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Adar 13, 5769, 3/9/2009
Remember! æëåø It's Never Too Late
This past Shabbat (yesterday) was Shabbat Zachor, the Shabbat we're supposed to remember what Amalek did to us all those millennium ago, because in actuality, Amalek is still active, still 
...even when G-d seems to be absent, He is always with us, Hester Pannim
 attacking us. Amalek wasn't destroyed by King Saul, even though Saul had been ordered by G-d, via Samuel, to destroy him totally and utterly, even his livestock. To this very day, we're paying for Saul's sin. Saul was a weak and fearful "leader." When G-d had commanded Samuel to anoint him king, it had been hoped that Saul would accept instructions from Samuel. But free will can be very unpredictable and dangerous. Saul, enjoying his power as king, didn't obey, and for that reason he was deposed in what I consider the Bible's greatest dramatic scene. Sounding very much like a modern politician, Saul, blamed the people. If you look carefully at the Biblical text, it doesn't say that the people ordered, or urged Saul to disobey G-d. It says: "...Saul and the people..." Saul is mentioned first. This is not like the sin of the Golden Calf, when the people rebelled and Aaron tried to control it by joining. The Hebrew makes it even more clear that Saul led, because all verbs in Hebrew are either in singular or plural. " åÇéÌÇçÀîÉì ùÑÈàåÌì åÀäÈòÈí òÇì-àÂâÈâ" "Vayachmol" is in singular. Even if it's supposed to mean that Saul and the people were totally united, as one, it condemns him for not struggling to obey G-d. 1 Samuel Chapter 15 æ åÇéÌÇêÀ ùÑÈàåÌì, àÆú-òÂîÈìÅ÷, îÅçÂåÄéìÈä áÌåÉàÂêÈ ùÑåÌø, àÂùÑÆø òÇì-ôÌÀðÅé îÄöÀøÈéÄí. 7 And Saul smote the Amalekites, from Havilah as thou goest to Shur, that is in front of Egypt. ç åÇéÌÄúÀôÌÉùÒ àÆú-àÂâÇâ îÆìÆêÀ-òÂîÈìÅ÷, çÈé; åÀàÆú-ëÌÈì-äÈòÈí, äÆçÁøÄéí ìÀôÄé-çÈøÆá. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. è åÇéÌÇçÀîÉì ùÑÈàåÌì åÀäÈòÈí òÇì-àÂâÈâ, åÀòÇì-îÅéèÇá äÇöÌÉàï åÀäÇáÌÈ÷Èø åÀäÇîÌÄùÑÀðÄéí åÀòÇì-äÇëÌÈøÄéí åÀòÇì-ëÌÈì-äÇèÌåÉá, åÀìÉà àÈáåÌ, äÇçÂøÄéîÈí; åÀëÈì-äÇîÌÀìÈàëÈä ðÀîÄáÀæÈä åÀðÈîÅñ, àÉúÈäÌ äÆçÁøÄéîåÌ. {ô} 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, even the young of the second birth, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was of no account and feeble, that they destroyed utterly. {P} Saul's blaming the people was even worse than when Adam blamed Chava (Eve) for eating the forbidden fruit. Today we are caught in a situation very much like the Haftara of Shabbat Zachor, but today is much, much worse. Saul and his sinful advisers dominate the government, the media and even our religious leadership. The voice of Samuel is gagged and muffled. Even worse are those who speak in his name confusing us. In a couple of days, it will be Purim, the Holiday which reminds us that even when G-d seems to be absent, He is always with us, Hester Pannim. Let's pray that G-d will once again bring us miracles, even if we don't deserve them.
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Adar 9, 5769, 3/5/2009
I Have My Doubts About The "Orange Camp"
We're a People in search of leadership, inspiration and confidence in our National Right and Legitimacy.
Where Has the Orange Camp Gone? More important: What exactly is, or was, the "Orange Camp?"
As a pragmatist, I need to fully define the term. Simply, I do understand it to mean those who opposed Disengagement.
So, if that's the case, who were its leaders? And please don't forget that Disengagement did take place. Gush Katif, Kfar Darom and northern Samarian communities were destroyed by the Israeli Government. Yes, that means that the "Orange Camp" failed.
Again, who led it? Were they independent activists, government employees, like rabbis, or both? Were they the Women in Green or Moetzet YESHA? 
Yes, I'm repeating myself. They failed, and unless I missed something, they didn't apologize for that failure... whoever they are. So, as far as I'm concerned, we're probably better off without them. We need a new leadership. Yes, we need leadership. I was so enthusiastic when the Ichud Le'umi, National Union got back together. But I don't understand why Hatikvah's Ron Breiman or anyone else should be so fixated on those who failed. Why should he have any expectations? Orange is history. Those who led it didn't succeed in winning the hearts of the Israeli people nor the hearts and minds the Jews in the Diaspora. If they had, our IDF soldiers would never have cooperated with the army. They would have found themselves incapable of taking innocent Jews from their homes. We're a People in search of leadership, inspiration and confidence in our National Right and Legitimacy. |
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Adar 6, 5769, 3/2/2009
Why Are People So Surprised?
Honestly, I'd feel safer with Bibi in the opposition. That's where he'd act more "Right."
FYI, the reason I haven't been blogging here recently is totally technical. The "log in" 's I had been given weren't working... all of a sudden. Now I finally made contact with the tech person, who gave me yet another way to log in.
When I wrote/composed the title I was thinking of Bibi Netanyahu's quest to form a Center, not Right wing coalition, but when I clicked the Jerusalem Post I saw a picture of a livingroom in Ashkelon destroyed by Arab-terrorist launched rockets. We shouldn't be surprised by that either.
The recent war/operation/campaign was just "show." It didn't finish the job. It was like a cancer operation which only took out some of the tumor and then didn't treat the patient with the most aggressive chemotherapy, radiation etc. Aspirin and antibiotics don't work against cancer and food and medical aid don't work against terrorists.
 Back to Bibi... Last August at the International Jewish Blogger Convention I saw, heard and photographed him predicting, promising, to do what he is doing now, make every effort to form a Centrist coalition and woo back former Likudniks from Kadima. During the campaign there were many hints that he'd give Ehud Barak, former Reign of Terror, Prime Minister, the Defense portfolio.
Honestly, I'd feel safer with Bibi in the opposition. That's where he'd act more "Right."
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The Eye of the Storm
by Batya Medad
A Unique Perspective
by Batya Medad of Shiloh
Batya Medad made aliya from New York to Israel in 1970 and has been living in Shiloh since 1981. Recently she began organizing women's visits to Tel Shiloh for Psalms and prayers. (For more information, please email her.) Batya is a veteran jblogger and recently stopped EFL teaching. She's also a wife, mother, grandmother, photographer and HolyLand hitchhiker, always seeing things from her own very unique perspective. For more of Batya's writings and photos, check out: Shiloh Musings And: me-ander |
