Back to action....

Sorry friends, it's been a while....and it seems reality has caught up with us.

Reflecting on my short 6 week visit to Israel has opened my eyes to many things. I learnt a lot about myself this summer, and I look forward to continuing on this journey towards spiritual enlightenment.

Life was fulfilling in Israel. There was purpose. There was meaning. There was an actual, tangeable connection to G-d....very tough to explain. But I felt it. I lived it. Now, the challenge (nisayon) is to strive for that continued kind of relationship with the Almighty. Will it be difficult? Of course. Impossible? No way....this is the meaning of my existence and, as such, is logically plausible, no matter how difficult.

Sports.....Italy beat France (good...we hate the French), the Habs re-tooled (go Samsonov), and the Apocalypse is around the corner.....(I'm only half kidding).

Among the many new things I learnt at Aish was the idea of Messianic and pre-Messianic times. The pre-Messianic times will bring about that proverbial line in the sand....the CHOICE to choose between right and wrong; good and evil. The ongoing crisis in Israel dictates that such a time has, indeed, come. We must choose sides...For those who read what I write often, (that's you, Ma), then you know I could say "I told you so".....This has been my opinion for years....we have embarked on a downward spiral that is WAR and the fruits to bare will be pain, fear and terror. But we make War with enemies, not friends....

I am proud of the Canadian government for once again standing side by side with Israel and her right to protect her citizens. I knew things would improve on the homefront with our foreign policy, but the Conservatives have done such an exemplary job. I'm quite proud.

It's not enough. We have 3 kidnapped soldiers. We have thousands of residents sleeping in bomb shelters. We have millions who are sick and tired of this. Sick and tired of worrying whether their children will return home form school safely.

We left Lebanon. Gave Gaza away...for nothing. What's left? What else do our enemies want? What else are we willing to give away?

The most basic question one can ask regarding the ongoing Terror War; the one question who's answer dictates what side of the divide you stand....Do our enemies really and truly want to make a lasting peace with us? If you answer yes, then the sacrifices will continue. We will continue to give away land, economy, etc...on the hope, nay, the mere whisper of 'peace'. But if you answer no, then we must ask, what are our intentions? If peace is a by-product of Western media and unattainable, how do we defeat our enemies? What about the international community? Should we even care about the UN rebukes? The Security Council resolutions? Either we're all-in, right here, right now, or we fold. That's how grave the situation is that we face today. Either we're in it to win it, or we cut our losses.

Olmert et al. have continued to disappoint me. They have no idea what they're doing. We need leaders who are resolute. Who assess the situation, provide a solution, and work towards that solution with their blinders on. What I have seen so far would make Paul MArtin, aka Mr. Dithers, proud.

Finally, it is the people who suffer from their governments inability to pursue either peace or terrorists with any efficiency at all. The time has come for our leaders to answer to their decisions.

Have a great Shabbos, everyone, and the new week will bring more talk about Israel's political future, the kidnapped soldiers, and the last days of Hizbullah as we know it. May G-d continue to bless the Jewish people, the IDF and all our brothers and sisters who share in our countries future. Amen.