My Meshek is My Neshek

Meshek can be defined as economy,  resources or productive power.  It is where we work, make a living and a home using our creativity and ingenuity .   It can be anything from a farm to a job to a community.     I live on a farm with land to raise my animals, plant my vegetables, make compost, salve and soap, and wool products from my sheep.   This is my way of holding back the flood of “progress”, the digital evolution and foreign take-over.   The ever-encroaching technocratic world is driving us into a distinctly separate and shallow existence.  Far removed from the homesteading life of our not-so-distant ancestors.    This was done by design to reign in control over the masses and remove our sovereignty  and rule over our own land..  (Neshek, of course, is a weapon)

My way of rebelling , is to be outside planting and building my farm, ignoring mandates and for the most part, staying away from active involvement in social media.  Here I raise my kids in abundance, gratitude and self-reliance.  Teaching them to be fearless and dedicated soldiers of Hashem.   To use the land,  to be willing to do the physical work of running a farm , to be outside and appreciate our blessings.  My meshek keeps me grounded, connected, and somewhat sane.  It allows me independence, generosity,  creativity and balance.   Most of my time is spent outdoors with my hands in the dirt or buried in the wool of my sheep raised on this land, similar to what our wise ancestors of the Torah did.  We are continuing where they left off.

Just as  many of us rebelled over what became a police state during corona, this new /old threat requires weapons that wield enough power to push back and hold our ground, literally.   It is a new kind of warfare meant  to remove Jews from their land so that the diaspora will never end.  It is being done quietly and in the name of “security” while Arabs, wealthy elite and politicians make deals to suit their own means,  while consistently rebranding Jewish sovereign land.  Meanwhile, most Jews are being pushed into skyscraping apartment complexes in crowded cities,  resulting in dependence on outside sources to supply them with basic necessities. 

The threat of AI take over means you can be locked in or out of your car, home, bank account , medical records, credit card or be denied the ability to buy food or gas.    These things are a reality and not so far off from what is threatening to be a digital prison.   In short, they are quietly removing our meshek which is our most valuable neshek:   our freedom, self-determination,  individuality , creativity , our community and it’s resources.      

Where we spend our time and energy building a family, a business, a future, a passion,  and a connection to Hashem,  this is our meshek.   Some use the pen, others, the podium.  Some use prayer, others, protest.    Each of us has their own way of holding the line.  All of it is needed and I feel Hashem is calling us forward to do our part.

For me, my most important means of doing my part, is living off the land we were given.   Hashem gave us this land to nurture, to use for our sustenance and to protect , guard and keep it safe from evil.  The more the  push to pull us away , the harder we have to “stand our ground”, by living and working that same piece of ground.  When we are investing time, money, blood, sweat and tears, that piece of ground becomes more than just  real estate.  It becomes our stronghold, our last line of defense and a connection so strong, we are willing to put up with all the challenges that lie before us.

God did not say I will give you fancy houses and expensive cars.   He said, “ I give you this land.”  He singled out the land and repeated His promise over and over. Made sure we understood how important this land is to Him and to the Jews.  We yearned to return for thousands of years.  Each generation of the diaspora prayed and promised to return.  We have finally come back, yet the attempt at separating us from this land is still alive and well.  Our government is giving away our most precious resource and the land our forefathers walked, to unruly Arabs to appease them.  And selling off our land to the highest bidder or as bargaining chips in “peace deals” , while our soldiers and citizens die defending it. 

In recent wars and “viruses”, our citizens were uprooted  from their homes and displaced being forced to live in temporary houses, tents and hotels.  They have tried desperately to shame us, terrorize us, separate us from our land, our culture, our traditions, our God and from our birthright.  So much so, that even though the Jews have returned to Israel, the same “they” are still playing the same game, with the same target of removing us from our land. 

 In “peace deals”, Jews have been forced to leave their land, such as in Gush Qatif and Yamit, with the Golan slowly simmering on the stove as a future, possible "land for peace" deal.  In Yehuda and the Shomron, the Jews are being persecuted day and night for their presence on the land.  It is a never-ending battle for the land and for Jews being made to feel like we shouldn’t be here.   This once Jewish stronghold has been given a foreign status by our so-called  “leaders”.  When referring to Yehuda and Shomron, the mainstream mouthpiece calls it a nameless , generic “lands” (shtachim) and the Jewish people “settlers”, insinuating, temporary, misplaced, misled and a nuisance.  These lands have been captured and held by the "other" and, once again to appease the Arab demands, legally denied to Jewish citizens. In the face of this overwhelming backlash, the Jews continue to carve out farms and communities to make their presence known.   These strong, amazing pilgrims continue to build up Yehuda and Shomron despite wavering support, flimsy protection and an unclear stance on our presence there from our government.

However, our blood, sweat and tears have tied us to this holy ground.  We have buried our sons and daughters in this sacred land and we are still sacrificing, every day,  just to hold our beloved meshek together.   Hashem has bestowed his blessings on us.  We are able to grow food, sustain economy, hold all the ingathering of the exiles and fight off our endless enemies from within and without.  All on this tiny piece of property that is constantly under siege from evil.   Our meshek is our miracle and we continue to see Hashem’s hand protecting and guiding us through troubled waters.  

When Jews are on their land,  connecting and creating, there becomes an unbreakable bond.  This is what “they’re’ afraid of.  This is the power they don’t want us to have.  The push for digital, high rise dwelling is exactly the opposite of working the land.  I’m not saying everyone needs to move out of the cities, Hashem is bringing everyone back in His own way, What I am saying, is that living in a high rise is a kind of separation from the land.  A shmittah, if you will, until it’s time for the full geulah.  I am not here to offend anyone.  We are all doing what we are called to do and exactly where we are supposed to do it.  My point is that when we are living close to the land, we are less susceptible to outside influences, distractions or loss of self-identity.  When we are one with the land, we are one with fulfilling  that part of  our destiny. 

Our Tanach has given us a road map to live by daily.  Our harvest, holidays , traditions, and mitzvot are all based on our seasons, lands, cities and the Holy Temple in Israel. Many of our blessings and mitzvot are very specific to Israel.   These are blessings given in Hashem’s chosen language of His people in His land.   Every parasha of the Torah tells the story of our sojourn in, around , out and back again to our land that Hashem promised to keep for us.  It all comes back to The Land , Torah and to the people working together for Hashem.

Roots:  planting, building, beginning, holding, foundation, gathering sustenance from the soil....     As we continue to lay claim to the land, we are putting down our roots , Strong deep roots and cannot and will not be pulled up without a tremendous fight.    Our roots are strong, reach deep into the earth and rock and spread out over forests and deserts, mountains and  valleys.   One of our many valued Jewish traditions is to plant trees on Tu’bshvat.  It is symbolic that we are constantly planting and putting down new roots, trusting that those trees will provide stability, shade, food and connection for the future generations who will watch them grow and gain strength from their provisions.         

So although , yes, we carry weapons in our holsters and send missiles to the sky to fend off our genocidal neighbors, our greatest neshek, is our steadfastness to hold down the meshek.  To put down roots, raise our families, live off the land and continue holding the line until the time comes when we have fulfilled our destiny and Hashem brings Mashiach to build the Holy Temple .   This is the neshek they don’t want us to wield, this is the power they fear.    Jews in Israel, taking back our land, our birthright, and our destiny.