Compelling as it is to read about rabbis flying over israel blowing the shofar seven times to eradicate swine flu, I'm more compelled to scribble down my two cents of flabbergasted open mouthed thoughts on ... the case of the swine flu and the hassidic health minister...sorry the flu mexicasa. If it were swine flu then it wouldn't get the necessary visas to enter at haifa port.
We don't have a health minister in Israel. It's very pathetic to have a country at this stage of development without a health care minister, but we apparently have more urgent matters at hand to deal with than the health of an entire population. A perfect example of how no one wins in war. The palestinians don't have an infrastructure padded up well enough for proper health care without Israeli assistance, and we in Israel have to put our resources into fortification and protection so our existing solid infrastructure is rapidly collapsing and we could end up actually no longer being able to offer that health care expertise that our population and the palestinian population require.
We are a country at perpetual war to secure our existence. Who cares about the quality of that existence that we lead?! I jest. We actually have thousands of doctors currently filing suit in the supreme court under the banner of the Israel Medical Association to get a health minister appointed.
We do have a deputy health minister who recommends his suggestions to the prime minister who is then empowered to vote in the Knesset as he pleases on behalf of a non-existing health minister. The reason for this is that the deputy minister is a member of the hassidic persuasion. The stream of Judaism that he belongs to believes that only g-d can make decisions. As mere human beings we cannot and we must relinquish our destiny to g-d. Interesting approach and necessary hypocrisy involved for a member of government.
What drove me to write was the current approach to the swine flu pandemic which is expected to rise in incidence and prevalence over the next few months within Israel. The Rabbis now have a vested interest in health in Israel because their man is in the highest position currently available in the ministry. If he succeeds they can point to the success of religious belief, and if he fails they can point to the shameful seculars.
Most recently the Rabbis have been chiming in on almost every health crisis that arises. They've posted notices in Mea Shearim trying to invalidate a mothers diagnosis of Munchhausen syndrome by proxy and warning of death by internet exposure. The other day it was reported that several went up in a helicopter, circled Israel and blew the shofar seven times to cure us of any swine contagion.
The newest and most progressive announcement is that the Rabbis have decided a more aggressive approach to eradicating this flu is necessary... we must all fast on the eve of Elul. Nevermind that fasting suppresses immune systems and dehydration and hyponatraemia can basically open the gates to all sorts of nasty bacterial and viral invaders to jump on in.
It seems that the Gemara has instructed those of us who are observant to fast because the pigs intestines resemble human intestines.
Personally I think we should save the money on helicopter flights and divert budget towards buttressing the education in religious sectors!
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2 comments:
Oh they blew the shofar s well? that'll scare the germs away.
I really worry when hardliner religious fundamentalists think everything can be solved by doing nothing and praying and we're all powerless and just pawns in a game played by a supernatural being. THIS IS NOT JUDAISM! Or at lest it's not the kind I subscribe to.
I do find it so odd that Israel pretty much props up the Palestinian health care system or what little there is of it. I am not against it mind you but it makes me wonder why all the fighting when both sides can be helping each other.
You hit on a major issue. Not just the it's all good and g-d will take care of us approach but that the palestinian health care system is only able to exist because of Israel. israelis and palestinians know that much comes out of normalization and cooperation but idealogy, fundementalism, and historical rifts run deep. The health care approach is tried and true and is ongoing under the radar of the media. Netanyahu is a bulldog on economic cooperation. eventually the fighting will stop. at least the greater part of it. israelis and palestinians live for argument.
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