Study night near Gaza

One of the many blessings of living in Israel is that text can interact with context in remarkable ways. For one thing, of course, you can actually walk the Bible and the literature of the Rabbis, stumbling upon sites and sights recorded in the Jewish classics. There is a special resonance to following the exploits of kings and prophets, or to counting the steps leading up to the Temple entrance and comparing the number of verses in a Psalm designed to be read while ascending. Sometimes, if you sit up on the roof of our spectacular campus in the heart of Jerusalem and read of David and Bathsheba, you can almost catch a glimpse of them (which should encourage our neighbors to keep their curtains drawn).

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Israel suffers from ADHD

Israel suffers from Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We are so overloaded with events bearing heavy cargoes of moral complexity; so stunned by sensory overload; that we often can give nothing more than perfunctory attention to issues demanding profound engagement.

In the days since my last blog was penned (or keyboarded), so much has happened: I am writing this with the radio on in the background - Dimona, Gaza, Sderot, Winograd, Olmert, Barak, Egypt, and more.

What is an appropriate religious response to this ADHD reality? A common strategy is to claim that what we see on the surface is only a mask for some concealed Truth. There is a code, a secret means of unlocking a door leading to harmony and coherence. Often, this is presented as the essence of Jewish belief. It may appear as though everything is an unholy mess, but a True Believer knows that all is part of a holy master plan. To doubt the plan is to doubt the Master.

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