Thursday, January 22, 2009

Nachal Arugot


I've been to Nachal Arugot four times. That is my most relaxing place. The Kotel has a force, but it doesn’t have water. I used to love to climb up the trail and then finally reach the waterfall. And I would stand under the fall. Just stand under the fall. And let the water fall on me. And those moments were beyond. Beyond this world.


Heaven
( written at Nachal Arugot, Summer 1991 )

My fourth time to heaven...
I was more hurt, more cynical, more aware

Three years had gone by,
So long away from paradise
But I had grown - so they said

Seven people had followed
But I always went alone
And You were always there

3 Comments:

Blogger rr said...

"I've been to Nachal Arugot four times. That is my most relaxing place. The Kotel has a force, but it doesn’t have water."

Wow! Nachal Arugot and the Kotel and Yam Hamelach are my three most favorite places in the world! I would agree, though, that the water ones are for sure the most relaxing and I think I know why. For me these places reign supreme because they are the strongest connectors to my physical and spiritual self. Since it is much easier to satisfy physical needs and certainly more relaxing, I would agree that nachal arugot (and Yam Hamelach) do that for me. The Kotel,however, is not as relaxing but certainly as much a favorite as it requires much more thought and work...but with results that are at least as rewarding.

Nachal Arugot
coupled with Yam Hamelach
heavenly waters

for a direct line
kotel ha ma a ra vi
where heaven meets earth

January 23, 2009 at 3:54 AM  
Blogger esqcapades said...

"The Kotel has a force, but it doesn’t have water."

I laughed after I had copied this quote and then saw the comment from "rr" who had already posted a very insightful comment: 'For me these places reign supreme because they are the strongest connectors to my physical and spiritual self.'

Thank you for posting this beautiful picture and this wonderful and very poignant poem. I hiked up here with a tour but didn't get to go in the water. But I do have a photograph that I love where my Aunt Z"L and I are standing in the Kinneret - our first time in Israel - she took me on a private tour as a birthday present - as we were driving we asked our driver to stop and we ran out and just had to put our feet in the water.

January 25, 2009 at 2:13 AM  
Blogger rabbi neil fleischmann said...

I thank you both for your comments.

There is a lot to say here, and I won't say it all. I didn't take this picture but it matches my memory exactly. I was able to go at various times (long ago - my fourth time was in 1991) when it was empty other than myself and my fellow travellers. It is very profound for me in a real and metaphorical way.

I agree with you RR and also think it goes further - that the ruchniyut/gashmiyot split is complicated, not so much a split as we often think. Thank you RR for your thoughtful comment and beautiful haiku (plural for haiku).

Esqcapades, thank you for your comment about the picture and the words. Much appreciated. I think many of us have strong memories of Israel, particularly our first time there, which is often linked with family. I know I do.

January 25, 2009 at 1:16 PM  

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