Saturday, November 27, 2004
Sparks From Israel
Riding the Bus
Imagine giving a motorcycle gang member a bus license and saying, go ahead, have fun. Sometimes riding a bus, especially in the night when there is less traffic is a thrilling experience. Overseas when you get stuck behind a bus you complain because they go slow and stop everywhere. In Israel they swing to the left and right barely missing people, and other buses, stopping only for pit stops as people hurry on and the race continues. One night as the bus zigzagged through traffic at lightning speed the bus drivers friend started to beep the horn ‘yahoooo’. They laughed and I also was amused.
Another night, I was coming home and the bus driver detecting my English accent asked me to help him translate a line from a Beatles song. We enjoyed talking with each other so much that he missed his turn and took the bus on a different route. I told him that this was actually closer to my place, and so he happily dropped me at my corner. We shook hands and parted.
As my brother once said, in Chutz Le Aretz we have ‘I’ ‘It’ relationships. We relate to people more as things and objects. Here it is an ‘I’ ‘Thou” relationship, and we relate to each other regardless of our station in life, as family, brothers and cousins. It’s really such a huge difference.
That’s it for this week. Oh yes, I heard another famous terrorist passed away. I couldn’t really care less, but I went to the Shiva and I brought a deli plate. There will be more of them I’m sure, just like mosquitoes or hornets in the summer, but it won’t stop me from building my corner of the Promised Land. I hear they are also opening a new hotel in Gush Katif. Kol hakavod! Shabbat Shalom
Riding the Bus
Imagine giving a motorcycle gang member a bus license and saying, go ahead, have fun. Sometimes riding a bus, especially in the night when there is less traffic is a thrilling experience. Overseas when you get stuck behind a bus you complain because they go slow and stop everywhere. In Israel they swing to the left and right barely missing people, and other buses, stopping only for pit stops as people hurry on and the race continues. One night as the bus zigzagged through traffic at lightning speed the bus drivers friend started to beep the horn ‘yahoooo’. They laughed and I also was amused.
Another night, I was coming home and the bus driver detecting my English accent asked me to help him translate a line from a Beatles song. We enjoyed talking with each other so much that he missed his turn and took the bus on a different route. I told him that this was actually closer to my place, and so he happily dropped me at my corner. We shook hands and parted.
As my brother once said, in Chutz Le Aretz we have ‘I’ ‘It’ relationships. We relate to people more as things and objects. Here it is an ‘I’ ‘Thou” relationship, and we relate to each other regardless of our station in life, as family, brothers and cousins. It’s really such a huge difference.
That’s it for this week. Oh yes, I heard another famous terrorist passed away. I couldn’t really care less, but I went to the Shiva and I brought a deli plate. There will be more of them I’m sure, just like mosquitoes or hornets in the summer, but it won’t stop me from building my corner of the Promised Land. I hear they are also opening a new hotel in Gush Katif. Kol hakavod! Shabbat Shalom
Saturday, November 20, 2004
Sparks From Israel
Shuk HaKarmel
Luckily I wasn’t at my local market the day of the Shuk Hakarmel attack, but the next day as I sat in the shuk I was impressed to see something unusual. As I ordered my boreka’s a famous singer flanked by a camera man pushed a microphone past me to the owner of the shop.
He was making a video clip and going through the market singing ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ and reminding the people that Israel is ours ‘Yisrael Shelanu’ to bolster the spirits of the shop owners who had just been the victims of a terrorist attack. They clapped along and sang. It was quite a sight to see, how a day of darkness was transformed into an indestructible day of light.
More than that, this famous Israeli singer was a Black man from America who had moved to Israel 30 years ago and become the master of Chassidic music with a blues twist. Amazing to see how the sparks of Holiness from all the different Nations of the world have returned to rebuild our ancient homeland.
I still thank G-d every day for bringing me here and giving me a place. I feel very fortunate to be here with my brothers, despite the war. As for those who think Israel is being sold for a bowl of lentils, don’t worry the story isn’t over. This is only another chapter in the unraveling story of the divine plan. Leaders can make all sorts of proclamations, but in the end it is the Big Director who decides. And from what I can understand of the story it has a happy ending.
Luckily I wasn’t at my local market the day of the Shuk Hakarmel attack, but the next day as I sat in the shuk I was impressed to see something unusual. As I ordered my boreka’s a famous singer flanked by a camera man pushed a microphone past me to the owner of the shop.
He was making a video clip and going through the market singing ‘Am Yisrael Chai’ and reminding the people that Israel is ours ‘Yisrael Shelanu’ to bolster the spirits of the shop owners who had just been the victims of a terrorist attack. They clapped along and sang. It was quite a sight to see, how a day of darkness was transformed into an indestructible day of light.
More than that, this famous Israeli singer was a Black man from America who had moved to Israel 30 years ago and become the master of Chassidic music with a blues twist. Amazing to see how the sparks of Holiness from all the different Nations of the world have returned to rebuild our ancient homeland.
I still thank G-d every day for bringing me here and giving me a place. I feel very fortunate to be here with my brothers, despite the war. As for those who think Israel is being sold for a bowl of lentils, don’t worry the story isn’t over. This is only another chapter in the unraveling story of the divine plan. Leaders can make all sorts of proclamations, but in the end it is the Big Director who decides. And from what I can understand of the story it has a happy ending.
Saturday, November 13, 2004
Sparks From Israel
The Revolution
It’s embarrassing sometimes to be part of such a Holy Nation and to be led by heroes who are small in their eyes. Leaders reminiscent of Saul who rage at those who have everything that he lacks, and in his rage labels the builders of the Nation of having a ‘Messianic complex’ to cover up his own ‘complex’. It’s obvious that their strength makes his own lack of self-esteem more acute and so ‘the accuser accuses with his own blemish’.
How can we be part of such a great nation of courageous soldiers and everyday heroes, yet we allow ourselves to be bullied by modern day Nazis, their International supporters, and our imprisoned leadership. All of the courage and machismo of our indestructible Nation turns into jelly without one essential ingredient – faith.
When one has faith, one marches through life confident that all adversity is meant to strengthen us and to teach us that there is a force that has created this design and is always with us, as long as we are with Him. Despite the apparent dangers, if we steer our ship with integrity, the rough waters will subside and we will be protected. This is freedom.
On the other hand, one who lacks this faith sees himself as a tiny dot standing alone against giants who wish to destroy him, and lacking integrity, he is willing to sell and barter his heritage and even his family, for the shallow promise of security from the Gestapo’s of the world. This is slavery. With this perception, even the finest soldier can be reduced to the level of a ruthless drug addict.
But what is a revolution if not a popular uprising from among the people? It is we who choose to be led or misled. It is we who pay the price for complacency, just as Job did. It is we who burned in Europe when our spiritual leadership said ‘stay’, or today say ‘soldiers obey your orders’. Don’t blame the shepherds for getting fat from the sheep. Stop being sheep and demand real leaders. Be David’s who saw the brave soldiers being conditioned each day by the taunting of Goliath on the CNN of their day. Slay him and be done with it.
Stop whining about an imaginary Moshiach and bring him by protesting and demanding a leadership that at the very least has the best interest of his people in mind and is not afraid of a world that is always against us anyway. Despite the imaginary pressure and the bear hugs, and the outright threats against us, if we continue to build the Promised Land, and punish the guilty instead of the innocent, we will build peace not only in Israel but in the entire world.
Let’s stop being embarrassed by our leaders who are on their way out with the rest of this desert generation. It’s time for the generation of Yehoshua to take over. It’s time to grow up and stop whining about where was G-d and ask ourselves, where were ‘we’ then and where are ‘we’ now?
The Revolution
It’s embarrassing sometimes to be part of such a Holy Nation and to be led by heroes who are small in their eyes. Leaders reminiscent of Saul who rage at those who have everything that he lacks, and in his rage labels the builders of the Nation of having a ‘Messianic complex’ to cover up his own ‘complex’. It’s obvious that their strength makes his own lack of self-esteem more acute and so ‘the accuser accuses with his own blemish’.
How can we be part of such a great nation of courageous soldiers and everyday heroes, yet we allow ourselves to be bullied by modern day Nazis, their International supporters, and our imprisoned leadership. All of the courage and machismo of our indestructible Nation turns into jelly without one essential ingredient – faith.
When one has faith, one marches through life confident that all adversity is meant to strengthen us and to teach us that there is a force that has created this design and is always with us, as long as we are with Him. Despite the apparent dangers, if we steer our ship with integrity, the rough waters will subside and we will be protected. This is freedom.
On the other hand, one who lacks this faith sees himself as a tiny dot standing alone against giants who wish to destroy him, and lacking integrity, he is willing to sell and barter his heritage and even his family, for the shallow promise of security from the Gestapo’s of the world. This is slavery. With this perception, even the finest soldier can be reduced to the level of a ruthless drug addict.
But what is a revolution if not a popular uprising from among the people? It is we who choose to be led or misled. It is we who pay the price for complacency, just as Job did. It is we who burned in Europe when our spiritual leadership said ‘stay’, or today say ‘soldiers obey your orders’. Don’t blame the shepherds for getting fat from the sheep. Stop being sheep and demand real leaders. Be David’s who saw the brave soldiers being conditioned each day by the taunting of Goliath on the CNN of their day. Slay him and be done with it.
Stop whining about an imaginary Moshiach and bring him by protesting and demanding a leadership that at the very least has the best interest of his people in mind and is not afraid of a world that is always against us anyway. Despite the imaginary pressure and the bear hugs, and the outright threats against us, if we continue to build the Promised Land, and punish the guilty instead of the innocent, we will build peace not only in Israel but in the entire world.
Let’s stop being embarrassed by our leaders who are on their way out with the rest of this desert generation. It’s time for the generation of Yehoshua to take over. It’s time to grow up and stop whining about where was G-d and ask ourselves, where were ‘we’ then and where are ‘we’ now?
