Gog and ma'gog is coming
Its always difficult starting these post thingies, like with anything staring at a blank page or a blank screen is simply not inspiring. Its doubly difficult when you search for a wry and intriguing title to the post, particularly when you know that lurking behind this one is a much more disturbing issue (unsettling was the word i was going to use and it seems to communicate what i intended, but you'll see why i didnt use it).
A little encounter i had today is what you might call 'typical jerusalem' and yet it was so much more profound. So I'm walking in Jerusalem's main downtown pedestrian precinct this morning - the ubiquitous Ben Yehuda Street - when a man with an american accent and looking what i can best describe as middle-aged 'bedraggled hippy-frumish' with straggly hair and an old black pork-pie hat began talking to me in English (not sure whether this is because i might as well have 'I'm an anglo' tattooed on my foreheand, or because an extreemly high percentage of the people who frequent this area are tourists or teenage americans at 'Sem' or Yeshiva (i.e. learning Jewish stuff)).
As it happens, he was selling wooden back-scratchers for 10 shekels each. He needed money for food for shabbat he told me. As i faffed in my pocket for money a conversation began. He was keen to find out about my disability and wish me G-d's help for a speedie recovery. So, once i had purchased said back-scratcher he advised me that Gog and Ma'gog were coming and i should stock up on perishables so as to be on the safe side when the imminent war is upon us.
So gog and ma'gog i hear you say whats that all about? Heres the deal...according to Jewish Messianic theology, the coming of the Messiah will be heralded by two apocalyptic wars,''Gog" and "Ma' gog". (The massive destruction and proximity to eachother of the Two World Wars is one of the major factors behind the compelling popularity of the Lebavitch movement's conviction that 'Moshiach is on his way', a notion which took root in the calamity of the post war world).
So back in Jerusalem, the back-scratcher guy is basically telling me that i dont need to worry because the Messiah is coming very soon.
To be told such a thing is not so unusual round here. What was striking is what he said afterwards. Gog and Magog are going to be with us from the end of August he reliably informs me. I walk away tickled by a quintesential Jerusalem experience. Its only been later that I realised there may have been a sentiment lurking behing his words...
Indeed the end of August is the time when the pull-out from Gaza is scheduelled to take place. Im not sure that the Gaza pullout will be accompanied bythe gloal war and destruction my friend predicts but judging by the pictures on the news recently the next few weeks are going to be heart-wrenching difficult here.
To be continued after shabbat...shabbat shalom
A little encounter i had today is what you might call 'typical jerusalem' and yet it was so much more profound. So I'm walking in Jerusalem's main downtown pedestrian precinct this morning - the ubiquitous Ben Yehuda Street - when a man with an american accent and looking what i can best describe as middle-aged 'bedraggled hippy-frumish' with straggly hair and an old black pork-pie hat began talking to me in English (not sure whether this is because i might as well have 'I'm an anglo' tattooed on my foreheand, or because an extreemly high percentage of the people who frequent this area are tourists or teenage americans at 'Sem' or Yeshiva (i.e. learning Jewish stuff)).
As it happens, he was selling wooden back-scratchers for 10 shekels each. He needed money for food for shabbat he told me. As i faffed in my pocket for money a conversation began. He was keen to find out about my disability and wish me G-d's help for a speedie recovery. So, once i had purchased said back-scratcher he advised me that Gog and Ma'gog were coming and i should stock up on perishables so as to be on the safe side when the imminent war is upon us.
So gog and ma'gog i hear you say whats that all about? Heres the deal...according to Jewish Messianic theology, the coming of the Messiah will be heralded by two apocalyptic wars,''Gog" and "Ma' gog". (The massive destruction and proximity to eachother of the Two World Wars is one of the major factors behind the compelling popularity of the Lebavitch movement's conviction that 'Moshiach is on his way', a notion which took root in the calamity of the post war world).
So back in Jerusalem, the back-scratcher guy is basically telling me that i dont need to worry because the Messiah is coming very soon.
To be told such a thing is not so unusual round here. What was striking is what he said afterwards. Gog and Magog are going to be with us from the end of August he reliably informs me. I walk away tickled by a quintesential Jerusalem experience. Its only been later that I realised there may have been a sentiment lurking behing his words...
Indeed the end of August is the time when the pull-out from Gaza is scheduelled to take place. Im not sure that the Gaza pullout will be accompanied bythe gloal war and destruction my friend predicts but judging by the pictures on the news recently the next few weeks are going to be heart-wrenching difficult here.
To be continued after shabbat...shabbat shalom
posted by Ben at 4:37 pm
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