coexistence
There is nothing to be done. The conflict will continue until the Messiah comes. Not only the Israeli-Arab conflict, but also the dispute. The dispute between Jews is the one that is probably dragging us down a steep slope with all its consequences.
But, as Jews, we know that every descent is a necessity for ascent. So even in the negative there is some positive point. Even in the current situation, there is an advantage. Just as in the place where Baal Teshuvah stands, complete righteous people cannot stand, because the descent gave him a greater jumping-off point upward.
And that is what is required of us at this stage. To bridge the differences of opinion. To make a complete separation between the mind and the heart. True, the heart seeks disagreement. It burns with the fire of "righteousness of the path." The mind must control it and prevent it from erupting. Because the mind knows that Jews cannot be separate from each other.
Even if there are differences of opinion between left and right. Between religious and non-observant. Between national religious and ultra-Orthodox. Between Hasidic and Lithuanian. Between Ashkenazi and Sephardic. Between the Bnei Baraki faction and the Jerusalem faction. We must remember that above all we are all brothers.
In these troubling days, we need to cleanse our hearts of hatred and malice. It is permissible to disagree, but it is forbidden to hate! The disagreement will remain, but the hatred will disappear. And if it disappears, we can all pray, "Our Father, bless us all as one.".
""Well, what do you say?", a friend asks me immediately upon learning of another stabbing incident. "Pain is pain," I answer her. "Experiencing it is hard, reacting to it is the easy part"...
Fashion show
Tel Aviv Fashion Week at the Gindi complex opened with great fanfare. Especially for Tel Avivians and their ilk, who think the world continues to revolve around their axis. It was quite strange, especially in light of the fact that the suicide bomber continued her activities as if there was no fashion week and no new trends. There was another stabbing in Jerusalem as well. Kitchen knives and screwdrivers became fashionable.
And despite everything, I found a positive point in this event as well. I heard that one of the designers chose to end her fashion show to the tune of the song "We Believe, Sons of Believers" sung by the Hasidic singer Mordechai Ben David...
It turns out that the most needed commodity these days is faith, so I wasn't surprised when the fashion show held at the College of Design Professions was opened by the collection of a 27-year-old Haredi woman named Havi Einhorn. Wearing a light wig and a headband, the model presented modest fashion that was stunning in its beauty.
The most moving moment was when the designer, Einhorn, took to the runway with her modest daughters. The applause that erupted on the roof of the college building testified to the level of appreciation for the modest clothing and the courageous designer. In contrast, the Arab designer's collection also received loud applause, and I couldn't help but think about the similarities in elegance, splendor, and modesty.,
You'll probably find it hard to believe. But once, years ago, when I designed collections for 'Esti' and 'Mendis' that were sold in my chain stores - 'Kiddie Chic', I was surprised again and again to discover that our cousins love the Haredi designs.
Wounded land
Erez Tadmor wrote the script for the film 'Wounded Land', which I saw this week at the Ma'ale Film School's open day. A school that invites ultra-Orthodox female students to make films, among other things, with the aim of leading a change in Israeli public opinion.
After all the nonsense and hatred against Jews, and after we all understand the deadly meaning of incitement, I was happy to discover a different kind of film. A film that presents the conflict from a different angle.
The film is based on a true story. The story of the attack in Nahariya in 2003. A suicide bomber threw an explosive device at a cafe in Nahariya and was seriously injured. In the article broadcast on Channel 2, two police officers who guarded the terrorist at the hospital were interviewed.
The police were frustrated with the work, as most of the attention was given to the terrorist and not to the victims of the attack, and Erez Tadmor decided to turn it into a full-length film. He exposed corruption and politics at every turn and sent his actors on a fascinating personal journey that was expressed in a particularly moving film.
The shocking death of a Jewish yeshiva student on Thursday night illustrates more than anything the wounding of this country. This is precisely the goal of the murderers, may their names be erased. To sow fear and confusion among the Jews of the land. We must not let them win this war!
Increase or decrease
The conflict is dancing in the streets. Everywhere. Netanyahu talks talk, but mostly makes wind and bells. What can we do, it is clear to us that we have help from God and if God does not protect a city, Shaked protects in vain. The decline cannot be missed. But why a decline?
In this week's Torah portion, we witness the same process. God instructs our forefather Abraham to go to the land of Canaan, which is the Land of Israel. But immediately after he arrives in the land, God brings a famine upon it, and Abraham is forced to go down to Egypt. What is the purpose of the descent?
As if that weren't enough. The inhabitants of the land – the Gentiles – could claim that "here comes the Jew and brings the famine with him." A real blasphemy against God. And if that's not enough... Abraham hides the fact that Sarah is his wife and even instructs her to "work" for everyone and say that she is his sister. Isn't there a descent here?
But... upon closer inspection, we understand that this entire descent is a necessity for ascension. When Abraham returns to the land, he is "very rich in silver and gold"... Abraham returns rich and the blessing of God, the Holy One, is fulfilled upon him in His command to "Go, go.".
Sarah's stay in Pharaoh's house without him approaching her gives the Israelites strength for centuries to come. When during the Egyptian slavery, the Egyptians had no control over the women of Israel. Just as Pharaoh did not touch the mother of the nation.
In our eyes, this is a decline. Not just a decline. A terrifying decline. But really, this is part of a process of ascension. When we look at the state of the world we find ourselves in, with the darkness increasing day by day, it is possible, God forbid, to despair. We may wonder where we can draw strength from to overcome the darkness and illuminate the world.
The answer to this is that all disappearances and concealments are external. Inwardly, everything is the opposite. The descent is an ascent. Since the world does not run by itself and God is its leader, and certainly all of God's intentions in all of His actions are only to purify the world and elevate it to a higher level, it is clear that every descent is actually part of the ascent.
And at the micro level, we should remember that what is relevant to the world and the people is also relevant to the little person. Even in moments of lows, of decline, we must not despair. We must remember that decline provides an opportunity for greater ascension, to the point that it is superior to the rights of righteous people who cannot stand the company of a Baal Teshuvah.
A healthy and peaceful winter.
• Part of the column is based on the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. The author is the owner of "My Choice", an event host, lecturer and radio broadcaster http://www.miri-mychoice.co.it/ [email protected]
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