When a half- million people demonstrates, it draws attention. Some put yesterday’s Jerusalem demonstration at 800,000 people. Supposedly, the police monitored 400,000 cellphones, so one chacham estimated that there must have been 700,000 people present. In any case, when there is a gathering of this magnitude, it is impressive, and people notice. On the other side of the religious-secular divide, Yair Lapid and his anti-religious minions may not be quaking in their boots. But, they sure do know that this is a minyan that is not to be trifled with. The threat of jail time for those who do not serve is every bit as divisive as the failure to serve itself. The ultra-religious in Israel are slowly gravitating toward the army and the work force, in their own way, on their own time. Not everything can be legislated. My suggestion to Lapid: Focus on your own secular draft dodgers and high school dropouts. You’ll be doing something much more constructive than harassing a segment of the population that already outnumbers yours. And now for something really interesting, go to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly and get some deep words on the weekly Torah portion. Or, go to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com for a suite of books on Jewish meditation and prayer. Finally for an overview of Chabad in Jerusalem, go to www.chabadjerusalem.org
Reality Check
25 FebThere is nothing like a trip to the “fathers of the world” to provide us with a reality check. And the same applies to the “mothers of the world.” Today, we made a trip with a few students to the tomb of Rachel, the wife of Yaakov our forefather. Two things stuck me about our trip. First, the bus transporting people to the tomb was absolutely full, standing room only. I had expected to find a mostly empty bus, but the residents of Jerusalem apparently love to pray at Rachel’s tomb. The bus driver reported that all of the buses on this route to Kever Rachel are full. Second, Rachel’s tomb is no longer the unassuming little dome structure that it used to be. It is now a fortress. Even Hevron does not seem as absolutely walled in and protected as Rachel’s tomb. And for good reason – the “neighbors” across the street from Rachel’s tomb are not friendly, to say the least. What is the takeaway from our day excursion? First of all, the Jews know where to turn for their prayers. Second, we have an army that protects us.
For some deeper Torah thoughts on the parsha, go to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly And if you like Jewish meditation and prayer, visit our suite of spiritual books at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com Have a great week!
The Right “Gong”
18 FebRecently, we tried out a new gimmick in the old city. The Hurva square downstairs is full of tourists, students and soldiers. The level of noise is cacophonic, and it can be difficult to hear the person speaking next to you. We needed a novel way of attracting attention to our tefilin stand. We decided to try a Chinese gong. We imported a gong from China, and it has begun to serve its purpose. Until now, it was necessary to approach people individually to ask if they wished to don tefilin. Now, the gong does the job. Within a couple hours, several people hearing the gong approached to put on tefilin, including two who had never put on tefilin in their entire lives. Speaking philosophically, a gong is not a mere piece of metal with which to make noise. In Yiddish, “gong” means “a way of going,” a “path,” if you will. So, when you hear the clang of the gong, the purpose is not only to put on tefilin. It is also to usher you onto the right spiritual path. Other than tefillin, that includes mitzvoth such as Shabbat, mentioned in our weekly Torah portion (Vayakhel). You can cover all of that by going to our website at http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly If you are more philosophical and you like Jewish meditation and prayers, have a look at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com, and if you just want to know what’s going on in Jerusalem, check out www.chabadjerusalem.org Have a great week!
HIgh Priest of the Suiperbowl
3 FebToday, I mention my sins; I watched the Superbowl last night (Here in Israel it was on from 1:30 AM to almost 5 AM). I was expecting to see some great American football, which I love. Instead, I saw one team absolutely pulverize the other in a way that was so convincing it was boring. I managed to stay awake just long enough to see Scar Jo do her Soda Stream spot. Life is good. Nevertheless, next year we will not stay up all night long to watch a bunch of 350 pounders pulverize each other. We will instead watch the highlights on television the next day. But here’s the takeaway from a spiritual perspective. You gotta wear the right uniform. Last night, the team wearing white was on the inside track, always pushing closer to the goal posts. The team wearing orange was on the outside – they just couldn’t get anywhere near the goal. In this week’s Torah portion (Tezaveh) there is only one team, but it has two uniforms. When the High priest wore his white uniform, he was on the inside track. When he donned his golden uniform, he was generally on the outside, trying to get in. So, clothes do matter. Keep that in mind. For more sartorial advice, go to our website at http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly If you like what you find, you may want to look further, at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com (especially if you’re into Jewish meditation and prayer). Finally, if you want to know what’s going on with Chabad in Jerusalem (no, we don’t watch football every night), check out www.chabadjerusalem.org. Have fun and enjoy the month of Adar!
Some musings from Jerusalem as we meet a new group of new immigrants at the Beit Canada absorption center…people have a variety of reasons for making aliya. One Canadian girl says, “Americans from Jewish centers such as New York City, have not necessarily made aliyah in an attempt to escape explicit or implicit discrimination. Rather, [the] choice is motivated by a desire to live freely in all senses of the word…There is a sense of ease felt here as a Jewish person that may go beyond any logical or tangible explanation. ” And a British girl says, “After years of telling people that I’m going to make Aliyah, I have finally done it. Some people have no problem leaving their families, countries and homes; some people might even be desperate to leave. But for me the idea of moving made me feel completely torn…But however much I love and need my family, eventually it was time to make Aliyah.” There you have it; whether the decision is made out of fear or out of love, the feeling that Israel is “home” is what brings Jews to Israel. But, I’d go even further than that; I knew from age seven that I want to live in Israel, even though I didn’t make aliya until after college. It’s a neshama thing – there are some souls who belong here, while there are still many who are more fitting for life in the Diaspora. Soon, though, the majority of world Jewry will live in Israel and that is when we will see real change.
For more musings, especially on the weekly Torah portion with the secrets of the parsha, got to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly And if you like delving deeply into matters of prayer and meditation, you’ll find yourself at home with our books, at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com Finally, if you want to know what’s going on with Chabad in Jerusalem, you need www.chabadjerusalem.org Enjoy!
Some musings from Jerusalem as we meet a new group of new immigrants at the Beit Canada absorption center…people have a variety of reasons for making aliya. One Canadian girl says, “Americans from Jewish centers such as New York City, have not necessarily made aliyah in an attempt to escape explicit or implicit discrimination. Rather, [the] choice is motivated by a desire to live freely in all senses of the word…There is a sense of ease felt here as a Jewish person that may go beyond any logical or tangible explanation. ” And a British girl says, “After years of telling people that I’m going to make Aliyah, I have finally done it. Some people have no problem leaving their families, countries and homes; some people might even be desperate to leave. But for me the idea of moving made me feel completely torn…But however much I love and need my family, eventually it was time to make Aliyah.” There you have it; whether the decision is made out of fear or out of love, the feeling that Israel is “home” is what brings Jews to Israel. But, I’d go even further than that; I knew from age seven that I want to live in Israel, even though I didn’t make aliya until after college. It’s a neshama thing – there are some souls who belong here, while there are still many who are more fitting for life in the Diaspora. Soon, though, the majority of world Jewry will live in Israel and that is when we will see real change.
For more musings, especially on the weekly Torah portion with the secrets of the parsha, got to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly And if you like delving deeply into matters of prayer and meditation, you’ll find yourself at home with our books, at www.jewishspiritualbooks.com Finally, if you want to know what’s going on with Chabad in Jerusalem, you need www.chabadjerusalem.org Enjoy!
Multimedia Show
14 JanThis week, the Jews receive the Torah. That’s right, during this week’s Torah reading – Yitro – we receive the Torah. This was possibly the greatest multimedia event of all times, with visible voices, audible sights and all other kinds of supernatural phenomena that really kept the Jews on their feet. Well, sort of. When God started speaking to the Jews, delivering the ten commandments, it really threw the Jews back. Literally, about twelve miles back. The reinforcements arrived in the form of angels, who gently nudged the Jews back to Mt. Sinai and kept them on their feet, but by that time the Jews had heard enough. They asked Moshe to cover for them. He would listen to God directly and the Jews were happy to receive the message from him indirectly. I wish I had been there. Oh, I was…and come to think of it, so were you! But for some reason, I don’t recall it. For analysis of what occurred there, go to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly and you’ll find a great description. Or, if you’re the meditative type and you love delving into deep volumes on the subject of prayer and meditation, go to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com. Finally, if you want to know what’s going on with us in Jerusalem, go to www.chabadjerusalem.org One way or another, we’re all connected.
Here are three reasons to come to Israel right now: One – the weather is great (chilly but sunny), unlike the extreme cold that the US is facing right now. Two – During this week fall the memorial days of two great Tzadikim (holy men) – Baba Sali (R’ Yisrael Abuhatzeira) and the previous Rebbe of Chabad (the Rayatz, R’ Yoseph Yitzhak Schneerson), and people in Israel still appreciate and celebrate the life of a tzadik. Three – Birthright groups are here, and they raise the spirit and energy level with their enthusiasm for everything Israeli. If that’s not enough for you, then this also happens to be the week of Torah portion Beshalach, during which the Jews escaped from the Egyptian bondage and officially become a people. Moreover, the month of Shvat that just began has something for all of us. First of all, it’s the month of food (and if you’re vegetarian it’s the month of trees), and the organ of the month is the stomach. But perhaps most of all, the month of Shvat is associated with the tribe of Asher and the sense of enjoyment. Something for everyone, for those who are willing to partake!
For more on the subject of the Jewish escape from Egyptian bondage, go to http://www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly If you are interested in Jewish meditation and meditative prayer, then www.jewishspiritualbooks.com is for you. And if you just wish to become acquainted with Chabad in Jerusalem, then www.chabadjerusalem.org is for you!
Call of the Wild
30 DecA few minutes ago, a hundred or so demonstrators passed below our window overlooking the square of Jerusalem’s old city. A hundred people chanting loudly and beating drums while holding placards against the freeing of murderous prisoners and terrorists. It was raining hard, but that didn’t stop them. Earlier in the day, I stood in the same square, speaking with Birthright and Hebrew U students, helping them don tefilin, some of them for the first time. I explained that tefilin are a commandment from the Bible that Jews have to do. They wanted to know more, so I told them that tefilin connect our mind and heart to God. It’s not rocket science, but it’s a good job for a Jewish boy (besides, tefilin are only a small part of the job description). It was my mother’s yahrtzeit today, she passed away exactly a year ago. She was very open minded; she wanted me to do whatever I want in life as long as I became a doctor. I tried, I really did. I was premed in college, but I felt the call of Israel and Judaism, not of medical school. I moved to Israel and became a rabbi. If I let her down, she never let me know. From where she is now, I trust she understands.
Birthright in Jerusalem
24 DecBirthright season is upon us. For the next five or six weeks, group after group of bright-eyed, fun-loving college students will fill the Hurva Square of the old city, in front of Jerusalem Connection. That means many more people to speak with about mitzvoth, about spirituality, and about Israel. The Hurva Square is arguably the biggest Jewish public arena in the world, with every imaginable group of Jews congregating every day. A typical hour of passersby will include soldiers, tourists from all over the world, Birthright college students and yeshiva and seminar students. One of our readers recently sent us the following beautiful prose, that describes the experience, “I’m in New York but the weather mirrors the holy land. Israel I might be here but my spirit is yours.” In the meantime, enjoy a few words of Jewish spirituality on the weekly Torah portion at www.jerusalemconnection.org/weekly Or, get a feel for Chabad in Jerusalem, at www.chabadjerusalem.org. And finally, you will want to devote a few minutes to meditative spiritual growth that is inspired by Jerusalem, by going to www.jewishspiritualbooks.com. There, you will find books that answer questions about Judaism, Jewish spirituality and meditation.
chabad jerusalem 