הִנֵּה מַה טוֹב וּמַה נָּעִים שֶׁבֶת אָחִים גַּם יַחַד
Behold how good and how pleasing if brothers could sit together in unity.
This evening I was saddened to read the title of an article posted on an Israeli site Time for Israeli civil war?
How about time to act as the gedolim of Israel acted throughout the ages?
In an interview posted on VIN with the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Rabbi Yona Metzger, about extremist violence in Beit Shemesh, the rabbi stated that both sides have to behave like a mentsch and give respect to others. Zev Brenner related, "I think Shlomo Carlebach had the best line when they were throwing stones in Jerusalem for the people who were desecrating the Shabbos, Shlomo Carlebach said, 'don't throw stones, throw challahs.'" He continued stating, "the best story that I heard relates to Rav Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel - there was a store that was open on the Shabbos where Rav Kook said, 'do as I do.' Everybody figured he'd pass by the store and scream at the storekeeper and that's how he would get him to close on the Sabbath. But Rav Kook passed by the storekeeper and with the widest of smiles and most gentle of voices wished him a Shabbat Shalom and he walked on. All his talmidim, his students, wished him a Shabbat Shalom and walked on and didn't say anything but Shabbat Shalom. The next week the store was closed cause he got the message but it was one in a beautiful way."
Aish has posted a letter addressed to the Beit Shemesh spitter which describes an incident that occurred at the home of the great Mirrer Rosh Yeshiva, Rabbi Nosson Tzvi Finkel, of blessed memory.
31 Dec 2011
30 Dec 2011
The secret to Krias Shema
In what is considered to be one of the most intriguing incidents in the Torah, Yaakov finally meets with his dear son Yosef after 22 years of being apart from each other and Yaakov chooses that very emotional moment to recite Krias Shema, rather than return an embrace with his son. Much has been said about this encounter, but an interesting explanation is given by a talmid of the Chasam Sofer, in Shu”t Kol Aryeh.
Why is it that Yaakov chose Krias Shema, of all things, to be reciting at that point? He explains that the point of Krias Shema is total hisbatlus to the rotzon Hashem. By saying Shema, we acknowledge that Hashem, written in the four-letter form and corresponding to the middah of rachamim, and Elokim, which corresponds to midas hadin, are all Echad. Even though one may go through rough and difficult times in their life, we all know and believe that everything is for our ultimate good. Obviously, this is oftentimes difficult to feel despite the knowledge of its truth. By covering our eyes during Krias Shema, we ‘force’ ourselves not to be swayed by what our fleishige eyes might see as ‘reality’, but in fact close our eyes and believe that Hashem is behind it all from the standpoint of rachamim and hope for that rachamim to be evident to all, when it will truly be Hashem Echad.
This concept was most apparent to Yaakov as he was going to Mitzrayim. All the pain and suffering that he endured, while it was indeed a tremendous challenge and great yisurim, was for the good of his family, for Yosef was the provider of their sustenance during the great famine across the world at the time. Yet, despite this realization, he was still worried about the future of Klal Yisroel in the galus mitzrayim. It was then that Hashem came to him in a dream and promised that “Yosef will cover your eyes” (V’yosef yashis yado al einecha”) to which the Zohar comments cryptically, “this is the secret of Krias Shema.” This ‘secret’ refers to the idea that placing your total trust in Hashem leads to yeshuos and geula. The story of "Yosef" will teach you that it is better to put your hands on your eyes because they don't always tell the truth. Better to look upward.
How ironic, in fact, is that throughout the generations, this secret has been brought forth innumerous times by all the kedoshim who were led to their death by reciting shema. When one wants to see an object close by, he simply looks at it. If the object is further away, his eyes would squint to see that sight. If one wants to see yet farther, to see nitzchiyus, in fact, we close our eyes fully. We are mivatel ourselves and seek Hashem’s ultimate mercy – the day when all will realize Hashem Echad U’shemo Echad.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayigash-To-See-Better-Yaakov-Covers-His-Eyes/3204
Why is it that Yaakov chose Krias Shema, of all things, to be reciting at that point? He explains that the point of Krias Shema is total hisbatlus to the rotzon Hashem. By saying Shema, we acknowledge that Hashem, written in the four-letter form and corresponding to the middah of rachamim, and Elokim, which corresponds to midas hadin, are all Echad. Even though one may go through rough and difficult times in their life, we all know and believe that everything is for our ultimate good. Obviously, this is oftentimes difficult to feel despite the knowledge of its truth. By covering our eyes during Krias Shema, we ‘force’ ourselves not to be swayed by what our fleishige eyes might see as ‘reality’, but in fact close our eyes and believe that Hashem is behind it all from the standpoint of rachamim and hope for that rachamim to be evident to all, when it will truly be Hashem Echad.
This concept was most apparent to Yaakov as he was going to Mitzrayim. All the pain and suffering that he endured, while it was indeed a tremendous challenge and great yisurim, was for the good of his family, for Yosef was the provider of their sustenance during the great famine across the world at the time. Yet, despite this realization, he was still worried about the future of Klal Yisroel in the galus mitzrayim. It was then that Hashem came to him in a dream and promised that “Yosef will cover your eyes” (V’yosef yashis yado al einecha”) to which the Zohar comments cryptically, “this is the secret of Krias Shema.” This ‘secret’ refers to the idea that placing your total trust in Hashem leads to yeshuos and geula. The story of "Yosef" will teach you that it is better to put your hands on your eyes because they don't always tell the truth. Better to look upward.
How ironic, in fact, is that throughout the generations, this secret has been brought forth innumerous times by all the kedoshim who were led to their death by reciting shema. When one wants to see an object close by, he simply looks at it. If the object is further away, his eyes would squint to see that sight. If one wants to see yet farther, to see nitzchiyus, in fact, we close our eyes fully. We are mivatel ourselves and seek Hashem’s ultimate mercy – the day when all will realize Hashem Echad U’shemo Echad.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayigash-To-See-Better-Yaakov-Covers-His-Eyes/3204
29 Dec 2011
Her greatest accomplishment
When asked about her most meaningful accomplishment, Margaret Thatcher, now embodied by Meryl Streep in the biopic Iron Lady, did not typically mention serving in the British government, defeating the Argentine invasion of the Falkans, taming runaway inflation, or toppling the Soviet Union. The woman who reshaped British politics and served as prime minister from 1979 to 1990 often said that her greatest accomplishment was helping save a young Austrian girl from the Nazis.
Continue reading: http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/87027/thatcher-and-the-jews/?all=1
Speaking of the Nazis, here is a video of the sheikh featured in an article titled Report: Radical Sheikh a Key Mediator in U.S.-Taliban Talks.
Continue reading: http://www.tabletmag.com/news-and-politics/87027/thatcher-and-the-jews/?all=1
Speaking of the Nazis, here is a video of the sheikh featured in an article titled Report: Radical Sheikh a Key Mediator in U.S.-Taliban Talks.
I am Yosef
The Medrash says, "Oy Lanu MiYom HaDin, Oy Lanu Miyom HaTochacha", woe is to us from the day of judgement, woe is to us from the day of Mussar from Hashem. The medrash makes this statement based on the incredible embarrassment that the Shevatim felt when Yosef revealed himself to them and gave them mussar.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz asks (Sichos Mussar Maamar 22), where do we see that Yosef gave the brothers mussar? All he did was reveal himself to them. On the contrary he made a great effort to tell them it was the will of Hashem and not their own doing that caused all the event of the past 20 odd years to transpire.
Rav Chaim answers that our view of mussar is not completely accurate. Mussar does not mean to tell someone off. Mussar means to reveal the truth to someone who sees things through a distorted view. Because all the persons actions are based on untruths, when he realizes his mistake and everything he did based on it, he will be very embarrassed.
The Shevatim thought they had it all figured out. Yosef was the bad guy and they saved the future of Am Yisroel by getting rid of him for once and for all. Life after that took many strange turns but they never second guessed their righteousness in dealing with him. Now Yosef, in a literal moment of truth, removes the veil and brings all their mistakes to light. All he has to do is say, "I am Yosef" and this causes them terrible embarrassment as their lifelong "Shitta" unravels in an instant.
If this is how the Shevatim HaKedoshim felt before Yosef, certainly when we live our whole lives based on mistruths that we sell ourselves, when we get to Shamayim the embarrassment will be beyond comprehension, especially since it will be too late to make amends.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayigash-Rav-Chaim-Shmuelevitz-Yosefs-Mussar-To-His-Brothers-A-Real-Moment-Of-Truth/3198
Speaking of truth and deception, click here to read Richard Silverstein Exposed.
Rav Chaim Shmuelevitz asks (Sichos Mussar Maamar 22), where do we see that Yosef gave the brothers mussar? All he did was reveal himself to them. On the contrary he made a great effort to tell them it was the will of Hashem and not their own doing that caused all the event of the past 20 odd years to transpire.
Rav Chaim answers that our view of mussar is not completely accurate. Mussar does not mean to tell someone off. Mussar means to reveal the truth to someone who sees things through a distorted view. Because all the persons actions are based on untruths, when he realizes his mistake and everything he did based on it, he will be very embarrassed.
The Shevatim thought they had it all figured out. Yosef was the bad guy and they saved the future of Am Yisroel by getting rid of him for once and for all. Life after that took many strange turns but they never second guessed their righteousness in dealing with him. Now Yosef, in a literal moment of truth, removes the veil and brings all their mistakes to light. All he has to do is say, "I am Yosef" and this causes them terrible embarrassment as their lifelong "Shitta" unravels in an instant.
If this is how the Shevatim HaKedoshim felt before Yosef, certainly when we live our whole lives based on mistruths that we sell ourselves, when we get to Shamayim the embarrassment will be beyond comprehension, especially since it will be too late to make amends.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayigash-Rav-Chaim-Shmuelevitz-Yosefs-Mussar-To-His-Brothers-A-Real-Moment-Of-Truth/3198
Speaking of truth and deception, click here to read Richard Silverstein Exposed.
28 Dec 2011
Straddling two worlds
An overflowing crowd came out on Sunday, December 18, to listen to actress Mayim Bialik speak about her journey in Yiddishkeit. Born to parents who chose a Reform lifestyle after being raised in Orthodox post-Holocaust homes, Mayim describes her path to almost Orthodoxy as “coming home.” The captivated crowd at the Young Israel of West Hempstead listened as Mayim described her current struggles to continue to grow in Torah observance and learning, while at the same time keeping her role in the popular award-winning television series, The Big Bang Theory.
Mayim had many of her own fascinating theories regarding how she became the woman she is today. She described her mother’s home as one in which certain traditions were observed but without explanation. For example, she laughingly told how she thought her mother’s two sets of dishes were for breakfast and dinner. She did not realize Shabbos included Saturday as well. Though her first words as a baby were in Yiddish, by her early teens she was reading Hollywood scripts, such as for her appearance in Beaches as a younger version of Bette Midler, and then moved on to the hit series Blossom.
Baruch Hashem, unlike most child stars, Mayim chose to focus on scholarship and spirituality after her starring role ended. She attended UCLA, where she majored in neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish studies and took an active role in the Hillel on campus. Her Hillel rabbi proved to be a major influence on her; she notes that after graduation, she wanted to create a home similar to what she had on campus. Though her mother warned her she would never meet a man if she went to services on Friday nights, she met her husband in Calculus class. She married and had two sons, while also receiving her Ph.D. in neuroscience. The executive producer of Big Bang, when noting this footnote on her resume asked, “Is this a joke?” Yes, Mayim is a rare person, straddling the intellectual and entertainment worlds.
Read full article: http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/12751-blossoming-into-yiddishkeit-mayim-bialik-visits-yiwh
In the video below, Ms. Bialik partnered with the Maccabeats to raise money for bone marrow tests. In the second video, the Maccabeats report on how much money has been raised, although I understand that amount has been updated upward.
Mayim had many of her own fascinating theories regarding how she became the woman she is today. She described her mother’s home as one in which certain traditions were observed but without explanation. For example, she laughingly told how she thought her mother’s two sets of dishes were for breakfast and dinner. She did not realize Shabbos included Saturday as well. Though her first words as a baby were in Yiddish, by her early teens she was reading Hollywood scripts, such as for her appearance in Beaches as a younger version of Bette Midler, and then moved on to the hit series Blossom.
Baruch Hashem, unlike most child stars, Mayim chose to focus on scholarship and spirituality after her starring role ended. She attended UCLA, where she majored in neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish studies and took an active role in the Hillel on campus. Her Hillel rabbi proved to be a major influence on her; she notes that after graduation, she wanted to create a home similar to what she had on campus. Though her mother warned her she would never meet a man if she went to services on Friday nights, she met her husband in Calculus class. She married and had two sons, while also receiving her Ph.D. in neuroscience. The executive producer of Big Bang, when noting this footnote on her resume asked, “Is this a joke?” Yes, Mayim is a rare person, straddling the intellectual and entertainment worlds.
Read full article: http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/12751-blossoming-into-yiddishkeit-mayim-bialik-visits-yiwh
In the video below, Ms. Bialik partnered with the Maccabeats to raise money for bone marrow tests. In the second video, the Maccabeats report on how much money has been raised, although I understand that amount has been updated upward.
Taking action
What kind of action did school board members take in reference to a complaint filed against a teacher who allegedly called a student a "Jew boy"?
Click here for details.
On a separate issue, on November 22, David Singer wrote an article about the Palestinians' membership of UNESCO.
Among other questions he posted to the UNESCO’s Director of Liaison Office in New York was the following.
II. Was the PA’s admission to UNESCO unconstitutional because the majority vote required for its admission under Article II 2 of the UNESCO Constitution was not reached?
The vote for the PA’s admission to UNESCO was 107 for, 16 against and 52 abstentions (which do not count as votes).
There are 194 members of UNESCO - so a two thirds majority vote required would be 129. As only 107 votes were in favour - Palestine’s admission to UNESCO did not satisfy the provisions of the Constitution and should be declared invalid.
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10879
On December 27, INN published a further article from Mr. Singer in which he addreeses the fact that he has yet to receive a satisfactory answer to his questions and asks, "Should UNESCO be entitled to act in breach of its own Constitution and choose to studiously ignore investigating any alleged breach when drawn to its attention?"
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10879
Click here for details.
On a separate issue, on November 22, David Singer wrote an article about the Palestinians' membership of UNESCO.
Among other questions he posted to the UNESCO’s Director of Liaison Office in New York was the following.
II. Was the PA’s admission to UNESCO unconstitutional because the majority vote required for its admission under Article II 2 of the UNESCO Constitution was not reached?
The vote for the PA’s admission to UNESCO was 107 for, 16 against and 52 abstentions (which do not count as votes).
There are 194 members of UNESCO - so a two thirds majority vote required would be 129. As only 107 votes were in favour - Palestine’s admission to UNESCO did not satisfy the provisions of the Constitution and should be declared invalid.
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10879
On December 27, INN published a further article from Mr. Singer in which he addreeses the fact that he has yet to receive a satisfactory answer to his questions and asks, "Should UNESCO be entitled to act in breach of its own Constitution and choose to studiously ignore investigating any alleged breach when drawn to its attention?"
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10879
27 Dec 2011
Mitzvot in the news
The following is a notification from the Samoan Tourism Authority website.
Samoa International Date Line Change
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Samoa travels in time at the end of 2011 when it officially changes time zone to be in line with Australia and New Zealand. Samoa will jump from the 29th to the 31st of December and will be one of the first nations to greet the New Year.
The International Date Line Act 2011 (the Act) commences at 12 o'clock midnight, on Thursday 29th December 2011. In effect we will be waking up on Saturday 31st December 2011, and loose one day in our lives as there will be no Friday 30th December 2011 in the history of Samoa.
http://www.samoa.travel/Events/87/Samoa%20International%20Date%20Line%20Change
Do any Jews who keep Sabbath live or plan to travel to Samoa during the next couple of days? What are the halachic implications of going to sleep on Thursday and waking up on Saturday? As I am not planning to be in Samoa on December 29th, I am not going to call up a rabbi to render a halachic decision, but I would be curious to know how the issue should be dealt with.
One note to the Samoan Tourism Authority. Please change the word "loose" to "lose."
In other news, there is an article about a fire that broke out in a dormitory in a yeshiva, probably due to a candle falling on a mattress in one of the rooms. The bachurim succeeded in saving the tefilin in the room except for one. Miraculously, while the batim of that pair of tefillin had melted, the tefillin inside was undamaged.
A chareidi site was instrumental in helping in the performance of hashavat aveidah. Someone had found a memory card with photos of a chareidi man. The site published one of the photos of the man and asked if any of the readers would be able to identify him. The man was identified within a short while. However, some people posted comments to the article in which they asked that the picture and article be removed from the site as the mitzvah of hashavat aveidah had been accomplished and the man in the photo was embarrassed by having his picture on the site. Hopefully, the article will be removed, now that it has served its purpose.
Samoa International Date Line Change
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Samoa travels in time at the end of 2011 when it officially changes time zone to be in line with Australia and New Zealand. Samoa will jump from the 29th to the 31st of December and will be one of the first nations to greet the New Year.
The International Date Line Act 2011 (the Act) commences at 12 o'clock midnight, on Thursday 29th December 2011. In effect we will be waking up on Saturday 31st December 2011, and loose one day in our lives as there will be no Friday 30th December 2011 in the history of Samoa.
http://www.samoa.travel/Events/87/Samoa%20International%20Date%20Line%20Change
Do any Jews who keep Sabbath live or plan to travel to Samoa during the next couple of days? What are the halachic implications of going to sleep on Thursday and waking up on Saturday? As I am not planning to be in Samoa on December 29th, I am not going to call up a rabbi to render a halachic decision, but I would be curious to know how the issue should be dealt with.
One note to the Samoan Tourism Authority. Please change the word "loose" to "lose."
In other news, there is an article about a fire that broke out in a dormitory in a yeshiva, probably due to a candle falling on a mattress in one of the rooms. The bachurim succeeded in saving the tefilin in the room except for one. Miraculously, while the batim of that pair of tefillin had melted, the tefillin inside was undamaged.
A chareidi site was instrumental in helping in the performance of hashavat aveidah. Someone had found a memory card with photos of a chareidi man. The site published one of the photos of the man and asked if any of the readers would be able to identify him. The man was identified within a short while. However, some people posted comments to the article in which they asked that the picture and article be removed from the site as the mitzvah of hashavat aveidah had been accomplished and the man in the photo was embarrassed by having his picture on the site. Hopefully, the article will be removed, now that it has served its purpose.
Absence of gratitude
There's an excellent article by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach at the Algemeiner titled Absence of Gratitude is the Source of Rabbinical Burnout. It pays to read it and focus on whether we thank the people who we come into contact with.
Just a reminder that today is the 2nd of the two Rosh Chodesh days of Tevet, so don't forget Yaaleh V'yavo, Musaf and a full Hallel.
Wishing you a good Chodesh and a happy Chanukah. And go ahead and thank someone.
Just a reminder that today is the 2nd of the two Rosh Chodesh days of Tevet, so don't forget Yaaleh V'yavo, Musaf and a full Hallel.
Wishing you a good Chodesh and a happy Chanukah. And go ahead and thank someone.
26 Dec 2011
Chanukah celebrations
A friend sent me a link to the video below of Chanukah celebrations on the ice.
And here's a link to a Chanukah celebration at the home of Maran Harav Elyashiv.
And here's a link to a Chanukah celebration at the home of Maran Harav Elyashiv.
The candidate's views
Fmr. senior aide to US Cong. Ron Paul, Eric Dondero, writes about Ron Paul and his views on Jews, Blacks, Israel, foreign policy, etc. He opines that Congressman Paul "wishes the Israeli state did not exist at all."
Read full article: http://rightwingnews.com/election-2012/statement-from-fmr-ron-paul-staffer-on-newsletters-anti-semitism/
The question is whether Mr. Paul's views on Israel will lead to a surge in the polls for the congressman. We'll find out soon enough.
H/T Memeorandum
Click here to watch Dr. Paul speaking about Hamas.
Read full article: http://rightwingnews.com/election-2012/statement-from-fmr-ron-paul-staffer-on-newsletters-anti-semitism/
The question is whether Mr. Paul's views on Israel will lead to a surge in the polls for the congressman. We'll find out soon enough.
H/T Memeorandum
Click here to watch Dr. Paul speaking about Hamas.
The miracles and the wars
Today is the first of the two Rosh Chodesh days for the month of Tevet...
The Yaaleh V'yavo prayer is added to the Amidah and to Grace After Meals, and the additional Musaf prayer is said...
Because it is also Chanukah today, the "full" Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is recited (and not the "partial Hallel" said on the Rosh Chodesh days of other months).
http://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/day.asp?tDate=12/26/2011
The Ponovezher Rav, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, once asked the following question. After having lit the Chanukah lights, we recite a prayer, "Al hanisim ve'al hamilchamos," for "the miracles and for the wars." Why should we thank G-d for wars? Are we bloodthirsty, do we live by the sword, that we are happy G-d provides wars for us? Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to highlight the victories in which we vanquished the enemy?
He answered that, in reality, it is premature to thank G-d for the victories because the fight that took place for the first Chanucah still continues today. The war against the Greeks was mainly a spiritual struggle, a war of sanctity against defilement that remains as yet to be won and so we thank G-d for the plain fact that we are fighting, that we strive, despite the most difficult conditions, for something better than our present situation.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1211/chapper_chanukah_flames_souls.php3?printer_friendly
One only has to read this article to realize that the spiritual battle continues to this day.
Click here to see the miracle of Chanukah updated.
Wishing you a gut Chodesh and a happy Chanukah.
The Yaaleh V'yavo prayer is added to the Amidah and to Grace After Meals, and the additional Musaf prayer is said...
Because it is also Chanukah today, the "full" Hallel (Psalms 113-118) is recited (and not the "partial Hallel" said on the Rosh Chodesh days of other months).
http://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/day.asp?tDate=12/26/2011
The Ponovezher Rav, Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, once asked the following question. After having lit the Chanukah lights, we recite a prayer, "Al hanisim ve'al hamilchamos," for "the miracles and for the wars." Why should we thank G-d for wars? Are we bloodthirsty, do we live by the sword, that we are happy G-d provides wars for us? Wouldn't it have been more appropriate to highlight the victories in which we vanquished the enemy?
He answered that, in reality, it is premature to thank G-d for the victories because the fight that took place for the first Chanucah still continues today. The war against the Greeks was mainly a spiritual struggle, a war of sanctity against defilement that remains as yet to be won and so we thank G-d for the plain fact that we are fighting, that we strive, despite the most difficult conditions, for something better than our present situation.
http://www.jewishworldreview.com/1211/chapper_chanukah_flames_souls.php3?printer_friendly
One only has to read this article to realize that the spiritual battle continues to this day.
Click here to see the miracle of Chanukah updated.
Wishing you a gut Chodesh and a happy Chanukah.
25 Dec 2011
Chanukah tweets
I decided to hold a contest for the best tweet about Chanukah (posted on December 20th) from the presidential candidates. I will have to award first prize to Newt Gingrich for using the correct Hebrew words, and using the "Ch" spelling. However, in the music category, Jon Huntsman wins without a doubt.
newtgingrich Newt Gingrich
I would like to wish all those who celebrate a Chag Chanukah Sameach, or a Happy Chanukah.
MittRomney Mitt Romney
Tonight, as Hannukah begins, Ann and I extend our best wishes to all our Jewish friends celebrating the Festival of Lights.
JonHuntsman Jon Huntsman
As the celebration begins tonight, Mary Kaye and I would like to wish Jewish families across America & the world a Happy & Joyous Hanukkah
newtgingrich Newt Gingrich
I would like to wish all those who celebrate a Chag Chanukah Sameach, or a Happy Chanukah.
MittRomney Mitt Romney
Tonight, as Hannukah begins, Ann and I extend our best wishes to all our Jewish friends celebrating the Festival of Lights.
JonHuntsman Jon Huntsman
As the celebration begins tonight, Mary Kaye and I would like to wish Jewish families across America & the world a Happy & Joyous Hanukkah
The fruits of victory
The Ran in Masechta Shabbos says that the word Chanuka is a combination of two words, Chanu, they rested from the war and Kuf Hey on the 25th day of Kislev. Why, asks Rav Elyashiv, do we celebrate the day we rested, shouldn't we celebrate the day we won the war?
The Shalal Rav says that Rav Elyashiv says, we learn from this a lesson regarding war. The great warriors in history saw war as a means of showing off their awesome power and ruling their conquests. They celebrate the crushing of their enemies which is their goal in war. However for some, war is just a means to remove a threat interfering with their real goals in life. For them victory in war is not an accomplishment, it is what they will achieve afterwards with their new-found peace that is the fruit of their victory.
The Chashmonaim may have been great warriors but only for the sake of Hashem. They did not enjoy battle. They enjoyed serving Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash. They enjoyed dveykus with Hashem through the light of Torah. All this was not possible with the Yevanim ruling the land through harsh decrees meant to snuff out the light of Torah.
"Binfol Oivecha Al Tismach", do not rejoice in your enemies downfall. Our victory was achieved not when the Yevanim were defeated on the battlefield, but rather the day we got back to the Bais HaMikdash and cleaned it up and started offering Korbanos once again. Chanukah is a celebration not of heroic victory, but about the freedom to learn Torah and do mitzvos.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/chanukah/Rav-Elyashiv-Am-Yisroel-Celebrates-Peace-Not-War/3193
Below is an excerpt from an article about a small victory achieved through exposure by Palestinian Media Watch.
UNESCO has halted its funding of a magazine promoting Hitler as a role model for the PA. It expressed “shock” over the incitement – but only after it was exposed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) and Arutz Sheva and after the Simon Wiesenthal Center complained.
Zayzafuna, a magazine which ostensibly promotes democracy and tolerance, published an article by a ten-year-old Palestinian girl who said that in her dreams, Hitler told her, “Yes. I killed them [the Jews] so you would all know that they are a nation who spreads destruction all over the world.”
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151047
The Shalal Rav says that Rav Elyashiv says, we learn from this a lesson regarding war. The great warriors in history saw war as a means of showing off their awesome power and ruling their conquests. They celebrate the crushing of their enemies which is their goal in war. However for some, war is just a means to remove a threat interfering with their real goals in life. For them victory in war is not an accomplishment, it is what they will achieve afterwards with their new-found peace that is the fruit of their victory.
The Chashmonaim may have been great warriors but only for the sake of Hashem. They did not enjoy battle. They enjoyed serving Hashem in the Bais HaMikdash. They enjoyed dveykus with Hashem through the light of Torah. All this was not possible with the Yevanim ruling the land through harsh decrees meant to snuff out the light of Torah.
"Binfol Oivecha Al Tismach", do not rejoice in your enemies downfall. Our victory was achieved not when the Yevanim were defeated on the battlefield, but rather the day we got back to the Bais HaMikdash and cleaned it up and started offering Korbanos once again. Chanukah is a celebration not of heroic victory, but about the freedom to learn Torah and do mitzvos.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/chanukah/Rav-Elyashiv-Am-Yisroel-Celebrates-Peace-Not-War/3193
Below is an excerpt from an article about a small victory achieved through exposure by Palestinian Media Watch.
UNESCO has halted its funding of a magazine promoting Hitler as a role model for the PA. It expressed “shock” over the incitement – but only after it was exposed by Palestinian Media Watch (PMW) and Arutz Sheva and after the Simon Wiesenthal Center complained.
Zayzafuna, a magazine which ostensibly promotes democracy and tolerance, published an article by a ten-year-old Palestinian girl who said that in her dreams, Hitler told her, “Yes. I killed them [the Jews] so you would all know that they are a nation who spreads destruction all over the world.”
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/151047
24 Dec 2011
The connections
A version of an article which appeared in the online edition of the New York Times titled Israel Accuses 4 Countries of Meddling in Its Affairs by Isabel Kushner also appeared in the International Herald Tribune print edition on December 23 with the title Israel answers European crticism with a blunt warning. In making a comparison between the two articles, I discovered, among other differences, a sentence that was left out of the online edition. Both versons contain a paragraph beginning with the following sentence.
"In response, Israel berated the Security Council members for paying more attention to the settlers’ arson and vandalism, which was strongly condemned by Israeli leaders, than to the bloodletting in Syria."
But the IHT also had this sentence in its edition.
"The connection between the two, if any, was not clear."
Upon reading the IHT article, I was taken aback by Ms. Kershner's opining about the connection. The article appeared in the news section. As such, only the facts should have been presented. If she wished to opine about the connection, she could have written an opionion piece.
Here's a nice story about the connection between a menorah that was stolen and a triumph over adversity.
Here's a story about a Chanukah miracle after a Brooklyn family was involved in a serious car crash. May Shlomo Zalman Ben Raizel Chedva have a refuah sheleima.
"In response, Israel berated the Security Council members for paying more attention to the settlers’ arson and vandalism, which was strongly condemned by Israeli leaders, than to the bloodletting in Syria."
But the IHT also had this sentence in its edition.
"The connection between the two, if any, was not clear."
Upon reading the IHT article, I was taken aback by Ms. Kershner's opining about the connection. The article appeared in the news section. As such, only the facts should have been presented. If she wished to opine about the connection, she could have written an opionion piece.
Here's a nice story about the connection between a menorah that was stolen and a triumph over adversity.
Here's a story about a Chanukah miracle after a Brooklyn family was involved in a serious car crash. May Shlomo Zalman Ben Raizel Chedva have a refuah sheleima.
23 Dec 2011
Come home
Victor Sharpe explains Jewish continuity in Israel.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Nothing could attest to that fact more than the Israel-Arab conflict, which in reality is the Israel-Islamist conflict.
This is not a territorial dispute between Israel and those Arabs who call themselves Palestinians, though it is framed as such. No, the stark reality of the Muslim war against the Jewish state is rooted in one fundamental fact: namely, the unchangeable refusal by Muslims to ever accept a non-Islamic nation in territory once conquered in the name of Allah, even if that nation -- the Jewish nation -- precedes Islam by millennia.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/12/israel_some_basic_facts.html#ixzz1hLb5JIuO
An interview with Netherlands Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs begins with the following paragraph.
“People often insult me in public. It can happen almost anywhere, such as at the train station in Rotterdam or in the center of Amersfoort, the town where I live. For instance, someone may shout at me ‘Yehoud’ — a negative term for a Jew in Arabic. When I walked home from our synagogue a few years ago, a child of about 10 years old shouted out ‘Dirty stinking Jew.’
The first comment after the article offered this advice.
"So, come home already!
Would it help if we plead? Must you wait until the violence begins? Will you wait even then? Come home to Eretz Yisrael; bring as many Jews as you can with you. We need you but you need us even more. Please, stop the excuses and just come home."
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11019
IsraelMatzav shows a Palestinian video about the holiday season. If you look at the last few seconds of the video, you will see a map of Palestine.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Nothing could attest to that fact more than the Israel-Arab conflict, which in reality is the Israel-Islamist conflict.
This is not a territorial dispute between Israel and those Arabs who call themselves Palestinians, though it is framed as such. No, the stark reality of the Muslim war against the Jewish state is rooted in one fundamental fact: namely, the unchangeable refusal by Muslims to ever accept a non-Islamic nation in territory once conquered in the name of Allah, even if that nation -- the Jewish nation -- precedes Islam by millennia.
Read more: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/12/israel_some_basic_facts.html#ixzz1hLb5JIuO
An interview with Netherlands Chief Rabbi Binyomin Jacobs begins with the following paragraph.
“People often insult me in public. It can happen almost anywhere, such as at the train station in Rotterdam or in the center of Amersfoort, the town where I live. For instance, someone may shout at me ‘Yehoud’ — a negative term for a Jew in Arabic. When I walked home from our synagogue a few years ago, a child of about 10 years old shouted out ‘Dirty stinking Jew.’
The first comment after the article offered this advice.
"So, come home already!
Would it help if we plead? Must you wait until the violence begins? Will you wait even then? Come home to Eretz Yisrael; bring as many Jews as you can with you. We need you but you need us even more. Please, stop the excuses and just come home."
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/11019
IsraelMatzav shows a Palestinian video about the holiday season. If you look at the last few seconds of the video, you will see a map of Palestine.
22 Dec 2011
You're never too old
INN had a small item about a holocaust survivor who was unable to celebrate his bar mitzvah at the age of 13 because he was sent to the concentration camps. Yesterday he celebrated his bar mitzvah at the Western Wall at the age of 82.
For those of you who missed the story of a centenarian who is still going strong, click here to view a video of Irving Kahn, a 106-year-old stockbroker who is a true occupier of Wall Street.
Yesterday I was involved in preparations for a Chanukah party for the older women in the neighborhood who attend a weekly shiur. A musician was invited and some women volunteered to make latkes. Jelly donuts were also on the menu. I asked two girls in their early twenties to provide some youthful enthusiasm and to encourage some of the older ladies to dance. I must say it was a resounding success. But what stuck in my mind were the comments made by one of the young girls. She was quite impressed with a woman who showed great respect to her older mother, making sure that she was dressed beautifully and taking care that her makeup was impeccable. The woman also made sure that her mother participated in the dancing which was no easy feat. The sight has left an indelible impression on the young girl.
Kol hakavod to all the volunteers who had a hand in providing much pleasure to the septuagenarians, octogenarians and nonagenarians. And to the daughter who took such good care of a frail mother, you are an inspiration to all.
For those of you who missed the story of a centenarian who is still going strong, click here to view a video of Irving Kahn, a 106-year-old stockbroker who is a true occupier of Wall Street.
Yesterday I was involved in preparations for a Chanukah party for the older women in the neighborhood who attend a weekly shiur. A musician was invited and some women volunteered to make latkes. Jelly donuts were also on the menu. I asked two girls in their early twenties to provide some youthful enthusiasm and to encourage some of the older ladies to dance. I must say it was a resounding success. But what stuck in my mind were the comments made by one of the young girls. She was quite impressed with a woman who showed great respect to her older mother, making sure that she was dressed beautifully and taking care that her makeup was impeccable. The woman also made sure that her mother participated in the dancing which was no easy feat. The sight has left an indelible impression on the young girl.
Kol hakavod to all the volunteers who had a hand in providing much pleasure to the septuagenarians, octogenarians and nonagenarians. And to the daughter who took such good care of a frail mother, you are an inspiration to all.
Spinning the dreidel
The simple story of the Dreidel or Sivivon is that it was a decoy used by the little children learning the Aleph Bais in case the Yivanim caught them. The Bnei Yisaschar brings some deep remazim regarding the dreidel.
The four sides of the dreidel have the letters, Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey. These stand for the four forces in a person. Nefesh or spirit-Nun, Guf or physicality-Gimel, Sechel or intellect-Shin, and a higher spirit combining the other three, HaKol-Hey. The four nations of Bavel, Yavan, Rome, and Madai each opposed a specific one of these forces. Moshiach, whose gematria is 358 the same as Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey, will annul these forces forever. Then Hashem's reign will be accepted by all. Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach, Hashem Yimloch L'Olam Va'ed also equals 358 like our dreidel and Moshiach.
The dreidel spins on its point. All these nations on each side of the dreidel all focus on Bnei Yisroel. The four side gradually decrease and disappear into this point, as the four nations will disappear and become batel to Am Yisroel.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/chanukah/Chanukah-Some-Hidden-Secrets-Of-The-Dreidel/3164
The four sides of the dreidel have the letters, Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey. These stand for the four forces in a person. Nefesh or spirit-Nun, Guf or physicality-Gimel, Sechel or intellect-Shin, and a higher spirit combining the other three, HaKol-Hey. The four nations of Bavel, Yavan, Rome, and Madai each opposed a specific one of these forces. Moshiach, whose gematria is 358 the same as Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey, will annul these forces forever. Then Hashem's reign will be accepted by all. Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach, Hashem Yimloch L'Olam Va'ed also equals 358 like our dreidel and Moshiach.
The dreidel spins on its point. All these nations on each side of the dreidel all focus on Bnei Yisroel. The four side gradually decrease and disappear into this point, as the four nations will disappear and become batel to Am Yisroel.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/chanukah/Chanukah-Some-Hidden-Secrets-Of-The-Dreidel/3164
21 Dec 2011
Pointing a finger
The head of the Palestinian Authority (PA), Mahmoud Abbas has held a meeting Tuesday with Amna Muna, a female terrorist released in the Shalit deal.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150956
Fourteen frustrated members of the U.N. Security Council pointed a finger at the United States Tuesday for blocking any condemnation of Israel’s accelerated settlement construction in Palestinian territory.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/un-members-point-finger-at-us-for-refusing-to-condemn-israeli-settlement-building/2011/12/20/gIQAnkJY7O_story.html
Is the UN going to point a finger at Mahmoud Abbas for meeting with Amna Muna? What oculd they possibly have discussed? Will Tom Friedman have anything to write about the meeting which isn't helpful to the peace process?
Below is a video of Ambassador Ron Prosor from a weeks ago telling it as it is.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150956
Fourteen frustrated members of the U.N. Security Council pointed a finger at the United States Tuesday for blocking any condemnation of Israel’s accelerated settlement construction in Palestinian territory.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle-east/un-members-point-finger-at-us-for-refusing-to-condemn-israeli-settlement-building/2011/12/20/gIQAnkJY7O_story.html
Is the UN going to point a finger at Mahmoud Abbas for meeting with Amna Muna? What oculd they possibly have discussed? Will Tom Friedman have anything to write about the meeting which isn't helpful to the peace process?
Below is a video of Ambassador Ron Prosor from a weeks ago telling it as it is.
The UN and the Maccabees
A senior UN official issued a statement yesterday about the lack of progress in the Israeli-Palestinian peace process.
The following is an excerpt from an article about the situation.
Direct talks stalled in late September last year after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus.
“We condemn in the strongest terms any indiscriminate firing of projectiles towards civilian areas and call on Israel to show maximum restraint,” Mr. Fernandez-Taranco stated.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40798&Cr=palestin&Cr1=
The fact is that Prime Minister Netanyahu had issued a 10 month freeze on settlemnet building but the Palestinians didn't take advantage of sitting down to direct talks until a few weeks before the freeze was to expire.
And what, pray tell, shoould be maximum restraint to the firing of rockets? Had the Maccabees lived during the time of the United Nations, would we have been celebrating the victory of a few over a majority bent on the destruction of a people?
Rebecca Flint Marx has penned an article titled How I conquered my fear of latkes.
"And so celebrating latkes as part of Hanukkah finally made sense to me. It’s a food symbolic of victory, however short-lived, over those who would prefer we not exist, an inherently fattening food custom-made to cushion us against hardship. Hunched over the flattop, coated in a thin film of atomized grease, I finally came to associate latkes not with imminent destruction but as one of our last – and most lasting – lines of defense against it."
So, let's take the opportunity to celebrate Chanukah and reflect on the victory of those who did not exercise maximum restraint. Happy Chanukah and enjoy the latkes.
The following is an excerpt from an article about the situation.
Direct talks stalled in late September last year after Israel refused to extend its freeze on settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory. That decision prompted Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to withdraw from direct talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which had only resumed a few weeks earlier after a two-year hiatus.
“We condemn in the strongest terms any indiscriminate firing of projectiles towards civilian areas and call on Israel to show maximum restraint,” Mr. Fernandez-Taranco stated.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=40798&Cr=palestin&Cr1=
The fact is that Prime Minister Netanyahu had issued a 10 month freeze on settlemnet building but the Palestinians didn't take advantage of sitting down to direct talks until a few weeks before the freeze was to expire.
And what, pray tell, shoould be maximum restraint to the firing of rockets? Had the Maccabees lived during the time of the United Nations, would we have been celebrating the victory of a few over a majority bent on the destruction of a people?
Rebecca Flint Marx has penned an article titled How I conquered my fear of latkes.
"And so celebrating latkes as part of Hanukkah finally made sense to me. It’s a food symbolic of victory, however short-lived, over those who would prefer we not exist, an inherently fattening food custom-made to cushion us against hardship. Hunched over the flattop, coated in a thin film of atomized grease, I finally came to associate latkes not with imminent destruction but as one of our last – and most lasting – lines of defense against it."
So, let's take the opportunity to celebrate Chanukah and reflect on the victory of those who did not exercise maximum restraint. Happy Chanukah and enjoy the latkes.
The Park Ranger's dream
Just read an amazing story about the effort of a family to ensure that an autopsy not be performed on someone who tragically lost his life while hiking. If you read till the end, you will read about a special dream by a Park Ranger who helped in retrieving the body.
20 Dec 2011
Let there be light
Wishing you a happy Chanukah.
Those of you who would like to surprise your family and friends with Chanukah e-cards, click here. I sent one to a friend a little while ago and she has already responded with, "Thanks, I love getting these cards."
The following is an excerpt from an article titled Let There Be Light by Yossy Goldman.
The story is told of a wealthy man who had three sons. As he was uncertain as to which son he should entrust with the management of his business, he devised a test. He took his three sons to a room which was absolutely empty and he said to each of them, "Fill this room as best as you are able."
The first son got to work immediately. He called in bulldozers, earth-moving equipment, workmen with shovels and wheelbarrows and they got mightily busy. By the end of the day the room was filled, floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with earth.
The room was cleared and the second son was given his chance. He was more of an accountant type, so he had no shortage of paper: boxes, files, archives and records that had been standing and accumulating dust for years and years suddenly found a new purpose. At any rate, it didn't take long and the room was absolutely filled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with paper.
Again the room was cleared and the third son was given his turn. He seemed very relaxed and didn't appear to be gathering or collecting anything at all with which to fill the room. He waited until nightfall and then invited his father and the family to join him at the room. Slowly, he opened the door. The room was absolutely pitch black, engulfed in darkness. He took something out of his pocket. It was a candle. He lit the candle and suddenly the room was filled with light.
He got the job.
Some people fill their homes with earthiness -- with lots of physical objects and possessions which clutter their closets but leave their homes empty. Our cars and clothes, our treasures and toys, all lose their attractiveness with time. If all we seek satisfaction from is the material, we are left with a gaping void in our lives.
Others are into paper -- money, stocks, bonds, and share portfolios -- but there is little in the way of real relationships. Family doesn't exist or is relegated to third place at best. On paper, he might be a multi-millionaire, but is he happy? Is his life rich or poor? Is it filled with family and friends or is it a lonely life, bereft of true joy and contentment?
The truly wise son understands how to fill a vacuum. The intelligent man knows that the emptiness of life needs light. Torah is light. Shabbat candles illuminate and make Jewish homes radiant with light. G-dly truths and the eternal values of our heritage fill our homes and families with the guiding light to help us to our destinations safely and securely.
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/210351/jewish/Let-There-Be-Light.htm
Those of you who would like to surprise your family and friends with Chanukah e-cards, click here. I sent one to a friend a little while ago and she has already responded with, "Thanks, I love getting these cards."
The following is an excerpt from an article titled Let There Be Light by Yossy Goldman.
The story is told of a wealthy man who had three sons. As he was uncertain as to which son he should entrust with the management of his business, he devised a test. He took his three sons to a room which was absolutely empty and he said to each of them, "Fill this room as best as you are able."
The first son got to work immediately. He called in bulldozers, earth-moving equipment, workmen with shovels and wheelbarrows and they got mightily busy. By the end of the day the room was filled, floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with earth.
The room was cleared and the second son was given his chance. He was more of an accountant type, so he had no shortage of paper: boxes, files, archives and records that had been standing and accumulating dust for years and years suddenly found a new purpose. At any rate, it didn't take long and the room was absolutely filled from floor to ceiling, wall to wall, with paper.
Again the room was cleared and the third son was given his turn. He seemed very relaxed and didn't appear to be gathering or collecting anything at all with which to fill the room. He waited until nightfall and then invited his father and the family to join him at the room. Slowly, he opened the door. The room was absolutely pitch black, engulfed in darkness. He took something out of his pocket. It was a candle. He lit the candle and suddenly the room was filled with light.
He got the job.
Some people fill their homes with earthiness -- with lots of physical objects and possessions which clutter their closets but leave their homes empty. Our cars and clothes, our treasures and toys, all lose their attractiveness with time. If all we seek satisfaction from is the material, we are left with a gaping void in our lives.
Others are into paper -- money, stocks, bonds, and share portfolios -- but there is little in the way of real relationships. Family doesn't exist or is relegated to third place at best. On paper, he might be a multi-millionaire, but is he happy? Is his life rich or poor? Is it filled with family and friends or is it a lonely life, bereft of true joy and contentment?
The truly wise son understands how to fill a vacuum. The intelligent man knows that the emptiness of life needs light. Torah is light. Shabbat candles illuminate and make Jewish homes radiant with light. G-dly truths and the eternal values of our heritage fill our homes and families with the guiding light to help us to our destinations safely and securely.
http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/210351/jewish/Let-There-Be-Light.htm
Jewish roots
Click here to read an amazing article titled Righteous Gentile Discovers She Was Jewish All Along.
"It's an amazing story," said Rabbi Stas Wojciechowicz. "Three generations after the war people are rediscovering their Judaism and some are undergoing formal conversion. ... It's the third and fourth generation that is closing this cycle."
And here's a letter to the NYT sent by a Jewish woman who "writes about her encounter with a Lubavitcher Bochur doing Chanukah Mivtzoim."
"It's an amazing story," said Rabbi Stas Wojciechowicz. "Three generations after the war people are rediscovering their Judaism and some are undergoing formal conversion. ... It's the third and fourth generation that is closing this cycle."
And here's a letter to the NYT sent by a Jewish woman who "writes about her encounter with a Lubavitcher Bochur doing Chanukah Mivtzoim."
The price of a tear
Kikar Hashabat has an article about a a town called Kotzk where people flooded the doors of the rebbe's house asking for blessings and salvation. As his sister, was afflicted with various misfortunes, she approached the rebbe's house to ask him to pray for her. However, he left strict instructions with his gabbai not to open the gate for her.
She approached the gate and burst out crying, beseeching the rebbe to bless her. When she saw no one was coming to her aid, she turned to the heavens and cried out to G-d in prayer, asking that she shouldn't be abandoned, as even her brother wasn't in a hurry to help her.
She cried and cried and, at that moment, the rebbe stood up quickly and opened the gate.
"Come in," he told his sister. "You should know," he said, "that this gate was not locked but I saw that your heart was locked from praying for yourself. You should know that no prayer is comparable to the one uttered by the person himself. And I wanted you to personally arouse the mercy of Hashem.
Another article discusses the sale at a Sotheby's auction of an extremely rare prayer book which had belonged to the Baal Shem Tov.
The siddur, which was over 250 years old, was sold at a price of $572,500 to a private collector who bought it anonymously.
The prayer book contains some Jewish drawings and, on one of the pages of the Yom Kippur prayers, there is a tear stain.
She approached the gate and burst out crying, beseeching the rebbe to bless her. When she saw no one was coming to her aid, she turned to the heavens and cried out to G-d in prayer, asking that she shouldn't be abandoned, as even her brother wasn't in a hurry to help her.
She cried and cried and, at that moment, the rebbe stood up quickly and opened the gate.
"Come in," he told his sister. "You should know," he said, "that this gate was not locked but I saw that your heart was locked from praying for yourself. You should know that no prayer is comparable to the one uttered by the person himself. And I wanted you to personally arouse the mercy of Hashem.
Another article discusses the sale at a Sotheby's auction of an extremely rare prayer book which had belonged to the Baal Shem Tov.
The siddur, which was over 250 years old, was sold at a price of $572,500 to a private collector who bought it anonymously.
The prayer book contains some Jewish drawings and, on one of the pages of the Yom Kippur prayers, there is a tear stain.
19 Dec 2011
Assimilation
Rabbi Benjamin Blech weighs in on the topic of assimilation as Chanukah approaches.
"Assimilation today takes many forms.
We've assimilated when all we want is to party, never to pray.
We've assimilated when all we care about is what we look like on the outside, not what we feel like on the inside.
We've assimilated when our greatest goals are fame and fortune rather than love and learning.
We've assimilated when more than anything else we want to envied by the eyes of our fellow man instead of being treasured in the sight of God.
We've assimilated when our chief goal is to accumulate more goods rather than simply to be good.
We've assimilated when we are far more interested in our inheritance than in our legacy, by what we get from the past rather than what we give to the future.
We've assimilated when we consider our children burdens rather than blessings and when we believe the best things we can give them are valuables rather than values."
Read full article: http://www.aish.com/jw/s/Assimilation__the_Chanukah_Oil.html
"Assimilation today takes many forms.
We've assimilated when all we want is to party, never to pray.
We've assimilated when all we care about is what we look like on the outside, not what we feel like on the inside.
We've assimilated when our greatest goals are fame and fortune rather than love and learning.
We've assimilated when more than anything else we want to envied by the eyes of our fellow man instead of being treasured in the sight of God.
We've assimilated when our chief goal is to accumulate more goods rather than simply to be good.
We've assimilated when we are far more interested in our inheritance than in our legacy, by what we get from the past rather than what we give to the future.
We've assimilated when we consider our children burdens rather than blessings and when we believe the best things we can give them are valuables rather than values."
Read full article: http://www.aish.com/jw/s/Assimilation__the_Chanukah_Oil.html
18 Dec 2011
First place for excellence
Students at the Elon Moreh Hesder Yeshiva, which is headed by Samaria Chief Rabbi Rav Elyakim Levanon, won first place Sunday in the Givati Brigade's competition for excellence Sunday. The company is composed of yeshiva students who were recruited last August outperformed all other companies in the brigade.
Rav Levanon was recently inundated with criticism by Israel's loud and ubiquitous leftists after he insisted that soldiers must not attend performances in which women sing on stage.
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150830
Here's a song that everyone can listen to.
Rav Levanon was recently inundated with criticism by Israel's loud and ubiquitous leftists after he insisted that soldiers must not attend performances in which women sing on stage.
Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150830
Or read it in Hebrew:
קצת נחת • תלמידי הרב לבנון - מצטייני החטיבה
Here's a song that everyone can listen to.
Two guests
There is a fascinating episode of "Uncommon Knowledge" posted here with Christopher Hitchens and Newt Gingrich. Someone posted a question to the interviewer, Peter Robinson, as to whether he had any memories of how the pair interacted. The following is Mr. Robinson's response.
"Although at first each, was, as I recall, slightly wary of the other, by the time we all left the studio Newt and Hitch were entirely comfortable in one another's presence.
One other memory--one that may prove of particular relevance now that Newt is everywhere being attacked for proving high-handed, vain, and so forth. In all the history of Uncommon Knowledge--and we've shot more than 400 episodes now--only two guests have ever taken the time to walk around the studio, introducing themselves to every member of the crew. One was Ron Reagan. Whatever you think of his politics (and I think they're mostly mistaken), you can't deny that Ron is as irresistibly charming as was his father.
The other? Newt Gingrich."
After hearing Mr. Gingrich speak so intelligently, would it be so bad to have a President who talks without a teleprompter and who took the time out to introduce himself to every member of the crew?
Frank Bruni writes a NYT op-ed in which he describes the self-adoration of Newt Gingrich.
Mr. Bruni's description of the President.
Barack Obama’s arrogance resides in his eloquence — as a writer, thinker, symbol and story.
Mr. Bruni's description of Mr. Gingrich.
Asked about his stated resolve to rein in federal courts, he said that “just like Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and F.D.R., I would be prepared to take on the judiciary.” The company he keeps!
Mr. Bruni didn't address how the President answered a question on CBS the other day because, according to an article by P.J. Gladnick, CBS edited out the statement from its program.
"I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president -- with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln -- just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history."
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/pj-gladnick/2011/12/16/60-minutes-broadcast-edits-out-laughable-obama-claim-4th-greatest-presi#ixzz1guKIeZ4i
"Although at first each, was, as I recall, slightly wary of the other, by the time we all left the studio Newt and Hitch were entirely comfortable in one another's presence.
One other memory--one that may prove of particular relevance now that Newt is everywhere being attacked for proving high-handed, vain, and so forth. In all the history of Uncommon Knowledge--and we've shot more than 400 episodes now--only two guests have ever taken the time to walk around the studio, introducing themselves to every member of the crew. One was Ron Reagan. Whatever you think of his politics (and I think they're mostly mistaken), you can't deny that Ron is as irresistibly charming as was his father.
The other? Newt Gingrich."
After hearing Mr. Gingrich speak so intelligently, would it be so bad to have a President who talks without a teleprompter and who took the time out to introduce himself to every member of the crew?
Frank Bruni writes a NYT op-ed in which he describes the self-adoration of Newt Gingrich.
Mr. Bruni's description of the President.
Barack Obama’s arrogance resides in his eloquence — as a writer, thinker, symbol and story.
Mr. Bruni's description of Mr. Gingrich.
Asked about his stated resolve to rein in federal courts, he said that “just like Jefferson, Jackson, Lincoln and F.D.R., I would be prepared to take on the judiciary.” The company he keeps!
Mr. Bruni didn't address how the President answered a question on CBS the other day because, according to an article by P.J. Gladnick, CBS edited out the statement from its program.
"I would put our legislative and foreign policy accomplishments in our first two years against any president -- with the possible exceptions of Johnson, F.D.R., and Lincoln -- just in terms of what we've gotten done in modern history."
Read more: http://newsbusters.org/blogs/pj-gladnick/2011/12/16/60-minutes-broadcast-edits-out-laughable-obama-claim-4th-greatest-presi#ixzz1guKIeZ4i
His fate
Many have written articles about the death of Christopher Hitchens. Rabbi Shmuley Boteach penned his thoughts in "Christopher Hitchens and the Fall of a Worthy Adversary" in which he concludes, "No doubt you are now finally resting in peace Christopher given that, wherever you are, you finally have the answer to that great question of G-d's existence you always debated."
I'll let G-d be the judge as to the famous atheist's fate.
I'll let G-d be the judge as to the famous atheist's fate.
17 Dec 2011
The President and the parsha
The following is an excerpt from President Obama's speech at the 71st General Assembly of the Union for Reform Judaism.
So this week -- (applause) -- congregations around the world will retell the story of Joseph. (Applause.) As any fan of Broadway musicals will tell you -- (laughter) -- there is a lot going on in this reading. (Laughter.) But many scholars have focused on a single word that Joseph uses when he replies to his father Jacob.
In Hebrew, that word is “hineni.” It translates -- (applause) -- it translates to “Here I am.” Hineni. It’s the same word Abraham uses to reply to God before the binding of Isaac. It’s the same word Moses uses when God summons him from the burning bush. Hineni. The text is telling us that while Joseph does not know what lies ahead, he is ready to answer the call.
The President also spoke about Israel.
We stand with Israel as a Jewish democratic state because we know that Israel is born of firmly held values that we, as Americans, share: a culture committed to justice, a land that welcomes the weary, a people devoted to tikkun olam.
Read full speech: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/16/remarks-president-71st-general-assembly-union-reform-judaism
As a new leader takes the helm of the leadership of Reform Judaism, I draw attention to an article written by Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization in which he expresses serious concerns.
Blogging religiously discusses a new chapter in the Reform movement.
The Reform movement is, of course, Judaism’s liberal wing. The URJ represents something like 900 congregations and over 300,000 households, but there has long been concern over how “connected” to Judaism many of those households are. A lot of teens basically drop out after their bar and bat mitzvahs and many of the interfaith families that belong to Reform congregations are not terribly active in Jewish life.
Read full article: http://religion.lohudblogs.com/tag/rabbi-eric-yoffie/
So this week -- (applause) -- congregations around the world will retell the story of Joseph. (Applause.) As any fan of Broadway musicals will tell you -- (laughter) -- there is a lot going on in this reading. (Laughter.) But many scholars have focused on a single word that Joseph uses when he replies to his father Jacob.
In Hebrew, that word is “hineni.” It translates -- (applause) -- it translates to “Here I am.” Hineni. It’s the same word Abraham uses to reply to God before the binding of Isaac. It’s the same word Moses uses when God summons him from the burning bush. Hineni. The text is telling us that while Joseph does not know what lies ahead, he is ready to answer the call.
The President also spoke about Israel.
We stand with Israel as a Jewish democratic state because we know that Israel is born of firmly held values that we, as Americans, share: a culture committed to justice, a land that welcomes the weary, a people devoted to tikkun olam.
Read full speech: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2011/12/16/remarks-president-71st-general-assembly-union-reform-judaism
As a new leader takes the helm of the leadership of Reform Judaism, I draw attention to an article written by Mort Klein, national president of the Zionist Organization in which he expresses serious concerns.
Blogging religiously discusses a new chapter in the Reform movement.
The Reform movement is, of course, Judaism’s liberal wing. The URJ represents something like 900 congregations and over 300,000 households, but there has long been concern over how “connected” to Judaism many of those households are. A lot of teens basically drop out after their bar and bat mitzvahs and many of the interfaith families that belong to Reform congregations are not terribly active in Jewish life.
Read full article: http://religion.lohudblogs.com/tag/rabbi-eric-yoffie/
16 Dec 2011
A link in the chain
I came across a Torah thought which can be read here. It gives one pause to be aware that a sin is not committed in isolation but leads to dire consequences.
15 Dec 2011
Words
וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל אֲבִיהֶם
and Joseph brought evil tales about them to their father.
The second verse in this week's parsha mentions the tales that Yosef brought back to his father about his brothers. Rashi comments how Yosef was punished for the words he spoke.
Today an article was withdrawn from a site and an apoliogy was issued. One of the comments posted compared words to feathers of a pillow that, once released, can no longer be retrieved.
An anguished single writes to Rebbetzin Jungreis about insensitivity and hurtful remarks. "It is admirable and noble to want to help with shidduchim, but be serious! Don’t drop names because you feel it shows you are doing something. Unless you have a concrete plan or serious information, don’t talk about it. If you do mention someone, follow up and get back to the single person."
So, let's be careful with our words, both written and vocal. And may the anguished single, as well as others, find their future spouses with the help of G-d and through our endeavors to alleviate the shidduch problem.
and Joseph brought evil tales about them to their father.
The second verse in this week's parsha mentions the tales that Yosef brought back to his father about his brothers. Rashi comments how Yosef was punished for the words he spoke.
Today an article was withdrawn from a site and an apoliogy was issued. One of the comments posted compared words to feathers of a pillow that, once released, can no longer be retrieved.
An anguished single writes to Rebbetzin Jungreis about insensitivity and hurtful remarks. "It is admirable and noble to want to help with shidduchim, but be serious! Don’t drop names because you feel it shows you are doing something. Unless you have a concrete plan or serious information, don’t talk about it. If you do mention someone, follow up and get back to the single person."
So, let's be careful with our words, both written and vocal. And may the anguished single, as well as others, find their future spouses with the help of G-d and through our endeavors to alleviate the shidduch problem.
Calling all kamikazes
At least two advertisers have withdrawn commercials from “All-American Muslim,” a new series on the TLC cable channel, since an activist organization called the Florida Family Association condemned the show.
...Among the other advertisers that the Florida Family Association listed as agreeing to leave the series was Wal-Mart Stores.
...Ted W. Lieu, a California state senator, went further, stating in a letter to Lowe’s on Saturday that “if Lowe’s continues its religious bigotry, I will encourage boycotts of Lowe’s and look into legislative remedies.”
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/controversy-drives-advertisers-from-all-american-muslim-or-does-it/
Utah Birds Crash-Land At Wal-Mart Parking Lot, Thousands Die.
The following is addressed to those birds who are contemplating further actions against companies who withdrew or ostensibly withdrew their advertising dollars from the televison program.
First of all, Senator Lieu called for action through legislation, not through aviation.
Secondly, those who are calling for boycotts against the companies are asking for commitment to the cause, not kamikazes for the cause.
Finally, this is no laughing matter. I regret the loss of life of Hashem's creatures. One of the blessings in the morning prayers is blessing G-d who gives the rooster the ability to distinguish between morning and night. May the birds be able to distinguish between Wal-Mart parking lots and ponds and rivers.
And, in these trying times, may G-d give us the moral clarity to distinguish between what we are doing and what we should be doing. Speaking of which, here is a story about a man who did see the light titled Shyne-ing in Jerusalem: How One Rapper Saw the Light and Moved to Ultra-Orthodox Judaism.
...Among the other advertisers that the Florida Family Association listed as agreeing to leave the series was Wal-Mart Stores.
...Ted W. Lieu, a California state senator, went further, stating in a letter to Lowe’s on Saturday that “if Lowe’s continues its religious bigotry, I will encourage boycotts of Lowe’s and look into legislative remedies.”
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/controversy-drives-advertisers-from-all-american-muslim-or-does-it/
Utah Birds Crash-Land At Wal-Mart Parking Lot, Thousands Die.
The following is addressed to those birds who are contemplating further actions against companies who withdrew or ostensibly withdrew their advertising dollars from the televison program.
First of all, Senator Lieu called for action through legislation, not through aviation.
Secondly, those who are calling for boycotts against the companies are asking for commitment to the cause, not kamikazes for the cause.
Finally, this is no laughing matter. I regret the loss of life of Hashem's creatures. One of the blessings in the morning prayers is blessing G-d who gives the rooster the ability to distinguish between morning and night. May the birds be able to distinguish between Wal-Mart parking lots and ponds and rivers.
And, in these trying times, may G-d give us the moral clarity to distinguish between what we are doing and what we should be doing. Speaking of which, here is a story about a man who did see the light titled Shyne-ing in Jerusalem: How One Rapper Saw the Light and Moved to Ultra-Orthodox Judaism.
14 Dec 2011
The mythology of Jewish return
A couple of posts ago, I discussed an article by Karl Vick in which he details Palestinian hopes for recognition under UNESCO of various cultural sites.
"Genesis 23 lays out the details of his grave in Deed Office detail, including the price (30 shekels) paid for the cave and the adjoining field from Ephron the Hittite. There’s not much about the site that’s in doubt, including what Palestinian officials aim to do with the property if they get control of it — stop Jews from praying there."
As Israel Matzav pointed out, the correct price stated in Genesis was 400 shekels, not 30. Since Mr. Vick couldn't be bothered to spend one minute googling the correct information, one wonders what other untruths slipped through his reporting.
Curious to see if his error had been detected, I clicked on the article. Not, it hasn't been updated to reflect the correct amount.
While I was reading the article, I came across something I had missed before. There was a link to PHOTOS: The potential World Heritage sites of Palestine.
I clicked on the link and was led to a series of photos and captions about possible UNESCO sites.
First in the list was the Tomb of the Patriarchs with a caption that included "in recent years it has been a flashpoint of tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians."
Next photo was the Church of the Nativity with the caption, "During the intifada in 2002, Israeli forces laid siege to it after Palestinian militants took sanctuary there.
Wow! A bunch of peaceful militants seeking sanctuary while those brutal Israelis laid siege. Of course, there was no mention of this.
Rachel's Tomb came next.
"On the fringes of Bethlehem, Rachel's tomb is the supposed burial site of the Biblical Rachel, a figure of prominence in the mythology of Jewish return to the Holy Land. Like those of other Biblical figures, the tomb is of spiritual significance to all three Abrahamic faiths."
Interesting how the word mythology is only used for Judaic teachings.
Then, there's the photo of the St. Hilarion Monastery.
"But the ongoing stifling of Gaza by Israel's blockade and the intermittent bombings of the Strip by Israeli helicopter gunships imperil the ruins."
I suppose Time doesn't feel that Palestinian rocket fire imperils the ruins.
It must be the fault of those mythological Jews.
"Genesis 23 lays out the details of his grave in Deed Office detail, including the price (30 shekels) paid for the cave and the adjoining field from Ephron the Hittite. There’s not much about the site that’s in doubt, including what Palestinian officials aim to do with the property if they get control of it — stop Jews from praying there."
As Israel Matzav pointed out, the correct price stated in Genesis was 400 shekels, not 30. Since Mr. Vick couldn't be bothered to spend one minute googling the correct information, one wonders what other untruths slipped through his reporting.
Curious to see if his error had been detected, I clicked on the article. Not, it hasn't been updated to reflect the correct amount.
While I was reading the article, I came across something I had missed before. There was a link to PHOTOS: The potential World Heritage sites of Palestine.
I clicked on the link and was led to a series of photos and captions about possible UNESCO sites.
First in the list was the Tomb of the Patriarchs with a caption that included "in recent years it has been a flashpoint of tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians."
Next photo was the Church of the Nativity with the caption, "During the intifada in 2002, Israeli forces laid siege to it after Palestinian militants took sanctuary there.
Wow! A bunch of peaceful militants seeking sanctuary while those brutal Israelis laid siege. Of course, there was no mention of this.
Rachel's Tomb came next.
"On the fringes of Bethlehem, Rachel's tomb is the supposed burial site of the Biblical Rachel, a figure of prominence in the mythology of Jewish return to the Holy Land. Like those of other Biblical figures, the tomb is of spiritual significance to all three Abrahamic faiths."
Interesting how the word mythology is only used for Judaic teachings.
Then, there's the photo of the St. Hilarion Monastery.
"But the ongoing stifling of Gaza by Israel's blockade and the intermittent bombings of the Strip by Israeli helicopter gunships imperil the ruins."
I suppose Time doesn't feel that Palestinian rocket fire imperils the ruins.
It must be the fault of those mythological Jews.
G-d's presence
Physicists are closing in on an elusive subatomic particle that, if found, would confirm a long-held understanding about why matter has mass and how the universe's fundamental building blocks behave.
Few people outside physics can fully comprehend the search for the Higgs boson, which was first hypothesized 40 years ago. But proving that the "God particle" actually exists would be "a vindication of the equations we've been using all these years," said one Nobel laureate.
Read full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/higgs-boson-cern-god-particle_n_1145593.html
How about proving that G-d exists? Those willing to find out more can attend a lecture by Rabbi Lazer Brody in Manhattan this evening titled "Hashem Where are you? Finding G-d within today's life challenges."
The following is a devar Torah by Rabbi Dr. Raymond Apple on the parsha.
Joseph had a hard time. Despite his father’s love, one thing after another went wrong in his life. He deserved some nachas, but hardly ever did it eventuate. Yet the Torah is adamant that by heavenly standards he did quite well. How else do we understand the verse, “And the Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:21)? God’s presence, protection and providence accompanied Joseph despite the vicissitudes of his life.
That the Lord was with him is seen not only from the verse we have quoted but from the fact that sometimes his name is spelled “Yehosef”, i.e. “Joseph” with the addition of the heh from the Divine name (e.g. Psalm 81:5). Quite literally, God was with Joseph and part of his being, as was the case with Abraham and Sarah, who also bore the heh of God’s name.
For us, of course, the same privilege is possible, of making God part of our being. If we have a Hebrew name that incorporates a Divine name or title, so much the better. But every human being can show that God is with them by living according to the Divine commandments.
Of Joseph it is said that d’mut d’yukno shel aviv – seeing his father in his mind’s eye – prevented him from sinning with Potiphar’s wife. In every generation, the thought of God, our Divine father, is what keeps us from going astray: that’s how we know and show that the Lord is with us.
http://www.oztorah.com/2008/12/god-be-with-you-vayyeshev/
Few people outside physics can fully comprehend the search for the Higgs boson, which was first hypothesized 40 years ago. But proving that the "God particle" actually exists would be "a vindication of the equations we've been using all these years," said one Nobel laureate.
Read full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/13/higgs-boson-cern-god-particle_n_1145593.html
How about proving that G-d exists? Those willing to find out more can attend a lecture by Rabbi Lazer Brody in Manhattan this evening titled "Hashem Where are you? Finding G-d within today's life challenges."
The following is a devar Torah by Rabbi Dr. Raymond Apple on the parsha.
Joseph had a hard time. Despite his father’s love, one thing after another went wrong in his life. He deserved some nachas, but hardly ever did it eventuate. Yet the Torah is adamant that by heavenly standards he did quite well. How else do we understand the verse, “And the Lord was with Joseph” (Gen. 39:21)? God’s presence, protection and providence accompanied Joseph despite the vicissitudes of his life.
That the Lord was with him is seen not only from the verse we have quoted but from the fact that sometimes his name is spelled “Yehosef”, i.e. “Joseph” with the addition of the heh from the Divine name (e.g. Psalm 81:5). Quite literally, God was with Joseph and part of his being, as was the case with Abraham and Sarah, who also bore the heh of God’s name.
For us, of course, the same privilege is possible, of making God part of our being. If we have a Hebrew name that incorporates a Divine name or title, so much the better. But every human being can show that God is with them by living according to the Divine commandments.
Of Joseph it is said that d’mut d’yukno shel aviv – seeing his father in his mind’s eye – prevented him from sinning with Potiphar’s wife. In every generation, the thought of God, our Divine father, is what keeps us from going astray: that’s how we know and show that the Lord is with us.
http://www.oztorah.com/2008/12/god-be-with-you-vayyeshev/
Perplexed and shocked
An 18-month-old toddler has become the latest victim of an attack in Belgium by a man in possession of grenades and a rifle.
Herman Van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister who is now president of the European Council, said he was badly shaken by the attack.
"There is no explanation whatsoever," Van Rompuy said. "It leaves me perplexed and shocked."
http://news.yahoo.com/attack-belgian-city-leaves-5-dead-122-wounded-225544271.html
An article in De Standaard reveals that Nordine Amrani was known by the police for various offenses related to drug and gun possession. In September 2008 he was sentenced to 58 months imprisonment after police raided his house and found 9500 gun parts, Kalashnikovs and a rocket launcher, as well as 2,800 cannabis plants. He was paroled in October of last year after serving two thirds of his sentence.
And Mr. Van Rompuy is perplexed and shocked? How about if Mr. Amrani would have been given the length of the prison sentence of Jonathan Pollard or Sholom Rubashkin?
Herman Van Rompuy, a former Belgian prime minister who is now president of the European Council, said he was badly shaken by the attack.
"There is no explanation whatsoever," Van Rompuy said. "It leaves me perplexed and shocked."
http://news.yahoo.com/attack-belgian-city-leaves-5-dead-122-wounded-225544271.html
An article in De Standaard reveals that Nordine Amrani was known by the police for various offenses related to drug and gun possession. In September 2008 he was sentenced to 58 months imprisonment after police raided his house and found 9500 gun parts, Kalashnikovs and a rocket launcher, as well as 2,800 cannabis plants. He was paroled in October of last year after serving two thirds of his sentence.
And Mr. Van Rompuy is perplexed and shocked? How about if Mr. Amrani would have been given the length of the prison sentence of Jonathan Pollard or Sholom Rubashkin?
13 Dec 2011
Good and evil
A senior Belgian police officer on Monday accused a member of the country's anti-racism centre of anti-Semitism for describing Jews as being "financially powerful".
Read full article: http://www.ejpress.org/article/55049
A grenade and gun attack in the eastern Belgian city of Liege left four people dead, including the attacker, and at least 75 wounded Tuesday, the Liege public prosecutor said.
...The attacker was identified as 33-year-old Liege resident Nordine Amrani, Reynders said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/europe/belgium-attack/index.html
A 2007 article details how the police, acting on an anonymous tip, searched the house of the attacker. During the raid, the article states that they not only found cannabis plants but an arsenal of weapons.
But why not release him into the general population so that he can use his arsenal of weapons on defenseless people? And why not allow a "27-year-old North Carolina native" who "had been locked up for armed robbery and drug possession and was a suspect in an August shooting in his hometown of Greensboro" out on the streets so that he could kill a cop whose life revolved around his daughters?
And, to restore your faith in humanity, "Today The Post writes a $25,000 check to launch the Police Officer Peter Figoski Education Fund — which is meant to guarantee the education of the slain officer’s four grieving daughters."
And here's another article titled Bay Ridge Toyota Donates Specially Equipped Van To Frum Family With Double Amputee Son.
Read full article: http://www.ejpress.org/article/55049
A grenade and gun attack in the eastern Belgian city of Liege left four people dead, including the attacker, and at least 75 wounded Tuesday, the Liege public prosecutor said.
...The attacker was identified as 33-year-old Liege resident Nordine Amrani, Reynders said.
http://edition.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/europe/belgium-attack/index.html
A 2007 article details how the police, acting on an anonymous tip, searched the house of the attacker. During the raid, the article states that they not only found cannabis plants but an arsenal of weapons.
But why not release him into the general population so that he can use his arsenal of weapons on defenseless people? And why not allow a "27-year-old North Carolina native" who "had been locked up for armed robbery and drug possession and was a suspect in an August shooting in his hometown of Greensboro" out on the streets so that he could kill a cop whose life revolved around his daughters?
And, to restore your faith in humanity, "Today The Post writes a $25,000 check to launch the Police Officer Peter Figoski Education Fund — which is meant to guarantee the education of the slain officer’s four grieving daughters."
And here's another article titled Bay Ridge Toyota Donates Specially Equipped Van To Frum Family With Double Amputee Son.
The spiritual life
Both Reuven and Yehuda spared Yosef from death. First Reuven suggested that rather than killing Yosef and throwing his body in a pit, they throw him in and leave it to Hashem to kill him. Later, when he was in the pit and sure to die a painful death, Yehuda suggests they spare his life and sell him to the passing caravan. Reuven was considered a hero, while Yehuda is singled out from the rest of the brothers, who didn't show any second thoughts about killing Yosef, and blamed for Yosef's plight. Why?
The Lisitcha Elyon brings from the Ponevezher Rov that there was a big difference between what Yehuda did and what Reuven did. "Reuven," says the pasuk, "saved Yosef, LiHashivo El Aviv, to return him to his father, so that he can continue to learn Torah and thrive at his father's side. Yehuda had no grand ambitions for Yosef other than to spare his life. Yehuda's idea of salvation was to sell him as a slave to Mitzrayim which was the most promiscuous society at the time. Yehuda may have saved Yosef's physical life, but he more than buried any spiritual life that Yosef had in him. This is not called salvation. This is murder."
With understanding, the Ponovezher Rov explains the enigmatic Medrash in Shir HaShirim which says, "HaDudaim Nasnu Reich Zeh Maaseh Reuven; Reuven's saving of Yosef is like frangrant flowers."
"V'Al Pisacheinu Kol Megadim Zeh Ner Chanukah; On our doorstep are delicacies," this is Ner Chanukah. What is the connection between the two? He explains that just like Reuven's saving of Yosef was a salvation of his spiritual life, so, too, Chanukah was a salvation of Bnei Yisrael's spiritual existence, as the Yevanim did not aim to kill us, but rather obliterate our religious practice.
http://www.revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayeishev-Ponevezher-Rov-Reuven-the-Hero-Yehuda-the-Fall-Guy/5174
The Lisitcha Elyon brings from the Ponevezher Rov that there was a big difference between what Yehuda did and what Reuven did. "Reuven," says the pasuk, "saved Yosef, LiHashivo El Aviv, to return him to his father, so that he can continue to learn Torah and thrive at his father's side. Yehuda had no grand ambitions for Yosef other than to spare his life. Yehuda's idea of salvation was to sell him as a slave to Mitzrayim which was the most promiscuous society at the time. Yehuda may have saved Yosef's physical life, but he more than buried any spiritual life that Yosef had in him. This is not called salvation. This is murder."
With understanding, the Ponovezher Rov explains the enigmatic Medrash in Shir HaShirim which says, "HaDudaim Nasnu Reich Zeh Maaseh Reuven; Reuven's saving of Yosef is like frangrant flowers."
"V'Al Pisacheinu Kol Megadim Zeh Ner Chanukah; On our doorstep are delicacies," this is Ner Chanukah. What is the connection between the two? He explains that just like Reuven's saving of Yosef was a salvation of his spiritual life, so, too, Chanukah was a salvation of Bnei Yisrael's spiritual existence, as the Yevanim did not aim to kill us, but rather obliterate our religious practice.
http://www.revach.net/parshas-hashavua/life-lessons/Parshas-Vayeishev-Ponevezher-Rov-Reuven-the-Hero-Yehuda-the-Fall-Guy/5174
12 Dec 2011
Learning Torah
Yosef was thrown in to the pit. "VihaBor Rayk Ain Bo Mayim" - "The pit was empty there was no water inside. Rashi asks, if the pit was empty, obviously there wasn't any water inside! Why is it necessary to say," Ain Bo Mayim"? Rashi answers, "Mayim Ayn Bo Aval Nichashim ViAkrabim Yesh Bo" - "There wasn't water in the pit, but there were snakes and scorpions."
The Baalei Mussar explain this Chazal concerning Torah. The Gemara in Taanis says that Torah is compared to water. The pasuk is saying, "VihaBor Rayk Ain Bo Mayim" - if a person is empty without Torah (Mayim), "Nichashim ViAkrabim Yesh Bo" - you can be sure that he is filled with snakes and scorpions - Bad Middos and other Aveiros. A person can not say , "I can still be a good Jew without learning Torah".
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayeishev.html
The following is an excerpt from a Time article by Karl Vick.
Genesis 23 lays out the details of his grave in Deed Office detail, including the price (30 shekels) paid for the cave and the adjoining field from Ephron the Hittite. There’s not much about the site that’s in doubt, including what Palestinian officials aim to do with the property if they get control of it — stop Jews from praying there.
IsraelMatzav correctly points out, "Actually, the price was 400 shekels. Maybe Vick ought to go back and read the bible again."
One wonders why Mr. Vick couldn't be bothered to pick up a bible or to google the information that it was indeed 400 shekels. Perhaps he got confused with the 30 pieces of silver in the Judas story. But when an easy to research fact is recorded incorrectly, one wonders how much journalism is based on slipshod reporting and not on truth. Here's an article at Camera about Karl Vick. And here's another opinion about his reporting
Bereshit Chapter 23
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him:
15 'My lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.'
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure
18 unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
The Baalei Mussar explain this Chazal concerning Torah. The Gemara in Taanis says that Torah is compared to water. The pasuk is saying, "VihaBor Rayk Ain Bo Mayim" - if a person is empty without Torah (Mayim), "Nichashim ViAkrabim Yesh Bo" - you can be sure that he is filled with snakes and scorpions - Bad Middos and other Aveiros. A person can not say , "I can still be a good Jew without learning Torah".
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayeishev.html
The following is an excerpt from a Time article by Karl Vick.
Genesis 23 lays out the details of his grave in Deed Office detail, including the price (30 shekels) paid for the cave and the adjoining field from Ephron the Hittite. There’s not much about the site that’s in doubt, including what Palestinian officials aim to do with the property if they get control of it — stop Jews from praying there.
IsraelMatzav correctly points out, "Actually, the price was 400 shekels. Maybe Vick ought to go back and read the bible again."
One wonders why Mr. Vick couldn't be bothered to pick up a bible or to google the information that it was indeed 400 shekels. Perhaps he got confused with the 30 pieces of silver in the Judas story. But when an easy to research fact is recorded incorrectly, one wonders how much journalism is based on slipshod reporting and not on truth. Here's an article at Camera about Karl Vick. And here's another opinion about his reporting
Bereshit Chapter 23
14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him:
15 'My lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.'
16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.
17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure
18 unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city.
The ten portions
Rabbi Lazer Brody recently posted a fabulous quote.
When things turn out OK, that's no sign of emuna.
When we're OK with whatever way things turn out, that's emuna.
Kikat Hashabat reports on a bar mitzvah celebration that took place in Bnei Brak. The father of the bar mitzvah boy was busy with the celebrations and conversing with his guests and did not notice a young child who was standing at the entrance of the hall where the bar mitzvah was taking place.. A waiter saw the child and pointed him out to the owner of the hall. It turned out that the child had come into the hall to ask for some food for his parents and his siblings as they had noting to eat at home.
The owner of the hall did not hesitate to dart into the kitchen and to generously pack ten portions of food for the hungry child and his family.
When the bar mitzvah ended, the bar mitzvah boy's father and hall owner met to discuss payment. The owner notified the father that he only had to pay for 290 portions instead of the 300 he had ordered and he told him about the incident that had transpired.
The father disagreed as he wanted to pay for the 300 portions.
"I ordered all the dishes in the kitchen, they're mine and therefore I will pay the full payment and earn the merit of the favor you extended to the needy family," he asserted joyfully.
An argument ensued with both sides wanting to have the mitzvah of tzedakah to their credit. Finally, both sides agreed to present their case to Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, who told them that he would consult with his father-in-law, Maran Hgri"s Elyashiv. It was decided that the food had been ordered by the bar mitzvah boy's father and, at the time, belonged to him. Therefore, he would pay for all the portions plus earn the merit of giving charity to a needy family.
When things turn out OK, that's no sign of emuna.
When we're OK with whatever way things turn out, that's emuna.
Kikat Hashabat reports on a bar mitzvah celebration that took place in Bnei Brak. The father of the bar mitzvah boy was busy with the celebrations and conversing with his guests and did not notice a young child who was standing at the entrance of the hall where the bar mitzvah was taking place.. A waiter saw the child and pointed him out to the owner of the hall. It turned out that the child had come into the hall to ask for some food for his parents and his siblings as they had noting to eat at home.
The owner of the hall did not hesitate to dart into the kitchen and to generously pack ten portions of food for the hungry child and his family.
When the bar mitzvah ended, the bar mitzvah boy's father and hall owner met to discuss payment. The owner notified the father that he only had to pay for 290 portions instead of the 300 he had ordered and he told him about the incident that had transpired.
The father disagreed as he wanted to pay for the 300 portions.
"I ordered all the dishes in the kitchen, they're mine and therefore I will pay the full payment and earn the merit of the favor you extended to the needy family," he asserted joyfully.
An argument ensued with both sides wanting to have the mitzvah of tzedakah to their credit. Finally, both sides agreed to present their case to Rabbi Yitzhak Zilberstein, who told them that he would consult with his father-in-law, Maran Hgri"s Elyashiv. It was decided that the food had been ordered by the bar mitzvah boy's father and, at the time, belonged to him. Therefore, he would pay for all the portions plus earn the merit of giving charity to a needy family.
11 Dec 2011
The root cause
To: Ambassador Gutman:
Recently you made remarks at a Brussels conference which included, "an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism."
Have you checked with this Saudi textbook or with this cleric to ascertain the veracity of your statement?
Recently you made remarks at a Brussels conference which included, "an Israeli-Palestinian peace treaty will significantly diminish Muslim anti-Semitism."
Have you checked with this Saudi textbook or with this cleric to ascertain the veracity of your statement?
England through the ages
Click here to listen to the opinions of the Republican candidates about Israel in last night's debate.
The following is an excerpt from a fascinating article in the book review section of the Weekly Standard which discusses Jewish history in England.
Emancipation, however, took another century and was not without further ironies. Himmelfarb focuses on the debate in 1847 over a bill to lift the last barrier to political equality: the ban on Jews sitting as members of Parliament. Lionel de Rothschild, elected for the City of London but barred from taking his seat by his refusal to take a Christian oath, became the occasion for a bill that was fiercely contested by the most eminent Victorian statesmen of all: Gladstone and Disraeli. Both supported the bill, but for contrasting reasons. Gladstone, still on the journey that would take him from High Tory to Grand Old Man of Liberalism, conceded Jews a place in the Mother of Parliaments only because their exclusion would be an anomaly after other non-Anglicans were included. Disraeli outraged many by asking how a Christian assembly could exclude those “who are of the religion in the bosom of which my Lord and Saviour was born,” and that consequently “every gentleman here does profess the Jewish religion.”
Read full article: http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/friends-indeed_610921.html
The following is an excerpt from a fascinating article in the book review section of the Weekly Standard which discusses Jewish history in England.
Emancipation, however, took another century and was not without further ironies. Himmelfarb focuses on the debate in 1847 over a bill to lift the last barrier to political equality: the ban on Jews sitting as members of Parliament. Lionel de Rothschild, elected for the City of London but barred from taking his seat by his refusal to take a Christian oath, became the occasion for a bill that was fiercely contested by the most eminent Victorian statesmen of all: Gladstone and Disraeli. Both supported the bill, but for contrasting reasons. Gladstone, still on the journey that would take him from High Tory to Grand Old Man of Liberalism, conceded Jews a place in the Mother of Parliaments only because their exclusion would be an anomaly after other non-Anglicans were included. Disraeli outraged many by asking how a Christian assembly could exclude those “who are of the religion in the bosom of which my Lord and Saviour was born,” and that consequently “every gentleman here does profess the Jewish religion.”
Read full article: http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/friends-indeed_610921.html
10 Dec 2011
As of that day
In an apparent reference to the verse "next year in Jerusalem" that Jews recite at the end of the Pesach Seder and at the end of the Yom Kippur service, the Wall Street Journal has an article titled "Newt Year in Jerusalem."
At the Republican Jewish Coalition debate the other day, Newt Gingrich declared: "So in a Gingrich administration, the opening day, there will be an executive order about two hours after the inaugural address; we will send the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as of that day."
The presence of the U.S. Embassy in Israel's largest city rather than its capital has long been a sore point for Americans who sympathize with the Jewish state. But Gingrich is far from the first presidential candidate to promise such a move, a history that leads the Associated Press to produce one of its "fact check" articles. The dispatch, by Anne Gearan, is titled "Fact Check: Israel Embassy Promise May Be Empty." It exemplifies what is wrong with the "fact check" genre, so much so that it shows the AP literally doesn't know the meaning of the word "fact."
Read full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203501304577088432910124466.html
At the Republican Jewish Coalition debate the other day, Newt Gingrich declared: "So in a Gingrich administration, the opening day, there will be an executive order about two hours after the inaugural address; we will send the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as of that day."
The presence of the U.S. Embassy in Israel's largest city rather than its capital has long been a sore point for Americans who sympathize with the Jewish state. But Gingrich is far from the first presidential candidate to promise such a move, a history that leads the Associated Press to produce one of its "fact check" articles. The dispatch, by Anne Gearan, is titled "Fact Check: Israel Embassy Promise May Be Empty." It exemplifies what is wrong with the "fact check" genre, so much so that it shows the AP literally doesn't know the meaning of the word "fact."
Read full article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203501304577088432910124466.html
9 Dec 2011
Conceding defeat
The following is an excerpt from a great article by Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz titled A Struggle For the Ages.
This week, many years ago, an American bochur walked into a shtiebel in Yerushalayim to daven Minchah. An old Yerushalmi Yid with a twinkle in his eye called him over.
“Ich hub far eich ah kasha. I have a question for you,” he said. “The posuk says that Yaakov was victorious over the malach of Eisav and was given a new name, Yisroel, in honor of his triumph.
“But,” asked the wizened Yerushalmi, “how can we say Yaakov won? He was left bruised and limping, while the malach ascended to Heaven to sing shirah. Doesn’t it seem like the malach was the victor and Yaakov the loser?”
The Yid thought for a moment and continued.
“Amerikaneh bochur’l, listen to the answer and remember it: When there is a dispute about an ideology, the one who hits first is the loser. If one of the debaters raises his hand and smacks the other, it’s a sign that he can no longer match his opponent with intellect and facts, so he has to hit. When the malach struck Yaakov, he was in fact conceding defeat. He was saying that Yaakov had triumphed!”
Bruce Bawer reviews a book titled I Sleep in Hitler’s Room: An American Jew Visits Germany by Tuvia Tenenbom at PJmedia.
After he’s spent a while in the land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, Tenenbom decides that Germans “are obsessed with Jews.” It’s impossible, he finds, to get through a day without hearing mention of Jews, Israel, and/or the Holocaust.
...Noting the excessive preoccupation of many Germans with things like recycling, Tenenbom points out that “righteous people can turn into animals in a second…It wasn’t the bad economy that turned the country to Nazism; it was the Weimar people and their righteousness.” He meets Germans who are so politically correct, so perfect in their leftism, that they cheer for North Korea at a soccer game. And he interviews a young man who’s head of education at Buchenwald—and who’s also such a passionate pro-Palestinian that even after having lost an eye and his brother as the result of a bomb placed in their car by a Palestinian, he remains a fierce supporter of the cause. Tenenbom is brilliant, telling the young man that he has every right to his politics, but asking him how someone in his job cannot “feel the need to be a little more sensitive to Jewish feeling. … I ask him if his hate for the Jew is so deeply rooted that sense has simply failed him.”
Read full article: http://pjmedia.com/blog/i-sleep-in-hitlers-room/
This week, many years ago, an American bochur walked into a shtiebel in Yerushalayim to daven Minchah. An old Yerushalmi Yid with a twinkle in his eye called him over.
“Ich hub far eich ah kasha. I have a question for you,” he said. “The posuk says that Yaakov was victorious over the malach of Eisav and was given a new name, Yisroel, in honor of his triumph.
“But,” asked the wizened Yerushalmi, “how can we say Yaakov won? He was left bruised and limping, while the malach ascended to Heaven to sing shirah. Doesn’t it seem like the malach was the victor and Yaakov the loser?”
The Yid thought for a moment and continued.
“Amerikaneh bochur’l, listen to the answer and remember it: When there is a dispute about an ideology, the one who hits first is the loser. If one of the debaters raises his hand and smacks the other, it’s a sign that he can no longer match his opponent with intellect and facts, so he has to hit. When the malach struck Yaakov, he was in fact conceding defeat. He was saying that Yaakov had triumphed!”
Bruce Bawer reviews a book titled I Sleep in Hitler’s Room: An American Jew Visits Germany by Tuvia Tenenbom at PJmedia.
After he’s spent a while in the land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, Tenenbom decides that Germans “are obsessed with Jews.” It’s impossible, he finds, to get through a day without hearing mention of Jews, Israel, and/or the Holocaust.
...Noting the excessive preoccupation of many Germans with things like recycling, Tenenbom points out that “righteous people can turn into animals in a second…It wasn’t the bad economy that turned the country to Nazism; it was the Weimar people and their righteousness.” He meets Germans who are so politically correct, so perfect in their leftism, that they cheer for North Korea at a soccer game. And he interviews a young man who’s head of education at Buchenwald—and who’s also such a passionate pro-Palestinian that even after having lost an eye and his brother as the result of a bomb placed in their car by a Palestinian, he remains a fierce supporter of the cause. Tenenbom is brilliant, telling the young man that he has every right to his politics, but asking him how someone in his job cannot “feel the need to be a little more sensitive to Jewish feeling. … I ask him if his hate for the Jew is so deeply rooted that sense has simply failed him.”
Read full article: http://pjmedia.com/blog/i-sleep-in-hitlers-room/
8 Dec 2011
Katonti
I found a joke at the beginning of a post at YidwithLid today that ties in with the theme of the Torah thought below.
On Yom Kippur, the rabbi stops in the middle of the service, prostrates himself beside the bema, (the platform from which services are conducted) and cries out, "Oh, God. I am not worthy!" Saul Rosenberg, president of the synagogue is so moved by this demonstration of piety that he immediately throws himself to the floor beside the rabbi and cries, "Oh, God! "I am not worthy" Then Chaim Pitkin, a tailor, jumps from his seat, prostrates himself in the aisle and cries, "Oh God! I am not worthy!" Rosenberg nudges the rabbi and whispers, "So look who thinks he's not worthy."
The Gemara says that a person is allowed to have "Shiminis ShebeShiminis of Gaavah" - 1/8 of an 1/8 (1/64) of arrogance. What is the meaning of this unusual terminology - "an eighth of an eighth"?
The Vilna Gaon explains, the Gemorrah means the 8th pasuk in the 8th parsha. Parshas VaYishlach is the 8th parsha and "Katonti Mikal HaChasadim" is the 8th pasuk. A person's level of haughtiness must be on the level that he is unworthy of anything. - "I have been diminished by all the kindness and all the truth you have done for me." Whatever Hashem does and will do for me is not coming to me. It is a gift from Hashem, "Katonti" - I am unworthy!
Maharsha explains that a person who has more than 1/64th of Gaavah is considered a showoff. An allusion to this is that "Gas" - "Gimmel" Samach" - 63 - means haughty.
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayishlach.html
On Yom Kippur, the rabbi stops in the middle of the service, prostrates himself beside the bema, (the platform from which services are conducted) and cries out, "Oh, God. I am not worthy!" Saul Rosenberg, president of the synagogue is so moved by this demonstration of piety that he immediately throws himself to the floor beside the rabbi and cries, "Oh, God! "I am not worthy" Then Chaim Pitkin, a tailor, jumps from his seat, prostrates himself in the aisle and cries, "Oh God! I am not worthy!" Rosenberg nudges the rabbi and whispers, "So look who thinks he's not worthy."
The Gemara says that a person is allowed to have "Shiminis ShebeShiminis of Gaavah" - 1/8 of an 1/8 (1/64) of arrogance. What is the meaning of this unusual terminology - "an eighth of an eighth"?
The Vilna Gaon explains, the Gemorrah means the 8th pasuk in the 8th parsha. Parshas VaYishlach is the 8th parsha and "Katonti Mikal HaChasadim" is the 8th pasuk. A person's level of haughtiness must be on the level that he is unworthy of anything. - "I have been diminished by all the kindness and all the truth you have done for me." Whatever Hashem does and will do for me is not coming to me. It is a gift from Hashem, "Katonti" - I am unworthy!
Maharsha explains that a person who has more than 1/64th of Gaavah is considered a showoff. An allusion to this is that "Gas" - "Gimmel" Samach" - 63 - means haughty.
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayishlach.html
Politics and the Holy Land
Today a Fifth Circuit judicial panel released a highly anticipated opinion affirming the convictions against the five organizers of the former Richardson-based Holy Land Foundation on charges that they conspired to funnel money to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/fifth-circuit-holy-land-founda.html
One comment posted was, "Good thing this was discovered during the previous administration. The current administration might not have had time to deal with it with all the bus tours and apologizing going on."
Last night I read in a YNET article, "Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said that, if elected, he will move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."
Here are some articles from yesteryear about the same subject.
The promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem has been made by virtually every presidential candidate in the past two decades, but no one has carried out that pledge. U.S. President Barack Obama was a rare exception in his 2008 campaign.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142091
The following are excerpts from an excellent article titled "Pandering is good."
Politicians are supposed to promise to do things we want so that we will vote for them. Why should we vote for them otherwise? Still, every election cycle, politicians are blamed when they do this and are said to be pandering.
Bill Clinton could pander with the best of them...When Bill ran for President, his positions on the Middle East could have been written by AIPAC. For example, during the 1992 Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton said: “I recognize Jerusalem as an undivided city, the eternal capital of Israel, and I believe in the principle of moving our embassy to Jerusalem.”
The key to being effective is to be consistent and convincing. Once you’re elected, you can do whatever you want, so long as you can withstand the possible retribution when up for reelection. http://www.mitchellbard.com/articles/pandering.html
Gov. George W. Bush is committed to moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if elected president, but the transfer would not be immediate because many details have to be worked out, his top foreign policy adviser said Monday.
... Asked whether in the event of a Bush victory, the new president would move the embassy immediately, Rice said: ``Upon becoming president, he would begin the process. Well, I think there are many details, but he is committed to moving the embassy.''
Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2000/08/Adviser-Bush-Would-Move-U-S-Embassy-To-Jerusalem.aspx#ixzz1fnUDN3vf
The White House on Friday issued its most recent waiver to bypass U.S. law mandating that the American Embassy in Israel be moved to Jerusalem, choosing – not for the first time – to do so late on Friday, when news releases tend to receive relatively little media attention.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-once-again-issues-jerusalem-embassy-waiver-friday-minimize-publicity
At the bottome of a Wiki article titled "Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995" there is an addendum detailing the 26 times that the Presidential Waiver; Suspension of Limitations has been invoked.
One politician who can't be accused of pandering on the Israeli issue is Ron Paul.
http://crimeblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2011/12/fifth-circuit-holy-land-founda.html
One comment posted was, "Good thing this was discovered during the previous administration. The current administration might not have had time to deal with it with all the bus tours and apologizing going on."
Last night I read in a YNET article, "Republican presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich said that, if elected, he will move the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem."
Here are some articles from yesteryear about the same subject.
The promise to move the embassy to Jerusalem has been made by virtually every presidential candidate in the past two decades, but no one has carried out that pledge. U.S. President Barack Obama was a rare exception in his 2008 campaign.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/142091
The following are excerpts from an excellent article titled "Pandering is good."
Politicians are supposed to promise to do things we want so that we will vote for them. Why should we vote for them otherwise? Still, every election cycle, politicians are blamed when they do this and are said to be pandering.
Bill Clinton could pander with the best of them...When Bill ran for President, his positions on the Middle East could have been written by AIPAC. For example, during the 1992 Presidential campaign, Bill Clinton said: “I recognize Jerusalem as an undivided city, the eternal capital of Israel, and I believe in the principle of moving our embassy to Jerusalem.”
The key to being effective is to be consistent and convincing. Once you’re elected, you can do whatever you want, so long as you can withstand the possible retribution when up for reelection. http://www.mitchellbard.com/articles/pandering.html
Gov. George W. Bush is committed to moving the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem if elected president, but the transfer would not be immediate because many details have to be worked out, his top foreign policy adviser said Monday.
... Asked whether in the event of a Bush victory, the new president would move the embassy immediately, Rice said: ``Upon becoming president, he would begin the process. Well, I think there are many details, but he is committed to moving the embassy.''
Read more: http://www.beliefnet.com/News/2000/08/Adviser-Bush-Would-Move-U-S-Embassy-To-Jerusalem.aspx#ixzz1fnUDN3vf
The White House on Friday issued its most recent waiver to bypass U.S. law mandating that the American Embassy in Israel be moved to Jerusalem, choosing – not for the first time – to do so late on Friday, when news releases tend to receive relatively little media attention.
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-once-again-issues-jerusalem-embassy-waiver-friday-minimize-publicity
At the bottome of a Wiki article titled "Jerusalem Embassy Act of 1995" there is an addendum detailing the 26 times that the Presidential Waiver; Suspension of Limitations has been invoked.
One politician who can't be accused of pandering on the Israeli issue is Ron Paul.
7 Dec 2011
Congratulations and trials and tribulations
Congratulations to the 2011 Jewish community hero of the year, Randy Gold. May he and all the other nominees be an inspiration to us in terms of what one individual can accomplish.
Here's a video of Deborah Lipstadt discussing her trial in England when an individual sued her for libel, "after she characterized some of his writings and public statements as Holocaust denial in her book Denying the Holocaust."
In the video Dr. Lipstadt explains how the general counsel of Emory University called her into his office to offer her support. He told that that "what we ask of our faculty is three things - be first rate teachers, be first rate scholars and be morally engaged and ethically engaged and we can find no one who fits those categories better than you and we want to stand behind you."
And speaking of trials...
Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison after he made a final plea for leniency, acknowledging his guilt and saying, “I am unbelievably sorry.”
http://www.suntimes.com/9300810-417/blagojevich-seeks-leniency-from-judge.html
And those who might possibly get drunk on Purim, here's a judge you would like to go in front of.
Here's a video of Deborah Lipstadt discussing her trial in England when an individual sued her for libel, "after she characterized some of his writings and public statements as Holocaust denial in her book Denying the Holocaust."
In the video Dr. Lipstadt explains how the general counsel of Emory University called her into his office to offer her support. He told that that "what we ask of our faculty is three things - be first rate teachers, be first rate scholars and be morally engaged and ethically engaged and we can find no one who fits those categories better than you and we want to stand behind you."
And speaking of trials...
Disgraced former Gov. Rod Blagojevich was sentenced Wednesday to 14 years in prison after he made a final plea for leniency, acknowledging his guilt and saying, “I am unbelievably sorry.”
http://www.suntimes.com/9300810-417/blagojevich-seeks-leniency-from-judge.html
And those who might possibly get drunk on Purim, here's a judge you would like to go in front of.
Living longer and happier
For those men taking their time to get married, here is an article that just might inspire you to take the step.
I do. Those two words make many grown men shudder. If you’re one of those guys, let me ask you this: Do you want to live a longer, happier, healthier life?
You do? Great! Then you should know that the research is clear: Getting married is one of the best investments you can make in your overall health.
Read full article: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/1-health-tip-men
Once you've taken that step, click here to read Ten things women wish men knew.
P.S. If I've inspired any shidduchim from this post, please leave a comment and I will be one of the first to wish you a hearty mazal tov!
P.P.S. Alternatively, if you want to live longer, you may consider running for President.
White House wannabes take note: Contrary to the idea that being president speeds up aging, a study shows that many U.S. commanders in chief have actually lived longer than their peers.
Read full article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/06/us-presidents-live-longer_n_1132586.html
I do. Those two words make many grown men shudder. If you’re one of those guys, let me ask you this: Do you want to live a longer, happier, healthier life?
You do? Great! Then you should know that the research is clear: Getting married is one of the best investments you can make in your overall health.
Read full article: http://health.yahoo.net/experts/menshealth/1-health-tip-men
Once you've taken that step, click here to read Ten things women wish men knew.
P.S. If I've inspired any shidduchim from this post, please leave a comment and I will be one of the first to wish you a hearty mazal tov!
P.P.S. Alternatively, if you want to live longer, you may consider running for President.
White House wannabes take note: Contrary to the idea that being president speeds up aging, a study shows that many U.S. commanders in chief have actually lived longer than their peers.
Read full article:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2011/12/06/us-presidents-live-longer_n_1132586.html
Moving in the wrong direction
J Street's home page has a synopsis of recent news regarding the organization. In a post titled Celebrating small victories, recognizing large challenges there is a list of "four moves in the right direction:
One: Recently-frozen US and Israeli funds owed to the Palestinian Authority have been released."
http://jstreet.org/blog/celebrating-small-victories-recognizing-large-challenges/
However, one recent item is conspicuously absent from the JSteet homepage and you have to click on the archives link to read the following.
Statement on Kathleen Peratis’ visit to Gaza
J Street strongly regrets the recent meetings by its Board member Kathleen Peratis with members of Hamas and the articles that she has written about her visit to Gaza.
How come this item is absent from the homepage?
Here are Yuli Edelstein's views of the organization.
The Director for Americans for Peace Now has a headline in her latest article which includes the words "3 monkeys" and "pro-Israel right."
At the end of the article, she describes the fight for a "Jewish state animated by progressive Jewish values."
What are progressive Jewish values and who, exactly, determines them?
I'll stick with Torah values.
One: Recently-frozen US and Israeli funds owed to the Palestinian Authority have been released."
http://jstreet.org/blog/celebrating-small-victories-recognizing-large-challenges/
However, one recent item is conspicuously absent from the JSteet homepage and you have to click on the archives link to read the following.
Statement on Kathleen Peratis’ visit to Gaza
J Street strongly regrets the recent meetings by its Board member Kathleen Peratis with members of Hamas and the articles that she has written about her visit to Gaza.
How come this item is absent from the homepage?
Here are Yuli Edelstein's views of the organization.
The Director for Americans for Peace Now has a headline in her latest article which includes the words "3 monkeys" and "pro-Israel right."
At the end of the article, she describes the fight for a "Jewish state animated by progressive Jewish values."
What are progressive Jewish values and who, exactly, determines them?
I'll stick with Torah values.
6 Dec 2011
Missing a sentence
In an article in Commentary Magazine titled Belgium Embassy’s Transcript of Gutman Speech Doesn’t Match Delivered Remarks, Omro Ceren compares the transcript of the speech about anti-Semitism published at the Belgian Embassy website with the actual speech delivered by the ambassador. And it doesn't match up.
Except the transcript is wrong. We don’t know exactly how wrong, but we do know that it’s wrong in a suspiciously precise way. On the one single paragraph where there’s a videotape, Gutman very explicitly skipped over the only sentence describing uniquely anti-Jewish violence and intimidation.
Read full article: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/12/06/belgium-embassy-transcript-gutman-speech/#more-776645
Speaking about Brussels....
The world’s first international Jewish news channel Jewish News One (JN1) went online with live streaming in early December and in the space of less than a week has already built up a global audience including viewers from far beyond the core audience as originally envisaged by the channel’s ownership and newsroom.
.
..JN1 was officially launched on 21 September in Brussels. The channel broadcasts via satellite throughout Europe and North America as well as online globally.
http://www.jn1.tv/breaking-news/the-jewish-channel-jn1-became-one-of-the-most-popular-in-morocco.html
YNet reports that the New Prime Minister of Belgium is not a friend of Israel.
While the formation of the Di Rupo is good news for Belgium it does not presage good relations with Israel. Jehudi Kinar, Israel's former ambassador to Belgium, stated in an interview with Manfred Gerstenfeld that surveyed the Belgian political elite's attitude towards Israel, that he was particularly troubled by di Rupo and the Wallonia Socialists.
"After the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006, Di Rupo came out with a press release claiming Israel used this as a pretext to start a war against Lebanon.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150459
Except the transcript is wrong. We don’t know exactly how wrong, but we do know that it’s wrong in a suspiciously precise way. On the one single paragraph where there’s a videotape, Gutman very explicitly skipped over the only sentence describing uniquely anti-Jewish violence and intimidation.
Read full article: http://www.commentarymagazine.com/2011/12/06/belgium-embassy-transcript-gutman-speech/#more-776645
Speaking about Brussels....
The world’s first international Jewish news channel Jewish News One (JN1) went online with live streaming in early December and in the space of less than a week has already built up a global audience including viewers from far beyond the core audience as originally envisaged by the channel’s ownership and newsroom.
.
..JN1 was officially launched on 21 September in Brussels. The channel broadcasts via satellite throughout Europe and North America as well as online globally.
http://www.jn1.tv/breaking-news/the-jewish-channel-jn1-became-one-of-the-most-popular-in-morocco.html
YNet reports that the New Prime Minister of Belgium is not a friend of Israel.
While the formation of the Di Rupo is good news for Belgium it does not presage good relations with Israel. Jehudi Kinar, Israel's former ambassador to Belgium, stated in an interview with Manfred Gerstenfeld that surveyed the Belgian political elite's attitude towards Israel, that he was particularly troubled by di Rupo and the Wallonia Socialists.
"After the kidnapping of Gilad Shalit in 2006, Di Rupo came out with a press release claiming Israel used this as a pretext to start a war against Lebanon.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/150459
Triple standards
Caroline Glick has an article at the JPost titled Our World: An ally no more.
In attacking Israel in the way she did, Clinton showed that she holds Israel to a unique standard of behavior. Whereas fellow Western democracies are within their rights when they undertake initiatives like banning Islamic headdresses from the public square, Israel is a criminal state for affording Jewish soldiers freedom of religion. Whereas the Taliban, who enslave women and girls in the most unspeakable fashion are worthy interlocutors, and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which supports universal female genital mutilation is moderate, Israel is an enemy of democracy for seeking to preserve the government’s ability to adopt policies that advance the country’s interests.
Read full article: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=248256
The above paragraph reminds me of the words of a speaker at the conference on anti-Semitism in Europe which was held this past Thursday in Brussels. (Incidentally, IsraelMatzav has a video of some of the remarks made at that conference by U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman.)
The speaker said that nowadays, one can't talk about double standards but rather about triple standards.
There is one standard for democracies, one standard for dictatorships and another for Israel.
Speaking of the conference, one quote that stood out was that "politicians don't do ethics, they do arithmetic."
In attacking Israel in the way she did, Clinton showed that she holds Israel to a unique standard of behavior. Whereas fellow Western democracies are within their rights when they undertake initiatives like banning Islamic headdresses from the public square, Israel is a criminal state for affording Jewish soldiers freedom of religion. Whereas the Taliban, who enslave women and girls in the most unspeakable fashion are worthy interlocutors, and the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, which supports universal female genital mutilation is moderate, Israel is an enemy of democracy for seeking to preserve the government’s ability to adopt policies that advance the country’s interests.
Read full article: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Article.aspx?id=248256
The above paragraph reminds me of the words of a speaker at the conference on anti-Semitism in Europe which was held this past Thursday in Brussels. (Incidentally, IsraelMatzav has a video of some of the remarks made at that conference by U.S. ambassador to Belgium, Howard Gutman.)
The speaker said that nowadays, one can't talk about double standards but rather about triple standards.
There is one standard for democracies, one standard for dictatorships and another for Israel.
Speaking of the conference, one quote that stood out was that "politicians don't do ethics, they do arithmetic."
5 Dec 2011
Pure evil
This morning I read that "six former members of an SS armored division that was responsible for the largest massacre in Nazi-occupied France are under investigation on possible charges of murder or accessory to murder."
"The company was responsible for the June 10, 1944, massacre in Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, just four days after the D-Day landings in Normandy, in which the Germans killed 642 men, women and children."
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/05/1932974/german-prosecutors-investigating.html
I googled "Oradour-sur-Glane" and found a few links about the massacre here and here.
I read about how the Germans shot at the legs of their prisoners so as to prolong the agony of their dying. And I thought to myself that this was pure evil. An excuse of "I was only following orders" could not be offered as a defense.
This evening I came across an article by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach about challenging evil.
Click here to read How Jacob was Prepared to Risk His Soul in Confronting Esau’s Evil.
"The company was responsible for the June 10, 1944, massacre in Oradour-sur-Glane in central France, just four days after the D-Day landings in Normandy, in which the Germans killed 642 men, women and children."
http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/12/05/1932974/german-prosecutors-investigating.html
I googled "Oradour-sur-Glane" and found a few links about the massacre here and here.
I read about how the Germans shot at the legs of their prisoners so as to prolong the agony of their dying. And I thought to myself that this was pure evil. An excuse of "I was only following orders" could not be offered as a defense.
This evening I came across an article by Rabbi Shmuley Boteach about challenging evil.
Click here to read How Jacob was Prepared to Risk His Soul in Confronting Esau’s Evil.
Feel good stories
Three Connecticut wealth managers who won a $254 million jackpot followed through on their promise to put the money toward philanthropy, today announcing donations to five charities that assist veterans.
...The three trustees said they felt it was important to give back to a section of American society that is underserved.
Read full story: http://news.yahoo.com/money-managers-good-promise-philanthropy-195951763.html
And here's a video of a nonagenarian who says, "If you can work, keep on working. It's good for you."
...The three trustees said they felt it was important to give back to a section of American society that is underserved.
Read full story: http://news.yahoo.com/money-managers-good-promise-philanthropy-195951763.html
And here's a video of a nonagenarian who says, "If you can work, keep on working. It's good for you."
It's unfair to the victim
4 Dec 2011
MiYad Achi MiYad Eisav
US Ambassador to Belgium Howard Gutman expressed regrets Sunday that his words at a conference on the fight against anti-Semitism in Europe "have been misinterpreted."
Read full article: http://www.ejpress.org/article/54859
Participants at the conference were told of two cases of students who were attending non-Jewish schools and ended up transferring to Jewish ones after one girl was beaten and the other was harassed.
Two weeks ago, a 13-year-old young girl was beaten in Brussels by five students of Moroccan origin because she was Jewish. She was told: "Dirty Jew, return to your country." She since has decided to change school as did a 16-year-old girl at the Brussels European School following repeated harassment on Israel by other students. But authorities didn't react.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/54781
Yaakov davened to Hashem ‘Hatzileini Na MiYad Achi MiYad Eisav"; Save me from my brother from Eisav. The Bais HaLevi asks why does it need to say Achi and Eisav? He answers that the Zohar says when you daven for something you should be as clear as possible in your descriptions. He then asks why does it need to say "MiYad"; from the hands of, twice? Let it just say MiYad Achi Eisav.
He answers that Yaakov felt trapped. The two logical outcomes of meeting Eisav were that Eisav would kill him or the other outcome which was no less frightful for Yaakov was that Eisav would forgive him and they would live together like brothers. As far as Yaakov was concerned Eisav's closeness would cause religious erosion that was as dangerous for Klal Yisroel as physical destruction. He wanted to keep his children as far away from Eisav and his lifestyle as possible. That is why he davened that he should be saved from both being murdered at the hands of "Eisav" as well as "Achi" the brotherly hand that Eisav may want to extend to him.
This says the Bais HaLevi was indicative of the future Galus Edom. During some periods we face destruction from cruel and murderous enemies. At other times we self destruct from the brotherly closeness of our host nations. This freedom ends with assimilation of ideals and lowering our level of Avodas Hashem as well as unfortunately assimilation itself.
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayishlach.html
Read full article: http://www.ejpress.org/article/54859
Participants at the conference were told of two cases of students who were attending non-Jewish schools and ended up transferring to Jewish ones after one girl was beaten and the other was harassed.
Two weeks ago, a 13-year-old young girl was beaten in Brussels by five students of Moroccan origin because she was Jewish. She was told: "Dirty Jew, return to your country." She since has decided to change school as did a 16-year-old girl at the Brussels European School following repeated harassment on Israel by other students. But authorities didn't react.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/54781
Yaakov davened to Hashem ‘Hatzileini Na MiYad Achi MiYad Eisav"; Save me from my brother from Eisav. The Bais HaLevi asks why does it need to say Achi and Eisav? He answers that the Zohar says when you daven for something you should be as clear as possible in your descriptions. He then asks why does it need to say "MiYad"; from the hands of, twice? Let it just say MiYad Achi Eisav.
He answers that Yaakov felt trapped. The two logical outcomes of meeting Eisav were that Eisav would kill him or the other outcome which was no less frightful for Yaakov was that Eisav would forgive him and they would live together like brothers. As far as Yaakov was concerned Eisav's closeness would cause religious erosion that was as dangerous for Klal Yisroel as physical destruction. He wanted to keep his children as far away from Eisav and his lifestyle as possible. That is why he davened that he should be saved from both being murdered at the hands of "Eisav" as well as "Achi" the brotherly hand that Eisav may want to extend to him.
This says the Bais HaLevi was indicative of the future Galus Edom. During some periods we face destruction from cruel and murderous enemies. At other times we self destruct from the brotherly closeness of our host nations. This freedom ends with assimilation of ideals and lowering our level of Avodas Hashem as well as unfortunately assimilation itself.
http://www.thejewisheye.com/rev_pvayishlach.html
Making the case
An EJU conference of Jewish lawyers and legal experts held in Brussels on December 2nd led to a decision "to establish [a] pan-European legal task force to combat anti-Semitism."
As is often the case, the media focused on the one speaker whose remarks did not sit well with many of the participants. H/T memeorandum
In an article titled Obama Fundraiser and Ambassador Blames Israel for Anti-Semitism (Update), Daniel Halper has the following update.
UPDATE: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich responds on Twitter: "Pres Obama should fire his ambassador to Brussels for being so wrong about anti-semitism."
William Jacobson writes Can Israel Survive A Second Obama Term? Part 2. The article contains an excerpt from an interview with Charles Krauthammer.
What is important to remember is the fact that dedicated professionals took time from their busy schedules to come together and draw attention to a problem that must be tackled immediately. Let's focus on the positive that can come out of such an initiative and let us take the words of the slogan of the European Jewish Union to heart. "We are one people."
As is often the case, the media focused on the one speaker whose remarks did not sit well with many of the participants. H/T memeorandum
In an article titled Obama Fundraiser and Ambassador Blames Israel for Anti-Semitism (Update), Daniel Halper has the following update.
UPDATE: Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich responds on Twitter: "Pres Obama should fire his ambassador to Brussels for being so wrong about anti-semitism."
William Jacobson writes Can Israel Survive A Second Obama Term? Part 2. The article contains an excerpt from an interview with Charles Krauthammer.
What is important to remember is the fact that dedicated professionals took time from their busy schedules to come together and draw attention to a problem that must be tackled immediately. Let's focus on the positive that can come out of such an initiative and let us take the words of the slogan of the European Jewish Union to heart. "We are one people."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
