Parshiyos
Behar – Bechukosai
Up
until now, we have come across Shabbos of Creation, Shabbos and Yom Tov for
humans whether the owner or the slave, animals in the position of the
householder and the Cohain in the Mikdash. Now there is something new, a Shabbos
for the land of Eretz Yisrael. This Shabbos for the land precludes other lands
where the Bnei Yisrael reside.
3 Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard, and gather in the produce thereof. 4 But in the seventh year shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath unto the LORD; thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard.
Just
like the human observance of Shabbos, the land is not supposed to be worked.
Here there is no Kares or death penalty but perhaps Makkos.
5 That which grows of itself of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, and the grapes of thy undressed vine thou shalt not gather; it shall be a year of solemn rest for the land. 6 And the Sabbath-produce of the land shall be for food for you: for thee, and for thy servant and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant and for the settler by thy side that sojourn with thee;
The
sixth year products and that which grows by itself on your land shall be yours
but you cannot plant anything new and if nothing grows you will have to rely on
supplies from a previous year. It is to put our trust in
HASHEM.
And
[the produce of] the Sabbath of the land, shall be [yours to eat]: Although I
have prohibited the produce [of the Shemittah year] to you, I did not prohibit
you to eat it or to derive benefit from it, only that you should not treat it as
if you were its owner. Rather, everyone is deemed equal [regarding the use of
the Shemittah year’s produce]-you, [your slaves,] and your hired worker and
resident.
This Jubilee Year is called the Yovel in Hebrew which occurs in the 50th year of the cycle. There is a dispute in understanding if this is also the first year of the next cycle or the end of the old. From the Torah this does not exist today but the Shmita is observed per the Rabbis.
9 Then shalt thou make proclamation with the blast of the horn on the tenth day of the seventh month; in the day of atonement shall ye make proclamation with the horn throughout all your land. 10 And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof; it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.
The year that Rabbi Eliezer Weissfish Shlita and I calculated was 5734 and there was a siren on that Yom Kippur that shook up the whole land of Israel. The next section deals with selling or renting the family inheritance in the field but not the city from the time of Yehoshua.
11 This fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee unto you; ye shall not sow, neither reap that which grows of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of the undressed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy unto you; ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field. 13 In this year of jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession. 14 And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor, or buy of thy neighbor’s hand, ye shall not wrong one another. 15 According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy of thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the crops he shall sell unto thee. 16 According to the multitude of the years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of the years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for the number of crops doth he sell unto thee.
According
to the number of years after the Jubilee, you shall purchase: The following is
its simple meaning, to explain the verse according to its context: [The text]
comes to warn against wronging [by overcharging, thereby linking verses 14-16
together (Mizrachi)], [namely, that] when you sell or purchase land, you should
be aware of how many years remain until the [next] Jubilee, and according to
[that number of] years and the crops that it is fit to yield, the seller should
sell and the buyer should buy. For indeed, he will eventually return it to him
in the Jubilee year. Thus, if there are [only] a few years [left until the next
Jubilee year], and this one sells it for a high price, the purchaser has been
wronged. And if there are many years [left until the next Jubilee year], and he
will eat many crops from it [until Jubilee-if the purchaser had purchased the
land for a low price], the seller has been wronged. Therefore, it must be
purchased according to the time [left until the next Jubilee]. And this is [the
meaning of] what it says, תְבוּאֹת יִמְכָּרלָ בְּמִסְפַּר שְׁנֵי, “according to
the number of years of crops, he shall sell to you.” “According to the number of
years of crop yields that it will remain in the hands of the purchaser, you
shall sell it to him.” Now, [the word שְׁנֵי can mean “years of” or can mean
“two.” Thus,] our Rabbis have expounded from here (see end of this Rashi for
clarification), that one who sells his field is not permitted to redeem it in
less than two years, that it must remain in the purchaser’s possession for
exactly two years to the day, even if there are three crops during those two
years, for example, if he sold it to him with crop standing in it [and then the
ensuing years brought two more yields of produce. In that case, the seller
cannot redeem after one year, claiming that two years’ crops have been issued,]
for the word שְׁנֵי [which could mean two, i.e., two yields] does not leave its
simple meaning [that it means years,] referring to [the number of years that
elapse and] specifically, years that elapse with a yield of crop, but not years
of blight. [Now, if the word שְׁנֵי means “years” and not two, then how do our
Rabbis expound it to mean “two years”?] Because [the term שְׁנֵי is plural, and]
the minimum quantity implied by שָׁנִים is two. — [Arachin 29b;
Mizrachi]
17 And ye shall not wrong one another; but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am the LORD your God.
Actually this is ideal and theoretically we could follow this but unfortunately we don’t.
And
you shall not wrong, one man his fellow-Jew: Here, [as opposed to the same
expression in verse 14 above (see Rashi there),] Scripture is warning against
wronging verbally, namely, that one must not provoke his fellow [Jew], nor may
one offer advice to him that is unsound for him but according to the mode of
life or the benefit of the advisor. And if you say, “Who can tell whether I had
evil intentions [when I talked to my fellow in an insulting manner? Perhaps I
did so in order to make him feel remorseful and repent his ways].” (see Be’er
Basadeh). Therefore, it says, “and you shall fear your God.”-The One Who knows
all thoughts-He knows. Concerning anything held in the heart and known only to
the one who bears this thought in his mind, it says “and you shall fear your
God!” - [B.M. 58b]
18 Wherefore ye shall do My statutes, and keep Mine ordinances and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety. 19 And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat until ye have enough, and dwell therein in safety. 20 And if ye shall say: 'What shall we eat the seventh year? behold, we may not sow, nor gather in our increase'; 21 then I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth produce for the three years. 22 And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat of the produce, the old store; until the ninth year, until her produce come in, ye shall eat the old store. …
I walked across the Carl Bridge in Prague. The bridge is lined with statues and one people were waiting on line to kiss. There was no sacrifice or present brought as in full Avoda Zara but it was certainly close to it as the reverence given to the statue.
2 Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.
I
am the Lord: Who is faithful to give reward [to those who fulfill My Torah].
This
is not a political promise but an iron clad promise for a reward for Shabbos
observance.
Parsha
Bechukosai
26:3 If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them; 4 then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread until ye have enough, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.
Wonderful blessings and I could write a lot about the abundance that comes from HASHEM. However, I see perhaps not in you or I but in mankind in general a lot of people with no yoke of heaven and uninterested.
14 But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 and if ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhor Mine ordinances, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant; 16 I also will do this unto you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall make the eyes to fail, and the soul to languish; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.
This is to see that all you end up living in fear and all your labors are in vain. But because you have rejected me; I will reject you and will: 17 And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be smitten before your enemies; they that hate you shall rule over you; and ye shall flee when none pursue you.
At this point it is only a chastisement and not a full punishment for the L-RD is long-enduring and patient. But …
18 And if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass. 20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her produce, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
The first rebellion against HASHEM the punishment is relatively light. Now the punishment is getting harder and a famine is about to come into play.
21 And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.
The punishment is going to 49 times harder than the original punishment.
22 And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate. 23 And if in spite of these things ye will not be corrected unto Me, but will walk contrary unto Me; 24 then will I also walk contrary unto you; and I will smite you, even I, seven times for your sins.
If you want to be a bunch of stiff necked sinners and sin via Gashmiyus things and only think of here and now physical pleasures rather than the beautify Ruchaniyus of the spiritual pleasures and Mitzvos. So each violation brings more and more retribution.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant; and ye shall be gathered together within your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. … 34 Then shall the land be paid her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and repay her Sabbaths.
This is not the regular Shabbos but Shmita.
The situation will continue until those left will go into deep repentance.
… 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. 40 And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto Me. 41 I also will walk contrary unto them, and bring them into the land of their enemies; if then perchance their uncircumcised heart be humbled, and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity; 42 then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. 43 For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her Sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them; and they shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected Mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes.
G-D extracts measure for measure. This principle applies to all the Nations of the earth and the recent almost Tsunami of a Flood along the Mississippi River of millions of innocents has been a punishment for demanding that Israel give up land and uproot families from their homes. Only a spiritually blind person could not realize this. For the physical blind might have been Tzaddikim in a past life that requested blindness so that they would not go astray after their eyes but the spiritually blind person has more problems than the physically blind. For in the true world they shall see!
44 And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. 46 These are the statutes and ordinances and laws, which the LORD made between Him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.
While the situation is very gloomy, the remembrance of the covenant and the deeds of past Tzaddik will eventually bring out the Geula and the Moshiach.
27:1 And the LORD
spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto
them: When a man shall clearly utter a vow of persons unto the LORD, according
to thy valuation, 3 then thy valuation shall be for the male from twenty years
old even unto sixty years old, even thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of
silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 And if it be a female, then thy
valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5 And if it be from five years old even unto
twenty years old, then thy valuation shall be for the male twenty shekels, and
for the female ten shekels. 6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years
old, then thy valuation shall be for the male five shekels of silver, and for
the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7 And if it be from
sixty years old and upward: if it be a male, then thy valuation shall be fifteen
shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
The
valuation of a person vowing his value to the Temple is not based on knowledge
for an expert doctor, lawyer or engineer at 60 is better than a student at 20
but rather the value of a day laborer who works from sunrise to sunset. The
value is set by the Torah and has nothing to with physical strength either. For
it is obvious that a woman body builder is physically more fit than an amputee.
Any person trying to make hay out of this does not know what he is talking
about.
… 14 And when a man
shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall value
it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest shall value it, so shall it stand.
15 And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add the
fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be his.
Another
valuation which in this case Beis Din intervenes to determine the value.
…32 And all the tithe
of the herd or the flock, whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be
holy unto the LORD. 33 He shall not inquire whether it be good or bad, neither
shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it and that for which
it is changed shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.
Sometimes
we want the best for ourselves or for G-D so the Torah advises us on this random
search. This may also explain why sometimes both the righteous and the wicked
are judged together by the L-RD for they all have passed under the staff of
judgement in this world. What will be in store for all in the next world is
another story altogether.
34 These are the
commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount
Sinai.
Chazak
– Chazak v’NitChazak! We have finished the book of Vayikra and next week we
start Bamidbar (Numbers)
Perkei
Avos Chapter 5 http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682520/jewish/English-Text.htm
2. There were ten generations from Adam to Noah. This is to teach us the extent of G-d's tolerance; for all these generations angered Him, until He brought upon them the waters of the Flood.
There were ten generations from Noah to Abraham. This is to teach us the extent of G-d's tolerance; for all these generations angered Him, until Abraham came and reaped the reward for them all.
3. With ten tests our father Abraham was tested and he withstood them all--in order to make known how great was our father Abraham's love [for G-d].
4. Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in Egypt, and another ten at the sea. Ten afflictions were wrought by G-d upon the Egyptians in Egypt, and another ten at the sea. With ten tests our forefathers tested G-d in the desert, as is stated (Numbers 14:22), "They tested Me these ten times, and did not hearken to My voice."
5. Ten miracles were performed for our forefathers in the Holy Temple: No woman ever miscarried because of the smell of the holy meat. The holy meat never spoiled. Never was a fly seen in the slaughterhouse. Never did the High Priest have an accidental seminal discharge on Yom Kippur. The rains did not extinguish the wood-fire burning upon the altar. The wind did not prevail over the column of smoke [rising from the altar]. No disqualifying problem was ever discovered in the Omer offering, the Two Loaves or the Showbread. They stood crowded but had ample space in which to prostrate themselves. Never did a snake or scorpion cause injury in Jerusalem. And no man ever said to his fellow "My lodging in Jerusalem is too cramped for me."
6. Ten things were created at twilight of Shabbat eve. These are: the mouth of the earth [that swallowed Korach]; the mouth of [Miriam's] well; the mouth of [Balaam's] ass; the rainbow; the manna; [Moses'] staff; the shamir; the writing, the inscription and the tablets [of the Ten Commandments]. Some say also the burial place of Moses and the ram of our father Abraham. And some say also the spirits of destruction as well as the original tongs, for tongs are made with tongs.
7. There are seven things that characterize a boor, and seven that characterize a wise man. A wise man does not speak before one who is greater than him in wisdom or age. He does not interrupt his fellow's words. He does not hasten to answer. His questions are on the subject and his answers to the point. He responds to first things first and to latter things later. Concerning what he did not hear, he says "I did not hear." He concedes to the truth. With the boor, the reverse of all these is the case.
8. Seven types of retribution come to the world, for seven types of sin. When some tithe and others don't, a hunger caused by turmoil ensues: some are hungry, others have their fill of food. When all are unanimous in their failure to tithe, a hunger by drought ensues. For not separating chalah, an annihilating hunger results.
Plagues come to the world for those capital crimes mentioned in the Torah that have not been given over to the court, and for desecrating the produce of the sabbatical year.
The sword comes to the world for the procrastination of justice, the corruption of justice, and because of those who misinterpret the Torah.
9. Carnage by wild beasts comes to the world for false oaths and the desecration of G-d's name.
Exile comes to the world for idol-worship, sexual promiscuity, murder and the failure to leave the land fallow on the sabbatical year.
There are four time-periods when plagues increase: on the fourth and seventh years [of the sabbatical cycle], on the year following the seventh, and following the festivals of each year. On the fourth year, because of [the neglect of] the tithe to the poor that must be given on the third year; on the seventh, because of the tithe to the poor that must be given on the sixth; on the year after the seventh, because of the produce of the sabbatical year; and following each festival, because of the robbing of the poor of the gifts due to them.
10. There are four types of people: One who says, "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is mine" is a boor. One who says "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is yours" -- this is a median characteristic; others say that this is the character of a Sodomite. One who says, "What is mine is yours, and what is yours is yours" is a chassid (pious person). And one who says "What is mine is mine, and what is yours is mine" is wicked.
11. There are four types of temperaments. One who is easily angered and easily appeased--his virtue cancels his flaw. One whom it is difficult to anger and difficult to appease--his flaw cancels his virtue. One whom it is difficult to anger and is easily appeased, is a chassid. One who is easily angered and is difficult to appease, is wicked.
12. There are four types of student. One who is quick to understand and quick to forget--his flaw cancels his virtue. One who is slow to understand and slow to forget--his virtue cancels his flaw. One who is quick to understand and slow to forget--his is a good portion. One who is slow to understand and quick to forget--his is a bad portion.
13. There are four types of contributors to charity. One who wants to give but does not want others to give--is begrudging of others. One who wants that others should give but does not want to give--begrudges himself. One who wants that he as well as others should give, is a chassid. One who want neither himself nor others to give, is wicked.
14. There are four types among those who attend the study hall. One who goes but does nothing--has gained the rewards of going. One who does [study] but does not go to the study hall--has gained the rewards of doing. One who goes and does, is a chassid. One who neither goes nor does, is wicked.
15. There are four types among those who sit before the sages: the sponge, the funnel, the strainer and the sieve. The sponge absorbs all. The funnel takes in at one end and lets it out the other. The strainer rejects the wine and retains the sediment. The sieve rejects the coarse flour and retains the fine flour.
16. Any love that is dependent on something--when the thing ceases, the love also ceases. But a love that is not dependent on anything never ceases. What is [an example of] a love that is dependent on something? The love of Amnon for Tamar. And one that is not dependent on anything? The love of David and Jonathan.
17. Any dispute that is for the sake of Heaven is destined to endure; one that is not for the sake of Heaven is not destined to endure. Which is a dispute that is for the sake of Heaven? The dispute(s) between Hillel and Shamai. Which is a dispute that is not for the sake of Heaven? The dispute of Korach and all his company.
18. One who causes the community to be meritorious, no sin will come by his hand. One who causes the community to sin, is not given the opportunity to repent. Moses was meritorious and caused the community to be meritorious, so the community's merit is attributed to him; as is stated, "He did G-d's righteousness, and His laws with Israel" (Deuteronomy 33:21). Jeroboam the son of Nebat sinned and caused the community to sin, so the community's sin is attributed to him; as is stated, "For the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned and caused Israel to sin" (I Kings 15:30).
19. Whoever possesses the following three traits is of the disciples of our father Abraham; and whoever possesses the opposite three traits is of the disciples of the wicked Balaam. The disciples of our father Abraham have a good eye, a meek spirit and a humble soul. The disciples of the wicked Balaam have an evil eye, a haughty spirit and a gross soul. What is the difference between the disciples of our father Abraham and the disciples of the wicked Balaam? The disciples of our father Abraham benefit in this world and inherit the World To Come, and as is stated, "To bequeath to those who love Me there is, and their treasures I shall fill" (Proverbs 8:21). The disciples of the wicked Balaam inherit purgatory and descent into the pit of destruction, as is stated, "And You, G-d, shall cast them into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men, they shall not attain half their days. And I shall trust in you" (ibid., 55:24).
20. Judah the son of Teima would say: Be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, fleeting as a deer and mighty as a lion to do the will of your Father in Heaven. He would also say: The brazen--to purgatory; the bashful--to paradise. May it be Your will, L-rd our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that the Holy Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days; and grant us our portion in Your Torah.
21. Ben Bag Bag would say: Delve and delve into it, for all is in it; see with it; grow old and worn in it; do not budge from it, for there is nothing better.
Ben Hei Hei would say: According to the pain is the gain.
22. He would also say: Five years is the age for the study of Scripture. Ten, for the study of Mishnah. Thirteen, for the obligation to observe the mitzvot. Fifteen, for the study of Talmud. Eighteen, for marriage. Twenty, to pursue [a livelihood]. Thirty, for strength, Forty, for understanding. Fifty, for counsel. Sixty, for sagacity. Seventy, for elderliness. Eighty, for power. Ninety, to stoop. A hundred-year-old is as one who has died and passed away and has been negated from the world.
The content on this page is copyrighted by the author, publisher and/or
Chabad.org, and is produced by Chabad.org. If you enjoyed this article, we
encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with the
copyright policy.
From
Rachel A Jewish German’s View of Fanatics
A
German's view on Islam - worth reading.
This
is by far the best explanation of the Muslim terrorist situation I have ever
read. His references to past history are accurate and clear.
Not
long, easy to understand, and well worth the read. The author of this email is
Dr. Emanuel Tanya, a well-known and well-respected psychiatrist.
A
man, whose family was German aristocracy prior to World War II, owned a number
of large industries and estates. When asked how many German people were true
Nazis, the answer he gave can guide our attitude toward fanaticism.
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.. China 's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts--the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on!
Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.
Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into New York City public schools, Toronto and other public schools in Ontario, and, yes, in Ottawa too while The Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in. And we are silent.......
'Very few people were true Nazis,' he said, 'but many enjoyed the return of German pride, and many more were too busy to care. I was one of those who just thought the Nazis were a bunch of fools. So, the majority just sat back and let it all happen. Then, before we knew it, they owned us, and we had lost control, and the end of the world had come. My family lost everything. I ended up in a concentration camp and the Allies destroyed my factories.'
We are told again and again by 'experts' and 'talking heads' that Islam is the religion of peace and that the vast majority of Muslims just want to live in peace. Although this unqualified assertion may be true, it is entirely irrelevant. It is meaningless fluff, meant to make us feel better, and meant to somehow diminish the specter of fanatics rampaging across the globe in the name of Islam.
The fact is that the fanatics rule Islam at this moment in history. It is the fanatics who march. It is the fanatics who wage any one of 50 shooting wars worldwide. It is the fanatics who systematically slaughter Christian or tribal groups throughout Africa and are gradually taking over the entire continent in an Islamic wave. It is the fanatics who bomb, behead, murder, or honor-kill. It is the fanatics who take over mosque after mosque. It is the fanatics who zealously spread the stoning and hanging of rape victims and homosexuals. It is the fanatics who teach their young to kill and to become suicide bombers.
The hard, quantifiable fact is that the peaceful majority, the 'silent majority,' is cowed and extraneous.
Communist Russia was comprised of Russians who just wanted to live in peace, yet the Russian Communists were responsible for the murder of about 20 million people. The peaceful majority were irrelevant.. China 's huge population was peaceful as well, but Chinese Communists managed to kill a staggering 70 million people.
The average Japanese individual prior to World War II was not a warmongering sadist. Yet, Japan murdered and slaughtered its way across South East Asia in an orgy of killing that included the systematic murder of 12 million Chinese civilians; most killed by sword, shovel, and bayonet.
And who can forget Rwanda , which collapsed into butchery. Could it not be said that the majority of Rwandans were 'peace loving'?
History lessons are often incredibly simple and blunt, yet for all our powers of reason, we often miss the most basic and uncomplicated of points: Peace-loving Muslims have been made irrelevant by their silence.
Peace-loving Muslims will become our enemy if they don't speak up, because like my friend from Germany , they will awaken one day and find that the fanatics own them, and the end of their world will have begun.
Peace-loving Germans, Japanese, Chinese, Russians, Rwandans, Serbs, Afghans, Iraqis, Palestinians, Somalis, Nigerians, Algerians, and many others have died because the peaceful majority did not speak up until it was too late.
As for us who watch it all unfold, we must pay attention to the only group that counts--the fanatics who threaten our way of life.
Lastly, anyone who doubts that the issue is serious and just deletes this email without sending it on, is contributing to the passiveness that allows the problems to expand. So, extend yourself a bit and send this on and on and on!
Let us hope that thousands, world-wide, read this and think about it, and send it on - before it's too late.
Now Islamic prayers have been introduced into New York City public schools, Toronto and other public schools in Ontario, and, yes, in Ottawa too while The Lord's Prayer was removed (due to being so offensive?) The Islamic way may be peaceful for the time being in our country until the fanatics move in. And we are silent.......
A Baal Shem Tov
Story
In the early years of
the Chassidic movement, non-Jewish landowners would frequently imprison their
Jewish tenants for failing to pay their debts. The Baal Shem Tov
showed great concern for these poor families, and with boundless
determination, he traveled from town to town, encouraging fellow Jews to
contribute towards this great mitzvah of pidyon shvuim — “ransoming
captives.”
Once, after a week of arduous efforts, the Baal Shem Tov succeeded in collecting the sum necessary to redeem a family imprisoned by a particularly stubborn landowner who had refused to release the family until he received every penny owed to him. It was not until Friday afternoon that the Baal Shem Tov was able to amass the entire sum and thus, the members of the family were set free only a few short hours before Shabbat.
“Stay with me for Shabbat,” the Baal Shem Tov offered. “You will not be able to make it back to your town in time for candle lighting.”
Needless to say, the poor family was more than willing to accept the invitation. At the Shabbat meal, the Baal Shem Tov turned to the man he had ransomed. “So, what news have you heard today?”
The man looked up in wonder. “But Rebbe, what news could have reached the pit in which we were imprisoned? But now that you mention it, I have just recalled a strange experience I had while in prison.
“All week long, we would hear pitiful moans and wails coming from a corner in the pit where we were held prisoner. Each Friday afternoon, however, the crying would cease, only to be replaced by shrieking laughter that pierced our ears.
“This went on for weeks. My family and I were terrified to approach the nook where the noise came from, and we just huddled together in our corner.
“This week, however, the crying was louder than usual, as was the deafening laughter which took its place. Knowing that we were to be freed shortly, I perked up enough courage to shout in the direction from which the voiced emerged, ‘Who are you?’
“A voice responded from the far end of the pit. ‘We are unholy spirits whose existence depends on flaws in the behavior of a certain righteous ascetic Jew. He refrains from eating all week long, breaking his fast only on Friday. He prepares a mug of milk in the morning, setting it aside to drink when he concludes his morning prayers.
‘All week long, we are overwhelmed by the power of his righteousness. This is why we wail. Every Friday, however, we cause one of his household members to accidentally spill the milk and rouse the anger of the holy man. It is from this display of anger that we derive our power and existence.
‘This week, he was determined, more than ever, not to succumb to the folly of anger. Realizing that his expression of anger could negate all the spiritual achievements he had attained during the week, he resolved to prevent himself from being provoked. He decided to lock the closet in which he put the milk and to give no one the key.
‘That is why we were so upset this week,’ the voice explained. ‘We did not know how we would be able to rouse his wrath. However, we were not prepared to give up so easily. This morning, one of us appeared as a woodcutter, knocked on the tzadik‘s door, and offered his wife a bundle of wood at a bargain price.
‘Her purse was in the same closet as the milk and she requested the key from her husband. Anxious not to keep the woodcutter waiting, she knocked over the milk jug in her haste. Sure enough, the tzadik exploded in rage and thus, we had much to celebrate today.’”
The crowd of people at the Baal Shem Tov’s table listened in amazement to this strange story. Suddenly, one of his disciples fell down in a faint. He was known to fast the entire week.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from “From My Father’s Shabbos Table” (pp. 15-16), Eliyahu Touger’s excellent selection and translation from the first two volumes of Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik’s 4-volume series, Reshimat Devorim.
Connection: Opening verses of parshat Kedoshim.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Yisrael, the Baal Shem Tov [“master of the good Name”], a unique and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed the Chassidic movement and his own identity as an exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 1734. He passed away on the festival of Shavuot in 1760. He wrote no books, although many claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is the excellent annotated translation of Tzava’at Harivash, published by Kehos. An ongoing online translation of Sefer Baal Shem Tov can be found on www.baalshemtov.com
What is the emerging currency? The Dollar was 4.05 NIS a few months ago and the Euro around 5 now look. Note the Dollar print-print-print is weaker Dollar 3.568 Euro 4.697
This is a private
company in Israel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4374931,00.html
Not one Sephardi
here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372735,00.html
Patty O. sent me this
regarding a story of a man who gave up non-religious Judaism for Jews for Yeshu
and then returned to Torah Judaism. http://www.jewsforjudaism.ca/resources-info/resources-in-judaism/choosing-judaism/larrylevy
Drought and fires
endanger areas of Israel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4373996,00.html
From Eli and this is
a tragic story for outside of the fake ID promoting himself and he ruined his
own reliability - it is a pity. There are too many Rabbis using the Rabbinute to
make big bucks he falsely tried to promote himself via the internet into a
position which he is qualified for. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rabbi-shmuley-boteach/one-strike-and-youre-out_b_3177256.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false
Rambam
Hospital makes history: http://www.jpost.com/Health-and-Science/Conjoined-twins-separated-at-Rambam-Medical-Center-311759
Inyanay
Diyoma
drone
strikes. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372464,00.html
More
anti-Semitism in Europe: http://www.jpost.com/Jewish-World/Jewish-News/Rabbi-protests-Dutch-papers-anti-Israel-cartoon-311179
From Sheldon:
A sad story from AOL that could happen to anybody: http://realestate.aol.com/blog/on/vet-john-potter-eviction-daughter/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-sb-bb%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D304075
Israel views Obama’s
response as way to test reliability of statements regarding nuclear Iran, but
weary that action in Syria might divert attention from Iranian issue
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4372962,00.html
and http://debka.com/article/22932/Obama’s-non-response-to-Assad’s-chemical-weapons-would-encourage-a-nuclear-Iran-
A Salafist
victory verses Hezballah: http://debka.com/article/22936/Hizballah-loses-two-high-officers-in-major-defeat-at-al-Qusayr-near-Homs
WMD and
Hezballah are getting together in a dangerous combination: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167581#.UX8ER1ffrIU
Terrorist
with a knife takes a father of five for an easy victim: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/167591#.UX-UT1ffrIU
Iran
our options: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Iran-strike-only-an-option-when-sword-is-to-our-throat-311683
Be
prepared is the boy scout motto: http://www.debka.com/article/22938/Israeli-reserves-called-up-for-Syrian-Lebanese-borders-Military-drill-starts-Sunday
They
never learn but figure out clever ways to try to trick Israel into destroying
itself fortunately the Arabs are gluttons and want more and more and will not
settle for a minimum piece of Israel: http://www.debka.com/article/22940/Exclusive-Kerry’s-plans-double-peace-track-Israel-vs-Palestinians-and-vs-Arab-League
Reuven
K. wrote this Ed-Op When I went to
Hamline University School of Law over three decades ago, I kept peppering the
various professors in Torts Law, Constitutional Law and Criminal Law with ONE
question: "what are the citizens rights when the Sovereign abandons his charge
and his duty?" The professors, even the extreme right-winger who taught
Constitutional Law that year, kept sidestepping that
question.
That situation seems to have arisen in Judea and Samaria. We,
the Jewish residents, are left to defend ourselves while the Sovereign abandons
us to the tender mercies of terrorists and jails us for defending ourselves
against killers. I've been forced by events to answer my own question - and my
answer is steeped in the liberty traditions of English Common Law, which
allegedly governs here. To hell with sidestepping
professors!
When the Sovereign abandons
his charge of protecting the citizenry, that duty falls to the citizenry. And in
Israel, the Sovereign, the Israel government, HAS ABANDONED THE JEWISH
POPULATION OF JUDEA AND SAMARIA. We'll defend ourselves until the army mutinies
against the traitors on Government Hill and does its job. And if it doesn't, WE
will do the job!
Now
for Mathis Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story “Touch
Down”
Good Shabbos
Everyone. The Torah this week in parshas Emor, speaks
about the holiness of Shabbos. As it states in the verse, "For six days labor
may be done, and the seventh day is a day of complete rest, a holy convocation,
you shall not do any work, it is a Shabbos for Hashem in all your dwelling
places." (Vayikra 23:3)
The Chofetz Chayim in his introduction to the Laws of Shabbos, points out that the Torah warns us about keeping Shabbos a total of 12 times, much more than any other mitzvah. Why is the mitzvah of Shabbos repeated so many times? The Sages tell us that keeping Shabbos is compared to keeping all of the Torah. Because, by keeping Shabbos a Jew declares to the world that he believes that in six days Hashem created the heavens and the earth, and He (Hashem) rested on Shabbos. Just as Hashem stopped creating on the seventh day, so do we by resting on Shabbos. Thus we see how keeping Shabbos is the foundation of the Jewish belief, because keeping Shabbos demonstrates belief in Hashem.
The following amazing true story illustrates one Jew's amazing journey on the way to becoming Shomer Shabbos.
The mere mention of South Bend, Indiana instills a sense of awe in all college football fans. Young children are imbued with a love for football from the cradle. South bend is simply the college football mecca of the world. So how, you might ask, did this town become the location of a yeshivah gedolah, a beautiful Torah community and a mikveh?
It all began about 45 years ago in the town of Rock Island, Illinois. Young Nathan Lerman attended Rock Island High School and played on the varsity football team. He was one of the few Jewish boys in the school and the only one on its football team.
One night the team from Rock Island High played a game against a high school from Chicago, a team almost completely comprised of Jewish boys. Normally, a team will spend weeks preparing its codes and symbols for the captains of the offense and defense to signal to their teammates so they can know what they are supposed to do and where a specific play is going.
However, this team from Chicago figured that instead of motioning and risking misinterpretation by their team members, why not just call out the plays in Yiddish? After all, everybody on their team spoke Yiddish fluently and nobody on the other team did... or at least so they thought. This way they could spell out the plays clearly.
Little did they know that Lerman played for Rock Island High. Every play that was designed by the offense was defended masterfully by the defense. Lerman was all over the field. Every pass thrown his way was either deflected or intercepted. All told, Lerman intercepted five passes that evening and disrupted the opponent's entire offensive game plan. He was simply masterful.
Sitting in the stands, unbeknownst to Lerman, was a scout for the Notre Dame football program. He had been in attendance scouting a player from the opposing team. Immediately following the game he approached Lerman to tell him how impressed he was with his abilities. He was particularly astounded by his keen insight and astute football knowledge. And so he offered him an incentive laden four-year scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
Lerman was shocked and quite flattered. He could not believe that he would be treading on the field where so many football greats had walked. He had not planned on a football career but was not about to refuse a scholarship to such a prestigious university. And so he gratefully accepted the invitation.
For the team's first practice, Lerman suited up trotted out onto the field. Although he was a small fellow, perhaps five foot six and 165 pounds, his enthusiasm and zest for the game showed up some of the more gifted players on the team. The coach, disappointed in his varsity team, reprimanded them for their poor effort. As a result, the upstaged players targeted Lerman, and a few plays later he hurt his knee and had to be carried off the field.
Just like that, his promising career was over. He recovered from the injury but was never able to play for the team again. However, since he was already attending Notre Dame on a four-year scholarship, he spent the next four years of his life in South Bend.
Along the path of life, Nathan Lerman slowly began to grow in his Judaism, and by the time he passed away at the age of 61, he was fully shomer Shabbos. He was a person with tremendous drive and desire, and in addition to growing in his personal life, he sought to become a high level businessman. Before long, he had established one of the largest privately-owned steel factories in all of North America.
A high school football game, an opposing team calling plays in Yiddish, a scholarship, a wounded knee all led to one individual settling in South Bend, building a business, becoming a shomer Shabbos.
Today, at least partially to Mr. Lerman's credit, South Bend, Indiana boasts a day-school, a yeshivah, a mikveh and a shul. Mr. Lerman's sons continue to follow in their father's footsteps as leaders and supporters of the community's Torah institutions. (Touched By a Story, R' Yechiel Spiro, p. 129)
We see from this story the amazing divine providence which led to one more Jew keeping Shabbos and to the spreading of Yiddishkeit (Judaism) in a town in Indiana. Let us be inspired by this story to pick up the little clues which Hashem is sending us everyday, to return His loving embrace. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'zecher nishmas Moshe Zev ben Alexander A'H (Katz) Pesel bas Yosef Yehuda A'H ( Katz) Dedicatied by the Mermelstein, Stern and Krakowski families Dedicatied by the Mermelstein, Stern and Krakowski families In memory of R' Yaakov ben Naftoly, of blessed memory In Memory of Reb Yitzchok ben Reb Shimon (Friedman) of blessed memory Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah
The Chofetz Chayim in his introduction to the Laws of Shabbos, points out that the Torah warns us about keeping Shabbos a total of 12 times, much more than any other mitzvah. Why is the mitzvah of Shabbos repeated so many times? The Sages tell us that keeping Shabbos is compared to keeping all of the Torah. Because, by keeping Shabbos a Jew declares to the world that he believes that in six days Hashem created the heavens and the earth, and He (Hashem) rested on Shabbos. Just as Hashem stopped creating on the seventh day, so do we by resting on Shabbos. Thus we see how keeping Shabbos is the foundation of the Jewish belief, because keeping Shabbos demonstrates belief in Hashem.
The following amazing true story illustrates one Jew's amazing journey on the way to becoming Shomer Shabbos.
The mere mention of South Bend, Indiana instills a sense of awe in all college football fans. Young children are imbued with a love for football from the cradle. South bend is simply the college football mecca of the world. So how, you might ask, did this town become the location of a yeshivah gedolah, a beautiful Torah community and a mikveh?
It all began about 45 years ago in the town of Rock Island, Illinois. Young Nathan Lerman attended Rock Island High School and played on the varsity football team. He was one of the few Jewish boys in the school and the only one on its football team.
One night the team from Rock Island High played a game against a high school from Chicago, a team almost completely comprised of Jewish boys. Normally, a team will spend weeks preparing its codes and symbols for the captains of the offense and defense to signal to their teammates so they can know what they are supposed to do and where a specific play is going.
However, this team from Chicago figured that instead of motioning and risking misinterpretation by their team members, why not just call out the plays in Yiddish? After all, everybody on their team spoke Yiddish fluently and nobody on the other team did... or at least so they thought. This way they could spell out the plays clearly.
Little did they know that Lerman played for Rock Island High. Every play that was designed by the offense was defended masterfully by the defense. Lerman was all over the field. Every pass thrown his way was either deflected or intercepted. All told, Lerman intercepted five passes that evening and disrupted the opponent's entire offensive game plan. He was simply masterful.
Sitting in the stands, unbeknownst to Lerman, was a scout for the Notre Dame football program. He had been in attendance scouting a player from the opposing team. Immediately following the game he approached Lerman to tell him how impressed he was with his abilities. He was particularly astounded by his keen insight and astute football knowledge. And so he offered him an incentive laden four-year scholarship to the University of Notre Dame.
Lerman was shocked and quite flattered. He could not believe that he would be treading on the field where so many football greats had walked. He had not planned on a football career but was not about to refuse a scholarship to such a prestigious university. And so he gratefully accepted the invitation.
For the team's first practice, Lerman suited up trotted out onto the field. Although he was a small fellow, perhaps five foot six and 165 pounds, his enthusiasm and zest for the game showed up some of the more gifted players on the team. The coach, disappointed in his varsity team, reprimanded them for their poor effort. As a result, the upstaged players targeted Lerman, and a few plays later he hurt his knee and had to be carried off the field.
Just like that, his promising career was over. He recovered from the injury but was never able to play for the team again. However, since he was already attending Notre Dame on a four-year scholarship, he spent the next four years of his life in South Bend.
Along the path of life, Nathan Lerman slowly began to grow in his Judaism, and by the time he passed away at the age of 61, he was fully shomer Shabbos. He was a person with tremendous drive and desire, and in addition to growing in his personal life, he sought to become a high level businessman. Before long, he had established one of the largest privately-owned steel factories in all of North America.
A high school football game, an opposing team calling plays in Yiddish, a scholarship, a wounded knee all led to one individual settling in South Bend, building a business, becoming a shomer Shabbos.
Today, at least partially to Mr. Lerman's credit, South Bend, Indiana boasts a day-school, a yeshivah, a mikveh and a shul. Mr. Lerman's sons continue to follow in their father's footsteps as leaders and supporters of the community's Torah institutions. (Touched By a Story, R' Yechiel Spiro, p. 129)
We see from this story the amazing divine providence which led to one more Jew keeping Shabbos and to the spreading of Yiddishkeit (Judaism) in a town in Indiana. Let us be inspired by this story to pick up the little clues which Hashem is sending us everyday, to return His loving embrace. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'zecher nishmas Moshe Zev ben Alexander A'H (Katz) Pesel bas Yosef Yehuda A'H ( Katz) Dedicatied by the Mermelstein, Stern and Krakowski families Dedicatied by the Mermelstein, Stern and Krakowski families In memory of R' Yaakov ben Naftoly, of blessed memory In Memory of Reb Yitzchok ben Reb Shimon (Friedman) of blessed memory Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah
Have a peaceful and pleasant Shabbos and be well,
Rachamim Pauli
