Drink, and do me a favour friends, drink alot!
Every year in the run-up to Purim, I hear the same convoluted narishkeit about no you dont have to get totally plastered on Purim. A jewish guy of mitsvah age has a mitsvah to get drunk on Purim, and lets not go litvish and start digging in the air with our thumbs until weve watered it down and twisted it around, and come out that one can drink one cup and then immediately go to sleep and like this be yotsei. For that matter oh great minds, thumb-swingers, do us all a favour, and just go to sleep and be quiet. Go to sleep and then you will be patur from this wonderful mitsvah which you denigrate, since while you sleep you obviously cannot fulfill it.
If they cant manage to denigrate and reduce the scope of the mitsvah, so then they exempt themselves since "they get sick" or "they do aveirot" when drunk. Oh please, would you listen to yourselves already. Perhaps while drinking you are obscenely dishonest, avoid the truth, and lie to yourselves and everyone else, since this is what you are doing while sober, in the waking hours, when the wine goes in that is what will come out in spades. Jews are full of Torah and Mitsvot, and time and again that is all I see come out from MY drunken brethren on Purim. Shoudst there be a crass undeveloped individual out there who engages in lashon hara and motsei shem ra, and other sins throughout the year, even from them I have heard Torah come out like a river with tears and joy on Purim.
If you need a clear indication of just what Hazal intend for us drinking-wise on Purim, even though the Gemara is scant and tells us almost nothing about it, you with your sharp Gemara-student Gemara minds are hereby called to judgement by me! The moment yoy FEEL a certain way about something you readily turn your Gemara mind off so as to avoid contradicting your heart with what your mind will then know.
In Megilllah 7B we are told by Hazal that one is obligated to purfume oneself on Purim until one doesnt know the difference between Blessed is Mordechai and Cursed is Haman (actually the other way around vehafochu). For me and MY Rashi the Gemara is quite clear, no thumb in air up and about needed. No wavering and intoning of voice and kippah sliding forth and back and chin grabbing. No need to swing on a shtender and deliberate ade ad. The next part of the Gemara when read by a Gemara student whos head rules over their heart, who follows truth over passion, will read the story of Raba and Rabi Zeira who eat together one Purim and the one shechts the other, killing him, dead, thats right, dead. The next morning he prays for him and H' gives him life back. The next year dear friends when the one says to the other lets do our Purim feast together, the other does not say, yes, but we should follow the Rambam, or the this or that that, or we should but should fulfill the mitsvah by drinking less. Oh no, none of that hoopla! And I am certain these Hahamim new what the mitsvah was all about! The one says no, we cannot rely on miracles. They both seem to have the intention to drink just as readliy and heartily as the previous year, dispite one having murdered his comrad while drunk. They completely intended to DRINK and get DRUNK!
Purim Sameakh!
Tuesday, 11 March 2014
Monday, 17 February 2014
Lifestyle
The day to day way of life, for most people on earth has changed drastically in the last 150 years. Transportation and communication has us going at high speeds. Our housing, and the way our communities are laid out, effects the way we live our lives. Most people no longer live an agricultural lifestyle. The jews specifically have been urbanites for some time.
The modern State if Israel, has been developed with these new changes. Housing and layout even of agricultural communities is according to modern western ideals.
The biggest change to life however, is education. Universal education. State dictated schooling. Whereas it used to be, that a jewish boy would go to heder, learning to read and write, and then at a young age apprentice in a trade, he now goes to school for full days until he is 18. If he is to aquire a trade or profession, he goes to college or university. No longer a few short hours of religious instruction, he now attends a full day, and does not apprentice or learn a trade from as young as 5 or 6 or 10, as he used to. This is all wrong. Boys are tied up in their abilities, and need to apply themselves to work skills from a young age. Work ethic must be developed from a young age, it is extremely difficult to develop starting after one turns 18.
Girls also learn as the boys do. Whereas they used to take on chores from a young age, working around the house, and then hiring out to work in others homes from a young age, they now study until they marry. Being as in our religious jewish faith, a young woman is destined to have her own home and children, they always used to keep home and child-mind until they married. Now a young woman marries at a much later age, and has very little experience by comparison, of keeping a home or looking after/raising children. After 13 years of school, we have students not women like we need. After the constant social life of school, it is hard for a gal to adjust to her home upon marrying. Without several years of experience cooking, baking, cleaning, and minding children, she is suddenly expected to pull it all together, and without the social life shes had until this point. Her husband cannot meet her well developed social needs.
Young men are thwarted and crippled, and without any real skills, despare of being able to provide for a family that they so want. They suffer from lack of self-worth.
In a proper and healthy environment, a boy would learn only a few hours in a day, and would have lots of play time when very young, and then would spend alot of time working with the men. Picking fruit, or sheparding animals. Working hides, or writing Holy texts. At 5 Mikra, 10 Mishnah and 15 Gemara. And all the while working and aquiring skills which would allow them to begin earning income even before they marry. In or times they could apprentice with a plumer or kablan, and be up and running their own business once they marry.
A young women can learn pretty much as much as they do now, with a few hours of shiurim in different womens houses throughout the week. Now instead of women struggling managing their houses alone, or with goyishe helpers, they coould pay a young jewish woman to help them in their homes. How many women are struggling, and a Beit Yaakov full of jewish girls is down the street keeping them from you! How happy a gilr would be to know how to sew and knit, bake like a pro and be an experienced cook. How happy they would be, to have years of cleaning experince, full work ethic once they establish their own home.
Housework has been dengrated and dealt a very negative blow thanks to femenism. While education andworking out of the home are glorified!
Marrying later as we do now, causes all manner of problems. In the face of our Sages, who counsel us about proper ages at which to marry, we marry later and later. Young men suffer sexually, and young women grow tougher, accustomed to their happy carefree singleness.
I propose we begin establishing villages in Erets Yisrael, geared towards old fashioned agricultural based economy. Cheap afforadable housing (not cement bunkers like we have), and communal facilites for baking and laundering as all time used to hold. Gals have been cut off in their own houses. Whereas they used to do their chores together, baking in communal ovens, and laundering together, each is in their own house with their machines. Communal washrooms and bath-houses will cut down on the size of ones house, and conserve space. Step away from western free-standing houses, back to mediteranean common-wall housing with courtyards. Surround the town with the orchards and vinyards, and the animals housing and pasture lands.
The kibbutsim and moshavim are not properly set up. They were better in the beggining, but modernized with everyone else. This business of almost all the labour being done by foreign workers and arabs from neighbouring towns is malarky. The kibbutsim decided to have a nice life and dodge having to work for it. Few know about the reality of how the government has to step in to cover the costs of their well lit spreads, watered lawns, sports centers and pools. Many are not paying their own electrical bills. Local moatsas are getting hit up to cover their costs. Over-education also saw to it that their kids who were not anymore going to pick fruit anyways, or trim trees, are off to a good start going off to be lawyers and doctors.
How will we be able to afford to live simpler? Smarter housing, and good old physical labour. Well be healthier and happier. Well be able to work where we live, and actually have work to busy ourselves with.
Our pedestrian villages will be pleasant places to live and work. We can work to eat, and not work to support the banks.
The modern State if Israel, has been developed with these new changes. Housing and layout even of agricultural communities is according to modern western ideals.
The biggest change to life however, is education. Universal education. State dictated schooling. Whereas it used to be, that a jewish boy would go to heder, learning to read and write, and then at a young age apprentice in a trade, he now goes to school for full days until he is 18. If he is to aquire a trade or profession, he goes to college or university. No longer a few short hours of religious instruction, he now attends a full day, and does not apprentice or learn a trade from as young as 5 or 6 or 10, as he used to. This is all wrong. Boys are tied up in their abilities, and need to apply themselves to work skills from a young age. Work ethic must be developed from a young age, it is extremely difficult to develop starting after one turns 18.
Girls also learn as the boys do. Whereas they used to take on chores from a young age, working around the house, and then hiring out to work in others homes from a young age, they now study until they marry. Being as in our religious jewish faith, a young woman is destined to have her own home and children, they always used to keep home and child-mind until they married. Now a young woman marries at a much later age, and has very little experience by comparison, of keeping a home or looking after/raising children. After 13 years of school, we have students not women like we need. After the constant social life of school, it is hard for a gal to adjust to her home upon marrying. Without several years of experience cooking, baking, cleaning, and minding children, she is suddenly expected to pull it all together, and without the social life shes had until this point. Her husband cannot meet her well developed social needs.
Young men are thwarted and crippled, and without any real skills, despare of being able to provide for a family that they so want. They suffer from lack of self-worth.
In a proper and healthy environment, a boy would learn only a few hours in a day, and would have lots of play time when very young, and then would spend alot of time working with the men. Picking fruit, or sheparding animals. Working hides, or writing Holy texts. At 5 Mikra, 10 Mishnah and 15 Gemara. And all the while working and aquiring skills which would allow them to begin earning income even before they marry. In or times they could apprentice with a plumer or kablan, and be up and running their own business once they marry.
A young women can learn pretty much as much as they do now, with a few hours of shiurim in different womens houses throughout the week. Now instead of women struggling managing their houses alone, or with goyishe helpers, they coould pay a young jewish woman to help them in their homes. How many women are struggling, and a Beit Yaakov full of jewish girls is down the street keeping them from you! How happy a gilr would be to know how to sew and knit, bake like a pro and be an experienced cook. How happy they would be, to have years of cleaning experince, full work ethic once they establish their own home.
Housework has been dengrated and dealt a very negative blow thanks to femenism. While education andworking out of the home are glorified!
Marrying later as we do now, causes all manner of problems. In the face of our Sages, who counsel us about proper ages at which to marry, we marry later and later. Young men suffer sexually, and young women grow tougher, accustomed to their happy carefree singleness.
I propose we begin establishing villages in Erets Yisrael, geared towards old fashioned agricultural based economy. Cheap afforadable housing (not cement bunkers like we have), and communal facilites for baking and laundering as all time used to hold. Gals have been cut off in their own houses. Whereas they used to do their chores together, baking in communal ovens, and laundering together, each is in their own house with their machines. Communal washrooms and bath-houses will cut down on the size of ones house, and conserve space. Step away from western free-standing houses, back to mediteranean common-wall housing with courtyards. Surround the town with the orchards and vinyards, and the animals housing and pasture lands.
The kibbutsim and moshavim are not properly set up. They were better in the beggining, but modernized with everyone else. This business of almost all the labour being done by foreign workers and arabs from neighbouring towns is malarky. The kibbutsim decided to have a nice life and dodge having to work for it. Few know about the reality of how the government has to step in to cover the costs of their well lit spreads, watered lawns, sports centers and pools. Many are not paying their own electrical bills. Local moatsas are getting hit up to cover their costs. Over-education also saw to it that their kids who were not anymore going to pick fruit anyways, or trim trees, are off to a good start going off to be lawyers and doctors.
How will we be able to afford to live simpler? Smarter housing, and good old physical labour. Well be healthier and happier. Well be able to work where we live, and actually have work to busy ourselves with.
Our pedestrian villages will be pleasant places to live and work. We can work to eat, and not work to support the banks.
Sunday, 9 February 2014
Right Foot First
The Bnei Yissakhar brings, that the right foot is Netsah, Victory. We need to step forward, our very first step even must be taken with intention to win.
In our befuddled confused times, its even a hidush that we need to take a step! That we should take a step!
Our community & our people, are tired, battered, worn down. We dont put up a fight any more. I know we are tired, I know the circumstances. I know how we got here, and why things are the way they are. I know that most are not up for it, and are rightly trying to simpy get by, hold on. But someone somewhere must be seeing more, must be itching to take back ground. Netsah, Victory, is made new, in that first step.
I want to stand and walk! Our Judaism is a crippled Judaism. There are a variety of reasons for this. I want it to stand and walk again. It is going to do that, because someone against the odds is going to undertake the Victory. This is the work of Nakhshon Ben Aminadav. A single Judahite, going forward up to his nose.
Okay enough of the impassioned rambling. I am hoping beezrat H' to share the things I have seen. My observations, and the desires that well from them. Ill hopefully post from time to time. I am not good at siting sources, so if I dont, please forgive me. I want to, and will try when I can, however I know myself and my way of operating. I personally see just darkness and legions of armies and a sea of water on all sides. I see those who pray. But it is not a time for prayer. Speak to the people, and tell them to go forward!
I muse alot, its my way of getting on. But every now and then I should hopefully share something of worth. My musing ways some will get, will be able to follow in any case.
In our befuddled confused times, its even a hidush that we need to take a step! That we should take a step!
Our community & our people, are tired, battered, worn down. We dont put up a fight any more. I know we are tired, I know the circumstances. I know how we got here, and why things are the way they are. I know that most are not up for it, and are rightly trying to simpy get by, hold on. But someone somewhere must be seeing more, must be itching to take back ground. Netsah, Victory, is made new, in that first step.
I want to stand and walk! Our Judaism is a crippled Judaism. There are a variety of reasons for this. I want it to stand and walk again. It is going to do that, because someone against the odds is going to undertake the Victory. This is the work of Nakhshon Ben Aminadav. A single Judahite, going forward up to his nose.
Okay enough of the impassioned rambling. I am hoping beezrat H' to share the things I have seen. My observations, and the desires that well from them. Ill hopefully post from time to time. I am not good at siting sources, so if I dont, please forgive me. I want to, and will try when I can, however I know myself and my way of operating. I personally see just darkness and legions of armies and a sea of water on all sides. I see those who pray. But it is not a time for prayer. Speak to the people, and tell them to go forward!
I muse alot, its my way of getting on. But every now and then I should hopefully share something of worth. My musing ways some will get, will be able to follow in any case.
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