From Genesis To Passover - A Pictorial History
From A Peaceful Shabbat Morning To Hell On Earth
I have always been taught, “When you have nothing to say, keep your mouth shut.” This is another way of saying, “It is better to stay quiet and let everyone think you are stupid than open your mouth and prove that you are.” Thus, my silence over the past month.
You may have to view this post online as the number of images exceeds the email limits.
So be it.
Over the past few weeks, I dealt with work, writing, and trying to meet a deadline for a journal article on AI. This is not the kind of journal you say “no” to, and since I have written quite a few pieces for them before, and their reputation is stellar, The View From Israel had to take a back seat. However, I continued to read the articles that came through my feed, and I especially want to apologize to
who always manages to make me want to choke him and pat him on the back at the same time and, to , who always makes me laugh. Her recent Passover piece was too funny and too close to the truth for comfort.Then I read all the other stuff. Everyone is reporting on Israel. Israelis on Israel. Americans on Israel. Canadians on Israel. Everyone has something to say. Some of it interesting, some of it dumb as shit, some of it mundane, some of it food for thought.
The flood of words expressing ideas, opinions, and deeply held convictions forces one to meditate on events. My mind, which many will tell you is the biggest mishkabobble of impossible ideas and dreams, was on AI and generative AI art. Now, if you do not know what a “mishkabobble” is, think of “bonkers,” “mixed-up” and “empty brain” altogether. Then you have a “mishkabobble.”
So there I was in my world, trying desperately to drown out the news and working on AI theory and its application to Generative Digital Art for a significant research article. Then, one day, without quite realizing it, while expermenting with AI Generative Images, I began to produce images of what had happened since 10/7 without realizing it. Suddenly, it was 4 AM, and I had a folder full of images. This is what happens when your brain is all in a mishkabobble.
View the post or junk it; here is a short pictorial history. (Did you know Kurt Vonnegut Jr. hated semi-colons? So I left that one in. Now, there is a thought to ruminate upon.) There are no trigger warnings here. I have left out the horrific, gruesome, and detailed demonic events.
It is just the passage of time in an infinite whirlwind of insanity.
Oh. Let us not forget the disclaimer. All images here are Copyright © 2024, Cobwebs Of The Mind, All Rights Reserved, and created by yours truly, Ted W. Gross. They are all “Generative Digitial Art” images. You may have to view this post online, as the number of images may exceed the limit. So be it.
It was the Sabbath. It was also the holiday of “Simchat Torah,” where the end of the Torah is read, and then Genesis is read. Genesis—the Beginning. Genesis—A Promise of a New Future. The holiday tables were laid out Friday night for the Sabbath and the Holiday. Challah, Candles, Wine and food for all.
The Sabbath and Holiday candles were lit, bringing light into the darkness.
Others were involved in quiet contemplation.
And others went to a Peace Concert & Rave to enjoy life.
We thought the angels were behind us and finally our Yom Kippur prayers were answered. It had been exactly 50 years since that traumatic war. We thought it was in the past.
But Hell was just a moment away. Satan & Lilith demanded their due.
And God remained silent.
Then the handgliders came bringing death and destruction.
The terrorists attacked.
On the Kibbutzim, the Moshavim and the Cities of Israel, the gates of hell opened up.
The Terrorists came.
And the people began to run to escape.
And they tried to hide from the terrorists.
And Death Followed.
And the next few hours brought the horrors home.
Desolation Reigned.
And over the world angry mobs came out against Israel, justifying Hamas and demanding death to Israel.
And the politicians met and tried to decide what to do.
And the inevitable happened.
And the Eye of the world was now upon Israel.
But even then the devesatatioin in Israel continued.
And those still alive and able to deal with the horror, returned to see what was once their homes.
And all the while time was running out for the kidnapped and the fighting soldiers.
And then the Grief and Mourning hit like a brick.
And the Lonliness.
Even together, there was total lonliness.
And the War, Death and Destruction continued, as 136 hostages remained in captivity.
And many took solace in what they knew. Trying to understand the ways of God.
Even as the blood of innocents is spilled and becomes a flowing river, and those who protect the Jewish State are murdered.
And when Iran became directly involved, the world demanded Israel stop and let the guilty go. Forget what happened. Move on.
Because they are worried they could end up like this.
So now we are at Passover. Also called the “Holiday of Freedom.” And we prepare for the Seder and Passover.
We will remind ourselves that we went from slavery to freedom. We will remind ourselves that it was the Hand of God that is One. And we will beg, cry, pray and hope that the silence in the heavens is broken.
Yet, still, our hostages are not back. We are still at war. The silence in the heavens continues. The angels cry. The cemeteries are backed up from funeral to funeral.
In the Hagaddah the book we read at the Seder on the first night of Passover, we read about the 10 plagues visited upon Egypt. The first being turning water into blood.
And now we too face a waterfall of blood.
Dearest Reader:
If you reached the end of this post, may your Passover and Easter which has passed, be truly one of Freedom. May the silence of the heavens end. May all the wishes of your heart and those of your families and friends be answered only for the good. And may we see the return of the hostages and the end to those who wish to destroy us during our lives and within this holiday.
May we all be able to experience joy, love, happiness and contentment once again. And whether you believe or not believe in a God, may the heavens open to our prayers, and grant us an end to this horror and insanity.
Glad to see you back, friend! I was concerned about your silence and hoped all was well, or at least as well as can be expected.
chag kasher vesameach! hope the idf heroes are soon to be around your seder table, and that you're able to fulfill your mitzvah of vehigadeta levincha, the mandatory telling , father-to-son, including what your own sedorim were all about when we were there...