Really Hot, Proving No Claim to Israel

Everything is foreseen, yet free will is granted…the mystical side of Judaism and life

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths

It’s 10:30 PM… 88 degrees with 9% humidity, down from 99 degrees today.  It’s hot, really really hot.  And dry, really really dry.

I went out for 2 miles of exercise and became very concerned as I wasn’t sweating though I drank 3/4 liter of water.  Then I realized…I probably am sweating, but it’s evaporating before I even notice it.  I did not feel like I was overheating.  Would I notice?

Did I mention it’s hot?

I’ve been in hot weather before, but in Florida and New Jersey, where hot comes with humid.  In Florida it’s so humid that patio furniture gets mildew, and when it rains (frequently in the summer) it literally steams as it hits the hot road.  Actually makes it hard to air condition a car at night, as condensation and fogging is a constant problem.

If I stepped out for exercise in 88 degrees in Florida, I’d be soaked in sweat and ready to pass out in 10 minutes.

New Jersey summers aren’t quite as humid, and but a little bit hotter in pure temperature.  Nighttime exercise is a little bit more feasible, but still by no means pleasant.

In Israel, this is called a hamsin, meaning a heat wave.  In this instance it’s an “Arabian Desert Heat Wave”, very hot very dry and mostly clear HEAT.  (Desert heat waves in Israel often come together with dust, creating bad air conditions.)  And though I’ve been in Israel a while now, I’ve never experienced one this intense before.  We often get one, about 5-10 degrees cooler, during Sukkot – which matches a well known Midrash about the times of Moshiach.

It’s supposed to last the week, and possibly into Shavuos.  Thank G-d for A/C. 

On a related note, there’s been a few forest fires already – and there is suspicion that it’s “arson terrorism”  One might wonder how Palestinians can claim to love and want their homeland soooo much that they go out of their way to burn it and destroy it.  But as we learn from the story of Shlomo HaMelech and the two women who claimed a baby, the one who will do anything to save it – even giving it up – demonstrates that she is the mother.  And the one who would destroy it in SPITE proves they have no claim.

Photo – night view of my town this evening.