"Who Saw Who Heard About the Ten Dibrot" Israel Ring

From: "Who Saw Who Heard About the Ten Dibrot" Israel Ring

"The Shomer is"…
In my opinion, it is possible to understand this phrasing both as a portrayal of an ideal and as road signs. It doesn't have absolute dictations or commands for immediate and complete performance. It isn't the phrasing of a dictating indoctrination, but of educational guidance.

In other words: the ten dibrot admit the difference between the current state and the desired state, and try to motivate those who believe in them to lift the level of reality to the height of the desired vision. They do not ignore the justified fear, that there will forever remain a gap between the two levels – between the goals and those climbing towards them. But because of this the movement is not willing to give up the climbing in itself.

It is clear that we are entering here a conflict with a view of the world. An opposite view would claim that it is better to teach young people to quickly adjust to the existing situation. It is better not to delude them, not to motivate them to unrealistic objectives.

In general, the entire issue of emphasizing the desired state over the realistic state is dangerous. It does not let people appreciate modest achievements and to accept themselves the way they are; it causes disturbances and revolts. It would be better to state "The Shomer is"… and immediately list qualities which help the teenager to make a career in the given society. For example: "The Shomer is bright and careful". "The Shomer knows to calculate his profits against his losses". "The Shomer will help out people who might pay him back with help", and such.
Instead, what do the dibrot induce? They urge youngsters to aspire high and fail in life! To be a man of truth!! To live in chalutzic purity!!

We must openly admit the terrible crime: it is true, a Shomer is a pretentious, ambitious, climbing creature, a person who is not willing to calm down in front of the TV, in the back seat of a car, in daddy's bank account or in the clouds of temporary intoxication of the last fashionable drug. The Shomer wants to go far. He wants his youth to be a starting point to leadership. He wants to know what this leadership is at this time, how it can be achieved, actualized, lived. He demands much from himself and his companions. He does not want to be smug. He doesn't want to relax in a fictitious shelter.

The Shomer wants to understand very real things, very fatal things: how it is possible to create a more significant life, how it is possible to change for the better – himself, his nation, the world.

This is the ideal of those on the road, trying to realize themselves for over 60 years already. It is an ideal that – even as it has matured into "old age" – has not put to shame the ambitious youth who created it. In fact, the historical Shomer took in complete seriousness Buber's famous saying: "youth is the eternal chance for the happiness of humanity".

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From independence to preliminary obedience: the worst thing that could happen to the youth is that no one would try to "implant" anything in them. That every adult will only present them with mediocre choices, lukewarm problems, deliberations here and there, - That no teacher, parent or guide would take the responsibility for a certain perception or for a personal ability to identify with ideals and sincerely fight for them. This neutrality that is so recommended by the "freedom" protectors, that call not to interfere with the young's soul and fear indoctrination as a black plague – this neutrality will not lead to independent and vigorous thought, but will teach the young a totally different lesson: "the whole thing isn’t worth it", "what's the fuss about?", "enthusiasm is unnecessary ", "every one is right and/or wrong".

Self-neutralization of education is a symptom of the illness of a society that no longer believes in it's own right to exist. Every healthy society, every movement that believes in its path (religious as well as secular) has always seen itself obligated to educate their sons in light of their path and goals.

Youngsters need challenges and living role models. These are not only patterns of thinking, but also reserves of emotion and will. What brings us to fertile intellectual thought and action is a strongly emotional clash, positive or negative. A person agrees with all his heart or objects with all his heart. Freezing ideas in a "logic freezer" is a good way to send them to museums.

Our movement learned quickly to adapt educational methods accordingly to the age of chanichim. There is no doubt that the younger kids (11-13 years old) expect clear instructions rather than problem solving. Kids want to be led, either by a leading character their own age or by a mature madrich. He who wants to teach them the commandments of Hashomer-Hatzair shouldn't expect them to open a deep discussion over every commandment.

But if the madrich avoids "influencing" them in order to maintain their independence, he should at least remember that other "influence channels" aren't as delicate and sensitive as he is. The implanting of new ideas, laws, wills and ideals is ongoing day by day and year by year. And the media, the street culture, schools, parents, children books and adults advise are all competing for this influence.

In this way an absurd situation will occur: a delicate, understanding educational movement that restrains itself not to make its positive mark on the "young soul", and at the same time, the young soul goes through a process of kneading and shaping by indelicate and irresponsible factors. The result: not a free soul but a mashed and crooked soul. Proofs? The flourishing health of the western culture.

Whoever presents the commandments for the first time to younger ages, has to present them again to the teenagers, so they can see them critically, in an independent and growing thought. The youth movement is the best opportunity for independent
Thought, encouraged by common thought.

Now, while presenting his own opinion, by his beliefs and in the most honest way, the madrich enables a free argument and also fuels it by introducing opposing opinions.

The 14-18 years old are anyway in the midst of their rebellious years and are required to swing between the current values and the desired values. The madrich is called for help. If he will try to "sell" them the movement’s views as the one and only way, without competition – doubt if he will succeed. But if he will show himself and them that the movements values stand firmly in the struggle, and grow from confrontation with opponents – he will help a lot to the freedom of thought and to the enrooting of the shomeric perception.

So let it be clear, folks: Hashomer Hatzair isn't a youth club; isn't a saloon community; isn't a dance club; It is a pioneering youth movement that has to swim against the stream, and does its part to rescue these people from second exile within the homeland, from sick materialism, from destructive economic parasitism, from white-outside and dirty-inside collars, from fancy and empty declarations that hide a bulldozer expanding deadly gaps between rich and poor, between ethnic groups, between people. Whoever thinks only of maneuvering his independence and of pampering his bellybutton, and all of the above is boring for him – his place isn't in Hashomer Hatzair.