I've already voted, so in a way this post is unnecessary.
It's difficult to vote, and harder not to. I believe, on the one hand, that Hashem (G-d) is the one who runs everything. On the other hand, I believe we MUST make our own efforts and thereby show Hashem that we are doing our best to live His will.
In previous elections I've voted ideologically. You feel good when you walk out of the voting booth, but down the road when the party you vote for is too small to really make a difference (if it gets in at all) you have to wonder - did I do the right thing?
In this election, I chose to let practicality support my ideology. I believe that to merit this land, we have to do G-d's will and our leaders have to be G-d fearing. But given leaders who are NOT G-d-fearing, what's an ideolog to do? In this case, I chose to support the Likud. Please understand me, I do not support Binyamin Netanyahu as Prime Minister. Finance Minister? Ideal. Foreign minister? Just fine. I am not easy with having this man holding the reins. But I am horrified at the idea of Livni, Barak, or G-d-forbid Leiberman running the country.
The Likud is not just Netanyahu. It is Gilad Erdan, Gidon Saar, Benny Begin and a host of others whom I believe truly care about this nation and its people, and are at least warm to the idea of G-d running things. Sharansky supports the Likud, and that means something to me (though Sharansky and I disagree on a number of issues as well).
So I voted Likud, but I have a sick feeling that I'm going to regret it. I voted Likud, but I'm worried that not enough people like me DID vote Likud. I'm afraid that Livni is going to make the next government. Livni, who is anti-women (look at her voting record on women's issues), who is indecisive and shallow. Where will she lead us? To more war, undoubtedly. We know what happens when we give up strategic territory.
I feel like no matter who wins, Am Yisrael is going to lose.
I voted Likud, and I convinced others to vote Likud. G-d help us.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Challenge of... War, I Guess
So, I'm sure you've heard. We're at war. What's that MEAN?
To people in the south, and now people in the center (as we prepare for the longer-range missiles Hamas seems to have), it means something very different than it does to us in the "safe" zone. I'm trying to figure out what it means to us.
Rabbi Brody says that this is a war of Emuna. He says that if we work on our Emuna and come close to Hashem, we will triumph, and that's the ONLY way. One point he made, that I really liked, was this: Hamas does not discriminate between Jews. We are all targets, if we are religious or not, sefaradi, ashkenazi, hassidic, litvishe or athiest. If we would be united, Hamas would not be able to hurt us.
People in Sederot are in a strange position. Life for them has not changed. It's the same now as it was before Chanukah. In fact, maybe there are fewer missiles falling. It's business as usual for them too.
My friend Jameel told me (and I hope it's OK that I'm writing this without his permission) that on the one hand he feels he is needed but on the other hand he'd have to use vacation time from his job. He simply does not have enough vacation time and also he might get called up. If he's called up, he'll also miss work. Not a good thing in this economic climate. So while it's not exactly business as usual for Jameel and his team at the Muqata, it has a business as usual feel to it.
My gut tells me to go with Rabbi Brody. He's sitting in Ashdod, learning and teaching Torah, and he's not afraid. His emuna is strong. Hashem will triumph in the end no matter what WE do. We have to trust that Hashem has our best interests in "mind" and go with that. Here's what I wrote to my mishmeret shmirat halashon (group of women who dedicate time each day to keeping their speech clean for someone else's merit):
Times are challenging. We might even say that times are tough. Rebbi Nachman tells a parable (which I’ll tell in short). Two people, a Jew and a non-Jew are travelling beggars. It’s seder night, and the Jew suggests to the non-Jew that he pretend to be Jewish to get a meal. He coaches him on Kiddush, hand-washing and other customs, but forgets to tell him about the Maror. After the wine and the matza, when the non-Jew is given the bitter herb, he thinks that’s the whole meal, gets insulted and leaves. Later he meets up with the Jew and tells him how terrible the whole thing was. The Jew tells him, “Stupid! If you had waited a little longer you could have had a fine meal, as I did.”
Rebbe Nachman is telling us, when we try to come closer to Hashem, we often have some bitterness. This is to purify us (improve us - YSRM). Someone might think that bitterness is all there is to serving G-d and run away. But if we would only wait, and let the bitterness purify us, we would feel the joy and delight of coming closer to G-d.
May the bitterness, the challenges we face on a personal and national level, serve to purify us so that we can soon experience and enjoy the full redemption.
This war is bitter, make no mistake. It's a bitter pill to swallow and I'm not even in danger. But we will succeed, G-d willing, not by the might of arms but by the might of our faith.
To people in the south, and now people in the center (as we prepare for the longer-range missiles Hamas seems to have), it means something very different than it does to us in the "safe" zone. I'm trying to figure out what it means to us.
Rabbi Brody says that this is a war of Emuna. He says that if we work on our Emuna and come close to Hashem, we will triumph, and that's the ONLY way. One point he made, that I really liked, was this: Hamas does not discriminate between Jews. We are all targets, if we are religious or not, sefaradi, ashkenazi, hassidic, litvishe or athiest. If we would be united, Hamas would not be able to hurt us.
People in Sederot are in a strange position. Life for them has not changed. It's the same now as it was before Chanukah. In fact, maybe there are fewer missiles falling. It's business as usual for them too.
My friend Jameel told me (and I hope it's OK that I'm writing this without his permission) that on the one hand he feels he is needed but on the other hand he'd have to use vacation time from his job. He simply does not have enough vacation time and also he might get called up. If he's called up, he'll also miss work. Not a good thing in this economic climate. So while it's not exactly business as usual for Jameel and his team at the Muqata, it has a business as usual feel to it.
My gut tells me to go with Rabbi Brody. He's sitting in Ashdod, learning and teaching Torah, and he's not afraid. His emuna is strong. Hashem will triumph in the end no matter what WE do. We have to trust that Hashem has our best interests in "mind" and go with that. Here's what I wrote to my mishmeret shmirat halashon (group of women who dedicate time each day to keeping their speech clean for someone else's merit):
Times are challenging. We might even say that times are tough. Rebbi Nachman tells a parable (which I’ll tell in short). Two people, a Jew and a non-Jew are travelling beggars. It’s seder night, and the Jew suggests to the non-Jew that he pretend to be Jewish to get a meal. He coaches him on Kiddush, hand-washing and other customs, but forgets to tell him about the Maror. After the wine and the matza, when the non-Jew is given the bitter herb, he thinks that’s the whole meal, gets insulted and leaves. Later he meets up with the Jew and tells him how terrible the whole thing was. The Jew tells him, “Stupid! If you had waited a little longer you could have had a fine meal, as I did.”
Rebbe Nachman is telling us, when we try to come closer to Hashem, we often have some bitterness. This is to purify us (improve us - YSRM). Someone might think that bitterness is all there is to serving G-d and run away. But if we would only wait, and let the bitterness purify us, we would feel the joy and delight of coming closer to G-d.
May the bitterness, the challenges we face on a personal and national level, serve to purify us so that we can soon experience and enjoy the full redemption.
This war is bitter, make no mistake. It's a bitter pill to swallow and I'm not even in danger. But we will succeed, G-d willing, not by the might of arms but by the might of our faith.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Challenge of Branding
As a good follow-up to my previous post, I want to ask my readers to take note of this web site:
http://www.ads4israel.com/
Somehow, this website does NOT bother me the way Isrealli does. The feeling I get from Isrealli is: "Like us! We're just like you!" The feeling I get from this ad web site is: "We are special! We are cool!"
It's all just gut feelings - no science at all.
What do you think about this second site?
http://www.ads4israel.com/
Somehow, this website does NOT bother me the way Isrealli does. The feeling I get from Isrealli is: "Like us! We're just like you!" The feeling I get from this ad web site is: "We are special! We are cool!"
It's all just gut feelings - no science at all.
What do you think about this second site?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Challenge of Relevance: An Official Blog from the State of Israel
Remember the JBlogger Convention?
One of the speakers at the convention was a representative of Israeli's foreign ministry. She spoke about the "branding" of Israel.
So I wasn't surprised when Google Reader threw out a recommendation to this new blog: http://www.isrealli.org/.
The blog highlights "normal" Israel from a cultural point of view, focusing on events both inside and outside the country.
Whoever is doing it is pretty good. It's easy to read, lots of nice photos, and nothing at all controversial. But who is reading it?
I wonder if this is the Israel that I want people to know and love...
Comments, anyone?
One of the speakers at the convention was a representative of Israeli's foreign ministry. She spoke about the "branding" of Israel.
So I wasn't surprised when Google Reader threw out a recommendation to this new blog: http://www.isrealli.org/.
The blog highlights "normal" Israel from a cultural point of view, focusing on events both inside and outside the country.
Whoever is doing it is pretty good. It's easy to read, lots of nice photos, and nothing at all controversial. But who is reading it?
I wonder if this is the Israel that I want people to know and love...
Comments, anyone?
Monday, September 22, 2008
The Challenge of the Aftermath
When you are in the midst of a non-routine challenge, especially when you are coping well with the challenge, you enter a sort of disconnected state. Things seem to move of their own volition. If you are making good choices, if you are blessed with insight and assistance, obstacles seem to dissolve. Other times, especially if you feel like you are alone and bereft, and have no one to lean on and no faith to support you, it seems like obstacles are placing themselves in your way to make your challenge even more difficult.
Whatever is happening, you are caught up in the rhythm of your challenge. Other things fall by the wayside.
This very effect, a sort of bubble surrounding you, creates yet another challenge when the bubble bursts. You come out of the challenge, whether you met it or not, and suddenly you are "back to normal". What is normal, after all? This very normalcy presents its own challenge. Sometimes it's even harder to be "normal" when you have had the transcendent experience of intimately feeling G-d's presence in your life.
That's what I'm going through now.
We have had many non-routine challenges in the past six months. Since my trip to the US for the unveiling of my mother's gravestone, the various adventures and experiences with Chayim Zvi, up to the loss of my father-in-law last week, I and my family have had many many situations that are not routine. I, certainly, have felt G-d's loving hand holding and protecting and guiding me this whole time. And while I pray that our challenges remain routine from here on out, I am finding it much more difficult to connect to G-d with that kind of intimacy. I'm tired.
Now I have to go back to work, after yet another unexpected absence of days. I have to get the kids out to school. I have to see that there is food and clean laundry. I have to keep up with my responsibilities at the office. And I have to grow and learn and connect with Hashem within that routine. It's hard, perhaps harder than the challenges that took me out of the routine to begin with.
So what's the answer? I believe the answer is prayer. Reading R. Lazer Brody, R. Shalom Arush, R. Pinchas Winston, I believe that whatever you want to call that power in the universe that guides the universe, to connect with that power you have to pray.
Rabbi Winston says that it is human nature to pray under stress. On some level, we all believe that there is some higher power running things. Because I believe that G-d cares about the smallest sparrow no less than the greatest tzaddik (bad translation: saint), I believe that G-d cares about me. So just as a child turns to her parents for love, support and help, so too we have to turn to G-d with our needs, cares and worries.
So I'm praying. I'm not getting to the daily prayer liturgy, though I believe that has an important and vital place. But I'm in constant communication with G-d. The wireless connection that works everywhere, I am in constant conversation with Him. This has tremendous advantages. When I say to G-d, "I can't do this" I remember that if it's happening to me then I must be able to handle it. When I say to G-d, "I don't want this." I remember that if it's happening to me, it must be good for me. When I say to G-d, "I need your help" I begin to feel better, because I understand that I'm not alone. And when I say to G-d, "I accept that I have to work, give me the strength" I feel strengthened.
There is no day without challenges, but I am never, ever alone in them and I can and will meet those challenges because of that.
Whatever is happening, you are caught up in the rhythm of your challenge. Other things fall by the wayside.
This very effect, a sort of bubble surrounding you, creates yet another challenge when the bubble bursts. You come out of the challenge, whether you met it or not, and suddenly you are "back to normal". What is normal, after all? This very normalcy presents its own challenge. Sometimes it's even harder to be "normal" when you have had the transcendent experience of intimately feeling G-d's presence in your life.
That's what I'm going through now.
We have had many non-routine challenges in the past six months. Since my trip to the US for the unveiling of my mother's gravestone, the various adventures and experiences with Chayim Zvi, up to the loss of my father-in-law last week, I and my family have had many many situations that are not routine. I, certainly, have felt G-d's loving hand holding and protecting and guiding me this whole time. And while I pray that our challenges remain routine from here on out, I am finding it much more difficult to connect to G-d with that kind of intimacy. I'm tired.
Now I have to go back to work, after yet another unexpected absence of days. I have to get the kids out to school. I have to see that there is food and clean laundry. I have to keep up with my responsibilities at the office. And I have to grow and learn and connect with Hashem within that routine. It's hard, perhaps harder than the challenges that took me out of the routine to begin with.
So what's the answer? I believe the answer is prayer. Reading R. Lazer Brody, R. Shalom Arush, R. Pinchas Winston, I believe that whatever you want to call that power in the universe that guides the universe, to connect with that power you have to pray.
Rabbi Winston says that it is human nature to pray under stress. On some level, we all believe that there is some higher power running things. Because I believe that G-d cares about the smallest sparrow no less than the greatest tzaddik (bad translation: saint), I believe that G-d cares about me. So just as a child turns to her parents for love, support and help, so too we have to turn to G-d with our needs, cares and worries.
So I'm praying. I'm not getting to the daily prayer liturgy, though I believe that has an important and vital place. But I'm in constant communication with G-d. The wireless connection that works everywhere, I am in constant conversation with Him. This has tremendous advantages. When I say to G-d, "I can't do this" I remember that if it's happening to me then I must be able to handle it. When I say to G-d, "I don't want this." I remember that if it's happening to me, it must be good for me. When I say to G-d, "I need your help" I begin to feel better, because I understand that I'm not alone. And when I say to G-d, "I accept that I have to work, give me the strength" I feel strengthened.
There is no day without challenges, but I am never, ever alone in them and I can and will meet those challenges because of that.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
The Challenge of Being Interviewed
Dear Readers - if you would like to hear my dulcet tones (LOL), you can hear an interview with my from Israel National News Radio. Yishai and Malka Fleisher interviewed me for their "Miracle Hour" show. I spoke about Chayim Zvi and the some of the challenges we faced over the summer. Hear it here.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Blogging Challenges All The Time!
Last night I had the great honor and pleasure in participating in the first (annual I hope) Jblogger's convention (click the link to see the WebCast, which I am in, I think). What is a JBlogger you ask? It's a Jewish, or perhaps Israeli, blogger. Nefesh B'Nefesh sponsored this convention - free to bloggers - and shamelessly pressed us to use our soapboxes, large and small, to encourage Aliyah.
The highlight of the evening was definitely putting faces to names. So many of us are anonymous bloggers and it was a lot of fun to meet the people whose blogs and comments I read. The panels were interesting and most of the other speakers were reasonable to really good. Binyamin Netanyahu showed up and spent more than half an hour taking questions and holding forth. We were a captive audience but people were not afraid to ask him tough political questions. Well, maybe people were too polite to ask him the tough questions. :)
One of the main issues discussed was how to up readership. Now this is a very small blog, as far as I can tell. I haven't added any analytics to it; I don't know how many hits it gets a day. I don't post regularly enough to keep people on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next installment.
I see my challenge right now not to increase readership, but to increase writership. If I can start blogging regularly, even once a month but really once a month, I think I would then be ready to try and get more readers.
My goal when I started this blog was not to increase Aliyah. The thought never crossed my mind in connection with my writing. I just wanted a place for my stuff, a brain dump, my own personal soapbox. But I have found that, you, Dear Reader, have given me much much more than that. I will do my best to keep writing, if you will only keep reading! And if I get the extra added value that my writing strengthens and deepens your connection with our land, that's the icing on the cake!
The highlight of the evening was definitely putting faces to names. So many of us are anonymous bloggers and it was a lot of fun to meet the people whose blogs and comments I read. The panels were interesting and most of the other speakers were reasonable to really good. Binyamin Netanyahu showed up and spent more than half an hour taking questions and holding forth. We were a captive audience but people were not afraid to ask him tough political questions. Well, maybe people were too polite to ask him the tough questions. :)
One of the main issues discussed was how to up readership. Now this is a very small blog, as far as I can tell. I haven't added any analytics to it; I don't know how many hits it gets a day. I don't post regularly enough to keep people on the edge of their seats, waiting for the next installment.
I see my challenge right now not to increase readership, but to increase writership. If I can start blogging regularly, even once a month but really once a month, I think I would then be ready to try and get more readers.
My goal when I started this blog was not to increase Aliyah. The thought never crossed my mind in connection with my writing. I just wanted a place for my stuff, a brain dump, my own personal soapbox. But I have found that, you, Dear Reader, have given me much much more than that. I will do my best to keep writing, if you will only keep reading! And if I get the extra added value that my writing strengthens and deepens your connection with our land, that's the icing on the cake!
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