We are now deeper into the conflict. Four Israeli sailors (z"l) have been killed by an advanced C-802 missile that was fired by Iranian troops who are assisting the Hizbollah. Eight civilians (z"l) have been killed in a missile strike on Haifa's train station, which was carried out with 250 mm Syrian rockets. Hundreds of people have been wounded all over northern Israel. The Israeli Air Force, the Israeli Navy and the artillery are carrying out strikes against Hizbollah targets all over Lebanon. Our strikes have effectively cut off all sea, land and air communication and transportation routes to and from Lebanon. This lowers the chances of Syrian and Iranian assistance to Hizbollah. You can all check out detailed coverage of the conflict on Jerusalem Post's website, where they also post pictures of some of the slain soldiers z"l.
Just as life goes on as if nothing is happening, there's still a palpable energy brewing in Jerusalem, even though no one here is directly affected. Since Israel is so small, everyone knows someone in every corner of this Land. Hence, I am not the only one with friends and relatives who are getting bombed by Hizbollah. It seems that at this point, the majority of northerners are going into bomb shelters when the sirens sound, and normal life has been put on hold. People in the affected area aren't going to work, and summer camps have suspended their programs. Those of us who are diligent students of Jewish history know that the months of Tammuz and Av (roughly responding to July and August) are very problematic for the Jewish people and many terrible tragedies have occured at this particular time of the year. G-d is testing us yet again, and we have to pray with strong conviction and do what is right by the Torah in order to come out of this better than we went in.
As I write this in an internet cafe, the owner of the place and a few customers are discussing the ranges of various missiles that Hizbollah possesses and what cities can be hit. The consensus is that Hizbollah can reach down to Hadera, which is not too far north of Tel-Aviv. There are also the usual jokes about who's getting that call from his IDF officer. Once that call comes in, life can go from going to work, running a business or attending class to donning the IDF olive green and doing dirty work to defend the country. I have only praise for the IDF's reserve system, but it is still difficult to stomach the fact that if enough reserve soldiers are needed, men in their 30's who have children will be called up. Sadly, the air war has its limitations in the rugged mountain terrain of southern Lebanon, and damaging Hizbollah in a decisive way requires a large scale ground incursion like the one currently ongoing in Gaza. With all of this coverage of the missile exchanges some people abroad are forgetting that there are IDF troops destroying Hamas operatives and infrastructure in Gaza, not to mention the nightly arrests and raids being carried out in the West Bank.
At this point, the Israeli government is still playing the game like a bunch of sleazy diplomats, trying to secure promises, trying to broker a deal. In the end, if a deal gets the kidnapped soldiers back, will the violence stop? Maybe for a little while, but the threat will remain and nothing will change. Hizbollah is strengthening strategically and publically admits its connection and kinship with Syria and Iran. The enemy does not fear the Nation of Israel. The Nation of Israel, on the other hand, does fear. Not the enemy, but the international community. The Israeli government fears what may be if the Western world increases its criticism. Is it worth continuing the conflict or is it time to make a deal? Will the West cut off economic relations with us if the Lebanese civilian death toll climbs?
These are the questions our pseudo-intellectuals are asking themselves. They start with a position of fear, of doubt, of confusion. If they were real Jews, the kind of Jews that our religion bluntly states we must be, they would have no fear, no doubt and no confusion. The Torah is not a bunch of old legends, and the G-d of Israel is not a metaphor for a general law of Nature. G-d is a complete and total force that allocates itself in our physical world in such a way so as to keep it functioning and moving in a specific direction, continually allowing for perfect flows of energy to all objects and occurences. G-d created and maintains the inter-relationship of all the various parts that make up the multiple aspects of existence. The Jewish connection with G-d is very real, very powerful, even amongst those Jews who haven't realized it yet. We, as a people, must realize that we, as selfish individuals, are not the center of the universe. Our desires, our fears, our feelings are simply reflections of our weaknesses and the inherent problems of what happens to a human when he improperly exercises the power of free choice. Free choice exists in order to realize that we have amazing powers that can connect us to a force of unimaginable and infinite power. From there, we logically proceed to the realization that we are part of a greater spiritual reality. This reality doesn't just exist in some heavenly world to which we go when we die or to which we pray to. The opposite is true - the greater spiritual reality exists at the same time and in the same place as the physical reality. We, as Jews, can grasp multiple realities at once and create a crucial link between the physical and the super-physical.
This may sound like crazy talk to an avowed secularist. And if not, there's still the question "So what?" and "What do I have to do with it all?" Without getting into it too deeply, Jews can, on an intellectual level, come to understand the Torah philosophy. Within the practical codes of law and behavior set down by G-d, exist the keys to making the theoretically impossible connection between the physical and the Divine, and, importantly, bringing that connection to affect our very lives. The simple emotional elation that a human can feel in a particular moment of spirituality is a powerful thing. But more powerful is using the analytical abilities of the mind to create logical algorithms that can prove the operative assumptions of Judaism, thereby making it rationally indisputable. If you believe that quantum physics is provable science, than Torah concepts are easily as provable if not more so. For those interested, I can get into the Torah-science discussion in person. But I forewarn, if you are intelligent and are afraid of bursting your scientific bubble, then study up on that science before we have that discussion. That way, you will be closer to the right understanding of things, and it'll be even easier to prove Judaism's case. He he. That's some Talmudic humor for you.
Even so, lets say we can understand what I wrote. And we can understand deeper concepts of scientific thought that expose small, but crucial, elements of our physical reality. But "why, oh why do I have to do all those silly 'rituals' and why do I have to dress modestly and act prude? and why do I have to perform laws I don't understand?" These questions, like Jewish philosophy, don't require leaps of faith. They do require a logical mind and an ability to think on multiple levels simultaneously.
I have gone way off the security discussion, but I did give you, my dear readers, and fraction of a drop of the ocean of Jewish thought. And, as our actions as Jews have great power to alter reality, we must ask hard questions and delve deep.
Light two candles next Shabbat, and make the following blessing as you do it: Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'Olam, Asher Kiddishanu b'Mitzvotav V'Tzivanu al Hadlakat Neirot Shabbat, Amen. It's a simple act that takes thirty seconds, men or women can do it, and won't infringe on your life. And by doing it, you won't just bring a great spiritual surge into your home, but you will empower the Jewish people in a very direct way, thereby helping to protect the lives of Jews here in Eretz Israel. We need to harness all the Jewish spirituality we can, especially at this time. Thank you.
Just as life goes on as if nothing is happening, there's still a palpable energy brewing in Jerusalem, even though no one here is directly affected. Since Israel is so small, everyone knows someone in every corner of this Land. Hence, I am not the only one with friends and relatives who are getting bombed by Hizbollah. It seems that at this point, the majority of northerners are going into bomb shelters when the sirens sound, and normal life has been put on hold. People in the affected area aren't going to work, and summer camps have suspended their programs. Those of us who are diligent students of Jewish history know that the months of Tammuz and Av (roughly responding to July and August) are very problematic for the Jewish people and many terrible tragedies have occured at this particular time of the year. G-d is testing us yet again, and we have to pray with strong conviction and do what is right by the Torah in order to come out of this better than we went in.
As I write this in an internet cafe, the owner of the place and a few customers are discussing the ranges of various missiles that Hizbollah possesses and what cities can be hit. The consensus is that Hizbollah can reach down to Hadera, which is not too far north of Tel-Aviv. There are also the usual jokes about who's getting that call from his IDF officer. Once that call comes in, life can go from going to work, running a business or attending class to donning the IDF olive green and doing dirty work to defend the country. I have only praise for the IDF's reserve system, but it is still difficult to stomach the fact that if enough reserve soldiers are needed, men in their 30's who have children will be called up. Sadly, the air war has its limitations in the rugged mountain terrain of southern Lebanon, and damaging Hizbollah in a decisive way requires a large scale ground incursion like the one currently ongoing in Gaza. With all of this coverage of the missile exchanges some people abroad are forgetting that there are IDF troops destroying Hamas operatives and infrastructure in Gaza, not to mention the nightly arrests and raids being carried out in the West Bank.
At this point, the Israeli government is still playing the game like a bunch of sleazy diplomats, trying to secure promises, trying to broker a deal. In the end, if a deal gets the kidnapped soldiers back, will the violence stop? Maybe for a little while, but the threat will remain and nothing will change. Hizbollah is strengthening strategically and publically admits its connection and kinship with Syria and Iran. The enemy does not fear the Nation of Israel. The Nation of Israel, on the other hand, does fear. Not the enemy, but the international community. The Israeli government fears what may be if the Western world increases its criticism. Is it worth continuing the conflict or is it time to make a deal? Will the West cut off economic relations with us if the Lebanese civilian death toll climbs?
These are the questions our pseudo-intellectuals are asking themselves. They start with a position of fear, of doubt, of confusion. If they were real Jews, the kind of Jews that our religion bluntly states we must be, they would have no fear, no doubt and no confusion. The Torah is not a bunch of old legends, and the G-d of Israel is not a metaphor for a general law of Nature. G-d is a complete and total force that allocates itself in our physical world in such a way so as to keep it functioning and moving in a specific direction, continually allowing for perfect flows of energy to all objects and occurences. G-d created and maintains the inter-relationship of all the various parts that make up the multiple aspects of existence. The Jewish connection with G-d is very real, very powerful, even amongst those Jews who haven't realized it yet. We, as a people, must realize that we, as selfish individuals, are not the center of the universe. Our desires, our fears, our feelings are simply reflections of our weaknesses and the inherent problems of what happens to a human when he improperly exercises the power of free choice. Free choice exists in order to realize that we have amazing powers that can connect us to a force of unimaginable and infinite power. From there, we logically proceed to the realization that we are part of a greater spiritual reality. This reality doesn't just exist in some heavenly world to which we go when we die or to which we pray to. The opposite is true - the greater spiritual reality exists at the same time and in the same place as the physical reality. We, as Jews, can grasp multiple realities at once and create a crucial link between the physical and the super-physical.
This may sound like crazy talk to an avowed secularist. And if not, there's still the question "So what?" and "What do I have to do with it all?" Without getting into it too deeply, Jews can, on an intellectual level, come to understand the Torah philosophy. Within the practical codes of law and behavior set down by G-d, exist the keys to making the theoretically impossible connection between the physical and the Divine, and, importantly, bringing that connection to affect our very lives. The simple emotional elation that a human can feel in a particular moment of spirituality is a powerful thing. But more powerful is using the analytical abilities of the mind to create logical algorithms that can prove the operative assumptions of Judaism, thereby making it rationally indisputable. If you believe that quantum physics is provable science, than Torah concepts are easily as provable if not more so. For those interested, I can get into the Torah-science discussion in person. But I forewarn, if you are intelligent and are afraid of bursting your scientific bubble, then study up on that science before we have that discussion. That way, you will be closer to the right understanding of things, and it'll be even easier to prove Judaism's case. He he. That's some Talmudic humor for you.
Even so, lets say we can understand what I wrote. And we can understand deeper concepts of scientific thought that expose small, but crucial, elements of our physical reality. But "why, oh why do I have to do all those silly 'rituals' and why do I have to dress modestly and act prude? and why do I have to perform laws I don't understand?" These questions, like Jewish philosophy, don't require leaps of faith. They do require a logical mind and an ability to think on multiple levels simultaneously.
I have gone way off the security discussion, but I did give you, my dear readers, and fraction of a drop of the ocean of Jewish thought. And, as our actions as Jews have great power to alter reality, we must ask hard questions and delve deep.
Light two candles next Shabbat, and make the following blessing as you do it: Baruch Ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha'Olam, Asher Kiddishanu b'Mitzvotav V'Tzivanu al Hadlakat Neirot Shabbat, Amen. It's a simple act that takes thirty seconds, men or women can do it, and won't infringe on your life. And by doing it, you won't just bring a great spiritual surge into your home, but you will empower the Jewish people in a very direct way, thereby helping to protect the lives of Jews here in Eretz Israel. We need to harness all the Jewish spirituality we can, especially at this time. Thank you.
posted by Felix at
11:06 AM
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