Only Six More Days Until Shabbat!

While today is only Sunday, I find myself already thinking about Shabbat...specifically Friday night...and specifically Kabbalat Shabbat. To participate in the serene, melodious nearly-surreal singing is to BEGIN to understand the idea that Shababt is "me'en olam Haba" (a taste of the World to Come). If I could describe in the printed word what it feels like to sit there with a few hundred people singing so beautifully together and the absolute peace at which I feel while singing, I would attempt to put it in words. But the best way to say this is to say that anytime you find yourself in Israel, you must experience a Shabbat in Mitzpe Nevo, especially the Tefilla.

During the week, I often catch myself humming tunes from the Friday night tefilla and think that it is only "X" number of days until we are together again for that mystical time. While I could elaborate further, you get my drift by now!

I had a very interesting thing happen today that, when I thought about it in retrospect, I FULLY understood the situation. I often go to daven Mincha at 1:35pm at the local boys Yeshiva high School. There is, of course, a gate through which all visitors and students must pass and must be buzzed in through the security gate. Over the past few months, the one or two Shomrim (guards) who are at the gates came to know me, and buzzed me in as soon as they saw me. Today, however, I arrived to see a new guard. He asked me for ID...I had been working in the house on some project and was not walking around with any identification. He asked again for me to present ID...when I told him I had none, he would not let me in. As I began to explain how I am there nearly every day, and he said he would not let me in, I just put up my hand, stopped the conversation and said, "Ata tzodek" (you are correct!). Under no circumstances should he have let me in, and he was 100% right about it. As I walked home, I recalled that the #2 Bus was bombed by a homicide bomber dressed like a Chassid. Just because a guy comes with a Kippah and tzitzit out does NOT entitle him to walk freely into a high school.

(PS--As I write these words, I am sitting in our backyard until a moonlit sky filled with 1000's of stars. I look up, and in the distance, I see Jordan and hear the faint sounds of cars on the main road a couple of kilometers away. The beauty of Maale Adumim is staring me in the face one mountain over...Ah, Hashem has truly blessed us!)

Two Highlights and "The News"

First some highlights from yesterday. After going in to the office for a few hours yesterday, I found myself in J'lem late afternoon to wait for Andy for an event later that evening (see below). At about 6pm, I realized that I still had to daven Mincha and I asked in a Falafel store on King George if the guy knew of any minyan in the immediate area. He sent me over to Agripas saying that he was sure there would be one in the vicinity, but he did not know exactly where. At the first little hole-in-the-wall store that I saw which was selling Tefillin, Mezuzot, etc, I stopped in and asked him as well. He asked me what time it was, and I told him 6:10pm. He told me to come back in 20 minutes as there is a minyan for Mincha IN HIS STORE at 6:30. Sure enough, at 6:30pm, about 20 people came pouring in to this 3 square meter shop with many of us (myself included) standing outside on Agripas to daven. It was so interesting to watch that as we began, people would walk by and say "Hey, a minyan for Mincha!," and they would run over and join in. I found that little incident so great...



The "event" that evening was a הרמת כוסית (a toast) held a the office of the mayor of Jerusalem, Nir Barkat. Andy and I joined about 100 others who made Aliya in the past few months (to the Greater Jerusalem area) for this evening. We began by standing on the balcony on top of the building affording us a 360 degree view of the city....make that THE city. The song Yerushalayim shel Zahav went through my mind as, in my mind's eye, I watched soldiers capturing the Old City in June 1967. It was a most magnificent view of a most magnificent city! The event was sponsored by Nefesh B'nefesh and was well attended. They mentioned last night that this summer alone 3000 people made Aliya! Yasher Koach!!



And now for the news...



I am sitting with a copy of today's and yesterday's Jerusalem Post sitting next to me. Below I present to you a list of headlines exactly as they are printed with my providing only a little commentary afterwards:

* 500 Palestinian damage suits filed against Israel since 2000

* Saudis won't engage Israel until it ends occupation

* London anti-Israel rally moved following threats by far-right wing group

* Anti-semitic attacks hit Argentina and Russia

* Bin Laden says 9/11 was in retaliation for US support of Israel

* "You should have buried me" tearful Rona Ramon tells her son at funeral

* UN probe alleged Israeli crimes against humanity in Gaza

* UN report cites Israel's "deliberate and intentional" war crimes in Gaza

* IDF accused of unjustifiably killing civilians in Gaza offensive

* "No light at end of tunnel" says family of Schalit

* 3 UK Moslems jailed for liquid bomb threat

As far as the summary of the "key findings" of this report about Israel in Gaza, allow me to summarize THAT summary:

Israel must do anything in its power to put itself in a position of existential suicide; they must retreat to the borders they held while enslaved in Egypt; they must take responsibility for any death within 10,000 miles of their borders; they must allow all muderers to be freed from any jail; Israel should allow Palestinians free access to all areas of Israel (while providing that any Israeli that goes into Palestinian land will be arrested and dealt with in a most severe way.)

The Palestinians on the other hand must promise to not put too much starch in their laundry and not to jaywalk. THAT will surely bring peace to the region.



Now, if you think I am exaggerating this a little, open up any legitimate newspaper and look for a summary of the recommendations of this so-called committee of the UN. Notice the "one extreme to another" treatment of Jews vs Palestinians. Tell you what...I will save you the time of looking it up. Here is a link to the Jerusalem Post where the "Key Recommendations" are listed:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1251804580149&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

As I mentioned once before in Chicago...it was the proper title to give to this body politic overlooking the East River...the United Nations. It is proper, both in terms of the NAME and in terms of the abbrevation, the UN. They are indeed UNITED...united to be a force against the State of Israel. Rockets fall on Sderot and Israel is a war criminal. People are beheaded in Saudi Arabia and Israel is the war criminal. Women are murdered in Arab countries in so-called honor killings and Israel is the war criminal; Palestinians who aid Israel are taken out to a public square and hanged and Israel is the war criminal. Yes, they are indeed United against us.
And the abbrevation? The "UN." If you look up the prefix of the two letters "un-" you get the following definition: a prefix meaning “not,” freely used as an English formative, giving negative or opposite force in adjectives and their derivative adverbs and nouns. How fitting for the UN...they are UN-fair, UN-reliable, UN-bending, UN-ceasing in their campaign against Israel, UN-abashed, and the list goes on and on!

So, that is the report from Israel for today. I need to go back to my "occupied" home in the "settlement" of Maale Adumim and get to work. Hmmm....a "settlement." I did not realize that a city the size of Maale Adumim (33,000+ bli ayin hara) and having all of the facilities and services that we have, qualifies as a "settlement." Did you ever notice that the media NEVER refers to ANY Arab village as a settlement!?!?!?

Some "Only in Israel" Moments

I went to my office today in Or Yehuda. As I have mentioned before, it is a series of three busses to get there and a long commute. But no problem...that's what small-size Gemaras are for. Anyways, there were a few "Only in Israel" moments today that I just had to share with you right away!



1. Bus #1: I sat near a young lady, no more than 19 years old. I saw she was in a very intense discussion with someone, who, I surmise, was a student of her's. Not wanting to eavesdrop (yeah, right!) I couldn't help but overhear what they were discussing. The subject? Teshuva and the meaning of what we say in our daily Shemona Esray. And this conversation was being held as if it were a classroom. It was so inspiring to see this that it warmed my heart.

2. Mincha: I was running a little late heading back from the office towards Yerushalayim. I arrived at the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv at about 6:00pm. Knowing that there was a Bet Kenesset in the Station, I headed over there expecting a small little room with a few siddurim and my need to daven Mincha all alone. I was no less than SHOCKED to see a small bet Midrash with dozens of Sefarim (obviously have been used a LOT) and one Minyan for Mincha just finishing and one about to begin! Who would have thought that in Tel Aviv in the BUS STATION, no less, would I find a beautiful minyan with which to daven! And even more interesting was the makeup of the group: Ashkenazi, Sefaradi, Chasidishe, Litvish, Seruga, black hat and one or two that were not sure why they were there. It was a microcosm of Kibbutz Galuyot (the Ingathering of the Exiles)! And when I finished davening and walked out to head towards the bus, there were some wafers and (no, not wine!) juice for those who had just davened. After putting some money in the Tzedaka box, I headed to the bus...for another experience! Read on...

3. Bus #2: On the bus from Tel Aviv to Yerushalayim, the traffic came to a standstill. Like all good citizens, I craned my neck to see what the holdup was. While it turned out that there had been not one but TWO accidents along the road, the scene lent itself to yet another "Only in Israel" moment. As I mentioned earlier, it was beginning to get a little late in the day. Evidentally, many of the drivers ahead of me originally thought that they would get to Yerushalayim in time to daven Mincha. WRONG! It was late, and it seems that many of the drivers had yet to daven. No problem! I counted no less than SEVEN vehicles that had pulled over to the side with the driver (and some of the occupants) standing next to their cars davening Mincha! It was so interesting to observe and re-inforced my view of what a special place it is to live. (I will not address the safety issue involved. That is another matter altogether.)

So, three moments that encapsulated for me (just today) why, indeed, I feel at home.