The smallest major religion

Of all the major religious groups in the world, Judaism is the smallest. According to a new report from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Judaism’s 14 million Jews make up 0.2 percent of the world population.
Continue reading: http://www.algemeiner.com/2012/12/19/judaism-shows-weakest-growth-prospects-among-major-religions/

Giving back

A Yahoo article describes how Ryan Lochte, snubbed by one of his boyhood swimming idols, decided that he would not do the same to his fans. It describes how Mr. Lochte presented one of his gold medals to 9-year-old Arda Cakmak.

"One of the main reasons for racing is because of my fans, so I always want to give something back," Lochte said. "If I took the medal, it would end up in a sock drawer. If I give it to a fan, they're going to treasure it."
Read more: http://www.thepostgame.com/blog/good-sports/201212/lochte-gives-away-medals-after-world-championships

Cultural insensitivity

The National Post discusses new subway posters sponsored by the American Freedon Defense Initiative.

Anti-Islam posters with depictions of the World Trade Towers in flames will be plastered around 50 different New York MTA stations beginning December 17.
View poster and read article:  http://news.nationalpost.com/2012/12/11/extreme-anti-islam-posters-to-cover-new-york-subway-stations-next-week/

The last series of posters sponsored by AFDI were vandalized and defaced. These ads, however, contain a quote from the Quran so it will be interesting to see if they are defaced, as well.



American soldiers should brace for a "social-cultural shock" when meeting Afghan soldiers and avoid potentially fatal confrontations by steering clear of subjects including women's rights, religion and Taliban misdeeds, according to a controversial draft of a military handbook being prepared for troops heading to the region.
The proposed Army handbook suggests that Western ignorance of Afghan culture, not Taliban infiltration, has helped drive the recent spike in deadly attacks by Afghan soldiers against the coalition forces.
Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324024004578171561230647852.html

Judah the Maccabee and Chanukah

For Mel Gibson and Joe Eszterhas—who had planned to collaborate on a recently shelved film on the life of Judah the Maccabee, one of the Hanukkah story’s heroes—it was an unlikely shidduch to begin with.
Continue reading about Mel Gibson the Maccabee? How an Irony-Filled Project Fell Apart .

Rafael Medoff writes about Defiance, Then Destruction: Chanukah in the Warsaw Ghetto .

Food glorious food?

There's an interesting story at ladaat.info about a yeshiva bochur who went to get a brocha from Rabbi Karelitz before he underwent gastric surgery as a means to lose weight. According to the article, Rabbi Karelitz said that it wasn't sure that the operation was permissible, according to halacha. The rabbi suggested that the bochur should find another way to deal with his problem and said he would have to hear medical opinions before issuing a pesak. Rabbi Karelitz added that a ben yeshiva should work on the midah of Taavah - desire. 

Another article is about a father who stopped a Hatzalah volunteer in Bnei Brak when his daughter lost consciousness after a piece of a jelly donut got stuck in her throat. The volunteer called other members of the organization to help him and they were successfully able to dislodge the donut. The girl was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Four periods of teshuva

The seforim bring that the eighth day of Chanuka, known as Zos Chanuka, named after the Krias HaTorah of that day, is a very significant day. There are four periods of teshuva that are tied in with Rosh HaShana, three of which are very well known, Zos Chanuka is the fourth. The “Yimei Harachamim” begin with the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul, calling to each of us to begin our teshuva process. The Gemara tells us that on Rosh Hashana, the tzadikim gemurim, completely righteous individuals, are immediately signed and sealed for a good year. This is the first period of judgment. Ten days later, on Yom Kippur, marks the second period of judgment, one that applies for most of us and after the completely righteous. For the stragglers, the grace period is extended and a third period of judgment culminates on Shmini Atzeres. Then, much after the others, comes the fourth period – Zos Chanuka.

These the respective periods of teshuva, works out to 30 days, 40 days, 52 days and 122 days from Rosh Chodesh Ellul. These four periods are hinted to in the amount of pasukim in the last few parshiyos of the Torah. The 40-day period, reserved for the majority of us, is hinted to in Parshas Netzavim, which has a total of 40 pasukim and speaks about how all of Klal Yisroel stands before Hashem in judgment. The 30-day period, reserved for tzadikim, is hinted to in the number of pasukim in Parshas Vayeilech, which begins with how the tzadik Moshe spent his final days inspiring the yidden to teshuva. The 52-day period is hinted to in Parshas Ha’azinu, as Moshe continues his message of teshuva. Finally, our fourth period, the 122-day program, culminating with Zos Chanuka, is hinted to in the amount of pasukim in Parshas Ki Savo, as a baal teshuva finishes their return to a new destination as a new person.
http://revach.net/article.php?id=3188

Pride and kindness

Crown Heights info has two interesting anecdotes about people who lit the menorah this week. The first involves a rabbi who had to be rescued by the fire department.

 A Menorah lighting in Westchester took a turn for the dramatic when Rabbi Velvel Butman who, along with a ConEd worker, got stuck 20-feet in the air in the bucket of a ‘cherry-picker’ truck after it malfunctioned.
...Rabbi Butman said in a statement to CrownHeights.info “The Rebbe always said that when a Jew practices his Judaism with pride, then people respect and assist.” Adding, that “The firefighters were gracious and kind, and thanked us for the opportunity of being a help in lighting Westchester’s largest Menorah!”
Continue reading: http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=48882

The start of Hanukkah on Saturday night had special meaning for a Holocaust survivor in Ohio who turns 100 next week. Abe Weinrib was selected to light the first candle on a 13-foot public menorah at Easton Town Center in Columbus on Saturday evening.
...“Rather than blowing out 100 candles, he'd rather light one candle representing kindness and good deeds,”
Continue reading: http://www.crownheights.info/index.php?itemid=48895

A meaningless life

Drew Zahn reviews a recently released DVD called "“Follow Me: The Yoni Netanyahu Story.”

The Netanyahu brothers grew up in Israel in the days not long after it became a country again in 1948, but then moved with their parents to America.

For Yoni, however, there was a fullness of life in the dusty streets of Jerusalem that he could not find in the lush lands of the United States: “My home is terribly nice,” Yoni wrote, “surrounded by lawns and trees, an empty, meaningless life.”
Read more at http://www.wnd.com/2012/12/an-israeli-soldier-shall-lead-them/#X2IXVA8wZYAqOdGb.99

J Street has a request on its site to take action to oppose E1 construction by signing a petition to tell President Obama that they "demand a reversal to the E1 settlements."

A meaningless life, indeed.

The dreidel decoy

The simple story of the Dreidel or Sivivon is that it was a decoy used by the little children learning the Aleph Bais in case the Yivanim caught them. The Bnei Yisaschar brings some deep remazim regarding the dreidel.

The four sides of the dreidel have the letters, Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey. These stand for the four forces in a person. Nefesh or spirit-Nun, Guf or physicality-Gimel, Sechel or intellect-Shin, and a higher spirit combining the other three, HaKol-Hey. The four nations of Bavel, Yavan, Rome, and Madai each opposed a specific one of these forces. Moshiach, whose gematria is 358 the same as Nun, Gimel, Shin, Hey, will annul these forces forever. Then Hashem's reign will be accepted by all. Hashem Melech, Hashem Malach, Hashem Yimloch L'Olam Va'ed also equals 358 like our dreidel and Moshiach.

The dreidel spins on its point. All these nations on each side of the dreidel all focus on Bnei Yisroel. The four side gradually decrease and disappear into this point, as the four nations will disappear and become batel to Am Yisroel.
http://revach.net/moadim/chanukah/Chanukah-Some-Hidden-Secrets-Of-The-Dreidel/3164

Finding your zivug

Eyewitness News has a moving story about a couple who were married for 62 years and died within hours of each other. Click here to read and watch video.

Speaking about marriage, Matzav describes ZivugZone.com: A New, Exciting and Free Shidduch Website with Haskamos.