16 Nisan 5778
Chol hamoed Pesach
Yom echad of the Omer
Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't Jews usually get their own separate holiday message from the President, without being coupled with the Xians? Is this a significant departure from the usual custom? Is it designed to link us as two parts of one whole? I find it as offensive as if he had plopped an Easter ham down on the seder table alongside the matzah and maror. I don't care if he issues a holiday message to Jews or not, but if he is going to do it, please leave out all the Xian references. It's as treif for Passover as a ham sandwich on white bread. Can't help wondering if Pence wrote this speech.
31 March 2018
30 March 2018
REMINDER! Praying for Mashiach While Burning the Chametz
14 Nisan 5778
Erev Shabbat - Pesach
Rabbi Yehudah Richter brings the following ideas which he encountered in Rabbi Avraham Biderman's Haggadah, "Be'er HaChayim", pages 36-37:
The three-hour period during which chametz is burned on Erev Pesach is spiritually very high. While Klal Yisrael is burning the chametz, Hashem is burning all the evil in the world. As a result, a very high level of purity descends to the world.
During the Hoshanot [save us] prayers on Sukkot, we pray to be saved during "the three hours." What are these three hours that we are worried about? According to many sages, this is alluding to the three-hour Gog uMagog world war that will take place during the three-hour period allotted to burn the chametz on Erev Pesach.
This three-hour time period is also a sha'at ratzon [a time of favor] during which it is advantageous to pray for Mashiach and geulah, as well as any personal requests. Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk wrote a "Tefillah Lifney HaTefillah" [A Prayer Before the Prayer] which is appropriate to say during this time.
May it please You, our Lord, God of our fathers, who hears the outcry of pleas and listens to the voice of the prayers of His people, Israel, with mercy, to prepare our hearts, establish our thoughts, and send our prayers in our mouths. Do lend Your ear to the voice of the prayer of Your servants, who pray to You with an outcry and a broken spirit.
You, merciful God, with Thy great mercy and graciousness, pardon, forgive, and atone for us and for the whole of Your people, House of Israel, all that we have sinned, perverted, condemned, and transgressed before You.
It is known to You that it is not at all with rebellion and deceit that we have defied You and the words of Your Law and Your Commandments. Rather, it is for the perpetual, unyielding, burning inclination within us, which brings us to the lusts of this lowly world and its vanities. It consistently baffles our minds, even when we wish to pray before You and beg for our souls. Time and time again, it confounds our thoughts with its ploys. And we cannot prevail over it, for our minds and reasons have grown so weak that the strength to endure has withered, from the troubles, the hardships, and the length of time.
Hence, You, Oh Merciful and Gracious God, do to us as You have promised us through Your trusted one: “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Our sages said, “Although he is not seemly and is not worthy,” for this is Your way: to be good to the bad and to the good. Our sighs, our sorrow, and our conversations of our inability to bring ourselves closer to Your work, to truly cleave unto You are all known to You. Woe unto our souls; indeed, woe unto us.
Our Father in Heaven, now do awaken Your great and gracious mercy upon us, banish and root out our evil inclination from within us, and scold it so it will depart us and will not stray us from Your Work. Let no evil thought rise in our hearts, when we are awake and in the night’s dream, too, and especially when we stand in prayer before You or when we study Your law. And while we engage in Your Commandments, let our thoughts be truly clear, lucid, sound, and as strong as Your good will for us.
Do awaken our hearts and the hearts of all of Israel, Your people, to unite with You in earnest truth and with love, to sincerely serve You, as it pleases Your Throne. And do fix Your Faith in our hearts forever and ever, and let Your Faith be tied to our hearts as a stake that will not fall, and remove all the screens that separate between us and You.
Our Father in Heaven, save us from all the failures and the errors; do not leave us, do not abandon us, and do not shame us. Be with our mouths when we speak, with our hands when we work, and with our hearts when we think. Grant us, our Father in Heaven, Merciful God, with devoting our hearts, our thoughts, our words, and our actions and all our movements and feelings, those that are known and those that are not known to us, the revealed and the concealed, to You alone, sincerely, without any ill thought.
Purify our hearts and sanctify us; throw upon us pure water and purify us with Your love and compassion, and plant Your love and fear in our hearts forever, with no end, at all times and at all places: when we walk, when we lay, and when we rise. And let the spirit of Your Holiness always burn within us.
We always rely on You, Your greatness, Your love, the fear of You, and Your law, written and oral, revealed and concealed, and Your Commandments, to unite with Your Mighty and Aweful Name. And guard us from prejudice, pride, anger, and pedantry, sadness, gossip, and other vices, and from anything that lessens Your Holy and Pure Work, which we so care for.
Impart the spirit of Your Holiness upon us so we may cleave unto You and crave You always, more and more. And raise us from degree to degree so we may come to the merit of our holy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May their virtue help us, and You will hear the voice of our prayers, so we will always be answered when we pray unto You, for us or for any one of Your people, Israel, one or many.
Rejoice and be proud of us, and we will bear fruit Above and root below. And remember not our sins, and especially the sins of our youth, as King David said, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.” Do turn our transgressions and sins to merits, and always impart upon us—from the world of repentance—thoughts of wholeheartedly returning unto You, to correct that which we have blemished in Your Holy and Pure Names.
Do save us from envy of one another, and let no envy for others come into our hearts, nor our envy of others. Rather, let our hearts see the virtues of our friends, and not their faults. And let us speak to each other in a way that is seemly and worthy before You, and let no hatred rise in one towards another, God forbid.
Brace our ties of love to You, as it is known to You, that all will be for bringing contentment unto You. This is our foremost aim. And should we not have the wit to aim our hearts to You, You will teach us, so we may truly know the aim of Your good will.
And for all that, Merciful and Gracious God, we pray before You to accept our prayers with mercy and good will. Amen, would that be so.
Erev Shabbat - Pesach
Rabbi Yehudah Richter brings the following ideas which he encountered in Rabbi Avraham Biderman's Haggadah, "Be'er HaChayim", pages 36-37:
The three-hour period during which chametz is burned on Erev Pesach is spiritually very high. While Klal Yisrael is burning the chametz, Hashem is burning all the evil in the world. As a result, a very high level of purity descends to the world.
During the Hoshanot [save us] prayers on Sukkot, we pray to be saved during "the three hours." What are these three hours that we are worried about? According to many sages, this is alluding to the three-hour Gog uMagog world war that will take place during the three-hour period allotted to burn the chametz on Erev Pesach.
This three-hour time period is also a sha'at ratzon [a time of favor] during which it is advantageous to pray for Mashiach and geulah, as well as any personal requests. Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk wrote a "Tefillah Lifney HaTefillah" [A Prayer Before the Prayer] which is appropriate to say during this time.
A Prayer Before a Prayer
Noam Elimelech - Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk
May it please You, our Lord, God of our fathers, who hears the outcry of pleas and listens to the voice of the prayers of His people, Israel, with mercy, to prepare our hearts, establish our thoughts, and send our prayers in our mouths. Do lend Your ear to the voice of the prayer of Your servants, who pray to You with an outcry and a broken spirit.
You, merciful God, with Thy great mercy and graciousness, pardon, forgive, and atone for us and for the whole of Your people, House of Israel, all that we have sinned, perverted, condemned, and transgressed before You.
It is known to You that it is not at all with rebellion and deceit that we have defied You and the words of Your Law and Your Commandments. Rather, it is for the perpetual, unyielding, burning inclination within us, which brings us to the lusts of this lowly world and its vanities. It consistently baffles our minds, even when we wish to pray before You and beg for our souls. Time and time again, it confounds our thoughts with its ploys. And we cannot prevail over it, for our minds and reasons have grown so weak that the strength to endure has withered, from the troubles, the hardships, and the length of time.
Hence, You, Oh Merciful and Gracious God, do to us as You have promised us through Your trusted one: “And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Our sages said, “Although he is not seemly and is not worthy,” for this is Your way: to be good to the bad and to the good. Our sighs, our sorrow, and our conversations of our inability to bring ourselves closer to Your work, to truly cleave unto You are all known to You. Woe unto our souls; indeed, woe unto us.
Our Father in Heaven, now do awaken Your great and gracious mercy upon us, banish and root out our evil inclination from within us, and scold it so it will depart us and will not stray us from Your Work. Let no evil thought rise in our hearts, when we are awake and in the night’s dream, too, and especially when we stand in prayer before You or when we study Your law. And while we engage in Your Commandments, let our thoughts be truly clear, lucid, sound, and as strong as Your good will for us.
Do awaken our hearts and the hearts of all of Israel, Your people, to unite with You in earnest truth and with love, to sincerely serve You, as it pleases Your Throne. And do fix Your Faith in our hearts forever and ever, and let Your Faith be tied to our hearts as a stake that will not fall, and remove all the screens that separate between us and You.
Our Father in Heaven, save us from all the failures and the errors; do not leave us, do not abandon us, and do not shame us. Be with our mouths when we speak, with our hands when we work, and with our hearts when we think. Grant us, our Father in Heaven, Merciful God, with devoting our hearts, our thoughts, our words, and our actions and all our movements and feelings, those that are known and those that are not known to us, the revealed and the concealed, to You alone, sincerely, without any ill thought.
Purify our hearts and sanctify us; throw upon us pure water and purify us with Your love and compassion, and plant Your love and fear in our hearts forever, with no end, at all times and at all places: when we walk, when we lay, and when we rise. And let the spirit of Your Holiness always burn within us.
We always rely on You, Your greatness, Your love, the fear of You, and Your law, written and oral, revealed and concealed, and Your Commandments, to unite with Your Mighty and Aweful Name. And guard us from prejudice, pride, anger, and pedantry, sadness, gossip, and other vices, and from anything that lessens Your Holy and Pure Work, which we so care for.
Impart the spirit of Your Holiness upon us so we may cleave unto You and crave You always, more and more. And raise us from degree to degree so we may come to the merit of our holy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. May their virtue help us, and You will hear the voice of our prayers, so we will always be answered when we pray unto You, for us or for any one of Your people, Israel, one or many.
Rejoice and be proud of us, and we will bear fruit Above and root below. And remember not our sins, and especially the sins of our youth, as King David said, “Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions.” Do turn our transgressions and sins to merits, and always impart upon us—from the world of repentance—thoughts of wholeheartedly returning unto You, to correct that which we have blemished in Your Holy and Pure Names.
Do save us from envy of one another, and let no envy for others come into our hearts, nor our envy of others. Rather, let our hearts see the virtues of our friends, and not their faults. And let us speak to each other in a way that is seemly and worthy before You, and let no hatred rise in one towards another, God forbid.
Brace our ties of love to You, as it is known to You, that all will be for bringing contentment unto You. This is our foremost aim. And should we not have the wit to aim our hearts to You, You will teach us, so we may truly know the aim of Your good will.
And for all that, Merciful and Gracious God, we pray before You to accept our prayers with mercy and good will. Amen, would that be so.
29 March 2018
Everything Is Speeding Up
13 Nisan 5778
It's not just time that seems to be speeding up, but the efforts of the nations to destroy us also seem to be speeding up. Somewhere, someone feels like they are running out of time.
Yesterday, I posted Do You Understand That This Is An Act of War? It's about a diabolical plan, led by Naftali Bennett of the ironically named Jewish Home party, to seek out people with an "affinity" for Judaism/Israel and offer them a path to citizenship/conversion/aliyah. They estimate that there are potentially 60 million such people.
Moshe Feiglin posted this remark to facebook: "I wish to congratulate Minister Bennett this morning on the very establishment of the committee to examine communities with an affinity to Israel."
On the other hand, the Torah-knowledgeable among us reject this idea, and rightfully so.
'Jews Are Not Missionaries,' Rabbis Attack Israeli Plan to Reach Out to Tens of Millions of 'Potential Jews'
...“According to Jewish law, Judaism has no interest in influencing someone to convert. There’s no such thing,” Rabbi Dov Lior told Haaretz. “If someone comes to convert, then it’s a good deed to bring them closer. But to go out and be a missionary? To influence someone? That’s not the way of Judaism,” Lior said.
Lior said that the Diaspora Affairs Ministry and its minister, Naftali Bennett, “could do what they wanted but we have to know what the Torah’s opinion is.” (Bennett, who is chairman of Habayit Hayehudi, is also associated with the religious-Zionist branch of Orthodox Judaism.)
“In any case,” Lior said, “we should invest efforts first of all in bringing the Jews we know. We aren’t missionaries.”However, for all the references to conversion, the committee is considering other "paths" for people to connect to Israel and even if they did restrict it to converts, you can bet that there would be a vocal campaign, as already exists with regard to the Russian aliyah, to "convert" without any requirement to be Torah-observant, c"v.
Think about it. There already exists a framework within which all these people could already be living in Israel if they so chose. If they have not taken advantage of it, then obviously, their desire is not to be a Jew at all. They just want to be Israeli. And that's what the "Israelis" want as well.
The master plan to flood Eretz Yisrael with goyim and thereby destroy any hope of making it into a true Jewish country is being carried out on many levels. In the last decade Israel was flooded with tens of thousands of African migrants much the way Europe was inundated with Middle-Eastern migrants. This was part of a concerted effort on someone's part.
Despite the government's willingness to lavish our tax dollars (₪10,000 per man) to rid us of the African infiltrators, there is a massive global demand for us to allow them to remain, including from our internal enemies. Since the rest of the government is as spineless as the Prime Minister, they are very likely to give in to the pressure.
Population Authority: Half of the asylum seekers can stay if we deport the rest
The Population Authority plans to deport only single, male, working-age asylum seekers, and hopes to give some type of permanent status to African women and children migrants, according to Population Immigration and Borders Authority director Shlomo Mor-Yosef.
This is a departure from previous statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that women and children asylum seekers are not slated for deportation “at this stage” but could be in the future.
“We can be more generous with the people who stay if we send the people out that we can send out,” Mor-Yosef told The Times of Israel. “We need to do a trade-off. We can give the women and children status, if we send out the single men. The families can stay.”Hashem yerachem!! Then, there is this...
US Ambassador Friedman Praises ‘Religions Coming Together’ in Jerusalem
U.S. Ambassador to Israel David Friedman praised Israel’s unity of faiths this week following his visit to one of the holiest sites in Christianity, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, in the Old City of Jerusalem.
The ambassador visited the Christian house of worship ahead of the Roman Catholic holiday of Good Friday, which is immediately followed by Easter Sunday.The inculcation of American "values" in the "Jewish" state. Hashem should have mercy on the faithful of His nation, send us our righteous Mashiach and deliver us once and for all from the wicked who mean to destroy us as a unique, chosen and holy people.
All That is Hidden Will Be Revealed
13 Nisan 5778
Jewish buyers beware!! This ornament that is being sold at the tziyun of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess is hiding something horrible under a picture of the holy Baba Sali.
Many thanks go to Yeshiva World News for publicizing this and to Yeranen Ya'akov for making me aware of it. May we very soon see the downfall and destruction of all our enemies - both open and hidden.
Jewish buyers beware!! This ornament that is being sold at the tziyun of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess is hiding something horrible under a picture of the holy Baba Sali.
Many thanks go to Yeshiva World News for publicizing this and to Yeranen Ya'akov for making me aware of it. May we very soon see the downfall and destruction of all our enemies - both open and hidden.
28 March 2018
It's Coming!
13 Nisan 5778
Maybe this year. But, if not this year, then the next. Or the one after that. But, one day, very soon, it will really happen.
Authorities Alarmed over Rogue Pascal Sacrifice on Passover Eve
SOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO (Bottom of the page.)
Maybe this year. But, if not this year, then the next. Or the one after that. But, one day, very soon, it will really happen.
Authorities Alarmed over Rogue Pascal Sacrifice on Passover Eve
SOURCES FOR THIS VIDEO (Bottom of the page.)
Do You Understand That This Is An Act of War?
12 Nisan 5778
This is a major move in the Israeli government's continuing war on Jews, Judaism and the Torah. They are acting on behalf of the worldwide agenda to introduce a new religion for "all mankind" which is a mix of all of them. Were the plan to succeed, it would mean the end of all three. We have to wake up! What this government is doing to its own people is a bigger threat than all the Arab enemies surrounding us!
Israeli Ministry Sets Sights on Millions of 'Potential Jews' to Improve Country’s Image and Fight BDS
Diaspora Ministry recommends 'strategic plan' for communities with 'affinity' to Judaism or Israel, some of which can be converted ■ Plan calls for introducing Jewish and Israeli studies, launching public diplomacy projects and even finding a framework for them to make Aliyah
A committee appointed by Israel's Diaspora Affairs minister says that there are some 60 million people around the world with an "affinity" to Judaism or Israel. The committee says that among them there are communities that could be brought to Israel and converted to Judaism. The committee's recommendations call for reaching out to these communities and introducing them to content related to Israel and Judaism.
In response to the report, the ministry said that the committee's recommendations have not yet been adopted and their goal is to strengthen ties with those who feel an affinity to Israel and not to push for mass conversions to Judaism.
The committee was set up in 2016 by the ministry to examine Israel's policies towards the "large communities" that in recent years, according to the report, have asked for recognition from Israel, ties with the Jewish state, aid and even citizenship.
...The committee handed in its recommendations to the government on Sunday, calling for formulating a plan to identify those who have certain links to Judaism but are not currently eligible for immigration under Israel's Law of Return, and introduce to their communities to the study of Judaism, Hebrew language and Jewish and Israeli culture, as well as creating a new framework for bringing appropriate individuals, groups and entire communities to Israel for conversion. The recommendations were partially revealed by Haaretz last year and the project would, if accepted by Israel's government, kick off in 2019.
...The committee was established in 2016 by the Diaspora Affairs Ministry, which is headed by Education Minister Naftali Bennett, the chairman of the Habayit Hayehudi party.Related: See also - Ministry: Israel should woo 60 million people who have Jewish links to aid state
26 March 2018
"For the Redemption of Zion"
11 Nisan 5778
The coins display a paleo-Hebrew inscription, which shifted — arguably reflecting the mood of the rebels — during the revolt from earlier years’ “For the Freedom of Zion,” to Year Four’s “For the Redemption of Zion.”Perhaps it is a "wink" from HKB"H that this exile is finally coming to an end.
“A discovery like this — ancient coins bearing the words “Freedom” and “Redemption” — found right before the Jewish Festival of Freedom — Passover — begins is incredibly moving,” said Mazar.... (Rare trove of bronze Jewish Revolt coins unearthed near Temple Mount)
They Need Our Prayers
10 Nisan 5778
Mothers and fathers, if you feel harried and irritable with your children while under the annual stress to clean out all the chametz, take a moment, stop what you are doing and hug each child in turn, thanking God that they are safe and energetic enough to get in your way.
There is one mother and one father in Israel today who cannot do that for their 2-year-old toddler who perished in their apartment fire in Beer Sheva yesterday. Today, they are pleading with the public for prayers for their 4-year-old who is still in critical condition. So, while you are thanking HKB"H for your own children, please send up a request for a refuah shleimah for Schneur Zalman ben Zuslin Shulamis.
And may we only hear good news from here on out. Besorot tovot!
Mothers and fathers, if you feel harried and irritable with your children while under the annual stress to clean out all the chametz, take a moment, stop what you are doing and hug each child in turn, thanking God that they are safe and energetic enough to get in your way.
There is one mother and one father in Israel today who cannot do that for their 2-year-old toddler who perished in their apartment fire in Beer Sheva yesterday. Today, they are pleading with the public for prayers for their 4-year-old who is still in critical condition. So, while you are thanking HKB"H for your own children, please send up a request for a refuah shleimah for Schneur Zalman ben Zuslin Shulamis.
And may we only hear good news from here on out. Besorot tovot!
25 March 2018
Preparing to Slaughter the Lamb
10 Nisan 5778
Reposting this from two years ago...
Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household. ...You shall have a perfect male lamb in its [first] year; you may take it either from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month, and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon.
And they shall take [some] of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it. And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. You shall not eat it rare or boiled in water, except roasted over the fire its head with its legs and with its innards. And you shall not leave over any of it until morning, and whatever is left over of it until morning, you shall burn in fire.
And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord. I will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak judgments I, the Lord.
And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of the] land of Egypt.
And this day shall be for you as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a festival for the Lord; throughout your generations, you shall celebrate it as an everlasting statute. (Exodus 12:3-14)
It was a miracle from Hashem that the Egyptians did not try to prevent the Israelites from fulfilling this mitzvah or try to take vengeance upon them for their god. And it was a very great act of faith on the part of the Israelites who trusted Hashem to preserve them from the wrath of the Egyptians.
Reposting this from two years ago...
Some part of Egypt still survives in Christian "Lamb" worship. They adore the Passover Lamb which they equate with their deity - "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"
But, what they don't get is that the Passover Lamb was not a sin offering. It was just another Egyptian deity being taken down by HKB"H...
But, what they don't get is that the Passover Lamb was not a sin offering. It was just another Egyptian deity being taken down by HKB"H...
Will we sacrifice the deity of the Egyptians before their eyes, and they will not stone us? (Exodus 8:22)
Speak to the entire community of Israel, saying, "On the tenth of this month, let each one take a lamb for each parental home, a lamb for each household. ...You shall have a perfect male lamb in its [first] year; you may take it either from the sheep or from the goats. And you shall keep it for inspection until the fourteenth day of this month, and the entire congregation of the community of Israel shall slaughter it in the afternoon.
And they shall take [some] of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they will eat it. And on this night, they shall eat the flesh, roasted over the fire, and unleavened cakes; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. You shall not eat it rare or boiled in water, except roasted over the fire its head with its legs and with its innards. And you shall not leave over any of it until morning, and whatever is left over of it until morning, you shall burn in fire.
And this is how you shall eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste it is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord. I will pass through the land of Egypt on this night, and I will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and upon all the gods of Egypt will I wreak judgments I, the Lord.
And the blood will be for you for a sign upon the houses where you will be, and I will see the blood and skip over you, and there will be no plague to destroy [you] when I smite the [people of the] land of Egypt.
And this day shall be for you as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a festival for the Lord; throughout your generations, you shall celebrate it as an everlasting statute. (Exodus 12:3-14)
It was a miracle from Hashem that the Egyptians did not try to prevent the Israelites from fulfilling this mitzvah or try to take vengeance upon them for their god. And it was a very great act of faith on the part of the Israelites who trusted Hashem to preserve them from the wrath of the Egyptians.
23 March 2018
"The Connection Between Tzav and Shabbos HaGadol"
7 Nisan 5778
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Tzav - Shabbat HaGadol
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Tzav - Shabbat HaGadol
Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky
Parashat Tzav: The Connection Between Tzav and Shabbos HaGadol
~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~
21 March 2018
"Which Type of Jew Are You?"
6 Nisan 5778
"Passover 5778, Which type of Jew are you? Are you of the type who lives to be redeemed or who perishes in the Exile, G-d forbid?"
"Passover 5778, Which type of Jew are you? Are you of the type who lives to be redeemed or who perishes in the Exile, G-d forbid?"
Israel Confesses
5 Nisan 5778
The headline of the day in Israel concerns a first-time public admission that Israel was the one who bombed Syria's nuclear reactor in 2007.
I thought the readers might like to hear what Eli Yishai had to say about that event today...
During the bombing of the reactor in Syria I served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, deputy prime minister and a member of Olmert's limited "kitchen." On that dramatic day, and after many discussions by the seven on attacking and destroying the reactor, the Cabinet convened to approve the operation. I told the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense that if they wanted my consent, I must go to Rabbi Ovadia Yosef zt"l and ask for a blessing for the operation.
During the cabinet discussion I went to Maran's house. I asked the attendees to leave and leave us alone, without anyone present or cameras and recorders, I explained to him what is involved and the importance of the action and its possible implications. In the clarity of his knowledge and understanding, Maran immediately understood the necessity of the matter and blessed with warm and loving heart the security forces that they should go out and return safely.
I left his house and returned to the cabinet. Olmert and Barak asked me what the rabbi said, I informed them that Maran had allowed me to vote in favor and gave his blessing. Despite the tension between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Barak, there was an overwhelming majority in favor of the attack, and only Minister Avi Dichter objected. Finally, the decision was taken by the cabinet and the operation was launched.
Today it is possible to understand how critical was the blessing of the operation by Maran zt"l and his warm prayers for the success of the action. Today, as then, in every process and step, we did not take one step without consulting and be blessed by the light of the generation, and with God's help to sanctify the name of heaven. How much we must thank the miracles that God does with us and remember that "My strength and the power of my hand did not make me this force," but the help of God and the mercy of the heavens. (Google translation)
20 March 2018
"Our Beloved Democracy"
4 Nisan 5778
Ron Lauder: No Two-state Solution, Lack of Religious Pluralism Could Endanger Israel’s Existence
...As a top U.S. Jewish leader, Lauder is actively involved in numerous organizations, including the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, the Jewish National Fund and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee.
...Lauder said that Israel "will face a stark choice" to either "grant Palestinians full rights and cease being a Jewish state "or "rescind their rights and cease being a democracy." The only way to avoid either choice is with a two-state solution, he added.
U.S. President Donald Trump had said the U.S. would support a two-state solution if agreed upon by both sides. Lauder, who is a supporter of Trump, has reportedly been advising him on how to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, urging him to invest effort in serious negotiations that would lead to the creation of a Palestinian state.
"The second, two-prong threat is Israel’s capitulation to religious extremists and the growing disaffection of the Jewish diaspora. Most Jews outside of Israel are not accepted in the eyes of the Israeli ultra-Orthodox, who control ritual life and holy places in the state," added Lauder.
"Many non-Orthodox Jews, myself included, feel that the spread of state-enforced religiosity in Israel is turning a modern, liberal nation into a semi-theocratic one," he wrote.
"We must change course. We must push for a two-state solution and find common ground among ourselves so that we can ensure the success of our beloved nation," he concluded.Despite the fact that carving out yet another enemy Arab state from Israel's heart is tantamount to national suicide, "Democracy" and "Democratic ideals" must be preserved even at this high cost?
Oh, no. It's not gonna happen. HKB"H won't let it. This "Democracy" god is going to fall just like all the false gods of Egypt.
You shall observe My commandments and perform them; I am Hashem, You shall not desecrate My holy Name, rather I should be sanctified among the Children of Israel; I am Hashem Who sanctifies you, Who took you out of the land of Egypt to be a God unto you; I am Hashem. (Vayikra 22.31-33)If Hashem is not our God, then there is no reason to leave Egypt. If Hashem is not our God, but "Democracy" is, we have no reason to be in Eretz Yisrael at all. But, if you actually believe that, you are a "religious extremist" and the "Beloved" Modern Democratic State of Israel must be cleansed of you.
These who deify and worship the State and Democracy and Humanistic Ideals over Hashem and Torah truth are the real "extremists."
For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the spring of living waters, to dig for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that do not hold water. (Yirmiyahu 2.13)Just like these stupid arguments do not hold water. Give the Arabs a state from which to annihilate us so we can keep our Democratic Dreams. Poke God in the eye by telling Jews they don't have to observe the Torah to its minutest detail so we can "ensure the success of our beloved nation."
In both instances, were the wishes of Ron Lauder to be fulfilled, it would actually bring about the very thing he claims to wish to avoid. And this is precisely why the State-god and the Democracy-god must go. And it is also precisely why this voice of American Jewry, regardless of whose mouth it comes out of, will be silenced.
Jerusalem - Stolen Property
4 Nisan 5778
This is why HKB"H said to drive them out and today, it would be so much easier on everyone involved if it had been done in the very beginning. They will never give up believing we stole it from them!
This is why HKB"H said to drive them out and today, it would be so much easier on everyone involved if it had been done in the very beginning. They will never give up believing we stole it from them!
19 March 2018
The Unfortunate Consequence of Free Will
3 Nisan 5778
Perhaps the hardest thing about life in Olam Hazeh is the confusion that can result from the ability to believe both the truth and the lie. It's what enables human beings to have free will, but it means that a lie can be equally believable with the truth, especially if one is not well-grounded in the truth.
Any lie can be rationalized by the human mind. Take those who believe in miracle-workers because of the wonders they can perform. If one did not already know from the Torah HaKadosh that HKB"H warned us in advance that He enables false prophets to perform wonders in order to test us, we might readily fall into this trap.
It is interesting that prophecy can be a source of such confusion and that prophecy is the point of connection between so many errant Jews and Christians today. For example, Jews and Christians look at the same prophecy and one sees Yeshu in it and the other doesn't. Errant Jews are choosing to believe that Christians coming to study "Bible" (a word itself which is used because it can be interpreted by each hearer as including or excluding the New Testament, depending on who is using it) are fulfilling ancient Hebrew prophecies. They should really know better.
Anyone who knows our Torah also knows that the whole idea behind the prophesied masses coming to learn Torah at the End of Days carries with it the idea of them having rejected and renounced their former false beliefs and practices. And such is simply not the case here as they even continue to call themselves "Christians" (proudly, I might add) and make mention of the man-idol-god at the center of their worship.
Free will allows them to deceive themselves and others. And that is the unfortunate consequence of free will. People who forsake the truth and embrace the lie always believe in their heart of hearts that they are doing the right thing. And none of us are immune. Our only recourse is to ensure 100% compliance with Torah and halachah. We must follow HKB"H's instructions to the letter with no additions or subtractions of our own invention, no matter how well-meant we imagine them to be.
Perhaps the hardest thing about life in Olam Hazeh is the confusion that can result from the ability to believe both the truth and the lie. It's what enables human beings to have free will, but it means that a lie can be equally believable with the truth, especially if one is not well-grounded in the truth.
Any lie can be rationalized by the human mind. Take those who believe in miracle-workers because of the wonders they can perform. If one did not already know from the Torah HaKadosh that HKB"H warned us in advance that He enables false prophets to perform wonders in order to test us, we might readily fall into this trap.
It is interesting that prophecy can be a source of such confusion and that prophecy is the point of connection between so many errant Jews and Christians today. For example, Jews and Christians look at the same prophecy and one sees Yeshu in it and the other doesn't. Errant Jews are choosing to believe that Christians coming to study "Bible" (a word itself which is used because it can be interpreted by each hearer as including or excluding the New Testament, depending on who is using it) are fulfilling ancient Hebrew prophecies. They should really know better.
Anyone who knows our Torah also knows that the whole idea behind the prophesied masses coming to learn Torah at the End of Days carries with it the idea of them having rejected and renounced their former false beliefs and practices. And such is simply not the case here as they even continue to call themselves "Christians" (proudly, I might add) and make mention of the man-idol-god at the center of their worship.
Free will allows them to deceive themselves and others. And that is the unfortunate consequence of free will. People who forsake the truth and embrace the lie always believe in their heart of hearts that they are doing the right thing. And none of us are immune. Our only recourse is to ensure 100% compliance with Torah and halachah. We must follow HKB"H's instructions to the letter with no additions or subtractions of our own invention, no matter how well-meant we imagine them to be.
17 March 2018
Final Adar Messages from Meir Yisroel
2 Nisan 5778
Shavua tov!
Fourth Adar Message from Meir Yisroel:
I want you to understand that this is no joke, that I have been feeling this for a few weeks already. I am panic stricken as a child, and I am panic stricken as a Neshoma. I know it has to be. We are going to see in the next few weeks many signs of an imminent attack on Israel. At least for those who read the news there will be signs. For others it will come as a surprise, but as the saying goes it will be the “shot that reverberated around the world” and it will bring us into World War Three, Hashem Yishmor.
[Note from Devash: The replacement of SoS Tillerson with the more "hawkish-on-Iran" Pompeo, together with Debka's report that US Pres Trump is "postponing his Israel-Palestinian peace plan indefinitely," I believe, could point to a US - Iran showdown in the immediate offing with Israel right in the middle of it.]
When we sit at the table on Pesach it will be very serious and Yetzias Mitzrayim won’t seem like a story anymore. We are going to be living it in present time and like the Makkos before Yetzias Mitzrayim this will also take twelve months. We will see great wonders and we will see death and devastation. However, the only way to survive this very special time in history is with total trust in Hashem, unquestionable Bitachon in Hashem and that alone will bring us through this next year without any harm, Be’ezras Hashem. It is time for Am Yisroel to go back to the Truth which is Ain Od Milvado. Hakadosh Boruch Hu is the Hakol Yachol and our only future is to give up the senseless Gashmius, the senseless Lashon Hora and come back to Hashem completely. Go back to the simplicity, to the greatness of the true Jewish home, go back to our learning the way it is supposed to be, Leshem Shomayim and the Ikar again, total trust in Hashem.
I Bentch us all that we should get through this with total Bitachon and when we see Moshiach with our eyes and with our Neshoma, that Hashem will help us to recognize him. From that moment on we won’t have any more real worries. We will be the Am Yisroel that Hashem wants us to be.
Shenizka Kulanu L’Kabel Pinei Moshiach Tzidkainu Berachamim U’visimcha. We should be Zoche to great Moshiach Tzidkainu with mercy and joy.
Fifth Adar Message from Meir Yisroel:
Mommy the world is about to explode. Only fools and the very uninformed could deny what I have just said. Everywhere we look in the world something unusual and very often terrible is happening, besides the actual natural events of huge proportions that nobody can deny because we can see with our own eyes and feel it clearly making a huge difference in our everyday lives. We have other movie-like threats to our existence that I am not sure are real at all but only the Reshoim trying to confuse us into thinking that some strange object like a Chinese space station is about to hit the earth endangering the unknown place where it might hit with its highly toxic and very poisonous waste.
In the last few years NASA with its lies has seemed to be in competition with reports of the mini solar system of Nibiru for front page news. However, the difference is that Nibiru is a fact and it is coming towards us at a very fast speed. Nibiru and its solar system have been foretold in the Seforim like the Zohar, etc. and it even describes how two thirds of the world will be destroyed when it passes by the earth. However false information coming out of NASA time and again of huge meteorites, and now a fallen Chinese space station hit the headlines, and when the time comes for it to happen evaporates like it was never said. This method of dreaming up fantastic threats against our existence that NASA has been using time and again only to confuse us.
I want to make it clear that the mini solar system called Nibiru or Hashavit in the Zohar is very close. The natural disasters that governments all over the world are trying with no real success to deny are happening and it was foretold in the Nevuas that two thirds of the world will be destroyed, one third almost completely, one third will be hurt very badly and one third will not be damaged. If you are a believer in G-D then you know that everything that has been written in our Sifrei Kodesh in one way or another has become a reality and this is a fact and it is about to affect the whole world. No one can argue the truth that since the early 1980s all of the major countries of the world have been building luxury bunkers deep into the ground all over the world. They have been building these bunkers secretly using the tax payer’s money to do it with. They have been brazenly without any kind of fear siphoning off money secretly from their citizens to ensure the survival of the evil ones that control the world today.
I know that I have written this before, maybe in a different way, however this solar system is about to visit earth very soon, not in years maybe in months but it is close. A huge World War is on the horizon. We can already see it happening. We can see gigantic preparations going on in every country for the moment when the largest of all World Wars will begin, Hashem Yishmor. In a short time, it will take the lives of many people and when I say many I cringe even to think how many. When the mini solar system finally appears it will be after this war or coinciding with it. I do know one thing that Hashem created this world for Am Yisroel, in order that His chosen people could overcome the Yetzer Hora that they took into themselves when they went against Hashem’s will and ate from the Tree of Knowledge. They realized after they did this what a terrible thing they did and they realized that in the future life would not be the Gan Eden that they knew up to that point. They accepted their new status and since then man has been fighting the Yetzer Hora which has caused death and destruction to individuals, to groups, to countries to this very day. We are at the end of a terrible Galus.
The people of the world have not waged a war against their Yetzer Hora. They turned bad into good and good into bad even if they believe in the Aseres Hadibros. For example, “you shall not kill,” they interpret as thou shall not kill but if it’s a Jew or some other person that you don’t want then its Muter/ allowable. Their commandments are only connected to their own desires. Am Yisroel was given the Torah and for all those thousands of years since the first official Jew, Avrohom Ovinu who wasn’t formally given the Torah but was born with a knowledge of the Torah we have been fighting the evil ones and trying to be what Hashem wants us to be.
This is a huge task that is almost impossible because Hashem has tested us in a most difficult way. He has chosen us to fight the Yetzer Hora in order to become worthy of being His servants for eternity. There are comparatively very few of us in this world that are real Jews but even though all around us there is chaos and destruction, He will save every Jewish Neshoma. We are at the lowest of all the generations and yet in the end will be the highest and the closest to Hashem.
I am not going to attempt to describe exactly how this will happen. At this point of history, it seems, Chas Veshalom almost an impossible thing but we will survive! We will reject, if we haven’t already, the Yetzer Hora and we will cling to Hakadosh Boruch Hu so-to-speak. We will come back to Him completely leaving behind us all the Sheker of this world. We will throw away the Sheker that we once wanted to believe in and run towards the Truth which will bring us eternal life. Prepare yourself! It is coming soon. It will be frightening and it will be hard but with Hashem’s help and our own determination we will finally reach the end of the Galus and the entrance to Gan Eden will be revealed to us. We will enter the Bais Hamikdosh worn out by all the conflicts, extremely tired and emotionally spent but we will very soon feel the physically warm and comforting light of Truth encompassing us and we will be healed and we will be worthy of being part of the Geula Sheleimah which will bring us up to a higher level spiritually then the first man and woman. We will be tattered and torn and full of humility and this will be the greatest point that the human being has reached spiritually up to that point of what we call history.
The outcome of the history of the world is that Am Yisroel, which means every single Neshoma that was present at Har Sinai and said Na’aseh Venishma, has finally passed all their tests in a positive way and they are ready for the next stage of their spiritual development which is too lofty to go into now. So, those Jews who are reading and internalizing my simple words and are beginning to feel the absolute Truth in them, I Bentch you that in the near future we will all be rid of the Nochosh, the Satan, the evil inclination that has dragged us down into the muck since the first man was formed.
I truly believe that this coming Pesach will bring with it a revelation, a Truth that no one will be able to deny except the evil ones who never wanted the Truth.
I Bentch us all, all Am Yisroel that this Pesach we will truly leave Mitzrayim but this time we will leave Mitzrayim and enter the Holy of Holies.
Shavua tov!
Fourth Adar Message from Meir Yisroel:
I want you to understand that this is no joke, that I have been feeling this for a few weeks already. I am panic stricken as a child, and I am panic stricken as a Neshoma. I know it has to be. We are going to see in the next few weeks many signs of an imminent attack on Israel. At least for those who read the news there will be signs. For others it will come as a surprise, but as the saying goes it will be the “shot that reverberated around the world” and it will bring us into World War Three, Hashem Yishmor.
[Note from Devash: The replacement of SoS Tillerson with the more "hawkish-on-Iran" Pompeo, together with Debka's report that US Pres Trump is "postponing his Israel-Palestinian peace plan indefinitely," I believe, could point to a US - Iran showdown in the immediate offing with Israel right in the middle of it.]
When we sit at the table on Pesach it will be very serious and Yetzias Mitzrayim won’t seem like a story anymore. We are going to be living it in present time and like the Makkos before Yetzias Mitzrayim this will also take twelve months. We will see great wonders and we will see death and devastation. However, the only way to survive this very special time in history is with total trust in Hashem, unquestionable Bitachon in Hashem and that alone will bring us through this next year without any harm, Be’ezras Hashem. It is time for Am Yisroel to go back to the Truth which is Ain Od Milvado. Hakadosh Boruch Hu is the Hakol Yachol and our only future is to give up the senseless Gashmius, the senseless Lashon Hora and come back to Hashem completely. Go back to the simplicity, to the greatness of the true Jewish home, go back to our learning the way it is supposed to be, Leshem Shomayim and the Ikar again, total trust in Hashem.
I Bentch us all that we should get through this with total Bitachon and when we see Moshiach with our eyes and with our Neshoma, that Hashem will help us to recognize him. From that moment on we won’t have any more real worries. We will be the Am Yisroel that Hashem wants us to be.
Shenizka Kulanu L’Kabel Pinei Moshiach Tzidkainu Berachamim U’visimcha. We should be Zoche to great Moshiach Tzidkainu with mercy and joy.
Fifth Adar Message from Meir Yisroel:
Mommy the world is about to explode. Only fools and the very uninformed could deny what I have just said. Everywhere we look in the world something unusual and very often terrible is happening, besides the actual natural events of huge proportions that nobody can deny because we can see with our own eyes and feel it clearly making a huge difference in our everyday lives. We have other movie-like threats to our existence that I am not sure are real at all but only the Reshoim trying to confuse us into thinking that some strange object like a Chinese space station is about to hit the earth endangering the unknown place where it might hit with its highly toxic and very poisonous waste.
In the last few years NASA with its lies has seemed to be in competition with reports of the mini solar system of Nibiru for front page news. However, the difference is that Nibiru is a fact and it is coming towards us at a very fast speed. Nibiru and its solar system have been foretold in the Seforim like the Zohar, etc. and it even describes how two thirds of the world will be destroyed when it passes by the earth. However false information coming out of NASA time and again of huge meteorites, and now a fallen Chinese space station hit the headlines, and when the time comes for it to happen evaporates like it was never said. This method of dreaming up fantastic threats against our existence that NASA has been using time and again only to confuse us.
I want to make it clear that the mini solar system called Nibiru or Hashavit in the Zohar is very close. The natural disasters that governments all over the world are trying with no real success to deny are happening and it was foretold in the Nevuas that two thirds of the world will be destroyed, one third almost completely, one third will be hurt very badly and one third will not be damaged. If you are a believer in G-D then you know that everything that has been written in our Sifrei Kodesh in one way or another has become a reality and this is a fact and it is about to affect the whole world. No one can argue the truth that since the early 1980s all of the major countries of the world have been building luxury bunkers deep into the ground all over the world. They have been building these bunkers secretly using the tax payer’s money to do it with. They have been brazenly without any kind of fear siphoning off money secretly from their citizens to ensure the survival of the evil ones that control the world today.
I know that I have written this before, maybe in a different way, however this solar system is about to visit earth very soon, not in years maybe in months but it is close. A huge World War is on the horizon. We can already see it happening. We can see gigantic preparations going on in every country for the moment when the largest of all World Wars will begin, Hashem Yishmor. In a short time, it will take the lives of many people and when I say many I cringe even to think how many. When the mini solar system finally appears it will be after this war or coinciding with it. I do know one thing that Hashem created this world for Am Yisroel, in order that His chosen people could overcome the Yetzer Hora that they took into themselves when they went against Hashem’s will and ate from the Tree of Knowledge. They realized after they did this what a terrible thing they did and they realized that in the future life would not be the Gan Eden that they knew up to that point. They accepted their new status and since then man has been fighting the Yetzer Hora which has caused death and destruction to individuals, to groups, to countries to this very day. We are at the end of a terrible Galus.
The people of the world have not waged a war against their Yetzer Hora. They turned bad into good and good into bad even if they believe in the Aseres Hadibros. For example, “you shall not kill,” they interpret as thou shall not kill but if it’s a Jew or some other person that you don’t want then its Muter/ allowable. Their commandments are only connected to their own desires. Am Yisroel was given the Torah and for all those thousands of years since the first official Jew, Avrohom Ovinu who wasn’t formally given the Torah but was born with a knowledge of the Torah we have been fighting the evil ones and trying to be what Hashem wants us to be.
This is a huge task that is almost impossible because Hashem has tested us in a most difficult way. He has chosen us to fight the Yetzer Hora in order to become worthy of being His servants for eternity. There are comparatively very few of us in this world that are real Jews but even though all around us there is chaos and destruction, He will save every Jewish Neshoma. We are at the lowest of all the generations and yet in the end will be the highest and the closest to Hashem.
I am not going to attempt to describe exactly how this will happen. At this point of history, it seems, Chas Veshalom almost an impossible thing but we will survive! We will reject, if we haven’t already, the Yetzer Hora and we will cling to Hakadosh Boruch Hu so-to-speak. We will come back to Him completely leaving behind us all the Sheker of this world. We will throw away the Sheker that we once wanted to believe in and run towards the Truth which will bring us eternal life. Prepare yourself! It is coming soon. It will be frightening and it will be hard but with Hashem’s help and our own determination we will finally reach the end of the Galus and the entrance to Gan Eden will be revealed to us. We will enter the Bais Hamikdosh worn out by all the conflicts, extremely tired and emotionally spent but we will very soon feel the physically warm and comforting light of Truth encompassing us and we will be healed and we will be worthy of being part of the Geula Sheleimah which will bring us up to a higher level spiritually then the first man and woman. We will be tattered and torn and full of humility and this will be the greatest point that the human being has reached spiritually up to that point of what we call history.
The outcome of the history of the world is that Am Yisroel, which means every single Neshoma that was present at Har Sinai and said Na’aseh Venishma, has finally passed all their tests in a positive way and they are ready for the next stage of their spiritual development which is too lofty to go into now. So, those Jews who are reading and internalizing my simple words and are beginning to feel the absolute Truth in them, I Bentch you that in the near future we will all be rid of the Nochosh, the Satan, the evil inclination that has dragged us down into the muck since the first man was formed.
I truly believe that this coming Pesach will bring with it a revelation, a Truth that no one will be able to deny except the evil ones who never wanted the Truth.
I Bentch us all, all Am Yisroel that this Pesach we will truly leave Mitzrayim but this time we will leave Mitzrayim and enter the Holy of Holies.
15 March 2018
Vayikra: "Torah of the Cohanim"
29 Adar 5778
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Erev Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Parashat Vayikra-HaChodesh
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Erev Rosh Chodesh Nisan
Parashat Vayikra-HaChodesh
Rabbi Mordechai Sitorsky
Parashat Vayikra: Vayikra/Nisan
~ SHABBAT SHALOM - CHODESH TOV ~
Ending Israel's Attachment to the "West"
27 Adar 5778
Yesterday, there was a headline that proclaimed Israel as having the highest birthrate "in the West." Geographically-speaking, Israel is not part of the West, but through it's attachment to Eisav/Edom, it has become a Western outpost in the Middle East. This is the very thing the Arabs despise the most about us. More properly, Israel is the crossroads or the meeting point between East and West. Where better to be a lighthouse shining the truth to a world darkened by oppressive false religions on both sides? But, Israel's spiritual light is overshadowed by the Western sun of empirical materialism.
Israel's western alignment at the End of Days was predicted by no less than the Maharal of Prague.
(Excerpted from "Who is the Messiah?" by Rabbi Aryeh Carmell):
...So long as the kingdom of the Messiah has not yet reached perfection, the kingdom of the Messiah is attached to Edom (nigar el Edom) ...The holy kingdom of Israel... must grow out of the non-holy kingdom that preceded it.
Maharal, in a telling parable, describes the relationship between the embryonic "kingdom of Israel" and its "Edomite" environment: Fruit grows within a husk; when the fruit ripens the husks falls off... So it is with Israel. Their kingdom emerges and grows from within the kingdom of the nations i.e., from the existential power of the kingdom of the nations, and from their level, it raises itself to a higher level. And when the kingdom of Israel reaches complete maturity the kingdom of nations is removed, just as the husk is removed, and falls off when the fruit reaches its perfection.
The Messianic revolution will take place in the hearts and minds of the people. The "falling off of the husk" does not refer to a political or military event, nor does "kingdom of the nations" refer to a political entity. The husk refers to the value system of the Western world. The falling off of the husk signifies the victory of spirituality over materialism, faith in G-d over unbounded trust in one's own power, and awareness of divine providence over belief in blind chance.Today, it feels like the "husk" is so firmly attached that it might never come off, r"l.
Israel and U.S. Militaries Increasingly Joined at the Hip
U.S. And Israeli Forces Conduct Military Exercises In Juniper Cobra Drill
American troops 'here to defend Israel'
...The David's Sling commander also recounted how moved he was by joint briefings at the end of each day. "American tactical officers take to the stage, and say they're here to defend the State of Israel and its sovereignty as if they were fighting for their own country. They say they'll do anything to defend Israel. It's moving," he said.
Lt.-Col. Richard Clark, commander of the American force, said that US Army forces are prepared to leave Europe and arrive in Israel within two or three days from the moment they are called upon.Think "Rome" and understand that they want to protect the Erev Rav regime which is the epitome of their "twin" and that the Kingdom of Messiah will properly be perceived as the greatest threat to them and their hegemony here.
Even while Israel's ruling regime re-entrenches itself, the ties appear to grow tighter still.
With anti-Iran, pro-Israel stances, Pompeo may become Jerusalem’s new darling
Preoccupied by the political crisis that threatened to bring down the ruling coalition, politicians in Jerusalem on Tuesday overwhelmingly ignored the news of the United States getting a new secretary of state.
...Pompeo is a known hawk on Iran. His views on the 2015 Iran deal perfectly align with those of Trump — and Netanyahu. They all think the deal was a catastrophe and needs to be dramatically improved or thrown out altogether.
Pompeo indicated in late 2014, before the deal was signed, that he believed military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities would more effectively thwart Tehran’s quest for atomic bombs than diplomacy.
“Iran, the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, has become an even more emboldened and disruptive player in the Middle East,” he said at his Senate confirmation hearing in January 2017.
Unsurprisingly, friends of the Islamic Republic on Tuesday rang the alarm bell over the appointment.
Pompeo in Foggy Bottom would increase the chances of “a new war in the Middle East,” the National Iranian American Council warned, calling him “one of the most ideological opponents of diplomacy with Iran.”This is no less than yad Hashem making a move on His heavenly chess board. East and West - the US and Iran - are destined for a final showdown. When it comes, the husk will weaken significantly, to the point of allowing the Messianic Kingdom to emerge and throw off its remains. I look forward to that day.
13 March 2018
The Government Is Tottering
26 Adar 5778
Will it stabilize or will it fall. It's being battered about by earth-shaking events and political ill-winds. Can it survive? Do God-fearing Jews even want it to survive in its current form? Anything might be better than being stuck in the rut of the status quo. I, for one, would not shed any tears on its demise.
I wonder what would be if we could pass a law that no one who had ever held office before could run in the next election and open the entire field to newcomers. Turn the political ill-winds into a refreshing wind of change. Ahh!
And why are there no term-limits in this country??? In fact, I think all politicians should be limited to one term. That way, they can concentrate on the job they were elected to do rather than spend most of their first term trying to secure a second term. If four years is not enough, perhaps the term itself should be extended to five or six years, but no one holding office should be investing their time in trying to get re-elected when they should be serving their constituents. And, in my opinion, there should never be such a thing called a "career politician."
Will it stabilize or will it fall. It's being battered about by earth-shaking events and political ill-winds. Can it survive? Do God-fearing Jews even want it to survive in its current form? Anything might be better than being stuck in the rut of the status quo. I, for one, would not shed any tears on its demise.
I wonder what would be if we could pass a law that no one who had ever held office before could run in the next election and open the entire field to newcomers. Turn the political ill-winds into a refreshing wind of change. Ahh!
And why are there no term-limits in this country??? In fact, I think all politicians should be limited to one term. That way, they can concentrate on the job they were elected to do rather than spend most of their first term trying to secure a second term. If four years is not enough, perhaps the term itself should be extended to five or six years, but no one holding office should be investing their time in trying to get re-elected when they should be serving their constituents. And, in my opinion, there should never be such a thing called a "career politician."
11 March 2018
Do You Have a 'Golden Calf' in Your Life?
24 Adar 5778
We're closing in on Rosh Chodesh Nisan at the end of this week. Better start cleaning out all the chametz we've collected since last year. Look carefully inside yourself - into all the corners of your heart and mind - and if you find some remnant of the 'Golden Calf,' get rid of it!
We're closing in on Rosh Chodesh Nisan at the end of this week. Better start cleaning out all the chametz we've collected since last year. Look carefully inside yourself - into all the corners of your heart and mind - and if you find some remnant of the 'Golden Calf,' get rid of it!
10 March 2018
08 March 2018
"It's the Job of the Jews"
22 Adar 5778
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei-Parah
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Vayakhel-Pekudei-Parah
The Job of the Jews!
...At an ecumenical gathering of spiritual leaders from the across the globe, they were deciding in which way to unify their minds for some noble purpose. It was proposed that they take some meditative moments together to transcend this world and to reach beyond the mud of daily life and the constant tug of physical desire. In the final instant a new and surprising suggestion was offered by one of the clerics, “Instead of trying to get beyond worldliness, why don’t we raise the physical and create a space for G-dliness here on earth?!” The suggestion was immediately dismissed by the moderator of the exercise, “Nah!” he said, “That’s the job of Jews!” Observing the quantity of details and the quality of communal effort that went into creating the Tabernacle is an emphatic reminder of the importance our unique mission on this earth and the critical task we have of transforming our own little corner of creation. It remains, after all these years, “The Job of the Jews!”See the full text of this D'var Torah by Rabbi Label Lam here.
~ SHABBAT SHALOM ~
Their Torah Is Worthless
21 Adar 5778
Here we go again.
Consider this. A single-mother who works to physical exhaustion every single day, but who cannot afford Jerusalem rents, must make a long bus ride home each night. Unfortunately for her, the bus route runs through Bar Ilan Street and every time there is a hareidi demonstration or a gadol's funeral, she can be left high and dry waiting for a bus that never comes because the road has been closed somewhere along the way. When she sits slumped tiredly on the bench with her groceries at her feet and looks down at her watch for the fifth time and realizes the bus is not coming and it will be another hour before the next one is due, a tear slips slowly down her cheek.
Rabotai, that single tear has just nullified all the Torah learning of all these demonstrating students. And how many times and how many ways and how many other mothers, fathers and children have been aggrieved by these ill-conceived actions? Add them all up. Do you think HKB"H is proud of them? I don't!
Here we go again.
Jerusalem Faction plans mass protest against IDF serviceTwo weeks after the passing of their leader, Rabbi Shmuel Auerbach, radically anti-conscription sect gears up to flood Jerusalem streets, 'cause a noise the world will hear' in bid to demonstrate undiminished resolve to continue struggle.Even if you agree with them, the ends here in no way justify the means. Were it a one-time event, one might be inclined to forgive the blatant disregard for their fellow Jews' welfare, but it's not a one-time event. And despite the multiple times the public has been grievously inconvenienced by this magnificent display of sinat chinam, nothing has been accomplished but a massive chillul Hashem.
Consider this. A single-mother who works to physical exhaustion every single day, but who cannot afford Jerusalem rents, must make a long bus ride home each night. Unfortunately for her, the bus route runs through Bar Ilan Street and every time there is a hareidi demonstration or a gadol's funeral, she can be left high and dry waiting for a bus that never comes because the road has been closed somewhere along the way. When she sits slumped tiredly on the bench with her groceries at her feet and looks down at her watch for the fifth time and realizes the bus is not coming and it will be another hour before the next one is due, a tear slips slowly down her cheek.
Rabotai, that single tear has just nullified all the Torah learning of all these demonstrating students. And how many times and how many ways and how many other mothers, fathers and children have been aggrieved by these ill-conceived actions? Add them all up. Do you think HKB"H is proud of them? I don't!
Israel Has Been Conquered by the West, Who Will Liberate Her?
21 Adar 5778
One can't help getting the sense in this country that it has become just one big marketing scheme. Everything is for sell in one form or another - even the Torah! It's pitiful and pathetic to be sure and a far, far cry from the vision of our holy prophets.
IS A DISNEYLAND THEME PARK COMING TO ISRAEL?
“We are very good at many things in Israel – hi-tech, medicine – I think it is also time for us to be good at something that is fun and enjoyable."
...US entrepreneurs have been in contact with officials in Israel in recent months about the development of the amusement park, Channel 10 News reported on Monday night.If this doesn't break your heart, then maybe it is in the wrong place.
06 March 2018
"Peace Requires Compromise"
20 Adar 5778
Viewing the speeches at the AIPAC conference, one might be forgiven for thinking the redemption has already arrived, or at the very least is well underway. However, all is not as it might appear.
One clue about what is really going on here can be found in VP Pence's speech where he says, "...any peace will undoubtedly require compromise." This is meant as a friendly warning for Jews to be prepared to accept some not-so-nice demands upon Israel. And it is a further allusion to this illuminating midrash...
But, for real Jews, there can be no compromising on the Torah or the destiny of Klal Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, we are on a collision course with those requiring compromise.
Mashiach is no compromiser and he will not be the leader of a nation of compromisers!
Viewing the speeches at the AIPAC conference, one might be forgiven for thinking the redemption has already arrived, or at the very least is well underway. However, all is not as it might appear.
One clue about what is really going on here can be found in VP Pence's speech where he says, "...any peace will undoubtedly require compromise." This is meant as a friendly warning for Jews to be prepared to accept some not-so-nice demands upon Israel. And it is a further allusion to this illuminating midrash...
"That was Esau's intention when he told Yakov, 'Let us travel together and I will go before you' (Breishit 33.12). He wanted them to join together in both this world and the world to come, to meet each other halfway, with each modifying his conduct until they were alike (Yalkut Shimoni, Breishit 133).That's the meaning of compromise. And when they say there is "no daylight between Israel and the US," that means compromise has already been made.
But, for real Jews, there can be no compromising on the Torah or the destiny of Klal Yisrael in Eretz Yisrael. Therefore, we are on a collision course with those requiring compromise.
Mashiach is no compromiser and he will not be the leader of a nation of compromisers!
V'Nahafoch Hu?
19 Adar 5778
It started on Ta'anit Esther when it was announced that Jared Kushner's security clearance had been downgraded.
That last statement could be applied to American Jews in general - vulnerable and falling from grace.
Read the handwriting on the wall people! Don't keep sitting there like the proverbial frog in the pot of hot water as the temperature increases!
____________________________
A picture of the American Jewish experience on the eve of disaster.
VP Mike Pence speech at AIPAC Policy Conference. March 5, 2018
It started on Ta'anit Esther when it was announced that Jared Kushner's security clearance had been downgraded.
Roles Reduced, Jared Kushner And Ivanka Trump’s Fate Uncertain At The White House
They spent their first year in Washington as an untouchable White House power couple, commanding expansive portfolios, outlasting rivals and enjoying unmatched access to the president. But Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have undergone a swift and stunning reckoning of late, their powers restricted, their enemies emboldened and their future in the West Wing uncertain.
Kushner, long the second-most powerful man in the West Wing, is under siege. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law has lost influential White House allies. He remains under the shadow of the Russia probe and has seen his business dealings come under renewed scrutiny. He has been stripped of his top security clearance, raising questions how he can successfully advance his ambitious agenda — including achieving Mideast peace, a goal that has eluded presidents for generations.
Kushner’s most powerful patron, the president himself, has wavered recently on whether his daughter and son-in-law belong in the White House anymore.Just the opposite of what happened with the Jews in the Purim story.
...“Kushner’s vulnerable and in an accelerated fall from grace.
That last statement could be applied to American Jews in general - vulnerable and falling from grace.
Read the handwriting on the wall people! Don't keep sitting there like the proverbial frog in the pot of hot water as the temperature increases!
____________________________
A picture of the American Jewish experience on the eve of disaster.
VP Mike Pence speech at AIPAC Policy Conference. March 5, 2018
05 March 2018
02 March 2018
What A Shame!
15 Adar 5778 - Shushan Purim
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa
Shame is out of fashion. It is an emotion to be avoided at all costs. The modern world makes it out to be extremely negative, even harmful - not healthy. But, like everything God created, it has its purpose and its place and there are times when it is appropriate.
Despite the joyous outcome of the Purim story, we have to feel a bit shameful in regard to how our ancestors behaved at Achashverosh's banquet. It was a celebration of the (perceived) failure of the prophecy of the return of the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael. And to top it off, the king wore the clothing of the Cohen Gadol and ate and drank from the keilim used in the service of the Beit Hamikdash. I'm sure he reasoned (erroneously) that since the Jews would not be returning, they would have no further use for them anyway.
Right on the heels of that story, we move into Shabbat - Parashat Ki Tisa which recounts what I consider to be one of the two most shameful events of our history - the incident with the Golden Calf. (The second being the crying and refusal to enter Eretz Yisrael on the first Tisha b'Av.)
We have to hang our heads in shame when we recall our abominable behavior at the moment which should have been the pinnacle of our success in the aftermath of our redemption from Egyptian bondage. And what we put poor Moshe Rabeinu through after all he had sacrificed for the nation!
Unfaithfulness, ingratitude, fearfulness - these are traits to be ashamed of for sure. But, shame is only a negative when it fails to elicit the desired response for which it was created. It is supposed to inspire us to act - to change these negative traits into their positive opposites. If it inspires teshuvah, as it was intended to, then it serves the purpose for which the Creator intended and everyone benefits.
It is entirely appropriate at this moment in time to ask ourselves whether we are still eating from Acheshverosh's table today; are we still dancing around the Golden Calf today?
As we read the parashah, we should allow ourselves to experience the shame of failure to live up to HKB"H's ideal for us and then allow it to infuse us with a new determination to rectify that failure and begin - today - to live up to the ideal.
Erev Shabbat Kodesh
Parashat Ki Tisa
Shame is out of fashion. It is an emotion to be avoided at all costs. The modern world makes it out to be extremely negative, even harmful - not healthy. But, like everything God created, it has its purpose and its place and there are times when it is appropriate.
Despite the joyous outcome of the Purim story, we have to feel a bit shameful in regard to how our ancestors behaved at Achashverosh's banquet. It was a celebration of the (perceived) failure of the prophecy of the return of the Jewish people to Eretz Yisrael. And to top it off, the king wore the clothing of the Cohen Gadol and ate and drank from the keilim used in the service of the Beit Hamikdash. I'm sure he reasoned (erroneously) that since the Jews would not be returning, they would have no further use for them anyway.
Right on the heels of that story, we move into Shabbat - Parashat Ki Tisa which recounts what I consider to be one of the two most shameful events of our history - the incident with the Golden Calf. (The second being the crying and refusal to enter Eretz Yisrael on the first Tisha b'Av.)
We have to hang our heads in shame when we recall our abominable behavior at the moment which should have been the pinnacle of our success in the aftermath of our redemption from Egyptian bondage. And what we put poor Moshe Rabeinu through after all he had sacrificed for the nation!
Unfaithfulness, ingratitude, fearfulness - these are traits to be ashamed of for sure. But, shame is only a negative when it fails to elicit the desired response for which it was created. It is supposed to inspire us to act - to change these negative traits into their positive opposites. If it inspires teshuvah, as it was intended to, then it serves the purpose for which the Creator intended and everyone benefits.
It is entirely appropriate at this moment in time to ask ourselves whether we are still eating from Acheshverosh's table today; are we still dancing around the Golden Calf today?
As we read the parashah, we should allow ourselves to experience the shame of failure to live up to HKB"H's ideal for us and then allow it to infuse us with a new determination to rectify that failure and begin - today - to live up to the ideal.
~ Shabbat Shalom ~