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As a Ba’alat Teshuva, are you able to relate to those who a whole hour, to prove to you why this is not true. For years I
were born into a religious home, and are very worn out worked according to these basic assumptions – to get up in the
morning and look for what the Charedim are doing wrong, what
from the religious burdens of everyday life?
the settlers are doing wrong, and in general, what is wrong with
“When people ask me to talk about my teshuva story, I always say the world. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t problems, but the
that there’s no great wisdom to learn from it. The story of people biggest problem of all is getting up in the morning and looking
who grow up religious is much more exciting to me, precisely only for problems.
because it is not exciting. There is no great wisdom in becoming “Only a few years ago I realized that the word א ְט ֵח, ‘sin,’ derives
a ba’al teshuva. You come from outside without any coercion, you from the word ה ָא ָט ְח ַה, ‘to miss’ – and that it is a ‘sin’ against my
simply fall in love with the Torah. No teacher at school ever told mission to miss what I am supposed to be doing, to be in the
me to make a beracha or to daven and no one criticized me when I wrong place. I am trying to correct this sin, this ‘miss,’ by using
studied Torah subjects. I came from outside of my own free will the talents I received to report on that which connects, unites,
and choice – straight to the Torah, to G-d, to the thing itself. It pleases, excites, and uplifts. To bring Judaism into the news as
requires real strength to grow up inside the religious community, well. To understand that the parashat haShavua, the Torah portion
and to find renewal from within. To continue the legacy of the of the week, is part of our pulse, part of our culture.”
generations that came before you and to add your own floor to
the building you inherited. Since Elul 5776, Rahav-Meir has been given a weekly class on
parashat haShavua, connecting the parasha to current affairs.
“That’s why I most admire people who grew up religious and who The class began as a local initiative but has become an event
light the spark within,” she explains, and immediately adds that attended by hundreds of people every week, and many more
it’s not her idea: “Our sages explain that Yitzchak’s prayer was watch it online. The class combines traditional commentators
accepted because he was a ‘righteous man who was the son of a with personal stories, references to the news, the world of new
righteous man,’ as compared to Rebecca, a ‘righteous woman who media and the Israeli media, as well as letters that the audience
was the daughter of a wicked man.’ Why was Yitzchak’s prayer themselves send to Rahav-Meir to read in the shiur.
answered and not Rebecca’s? Wasn’t Rebecca on a higher level,
because she was a ba’alat teshuva? It seems that being a righteous “Among the general public,” says Sivan, “the reactions still sur-
son of a righteous man is not easy. If your father and grandfather prise me. I did broadcasts on TV for many years and people would
went to shul, in a world that constantly calls on us to innovate say ‘I saw you on TV.’ Okay, thanks for the update. But since I
and reinvent ourselves and to rebel and break conventions – yet began speaking about the deeper issues of life, the soul, the
you still go to the synagogue with enthusiasm – then you are on Torah, the commentaries, people connect to the content itself.
a truly high level.” They say to me, ‘I have an idea from the Ramban to add to what
you said,’ or ‘my wife was really moved by this commentary,’
and so on.
Does working in the largest news network in Israel and
the pressure associated with it bother you during the When I was chasing members of the Knesset for interviews,
days of selichot and teshuva? I never imagined that one day Keshet 12 would broadcast my
shiur on parashat haShavua. It’s not something I even dreamed of.”
“In recent years, the media has come to understand that the
pulse of Elul and Tishrei can translate into good ratings. There
are many broadcasts about selichot, and many places ask to inter- Can we say that you are the rabbi of the news people?
view me during this period, to talk about the holidays. They “Actually I’m more the address for questions people have about
understand that there is a huge public that is traditional, that the behavior of other religious people. As we know, each religious
hearts are opening, that the heavens are opening. Or maybe I’m person represents all religious people in the world, and I have to
just naive and the media just understands that it brings viewers,” explain everything they do. I try to answer matter-of-factly, if
she smiles. “In any case, I don’t feel a contradiction between the I have an answer. It is very important not to get emotional, not
essence of these days and work, for the most part. There are a to shout. I used to be upset and would come home angry after
lot of lectures, and great demand to hear them, in places that arguments like this. I hope that today I am more vocal, but also
are considered ‘far away’ from religion, and it’s great fun. The more calm. This is also my advice to others. But as the Rebbe of
King is in the field, and so are the people. It’s a shame that we Lubavitch already said: ‘My goal is not to win arguments, my
don’t have two months of Elul!” goal is to strengthen and help Jews.’ Meaning, my goal is not to
fight and win and say to myself ‘I showed him!’ This is not the
Doesn’t your work, and ours as well as members of the goal, not on the TV networks and not in life. The goal is to be
useful, if possible.
media, contradict the essence of teshuva? The ten-
dency to gossip and share bad news?
“For years I was an integral part of the media and accepted all
its basic assumptions. People say that the news station tells you
every evening at 8:00 pm ‘Good evening,’ and then proceeds, for

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