Rosh Chodesh
Well, Rosh Chodesh has started off with a bang. Someone torched a church in the Galil overnight and all the usual suspects and then some have raised their screeching voices. I'll let the headlines speak for themselves...
"The limestone Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes, on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee, was constructed in the 1980s and is overseen by the Benedictine Order. It was built on the site of 4th and 5th century churches that commemorated what Christian faithful revere as Jesus's miraculous feeding of five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Hebrew graffiti denouncing the worship of idols had been found at the church, leading police and fire service investigators to suspect that the fire had been set deliberately. A police spokesperson said Thursday afternoon that 16 minors were taken in for investigation for potential involvement in the arson. They were later released with no charges."Condemnation of Church Arson Continues to Pour In
Rabbi Lau: Church Arson 'Completely At Odds' with Jewish Values
'Christian pilgrims reconsidering visits to Israel after suspected church arson'
Catholic Church demands action on 'price tag' attacks, prepares to campaign
Rabbi Eckstein: Church arson a result of xenophobia which increasingly dominates society
Event in honor of torched church to be held today at 4:00 p.m.
Hotovely condemns Thursday's arson attack on church in Galilee
So many comments condemn this "attack" as un-Jewish or even anti-Jewish, but what they are talking about is a galut Judaism where we are guests in someone else's home. In our home, we have a responsibility to HKB"H to keep it cleaned up and for the last 67 years, that hasn't happened. It's about time someone did something. Whoever did it may just have appeased the Almighty somewhat and may have averted some terrible decree.
"Therefore, with this shall Jacob's iniquity be atoned for, and this is all the fruit of removing his sin; by making all the altar stones like crushed chalkstones; asherim and sun-images shall not rise." (Isaiah 27:9)
Rashi: "Jacob's iniquity will be atoned for" - to merit to be redeemed; "asherim and sun images shall not rise" - So that they shall not retain their idolatry.
That's what I thought until I saw the graffiti that was left behind - a line from the Aleynu prayer. Not likely Arabs would know it.
ReplyDeleteThe B'nai B'rith World Center in Jerusalem also expressed outrage at the incident.
ReplyDeleteIn a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan, B'nai B'rith World Center Chairman Dr. Haim V. Katz and director Alan Schneider called on the Israeli government to “show zero tolerance for hate crimes directed against any religious institution and to initiate legislative amendments that would impose long mandatory sentences for all convicted perpetrators.”
The letter said that Katz will personally convey to Pope Francis the World Center's indignation at the attack during a meeting next week at the Vatican with a visiting B'nai B'rith leadership delegation.
Also condemning the incident was the Conference of European Rabbis.
- a voice in the wilderness
Well, if it's true as to who is accused of doing it, and not just a set-up, then not all "right-wingers" have been entirely taken in by Esau. Keyword: "entirely."
ReplyDeletekol hakavod to what should in actuality be a national effort. All should be torn down and burned into nothing. It is very telling of the mindset of the Jewish nation and how far away we are from the truth.
ReplyDeleteEmunah
First of all, when things like this happen and we have "usual suspects," I wish our people and those who represent us would PLEASE STOP AND CHECK THINGS OUT FIRST before speaking. This habit of knee-jerking reaction MUST BE ELIMINATED. We cannot even think about eliminating the stones of idolatry outside if we cannot eliminate our fawning over the idolators from inside our own hearts, this horrible tendency to respond to their "Jump!" with our "How high?" -!
ReplyDeleteNext time, our response should be, "WE WILL LOOK INTO IT." And then, do it, properly. We have no obligation to victimize innocent people to satisfy the lust of the goyim to have at us!
The minority erev rav who supposedly lead the country have indoctrinated the masses over the years with a mindset so contrary to Torah that, r'l, they all cave in with one mindset. Matters not the tefilot and tehilim that the observant say daily 'not to rely on princes and nations' but only in the One Above. Total Emunah still seems far away!
ReplyDeletenili
Netanyahu: Arson attack on church is an attack on all of us
ReplyDeletePM Netanyahu vows to capture and punish perpetrators of church arson attack
- a voice in the wilderness
Maybe it would be better to NOT burn down a place of prayer such as a Church, but to remove the offending idols. Melt them down. Then leave a note on the Bimah where the idols had stood "that the metal has been melted down and that we are willing to return the metal if they promise not to make figurines and mannequins out of the melted down clumps of metal." If the Church refuses to do that, leave a second note that the gold and the silver melted down statues have been made into bars and given to Charity.
ReplyDeleteAre we allowed to profit from idols?
DeleteYY
Who is profiting? How is giving the melted down precious metal to charity Making a Profit?
DeleteThis is a side note sparked by reading that the Benedictines built their edifice on the alleged ruins of an ancient church....
ReplyDeleteEver since I read Prof. Lawrence Schiffman's breakdown of how the Dead Sea Scrolls community ("Reclaiming the Dead Sea Scrolls") was clearly Jewish and not Christian, as originally propogated by Christian scholars (and he explains clearly how they misinterpreted everything with a Christian slant and how Israeli experts -- and any Jewish scholars in fact -- were originally blocked access to the finds), I'm suspicious of any ruins labeled as a church/monastery (and of course not of you personally at all, Devash, who is merely quoting a report accurately). Yes, I know there were churches in Eretz Yisrael in earlier times, but I'm talking about finds that could easily be Jewish, but are instead labeled as Christian -- presumably to stamp out evidence of our historical and halachically obligated Jewish presence.
Just as an example, I was at a site where all the signs describe a Christian monastery ("Here's the dining hall where the monks dined!"), yet I saw no evidence of Christianity, no symbols, nothing, even though I really looked. All the information describing the site gave no evidence of WHY the ruins had been labeled as Christian. To me, it was just as likely a yeshiva.
I'm not saying the Benedictine location wasn't originally an ancient church; I'm not familiar with the site and perhaps there is clear evidence -- which doesn't matter because they weren't allowed to be there then and they aren't allowed to be there now -- but I'm addressing the larger issue of covering up a clear Jewish historical presence in favor of a faux Christian one.
(And to digress even further, a cross doesn't necessarily indicate Christian presence unless it coincides with the right time period because the cross is a pagan symbol that was used pre-Christianity and you can find caves in Israel with a cross engraved into the wall that indicates, say, a pagan-owned dovecote, not a Christian one. Just saying....)
My point is simply to point out the ulterior motives in labeling archeological finds in Eretz Yisrael. It appears that even the most basic level, things really aren't as they are portrayed.
Thanks, Devash.
-- Dassie
This is an excellent point, Dassie. Thank you for calling it to our attention.
DeleteGeula Girl pointed something out to me this morning - that this happened on the same day as the attack on a church in the US. (See an interesting perspective here. And she further compared it to what happened last summer when there was the rush to judgment about whoever kidnapped the Arab boy.
The Kiss of death. What are the odds Obama was personal friends with the victims of the Charleston shooting?
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9oem60eU6M
- a voice in the wilderness
Personally, I was holding out for the shooter being a Muslim....
DeleteOr an illegal -- er, pardon me; I meant UNDOCUMENTED -- person from somewhere south of Texas.
Or someone who reacting to an adjustment in their doctor-prescribed psychotropic medication (which has been the common thread in most of these non-Muslim shootings).
I read today that the xtian pilgrims might reconsider visiting if churches are being attacked. So, is that such a bad idea? Israel is afraid of losing the money they bring in, but it s much better that we get rid of all the places of idol worship. After listening to Rabbi Mizrachi, he says they will have to disappear when Mashiach arrives.
ReplyDeleteI posted this as a Comment on my blog:
ReplyDeleteOn the Church massacre in South Carolina, notice how the gunman is implicated (and perhaps any other American gunowner too), but the Media there of course won't be blaming the "settlement" of Charleston, built on the land of the Cherokee Indian nation of course, for the crime. Here in Israel, a Church on the Kinnereth goes up in flames, and immediately everyone blames the Settlers.
Nu, Dov, who else has the courage to challenge the idol worshipers?
DeleteNice point, Reb Dov. Touche.
DeleteThis is the same set up as last summer on a smaller scale. Last summer an arab was killed and 6 Jewish suspects were taken for questioning. Immediately before there was any information or any proof, Jews were rushing to condemn and one Rabbi even called for giving them the death penalty. This led to a summer war between Jews and Arabs. The powers that be are orchestrating all of this, including the wars between blacks and whites in America and between the civilians and police in America. If things go according to the script we will have war in days or weeks. Hashem is in control of everything. NO person commits any action without it being decreed from Hashem. From the 613 mitzvoth, Not to save the missionary--Deuteronomy 13:9. Not to say anything in his defense--Deuteronomy 13:9. Not to refrain from incriminating him--Deuteronomy 13:9. In light of this, it seems to me a religious Jews shouldn't condemn anything. What happens to the xians or between goyim is not for us to judge. It is between them and Hashem.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to come across as disrespectful, but did you read what you posted? "The powers that be are orchestrating all of this" and then you said, "Hashem is in control of everything".
DeleteWho are the powers that be if Hashem controls everything?
Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness, I make peace, and create evil : I the LORD do all these things.
Daniel, why do you think the two are mutually exclusive? They are the visible tool used by the Invisible G-d just like Pharaoh was and just like Nebuchadnezzar was and yet they still had free will and were still held accountable for their sins.
DeleteWith all due respect, it seems 'not to save, not to say anything in his defense, not to refrain from incriminating him' does not mean to remain silent. Just the opposite. 'not to refrain' means not to hold back.
ReplyDeleteEmunah
Maybe The Complete Jewish Bible with Rashi Commentary will clarify this...
DeleteDevarim 13:9 -
You shall not desire him, and you shall not hearken to him; neither shall you pity him, have mercy upon him, nor shield him.
Rashi -
You shall not desire him: Heb. לֹא-תֹאבֶה. You shall feel no longing (תאב) towards him; do not love him (לֹא תֹאהֲבֶנוּ)). Since it is said, “You shall love your fellow man as yourself” (Lev. 19:18), [therefore it is necessary to tell us that] this person, [however,] you shall not love.
and do not hearken to him: when he pleads for his life, that you should pardon him. [It is necessary to state this] because it says, “[If you see the donkey of your enemy] you shall surely help him” (Exod. 23:5); this person, [however,] you shall not help.
neither shall you pity him: [It is necessary to state this] because it says, “you shall not stand idly by the blood of your fellow man” (Lev. 19:16). This person [however] you shall not pity. — [Sifrei]
[neither shall you…] have mercy upon him: Do not search for merits in his favor.
nor shall you shield him: If you are aware of something that will condemn him, you are not permitted to remain silent. — [Sifrei]