Monday night, Rabbi Hershel “Rabbs” Remer and I discuss this week’s two Torah portions — Maatot and Masei.
Luke: “Did you sense the holiness of the land of Israel when you were there?”
Rabbs: “Yes! The kedusha (holiness) of eretz Yisrael (land of Israel)! When I got off the plane, it was the first time I had been there, oh my G-d, it’s the Holy Land. I kissed the ground. I said shehecheyanu. Blessed are you L-rd, our G-d, Ruler of the Universe, who has given us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.
“I took a spit at that statue of Ben Gurion.
“The first six months, it was like a honeymoon. I was going to all these holy places.
“After six months, it turned into just another country. It was the secular state of Israel. The kedusha (holiness) of eretz Yisrael dissipates. You’re on this fantasy high. The you realize you’re in this secular third-world backward country and this is probably not the best place to be. That was probably the time to leave but I was too stupid to leave after six months. I stayed for two years. I never left.”
Luke: “Have you been back since?”
Rabbs: “No. I’m never going back. I hate that country. It’s not a country for a Jew. The state of Israel is no place for a Jew.”
Luke: “Why is there so much trash lying around? It’s the trashiest place I’ve been to in the first world.”
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