I'm a new man.
I don't mean that in the sense of feeling refreshed or invigorated or anything like that. On Sunday night, I'm celebrating the 8th anniversary of my moving to Israel. And according to what I've heard, every cell in the human body dies and is regenerated over the course of seven years. Well, seven years have passed already, so I am literally a new man; the Yoni Berg who stepped off an El Al plane eight years ago is no longer here. So what happened to him?
The second verse in the Torah that discusses Noah (Gen. 6:9) says something pretty interesting. It reads: "These are the offspring of Noah, Noah the righteous man who was perfect in his generations; Noah walked with God." Now, the beginning of the verse says we're going to hear about Noah's offspring. But where are they? It just gives us a description of Noah! But if you read it correctly, it does tell us about Noah's offspring. His offspring was Noah the Righteous Man. Because he "walked with God," he changed himself from plain ol' Noah to Noah the Righteous Man. He changed. He recreated himself. He became a new man.
Now, I'm not saying I'm a righteous man. I'm not even saying I'm plain ol' Noah. But I have changed in the short time I've lived here. Not a complete personality overhaul, but change nonetheless.
I liked Israel before I came here. Now I love it with a passion. I used to enjoy learning a little Torah here and there. Now I crave it. When I lived in the US, I understood certain ideas about God. Now I know they're not mere ideas, but fundamental truths. These are just a few of the many changes I've had since moving to Israel. I'm sure any of the readers who know me could list many more.
But this isn't just another anniversary. Well, it is, but it's a special one since it's my 8th. In Judaism, numbers have interesting meanings. 7 represents nature and human understanding (7 days in a week, 7 weeks in the Omer counting, 7 years in a Shmittah cycle, 7 Shmittot in a Yovel cycle, etc.) But 8 represents what's beyond that. 8 represents the supernatural, that which our minds cannot grasp (e.g. a Brit, which makes no logical sense, is performed on the 8th day; the tactically inexplicable victory of the Jews over the Greeks is celebrated by an 8-day holiday, etc.) *see below
There's another meaning to the number 8, and this one's my favorite: Renewal. The 8th day of creation was the first day of the new week. The 8th day after a family sits Shiva for a lost one is the day they rejoin the rest of the world. 8 means starting over. 8 means re-creation. I hope I can use my 8th aliversary as an opportunity to become a better "offspring" than the Yoni that came here. And if not, I have another 8 years to try again. And 8 after that, and 8 after that....
*The only notable exception to this is in the movie There's Something About Mary, in which it is brought down that 8-minute abs are a rational idea, while 7-minute abs are a bit far-fetched. Don't even ask about 6-minute abs. (You won't even get your heart goin', not even a mouse on a wheel!)
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Where are the Flags?
This is part one of my blogs (read: rants) about the unfortunate lack of national pride I see around Israel.
When I lived in New York, there were American flags everywhere. In schools, by the post office, the library, police stations, hardware stores, gas stations, and even in the synagogues. Sure, that last one was almost always accompanied by an Israeli flag, but the Stars N' Stripes were there. Just like in the song.
In Israel I don't see too many flags. By the Western Wall there are a few, and I know there are a bunch by the Knesset. But not in post offices. Not in schools. Not at gas stations, hardware stores, or a lot of other public institutions. In fact, on the very day I decided to write this blog, I visited three governmental offices in the course of errands that needed to be run. Not one of them had a flag.
I think this reveals something that's wrong with this country.
(Now, I know many people like to go on and on about today's ills. But I'm an optimist. I think the problems can be solved. But that's a different blog. End of aside)
Many Israelis have lost that sense of national pride that used to flow through this country like a raging river. Many have bought into the media slant that Israel is a big bully, and by showing national pride I think they may be afraid to offend those who feel oppressed.
Well, the truth is, flags can indeed be inflammatory. There was a controversy in the southern US about the Confederate flag. It was raised over many southern courthouses and official buildings, and many African-Americans found it to be offensive, as it reminded them of the days of slavery.
Well, you know what? The Israeli flag is not the stars and bars. The blue and white of this country is a symbol of the yearning felt in the hearts of Jews in the diaspora for a place to call their own. It's a symbol of a dream that the Jewish people have dreamt for nearly two thousand years; the dream to return home to the land from which we were so cruelly thrown out. Before Jordan, before Egypt, before Syria, even before the Romans who renamed our land Palestine. We were here, and we hoped to return.
Now that we actually have returned, don't be ashamed of that flag. Don't hide it. Raise it high! Fly it so it can be seen from miles away. Hoist it up, as if to say to those Jews whose yearnings and dreams and hopes were not realized: 'We did it! We took your dreams and made it real!' Hold it up to the world, who banished us from land after land, who tortured us with pogroms, who villified us with blood libels, who cremated us in their ovens, and tell that world: 'We did it! Despite all you've done to us, despite all of your attempts to keep us down, despite your failed efforts that continue until today to deny us our God-given heritage, we have our country.'
We have our flag.
When I lived in New York, there were American flags everywhere. In schools, by the post office, the library, police stations, hardware stores, gas stations, and even in the synagogues. Sure, that last one was almost always accompanied by an Israeli flag, but the Stars N' Stripes were there. Just like in the song.
In Israel I don't see too many flags. By the Western Wall there are a few, and I know there are a bunch by the Knesset. But not in post offices. Not in schools. Not at gas stations, hardware stores, or a lot of other public institutions. In fact, on the very day I decided to write this blog, I visited three governmental offices in the course of errands that needed to be run. Not one of them had a flag.
I think this reveals something that's wrong with this country.
(Now, I know many people like to go on and on about today's ills. But I'm an optimist. I think the problems can be solved. But that's a different blog. End of aside)
Many Israelis have lost that sense of national pride that used to flow through this country like a raging river. Many have bought into the media slant that Israel is a big bully, and by showing national pride I think they may be afraid to offend those who feel oppressed.
Well, the truth is, flags can indeed be inflammatory. There was a controversy in the southern US about the Confederate flag. It was raised over many southern courthouses and official buildings, and many African-Americans found it to be offensive, as it reminded them of the days of slavery.
Well, you know what? The Israeli flag is not the stars and bars. The blue and white of this country is a symbol of the yearning felt in the hearts of Jews in the diaspora for a place to call their own. It's a symbol of a dream that the Jewish people have dreamt for nearly two thousand years; the dream to return home to the land from which we were so cruelly thrown out. Before Jordan, before Egypt, before Syria, even before the Romans who renamed our land Palestine. We were here, and we hoped to return.
Now that we actually have returned, don't be ashamed of that flag. Don't hide it. Raise it high! Fly it so it can be seen from miles away. Hoist it up, as if to say to those Jews whose yearnings and dreams and hopes were not realized: 'We did it! We took your dreams and made it real!' Hold it up to the world, who banished us from land after land, who tortured us with pogroms, who villified us with blood libels, who cremated us in their ovens, and tell that world: 'We did it! Despite all you've done to us, despite all of your attempts to keep us down, despite your failed efforts that continue until today to deny us our God-given heritage, we have our country.'
We have our flag.
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