KINNERET
The hot sun is beating down…..I could see the Kinneret by my side….I was so tempted to just jump in.
* * *
During Sukkot break, I decided to go on a 2.5 day hike around the Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) with 4 friends from the yeshiva (Michael, Reuven, Nitay, and Eli). I had never gone camping, so I had no idea what to expect. Our hike started off from Tiberias on Wednesday afternoon, and we needed to be back in Tiberias in time to catch a bus to Netanya for Shabbat. It started off well, but we soon realized we were in a bit of a pickle. during this time of year, many portions of the trail were flooded. Because of this, we took a wrong turn into a thorny field and ended up in the middle of a banana farm. Although getting lost added an extra hour to our hike, the irony of laboring through thorns and not finding the path made us full of laughter and joy. We made it out and camped by a waterfall (which was an excellent natural shower for our sweaty bodies:) Hot soup over a bonfire made the chilly night warm and looking at the endless stars was breathtaking. Day 2 started off with hiking for 6 hours and singing niggunim (jewish songs/tunes) to keep our minds off the scorching midday heat. We enjoyed the fruit of the land of Israel, picking dates and mangoes along the way. After a well earned swim in the Kinneret, we hiked till dark and camped in kibbutz Ein Gev.
After 34 miles of hiking, we still had 16 miles left to hike on Friday, and had to do it by 2pm, before the last bus to Netanya. Therefore, the final leg of the journey started with a 5:45 wake up. After a quick break to eat some more dates, we hiked non-stop until Tiberias. There was no better feeling than jumping into the relaxing water of the Kinneret after the 50 mile journey. But what made the hike really special was how my friends and I pushed each other to complete it. Whenever someone contemplated taking the nearest bus back to Tiberias (which I definitely did when I felt my feet were going to buckle) we all said we have to finish the hike together. I experienced first-hand the Mishanh in Pirkei Avot (1:6): "קְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר"- "acquire for yourself a friend." This year, not only have I pushed myself physically, but also intellectually.
A Love of Talmud Torah
Before coming to Yeshiva, I enjoyed learning Torah, but as this year has progressed and I've learned approximately 7 hours a day 5 days a week, I have reached a new appreciation of learning. Just one expression of this was how I felt at a siyum (hebrew: completion) another student at the Yeshiva (Judah Gerwuz) did recently on the Tractate of Rosh Hashannah (which he learned outside of class).After the student read the final lines, we broke into dance and song. I felt a feeling of pride and accomplishment for the student and for the Yeshiva as a whole. Celebrating the dedication of time to learn something extra inspired me to take upon myself joining the Daf Yomi cycle, which is now on Tractate Taanit.
That same day, post night-seder, I joined a chabura (small learning group) studying Rav Yitzchak Hutner's (20th. century Ashkenazi rabbi) essay on Hanukkah (led by 2nd year student Aaron Levitt). Rav Hutner noted that after the story of Hanukkah, the Jews stopped having the Sanhedrin (rabbinical court) and therefore halachic disputes (machloket) were introduced into the Jewish tradition. He asks, if our tradition lost clarity with the introduction of disputes, why are we celebrating? He answers that really the machlokets are worthy of celebration! They allow our tradition to innovate and evolve, not remain static. Not only that, but a chavruta (two person study group) debating two differing positions makes each person sharpen their own view. It increases our passion for learning and breeds creativity.
This Hanukkah, may we all benefit from having healthy machlokets!
Here are some decoration in the Old City for Hanukkah.
Hanukah Sameach!
Comments