What does that have to do with the price of Tea in China?

It is hard to believe that it's been an entire month since my return to Israel! A month ago today I took possibly the largest leap of faith I have ever taken, leaving my family, friends and life I had been living behind to pursue an ideological value. It's interesting that for over the past year I have been constantly working to control my emotions, using my intellect to determine the correct response. Coming to Israel was a truly emotional idea. Logically I should have stayed in California, and I am glad that I didn't. It's also interesting that today happens to be the first day of Kislev (one of the months in the Jewish Calendar), the same month of Hanukah.

This past Thursday I visited Kibbutz Tzuba, where I stayed in 2004 on the EIE program. Some of my most vivid memories and some of my most profound realizations are from Tzuba. This was the first place I experienced in Israel, the first place I lived in Israel. To me, Tzuba remains in some small part of my brain the very idea of what Israel is. I had not been to the Kibbutz in 5 years. On the bus-ride over, I was delighted to see the familiar towns as we started to approach the Kibbutz. I remembered each turn and curve on the road and knew which direction the bus was going to take before it actually took it. It was like reading an old book you haven't read in a while, you know how the story is going to unfold and what turns the plot is going to make, but you're excited at the story and nostalgic for when you first read it. Once I got to the Kibbutz, I was greeted by the familiar sights and smells. I started walking around, reacquainting myself with this home away from home. I walked past the classrooms and the hotel rooms, remembering the good times spent there. I passed by some of the current EIE kids and was shocked at how young they seemed to me. My memories of myself must not age much. I walked up to the Tel, which was a crusader fortress. And then I walked to the tree. There is a tree at Kibbutz Tzuba that is very very old. There are benches by the tree, with a spectacular view of the Judean Hills. One of my most powerful images I have from EIE is sneaking up to the tree with some other kids from EIE and smoking hookah. At the time I was reading The Tanakh. It was a beautiful, sunny day. The weather was perfect, just a pleasant breeze coming through. As I looked out at those beautiful Judean Hills it hit me - the connection. The understanding that I was part of a lineage dating back to Abraham and that years ago Abraham was walking in these very hills. It was a realization that altered my understanding of the World and history and of purpose. This spot that I returned to was responsible for a great deal of the mindset that I continue to have. To me, this very spot represents the physical connection between the Land of Israel and myself. Returning to the tree was as powerful as returning to the Western Wall. Seeing and touching the Western Wall represents my return to The Torah. Seeing and touching the tree represents my return to the physical Land of Israel.

I couldn't stop smiling as I wrote that last paragraph.

After seeing the tree, I was able to meet with Reuven my Jewish History and Culture teacher from EIE. Reuven lives at Kibbutz Tzuba and made Aliyah to Israel over 40 years ago. He is not religious, yet has a limitless amount of knowledge of the Tanakh, of the History of the Jewish People, and the Hebrew Language. He is an incredibly proud Israeli and one of the wisest people I have ever met. I consider him to be a role model. We had a nice conversation, ranging from reminiscing about my EIE class and who has returned to Israel to politics to what it means to be a Jew. It is Reuven's opinion (and the more I consider it, the more I tend to agree) that the one most important aspect The Jewish people is the Hebrew Language. It is the glue that holds the People together, ties them to our History, and creates a unique Culture. This is a very interesting statement with many implications, and I would love to dive deeper into the subject on a more personal basis if any of you would like. Let me provide you with just one example:
Translate the following phrase from English to Hebrew: "What does that have to do with the price of Tea in China?"
The History of this phrase comes from the English History, when Tea traders would buy tea from China for very cheap and then ship the tea to be sold in Great Britain for exorbitant prices. Because the product was the same, but the cost was such a variable depending on geographic location, this phrase came to represent a discord. In other words - what does 'A' have to do with 'B'?
The Hebrew Translation: "What does the Shmitta (The Sabbatical Year) have to do with Mt. Sinai?"
This translation, now a phrase in modern Hebrew is a direct quote from Rashi! Rashi is one of the most pivotal Rabbis in Jewish History and wrote a large portion of the Talmud. In the Torah, the Shmitta directly follows the events at Mount Sinai and Rashi asks in his commentary what the connection is. In other words - what does 'A' have to do with 'B'?
Language is an imprint of the History, Culture, and Religion through time. Hebrew preserves the essence of what it means to be a Jew through the act of reading and writing.

One of the reasons I decided to return to Israel was to reconnect and redefine where I stand Religiously. I was brought up Reform and for most of my life have seriously considered becoming a Reform Rabbi. Unfortunately, over the past few years I became lazy when it came to practicing the religion. I did not attend services regularly (or at all) or make any effort to keep Shabbat. I relied solely on the values and teachings of Judaism in my everyday to help guide me to make the right decisions, but I did not make any effort to pursue further knowledge. At some level I knew that I was spiritually starving.

I now live in Jerusalem, the holiest place in the world for Jews. I have unlimited opportunities to learn and to grow. I've started attending services and keeping Shabbat. I've even put on tefillin once or twice. I've kept Kosher since returning to Israel. And I've just completed my first week at the Yeshiva Aish Hatorah which is located in The Old City, literally overlooking the Western Wall.

It is really interesting to go to Reform Services and Orthodox services and to note the differences and similarities between them. One of my friends is attending the Rabbinical school at HUC here in Jerusalem and I was able to attend a service she led last week. It was beautiful and joyous. The songs were happy and cheerful and I believe that one could absolutely connect with God during such a service. Orthodox services on the other hand, are much less about the group and much more personal. The women don't even pray in the same area as the men, to keep the mind focused on prayer. In fact, the idea of a woman leading services is incredibly foreign to most orthodox Jews. This is, however the traditional form of Jewish prayer and has not really changed in the past 2000 years. I believe that one could absolutely connect with God during such a service as well. A week ago I went to a Havdala service (The service ending the Shabbat and separating it from the week to come) at a Chasidic (ultra-orthodox) Rabbi's house. I was the only non black hat there. All of the melodies they sang were completely foreign to me, but absolutely beautiful. They were simple, but very moving. Tribal almost. The closest thing that I could relate it to would be a Klingon war song. Very interesting experience, I probably won't forget it for as long as I live.

As I mentioned a little earlier, I started studying at Aish. I am always interested in learning and decided that the downtime I have before the army is perfect. The classes have been very interesting, if a bit basic. I am in the Essentials program, which is the Introductory program for the Yeshiva and goes over the ideology behind what it means to be a Jew, Jewish Values, how to be Good person, etc. Originally I thought I would be diving straight into studying the Torah and the Talmud and was a bit put-off by how basic the classes really were. I consider myself to be a Good person, with basic Jewish Values and with a basic understanding of Judaism. I even consider myself to be somewhat enlightened. I realized, though, that this is a different form of Judaism than what I am used to and what I was brought up in. While a lot of the ideology and concepts are similar, there are a few major differences between Reform and Orthodox. To me, the main question is the very legitimacy of the current Oral Torah. According to the Judaism that I was raised in, the Written Torah is the number one most important tool for Jews. According to Orthodox Judaism, the Oral Torah is just as important and just as legitimate. It is a difficult concept, and one that I look forward to wrestling with for the foreseeable future. Starting with the Essentials program is not unlike studying different forms of Martial Arts. One might attain a black belt in HopKiDo, but if he wants to study Shou Shu he will start that art with a White Belt. While a lot of the material from one art form mirrors, complements, and can be utilized in the other, doing so requires an understanding of the new art form. So too must I now approach these classes with humility and an open mind. I'm eager to learn as much as I can and to truly wrestle with the subject material.

Israel truly is a small world. I have run into SO many people randomly: old friends, tourists, and my new friend Lucas. About a week and a half ago I was walking to The Jewish Quarter in the Old City to start my first day of classes at Aish. Randomly, this guy came up to me and asked for directions to the Western Wall. I decided to show him how to get there, since I was also going. His name is Lucas. We started talking and as it turns out, he was also starting classes at Aish that same day! Not only that, but he is doing the same army program I am doing, will be drafted the same day as me, and we will be in the same basic training camp for the first 3 months! What's really interesting, though, is that in a lot of ways he is who I saw myself as 4 years ago. He is 19, a Libertarian and fiercely proud American. He is very sure of himself and quick to act, quick to talk, quick to emotion. He has very specific views of the Arab world and Muslim religion that I once shared. It is almost as if looking into a mirror and seeing a reflection of a younger me. I have gained a lot of tools over the past few years, especially after working at Carmel Valley Ranch. I have become much more calm and rational, much more in control of my emotions and much more open minded about the World. But I did lose something... maybe I am a bit too detached.

Lastly, I am very much looking forward to joining the army. While I have been learning a lot, experiencing a lot, and enjoying life I came here for a reason. I'm not sure which unit I'm going to serve in yet, but I'm giving serious consideration to trying out for paratroopers. Another thing I'm seriously considering is making Aliyah. I'm not going to make the decision until after the army, but not a day goes by that I don't think about it. Each time I think about it I lean more and more towards staying in Israel. It's getting harder and harder to imagine leaving. I'm happy here. More than that, it's the opportunity to live in the promised land. The Covenant is a central aspect of Judaism. I still love America. And Baseball. And Apple pie. I just also love Felafel.