This year's Shavuot was quite long, due to its connection to Shabbat. On the one hand, we were cut off from the "world" for two days, and on the other hand, there was plenty of time for thoughts, insights, conclusions, and strengthening on Shabbat - before the holiday of Matan Torah.<\/p>\r\n
On Saturday, I stayed with a family in Har Nof. But despite the amazing hospitality, I also had an unpleasant experience.<\/p>\r\n
When I woke up in the morning in the apartment they had assigned me across from theirs, everything felt like a normal Shabbat. I got up, said "I thank you," shook hands, got dressed, and went to the door in front of me, to walk with one of the family members to the synagogue where we had prayed the previous night (a minyan that was held in a private apartment).<\/p>\r\n
We went together to the same apartment and were told that there was no minyan today. With no choice, we walked to the synagogue on HaKablan Street. We arrived at the synagogue a little late - they were already at Pesukei Dzimra.<\/p>\r\n
I barely had time to open the siddur when a man with an ultra-Orthodox appearance approached me and made an offensive comment about my cough.<\/p>\r\n
For any readers who don't know: I have a respiratory disease that causes me to cough nonstop.<\/p>\r\n
If I received a shekel for every time I coughed, or for every time I was asked on the street what I had, I would already be rich...<\/p>\r\n
That man told me to go outside to get some air and drink some water. Before I could even say a word, to explain that this was a chronic problem I had been suffering from for over six months, I found myself outside, with his call following me: "You're bothering us, get out!"\"<\/p>\r\n
The host family member who accompanied me also tried to explain, but it didn't help. To ease the feeling, one of the family members sat outside with me...<\/p>\r\n
Minutes later, one or two more worshippers arrived - who of course explained that they were "speaking for everyone" - and also ordered the synagogue door (a sealed wooden door) to be closed, claiming that I was disturbing them.<\/p>\r\n
I became very angry, I restrained myself from getting angry or creating friction - and simply remained silent. I sat outside, cut off from the congregation. Despite my desire to enter the 'holiness', this was not granted to me.<\/p>\r\n
I found myself out of line in isolation.<\/p>\r\n
I didn't 'disturb' the worshippers, but the fact that I missed everything - Kaddish, Kedusha, Torah reading, prayer in the minyan, didn't bother them.<\/p>\r\n
I finished everything like a solitary prayer, unfortunately.<\/p>\r\n
How much they hurt me<\/strong><\/p>\r\n I asked myself: How could he expel me without hesitation? And I immediately thought: What good would it do me to be angry, it wasn't intentional...<\/p>\r\n At that moment, I remembered the amazing treatment I receive at my neighborhood synagogue, where they are already used to accompanying me with my cough during prayer, and they understand my problem. If the cough gets a little intense, they offer me water and ask how I am.<\/p>\r\n So I got some perspective and thought to myself: It's true that a little good manners and decency wouldn't hurt them, and it's true that I'm lonely and hurt right now, but still, they're human beings and I need to understand their hearts a little.<\/p>\r\n Maybe they didn't notice how much they hurt me. Because that's how people are, sometimes they don't think twice before what they do.<\/p>\r\n Meanwhile, I returned to my hosts' home - the wonderful Mizrahi family - hurt. The family members apologized to me for the experience. Incidentally, the excellent food also made up for the hurt.<\/p>\r\n We discussed the issue, and I came to my senses and realized that it all stems from a lack of understanding and ignorance on the part of people.<\/p>\r\n They see everything 'in black and white' (both Haredi and secular). It's a bit difficult for people to think outside the box. They are very fixed in their thinking and don't think there are any exceptional cases.<\/p>\r\n My insights from the event<\/strong><\/p>\r\n 1. Even if people annoy you or insult you, and you already think they are not fulfilling "Love your neighbor as yourself" - do not be offended. This comes from a lack of intention. Fulfill the commandment yourself and you will understand that they were wrong, without paying attention.<\/p>\r\n 2. People are terribly fixated on stigmas (if you cough, you have pneumonia).<\/p>\r\n 3. Even though it's hard for me, I must not lose faith in God, the Blessed One, and know that everything He does is for the good, and I will still be healthy!<\/p>\r\n 4. It's not easy to study on Shavuot night when you're coughing (nor to write a column).<\/p>\r\n In short, the entire column is one big insight for both me and you. By the way, I later learned that after I left, they apparently understood the situation and at the end of the 'supplement' there was a prayer for my recovery.<\/p>\r\n So yes, life is hard sometimes, but it is during the holidays that I feel times of strengthening.<\/p>\r\n I remember my first holidays when I began the process of repentance, when I truly understood the verse, "The law of the Lord is perfect, bringing back the soul.".<\/p>\r\n So it's true, I won't forget this holiday, especially the special Shabbat before it, but I believe that the unpleasant incident will actually strengthen me.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Almog Lizarovich, a 16-year-old youth suffering from a respiratory illness, was expelled from a synagogue on Shavuot due to his chronic cough \u2022 So why isn't he angry and trying to teach worshippers a lesson?","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[138],"tags":[975,3663,8956,551],"class_list":["post-171106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-138","tag-975","tag-3663","tag-8956","tag-551"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n