Living Jews or Gentle Jews

BS”D

“Most of the gentle Jews are dead…The gas chambers and ovens have brought a new kind of Jew into the world. Even the Hasidim are no longer gentle.”

From “Wanderings” by Chaim Potok, quoting his father after the Holocaust.

Another thing for Europeans to ponder; they didn’t want us, so now they get the radical Muslims. Is that karma or what? — Ellie

Cross-posted at Avid Editor’s Insights

Politics Are Confusing Because Politics Are Not the Answer

bs”d

In my post Ron Paul interview with Robert Mak it was obvious by my contradictory comments, and by all the other contradictory posts I cited within several other blogs, that I am confused.

I do not really know whether Dr. Ron Paul is who he presents himself to be, or whether he is a dangerous anti-Semite. I don’t know what to conclude, and it isn’t a life or death decision to me. It never was. It never will be. I think it’s our duty to try and figure out who these candidates are…really and truly. However, I think the task is ultimately … impossible. Sorry.

Ahhh, but don’t despair. I have a bit of insight to share on the topic of politics, and on the topic of what really fixes the world. What each of us really believes will fix the world, that is our religion. So, if you think politics is the way to fix things, that’s your religion.

I think Torah fixes the world. I think Torah is the foundation of the world. I used to think applying what I’d learned from the Torah to politics, or law or whatever…that would fix the world. In the last year or so, I’ve begun to gradually realize that this approach is futile. A close friend of mine, a very wise man, spoke words that resonated in me, and I hold onto them when I’m tempted to get distracted. The world is always trying to distract each and every one of us from the true business at hand, the reason we are all here.

The front line in battling evil is not politics. It’s not blogging. The front line is not battling the educational system, the insurance system (scam), the legal system (scam), the court system (scam), or even poverty (caused by scams). Surely, evil prevails everywhere we turn. And we need to do our part. Our legal system is not what was envisioned by our founding fathers. Our country looks nothing like what they envisioned for us. They are probably not happy right now. Not with us.

If we get caught up in these various battles, they will take all our time and all our attention. And in the end, it will all be deteriorating anyway, in spite of our dedicated efforts.

The front line is this: Find out what G-d expects of us in our personal lives, and then live it out, with our families and in our communities. If we all do this, those small building blocks of personal righteousness will make a better world. That is “tikkun olam”. That is the only way to tikkun olam. We fix ourselves, then that fixes our families, which fixes our neighborhoods, which fixes our communities, which fixes our cities, which fixes our countries, which fixes the world.

I’m not advocating passivity here. If I was, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. I’m just saying, this is not the FRONT LINE. Me…and my family, and what G-d wants me to do every minute of every day, with my family, that is the front line.

If each of us gets caught up in a crusade of some sort, that purportedly battles evils, and in the process, we lose ourselves and our families, and then our children are not following the ways of Torah…what have we won? That’s right. Nothing. We’ve just multiplied the evil by not training our children to follow Torah, and Torah is tikkun olam. And that is not confusing.

So, you see, this isn’t the front line. It’s not. In light of that, I’m going for a walk with my kids. Cya.

Jblog me

About Elya

bs”d

The content of this blog is eclectic. Thus, I might seem something of an enigma. Trust me. Trust my friends and my family. I’m not.

If you’re trying to figure out where I’m coming from in order to plan your attack…I am unapologetically, traditionally Jewish in my outlook, and very opinionated about it too. I am also interested in other religious viewpoints. Since this is my blog and I’m not anticipating banning myself, I reserve the right to debate on religion…or any other topic I think I may be able to take on.

I miss the days before psychologists feminized American culture. Now we’re all afraid to yell at each other about politics and religion because we somehow think it will ruin our friendships, or worse — make us appear dysfunctional and maladjusted.

I remember the neighborhood guys on their front porches, nose to nose, telling each other “where to go” during election year. It was great! Most friendships survived it too.

Last thought before I think of something else clever to write: Think, yet have fun. That’s what this site is about.