Posturing and speechifying

A Republican invitation for Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to address Congress next month is highlighting the tensions between President Obama and Mr. Netanyahu and has kicked off a bizarre diplomatic race over who will be the first to lay out a new proposal to reopen the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/world/middleeast/21prexy.html?_r=2&smid=tw-nytimes&seid=auto

Two journalists read the above article and came up with two different takes. First, Huffington Post's Steve Clemons writes:

Helene Cooper of the New York Times has published a great what's up story on the new behind the scenes scramble by the Obama administration, Prime Minister Netanyahu and various Palestinian officials to act as if they have some plan to move the peace process forward -- when in fact, most of it is insincere posturing and speechifying designed to pour concrete on what has thus far been failure.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clemons/israel-palestine-plate-he_b_852166.html

I read the New York Times article and fail to see where Ms. Cooper wrote about Palestinian officials having some plan to move the peace process forward. She focused soely on the US and Israel.

Leo Rennert in American Thinker agrees that Abbas is conspicuiusly absent from Ms. Cooper's article.

As I picked up my copy of the April 21 edition of the New York Times, my eyes caught sight of an all-caps headline atop the main front-page story, "DIPLOMATIC RACE OVER PEACE PLAN FOR MIDDLE EAST."
My first thought was that this really could be a newsworthy development -- a race between Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Palestinian President Abbas to be the first to lay out a substantive peace proposal.
But alas, it was not to be, as the sub-head made clear: "OBAMA VS. NETANYAHU."
...But conspicuously missing from Cooper's "scoop" is the Palestinian side of the peace-process equation. No mention whatsoever of Mahmoud Abbas. If a preview piece about new moves to resume serious negotiations warrants top front-page placement, one would have expected that the Times also might show some curiosity about the peace parameters of Mahmoud Abbas.
Read full article: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2011/04/ny_times_mindset_peace_hinges.html

Religious bias

I came across a website named charactersunite which calls upon people to "stand against intolerance, prejudice, discrimination and hate."
On a page devoted to religious tolerance, the following was reported.

•There were 1,376 hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias in 2009.
•Of the hate crime offenses motivated by religious bias in 2009, 70.1 percent were anti-Jewish, 9.3 percent were anti-Islamic, 8.6 percent were anti-other religion, 4.4 percent were anti-multiple religions, group, 4.0 percent were anti-Catholic, 2.9 percent were anti-Protestant and 0.7 percent were anti-Atheism/Agnosticism/etc.
Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, "Hate Crime Statistics 2009"

http://www.charactersunite.com/video/religioustolerance


With all the focus on Islamophobia, it seems that members of another religion are targeted at a much higher rate.

And, what is the first question to be asked at yesterday's United Nations briefing? Of course, it has to do with Israel.

So what to do to solve the problem of anti-semitism and the obsession of the world with the Jewish state? I don't have the definitive answer but I am sure that performing mitzvot is one good place to start.
How about counting the omer? Click here to check the day of the omer.

The Passover message

The following is an excerpt from Barry Rubin's Obama’s Passover Message Misses the Message of Passover.
Finally, there is another aspect of Passover that Obama could have chosen to emphasize, though I doubt he heard the Reverend Wright preach on it. The purpose for which God took the Jews out of Egypt in the first place. For otherwise, the creator of the Universe might merely have transformed Egypt into a multicultural society, right?
“God spoke to Moses, and He said to him, `I am the Lord…I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob….I established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan….’”
At a time when Israel’s right to exist is coming increasingly into question — mainly so among Obama’s supporters — that would have been a nice gesture.
Read full article: http://pajamasmedia.com/barryrubin/2011/04/20/obamas-passover-message-misses-the-message-of-passover/

Click here to read Glenn Beck's take on the President's Passover message.

And speaking of the President, WND has just published an article titled Why do 3 supporters own Obama home?

Concocting questions

The Hagada tells us regarding the Rasha, "U'Lfi SheHotzi Atzmo Min HaKlal Kafar B'aIkar", because he removed himself from the tzibur he is a Kofer. Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer asks shouldn't it say the opposite way around, since he is a Kofer he has removed himself from the tzibur?
He answers with a story from his Rebbi, Rav Chaim Soloveitchik. A person who had left the Torah way came to Rav Chaim and said that he had a number of questions about Judaism. Rav Chaim said to him that if he has questions, he has no problem to answer them for him. However he doesn't really have questions, he only really has answers. He has answers and excuses why he has left Yiddishkeit, cloaked in the form of questions. However he left Torah because it was convenient for him and he merely concocted the questions to justify his actions. Questions like that can never be answered to the questioners satisfaction.
This is what the Baal Haggadah says about the Rasha. Since he has chosen to remove himself from the tzibur that keeps Torah in order to chase his heart's desires, therefore he is Kofer BaIkar. His Kefira is only a justification for separating from the religious way of life and is not a real theological issue.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/hagadah-shel-pesach/Rav-Chaim-Brisker-The-Rasha-What-Comes-First-The-Kefira-Or-The-Lifestyle/4475

The endless story

Nice thought by Bella Schapiro in a story titled An Easy Life.
Click here to read.
Wishing you a happy and kosher Pesach.

Victims of terror

About a week ago, I received an email about a teenager who was found to have a malignant brain tumor. Those who wished to participate in saying sefer Tehillim were asked to send an email if they would like to say one perek on the boy's behalf. I signed on and was asked to recite Perek 27. Since then, I have said the Psalm every morning and asked G-d for a refuah sheleimah for the young boy named Yosef Simcha ben Zakah Basya. I also added the name Refoel David Aryeh ben Tamar to my list. And, this afternoon, I shed tears when I found out that I will no longer be able to pray for the recovery of Daniel Viflic. May his parents and family be comforted and may they know no more sorrow.
A reader left a comment on a JPost article about the tragedy.
If deliberately firing an anti-tank missile at a schoolbus and killing a schoolboy isn't a war crime, nothing is. Where are the Voices for Peace? Where is Judge Goldstone? Where is BanKi Moon? Where is the Human Rights Commission?....
Read full article and comments: http://www.jpost.com/ArtsAndCulture/Entertainment/Article.aspx?id=217003
The following is an excerpt from a letter to the Fogel children by Rabbi Shmully Hecht.
There is hope in this unspeakable tragedy of Jews being killed once again for being Jewish. I was taught by the Lubavitcher Rebbe of blessed memory, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, that we must outweigh every evil act with goodness. Read full article: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/10165
Let's see how the media reported the arrests of the Palestinian teenagers accused of killing the Fogel family members.
This is from IsraelNationalNews.
Murderer Was Allowed into Itamar for Olive Harvest
The IDF lifted a gag order on the investigation of the murder of five members of the Fogel family on Sunday, and revealed the identities of two young Palestinian Authority Arab men who have confessed to the vicious crime. The announcement caused particular excitement and distress for Itamar security workers, who recognized one of the killers as having been in the town shortly before the killings – with IDF permission. Hakim Awad, 18, was permitted to enter Itamar along with other PA Arabs in order to harvest olives. The IDF Civil Administration allowed PA Arabs from the nearby village of Awarta to harvest olives within Itamar that they claimed belonged to their village, despite concerns voiced by Itamar residents, who expressed fear that some PA Arabs could use the opportunity to learn the layout of the town in order to plan an attack.
More Israel news: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/143616
Here's the BBC take.
Fogel murders: Israel arrests two Palestinian teenagers ...There are almost 500,000 settlers living on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Settlements are regarded as illegal under international law although Israel disputes this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-13109092

Asked and not answered

Question: Why is this night different from all other nights.
Response: Because we were slaves in Egypt...

Question: Orly Taitz brings up the issue of the President's social security number.

Response: I'm gonna end this conversation now.



Question: WorldNetDaily reporter asking about the President's social security number.

Answer: I uh I uh I uh Iuh I I I ....

Four cups - four questions

The history of the world is divided into four phases, Olam HaZeh, Yimos HaMoshiach, Techias HaMeisim, and Olam Haba. This is alluded to in Shabbos davening. Ein Aroch Licha... BaOlam HaZeh
V'Ein Zulasecha Malkeinu L'Chayei Olam Haba
Efes Bilticha Go'aleinu Limos HaMoshiach
V'Ein Domeh Licha Moshi'einu Lis'chiyas HaMeisim

It is said in the name of the Vilna Gaon that these four worlds are represented in the four kosos. The first kos is Kiddush. In Olam HaZeh we need to make ourselves holy and rise above the mundane world, to make the world Kaddosh as well. The second is Go'al Yisroel which is the redemption of the days of Moshiach. The third kos is Birchas HaMazon which talks about Hashem sustaining us and granting life and alludes to Techias HaMeisim. The fourth kos is Hallel which is the purely ruchniyos singing of Shira to Hashem and represents the perfect world of Olam Haba.
http://www.revach.net/moadim/hagadah-shel-pesach/Arba-Kosos-Vilna-Gaon-We-Drink-To-The-Four-Worlds/5034

Click here for an updated cartoon version of the four questions asked at the seder.

A positive attitude

I'm sure many of you know this famous story.
After the conclusion of World War 2, Rabbi Eliezer Silver (1882-1968) was active in visiting DP camps to give physical and emotional support to the survivors of the Holocaust. One day Rabbi Silver was organizing a minyan for the afternoon prayers in one of the camps, but one man refused to join. The man explained that when he was in a concentration camp, there was a religious Jew who managed to smuggle in a siddur. He “rented out” the siddur for use in exchange for a person’s food rations. When this man saw how a religious Jew could take advantage of his siddur at such a time, he resolved that he would never pray again. Rabbi Silver gently suggested that instead of focusing on the actions of the man with the siddur, perhaps it would be more appropriate to recognize how many Jews were willing to give up their precious food rations in order to be able to pour out their hearts to Hashem in prayer.
 http://www.partnersintorah.org/parsha-partner/metzora-5768

The story sprung into my mind this evening as my husband and I went to pick up our Pesach order.The scene was chaotic with hundreds queueing for wine, grape juice, macaroons and so on. And as I waited, I chose not to focus on the long lines, and the cars weaving dangerously close to the customers as people loaded up their purchases. Instead, I chose to see the beauty of families united in their desire to spend a kosher and happy Pesach with friends and relatives.

The New York Times published an article titled Rabbis Sound an Alarm Over Eating Disorders. Some comments reflected the constraints of Orthodox Judaism. But I was heartened by one who commented, "i am saddened by the bleak picture painted in the article as well as the comments. orthodox judaism is a vibrant, spiritually uplifting religion and way of life, directed towards self-realization, and not just full of no-no's. there is plenty of room for creativity and expressing one's opinion, within the norms of the halacha (oral and written law)..."
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/11/eating-disorders-among-orthodox-jews/

In The Matzav Shmoooze: Stop Kvetching About Pesach Food the author tells us to be elated about the approach of Pesach.
The author ends with the following.
Let’s remember that what we say and feel about Pesach will be given over and remain in future generations forever and ever.
Let’s give over a positive attitude.

I second that.

The good and the bad

The good
The Internet was key in arresting a suspect.
A man suspected of using a never-before-seen launcher to fire a projectile at a California synagogue was nabbed by the FBI in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, after he apparently sought shelter at, of all places, a Jewish center, officials said.
Click here to read about how an individual recognized the suspect form a photo on the VIN website.
The bad
Scientists at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana analyzed the lifestyles of more than 17,000 men and women over about 13 years, and found that people who sit for most of the day are 54 percent more likely to die of heart attacks.
Read article titled The Most Dangerous Thing You'll Do All Day and then I suggest you take a break from the computer.