Tzipiyah.com

I am moved. I just heard an astounding Israeli radio broadcast, which has seriously shaken some of my prejudices and assumptions about Israeli society and about Jews.

It’s almost Yom Kippur, and I’ve had a difficult time personally with the ‘Yamim Nora’im’ - Days of Awe, the days between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. I find the enormity of the fear that is so often emphasized, and the deep realization of personal responsibility for the past, to stress me emotionally, and, while I have been trying to engage in the emotional seriousness of the season, it has been difficult to make it personally meaningful and very positive.

I connected to a popular secular Israeli radio channel on web streaming a few minutes ago, and heard the talk show host chatting to the head of ‘Or Yarok’ (’Green Light’), a traffic safety organization in Israel…They discussed the great increase in the organization’s projects to heighten awareness of traffic safety, specifically among young drivers. The show host and the organization’s chairman talked for a while, and at the end of the conversation, one of them mentioned Yom Kippur, and expressed his opinion that even though we need to pray to G-d, and hope and wish to Him that tragic road accidents be prevented, the practicalities are still in our hands, and we need to do whatever we can to prevent accidents. An admirable approach.

Then the talk show host moved on to broadcast a personal message. He explained that he was very grateful to be able to say this message, and especially for the privilege of having a microphone, to be able to get the message out to as many people as possible. Here is a rough transcript-translation:

You know, I really believe in prayer. I think that we are nowhere close to uncovering the true power and essence of prayer. I am very grateful to be able to say the following message, and especially for the privilege of having a microphone, to be able to get the message out to as many people as possible. Yom Kippur is a time of cleansing and purity, and we’re all looking for extra mitzvot, for extra merits. Friends, for the last 835 days, there has been a young man - a young lad - held captive somewhere in Gaza. My throat literally closes up when I think of him, in whatever sort of conditions he is in, there, imprisoned by our enemies. I want to take this opportunity to really ask that on Yom Kippur, every single person, every single family in this land, take 2, 3 minutes to pray for Gilad Shalit - pray to G-d, to Divinity, to whatever you believe in. I really believe it will have a strong effect, as prayer is so powerful. I will definitely be doing it myself, and I really ask that all of you do it as well.

Soon after this message, he wished all his listeners a Chatima Tova (to be sealed for goodness for the year to come), and apologized to the secular listeners for putting such a strongly Jewish flavour into the show. He explained that he did it out of pure intentions, and as an attempt to do good and to bring about positivity in the nation… He signed off with a secular song, saying that while it is secular, he believed that it itself was a type of prayer.

Dear readers, the fact that there are differences and, often, gaps and distances, between religious and secular Jews in Israel is unfortunately a well-known fact. But on the ground, there is a whole lot more holiness, aspirations to meaning and connection, and searching for truth, than the media would generally want you to know. I was deeply moved by an earnest, pure expression and action by a Jew who would most likely consider himself secular, but whose spiritual connection to G-d is alive, and whose soul is speaking to him. He seems to get it. What an inspiration! The unexpected expression by the (’secular’) talk show host of his internalization of Yom Kippur and t’fila (prayer), really touched me, especially today, when so many different thoughts and ideas about Yom Kippur and my relationship with G-d are chasing each other through my head.

I bless the entire nation of Israel with a cleansing, purifying Yom Kippur, with a new year filled with the greatest blessings, joy, good health, wonderful tidings, and complete redemption.

May all of Am Yisrael be sealed in the book of good life and blessings.