A myopic view

Jonathan Tobin has an article at Commentary Magazine titled Contentions Not a Parody: Peace Now Shocked to Discover Arabs Don’t Want Peace.

What will it take to convince supporters of Peace Now the imperative of their organization’s name depends on the Arabs rather than the Jews? After 18+ years of Arab terrorism and rejection of peace offers since the Oslo Accords, it’s hard to say whether anything the Palestinians could do or say would cause them to rethink their myopic view of the world. But give Americans for Peace Now’s Lara Friedman a little credit. After schlepping to an Arab League conference on Jerusalem, she at least had the wit to notice that just about everybody else there was focused on delegitimizing Israel, denouncing its existence within any borders and denying thousands of years of Jewish history.
Continue reading: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2012/02/28/peace-now-shocked-arab-league-jerusalem/#more-785383

Animal products

The BBC has an article titled Many drugs 'non-vegetarian and need better labelling.'

People who choose not to eat animal products may be unaware that common medicines could contain them, a study suggests.

Many tablets and liquid medicines use gelatin, derived from animal bones or skin.

A survey in the Postgraduate Medical Journal shows a quarter of patients are unknowingly prescribed drugs containing gelatin contrary to their beliefs.
Continue reading: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17182625

What we can learn from basketball

The New York Times has an article titled In Texas, the Sabbath Trumps the Semifinals about a basketball team who will not play in a semifinal game because it is scheduled for 9 p.m. Friday.

“The sacred mission will trump excellence in the secular world,” Rabbi Harry Sinoff, Beren’s head of school, said Monday in a telephone interview.
Read full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/28/sports/jewish-schools-team-refusing-to-play-during-sabbath-loses-trip-to-state-semifinals.html?_r=1
H/T VIN

The Lakewood Scoop reports, "Lakewood Basketball Center Now Offers Boys Coaching & More In A Frum Atmosphere." A frum atmosphere would include encouraging the boys to follow the Ten Commandments so stealing the ball would be frowned upon, isn't that so?

Media Matters times two

Alan Dershowitz has penned an article at the Daily News titled The odious ‘Israel first’ libel in which he detailes "vile quotes" from Media Matters.
One comment posted at the end of the article states, "I have been saying on this site for a couple of months, to ridicule, that the left is overtly anti-semitic. I'm glad that it is finally being exposed by others."

The Daily Caller has an article about Media Matters titled Media Matters’ Brock paid former partner $850k in ‘blackmail’ settlement.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/27/media-matters-brock-paid-former-partner-850k-in-blackmail-settlement/#ixzz1ncQfAar9

Shouting down a speech

From the Blaze.

The efforts of pro-Palestinian “Occupy” protesters to stifle the free speech of pro-Israel speakers nationwide continued at the University of New Mexico on Thursday night when a small group tried to shout down a speech by author Nonie Darwish. This time, their pre-planned disruption led to a physical altercation.
Continue reading: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/occupy-activists-mic-check-prompts-physical-altercation-at-pro-israel-college-event/

Whatever happened to free speech?

The introduction

I was away from home this past Shabbos and walked into the shul where my sister-in-law and brother daven. I was early, didn't see any familiar faces and sat down at the end of a row of seats. A woman approached, sat down next to me and introduced herself. I must admit that her friendly demeanor put a smile on my face and made the difference between feeling excluded and being part of the congregation. As a recipient of a friendly gesture, I realized the importance of making a new face feel welcome. Hope you remember to welcome the stranger into your midst.

Midda keneged midda

Marine Cpl. Alexander Degenhardt is crediting karma for landing a $2.9 million progressive slot jackpot in Las Vegas.

Degenhardt was accepted as a bone marrow donor to an anonymous patient only a couple of days before hitting the jackpot Sunday at the Bellagio, the Las Vegas Sun reported (http://bit.ly/ABQ02J).

"They asked me if I was sure I wanted to go through with it because it's kind of painful, but what's a little pain if it will save someone's life?" Degenhardt said. "I look at this jackpot as kind of good karma for that."
http://news.yahoo.com/marine-credits-karma-2-9-million-jackpot-022139937.html

We might call it "midda keneged midda."

Recording your history

Pirkei Avot Chapter 2.
1. Rabbi Judah the Prince said: Which is the proper course that a man should choose for himself? That which is an honor to him and elicits honor from his fellow men. Be as scrupulous about a light precept as of a weighty one, for you do not know the reward allotted for each precept. Balance the loss incurred by the fulfillment of a precept against the gain and the accruing from a transgression against the loss it involves. Reflect on three things and you will never come to sin: Know what is above you--a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all your deeds recorded in a book.

The Blaze has an article titled Why You Might Want to Delete Your Google Browser History Before Next Week.

Expensive stones

Rabbi Frand has a Torah thought on the Parsha titled Materials Listed In Descending Order Until They Mention The Expensive Stones. Click here to read about a woman's special donation.

Money matters

Ladaat net has an article about an honest bus driver who found a bag with 25000$ inside at the end of his shift. He returned it to the offices of the Egged bus station. The person who had lost the bag thanked him profusely.

A Bartlett, Tennessee man found thousands of dollars inside an item he bought on eBay.
James Labrecque sold an old safe on eBay for $122.93.
“I made a mistake, you know, that's what it boils down to,” said Labrecque. “And it cost me dearly.”
Continue reading: http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=41816

The murder of Jewish children

As two journalists lost their lives in Syria and shelling in Homs continues, which country is singled out at the U.N. briefing yesterday for actions that are deplorable?

The Secretary-General will also be meeting Nabil Elaraby, the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, to discuss developments in Syria and the way forward, including the appointment of a special envoy to handle the crisis.

...In a statement, Robert Serry, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said that Wednesday’s announcement by Israel to approve a large number of new units deep inside the occupied Palestinian territory in the settlement of Shilo and retroactively legitimize hundreds in a nearby outpost is deplorable and moves us further away from the goal of a two-State solution.
http://www.un.org/News/ossg/hilites.shtml

Click here to read The silence of the West
Op-ed: Fogel massacre anniversary reminds us that world tolerates murder of Jewish children.

Four years ago on the Hebrew calendar, the Merkaz Harav massacre took place when eight students of the yeshiva were killed, among them Avraham David Moses.
Click here to see what the families requested on the occaasion of the second yahrzeit.

I wrote to the mother of Avraham Moses that I would be thinking of her son today and committed to donate money to tzedakah today leilui nishmato. If you would like to write an email, contact me at devorah@live.co.uk and I would be glad to forward it to her.

Mishenichnas Adar

Click here to read one version of a story about an unruly passenger.

Click here to read a second version of the same event.

I received the following email and signed up, as I have done the past couple of years.

As Adar enters us, may the simcha be increased worldwide. Mishenichnas Adar MARBIM Besimcha!!!!!!!!!!

SAY TEHILLIM WITH KLAL ISRAEL THIS PURIM!!!
WE WILL ASSIGN YOU YOUR ASSIGNED PERAKIIM ACCORDING TO YOM.

YOM RISHON (SUNDAY) {PEREK 1 - 29}
YOM SHENI (MONDAY) {PEREK 30 - 50}
YOM SHELISHI (TUESDAY) {PEREK 51 - 72}
YOM REVE'E (WEDNESDAY) {PEREK 73 - 89}
YOM CHAMISHI (THURSDAY) {PEREK 90 - 106}
YOM SHISHI (FRIDAY) {PEREK 107 - 119}
YOM SHABBAT (SATURDAY) {PEREK 120 - 150}

SO FOR EVERY SEVEN PEOPLE, THE TEHILLIM WILL BE COMPLETED ONCE!!!

YOU HAVE THE WHOLE PURIM TO SAY YOUR ASSIGNED PERAKIM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MARCH 7 UNTIL THURSDAY MARCH 8, 2012)

WE WILL BE SAYING TEHILLIM FOR
SHIDUCHIM
AND FOR
COUPLES TO BE BLESSED WITH CHILDREN!!!

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING PLEASE EMAIL:
tehillim4ever@gmail.com
AND PUT 'PURIM' IN THE SUBJECT LINE

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO ALL YOUR FAMILY AND FREINDS. PLEASE TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO PARTICIPATE...
EVERY TEFILLA COUNTS, HASHEM HEARS EVERY PRAYER...
HOPE TO HEAR FROM ALL OF YOU SOON :)

(LAST DAY TO REQUEST TEHILLIM IS SUNDAY MARCH 4 -- NO EXCEPTIONS!)

PURIM SAMEACH!!!

--
Tizku Lemitzvot!

Generous donations

Hashem commanded Moshe Rabbeinu to build a Mishkan and take generous donations from Bnei Yisroel. Moshe was perplexed, if all the Heavens and the earth are not large enough for Hashem, how can a Mishkan of thirty amos be Hashem's dwelling?

Rav Naftoli Tzvi of Ropshitz explains that the donations were only accepted from those who "Yidvenu Libo" gave it with a generous heart. This meant that when the person brought his limited pieces of gold or silver, his heart yearned to give even more. To express his infinite love of Hashem he wanted to give Hashem all the gold and silver in the world and then some. Unlike the wallet, the mind has no limit.

"V'Asu Li Mikdash V'Shachanti BiSocham", build me a Mishkan and I will dwell among them (Truma 25:8). The Ropshitzer explains that Hashem indeed did not put his Shechina solely into a small physical structure. When Bnei Yisroel built the Mikdash with their infinite love, Hashem rested His infinite Shechina in this infinite love. This is why the pasuk says "V'Shachanti BiSocham", I will dwell in them, in the heart of each and every person that shows boundless love. http://www.revach.net/parshas-hashavua/quick-vort/Parshas-Truma-Rav-Naftoli-Tzvi-of-Ropshitz-The-Only-House-Big-Enough-For-Hashem/5204

Inside and out

The following is a devar Torah by Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple.
The portion of T’rumah details the layout and appurtenances of every part of the Tabernacle. One of the most famous verses is Ex. 25:11, which says, mi-bayit umichutz tz’appennu – “you shall overlay the ark with gold, both inside and out”.

The Talmud (Yoma 72b) applies this verse to the human being, and says that these words define a talmid chacham. He must be a golden-class, superior person both inside and out. If his greatness is all on the outside whilst on the inside he is a fallible, problematical personality, he is no talmid chacham. We have to judge someone by how he (or she) is, as an overall human being.

We can extend the Talmudic comment and say that someone who is high-quality in the street shows only part of himself. The other side is what he is like inside his own house. A person who is a tzaddik in his public life but a mean, nasty, tyrannical husband and father at home is no tzaddik. Instead he is a misken, a poor unfortunate who deserves to be pitied, not to be admired. http://www.oztorah.com/2012/02/inside-out-trumah/

The last paragraph reminds me of what my friend's daughter told her mother. The young woman trained as a beautician and she is invited to people's houses to give manicures, etc. She told her mother that she received a surprising education about people. The ones who are so friendly on the street treat her miserably inside their houses. The ones that seem a bit standoffish when she meets them in public are the ones who offer her a drink and treat her royally in their homes. Don't worry, she didn't say any names because she is very discreet about her clients and it wouldn't be right in terms of speaking lashon hora.

Different stages of life

FiveTownsJewish has a dating forum where a panel was asked whether a young man must go out on a second date. Click here for the answers from various panel members.

Emuna Braverman discusses "The kids are out of the house. Now what?"

Aish has a moving article titled "Cremating my mother was the worst decision I ever made. How could I make it up to her?"

Coming for us

David Goldman has an article at PJMedia titled Memo to Jews: After They Come for the Catholic Church, They Will Come For Us.

Mark Silverberg has an op-ed titled The Tyranny of Deceit at IsraelNationalNews.

Misspelled words

I got a good laugh out of a Daily News article about spelling errors.

Joe Biden's camp might be overly-reliant on spell-check.

The White House recently announced that the Vice President would be attending campaign events in "Road Island."

The glaring misspelling of the Ocean State showed up in a widely-distributed press release detailing Biden's upcoming travel plans.

...In a press release touting an upcoming trip to Bemidgi, Minn., Santorum’s team mispelled the town’s name four times as “Bimidji.”
Read full article: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/oops-joe-biden-heading-road-island-typo-press-release-white-house-article-1.1025666

Here is a comment posted at the end of the article.

"The word Misspelled is Misspelled LOL...Santorums team mispelled the towns name four times"

Click here to read 100 Most Often Misspelled Words in English.

Kosher cool

As with all the teachings of the Torah the signs of a Kosher animal can be understood on many different levels. The ten kosher animals listed in the Torah all have both split hooves and chew their cud. What all these animals have in common is that they all graze for food and are not predators.
http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/554,88510/What-is-the-significance-that-a-kosher-animal-has-split-hooves-and-chews-its-cud.html

De Standaard had an article this week about kosher food being popular, cool and hip. You can read the article here and translate it to English, if need be.

JoodsActueel identifies a few inaccuracies in the article.

*The author of the article probably confused "Kleinblatt bakery" with "Heimische" bakery.

*She refers to the rabbit with plums on her plate which isn't possible because rabbit isn't kosher.

*She quotes the restaurant owner, "we eat no meat from animals that have split hooves" – when, in fact, the animals must have split hooves .

So, for those wishing to learn about kosher, don't use the article as the basis of Jewish dietary laws.

Incidentally, a friend of mine sent me a link to a website called kosherscoop.com. A quick perusal left me with the feeling that I must try out some of the recipes in the near future.