5/16/13
It’s hard to believe that we’ve
crossed the midway point of the 2013 Israel Trip. It’s hard to believe but it’s
true!
I’m writing to you now
from Kfar HaNokdim, a serene Bedouin oasis in the heart of the Judean desert.
We arrived here late in the afternoon and immediately hoped on some camels for
a sunset ride. The camel ride came with all the usual fanfare—shouts of joy
from the kids and other, less admirable sounds from the camels. Take a moment
to picture the ideal place and circumstances under which to ride a camel (some
of you may struggle with this). That’s where we are right now.
Prior to arriving at the
Bedouin tent we spent a few hours at a very different kind of oasis—Sachne.
Sachne is large natural spring at the foot of the Gilboa Mountains. The water
is crystal clear and always the perfect temperature. There are waterfalls and
palm trees as well as little fish that nibble at your toes whenever you’re not
swimming. Some people believe that Sachne was part of the Garden of Eden—it’s
that kind of place. Imagine the most beautiful water you’ve ever experienced.
Now imagine it pounding on your back as it cascades from a waterfall while
dozens of fish give you a pedicure. Admit it men—sounds like an ideal spa day,
no? As good as Sachne felt physically it
felt even better spiritually and emotionally. We all felt at one with nature,
content to be exactly where we were, and appreciative for the gift of the cool
water and the beautiful surroundings. Maui ain’t got nothing on Sachne.
Driving through the desert
changes your mood. Your mind wanders, but it wanders in a way that leads you to
consider matters of ultimate concern and great personal importance. As we
passed the Dead Sea and Masada the power of the changing landscape wasn’t lost
on those of us who were awake. I’m fairly certain that the dreamers were taking
it in as well.
Bedouin culture is at
least 7,000 years old. At the heart of Bedouin culture is an unflinching
commitment to hospitality. Our host, Mohammad, shared aspects of Bedouin
culture with us. During the Q&A he shared that his brother hosted a
homeless elderly Jew from a neighboring city in his home for over a year
without ever asking a question about the man’s intentions or future plans. Mohammad
also has three wives and 19 children (the oldest of which is 15 years old). It
sounds like the premise of a mathematical word problem that even Levi D. might
need a few minutes to solve! (I say that because Mora Orna did some math
riddles with our kids and he got every one of them right instantly).
Given their commitment to
hospitality you might have surmised that Bedouin dinners are more like feasts
than they are a trip to Moe’s. We sat on the floor and were presented with
large round platters containing all sorts of different delicacies. At the end
we ate sweets and drank even sweeter tea, which the kids love. Bedouin tea is to Southern US Sweet Tea what Coca Cola is to
Pepsi. The good news is that your kids won’t want to drink sweet tea anymore
because it won’t be as sweet as it was at the Bedouin tent!
I’m sitting at a wooden
table overlooking a large Bedouin tent. All the kids are in there along with
the chaperones, getting ready for bed (slowly). It’s the one time on our trip
when we’re truly appreciative to have a mechitzah
(division between men and women). We had a campfire tonight with more
rousing renditions of “Seek Peace” and “Kol Yisrael.” Eventually we’ll share
our traditional Bedouin tent bedtime story and fall asleep under the same stars
and sky. In the meantime kids are trampling all over Mr. O’Dell’s stuff so I’m
going to go help him out!
Layla Tov,
Rabbi Micah
