Another great reason to celebrate Israel: Haveil Havalim

Yom rishon, 4 Iyar 5771.

The first couple of weeks in May (late Nisan, early Iyar) in Israel typify the roller-coaster life of the Jew.

Yom Hashoah has been designated as the day to remember the Heroes and Martyrs of the Holocaust.  The anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising was chosen by the secular Jews who initially settled the land of Israel after WWII.  I have heard that they chose this day out of that evil thirteen years because it was a moment in time when Jews fought back -- and these new Israelis wanted to put as much distance as possible between their new State and the cauldron from which they had escaped.

While I understand the Chareidi viewpoint of expressing the link between the Shoah and the Destruction of the Temple, I can also appreciate the standpoint of these escapees from Hell.

As I stand for the siren that signals the national moment of commemorative silence, I pray for the Geula; I mourn the members of my father's family who didn't make it out; and I am grateful that my entire nation is standing quietly together for this moment.

Tonight, on Yom Hazikaron, we will remember those who fought and died to defend our tiny nation.  In recent years, this day has also been designated to remember all of those who "defended" Israel just by living here, and by dying here:  those who were blown to bits while sharing a bite of pizza with a dear school friend, or while buying an ice cream cone for a doting grandchild.


Again, we will fly flags at half-mast, and stand for a moment of silence when the siren sounds throughout our land.  A dear friend asked us to accompany her to the memorial service to remember our fallen tomorrow on Har Hertzl.  We struggled with this.

We are not keen on crowds, even for worthy causes.  I left the decision to the Dearly Beloved, who would be responsible for logistics, such as "getting us there."

Finally, he said, "Tell her we'll be there.  We have soldier sons now."  May they never need be remembered by us.  May they serve their country, and come home healthy and whole, with amazing stories to tell their great grandchildren.

And before we catch our breath, we will drag out our mangalim  (barbecue grills) to set the country on fire with barbecue events in honor of the birth of our small nation.  The entire country will celebrate, regardless of political affiliation, the fact that we are indeed a free people in our Land.

A frightening amount of beef must be purchased and prepared.  The fire that fills the land will only be rivaled by the bonfires built by children on the Thirty-third day of the Omer...  but that's another story.

In the meantime, let's enjoy one of the benefits of being one people in our Land.  Haveil Havelim #315, the One Wedding and a Funeral Edition, has hit the stands, and is available at Esser Agaroth.

Baltimore news about Israeli soldiers

Yom shlishi, 2 Adar bet 5771.

A request to Baltimore friends and family ~

You may not have heard about it...  but Chana and Ken Birnbaum are hosting a parlor meeting on Tuesday, March 8, from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM, that touches our hearts here in Israel.

If you can, please join them at 6204 Pearce Avenue to help out our Israeli soldiers.

Some of our Baltimore boys are holding that line against our enemies.  Please do what you can to help -- to keep them warm, to get them the equipment they need, to remind them that you are there for them, right behind them.  Your support keeps them strong.

For more information, call 419-358-7736 or 410-236-5398.

Tell them Josh E. and Aryeh and Michoel and Ami and Yaakov T. and Petey and Josh R. and Yaakov A. and Meir and Aaron sent you.

Their mothers, in Israel and Baltimore, thank you.

Haveil Havalim, Edition #307, is up at Esser Agaroth.  Among other great articles, be sure to check out West Bank Mama's explanation of the outpost phenomenon in The Forest Is The Politics, The Trees Are Our Children.  You will finally understand some of the concepts that the media obscure.

A great-grandmother's prayer

Yom rishon, 3 Elul 5769.

A very elderly woman gave me this poem, and asked me to publish it.  "But," she instructed, with a fearsome gleam in her intaglio eyes, "you may not, must not, use my name."

Now that I am old, I can tell it.

I dared not, when they were young, when I might bring an ayin hara by even mentioning my fear.

When I was young, we came to Eretz Yisrael.
I was a young wife, with children.

The first night, we spent in a kibbutz cabin.  As the trees scratched on the roof like mujahideen, trying to find a way inside, I was afraid.  I did not sleep at first; and then I told myself that the Holy One, Blessed Be He, decides who lives and who dies.  Not the mujahideen.

If He decreed that we would die, my sleepless fear would not save us.  If He decreed we should live, no Arab could harm us.

I slept.

I never told the children I was afraid, for fear captivates.

When we moved to the moshav in the shtachim, I was afraid, as I walked the path between our small kfar and the barbed wire, behind which were rocks and trees hiding them, with their rocks and knives and axes and guns.

And I held my head high and straight as I walked.  I was a daughter of the Holy One, Blessed Be He.  And if He decreed I would die, lowering my head would not save my life.  And if He decreed I should live, no Arab could harm me.

I walked.

I never told the children I was afraid, for fear incapacitates.

When my sons went off to war, one by one, I was afraid.  I knew too many mothers, better women than I, who had lost sons; and I did not think I had the strength to be among them.

And I sent my sons to the Army, with small packets of food and warm hats and love.  I gave them brave brachot, and reminded them that they were fighting on behalf of the Holy One, Blessed Be He.  And if He decreed that they would die, my tears would not save their lives.  And if He decreed that they should live long lives, with wives and children of their own, no Arab could harm them.

I smiled, proudly.

I never told these brave men that I was afraid, for fear emasculates.

When my daughters moved to the cities and traveled on buses, I was afraid.  I was hearing too many stories of bombings in cafes and in the places they shopped for baby clothes.  And then I remembered that they, too, were daughters of the Holy One, Blessed Be He, doing the holy work of raising the next generation.  And if He decreed that they would die, my warnings would not save them.  And if He decreed that they should live long lives, with grandchildren on their knees, no Arab could harm them.

I crocheted, and knitted, and enjoyed their joy.

I never told my daughters that I was afraid, for fear only believes in fate.

Now I am old.  I thought I could tell of my fears, proud to at last share honestly that I am no different from the others, save for my faith in Him.

But now I have grandsons, who yet must go to war...

I pray, privately, silently, with hands that will no longer make strong fists, raised to the Holy One, Blessed Be He.

"Keep them, Borei Olam, as you kept me.  Bring an end to the need for silent, hidden fear.  Save your holy children."


Amen.  Hashem keeps providing me with meetings with amazing people, who continue to give me strength.  May we all have her faith, for many long, healthy years.

Haveil Havalim #231, The Rav Kook Memorial Edition, is up at Esser Agaroth, in honor of HaRav Avraham Yitzchak HaKohen Kook's 74th yahrzeit.

Vote for a Jewish Homeland

Yom rishon, 14 Shevat 5769.

Voting.  Our civil right.  One of the threads that keeps our "democratic" system of government intact.

Here is why I wasn't going to vote this time around.

It is no secret to my friends that I tend to be just to the Right of Attila the Hun politically.  I am a religious Jew, so halacha is important to me.  I am cautious about politically-imposed halacha without the guidance of Moshiach, as there seem to be too many interpretations out there to make me confident that we really know what is best for all the people.  But my Torah outlook tends to keep me on the conservative side of arguments.  I love this Land of Israel; and know that it must remain the home of the Jewish nation.  So I am not for giving it up for illusions of peace, or to try to convince the world to like us.  I am not even sure we are halachically allowed to give away any of it for any reason.

I believed in Binyamin Netanyahu years ago, even though his platform wasn't particularly religious.  He sounded intelligent enough to know that we can't give away the Land.  But after he gave away Hevron, I realized that I had been believing in ghosts.  I thought he would be as heroic as I imagined his brother, Yoni zt"l, to be.  And I fell for the ghost of good public speaking.  At the end of the day, Bibi let us down.  It would have been better had he remained an articulate spokesman for the Jewish people, perhaps with control of the economy.  Control of the country seemed more than he could bear.

I have waited to hear him say that Hevron was a mistake.  But I don't think he thinks it was.  This troubles me.

I believed in Ariel Sharon.  He was clearly a tough guy, who had fought for many of the kilometers of soil we now held, after successful defensive wars.  Surely I could trust him not to give away an inch of our holy Land.  I wonder what he is thinking about these days, in that deep, deep place in which he hovers.  Would he have done anything differently, with the wisdom he must now surely possess?

Moshe Feiglin is interesting.  But he and I handled the painful disaster of Gush Katif differently.  We were both angry and devastated by the theft of it from our people, by our people.  But after it was lost to us, I decided that it was Hashem who said no.  We have an opportunity to treat the dispossessed people of Gush Katif well, or not.  But for reasons of his own, Hashem did not bring the miracle that could have allowed a win for all of the people who marched and prayed and wept and spoke out -- for all of the holy Jews all over the world who cared.

Moshe and I were together in our thinking on many points.  But I have waited in vain to hear him come through for me on one point:  How will he bring the people of this nation together, post-Gush Katif?  He wrote something that made me quite nervous several months ago, about how we would have won at Gush Katif and Amona if we had fought harder.  I wrote to him to ask him what his end-game scenario would look like.  Is it okay with you, Moshe, if Jews begin to kill Jews, in an effort to hold onto the Land?  He was too busy to answer.

Yaakov "Ketzaleh" Katz is the founder of Arutz Sheva, aka Israel National News.  Also at Gush Katif, there was a major difference of opinion between the station policy and Rav Shlomo Aviner.  This was illustrated by the sudden absence of any Rav Aviner commentary. Apart from an occasional news reference, this lack has continued until today.  Does Ketzaleh believe that it is appropriate to "tear kriah" over someone with whom we disagree on one major issue?  This, again, gives me concern regarding another potential leader's ability to bring the people together.  If we cannot even make peace on the Right, how can we make peace among the Jewish nation?  It would make me more hopeful if I saw that rift healed, by a return of Rav Aviner's wisdom to the station I hold in high regard.

I realize that I am politically naive.  But if Yisrael Beiteinu, Shas, Ichud Leumi, and United Torah Judaism got together, their combined ranking of 46 would send the other parties packing.

Of course, that would mean that they would have to put the good of the Land and the People ahead of their partisan differences...

There are only a few people I would really want to vote for, and they're not running.  Rabbi Shlomo Aviner.  Rabbi Natan Lopes Cardozo.  Professor Robert Yisrael Aumann.  Tzafrir Ronen, zt"l.

An Ashkenazic Rabbi, originally from France.  A Sephardic Rabbi, originally from Holland.  A Nobel Prize winning games theory scientist, who is also an Orthodox Jew.  And a recently-deceased self-described "irreligious" Jew.

They have at least one thing in common:  they put their love of the Jewish people above all earthly things.

Each of us must make a personal decision about our priorities; and I happen to agree with these men.  The Jewish people and our connection with each other is even more important than the fine points of holy, holy halacha, even more important than the holy, holy Land. The halacha and the land are Hashem's gifts to us, and are very precious.  But they cease to have meaning if we sacrifice each other in their honor.

Finally, Dr. Tziona Fleisher convinced me to vote.  In her commentary, "Get Out the Jewish Vote," this former Zionist refusenik from the USSR reminds me of one of my own "bottom lines."

As much doubt as I may have about Bibi's strength in the clutch, about Moshe's love of all of the Jewish people, about Ketzaleh's desire for unity with his ideological opponents...  these candidates are all Jewish people.  And Tziona points out the important demographic problem:  If fewer and fewer Jews vote for Jews, and more and more Arabs vote for Arabs...  Well, you do the math.

With all of our faults, I want this to remain a Jewish country.

Glossary:
halacha:  Jewish Torah-based law
tear kriah:  to treat as if dead, to disown
refusenik:  a Jew in the USSR who was refused permission to emigrate

News flash!  The latest edition of Haveil Havalim is out on the stands, expertly edited by the ever erudite Esser Agaroth!