growing amount of their friends join the ranks of the underdog, they feel more ashamed and embarrassed of their position.

It is only a matter of time before Israel is transformed into the Nation that the world is waiting to see – the ‘Light unto Nations’. Although there are a few bulldozers who try to dowse this flame, the silent masses in between are slowly finding in themselves the courage to feel love and concern for their brothers despite the propaganda painting them as enemies of the state or messianic extremists.

Even those who lack any ideology or faith are attracted to these determined youth. People like to be on the winning side, and today it is clear that the future is being shaped by 14 year old girls who will be Directors of Foreign Affairs some day.


State of Judea(Sept 2, 2005)


Jewish Holidays
According to our traditions, after each holiday we begin to study the laws of the next holiday and prepare for it. After Purim, we begin to study the laws of Pesach, and after Pesach we begin to study the laws of Shavuot and so on. After Gush Katif, I suppose it’s appropriate to begin thinking about the return of Judea as Hertzel once dreamed of Israel. Hashem rewards everyone according to their merit and when their merit is spent, it is time for the greater merits of others.

The Midrash tells us that in Egypt there was a large group from the tribe of Ephraim that left a number of years before the Exodus. They were warned by the spiritual leadership not to go, because it was not yet time. They left for the glory of Israel and to escape their slavery, but unfortunately the whole multitude perished by the sword of the Philistines.

Although their cause was noble; the emancipation of a people, it was not for the cause and glory of the Torah which was waiting in the desert. This was their mistake. However, Hashem, the true judge, always rewards each of us for whatever good we do. When Yecheskel prophesied that the dead will come back to life he describes the scene of bones arising from the dead. The Midrash tells us that the bones Yecheskel refers to are none other than the bones of Ephraim.

These two midrashim seem to describe the merit of modern day Israel that had enough of persecution and rebuilt their Nation again, with or without God. With our own eyes we have witnessed the dead come back to life as Israel became a State again and what was once barren is now filled with gardens and cities and modern day life.

The merit has been repaid, and now it is a new time. The body has come back to life, and Hashem is now breathing a soul into it. It is a time of fixing the flaws and mistakes that invited a history of Holocausts upon us. The tribes of Israel were the first to be exiled, and (it appears) the first to return. The body is now intact but missing some vital organs. Today Judah is returning, and he is coming to fix the damage caused by an adolescent body and rejuvenate these vital organs.

With good examples the body will not become an addict and drive the soul out of him to his demise. With good examples the body will learn to be subservient to the heart and the soul and the brain and benefit from the proper balance. No doubt the brain must take over and battles may ensue, battles that most teenagers go through. But whatever way the course of events turn, the State of Judea is being formed and the subjects of this kingdom are arriving every day at Ben Gurion airport.



Bar Kochba
I never understood something about the story of Bar Kochba. Rabbi Akiva felt that he was the Moshiach, and they say he could have been the Moshiach but in the end it was taken away from him because he said we will win, ‘with or without’ Hashem’s help. The commentators describe this as arrogance, and because of this arrogance the would-be Moshiach was defeated.

Why are we left with this Midrash? If the Torah isn’t a history book, but a book of the present, then what are we to learn? Is it possible that this statement of Bar Kochba was left there like the achievements of champion athletes that remain forever, until someone comes to break his record? What did he achieve by this statement and what did he lose, and what do we learn from it?

Is it possible that what the rabbi’s call ‘arrogance’ was the result of a perfect ‘faith’ that had become tarnished through battle? Were there not many innocent and god fearing Jews that Bar Kochba saw suffer as he battled for the glory of Israel? In light of what we have witnessed in Gush Katif, could we not have some similar feelings?

Maybe there are those among us who feel that despite Hashem’s lack of intervention, we will continue. Whether He joins us or not, we will continue to build. It seems entirely possible to me that this may have been the ‘falling out’ of Bar Kochba and the ‘Bar Kochba’s’ to follow.

Was Rabbi Akiva’s praising Hashem while he was tortured to death, the antidote for this tarnished faith? Can one love Hashem even as He destroys everything you believed in including what you thought was redemption? I suppose this is a question we can ask Avraham as well, as he saddled his donkey to destroy everything he lived for.

Certainly we must continue to build and to rebuild, and I suppose Hashem is still observing at a distance for some unknown reason. I’m only a reporter below speculating on things beyond my understanding. But today Bar Kochba seems a little more human to me than before.


The State of Judea (Sept 9, 2005)


Katrina and the Jewish Problem
There is a concept that when the Nation of Israel accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai, they effectively re-accepted the mission of Adam, to rule the Earth below while serving G-d above. It was with this concept in mind that a religious friend of mine remarked to me during the Tzunami disaster that he felt somehow that Israel was responsible.

The idea is that if Adam ruled the world below, then all the forces of nature were also subservient to him. His decisions, for good or for bad, would affect the harmony and balance of the world that was created to serve him. This concept is further reflected in the morning Shma which is read by observant Jews daily as they bind themselves in Tefillin.

‘And it will come to pass that if you continually hearken to My commandments ….I will provide rain for your land in its proper time’. Followed by the warning:

‘Beware lest your heart be seduced and you turn astray and serve gods of others and bow to them. Then the wrath of Hashem will blaze against you...’

If Israel is the foundation and rock that sustains the world, along with its stiff necked priests, then when that rock is under attack and shaken up, the effects reverberate around the world. It was no surprise to me therefore when a large section of the foundation stone of Earth was uprooted, that it would have not only national and spiritual side effects but also natural and earthly ones.

Many people I have spoken to seem to feel that what happened in Gush Katif was the result of American pressure (personally I think were old enough to make our own decisions). But regardless, it seems that if this is so, then America is being punished by a natural disaster that may be rooted in a kabalistic way, by the by our own self-imposed disasters.

It is strange to see a huge city, thousands of times bigger than Gush Katif being forcibly evacuated against the will of its settlers. Didn’t we just see pictures of policemen forcibly taking people from their homes in Gush Katif and Homesh because it was ‘unsafe’ for them to stay there? The timing was interesting. On the day the cadavers of Gush Katif arrived to be re-buried in Jerusalem, death blew into New Orleans to bury it under a flood.

Maybe it’s all just coincidence. Maybe there is no connection. Regardless, I am certain that after some time New Orleans will be rebuilt and re-settled again. Gush Katif was settled twice already, before 1948 and after 1967. Certainly if New Orleans, a city that celebrates the annual ‘Decadence Parade’ can be re-built, than all the more so will Gush Katif be re-built one day soon, after the flood, in the State of Judea.


State of Judea(Oct 24, 2005)
The Editor requested an article

Even Though…
Even though I am still mad at our Nation of slaves that cannot refuse orders and taskmasters that are compelled to give them. Even though the only ‘free’ people in this Nation are now homeless, in jail or persecuted. Even though a self inflicted Hurricane came and erased huge Jewish communities as if they never had been there for 25 years.

Even though the sound of children playing in the street has been replaced by the sound of jackals howling from the ruins. Even though all that is left of hundreds of the finest and most loyal communities is an orange ribbon I wear on my knapsack. Even though I had expected Hashem to notice the sons correcting the sins of their fathers as they trekked through the night with full faith in their hearts. Even though there was no miracle.

Even though we have the sensitivity of a donkey, as we stare blankly and say life goes on. Even though we are like the generation of Mitzrayim that is too weary with our labor. Even though we have a courageous army that trembles in front of a puny Goliath. Even though we allow ourselves to be bullied and our leaders represent our weak hearts. Even though I cannot understand why such a strong people is such a frightened people.

Even though I cannot understand why we divorce such a beautiful wife and are obsessed over such an ugly one. Even though I said to myself I would not write any more about such idiots. Even though the Arabs run wildly now through Tel Aviv on Ramadan, without any fear insulting and cursing their self-defeated enemies. Even though many Jews no longer go to their synagogue in Jaffo for fear of being mugged by Arab gangs.

Even though the ‘capo’ Jews of the past, who willingly beat their brothers for an extra piece of bread, still exist in the ghetto of Israel today, and are still willing. Even though before the Holocaust the rabbis who said don’t go to Israel were wrong. Even though the rabbis that said nothing would happen to Gush Katif were wrong. Even though my belief that this was the beginning of the redemption was also wrong.

Even though I still believe with perfect faith that Moshiach will come, not today or tomorrow, but probably after we feel suffering in our own living rooms, which may be the day after tomorrow. Even though I am still mad at the director for breaking His own rules and not explaining Himself. Even though in the end I must accept that this was His decision.

Even though I have many questions about the Divine. Even though I have no illusions about what His children are capable of. Even though I know that my disappointment comes from a tremendous love of G-d and His nation and His Land. Even though I have every right to be mad and upset..still…How can I be angry when a little girl shoves a plate of apples and honey in front of me and I look up to see an army of school children offering similar plates to commuters at the Central bus station? How can I be mad when a Chassid finds me walking the streets at midnight and then prepares a beautiful meal in his succah for me?

How can I get mad at the magical synchronicity that still exists within this chaos? How can I get mad at the picture of a full moon over Mount Meron? During all this time, did I even think for a second of leaving Israel who I married for better or worse? Did I ever wish to hear a foreign bird singing in my window? Is there another Nation I would trade for my dysfunctional family?

How could I remain mad at bitter opponents who still greet each other with hugs? How can I get mad when I hear 10.000 Cohanim blessing me, or dancing together on Shabbat? How can I remain upset when so many others feel the same way as I do, from bus drivers to businessmen who still call each other ‘Ach Sheli’ – ‘My brother’.

Ill get over it and Hashem will get over it, and the Nation will get over it, and something will grow from these wounds. As the storm clouds approach, one can still see the light at the other end. The light comes from ones choices, to be free or to be a link in the chain of indifference. To serve the one above though He remains hidden, or to serve the State that already knows everything about you. For now I suppose we must be like Avraham who woke up early to sacrifice his son, without understanding why suddenly everything is upside down. You can call this a spark from Israel, a dull glitter, or a raging fire, they are all true.


State of Judea (Nov5, 2005)
Formerly Sparks From Israel

Nachamu, Nachamu
This article is dedicated to those who have felt disappointed and disillusioned by the events of this summer. The after shock of those who had expected victory has left its mark. Many who have felt secure now feel that their own future is uncertain. A dangerous precedent has been set encouraging more terror, more retreat, and more betrayal. But there is yet hope.

Personally this is not the first time that I have felt this kind of devastation. It happened once before with a leader that many felt was on the verge of bringing the redemption ‘gloriously’. One who appeared more like a prophet than a politician, who's gaining popularity threatened to overturn the feudal establishment of Israel and so the barons banned him and later he was assassinated. His name was Rabbi Meir Kahane.

A similar devastation happened eleven years later, when his son who continued his work, was also assasinated. In those days I had expected terrible tragedy to follow and it did, but not in the way I had thought. Meir Kahane was murdered a block away from the twin towers and I expected the ground to shake. The ground did shake, but it was not until eleven years later, in the year his son was assassinated; a year that became famous as the year of September 11th.

Just like the twin towers, the two giants who once stood were no more. The two giants who warned of such possible events were foolishly silenced, as if silencing the messenger would stop the storm from arriving. The storm arrived and it took the twin towers down and thousands of other victims of Arab terror since, whose untimely deaths could have been prevented.

Who would fight the battle now, I thought? The great generals are no more, only a small handful of the broken hearted faithful. Who had the talent and courage to lead and to speak so eloquently? The future looked terribly bleak and redemption was only a story book idea in the far away future.

These days, with the events of the summer, I remember that devastation. But on Simchat Torah I found comfort. A thought I had in the back of my mind was confirmed. I sat at the table of a Chassid in the old city who had been friends with the Rabbi I never met, that great visionary whose last words emanated from ground zero. We spoke about Rabbi Kahane and his son Binyamin Kahane.

The Chassid knew both of them well. He was now a principle of a school in Yesha and he told me that in every child’s school book is a picture of Rabbi Kahane. ‘The generation before used to speak about Rav Cook’, he said, ‘but today it’s only Kahane’. The principle looked me in the eye and told me that these children never heard Rav Kahane speak; they were born long after he died, but if it wasn’t for Rav Kahane, the whole orange movement would not exist. The ideological leader of the protest movement in Israel is Rabbi Kahane. He was the first to protest for Russian Jews and from his almost single handed efforts many thousands were freed from Russia. His words gave me comfort.

A Tzadik lives long after his years. This Rosh Hoshanna I heard there were 2 million people in Uman celebrating at the grave of Rabbi Nachman. Two hundred years after the death of a tzaddik his popularity has become greater than anyone would have ever have imagined. It has only been 15 years since Meir Kahane was taken from us and the country was almost overturned by children; children who were motivated to protest from his example. Thousands went out into the street every day, to demonstrate their love and concern, to expose the fraudulent, and to re-establish Torah justice and patriotism.

As Leonard Cohen writes in one of his songs ‘I have seen the future and its murder’. Yes, it is, there are dark days ahead, but the forces of good will win, just as they did in ‘48 and ’67. The next war, however, will begin from within the heart of every Jew and will overturn that which oppresses us more than any gentile from without. The self-hate within our hearts will be expelled along with every other enemy that seeks our demise.

Gush Katif is only the beginning, and the government trembled. A new Jewish heart is being formed from the ashes of September 11th, to the dust of Gush Katif. Although we saw glimpses of this potential when Rabbi Kahane was alive, and his son, and the massive Orange protest this summer, Hashem has His own timetable. I have been disappointed each time I saw glory trampled and beaten and buried because I thought it would change the world, but it didn’t-or maybe it did. Maybe the seeds that were buried are still growing and are beginning to bear their fruit.

Those who have been waiting in their seats are upset because they came on schedule but the show hasn’t begun on time. Some say it is because the manager is trying to accommodate the thousands of late comers and make sure they get a seat too. Maybe this is the reason for the delay. Maybe this is a reason to find comfort. There are many sparks in Israel but our life blood beats from Judea and soon the two will be united. Soon the theatre will be full. May we all live to see the curtain opening and none of us should lose their seat. Shabbat Shalom


Sparks From Israel II(Dec 12, 2005)

After the Plague
A chapter in my life has now closed and a new one begun. The starry eyed oleh chadash who wrote about the Holiness of Israel from surfers to Satmars is no longer starry eyed. Yes, I am embarrassed and ashamed, and disgusted, because I had expected more of this Nation and I am disappointed because I was waiting for a miracle that never happened. What good is left from a redemption process that seems to have been reversed? What can one harvest from fields that were burned down by their owners? I have no answers.

The painful pictures of our own Jewish thugs pulling the holiest Jews of Zion out of the homes they had built and paid for with their blood was too devastating for me to watch. The name tags on the soldiers were removed so that their violence could not be reported, but one could see a prosecuting angel on the shoulders of each one writing his and her name down in an accounting book in Heaven.

There was another counting taking place as well. In the Torah, there are a number of places that Hashem counts His people after a plague. We are told this is because each Israelite is precious to Hashem, especially after He has suffered a loss. Well, in retrospect, over this summer, we certainly have counted many who tied the orange ribbon to their bags and cars and street signs. Judging from the predominance of this color in every city of Israel it is clear that what happened in the Gush did not reflect the Nation. Despite this tragedy, an accounting of goodness has also been registered above.

Not only is this a new chapter in my life, but this is a new chapter in the Land of Israel. Just as precedence’s were broken from the sacred cow of democracy, revealing it’s true face of tyranny, precedence’s among the Nation were also revealed. Hundreds walked for many hours under the cover of darkness, eluding police to arrive at the Gush. Millions crowded the squares and Kotel for demonstrations never before seen. Like the Israelites of old, who walked into a desert with nothing but faith, the generation of Moshiach is coming of age.


The Jewish spirit has been revived. The ‘Jewish’ soul of Israel is emerging at the very moment that the forces of assimilation seek to extinguish it forever. Yes it’s a black day in Israel, and I suppose Hashem was also in mourning. Maybe He is saving the big miracle for another day. Maybe the ranks of goodness must swell even more. Maybe the tyranny must be let loose for us to recognize its face and beg forgiveness for our neglecting its rise to anarchy. I have no answers.

I just wanted to point out that there is more good than bad, and now is a time when good people must rise to the occasion and be counted.

Sparks from Israel (May4, 2006)

Here’s to Jewish Heroes

It was a great sign for all to see. Hanan Dayan, a staff seargent being decorated on Yom Haatzmaut for outstanding service refusing to shake the hands of the Ramat Kal. Of all the heroic actions Hanan has participated in, this one was most glorified and most significant. It was the glory of a true Jewish soldier serving a higher authority; a Jewish soldier that cannot betray his brother at any price and cannot shake the hand of the architect or foreman of evil.

This was a fine example of a true Jew, and a true descendent of the line of David, to which his family claims a connection to. His action gave me hope that there is still a glimmer of fire that burns in the bosom of this Nation. May his fire increase, and may it light up the eyes of this Nation sick with apathy and self indulgence. May those who seek darkness depart into the night and not delay the dawn from approaching. May those who simply ride on the bandwagon of the most popular parties be convinced that goodness is better than selfishness and strength is better than weakness. Protecting ones honor better than accepting defilement.

Those who even call it a mitzvah to denigrate oneself, as they spiral into nothingness and grasp at radical philosophies of self-loathing. Let they without backbones, who follow the majority that do terrible things, let them stumble into the notion that the right way has become the easiest and accepted path. Let it be that those who kindle the sparks and blow on the coals, ignite the half-dead and hypnotized into blindly following a new trend of Jewish love and love of the Land. Let fools stumble on the truth for a change and usher in a new world initiated by heroes who refuse to accept the unacceptable. Let the lambs be led after so many years of wandering by a true shepherd who cares for his flock.



Sparks From Israel(Oct 1, 2006)


For Better or Worse
I told myself I would never write another Sparks from Israel. But tonight I am absolutely drunk, and it’s the 5th night of Chanuka and so I will tell you about the holiness of our nation, even though I still think we are a bunch of slaves and taskmasters.

At 3 am, after drinking all night in one club, I went to another club that was still packed, and lo and behold at 3 a.m. two men with black hats and beards had the DJ stop the music, as they lit the Chanuka candles, and the crowd sang along with the Chanuka prayers. I thought I was hallucinating, but no, this is Israel.

At 4 a.m. as I left that bar and staggered home, I stopped into the chips store, and asked the cook, what wisdom he could impart on the 5th night of Chanuka. He told me, that he always liked the passage regarding Yacov, that he worked for 7 years for Rachel but to him it seemed like only days. I kissed the Rav of the chips, and blessed him that his light should increase in the world.

Who would think the man who fries potatoes in oil all night would think of such passages of Torah. Such holy people, even though they worship America, and New York, and all that is there. Still in the middle of their parties and drunken stupors, they can light Chanuka candles and give divreh Torah.

There is no other people like the Nation of Israel, and in my mind, I don’t even have a choice to leave here. There is nothing like this land and I have absolutely no desire for a different land. Even if we lack vision and faith, still this is a land like no other. These are the sons and daughters of prophets, and the sons and daughters of slaves. There is absolutely no other choice in my mind. Better an Israel that is infected with foolishness, than an exile that dreams of a perfect Israel that will never be.


Sparks From Israel (June 27, 2006)


The Promenade
There is a tiny shul tucked away inside the Promenade where artisans, shmata traders and tourists walk by. Tonight on my way to my usual afternoon prayer I thought to bring along my new Talmud book. There is a reward for coming to shul, a reward for praying in shul, and a reward for learning in a shul. I thought to myself, even if I don’t find time to learn while the rabbi’s gather the minyan, at least I will begin a good new habit of bringing a book with the intent of learning. I recently saw a man who had not been in a shul for a long time, wave his hand across the book section and kiss his hand, as if to say ‘I love these books, and I wish I had time to study them, let it be that even though I don’t have the time, that their wisdom should somehow enter into me’. I have felt like that too. Judaism has many levels to it, learning is one of them, and service is another. I have grown accustomed to do at least the minimum of trying to make the afternoon minyan each day but of course there is no end to calling of a Jew. Today was one of those days where one is reminded that a Jew is called upon to interrupt his day to participate in a group activity that involves at least nine other Jews. To me this seems like the source of my religion. Even though prayer is a meditational practice that gives one a great spiritual satisfaction, there is pre-requisite practice that one must do before this meditation; gather the minyan. To me the minyan represents the nucleus of our religion which is not really a religion; it is a National Service that begins at home. It is not a lifestyle choice that you chose to do at your leisure, but a National Service that interrupts your quiet day to fulfill an obligation whose end result brings you much more than peace, it brings fulfillment. A person who’s peace and communion is dependant on gathering nine other souls, is a person who has the good fortune of seeing the divine presence each day. To understand this idea in a more practical sense let me return to the Promenade.

Today, as I arrived at the shul and saw a small handful of people and the sun rapidly setting, I realized that there would not be any time for study, and if I didn’t jump into action, there may not even be a minyan. I stood outside and asked passersby who shook their heads. Above the promenade on a second floor balcony were a group of young men who sat there drinking beer and whistling to the women on the street, inviting them up to party with them. As the day grew darker, and the usual minyan men where nowhere to be found, I yelled up to the party boys to come help us with a minyan. They laughed and said, ok. At the last second the minyan came together with more than ten men, and the young men in Bermuda shorts and bare feet prayed with fervor. The prayer books and the prayers were not foreign to these men for they were Jews too, and it was part of their National Service to interrupt their party and assist a minyan. The feeling of being needed and obligated to help out is a necessary pre-requisite that easily opens the gates of heaven where collectively each ones meditation is received. Although this is a wayward nation always on the brink of destruction, it is this improvised symmetry of spiritual needs and obligations that disturbs our day and rectifies many evil decrees. These actions endear us to our Father in Heaven, who in turn disturbs Himself and goes out of His way to protect us and annul thousands of evil decrees against us, so that we can have a peaceful Shabbat.

Sparks of Israel

Moshe and the Rock
I recall the weeks before Pesach when I was visiting the old country. A famous learned rabbi was speaking and someone asked how they are supposed to fulfill the requirement of feeling as if we were slaves in Egypt? I suggested that to understand what happened at that time, we could think about our brothers at this time, who are having a Pesach Seder in Gush Katif.

The same overwhelming odds against this small group, and the same expectation of a miracle might inspire our Seder tables so that we can better appreciate the original Exodus and make it happen again in our own time. The Rabbi didn’t agree, and was resigned to the fact that this Jewish expulsion was inevitable and was the product of anti-religious propaganda from an anti-religious state.

What made me recall this story at this time? Parsha Chukat- where Moshe gets angry and hits the rock and is condemned to not enter the Land of Israel. Even though water eventually came gushing out of this rock, the water of Torah that poured forth was Torah of the exile, that had lost its meaning. Moshe had lost touch with the people, and instead of being angry at them, he had an opportunity to bring out the best in them and raise them to a new level.

The same rock that sustained Hagar, the mother of the Ishmaelites, condemned Moshe who gave us the Torah. Even the Ishmaelites who took possession of a Land that was not given to them, understood its miraculous powers better than those who were never troubled by their disinheritance from it.

Those who love the Land, understand that the Land speaks, and water pours forth even from a rock. The Land will not tolerate its children being torn from them, and its children will not tolerate being separated from her. One doesn’t need to be a rabbinical student to understand this he only needs a new heart formed in the Land of Israel.

Despite leaders that accept the unacceptable, and continue to lash out at their arch-enemies, instead of speaking to the hearts of the people, the hearts of the people will speak to them and alone, they will bring forth miracles from above. A new generation has already entered the Land and despite all the Pharaohs of Egypt and our own Meraglim and Korach’s and rock hitting rabbis, the revolution has begun and from here you can smell the salt of the sea beginning to part.

Sparks From Israel


Good News and Bad News
First the bad news
A young protester showed me a note that was sent to the wives of the policemen who are being trained to remove the residents of Gush Katif. The note asked the wives to be patient because their husbands would not be coming home for a few months, when they begin their holy work.

It goes on to explain how there will be four policeman for every citizen of Gush Katif. They will insure the safety of these residents and remove infants from the arms of their hysterical mother’s before proceeding to remove the parents and their belongings. They recognize that this may be a traumatic experience for some, and so they are enlisting the help of Druze and Bedouin policeman who of course will not have the same trauma as our soldiers, and might even enjoy this kind of work.

Is this Germany? Stalinist Russia? No, it’s Israel 2005.

And the good news
This same 15 year old protester belonged to a yeshiva, which together with his friends succeeded in bringing highways to a halt, closing down bus stations and an assortment of Gush Katif pranks that stunned the police department. This activism is not limited to the religious sector. On Shabbat walking along the beach of Tel Aviv, there were Gush Katif protestors, with megaphones that the police could not remove, because the sun bathers began marching with them.

For thousands of years, Jews have been at the mercy of our host countries, and for the most part sat quietly, relying on our leaders to barter for our best interests. That Jew died in the Holocaust and a new Jew was born. Not only the Jewish soldier, but the Jewish activist was born.

In the 60’s Jewish protest began with Meir Kahane and the Jewish Defense League. This handful of Jews succeeded in bringing the Russian Empire to its knees and ultimately releasing over a million of our brothers from behind the iron curtain. Meir Kahane paid a great price for his activism on behalf of the people he loved.

He was murdered a block away from the twin towers warning of terrorism that could happen, and not by coincidence did happen, 11 years later on September 11th in the same spot, by the same people. Nine months before September 11th Meir Kahane’s son was also murdered for his activism and just as the world changed on that fateful day when these two towers crumbled, so did something within the Jewish body.



Those towers of activism who alone led the conscience of the Jewish people were no longer. But from the ashes young seeds of fire were born, and today their orange light burns brightly. The police push and shove the peaceful orange protesters, they spray them with water cannons and they throw these youngsters in jail, but they cannot stop the tides from turning.

Finally yeshiva students are putting their chulent spoons down and getting arrested for civil disobedience (as my young protester friend says, the food in prison is kosher and you can study all day). Finally Jews regardless of their level of observance are demonstrating Ahavat Israel that even ‘frum’ Rabbi’s from the exile, couldn’t come close to.

The good news is that ‘the times they are a changing’ and our great Nation is about to give birth once again. The generation of young Jewish soldiers, who also have young idealism and passion for their people are coming of age. The generation of self-serving politicians and self-hating Jews has already ended. The generation of true leadership that comes from sacrifice, concern, and love for one’s people, has begun.

As the day of the earthquake approaches and the tremors are felt throughout the Land, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to witness these new pages of the Torah being written before my eyes, and to taste the future before it arrives. Some resign themselves to studying a Torah that has no connection to the present, but as far as I can see, the best pages are yet to be written.

Sparks From Israel


The Birds
If you look westward you can spot them arriving one by one. Then they come in larger numbers, like a stream trickling through tunnels and alleyways. Finally there is a rushing river, as they flood the marble floor of the Temple wall all the way across the large open plaza, up to the stairways at the other end. As the sun rises you can see them all, like birds. A hundred thousand Jews all huddled together for the morning prayer of Shavuot, after being up all night learning Torah, which is the Jewish tradition.

I have one friend who was at the original Sinai in the dessert and felt the vibe, another who was in Sfat receiving the kabala, and then there was me who stood witness in Jerusalem to the flock of black, white and multi-colored Jews doing their prayer dance together in improvised assemblies. What an interesting species these people are.

As I stood off in the distance taking in the sight of these multitudes I could hear the Song of the Hebrews calling to their G-d. I understood the language of this species and I too could return a call, in the same voice. After all I guess I'm a bird too.

A Nation of Prophets
I was coming back on the bus from the Kotel with two Israeli guys I had just met over Shabbat. One had a business idea he was speaking to me about, and his Temani friend was an inspired yeshiva student who only spoke about Torah. We managed to find three seats on the bus, and then his friend suddenly stood up and started to give the bus riders a lecture on the Importance of remaining silent in the Beit Knesset.

Imagine the scene; a Sephardic young man with a black kippa lecturing to a bus load of Ashkenazi rabbi’s with black furry striemels and women in kerchiefs. At first they smiled to each other, but as the bus rolled along, he continued, and they became engrossed in the lecture. While he was speaking, I turned to my friend and asked him if he does this everywhere, he nodded.

When we arrived at our destination, I hurried to catch the last bus to Tel Aviv. I looked back and saw the Bus Rebbe surrounded by new fans asking for his telephone number. On the bus back to Tel Aviv, he asked the bus driver if he could use the microphone and give a Torah lecture. He was flatly denied and we continued home with the radio playing Russian ballads and Trance music. I guess it must have been similar in ancient times.

The Academy of Questions
On Shabbat in Tel Aviv, I can only understand about 60% of the lectures because my Hebrew is not that good yet. It’s a treat for me to visit Yerushalayim where there is so much learning in English, and Shavuot is the holiday where we traditionally stay up all night long learning Torah.

There were a hundred different classes to choose from in the Old City, and a friend recommended a Talmud class that began at 2:30 am. He advised reviewing the material for a few hours before the lecture, because it was very deep stuff and the regular students have already spent a week reviewing it. So I sat with an old friend from this yeshiva and we struggled through it for a few hours until the Rabbi arrived.

He spoke for two hours and I must say, that instead of the 60% I usually understand in Hebrew, this time I understood about 10%, and it was in English. This academy of intellect was so refined that one could hardly make out the subject of the question that was extracted from the previous question that was concealed within the statement that was really another question.

Now I understand why the great yeshivas are such a big weapon for Israel. They are splitting the atom every day here and it creates a tremendous force field of impenetrable light.

Heavy Metal Chulent
Just as I had unpacked my things and was settling into a nice spiritual Shabbat in the Old City a 7-foot tattooed biker entered the room. He took off his spiked boots and Metalica T-shirt, stretched his legs passed the bed and with the moan of a giant lied down. The thought occurred to me, to put my valuables in the office safe. Jerusalem attracts all kinds of unusual people.

Another roommate arrived with a friend and they were discussing the laws of the Shavuot Festival. The rocker who hadn’t yet fallen asleep turned to them and in aristocratic English explained the detailed differences between the laws of Shabbat and the laws of the Festivals. Everyone was stunned, and he went back to sleep.

Later, I spoke with this gentle giant and discovered that his father was a rabbi, whose advice to him was to always question everything. His questioning led him around the world and back to Jerusalem. I suppose he will continue to question as his father did and there is a good chance that he will follow in his fathers footsteps and become a rabbi himself one day; maybe a Heavy Metal Rabbi. You can’t judge a book from its cover, especially in Israel.

Sparks From Israel


Yom Yerushalayim
Outside of Israel reading the Torah seems like reading a history book. Here in Israel that history comes alive. On Shabbat we read Bamidbar which described the formation of the first Israeli army and the Nation under its various tribal flags. The next day was Yom Yerushalyim and I watched the parade down Yaffo street full of flags and floats from every tribal area of Israel along with army platoons and marching bands.

It was an overwhelming sight to see the banners of Zevulon and Binyamina followed by thousands of young people in colorful costumes from their provinces and settlements. I just read about these people in the Torah, and there they are before me marching through history.

The groups in orange T-shirts received the biggest applause along with the army. It’s these two groups that we seem most proud of; those who settle our land and those who defend it. It’s these two groups that make up the very fabric of our society.

Like a classical score our ancient script is interpreted by new directors in every era; the same themes, with new characters and a backdrop of tension and glory. Next week will be a new chapter in our Torah and I can’t wait to see what new revelation will be manifested and watch with my own eyes, as the music comes alive.