Is Israel really that important?
Some of you Jews already consider Israel a crucial part of your religious life. The State, the place, the people, the government. Others hold by neo-Satmar ideologies or Leibovitzian viewpoints. This is not for you (nor my non-Jewish readers, though I always welcome your input).
But I've discovered that for many religious diaspora Jews, Israel does not occupy a central place. A nice holiday location. Somewhere to go to Yeshiva for a year or two.
The return of our people to its homeland after 2000 years is a momentous event. We control our destiny. Ein bein olam hazeh leyemot hamashiach elah shibud malchoiyot bilvad. If you follow the Kuzari, you should see G-d's hand in history, guiding His people back to the place they prayed for during the millenia of exile. With all the problems, issues and schisms that arise from having Jews run a country, it is still OUR country.
We must thank Hashem for the bounty He has bestowed upon us. I will leave you good people with a quote from a former Chief Rabbi of Israel: "We must end this submission and fear of argument. Surely these very people that we are afraid to argue with do not recognize the jurisdiction of the Chief Rabbinate and its decisions and they disagree with everything we say ... On these days (YH and YY) occured a great victory, a wonderous miracle of liberation."
Good holy day.
TRK
posted by TRK @ 4:27 AM
8 comments
8 Comments:
TRK:
Israel has become Jewish Disneyland. Hey lets go on the cool rides - There's the kotel ride...there's the Chevron ride on the bullet proof bus. Lets go to Eilat club-med ride and climb the Masada ride.
Wow - look at those Mickey Mouse Israelies; they speak Hebrew and write CocaCola in cool Hebrew letters. Lets get a t-shirt to bring home from our wonderful vacation.
The Micky Mouses don't really work - they can take vacation whever they want, since after all - nothing is real, its all a playland for the Jews of Chutz LaAretz.
Israel - one big Great Adventure...and then go back to "reality" of America.
Happy Yom Haatzmaut!
(From the Muqata Ride)
its such an attitude that makes me so mad at Diaspora Jewry, people will go around all day espouses Zionist rhetoric but do they ever act on it??? no! its a sad state of affairs and i cannot go around and blame others for what they do not do, but it is frustrating to see it everyday and not be able to do anything about it. i am making aliyah, but that is my personal commitment how on earth can you get such an idea through the heads of Diaspora Jewry? i have no idea.
Jameel, I think you hit it right on the button. I think that American Jews (most of them - since there are a few crazy ones - like us - living here), find Israel as that place to visit and see but never live. Why?? well I think that is where you are so correct, it's not real to them, "no one can LIVE in Israel" as they say. if they keep telling themselves that, than they can excuse living in Galut.
TRK - I think that Israel does occupy a central place in their minds, but that where it ends, Israel is always on thier mind, not in their actions!
and to answer the Q. how do we get them here? well I think it's by helping those who want to come, ppl like Chai18 - and hope that one at a time we get as many as we can.
Wishing you All a Chag Sameach.
thanks Oleh Yashan
finally updated my blog
http://toearlyforaliyah.blogspot.com/
Question
I repeat this is a question because I do not really know.
Are all Jewish people supposed to live in Israel?
If so, are they supposed to live there permanently?
If so, how are they supposed to fit?
Can someone explain the whole 'go back to Israel if you are a Jew' concept to me, please? Is it like Hajj where you go for a certain pilgrimage and then leave?
Again, this is a question. It is JUST a question...
peace
TwennyTwo
Answer to twennytwo + my own two cents:
Israel is holy to Jews. There're so many places where our ancestors walked, and it is the place that is closest to G-d on this earth. Spiritually, it's above any other place in the world, as I felt when I was there.
As for the Chutznikim-knockers:
We're trying, ok? Yes, many people go on their "honeymoon" for two years before giving up and coming back to wherever they started from, but there are also quite a few (I could name at least 10 offhand, including my own sister), who I personally know that took the plunge, left, and made aliyah (or have been living there for at least 10 years and never plan to return to where they started from).
So we're coming! Just give us a chance....:)
Hi TRW -
If you are coming - then Kol HaKavod. Unfortunately, you are the miniscule minority that believe you should actually move here. I'm not worried though; I just feel bad for the Jews of America who will end up here without all their financial resources. Instead of moving now to a nice house in Israel, they'll end up in a caravan in shikun-dalet in Beersheva....with no car, no airconditioning, and it will be chaval they didn't move here when they had a chance.
It's actually quite funny that this convo just came up, 'cause the rabbi of my shul this week gave a major speech about how we all should be moving to Israel NOW and there's no (well..almost no) valid reason to remain in chutz la'aretz.
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