Lets Talk Politics!

Ahhhh politics:-).

Things are heating up in Israel in the political arena as we get closer to election day. In my neighborhood, there is also quite a bit of internal politics which I won't get into. People love to "hoc" about it.

I think that the whole enterprise is generally misguided. Why?

Hashem created us with a soul and a task to fulfill on this earth. The fulfillment of this task requires all of our time and energy. There is limitless Torah to learn, mitzvos to perform, tfillos to be said etc. etc. etc.

Most importantly perhaps - what is the state of your pnimiyus, your middos. How much do you love your fellow human beings? How is your relationship with your children/mother/father/siblings/cousins and most importantly - your spouse. What can you do to improve it? Where are you holding with the trait of anger? Are you jealous of others or do you have an ayin tovah and rejoice at their successes? How selfish are you? How do you feel about your money? Is it YOUR money or Hashem's that was entrusted with you to help better serve him? How much do you give away and how much are you hoarding for yourself? How much should one save for the future vs. what other people need now. Big question.

What about tyvos? How careful are you not to see immodest pictures that contaminate the soul? How much time energy and money do you expend on tyvas ha-achila? Eating must be controlled, even if  the food is kosher. How much bitachon do you have in Hashem? Do you really live your life with no worries because a Loving G-d is taking care of you? How do you spend your time and how much do you waste? What areas of life are you focusing on in order to grow? How much of your behavior is just by rote? There are countless questions we could and should be asking ourselves. We are so inadequate, so filled with human failings that there is NO TIME for anything other than taking care of our basic needs and then working towards perfection. Your own perfection and ultimately the perfection of the larger community. 

Focusing on the machlokes between Aryeh Deri and Eli Yishai or on the latest empty pronouncement of Netanyahu conveniently shifts the focus from your own soul and task in life to things that are really not your business at all.

Of course you should vote for the person who will benefit the Jewish people the most, but constantly reading and talking about it is a terrible waste of the gift of life [not to mention the lashon hara and sinah it engenders].

If you are reading this you probably have Internet access, so I will add one more point. There are certain OCD blogs that highlight daily the failings of the Charedi world [they obsess about Charedi failings, imagined or real]: They don't work, they don't think for themselves, they have problems with their children, with sex abuse, they don't serve in the holy army and let others die while they hide away in the beis medrash etc. etc. Post after post they bemoan all of the problems and scandals in the Charedi world.

I say this. I live among the Charedim and am considered one myself. Coming in as an outsider it is my firm belief that there is no better, more G-dly society than the Charedi one. There are so many special people, baalei chesed, talmidei chachomim, nashim tzuos vi-chasudos, pure, holy children etc. etc. The greatest talmidei chachomim in quantity and quality emerge from that world [you can easily see that in the sfarim that they produce]. But the press and the bloggers aren't interested in that. They are interested in highlighting again and again what is wrong with those black hatters.

Charedim aren't above criticism and they receive plenty of it from their rabbonim, mashpiim, tzadikim [and wives:-)]. There is much to improve in the Charedi world - no question about it. Charedim have much to learn from the dati-leumi world - no question about it. Every individual Charedi has his or her own personal chashbon ha-nefesh they have to make in order to continue growing and to break out of the often spiritually unhealthy routine in which they live. Of course.

But all of those pundits who write for such blogs as ..... and on-line news sites such as ..... would be doing themselves and the world a HUUUUUGE favor if they would change the subject and instead of just complaining what is wrong with others and asserting superiority, they can instead try to improve themselves and make this world a better place to live. In the words of our holy sages קשוט עצמך תחילה ואח"כ קשוט אחרים. In the words of Confucious [li-havdil] "Don't complain about the snow on your neighbors rooftop when your own doorstep is dirty".

I remember I was once sitting at a wedding next to a man who had tens of millions of dollars. I related that I had a dream to open a yeshiva and was working towards fulfilling my dream. He was eager to help so he offered me .... advice. Not even a check for 18 dollars. Educational advice that he as a real estate mogul had to offer me who has been involved in education for over 20 years. Now it is true that a chochom is one who learns from every person and his point was well taken but that is NOT what I needed from him. He misunderstood what his task was at that moment [if he really wanted to help].

We all have to define what our purpose in this world is and then not waste one minute on the nonsense that surrounds us in order to maximize our time and potential. All of the garbage in newspapers, on twitter, Facebook, Internet, text messages on your phone etc. etc. is only a distraction from our eternal task at hand.

Now I will return to the really burning question of our day and all days looong before Netanayhu was born and will remain as such looong after he is dead. Is the obligation to pay for damage caused by one's property because he didn't guard it properly or because his money caused damage [and the lack of guarding is just a pre-condition]. A חסרון in שמירה or because  ממונו הזיק. What are the proofs for each side and what are the nafka minahs. THAT is something to get excited about. Eternity vs. the temporal. Holy compared to impure.

ברוך א-להינו שבראנו לכבודו והבדילנו מן התועים ונתן לנו תורת אמת וחיי עולם נטע בתוכנו.

Bi-ahava,
Me:-)