Emanuel A. Winston- it is around this time Am Yisrael lost a great man. I came
across a lot of his works this week as I tried to recover lost data from the
hacking/virus that I had last year. His influence lives on even though he is gone!
Shai Shalom ben Leah
Chaya needs prayers.
The
situation with Kollel Beit Shlomo is very difficult! I write the www.rabbipauli.blogspot.com without monetary recompense however, the
young men in the Kollel need financial aid. The IRS did not recognize our
Non-Profit Status and with the recent scandal I think I know why. I do not
receive compensation for my administration, learning or anything from the
Kollel in fact I am one of the larger donors. Now we are in trouble. We have 17
young men learning to be Rabbinical Judges or at least teachers of Judges. The
government of Israel GOI is cutting down on the stipends. The Sephardic Group
who have been helping us from Netivot Israel, has inspected us and found us
genuine with all members in attendance. However, they are looking for ways to
cut the budget and stipends. We have perhaps the cream of the crop who are
capable of learning to be Judges and may have to let 7 members of the day
Kollel go even if they are in attendance, on time and passing their tests. It
is not my habit to make appeals in the BlogSpot but 7 families depend upon
these stipends and our Torah World with merits for our soldiers and our safety
do. Please make even a small donation of $10 or more dollars to Rabbi Mimran
Kollel Beit Shlomo Sde Chemed 5/2 Modiin Illit
Israel and may you be blessed by
HASHEM.
Israel vs. the USA in treatment of injured soldiers: Sometimes
in rare cases outside funding is needed to help with aids or accessories for
wounded soldiers but there is no need for a Wounded Warriors Project like in
the States. I am proud to say that our brothers in the Knesset do provide for
the injured, orphans and widows of fallen soldiers. Now there is no longer a
widow penalty clause if she remarries.
Parsha Behaalosecha
This week’s Sedra was not the most divisive among the nation of
Yisrael, as we start out with the holy menorah, the purification of Shevet Levi
and the observance of Pessach each year. Even the laws of the Bechor aka first
born were easily accepted by the people. The command to make the two silver
trumpets and the blowing of it was readily accepted. But one thing was hard on
the people and that was food variety. It is said that regarding the Mann that
it tasted anyway one wanted for it to taste sort of like our soya products
today when spiced can taste like bacon, pork sausages, cheese, etc. Some people
did not like the same texture day in and day out so they longed for the good
ole days of slavery where they ate better. In this way it is funny as men like
Thomas Paine would rather have death than lose their liberty and the way of
many a man is similar. However, when one gets a dependency like the Bnei
Yisrael in Egypt, he/she wants more and more things. So it was these ex-slaves
after a year and a month of freedom had forgotten of their taskmasters and the
bitterness of slavery. Instead they longed not for the spiritual aspects and
elevating their Neshama individually and collectively but rather of their taste
buds. This rebellion against HASHEM left a number of gluttons dead who wanted
so much real meat that they ate it raw and the toxins of the flight of the
birds were still in their muscles and wings from the stress of the flight.
In a similar vein of having not enough to do either because of
lack of pressurized work, lack of a boss or boredom cost a Torah Yid his life.
Once there was a very-very wealthy man who was married to a pretty and
intelligent Frum Woman who was the head of a large company. He and his family
supported charities and other good things. One day he died from an overdose and
the bimbo who was with him had to call Magen David Adom who pronounced him
dead. Why boredom? Wanting adventure? Wanting something during the time his
wife was forbidden to him and with his money he thought he could buy it. It is
no wonder that the Torah warns about Yeshurun waxing fat.
Also in the middle of the Parsha is like a separate Sefer in
itself regarding the movement of the Aron HaKodesh. And finally the
sister-in-law’s cause being taken up by Miriam and passively by Aaron regarding
the lack of a family life for her while Moshe is the leader of Am Yisrael. But
wait even that is Lashon Hara even if it is trying to make a repair to
something within the family mainly because it was not said to Moshe face to face!
8:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 2 'Speak unto Aaron, and
say unto him: When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light in
front of the candlestick.' 3 And
Aaron did so: he lighted the lamps thereof so as to give light in front of the
candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses. 4 And this was the work of the candlestick, beaten work of gold;
unto the base thereof, and unto the flowers thereof, it was beaten work;
according unto the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the
candlestick.
One molded piece was the lamp. The oil was
placed in the night before and burned 24 hrs. in that the eastern flame and
this was a miracle that it did not go out.
When you light: Why is
the portion dealing with the menorah juxtaposed to the portion dealing with the
chieftains? For when Aaron saw the dedication [offerings] of the chieftains, he
felt distressed over not joining them in this dedication-neither he nor his
tribe. So God said to him, “By your life, yours is greater than theirs, for you
will light and prepare the lamps.” - [Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 3] … Toward the
face of the menorah: Toward the middle lamp, which is not on [one of] the
branches, but on the menorah itself. — [Men. 98b] shall cast their light: The
six on the six branches; the three eastern ones-that is their wicks-facing
towards the center one, and likewise, the three western ones, the tops of their
wicks facing toward the center one. Why [were the wicks facing inwards, thus
giving off so little light]? So that [people] should not say that He [God] needs
the light. — [Tanchuma Beha’alothecha 5]
Yet this explanation seems difficult to understand. Why would we think that a great man like Aaron would be tempted to light the Menorah in an inappropriate way?!
Nachmanides explains that the praise of Aaron is that even though the job could have been delegated to someone else, Aaron always did it himself - throughout the entire 40 years in the desert.
The Sfas Emes says that beyond this, Aaron lit the menorah, day in and day out, with the same degree of fresh enthusiasm. The same task always appeared in his eyes as new. Now that's truly deserving of praise!
Think about your own life. We all have tasks that we perform on a daily basis: meeting with clients, dinner with the family, even saying the Shema. The question is: Do we fall into a habit of rote, where the joy and meaning has somehow dissipated into a whirl of mindless motion?
Here's the solution to break this monotony:
Figure out what you are naturally enthusiastic about. List the moments in your life of greatest enthusiasm. Then, for one week, keep a list of every enthusiastic moment you have.
These exercises will help you become more consciously aware of your enthusiasm. You can then nurture it and make it an integral part of who you are.
By calmly practicing, you will eventually be able to consciously choose a state of enthusiasm, and draw upon its positive energy. Just as Aaron did in lighting up ... the golden Menorah
5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 6 'Take the Levites from
among the children of Israel, and cleanse them. 7 And thus shalt thou do unto them, to cleanse them: sprinkle the
water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all
their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and cleanse themselves.
The Leviim are replacing the Bechor Children who
were supposed to lead the nation. For the sin of the golden calf was attended
by a few Bechoros. Why the sprinkling and why the razor? Rashi comes to clarify
these questions.
Sprinkle them with
cleansing water: from the ashes of the red cow, so as to cleanse them from
contamination by those who were in contact with the dead. and pass a razor over
all their flesh: I found in the writings of R. Moses Hadarshan (the preacher):
Since they [the Levites] were submitted in atonement for the firstborn who had
practiced idolatry [when they worshipped the golden calf], which is called
sacrifices to the dead-and one afflicted with tzara’ath is considered dead-they
required shaving like those afflicted with tzara’ath.
8 Then let them take a young bullock,
and its meal-offering, fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock
shalt thou take for a sin-offering.
Then they shall take a
young bull: That is a burnt offering, as it is written, “and designate…and one
as a burnt offering” (verse 12); this is the communal offering [to atone] for
idolatry. and a second young bull: What does it mean by “a second” ? It teaches
that just as a burnt offering is not eaten, so is [this] sin-offering not
eaten. There is a support for his [R. Moses’] comments in Torath Kohanim
(Obligatory sacrifices 3:4) [which states that this sin-offering was burnt up].
I, however, believe that this was a temporary injunction [not to atone for
idolatry], since they should have brought a goat as a sin-offering for
idolatry, with the bull for a burnt offering.
9 And thou shalt present the Levites
before the tent of meeting; and thou shalt assemble the whole congregation of
the children of Israel.
And you shall gather
the entire congregation: Since the Levites were submitted as an atonement
offering instead of them, let them [the Israelites] come and stand with their
offerings [namely the Levites] and rest their hands upon them. — [Midrash
Aggadah] 11
10 And thou shalt present the Levites
before the LORD; and the children of Israel shall lay their hands upon the
Levites. 11 And Aaron shall
offer the Levites before the LORD for a wave-offering from the children of
Israel, that they may be to do the service of the LORD.
Then Aaron shall lift
up the Levites as a waving: in the same way that the guilt-offering of one
afflicted with tzara’ath requires waving [the animal] while it is alive. Three
wavings are mentioned in this section: the first (verse 11) refers to the sons
of Kohath, and for this reason it states with regard to them, “that they may
serve in the Lord’s service,” since they were responsible for the work
involving the most holy objects-the ark, the table, etc. The second (verse 13)
refers to the sons of Gershon. Therefore, it is stated with regard to them,“a
waving before the Lord” (verse 13), for even they were assigned holy work-the
curtains and the clasps, which could be seen in the Holy of Holies. The third
[waving] was for the sons of Merari (verse 14). - [Midrash Aggadah] 16
12 And the Levites shall lay their
hands upon the heads of the bullocks; and offer thou the one for a sin-offering,
and the other for a burnt-offering, unto the LORD, to make atonement for the
Levites. 13 And thou shalt set
the Levites before Aaron, and before his sons, and offer them for a
wave-offering unto the LORD. 14
Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel; and the
Levites shall be MINE. …
The second Pessach or the first anniversary of
Pessach:
9:1 And the LORD
spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second
year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'Let the children of Israel keep the
Passover in its appointed season. 3
In the fourteenth day of this month, at dusk, ye shall keep it in its appointed
season; according to all the statutes of it, and according to all the
ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it.'
Up until now there were some folks who thought
that Pessach was only Pessach Mitzrayim but now they became certain that it was
for all generations.
4 And Moses spoke unto the children
of Israel, that they should keep the Passover. 5 And they kept the pass over in the first month, on the
fourteenth day of the month, at dusk, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to
all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. 6 But there were certain men, who were
unclean by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on
that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.
These were Leviim who buried Nadav and Avihu who
died on the 8th of Nissan. They only had 6 days to purify themselves
with contact of touching a corpse so they would not have the full seven days
and the evening for a Korban Pessach.
7 And those men said unto him: 'We
are unclean by the dead body of a man; wherefore are we to be kept back, so as
not to bring the offering of the LORD in its appointed season among the
children of Israel?' 8 And Moses
said unto them: 'Stay ye, that I may hear what the LORD will command concerning
you.' 9 And the LORD spoke unto
Moses, saying: 10 'Speak unto
the children of Israel, saying: If any man of you or of your generations shall
be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall
keep the Passover unto the LORD; 11
in the second month on the fourteenth day at dusk they shall keep it; they
shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs; 12 they shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break a bone
thereof; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall keep it.
We came across Pessach Sheni in the narrative in
Parshas Emor but since we are dealing with the Pessach in our Sedra, the story
repeats itself. The Torah is not a mathematics book or a 1, 2, and 3 step by
step history book but rather a series of a collection of stories and Halacha learning
in the dessert. It was dictated to Moshe by HASHEM and there is a good
educational reason to repeat Shabbos and Yom Tov rules and ingrain them into
the mild of each and every ben or bas Yisrael.
13 But the man that is clean, and is not
on a journey, and forbears to keep the Passover, that soul shall be cut off
from his people; because he brought not the offering of the LORD in its
appointed season, that man shall bear his sin.
One gets Kares for violating the Shabbos,
Adultery, Murder, Incest but the lack of participate in the Korban Pessach and
the observance of refraining from eating Chametz is so great that it is the
denial of HASHEM. Yes for it was HASHEM who passed over the Bnei Yisrael and
took the first born of Mitzrayim and destroyed their idols at midnight.
Non-observance is therefore attacking HASHEM. (In my humble opinion, the giving
away of land in Yehuda, Shomron, Sinai and the Golan Heights to non-Jews after
the miracles of the Six Day and Yom Kippur Wars is also like spitting on the
gifts from HASHEM and woe unto us. How many people must die for giving away
Gush Katif and parts of the Shomron? Oy va-voy!)
14 And if a stranger shall sojourn among
you, and will keep the Passover unto the LORD: according to the statute of the Passover,
and according to the ordinance thereof, so shall he do; ye shall have one
statute, both for the stranger, and for him that is born in the land.'
A stranger! Rather a Ger Tzeddek for a Ger
Toshav like our Druze and some of the Bedouins today that recognize the State
of Israel and the laws therein may possess Chametz and eat Chametz on Pessach.
15 And on the day that the tabernacle
was reared up the cloud covered the tabernacle, even the tent of the testimony;
and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire,
until morning. 16 So it was
always: the cloud covered it, and the appearance of fire by night. 17 And whenever the cloud was taken up
from over the Tent, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and in
the place where the cloud abode, there the children of Israel encamped. 18 At the commandment of the LORD the
children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they encamped:
as long as the cloud abode upon the tabernacle they remained encamped. 19 And when the cloud tarried upon the
tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD,
and journeyed not. 20 And
sometimes the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle; according to the
commandment of the LORD they remained encamped, and according to the
commandment of the LORD they journeyed. 21
And sometimes the cloud was from evening until morning; and when the cloud was
taken up in the morning, they journeyed; or if it continued by day and by
night, when the cloud was taken up, they journeyed. 22 Whether it were two days, or a month, or a year, that the cloud
tarried upon the tabernacle, abiding thereon, the children of Israel remained
encamped, and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed. 23 At the commandment of the LORD they
encamped, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed; they kept the
charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.
The following is my personal analysis and
subject to debate: Even though only a few places are mentioned for the journeys
in Devarim, the movements appear to be localized areas for grazing and water.
If I was to categorize this in modern terms perhaps I would say for my readers
in the UK they travelled from Lester Square to Kensington, for a New Yorker
from Borough Hall, Brooklyn to Brighton Beach or from Sheepshead Bay to Coney
Island or for a Floridian from Adventura to North Miami Beach or Hollywood, CA
to Pasadena, CA. This is how I view the many minor movements that must have
occurred in the 40 years and only the main great journeys from further away
places are recorded.
10:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 2 'Make thee two
trumpets of silver; of beaten work shalt thou make them; and they shall be unto
thee for the calling of the congregation, and for causing the camps to set
forward. 3 And when they shall
blow with them, all the congregation shall gather themselves unto thee at the
door of the tent of meeting. …. 9 And when ye go to war in your land
against the adversary that oppresses you, then ye shall sound an alarm with the
trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be
saved from your enemies. 10 Also
in the day of your gladness, and in your appointed seasons, and in your new
moons, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt-offerings, and over the
sacrifices of your peace-offerings; and they shall be to you for a memorial
before your God: I am the LORD your God.'
The Trumpets served a dual purpose for assembly
in case of war and for holiday services.
When I was in Israel less than half a year, I
complained to a fellow at work who was a manager but not mine about what I gave
up in the States to come to Israel. In those days it was access to my late
father’s bungalow, my sailboat, my sled, ice skates and other things. It was
something like citizen Cane mentioning “rosebud”.
However, he brought down the story below regarding my complaints. It was a
similar analogy with one important exception; I came from a free country as a
free man looking to make my life in Eretz Yisrael where other people like Rabbi
D. had failed in 1949. I did manage to stay with a bit of backing but it was
very hard at the start. The man had come with his father in the mid or late
1930’s fleeing Nazi Germany while one could leave. His struggle was harder but
he had grown up on a lower standard of living than an American grows up on.
Still he was right in that I should be embarrassed for complaining.
Israel was a culture shock to me too as I was
educated in a certain way with manners and the crudeness and lack of an
education by many of the older generation and even my generation was appalling
to me. It would take another two years to adjust to the culture, language and
various customs (in those days there was a siesta period in most of the stores between 2 to 4 PM). Yet
eventually I integrated into the society. Compared to the new immigrants today,
I feel Israeli and have less in common with them outside of the language than
the more established Israelis of my age group give or take. The phenomenon
exists in a reverse way. When my wife and I are in FL she tries to hang out
with Israelis who moved to the States and does not have the pledge of allegiance
type of feeling that I have for the land of my nativity.
So on one
hand I could understand the feeling of the people complaining in our Parsha.
Yet, my complaint was also not having a survivable income for a single worker
in a family while the Bnei Yisrael were fed Mann, had their own private tents
over their heads, protected without taxes by the army, ongoing education,
miracles, and true G-D fearing leadership. Not quite the Absorbsion Ministry
run by the anti-religious Mapam Party.
In fact
Mapam told me similar to the story below – IT WON’T WORK. However, I got some
help from Yad LeAchim with Rav Avraham Goldstein and the previous Pittsburgher
Rebbe and was able to fight them enough plus some financial backing from my
late mother-in-law of blessed memory from my first wife that was enough to
allow me to establish myself in Israel. In the story from Aish HaTorah below,
the couple made the adjustments and integrated themselves.
11:1 And the people were as murmurers,
speaking evil in the ears of the LORD; and when the LORD heard it, His anger
was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and devoured in the
uttermost part of the camp. 2
And the people cried unto Moses; and Moses prayed unto the LORD, and the fire
abated. 3 And the name of that
place was called Taberah, because the fire of the LORD burnt among them. 4 And the mixed multitude that was
among them fell a lusting; and the children of Israel also wept on their part,
and said: 'Would that we were given flesh to eat! 5 We remember the fish, which we were wont to eat in Egypt for
nought; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the
garlic; 6 but now our soul is
dried away; there is nothing at all; we have nought save this manna to look
to.'-- 7 Now the manna was like
coriander seed, and the appearance thereof as the appearance of bdellium. 8 The people went about, and gathered
it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in mortars, and seethed it in pots, and
made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of a cake baked with
oil. 9 And when the dew fell
upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.-- 10 And Moses heard the people weeping, family by family, every man
at the door of his tent; and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; and
Moses was displeased. 11 And
Moses said unto the LORD: 'Wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with Thy servant? and
wherefore have I not found favor in Thy sight, that Thou layest the burden of
all this people upon me? 12 Have
I conceived all this people? have I brought them forth, that Thou should say
unto me: Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing-father carries the sucking
child, unto the land which Thou didst swear unto their fathers? 13 Whence should I have flesh to give
unto all this people? for they trouble me with their weeping, saying: Give us
flesh, that we may eat. …
The question is was
Moshe ignorant that G-D fed them in Mitzrayim without any trouble or was he
afraid that their Yetzer would not be satisfied. Whatever it was he felt the
horrible burden upon himself.
23 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Is
the LORD'S hand waxed short? now shalt thou see whether My word shall come to
pass unto thee or not.' 24 And
Moses went out, and told the people the words of the LORD; and he gathered
seventy men of the elders of the people, and set them round about the Tent. 25 And the LORD came down in the
cloud, and spoke unto him, and took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it
upon the seventy elders; and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested upon
them, they prophesied, but they did so no more. 26 But there remained two men in the camp, the name of the one was
Eldad, and the name of the other Medad; and the spirit rested upon them; and
they were of them that were recorded, but had not gone out unto the Tent; and
they prophesied in the camp.
The story was that 72 pieces of parchment was
put into bowl and on 70 was written “elder” and on two there were blank spaces.
Eldad and Medad actually got “elder” but they excused themselves with the fact
that others would not be embarrassed. For this humbleness they got such
prophecy they knew what was going on both in the Sanhedrin and within the camp.
27 And there ran a young man, and told
Moses, and said: 'Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.' 28 And Joshua the son of Nun, the
minister of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: 'My lord Moses, shut
them in.' 29 And Moses said unto
him: 'Art thou jealous for my sake? would that all the LORD'S people were
prophets, that the LORD would put His spirit upon them!' 30 And Moses withdrew into the camp,
he and the elders of Israel. 31
And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought across quails from the
sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a
day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and about two cubits
above the face of the earth. 32
And the people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day,
and gathered the quails; he that gathered least gathered ten heaps; and they
spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. 33 While the flesh was yet between
their teeth, ere it was chewed, the anger of the LORD was kindled against the
people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague. 34 And the name of that place was
called Kibroth-hattaavah, because there they buried the people that lusted. 35 From Kibroth-hattaavah the people
journeyed unto Hazeroth; and they abode at Hazeroth.
The name of the place if translated into English
is: (the) graves of the gluttons.
I want to write more about the story of Miriam
at the end of our Parsha and Ble Neder (no vow) will try to bring it down next
week.
A little story of the workings in Israel that just finished off
tonight with my wife checking our bank account:
Although my wife came to Israel at the age of either 2.5 years old
or 3 years of age and was educated through the university, somethings are hard
to adjust despite of what I wrote above. In Israel, the government has an
Eastern European Mentality that you are going to try to cheat by hook or by
crook. When you submit charity donations it has to be to an approved charity
institution and you must have an original receipt to claim a deduction on
donations a photocopy unless written and stamped true to the original is
unacceptable.
Since we were coming to the States to see our children here
especially our wonder granddaughter after close to 14 years of marriage, my
wife mailed all our tax information to the accountant. That was on April 14th.
Time went by and they had not received it after a week and it should have taken
a day or two. My wife, called them and she left all the information with my
daughter who started running after charities and obtaining new receipts with
the original stamp.
Tonight, my wife checked our bank statement and saw that the check
to the accountant was cashed on May 16th. One full month from Modiin
via Lod to Hertzliya - I could have made
it in one day with a walker or on crotches! Always a new surprise in Israel so
if you make Aliyah do not be upset and laugh it off.
We fell in love. It didn’t matter that
I was a New York Jew and she was a devout Christian who grew up on a farm.
“If Gayle were interested in converting, then you’d have
a chance. But as things stand now, it won’t work.” I walked out of the rabbi’s
office, asking myself what I should do next.
It won’t work.
They replayed
in my mind over and over. A dead end. No way out. My world – at least the one I
had known for the past 11 years – seemed to be crashing down around me.
This wasn’t
supposed to happen. When I first met Gayle, I never would have imagined I’d be
meeting with an Orthodox rabbi, asking him how I might become an observant Jew
and raise a Jewish child. I was the one who went to synagogue twice a year,
some years anyway. Lobster was one of my favorite foods. I thought religion was
something that was supposed to bring people together, not get in the way of a
relationship. Sure, being Jewish was important to me. But what did that have to
do with who I marry? If Gayle wasn’t Jewish, so what?
Ok, so she was
more than simply “not Jewish.” When we met, Gayle was quite the devout Christian,
a full-time Christian in fact. As the Minister of Music for a Texas
mega-church, she stood in front of thousands of congregants every Sunday
morning, and spent most of her waking hours during the week rehearsing the
church’s 12 choirs and musical groups.
She wouldn’t have gone out with me, except that some good
mutual friends insisted on setting us up. Before we met, devout Christian that
she was, she wasn’t planning on spending her life with a Jew.
But we fell in love, and suddenly it didn’t matter that I
grew up in New York and she grew up on a farm near Peoria. It didn’t matter
that she was passionately committed to the church while I had a lukewarm
relationship with Judaism. We were in love, and love conquers all, right?
I sat on a
bench outside the synagogue, trying to collect my thoughts. My mind drifted to
our courtship those many years ago. As a favor to her, I had sung in her church
choir one Sunday morning. While waiting just outside the church’s sanctuary for
the service to begin, a friend of mine in the choir leaned over and said, “So
tell me, what’s a nice Jewish boy like you doing in a place like this?” At the
time, I laughed – almost uncontrollably.
Now it seemed more of a challenge than a joke.
Past is past,
I thought. There has to be a way around this. We have a young son. We decided
we’d raise him as a Jew. Gayle’s not quite the devout Christian she used to be.
At the church, she’s been connecting more and more to the music and less and
less to the religion. And she was more than willing to raise our son Jewish.
She just wasn’t sure she wanted to convert, that’s all.
I sat on that
bench a long time, thinking about all the other intermarried couples I
knew. Some were very happily married, deeply in love. And yet – there was
almost always an unspoken chasm, a place in the deepest part of one’s soul
where Jew could not follow non-Jew, and vice versa. My mind turned to a woman
in Gayle’s church, married to a Jew. They loved each other very much. But the
chasm was there, nonetheless. One day, she had confided to Gayle that there
were times she found it hard that he couldn’t fully share in something that was
such a deep part of her.
I stood up and
took a few steps from the bench, now a bit defiant. Ok, God, I thought. This
is Your fault. I was doing just fine, when I felt this kind of tap on the
shoulder, nudging me to connect with You, pushing me to learn more about
Judaism, putting me in certain situations where neither I, nor Gayle for that
matter, felt satisfied in a less traditional setting where we might have fit in
as an intermarried family. You’re the One who brought Orthodox Jews in my path,
just at the time we were in the midst of adopting our son. You’re the One who
put the idea in Gayle’s mind that we’d raise our son Jewish even as she
continued directing the music for a church.
“For 11
years, I had no need for any of this. Why now? God, You got us into this mess.
You need to get us out of it!
And HE did.
I had already
been going to classes at Aish
for a year, which happened to be just down the street from the synagogue whose
rabbi had made things sound hopeless. Discovering the beauty and depth of Torah
at those classes was part of the tap on the shoulder I had felt. Another part
was meeting the several now-grown children of intermarried parents who attended
those same classes, who felt like they were not fully in either camp, and had
come to Aish to figure out where they belonged. Not what I wanted for our son,
I had thought.
After my rant
at God, I suddenly remembered something that Rabbi Turtletaub, one of the Aish
rabbis, had said to me nearly six months before. That had been when the chasm
had started to widen, when our hours of talking had gotten us far but not far
enough, and we needed to find someone who might help us figure it all out.
Rabbi
Turtletaub met with each of us together, and then privately. He told me about
other intermarried families he’d counseled, and how when the Jewish spouse
became observant and the Christian spouse remained Christian, things often
didn’t turn out so well. I had told him he wasn’t giving us much hope.
To my surprise,
he insisted I shouldn’t give up hope at all. That after meeting Gayle, he had
sensed something. And that, as the Jewish sages say, everything can change “in
the blink of an eye.”
I snapped out
of my reverie and looked back at the bench. In the blink of an eye? Was I
really going to wake up tomorrow and find everything changed? Yeah, right.
Miracles might happen to other people – but to me? I remained skeptical. But a
part of me silently hoped.
A couple of
months later, God tapped me on the shoulder again with the same message. Ever
since the rabbi had told me “it won’t work,” I had stayed away from his
synagogue. Then one Shabbat morning, for some reason, I felt I wanted to go.
The Torah portion was from the story of Joseph. And sitting among hundreds of
people, the rabbi’s words seemed tailored just for me.
The rabbi
described how, when Joseph is taken from jail, his prisoner clothes are
exchanged for a new uniform, representing his dramatic change of status. The
Torah describes Joseph being taken from his prison cell, where just a few
moments before he seemed destined to reside permanently, by saying he was
“rushed” to Pharaoh. Often, the rabbi explained, things are happening behind
the scenes that aren’t apparent to us. And then – all of a sudden – things are
“rushed,” things turn around completely. Joseph’s story shows us that no matter
what things looked like yesterday, today can be different.
I thought to
myself involuntarily, Yes, Joseph’s whole world transformed, as Rabbi
Turtletaub would say, ‘in the blink of an eye.’ And at that moment, I let
go. I just knew. Everything was going to turn out ok. I didn’t know exactly
how. But it didn’t matter how, because it would. I was sure of it.
And things did
start to change. Maybe not quite in the blink of an eye. But like pieces of a
puzzle, everything started to come together. We started to go to an Orthodox
synagogue together on Shabbat, just to see what it would be like. And there we
found the most amazing people who met us where we were with warmth and kindness,
and gently challenged us to reach higher.
And miracles
really did start to happen. We traveled to Israel with our son, who had become
a sponge for all things Jewish. Now 4 ½ and still a pre-writer, he scribbled a
“prayer” on a piece of paper and gently placed it in the crevices of the
Western Wall. “What did you pray for,” I asked.
In a voice full
of confidence, he said, “I prayed that everyone should know that Hashem is One,
and that there should be peace over Jerusalem.”
The tap on the
shoulder had become a warm embrace.
There’s more to
the story, much more. Enough to fill a book, which in fact we did. Our full
journey, with all of the twists and turns, tears and laughter, heartbreak and triumph
is set forth in our recently released book, Doublelife: One Family, Two Faiths and a Journey of Hope.
And although we
can’t include the details of our entire journey here, the conclusion is not in
doubt. Little by little, we continued to learn and grow and move closer to
Judaism and to each other.
Gayle and I
drew inspiration from the stories we read of ministers, priests and others who
had traveled from great spiritual distances to become Orthodox Jews. Gayle
began to learn Hebrew and take classes at the Orthodox synagogue, which was
becoming her spiritual home. One day, she realized that her only attachment to
the church was performing music there. And so she stopped working at the church
and found other outlets for her music.
And then one
day, Gayle made the decision that she no longer wanted simply to do Jewish
things, but to hear the call of Sinai, to be part of the Jewish people. And so
she began to study intensively with a compassionate and caring rabbi. We moved
to an Orthodox community where we could walk to synagogue on Shabbat. We
continued to learn. And the more we learned, the more we grew. The more we
embraced Judaism, the more it embraced us. “It won’t work” no longer applied to
who we had become.
And then one
October Sunday morning, the moment finally arrived. Gayle emerged from the Mikvah,
and emerged as Avigail Shira bat Avraham.
Today, there is
no chasm, not even a hint of one. Today, we are a Jewish family – not by fate,
but by choice, by design and by destiny.
Harold
Berman is the co-author of “Doublelife: One Family, Two Faiths and a Journey of Hope,” the first true-life account of “an
intermarriage gone Jewish.” (available on Amazon and at http://www.doublelifejourney.com)
Mayim Bialik: Mikvah Connoisseur by
Renee Ghert-Zand http://www.aish.com/sp/so/Mayim_Bialik_Mikvah_Connoisseur.html
The ‘Big Bang Theory’ star speaks
frankly about her Jewish identity.
Celebrities endorse everything from cars to perfume to
salad dressing. But actress Mayim Bialik may be the first-ever celebrity
spokesperson for the Mikvah, or ritual bath, and the Jewish laws of family
purity. In fact, having been given the name Mayim Chaya at birth, some might
even suggest that she was destined to speak out about the benefits of immersion
in living waters.
Having returned to acting relatively recently after
earning a doctorate at UCLA and giving birth to two boys, the 36-year-old is
riding the wave of publicity cresting in the wake of her landing the role of
Amy Farrah Fowler on the hit CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory.”
In addition to making the requisite appearances on the
late night talk shows and the red carpet at awards ceremonies, she has also
been hitting the author tour circuit to promote her new book on attachment
parenting titled, “Beyond the Sling: A Real-Life Guide to Raising Confident,
Loving Children the Attachment Parenting Way.” Somehow, she is also finding
time to share her insights about being both a mother and a publicly observant
Jewish figure — including her use of the mikvah — in her regular posts for
Jewish parenting blog Kveller, and at speaking engagements around the country.
Bialik also managed to squeeze in a sit-down conversation
about mivkah with The Times of Israel after speaking at one such event, a
fundraiser for the Community Mikvah of Silicon Valley, a program of the Jewish
Federation of Silicon Valley. She admitted that it’s a bit of a balancing act
to concurrently live a Torah-centric life in Los Angeles and work in the
entertainment industry. Nonetheless, Bialik, who hasn’t worn pants in five
years, feels it is important for her to be upfront about her frumkeit so
that she can be a positive role model for other Jews, especially young ones.
Dressed in a knee-length,
long-sleeved floral print dress and platform sandals, Bialik prefaced her
remarks to the crowd of 160 men and women of all ages at the Addison-Penzak JCC
(in Los Gatos) by saying, “I don’t speak as an authority. I’m just sharing my
personal experience with mikvah. I live a life governed by Jewish law, but I
don’t have a religious agenda.”
After offering an overview of
her career and some details about her family history, the actress shared the
story of her journey toward halachic observance, and how the mikvah played a
key role in the process. A self-described intellectual second-wave feminist,
Bialik emphasized how impressed she was with the “tremendous scholarship and
mystical teachings for thousands of years on mikvah.” Noting that she believes
in being given all the information and then deciding for herself what to do,
she emphasized that it was “my choice to embrace the halachot surrounding
mikvah.”
Bialik, known for her
impeccable comedic timing, used humor to dispel myths about the mikvah and to
tell how she learned about mikvah etiquette and all the laws and practices
surrounding the observance of the family purity laws. For modesty’s sake — and
the fact that her mother-in-law was in the audience — she did not go into
detail about the latter. She spoke with complete seriousness when she explained
that going to the mikvah has made her “the authority on my body. I know the
cycles of my body, and it’s empowering for me.”
Jokingly declaring herself a “Mikvah
connoisseur,” Bialik shared her impressions of various ones she has visited
around the world. “Every mikvah has its own personality, but the waters are the
same,” she remarked.
Her personal experiences with
oft-maligned mikvah ladies have been uniformly positive, leading her to
admonish people to remember: “mikvah ladies are people too.” She has found that
the only difference she found between Israeli Mikvah ladies and American ones
is that “the Israeli ones are, well Israeli.” In other words, they declared —
comparatively less enthusiastically — her immersion “Kasher” instead of a
Brooklyn-accented “kosher.”
Following her presentation,
Bialik met with a group of 15 high school and college students. Was she
disappointed that they only asked her questions about “The Big Bang Theory” and
her acting career, and didn’t once mention Mikvah?
“Not at all!” she exclaimed. “To me a lot of this is
about just laying the foundation, especially with young people. You lay the
foundation for them by having a positive role model who’s Jewish. You let them
hear gently about observance,” she explained.
“I speak pretty reverently about my relationship with
God, but you have to speak about it differently with young people. You want to
be accessible to young people and not hit them over the head,” the actress
said. “As a Baal Teshuva, someone who came late to observance, I know how
important it is that mikvah not be the first thing you hear.”
“I don’t discuss sexual or marital intimacy when men are
present,” she cautioned. But she does speak frankly with women. “I give a
really fantastic, fun, interesting talk about the sanctity of the Jewish
intimate relationship,” she offered. “I’m not a Rebbitzin’s, so I don’t talk
from that level, and I’m not a family counselor. But I speak about the enormous
complexity and beauty that structure around intimacy can provide, which I
specifically learned about through the Mikvah.”
Although this particular group of young people was not
inclined to delve deeper into the topic, Bialik nonetheless does enjoy talking
about it with young women in their late teens and early 20s. “It’s nice to have
the opportunity to talk to them, especially those who didn’t know about it.
Because that’s the time in your life when all of the romance and all that stuff
is kind of brewing — and how interesting to learn about a practice that is
designed to regulate in healthy ways both your cycle and the concept of
intimacy,” she said.
It’s one thing for her to talk about these things with
community groups or with curious young Jews, but what about with her Hollywood
colleagues?
“Most of my Jewish colleagues wouldn’t even think about
the Mikvah,” she reflected. “For most people, there are a million other things
that they think about and care about.
“It’s generally not terribly
popular to be a super-religious person or feel like your whole life is about
being a humble servant of God,” she said. “It doesn’t resonate with a lot of
people, and it doesn’t have to. For me, being a public Jew is about knowing
about when to be private, too. Not to hide it, but that I don’t have to
advertise every aspect of my observance.”
However, since all of her
Kveller posts go out through Twitter, those among her colleagues who follow her
know. Some of the show’s writers follow her, and she is close with one of the
writers who is “religiously inclined.” Bialik and he engage in Jewish study
together and talk about related things. “He’s my people, as it were,” she
quipped.
The multi-talented Bialik
admits that the pace of her life has been exhausting lately. “The publicity
machine, it keeps going. I’m exhausted but it’s a true blessing that people
want to hear me talk,” she said. “It’s a Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of
God's name) to try and present myself as a normal, struggling, believing Jew
who really does believe that a book written thousands of years ago and divinely
inspired living can actually lead to repair of brokenness. I’m not the only one
who thinks this, I promise.”
One might suppose that, given
her hectic schedule, she might just be inclined to, on occasion, skip a visit
or two to the mikvah. But that is not the case. “It’s something that is
incredibly central. What is true for Mikvah is true for lot aspects of
Halacha,” she said. “You don’t have to like everything every single minute. You
don’t have to find beauty and profundity in blessing food or waking up every
morning. The fact is you put one foot in front of another and you keep coming
back to some kind of foundation of gratefulness and Tikva, of hope.”
When it comes to Mikvah, it’s
simply a matter of faith for Bialik. “Please, God, that it should be inspiring
every month,” she said. “And when it’s not, you pray that next month it will
be.”This
article originally appeared on the TimesofIsrael.com
Death
Bed Confession by Rabbi Y. Tilles
"Water!"
the invalid rasped in a whispery voice. The astounded doctors, who had given up
the unconscious man for dead, were shocked to hear his voice again. The priest,
who had taken his final confession, turned pale. Had a miracle taken place?
The
doctors quickly initiated treatment. For hours they attended at his bedside.
Finally, they saw clear signs of a positive change in his condition. By evening
they were able to declare that his situation was no longer critical; he was out
of danger.
For
another several weeks Bagalo
continued to be very weak, and the doctors prohibited him to engage in any of
his regular activities. Finally, however, he regained his strength completely.
Every trace of the disease had completely disappeared!
All
of Spain breathed a collective sigh of relief at Bagalo's recovery. He was one
of the King's most trusted advisors, with a strong reputation for honesty and
intelligence. The king loved to consult with him so much that he had risen to be
one of the most important personalities in the royal court.
His
advice was especially valued by the monarch in economic affairs. More than once
his suggestions had directly resulted in great fiscal gain for the kingdom, and
concurrent improvements in the daily life of the people. The king considered
Bagalo to be a financial wizard, and was not slow to express his appreciation,
as he showered upon him wealth and valuable gifts.
Although
everyone was aware of Bagalo's great wisdom and praised him for it, no one had
yet realized that he was really a Jew. This was his great secret. He was an anus
['forced'-a Marrano], of a family that had been coerced to convert. As
far as he was concerned, his Catholic status was for appearances only. He
conducted himself outwardly as he had to, while he continued to observe all of
the commandments secretly, in hiding.
Lately,
though, he hadn't had much to hide. Whereas previously he had set aside time
for mitzvah observance and even for Torah study and thought, his new
prominent position in court consumed virtually all of his waking hours. He no
longer had time to pray or to study, or even to perform the commandments. His
Judaism remained only in his core beliefs, his strong inner faith in his G-d
and His people.
From
time to time, at moments when he was alone, a heavy sigh would push through his
lips. How he longed for Shabbat and the Jewish holidays, for all of the mitzvoth.
How had he allowed himself to become so distant?
But
such thoughts could only be indulged for a few moments. Than the heavy pressure
of his workload would again take over his time and his thoughts. Thus he
conducted his life until he fell critically ill.
The
most competent of the royal physicians had been summoned to care for him. They
gave him the finest medicines and treatments, at the king's order sparing no
expense, but nothing helped. He became weaker and weaker until finally the
doctors felt they had no choice but to declare that his case was hopeless. An
important priest was summoned.
Then
came his miraculous recovery. After a while, no one recalled that he had been
so sick. No one but him, that is. He remembered very well what had happened; he
knew and kept to himself what even the most expert of the physicians could not
know.
One
day Bagalo summoned the priest who had taken his confession. He led him to a
private room, locked the door behind them and lowered the window shades. He sat
opposite the priest and looked him straight in the eyes. "I remember
everything you said to me when we thought I was dying. At the end, after all
the prayers, you muttered a few words that I didn't understand. Those words are
engraved in my memory. What do they mean?"
The
priest visibly trembled. His face changed colors. He tried to stammer a reply
but his teeth were rattling too hard.
Seeing
that the other's distress had rendered him unable to speak, Bagalo continued.
"The words were: 'Shma Yisrael A--noy E--heinu A--noy Echad.' Isn't
that a Jewish prayer?"
The
priest's whole body quivered, but no words were forthcoming. "So, you are
a Jew?" Bagalo pushed on.
The
priest sat frozen, his face registering shock and terror that his secret had
been uncovered by the king's advisor.
"Don't
be afraid; I won't inform on you," Bagalo said gently. "Just give me
your word of honor that you will be wholehearted in the word of Jesus and you
will put aside these Hebrew incantations."
"No!"
roared the priest. "I prefer to die as a Jew. Enough of this double life.
This is the moment of truth." Now that he had recovered himself, the words
were quickly tumbling from his mouth. "I am prepared to die, but as a
Jew."
"My
brother!" Bagalo cried out, and fiercely embraced his co-religionist.
"I too am Jewish. And now I know that you are truly attached to the faith
of our fathers. We are one!"
Their
shared secret drew the two men to become close friends. They revealed to each
other their secret lives. The priest explained that he had entered the clergy
for one reason only: to be able to whisper "Shma Yisroel..."
in the ear of Marrano Jews on their death-bed, so that their souls would exit
in purity.
The
king's advisor related that when he had been at death's door he had wanted to
at least say the Shma. To his distress, he found that he couldn't
remember exactly how it went. Then, suddenly, he heard the holy words being
said in his ear! It was as if a gentle breeze had wafted him up and
re-invigorated him with new life.
Falling
into a deep sleep, he began to dream. He saw an old man, who smiled warmly and
spoke. His voice was gentle and melodious. "I am your grandfather. You
shall recover from this illness and you shall live, but only on a condition.
You must return to a full Jewish life. Therefore, you shall leave this country.
Move to the Land of Israel. Upon your departure, take with you the bones of
your father and give them a Jewish burial there."
The
two friends planned their escape. They decided that Bagalo should tell the king
that during his critical illness he had vowed that if he recovered he would
make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The king would probably not be able to
refuse such a request. He would likely even help him to fulfill it. The priest
would arrange for the disinterment of the remains of Bagalo's father, for the
church cemetery was under his supervision.
Thus,
the pair was able to abandon Spain. After a series of difficult journeys, the
two baalei Teshuva (returnees to Jewish observance) reached the holy
city of Tsfat (Safed). There they dedicated themselves to lives of total mitzvah
observance, Torah-study and prayer. When, in the course of time, they passed
away, both of them were complete Tzaddikim (perfectly righteous).
[Translated by Yerachmiel Tilles from Sichat HaShavuah #144]
While I
am writing this, I am sitting in FL listening to a fierce and severe series of
thunderstorms depositing more than 2 inches or 50 mm of rain in our area. I
cannot help but feel for the people in Moore, OK in which scores are dead and
as a grandfather of two boys who are 3rd graders I shudder to think
of what happened to the children. My granddaughter had this past winter the
roof collapse upon her empty classroom during the non-Jewish holiday season.
There were miracles but people were almost sucked out of their basements as the
tornado with winds over 200 or more miles an hour (320 or more kilometers per
hour) ripped up a whole section of that town sending debris as far as Brandson,
MO which is 250 miles away (400 km). http://www.foxnews.com/weather/2013/05/20/oklahoma-braces-for-severe-storms/
Jewish Donation site: http://www.ou.org/giving/natural-disaster-fund/#.UZzfVzPfrIU Also Chabad see below.
From Ari: The atheists won't do nearly as well as the
local Chabad center. They have the infrastructure, the community knowledge and
the motivated staff to make donations really count. http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/2229922/jewish/Chabad-Center-Provides-Immediate-Tornado-Assistance.htm
Many
people don’t realize this from my photo in the BlogSpot which was even taken
when I was lighter. However, when I was 21 I was 150 to 165 lbs. but 45 years
of engineering, over-time and Daf Yomi led to other things. Even when I was 40
and 180 lbs., I looked good because I was swimming 4 times a week 1.5 hrs. a
session with a heart rate of 120 beats per minute. But the Lavi Project ended
and there was job security worries, my mother’s illness, car accident and the
EB virus which never leaves the blood left me in a state of much-much heavier
weight. Over 8 years in the gym have given more muscles but as my metabolism
slows down so does my calorie burning rate and the more fat the less burn. So I
was happy to see this article for some tricks of the trade. Disclaimer I am not
responsible for the photos in the article but the contents may be helpful to
diabetes, heart and high blood pressure patients: http://magazine.foxnews.com/food-wellness/6-ways-burn-fat-faster?intcmp=HPBucket
Robbery gone completely wrong: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4382067,00.html
Government’s policy of cutbacks drives people into
desperate situations: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4382346,00.html
Chief Rabbi Deal which leaves 2 real
Talmidei Chachamim in charge: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168184
Thanks to Moshe F. IDF
Shelter Drill to occur on Monday May 27 at 12:05 and 19:05 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ov1JbXGSDww&feature=youtu.be
Tragedy in the Golan: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4382685,00.html
Story 1:The non-religious try force
their way on who is a Yeshiva Student: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168250#.UZ3culffrIU
Story 2: Religious fanatics threaten a
ceremony of swearing in soldiers after earlier this week attacking two Charedi
Soldiers: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383341,00.html
Story 3: Charedi Family flees Israel to
Yarden: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383341,00.html
Story 4: Are the less religious trying
to destroy the Torah World? Is this the work of the Evil Inclination? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383428,00.html
I do not know what is going on with
modesty and inner beauty in Judaism. I have not investigated and discussed this
for we did have Devorah HaNovi in the days of Judges and Hulda so I have to
examine things deeper. The Talmud discusses what happened to Rebbe Meir’s wife
and I wonder where we are headed? Perhaps I am from a generation of dinosaurs
or perhaps the Sages were correct? http://matzav.com/rabbi-scheier-defends-appointment-of-maharat-hails-women-who-lained-megillas-rus-in-riskins-shul
Inyanay Diyoma
Dangerous Games being played by Assad
may cause the end of the Alawite Regime: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4381218,00.html
Obama’s wishy-washy policy leads to
this: http://debka.com/article/22978/Muddled-Israeli-US-policies-on-Assad-set-stage-for-Golan-offensive-against-Israel-
A
major victory for Hezballah. http://debka.com/article/22980/Syrian-Hizballah%E2%80%99s-capture-of-Qusayr-opens-direct-weapons-route-to-Lebanon
Ed-op on Syrian Rebels: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4380128,00.html
In the days of the Bible it was not
uncommon with a life span of 30 to 40 years to have children married off even
in Judaism but a child was not married to a Mullah (advanced in age) but a
child or teen. The idea of letting the child die is horrible. http://frontpagemag.com/2013/dgreenfield/afghan-mullah-marries-kills-8-year-old-girl-on-wedding-night/
The Syrian Border: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/168134#.UZovmVffrIU Border fire again but with a reply and a change in return
fire policy now: http://debka.com/article/22982/Yaalon-We-destroyed-Syrian-Golan-position-Damascus-We-fired-on-Israeli-patrol
Chechnian Shot dead with connections to
the Boston bomber: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/22/ibragim-todashev-shot_n_3318332.html?1369224010&icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D316859
Netanyahu and Lapid are more worried
about Amona than the northern border go ahead attack the settlers and the
Charedi Jews and all Orthodoxy and you get war with all that goes with it: http://debka.com/article/22984/Israel’s-dithering-over-Golan-strikes-gives-Assad-go-ahead-for-war-of-attrition
Russia letting Assad get more and more
aggressive: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383048,00.html
Pro-active religion of peace: http://debka.com/article/22986/Two-terrorists-behead-a-British-soldier-on-a-London-street-first-such-Islamist-outrage-in-the-West
After Germany calls Hezballah a
terrorist organization, France weighs the same: http://www.jpost.com/International/France-backs-call-to-put-Hezbollah-on-EU-terror-list-314095
Kol Yisrael (Radio Bet) announced that
we are helping the Druze in Syria fight the Al Qaeda. The Druze are independent
but pro-Assad so the situation is messed up there.
Why the IDF wants and needs the super
expensive F-35 and I bet the Chinese and Russians are spying their heads off
over this feature: http://breakingdefense.com/2013/05/20/marines-f-35b-executes-first-vertical-takeoff-straight-up-cool-but/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl27%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D316928
Tragic accident: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4383626,00.html
Wishing you a good,
peaceful and wonderful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
