How does a father explain to his kids living the religious life in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet that he's making a living playing that ol' devil's music?
By DAVID BRINNEliezer Blumen 88 248(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
How does a father explain to his kids living the religious life in Ramat Beit Shemesh Bet that he's making a living playing that ol' devil's music? For Eliezer Blumen, the answer is no farther than Parshat Bereshit on the tree of knowledge.
"I explain to them that there are some big neshamas out there making music. Jimi [Hendrix] was a big neshama, but sometimes his words were not so holy, so I explain how the evil inclination and the inclination to do good sneak up into one person, just like in all of us," says Blumen, adding that the trick is to learn how to channel the inclination to do good.
At the Blumen home, there's no television. The family rents movies for the five children, ranging from toddler to 11, and Blumen has started sitting with his eldest, who's learning to play drums, and listening to Bob Dylan music together.
"You have to expose the kids but in a smart way. In their early stages, their godly soul isn't strong, and they often don't have a fair playing ground. A kid is obviously going to want to watch whatever stupid thing is on TV if given a chance," says Blumen.
He differs with the majority of his neighbors who shun anything secular, including serving in the IDF. However, while he would not oppose his children going into the army, he's not going to force it upon them.
"We talk about the army all the time. My wife's family all did army service. There's a lot of ways a person can serve," says Blumen. "These days, you have the body and you have the soul, and I feel that it's a big mitzva for people to go into the army to guard the body of Am Yisrael. At the same time, there are so many Israeli kids - I see them in Tel Aviv, I speak to them - they don't even know Shma Yisrael. So the Rebbe was very much into the 'army of Hashem [God]' - people should go out and initiate Jewish education on a grassroots level.
"I told my son - he's going to have to decide, to see what his abilities are and what the best way is he can help Am Yisrael."
Ultimately, Blumen feels that even though he's living in a haredi bubble, it's important that his children understand the bigger picture and the complex mosaic that makes up Israeli society.
"I just had this conversation with someone in the neighborhood. I was telling him, 'Your kids need to cope in this world, why do you make them so small?' It's like the story of the angels when God gives the Torah. 'Why are you giving the Torah to them? These people are so small, and the Torah is so holy,' they tell God. He answers, 'That's why I made the world and made them. I know they're going to fall, but they're also going to learn.' I think that's the way we need to be in the world. We need to deal with these things. You can't hide from it."
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