Friday, November 28, 2008

Good Luck Leaving Galut

by the Bray of Fundie (my last post of the week. Possibly the month)


Yesterday DovBear commented:


"The US is a nation of immigrants. All of us came from somewhere and all of us have an equal share. It may not satisfy your masochistic cravings to hear this but in America the gentiles aren't our masters - and they know it."


Human being have an incredible capacity to adapt to adverse situations. Even in the Concentration Camps many inmates developed coping techniques that, in some cases, actually helped them to survive. The downside of this is that having made adaptations people sometimes forget that the natural order of things was their pre-adaptation state.


Ever been to Israel and while you're in a rush when a counter person taking their sweet time purses their fingertips together and tells you Savlanut! SAVLANUT...? The Khidushei Ho'Rim (first Gerrer Rebbe zy"a) teaches us that the nascence of the redemptive process is when the captive/slave/exile reaches the end of his/her coping rope. He understands the verse ו לָכֵן אֱמֹר לִבְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲנִי יְהוָה, וְהוֹצֵאתִי אֶתְכֶם מִתַּחַת סִבְלֹת מִצְרַיִם to mean (as in the modern Israeli parlance) "and I will bring you out from under the ability to tolerate of the Egyptians". In other words before geulah redemption can begin we need a Network moment. Among other things this probably addresses the issue of the futility of removing the slavery form bondage if you haven't removed the bondage from the slave.


The most dangerous nadir of any diaspora, the moment when the Tikva shnot alpayim might just flame out, is the moment when we get SO adapted to the situation, so unambivalently comfortable in the galut that we feel completely at home. Equal to our neighbors. The same as everyone else. if for no other reason THIS is why the American Diaspora represents an unprecedented danger to the Galut Jew.


No dear DovBear I beg to differ. The US is a melting pot nation. All of us have been homogenized into one vast undifferentiated mass. It may not satisfy your smug, comfortable, Havdala oblivious delusions to hear this but in America the gentiles are our masters - and the Jews don't even know it. America is the opiate of the Jews.


Woe to the slave that has so adapted to his slavery that it feels like mastery. Such a slave is not merely in Bondage...he is hopeless.


Gut Shabbos and through getting mad as hell and not wanting to take it any more may we all be zokheh to the יום שכולו שבת בב"א

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If you are completely comfortable in Golus America then Buy Dov's book. Just don't expect to leave anytime soon.( please)

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