Navi
Akiva Lane
Copyright 2022, all
rights reserved - back to www.navihero.com
Contents
Scene2 – After Shabbos meal, David & Chavi Kahn’s dining
room, several weeks later
Scene 3 – Stein’s living room in Ramat Beit Shemesh
Scene 4 – at Rabbi Yoseph Shimon’s study
Scene 5 – In the office in Ramat Beit Shemesh
Scene 6 – The next week, in the Israeli Office
Scene 7 – In small house in the woods were they are being
held captive
Scene 8 – In the back seat of the Police car driving Yossi
& David to Ramat Beit Shemesh
Scene 9 – David, Chavi, and family on Shabbos -
Scene 10 – David & Chavi’s Living room - one evening
Scene 11 – David & Yossi in the Israeli Office
Scene 13 – Yossi & David’s Office – eating lunch
Scene 14 – Interview with Fox News
Scene 15 – Parking lot near the Tel Aviv port
(Entry scene with no
dialog – Yossi picks up David early in
the morning, they say the morning prayers in synagogue, they drive to
and park
at the LIRR stop, take the train. Yossi is on his smart phone, David
learns
Gemorah. They get off the train and walk to their offices on Madison at
58th
street in midtown.) -01
(Yossi Stein
walks into David Kahn’s office.)
It’s a beautiful spring day, what do you say
we eat our lunch in Central Park?
David
Sure thing.
(See them walking
along 58th street towards the
park, enter at 59th street and 5th avenue, and
walk a bit
into the park, and sit at a park bench and eat their lunch and talk.)-03
David-04
Yossi, you seem more energetic that usual, if that’s
possible. What’s up?
Yossi-05
You know our neighbor Alex Rosen, the
lawyer who we see on the the Long Island Raiload every day? He has some large clients who are looking for
a new ad agency. I showed them some of
our work, and they’ve tentatively agreed to our working with them as an
independent agency. I’ve also been
talking to other friends, and I think I can line up a bunch of good
clients,
and we could go out on our own.
David-06
Yeah,
we’ve been talking about this for a while.
I’ll have to know a LOT more details.
Yossi, you know my position, we’ve got steady, reliable jobs now. As you know, I’m not a big risk taker, and I
like to be really careful before I make changes – especially big
changes like this.
Yossi-07
You’re smart enough to know where I’m going with this. We
can combine this with another dream – we can move to Israel, and work
from own
office near our homes.
Yossi, we’ve known each other almost all our lives – I know
in your mind that’s the next step. And you know very well that I don’t
like to
make radical moves, without looking at every angle. I’m not a risk
taker. I
insist on thinking things through very, very carefully, until they’re
crystal
clear.
Yossi-09
David, have I EVER steered you wrong? 6 years ago when I
married Esti, I introduced you to her best friend Chavi,
and now
we’ve both got 3 beautiful kids, and we’re earning big bucks, living in
nice
houses, and can support them in style.
David-10
Yossi, you’re my best friend, but things are not always as
simple as you paint them. We’ve got a good thing going here – it’s just
not my
nature to bust it up – for a dream? Look, you’ve given me a lot of good
advice
over the years. But who knows, part of
me would have preferred being a teacher in a religious school atmosphere rather than
being in
the advertising world where, frankly, I almost always feel pulled to
cut
corners in terms of honesty. In the life I left behind I might have had
less
money, but the work would have felt cleaner.
Yossi-11
But David, this is an opportunity of a lifetime! You know as
well as I do that sometimes you just think too much, think TOO deeply.
In
Yeshiva you were the brain, you’ve gone through the Talmud 3 times,
with umteen
commentaries. But this could be a dream come true, within our grasp,
ours for
the taking, and we can make it into a reality. It’s just a matter of
dotting the
I’s a crossing the T’s.
David-12
OK,
let’s say we jump and grab and live the dream as you're
suggesting, – and
what happens if the dream then falls apart? What if there’s a
recession,
and the work dries up, and we can't find jobs that are as good there,
and we have to unravel things and move back to
the US and find new jobs? Or let’s say our kids don’t adjust? Or what
if they love Israel, and don’t want to move back, and we can only
find
jobs in the US, and we have to start commuting to Israel on weekends. I
don’t think I
could take
that stress.
Yossi-13
But David, just think, if we play our cards right, we can
move with our families to Israel, work from our own office, and make American money. For thousands of years
Jews have been wandering the globe, and now we can join half the Jewish
people
who have already returned to our Holy Land - and we can be part of
that, and
still live very comfortably.
David-14
Look, all my brothers and
sisters and their families live in the US, and both of our parents are getting on in years, and
they all live
near us in Woodmere. And my three kids, they’re happy here where they
are.
Yossi-15
David, sometimes things that sparkle on the outside also
sparkle on the inside. If I can get a bunch of definite clients, you've got
to
at least consider it. We
have our style of
working together. In every project that we get, I see the big picture,
and get the ball rolling. And then you put your thinking cap
on and
come up with the most brilliant, creative stuff that knocks everybody’s
socks
off. Let’s make this another of those projects. I’m excited, I see the
dream –
go ahead and look into it deeply, and see to it that all the pieces fit
together. This is a big opportunity - to
live a dream
that the Jewish people have had for 2000 years.
David-16
Yossi (laughing), you’re a great salesman as usual. OK, I
won’t dismiss it out of hand. Do your homework, and look into getting some clients. Look, I’ve discussed this often
with Chavi, and neither of us are in favor of jumping. When you think you've got some ducks lined up, then why
don’t you and Esti come over after Shabbos, and we’ll all talk it over. We’ll talk about the Holy Land after the Holy
Day of Shabbos.
(Yossi & Esti
Stein, David & Chavi Kahn)
Esti -01
Chavi, it’s great to see you again – I think it’s been over 2 months! I love what you’ve done with your living room. We got our
regular
baby sitter, and I guess your kids are all asleep.
Chavi-02
It’s not like the old days, when we were inseparable,
practically living in each other’s houses. But isn’t family life
non-stop,
barely giving us time to breathe – or sleep!
We really should get together for at least coffee every week.
Yossi-03
Well, if it’s OK, I’m going start the ball rolling. First of
all, thanks for being open minded about this potentially incredible
life-altering move for all of us. I’ve
lined up 3 ad accounts that say they are eager for us to do their ad
work.
They’re hot to trot –and I must say mainly because of David’s creative genius. They’re all ready from day one.
And we’d be making a lot more money than
we’re making now.
Second, I’ve been
talking to our friends who live in Ramat
Beit Shemesh, a great Ango community in Isrfael.
They recommended real estate agents, who say there are great
places we
can rent or buy. They’re not cheap, but
the prices here have also gone up, and we can probably sell our houses
for a
bundle and make the move quite easily. And third, all our kids are
under 6,
they’ll learn Hebrew easily, and there are good schools they can go to.
So
that’s my homework.
Esti-04
I just want to say I’m on board also. We’ve
been talking about moving to Israel
since we got married. It seems like a golden opporunity. We know a lot
of
families who have made the move, and they say their families have
adjusted
well.
Chavi-05
I don't like putting water on the fire, but David and I have have spent a lot of time talking about
this, and we’re not as gung-ho as both of you are. We’re not
discounting it –
but we both feel a lot more cautious about it. Jumping jobs, and
jumping
continents seems a bit much all in one fell swoop.
We all know that Yossi is one of the world’s
best salesmen, that he could sell the Brooklyn Bridge to a Yokel. But this is our lives, our future, our
families. And almost all of our
relatives, especially our parents who are not getting any younger, are
here in
America. David and I feel we should be cautious and tread lightly.
David-06
Yossi, your enthusiasm is one of your great qualities. And
as Chavi says, this is a major move. There’s something called the
unknown, the
unpredictable, the unexpected. It’s a
lot to change in the blink of an eye.
So I’m going to make a
suggestion. It’s now May. How about we try
it for 3
months? We’ll take a leave of absence from our jobs, do work for the
companies
you’ve got lined up on a trial basis, and live and work in Israel for a few months. We’ll see how we like it.
We’ll try this one step at a time. What do
you say?
(Yossi & Esti look
at each other, and nod agreement.)
Yossi-07
OK, we’re in.
Let’s start planning our three month work-vacation pilot trip in
Israel.
(The Kahn’s and the
Stein’s are at the Kennedy airport, they’re
at Ben Gurion airport, they go to their apartments and unpack, they’re
at the
Kotel, at Masada, at the promenade in Ashkelon, David and Yossi are
working on
their laptops and 2nd screens that they brought to their
office near
their homes in Ramat Beit Shemesh.)
(All this to the
background music of Our Hearts are in
Yisroel)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDu8ImGqIDc
(A few days later they
all meet with their kids in the
Stein’s apartment after breakfast.)
Yossi
David, what’s up, why did you call this get-together?
Yesterday in the office, you didn’t look good
at all. Did you catch a flu or
something? Having extended jet-lag? In
all our years, I’ve never seen you look so bedraggled.
Chavi
Yes, David is up half the night, talking in his sleep, he’s
just not been his regular self since we arrived. He
didn’t want to talk about it until we all
got together. Actually, I’m really
concerned. David, what’s going on?
David
OK, here's the scoop. Since I’ve gotten here, I haven’t slept well, there’s
something really weird that’s been disturbing my sleep.
It happened the first night, and it happened
again the next 2 nights. I don’t know how to
say it – but there’s a voice talking to me at night.
Esti
Maybe you’re just worried about the transition, or the even
greater possible changes that can be down the road.
No, I’m pretty sure that it’s not that at all. This is all
extremely strange, and I didn’t want to talk about it at all until we
were all
together, as a kind of reality check.
Well, here goes;
I feel that Hashem,
G-d, is talking to me at night. He keeps
repeating that He wants us to use
our marketing skills to talk to Jews and non-Jews, to tell them a
message that
He repeats over and over.
Yossi
Oh David, it must be a combination of jet-lag and your deep
mind concerned about complications that can happen.
David
That’s what I thought after the first night. But
exactly the same thing happened the
second and third night. But here is what came with
the night-talking that convinced me that it’s not just jet-lag. The voice told me that He is giving me some
powers to show that this is coming from a real place.
First, exhibition one.
I don’t think you’ll be more amazed than I was.
(David brings out 4
glasses of water, and sets them on the
table. He waves his hands, and the water
splits in the glasses. The other three
peole
– and the kids – watch in amazement).
Chavi
Oh my goodness, it’s like the splitting of the red sea!
David
And now, exhibition 2.
(David waves his hands
again, and the 4 cups lift a few
inches off the table. The kids – and
everyone - now really have their mouth open in awe.).
David
Now the third ‘trick’ is still a mystery to me. Each night the Voice tells me a 5 digit number. I don’t
have any idea what it means. Here is the
numbers the voice told me the
last three nights.
The numbers are similar, and I have no idea
what they mean.
(They pass the numbers
around. Suddenly Yossi jumps from his seat
and looks
on his phone.)
Yossi
You guys won’t believe this.
The first two numbers are the exact close of the Dow Jones Industrial
average the last two days. I bet the third number is how the stock market is going to
close
at the end of today.
David
So, what do you guys make of this?
(They all sit speechless)
Chavi
I can’t believe it – I’m married to a prophet, a Navi.
I’m impressed.
Esti
I’m dumbfounded, speechless.
Yossi
I can’t believe it.
It’s said that when the Jews come back to their homeland that
prophecy
will gradually return. But I haven’t heard of that
happening yet. And it happened to you the first day!
My best friend and business partner is a
prophet, a Navi. This is off the
charts. But in all honesty, you’ve
always had the deepest mind I’ve ever known.
I guess Hashem, the Almighty, has selected you for a mission. And He’s given you some ‘abilities’ to reduce
other people’s skepticism.
David
I can’t process this – this is just too far out. What do I
do now?
Chavi
David, the answer isn’t too hard to figure out. You
– we – have got to listen to this Voice. Tell
us more about what the Voice is saying.
Esti
Maybe we should go to a big Rav, and get guidance.
This isn’t something we’re familiar with.
Yossi
There’s a vey well known Rav in Yerushalayim who we’ve all
heard about - Rabbi Yoseph Shimon. He’s an
enormous Torah scholar, and his Yeshiva also learns Kaballah and
mysticism. I
think before we do anything, we should talk to him. I’ll find out how
to
contact him. David, what do you say we
go to talk to Rabbi Shimon about this?
David
Great idea.
(We see David and
Yossi driving to Yerushalayim in their
rented car, parking, walking to a building, waiting in entry room, and
invited
into Rabbi Shimon’s study)
Rabbi Shimon
Welcome to Israel.
Bruchim habayim. My assistant says that you just arrived, from
Woodmere,
Long Island.
Yossi
Actually, this is really just a pilot trip. We’re checking
things out to make sure if it’s the right choice for us and our
families, in
terms of work, and all the other factors.
Rabbi Shimon
Make Hashem help you with your decision. So how can I help you?
David
Rabbi Shimon, we’ve only been here four days. In
bed each night, I hear a voice talking to
me in my sleep. The voice says that He
is Hashem talking. Yossi and I work in
advertising, and the voice says that we should devote a percentage of
our time
sending out a message to Jews and non-Jews about what Hashem wants us
to
do.
Rabbi Shimon
That’s quite interesting.
So you want to know if you should take the Voice seriously, and
take out
some time from your work schedule to follow the Voice's suggestion?
Yossi
Well, it’s a little more complicated – and interesting. It
seems that David has been given some ‘powers’ to give his ‘message’
more
crediblity.
Rabbi Shimon
Powers?
David
Allow me to demonstrate.
Can we ask your assitant to bring out 3 glass cups of water?
(Rabbi Shimon uses an
intercom to ask his assistant to bring
out 3 glasses of water - They sit a few moments in silence, and then David splits
the water in the glasses. And then the
glasses lift off the table)
Rabbi Shimon
Pretty impressive.
Yossi
That’s not all. Each
night David is told a 5 digit number.
(David shows him the
numbers he’s been told each night)
David
Here are the numbers I’ve been told each night. And
it turns out that at the end of the next
day, we see that this is the exact number of the close of the Dow Jones
Industrial
average on the New York stock exchange.
(they are quiet for 30
seconds, and Rabbi Shimon strokes his
beard)
Rabbi Shimon
Actually, I’m not all that surprised. Our
sages have said that as the Jews come
back to Israel, that perhaps Navua, prophecy, will begin again. We of course have a tradition that Navua can
only take place IN Israel. And
I’ve always suspected – even expected – that at one point, as more Jews
arrive
and live here, that this will happen. Well, Mazel Tov, it seems
possible –
maybe likely - that Hashem has chosen you to have these powers. So what’s the question?
David
Well, what do I do now?
Rabbi Shimon
Listen to the Voice… as long as He tells you to do things
within Jewish law. Use your advertising skills to spread the word? Why not?
How much time does He tell you to spend on this endeavor?
David
Well, actually I haven’t asked Him directly.
Rabbi Shimon
Well, ask Him, and see what He says. The
general rule of thumb is to to spend 10%
of your time on such activity. Could you
do that without it negatively affecting your business?
David
I think so. If Hashem
is helping me, without a doubt.
Rabbi Shimon
Well, may Hashem help you in this endeavor. I
must admit, I’ve been expecting something
like this for quite a while –and now it’s happening.
I suppose it’s another sign that we’re
getting closer to the redemption. You
can call me at any time to ask me questions about your holy endeavor. Here is my private number.
(He seems them to the
door)
Rabbi Shimon
Good luck, I’ll
be interested to see what you come up with.
And to see what reaction it has on your audience.
Yossi
Can we show the world the powers that David has?
Rabbi Shimon
Why not? The powers
were given to lend credibility to the message.
So, I would say, yes.
(We see them driving from Yerushalayim back to Ramat Beit Shemesh)
(In the car)
David
Yossi, I don’t know how to say this. I
have mixed feelings about this whole
thing. You know me, I’m pretty cautious…
and private. I’ve never really been comfortable being ‘out there’. You like the spotlight, I don’t.
Well, I don’t see how
I can do this and stay in my comfort
zone. First of all, I don’t know where
this is going to lead. How are people
going to react? It’s all kind of weird.
And I’ll be in the public eye, how can I avoid that?
(David is showing
Yossi what he’s been working on – we see
their faces, between and around the back of the large computer screens)
David
These are my ideas for the insurance account.
Yossi
Great, beautiful, they’ll love it. That’s
been the formula for our creative relationship. I
get the ball rolling, and you use your
depth and creativity to execute it flawlessly.
David
And
here’s some content for the website in response to my dreams. And
this shows the glasses of water … Hopefully it will lend crediblity to
the site’s meaningful content.
Yossi
How about the nightly 5 digit numbers?
David
We can
call the number into a bank that puts it in their vault, and each day
we’ll make a remote video of them taking out the previous day’s number
and reading it.
Yossi
Looks
great. And we can use the metrics technology that we use to track
the audience clicks and how long they stay on the sites and
videos. By the way, this Wednesday is Shavuous. I assume
we’ll learn all night as we usually do on Shavuous.
David
(We see them learning
in shul all night to the tune of Gonna
Get the Torah Tonight)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBl4vfs2r7E
We’re about a week into our new website and videos for our
new project, that we’re doing for Hashem and Rabbi Shimon – what should
we call
it?
David
Let’s call it the Dreams project.
Yossi
Let’s sit at my computer, and review the metrics and
traffic. I also had the Berel agency do
a summary of the talk-backs and reactions.
(They sit next to each
other looking at the screen. The camera
pans around them, seeing them from
different angles).
David
It’s a nice amount of traffic and clicks, growing
daily. Not bad.
Yossi
But look at the Berel report. It’s a bit surprising. They divide the
reactions into several
demographic groups, broken down by country and religious level. There’s an increasing traction among Jews in
general – both religious and non-religious, and that’s good. It looks like most of the ultra-religious
Israeli Jews aren’t following it, maybe because they don’t have much
internet
use, and are skeptical about your ‘powers’.
David
And look at this. The
report suggests that among one group of National religious Jews,
there’s
increasing talk about the building of the 3rd temple. And in reaction to that there’s a strong
negative reaction from the Arabs, who are
concerned
that the Al-Aqsa Mosque would be displaced.
Yossi
And look here.
There’s also a quite strong negative reaction from many
non-religious
Jews. They feel that we’re being coercive,
telling them what to do.
David
And that's in spite of our making the message pretty mild.
Yossi
I guess they feel pushed into beliefs that they see as strange.
David
I must say, this is the hardest advertising job we’ve ever
worked on. The ‘miracles’ don’t seem to
be carrying much weight.
Yossi
Put on your thinking cap, and use these results to come up
with more content. Heck, we’re just a
little over a week into the campaign.
(Suddenly the door
bursts open, and two people with guns and
their faces covered with hoods burst into the room.)
First Intruder
Don’t resist, and everyone will be all right. Both
of you, put your hands over your heads,
and come downstairs into the van.
Slowly.
(They put masks on
David and Yossi, who and then are led
downstairs, into the van whose door is open).
(We see the van drive
away, for quite a distance, until it
ends up in a small house in a wooded area.
David and Yossi are led into a room, and are left alone, and
they take
their masks off).
Yossi
(Tries to pull at the door).
The door is firmly locked.
What the heck is this all about?
Voice from
Loudspeaker
You both will be alright.
We will give you kosher food 3 times a day.
We’ve even provided you with tefillin and
prayer books.
David
What do you want from us?
Voice
We just want you to tell us those 5 numbers every day.
Yossi
I can’t believe it.
They want your inside information about the stock market. The’ll
use it
to make money. This is totally crazy. Well David, dream well at night,
and I
hope those numbers keep coming in – for our safety.
David
I must say, I don’t know how much of a Navi I am. I
didn’t see this coming.
Yossi
Well, it looks like we may be here for a little while, so we
should make ourselves comfortable.
David
Chavi and Esti, and our families will be so worried.
Yossi
I’m sure there will be a manhunt. But I
don’t know the likelihood of anyone
finding us. Boy, this is totally unexpected.
David
I guess Navua, prophecy, is like radio-active material – it can have
unexpected and unpredictable results.
(David and Yossi in a
room, at a table, learning Gemorah
together)
Yossi
I’m glad you thought of asking them for 2 Gemorahs.
We’re certainly not wasting our time, the
learning with you is as powerful and deep as ever.
David
It’s Thursday already. It’s been 5 days, and soon we’ll have
to keep Shabbos here. Our families must be worried crazy. How long can
this go
on?
Yossi
This place must be totally out of the way. If
you keep giving them the next day’s stock
market, they’re happy making money hand over fist, probably using stock
futures. What would be their incentive for letting us go?
David
Speaking of numbers, last night there was another number in
my dream – a six digit number. I wrote
it down, here it is – 863952. I have no
idea what it could mean.
Yossi
That’s weird. Now let
ME put on my thinking cap. The voice
must be telling you this number for a reason.
David
Your guess is good as mine.
Yossi
Wait. The combination
lock on the door, that’s keeping us locked inside.
Since we’ve been held captive, I’ve been
wondering if there’s a way to figure out what the combination is – to
let us
out.
(Yossi runs over to
the door)
What are those 6 numbers again?
David
(Saying the numbers one at a time) 8-6-3-9-5-2.
(Yossi presses in
those numbers, and then the swivel on the
bottom of the lock turns, and he slowly opens the door)
(whispering)
David’s Navua, prophecy strikes again!
(He looks out)
It’s a backyard, enclosed by a 12 foot high brick wall.
(They tiptoe out to
the backyard, and see to their dismay
how the small backyard is totally enclosed)
David
(He sees a metal bar on the ground, about 4 feet wide, and
picks it up)
(Whispering) I have a hunch, a funny feeling. Grab
the other end of this bar.
(They are both
standing there, holding on to this metal bar.
David closes his eyes, and concentrates deeply.
Suddenly the bar starts moving up, lifting them up slowly. Higher and higher, they are lifted into the
air, past the trees, over the trees into the air. They fly slowly into
the sky,
and David is somehow able to steer, and they fly in the sky, and then
travel
about 4 miles, until they land on the outskirts of a town.
They go into a hardware store, and ask in
Hebrew if they can use the owner’s phone.)
(Yossi calls his wife)
Yossi
Esti, we are both OK. We’re in Karmiel. I’ll
explain later.
(He turns to the owner
of the store, and asks in Hebrew what
is the address of the store.)
Esti, call the police.
We’ll be waiting in Hakol Habayis
hardware store, on 115 Geula street, in Karmiel. We’ll be waiting for
them to
arrive. Yes, we’re both fine, they just
wanted David’s daily stock report numbers. We’ll explain everything
later. We’ll be waiting for the police
here. Yes, David’s fine also, call Chavi
and let
her know).
(The owner of the
store, who is wearing a Yarmulka, brings
over 2 seats, and makes them coffee while they wait).
(A police car arrives
at the hardware store, the policeman
lends them a phone where they chat with their wives to reassure them
again that
the two of them are OK, and that the police will drive
them back home. It’s Thursday afternoon)
Yossi
What a weird and incredible experience that was! Especially
how you engineered the unpredictable escape! Opening up the lock with
those 6
numbers, and flying over the trees to freedom! I guess being a Navi is
more
dangerous – and adverturous - than we expected. Thank goodness it comes
along
with extra abilities to get us out of unexpected and dicey situations.
Yossi, as I’m sure you can sense, things have gotten way out
of my comfort zone. I guess I’m not much
of a Navi if I can’t even predict that we’re going to be kidnapped. I
like
predictability, and things are getting a lot more unpredictable than I
expected.
Perhaps being a Navi stirs up strange cosmic forces that
can’t be predicted.
You know that I’m by nature a private and cautious
person. Before I do things I like to
look at the choices from every direction.
And then Pow, things seem to be happening from out of the blue,
and I’m
finding it difficult to maintain my sense of balance.
Well, first of all, I think we can stop the stock market
predictions. And the policeman said that they’re going to provide round
the
clock protection for us and our families.
I don’t think we have to worry about those kidnappers
bothering us again. They got what they
wanted to keep them happy.
Yossi
David, as I’m sure you’re aware, we have to decide how to
play what just happened. We’ve been
using ads and content to draw attention to our web-precense. What
happened to
us is amazing free publicity. We have to decide how to play it up.
I know, there are going to be throngs of reporters and film
crews waiting for us when we arrive home. I don’t want any part of it.
Yossi,
our partnership has always been that you are ‘out there’, dealing with
the public,
and I’ve been ‘in here’, coming up with ways of expressing things. If
you want
to play this to the hilt with the public and the press, be my guest. But count me out. I’m
remaining ‘behind the scenes’.
Yossi
You’re right, this stuff ignites me, it’s free publicity. I
love mixing with the public and the press. On the other hand, I can see
how
it’s thrown you for a loop.
David
Yossi, I’ve been following the instructions of the Voice to
the T, and it hasn’t mentioned anything about press conferences. And we
can’t
forget we have our regular work to do, with our ad accounts, and that’s
how
we’re supporting our families.
Yossi
David, don’t worry. I’ll handle the public side of
things. You concentrate on the creative
side. I I can see how much this is
throwing
you off balance.
David
I know how you love the spotlight and the public eye. I need
to try to find my way back into a zone that feels quieter and safer.
(when they arrive in Ramat Beit Shemesh, there’s a crowd of reporters and film crews. David is escorted to his house with a guard, and Yossi talks in front of the reporters and cameras, and hugs his wife and kids).
(We see David and
Chavi preparing for Shabbos. Chavi saying
the prayers over the candles, David and Yossi praying in shul, them
coming
home. David making kiddush, the family
eating around the table, the kids going to sleep, David & Chavi
going for a
walk, Shabbos morning davening, kiddush in shul, the day Kiddush at
home, and the
day meal.)
(David & Chavi sit
on their porch, overlooking the
mountains, talking)
David
Chavi, it’s so incredible and wonderful to be back home with
you and the kids.
Chavi
David, I don’t think I slept much the entire 5 days you were
gone. And I – and the kids – were so frightened and worried! I was in a constant state of prayer for your
and Yossi’s well being.
David
Oh Chavi, while I was captive, my greatest concern was not
for our own safety, but about the fear and worry that you and the kids
and Yossi’s
family must have been going through.
Chavi
Nobody knew what happened to you, nobody had any information
about where you were! It was a total
mystery. I didn’t want to even think about the possibililty of spending
Shabbos
without you. And I had to banish from my
mind the slightest thought of being without you – of ….. losing you.. (tears are in her eyes).
David
I somehow felt sure we’d get out OK, though I had no inkling
about how. Oh Chavi, thank goodness we’re back together again – you,
me, and the
kids – I’m so grateful – and surrounded by the peace of Shabbos. And the community! You know, they made a
special kiddush in shul in honor of our escape.
Chavi
But I must admit, David, that my mind doesn’t feel totally
settled yet, as thought something is somehow out of place, still a bit
off-center.
David
I know what you mean, I have the same feeling. That the
common, orderly feeling that we had not more than a month ago seems
disrupted,
off-balance.
Chavi
Yes, and it seems that you’re being pulled more into the
public eye – and I know that’s not a life-style you prefer.
David
I had a talk with Yossi about that coming back in the
car. It seems increasingly difficult to
keep our lives ‘normal’ and less ‘out-there’
Chavi
One would think that serving Hashem in this way would make
like easier, not harder.
David
Ever since we came to Israel, this is just something that’s
been happening to me. Of course, I feel honored that Hashem wants me to
do this
thing – to go on this ‘mission’. How can I can turn it down? But that
doesn’t
seem to make our lives simpler.
Chavi
And David, that relates to something else that makes me a
bit puzzled – that was coming into my mind as I was praying for you. Is
being a
Navi a dangerous thing to do? I would
have thought that what you’re doing would be deepening your
relationship with
Hashem, that that should provide an extra level of protection – and not
make
things more dangerous.
David
I’ve had the same thoughts. And it touches on something else
that has me puzzled, that I can’t explain.
I’ve been trying to keep the message very simple – about the
ideas that
I hear at night - about what the Almighty wants from us. Look, I’ve
been
formulating advertising messages for a long time. And it seems to be
generating
so much negativity, as if the messages are so controversial.
Chavi
I’ve watched a lot of the web content you’ve been making,
and it seems pretty simple and obvious – and common sense.
David
The web and survey metrics say to some extent we’re drawing
in a larger audience, and there’s some good resonance there. But the negative reaction is also way up. In America, and here in Israel, there’s a
growing and strengthening voice against the message, full of anger and
even
rage – saying, don’t tell us what to do
– we’re fine the way we are. As if the message is being coercive,
pushing them.
And it also seems to
be increasing the level of tensions
between Jews and Arabs. Some people are
seeing the things that have been happening to me – of me having these
‘abilities’
– as a sign that the redemption is getting closer, and with that the
building
of the third Temple. And some are saying this implies that it will lead
to the
clearing away of the Moslem buildings on the Temple mount.
And that’s been inflaming the Arabs with fear
and anger, increasing the tensions between Jews and Arabs. It seems to
be
making matters worse than they were before.
Chavi
But you’re only saying what Hashem is asking you to say.
What could be wrong with that?
David
That’s the point.
It’s drawing in some people, but it seems to be pushing more
people
out. And it seems to be having this
negative effect. It’s confusing me, and making me very uncomfortable.
But can I
stop, is that even an option? Maybe the
message should be modified, adjusted. Perhaps. That’s something I’ll
talk about
with Yossi – and Rabbi Yosef Shimon, the Rabbi we talked to in
Yerushalayim.
Chavi
I got an email today from a friend that Esti and I went to
High School with – Shayna Kaufman. Her
family moved to Israel – to Ranaana - after High School.
She heard that we are in Israel, and she’s
getting married next week, and we’re all invited!
(The Kahn’s and
Stein’s get ready for the wedding, drive in
2 cars to Ranaana. They arrive at the
wedding hall, Shayna is so happy to see them.
We see the shmorgasboard, the Choson’s tish, Shayna sitting in
her
wedding dress, the Chupah, the breaking of the glass, and the dancing
and
eating.)
(David & Yossi are
both working busily at their desks
all morning)
Yossi
We have a lot of catching up to do for our ad clients.
Of course they know what happened to us, and
fully understand, but they have their goals and deadlines. And that’s
our new –
and potentially future – our bread and butter.
David
Yeah, I’m busy playing catch-up with the ads we’re making
for them.
(a few hours later)
Yossi
It’s about 12:30, do you want to have some lunch and coffee
at the table?
David
Yeah, I need a break – sometimes you have to pull yourself
away from concentration – to get perspective on what you’re doing.
(They take out their
lunch and set it up on the table and
start eating)
Yossi
I’m curious, any thoughts and reactions to what happened to
us?
David
Well, of course I’m glad we’re back and safe. You
know, last night on my laptop at home, I
looked at the metrics of our Dreams campaign.
You were right, the traffic is way, way up.
Yossi
As I expected, the publicity about our being kidnapped was
in all the headlines – and it gave us more publicity than money can buy. And the nterviews I gave when we returned
were all over the media.
David
Yeah, the traction and the numbers are way up. The
daily reports and surveys say we’re
reaching a lot of people, with a lot of positive reactions.
But at the same time,
there’s also a disturbing trend that’s
also increasing, and I was talking about this with Chavi.
There’s also an increasing vocal negative
reaction from non-religious people. A
lot of people are calling me a charlatan, a busy-body, a crazy person –
and
worse. They feel pushed and bullied.
Though we seem to be reaching a lot of people in a positive way,
it
seems that the negative reaction is even louder and stronger.
Yossi
We should go over the web material – the videos and text –
and see if there’s anything there that should be modified – that might
be
generation such negativity.
David
And there’s also the very disturbing effect it’s having on
tensions between Jews and Arabs. As you
know, some people are reacting to what happened to me as a sign that
the
redemption is getting closer – and they’re increasing the talk about
the building
of the third Temple, and the clearing away room for it on the Temple
mount – and
with what they implies about what’s there today. The
Israeli government is working over-time
to defuse these tensions – but the tensions seem to be growing by the
day.
Yossi
Yes, these two trends are disturbing to me also.
David
And one more thing, that Chavi brought up, that’s also been
on my mind. You would think that doing
Hashem’s will would make our lives safer, and not more dangerous – like
getting
us kidnapped, and scaring our families.
Yossi
David, I think we need to talk with Rabbi Yoseph Shimon
again. We need some insight into these issues.
David
You took the words right out of my mouth, my thoughts exactly.
(Yossi uses his cell
phone to call Rabbi Shimon)
Rabbi Shimon, please.
Oh Rabbi Shimon! Yes, we’re alright, safe and sound, and back to
normal. David and I would like to speak
to you about what we’re doing. Tomorrow afternoon at 2?
Great, see you then.
(Yossi & David
drive to Yerushalayim, they park, and
enter the Bais Medresh, where Rabbi Yosef Shimon is learning. The Rabbi greets them warmly, and then they
enter the Rabbi’s study. Rabbi Shimon sits behind his desk, in front of
a wall
of books, and Yossi and David sit on chairs in front of the desk)
Rabbi Shimon
I hear you’ve had quite an adventure since we last met.
Yossi
Yes, and it’s raised issues and questions that we want to
talk to you about.
Rabbi Shimon
Sure, go ahead.
David
Basically, we have three questions.
First, as my wife
Chavi expressed it, one would think that someone
who Hashem is…. communicating with, would be safer, and yet what
happened to me
…. to us… seemed to put us in greater danger, and worried our familes
so much.
Second, I’ve been
formulating advertising messages for 6
years, and I’ve tried to keep these messages - about what I hear -
fairly
simple and mild. We’re finding that
there is a lot of positive reaction, but it seems to be also generating
quite a
negative and vocal reaction from non-religious people.
And third, what’s
happended to me has increased talk about
the redemption getting closer, and with that increased talk about the
building
of the third Temple, and with THAT, a possible clearing away of some of
the
Moslem holy sites on the Temple mount.
And that has increased Jewish/Arab tensions, leading to
confrontation –
and somtimes violence - between Jews and Arabs.
(Rabbi Shimon is quiet
for a while, stroking his beard)
Rabbi Shimon
As you know, our Yeshiva spends a large portion of our
schedule – in addition to learning Talmud and Jewish Law – learning
Kaballah,
the mystical side of Judiasm. These questions relate to issues that we
delve
into.
Let me start by saying
a Gemorah that both of you are
famililar with. When Ezra returned to
Israel after the destruction of the first Temple 2500 years ago, he
managed to
destroy the desire for Idol worship, because that was one of the causes
of the
destruction of the first Temple. But when
the desire for Idol worship stopped, then Navua, prophecy also stopped.
This is because Hashem
maintains a balance between good and
bad forces in the world. This enables us
to have free will – to be pulled towards good and bad equally. So when
idol
worship was squashed, so was prophecy – to keep the balance between
good and
bad.
I’ve always assumed
that as the Jewish people are now
returning to our homeland, at some point Navua, propecy would slowly
begin
again. I was pleasantly surprised when
you walked in, and showed that it’s happening to you.
But as Hashem
increases positive forces, negative forces are
also released, to help keep a balance, to enable free will.
We’re talking about
forces that are powerful, elemental,
cosmic and mystical – with great potential to build… and to destroy.
You know the story,
told in the Talmud Chagigah, that four
Rabbis studied this mystical realm. One
went crazy, one died, one became not religious – and only Rabbi Akiva
came out
OK. This mystical realm is powerful and
unpredictable. Only a select few are permitted to study it at all.
Torah and Jewish law
go from the simple to the complex, it
exists at many levels. In general it
protects us, and generates Divine good Will. But as one goes deeper,
the
elemental forces can be both positive and … negative.
David, since you
showed me your abilities, I’ve given a lot
of thought to this. It’s seems to be a
sign that Hashem is ready for the Jewish people to rise to a new level,
and
that has a great potential for good – and bad -
to possibly attain greater heights, and also confront greater
danger.
So to answer your
questions – the forces that can get
unleashed can lead to greater peace and holiness – but they can
potentially
unleash greater danger if they are not handled well.
We must do everything
within our power to direct these
forces towards good, to increase peace and brotherhood.
But we must also be prepared and on guard if
we also see them increasing tension and negativity.
But we must not hide
and shy away from our responsibity to
express these messages clearly – just because of a concern for possible
negative consequences.
We must rise to meet
this challenge with courage. When Eliyahu
faced the Priests of Baal on
Mount Carmel, he had to stand bravely, with confidence, and not shrink
away.
David and Yossi, I’m
here to stand by your side, to help you
to the best of my abiliites. Call me any
time, day or night. David, I know that you like to avoid the spotlight. Going forward, I don’t think that will be
possible. We have to rise to the
occasion with strength and courage. We
have to meet the challenge with strength and confidence.
I’m here to help you both – as much as I can.
(They all sit quietly for a minute. David and Yossi get up, shake hands with Rabbi Shimon, and leave, and drive home. On the way home, Yossi says to David:)
Yossi
Rabbi Shimon is a great Rabbi. Let's especially remember his last point - to take things in stride.
(We see David and Yossi having fun with their families - to the tune of Take It In Stride:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP22g0aVHK4 )
Yossi
I can’t believe it - we’ve been in Israel 3 weeks. Time
flies when you’re having fun. Let’s take stock. Our work with our
accounts are
doing well, and the clients are happy with what we’ve accomplished.
What’s your take on
how we’re we’re doing with the Dreams
project, that’s as a result of your dreams?
David
I’m pretty happy with the reaction and traction. In
just a very short time, we’re the 9000th
most active site on the web. Of
course
there is some negative reaction, but as Rabbi Shimon said, that’s to be
expected and can’t be avoided.
Yossi
I was thinking that to take it to the next level – to really
get the message out there – we should do some things that are really
dramatic.
First of all, I got a call from Fox news – they want to interview you
live.
What do you say?
David
I feel reluctant, but as Rabbi Shimon says, I have to meet
it all with courage. Sure, why not? You can help me prepare, to practice with the
kinds of questions they might ask.
Yossi
Sure thing. They want
to do it in 3 days – how does that sound?
David
Sure.
Yossi
Also, I was trying to think of a dramatic event that would
get world-wide coverage. Forgive me if
I’ve let my imagine run wild with this one.
Let’s say we get built a tall platform for you next to the Tel
Aviv
port, with 10’s of thousands of people watching. And
you lift your arms, and the water
splits. What do you think of that?
David
(laughing) That certainly reflects your flair for
showmanship.
Yossi
Well, what do you way?
It will take two weeks to prepare for it – I think I can get all
the
necessary permissions and, we can plan it all out together.
David
Yossi, if you had told me just a few weeks ago that I would
participate in anything like that, I would have said you are crazy. But hey, Rabbi Shimon said to be brave and
spread the word. Hey, why not?
Yossi
(They high five each other) David, that’s my man!
(split screen, with
Fox interviewer on left, David Kahn on
the right)
Fox Interviewer
David Kahn, thanks so much for letting us talk to you.
David
It’s my pleasure.
Fox
You’ve certainly become quite a celebrity in just a few
weeks. Talk has that you a Navi – Hebrew for prophet. Is
that true?
David
Well, about 4 weeks ago, right after I and my advertising
partner Yossi – and our families came for this stay in Israel – these
things
started happening to me at night.
Fox
What kinds of things?
David
I had a feeling I could do certain things that I had never
been able to do before.
Fox
For example?
David
I found I could split a glass of water, and make it levitate
off the ground.
Fox
That must have come as quite a surprise.
David
It sure was.
Fox
Anything else?
David
Well, I could see the stock market close the day before it
happened.
Fox
I heard that got you into trouble.
David
Well, yes, some people kidnapped me and Yossi – and wanted
to hear the numbers straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak.
Fox
I heard you had a daring escape, that’s captured quite a bit
of attention.
David
Yes, the combination of the door lock just came to me, and I
and Yossi were able fly to safety to the next town.
Fox
Can you demonstrate live – for our audience – on camera –
what you do with a glass of water?
David
Sure.
(David takes fills a
glass of water, he concentrates, the water
in the glass splits, and he glass rises off the table).
Fox
I must say, that’s pretty amazing. So what do you make of
all this?
David
Thank goodness we’ve had the guidance of a wonderful Rabbi,
Rabbi Yosef Shimon – whose Yeshiva in Jerusalem studies – among other
things –
the mystical side of Judaism. When we
spoke
to him, he gave us the confidence that these are abilities coming from
Above.
Fox
So what have you done as a result?
David
Well, as you know, my partner and I are involved with
advertising. The voices in my dreams say
that we should spend a part of our day on a website that talks about
what
Hashem – that’s another name for G-d – is telling me in the dreams.
Fox
For example?
David
Well, the message is really pretty simple, and I’ve been
trying to use my experience in advertising to make the message clear. It’s just about what Hashem wants from us.
Fox
So what has been the reaction?
David
It’s been mostly positive.
We can see from the metrics and surveys that it’s mostly found a
good
resonance with the public. But there’s
also been some negative reaction, but Rabbi Shimon says that this is to
be
expected, and we shouldn’t let that interfere with our continuing.
Fox
We also hear that it’s also been causing some disruption between
Jews and Arabs.
David
That’s been entirely unintentional on our part – we want
there only to be peace and good will between Jews and Arabs. But some people see my so called ‘abilities’
as a sign that the anticipated ‘redemption’ is getting closer – and
with that
the building of the third Temple.
Fox
There were two Temples before?
David
Yes, the first temple was destroyed about 2500 years ago,
and the second temple was destroyed about 2000 years ago.
Fox
Why would that idea stir things up?
David
I don’t really want to get into that right now. All
I can say is that we just want peace
between all people – between different groups of Jews, between Arabs
and Jews,
and between Christians and Jews.
Fox
Well, I must say that in all my years of interviewing, this
is one of the more intriguing and interesting stories I’ve covered. I wish you the best of luck going forward.
David
Thank you.
Fox
David, I wish you and your partner and your families success
in your adventure.
David
Thank you, we with you the best also.
Fox
It’s been wonderful talking to you.
David
Thank you, likewise.
(David and Yossi park
their cars, and their families get out
of the cars)
Yossi
I suggested that we get here several hours early, because it
might be hard to find parking later, if there are as many people coming
as I
hope. Also, you’ve need time to prepare
yourself psychologically – this will be your most ‘public’ event so far.
David
I’m think I’m ready.
Yossi
I sent out a press release to the major Israeli, American,
and other - networks and newspapers. The
coverage could get us into the next tier of the public eye.
(They walk over to a
stand that is almost finished being
built)
David
Is this the stand you were talking about?
Yossi
It sure is. The idea
is that you’ll be standing on this, and you do your thing.
Are you pretty sure you can do this?
David
If Hashem is with me, I think so. Well,
I’d hate dissapoint the crowds.
Yossi
Yes, let’s take a break and walk along the boardwalk with
our families. This is the first time we’ve
been to Tel Aviv - it’s beautiful here – the view of the Mediterranean,
the breeze….
David
You called the event for 6pm?
Yossi
You got it. I’ll meet
you back here at around 5:30.
(The 2 families take a
walk, eat some falafels, and then
meet back at the stand. There are about
10,000 people, and the film crews are setting up their cameras)
Yossi
David, are you all set?
I think you can start going up the ladder, to the platform – and
relax,
and prepare yourself.
(The two families find
seats, and David climbs up the ladder
to the stand. He sits for a while on the
chair up there. There is a buzz in the
crowds. Then David stands up, and takes
some deep breaths. The crowd gets quiet
in anticipation. David lifts up his
arms, and closes his eyes. He waves his
arms – and lo and behold, the sea splits – slowly, slowly and then
completely
splits. The split continues from the
shore to about 200 feet out. There is a
gasp in the crowd. The sea stays split
for about a minute, and then David puts his arms down, and the sea
returns to
its place.)
(David climbs down the
ladder to his family, and to an
amazed crowd. He breathes a sigh of
relief.)
Yossi
That was truly amazing.
The world-wide coverage should be off the charts.
David, you out-did yourself.
(David looks a bit
lost in thought, and as the crowd
disperses, he gets back into his car with his family.
He turns to Yossi).
David
I’m glad that came off without a hitch. See
you back home.
(Yossi and David are
looking at a large PC Screen together)
Yossi
The reaction was even greater than I thought. In
the millions, worldwide. Look at these
pictures, look at these
headlines. David, you’re a celebrity.
David
It’s hard for me to digest.
What’s it done for the website?
Yossi
The traffic is off-the-charts, beyond belief. The message is
now being heard by a good percentage of people online.
Hashem must be very pleased with you.
David (closing his
eyes)
I must say, all this is going completely against my
reclusive and private nature. But I’m
following Rabbi Shimon’s advice.
Yossi
Why don’t we take the day off? Let’s wake up early and go
with our families to the Kosel, and
pray at dawn. It's said that that's the time of the day when Hashem is especially attentive to our prayers. We’ll pray our hearts out to
Hashem. I must say, this is all even a
bit much for me. We could some heavy
praying at the Kosel at the break of day.
(David and Yossi and
their families arrive at the Kosel plaza at dawn. David
and Yossi walk to the men’s section,
and their wives and children go to the women’s section.
We see both David and Yossi praying intensely
for quite a while. Then they meet their
wives in the Kosel plaza.)
(Suddenly there a
commotion.
People are pointing to the Temple mount.
Yossi asks someone what’s going on)
Yossi
It seems that there’s a riot going on up there. Some
Jews went up there – as they’ve been
permitted for the past few years – and there’s a riot between Arabs and
policemen.)
(There’s a camera
crew, and one of the reporters recognizes
David)
Reporter
Aren’t you David Kahn, the first guy to split water since
Moses? What do you say about this? Some people say that you’re responsible for
what’s going on on the Temple mount.
(The film crewing is
pointing the camera at David)
David
I’ve just been talking peace. If some
other people are using what I’m
saying to stir up trouble, I don’t think there’s anything I can do
about it.
(Suddenly David has an
idea.
He closes his eyes, and he lifts off the ground.
He starts flying into the air, over the
Temple mount. The people who are
fighting look up in amazement. They stop
fighting. A silence descends over the
whole scene, with David floating and flying in the sky.
The fighting completely stops. David slowly
descends, and flies down to join his family. The film crew has been
filming it
all. David re-joins his family, and his and Yossi’s family slowly walk
out of
the Kosel plaza)
(David and Yossi are
busy at work, when David gets a phone
call. He walks over to Yossi’s desk)
David
Yossi, I think you should hear this.
(He puts it on
speaker, that is attached to a blue-tooth
speaker)
Voice
I’m repeating this again.
David Kahn, you have to stop what you are doing.
It’s causing too much commotion, too much
tension, too much of everything. We
represent powerful interests, and we mean business.
We are telling you in no uncertain
terms: close down your website, stop
with the miracles. Stop.
I hope I’m making myself clear. We
aren’t fooling around. We mean buisness.
(The phone hangs up)
Yossi
I think we better call Rabbi Shimon
(they call Rabbi
Shimon)
David
Yes, thanks Rabbi Shimon.
I guess you’ve heard about the Tel Aviv port event, and about
what
happened at the Kosel. Thanks for your
good wishes. But something just happened
that we have to tell you about. We just
got a phone call from someone – we don’t know who.
He said that he represents powerful
interests, and he said that in no uncertain terms, that we have to stop
– yes,
close down the website, stop everything.
What do you say to that?
(They listen together
on the blue-tooth speaker)
Rabbi Shimon
I’m hearing from a lot of people that there’s a great
positive reaction, a waking up. How
could we just stop? This must be pleasing Hashem tremendously. Remember what I said? This
is bound to stir up all kinds of forces
- cosmic, dangerous, unpredictable forces.
But we must continue – it’s having such a positive effect. I can hear my students talking about it. The
prophets of old stood up to the negative reaction, and we must do the
same. Maintain your course.
(David and Yossi hang
up the phone, and look at each other
in silence)
(Yossi picks up the
phone, and then calls over David).
Yossi
David, I just got a call from Rabbi Shimon’s Yeshiva. Some
men with masks burst into the Yeshiva, and forced Rabbi Shimon into a
car. The Yeshiva called the police, and
there’s a
massive manhunt. This all happened only 10 minutes ago.
(There is a mad
manhunt.
It lasts for many hours. The
police bring David into a police car, and ask him to think hard, if he
can use
his Navua, to help find Rabbi Shimon.
This goes on all night, into the next day. David
has flashes in his mind, and tells what
he sees to the police. The hours go
by. David has some more clues, and the
police are using his and other clues.
Finally, after a whole day goes by – and Yossi and David have
had no
sleep – David gives some more clues that enables the Police to find
Rabbi Shimon’s
body in a forest)
(David and Yossi and their wives arrive at the hospital, and are waiting and praying in the hospital
waiting room, along with Rabbi Shimon’s wife, married children and their wives,
and some of his students. The doctors
say that his life is hanging on a thread, that he’s been very badly injured,
and that the operation is proceeding. In
the morning the doctors say that Rabbi Shimon has survived, and is very
weak. A few people, including David and
Yossi and Rabbi Shimon’s wife enter the hospital room where Rabbi Shimon is all
bandaged up, hooked up to a blood supply and many monitors.)
Rabbi Shimon (weakly)
We can see that the cosmic forces in reaction to a call for Jewish repentance
are very strong. Perhaps it would be
best if we lay low for a while. The
Temple’s destruction and the exile happened almost 2000 years ago. We don’t have to change things overnight. We
must be persistent, but patient.
(Rabbi Shimon falls back to sleep, and everyone slowly leaves the
hospital room).