Clambering Clouds

When I first came to Israel, I worked at Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu raising the newborn calves in the dairy. A seventy-year-old German Jew, a Yeki, by the name of Menachem Hess, of blessed memory, taught me how to take care of the calves. We worked together every day. Sometimes I made him smile. Sometimes I made him laugh. Sometimes I think I surprised him at how hard I was willing to work. Generally I think I aggravated him with my unorganized ways. Once, I remember that I made him angry.
Sde Eliyahu is located in the Jordan Valley between the Gilboa and the Gilad mountain ridges. I would usually start my workday right after sunrise with a contemplative cup of coffee. The scenery was fantastic, especially for a person that had just spent ten years in Manhattan. The Jordan Valley is on the migratory route for birds traveling from Europe to Africa. I would watch enormous flocks of pelicans or storks drift by in donut shaped patterns. Once, I found a beautiful hawk that had died on the way. On a really crisp winter morning, I would be treated to Mount Hermon, white capped, floating in the air. It's pretty far from the kibbutz and the bottom is hidden behind the invisible Golan. Best of all was watching the clouds paint their silhouettes on the mountains.
One winter morning, I stopped my work and stood staring at the Gilboa mountains for several minutes. I turned to Menachem and asked him if it was difficult for clouds to climb over the mountains. He snapped at me to stop with the silliness and get back to work. Out of all of his amazing traits, I think his poetic nature was buried the deepest.
Well, that particular morning is at least eight years in the past. I moved to Bat Ayin almost six years ago. Bat Ayin is on the side of the mountain range that overlooks the coastal plain. Here at Bat Ayin, we know a lot about clouds. I woke up at dawn for davening this morning and stepped outside to have a cup of tea. As I looked out at the beautiful scenery, I realized that I had finally gotten my answer. I also realized that the only way for me to have gotten that answer was to leave Sde Eliyahu and move to Bat Ayin.
When I learn this week's parasha, I can learn some beautiful lessons and I can understand it as a deep and meaningful allegory. But I think that is a mistake. When Abraham realized that he had a Yiddishe Neshama, God told him to come to Israel. Abraham didn't interpret is as an allegory and neither did I. When I needed to know what God whispered in Abraham's ear, I had to buy a ticket on El-Al.
Oh, and if you want to know the answer about the clouds, come to Bat Ayin and I'll make you a cup of tea.