TK Says It All

Mike, if not Eretz Israel then where? We are all going to die sometime and 
at 61, I'm only half way thru my life expectancy, so anything sooner is 
definitely a bummer. However, things aren't looking good for Jews in 
the US so where do we make our stand? The banks of the Potomac or the 
banks of the Jordan? If American Jews are just going to Israel to get 
more house for their dollar, and as here, expect the government to do 
everything for them, well, I don't completely blame you for calling 
them lemmings. Israel is far from a magic bullet to fix all our galut 
mistakes or get us even more goodies than we had here. It takes 
commitment and dedication to survive in Eretz Israel until Mashiach 
comes. The truth is it takes dedication and commitment to live as a 
Jew anywhere and even as a non-Jew if you want to do it with integrity 
and purpose.

The Diaspora Jews aren't listening. I had a Syrian Jewish woman of 
advanced years tell me just this past weekend, that it will never 
happen here because in America we have Congress and a President!  This 
is a woman who sees herself as religious. Ok, I agree but who is her 
god?

She was amazed that we want to return to Israel rather than enjoy all 
the "blessings" of Miami. I see no purpose in anyone dedicated to 
Eretz Israel remaining here to try to convince those who don't want to 
see. The door is barred and the window is almost closed. In a few 
months it will be too late.  Those who love Israel need to return now 
and FIGHT for her. In that I agree with Mike. Don't just sit and wait 
for a "good" government to arise. Make it happen. When Nehemiah 
returned with the Babylonian exiles, they built the  Temple with their 
builder's tools in one hand and a sword in the other.  That should be 
our example.

I for one am not a lemming. I know the risks of both places. I don't 
like governments, period, but until my King comes I must cope with 
what our corporate sin has brought upon us. I choose to risk life with 
purpose and meaning in Israel rather than a life of futility that 
could well be cut short for no more than a hit of crystal meth or the 
violent reaction of a uniquely American sociopathic personality who 
projects his pathology unto me one unfortunate day.

That’s what I have to say.

Love, Love, Love

Yesterday, we had the privilege of driving north to Meron, in the entourage of the revered Kabbalist, Rav Eliahu Leon Levi, for a beat-the-mob visit to the tomb of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, whose yahrtzeit will be celebrated on Lag B’Omer, beginning this Thursday night.

View of Kinneret from tomb of Rachel, wife of Rabbi Akiva

For half a kilometer in both directions along the highway leading to the site, people are already camped out in tents. Traffic patterns have been diverted, and hundreds of policemen are already in place, ready for the one million devotees who are expected to arrive to honor the author of the Holy Zohar over the next few days. There is no more festive a memorial day anywhere in the world.

Rav Leon arrives in Meron

Since there are readers who say silly things about the Kabbala, we won’t write anything more on the subject. For people who would like a taste of Rabbi Shimon’s teachings, a selection can be found in the Zohar section of jewishsexuality.com.

Studying the Zohar with students

In the meantime, we will continue with our new leaf of love, and Rabbi Kook’s writings on the Land of Israel and aliyah, with goal of softening hearts that have become bitter and fortified in a defensive posture in order to ward of the pummeling blows of my hitherto offensive assaults.
    
Another public proclamation of Rabbi Kook was addressed to Orthodox communities to urge their Aliyah to Israel. In establishing a movement called “The Banner of Jerusalem,” Rabbi Kook called upon all religious Jews to come to Israel to rebuild the nation’s spiritual life, just as the secular Zionists were rebuilding the physical.

“Jews! We call you to the sacred task of building our Jewish nation in our Holy Land, in Eretz Yisrael. Come to us, rally together under the “Banner of Jerusalem” which we now raise aloft before the whole Jewish religious public.

“We all know the ‘Banner of Zion’ which unites a certain portion of our brethren on the basis of our Jewish secular interests in the Land of Israel. But there are many who have not joined those who bear the Zionist flag, and a great many who feel it impossible to do so. We simply record the plain fact that this is so, without questioning its veracity.

“Yet it cannot be that the largest, most natural, and earnest portion of Jewry, the majority of the Jewish religious public, should remain indifferent to the wonderful events of the present, and not lend a hand in the holy task of building our nation on our sacred soil because of, what they call, objections.

“Jews, all the loyal believers in the Jewish faith, there can be no doubt that the Divine power is now manifesting itself in us amidst the great world events. We are certainly called to return to our ancient home in the Land of Israel, there to renew our ancient holy life.

“We religious Jews must all profoundly know and believe that the Divine hand is now leading us openly to our high, ideal destiny. We must make known to the whole world, the true meaning of the present wondrous happenings, whose purpose is so clearly the hastening of our redemption and salvation, from which alone will also spring forth the redemption and salvation of all mankind.

“With the flaming, illuminating, Divine faith, with all the luster of our holy Torah, with the vitality of all of the most refined and devout Jews, we shall carry our flag, the ‘Banner of Jerusalem’ by which alone the ‘Banner of Zion’ will also be properly hoisted. For the value of Jewish secular power will be elucidated to the world only in the light of our holy Jewish spiritual power, emphasized by the uplifted voices of the whole religious Jewish world community, setting with holy enthusiasm to the task of our national construction, of our return to the Land of Israel, by the grace of the Divine and illuminating light, O House of Jacob, come, and let us walk in the light of the L-rd.”

The Great Call

This isn’t me. It’s Rav Kook. You want love. Here's love. Unbounded, limitless love. Rav Kook wrote this open letter, which he named, “The Great Call,” to world Jewry in 1907 when the Turks ruled the Land of Israel, when travel was difficult, when livelihood was sparse, before there was  a Jewish airline, and a thriving economy, a rebuilt Jerusalem, government subsidies, and Jewish communities filled with yeshivot, modern ten-story apartment buildings, and split-level homes.

What more do you want?

“Come to the Land of Israel, dear brothers, come to the Land of Israel. Save your souls, the soul of your generation, the soul of the entire nation; save her from desolation and destruction, save her from decay and degradation, save her from defilement and all evil — from all of the suffering and oppression that threatens to come upon her in all the lands of the world without exception or distinction....

“Escape with your lives and come to Israel; G-d’s voice beckons us; His hand is outstretched to us; His spirit within our hearts unites us, encourages us and obliges us all to cry in a great, powerful and awesome voice: Brothers! Children of Israel, beloved and dear brethren, come to the Land of Israel, do not tarry with arrangements and official matters; rescue yourselves, gather, come to the Land of Israel....

“And now, who is so blind that he does not see the L-rd’s hand guiding us in this, and does not feel obligated to work along with G-d? A heavenly voice in the future will cry aloud on top of the mountains and say, ‘Whoever has wrought with G-d, let him come and receive his reward.’ Who can exempt himself from doing his part in bringing additional blessing and swifter salvation; from awakening many hearts to return to the Holy Land, to the L-rd’s legacy, that they may become a part of it, to settle it with enterprises and buildings, to purchase property, to plant and sow, to do everything necessary for the foundation of life of a stable and organized settlement....

“Brothers, come to the Land of Israel.”