The Weakest Link

 

We are all part of a chain in one way or another. Some are a link in a family line, others are the connectors in the history of an ethnic group, a nation, a social, cultural or any other assembly.

That link is not always staring at us or is clearly visible. Sometimes, we need to search for it, join scattered dots, cross- check facts or dig deep to discover it. In some instances, we may be lucky enough and discover that tiny clue which will lead us to the component that we are in search of. In others, unfortunately, we may find that the weakest link is not only weak, but also nonexistent.

In 2002, I embarked on the quest for one.

It happened when my daughter and I attended a summer school programme in Yiddish studies at the University of Vilnius, Yiddish Institute.

Over one weekend, we went to visit both my parents’ hometowns.  My mother’s, Smorgon, was first on the list. Since I had visited the place two years earlier, I was rather familiar with its layout which, incidentally, unlike that of my father’s and others that I visited, changed considerably since the time my mother had lived there.  

My mother’s house was no longer there. The large and menacing grey Pravoslav Church that had once stood there and which my mother could see through her bedroom window, was demolished once the Soviets entered town. The only remnant of the days gone by was the habitual market day which took place on Wednesdays.

Just as I had in my first visit, two years earlier, I tried, again, to find some information about my family’s history, a shred of evidence, a weak link that could reconnect me to that place.

Our tour guide, Regina, a Yiddish speaker herself, was immensely helpful. She was able to find one man who was seventeen years old when WWII broke out. Surely, I thought to myself, he would have heard of the Kozlowsky family (fictitious name, for obvious reasons). My grandfather owned a big, successful wholesale business. He was the richest man in town and their big spacious home was located near the city square.

The old man we met (in the photo below) who was eighty years old at the time, was blind and could not remember much. I tried to help revive his memory and mentioned the name of my grandfather’s competitor, Bernstein (likewise, a fictitious name) but to no avail. Nothing!

I felt empty. I had brought my daughter all the way for nothing, no proof, whatsoever, of a world, part of her world, that once was. The missing link was nowhere to be found.

Our next stop was my father’s hometown. A poor place with a few scattered houses where time stood still. No slight chance of finding the long searched for missing link, there, it was obvious.

“Is there another place you wish to visit before we head back to Vilna?” Regina asked me, noticing my great disappointment.

“Oshmiany,” I responded automatically.

Both my daughter and Regina looked surprised. “Why?” probed Regina, “did you have any family there?”

“No,” I said, “But my parents used to mention that name more than once. I am curious to see it.”
“Interesting,” observed Regina, “I happen to know a Jewish family there, the only Jewish family left there.”

Like my father’s hometown, not much seemed to have changed in that small community since the war ended, according to Bluma De Leon.

Bluma, a woman in her eighties, lived with her daughter, her son in law and two granddaughters in a small house, surrounded by farms, in an area sprinkled with what seemed to have been semi built houses, and many ruined ones.

Somehow, she managed to survive the war and moved to Oshmiany after it ended.

“I was born in Kreve,” she started her story, in Yiddish, of course, “where my father owned a small retail store.”

“Kreve?” I asked, “it was not far from Smorgon, was it not?” I knew the name since my grandmother used to tell me stories, in Yiddish, about life in those little shtetles. I could see them in my mind’s eye. I could draw a map and place each and everyone of them on their approximate locations.

“Yes, I knew Smorgon. I used to go there with my father,” she answered without hesitation. A glimmer of hope was ignited in me. A sliver of light was shinning towards me from afar.

“You have been to Smorgon as a child?” I asked with my mouth wide open and sparkling eyes. “What did you go there for?” I persisted as if clinging to the edge of a lifeline.

“My father used to buy supplies such as flour and sugar from Bernstein.”

“Wrong name, wrong link,” a tiny voice whispered to me as I sank deeper into the armchair in which I was seated. And just when I was ready to give up, I suddenly heard Bluma’s voice as if in a dream, “herring, however, the best herring, he bought from Kozlowsky."

I jumped in my seat. “Did you say, ‘Kozlowsky?’” I heard myself saying.

“Yes, because he was famous for his herring. It was the best there was.” As the tears began gushing down my face, I stood up, walked to Bluma, hugged her and in a strained voice said, "I am his granddaughter. You are the evidence I have been looking for, the living proof, the confirmation that the chain has never been broken. Thank you,"

“But I am just a weak eighty years old woman,” she added, as she was wiping her tears.

“Even the weakest link can, sometimes, become the strongest one.” I whispered to her as we stood there holding each other for a long while.

A Miracle called "The Jewish People"

 

“Every day, many a miracle happens to the sons of Israel. Were it not for G-d’s miracles, we should -Heaven forbid! – have perished long ago” – Yonatan Eibschutz

“There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

Our long and eventful Jewish history is without doubt a testimonial to the first quote. Channukah, but one example, is always reminiscent of G-d’s marvels, past and present. Our entire Jewish existence, I believe, is a unique phenomenon. Each Jew, irrelevant of whether they regard themselves as such or not, is a miracle.

Some Jews, unfortunately, fail to see their lives as such. They are the ones Einstein is referring to in the former part of his quote. Others, like myself, live our lives as Jews “as though everything is a miracle,” as though each and every one of us is a wonder on their own.

Before anyone jumps at me and accuses me of arrogance or practicing some form of  “Jewish elitism,” let me explain.

As many of my readers know, both my parents were Shoah survivors. To have come out of the abyss, from the netherworld, to have survived its infernal fires, to have been reborn, gather the shambles of one’s life and build a bigger better temple, raise a family and rebuild trust in a vile world is miraculous. That, coupled with resuming to live one’s life as though “everything is a miracle,” eventually turns one into a miracle.

The fabric of our Jewish history is woven with many such astounding stories. “Miracle” is our Jewish middle name.

Much to my dismay, though, some fellow Jews continue to regard our existence as the first part of Einstein’s words suggest. “We were always meant to be a small nation,” told me a Jewish acquaintance once when I bemoaned that we are losing too many Jews to assimilation. According to her, there is nothing miraculous about our two thousand years of enduring, persecution, pogroms, discrimination and forced conversion. These were, if I follow her logic, merely some milestones to ensure that we fulfilled our destiny to remain a small nation. What a slap in the face of our Jewish heritage such a view is. In her perspective, so it seems, we are just like everyone else, just a nation among the nations with no unusual history, no unique set of beliefs and no Torah. She is, of course, entitled to hold that belief.

I, however, refuse to prescribe to that kind of a notion. I believe in miracles.

I consider my parents’ survival and the survival of many of our Jewish brothers and sisters through hard and dangerous times, a miracle. Moreover, to have been born to a miracle, by default, makes one a miracle. I am a daughter of two miracles. Hence, my birth, my gift of Life is, itself, a miracle.

Furthermore, I hold the view that a miracle should never be wasted. To preserve one’s life as a miracle, one needs to recreate miracles, spend their time on this earth, strive relentlessly and act constantly in a way that would keep the miracle going.

In the words of our wise Talmud, “Hope for a miracle but don’t depend on one.” (Megillah 7b)

In other words, miracles do not just happen. One should never depend on them.

In my words, one should keep the faith, never give up and create a fertile ground for miracles to transpire. That, too, as our few millennia old Jewish history, has proven, is attainable .

May this Channukah season be full of miracles and every blessing to all

Songbird

 

His name is Chaim Zippel, and he is fifteen years old.

I met Chaim when he was about two years old. It happened in London. At that time, his mother Zina, was one of my clients when I worked as a personal trainer with Orthodox women in the Jewish community.

I remember Chaim sitting and watching us while Zina and I were engaged in our exercise routine. He was generally quite talkative and always, always smiling. Little did I know then that behind this smiling face was a well-hidden talent that this young child was harbouring inside.

It was only about ten years later, earlier this year that I received a message from Zina telling me to watch a T.V. programme entitled “School of Music,” a show I had vaguely known. “You will see Chaim on it,” she wrote.

On the scheduled day, I dropped everything I was doing. What a wonderful surprise awaited me. Chaim’s smiling face, the same beautiful face as I remembered it, was staring at me from the T.V. screen. The voice, however, that voice left me mesmerized. I felt my heart melting and my eyes welling. The song was “Let it be,” by the Beatles, written by Paul McCartney

“How long have you been singing?” I asked Chaim when I spoke to him several days ago, “since I remember myself,” came the quick answer.
“And why did you choose this particular song?” I guess he could hear the hint of surprise in my voice.
“I didn’t,” he responded. “It was selected for me.”

We both knew why this begging to be asked question came up. McCartney’s lyrics refer to his own mother Mary albeit is generally associated with the Christian Mother Mary. Chaim took the liberty to change it into “Mother Rachel.” “There is no way in the world,” Chaim retorted when I addressed it, “that I would sing about ‘mother Mary’ on an Yisraeli T.V. Show.”

With your permission, dear readers, let me rewind here and take you back to how and when it all started.

Chaim and his family made Aliyah from London about six years ago. Shortly, thereafter, his maternal grandfather once mentioned the Yisraeli T.V. show, of which, of course, Chaim knew nothing. His grandfather further suggested that Chaim should watch it.

One day, out of curiosity, Chaim and his mother decided to google the programme and it so happened that auditions for its fourth season were about to take place. Chaim decided to apply.

Needless to add, it was a long and tedious process, especially for an observant young man who was trying to shuffle between school requirement, voice lessons, his voluntary work , the ongoing tryouts as well as recording and filming sessions. These, as we can imagine, can make one’s life incredibly stressful.

"Yes, “ said Chaim in response to my question as to whether he wishes to make singing a future career, “definitely!” Chaim hopes to include a variety of styles in his repertoire as well as songs in different languages. In addition to singing in Hebrew, Chaim has recorded songs in Yiddish, English and lately a duet in Italian with the IDF Chief Cantor, Lt. Col. Shai Abrmason.

Chaim wishes to express his gratitude to the many who have stood by him on the path of this journey and have helped him get thus far.

First, of course, to his parents, Zina and Phillipe. Special thanks go to Harel Skaat, his mentor in the “School of Music” with whom he is still closely in touch and who is always there to offer his support and good advice. Chaim also wishes to acknowledge the great support he received from Rivka Rappoport, Founder of the Rappoport School. Finally, Chaim wants to give thanks to Nahum Levi, his voice teacher with whom he has been working for the last five years.

We wish Chaim the best of luck with his singing career and look forward to hearing more of his songs in the future.

My Take on the Latest Presidential Debate

 

Anyone who, like myself, had hoped that Trump would deal Biden a knockout and confuse him with the barrage of serious accusations of corruption, compromising national security, money laundering and child pornography, was perhaps disappointed. Trump, however, achieved something far more important.

Pre-debate polls showed that Trump had been leading among the male population but is trailing among women all over the continent.

Therefore, Trump’s first goal, at the debate, was to address suburban married women with children. They were the crowd he was addressing with two important missives. In the first, character related, he wanted to pass the message that he is not the relentless bully he had been portrayed as. He wanted to impress upon them that he acknowledges his opponents, responds to his challenges, resolute but not verbally abusive towards them or kicks them when they are on the ground. These are traits that women abhor.

Content wise, Trump wanted to plant hope that the vaccine is on the way, that the economy would not be crippled, people would not be fired, and children will not remain at home. One does not treat the pandemic lightly, but one does not take measures which will kill the sick in other ways.

Trump’s second goal was focused on exposing Biden’s lies. My friend, Niv Arot, summed up four such lies:

1. Biden said, “I have not received one dollar from any other country” – he did receive, through his son and from foreign companies. The amount is, at least, 10 million dollars. Now that the emails have surfaced out of the laptop, Trump repeatedly asked him about that, and Biden barely answered.

2. Biden said that no one had lost their health insurance because of ObamaCare. That is a blatant lie. Many lost their insurance and that will come back to bite him.

3. Biden lied about the Corona when he called Trump a “xenophobic” for banning Chinese from entering the U.S. The tweet, however, is still there.

4. Biden stated that he would never liquidate the oil shales. This is another brazen lie. In the coming days, the campaign will concentrate on refuting these lies.

Trump’s third goal was to repeat and strengthen the notion that he is a go-getter, unlike Biden, the politician. One of the strongest themes that he kept repeating was “Where was Biden 8 years when he was Obama’s Vice President? How come he never pushed any of the beautiful projects which he is taking about today?” In other words, “all talk, no action.”

There are ten long days to the elections. Indeed, many have already voted but the expectations are that, on Election Day, about one third to three quarters of the voters will exercise their voting rights. More exposures will be published, in line with Bannon’s strategy of delayed release, and Biden’s main message that he is a “man of honour and truth, may collapse.

It all depends whether the traditional media will continue to flex a muscle and hide the truth from the nation. It is an extremely unusual phenomenon which I have never encountered before, the erasure of any known journalistic standard. It is, though, a subject for a special article when the dust settles.

Back to the first and important point, women. It is essential to note that Meagan Kelly, an ex-presenter at Fox News who, following a dispute with Trump in 2016, left Fox for NBC, fired from her job after a year and a half and nowadays is starting a career as the presenter of her own podcast. She is a moderate conservative, very practical, not a blind supporter of Trump, one who does not hesitate to criticize him when needed and, of course, symbolizes the “suburban family woman.”

Following the debate, Kelly wrote: "Trump won this debate, handily. Biden wasn’t a force at all. Trump was substantive, on-point, well-tempered. Definitely helped himself, when it mattered most," I fully agree.

"Germany, at Odds" - by Eldad Beck

 

The first time that I experienced anti-Semitism it came from a young German man.

It was in the seventies when I attended school in England.

One morning, a fellow student, Alfred, a pleasant young man from Frankfurt, came into class, sat next to me, and said, “I have a joke for you.”

“There was, once, a military base,” started Alfred in a thick German accent as a wide smile was spreading over his face. “English soldiers were prohibited to smoke in the bathroom, the French in the kitchen but Jews were allowed to smoke in the ammunition room.”

The truth? I did not know how to react. For a split second, I did not even comprehend the anti-Semitic nature of the joke. I liked Alfred and, as an optimist, I tried to console myself, after I sobered up, that he, himself, failed to understand the essence of his joke and, especially, the fact that he told it to a Jew and a daughter of Shoah survivors.

Deep inside of me, I was hoping that the German people of that era had not yet digested the crime which, part of their parents’ generation, were guilty of. I was expecting a different Germany, a better one, one that assumes responsibility of its past, internalizes its lessons, and contributes to creating a more sensible world.

Beck’s excellent book, “Germany – at Odds,” was an ear deafening wake up call.

It is for a reason that Beck elected to entitle his book by that name, a choice which, in my view, leaves no room for doubt. Beck does not present the essence of today’s Germany as a question which he is about to research. Beck has already conducted the research, and thoroughly. He cites and documents, in his book, the reality that exists in that country, a reality that is clear and obvious. Germany, as described in Beck’s book, is, indeed, different. It is different than what many wished it to be, especially those who carry the scars of its past and their offspring who carry them on their soul.

The series of shuddering descriptions and documentations, which Beck weaves artfully and skillfully into his book, exposes growing tendencies in certain segments of the German population to hide that which their country had experienced and sweep the Shoah under the carpet. Sadly, in many cases, it is done to please a reality which is dictated by demographic, political or ideological factors.

A captivating, very well documented and thought-provoking book. Highly recommended.

"גרמניה, אחרת" מאת אלדד בק

 

 

בפעם הראשונה שחוויתי אנטישמיות, היא באה דווקא מבחור גרמני צעיר.

היה זה בשנות השבעים כאשר למדתי באנגליה.

 בוקר אחד נכנס לכיתה חברי לספסל הלימודים, אלפרד, צעיר חביב מפרנקפורט, התיישב לידי ואמר: "יש לי בדיחה לספר לך."

"פעם היה בסיס צבאי," התחיל אלפרד במבטא הגרמני העבה שלו כאשר על פניו מתפרש חיוך רחב. "לחיילים אנגלים אסור היה לעשן בשירותים, לצרפתים, במטבח אבל ליהודים היה מותר לעשן בחדר התחמושת." 

האמת? באותו רגע, לא ידעתי כיצד להגיב. לרגע אפילו לא קלטתי את אופייה האנטישמי של הבדיחה. חיבבתי את אלפרד וכאדם אופטימי, ניסיתי לנחם את עצמי, לאחת התפכחותי, שהוא עצמו אינו מבין את משמעות הבדיחה ובמיוחד את העובדה שסיפר אותה ליהודיה ועוד לבת לשני שורדי שואה.

עמוק בליבי קיוויתי שהעם הגרמני של אותה תקופה עדיין לא עכל את הפשע אשר לו היו שותפים חלק מבני דורם של הוריהם. קיוויתי לגרמניה אחרת, טובה יותר, נוטלת אחריות על עברה, מפנימה את הלקחים שלו ותורמת ליצירת עולם שפוי יותר.

סיפרו המעולה של אלדד בק , "גרמניה,אחרת," היה צלצול השכמה מחריש אוזניים.

לא בכדי בחר בק לקרוא לספר בשם זה, בחירה אשר, לדעתי, אינה משאירה מקום לספקות.  בק אינו מציג את מהותה של גרמניה של ימינו כשאלה למחקר אשר הוא עומד לערוך בנושא. בק ערך את המחקר וביסודיות. הוא מציג ומתעד בסיפרו את המציאות הקיימת במדינה זו, מציאות שאינה משתמעת לשתי פנים. גרמניה, כך עולה מדבריו של בק, אמנם אחרת. היא אחרת מאשר ציפו רבים שתהיה, במיוחד אלו הנושאים את צלקות עברה על גופם וצאציהם הנושאים אותן על נפשותיהם.

מסכת התיאורים והתיעודים המצמררים אשר בק שוזר בסיפרו באומנות ובמיומנות רבה, חושפת לנגד עינינו נטיות הולכות וגוברות בקרב מגזרי אוכלוסיה שונים בגרמניה להסתיר את עברה של ארצם ולנסות לטאטא את נושא השואה מתחת לשטיח. במקרים רבים, למרבה הצער,נעשה הדבר במטרה לרצות מציאות המוכתבת על ידי גורמים דמוגרפיים, פוליטיים או אידיאולוגיים.

ספר מרתק, מתועד בצורה מדוייקת, מעורר מחשבה ופוקח עיניים.

Why, for me, it is Netanyahu only

 

“How is it possible that an intelligent woman, such as you, “votes for Netanyahu?” asked me one of my “enlightened” friends.

“The answer is in your question and in one word, 'intelligent,'" I answered, without flinching.

Allow me to take you back in time to 1977, the year Likud took over. At that time, I lived in the US. I was young dreamer, a student at Berkeley, one who wanted to be a pioneer in making the world a better place. In short, I was a leftist.

After the waves of the initial shock which resulted from that election have subsided, I started to ask, “How did we lose that campaign?”

When I sobered up, I asked, “Why did the Likud win?”

It took me but a short while to realize where I went wrong. Most of the those who voted for Likud in that year, originated from the same countries that wish to bring our demise. Those voters and their parents lived amid dwellers of these countries, some of whom still loath us deeply. 

Immigrants from Arab/Muslim countries have mastered the frame of mind and modus operandi of their neighbours in those countries. Most importantly, they knew best how to stand up to them and what it might take to overcome them. I, a daughter of two parents from Eastern Europe, was clueless on the subject.

Since that day, I am a proud Likudnik.

With your permission, I wish to get back to the titular subject, “Why Netanyahu?”

In our complex world, everything is relative. In order to grasp the subject of relativity, one needs to go through similar experiences in order to establish a firm opinion, and as much as possible, an objective one regarding those encounters.

As some of you know, I have lived in several countries, all democracies. Their leaders all had, of course, the same declared goal, to ensure the health and safety of their citizens. In each of the countries that I lived in, I was involved, through my work or other associations, with members of the government and other agencies, in one way or another.

I followed these leaders very closely and learned to know some of them very well.

I saw leaders who, through failed policies, destroyed their countries. On the other hand, I experienced leaders who through the wisdom of their hearts rebuilt it and turned them into superpower. I also witnessed insignificant politicians using the system for their own benefit either through a populist approach or contributing to vain hatred. At the same time, I saw monumental leaders whose guiding light was the benefit and well-being of their nation.

So, please believe me, the yard stick, the instrument of comparison, which I built over the years, has helped me immensely, especially these days. It allows me to recognize the best, relative to others that resemble each other in look and essence and are clustered together in one group, nations with a democratic core.

Netanyahu stands out among these leaders. He is a responsible prime minister. He is a devoted Zionist, loves his People, is aware of their sanguineous history and, in my view, it is the care for his People and its future is the seminal factor that sparks him every single day.

So, I will continue to support him!

If I were to summarize the essence of this article, it will say that the 1977 change of government has made me a Likudnik. Life in various foreign democracies and the way their leaders conduct themselves, is what has made me a staunch supporter of Netanyahu.

Strengthening your hand, my Prime Minister.

מדוע, עבורי, זה דווקא נתניהו

 

 "איך יתכן שאשה אינטליגנטית כמוך מצביעה עבור נתניהו?" שאל אותי פעם אחד מחברי ה"נאורים"

"התשובה בשאלתך," עניתי ללא ניד עפעף, "ובמילה אחת 'אינטליגנטית!'"

הרשו לי לקחת אתכם אחורה לשנת 1977, שנת "המהפך.“

באותה תקופה, למדתי בארה"ב. הייתי צעירה בעלת חלומות, סטודנטית בברקלי, אחת הרוצה להיות חלוצה בשינוי העולם לטובה. בקיצור הייתי שמאלנית.

לאחר שגלי הזעזוע בקרבי שככו, התחלתי לשאול, "איך נתנו להם לנצח?"

"כאשר התפכחתי, התחלתי לשאול, "מדוע ניצח הליכוד?"

בחנתי את התוצאות ושמתי לב שמרבית הבוחרים, אז, היו יוצאי עדות המזרח.

תוך זמן קצר הבנתי היכן הייתה טעותי. אותם אנשים שהצביעו עבור הליכוד, מוצאם, של רבים מהם, הוא מאותן מדינות אשר קמות עלינו לכלותינו. האנשים האלה והוריהם חיו במחיצתם של אזרחי אותן מדינות אשר, לצערי, חלק מהם נוטרים לנו טינה עזה. החיים מדינות אלה למדו את אחינו להכיר היטב את דפוסי המחשבה שלהם ואת אופן התנהלותם. חשוב מכל הם ידעו מהי הדרך הטובה ביותר לעמוד אל מולם ולהתגבר עליהם. לי, כבת לשני הורים יוצאי מזרח אירופה, לא היה שמץ של מושג בנושא.

מאותו יום ואילך אני ליכודניקית.

ברשותכם, אחזור לנושא הכותרת, "מדוע דווקא נתניהו?“

בעולמנו המורכב, הכל יחסי. על מנת להבין את ערך היחסויות, חייבים להתנסות בחוויות דומות כדי לגבש דעה מוצקת, ועד כמה שניתן, אובייקטיבית, לגביהן.

כפי שחלק מכם יודעים, התגוררתי במספר מדינות, כולן בעלות אופי דמוקרטי. למנהיגיהם כולם אותה מטרה מוצהרת, כמובן, ביטחונו ובריאותו של העם שבחר בהם. בכל אחת מהמדינות בהן חייתי הייתי מעורבת בעבודה עם הממשל, בדרך זו או אחרת. עקבתי מקרוב אחרי ולמדתי להכיר את דרך עבודתם של מנהיגיהם ודרכי התנהלותם.

ראיתי מנהיגים אשר, במדיניות כושלת, הרסו מדינות. מאידך, חוויתי מנהיגים אשר, בחוכמת הלב, בנו אותה מחדש ולתפארת עמם. ראיתי גם מנהיגים קטנים מנצלים את המערכת למטרתם האישית אם באמצעות גישה פופוליסטית או בטיפוח שנאת חינם. מצד שני ראיתי מנהיגים דגולים אשר טובת עמם עומדת בראש מעייניהם.

אז, האמינו לי, בבקשה, אמת המידה, הכלי שבניתי במשך השנים, עוזר לי בימים אלה, במיוחד. הוא מאפשר בידי להכיר את הטוב ביותר יחסית לאחרים בעל מראה ותוכן זהים, המאוגדים באותה קבוצה. במקרה זה הקבוצה היא מדינות בעלות אופי דמוקרטי

נתניהו, הוא בהחלט מנהיג משכמו ומעלה, הבולט בקרב אותה קבוצת מנהיגי העולם הדמוקרטי. נתניהו הינו ראש ממשלה אחראי. הוא איש ציוני בכל רמ"ח איבריו, אוהב עמו, ומודע לעברו ספוג הדם. לדעתי,  הדאגה לבטחון עמו  ולעתידו הינו הגורם המכונן אותו מידי ביומו. אז אמשיך לבחור בו!

אם ניתן לסכם מאמר זה במשפט אחדת אז הריהו לפניכם:

המהפך הפך אותי לליכודניקית. החיים במדינות זרות ואופן התנהלות מנהיגיהם, הם אלה שהפכו אותי לתומכת נלהבת של מבנימין נתניהו.

מחזקת את ידיך, ראש ממשלתנו היקר!

חרות ואחריות

 

" החרות היא רק חלק מהסיפור ומחצית האמת.... משום כך אני ממליץ כי לפסל החרות החוף המזרחי יוסיפו את פסל האחריות גם בחוף המערבי " – ויקטור פרנקל, "אדם מחפש משמעות"

 

בעולמי, אין נעימה ערבה יותר לאוזן מצחוקו המתגלגל של ילד. ארחיק לכת ואאמר שבאוזני, צחוקו של ילד יהודי בארץ ישראל הינה מתנה, הינה נס אשר עליהם אני מברכת בכל עת שאני עדה להם.

"חג האופניים," כפי מכונה יום הכיפורים בפי ילדים רבים, הינו ללא ספק אחד מאותם ימים אשר בהם ניתן לחוות שוב ושוב הרגשה זו. השנה, לצערי, עקב המציאות המוזרה אשר אליה נקלענו, אלה מאיתנו החיים בציון, נדם במידת מה גם צחוקם של ילדינו. מכורח המציאות, נאלצתי להשאר בביתי, להתפלל לבדי ובפעם הראשונה מזה זמן רב, להאזין לצלילי השקט האופפים אותי בקדושתם ולתת דרור להרהורי ליבי.

מספר ימים לפני "חג האופניים," עוד לפני שנכנס הסגר "הנוקשה יותר" לתוקפו, כבר שמעתי את נציגי תעשיית האופניים בוכים על מר גורלם. משפטים כגון, "זו הפעם הראשונה שבתקופה זו, אין לנו עבודה," התלונן אחד. "בשנים קודמות, לא יכולנו לנשום מרוב עומס," אמר אחר בקול חנוק.

בוודאי שצר לי לשמוע הצהרות כגון אלה. כל פגיעה, תהא זו פגיעה בנפש, בגוף או בפרנסה, הינה קשה. "חג האופניים" בהחלט הרגיש את הפגיעה עקב ההגבלות אשר הוטלו עלינו.

תהיתי ביני לבין עצמי אם תזמון מגיפת הנגיף הסיני, הסגר שהוטל עלינו בעקבותיה ועצם יישומו ביום הקדוש ביותר במסורתנו, המוגדר בתורתנו כ "שבת שבתון,"  הינו מקרי. מהם הלקחים, השיעורים אשר הוזמנו, אנו, יחיד כרבים, להפיק וללמוד מהצעדים שננקטו במטרה לעצור את המגיפה, שאלתי את עצמי.

 ומה הוא הזמן הטוב ביותר לעסוק בשאלות אקזיסטנציאליות ואחרות, אם לא ביום הכיפורים, היום אשר בו אנו אמורים "לענות את" נפשותינו תוך בדיקה עצמית כיחיד וכעם?

במדינת ישראל, מדינת הלאום של העם היהודי, אנו מחוייבים לשני ערכים חשובים ,מחוייבותנו כעם למסורתנו בת אלפי השנים , מחד, החרות, והמחוייבות לשלטון הדמוקרטיה, מאידך . שני ערכים אלו מעוגנים במסמך החשוב ביותר בהיסטוריה של מדינת ישראל המודרנית, הלא היא הכרזת העצמאות.

אין אדם, בתבל כולה, אשר יקום ויאמר שישראל אינה דמוקרטית. הדמוקרטיה בישראל הינה מן היציבות בעולם. ואם יקום אדם שיכחיש זאת, אזי הוא משקר במצח נחושה!

דמוקרטיות יציבות יש רבות בעולם. מדינה יהודית, בעלת צביון דמוקרטי שריר וקיים, יש רק אחת.

אותי מטרידה, לא פחות ואולי אפילו יותר, השאלה האם אין אנו, אט אט, מאבדים מאחריותנו לערכינו היהודיים, אותם ערכים המייחדים אותנו כעם, כלאום

"חג האופניים" הינו, ללא ספק, ביטוי לרוח החרות הדמוקטית הנושבת בארץ. העובדה המצערת היא שכבר מזה שנים הפך הוא להיות שמו הנרדף של יום הכיפורים, שם השגור בפי בני נוער רבים, ומשמש, לדעתי, דוגמא להתפוררותה של אחריותנו היהודית.

האם אותם הורים המאפשרים לילדיהם לחגוג את "חג האופניים" עצרו והבהירו לילדיהם את משמעותו האמיתית של יום "נורא ועצום" זה לכולנו הן כיחידים והן כעם אשר כל בניו ערבים זה לזה?

במילים אחרות, הם הקימו עבורם את פסל החרות והמהות הדמוקרטית של ישותנו הפוליטית. צעד נפלא וחשוב עד מאוד. השאלה המטרידה היא, מה קרה לפסל האחריות?

דמוקרטיה וערכים יהודים מעולם לא עמדו בניגוד זה לזה.

צביונה היהודי והדמוקרטי של מדינת ישראל כבית הלאומי של העם היהודי ניתן לה דווקא על ידי מדינאים ומנהיגי עולם אשר אינם יהודים.

לורד בלפור, שר החוץ הבריטי, הראשון שהגדיר את אופיה, לא היה יהודי. בהצהרתו מנובמבר 1917, קבע:

"ממשלת הוד מלכותו רואה בעין יפה הקמת בית לאומי לעם היהודי בארץ ישראל, ותשתדל במיטב מאמציה להקל על השגת מטרה זו, בתנאי ברור שלא ייעשה שום דבר העלול לפגוע בזכויות האזרחיות והדתיות של עדות לא יהודיות בארץ ישראל או בזכויות ובמעמד המדיני של יהודים בכל ארץ אחרת"

ציביונה היהודי של מדינתנו, כפי שמראה הציטוט לעיל צויין בראש ובראשונה בהצהרת בלפור ורק לאחר מכן הוזכר הצורך בעיצוב ושימור אופייה הדמוקרטי. "פסל האחריות," אשר עליו מדבר פרנקל, כך עולה מדברי ההצהרה, הוקם לפני "פסל החרות."

ועידת סאן רמו משנת 1920, אשר נציגיה אף הם לא היו יהודים, גיבשה החלטה  על מסירת המנדט לאימפריה הבריטית ובה נאמר: "בעלת המנדט תהיה אחראית להגשמת ההצהרה שממשלת בריטניה פרסמה ביום ה-2 בנובמבר, 1917 ושנתקבלה על ידי ממשלות ההסכמה האחרות, לטובת יישוב מחדש "הבית הלאומי" לעם היהודי בארץ-ישראל". כלומר אימוץ דבריו של בלפור ובאופן עקיף את חשיבות עיצובו של "ערך האחריות" לצידו של "פסל החרות."

תוכנית החלוקה של עצרת האומות המאוחדות מתאריך 29 בנובמבר 1947, אף היא מתייחסת ל"מדינה יהודית" לצד מדינה ערבית.

 לכולם היה ברור מהי מהותה של המדינה אשר בה מדובר. לכולם, כך מסתבר, למעט חלק מבני עמנו בארץ ומחוצה לה.

אז מישהו יכול לומר לי, בבקשה, היכן טעינו?

Be Beautiful

 

We have entered the Ten Days of Awe which is the period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

For many Jews, it means days of introspection and re-evaluation of their demeanor during the previous year. It is a solemn period which many take very seriously.

For the sake of our People and the future of our Jewish Homeland, I sincerely hope that many do examine their actions, improve their deeds and continue to choose Life.

Yes, I know, Life is not always what we want it to be. We are faced with choices, good and bad, daily. To exist in this world is to survive unfair choices. But are we here just to exist? No, we are here not merely to exist or survive, we are here to Live. I believe that everyone of us, born into and reared in our wonderful Jewish tradition and legacy has the power to make a difference. All they need to do is want. Some,  unfortunately, are forlorn and need guidance and support along that journey.

The notion of providing people with tools, that I had only recently discovered, to help them through the “road less traveled” first  sprouted in me when I lived in New Zealand.

It was the early years of this century. I had just gone through a very traumatic business experience which nearly destroyed my life. I could not indulge in the status of victimhood for too long. I had a daughter, whom I raised single handedly after I divorced her father, to support. I needed to be strong for her.

In the midst of the chaos, an inner voice told me to join a gym and engage a personal trainer. That was one of the most meaningful milestones in my life.

Two years later, I participated in a body sculpting competition and won first prize in the senior category. As I stood there holding the trophy, I felt the inner glow of timeless beauty. The discovery of a new layer in me, one I had never known existed was overwhelming. A decision sprouted in me to become a personal trainer in health and fitness and a Life Coach. I chose to focus on maturing women, a segment in our population which was rather neglected.

Towards that end, I set up my own business, “The Art of Living Well,” (http://www.bat-zion.name/html/the_art_of_living_well.html) (http://www.bat-zion.name/artoflivingwell/)

The underlying concept of my practice was to help women peel off dusted inner covers and bring out the hidden beauty in each one. “Be Beautiful” became my motto.

To emphasize that goal, I even ordered a personal license plate for my car which reads:   

Some might read it as “Be Buttfull” but that would be dichotomous to my mission. After all no one hires a personal trainer to increase the size of their behind…….

Beautiful, not just pretty (for that we have beauticians and plastic surgeons) is what I was hoping to help bring out in them.

I was not always successful. However, those lives that I was able to touch cloaked  me with optimism. It was wonderful to see them discover the divine present of their inner essence, to see frozen rivers in them gradually melting away. The wonderful process through which they learn to be grateful for the small miracles in their lives and to be witness to them starting to live as they had never lived before was the greatest reward.

Discovering one’s inner beauty, the one that has been part of us since time immemorial, is the key to healing ourselves. We need to stop looking at each other with superficial eyes. We are each a universe with similar desires, dreams, and urges.

If we learn to recognize the beauty that is hidden in each of us and bring it out, we could light our Life’s path that will help guide us through the forests of reality and reshape the terrain of our lives. It will put us in charge of our destiny.

Amazing, as I am writing these lines, I hear the Shofar blowing loudly outside my home (because of the pandemic, it was sounded outdoors, this year) for Am Yisrael to hear. I can feel my eyes welling and the pressure of the growing lump in my throat. I cannot help but see the symbolism in the timing of it all.

The word Shofar originates from the same root of the word “improve.” The Shofar is blown to remind us that on Rosh Hashanah we need to improve ourselves and our ways. It is believed that if one makes a wish during the sounding of the Shofar, that wish will come true.

Remain beautiful, dear people and get better at it. That is my wish.

Shanah Tova Am Yisrael and fellow Jews.

 

G-d, Parents and Children

 

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the Jewish New Year. On that day are all supposed to be in a festive mood, dress in white and, of course, blow the Shofar (ram’s horn).

What many do not know is that, on Rosh Hashanah, we skip the magnificent Torah portion, “Ha’azinu” in Devarim (Deuteronomy) 32. Instead, we read from Parashat “Vayera” in Bresheet (Genesis).

Vayera, which is read, in parts, over the two days of Rosh Hashana, narrates the birth of Yitzchak, the son of Avraham and Sarah, the banishment of Hagar and her son, Yishmael, and ends with the binding of Yitzchak.

G-d, as we learn from it, remembers His promise to Sarah and blesses her and Avraham with a son, Yitzchak who is circumcised at the age of eight days.  Sarah, who is concerned about the future of her son demands that Avraham banish Hagar, her maid, along with, Yishmael, who Avraham sired. “Cast out this slave woman with her son, for the son of this slave woman shall not be heir with my son Isaac,” she tells Avraham in Bresheet 21:10. Avraham does not like it but listens to G-d who commands him to obey to Sarah. Avraham acquiesces and Hagar and her son end up in the desert and are, later, saved by an angel of G-d.

Many, myself included, have difficulties with this narrative. Although G-d stands behind Sarah’s decision, banishment into the desert is, still, a harsh verdict, particularly one that is executed by a parent, in this case Avraham.

Without underestimating or belittling the suffering of Hagar and Yishmael, which resulted from Avraham’s move, it is important to look at this episode in the context of practices in the ancient world where our narrative takes place. I am referring, particularly, to those pertaining to the inheritance rights of the son of a maid/slave in the circumstances of our story. These, as we learn, seem to be Sarah’s main concerns.

Rabbi Elchanan Samet suggests that for that purpose, we turn to the Hammurabi Code of Law which reflects the social and legal norms of that period, at least in Mesopotamia.

Article 170 of this Code states that if a man’s main wife bore his children and so did his maid, the father shall bequeath all he owns to the children from his main wife, during his life. If the father passes away without declaring the rightful inheritors, his assets will be divided equally between all of his offspring regardless of who their mother was.

Hagar was never the legal wife of Avraham. Sarah was. Hagar was a maid and a servant who bore a son, Yishmael, to Avraham when Sarah thought that she was barren.  Yishmael was never the legal heir of Avraham.  Now that Sarah has her son, she is the Lady of the house and wishes to secure her son’s future and ensure that he is the sole inheritor. Avraham is old, and Sarah, the worried mother, wishes him to affix it while he is alive. Banishing Hagar is removing last hurdle that stands between her and her goal.

Nevertheless, should Hagar and Yishmael be “cast out” after all those years?

Avraham does not really “cast” her out. In chapter 21 verse 14, the Torah tells us that Avraham “sent her away.” There is a softening of the verb “cast” by replacing it with the verb “send” which, in a way, mirrors Avraham’s sentiments and the nature of his actions. In Biblical context sending away generally means releasing or letting go. The same verb “send,” incidentally, is also used in the Torah pertaining to the releasing of slaves. Might it be possible that this is what the case is here?

I turn, again, to the Hammurabi Code. Article 171 of it does address an issue similar to the one discussed here. According to it, if, while he is alive, the father does not will anything to his offspring from his maids or mistresses, then they will receive nothing. Following his death, the release of the maid and her children will be secured, and the children of the main wife will not turn them into slaves.

Since Avraham has already decreed that Yitzchak is his sole successor, we would expect that Hagar and Yishmael  will be freed, accordingly. In the act of “sending them away” Avraham is, as it seems, in accordance with the customs as practiced in his world, the ancient world. As far as “the desert” scene is concerned, let us not forget that entire land of Canaan was  a desolate wilderness in those days.

On the second day of Rosh Hashanah, we read the account of the binding of Yitzchak. It tells us that G-d commands Avraham to sacrifice his son, Yitzchak, to Him.

Sacrificing the first-born son to Molech, an Amonite deity worshipped also in Canaan, was common practice in ancient times. The Torah strongly condemns and forbids such a act. Avraham, again, as in the case of Hagar, accepts the verdict without protesting or questioning it. It is clear from the text (Chapter 22:1) that G-d was testing Avraham and the extent of his dedication to Him. Still, why did G-d choose that specific experience to put to the test Avraham’s devotion to Him?

It seems that G-d’s directive was not aimed to see whether Avraham was ready to slaughter his son. As mentioned above, in the context of the times, the practice was common and everyone sacrificing their son to Molech would have done it willingly.

The underlying cause for that stems from the deepest levels of Avraham’s faith in G-d. Throughout the exchanges between G-d and Avraham, G-d repeatedly promises Avraham that he will have great and powerful posterity. If Yitzchak dies, those promises will never be kept.

In my view, it is not only Avraham that is put to the test. In Avraham’s eyes, it is also G-d that is being assessed. Yet, he never complains, never questions, or protests the decree.

His unconditional faith in G-d, regardless of whether G-d keeps His promise to him or not, is what Avraham is put on trial for in this episode. Avraham did not fail and was blessed for it. Just as he was about to put the knife to Yitzchak’s throat, an angel called Avraham from heaven telling him to stop. A ram appeared in the bushes nearby and was sacrificed to G-d instead of Yitzchak. That is the reason we use a ram’s horn to make the Shofar.

The lesson of this Parashah is clear. Life is going to present us with many challenges and rattling experiences where we will need to make hard choices. As long as we, old and young, parents and children adhere to our belief in G-d, choose Life, do Justice and practice Hope, we shall always prevail.

May we all have a great year padded with abundant health and only good news.

The Winner Takes It All

 

The following is the English translation of a Face Book post published by Tal Gilad on September 2nd, 2020 and translated by Bat-Zion Susskind-Sacks

Columbus was not the first European who arrived in America. Today, we know that the Vikings already arrived there about 500 years before him. It bears no significance as they did nothing other than to settle and leave after a short while. Columbus’s discovery is the one that bore international significance, political and economically and opened for Europe a new horizon to the New World. Therefore, credit was given

To Columbus and justly. Erikson and the Vikings remained in the realm of an anecdote, nothing more.

Magellan was not the first to   orbit the earth. In fact, he himself did not complete the voyage as he was killed in the Philippines. His Malaysian interpreter, defected the expedition and probably returned to him homeland after the death of Magellan and this way, in fact, became the first person who encircled the earth – from Malacca to Spain, from Spain with his crew around America and then back to Malacca. His adventures interest no one since his “operation” had no strategic, international, political, or economic significance. The credit was not even given to Sebastian Elcano, the captain, who completed the entire round aboard the only ship that remained. Magellan was the initiator, leader of the expedition, the organizer, therefore the glory is his and rightfully so.

 

Alexander Graham Bell was not the only one and possibly not the first one to invent an apparatus which served as a basis for the telephone. The 19^th century was a century of amazing inventions which accompany us until this very day in modern variations, the light bulb’ the camera, the train and more. Quite a few people worked on all these discoveries at the same time. The Italian, Antonio Meucci, invented a similar device, twenty years before Bell. Six hundred people claimed to have come up with a similar invention and filed suits against the recognition of Bell as the inventor of the telephone. All of those are irrelevant (though the U.S. recognized Meucci’s “contribution”) since they never turned their invention – real or otherwise - into something useful for general use and meaningful to the entire human race. The credit was given to Bell and justly so, even though he was getting tired of all the lawsuits, the gossip and after his retirement, he refused to hear about the matter.

Benjamin Netanyahu is not the first Yisraeli who has visited the Emirates and not even the first leader who has met with leaders from that region. He is the first one who has made it meaningful when he brough Yisrael to a powerful economic, political, and strategic position through clear vision and an understanding that the agreements between the countries rest on mutual interests and not the sentiments of the Left which a political insight of a tofu. He is the firs one  who has brought about a formal visible agreement, diplomatic and commercial relationships on the table meaningful agreement to all of Yisraeli citizens , he is the first one who turned the negotiations from “covert” ones to normalization, to a clear and official given which all factors in the region have to take into consideration from now on. If Shimon Peres or Joe Blo did at one point flew over to the Emirates and sang Kumbaya, it bears no relevance and it had no “preparation” to anything.

Therefore all the wailing from Leftists claiming that it was actually Peres who started it all, and that who needs this peace and how it hurts that Netanyahu is successful- these are just background noises which will fade out to the complainers’ section in the basements of history. The credit will be given to Netanyahu and rightfully so. Thank you for listening. Hopefully, it has been understood.

ישראל, לא יזר(ע)אל

 

מטרת מאמר זה, אין בכוונתה לקרוא לשינו עמדות ופרוטוקולים מסוכמים ומוסכמים. אין בכוונתו להפוך יוצרות או לכפות דעות. 

הוא נכתב במטרה אחת ומטרה אחת בלבד, להביע את עמדתי בנושא אשר לי, אישית, הינו קרוב ללבי.זהו צו המחוייבות שלי לעברנו כעם, קיומנו בהווה והבטחת המשכיותו בעתיד.

כפי שחלק מכם יודעים, אני כותבת בעיקר באנגלית. רבים פונים אלי בשאלה מדוע כאשר אני כותבת  

  ISRAEL -   ולאכYISRAEL על ארצנו באנגלית, אני מאייתת את שמה כ-

.שאלה הגיונית, מסכימה

במספר כתבות שכתבתי בנושא באגלית, הבהרתי ונימקתי את הסיבות לאיות זה.

הגיע הזמן להגיב בעיברית לשואלים האדיבים השואלים מתוך צימאון אמיתי לדעת את הסיבה וגם לאלו שאינם כל כך אדיבים, קוראים לי בשמות גנאי ושולחים לי הודעות פרטיות לא כל כך נעימות, בסגנון של "מי שמך לשר ושופט?" 

אותם שמכירים אותי כבר יודעים שחוץ ממצפוני ומהקב"ה אינני יראה אף אחד. אינני כאן על מנת להשתתף בתחרות פופולריות או לזכות בתמיכה. אני כאן כדי להביע את השקפתי ממש כמו כל אחד מכם. אינני מצפה שכולם יהיו תמימי דעים עימי. אני כן מצפה לכיבוד השוני.

אז הרשו לי, בבקשה.

אבקש מכל הקורא כתבה זו לבטא לעצמו את שם מדינתנו כפי שהוא מתבטא באיות הבא :

.Israel

.תודה

 

עכשיו, הרשו לי,בבקשה, לשאלכם היכן נמצאת האות Z במילה הנ"ל ? הרי כאשר קראנו את המילה, החלפנו את האות S באות Z. אנחנו "ישראל," לא "יזר(ע)אל," נכון?
איך הייתם מרגישים אם שמכם, נאמר, היה "רואי" (ROEY) ןמישהו אשר מעולם לא נתקל בשם ואינו מבין את משמעותו היה פונה אליכם כאל "רוי" (ROY)? מה לגבי שם כמו "עידן" (IDAN)?

כן, כבר נתקלתי במישהו שביטא זאת כ"איידן."

אל תשקרו לעצמכם שלא הייתם מתקנים אותו או אותה בו ברגע לפני שהטעות תיטמע במוחם של הטועים

לצערי, זה מה שארע עם השם של ארצנו, עמנו ומולדתנו. ולצערי הגדול עוד יותר, לא קם צדיק אחד בסדום אשר העמיד אנשים על טעותם לפני שהאיות קובע בדפי ההסטוריה ובמוחם של אנשים.

.אתם עדיין איתי? מעולה

 .כדי להבין את מקור הבעיה ועומקה, הרשו לי לקחת אתכם במסע זמן לאחור

במאה השנייה לפני הספירה, שלח תלמי, מלך מצריים, אדם משכיל אשר רצה לקרוא ולהבין את כתבי הקודש של עמנו, אגרת ובה בקש את עזרתם של 72 חכמים בתרגום התורה, תחילה, ליוונית

למרות ההצלחה לכאורה של תרגום זה, הכריזו חז"ל כי יום צאתו לאור הינו  "יום חושך לעולם."

ישנן מספר סיבות ובהחלט מוצדקות לטענת חז"ל אשר אותן אשמח למנות בכתבה אחרת. 

בחיבור זה, אתמקד על הנושא אשר העליתי בכותרת. 

עקב תרגום זה, נוצרה, לדעתי,  אחת העוולות הגדולות כנגד שמו של עמנו, כנגד מהותו וייעודו. באנגלית שגור ביטוי האומר:

 "What's in a name?" 

זוהי בדיוק הנקודה, חברים.

.בבקשה התאזרו בסבלנות ומבטיחה לכם שתרדו לסוף דעתי גם אם תסכימו עימה וגם אם לא

אז בואו נתחיל עם השם יזר(ע)אל אשר הוא האופן שבו מבוטא שמה של מולדתנו במספר שפות זרות

אילו הייתי מאייתת אותו ללא האות ע' שהוספתי בסוגריים, הרי שהשם היה ריק מתוכן וחסר תכלית. ונניח שאכן היה השם מאויית בעיברית בתוספת האות ע, נו, אז הייתה לשם "יזרעאל" משמעות כלשהיא, "אלוקים יזרע." שם נחמד, ללא ספק בעל חשיבות רבה, ואפילו אחד שהפך להיות לכינויו של אחד העמקים היפים  בארצנו, "עמק יזרעאל."

אולם, לא זו לא הייתה הכוונה של אותו פסוק בבראשית אשר על שמו החליטו גדולי האומה, אנשים אוהבי תנ"ך ואשר בתכניו ובמסריו היו בקיאים.

השם ישראל מופיע לראשונה בספר בראשית פרק לב' פס' כט' :" לא יעקב יאמר עוד שמך כי אם ישראל כי שרית {נאבקת} עם אלוהים ועם אנשים ותוכל."

חברים, הפסוק הזה מתמצת את מהותו של עמנו בעבר, בהווה ובעתיד.

עד קום המדינה, היינו כמו יעקב אשר כשמו כן הוא, צועד בעקבות דרישותיהם של אחרים. במשך אלפיים שנים, עשו בנו עמי העולם כרצונם. בלית ברירה הסכמנו להכנס לגיטאות (הרבה לפני השואה), קבלנו עלינו גזירות, צייתנו להן ועוד ברכנו והודנו על כך שנתנו לנו להישאר בחיים.

הקמת המדינה הייתה צריכה להיות השלב אשר בו הפכנו מעם מובל לעם מוביל, מעם משועבד לעם חופשי. יעקב הפך להיות נחלת העבר ופינה את מקומו לישראל.

שרית" אשר משמעו "נאבקת" הוא מנת חלקנו היום יומית במלחמת הקיום שלנו. עם הקב"ה אנו, העם "קשה העורף," ממשיכים, כמו תמיד,  להאבק.השכם והערב, אנו מתמרדים נגדו, מנסים לפרוק את עול המצוות ולא למלא את חלקנו בברית שחתמנו עימו.

כמו כן, אנו עדיין ממשיכים להאבק יום יום כנגד אנשים, אותם הקמים עלינו לכלותנו, זוהי חובתנו.

אולם, חברים, החלק הטוב ביותר בברכה שניתנה ליעקב הוא זה הנוגע לעתידנו - "ותוכל." המסר הוא שיהא אשר יהא, תמיד נצא עם ידנו על העליונה, תמיד  נ  ו  כ  ל, כפי שמנבאת המילה האחרונה בפסוק הנ"ל וכפי שמוכיחה ההיסטוריה. למרות כל הנסיונות להכחידנו, להשליכנו אל תוך כבשני השנאה ולהפוך אותנו ל"מוצג" מן העבר, יצאנו לא רק כשורדים אלא כמנצחים ההולכים מחוסן אל חוסן.

 .היינו ונמשיך להיות עם הנצח

עכשיו אימרו לי אתם, חברים, איזו עוד מדינה, איזה עוד עם נושא בשמו, ביהלום כותרתו, את עברו,

 ?ההווה שלו ואת ההבטחה לעתידו המזהיר

אז, מי מכם שהספיקו להכיר אותי, נראה לכם שאני אתן לשפה, לתרבות של עובדי האלילים,תרבותה

של יוון העתיקה להגדיר אותי ואת ציביוני?

ישראל, לא יזר(ע)אל, הוא שמה של מולדתי. וכמו שמו של כל אדם, זהו הנכס החשוב ביותר שלנו מיום הולדתנו עד יומנו האחרון, עלינו לכבד זאת בכל שפה

ישראל הינה אתה, את, אנחנו, אתם, אתן ואני. ומי מאיתנו היה מאפשר לזרים אשר לא יבינו זאת לסרס אותו

 

לא אני!