Received this: When you daven next, would you please pray for Henach Avram Ben Pesa? He is in the hospital here in Orange Park, Florida. He is the husband of one of my coworkers. He has been in the hospital 3 weeks. He’s had an attack of sepsis due to diverticulitis; subsequently, a section of his colon removed, a temporary colostomy, and his kidneys are failing.
Asher ben Malka, Avraham ben Devorah, Zvi Yechezkiel ben Leah, Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Bentzion Michael ben Chaya Zipporah, Eli ben Merel, Zvi Moshe ben Miriam Rachel, Yosef Moshe ben Perel, Naphtali Moshe ben Tzipporah, Chanan ben Shlomit, Rafael Alexander Alter ben Sheina, Shaul ben Sirrel
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, Hodaya Nurit bas Mazel, Miriam Rivka bas Adina Leah, Chana bas Simcha, Fruma bas Rachel, Tahel Chaya bas Michal, Rina bas Sharona , Chava Baila bas Elka, Sara Chana bas Fayge, Sarah bas Yehudit, Rivka Batya bas Sara, Devorah bas Chaya
Another addition - Shlomit Frieda bas Rivka
Parsha Bamidbar
Our Sefer starts off with the theme of being in a desert or wilderness. At this point we have an operational Mishkan (Tabernacle) and we have the beginning of a Torah Nation.
Yirmiyahu writes in 31:1 Thus says the LORD: the people that were left of the sword have found grace in the wilderness, even Israel, when I go to cause him to rest.
What was so pleasing in the desert? The fact that one could relax without working just sitting around in Kollel all day and learn the Halachos. The wife only had to check up on the sheep and cattle that they did not mix up with the neighbor’s cattle. There was essentially no worry for food. A miracle was supposed to have happened and nobody had warn or smelling clothing. No diseases were under the clouds of glory. The camp had automatic lighting of the pillar of fire by night. No sun burn and all the vitamins and minerals needed for a healthy person were in the Mann which fell from heaven. What better teacher could they have than Moshe Rabbaynu himself? Below him were Shuirim given by the leaders of Am Yisrael and the Sanhedrin of each tribe. Individual learning was guided by the leaders of ten. This way slow learners had the same chance as quick learners. In this way the quick learners had more time to review and the slower learner learned it in small sections over and over again. What an ideal time. After two centuries in Egypt which were 80 years of slavery, it was a comfort for everybody to just relax and exercise their brains instead of their brawn. Rabbi Y. Frand Shlita writes in the Torah Org:
In Rabbinic literature, the book of Bamidbar is referred to as the book of censuses (Sefer haPekudim), which is no doubt roughly equivalent to the common English name for the book - the Book of Numbers. In this week's parsha, there is a counting at the beginning of their sojourn in the Wilderness and there is another counting in Parshas Pinchas, towards the end of their sojourn in the Wilderness.
The command to count the people is formulated as follows: "Take a census of the entire assembly of the Children of Israel according to their families, according to their fathers' house, BY NUMBER OF THE NAMES, every male according to their head count."
1:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying: Note below that the reference ‘Sitra Achra’ means “other side” as in the Star Wars concept with the exception that is the evil spiritual side or negative spiritual energy. This too G-D created more for testing us!
"Get a Spiritual Life"
God told Moshe in the desert of Sinai . (Bamidbar 1:1)
The desert is an interesting place. And though the Jewish people's journey through the desert seemed to be incidental, that is, just across an area of arid land that happened to be on the way to Eretz Yisroel from Egypt, Kabbalah explains that this is not so. Quite the contrary, it was a place that had to be crossed in order to ready the Jewish people to live in Eretz Yisroel.
The Leshem writes:
The Zohar says: When they went into the desert to see, The Holy One, Blessed is He, took the Light of Glory from there, and they went to look at it but could not find it . Rebbe Shimon said, "While they were still walking in the desert (immediately after they came to the desert) another domain was revealed to them, that of the rest of the nations. That is, he who has control over the desert (the Sitra Achra)[1] met up with them (to mislead and draw them away through his trickery), and Israel saw that it was not the Light of Glory of their King, as it says, `They came to Marah and they could not drink the water because it was bitter' (Shemos 15:23)" (Beshalach 60a). Thus, even though the Clouds of Glory surrounded them they could already begin to feel the treachery of the Sitra Achra, and worried that the revelation of the light would cease, as they said, "Is Hashem amongst us or Ayin?" Moshe Rabbeinu knew quite well that this was to test them, and therefore he led them into the desert, into the place of the Sitra Achra, as it says in [the Zohar in] Parashas Tetzaveh (184a): It is the place of the Sitra Achra, etc. [and they were brought there] in order to battle against his trickery so as to break his power and strength and to smash his head and subjugate him, as we mentioned above in Section 3:5. Had the Jewish people constantly strengthened themselves so that their lives and hearts were given over to God, He would have promised them that the revelation of the great light would not leave them even while in the desert. And they would not have had to look at the Sitra Achra and his schemes at all because all of it was just a test. Indeed, this is specifically the kind of action from below that would have drawn down upon them the great light continuously. Moshe Rabbeinu knew that at that time it was dependent upon their strengthening themselves in trust in God, and for this the verse faults them: Because you did not believe in God and did not trust in His salvation (Tehillim 78:22), and it adds: "Nevertheless, they sinned further and had no faith in His wonders" (Tehillim 78:32). However, this was not due to an evil heart, God forbid, but because they did not find themselves worthy of this, as per the logic of the chassid of [the work] Duties of the Heart, Gate of Trust, Ch. 3, Introduction 4: "Only those who perform His will and all the [possible] Torah and its mitzvos can make use of the trait of bitachon (trust in God); [only] he is a true servant of God." Therefore, when they came to the desert and found themselves constantly tempted by the Sitra Achra and his trickery they did not encourage themselves to trust in God so that He could deal with them beyond measure and with constant miracles; they felt unworthy of this. Therefore, instead, they constantly complained, "Why did you bring us up from Egypt?" since they saw that they could not maintain the proper faith in God because of the Yetzer hara that kept overcoming them and renewing itself each day. (Shaarim Leshem, p. 113)
Hence, the journey into the desert had been deliberate, as part of the process to free the Jewish people from Egyptian slavery, which had been far more than physical. For, it is far easier to take the Jew out of Egypt than it is to take the Egypt out of the Jew. Going through the desert, the domain of the Sitra Achra/Yetzer hara, was to do exactly that.
Hence, they were made to feel the spiritual pressure of the place that they traveled, but they had the Shechina, and Moshe Rabbeinu as well, with them, to encourage them to remain calm and trusting, in spite of the fears that journeying through the desert evoked. It was a tough test, but since it was given and monitored by God, it was possible to pass it. – Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlita from perceptions at the Torah Org. or 36.org
2 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls; 3 from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron. 4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers' house. 5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with you: of Reuben, Eliezer the son of Shedder. 6 Of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7 Of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab. 8 Of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar. 9 Of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. 10 Of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 11 Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni. 12 Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 13 Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran. 14 Of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel. 15 Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.' 16 These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. 17 And Moses and Aaron took these men that are pointed out by name. 18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. 19 As the LORD commanded Moses, so did he number them in the wilderness of Sinai. 20 And the children of Reuben, Israel's first-born, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; 21 those that were numbered of them, of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.
These people had leadership ability both in wisdom, management and perhaps charisma. Of these 12 people only two have legends about them. Nachson in that he walked into the sea prior to parting on faith alone and when the water reached his nostrils, the sea parted. This is the first recorded incident of “Naaseh v’Nishma” (we will do and we will observe) which is our theme for the Shevous Festival. Shelumiel either had an injury from his slavery in Egypt or a nervous disorder that made him clumsy. As we have said for generations, “He is a real Shelumiel!” That expression is used a lot nobody is called “a regular Nachson ben Ammmiadav”. How many brave leaders do we have and they always appear be outstanding individuals. Sometimes even you and I can rise to a task to help somebody else or run into a burning building or a collapsed structure at considerable risk to check if we could save somebody. Even an Optometrist’s son who was a very quite boy growing up and sensitive was wounded on the front line along with his two commanding officers. Rabbi Eckstein Shlita said that the reason that Shelumiel was called ‘poor’ is because he was the prince of Shimon which was the poorest of the tribes.
22 Of the children of Simeon, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, those that were numbered thereof, according to the number of names, by their polls, every male from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war; … all the twelve tribes except Levi.
44 These are those that were numbered, which Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men; they were each one for his fathers' house. 45 And all those that were numbered of the children of Israel by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; 46 even all those that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 49 'Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel; 50 but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongs to it; they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle sets forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draws nigh shall be put to death. 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts. 53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.' 54 Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
2:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 'The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers' houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.
If you will remember last year I mentioned the four Angels guarding the four camps surrounding the Aaron HaBris (Ark of the Covenant) with their corresponding Angels in the East was Yehuda with Michael and Gavriel on the western front, in the North was Uriel and in the South Rafael. The camps of the three Leviim families surrounded the Aaron and the Cohanim took the 4th side. We have in the introduction to the Shabbos songs the saying of each man on his standard and each man on his flag.
3 Now those that pitch on the east side toward the sunrising shall be they of the standard of the camp of Judah, according to their hosts; the prince of the children of Judah being Nahshon the son of Amminadab… Issachar … Zevulon… 10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben … Simeon… Gad… 18 On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their hosts… Manasseh… Benjamin. 25 On the north side shall be the standard of the camp of Dan … Asher … Naphtali …
Vayikra 3:1 Now these are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses in mount Sinai. 2 And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the first-born, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 3 These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests that were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office. 4 And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD, when they offered strange fire before the LORD, in the wilderness of Sinai, and they had no children; and Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the presence of Aaron their father. – They were camped in the middle 3 sides were Leviim and one side Aaron and his sons.
5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7 And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they shall keep all the furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle. 9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel. 10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and the common man that draweth nigh shall be put to death.'
The Talmud in Shabbos Chapter 2 brings down the story of the three converts rejected by Shammai and accepted by Hillel. One wanted to become Cohain Gadol. Hillel accepted him as a candidate for conversion but said that he would have to learn all the laws of Judaism and the function of the priests. When the Ger got up to this Pasuk, he saw that an ordinary Bnei Yisrael would be worthy of death so that he drew the conclusion: “I who came to Judaism as a stranger with no heritage am less worthy than a native born son of Yacov so all the more so that I am not worthy to become Cohain Gadol.” Upon speaking to Hillel his conclusion and love for Judaism, his conversion process was complete and the Shechina rested upon him.
11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 12 'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that opens the womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine; 13 for all the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast, Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.'
Why were the Leviim singled out? They did not partake in the golden calf. Originally the plan was for the first born to do the functions of the Leviim but since many first born children of the Erev Rav (mixed multitude) participated they lost that privilege before HASHEM.
Pirkei Avos Chapter 6
I have neglected up until now the learning of six chapters of Mishnah which we are supposed to learn on Shabbos Afternoon. The 6 volumes of Mishnah and 20 Volumes of Talmud Bavli contain 63 different Mesectas each having a number of chapters. What Moshe gave us on Har Sinai is called “Torah sheh bictav” (written Torah) vs. the “Torah sheh b’al peh” (oral Torah). There is an opinion that the sixth chapter is a compilation of an add on after Rebbe finished the Mishnah. It is oral Torah within the Oral Torah so to speak.
Mishnah 6:1 -
"Rabbi Meir said, anyone who engages in Torah study for its own sake ('lishma') merits many things. Not only that, but the entire world is worthwhile for him alone. He is called 'friend' and 'beloved,' he loves G- d, he loves man, he brings joy to G-d, he brings joy to man. It (the Torah) clothes him in humility and fear. It enables him to be righteous, pious, upright, and faithful. It distances him from sin and brings him to merit. [Others] benefit from him advice and wisdom, understanding and strength, as it says, 'To me is advice and wisdom, I am understanding, and strength is mine' (Proverbs 8:14). It gives him kingship, dominion and analytical judgment. It reveals to him the secrets of the Torah. He becomes as an increasing stream and an unceasing river. He becomes modest, slow to anger, and forgiving of the wrongs done to him. It makes him great and exalted above all of creation."
This Mishnah is to show us how much G-D likes Torah learning and the people who do so. The man who does such things is called by G-D in praise worthy names. Through the learning of Torah, the person enhances the world bringing it closer to the reason for creation in the first place.
GOG AND MAGOG PROMISES TO BE A REAL GASSER
From Nancy: Not since the Cyanide Gas of WWII against the hapless victims of the holocaust has the Jews had such a treat hanging over them: http://www.pjtv.com/v/350
'DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF MY BELOVED SISTER' 'MANYA BAS HILLEL BEN YAACOV DOVID'
B'H
"Some Facts About Shavuos"(May 19, 2010 - May 20, 2010) (6th Sivan and the 7th Sivan 5770)
(The Day the Torah was given, celebrating the monumental encounter between G-d and the Israelites at Mount Sinai, an event which changed mankind forever.)
The name of the Festival Shavuos, (Weeks), is derived from the fact that the holiday is observed seven weeks after the bringing of the Omer on the second day of Passover. Thus the first day of Shavuos, which is the Fiftieth day after the bringing of the Omer, always falls on the same day in the week, as the second day of Passover.
The Torah has prescribed no specific ceremony by which the festival of Shavuos should be celebrated, except by not doing work. In ancient times, when the Beis Hamikdash (our Holy Temple) was in existence, Shavuos was one of the three festivals during which every Israelite had to make a pilgrimage to the House of G-d in Jerusalem.
Before the reading of the Torah on the first day of Shavuos, we recite a most inspiring poem called Akdamos. This hymn of glory to G-d and the Torah, was composed by the Poet Rabbi Meir ben Isaac, who lived in Germany in the eleventh century. The poem gives expression to the greatness and eternity of the Torah, to Israel's unbounded love for it, as well as our determination that come what may, we will never abandon the Torah for other religions.
It is customary to decorate the synagogues on the Festival of Shavuos with leaves, flowers, and branches, in memory of Mount Sinai which during the Revelation was covered with trees and flowers.
The Festival of Shavuos is also known in the Torah as Yom HaBikurim, "the day of the first fruits." The reason for it is that in ancient days, when the Holy Temple was in existence, the first offering from the new wheat, was brought on that day. From then on, continuing throughout the summer, Jewish farmers with their First fruits drew near Jerusalem and the Temple.
"The flute was played before them until they drew near Jerusalem. When they had drawn near Jerusalem they sent messengers before them and decorated their First fruits. The rules and the officers of the Temple went forth to meet them, and all the craftsmen in Jerusalem used to rise up before them and greet them, saying, "Brethren, men of such and such a place, you are welcome.' The flute was played before them until they reached the Temple Mount. When they reached the Temple Mount even Agrippa, the King, would take his basket on his shoulder and enter as far as the Temple Court. When they reached the Temple Court, the Levites sang the song, I will exalt thee, O L-rd, for Thou hast set me up and not made mine enemies to triumph over me."
Tradition has marked the second day of Shavuos as the anniversary of the death of King David, the great warrior and poet of Israel. The sweet singer of Israel and greatly beloved by G-d. Now since David was a descendant of Ruth, the Moabite woman who adopted the Jewish religion, and since the Book of Ruth traces the family of David to Ruth, the Book of Ruth is read in the synagogue on the second day of Shavuos at the conclusion of the Morning Service, before the reading of the Torah.
"Suggested Activities"
Eat some Dairy Foods
When we were given the Torah (including the laws of Kashrus), we realized that our cooking vessels were not kosher, so until we kashered them, we ate only dairy products.
Read the Book of Ruth
(1) King David, her descendant, died on Shavuos (as well as being born on Shavuos),
and (2) Ruth was a convert, and we were like converts on Shavuos - G-d transformed us from ordinary people to a special nation.
Love Your Neighbor as yourself - Yaffa
"Chag Samayach Shavuot"
"For the sake of Zion I will not be silent; for the sake of Jerusalem I will not be still." (Isaiah 62:1)
King David was Born on Shavuos King David Died on Shavuos
B'H
"The Personality of King David" (I Samuel 16:13)
When David turned thirteen, he said, "H-shem said to me, 'You are my son, I have begotten you this day' " (Psalms 2:7) (Zohar 2:33a).
David was Israel's shepherd, as it is written, "You shall shepherd My people Israel" (II Samuel 5:2). And who was David's shepherd? The Holy One, Blessed is He (Bereishis Rabbah 59:5).
There were seven shepherds of the Jewish nation (Micah 5:4), David is in the center, with Adam, Shem, and Methuselah to his right, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to his left (Succah 52b).
Whom do we have who was greater than King David? (Zohar 3:240a).
Two good leaders stood by Israel, Moses and David (Yoma 86b).
The most praiseworthy King was David. The most praiseworthy prophet was Moses. Whatever Moses did, David did. Moses took Israel out of Egypt, David took Israel out of the subjugation of the kingdoms which menaced Israel at that time, also an allusion to Messiah don of David, who will deliver Israel from persecution and exile, Moses waged war, and David waged war, Moses was King of Israel and Judah, and David was King of Israel and Judah, Moses split the sea for Israel, and David split the rivers for Israel (i.e., the kingdom of Aram Naharaim - "Aram between the two rivers"), Moses erected an altar, and David erected an altar, Moses sacrificed, and David sacrificed, Moses gave Israel the Five Books of Torah, and David gave Israel the five books which constitute Psalms (Shocher Tov 1:2).
The staff that was in Moses' hand was also in David's hand, as it is written, He took his staff in his hand (I Samuel 17:40), and it was in the hand of every king until the Holy Temple was destroyed (Yelamdeinu Chukas, ed. Greenhut, Likutim 4).
Moses was the teacher, David, the disciple (Shocher Tov 14:6).
When David ate his own meal, he would eat until nine hours into the day, sleep until the middle watch, the beginning of the fifth hour of the night, and then rise and study Torah. When he ate a royal repast, he would eat until evening, sleep until midnight, and then rise and study Torah (Yalkut Shimoni, Tehillim 877).
David was the fourth support of the Heavenly Chariot (Zohar 1:248b).
David caused the Holy One, Blessed is He, to show rejoicing. Even when he was grieved, as soon as he stood before the Holy One, Blessed is He, he became cheerful again in order to make the King Happy (Zohar 2:107a).
The Holy One, Blessed is He, gave David a hint, which he noted, as it is written, "Your servant smote both the lion and the bear (I Samuel 17:36). "What distinction do I have that I have slain wild beasts?", thought David. "But perhaps something is destined to happen to Israel, and they are destined to be saved by me" (Mechilta Beshalach 5:2).
David smote four lions and three bears on the same day (Midrash Shmuel, ed. Buber 20:5).
David would take a copper bow and bend it. It was easier to bend a copper bow than to bend David's arm (Shocher Tov 18:27).
He would shoot one arrow, which would slay 800 men at once, and he would sigh that he had not slain another 200 (Moed Katan 16b).
David's voice was sweet (Shir HaShirim Rabbah 4:4).
Every righteous King who arose was linked to David, every wicked King who arose was linked to Jeroboam son of Nebat (Midrash HaGadol, Bamidbar 27:1).
He who sees David in a dream may expect to attain piety (Berachos 57b).
Whoever saw David would remember the Torah he had learned (Beresheis Rabbah 2:1).
'His Righteousness'
The evil inclination wielded no power over David (Bava Basra 17a). David could not stand the evil inclination, and he killed it in his heart (i.e., he forced it to comply with the will of his Creator) (Yerushalmi Berachos 9:5).
David called the evil inclination tamei (unclean/ritually impure) (Succah 52a).
If you study David, you will find in him no sin other than the one with Uriah (Shabbos 56a).
David came before the Divine Presence, stretched himself out full length on the ground, and said, "My Father in Heaven, the Torah that I have studied before You is Yours (for the Torah is Yours), and the acts of kindness that I have done before You and Yours (for all the wealth is Yours). Yet in reward for the little bit of Torah I have learned before You, You gave me possession of This World, the Messianic era, and the World to Come" (Tanna d'Bei Eliyahu Rabbah 18).
"In my straits," (said David), "I have prepared for the House of H-shem" (I Chronicles 22:14), for he used to fast and consecrate his meal to the Temple (Yerushalmi Peah 4:1).
Said David, "I know that worms (i.e., decomposition) will have no power over my body" (Shocher Tov 119:5).
David slept the short sleep of a horse, the equivalent of sixty breaths (Succah 26b).
In the future, the Holy One, Blessed is He, will make a feast for the righteous, After the meal He will ask the forefathers of Israel to take the cup and lead the Grace after Meals, but each in turn will refuse, insisting he is unsuited. Finally, G-d will turn to David and say, "Take the cup and lead the blessings." (David) will reply, "I will lead the blessings, and it is fitting for me to do so." Thus it is written, "I will lift up the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of H-shem" (Psalms 116:13) (Pesachim 119b).
King David, of blessed memory, said, "I feared G-d in joy and rejoiced in fear, but my love of G-d exceeded both" (Tanna d'Bei Eliyahu Rabbah 3).
Said David before the Holy One, Blessed is He, "Although I was king, I made you King over me" (Shocher Tov 16:2).
David did not accept evil reports against Mephibosheth. Rather, David dealt harshly with him because of signs of rebellion that David had detected in him (Shabbos 56b).
Love Yaffa
"Give thanks to G-d for He is good. His Kindness is forever!"{Psalms 118:1)
"PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF ISRAEL"
Halachos and Mitzvos from Danny Shoemann
The Halachos will appear either before Shevous or next week. REMEMBER TODAY IS ROSH CHODESH a little more holiness is to be added.
The government of Israel let in hundreds of thousands of non-Jewish immigrants into Israel in the late ‘80’s and early ‘90’s into Israel they included Muslims, Nazis, anti-Semitics and Satan Worshippers from the former Soviet Union. Also the amounts of murders went up and Israel developed a drunken driving problem that was non-existent beforehand. I am not angry at Silva Zalmanson, Yosef Medelovich, Natan Shiransky and other heroes of freedom and hundreds of thousands of wonderful Jews that came but out government for allowing US Jewish contributions and my tax dollars pay for our enemies. All this so that the two large parties would grow and stop the demographic threat of the Orthodox Jews: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3888567,00.html
Shuli Katz, 69, of Kibbutz Gevaram, was killed when a Kassam rocket fell a few meters from where she was standing in Moshav Yesha, 15 km (9 miles) east of the Gaza Strip.
Shuli Katz, a nurse by profession, had come with her son to see her sister-in-law, Leora Yunger, who was visiting from abroad. Katz was hit before she had a chance to enter the house.
From Rabbi A.L.:
The following alert has been sent out on behalf of the Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO)
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You don’t have to be Jewish to live in Uganda but it doesn’t hurt either: http://www.wildfoto.com/uganda.html
Inyanay Diyoma
A reminder to all this section has Israeli, Moshiach and other news but has a slant to the right of center just as the Washington Post, LA Times and NY Times to the left.
Rather than throw away the whole Torah above please skip the good Shabbos story below.
Guess who wears an American Israel flag pin? Hint in 2008 I posted the video of this plus an Israel flag in this person’s office.
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/137449?sms_ss=facebook
The New York Times reported on May 1:
Separately, these officials said, Mr. Mitchell's deputy, David Hale, indicated to the Palestinians that if Israel proceeded with the construction of 1,600 housing units in Jerusalem's ultra-orthodox neighborhood of Ramat Shlomo, the United States would abstain from, rather than veto, a resolution in the United Nations Security Council condemning the move.
This is an unprecedented threat. As Jennifer Rubin points out at Commentary, the Bush administration routinely vetoed anti-Israel resolutions in the UN as a matter of principle. Previous Democratic administrations at least waited to see the language of UN resolutions against Israel before offering to abstain on them.
Now that the "proximity talks" have started, how will they end? Well, we know what will happen if they fail: President Obama will try to impose a solution. HaAretz reports:
U.S. President Barack Obama has told several European leaders that if Israeli-Palestinian talks remain stalemated into September or October, he will convene an international summit on achieving Mideast peace, senior Israeli officials told HaAretz on Thursday.
The officials said the conference would be run by the Quartet of Middle East peacemakers - the United States, European Union, United Nations and Russia - in a bid to forge a united global front for creating a Palestinian state. The summit, they said, would address such core issues as borders, security arrangements, Palestinian refugees and the status of Jerusalem.
Obama is determined to exert his influence to establish a Palestinian state, the officials said, and several European leaders have vowed that the EU would support any peace plan proposed by Washington.
When White House spokesman Robert Gibbs did not respond to a question about the HaAretz report above, Rick Richman at Commentary concluded that the "proximity talks" are intended to fail:
Consider the HaAretz report confirmed, and watch the Palestinians adopt a negotiating position intended to create the necessary "stalemate."
In related news, the latest CBS News/New York Times poll shows once again the significant gap in support for Israel between Democrats and Republicans. When asked - "Is your overall opinion of Israel very favorable, mostly favorable, mostly unfavorable, or very unfavorable?" - 48% of Democrats said "very favorable" (7%) or "mostly favorable" (41%). Among Republicans, 70% answered "very favorable" (24%) or "mostly favorable" (46%).
SKEWED FOCUS: US PROPOSAL OF A MIDEAST NUCLEAR WEAPON BAN COULD MEAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL TO DISARM! Jerusalem Post Editorial 5/5/10
forwarded with commentary & MADRID PEACE CONFERENCE ALL-OVER-AGAIN April 17, 2002 by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
Once again the same old enemies of Israel have gathered - now under the Obama banner to water the seeds planted that are intended for Israel’s destruction.
With your patience I will offer the same plan tried by James Baker III and what came to be known as Baker’s Jew Boys: Dennis Ross, Aaron David Miller and Daniel Kurtzer in 1991 during the infamous Madrid International Conference.
Enclosed within is a brief article I wrote during the Madrid Conference predicting that an Arab Muslim country would be put up to proposing that the entire Middle East region should be made into a "Nuclear-Free Zone". Israel was the target.
Strange, isn’t it that plotters of the old "Madrid Trap" are Obama’s counselors of today?!
COMMENTARY BY EMANUEL A. WINSTON May 6, 2010
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WINSTON MID EAST ANALYSIS & COMMENTARY April 17, 2002
MADRID PEACE CONFERENCE ALL OVER AGAIN
by Emanuel A. Winston, a Middle East analyst & commentator
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir was implored not to go to the Madrid Conference of 1991. As it turned out, this was the beginning of the Oslo Process. Everyone knew - both enemies and friends - that it was one big trap. Although Baker’s Boys (the Jewish aides to James Baker) Dennis Ross, Daniel Kurtzer, Aaron Miller denied that they, as State Department apparachiks, were deeply involved, nevertheless, they bounced from room to room, cutting deals, making promises that would not ever be kept.
I recall penning an article forecasting that Egypt would be recruited by the U.S. State Department to demand that Israel stand down her nuclear deterrent. As night follows day, near the end of the Madrid Conference, Egypt’s representative recommended a "nuclear free zone" which would leave Israel to face the overwhelmingly greater conventional forces of Egypt , Syria, Iran, Iraq, among others, with only conventional arms and without her nuclear deterrent.
This was not the first time that a play had been made for international intervention. Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres roamed the world, meeting with heads of states to implore them to put pressure on Israel through an "International Peace Conference". In 1988, then Foreign Minister Peres, contrary to Israeli cabinet policy, tried to initiate an International Peace Conference. His then Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir called Peres’ effort "insane", "madness". The trick was always to get Israel into the arena with not one bull but dozens of bulls. Three years later, October 31 to November 2, 1991, Prime Minister Shamir was trapped into the Madrid Conference (which was the threshold of Oslo) through stealth, trickery and ever present treachery.
Now, once again, there is a major movement afoot to convene an "International Peace Conference". That is an oxymoron if there ever was one.
This is the theatrical set and the script:
First, they get a Prime Minister who believes (as all Israelis believe) that he can overcome anything. That is how they trapped Shamir.
The players today will be the U.S. State Department , the U.N. representatives, the E.U. representatives, the Arab nations, Palestinian representatives and, guess who will be the main attraction as the bull to be teased, prodded, pierced and, eventually, slaughtered?
Of course it will all be done with pressured dignity. The Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah’s phony plan, which calls for Israel’s withdrawal to the armistice borders of 1948-49 (the Auschwitz borders which invited the Arabs to create the 1967 Six Days’ War) will be the cutting edge of the groups’ persuasion. The word "normalization" appeared briefly in the Tom Friedman fantasy article that made it look like Abdullah said the words Friedman put in his mouth, but even that was too much for the Saudis and "normalization" was withdrawn.
In this next peace adventure, Israel will merely have to provide Arafat’s Palestinian terrorists with a solid State of their own where they can tool up again for weapons and no longer need to smuggle in weapons of war from an accommodating Egypt, Iran or Syria. Now, they will be able to import serious tonnage of advanced weaponry - just like all the other ‘States’ in the Arab Middle East.
Israel will be required to abandon the high ground along with the Jordan Valley, leaving open the five passes into the Jordan Valley, through which Syria and Iraq can advance their troops - cutting Israel into pieces to be devoured.
Of course, none of this will happen, because we will have a piece of paper, guaranteeing our existence, counter-stamped by the U.S. State Department and the American President. Of course, the nations present, except for Israel, will know that the U.S. State Department’s stamp of approval is bogus, irrelevant and worth less than the paper it is stamped upon - just like all the prior co-signatures on agreements with Yassir Arafat. He was supported, despite his every broken agreement - even with Arab states.
Israel will be expected to give up her water, both from the aquifers under the Judean and Samarian hills, as well as the water that flows from the Golan Heights and nourished Israel’s only fresh water resource, Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). Didn’t you know that Syria was to be bribed with the Golan which is Israel’s primary water source, as well as the high ground military position? Israel will be asked (ordered by the world) to create a capital for a non-existent people to assuage their vaunted feelings of humiliation for losing to Israel in so many wars.
When I say: "non-existent", of course, the people exist, but there was never an Arab Palestinian entity. The Arabs entered British Mandate Palestine freely (without permits - which were needed by Jews) from all the surrounding Arab countries as the Jews returned to make the desert bloom, creating jobs and good health conditions. The only "Palestinians" were the Jews under the British Mandate from 1917 to 1948 - until Israel became a State. (1)
Israel will be forced to pull back to the 1948-49 Armistice lines, giving up her defensive critical mass. For these gestures, Israel is supposed to receive "recognition" by the Arab nations. Who needs their recognition anyway? Israel exists today as a viable, thriving nation. Of course, Abdullah removed the word: "normalization" from ‘his’ peace plan, which was actually created by Tom Friedman as a trial balloon.
This would be something like the Camp David Peace Accords with Egypt where then Prime Minister Menachem Begin was euchred into signing away the Sinai Desert for "peace" and "normalization" with Egypt. This became known as the "Cold Peace" because it was all just the absence of war. That is something. No Israeli soldier has been killed on the Egyptian border. But, it was not normalization, which meant visits to each other’s countries, business ventures and the cessation of vile anti-Semitic articles in Al Ahram, Egypt’s state-controlled newspaper. Well, folks, none of this happened, except for the absence of war (so far). "Normalization" was merely a word for ‘dopes’ to buy into.
Once there is a formalized International Conference with Israel in the docks to be pilloried, then anything she refuses will cause the ‘honored’ assembly to vote sanctions against her. This will mean embargoes of commerce, medical and academic research, more assistance to terrorist groups and nations. In a way, this has already begun with those so-called civilized nations like Germany, France and England, who have been persecuting Jews for centuries.
Germany started by embargoing tanks parts that were purchased with irrevocable contracts. France and England followed suit. They were ‘merely’ stopping the shipment of any military equipment - or so they said.
I am reminded of the same concept as follows:
In 1948, the U.N. had just voted to allow the State Of Israel to be partitioned into existence, along with a State for the Arabs. Immediately, President Harry Truman, through his State Department, along with France and England, issued a dictum which embargoed arms to the nascent Israel. These ‘noble characters’ were not going to encourage fighting by shipping in war materiél.
The invading armies of the seven surrounding Arab countries were well-armed by the West who didn’t stop their shipments to Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq. It was anticipated that Israel would be over-run by these six Arab nations, already armed with tanks, artillery, planes and other modern weapons of the times.
Yes, it was expected (planned?) that the fledgling Jewish nation was to disappear in a swift onslaught by the Arabs and, of course, no one would expect the U.N. or the Free World to mobilize in such a short time to save the Jews. No one would blame them, just as no one blamed them as they all stood by and allowed Hitler’s Nazis to kill 6 million Jews.
This next "Peace Conference" will have the look of the Inquisition minus their hoods. Israel beat off the terrorists of today but she will be assaulted from within and without. The ‘within’ will see Shimon Peres, Yossi Beilin, the Oslo Gang, the Peace Now/Gush Shalom cabal and the other aberrant Left lined up solidly with those who are demanding Israel’s extinction. They will claim they are only working for peace but, the ‘Erev Rav’ were never on the side ethical Jews.
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1. "From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine" by Joan Peters Harper & Rowe NY 1984****
Jerusalem Post Editorial May 5, 2010
SKEWED FOCUS: US PROPOSAL OF A MIDEAST NUCLEAR WEAPON BAN COULD MEAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL TO DISARM!
On Saturday, The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington and Cairo were negotiating a proposal to turn the Middle East into "a region free of nuclear weapons." Considering the fact that Israel is, reportedly, the only country in the Middle East with a nuclear capability, this would mean that the US had agreed to discuss with Egypt putting pressure on Israel to disarm itself of nuclear warheads.
US officials quoted in the report said Israel had been assured that the "nuclear-free zone" would not be foisted upon the region until all parties agreed to it, but added that the move to enter negotiations with Egypt would help defuse criticism of America’s "unfair" policy of ignoring Israel’s purported nuclear arsenal while singling out for censure countries such as Syria or Iran.
On Monday, at the UN’s Review Conference of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed the wider ambition: "We want to reaffirm our commitment to the objective of a Middle East free of these weapons of mass destruction, and we are prepared to support practical measures that will move us toward achieving that objective."
Washington’s reported willingness to meet with Egyptian representatives over the matter of a nuclear free Israel would seem to be an extension of President Barak Obama’s engagement policy with the world’s 1.3 billion Muslims.
Underpinning this strategy is a belief that dialogue and outreach can often accomplish more than sanctions or military actions. Ratcheting down the war of words and fostering conciliation worked for president Richard Nixon in 1972 with Beijing, runs the apparent thinking, and it must be pursued now with Teheran’s mullahs.
This policy also evidently incorporates a tougher line on Israel, perhaps as part of an attempt to improve relations with Muslim nations by showing that America is willing to play hardball with the Jewish nation.
As John Bolton, US ambassador to the UN under the second Bush administration, pointed out Tuesday morning May 4th on Army Radio, Obama’s willingness to so much as entertain the notion of pressuring Israel to abandon its nuclear capability marks a radical change in US foreign policy.
"In the Bush administration we refused to even talk about these things," said Bolton, adding that the fact that Washington had agreed to negotiate with Egypt played into the hands of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After all, there is nothing that Iran’s leader would like more than to shift the focus not merely of the current review conference in New York, but of the entire international climate, from Iran’s nuclear program to Israel’s.
The dangerous impression being created is of a nuclear-capable Israel being equated with a nuclear-capable Iran – an approach that fails to make the distinction between Israel, the Middle East’s only democracy, and Iran, a despotic regime run by rapacious Shi’ite fanatics that openly persecutes homosexuals, promotes misogyny, brutally puts down political protest and shammed its last elections.
Not many fair-minded people, including in this region, have lost sleep over the fact that responsible Israel reportedly has nuclear warheads. Much of this region is profoundly panicked by the specter of a nuclear Iran.
Preventing this is the single most important challenge that faces the Obama administration. If we take Ahmadinejad’s statements at face value, and there is no reason why we should not, he wants to "wipe Israel off the map," and to focus, too, on the "big Satan" America.
Among other immediate and dire repercussions for Israel, fear of an Iranian nuclear attack could effectively paralyze the IDF in the face of Iran’s Hamas and Hezb’Allah proxies. Were Iran’s nuclear program to reach fruition, it would also quickly exercise its benighted influence throughout this region, notably on the Gulf states, including imposing control over the Straits of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world’s seaborne oil shipments pass.
It should be crystal clear that, instead of allowing Egypt to sidetrack it with talk of disarming Israel, the US should focus on galvanizing the international community to stop Iran.
Glibly calling for a "nuclear free Middle East" blurs the moral distinctions between the hegemonic designs of that messianic, apocalyptic regime and the essential deterrent and defensive needs of our small, embattled democracy. The Obama administration should be commended for attempting to reach out to the Muslim world, but it should not be blinded to its own and its allies’ interests when the response, as with Iran, is ruthless and uncompromising. And it must stop at nothing to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.
All rights reserved © 1995 - 2009 The Jerusalem Post. © -2009
THIS JUST IN! FROM DEBKAfile May 6, 2010: President Barack Hussein Obama assured Netanyahu May 3rd in a 20 minute phone call that Israel may keep her Nuclear Ambiguity - until he, Obama, negotiates another ‘deal’ or otherwise known as "You Can Trust Me".
MORE FROM THIS LATER
WHY DO THE ‘OTHER’ PEOPLES HATE THE JEWS? by Emanuel A. Winston, Middle East Analyst & Commentator
For several thousand years we Jews have had to suffer extraordinary hatred from all quarters. What was our great error that triggered this pathological rage when even the most bestial terrorists are given barely a passing glance?
Apparently, we Jews brought into view what humanity did not want. We brought to earth a G-d who displaced the myriad panoply of pagan gods held in great esteem by the pagan peoples and by their village shamans or priests. This new One G-d demanded that humans restrain their worst behavior and cruelty.
Since they, the priest cults, were not able to voice their complaints directly to this new G-d, they turned their rage against His messengers, the Jewish people.
The Jews had voluntarily agreed to be a "Light Unto The Nations" within the Covenant G-d made with the Jewish people. The families and descendants of Abraham, Moses and the Prophets were merely to live the life of Torah and to set an example as a "Light Unto the Nations". G-d chose the Jews because we agreed to follow His Commandments and Laws which He gave them on Mt. Sinai.
The pagan priest cults hated the restraints of One Invisible G-d and that hatred was passed on to the Jewish people. The pagan priests couldn’t compete with this new invisible omnipotent G-d. Some attributes of the One Invisible G-d were adopted while the ‘others’ tried creating modified versions of this One G-d.
Primitive man feared and worshiped all things he could not understand. Through to the present, fear and religion played a deep role in this behavior of man. From whole civilizations down to the smallest local village, the priest cults set the rules. Their custom was to have many gods to please and appease. Sometimes they engaged in human sacrifice, throwing virgins or children to their gods. They prayed for weather to get a good crops, victory in war, fertile wives, healthy children. Their many gods had a significant role in what humans thought the gods could give them.
The most important benefit they sought was that the gods would allow man to be alive after his death. Thus the creative rituals of burials, as practiced by the Egyptians for instance, was to send their dead kings to an after-life with food, wives, riches and to preserve them with mummification in order to arrive - ready to live again in the next world. Every civilization had their own rituals to appease their gods, particularly when marching to war.
But, something happened that sent a shock through the accustomed system. The new idea of there being only One Supreme Power, in effect, diminished the status of the priest cults and the myriads of gods they served.
It began with the leadership of a prophetic visionary, Avraham, who had the belief that there was only One G-d. His belief was confirmed by that One G-d. In time, through teachings of the ancient Prophets guided by Torah, the Hebrew people did, indeed, become a "Light Unto The Nations" an example of how mankind should conduct his life.
At this point, there developed a conflict. The idea of One G-d was gaining acceptance by the pagans, coupled with resentment. Why should an insignificant tribe of Jews claim a special relationship with the new One and Only G-d? Although the Jews did not press the pagan tribes to convert to Torah Laws and abandon their worship of their deities, nevertheless, the mere presence of a people who lived by what came to be known as the 10 Commandments and the 613 "Mitzvot" (Good Deeds - the Laws that Jews should live by) challenged their own pagan beliefs. The Jews’ personal conduct was their "Light Unto The Nations".
Why should the greater civilizations in size and power be demoted to line up behind the Jews for the privileges that should rightfully be theirs and theirs alone? Although the Jews did not claim such privileges over all others, nevertheless, other religious cults developed the ideology that somehow they should be superior and be granted the most prized rewards of "Life After Death". If, indeed, the Jews had this secret, then it must be taken from them.
While there was considerable reluctance to give up the pagan rituals of their past practices of worshiping multiple deities, be they animals, trees, mythical gods in the Roman and Greek tradition - such as sun and moon gods, idols - nevertheless, the One G-d of the Jews took hold.
But, even then the priest cults managed to keep some of their pagan practices, mixed in with the new acceptance of One G-d. The Jews, however, did not change their way of worship, guided by the Laws of Torah as given to the Jewish people by G-d on Mt. Sinai. Nor did they proselytize and try to convert others. They lived simply within their assigned role to be a "Light Unto The Nations" and for that, they were hated.
The Nations, the ‘other’ peoples - having accumulated whatever they could build, conquer, gathering wealth - wanted more. The priest cults promised them more IF they followed whatever rituals and appeasements to their panoply of gods. Mostly, they promised what they could not deliver. How could they promise a glorious life after death IF they followed incantations, giving money to the priests to build a large building with soaring spires and vaulted ceilings that will surely please their gods?
There was, of course, the suspicion that the Jews were somehow first in line for what Christians call resurrection or life-after-death. Why should the Jews have this privilege when new and better religions should serve the One G-d and expropriate the Covenant G-d made with the Jews?
A war against the Jews began with what we today call propaganda or demonization. The priest cults may have reluctantly accepted the concept of One G-d but, that did not mean they had to accept G-d’s Jewish messengers.
Clearly, in their estimation, this One G-d might have made an error in choosing Jews to be a "Light Unto The Nations".
How could G-d possibly select a group or tribe of Hebrews over all others?
Were not great civilizations more justified in being the Chosen People?
Were they not richer, more powerful, had greater armies and had conquered more people?
Did they not have more gods, more idols to worship?
How dare these upstart Jews ignore the many gods offered them to join the new ways!
The rage of the priest cults was passed down to the people. Jews were to be hated as "imposters" as G-d’s servants on earth. Soon the myth developed and grew -that Jews were somehow responsible for whatever happened on the planet that negatively affected the people. Poor crop yields, drought, famine....plagues like the bubonic plague of black death were certainly blamed on the Jews.
Then came the canards of blood libel. This demonization of the Jews was only limited to the imagination of the Church clerics.
Surely the Jewish ritual of bathing before the Sabbath and washing before eating was a dangerous, alien ritual. However, it seems that the Jewish ritual of washing helped the Jews stay clean which improved their health over all and, therefore, fewer died of the Plagues and other common illnesses.
Then what became "the Church", led by the apostate Jews, Saul, who changed his name to Paul and ‘borrowed’ a Jew as the Messiah and lord. As in all pagan, sacrificial cults, the killing of Jews became their custom and ritual to please their adopted Jewish lord.
Surely, the Jew Jesus would bless them with a life-after-death if they could either manage to convince Jews that Jesus was a man-child of the One G-d and the Messiah for whom the Jews have been waiting.
But, if they (the Jews) did not accept this mandate, then they were to be disposed of. Killing off the family of Jesus seemed to present no ethical or moral conundrum to the priest cults, particularly since they produced the blood libels that demonized the Jews and supported ages of murder.
Both Christianity from the year 1 C.E. (Common Era) and Islam 632 C.E. took parallel patterns in denying the Jew, calling the Jews a threat.
However, human sacrifice really never left the way of the pagans. Muslims kill Jews, Christian and all "Infidels" (non-Muslims). Nothing has changed. Remember - Most Muslims are not terrorists; however, almost all Terrorists in the last 50 years have been Muslims. (1)
Clearly, the Jews must give up their claims to G-d’s Covenant so the Christians and Muslims can fight it out to be the "last warrior standing", then they would be justified to submit their petition to G-d to be His sole representative on the Planet - and then, perhaps the Universe.
It is now 2010 and we observe a black President, following both the Christian and Muslim tracks of demonizing the Jewish Nation/State of Israel and her people. That Jews have contributed to mankind’s well-being in massive disproportion to their small numbers is regarded as ‘irrelevant’.
We observe American students on University campuses, marching like Adolph Hitler’s brown-shirts, enraged that there is a State of Israel. The Christian nations of Europe who gathered to assist Hitler in a genocidal massacre of their Jews once again are ramping up their anger against Israel as if they have discovered why their civilizations are failing.
While there are many who disbelieve in G-d’s Retribution, one is struck by the actions of a volcano in Iceland, spewing toxic ash - which covered the continent of Europe - just 70 years after the Holocaust left a mass graveyard in Europe holding the ashes of 6 million Jews.
We observed a similar spewing forth of crude oil, filling the Gulf of Mexico just last week, covering its shorelines, destroying fisheries - perhaps for decades. Breeding estuaries for fish, birds, turtles and other creatures - as well as tourist beaches - upon which men depend for their living may be contaminated for years to come.
Perhaps it’s merely coincidental that as President Barack Hussein Obama and the European countries join with the Ishmaelites in planning to eliminate the Jewish State, global catastrophe stalks their nations.
Money fails, violent weather, awakening the earth’s core to cause earthquakes and volcanoes demonstrate how fragile we are and so easily eliminated.
Perhaps those hostile to the Jewish people and their Nation/State of Israel will arrive in the world to come in the chaos of utter blackness and wonder what they have done to deserve such pain.
###
1. REMEMBER!!
REMEMBER the MUSLIM bombing of PanAm 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
AND, PLEASE REMEMBER the MUSLIM murders of at least 1500 Israelis since Oslo was signed 9/13/93, with tens of thousands wounded - many maimed for life!
REMEMBER all the AMERICANS and others whose lives were lost in those vicious MUSLIM attacks.
REMEMBER: Islamic Terrorists Have Carried Out More Than 15,247 deadly terror attacks since 9/11/01. [TheReligionofPeace.com]
Now for M. Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story: In the Desert.
Good Shabbos Everyone. This week we begin Sefer Bamidbar. Bamidbar means "in the wilderness" or "in the desert." It is in a wilderness where the Jewish nation would wander for 40 years in preparation of their entrance into the Holy Land. The wilderness symbolizes a place with little resources. Yet, it is in this very wilderness where the Jewish Nation received the Torah. This comes to teach us that Hashem will find us and give us inspiration to come closer to Him, even in a wilderness. The following inspirational true story, told by Hanna B. Geshelin in her own words, illustrates how even in a spiritual wilderness, a Jew can be awoken from slumber to change her life.
The route of every Jew who becomes observant is unique. One of the turning points on my journey occurred at a large Iowa university with a minuscule Jewish population, where during my freshman year of 1963-64, I was the only undergraduate female who identified herself as Jewish.
Among my roommates during my first term was a junior taking a child development class on cultures. She decided to join the committee researching the Jewish culture because she had a ready-made resource to interview - me. As a fourth-generation American descendent of Reform Jews who emigrated from Germany before the U.S. Civil War, I didn't know much about Judaism, but I did my best to answer her questions.
The relief that I felt when she finished questioning me was short-lived, however. Every term after that, the child development professor gave my name to the committee studying Judaism. To meet this challenge, I would have to learn something about my heritage.
The college library had two shelves of books on Judaism. I started at one end of the upper shelf and began reading. They gave me basic information about Jewish history, tradition and beliefs. With the help of the books I managed to get through the questions during the winter term.
Then, in the spring of my freshman year, I met Janet. Janet was a Southern Baptist from a small town in Iowa. Like many students at college, she came from a family for whom church was a major focus. Her beliefs guided her behavior in all aspects of her life. I was the first Jewish person she'd ever met. She told me that she had chosen to write about the Jewish culture because she wanted to learn about the origins of her faith. Could she come with me to synagogue?
The town had a small Reform congregation that met Friday evenings in the parlor of one of the churches. I agreed to take her, and as we strolled through the quiet streets she asked me about my religious life.
"Where do you eat?" she asked suddenly. Mystified, I gave the name of the dorm dining hall. "How do you manage?" she asked.
"What do you mean? I just eat." With an edge to her voice she said, "How can you 'just eat?' We get ham, pork or shellfish three or four nights a week, and most of the rest of the time there's meat and milk at the same meal."
"Oh," I said confidently, "You mean kosher. I'm Reform, and we don't keep kosher." "You don't keep kosher? But from everything I've read, kosher is one of the cornerstones of Judaism. Why don't you keep it?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, we just don't." Janet stopped and turned to face me, hands on her hips. I can still picture her standing there in the light of a street lamp, dressed the way she would for church in a navy suit, a small white hat and white gloves. She looked me up and down as though I were a bug on a pin. Then she said words that still reverberate through my mind: "If my church told me to do something, I'd do it."
In the long silence that followed, I rolled the words over and over through my mind. And I wondered, why did the Reform movement say keeping kosher wasn't important? I decided to find out.
The next day I found, on one of those shelves of Jewish books, a history of the Reform movement. Breaking bread with others, said the book, is a universal gesture of friendship and goodwill. Keeping kosher prevents Jews and non-Jews from breaking bread together; thus it prevents casual communion between "us" and "them." When Jews stop keeping kosher and eat non-kosher with their neighbors, anti-Semitism will end and Jews will be fully accepted into mainstream society. I thought of the Jewish history I'd been reading, of Moses Mendelsohn and the Emancipation; of my mother's family, which hadn't kept kosher in at least four generations; and I thought of the Holocaust, which began in Mendelsohn's and my great-great-grandparent's home-land, Germany. I turned to the title page of the book and saw that originally the book had been published in German in Berlin in 1928.
Maybe in 1928 German Jews could say that eating with non-Jews would end anti-Semitism. But they were about to be proved disastrously wrong. Could I continue to eat in a non-Jewish fashion, when the reasoning for permitting Jews to eat non-kosher was based on a complete fallacy? "If my church told me to do something, I'd do it."
Janet's words took one end of my Yiddishe neshama (Jewish soul) and the book's glaring fallacy took the other end, and they shook me until I had to sit down, right there on the floor beside the library stacks. When I stopped shaking, I knew that until I could find a good reason, a true reason, to not keep kosher, I had no choice. I was a Jew, and the Jews kept kosher. It was that simple.
My complete transformation from a secular to a Torah observant Jew took many years and many more lessons in faith. But my first big step began that Shabbat night, when a Southern Baptist girl challenged me to stand up and act like a Jew. 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
Have a great Shabbos. Be well,
Rachamim Pauli
