Did I Say The Wrong Thing?

I have a feeling they don't like me too much any more.

Yesterday morning I got an email from someone, who's really on the right side of things, but...

The person lives abroad but is a very strong supporter of Jewish life in YESHA.  The theme of the letter, sent to many people, was that the "G'dolim" there should be protesting against the Olmert government and policies.  The letter writer reminded everyone of the "G'dolims'" silence before Disengagement.  Now, I do agree that rabbis should protest what's going on here and have written many similar things. 

But I responded a bissel off-topic.  I said that there aren't any "G'dolim" in Chutz LaAretz (out of Israel*.)  Living in Chu"L goes against the entire spirit of Judaism. 

*Now, I put the word "Israel" in italics in the previous paragraph, because I don't want to get into semantics about what to call our Holy Land.  The State of Israel and its borders are modern and controversial for various reasons.  Some people say those of us in our historic and holy Judea and Samaria should establish our own independent rule.  Let's suffice with the term "Eretz Yisrael," the Land of Israel, which includes all Land which has been under Jewish rule thoughout the millenium.

 

I have said before that rabbis who do not live in Israel are incompetant to judge questions concerning aliyah (moving to the Land of Israel.)  Most rationalize their being abroad, which is against Halacha, and that colors their advice to their followers.

Israel is a technologically advanced country with some of the best, and certainly most reasonably priced, medical care in the world.  The more Jews here in the HolyLand, the stronger the economy will be, and the more G-d fearing, Torah-observant Jews here (and in the IDF) the more Jewish the country will be.  Staying away on your high golden horse will not make things better and in the end won't keep you any safer.

....

And then in the afternoon I went to work, and in the Teachers Room... I found myself getting very disgusted with the turn of the conversation.

We were discussing the admittedly terrible state of affairs here, Olmert and his announcements that he's giving the Arab terrorists our homes and Land, etc.  Some of us said that we must fight it in every way, and one teacher said that it's "the will of G-d."  A teacher insisted that Disengagement happened because "G-d willed it."  I and others disagreed.  The problem is that we didn't do the right things to stop it.

"Why are you shouting?" I heard the teacher ask.

"We're supposed to shout," I answered back.  Read last week's Parshat Shavua, Torah Portion of the Week:

ëâ  åÇéÀäÄé áÇéÌÈîÄéí äÈøÇáÌÄéí äÈäÅí, åÇéÌÈîÈú îÆìÆêÀ îÄöÀøÇéÄí, åÇéÌÅàÈðÀçåÌ áÀðÅé-éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì îÄï-äÈòÂáÉãÈä, åÇéÌÄæÀòÈ÷åÌ; åÇúÌÇòÇì ùÑÇåÀòÈúÈí àÆì-äÈàÁìÉäÄéí, îÄï-äÈòÂáÉãÈä.	23 And it came to pass in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died; and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
ëã  åÇéÌÄùÑÀîÇò àÁìÉäÄéí, àÆú-ðÇàÂ÷ÈúÈí; åÇéÌÄæÀëÌÉø àÁìÉäÄéí àÆú-áÌÀøÄéúåÉ, àÆú-àÇáÀøÈäÈí àÆú-éÄöÀçÈ÷ åÀàÆú-éÇòÂ÷Éá.	24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
ëä  åÇéÌÇøÀà àÁìÉäÄéí, àÆú-áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì; åÇéÌÅãÇò, àÁìÉäÄéí.  {ñ}	25 And God saw the children of Israel, and God took cognizance of them. {S}

"I'm not like you," I said.  "If I had sat quietly waiting, I'd be like the rest of my peers, married to a goy and living somewhere deep in America."

That's not the life I chose.

We cannot stay silent.  If we do, G-d will stay away, and the Moshiach won't redeem us.  Didn't we learn anything from the Holocaust?  The Judenrat was like today's rabbis who enforced the Nazi laws and kept the Jews silent.

Honestly, I don't care if they don't like what I say.  I can't be silent only to please others.  I only care about pleasing G-d.

SH'MOT, A New King

æ åÌáÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì, ôÌÈøåÌ åÇéÌÄùÑÀøÀöåÌ åÇéÌÄøÀáÌåÌ åÇéÌÇòÇöÀîåÌ--áÌÄîÀàÉã îÀàÉã; åÇúÌÄîÌÈìÅà äÈàÈøÆõ, àÉúÈí. {ô}	7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. {P}
ç åÇéÌÈ÷Èí îÆìÆêÀ-çÈãÈùÑ, òÇì-îÄöÀøÈéÄí, àÂùÑÆø ìÉà-éÈãÇò, àÆú-éåÉñÅó.	8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

è åÇéÌÉàîÆø, àÆì-òÇîÌåÉ: äÄðÌÅä, òÇí áÌÀðÅé éÄùÒÀøÈàÅì--øÇá åÀòÈöåÌí, îÄîÌÆðÌåÌ.	9 And he said unto his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are too many and too mighty for us;
é äÈáÈä ðÄúÀçÇëÌÀîÈä, ìåÉ: ôÌÆï-éÄøÀáÌÆä, åÀäÈéÈä ëÌÄé-úÄ÷ÀøÆàðÈä îÄìÀçÈîÈä åÀðåÉñÇó âÌÇí-äåÌà òÇì-ùÒÉðÀàÅéðåÌ, åÀðÄìÀçÇí-áÌÈðåÌ, åÀòÈìÈä îÄï-äÈàÈøÆõ.	10 come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.'
éà åÇéÌÈùÒÄéîåÌ òÈìÈéå ùÒÈøÅé îÄñÌÄéí, ìÀîÇòÇï òÇðÌÉúåÉ áÌÀñÄáÀìÉúÈí; åÇéÌÄáÆï òÈøÅé îÄñÀëÌÀðåÉú, ìÀôÇøÀòÉä--àÆú-ôÌÄúÉí, åÀàÆú-øÇòÇîÀñÅñ.	11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses.

Maybe the "king" isn't the newest pharaoh.  Maybe he's a Jew, like Joseph, working for the government.

Re-read verse 7.  The Jews were very successful, and gave the impression to those who didn't like them that they had taken over the country.

You know, like in the United States. People think that the Jews control everything, and the Jews in high positions try to "out pope the pope."

Back to the Bible, it was the Jewish/Hebrew People who forgot Joseph.  They became " òÂáÈãÄéí äÈéÄéðåÌ ìÀôÇøÀòÉä áÌÀîÄöÀøÈéÄí, 'We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt;" and G-d had to make them suffer more and more until they cried out to Him.

What are you waiting for? 

Come home!  We need you here!  We need you now!

Shabbat Shalom U'Mevorach! 

Peres-Self--Hating Jews Hall of Fame

"People tend to remember more and think less," Mr. Peres wrote in "The New Middle East," his 1993 manifesto defending the accords. "Our thoughts, which concentrate on the unfamiliar, are less welcome. However, we must focus on this new Middle East reality … and not wander among memories of victories in long-gone wars -- wars that will never be fought again." Critics of Oslo pointed to Arafat's unambiguous record of hostility to Israel, double-dealing, and ruthlessness. For Mr. Peres, however, history was not a source of wisdom, but a burden. Quoted from here

He doesn't want us to learn from it, or learn it at all, since it makes his hair-brained schemes look like they're endangering the viability of the State of Israel. It's Shimon Peres who preaches John Lennon's horrifically misguided "Imagine," the song that praises a world in which

"Imagine there's no countries It isn't hard to do Nothing to kill or die for And no religion too."

According to this, there's nothing to live for either. No future, no past just today, "Imagine all the people, Living for today." Peres and Olmert and his coalition have no trouble offering our precious Land, and even our Jerusalem to the same Arab terrorists who want to destroy us, because they only care about today. They do not value tomorrow, our future, our children, grandchildren and the coming generations. What can be more self-hating than that?

Illegal Building and The Jerusalem Housing Crisis

Arabs are building willy nilly all over the place,

and nobody cares. 

They only get all up in arms

when Jews build.

No matter what.

There's definitely a housing crisis, especially in Jerusalem.  Old houses are being destroyed,

and a furturistic railway is being constructed,

but there's no housing for the ordinary working class Israeli.

The Israeli Housing Ministry must build public housing again in Jerusalem.  It should be exclusively for IDF Veterans, women who served a full two years in Sherut Le'umi, National Service and new immigrants.  The housing must be affordable, expandable, with efficient bus service, education, health, cultural and religious facilities built along with the neighborhoods.  Nothing like this has been constructed since Pisgat Zeev and Neve Yaakov, which combined public and private construction.  If I'm not mistaken Har Chomah was not "public housing."

If the Israeli Government doesn't see itself as fully sovereign, constantly checking and begging for international approval, then it must be forced to resign.

I didn't leave the United States to live in an American "puppet-state."

Arm Yourself With Tissues