gdp's Comments

Tzipiyah.com : Singing Hallel for Israel on a Bus

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 21:19:03 +0000

Great stuff, Gemma. Yeah, TG Israel is beautiful and green these days. I didn't always feel this attachment to the land, but I think it's growing on me with time...

Tzipiyah.com : Crossing the Bridge

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:05:01 +0000

Good point, Malter. The question, though, is what is the bridge for, and where is it taking us? Despite all the positive connotations of bridges in our Jewish consciousness, in my case, my need for the bridge was to cross over, do my shopping, and then cross back. However, I dreamt of a reality where I wouldn't even have to cross; where I wouldn't even have to go shopping, perhaps... (how about internet home delivery?) In terms of the current practical process of our Geula, yes, it comes in stages. But G-d is the Master, and if He wants (and if we are worthy) He can make it happen in an instant. While we need to think practically along the lines of bridges and processes, we still say 'I believe completely in the coming of the Mashiach, and even if he may delay in coming, I will wait every day for him to come'.... We still hope and pray for it to happen swiftly and painlessly

Tzipiyah.com : My Time Machine

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:31:22 +0000

Great descriptive post, Avital It's so great to see your enthusiasm and connection to the simcha of the mitzva of Sukkot... The world often seems less perfect today than it was in olden times, but realize a couple of things: 1. Considering that the process of the world's history and progress through time is entirely a process of tikkun, and that every day we're getting closer to the final tikkun (fixing) of the world, maybe it's not so bad that we're living in today's times. While in many respects the world then was much more elevated spiritually, it also had great problems which today's modern world seems to have outgrown or overcome, or is much closer to overcoming... If you look carefully, I believe you can see that the world is slowly growing towards G-d, and one day soon, PG, indeed, 'ומלאה הראץ דעת את ה'' - the world will be filled with knowledge of G-d... 2. At any rate, our role is, as you said, to elevate the physical, and that is almost always possible... Seeing as we have been placed by G-d in these times, it also means that this is the best possible spot for us along all dimensions of the world -- physical location, and time... so we have a lot of good things to do, and our challenge is to unlock the spiritual holiness in everything...

Tzipiyah.com : Holy and Secular (and Gilad Shalit)

Tue, 7 Oct 2008 17:16:40 +0000

Amen! And thanks, Devorah גמר חתימה טובה לכל עם ישראל, לברכה

Tzipiyah.com : Arabs

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 09:46:20 +0000

[PART 2] (continuation of Part 1) I specifically disagree with your point on differentiating between terrorists and non-terrorists. I dislike the use of the term terrorist, because it gives the lowly murderer, hater of G-d and of Jews, a title, a class, an ideology that is acceptable in general discourse and people's minds. A murderer is a murderer; who is anyone to come and label him/her as a 'terrorist'? A 'terrorist' is simply a human being who decided to murder another human being, or perhaps many, or to injure them, in cruelty, violence, and premeditated hatred. We have specifically seen in the last few months that murderers of Jews do not have to come from the ranks of 'terrorists' and their organizations and brotherhoods; they are Israeli citizens, Arabs living in villages in east Yerushalayim. Would you call the Arab man who drove his bulldozer into crowds of Jews in Yerushalayim a few weeks ago a 'terrorist'? And the young Arab girl who threw acid into the face of an Israeli soldier who allowed her thorugh the emergency line at a checkpoint, causing him to lose his eye? He and she had nothing to do with any of the 'terror organizations' - all they wanted was to murder and injure Jews. He was a murderer. She is a malicious, violent girl, with worrying tendencies towards cruel and barbaric violence. Finished. I am very much pro looking at people as individuals, as the second section of my poem emphasizes. I fully understand that there are definitely Arabs who do not want to harm us, but who respect us as human beings, and who want to get on with their lives, in positivity, growth, and goodness. Definitely! In my mind, it's very likely that the Arab man in the shop where I sat, as I described in the second part of the poem, fits that description. He is friendly with his Jewish co-workers, and, instead of hating them, he respects them, and even admires them. Perhaps this is a man who has gotten over hating. Maybe those 3 kids from the bus the other day will grow up to be exactly that kind of person, regardless of the culture they were brought up in. But then again, maybe they will not. For the Arabs, it is about choice. One of the central messages from Harry Potter is that it doesn't matter where you come from, or what you were born as; what really matters is what you choose to do with your life. This is the choice that lies within the heart of every Arab today: will they work towards muder, death, deceit, and destruction of the Jews, or will they rise above the hatred and violence that has gripped so many of their brothers and sisters, and become people who benefit to society, who live as good human beings, who work towards life, and not towards death? Nature or nurture can become effectively insignificant before a concerted decision by the human soul. Such is the situation of the Arabs. For the Jews, there is a more difficult scenario. While we want to preserve our own lives, and our own way of life, most especially in our home land, we also flinch before violence, and find ourselves bending over backwards in order to avoid hurting one 'extra' civillian... Then the thing comes back to bite us, because, of course, 'terrorists' are all civillians... they are men, women and children who have decided to become murderers... and it's difficult, even now, for us to come to grips with that reality. How do we decide which Arab is, or will become, today or tomorrow, a murderer? It's getting harder and harder to know. This is one of the Jewish Nation's greatest challenges today, and it leads us more and more to the historical and immensely profound realization that: אין לנו על מי להישען, אלא על אבינו שבשמיים - we have none on whom to rely, except for our Father in Heaven... Lastly, I must stress that I did not say or imply anything about hating the Arabs. The violence, especially when it comes into murderous expression, ripping lives, families, communities apart, is repulsive to any thinking human being. We despise the violent acts, and we are concerned about the culture of violence, but as mature human beings, we try to direct our displeasure at people's actions, and not at the people themselves... As you say, Dan, we need to take necessary measures to defend ourselves, and this includes killing a person who is trying to murder or seriously harm another Jew. But to hate? We have no need for hate. There is already too much hatred in this world.

Tzipiyah.com : Arabs

Sun, 5 Oct 2008 09:45:26 +0000

[PART 1] Dan, I disagree with you. You weren't there to see these kids doing this the *entire bus ride*. I've seen some pretty savage-acting Jewish kids, but this was an expression of callousness towards another person's feelings, and borderline brutal cruelty, that shocked me. I saw an identical reaction with two Israeli women who go onto the bus at a later stage, and who watched the kids playing. Their faces altenated between smiles at the precociousness, and shock at the extent of the violence. I appreciate that this is not palatable to you, and to many other people, but it's important to understand that murderers do not just sprout from nowhere. A background culture or even spiritual influence of voilence, as G-d Himself blessed Yisma'el ('והוא יהיה פרא אדם, ידו בכול, ויד-כול בו, ועל פני כל אחיו ישכון' - 'and he will be a wild man, his hand in everything, and the hand of everyone on him, and he shall reign over the face of all his brothers) (Bereshit/Genesis 16:12), is a huge factor in turning children (or adults, for that matter) into murderers and suicide martyrs. Look at the links in my post, although you know enough of these stories without them. Of course I'm not saying that the children that I saw on the bus will become terrorists or murderers. All I am highlighting is a culture of violence, which is a part of the Arab way of life, whether you like it or not. Read 'The Haj' by Leon Uris. [ctd...]

Tzipiyah.com : Saddened but not Terrorised

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:56:03 +0000

Well said. Yes, we will keep making Aliyah, we will keep building, we will keep growing, we will keep singing... We are not afraid of a long journey.

Tzipiyah.com : Jewish Nationalism, Zionism and Racism

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 01:47:14 +0000

It's not an easy one. I'm personally at a stage where I'm realizing more and more that we are (still) very alone in the world... even though a lot of people out there don't hate us, or maybe even like us a little, they couldn't be bothered to do anything much about it... We have to look after ourselves as a nation, as a people; we have to turn to G-d for help and for nurture, but we need to do the work ourselves. With a reality like that, you can't 'waste' your energy reaching out to people who are so distanced from you, when there are so many of your own who really need help, inspiration, energy, dedication... Of course, when we do interact with non-Jews, it's very important to do so with pleasantness and love, but we need to direct the majority of our energies inwards...

Tzipiyah.com : Forever his Nation

Sun, 14 Sep 2008 07:56:57 +0000

I agree with Dan. N, please contribute with the open-mindedness for which we pride ourselves here. There is much to be gained from open-minded discussion, and little from closed-minded statements of opinion. Dan, I think that this discussion is effectively closed. N, we welcome your open-minded comments and discussions on our blog.

Tzipiyah.com : Zemer's Aliyah Files #3: Collage

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 14:36:23 +0000

Thanks. Yes. It's a real opportunity for broadening your horizons and learning a lot...

Tzipiyah.com : Zemer's Aliyah Files #3: Collage

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 12:02:38 +0000

Gemma, thanks for your stories. It's typical of life in Israel that such weirdness is not actually considered weird, but pretty commonplace... Crazy but awesome Dan: I think there have already been books written about them! Daniel: you're right. But our major challenge here in Israel is to do exactly as you described: to bring together the Jews from all the different backgrounds, and to unite them into a nation... to some extent this is tangible, but in many areas we see a lot of room for growth... there's lots of holy work to be done! :) Ren: Thanks for the vocabulary appreciation ;) Sounds like a great experience. Sounds like a tasty pizza-thing...

Tzipiyah.com : Forever his Nation

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 11:20:46 +0000

I don't find your comments offensive; I welcome your participation and frank dialogue. Why not get an IntenseDebate account? How inspiring that the people of Tzfat saw the soldiers as Divine representatives... the very existence of the soldiers was miraculous, and their timing and efforts were so needed and saved them from such danger that they saw these men as direct messengers of G-d... to the point that their own actions of prayer, in their own eyes, were perhaps of a lesser value or holiness... I would feel flattered to be described as such... Please can you quote for me exactly where Rav Kook apparently says these things? Rav Shlomo Carlebach speaks about a sad phenomenon, which affects a lot of us. This is where many Jews have an awakening, a yearning for connection to G-d and His essence. However, when they turn to the people who, by reputation or by claim, seem to be the representatives of Torah, and therefore of G-d, in this world, they do not find expression for the depths which they are looking for. Sometimes, unfortunately, they find the opposite: unpleasant things, distorted values... And these seekers then say, if these people, who claim to be G-d's representatives in this world, have no answer for me, if their way of life holds no meaning for what I'm looking for, then the whole thing must be a load of junk. And so, another person seeking true meaning is turned away, apparently by the very representatives of G-d. It's unfortunate that so many people walk around with a certain image in their heads of what a Torah Jew looks like. Being a Torah Jew has nothing to do with what kind of kippa you wear, whether or not you wear a hat, what colours you wear, what neighbourhood you live in... Being a Torah Jew means living according to what G-d wants us to do, as taught to us in the Torah. It's sad that very often, the people who truly represent G-d in this world, who truly live a life of balance, harmony, and deep connection to G-d, are quiet, or at least are drowned out by the noisy voices of others who are less concerned with essence, spirit, and love and harmony than they are with dry technicalities... There are many paths towards true connection to G-d, and within the paths of Judaism, there are many different ways. (Every single person is created in G-d's image, man and woman, Jew and non-Jew, and is special in G-d's eyes, and has a unique role to fulfill in this world...) I see that your perception of Torah Judaism has been deeply influenced by negative images of certain sectors of the Torah-keeping Jewish public; it's very likely that this has been done largely via severe anti-religious propaganda that unfortunately is very, very common in the Israeli media. It's so sad that a large part of the media works very hard and energetically to dig up as much dirt on the 'Charedi' public as possible -- as they have done for decades... But don't worry, they are now back at their latest game: digging up the dirt on the 'Settlers', the people who really bridge between holy and secular, between dream and reality: the people who are alight with the fire of passion for Israel (Jewish nationalism is strongest in them out of ALL sectors of the Israeli public! No question!), for Torah, and for the Jewish Nation. If you really want to know what Torah Jews are like, you have to switch off the TV, and go and get to know them. Again, I (and all of us here at Tzipiyah) welcome your comments and participation! Keep it up

Tzipiyah.com : Forever his Nation

Tue, 2 Sep 2008 03:06:14 +0000

N, thank you for your comment. You are certainly correct in attributing merit and credit to the brave Jews, men and women, who fought so fiercely, and who worked so hard, to create the state of Israel. All the same, a miracle is a miracle, whether you recognize it or not... It is unfortunate that many of the 'Orthodox' sector of the Jews failed to dedicate much effort into building the state. Know, however, that the 'Old Yishuv', of thousands of Jews who had arrived in Israel before Herzl had even been thought of, was made up almost exclusively of 'Orthodox' Jews, keeping the Torah and Mitzvot. They were there to strengthen and perpetuate a Jewish presence in the land of our heritage... Rav Kook saw the incredible inspiration and effort of the secular Chalutzim as having deep spiritual roots. It is unfortunate that their spiritual passion and yearning for building up the Land of Israel (it's difficult to describe it any other way) could not find expression within the parameters of the wider 'Orthodox' community; however, this was a result of centuries of Jewish persecution and an eventual forgetting of the true meaning of Jewish nationalism (how can a Jew, wandering around for centuries, kicked from place to place, be inspired and proud of his country? What country does he have??). The Chalutzim, as Rav Kook saw it, heralded a chidush, a renewal, of the ancient, forgotten values of nationalism and working the Land... and he greatly admired and respected the Chalutzim for their work and their inspired dedication... It's clear, however, that Jewish nationalism, as Rav Kook almost prophetically explains in Orot, cannot stand for long without the spiritual backing of Torah. Israel's political situation over the last decades is clear evidence of this. Without Torah, leader and citizen lack Jewish identity, and they sway in the wind of political and spiritual influences from the nations around the world and their pressures, forgetting what it really means to be a Jew, to live as a Jew, to live as a Jew in Israel. The tragedy of the Disengagement, and the subsequent failures and troubles of the IDF to defend Israel as per its name and defining mission, are also witness to the identity crisis that is consuming the broader Israeli public... Regarding your last point about equality, please see my article on that topic, which can be found here: http://www.tzipiyah.com/2008/06/chosen-better-dif...

Tzipiyah.com : Announcement - Big Changes Coming Up!

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:58:53 +0000

This is exciting! Looking great so far... And loading quicker too

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : After Hours at the Arnona Office: When Bureaucracy Shuts Down

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 08:21:22 +0000

Beautiful!! Well-written and expressed. Rav Shlomo Carlebach says in the name of Rav Nachman of Breslov: 'Peace is not something between ideas; it's something between people." We so easily forget that the world is about people; that nothing is for practice, but that we can achieve magnificent accomplishments, or effect disastrous destructions, simply by our interactions with other people...

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : Mazal Tov Zemer on Your Aliyah!

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:45:36 +0000

Thanks, Dan!! What an amazing and very kind post. Thanks, Florence! I hope you make your way here too some time soon

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : 'Definitely, Maybe' & Hidden Treasure

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:34:45 +0000

Thanks, Mindy. I'm glad you benefitted from the article. [What follows is my opinion, and is general, and not directed at you specifically] That's a difficult one. I think it depends on age and social-circumstantial context. In general, I think that interactions between guys and girls are a good thing, for a number of reasons: 1. How can you expect to know your spouse if s/he is the first person of the opposite sex that you're forming *any* sort of relationship with? How can you expect to be empowered to choose to marry a specific person of the opposite sex if you have no clue how the other sex works? 2. Unless you park yourself on a Pacific island for the rest of your life, you cannot avoid the reality of a mixed society. You will have to encounter members of the opposite sex throughout your life, in various circumstances. In order to be socially efficient, and in order to approach such exchanges/relationships with holiness (maximising the G-dliness of your participation in such a relationship, eg. by being friendly, by reaching out to the other person to help them, by being present and relevant, and by knowing about attraction and boundaries), you need to have social skills in relating to members of the opposite sex. 3. You think that Moshe only dealt with the men who had legal questions? He received the daughters of Tzelofchad, and doubtless countless other women who were in the line of people queuing outside the tent, waiting to ask him questions about Torah. Furthermore, how did any of the Avot, or any of the Jews throughout the Tanach, meet their spouses? Arranged marriages? With Yitzchak, yes. Avraham, no. Ya'akov, no. Yehuda, no. Yosef, no. Moshe, no. David, no. That said, it's very clear that interactions between the sexes is potentially fiery powerful, and fraught with danger. The very fire that is its potential for passion, desire, and deep connection, can be a fire that burns and damages if it's used in the wrong way. I believe it's the Gemara that says, 'אין אפוטרופוס לערייות' - there are no guardians for forbidden relationships - even the greatest, most righteous person can fall to the powerful intersexual desires. This means that our interactions with members of the opposite sex *must* be handled with wisdom and with care. I'm not yet sure how I would prescribe or define a healthy framework of interaction for male and female kids from the age of about 10 until marriageable age. This is an area that needs a lot of thought and wisdom. What do you think?

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : The Bitter in the Bitter-sweet

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:41:52 +0000

Thanks, Andre I think that there is a strong feeling of 'let's forget about our dreams and ideals, but rather cut back and give away in order to find peace and quiet' -- many Jews in Israel feel that the quest for 'peace' is so important that we can and should sacrifice a lot in its name. 'Peace' has unfortunately become a religion of its own here in Israel, which is dangerous and sad. Israelis have understandably had enough of this constant conflict with the Arabs and the so-called 'Palestinians' for many, many years already. They want to finally have peace. And they are willing to do a lot, to give a lot, to achieve this goal of serenity and tranquility. This is clear from government decisions and actions over the last few years, including Rabin's Oslo Accords, which provided the turbulent Arabs with an excuse for the start of the Intifada, and which supplied money and arms to the Arabs to use to kill Jews; including Barak's declared intentions to give away massive amounts of land of Israel; including the infamous Disengagement only 3 years ago; and including Olmert and others' declared intentions of giving away more land of Israel to the Arabs -- and all in the name of peace, a peace that is clearly nothing more than a myth or a mirage... our enemies do not care for peace; their declared, explicit intentions are our complete destruction... Such 'political' decisions (they're not just political, they directly affect the lives of every Jew everywhere!) of Israeli political leaders have largely had the support, or at least been free of the vocal protest, of the majority of the Jews living in Israel. Since the Disengagement, however, that has begun to change... Friends, G-d promised us the entire Land of Israel. We're not there yet, but don't let us give up hope, lose sight of the ultimate goal, give in to pressures from outside and from inside, that urge us to give up on our dreams, to give up that which is holy in the name of a bloody, ominous 'peace'... Am hanetzach lo mefached miderech aruka! - The eternal nation is not afraid of a long journey! (Rav Kook)

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : Zemer's Aliyah Files: #1

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:38:37 +0000

Thanks, everyone, for your messages :) This place is the place to be. Come over here, it's great

Tzipiyah.blogspot.com : Zemer's Aliyah Files: #1

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 01:29:50 +0000

hey there. thanks for your comments! I will try to keep up a commentary of my experiences and thoughts related to Aliyah and Klita (absorption)... Shabbat shalom