Monday, October 29, 2012

Chess and Judaism (Based on the Learning at Aliyos Yerushalayim)



My chevruta today pointed out some interesting things from the book we were learning that got me thinking: Judaism--the practice, the laws, and the statutes that are a part of it make sense for the most part. There are some halachot (laws that make up the practice of Judaism) that are based on "sod" or the "secret" teachings that make up kabala/zochar, but it seems that a majority are derived from Gemora (oral tradition) and the Rishonim/Achronim (the greatest Rabbis from the times of the Second Temple to modern day).

I don't know exactly how to define "Jusaism," nor will I delve into this complex subject at the moment, but suffice it to say that the ancient way of life of the Jewish people makes sense. It's passed the litmus test of time, paving the way for generations of Torah scholars. It's met and exceeded expectations. Every obstacle on its path has been cleared one after the next. So Judaism is a logical practice. So's chess, possibly the most ancient "game" known to man.

There are questions surrounding whether chess is a "game" or a "sport." It's very difficult "pinpointing" chess. There's no clear definition just like there's no clear definition to "Judaism" i.e. are the Jewish people a nation or is being "Jewish" a religion? But it follows logic. So does chess. As a matter of fact, it's a game (let's call it that) that connects several worlds. One needs to have mastery of several senses to be a good chess player just like being a pious Jew takes more than just outwards appearance but also an inwards sense of self and a yearning to create a more just world (tikkun olam).

Another key point worth making is that an experienced chess player learns to "see" patterns. You begin realizing that every game you play is similar in certain ways, and start being able to notice signs. The same can be said of Judaism. Halacha not only makes sense, but after a while, you become alert to "patterns" that repeat themselves. I realize this is a very general statement, but I just can't think of examples at the moment. I'm sure my reader is wiser than me in this department and will be able to do so on his/her own...

I wouldn't go as far as saying that chess and Judaism are the same. There are many obvious differences, but I just wanted to publish the what I was thinking as I sat there in a cozy Jerusalem synagogue where the Rabbi is a man of great spirit and integrity who continues to inspire me on a daily basis.

I'm not an easy listener by any stretch of the imagination, and I'm not easy to please, but Rabbi Yitzchok Snyder has captured my imagination with his Torah drashot (lectures). Please tune in to the Rabbi and if you live in Jerusalem, feel free to join his study group (evenings 7:45-9:30pm)

Rabbi Snyder's Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AliyosYerushalayim?feature=plcp

Chitown Bears On Fast Track to Superbowl?



As I walked down the picturesque Ben Yehuda, surrounded on all sides by cute, little cafe's and an a variety of shops aimed at attracting American tourists, I couldn't help missing my hometown of Chicago, especially my beloved sports teams: the Bulls, White Sox, and Bears (I'm not a Cubs fan and the 'Hawks might not even have a season to speak of so...).

Da Bears are coming off a less-than-stellar offensive performance. Star quarterback, Jay Cutler, hasn't looked like he did last year and he certainly hasn't met the expectations that were set when he came over in a blockbuster trade from Denver. He has been good enough to hold his own against some less-than-average defenses such as yesterday's Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, and Indiana Colts to name 3 out of the Bears' first 7 opponents.

Our defense has been pretty incredible. We're currently ranked 7th overall, but I have a feeling that this stat will improve as the season continues. How about Tim Jennings and "Peanut" Tillman leading our secondary to a ridiculous amount of interceptions!?

Jennings had two more yesterday vs. Carolina. Tillman had one against Dallas and another the following week against Detroit as did Lance Briggs. The latter has had an outstanding career with the Bears. Brian Urlacher is getting better with every game. His play has steadily improved. In short, the Bears' "D" leaves little to ask for other than perhaps, just perhaps a trip to the Superbowl. Is that too much to ask for for a life-long Bears' fan who just happened to be a 4-year old living in Soviet Russia last time we won it all!?

As far as other stories (besides the Bears) going on in sports, there's the Giants winning the World Series, Peyton Manning and his return to the NFL, my favorite female tennis player, Serena Williams winning an insane number of majors in '12, Da Bulls revamping what seems to be their entire bench and starting the '12 campaign without former MVP Derrick Rose, and oh, did I forget to mention, a whole new Israel Football League season about to start (or has it started already?).

...and now back to Ben Yehuda and the array of delicacies it has to offer...

Efrat: A Town that Represents All That's Israel


Efrat, or “Efrata” is a blossoming municipality in Judea, Israel. The earliest mention of Efrat is in Genesis, when Jacob buries his beloved wife, Rachel after she’s given birth to her second son, Binyamin: “And Rachel died and was buried on the road to Efrat.” (Gen 13:19) Efrat is mentioned as “Efrata” or “towards Efrat” in Ruth 4:11, Chronicles 2:50, Chronicles 4:4, Psalms 132:6, and Micah 5:1. It is located 7.5 miles south of Jerusalem between Hevron and Bethlehem (Wikipedia).

While the international community considers it an “illegal settlement,” the State of Israel has always considered Efrat, and the entire Gush Etzion bloc which Efrat is geographically a part of, an integral part of the Jewish State.

Efrat was founded on Passover eve, October 5th, 1983, by Moshe Moskovitz (Moshiko). Rabbi Shlomo Riskin, an extremely vocal and well-known religious Zionist leader, soon joined Mr. Moskovitz in his mission, establishing the Ohr Torah movement with the blessing of the Lubavitcher Rebbe.

Monday, October 22, 2012

Avraham: the 1st Zionist

This week's parsha, Lech Lecha, describes the life and trevails of our forefather Avraham, how he was commanded by G-d to leave his "land, (his) home, and (his) father's house," and travel to a distant, unknown land, a land "flowing with milk and honey."

Avraham leaves Charan at the old age of 75. By then, he's already established himself as a leader and a visionary. He goes on to live a life of righteousness, of arrousing curiosity for the Jewish faith amongst the people of the world, and of settling the Land of Canaan.

Avraham was for all intents and purposes, the first Zionist. The first settlers in Palestine who came here with the dream of building a "perfect" society based on socialist ideals were following in Avraham's footsteps. Perhaps, they were misguided in thinking that the new state would be based on socialism, but they weren't far from the truth.

Why is it that it took a secular movement--as opposed to the Charedi community of Eastern Europe to realize that the Jewish people's future lay in Israel and that the correct--and only thing to do was to pack up their bags and travel to a land deserted by its inhabitants; a land that lay desolate and barren?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

On My Stay in Chicago and On Coming Home to Israel



My stay here, in Chicago, was an eventful one. Lots of things happened: some positive and some negative, but overall, I enjoyed my stay here. The worst thing to happen was my grandma's passing. My mom is still having a very difficult time adjusting to the new reality of not having her mother by her side. She (grandma) was sick for a very long time, but we all got used to her being there for us whether she was sick or not. It was definitely a very difficult experience.

The best thing that took place while I was here was having an opportunity to see all my friends, especially an old buddy of mine whom we reconnected with after a 3-year hiatus. We spent several days hanging out in a variety of cafes around Chicago and Skokie, doing some studying (I loaned a few books from the library), watching movies, and playing b-ball and tennis. I ran a bit, but not as much as I was running in Israel and definitely not as much as I hoped to run while here.


As a side-note, I'm probably going to move back to blogger unless something drastic happens, and I figure out how to use Wordpress. Honestly speaking, it's been a big hastle for me. I'm pondering watching the presidential debates tonight, but the NY-Detroid game sounds awfully enticing as well. What a decision: presidential debates vs. ALCS!

Job-wise, I'm hoping to start covering Israeli current events and daily life in Israel for "Reklama," a local Russian language newspaper. I'll be placing my articles here as well. I'm also looking into writing for the JPost blog. We'll see how that goes.

I feel a little guilty that I ended up not voting in the American elections. I'm a big Romney fan and hope he gets elected, but I just wasn't able to print up all the documents for the absantee ballot. It was harder than I expected, and I ended up passing on the whole thing altogether. Hopefully, Illinois will eventually become more balanced and my vote will make a difference in future elections.
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