Power of Gd

Jewish Theology integrales two rather contradictory concepts, The Power of Gd and the Gift He gave us, Free Will. I don't have time to delve into this complicated relationship now, but today I witnessed some of Gd's Powers.

As I was doing some things in the living area of my house, which faces east, south and west, I noticed that the sky to the west was getting dark. That could mean rain. And then suddenly I saw a strange flash to the east. I began to wonder if that had been lightning, when suddenly I heard a boom, thunder. So retroactively I knew that it had been lightning.

A few seconds later I had already taken out a siddur, Jewish Prayer Book, and said the appropriate blessings:

We humans like to think that we're clever, but we can't fully control the weather. Here in the Land of Israel, Gd uses the weather as a barometer to show approval or disapproval of our behavior. Some years we have perfect quantities of rain at the best times, accompanied by the right heat and cold facilitate miraculously blessed harvests. There are other years when lack of rain, too much or badly timed rain, along with damaging temperatures turn our Land into a barren wilderness. This doesn't happen by chance.

May we succeed in following Gd's Commandments correctly and deserve the best weather for the fertility of The Land of Israel.

Learning to be Late and Accepting Blessings

For as long as I've known how to tell time and been old enough to have control over "arrivals," I've been fixated and obsessive with being not just "on time," but early. I've never seen a stated "time to start" as an approximation. For me, even as a little girl going to a birthday party, I was horrified, totally mortified at the idea that I may be late.

No matter what the occasion, I'd treat it like catching a train or plane or making sure I made it to the theater well before the curtain was to go up.

When I got older, I learned that, at least here in Israel, times stated for wedding invitations were always much earlier than we needed to be there. After arriving too many times while the caterer was still having the tables set up, we learned how much time we had to add to the "invitation time." Here in Shiloh, it took a few years to learn that events are on what they call "Bnai Akiva time," which is nothing like the exact scheduling in NCSY or the LIRR.

Since we don't have a car and not only can't one rely on the bus schedule, besides the fact that sometimes there aren't buses from Shiloh to our destinations, I've learned to accurately plan my departures for all eventualities. But yesterday afternoon/last night, even I failed.

I needed to get to a "surprise party" in Kfar Saba by 6:30pm. With the help of google maps, I discovered that with bus connections at both the Yarkon Junction and Morasha, it would be very doable. There is even a 5pm bus to Kfar Saba from Ariel, though is goes through Rosh Ha'ayin. My plan was to give myself two and a half hours, which should have made me about a half hour early, at the latest.

Man plans and Gd laughs, as they say. At 3pm, I got a message from my kids that there had been a horrific fatal accident "outside of Ariel. The roads are blocked in both directions." Click here for report and photos.

"Maybe you should meet one of us in Jerusalem, and we'll take you." My kids suggested.

Considering that going via Jerusalem also would include traffic jams and double the distance, I declined.

"The Trans-Samaria Highway is wide road. No doubt it will be cleared by the time I get there."

To be honest, I was wrong.

At first it seemed like "business as usual" in Ariel, lots of buses and traffic near the university. I even declined to get on a Petach Tikva bus, because it wasn't going to Morasha, which would give me the quickest and best public transportation to Kfar Saba. Since I couldn't find the bus stop to the direct bus, I waited for the 386, which not only goes to Morasha, but it doesn't do the "grand tour" of Ariel. It's a great bus, but although the electric sign kept saying it was coming, the bus never showed, nor did any other for at least a half an hour. Finally, in desperation I took the next bus to arrive, which was a 296. The driver said that he goes to Yarkon but not Morasha. He warned us that the road was still blocked, and he may need to make a detour.

Actually, even with all the delays, I still had a good chance of being on time. That's how much "extra" time I had allocated to my trip.

The driver was optimistic and even said that it looked like the road had opened. But as we got a few kilometers from the accident scene, all we could see was the long line of lights of cars stuck in traffic. Yes, it was very dark by then. I began to realize that I'd probably be late and arrive long after the joyous "surprise."

When we passed the almost totally burnt up bus, all that remained was the spooky skeleton, I became very grateful for the fact that I was on a functioning bus, sitting comfortably and safely. Gd willing I'd arrive safe and sound, albeit a bit late. It wasn't the end of the world.

At the Yarkon Junction, I quickly caught a bus to Kfar Saba, and one of my kids picked me up to take me the rest of the way. I was glad, because even with the help of Google maps, I'd have trouble finding the house in the dark.

Yes, we walked in after the guest of honor, but it was before the "program." We had a wonderful joyous time. It was no tragedy to be late. It certainly wasn't the end of the world. Everyone was happy to see me and appreciated the efforts I make to attend all events. B"H, going home was easy; we had a ride with one of our kids, who would anyhow have passed Shiloh on the way home.

It's so important to remember to say תפילת הדרך Tefilat Haderech, the Traveler's Prayer when you start a trip. It may not guarantee a safe journey, but it reminds us that all journeys have their potential dangers, and we must thank Gd for our safety.

Waiting for rides/tremps and buses yesterday, Eli Junction and the Ariel University bus stop

Israel, The Holyland, is Not Europe

So far, so god. The early winter crocus flowers are blooming. They are the signs that water has seeped into the ground, and winter has begun here in the Holyland.

Quite a few decades ago, I took a course to improve my Hebrew. One thing I got out of it was the fact that the early Hebrew writers here couldn't get European seasons out of their brains. They continued to refer to the "first buds of spring" and other such literary images that aren't part of the Holyland reality. New York, where I grew up, and most of North America is very much like Europe. The winter is dark and snowy. You don't see the "buds" and flowers until spring. Then it all blooms and continues throughout the summer.

Here in the Holyland, it rains only in the winter. By early-mid summer, unless you irrigate your garden, everything just dries up. Many people try to imitate, recreate the gardens of Europe or North America. It's a waste of water and distorts perception of the Israeli climate.

Israel begins to green in early winter, after the first few rains. Winter flowers start blooming, too. By the end of winter the ground is covered with wildflowers and greenery. As the weather heats up in the spring, and the rain ceases to fall, the flowers dry up and die.

In addition, oranges, which since the middle of the twentieth century are a staple of Israeli agriculture, only get sweet (fully ripe) after the first rains.

Chazal, our sages, teach us that the quantity and quality of rain are dependent on how well we Jews keep the mitzvot and treasure the Holyland. Gd willing, we will deserve rains of blessing.

Life in The Fast Lane, Pre-Shabbat Message

I must get off the computer quickly. Shabbat is soon, and I have lots to do.

Life is too short to put things off. Especially now that I'm now officially a senior citizen, retired and all, I try to take advantage of opportunities. When my friend and I suddenly discovered that we could just go on the new Jerusalem high speed train to the airport, not only for free, but immediately, we did it.

Everyday we're offered opportunities. We just must notice and take advantage. It's important to see family and friends as frequently as possible. There's no guarantee that there will be a tomorrow.

Let's enjoy the sunshine and the rain.

Sometimes it is hard to put that smile on your face, but since smiles can be contagious, they're worth the effort.

Blessings for a Joyful and Peaceful and Exciting Shabbat and Life

Drought Again? Punished?

A couple of months ago, the rabbis here in Israel called for special prayers for rain, since the rain has been very sparse. As you may know, rain here in the Holy Land is a good barometer of how well we Jews obey Gd. If we're not "on track," then there will be drought or terrible damaging floods.

After the special rain prayers had been added by many, there was more rain, so after a short time, the rabbis announced that the emergency was over. You can guess what happened next. That's right. The rain ceased. And even worse, it started getting summerlike hot. 

And soon after TU B'Shevat green leaves began to take over the almond trees, pushing out the flowers. It's a bit too early for that. I think we should have kept on praying for more rain. We need at least another month of rain at least three days a week. It's clear to me that Gd was disappointed in us. He wanted more prayers and a few other things...

My husband and I took advantage of free trees and planted two. Unless it rains well, we'll have to water them pretty frequently for the next few months.

About the drought. I have no doubt that every single time someone here states that we no longer have to save water and worry about rain, because we've solved the problem with our brilliant technology, Gd cancels a planned rainfall.

Even if we can produce the needed quantity of water, we still need rainwater. Not all water is the same. I can taste the differences between mineral and non-mineral water. The purified and desalinated water just aren't the same. They don't have the same minerals, for healthy people and good tasting fruit and vegetables.

Gd willing, we will be blessed with good sufficient rain in the right quantities and season.

Rain As A Blessing and Not A Curse

In Jewish Prayer we request that the rain be a "blessing and not a curse."

That means that it should fall in the correct season, the correct amount, at the right pace and even the right day and hour.

Judaism is a land based agricultural religion. As I've written many times, the Jewish Calendar is a lunar one with adjustments that keep the holidays falling in the correct seasons by adding a month every few years in an amazingly accurate system developed a couple of thousand years ago.

Winter skies are so beautiful, varied and ever-changing.

At the end of the winter, we pray to Gd to cease the rains, and then half a year later, we pray for them to resume. But the prayer for rain is in two parts. We ask for rain "soon," not immediately. The pilgrims who had come to pray together first need to get home safely. So, about two weeks after the end of the Succot-Simchat Torah Holiday Season we ask for rain to really fall.

No doubt there's a dangerous phenomena that not only happens here in Israel during the first rain after a long dry period. The suddenly wet oil and dust that have been building up on the roads make traveling dangerous. It's usually a time when there are many traffic accidents. So many people fear that first rain, because sometimes it's a curse instead of a blessing.

This year, we added the second part of the prayer requesting rain at the end of last week, and then late Friday night, on Shabbat, when most of us were sound asleep, with a clap of loud thunder,  the rain began to fall hard. In terms of safety, that is the very best time of the week for a "first rain."

Gd willing may this year's rain be a blessing not a curse. May we have enough rain, at the right times, and my Gd forgive all of our sins.

This morning, it rained a bit. Winter is beginning for real.

Enough Rain? So Soon?

After a very dry early winter, the rabbis requested that we urgently pray for rain.  Certainly some of us did pray.

It has been raining all week.  And it is getting colder and colder.  Those intrepid ones in the mountainous areas of Israel who leave home very early in the morning report ice on the sidewalks and streets.  Yes, it's getting dangerous.  I didn't notice any ice when I left home this morning at 6am, but it really has been raining.

When we pray for rain, we ask that it be in quantities that would make it a blessing, not a curse.

Actually, the rain started last week, soon after we began to add the prayer to beg G-d for the necessary precipitation. I slept in Hod Hasharon Wednesday night, and very early Thursday morning we woke up to buckets of rain, or high-powered water hoses pounding the roof.  At least that's what it sounded like.  It was the rain.  Since then it has been raining on and off.  And when it rains it rains. The Jerusalem Big Blue Lions and Judean Rebels and their fans were lucky that G-d decided to take a break for their opening game on Thursday night.  That made it safer for their players especially the guest forward Uriel Wang who scored an unforgettable touchdown.

Now the Israeli Chief Rabbis have instructed us to thank G-d for His generosity and stop the special prayer for rain.  I hope they haven't jumped the gun and made the decision prematurely. We need lots more than one humongous gevaldik rainstorm.

According to the local Shiloh rainfall expert, Rabbi Dov Berkovits, davka Shiloh has received relatively a lot of rain.  I just checked the Israeli meteorological site and we (Israel/Jerusalem) are not ahead of a normal year.

We're going to need more weeks like this one.  And we certainly do need breaks in between the rainfall with full sunshine and warmer weather.  To get the weather that will be a blessing and not a curse, we must still pray to G-d and never take for granted that G-d won't punish us.  Today I was listening to a shiur (class/lecture) by Dr. Yael Ziegler about King Solomon.  She said that it had never occurred to him that G-d may punish the Jewish People by allowing the Beit Hamikdash, Holy Temple to be destroyed.  King Solomon was overconfident.  I think that our government has the same mindset as King Solomon, and that has me very worried.

Umbrellas add to the painting exhibit at Matan, where Dr Ziegler teaches Bible.

Our rainfall and weather are controlled by G-d, so we must live according to G-d's commandments.

Still Desperately Awaiting Rain

I don't know if these clouds to the southwest of us are a sign that it will rain.  Generally, dark clouds to the west are a good reliable sign of rain to come. It's also very windy, which frequently means that the weather will change.  

You can see the wind here.

I hung out clothes this morning for a few reasons.  One is that we need clean clothes; the hampers are full. There's another wash in the machine as I type this.  So far, no rain today, so there's a chance the wash will dry.  But the most important, and probably the most peculiar reason, is that maybe this laundry will in a Murphy sort of way bring on the rain.

'If anything can go wrong, it will'.

G-d forbid you should think that I consider rain as something going "wrong," but we did have a rainy winter the year I refused to carry an umbrella.

So far, most of this winter, which began a month and a half ago, has been with clear blue skies like in the picture I took last week.

Just to remind all of you who pray, we need those prayers for rain here in the HolyLand. According to Jewish Law, the text of the Amida, 18 Blessing Prayer, said three times a day includes a request for rain. One of the most sacrilegious questions to rabbis is the one from people who don't live in the HolyLand and want to know why they have to pray for rain when rain in their neighborhood isn't in their best interests.  That question shows a total lack of understanding of the basic principles of Judaism.  It ignores the total centrality of the Land of Israel in the Jewish Religion.

The theme, narrative of the first part of the Bible, the Torah, the Five Books of Moses relate the beginnings of the Jewish People and G-d's commandments to us.  We are told in Bereishit, Genesis, Genesis 12,1-17,27 that we, starting with Abraham, his family and followers,  are supposed to go to the Land G-d will show us.

א  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-אַבְרָם, לֶךְ-לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, אֶל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ.

1 Now the LORD said unto Abram: 'Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto the land that I will show thee.

That land isn't California, New Zealand or Britain.  All Jews, no matter where they live, no matter what level of mitzvah  observance, are required to recognize the centrality of the Land of Israel to Judaism and the Jewish People.

G-d gives us the rain as a gift, also quantity and timing as reward and punishment for our collective merit or guilt as a People.  That means that it's not enough just to pray, we must, as individuals and a people, repent, do teshuva.  G-d willing we will deserve the blessings, and it will rain in the right time and quantity.

Only in Israel, Blessings

I had to pick something up at the pharmacy Pharm 4 you in Sha'ar Binyamin the other day and was surprised and pleased to see this blessing.

The translation of the title is:

A Prayer for the Sick to Say Before Taking the Medicine

So, obviously I just had to take this picture.

I love the fact that even in the medical profession people recognize that it's all up to G-d.  Neither the doctors nor the pharmacists do the actual healing.  A close friend of mine who's a doctor always says that she's no more than a "tool" of G-d. 

Nothing is ever guaranteed.  I'll never forget listening to my father's aunt reminiscing about her childhood.  She was my grandfather's younger sister.  I never knew my grandfather.  He passed away a couple of years before I was born.  They were very close.  She told me that she had also had a younger brother.

"We were both very sick.  We were put in the same bed. We were given the same medicine.  He died, and I lived."

That tragic event haunted her for her entire life.  She could not accept the fact that the medicine didn't work on her little brother.  She remained a G-d fearing woman for her entire life.

Here in Israel it's always surprising to see people who by their mode of dress don't look religious at all, but they never forget to kiss every mezuzah they pass.

Here in Israel, it's pretty easy to find sukkot for sale, the arba minim, four species and whatever holiday equipment you may need.

The aliyah saga of Jennifer in MamaLand is full of lovely "only in Israel" stories, too, Weird moments of holiness… I love the fact that she is surprised that Judaica can be found all over and at reasonable prices.  Being a Jewish country, the items are for use, rather than display.

In a few hours we'll be celebrating the Holiday of Succot, moving into our sukkot as much as we can.  It's a holiday that reminds us that life is a "journey," and we shouldn't get too attached to possessions.  It's davka the Holiday of Joy.  We're supposed to celebrate ושמחת בחגך והיית אך שמח   visamachta bichagecha vihayita ach same'ach, be joyful in your holiday and be very happy.