A state of neglect

A group of sociocultural activists here are on a mission to preserve 1,000-year-old Jewish monuments in Mala.

They are out to conserve the Jewish synagogue and cemetery, the only remaining structures representing the rich Jewish culture in Mala, which they say are in a state of neglect.

Read more: http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/on-a-mission-to-preserve-jewish-monuments-in-mala/article5467292.ece

 

Not in line with our values

Religious groups get win vs. O’care birth-control mandate

 

CONFIRMED: Jacob Ostreicher Has Been Released From Bolivia & Is Back In The United States - 

Incidentally, the Haftorah for Parshat Shemot begins with a verse mentioning Jacob and ends with two verses mentioning Jacob.

Yeshayahu Perek 27
6. Those who came, whom Jacob caused to take root, Israel flourished and blossomed and they filled the face of the world with fruitage.

Perek 29 22. Therefore, so said the Lord to the House of Jacob, Who redeemed Abraham, "Now Jacob shall not be ashamed, and now his face shall not pale.

23. For, when he sees his children, the work of My hands, in his midst, who shall hallow My name, and they shall hallow the Holy One of Jacob, and the God of Israel they shall revere.

Snow in Tevet

though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow
Yeshayahu 1:18

אִם-יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ

The words "yalbinu" - will be white  and "levanon" - Lebanon - share many of the same Hebrew lettters. Our hearts go out to the family of the soldier killed by a Lebanese sniper.

Shirat Devorah has an image of the tractate Yoma 35b which talks about snow on a Friday in Tevet. This daf was the one assigned for this past Friday, the 10th of Tevet, when snow fell in Yerushalayim.

If you click on the dafyomi calendar over here, you can see that the daf for today is Yoma 38.

On Friday, December 13, 10 Tevet, it was Yoma 35.

Our rabbis taught: A poor person, a rich person and a evil person come before the heavenly court. They ask the poor person, “Why did you not study Torah?” If the poor person answers, “I was poor and worried about earning a living,” they will ask the poor person, “Were you poorer than Hillel?” For it was told of Hillel that every day he used to work and earn one tropaik [small amount], half of which he would give as tuition to the doorkeeper at the House of Learning; the other half he would spend on his and his family’s needs. One day, he was unable to earn anything and the doorkeeper would not permit him to enter the House of Learning. So he climbed up to the roof and sat upon the window to hear the words of the Living God out of the mouths of Shmaya and Avtalion. That day was a Friday in the middle of winter, and snow fell on him from the sky. When the dawn rose, Shmaya said to Avtalion, “Brother Avtalion, every day, this house is light and today it is dark.” They looked up and saw the figure of a man in the window. They went up and found Hillel covered by four feet of snow. They brought him down, bathed and anointed him, and placed him in front of the fire...
http://www.on1foot.org/text/babyloniam-talmud-yoma-35b

The “snow siege” of Jerusalem is a God’s direct response to the recent jailing of yeshiva students who refused to accept draft orders to report for duty in the IDF, claimed Kabbalistic Rabbi Yaakov Addas Sunday.

“There is a general principle that when there is an evil decree, such as a tsunami, everyone must do some soul searching” he told the Kikar HaShabbat Haredi website.
http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/kabbalah-rabbi-storm-is-gods-reply-to-arresting-yeshiva-students/2013/12/15/

Incidentally, the same daf discusses Potiphar’s wife who threatened Joseph with imprisonment. What was Joseph's response?

"G-d frees the imprisoned."

False premises

You would think that the White House Press Secretary could ask the President a question directly without having to look up the answer in a book. Well, it took the Press Secretary a couple of years to come up with such a brilliant idea!

The White House on Thursday admitted that President Obama had lived with his uncle Onyango “Omar” Obama in the mid-1980s, after previously denying that the two had ever met.

...On Thursday, White House press secretary Jay Carney said that when they had first been asked about Obama's relationship with his uncle in 2011, they consulted the president's memoir Dreams from My Father and found no mention of him.

“There was no evidence they had met and that was what was conveyed,” said Carney. He added that at the time “no one spoke to the president” and asked him about the matter.
Read more: http://washingtonexaminer.com/white-house-admits-obama-met-uncle-omar/article/2540247

Rabbi Eli Mansour discusses false premises in a thought on this week's parsha which can be read here.

The moments of our lives

Sometimes one moment can transform entire lives. The DailyNews has an article titled Paul Walker's anonymous engagement ring gift: Couple finds out nearly 10 years later.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/couple-finds-paul-walker-bought-engagement-ring-article-1.1537567#ixzz2maFiUFbM

Martin Bashir must certainly regret his moment of lashing out at Sarah Palin as he resigns from his MSNBC post. Todd Cefaratti writes about the power of our voices over here.

Here's a great thought at Israel Matzav about the rain that finally fell in Israel.

The rabbi in the video below offers a grreat thought about the moments of our lives.

Vesein tal Umatar

At Maariv tonight, the last night of Chanukah, December 4^th 2013, in chutz la’aretz, we begin saying Vesein Tal Umatar L’vracha during Shemonah Esrei in the bracha of Boreich Aleinu.
Continue reading: http://baltimorejewishlife.com/news/news-detail.php?SECTION_ID=1&ARTICLE_ID=44026


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

Some advice

MBA student Jay Rhind writes about the advice a family member gave him which prompted him to start some introspective thinking.

“Jay, sit down with a pad of paper, a pen and an envelope. Write to future Jay. Write your first letter to future Jay in five years, the next to future Jay in 10 years, and lastly to future Jay in 50 years. Describe where you are personally and professionally. Once you’re done, read your letters. Future Jay is likely highly accomplished both personally and professionally. Now find out what is preventing present Jay from becoming future Jay and take action today.”
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/business-education/mba-diaries-journey-for-sauder-student-begins-with-soul-searching/article15655243/

Mitch Karpp describes 5 critical lessons he learned on his path to getting engaged.

1. You Must Truly Desire Marriage

Two months before I met Megan, my fiancé, I was having a conversation with a woman at a Shabbat lunch about dating. She said to me, “Doesn’t the idea of marriage scare you?” I responded to her by saying that I was more terrified of not ever getting married and remaining single my entire life. It was at this moment that I realized I was ready to find my “bashert”.
http://www.aish.com/d/w/My-Path-to-Getting-Engaged.html

A music-based training program that challenges both the body and the mind may improve brain function and mood among seniors, suggests a new study from Switzerland.
 

"The take-home message is that 6-months of music-based multitask training (i.e., Jaques-Dalcroze eurhythmics) - a specific training regimen which was previously shown to be effective in improving gait and reducing falls - has beneficial effects on cognition and mood in older adults," Dr. Mélany Hars, of Geneva University Hospitals, told Reuters Health in an email.

http://www.newsmaxhealth.com/Health-News/music-brain-senior-memory/2013/11/30/id/539261

The views of academics

Joseph Massad, an  associate professor at Columbia University, opines about Jewish suffering, Palestinian suffering.

...one should always stand with Jews as victims of European anti-Semitic violence and stand with Palestinians as victims of Jewish racist violence. There is no choice to be made between the two...
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/12/jewish-suffering-palestinian-suffering-201312141957378782.html

Actually, the Jews living in Germany were citizens who were contributing to the development of the country. They did not go around throwing stones at two-year-old toddlers, or conduct massacres on defenseless civilians, such as when 67 Jews were murdered in Hebron in 1929. The Jews did not send Katusha rockets towards German towns. There was no reason to conduct violent against Jews other than anti-Semitism.  So, yes, there is a choice to be made between the two and one cannot mention Palestinian suffering without pointing to contributing factors such as weapons smuggling, rocket firing, stone throwing and  Arab youths who commit acts of violence because they are motivated by hatred of Jews. 

Incidentally, there are some elucidating comments posted at the end of the article. But, at the end of the day, people will stick to their opinions.

This morning ElderofZiyon posted about an article Michael Bell, another academic, had written regarding a rock attack on Daniel Seidemann. In the original article Bell wrote,  "Given established patterns, however, the likely perpetrators are ultra-nationalist members of the settler movement."
In a subsequently amended article, he wrote, 'This time however those throwing stones were Palestinians."

A student named Christopher, who studied under the professor, opines about whether the original article's error was due to bias or ignorance.
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.be/2013/12/outrageous-former-canadian-ambassador.html#disqus_thread

Since the professor is so concerned about rock attacks, will he write an article or teach his students about an attack being reported in the Jersualem Post in which Arab youths were motivated by  hatred of Jews?

Can someone tell me how many times Joseph Massad talks about Israel as a racist state in this video? How does one expect students to form rational opinions if only one side is being presented? It's like being presented with only one side of a dreidel!

Jewish activists

Update: Click on the post at ElderofZiyon and scroll down to update 4.

 

ElderofZiyon writes about an article which is behind a paywall at the Globe and Mail authored by Michael Bell, who "has been Canada's ambassador to Israel, Jordan and Egypt. He is an adjunct professor of political science at University of Windsor and also teaches at Carleton University."

Mr. Bell wrote about his friend, Danny Seidemann, whose car was stoned in East Jerusalem two weeks ago.

No suspects have been identified. Given established patterns, however, the likely perpetrators are ultra-nationalist members of the settler movement,...
 http://www.theglobeandmail.com/try-it-now/try-it-now-world-insider/?contentRedirect=true&articleId=15716634&referrer=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.wopular.com%252Fhow-israel%2525E2%252580%252599s-radical-settlers-stoke-political-conundrum

ElderofZiyon points out, "The only problem is that Seidemann was attacked by Arabs.

He was visiting a Palestinian friend in an Arab neighborhood of Jerusalem, Sur Bahir. He admits having been targeted previously for being a Jew in Arab neighborhoods. Representatives of the Arab community visited him and expressed regret. The Jewish doctors that treated him all pretty much asked what he was doing in a neighborhood where Jews are routinely attacked if they step foot.

There are no Jews there.
http://elderofziyon.blogspot.be/2013/12/outrageous-former-canadian-ambassador.html#.Up2lu6R3vcc

As one can see from the above screen capture of a twitter account, Mr. Seidemann informed the ambassador of his error. Will the article be withdrawn or edited?


The WashingtonPost has an article titled Jewish activists set sights on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, raising alarm in Muslim world.

Two millenniums ago, this place was the site of the Jews’ Second Temple, destroyed in A.D. 70 by Roman legions under Titus, who cast the Jews into exile.

...The same courtyard is home to al-Aqsa mosque, one of the oldest in Islam, and the Dome of the Rock, the golden landmark where tradition says the prophet Mohammad made his night journey to heaven.

...“This place belongs to the Muslim people, and no others have the right to pray here,” said Sheik Azzam al-Khatib, director of the Waqf, the Islamic trust that administers the site.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/jewish-activists-set-sights-on-jerusalems-temple-mount-raising-alarm-in-muslim-world/2013/12/02/d0561dc4-4e00-11e3-97f6-ed8e3053083b_story.html

Shouldn't the Palestinians, who claim the rights of a displaced people, respect the rights of the original displaced people?

A life!!!

Those of you who regularly listen to Rabbi Zecharia Wallerstein know his opinions about Facebook and the like. After receiving the cartoon below in an email, I decided to post it, along with a fabulous story told by the rabbi.

 

 

 

Mazal Tov, Avivit

KikarHashabat reports that Avivit Se'ar, who lost her husband and five children in a house fire in March 2012, got married last night to a man who she became acquainted with while she was sitting shiva. The principal of the school where she teaches offered the newly married couple a birchat kohein under the chupah. He also remarked that today we lit five chanukah candles, which are the five souls of  the children who are standing with us today.
http://www.kikarhashabat.co.il/מרגש-אביבית-שעאר-התחתנה.html

Click here to read On Death and Undying Faith: The First Interview with Avivit Se’ar after the Loss of her Husband and 5 Children, which was posted in May, 2012.  

How can anyone know whether their marriage, years down the road, will be a truly happy one? According to one new study, we already do.
We know in our gut whether or not we’re happy in our relationship — even if we can’t, or won’t, admit those feelings to ourselves on a conscious level, suggests the new research, led by James McNulty, a Florida State University psychologist. McNulty writes in the paper, published Thursday in the journal Science, that "even though people may be unwilling or unable to recognize any deep-seated discontent they have toward their partners, that discontent may nonetheless shape their relationship outcomes.”
Read more: http://www.today.com/health/you-know-your-gut-if-your-marriage-will-be-happy-2D11661922

Regarding the latest report about a Hasidic man being a victim of the knockout game, perhaps some people might wish to consult Gary Moskowitz.