החמרת הנחיות בגלל הנגיף קורונה: כדי להגן עלינו או לשלוט בנו / More Restrictive COVID-19 Guidelines: To Protect us or to Better Control Us?

י״ב לחודש הראשון תש״פ

English follows the Hebrew.

חוסר הביצים בארץ כבר ידוע לכם

היום היצאתי לסיים את קניות החג. ולפי חנייות משרד הבריאות [ולפי החוק] אני יצאתי מהבית חובש צעיף. כשאני הגעתי לסניף סופרסל בשכונה שלי מצאתי תור בכניסה. לא הייתי צריך להמתין הרבה זמן אבל השומר לא נתן לי להכנס לסופר בלי מסכה. אני אמרתי לו שלפי ההנחייות לחבוש צעיף מותר.

הוא פשוט חזר שלא נותנים ללקוחות להכנס בלי למסכה ושמוכרים מסכות שלוש ב-20 ₪. אני שאלתי אותו איך אני יכול לקנות מסכה אם לא נותנים לי להכנס. נראה שהוא חשב על שה ושאל אותי אם אני מעוניין לקנות מסכה ואם כן אולי הוא יתן לי להכנס או להשיג חבילה ואני אשלם עליה בסוף.

אני רוצה להדגיש שהשומר הוא צעיר ולא שומר רגיל ופשוט עושה את מה שהוא חייב לעשות בתפקידו ואמרתי לו תודה ביציאתי.

למזלי איזה גבר ברכב שלו המתכונן לצאת קפץ ממנו והציע לי מסכה בחינם. הוא אמר לי, ״היא חדשה ולא נגעתי בזה.״ אפילו שהוא נגע בזה כשהוא נתן לי אותה.

אני תומך לחלוטין בזכותו של בית עסק פרטי לקבוע כללים משלו, ממש כפי שאני תומך בבחירת הלקוח לקנות, או לא לקנות, איפה שהוא רוצה.

אין ללקוח ברירה רבה. אי אפשר להיכנס לשכונה החרדית לקנות ממבחר גדול יותר גם של מוצרים וגם של תעודות כשרות, ואי אפשר לעלות לאוטובוס כדי לנסוע לחנות בשכונה אחרת, ... "למען טובתנו" ו״למען בריאות ובטיחות הציבור ".

ישראלים עוד לא מתיחסים לבשר בקר ועופות כמוצרי יוקרה. (האם אתם מבינים את הרמז?) וראש הממשלה מבטיח לנו שיש מספיק אוכל בארץ, כולל אוכל לפסח. ומה עם אחרי החג?

מצפים שיבוא החירום של ביצים יגדיל את האמינות ושם טוב של ראש הממשלה. מניחים שיצטרך יותר מדי זמן כדי להפסיק את הפעילויות של קַרְטֶל הביצים. בואו נראה אם ​​יעשו משהו בכלל לטפל בקרטל. בואו נראה אם קרטלים יבצעו פיעלויות דומות. ובואו נראה אם צריכים להתיחס לביצים כמוצר יוקרה.

עכשיו אני רמזתי את עמדה הליברטריאנית שלי בתמיכתי בבתי עסק לקבוע כללים משלהם. בדרך כלל אני הייתי מציע הפחת קניית ביצים או אפילו חרם. אבל אנחנו הישראלים רוצים את הביצים שלנו ובמיוחד במשך חג הפסח לכל המתכונים שאנחנו אוהבים. אולי הגיע הזמן להתקשר לחבר הטבעוני שלך שלא דיברתם איתו הרבה זמן כבר לשאול אותו איך להסתדר במטבח בלי ביצים בכלל או מה יכול להחליף אותן במתכון.

האם מחסור הביצים פשוט מקרי, פתאום כמה שבועות לפני הפסח? אני לא מאמין שזה מקרי בכלל ואפילו למרות עליית הקניות בגלל הפאניקה.

מה יהיה המחסור הבא? מה יהיה התירוץ הבא להגבלות הבאות על תנועתנו? ואיזו קהילה תשמש כשעיר לעזאזל הבא?

או "הם" למעשה עושים לנו טובה (בין אם הם מבינים זאת ובין אם לא) בכך שהם מלמדים אותנו להתכונן למצב יותר גרוע שהם מצפים בעתיד. או האם הקב"ה משתמש בכוחות השלטון האלה כדי לחנך אותנו להתכונן למצב יותר גרוע בעתיד.

עוד יוסיף להתגלות. האם אתם תהיו מוכנים?

מחסום מג״ב בכניסה לבני ברק
Border Police (Yes, you read correctly) Checkpoint at the entrance to B'nei Braq
Haredi suburb of Greater Tel-Aviv

Dear Customers, Due to the shortage, the buying of eggs is limited to 2 cartons of 12/18 or one carton of 30. Shufersal. (translation of the photo above)

Today I set out to finish my Passover shopping. According to the Israeli Ministry of Health's guidelines [and by law] I left the house wearing a scarf. When I got to the Shufersal (formerly Super Sol) branch in my neighborhood I found a line to get in. I did not have to wait long, but the guard would not let me in without a mask. I told him that according to the guidelines that it's totally acceptable to wear a scarf.

He simply repeated that no one is allowed in without a mask, and that they sell them three for 20 NIS ($5.52). I asked him how I could buy a mask if I was not allowed in without one (Catch-22). He seemed to ponder this, and asked me if I was interested in buying one. If I had been, I suppose he would have gotten me a package, and I would have paid for it with the rest of my shopping.

I need to point out that this guard was a young guy, not a regular guard, and was just doing his job, dealing with a newly imposed, company policy.

Luckily some other guy in his car, getting ready to leave, jumped out and offered me a mask for free, saying, "It's new and hasn't even been touched." Even though he was touching it while he was handing it to me. Whatever. He gets an "A" for effort, and the mitzva. I just put it over my scarf.

I certainly support a private business's right to make its own rules, just as I support a customer's choice to shop, or not shop, at said, private business.

But, today, the customer does not have much of a choice, does he? A customer cannot go into a Haredi (ultra-orthodox) neighbor to buy from a larger selection of products and kosher certifications, nor get on a bus to go to any other neighborhood's stores, for that matter. Why? For our "own good," and for "public health and safety."

The Israeli public has yet to begin seeing beef and poultry as luxury items. (hint, hint) After all, the Prime Minister has "promised" that there is plenty of food, including food for Passover, which requires the following of very particular procedures during processing, more so than than during the rest of the year.

The emergency import of eggs, hopefully not yet another luxury item, expects to increase the prime minister's street cred. on the world stage. Dealing with the egg mafia's shenanigans would apparently take too long. We shall see if they will actually be dealt with,...ever, and if other cartels end up rearing their ugly heads.

Wait a minute. Didn't I just express my libertarian leanings with my support of businesses to set their own rules? Yes, I did. Normally I would suggest a reduction of egg buying or boycott. Unfortunately, we Israelis cannot live without our eggs, especially during Passover when they are an essential ingredient in recipes to compensate for our reduced choice in flour options. Many Jews even refrain from using matza meal during Passover, and potato, almond, and walnut flours are expensive and and do not hold together as well as grain flours.

We humans are also lazy, and would rather not bother searching for egg substitutes. Now is your cue to call up that vegan friend of yours, you haven't spoken to for a while.

So, kind of coincidental that all of sudden a couple weeks before Passover, there is an egg shortage, right? No. I do not believe for a minute this was a coincidence, panic buying notwithstanding.

What will be the next shortage we'll have? What will be the next excuse to increase the restrictions on our movement? Which community will be used next as the next scapegoat?

Or are "they" actually doing us a favor (whether they realize it or not) by teaching to us to ready for something worse they expect on the horizon. Or rather, is The Almighty using "them" to help us get ready for something worse on the horizon.

Only time will tell. But, will you be ready?

The Unreported Reality of Homophobia in Jerusalem

כ"ה לחודש החמישי תשע"ה

YNET WATCH: What happens when gay couple walk down Jerusalem street?Only days after the lethal stabbing attack on the city's gay pride parade, Shai and Ophir's modest show of affection is met with abuse.

Nir Cohen, 08.09.15 

Last Wednesday, less than a week after the lethal stabbing attack during the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade, Shai and Ophir went for a stroll in the city center, holding hands. Ynet's hidden camera accompanied them – and this is what happened. 

What happens when gay couple walk down Jerusalem street?

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
Nope. I am not embedding this video here.

I have seen plenty of men in Jerusalem, gay and straight, showing affection for each other in public. Men holding hands received looks, yes, But, abuse? No. Perhaps this was because of the subtle and modest way in which these men carried themselves, in quintessential, Jerusalemite fashion. They could have been brothers or best friends from the army, with their arms around each other, and kissing each other on the cheek.

Ever seen two groups of North African and Iraqi, young men meet each other on the street? Many have the ritual of each member of one group kissing each member of the other group. I guarantee you that no one will be calling any of them sexually abusive names!

Much has been written on the differences between Jerusalemites and Tel-Avivim. Regardless of being religious, Haredi, or even secular, they are different. Many even pride themselves on being able to tell the difference between them, even from afar.

Where are Shai and Ophir from? Jerusalem? Or Tel-Aviv?

Israel is on the Mediterranean Sea, and in the Middle East, areas known for public displays of affection between men. You can also just read the Torah, and the rest of Tana"kh (Bible) and you will know what I mean.

Unfortunately, Shai and Ophir cheapen this tradition with their unforgivable, fashion violations!

These men clearly wanted to make a point. Hidden cameras or not, their methods were clearly NOT scientific.

Pride Flag placed coincidentally in front of the Orthodox Union [OU] Israel Center, Jerusalem.
(Photo Credit: Help me find this photographer)

In my not so humble opinion, the most significant, and the most interesting part of this video is that none of the nasty comments cam from anyone visibly religious looking. There were two dumbfounded faces, one from a Haredi looking couple, and one from a Haredi looking boy.

All of the comments appeared to have come from non-religious looking people, and from women almost as much as men.

Conclusion?

Granted, these men did not appear to be strolling through primarily religious neighborhoods. Nevertheless, the video shows that whatever negative attitudes exist in Jerusalem toward gay men, their source originates from across the spectrum, and not just from the Haredi sector, which one might expect, and I believe this video might not have minded to prove. However, if this is it failed.

Why was this not mentioned by left-wing, YNET?

This video seemed to be a version of the 10 Hours Walking in New York as a Woman (or African American or Jew) videos.

I wonder how much footage these men and their crew had to film in order to obtain the less than two minutes, jam packed with nasty comments.

I am guessing quite a bit. Say 10 hours?

Kudos To Pamela Anderson!

ט"ו לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ד

The New Year of the Trees 5774

After getting remarried to ex-husband Rick Salomon, Hollywood star Pamela Anderson and Solomon were on a plane to honeymoon in Israel (Life In Israel). This is not Anderson's first time in Israel. She has been here before in 2010, to shoot an ad campaign, and in 2011 to be a judge on Israel's version of "Dancing With The Stars." (Times Of Israel).

Already there has been mocking of her attire. Even though the photos depicted here appear to be similar, if not identical to those taken of her in 2010 by Kobi Gideon/Flash90, I hope that she dresses the same at The Kotel (Western Wall) this year. the mocking is completely uncalled for.

So, I say, Good for her!

Pamela Anderson is dressed more modestly than the "passed the shoulder" length sheitel (wig), tight bodes, mini-skirt look which is so popular these days with the women in a "certain" community, many of whom are native English speakers.

There! I wrote it!

Before you start screaming that she is just pandering to Muslim sensibilities, remember that she is at The Kotel, not at a traditionally Muslim sit, and that she is dressed more modestly that many of the Muslim women of Jerusalem who cover their hair.

Even though I would not have chosen those colors for her, she somehow makes her stylist's poor work. Perhaps the blue-grey head covering was a last minute choice. For that I can forgive her.

Being a member of the radical, animal rights organization PETA is another story....

But, I digress...

Especially as an entertainment professional used to wearing less than average amount of clothing at any given moment, Pamela Anderson should be applauded for her respect for the Holiness of this site, not denigrated.

I await your hate mail and comments.