Flop the Flip

As I suggested last time here is the blog on that most horrendous of terminologies: "Flipping Out". I'm sure once I get to Israel most of my blogs will have a religious nature to them, so for those of you who care to read this site, be prepared for such theological tendencies. But before I get to the Holy Land I think it would be fitting to discuss my views on what the year in Israel could mean for a boy or girl coming out of his/her teens (or a 23-year-old young man trying to reconstruct his life for that matter). It is a wonderful opportunity to grow in nearly every way possible: emotionally, physically (assuming the Yeshiva has decent exercise accommodations, which many now do), spiritually/religiously and in maturity as well. Indeed, the year in Israel can help structure the rest of a young persons life. Those who feel lost, often find themselves. Those who were lazy learn how to work hard.Those who just liked to party and be a hedonist in high school, many times settle down and realize there's much more to life. And most importantly, many who never had any real connection to G-d and Judaism see the emes and experience the beauty, power, and positive-nature of true yidishkite. Unfortunately this alteration of life has been deemed "flipping out", and it is connotatively said with the most negative, if not evil, of tones. Parents are sometimes horrified to see their sons in white and black, wearing their tzizit out, going to minyan 3x a day, learning in their spare time, not talking loshon hara (the acid of destruction in many communities), not socializing as much with members of the opposite sex, saying brachos and maybe even wearing a black hat!!
I for one am all for this "flipping out". I'm sure many people would make the argument that for a good number of students it's just a fad, a phase, the "in-thing" to do. And unfortunately this is true. Many people do go on a downward spiral religiously after they leave Israel and go to college; it sadly seems inevitable in some cases. My answer to this is the following: even if these people lose all they gained in Israel (though many do retain certain religous habbits or ideologies), at least they had that brief time in their lives when they tasted the awesome truth that lies in Torah. And even if it was a phase in their lives they still did so many mitzvot in that time that they do get schar for.
One of the saddest things in the world to me is seeing people who got frum and seemed to have so much structure, lose it all the further away they get from Israel. Whether it's apathy, anger or sorrow that takes them over, I've seen people lose that glow, and genuine fervence that not only surrounded them, but emitted rays of inspiration to those around them as well (and it's even sadder when shame takes them over after they sink, and even though they know what the real emes is, they're too embarrassed and even weak to attempt to "flip" once more). I've shed tears seeing this. It depresses me, and frustrates me to the point of muted eruption.

Yet, on the flip side I've seen people who were so lost, who people might have seen as hopeless (and I'm sure there own self image was the same for some) completely change their lives around. In Israel they found direction, meaning and most importantly happiness (and to those people who say they're happy but feel guilty at the same time-for whatever action(s)they do, that is not really happiness, it is a shadowed version of it that can never reach the grandeur of its wholesome cousin). Seeing this is wonderful. These people inspire me. They make me smile. It is not only amazing to see such growth in people, but to also talk to them, and hear the difference in their speech, feeling the amazing midot that flow out of them. People like this do good, and cause others to do good as well. I can already see the change wanting to blossom in many of the 16-year-olds I'm privledged to know, and thouh there's still a year or two of immaturity in them which needs to run its course (and this is why I'm leanient with them in many areas), I can't wait to see them in a couple of years. To use an old Raleigh term: It'll be frickin' great! And I'm totally psyched to see the boys in Yeshiva grow over the next year.

I hate sleaz and scum, and strive for a life of purity, and I think that the year in Israel (and even Israel as a whole) offers and achieves that in a way the U.S.(and certainly college) never can. If over the year I grow in all the aforementioned ways, if I attain such purity, if I find treasure chests filled with Torah knowledge, if I become a true mensch with great midot, and if I do manage to inspire, and (for me) gain real happiness, then let me "flip out". I know I won't be wearing a black hat (I'm not against it, but I know it's not me), but may change my dress. I may not make my often very funny, but slightly inappropriate remarks, but my natural wit will still be there. I may not drive to Boston and back in a single night to see Guster but, I...on second though if they're playing with the Pops again I probably will- so scratch that. Yet, I may not go to see The Gin Blossoms at Mulchaheys (a bar), but my great taste in music will still be apart of me. I may miss an inning at Shea to say mincha or maariv, but I'll still love my Mets. And I may decide to curtail a lot of my emotion, but my passion will still be underneath it all. I'm honestly not sure if some or any of these changes will occur (and if they will last). But hearing myself say these words I am reaffirmed of the positivity of this term of "flipping out". I for one don't call it that though. I like to say "growing" or at worst "frumed out". As in, "Michael really grew a lot his year in Israel", or "Baruch Hashem, Jonathan really frumed out, he's on a solid derech now".
Looking at it from this perspective, is it really such a bad thing? If you say yes, you might be flipping nuts.