Ooh, Aah!

 We should encourage each other in mitzvos, even when done in ways that are not our way. Thus, if a bochur wants to learn the tikun on Shavuous, the Yeshivish rabbi shouldn't discourage him. If a boy says he's a Chabad shliach, a Litvish rabbi shouldn't discourage him. He should say, wonderful!

Sadly, that's oftentimes not what happens. But we do the reverse. We  encourage foolishness. For example, name any city in Israel to a Zionist and he starts yelping with glee. Ooh, aah. You lived in Afulah! Aah.

Yeah, dumpy Afulah. Every town here is a dump. What's the excitement about?

Now if you want to praise actual Eretz Yisroel, the Negev, the Galil, those places somewhat untainted by secularity, that I get.

The result of the oohing and aahing is you get the deceptive sales pitch. Modin! Ah. Like it's some magical place, instead of another boring Israeli city full of sinners. And you wind up moving there and learning the hard way, not to trust the ooh and aah.



Afula, ooh aah!



Be'er Sheva, ooh aah!


Modi'in, ooh aah! Come live on a concrete slab.

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