Chadrei Charedim reported about a speech given in the wake of the situation in Israel.
Rosh Yeshiva of Ponovezh, Rav Povarsky, addressed the yeshiva students today about the power of Torah to protect and save and how we are losing the protection because of people's dismissive attitudes towards the Torah and its Sages.
The Rav referred to an interpretation of Chazal to the verse in kings 1:1 about King David and how "they covered him with clothes, but he couldn’t keep warm." Rabbi Yosi ben Hanina said that he who shows contempt for his clothes doen't enjoy them. Since "David arose and cut the coat," therefore he could not be kept warm with clothes.
The Rav stated that this also extends to any holy thing. When a person is dismissive of something holy, it will not stand in his merit. For example, a person who shows disrespect to prayer should not be
surprised if prayer will not help in time of trouble.
Rav Povarksy said that the state of contempt with respect to Torah and its sages was unheard of in recent generations, and thus it is no wonder that the lack of honor serves to weaken the power of the protection of Torah. We should do all within our means to strengthen it.
We must also share in the burden of the hundreds of thousands of our brethren in Southern Israel and it is our duty to strengthen ourselves in learning Torah and in relations with our fellow men.
Below is an incredible video of
remarkable individuals who are sharing in the burden and heeding the Rav's call of strengthening our relations with our fellow men.
Finallly, check out this post titled Jerusalem predictions.
15 Nov 2012
The hidden lights
Rashi says on the words in Bereishis, Vayar Elokim Es HaOr Ki Tov, that Hashem
saw that the special light created at the time of the Bria, which enables people
to see from end of the world to the other, was not suitable for Reshaim, so he
hid it L'Asid Lavo. This light is said to be hidden in the Torah. It is what
gives the great tzaddikim of each generation, who dwell in the depths of the
Torah, their unique ability to know and comprehend things beyond what can they
have seen or heard.
The Medrash tells us that Adam HaRishon enjoyed this light for 36 hours before it was taken away. The Rokeach says that we light a total of 36 candles during Chanukah (1+2+3...8=36), to celebrate the light hidden in the Torah, which shines during Chanukah. 36 is also the number of Masechtos in Talmud Bavli. 36 is also the number of tzaddikim that Hashem promises will exist in every generation.
The Bnei Yissaschar says that this is hinted in the word Kislev. The first two letter of Kislev are Kuf Samech as in Kisuy or covered. The last two are Lamed Vuv or 36, for the 36 hours of light that are hidden in the Torah and lit on Chanukah.
http://revach.net/moadim/around-the-year/Bnei-Yisaschar-The-Month-Of-Kislev-Reveals-The-36-Hidden-Lights/3053
Yesterday I posted a verse from Sefer Nechemia Chapter 9 which refers to "Amud Annan," the name the IDF chose for the current Gaza operation.
12. And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go.
Unfortunately, the same chapter in Nechemia ends on a sad note, after Bnei Yisrael turned their backs on G-d time after time.
As we read about the casualties in Kiryat Malachi this morning, we find ourselves in great distress. May Hashem have mercy, light the way and may we merit peace.
The Blaze discusses the biblical name behind Israel's military strike over here.
TheBlaze asked Haifa University bible scholar Dr. Jonathan Ben-Dov why he thinks the IDF chose this biblically significant reference as the name of the operation to strike Hamas. He said:
The Medrash tells us that Adam HaRishon enjoyed this light for 36 hours before it was taken away. The Rokeach says that we light a total of 36 candles during Chanukah (1+2+3...8=36), to celebrate the light hidden in the Torah, which shines during Chanukah. 36 is also the number of Masechtos in Talmud Bavli. 36 is also the number of tzaddikim that Hashem promises will exist in every generation.
The Bnei Yissaschar says that this is hinted in the word Kislev. The first two letter of Kislev are Kuf Samech as in Kisuy or covered. The last two are Lamed Vuv or 36, for the 36 hours of light that are hidden in the Torah and lit on Chanukah.
http://revach.net/moadim/around-the-year/Bnei-Yisaschar-The-Month-Of-Kislev-Reveals-The-36-Hidden-Lights/3053
Yesterday I posted a verse from Sefer Nechemia Chapter 9 which refers to "Amud Annan," the name the IDF chose for the current Gaza operation.
12. And with a pillar of cloud You led them by day, and with a pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go.
Unfortunately, the same chapter in Nechemia ends on a sad note, after Bnei Yisrael turned their backs on G-d time after time.
As we read about the casualties in Kiryat Malachi this morning, we find ourselves in great distress. May Hashem have mercy, light the way and may we merit peace.
The Blaze discusses the biblical name behind Israel's military strike over here.
TheBlaze asked Haifa University bible scholar Dr. Jonathan Ben-Dov why he thinks the IDF chose this biblically significant reference as the name of the operation to strike Hamas. He said:
They chose it because it’s something for defense. The pillar of cloud stood to absorb the arrows of the Egyptians. That’s I think what they had in mind. It was in front of them and then behind them and then back in the front of them. The pillar of cloud is there to defend.
14 Nov 2012
Pillar of Cloud
The IDF has launched a major Gaza operation named “Amud Annan (Pillar/Column of Defense)” with the goal of taking “out a large piece of the (Hamas) command structure without toppling the regime,” a knowledgeable source in Jerusalem told The Algemeiner.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/14/israel-launches-pillar-of-defense-operation-in-gaza-decapitation-wave-against-hamas-terror-leadership/
Yeranen Yaakov discusses the derivation of the name of the latest IDF operation in Gaza, "Amud He'anan" which translates to "Pillar of cloud." (Pillar of defense)
He references the verse in Exodus 14: 19.
I discovered a few more references here including the one below.
Nechemia 9:19
But You,with Your abundant mercies, did not forsake them in the desert; the pillar of cloud did not turn away from them by day to lead them on the way, neither did the pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go.
יט. וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים לֹא עֲזַבְתָּם בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן לֹא סָר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹמָם לְהַנְחֹתָם בְּהַדֶּרֶךְ וְאֶת עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ בְּלַיְלָה לְהָאִיר לָהֶם וְאֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ בָהּ:
May Hashem illuminate for us the way to go and protect us. I'm off to say some Pirkei Tehillim.
http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/11/14/israel-launches-pillar-of-defense-operation-in-gaza-decapitation-wave-against-hamas-terror-leadership/
Yeranen Yaakov discusses the derivation of the name of the latest IDF operation in Gaza, "Amud He'anan" which translates to "Pillar of cloud." (Pillar of defense)
He references the verse in Exodus 14: 19.
I discovered a few more references here including the one below.
Nechemia 9:19
But You,with Your abundant mercies, did not forsake them in the desert; the pillar of cloud did not turn away from them by day to lead them on the way, neither did the pillar of fire at night to illuminate for them the way in which they should go.
יט. וְאַתָּה בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים לֹא עֲזַבְתָּם בַּמִּדְבָּר אֶת עַמּוּד הֶעָנָן לֹא סָר מֵעֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹמָם לְהַנְחֹתָם בְּהַדֶּרֶךְ וְאֶת עַמּוּד הָאֵשׁ בְּלַיְלָה לְהָאִיר לָהֶם וְאֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר יֵלְכוּ בָהּ:
May Hashem illuminate for us the way to go and protect us. I'm off to say some Pirkei Tehillim.
Questions at the briefing
Thank you, Mr. Mark Toner, for reminding people that Israel has the right to self-defense. Below is an excerpt from a State Department briefing of November 13th.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about – I don’t recall there’s been yet a United States reaction to the shelling that happened between Israel and Syria over the weekend because of our long weekend. I just wonder how the United States is viewing this and whether you were concerned by what happened in the Golan Heights.
MR. TONER: Well, right. No, we very much condemn Syrian shelling across the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights and we stand closely with our friend and ally, Israel, and are continuing to consult closely on the path forward.
QUESTION: But you don’t condemn the Israelis firing back then?
MR. TONER: They have a right to self-defense.
Below is another interesting exchange about how diplomacy works.
QUESTION: Despite the President’s direct expression of displeasure to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority President, it seems that they are going ahead to the General Assembly. So – which will engender reaction, I guess, or then enforcement of the law as on the books. Could you share with us how, mechanically, how this happens? I mean, they go to the UN, they get accepted, then you shut off, let’s say, the PLO office like immediately?
MR. TONER: I’m not going to get into next steps. We’re still at the stage where we’re actively trying to convince them that this is a bad idea, that this is not going to get them the results ultimately that they seek. So we’ve been clear in the past about what some of the consequences that this would generate or engender. I think we put out a taken question about it a couple weeks ago. But in terms of next steps, our focus remains on convincing the Palestinian Authority that the only way to achieve the goals it seeks is through the negotiation table.
QUESTION: Can I ask how much more active can you be than having the President of the United States with an hour-long phone call to the President of the Palestinian Authority?
MR. TONER: Well, I think that shows how active and how serious --
QUESTION: And he still came out --
MR. TONER: -- and how seriously we take it.
QUESTION: -- in less than 24 hours and said basically I’m not going to listen to you, I’m going to go ahead and do it. What more active trying – what more active are you doing --
MR. TONER: Well, look, I mean --
QUESTION: -- to get them to change their mind when it’s clear when an hour-long phone call with the leader of the free world doesn’t do it?
MR. TONER: I think that we’re going to continue to press our case. David Hale is actually going to Europe this week. He’ll be in Bern and he’ll meet with President Abbas there.
QUESTION: And so you think that the Special Envoy for the Middle East – for Middle East Peace efforts has more weight than the President, than the recently reelected President of the United States?
MR. TONER: This is not a question of who has more weight. This is a question of us continuing to pursue --
QUESTION: Well, I’m just – do you --
MR. TONER: -- what we believe is the best course of action.
QUESTION: Is it your hope that David Hale’s meeting with President Abbas is going to produce a result that was different than an hour-long phone conversation from the President?
MR. TONER: You know how diplomacy works, right? This is – there’s --
QUESTION: Yeah, I do. And it’s usually when you get to the presidential --
MR. TONER: It’s incremental and it’s --
QUESTION: Yeah, but usually it goes the other way around. You start with the special envoy and get to the President.
MR. TONER: Well, again, our engagement speaks for itself.
QUESTION: I wanted to ask about – I don’t recall there’s been yet a United States reaction to the shelling that happened between Israel and Syria over the weekend because of our long weekend. I just wonder how the United States is viewing this and whether you were concerned by what happened in the Golan Heights.
MR. TONER: Well, right. No, we very much condemn Syrian shelling across the ceasefire line in the Golan Heights and we stand closely with our friend and ally, Israel, and are continuing to consult closely on the path forward.
QUESTION: But you don’t condemn the Israelis firing back then?
MR. TONER: They have a right to self-defense.
Below is another interesting exchange about how diplomacy works.
QUESTION: Despite the President’s direct expression of displeasure to Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority President, it seems that they are going ahead to the General Assembly. So – which will engender reaction, I guess, or then enforcement of the law as on the books. Could you share with us how, mechanically, how this happens? I mean, they go to the UN, they get accepted, then you shut off, let’s say, the PLO office like immediately?
MR. TONER: I’m not going to get into next steps. We’re still at the stage where we’re actively trying to convince them that this is a bad idea, that this is not going to get them the results ultimately that they seek. So we’ve been clear in the past about what some of the consequences that this would generate or engender. I think we put out a taken question about it a couple weeks ago. But in terms of next steps, our focus remains on convincing the Palestinian Authority that the only way to achieve the goals it seeks is through the negotiation table.
QUESTION: Can I ask how much more active can you be than having the President of the United States with an hour-long phone call to the President of the Palestinian Authority?
MR. TONER: Well, I think that shows how active and how serious --
QUESTION: And he still came out --
MR. TONER: -- and how seriously we take it.
QUESTION: -- in less than 24 hours and said basically I’m not going to listen to you, I’m going to go ahead and do it. What more active trying – what more active are you doing --
MR. TONER: Well, look, I mean --
QUESTION: -- to get them to change their mind when it’s clear when an hour-long phone call with the leader of the free world doesn’t do it?
MR. TONER: I think that we’re going to continue to press our case. David Hale is actually going to Europe this week. He’ll be in Bern and he’ll meet with President Abbas there.
QUESTION: And so you think that the Special Envoy for the Middle East – for Middle East Peace efforts has more weight than the President, than the recently reelected President of the United States?
MR. TONER: This is not a question of who has more weight. This is a question of us continuing to pursue --
QUESTION: Well, I’m just – do you --
MR. TONER: -- what we believe is the best course of action.
QUESTION: Is it your hope that David Hale’s meeting with President Abbas is going to produce a result that was different than an hour-long phone conversation from the President?
MR. TONER: You know how diplomacy works, right? This is – there’s --
QUESTION: Yeah, I do. And it’s usually when you get to the presidential --
MR. TONER: It’s incremental and it’s --
QUESTION: Yeah, but usually it goes the other way around. You start with the special envoy and get to the President.
MR. TONER: Well, again, our engagement speaks for itself.
13 Nov 2012
Making sense
This makes a lot of sense.
President Obama is holding on to Eric Holder as the nation’s top law-enforcement official, The Post has learned.
The newly re-elected president asked his controversial attorney general to stay for the second term, and Holder has agreed despite enduring a firestorm of criticism from Republican lawmakers.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/keeps_holder_as_ag_KiFdPvjU8lAh00dkcJNTZN
This doesn't make a lot of sense.
Below are two screenshots of what I got when I typed in the words, "Jerusalem" and "West Bank" in the google toolbar.
When I typed in Jerusalem I received a screen which included a map of the city and the words of explanation that "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, though not internationally recognized as such..."
When I typed In West Bank I received a screen which included a photo of two Israeli soldiers, with their rifles raised, standing next to an elderly man, linking to an article titled The West Bank Isn't Occupied?
After trying other locations, I saw that the screens only showed maps of the areas. Why does the West Bank screen link to a picture relating to the "occupation?" Why not show a photo of a "a luxury house under construction in the village of Mazraa al-Sharqiya near the West Bank city of Ramallah" pictured in this article?
President Obama is holding on to Eric Holder as the nation’s top law-enforcement official, The Post has learned.
The newly re-elected president asked his controversial attorney general to stay for the second term, and Holder has agreed despite enduring a firestorm of criticism from Republican lawmakers.
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/keeps_holder_as_ag_KiFdPvjU8lAh00dkcJNTZN
This doesn't make a lot of sense.
Below are two screenshots of what I got when I typed in the words, "Jerusalem" and "West Bank" in the google toolbar.
When I typed in Jerusalem I received a screen which included a map of the city and the words of explanation that "Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, though not internationally recognized as such..."
When I typed In West Bank I received a screen which included a photo of two Israeli soldiers, with their rifles raised, standing next to an elderly man, linking to an article titled The West Bank Isn't Occupied?
After trying other locations, I saw that the screens only showed maps of the areas. Why does the West Bank screen link to a picture relating to the "occupation?" Why not show a photo of a "a luxury house under construction in the village of Mazraa al-Sharqiya near the West Bank city of Ramallah" pictured in this article?
Maximum restraint
A video posted to YouTube on Sunday claims to show a Palestinian militant group launching 107mm rockets into Israeli territory late Sunday as violence along Israel’s border ramps up after months of relative calm.
Continue reading: http://freebeacon.com/rockets-raining-down-on-israel/
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeting Israel and strongly condemns these actions. He calls on Israel to exercise maximum restraint.
http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6412
What does maximum restraint mean?
Continue reading: http://freebeacon.com/rockets-raining-down-on-israel/
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate rocket attacks by Palestinian militants targeting Israel and strongly condemns these actions. He calls on Israel to exercise maximum restraint.
http://www.un.org/sg/statements/index.asp?nid=6412
What does maximum restraint mean?
12 Nov 2012
Jerusalem, Israel
Former Chief Inspector Andrew Udall, 48, retired from the force last Wednesday following a 30-year career.
He is moving to Palestine, where he served last year on secondment to the European Union.
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/11/12/police-officer-off-to-start-new-life-in-palestine/
H/T Jewish Chronicle
The WorcesterNews also discusses Police chief's new challenge in Palestine.
Perhaps Mahmoud Abbas doesn't have to submit a request for upgraded status at the U.N. because it seems that the country of Palestine exists already.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem, Israel doesn't seem to exist. I typed in Jerusalem, Israel at the BBC weather site, and received this message. "Sorry, no results found for: 'jerusalem, israel'
Please try again."
He is moving to Palestine, where he served last year on secondment to the European Union.
http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2012/11/12/police-officer-off-to-start-new-life-in-palestine/
H/T Jewish Chronicle
The WorcesterNews also discusses Police chief's new challenge in Palestine.
Perhaps Mahmoud Abbas doesn't have to submit a request for upgraded status at the U.N. because it seems that the country of Palestine exists already.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem, Israel doesn't seem to exist. I typed in Jerusalem, Israel at the BBC weather site, and received this message. "Sorry, no results found for: 'jerusalem, israel'
Please try again."
7 Nov 2012
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
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
6 Nov 2012
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.
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
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)