I attended a wedding one month ago and sat next to two women. One looked quite down and exhausted and she explained that she was having a hard time with shidduchim for two of her children. Her face showed signs of the anguish she was going through and she cast a damper on the high spirits of those in her close proximity.
A woman seated next to her started berating her and told her to be grateful that she had children to worry about. She advised her to stop complaining and focus on the positive in her life and reminded her how many childless couples would love to be in her situation.
I don't think the words penetrated because she left a little while later, with a despondent expression.
This morning I caught a post at Tomer Devorah titled "Prayer of Thanks."
I recited the prayer in its entirety and have been concentrating on expressing my gratitude to Hashem, particularly after reading In Forest Fields, by Rabbi Shalom Arush.
3 Jul 2013
Telling the truth
Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has apologized for a “clearly erroneous” statement he made to Congress over the National Security Agency’s surveillance activities.
In a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), released publicly on Tuesday, Clapper said he was mistaken when he told Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that the United States did not collect data on millions of Americans.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/308979-clapper-apologies-for-erroneous-statement-to-congress-on-us-data-collection#ixzz2XxRrpXwm
A prosecutor in George Zimmerman’s murder trial...asked the judge to strike from the record a statement Detective Chris Serino made Monday in which he said he found credible Zimmerman’s account of how he got into a fight with Trayvon Martin.
...Judge Debra Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement. ...“This is an improper comment,” the judge said http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/02/zimmerman-trial-day-7-detective-testifies-he-found-zimmermans-story-credible-jurors-ordered-to-disregard-improper-comment/
Dr. Robert McWilliams (Infertility & Gynecology) of Houston, Texas is closing his practice because of additional costs he will incur under Obamacare,... ...If you add millions of — 20 million, 50 million medicare patients to the system, but you have no doctors to take care of them, what good is the system?
http://freebeacon.com/houston-doctor-closing-practice-because-of-obamacare/
This is off topic, but congratulations to Homer Bailey for pitching the 2nd no hitter of his career.
In a letter to Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), released publicly on Tuesday, Clapper said he was mistaken when he told Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) that the United States did not collect data on millions of Americans.
Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/defcon-hill/policy-and-strategy/308979-clapper-apologies-for-erroneous-statement-to-congress-on-us-data-collection#ixzz2XxRrpXwm
A prosecutor in George Zimmerman’s murder trial...asked the judge to strike from the record a statement Detective Chris Serino made Monday in which he said he found credible Zimmerman’s account of how he got into a fight with Trayvon Martin.
...Judge Debra Nelson told jurors to disregard the statement. ...“This is an improper comment,” the judge said http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/07/02/zimmerman-trial-day-7-detective-testifies-he-found-zimmermans-story-credible-jurors-ordered-to-disregard-improper-comment/
Dr. Robert McWilliams (Infertility & Gynecology) of Houston, Texas is closing his practice because of additional costs he will incur under Obamacare,... ...If you add millions of — 20 million, 50 million medicare patients to the system, but you have no doctors to take care of them, what good is the system?
http://freebeacon.com/houston-doctor-closing-practice-because-of-obamacare/
This is off topic, but congratulations to Homer Bailey for pitching the 2nd no hitter of his career.
2 Jul 2013
One of his parents
A blogger identified Andrew Pochter as an American Jew in an article about the young man who was killed during Egyptian protests.
A comment at the end of the article states, "Too much of this article is riddled with falsehoods. Andrew Pochter was and still is one of my closest friends. Although one of this parents is jewish, he was raised christian and did not identify as a jewish american."
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/shiloh-musings/why-was-andrew-pochter-in-egypt-not-israel/2013/06/30/
Another blogger wrote, "he was the child of a Christian mother and a Jewish father." http://onbeingboth.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/mourning-andrew-pochter-bridge-builder-from-a-christian-and-jewish-interfaith-family/
I wondered whether those who wrote the headlines in articles about Mr. Pochter were aware of his family roots when they identified him as being Jewish. Orthodox Jews identify someone as Jewish only if the individual's mother was Jewish.
Kirk Douglas has penned an article titled On Jews and Justice.
I've lived a long time. Almost 97 years. I've seen a lot of fear-mongering, bigotry and discrimination.
... Meanwhile, I will never forget my first bloody nose. It always reminds me of why I'm proud to be a Jew.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirk-douglas/antisemitism-jews-justice_b_3530590.html
Would Kirk Douglas's son, Michael, be described as Jewish?
A comment at the end of the article states, "Too much of this article is riddled with falsehoods. Andrew Pochter was and still is one of my closest friends. Although one of this parents is jewish, he was raised christian and did not identify as a jewish american."
http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/shiloh-musings/why-was-andrew-pochter-in-egypt-not-israel/2013/06/30/
Another blogger wrote, "he was the child of a Christian mother and a Jewish father." http://onbeingboth.wordpress.com/2013/07/01/mourning-andrew-pochter-bridge-builder-from-a-christian-and-jewish-interfaith-family/
I wondered whether those who wrote the headlines in articles about Mr. Pochter were aware of his family roots when they identified him as being Jewish. Orthodox Jews identify someone as Jewish only if the individual's mother was Jewish.
Kirk Douglas has penned an article titled On Jews and Justice.
I've lived a long time. Almost 97 years. I've seen a lot of fear-mongering, bigotry and discrimination.
... Meanwhile, I will never forget my first bloody nose. It always reminds me of why I'm proud to be a Jew.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kirk-douglas/antisemitism-jews-justice_b_3530590.html
Would Kirk Douglas's son, Michael, be described as Jewish?
Created by the Jews
In an interview with Pamela Geller, Sean Hannity asked about Ms. Geller being banned from England. She explained that England deemed her visit not to be conducive to the public good. She then stated that Muslim cleric Arifi, who spoke about smashing the skulls of infidels, was allowed in to the country.
As I googled the name of the cleric, I came across an article which refers to two young Iraqi men who assaulted him in London. The article quotes a witness to the attack who called the cleric, "a terrorist, a member of the Wahhabi movement, which movement was created by the Jews to discredit Sunni Islam and make it appear a violent and extremist religion."
Wow! Another something for which to blame the Jews.
As I googled the name of the cleric, I came across an article which refers to two young Iraqi men who assaulted him in London. The article quotes a witness to the attack who called the cleric, "a terrorist, a member of the Wahhabi movement, which movement was created by the Jews to discredit Sunni Islam and make it appear a violent and extremist religion."
Wow! Another something for which to blame the Jews.
1 Jul 2013
Parshat Matos
Lo Yachel Devaroi, K’Chol HaYotzai MiPicha Yaaseh”, do not profane your words; do as your mouth spoke. The torah tells us that we must keep our word and not violate it. Rav Levi Yitzchok MiBerditchev in the Kedushas Levi makes a play on the words to explain how mortal people can perform miracles.
He reads the words as follows. If “Lo Yachel Devaroi”, you do not profane your words, then they will be holy and meaningful. Therefore, “K’Chol HaYotzai MiPicha Yaaseh” whatever comes out of your mouth will happen. This is the concept of “Tzadik Gozer, VHaKadosh Boruch Hu Mikayem”, a tzaddik decrees and Hashem makes it happen.
He further explains that this why the Parsha is called Matos. Matos also means to turn (Netia). When a person watches his mouth, Hashem turns the Midas HaDin into Midas HaRachamim.
http://revach.net/article.php?id=2519
Speaking of words coming out of one's mouth, Kikar Hashabat has a video in which Yehuda Barkan speaks about the process of becoming a baal teshuva.
He says that what helped him though major financial problems was the belief and knowledge that when you get hit with a difficulty, it is not to hurt you but, rather to get you to wake up.
He reads the words as follows. If “Lo Yachel Devaroi”, you do not profane your words, then they will be holy and meaningful. Therefore, “K’Chol HaYotzai MiPicha Yaaseh” whatever comes out of your mouth will happen. This is the concept of “Tzadik Gozer, VHaKadosh Boruch Hu Mikayem”, a tzaddik decrees and Hashem makes it happen.
He further explains that this why the Parsha is called Matos. Matos also means to turn (Netia). When a person watches his mouth, Hashem turns the Midas HaDin into Midas HaRachamim.
http://revach.net/article.php?id=2519
Speaking of words coming out of one's mouth, Kikar Hashabat has a video in which Yehuda Barkan speaks about the process of becoming a baal teshuva.
He says that what helped him though major financial problems was the belief and knowledge that when you get hit with a difficulty, it is not to hurt you but, rather to get you to wake up.
Ingratiating themselves
The NYPost has an article titled ‘Waist’ of money at Guantanamo Bay as detainees get prison’s ‘infidel’ gym replaced.
Gitmo is no longer a prison camp; it’s a state-sponsored madrassa.
...Each inmate at Gitmo costs roughly $800,000 a year to detain...
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/fitmo_ZMCwnFHLCgWlWCIcgmgZqN
Andrew Bostom writes about Andrew Pochter in a fascinating article titled A Young Jewish Man's Lethal Arab Spring Delusion
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach responds to Jeffrey Goldberg and Peter Beinart in a Huffington Post article titled Did I Make Cory Booker 'Too Jewish'?
I ask colleagues like Beinart if they themselves are reaching out to the non-Jewish community to promote rather than just assail Israel and call for boycotts against it. I have often witnessed that the most serious opposition to my work of reaching out to non-Jews comes often from Jews themselves who lack the confidence in their own heritage to believe that Judaism has anything constructive or refreshing to offer our non-Jewish counterparts and who believe that jumping on an anti-Israel bandwagon provides the means by which to ingratiate themselves with others. My message to them is that perhaps they should have taken an interest in Cory Booker well before he started running for the United States Senate.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/did-i-make-cory-booker-to_b_3524964.html
...Each inmate at Gitmo costs roughly $800,000 a year to detain...
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/international/fitmo_ZMCwnFHLCgWlWCIcgmgZqN
Andrew Bostom writes about Andrew Pochter in a fascinating article titled A Young Jewish Man's Lethal Arab Spring Delusion
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach responds to Jeffrey Goldberg and Peter Beinart in a Huffington Post article titled Did I Make Cory Booker 'Too Jewish'?
I ask colleagues like Beinart if they themselves are reaching out to the non-Jewish community to promote rather than just assail Israel and call for boycotts against it. I have often witnessed that the most serious opposition to my work of reaching out to non-Jews comes often from Jews themselves who lack the confidence in their own heritage to believe that Judaism has anything constructive or refreshing to offer our non-Jewish counterparts and who believe that jumping on an anti-Israel bandwagon provides the means by which to ingratiate themselves with others. My message to them is that perhaps they should have taken an interest in Cory Booker well before he started running for the United States Senate.
Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/did-i-make-cory-booker-to_b_3524964.html
30 Jun 2013
Messages of hate
VIN reported on anti-Semitic graffiti in Kiryas Joel. As I googled some more information, I was surprised by the number of articles about anti-Semitic graffiti incidents published in the past week alone.
June 30
State police are asking the public for help after anti-Semitic messages were found all over a playground in Kiryas Joel.
http://westchester.news12.com/news/anti-semitic-graffiti-found-at-kiryas-joel-playground-1.5597034
June 28
In the latest anti-Semitic incident in Montreal, the phrase “f--- Israhell” and two swastikas were scrawled on June 14 on the Naot shoe store located on St. Denis Street, Shalom Toronto reported.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169394
Three males face charges after a garage, a door and a car were defaced with hateful graffiti in the Bathurst Street and Hwy. 401 area.
June 24
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found Monday outside a building that houses a community board in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn.
http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/184399/anti-semitic-graffiti-found-on-brooklyn-community-board-building
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/06/24/appalling-messages-of-anti-semitic-hate-scrawled-in-far-rockaway/
June 30
State police are asking the public for help after anti-Semitic messages were found all over a playground in Kiryas Joel.
http://westchester.news12.com/news/anti-semitic-graffiti-found-at-kiryas-joel-playground-1.5597034
June 28
In the latest anti-Semitic incident in Montreal, the phrase “f--- Israhell” and two swastikas were scrawled on June 14 on the Naot shoe store located on St. Denis Street, Shalom Toronto reported.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/169394
Three males face charges after a garage, a door and a car were defaced with hateful graffiti in the Bathurst Street and Hwy. 401 area.
Police allege suspects entered a garage and defaced property inside with anti-Semitic symbols.
June 24
The NYPD Hate Crimes Task Force is investigating after anti-Semitic graffiti was found Monday outside a building that houses a community board in the Borough Park section of Brooklyn.
http://www.ny1.com/content/top_stories/184399/anti-semitic-graffiti-found-on-brooklyn-community-board-building
Shocking messages of hate have been found on property across Far Rockaway, Queens – smeared across a school and synagogue.
As CBS 2’s Emily Smith reported, the words “kill Jews” were scrawled on a fence post at Yeshiva Ateres Shimon, at Mott and Caffrey avenues in Far Rockaway. It left Rabbi Moshe Schreiber almost speechless.http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2013/06/24/appalling-messages-of-anti-semitic-hate-scrawled-in-far-rockaway/
Lightning hits reform Jewish summer camp
A lightning strike in a field at an Indianapolis summer camp injured three children Saturday afternoon, leaving one in critical condition, police said.
Emergency crews responded to the Goldman Union Camp Institute, a reform Jewish camp near Zionsville, Ind., around 1:40 p.m. Saturday, where they learned that three children had been hit by a sudden burst of lightning, according to an Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department release.
Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/29/19207982-lightning-strikes-three-children-at-indianapolis-summer-camp-one-critically-injured?lite
Read more: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/06/29/19207982-lightning-strikes-three-children-at-indianapolis-summer-camp-one-critically-injured?lite
A livid lawman and protests
A Louisiana lawman is livid over the federal government’s decision to cut off funds for two programs to help troubled young people, all, he says, because he refused to sign a pledge to bar prayer or any mention of God at their meetings.
Read more: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/doj-defunds-young-marines-chapter-that-referenced-god.html
The video below shows protests during President Obama's visit in South Africa. Note the doctoring of the President's picture and the words of the sign at 58 seconds into the video.
Read more: http://radio.foxnews.com/toddstarnes/top-stories/doj-defunds-young-marines-chapter-that-referenced-god.html
The video below shows protests during President Obama's visit in South Africa. Note the doctoring of the President's picture and the words of the sign at 58 seconds into the video.
28 Jun 2013
Hope and faith
I caught the video below at Crown Heights info.
May the Mandell family continue with their good works in providing comfort to families who suffer loss.
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