No peace without the terrorists' release

Last week, Mishpacha magazine published an article entitled "Back to the Valley of Death by Aharon Granevich-Granot." The author describes a terrorist attack on a bus headed from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
"On the afternoon of July 6, 1989, Abd-Al-Hadi Ghanayem, a resident of the Nuseirat refugee camp in the Gaza strip and a member of Islamic Jihad, boarded the 405 bus at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station for the hour-long journey to Jerusalem. As the bus passed the turnoff to Kiryat Yearim, the formal name for the charedei town of Telshe Stone, Ghanayem ran to the front of the vehicle, grabbed the steering wheel, and pulled sharply to the right. The bus stumbled down the sharp ravine at the side of the road; sixteen people were dead and twenty-seven injured."
In an article entitled "The Shuhada Cult of Martyrdom in Islamic Jihad" Memri reports, "In every issue, the Islamic Jihad's weekly, Al-Istiqlal (Gaza), publishes the biography of one of the "martyrs" (the Shuhada). The series celebrates the character and operations of the "heroes" who choose "military courses of action" against Israel.
The Bus Line 405 Operation (July 1989)

"In July 1989 the hero, Abd Al-Hadi Ghanayem, arrived at the Tel Aviv Central Bus Station… He boarded bus 405 to Jerusalem, after he checked and made sure that there were no Arab passengers on it. The bus filled with passengers, including nine soldiers. The bus moved, carrying the hero to Paradise… A few meters before reaching the ravine at the village of Abu Gosh, the hero opened his eyes and threw his ticket toward the bus driver. Then he rose up to lift it. He reached the driver seat and chanted loudly: "Allah akbar, Allah akbar." He grabbed the wheel and turned it forcefully towards the ravine. …Parts of iron and the bodies of Jews scattered all over. …16 people died, and 24 were injured losing bodily organs. The 'living martyr' [Ghanayem survived] was sentenced to 16 life sentences. Let us pray to Allah for his fast release; let Allah bless him with peace of mind and satisfaction in his destiny. Let his soul be gratified, and let him join us in Paradise together with the prophets and the martyrs."
http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA2500

IsraelNationalNews reported that Pa Chairman Abbas stated the following.
"There will not be peace between Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) without the release of all PA prisoners from Israeli jails, PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas said on Saturday. "The peace won’t be achieved in the region without the release of all the Palestinian detainees that held in the Israeli jails," Abbas said according to Middle East news agency Ramattan. Abbas’ comments came following a meeting with Sanaa Amro in Ramallah after she was released from jail. Amro was arrested and jailed for attempting to stab a Jewish settler. Abbas congratulated her on being released and stressed that the issue of PA prisoners will always be the top priority of PA leadership."

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/167467

IsraelNationalNews also reported on the activists who were detained in Israel, when they tried to bypass an Israeli blockade and bring supplies into Gaza.

Asked if the activists also express concern for kidnapped soldier Gilad Shalit, Free Gaza spokeswoman Greta Berlin told Israel National News, “We are not a political organization. Shalit is a prisoner of war, captured when he invaded someone else's territory. You will note that we don't say anything about the 11,000 Palestinians held in prison either... many of them without trial.”

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132041

Actually, Gilad Shalit was kidnapped by Palestinian militants in a cross border raid. Shalit was not kidnapped while he "invaded someone else's territory." If Greta Berlin is lying about Gilad Shalit, what else is she, as well as the other activists for Gaza lying about? Why not keep them in detention? As for Abbas's demand to release all Palestinian prisoners, do we really want such lowlives to be freely roaming the streets? But, according to Mahmoud Abbas, the only way to bring peace is for Israel to release Abd Al-Hadi Ghanayem, a man whose greatest aspiration was to cause the loss of as many innocent victims as possible. I just don't get it.

Disturbing the Sabbath

Extra sleep is also considered appropriate and desirable on Shabbat, in line with the principle of "Shayna b'Shabbat Taanug," "Sleep on Shabbat is considered a pleasure."

An anecdote that I came across about the above concept is as follows.

The mashgiach of [your favorite yeshiva's name] wandered into the Beis Midrash on Shabbos afternoon and found a couple of boys chatting instead of learning. Here's the dialogue.

Mashgiach: "Don't you boys know that the rashei teivos shabbos indicate sheina b'shabas taanug, meaning either shinun (of Torah) or sleeping?"

Boys: "Perhaps it's rashei teivos for sicha b'shabas taanug?"

Mashgiach: "Lev chacham l'ymino, v'lev ksil l'smolo."[meaning the dot on the shin]

http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol09/v09n007.shtml

Unfortunately, some Jerusalem residents were unable to have a peaceful Shabbat. Ladaat.net reported that a police helicopter was hovering above areas in Jerusalem, flying at a low altitude and making noise which interfered with the residents' prayers and menuchat Shabbat. After Shabbat, Knesset member Moses wrote a letter to the internal security minister to look into the incident and see whether it was really necessary for a police helicopter to fly over the area, disturbing the prayers of the congregants and hurting the feelings of the Sabbath observers.

The video below is not of the helicopter that flew over Jerusalem this morning, but just gives you the idea of the noise that is created by a hovering helicopter.

All who mourn over Yerushalayim

An article published on IsraelNationalNews entitled "PA Arabs: Jerusalem is No Home for Jews and Christians" begins with the following paragraph.
A poll released this week showed that PA Arabs are reluctant to grant rights to Jews or Christians within areas demanded for a PA state. A survey conducted by the Arab World for Research and Development among 1,200 Arab residents of Judea, Samaria and Gaza found that did not feel Jerusalem should be shared with Jews and Christians.
When asked to what extent they agreed with a statement made by United States President Barack Obama that Jerusalem should be “a secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims,” less than 17 percent said they agree, while 20 percent said they “somewhat agree.” More than 42 percent said they disagree with the statement, while 17 percent “somewhat disagree.”
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132187

In a previous post, I wrote about Jerusalem and the blessing of V’lirushalayim Ircha. The following day, I came across a community awareness bulletin from a few years ago.

"A TIMELY RECOMMENDATION
As we together commence the meaningful forty-day period from Rosh Chodesh Tammuz to the Tenth of Av, we provide the following timely recommendation that is spreading through our community worldwide:
As you recite the fourteenth bracha of Shemone Esrei, V’lirushalayim Ircha three times daily, spend just an extra few seconds of time and effort to concentrate on the plain meaning of the words, and on the nachas and simcha Hashem and Klal Yisroel would have with the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the Bais Hamikdash.
Some Helpful Points:
You may want to highlight the bracha in some way in your siddur to remind yourself
A tear from time to time, if possible, is also meaningful
Try to keep a running record of the times you had kavana (maximum three times per day!)
ALL WHO MOURN OVER YERUSHALAYIM WILL BE ZOCHE TO SEE ITS FINAL CONSOLATION"
http://www.hakhel.info/July05DailyEmail.htm

Being convinced

CNN news published an article entitled TV gameshow offers atheists 'salvation'.

A Turkish television show is offering contestants what it claims is the "biggest prize ever" -- the chance for atheists to convert to one of the world's major religions. The show, called "Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor," or "Penitents Compete," features a Muslim imam, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi and a Buddhist monk attempting to persuade 10 atheists of the merits of their religion, according to CNN Turk. If they succeed, the contestants are rewarded with a pilgrimage to one of their chosen faith's most sacred sites -- Mecca for Muslims, Jerusalem for converts to Judaism, a trip to Tibet for Buddhists and the chance to visit Ephesus and the Vatican for Christians. Ahmet Ozdemir, deputy director of Turkish channel Kanal T, which will air the show from September, said the program aimed to "turn disbelievers on to God."

To read full article, click here.

In The Essence of a Gadol by Rabbi Avi Shafran, posted on matzav.com, the author describes his rebbe, Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l. He begins by relating the following anecdote.

The unaffiliated Jewish woman attended three of the rabbi’s shiurim in the 1950s, visibly intrigued by the ideas he put forth, about the historicity of Klal Yisroel’s mesorah. Then she abruptly stopped coming. Another woman who had also attended the lecture series tracked her down and asked why she was no longer showing up. The first woman answered straightforwardly: “He was convincing me. If I continue to listen to this man, I will have to change my life.”

http://matzav.com/the-essence-of-a-gadol/

All I can say is that I think we should be paying more attention to the words of our gedolim and rebbes.

ShidduchVision

Click on above image to enlarge and see letter of haskamos.

In an article entitled "First Date 2.0: ShidduchVision aims to ease shidduch crisis" by Ben Harris, the following was reported:
"A new effort based in Baltimore represents the latest attempt to address what is often described as a crisis of Orthodox singles unable to find suitable mates. The new service, known as ShidduchVision, will permit Orthodox singles to go on first “dates” via video conference rather than travel to far-off locales to meet potential suitors. A local representative for the service will host participants while they conduct up to three meetings over a secure high-speed link, after which they will decide if they want to take the relationship further by meeting in person. At $18 per user per session -- the costs likely will be borne by the men -- the service aims not only to save the money of inter-city travel, but also to avoid the heartache of traveling a long distance for what ends up being a bad date. “This will allow many, many more options, especially for those who are termed 'out-of-towners,' ” said Jeff Cohn, the Baltimore businessman and founder of the Make a Shidduch Foundation who started ShidduchVision."
To read full article, click here.
To find out more about this new, unique service, click here.
If you want to be notified when the program goes live, click here.

Od yishama be'arei yehudah
uvechutzot Yerushalaim:
Kol sason vekol simchah,
kol chatan vekol kalah.
It will yet be heard in the cities of Judea
and the parts of Jerusalem:
Sound of joy and sound of gladness,
voice of groom and bride.

Technological devices and Torah learning

The following text by Rabbi Eli Mansour is part of an email that was sent to me this week. To receive a weekly parsha insight, click here.

"The Torah in Parashat Hukat presents the laws relevant to the Para Aduma (red heifer), whose ashes were used to divest people and utensils of their status of Tum'a (ritual contamination). In this context the Torah discusses the laws of Tum'a that apply to those who are under the same roof as a human corpse. The Torah writes, "This is the Torah [law] regarding a person who dies in a tent" (19:14).

The Sages of the Talmud noted that this verse may allude to a different concept, as well, namely, the approach we should have toward Torah learning: "Torah is sustained only within one who kills himself over it." According to this reading, the phrase, "a person who dies in a tent" is the description of how we should go about our Torah study - like someone who "dies in a tent."

What does it mean that one should "kill himself" over Torah, that we should be "dead" in regard to learning?

One explanation is that we should study Torah without any interruption, as though we were "dead." A dead person does not receive phone calls, cannot attend any meetings, has no access to e-mail, and is not available for consultation. The Talmud teaches that we should be similarly "dead" with respect to the period allotted for Torah learning. During that period, we should be no more accessible than a dead person. That time is sacred, designated exclusively for learning and for nothing else.

Today, this precept has become exceedingly difficult to follow. Modern technology has given us cell phones and other gadgets that make us accessible at all times, no matter where we are. Not too long ago, a man in the Bet Midrash could be reached only for emergencies, by calling the nearest payphone. But today, it is harder than ever to act "dead," to turn off all the communication devices and focus one's attention exclusively on the material one is studying without thinking or worrying about anything else.

I had a morning study partner who was a very successful businessman. His policy was that he did not answer any phone calls until 1 pm every day. When we finished our learning session and he checked his fourteen or so messages, he discovered that the vast majority of the issues and problems for which he was called in the morning were somehow resolved by 1 pm. An employee, for example, would call with a frantic problem at 9:00, and at 11:00 he would call back to report that the issue had worked itself out. Had this study partner not turned off his phone for those hours, he would have spent most of the time resolving problems that could have worked themselves out without him. He understood the importance of "dying in the tent," of making himself "dead" for Torah learning."

The following is part of an article posted on the yeshivaworld website today.

"According to the weekly Belz-affiliated BaKehilla newspaper, HaGaon Rav Yosef Sholom Elyashiv is going to comply with the growing number of requests from rabbonim and roshei yeshiva and will be prohibiting MP4 players.
Roshei yeshiva visited Maran this week, and one case that was shared was a bachor who he noticed was totally engulfed in the gemora, swaying back-and-forth rhythmically as he stared at the sefer, prompting the rav to go over to his talmid to experience the event. It was then that he noticed the bachor was swaying to the music and not his gemora, hooked into his MP4 player which was well hidden."

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/36448/BANNED:+Say+Goodbye+to+the+MP4?.html

The caduceus

The previous post was about how snakes are making the headlines in the papers, just as this week's parsha relates an incident about snakes. I wrote about two headlines from the New York Post and The Daily News regarding snakes. I guess the New York Times wanted to be part of my musings about snakes. I just came across an article in the New York Times (July 1, 2009) by Nicholas Kristof entitled "When Our Brains Short-Circuit."
The second paragraph begins with the following words:
"Evidence is accumulating that the human brain systematically misjudges certain kinds of risks. In effect, evolution has programmed us to be alert for snakes and enemies with clubs, but we aren’t well prepared to respond to dangers that require forethought.

If you come across a garter snake, nearly all of your brain will light up with activity as you process the “threat.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/opinion/02kristof.html?_r=1

I found an interesting dvar Torah about the snake and the universal symbol of the medical profession, adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes and transcribed by David Twersky. The article was found on Torah.Search.com, an online Torah search engine.

To read the full dvar torah, click here.

"Hashem told Moshe to make a model of a fiery serpent out of metal, place it on a pole and advise the people suffering from snakebites to stare at it. This in fact became the source of cure for those so smitten. They would stare at the copper serpent and live.
This narration is one of the most peculiar stories in the Torah. Certainly this was miraculous. The "natural" way to cure snakebites would be through some kind of serum that would be an antidote to the poison of the snake. But this was Klal Yisrael in the Wilderness. These were miraculous times and "natural healing" would not suffice.
However, even the miracle should be "logical". A "logical miracle" would consist of Moshe fashioning a vial of anti snake venom serum out of copper, having the people stare at it and become cured. However, what was the point of curing the people specifically by having them look at a copper model of the very creature that attacked them?
The Mishneh [Rosh HaShanna 29a] comments on this: "Does the (copper) snake kill or the (copper) snake cure? Rather, when Israel lifted their eyes (toward the snake on the banner) they looked heavenward toward their Father in Heaven and this cured them; otherwise they withered away."
Hashem was sending a message that we need for time immemorial. We still need this lesson, even more so today than back then. G-d is saying "Of course it makes no sense to look at the source of your problem and be healed. That is patently ridiculous. I am asking you to look beyond the snake. Look at who really takes away life and who really restores life. Look at who really smites and who really cures."
If there would have merely been a metal bottle of snake serum there, the people could have erroneously believed that serum cures, medicine cures, science cures. Instead, the Almighty provided a cure that no one in his wildest dreams could think is really the cure: "This isn't the cure - this is the problem!"
This is the very point. The cure DOES NOT come from the snake. The cure comes from our Father in Heaven.
Rav Shlomo Freifeld, z"l, once commented: It is significant that the universal symbol of the medical profession today is the caduceus, the winged staff with two inter-twined snakes. It comes from this week's parsha: "They shall gaze at the copper snake and live."
Why did the medical profession pick this very symbol? Perhaps because at one time, the medical profession realized that the proper way to view doctors are as agents of the Almighty. One cannot get well without a good doctor and one needs a good doctor, one who has the merit to administer the proper care and treatment. But the doctor is merely an agent.
Just as everyone realizes that it is not the scalpel that removes the malignancy, but rather it is the surgeon who handles the scalpel, so too we must realize it is not the doctor who brings life, but it is the Master of the World who is using the doctor as his holy agent.
That is why this is THE appropriate symbol of the medical profession. We need this awareness today even more than they needed it then. Today, medicine is so advanced and doctors can do so much that we must always bear in mind that we are looking at the copper serpent. Healing will only occur if we subjugate ourselves to our Father in Heaven."

Happy Chanukah

Signs from Above

In this week's parsha, Chukat, the children of Israel begin to complain. They ask, "Why have you brought us up from Egypt for there is no food and there is no water and our soul is disgusted with the insubstantial bread?" Subsequently, "G-d sent the fiery serpents against the people and they bit the people. A large multitude of Israel died." Bamidbar (21:5-6).

Bnei Yisrael then tell Moshe they have sinned and ask Moshe to pray on their behalf. Moshe is told, "Make a seraph figure and mount it on a standard. And if anyone who is bitten looks at it, he shall recover (Bamidbar 21: 8). Moshe constructs a copper serpent and those who stared at it were cured.

The mishnah comments, "Could it be that the snake kills or the snake revives? Rather, when Israel gaze upwards and subjugated their hearts to their Father in Heaven they would be healed, and if not, they would waste away."
(Mishnah Rosh HaShana 3:8)

Moments after reading a dvar torah about the copper snake, I came upon an article that was published in the New York Post (July 1 2009) entitled "SI Woman Finds Python in Driveway."

"Cops found themselves in hot pursuit of a truly reptilian perp today when they chased a 10-foot snake across a Staten Island yard.
Called to the home of John and Karen Trapani in Great Kills around 9 a.m., officers found the snake in the couple's driveway.
"It was startling, because we never got to see something like this before -- weird but true," John Trapani said.
As officers tried to corral the 10-foot long albino python, it slithered off and tried to escape beneath a fence into a neighbor's yard.
One of Trapani's friends grabbed its tail and brought it back to the driveway, where cops used sticks to corral the 5-year-old critter into a cage.
Police weren't sure how the snake got onto the Trapanis' property at 147 Sampson Ave. Pythons are not native to the area, and it's illegal to own them in New York."

To read full article, click here.

What a coincidence!!!! The week the Torah portion teaches us an important lesson through the copper snake, a python makes the headlines. Or, perhaps it's not a coincidence. Maybe we should remember the lesson from the snake in this week's parsha. When we look to the heavens, and we subjugate ourselves to G-d, we realize that He is the one who ultimately heals and delivers us from all ills.

UNBELIEVABLE UPDATE:

The New York Daily News published the following article entitled "Family's pet Burmese python strangles 2 year-old Florida girl." on July 1, 2009, the same day that the New York Post published an article about a different python.

"A 12-foot pet Burmese python broke out of an aquarium and strangled a 2-year-old girl in her bedroom Wednesday at a central Florida home, authorities said.
Shaunnia Hare was already dead when paramedics arrived at about 10 a.m....."

Ceding Sovereignty

In my previous post about Jerusalem, I asked why the status quo couldn't be maintained. I then came across an article published in israelnationalnews entitled, "Obama Think-Tank: Israel Should Cede Jerusalem Sovereignty."

"A think tank which is arguably the most influential in Washington is proposing an “interim” neutral administration to govern Jerusalem instead of Israel...

...Four weeks ago, CAP held a panel discussion based on the premise that the Old City of Jerusalem is the main impediment in finding a solution to the Israel-Arab problem in the Holy Land. Michael Bell, a former Canadian Ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Israel, presented a plan entitled the Jerusalem Old City Initiative. The plan does not call for the internationalization of Jerusalem -- but is not far off from that. It recommends that both Israel and a future state of Palestine appoint a third-party administrator that would run and police the city

Bell explained that the plan calls for an administration or regime that would govern the Old City of Jerusalem for an interim period, without either Israel or the PA giving up their demands for sovereignty: “Frankly, I don’t think there’s going to be any agreement on sovereignty. I think that the two sides need not cede their demands for sovereignty; these claims can remain exactly as they are today. The sides would simply agree to delay the implementation or assertion of these claims until after an agreement is reached. Until then, a special administration would be set up, with the two sides agreeing to set this up, at least on an interim basis. And what this would do … would be to ensure dignity, human rights and equity for all living in the Old City, all visitors, and all pilgrims.”
Questions and Clarifications

The implication that these values are not currently provided and offered by Israel was not challenged. An audience member did ask afterwards why the status quo could not simply be retained, and Bell responded by saying, “We thought of this option ourselves, but we thought it would be too intangible…”

...The CAP report on the event states, “The Temple Mount’s Western Wall is the most sacred place of Jewish worship, and the al-Haram al-Sharif (Temple Mount), where Muslims believe that Mohammad ascended into the heavens, is the third holiest site in Islam.” However, law professor Marshall Breger -- co-author of “Jerusalem's Holy Places and the Peace Process” and consultant to the Jerusalem Old City Initiative – who spoke at the panel about the competing religious claims, said more than once that it was the Temple Mount itself, and not the Western Wall outside it, that is the holiest place in Jerusalem.
To read full article, click here.

I found a June 23rd interview with Michael Bell about the topic of dividing Jerusalem. One of the questions posed was:

"Is there anything else that you think is important to mention?

The security factor is a very important one. On the one hand, Israelis are very worried about terrorism, and threat of violence. On the other hand, Palestinians are worried perhaps about the same kind of thing in terms of the fair mindedness of policing and what have you....."

Can someone please explain to me what Mr. Bell means by his answer? Is he equating Israeli fears of terrorism with Palestinian fears of fair mindedness?

As reported in the INN article, the Cap report states that “The Temple Mount’s Western Wall is the most sacred place of Jewish worship" while, in actuality, the Temple Mount is the holiest place in Jerusalem.

If a basic Cap report fact must be corrected by a professor and Bell, co-director of the Jerusalem Old City Initiative, gives answers in his interviews that leave me more confused than ever, why is anyone listening to this think tank?