Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A typical evening from my home
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Tisha B'Av at the site of the temple...
I want to start off with saying how nice it is to live in a country where you can feel Tisha B'Av coming in all around. Stores in Jerusalem closed early and stayed closed till after the fast because as one merchant put it "who can think of bussiness when the source of our life is in ruins".
This year I was privilaged to spent Tisha B'Av in Jerusalem just steps from the destruction. It doesnt seem right anymore to mourn and comfort our mourning city from afar.
I was able to see first hand what we are still mourning over. In my last post I posted pictures of just a few reasons to mourn over our holy city. On my way to the Kotel (Western Wall) I walked through the arab market in the Old City. I was briefly pushed and chastised by two arab kids. The following thought raced through my mind; "Who do these ungreatful guests in my city think they they are?" Then it struck me. This is part of the mourning over our holy city. When the gemara talks about our sages crying over "Shualim Holchim Ba" "foxes roaming around" on our temple mount I now knew what they we taking about. Modern day foxes defiling my home.
I ate my final mourners meal at the western wall, the closest that most Jews will ever get to the site of temple. When it came time to pray and read the book of Eicha, commemorating the destruction, I walked with a small group of Jews, heavy guarded by the army, toward the gates of the temple mount with the intention to pray and read there. We stood there and sang "pitchu li sharey tzedek" "open up the gates of reichousness". We were then informed that we could not stay for fear of "inciting" the locals. Again I thought; "I have to walk through MY city being protected by heavily armed men and then I am told I can't stay because I am "inciting" foreighners?" This is Tisha B'Av. We ended up praying and reciting Eicha at the Kotel HaKatan, which is the extension of the western wall opposite the temple. Were were interupted multiple times my Muslim calls to prayer over the loud speakers.
I am looking forward to next year when, G-d willing, we will rejoice on our temple mount without fears or concerns for people who have no place there.
This year I was privilaged to spent Tisha B'Av in Jerusalem just steps from the destruction. It doesnt seem right anymore to mourn and comfort our mourning city from afar.
I was able to see first hand what we are still mourning over. In my last post I posted pictures of just a few reasons to mourn over our holy city. On my way to the Kotel (Western Wall) I walked through the arab market in the Old City. I was briefly pushed and chastised by two arab kids. The following thought raced through my mind; "Who do these ungreatful guests in my city think they they are?" Then it struck me. This is part of the mourning over our holy city. When the gemara talks about our sages crying over "Shualim Holchim Ba" "foxes roaming around" on our temple mount I now knew what they we taking about. Modern day foxes defiling my home.
I ate my final mourners meal at the western wall, the closest that most Jews will ever get to the site of temple. When it came time to pray and read the book of Eicha, commemorating the destruction, I walked with a small group of Jews, heavy guarded by the army, toward the gates of the temple mount with the intention to pray and read there. We stood there and sang "pitchu li sharey tzedek" "open up the gates of reichousness". We were then informed that we could not stay for fear of "inciting" the locals. Again I thought; "I have to walk through MY city being protected by heavily armed men and then I am told I can't stay because I am "inciting" foreighners?" This is Tisha B'Av. We ended up praying and reciting Eicha at the Kotel HaKatan, which is the extension of the western wall opposite the temple. Were were interupted multiple times my Muslim calls to prayer over the loud speakers.
I am looking forward to next year when, G-d willing, we will rejoice on our temple mount without fears or concerns for people who have no place there.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Reasons to mourn...
Pre-Shabbat present from the fix-it guy
The fix it man came to fix our door and window shades on erev shabbat & would not leave without an exchange of divery Torah (Torah ideas) on the weekly parsha. Only in Israel...
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Israeli hospitality...
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Wild flowers growing in Jerusalem
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
My thoughts on the "pride" event in Jerusalem yesterday
It goes with out saying that such a dispicable event has no place in our holy city. The times in the world have changed so much that even in Israel, where this terrible affliction was once known as a mental illness, it is now recognized by a few as a reason to celebrate and be proud.
It is extremely upsetting and it takes a lot of imagination to find the positive in this situation. Looking at my neighbors, I would wonder what would happen if such a thing would take place in Gaza or Rammalla or any of the other dozens of arab territories and countries that surround my little peice of land. I dont really need to wonder because I know. These events could never take place becuase it would turn in to a mini holocaust for the participants. Israel, which is so condemned by the east and the west, puts up with this upside-down behavior while its neighbors would use it as another excuse for mass bloodshed. Israel and its people are tolerant when it comes to people and behaviors that the land and its people regect and frown upon. The same liberals that support this behavior and condemn Israel in any way that they can have nothing to say about its neighbors and their intolerance for anyone who is different in any way.
I walk through the streets of Jerusalem and see tourists (and residence) from all corners of the globe, all walks of life and all faiths. For better and for for worse, Israel welcomes all. When will the haters of Israel open their eyes and stop their double standard...
Looking forward to the day when truth will fill every corner of the earth and our people will be redeemed from such public displays of regection of G-d and his Holy Land.
It is extremely upsetting and it takes a lot of imagination to find the positive in this situation. Looking at my neighbors, I would wonder what would happen if such a thing would take place in Gaza or Rammalla or any of the other dozens of arab territories and countries that surround my little peice of land. I dont really need to wonder because I know. These events could never take place becuase it would turn in to a mini holocaust for the participants. Israel, which is so condemned by the east and the west, puts up with this upside-down behavior while its neighbors would use it as another excuse for mass bloodshed. Israel and its people are tolerant when it comes to people and behaviors that the land and its people regect and frown upon. The same liberals that support this behavior and condemn Israel in any way that they can have nothing to say about its neighbors and their intolerance for anyone who is different in any way.
I walk through the streets of Jerusalem and see tourists (and residence) from all corners of the globe, all walks of life and all faiths. For better and for for worse, Israel welcomes all. When will the haters of Israel open their eyes and stop their double standard...
Looking forward to the day when truth will fill every corner of the earth and our people will be redeemed from such public displays of regection of G-d and his Holy Land.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)