Living in Zfat ?

B"H

I still haven't given up the idea of living in Zfat (Safed) but when I was there for a few hours yesterday, it really went on my nerves that too many people are doing nothing. If I am not sick (as at the moment suffering from a cold), I am usually very energetic. I run around, collect material for my writings and work a lot. Sometimes too much and the result is that I am lacking sleep.

However, I cannot understand people doing nothing the whole day. Maybe I got plenty of energy from my life in Tel Aviv. In Tel Aviv you run the entire day in order to make a living. You don't sit and wait until something is finally happening. You just run. 

Jerusalem, on the other hand, is very different and there people rather like to sit. Not only various frum Jews but the seculars as well. They sleep, rest, talk, then move on to the soup kitchen at noon, talk, rest, walk, rest. For many years, those people succeeded in doing nothing and didn't even bother to look for a job. However, the worldwide economical crisis has left its marks and even Zedakah institutions have difficulties in raising funds. It seems as if the whole world is just looking for people to donate.

I have never seen such greed for meat as in Jerusalem. As soon as you sit down at a Shabbat table, people just start shuffling everything inside. Coca Cola, chicken, Kugel, anything. Especially Shnitzels and chicken. As if they don't get any of this during the week. No matter whether Yeshiva students, seminary girls, the poor or just ordinary people, people grab as fast as they can.

All those thoughts accompanied me on my walk through Zfat yesterday. A friend of mine warned me not to move to Zfat: "You know too many bums and as soon as you find a place there, they will all show up. Show up, sit and empty out your fridge. The worst case is when they stand in front of your door with a suitcase. Then you won't get rid of them anymore ! In case you do move to Zfat, keep your address secret. Otherwise people live off you expenses".

I thought about this opinion and know that my friend is right. However, I still haven't decided and let me tell you: Even in Tiberias I am keeping my address secret.