Pray requests: Yehuda ben Gittel Perel, Chana bas Yocheved, Jacqueline Kone’ bas Toula. Sometimes people aren’t cured but have their problems under control. You can now remove Rachel bas Bruncha.
Parsha Pinchas
Misguided ideas and foreign philosophies enter into Judaism and bring about a spiritual plague. Dr. Harry brought down names of well-known figures some of whom are the worst misguided individuals and they give Judaism a black eye in fact they themselves are like a plague in our midst.
Throughout
the Tanach, God warns his chosen people about the perils of assimilation, and
false gods. If we’re to believe the findings of Pew’s new comprehensive
investigation on the matter, American Jewry hasn’t heeded these warnings. And
after decades of treating religion like a secular political enterprise, Jews
are finally disappearing.
Sure, three-quarters of those surveyed by Pew claim they have a “strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people” and 94 percent say they are proud of their identity. The question is: what identity? Granted, it’s a bit complicated. A Jew thinks of himself in both ethnic and religious terms. Or, at least he used to. Today, most American Jews believe culture is central to identity than any of the Old Testament’s many – many – commandments. According to Pew, in fact, six-in-ten of my fellow tribesmen believe that being Jewish is mainly a matter of culture or ancestry, while only 15 percent say it is primarily a matter of religion.
Or put it this way: 42 percent of Jews believe a sense of humor is integral to being Jewish, while far fewer believe religious law is similarly important. In the United States, then, Jerry Seinfeld is more fundamental to Jewish identity than the Prophets or Moses.
While Woody Allen or Philip Roth or Adam Sandler may be a reflection of the American Jewish experience, they certainly aren’t fundamental to its existence. Faith helps many people make sense of the world around them. Faith gives them a spiritual connection to something larger. And tradition molded by the faith is what’s transferable from one place or time to the next. Whether you’re religious or not, it’s clear that orthodoxy offers all this. A religion without rules or God isn’t sustainable. But that’s exactly what American Jews are left with.
Certainly politics isn’t able to fill the void. For the last 70 years, American Jewry’s identity has been wrapped up in two ideological causes: Zionism and liberalism (usually in tandem, but lately, less so.) Whatever you make of these political movements, they’ve done much to reshape what it means to be Jewish. When someone talks about a Jewish “issue” they are, almost inevitably, talking about Israel. And when Jews talk about “values” they always mean liberal values. More than half of those polled said that “working for justice and equality” is essential to what being Jewish means to them. While that’s nice, it’s also the sort of platitude that reflects how Americans believe “Jewish” ideals are now liberal ideals.
If you’re familiar with the culture of Jewish communities, none of this would surprise you. Take the influential Anti-Defamation League, a group that endlessly peddles grievances (for all Jews, whether we pay dues or not) under the idea of Tikun Olam – which roughly translated means “healing the world”. Tikun Olam is humanity’s shared responsibility to repair and transform. It’s an obscure wide-ranging directive from God that’s used as a cudgel by the Jewish Left to convert political causes into religious ones. Abortion, the welfare state, redistribution, social justice, worrying about Evangelical plots to convert your children – any progressive cause you can imagine — is a vital Jewish concern at your local Reform temple.
Actually, when it comes to converting Jews, no one does a better job than the Union for Reform Judaism. The actively leftist Reform movement has proven that when you water faith down enough it becomes useless. Among Jewish denominations, Pew found that 35 percent of American Jews identify with the Reform movement, 18 percent identify as Conservative and 10 percent as Orthodox (another 6 percent fall into alternative groups like the Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewalists.) The entire denominational system is one slippery slope towards a ham sandwich. The survey finds that around a quarter of people raised Orthodox have become Conservative or Reform; 30 percent of those raised Conservative have become Reform and 28 percent of those raised Reform jump the ark.
In Deuteronomy, God tells the Jews, “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.” (Pew, somewhat humorously, says it is unclear if “being intermarried tends to make U.S. Jews less religious, or being less religious tends to make U.S. Jews more inclined to intermarry.”) Anyone who’s seen Fiddler on the Roof knows that this is kind of a big deal. It is certainly one of main culprits of the disappearing Jewish community. According to Pew 44 percent of all married Jewish respondents have a non-Jewish spouse — 58 percent of those who have married since 2005.
Naturally, you can find a Reform rabbi to perform the ceremony.
While the American Jewish population shrinks, those who remain will ultimately be more religious, and more introverted. For instance, the Jewish population of New York City has seen an “explosive” growth in the Hasidic and Orthodox communities. A UJA-Federation of New York poll found that 74 percent of Jewish children in New York City metropolitan were born into orthodox families. The poll found more Jews than ever were sending their children to Hebrew day schools or yeshivas. Nearly half of adults’ ages 18 to 34 in the area had gone to such schools, compared with just 16 percent of those ages 55 to 69. (It should be noted that part of this problem is doubtlessly generational and other faiths probably suffer, as well. As lan Cooperman, deputy director of the UJA research project points out, “Older Jews are Jews by religion. Younger Jews are Jews of no religion.”)
So while Pew found that 7 out of 10 Modern Orthodox Jews believe a person can be Jewish without believing in God, they’re asking the wrong question. Can they stay Jewish? It’s difficult to believe we can.
I neglected to go after another major problem in American Judaism: worship of the Holocaust. Pew found that 70 percent identify “remembering Holocaust” as the leading measure of what it means to be Jewish. Rather than investing in the idea of perpetuating Judaism, many wealthy Jews build museums to the dead.
I will be joining a Sephardic orthodox synagogue near my farm in South America, and a kosher Jewish Country Club. By handing out with orthodox Jews, I will at least give my boys a fighting chance to marry an orthodox Jewish girl. If Hashem has mercy on me, these steps may allow me one day to have real Jewish grand kids. Otherwise, my family will end up in the toilet of liberal, Reform Judaism, and a proud Jewish lineage going back to Pinchas will end.
Sure, three-quarters of those surveyed by Pew claim they have a “strong sense of belonging to the Jewish people” and 94 percent say they are proud of their identity. The question is: what identity? Granted, it’s a bit complicated. A Jew thinks of himself in both ethnic and religious terms. Or, at least he used to. Today, most American Jews believe culture is central to identity than any of the Old Testament’s many – many – commandments. According to Pew, in fact, six-in-ten of my fellow tribesmen believe that being Jewish is mainly a matter of culture or ancestry, while only 15 percent say it is primarily a matter of religion.
Or put it this way: 42 percent of Jews believe a sense of humor is integral to being Jewish, while far fewer believe religious law is similarly important. In the United States, then, Jerry Seinfeld is more fundamental to Jewish identity than the Prophets or Moses.
While Woody Allen or Philip Roth or Adam Sandler may be a reflection of the American Jewish experience, they certainly aren’t fundamental to its existence. Faith helps many people make sense of the world around them. Faith gives them a spiritual connection to something larger. And tradition molded by the faith is what’s transferable from one place or time to the next. Whether you’re religious or not, it’s clear that orthodoxy offers all this. A religion without rules or God isn’t sustainable. But that’s exactly what American Jews are left with.
Certainly politics isn’t able to fill the void. For the last 70 years, American Jewry’s identity has been wrapped up in two ideological causes: Zionism and liberalism (usually in tandem, but lately, less so.) Whatever you make of these political movements, they’ve done much to reshape what it means to be Jewish. When someone talks about a Jewish “issue” they are, almost inevitably, talking about Israel. And when Jews talk about “values” they always mean liberal values. More than half of those polled said that “working for justice and equality” is essential to what being Jewish means to them. While that’s nice, it’s also the sort of platitude that reflects how Americans believe “Jewish” ideals are now liberal ideals.
If you’re familiar with the culture of Jewish communities, none of this would surprise you. Take the influential Anti-Defamation League, a group that endlessly peddles grievances (for all Jews, whether we pay dues or not) under the idea of Tikun Olam – which roughly translated means “healing the world”. Tikun Olam is humanity’s shared responsibility to repair and transform. It’s an obscure wide-ranging directive from God that’s used as a cudgel by the Jewish Left to convert political causes into religious ones. Abortion, the welfare state, redistribution, social justice, worrying about Evangelical plots to convert your children – any progressive cause you can imagine — is a vital Jewish concern at your local Reform temple.
Actually, when it comes to converting Jews, no one does a better job than the Union for Reform Judaism. The actively leftist Reform movement has proven that when you water faith down enough it becomes useless. Among Jewish denominations, Pew found that 35 percent of American Jews identify with the Reform movement, 18 percent identify as Conservative and 10 percent as Orthodox (another 6 percent fall into alternative groups like the Reconstructionist and Jewish Renewalists.) The entire denominational system is one slippery slope towards a ham sandwich. The survey finds that around a quarter of people raised Orthodox have become Conservative or Reform; 30 percent of those raised Conservative have become Reform and 28 percent of those raised Reform jump the ark.
In Deuteronomy, God tells the Jews, “You shall not intermarry with them, giving your daughters to their sons or taking their daughters for your sons.” (Pew, somewhat humorously, says it is unclear if “being intermarried tends to make U.S. Jews less religious, or being less religious tends to make U.S. Jews more inclined to intermarry.”) Anyone who’s seen Fiddler on the Roof knows that this is kind of a big deal. It is certainly one of main culprits of the disappearing Jewish community. According to Pew 44 percent of all married Jewish respondents have a non-Jewish spouse — 58 percent of those who have married since 2005.
Naturally, you can find a Reform rabbi to perform the ceremony.
While the American Jewish population shrinks, those who remain will ultimately be more religious, and more introverted. For instance, the Jewish population of New York City has seen an “explosive” growth in the Hasidic and Orthodox communities. A UJA-Federation of New York poll found that 74 percent of Jewish children in New York City metropolitan were born into orthodox families. The poll found more Jews than ever were sending their children to Hebrew day schools or yeshivas. Nearly half of adults’ ages 18 to 34 in the area had gone to such schools, compared with just 16 percent of those ages 55 to 69. (It should be noted that part of this problem is doubtlessly generational and other faiths probably suffer, as well. As lan Cooperman, deputy director of the UJA research project points out, “Older Jews are Jews by religion. Younger Jews are Jews of no religion.”)
So while Pew found that 7 out of 10 Modern Orthodox Jews believe a person can be Jewish without believing in God, they’re asking the wrong question. Can they stay Jewish? It’s difficult to believe we can.
I neglected to go after another major problem in American Judaism: worship of the Holocaust. Pew found that 70 percent identify “remembering Holocaust” as the leading measure of what it means to be Jewish. Rather than investing in the idea of perpetuating Judaism, many wealthy Jews build museums to the dead.
I will be joining a Sephardic orthodox synagogue near my farm in South America, and a kosher Jewish Country Club. By handing out with orthodox Jews, I will at least give my boys a fighting chance to marry an orthodox Jewish girl. If Hashem has mercy on me, these steps may allow me one day to have real Jewish grand kids. Otherwise, my family will end up in the toilet of liberal, Reform Judaism, and a proud Jewish lineage going back to Pinchas will end.
Looking
to goyim for acceptance, and chasing the liberal American Jewish dream will not
come to a good end.
The good Dr. Harry is a layman but he sees the real danger around us which Pinchas saw and defiance of Zimri towards Moshe because he shouted to Moshe you married Tziporah from Midian why can’t I have a Midian wife? Moshe was silenced but the difference was that Yisro believed in HASHEM and Cozbi believed in idols so did
25:10 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 11 'Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of
Israel, in that he was very jealous for My sake among them, so that I consumed
not the children of Israel in My jealousy.
Bilaam and Balak used the fertility cult to attack the
foolish young men of the tribe of Shimon. Zimri gave himself a Heter to be with
Cozbi for the simple fact that she was from Midian like the wife of Moshe. But
Moshe was married and Tziporah was not working for a fertility cult. Still
Zimri reasoned that the Moshiach was going to come from Yehuda who had
relations with a Kedasha which Tamar appeared to him as. It is to be noted that
Tamar was the daughter of a Cohain, Malkizedek, or Shem and he was a priest to
Kale Elyon (G-D, most high). Also it was from HASHEM that Yehuda the Tzaddik
got such an urge that he could not resist for Am Yisrael needed Moshiach.
However, with Zimri it was perhaps infatuation but for sure it was pure lust
and he did the act in front of the statue of an idol while Tamar was modest and
covered her face and did the act in private without any idol.
12 Wherefore say: Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace; 13 and it
shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting
priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the
children of Israel.'
This is the highest blessing that Pinchas and his
children will be priests and be blessed with peace.
26:1 And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spoke unto Moses
and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: 2 'Take the sum of all
the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward,
by their fathers' houses, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel.' … 51 These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel, six
hundred thousand and a thousand and seven hundred and thirty.
The exact numbers and comparison I covered in the year before last in the blogspot and if you are interested in comparing what
happened with each tribe population wise,
52 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 53 'Unto these the
land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names. 54 To the more thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to the
fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; to each one according to those that
were numbered of it shall its inheritance be given. 55
Notwithstanding the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the
tribes of their fathers they shall inherit. 56 According to the
lot shall their inheritance be divided between the more and the fewer.' …
27:1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son
of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh
the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and
Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.
The section on the daughters of Zelophehad
produces a lot of laws of inheritance. Since most of us know or go to Rabbis
regarding the koshering of utensils, I figured that I would address some modern
problems. What happens if the son goes off the path of Torah or heaven forbid
leaves Judaism altogether but the father has a daughter or daughters on the
straight path? What happens if the son maltreats a father? What happens if the
father is worth many millions or billions will the daughter(s) be out on the street
and the man’s widow becomes a beggar?
It is obvious that the Rabbis have attacked
these questions not starting from yesterday but for generations. As the world
has modernized and deaf mutes and women are well educated in the affairs of the
world, the Halacha must take this into consideration. Deaf mutes can receive
implants or be trained to communicate with regular people and braille makes a
blind man capable of reading.
So Halacha does move with the times, but the
question arises were Jewish women really treated as second class humans like
the Arabs or the Romans and the rape of the Sabine woman. For that let us not
rely on the inheritance of daughters mentioned in our Parsha but let us go back
to the Avos. We see Avram and Sarai in a partnership making souls. Avram
listens to his wife and marries Hagar and then he needs G-D to tell him to send
Hagar away because she has given him a son. However, our Torah tells us “Listen
to your wife!” The next time we see a female in action is Rivka with Yitzchak who
takes the place of his mother, maintains the home and becomes a partner whom he
loves. Rivka is depicted not a cow gal in a western “shut up woman” but rather.
“My life is useless because of these daughters of Chet (Hittites) let us send
Yacov away…” What does Yitzchak do? He gives into the ideas of his wife. For
she is not an underling! And last not least the macho husband of four women
consults with his wives regarding his plans to leave Lavan. It is not
surprising that in Judaism the female has the title of Aim (mother), Bat
(daughter) and Akeres Beis (household). For this reason the Cohain Gadol must
have a second wife on Yom Kippur in fear that his wife might pass away for he
must make atonement for his Beis and Chachamim interpret this to mean his wife
and family but specifically, his wife.
Did the equality of women in Judaism only
start with the Avos? No in fact we have to go back a bit further in time for
the fundamental root of our belief in a female partnership something which the
pagan religions did not have with their macho stories and their Venus or
Aphrodite being a sex object. Our story begins here: 2:20 And the man gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of
the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help
meet for him. 21 And the LORD
God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of
his ribs, and closed up the place with flesh instead thereof. 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had
taken from the man, made He a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And the man said: 'This is now bone
of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was
taken out of Man.' So we are taught that out
of Ish came the Isha and that they were essentially one flesh.
With all this in mind, how do we get around
the Halacha that the sons inherit the land on their tribe? The daughters
mentioned in our Parsha had to marry only males from their own tribe because of
the land division.
2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before
the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting,
saying: 3 'Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company
of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of
Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons. 4 Why should the name of
our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto
us a possession among the brethren of our father.' 5 And Moses brought their
cause before the LORD.
The Midrash tells the story as follows they first went to
the leader of 10 people who thought he knew the Halacha and he wanted to make
sure so he brought it to the leader of 50 who also was sort of sure of the
Halacha and he brought it forward until it went to the members from the tribe
of the Sanhedrin who brought it to Moshe. Moshe being so humble brought it
before HASHEM.
6 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 7 'The daughters of Zelophehad
speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among
their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father
to pass unto them. 8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying:
If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto
his daughter. 9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance
unto his brethren. 10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his
inheritance unto his father's brethren. 11 And if his father have no brethren,
then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his
family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a
statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.'
As the section of the laws of inheritance is now firmly
rooted in Halacha, the main job prior to the conquest of the land is in place. Since
Moshe will not enter the land, HASHEM gives him the reward in his life time of
viewing the land.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim,
and behold the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. 13 And when
thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy
brother was gathered; 14 because ye rebelled against My commandment in the
wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the
waters before their eyes.'--These are the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the
wilderness of Zin.-- 15 And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying: 16 'Let the
LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17
who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them
out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as
sheep which have no shepherd.'
This is a nation of people who act like they are the sons
of kings and therefore they will not a strong leader. Who shall replace me that
I may break him in for the task?
18 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in
whom is spirit, and lay thy hand upon him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the
priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight.
20 And thou shalt put of thy honor upon him, that all the congregation of the
children of Israel may hearken. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the
priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD;
at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and
all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation.' 22 And Moses
did as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar
the priest, and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands upon him,
and gave him a charge, as the LORD spoke by the hand of Moses.
The original choosing of a Rabbi was by a hand placed on
the head of the new Rabbi as done here.
Below I bring down a few of the Korbanos of Shabbos, New
Moon and Festivals that we say either daily, weekly or monthly in our prayers
and Torah Reading.
28:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command the children of
Israel, and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings
made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in
its due season. 3 And thou shalt say unto them: This is the offering made by
fire which ye shall bring unto the LORD: he-lambs of the first year without
blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. 4 The one lamb shalt
thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at dusk; 5 and
the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with the
fourth part of a hin of beaten oil. 6 It is a continual burnt-offering, which
was offered in mount Sinai, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto
the LORD. 7 And the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of a hin
for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou pour out a drink-offering of
strong drink unto the LORD. 8 And the other lamb shalt thou present at dusk; as
the meal-offering of the morning, and as the drink-offering thereof, thou shalt
present it, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.
9 And on the Sabbath day two he-lambs of the first year without blemish,
and two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with
oil, and the drink-offering thereof. 10 This is the burnt-offering of every Sabbath,
beside the continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering thereof.
11 And in your new moons ye shall present a burnt-offering unto the LORD:
two young bullocks, and one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without
blemish;
The rest of the Parsha deals with the 3 Regelim, Pessach,
Shavous, Sukkos and the service in the Mishkan or Beis HaMikdash for Rosh
Hashanah and Yom Kippur. This section is read in part on each festival day.
… 39 These ye shall offer unto the LORD in your appointed seasons, beside
your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings,
or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or your peace-offerings.
30:1 And Moses told the children of Israel
according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Making the Arab Hit List: I wanted to check out a Rabbi or Two on Google for their writings if they were really up to even Liberal or Modern Orthodox Standards. Just for the fun of it I googled my name. A lot of my Torah Writings were there but more interesting was some Arab who tagged me among other Rabbis. I guess I made their hit parade.
With a slight addition from Royal Prince to Rabbi the first minutes are new to me as I met him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=95iuwGcIdxo
It Pays to Listen to
Your Wife Two Miracle Stories one old one new.
With this introduction, I wish to recall a Gulf War Miracle that I wrote about previously it is based on real people but I am using names from the Holy Scriptures. It was a Friday in late Shevat 5751 or the beginning of Adar. Saddam Hussein is trying to hit an army base on the border of Ramat Gan and Bnei Barak or the Army Headquarters in Tel Aviv. Ramat Gan is being hit the most by scuds. Sara wants her husband Avraham to visit and eat by Rachel and Yacov a few blocks away. The husband is not sure that he wants to go to the other apartment but she convinces him if nothing more but to humor her so they take their children and go and visit for the meal. In the meantime the “Poisonous Snake” code can be heard over the silent radio and the siren blasting as they run to the stairwell to take cover. A loud boom is heard a few blocks away in the direction of their house. When the all clear is given, they remove their gas masks and head towards their block to see what happened. Their apartment took a direct hit! Had they been in the house they might not have made Havdallah on Israeli TV waving the flag in the ruins of their apartment and proclaiming the miracle in public.
For the second miracle we skip forward to Ohr 13th of Tammuz 5774 aka Thursday evening July 10th in Ashdod. A young husband who served in the IDF liked standing on his roof or from his window to film the Iron Dome Missiles knocking out of the sky over Ashdod the incoming Grad Rockets. The Terrorists this time sent a large volley of missiles earlier in the evening towards Beer Sheva and the wife in her 9th month asked the husband to accompany her into the shelter. He must have been glad that he did as the rocket hit his area causing damage to the entire face of the building exploding all the glass and shrapnel going into the air as high as ten stories which four cars burning below and secondary explosions from the automobile gas/petrol tanks.
THIS COMING TUESDAY IS THE FAST OF 17TH OF TAMMUZ AND THE START OF THE THREE WEEKS OF MOURNING FOR THE DESTROYED BEIS HAMIKDASH. SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD, SICK PEOPLE, FIRST RESPONDERS NURSING WOMEN OR PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD NOT FAST UNLESS THEY CAN IN 104 DEGREE IN THE SHADE HEAT. PLEASE DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH YOUR HEALTH. PEOPLE UPSET BY THE SIRENS OR EXPLOSIONS MIGHT NEED TO BREAK THE FAST OR AT LEAST TAKE SIPS OR SOME MEDICATION EVEN IF THEY ARE NORMALLY HEALTHY SO TAKE THIS INTO CONSIDERATION AND I SUGGEST THAT YOU CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ORTHODOX RABBI SO AS NOT TO ENDANGER YOURSELF. LASTLY PLEASE FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS OF THE POLICE AND MILITARY IN THIS EMERGENCY SITUATION AND FIND COVER OR SHELTER AS PERSCRIBED.
Charedi youth drowns on the Golan Heights: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182759#.U77aDpuKDIU
From Lori: Cholent dumped on the Arabs saves Yeshiva! http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/cholent-saves-diaspora-yeshiva-from-arab-attack/2014/07/05/
Between Lapid and the recent army witch hunt after the Charedim, nobody should be surprised about this: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4537515,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
An Ed-op sent to me by the author: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Into-the-Fray-Cry-Havoc-and-let-slip-the-dogs-of-war-361490
We cease and they fire: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4537964,00.html
Tens upon tens of rockets at Beer Sheva, Ofakim, Ashkelon and Iron Dome knocked down the ones towards these cities. Israel National Police continues to have a heavy police presence in many of the areas experiencing clashes and is continuing to restrict vehicular traffic to these neighborhoods. Continued clashes this evening are possible in many of the locations that saw clashes today, including Shu’fat, Beit Hanina, Mt. of Olives (near Hebrew University), As Suwaneh neighborhood, Shu’fat Refugee Camp, the Old City (near Lions Gate), Sur Baher, Qalandiyah check point, and the entrance of Al Ram. Both Shufat and the Old City remain off-limits today for official U.S. personnel and their families. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182536#.U7hFi5uKDIU
No Jew even the lowest murderer does things like this as I suspect a blood libel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4538111,00.html
Baghdad airport and military base threated by ISIS Obama restrains Bibi and himself. http://debka.com/article/24069/Al-Qaeda-Iraq-forces-advance-on-Baghdad-military-air-base-US-ponders-air-strike-ahead-of-Iran-and-Russia-
US Jewry would rather blend in and assimilate into US Culture as I was raised but ignoring Israel with the rising anti-Semitism on the left is a great risk. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Columnists/Column-One-Ari-Shavit-and-American-Jewry-361484
You are a young woman for safety sake you
take a taxi to a job interview but instead the Arab Cabbie murders you! http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182564#.U7memJuKDIU
In
Israel you are guilty until proven innocent but 6 suspects in a car that can
only carry the dead boy and 4 others does not make sense to anybody but the
police who are fishing. It could be one or more has ties but let us wait and
see: http://debka.com/article/24074/Six-Jewish-males-under-arrest-in-connection-with-murder-of-Palestinian-youth-They-deny-the-charge
Just when
you thought that Islam and Sharia Law couldn't get one bit more obscene or
disgusting than it already has, they sink to a brand new low. ISIS issued the
order this weekend in Iraq for all unmarried Muslim women to act as prostitutes
for the terrorists, or “face the full penalty of Sharia Law”. http://www.nowtheendbegins.com/blog/?p=23204
Al Gore
made over a Billion on Global warming now it is time to return some of the
money to me. http://www.wnd.com/2014/07/antarctic-sea-ice-hits-new-record-high/?cat_orig=world
The
article is not up to date it was printed in the middle of the night: 14 targets
hit this time 7 Hamas Terrorists died in a tunnel and a few in a Refugee Camp.
The Refugees from the 1948 war were aged 16 to 24 and full time terrorists. So
you ask 1948 was 66 years ago so that proves that they are recent refugees who
live in high rise buildings not a shanty town or tents. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182590#.U7oQw5uKDIU a bit updated: http://www.jpost.com/Defense/IAF-strikes-Gaza-in-response-to-continuous-rocket-fire-361586
From
Shona: How US Tax dollars redistribute your wealth: http://gopthedailydose.com/2014/07/06/amnesty-forced-redistribution-obama-regime-taking-country-giving-foreign-invaders/
Liberman
pulls his party out of the Likud because Bibi is doing nothing in Gaza except
hot air: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182600#.U7pivpuKDIU
More
rockets and the sound of silence from Israel: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182591#.U7ppXbFXfzg
He has
the same name as the Knesset woman who supports terror but he supports Yisrael:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPtOIp4BlxA#t=21
A
brilliant piece from Barry Shaw: http://israeltheviewfromhere.blogspot.co.il/2014/07/an-eye-for-eye-leads-to-blindness.html
Beer
Sheva hit: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4538943,00.html
Propaganda
War: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4538542,00.html Part II http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_1kFGmQ2OA&feature=youtu.be
Operation Solid Rock moved into place after the
massive attacks of 80 rockets last night. We targeted 50 targets with direct
hits. Usually the houses targeted have a missile depot inside as well as a
family. Gail Winston wrote:
Dear Friends & Family,
I received a call at between 8 & 9 tonight to go to my miklat, my
bomb shelter. Missiles & bombs were headed to Mevasseret Zion &
Beit Shemesh. I opened my miklat and checked it out. I never heard
the sirens. I got a call that Mevasseret was all clear.
And so it begins – again. Nothing to be scared of.
Just be prepared.
Let Israel be Sovereign & make the Sovereign decisions for the IDF,
our Intelligence & Secret Services to take care of business. They
will protect the Jewish people who want peace and are faced with an eternal
enemy, Amalek.
HaShem told the Jewish
people to eliminate Amalek from the Land of Israel that He gave us to settle
more than 3000 years ago. We didn’t. At each challenge when HaShem
helped us win impossible wars with His Miracles, we failed to eliminate
Amalek. Now Amalek rises up – again. “Intifada” means “uprising”,
as we were told Amalek would IF we didn’t eliminate him. Now he
kills our innocent teenagers and causes us to fight back in self-defense.
Today’s Amalek is the Muslim world, who declare they aim to destroy the
Jewish people and take over the whole Jewish State of Israel, with All
Jerusalem as only their Capital.
They created a Phantom
Nation and called them Palestinians** for the name the Romans used to defeat
the Jewish spirit in Judea. The Muslims proudly declare they want to
create a Global Caliphate, ruled by Sharia Law. There are 57 Muslim
countries in the world and 21 of them are Arab Muslim countries.
‘Google’ Global Caliphate
& Sharia Law to see what they mean. I was taught by a very wise man
that: “The Muslims say what they mean and they mean what they say.”
We need to develop our
defenses – our internal self-defenses to live here in our country with pride
and comfort in our safety, security, rights to our own G-d given Land, to
follow our Jewish religion as set down our Torah.
And our external defenses:
our Jewish, Democratic government, the IDF, our Secret Services, our
Intelligence and Computer capabilities will set us free, keep us free, safe and
Sovereign IF the Jewish people want a Sovereign Jewish State.
So, let’s stand up to the
forces of blood-lusting people who want to kill us. Declare we are a
Sovereign Jewish State and we will live our lives in peace. All the very best, Gail
Winston
Regarding the article below: I think that El
Sisi does not want to help broker a cease fire with Hamas as they are
pro-Caliphate aka Muslim Brotherhood and he wants them taken out by Israel. He
is shrewd.
Lastly, 3 rockets at around 3 AM and then
approximately 10 this morning. My close to 12 year old granddaughter was
supposed to go to camp for a day at the rides and pool on Kibbutz Chofetz Chaim
but that is within missile range and after my wife and I preparing her for the
bus at 7 AM she ended up at home with her older sister. Last night we hosted 5
grandchildren and I worked out in my head how to get the 3 younger ones down to
the shelter in less than 2 minutes if need be. Tel Aviv and north of it is on
yellow alert today.
After I wrote the above more targets were hit
in Gaza. http://debka.com/article/24078/With-50-strikes-the-IDF-launches-Operation-Solid-Rock-after-Hamas’-100-rocket-blitz-Hamas-keeps-going
As of 4
PM Israel Time at least 60 rockets hit the south or were knocked down by Iron
Dome. Another 4 towards Ashdod were knocked down. So far Tel Aviv and other
areas have not been hit. The fact that last night’s attack was in the direction
of Abu Ghosh a Christian Arab town and Mevasseret Zion as well as Modiin may
have constituted a larger rocket that fell short. Their longer range rockets
have ‘only’ 9 kg of explosives. If without explosives being hit by 9 kilo
flying at that speed is like an explosion in itself.
Late
this morning or early afternoon a high ranking member of the Hamas along with 2
Jihadists was targeted and they are now Shahidim. The IDF has been allowed to
call up to 40,000 reserves. What we can expect is that the main stay of reserve
soldiers will go to more quiet areas and the younger regular army soldiers will
be sent opposite Gaza.
According
to Arutz 7 and Debka 5 Hamas leaders have been killed. I will list articles one
after the other. Defense Minister declares a special situation which allows for
financial aid to businesses. Just think the little town of Sderot has 10,000
less residents since the terror started people simply moved into family more in
the center of the country.
Between
3 to 4 PM a motorcyclist terrorist met an aircraft to ground missile.
Previously: http://debka.com/article/24078/Five-Hamas-chiefs-killed-as-IDF-Gaza-operation-gets-underway-Nine-Israelis-injured-by-Palestinian-rockets\
This is
probably a better translation to TZUK
AYTAN the first word means cliff or ledge. Operation
Protective Edge http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IDF-chief-Gantz-asks-for-call-up-of-40000-reserves-amid-Operation-Protective-Edge-361953
The assimilated politically correct left
in Israel misses the boat. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182648#.U7v1Z8aKDIU
Special
Situation http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182644#.U7vru8aKDIU
Dead
Arab’s father plays politics about the three murdered Jews: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182651#.U7v118aKDIU
This is from an Arab source on Ynet http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4539572,00.html
The
chief suspect in the murder of an Arab boy is a mentally ill Jew and his
friends losses from the Charedi Community all one family: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4539515,00.html
From
Daniel the face of Islam to murder children: http://www.truthrevolt.org/israel-revolt/san-francisco-protesters-call-intifada-and-death-children-video?fb_action_ids=10202276662298314&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=.U7vu8Ft0XrI.like
Hamas
seals land on a Yeshuv and all frogmen are neutralized. They also send a
missile to Tel Aviv which was knocked out of the skies. Earlier all the beaches
in Tel Aviv and vicinity were evacuated for safety sake. The rocket total
passed 80 during the day and we expect at night more.
The homes belonged to Hamas members Muhammad Sba'at, a senior member of Hamas's rocket launching formations in Beit Hanount, who was involved in several recent rocket attacks against Israel, Amin Ibrahim Al-Alba'an, a Hamas member, and Abu Jarad, a Hamas member from northern Gaza who has been engage d in terrorism against Israel.
Palestinians said six were killed and about 25 wounded in one of the houses attacked.
Western media may choose to play this attack as the deliberate targeting of Palestinian civilians. Be ready with the truth!
Morning
of July 9th or 11 Tammuz 5774:
Last
night my wife could not fall asleep and wanted to watch TV so I tried to sleep.
I had set up a pathway to my shelter neutralizing sections of the alarm in the
house. My wife was worried we heard that there was an attack on Petach Tikva
and her brother heard the iron dome explosion and earlier my friend Meir K.
told me that he heard over his head the explosion in Rishon Le Zion. We then
were told that Yerushalayim was under attack and I heard two popping noises to
the south of me. Even in the north of Israel a false siren sent people running
to shelters slightly south of Haifa. In short between 4 to 5,000,000 people
were directly affected.
Children
from Nahal Oz and other Kibbutzim were evacuated to Kibbutzim in the north. I
did not hear about Chofetz Chaim as my granddaughter’s trip there was canceled
yesterday. This morning Ashdod, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, Beer Sheva received
greetings from Gaza but they were shot down. The Homeland Defense Force
announced that if one is able to get to a shelter the change of dying is 1 in
400 rockets and mostly to people caught out in the open. The only thing is you
don’t want to be the one.
Yesterday
I was led to believe that the long range Hamas Rockets carried only 9 kg but
these carry 175 kg and can hit as far north as Hadera and Benyamina http://debka.com/article/24081/Hamas-has-several-hundred-Syrian-made-M-302-rockets-of-type-that-reached-Hadera
In the
first 24 hrs. of Protective Edge the IDF hit 270 targets and most of the
military big wigs of Hamas are now homeless. In 2012 they lost their homes put
in more cement but are homeless again. A tunnel in Keren Shalom was blown up by
them by accident more Shahidim. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182684#.U7zsBsaKDIU
Live TV
in Hebrew: http://www.mako.co.il/mako-vod-live-tv/VOD-efacf0702f3fd31006.htm#/mako-vod-live-tv/VOD-6540b8dcb64fd31006.htm&Partner=HeaderLiveButton
IAF airstrikes
blew up the homes of two of five terrorists that breached the security border
by sea and tried to enter Kibbutz Zikim, located roughly a kilometer and a
half (around one mile) north of Gaza along the coast. Significantly, Shaaban, who
was eliminated, was also head
of Hamas's naval operations, according to the reports. The
IDF confirmed targeting Shaaban, describing him as "a senior Hamas
operative."Prime Minister states: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4539542,00.html
Taken
from Noreen: Watch the Navy and Givati deal with enemy seals http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/WATCH-Israeli-naval-vessel-helps-intercept-Hamas-commandos-who-stormed-beach-362079
Rocket
falls just a bit short of Haifa one injured: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182702#.U706jLFXogk
Water,
water everywhere except in one part of Gaza. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182706#.U71CU7FXogk
The 3
boys were shot in the head 10 times each with slit throats and other abuse on
the body which I will not repeat. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4540482,00.html
Update July
10th or 12 Tammuz 5774:
During
the first 48 hours of the conflict 780 targets of which 550 were military and
the rest Hamas’s housing, interior ministry another ministry. If we compare it
to the Pillar of Cloud which in all its time targeted 1050 targets before Hamas
hollered uncle we are working faster and more furious than the US Dept. of Justice.
This morning we took out another 4 rocketeers. Yesterday there was more than 80
rockets and in the night two landed in the water off of Mt. Carmel in Haifa.
Yesterday a man was injured running in Zikron Yacov towards a shelter and today
a traffic accident during a siren between a bus and a private car injured 3
people. The reactor in Dimona was targeted and also the town of Yerocham in the
lower Negev which as a poorer population and not much security value either. In
fact most of the rockets are designed for terror only and Hamas is infuriated
that the Iron Dome system has something like a 97.5% average of destroying
their incoming rockets. This morning one was blown up and pieces landed in a
gas = petrol station.
Since Emmanuel
Winston passed away, his widow, Gail, has not written much but the conflict has
awakened her computer: Wednesday, July 09,
2014 8 pm
I wrote my first ‘article’ about the situation on Monday night at around
midnight to four am. I haven’t ‘written’ an analysis or commentary in a
lo-o-ong time. Despite the reasons for it (bad news), it made me mad.
That’s what motivates me to ‘write’.
Last night I did hear the sirens. Adam called me just as it was going off
about 10 pm. We both said, “Sirens” & I took my broiled cheese
sandwich downstairs to my miklat. (Shelter)
My first war with sirens was the 1991 Gulf War when we had to run to our sealed
room & wear gas-masks because Saddam was launching SCUDs at us which could
have had poison gas or chemical in them. We knew that Saddam had Weapons
of Mass Destruction capability - because Jonathan Pollard told us so. (Because
Jonathan told us, Saddam knew he couldn’t send them.) Then we would get an
“all-clear” siren. The first one was on Jan. 16, 1991. I wrote a
story about that then. I’ll be glad to send it to you, if you insist.
Now we know (hope) Hamas doesn’t have WMD so we can leave our bomb shelters
some 10 minutes after the siren.
I built our home here in
Mevasseret Zion during the Gulf War so I put a full bathroom in our
miklat. We had learned how important that was. So, it’s well set up
with cots, water, food, flashlights, books, radios, etc. I don’t
think we’ll need them for very long.
Yesterday, Tuesday July 8th,
the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) began a very serious operation called
“Protective Edge”, to hit the Hamas terror infrastructure, bomb & rocket
manufacturing & aiming devices, terror leaders, etc. The numbers of
rockets Hamas & Islamic Jihad have shot at us are going into the 300s as I
write. It’s especially bad in the South. Cities like Sderot
are under constant sirens. Hamas’s rockets, missiles and mortars can
reach as far as Jerusalem and Tel Aviv but, without much accuracy.
We have the Iron Domes (Kipat Barzel) which are fired when our computers
see they are headed toward possibly damaging ‘people’. How amazing is our
technology that we developed with America! Those projectiles which Iron
Dome shoots at incoming rockets are very expensive so the IDF fires them only
when the computers sees people at risk.
So far, the incoming Hamas
rockets have only done property damage and totally disturbed any kind of
peaceful existence, causing PTSD in people, esp. children. Some families
are moving north to camp out with their extended families. But, Israelis
are remarkably resilient and strong. It’s totally cruel and unfair to
subject civilians, men, women and children, to this abuse. People have 15
to 45 seconds to reach a bomb shelter when they hear the sirens. Schools
are on vacation but, the kids would have summer camps IF not for this
War. It is a war. People could have a normal life.
Hamas is a cruel, violent
organization who wants to kill Jews and destroy our Jewish State.
Hamas didn’t think we
would hit them – but we are! Hamas didn’t think we could or would hit
them so hard – but we can and we are.
That’s about all I know
tonight. If you want to know more, I’ll add you to my Email address list
to keep you updated. Or not. I don’t want to upset you.
You all have enough to worry about.
All the very best, LOVE to all, Gail
This
morning’s headlines: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4540910,00.html
Updated
stories: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182733#.U74_qZuKDIU
Miraculous Press Coverage: The usually anti-Semitic BBC exposed
the false pictures the Hamas was putting out on injuries they even showed that
some were from Aleppo a month ago in the Syrian War and some from Baghdad and
one from Gaza in 2009. What I think happened is that they scan their pictures
and run them through the computer for comparison. This made the Gazan press
corp. exposed. Don’t worry the Guardian Paper was furious with the BBC for
being honest. Even CNN was more balanced the not too pro-Israel Ben Wederman
reported about our phone calls to evacuate the house of a terrorist before it
was attacked. Also a few Ambassadors were interviewed and they talked about
their children in Tel Aviv running for shelters this also made for bad press
down under and other places.
Rand
Paul – funding Abbas is possibly funding Hamas. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182734#.U75Dx5uKDIU
On the
diplomatic front: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Liberman-touts-Israels-restraint-in-letter-to-world-foreign-ministers-362203
Evening
of July 10th Ohr of the 13 Tammuz 5774
It was
announced that the shelters by the Synagogues would become public shelters. The
maid that works in my daughters kindergarten locked the shelter after she
cleaned it today so my daughter opened it and I told her to hide the lock until
after the war and I helped her move some toys and games out of the shelter.
Earlier 4 rockets were sent towards Yerushalayim and outlying areas. As it was
a live broadcast I ran outside I did not see the missile take out the rocket
but I saw the results to the south of me. I was surprised that there was no
sound. I called my wife to look. I heard two bangs (our Iron Dome) suddenly I
heard 4 sound barrier breaks of the 4 rockets from Gaza.
Just
before leaving for the Mincha Prayers I heard that 150 rockets hit us today and
then 20 to 30 rockets towards Beer Sheva with a hit on a house. Also near Gaza a
few places were hit and two soldiers wounded this evening near Sderot and a cars
on fire in Ashdod. The total so far is close to 200 rockets up to 10PM. A few
days ago some of the infants were moved into shelters in hospitals. Residents
of Gaza near Israel are told to evacuate towards the sea area as we are going
in to remove the Kassam and mortar area.
http://debka.com/article/24083/IDF-tells-100-000-Gaza-civilians-to-move-back-from-Israeli-border-–-sign-of-impending-ground-incursion
ISIS is
making trouble in Yarden: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Jordan-police-arrest-10-during-violent-protests-against-Israel-362199
Shekel
rebounds against most currencies: http://www.boi.org.il/en/Markets/ExchangeRates/Pages/Default.aspx
Update
on Israel morning 13th of Tammuz 5774 or July 11th.
I am
not going to repeat the miraculous pressure that a wife put on her husband in
Ashdod that he went to the safe room when his house and four cars took a direct
hit last night that is in my story above under miracle.
The personal side of
the life in Israel I want to bring down even the mundane things like my wife
driving through the gas/petrol station today to visit her mother or getting a
haircut before the 3 weeks of mourning for the Temple takes on a new meaning. I
received this regarding the rockets to Yerushalayim: Dear Rachamim,
I was in the Malka Mall parking lot in
south Yerushalayim with my pregnant grand-daughter. We heard the sirens, put
the blinkers on & got out of the car onto the
ground of the parking lot – as instructed.
We heard 3 or 4 loud ‘pops’. It was
obviously the Iron Dome (Kipat Barzel) hitting incoming Hamas Rockets. [Two iron dome missiles against two rockets or four in
total] Saw people taking pictures with their cell-phones of something(s)
beyond our view, hidden by the trees around the Mall parking lot. They
were very excited to be ‘in on the action’. Not scared at all. Another
glimpse of Israeli resilience.
WE shall always survive. All the best, Gail
Today 8
people were injured in a gas/petrol station in Ashdod. Yesterday, when the
downed rocket fell into the gas station, it was devoid of explosives but today
just a fuel tanker was unloading into the station’s well, it was hit. To put it
mild all hell broke loose. I am sure that there was a hero who pulled the badly
injured person to safety and others were injured or in shock. It was 2 bus
stops from where we used to live and one stop from where my first job in Israel
was before my oldest son was born.
The
soldier who was moderately injured yesterday is now in serious condition do to
a deterioration overnight.
If you
are traveling to or from Israel this week there is a slight delay in all
schedules of flights due to rerouting of planes both incoming and outgoing. All
small planes have been requested not to fly during the coming days.
When
the siren went off at 3 AM in Haifa one 70 year old women died of a heart
attack or stroke on the way to the shelter.
Debka
saved me most of my update today: http://debka.com/article/24083/Hamas-rockets-move-north-up-to-Haifa-Katyushas-from-Lebanon-aimed-at-Metulla-Israeli-artillery-returns-fire-
Why
Israel must go in on the ground to destroy the Amalek structure which
terrorizes women children and even inures others. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4541500,00.html
However
there is a danger to soldiers regarding a land invasion and tunnels with explosives underneath: http://www.israpundit.com/archives/63598043
Don’t
complain when the late Emmanuel Winston and I warned before the destroy of Gush
Katif that we and others are saying I told you so: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/182783#.U7-vipuKDIU
Tel
Aviv is the focus of Gaza Propaganda to their financial backers: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Iron-Dome-intercepts-Gaza-rockets-over-greater-Tel-Aviv-362381
From
Devorah: http://www.timesofisrael.com/top-obama-official-blasts-israel-for-denying-palestinians-sovereignty-security-dignity/
With the situation the way it is Rabbi A. L. sent me a belly laugh to eas
the tension and I appreciate this more than ever. The story is told of a lady
who was rather old-fashioned, always quite delicate and elegant, especially in
her language. She and her husband were planning a week’s vacation in Florida,
so she wrote to a particular campground asking for a reservation. She wanted to
make sure the campground was fully equipped, but didn’t quite know how to ask
about the toilet facilities. She just couldn’t bring herself to write the word
“toilet” in her letter. After much deliberation, she finally came up with the
old-fashioned term BATHROOM COMMODE. But when she wrote that down, she still
thought she was being too forward. So she started all over again, rewrote the
entire letter referring to the bathroom commode merely as the BC: “Does the
campground have its own BC?” is what she actually wrote. Well, the campground
owner wasn’t old-fashioned at all and when he got the letter, he just couldn’t
figure out what the woman was talking about. That BC business really stumped
him. After worrying about it for a while, he showed the letter to several
campers, but they couldn’t imagine what the lady meant either. So the
campground owner, finally coming to the conclusion that the lady must be asking
about the local Baptist Church, sat down and wrote the following reply:
Dear Madam:
I regret very much the delay in answering your letter, but I now take
pleasure in informing you that a BC is located nine miles north of the
campground and is capable of seating 250 people at one time. I admit it is
quite a distance away, if you are in the habit of going regularly, but no doubt
you will be pleased to know that a great number of people take their lunches
along and make a day of it. They usually arrive early and stay late. It is such
a beautiful facility and the acoustics are marvelous…even the normal delivery
sounds can be heard. The last time my wife and I went was six years ago, and it
was so crowded we had to stand up the whole time we were there. It may interest
you to know that right now a supper is planned to raise money to buy more
seats. They are going to hold it in the basement of the BC. I would like to say
it pains me very much not to be able to go more regularly, but it surely is no
lack of desire on my part. As we grow old, it seems to be more of an effort,
particularly in cold weather. If you do decide to come down to our campground,
perhaps I could go with you the first time you go, sit with you, and introduce
you to all the other folks. Remember, this is a friendly community.
Sincerely, (Campground Owner)
I did not receive the Good Shabbos Story yet so have a healthy,
happy and wonderful Shabbos and to my friends in Israel keep safe,
Rachamim Pauli
