International Day of Persons with Disabilities...

Wheelchair Obstacle Course at International Day of
Persons with Disabilities, in Ashqelon 

...was Friday last week.  I have a friend whom I usually meet for a walk and coffee on Friday mornings when we're both available, who it happens is legally blind.  As I had received a text message from the Ashqelon Municipal Department of Retiree Activities the day before, that there would be a special observance down at the marina on Friday morning, I suggested to my friend that we walk down to the marina to see what's on.

It was timely, because I had just read in the newspaper earlier in the week, that a recent poll of Israelis showed a startling lack of understanding of disabilities.  According to the survey, 60 percent of all Israelis think the disabled to be mentally incompetent.  The survey question did not differentiate between the specific types of disabilities; in other words, 60 percent of Israelis seem to think that any disabled person (blind, deaf, mobility impaired,,,) is also mentally incompetent.

One thing that I like about living in Israel is that, when a legitimate societal issue is raised, it is then usually addressed by various governmental bodies in a way that is hoped to be helpful.  In that regard, I thought the activities set up in Ashqelon friday were  brilliant.

The theme was to teach young people - before they develop attitudes that are difficult to change - what the disabled face in their everyday lives.  The marina was full of high school students, who were offered the morning off if they attended the event.

Deafness Station

A number of stations were set up, to enable the kids to sample what it is like to be disabled.  There was a wheelchair obstacle course, to show the obstacles that wheelchair users face everyday just in trying to get around.  And there was also a wheelchair basketball station, to show athletic young people (and basketball is probably the most popular sport here) just how hard it is for the mobility-impaired to realize their athletic dreams.

Blindness Station

There was a blindness station, where the kids wore eye shades and were introduced the reality of having to visualize things through descriptions.  And there was a deafness station, where kids wearing ear protectors had to try to communicate with one another.


In addition to all these exhibits to help the non-disability community better appreciate the challenges facing the disabled, there were also stations where a number of governmental and non-government organizations could pass out helpful information and address the concerns of the disabled in making sure they get all the benefits, to which they're entitled.

All this comes after a period - during the last three months - when the disabled have been holding public protests, including blocking traffic on major arteries, to raise awareness of their plight.  For what it's worth, it appears that someone has been listening.

So How's That Workin' Out For Ya?

Palestinian Protest near Bethlehem, Thursday, 7 December 2017

In my post last week, I praised President Trump for taking the momentous step of declaring the United States' recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and signing the order for the State Department to begin the groundwork for moving our embassy there.  And of course, if you're following the issue, you know that our Palestinian neighbors have spent the past few days showing their displeasure in their favorite manner - with violent demonstrations and attacks on Jews.  And you also likely know that there have been violent attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions in various places in the world:  in particular, against the main synagogue in Stockholm, Sweden and a kosher restaurant in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.  So, you could be forgiven if you'd like to ask me the question that is the title of this post.  And I'm happy to answer that question.

But first, let me give you some personal background - state my bonafides, I guess.  I have a son serving in the Israeli army, in the Tank Corps.  He's not in 'the Territories' - Judea and Samaria, or the West Bank if you prefer - right now.  He has under his belt two deployments there:  one in the Tulkarem area, and one in Gush Etzion.  Right now, he's on early warning watch in a bunker complex facing Kuneitra, Syria - in the Golan Heights.  Because he's a combat medic, this deployment has a large humanitarian element - providing medical aid to refugees and anti-government fighters fleeing oppression by Syrian President Assad's troops.  His next deployment is slated for the Gaza border.  I'm really proud of him for his service.  Although he's not in the Territories this week, he saw plenty of action when he was.  So, as the concerned parent of an IDF soldier - not to mention as someone living in Southern Israel within easy range of Hamas' vast inventory of inexpensive rockets - I'm not being cavalier about the violence.  (It happens that there have been several rocket warnings here in Ashqelon since last Wednesday.  It's just part of life here.) 

I would have been happy to tell President Trump, had I had the means, to not bother with the recognition and moving the embassy if it would have kept him, and other Israelis, safe from thuggery and terror.  But - and you can see where this is going - Trump's yielding to concerns about renewed violence and not taking the step he did last week, would not have made Israel, or Jews around the world, one iota safer over the long run.  The thuggery and terror of the Palestinians and elements in the the greater Arab/Islamic world have been close to continuous over the 69 years of the life of the Israeli state, and for many decades beforehand.  In other words, the violence isn't because of Jerusalem, or the lack of a Palestinian state, or the Jewish 'settlements' in the West Bank, or anything President Trump has said or done.  If Abu Mazen's threat, of a new Intifada because of this most recent event, come true, then last week's event would be nothing more than the ostensible trigger.  Trump or not, it was going to come - more likely sooner than later.  Every time the Palestinians don't get their way on something, they threaten a new round of violence.  And they almost always follow through on those threats.  They truly mean what they say, at least as regards violence against Israel.

And Hamas?  Supposedly, Al Fatah (the faction of Abu Mazen anf the late Yassir Arafat) and Hamas have come to some kind of accommodation in the Gaza Strip.  Ismail Haniyeh - the leader of Hamas - hasn't been sounding too different from Abu Mazen.  And Hamas isn't engaging in empty words either; just today, the IDF destroyed yet another Hamas-built terror tunnel stretching under the Gaza Strip border into Southern Israel.  That tunnel, whose purpose would have been to insert guerrilla squads into Israel to kidnap IDF soldiers and force them into Gaza to use as bargaining chips for Hamas prisoners in Israeli jails, was not built after Trump's press conference on Wednesday last week.  Sooo...

Even after a few days of very unfortunate violence in Israel and the Jewish world, 'triggered' by President Trump's brave recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and reiteration of his promise to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv, I'm still a fan.


       

He Did It!

Was your response to the subject, Who did what?  If so, then I will answer with a question:  What rock have you been hiding under for the last week or so?

The Knesset, seat of Israel's parliamentary democracy, in Jerusalem

Of course, the who is President Trump.  And the what is, he officially recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital city, and is directing the State Department to begin the background work to move the US embassy in Israel to Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, since an embassy's rightful place is in its host nation's capital city.

The announcement was not unexpected; the Washington and Middle East Leak Machine has been hard at work ensuring that we would know the essence of the announcement long before it was made.  Still, since President Trump likes to keep people and other nations guessing, one can never be entirely certain until he announces in an official manner,  And announce in an official manner he did:  not a Tweet, but a forceful speech from the State Department's Foggy Bottom headquarters.

The speech was in Trump's  typical, somewhat-inarticulate yet from-the-heart style.  He made two main points:

1.  The recognition of, and moving the embassy to, Jerusalem is US law, passed overwhelmingly by Congress and signed into law by President Clinton in 1995, yet not acted upon by Clinton nor by his successors George W Bush and Barack Obama who used a loophole in the law which enables the sitting president to apply for successive waivers of six months to delay its implementation.  The three presidents kept claiming the waiver, on the basis that its implementation would inflame tensions and make it more difficult for Israel and the Palestinians to reach a peace agreement.  Yet that peace agreement has not been forthcoming, and Trump does not believe - and I think he's correct - that its implementation now will prejudice the chances of an agreement.  I think he believes - although he did not state as much in his speech today - that his order to implement the agreement might actually spur the Palestinians to return to the table since they're no longer going to get this 'free ride' from Washington.

2.  Every state on earth has the right to decide which city is its capital. (The Israelis decided this question in 1980, when the Knesset passed the Jerusalem Law.)  And in no case - other than Israel - does the United States de-legitimize that state's decision.  Since Jerusalem has been Israel's capital in every way that that distinction matters, for almost 70 years, it is time for the US to recognize that fact and locate its embassy where it has best access to the various functions of the host nation government.

If there is opposition to this move among not only Arab and Islamic states but also several Western nations, that's okay.  It is not unanimously supported in Israel itself, where most of the opposition is pragmatic.  And if several senior officials of the Palestinian Authority - including Chairman Abu Mazen as well as Saed Erekat and Hanan Ashrawi - have threatened a new round of violent uprisings, that's regrettably okay - since the next round has always been a foregone conclusion, only its timing and the ostensible trigger being unknown.

Since Trump has waited the better part of a year after taking office to make this announcement, and does so only after considerable attempts to renew peace talks, it is clear that he has been making no progress with the Palestinians and therefore felt he had no choice but to fulfill this campaign promise he'd made.

It's interesting that a number of voices who cannot by a stretch be characterized as pro-Israel hawks - among them Tom Friedman of the New York Times and Judith Miller late of the Times and now a correspondent for Fox News - have long counselled that one cannot draw the Palestinians into negotiations by handing them un-earned concessions.  And yet, successive US presidents - not to mention Israeli leaders - have held to the principle that such unilateral concessions will result in a movement toward an agreement by the Palestinians.  Deep disagreement on this point made relations between President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu problematic almost from the day Obama took office.  Clearly, with Netanyahu still in office and a new administration in Washington, this disagreement no longer exists.  Seeing the bold move made by Trump today is heartening.  Will it help the Peace Process?  We cannot know, but since the latter has been in a virtual deep freeze for years, there is probably little risk of exacerbating it.

Getting Around Israel by Train

Since I mentioned in my last post that I’m travelling to Tel Aviv four times a week, perhaps a post on the excellent public transport system in Israel would be in order.

There's no joy for drivers in Tel Aviv.  Some other Israeli cities
are just as bad.

Most Israelis own and drive private automobiles, and even the two-car family has become quite commonplace here.  This is sign of increasing prosperity; 25 years ago, the family with one car was doing better-than-average.  Now, with a population that is growing about 2% per year and a mushrooming car ownership rate, the country’s roads are considerably congested.  It is said that Israel has the most cars per kilometer of road of any country in the world, except Singapore.  The problem of traffic density is exacerbated by the smallness of the country, which makes families reluctant to move house when a breadwinner takes a job in another city.  Since most Israeli cities are within commuting distance of one another, most will just plan to commute and stay put.  Because Israelis treasure personal mobility as much as any other people, this means there are a lot of cars on the road on any given weekday.

In another, future post I’ll deal with the realities of driving in Israel.  For now, suffice it to say that it can be a frustrating, as well as expensive, proposition.

Israel Railways' Ashqelon Station at dawn.

Thank goodness there is an excellent public transport network consisting of countrywide ‘heavy’ rail as well as light rail within Jerusalem (and soon, Tel Aviv), plus a number of intercity bus companies as well as local bus lines in every city and many towns.  Except on the Sabbath and religious festivals, it is possible to travel just about anywhere in the country via public transport.  For door-to-door service, there are legions of taxis.  No Uber though:  the ride-sharing company was just getting started in Tel Aviv, but the government has made their service illegal.  There is an app-based ride hailing service called ‘GETT,’ but its vehicles are regular licensed taxis.

Most of Israel's rail lines run down the center of highways.

Newcomers to Israel frequently find themselves frustrated by the casual, ‘it’ll start when it starts’ attitude toward timeliness.  I certain do, especially given my military background!  But one thing that seems to operate with almost German-like precision, is the train network.  I can’t say as much about the buses, simply because they have to cope with the same traffic congestion that every driver must endure, so bus travel is usually fraught with delays.

The entrance-exit turn-styles in the busy Tel Aviv Center
Station

So, I’ve been taking the train every morning – four days a week – to Tel Aviv.  It’s about an hour’s ride, and the trains mostly do run on schedule.  The train cars on the main north-south coastal routes, are double-decker with lounge-type seating that is reasonably comfortable for trips that are seldom over two hours.  A standard consist seems to five cars, pulled or pushed by a single diesel locomotive.  Several of the lines that run inland, use single-level cars that are self-propelled (diesel).  A contract was recently signed to purchase electric trains from the German company Siemens, to replace the diesels as the various lines are electrified.  The Israeli trains are not high-speed a la the Bullet Train, but I have clocked trains running at over 100 KM/H where the tracks parallel a highway as they do over most of the network.  There is a ‘high speed’ track under construction on the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem corridor that will cut the time of the trip down to something like half an hour when it opens.  

Whimsical touches abound.  Every train station has a piano
for whoever wants to sit down and play.  I've heard some
really good music when passing through the stations.

The trains are very inexpensive to ride; my daily round trip fare from Ashqelon to Tel Aviv would be NIS 22 (US $6.27 at today’s exchange rate), or NIS 27 (US $7.70) including the bus trip within the Tel Aviv area.  But I buy a monthly pass which includes the buses at either end, with unlimited use during the month for NIS 423 (US $120.00).  In addition to the unlimited aspect of this pass, an additional benefit is that I can breeze right into the station and through the turn-style, without needing to buy a ticket from one of the vending machines of the live cashier each day.  And on the buses, I just hold my chip card against the fare machine for a second until it registers.  It’s a very easy way to get around.

The new Tel Aviv-Jerusalem high speed rail line is an
engineering marvel and will make travel between Israeli's
two largest cities much faster.

In addition to having small tables for getting work done or holding drinks, the trains usually have 220V A/C plugs at the seats, for powering/recharging electronic devices.  The cars also have free WiFi for underway surfing.  There are restrooms in every car.  Finally, there are limited spaces for bicycles, and bicycles (including electric bikes) are carried free.  During rush hours, you’re only supposed to bring folding bikes aboard, but this is a rule generally ignored.  There are no other services on board, though; one must buy food or drink to be consumed on the way, before boarding.

A familiar sight on Israel Railways, is that of soldiers travelling
with full kit.  Even when in combat readiness, they usually go
home on leave every second weekend.

Rush hour trains can be standing room only, but I go to Tel Aviv before the morning rush and come home before the afternoon rush, so the trains are never so crowded.  When I arrive in Tel Aviv, I never have to wait more than a few minutes for the bus that takes me to a block-and-a-half from Ulpan Gordon, and the ride takes perhaps 20 minutes.

If I chose to travel by car to Tel Aviv, there would always be danger of traffic bottlenecks, not to mention the problem of finding parking in Tel Aviv.

Buses as Ashqelon's Central Station

I have also traveled between cities by bus, generally when I go to Jerusalem as there is a direct bus from Ashqelon but going by rail would require two train changes and considerably more time.  Except for being subject to traffic congestion, bus travel is also pleasant enough; the buses are comfortable and run often, the fares are cheap like the train fares, and the buses have USB power at each seat and free WiFi.  From Ashqelon to Jerusalem, the bus takes about 90 minutes.

I have to say that I find getting around in Israel by public transport, easier and cheaper than anywhere else I’ve lived (including Germany).  While there are aspects of life in Israel that can make you want to tear the hair out of your head in frustration, getting around is generally not one of them!

I'm Baaaack! About Ulpan...

Ulpan Gordon, in Tel Aviv

I know this space has been strangely quiet for a while.  Sorry about the Silence of the Blogger!  I’ve had a few very busy months.  I started studying in ulpan, a full-time Hebrew course that lasts five months.  At the same time, I’ve been abroad twice, once on ‘business’ – to celebrate the High Holy Days in Boulder, Colorado – and once on pleasure – to go boat-shopping in England.  Between all that, Clara and I bought and moved into an apartment, and I’ve been through a bout of sinus congestion that took me a long time to kick – I’m still not completely over it – which sapped my strength for several weeks.

Okay, enough excuses!  I’m touched that several of my readers have inquiries as to when I would resume blogging, so I’m here to tell you that…the resumption is now.  But I’m going to change my focus.  I’m going to move away from the weekly Torah portion, on which I’ve been blogging for a number of years.  My dear friend Paul in Australia suggested that I offer some insights on life in Israel, so I’ll move in that direction for now.

Classroom in Ulpan Gordon.  Makes one feel as if one has returned to
high school, but what can you do?

Since I mentioned that I’m currently enrolled in ulpan, I’ll tell you a bit about that.  Ulpan is, for most olim, or immigrants to Israel, an unavoidable part of the process of klita, or absorption.  Many immigrants come with zero Hebrew language, many with minimal proficiency.  My Hebrew upon arrival was, I’m given to understand, higher than than most.  Nevertheless, in my initial interview with the counselor at my local office of the Ministry of Aliyah and Absorption, one question she asked was whether I was going to go to ulpan.  I told her I wanted to improve my Hebrew from the level I then held, and asked for advice.  She sent me to the local Merkaz Klita, Absorption Center, where there is an ulpan, even though it only offer a basic level course, as the staff there might be able to advise me on where I might find an course at the level appropriate for me.

Students at Ulpan Gordon enjoying the mid-morning break

I did go down to Beit Canada, the absorption center in Ashqelon, and the director was helpful, but it turned out I would have to travel to another city – Beersheva, Tel Aviv or Jerusalem – for a course that would work for me.  At about the same time, I was looking into some employment and educational opportunities and thought I might just skip the ulpan, and let my Hebrew improve through constant use.  But after a few months of going back and forth, I finally decided to enroll.  Since attending in Beersheva or Tel Aviv would require a somewhat similar commute, I decided to go to Tel Aviv figuring that I would be able to enjoy some free hours after class, enjoying the seafront or the shopping there.  I took the placement exam at Ulpan Gordon, was told that I belonged in Kita Dalet, the highest level for the immigrants’ ulpan, and I enrolled.  The course started in September.

The Ulpan Gordon is a private school, but immigrants who choose to attend there are given a voucher by the Ministry of Absorption to pay for the course.  I have to pay my own transportation costs.  (I’ll write about public transport in Israel in a later post.)  The class meets four days a week, Sunday through Wednesday, from 8.15AM to 12.50PM.  There is homework most days, especially over the break from Wednesday afternoon to Sunday morning.  Most of the homework is easy, consisting of fill-in sheets, but it does reinforce what we learned in class.  The teacher also assigns us to write compositions, and these require more effort...but being an aspiring writer I enjoy the exercise.  The teacher was shocked when I turned in my first composition, word-processed and printed on my HP inkjet printer.  The norm is hand-written pages.  Because of my work in the rabbinate, I learned to type in Hebrew a long time ago and can do so with a reasonable proficiency.  Which is a good thing, since my longhand - Hebrew or English - is difficult to decipher!

Because this is Kita Dalet, for students who already have considerable proficiency in the language, we did not have to learn how to write, nor did we have to start out by doing the verb conjugation drills that discourage so many students of Hebrew.  We focus on learning how the exceptional verbs are conjugated, and on vocabulary acquisition.  We read a lot of article on interesting subjects, some from the daily newspaper.

My class has about 25 students, far too many, but since some of them are already employed, or have young children, it seems that attendance can be spotty.  There are three major ‘blocks’ of students in the class – I jokingly refer to them as ‘mafias.’  The largest is the Russian Mafia, which seems to consist only of women.  Then there’s the French Mafia, mostly women.  Then the South American Mafia, mostly men.  There are a few oddballs:  a Hungarian woman, a Turkish man, and then the very small Anglophone Mafia:  a South African, an Australian, and me representing the good ‘ole USA.

Despite the lack of conjugation drills – which I really don’t mind, truth be told – the course can be knock-your-head-against-the-wall frustrating.  But it’s a rite of passage, and in the end I’m glad I decided to endure it.  It will not make me fluent in Hebrew; I’m afraid that only years of living here, and constantly working at it, will be the only way to achieve that level of proficiency.  Still, as inadequate as ulpan might be, it speaks volumes about the desire of the state of take immigrants from all over the world and turn them into Israelis, that the course is offered. 

On Separating the Rational from the Irrational

Israel under the leadership of Joshua bin Nun, repels the
attack of the Amalekites

I’ve long wondered why the Torah counsels compassion towards the Egyptian on one hand, and “never forget” with regard to the Amalekites.  The former, of course, enslaved the people Israel, attempted genocide against them, and pursued them as they were fleeing.  The latter?  When the wandering Israelites crossed their land, they attacked them from the rear.  A one-time offense which, while cowardly, did not deter the people Israel from realizing their destiny.  And yet, we’re supposed to forgive the Egyptian people while holding a perpetual grudge against Amalek.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks offers an explanation in his d’var Torah this week.  The Egyptians’ fear of the Israelites, while unjustified, was rational.  It could therefore be argued against, and ultimately be proven as wrong-headed and…abandoned by the Egyptians.  The Amalekites’ fear of the Israelites, on the other hand, was completely irrational and therefore could not be reasoned with.  Many times throughout history, Rabbi Sacks argues, peoples have harbored rational – if mistaken – fears towards other groups, which (since they were ultimately rational) disappeared when proven wrong.  And therefore, the hate based upon that fear, disappeared as well.  But irrational fears don’t – again, according to Rabbi Sacks’ logic – disappear because, based on nothing real, they cannot be reasoned away.

Using this logic, Rabbi Sacks reasons that distrust of immigrant groups, at least sometimes, can be considered ‘rational’ – if unjustified – and will pass away as the immigrant group targeted, assimilates and becomes part of the national fabric.  But certain irrational forms of hate – Rabbi Sacks unsurprisingly uses antisemitism as his example – should be opposed in the strongest terms because, being irrational, will never pass away on their own, unopposed.

You can read Rabbi Sacks’ essay here: http://mailchi.mp/rabbisacks/ki-teitse-5777-243365?e=cd4185fd58

Although I mostly appreciate Rabbi Sacks’ eminent wisdom and am usually very happy to learn from him, this explanation of his leaves me feeling somewhat empty.  The reason is that it has become virtually impossible to discern which fears are rational and which, irrational.  Part of that is due to language.  The word ‘phobia,’ borrowed from Greek, originally meant ‘irrational fear.’ Thus, ‘agoraphobia’ denotes an irrational fear of crowded places – irrational, because there is not inherent danger in crowded places. (‘Agora’ in Greek, means ‘public marketplace,’ like the Turkish word ‘pazar/bazaar’ or the Arabic ‘souk.’)  Rabbi Sacks uses the term ‘phobia’ as meaning ‘fear,’ period; he refers to ‘rational phobias.’  This is not a complaint against evolution in language; I’m not the kind who believes language should be ossified for all time.  I don’t miss using the term ‘forsooth,’ for example! 

But perhaps the transition in the meaning of ‘phobia’ from ‘irrational fear’ to ‘fear,’ period, indicates that rationality, and therefore irrationality, has become subjective.  For example, in our time there are many rational reasons to avoid crowds.  Crowds invite real dangers – crime, terrorism – that cannot be written off as irrational.  I’m not suggesting that we should all walk away as soon as we find ourselves in a crowd.  But to dismiss concern about crowds as irrational, represents a denial of facts.

The term ‘islamophobia’ has become popular, and is often applied to any tendency to fear Muslims.  Is ‘islamophobia’ irrational?  The reality is that in Israel, in Europe…really, just about anyplace in the world, there are Islamists who will use violence and terror to attack and weaken the resolve of the West, their goal being the establishment of a worldwide caliphate.  If one reads their literature and listens to their broadcasts, one can see that this fear is far from irrational.  And yet, an indiscriminate lashing out towards Muslims in our midst, who very well may not be of that mindset but rather wanting the same things in life that you and I want, would be unjustified.  Just as Rabbi Sacks asserts that the ancient Egyptians may have had a rational fear of the Israelites, yet that fear resulted in unjustified actions.

So today, even when nobody is seriously suggesting a mass deportation of Muslims (or anything even approaching that) from our various Western lands, one gets labeled an ‘islamophobe’ for suggesting that a stronger process of vetting Muslims wanting to enter our countries from certain countries.  Countries where there is no functional, cooperating local government apparatus to assist immigration authorities at the other end that the person wanting to cross the border is safe, and without the associations and history that might indicate they wanted to enter the West in order to commit violence.  If ‘islamophobe’ simply means someone who fears some Muslims, than I don’t mind being called that.  But if it means someone who irrationally fears Muslims, then the term should disappear or become less common, because some fear of Muslims is clearly not irrational.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that, even if some people today use the term ‘-phobe’ simply to mean ‘one who fears,’ and not ‘one who fears irrationally,’ it is commonly used in the latter meaning, as a way of negatively labeling, and discouraging the fear indicated.  We also use ‘phobia’ in cases that have nothing to do with fear, at all.  For example, if I publicly state that I’m against state sanction of same-sex marriage, I’m labeled a ‘homophobe,’ that is, one who has a(n irrational) fear of homosexual people.  Why?  After thousands of years of religious teaching that homosexuality is wrong and should receive no sanction, to oppose the modern state being used as an apparatus for ‘normalizing’ homosexuality, means that one harbors an (irrational) fear of homosexuals?

Irrational fear is not a good thing, and it should be challenged.  The problem is – in today’s hyper-charged environment – separating the irrational from the rational.  Instead of having an honest and respectful conversation to hash out what might be rational and what irrational, we have a tendency to shout at one another and throw out designations – such as homophobe or islamophobe – that are calculated to de-legitimize the one, with whom one disagrees.  Regrettably, our conversations today have become so irrational, that we are barely able to discern between the rational and the irrational.  And if so, then we cannot even begin to have a real conversation where we rationally make a case for whatever it is that we believe.  And that is extremely unfortunate.

On New Moons and Justice

It is said that the only folks who are constantly aware of the phases of the moon are farmers, sailors, and observant Jews.  The first two, because of the moon’s effect on weather patterns which effect their livelihood and, for the sailor, his very life.  The Jew, because the Jewish calendar is lunar-based and all the important days are dependent upon the appearance of the new moon.

Well, the New Moon of Elul appeared yesterday.  Every month on the Jewish calendar has its special days and days of obligation.  In Elul, it’s the month itself – the entire month – that is special.

For Elul is the month leading up to the High Holy Days:  Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.  Once Elul starts, we should be starting the soul-searching that will lead to repentance.  To the decisions that will lead to a better life in the next year.  Yeah, New Year’s Resolutions:  we Jews do that, except not at the same time of year that the rest of the world does them.

I’m in Greece for a few days right now, but I can guarantee that, once I’m back in Israel, I’ll hear the Shofar sounded every morning at the end of the Shacharit prayer.  It’s a custom, a sort of advanced wake-up call, a warning that the Days of Repentance are approaching, and it’s time to set accounts aright.

This week’s Torah reading is the portion known as Shoftim, judges, for it opens:  Appoint for yourself judges and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the Lord your G-d is giving you, and make sure that they administer honest judgement for the people.  It is not only important to appoint judges and officials, but also to hold them to the highest standards. 

Do not bend justice and do not give special consideration [to anyone].  Everybody gets the same consideration, not based on their rank or social position.

Do not take bribes, as bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.  Of all the transgressions a public official, especially one occupied in the administration of justice, can commit, taking bribes is probably the worst.  This is one of the biggest temptations a public official faces.  Many will accept gifts, and insist that they’re not bribes, that they were received with no expectation of favor.  But most of the public know differently, and see an official who accepts gifts from someone who might be in the position of asking a special favor, as having accepted a bribe.  This has been many public officials’ undoing.

Justice, justice shall you pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you.  The repeated word tsedek – justice – is said to indicate that one must pursue justice, justly.  The end does not necessarily justify the means.  Another opinion on the doubled word, is that it means pursue justice with all zeal.  Whatever Hashem may have meant in repeating the word, it catches one’s attention and focuses one’s thoughts on the idea of pursuing justice.