Three things

Shimon HaTzadik was from the remnant of the Men of the Great Assembly and he used to say: “On three things the world stands on Torah, Service (Avodah), and Acts of Kindness (Gemilas Chassadim).” (Chapters of the Fathers)

BaltimoreJewishLife reports how Rabbi Moshe Hauer, Rabbi Shmuel Silber, Rabbi Binyamin Marwick and other volunteers boarded a bus during the early morning hours to assist the besieged community of Seagate.

...despite the fact that Rabbi Silber was aboard the bus at 4:45 AM today, the Daf Yomi shiur at Suburban Orthodox did not skip a beat and was "piped in" from the bus to the shul's Beis Medrash. Aside from the people who joined the group heading to Seagate, NY, to help those who are still without power or in need of assistance, the attendance was nearly 100%. The audio transmission was virtually flawless as speakers set up on the bima in the Beis Medrash were connected to a mobile phone and those in attendance enjoyed the Rav's shiur given from the bus.
http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=33464

Getting the vote out

Rabbi Shmuley Boteach weighs in on the election.

As an observant Jew, I offer a prayer to God every morning that my daily bread comes through his beneficence and not a human hand so that I might retain my dignity. This is the clearest reason to support Mitt Romney’s vision for the country over that of Barack Obama. The president is a well-intentioned man who wants the best for the American people, but his insistence on big government—encouraging dependence on entitlements rather than the opposite—is slowly robbing Americans of initiative, entrepreneurship, and the dignity that comes from self-sufficiency.
Continue reading: http://www.tabletmag.com/jewish-news-and-politics/115484/why-im-voting-for-romney

FoxNews reports Funny business in Philly: GOP officials booted, Black Panthers return -- and Obama at polling site?

A Pennsylvania judge is issuing an order to reinstate Republican election officials across Philadelphia who allegedly were ejected or refused entry by on-site Democratic voting chief judges, GOP officials tell Fox News.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/06/judge-issuing-order-to-reinstate-booted-philadelphia-election-officials/#ixzz2BSqj5nn8

Breitbart reports that an Obama campaigner punched a voter in the face.

Voters are not allowed to wear T-shirts endorsing candidates at polling places. I heard a newscaster report that there was confusion when an individual wore a T-shirt with MIT on it, referring to the school. People thought it was about Mitt Romney.
A few days ago, someone with a “Vote the Bible” T-shirt was told to leave unless she turned her shirt inside-out.

Never too late

No sooner had I finished listening to Rabbi Shafier expound upon Sarah Imeinu's individual mission in her life, which began in her nineties with the birth of Isaac, when I came upon an article about a 91-year-old woman who had something special occur to her at that age.
It just goes to show - It's never too late.

If Lena Eaton has ever thought about going to Las Vegas, she ought to leave now. The 91-year-old great grandmother from Indianapolis is riding a lucky streak that nearly defies statistical probability.

She won two lotteries within three months -- a 5.7 trillion-to-1 shot, reports the Indianapolis Star.

..."Winning a lottery prize of any kind is a special experience. For someone to do it twice in just under three months – after they’ve turned 90 years old – that’s pretty amazing."

Eaton, who has six children, 16 grandchildren, and more than 20 great grandchildren, according to the paper, is renovating her home and spreading the love around to her loved ones. “It’s been a pleasure being able to help them,” she said.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/05/lena-eaton_n_2079102.html

Voting, chaos and destruction after Sandy

Click here for post-Sandy poll site changes for NYC.

New Jersey's decision to allow voters displaced by superstorm Sandy to cast ballots by email has prompted a flood of warnings over security, secrecy and a potential for legal entanglements.

...Lieutenant Governor Kim Guadagno said the move was designed "to help alleviate pressure on polling places."

But some experts say email voting, which is being allowed by some states for military and overseas voters, has not been tested on a large scale and opens up a host of technical and legal obstacles. http://www99.bangkokpost.com/tech/computer/319748/new-jersey-email-vote-rule-raises-storm-of-protest

One of the places hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, was Staten Island. With 19 deaths and hundreds of homes destroyed, many people are dislocated and in need of basic human necessities.

Chabad has obtained a centrally located storefront to house the ‘Chabad Hurricane Relief Center.’ The center will serve as a warm spot for anyone to come inside and relax, get a hot drink or snack, recharge devices or receive emotional support.
http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=48035

The numbers

"And it was when the camels finished drinking, Eliezer took a golden nose ring, its weight a Beka, and 2 bracelets on her arms weighing 10 golden Shekel. Rashi tells us, the Beka weight was an allusion to the Shekalim of Klal Yisroel - the half shekel donated by Klal Yisroel for the Beis HaMikdash. The 2 bracelets were an allusion to the 2 Luchos - and the weight of 10 shekel, alluded to the Aseres HaDibros which were written on them.

Why was it necessary at this time for Eliezer to hint to Rivka concerning these future events? The Maharal answers that Eliezer was telling Rivka that the world stands on 3 things - Torah, Avodah and Gemilus Chasadim. I see that you are very accomplished in acts of Gemilas Chesed. However, to be one of the foundations of Klal Yisroel you must also excel in Torah and Avodah. Torah, which was represented by the 2 bracelets weighing 10 shekel - alluding to the Luchos. Avodah, which was represented by the Beka - used to purchase the Korbonos for the Beis HaMikdash.
http://revach.net/parshas-hashavua/quick-vort/Parshas-Chayei-Sarah-Maharal-MiPrague-Eliezer-Teaches-Rivka-There-Is-More-To-Life-Than-Just-Chesed/1233


Speaking about numbers, here are three people who supply the wrong result to the question, "how much is 100 times 100?"

Reaching the heavens

Rabbi Shlomo M. Brody asks:

Not long ago, much of the world watched as Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner—working for a project called Red Bull Stratos, sponsored by the eponymous energy drink company—jumped to earth from a 24-mile-high helium balloon in a record-setting free fall that broke the sound barrier. The feat set YouTube records and scored an advertising coup for Red Bull. Yet there remains a critical question about this performance by what one magazine called the "God of the Skies": did it violate Jewish theological or halakhic norms?

He concludes with the following paragraph:

Because of weather delays, the Red Bull Stratos launch was delayed until just a few days before the Shabbat when the world's Jews read about the Tower of Babel. That Torah reading, one hopes, reminded us that humanity's loftiness consists not in ascents to the Heavens but in dedicating our lives toward Heavenly actions on Earth.
http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/5283/features/did-red-bull-stratos-break-a-halakhic-barrier/?utm_source=jta_widget&utm_medium=jta_widget&utm_campaign=did-red-bull-stratos-break-a-halakhic-barrier&jtahome

Interesting thought, particularly this week when a dangling crane on a hi-rise building in New York made the news as Hurricane Sandy struck.

Vote by fax

After I read the article below, my first thought was RIPE FOR VOTING FRAUD.

My next thought was to members of my family who are still without electricity. How are they supposed to vote electronically?

Let's just announce the winner already.

New Jersey will allow residents displaced by Superstorm Sandy to vote by email or fax. Officials announced Saturday that registered voters can vote electronically. A resident must submit a mail-in ballot application by fax or email to the local county clerk.
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/nj-residents-displaced-storm-vote-email-17634859

Election musings

Rabbi Moshe Grylak writes in Mishpacha Magazine, "it doesn’t matter who sits in the White House,..... we the people will get good or bad government commensurate with our deeds, and our deeds will be judged by the Ruler of all creation."
http://www.mishpacha.com/Browse/Article/2612/Yes-We-Can

In an article titled Some Thoughts on Early Voting, Rabbi Elchonon Oberstein explains why he voted the way he did.

But, what pushed me over the edge was what happened at the Democratic Convention when the majority of the delegates booed when the resolution that Jerusalem is the capital of Israel was pushed through on a voice vote that obviously went the other way.
Read more: http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=33403

The Right Scoop has a revelation about someone who allegedly voted four times already. Is ther any wonder as to the outcome of the election?

Thoughts on the hurricane

Professor Moshe Sokolow writes about "whether Judaism has anything instructive to say about hurricanes."

Rain, even in overabundance, is a blessing. Gloria, Katrina, Irene, and Sandy are reminders that the volume of rain, the force of the winds, and the height of the storm surge are out of our control. On the other hand, we get to choose where to build and where to live; we can assign priorities for the investment of our individual and collective resources; and we can exercise prudence in preparing for the proverbial “worst case scenario.”
Read full article: http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/5273/features/the-jewish-view-of-hurricanes/

After the destruction in Haiti, Rabbi Emanuel Feldman penned his thoughts.

The ways of G-d are hidden and mysterious; they have never been crystal clear to man. Only a finite and mortal god can be fully known and understood by finite and mortal man. But who will worship a mortal god? By the same token, only an infinite and immortal mind can fathom the infinite and immortal G-d. But who among us has an infinite and immortal mind?

Given these obvious facts, it is difficult for a mortal mind to fathom the ease and eagerness with which other mortal minds presume to reveal divine secrets. For whenever some major catastrophe strikes, there are always those who leap forward with reasons and explanations. Whether it be a bridge collapse, a massive air disaster or a plague, inevitably a religious leader stands up and tells the world precisely why this happened.
Read more: http://www.cross-currents.com/archives/2010/02/02/haiti-and-the-mind-of-g-d/

I couldn't help but notice that the Hebrew words for materialism (גשמיות) and rain (גשם) are derived from the same three letter root.
On the one hand, G-d can rain down material goods on us, only to have them rained away in a split second.

Breaking our nature

Rabbi Eli Mansour discusses the test of Avraham Avinu to offer his son as a sacrifice. The question arises as to why this command was a test for Abraham Abinu, but not for Yishak. According to tradition, Yishak was 37 years old at the time of Akedat Yishak. He was not a young boy forced into this by his father. Wasn’t this a test for him, as well? Why is Akedat Yishak presented as a test for Abraham, but not for Yishak?

One explanation is that this was a test specifically for Abraham because he had arrived at the belief in G-d on his own through logical reasoning. In a world that believed in idols, Abraham, in his profound wisdom and intelligence, recognized through logic that there must be a single Creator. Abraham’s great test was fulfilling G-d’s command that seemed wholly illogical. G-d had earlier promised to produce a great nation from Yishak, and now he tells him to kill him. This obviously defied all logic, and thus naturally challenged Abraham’s entire approach, of arriving at belief through logic. His obedience to the divine command demonstrated that he was committed to G-d not only when logic dictated following His laws, but even when His laws seem illogical.

But there is also another reason why this test was unique to Abraham. The Vilna Gaon taught that a person’s task in this world is to overcome his innate negative tendencies. We are to identify our areas of personal weakness and work toward improving ourselves in those very areas. Thus, for example, a person who is naturally a glutton and enjoys overindulging in food should focus the bulk of his attention on moderating his food intake. A person who is by nature short-tempered has the responsibility of fighting against this tendency and being patient and tolerant of other people. We are not here to just accept our nature, to resign ourselves to the character flaws with which we are created. Rather, our main job during our lifetime is to break our nature, to perfect the flawed areas of our personalities.
Continue reading: http://www.dailyhalacha.com/WeeklyParasha.asp