First was the news about the German Foreign minister's resignation over plagiarism charges.
Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, a charismatic Bavarian aristocrat who charmed the electorate and was widely seen as a future chancellor, announced his withdrawal from politics on Tuesday amid a mounting controversy over his doctoral thesis, which has been exposed as heavily plagiarized.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704506004576173970765020528.html?mod=WSJ_topics_obama
Next came the news about allegations of plagiarism by Colonel Gadaffi's son.
The London School of Economics has confirmed it is investigating allegations that Colonel Gaddafi's son plagiarised his PhD thesis.
Read full article: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-12608869
Finally, as Dior fired its creative director, John Galliano, after a video surfaced of the designer making offensive remarks, it behooves us to remember that there is a day of reckoning. We might get away with certain actions, for a while, but, eventually, we will have to pay the piper.
Concentrate on three things and you will not fall into the grip of sin: Know what is above you — a seeing eye, a hearing ear, and all your deeds being recorded in a book.
Ethics of the Fathers
1 Mar 2011
With pride
“I am deeply shocked and disgusted by the video of John Galliano’s comments that surfaced today. In light of this video, and as an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be associated with Mr. Galliano in any way. I hope at the very least, these terrible comments remind us to reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are the opposite of all that is beautiful.” Natalie Portman
Read full article: http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/natalie-portman-condemns-galliano/?hp
"He lived a long and rich life as a true American patriot," said Sen. Joe Manchin, "and I hope that his family's loss is lightened with the knowledge that he was loved and will be missed by so many."
I came across an article about the Frank Buckles titled Buckles, last WWI doughboy, dies at 110 in W.Va.
Click here to read about a man who lied about his age to be able to enlist in the army and served his nation with pride. - A pity we don't have more of those like him around.
Read full article: http://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/28/natalie-portman-condemns-galliano/?hp
"He lived a long and rich life as a true American patriot," said Sen. Joe Manchin, "and I hope that his family's loss is lightened with the knowledge that he was loved and will be missed by so many."
I came across an article about the Frank Buckles titled Buckles, last WWI doughboy, dies at 110 in W.Va.
Click here to read about a man who lied about his age to be able to enlist in the army and served his nation with pride. - A pity we don't have more of those like him around.
Kosher food, anyone?
Rabbi David Saperstein was interviewed recently by JTA about comments made by Glenn Beck regarding Reform Judaism.
“His description of the Reform movement ignores the fact that we're the largest segment of American Jewry,” Saperstein said. “It has been over the last 30 years the fastest growing liberal theological denomination in America. And that is true because of the richness of the religious, spiritual and faith fulfillment it offers a very diverse constituency that defines our movement.
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/02/23/2743084/beck-compares-reform-judaism-to-radical-islam
Rabbi Saperstein was the main speaker at the J Street Conference opening session this past Saturday night. I posted that I wouldn't be at the conference because "it would be quite hard to attend the opening session scheduled so close to the end of Shabbos. In addition, my husband likes to daven with a minyan and I didn't see any prayer services mentioned in the conference schedule."
I also wondered if I would be able to obtain kosher food but imagined it would be provided as a participating organization was rabbis for human rights.
Well, now I have my answer about the availability of kosher food. Click here to read full article.
Where is the religious fulfillment?
“His description of the Reform movement ignores the fact that we're the largest segment of American Jewry,” Saperstein said. “It has been over the last 30 years the fastest growing liberal theological denomination in America. And that is true because of the richness of the religious, spiritual and faith fulfillment it offers a very diverse constituency that defines our movement.
http://www.jta.org/news/article/2011/02/23/2743084/beck-compares-reform-judaism-to-radical-islam
Rabbi Saperstein was the main speaker at the J Street Conference opening session this past Saturday night. I posted that I wouldn't be at the conference because "it would be quite hard to attend the opening session scheduled so close to the end of Shabbos. In addition, my husband likes to daven with a minyan and I didn't see any prayer services mentioned in the conference schedule."
I also wondered if I would be able to obtain kosher food but imagined it would be provided as a participating organization was rabbis for human rights.
Well, now I have my answer about the availability of kosher food. Click here to read full article.
Where is the religious fulfillment?
23 Feb 2011
The pizza habit
Avot 2:21
"Lo Alecha HaMelacha Ligmor, Velo' Atah ben Chorin Le'Hibatel Mimenah'"
"It is neither incumbent upon you to finish the task, nor are you free to desist from it."
The following are excerpts from two Yahoo articles about women who made a difference because they didn't say, "it's not my responsibility."
Every day for the past three years, 82-year-old Jean Wilson of Memphis has ordered a large, thin-crust pepperoni pizza and two diet cokes from a local Domino's Pizza. Some are now saying that Wilson's Domino's habit may have saved her life.
Read how delivery driver Susan Guy took it upon herself to check on the octogenarian after she became concerned that Ms. Wilson hadn't placed her order for three days.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110223/us_yblog_thelookout/dominos-delivery-driver-comes-to-the-rescue-of-elderly-daily-customer
She has no legal training, and doesn't speak the Spanish that dominates government in Quito but indigenous villager Maria Aguinda helped bring a landmark judgment against US oil giant Chevron for polluting the rain forest she calls home.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110223/ts_alt_afp/ecuadorcourtcompanyenvironmentchevronusnative
"Lo Alecha HaMelacha Ligmor, Velo' Atah ben Chorin Le'Hibatel Mimenah'"
"It is neither incumbent upon you to finish the task, nor are you free to desist from it."
The following are excerpts from two Yahoo articles about women who made a difference because they didn't say, "it's not my responsibility."
Every day for the past three years, 82-year-old Jean Wilson of Memphis has ordered a large, thin-crust pepperoni pizza and two diet cokes from a local Domino's Pizza. Some are now saying that Wilson's Domino's habit may have saved her life.
Read how delivery driver Susan Guy took it upon herself to check on the octogenarian after she became concerned that Ms. Wilson hadn't placed her order for three days.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110223/us_yblog_thelookout/dominos-delivery-driver-comes-to-the-rescue-of-elderly-daily-customer
She has no legal training, and doesn't speak the Spanish that dominates government in Quito but indigenous villager Maria Aguinda helped bring a landmark judgment against US oil giant Chevron for polluting the rain forest she calls home.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20110223/ts_alt_afp/ecuadorcourtcompanyenvironmentchevronusnative
Grab a mitzvah
The Torah is called a “tree of life for those who grasp it” (Mishlei 3:18). The way to grab onto a tree is to take hold of one its branches; in so doing, one has attached himself to the entire tree of which this branch is a part. So it is, explains Sefer Chareidim (ch. 61), with Torah. The way to attach oneself to the 613 mitzvos is by fulfilling one particular mitzvah with exacting precision and total dedication. Dedication and attachment to a single commandment will cause one’s soul to become united with Hashem and His Torah and will lead to the proper fulfillment of other mitzvos as well. Thus do we find, “Rav Nachman said: I will be rewarded [in the World to Come] for having [zealously] fulfilled [the mitzvah] to eat three meals on Shabbos. Rav Sheishes said: I will be rewarded for having [zealously] fulfilled the mitzvah of tefillin” (Shabbos 118b). The Talmud goes on to cite similar statements of other Sages and offers illustrations of how meticulously each sage fulfilled the mitzvah of which he spoke. Sefer Chareidim also cites Talmud Yerushalmi which states that fulfillment of a given mitzvah with total dedication and precision is a catalyst for earning the great reward of the World to Come.
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22 Feb 2011
A tie?
Just finished reading an American Thinker article titled Obama and Israel at the Security Council: A Tie? by Richard Baehr.
So what should we make of the U.S veto of a Security Council resolution on Friday, after which our Ambassador to the U.N. effectively endorsed the very resolution she had vetoed in a sneering attack on Israeli settlements, later compounded by Secretary of State Clinton calling the settlements illegitimate?
...Perhaps we can get clarity on legitimacy from Mahmoud Abbas, currently serving the 74th month of his 48 month term as President of the Palestinian Authority to which he was elected in January 2005.
...maybe our President would have better luck running for President of the Palestinian Authority when Abbas's term is up, or rather when someone notices that Abbas' term is up. I do not believe that production of a birth certificate is required to run for PA President, either.
Read full article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/obama_and_israel_at_the_securi.html
Speaking of the birth certificate, I came across an article which left me with a question. At the end of the article, Hawaii's official certifications of nomination for the past three Democratic presidential candidates were displayed. Why did the most recent certification not contain the wording "are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution?"
So what should we make of the U.S veto of a Security Council resolution on Friday, after which our Ambassador to the U.N. effectively endorsed the very resolution she had vetoed in a sneering attack on Israeli settlements, later compounded by Secretary of State Clinton calling the settlements illegitimate?
...Perhaps we can get clarity on legitimacy from Mahmoud Abbas, currently serving the 74th month of his 48 month term as President of the Palestinian Authority to which he was elected in January 2005.
...maybe our President would have better luck running for President of the Palestinian Authority when Abbas's term is up, or rather when someone notices that Abbas' term is up. I do not believe that production of a birth certificate is required to run for PA President, either.
Read full article: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/02/obama_and_israel_at_the_securi.html
Speaking of the birth certificate, I came across an article which left me with a question. At the end of the article, Hawaii's official certifications of nomination for the past three Democratic presidential candidates were displayed. Why did the most recent certification not contain the wording "are legally qualified to serve under the provisions of the United States Constitution?"
21 Feb 2011
The gratitude list
Just came across a list composed by a six year old boy about 100 things for which he is grateful.
Number one is Hashem.
Click here and scroll to the end of the article to see the list.
And now, let me express my gratitude to the readers of this blog.
Number one is Hashem.
Click here and scroll to the end of the article to see the list.
And now, let me express my gratitude to the readers of this blog.
Et ratzon
The parshah of Vayakhel begins with the words: "And Moses gathered together all the Community of Israel." (Exodus 35:1).
Va-ani, t'filoti l'cha Hashem et ratzon
As for me, may my prayer to You, Hashem, be at an opportune time
The expression opportune time (et ratzon) is taken to mean the time of public worship (Berachot 8a).
This morning I received an email regarding the recitation of Tehillim on Purim, together with klal Yisrael. What better week to sign up than the week of Parshat Vayakhel, when Moses gathered the community of Israel together? And what better way to pray than to pray within a community? May your prayers be answered for the good.
SAY TEHILLIM WITH KLAL ISRAEL THIS PURIM!!!
WE WILL ASSIGN YOU YOUR ASSIGNED PERAKIIM ACCORDING TO YOM.
WE WILL BE SAYING TEHILLIM FOR
SHIDUCHIM
AND FOR
COUPLES TO BE BLESSED WITH CHILDREN!!!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING PLEASE EMAIL:
tehillim4ever@gmail.com
AND PUT 'PURIM' IN THE SUBJECT LINE
Va-ani, t'filoti l'cha Hashem et ratzon
As for me, may my prayer to You, Hashem, be at an opportune time
The expression opportune time (et ratzon) is taken to mean the time of public worship (Berachot 8a).
This morning I received an email regarding the recitation of Tehillim on Purim, together with klal Yisrael. What better week to sign up than the week of Parshat Vayakhel, when Moses gathered the community of Israel together? And what better way to pray than to pray within a community? May your prayers be answered for the good.
SAY TEHILLIM WITH KLAL ISRAEL THIS PURIM!!!
WE WILL ASSIGN YOU YOUR ASSIGNED PERAKIIM ACCORDING TO YOM.
WE WILL BE SAYING TEHILLIM FOR
SHIDUCHIM
AND FOR
COUPLES TO BE BLESSED WITH CHILDREN!!!
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JOINING PLEASE EMAIL:
tehillim4ever@gmail.com
AND PUT 'PURIM' IN THE SUBJECT LINE
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