testkumah

Friday, July 13, 2007

Two Years...


Today is my two year anniversary. Two years ago, today (secular date) I came home. So what's it like two years later? Well I feel at home, that's for sure. The Rechavia neighborhood now feels familiar to me. I know all the shortcuts that tourist will never know about. I know the Rambam was given a much nicer street than both the Rif and the Ramban. In fact I think it's the most beautiful street in all of Yerushalayim while Radak and Ramban remains my most favorite intersection. It's nice living somewhere where the streets are named after Rishonim. Every time I walk up my block I'm reminded of Shabbos Zemiros (the block nearby being named after an author of one.)

But what's even more amazing now is what I see when I visit America and see it now through the eyes of somebody who hass been living in the homeland for the past two years. I am even more amazed than ever at how American Jews could live their lives without giving any sincere consideration toward returning to their true home. I have often maintained there are legitimate reasons for postponing Aliyah (while there are also poor excuses) but I don't see how a truly Torah observant G-d fearing Jew can wake up each and every day without making some sort of effort to return to where we really belong. How such a Jew can live life fully content with the status quo as if living in chutz l'aretz was the ultimate destiny of the Jewish people is beyond me.

The question remains why is it this way? Why in 1948 after Israel independence was declared and permission for every Jew to return home granted (or did that happen in 1917) didn't the floodgates of Aliyah open? Was it too soon after the war? Were we too devastated after the horrors of the Shoah to realize the opportunity that G-d had presented us?

What about in 1967? After the world witnessed open miracles and Jerusalem was reunited under Jewish sovereignty for the first time in 2000 years! Certainly then the call for the Jews to return home was louder than ever. And the shofer has been sounded just as loudly ever since.

Every Frum Jew living in America has to ask himself if the true purpose of our nation here on earth is for every Jewish family to have a five car garage, a swimming pool, a manicured lawn, and a fireplace. For if acquisition of wealth is the Jewish People's purpose than certainly America is the Promised Land and we are living up to our mandate.

But when people say they can't earn a parnussa in Israel are they really saying they can't acquire wealth here? When did we forget the difference between earning a respectable living and getting rich. (Again I understand that there are circumstances where one can't even earn a livelihood and that is a valid heter not to make Aliyah.). But actually I’ll tell you on every trip to America more and more people come up to me and tell me they are making Aliyah. So the truth is maybe we didn't forget the difference at all...

NBN brought three flights of Olim to Israel this week. Perhaps we are starting to get it.

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4 Comments:

  • At July 14, 2007 at 9:41 PM , Anonymous Gilly said...

    Well put. Between them the Jewish Agency and NBN will help 3500 people move from North America this year and the numbers keep growing.

    Ben Maimon is a beautiful street (some of it anyway) but Radak does not intersect with Ramban - it starts in the square just below Ramban.

    Shavua Tov,

    gilly

     
  • At July 14, 2007 at 11:31 PM , Anonymous Pinchas said...

    Gilly,

    You're right!

    Doh! I meant Ramban and Rashba!

     
  • At July 14, 2007 at 11:52 PM , Anonymous dave said...

    its really a wonderful ,wonderful, thing to see a few thousand n.a. Jews making it to the land...but relative to the number of us still a galuting these are still terribly minuscule numbers....there must be a way to wake up the galutniks in mass.....at this rate it will still take around 2700 years to olay them all......whats clogging the veins here..? what are we still doing wrong...why are so many missing their calling? have we been so long in prison that we are afraid to venture out of the cell?.....you kumah guy's seem to be on the right path....i wish you just had mabe a few angels to help you.....

    15 And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
    16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
    17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his EYES, that he may see. And the LORD opened the EYES of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

     
  • At July 15, 2007 at 2:20 AM , Anonymous Yishai said...

    Pinchas,

    Your Aliyah is goods for you, good for Kumah, good for NBN, good for the Jewish people, and makes Hashem happy! May you grow deep roots in the Land of Israel in health, joy, and prosperity.

     

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