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JEWS

with
VIEWS Ruth Gil

Diner Hoffman

Ajourney alone, rejecting Mesopotamian W
hen I was born, my grandmothers on
vraham Avinu was the first to ask:
both sides wanted me to be named
Who created the world? A seeker from
a young age, he searched for a tran-
Ya’akov, in memory of one’s father
scendent creator. He went through this
and another’s grandfather. But my
parents had already decided to
We asked five culture, all while dealing with childlessness, name me Gil, which is one of several Hebrew
relocation and Akeidat Yitzchak, among other
words that mean happiness.
Just as the many words for snow in the
accomplished challenges. Eskimo language each have different nuances,
The one constant was Avraham's deep
faith in Hashem. He continuously rediscovered so do the Hebrew words for happiness. We later
Jews from Hashem’s kindnesses even within his struggles, found out that Gil is joy from receiving good
news – a perfect fit for my career as a journalist.
seeing each challenge as a message from G-d to
come closer to Him. Out of respect for my grandmothers, my
around the sheds light on Avraham’s uniqueness. A king name is Gil Ya’akov, which can translate into
The Midrash (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 5:11)
“he will monitor with happiness”, which fits my
commanded two servants to fill reed baskets new job leading the monitoring of international
world: with water, but since the baskets had holes, media coverage of Israel.
Ya’akov Avinu had a very eventful life
all the water spilled out. While one servant
Which one of was deeply frustrated, considering the task a that would have kept the media busy. He was
complete waste of time, the other was content
born into a power struggle with his brother
to fulfill his master’s command. The Vilna Gaon that intensified. He used brilliant political
our forefathers explains that the king’s intention was to clean maneuvers to purchase and then receive his
the baskets, and so it was irrelevant whether
father’s blessing.
the water could be contained. The goal was the He dealt with challenges from his corrupt
or foremothers process itself; the end did not matter. father-in-law and internal family strife among
Though he did not understand G-d’s plan,
his wives and sons. Only when the first female
and the Akeidah seemed to contradict Hashem’s journalist – Serah Bat Asher – informed him that
do you turn promises, Avraham was content to fulfill his his son Joseph was still alive and he reunited with
him did he obtain the happiness he deserved.
Master’s command. He remained focused on the
Whenever there have been challenges in
to most for process of serving Him, trusting G-d, completely my life, I have turned to Ya’akov for inspiration
– teaching all of us, his descendants, the power
of simple faith. and pondered how much he overcame. Our
inspiration? man promised as many children as the stars of forefathers bequeathed their descendents – the
As Rabbi Jonathan Sacks once wrote: “The
Jewish people – their ability to prevail over every
the sky has one child to continue the covenant. obstacle. May we continue to do that – with joy.
The man promised the land “from the river of
Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates” Gil Hoffman is the executive director of
has acquired one field and a tomb. But that is
enough.” HonestReporting, the former chief political cor-
respondent of The Jerusalem Post and the only
Ruth Diner is the deputy principal of Yeshiva College speaker known to have lectured about Israel in
Girls High School in Johannesburg, South Africa. all 50 US states.

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