Axiom, Elul, Parsha Ki Savo

Chava Tova bat Perel, a mother of 8, is very ill.

TORAH AXIOM: There are no accidents – every thing comes from Heaven except Fear of Heaven. When I sent out my Drasha last week, I had no idea what was in the Good Shabbos Story. Not the Alas poor Yorik from me or Yorik Yorik in the first story. When I wrote the Giyores Story which I had planned for weeks it was after the e-mail had gone out that the wedding of the Ger Story came in. Only after I mailed out the second Good Shabbos Story did I read both! From last week:

Devarim: 22:6 If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shall not take the dam with the young; 7 thou shall in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou may take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou may prolong thy days.

First let us take the normal Pshat of Rashi that neither adds nor detracts from the above Axiom. This excludes [a bird nest that is] ready at hand. – [Chul. 139a, Sifrei 22:55] you shall not take the mother. While she is on her young, [whereas if she is only hovering overhead, you may take her from upon her young]. – [Chul. 140b]
7. in order that it should be good for you, [and you should lengthen your days]. If in the case of a commandment easy [to fulfill, like this one] for which there is no monetary expense, Scripture says,“[Do this] in order that it should be good for you, and that you should lengthen your days,” then how much greater is the reward for [the fulfillment of] commandments that are more difficult to observe [or for which there is a monetary expense]. — [Sifrei 22:64, Chul. 142a]

Now from here, you might say aha! The Torah itself mentions chance – therefore you are to know that this is no accident, something that happened, it is your being tested. The chance of you finding a birds nest that would be of value to you just coming your way is pretty small unless you have a bunch of pigeons who decided to nest right under your drainage gutter and your later can reach there. Otherwise the probability becomes very small so you are being tested by HASHEM all the more so Macaw Parrots that are worth $1600 each if sold by a pet store. It is something like the words of Rogers and Hammerstein from the King and I in the song

Hello Young Lovers “You walk down the street on a chance that you’ll meet and you meet not really by chance.” Know that you are being tested and not to fall into a trap like Elisha ben Ahuviya who left the Torah and became Acher.

Elul

The Financial Crises is no accident. Perhaps the materialistic side was greed. However, there is a religious side to the crisis. We say but do we really mean it – Parnasa (income) is in the hands of HASHEM. The pray TETAN TOKEF where we say “Who will live and who will die”, “Who will become rich and who will become poor, who will be lifted up and who will be pushed down.” These too are no idle chatter of Rabbi Amnon on his death bed in the Schul on Rosh Hashanah. Sometimes when one becomes too rich he has too much pride and a little pushing down and humbling is necessary by G-D. Now what about the union worker in Pittsburgh, Detroit, etc. or bank workers, computer workers at Hewlett Packard, etc. it could be that who remains on the job is because of humility and extra efforts and who is fired may get a better job somehow and somewhere through the will of HASHEM. I am not the judge but the L-RD certainly will sit in judgement on Yom HaDin.

HOW DO WE OVERCOME THE FINANCIAL CRISES? MY SOLUTION CAN BE SAID IN ONE SENTENCE: 29:8 Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper.

The Chofetz Chaim suggested that much of the financial crises in his day was caused by disbelieve in G-D which put a Gezara (ruling – usually by a group of Rabbis or a well known Rabbinical Authority but in our case G-D) on the money and the money became part of the disbelief. If there is no trust in G-D, then there is no trust in money.

Some of us can think within the normal Tshuvah Box and repent. However, like in Engineering: http://www.tehachapi.com/loop/ One must find a solution outside of the box to work for himself. I like to work on the main weaknesses – getting side tracked, wasting Torah Time, clowning around perhaps more than to get a smile out of someone and maybe not working out in the gym hard enough and goofing off instead of getting back quicker to Torah. I want to set an example of one of my main fights with my Yetzer Hara which is to over-eat or let my diet slip.

Of course fighting my Yetzer to gain and not take off weight was the hardest. I have been to a number of kosher meal affairs and Kiddush (es) in Schul this month and since I started my no white flour at all diet; I have lost approximately 2.2 lbs a week and 4% body fat while adding muscles. The solution to a major problem was simple. I got the diet from Dr. Ina Levenson, had a number of medical problems and solved it by stopping all white flour. I don’t go hungry and snack on whole rice (crispies) w/o sugar – sold in Israel. No bread other than whole wheat rolls. It could be that I would lose more weight with the diet whole wheat bread but since this is working fine why change it. Another person may postpone going to a doctor or getting a medical test. Still another would rather be a couch potato than exercise. Two things are necessary for one to do in his spare time. First find time for Torah, Second find time for at least aerobic exercises. If necessary one should walk with his or her spouse and talk what they would normally talk over a cup of coffee. Dr. Ina being a widow walks around Ramat Modin by herself. She no longer is worried and needs a cane as by losing 25 lbs; she has better cholesterol, blood pressure and breathes better. A fellow in my Gym manages his diabetes not with medicine but swimming 4 to 5 times a week. He is now working on losing weight through more aerobics and some muscle building to reduce excess fatty tissue that produces the bad glycemic index as well as a better diet.

Rabbi, you might say to me – you’re right that one should watch his diet and one should exercise but you are like a politician all promises and no plan. So I took this from AOL “Losing it by Jillian Michaels”: What Does “Toning” Really Mean?

Let me just give a little clarification regarding the word “toning.” The word has nothing to do with the size of a particular muscle; it refers rather to making a muscle lean by burning intramuscular fat, and conditioning the muscle for better performance.

You can’t actually build muscle mass unless you’re eating more calories than you’re burning, but you can “tone” a muscle to make it leaner. To tone your muscles, you should plan to do weight training four days a week, working each muscle group twice a week, with two days of rest after training a particular muscle group.

For example, try:

Monday: Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques
Tuesday: Back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Chest, shoulders, triceps, quads, upper abs, obliques
Friday: Back, biceps, hamstrings, glutes, lower abs
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Cardio

Remember, exercise is the architect, but recovery is the builder. You have to give your body adequate recovery time to heal itself and grow stronger. If you work out too often without resting, you’ll just continue to break your muscles down.

Why talk about the physical body’s health for doing Tshuvah? Because when one is weak physically it is more difficult to have the strength to over come the Yetzer (Don’t leave us in old age when our strength fails us don’t abandon us – Selichos).

I want also to mention the difference between the other two monotheistic religious and Judaism on sin and repentance. The two others attribute a lot more power to the Satan to tempt us and therefore the pedophile who attacks a child when caught will say, the devil made me do it. It was not really me. Our attitude is that a person does not sin unless a spirit of folly enters his head (you have to be out of your mind to sin). But contrary to a savior forgiving him or dying for his sin, each individual has his or her own Yetzer Hara and the sin is within him/her and the individual has the power to overcome the sin and repent. In short when a Jew sins the buck stops here.

Below I will give some examples of the Yetzer of the earning money above ones capability, libido, laziness, and gluttony.

For others the inclination pushes them to get wealth beyond their abilities. Some people waste a hundred dollars a week buying lottery tickets where they have the same probability of winning if they spent a dollar and bought one ticket. Still others if given the opportunity try to steal. Reuven and Shimon work for guarding a company that has gold for plating certain objects. Somebody steals a large quantity of gold while they are on guard duty. It turns out that one of the guards borrowed a cutting machine from one of the workers. Has anyone thought about saving each week the hundred dollars and investing either in an interest paying account or maybe not now but when the market stabilizes a green energy fund. As they say “Get real!” the chances that you are going to be a millionaire over night without work and savings are millions perhaps billions to one. WHO IS RICH? ONE WHO IS SATISFIED WITH HIS LOT! Even if you have a million or two, you will realize soon enough that perhaps you can have a nice retirement fund but not a wealthy life style so your Yetzer will want more and more. Bankers are usually cautious but greed got the better of the fat-cat $27,000,000 a year plus bonuses managers on Wall Street.

For others sitting around like a couch potato or sleeping is their Yetzer. They can kill time and do nothing. I once was burnt out after completing a project at work like non-stop for a few days so I wanted to say a few words with a co-worker. To which he replied to me, “If you have nothing to do, don’t do it here.” He was of course right; I just had to unwind a bit. So it happens to all of us even workaholics like me. Even a type A personality needs rest but too much will make one feel like a lazy bum.

The Libido Yetzer: “She wore a miniskirt just 6 inches from her naval and her blouse was about the same from her naval so I …” Sorry you could have turned the other way (preferred) or taken a picture like they do to movie stars, but there is a legal limit to behavior. For many their libido is their main Yetzer. Others get a Don Juan complex or a Cougar mentality. Only by reading Mussar books and prayer can they over come it. The Rambam says that if one repents in his youth and full a strength that is true repentance. If in old age it is also repentance but not quite the same.

Finally, we live in a society that the average person in a western culture today is like a rich person in a previous generation. We have fruits and vegetables almost in season all year around. We go to wedding and there are choices of chicken, beef, lamb, young chicken, etc. and we want to eat all. We have choices of desserts various cakes, cookies, gelatins, chocolates, fruits, ice cream, pies, custards and you name it. Our Yetzer pulls us to try each and everything available. Or the wife wants to cook and prepare food and stuffs the husband. I saw my friend Yod go from a flat stomach to a person who looks like he is in the 9^th month all do to his wife shoveling food at him as well as his Yetzer for food. It is also my main Yetzer from the “clean the plate, because people are starving in Europe” days of my early childhood until voluntarily out of habit not leaving food on my plate. Even when I diet, I have to put my left overs back into the refrigerator. My friend Bracha suggested taking smaller plates and it helped. Gradually, I have learned over the years to put less and less food on my plate. This is going to be a battle for me for the rest of my life but at least I know what my main Yetzer is. Do you know yours?

Other Yetzer problems stem from anxiety or super cleanliness. Others from insecurity so they speak lashon hara to put other people down, and the list goes on and on, the main thing is to know your own Yetzer and fight it. It is yours no devil tempting you. You either got it from your environment like the ess ess mein kind that I received growing up with the threat no dessert unless you clean your plate. Some have little or no respect for their elders or they take out their frustrations from work or a bad day on their kids. And last but not least no matter what happens the only one who can repent and be forgiven for your sins upon death is you and nobody else. I’m working on my own Yetzer for this that and the other thing is you working on yours?

Ki Savo

Last year, I wrote: This is one of the hardest Parshiyos for me to write about. Not that the curses do not supply material, but I don’t want to talk about Am Yisrael faults. I may add that I don’t like to spit out fire and brimstone. That is not the Torah was as we say that the way of Torah is “Noam” (pleasant) and all its paths are Shalom. So I like to think positive.

Nobody explains so well things about Shemita, Tithes, Confession of the First Fruits but Rashi so I am using him a bit more this week than usual.

26:1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, and dost possess it, and dwell therein;

And it will be, when you come… and you possess it and settle in it. This [verse, which is immediately followed by the commandment of bringing the firstfruits,] teaches us that they were not obligated [to bring] “firstfruits” until they conquered the Land and divided it. – [Kid. 37b]

This is first section of the Parsha is read on Pessach and spoken when bringing the Bikurim (first fruits) from Shevous through Sukkos. Originally the person was called up to read from a Torah Scroll the confession. When the illiteracy rate increased after the destruction of the first Temple and in my case the inability to read Trop (proper cantillation of the Torah) the person bringing the Bikurim was read to and he repeated it.

2 that thou shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shall bring in from thy land that the LORD thy God gives thee; and thou shall put it in a basket and shall go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.

Of the first. But not all the first, because not all fruits are subject to [the mitzvah of] “firstfruits”-only the seven species [for which the land of Israel is noted]. Here, in our verse, it says the word אֶרֶץ, “land,” and there [in the verse describing the praise of Eretz Israel], it says, “A land (אֶרֶץ) of wheat and barley, vines and figs and pomegranates, a land of oil-producing olives and honey” (Deut. 8:8). Just as the earlier verse (Deut. 8:8) is referring to the seven species through which Eretz Israel is praised, here too, [the verse is dealing with] the praise of the Land. [Rashi proceeds to explain two expressions in Deut. 8:8, which are relevant to the mitzvah of firstfruits, in light of the connection taught by our Rabbis above:] oil-producing olives. [refers to]“ אֲגוּרִי olives,” [see Sifrei 26:2, meaning superior quality] olives that retain their oil, keeping it gathered (אָגוּר) [as it were] inside it. [Hence, it is the superior fruits which must be brought here]. — [Ber. 39a] [And in the same verse (Deut. 8:8):] honey. That is the honey of dates. — [Sifrei 26:2] of the first [of all the fruit]. [What is the process of taking these fruits?] A man goes down into his field and sees a fig that has ripened. He winds a reed around it for a sign and declares: “This is the firstfruit (בִּכּוּרִים) .” – [Mishnah Bikkurim 3:1]

When one brought Bikurim, he would bring let us say large figs as Bikurim, smaller figs as addition to the Bikurim and dried figs for the display too.

3 And thou shall come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: ‘I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the land which the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.’

You have only the kohen in your days, whatever he is [and although he may not be as wise or holy as those of previous generations, you are obliged to address him with the respect due to his office as an agent of God]. — [Sifrei 26:3] and say to him. That you are not ungrateful [for all that God has done for you]. I declare this day. [The expression, “this day,” teaches us that the one who brings the firstfruits must make this declaration] once a year, and not twice [even though he may return with more firstfruits later that same year]. — [Sifrei 26:3]

So you should know that not every Cohain is like Rav Kuk Shlita of Rehovot or Rav Shar-Yeshuv Cohain Shlita of Haifa but perhaps only a Reform or Conservative Cohain with good genealogy back to Aaron HaCohain. The Torah comes to tell us that if he is a Kosher Cohain, you get the Mitzvah anyway just as if you brought it to a Cohain Rabbi and Gadol B’Torah.

4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.

You have only the kohen in your days, whatever he is [and although he may not be as wise or holy as those of previous generations, you are obliged to address him with the respect due to his office as an agent of God]. — [Sifrei 26:3] and say to him. That you are not ungrateful [for all that God has done for you]. I declare this day. [The expression, “this day,” teaches us that the one who brings the firstfruits must make this declaration] once a year, and not twice [even though he may return with more firstfruits later that same year]. — [Sifrei 26:3]

The Cohain could be the age of your child, a boorish person, etc. but if he receives the basket from you Rashi comes to explain to us that he is an agent of G-D.

And the kohen shall take the basket from your hand. In order to wave it. [How so?] The kohen places his hand under [the basket, beneath the level of] the owner’s hand [which is grasping the basket at the top, by its rim] (Sukk. 47b), and [in this position,] waves [the basket together with its owner].

If Rashi would not explain to me that the owner and Cohain do it together, I would think it was the Cohain only.

5 And thou shall speak and say before the LORD thy God: ‘A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

And you shall call out. Heb. וְעָנִית [Usually meaning to “respond.” However, in this context, this word] denotes the raising of the voice. — [Sotah 32b] An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather. [The declarer] mentions [here] the kind deeds of the Omnipresent [by stating]:“An Aramean [sought to] destroy my forefather.” That is, Laban, when he pursued Jacob, sought to uproot [i.e., annihilate] all [the Jews], and since he intended to do so, the Omnipresent considered it as though he had actually done it (Sifrei 26:5), for [regarding] the pagan nations of the world, the Holy One, Blessed is He, considers the [mere] intention [of an evil deed] as [being equivalent to] the actual perpetration [of the deed itself]. — [Yerushalmi Peah 1:1 at end] who then went down to Egypt. And [apart from Laban,] still others came upon us to annihilate us, for after this, Jacob went down to Egypt [“and the Egyptians treated us cruelly…”]. With a small number of people. [Namely,] seventy persons. — [Sifrei 26: 5; see Gen. 46:27]

This is one of the few times that Torah specifically mentions our family/national history. It is to remind us that we must review and study the past and learn from our mistakes for the future. One who gets divorced because he married a woman for her beauty or her money only and now she posses none will have to review why he wants a divorce before going through it and he must make sure that he does not make the same mistake the second or third time around. History tends to repeat itself unless quick and corrective action is taken. One who doesn’t know mankind’s history is not fit to lead as he will make mistakes that other already made and corrected.

6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. 9 And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

The context is the Mishkan for sacrifices but Rashi says it is recognizing The Temple (Beis HaMikdash) as the center of Jewish Life.

10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.’ And thou shall set it down before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God.

Then, you shall lay. [The repetition of the expressions וְהִנִּיחוֹ (verse 4) and here, וְהִנַּחְתּוֹ] teaches us [that there were two procedures involving laying the hands on the basket and waving it, namely] that [the owner] takes [the basket] after the kohen has [completed] waving it; [the owner subsequently] grasps it in his hand during his declaration, and then repeats the waving procedure.

11 And thou shall rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.

From here, [our Rabbis] said that the firstfruits declaration is recited only at the time of “rejoicing,” namely, from Shavuoth until Sukkoth, for [then] a person gathers in his grain, fruit, wine and oil [over which he rejoices]. However, from Sukkoth and onwards, he must bring [his firstfruits to the Temple], but he does not recite the declaration. – [Pes. 36b] you, the Levite. [From here, we learn that] the Levite is also obligated in [the mitzvah of bringing] firstfruits if they planted [trees] within their [forty-eight] cities. [Outside of these cities, they had no land.] and the stranger who is among you. [I.e., the proselyte.] He brings [his firstfruits], but he does not recite the declaration, since he cannot say “to our fathers” [in the introduction to the declaration (verse 3): “I have come to the land which the Lord swore to our forefathers to give us”]. — [Mishnah Bikkurim 1:4]

12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of your increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied,

Rashi at this point is going to explain the Shemita cycle in details and we are coming to the end of the cycle on Rosh Hashanah and the Assemblage on Sukkos.

When you have finished tithing all the tithes of your produce in the third year. When you have finished separating the tithes of the third year [of the seven-year shemittah cycle]. It fixes a time for the removal [of the tithes from the house] and for the [accompanying] confession [regarding their proper disposal] on the Eve of Passover [for the removal, and for the confession, in the afternoon of the last day of Passover] of the fourth year, as it is said,” At the end of (מִקֵּץ) three years, you shall take out [all the tithe of your crop] (Deut. 14:28), and later on, Scripture also uses this expression: “At the end of (מִקֵּץ) seven years“ (Deut. 31: 10), referring to the mitzvah of הַקְהֵל [assembling all the people in the Temple courtyard, to hear the king read the book of Deuteronomy]. Just as there, the mitzvah was to be performed on a Festival, here too [in the case of removing the tithes and reciting the confession, the mitzvah must be performed] on a Festival. But one could suggest that just as there [in the case of הַקְהֵל, the mitzvah was performed] on the Festival of Sukkoth, here too, [the mitzvah must be performed] on the Festival of Sukkoth. Therefore, Scripture states here: ”When have you finished taking all the tithes in the third year”- [this refers to] a festival on which all tithes have been completely taken: this is Passover [not Sukkoth], because many trees have their fruits picked after Sukkoth [but not after Passover]. Consequently, the separating of tithes of the third year’s produce will conclude on Passover of [the following year, namely] the fourth year. And anyone who has delayed [in distributing] his tithes is ordered by Scripture to remove [any remaining tithes] from the house [on Passover of the fourth year of the shemittah cycle]. — [Sifrei 26:12] the year of the tithe. [The third year of each shemittah cycle is called “the year of the tithe” because] it differs from its preceding two years insofar as it is a year in which only one of the tithes separated in the two preceding years is separated. During the first and second years of the shemittah cycle, the tithes separated are: a) מַעֲשֵׂר רִאשׁוֹן, “the first tithe,” as the verse says, “[Speak to the Levites, and say to them,] When you take from the children of Israel the tithe…” (Num. 18:26) [Referring to “you first tithe,”] and b) מַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי, “the second tithe,” as the verse says, “And you shall eat before the Lord, your God… the tithes of your grain, of your wine and of your oil…” (Deut. 14:23) [Which is a reference to “the second tithe”]. Thus, we have two tithes [being separated during the first two years of the shemittah cycle]. Now Scripture comes and teaches us that in the third year, only one of these two tithes is separated. And which one is that? It is “the first tithe.” [“The second tithe is not separated during the third year.”] Instead of “the second tithe,” one must give “the tithe for the poor,” for it says here in our verse “you shall give [them] to the Levite” what belongs to him, namely “the first tithe” ; [then our verse continues:] “the stranger, the orphan, and the widow”-this is “the tithe for the poor.” – [Sifrei 26:12; R.H. 12b] so that they can eat to satiety. Give them enough to satisfy them. Based on this, [our Rabbis] stated: One may not give the poor in the granary less than one-half a kav of wheat [or one kav of barley. [A kav represents the volume of twenty-four eggs]. — [Sifrei 26:12, Peah 8:5]

13 then thou shall say before the LORD thy God: ‘I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandment which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them.

[Sifrei 26:13] I have removed the holy [portions] from the house. This refers to: a)“the second tithe,” and b) נֶטַע רְבָעִי, the fruit yielded by a tree in its fourth year of growth [both of which are termed קֹדֶשׁ, holy (portions)], they must be brought up to Jerusalem and eaten there in purity. [Accordingly,] the verse here teaches us that if one has delayed bringing these tithes up to Jerusalem for two years, he must take them up now [in the third year]. And I have also given it to the Levite. This refers to “the first tithe.” – [ibid.] and… also. [This seemingly superfluous word, “also,”] comes to include Terumah , [the part given to the kohen] and the firstfruits [which are also given to the kohen . Since Kohanim stem from the tribe of Levi, they are referred to here as Levites]. — [Yerushalmi Maaser Sheni 5:5] the stranger, the orphan and the widow. This refers to “the tithe for the poor.” – [Sifrei 26:13] according to all Your commandment. I have given them [the tithes] in their proper sequence (ibid). I did not give Terumah before the firstfruits; I did not give tithes before Terumah; I did not give the second tithe before the first tithe. For Terumah is termed רֵאשִׁית, “the first one,” because it is the first portion to be separated when the produce has become [matured]“grain,” and it is written [regarding the separation of tithes]: מְלֵאָת‏ ְוְדִמְע‏ ֲלֹא תְאַחֵר (Exod. 22: 28), which means that one must not change the order [set out in Scripture for separating tithes]. – [Mechilta , Exod. 22:28] I have not transgressed Your commandments. I did not separate tithes from one species [of produce to fulfill the obligation of tithe-separation due] from another species [of produce], and I did not separate tithes from the new crop [of the year to fulfill the obligation of tithe-separation due] from the old crop. — [Sifrei, Maaser Sheni 5:11] nor have I forgotten. To bless You [on the performance of the mitzvah] of separating tithes. — [ibid.]

The confession was to make sure that one really gave some charity to have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, and that was the main ceremony and guarantor for the poor. It was also a hidden warning to those that understood after the curses section. Not giving charity to any one of the group Levy – Levite, poor would bring retribution and also helping the stranger in your midst. But to the Orphan and the widow there was even a stronger meaning: Your children could become orphans and your wife could be a widow if you don’t do what HASHEM commanded.

14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me. 15 Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst swear unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.’ 16 This day the LORD thy God commands thee to do these statutes and ordinances; thou shall therefore observe and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

Every day is a new day and a new mitzvah. Here the word might (strength physical and monetary) is not used and since most of us know the Shema prayer by heart this has a special meaning.

Rashi notes: [Tanchuma 1] You will observe and fulfill them. A heavenly voice is blessing you: “You have brought the firstfruits today- [so] will you merit to bring them next year!”

17 Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and that thou would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken unto His voice.

We do not find any equivalent expression in the Scriptures [which might give us a clue to the meaning of these words]. However, it appears to me that [the expression הֶאמִיר] denotes separation and distinction. [Thus, here, the meaning is as follows:] From all the pagan deities, you have set apart the Lord for yourself, to be your God, and He separated you to Him from all the peoples on earth to be His treasured people. [Notwithstanding,] I did find a similar expression [to הֶאמִיר], which denotes “glory,” as in the verse“[How long will] all workers of violence praise themselves (יִתְאַמְּרוּ) ?” (Ps. 94:4).

Moshe concludes the Drasha with the fact that we must keep and obey the Torah

18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be His own treasure, as He hath promised thee, and that thou should keep all His commandments; 19 and to make thee high above all nations that He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that thou may be a holy people unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken.

And so that you will be a holy people… as He spoke. [When He said]:“And you shall be holy to Me” (Lev. 20:26). – [Mechilta 12:78]

Rabbi Yossi Jankovits Shlita concludes this whole section with a short thought: It is interesting to note that we make mention of the lengths Hashem went to and not merely the fact that he removed us from Egypt. We learn from this an important lesson: when assessing the gratitude that we owe another we must take into account not only what we received, but also the amount of effort exerted on our behalf.

27:1 And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying: ‘Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, that thou shall set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster. 3 And thou shall write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou may go in unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee. 4 And it shall be when ye are passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shall plaster them with plaster. 5 And there shall thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones; thou shall lift up no iron tool upon them. 6 Thou shall build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shall offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God. 7 And thou shall sacrifice peace-offerings, and shall eat there; and thou shall rejoice before the LORD thy God.

In seventy languages. — [Sotah 32a]

8 And thou shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.’ 9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spoke unto all Israel, saying: ‘Keep silence, and hear, O Israel; this day thou art become a people unto the LORD thy God. 10 Thou shall therefore hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes, which I command thee this day.’ 11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying: 12 ‘These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin;

As it is found in Tractate Sotah (32a): Six tribes ascended to the top of Mount Gerizim and [the other] six to the top of Mount Ebal; the kohanim , the Levites and the [holy] ark stood below in the middle. The Levites turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and began with the blessing: “Blessed be the man who does not make a graven or molten image…,” and these [the tribes on Mount Gerizim] and these [the tribes on Mount Ebal] answered “Amen!” Then [the Levites] turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and began with the curse, saying: “Cursed be the man who makes any graven [or molten] image…,” and these [the tribes on Mount Gerizim] and these [the tribes on Mount Ebal] responded “Amen!” The Levites then turned their faces once again towards Mount Gerizim, and said: “Blessed be he who does not degrade his father and mother,” [and the tribes on Mount Gerizim and those on Mount Ebal responded “Amen!” The Levites] would then turn their faces once again towards Mount Ebal, and say: “Cursed be he who degrades his father and mother,” [and the tribes on Mount Gerizim and those on Mount Ebal responded “Amen!”]. Thus [it would continue] in this manner for all of them [the blessings and curses] until [the very last curse, namely (verse 26)]:“Cursed be the one who does not uphold [the words of this Torah].”

I repeat myself here. Mt. Gerizim is a fruitful mountain and green. Mt. Ebal is barren. Both overlook the gave of Yosef and the town of Schem.

13 and these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice:

… 28:68 And the LORD shall bring thee back into Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee: ‘Thou shall see it no more again’; and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwoman, and no man shall buy you.

In his stories about Eliyahu HaNovi, Rabbi Klapholtz, brings down the fact that there is no blessing to contra this curse. Eliyahu said that in the future the enemies of Israel will make such a fearsome war against us that it would be as if we want to sell ourselves as slaves. But none will buy is actually a blessing in disguise as HASHEM purchased us according to the Chumosh and in the future HE will redeem us!

Rashi however brings down the negative part of the curse: And there, you will seek to be sold to your enemies. You will wish to be sold to them as slaves and handmaids. But there will be no buyer. Because they will decree death and destruction upon you, and you will seek to be sold. Heb. וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם, in Old French epor vandrez vos. [That is, the verb is in the reflexive conjugation. Accordingly,] it is incorrect to explain וְהִתְמַכַּרְתֶּם [as if in the passive conjugation, i.e.,] as וְנִמְכַּרְתֶּם, “and you will be sold”-sold by others-because the verse continues: “but there will be no buyer.” [Thus how could they be “sold by others” if there is “no buyer”?]

69 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.

That they should accept the Torah upon themselves with a curse and an oath, besides the covenant. [Namely,] the curses [which appear] in Lev. (26: 14-39), which were proclaimed at [Mount] Sinai.

29:1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; 2 the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders; 3 but the LORD hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. 4 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. 5 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know that I am the LORD your God. 6 And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them. 7 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites. 8 Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper.

Moshe ends with a historical reminder. We can learn from this for educational purposes one must learn over and over again the lessons from the past. Also the miracle of feeding and eating Mann (Manna) for an entire generation and they grew up healthy is a tremendous miracle which we take for granted. Also the miracle of clothing not wearing out for 40 years, no skin rash, no bad odors and walking in the same pair of shoes or sandals for 40 years without any problem. Even with the best hard soled rubber, the shoe’s bottom and instep wears out. All this the Bnei Yisrael took for granted but it was a combination of miracles. The concluding words of the Parsha are: just observe the Torah and do the Mitzvos and you will prosper.

Selichos starts this Motzei Shabbos so please note it is early this year.

Before requesting forgiveness with Selichos please read this from Rabbi S. Simmons: (Aish HaTorah)

Everyone knows that Adam and Eve made a bad mistake in the Garden of Eden. But was their primary mistake eating from the fruit? No. A look at the verses (Genesis 3:8-13) reveals something much deeper:

"[After eating, Adam and Eve] hid themselves from God among the trees of the Garden. God called to Adam and said: "Where are you?"

"I heard Your voice in the Garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid."

God asked: "Who told you that you are naked? Did you eat from the tree which I commanded you not to eat?"

Adam replied: "The woman that you gave to be with me - she gave me to eat from the tree."

So God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Rashi explains the sequence: God obviously knows what Adam has done, yet He does not attack with an accusation. Rather, God strikes up a conversation, asking in a gentle, non-threatening way: "Where are you?" He gives Adam a chance to admit his mistake, and express regret. Instead Adam hides and blames it all on Eve. Eve passes responsibility off to the snake. Everyone claims they did nothing wrong! That was their worst mistake.

God knows we're not perfect - He's the one who created us this way! But He does expect us to take responsibility for our actions and admit when we've done wrong. Because without doing so, there is no hope to correct it in the future. This lesson can be applied to raising children. Imagine walking into the kitchen to find your child up on the counter and reaching his hand into the cookie jar. Don't accuse, don't attack, and don't back him into a corner. The deed of snatching cookies is already done; the only question that remains is how he will deal with the mistake. Try a casual, "Hey, what's goin' on with the cookies?" This gives him a chance to state the truth without feeling threatened.

ANTI-SUPPRESSANT

Why is it that so many people have trouble admitting when they're wrong? One possible reason is that without an absolute standard of right and wrong, there may be no compelling reason to admit wrongdoing. Newsweek magazine reports:

"You got to court and the guy is looking at you, like, 'What's your problem? So what if I killed your son?'" says Virginia Irick, whose teenage son was murdered a several years ago in Philadelphia. Of the 1,200 families serviced by a grief-assistance program, only 10 have seen some kind of remorse from the person who killed their loved one. That's less than 1 percent.

In Western society, aversion to apology is a widespread malady. Whether somebody cuts another off in traffic, or destroys a marriage, admitting guilt is out of vogue. In fact, pop psychology has done all it can to remove whole concept of "guilt" from our lexicon. It's much easier to rationalize our mistakes away. And it's unhealthy to feel guilt, they say. "Suppress it!"

On one level, this suppression is unhealthy. When we refuse to admit, it is depressing and paralyzing. The regret stays inside and festers.

On another level, this suppression is downright dangerous. When one repeats an inappropriate act, he will eventually come to rationalize it as proper. The Nazi Himmler wrote that in his own personal experience with killing Jews, the turning point came when he was able to fall asleep at night without any guilt. He knew then that he'd crossed the point of no return.

SAY IT OUT LOUD

This week's Parsha provides an important tool for admitting our mistakes:

"When you have finished taking all the tithes of your grain ... make the following declaration before God: "I have removed all the sacred portions ... I have given the appropriate portions to the Levite, the orphan and the widow..." (Deut. 26:12-13)

The Torah is telling us that to evaluate our spiritual status properly, the key ingredient is to speak it out loud. "Make the following declaration before God" - i.e. articulate verbally where we have succeeded and where we have failed.

The ArtScroll Machzor explains:

"As an intelligent, thinking, imaginative being, man has all sorts of thoughts flashing constantly through his mind. Even sublime thoughts of remorse and self-improvement are not strange to him, but they do not last. For his thoughts to have lasting meaning, he must distill them into words, because the process of thought culminates when ideas are expressed and clarified.

"That is not as easy as it sounds. It is usually excruciatingly difficult for people to admit explicitly that they have done wrong. We excuse ourselves. We refuse to admit the truth. We shift blame. We deny the obvious. We excel at rationalizing. But the person who wrenches from himself the unpleasant truth, 'I have sinned,' has performed a great and meaningful act."

TALKING TO YOURSELF

This lesson is crucial as we approach the High Holidays, the time when we stand in front of the mirror and see the stark reality of who we are. Maimonides explains:

"For every Mitzvah in the Torah that a person transgresses, he needs to confess before God ... What does this consist of? The person says: 'God, I have sinned before you; I have done this specific act; I am ashamed of my actions; and I will never do it again." (Laws of Teshuva 1:1)

In Judaism, confession is a totally private matter, between you and God. In fact, the Hebrew word for confession - li-heet-vadot - is the "reflexive" form which connotes acting upon oneself. Though we speak to God, He knows the truth already. The problem is when we're not willing to admit the truth to ourselves. As the prophet Jeremiah says, "God will judge us when we say 'I didn't sin.'"

Incredibly, the incident of Adam and Eve occurred on the very first Rosh Hashana, the day that humanity was born. Rosh Hashana is thus the most opportune day to repair that mistake. May these holidays be a time of spiritual growth for us all.

Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Shraga Simmons

Inyanay Diyoma

A Trojan Virus and Pop-up described as anti-virus from CNET: Kill Antivirus XP 2008 for good will not kill your computer but will mess you up a bit.

Masquerading as software to protect your machine from threats, the "rogue" security program Antivirus XP 2008 uses deceitful and invasive tactics to con users. The fraudulent software will detect nonexistent viruses and other malware and use continuous pop-up windows to advertise the scam. Although Antivirus XP 2008's antics are well known, it seems to have lately affected a rash of new users. It's also doubtful that the scamware will disappear anytime soon. Sunbelt's Alex Eckelberry recently noted the arrival of a new rogue clone, named XP Protector 2009. One interesting aspect of the recent Antivirus XP 2008 outbreak is that many users with adequate antispyware and firewall protection are still finding themselves infected. If you're one of the many unlucky PC users to get stuck with this malware beast, you don't need to reformat your hard drive (unless you prefer to, of course). At the least, first read Seth Rosenblatt's instructions for removing Antivirus XP 2008. He has step-by-step details in plain language for kissing that rogue spyware pest goodbye forever.

Dov Shiurim returns to singing after being broken by the Gush Katif evacuation: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3596333,00.html

Some Jews die in Aeroflot crash: http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5580

A week ago the KGB-STASI of Olmert stopped buses from going to criticize and picket the house of the general in charge of Yehuda and Shomron who signed the expulsion order of Meir Bretler who according to the Jerusalem Post of Yediot Achronot is on the top of the list of trouble makers. Meir and another soldier brought an empty gas canister into the central bus station in Yerushalayim about two or three years ago and wrote: “Sharon this is a warning for you!” Meir, the father of two, was arrested for a short time – it was more a youthful protest than any real threat to anybody. He was expelled from the army and then had a court order remove him from his home. Recently, the general signed the order. Don’t get me wrong the general is no Tzaddik but he got orders from above. I went to Schul for Mincha which was supposed to be the scheduled time of the protest. In the Schul was two brothers of Meir so they were in no hurry to make a futile protest against an order that would not be rescinded. In fact it only got people more angry at the government that did not allow peaceful protest.

Crying Wolf

Strategically the Presidential Candidate and Party should attack the other Presidential Candidate. However, they have chosen in my opinion a blunder by attacking the vice-Presidential Candidate. The last governor with only two years experience in office to be vice-President was also a Bull-Moose type – Theodore Roosevelt.

I get e-mails that are anti and pro Palin on a daily basis examples: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13098.html

http://www.israeltoday.co.il/default.aspx?tabid=178&nid=17145

Every card carrying member of the Democratic Party has been sending out a vicious e-mail implying that Sarah Palin has been mass murdering wolves in Alaska. I received 2 of these from people who received this from a friend. My reply was as follows I purposely have as I wrote it.

I am canceling my subscription to Defenders of Wildlife as they have a political agenda. I believe in protecting nature but come on do you want a pack of man-eating wolves or man-eating polar bears coming down the streets of your city? Give me a break please. These idiots will save a few wolves with their

agenda while 5,700,000 Israeli Jews get nuked.

Please fwd this to you list. Palin was at the Republican Convention with an Israeli 60th anniversary pin on her lapel. She also as I showed you in the video clip has an Israeli flag in her office. Biden attacked Begin in 1982. Who was the Chicago Lawyer who defended the Arabs in Chicago? I vote for AM YISRAEL and ERETZ YISRAEL and not for wolves which HASHEM Yisborach commanded my forefather Adam to rule over them. I too have a political agenda For G-D and Country. My country may be the USA but in G-D I trust others pay cash!

I received this directly from Reuven and it is my guest editorial this week:

Copyright © R. Kossover, 2008 Published 14 September in Blogcritics Magazine

While Americans have been paying attention to their presidential race, things have been happening around them. Perhaps Sarah Palin brings everything a newsman wants in a story, controversy, sex and a pretty face. So, it falls to this writer to talk about the unpleasant things happening in and around the Middle East where pretty faces are as rare as pigs wearing lipstick.

First of all, an American consul general finally admitted what everybody has known for months and has been denying - that the Israeli government has been talking about splitting up Jerusalem in a so-called "peace" agreement. And according to the Jerusalem Post, the Kadima Party is in an uproar. Why they should be in an uproar is puzzling. These are the crooks and politicians who surrounded Ariel Sharon as he left the Likud Party specifically so that he wouldn't have to sing shtei gadót hayardén "Both Sides of the Jordan" (the Revisionist Zionists' anthem, adopted by the Likud) anymore and so that he could push the agenda of the Shlomtzion Party he had founded thirty-four years ago - a Arab State in Judea, Samaria and Gaza.

If that were the only bad news, well, one could live with it. The Israeli government has been committing treason since it agreed to surrender Judea and Samaria in the Oslo "Peace" Accords that have only cost 5,000 lives so far. So, what else is new? Traitors in Jerusalem is a story as old as the Book of Ezekiel and the Book of Kings. That is not really news. …

First the good news, an old article from 12 July about extending the term of the head of the Mossad (Israel's spy agency) into 2009 according to the article,

by extending the Mossad director, Meir Dagan's tenure for another year until the end of 2009, Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert has put in place a vital constituent for a possible eleventh-hour unilateral strike at Iran's nuclear facilities.

Given that the Islamic Republic has threatened to wipe us off the map, a pre-emptive strike to retard these efforts is the very least we in Israel should be planning. We do not have the capability to wipe Iran off the map, but we can at least try to "avert the severe decree". But along with the sweet smelling rose comes the thorn. The Bush administration is refusing to sell or give Israel the equipment it needs to pull this off, or the permission to refuel over Iraqi airspace (which the United States presently controls). According to Arutz Sheva which is reporting this story, "Israel may soon be left with no realistic option to strike Iran's nuclear facilities and no time to find another solution." We see here the exact same pattern that we saw in Gruzia (Georgia) - the Americans betraying a country they pretend is an ally.

While the Americans twist the knife in Israel's back, the Russians, determined to reassert their role as a world power, have been helping the Iranians build the Bushehr nuclear reactor. In addition, US-Russian naval rivalries have heated up in the Black Sea, Caspian Sea and Persian Gulf (Debkafiiles, 8 September), threatening to break out into real conflict in the near future. Russian units raided Georgian airfields (Debkafiiles, 6 September), airfields that Israel had hoped to use in a strike on Iran. Thus, the Russians effectively cut off another possible route of attack on Iran. Iran's al Qods (the Iranian terrorist command), Hizballah secretly integrated rocket and commando units (Debkafiles, 7 September). According to this article,

This may not have been news to US vice president Dick Cheney, when he "revealed" Saturday, Sept. 6, that Russia had sold advanced weapons to Syria and Iran, some of which had been channeled to Lebanon and Iraq. …

According to Debkafiles, Israeli officials remain oblivious to the threat of direct Iranian control over Hizballah by the Iranian terrorist network. It appears that American officials remain oblivious to the growing threat to them as well. Well, actually one American did not seem oblivious to the growing Russian threat. Asked about it in an interview Thursday, Sarah Palin said, "you can't blink" - even if that meant conflict with Russia.

Hmm .... Let's see how this might develop.

Two Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers land in Venezuela, nuclear battle cruiser on way (Debkafiles 10 September), Iran diverts UF6 uranium from Isfahan to boost covert military nuclear project (Debkafiles 12 September), Russia lines up with Syria, Iran against America and the West (Debkafiles 12 September). This article deals with the fact that a permanent Russian presence in the Mediterranean is now a fact of life. According to Debkafiles, the Russians are not planning to start another Cold War in Europe. Based on what this writer knows of the background of the Russian prime minister, Vladimir Putin, a renewed Cold War is not in the cards. A good veteran of the Russian Spetsnaz is not going to settle for a Cold War. That is not how they fight. Debkafiles (let's not forget that Debkafiles is the back door information drop of Israel's Mossad - these are spies talking) summarizes the article this way.

In aligning with Tehran and Damascus, Moscow stands not only against America but also Israel. This volatile world region is undergoing cataclysmic changes at a time when Israel is virtually without a fully competent prime minister and key political and military decision-making by the rest of the government is at a standstill.

That's sort of it for the bad news. Well, almost. This e-mail came to me from a lady who is a veteran in the news business. Dear ____ , My contacts in the governments in both Washington and Jerusalem are telling me that nuclear war with Iran could be just weeks away. I asked her if she could give me any verification. This was her answer.

This person has had close personal relationships with I believe every Israeli P.M since Shamir, and is in and out of the White House like a fiddler's elbow. He is reliable and very truthful. I don't feel comfortable passing on what amounts to a rumor. But on the other hand, I don't feel comfortable not publicizing this somehow. So, make of this what you will.

But the point that Debkafiles makes about the Israeli government - that it is leaderless and paralyzed - is the opening for what this writer views as the good news coming out of the region - and one of the few signs of hope for the People of Israel.

Last week, on 11 September, it was reported in the Jerusalem Post, "that soldiers clashed with settlers near the settlement of Yitzhar, south of Nablus, after they began throwing rocks at passing Palestinian cars." The same article reported "in the Binyamin Region (where I live), settlers attacked officials from the Civil Administration of Judea and Samaria who had arrived at the illegal Yad Yair outpost to confiscate equipment that was allegedly being used for illegal construction." The article itself complained that "settlers" were, according to the IDF, crossing "red lines" with their violence and that the judicial system was not being harsh enough with them.

Let's see, a Jew fires into the air to defend himself from an Arab mob, and he is taken into custody, forced to explain his behavior. The Arab mob, which had attempted to murder him by pelting stones at his car was allowed to go free. A teenager protesting the illegal expulsion of Jews is jailed for months and called an enemy to the state, while when Arabs murder Jews routinely, the state does nothing. This has been the "narrative" of events for several years now. It is about time that Jews stopped asking for their rights as citizens and started taking them.

Arutz Sheva reported this evening that when an Arab terrorist stabbed a boy near Yitzhar, the residents attacked an Arab village. According to the article, An Arab terrorist stabbed a nine-year-old boy at the Shalhevet (named after Shalhevet Pass, a infant murdered by an Arab sniper Hevron) hilltop community near Yitzhar in Samaria on the Sabbath while he torched an empty house and tried to set fire to a second building. The boy suffered light injuries when he was attacked after spotting the Arab towards dawn. Dozens of residents of Yitzhar retaliated and attacked the adjacent Arab village of Asira al-Kabaliya, where it is suspected the terrorist resides. Villagers claimed that the Jews rioted in the village, destroyed houses, overturned vehicles and shot at least two Arabs. Arabs threw rocks and stones at the Jews until IDF soldiers arrived, broke up the riot sand slapped a curfew on the village. The troops arrested one suspect in the stabbing. According to Arutz Sheva, Arab Knesset member, Ahmed Tibi, called the Jews "two legged animals, and Meretz Memeber of the Knesset Zahava Gal-On demanded that Security Minister Ehud Barak take action against the "violent settlers". The fact that an Arab had attempted to burn buildings in a Jewish village was apparently unimportant in the eyes of the honorable traitor.

However, the good news here is that Jews finally are demonstrating that they no longer fear Arabs and that the violence between Jews and Arabs in Samaria has changed in its nature, with Jews attacking Arabs when Arabs attack Jews.

For Israelis or people without TV who want to know what Gov. Palin said on Iran: http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=5783816

Tank Defense System Delayed: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1221489040961&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

US WON'T HELP ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN by ZE'EV BEN-YECHIEL forwarded with major comments by Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East Analyst & Commentator

Bush and Rice have launched a propaganda campaign to silence their critics over their plan to stop Israel from taking out Iran's Nuclear Threat. Bush-Rice and the State Department is allowing the sale of one thousand bunker-buster bombs while insuring that Israel will not be able to deliver those bombs. Bush, like his father, George Herbert Walker Bush, will not allow Israel to attack her adversaries but will keep up the propaganda to the Media and the American people by dribbling out radar, anti-missile missiles and bunker-busters - all of which seem to look like they're helping Israel but, actually keep Israel's defensive hands tied.

Bush-Rice and the State Department will leave as their legacy a Hitlerian regime called Iran, armed with nuclear weapons, as a result of Russia's assistance.
Perhaps the end plan is to wait until Iran destroys Israel and then launch a U.S. attack against Iran's nuclear sites. The NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE of August 2008 offers a full map of Iran, with all of Iran's nuclear sites conveniently noted and described. It's as if NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC had "put out a contract" on Iran's nuclear sites.

Sounds like a typical Bush-Rice-Baker scenario in synch with the Saudis who would like to see Israel destroyed and Iran driven back to the 7th Century. The Bush family gets what they want. The Saudis get what they want.

Israel gets the chance to be a martyred State under the guidance of the Left and those American Jews who thought they would be safe in America, they get the chance to build another dozen Holocaust Museums to dead Jews.

As for AIPAC (the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee), it died a quiet death after Morrie Amitay left as Director. Now they merely raise money and seem to be under the thumb of the Condoleezza Rice State Department. They prepare a neat package to complete the pretense that the Jews of America and Israel have nothing to worry about because AIPAC is on the job.

Not so. The Jews of Israel and America must defend themselves and both their countries.

COMMENTS BY EMANUEL A. WINSTON

###

US WON'T HELP ISRAEL ATTACK IRAN by ZE'EV BEN-YECHIEL ARUTZ SHEVA 7 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/SendMail.aspx?print=print&type-0&item=127576

From Tsila: After three years of waiting, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert quietly has granted permission to the Muslim custodians of the Temple Mount to repair and enhance Quranic verses plastered around Judaism's holiest site. Read the latest now on http://wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=75488

I am not going to discuss the victory of TZ. Livni by a hair or the resignation of Shaul Mofaz out of disgust for her inability to lead and only to divide Yerushalayim and give everything possible away without ever addressing the Iranian issue. Perhaps more next week.

It is a little early for the Good Shabbos Story to arrive.

Be well and have a wonderful Shabbos,

Rachamim Pauli