How many times this week have you seen the video of the lady attacking an ultra-Orthodox man on a bus? How many posts have you read? How many news items have you seen? Who is wise and will count. They attacked her, and with her help they proved their theses about hatred, and they used it to show that Haredim do serve in the IDF, and there was no end to the party, until the news came that the woman was mentally ill, had bipolar disorder, and was not responsible for her words. And even when it happened, there were still doubters who tried to make another small turn on the back of the unfortunate woman, who was caught in a public storm two hundred thousand times greater than her.
So what did we have? A citizen who filmed the scene and immediately distributed it on social media without checking, and websites fed by such videos that echoed the video in their millions of followers, lazy and exploitative media outlets that turned the story without an investigation into an edition opener, and columnists and opinion makers who leveraged the matter to generate more traffic, and above all, great hatred that received refined fuel for its combustion.
End? Nothing and nothing. How do I know? Because today I got a call from our photographer who was at the family's home and couldn't keep quiet. He told me that he had met with the lady and her daughter, and had seen with his own eyes that it was a disease that spoke from the subject's throat against her will, and that he was torn by the injustice and disproportionate harm suffered by that woman. And those who know people with bipolar disorder know where they can go during a seizure, and how much damage to themselves they can do in seconds.
So when this invented storm subsides, I ask: What have we gained from it? Free love? Unity and friendship? Not really. Just distress and resentment and camping and filth. Is. And for what? About nothing.
And it was reported this week that there is an alarming increase in cancer cases among young people around the world. Presumably it's because of the sugar, and the smoking, and the stress, and the lack of sleep. And I say - the videos are the cancer. They carcinogen us all, eat our hearts and souls, change our inner selves to black, throw us at our brothers and sisters to hate them, and we end up getting sick and dying, metaphorically and physically.
Quit the networks, the groups, the sites. Save your soul. Instead, listen to a good podcast on your phone, read some helpful article, connect with the goodness that is also in the device in the palm of your hand. Don't pass on videos like this, you never know what the truth is, what came before and what came after, and who distributes to profit at the expense of your peace. Remember: video = cancer. Safed = sick.
war
One morning Europe woke up to find that it was at war. Putin growls at its border, and Iran supplies cheap weapons to the Russian bear, which has slept through a long winter and is waking up hungrier than ever for territories in satiated Europe.
It did not come to the Europeans at an easy time. In any case, their continent is in a deep crisis: there is no birthrate, there is a takeover of counterproductive immigration to the economy and culture, GDP is falling, spending is rising because of the amount of people demanding welfare payments. And now, a future war is also imminent. And the White Continent thought the era of wars was over, and completely dried up the glorious armies it once held. Germany, for example, the well-oiled war machine in the milk of our forefathers, has reached a point where it estimated that Ukraine could withstand a two-day war before surrendering. And suddenly, out of nowhere, an axis of evil arises that begins in China, passes through Iran through Russia and reaches Belarus. And this axis is equipped with state-of-the-art hypersonic missile weapons, and is removing nuclear missiles from the warehouses with some rust at the edge, but like new. And after Ukraine will come Poland's turn, and from there you will know.
What did our European brothers do? They decided to rebuild the degenerate armies. And they buy whatever comes to hand and recruit, and train, and prepare. And who do they turn to? Us. We, refugees of their cruelty, beg us – give us systems to intercept long-range missiles, provide us with iron domes, and if there is anything against these hypersonics, add it to the cart.
And just this week, news came out of Rafael – a "sharp sling" system, which even a hypersonic missile moving at 15,<> kilometers per hour does not startle, and it is impaling it like a Qassam rocket from Gaza. And there will also be an interceptor laser in a year, and David's Sling, and a magic wand, and Mordechai's fireworks. And all these Europeans want, and pay in billions. And it's unbelievable. Those who until a moment ago supported the Iranians half-openly, and didn't really mind their goal of destroying us, suddenly have to defend themselves against their Aryan brethren (because the Iranians are also Aryans, as we know), and they seek salvation with us. Oh, how the wheel turns; The Germans defend themselves against the new Nazis from Tehran with Jewish weapons. The laughter of fate could be heard all the way to Mars.
And what will we demand in return for all the brilliant knowledge created here for lack of choice? A complete cessation of European intervention in our case, support for BDS organizations, the construction of illegal structures in the territories, a halt to the subversion of the State of Israel by governmental organizations and governments, which now depend on us for their security. Security is paid for. And soon, I heard, there will also be a campaign in Germany – maybe you are eligible for an Israeli passport? Stand in line.
Meditation
Once, long ago, when I was young and lost, I looked for ways to connect with myself and my core of goodness. What didn't I go through until I came to the Jewish doctrine of the soul? Various workshops, Zen, Buddhism, shamanism, whatever was available. One of the stops where I stayed for a long time was meditation. By chance, I was watching a fascinating film about Vipassana meditation, "The Vipassana Wing," by Ayelet Menachemi and Ilona Ariel, about how practicing this method changed the lives of prisoners in prisons in India. The film touched me deeply, and since I felt that I too was trapped in the tangle of my negative thoughts, I decided to try this rather extreme method in order to break free.
Illustration: Yehuda Noni,
I packed a bag, found a friend to come with me, and we drove to the Vipassana camp in England. There, according to the teachings taught by the great teacher of the method, Goenka, according to the tradition passed down from the first teacher of the method, the Buddha himself, we sat for ten days in complete silence, from before dawn until night, with our eyes closed, concentrating on our breathing and what was happening inside our bodies. Indeed, at times this practice benefited me, but most of the time I suffered bitterly.
Why? The damn attention disorder. A person should sit still and concentrate on his breathing, but how do I concentrate when a rooster is calling outside? How do I focus on something, with a person sitting next to me who is breathing heavily? How can I be silent when the rattling of pots from the kitchen can be heard in the distance? I sat in my place, pretended to meditate, and inside I stewed furiously at the myriad distractions that do not allow me to fulfill my dream of being free from the inner noise that fills me.
When I returned to Israel, I tried to practice for a few more months, and in the end I succumbed to the rustling, noisy world, the clamoring of the roads, the beeping of cars, the barking of dogs. I realized it wasn't for me. I kept searching and found the Torah of Yamima, where I found profit and salvation.
But lately I've read a lot about preserving brain mass and health in old age, and I've realized that meditation is a great tool. And what to do that I can not? And suddenly - brilliance! The noise-canceling headphones I purchased not long ago! I sat down to meditate in the way I know, with my headphones on. And here, instead of incessant war, silence. And time passes quickly, and I watch the thoughts as they should, not fighting the chirping of birds and music from the neighbors. And so 21st-century innovations have met the ancient Buddha's teachings, and your easy-to-distract slave finds peace and quiet, and his mind grows stronger, and even a little bit begins to slide from the ears. And I highly recommend both meditating and buying. And please, don't send me requests for recommendations, write noise-canceling headphones on Google and you too can connect to your inner peace.
avrigilad@gmail.com
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