Blog/June 2010/Jun 4th
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June 4th (See this week's devar torah)
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Hi again!
A wedding, a long-lost friend, blunting the teeth of Crusaders, repelling armed invaders and the brink of war. You might say it's been an interesting week!
As I mentioned last time, we were set to go to our friends' daughter's wedding, and the following day to meet a dear friend of mine from high-school who I haven't seen for almost twenty-five years. The wedding was held in a pleasant kibbutz south of Tel Aviv. Because the bride's family lives here in the fine town of Maaleh Adummim, we expected to see a number of familiar faces (nor were we disappointed). As I sat there talking to my compatriots and nursing a beer, I heard a sudden cry of "Ronnie!". (Aside: my official 'birth certificate name' is Ronnie, but I haven't gone by it since high school. The wise know not to call me by that name, but I digress). I look up, and there opposite I see my long-lost friend!
It happens that my friend is the groom's cousin, and the reason he came to Israel at this time was to attend the wedding. Neither of us had any clue the other was at the wedding; neither of us, that is, until my friend mentioned to the bride's mother that he had a friend in Maaleh Adummim named Ron, and he wondered if she knew him? To which my friend (the bride's mom, that is) replied, "yes, he's here". There ensued a confusing discussion, at the end of which my long-lost friend realized I was in fact present there. So he scanned the audience looking for me, and found me -- and the rest, as they say, is history.
The following day we did in fact meet for dinner, and got caught up (to the extent one can summarise 25 years in two hours). My daughters learned unfortunate details of my (extremely) geeky high-school years. A pleasant time was had by all, and I tried to encourage my friend to return before another half-jubilee had passed.
Last week I was involved in a dispute with "Karaites". Actually, another friend of mine entangled me in the dispute. In any case, for those of you who don't know -- "Karaites" are people who believe in the Written Torah and the rest of the Tanach (Jewish Bible), exclusively. They most famously do not believe in the Oral Torah (e.g. the Talmud and other Law codes). So in a certain respect they are similar to the Reform, but the Reform also don't believe in the written Torah. Once again, I digress... The 'dispute' centered around whether or not the Oral Law was from Sinai, etc.; but it was impossible to call it a 'debate', since the so-called Karaite disputant never answered a point and merely resorted to ad-hominem attacks. Then this week, I got "witnessed" by a Christian correspondent. I rather, em, forcefully told the person that I'm not interested in his propaganda, and to please refrain from sending me any more. Not that I want to be a pain or anything like that, but I'm not likely to throw in my lot with those who've been tormenting us for two millennia, now am I?
By now, unless you've been living under a rock in the South Pacific, you will have heard all about the brutal Israeli act of piracy, mayhem and murder against a group of innocent peace activists who were on an innocent humanitarian mission to lift the illegal and outrageous seige of Gaza. To relieve the terrible suffering of the starving Gazan children. And all they were looking for was a little rest and relaxation once they made it to Gaza's troubled shores. Ah, no shortage of useful idiots in the West, is there?
It sure is a good thing I'm not a black African! Maybe I'll start thanking God about that. Why, were I (say) a Sudanese refugee, I would likely be shot by the Egyptians when trying to cross into Israel (dozens have died so far this year, shot by the Egyptians -- to the deafening silence of the World Media). And were I (say) a non-Muslim from just about anywhere in Muslim Africa, my life would be forfeit for any whim of my 'betters' (millions of non-Muslims have been enslaved, raped and killed in sub-Saharan Africa over the past few years. Just ask Simon Deng). Yet again, the astonishing silence of the World Media is deafening. Could it be that the "West" really doesn't give a damn about black Africans? Nah, they're too enlightened to be racist, aren't they? Anti-semites, sure -- that's understandable -- but racists? Nah, couldn't be.
But shabbat is coming soon, so I must leave you with an uplifting musical tribute to the brave souls who -- with no thought for their own welfare -- sailed the deadly Mediterranean to bring succor to the terroristsfreedom fighters of Gaza.
Daniela has a friend staying with us this shabbat, and we will have two other girls over for dinner as well. For the second meal, we'll be lunching with our good friends whose daughter married this week. On our menu this week: buri fillets, eggplant, hummous, avocado, matboucha, matza-ball soup, beef w/ peppers, chicken breast w/ mushrooms, rice, okra, green beans, egg salad, tuna salad, watermelon juice, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.
Until next week,
Shabbat shalom !
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