Regarding the story of Izzy his name for prayers is: Yisroel Alter ben Chava Chana http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/izzyzundellsjourney/journal/view/id/535fcc54cb16b4497fc6ad89
Parsha Emor
This week’s Parsha is the continuation of the last two Parshiyos. Acharei
Mos we go from atonement to forbidden relationships. Kedoshim we go up in
Yisrael’s holiness and more emphasis on avoiding forbidden relationships.
Finally we reach the epitome of holiness in the Cohanim and whom they can marry
and lastly to the Cohain HaGadol.
21:1 And
the LORD said unto Moses: Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say
unto them:
These Mitzvos are only for Cohanim and their family and one should
look back generations into the kashrus of his wife’s family according to the
Shulchan Aruch. However, there is disconcordance in the Halacha when we come to
a more liberal interpretation of … 7
They shall not take a woman that is a harlot, or profaned; For suddenly in Eben HaEzer Siman 9 the definition of a
Harlot is not what the Gemara in Tractate Shabbos says about not marrying a Lesbian
as she has performed lewd acts even if it is what the Rabbis call friction. But
the modern Halacha could be that the woman who had a reputation about being
available to every paratrooper on the army base could marry a Cohain sends me
for a loop. How could the Halacha change so much since the days of the Talmud
about 400 to 450 CE to the Shulchan Aruch 1600 CE? The only explanation could
be the centuries of rapes and abuse by the Pogroms make a woman who only had a
brief relationship with a Jew more available than one profaned by a non-Jew.
Still a Cohain should check into the lineage of his future wife and do his
utmost to marry a virgin. I recall in one of Rabbi Klaphotz’s volumes on
Eliyahu HaNovi that a man read that if 300 Cohanim prayed at the Kotel and blessed
the congregation that the Moshiach would come. He gathered together all the
Cohanim in Eretz Yisrael and got to 301. They blessed and then Eliyahu said
that 300 were not Cohanim and the one who was happened to be lame and his blessing
not good.
… 16 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 17
Speak unto Aaron, saying: Whosoever he be of thy seed throughout their
generations that hath a blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his
God. 18 For whatsoever man he be
that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that
hath anything maimed, or anything too long, 19 or a man that is broken-footed, or broken-handed, 20 or crook-backed, or a dwarf, or
that hath his eye overspread, or is scabbed, or scurvy, or hath his stones
crushed; 21 no man of the seed
of Aaron the priest, that hath a blemish, shall come nigh to offer the
offerings of the LORD made by fire; he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh
to offer the bread of his God. 22
He may eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. 23 Only he shall not go in unto the
veil, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane
not My holy places; for I am the LORD who sanctify them. 24 So Moses spoke unto Aaron, and to
his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.
It is not enough that the Cohain be spiritually well, he has to be
physically well too.
The level of holiness is not only for Cohain in his marriage partner and physique but also in his spiritual cleanliness and ritual purity.
… 17 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 18 Speak unto Aaron, and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: Whosoever he be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers in Israel, that bringeth his offering, whether it be any of their vows, or any of their free-will-offerings, which are brought unto the LORD for a burnt-offering; 19 that ye may be accepted, ye shall offer a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats. 20 But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not bring; for it shall not be acceptable for you.
Even the animal world has holiness and one is forbidden to offer a blemished animal or a wormy fruit for Teruma, Maaser or Bikurim.
21 And whosoever brings a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the LORD in fulfilment of a vow clearly uttered, or for a freewill-offering, of the herd or of the flock, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein. … 31 And ye shall keep My commandments, and do them: I am the LORD. 32 And ye shall not profane My holy name; but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel: I am the LORD who hallow you, 33 that brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD.
When we see the statement “I am the L-RD” that means to follow the command whether you understand it or not. It is also in the form that’s an order and no questions are to be asked.
23:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: The appointed seasons of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My appointed seasons. 3 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of work; it is a Sabbath unto the LORD in all your dwellings.
The holiness of all the Jewish Holidays is the Shabbos with seven people called up to read from the Torah and one for the Haphtarah followed by Yom Kippur with six, Yom Tov with 5 and Rosh Chodesh with 4 and not Haphtarah. Work can be pleasurable work which is let us say writing on the internet and posting a status on Facebook. We are forbidden to write an indelible writing on Shabbos. One can say that it is just an electronic signal or solid state technology and no circuit is made or broken. However, with the revelation that the NSA, KGB, MI5 or 6 makes permanent records of it shows that the letters are the same as taking a scribe’s pen and writing a Mezuzah. The laws of Shabbos are many and when in doubt refrain from doing something that looks like a weekday thing. This is besides the regular 39 categories of work and the modern use of electricity. On the other hand, we can heat DRY food on a hot plate (not open flame) that was lite before Shabbos.
The laws of writing and erasing take place between two letters joined together whether one writes on the corner of one page or another or two marks on a page. There is also a problem when one writes his name on the side of the book on the white outer side such as one can see the name or initials of the owner. If I wrote RP for example on a book, I could not open up the pages where the ink appears as I am erasing the letters or closing the book because I am writing the letters according to many. It is therefore advisable only to write one’s name in the front and perhaps rear page of the book so that one does not incur this problem. So we just covered her the two Melachos of writing and erasing.
At this point our Parsha begins to cover the Chaggim like in Parsha Pinchas. Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the Shaloshah Regelim that one has to go to the central meeting point to bring a Korban. This year the focus here is on the time between Pessach and Shavuos.
4 These are the appointed seasons of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their appointed season. 5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at dusk, is the LORD'S Passover. 6 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD; seven days ye shall eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work. 8 And ye shall bring an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days; in the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work.
Up until now the emphasis is on Pessach with not performing Melacha and eating Chametz.
9 And the LORD spoke unto Moses saying: 10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest. 11 And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
The Jews interpret this as the Sabbath is referring to the first day of Pessach where harvesting is forbidden on Yom Tov. The Karites interpret this to mean literally Motzei Shabbos Chol HaMoed of Pessach. So if Pessach occurs on a Shabbos like next year 5775 we will be in synchronization for celebrating Shavuos at the same time as the Karites while this year they celebrate it a few days later.
12 And in the day when ye wave the sheaf, ye shall offer a he-lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt-offering unto the LORD. 13 And the meal-offering thereof shall be two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor; and the drink-offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of a hin. 14 And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor fresh ears, until this selfsame day, until ye have brought the offering of your God; it is a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.
Corn in old English equals grain and not the American Maize. This is only of the new crop of barley. We read in Sefer Ruth of the harvest of barley. Barley ripens before wheat.
15 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the day of rest, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the waving; seven weeks shall there be complete;
These are the 49 days of Omer.
16 even unto the morrow after the seventh week shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall present a new meal-offering unto the LORD.
No exact date is given for the 50th day on the Hebrew Month and the reason being that Rosh Chodesh is determined by the sighting of witnesses of the New Moon so theoretically it could occur on the 5th, 6th or 7th of Sivan based on one or two day months. With the fixed calendar we observe it on the 6th of the month.
17 Ye shall bring out of your dwellings two wave-loaves of two tenth parts of an ephah; they shall be of fine flour, they shall be baked with leaven, for first-fruits unto the LORD. 18 And ye shall present with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams; they shall be a burnt-offering unto the LORD, with their meal-offering, and their drink-offerings, even an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. 19 And ye shall offer one he-goat for a sin-offering, and two he-lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace-offerings.
Up until this time we have brought the standard Yom Tov Korbanos. Now something new is added after the 7 full weeks on the 50th day and that is the bringing of the first fruits and the sacrifice of the new bread. [An aside note: Shavuos is the only Yom Tov that begins with the blessing Morid HaTal in the Shemonah Esray and ends with that blessing others either start with the Morid HaTal and change over to Moshiv HaRuach v’ Morid HaGeshem and reverse – this applies to all of Eretz Yisrael and Sephardim and Yemenites outside of Israel only Ashkenazim do not say Morid HaTal.]
20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the first-fruits for a wave-offering before the LORD, with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And ye shall make proclamation on the selfsame day; there shall be a holy convocation unto you; ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.
Proclamation, confession and procession to the Beis HaMikdash on that day with the bringing of the first fruits known as Bikurim was made in a grand ceremony.
22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corner of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleaning of thy harvest; thou shalt leave them for the poor, and for the stranger: I am the LORD your God.
Chapters two and three of Megillas Ruth are based on the poor gleaming the corners, forgotten sheath and what was left on the stalks after the harvesters when through.
23 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 24 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall be a solemn rest unto you, a memorial proclaimed with the blast of horns, a holy convocation…
This section deals with the Shofar and Trumpets of Rosh Hashanah and then Yom Kippur, Sukkos and Shemini Atzeres.
24:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Command the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. 3 Without the veil of the testimony, in the tent of meeting, shall Aaron order it from evening to morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations. 4 He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.
This is the Ner Tamid aka eternal light in the Temple but it was not until the Reform started making changes was brought into the Synagogues.
… 10 And the son of an Israeli woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israeli woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp. 11 And the son of the Israeli woman blasphemed the Name, and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses. And his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan. 12 And they put him in ward, that it might be declared unto them at the mouth of the LORD.
Arabs love to curse and go back and forth at each other and at others with these words. He picked up this bad trait from his father but taking the NAME in vain.
13 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 14 'Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp; and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying: Whosoever curses his God shall bear his sin. 16 And he that blasphemes the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death; all the congregation shall certainly stone him; as well the stranger, as the home-born, when he blasphemes the Name, shall be put to death. 17 And he that smites any man mortally shall surely be put to death. 18 And he that smites a beast mortally shall make it good: life for life. 19 And if a man maim his neighbor; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him: 20 breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him. 21 And he that kills a beast shall make it good; and he that kills a man shall be put to death. 22 Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for the home-born; for I am the LORD your God.' 23 And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and they brought forth him that had cursed out of the camp, and stoned him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.
These are laws of damages and the death penalty for blasphemy.
Unfinished Business from the last two weeks
Is this in every generation or only in the generation of the
destruction and pre-Moshiach generation? Yechezkel
22:1 Moreover the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying: 2
'Now, thou, son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? then
cause her to know all her abominations. 3
And thou shalt say: Thus says the Lord GOD: O city that sheds blood in the
midst of thee, that thy time may come, and that makes idols unto thyself to
defile thee; 4 thou art become
guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in your idols which
thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even
unto thy years; therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a
mocking to all the countries! 5
Those that are near, and those that are far from thee, shall mock thee, thou
defiled of name and full of tumult. 6
Behold, the princes of Israel, every one according to his might, have been in
thee to shed blood. 7 In thee
have they made light of father and mother; in the midst of thee have they dealt
by oppression with the stranger; in thee have they wronged the fatherless and
the widow. 8 Thou hast despised
My holy things, and hast profaned My Sabbaths. 9 In thee have been talebearers to shed blood; and in thee they
have eaten upon the mountains; in the midst of thee they have committed
lewdness. 10 In thee have they
uncovered their fathers' nakedness; in thee have they humbled her that was
unclean in her impurity. 11 And
each hath committed abomination with his neighbor’s wife; and each hath lewdly
defiled his daughter-in-law; and each in thee hath humbled his sister, his
father's daughter. 12 In thee
have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and
thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by oppression, and hast forgotten
Me, says the Lord GOD. 13
Behold, therefore, I have smitten My hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast
made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. 14 Can thy heart endure, or can thy
hands be strong, in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the LORD have
spoken it, and will do it. 15
And I will scatter thee among the nations, and disperse thee through the
countries; and I will consume thy filthiness out of thee. 16 And thou shalt be profaned in
thyself, in the sight of the nations; and thou shalt know that I am the
LORD.'
I honestly and truly
thought that my commentary in Acharei and Kedoshim on 18:22 and 20:13 were sort
of on the level to combat the Shabbtai Tzvi - Yacov Frank philosophy of
anything goes until I opened up the Yediot Paper Magazine section which I
usually don’t read and now I remember why. One story was (putting in Hebrew I
first) My brother, his lover, our baby and I with a photo or two in their apt.
The next story was on two transvestites who live together. I was just curious
what fire and brimstone would have come forth from the Novi Yechezkel in the
Haphtarah of Acharei had he seen these stories (which I only read the headlines
on). I don’t know whether to cry that this exists or laugh that the Moshiach
will come soon as everything is coming to a head but it cannot go on like this
any much longer.
PS regarding forbidden
mixtures another Zebra-Donkey was born – when will they stop and separate them?
Rabbi Brody Shlita and Blue Otter’s Dream
thanks to Blue Otter
Introduction: Many in the Cherokee Nation and the Apache have
claims to Jewish or the lost 10 Tribes Roots. Even Pocahontas was called
“Matok” Hebrew Sweetie by her father. Of these tribes many have Jewish DNA
markers. (However, without a Beis Din and a Get it is best to declare them
Goyim to prevent Maumzer status) Multi-talented author, speaker, composer and spiritual guide,
Rabbi Lazer Brody came to Israel from the USA in 1970 after graduating from the
University of Maryland’s College of Agriculture. A decorated veteran of an
elite IDF Special Forces Unit, he left his mountaintop farm in Samaria in 1982
and began intensive Torah studies that led to his rabbinical ordination in
1992. It was 1982 when Lazer Brody made his personal covenant with God. He and
his elite Israel Defense Forces unit were in Beirut during the first Lebanon
war trying to take out PLO missiles in the Soviet Embassy without creating an
international incident. "I was sure I was going to die," Brody says
of the mission. "I promised Hashem that if I make it out of here, I'm
going to change my life." Brody survived the battle and lived up to his
part of the agreement. That year, he left his farm on Moshav Mei Ami in
northern Israel and went to Jerusalem to study at Aish HaTorah Yeshiva.
"Blue Otter" is a Tennessee Cherokee. Together with Chief Sitting Owl of the Central Tennessee Cherokee Nation, he travelled nearly 200 miles to meet me in person for the first time and hear me speak in Memphis this past month. A few days later, Blue Otter sent me the following email:
Osiyo, Rabbi Lazer!
That night after the lecture, as I was blissfully sleeping in the Chief's "luxury suite," (as he calls it, and I did find it to be very commodious)... I dreamed that wherever you go on earth, there is a square 7' x 7' patch of what looked like "rain" that constantly follows and covers you. That was an interesting dream! I know it's true...
Shalom, Gah gey you e,
Blue Otter
Blue Otter's dream is remarkable. The minimum size of a kosher Succa is 7 tefachim by 7 tefachim. [Editor's Note: tefachim = about 3 "palm widths" or 12-14 "] Our sages tell us that this is the smallest area befitting for the "Clouds of Emunah" to hover (in the words of the Zohar, tzila demehaimnuta). May we all be worthy vessels of the Divine Presence, amen.
Someone commented:
BS"D
Wow, this Cherokee has a special Nefesh [Editors note: soul] for a goy [Editor's note: non-Jew], likely has a Nefesh connection to our nation as do several of his nation. He actually saw in his dream your "4 amoth al 4 amoth shel Atifath Shefa", something that not all of us have btw. Most Jews don't even have the ability to see this (though many could learn & develop it).
Posted by: Yaakov Bar-Nahman | Wednesday, 13 July 2011 at 04:27 PM
BS"D
Wow, this Cherokee has a special Nefesh for a goy, likely has a Nefesh connection to our nation as do several of his nation. He actually saw in his dream your "4 amoth al 4 amoth Shel Atifath Shefa", something that not all of us have btw. Most Jews don't even have the ability to see this (though many could learn & develop it).
- See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/07/blue-otters-dream.html#sthash.CZZft5bp.dpuf
- See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/07/blue-otters-dream.html#sthash.CZZft5bp.dpuf
-----------
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Blue Otter's Dream
"Blue Otter" is a Tennessee Cherokee. Together with Chief Sitting Owl of the Central Tennessee Cherokee Nation, he travelled nearly 200 miles to meet me in person for the first time and hear me speak in Memphis this past month. A few days later, Blue Otter sent me the following email:Osyio, Rabbi Lazer!
That night after the lecture, as I was blissfully sleeping in the Chief's "luxury suite," (as he calls it, and I did find it to be very commodious)... I dreamed that wherever you go on earth, there is a square 7' x 7' patch of what looked like "rain" that constantly follows and covers you. That was an interesting dream! I know it's true...
Shalom, Gah gey you e,
Blue Otter
Blue Otter's dream is remarkable. The minimum size of a kosher Succa is 7 tefachim by 7 tefachim. Our sages tell us that this is the smallest area befitting for the "Clouds of Emuna" to hover (in the words of the Zohar, tzila demehaimnuta). May we all be worthy vessels of the Divine Presence, amen.
- See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/07/blue-otters-dream.html#sthash.CZZft5bp.dpuf
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Blue Otter's Dream
"Blue Otter" is a Tennessee Cherokee. Together with Chief Sitting Owl of the Central Tennessee Cherokee Nation, he travelled nearly 200 miles to meet me in person for the first time and hear me speak in Memphis this past month. A few days later, Blue Otter sent me the following email:Osyio, Rabbi Lazer!
That night after the lecture, as I was blissfully sleeping in the Chief's "luxury suite," (as he calls it, and I did find it to be very commodious)... I dreamed that wherever you go on earth, there is a square 7' x 7' patch of what looked like "rain" that constantly follows and covers you. That was an interesting dream! I know it's true...
Shalom, Gah gey you e,
Blue Otter
Blue Otter's dream is remarkable. The minimum size of a kosher Succa is 7 tefachim by 7 tefachim. Our sages tell us that this is the smallest area befitting for the "Clouds of Emunah
]" to hover (in the words of the Zohar, tzila demehaimnuta). May we all be worthy vessels of the Divine Presence, amen.
- See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/07/blue-otters-dream.html#sthash.CZZft5bp.dpuf
Wednesday, 13 July 2011
Blue Otter's Dream
"Blue Otter" is a Tennessee Cherokee. Together with Chief Sitting Owl of the Central Tennessee Cherokee Nation, he travelled nearly 200 miles to meet me in person for the first time and hear me speak in Memphis this past month. A few days later, Blue Otter sent me the following email:Osyio, Rabbi Lazer!
That night after the lecture, as I was blissfully sleeping in the Chief's "luxury suite," (as he calls it, and I did find it to be very commodious)... I dreamed that wherever you go on earth, there is a square 7' x 7' patch of what looked like "rain" that constantly follows and covers you. That was an interesting dream! I know it's true...
Shalom, Gah gey you e,
Blue Otter
Blue Otter's dream is remarkable. The minimum size of a kosher Succa is 7 tefachim by 7 tefachim. Our sages tell us that this is the smallest area befitting for the "Clouds of Emuna" to hover (in the words of the Zohar, tzila demehaimnuta). May we all be worthy vessels of the Divine Presence, amen.
- See more at: http://lazerbrody.typepad.com/lazer_beams/2011/07/blue-otters-dream.html#sthash.CZZft5bp.dpuf
Friends,
Blueotter and his wife Linda live on (her) one fixed income of $1,600 a month.
Blueotter was always a very high energy kind of a guy, in spite of predictions by doctors that his 1957 chest surgery at age two-and-one-half would cause him to lack energy. By age 16, Blueotter was a World Class Archer in international competition.
Blueotter has been severely disabled since the mid 1990s and has been denied Social Security Disability several times despite FIVE states, UT, WA, CA, CO and TN having given him disability determinations since 1998. Do any of my readers think bigotry against Native Americans could be the cause?
Background
While a freshman at University of Tennessee at Knoxville, returning from teaching Archery at the YMCA in West Knoxville, Blueotter's VW Bug was rear ended (while standing still during gridlock near Knoxville, Tennessee) by a 2.5 Ton truck traveling at 55 MPH in March of 1973. After Blueotter graduated from university in 1979, (three years late due to the accident) he was able to work 60-80 hours a week and was very successful in Youth Work as an executive with The Boy Scouts of America and as a Family Living Instructor at Boystown near Omaha, Nebraska. Blueotter obviously had enough energy to perform well at work, and walked five to fifteen miles a day in his vocation... but he had no extra energy for workouts and conditioning so his physical condition deteriorated over time.
Unknown to Blueotter until 1993 when sleep testing revealed it, the 1973 accident injured his brain stem, causing "Central" (as opposed to very common obstructive) Sleep Apnea. The brain stem controls involuntary breathing during sleep. By 1993, Blueotter's injury caused him to wake himself up an astounding 100 times an HOUR. By 1989, Blueotter could not sit more than 20 minutes without his lips turning blue and falling asleep... he was able to work only if constantly talking and/or typing.
Because of lack of good restorative sleep for twenty years between 1973 and 1993, Blueotter's life was severely impacted due to a lack of energy.
Blueotter feels Creator was "behind" the 1973 accident, nudging him to move away from his original career Law Enforcement/Military career plans and towards a spiritual path.
Blueotter and his wife Linda live on (her) one fixed income of $1,600 a month.
Blueotter was always a very high energy kind of a guy, in spite of predictions by doctors that his 1957 chest surgery at age two-and-one-half would cause him to lack energy. By age 16, Blueotter was a World Class Archer in international competition.
Blueotter has been severely disabled since the mid 1990s and has been denied Social Security Disability several times despite FIVE states, UT, WA, CA, CO and TN having given him disability determinations since 1998. Do any of my readers think bigotry against Native Americans could be the cause?
Background
While a freshman at University of Tennessee at Knoxville, returning from teaching Archery at the YMCA in West Knoxville, Blueotter's VW Bug was rear ended (while standing still during gridlock near Knoxville, Tennessee) by a 2.5 Ton truck traveling at 55 MPH in March of 1973. After Blueotter graduated from university in 1979, (three years late due to the accident) he was able to work 60-80 hours a week and was very successful in Youth Work as an executive with The Boy Scouts of America and as a Family Living Instructor at Boystown near Omaha, Nebraska. Blueotter obviously had enough energy to perform well at work, and walked five to fifteen miles a day in his vocation... but he had no extra energy for workouts and conditioning so his physical condition deteriorated over time.
Unknown to Blueotter until 1993 when sleep testing revealed it, the 1973 accident injured his brain stem, causing "Central" (as opposed to very common obstructive) Sleep Apnea. The brain stem controls involuntary breathing during sleep. By 1993, Blueotter's injury caused him to wake himself up an astounding 100 times an HOUR. By 1989, Blueotter could not sit more than 20 minutes without his lips turning blue and falling asleep... he was able to work only if constantly talking and/or typing.
Because of lack of good restorative sleep for twenty years between 1973 and 1993, Blueotter's life was severely impacted due to a lack of energy.
Blueotter feels Creator was "behind" the 1973 accident, nudging him to move away from his original career Law Enforcement/Military career plans and towards a spiritual path.
Osiyo Blue Otter,
I also find your dream amazing. May you continue to have G-D with you and please spread the 7 Mitzvos (Commandments) of Noach to the http://NativeAmericanChurch.us and may HASHEM help you and your tribe to protect the true environment of this plant for what mankind was created to do. May you and your tribe go higher and higher in your belief in the Unity of the L-RD and accept the challenge and financial tests and succeed.
With blessing of good health to you and Chief Sitting Owl,
Gah gey you e,
Rabbi Rachamim Pauli
I also find your dream amazing. May you continue to have G-D with you and please spread the 7 Mitzvos (Commandments) of Noach to the http://NativeAmericanChurch.us and may HASHEM help you and your tribe to protect the true environment of this plant for what mankind was created to do. May you and your tribe go higher and higher in your belief in the Unity of the L-RD and accept the challenge and financial tests and succeed.
With blessing of good health to you and Chief Sitting Owl,
Gah gey you e,
Rabbi Rachamim Pauli
Yechezkel
Dagan HaCohain and the Nazis
My wife’s parent’s
home is the next has house from the Dagan family on the Moshav. My wife’s
father also gave recorded testimony about the Nazis in Romania. But our story
is about Yechezkel and I only heard a few words from my wife on what she read
in the papers. It seems that in 1933 after the Nazis took power they told his
mother to give birth next to the rubbish pile where they planned to threw him
and ends his birth with death. Luckily or shall we say miraculously there was a
G-D fearing mid-wife nurse among them she told his mother of their plan helped
the mother and told her to flee with the infant. YES THERE WERE GOOD RIGHTEOUS
GERMANS TOO. His parents fled via hurdle’s and obstacles to Austria to Italy
and then to Israel where he grew up with now three generations of IDF soldiers
and the largest flower nursery in Israel.
The
Holocaust Survivor who fought in all the Israeli Wars: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179983#.U13-aJtWHIV better viewing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q23Cm9nkKI#t=186
From
William Futuristic Technologies today: http://www.shalomlife.com/business/22877/top-10-israeli-futuristic-technologies/
Potential
oil reserves for Israel: http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/Potential-gas-oil-reserve-identified-in-Oz-license-block-350566
My engineering mentor at work David Isaac Z”L came from Burma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pu8QmsrtCDA
Genetic
key to longevity? http://www.aol.com/article/2014/04/24/blood-from-worlds-oldest-woman-suggests-life-limit/20875023/?icid=maing-grid7|main5|dl1|sec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D468669
After
43 years Patton Tanks retire from the IDF: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4512827,00.html
From
David B. 50,000 Holocaust survivors live in poverty: http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.586970
From Miriam: The further left of Torah the more liberal to all
the more they hide their Judaism until it is too late: http://www.jewishpress.com/blogs/fresno-zionism/us-reform-jews-following-same-path-as-in-1940s/2014/04/28/0/
Scandal in the Hamptons thanks to Dr. Harry: Front page news on every major newspaper around the world
is the story about how Abbas after discussions in his Ramallah headquarters
with Rabbi Marc Schneier, told the Rabbi that, "what happened to the Jews
in the Holocaust is the most heinous crime to have occurred against humanity in
the modern era. Abbas said that, "the Holocaust was a expressio of ethnic
discrimination and racism, and connected it to the Palestinian suffering of
today." Who is this Rabbi, who by the way
holds meeting with Muslim Immans all over the world, and proudly posed in a
picture with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, who prevents Jews from praying
Temple Mount? And on the eve of the Holocaust Memorial Day after joining with
Hamas meets the man who wrote a doctorate thesis that the Holocaust was a minor
event made up by the Jews.
In the past few months, Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and leader of a star-studded synagogue in the Hamptons, has been busy. The foundation launched a month-long series of programs in Jewish and Muslim houses of worship, while Schneier has been jetting around the globe engaged in his particular brand of multi-faith dialogue and promoting his new book, “Sons of Abraham,” written with Imam Shamsi Ali.
The Orthodox rabbi also found time to stand under the chuppah for the fifth time.
Schneier married Gitty Leiner, a speech pathologist and his longtime girlfriend, at an unannounced wedding on October 6 at his shul, The Hampton Synagogue, in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
The wedding may lead to the resolution of one of the more unusual situations to face an Orthodox rabbi who has a worldwide reputation.
In 2010, the Rabbinical Council of America, representing modern Orthodox rabbis, announced that it was launching an inquiry into allegations that Schneier, an RCA member, had committed adultery with Leiner, a congregant, while still married to his fourth wife, Tobi Rubinstein Schneier. There were even photographs of his kissing Leiner while still married to his fourth wife.
At the time, Shmuel Goldin, then the RCA’s president, told The New York Jewish Week that at issue is whether Schneier’s actions represent a chillul hashem, or desecration of God’s name, in terms of “behavior of a public or private nature unbecoming a rabbi,” which the group views as grounds for discipline. Goldin, interviewed by the Forward on November 20, reaffirmed that statement.
But the RCA chose to suspend the investigation because Schneier was legally barred from testifying by a judicial gag order put in place during the bitter divorce negotiations between him and Rubinstein Schneier. The gag order stymied the efforts of the Vaad Hakavod, an RCA committee tasked with investigating ethical breaches of RCA members. “The Vaad Hakavod had been convened — and then we ran into this roadblock,” Goldin said.
“It would not have been fair for us to hold any kind of hearing without Rabbi Schneier having an opportunity to address [us],” Goldin said. “So we were stuck.”
But the RCA may not be stuck for much longer. Schneier’s recent wedding is a sign that he and his fourth ex-wife have finally agreed upon a divorce settlement, which would mean the lifting of the gag order. Schneier did not return several calls from the Forward seeking comment. According to Raoul Felder, a prominent New York divorce lawyer, ex-spouses are barred under New York state law from remarrying until a divorce settlement is finalized. So Schneier would not have been able to marry Leiner until he reached a settlement with his ex-wife.
Rabbi Mark Dratch, the RCA’s executive vice president, was unaware of any change in the gag order’s status. He said he consulted recently with Schneier’s attorney, who assured him that “the gag order was in place.” (The respective attorneys for Schneier and Tobi Rubinstein Schneier did not return calls for comment.)
Goldin, who now serves as the RCA’s president emeritus, hinted that the gag order’s days might be numbered. “From my understanding, that may be coming to a resolution,” he said.
Goldin declined to comment further, but said he hopes the case moves forward. “It’s not good for the organization to have this hanging over us,” he said. “We would — and Rabbi Schneier would — rather bring this to some conclusion.”
The bad publicity has not diminished Schneier’s star power or slowed his work on interfaith relations. He was named one of the top 50 rabbis in America by Newsweek in 2012 and 2013. His Hamptons synagogue attracts some of New York’s wealthiest Jewish residents, among them Ronald Lauder and Steven Spielberg. Even New York City’s mayoral candidates made the trek to Westhampton Beach last summer, hoping to earn the support of the synagogue’s congregants.
Schneier continues to lead the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding with Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons, working to improve relations between the Jewish community and the Muslim and black communities. The foundation’s recent sixth annual International Weekend of Twinning paired more than 300 synagogues and mosques around the world.
Like her ex, Rubinstein Schneier has not shied away from the spotlight. She once made headlines for buying her then-husband a lion, which remained a resident of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, but was renamed “Rabbi Marc.”
After her divorce, she tried to take her story public on “The Ex-Wives’ Club,” a TV show about divorced women. But Schneier insisted that his ex-wife adhere to the gag rule on their divorce — the same gag rule holding up the RCA’s investigation into his own behavior. Rubinstein Schneier later received “ordination” from the Jewish Spiritual Leadership Institute Rabbinical School, which operates online.
Though Schneier has no fear of the spotlight, he has not made any public announcement of his recent wedding. His biography on his synagogue’s website makes no mention of his new wife.
But photos of the wedding were posted on YouTube. About 250 people attended at The Hampton Synagogue, according to congregant Joel Cohen, a lawyer who has called himself “an unofficial consigliore” for Schneier.
Cohen brushed aside any suggestion that the congregation felt ill will about its rabbi’s romantic saga. “The members of the congregation that were there were very pleased and happy to be there, and they enjoyed themselves,” he said. “And we wish [the couple] well.”
The slideshow of the affair on YouTube includes several photos of the smiling couple and their guests. Leiner and Schneier also joined an online wedding registry, theknot.com. They requested a variety of serving pieces from Bloomingdale’s, including a matching silver-plated $440 salt-and-pepper set, a $1,050 ice bucket and a $1,900 tray.
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/188038/marc-schneier-gets-married-again-and-rca-may-mo/?p=all#ixzz30DToPhDS The link shows the not so modest dress of his new “Rebbitzen”. I smell a Shabbtai Tzvi linkage here.
Another good question to ask is, "why the Israeli government allowed this man to travel to Ramallah, and help Abbas link the Holocaust to the suffering of the Palestinians due to the creation of the State of Israel". Why is this piece of garbage allowed to parade around, making a mockery of G-d's Holy Name, Holocaust survivors, and the Jewish people? So the next headline you read, or see on television about how Abbas is now acknowledging the Holocaust, remember this is all a scam orchestrated by a clown who calls himself an orthodox Rabbi. May his name no longer be spoken of in polite circles of righteous men.
In the past few months, Rabbi Marc Schneier, founder and president of the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding and leader of a star-studded synagogue in the Hamptons, has been busy. The foundation launched a month-long series of programs in Jewish and Muslim houses of worship, while Schneier has been jetting around the globe engaged in his particular brand of multi-faith dialogue and promoting his new book, “Sons of Abraham,” written with Imam Shamsi Ali.
The Orthodox rabbi also found time to stand under the chuppah for the fifth time.
Schneier married Gitty Leiner, a speech pathologist and his longtime girlfriend, at an unannounced wedding on October 6 at his shul, The Hampton Synagogue, in Westhampton Beach, N.Y.
The wedding may lead to the resolution of one of the more unusual situations to face an Orthodox rabbi who has a worldwide reputation.
In 2010, the Rabbinical Council of America, representing modern Orthodox rabbis, announced that it was launching an inquiry into allegations that Schneier, an RCA member, had committed adultery with Leiner, a congregant, while still married to his fourth wife, Tobi Rubinstein Schneier. There were even photographs of his kissing Leiner while still married to his fourth wife.
At the time, Shmuel Goldin, then the RCA’s president, told The New York Jewish Week that at issue is whether Schneier’s actions represent a chillul hashem, or desecration of God’s name, in terms of “behavior of a public or private nature unbecoming a rabbi,” which the group views as grounds for discipline. Goldin, interviewed by the Forward on November 20, reaffirmed that statement.
But the RCA chose to suspend the investigation because Schneier was legally barred from testifying by a judicial gag order put in place during the bitter divorce negotiations between him and Rubinstein Schneier. The gag order stymied the efforts of the Vaad Hakavod, an RCA committee tasked with investigating ethical breaches of RCA members. “The Vaad Hakavod had been convened — and then we ran into this roadblock,” Goldin said.
“It would not have been fair for us to hold any kind of hearing without Rabbi Schneier having an opportunity to address [us],” Goldin said. “So we were stuck.”
But the RCA may not be stuck for much longer. Schneier’s recent wedding is a sign that he and his fourth ex-wife have finally agreed upon a divorce settlement, which would mean the lifting of the gag order. Schneier did not return several calls from the Forward seeking comment. According to Raoul Felder, a prominent New York divorce lawyer, ex-spouses are barred under New York state law from remarrying until a divorce settlement is finalized. So Schneier would not have been able to marry Leiner until he reached a settlement with his ex-wife.
Rabbi Mark Dratch, the RCA’s executive vice president, was unaware of any change in the gag order’s status. He said he consulted recently with Schneier’s attorney, who assured him that “the gag order was in place.” (The respective attorneys for Schneier and Tobi Rubinstein Schneier did not return calls for comment.)
Goldin, who now serves as the RCA’s president emeritus, hinted that the gag order’s days might be numbered. “From my understanding, that may be coming to a resolution,” he said.
Goldin declined to comment further, but said he hopes the case moves forward. “It’s not good for the organization to have this hanging over us,” he said. “We would — and Rabbi Schneier would — rather bring this to some conclusion.”
The bad publicity has not diminished Schneier’s star power or slowed his work on interfaith relations. He was named one of the top 50 rabbis in America by Newsweek in 2012 and 2013. His Hamptons synagogue attracts some of New York’s wealthiest Jewish residents, among them Ronald Lauder and Steven Spielberg. Even New York City’s mayoral candidates made the trek to Westhampton Beach last summer, hoping to earn the support of the synagogue’s congregants.
Schneier continues to lead the Foundation for Ethnic Understanding with Def Jam Recordings founder Russell Simmons, working to improve relations between the Jewish community and the Muslim and black communities. The foundation’s recent sixth annual International Weekend of Twinning paired more than 300 synagogues and mosques around the world.
Like her ex, Rubinstein Schneier has not shied away from the spotlight. She once made headlines for buying her then-husband a lion, which remained a resident of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo, but was renamed “Rabbi Marc.”
After her divorce, she tried to take her story public on “The Ex-Wives’ Club,” a TV show about divorced women. But Schneier insisted that his ex-wife adhere to the gag rule on their divorce — the same gag rule holding up the RCA’s investigation into his own behavior. Rubinstein Schneier later received “ordination” from the Jewish Spiritual Leadership Institute Rabbinical School, which operates online.
Though Schneier has no fear of the spotlight, he has not made any public announcement of his recent wedding. His biography on his synagogue’s website makes no mention of his new wife.
But photos of the wedding were posted on YouTube. About 250 people attended at The Hampton Synagogue, according to congregant Joel Cohen, a lawyer who has called himself “an unofficial consigliore” for Schneier.
Cohen brushed aside any suggestion that the congregation felt ill will about its rabbi’s romantic saga. “The members of the congregation that were there were very pleased and happy to be there, and they enjoyed themselves,” he said. “And we wish [the couple] well.”
The slideshow of the affair on YouTube includes several photos of the smiling couple and their guests. Leiner and Schneier also joined an online wedding registry, theknot.com. They requested a variety of serving pieces from Bloomingdale’s, including a matching silver-plated $440 salt-and-pepper set, a $1,050 ice bucket and a $1,900 tray.
Read more: http://forward.com/articles/188038/marc-schneier-gets-married-again-and-rca-may-mo/?p=all#ixzz30DToPhDS The link shows the not so modest dress of his new “Rebbitzen”. I smell a Shabbtai Tzvi linkage here.
Another good question to ask is, "why the Israeli government allowed this man to travel to Ramallah, and help Abbas link the Holocaust to the suffering of the Palestinians due to the creation of the State of Israel". Why is this piece of garbage allowed to parade around, making a mockery of G-d's Holy Name, Holocaust survivors, and the Jewish people? So the next headline you read, or see on television about how Abbas is now acknowledging the Holocaust, remember this is all a scam orchestrated by a clown who calls himself an orthodox Rabbi. May his name no longer be spoken of in polite circles of righteous men.
REMEMBER: I have always said that there are Rabbis and then there
are “Rabbis” he is getting his silver and his Olam HaZeh. I personally am investing
in Olam HaBa.
CE FACI
(Romanian How are you?): http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4514431,00.html
Intel
to invest $6,000,000,000 in Israel due to top PC workers, great subsidies and
tax breaks: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4515173,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
At long
last - now is the time to bankrupt the PLO and reclaim the area for ourselves: http://debka.com/article/23862/Netanyahu-breaks-off-peace-talks-over-Palestinian-pact-with-Hamas-US-may-suspend-PLO-recognition
When
are we going to cut off their water, gasoline and electricity? http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179889#.U1lqHJtWHIU
Perfidy
of the non-religious to the land that G-D gave our forefathers: http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Report-Netanyahu-agreed-to-talk-borders-settlement-freeze-just-before-Hamas-Fatah-deal-350419
Let the
Shin Bet do this instead of bothering settlers all the time: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179925#.U1v3gptWHIU
Nu and
you think they want peace?! http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179917#.U1pvJ5tWHIU
New OC
of Northern Command and soon new Intelligence Chief: http://debka.com/article/23872/Two-Mid-East-intelligence-chiefs-Gen-Kochavi-and-Prince-Bandar-were-wrong-about-Syria-
Coup De
Grace for Peace Talks: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179937#.U1wAOptWHIU
What
goes on at the IRS? http://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/2014-04-23-OGR-Members-to-Holder-DOJ-Richard-Pilger.pdf
He
should be committed to a medical institution for a long time: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4513449,00.html
Another
firebomb thrown at Israelis and where is the IDF besides bothering the Od Yosef
Chai Yeshiva? http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179941#.U1yfiJtWHIU
This
Holocaust denier got his doctorate denying the obvious now a terrorist
professor: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/179944#.U1ygpptWHIU
Israel
doesn’t have and doesn’t want this or hurricanes: http://www.jpost.com/International/Mass-casualty-event-reported-in-Arkansas-town-after-tornado-hits-350617
Finally in private the real John Kerry was on “What’s my line”
and stood up now we know. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/27/exclusive-kerry-warns-israel-could-become-an-apartheid-state.html
The
terrorist out maneuvered us: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/180053#.U19Lx1ed1_4
The
perfidy of Obama to the US Citizens, NATO and Israel: http://debka.com/article/23876/Secret-US-Hizballah-talks-Washington-plans-to-include-Lebanon-Syria-deals-in-Iran-nuclear-pact-
Has the
plane been found? http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/180077#.U1_9dFed1_4
From A.
Avraham: When I was a young boy I remember hearing of
a man in India who was 170 plus who was buried by his son 150 plus and his
grandson 120 plus but kept quiet as I had no written proof to what I heard on
the news as a child or Charlie at 130, the former slave, watching the Apollo
Mission to the moon in 1969. Now somebody almost the age of Yitzchak Avinu who
does not eat GMO products: http://newsorigin.com/death-has-forgotten-me-said-179-years-old-man/
Saudis
parade nuclear capable missiles to match Iran while the west is deaf and dumb: http://debka.com/article/23878/Saudis-parade-nuclear-missiles-for-the-first-time-in-defiance-of-US-Iranian-nuclear-accord
IAF
Intelligence Squadron: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Israels-fighter-jets-spying-on-enemy-targets-without-having-to-leave-countrys-air-space-350858
Jew
shot in the back in a forest by Ukrainian Nationalist: http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/critically-wounded-jewish-mayor-airlifted-from-ukraine-to-israeli-hospital/2014/04/29/
If you
like defending Israel press like on the page in link: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/180114
the page is: https://www.facebook.com/Israelijustice?hc_location=timeline
This is
the perfidy of modern Israeli “leaders” who are not G-D fearing people: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/180125#.U2HpSFed1_4
If
somebody came after me with brass knuckles: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Bennett-on-IDF-soldier-filmed-in-Hebron-incident-I-would-have-acted-the-same-350987
Barry Shaw: I know this Australian lady. She went to help Palestinian
Arab children and came away badly distraught by what she saw there. She saw
kids being indoctrinated and trained to be terrorists and suicide bombers. When
she naively complained to Palestinian officials she had to leave in a hurry for
her own safety. Part of this video is not in English. The children boast about
how they want to kill Jews. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHkmCKMvnCY
Hamas
Rally: http://debka.com/newsupdatepopup/8056/
This vulnerability is in Internet Explorer 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11. If you're using one of those versions of Internet Explorer -- especially versions 9, 10, and 11, which are currently under attack -- switch to Firefox, Chrome, or Opera until Microsoft fixes the flaw. Even the Department of Homeland Security recommends avoiding Internet Explorer for now. If you absolutely must use Internet Explorer, disable the Flash plug-in (or download Microsoft's patch for Flash in IE 10 and 11), install EMET 4.1 or 5.0, or enable Enhanced Protected Mode in IE 10 and 11. But really, you're better off avoiding IE altogether.
If your machine still runs Windows XP, you should stay off Internet Explorer permanently, because Microsoft no longer supports XP and will issue no patches or new releases of IE for XP. Try Chrome. Better yet, improve your overall system security by following our tips to migrate to Windows 7 or Windows 8. If you insist on sticking with the old OS, we have recommendations for making XP a little safer. http://download.cnet.com/8301-2007_4-57620788-12/major-security-flaw-in-internet-explorer-opens-pcs-to-hijacking/?tag=nl.e415&s_cid=e415&ttag=e415&ftag=TREf2961de
The Republican who saved civil rights: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/03/the-movers-behind-the-civil-rights-act-105216.html?ml=m_b6_1#.Uz7mHfldV8E?ml=m_mm
Near Arab Settlements the body of a woman shot in the head instead of attending job interview terrorism suspected: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4515635,00.html http://debka.com/article/23888/Shelly-Dadon-was-murdered-by-the-veteran-Israeli-Arab-terrorist-group-%E2%80%9CGalilee-Liberators%E2%80%9D
These people and perhaps a few others are you whole main base of price tag desecrating Mosques I condemn that act but I am waiting not holding my breath for Abbas to condemn the burning of Siddurim the Machpelah Cave or other things. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Husband-and-wife-from-Yitzhar-arrested-for-Umm-al-Fahm-Price-Tag-attack-351082
Finally after the Pessach Hiatus a Good Shabbos Stories “Beauty Sleep”
and “Looking Good”
Once, a prospective convert approached the great Sage Hillel and demanded to be taught the entire Torah while Hillel stood on one foot. Hillel paraphrased, “What is hateful to you, do not do unto others.” (Shabbos 31a) Thus, HIllel explained that the essence of the Torah is treating others with respect, etc.
We now find ourselves in the "sefira" days between Pesach and Shavuos; this is a time in the Jewish calendar during which Jews are focused on character development, in memory of the 24,000 students of Rebbe Akiva who died during this time because, as the Talmud explains, "they did not treat each other with respect." (Yevamos 62b) The following is an inspiring true story which illustrates how far we must go to treat others properly.
Learning with his rebbi, Rav Avrohom Genochofsky, a prestigious maggid shiur (lecturer) in the Tchebiner Yeshivah, was a privilege that Shalom cherished. Many of the young men wanted a turn to learn privately with Rav Avrohom; he had agreed to give Shalom the first slot every Friday night after the meal. It was not a very long learning session, but this weekly learning session with his rebbi was the highlight of Shalom's week.
Shalom had a lot of wonderful qualities and was bright and articulate, but one would ever know because he always seemed to be down on himself. He refused to accept compliments about the insightful questions he asked or the exceptional answers he suggested when a difficulty arose in the Gemara. He would shrug it all off or bow his head in humility as the rebbi or others praised him for his brilliance.
One Friday night, Shalom was eating his meal far away from his Rebbe’s home. He was nervous that he would not get there in time for the learning session. Normally, in the winter months they would learn at 8:30 at night; now he realized that he would not make it there until almost 9:30!
Panicking, Shalom rushed through the streets of Yerushalayim as a steady rain fell. As he ran the last 500 yards he hoped that it was not too late; by the time he reached his rebbi's home, he was completely out of breath.
As he stood by the door, he instinctively pressed the doorbell. But the second he did it, he realized that it was Shabbos! How could he have been so careless? Afraid that the door would be opened immediately, Shalom contemplated running away and coming back in another 10 minutes. After all, how would he be able to face the horrible embarrassment?
Fending off his own insecurities, and by now completely flustered, Shalom figured he was late enough and that coming 10 minutes later may be even more embarrassing. Left with no other option, he began to knock. At first he knocked softly. To his disappointment, no one came to the door. But it was not so late; it couldn't have been, not for Rav Avrohom and his family! Shalom knew that boys would often come over to the rebbi's house close to midnight to discuss private matters with him. There was no way he could be sleeping yet! Shalom kept on knocking.
As time passed he knocked louder and harder. Where could the rebbi have been? Shalom thought about the possibility that his rebbi had gone to a shalom zachar (a Friday night celebration prior to a bris), but he had not heard of one that his rebbi was planning on attending.
Nearly five minutes passed. As Shalom was about to leave, he heard the handle of the door turn. He waited there nervously as the door opened. What he saw nearly made him faint. Standing before him was his rebbi. But, shockingly, he was not dressed in his Shabbos clothing. In fact, he was in his pajamas, with a bathrobe over them, Rav Avrohom, who was always the depiction of kavod haTorah (the honor befitting one who learns Torah) and all that it represented, looked like he had just come out of bed. "I am sorry. I hope that you were not waiting long. I could barely hear the knocking. I was just trying to catch a little nap before I started to learn."
Shalom was shocked. He knew that his rebbi did not "catch a little nap" on a Friday night. There had to be some other reason for him to have come to the door in his bathrobe. And then, the true reason dawned on Shalom. Later he would confirm with someone who was in the house at the time that this is what had transpired:
When Shalom had rung the doorbell, Rav Avrohom and the other household members had heard it quite clearly. One of the rebbi's children had been prepared to answer the door, but Rav Avrohom had motioned that neither he nor anyone else should answer it. He had then gone upstairs and come back down five minutes later in his pajamas. He had instructed the others to go into rooms where they could not be seen.
But why? The answer, Shalom realized, was that his loving rebbi was afraid that if he would answer the door immediately, Shalom would be terribly embarrassed. He would suffer yet another blow to his fragile ego. Fearing that this might hurt his student's feelings, Rav Avrohom decided to arrange this entire charade: pretending not to hear, then running upstairs, and then humiliating himself by answering the door in his pajamas. (P. 90 A Touch of Warmth, Rabbi Yechiel Spero.) Good Shabbos Everyone.
Good Shabbos Everyone. The Torah tells us this week in Parshas Emor: "You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Bnai Yisroel. I am Hashem Who sanctifies you." (Vayikra 22:32) Whenever a Jew acts according to the Torah, especially in public, he causes Hashem's name to be sanctified. Why is that? Because when an onlooker sees a Jew acting properly according to the beautiful ways of the Torah, then the onlooker is himself encouraged to follow in the ways of the Torah. And whenever, Chas v'Sholom, one acts against the Torah, especially in public, onlookers say "what is the whole thing (religion) worth?" if it does not influence peoples actions for the better? The following letter to the editor recently published, illustrates the power of the "Kidush Hashem."
"I am writing to tell you of an incident which happened to me on a wildly snowy Thursday afternoon. On my way home from work in Mendota Heights, my car had already gotten stuck several times.
As I reached the unplowed streets of Cottage Grove, I knew I would be getting stuck again. I approached the 80th Street and East Point Douglas intersection, which is very busy.
When the light turned red and the wheels lost their traction, I sat there spinning my wheels as many cars and even snow plows went around me without stopping.
All of a sudden, a white passenger van pulled alongside me and several young men dressed in black fedora hats and long overcoats jumped out of the van. Without the benefit of mittens or boots, they selflessly began pushing my car until I got moving again. And it took several of them to push to keep my vehicle moving!
The van and passengers went on to follow me to my destination. I was very touched and unable to thank them, because I knew if I stopped again, that I would get stuck again.
I am making the assumption that these young heroes are Yeshiva school students due to their distinctive, formal clothing. The school is doing a very good job teaching the students about basic decency and courtesy. They cheerfully waved at me as I pulled away, trying to shake the snow out of their now wet shoes.
They had put themselves at risk dodging other cars that probably couldn’t have fully stopped in that slop. I admire their courage and compassion. What a tribute to the school’s work and their families!" (Ann M. Mattson Cottage Grove, Minnesota Published Wednesday, April 29, '09) South Washington County Bulletin. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'illui Nishmas Aryeh Leib ben Avrohom and Malka bas Tzvi Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah
Wishing all my readers a healthy, happy and peaceful Shabbos with good food, prayers and plenty of relaxation for the body and soul,
Rachamim Pauli
