So Abu Mazen doesn't want to recognize a Jewish state, and Lapid and Levni remain in the government without a problem even without a political process, and Moti Reif and Keren Mor and Yehuda Levy smoke weed. Wow, what a week of surprises.
On Shabbat, the parsha "After Death" is read, but every year the haftarah is the central story on this Shabbat, which is the last one before Passover. This week, the haftarah is read about the Day of Redemption, "the day of the great and terrible God," and therefore this Shabbat is called "the Great Shabbat." In all synagogues, a special ceremony is also held, "the Great Shabbat Sermon" – that is, a central speech in preparation for the Seder. The haftarah includes several verses from the prophet Malachi about the future redemption. How is the end of days described by the prophet, in such a central text that is read every year before Passover? Does he promise
Revenge on Israel's enemies? The war of Gog and Magog? A change in world order? No. The prophet describes how, in the run-up to the days of the Messiah, Elijah the prophet will come to us and do something completely different: "And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.".
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Many commentators refer to this surprising prophecy, which places the relationship between parents and children at the center as the root of all correction. As if putting an end to family quarrels and tension between generations is the main thing. Is all we need to advance humanity is a "super nanny"? Are healthy communication between generations and a real connection between adults and young people so important? Apparently so. Rabbi Kook saw this as a prophecy that relates to our time precisely: the generation of fathers represents the old Yishuv, which adhered to the sanctity of the Torah. It carries the rich and ancient heritage of the people. The generation of sons aspires to Zionism and the building of the land and seeks new and national values for itself. The goal - so he wrote - is to end the disconnect between them, and to make their hearts beat together.
Where do Moshe Kahlon's mandates come from? According to the polls, his announcement of his return to politics has excited several hundred thousand Israelis who are rushing to cast their votes for him. The same people who are now telling pollsters "Kahlon, Kahlon," told them a year ago "Lapid, Lapid," and four years ago "Come, come." They - or perhaps their parents - have also said in the past "Pensioners' Party," "Tzomet," "Center Party," "Shinui," "The Third Way," and even "D'Sh.".
These mandates, and it seems they are the only ones, are what is constantly moving from side to side here and creating unrest and interest in Israeli politics. They are talked about in the studios. They are endlessly interpreted as "the new tipping point," "the surprising tiebreaker," and even added "the big bang.".
These types of political stars always take about a seat from the left, a seat from the right, and mostly take seats from exactly the person who held that position in the previous election. They have only one advantage over the previous political hit: it's already old, they're still new.
Meretz and United Torah Judaism voters were not thrilled this week by Kahlon's announcement and did not dream of changing their voting pattern, and in fact neither were clear Likud and Labor voters. Those centrist voters, or perhaps trend voters, are the ones who make so many media consultants and strategists work hard and sweat trying to crack a way into their hearts: a year ago, they should have been told "new politics"; this week, Kahlon told them the magic word "social," added "Menachem Begin" and added the words "far right" to the Likud. The next day, unbelievably, the polls gave him about ten seats or more. Maybe we can save effort and budget and always hold elections only among those who are undecided.
""Did you think they hated us? The truth is much more complex," is how the special project published this week by the Haredi weekly "Mishpacha" opens, together with the "Center for Jewish Research and Communication." The newspaper dedicates an entire issue to a survey conducted for it by Dr. Mina Tzemach on Haredi-secular relations, and to an analysis of the surprising results. The survey was deliberately conducted only among a population that defines itself as secular - that is, the population furthest removed from the newspaper's readers.
The general insight that emerges from it is that indeed hatred is not the word to describe relations between the sectors. "Complete lack of understanding" would be a more appropriate definition. When the Haredim talk about "Jewish identity," they mean Shabbat, kosher, and marriage to a Jew.
When secularists talk about "Jewish identity" (and most are in favor of strengthening it!), they think of serving in the IDF, planting trees on Tu B'Shvat, and firstfruits ceremonies on Shavuot. The survey shows that the large Haredi prayer rally - considered a peak event in the Haredi sector - was not understood at all by the secular side. Almost none of those surveyed were able to explain why the rally was convened. An absolute majority also could not name the names of Haredi charitable organizations such as "Yad Sara" and "Ezer M'Zion.".
More and more questions and answers in the survey reveal not anger and rage, but indifference and lack of interest. Incidentally, a similar survey has not been conducted on an equally interesting question: What do the ultra-Orthodox know and think about the secular person in the mainstream? A series of writers and interviewees analyze the data, from MK Itzik Shmuli and former IDF spokesman Nachman Shai to Rabbi Lau and Rabbi Elbaz.
Rabbi Moshe Grilak, one of the most senior Haredi publicists, strikes a blow in his commentary article: "Let's face it - we were amazed. If the survey is correct, then we have been living in error all along. We were sure that the average secular person despises us. And not only that, but we in the Haredi media, in collaboration with Haredi politicians, also understood this feeling and talked about it over and over, all the time. And now, this entire magnificent building is collapsing. Now it turns out that the truth is different: most of them don't hate at all. An elitist minority may hate, but it is not the province of the majority.
""The majority are not interested in us at all. In today's Hebrew: They don't count us. Not hate, not love, indifference. We are a black hole. They pass by Bnei Brak and are not curious to enter its streets, our kitchen and living room, our Torah studies.".
Grilak is not ashamed to place some of the blame on his readers: "What does this mean for us and for us? Why aren't we a source of inspiration? What is wrong with us, in what we fail to project outward toward society? We must change our attitude and outlook toward each other. Stop entrenching ourselves behind the walls of error and change the path. To feel a mission toward all of Israeli society. Not to flatter and flatter, but because this is the way of a Jew: to be a model and an example.".
Jewish status""Every individual includes within himself the four sons of the Passover Haggadah. In each of us there is an innocent, a wise, a wicked, and one who does not know how to ask" (Rabbi Israel Salanter)
• A column by Sivan Rahav Meir is published in Yedioth Ahronoth.'
