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

What was That Demonstration?

Yesterday afternoon, on my way home from Jerusalem, I noticed about a dozen or more people lined up by the road just outside of the machsom Hizme, the security barrier at the northern city-line. There were Jews and Arabs, and they were holding signs. We went by too quickly to read them, and nobody, including the bus driver had a clue as to what was the purpose of this demonstration.

So, if you know, I'd appreciate your writing it in the comments here, thanks.

Beersheva, First Jewish City, Miraculous

Beersheva

old well
photo by Yocheved Golani,
https://itsmycrisisandillcryifineedto.blogspot.com/

As I wrote in A Jewish Grandmother, yesterday I went to Beersheva for an f2f with friends from all over Israel. We were given a mini-tour by a friend who kept reminding us that she's not a tour guide, although it was very clear that not only does she love her chosen city, Beersheva, she loves its history, too.

Our guide mentioned something I don't think any of else in our group had thought of before. Beersheva was the very first "Jewish city." It's the city of Abraham and Sarah, as depicted in the Bible, Tanach.

When one thinks of a spot in the middle of the desert, which is a very accurate way of describing Beersheva, having an ancient city there seems rather difficult and far-fetched. Today's modern waterworks, piping etc creates a different reality, but how did people live in the middle of the desert thousands of years ago?

Gd created the earth with hidden natural resources. The Negev Desert isn't as dry as it seems on the surface. Underneath what we know as Beersheva, there are many natural springs, bodies of water, which can be accessed. Even people in ancient times were able to access enough hidden water supplies so that they could live in Beersheva.

The accepted translation of Beersheva, באר שבע is "seven springs/wells." As I've written previously, explaining my understanding of a verse in Tefilat Chana, Hannah's Prayer, the word שבע can mean either seven 7 or satisfied/sufficient. We can interpret the name Beersheva to mean "sufficient water." The idea can be considered quite miraculous for a location smack in the middle of the desert. But remember that we're talking about the Holy Land, where miracles are the norm and a call to Gd is a "local" one, thank Gd.

Only grave in British Commonwealth ANZAC Cemetery

near Beersheva bus and train stations

All photos, except if credited differently, were taken by me.

Bibi's Still in The Saddle, Which is What Israelis Want

If you're interested in Israeli politics, keeping updated via Jeremy's Knesset Insider is a very good idea. Every week or so, Jeremy posts results of various political polls, which indicate how Israelis would most probably vote if elections were to be held "now." The only thing I can't stand about his blog is that the color graphics, white on dark green, make it very problematic to copy/paste on this blog. I have to change to colors.

One of my favorite poll questions is:

Who is most suited to be Prime Minister?

The Walla poll published on Nov 21 2018 asked it, and the results are:

36% Netanyahu, 14% Don’t know, 12% None of the above, 11% Gantz, 6% Saar, 6% Lapid, 5% Livni, 4% Bennett, 3% Gabbai, 2% Liberman

That means that both "don't know" and "none of the above" are more popular than the second most popular politician.

I've been following Israeli politics for half a century, and the very simple reason why Gantz did "so well," being number two albeit with only 11% of the vote is that he doesn't have a political track record. Even in Shiloh, where I've been part of the election committee for decades, the least known candidate frequently does amazingly well. "Familiarity breeds contempt" seems to be part of Israeli political culture, although the exception is Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu.

One thing you shouldn't forget is that here in Israel we don't vote for Prime Minister. We vote for Knesset lists in the form of political parties. To be Prime Minister, one has to be able to form/negotiate a coalition. That makes certain poll data most crucial:

the Right-religious/Center-Left numbers

The results have been pretty consistent, give or take a seat, for the longest time:

66 [66] Current Right-Religious Coalition
54 [54] Current Center-Left-Arab Opposition

They are the best reading of what Israelis want in a government. And the truth is that no matter when elections will be, whether this government lasts the full five years, or just close to it, the next Israeli Government will be very similar to today's.

Arabs on Ariel Buses, Another Problem

In the past I've written about the ongoing situation in which the buses from the Petach Tikva, Tzomet Yarkon Junction area going to Ariel are overloaded with Arabs to the extent in which they skip bus stops leaving Jewish passengers stranded. I wrote about it here, here and here.

Yesterday afternoon I was there again in the afternoon and needed a bus to Ariel. One bus passed without stopping, but soon afterwards another one came. I was able to board the bus and had to walk until close to the back of the bus until I found a seat next to a female IDF soldier just across from the rear door.

I relaxed, used the cellphone Siddur app to pray the Mincha afternoon prayer and then didn't pay much attention to what was happening on the bus. I heard someone ask the driver to open the rear-door, and then a bit later I someone pressing on my right shoulder and arm.

The bus had somehow filled with Arabs. There must have been at least thirty 30 men crowded into the narrow aisle, so those of us sitting in aisle seats kept getting pushed and shoved. I found myself crowding into the space of the young woman sitting next to me, while simultaneously pushing the Arabs off of me. I apologized to the woman by mentioning that the driver isn't allowed by law to fill the aisle. She replied that an Inspector just boarded.

The Inspector asked to see our tickets, and I could hear and see him confirm that many of those Arabs did not have tickets. Apparently when I was busy with my eyes on my screen Arabs had boarded via the rear door without paying. When he got to me, I mentioned the unbearable crowding, and he replied that by law it is forbidden to have more than I can't remember if he said eight or ten people standing in the aisle. BTW the bus driver was an Arab, too.

I don't know what the procedure is in other places, but here in Israel, if an Inspector discovers that a passenger hasn't paid, the driver is fined. When the inspector got off, I could hear (and not understand) very loud talking in Arabic. That is very rare. Generally the Arabs are extremely quiet on the Israeli buses.

Thank Gd they are starting to send Inspectors on the buses. Never dull...

While waiting for a bus at the Yarkon Junction, I spotted this plane coming from the nearby Ben Gurion International Airport

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.

Jewish Bloggers Say...

Can anyone identify the two photos to the right? Please post your guesses in the comments, thanks.

Here's my latest roundup of blog posts about Life in Israel and Jewish topics. If you have any relevant blogs to recommend, please let me know in the comments, thanks.

I hope you enjoy these. As usual, I'm just listing the linked titles. Please read, comment and share. Enjoy.

And the Rocket Siren Rang & Rang & Rang...
Standing Ovation for Hidden-The Secret Jews of Spain
GAZA – Just Do It !
The Hypocrisy Between An Embassy for Israel in Jerusalem and East Jerusalem, OPT
The Beauty and the Beast of an El Al Nightmare
Just waiting
staying might have been good, but Bennett is not ready
Bibi, We Israelis are Totally Disgusted With Your Policies, Voices From The People
Linda Sarsour’s Outright Dishonest Defense Against Accusations of Antisemitism
Update on Temple Mount 'Sinkholes'
GUEST POST: Massacre Aftermath
“Mommy! What Is There To Eat??”
Impressive, Easy Stuffed Vegetables
Rachel and Leah
Light at the End of the OTD Tunnel
Prayer or Money?
Passport Control" Book Review

Which is your favorite? Why?

Pre-Election Political Shenanigans

I was going to call this "Pre-Election Political Maneuverings," but that would put everything on a higher level.

Along with a large percentage of Israelis, I'm disgusted by our Prime Minister's fake "war" to stop the terror from Gaza which had burnt up a large portion of southern Israel and made life total Hell for Israeli citizens living there.

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

• Instead of really fighting the terrorists to destroy them, Netanyahu went back to the farcical warnings to empty buildings technique. Nobody was fooled, not the terrorists and not any Israelis. What did we accomplish by bombing a few empty buildings? To be honest, absolutely nothing.
• Since we're months, barely a year, before scheduled elections, and elections could be called at any time,  Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman surprised nobody by resigning. That's so he can campaign from the Right of Bibi's Likud. 
• That left Bibi with the narrowest of coalitions, so of course Bennett and Kahlon are now competing for the Defense Ministry and threatening to topple the government.
• Deja vu, elections will no doubt be soon. 

Let's see who's really the best chess player.

Chanuka, Rosh Chodesh Tevet, Women's Prayers Tel Shiloh

We're a week into Kislev, and not only is Chanukah almost here, but Rosh Chodesh Tevet, is, too.

Gd willing we will have our Women's Rosh Chodesh Prayers at Shiloh Hakeduam, Tel Shiloh, site of the Mishkan, Holy Tabernacle on the 1st of Tevet 5779, 9-12-2018, 8:30am.

כולן מוזמנות, תפילת נשים, ראש חודש טבת, א' טבת, יום א' ,9/12/2019 , 8:30, בשילה הקדומה, תל שילה

We sing Hallel out loud, but the rest of the prayers are said silently. There will be a tour of the Tel and Divrei Torah, Gd willing, in both Hebrew and English. If you'd like more information, please contact me shilohmuse@gmail.com with "Rosh Chodesh Prayers" as subject.

Shiloh Hakeduma, Ancient Shiloh is open six days a week. It's a recognized tourist and archeological site. Contact them at visit@telshilo.org.il, 02-5789111.

Shabbat Shalom U'MevorachMay You Have A Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat

Bibi, We Israelis are Totally Disgusted With Your Policies, Voices From The People

Even on the French English language tv news, best of the pathetic choice of news channels we have on our television, has been broadcasting how disgusted the Israeli public is with the farcical and dangerous so-called "ceasefire."

I don't think too many people believe anything that Avigdor Lieberman says or does. We've been watching him long enough to know that he's less reliable and more volatile than Prime Minister Bibi Binyamin Netanyahu. Most of us haven't a clue as to which party to vote for. In Israel one votes for political parties, which have lists competing for Knesset seats. The largest party gets a chance to form a coalition, with its leader, number 1, as Prime Minister. If they don't succeed, then the next largest party, or the party which the most others tell the president can form a coalition gets a chance. It's obvious that Lieberman has chosen this time, maximum a year before elections, to start maneuvering himself to the "Right" of Bibi to attract voters. Deja vu, he has done this sort of thing before.

Following are quotations from friends and various blog links about our feelings:

Praying for Relief

We are very VERY upset over this ceasefire which is not solving the problems we've been suffering for months: The incendiary balloons; the shelling of the Eshkol area and Sederot whenever the mood strikes Hamas, and not ending the violent weekly demonstrations that have led to incursions over our border. We've come out pf this like a dog with its tail between its legs. I personally am LIVID because I have NO DOUBT that if such things occurred in Tel Aviv, the govt would have acted much differently AGES ago. We have large swathes of land burnt to a crisp. Can you believe Batya that on one of the yishuvim on the border crops could not be planted because their yearly allotment of water had been used up by putting out fires???? WE ARE FED UP! It's not enough that we had a HORRIFIC 24 hours with well over 400 rockets; they now send the rockets at a much swifter pace than before one right after another, boom, boom, boom. I salute those manning the iron dome that they were able to keep up with the pace that Hamas set. We are tax paying citizens and our young people do NOT deserve to grow up in the shadow of such terror.

Ceasefire call was shameful! These kids are suffering.

They would NEVER EVER do this to kids in Tel Aviv. I'm so sick of this elitist government. All they care about is getting votes.

"About shooting at empty buildings: Buildings don't set up or send bombs, rockets, or bullets. Kill terrorists instead of letting them strike from another location."

"All of this could have been prevented if the prime minister would support a war to end all future attempts at war. Gaza should become a lifeless crater." Or use my quote that "We surrendered Gush Katif for peace? I want that land back!!!!!!!!!!"

The govt better get off it's behind (I'd use a different word but I'm polite) and DO something. Enough putting off the inevitable! The present situation (of incendiary balloons here in Netivot and all over the south; the huge swathes of land burnt to a crisp; the ongoing violent demonstrations almost daily) cannot go on! WE HAVE HAD IT! ENOUGH! You can quote me, Batya!

If You Condemned Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting But Not Rockets At Israel, You Are a Hypocrite

Another Round from Gaza

Just waiting

What is wrong here?
After 470 rockets and a ceasefire was called so that Egypt and UN can work out a permanent agreement.
Now Celebrations break out on the streets of Gaza after Hamas declares victory.
And once again the resident of the south have been abandoned by our government.
Residents of the south furious, are holding a demonstration at Tzomet Sderot.
Time for elections...

Trauma and Terror: The View from the South

War Against Arab Gaza Terror, Finally, Gd Willing Destroy Them

As far as most Israelis and fair-minded people all over the world are concerned, the military action, which we'll call a "war," on Arab Gaza Terror should have had begun about a half a year ago. The State of Israel has taken much too long to react strongly to the ongoing terror against our country and civilians.

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

photo credit: חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom

The Arab Gazan terrorists, supported by all sorts of NGOs and even foreign countries began their latest war against us as a clever little "photo-op" "demonstrations" of innocent-looking kites and balloons that carried dangerous incendiary devices over the border to set fires all over southern Israel to destroy and kill our Land, agriculture and people. They quickly morphed into raging, violent mobs of anti-Israel terrorists attacking the border and invading Israel.

Gd protected our people, and thank the Good Lord that we build with bricks, rather than wood and other flammable materials, or there would have been more deaths and destruction.

I guess Bibi is really readying for elections, because he has finally decided to do something to protect us. Of course the only way to truly protect us is to unabashedly destroy the terrorists. By being gentle with the terrorists to please the EU, media etc, Prime Minister Netanyahu is only encouraging the antisemites and anti-Israelis, who are many. And, of course, all that does is strengthen terrorism and endanger us.

In all honesty, I'm disgusted with the basic defense policy of Netanyahu and his cringing Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. Lieberman acts and talks like a toughy, but his policies have been weak and dangerous for Israel's security.

I pray for a miracle. Gd willing make our Israeli Government strong and confident, willing to totally destroy our enemies, all of our enemies!

All photos are from חמ'ל הדרום Chamal Darom.