If you feel like reading something that will make you want to beat your head against a wall, try this over at Haaretz: Israel should give up Jerusalem as its capital
But I don't recommend it. What I do recommend are the Talkbacks. They are often more interesting than the articles and a whole lot smarter. Take this one for example---
Title: What the holiness of Jerusalem really means
by Chaia from Jerusalem
What the writer (and Haaretz) does not grasp, is the `energetic charge` of Jerusalem. Jerusalem isn`t called `holy` for no reason. There is an enormous outpouring of raw divine energy here, that is why it was called `the navel` of the world. This energy has to be channeled properly, in order to be beneficial to humanity. That is why the Temple was built, with very precise measurements, in order to contain this energy. The destruction of the Second Temple was like a melt-down on the scale of Chernobyl, energetically speaking. This energy needs to be contained again - which is what all orthodox people are trying to do with prayer and keeping mitzwot, greatly helped by a small number of tzaddikim (also female ones!) This raw divine energy is the reason both Jews and Moslims desire to live here, but the energy is dangerous if not contained properly. That is why the Turks and the British and any foreign occupiers did not manage to maintain their presence here!
06 December 2009
"The Mashiach's Greeting Party"
Taken from the article by Yisroel Besser in the 8 Kislev 5770 edition of Mishpacha Magazine:
...It was at the seudas mitzvah following the [Hachnasat Torah] procession that the assemblage heard a most poignant thought from the revered mashgiach, Rav Matisyahu Salomon. The mashgiach opened his address by publicly thanking HaKadosh Baruch Hu for the extraordinary progress that his rebbetzin has made since she sustained a heart attack this past summer. "I am in a situation of hodaah," he said, "and I wish to share something personal with you."
"One evening, when my rebbetzin was in the hospital, I dozed off as I sat by her bedside. I am not one who dreams, or remembers dreams, but I had the most vivid vision of the great rosh yeshivah, Rav Aharon Kotler. He looked exactly as he did when I saw him as a bochur in Gateshead, burning with fire and intensity."
...The mashgiach choked back a sob as he continued. "He looked right at me, and pointed his finger towards me. 'You...if you accept upon yourself to remain in Lakewood as mashgiach until Mashiach's arrival, then your rebbetzin will be cured and together with her, you will welcome Mashiach.'"
And the mashgiach turned to the awestruck audience. "Rabosai! he said until Mashiach comes! And I am not a young man anymore! Let's be prepared...."
...It was at the seudas mitzvah following the [Hachnasat Torah] procession that the assemblage heard a most poignant thought from the revered mashgiach, Rav Matisyahu Salomon. The mashgiach opened his address by publicly thanking HaKadosh Baruch Hu for the extraordinary progress that his rebbetzin has made since she sustained a heart attack this past summer. "I am in a situation of hodaah," he said, "and I wish to share something personal with you."
"One evening, when my rebbetzin was in the hospital, I dozed off as I sat by her bedside. I am not one who dreams, or remembers dreams, but I had the most vivid vision of the great rosh yeshivah, Rav Aharon Kotler. He looked exactly as he did when I saw him as a bochur in Gateshead, burning with fire and intensity."
...The mashgiach choked back a sob as he continued. "He looked right at me, and pointed his finger towards me. 'You...if you accept upon yourself to remain in Lakewood as mashgiach until Mashiach's arrival, then your rebbetzin will be cured and together with her, you will welcome Mashiach.'"
And the mashgiach turned to the awestruck audience. "Rabosai! he said until Mashiach comes! And I am not a young man anymore! Let's be prepared...."
04 December 2009
Food for Thought on Shabbat
A very short story:
The rabbi was walking home, when a car stopped beside him. The driver was Yankel, the town’s most infamous criminal, and he offered the rabbi a ride home.
While on the way, the rabbi saw his opportunity to try and enlighten Yankel to the idea of doing tshuva. The rabbi turned to Yankel and said," Yankel where is your Olam Hazeh (the pleasures of this world)? Yankel was taken aback and replied, "Rabbi, Olam Haze? Take a look at my beautiful home on Ocean Parkway. My country home in the Catskills with the olympic size pool and two tennis courts. My three cars, including this Porsche racing car. The yacht moored in the marina on Long Island. What do you mean where is my olam hazeh?
The rabbi, with tears in his eyes, turned to Yankel and said, "Yankel, your house, your car, your yacht - these things are not your Olam Hazeh - you are consuming your Olam Haba".
Shabbat shalom!
The rabbi was walking home, when a car stopped beside him. The driver was Yankel, the town’s most infamous criminal, and he offered the rabbi a ride home.
While on the way, the rabbi saw his opportunity to try and enlighten Yankel to the idea of doing tshuva. The rabbi turned to Yankel and said," Yankel where is your Olam Hazeh (the pleasures of this world)? Yankel was taken aback and replied, "Rabbi, Olam Haze? Take a look at my beautiful home on Ocean Parkway. My country home in the Catskills with the olympic size pool and two tennis courts. My three cars, including this Porsche racing car. The yacht moored in the marina on Long Island. What do you mean where is my olam hazeh?
The rabbi, with tears in his eyes, turned to Yankel and said, "Yankel, your house, your car, your yacht - these things are not your Olam Hazeh - you are consuming your Olam Haba".
Shabbat shalom!
03 December 2009
Call me crazy...
but I find this video laughable.
You can read about it here.
And if you can stomach it, you can see another video here and view the proud evangelical Xians of Westboro Baptist Church. (WARNING! Don't let it go past about halfway through, the images are defiling.)
You can read about it here.
And if you can stomach it, you can see another video here and view the proud evangelical Xians of Westboro Baptist Church. (WARNING! Don't let it go past about halfway through, the images are defiling.)
DOOMED
What is it going to take before the rest of the world understands that Hashem has declared war on materialism? The world's sick economy is not just enduring a cyclical retreat. It is doomed and they cannot predict any outcome with accuracy because Hashem will continue to arrange unexpected surprises along the way specifically designed to bleed it to death.
01 December 2009
Celebrating Civil War
With the Erev Rav Regime's mounting concessions causing the Arabs to drool and champ at the bit over the scent of Jewish blood, I think we should start celebrating Hanukah early this year...
The Maccabees and the Hellenists
Hanukkah as Jewish civil war
By James Ponet
...Read in its historical context, however, the Hanukkah story is really about a revolt against the Hellenized Jews who had fallen madly in love with the sophisticated, globalizing superculture of their day. The Apocrypha's texts make it clear that the battle against Hellenization was in fact a kulturkampf among the Jews themselves. Here is how the first Book of the Maccabees describes Jerusalem on the eve of civil war and revolt in the time of Antiochus (translation by Nicholas de Lange):
At that time there were some evil-doers in Israel who tried to win popularity for a policy of integration with the surrounding nations. It was because the Jews had kept themselves aloof for so long, they claimed, that so many hardships had befallen them. They acquired a following and applied to Antiochus, who authorized them to introduce the Greek way of life. They built a Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem and even had themselves uncircumcised.
Uncircumcision as the price of admission to the Jerusalem gym! When they were eight days old, the "sign of the covenant" had been carved in their flesh; now as young men, these Jews risked health and sacrificed sexual pleasure to "become one flesh" with the regnant beauty culture. In Judea, then, there were Jews choosing to die rather than publicly profane Jewish law—and there were Jews risking death to free themselves from the parochial constraints of that law. The historic Jewish passion to merge and disappear confronted the attested Jewish will to stand apart and persist.
That's the clash of Hanukkah. Armed Hasmonean priests and their comrades from the rural town of Modi'in attacked urban Jews, priests and laity alike, who supported Greek reform, like the gymnasium and new rules for governing commerce. The Hasmoneans imposed, at sword's edge, traditional observance. After years of protracted warfare, the priests established a Hasmonean state that never ceased fighting Jews who disagreed with its rule....
The Maccabees and the Hellenists
Hanukkah as Jewish civil war
By James Ponet
...Read in its historical context, however, the Hanukkah story is really about a revolt against the Hellenized Jews who had fallen madly in love with the sophisticated, globalizing superculture of their day. The Apocrypha's texts make it clear that the battle against Hellenization was in fact a kulturkampf among the Jews themselves. Here is how the first Book of the Maccabees describes Jerusalem on the eve of civil war and revolt in the time of Antiochus (translation by Nicholas de Lange):
At that time there were some evil-doers in Israel who tried to win popularity for a policy of integration with the surrounding nations. It was because the Jews had kept themselves aloof for so long, they claimed, that so many hardships had befallen them. They acquired a following and applied to Antiochus, who authorized them to introduce the Greek way of life. They built a Greek gymnasium in Jerusalem and even had themselves uncircumcised.
Uncircumcision as the price of admission to the Jerusalem gym! When they were eight days old, the "sign of the covenant" had been carved in their flesh; now as young men, these Jews risked health and sacrificed sexual pleasure to "become one flesh" with the regnant beauty culture. In Judea, then, there were Jews choosing to die rather than publicly profane Jewish law—and there were Jews risking death to free themselves from the parochial constraints of that law. The historic Jewish passion to merge and disappear confronted the attested Jewish will to stand apart and persist.
That's the clash of Hanukkah. Armed Hasmonean priests and their comrades from the rural town of Modi'in attacked urban Jews, priests and laity alike, who supported Greek reform, like the gymnasium and new rules for governing commerce. The Hasmoneans imposed, at sword's edge, traditional observance. After years of protracted warfare, the priests established a Hasmonean state that never ceased fighting Jews who disagreed with its rule....
The War for Jerusalem Just Escalated
EU to recognize East Jerusalem as capital of Palestinian state
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
European Union foreign ministers are expected to officially call next week for the division of Jerusalem, to serve as the capitals of both Israel and Palestine. A draft document authored by the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Sweden, and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, has been obtained by Haaretz.
Jerusalem is waging a diplomatic campaign to keep the EU from issuing such an endorsement, but diplomats close to the EU deliberations believe it is virtually inevitable.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on December 7 for a two-day meeting in Brussels on the peace process, after which a statement outlining the body's Mideast policy is expected.
It goes on from there. G-d forbid, we're gonna wake up one morning and there will be EU security checkpoints to pass before approaching the Kotel. And G-d forbid, if they deem it a provocation to the Arabs, they'll just turn us away. It's time to think about what you'll do if it comes to that.
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
European Union foreign ministers are expected to officially call next week for the division of Jerusalem, to serve as the capitals of both Israel and Palestine. A draft document authored by the current holder of the rotating EU presidency, Sweden, and implying that the EU would recognize a unilateral Palestinian declaration of statehood, has been obtained by Haaretz.
Jerusalem is waging a diplomatic campaign to keep the EU from issuing such an endorsement, but diplomats close to the EU deliberations believe it is virtually inevitable.
EU foreign ministers are scheduled to meet on December 7 for a two-day meeting in Brussels on the peace process, after which a statement outlining the body's Mideast policy is expected.
It goes on from there. G-d forbid, we're gonna wake up one morning and there will be EU security checkpoints to pass before approaching the Kotel. And G-d forbid, if they deem it a provocation to the Arabs, they'll just turn us away. It's time to think about what you'll do if it comes to that.
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