Hendel does Israel

While I may no longer technically be in Israel, I have no intention of stopping who I am or what I am about. We all know the timeless Chabad teaching of "Mach Doh Eretz Yisael" - its very empowering. I'll let you know about my journey, my struggles and my dreams. JaHbless.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Territorial Concessions of the Inner Self













Have you ever been to the 'West Bank' (Yehuda & Shomron) ?
It is magical. Clean air surrounds rolling hills which house hundreds of beautiful warm & vibrant communities. Some people are scared to go to the West Bank, however, most who visit for the first time, immediately fall in love with the place. The land speaks to them. Sometimes it whispers, sometimes it screams. It demands, it expects them to be doing something more.

Calling the people who live there 'settlers' is a bit insulting, they are far from settled, far from content. The West Bank is a place reminiscent of ancient days, it is a revival of spirit, faith & connection, it is deeply rooted in the heart of the Jewish People.

And now, Kedima wants to give it all away…

You want to stop them?

Realise this!

We all have an inner West Bank.

Just like the real West Bank, it is not always easy to get there, the roads are bumpy and poorly lit, the path is not clearly paved out (because everyone is different right?).
It is a place of clean air (clarity) & rolling hills (experience).

It is a magical creative space. A place that grows from faith, and draws out faith.

It is our infinite light, our quest for truth, our passions, our extreme feelings and desires (holy of course).

It is our true inner self.

But, so many people are scared to access that part of themselves, why? Because, when they travel there, something demands them (you, me, us) to change!

So what’s their ‘defensive’ reaction?
KEDIMA!
Run for your life!
Deny it!
Give it away!

translation:

Too many people are scared to discover their inate desire to become 'into it' (being inspired & switched on to their neshama's needs).

Just like the west bank,each person has unlimited potential for expansion & development. And beacuse it is unlimited and infinte, there is no end, once the person is honest and admits the truth...

So, instead, they take the 'safer' more 'secure' option, of establishing 'defined borders' - a bare minimal connection to Judaism.

While we may not be able to directly influence what happens in the physical land of Israel, we can affect what happens inside of our selves.

Let us rise to the challenge, and not make any of our own inner territorial concessions.

Let us not be afraid to take a ride into our inner West Bank.

Let us listen to it, as it speak the truth to us, and then, make some real change in our lives.

Remember though, in the Wild West Bank, there is no room for fakers!

20 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

respect, bro... i like what you write

4:24 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

right back at you!

5:32 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

your words flow now, easily, its wonderful to read - keep writing

5:35 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

Thanks, one question though, why are you anonymous?

5:47 PM  
Blogger Sarah Likes Green said...

great post.
so true.
i like your comparison of israel's situation to our own lives, it makes the situation over there more personal so that we can feel we are doing something positive, especially being stuck so far away.
(and the west bank is one of my favourite places! made me so sad to hear on the news that the new government's policy will be to 'give it away'. so sad.)

6:55 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

Sara, I hear you. Its really sad. More than sad. 25,000 people.

With this idea though, we can really make a difference. When we hear the news now, and it makes us feel sad, and we want to do something about it, we can remind ourselves of moving that step beyond in our own lives...

One thing is for sure, if it does start happening (the land being given away) - I'm going to be on the next plane to Israel.

8:31 PM  
Blogger Sarah Likes Green said...

good onya :)

9:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Great post...you havnt posted for a while i noticed..

As to the post...I realy do agree with what your saying...I however find it extremely difficult to get to that stage where I am so in touch with my spiritual needs, that I know what to feed my neshomah.

I think that when your in Chutz La'aretz it is especially hard to get to / back to that stage of real introspection.. There are so many distractions, obstacles etc... The mentality and priorities of people are so different...What was once so important to you, you put on the back burner, getting wrapped up in a world of materialism...

But after having a read of your post....I must admit...I feel quite inspired!

9:54 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

silent reader, it IS harder in chutz laaretz. While busy with uni, work, life ect, its often easy to forget who we actually are. Like, when someone asks you, "what do you do with yourself?", what is your answer?
Even if you go to uni, or work, for 99% of your time, but then you have that remaining 1% of your time dedictated to davening or learing or whatever switches your flame on, than, that is the REAL you, that is what you are really doing.

Its strange, but, sometimes, you only begin REALLY learning once you leave Yeshivah, and sometimes, you only get to be in Eretz Yisrael, when you are the furtherst (physical) space away from it...

1:26 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

silentreader,
You mentioned,"I however find it extremely difficult to get to that stage where I am so in touch with my spiritual needs, that I know what to feed my neshomah."

Generally "that which is hardest for us to personally achieve" is what our Neshama needs the most."
Our evil inclination will focus more on the things which a person must do, & he will make them more difficult than other issues.
So we just have to be in tune with our daily struggles, and realize that, is indeed, "soulely" =), what we are here for.
Best Wishes!

2:48 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

By the way, subjewed- thanks for the blog! =)

3:01 AM  
Blogger subjewd said...

thanks Leah, you couldn't be more spot on! "that which is hardest for us to personally achieve" is what our Neshama needs the most."

Sometimes I wonder "why do i have this struggle!? If only I had a different struggle I would do much better..."

But, I have to remind myself that are struggles are perfectly matched with our abilities to overcome them.

GOOD SHABBOS!

9:20 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey guys,
Subjewd - you know that is exactly how i felt after i left Israel...i once wrote into the Igres...and my response was exactly that - 'because of yoru sins you were expelled for EY'. Only after all this time do i feel realdy to go back...

Another true point is theprinciple of "that which is hardest for us to personally achieve" is what our Neshama needs the most." I think it's true with relationships also...
'That which we find the hardest to give...is generally what the other needs/wants the most...'

5:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting your screening your comments...
All the same have a good week!

1:46 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

silent reader, I did remove my about guessing who you were, because I decided that I don't want my blog being personal but rather a place to voice and discuss issues, and when I deleted my comment it deleted following ones as well (even though that sounds ridicules - its true) and I don't know how to retrieve them. I'm not a big fan of censorship so I would never remove anyone's comments other that my own (if I thaught my comment was stupid which in this case was).

With all that said, Have a good week!

3:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Agreed. Definetely on the same page there...
Thats precisely what blogging is all about...anonymity whilst expressing views and opinions...
Nothing rediculous about that!
cheers

5:09 PM  
Blogger subjewd said...

glad you agree!
keep your comments coming, they add a lot!

5:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

hey. a good friend of mine told me this on the day when i ended up leaving eretz yisrael unexpectedly: rebbe nachman says that there are only two places in this world: eretz yisrael, and on your way to eretz yisrael. may we be zoche to return home, as soon as possible. ani mamash maskima im kol ma sheata katav... its so nice to see such a deep, real connection with our land, our people, our souls. its unreal... i know that for whatever reason i had to leave, it was only so that when i finally go back to home, it will be so much more real, eternal.its about the infiteness of our souls, of letting go of all these things we think are so important- things we cant live without. but what are these things we holding onto? is it even real? a friend of mine told me the sweetest mashal, which was mamash min hashamayim at the time...a little girl works so hard to earn her own money so that she can buy a fake pearl necklace, and when she finally buys it- she is so ecstatic...when her father tucks her in at night, he asks her if he can have her necklace. the little girl pleads with her father, telling him that she loves the necklace so much, she worked so hard for it... her father asks her this question every night when he tucks her in, and everynight she begins to weep and tell her father that she cannot give away her precious necklace. finally, one night, she holds out her hand to her father as he begins to tuck her in, and in her palm is her precious necklace. with teary eyes, she gives it to him. her father smiles, takes the necklace, and slowly, from his pocket, pulls out a real pearl necklace, and places it softly in her hand, telling her "i know how hard it is for you to give away what you think is really so precious, but now you have this beautiful, real necklace which is worth so, so much more."
we see what happened with gush katif, and chasvei shalom it should ever happen with any part of our land- its so hard to see how this all happened for our best, that the situation we are in is mamash with hashems hashgacha... we try to say it, but do we honestly believe it? when we see our own brothers and sisters being beaten ( amona) and thrown out of their homes?... it is such a scary reality that i dont want to live in. we pray and we cry...but look at what is happening? we are still being threatened, still losing our soldiers, still...it's taking time, but besrat hashem, we will see how it will all work out.
be well, peace.

10:37 AM  
Blogger subjewd said...

Wow, thanks so much for that post! Sitting at a farbrengen on Sunday night, we discussed the value of moving to Israel, if you can influence your local surrounding. I am still unsure. I realise that whereever I find myself at any particular moment, in that place I must reveal G-d, but, there is a strong part of me that wants/needs to be in Eretz Yisrael!!! I can't wait to get back.

1:36 PM  
Blogger the sabra said...

woah.
nice nice post.
respect.

i beg to differ, however, when you write that the people living in the west bank are neither 'settled' not 'content'.
i disagree. i think i can safely say they are the most content and settled people. "who is content? on who is sure of himself" (the sabra). they have a goal, a purpose, a life.

glad i (re)found ur blog. keep on writin.

moshiach now!

4:43 PM  

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