It was a sweltering day to be working in a greenhouse but it was such a satisfying day's work despite the non-stop shvitz.My companions were two incredible volunteers who despite physical/health constraints are two of the most enthusiastic and dedicated farm volunteers I know, people with a deep love of Am Yisrael and a smile and friendly word for everyone.
There's something meditative about a straightforward farm job, like trimming leaves from a tomato plant, you have to think, yes, but you get into a rhythm of the familiar and you can immediately see results as the "jungle" of stray leaves and shoots evens out into a colourful neat tapestry of bright cherry tomatoes hanging on the trimmed vines.
Today's work was further enhanced by two podcasts, though admittedly I did not understand a word of the first one because it was entirely in Thai. The presenter had a very pleasant, relaxing voice though. I enjoyed just listening to the music of the language while I clipped and pruned, at once focusing on NOT CUTTING THE STRINGS OR TOMATOES, while being soothed by a monologue in a language with which I have almost no familiarity. The Thai worker listening along seemed very intent on his work and the speaker, when I walked past he was smiling a warm contented smile as he listened and clipped the vines.
The second podcast was playing from the phone of a high school student from the village, a serious young man who works at the farm after school and through the summer.
He was on a channel aimed at helping young people prepare for national service and he was listening to an interview with an educator at a yeshiva pre-army programme talking about his life story and experiences.
It was absolutely fascinating, the man being interviewed (who's name I didn't catch) was deeply thoughtful, someone with great conviction and deeply held beliefs, but also someone who didn't gloss over experiences he found challenging or painful, but instead talked about how he grew from them, how they fashioned his world view and most importantly to him, how they shaped the way he performs his job as an educator who teaches classes in Gemara, Krav Maga and wilderness survivalism.
He said a great many things and if my hands hadn't been busy trimming cherry tomato vines I would have taken notes, but one of the things that stuck with me in particular was his comment that what marks Krav Maga as an Israeli martial art is how it draws from a Sabra ethos of using whatever you have to hand to protect yourself, a shoe, sand, and likewise survival skills are predicated on knowing how to make full use of your environment, being able to create what you need from what there is, not from what you wish you had.
He said spiritual, mental and soul survival should be thought of in the same way. What resources do you have to hand? What can you use to build up your mental and spiritual strength when you need to? Everything you have experienced, everyone you've ever met, all your knowledge, all the history of those who came before you, so many tools that people often fail to see or lack the creativity to explore or think about, even when maybe they are right in front of them.
I asked the youngster what he hopes to do during his army service. He answered with a slight air of bewilderment because this is the most obvious thing in the world: he wants to be a combat soldier when he finishes secondary school so that he can protect his home and community located near the Gaza border.
