We are almost in summer. The weather does change and suddenly shifts from high temperatures and the desert wind sharav/hamsin heat to chilly nearly dizzling hours of cloudy atmosphere. This is also Jerusalem. Political life is always on the search of some corruption, rabbis and imams shake hands abroad, the heads of Churches are busy. Some would make an exact appreciation of their faithful or get a better idea of who is with whom as hurricanes passed but winds are not gone to the full. In many respects, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem has finally one head who is recognized by the three political entities: Kingdom of Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and lately the State of Israel. Theophilos III is like an "acrobat" among the various states and communities. The other head of the Churches are a similar situation, provided that the Holy Land will always be a juicy resourceful country for pilgrims and visitors. None of them really care about the closed situation in Gaza, blocks in the West Bank and the endemic war going-on along the Lebanese border.
The 60th anniversary of the State of Israel is celebrated in May, which is a huge time of holidays outside of Israel. It corresponds this year to Pesach and the Eastern Oriental Churches Easter, dragging flows of pilgrims. Some guides and bus drivers know how to go quicker to Bethlehem and avoid the long queues at the checkpoints. Others would systematically criticize the machsom - checkpoint structure where Eastern Orthodox Israeli soldiers welcome all sorts of Christians. Barriers can be from inside the way we conceive our faith.
But the real topic for tomorrow will be how the Churches will be able to organize and exercize a real spiritual guidance of the faithful that arrive in great number; they will come in even bigger and bigger number in the coming years. It is clear that the Israeli survey institutes had more or less anticipated such a development. In the past five years, although we were in the second intifada, some executives did schedule this development based on simple knowledge of history and common sense: abrupt conversion and return or discovery of Christianity in the former communist country in a context of Church competition and wandering from one to others. The ancient tradition makes the Holy Land a "point oblige", a must for the pilgrims and Christian reborn individuals and communities, clergy and lay people. This required a certain time to be accomplished insofar these populations were impoverished. New Christians are often new rich and fortune-makers, moguls. Israel had firstly to know how to separate the wheat from the chaff in such a mixed-up and rather confused (even at the psychological and spiritual level). The State might define rules allowing the Russian visitors to enter and come without a visa, like the Americans and Europeans for a short stay. 15 years have passed and the creation of a strong Euro currency, joined with a floating Dollar allow Poles, Czechs, Hungarians, Slovenians and the other Europeans and foreigners to come en masse and spend more money.
Some Churches had anticipated the move and had built interesting structures, not necessarily in Jerusalem. This might be a pat of the pending competition targeting now the pilgrims and not the Israeli newcomers. Moreover, the Syrian Orthodox believers (they pray in Aramaic, the language of Jesus, Yiddish), multiply their pilgrims up to 300 individuals plus other groups from all over the world. They are based in the Old City, at the "Mother convent" but also in Bethlehem which is a full booked-up guest town after years of war and abandonment.
The traditional Greek and Arab Eastern Orthodox are questioned by the "rush" of tourists and pilgrims from the immense Russian republic and the former satellites at different levels. They feel they are weakened and have been reduced by various emigrations and new borders. This does not affect at all, for example, the Eastern Orthodox faithful in Jordan who are more coherently stable. This Russian rush interrogates the Arab Orthodox community in the Old City and the Greeks who head the custody of the Holy Places. This happens at a time when the Russian Church reunified exactly one year ago at the Feast of the Ascension. The Russian Orthodox Church seemingly shows as one of the most powerful and meaningful Christian Body in the whole of the Holy Land. It implies a significant reconnection with ancient and traditional habits (tours, spiritual entities). It appears that most pilgrims visit the sites as normal tourists, i.e. lodged in hotels, which is interesting. Last year, the Orthodox tourist agencies had seen that the Franciscan guesthouses were cheaper and they had hurried to book up the rooms...Georgians, Ukrainians, Eastern Orthodox from the former Soviet Union also come in a rather high percentage. This raises the question on the competence of their guides with regards to Christian true traditions and in respect with the Israeli Law in force. This means that a growing number of believers will have to be given correct catechization and spiritual information; this requires taking into account their traditions and the local and international laws and researches.
The "Russian Republic" rush is not restricted to the "Eastern Orthodox". The locally embattling situation with the Catholic Church of various Latin, Oriental, Ukrainian, Armenian, Syrian rites will drive in the coming months and years a great number of believers, together with Lutherans and Baptists. Many visitors speak Latvian or Estonian, Czech or Slovakian. This allows East-Europeans to meet with the local Churches that, by essence, should be beyond parties, politics and partisanship.
It might take some time, some years to the Israeli government and its police to develop progressively standardized relationships with the main Churches. Too many vital elements are involved and unresolved at this point. It is rather simple to explain how the celebration of the Holy Fire is carried out every year; the processions are the same. The "messy" atmosphere is a local must. But there is no reason for the policemen to get panicked and the event has nothing to do with a mob! The whole area had been closed to the faithful. This could be corrected by a simple one day seminar explaining the celebration to the IDF! On the other hand, it implies that the Churches - willingly, unwillingly - recognize the credit of the Israeli State. . . this is whole topic.
We can't live in the past and this maybe horrible. Two young yuppies visited with their friends and wives the Holy Land. The kind of rush and race that challenges any common sense and turns to be weird here. They ran through Jordan, were blocked at Eilat border for hours. This is the very moving story of a friendship between a Palestinian/Lebanese whose father was from Jaffa and a Jewish/Israeli businessman born to an Auschwitz survivor. Both living in a peaceful country and still fascinated by their origins. Secularized, unplugged from spiritual history, they were of total good will. As they were going up the Way of the Cross, the wives got their shopping tour. Ahead of them, a priest, dressed as an Orthodox clergyman, was reading in French the pre-Tridentine prayer book of the Catholic Church and was praying, a l'ancienne, the old-fashioned way for the pardon of our sins.
Faith is always under pressure and question in Jerusalem.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Times - 60 = 120:2 or thousand years
The logo for the 60th anniversary of the State of Israel resembles a "six" that develops and rolls like a wheel. Indeed, we are on a tire problem, as "gilgul/galgalim" refer to changes and revolving actions, mutations.
The victims that perished for the State of Israel are counted since that year, i.e. 22,437 killed till now, counted since 1860 and the killing of the Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem.
This Independence Day may interrogate in many different ways. It is a recurrent and slow-slow mental process to envision the dream of a free Jewish state; then, to wake up and hurry to constant wars and, in the end. . . how does this state appear to be independent? Who is independent? Where are the barriers, the borders, regions and their connections? Shall we eat the traditional big meat "mangal" - an Arabic word that at least sounds "acculturating" a "bbq = barbecue" for the West, the "shashliki" for the former Soviets and the Oriental Jews. Interestingly, koshrut is more and more a problem for a certain segment of the population who would like to feel free to have pig-pork sausages. The question was of course the same some 60 years ago.The state was anxiously declared by David Ben Gurion, an exceptional politician heading a group of prodigious, mammoth-like strong-minded co-fighters. We miss them. We miss this spirit of width, breadth, depth, insights shaking any mental and stubborn barriers. Are we 59 years-old? Or 89, if counting from 1860? Should we count down from the arrival of the Inquisition survivors and the false messiah Shabtai Zvi? Or refer to Rabbi Luria and his Shulchan Aruch accepted by all Jews and that spiritually paved the way to some sort of pre-ingathering process?
"Rebekah went to consult the Lord and He said: "Two nations are in your womb, two people are quarreling while still in you. . . Isaac was sixty years old when Esau and Jacob were born." (Bereishit 25:23-24). Oh, we love this verse! It would explain anything, everything, except who we are indeed. But, in the sixtieth year of the existence of the State of Israel, it maybe useful to consider that Israel/Jacob's father was only sixty and that we may not have reached the real point of Jacob's wrestling in the night. We can be egotistic, condescending, arrogant, quarreling eggheads or self-centered aesthetes.
The philosopher Eliezer Schweid suggested a reasonable and very Israeli absorption system explanation for why we use a hammer and knock the head of our fellow people on the Independence Day. He described it as a sign of "anonymity" in a country where each ego is altogether a state, a government, a region. . . or the world. It has nothing to do with the present rather "prudent condition of anonymity" that allows people to hide from others and gossip with some evil tongue. True, anonymity means that each person is drifted to firstly clutch and accept first to the unity of the Jewish society. This is a major problem as regards all those who, inside Israeli society, show more aggressiveness toward the Hebrew community. It is diversified. Druses, Bedouins, Gypsies, Tcherkesses and Georgians; according to the statistics, an increasing number Arabs (Christian and others) serve in the Israeli Army which maybe confusing and dangerous, but still in conformity with the law that should be respected. Few independent countries of the world would accept to include soldiers that could turn to enemies. This is definitely a point on the Yom HaZikkaron / Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims Remembrance Day, in particular after the contested Lebanon war II.
Independence Day, in Israel, is also special because of the annual Bible Quiz, first organized in 1958. It means something very special. There are whizzes that come from all over the world for this competition. Thus, Israel is more, much wider than the country that has to be determined with righteousness and for the good of every inhabitant. Yom HaAtzma'ut is rooted in the creation of the state in the grafting of the Jewish identity, spiritual background and the Scripture. The Torah is then the reality of the Klal Israel (whole community of Israel). A curious occurrence for the remnant of the Tribes whose priests were not allowed to own any properties nor lands, but served God in the Temple with perpetual reference to this Eretz Israel. It is thus funny and normal to find a Messianic Jew among the possible winners. . . contested by the rabbis.
At this point, all attempts for Israel to be recognized to the full and her real identity by the Churches resemble to mirages in daytime dreams. Israel is not recognized in depth, more tolerated and denied in too many situations. This is a part of the permanent stuttering and hesitant monologue whose words can hardly be heard by both parties, with the exception of a very few people of good will. Irrational contests or disputes are dangerous and must be handled with prudence, wisdom. It is maybe a paradox, but the Churches had scarcely been contradicted by the Jews over the past 1500 years. When Jesus was born, he was not the citizen of any sort of Jewish State. Then, all the political issues that can exist as a consequence of local backgrounds, the Independence Day of Israel cannot, at the moment, be viewed as a "new grafting" of the olive-tree into a modern state (Romans, chapters 9-11). Again, it will take a lot of time and honest, free outspoken discussions. Theological disputes are like matches that can put fire to fireworks, stakes or "candles of life”. At the present, Israel has, in some hidden way, a very spiritual, mystic function that grows as years pass. This was unforeseen by the Orthodox, Catholic and other Churches and their heads. It underscores that, according to the Gospel, the interfaith dialogue is at the heart of the coming years, without vain or unrealistic dreams.
In Hebrew, "Atzma'ut - independence" comes from "atzmi - self/personal"; "sherut atzmi = self-service". It is linked to "atzam - to close, press, especially the eyes; to acquire, possess". And "etzem - bone" (because bones are solid and strong). "Hit'aztem - to be headstrong, stubborn in an agreement; to fortify". Bones are never self-sufficient. Maybe, even if Hebrew, the word is not the sole or precise word to speak of "independence". A bone needs "moach - marrow and wit" and "ruach -spirit". This is why the best way to talk about such a day as having also some theological elements to discover is the vision of the "anonymous bones that move together and raise to be revivified" in Ezekiel 37. It allows overcoming any political attempt to reduce the resurrection to humane actions.
May 7, 2008 - 2 deIyyar 5768
The victims that perished for the State of Israel are counted since that year, i.e. 22,437 killed till now, counted since 1860 and the killing of the Jews in the Old City of Jerusalem.
This Independence Day may interrogate in many different ways. It is a recurrent and slow-slow mental process to envision the dream of a free Jewish state; then, to wake up and hurry to constant wars and, in the end. . . how does this state appear to be independent? Who is independent? Where are the barriers, the borders, regions and their connections? Shall we eat the traditional big meat "mangal" - an Arabic word that at least sounds "acculturating" a "bbq = barbecue" for the West, the "shashliki" for the former Soviets and the Oriental Jews. Interestingly, koshrut is more and more a problem for a certain segment of the population who would like to feel free to have pig-pork sausages. The question was of course the same some 60 years ago.The state was anxiously declared by David Ben Gurion, an exceptional politician heading a group of prodigious, mammoth-like strong-minded co-fighters. We miss them. We miss this spirit of width, breadth, depth, insights shaking any mental and stubborn barriers. Are we 59 years-old? Or 89, if counting from 1860? Should we count down from the arrival of the Inquisition survivors and the false messiah Shabtai Zvi? Or refer to Rabbi Luria and his Shulchan Aruch accepted by all Jews and that spiritually paved the way to some sort of pre-ingathering process?
"Rebekah went to consult the Lord and He said: "Two nations are in your womb, two people are quarreling while still in you. . . Isaac was sixty years old when Esau and Jacob were born." (Bereishit 25:23-24). Oh, we love this verse! It would explain anything, everything, except who we are indeed. But, in the sixtieth year of the existence of the State of Israel, it maybe useful to consider that Israel/Jacob's father was only sixty and that we may not have reached the real point of Jacob's wrestling in the night. We can be egotistic, condescending, arrogant, quarreling eggheads or self-centered aesthetes.
The philosopher Eliezer Schweid suggested a reasonable and very Israeli absorption system explanation for why we use a hammer and knock the head of our fellow people on the Independence Day. He described it as a sign of "anonymity" in a country where each ego is altogether a state, a government, a region. . . or the world. It has nothing to do with the present rather "prudent condition of anonymity" that allows people to hide from others and gossip with some evil tongue. True, anonymity means that each person is drifted to firstly clutch and accept first to the unity of the Jewish society. This is a major problem as regards all those who, inside Israeli society, show more aggressiveness toward the Hebrew community. It is diversified. Druses, Bedouins, Gypsies, Tcherkesses and Georgians; according to the statistics, an increasing number Arabs (Christian and others) serve in the Israeli Army which maybe confusing and dangerous, but still in conformity with the law that should be respected. Few independent countries of the world would accept to include soldiers that could turn to enemies. This is definitely a point on the Yom HaZikkaron / Fallen Soldiers and Terror Victims Remembrance Day, in particular after the contested Lebanon war II.
Independence Day, in Israel, is also special because of the annual Bible Quiz, first organized in 1958. It means something very special. There are whizzes that come from all over the world for this competition. Thus, Israel is more, much wider than the country that has to be determined with righteousness and for the good of every inhabitant. Yom HaAtzma'ut is rooted in the creation of the state in the grafting of the Jewish identity, spiritual background and the Scripture. The Torah is then the reality of the Klal Israel (whole community of Israel). A curious occurrence for the remnant of the Tribes whose priests were not allowed to own any properties nor lands, but served God in the Temple with perpetual reference to this Eretz Israel. It is thus funny and normal to find a Messianic Jew among the possible winners. . . contested by the rabbis.
At this point, all attempts for Israel to be recognized to the full and her real identity by the Churches resemble to mirages in daytime dreams. Israel is not recognized in depth, more tolerated and denied in too many situations. This is a part of the permanent stuttering and hesitant monologue whose words can hardly be heard by both parties, with the exception of a very few people of good will. Irrational contests or disputes are dangerous and must be handled with prudence, wisdom. It is maybe a paradox, but the Churches had scarcely been contradicted by the Jews over the past 1500 years. When Jesus was born, he was not the citizen of any sort of Jewish State. Then, all the political issues that can exist as a consequence of local backgrounds, the Independence Day of Israel cannot, at the moment, be viewed as a "new grafting" of the olive-tree into a modern state (Romans, chapters 9-11). Again, it will take a lot of time and honest, free outspoken discussions. Theological disputes are like matches that can put fire to fireworks, stakes or "candles of life”. At the present, Israel has, in some hidden way, a very spiritual, mystic function that grows as years pass. This was unforeseen by the Orthodox, Catholic and other Churches and their heads. It underscores that, according to the Gospel, the interfaith dialogue is at the heart of the coming years, without vain or unrealistic dreams.
In Hebrew, "Atzma'ut - independence" comes from "atzmi - self/personal"; "sherut atzmi = self-service". It is linked to "atzam - to close, press, especially the eyes; to acquire, possess". And "etzem - bone" (because bones are solid and strong). "Hit'aztem - to be headstrong, stubborn in an agreement; to fortify". Bones are never self-sufficient. Maybe, even if Hebrew, the word is not the sole or precise word to speak of "independence". A bone needs "moach - marrow and wit" and "ruach -spirit". This is why the best way to talk about such a day as having also some theological elements to discover is the vision of the "anonymous bones that move together and raise to be revivified" in Ezekiel 37. It allows overcoming any political attempt to reduce the resurrection to humane actions.
May 7, 2008 - 2 deIyyar 5768
Monday, May 19, 2008
Iyyar, 5, 5768 - May 8TH, 2008
Iyyar, 5, 5768 - May 8TH, 2008
There are States or countries that are basically small or broken down in "areas, land, regions, laender, cantons, provinces". Will Galilee soon be culturally connected with the Negev? David Ben Gurion had the dream of Israel having her capital in Mamshit (Greek "Mampsit - Memphis"), the ancient Nabataean city with the famous synagogue of Ma'on and the Byzantine church. From there, rabbis were sent to Yavne. The Byzantine monks participated in the Church synods, later in the first councils. Look at a map of the cities. They are all interconnected by strong networks that trace back to the presence of all sorts of invaders, passers-by or settlers from Greece, Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Arabia, Ethiopia, Syria, Lebanon, Caucasus. How interesting that the same road circuits have been developed and sophisticated and could of course be used to gather fractured regions and towns into one unique entity of diverse cultures. The railway infrastructures were created by the British to envision a general development of the Middle-East from Caucasus and Turkey down to Akaba. The power of intelligence, cleverness, capacities, "price of excellence" can ruin nations, people and States.
Hebrew and Aramaic "necheh" means "paralyzed, crippled". A decade ago, for the 50 years anniversary, Israel was still getting forward, dynamic, strong. The second Intifada came after the Millenium. D. Ben Gurion was undoubtedly convinced that his combat was right. He felt the kind of anguish discomfort that seized Abraham. In return, Israel is like crippled with checkpoints and fences, uncertain limits. Let’s hope that the 60th anniversary will open up again to the universal values of the Mitzvot as shining lights.
"Necheh" consists of a progressive reduction of forces and muscles that makes people "lame"; sociologically speaking, this means "that peace is disturbed as the side rib - tzela' (the one of Eve, her shadowy side) that is required for balance and right" (Yalkut Deut. 933). The word is absolutely not connected with "nachon - firm, ready" that comes from "kun - to go into a special direction, cf. Berachot 60a). To begin with, "necheh" encompasses all these abilities of full and firm development. Out of a sudden or step by step, capacities are lessened ("Hikkah" = injured, knocked down). Interestingly though quite evidently, there is an indivisible connection between physical and mental injuries: "All weapons strike in their place, but calumny (lashon remiyah) strikes at a distance" (Y. Peah1, 18a). The Talmud insists on the fact that a "woman who has been attacked in words is similar to any young girl that would have lost her hymen by accidental lesion or deceitful words." (Ketubot 7, 10).
There is a move to crippling down and "necheh - nachyata" also has a financial meaning: "reduction of a debt against a landed security by deducting every year a stipulated amount for usufruct (Bava Metziah 67b). Land and agricultural products are thus considered as 'removable' limbs of some geographic body. This move can somehow be compared to the "tzimtzum -hiding process of God's Presence" or His presupposed "Eclipse" during the time of the Shoah (absence of God's name in the Hebrew Scroll of Esther).
There might be some other explanation, linked to what is veiled and thus present but require a lot of insightful humility. "When the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai, they pressed (tzimtzam) themselves – against one another in reverence - like a bride opening one part of her garments and holding another part together." (Shir R. 4,10). Over 7000 years (Megiddo, Jericho), the local inhabitants have been quaking, jerking over visible remainders. The subsequent historic strata show like lame-brained piles of earth and stones while people would rather avoid conversing, or would be extremely shy. Memory backgrounds are scattered as each group retains their elevator-shafts of specific mentalities and ways of interpretation.
As the "matzav - situation (of war)" is prolonging over a seventh year, we may have the impression to cripple down. Iyar comes from Akkadian "iyyaru" that refers to some pagan feast of flower blossoming, in particular small roses, like the "shoshanim" of the Song of Songs. In the history of Judaism, Iyar recalls the restoration of the Walls of Jerusalem, destroyed by Nabuchadnezzar (7 Iyar 355 bce). In the meantime, the Jewish community will celebrate "Pesach sheni - Second Passover", the second possibility to commemorate Passover with unleavened and leavened bread (14 Iyar / 05/1), a sign of God’s compassion for those who were "absent" mentally and physically to the roasted lamb feast… This week, different "ta'anit/tunes - fasts" call to full response-conversion/teshuvah to God (Ta’anit sheni kamma, chamishi, sheni Bathra) there is also the meaningful 18 Iyar "LaG -33th of the Omer computing”, en route to Shavuot. This reminds that R. Akiva's disciples perished because of their "lack of respect to each other".The same day, there is the joyous festival of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, that drifts crowds to his grave in Meron as "a joyful thanksgiving day for all remedies and hopes". Iyyar 5th, 60th anniversary will be celebrated on May 8th. Is the creation of the State of the Jews, Israel, really and solely connected to the Western date on which World War II stopped for the Americans and the Allies? The Soviets ceased the following day. It remains a significant split. Does Israel reply upon the Prophets or on some unclear partition taken after a horrible planet wide war that never ended and is still in flames?
On May 3rd/4th, the Eastern Orthodox Church will celebrate the Sunday of Apostle Thomas. He was absent when Jesus appeared to the disciples. So he does not believe that the Master is risen. When Jesus comes the following Sunday, we have no evidence that he did try to put his hand and finger on Jesus' body. But Thomas did believe. And Jesus tells him: "Happy are those who believe without having seen". This is rooted in ancient midrashim: emunah (faith, confidence, amen) are not blind. They fulfill what God constantly creates and renews. Then, times and delays are not that important. I have a dream (why not, everybody does here), ober a vurer chulem, the real dream you only can catch in the Holy Land: let's create an event and meet, all of you - whoever you, we and they are - on Iyyar 5th 5968, i.e. on Friday 22nd of April 2208. With some mustard thin measure of faith, we might see great things, greater than we even can imagine.
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
May 1st, 2008 - 11 le'Omer 5768
Facebook contact: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
There are States or countries that are basically small or broken down in "areas, land, regions, laender, cantons, provinces". Will Galilee soon be culturally connected with the Negev? David Ben Gurion had the dream of Israel having her capital in Mamshit (Greek "Mampsit - Memphis"), the ancient Nabataean city with the famous synagogue of Ma'on and the Byzantine church. From there, rabbis were sent to Yavne. The Byzantine monks participated in the Church synods, later in the first councils. Look at a map of the cities. They are all interconnected by strong networks that trace back to the presence of all sorts of invaders, passers-by or settlers from Greece, Persia, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Turkey, Arabia, Ethiopia, Syria, Lebanon, Caucasus. How interesting that the same road circuits have been developed and sophisticated and could of course be used to gather fractured regions and towns into one unique entity of diverse cultures. The railway infrastructures were created by the British to envision a general development of the Middle-East from Caucasus and Turkey down to Akaba. The power of intelligence, cleverness, capacities, "price of excellence" can ruin nations, people and States.
Hebrew and Aramaic "necheh" means "paralyzed, crippled". A decade ago, for the 50 years anniversary, Israel was still getting forward, dynamic, strong. The second Intifada came after the Millenium. D. Ben Gurion was undoubtedly convinced that his combat was right. He felt the kind of anguish discomfort that seized Abraham. In return, Israel is like crippled with checkpoints and fences, uncertain limits. Let’s hope that the 60th anniversary will open up again to the universal values of the Mitzvot as shining lights.
"Necheh" consists of a progressive reduction of forces and muscles that makes people "lame"; sociologically speaking, this means "that peace is disturbed as the side rib - tzela' (the one of Eve, her shadowy side) that is required for balance and right" (Yalkut Deut. 933). The word is absolutely not connected with "nachon - firm, ready" that comes from "kun - to go into a special direction, cf. Berachot 60a). To begin with, "necheh" encompasses all these abilities of full and firm development. Out of a sudden or step by step, capacities are lessened ("Hikkah" = injured, knocked down). Interestingly though quite evidently, there is an indivisible connection between physical and mental injuries: "All weapons strike in their place, but calumny (lashon remiyah) strikes at a distance" (Y. Peah1, 18a). The Talmud insists on the fact that a "woman who has been attacked in words is similar to any young girl that would have lost her hymen by accidental lesion or deceitful words." (Ketubot 7, 10).
There is a move to crippling down and "necheh - nachyata" also has a financial meaning: "reduction of a debt against a landed security by deducting every year a stipulated amount for usufruct (Bava Metziah 67b). Land and agricultural products are thus considered as 'removable' limbs of some geographic body. This move can somehow be compared to the "tzimtzum -hiding process of God's Presence" or His presupposed "Eclipse" during the time of the Shoah (absence of God's name in the Hebrew Scroll of Esther).
There might be some other explanation, linked to what is veiled and thus present but require a lot of insightful humility. "When the Israelites stood at Mount Sinai, they pressed (tzimtzam) themselves – against one another in reverence - like a bride opening one part of her garments and holding another part together." (Shir R. 4,10). Over 7000 years (Megiddo, Jericho), the local inhabitants have been quaking, jerking over visible remainders. The subsequent historic strata show like lame-brained piles of earth and stones while people would rather avoid conversing, or would be extremely shy. Memory backgrounds are scattered as each group retains their elevator-shafts of specific mentalities and ways of interpretation.
As the "matzav - situation (of war)" is prolonging over a seventh year, we may have the impression to cripple down. Iyar comes from Akkadian "iyyaru" that refers to some pagan feast of flower blossoming, in particular small roses, like the "shoshanim" of the Song of Songs. In the history of Judaism, Iyar recalls the restoration of the Walls of Jerusalem, destroyed by Nabuchadnezzar (7 Iyar 355 bce). In the meantime, the Jewish community will celebrate "Pesach sheni - Second Passover", the second possibility to commemorate Passover with unleavened and leavened bread (14 Iyar / 05/1), a sign of God’s compassion for those who were "absent" mentally and physically to the roasted lamb feast… This week, different "ta'anit/tunes - fasts" call to full response-conversion/teshuvah to God (Ta’anit sheni kamma, chamishi, sheni Bathra) there is also the meaningful 18 Iyar "LaG -33th of the Omer computing”, en route to Shavuot. This reminds that R. Akiva's disciples perished because of their "lack of respect to each other".The same day, there is the joyous festival of the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, that drifts crowds to his grave in Meron as "a joyful thanksgiving day for all remedies and hopes". Iyyar 5th, 60th anniversary will be celebrated on May 8th. Is the creation of the State of the Jews, Israel, really and solely connected to the Western date on which World War II stopped for the Americans and the Allies? The Soviets ceased the following day. It remains a significant split. Does Israel reply upon the Prophets or on some unclear partition taken after a horrible planet wide war that never ended and is still in flames?
On May 3rd/4th, the Eastern Orthodox Church will celebrate the Sunday of Apostle Thomas. He was absent when Jesus appeared to the disciples. So he does not believe that the Master is risen. When Jesus comes the following Sunday, we have no evidence that he did try to put his hand and finger on Jesus' body. But Thomas did believe. And Jesus tells him: "Happy are those who believe without having seen". This is rooted in ancient midrashim: emunah (faith, confidence, amen) are not blind. They fulfill what God constantly creates and renews. Then, times and delays are not that important. I have a dream (why not, everybody does here), ober a vurer chulem, the real dream you only can catch in the Holy Land: let's create an event and meet, all of you - whoever you, we and they are - on Iyyar 5th 5968, i.e. on Friday 22nd of April 2208. With some mustard thin measure of faith, we might see great things, greater than we even can imagine.
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
May 1st, 2008 - 11 le'Omer 5768
Facebook contact: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
SIN'AH: Hideous can be different
SIN'AH: Hideous can be different
A microcosmic part of it that desperately try to find some rest in some gym club. A young family man has recently lost his mother and had to go to the milluim - to serve his periodic time in the army. He enjoys this time of "cheshbon nefesh - meditation" in serving the country, waith his friends and comrades waho are compassionate but also oblige him to consider a life that is gone and the life he has to accomplish.
Yiddish has an old talmudic saying: we cannot educate our children the way we have been educated because we belong to a time that is over. We have to bring up our children as if we were anticipating the education of our grandchildren because they will survive us and build the future. Thus, it is not possible to state: 'I have plenty of time" or "I don't have time - I miss time terribly" which may turn to be a good reason not to do what we have to do, while much time could be a sign of how empty our lives can really or supposedly be.
Yom HaShoah 5768 is the day commemorated by the State of Israel. In some way, with the project readily developed in 1942 of a Yad VaShem - Deportation and extermination camp center, it is the unique place that takes more and more importance to recall the event of the Endloesung, the final solution to liquidate the Jews and erase them as such from the earth, to begin with Europe. But time passes. The transmission from the survivors to their children, the ability or difficult distance to examine what mainly has happened during World War II in Christened Europe seem to raise new forms of interrogations and this requires a lot of prudence. The existence of the State of the Jews is not even a political fact. Yes, Jews gathered in a country that birthed 60 years ago for giving a shelter to Refugees and Displaced, floating Jews individuals and families.
In the course of the sixty years, silence very slowly paved the way to some kind of word and description, but it took more than 40 years. Some people think they have "time to kill or they can kill time". Absence of action was not the case. Jews faced a hideous shame in being survivors, many of them abandoned and left the Community and the faith of the ancestors. At the end of the war, most communities had lost all their talmidei chacham, professors and we shall miss them for a very long time ahead of one or two generations. They will recompose but in another context of Yiddishkayt.
As time passes, silence is replaced by a sort of constant Holocaust discussion. Indeed, the Jews must understand they were not the only targets of those who wanted to exterminate them. We assist since some years at a breaking down into different options of Yom HaShoah. The UNO day on January 27th calles to human memory and alerts the conscience of the all the nations. In that view, it recalls, but it focus on Jews while other nations do not fel concerned in any way by what has happened. This requires a tremendous pedagogical work and exceptional teaching and understand capacities.
Then, living memories also have the curious ability to remove, not totally wipe out but to consider most of the event of the Shoah as something that will be cured by the good relationships which will be created in the century, say. I don't believe in that. And simultaneously, Jews' descendents consider the event in a specific way that is often superseded by many Christian movements throughout the world. It is possible now for Christianity to "christen" the Shoah. In that case, it is interesting to note that the "Holocaust" turns to be a Christian question of morals and theology that would make the Churches feel allowed to dispose - once again - of the destiny of the Jewish people. The project to go beyond the drama, and at least allow Jews and Arabs to meet - learning how to work together was the genius idea developed for years by the Kibbutz Lochamey HaGettaot (Akko) and the Greek Catholic priest, Emile Shufani. They launched a reflection as how to understand violence in extermination and analyze how to make Jews and Arabs. The challenge is open.
The third breakdown is linked to the "Katastropha/e" in Russian and Greek. This is the official name of the event in these languages. The State of Israel has received a huge amount of former Soviet ans Easyern European newcomers. The will not remain Russian for long. After 10-15 years many serve in the army, feel Israeli minded and Russian by background. The absence of a specific adapted response to their identity as members of this society as Jews, mixed or Orthodox does not help. They are acting at many levels of the society. Locals forget that a newcomer is an immigrant and will not proplonge what what extant at home. Or it may clash.
The rabbinic tradition states (Talmud Eduyot 1:4) that the Talmud like to recording minority points of view. It allows to keep flexible and accept that open opinions can avoiding them to parroting they are always right!
Have a bright week,
Av Alexander
A microcosmic part of it that desperately try to find some rest in some gym club. A young family man has recently lost his mother and had to go to the milluim - to serve his periodic time in the army. He enjoys this time of "cheshbon nefesh - meditation" in serving the country, waith his friends and comrades waho are compassionate but also oblige him to consider a life that is gone and the life he has to accomplish.
Yiddish has an old talmudic saying: we cannot educate our children the way we have been educated because we belong to a time that is over. We have to bring up our children as if we were anticipating the education of our grandchildren because they will survive us and build the future. Thus, it is not possible to state: 'I have plenty of time" or "I don't have time - I miss time terribly" which may turn to be a good reason not to do what we have to do, while much time could be a sign of how empty our lives can really or supposedly be.
Yom HaShoah 5768 is the day commemorated by the State of Israel. In some way, with the project readily developed in 1942 of a Yad VaShem - Deportation and extermination camp center, it is the unique place that takes more and more importance to recall the event of the Endloesung, the final solution to liquidate the Jews and erase them as such from the earth, to begin with Europe. But time passes. The transmission from the survivors to their children, the ability or difficult distance to examine what mainly has happened during World War II in Christened Europe seem to raise new forms of interrogations and this requires a lot of prudence. The existence of the State of the Jews is not even a political fact. Yes, Jews gathered in a country that birthed 60 years ago for giving a shelter to Refugees and Displaced, floating Jews individuals and families.
In the course of the sixty years, silence very slowly paved the way to some kind of word and description, but it took more than 40 years. Some people think they have "time to kill or they can kill time". Absence of action was not the case. Jews faced a hideous shame in being survivors, many of them abandoned and left the Community and the faith of the ancestors. At the end of the war, most communities had lost all their talmidei chacham, professors and we shall miss them for a very long time ahead of one or two generations. They will recompose but in another context of Yiddishkayt.
As time passes, silence is replaced by a sort of constant Holocaust discussion. Indeed, the Jews must understand they were not the only targets of those who wanted to exterminate them. We assist since some years at a breaking down into different options of Yom HaShoah. The UNO day on January 27th calles to human memory and alerts the conscience of the all the nations. In that view, it recalls, but it focus on Jews while other nations do not fel concerned in any way by what has happened. This requires a tremendous pedagogical work and exceptional teaching and understand capacities.
Then, living memories also have the curious ability to remove, not totally wipe out but to consider most of the event of the Shoah as something that will be cured by the good relationships which will be created in the century, say. I don't believe in that. And simultaneously, Jews' descendents consider the event in a specific way that is often superseded by many Christian movements throughout the world. It is possible now for Christianity to "christen" the Shoah. In that case, it is interesting to note that the "Holocaust" turns to be a Christian question of morals and theology that would make the Churches feel allowed to dispose - once again - of the destiny of the Jewish people. The project to go beyond the drama, and at least allow Jews and Arabs to meet - learning how to work together was the genius idea developed for years by the Kibbutz Lochamey HaGettaot (Akko) and the Greek Catholic priest, Emile Shufani. They launched a reflection as how to understand violence in extermination and analyze how to make Jews and Arabs. The challenge is open.
The third breakdown is linked to the "Katastropha/e" in Russian and Greek. This is the official name of the event in these languages. The State of Israel has received a huge amount of former Soviet ans Easyern European newcomers. The will not remain Russian for long. After 10-15 years many serve in the army, feel Israeli minded and Russian by background. The absence of a specific adapted response to their identity as members of this society as Jews, mixed or Orthodox does not help. They are acting at many levels of the society. Locals forget that a newcomer is an immigrant and will not proplonge what what extant at home. Or it may clash.
The rabbinic tradition states (Talmud Eduyot 1:4) that the Talmud like to recording minority points of view. It allows to keep flexible and accept that open opinions can avoiding them to parroting they are always right!
Have a bright week,
Av Alexander
SIN'AH: Hideous can be different
Either we have time or we don't; or we miss time terribly. It is a professional trend: to be overburdened with work, family task, virtual and real contacts, traffic jams. Agendas are full, each of us are like heading and holding the society and a microcosmic part of it that desperately try to find some rest in some gym club. A young family man has recently lost his mother and had to go to the milluim - to serve his periodic time in the army. He enjoys this time of "cheshbon nefesh - meditation" in serving the country, waith his friends and comrades waho are compassionate but also oblige him to consider a life that is gone and the life he has to accomplish.
Yiddish has an old talmudic saying: we cannot educate our children the way we have been educated because we belong to a time that is over. We have to bring up our children as if we were anticipating the education of our grandchildren because they will survive us and build the future. Thus, it is not possible to state: 'I have plenty of time" or "I don't have time - I miss time terribly" which may turn to be a good reason not to do what we have to do, while much time could be a sign of how empty our lives can really or supposedly be.
Yom HaShoah 5768 is the day commemorated by the State of Israel. In some way, with the project readily developed in 1942 of a Yad VaShem - Deportation and extermination camp center, it is the unique place that takes more and more importance to recall the event of the Endloesung, the final solution to liquidate the Jews and erase them as such from the earth, to begin with Europe. But time passes. The transmission from the survivors to their children, the ability or difficult distance to examine what mainly has happened during World War II in Christened Europe seem to raise new forms of interrogations and this requires a lot of prudence. The existence of the State of the Jews is not even a political fact. Yes, Jews gathered in a country that birthed 60 years ago for giving a shelter to Refugees and Displaced, floating Jews individuals and families.
In the course of the sixty years, silence very slowly paved the way to some kind of word and description, but it took more than 40 years. Some people think they have "time to kill or they can kill time". Absence of action was not the case. Jews faced a hideous shame in being survivors, many of them abandoned and left the Community and the faith of the ancestors. At the end of the war, most communities had lost all their talmidei chacham, professors and we shall miss them for a very long time ahead of one or two generations. They will recompose but in another context of Yiddishkayt.
As time passes, silence is replaced by a sort of constant Holocaust discussion. Indeed, the Jews must understand they were not the only targets of those who wanted to exterminate them. We assist since some years at a breaking down into different options of Yom HaShoah. The UNO day on January 27th calles to human memory and alerts the conscience of the all the nations. In that view, it recalls, but it focus on Jews while other nations do not fel concerned in any way by what has happened. This requires a tremendous pedagogical work and exceptional teaching and understand capacities.
Then, living memories also have the curious ability to remove, not totally wipe out but to consider most of the event of the Shoah as something that will be cured by the good relationships which will be created in the century, say. I don't believe in that. And simultaneously, Jews' descendents consider the event in a specific way that is often superseded by many Christian movements throughout the world. It is possible now for Christianity to "christen" the Shoah. In that case, it is interesting to note that the "Holocaust" turns to be a Christian question of morals and theology that would make the Churches feel allowed to dispose - once again - of the destiny of the Jewish people. The project to go beyond the drama, and at least allow Jews and Arabs to meet - learning how to work together was the genius idea developed for years by the Kibbutz Lochamey HaGettaot (Akko) and the Greek Catholic priest, Emile Shufani. They launched a reflection as how to understand violence in extermination and analyze how to make Jews and Arabs. The challenge is open.
The third breakdown is linked to the "Katastropha/e" in Russian and Greek. This is the official name of the event in these languages. The State of Israel has received a huge amount of former Soviet ans Easyern European newcomers. The will not remain Russian for long. After 10-15 years many serve in the army, feel Israeli minded and Russian by background. The absence of a specific adapted response to their identity as members of this society as Jews, mixed or Orthodox does not help. They are acting at many levels of the society. Locals forget that a newcomer is an immigrant and will not proplonge what what extant at home. Or it may clash.
The rabbinic tradition states (Talmud Eduyot 1:4) that the Talmud like to recording minority points of view. It allows to keep flexible and accept that open opinions can avoiding them to parroting they are always right!
Have a bright week,
Av Alexander
Yiddish has an old talmudic saying: we cannot educate our children the way we have been educated because we belong to a time that is over. We have to bring up our children as if we were anticipating the education of our grandchildren because they will survive us and build the future. Thus, it is not possible to state: 'I have plenty of time" or "I don't have time - I miss time terribly" which may turn to be a good reason not to do what we have to do, while much time could be a sign of how empty our lives can really or supposedly be.
Yom HaShoah 5768 is the day commemorated by the State of Israel. In some way, with the project readily developed in 1942 of a Yad VaShem - Deportation and extermination camp center, it is the unique place that takes more and more importance to recall the event of the Endloesung, the final solution to liquidate the Jews and erase them as such from the earth, to begin with Europe. But time passes. The transmission from the survivors to their children, the ability or difficult distance to examine what mainly has happened during World War II in Christened Europe seem to raise new forms of interrogations and this requires a lot of prudence. The existence of the State of the Jews is not even a political fact. Yes, Jews gathered in a country that birthed 60 years ago for giving a shelter to Refugees and Displaced, floating Jews individuals and families.
In the course of the sixty years, silence very slowly paved the way to some kind of word and description, but it took more than 40 years. Some people think they have "time to kill or they can kill time". Absence of action was not the case. Jews faced a hideous shame in being survivors, many of them abandoned and left the Community and the faith of the ancestors. At the end of the war, most communities had lost all their talmidei chacham, professors and we shall miss them for a very long time ahead of one or two generations. They will recompose but in another context of Yiddishkayt.
As time passes, silence is replaced by a sort of constant Holocaust discussion. Indeed, the Jews must understand they were not the only targets of those who wanted to exterminate them. We assist since some years at a breaking down into different options of Yom HaShoah. The UNO day on January 27th calles to human memory and alerts the conscience of the all the nations. In that view, it recalls, but it focus on Jews while other nations do not fel concerned in any way by what has happened. This requires a tremendous pedagogical work and exceptional teaching and understand capacities.
Then, living memories also have the curious ability to remove, not totally wipe out but to consider most of the event of the Shoah as something that will be cured by the good relationships which will be created in the century, say. I don't believe in that. And simultaneously, Jews' descendents consider the event in a specific way that is often superseded by many Christian movements throughout the world. It is possible now for Christianity to "christen" the Shoah. In that case, it is interesting to note that the "Holocaust" turns to be a Christian question of morals and theology that would make the Churches feel allowed to dispose - once again - of the destiny of the Jewish people. The project to go beyond the drama, and at least allow Jews and Arabs to meet - learning how to work together was the genius idea developed for years by the Kibbutz Lochamey HaGettaot (Akko) and the Greek Catholic priest, Emile Shufani. They launched a reflection as how to understand violence in extermination and analyze how to make Jews and Arabs. The challenge is open.
The third breakdown is linked to the "Katastropha/e" in Russian and Greek. This is the official name of the event in these languages. The State of Israel has received a huge amount of former Soviet ans Easyern European newcomers. The will not remain Russian for long. After 10-15 years many serve in the army, feel Israeli minded and Russian by background. The absence of a specific adapted response to their identity as members of this society as Jews, mixed or Orthodox does not help. They are acting at many levels of the society. Locals forget that a newcomer is an immigrant and will not proplonge what what extant at home. Or it may clash.
The rabbinic tradition states (Talmud Eduyot 1:4) that the Talmud like to recording minority points of view. It allows to keep flexible and accept that open opinions can avoiding them to parroting they are always right!
Have a bright week,
Av Alexander
Refuah - Healing
Refuah - Healing
One of the most fundamental actions conducted in the name of faith in God is to assist the sick, the injured, those who suffer in their bodies and souls. It is a strong priority. Since ancient days, the Christian hospices, clinics, hospitals, convents and monasteries have been dedicated to the assistance to the needy and the poor, but also the elderly and the sick and their families. At the present, it must be admitted that the best organized system is the Catholic network even if it faces some difficulties.
The Orthodox Church, present in the Holy Land since the Apostolic times of the Early Church and considered as the Mother of all the Churches, has no permanent elderly home for the pensioners and the retired bishops are hosted by Catholic houses. This is a part of our responsibility, as Orthodox believers to develop a true and authentic system of assistance for the believers. "Anyone says "I love God" but hates his brother is a liar; whoever loves a brother whom he has seen cannot love God Whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). The Eastern Orthodox Church of Jerusalem has and will always have ahead of her an immense task to help spirituality all the inhabitants of the Israeli society, Jordan and Palestine. Wounds and scars of war, history, cross-time dramatic situations have hurt and constantly wounds the inhabitants.
The arrival of the numerous newcomers into the State of Israel does constitute an important an numerically rather clear number of faithful, especially among the doctors, physicians, surgeons, medicine professors, male and female nurses and simple room cleaners in the hospitals. These people often dare show their faith in a natural way. I visit the children and also people suffering from traumas in Jerusalem other diseases in Tel HaShomer (Tel Aviv) Sorok in Ben Gurion hospital in Beer Sheva. It means three full days before the Feast of Easter, often combined with Pesach because of family days-off and possible visits. Visits to the numerous victims of diseases: the alcoholics, to those who were deeply injured during a terror attack. There is no difference in an Israeli hospital between nationality and faith at this point.
Thirty years at the hospital of Nazareth, yes, people used to compared the rites and customs of each Church, which was funny in a way and normal. Then, we understand that the country does count a lot of Orthodox faithful. It is a must to visit them, to confess and bring them the Holy Gifts during this period of Resurrection that is the answer to the Way of the Cross/suffering - Derech Yissurin - in Hebrew.
This can also question the Church because our Sacrament of the Holy Oils is long, tiring for a sick person that cannot follow the texts adequately. I often have to give the Oils in a situation of emergency. It is also beautiful then that the Jewish personnel - many doctors or surgeons are also learned talmudists or rabbis - would remain silent and give time to pray with much decency. Their presence, with other co-workers of all denominations, prove a real respect of God.
Priests and all people dedicating their lives to God are constant witnesses of His goodness. In this country, this is also the possibility to heal through conversation and trust and not by framing each other, rejecting the foreigners and aliens. Encounters are a major action in the service of the Church, as of the Jewish communities, not because it would be useless to proselytize: people here are thirsty to speak and get into contact.
Great Lent is a time for visiting the sick without focusing on our own destiny. We often perform good deeds in order to be refunded in terms of divine gratuities or graces, gracious acts towards ourselves or our fellow people. And then we think are entitled to glorify our actions as being sustained by God Himself. We know nothing. Jesus says to his disciples that the Son of Adam does not even recognize those who visited him in jail, when he was sick, naked or hungry (Matthew 25:36). Religious people are more likely to be sensitive to actions that are linked to eternal life, i.e. the quest of what resurrection means: thus, it requires no limits in time. The Israeli Kupat cholim and Bituach Leumi (Medical and social care assistance services) were launched by the ultra-Orthodox Jews of Mea Shearim at the turn of the 20th century. Religious Jews now visit and participate in the researches carried out at Yad VaShem (Deportation Memorial) as a part of a constant prayer that can heal and exorcize old clutching demons.
In terms of healing, there are no demons, no hideous memories; indeed, they are there, but because we betray them: when we discover the unbelievable treason committed towards the concentration camps survivors inside the very Jewish State of Israel. The same applies when some Christian take over should and capture cultures and societies to their own profit. It restricts the goal: God want to heal and to cure and not only concentrate on a few mirroring aspects that will break into pieces sooner or later in history.
True faith can be profoundly wounded by death. Faith know by intimate conviction than life and reinvigorating forces are there as the sign of God's sign that He resurrects the dead (the prayer is said three time at least by the Jews everyday).
One of the most fundamental actions conducted in the name of faith in God is to assist the sick, the injured, those who suffer in their bodies and souls. It is a strong priority. Since ancient days, the Christian hospices, clinics, hospitals, convents and monasteries have been dedicated to the assistance to the needy and the poor, but also the elderly and the sick and their families. At the present, it must be admitted that the best organized system is the Catholic network even if it faces some difficulties.
The Orthodox Church, present in the Holy Land since the Apostolic times of the Early Church and considered as the Mother of all the Churches, has no permanent elderly home for the pensioners and the retired bishops are hosted by Catholic houses. This is a part of our responsibility, as Orthodox believers to develop a true and authentic system of assistance for the believers. "Anyone says "I love God" but hates his brother is a liar; whoever loves a brother whom he has seen cannot love God Whom he has not seen" (1 John 4:20). The Eastern Orthodox Church of Jerusalem has and will always have ahead of her an immense task to help spirituality all the inhabitants of the Israeli society, Jordan and Palestine. Wounds and scars of war, history, cross-time dramatic situations have hurt and constantly wounds the inhabitants.
The arrival of the numerous newcomers into the State of Israel does constitute an important an numerically rather clear number of faithful, especially among the doctors, physicians, surgeons, medicine professors, male and female nurses and simple room cleaners in the hospitals. These people often dare show their faith in a natural way. I visit the children and also people suffering from traumas in Jerusalem other diseases in Tel HaShomer (Tel Aviv) Sorok in Ben Gurion hospital in Beer Sheva. It means three full days before the Feast of Easter, often combined with Pesach because of family days-off and possible visits. Visits to the numerous victims of diseases: the alcoholics, to those who were deeply injured during a terror attack. There is no difference in an Israeli hospital between nationality and faith at this point.
Thirty years at the hospital of Nazareth, yes, people used to compared the rites and customs of each Church, which was funny in a way and normal. Then, we understand that the country does count a lot of Orthodox faithful. It is a must to visit them, to confess and bring them the Holy Gifts during this period of Resurrection that is the answer to the Way of the Cross/suffering - Derech Yissurin - in Hebrew.
This can also question the Church because our Sacrament of the Holy Oils is long, tiring for a sick person that cannot follow the texts adequately. I often have to give the Oils in a situation of emergency. It is also beautiful then that the Jewish personnel - many doctors or surgeons are also learned talmudists or rabbis - would remain silent and give time to pray with much decency. Their presence, with other co-workers of all denominations, prove a real respect of God.
Priests and all people dedicating their lives to God are constant witnesses of His goodness. In this country, this is also the possibility to heal through conversation and trust and not by framing each other, rejecting the foreigners and aliens. Encounters are a major action in the service of the Church, as of the Jewish communities, not because it would be useless to proselytize: people here are thirsty to speak and get into contact.
Great Lent is a time for visiting the sick without focusing on our own destiny. We often perform good deeds in order to be refunded in terms of divine gratuities or graces, gracious acts towards ourselves or our fellow people. And then we think are entitled to glorify our actions as being sustained by God Himself. We know nothing. Jesus says to his disciples that the Son of Adam does not even recognize those who visited him in jail, when he was sick, naked or hungry (Matthew 25:36). Religious people are more likely to be sensitive to actions that are linked to eternal life, i.e. the quest of what resurrection means: thus, it requires no limits in time. The Israeli Kupat cholim and Bituach Leumi (Medical and social care assistance services) were launched by the ultra-Orthodox Jews of Mea Shearim at the turn of the 20th century. Religious Jews now visit and participate in the researches carried out at Yad VaShem (Deportation Memorial) as a part of a constant prayer that can heal and exorcize old clutching demons.
In terms of healing, there are no demons, no hideous memories; indeed, they are there, but because we betray them: when we discover the unbelievable treason committed towards the concentration camps survivors inside the very Jewish State of Israel. The same applies when some Christian take over should and capture cultures and societies to their own profit. It restricts the goal: God want to heal and to cure and not only concentrate on a few mirroring aspects that will break into pieces sooner or later in history.
True faith can be profoundly wounded by death. Faith know by intimate conviction than life and reinvigorating forces are there as the sign of God's sign that He resurrects the dead (the prayer is said three time at least by the Jews everyday).
Hallelu-Yah : Praising
Times and orders of rules are a bit disturbed: the "drashat Shabbat HaGadol" or homely pronounced for this Shabbat HaGadol was said last week and this week is Shabbat Parshat "Acharey mot - After the death of the two sons of Aaron " that leads to Pesach 5768 at the end of the Shabbat. Leviticus 16:1-18:30 is the weekly portion read in the Sacrificial book of VaYikra, the Levites. It describes the ritual of Yom Kippur and defines in what sense we are called the "saints - qedoshim". This name was given in this portion to those who serve the Lord, later, because of the location of the Temple, referred to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Paul of Tarsus uses the name when he came back from the diasporas with the money offering and assistance provided by the faithful. During the Byzantine Liturgy, the priest elevates the Bread and says: "Ta Hagia tis Hagiois - the Holy (Gifts) to the Holy (one - haqodesh leqedoshim", parallel to the Song of the Songs.
Indeed, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are called to be poor. Not needy. There is a special air, spirit in the Eretz Canaan/Israel. Galilee would be more prosperous and it can develop in wealthy conditions in the coming decades. This depends on the way the inhabitants of the region will be able to work together, which is on hold at the moment. The Negev - the futurist and prophetic Mamshit area of Ben Gurion's prospective envisions is still in a sort of cradle or covered with the dust bone of all the saints that died en route to the Temple. People cannot have the nerve to say that they are holy. God calls to a process that includes "becoming holy, sanctifying". This used to upset Rav Y. Leibowitz: " I opened my morning newspaper and found it full of accounts of the murders that have taken place in our midst, incest and prostitution and lust and rape and theft and armed robbery, and - superfluous to say, idolatry. And yet, there are people that say "We are by nature a holy people" (The Yoke of Heaven, p. 116)", he declared on Galey Tsahal on 1986! He hated this sort of fossilization of a principle like "sanctity" that can only deal or link to God. It does not belong to anybody.
At least Jews and Christians share the experience of "killing - retzach". Oh, God pardons each time and from the very beginning: God protected avenged Kain's murder by God sevenfold and thus Lamech's seventyfold! (Gen. 4:24), which corresponds to the measure of human pardon given by Jesus; it is the full value of 500 ephah offered in the Temple.
These days, we celebrate two "passing overs'": Pesach\Passover and Passcha/Easter for the Oriental and Orthodox Churches (April 26th, 2008).The problem is not, at this point, to know why and persistently on both parts, relationships are not really existing, showing the choice of hatred instead of love and achievement. Accomplishment implies a plenitude that Christianity cannot proclaim as right out of the blue moon. Judaism not only chose but consistently continue to question the Church(es) about fulfillment.
Moses did not enter Eretz Canaan because he had killed a man. The whole situation is bizarre: the adopted Jewish child, son of Pharaoh, kills an Egyptian, i.e. a foreigner to him, to save a Hebrew who does not they are of the same identity. For this reason, God compliments him for his faithfulness but blood bars the entry to the Land. There is no difference amongst humans with regards to blood = life. Do we measure what it cost over centuries to the Jewish communities to teach such a commandment and not to use it without conscience?
As for Jesus of Nazareth who was killed by a very subtle series of events. We are covered with imprints of life and death seeds and death usually take the advantage in certain contexts. Pontius Pilatus had a legal status. Caiaphas, the high-priest is problematic as a man (Talmud Gittin), but also because what Sanhedrin could take a decision under foreign rule, at a moment when Jewish groups of believers were in open conflict. Thus, Jesus' blood is a murder by the Roman soldiers in a disorderly disorganized society. This is why Jesus' "passing-over" is a highly prevailing and major element.
Both Jews and Oriental and Orthodox Christians sing the "Hallelu-Yah - Praise the Lord (of war, fight). It is the cry, yelling of victory and substantiates during these Feast that we can "love our fellow people as ourselves" as prescribed in the weekly portion (Lev. 19:18). It is a joyous passing-over: the Oriental Churches and the Jewish traditions never remove this “word of glory and praise” from the prayers, contrary to the Latin rite in use in the Roman Church. Mitzvot and graces replace in this commandment any sort of "avenging". God acts otherwise. Shimon Peres reached in age, mental force, opportunity and position in a State of the Jews the possibility to utter that with emotion in Poland as "a Kaddish", 65 years after the uprising of the Ghetto of Warsaw.
Hope is a natural sign of healing oil that irrigates Semitic fidelity throughout the ages.
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Facebook: av Aleksandr http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 21st, 2008 - 16 deNissan 5768
Indeed, the inhabitants of Jerusalem are called to be poor. Not needy. There is a special air, spirit in the Eretz Canaan/Israel. Galilee would be more prosperous and it can develop in wealthy conditions in the coming decades. This depends on the way the inhabitants of the region will be able to work together, which is on hold at the moment. The Negev - the futurist and prophetic Mamshit area of Ben Gurion's prospective envisions is still in a sort of cradle or covered with the dust bone of all the saints that died en route to the Temple. People cannot have the nerve to say that they are holy. God calls to a process that includes "becoming holy, sanctifying". This used to upset Rav Y. Leibowitz: " I opened my morning newspaper and found it full of accounts of the murders that have taken place in our midst, incest and prostitution and lust and rape and theft and armed robbery, and - superfluous to say, idolatry. And yet, there are people that say "We are by nature a holy people" (The Yoke of Heaven, p. 116)", he declared on Galey Tsahal on 1986! He hated this sort of fossilization of a principle like "sanctity" that can only deal or link to God. It does not belong to anybody.
At least Jews and Christians share the experience of "killing - retzach". Oh, God pardons each time and from the very beginning: God protected avenged Kain's murder by God sevenfold and thus Lamech's seventyfold! (Gen. 4:24), which corresponds to the measure of human pardon given by Jesus; it is the full value of 500 ephah offered in the Temple.
These days, we celebrate two "passing overs'": Pesach\Passover and Passcha/Easter for the Oriental and Orthodox Churches (April 26th, 2008).The problem is not, at this point, to know why and persistently on both parts, relationships are not really existing, showing the choice of hatred instead of love and achievement. Accomplishment implies a plenitude that Christianity cannot proclaim as right out of the blue moon. Judaism not only chose but consistently continue to question the Church(es) about fulfillment.
Moses did not enter Eretz Canaan because he had killed a man. The whole situation is bizarre: the adopted Jewish child, son of Pharaoh, kills an Egyptian, i.e. a foreigner to him, to save a Hebrew who does not they are of the same identity. For this reason, God compliments him for his faithfulness but blood bars the entry to the Land. There is no difference amongst humans with regards to blood = life. Do we measure what it cost over centuries to the Jewish communities to teach such a commandment and not to use it without conscience?
As for Jesus of Nazareth who was killed by a very subtle series of events. We are covered with imprints of life and death seeds and death usually take the advantage in certain contexts. Pontius Pilatus had a legal status. Caiaphas, the high-priest is problematic as a man (Talmud Gittin), but also because what Sanhedrin could take a decision under foreign rule, at a moment when Jewish groups of believers were in open conflict. Thus, Jesus' blood is a murder by the Roman soldiers in a disorderly disorganized society. This is why Jesus' "passing-over" is a highly prevailing and major element.
Both Jews and Oriental and Orthodox Christians sing the "Hallelu-Yah - Praise the Lord (of war, fight). It is the cry, yelling of victory and substantiates during these Feast that we can "love our fellow people as ourselves" as prescribed in the weekly portion (Lev. 19:18). It is a joyous passing-over: the Oriental Churches and the Jewish traditions never remove this “word of glory and praise” from the prayers, contrary to the Latin rite in use in the Roman Church. Mitzvot and graces replace in this commandment any sort of "avenging". God acts otherwise. Shimon Peres reached in age, mental force, opportunity and position in a State of the Jews the possibility to utter that with emotion in Poland as "a Kaddish", 65 years after the uprising of the Ghetto of Warsaw.
Hope is a natural sign of healing oil that irrigates Semitic fidelity throughout the ages.
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Facebook: av Aleksandr http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 21st, 2008 - 16 deNissan 5768
Peh: God's mouth converses
Of course, what to do? Our earthly time is a night and day struggle for life, in many evident aspects; at times, things would be more wildly off-the-wall. Israeli society and Jewishness get to the point as if they would be forced to searching their reality, identity, actions. Pesach is the drama about good health: good ears when God’s mouth speaks (Peh siach). Solid travailing wombs to birth a nation, some grains of sechel (discernment).
As long as Jews can play games between rich and poor, needy and schnorrers, schmooze about fate and money, jewelry, trading, career, show to be "klug un intelligent ober a biss'l paskudne = clever and well-educated but a bit obnoxious in their behaviors", things are abnormal. Say that tons of people, nations have the nerve to be arrogant. One peculiar component of this "essence" is the pretence to be best, first, successful, prestigious, mighty (though ready to help at your early convenience), undauntedly powerful. It sounds like our chutzpah, but the word brings forth another point of view: "how irrepressible (chatzifah) is the land of Israel that is still productive after all devastations" (Y. Talmud Taanit IV:69b). This is the real prodigy this year!
There is more in Judaism. Things deal with constant, steady, persistent combat. Not the simple basic fight we have to face because of long-long-long-term, age-long and stubborn rejection, hatred or misunderstanding. This is normal. And it is normal because of what happened in this Yaakov's wrestling overnight. It belongs to the standards of alterity and similarity between God and Israel. This wrestling is the artifact of the original Pesach event.
Theodore Herzl's "I have a dream" is somehow parallel to Martin Luther King's message. Parallel because abnormal according to the basic rules governing societies, but making dreams come true because of faith. Pesach gives each Jew to know who he is for the benefit of collectivities.
This goes far beyond Jacob's special call to be Israel. Abraham was the "ivri - going across the two rivers". Yaakov crossed the ford of Yabbok: note that Ya-Bo -k is the reversed order of the letters in Ya-Ko-v (heel, limp) and it is said: "VaYeAVeK ish imo - and a man wrestled with him" (v. 25) as he was remained alone: the real wrestling now deals, in loneliness - though not solitude - with his special oneness and identity. Like Abraham he has to choose new priorities and geographical orientations. He was "standing behind on his heels (EKev)"; from now on, he will face humankind and himself because the "unknown" fighter was both of divine and human nature. He called the place "Peniel" because he fought timelessly overnight in a human and divine Panim el panim = face to face encounter. Was it Esau, Jacob's own shadow? both God and the brothers? "God created us in His image and likeness" (Genesis 1:27). But moreover, it seems at this point that God concealed something definitely substantial with Jacob becoming Israel. Adam found his fulfillment in the removing of "tzela - rib, side, shadow" (Genesis 2:18) because he was alone. Jacob was alone during the wrestling. Adam woke up and found his wholeness in Eve/Chawah, the woman who is indeed the crown of creation. The same happens during that combat in which Jacob urged the "ish - man" to tell his name. In return, he is hurt at his hip and his "tzolea - limping, walking" is crooked to one side ("Are the paralyzed and crippled to punish him who holds?" Pessakti Rabbati 13). He is no more alone but "achieved, whole" = "shalem, strangely also "sholem = loyal (Genesis 33:18). His new name is that of a "feminine" mildness given upon birth from Jewish women that "shall make the crooked straight (yashar) = Yisrael" (Isaiah 40:4). This combat ended at "alot hashachar = the breaking or ascending of dawn". It is an identity rebirth: Jacob wrestled and removed the useless clue of "dirty dust = abak" (cf. Yaakov, ekev = heel, Yabbok) in order to be able to face his destiny. He became Israel and birthed the Community envisioning what repeatedly happened at Beth-El as dawn broke, i.e. is "making a sort of aliyah-ascent". He has been injured but he relocated to achieving Israel's true goal as a firstly multi-faceted tribe who has to share the blessings with all the nations.
The main problem is whether we accept or not that this wrestling is not a victory per se; this inner combat empowers us to struggle for life in whatever circumstances of our lives without ever stepping down because we witness for much more than ourselves.
When Jesus of Nazareth was dying, he said to John, his disciple to take Mary his mother to his home. Say he rose from the dead, then met with Maria Magdalena. Jesus saw "the unbelievable woman" who will powerfully convince the scary disciples that the Master is alive! As Adam welcomed Eve, mother of the living, after a sleep comparable to death and solitude. This lines out with Yaakov becoming Israel, the father of the twelve Tribes, one Community, both injured and unwillingly reinforced. Thus, Rachel died after having birthed Benyamin, the first "son of Abraham" to be born in the land of Canaan. What firstly appeared to look like a cheating story turned into a dream that come true at dawn breaking and continues to interrogate :"hagidah-na shmecha - tell me Your Name?" that can be viewed in the injured "gid hanashe - sinew of the thigh". As Sarah for Abraham, Rachel for Yaakov, Mary Magdalene for Jesus, women (Aramaic 'nesha') remove, discard wounds and debts and save men, i.e. humankind (Talmud Berakhot 17b/Chullin 91a).
Indeed, "[Christians] dwell in their own fatherlands, but as if sojourners in them; they share all things as citizens, and suffer all things as strangers. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is a foreign country." (Letter to Diognetus). How curious that Jews experienced the same and in both a terrible and marvelous way and have to respond to this situation with much righteousness in our generation. Freedom remains the goal.
Chag Pesach sameach
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Facebook contact: Av Aleksandr http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 17, 2008 - 12 deNissan 5768
As long as Jews can play games between rich and poor, needy and schnorrers, schmooze about fate and money, jewelry, trading, career, show to be "klug un intelligent ober a biss'l paskudne = clever and well-educated but a bit obnoxious in their behaviors", things are abnormal. Say that tons of people, nations have the nerve to be arrogant. One peculiar component of this "essence" is the pretence to be best, first, successful, prestigious, mighty (though ready to help at your early convenience), undauntedly powerful. It sounds like our chutzpah, but the word brings forth another point of view: "how irrepressible (chatzifah) is the land of Israel that is still productive after all devastations" (Y. Talmud Taanit IV:69b). This is the real prodigy this year!
There is more in Judaism. Things deal with constant, steady, persistent combat. Not the simple basic fight we have to face because of long-long-long-term, age-long and stubborn rejection, hatred or misunderstanding. This is normal. And it is normal because of what happened in this Yaakov's wrestling overnight. It belongs to the standards of alterity and similarity between God and Israel. This wrestling is the artifact of the original Pesach event.
Theodore Herzl's "I have a dream" is somehow parallel to Martin Luther King's message. Parallel because abnormal according to the basic rules governing societies, but making dreams come true because of faith. Pesach gives each Jew to know who he is for the benefit of collectivities.
This goes far beyond Jacob's special call to be Israel. Abraham was the "ivri - going across the two rivers". Yaakov crossed the ford of Yabbok: note that Ya-Bo -k is the reversed order of the letters in Ya-Ko-v (heel, limp) and it is said: "VaYeAVeK ish imo - and a man wrestled with him" (v. 25) as he was remained alone: the real wrestling now deals, in loneliness - though not solitude - with his special oneness and identity. Like Abraham he has to choose new priorities and geographical orientations. He was "standing behind on his heels (EKev)"; from now on, he will face humankind and himself because the "unknown" fighter was both of divine and human nature. He called the place "Peniel" because he fought timelessly overnight in a human and divine Panim el panim = face to face encounter. Was it Esau, Jacob's own shadow? both God and the brothers? "God created us in His image and likeness" (Genesis 1:27). But moreover, it seems at this point that God concealed something definitely substantial with Jacob becoming Israel. Adam found his fulfillment in the removing of "tzela - rib, side, shadow" (Genesis 2:18) because he was alone. Jacob was alone during the wrestling. Adam woke up and found his wholeness in Eve/Chawah, the woman who is indeed the crown of creation. The same happens during that combat in which Jacob urged the "ish - man" to tell his name. In return, he is hurt at his hip and his "tzolea - limping, walking" is crooked to one side ("Are the paralyzed and crippled to punish him who holds?" Pessakti Rabbati 13). He is no more alone but "achieved, whole" = "shalem, strangely also "sholem = loyal (Genesis 33:18). His new name is that of a "feminine" mildness given upon birth from Jewish women that "shall make the crooked straight (yashar) = Yisrael" (Isaiah 40:4). This combat ended at "alot hashachar = the breaking or ascending of dawn". It is an identity rebirth: Jacob wrestled and removed the useless clue of "dirty dust = abak" (cf. Yaakov, ekev = heel, Yabbok) in order to be able to face his destiny. He became Israel and birthed the Community envisioning what repeatedly happened at Beth-El as dawn broke, i.e. is "making a sort of aliyah-ascent". He has been injured but he relocated to achieving Israel's true goal as a firstly multi-faceted tribe who has to share the blessings with all the nations.
The main problem is whether we accept or not that this wrestling is not a victory per se; this inner combat empowers us to struggle for life in whatever circumstances of our lives without ever stepping down because we witness for much more than ourselves.
When Jesus of Nazareth was dying, he said to John, his disciple to take Mary his mother to his home. Say he rose from the dead, then met with Maria Magdalena. Jesus saw "the unbelievable woman" who will powerfully convince the scary disciples that the Master is alive! As Adam welcomed Eve, mother of the living, after a sleep comparable to death and solitude. This lines out with Yaakov becoming Israel, the father of the twelve Tribes, one Community, both injured and unwillingly reinforced. Thus, Rachel died after having birthed Benyamin, the first "son of Abraham" to be born in the land of Canaan. What firstly appeared to look like a cheating story turned into a dream that come true at dawn breaking and continues to interrogate :"hagidah-na shmecha - tell me Your Name?" that can be viewed in the injured "gid hanashe - sinew of the thigh". As Sarah for Abraham, Rachel for Yaakov, Mary Magdalene for Jesus, women (Aramaic 'nesha') remove, discard wounds and debts and save men, i.e. humankind (Talmud Berakhot 17b/Chullin 91a).
Indeed, "[Christians] dwell in their own fatherlands, but as if sojourners in them; they share all things as citizens, and suffer all things as strangers. Every foreign country is their fatherland, and every fatherland is a foreign country." (Letter to Diognetus). How curious that Jews experienced the same and in both a terrible and marvelous way and have to respond to this situation with much righteousness in our generation. Freedom remains the goal.
Chag Pesach sameach
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Facebook contact: Av Aleksandr http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 17, 2008 - 12 deNissan 5768
Chametz: Leave and march in
Are you "on a journey - tiyul"? Well, I grew up being and living with most Displaced Persons. The "way" was from East-Europe to West-Europe, then North America, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand. World War I inaugurated a long-term period of human flows or transfers of flocks, redesigning precarious borders.
Queen Victoria was still sending some colonizers paid on her own expenses and for the sake of the Crown to Australia: hooligans, released murderers and street women rose up the level of London cockney to the rank of a new Hollywood dialect at the turn of the 20th century. And suddenly Greek, Bulgarian, together with the first Russian immigrants arrived by steamers. By the same time, Shalom Aleichem described in a short novel "Blondzhdike shterne - Sparkling stars" how any Jew originating from any normal shtetl (small village) would so nicely feel at home in the London East End: no need to speak English, but just move the hands; "dos machen mit di hent - by using their hands expressively". Some nations seem today very cozy and well-settled, as if they had cultivated their green lawn for over more than two thousand years. We have our modern barbarians who cut their greens.
In a cute Dutch village by Nijmegen, nobody is seen in the street during the heat of the day. . . except that most gossip women know everything "online" looking at their "spiegeltjes - little side mirrors" and inform their tribe through SMS or cellular calls. Nations sank into the oblivious unconsciousness of low-gear memories. Modernity meets with gossip, chatting and apparent stiffness. No, people have always been on the move. I wonder if this is not due, to some extent, to the fact that the planet does rotate and pursues a difficult pilgrimage through history. Stability and fixity are rather a part of a myth. Life has often been too short or reduced by the hands of conquerors. Still, Jewish eyes flicker at Pesach and remove bad and evil: the chametz, leaven of pride: "Next year in "ara de'Israel= in the Land of Israel"- "chulem oder emes? - a dream or a reality?". The Tel Aviv Beyt Hatfutzot (Museum of the Diasporas) is definitely a unique and insightful place for a coherent understanding of humans, in particular the Jews en voyage to themselves along God's paths ("My plans are not your plans, nor My ways your ways says the Lord/so is the word that issues from My mouth: it does not come to Me unfilled", Isaiah 55:8-12).
What is your real trip for Pesach 5768? What is your journey through these seven days of different daily bread? Jews have a sort of creative inability to settle somewhere or not to move from time to time. When the Temple was existent, the Klal Israel - Community of Israel rapidly developed a system of free but rather obligatory pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to the Temple in order to offer the korbanot/prescribed sacrifices. This allowed to prohibit the other sites that did not focus on the Lord/HaShem alone, especially in the North. Shalosh regalim: i.e. three footings up to the Holy of Holies (Devir). As in English "foot-step" it is a move of ascent that also corresponds to a way of living, moral or spiritual conducts or actions. Of course, it is wiser to translate "regalim" by "pilgrimages"; but it sounds a bit bizarre. Pilgrimages mean that pilgrims (from O. Fr. Pelegrin = go "beyond the fields (acres) that are outside, foreign” and enter a new place).In Hebrew, "regalim" comes from “regel = leg". We walk on foot, beregel even if some wealthy people would arrive on Dutch bikes, in buses, soon by trains and other by private jets and Mercedes. Firstly, this kind of expedition for Pesach, Shavuot (Pentecost/Giving of the Torah) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) requires a strong a diet a reconnect with a soulful nomadic Semitic spirit (The "wandering Aramean" syndrome depicted in Bemidbar 26:5). "On foot is on foot"; we have all kinds of wonderful sandals, very solid and comfy. We can also walk bare-foot, somehow a bit titillating for the toes... "Shirey hama'alot - are the songs or ascents, Tehillim,120-134, some being read during the Lenten Liturgies in the Orthodox Church).
"Regalim" has more. They are "r'gel davar = the basics of a reason" (Talmud Nazir 9:3). Thus, the three pilgrimages of ascents to Jerusalem and the Temple as commanded in Exodus 23:14."Hirgil" = to make accustomed/ to flay an animal from its feet upwards "for the purpose of levitical cleanness" (Hullin9:3). "Rigel - to spy". But, "The 1st of Nissan is the new year for the oley regel (those who go up on foot)" (Rosh Hashanah 16b). There is a concept of climbing, going up. It may be a slow process, take time. The French Saint Therese of Lisieux, having seen one of the first elevators during her pilgrimage to Rome, declared she would love to get to God by elevator! This year, there is a huge rush of Russian pilgrims for Passcha/Easter on April 27th. Interesting how the locals forgot that crowds used to arrive in the Holy Land before the Russian Revolution. It only starts and should develop with the visit of the Chinese some day... And we! The survivors... and every human is a survivor someway? Do we feel how light and swift, bar-mitzvah-like we are after 3.000 years that we try to summarize and build up a State in (more than) 60 years? The others know, so there is only one thing to say: "Next year...". Todah al hasavlanut, thanks for being patient... G-d.
Ascending is a spiritual exploit. Tradition can cope with modern utensils. Old leavened chametz complies us to clean, lighten, unburden just as "not to judge our brothers" (Mar Ephrem).
Chag sameach
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Contact: Av Aleksandr, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 15, 2008 - 10 deNissan 5768
Queen Victoria was still sending some colonizers paid on her own expenses and for the sake of the Crown to Australia: hooligans, released murderers and street women rose up the level of London cockney to the rank of a new Hollywood dialect at the turn of the 20th century. And suddenly Greek, Bulgarian, together with the first Russian immigrants arrived by steamers. By the same time, Shalom Aleichem described in a short novel "Blondzhdike shterne - Sparkling stars" how any Jew originating from any normal shtetl (small village) would so nicely feel at home in the London East End: no need to speak English, but just move the hands; "dos machen mit di hent - by using their hands expressively". Some nations seem today very cozy and well-settled, as if they had cultivated their green lawn for over more than two thousand years. We have our modern barbarians who cut their greens.
In a cute Dutch village by Nijmegen, nobody is seen in the street during the heat of the day. . . except that most gossip women know everything "online" looking at their "spiegeltjes - little side mirrors" and inform their tribe through SMS or cellular calls. Nations sank into the oblivious unconsciousness of low-gear memories. Modernity meets with gossip, chatting and apparent stiffness. No, people have always been on the move. I wonder if this is not due, to some extent, to the fact that the planet does rotate and pursues a difficult pilgrimage through history. Stability and fixity are rather a part of a myth. Life has often been too short or reduced by the hands of conquerors. Still, Jewish eyes flicker at Pesach and remove bad and evil: the chametz, leaven of pride: "Next year in "ara de'Israel= in the Land of Israel"- "chulem oder emes? - a dream or a reality?". The Tel Aviv Beyt Hatfutzot (Museum of the Diasporas) is definitely a unique and insightful place for a coherent understanding of humans, in particular the Jews en voyage to themselves along God's paths ("My plans are not your plans, nor My ways your ways says the Lord/so is the word that issues from My mouth: it does not come to Me unfilled", Isaiah 55:8-12).
What is your real trip for Pesach 5768? What is your journey through these seven days of different daily bread? Jews have a sort of creative inability to settle somewhere or not to move from time to time. When the Temple was existent, the Klal Israel - Community of Israel rapidly developed a system of free but rather obligatory pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to the Temple in order to offer the korbanot/prescribed sacrifices. This allowed to prohibit the other sites that did not focus on the Lord/HaShem alone, especially in the North. Shalosh regalim: i.e. three footings up to the Holy of Holies (Devir). As in English "foot-step" it is a move of ascent that also corresponds to a way of living, moral or spiritual conducts or actions. Of course, it is wiser to translate "regalim" by "pilgrimages"; but it sounds a bit bizarre. Pilgrimages mean that pilgrims (from O. Fr. Pelegrin = go "beyond the fields (acres) that are outside, foreign” and enter a new place).In Hebrew, "regalim" comes from “regel = leg". We walk on foot, beregel even if some wealthy people would arrive on Dutch bikes, in buses, soon by trains and other by private jets and Mercedes. Firstly, this kind of expedition for Pesach, Shavuot (Pentecost/Giving of the Torah) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) requires a strong a diet a reconnect with a soulful nomadic Semitic spirit (The "wandering Aramean" syndrome depicted in Bemidbar 26:5). "On foot is on foot"; we have all kinds of wonderful sandals, very solid and comfy. We can also walk bare-foot, somehow a bit titillating for the toes... "Shirey hama'alot - are the songs or ascents, Tehillim,120-134, some being read during the Lenten Liturgies in the Orthodox Church).
"Regalim" has more. They are "r'gel davar = the basics of a reason" (Talmud Nazir 9:3). Thus, the three pilgrimages of ascents to Jerusalem and the Temple as commanded in Exodus 23:14."Hirgil" = to make accustomed/ to flay an animal from its feet upwards "for the purpose of levitical cleanness" (Hullin9:3). "Rigel - to spy". But, "The 1st of Nissan is the new year for the oley regel (those who go up on foot)" (Rosh Hashanah 16b). There is a concept of climbing, going up. It may be a slow process, take time. The French Saint Therese of Lisieux, having seen one of the first elevators during her pilgrimage to Rome, declared she would love to get to God by elevator! This year, there is a huge rush of Russian pilgrims for Passcha/Easter on April 27th. Interesting how the locals forgot that crowds used to arrive in the Holy Land before the Russian Revolution. It only starts and should develop with the visit of the Chinese some day... And we! The survivors... and every human is a survivor someway? Do we feel how light and swift, bar-mitzvah-like we are after 3.000 years that we try to summarize and build up a State in (more than) 60 years? The others know, so there is only one thing to say: "Next year...". Todah al hasavlanut, thanks for being patient... G-d.
Ascending is a spiritual exploit. Tradition can cope with modern utensils. Old leavened chametz complies us to clean, lighten, unburden just as "not to judge our brothers" (Mar Ephrem).
Chag sameach
Alexander Winogradsky Frenkel
Contact: Av Aleksandr, Facebook http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1126861596
April 15, 2008 - 10 deNissan 5768
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