Manoach's wife

משפחת נתניהו בצפת: האם יש עירוב ואיך קראו לאשתו של מנוח

The above link points to an article regarding the prime Minister's visit with his family to Tzefat, how one of his sons went to shul and asked if there was an eruv. During the Prime Minister's walk though the city, someone wanting to test the Prime Minister's knowledge of Tanach, asked him what was the name of Manoach's wfe. The Prime Minister responded that her name wasn't written in  the Tanach.

Wife of Manoach; Samson's Mother: Midrash and Aggadah

The NYTimes has an article about Jibril Rajoub, president of the Palestinian football association who dropped a "bid to suspend Israel from international soccer competition."

He said the Palestinian situation was “even worse than what was in South Africa,” which FIFA suspended from the 1960s until 1992. “There they wanted them to be slaves,” Mr. Rajoub said, referring to South Africa during the apartheid era, adding, “But here in Palestine, they don’t want us to be.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/30/world/middleeast/palestine-palestinian-fa-soccer-israel-fifa.html

Perusing headlines from recent years including, Israeli hospital treats Hamas PM Haniyeh’s granddaughter, Hamas chief’s sister treated in Israeli hospital, Israeli hospitals treat large number of patients from Gaza, and Israel Electricity Company sues Palestinians over debt, I am left wondering, if Israel doesn't what the Palestinians to be, why would they provide them water, electricity and medical treatment?

Scherenschnitte

In 19th century England there lived a famous Jewish philanthropist, Sir Moses Montefiore. Queen Victoria once asked him , "What is the extent of your wealth? How much do you own?" Sir Moses told her it would take a few days to do some accounting, and afterwards, he would reply. When Sir Moses told her his wealth, she became upset saying,"This is offensive: Everyone knows that you have far greater wealth." Sir Moses explained that he considered as his true wealth whatever money he gave to Tzedakah. Anything else that he possessed was only temporary and could be confiscated or lost.

In this week's parsha the pasuk says, "Vechol Terumah LiChol Kodshei Bnei Yisroel Asher Yakrivu LaKohen Loi Yihyeh; and every portion from any of the holies that the Bnei Yisroel will bring to the Kohen shall be his." The words, "Lo Yihyeh" - will be his," in the Pasuk seem superfluous. With the phrase,"Lo Yihyeh" - will be his"- the Torah is emphasizing that people should always consider their monetary wealth as temporary, and whatever one gives to charity, "will be his"- his real wealth that will remain with him forever.
http://www.revach.net/dafyomi/article.php?id=289&style=send


פרשת נשא • הגאון רבי דוד לאו עם וורט לפרשת השבוע

The Blaze reports on the National Spelling Bee ending in a tie. Gokul Venkatachalam and Vanya Shivashankar were declared winners. The final word for Vanya was “scherenschnitte” while Gokul spelled “nunatak” correctly.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/28/national-spelling-bee-ends-in-tie-for-second-year-in-a-row/ 

Congratulations to the winners!!! I know of two women who asked their future husbands to change their long surnames before they got married to them. Perhaps, if they had stuck with their 14 letter family names, their children would have been winning spelling bees!

Parshat Naso

Parshas Naso - Aderes HaTorah

Parshas Naso - Where You Could Be Holding

The power of words

‘Words Kill’: Black Woman Claimed She Faced Racism at a Government Office. Then People Online Went After the Manager, and He Did Something Tragic.

Daily Emunah

Tefilas Ha'Sheloh HaKadosh

Just a reminder that it is an auspicious time to say the prayer for parents on behalf of their children on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan. Click here for the prayer.

Hakol BaTorah

The Jewish Tragedy

הכל בתורה - אין מה לחפש אצל אחרים

The Battle Over Jerusalem Day March

A Jewish reader asks advice from a newspaper as to whether she should expand her online dating experience to include sites other than JDate after two years of not finding her Jewish mate.
How about asking advice from a rabbi instead of a newspaper?

The full blessing

In Parshas Bechukosai, Hashem tells us that if we adhere to the Torah we will receive an abundance of blessings.

The Mishna in Pirkei Avos states that if one experienced all of the worldly blessings combined, it wouldn't be nearly as satisfying as even one moment of pleasure in the World to Come. Therefore, our reward for fulfilling the Torah is NOT given in this world, but rather the full blessing is saved for us to enjoy in the World to Come (where we can experience its full effect) 1. The question is: the blessings detailed in our Parsha, however, are rain, an abundance of food, etc, which are blessings in THIS world. How are we to understand this apparent contradiction?
Continue reading: http://baltimorejewishlife.com/torah/parsha-detail.php?SECTION_ID=45&ARTICLE_ID=60280

A Chabad Shluchim couple was at Buckingham Palace in London, England, to attend the first summer garden party hosted by Queen Elizabeth II, on Tuesday. http://www.collive.com/show_news.rtx?id=35450&alias=shluchim-invited-to-queens-party


Jewish Start-Up CEO Rachel Jacobs Killed in Amtrak Tragedy

Brings to tears

Daily Emunah

Statement By The Parents of Justin Zemser, Jewish Victim Killed In Amtrak Train Crash


Holocaust survivor brings 'the bookkeeper of Auschwitz' to tears as she tells how she saw her parents sent to their deaths and says he should be tormented by his memories 'for the rest of your days'

Stemming Rising Divorce Rates

Prayers for the injured

NBC reports on an AMTRAK train derailment which left at least 5 dead. The article quotes U.S. Senator Tom Carper, who was on the train. "I am grateful to be home safe and sound in Wilmington, and my heart goes out to all those on the train tonight," Carper said. "I hope all of those that are injured recover quickly, and I will keep them in my thoughts and prayers."
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Amtrak-Derailment-Philadelphia--303536331.html#ixzz3ZzTssh3x

94-year-old man finishes college after starting 75 years ago

He jokingly says he’ll take a break before pursuing a master’s degree. http://nypost.com/2015/05/12/94-year-old-man-finishes-college-after-starting-75-years-ago/

In Detroit, Jewish cemetery survives within GM auto plant

Parshat Behar- Bechukotai

We don’t make a blessing – B’har

Bar Mitzvah at 13 transposed

Baptized at 8, Bar Mitzvahed at 31


Holland To Restore Shoah Survivor’s Pension, Issue New Rules for Others Living in West Bank


PLEASE VOTE – HELP A FAMILY WITH FOUR DISABLED CHILDREN WIN FREE HANDICAPPED-ACCESSIBLE VAN

Wealth, happiness and insecurity

The NYPost has an article about insecure millionaires which concludes with the following sentence.

“Enough never seems to be enough — even the wealthiest continue on the treadmill to achieve a better life,” added Paula Polito, client strategy officer at UBS WMA.
http://nypost.com/2015/05/10/study-shows-millionaires-are-insecure/
"One who has one hundred wants two hundred" (Koheles Rabbah 1:34); "One who loves money will not be satisfied with money" (Koheles 5:9)

Walking Away from Wealth

The Torah tells us (Behar 25:8) to count the years, then to count each seven years for Shmita, then to multiply it get to forty nine for Yovel. Why all these calculations?

The Dubno Magid explains with a Mashal. There was a poor beggar who spent many years collecting money from door to door. Later in life he managed to escape his plight and become a regular Ba'al HaBayis in a small town. In this town he bragged to the other townspeople how wealthy he was despite being a man of meager means. "Fool!" said one his neighbors to him. "All the years you were a beggar you counted your money in pennies. Even now that you earn a meager living, you are still counting your wealth in pennies and are proud of your thousands upon thousands of pennies. However if you count your money in the larger denominations that normal people use, you have but a few gold coins which does not make you rich."

Our life in this world is fleeting, says the Dubno Magid. We are here today and gone tomorrow. However we mistakenly measure our life in years, days and hours, and we think we've been here forever and will continue to be here for a very long time. Not so says the Torah. Count Shmita and Yovel. You will see from seven years you have one shmitta. You'll only be here for a few shmittos, and probably not even two Yovlos. Think of it that way and you will be less concerned with your temporary dwelling and more concerned with your permanent one. Then, instead of collecting trivial events worth mere pennies, you will instead focus on collecting gold coins in the form mitzvos. Each one is worth not a Shmita or even a Yovel, but an eternity. 
http://revach.net/article.php?id=3734

A tweet

Here's a tweet about George Galloway.

Rabbi Ezra Schochet speaks about emunah and bitachon at this granddaughter's levaya. - Incredible.

The Latest Jewish Dilemma on Campus

Z Street and the IRS

Undermining credibility

Expert: Human Rights Watch’s Criticism of Israeli Relief in Nepal Undermines Its Credibility

ISIS in Gaza Says Hamas Worse Than ‘Jewish Occupiers’ as Tensions Between Groups Rise

An “eyewitness” in Baltimore delivered a chilling account on Monday of how a police officer chased down an unarmed black man and shot him in the back — except that’s not what happened at all, police said.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/04/video-eyewitness-swears-she-saw-police-shoot-unarmed-man-in-the-back-in-baltimore-theres-just-one-problem/

The Blaze has posted a video in which Megyn Kelly and Bill O’Reilly were discussing a shooting in Texas after an event held by Pamela Geller and others erupted in violence. Ms. Kelly argued with Mr. O'Reilly when he said he would have done it another way.

“You know what else the jihadis don’t like? They hate Jews. Should we get rid of all Jews? That’s the path we’re going to go down if we start catering to the jihadis. Theres no satisfying them. There's no making them happy. You can't not do things because the jihadis are going to be upset." http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/04/megyn-kelly-battles-bill-oreilly-over-draw-muhammad-shooting-should-we-get-rid-of-all-jews/

The State Department Spokesperson was repeatedly asked about "whether or not the State Department has any concerns about the questions raised by numerous stories in the media about donations to the Clinton Foundation and various other subsidiaries I guess you would call – affiliates. Whether or not there are questions or concerns in this building about whether or not the questions about potential conflict of interest have any..."

Mr. Rathke responded, "Well, we are not aware of any evidence that actions taken by Secretary Clinton were influenced by donation to the Clinton Foundation or speech honoraria of former President Clinton. So that’s our view of that situation."
Read more at: http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/dpb/2015/05/241844.htm#DEPARTMENT

Republican FCC commissioner Ajit Pai foresees a grim future for political websites should strict net neutrality rules govern the web. 
Read more at  http://redalertpolitics.com/2015/05/04/fcc-commissioner-government-shut-drudge-report/#L067wxGafgwIqqmc.99

President Obama was interviewed for the last time, by David Letterman on the Letterman show and it was nice to see the exchanges of gratitude between the two famous personalities. After the talk show host expressed his appreciation to the President and his wife for their appearances on his show, President Obama went on to say, "We've grown up with you. The country, I think, has, you know, after a tough day at the office, or coming home from work, you've been there to give us a little bit of joy, a little bit of laughter; it has meant so much and you're a part of all of us...You've given us a great gift and we love you.  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwSIHt1DpY0

The President's words brought to mind the Gemara in Taanit 22 regarding two men who Eliyahu Hanavi pointed out were assured a place in Olam Haba.

Rabbi Beroka Hoza'a approached them and asked what their profession was. They told him that they were professional jesters, who entertained people who appeared to be sad or depressed, or who worked to make peace between people who had been angry at one another.
http://steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=daf_yomi&articleId=3520

The capacity of speech

by Rabbi Dr Raymond Apple

The title of the sidra is Emor – “Talk”.

People talk all the time. They talk too much in fact. Loose tongues are such a danger. Not just when the tongue says nasty things. We know that’s not allowed, since the Psalmist says, “Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking guile” (Ps. 34:14), a sentence that comes in the concluding prayer of every Amidah. But what tends to happen when someone simply can’t stop talking is that the talk becomes nothing more than background noise and the words mean nothing.

So much can be done in a constructive way with “a word fitly spoken” which, according to King Solomon in the Book of Proverbs, is “like apples of gold in settings of silver” (Prov. 25:11).

Just as a person should be careful about where they spend their money, so they should watch their words and not be over-garrulous. Using too many words is a waste of the capacity of speech.

The best advice is, if you have something useful to say, speak up – or otherwise remain silent. Remember the old saying, “When I kept silent they thought I might be a fool. When I spoke they knew I was.” 
http://www.oztorah.com/2015/05/talk-emor/

This morning I came across an article titled New Arab Site Erases Temple Mount's Jewish Nature. There are some interesting comments posted under the article including:

Nevertheless, Balfour issued the following statement on August 11, 1919: “The four great powers are committed to Zionism. And Zionism be it right or wrong, good or bad, is rooted in age long traditions, in present needs in future hopes of far profounder import than the desire and prejudices of the 700,000 Arabs who now inhabit that ancient land.”

UN report outlines how Hamas used kids as human shields

Woman to become NY firefighter despite failing crucial fitness test

Comments detrimental

Global Jewish immigration to Israel jumps 40% this year

Michael Haltman opines about the Democratic nomination for President.

At times it seems that the only thing that could destroy a Democrats chances for office would be something along the lines of making comments detrimental to the Kardashian's because reality TV is all that so many Americans care about.
Read more at http://politicsandfinance.blogspot.com/2015/05/clinton-cash-expose-or-is-this-woman.html#obLg4Jh0lAYDyIE0.99

The double language

Op-Ed: A Child's Letter

Oops: Bill Clinton 'Mistakenly' Misreports Taxable Income as Tax-Free Donations

NYPD: Hate Graffiti Discovered At Mir Yeshiva In Flatbush

In the first pasuk of Emor it says twice to tell the Kohanim, Emor and V'Amarta. Rashi quotes the gemara in Yevamos that says the double language is, "L'Hazhir Gedolim Al HaKetanim", to tell the adults to caution the children. How do Chazal see this from the fact that is says twice to tell them, asks Rav Moshe Shmuel Shapiro?

He answers that the Dubno Magid once asked the Vilna Gaon what is the most effective way to influence children. The Vilna Gaon answered with a Mashal. He said to take a large cup and surround it with smaller cups. Then pour into the large cup and keep pouring until it spills over the top right into the little cups. To have children absorb the lessons, you must fill yourself with an overdose of whatever traits you want to teach them. They will become filled from the overflow.

The Kohanim were implored twice, to give them a double measure of Kedushas Kohen. The reason for this is obviously in order for it to spill over to the children.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/mashal/Parshas-Emor-Rav-Moshe-Shmuel-Shapiro-The-Vilna-Gaons-Overflowing-Cups/3713

Shirat Devorah writes about the segulah for finding a lost object. If someone loses an object, there is a custom to donate some money to the tzeddakah of rabbi Meir Baal Haness and to recite a text which can be found here.

It occurred to me that those who are looking for their basherts are also trying to find a lost object. How appropros to donate tzeddakah on his yahrzheit today and to recite the text.
Hatzlocha to those trying to find their lost objects.

The Jewish slur tweet

UKIP candidate Jack Sen suspended over Jewish slur tweet

40 Person Mob Assaults 2 Jews on Paris’ Boulevard Voltaire

Bowdoin College students start voting on total Israel boycott

Israel warns nationals, Jews to avoid Tunisia due to terror threat

Rabbi Rontzki: Why Are Israelis Looking for G-d in India?

Out of this world

Daily Emunah

Torah On The Moon?

Judaism: World Order is Turning Chaotic

Veteran Hatzolah Member: No Doubt Helmet Saved Bachur’s Life

S.S.S.S. Nesivos Shalom Parshiyos Acharei Kedoshim: Shabbos Can Change You

Awesome response

Just read a great letter penned by a dad to a school principal. read it at One Dad’s Awesome Response To School Principal Who Tried To Lecture Him.

‘Tikkun Olam Makers’ Turn Technology Into Solutions For People With Disabilities
YidwithLid posts Video: In 2009 Hillary Promised That All Bill's Foreign Donors Were Disclosed while the DailyCaller posts Hillary Reportedly Flip-Flopped On Indian Nuke Deal After Influx Of Donations.

There's an excellent article titled Wisconsin Police Lieutenant’s Powerful Lament: Today I Stopped Caring

I stopped caring today because the culture of today’s instantly connected youth is only there to take and never give back. To never accept responsibility for ones actions, but to blame everyone else instead of themselves. To ask “what is in it for me?” versus “what can I do for you?”
http://www.thefederalistpapers.org/us/wisconsin-police-lieutenants-powerful-lament-today-i-stopped-caring