Yiddishe Mamme

Promoting hate for Israel

2011-11-01T13:12:00.001-07:00

Op-ed: European educators brainwash young minds with blatant anti-Israel views
Manfred Gerstenfeld

Earlier this month it became known that the German EVZ Foundation had financed two high school student programs which promoted hatred of Israel. This state foundation was created to compensate Holocaust slave workers and fight contemporary anti-Semitism. In one program, Dutch Jewish anti-Israeli extremist Hayo Meyer came to the Anne Frank High School in Gutersloh. He equated Palestinian suffering with the mass murder of Jews in the Holocaust and termed Israel a "criminal state."

Since then, in the Nesbru High School in Asker, Norway, an exhibition sponsored by Norwegian Church Aid, was held on "Palestine." It included a picture of an Israeli flag crossed out and "Murder" written in reverse underneath it. After protest by an Israeli student and some bad publicity, the school finally decided to remove the exhibition.

It is crucially important to know much more about hatred spread against Israel and Jews in schools in the Western world. This contributes to the formation of a new generation of Israel haters and anti-Semites.

Very few studies give information on these topics. In the 1990s, Mitchell Bard studied the most widely used history textbooks in American high schools. Regarding Israel, he found them "full of factual errors, oversimplification, omission, and distortion." Bard concluded that American "high schools are, as far as anti-Israeli teaching is concerned, even worse than universities."

In 2008, another analysis by Gary Tobin and Dennis Ybarra confirmed this. They also found that Arab and Muslim interest groups try to whitewash and glorify all things Islamic and thus promote Islam. In this way, a whole series of lies has permeated American textbooks.

A study conducted on textbooks in France exposed that facts on the Middle East are presented in a way suggesting that Palestinian terrorism is different from general terrorism. One researcher summarized the description of Jews as a caricature: "In antiquity, these were the Hebrews whose religion, Judaism, was significantly improved by Jesus, founder of Christianity. At the end of the 19th century, a Jew and French officer (Dreyfus) was accused of treason. This divided the country until the beginning of the 20th century. Jews were exterminated and others who created Israel since then carry on an unjust war against the innocent Palestinians."

A "Panorama" television program aired by the BBC in 2010 exposed what is taught in Saudi-run Muslim schools in Britain. They use textbooks from Saudi Arabia that teach children from age six and up that Jews are descendents of monkeys and pigs. According to one textbook, "Jews are cursed by God." This book asked children to list the negative qualities of Jews. Teenagers who follow the Saudi national curriculum are being taught that Zionists aim to take over the world for Jews and that the fabricated text of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion is true.

Sometimes, one can incite children with just a single sentence. In a Dutch language teaching book for the sixth grade in Belgium, students are asked to read sentences with the correct intonation. One was: "When a Palestinian child in Jerusalem saw a Jewish soldier arriving, he shrank in fear."

One can only imagine the reactions in Belgium if the text had read instead: "After a Palestinian suicide bomber killed many Jewish children and adults, the Belgian press mainly stressed the Israeli reaction to it."

A related subject is biased teaching. Information on this is sporadic and anecdotal. Dutch Holocaust scholar Johannes Houwink ten Cate remarked that in 2006, he watched the TV news with an 11-year-old-child. "It showed that the Israeli army had inadvertently caused civilian casualties. The child didn't believe that it was a mistake. I said: 'Listen, you know that in general, the Israeli army tries to avoid civilian casualties.' The child did not want to accept Ten Cate's viewpoint and replied, "My teachers told me otherwise in school."

In the US the youth group of the Orthodox Union, the National Conference of Synagogue Youth (NCSY), has culture clubs in more than 150 public schools. These reach approximately 30,000 Jewish youngsters. Former OU Executive Vice-President Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb said, "We find that many of these children are very anti-Israeli. They have been very much brainwashed by an extremely anti-Israeli educational establishment."

The results of such distortions in teaching may lead many high school students - including Jewish ones - to arrive on campus with an ingrained anti-Israel bias. This will be caused partly by educators charged with forming young minds and values. Much more effort needs to be invested by parents, Jewish communities and the Israeli Government in order to expose and counteract this problem.

Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld has published 20 books. Several of these address anti-Semitism and anti-Israelism

Modern day Jewish Prophecies (video)

2011-10-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

2 GET and 2 GIVE creates 2 many problems.But... double it:4 GET and 4 GIVE solves all the problems!!

2011-10-04T22:25:00.001-07:00

Rosh Shashanah

2011-09-27T03:40:00.001-07:00

The merit of charity - Tsedakah saves from death

2011-09-22T21:59:00.000-07:00

There's a nice story in Chadrei Chadarim about a grocery store owner in Bnei Brak who was approached by a young boy last Friday with a note from his father asking the owner to give the boy some sweets so that the children in the family would have a joyous Shabbos. Furthermore, the father wrote that there were 13 children in the family and that they were in dire straits. In the merit of the act of charity that the owner would perfom, the father blessed him with good health, nachas and success.
The store owner did not hesitate to fill a bag with sweets and to hand it to the elated boy. Shortly after, the man closed the store and was involved in a serious accident on his way home in which he emerged unscathed. When the police came and asked him for his driver's license, the man pulled out his wallet and found the note that the boy had delivered to him.
The man understood what had transpired, took a cab back to his store and filled a bag of groceries for the needy family. When a gadol who lives on the street where the store is located heard the story, he proclaimed that there was no doubt that the man was saved from the accident because of the mitzvah he had just performed.

צדקה תציל ממוות
Charity saves from death
(Thanks to Blogger Mashiach is coming)

Wonder of Wonders Miracles of Miracles (from Fiddler of the Roof) We remember 9/11

2011-09-08T22:57:00.000-07:00

The kids leave our house sooner than we think

2011-08-07T03:29:00.000-07:00

Beautiful watching these birds...it reminds me of our kids!

Robins: 4 Eggs, 4 Weeks from Fred Margulies on Vimeo.

The death of Rabbi 'Baba' Elazar

2011-07-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

The Jewish world is deeply shocked about the death of the righteous rabbi "Baba Elazar" zt"l, he was a leader of our generation. He was murdered by one of the visitors who came to him for 'advice'.

He supported and gave advice to thousands of people who came to him for advice and blessings.
It is very urgent that we will make up our 'spriritual account' and repent from our misdeeds towards our fellow men. Especially during the days of mourning preceding the fast of the 9th of Av, the day of the destruction of both the Temples. The Temples were destroyed because of senseless hatred.

A hidden Mezuzah in Amsterdam

2011-07-20T06:48:00.001-07:00

Mrs. Susan Rodrigues Pereira was renovating her house when she was surprised at the unique discovery in a wall at the entrance of her house.

Two mezuzot, one large and one small, and a mezuzah case hidden and cemented inside the walls of the entrance of the house.
These mezuzos were hidden in the wall during the Holocaust to avoid the Nazis noticing that it was a Jewish home.

Susan is a Jewish woman of Portuguese descent. Recently, she made a research to the origin of her family. She is a descendent of an old Jewish Portuguese family who once came to the Netherlands as Marranos. Of course she knows what a mezuzah is.
She investigated the story behind the mezuzos. She discovered that before the Holocaust many Jews lived in her street of which very few survived the war.

Her investigation led her to a businessman Josef Tafelkruier who lived in her house before the Holocaust. The house next door lived the community Rabbi Benjamin Israel Ricardo.

Susan continued her research and reached the rabbi's grandson Benjamin Ricardo who she contacted. Mr. Ricardo is named after his grandfather.

Mr. Ricardo recommended Susan to make contact with Mrs. Miriam Chanina who lives in Israel. Mrs. Chanina is a granddaughter of Joseph Tafelkruier from paternal side and from maternal side she is a granddaughter of Rabbi Ricardo who were each other's neighbors before the Holocaust.

"I never thought I would ever hear anything about my grandparents again and certainly not such a special story", as she said in an interview for the newspaper' Sichas Hashavuah.

"I was born three months after the liberation, in the house of Mrs. Maria Ieps, a Dutch medical doctor and a righteous person among the nations. My parents were hiding in her house throughout the Holocaust. My father was very active in the resistance. A couple of years ago he passed away in Israel".

Susan and Miriam corresponded with each other through the email. Mrs. Chaninah decided to go to visit Amsterdam in order to meet Susan at her home.
Susan handed the special mezuzos over to her after a tour in her grandfather's house.
"I cannot express in words what special experience this was, it was very emotional but also very impressive", says Miriam.

"I get very emotional when I think the amount of effort Susan made in order to return my grandfather's mezuzos back to me" .

Miriam's husband Chaim is a Sofer and he checked both the mezuzos. It appeared that the large mezuzah is kosher and the other mezuzah is not kosher. The large mezuzah is back at its old spot at the door of her grandparents' house in Amsterdam. The small mezuzah is given to the archive of "Logamee Hageta'ot 'Museum in Israel.

In order to remember and never to forget:

"The story is not over". Miriam tells us, "Susan told me that due to the discovery of the mezuzos, the residents of the street are investigating the names of the people in our street during the war because many Jews lived here."

Miriam never knew her grandparents but she is closely tied to their traditions. "I feel I received a message from them. The younger generation must see how our grandparents continued their Judaism despite the fear and threat of the Nazis. They went so far as to hide the mezuzos inside the wall", says Miriam.

Adapted from the newspaper Chabad 'Sichas Hashvuah', written by Menachem Cohen.

Respect the Elderly

2011-06-27T00:09:00.000-07:00

The Torah introduces the Mitzvah of "Mipenei Seva Takum Ve'hadarta Penei Zaken," which is a law that requires us to; stand in the presence of, and give respect to, Torah scholars and elders. This means that when a Torah scholar or elder comes within four Amot (6-8 feet) of a fellow, the fellow must stand and remain standing until the scholar or elder leaves his four-Amot radius.
The question arises, what constitutes an "elder" for purposes of this Halacha? At what age do we consider one an "elder" insofar as the obligation to stand in his presence and afford him honor is concerned?

Maran (author of Shulchan Aruch) and most Poskim (authorities of Halacha) are of the opinion that a person becomes an "elder" at age seventy, while the Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, 1835-1909) cites the Arizal (Egypt-Tzefat, 1534-1572) as claiming that the obligation applies already from the age of sixty. Strictly speaking, Halacha follows the view of Maran and most other Poskim, that the Mitzvah applies only to those aged seventy and above. But, Halacha says of one who wishes to be stringent and follow the Arizal's view, "Tavo Alav Beracha" – he is deserving of blessing.

Very often, one sees an older person but cannot ascertain whether or not he is older than sixty or seventy. What should one do in such a case when he cannot determine the age of an older person?

Chacham Ovadia Yoseph applies to this situation the principle of "Safek De'orayta Le'chumra," meaning, when an uncertainty arises concerning a Torah obligation or prohibition, one must act stringently. In this situation, when the Torah obligation of "Mipenei Seva Takum" is at stake, one must stand, even though he is unsure whether the older person has reached the age at which this obligation applies.
Therefore, for example, if a person sits on a bus or train and an older person walks within four Amot of him, he must stand. It should go without saying that if the older person has no other seat, one must stand and offer his seat. Though this might seem obvious, unfortunately, in today's culture of selfishness, many people lack this basic ethical principle, and do not offer their seat to an older person on a bus or train.

By the same token, we must train our children to show respect to not only those over the age of sixty or seventy, but to adults in general. Every so often there is overcrowding in the synagogue or at community functions, and there are more people than seats. Parents should train their children to stand and allow an older person to have their seat. But when it comes to people above the age of seventy, or, according to the Arizal, above sixty, there is an actual Torah obligation for even grownups to stand and offer the older person his seat, and whoever does so first is credited with a Mitzvah.

In summary, one must stand in the presence of Torah scholars and elderly people aged seventy and above when they come within a four-Amot. It is commendable to be stringent and stand in the presence of adults aged sixty and above. If one is unsure whether an older person has reached age seventy, he must assume that he has, and stand in his presence. This obligation also requires offering an older person his seat on buses and trains, in the synagogue and at community functions.

Taken from: The Rabbi Jacob S. Kassin Memorial Halacha SeriesAuthored by Rabbi Eli J. Mansour (6/23/2011)

British Royal House - Jewish?

2011-06-22T04:09:00.001-07:00

It is interesting to note the following in the family tree of Kate
Middleton, wife of Prince William:

Kate's mother is Carol Middleton, daughter of Ronald Goldsmith and Dorothy
Harrison (both Jews)

The parents of Dorothy Harrison are Robert Harrison and Elizabeth Temple
(both Jews), the latter a descendant of the Myers family (traditional
English Jews in the 19th century)

Bottom line: Princess Kate is a Jew on her matrilineal side, and as a
consequence, the future king of England will be a Jew according to Jewish
Law and tradition.

Button of the ventilator is broken.

2011-06-21T21:45:00.000-07:00

If the button of your ventilator broke and you cannot stop it from moving than is this the best solution:

Israel's cottage cheese revolution!

2011-06-16T03:47:00.000-07:00

The "cottage cheese" revolution in Israel erupted in full force.

The uprising began as an initiative on Facebook as the "cottage cheese boycott" against the rising prices of basic products, in this case the cottage cheese. The effect is already palpable.
Thousands have signed an online petition and will not buy the cottage - the number of participants in the boycott is growing dramatically at present there are already 70,000 -.
This Facebook group promises after the "cottage cheese rebellion" also to protest against the high prices of other consumer goods that have become scandalously expensive.
Manufacturers have so far indicated that these popular protests are "arrogant" and that the manufacturers do not suffer from the boycott because cottage cheese is a primary need and we will continue to buy it anyway because they have no choice.
I see now that the cottage cheese in many supermarkets already are on offer at much cheaper prices. Surely the price will drop!
In Israel, food costs went up with more than 5% compared to one year ago.
While the salaries are not increased.

Protest: an ideal means of lowering prices, maybe the best tool to fight poverty after creating work for everyone.
www.yadezrah.org.il

Eclipse - June 15th 2011

2011-06-14T21:24:00.000-07:00

The next total lunar eclipse on June 15, 2011. The eclipse is particularly visible in Israel. This is one of the most spectacular lunar eclipses in recent years.

This eclipse will coincide with the Jewish month of Sivan after the Torah was 3323 years ago the Jewish people. This lunar eclipse was best visible above the Middle East.

The eclipse falls exactly seven days after Shawoe'ot (Pentecost).
Like Sukkot (Tabernacles) and Passover lunar eclipse appears as if it is a symbol of the 'decision' of the party Shawoe'ot.
The secrets of creation are revealed in the choreographed dance between the heavenly bodies and the earth, the two partial solar eclipses, first at the North Pole and South Pole on the second divided by a total lunar eclipse in the Middle East has a perfect symmetry.
It is in this symmetry of creation, the secrets are revealed.

Besides the natural beauty of the moon is there a link between the moon and the Jewish people. The Jewish people identify themselves with the Mon The constant change is reminiscent of our fate and the growth of the moon symbolizes our hope.
As the moon appears again every month as it renews itself every time Jewish people in their spiritual development and connection with God. Talmud (Sanhedrin 42b).

Often there are big events that happen after lunar eclipses. Let it be with the rachamim of Hashem that this eclipse will be the the announcement of good times for the Jewish people.

Jewish right on their land

2011-06-06T10:20:00.001-07:00

Radio Program Lag Ba'omer

2011-05-18T12:46:00.001-07:00

Israel National Radio - Lag BaOmer Special!

U.S.A. ignores deaththreat...Why?

2011-05-16T23:51:00.000-07:00

The U.S.A. wants to force Israel to retreat to the borders of 1967 in order to proclaim a Palestinian State.

How can any nation of the world take such a responsibility when the Palestinians are openly declaring the destruction of the Jewish State. This is only possible if the safety of the Jews has absolutely no importance for the nations of the world.

After Auswitz nothing has changed!! Alas....

Take a look at this video clip:

Temple Mount

2011-05-09T01:30:00.000-07:00

The Temple Mount the holiest site for Jews

Death of Bin Laden in the Bible Codes

2011-05-04T21:18:00.000-07:00

Rabbi Glazerson

Hear it from a goy!

2011-04-02T23:05:00.001-07:00

Having a bad day?

2011-03-31T15:58:00.000-07:00

Israel and its problem

2011-03-29T08:22:00.001-07:00

Facebook is spreading hate

2011-03-28T22:47:00.000-07:00

Hating Israel on Facebook
Arabs try to launch a third Intifada. Stop the hate on Facebook.
by Aish.com staff

Update: March 27, 2011 – While people around the Middle East are using Facebook to organize peace movements, Palestinian Arabs have launched a violent movement called "Third Intifada" – using Facebook to organize another terror war against Israel. The previous Intifada resulted in the deaths of over 5,000 people.

The "Third Intifada" Facebook page already has hundreds of thousands of followers.

Stop the terror! Sign the petition , calling on Facebook to remove this call to violence!

The Indians

2011-03-22T00:52:00.000-07:00

Watch this video which I saw by Lazer Beams. The ideas of this old Indian is very similar to the Jewish ideas.

If Only.....

2011-03-17T22:37:00.000-07:00

- If Adam and Chava were Chassidish we would still be in paradise... Chava would never be allowed to talk to Adam!

- If Adam and Chava were Chinese we would still be in Paradise ... Instead of
the apple they would've eaten the snake!

- If Adam and Chava were Mexican we would still be in paradise.... They
wouldn't have been able to reach the tree!

- If Adam and Chava were Rednecks we'd still be in paradise... They wouldn't
have had enough teeth to eat the apple!

- If Adam and Chava were Muslim we'd still be in Paradise ... Adam would
never listened to his wife & would never have eaten the apple!

- If Adam and Chava were African we would still be in Paradise ... Instead of
the apple Adam would've eaten Chava!

- If Adam and Chava would've been Jewish we would still be in Paradise ...
They would have sold the freakin apple!

- If Adam & Chava were Briskers we'd still be in paradise... They'd still be
Klering which Brocha to make!

- If Adam & Chava would've been Amshinov we would still be in Paradise ...
They would still not have eaten it yet!

- If Chava had been a seminary girl we'd still be in paradise..... Chava
would've shrieked and ran away when she saw the snake!
- If Adam & Chava would've been American we'd still be in Paradise ... They
would never have eaten anything healthy!

- If Adam and Chava had been doctors we'd still be in Paradise .... The apple
would've kept them away.

- If Adam & Chava would have worked for Bill Gates we'd still be in
paradise... They would have been told to stay away from Apple at all costs!

- If Adam & Chava would have been Polish we'd still be in paradise... They
would have no clue what to do with an apple!

IF IF IF IF IF IF.................... IF ONLY THE WORD 'IF' HAD NOT BEEN
INVENTED...

Happy Purim! Smile!!

2011-03-06T03:41:00.000-08:00

A letter to the Pope

2011-03-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

Dear His Holiness the Pope,

Through this letter I like to thank you for stating in your book that the Jewish people are acquitted of the crucifixion of Jesus. Yes, now I am relieved. Catholicism is today no more anti-Semitic. The Jewish people have a new friend. How wonderful, who would believe this? Although I wonder what the Catholics will still hold together, what will unite the people?

Maybe His Holiness wrote this because we have a common enemy so it is better to form a coalition with those who killed the son of God? Those who so stubbornly refused to admit to the truth. So obstinate that they were even prepared to give their lives for this? No, anti-Semitism is part of the Catholics and as such I rather keep it. Until now I knew where to place them, but now I am a bit confused.
To refresh my memory:

- Crusades
- Blood libels
- Inquisition
- Pogroms
- Cooperation (certainly no opposition) to Hitler

Oh these are just a few little things. In fact, now I just forgive and forget because now everything changed. I feel appreciation and gratitude to His Holiness.

The Jewish scholars have, long ago, given us very good advice: "respect them but watch out for their intentions".

Nevertheless let me look at the future, what will be the attitude of the Catholic Church from now on towards the Jewish people and the Jewish state?
Will the Catholic Church continue to condemn Israel for their "crimes"?

Who needs enemies with such good friends?
Sincerely,

Lea Farkash
And on behalf of my ancestors who were murdered during autodafe's.

Global Changes

2011-02-23T04:11:00.000-08:00

Earth Could Be Unrecognizable By 2050 - A harrowing story from discovery.com is focused on population growth and dwindling resources. The bottom line: western economies and "progress" are predicated on growth. But growth relies on natural resources, which are finite. It's getting more expensive to find and extract oil and natural gas - look at how commodity prices have spiked in just the last year, the result of natural disasters coupled with rising demand for food staples worldwide. Researchers warned at a major US science conference Sunday - "A growing, more affluent population competing for ever scarcer resources could make for an "unrecognizable" world by 2050."
The United Nations has predicted the global population will reach seven billion this year, and climb to nine billion by 2050, "with almost all of the growth occurring in poor countries, particularly Africa and South Asia." To feed all those mouths, "WE WILL NEED TO PRODUCE AS MUCH FOOD IN THE NEXT 40 YEARS AS WE HAVE IN THE LAST 8,000. By 2050 we will not have a planet left that is recognizable" if current trends continue. But incomes are also expected to rise over the next 40 years - tripling globally and quintupling in developing nations - and add more strain to global food supplies. People tend to move up the food chain as their incomes rise, consuming more meat than they might have when they made less money. It takes around seven pounds (3.4 kilograms) of grain to produce a pound of meat, and around three to four pounds of grain to produce a pound of cheese or eggs. "More people, more money, more consumption, but the same planet." Scientists and governments were urged to start making changes now to how food is produced. Population experts, meanwhile, called for more funding for family planning programs to help control the growth in the number of humans, especially in developing nations. "For 20 years, there's been very little investment in family planning, but there's a return of interest now, partly because of the environmental factors like global warming and food prices. We want to minimize population growth, and the only viable way to do that is through more effective family planning." Global disaster watch

Yes scary and yes we are living in the 'end of days'. As Judaism teaches us that all the souls have to come down to the world in order to see what Hashem will do as is written in the Aleinו l'shabeiach prayer: כל בני בשר יקראו בשמך, ....יכירו וידעו כליושבי תבל כי לך תכרע כל ברך תשבע כל לשון....ויקבלו כלם את טול מלכותך
'then all humanity will call upon You....All the world's inhabitants will recognize and know ...and they will all accept upon themselves the yoke of Your kingship.
Do not despair.

History focused on Jewish life

2011-02-17T01:48:00.000-08:00

Human Planet

2011-02-06T04:45:00.000-08:00

Dangerous weather and Redemption

2011-02-01T04:36:00.000-08:00

Severe weather conditions reported to for the U.S.A. north west.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

CHICAGO - A monster winter storm had the central U.S. gearing up its defenses on Monday against a potentially deadly mix of sleet, snow and ice that could affect 100 million people by the time it blows through the Northeast and mid-Atlantic. While record snowfalls have pounded the Northeast in what's shaping up to be one of that region's most brutal winters, the Midwest has been comparatively unscathed. Not this time: Up to two feet of snow was forecast for some cities, and the storm was expected to carve a frigid path from Colorado to New England by week's end. Thunderstorms and tornadoes were possible farther south.

Australia: SYDNEY — A strong tropical cyclone roaring toward Australia's flood-ravaged northeast will likely cause powerful and deadly flash-flooding, officials warned Tuesday, as residents braced for what's predicted to be one of the fiercest storms the region has ever seen.

Japan: A volcano in southern Japan erupted again today, its most powerful explosion since it roared back to life last week, sending ash over a wide area and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of residents. Experts are concerned that the worst activity is yet to come. Lava is building up in the crater as a result of pressure from below, although it is not clear whether the eruptions will produce enough lava to spill over the rim and down the mountainside.
Quote rabbi Nir Ben Artzi: "Volcanoes, earthquakes, severe storm winds will hurt every country outside of the Holy Eretz Yisrael. The Creator of the World is raising a standard – every week it’s higher and this won’t cease until the world’s repair is finished."

Time is there - All Jews to Israel

2011-01-27T09:11:00.000-08:00

Highly recommended by rabbi Nir is that he is of the opinion that all Jews should come and live in Israel. Have a look at the interview.

Watch Part of Live Broadcast with Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi

Maimonides in Mishnah Torah: "If a king will arise from the House of David who occupies himself with the study of theTorah and the performance of the MItzvos like David his ancestor, in accordance with the Written Law and the Oral Law; and if he will compel all of Israel to follow (the Torah) and strengthen its observance; and if he will fight the wars of G'd; than he is assumed to be the Messiah. If he does these things and is successful, and he builds the Temple on its place, and gathers in the exiles of Israel, then he is definately the Messiah."

Soap of Jewish Victims from Holocaust

2011-01-25T21:33:00.000-08:00

RIF Soap Handed To Misaskim For Burial – Rabbonim To Pasken What Should Be Done With It
(Tuesday, January 25th, 2011)

At Misaskim, unexpected and sad realities of life are unfortunately a daily occurrence. But last week, Misaskim was presented with an even more perplexing question than usual: what to do with a bar of soap that many Holocaust survivors believe contains human remains? This rare bar of soap, engraved with the letters RIF, was recently discovered by the Mermelstein family while cleaning up the apartment of their aging uncle, Yosef Weinberger.

Weinberger was a young adolescent who survived during the Holocaust by hiding in bunkers. Of a family of 13, only Yosef and 3 other siblings survived. However, it wasn’t only the chilling memories of his youth that shadowed Yosef each day. Tucked away in a faded green suitcase, he kept various items that were a testament to the inferno he survived. Among these objects was a tattered She’eris Hapleitah Siddur, books from the war era, legal immigration documents, and various wartime letters. Mr. Meremelstein, Yosef’s nephew, was startled when he also discovered a little package carefully wrapped in brown paper that contained a small, brownish, numbered bar of RIF soap.
Many Holocaust survivors believe that the RIF soap was made from the fat of Jewish victims during the Holocaust R’L. They have been told that RIF is the acronym for Reines Juden Fett. In fact, Nuremburg Trial judges, after accepting the testimony of a Polish national, Sigmund Mazur, ruled that the soap does indeed contain human remains,. Mazur told the judges that during the war he had worked as a laboratory assistant for Rudolf Spanner, a German professor, at the Gdansk Anatomical Institute. Mazur related that he had been involved in the production of soap from human fat.

In 2006, Poland’s IPN announced that it had completed an inquiry that confirmed that the soap had been rendered from human fat. Professor Andrzej Stolyhwo, who conducted the study for the IPN, obtained a sample of the soap that was presented at the Nuremberg trials and tested its contents. Stolyhwo declared that his study proves that the soap was made between 1945 and 1946 under the direction of Professor Spanner.

However, today it is universally accepted by historians and Holocaust experts that only a small amount of soap was produced by Spanner and that the soap was never mass produced. They explain that RIF stands for Reichsstelle Fur Industrielle Fettversorgung (Reich Center for Industrial Fat Provisioning). Yad V’shem, The Simon Wiesenthal Center, and other prestigious Holocaust museums all agree that since no hard evidence was ever uncovered that the soap was produced from human victims, it was most likely a cruel rumor that the Nazis spread in order to psychologically torture Jewish inmates.

Victims in the concentration camps were taunted by the SS and told that they would soon be turned into soap. Survivors, who had witnessed unspeakable horrors, firmly believed this to be true. Immediately after the war, public levayas were held in Austria, France, Germany, Romania, and Israel during which bars of RIF soap were buried. Metzeivos were erected at the burial sites memorializing those who were murdered by the Nazis and who had never received a proper burial.

Misaskim is currently consulting with its rabbinical authority to determine the appropriate way of treating the RIF soap, and whether it needs to be buried. It is Misaski’s sincerest hope — whatever the outcome — that this incident should serve to be m’kadeish shem Shamayim all those who perished in the Holocaust and who were never brought to kvuras Yisroel.

From The Yeshiva World

Behind the scenes look at conception

2011-01-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

On the night that a couple have intimate relations, God calls the Angel of Pregnancy and informs him that Mr. A is about to fertilize the egg of Mrs. A. He tells him to go and gather the sperm in a cup and to disperse it on a threshing floor into 365 parts. The angel does this and brings it back to God whereupon the angel asks, “What will become of this drop of sperm?” Immediately God decrees whether it will be strong or weak, long or short, male or female, ignorant or wise, rich or poor, but concerning righteous or wicked God does not decree as it is up to each person to choose.

Next, God hints to the Angel of the Spirits to bring him a certain holy soul who resides along with many other holy souls in the Sanctuary of Souls in the afterworld. The soul appears before God and bows down before Him. God tells him to enter the drop of sperm whereupon the soul immediately responds by saying: “My God, I am satisfied in the world that I have been in since the day I was created, so please do not make me enter this impure droplet since I am totally pure and holy.” God responds by saying: “The world which you are about to enter is a better place than the one you are coming from.
Furthermore, when I created you, I had in mind for you to enter this particular droplet of sperm.” Immediately God escorts the soul into the droplet, whereupon the Angel of Pregnancy comes and implants it in the mother’s womb, commissions two other angels to guard it, and they place a candle on the droplet’s head. The droplet then sees things from the beginning of time until the end of the world. In the morning, the angel escorts him to the Garden of Eden and shows him all of the righteous people sitting in their full glory, and says to the droplet: “Do you know what sort of soul was in those righteous people?” The spirit says “No.” The angel then points to one of them and says: “That particular one had a soul very similar to yours, and if you lead your life on earth as they did, after moving into the afterlife, you shall join these righteous ones in the glory in which you now see them. However, if you choose not to follow their way, you will end up in a place that I will show you later.”

That night the angel takes the soul to visit Gehinom (Hell) and shows him wicked people who are constantly being beaten by the Angels of Destruction and proceeds to tell him: “This fire will be your fate if you do not follow in the Almighty’s ways. The next day the angel takes the soul on a tour of every step he will take during his lifetime on earth, where he will live, where he will be buried, and again shows him the good world and the bad one.

That night he returns the spirit to the mother’s womb, whereupon he remains for the next nine months. At the end of this period, the same angel appears and says, “Your time has arrived to come out.” The soul still does not want to come out but the angel reminds him that against your will you shall come into this better world. As he is being born, the soul begins to cry because of the world he is leaving behind. The angel strokes him under the nose and extinguishes the candle above its head, whereupon the soul promptly forgets all that he was shown.

(Source: Yellinek, A. [1967]. Sefer Bet Midrash Cheder Rishon. Third Edition, Jerusalem) Dr. Bernie Kastner's blog text to click on

..

Goodness & Kindness in Torah and Kabalah

2011-01-19T10:46:00.000-08:00

2011-01-19T10:21:00.000-08:00

Do You Remember 1987.......

2010-12-26T01:50:00.000-08:00

I had forgotten all of this. Do you remember when the senators were giving Ollie North such a bad time? This brings it all into perspective doesn't it? Have a great day.

Do you remember 1987.......

Thought you might be interested in this forgotten bit of information.........

It was 1987! At a lecture the other day they were
playing an old news video of
Lt.Col. Oliver North testifying at the Iran-Contra
hearings during the Reagan
Administration.

There was Ollie in front of God and country getting the
third degree, but what he said was stunning!

He was being drilled by a
senator, 'Did you not recently spend close to
$60,000 for a home security system?'

Ollie replied, 'Yes, I did, Sir.'

The senator
continued, trying to get a laugh out of the
audience, 'Isn't that just a little excessive?'
'No, sir,' continued Ollie.
'No? And why not?' the
senator asked.

'Because the lives of my family and I were
threatened, sir.'

'Threatened? By whom?' the senator questioned..

'By a Muslim terrorist, sir' Ollie answered.

'Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that much?'

'His name is Osama bin Laden, sir' Ollie replied.

At this point the senator tried to repeat the name,
but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then
probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt.
Then the senator continued.. Why are you so
afraid of this man?' the senator asked.

'Because, sir, he is the most
evil person alive that I know of', Ollie answered, and the Muslims are trying to take over America and destroy it from the inside out and putting their people into our political offices.

'And what do you recommend we do about him?' asked the senator..

'Well, sir, if it was up to me, I would recommend that an
assassin team be formed to
eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth.'

The senator disagreed with this approach, and that was all that
was shown of the clip.

By the way, that senator was Al Gore!

Also:

Terrorist pilot Mohammad Atta blew up a bus in
Israel in 1986. The Israelis captured, tried and
imprisoned him. As part of the
Oslo agreement with the Palestinians in 1993,
Israel had to agree to release
so-called 'political prisoners.'

However, the Israelis would not release
any with blood on their hands. The American
President at the time, Bill Clinton,
and his Secretary of State, Warren Christopher,
'insisted' that all prisoners be
released.

Thus Mohammad Atta was freed and eventually thanked

us by flying an airplane into Tower One of the World Trade Center .

This was reported by many of the American TV networks at the time
that the terrorists were first identified.

It was censored in the US from all later reports.

If you agree that the American public should be made
aware of this fact, pass this on.

Do Not Break - it is 8 years strong.

This has not been broken since 9/11/01,
please keep it going...

This has been kept alive and moving since 9/11. In memory of
all those who perished this morning; the
passengers and the pilots on the
United Air and AA flights, the workers in the World
Trade Center and the
Pentagon, and all the innocent bystanders..
Our prayers go out to the friends and
families of the deceased.

The Haifa Fire

2010-12-06T01:51:00.000-08:00

The text says Midrash Raba:

Midrash (Shir Hashirim 2:5, elaborating on the passage, K'shoshana bane ha chuchim): Right before Moshiach comes, Hashem will burn the outskirts of Haifa. See it for yourselves...

We do not cry like the secular media who says, "if we can't put out a forest fire, how can we defend ourselves?"

We never did defend ourselves - it was Hashem that pulled us out of every fire; this is personal experience talking...

We teach in the principles of emuna that everything Hashem does is for the very best. Everyone asks, how can 42 losses of life and thousands of acres of charred forests be for the best?

Goodness

2010-11-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

The Salant Center

THE AGADAH OF THE TALMUD

Rabbi Akiva taught that the verse, "Love your friend, like you love yourself," is the primary axiomatic principle of the Torah. That is, love of others is the root of the Torah, from which all of its branches extend. Love of our fellow man is the core that powers every Mitzvah and its fulfillment.

The Alter of Kelm, Rabbi Simcha Zissel, offers a beautiful explanation of this verse. The verse tells us to "Love your friend, like you love yourself." Therefore, in order to love others, you must love them in the same way that "you love yourself."

A person naturally loves himself. He doesn't need the Torah to command him to love himself. Just as we naturally love ourselves, the Torah instructs us to love others "naturally." That is, he should not love them only because the Torah commands us to love them. No one wants to be "loved" by order of the Torah, because forced love is not sincere love.

Therefore, loving others is the one Mitzvah that should not be performed as "a Mitzvah." Meaning we shouldn't say, I love him because the Torah commands me to love him." Rather, just as we automatically love ourselves, we should see the good in our friends and love them automatically - and naturally.

TODAY: Fulfill the axiomatic principle of the Torah by loving others - naturally.

My Confession

2010-11-02T12:13:00.000-07:00

INTERESTING THEORY - I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late

Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein

I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late

The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary.

My confession:

I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees.

It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away.

I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period.. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat.

Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to.

In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking.

Billy Graham 's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina ).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?'

In light of recent events... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.

Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem ( Dr. Spock 's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay.

Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.

Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.'

Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.

Are you laughing yet?

Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it.

Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.

Pass it on if you think it has merit.

Diamonds a story

2010-10-26T04:18:00.000-07:00

I would like to share with you a story. A person who lives in London England who deals in diamonds, related this story to me. He travels many miles a year on an airplane for business.

The last two travels he took he was stopped at customs and millions of dollars worth of diamonds were taken away. From that point on for the next several weeks he wandered in the streets broken and sad.

A person in the community noticed him everyday wandering sadly and looking broken. The gentleman approached him and asked why do you look sad? He replied with the story that happened to him.
This person decided to buy a ticket immediately and travel with him to Israel to see rav Asher.

The young man entered rav Ashers' room. Before the young man could start speaking rav asher explained to him why he had come and what had happened to his diamonds. The young man feeling astonished for the rabbi had read his mind, started to feel hope and feel more relaxed.

Rav Asher asked that they should bring food for this young man and he should start eating. After he finished eating Rav Asher told him to say the whole book of psalms everyday for one week.The man returned to London.

Seemingly, the person never recited Psalms before realized that it would take him 24 hours to finish the whole book. So the first day he recited chapter 1 and 2 and then the last chapter 150. He asked g-d to fill in and complete the rest of the chapters in between. The second day till the seventh day he only said chapter 1 and chapter 150 and again he asked G-d to fill in the chapters in between.

On the seventh day when this person finished saying psalms he went to sleep. He awoke in the morning to the ringing of the phone. He answered it and on the other end of the line it was the customs department.

They said that they have made a mistake and ask him to please pick up all his merchandise. They young man travel led again to meet with rav asher and thank him for the miracle he had performed. Rav Asher replied that G-d is the miracle man and it was the power of reciting psalms.

If each and everyone of us will undertake to say the book of psalms each and everyday whether in a group or alone we can't even comprehend the powerful positive effect it will have for the jewish nation around the globe. And furthermore the happiness it will bring to the almighty G-d master of the universe.

There isn't any nature. The nature that we think and see is really spirituality above nature. There isn't anything that a person can't have and will not receive from the almighty G-d master of the universe.

But we must pray and believe through truth that there isn't anyone else who can and will give us anything and everything. Through this we will realize and accept that the almighty G-d master of the universe controls and runs the world with our best interest in mind.

We are all go through difficulties in life whether with our up bringing, friends, peers and parents. We all have complaints to our parents for what they did and didn't do in life, for not being understanding of us, not emotionally connected and not letting us be our self.

There isn't anything wrong in admitting our pain. It is just the opposite that it is healthy to do so.If we will not deal with our pain then we will eventually let it out at someone else.

If one will tuck it under the rug then it will only give the person more ammunition to live in their self-pity.

But if one realizes and deals with their pain, then G-d gives them the ability to move on and not be stuck in the rut. Then and only then will one be able to receive the faith, trust and unconditional love that the almighty G-d master of the universe gives each and every one of us.
In doing so we will then be able to surrender to go and enjoy the land that the almighty G-d master of the universe will show us.

In life we all have to uproot from something BUT we must not forget to take the story of the past with us. But we must always remember not to get stuck and live in the past.
If one takes the past with them then G-d can show us all the truth. If we heaven forbid get stuck in our self-piety then we can never witness the truth but end up living in denial.

By Mordechai Gutman

Difficult life

2010-10-26T04:05:00.000-07:00

A person passed away and went up to G-d. He asked: "G-d why was life so difficult for me in every way?"
G-d took him to a closet and opened the door. Inside was health, happiness and treasures waiting. G-d replied:"This was all destined for you. But I was waiting for you to ask".

Two people were discussing ideas what each one would do in a given situation, finally one replies to do such and such. The fellow being so impressed with the answer he asked his friend: "Where did you get that idea from?"
He replied: "G-d".

He said: "G-d has ideas that I wouldn't even think about."
The moral is very simple in every given situation G-d has the right answers and salvations for us and G-d will never forsake us. But we never know from where the salvation will appear. We must realize in every given situation one goes through G-d is going through it with them. So we must surrender to the Almighty master of the universe to seek his assistance and advise for G-d advise prevails all.

We together with our Jewish brothers must feel the pain of what is happening in our homeland and with our families. The soldiers are a purpose and reason from G-d to show us all, that G-d exists and we need not be afraid to stand up for the sake of
G-d. G-d is with us in our battle. All Jewish people are responsible for one another.

Yamim Noraim - take advantage!

2010-09-05T01:21:00.000-07:00

All of us know probably that these [ especially these coming ten days-yemee-ha-tsuva] are very special for praying and other good deeds and the pasuk from Yeshayahu is brought in this connection :

"Seek Hashem when he can be found, call Him when he is near".

What struck me especially [ and I am quoting her from the book of rabbi Elozor Barclay and rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger : Guidelines - three hundred of the most commonly asked questions about the yomim noraim] is that the Rambam writes that "an individuals prayer during this period has the same power as that said in a congregation and is accepted immediately".

If one thinks really seriously about this extreme strong statement from the Rambam, then nobody will leave these hours we still have left before Yom ha-Kippurim [and rosh Ha-shana] “unused” by not praying to the Creator for whatever we long for [for the good of his family / friends / Am Israel we l'olam kulo].
May I wish you all a healthy, blessed , peaceful year.

Holocaust Survivor's View on Fanatic Islam

2010-09-01T03:18:00.000-07:00

This is one of the best explanation of the Muslim terrorist situation I have read. His references to past history are accurate and clear. Not long, easy to understand, and well worth the read. The author of this email is Dr. Emanuel Tanay, a well-known and well respected psychiatrist.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Holocaust Survivor's View on Islam -
A man whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II owned a number of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism. 'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'

We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.

The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.

The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.

Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant. China's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.

The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians, most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.

And who can forget Rwanda, which collapsed into butchery? Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?

History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points:

1 - Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.

2 - Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany, they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them and that the end of their world will have begun.

3 - Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late. As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts -- the fanatics who threaten our way of life.

4 - Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on! Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.

Emanuel Tanay, M.D. 2980 Provincial St. Ann Arbor , MI 48104
Dr. Emanuel Tanay MD ;is a well-known forensic psychiatrist who has been an expert witness in many famous cases.

A Holocaust survivor himself, Dr. Tanay coauthored a book about the survivors of the Holocaust and was asked by the German governmen t to consult on just compensation for the Holocaust survivors. Dr. Tanay has served on several journal editorial boards, authored many publications, and presented countless times on forensic medicine. His efforts have also produced many awards and commendations from groups such as theMichigan State Medical Society, APA, the Detroit Institute of Technology, and AAFC, among others.

I hope this letter gets read by millions of people all across the USA,Canada and the rest of the civilized world.

Rosh Hashanah

2010-09-01T02:21:00.000-07:00

A Hero of Israel

2010-09-01T02:14:00.000-07:00

SHORT AND SWEET:

2010-09-01T01:55:00.000-07:00

WARREN BUFFET ON THE MIDDLE EAST

"If you go to the Middle East looking for oil, you don't need to stop in Israel.

But if you go looking for brains, energy and integrity, it is the only stop."

Warren Buffet
2010

Woman's honor

2010-08-25T11:37:00.000-07:00

"To a woman, says the Rambam, her life has as much value as she feels she's worth to her husband. When her husband honors her, he shows that she is valuable to him. A wife is not a chavrusa, G-d forbid. It can cause a lot of trouble if you think in those terms - that sometimes you're right and sometimes she's right.

No! Whatever a wife does is good and nice, and if you scold her and take that feeling of importance away from her, you've robbed her of her life."

The Golden Rule in Marriage by Rabbi Mendel Kaplan z''tl
excerpt from Reb Mendel and His Wisdom - artscroll (page 173)

Golden Rule in Childraising

2010-08-25T11:32:00.000-07:00

The Golden Rule in Childraising by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein z''tl
excerpt from Darash Moshe Vol.2 - artscroll (page 123)

"Hashem said to Moshe, I have seen this people, and behold! It is a stiff-necked people" Shmos Ki Sisa
It is apparent from the text that Hashem considers being stiff necked
a negative attribute. This is difficult to understand, for historically, this characteristic has served us well. Because we are stiff-necked people, we are slow to be seduced by the ways of the gentile nations. It is therefore just this attribute that has prevented us from assimilating with the gentiles over the many years of galus. What is it about being stiff necked that Hashem finds undesirable?

The answer is that Hashem does not wish our mitzvos to be done out of stubborness. When we do a mitzvah, Hashem wants it to be done out of joy, with all our heart and soul. Only in this way will we be successful in training our children to follow in our footsteps. If children see that a mitzvah is a burdensome chore only to be fullfilled after much perseverance and effort, they will wish to have no part of it.

If however, on the other hand, they are taught that a mitzvah is a thing of great beauty and worth, to be done with joy and happiness, they too will look forward to involving themselves in the Torah and its commandments. It is for this reason that Hashem despises this attribute. For although it may occasionally result in some short term good, the long term threat to the perpetuation of Torah is too great to be ignored.

Torah codes - Iran - nuclear power

2010-08-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

Atomic power Iran in the Torah codes

2010-08-22T22:17:00.000-07:00

Interesting observations

2010-08-19T03:07:00.000-07:00

Last week, I stated this woman was the ugliest woman I had ever seen. I have since been visited by her sister, and now wish to withdraw that statement..
- Mark Twain
<><>

The secret of a good sermon is to have a good beginning and a good ending; and to have the two as close together as possible
- George Burns
<><>

Santa Claus has the right idea. Visit people only once a year.
- Victor Borge
<><>

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint.
- Mark Twain
<><>

By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.
- Socrates
<><>

I was married by a judge. I should have asked for a jury.
- Groucho Marx
<><>

My wife has a slight impediment in her speech. Every now and then she stops to breathe.
- Jimmy Durante
<><>

I have never hated a man enough to give his diamonds back.
- Zsa Zsa Gabor
<><>

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass

all four essential food groups: alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
- Alex Levine
<><>

My luck is so bad that if I bought a cemetery, people would stop dying.
- Rodney Dangerfield
<><>

Money can't buy you happiness ... But it does bring you a more pleasant form of misery.
- Spike Milligan
<><>

Until I was thirteen, I thought my name was SHUT UP .
- Joe Namath
<><>

I don't feel old. I don't feel anything until noon. Then it's time for my nap.
- Bob Hope
<><>

I never drink water because of the disgusting things that fish do in it..
- W. C. Fields
<><>

We could certainly slow the aging process down if it had to work its way through Congress.
- Will Rogers
<><>

Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
<><>

Maybe it's true that life begins at fifty ... But everything else starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out..
- Phyllis Diller
<><>

By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere.
- Billy Crystal

And the cardiologist's diet: If it tastes good spit it out.

Quotes

2010-08-09T02:38:00.001-07:00

Perceptions of Jews by Renowned Gentiles

#1
"Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world."

-- Winston Churchill

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#2

"The Jew is that sacred being who has brought down from heaven the
everlasting fire, and has illumined with it the entire world. He is the
religious source, spring, and fountain out of which all the rest of the
peoples have drawn their beliefs and their religions."

-- Leo Tolstoy

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#3

"It was in vain that we locked them up for several hundred years behind the walls of the Ghetto. No sooner were their prison gates unbarred than they easily caught up with us, even on those paths which we opened up without their aid."

-- A. A. Leroy Beaulieu, French publicist, 1842

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#4

"The Jew gave us the Outside and the Inside - our outlook and our inner life. We can hardly get up in the morning or cross the street without being Jewish. We dream Jewish dreams and hope Jewish hopes. Most of our best words, in fact - new, adventure, surprise, unique, individual, person, vocation, time, history, future, freedom, progress, spirit, faith, hope, justice - are the gifts of the Jews."

-- Thomas Cahill, Irish Author

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#5

"One of the gifts of the Jewish culture to Chris trinity is that it has
taught Christians to think like Jews, and any modern man who has not
learned to think as though he were a Jew can hardly be said to have
learned to think at all."

-- William Rees-Mogg, former Editor-in-Chief for The Times of London and a member of the House of Lords

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#6

"It is certain that in certain parts of the world we can see a peculiar
people, separated from the other peoples of the world and this is called the Jewish people....

This people is not only of remarkable antiquity but has also lasted for
a singular long time... For whereas the people of Greece and Italy , of
Sparta, Athens and Rome and others who came so much later have perished so long ago, these still exist, despite the efforts of so many powerful kings who have tried a hundred times to wipe them out, as their historians testify, and as can easily be judged by the natural order of things over such a long spell of years. They have always been preserved, however, and their preservation was foretold... My encounter with this people amazes me..."

-- Blaise Pascal, French Mathematician

--#7-----------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Jewish vision became the prototype for many similar grand designs for humanity, both divine and man made The Jews, therefore, stand at the center of the perennial attempt to give human life the dignity of a purpose."

--Paul Johnson, American Historian

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#8

"As long as the world lasts, all who want to make progress in
righteousness will come to Israel for inspiration as to the people who
had the sense for righteousness most glowing and strongest."

--Matthew Arnold, British poet and critic

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#9

"Indeed it is difficult for all other nations of the world to live in the presence of the Jews. It is irritating and most uncomfortable. The Jews embarrass the world as they have done things which are beyond the imaginable. They have become moral strangers since the day their
forefather, Abraham, introduced the world to high ethical standards and to the fear of Heaven. They brought the world the Ten Commandments, which many nations prefer to defy. They violated the rules of history by staying alive, totally at odds with common sense and historical evidence. They outlived all their former enemies, including vast empires such as the Romans and the Greeks. They angered the world with their return to their homeland after 2000 years of exile and after the murder of six million of their brothers and sisters.

They aggravated mankind by building, in the wink of an eye, a
democratic State which others were not able to create in even hundreds of years. They built living monuments such as the duty to be holy and the privilege to serve one's fellow men.

They had their hands in every human progressive endeavor, whether in science, medicine, psychology or any other discipline, while totally
out of proportion to their actual numbers. They gave the world the
Bible and even their "savior."

Jews taught the world not to accept the world as it is, but to
transform it, yet only a few nations wanted to listen. Moreover, the
Jews introduced the world to one God, yet only a minority wanted to
draw the moral consequences. So the nations of the world realize that
they would have been lost without the Jews.. And while their
subconscious tries to remind them of how much of Western civilization
is framed in terms of concepts first articulated by the Jews, they do
anything to suppress it.

They deny that Jews remind them of a higher purpose of life and the
need to be honorable, and do anything to escape its consequences. It is simply too much to handle for them, too embarrassing to admit, and
above all, too difficult to live by.

So the nations of the world decided once again to go out of 'their' way
in order to find a stick to hit the Jews. The goal: to prove that Jews
are as immoral and guilty of massacre and genocide as some of they
themselves are.

All this in order to hide and justify their own failure to even protest
when six million Jews were brought to the slaughterhouses of Auschwitz and Dachau ; so as to wipe out the moral conscience of which the Jews remind them, and they found a stick.

Nothing could be more gratifying for them than to find the Jews in a
struggle with another people (who are completely terrorized by their
own leaders) against whom the Jews, against their best wishes, have to defend themselves in order to survive. With great satisfaction, the
world allows and initiates the rewriting of history so as to fuel the
rage of yet another people against the Jews. This in spite of the fact
that the nations understand very well that peace between the parties
could have come a long time ago, if only the Jews would have had a fair chance. Instead, they happily jumped on the wagon of hate so as to justify their jealousy of the Jews and their incompetence to deal with their own moral issues.

When Jews look at the bizarre play taking place in The Hague, they can only smile as this artificial game once more proves how the world
paradoxically admits the Jews uniqueness. It is in their need to
undermine the Jews that they actually raise them.

The study of history of Europe during the past centuries teaches us one uniform lesson: That the nations which received and in any way dealt fairly and mercifully with the Jew have prospered; and that the nations that have tortured and oppressed them have written out their own curse."

--Olive Schreiner, South African novelist and social activist

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-#10

"If there is any honor in all the world that I should like, it would be
to be an honorary Jewish citizen."

--A.L Rowse, authority on Shakespeare

Painless bris milah

2010-08-09T02:29:00.001-07:00

The article below from French researchers: “Potent Painkiller Found in Human Saliva More powerful than morphine” brings a new dimension to what I wrote about the metsitsa.
I find it fascinating to see how again and again Torah truths are discovered these days by science [of course the Torah does not need science as a "proof" ]
Potent Painkiller Found in Human Saliva More powerful than morphine it could lead to better pain medicines, researchers say
Printer-friendly version Printer-friendly version
HealthDay
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
HealthDay news imageTUESDAY, Nov. 14 (HealthDay News) — French researchers say they’ve discovered a natural painkiller in human saliva that’s several times more potent than morphine used in animal studies.
The researchers have named the pain inhibitor opiorphin, because it acts on the same pathways as morphine and other opiate painkillers. The finding could lead to improved pain medications because opiorphin is a naturally occurring molecule that is quickly metabolized, according to a report by researchers at the Pasteur Institute, in Paris.
Not much is known as yet about opiorphin, said study author Dr. Catherine Rougeot, director of the institute’s Laboratory of Pharmacology of Neuroendocrine Regulation.
“We found it in saliva, that was the first step,” she said. “Now, we are exploring its presence in other human biological tissues. Maybe it is localized in the blood, the brain. Now, I cannot answer.”
It’s not even known where in the body the substance is produced, Rougeot added. “We need more information to answer this question. Now, we need to characterize its function at physiological levels and learn by which tissues it is produced,” she added.
The study was published in this week’s issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The discovery was made after the researchers identified a powerful pain-inhibiting molecule in rats. Their search for a similar molecule in humans turned up opiorphin. In rat studies, injections of 1 milligram of opiorphin per kilogram of body weight equaled the painkilling power of 3 to 6 milligrams of morphine per kilogram. Opiorphin was equally effective against chemical-induced inflammation and acute physical pain.
In addition to studying opiorphin, Rougeot and her colleagues plan to make and study variations of the original molecule. “It is important to mimic such compounds,” she said.
A painkiller arising from the research could have important applications for human use, Rougeot said. “Opiorphin is natural, so it is quickly metabolized,” she said, so its effects on the body would be more limited than those of existing painkillers.
Rougeot already has contacted a pharmaceutical company about funding for more research on opiorphin. “To complete this program, I need very much money,” she explained.
Identification of opiorphin is “a potentially very significant finding,” said Dr. Max Kelz, an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care at the University of Pennsylvania. “This new compound could serve as a potentially useful therapy for fighting pain in a number of conditions.”
Kelz agreed that the discovery was just a beginning. “More has to be done to elucidate how this affects other endogenous painkillers,” he said. “But the results are certainly promising.”
Dr. Ed Ross, director of the pain management center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, said opiorphin could be an important addition to the only other natural painkillers found in the human body — endorphins.
“Endorphins have been around for quite a while, but they are weak and have a short half-life, so the problems in using them clinically are very significant,” Ross said. “Now, this is a compound that has much more strength than the endorphins. It also suggests a potential for other synthetic compounds that work on different receptors that we have known before, and, for a pain doctor, that is very significant.”
Another paper in the same issue of the journal described the discovery of toxins from two species of snails that hold promise for relief of severe nerve pain such as sciatica. The toxins lock onto nerve cell receptors to block nerve pain, said the report by researchers at the University of Utah.
One of the toxins, designated Vc1.1, is being developed by an Australian company and already is undergoing trials in human patients. It is administered by injection.
It may be possible to develop a version that could be taken orally, but that might require 10 years, said a statement by J. Michael McIntosh, a research professor of biology and a member of the team reporting the discovery.
“There really is no highly effective treatment available for this kind of severe pain, so having a new way to treat it is exciting,” he said.
This I sent you a while ago in english and in hebrew:
Leviticus: 12-3: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Did you know that the 8th day is the safest day for the child to be circumcised??
The ” rofe kol basar ” ["the Healer of all flesh"] knew this-so to speak- very well and may have probably engineered the system of every newborn this way.
Of course these kind of medical facts are just an example of the wonderful ways in which we may recognize our creator.
On this day the clotting factors in the blood are super-optimal.
Before that date and after that date they are or sub-optimal or just “normal”.
Do you know that metsitsa[ sucking by mouth] of the blood during/after the brit [circumcision ]is the best and safest method there is to regulate the bleeding after the circumcision[and not by a tube]?
This is of course not meant to criticize anybody /any mohel who does otherwise now a day.]
I am speaking pure medically and expressing the ideas of many rabbis of the past.
It has been shown that morning saliva [the first saliva in the morning, before eating or drinking makes the chance of transferring diseases nil
[even Aids!!]
How proper would it be for this medical reason alone to do the brit early in the morning!! and to use metsitsa.
For the same reason we advise people with severe acne to dap there face ,as first thing in the morning ,with the morning saliva ,directly after netilat yadayim] , the antibacterial effect is tremendous.

What is love?

2010-08-09T02:24:00.001-07:00

Yichidus
Mrs Chana Sharfstein
In her early twenties in 1954

One time when I went into Yechidus, the Rebbe started asking me about Shidduchim.
I was dating, and I just answered: Yes, I was meeting people.
Then the Rebbe started asking me about different boys.
I thought to myself that is strange, all the boys that the Rebbe asked me about, I had gone out with them.

I answered about each one, that although they were nice boys, I had my reasons for not marrying them.
The Rebbe then said to me: I know that you like to read.
I said: oh yes I do.
He said: and what kind of books do you prefer reading.
I said that I loved to read novels.
The Rebbe said, that: Novels are fiction, and fiction is make believe, it is not real.
So what you read in a novel, is not what happens in real life.
In a novel, people meet and there is this big blinding storm of passion. That is not what real love is all about.

Two people can meet, and there can be a thread of understanding. It is like a tiny little flame.
And as these people merge their lives together, and decide to build a home, and raise a family. Through the everyday activities of life, through caring and sharing, through commitment to each other, going through the daily tribulations of life; this little flame then grows ever brighter, into a much bigger flame.

Until these two people, who started out as strangers, have through life become intertwined to such an extent, that neither one of them can think of life, without the other.

This is what true love is all about. It is small acts, that you do on a daily basis, that make you become, instead of you and I, us.

Jerusalem

2010-08-09T02:01:00.000-07:00

Truth

2010-08-09T01:54:00.000-07:00

"During times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act." - George Orwell

Diet as a Jewish challenge

2010-08-09T01:36:00.000-07:00

Similarly, the basic chassidic work of Tanya emphasizes that life for the average guy is about continuously dealing with challenges, withstanding temptation and then withstanding its mutated form. Resist the extra cupcake, and tomorrow you'll find your favorite pie staring you in the face. That's life; that's living: overcoming challenge, and then dealing with the next one.

War? Soon?

2010-08-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, cannons were fired on the northern border of Israel after a long period of quiet. Israel again finds itself in a difficult security situation, which has claimed the life of a soldier. Kassams have returned and rockets are being fired.

Against the background of these events are recent statements from several rabbonim predicting that a war will break out real soon in Israel.

Rav Eliezer Berland, a leading rov of the Breslover community, told his Chassidim recently to daven because a war would break out on 22 Av.

A few days later, Rav Amnon Yitzchak said during a drasha in Modi’in Illit that within weeks, a bloody war will break out.

“Wars do not happen during winter,” said Rav Yitzchak. “The Iranian nuclear threat is ticking, and the military will not drag the war into the winter, so as not to drown in the Lebanese mud.”

Rav Yitzchak addressed the recent tragedies, including the loss of six lives in the Air Force crash during training in Romania.

“The army is doing preparations for an attack on Iran,” said Rav Yitzchak.

In recent days, Rav Mordechai Genut, author of the “Dovor Be’ito” luach, said that “Based on the stars, war will break out next month.”

{Yair Alpert-Matzav.com Israel}

“Decoy Jew”

2010-07-30T02:49:00.001-07:00

“Decoy Jew” is a new phrase in the Netherlands .

Jews are no longer safe in major

Dutch cities such as Amsterdam . Since 1999, Jewish organizations in the
Netherlands have been complaining that Jews who walk the Dutch streets wearing
skullcaps risk verbal and physical attacks by young Muslims. Being insulted,
spat at or attacked are some of the risks associated with being recognizable as
a Jew in contemporary Western Europe .

Last week, a television broadcast showed how three Jews with skullcaps, two
adolescents and an adult, were harassed within thirty minutes of being out in
the streets of Amsterdam . Young Muslims spat at them, mocked them, shouted
insults and made Nazi salutes. “Dirty Jew, go back to your own country,” a group
of Moroccan youths shouted at a young indigenous Dutch Jew. “It is rather
ironic,” the young man commented, adding that if one goes out in a burka one
encounters less hostility than if one wears a skullcap.

In an effort to arrest the culprits who terrorize Jews, the Amsterdam
authorities have ordered police officers to walk the streets disguised as Jews.
The Dutch police already disguise officers as “decoy prostitutes, decoy gays and
decoy grannies” to deter muggings and attacks on prostitutes, homosexuals and
the elderly. Apparently sending out the decoys has helped reduce street crime.
The “decoy Jew” has now been added to the police attributes.

The deployment of “decoy Jews”, however, is being criticized by leftist parties
such as the Dutch Greens. Evelien van Roemburg, an Amsterdam counselor of the
Green Left Party, says that using a decoy by the police amounts to provoking a
crime, which is itself a criminal offence under Dutch law.

Unfortunately, the situation in Amsterdam is not unique. Jews in other Dutch
cities also regularly complain about harassment. So do Jews in neighboring
countries.

On Monday, the Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported that large numbers of
Jews are leaving Antwerp for America , Britain or Israel . Antwerp – nicknamed the
“ Jerusalem of the North” – is one of the major centers of Jewish culture in the
Low Countries . “In London , you are not harassed if you wear a skullcap, but here
you are,” a young Antwerp Jew told the paper.

Kleinblatt, a famous Jewish Antwerp bakery, which has been handed down from
father to son since 1903, will soon break with that tradition because the
baker’s son has emigrated to the U.S. “We no longer feel safe and welcome here,”
a young Jew who is leaving for London told De Standaard. “Muslim immigrants
blame us for what is happening in Israel .” Another young Jew, who is leaving for
New York , says: “ New York is a paradise for Jews. Unlike Belgium , non-Jews in
America are pro-Israel.”

Ultra-orthodox Jews remain in Antwerp , but the less orthodox are leaving in
droves. Even Jacques Wenger, the director of Shomre Hadas, the Jewish community
center in Antwerp , is emigrating to Israel . If the current trend continues, he
predicts, in fifty years’ time there will be no Jews left in Antwerp except for
the ultra-orthodox.

It is often said that the Jews are the canary in the coalmine. When the Jews
feel compelled to leave, the light of freedom is being extinguished. Something
is badly wrong when the police need to deploy “decoy Jews..” Once again, the
specter of anti-Semitism is haunting Europe . If the Europeans do not stand with
the Jews, they deserve no freedom themselves and cities such as Amsterdam and
Antwerp will soon be Islamic cities.

http://www.brusselsjournal.com/node/4470

It's all about love

2010-07-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

TISHA B'AV\THE NINTH OF AV

The Talmud (Yoma 9b) states: "The First Temple was destroyed because of three sins that took place in that era - idol worship, adultery, and murder. Whereas during the period of the Second Temple the people were engaged in Torah study, the performance of Mitzvoth, and good deeds. If so, why was the Second Temple destroyed? It was destroyed because the people of that generation were afflicted with the trait of baseless hatred."

Rabbi Akiva taught that the axiomatic principle of the Torah is: "Love your fellow as you love yourself." There are two components of love: (1) Deed and (2) Thought.

"Deeds of Love" means to perform acts of kindness - unconditionally, abundantly, and unceasingly.

Whereas "Thoughts of Love" consists of two ideals: Firstly, the contemplation of the great worth of each member of our community, as well as the great value of the community at large. The very awareness of these precious thoughts, i.e., the love, importance, and worthiness of other people, is the basis of the world's existence.

The second ideal of "Thoughts of Love" concerns sensitivity to others, i.e., to feel the joy, pain, and needs of our fellow human beings.

For that reason, the "baseless hatred" of the people of the Second Temple period caused the Temple to be destroyed. The Temple was the link between the Nation of Israel and Heaven. The Torah urges us to love, value, and care for each other. When the love is replaced with baseless hatred, we no longer have the merit to have the Presence of HaShem dwell among us. Consequently, the Temple, i.e., the dwelling place of HaShem, can no longer exist on earth.

The Tikun (rectification) for the sin of baseless hatred is to relate to others with unconditional Love. Let us endeavor to view all of our family members and friends with a positive eye (including yourself.)

In this way, we will re-establish the awareness of "Love for our Fellow," which is the required condition for the Temple to be re-built.

May we merit seeing the return of the Divine Presence amongst the People of Israel.

[Based on Chachmah V'Mussar of Rav Simchah Zissel Ziv]

Today: Filter all negative thoughts of other people from entering your mind.

When you do think of others - only think of them in ways of how you can help them. (Rabbi Yisrael Salanter)

What is leadership?

2010-07-15T14:06:00.000-07:00

THE AGADAH OF THE TALMUD

Good leadership is a vital element in a nation's success. The spiritual goals of the Nation of Israel require different leadership qualities than other nations. Yet, it is not simple to abstract rules of leadership from the profound wisdom of the Torah. Therefore, we ask: what is the essence of a good Jewish leader?

When HaShem appointed Yehoshua as Moshe's successor, he referred to Yehoshua as "a man of spirit." In light of the fact that every person has a "spirit" or soul, what was unique about Yehoshua's spirit?

Yehoshua accepted and loved every member of the People of Israel. He was a "man of the spirit," meaning that, his spirit embraced every person in his great community. He was a living example of Abraham, who loved all of his fellow man.

Now, this is interesting. Jewish leadership is not about power, a smooth tongue, and ego. It is about GOODNESS. Simply put, the Jewish leader is good and does good to others. His model of goodness is the greatest and most important function of a Jewish leader. His goodness uplifts his people and inspires them to be good.

The verse states (Daniel 12:3), "And those who teach righteousness to the multitudes will shine like the stars forever and ever," Rashi writes, "The teachers of children turn many to righteousness, because they train them to go the way of the good."

May we ourselves fill our hearts with love and understanding for every person. As a result, we will be true leaders - and spread the light of goodness to the entire world.

[Based on the Ohr HaChaim and Ohr Yisrael]

TODAY: Open your heart to accept every person in love and spread goodness to mankind.

Rumor about Redemption and the Gra

2010-02-10T13:33:00.000-08:00

Regarding the Rumor about the Building of the Holy Temple on March 16th, 2010, and the Story that Lies Behind It

A STORY HAS BEEN CIRCULATING RECENTLY concerning the prophesied commencement of construction on the Holy Temple on March 16th, 2010. It would appear that the current interest began when a certain Israeli daily newspaper published a story claiming that the celebrated Rabbi of Vilna, Eliyahu ben Shlomo, known to this day as the Vilna Gaon, (The genius of Vilna), or by his acronym, the Gra, who lived over 200 years ago, (1720-1797), purportedly declared that the beginning of the redemptive process would commence upon the completion of the rebuilding of the Churva synagogue in Israel. The current excitement has to do with the fact that the Churva synagogue is being rebuilt at this moment and March 15th is scheduled to be the day of its rededication. The essence of this story is very beautiful, and most beautiful is the tremendous anticipation it has been generating.
BY MORPHING TWO DIFFERENT historical happenings into one, the story making the rounds today is one of prophecy, vision, calculating the precise dates of the redemption, and a strong dose of Divine determinism. After all, if March 16th is the projected date, then where is our input? Suppose we want to build the Holy Temple today? And we should so desire, of course, for G-d said, "Build Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." (Exodus 25:8) Build Me - today, not necessarily on March 16th, 2010.

AS EXCITING AS THIS STORY IS, the true story, from which the current version has taken certain poetic license, is even more exciting. The Gra was very proactive, and he believed that the long awaited redemption depended upon positive steps being taken. He encouraged his disciples to pack up their belongings and move to the land of Israel. This they did, one hundred years before the advent of modern Zionism, and a number of them settled in Jerusalem. Basing himself on the Gra's mystical teachings, his most accomplished student, and leader of the Jerusalem community, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Mishklov, was of the conviction that the completion of a certain Jerusalem synagogue, known as the Churva, was an essential roadmark on the path toward redemption. Now at the time the holy land was under the authority of the Ottoman empire, and so when the followers of the Gra took upon themselves to complete the construction of the unfinished Churva synagogue, they needed first to be granted permission to do so by the Ottoman authorities. After twenty years of effort, in 1836 they were finally given the long sought go ahead. They began the rebuilding embued with the sense that the redemption was truly under way. A number of traditional observations marking the destruction of the Holy Temple were dropped from their daily and Shabbat liturgy, as they moved forward with the construction of the synagogue. In addition to resettling the land, and rebuilding the Churva synagogue, the community of the Gra's followers in Israel made tremendous efforts to reconvene the Sanhedrin, but in this they did not succeed.

The construction of the Churva synagogue was originally begun in 1700 under the auspices of Yehuda heHassid, who had relocated with his follower from Poland to Jerusalem. The construction ceased upon his death. An ensuing lack of funds prevented the completion of the synagogue, until the effort was taken up by the follower of the Gra, in 1836. The "official" title of the synagogue remains to this day, the Yehuda heHassid Synagogue. The appelation, Churva, which means "a ruin," was given to it in commemoration of the Holy Temple.

THE SYNAGOGUE WAS COMPLETED IN 1856, and was one of Jerusalem's largest structures at the time. Less than one hundred years later, in 1948, during Israel's war of independence, the Jordanian Arab Legion, which occupied Jerusalem's walled city, razed the synagogue to the ground. When Israel liberated the eastern sector of Jerusalem in 1967, which included the old walled city and the Temple Mount, the Churva synagogue was a pile of rubble. Over forty years passed before the rebuilding of the synagogue commenced in 2003. Now, as completion of the synagogue nears, and a rededication ceremony has been set for March 15th, the original enthusiasm of the followers of the Gra from 1936 has been rekindled. Today, however, the enthusiasm has spread from beyond the wall of Jerusalem, and can be felt around the world.
HAVING EXAMINED THE HISTORY of the Churva synagogue, and the source of today's current excitement, it can be stated that heart of the matter is not a prophetic prediction of a precise building-of-the-Temple date, but something, in fact, much more compelling: The taking upon itself by the nation of Israel the performance of prophetic action. The return to Israel and the rebuilding of Jerusalem are precursors to the great event of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple. Israel today, unlike two hundred years ago, has the means and the authority to do so. The realization of the necessity for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple and the renewal of the Divine service for the spiritual revival and redemption of all humanity, is growing day by day. Both inside Israel and abroad, the longing for the Holy Temple is becoming a powerful voice for change. May it be G-d's will that we soon begin the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, if not before the 16th of March, then not a day later!

Funny english

2010-01-28T22:49:00.000-08:00

Cocktail lounge, Norway :
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

Dry cleaners, Bangkok :
DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR THE BEST RESULTS.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the main road to Mombassa, leaving Nairobi :
TAKE NOTICE: WHEN THIS SIGN IS UNDER WATER, THIS ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.

On a poster at Kencom :
ARE YOU AN ADULT THAT CANNOT READ? IF SO WE CAN HELP.

In a City restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND WEEKENDS.

In a cemetery:
PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES.

Tokyo hotel ' s rules and regulations:
GUESTS ARE REQUESTED NOT TO SMOKE OR DO OTHER DISGUSTING BEHAVIOURS IN BED.

On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
OUR WINES LEAVE YOU NOTHING TO HOPE FOR.

In a Tokyo bar:
SPECIAL COCKTAILS FOR THE LADIES WITH NUTS.

Hotel, Yugoslavia :
THE FLATTENING OF UNDERWEAR WITH PLEASURE IS THE JOB OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

Hotel, Japan :
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand :
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen :
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

About Jews - Churchill and Tolstoy

2010-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

"Some people like the Jews, and some do not. But no thoughtful man can deny the fact that they are, beyond any question, the most formidable and the most remarkable race which has appeared in the world."

-- Winston Churchill

------------------------------------------------------------------------

"The Jew is that sacred being who has brought down from heaven the
everlasting fire, and has illumined with it the entire world. He is the
religious source, spring, and fountain out of which all the rest of the
peoples have drawn their beliefs and their religions."

-- Leo Tolstoy

The Positive side of life

2009-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

Drop-out

2009-12-16T01:02:00.000-08:00

The youth that drop-out are very lofty souls who long for spirituality
Rabbi Morgenstern shlita is known for his remarkable brilliance in the revealed and hidden Torah, erudite in all areas of learning. His piety, evident from his youth, attracts to him a growing group of devoted and attached "Chassidim" from all corners of the world that revere his every word and do not make any decision with out him. His daily schedule involves continuous learning, delivering profound shiurim in Torah, both revealed and in mystical teachings, in his Yeshiva "Torat Chaim", writing innovative Torah discourses, private audiences with the general public and pious devotion only witnessed in earlier generations.
In a rare conversation Rabbi Morgenstern reveals his approach in education which includes words of guidance, inspiration, encouragement for the holiday of receiving the Torah. (Y. P. Tirenower)

“Unfortunately the problem of the youth, which have dropped out of the community, is increasingly widespread in our generation. What is the source of this problem? What can we do to prevent this from happening?
These dropouts are mainly very elevated souls which are longing for spirituality, for a deeper meaning in life and haven’t found it. Subsequently, because of their futile search they have fallen to external husks, the unholy forces which exist in this world. This enables sin and transgression to attach easily to these souls. This combination deteriorates these lost souls and has kept them away from any matter of holiness.
The only way for them to find a way back is for them to find meaning in matters of Torah and Mitzvot. They can only do this is by delving into the depth of Torah through Chassidut which can give them the deep infinite significance and meaning that exists in every detail of Torah.
Normally, the emphasis in Yeshivot is for them to concentrate mainly on mastering Gemara, which of course is the most important learning. However, they encounter difficulty in this, because when they look superficially, they fail to sense any connection of Gemara to G-d. The G-d who gave us the Torah.
Today, when immorality hails, we are plagued with so many souls manifesting so many spiritual ailments. We must challenge these disorders with more substantial ammunition. Deep and yet again deeper we must delve into the secrets of the Torah to give them profound meaning in devotion to G-d and a direct, intimate connection with Hashem. We need the teachings of Chassidut and the books of Avodat Hashem that will provide genuine meaning and magnitude for every nuance of each observance. Subsequently, they themselves will return to learning with vigor Gemara.”

Excerpt from “Kehiloth” magazine (no. 35) – A European Rabbinical periodical
The illustrious Rabbi Yitzchak Meir Morgenstern shlita, of the great Cabbalists in our generation. 5769

Enter The Other's World

2009-12-14T00:14:00.001-08:00

When talking to someone who thinks very differently than you, especially when the person is being irrational, enter the other person's world and answer him according to his line of reasoning. If you have any hope of your communication being accepted, you must try to reply in a way consistent with the other's way of thinking -even if you feel it is distorted and illogical.

This is the principle of entering the world of the person you are communicating with.
(see Vilna Gaon - Proverbs 26:5; Rabbi Pliskin - "Consulting the Wise")

Finding Light in the Dark

2009-12-06T07:29:00.000-08:00

by Shalvi Weissman

My house is a mess, my head is a mess. Before, all three kids were crying; now the house's soundtrack is noticeably quieter, a strong contrast to the images that meet the eye. Dirty dishes, a sewing project on the living room floor (the only surface in the house big enough to lay out fabric to cut)--once clean, new fabric and patterns, now covered in dusty footsteps of four different sizes; on the table, together with the lunch leftovers, lie papers waiting to be filed, bills post due, lists of urgent phone calls waiting to be made.

My head is reeling The baby is on my lap as I type—she wakes up and screams for half an hour any time I try to put her down. I got some very harsh news today. My head is reeling. Someone I love is in pain. The clean laundry is on my son's bed; I'd better put it elsewhere soon or he will just lie down on top of it and it won't be so clean anymore.

You should know, none of this is my fault. I paid a babysitter to take my kids to the park for the afternoon in order to avoid the exact scene that I'm describing. Oh well, so much for that.

At the height of the excitement before the kids fell asleep, I was running around in circles, trying to make some progress on all of the projects mocking me in each direction I looked. I started opening and closing kitchen cabinets. It's not there. Maybe in the fridge. The freezer? Something that will give me the strength, endurance power and patience to deal with the disturbances in my home and in my heart. No, this is too big even for chocolate. I go into my room, close the door. It's dark. Just me and You, G‑d.

"I need help. I'm so broken-hearted over her suffering. I wish I could help, but I can't. I can't even handle the home front, never mind battles far afield. I don't want my family to suffer because I can't get it together. I'm a little embarrassed to even turn to You in this state, but You know what? You created me with my strengths and weaknesses. You made my baby a light sleeper with a super sensitive stomach. You deemed it fit for me to be told today about the abuse that went on in my student's home as she was growing up. You run the world, not me. If You delegated this little corner of the world to me, You must think I am capable, or at least capable enough. Please give me whatever it is that I need to get through this and make You proud."

Ahhh. Better than chocolate.

I feel my faith being stretched by life and experience There are some very dark places in the world. Dark, sad, lonely, frightening places. When we find ourselves in them, what do we do? A person of moderate faith has little trouble finding G‑d in the face of a newborn baby, a beautiful sunset, a spring butterfly. But what about on skid row, in the oncology unit, or the orphanage? When life dishes up a bitter brew, what do we do? When a baby is crowning, can the body widen enough to allow for new life? I feel my faith being stretched by life and experience. It feels like it might break me, but is there any option other than pushing forward?

The ideal way to light the Chanukah candles is to place them within ten handbreadths (called t'fachim) of the floor. The Gemara tells us that the Shechina, the Divine Presence, never dwelled below ten t'fachim. On Chanukah we are bringing the light of the Divine Presence where it had never been before.

Imagine living in the time of the Chanukah story, watching the Greeks grow in power and influence over the years, until the point when Torah cannot be learned in pubic without fear of torture and death. The Holy Temple, The House of G‑d, the place we would go to renew the purity of our souls, is now overtaken by idolaters. It's one thing for the Greeks to take over the mall, the media, the world of the body, but once the home of my soul has been invaded, where can I turn? What possibility is there to connect to the Divine? How can I serve a G‑d that has allowed His very own home to be overtaken by evil? What a dark place to live in. What bravery and faith the Macabbees had to bring light to such a place, to put their lives on the line for a G‑d that had, it seemed from their human perspective, abandoned them.

I could use some of that. A young woman asked me this week why G‑d gave her an eating disorder. Her friends are enjoying the pleasures of youth, looking forward to marriage and sweet hopeful horizons. She struggles every moment for her health and sanity. She is young. She doesn't remember ever asking for this. She prays every day for healing, for a normal life. She wants me, her teacher, to tell her why G‑d is making her suffer, to tell her why G‑d is not answering her prayers.

Let's create some light here I take a deep breath. I am holding my month-old baby in my arms. "When I gave birth it hurt. Birth is tough. If someone had come to me when I was screaming and sweating with pain and given me a technical or logical explanation for why I was suffering, I might have chopped off his head. There are no answers for someone in the midst of suffering so great that it stretches the boundaries of their survival. I can only hold your hand and tell you that I believe that there will be a baby.

"I don't know why you are suffering. I do know that G‑d hears you every time that you cry out. I believe that you can overcome this. I believe that G‑d believes that you can overcome this and that you will be much greater from the experience. You are surrounded by darkness that you cannot chase away, so let's just do our best to create some light in here. We can't see G‑d's goodness with sunshine clarity from within your pain, but our faith can be a candle that gives enough light to see where the next footstep belongs."

Chanukah comes when the days are short and cold, the days when we need light the most. There are dark places in all of our lives. A candle in the sunshine is useless. A candle in the dark is a powerful tool. I can't take away all the pain and suffering, but I can try to carry colorful candles in my heart and leave strands of the Divine light in my wake.

Written by my good and special friend Shalvi Weissman
Shalvi Weissman is a mother, teacher, singer and writer living in Jerusalem with her husband and four children.

Just give it a try....

2009-11-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

The Talmud tells us that, in Heaven, the gates of salvation are never locked – they are always open to the prayers of the broken-hearted. Rabbi Simcha Bunim of P’shischa once asked his Hasidim, “If the gates are always open, then why did God put gates there? What purpose do they serve?”

He explained, “The gates keep out those who do not even try. Seeing the gates, some immediately assume that the way is barred, and they turn back. If only they would give the slightest push, God Himself would swing the gates open wide and clear the way before them.”

Posted by Moshe Kranc

Successful Treatment of Psychiatric disorders

2009-11-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

During one of his lectures on psychiatric disorders, our professor Dr. Z told us that every once in a while a patient would come to him and he could not pinpoint what was exactly the matter with the person. In such a situation he would prescribe a wonder-drug called Obecalp. Obecalp was an effective agent against depression, pain, and a host of other common conditions. Although this drug is no longer available for clinical use (nowadays it is solely used in research), when Dr. Z was practicing as a young doctor many decades ago, he was friendly with a nearby pharmacist and this pharmacist would privately formulate Obecalp. Nowadays the drug name has changed (they spell it backwards), but even today, before any new drug is approved the drug manufacturer must prove that his drug is more effective than Obecalp. Recently, researchers are finding the Obecalp is becoming even more effective, yet no one knows how Obecalp works. One leading theory raised by proponents of Lubavitcher Hassidism is that Obecalp works via the "tracht gut vet zein gut" mind-body pathway. However the scientific community is wary of possible side effects that may result via the "tracht shlecht vet zein shlecht" mind-body pathway and are still waiting for more conclusive results before making Obecalp available for widespread use.

written by blogger gavha the Hunchback

Satisfaction

2009-11-24T22:36:00.000-08:00

Some Hasidim of the Maggid of Mezheritz came to him. "Rebbe, we have a problem. It says in the Talmud that one must thank God as much for the bad , as for the good. How can that be? What would our gratitude mean, if we gave it equally for the good and the bad?"

The Maggid replied, "Go to Anapol. Reb Zusya will have an answer for you."

The Hasidim undertook the journey. Arriving in Anapol, they inquired for Reb Zusya. At last, they came to the poorest street of the city. There, crowded between two small houses, they found a tiny shack, sagging with age.

When they entered, they saw Reb Zusya sitting at a bare table, reading a volume by the light of the only small window. "Welcome, strangers!" he said. "Please pardon me for not getting up; I have hurt my leg. Would you like food? I have some bread. And there is water!"

"No. We have come only to ask you a question. The Maggid of Mezheritz told us you might help us understand: Why do our sages tell us to thank God as much for the bad days as for the good?"

Reb Zusya laughed. "Me? I have no idea why the Maggid sent you to me." He shook his head in puzzlement. "You see, I have never had a bad day. Every day God has given to me has been filled with miracles."

Character traits

2009-11-07T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Baal Shem Tov taught:

And G·d said to Abram, "Go out from your land, from your birthplace, and from your father's house, to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1)

"I will make your nature known in the world" (Rashi).

I heard from my Master in the name of Rav Sa'adiah Gaon, that a person is created in this world solely to break his negative, inborn character traits. Through this, he raises up the level called "your nature" [i.e. what is natural for you] "in the world" - [i.e. into the world] Above." It is called "world" (olam) from the word "hidden" (he'elam) and "concealed."

Translation and Commentary by Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore

Saliva : an unbelievable substance .................

2009-10-31T10:07:00.000-07:00

Article resent: because of Lech lecha and the first Brit mila.

Leviticus: 12-3: And in the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.
Did you know that the 8th day is the safest day for the child to be circumcised??
The " rofe kol basar " ["the Healer of all flesh"] knew this of coursevery well and may have probably engineered -so to speak- the system of every newborn this way.
Of course these kind of medical facts are just an example of the wonderful ways in which we may recognize our creator.
On this day the clotting factors in the blood are super-optimal.
Before that date and after that date they are or sub-optimal or just "normal".

Do you know that metsitsa /metzitza [ sucking by mouth] of the blood during/after the brit[circumcision ]is the best and safest method there is to regulate the bleeding after the circumcision[and not by a tube]?

This was highly recommended by chazal and many rabbis of the past and today still hold the same opinion as far as I know.
That some/most Mohalim use a tube to day is probably because of fear for infections in our changing/changed world.

It has been shown that morning saliva [the first saliva in the morning, before rinsing the mouth and before eating or drinking anything makes the chance of transferring diseases nil. [even Aids!!]

How proper could it be -for this medical reason alone- to do the brit early in the morning ,even without rinsing the mouth before hand and not drinking anything!! and to use metsitsa instead of a tube.
I am speaking pure medically and not criticizing any other opinion or habit or stating any halacha.

For the same reason I advise people with severe acne to dab [litfoach] there face ,as first thing in the morning ,with the morning saliva ,directly after netilat yadayim] , without rinsing theri mouth first and before drinking anything.
The antibacterial [antiviral] effect of the first morning sputum is tremendous!!

A clever way to take care of yourself

2009-10-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

An Incredible Story:
Following is an incredible true story that happened recently: An elderly lady in a nursing home in the Midwest passed away. Her children, who always visited her and took care of her, did their duty and did a proper Jewish Tahara and burial.

On the 5th day of sitting Shiva, the phone rang and the daughter sitting Shiva answered the phone. On the other end of the phone was her mother who she just buried. The daughter, in shock, immediately fainted. The phone rang again and it was her mother again, complaining that no one came to visit her that week.

The family then rushed to the nursing home and it turned out there was a mix up at the nursing home and it was her roommate that passed away and not this lady. So now the nursing home had the grim job of informing the children of the other lady that their mother died five days ago. The nursing home called and was trying to break it to these children slowly but before they could even tell the children what happened, the children callously answered if this call has anything to do with our mother they are not interested. These children said "All day long our mother wastes her time and just prays and prays and says Psalms". The children then added- "And the one thing she prays for is that when she dies she should have a proper Jewish burial". But, the children cruelly said, "We will outsmart her and when she dies we will spite her and make sure she will not have a proper Jewish Burial".

The nursing home staff then explained to them it was too late as she already received her proper burial!

Look at the power of prayer and to the extent Hashem will turn the world around to answer a prayer. Here this pious religious lady only prayed for one thing, a proper burial, knowing it was almost impossible, yet she didn't give up. So Hashem orchestrated this whole mix up to respond to the prayers of this lady.

Any of our prayers can have the same potential and power!

(This true story was recently told by a Menahel who heard it first hand from one of the Children)

Israel's peculiar position....

2009-10-22T11:08:00.000-07:00

THIS WAS WRITTEN IN 1968 41 years ago - Astonishing!

You probably don't remember the name Eric Hoffer. He was a longshoreman who turned into a philosopher, wrote columns for newspapers and some books. He was a non-Jewish American social philosopher. He was born in 1902 and died in 1983, after writing nine books and winning the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Eric Hoffer was one of the most influential American philosophers and free thinkers of the 20th Century. His books are still widely read and quoted today.

Here is one of his columns from 1968 -- 41 years ago! Some things never change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ISRAEL'S PECULIAR POSITION...by Eric Hoffer - LA Times 5/26/68

Deja Vu

The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it.

Turkey threw out a million Greeks, and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel , the displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees.

Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single one. Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis.

Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious, it must sue for peace.

Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world. Other nations, when they are defeated, survive and recover but should Israel be defeated it would be destroyed.

Had Nasser triumphed last June [1967], he would have wiped Israel off the map, and no one would have lifted a finger to save the Jews.

No commitment to the Jews by any government, including our own, is worth the paper it is written on. There is a cry of outrage all over the world when people die in Vietnam or when two Blacks are executed in Rhodesia.

But, when Hitler slaughtered Jews no one demonstrated against him. The Swedes, who were ready to break off diplomatic relations with America because of what we did in Vietnam, did not let out a peep when Hitler was slaughtering Jews. They sent Hitler choice iron ore, and ball bearings, and serviced his troops in Norway.

The Jews are alone in the world.

If Israel survives, it will be solely because of Jewish efforts and Jewish resources. Yet at this moment, Israel is our only reliable and unconditional ally.

We can rely more on Israel than Israel can rely on us.

And one has only to imagine what would have happened last summer [1967] had the Arabs and their Russian backers won the war, to realize how vital the survival of Israel is to America and the West in general.

I have a premonition that will not leave me; as it goes with Israel so will it go with all of us.

Should Israel perish, the Holocaust will be upon us all.

Torah’s View On Iran, Eretz Yisroel, America & Moshiach

2009-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

October 19, 2009 [By Rav Yitzchok Fingerer] As Iran becomes more vehement in their cataclysmic threat, inching imminently closer to nuclear power, there are questions that gnaw every thinking person’s conscience: What is Iran’s ultimate motive? Who will preemptively strike Iran? Will it be Eretz Yisroel or America? Will we survive retaliation? How does this tie in to the grand scheme of Hashem’s plan for the Jewish people? Where does the Torah prophesize this?

The Roots of Iran in the Torah:

The prodigious histories of Babylonia and Persia, modern day Iraq and Iran, may be traced to postdiluvian civilization. Shem, Cham, and Yafes, Noach’s sons, were bequeathed distinct divine missions. While some of Cham’s descendants were cursed to be slaves, Yafes’s descendants were ordained with a twofold mission—to be the aesthetic developers and monarchs of the world and the facilitators and catalysts of the spiritual ascendancy of Shem’s progeny. Finally, Shem’s descendants were charged with being the world’s spiritual and moral beacons.

Ancient civilization lived in relative unanimity until Nimrod, Cham’s grandson, unilaterally crowned himself monarch, an act of brazen usurpation. Nimrod appropriated Yafes’s endowed role and established an empire in Babylonia. According to Rashi; Seforno; Rokeach; and others; Ashur, Shem’s grandson, protested this illicit seizure of power, and left the Mesopotamian environs. Nimrod’s eventual successor in Babylonia was none other than Nebuchadnezzar II, who destroyed the first Beis HaMikdash.

Almost two hundred years before the Churban Bayis Rishon, Yeshaya HaNavi prophesied that—in the future—a descendant of Yafes, namely a king of Persia named “Koresh”, would supplant Babylonia as the world power, restoring Yafes’s natural rights to the world monarchy. Yeshaya further astoundingly prophesied that Hashem would commission this “Koresh”, a gentile king, to redeem the Jewish people and rebuild the Beis HaMikdash. Yeshaya’s words proved accurate—Babylonia was destroyed, Koresh ruled the world, and the Jews were redeemed from exile.

There was one critical problem: Only 42,360 Jews returned to Israel. The rest stayed in exile. Koresh didn’t do enough to facilitate the Jewish redemption, nor did he completely rebuild the Temple. Koresh ordered that sections of the Temple be constructed out of wood, lest the Jews rebel and the Temple could then easily be burned to cinders. Alas, Noach’s blessing and charge to Yafes wouldn’t be fulfilled through Koresh the Persian. Instead, Yafes’s illustrious legacy would be assigned to his other offspring, Greece, and eventually, Persia’s arch nemesis—Greek’s successor—Rome.

Not only did Persia (modern-day Iran) forfeit its position as Yafes’s spiritual heir, it also attempted to destroy the Jews. Only a short while later, Haman, Prime Minister of ancient Persia, plotted to annihilate the Jews. As the Zohar teaches, history must always come full circle. Therefore—in the End of Days— kings and nations will be reincarnated and Persia will threaten the world and, in particular, the Jews.

As stunning prophecy from Rav Yonoson Eibushetz:

The Talmud in Avodah Zara and Yoma portends that the final world war will involve Persia and latter day Rome, which Ben Ish Chai identifies as the Western Super-Power—America. The Talmud cites two opinions concerning the ultimate victor in this war. One opinion is that Persia will defeat modern-day Rome because of Persia’s role in constructing the second Beis HaMikdash. The dissenting opinion posits that although Persia helped build the second Beis HaMikdash, they will suffer ultimate defeat. In the words of the Talmud, even though this seems incongruous, “It is a decree from Hashem.” Interestingly, Rav Yonoson Eibushetz (in Yaaros Devash) seems to side with the latter opinion. He emphatically claims that a prerequisite for Moshiach’s arrival is Persia’s downfall. Regardless, it is clear that Rome—or America’s—role as the catalyst of the ascendancy of Shem (i.e. the Jewish people), and the third Beis HaMikdash, remains to be determined. Will America live up to its destined mission or fail?

America & Eretz Yisroel

A fascinating Medrash (Yalkut Shimoni, Yeshaya, 499) further clariﬁes the apocalyptic events:

Rabbi Yitzchok said: The year that Melech HaMoshiach will be revealed, all the kings [leaders] of the nations will be struggling against each other. The leader of Persia will contest with the leader of Arabia, and the leader of Arabia will go to Rome [the leading modern-day Western superpower] to get council from them. The leader of Persia will respond and act to destroy the entire world. All the nations of the world will be trembling and shaking and falling on their faces. They will be seized by labor-like pains.

The Jewish people will be trembling and quaking and saying: “Where can we go? Where can we go?” And [Hashem] will say to them: My children do not fear! Everything I did, I did only for you! Why are you frightened? Don’t be afraid-— the days of your redemption have arrived!”

Shiites and Sunnis:

What is interesting is that the Medrash contrasts Persia with Arabia. Why would the Medrash make a distinction between Arabic Iran (Persia), and another Arab country, Arabia? Why would the Medrash speak about a war amongst kindred Arab nations? And finally, why would Arabia consult with the leading Western superpower?

This Medrash is startling and mind-boggling. While Iranians are Muslim, they are not true Arabs, i.e., they are not Semites; they stem from Yafes and are Indo-European. This is precisely why the Medrash contrasts Iran, non-Arabs, with the rest of the Arab world. The Iranians are largely Shiite Persians. Arabia may refer to Saudi Arabia, the leading Sunni country in the Middle East. The Saudis and Iranians both seek to dominate the Middle East and lead the Muslim world. Their growing rivalry is a major factor in world politics.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s nuclear ambitions, combined with Iran’s sponsorship of the Shiite Hezbollah militia in Lebanon, its backing of Hamas, and its uprisings in Iraq, is proof to Arab leaders that their old Persian rivals are determined to reshape the Middle East (and the world). As early as 2004, Jordan’s King Abdullah warned of a rising Shiite “crescent” running from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Lebanon.

Saudi Arabia is concerned about a nuclear Shiite Iran. Therefore, they are dependent on America, the leading country attempting to stiﬂe Iran’s nuclear pursuits, which could explain the part of the Medrash in which Arabia consults modern-day Rome. This Medrash patently teaches that the Iranian threat is a definite signpost and prelude to Moshiach.

Moshiach can come in one of two ways:

1. We will earn Moshiach peacefully by following Hashem’s law.

Or

2. The plight of humanity will become critical and desperate, necessitating Moshiach to salvage the world from chaos.

We have two choices: We can ignore all the prophecies in a binge of self-assertion and hope to survive the outcome of the war on terror or we can allow Moshiach to come in peace and serenity by changing and improving ourselves, personally and collectively, living up to our mission as Hashem’s chosen nation. The power to choose is in our hands.

(Rav Yitzchok Fingerer - YWN)

Do Not Worry - Israel

2009-09-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

A few sentences from the Ne-ila [closing service of yom kippur],

after the Shofar blowing at the very end.

יז כָּל-כְּלִי יוּצַר עָלַיִךְ,
לא יִצְלָח, וְכָל-לָשׁוֹן תָּקוּם-אִתָּךְ לַמִּשְׁפָּט, תַּרְשִׁיעִי; זֹאת נַחֲלַת עַבְדֵי יְהוָה וְצִדְקָתָם, מֵאִתִּי--נְאֻם-יְהוָה

No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their due reward from Me, saith the LORD.

Go, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a happy heart, for G-d has now accepted thy works.

[Book of Prayer: According to the Custom of the Spanish and Portuguese Jews David de Sola Pool, New York: Union of Sephardic Congregations, 1979]

5770

2009-09-26T13:54:00.000-07:00

Last night, the Sudilkover Rebbe told me that 5770 (תש"ע) will a year in which Hashem will express His rachamim (compassion) and ratzon (desire). He explained that this is hinted to in the fact that the letters that make up this year תש"ע can be rearranged into the word שְׁעַת that is found in the tefilla of Avinu Malkeinu:

אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ תְּהֵא הַשָּׁעָה הַזּאת שְׁעַת רַחֲמִים וְעֵת רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ

posted by simple jew

Mind over Matter

2009-09-15T08:05:00.000-07:00

In the Torah we read that Sarah and Abraham are going to have child. When Sarah hears this she starts to laugh. Sarah's' laughing wasn't cause she was doubting G-d. As the commentaries say that Sarah had more faith and trust in the almighty G-d master of the universe then did Abraham.

The laugh she had was in realizing and knowing in everything we go through, the almighty G-d master of the universe is going through it with us all.

The first paragraph tells us that G-d came to visit Abraham after his circumcision. It is interesting that that the last two words are kichom hayom at the heat of the day. This is to teach us that as the sun is located in the heavens and it is able to affect and heat the the lower worlds.

So is true with a person that is spiritually connected to the almighty G-d master of the universe. The spiritually connected person is physically on this world but his thoughts and ideas come from the place called the garden of Eden.
In turn he is able to channel the connection to others seeking his assistance amen.

Mind over matter. Through the mind we have the ability to connect to the almighty
G-d master of the universe. As we know that the purest thought is from the mind and not the heart.

By Mordechai Gutman

Parent Job Description

2009-09-06T12:46:00.000-07:00

This is hysterical. If it had been presented this way,
I don't believe any of us would have applied!!!

Position:
Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma
Dad, Daddy, Dada, Pa, Pop
Job Description:
Long term, team players needed, for challenging
permanent work in an
often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication
and organizational skills and be willing to work
variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends
and frequent 24 hour shifts on call.
Some overnight travel required, including trips to
primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed.
Extensive courier duties also required.
Responsibilities:
The rest of your life.
Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily,
until someone needs $5.
Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly.
Also, must possess the physical stamina of a
pack mule
and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat
in case, this time, the screams from
the backyard are not someone just crying wolf.
Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges,
such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets
and stuck zippers
Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and
coordinate production of multiple homework projects.
Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings
for clients of all ages and mental outlooks.
Must be willing to be indispensable one minute,
an embarrassment the next.
Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a
half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
Must assume final, complete accountability for
the quality of the end product.
Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and
janitorial work throughout the facility.

Possibility for Advancement & Promotion:
None..
Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills,
so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you.
Previous Experience:
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
Wages and Compensation:
Get this! You pay them!
Offering frequent raises and bonuses.
A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because
of the assumption that college will help them
become financially independent.
When you die, you give them whatever is left.
The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that
you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more.
Benefits:
While no health or dental insurance, no pension,
no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and
no stock options are offered;
this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth,
unconditional love,
and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.

Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis,
letting them know they are appreciated
for the fabulous job they do...
or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.

** AND A FOOTNOTE**

THERE IS NO RETIREMENT -- EVER!!!

.

Netanyahu at his best

2009-09-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Even those who aren't particularly sympathetic to Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, could get a good measure of satisfaction from this interview with
British Television during the retaliation against Hamas' shelling of Israel.

The interviewer asked him: "How come so many more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?" (A nasty question if there ever was one!)

Netanyahu: "Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?"

Interviewer: (Falling into the trap) Why not?

Netanyahu: "Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the war was caused by Germany's aggression.
And in response to the German blitz on London, the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden, burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed in Hiroshima.
Moreover, I could remind you that in 1944, when the R.A.F. tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children's hospital, killing 83 little children. Perhaps you have another question?"

Don't We All Need Help?

2009-09-02T22:05:00.000-07:00

I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car. I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of work. Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money. There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "I don't want to be bothered" times.

"I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't. He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke.

"That's a very pretty car," he said. He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard kept more than his face warm.

I said, "Thanks," and continued wiping off my car. He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "Ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked.

He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget. We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments. I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand. He spoke the three words that shook me. "Don't we all?" he said.

I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all?

I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day.

Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too. No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help. Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that. You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all. They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have. A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see. Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets. Maybe he was more than that. Maybe he was sent by G'd to minister to a soul too comfortable in itself.

Maybe G'd looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, and then said, "Go minister to that man cleaning the car, that man needs help."

Don't we all?

Do Not Be Sad

2009-08-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

People walk around sad because they don't know what to do with their future. You have this minute right now. What are you going to do with it?

The difference between sadness and joy is very simple. Sadness always tells you: 'Oy vey! What are you doing to do in ten minutes? What will you do ten years from now?'

If you are really filled with joy for one minute, then you will know what to do the next minute also. What is G-d giving you? He is giving you this minute. He hasn't given tomorrow. Of course I don't know what to do tomorrow, because I didn't receive it yet.

Sadness is very much concerned with what I don't have, and I really don't have tomorrow yet. The truth is, I am always standing before nothingness, because I am nonexistent yet for the next minute. I'm not there yet. Time isn't there. The world isn't there!

The world is here...right now!

-- Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach, zt"l

Do not be broken when one is depressed - By Reb Asher Freund zt"l

2009-08-25T01:15:00.000-07:00

The main thing is simple faith and stubbornness, so as not to be broken when one is depressed.

With the same breath that G'd reveals Himself to you, you should live with Him in his distress of His children, who live with needless hatred and in all the different evil ways which disturb G'd's connection with us.
Then G'd brings upon us an awakening of His pain, so that we can participate in His pain and so that there will be a place for Him in the world of asiyah, our world, from which the life force of all the worlds stems.
When G'd does not have a part in this world below, we have no nurturing powers from above, and all the springs are stopped up. And as G'd has mercy on his creatures, He causes us to have pain and suffering, so that we will cry to Him and arouse His mercy on His nation, and redeem us soon.Rather than crying out from the depth of our hearts that there should be an end to all our troubles and that we should remain silent about all our pain and suffering which is the pain of G'd's love, we cause ourselves to descend into depression and cling to the Evil inclination which is the opposite of holiness.

The reason for this is because how little we are submissive, and we waste our lives without any soul searching and descend very low. Because of that we harden our hearts and waste away our soul and our length of days, and lose both our worlds, this one and the next.

We therefore have to be constantly on guard and not to forget for even a single breath about our cleaving to the Creator wherever we are, and to cry out to Him until He takes pity on us and takes us out to the great light. Even from the deepest of the depths He hears our voice ("because You hear the prayer of every voice").

Words written by Reb Asher Freund zt"l
Menachem Av 5738

The Month of Elul, the number 40 and Teshuva.

2009-08-23T23:11:00.000-07:00

By: Chaviv Danesh

The period of time between the first day of Elul until Yom Kippur is 40 days.

The number 40 occurs in Judaism quiet often. If we look closely we will see that every time the number 40 is used it is in connection with a transformation of one sort or another. Let’s look at some examples:

The flood lasted 40 days and 40 nights. The Midrash along with many other sources state that the world became radically different after the flood. From the nature of the people to the land everything changed. In a sense the world was reborn and given a second chance for their misdeeds.

The Jewish people were in the desert for 40 years. The time the Jewish people spent in the desert was a punishment for the spies who searched the land for 40 days and for the people believed their bad report. Therefore, here the 40 years were 40 years to compensate for the mistake they made and get them spiritually clean of that sin so that they can enter the land. Here again we see the number 40 transforming the Jewish people from guilty for the sin of spies to being forgiven for it and along with that being given a second chance.

The number of Makot (lashes) that a person received in the times of the beit hamikdash for certain sins is 40 (40 minus 1 according to chachamim). The lashes transformed a person from being guilty to innocent and thereby purified him of sin.

The number 40 also represents the 40 days and nights that Moshe Rabbeinu spent on the mountain before coming down with the Torah. The second time he went up he went on the first of Elul and came down 40 days later on the tenth of Tishrei which is Yom Kippur. Incidentally this is why Yom Kippur is on the tenth of Tishrei; because there is a special energy of forgiveness in the world at that time originating from when Moshe rabbeinu came down with the tablets the second time; symbolizing the fact that Hashem had forgiven them for the making of the golden calf.

There are many other examples of this as well. The amount of water in a kosher mikveh (a well of water which transforms a person from impure to pure) has to be 40 seah. The number of days until a baby is formed according to the Gemara is 40 days (this was scientifically proven as until 40 days the electrical charge of the body is not present), and there are many many more examples.

Moreover, the first letter of the words that are associated with the ideas mentioned previously is the letter “mem,” i.e. Mikveh, Matan Torah (giving of Torah), Makot (lashes), Midbar (desert), Mabul (flood), Moshe. The letter “Mem” in Hebrew has a numerical value of forty. An intelligent person would not attribute this to chance.

As we can see the number 40 has associated with it the power to transform. Therefore, these 40 day we must transform ourselves into righteous people by becoming stricter in following the mitzvoth.

It has been a tradition to do something extra on Elul that you don’t do the whole year. This could be praying with more kavana (concentration) or doing acts of kindness for others, fixing some character flaws which one might have or anything else a person feels like he/she must do to elevate themselves.

It is interesting to note that the word Elul is also found in Megilat Ester. In the verse (9:22) where it talks about giving gifts to the poor Ish lereihu omatanot laevyonim, the first letters of that verse spell Elul. Therefore giving more tzedakah in this month is also very important.

In this month one should do teshuvah. The Rambam says that the mitzvah of teshuvah has three steps: confession, regret and saying that one would not do it again. It is important to note that all three steps have to be said out loud. There are many reasons for this and one is that just like the sin was done with a physical act so too the teshuvah for it has to be done with a physical act in this case being speaking.

What shall a person take out of this practically? In the month of Elul one must feel like he/she has no place. Just like the person who is in a city of refuge has no place one must feel that in the month of Elul. One must feel like he/she is on a shaky bridge and any false move would tip it over. Therefore we must take every precaution not to treat this month lightly and on the contrary to utilize the transforming power of this month and these 40 days to hopefully transform ourselves into the kinds of people we know we can become.

A short overview of Jewish History

2009-06-30T12:14:00.000-07:00

BAD PARENTING

2009-06-25T02:30:00.000-07:00

A short story about sensitivity

2009-06-09T09:13:00.000-07:00

There is a story told of a person who came to a great rabbi with a question. Can one fulfill the obligation of drinking the four cups on Pesach with milk? The rabbi thought a moment and then went into his safe to take out money to give to the fellow.

As the rabbi handed the money to the fellow to use to purchase wine the rabbi gave him extra to purchase chicken and other foods. The man bewildered asked the rabbi how is it that you know that I didn't even have chicken for pesach?.

The rabbi answered if you are asking me about using milk for the four cups then as well you don't have any chicken!!! For we know that one doesn't eat milk and meat together.

The struggle for unity is found in all areas of our lives

2009-05-27T09:43:00.000-07:00

Written by Rabbi Avraham Moshe Kiper - Founder of Neve Ziviya

This year we read Parshat Bamidbar on the day preceding Rosh Chodesh Sivan. Let’s look for the connection between this Parsha and the giving of the Torah. In chapter 1 verse 19 it is written, “ According to G-d’s command to Moshe he counted them in the desert”.
The Kedushat Levi asks why this verse is written as it is. We might think that it should have been written the other way, that is, “He counted them in the desert according to G-d’s command to Moshe.” Why is the verse seemingly reversed?
He then explains that our sages teach that there are six hundred thousand letters in the Torah, corresponding to the six hundred thousand souls of the Jewish people. Moshe Rabeinu knew which letter each and every person corresponded to. Therefore when he was counting the Jewish people, he was also learning all of the letters of the Torah. That is why the verse hints to us, “According to G-d’s command to Moshe.”
It is telling us that in the process of counting, Moshe was reviewing the whole Torah- ‘G-d’s command to Moshe’ from within the souls of the Jewish people.
Before we received the Torah it is written, “And he encamped there before the mountain.” (Shmot 19:2)
The sages teach that ‘he’ is written instead of ‘they’ even though we think of the Jewish people as plural, because we were as “One man with one heart”. Once the Torah existed through the united souls of Israel it was able to come into the world in it’s actualized form.
Just as in those days we were able to reach our potential by uniting as a nation, also today it is through uniting together that will reach our goals, The coming of Moshiach and bringing the world to it’s fruition.
The struggle for unity is found in all areas of our lives; between friends, within the Jewish people, between man and his wife, unity within the home with one’s children and family.

The Angels and Us

2009-05-27T05:51:00.001-07:00

by Shalvi Weissman

There are angels in the world who tell us that we're not good enough – and they are right! As perfect beings, angels hold up perfection as their standard of measurement, but their measurements have been getting us humans into trouble from the very beginning.

When G‑d decided to create the world, in His humility He asked the angels what they thought. The answer was, of course, "No! Don't do it! They will tell lies, they will break the rules, they will make mistakes, and it's not worth it!"

G-d never expected perfection G‑d, however, decided that despite the risk, it was a worthwhile investment- and Adam and Eve were created. His explanation to the angels was that we would be kind to each other.

When it was time to give the Torah, the angels didn't want Him to entrust it to us. Moses was in heaven for forty days and forty nights learning the Torah and preparing to bring it down to the Jewish people. The angels came to G‑d and said, "What's this lowly mortal doing up here?"

"He's come to receive the Torah and bring it down to the Jewish people."

"What?! You've got to be kidding! You are giving the greatest supernal celestial delight to a bunch of lowly human beings?! They will surely profane it! They are not deserving!"

G‑d told Moses, "Answer them."

So Moses asked them, "What does the Torah say?"

"Well, it says to honor your father and mother."

"Do you have a father and mother that you must honor? What else does it say?"

"Not to covet."

"Do angels have possessions that you need to be warned not to covet? What else?"

"Not to commit adultery…"

Moses was able to convince them that the Torah, full of laws about money, food, and relationships, clearly belonged among us and not them, but they still wanted to burn Moses up with their fiery breath. G‑d told Moses to hold on to His holy throne, and by doing so, Moses was saved and was able to deliver the Torah.

It's made for usAny spiritually sensitive individual realizes that keeping the Torah in its entirety is a near-impossible task. The angels were right. We mess it up. We make mistakes. However, that's nothing new to G‑d. He knew from the get-go exactly who he was dealing with. He made us!

How many times have you intended to help out a friend, do something special in honor of Shabbat, give your kids a better Jewish education, work on having a better relationship with your parents, etc., but when you thought it through, it seemed too hard, impossible to do perfectly/ completely/ consistently- so you forgot about it altogether?

It is almost as if we can hear the angels making their arguments against us. What they're saying is probably true. But there is a deeper truth- the truth of the truth is that even if you do one good deed one time, you have created spiritual progress that will last for all of eternity. You are bringing nachas, joy, to your Creator and holiness into your own life. The effort that you invested will never be lost.

This is something that angels don't understand. How can we get credit for what seem to them to be small successes? But they don't have to deal with the kind of stresses that humans deal with on a daily basis.

Once, G‑d decided to show them. Three angels came to visit Abraham after he was circumcised, to tell him that he was going to have a son. Abraham made them a meal to remember: veal tongues in mustard with fresh bread and the works. G‑d gave them the ability to eat just this once. For a moment those angels enjoyed sinking their teeth into a succulent meal, and they were so immersed in the pleasure of it that they lost touch with their spiritual reality a little. Ever have that happen? Of course! Food and all of the other physical pleasures can bring us closer to G‑d, but they can also make us forget ourselves and our Creator. At that moment the angels understood what it means to be human and to have to deal with the challenges that we deal with. It took them a hundred and something years to recover from the spiritual fall of that one meal and to return to heaven. It wasn't until three generations later, in the days of Jacob, Abraham's grandson, that those angels where able to go back up to heaven (this is one of the meanings of Jacob's dream of the ladder with the angels going up and down- it is said that Jacob was witnessing the return of those three angels to Heaven.)

Even Moses had to deal with doubts caused by the angels' grumblings. The Midrash teaches us that when G‑d first appeared to Moses at the 'burning bush' and asked him to go to redeem the Jewish people, Moses said no. They spent a week arguing about it. Sounds like chutzpa, but Moses really had a point. He said that he knew that although he would be able to bring the Jewish People out of Egypt to receive the Torah and go into the Land of Israel, he would not be able to purify them spiritually enough for them to attain complete redemption. He knew that they would sin after he died and be sent into an exile similar to the one they were already in. So why bother?

Sound familiar? But G‑d wanted him to go anyway. That's what we have to do as well. What Moses was saying was true, but the truth of the truth is that we must go anyway. Do the will of G‑d in this moment and don't think too much.

The truth of the truth is that this Shavuot we are going to receive the Torah. Before the holiday is over, whether we wanted to or not, most of us, in some way, will probably have violated it. G‑d still knows what He's doing when He gives it to us. You see, it's made for people who might want to steal, covet, or run amuck following their own self-will. It's made for us! We're the ones who need it, and G‑d loves us so much that He gives it to us – knowing that we're going to make mistakes, but also knowing that we will be kind to each other. Maybe a small part of that kindness is to stand by our friends' side in their moment of weakness and remind them that it's okay to be human – G‑d made us that way.

Shavuos, the less one claims Torah, the more he has of it.

2009-05-26T11:21:00.000-07:00

Shavuos marks our personal relationship to Torah. In his wild quest to locate who stole the Torah, Satan turns to Moshe (Shabbos 89a) and asks where it is. Moshe responds to the Satan: Who am I that God would give me the Torah.

Ultimately, Satan accuses Moshe of lying. Moshe responds: True, I have the Torah – but it is not mine, for how can I possibly own God’s Torah? Hashem corrects Moshe: precisely because you diminish yourself, you now become its proprietor.

In effect, Hashem is saying that to acquire Torah, humility is the requisite trait. The great paradox of owning Torah now becomes: the less one claims Torah, the more he has of it.

A sthikle Torah on the heilige middah of kvetching from Shalvi

2009-05-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

I'm sure that you believe in G-d. When it comes down to it, most people do. If they don't, then they say "Maybe there's a G-d." But our souls know, and when we are honest with ourselves, we know too. So where do all of the doubts come from? We all have doubts sometimes. If part of us believes in G?d, then where do these doubts seep in? The doubt is really a doubt in ourselves.

We know all of our faults and failings better than any other human alive. We know our weaknesses, our fears, our moments of utter failure.

Sometimes situations arise that seem to demand from us much more than we have: more strength, more willpower, money, patience, wisdom, holiness… If I were… If I had… then I could handle this situation. But I'm not and I don't and I can't. So there! But the situation doesn't go away! It keeps on pressing, demanding, insisting. Maybe it occasionally lets up, but before you're finished taking a deep breath it's back with a vengeance.

Imagine a guy crossing a narrow bridge over Niagara Falls. All of a sudden he feels the bridge vibrating. He looks up and sees a Mac truck racing at him at 70 mph. The truck is knocking the railing on either side, and clearly he cannot escape to the right or to the left. He turns around to run back in the direction in which he came and sees a band of African warriors racing at him screaming and fiercely brandishing blades. Opting for the most painless way out, he flings himself over the side and begins the 100 foot fall…

Okay, maybe this is an extreme example, but bear with me.

Certain death right? He's headed right for where the falls hit the water, when a powerful gust blows him about 50 feet south. He sees a tourist boat and he's headed straight at it! He screams like he's never screamed in his life, curls up in a ball and mentally says goodbye. All of a sudden he feels his back make contact. The surface seems to give a bit, and then flings him 15 feet into the air. He opens his eyes, looks down, and sees a huge trampoline surrounded by a hundred or so kids, a few clowns, and a juggler. Off to the side are balloons and a birthday cake. What?!? He comes down again with a little less force, does a summersault in the air, bounces twice more and stands up. The kids clap their hands and shout. They've never seen such a stunt. The guy climbs off the trampoline and mutters, "G?d, I owe you one!"

The next week the rent is due, and our friend doesn't have it. Work's been tough, bills are high, and he just doesn't know what to do. His best friend is getting divorced, his mom needs an operation, and his girlfriend dumps him. He gets a little depressed. He says to himself, "How could there be a G-d if I'm in such a mess?"

You want to scream at him, right?! "Stupid! G-d just saved your life in a most bizarre and miraculous manner. How could you possibly question Him?"

On the other hand, we all know and have experienced this dynamic. There are times that it's clear as day to us that there is a G-d. There are also times when we wonder and question. Often, in the times that we question, it is ourselves that we doubt more than G-d. When we're pounded against the wall, we give up. It seems that nothing could possibly improve the situation. Even G-d.

Let's look at the Parsha. Similar to our friend in Niagara, the Jewish people found themselves stuck between mortal enemies and the sea. G-d told them to walk into the water, they did, the waters split just long enough for them to walk through, and then returned to their place to drown the Egyptians. They sang to G-d in praise, men women and children, elders and babes all cried out together, "Who is like You among the heavenly powers, Hashem! Who is like You, mighty in Holiness, too awesome for praise, Doer of wonders!" In the next scene, food falls from heaven, delicious nourishing and miraculous. In the third scene, the nation arrives in a place called Refidim, which has no natural source of water. The people complain to Moshe, even though they still have water in their vessels. Moshe asks them why they are contending with him and testing HaShem. They come back two days later when their water has run out and say, "Why have you brought me up from Egypt to kill me and my children and my livestock through thirst?" G-d then commanded Moshe to hit the rock in Horeb with his staff and water would come out. Then the place is given a new name, Massa U'meriva, which means "test and contention," because the people tested HaShem, saying, "Is HaShem among us or not?" In the next scene, the Amalekites come and make war with the Israelites.

Now the Jewish people may be many things, but stupid we aren't! What kind of question is it for them to ask, "Is Hashem among us or not?" To paraphrase the Holy Zohar, they saw the Divine presence revealed in their midst. The clouds of glory surrounded them. These were the people who just moments ago saw the radiant glory of their King at the splitting of the sea. The selfsame people who experienced a year of miraculous plagues that convinced the Egyptians to set them free, yet had left the Jews unharmed. What kind of ridiculous question were they asking? They had eaten bread from heaven for breakfast that morning! Did they really think that G-d wouldn't give them water to drink? And when they noticed that there was no water, why did they complain instead of just praying to G-d for water?

Obviously something else is going on here. These people were spiritual giants. The sages say that there never was, nor will there ever be, a generation as great as the one that received the Torah. We must try to understand.

The Megaleh Amukos teaches that all of the tests, trials, and difficulties that every one of us endures were all dealt with by our grandmas and grandpas in the forty years that they wandered through the desert between leaving Egypt and entering the Holy land. Like the forty weeks of gestation, these were the years of potential before the birth of our nation was complete. Back then, the Jewish people were endowed with the strength they would need to survive thousands of years of exile. Kind of like a vaccine, they experienced a taste of all of the pains, suffering, doubt, fear, and indecision that is part of our everyday lives, and somehow they prevailed. Maybe we can learn from them.

At the splitting of the sea, the Jewish people saw their enemies killed before their eyes. All of the riches and glory that had once belonged to their oppressors was now their own. Miracles the likes of which had never occurred in the history of the world had happened before their very eyes. Probably they were feeling a little overwhelmed. Imagine a poor peasant girl who lived her whole life in hunger and poverty. One day the prince sees her and takes her and her family to his palace, all the while treating them like royalty. The peasant girl becomes a princess overnight when the prince declares his intention to marry her. On one hand she's thrilled, but on the other hand this obligates her to responsibilities and positions that she is totally unfamiliar with. She is afraid that she will not be able to live up to what is being asked of her, and instead of admitting her fear and vulnerability, she begins to criticize the prince and the accommodations that are so different from home. The fancy food does not sit well with her, the baths are drying her skin. The real question is, are you ready to take on a role greater than anything you ever imagined? Are you willing to take the risk that you might make a mistake and have to deal with the consequences? The stakes are high. Are you up for it?

Each day that passes, we saw how much G-d was investing in His relationship with us. Obviously He meant business. We were also learning more and more Torah every day. Six hundred and thirteen commandments?!? With all of the details of each and every one, we're talking millions of rules that may not always be easy to live with! How can a human being accept upon himself such a thing? For sure we will fail! And then what? Isn't it better that we don't receive the Torah, than to accept it and then fail to live up to its standards? The Torah life is hard! Besides all of the detailed obligations, HaShem wants a personal relationship with every one of us. He brings us to a place without water just so that we need to turn to Him and pray. Is this how it will be with our children? It's too much. It's hard enough for us, who are strong, but what about the generations to come who will have to suffer pain, affliction, and exile, in order to purify themselves and build a relationship with HaShem. Is it really worth it? The commentators explain that the original name of the encampment, Refidim, hints that their hands 'rafu' from the Torah. Their hands felt weak; they did not have the strength to uphold the Torah. The lifestyle demanded more than they had to offer, and they were scared. They thought it would have been better to die in Egypt than to receive the Torah, not be able to fulfill it, and die in punishment as total failures. So it wasn't that they lost their faith in G-d, rather, they had lost their faith in themselves. Torah is compared to water, and as they had abandoned the Torah in their hearts, water was not manifest in their lives. They didn't turn to G-d in prayer because it was that very relationship that they were scared of. The question that they asked, "Is G-d among us or not?" can also be read as, "Is G-d within us or not?" Is our connection deep enough that no matter how low we fall or how greatly we fail Him, He will still love us and cherish us? That was the essence of their fear. Not that G-d wouldn't be there for them, but that they (and we) would not be there for G-d in the way that befits a people meant to be a light unto the Nations.

So what did G-d do? He told Moshe to hit the rock of Horeb, the same place where they would receive the Torah in a few weeks time. The physical water was a representation of the water of Torah that would soon flow forth. It nourished and revived them, and made them aware of the holiness that already filled and sustained them. The staff that Moshe used to hit the Nile and cause devastation in Egypt was the same staff that Moshe used to hit the rock and bring blessing to us. The events in our future that might seem as scary and painful as a staff that strikes would eventually bring us strength and blessing, like the staff that nourished. It is one and the same.

HaShem was trying to show us that we needn't be afraid of failure. The path of Torah is not easy, but there is no other that is as fulfilling. The hardships themselves help us and strengthen us, form us into a stronger, greater version of who we are.

I recently joined a gym, and the instructor told me that I shouldn't do the weight machines every day, but only every other day. When we use our muscles and strain them more than they are used to bearing, the tissue breaks down a bit, but over the next day of so it regenerates and becomes stronger. The same is true for us! Whatever weakens us temporarily, strengthens us in the long run. Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger!

In order to bring this lesson home, G-d sent Amalek to do battle with us. The numerical value of Amalek is the same as the value of the word safek, doubt. G-d sent us a physical manifestation of our own doubts, that we might battle them and prevail. We saw that we are capable of overcoming hardship. We saw that G-d was with us, and desired the relationship enough to carry us through.

Life is hard. If you don't agree, don't bother to continue reading; I'm not talking to you. In fact I don't know how you're reading this, or how you even exist, because I haven't yet met anyone who "had it easy." Nobody, including myself, likes to hear that the hard stuff is for our benefit, but too bad, it is. The question is, what do we do with these situations that press us so hard that we begin to doubt our ability to function, and maybe even our sanity?

When we are feeling weak and afraid, and we began to doubt the very basis of the life that we live, we can look to our ancestors for strength. They knew pain, worry, and fear. They knew that they were full of mistakes – mistakes of the past, and mistakes just waiting to happen. We are not infinite, all-powerful beings. It was never part of the deal. Our part is to have faith in HaShem, and faith in the faith that He invested in us. He created us. He sustained us until this moment, through great and many hardships. He loves us and continues to sustain us. The pain we are feeling may just be G-d himself pinning us to the wall and waiting for us to call out to Him to bring a salvation beyond our wildest dreams.

Shabbat Shalom,
Shalvi

The Talmud describes the Pigs Flu (Ta'anis 21B)

2009-05-23T22:10:00.000-07:00