I must admit that Israel is a foremost place that I feel I may someday wish to obviously visit. Due to budgetary constraints, this is not a visit I plan to make in the immediate future.
I have previously been with many people who clearly indicate that a Jew must indeed go to Israel. It would be a blessing indeed to go; though I admit that I would prefer to go for a family gathering rather than a simple tour of the visitors preferred experiences. True there are places to see and things to do and it would be a long enjoyed experience.
I was unfortunately in the presence of a friend once who mandated that I must indeed plan to go and go soon. I was to be 40 years old in a few years and it was told to me that it would really be essential and important that I go as soon as possible. I admit that it was a blessing to think of going to Israel, but in truth, I was quite aggrieved that I was being commanded by a human being to set my money aside and pursue a Jewish experience that is really a personal endeavor and not a discussion for making another person realize that his own "righteousness" is not complete until he or she arrives on the shoreline of Eretz Yisrael.
Sadly, this experience with this friend was really too much for me to accept as a friend and as a Jew. I have decided that today, I am going to give to a fund that few jewish people probably have ever contributed, except for a small handful likely who have their right and reason for making such a contrition.
Perhaps this will allow me the freedom of expression and solace of decision to make my own decisions and pursue my own needs as they are in fact introduced to my life.
Trust in your G-d that when it is your time to visit Israel, G-d will make it happen.
It would be poverty and weakness in my thoughts to limit myself in my pursuit of life, liberty and happiness in the effort to appease and follow the recommendations of another person who actually in this case is not even a friend today.
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