Some miscellaneous musings of the past few days:
The other night I was sitting at home after dinner and was thinking about our zechut of living here in Israel. Besides many of the obvious benefits of living here, one thing that I felt was an extra special privilege is living in a location that was located where it is...near Yerushalayim (without the prices of Yerushalayim!). I turned to Andy and said that I was going into Yerushalayim to daven Maariv at the Kotel. In reply to her query as to WHY I would just "pop in" to Yerushalayim like that, I replied: "Just because I can...." And that is the truth! From around the "corner" (it can't really be called a corner if the road is a curve) from where I live I can see Yerushalayim (I am looking at Yerushalayim every time I am davening). When I say Shemona Esray and daven that Hashem should return His Shechina (Divine Presence) to His home, and every time I ask for Yerushalayim to be re-built, I am looking at the very city I am davening for.
So, when I just felt "moved" to hop on a bus and daven at the Kotel, I did so...one of the perks/benefits of being here.
=======================================
When I entered the Old City through Sha'ar Yafo (Jaffa Gate), I was surprised to see what greeted me...construction! While it looks like a major archeological dig just inside the gate, it is nothing but infrastructure work being done for the next 18 months ("18 months"...like the Jerusalem Light Rail is right on schedule for completion Summer 2007!) . It surprised me, since I generally enter from a different location and did not realize that this was happening. I looked around and laughed to myself. In Chicago, the old joke is that there are two seasons in Chicago: Winter and Construction. Well, here it seems that there is just one season: CONSTRUCTION. Almost everywhere you walk in the City there is some form of construction...some, like the Light Rail, has caused MAJOR problems for merchants, while other work is just annoying to drivers.
====================================
While reading the paper today, I counted no less than 13 (!!) stories about Moslems and various issues dealing with terrorism. Either they are murdering people or they are planning murder or they are causing security issues or declaring Holy War on those who use the name "Allah" and are non-Moslem. The world does not seem ready to use racial profiling to protect itself as Israel has done for many years. It is racial profiling that has (B"H) saved hundreds of lives in Israel. I sit here stupified as to why the world won't use this form of protective measure to watch over its citizens. Instead, being P.C.(and not affording the proper protection to its citizens)
is more important than offending one BILLION of the world's population.
And while I am at it, I would ask another question: If indeed Islam is the "peace loving" religion that it professes, why are the VAST majority of terror issues in the world Moslem-related and why in the world do those Moslems who want no part of this violent life-style NEVER stand up en masse to declare an end to this madness!?! (Actually a rhetorical question. I know excatly why they won't!) Yes, here and there you here of an Imam who will declare the actions of those perpetrating all these actions as being against their religion...but that is the problem: it is indeed once in a while and not a daily outcry.
Bottom line: Yisrael B'tach Ba'shem...אין לנו על מי להשען אלא על אבינו שבשמים !!!!!
May we all see the day where indeed the ENTIRE WORLD will declare: Hashem Echad U'shmo Echad!
