Friday, October 31, 2003
Sparks from Israel
The Internet Cafe
Finally I discovered a place that is absolutely identical to any other North American city - The Internet Café. Here everything is quiet while people concentrate on their business, or write to their friends. Outside the streets are noisy and people converse in a term we call ‘yelling’ in Canada, but here it’s called conversation. In the Internet café, everything is peaceful and in fact if one’s cell phone rings the manager asks them to please talk softly for here in the Internet Café unlike other places, there is silence.
The people in the Internet café look almost like the people in Canada. They sit quietly and totally self-absorbed. The Internet world is a full-featured virtual world with friends and communities and emotional entanglements that all take place in the mind - virtual love affairs, virtual friendships, virtual happiness.
Could it be that just as Israeli’s love to speak English, and talk about American movies and TV shows, they also are becoming addicted to computer chat lines? Will they soon become dehumanized robots that just stare at computer screens and live totally self-absorbed lives? All of a sudden someone let out a loud sneeze and half of the computer store turned and said ‘Labri-oot’. Ahh, I comforted myself, there is still a difference here, Baruch Hashem.
The Internet Cafe
Finally I discovered a place that is absolutely identical to any other North American city - The Internet Café. Here everything is quiet while people concentrate on their business, or write to their friends. Outside the streets are noisy and people converse in a term we call ‘yelling’ in Canada, but here it’s called conversation. In the Internet café, everything is peaceful and in fact if one’s cell phone rings the manager asks them to please talk softly for here in the Internet Café unlike other places, there is silence.
The people in the Internet café look almost like the people in Canada. They sit quietly and totally self-absorbed. The Internet world is a full-featured virtual world with friends and communities and emotional entanglements that all take place in the mind - virtual love affairs, virtual friendships, virtual happiness.
Could it be that just as Israeli’s love to speak English, and talk about American movies and TV shows, they also are becoming addicted to computer chat lines? Will they soon become dehumanized robots that just stare at computer screens and live totally self-absorbed lives? All of a sudden someone let out a loud sneeze and half of the computer store turned and said ‘Labri-oot’. Ahh, I comforted myself, there is still a difference here, Baruch Hashem.
Sparks from Israel
The Bus Driver
In Canada when you ask a Greyhound Bus driver ‘What time do you get to Hamilton?’ They say ‘2:30’. But in Israel they reply ‘Bizrat Hashem well get there, come on, lets go’. What a great country. Everyone is a character and no one gives you a straight answer. Finally I feel at home in a normal place.
The Bus Driver
In Canada when you ask a Greyhound Bus driver ‘What time do you get to Hamilton?’ They say ‘2:30’. But in Israel they reply ‘Bizrat Hashem well get there, come on, lets go’. What a great country. Everyone is a character and no one gives you a straight answer. Finally I feel at home in a normal place.
Friday, October 24, 2003
Sparks from Israel
Rain
Today was the first day in six months that I saw a drop of rain. I was so happy to see the rain and went out to feel it falling gently on my face. Only in Israel can you really appreciate the prayers for rain we say each day. Outside of Israel nature seems to take its own course without need of man’s prayers. Two weeks ago we took out the Torah scroll and made a special prayer for rain. This week we read from the Torah about Noah and the flood. In other lands everyone talks about the weather, in Israel, we do something about it.
Rain
Today was the first day in six months that I saw a drop of rain. I was so happy to see the rain and went out to feel it falling gently on my face. Only in Israel can you really appreciate the prayers for rain we say each day. Outside of Israel nature seems to take its own course without need of man’s prayers. Two weeks ago we took out the Torah scroll and made a special prayer for rain. This week we read from the Torah about Noah and the flood. In other lands everyone talks about the weather, in Israel, we do something about it.
Friday, October 17, 2003
Sparks From Israel
Israel Doesn’t Need You
There is a chassid in Yerushalayim. He wears a black coat and black hat, and he has a guitar strung over his back. I saw him jamming with an American hippie searching for his soul at the Kotel. This chassid has lived in Israel now for seven years. Before that he was a stockbroker in Manhattan who drove a Porsche and had it all. Now, he has invested in different stock. I know a number of successful people in Israel, some observant and some not so observant who have opted to live here not only to be immersed in Torah studies, but also to be part of a society bound by a common destiny – the building of the Jewish Nation.
There are seventy different nationalities of Jews here, and each one brought the best of their cultures here. Each one is an expert in their own field bringing all that is essential from the four corners of the world. They are the holy sparks scattered around the world and now gathered once again to their source.
The most comforting feeling about being here is the knowledge that one has finally arrived home, to the family he loved from afar but never knew. Like a lion born in captivity and released for the first time into the wilderness he instinctively knows. But actually quite the opposite, for this is far from a wilderness. Israel is not only a home to its people but the cradle of all civilization. This is the source of morality and enlightenment and wisdom that inspired poets and explorers from every nation.
These are the children of prophets in their natural habitat where the penetration of foreign cultures look ridiculous, mismatched and beneath this Holy people. This is a land where the nobility and character of the Israelite Nation can fully express itself. All the souls assembled here are like beautiful puzzle pieces fitting together to form a simple and profound picture. Israel is tiny yet indestructible. Israel is pure despite attempts to sully it. Israel is part of G-d and eternal; a rock formed by the crashing waves, but made of a far superior substance.
The rest of the world is a temporary place that compared to the energy of the people here, seems dead. Although the angel of death has a greater jurisdiction here in this land, there is also the clear perception of a G-d that also maintains this country that couldn’t be maintained without Him. A celestial hand that helps people to meet and connect despite phones that don’t work and streets that have no numbers. There is a different system of communication and networking here that others cannot understand for it is based upon Divine intervention, which is an everyday occurrence here.
Outside things operate smoothly, and competently, however there is a threat of much greater destruction than here. For when it comes to competence in guarding each other and being guarded from above there is less Divine intervention. More people were killed in one day on September 11th than in all of the Intifada we suffered for the last 15 years.
Israel will continue to grow and prosper despite enemies within or without. Outside of Israel however, there is no guarantee. Eventually the souls outside will either return or be lost. Bodies too will return or be denied entry. There is only a certain time limit for those who wish to have a seat here. Not everyone gets in to enjoy the fruits of this garden that exists here in our time. Not all will see it.
Israel doesn’t need any more Jews. We will survive and prosper just as we are. We don’t need America, or Europe or any other empire to protect us. G-d lives here, and those who live here see Him every day. Israel doesn’t need you, but if you feel unsettled, unhappy, afraid or empty come home and you will understand what happiness is. There is a blessing waiting for those who see it and desire it. This is for certain.
Israel Doesn’t Need You
There is a chassid in Yerushalayim. He wears a black coat and black hat, and he has a guitar strung over his back. I saw him jamming with an American hippie searching for his soul at the Kotel. This chassid has lived in Israel now for seven years. Before that he was a stockbroker in Manhattan who drove a Porsche and had it all. Now, he has invested in different stock. I know a number of successful people in Israel, some observant and some not so observant who have opted to live here not only to be immersed in Torah studies, but also to be part of a society bound by a common destiny – the building of the Jewish Nation.
There are seventy different nationalities of Jews here, and each one brought the best of their cultures here. Each one is an expert in their own field bringing all that is essential from the four corners of the world. They are the holy sparks scattered around the world and now gathered once again to their source.
The most comforting feeling about being here is the knowledge that one has finally arrived home, to the family he loved from afar but never knew. Like a lion born in captivity and released for the first time into the wilderness he instinctively knows. But actually quite the opposite, for this is far from a wilderness. Israel is not only a home to its people but the cradle of all civilization. This is the source of morality and enlightenment and wisdom that inspired poets and explorers from every nation.
These are the children of prophets in their natural habitat where the penetration of foreign cultures look ridiculous, mismatched and beneath this Holy people. This is a land where the nobility and character of the Israelite Nation can fully express itself. All the souls assembled here are like beautiful puzzle pieces fitting together to form a simple and profound picture. Israel is tiny yet indestructible. Israel is pure despite attempts to sully it. Israel is part of G-d and eternal; a rock formed by the crashing waves, but made of a far superior substance.
The rest of the world is a temporary place that compared to the energy of the people here, seems dead. Although the angel of death has a greater jurisdiction here in this land, there is also the clear perception of a G-d that also maintains this country that couldn’t be maintained without Him. A celestial hand that helps people to meet and connect despite phones that don’t work and streets that have no numbers. There is a different system of communication and networking here that others cannot understand for it is based upon Divine intervention, which is an everyday occurrence here.
Outside things operate smoothly, and competently, however there is a threat of much greater destruction than here. For when it comes to competence in guarding each other and being guarded from above there is less Divine intervention. More people were killed in one day on September 11th than in all of the Intifada we suffered for the last 15 years.
Israel will continue to grow and prosper despite enemies within or without. Outside of Israel however, there is no guarantee. Eventually the souls outside will either return or be lost. Bodies too will return or be denied entry. There is only a certain time limit for those who wish to have a seat here. Not everyone gets in to enjoy the fruits of this garden that exists here in our time. Not all will see it.
Israel doesn’t need any more Jews. We will survive and prosper just as we are. We don’t need America, or Europe or any other empire to protect us. G-d lives here, and those who live here see Him every day. Israel doesn’t need you, but if you feel unsettled, unhappy, afraid or empty come home and you will understand what happiness is. There is a blessing waiting for those who see it and desire it. This is for certain.
Friday, October 10, 2003
Sparks From Israel
Faith and Courage
From the beginning of Elul to the end of the High Holidays there is an additional Psalm added to the prayers and highlighted throughout these ‘days of awe.’ The subject of this Psalm is also repeated many times by Moshe to Yehoshua as the journey of the Israelites draws to a close - Be Strong and of Good Faith, Hope to G-d and He will strengthen you. These are Moshe’s final commands to the children of Israel.
Today as our journey through the Diaspora draws to a close and we are approaching the climax of our spiritual history, we must understand the last lesson from this ancient book, where the generation of dessert wanderers and the generation of young conquerors overlap. The final lessons of the Torah and the era that dons on us today couldn’t be more fitting.
‘Be Strong and of Good Faith, Hope to G-d and you will be strengthened.’ There are two ideas joined in these passages which if read separately pose a problem. A problem that defines our generation today – ‘Faith without courage or courage without faith.’
Imagine the young David visiting the capitol and seeing Goliath insulting and taunting an army of brave soldiers that seemed helpless to do anything. Imagine the embarrassment of these great warriors as a young boy armed with a slingshot does their work for them. What kept these soldiers from defending their honor? Was it not the same thing that emasculates the army today? - Fear of world reaction. What will the world say and do? And so morality is twisted so that we reward the cruel by doing nothing and punish the kind who suffer from our indifference.
Soldiers who compete to be astronauts and to join in elite fighting forces and who each day prove their courage by defending their brothers cannot squash a rebellion of suicide bombers? The missing piece in their armour is lack of faith. It is this lack that makes them say they are weary and tired and unable to fight for a cause that they no longer see as just. Or if they do see the justice of their cause they say there is nothing they can do about it.
And what about those who have faith and lack courage? Those who sit in Yeshivas all around the world and justify their inaction by calling it the action of ‘Prayer, Torah and Good Deeds’ thinking that this alone will bring Moshiach. Is it faith that makes one believe that Moshiach will arrive like a superman flying from heaven with the temple already built? Or is it a convenient alibi to mask ones lack of faith with piety. Those who have faith but lack the courage to really ‘live’ their faith are like the generation of the dessert who preferred to stay in the comfort of the dessert yeshiva, even if it meant digging their own graves each year.*
This was the curse that was given to them as punishment for their lack of faith and for thinking of themselves as small against giants much greater than them. Those who have faith lack courage, and those who have courage lack faith. If only we could fix this flaw in our nation that runs equally through both camps, then we could stand up to our enemies without fear and with conviction of faith. On that day the battle will be won in less than six days. And what will the world do? Stand in awe, and then applaude.
The Midrash tells us that because of the sin of the spies, the Israelites were punished by wandering for 40 years in the dessert until that entire generation died out. Each year on Tisha B’Av, they would dig their own graves and lie in them. In the morning if they were still alive, they knew that they would have another year (unfortunately, this sounds too familiar).
Faith and Courage
From the beginning of Elul to the end of the High Holidays there is an additional Psalm added to the prayers and highlighted throughout these ‘days of awe.’ The subject of this Psalm is also repeated many times by Moshe to Yehoshua as the journey of the Israelites draws to a close - Be Strong and of Good Faith, Hope to G-d and He will strengthen you. These are Moshe’s final commands to the children of Israel.
Today as our journey through the Diaspora draws to a close and we are approaching the climax of our spiritual history, we must understand the last lesson from this ancient book, where the generation of dessert wanderers and the generation of young conquerors overlap. The final lessons of the Torah and the era that dons on us today couldn’t be more fitting.
‘Be Strong and of Good Faith, Hope to G-d and you will be strengthened.’ There are two ideas joined in these passages which if read separately pose a problem. A problem that defines our generation today – ‘Faith without courage or courage without faith.’
Imagine the young David visiting the capitol and seeing Goliath insulting and taunting an army of brave soldiers that seemed helpless to do anything. Imagine the embarrassment of these great warriors as a young boy armed with a slingshot does their work for them. What kept these soldiers from defending their honor? Was it not the same thing that emasculates the army today? - Fear of world reaction. What will the world say and do? And so morality is twisted so that we reward the cruel by doing nothing and punish the kind who suffer from our indifference.
Soldiers who compete to be astronauts and to join in elite fighting forces and who each day prove their courage by defending their brothers cannot squash a rebellion of suicide bombers? The missing piece in their armour is lack of faith. It is this lack that makes them say they are weary and tired and unable to fight for a cause that they no longer see as just. Or if they do see the justice of their cause they say there is nothing they can do about it.
And what about those who have faith and lack courage? Those who sit in Yeshivas all around the world and justify their inaction by calling it the action of ‘Prayer, Torah and Good Deeds’ thinking that this alone will bring Moshiach. Is it faith that makes one believe that Moshiach will arrive like a superman flying from heaven with the temple already built? Or is it a convenient alibi to mask ones lack of faith with piety. Those who have faith but lack the courage to really ‘live’ their faith are like the generation of the dessert who preferred to stay in the comfort of the dessert yeshiva, even if it meant digging their own graves each year.*
This was the curse that was given to them as punishment for their lack of faith and for thinking of themselves as small against giants much greater than them. Those who have faith lack courage, and those who have courage lack faith. If only we could fix this flaw in our nation that runs equally through both camps, then we could stand up to our enemies without fear and with conviction of faith. On that day the battle will be won in less than six days. And what will the world do? Stand in awe, and then applaude.
The Midrash tells us that because of the sin of the spies, the Israelites were punished by wandering for 40 years in the dessert until that entire generation died out. Each year on Tisha B’Av, they would dig their own graves and lie in them. In the morning if they were still alive, they knew that they would have another year (unfortunately, this sounds too familiar).
Friday, October 03, 2003
Sparks From Israel
Rashi and Rambam
There is a dispute between Rashi and Rambam on the creation of the third temple. According to Rashi, it will fall from the sky intact. According to Rambam it will be built in a natural manner. Those who hold by Rashi feel comfortable to spend their days immersed in the Gemora in the Galut waiting for the day that they will be miraculously transported to Jerusalem with the third temple. Some, on the other hand, reconcile these two views as reflexive of our teshuva. If we merit it, the temple will fall from heaven, and if we don’t, it will come through toil and pain and by natural means. To me it seems quite clear that both opinions work together at the same time.
When you look around at modern Israel it’s really hard to imagine that only 50 years ago there were desserts, where today are beautiful towns and cities with fountains and playgrounds full of children playing. But this 3rd temple principle is the basis of modern day Israel. So much has happened in so short a time, it is as if it fell from the sky. And it continues to fall reflexive of our actions below.
Israel grows at such a rapid pace, from the ashes to blossoms, from one concept to another, rediscovering itself like a child learning new words each day. The irony is that those who sit in purity, waiting for miracles won’t see them by waiting in the isolated shopping malls of the exile. But those who participate in the natural building of the nation, (which leads to the building of the temple), will be privileged to see it fall from above, every day.
This concept is not new. In the days of the Beis Hamigdash one would bring his sacrifice and slaughter it and place it upon the fire. Only then, would a heavenly fire come down from above and consume it. But without making that sacrifice, there is no fire from above. Even a maidservant here, who plants a seed, cannot help but notice the abundance that it produces, or notice the pace of how things change here in the land of the living G-d. These concepts are not abstract philosophical ideas, but practical results that one sees in the modern history of this nation, as well as the divine providence that guides him each day in this land. From the inside looking out, it seems obvious to me that each moment in this land is built in both a natural and miraculous fashion.
Rashi and Rambam
There is a dispute between Rashi and Rambam on the creation of the third temple. According to Rashi, it will fall from the sky intact. According to Rambam it will be built in a natural manner. Those who hold by Rashi feel comfortable to spend their days immersed in the Gemora in the Galut waiting for the day that they will be miraculously transported to Jerusalem with the third temple. Some, on the other hand, reconcile these two views as reflexive of our teshuva. If we merit it, the temple will fall from heaven, and if we don’t, it will come through toil and pain and by natural means. To me it seems quite clear that both opinions work together at the same time.
When you look around at modern Israel it’s really hard to imagine that only 50 years ago there were desserts, where today are beautiful towns and cities with fountains and playgrounds full of children playing. But this 3rd temple principle is the basis of modern day Israel. So much has happened in so short a time, it is as if it fell from the sky. And it continues to fall reflexive of our actions below.
Israel grows at such a rapid pace, from the ashes to blossoms, from one concept to another, rediscovering itself like a child learning new words each day. The irony is that those who sit in purity, waiting for miracles won’t see them by waiting in the isolated shopping malls of the exile. But those who participate in the natural building of the nation, (which leads to the building of the temple), will be privileged to see it fall from above, every day.
This concept is not new. In the days of the Beis Hamigdash one would bring his sacrifice and slaughter it and place it upon the fire. Only then, would a heavenly fire come down from above and consume it. But without making that sacrifice, there is no fire from above. Even a maidservant here, who plants a seed, cannot help but notice the abundance that it produces, or notice the pace of how things change here in the land of the living G-d. These concepts are not abstract philosophical ideas, but practical results that one sees in the modern history of this nation, as well as the divine providence that guides him each day in this land. From the inside looking out, it seems obvious to me that each moment in this land is built in both a natural and miraculous fashion.
