Delusion

Nabil Sha'ath, the current chief of international relations for Fatah, penned a piece in Haaretz today. I was actually interested in seeing what he had to say but I stopped reading after the opening paragraph:

Let us be clear: Palestinians long ago recognized Israel and its right to exist in peace and security. Twenty-two years ago, to be precise. The peace process that began 17 years ago has repeatedly reaffirmed Palestinian recognition of Israel and its right to exist over 78 percent of our historic homeland.

I didn't realize Hamas, the 'winner' of the first Gaza elections and a prominent player in Palestinian politics, recognized Israel. Care to remind me why their charter still talks about the destruction of Israel? Shouldn't that have been removed if we were 'recognized'? And though Mr. Sha'ath claims that this happened 21 years ago, how come the PA (who Sha'ath represents) openly promotes teaching that cities like Haifa, Akko and Yaffo are 'Palestinian cities'? Shouldn't those be 'Israeli' if you want to recognize us? There are many examples like these two but the point is obvious.

I think the Palestinians, and Israelis, need to be a tad bit more honest with each other. Neither side really recognizes the other - and won't do until a deal is ironed out. Now that deal may change this reality, it may not. Until then though, what's the point of these 'games' (to quote Sha'ath)?

Lastly, I always thought 'historic Palestine' included Jordan ... I guess that part of the dream is officially over.
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Yitzchak Rabin, 15 years later

Fifteen years ago (Hebrew date), Yitzchak Rabin z'l was assassinated.

I believe that a memorial service to acknowledge the man and his legacy is essential. He is, and always will be, an important figure in our history, be it for his role as a soldier, a peace maker, a Chief of Staff or a Prime Minister. Attempts to forget the man, even those pushed by his own party, should be frowned upon and rejected.

I think it's imperative however that the memorial of Rabin be devoid of politics. Far too often, Rabin's memorial is used by Israel's left as a stage to bash and incite against the Right and religious Jews. There's a reason why so many people feel that this day shouldn't be 'observed'. In it's current format, I'm one of them. I will take a few minutes over the next 24 hours to remember the man, and remember the horrific crime supposedly only committed by one man. But attend an official memorial? Nope - sorry, I don't need to be told 'I' killed Rabin because of my political leanings or the kippah on my head.

Rabin's death was a tragedy for the Jewish people. Yes I know Rabin was a part of many incidents we wish we could forget (The Altalena, being forced - his own words to the New York Times' William Safire, in '92 - into Oslo, or not having time, as his daughter said, to stop the process). But still, his murder was a horrific catastrophe. We should never have allowed ourselves to reach a point where there was such hatred brewing that a crime of this magnitude could have happened.

I would suggest that the Left uses this day (as it currently seems to be 'theirs') as a rallying call to Israel. A rallying call not for political agendas or anti-religious statements, but a rallying call to Am Yisrael to heed the dangers of internal strife (I will write a longer piece about this in the coming weeks). A rallying call to building bridges amongst ourselves and unifying our fractured nation.
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What a Feeling

I dropped Nissim off at gan today. After a few words with the ganenet, I gave Nissim a kiss and started walking out. I turned around just to see if he was ok, he smiled at me and said, 'Bye Abba!' Talk about the perfect way to start the journey to work!

Below is the first photo we snapped after his first haircut:

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Pre Shabbat Read, IV

Haven't done this in a long time ... So here goes!

* Let's start with a laugh. Imagine going shopping dressed as a robber ... Laughs a plenty.

* Some amazing photos from the rescue of the Chilean miners, who were underground for over two months.

* Bibi 'predicted' this kind of mine collapse some 23 years ago ... How about he now predicts peace too?

* Ari Shavit on recognition.

* An interesting take on the 'Loyalty Oath' by Shlomo Avineri

* Howard Jacobson wins Man Booker Prize with his book, 'The Finkler Question'.

* An Arab Israeli serving in the IDF? And an officer? Interesting story about Hisham Abu Varia.

* Last but not least, well done to the Texas Rangers for finally winning a playoff series. They beat the Rays in 5 and start the ALCS tomorrow night against the Yanks. Let's go Rangers!
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Yossi's Injury

The Israeli FA confirmed today that Yossi Benayoun will be out for months, possibly the whole season, after rupturing his Achilles tendon. The news has rocked the Israeli national team, with two critical games this upcoming week against Croatia and Greece in Group F qualifications for Euro 2012. Yossi Benayoun has been Israel's best player for the past half decade. His goals have led Israel to solid showings in the last few campaigns, but never to the major tournaments fans have hoped to see Israel perform in. Things look pretty bleak, eh?

While this is obviously not the best way to start preparations for the two biggest games of the campaign, but I think that this may turn out to be a blessing in disguise. The national team has too often relied solely on Yossi for important breaks in games. Players always seemed to want to feed Yossi the ball, it always had to go through him. As Eduardo, the Brazilian born Croatian striker, commented earlier this week, "We hope Yossi can play. If we stop him, we beat Israel." So what I'm hoping for is that with Yossi on the sidelines for the next few games, the other players step out of his shadow and make Israel a far harder team to play against. With the likes of Rafaelov, Shechter & Vermut, Israel may actually have the attacking talent needed to surprise.

The next two games, as I mentioned earlier, are against our main rivals in the group: Croatia and Greece. I'm cautiously optimistic. Here's hoping.
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מלבוש מלכים

להלן (ג, כא) כתוב: ,'ויעש ה' אלקים לאדם ולאשתו כתנות עור וילבישם'. מובא בזוהר הקדוש (בראשית לו, ב) כי קודם החטא היו לבושים כמלאכים, היינו מלובשים בכותנות אור, אולם לאחר החטא היו הכותנות שניתנו להם עשויות מעור

התיבה ה-25 בתורה, היא "אור" - 'ויהו אור'. ה"אור" הזה נסתלק מהאדם אחר החטא, והפך ל'עור'. הענין רמוז בפסוק שלפנינו: 'ויאמר לו איכה', ופירושו: אי כ"ה? - היכן ה'אור', שהוא מספר כה' למניין תיבות התורה הקדושה

This is taken from פניני הבן איש חי.

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בעל החוב

A nice story for עשרת ימי תשובה (The Ten Days of Repentance), taken from אלה הם מועדי:

משל נפלא בעניין התשובה אמר רבי ישראל מאיר הכהן מראדין בעל ה"חפץ חיים"

בכפר קטן חי חנווני שהתפרנס מחנות קטנה שסיפקה את צרכיהם המועטים של בני הכפר

נוהג היה החנווני לנסוע מידי פעם אל העיירה הסמוכה, שם היה סר אל חנותו של סוחר סיטונאי ממנו היה לוקח סחורה כל צרכו. פעמים היה משלם מיד בעד הסחורה ופעם היה הסיטונאי נותן לו בהקפה ורושם בפנקסו את סך החוב

לימים התדלדלו עסקיו של החנווני וקרה שנשאר חייב לסיטואני סכום כסף גדול. בבושתו מפניו חדל החנווני בקר בחנותו של הסיטאוני, ואף אם אירע והיה פוגש אותו ברחוב היה משתמט מפניו וממהר ללכת לכיון אחר

פעם אחת פגש הסיטונאי את החנווני ברחוב, ובטרם הספיק הלה לנוס קרא לו הסיטונאי בקול: מה לך? האם גרמתי לך כל רע שאתה נמלט מפני כמפני אויב? אודה על האמת - אמר החנווני - בוש ונכלם אני מפניך כי חובתו עלו למעלה ראש ואין ביכולתי לשלם לך

אדרבה - אמר הסיטונאי - דווקא משום כך עליך להיפגש עמי. נשוחח על חובך ונתייעץ ביחד באיזה אופן יהיה אפשר להתחיל עוד פעם לסחור עמך לתת לך שוב סחורה בהקפה, וכן תשלם קמעא קמעא גם על חובות העבר כדרך שנהוג בין הסוחרים

לברוח ממני אין זו דרך

כן הוא גם הנמשל - אמר "חפץ חיים" - כך ביכול, פונה הקב"ה לישראל ואומר להם: אמת הדבר ששקעתם החטא ועוון, אולם אין זה הדרך "לברוח" מפני, אדרבה, שובו בתשובה, עשו מצוות ועסקו בתורה ובתוך כך אמחל לכם על כל עוונותיכם

"לברוח"אין זו דרך

Apologies for any spelling errors - I typed it out from the book and am too tired to make sure everything is ok! :)

On that note, I ask for forgiveness for any sins I've committed against my family & friends. May we all have a meaningful Yom Kippur, and may we all be inscribed in the book of life, happiness and good health.
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A New Year, A New Blog

A friend of mine from England has started a blog I think will be worth a-following. Though I disagree with him on many issues, we have many interesting debates as you'd expect to have between a Wondering Jew (me!) and a Pakistani Muslim.

You can follow him at: http://www.kassana.com/
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The Elders

On the bus to work today, I stood near an old man. Three younger people were sitting down next to him. After a few minutes, I told the man, "I'm sorry none of them have offered you their seat." "What can you do?" he responded, "That's how it is." After the next stop, a few people got off the bus and as he went to an open seat, he smiled at me and said, "Maybe He heard you."

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On the bus ride home, I sat down reading my book about Entebbe. I glanced up and saw an old man by the door. I asked the girl sitting next to me to ask him if he wants to sit down. "I'm getting off at the next stop," he responded. I told the girl, "They always say that and remain standing until their stop." She wasn't so convinced and surely enough, within two stops he was off. She then asked me, "Does this mitzvah (respecting the elderly) only relate to Jews?" I responded, "No, it's important we treat everyone with respect. As Hillel said, the Torah stands on the principle of treating a person as one would want to be treated himself." My stop was next, she thanked me and said, "Shanna Tova."

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So I wish my readers, friends & family a sweet, healthy, happy, peaceful & prosperous New Year. May we improve our abilities to respect our fellow man - be it a family member, a friend, a neighbor, an elderly person or a complete stranger. May we learn to be appreciative of the many blessings showered upon us daily. May we find peace in our private lives and on our holy land.

שנה טובה ומתוקה לכולם
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Mazal TovA

Happy to share that my lil sis, Tova, has got engaged to her boyfriend Diego!

I'm stoked for the two and look forward to celebrating the simcha with them next year in the good ole US of A.

En buena ora ... בשעה טובה
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What Rav Ovadia said

This week started off with yet another Haaretz story slamming Gadol Ha'Dor Ha'Rav Ovadia Yosef for the following inflammatory comments:

"Abu Mazen and all these evil people should perish from this world, God should strike them with a plague, them and these Palestinians."

Before long, there was a condemnation from the US State Department:

We regret and condemn the inflammatory statements by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef. These remarks are not only deeply offensive, but incitement such as this hurts the cause of peace.

And the Palestinians, courtesy of Saeb Erekat, also complained to the world:

Is this how the Israeli government prepares its public for a peace agreement? While the PLO is ready to resume negotiations in seriousness and good faith, a member of the Israeli government is calling for our destruction. It is an insult to all our efforts to advance the negotiations process."

Even Rav Eliashiv made a comment:

There's no sense in aggravating the whole world

From the minute this hit the press, I was hoping something wasn't right. Yes, R' Ovadia has made inflammatory remarks in the past but he's also been deliberately mistranslated so many times (including the famous 'IDF soldiers died in Lebanon because they didn't keep mitzvot' line, which I was in attendance for, and was never uttered) that I was hoping there was an error.

Today, I finally found a clip of the speech. This is what R' Ovadia said:

אבו-מאזן וכל הרשעים האלה, שיאבדו מן העולם. יכה בהם הקדוש ברוך הוא מכת דבר, בהם ובפלסטינים האלה, רשעים צוררי ישראל

When I heard this, I realized straight away how R' Ovadia's words had been twisted. But first, the translation:

Abu-Mazen and all those evil doers, may they be lost from this world. May Hashem strike them down in a plague, them and those Palestinians, evil persecutors of Israel.

Going by what I heard and read, it seems that R' Ovadia has a (legitimate) gripe with Abu Mazen (despite how he portrays himself today, he still openly denies the Holocaust's severity and was a major financier & planner of terrorist attacks against Jews in Israel and abroad) and Palestinians who cause evil to Israel. The last part is key. R' Ovadia isn't calling for genocide towards the Palestinian nation, he's asking Hashem to strike down those in their nation who cause evil to Israel. I doubt R' Ovadia would have used the term 'those' if he had intended to include all the Palestinians in his statement ... He would have just said, "בהם ובפלסטינים" (them and the Palestinians, or like Haaretz twisted his comment originally).

For more into the context of the speech, see Veranen Yaakov, and for another take on the statement, see Yaakov Lozowick
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Three - Zero

So I'm 30 (well, 15 minutes away but still). I was discussing the topic with some friends in miluim this past week, and most of us came to agreement that this is the birthday that essentially ends younghood - it seems that from here on out the responsibilities of adulthood - families, profession, savings, etc. - only grow and grow in importance. Ah yes, one can still act the fool as I often do, but those issues will still be there demanding thought and action. So, why am I bothering to write this? Not sure to be honest. A part of me does actually feel like I'm ending a certain chapter in life, and yet another part has me saying, "Me stop being a kid? Nah, never." When I figure out which 'part' wins in the fight, I'll report back but until then a quick dvar torah:

Pirkei Avot (5:25) comments that the age of thirty is for "entering into full vigor," (בן שלושים לכח). Torah.Org has this to say: "Thirty is for strength. It the age at which a man's strength is at its peak -- both physically and emotionally. At that age, we see our lives ahead of us, and we feel up to its challenges. We can still solve the world's problems -- not to mention our own." Bring on the vigor baby!
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In Honor of the late Nissim Piha

My latest article in Kaminando y Avlando, the Sephardi Hebrew Congregation of Cape Town's monthly publication:

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Nissim Piha, a devoted member of the Sephardi Hebrew Congregation of Cape Town, passed away ten years ago on September 21, 2000 (כ״א בְּאֱלוּל תש״ס). That Thursday was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. I was relaxing in my college dorm room before a finance class when my mother called me. “Nonnou’s passed away,” she said sadly. I don’t remember what I said in response. For the next few minutes, I spoke to my dad. He wasn’t the pillar of strength he usually was – he was devastated, he was human. I remember the next few hours well – they were spent remembering with friends a man I looked up to, and expressing my emotions in a short poem I wrote while crying quietly in class. Despite my great sadness at his sudden passing, I don’t think I fully appreciated what my Nonnou, my father’s father, meant to me until I moved to Israel and began my own family.

The first line of Pirkei Avot speaks of Moshe receiving the Torah from Sinai, and then passing it on to Joshua, who passed it on to the Elders, who passed it on to the Prophets, who then passed it on to the men of the Great Assembly. Whenever we visited Cape Town when I was a boy, Nonnou always asked me to write out the first few lines of that mishna (as well as the Shema) for him. Back then, I would sit down and copy these words from his books only for the money I would get once finished. Now, whenever I read that line I realize what Nonnou was doing. He was passing on traditions, ensuring the seeds of understanding and appreciation for our faith were continually being planted and watered. I thank him for helping to instill in me the appreciation for and understanding of Judaism I have today.

I always admired Nonnou’s generosity. Whether with respect to family, friends, community or complete strangers, Nonnou was always generous with time and money. In an age where the ‘me first’ approach is so common, Nonnou showed by example that one can find a balance between taking care of one’s own interests and helping others. Another trait I really admired was Nonnou’s ability to be happy with his lot. There is a famous midrash that says that Hashem gives an individual exactly what he/she needs in his/her life. Despite the many difficult times he endured, during which it may have seemed that he needed more, Nonnou always managed to stay positive and be grateful for the good he had in his life. Not only do I admire Nonnou for these traits, they are qualities I try to bring to my own dealings with the world.

Ten years ago, our family and the Cape Town community lost a man I admired and respected deeply. As my wife and I raise the next Nissim Piha, I always find myself wishing the two could have interacted. That the love and warmth Nonnou displayed when I was around him could have just for a second been in the presence of his great grandson. My Dad once told me that Nonnou always used to say, “I’m a very rich man, for my children are my capital.” It’s a sentence I always find myself repeating, another wise lesson from Nonnou that I carry with me. I think in a person’s death, you can tell a lot about how that person lived. Nelson Mandela once said, "When we were born we cried and the people around us smiled. Live life so that when you die you are smiling and the people around you are crying." From the way Nonnou lived his life, I know he's smiling from up above.

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Musings

So 'peace' talks in Washington are fast approaching. That means trouble, as it always does. Not surprising that the last two days have bought two shooting (1 2) attacks from Hamas militants. I am now curious to see how the PA acts (they did go on 'Arrest a Hamas Militant' spree yesterday) and if Hezbollah join in.

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I spent the last three days up North on miluim. I have to say that the Golan is absolutely stunning, during the day and at night. I just wish the Israeli government would put even more of an emphasis on development there, and the Negev too for that matter, so that it would be more attractive to young couples.

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Something about putting on the uniform definitely 'warps' you. How else can I explain eating a salami sandwich at 7am? That's not normal! :)

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I hope to add a post later today that I wrote for Kaminando y Avlando about my late Nonnou, Nissim Piha. The 10th azkara (yahrzeit) of his passing was this past Tuesday (כא אלול).
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Houston, we have a problem

And sadly, I'm not really sure there's a solution:

Indeed, a survey by the American Jewish Committee concluded that just 12 percent of American Jews strongly oppose intermarriage, and 56 percent would not be pained in the slightest by their child's intermarriage.

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Skype

A random post but I just want to say I truly appreciate the wonders of Skype. By using this brilliant technology (and no, I haven't just found out about it - I've been using it for years), I am able to 'share' my son with my family, despite them being thousands of kilometers away.
It's great to see how he interacts with my 'rents, Gramps, Tova (my sis), Sandy or Saba (Talya's dad). Such a privilege considering how it must have been like for my parents to try and share the experiences of Eitan, Tova & I growing up around the world (It probably was a call, or two, every few weeks, and pictures or videos even less frequently).
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חן בן של תמר

Yesterday, on the walk home from shacharit (Morning prayer), a friend of mine got a phone call. He got bad news, it was obvious by his reaction.

This morning, when hashcavot (prayer for the deceased) were being read, the name (חן בן של תמר, Chen the son of Tamar) he had been saying the past few years during the prayer for the sick had suddenly been added to the unfortunate list.

I asked him after shacharit what had happened. Shortly after his Bar Mitzvah, Chen felt tremendous head pain during a footy match. He told his dad and within days, devastating news was revealed. 3 years later, this 16.5 year old kid succumbed to cancer.

I didn't know Chen, nor do I know his family, but this news hit me hard. No warning, nothing. Stories like these really hurt me. We're fragile beings, and one day we're well, the next day we're gone. They're tragic reminders that we must enjoy the 'now' for we don't know what's coming from around the corner. It's sad that it takes this kind of alarm bell to help us realize the importance of appreciating one's family, health and lot. שלא נדע ...
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The pathway to the study of Torah

"The pathway to the study of Torah is this, a morsel of bread with salt to eat, water to drink with measure, sleep on the ground, live a life of toil, but work diligently in the study of Torah. And if you do so, you will be happy and you will have a good life, as the psalmist said, 'Happy shalt thou be (in this world), and it should be well with thee (in the World to Come)."
Pirkei Avot, 6:4

The above is explained by the Ben Ish Chai (Taken from משל ונמשל) with the following parable:

Two donkeys were carrying loads. One donkey was struggling with an extremely heavy load of salt, while the other was carrying a large sponge, that was so light that he didn't feel any discomfort. The donkey carrying the sponge walked around merrily, running up the mountains and jumping over the hills. The donkey carrying the salt struggled as the salt was so heavy.

Due to the trail they had chosen, the donkeys had to cross a river. When the donkey carrying the salt entered the river, the salt started to melt. As the salt melted away, the donkey started to cross the river happily and peacefully with the emptying sack. When the donkey carrying the sponge entered the water, the sponge got heavier and heavier. So heavy was the sponge that the donkey's legs could no longer carry him, and he drowned.

The journey that the donkey carrying the salt took was for his benefit, because it gave him peace and serenity after the heaviness had melted away. The donkey carrying the sponge had an easy time at the beginning, not even feeling the weight, but when he entered the water - it led to too much toil. The donkey couldn't stand the labor, and that was the reason he died.

Instead of writing up the Ben Ish Chai's analysis about the parable, I think I'd like to sum it up as follows: One shouldn't be intimidated, or turned off, by the weight or difficulty of Torah study - it is for our benefit, both now and in the future.
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Update: Making Peace with Change

I did more research after writing yesterday's blog post. I still wasn't really that at peace with my decision. I wanted to ensure I was doing the right thing for myself, and my family.

After a quick review, I found out (I'm not sure how I missed this yesterday) that Rav Yosef Karo (Maran Yosef) actually writes in the Shulchan Aruch about shavoah she'chal bo as the Jews of Rhodes, and Sefardim (not to be confused here with Mizrachim), practiced it.

That led me to the key question here: does Minhag Yerushulayim (Jerusalem custom; That of the Sfradim who lived here, as the Ashkenazi Jews that lived here had their own Minhag Yerushalayim) take precedence here (as it was in practice before Karo wrote the Shulchan Aruch) as I am a resident of the city. As I am not a permanent resident of the city (at least not yet, so this may be revisited in the future) and have a halachic backing for my minhag (custom), I do not feel the need, or obligation, to change it.
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Making Peace with Change

Every morning, one of the members of the shul where I attend shacharit (morning services) read a halacha (Jewish law), or two, from the Yalkut Yosef. This past Thursday morning, the halacha read essentially said a minhag (custom) I held during the first nine days of Av may be wrong. I won't go into depth about the minhag (eating meat until Shavoah she'chal bo) but after the service ended, I discussed with a few members of the community what I do, which was confirmed by a Rabbi who is well versed in the halachot of Rhodes, an island south of Turkey which was a home to a thriving small Sefardi (Judeo-Spanish) community before the Holocaust.

By the time the conversation had ended, I had decided I needed to do some research to ensure what I was doing was in fact ok. I e-mailed my dad to ask him if the Rabbi had a source, and also picked up Rabbi Dobrinsky's excellent A Treasury of Sephardic Laws and Customs. After going back and forth, I realized that I needed to change my minhag. When I told my dad this, he approved but made the following comment:

Unfortunately, the people who say that the tradition is untenable if there is no source are cementing the Holocaust’s work, because these communities’ written halachot were destroyed in the holocaust.

It hurt me to read that. I'm extremely proud of my roots, and do my best to adhere to customs that have been passed along for generations. It left me in a bind.

This morning after shacharit, I had a long discussion with Yossi, who reads the Torah every Shabbat morning. I told him why I was struggling with what to do. He made the point that since the minhag does in fact clash with the halacha, it's best I do change the minhag. However, he then stressed something that I was foolishly overlooking. I can still teach Nissim that this was done in Rhodes (even if we do not practice it in Israel) while actually teaching and observing with him the Rhodesli customs (with regards to food, nusach and music for example) that were passed on to me by my parents.

I hope that, like my father & mother with me, I'm successful in transmitting my enthusiasm, love and appreciation of these customs* to Nissim (and G-d willng, the other children that follow) so that he carriers them, like me, on his journeys.

* I'd just like to add that while these customs are important, they're 2nd fiddle to teaching Nissim to love his faith and be an active & respectful member of Am Yisrael.
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