Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat Shalom!
31 March 2017
29 March 2017
US Admin Stacked With Jews
3 Nisan 5777
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| (CLICK PIC FOR MORE INFO) |
For the same reason that "only the Right" will be able to pull off a "peace"-deal with the Arabs in Israel, I surmise that only a US administration so stacked with Jews as this one will be able to establish a Palestinian State and get away with calling itself the most "pro-Israel" US administration of all time.
High hopes of Arab summit OK for Israel peace step
If the Arab summit opening in Amman Wednesday, March 29 meets the expectations of Washington and Jerusalem, the session will ratify a pivotal initiative for promoting an historic peace process between the Arab world and Israel. This effort, which matured through five months of mostly secret diplomacy, was launched by Donald Trump in November, shortly after he was elected US President.
...DEBKAfile’s sources in Washington and Jerusalem report exclusively that President Trump and Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman crafted this proposal at the White House on March 14, during the prince’s trip to Washington.
...In the course of their conversation, Prince Mohammed informed Trump that his father, King Salman, had agreed on the need for the first time to amend the original 2002 Saudi peace proposal.... [Which resulted in George Bush's famous "Road Map for Peace"]
All 15 Arab Summit resolutions blast Iran
...DEBKAfile reported earlier, this issue is the subject of active exchanges between the US, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. King Abdullah of Jordan, who hosted the summit and Egyptian President Abdel-Fatteh El-Sisi will travel to Washington to report to President Donald Trump on the private discussions on this issue at the session and launch the next stage of the Arab-Israeli peace initiative.
Did Netanyahu skip AIPAC to avoid peace deal-pushing Trump?
...But then we turn to the Israeli-Palestinian issue. And here the waters get murky indeed. There are lots of indications that this administration is going to be tougher on Mahmoud Abbas than Obama was. How did Haley put it? “Until the Palestinian Authority comes to the table… there are no freebies for the Palestinian Authority anymore.”
But still. The embassy isn’t moving. Abbas has got his White House invitation. The president’s envoy is making visits to Palestinian refugee camps. And the president himself is describing settlements as unhelpful to peace, and publicly asking Netanyahu to “hold back” on them a little. A lot of people didn’t see any of that coming.The pressure will be on once again for Israel to grant concessions because the Arabs never will and US President Trump wants this deal really badly.
Jordan FM says Arab summit ends with 'message of peace'
Arab leaders on Wednesday endorsed key Palestinian positions in the conflict with Israel — a signal to President Donald Trump that a deal on Palestinian statehood must precede any Israeli-Arab normalization.
In a one-day summit, they relaunched a peace plan that offers Israel normalization with Arab and Muslim states, provided it cedes lands it captured in 1967 to a future Palestinian state.This will be the test of just how good a "friend" President Trump really is to Israel. And we won't have long to wait to find out.
However, the fact that this has been Trump's obsession since the moment he was elected, since before he even took office, and before the myriad domestic issues demanding his attention, is some indication of how it's going to end.
(See also: Right Wing Israelis and Supporters of Israel Will Be Disappointed in President Trump)
The Almighty Dollar
2 Nisan 5777
In Eisav's world, people will do anything for a "buck". The "bottom line" determines everything. "Free markets" and "capitalism" are viewed as God's gift to humanity, chas v'challilah! "Business" is what makes their world go round. They don't even hesitate to sell their very souls.
If there is money to be made, absolutely nothing is off-limits.
"...upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak judgments, I am the Lord." (Shemot 12.12)
In Eisav's world, people will do anything for a "buck". The "bottom line" determines everything. "Free markets" and "capitalism" are viewed as God's gift to humanity, chas v'challilah! "Business" is what makes their world go round. They don't even hesitate to sell their very souls.
If there is money to be made, absolutely nothing is off-limits.
House Votes in Favor of Letting ISPs Sell Your Browsing History
Your internet history and browsing habits are for sale, and the House voted Tuesday to keep it that way, rolling back rules that would have barred internet service providers from selling your data without consent.
Trump taps Kushner to lead a SWAT team to fix government with business ideas
President Trump plans to unveil a new White House office on Monday with sweeping authority to overhaul the federal bureaucracy and fulfill key campaign promises — such as reforming care for veterans and fighting opioid addiction — by harvesting ideas from the business world and, potentially, privatizing some government functions.
The White House Office of American Innovation, to be led by Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and senior adviser, will operate as its own nimble power center within the West Wing and will report directly to Trump. Viewed internally as a SWAT team of strategic consultants, the office will be staffed by former business executives....
...Kushner said Sunday in an interview in his West Wing office. “The government should be run like a great American company. Our hope is that we can achieve successes and efficiencies for our customers, who are the citizens.”
The innovation office has a particular focus on technology and data, and it is working with such titans as Apple chief executive Tim Cook, Microsoft founder Bill Gates, Salesforce chief executive Marc Benioff and Tesla founder and chief executive Elon Musk. The group has already hosted sessions with more than 100 such leaders and government officials.The worship of money and the power that is obtained through having great wealth is what is driving these agendas. But, HKB"H is still in charge of His world and no power on earth "trumps" His!!
27 March 2017
Nisan: The Month That Is Redemption
1 Nisan 5777
Rosh Chodesh
From The Book of Our Heritage by Eliyahu Kitov...
The Month of Nisan: The Month that is Redemption
One who experiences redemption has emerged from darkness into light. One who has never suffered the oppression of bondage will not appreciate redemption. The very essence of redemption is the freedom which has its source in the bondage itself. Had Israel not been enslaved, they would never have experienced true freedom. Once they were enslaved, that very enslavement gave rise to their redemption. From the midst of that darkness -and from nowhere else - light burst forth. Our Sages taught: Israel said to God, "Master of the Universe, when will You redeem us?" God answered: "When you descend to the lowest level - at that moment I shall redeem you" (Yalkut Shimoni 190).
Rosh Chodesh
From The Book of Our Heritage by Eliyahu Kitov...
The Month of Nisan: The Month that is Redemption
One who experiences redemption has emerged from darkness into light. One who has never suffered the oppression of bondage will not appreciate redemption. The very essence of redemption is the freedom which has its source in the bondage itself. Had Israel not been enslaved, they would never have experienced true freedom. Once they were enslaved, that very enslavement gave rise to their redemption. From the midst of that darkness -and from nowhere else - light burst forth. Our Sages taught: Israel said to God, "Master of the Universe, when will You redeem us?" God answered: "When you descend to the lowest level - at that moment I shall redeem you" (Yalkut Shimoni 190).
~ CHODESH TOV ~
23 March 2017
"Unity Despite Differences"
26 Adar 5777
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat shalom!
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat shalom!
Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei: Unity Despite Differences
22 March 2017
Protect Your Children
24 Adar 5777
What is more important than the safety of a child's neshamah? A parent must do everything in their power to protect their children from evil influences, propaganda and brainwashing.
The ideal, of course, is that they not be in an environment which challenges the truth. Even yery great people in their adult years have become confused and been mislead, but the world we live in today makes it nearly impossible to completely insulate our children. Therefore, parents must take charge of their children's education at home and not depend on the educational system to do the job.
Take time each week to sit and talk to your children about what they are doing, seeing and hearing at school. Do it in a way that's not like an interrogation, but encourages them to share what is happening in their lives. The same goes for getting them talking about what they discuss with their friends at play. Their playmates/classmates likely hear and see things in their own homes that you would not allow into yours and then they "share" this with your children without your knowledge.
By being tuned in to what your children are being exposed to, you have created an opportunity to counter the negative effects they could have on your children.
Talk to your children about your values and beliefs and explain to them, in terms that they can understand, why you reject others. Don't let them hear first from their classmates or even teachers on certain subjects. Be there first with the truth so that when the subject arises, they won't be caught off-guard, not knowing what to think about what they've heard.
Try to anticipate what hazards your child may face in his daily life outside your home and prepare him in advance with information and knowledge. Had these Jewish children from Caesaria been properly prepared by their parents at home, they might have been capable of showing the wisdom and courage of Azriel Hirsch in his boyhood.
And never underestimate the power and protection of daily prayer on behalf of our children!
Exposé: NIF Funded School Trip Where Jewish Children Bowed in Mosque Prayer
The trip last week where Israeli Jewish children from Caesarea were made to bow in prayer during a school trip to a mosque in an Arab town just north of their city was arranged by an organization that receives its funding from the New Israel Fund, Channel 20 TV revealed on Tuesday.
Channel 20 also revealed that four Orthodox Jewish children who participated in the school trip went hungry the entire day because the only food available had been prepared by local Muslim parents and no kosher food was available.
...A member of the Caesarea parents’ steering committee told Channel 20 that no one had told them, that no one had coordinated the mosque visit with the parents.In addition to this, there is a story out of Ma'ale Adumim about an incident in an "Orthodox" kindergarten where a Xian child is telling classmates about J----. Only one mother had the courage to complain publicly. Reportedly, other parents were concerned, but were afraid to complain openly.
What is more important than the safety of a child's neshamah? A parent must do everything in their power to protect their children from evil influences, propaganda and brainwashing.
The ideal, of course, is that they not be in an environment which challenges the truth. Even yery great people in their adult years have become confused and been mislead, but the world we live in today makes it nearly impossible to completely insulate our children. Therefore, parents must take charge of their children's education at home and not depend on the educational system to do the job.
Take time each week to sit and talk to your children about what they are doing, seeing and hearing at school. Do it in a way that's not like an interrogation, but encourages them to share what is happening in their lives. The same goes for getting them talking about what they discuss with their friends at play. Their playmates/classmates likely hear and see things in their own homes that you would not allow into yours and then they "share" this with your children without your knowledge.
By being tuned in to what your children are being exposed to, you have created an opportunity to counter the negative effects they could have on your children.
Talk to your children about your values and beliefs and explain to them, in terms that they can understand, why you reject others. Don't let them hear first from their classmates or even teachers on certain subjects. Be there first with the truth so that when the subject arises, they won't be caught off-guard, not knowing what to think about what they've heard.
Try to anticipate what hazards your child may face in his daily life outside your home and prepare him in advance with information and knowledge. Had these Jewish children from Caesaria been properly prepared by their parents at home, they might have been capable of showing the wisdom and courage of Azriel Hirsch in his boyhood.
See Jews Don't Bow.
And never underestimate the power and protection of daily prayer on behalf of our children!
21 March 2017
Replacing Torah with The State
23 Adar 5777
Very often in Jewish writings one can read these three together "the people, land and Torah of Israel". God gave a unique book of instruction to a unique people to be expressed in a unique land. On this the world stands. When any one of the three is replaced, the world becomes destabilized. I noticed this when reading 'A THIRD OF SECULAR ISRAELI JEWS WANT TO MOVE ABROAD' this morning.
This sentence caught my attention...
Hareidim - more representative of the Torah of Israel
Religious (Dati) - more representative of the Land of Israel
Traditional - more representative of the People of Israel
Secular - more representative of the State of Israel
The first three are connected to each other and see themselves as parts of the whole. But the secular are disconnected and see themselves as apart from the others, generally speaking. So, we see who it is who has the most difficulty with identity as a result and it ends with a willingness to abandon all.
Very often in Jewish writings one can read these three together "the people, land and Torah of Israel". God gave a unique book of instruction to a unique people to be expressed in a unique land. On this the world stands. When any one of the three is replaced, the world becomes destabilized. I noticed this when reading 'A THIRD OF SECULAR ISRAELI JEWS WANT TO MOVE ABROAD' this morning.
This sentence caught my attention...
"Masa Israeli is a nonprofit organization invested in reinforcing individual, Jewish and Zionist identities while strengthening the connection and sense of belonging to the people, land and State of Israel, as well as to the communities from which they come."I also noticed something else very interesting...
...Another finding of the poll concerns the sense of identity of Israeli Jews. Respondents were asked whether they categorize themselves as Jewish or Israeli. One hundred percent of haredim, 90.3% of religious and 82.9% of traditional respondents overwhelmingly saw themselves as Jewish first. The secular camp was divided, with 53% selecting Jewish and 43.6% Israeli (3% said they did not know ,and 4% chose neither).One might be able to make a case for the following idea...
Hareidim - more representative of the Torah of Israel
Religious (Dati) - more representative of the Land of Israel
Traditional - more representative of the People of Israel
Secular - more representative of the State of Israel
The first three are connected to each other and see themselves as parts of the whole. But the secular are disconnected and see themselves as apart from the others, generally speaking. So, we see who it is who has the most difficulty with identity as a result and it ends with a willingness to abandon all.
20 March 2017
Strategic "Friendship"
22 Adar 5777
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Do not trust enemies who bring you presents — they could very well be playing a trick. The saying is adapted from the words of Laocoon in the story of the Trojan horse."
Beware of Eisav declaiming friendship and brotherhood.
"Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.
Do not trust enemies who bring you presents — they could very well be playing a trick. The saying is adapted from the words of Laocoon in the story of the Trojan horse."
Beware of Eisav declaiming friendship and brotherhood.
The Pope is a genuine friend of the Jewish people
...He referred to his Jewish friendships from the time of his schooldays and said that since Christianity had grown from Judaism it was impossible to be antisemitic and remain a member of the church as the two were mutually exclusive and inconsistent.
Catholic and Papal Anti-Judaism. Rabbi Laras Sounds the Alarm
...authoritative representatives of Italian Judaism - like the chief rabbi of Rome, Riccardo Di Segni - have criticized Francis for the distorted use of the term “pharisee” or of the comparison with Moses to cast discredit on his adversaries. ...an undercurrent - with the text a bit more manifest now - of resentment, intolerance, and annoyance on the Christian side toward Judaism;....
Putin to Netanyahu: Israel, Russia 'Unconditional Allies In War Against Terror
Hizballah’s trust in Russia – strategic dilemma for Israel
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and IDF Intelligence Director Maj. Gen. Hertzl Halevi showed President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin maps depicting the various military movements ongoing in Syria, with the accent on an armored convoy of several hundred Hizballah troops driving out of their Syrian stronghold of Zabadani towards Mt. Hermon. The convoy was clearing a path by overrunning some 30 Syrian rebel villages on the Hermon slopes, which command the Syrian Golan town of Quneitra and the Israeli border.
This evidence demonstrated that Hizballah had developed a single military stratagem for threatening Israel-held Hermon, ruling central Golan and gearing up for battle to restore the entire Golan area to Syrian sovereignty under Hizballah control.
Netanyahu had hoped that Putin would agree to stop the Hizballah convoy and keep his promise not to let Iran and Hizballah deploy on the Israeli border. However, the Russian leader was unresponsive. Not only were Russian commanders in Syria not instructed to restrain Hizballah, they acted to persuade Syrian rebels on the Hermon and the Golan to surrender to he Lebanese Shiite invaders.Eisav cannot be trusted. He comes either with a sword or with a kiss and even the kiss turns into a bite on the neck. Eisav feigns friendship from an ulterior motive. Anyone who trusts or depends on him is doomed for hurt.
"Now, behold you have depended upon the support of this splintered reed, upon Egypt, upon whom a man will lean and it will go into his palm and puncture it; so is Pharaoh the king of Egypt to all those who trust in him." (Melachim II 18.21, Yeshayahu 36.6)And so it will be for all "Pharaoh's" for all times. To paraphrase Tehillim 20.8 - These trust in popes and these in presidents, but we - we mention the name of the Lord our God.
19 March 2017
Winds of War at Gale Force
21 Adar 5777
I can't imagine that any of my regular readers are not already aware, but for those who may have been too busy to keep up, here is a rundown of what has been transpiring over Purim Week as nations position themselves for whatever they are planning for the immediate future.
There was a lot of shuttling go on...
After just returning from a trip to Russia, Prime Minister Netanyahu is off to China today.
Other ominous movements...
I can't imagine that any of my regular readers are not already aware, but for those who may have been too busy to keep up, here is a rundown of what has been transpiring over Purim Week as nations position themselves for whatever they are planning for the immediate future.
There was a lot of shuttling go on...
Reuters March 16, 2017 - President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy [Jason Greenblatt] has spent the week shuttling between Jerusalem, Ramallah and the Jordanian capital Amman on his first official visit to the region,....
ABC March 15, 2017 - US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will arrive in Japan today... [His] three-country tour will also take in South Korea and China,....While in South Korea [Mar 17], SoS Tillerson (now) famously said "All options are on the table" with regard to North Korea's aggressive moves and posturing.
After just returning from a trip to Russia, Prime Minister Netanyahu is off to China today.
Other ominous movements...
Exclusive: Russia appears to deploy forces in Egypt, eyes on Libya role - sources Reuters March 14, 2017
Russia appears to have deployed special forces to an airbase in western Egypt near the border with Libya in recent days, U.S., Egyptian and diplomatic sources say, a move that would add to U.S. concerns about Moscow's deepening role in Libya.
Pakistan in talks with Saudi Arabia to send combat troops to protect the kingdom The National March 13, 2017
Plans are under way to dispatch a brigade-sized deployment following a request from Riyadh, which wants the troops as an emergency response force. A brigade is usually made up of between 1,500 and 3,500 troops.
Islamabad and Saudi Arabia have long had a close military and security relationship, with troops from Pakistan's large and combat-hardened army regularly deployed for training Saudi soldiers. Although the kingdom, like other Arab Gulf countries, does not make the numbers public, experts say there are as many as 70,000 Pakistanis serving across the Saudi military services at any one time.
But requests for Pakistani combat brigades have usually only been made during times of heightened tensions in the kingdom.
Israel launches large-scale call-up of military resources DEBKAfile March 19, 2017
With tension escalating in southern Israel following rocket fire from the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, the IDF Sunday declared the large-scale mobilization of military reserves, along with the start of a major home front exercise in the South. The IDF spokesman said the Southern Command exercise would simulate a variety of operational scenarios in the region.And outright threats...
Trump’s First War? ‘All Options Are On The Table’ As The U.S. And North Korea Prepare For The Second Korean War
North Korea "One Step Closer To ICBM Launch" After Successful Test Of "New Type" Rocket Engine
Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday morning that if Syria's antiaircraft weapons are fired at IAF aircraft again, as they were late last week, then the system will be destroyed "without hesitating twice". For more details on the IAF strike in Syria, the interception of a Syrian missile by Israel's Arrow air defense system, and the effect of the developments on Israel-Russia relations, see DEBKAfile's May 17 special report and May 18 exclusive report.
16 March 2017
"The Revelation of the Alefs"
19 Adar 5777
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa - Parah
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa - Parah
Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky
Parashat Ki Tisa: The Revelation of the Alefs
~ Shabbat shalom ~
14 March 2017
12 March 2017
11 March 2017
10 March 2017
"Could The Story Of Purim Happen In Our Days"
12 Adar 5777
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat shalom!
Could The Story Of Purim Happen In Our Days - Parsha Teruma
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Shabbat shalom!
Could The Story Of Purim Happen In Our Days - Parsha Teruma
09 March 2017
"A Feast and a Fast"
11 Adar 5777
Ta'anit Esther (observed)
As we read, it is necessary to examine ourselves to see if any remnant of this sin remains in our hearts. That's what fast days are all about - teshuvah. If we can correct ourselves without the need for the threat of punishment, then we have something to celebrate!
Why was annihilation decreed on the Jews of that generation? Because they enjoyed the feast of the wicked [King Achashverosh] Talmud, Megillah 12a
Was participating in the feast of Achashverosh so grave a sin that it deserved a decree of annihilation, G-d forbid? Indeed, the Book of Esther implies that it was no sin at all, even desirable and necessary. We are told that Achashverosh had instructed that no man be pressured to partake of any food or drink that did not agree with his constitution or his religious beliefs. He had even arranged for kosher food for his Jewish subjects, in full conformity with the exacting standards of none other than Mordechai himself![1]
And the Jewish people had many compelling reasons to attend the week-long banquet thrown by the king to celebrate the consolidation of his rule over the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. All residents of the capital were invited, and to turn down the royal invitation would have been a grievous insult—something that a small minority, scattered throughout the empire and threatened by many enemies, could ill afford to do. It is true that the Jews are not like the other nations of the world, whose fortune rises and falls with the political tide. In the words of the Talmud, “the people of Israel are not subject to ‘fate,’”[2] for they are under the singular province of G-d. Indeed, our millennia of survival as a “lone sheep surrounded by seventy wolves”[3] belies every law of history. But it is also true that we are commanded to construct a natural “vessel” through which the divine protection and blessing might flow.[4] Surely the Jews of Persia recalled the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah seventy years earlier, when they were first exiled from their homeland: “Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray for it… for in its peace shall you have peace.” [5]
In any case, even if there were something amiss in the Jewish attendance at the feast of Achashverosh, was this a transgression so terrible that it warranted Haman being given the prerogative to “annihilate, slaughter and destroy every Jew, young and old, women and children, in a single day”[6]?
Jews in Politics
But the problem was not that they participated in the feast; it was that “they enjoyed the feast” of the Emperor of Persia.
Certainly, the Jew in exile is commanded to employ the tools that, by natural criteria, aid his survival under foreign rule. But he must always remember that this is no more than a “vessel” for G-d’s protection. Politics, business, natural law—these are no more than a front, an elaborate façade which G-d desires that we construct to encase and disguise His supra-natural providence of our lives; they are not something to be revered, much less to get excited about.
But the Jews experienced joy at having been invited to Achashverosh’s feast. As they took their places among the Persians, Medians, Babylonians, Chaldeans and the other nationalities of the realm, they felt content and secure. After seventy years of exile, they had “made it”; they were now a member of equal standing in the family of nations at Achashverosh’s table, with glatt kosher dinners issuing from the royal kitchens.
With their joy, the Jews disavowed their uniqueness as a nation under the special protection of G-d. Their feelings demonstrated that they now perceived the niche they had carved for themselves in the good graces of an earthly emperor as the basis for their survival. But the world they so gleefully entered is a capricious one. One day a Jew, Mordechai, is a high-ranking minister in Achashverosh’s court and another Jew, Esther, is his favorite queen; a day later, Haman becomes prime minister and prevails upon Achashverosh to sign a decree of annihilation against the Jewish people.
The Reversal
When Mordechai informed Esther of Haman’s plans and enjoined her to use her influence with the king to annul the decree, Esther told him to “gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for my sake—do not eat or drink for three days, night and day; I and my maidens will likewise fast. Thus I shall go to the king, against the law…”[7]
It was forbidden, on pain of death, for anyone to go to the king unsummoned. Esther’s only chance was to charm the king into not killing her and to turn him against his favorite minister in favor of her people. The last thing for her to do under such circumstances was to approach the king looking like a woman who had not eaten for three days!
So dictate the norms of human nature and palace politics. But Esther recognized that the key to saving her people was to reestablish the relationship between G-d and Israel on its original, supra-natural terms. The Jews must repent their regression to a political people; they must draw on their only true resource—G-d’s love for them and His commitment to their survival. They must storm the gates of heaven with their fasting and prayer, and rouse His compassion for His people.
Of course, she must go to Achashverosh and do everything in her power to make him change his mind. But this is merely a formality. She must go through the motions of doing things the “normal” way because that is what G-d wants her to do—because this is the garment in which He chooses to cloak His salvation. But she will not appeal less fervently to G-d because she fears it will make her less attractive to Achashverosh—that would be like a soldier discarding his rifle because it creases his uniform.
Thus Esther rectified the error of those who enjoyed Achashverosh’s feast. They had exalted the façade, abandoning the essence of Jewish survival for the sake of the superficial vessel. Esther’s approach to dealing with the threat of Haman’s decree reiterated the true priority of the Jew, and evoked G-d’s reassertion of His singular providence over the fate of Israel.
Based on the Rebbe’s talks on Purim 5722 (1962) and 5727 (1967)[8]
By Yanki Tauber.
______________________
[1]. Esther 1:8; Targum ibid; Talmud, Megillah 12a.
[2]. Talmud, Shabbat 156a; et al.
[3]. Midrash Rabbah, Esther 10:11; et al.
[4]. Cf. Deuteronomy 15:18: “G-d will bless you in all that you will do”; see discourses on this verse by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Sefer HaMaamarim 5565, vol. II, p. 648; 5568, vol. I, p. 165), Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch (introduction to Derech HaChaim), Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (Derech Mitzvotecha, Mitzvat Tiglachat Metzora, ch. 2), and Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch (Kuntres U’Maayan, Maamar 17).
[5]. Jeremiah 29:7.
[6]. Esther 3:13.
[7]. Ibid., 4:16.
[8]. Likkutei Sichot, vol. XXXI, pp. 170-176.
Ta'anit Esther (observed)
As we read, it is necessary to examine ourselves to see if any remnant of this sin remains in our hearts. That's what fast days are all about - teshuvah. If we can correct ourselves without the need for the threat of punishment, then we have something to celebrate!
Why was annihilation decreed on the Jews of that generation? Because they enjoyed the feast of the wicked [King Achashverosh] Talmud, Megillah 12a
Was participating in the feast of Achashverosh so grave a sin that it deserved a decree of annihilation, G-d forbid? Indeed, the Book of Esther implies that it was no sin at all, even desirable and necessary. We are told that Achashverosh had instructed that no man be pressured to partake of any food or drink that did not agree with his constitution or his religious beliefs. He had even arranged for kosher food for his Jewish subjects, in full conformity with the exacting standards of none other than Mordechai himself![1]
And the Jewish people had many compelling reasons to attend the week-long banquet thrown by the king to celebrate the consolidation of his rule over the 127 provinces of the Persian Empire. All residents of the capital were invited, and to turn down the royal invitation would have been a grievous insult—something that a small minority, scattered throughout the empire and threatened by many enemies, could ill afford to do. It is true that the Jews are not like the other nations of the world, whose fortune rises and falls with the political tide. In the words of the Talmud, “the people of Israel are not subject to ‘fate,’”[2] for they are under the singular province of G-d. Indeed, our millennia of survival as a “lone sheep surrounded by seventy wolves”[3] belies every law of history. But it is also true that we are commanded to construct a natural “vessel” through which the divine protection and blessing might flow.[4] Surely the Jews of Persia recalled the words spoken by the prophet Jeremiah seventy years earlier, when they were first exiled from their homeland: “Seek the peace of the city to which I have exiled you, and pray for it… for in its peace shall you have peace.” [5]
In any case, even if there were something amiss in the Jewish attendance at the feast of Achashverosh, was this a transgression so terrible that it warranted Haman being given the prerogative to “annihilate, slaughter and destroy every Jew, young and old, women and children, in a single day”[6]?
Jews in Politics
But the problem was not that they participated in the feast; it was that “they enjoyed the feast” of the Emperor of Persia.
Certainly, the Jew in exile is commanded to employ the tools that, by natural criteria, aid his survival under foreign rule. But he must always remember that this is no more than a “vessel” for G-d’s protection. Politics, business, natural law—these are no more than a front, an elaborate façade which G-d desires that we construct to encase and disguise His supra-natural providence of our lives; they are not something to be revered, much less to get excited about.
But the Jews experienced joy at having been invited to Achashverosh’s feast. As they took their places among the Persians, Medians, Babylonians, Chaldeans and the other nationalities of the realm, they felt content and secure. After seventy years of exile, they had “made it”; they were now a member of equal standing in the family of nations at Achashverosh’s table, with glatt kosher dinners issuing from the royal kitchens.
With their joy, the Jews disavowed their uniqueness as a nation under the special protection of G-d. Their feelings demonstrated that they now perceived the niche they had carved for themselves in the good graces of an earthly emperor as the basis for their survival. But the world they so gleefully entered is a capricious one. One day a Jew, Mordechai, is a high-ranking minister in Achashverosh’s court and another Jew, Esther, is his favorite queen; a day later, Haman becomes prime minister and prevails upon Achashverosh to sign a decree of annihilation against the Jewish people.
The Reversal
When Mordechai informed Esther of Haman’s plans and enjoined her to use her influence with the king to annul the decree, Esther told him to “gather all the Jews who are in Shushan, and fast for my sake—do not eat or drink for three days, night and day; I and my maidens will likewise fast. Thus I shall go to the king, against the law…”[7]
It was forbidden, on pain of death, for anyone to go to the king unsummoned. Esther’s only chance was to charm the king into not killing her and to turn him against his favorite minister in favor of her people. The last thing for her to do under such circumstances was to approach the king looking like a woman who had not eaten for three days!
So dictate the norms of human nature and palace politics. But Esther recognized that the key to saving her people was to reestablish the relationship between G-d and Israel on its original, supra-natural terms. The Jews must repent their regression to a political people; they must draw on their only true resource—G-d’s love for them and His commitment to their survival. They must storm the gates of heaven with their fasting and prayer, and rouse His compassion for His people.
Of course, she must go to Achashverosh and do everything in her power to make him change his mind. But this is merely a formality. She must go through the motions of doing things the “normal” way because that is what G-d wants her to do—because this is the garment in which He chooses to cloak His salvation. But she will not appeal less fervently to G-d because she fears it will make her less attractive to Achashverosh—that would be like a soldier discarding his rifle because it creases his uniform.
Thus Esther rectified the error of those who enjoyed Achashverosh’s feast. They had exalted the façade, abandoning the essence of Jewish survival for the sake of the superficial vessel. Esther’s approach to dealing with the threat of Haman’s decree reiterated the true priority of the Jew, and evoked G-d’s reassertion of His singular providence over the fate of Israel.
Based on the Rebbe’s talks on Purim 5722 (1962) and 5727 (1967)[8]
By Yanki Tauber.
______________________
[1]. Esther 1:8; Targum ibid; Talmud, Megillah 12a.
[2]. Talmud, Shabbat 156a; et al.
[3]. Midrash Rabbah, Esther 10:11; et al.
[4]. Cf. Deuteronomy 15:18: “G-d will bless you in all that you will do”; see discourses on this verse by Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi (Sefer HaMaamarim 5565, vol. II, p. 648; 5568, vol. I, p. 165), Rabbi DovBer of Lubavitch (introduction to Derech HaChaim), Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (Derech Mitzvotecha, Mitzvat Tiglachat Metzora, ch. 2), and Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch (Kuntres U’Maayan, Maamar 17).
[5]. Jeremiah 29:7.
[6]. Esther 3:13.
[7]. Ibid., 4:16.
[8]. Likkutei Sichot, vol. XXXI, pp. 170-176.
08 March 2017
The Bridge Between Jews and Christians
11 Adar 5777
In this generation, however, our enemies are joining forces to finish us from this world. And there are Jews who are offering them every assistance and inroad; who are building bridges for the invading hordes.
His Yeshiva for the Nations in Beit Shemesh claims it "is an Orthodox institution, governed in accordance with Jewish law. All course offerings, both on-line and residential, are taught by Orthodox Jews from Israel" offering "authentic Jewish education to students who are not Jewish."
Under "Staff" we see...
Faculty:
Rabbi Elan Adler
Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
Rabbi Yishai Fleisher
Rabbi Moshe Lichtman
Sharon Niv
Administration:
Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler, Academic Dean
Donna Jollay, Co-Founder
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Co-Founder
Despite 3500 years of Jewish history and scholarship in which it was forbidden to teach Torah to non-Jews and it was forbidden to foster interfaith relations, suddenly an entire swathe of Anglo Jewry in Eretz Yisrael has taken it upon themselves to throw it all out in the name of all of us.
And these are not even righteous non-Jews we are talking about, but professing, believing Christians.
So she is Co-Founder with Tuly Weisz of the Yeshiva for the Nations and a reporter for Breaking Israel News and her facebook page says she is also Director of Christian Relations at Israel365. That means she is involved at a very high level with all of Tuly Weisz's interfaith projects.
This is no less than the One-World Religion of the Pope!
"In each and every generation they rise up against us to destroy us."
In this generation, however, our enemies are joining forces to finish us from this world. And there are Jews who are offering them every assistance and inroad; who are building bridges for the invading hordes.
...the Erev Rav are brazen, which means that they won't accept any suggestion that they are doing anything wrong, and they will justify their evil deeds with any amount of lies, evasion, intimidation and other manipulative behaviours.
...If we don't actively fight against their evil influence and ideas, then we end up helping them, and the Vilna Gaon tells us it would then have been better for us if we hadn't been born in the first place.
...Rabbi Simcha Issaschar Ber Halberstam, the Divre Simcha, explains that even the 'good' that the Erev Rav do has to be rejected.
Rav Halberstam is teaching us that prior to Moshiach coming, one of our main jobs will be to split off from, and reject, the Erev Rav, even if they are apparently doing 'good' things.
In particular, the Erev Rav are obsessed with 'making peace' at any price, and will bully others mercilessly to get them to acquiesce to their plans.And "making peace" does not just refer to deals to trade land for 'peace' with the Arabs, but even more perniciously to make 'peace' with Christianity!
Jews "Partnering" With Christians in Our Holy Land
Some highlights...
- Accommodations and meals will be offered at the HaYovel "campus" on Har Brachah.
- Sunrise on Har Kabir in Elon Moreh.
- Itamar with Batya Sela.
- Shabbat with Jeremy Gimpel and "Friends".
- Torah teaching with Avraham Hermon.
- "Volunteering" at the farm with Gimpel and Abramowitz.
- Touring with Yossi Maimon.
- Shiloh with David Rubin.
- "All-night Bible study" with Ari Abramowitz and "friends".
- Lars Enarson participating from Jerusalem.
- Hebron with Israel Chaiken.
- Chocolate Factory with Joe Zander.
- Shomron Speaker: Ezra Yakhin (Elnakam)
- Shechem Overlook with Nir Lavi.
[If you know or have any influence with any of the names listed by HaYovel, do them a favor and warn them about what they are involved with.]
Prophecy in the News Conference with Breaking Israel News. (Tuly Weisz)
Torah study with Yeshiva for the Nations. (Tuly Weisz)
Volunteer at Jerusalem area Soup Kitchen with Israel 365.(Tuly Weisz)
Prophecy in the News Conference with Breaking Israel News. (Tuly Weisz)
Torah study with Yeshiva for the Nations. (Tuly Weisz)
Volunteer at Jerusalem area Soup Kitchen with Israel 365.(Tuly Weisz)
Event for Holocaust Survivors with Israel365 and Return Ministries.(Tuly Weisz)
("Return Ministries encourages Jews and Christians to work together to fulfill God's plans and purposes for Israel and the nations according to the Word of God.")
Tuly Weisz seems to want to be the primary shadchan between the Christians and the Jews.
"Rabbi Naphtali “Tuly” Weisz is the publisher of Breaking Israel News. He attended Yeshiva University (BA), Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (Rabbinic Ordination) and the Benjamin Cardozo School of Law (JD) and served as the Rabbi of the Beth Jacob Congregation in Columbus, Ohio." ("Return Ministries encourages Jews and Christians to work together to fulfill God's plans and purposes for Israel and the nations according to the Word of God.")
Tuly Weisz seems to want to be the primary shadchan between the Christians and the Jews.
Who Is Tuly Weisz?
His Yeshiva for the Nations in Beit Shemesh claims it "is an Orthodox institution, governed in accordance with Jewish law. All course offerings, both on-line and residential, are taught by Orthodox Jews from Israel" offering "authentic Jewish education to students who are not Jewish."
Under "Staff" we see...
Faculty:
Rabbi Elan Adler
Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf
Rabbi Yishai Fleisher
Rabbi Moshe Lichtman
Sharon Niv
Administration:
Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler, Academic Dean
Donna Jollay, Co-Founder
Rabbi Tuly Weisz, Co-Founder
Despite 3500 years of Jewish history and scholarship in which it was forbidden to teach Torah to non-Jews and it was forbidden to foster interfaith relations, suddenly an entire swathe of Anglo Jewry in Eretz Yisrael has taken it upon themselves to throw it all out in the name of all of us.
And these are not even righteous non-Jews we are talking about, but professing, believing Christians.
Who Is Donna Jollay?
"Donna is a hi-tech entrepreneur, philanthropist, and most dear to her heart, a deeply committed Christian Zionist. ...Donna has dedicated her life to bridging the Christian and Jewish communities."So she is Co-Founder with Tuly Weisz of the Yeshiva for the Nations and a reporter for Breaking Israel News and her facebook page says she is also Director of Christian Relations at Israel365. That means she is involved at a very high level with all of Tuly Weisz's interfaith projects.
On Mt. Zion, Jews and Christians Unite By Abra Forman
...Rabbi Tuly Weisz met with a group of American college students visiting Israel with the Christian organization Eagles’ Wings on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem.
...Rabbi Weisz spoke to the group at the historical building of the Diaspora Yeshiva, established on Mt. Zion in 1966 by Rabbi Mordechai Goldstein, who came to Jerusalem from America with 200 of his students. His son, Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein, who is deeply involved in running the yeshiva, also addressed the group.
“Mt. Zion is the only place in the world that accepts all three religions – Jews, Muslims and Christians,” said Rabbi Goldstein. “On this one hill, there’s a synagogue, a church and a mosque. Everyone is welcome.”
...Joining the group was prominent Christian Zionist Donna Jollay, who shared a teaching....
Working with Christian activists and organizations like Eagles’ Wings, the Yeshiva of the Nations will offer opportunities in Israel for Christians who want to learn more about their religion and how it connects to the Holy Land."...prior to Moshiach coming, one of our main jobs will be to split off from, and reject, the Erev Rav,...." Those who want to mix Jews with non-Jews and bring them and their Christian tumah into our Holy Land.
This is no less than the One-World Religion of the Pope!
07 March 2017
Jewish Government - Part 5 (Final)
10 Adar 5777
The anti-Torah forces in Eretz Yisrael have struck another blow to the Torah-abiding public.
Israeli Army Inducts Third Mixed-gender Combat Unit
The Israel Defense Forces is expanding the number of female combat soldiers and establishing a third mixed-gender light infantry combat battalion. The first recruits for the new unit, which will comprise half of men and half of women, enlisted on Sunday.
According to another source...
"[A senior] official stated that the IDF chose a religious officer from the Shomron (Samaria) for the controversial unit as part of the IDF spokesman's plan to "change viewpoints" within Religious Zionism and to cause young religious people to enlist without fear of modesty issues during the course of their military service. There is no way to avoid modesty issues in mixed units, so the IDF is attempting to downplay their importance."
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, continuing...
If the government or a Jewish king establishes a law or decree against Torah law, the laws of G-d, we are duty-bound to reject it. The issue here is not Jews rebelling against the government and breaking the law, but Jews seeking to uphold the law and rebelling against a government which breaks the law and tries to keep Jews from living by it.
It is forbidden to obey a governmental decree or law which opposes G-d's Torah, and obviously, it is forbidden to aid these sinners in implementing it. Rambam wrote (Hilchot Rotzeach 12:14):
...A king or any other ruler over Israel derives his chief authority from the Torah. He is forever subject to G-d and Torah, and let him not even think about rebelling against G-d, the Supreme King of Kings.
...It is fitting to ask whether the Torah, indeed, commanded that there be a monarchy, rule by an individual. It would seem that the Torah did so, for we have seen that when the time came to choose a ruler over Israel after Moses died, Moses said to Joshua, "Be strong and brave, for you will come with [תבוא את] this nation to the Land" (Deut. 31:7). by contrast, when G-d addressed Joshua, he said, "Be strong and brave, for you will bring [תביא] Israel to the Land (Ibid., v. 23). Our sages comment (Sanhedrin 8a):
Sefer HaChinuch wrote (Mitzvah 71 [77]):
...The king or ruler is obligated to view himself as G-d's representative to herd His holy flock, Israel, and to conduct himself with them in ways that will be beneficial to them, and all in accordance with the ways of the Torah.... (Source)
If you think about it, the whole world was still living under monarchy until the American colonies rebelled against the King of England and set up self-rule. This spirit of rebellion underlies everything "American" and it spread from there. No one believes anyone else has the "right" to tell them what to do and this extends to HKB"H! Today, the idea of rebellion against authority is so ingrained, it is difficult to imagine how the Davidic Monarchy will be re-established. Nonetheless, it will. From the looks of the situation in America today, it could be that democracy has just about run its course. Maybe when it's all over, people will be ready for a real change - the survivors, that is. Either way, it's coming.
[If you are a facebook user, I invite you to join a discussion about Restoring the Monarchy to Israel.]
The anti-Torah forces in Eretz Yisrael have struck another blow to the Torah-abiding public.
Israeli Army Inducts Third Mixed-gender Combat Unit
The Israel Defense Forces is expanding the number of female combat soldiers and establishing a third mixed-gender light infantry combat battalion. The first recruits for the new unit, which will comprise half of men and half of women, enlisted on Sunday.
According to another source...
"[A senior] official stated that the IDF chose a religious officer from the Shomron (Samaria) for the controversial unit as part of the IDF spokesman's plan to "change viewpoints" within Religious Zionism and to cause young religious people to enlist without fear of modesty issues during the course of their military service. There is no way to avoid modesty issues in mixed units, so the IDF is attempting to downplay their importance."
~~~
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, continuing...
If the government or a Jewish king establishes a law or decree against Torah law, the laws of G-d, we are duty-bound to reject it. The issue here is not Jews rebelling against the government and breaking the law, but Jews seeking to uphold the law and rebelling against a government which breaks the law and tries to keep Jews from living by it.
It is forbidden to obey a governmental decree or law which opposes G-d's Torah, and obviously, it is forbidden to aid these sinners in implementing it. Rambam wrote (Hilchot Rotzeach 12:14):
Whoever makes a blind man stumble by giving him inappropriate advice, or gives strength and encouragement to sinners, blind people who do not see the way of truth due to the desire in their heart, violates a negative precept: "Do not place a stumbling block before the blind." (Lev. 19:14)....a king's appointment is conditional on his following the path of Torah and mitzvot. Otherwise, it is forbidden to appoint him king or ruler over Israel. Rambam wrote this explicitly (Ibid., 1:7): "Whoever lacks the fear of G-d, although he be exceedingly wise, cannot be appointed to any position of authority over Israel."
...A king or any other ruler over Israel derives his chief authority from the Torah. He is forever subject to G-d and Torah, and let him not even think about rebelling against G-d, the Supreme King of Kings.
...It is fitting to ask whether the Torah, indeed, commanded that there be a monarchy, rule by an individual. It would seem that the Torah did so, for we have seen that when the time came to choose a ruler over Israel after Moses died, Moses said to Joshua, "Be strong and brave, for you will come with [תבוא את] this nation to the Land" (Deut. 31:7). by contrast, when G-d addressed Joshua, he said, "Be strong and brave, for you will bring [תביא] Israel to the Land (Ibid., v. 23). Our sages comment (Sanhedrin 8a):
Why does it first say, "for you will come with" and then, "for you will bring"? R. Yochanan answered: Moses said, "You and the elders of the generation with them," but G-d said, "Take a staff and smite their skulls. There must be one leader to the generation, not two."We see that G-d, in His great understanding of human nature, knew that rule by the many would in time of crises lead to paralysis and total chaos, and to an effort by those who wish to rule, to flatter the people and promise them all kinds of gratuities which would spell tragedy for the people and the state. G-d, therefore, decreed, "One leader" - only one - who will be able to rule and to force the people to follow a certain path. That way, the people and the state will be spared the sorrows of licentiousness which are the lot of the regime with many leaders. "Too many cooks..."
Sefer HaChinuch wrote (Mitzvah 71 [77]):
The rationale for this mitzvah is that it is impossible to maintain a human society without one person being appointed ruler over the rest, so that they do his bidding and fulfill his decrees. People think differently from one another, and they will never all agree to one course of action. The result will be that they will accomplish nothing. They must, therefore, accept the view of one of them, whether good or bad, so that they can succeed and carry on normal affairs. Sometimes the ruler's counsel and wishes will prove beneficial and sometimes the opposite. All this is better than the total breakdown caused by controversy.This is clearly the type of regime G-d desired; and when there is a prophet and Sanhedrin together with the king who stands at their head, they comprise a Torah regime of "one leader to the generation, not two."
...The king or ruler is obligated to view himself as G-d's representative to herd His holy flock, Israel, and to conduct himself with them in ways that will be beneficial to them, and all in accordance with the ways of the Torah.... (Source)
~~~ END of SERIES~~~
If you think about it, the whole world was still living under monarchy until the American colonies rebelled against the King of England and set up self-rule. This spirit of rebellion underlies everything "American" and it spread from there. No one believes anyone else has the "right" to tell them what to do and this extends to HKB"H! Today, the idea of rebellion against authority is so ingrained, it is difficult to imagine how the Davidic Monarchy will be re-established. Nonetheless, it will. From the looks of the situation in America today, it could be that democracy has just about run its course. Maybe when it's all over, people will be ready for a real change - the survivors, that is. Either way, it's coming.
[If you are a facebook user, I invite you to join a discussion about Restoring the Monarchy to Israel.]
Separation Is The Key to Redemption
9 Adar 5777
Since the drive of the common culture today is just the opposite - to mix Jews and non-Jews - it is worth reviewing what Judaism actually teaches on the subject.
[See here, here, here and here.]
Some misguided Jews like to cite King Solomon's example of relations with non-Jews as a proof-text in favor of this sort of thing.
Our Tanach recounts the stories of our ancestors and great though they were, they still made mistakes and errors in judgment. The Tanach does not shy away from including those, too. That's why, when choosing which traits of theirs we should emulate, we need to read and study carefully to understand when they did the right thing and when they didn't. We don't want to follow their bad examples out of ignorance.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov had something to say about this...
Just know that those who are willingly working towards unity with non-Jews are not helping to bring the redemption as they suppose, but instead are actively working against it.
Since the drive of the common culture today is just the opposite - to mix Jews and non-Jews - it is worth reviewing what Judaism actually teaches on the subject.
[See here, here, here and here.]
Some misguided Jews like to cite King Solomon's example of relations with non-Jews as a proof-text in favor of this sort of thing.
Our Tanach recounts the stories of our ancestors and great though they were, they still made mistakes and errors in judgment. The Tanach does not shy away from including those, too. That's why, when choosing which traits of theirs we should emulate, we need to read and study carefully to understand when they did the right thing and when they didn't. We don't want to follow their bad examples out of ignorance.
Rebbe Nachman of Breslov had something to say about this...
"....during first Temple times, when peace reigned in the world, King Solomon personally traveled far and wide, and sent emissaries to foreign countries, in an effort to spread God's Word. Solomon sought to love all human beings, by virtue of their being God's creatures, hoping that this would bring about a union of hearts and enable him to have an impact on their spirituality. However, when you truly love someone and care for him, you become aware of his or her thoughts (Imrei Pinchas, Inyanim Shonim 72). Thus, gentile thoughts entered Solomon's mind. He did not realize that the thoughts of the foreign wives he had taken had poisoned his holy thinking. Furthermore, the very struggle to lift someone out of the mud will inevitably dirty your own clothes. Thus, the very desire to rouse the buried holiness in the gentiles roused the gentile desire to bury the Jewish people in unholiness (Likuty Moharan I, 59:1; Resisey Lailah 57, p. 83d)." (Chanukah with Rebbe Nachman of Breslav)
"So if you want to bring others close, you must be protected from negative influence. You must become aware of all your thoughts, learn how to assess your intentions, and become sensitive to any subtle changes that may occur within you. In short, you must judge yourself. Furthermore, not everyone can be brought close to God, and certainly not all the time. Judgement and discerning is required to know who can and when (Likutey Mohoran I, 59:5-6:Likutey Halakhot, Geirim 3:26), because even compassion for all of mankind is sometimes inappropriate (Likutey Moharan II, 7:1)." (Chanukah with Rebbe Nachman of Breslov)"At the point in time when we, as a people, are at the lowest spiritual level ever and least able to protect ourselves against gentile influence, just now is when it seems like every other Jew in the world is reaching out to make alliances with non-Jews and seeking to bring non-Jews ever closer. Who today can compare himself to King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived and yet he erred specifically in this area.
Just know that those who are willingly working towards unity with non-Jews are not helping to bring the redemption as they suppose, but instead are actively working against it.
05 March 2017
Who Actually Thought Trump Would Be Different: Not Me!
8 Adar 5777
Revealed: Tony Blair's secret White House summit as he launches astonishing bid to work for Donald Trump... as his Middle East peace envoy
- Blair attended a secret meeting at the White House to discuss working for Trump
- Held talks with Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner this week
- The former PM and Kushner have met three times in secret since September
Blair and Kushner have discussed a role for the former Prime Minister in achieving what Trump has described as ‘the ultimate deal’ – peace in the Middle East. As a British citizen Blair would not be permitted to have a formal job in the US Government, but the President could give him a role as an adviser.
- Could setback Theresa May’s hopes of forging ‘special relationship’ with Trump
Blair was peace envoy for the ‘Quartet’ from 2007 to 2015. But he made little progress and was dogged by claims that he was ‘too close’ to the Israelis. When he stepped down, he was said to have been ‘frustrated’ by his limited role in helping the Palestinians.
Blair’s appeal to the Trump administration is believed to be his vastly greater knowledge of the Middle East than Kushner’s.
A well-placed source said Blair’s role could be as Kushner’s senior adviser: ‘Blair has been pitching hard for this job and Trump’s people are taking him very seriously.’ (DailyMail)And if you need reminding...
Blair explains conversion to Catholicism
Former PM tells Italian audience that church can make globalisation 'our servant, not our master, lit by God's love and paved by God's grace'
..."In seeking this path of truth, lit by God's love and paved by God's grace, the church can be the insistent spiritual voice that makes globalisation our servant, not our master."
~~~
The Tony Blair Faith Foundation
We provide practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism in order to promote open-minded and stable societies.
...But we believe that the world faces a stark choice. Closed mindedness, where globalisation is seen as a threat and diversity and difference as a danger. Or the alternative open-minded approach to others, which can lead to tolerant and stable societies.
We provide practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism in order to promote open-minded and stable societies.
The battle is focused on combating the intractable mindset of extremist religious groups. Their resistance to the concept of different religions understanding each other and working together as a force for positive social change must be challenged. The work we do, and the work of many others, is not just about the uprooting of terrorism, but the uprooting of the thinking and philosophy behind it. There is no answer to this problem that doesn't start, and continue, with the importance of educating our young people and exposing them to others' views.
There is no issue that is more pressing. In the longer term, the only answer is to educate the future generation to an open-minded view of the world. The 21st Century will not face the same struggle around political ideology that dominated the 20th Century, but there is a real danger that conflict around religious ideology replaces that struggle in an equally devastating form. Our prospects for peace rely on understanding the many forces at play and confronting those which affront an open and just society. We have got to show people that we have got a better idea than the extremists have – to learn from each other and live with each other.Before you understand how this threatens the Torah-observant Jewish world, you have to look past the obvious allusions to Islamic terrorism and imagine how this could just as easily be applied against Jews who insist on adhering to Torah law.
"Evangelical Christians Don't Proselytize Jews"
8 Adar 5777
He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Christian bible)
Proselytize - to convert or attempt to convert as a proselyte; recruit.
Evangelize - to convert to Christianity.
Most Jews just don't get it. Proselytizing is the duty of every Christian. And every Christian serious about his faith engages in it. Jews would be very surprised to know the lengths that a Christian will go to in order to "win" one soul; the time and patience they are willing to invest.
The Christian bible describes the process in agricultural terms - planting and harvesting. One person might plant a seed with a good deed and it might be months or even years later before it grows into something that will bear fruit. But, they very much anticipate the "reaping of a harvest" one day. HaYovel Ministries which provides 'free' Christian labor to Israeli farmers is very big on this idea.
Jews who are involved with this group and others like it, want to believe the Christians are investing all their resources into Jewish causes with no ulterior motive whatsoever. They refuse to accept that all these 'good deeds' have strings attached; that the Christians have been patiently building relationships across the Jewish world with an aim towards eventually introducing them to J----.
EvangelismCoach - Relational Evangelism
There are many different personal evangelism methods being taught these days....
Friendship evangelism is often defined around “earning the right to be heard.” Build an intentional relationship, earn credibility, and wait for spiritual conversation to come about. When the topic of faith comes up, you’ve earned the right to share your faith in Christ.
...I look at relational evangelism this way:
Living in such a way that your faith is obvious AND being intentional in talking about the gospel in the context of intentional relationships. The gospel spreads through credible witnesses in the context of personal relationships over the course of time, with intentionality on the part of the Christian believer.When Christians give gifts of money, political support or free labor, they are attempting to build within the Jew a feeling of obligation whose pay-off will eventually result in an opportunity to "share" their faith. The key is to get the Jew to ask, because if they merely answer questions which the Jew himself initiates, they do not consider this to be proselytizing.
This email exchange which I recently received is a good example of this technique:
Shalom Devash,
Might I first start off by acknowledging my love of your name. Nothing is as 'sweet as honey' as another who loves our Lord, [yud-kay-vav-kay], and His Mashiach -- of whom we patiently await His coming.
I have been a follower for almost a year and truly appreciate your blog. I enjoy reading your posts and have gained a greater understanding of the imminency of His coming through several posts of yours. I have also gained a greater understanding of the great State of Israel, and the view of Orthodox beliefs through the various things you post.
I am recently back from Israel myself, having spent 9 months there - and I just fell in love with it. It is such an amazing land….. and I cannot wait to return!!
However, in my time there I have learned a few things that have been eye opening for me... and I believe would be for you as well. And so I would like to know if you would wish to engage in a bit of correspondence, so that I might share. I do not want to send anything unsolicited, so I look forward to hearing back to learn of an interest in opening up a conversation.
All the best, Lover of HaMashiachI replied: "Wow, 9 months in Israel! How did you ever manage that?" He responded in part...
My initial interest to go to the Holy Land was laid by a combination of factors...teachings of my Rabbi; teachings from those searching the Torah Codes; and finally the experience of Natan on Sukkot 2015...
However, once I got there I started being exposed to more... The Truth of HaShem. Which is why I reached out....
You too seem to be on your quest of discovery of the Truth as well, and I thought I might be able to share... In fact, there is a man in the Old City of Jerusalem that I met, who like the late righteous man of God, Rabbi Yitzhak Kaduri, had a visit from the Mashiach in a vision --- and who loves to share his story! (I will share with you his information so that you can meet him yourself as well)
First though, I would want to lay a groundwork of understanding. I am only interested in sharing Truth.
If you are in agreement that the א is The Most High's letter.... Then I can certainly be in a place to start sharing. I do have a bit that, as I said, would be eye opening, and so if your heart is open to challenging preconceptions, let me know.....
Shalom, -----I replied with two questions. I asked for the name of his "rabbi" and the name of his contact in the Old City. There was no further response from him. I have no doubt he's a Christian seeking an 'in' to make his case.
This is the same deceptive tactic used by Christians the world over:
- Establish contact
- Gush a bit to win favor
- Start looking for common ground on which to open a relationship
- Seek an invitation to engage
- Begin to "share"
So, YES! Evangelical Christians - ALL Christians - proselytize. Jews, beware!