After a period of silence imposed on me for personal reasons, and after the pressures to return caused me insomnia, here I am.
In amazing timing for the launch of the system of waste, embezzlement, and mountains of cash that are transferred through tortuous paths to even more tortuous places, a welcome and sudden increase in dozens of jobs for the Haredi sector.
There are those who call all of the above: "an election campaign.".
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So, with your permission, I will give you my 'belief' on this matter.
For your information, despite my young age, I prepared a will. Even though I have plans to live in Israel for many more years.
In my will, I explicitly asked the Hevra Kadisha, which would take care of my burial after I turned 120, to put with me in the grave all the copies of the ballots that I had dropped into the voter's box during my lifetime.
When I ascend to the court of heaven, the detractors will come and claim that I have committed many offenses.
I'm not so sure I have any way to defend myself against them...
So I'll pull out the pack of ballots and claim with force: Despite the disgust and deep aversion to election campaigns and "public representatives," despite the stench that wafts from afar from the parties that are supposed to represent us and look after the interests of their voters, I went to vote. Because that's what my rabbis ordered me to do.
And this commandment of "and do whatever he directs," I was privileged to fulfill with great pomp and without any personal touch...
According to the determined action and self-destructive nature of our public representatives, it appears that I will be able (God willing) to fulfill this mitzvah many more times and very often. Every two years on average. Not bad.
As this column was being written, a Torah storm arose over the "organization" of a tiny handful of women demanding representation in the Haredi parties.
Even though this is explosive material, I'm going to write my opinion here (and just before you blame the Haredim 10 website and/or the editor and/or the Internet and/or the computer world and/or the keyboard manufacturers) I emphasize and point out that this is my personal opinion.
It is possible that this demand (for women's representation) is a correct and perhaps just demand.
My problem is completely different.
My problem is with their "presentation" method.
My problem is with some of the women who took a ride on the original goal and try to introduce a general breach of conventions. With those who have no problem giving a hand to the interviewer, and skipping half of the Torah commandments on the way to achieving the "representation" they so desire.
One of the columnists wrote here last week that she was offered a rally spot in the Knesset. A careful reading of the article reveals that a businessman who dreams of founding a party wanted (completely theoretically) to offer a spot on his "list.".
I don't know what happened at the writer's meeting, but I was really offered to join this group. As a staff manager for so-and-so years, I managed to bring impressive results as a result of proper organization and a professional PR and messaging system. At a summary meeting after the election campaign in the presence of several Knesset members (at the time), they expressed to me their need for good performers (as they defined it). I politely refused. Their behavior and that of those around them makes me deeply sick. Arguments, gossip, settling accounts, personal interests, and so on and so forth have crept into our immediate camp. And woe to that shame.
Want to make an impact? There are plenty of places to aspire to and make an impact from there. And in my opinion, none of those places are in the Knesset.
Businesswomen, acting directors of yeshivahs, college directors, bureau directors, and dozens of other examples of women who have been awarded management positions and have a greater influence than any politician you choose (if you choose at all).
Leave us alone. Want to make a media noise? You succeeded. Did you want "fasting"? You got it.
Do you really want to make an impact? Work hard. Like hundreds of other women and men who influence our sector from within, bringing and bringing good and amazing things for the benefit of the individual and the whole.
May we all have a fair and healthy electoral system.
Remember that you have (and therefore.....) a golden opportunity to fulfill a rare mitzvah that a person has to follow, and it doesn't cost us a single shekel.
Each party's headquarters will agree to pay for your round-trip transportation, babysitting, sandwiches, and some will even give you a free mascot.
Tell me, what mitzvah is there for which you receive such an immediate and great reward in this world, and the foundation exists for it in the world to come, like voting in elections?
Yours as always, Micha Sholem.
Comments, clarifications and copies of ballots (for my son's collection) can be sent to the email address: [email protected]
And God willing, all those who apply will be answered.
