I have a piece, or more accurately,a couple of pieces, on the recent issues in Gaza. If you happen to have stumbled upon this site and are somehow unfamiliar with what's been happening, look at the recent archives on jpost.com for about an hour, then come back here.
I started this effort, which now seems much larger than it is, because I had free time on Tisha B'Av, over a month and a half ago. I had to write something, anything, about my feelings on the Gaza tragedy. I was tired of the political arguments, 'cause, as important as it is to argue about things that matter (and boy, did this matter), by then, it was a foregone conclusion, barring a miracle. (And as much faith as I have in God to bring one, I'm not sure how much faith I have in the Jews these days to deserve it.) And what bothered me personally more was that I couldn't decide which side of the argument I was on. Now, acknowledging that this stuff may be just a bit dated, I still wanted to share it.
(To be continued. Check back at this post later.)
Update: I had a bunch of ideas to present here, but as the whole episode drifted further into the past without my having time to comment on it, I felt like my words would be less...less...not relevant. No, that's not the word...Maybe less impacting, less immediate. It didn't feel like it fit any more. I intend to incorporate the ideas* I had in thinking about this into other pieces, but for now, I think I'm putting this issue to rest. (Writing-wise, that is. My heart and prayers are still with those who were, justly or not, displaced from their homes.) If you want to understand the basics of how I feel, look at the comments.
* Destruction and its purpose, accusing God of wrongdoing, the mental and halachic status of an onen (i.e. a very recently bereaved mourner), the concept of an emotional refractory period, and a few others.
I started this effort, which now seems much larger than it is, because I had free time on Tisha B'Av, over a month and a half ago. I had to write something, anything, about my feelings on the Gaza tragedy. I was tired of the political arguments, 'cause, as important as it is to argue about things that matter (and boy, did this matter), by then, it was a foregone conclusion, barring a miracle. (And as much faith as I have in God to bring one, I'm not sure how much faith I have in the Jews these days to deserve it.) And what bothered me personally more was that I couldn't decide which side of the argument I was on. Now, acknowledging that this stuff may be just a bit dated, I still wanted to share it.
(To be continued. Check back at this post later.)
Update: I had a bunch of ideas to present here, but as the whole episode drifted further into the past without my having time to comment on it, I felt like my words would be less...less...not relevant. No, that's not the word...Maybe less impacting, less immediate. It didn't feel like it fit any more. I intend to incorporate the ideas* I had in thinking about this into other pieces, but for now, I think I'm putting this issue to rest. (Writing-wise, that is. My heart and prayers are still with those who were, justly or not, displaced from their homes.) If you want to understand the basics of how I feel, look at the comments.
* Destruction and its purpose, accusing God of wrongdoing, the mental and halachic status of an onen (i.e. a very recently bereaved mourner), the concept of an emotional refractory period, and a few others.
