I HOPE THIS COMES OUT THIS WEEK FOR SOME REASON THE HEBREW DID NOT REGISTER SO I MOVED IT TO UNICODE AND HOPE THAT IT WILL APPEAR CORRECT.
The Chazon was praying on Yom Kippur and throughout the prayers one man was sitting in the back constantly crying. At the conclusion, the Chazon went up to him and asked “What made you cry so hard.” The man replied, “I once had a goat that gave me good milk and from that milk, I made cheese and had a comfortable income until one day the goat died. Your praying reminded me of the goat who used to mew just like you.” – Rabbi Barak Kocavi Shlita.
IMPORTANT CORRECTION from Shmuel Friedman Shlita:
In the almanac of Harav Mordechai Genut לוח דבר בעתו he brings that what you mentioned and says it a mistake.
Last time Kiddush HaChamah fell on Erev Pesach was in 1925. This is the fourth time it will fall on Erev Pessach in the sixth millennium.
The year we left
Oh yes, Kiddush HaChamah always falls on Motzei Shmittah.
Parsha Hazinu
32:1 Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
When Moshe warned Yisrael of the curses, the heavens and earth were used as witnesses and to counteract this, for this song to instill within G-dliness into man, Moshe used this and his blessings in Zos HaBracha which occurred also on the 7th of Adar 2488 would also have the same witnesses. One can see this in Rashi’s statement:
Moses said: “I am [just] flesh and blood. Tomorrow I will die. If
Actually Moshe was to die within just a few hours after he finished the teaching of the song and the writing. One may ask how as the song taught? I watched a few thousand Lubavitchers in
2 My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew; as the small rain upon the tender grass, and as the showers upon the herb.
Rain is the biggest blessing one can give in a desert climate and water in plenty there is no bigger blessing than this.
This is the testimony that you shall testify, that in your presence, I declare, "The Torah (לִקְחִי), which I gave to Israel, which provides life to the world, is just like this rain, which provides life to the world, [i.e.,] when the heavens drip down dew and rain. — [Sifrei 32:2] will drip. Heb. יַעִרֹף, meaning, “dripping.” Similar to this [are the verses]: and “will drip (יִרְעֲפוּן) fatness” (Ps. 65:12), [where the root רעף is equivalent to ערף];“will drip (יַעַרְפוּ) dew” (Deut. 33: 28). will flow like dew. with which everyone rejoices, [unlike] the rain [which occasionally] causes anguish to people, such as travelers, or one whose pit [into which he presses his grapes] is full of wine [which is spoiled by the rain]. — [Sifrei 32:2] like storm winds. Heb. כִּשְׂעִירִם. This is an expression similar to, “storm (סְעָרָה) wind” [since ס and שׂ are interchangeable. Accordingly,] the Targum renders [כִּשְׂעִירִם as]: מִטְרָא כְּרוּחֵי,“like winds [that bring] rain.” [The metaphor is explained as follows:] Just as these [stormy, rainy] winds maintain the plants and promote their growth, so too, the words of the Torah cause those who study them to grow. like raindrops. Heb. וְכִרְבִיבִים, drops of rain. It appears to me that [a raindrop] is called רְבִיב because it shoots (רוֹבֶה) down like an arrow, as Scripture states, “an archer רוֹבֶה קַשָּׁת” (Gen. 21:20). vegetation. Erbediz [in Old French, like the English: herbage]. This is [the general term for] the mantle of the earth covered with vegetation. grass. Heb. עֵשֶׂב. A single stalk is called עֵשֶׂב and each species is called עֵשֶׂב [while דֶּשֶׁא denotes vegetation in general].
3 For I will proclaim the name of the LORD; ascribe ye greatness unto our God. 4 The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice; a God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is He.
Even though God is strong [like a rock], when He brings retribution upon those who transgress His will, He does not bring it in a flood [of anger], but [rather] with justice because “His deeds are perfect.”
King David wrote in Psalms the ways of the L-RD are straight and bring joy unto the heart. He essentially brings down always Justice with Mercy. Rabbi Yacov London TzZal would always talk about HASHEM’s Justice and Mercy (so much over the course of the years that he older boys used to imitate his manner of speech on this.) We all joked around in our immature ways but we learned this important principle from the Rosh Yeshiva. For G-D’s Justice is not like man’s there is no forgetfulness on the part of the Dayan, no lies from the prosecuting Angel or the Defense and nothing is hidden. But the Din is straight and Just and often melted out with Compassion and Mercy of Our Father Our King. Do unto us charity and mercy and save us! Thus a stupid forgetful transgression of Shabbos is not the same as one who drives to pick up his adulterous companion and go to a trafe restaurant. They will get the above mentioned retribution that Rashi mentions.
5 Is corruption His? No; His children's is the blemish; a generation crooked and perverse.
This was written long before the generation of the playboy philosophy, or the revising witchcraft. This was given to a nation some members had witnessed the 10 Plagues, splitting of the Sea and heard HASHEM speak clear words at Har Sinai. Yet that generation was crooked and perverse, I wonder what ours would be called where children in the States can’t go out to parks or ride bikes home without fear of somebody coming along and kidnapping and abusing – perhaps murdering them. My daughter-in-law could not believe that children could be left to play alone unguarded in Ramat Modin or Ganei Modin.
6 Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not He thy father that hath gotten thee? hath He not made thee, and established thee?
This should be read as a question:“[Why] are you doing such saddening things before God? He has the power to punish you, [nevertheless] He has bestowed all these favors upon you. [Is this the way you repay Him for those favors?]”- [Sifrei 32:6] you disgraceful… people. who have forgotten all that has been done for them. unwise. [because you do not] understand the outcome, since it is in God’s power to do them good or evil [according to their actions]. — [Sifrei 32:6] Is He not your father, your Master?. [The word קָּנֶ means:] Who acquired (קָנָה) you; [alternatively it means:] Who nested you (קִנְנֶ) in a nest (קַן) of rocks and in a strong land; [alternatively it means:] Who has rectified you (תִּקְּנֶ) with every type of reparation (תַּקָּנָה). He made you. A [special] nation among nations, and established you. After [making you a special nation, God established you] upon every kind of firm base and foundation (כַּן) [i.e., made you self-contained]: your kohanim are from among yourselves; your prophets are from among yourselves, and your kings are from among yourselves. [Indeed, you are like] a city from which all [resources] are [drawn]. — [Sifrei 32:6] – As they say in the Israeli Army = if it doesn’t go into your head your feet will run it off until it enters your system.
7 Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations; ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, your elders, and they will tell thee.
By studying history, we should learn our lessons. There is a new science domain at universities called “Future Prediction” and is not necessarily based on the latest technology but used for predicting wars, economic effects, fashions, etc. based on repetitions found throughout history. This is one of the ways I look at political candidates whether Israeli or American. It is also a lesson for us in everyday living. When everybody is getting out of the market and Warren Buffet and Steve Forbes are holding pat or going in that is not the time to panic. When the Israeli left is going against HASHEM’s miracles of the 6 day war, that is not the time to throw out all the land that G-D gave and promised to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yisrael. Now is the time to say Hallel and settle every inch we can with Torah Observant people.
Remember the days of old. what God did to past generations who provoked Him to anger. reflect upon the years of [other] generations. [I.e.,] the generation of Enosh, whom [God] inundated with the waters of the ocean, and the generation of the Flood, whom [God] washed away. Another explanation is: [If] you have not set your attention to the past, then “reflect upon the years of generations,” i.e., to recognize the future, that He has the power to bestow good upon you and to give you as an inheritance the days of the Messiah and the world-to-come. — [Sifrei 32:6] Ask your father. These are the prophets, who are called “fathers,” as Scripture states regarding [Elisha’s crying out to] Elijah, “My father, my father, the chariot of
8 When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the children of men, He set the borders of the peoples according to the number of the children of
When He separated the sons of man. When [God] scattered the Generation of the Dispersion [which built the
Ok anti-religious politicians, just whom do you think the inheritance of the land comes from? From the Arabs (heaven forbid) or from a Condolese telling you to give up this or that until on Jan. 20th at noon she is out of a job.
9 For the portion of the LORD is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance.
I am working hard on my “In the Beginning Drasha” and would like to go onto the passing of Moshe and the blessings below. But I would like everybody to read this self explanatory Rashi that I bring down in red: And why did God go to all this effort [to save mankind]? “Because the Lord’s portion” was hidden within them [i.e., mankind] and was destined to come forth. And who is God’s portion? “His people.” And who is His people? Jacob, the lot of His inheritance. And he is the third among the Patriarchs. He is endowed with a threefold [parcel] of merits: The merit of his grandfather, the merit of his father, and his own merit-thus, totaling three, like a rope (חֶבֶל) composed of three strands [twined together for added strength (Sifrei 32:9)]. Thus, it was [only] Jacob and his sons who became God’s inheritance, not Ishmael, the son of Abraham, and not Esau, the son of Isaac. Thus the first twenty generations to the flood and the
More commentary in future years.
44 And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he, and Hoshea the son of Nun.
He and Hoshea the son of Nun. It was the Sabbath upon which there were two leaders [because the office was being transferred to Joshua, i.e.,] authority was taken from one and given to the other. — [Sotah 13b] Moses appointed a meturgeman [literally, an interpreter, here a spokesman] for Joshua, [to relay to the public what Joshua said,] so that Joshua could expound [on the Torah] in Moses’ lifetime, so that
45 And when Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all
If you follow the commandments and observe the Mitzvos, then you shall preserve your days on the land. Otherwise !!!
48 And the LORD spoke unto Moses that selfsame day, saying: 49 'Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, unto mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, that is over against Jericho; and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession; 50 and die in the mount whither thou goes up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his people.
Just as your brother Aaron died. [God said to Moses:] “Die with the same death that you witnessed and longed for, that Moses removed Aaron’s first [i.e., upper] garment and dressed Eleazar [Aaron’s son] with it. Then, Moses did the same with the second garment, and the third. Aaron then saw his son in his glory [of his new office]. Moses then said to him: ”Aaron my brother! Go up onto the couch,“ and Aaron went up. ”Stretch out your hands,“ and Aaron stretched [out his hands]. ”Stretch out your legs,“ and Aaron stretched [out his legs]. ”Close your eyes,“ and Aaron closed [his eyes]; ”Close your mouth,“ and Aaron closed [his mouth], and he passed away. Thereupon, Moses said, ”Fortunate is the one who dies a death like this!" - [Sifrei 32:49]
Moshe was called up the mountain to see the promise land and die somewhere on his way down and I might think that it was on the side facing Eretz Yisrael therefore in 34:6 we are told he that he saw the land came down somewhere and was buried in a cave in the valley. Immediately upon is death I assume that a high magnitude earthquake occurred on the Syrian-African fault line and a land slide that followed buried and sealed the cave in an unknown spot for ever.
51 Because ye trespassed against Me in the midst of the children of
From afar. Heb. כִּי מִנֶּגֶד from afar. you will see [the Land]. For if you do not see the Land now, you will no longer see it in your lifetime. but you will not come there. But I know that the Land is dear to you. That is why I say to you, “Go up [the mountain] and see [it]!”
Honoring his old man (Or Shmuel gets in post army duty fling outside of
Shmuel was around 21 years old, he was just about to finish his army duty in about three months at the early autumn rolled around in
Dreaming of touring the world, Shmuel loved nature and geography and told all his friends where they could tour and they did. Shmuel eventually got married and had children. His life was rich but unfulfilled his wanderlust. When Shmuel’s son finished the army, he got together with his army buddies and told them of his father’s wishes and how the war cut short his dreams. The son went and made a sort of chariot wheelchair with special climbing and spare climbing wheels. The fellows agreed to push, pull and move via cables the chair and Shmuel up a
The second channel in
From R’ A.L.
See InnerNet's dozens of great High Holidays articles: http://www.innernet.org.il/catgories.php?pid=16
INNERNET MAGAZINE September 2008
"TWICE SAVED FROM TERROR" by Baruch Lev
August 9,
Reluctantly, Martin took his place in line, checking his watch nervously every so often and wondering if he would be on time for his appointment. An older man standing in front of Martin noticed his impatience, and turning to him with a smile, said, "You look like you're in a hurry. It will take at least a half-hour to get to the counter. If you like, I'll keep your place in line, and meanwhile you can go and take care of whatever it is you have to do." "Really, you don't mind?" Martin clearly sounded relieved. Looking out the window of the restaurant he could see the tall building on
Martin thanked the man in front of him and ran out of the restaurant. As the pedestrian traffic light was green, he crossed the street and made his way to the nearby office building, mentally ticking off all the things he still had to do that day. As he approached the building, without warning, he felt a huge shock wave and his ears rang from a deafening explosion. In the panic and confusion, Martin took cover in the nearest shop. There was a long moment of silence and then -- pandemonium. The wails of countless sirens from ambulances, police and rescue units could be heard, and people from all directions began running in the direction from which Martin had come. The air was permeated with an overpowering scorched odor, and thick black smoke spread overhead.
Frightened and confused, Martin ran together with all the others. At first he did not understand what was going on, especially since everyone spoke in rapid-fire Hebrew. But after a minute or two, he caught one word that seemed to repeat itself over and over again: Sbarro The awareness hit Martin like a flash of lightning. That was the name of the restaurant he had just left. He would still have been standing there when the explosion occurred if not for the man who had stood in front of him and saved his place in line. In place of the modern, glass-fronted restaurant, there was only fire, smoke, twisted steel, rubble -- and terror victims.
By nature unemotional and self-controlled, Martin broke down and cried, overcome by the tragedy that had just struck and the miracle of his rescue. His cell phone began ringing, but Martin did not even hear it. Everything that had seemed so important just a few minutes ago -- his business, his meetings, all that he had to do were now as nothing... He soon became aware of the extent of the tragedy: Nineteen killed -- five from one family -- and seven of them were young children and babies. There were 109 people injured, 12 seriously. Martin felt his heart contract as he envisioned the crowded restaurant before the explosion.
Martin wondered what had happened to the man who had been standing in front of him... It suddenly occurred to Martin that he did not know the man's name, and he only vaguely remembered what he looked like. How would he ever find out what had happened to him under those circumstances? In his characteristically efficient manner, Martin asked the people who were standing near him for the names of the hospitals where the wounded had been taken, and jotted them down in his appointment book. He then hailed a cab and began his search. The scenes that met him at the various emergency rooms were difficult to watch. Victims and their families filled the rooms, and it was hard to make sense of anything.
Making his way from one emergency room bed to another, Martin was shaken to the core. He almost gave up, but was driven by the desire to see the person in whose merit he was standing on his feet and was not one of those hospitalized. Although it was not always possible to get a good look at a victim's face, he was sure that he had not yet found the person he was looking for. At the third hospital he visited, Martin suddenly found him. The man's head was bandaged and his eyes were closed, but Martin had no doubt that it was he. This was the one who, with his considerate gesture, had saved Martin from certain injury and possible death.
Martin managed to find out that the man's name was Yaakov; he had been seriously wounded and had been taken to the intensive care unit. He had many injuries caused by the nails that had been implanted in the bomb and he was in great pain. He was conscious but couldn't talk. Martin was thankful that the man who had saved him was alive. Where there is life, he thought, there is always hope. He could not bear the thought of returning to
Early the next morning, he was gratified to hear that Yaakov's condition had stabilized. An hour later, he was allowed into the room to see him. Yaakov lay on his back, attached to tubes and machines, with his eyes open. At first he could not remember anything prior to the explosion, but after some prompting from Martin, he said that he did have a vague recollection of saving a place in line for an American businessman. It hadn't occurred to him that in doing so he had saved his life.
Martin could barely speak. He held Yaakov's hand and said, "Please, Yaakov, ask me for anything you want. I don't know how to repay you. I won't have any peace until I've shown you my appreciation..." Yaakov spoke with difficulty, and his voice almost inaudible. "I lack for nothing, thank God. All I really need is a full recovery, and that depends on the One Above. Return to your family in peace and may we only hear good news from each other."
Yaakov rested for a moment and then continued, "You know, I didn't do anything out of the ordinary. Anyone else would have done the same. Give your appreciation to G-d, not to me." The monitor indicated that Yaakov was exerting himself too much, and the nurse asked Martin to leave the room. Martin stood up, took out one of his calling cards and placed it on Yaakov's night table. As he left the room he called out, "I left you my address and phone number. Please don't hesitate to call me if you ever need anything. I give you my word that for as long as we both live, I will do anything I can for you."
Yaakov's son, who had been sitting next to his father, took the card and put it in his pocket. Yaakov closed his eyes and fell asleep. The conversation had left him totally exhausted. Martin said a final goodbye and left the hospital. He, too, felt drained.
* * *
The next day, Martin was on a plane headed back to New York... Martin's family received him with great relief and joy. They made a "thanksgiving" meal, and Martin retold the story of his miraculous rescue. Not a day went by without him mentioning Yaakov in his prayers, and he only wished that he had asked for his phone number so that he could check up on his progress.
Five weeks later, Martin received a phone call from Israel. It was Yaakov's son. Martin inquired excitedly about Yaakov's health. "We are hoping for the best," Yaakov's son said. "But he needs a complicated operation. The doctors recommend that the operation take place in a certain American hospital that specializes in this kind of surgery. They say that it could also be done in Israel, but the chances are better in the United States.
"At first we didn't even consider the option of taking my father to America. We don't know a soul there and it seemed an impossibility. But then I remembered your card and what you said, and I decided to ask your opinion." Martin could barely restrain himself. "What's the question?" he exclaimed. "Please don't waste any time. Order plane tickets for your father and whoever will be accompanying him. You will be my guests. I'll make all the arrangements for everything. Just fax me all the details and the medical documents, and I will call the hospital here and get in touch with the right doctors. Leave it to me. Just give me your number and call me as soon as you have your tickets. I will be waiting for you at the airport."
From that moment on, Martin was a man with a mission. He put aside or postponed everything and dedicated himself to bringing Yaakov to the United States for surgery. He consulted various medical advisors and made appointments with a surgeon, paying all the costs himself. Since the operation would be performed outside of New York, he arranged accommodation for Yaakov's family close to the hospital. For the first time ever, Martin took time off from his work schedule so that he would be available to help Yaakov and his family. It was the least he could do.
A week later Martin sat with Yaakov's family in the waiting room of the prestigious medical center, while Yaakov underwent the complicated surgery that would hopefully repair the damage his system had suffered during the bombing. As he tearfully prayed for Yaakov, nothing was further from his mind than his business and its now empty office, located on the 80th floor of the Twin Towers in Manhattan. The time was 8:30 in the morning and the date was September 11, 2001. Martin soon realized that once again Yaakov had been sent from on High to save his life.
This incredible story was told to the author by Rabbi Avraham Dov Auerbach, who heard it from a relative of the people in the story. All names have been changed to protect the privacy of those involved.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpted with permission from "There is No Such Thing as Coincidence." Published by Feldheim/Homodia - http://www.feldheim.com.
InnerNet Magazine is published monthly as an on-line digest of fascinating articles from the Jewish world. Topics include relationships, spirituality, personal growth, philosophy, incredible true stories, and special editions for the Jewish holidays.
Archives of past articles are on-line at http://www.innernet.org.il (C) 2008 InnerNet Magazine
Ladies if you think Meah Shaarim modesty patrols are bad: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605914,00.html
DIN PERUTA KEDIN MEAH (The judgement over owing a penny is the same as a hundred!). It would be improper for me not to give a little Mussar about wasting money, fuel, resources, free wheeling with credit cards, etc. Once upon a time way back in the ancient days of my childhood buying Kool-Aid for a few cents and selling it for 5 cents a glass made big money for us kids. We could earn perhaps 50 cents to a dollar in the heat of summer. It kept us busy, people not thirsty and gave us a little bit of cash to buy toy soldiers or comics or baseball cards. My allowance was smaller than other kids as my father was squirreling away money in stocks, bonds and savings for retirement. My mother’s family had been poor working class people and my father’s rich life in Europe ended with Anschluss http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anschluss so my father came to the States with a very small sum of money and then had to support his aged parents. Money was something to be cautious with and if somebody invested it was not the day trader style but for long term investments. Each raise in pay of only a little bit of money was carefully guarded by all. One can see this in a take-off into a play of what was going on at that time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqCqZUuSnwo&feature=related
AL Chet meaning: http://www.rabbileff.net/shiurim/moadim/yamimnoraim/peirush_vidui.mp3
Inyanay Diyoma
Trivia Quiz: What famous war hero promised to cut taxes for the rich by 30% and the average tax payer 5% got elected and did it. He got the country out of a recession with his tax cuts and inspired nation pride and a national effort.
A) Andrew Jackson
B) Ulysses S. Grant
C) Teddy Roosevelt
D) John F. Kennedy (the answer is below)
Vice Presidential Debate: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127837
Financial Crises and Anti-semitism (Goldman Sachs, Lehman, etc.) it must be the Jews: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127839
Coward lame duck Olmert: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605219,00.html *
A MUST READ!!! http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3605053,00.html
People who live in glass houses should not throw bricks. Obama is saying that McCain = Bush so now Palin is saying that Obama = Ayers. Draw your own
NY Times on the Meaning of Life Center: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/29/nyregion/29synagogue.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&oref=slogin&oref=slogin
Where not to invest your money: Taken from Lev & Neshama thanks to Tsila:
Sent: Sunday, October 5, 2008 1:45:19 AM
Subject: MESSAGE DURING THE TEN DAYS OF REPENTANCE
Dear friends,
I received this email from friends in Toronto who are truly interested and supportive of Israel and the Jewish people. They, like many of us living in Israel are amazed at the silence of the Jewish world who continue to support the current Israeli government which is planning to give away Jewish land and Jerusalem to our enemies with very little outcry. This will only provide our enemies with a better access to continue to try to destroy us.
Many of our Jewish organizations that have been so supportive in the past have also long passed their usefulness and are now creating more problems for us than necessary. The Jewish Agency and Israel Bonds are but two of these. Please read the following messages and if you agree, it would be very positive to help us notify people not to purchase Israel Bonds this year as the money they are donating is helping to destroy Israel.
I don't usually send out things of a political nature but times are getting more and more difficult for Israel's Jewish community. We at Lev U'Neshama as well as other non profit organizations are watching our donations slip away. This means that more and more of Tsfat's Jewish children will be going to bed hungry. Would that we could claim some of the dollars that well meaning donors give to Israel Bonds which are then being used to destroy Israel, Heaven forbid.
All the best for a Gmar Chatimah Tova.
Rena Dvorkin Cohen,
Tsfat, Israel
www.levuneshama.org
-------Original Message-------
From: Israel K
Date: 05/10/2008 06:18:52
Dear List:
With each passing day it appears that the officials who represent the Israeli government come ever closer to finalizing an agreement with the P.A. Amalek, which is to provide them with a state within the borders of Israel. Former or current PM Olmert continues to act and represent and control the media airwaves of Israel and demonizes the Torah Zionist communities of Yehuda & Shomron by accusing them of bombing the home of Prof. Zeev Sternhell
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/8282 . Both Ehud's, Barak and Olmert, have hit the airwaves in Israel condemning the settlers for their attack on Sternhell, one of the architects of Oslo.
When leadership in a democracy such as Israel make a decision to jump to these conclusions without evidence it is well understood that these two men are paving the way to remove most communities in Judea and Samaria. I encourage all on this list to read the following synopsis of the situation in Israel and a conclusion on one reaction to dealing with the Insanity that has currently grasped the Jewish People. Those who disagree with the following stand on Israel Bonds are free to respond or ask me to remove them from this list and those who agree should not thank us for writing this letter but should rather contact your local Bond Office and let them know how pained you are that Israeli leadership no longer represents the "Jewish" state or the majority of world Jewry and that you can no longer support Israel Bonds. Now make a pledge to support those in Israel who are defending a Jewish Israel day in and day out.
This pledge will be a true Bond with Israel.
Land of the insane
Imagine—
You have been propelled to a surrealistic universe where people act exactly the opposite of what you would expect. Where people embrace their enemies and hurt their friends. Where they invite murderers to be their neighbors, and throw kind and gentle people out of their homes. Where people enjoy being ridiculed and trampled upon, but are loath to stand up for themselves with dignity and pride. Where people who express their venomous hatred are considered partners in peace, but those whose hearts overflow with love and devotion are treated like dangerous fanatics. Where the strong and the mighty allow the weak and lowly to degrade, humiliate, and even torture and kill them.
Welcome to Israel. A country whose ownership is beyond dispute— enshrined in the most respected and the holiest document ever to have existed. Is not the Bible the very symbol of truth and the embodiment of justice in all of Western Society? Is not the exclusive and eternal Jewish bond to the Land of Israel the very thread that runs through the entire Bible?1
In our time G-D has miraculously returned the Land of Israel to its rightful owners. G-D always keeps his word. In the year 2488 from Creation, 1,273 years before the Common Era, on the seventh day of the Jewish month of Adar, Moses stood before the entire Jewish nation. This was the last day of his life. He prophesied in the name of G-D, that although the Jews were about to enter the Holy Land, they would not remain there indefinitely. Eventually their sins would cause them to be banished from the holy soil of Eretz Yisroel, the Land of Israel. But exile would only be temporary. The time would come when G-D would bring them back, this time forever.
G-D will then bring back your remnants and have mercy on you. G-D your Lord will once again gather you from among all the nations where He scattered you. Even if your Diaspora is at the ends of the heavens, G-D your Lord will gather you up from there and He will take you back. G-D your Lord will then bring you to the land that your ancestors occupied, and you too will occupy it. (Deuteronomy, chapter 30).
For almost 2,000 years, Jews prayed every single day for the fulfillment of this prophecy. From that fateful day in the year 69 of the Common Era, when the Roman legions destroyed the holy Temple and scattered the Jews to all corners of the world; seven days a week, 365 days a year, and several times a day. Jews plead with G-D:
Gather us together, from all corners of the world to our Land. (from the Amidah prayer, recited thrice daily).
G-D has granted our generation the privilege of witnessing with our very eyes this ancient prophecy beginning to unfold. He has further granted the Jews of Israel the wisdom and talent to build the mightiest army in the entire region. An army fully capable of subduing its enemies and bringing completed calm and security to the Jews of Israel and security from the most savage and degenerate sub-humans on this planet. Beings, who take pride and pleasure in seeing babies blown to bits—malevolent and wretched megalomaniacs who dream of dominating the world and obliterating anyone who stands in their way. Who fantasize about eternal lust in the Garden of Eden as reward for their vile cruelty.
Yet in spite of the fact that destroying these ignoble degenerates would be the most virtuous and noble of acts in human history—In spite of the ease with which this could be accomplished, the leaders of Israel, backed by its media and academia choose to submit to the baseless and selfish demands of these savage beasts. In an insane display of meek and servile surrender, they callously allow their own brothers and sisters to suffer injury and horrible death.
As if all this would not be enough to boggle the mind, they have now sunk to new depths of depravity. They have declared war against their own people. Not just regular people, but the cream of the crop. Men and women who epitomize the highest ideals of being a Jew; who are overflowing with love for our people, our land, our heritage; who have with incredible devotion and self-sacrifice built beautiful communities, majestic places of worship, and the finest institutions of learning. It is the lives of these special people that the leaders of Israel have cruelly wrecked. With savage fervor they destroyed decades of hard work and noble accomplishments. They tore away families from their homes, their memories, their schools, and sources of livelihood—beautiful synagogues and yeshivot, kindergartens and kollels, institutions of higher learning were forcefully abandoned; left to be desecrated by wild beasts that walk on two feet and speak Arabic. Beautiful
community centers and massive greenhouses were gifted to the unrepentant murderers of our children— keenly aware of the grotesque nature of the savage monsters to which they are bequeathing these beautiful communities. They also unearthed their departed loved ones from their resting places lest bloodthirsty, despicable creatures mutilate bodies that they have already murdered and desecrate their gravesites causing the families of the departed to once again go through the agony of their painful losses.
And this is only the first step. These Jews are in the midst of planning the destruction of scores of additional communities and wrecking tens of thousands of Jewish lives. They dream about erasing any trace of Jews and Judaism from the holy city of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount. There are simply no words in any language to accurately describe the lunacy and the criminal madness that has infected the minds of the Israeli leadership.
THIS YEAR, DON’T INVEST IN ISRAEL BONDS
Tishrei 5769
Israeli bonds have always symbolized the aspirations of the Jewish people. Over the years, Jews set aside as much money as they could to invest in the building and development of our Jewish state. There was an intimate connection between the Jews in the Diaspora and the land of Israel. Sadly, this is no longer the case.
The Israeli government supplies the cement and steel bars to Gaza– which Hamas then uses to build underground bunkers and passageways from which they attack Israeli cities–with the rockets they manufacture, using steel tubes, chemicals and electricity– also supplied by Israel. The government also sends truckloads of Shekels monthly to Gaza, which helps the Hamas terrorist regime to stay in power. The government also facilitated the supply of dozens of armored vehicles, tens of thousands of machine guns and millions of bullets to our terrorist enemies.
There is now a tragic disconnect between the government of Israel and the Jewish people–both in Israel and abroad– brought about by a betrayal by the Israeli government of its responsibilities to the Jewish nation. There is now a widespread realization that this government is not interested in the future of the people of Israel and the Jewish people as a whole. The government orders the army to remove hundreds of checkpoints, leaving Israelis defenseless from Arab attackers– and then arrests those who try to defend their land their homes and families. The original raison d’être of Israel bonds has lost its meaning.
• The Jewish people do not want their money to be administered by a government that ejects Jews from their historical land of 3000 years.
• The Jewish people do not want the money they invested in bonds to support the creation of another Arab town in Galilee.
• The Jewish people do not want the money they invested in bonds to supply free medical services, electricity, water and fuel to our sworn enemies.
• The Jewish people do not want their funds to support judiciary and penal systems which release murderers of Jewish children – while it incarcerates Jews for defending their homes, their orchards, their very lives – or only for protesting government policies.
We the Jewish people cannot support a government which refuses to evict Arab squatters from JNF or privately owned Jewish lands. Israel Bonds’ publicity tells us that bond money goes only to support schools, to build roads, to help widows and orphans – when in fact a good portion of it goes to projects which will ultimately contribute to the destruction of the Israeli state.
No thank you! Don’t invest in Israel bonds!
Instead, invest your money directly in those institutions and organizations which help the majority of the Jewish citizens the government expelled from their homes, who are still without jobs and still live in temporary shacks.
[Published by your neighbors and friends who are deeply concerned for the survival of Israel and Jerusalem.]
*Israeli has 3-6 months to hit Iran’s nuclear sites if Moscow sells Tehran S-300 systems
Russian military experts calculate that the window for an Israeli attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities will shrink to 3-6 months if Moscow sells Iran (and Syria) the sophisticated S-300 system for guarding those sites against air, missile or cruise missile attack. DEBKAfile’s Moscow sources report that Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert failed in the key missions of his Moscow trip to persuade Russian leaders to discuss Tehran’s nuclear weapons program and to refrain from selling this advanced weapon to Iran and Syria.
President Dmitiry Medvedev’s bureau issued a noncommittal statement Tuesday, Oct. 7, saying that his talks with Olmert were “an exchange of opinion on threats, including terrorism and nonproliferation.” The word “nuclear” was avoided. Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov, who the prime minister met Monday, trotted out the standard Russia claim that Moscow had no definite information that Iran is developing a nuclear weapon and is against tougher sanctions. Prime minister Vladimir Putin was unable to see him.
Moscow’s mainstream media came out Tuesday with a rerun of the statement made on Sept. 17 by Anatoly Isaikin, director of the Russian arms exports agency Rosoboronexport, that his firm is in advanced negotiations with Tehran for the sale of the S-300 missiles. However, on Monday, the same firm disowned knowledge of these missiles having been shipped to Iran, although negotiations for their sale were not mentioned. Konstantin Makiyenko, from the center for strategic and technological analysis think tank in the Russian capital, said these utterances put Israel on notice to stop selling arms to Georgia and training its army.
Moscow does not conceal its intention of selling S-300 missiles to Syria. A Russian military expert commented: “Our warships if based in Syrian ports will need to be encircled by missile batteries capable of guarding them against air and missile attack.” According to Russian experts, the system is capable of pinpointing 100 targets and simultaneously intercepting 12 at a distance of
Trivia Quiz and the Answer is D. He cut taxes, established the peace corp. and fitness walks and made the space program a national effort to put a man on the moon within a decade. “As not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country.” JFK was a PT boat commander in WWII and was injured in the line of duty.
Now for M. Wolfberg's Good Shabbos Story life in a Cholent bowl.
Good Shabbos Everyone. As we approach the holiest day of the year Yom Kippur, it is worthwhile for all of us to use our time wisely to make cheshbon ha-nefesh - a spiritual reckoning. The following story will inspire us to do so.
Meet Alan Veingrad. Offensive lineman. Green Bay Packer. Dallas Cowboy. Champion. Alan, winner of Super Bowl XXVII as a member of the 1992 Dallas Cowboys, had a great life. "A life that anybody would have wanted," as he put it. He was a gifted athlete with a wonderful personal life. He had grown from a normal kid living in South Florida into one of the most successful athletes in the world.
And yet there always seemed to be someone else beside him. Someone walking with him on his journey from Florida to college in Texas to the Pros. It watched him as he grew up, practiced with him as he groomed himself into a master lineman, it even sat with him as he went fishing. Who was this? Who was watching him, who was practicing with him, who went fishing with him?
Meet Shlomo Veingrad. Jew. When Alan was young, he hardly noticed Shlomo. He thought all Shlomo needed was a Bar Mitzvah. All he needed was "the big party. And that was it." When people started asking him questions about Shlomo, he couldn't be bothered. "Why eight days of Chanukah? Not only do I not know, I don't care."
And yet, Shlomo kept by him, kept sitting with him, kept working with him. Every now and then he would peak his head up, often when Alan least expected it. People would tell him things like, "'You guys are the chosen ones.'" Alan could not help but notice Shlomo then and, as he put it, "My pride in Judaism would soar!" It was incidents such as these that helped him realize that Shlomo was a part of him, even if he hadn't quite understood this strange person yet. He "always felt that there is something you have to do as related to being Jewish." As time went on, he felt this more and more. Shlomo kept quiet for much of Alan's life. Shlomo let him grow as a football player, watched as he won the Super Bowl with Troy Aikman. He even cheered him on. All the time, he waited patiently. And then Alan retired. Retirement--A New Beginning
"When you leave the pros, it's a huge transition playing professional football to being a regular guy." Alan, using the discipline he learned from football, started learning another industry in real estate." He was playing golf, was married with children and life was "pretty good."
Somehow, though, as time went on, something didn't feel right. Something was missing since he left football. "I was starving for inspiration. As an athlete, I had that, but as a human being I didn't have that." It was not until his cousin invited him to Shabbat that things started to change. At the end of the meal, Alan's cousin invited him to a Torah class. More out of obligation than anything, Alan responded, "I said 'okay', I would go to one class."
As Alan walked into his first Torah study of his life, he could not help but be distracted by the beautiful house he had walked into. Just as at his cousin's house, he was more interested in the material than in whatever spirituality was being offered to him. But this time, something hit him. This time, Shlomo was not waiting around quietly anymore. This time, Alan had to listen. Because this time, the rabbi's words spoke directly to Shlomo through Alan and pulled on both their hearts.
"He was talking about materialism. And materialism in your life can lead you to a very shallow existence. And you want that next thing. Once you get that next thing, you'll want another thing. It's just not going to fulfill you. And that's exactly where I was." The very focus of Alan's life, the very things he was most interested in had suddenly been exposed for what they were. And, surprisingly, the very Torah he had ignored for so long seemed more exciting than he had ever imagined.
Alan immediately jumped into this fresh experience. "I went to the next class, and he [the rabbi] gave me my first Chumash." As he went forward in his studies, Alan grew more and more focused. Slowly, internally, he helped Shlomo grow, he inspired himself through Torah, and learned "what is it going to do me. How is it going to hit me right in my gut and make me a menstch. How is it going to make me better."
Suddenly, Alan began to notice Shlomo, and together, they worked to help each other grow. "It was not until 2001 when I met a couple Chabad rabbis and I went to their homes for Shabbat. I started going to their houses more and more and more until it was almost every week."
As Alan began to understand Shlomo, he did more and more to help Shlomo come alive. He realized he could take "this feeling of Shabbat and stretch it throughout the entire week." And so, with this in mind, Alan, invited by a friend to come visit Israel, began to truly stretch out his inspiration, to truly invite Shlomo to share his life. "I got on an airplane and I put on a yarmulke,"
Alan finally let Shlomo out of his shell. From that day forth, Alan always wore a yarmulke. From that day forth Alan and Shlomo became true partners. While Shlomo inspired Alan, Alan taught Shlomo how to be a champion. Alan "had been groomed with many, many years of discipline and work ethic and focus and sacrifice, to give things." Alan knew what it meant to work for the Ultimate Goal. And now, he was going to teach it to Shlomo. Alan taught Shlomo how to prepare, how to get into game mode. He taught Shlomo that being a champion meant work. It meant preparation. Alan taught Shlomo that, "As a football player, it takes six hard days to prepare yourself properly for a game." Just as one of Alan's favorite coaches once taught him, Alan now told Shlomo, "You need to be dressed ready to go. You need to have your workout book with you." As Alan helped Shlomo, they both grew together. Every time they progressed, just as when Alan used to weight train, they became inspired. Every time they saw the results, they became more and more excited.
It did not take long for the people close to Shlomo to begin to realize his presence and inspirational journey. Towards the end of his father's life, Shlomo began inviting his father more and more to spend Shabbat with him. After some resistance, he finally gave in. As Shlomo put it, "He saw, he tasted."
His father finally saw Shlomo shine. "He was truly inspired. He saw what I saw and he was growing." His father had never been prouder. One day, Shlomo's father, who had seen his son grow from a young student in Florida, to a successful college football player in Texas to a Super Bowl champion, turned to him and said,
"I'm prouder of you wearing a yarmulke than I ever was with a football helmet on your head." Shlomo explained: "You have to understand who this was coming from. It was coming from a very proud father. A father who made sure every game I ever played was video taped. A man who watched every game. He was my biggest fan. He never walked out of the house without my football card in his pocket." It was this father, a father who had so many reasons to be proud of his son that told Shlomo this. Shlomo had won the Super Bowl. He had experienced things most of us only dream of experiencing. And yet, when his father said this, nothing in the world meant more to him. It is no surprise, then, that Shlomo realized he and Alan could use their journey to inspire others.
Shlomo, probably one of the most articulate football players ever to emerge from the NFL realized the power of what he had been through, and became committed to telling his story. He understood why he had stayed hidden so long and why Alan did not let him out until later: "I think the reason I played, I think the reason I am wearing a Super Bowl ring, is to tell somebody my story."
Shlomo now travels around the world telling his story to anyone who will listen. With his powerful presence and charismatic personality, he has helped change many Jewish lives, helping others grow. He has gone from being a champion in the game of football to a champion of Judaism. Even with all this, it would probably be fair to ask Shlomo whether he misses his old life. He had a lot, and now his life is significantly different. Shlomo has indeed been asked this many times since he and Alan became partners. In response, he simply says there's nothing better, including winning the Super Bowl, than Sharing your story with somebody with the hopes of after they hear your story the will say, 'you know, Shlomo, I've struggled with wearing a yarmulke, but now that I've heard you speak I am going to wear my yarmulke full time.'" "Do I really miss it? What is there to miss?" Good Shabbos Everyone.
M. Wolfberg's Stories are sponsored by:Hashem should help that Shosha Malka bas Golda be forever free of pain and suffering Refuah Shleimah to Chana Ashayra bas Dodi
Have a peaceful Shabbos and a good sealing in the book of life, health and happiness.
Be well and an easy and productive fast to you,
Rachamim Pauli
