After at least a ten year battle with Cancer Esther bas Chana passed away. She might have lasted a year or two longer, but she simply lost the will to fight to live when her husband passed away, my friend Yacov passed away on Vav B’Elul.
Reviving Prayer List: Asher ben Malka, Avraham ben Devorah, Zvi Yechezkiel ben Leah, (Yehuda ben Chava Rivka, Raphael Avraham ben Golda – both until the end of the month of Shevat) Shemayahu Yosef Chaim ben Peshiya Miriam, Ahron Yehuda Lieb en Gittel Feige, Zev ben Miriam, Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Chaim Pincus ben Yaspa, Avraham ben Leah, Bentzion Michael ben Chaya Zipporiah, Mordechai Tzmach ben Mazel, Eli ben Merel, Chakel ben Frumet
Keren Neshama bas Esther Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Zviah Simcha bas Devorah Yached, Sarah bas Yehudit, Bryna bas Gina Sarah, Rachel bas Chana, Fiege Rachel bas Taube, Nurit bas Mazel, Miriam Rivka bas Adina Leah, Chana bas Simcha, Fruma bas Rachel, Perachiya bas Yalkut.
What Miracles don’t influence the average Jew?
Last week Rabbi Edward Davis Shlita in his Drasha wrote to the effect on why the Bnei Yisrael did not recognize the miracles. A miracle can only add to ones belief and faith it cannot make one believe. I have seen war correspondents and others who covered terrorist attacks, traffic accidents, etc. they would declare events a miracle here and there but this did not make them religious. The same person would be out working for the press on Shabbos!
Some of my favorites were the Scud that fellow in Tel Aviv went down three stories on top of a Tanach and did not explode – recorded on film, the Scud that fell in the middle of the oil tanks in Hertzelia and did not do much damages and a leaky oil pipe the night before caused the joining pipes to be shut down and just avoid explosions near the natural gas tanks which would have killed between 10,000 to 30,000 Jews and knocked out our intelligence Corp training base also caught on film, or the Scud that hit the empty locked shelter and destroyed Beit Danny and missed the shelter where the people were crowded into. Last year was the photo of a Katuysha that hit Ashdod and damaged three floors on either side of one house. The house that was not damaged had a sign on it “Guard the Shabbos and the Shabbos will guard you” or “Shabbos is the day for HASHEM” something to that effect. I recorded this last year. I could ramble on and on.
It was not that the Bnei Yisrael did or did not see the plagues and the Egyptians the same. It was either you accept that HASHEM takes an active part in the running of the world or not. Thus those who believed in HASHEM and Moshe his servant were saved at the sea and redeemed and those who did not believe died in the plague of darkness.
The Israeli doctor this week when asked about the health of the boy pulled from the rubble in Haiti this week after 8 days said: “The boy is alive and well maybe it was that G-D wanted him to live and perform a miracle.” He was not wearing a Yarmulke or surgical hat so the miracle had zero influence on making him religious but he did recognize the miracle.
Parsha Bo
Idol worship vs. Bnei Yisrael Monotheism: The ideas here came from Image Magazine, the OU and Chabad which was the magazine’s source. The form of worship of Idolatry was what Pharaoh was used to. Idolatry consisted of a priest (hood) and the worshippers would come. Most worshippers were male except in fertility cults and in any event children did not participate nor the animals in this endeavor. The worship of Yacov was one of prayer with education for future generations. Thus in Judaism each Jew when he starts saying the blessings becomes a participant and anyone can lead the service if he knows well enough the prayer. This means that a school boy in Heder could lead the prayer of the small things that they say each morning by heart. Thus from pre-kindergarten the children learn prayer before they can read. Every once in a while, I will see a child in Schul or my grandchild take a Siddur and pray whatever he thinks the prayer is. In short Moshe was talking to Pharaoh about our way of prayer and he was talking his version of worship. To this day, Judaism has private confessions and no intermediaries between HASHEM and the Jew.
With this type of thinking in mind, we see what Pharaoh and his advisors through of Moshe wanting all the Bnei Yisrael to leave Egypt.
This week for the first time, I slept well on the plane returning to Israel and then between a wedding and another meeting that I had really could not find the time to produce a quality Drasha. I also wanted to take a hiatus next week which I shall put off for the future. The rest below are Halachos and Mitzvos as well as a small piece that I wrote and the usual stories. I hope to do much better in the future.
Parshat Bo marks the first time in the Torah where the Jewish people are given a significant number of mitzvot - commandments. Throughout the first book of the Torah, the Book of Genesis, and up until this point of the Book of Exodus, only three mitzvot have been cited: to have children, to perform circumcision, and not to eat the sciatic nerve in the hindquarter of an animal. We are now introduced to the first significant grouping of commandments and they deal with many details associated with the Passover offering and the many eating restrictions on that holiday. Anyone who has celebrated Passover is familiar with the tremendous effort involved, not only regarding the food constraints, but in the preparation of the Seder on the first night(s) of Pesach.
And this is just the beginning; there are 613 commandments that God gives to the Jewish people outlined throughout the Torah. When one considers the sheer number and breadth of mitzvot it is no wonder that Gentiles have not historically flocked to us en mass to convert. The amount of detail and involvement that the Torah demands of us in everyday life is unparalleled in any other religious system. The mitzvot deal with business, how we speak, what we eat, how to treat others, even working their way into many private aspects of our lives. This could be viewed as being intrusive and constricting, but when one learns about the mitzvot and begins to understand them, one begins to appreciate that they are not about restriction but about guidance. The word Torah literally means "Instructions" and this is the main purpose of the mitzvot - to provide instructions for living.
Just as any electronic devise requires a manual to properly take advantage of all of its features, the Torah is the guidebook to get the most out of Life. Life is certainly more complicated than your new cell phone, and after a year or two you may even finally figure it out (your cell phone, that is). Of course, by then your phone is obsolete and you must get the next latest model, and the process starts all over again. Fortunately, life does not become obsolete and whereas it takes more than a couple of years to get the hang of it, the manual will last forever.
The Sefer HaChinuch, The Book of Education is a 13th century work that lists every one of the commandments and gives their rationale. In doing this, the author has a recurring theory behind the observance of the mitzvot. He tells us that our inner selves are influenced by our outer-selves, meaning that our actions define our personalities. What we do, how we behave, what we say - all of it shapes our soul, our personality and our very being.
Modern psychology often understands life from the opposite perspective. Work things out, think them through and this will lead to change. This is true but sometimes it can be counter-productive to constantly mull over and over the same issues. There comes a time when thinking too much becomes draining and counterproductive and a person has to bite the bullet and take action. You don't feel like being charitable? Tough - donate on a regular basis anyway and once you do, you will experience giving and thereby become a charitable person. Rabbi Noah Weinberg zt"l always used to say, "if you do not feel happy, act like you are anyway" and you will be surprised at how often you will become truly happy in the process of faking it.
As parents we train our kids to do their homework, clean up their room and brush their teeth whether they feel like it or not. It is for their own good and hopefully one day they will appreciate that, but right now we don't care if they do or not, we know that we need to get them into the habit of doing good things. So too the Almighty gives us instructions for life to get us in the habit of leading the most productive, meaningful and good lives possible.
A good salesman will always attempt to have his customer try on the clothes or jewelry or test drive the car. They know that once the person experiences the product, there is a greater likelihood they will buy. So don't think too much and don't excessively contemplate your navel regarding a mitzvah. Take it for a test drive and who knows... you may just leave the showroom with a brand spanking-new mitzvah.
Rabbi Tzvi Nightingale
Aish South Florida
Mitzvos and Halachos by Danny Shoemann
It's a Mitzva to tell the story of the Exodus from Egypt on Seder night. The story must be told at a level appropriate to the child's age. Even one who does not have children has a Mitzva to tell the story. Applies to everybody, everywhere on Seder night Verse: "Tell your children on that day" (Shemos 13:8)
Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 24
It's a Mitzva to not do Melacha (certain types of work) on the first day of Passover. Work involving food preparation is allowed, within certain parameters. Lighting fires from an existing flame as well as carrying without an Eruv is allowed. Outside Israel this applies to the first 2 days of Pessach, by Rabbinic decree. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always - Verse: "The first day shall be a sacred Holiday" (Vayikra 23:7) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 25
There's a Mitzva to count 7 week from the time the Omer sacrifice was brought in the Bet Hamikdash. The Omer is counted every night, starting from the second night of Pessach - 16 Nissan. One needs to count both days and week. The counting should be done standing, and a Bracha is said beforehand. Applies to males, everywhere, always -
Verse: "Count 7 complete weeks" (Vayikra 23:15) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 26
It's a Mitzva to not do Melacha (certain types of work) on the last day of Passover. Work involving food preparation is allowed, within certain parameters. Lighting fires from an extinguishing flame as well as carrying without an Eruv is allowed. Outside Israel this applies to the 7th and 8th days of Pessach, by Rabbinic decree. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always Verse: 'The 7th day shall be Holy" (Vayikra 23:8) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Positive Mitzvah 27
One who curses their mother or father using the name of G-d get puts to death by Beth Din by stoning. This is true even if the parent is no longer alive. One who curses their mother or father without using the name of G-d gets 39 lashes by Beth Din. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always - Verse: "One who curses his father or mother shall surely die" (Shemos 21:17) One who belittles or denigrates a parent - even if not explicitly - is cursed by Hashem, as it says "Cursed is he who belittles his father or mother."
Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 46
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It's forbidden to overcharge or cheat when doing business; buying or selling. One who overcharges - even inadvertently - needs to reimburse the cheated party. Applies to everybody, everybody, always - Verse: "Do not cheat one another" (Vayikra 25:14) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 47
One is forbidden to say things that cause another to feel bad. Examples include reminding a repentant how he used to behave or asking somebody a question that you know he cannot answer, in order to cause him to feel stupid. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always - Verse: "Do not be nasty one to another" (Vayikra 25:17)
Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 48
It is forbidden to be nasty to a Ger - a convert to Judaism. This is in addition to the prohibition of being nasty to all Jews. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always -
Verse: "Do not be nasty to the convert" (Shemos 22:20) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 49
It is forbidden to overcharge a convert. This is in addition to the prohibition of overcharging all Jews. Applies to everybody, everywhere, always Verse: "And don't cheat him" (Shemos 22:20) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 50
The prohibition does not per sec apply to idol worshippers but that does not give a good reason to go overcharging them. One should make a reasonable profit to cover stocking fees, purchasing a replacement for stock, taxes and overhead (accountant, maintenance, etc.) but not exorbitant prices. My son often sells items at cost, with little profit or even a slight loss if they are dead stock just to get cash flow. Be honest and you will make a Kiddush HASHEM. The Chofetz Chaim’s wife used to sell salt and would add on a little more just in case the salt had eaten up the measuring scale and she would closed the store once they had earned enough money for the day.
Besides for the prohibition of being nasty to all Jews, there's an added prohibition of being nasty to widows or orphans. Even wealthy and famous widows need to be treated with extra care; one must speak extra kindly to them and be careful about squandering their money. The Torah warns us that one who strikes or is nasty to a widow or orphan will invoke Hashem's anger "and I will kill you by the sword and your wives will be widows and your children orphans". (Shemos 22:23) An orphan - even one who lost only one parent - is considered an orphan until they grow up and become financially independent. Applies to everybody, always, everywhere - Verse: "and don't be nasty to the widow and orphan" (Shemos 22:21) Source: The Chafetz-Chaim's Sefer HaMitzvos HaKatzar; Prohibition 51
One usually says Tefillas HaDerech only once a day. If one arrives at one's final destination for the day, and subsequently decided to take another trip, then one says Tefillas HaDerech again. One who travels through the night says Tefillas HaDerech on the second day without the final Baruch Ata Hashem. Even if one sleeps part of the night, if it was not in an inhabited place, one says Tefillas HaDerech on the second day without the final Baruch Ata Hashem. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:5
Even while travelling one has to pray at the correct times. Men need to put on Tallis and Tefillin even when praying in transit. When travelling by foot, one should stand still for the first 2 verses of Shma, if possible. (Shma Yisrael and Baruch Shem) When travelling in a vehicle one should stop, alight and stand for the Amida. If one is in a hurry, then one should do so at least for the first 3 and last 3 Brachos. If alighting is not an option, one can daven the Amida while seated. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:8
If you ate while walking, you may say Birkas Hamazon while walking. If you sat while eating you have to sit while saying Birkas Hamazon If one didn't eat in a house - or one ate in the house of a non-Jew, one replaces the 6th הָרַחֲמָן with: הָרַחֲמָן הוּא יִשְׁלַח לָנוּ בְּרָכָה מְרֻבָּה בִּמְקוֹם הֲלִיכָתֵנוּ וּבִמְקוֹם יְשִׁיבָתֵנוּ עַד עוֹלָם
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:9, 10
Before leaving on a trip one should give charity. Since one should learn Torah or say Tehillim while traveling, one should remember to take along a Sefer. One should never go on a trip - even a short one - without taking with food. Men should also take with spare Tzitstis in case the one they are wearing rip and become Pasul (unfit), as well as Tefillin if there's a chance they won't be back home before the morrow. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:6
It's appropriate to accompany somebody who is leaving on a trip - even if only for a few steps. One should then wait until the person leaving is out of sight before returning home. The farewell greeting is "לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם" and not "לך בשלום" We learn this from Yisro who said to Moshe "לֵךְ לְשָׁלוֹם"" and he succeeded, whereas King David said to Avshalom "לך בשלום" and he got killed. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:6
Even when travelling, one needs to wash both hands with a cup of water before eating bread. If there's water within 4 Km in the direction one is travelling, or 1Km behind one, then one has to go wash one's hands properly. If one is scared to leave one's travelling companions, or if one cannot find water to wash before eating bread, one can cover one's hands or wear gloves. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 40:14 In the modern world we travel on buses, planes, trains and wrap up our sandwiches in plastic or have a handkerchief in our pockets. My friend Jeremy at College heard from his Ruv that one holds the plastic outside his sandwich and blesses the bread and then eats without touching the bread. This is a practical way. On Air flights the meals are generally made with Mezozos Bread.
The "five grains" are wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye. Grain that was planted and started taking root before the first day Chol Hamoed Pessach may be eaten immediately - and is called "Yoshon" (old). Grain that took root thereafter is "Chadash" (new) and may not be eaten until after the 2nd day Chol HaMoed Pessach of the coming year. In Israel, Chol Hamoed Pessach starts on 16th Nissan, in the Diaspora on the 17th Nissan. The Torah prohibition of eating Chadash applies to grain grown on Jewish land, according to all opinions. There is a minority opinion that Chadash does not apply to grain grown in the Diaspora on non-Jewish land; the custom is to rely on this opinion in emergency.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 172:1-3
In the time of the Bet HaMikdash, they would sow barley today - 70 days before the Omer sacrifice - so as to have fresh barley to harvest for the Omer ceremony. The barley was harvested on the 2nd night of Pessach - even if it was Shabbat. On the 2nd day of Pessach a handful of the Omer sacrifice - barley flour with oil - was sacrificed on the Mizbayach (altar) and the rest was baked and eaten by the Cohanim. In Israel it is forbidden to start harvesting before the Omer. Grain that took root after the Omer-barley was harvested is Chadash and is forbidden until the following year, as we learned yesterday. Source: Tosafot in Menachot 85, Rambam, Hilchos Temidim Ch. 7
It's a Torah prohibition to braid threads or hair on Shabbat. Twisting 2 or more threads together is also forbidden. One cannot braid hair on Shabbat - nor untie hair that is already braided. On Shabbat one is allowed to gather loose hair and tie them into a ponytail or hold them in place with a headband. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:44, Shmirat Shabbat Kehilchato 14:52 Shabbat Shalom - Danny
A TRUE STORY by Malcolm Forbes thanks to Avraham aka Lenny
I love this because the rich Harvard snob got what he deserved. Teach you not to judge people by their dress.
A lady in a faded gingham dress and her husband, dressed in a homespun threadbare suit, stepped off the train in Boston, and walked timidly without an appointment into the Harvard University president's outer office.
The secretary could tell in a moment that such backwoods, country hicks had no business at Harvard and probably didn't even deserve to be in Cambridge.
"We'd like to see the president," the man said softly. "He'll be busy all day," the secretary snapped." "We'll wait," the lady replied. For hours the secretary ignored them, hoping that the couple would finally become discouraged and go away. They didn't, and the secretary, growing frustrated, finally decided to disturb the president, even though it was a chore she always regretted.
"Maybe if you see them for a few minutes, they'll leave," she told him. He sighed in exasperation and nodded. Someone of his importance obviously didn't have the time to spend with them, and he detested gingham dresses and homespun suits cluttering up his outer office.
The president, stern faced and with dignity, finally strutted toward the couple. The lady spoke, "We had a son who attended Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard. He was happy here. But about a year ago, he was accidentally killed. My husband and I would like to erect a memorial to him, somewhere on campus."
The president wasn't touched. He was shocked. "Madam," he said, gruffly, "We can't put up a statue for every person who has attended Harvard and died. If we did, this place would look like a cemetery."
"Oh, no," the lady explained quickly. "We don't want to erect a statue. We thought we would like to give a building to Harvard." The president rolled his eyes. He glanced at the gingham dress and homespun suit, and then exclaimed, "A building! Do you have any earthly idea how much a building costs? We have over seven and a half million dollars in the physical buildings here at Harvard."
For a moment the lady was silent. The president was pleased. Maybe he could get rid of them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly, "Is that all it costs to start a university? Why don't we just start our own? "Her husband nodded. The president's face wilted and fell in confusion and bewilderment.
Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford got up and walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California where they established the university that bears their name, Stanford University, a memorial to a son that Harvard no longer cared about.
You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them.
Gene Alberts sent me: Anger is one letter away from Danger
There was a couple who were married for over 60 years. They spoke to each other about everything, never hiding anything from each other. Except one thing! The lady had a box hidden in her closest and she was afraid to reveal it to her husband. In all their years of marriage he did not ask her about it. But one day the old women got very sick and she was told that the end was near.
When her husband heard this he said I must ask her about the box, so he quickly went to the closest and brought down the box. His wife knew it was the right time to tell him.
He opened the box, inside was two handmade knitted tablecloths and an envelope with $25,000 cash! He did not understand what’s this is all about.
Her husband looked at her questionably.
She said.
“When we first got married my grandmother told me the secret of successful marriage, to not ever get angry and if anytime I feel like getting angry I should be quiet and start knitting tablecloths, and that's what I did" The old man calmed down, wiped his tears and said, “there is only two tablecloths here? This means that you only got angry at me twice in all our years of marriage! he ended happily. But then what is the meaning of all this money?”
His wife replied: This is the money that I made from selling all the tablecloths!!
Binyamin Jadidi
Countering Missionaries and their arguments (For Jews and Bnei Noach believers only)
A Jew does not go pro-active for others to leave their religions but only pro-active to save Jews.
I received a letter from a young lady this week who was almost converted by missionaries some time back. She asked me if I worked for Yad LeAchim. For 39 years I have donated to them and I have been active with them mostly in saving children from poor neighborhoods in conjunction with Keren LeEzrat Yeledim. She told me that a former fellow who worked as a missionary came up to her and helped through Yad LeAchim return to Judaism. It was very emotional for me as nobody usually knows where his charity dollar goes.
I do not like to get into arguments over religion and politics if I could help it but sometimes I get caught up in one. Over 40years ago CCNY was approximately 60% Jewish and Missionaries all the time were trying to Convert the Jews. Lubavitch had their own buttons and campaign for Jews, “I put on Tephillin today did you?” I thought it was some idiotic fraternity or ‘house plan’ which existed at CCNY. I did not have the foggiest idea what Tephillin were which are translated into English as Phylacteries. Denise C. wrote: An Orthodox Jewish Boy age 17 and his sister boarded a flight from LaGuardia to Louisville, Kentucky. It was a morning flight and the boy started to put on Tefillin to daven Scharit. The stewardess became alarmed and the plane landed in Philly and FBI, Bomb squads etc. surrounded the plane. The poor kids were taken off the plane and grilled by the FBI and the Tefillin were inspected by the bomb squad. TEFILLIN MISUNDERSTANDING CAUSES PHILLY EMERGENCY LANDING I had a similar experience at O’Hare Airport. As I was going through the checkpoint with my carry -on going through X-ray, I saw a black girl carry my Tefillin to the exit of the line. In total ignorance, she was unwinding the straps of my Tefillin - at which point, I went ballistic! Fortunately, her Supervisor, who happened to be Jewish, was nearby and assured her everything was OK. Can’t they train their inspectors to recognize the prayer items of Jewish people? - COMMENTARY BY EMANUEL A. WINSTON
Gradually, I became religious and found out what the above really meant and bought myself a pair for $54 which would be probably $200 or more today. If you consider that the minimum wage was either a dollar or a dollar twenty five at the time, that was a good deal of labor to afford an item like that. At the same time I began to wear a Yarmulke on Campus and associate with my brothers. Up until this time, I was literally more like a non-Jew in my views. Immediately, I was approached by some missionaries. Since I was taking a Bible course, I was also studying the New Testament as well as a religion course which went into briefly Buddhism, Hinduism, Shinto, Confucius, etc. I was happy to have the free pocket size NT. It had the ‘prophecy edition’ which was 34 prophecies that happened to Yeshu on the day he died. One was ‘My G-D, My G-D why have YOU forsaken me’ which we said in Hallel last Shabbos. I don’t recall all of them. I told off the girls who were students – “Why are you trying to convert Jews? For all the quotes are taken out of context. I could think also out of context of the 35th from Devarim (Deut.) and that is ‘False prophets should be put to death’.” Since they were students they were not the hard core missionaries or perhaps a week of work they were finished and they stopped.
Of course the mixed up premise of translating Yeshaiah (Isa.) of the word ‘Almah’ which is young lady as a virgin. They had to play around with the fact that a betrothed woman in foreign cultures was a considered a virgin. However, sometimes the Talmud tells us that because there were three ways to betroth a woman - contract, intercourse and money aka a ring that in Yehuda it was the custom to betroth a woman by intercourse. This was done by the families agreeing on a wedding and two witnesses to the fact that they went off after she went to the Mikvah to have intercourse. FOR THE PAST 15 OR MORE CENTURIES BETROTHAL IS NOT DONE ANYMORE PRIOR TO THE FULL MARRIAGE. WHAT WE CALL TODAY ENGAGEMENT IS THE EXACT ENGAGEMENT OF THE NON-JEWS. However, in those days she was considered and treated like a married woman in all respects. And the death penalty was given to her if she was unfaithful or her rapist if she was raped and none to hear her cries of help. She would receive a full divorce like any other married woman.
So when the cover-up began, the birth had to be a virgin birth. So therefore Yeshu had to be the son of G-D as how else could she have become impregnated. Then came the concept of G-D’s only son. However if one read my commentary back on Shemos carefully one would have noticed the following: 4:22 And thou shall say unto Pharaoh: Will the first born son of G-D please make yourself known. Actually, the L-RD provided this knowledge. Thus says the LORD:
A conflict also arises here. If you say that Yeshu is the son of G-D, he cannot be the Moshiach as the Moshiach must be from a son after son of David HaMelech. This is a case of you can’t have your cake and eat it too. It is an either/or situation. However, no missionary tried to resolve this conflict as it goes against some issues of faith. If you say OK, you are correct but you have not disproved him being the Moshiach. Well our Moshiah is supposed to bring back the kingdom of David, a rebuilt Temple, 1000 years of world peace and solve some Talmudic problems. I have still to see a reign of a Davidic Monarchy in Yerushalayim and Torah clean government. I have seen a weak Israel government with corrupt leaders giving into a Kenya born President of the United States with the symbol of Esav. Of course there was the Missionary who tried to sell me the trinity and I told him look up the Gospel of Mathew where Yeshu says the Shema which proclaims the unity. I already mentioned how the concept of the Shechina was misinterpreted to make the Holy Spirit instead of G-D’s link to man a separate entity. Think of the Shechina as a wireless internet connection with man and the ALMIGHTY. As for the son, I have mentioned over and over again that the Yehida Component of the Human Soul is feminine as Neshama is feminine. This type of soul connection has been made with a number of Rabbis like the Ari Zal and the Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh.
The claim that because the Romans killed him and he died on a Kiddush HASHEM that he died for our sins. Sometimes at funerals we say similar things. Or even on Yahrzeits we ask that the soul of the person be a good advisor before G-D and the children of Yisrael. However, future sins this could not work for. For if one thought this, he would say oh great I can murder, steal and commit adultery as my sins are forgiven. Obviously not and the person will be held accountable for whatever nonsense he did unless he repented and perhaps died on a Kiddush HASHEM him/herself. Our main problem is that Judaism does not give easy solutions and heaven must be earned. For if not G-D could have given us charity and put us in Gan Eden from the beginnings of our own lives.
Lastly in their Separim there is a Yechus difficulty with who is who and one adds 18 others.
The Haiti Quake a unifying factor
The People Mentioned here are Yomin Postelnik an Orthodox Jew, Ed Lynch a Catholic, Robert Lowry a Protestant and his political ‘rival’ in the primaries Dennis Lamb a Mormon. They have all gotten together for the Haitian Relief Effort, preventing disease and saving lives.
The moment the earthquake struck Haiti, Yomin got in touch with congressional candidates Bernard Sansaricq and Tom Garcia. The 3 devised a plan - bring water to Haiti with purification equipment, set up a hotline and drop off locations.
Commander Garcia flew down to Haiti at great risk to his life. Sansaricq has been meeting with Haitian leaders day and night and Yomin established a virtual hotline and acted as the sole point of contact for any relief worker being sent by the three.
Separately, candidates Ed Lynch and Robert Lowry put everything on hold to start their own relief efforts, which were coordinated with when found out. Candidate Dennis Lamb also reached out to Haitian pastors on a daily basis.
Yomin's been up almost every night since the earthquake until 2 am. Yomin helped prepare local businessman Marc Eisenmann for a one man relief mission and Yomin remained the only informational point of contact for Commander Garcia and Marc Eisenmann.
When one of the relief volunteers became stranded, Yomin worked the phones non-stop with Sen. LeMieux' office, the office of Congressman Lincoln Diaz-Balart's, Chairman Chip LaMarca and citizen leaders Karin Hoffman and Chad Lincoln. Eventually Yomin's contact on the ground came upon a crumbling building with people in it.
Marc Eisenmann, on the phone with Yomin as the only point of contact and advice, managed to pull 2 children out of the rubble. Hours later, he came upon a 5 year old boy with a hematoma.
Yomin called two family friends who are doctors, eventually reaching one of them. In the half hour it took to locate him, Yomin twittered out a request for any doctor to call, as the boy was in danger minute to minute. Eventually the boy landed in Miami and received extensive treatment. He will be well enough to return to Port au Prince within months.
On Friday, Yomin coordinated with 2 volunteers who manned the phone lines, giving phone numbers to people with family on the island. He also dealt with someone whose cargo ship, containing relief supplies, was docked by bureaucrats in a port.
On Sat. night, Commander Garcia returned home with a little Haitian girl who needed medical help. Airport workers docked the plane for 7 hours. Yomin, the main point of contact, got in touch with Sen. Carey Baker, Chairman LaMarca and Sen. LeMieux's office. All of these people deserve great credit for helping save this girl.
Today Yomin visited the Haitian boy who was rescued by Eisenmann. He was interviewed by FOX 7 WSVN and the segment should be on tonight. The boy survived, but lost an arm. He is, however, up, alert and playing with toys. His father is here and Eisenmann will house them for the duration of their stay. However, his mother and two sisters are stuck in Port au Prince, one block from La Plaza hotel, the capital's center.
ACTION ALERT:
We ask anyone traveling there to take the mother and two baby girls with them here for the duration of treatment. They come from a hard working family and will go back once treatment is over. With them is a 2 year old nephew who is a US citizen with a passport. There are no immigration issues and they have no intention of staying. We ask for the help of everyone traveling to Haiti to reunite this family.
Thank you.
While this is not the time for politics, it's very clear which political philosophy is community minded and which political philosophy is not. There would be no need to point this out, if not for the fact that so many Democrats/liberals have used every disaster to falsely smear our side while doing nothing on their own. Yomin puts it best when he says "For many Democrats, "compassion" is a photo op. For Republicans, it's a way of life."
We thank everyone who has aided in this effort. A foot note: Robert Lowry and I think also Dennis Lamb have been working with Haiti for years prior to the quake. P.S. Iran experienced a few minor quakes between 4.5 to 4.8 this week, Chaves blames the US for using Haiti as a practice run to destroy Iran.
Also see: https://www.zaka.us/haiti.asp
Nice story for Orthodox Jewish Women: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1263147904919&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Miep Gies, the Dutch woman who helped hide Ann Frank and family from the Nazis and retrieved her diary, has died aged 100
WARNING: GRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS (of your local Jihadist)
DEFENSIVE WALLS & FORTIFICATIONS TO STOP JIHADISTS by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
Both Egypt and Israel have found it necessary and vital to build Jurassic Park type walls to protect their respective populations from savage Muslim Arab Palestinians who kill people. I suppose comparing Palestinians to the creatures in the Jurassic Park movies, like veloci-raptors and Tyrannosaurus Rex who can sever you into pieces is not so unlike "Jihadists" who sever hands and heads of those they capture.
Granted, I don’t think they eat the parts they cut off - but then - you never know. I remember an old video of a parade in Damascus where the Syrian soldiers (men and women), demonstrating their blood-thirsty fearlessness and fealty for then President Hafez al Assad in an orchestrated public gathering to honor Assad. The teenage girls bit off the head of snakes in a show of hysterical loyalty. One male Syrian soldier jumped on a captured and bound Israeli soldier, tearing out his throat with his teeth. Hafez applauded this display of savagery in the name of Syria and other Arab Muslim nations.
This was pre-YouTube so I can’t reference it for you but, below find a list of titles and their publications with dates which could enlighten you as to the levels of bloody brutality the radical Islamists will use to reach their goals to create a Global Caliphate for Islam.
Some things or people cannot be taught to be safe for humans and thus the Walls to hold them back from humanity. Egypt’s Wall under construction now is an underground steel barrier (which can be flooded if necessary) on its border with the Gaza Strip to stop smuggling of weapons and Terrorists via tunnels into Egypt from Gaza. Hamas calls it the "Wall of Death". You probably haven’t seen any of the anti-Egyptian violence by the Hamas paramilitary - because the MSM (Main Stream Media) don’t or won’t cover it.
You probably see a great deal of protest about Israel’s Wall but, did you know that only 3% of Israel’s defensive wall is concrete while 97% is wire fence? Not surprisingly the Media like to show only the 3%. Personally, I don’t like it either. It is ugly and it is costing huge amounts of money which Israel could well use to feed her people, create new innovations that benefit all mankind and Israel would be even more scenic without its intrusion.
BUT, how to protect against such bloodthirsty, self-proclaimed enemies?
A WALL is a passive solution IF it’s deep enough and high enough as displayed in the Jurassic Park movies, to hold in predator Raptors and T-Rex - or savage humans. Regrettably, when a population adopts the ways of predators, they must be separated from human civilizations.
The Great Wall of China was built to keep the savage Mongolians from invading and slaughtering the people - which were their customary habits. The Saudis have built a Wall across their vast desert to keep out the Yemenis, among other attackers.
Walls can be effective and a great impediment to radical Islamic Jihadists" (warriors for Islam) whose stated goal is to invade and slaughter in the name of Allah. Advance civilizations often had to create such barriers to hold back savages who simply want to attack, slaughter, rape and loot.
I thought it would be interesting to research the defensive walls that had been built over the centuries to keep out barbarous invaders. Fortunately, the material was already available. If you wish to be astonished, you may inquire through Google and specifically Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Regrettably, there are so many defensive walls around the world that I cannot possibly list them. The list alone is pages long. There are walled cities against predator nations and roving bands of barbarians. Bloodthirsty conquerors still want the loot from peaceful, successful societies and - once conquered - feed like parasites until all is used up and then they move on to other victim societies.
In some cases, as in Israel and Egypt, a barrier wall must be erected against primitive people who are driven by pagan religions who cannot be stopped with words and useless agreements or treaties. The World has moved on to other barriers, called border check-points. This occurs at airports and other public venues to keep Terrorists out. Sadly, truly civilized societies cannot yet bring themselves to utilize more aggressive systems and filters lest they be considered Politically Incorrect.
The December 25th underwear bomber’s attempt shows the need for better methods of surveillance to stop such possible attacks. Many pundits are (finally) praising the type of profiling which Israel does so well at her Ben Gurion International Airport. The Israeli security does not do ethnic or religious profiling, per se, but rather, they have some 5 different layers of trained security guards who have been taught "behavior profiling". They ask a few simple questions, all the while looking into their subject’s eyes for tension, nervousness and hostility. If they find their subject’s actions suspicious, then they utilize a more thorough questioning and searching of belongings.
No amount of stripping - shoes, belts, jackets, liquids - screening by technology which becomes more and more an invasion of privacy and huge waste of time, causing aggravation and delays - can be as efficient and capable as "behavioral profiling" at airports and other mass transit or mass audience venues.
However, Walls and Fences have proven necessary against rampant hostility from time immemorial.
However, weak leaders such as President Barack Hussein Obama, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, President Shimon Peres seem too eager to rush and open the gates of their cities to the barbarians on the off chance the hordes of radical Islamists will be grateful and spare their lives. Note that as soon as Barak and Netanyahu ordered the opening of Road #443, a main alternate route between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, Jewish motorists have been attacked by Muslim Arab Palestinians, now occupying Judea and Samaria.
Only after the next colossal attack, like 9/11, will the victim nations try to stop the attackers. This includes America, Britain, France and most of Europe - or, perhaps they won’t.
Too bad such Fences and Walls cost so much and take so much money away from more creative, useful, beneficial things that all of our societies need.
Too bad that John Bolton (former American Ambassador to the U.N.) isn’t Secretary of State. He hasn’t shied away from calling Terrorists, Terrorists and not "militants" or "extremists".
I hear of abuse of dead bodies both in the independence war and Syria and the beheading of Dr. Nadler’s son H”YD who as a Hesder Yeshiva boy at the time in his dormitory.
This is not science it is political abuse: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122109
Musings from Rabbi Haim Shlita: http://rabbimusings.blogtownhall.com/default.aspx
It’s a tug of war
Posted by RabbiHaim on Saturday, January 16, 2010 8:54:42 PM
I’m having a very serious argument with myself. It’s about what to do with all of these thugs, hoodlums, madman or whatever you’d like to call these Islamic fascist terrorists who are continuing to wage war against us. A large part of me would very much like to see these people killed in the most demeaning (to them), way possible and have their punishment be broadcast throughout the Muslim world as a warning to others who might wish to follow in their path of jihad. That part of me of course would make the second line of this essay a lot longer by adding expletives in front of the words thugs, hoodlums, madmen etc.. Another large part of me sides with the president of the United States and the Atty. General holding that what we learned in all those wonderfully run government schools about how our justice system would surely bring justice; punish the wrongdoers and violators of law, and allow those who were not guilty of such acts to be vindicated.
In a world where all other things might be equal I would share the first opinion during the early years of my life, and hold strongly to the second opinion as I matured and calmed my youthful spirit. But as I matured and learned among other things, that all other things are never equal. That being considered, I still find that I hold both opinions, and mostly hold them both equally strongly.
Taking the second position first I’ve become quite cynical with regard to the ability of United States legal system to bring criminals to justice, and to set honest man free. I see before me a legal system crumbling beneath its own weight. I see the lower levels of enforcement being overburdened and underpaid. I see enforcement in general being pressured to “make” big cases and let “little fish” go free. I see a judiciary that is also most underpaid, understaffed and overburdened. I see judiciary being squeezed between backlogs on the dockets and overcrowding in the prisons. And if that were not enough, the judiciary is also being forced away from “judgment” by sentencing guidelines which act more like straitjackets. All of these considered I see very little room left for justice. How could I want when I place the fate of United States of America, so beloved to me into this meat grinder of a system which can quite easily turn them out free a technicality despite their admission of guilt.
For the historical record, it should be known all of the Guantanamo detainees are in perfect health despite what condition they were captured in. All have gained weight. All have an unlimited access prayer at the proper time, carefully prepared foods to meet the religious needs and better hygiene than most of them have known for their entire lives. With this knowledge we must understand where these detainees sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole they would live longer and better lives than were they returned to their native lands. This is not to suggest that they be returned to their native lands, but to indicate that their captivity has been for most of them a major improvement in their standard of living.
As for the uncultured, raw and wild beast within me, I can only say that I wish to see them punished with a capital P, and with no mercy shown. But it must be known that I am not saying this merely to please my vile wild self but also because I have some acquaintance with militant Islamist extremists. I lived among them in Israel for over 10 years, and I feel that I can claim some insight into what might motivate them to continue and what might motivate them to slow down. Islam from its earliest beginnings under the Prophet Mohammed was OK a warrior culture. Strength and victory are honorable; weakness, failure and dishonor are synonymous. Any sign of kindness, pity, empathy or any other such emotion are all considered signs of weakness and indicate where best to attack “the enemy,” (do not forget that “the enemy” is us).
In Somalia and Iraq as well as at the twin towers these Islamic fascist militants attacked us in a manner designed to debase us by desecrating our dead. This, to them, is an extremely high level attack to our stature as human beings. Were we to treat them in this manner they would be rioting for months and years, but they would remember that we are not weak; and the more that they see us acting from strength the more they will respect us, and the more likely our victory.
The problem with this position is that within our culture we find such acts to be disgusting. We cannot envision ourselves perpetrating acts such as burning the bodies of our enemies and tying their burned corpses bridges over main highways. We can only despise someone who would attack civilians in such a manner as to reduce the bodies of thousands indistinguishable fine dust. We have never and will never drag the charred remains of enemy pilots through the streets of our cities singing and dancing. Looking at all of this, and discussing it on this page, I still find myself torn in a tug of war myself. I find no resolution I find no solution and I find very little point of agreement with the stated policy current government of the United States.
This was sent to me by Joel and even though I knew the story as I remembered my history well this is worth seeing especially for people unaware the reason for the writing of the Star Spangled Banner. There is one error in the beginning and I have not seen the film through. The battle occurred between two independent countries the United States and Britain. The US had allied in this war with France. The peace was negotiated and the war was over but it took sailing ships time to cross the ocean. Rule Britannia – Britannia ruled the waves and so they did. The Americans on land were being invaded by the British Marines and the Americans defeated their invasion of Baltimore and Fort McHenry held its own and routed the British. Today almost 200 years later and the Lamanche (spelling) tunnel and the alliance between the USA and the United Kingdom it seems rather strange. I also will mention that the word church is used as if the Young Israel of Fort Lauderdale and the Sunnyside Jewish Center doesn’t have an American Flag there. Not to mention the prayer for the well being of the President, Vice President and US Soldiers on Shabbos: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bC18F9mOhsY
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McHenry
There are some who will die for their flag and other who will rather live for monetary bribes as slaves: IS ISRAEL SURRENDERING HER SOVEREIGNTY? by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
Let’s start with one of the beginnings which was to remove Israel’s Sovereignty. Some will remember the Oslo Accords fiasco which Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin created when they met secretly with Yassir Arafat and the Norwegians in Oslo. Their meetings were kept secret because - as Yossi Beilin revealed at an International Conference for the Winston Institute for the Study of Prejudice - that they "didn’t want to make it public because the Israeli people would have stopped ‘us’." "Us" was Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres and Yossi Beilin. Their plan was to advance the "plan" far enough so that when it was finally made public, the Israeli Knesset would have to ratify it because the U.S. and the E.U. were behind it and they had no choice.
As planned, it reluctantly passed as the infamous Oslo plan which turned out to be a disaster for the Israeli people - We were cornered as planned by Peres and Beilin with the State Department playing its usual role as ‘spoiler’.
Moving on to Stage Two: Recall the plan offered or rather imposed by President George W. Bush that was called the "Road Map". This proclamation was issued as if President Bush was an imperial King to a vassal state that was somehow owned and subservient to whatever Royal Commands issued from Washington. Israel was treated as merely something like Puerto Rico or Hawaii or a ‘de facto’ protectorate of the U.S., with a Presidential team dedicated to appeasing Arab oil nations.
Some will recall President George H. W. Bush’s Secretary of State James Baker III with his team of Court Jews, Dennis Ross, Aaron David Miller and Daniel Kurtzer. They were the point men in evolving plans on how to force Israel into compliance first under President George Herbert Walker Bush. Ross, Miller and Kurtzer who were called Baker’s "Jew Boys".
That same ‘advisory group’ continued under Sr. Bush’s son, George W. There were always others who ran the "Shadow Government" who were closely tied to Saudi Arabia and the Oil Gulf States. Keep in mind that most of these same people seem to have a permanent home on the Presidential Advisory Group - no matter who the President happens to be.
To continue:
You might be asking yourself what nation would accept dangerous marching orders from another nation - unless they were either conquered or that obedient nation at it highest levels of leadership were deeply in collusion and accepted the marching orders called "The Road Map".
Well, that was more or less past history except for the repeated track record that was developing, called "re-partitioning". First, there was the under-the-table Oslo affair. Then there was the ‘arrangement’ for "The Road Map". We all recall Washington’s recruitment of the once great defender of Israel wherein the warrior Sharon followed instructions to abandon Gush Katif/Gaza with Ehud Olmert completing the betrayal.
We frequently hear from President Barack Hussein Obama and his crew, complaining about everything that’s going wrong is all the Bush family’s fault. Recall that Obama has pretty much the same anti-Israel advisors that Father Bush had, that his son had and that Obama has now: Ross, Miller, Kurtzer, later Martin Indyk, Baker III, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft and a host of dedicated Arabists who needed Israel to capitulate from the inside in order to appease the Arabs and expand their oil interests. All of the above deny any hostility toward the Jewish State of Israel and they assure us that what they are doing is an effort for "Peace" and that it’s good for the Jewish State.
There were, of course, personal biases - involved in a range from ethnic hostility, well-known in Washington, from the U.S. State Department and the Israeli Leftists who were anxious to divest large tracts of the Jews ancient Biblical heartland to the Arabs. That side of the equation would include but not be limited to Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, Yossi Beilin, Ehud Barak, Arik Sharon, Ehud Olmert, Tzipi Livni among others.
Let’s pick up the trail:
Now, Barack Hussein Obama replicates these prior plans that of diktats out of the Oval Office which mandate that Israel must obey his commands...for the good of all - other than Israel. We are already familiar with Obama’s ‘diktats’ to Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin (Bibi) Netanyahu to cease/freeze all construction in Judea, Samaria and Jerusalem. He included Jerusalem but, temporarily backed off when there were signs of strong resistance from Netanyahu’s Likud Party. But, now we understand that Obama and his team will issue something like the Bush "Road Map".
Clearly, Obama has become, or always was, an adversary of the Jewish Nation/State - in deference (or submission) to Islam and Obama is pressing for America to separate from Israel.
Doubtlessly, radical Islamists already in America, courtesy of the U.S. State Department, can receive their orders to start synchronize Terror attacks across our nation while Obama insists Israel cease her valiant fight against Terror.
Obama’s expected "White Paper" does not have a name yet but, be assured, Obama’s Court Jews will think of something catchy and false. Here I refer to Rahm Emanuel, David Axelrod, and of course, Baker’s original "Jew-Boys" - especially Dennis Ross who is accompanying George Mitchell on his Mid East Peace marathon.
It may be assumed that Netanyahu and Ehud Barak complete the circle of players - just as their predecessors accepted their role as under-the-table collaborators.
We must also assume that Obama’s proclamation (like "The Road Map") will include forced evacuation of 300,000 Jewish men, women and children from Judea, Samaria, the Jordan Valley, the Golan Heights as well as all those parts of Jerusalem (north, east and south) that Jordan illegally occupied and desecrated for 19 years from 1948 to 1967. Obama’s ‘Diktat’ to Israel will mandate a retreat to the 1948 Armistice Lines, giving up water rights under the Judean/Samarian Hills and the Golan which comprises more than 2/3rds of Israel’s fresh water.
Building Terrorist nation is the same appeasement tried by the World’s nations when they surrendered the Sudetenland to Adolph Hitler, hoping to appease him and halt his expansion across Europe.
The next follow-on move of betrayal would be to introduce an occupying foreign force, called "Peace-Keepers" to assist the establishment of an Islamic Terrorist State.
The ‘idea fixee’ is to have such orders come from Washington and command obedience from the Knesset in any subsequent vote asked for by Netanyahu. In Chicago that’s called a set-up or a "fix". I guess it’s called something else in Washington and in Obama’s office.
The same scam has been repeated many times as I outlined before. Of course, other players are in on the scam of re-partitioning Israel into easily conquerable pieces. The U.N., E.U., the Russians, with the U.S. under Obama as coordinator as well as England and France as co-conspirators. An alive and thriving Israel upsets the Arab Muslims because they couldn’t conquer her. They now insist that Israel must be conquered by American diktats and so-called diplomacy. The diplomacy part is recruiting Israeli Leftist leaders through threats, bribes and blackmail. The nations of the world (and especially American Arabists) insist on Treason by their mostly willing Israeli Leftist recruits.
We await Obama’s White Paper instructing Israel to break up her Land and intimidate Israel’s people - while abandoning her sovereignty. Obama is playing the role "Pharaoh" - and you know what happened to him and Egypt!
One more thought. Why is Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu attaching Israel’s future, even her existence and sovereignty to the dimming star of a one term failing President?
ADVICE FROM AN ISRAELI AGENT ABOUT FUTURE TERRORISM by Eroll Gelardin forwarded with commentary Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
The following article entitled: "Advice from an Israeli Agent" is a powerful eye-opener with respect to radical Muslims’ plans for the next Terror attack in America.
Regrettably, I have been sounding this message for over 30 years (perhaps not as crisply as does Yuval Aviv). However, the Arabist State Department has failed its obligation as the "gate-keepers" to keep dangerous people out of America.
Their failure was embodied in the policies of several oil-connected Presidents, the oil interests of influential Multi-national oil companies and the State Department’s involvement with the Arab oil nations. Getting a visa to enter the U.S. from Muslim nations was a guaranteed walk-through. There are 56 Muslim countries in the world - of which 23 are also Arab. I would add those second and third generations of Muslims who appear as loyal Americans but, have taken up "Jihad" (holy war for Islam) against America and Americans.
American universities are loaded with Muslims, many of whom just happen to take courses in physics, biology and chemistry - otherwise known as NBC (Nuclear, Biology and Chemistry) as in WMD (Weapons of Mass Destruction). These "skill-sets" have been very useful to their military, paramilitary and Terrorist proxies in their countries of origin and tricking host countries where they pose as friendlies.
It was just a matter of time before "sleeper cells" will be using synchronized attacks across America - like the coordination of the bombings of the American Embassies in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on August 7, 1998.
But, not to worry, President Barack Hussein Obama will reach out to the Muslim Terrorists - just as he is doing to Iran, Syria and their proxies: Hamas and Hezb’Allah. Do you feel safer?
Please read and re-read this article about Yuval Aviv. I don’t know the author but I have seen it before and sent it forward. Some messages came back calling it a "hoax" and "Snopes" said it wasn’t true but, you can believe them or scan it with your own sense of what is possible, probable and what you should do about it for your own families, friends and the wider circle your lists can reach.
If Aviv’s rendition is a hoax, it’s a remarkably accurate prediction of what is happening right now. Keep in mind that in the last few years we have seen a ramping up of Muslims being caught preparing for attacks in America.
Please send it on to your Congressional Representatives, your local Media and the national/international Media. Who know, they may even begin to say Muslim and Terror in the same sentence instead of the wimpy words: "militant" or "extremist".
REMEMBER!!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Pan Am Flight 103, 12/21/88
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the World Trade Center in 2/26/93
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of the Marine Barracks in Lebanon, 10/23/83
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of Khobar Towers, U.S. Barracks Saudi Arabia, 6/25/88
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of U.S. Embassies-Nairobi & Dar es Salaam, Africa, 8/10/98
REMEMBER the MUSLIM attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon & (probably) the White House or Congress on 9/11/01
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombings of 4 commuter trains in Madrid 3/11/04
REMEMBER the MUSLIM murders of at least 368 children in Beslan, Russia 9/1/04
REMEMBER the MUSLIM murders of 52 and injuries of 700 commuters in London on 7/7/05
AND, PLEASE REMEMBER the MUSLIM murders of at least 2,000 Israelis since Oslo was signed 9/13/93, with tens of thousands wounded - many maimed for life!
REMEMBER all the AMERICAN and other lives who were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks.
REMEMBER: Muslim psychiatrist guns down thirteen unarmed soldiers after proclaiming that 'Muslims should stand up and fight." Ft. Hood, TX 11/5/2009
REMEMBER: Islamic Terrorists Have Carried Out More Than 14,374 terror attacks since 9/11/01. [TheReligionofPeace.com]
REMEMBER Muslims killed 3,308 in America in 65 terror attacks COMMENTARY BY EMANUEL A. WINSTON
I read this from Brent first: Yuval Aviv was the Israeli Agent upon whom the movie 'Munich' was based. He was Golda Meir's bodyguard, and she appointed him to track down and bring to justice the Palestinian terrorists who took the Israeli athletes hostage and killed them during the Munich Olympic Games.
In a lecture in New York City he shared information that EVERY American needs to know -- but that our government has not yet shared with us.
He predicted the London subway bombing on the Bill O'Reilly show on Fox News stating publicly that it would happen within a week. At the time, O'Reilly laughed, and mocked him saying that in a week he wanted him back on the show. Unfortunately, within a week the terrorist attack had occurred.
Yuval Aviv gave intelligence (via what he had gathered in Israel and the Middle East) to the Bush Administration about 9/11, a month before it occurred. His report specifically said they would use planes as bombs and target high profile buildings and monuments. Congress has since hired him as a security consultant.
Now for his future predictions - He predicts the next terrorist attack on the U.S. will occur within the next few months.
Forget hijacking airplanes, because he says terrorists will NEVER try and hijack a plane again as they know the people onboard will never go down quietly again. Aviv believes our airport security is a joke -- that we have been reactionary rather than proactive in developing strategies that are truly effective.
For example:
1) Our airport technology is outdated. We look for metal, and the new explosives are made of plastic.
2) He talked about how some idiot tried to light his shoe on fire. Because of that, now everyone has to take off their shoes. A group of idiots tried to bring aboard liquid explosives. Now we can't bring liquids on board. He says he's waiting for some suicidal maniac to pour liquid explosive on his underwear; at which point, security will have us all traveling naked! Every strategy we have is reactionary.
3) We only focus on security when people are heading to the gates.
Aviv says that if a terrorist attack targets airports in the future, they will target busy times on the front end of the airport when/where people are checking in. It would be easy for someone to take two suitcases of explosives, walk up to a busy check-in line, ask a person next to them to watch their bags for a minute while they run to the restroom or get a drink, and then detonate the bags BEFORE security even gets involved. In Israel, security checks bags BEFORE people can even ENTER the airport.
Aviv says the next terrorist attack here in America is imminent and will involve suicide bombers and non-suicide bombers in places where large groups of people congregate. (i.e., Disneyland, Las Vegas casinos, big cities (New York, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) and that it will also include shopping malls, subways in rush hour, train stations, etc., as well as, rural America this time. The interlands (Wyoming, Montana, etc.).
The attack will be characterized by simultaneous detonations around the country (terrorists like big impact), involving at least 5-8 cities, including rural areas.
Aviv says terrorists won't need to use suicide bombers in many of the larger cities, because at places like the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, they can simply valet park a car loaded with explosives and walk away.
Aviv says all of the above is well known in intelligence circles, but that our U. S. Government does not want to 'alarm American citizens' with the facts. The world is quickly going to become 'a different place', and issues like 'global warming' and political correctness will become totally irrelevant.
On an encouraging note, he says that Americans don't have to be concerned about being nuked. Aviv says the terrorists who want to destroy America will not use sophisticated weapons. They like to use suicide as a front-line approach. It's cheap, it's easy, it's effective; and they have an infinite abundance of young militants more than willing to 'meet their destiny'.
He also says the next level of terrorists, over which America should be most concerned, will not be coming from abroad. But will be, instead, 'homegrown', having attended and been educated in our own schools and universities right here in the U.S. He says to look for 'students' who frequently travel back and forth to the Middle East. These young terrorists will be most dangerous because they will know our language and will fully understand the habits of Americans; but that we Americans won't know/ understand a thing about them.
Aviv says that, as a people, Americans are unaware and uneducated about the terrorist threats we will inevitably face. America still has only a handful of Arabic and Farsi speaking people in our intelligence networks and Aviv says it is critical that we change that fact SOON.
So, what can America do to protect itself? From an intelligence perspective, Aviv says the U.S. needs to stop relying on satellites and technology for intelligence. We need to, instead, follow Israel's, Ireland's and England's hands-on examples of human intelligence, both from an infiltration perspective as well as to pay attention to, and trust 'aware' citizens to help. We need to engage and educate ourselves as citizens; however, our U. S. government continues to treat us, its citizens, 'like babies'. Our government thinks we 'can't handle the truth' and are concerned that we'll panic if we understand the realities of terrorism. Aviv says this is a deadly mistake.
Aviv recently created/executed a security test for our Congress, by placing an empty briefcase in five well-traveled spots in five major cities. The results? Not one person called 911 or sought a policeman to check it out. In fact, in Chicago, someone tried to steal the briefcase!
In comparison, Aviv says that citizens of Israel are so well 'trained' that an unattended bag or package would be reported in seconds by citizen(s) who know to publicly shout, 'Unattended Bag!' The area would be quickly & calmly cleared by the citizens themselves.
Unfortunately, America hasn't been yet 'hurt enough' by terrorism for their government to fully understand the need to educate its citizens or for the government to understand that it's their citizens who are, inevitably, the best first-line of defense against terrorism.
Aviv also was concerned about the high number of children here in America who were in preschool and kindergarten after 9/11, who were 'lost' without parents being able to pick them up, and about our schools that had no plan in place to best care for the students until parents could get there. (In New York City, this was days, in some cases!)
He stresses the importance of having a plan, that's agreed upon within your family, of how to respond in the event of a terrorist emergency. He urges parents to contact their children's schools and demand that the schools too, develop plans of actions, just as they do in Israel.
Does your family know what to do if you can't contact one another by phone? Where would you gather in an emergency? He says we should all have a plan that is easy enough for even our youngest children to remember and follow.
Aviv says that the U. S. government has in force a plan, that in the event of another terrorist attack, EVERYONE's ability to use cell phones, blackberries, etc., will immediately be cut-off, as this is the preferred communication source used by terrorists and is often the way that their bombs are detonated.
How will you communicate with your loved ones in the event you cannot speak to each other? You need to have a plan.
If you understand, and believe what you have just read, then you must feel compelled to send this to every concerned parent, guardian, grandparents, uncles, aunts, whomever. Don't stop there. In addition to sharing this via e-mail, contact and discuss this information with whomever it makes sense to. Make contingency plans with those you care about. Better that you have plans in place, and never have to use them, then to have no plans in place, and find you needed them.
I received this from the maker of the film why the USA supports Israel. Warning there is a 10 second advertisement and then the film. It is intended for non-Jews: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122541
Socialism is main stream America? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eudy7hy940Y&feature=player_embedded#
JOE KAUFMAN WINS ISLAMIST LAWSUIT YET AGAIN TEXAS SUPREME COURT DENIES PETITION FROM RADICAL MUSLIM GROUPS http://www.americansagainsthate.org/press_releases/PR-Kaufman_Lawsuit_Win.php
Gen. Vallely: Obama Iran Policy Destined to Fail Tuesday, 19 Jan 2010 04:17 PM By: John Rossomando
The Obama administration’s Iran policy could be destined to fail due to its inability to understand the situation, says retired Maj. Gen. Paul Vallely, a noted military analyst.
Vallely – who founded the Stand Up America Project, serves as military committee chairman for the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Security Policy and has authored several books – says the administration’s policy of trying to get Iran to abandon its nuclear program diplomatically doesn’t work, and hasn’t for decades.
“It hasn’t worked at all since 1979 when they took our hostages,” Vallely told Newsmax TV’s Kathleen Walter. “The Iranians have tried to do what they want to do and extend Shariah law around the world.
“The only thing we can do other than hope for an attack by Israel or the United States is that the Iranian opposition prevails and we have … what we call a 'velvet revolution' in Iran.”
The general says the administration has resorted to “appeasement” in its dealings with Iran, and sanctions won’t work because the Iranian regime has placed itself on the path to becoming the dominant regional power in the Middle East.
Vallely said he believes recent admissions by Gen. David Petraeus that contingency plans exist to take military action against Iran’s nuclear targets don’t say much about the Obama administration’s Iran policy.
“This doesn’t say anything really positive because we haven’t really had a solid commitment from the Obama administration on supporting Israel,” Vallely said. “As a matter of fact, it’s been more anti-Israel with the current administration.”
Petraeus’ comments, Vallely said, only indicates the U.S. military has done target assessments on 75 potential major Iranian nuclear targets that could be hit in case of war, and Israel has already done much of the same.
“So Gen. Petraeus was only talking about contingency plan either to support Israel or to take some kind of action from the United States,” Vallely said.
Contingency plans likely include attacking Iran’s nuclear targets, as well as those related to its command and control functions, as well as disabling its Revolutionary Guard.
He also believes the Obama administration has underestimated the threat posed by radical Islamic groups and their desire to hit targets in the United States, as evidenced by the Fort Hood massacre and the attempt to blow up a Detroit-bound airliner on Christmas Day.
“We’ve got to vet these people out even before they get on an aircraft and know who the enemy are,” Vallely said.
Vallely says the administration needs to move past political correctness and go after the terrorist training camps to prevent further attacks.
Now for M. Wolfberg’s story.
Good Shabbos Everyone. In this week’s Torah portion Bo, Hashem commands us regarding the mitzvah of Tefillin. As the Torah tells us, the Tefillin “shall be for you a sign on your arm and a reminder between your eyes - so that Hashem’s Torah may be in your mouth – for with a strong hand Hashem removed you from Egypt.” (Exodus - Shemos 13:9) The Sages teach us that “Man always needs a sign of his bond with Hashem. Shabbos itself is such a sign, but on weekdays, the sign is Tefillin.” (Eruvin 96a)
The mitzvah of Tefillin is one of the most powerful spiritual expressions that a Jew can do. By putting on Tefillin, a Jew declares his membership in the Jewish nation and his belief in Hashem. Rav Aryeh Kaplan described Tefillin as a sign of the bond of love between G-d and the Jewish people. (Tefillin, p.237 Rav Aryeh Kaplan) Rav Kaplan tells us that the greatest possible love is the love between G-d and man. As Hashem tells us through the Prophet Jeremiah “I have loved you with an infinite world of love.” (Ibid. citing Jeremiah 31:3) Tefillin are a symbol of the love that binds us to our Father in Heaven. The following amazing true story illustrates the power of Tefillin to awaken in Jew the love between him and his Creator.
As the Eretz Yisrael-bound El Al plane lifted off the tarmac of New York's JFK International Airport, Shalom realized suddenly that he had left his Tefillin in the trunk of his car. In his mind's eye, Shalom could see the Tefillin in the trunk of his Chevrolet.
Shalom thought back to his bar mitzvah fourteen years earlier and remembered the pride emanating from his father when he had presented the Tefillin to Shalom. His father, Yehuda, had always been very careful to fulfill the mitzvah of Tefillin properly and made an extraordinary effort to obtain the best possible pair for his son.
The parshiyos of Shalom’s Tefillin were written by a G-d fearing Sofer who was an expert in all the laws pertaining to Tefillin. The batim containing the parchments were also formed by a G-d-fearing expert, one who used all the finest materials. His grandmother had embroidered a beautiful velvet bag lovingly to protect them.
And now Shalom had inadvertently left them in the trunk of his car for the next ten days while he vacationed in Eretz Yisrael. This, too, is for the best, he thought to himself.
The ten days in Eretz Yisrael flew by, and Shalom had to return to the United States. When he went to retrieve his car from the long-term parking lot at JFK International Airport, Shalom discovered that his car had suffered a break-in. He checked the trunk quickly. His Tefillin were gone. Stolen.
Shalom went to the police station and filed a report of the theft, giving the desk sergeant the details of how to contact him should his Tefillin ever show up. Then he got into his car and drove himself home to Philadelphia.
Shalom went to his mother's house for his first Shabbos back from Eretz Yisrael. When he told her about his Tefillin, she offered him the use of his father's (who had passed away.) "I'm lending these to you until your nephew Yehuda will be a bar mitzvah in twelve years. It's important to me that, since he is named after Daddy, of blessed memory, he should wear these Tefillin. "Guard them with your life," she told him. Twelve years would be plenty of time for Shalom to get himself a new pair of Tefillin.
Six years passed. Shalom came home from work one day and heard a message on his answering machine from the New York City police department. They left a phone number and a request that he contact them as soon as possible. When he reached them later that evening, the sergeant told Shalom that a religious object of his had been turned in. "Please come as soon as possible to reclaim your stolen goods."
The next morning Shalom hopped into his car, and drove up to New York. After presenting his identification to the police officer at the front desk, Shalom was ushered into an office. The officer introduced himself as Howard and proceeded to tell the following story.
"Three days ago, an elderly Russian gentleman presented himself at the precinct, placed your Tefillin bag on the table and told the following story. “I own a pawn shop a few blocks away,” he began. “About an hour ago a man came into my shop and wanted to pawn these.” He pointed to the Tefillin lying on the table. “I'm not religious myself, but I recognized immediately that these were phylacteries. Jews call them Tefillin and wear them during the morning prayers. I told the man to forget pawning the Tefillin, as I was willing to buy them from him. I paid him cash and took the Tefillin. My hands began to tremble and shake. I don't know what came over me. Since these Tefillin had obviously been stolen, I locked up my shop and came here, to the police station, to see if I could perhaps help return them to their owner. The embroidery says Shalom son of Yehuda Goldberg. Is there any record of this theft?” Asked the Russian pawn shop owner.
"I picked up the Tefillin," continued the police officer Howard, "to see what they were. The strangest thing happened when I held them in my hands. I felt a hot flash and began sweating profusely. My hands were trembling and shaking. Why would a Jewish object cause such a reaction in me, a Gentile? I locked up the Tefillin in my desk, planning to investigate their background the next day.
That night I couldn't shake the memory of my hands trembling and shaking. I wondered again why a Jewish object should make such an impression on a non-Jew. Disturbed, I told my mom the story, asking her what she though of the matter. She didn't seem surprised at all. “Howard, when I was a teenager I rebelled and left home to marry your Dad,” she told me. "I never told you that my parents were Jewish, did I? Well, by Jewish law, since I am Jewish, so are my children, Howard, maybe the Tefillin had such an impact on you because you yourself are Jewish!”
Shalom, the owner of the Tefillin was sitting on the edge of his chair by now. "I've often felt like something was missing in my life," the police officer Howard continued. “Apparently, my Jewish soul was hungering for some spiritual nourishment. I am going to start investigating my heritage. Can we keep in touch?" Shalom agreed.
The story doesn't end there. When he arrived back in Philadelphia, Shalom brought the Tefillin to Rabbi Shreiber, his Sofer, to have them checked. Who knows where the Tefillin had been during the past six years and whether or not the letters on the parchments were still intact? Shalom told Rabbi Shreiber the entire story as Rabbi Shreiber opened up the outer boxes.
Rabbi Shreiber checked the parchment and began to cry. "Why are you crying?" Shalom asked. "These Tefillin are as kosher as the day they were made," Rabbi Shreiber declared emotionally. "I would like to buy them from you, if I may." "I'm sorry," said Shalom, "but these Tefillin are even more precious to me now. They are my own personal reminder of how Hashem runs the world." (From "Hamodia Magazine Section" 29 Teves, 5764)
Every mitzvah serves to draw us closer to Hashem and to strengthen this bond of love. (Orech Chaim 30:2, Mishna Berurah 37:6) In fact, the word Mitzvah comes from a root meaning “to bind.” In the case of Tefillin, this bond is physical as well as spiritual.(ibid.) We literally bind G-d’s love symbol to our bodies.(ibid.)
What are Tefillin exactly? Tefillin are made entirely from kosher animal products and consist of two black leather boxes containing four sections of the Torah written on parchments. The boxes with the parchments inside are tied to the body by black leather straps, which bind one of the boxes to the head and one to the arm. The Tefillin of the arm represents the harnessing of our physical power and the mastering of our hearts’ desires to follow G-d; while the Tefillin of the head represents the harnessing of our wisdom to carry out the commandments.
Tefillin are the original “black box.” It is well known that jet airplanes have “black boxes” which record the actions of the flight of the plane. The black box of a plane is indestructible. The same is true with Tefillin. The Jews have gone through thousands of years of persecution and yet the black box remains, and in it are the secrets of our success as a people. In fact, excavations at Masada, which was destroyed almost 2000 years ago in the Land of Israel, turned up Tefillin that were configured exactly the way we wear them today!
Tefillin are such an important mitzvah, that the Sages tell us that Tefillin encompass all other mitzvahs.(Kidushin 35a) In less than five minutes a day, a Jew can perform this very important Mitzvah. The proper time for performing the mitzvah of Tefillin is during the daytime. It is preferable to wear Tefillin at the morning services, although one may discharge his obligation by putting them on and immediately taking them off. If possible, one should also say the Sh’ma while wearing Tefillin. This is a great way to start off the day.
Tefillin are not merely a sign, they actually have tremendous spiritual power to them. The Kabbala tells us “Happy is the man who wears Tefillin and fathoms their mystery.” (Zohar 1:129a)
We will conclude this week with excerpts from the prayer that many say before putting on Tefillin: “May the spiritual influence of the Mitzvah of Tefillin be extended upon me so that I have a long life, a flow of holiness, and holy thoughts, without an inkling of sin or iniquity.” Good Shabbos Everyone.
Mr. Wolfberg’s Shabbos sponsored by: Refuah Shleima to Mordechai Menachem Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Tsviah bas Bracha Leah
In memory of Shosha Malka bas R' Avrohom 21 Cheshvan Refuah Shleimah to Chana Ashayra bas Dodi
Good Shabbos – please note next week there will be catch up a double Parsha.
Have a wonderful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
