Still Orange In Jerusalem

It's amazing how many cars are still sporting the orange strips of cloth in protest of the "disengagement." The Jewish communities in Gush Katif and Northern Shomron were destroyed over a month ago by the Israeli government. The government knowingly trampled on our Torah, the Torah that states unequivocally that we are obligated to settle these places: "...for I have given you the land to possess it."(Numbers 33:53) More than a month has gone by since these areas have been ethnically cleansed of Jews by other Jews, to the great applause of the "civilized" nations of the world. In spite of the time that has passed, the orange can still be seen on the backpacks of many as well as on numerous automobiles.

Are the people sporting the orange strips just too lazy to remove them? Are they living in denial of the tragedy that has befallen the nation? Do these people believe that displaying orange will spare the communities have been bulldozed into a pile of rubble by the IDF or salvage the synagogues that have already been torched by Islamofascist beasts?

I can only speak for myself. The orange symbolizes my solidarity with those who were unjustly driven from their homes and deprived of their livelihoods. It is my way of showing to them and to the whole world that I was not part of this despicable act, and that I actively protested against it. It is my way of showing the criminals that took part in the expulsion that I have not forgotten what they have done. "The day after" that they spoke about is here, but their reprehensible acts have not been forgotten. They will not be swept so quickly under the rug. The wound is open, it is festering, and it will not heal until the settlers are returned to their homes and livelihoods, and those that ravaged the democratic process and defiled the IDF are held responsible for their deeds.

So if you see Cosmic X walking or driving through Jerusalem, still sporting anti-expulsion-orange, you'll know why.

What Is Jerusalem?

After lacking inspiration to write anything today, I finally got some after reading this humorous post by David at Treppenwitz. Read the post. It really is funny.

I detest shopping malls. For me they represent something that I totally despise: crass materialism. The last time that I was in the mall at Malcha, I remember the feeling of not being able to wait to get out of there. The place makes me ill. Cosmic X and shopping malls don't mix.

For me Jerusalem is not the shopping mall in Malcha. Jerusalem for me is the neighborhoods that are full of Batei Midrash and steeped with piety. Jerusalem is the men who get up before dawn to say selichot and to pray shacharit before heading off to work. Jerusalem is the boys and girls that fill the streets and busses in the morning on the way to their respective places of learning. Jerusalem is the soldiers on Sunday morning at the Central Bus Station on their way back to their units after spending the Sabbath at home. Jerusalem is the shuk in Machane Yehuda. Jerusalem is the City of David, the Old City, and the Temple Mount. Jerusalem is the yearning for the redemption of Israel and of the entire world.

That's Cosmic X's Jerusalem folks. I left the shopping malls behind in New Jersey.

Somebody Needs To Know The Time Glad That I'm Here

The title of the post is from the lyrics of a Beatles tune. I think John Lennon was trying to describe the life of a boring guy and his boring life. But what does this have to do with Cosmic X in Jerusalem?

About a week ago I was walking down Jaffa Street and somebody asked me where the Central Bus Station was. I pointed him in the right direction, quite pleased that I was able to help a total stranger who was unfamiliar with the territory. All of a sudden I thought about that lyric, "Somebody needs to know the time, glad that I'm here." Well, I thought to myself, that's me, isn't it?

The fact is that I lead a very hectic and interesting life, and it is really too bad that I have only 24 hours a day. Is it ridiculous to be happy that you were able to help somebody? Is it a sign of being bored and/or boring?

I saw this today at Mystical Paths:

Sometimes one has an opportunity to do a favor, a kindness, for another. It may seem like a small thing, even insignificant in fact. However, to the recipient, it may be a life saver. And if so, one may have saved a life! Or a family! An impact that could literally, if we had such vision, be counted for generations!

Being kind to another, helping each other out, goes beyond the obvious impact of the event. Don't hesitate when the moment arrives, help your fellow!

I think that says it all. I'd be happy to give you the time of day.

Havel Havelim #38 At Kesher Talk

Judith at Kesher Talk has put together a nice collection of links from all over the jblogosphere. The links are oraganized by subject: Yamim Noraim and Everything else. Enjoy.

Biur Chametz On Israeli Road Deaths

Biur Chametz has posted the second post in his series analyzing road deaths in Israel. Instead of the usual hype that accompanies this subject in the Israeli MSM, Zman Biur gives us data, graphs, and a thoughtful analysis. Thanks ZB!

The City Of Faith

Here is a must see photo-essay about the "City of Faith" that was set up by those who were expelled from Atzmona by our evil government. (Hat tip: IsraelReporter)

CodeScripter To The Rescue!

Good news for all of us who have struggled trying to understand our Blogger templates. Mirty has started a new blog, CodeScripter, to make this stuff understandable even to non-geeks.

Thanks Mirty.

Getting Rid Of The Television

I remember being told that Rabbi Avigdor Miller zt"l once said that having a television at home because "there are some good things on televsion" is like installing a sewer pipe in your home. Perhaps you'll find a dime among all of the sewage that floods your house! (This I heard in the 1980s. I understand that the content of television programs from a Torah point of view has plummeted since then.)

I thought about this after seeing the following in a post by Rabbi Gil Student:

My dilemma in writing this post was that some (most) readers will simply ignore this and continue watching TV. My hope, though, is that in the spirit of the upcoming Yom Kippur season readers will actively reduce their television watching. I don't expect anyone to change years-old habits from one quick blog post. But try cutting down. Think about it. It's easy, fairly painless, and can only yield positive results.

Kol HaKavod to Gil for writing this! My advice, however, is to throw the television away, period. You'll be happy that you did so.

As Rockets Fall

I enjoyed a wonderful Shabbat in my Jerusalem home unaware that Israel was again reaping the fruits of "disengagement." The residents of the Western Negev and Sderot in particular have my deepest sympathies. I also send my deepest sympathies to IDF soldiers that will have to risk their lives to clean up the mess that our government has made.

In the meantime, the suffering of those expelled from their homes in the Gaza Strip continues. Read this article by Rachel Saperstein to get an idea of what they are going through.

Eldad: Don't Pay State Television Tax

From Arutz 7:

"If only a hundred people let them know they are no longer willing to pay [state television anchor] Chaim Yavin's salary, they will confiscate their television and refrigerator. But if the 100,000 people who show up for demonstrations in city squares will refuse to pay the TV tax, it will become impossible to enforce this outrage, whereby we are forced to fund the production of slander against us. Citizens must inform the Broadcasting Authority that they are not prepared to buy for themselves the rope by which they will be hanged."

I have a better solution that does not involve breaking any laws: Just get rid of your television.

Female Soldiers And Beis Yaakov Girls

I was walking down Malchei Yisrael Street yesterday. On one side of the street some female soldiers donning green uniforms entered the Schneller Army Base. On the other side of the street were some Beis Yaakov seminar girls dressed in their the blue-skirt-and-shirt school uniform. I saw two sides of the street and two different uniforms.

I wondered if members of these two groups of young women ever struck up a casual conversation. I imagine that such an occurrence would be very rare. If they did, they would find that the ideological gap that separates them is much wider than the width of Malchei Yisrael Street. Although both girls speak Hebrew, they would find that many words in the lexicon of one of them just don't exist in the lexicon of the other. Even the words that are common for both often carry different meanings and connotations.

This is Israel as we approach Rosh Hashanah 5766.

Getting Stuck On Stupid

Now this is hilarious! (Hat tip: Michelle Malkin.)

And You Thought That All The Jews Left Gaza!

Check out this post from the Muqata!

Meet Avri Ran

NRG, the online version of the Israeli newspaper Maariv, published an interesting article on hilltop settler Avri Ran. As I read it I thought to myself that it is too bad that only those that know Hebrew can read this piece.

Someone from Arutz 7 must have been reading my thoughts. They published an article in English based on the NRG article. I recommend it.

Letters All Over The Jblogosphere

After you are done reading the letter that I posted, check out this letter at Shiloh Musings and this one at Israel Perspectives.

A Letter From A Female Officer To The Family That She Evicted From Their Home In Gush Katif

Blogmaster note: This letter appeared in last week's BeSheva magazine. I found this letter quite interesting, and therefore translated it from the original Hebrew into English for my readers. Without further ado .....

To the dear Goldschmidt family,

Shalom. I am sure that you remember me as the officer that evicted you from (your) home. I hope that after this letter you will remember me differently.

For a long time, since that Tuesday in Ganei Tal, I wander about with a great feeling of distress. Approximately like all the soldiers that took part in the eviction of (the residents of) Gush Katif and (Northern) Samaria.

I've been wounded with a deep emotional wound. I regret every minute and I wish that this feeling would pass. Your pain affected me a lot, perhaps because you were the first family that I, with much sorrow, had to evict. That week it was very difficult for me to go home, because of the fact that I have a home to return to and also because I cried a lot and I did not want to see anybody. The sorrowful experience that I went through with you touched my heart. My dear father suggested to me that I write you this letter, in order to unload the emotional burden that lies upon me since then. To begin with I really want to say that I am sorry. I am sorry about the entire eviction process. I'm sorry that I had to stand there opposite you and hold back my tears, in spite that I felt that I am entirely one of you. I am sorry about the distress that was brought upon you and the rest of the families in your charming settlement. Ironically, Ganei Tal, which did not forcefully resist, pained us the most. I am sorry that I harmed you, and I wish you a happy life and a new start with a minimum of problems. I strengthen you from my little abode in the (army) base and believe in you with all my heart.

I write this letter in tears and sadness, and hope that you won't throw it out, or that it won't return you to the terrible day of the eviction. To your two charming daughters please send my deep sorrow with regards to everything that happened and my sincere (request for) forgiveness. And to you, the parents of the family that so touched my heart, you were so right in what you said to me and the other officer that was with me in your home - that the difficult mission of continuing life and guarding your children at this hard time has fallen upon you. At the end of this letter my personal telephone (number) is attached. I am sure that you do not want any connection with me and that you are trying to forget the past and to look towards the future, but if in spite of this you want to talk, I'll be happy to hear your voice again.

I am happy that the opportunity to contact you again was given to me, even if it is by means of a letter. Would it were that I could meet you again, but of course only at happy occasions. Forgive me for my terrible handwriting. I decided to turn to your hearts in a more personal manner, and not in printed form.

Again I want to write and summarize my words in such that never in my life have I gone through such a difficult situation, a situation of helplessness and deep emotional partnership with people that I do not know. At that time I felt hate and anger towards the governmental factors that sent us on this difficult mission, that caused us to look like robots opposite you, opposite charming people that I had the pleasure to meet even in sorrowful circumstances.

I hope that you do not hold a grudge against me, and that you will truly forgive me and the rest of the soldiers that against their will had to take part in the eviction of (the residents of) Gush Katif. Believe me that we did not want to do this. If I could turn the wheel back and cast off the emotional burden that I had that morning in your house, I would release the tears in order that you would know that it is hard for me as well and that I'm crying with you.

With this I'm finishing my letter again with a blessing of success for your charming family.

Oh that you should find only gladness and happiness in your life.

Violent Left-Wing Activist On The Way To Jail

Deputy Chief Justice of the Haifa district court Rachel Hoza ruled Sunday in favor of Dr. Eli Buchbinder and Dr. Ronen Adar, who were brutally attacked by a group of Arabs wearing Meretz T-shirts and hanging signs for the Meretz municipal elections. Read about it here.

Weird Headline In Ha'aretz

Here's the Headline:

Five Jewish families move into Arab property in Hebron

The article itself, however, states the following:

Five Jewish families recently moved into a building purchased by residents of the Jewish settlement in Hebron, near a longstanding trailer park and a new apartment building intended to replace the trailers.

I don't get it. The building remains Arab property even after Jews have purchased it?

Going The "Right" Way With Torah

The Talmudic sage Rava said, "For those that go right with it (words of Torah), it is the potion of life, for those that go left with it (words of Torah), it is the potion of death" (Shabbat 88B). This is a seemingly strange statement. What does Rava mean? Rava's terminology reminds me of what Abraham said to Lot, "Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me; if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou take the right hand, then I will go to the left.'" (Genesis 13:9). But here it is obvious that Rava is not talking about directions of the compass!

Fortunately for us, Rashi provides an explanation of Rava's words: "Those that go right- Those that are occupied (with the Torah) with all of their might and concerned to know its (the Torah's) secret, like a man that uses his right hand which is the main (hand)."

I understand that from Rashi's explanation that "those that go left" are not overly occupied or concerned with words of Torah. For them the Torah is like an unimportant hobby, something that they occupy themselves with only after all of the "really important" things are done. The Torah is the potion of death for such people. This is a very harsh statement! Rava is telling us that the Torah has to be the main thing. Even if one spends the majority of their day making a living, he must set aside time for learning Torah. While he is learning, he must strive with all of his might to understand and of course apply what he has learned.

I hope that in the coming year that I will merit, along with the rest of Israel to be among those that "go right" with the words of Torah, that the Torah will be for us an elixir of life, and as such we will all merit to be written and sealed for a good year.

R' Moishe In The Hospital

I went to visit R' Moishe in the hospital last Friday. R' Moishe, once a man of greater than average strength, was lying in his bed totally helpless. He cannot get up from his bed to go to the bathroom, and therefore he has to be diapered. He cannot feed himself. It's ironic that this old man is in many ways similar to a newborn baby, totally dependent on others.

R' Moishe has trouble breathing. That's the reason for the tubes that are in his nose. He sleeps most of the time. When he was awake I asked him if there was something that I could do to help him.

"Hakol Beseder," he said. Everything is okay.

I don't think that I could have received a better lesson in ethics before the New Year.

BeSheva Had Some Really Good Articles This Week

This week's issue of BeSheva (vol. 160) has some really good articles. If you didn't pick up a free copy of the paper, you can read it online here. (I must admit that I wish that Arutz 7 would translate the paper into English. It's not that I have a problem reading Hebrew, it's just that I read English about ten times faster!)

Soldiers Regret Taking Part In Expulsion

Arutz 7 has an interesting article dealing with this. An excerpt:

Yoni and Noa Katzover received a phone call from a Border Guard officer who evicted them from their house in Chomesh. "He asked how we are doing," Yoni said, "and told us of the hardships he's undergoing. He told us of his 10-year-old nephew who refuses to talk with him, and how he broke down crying in the middle of the Kiddush [pre-Sabbath-meal blessing]. He also told us about some of his soldiers who have requested emotional counseling."

A related note: The son of a friend of mine serves in the Golani Brigade. He told his father of an instance where Golani soldiers mercilessly taunted a soldier from another brigade that took part in the expulsion.(And that soldier knew that he better not mess around with Golani.)

Another related note: Rabbi Moshe Tzuriel is of the opinion that those that took part in the expulsion should not be allowed to lead prayers, be called up to the Torah, or be counted in a minyan, until they do teshuvah.

Final note: "Religious soldiers who participated in the evacuation are considered to have impaired their chances for a good match. A number of young women and their mothers said they would not consider marrying someone who had taken part in the operation."

Pallywood

The Second Draft, a web site that is "devoted to exploring some of the problems and issues that plague modern journalism," has a must see:

Pallywood, "According to Palestinian Sources..." a film by Richard Landes & Nidra Poller. International news media extract a few convincing instants of staged scenes - sight-bytes, and present them as news...

Don't miss it!

Hat Tip: Galileeblog

Cosmic X Tears His Shirt

During the reburial of the bodies from the Gush Katif cemetary, Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky mentioned that when he was expelled from his home he made a tear his shirt as a sign of mourning. He added that when the IDF turns over the settlements to the Arabs, everybody would be required to do so. In Hebrew this is called keri'ah.

I had forgotten Rabbi Kaminetzky's words about keri'ah until last night. Someone in my daf yomi class mentioned that Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu also required this.

So last night I tore the shirt that I was wearing in accordance with Jewish Law.

May all those who mourn the destruction of Jewish communitees in the land of Israel merit to rejoice in their rebuilding, as it is written with regards to Jerusalem: “Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her.” (Isaiah 66:10) “All who mourn for Jerusalem will merit to see its great joy." (Ta'anit 30B)

Beware Of Levity

One of the ways that the proponents of "disengagement" deal with the great injustice done to those that were expelled from their homes is levity. Before the expulsion someone sent me an email with a wmv file version of Channel 10's parody "Nechama Bat Yefune." I do not have a television at home and this is one of the reasons why. The portrayal of the settler woman as a scatterbrained idiot was just one of the devices to desensitize the nation to the great sin that it was about to commit. Let's laugh about kicking these scatterbrained idiots out of their homes!

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, in his book The Path Of The Just, warns us about the effect that levity can have on our spiritual growth:

Consider the great severity and destructive power of levity. Like a shield smeared with oil, which wards off arrows and causes them to fall to the ground, not permitting them to reach the bearer's body, is levity in the face of reproof and rebuke. For with one bit of levity and with a little laughter a person can cast from himself the great majority of the awakenings and impressions that a man's heart stimulates and effects within itself upon his seeing or hearing things which arouse him to an acconting and an examination of his deeds. The force of levity flings everything to the ground so that no impression whatsoever is made upon Him. This is due not to the weakness of the forces playing upon him, nor to any lack of understanding on his part, but to the power of levity, which obliterates all facets of moral evaluation and fear of God.

As we search our souls this Elul, levity is one of the things that must be done away with.

R' Moishe

R' Moishe was a regular at the daf yomi class. In spite of his advanced age, in spite of the stroke that left him partially paralyzed, R' Moishe almost always made it to the daf yomi class. He would limp in to the beis medresh with his cane, and I would help him remove his coat and sit down. He would pay close attention to what the rabbi said, and often the questions that he would raise were the same questions that the tosefos or other rishonim had already pondered. (This is a sign of a sharp mind and a proper understanding of the issue at hand.)

As the years went by R' Moishe's cane was replaced with a walker, and later on by a wheel chair. R' Moishe started having trouble concentrating during the daf yomi class. He has trouble breathing. His skin has become pale. His doctor says that his days are numbered.

R' Moishe has stopped coming to the daf yomi class. I miss him.

Jewish Rage Blogger

Read some Jewish Rage at Zaamyehudi!

Balagan In Jerusalem

Balagan at the western entrance to Jerusalem. The city is going through growing pains. Construction of the "Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge" has begun. Read more about it here.

Reaping The "Fruits" Of "Disengagement"

CNN Does It Again!

The Arabs didn't burn down the synagogue. The just lit a bonfire under it:

The synagogue in Netzarim was still standing, but there were no plans were in place to protect it or any of the synagogues from any Palestinian citizens who might want to damage them, the official said.

Several Palestinians stood atop the Netzarim synagogue with flags, firing weapons into the air. A bonfire was alight under the building.

I won't say that CNN lies but they sure have a hard time telling the truth!

Update: David at Israellycool also noticed this.

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu: It Will Not Be (Hayo Lo Tihye)

This is an article that was published in the Mayanei HaYeshua parsha sheet, volume 213, Parshat Shoftim, 6 Elul 5765. I could not find the original Hebrew version online. If anyone finds it please let me know. The translation that follows is mine, except for verses from the Bible which are from the Jewish Publication Society's 1917 edition of the Hebrew Bible in English. Every translation is an interpretation, where the translator has to pick a word or phrase from a number of possibilities. Sometimes faithfulness to the original has to be sacrificed because of considerations of style and idiom. I believe that I captured the essence of what the Rabbi wrote, but in no way is this translation authoritative. That being said, drumroll....

It Will Not Be

We said and prayed and hoped and cried, "It will not be." We repeat and say, "It will not be." G-d swore to our fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that this land will be ours. 1900 years we did not lose the faith and the trust that we will return to here, that "not one word of Your words will return unfulfilled." Blessed be G-d, we have returned to the land of Israel according to G-d's promise to our teacher Moses 3300 years ago. "That then the L-RD thy G-d will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the L-RD thy G-d hath scattered thee. If any of thine that are dispersed be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from thence will the L-RD thy G-d gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee. (Deuteronomy 30:3-4)

We merited to see the beginning of the fulfillment of this promise and we are confident that we will merit to see the fulfillment of G-d’s prophecy in its entirety. "And the L-RD thy G-d will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers. And the L-RD thy G-d will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live. (Deuteronomy 30:5-6).

We are confident with regards to the fulfillment of G-d's promise. Because of it we pray. From its strength we came into the land, it gave us the strength to build, plant, and sow. From the midst of this certainty we pray for the continuation of its fulfillment.

Our struggle with regards to our settlement in Gush Katif also was also derived from this faith. It is impossible to fight without faith. It is impossible to fight without determination. It is impossible to fight from the midst of doubt. One must fight from the midst of trust (in G-d). And in truth the thing of utter importance in this struggle was the trust and faith that accompanied it the entire way. In the end, to our dismay, we lost the homes and the settlements, the orchards and the greenhouses, the Torah academies and the study halls, all of the special beauty of the Gush Katif settlements. But we did not lose the faith and the trust (in G-d). We did not lose hope. We were not partners to the destruction of the settlements. We were not partners to this awful wanton transgression.

It is correct that some of us lost part of his property, (however) the vast majority was saved. It is true that we are sitting today in hotels and not in our homes. However, "the money and the possessions” were never the main thing in our lives, they were important but they were secondary. The main thing for us was life, education, faith, and the way (of life). We went out from there with all of our values. We did not compromise on anything. We fought for our way (of life) till the last minute. We did not bend our ways because of weakness and weariness, surrender and compromises.

He who went out with his faith (intact) is able to continue, to build, to succeed, and to return (to himself) what was lost on the way. He who lost faith but kept (his) possessions, for him (life) is difficult. We continue with faith. We continue to say, "It will not be." We know that the path of surrender has no chance. There is no chance for a path that goes against the word of the living G-d. There is no chance to go against G-d's oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Many leaders arose in history that went against the word of G-d. They perished and their way perished, but "the word of our G-d will prevail forever."

We will return to Gush Katif in a greater and wider fashion. With the help of G-d we will dwell there in great security, with tranquility, and peace, serenity and safety. Amen may it be His will.

Israel Won´t Destroy Synagogues

One less Chillul Hashem for the Sharon government:

Overturning two previous decisions, the Cabinet voted to leave the Gush Katif synagogues intact. The Palestinian Authority is already threatening to raze them.

Some Goodies From The Machon Parashat Hashavua Sheet

Rabbi Dov Begon:

Today, we bear witness to a deterioration of morality and spirituality. The words of Isaiah 1:23 are being fulfilled: “Your princes are rebellious...Every one of them loves bribes and pursues reward. They judge not the fatherless nor does the cause of the widow come unto them.” How can the Israeli secular legal system, whose job it is to pursue justice and to defend the society and nation, instead provide backing to unethical, inhumane deeds? They are aiding in the expulsion of Jews from Eretz Yisrael. They are harming entire families and communities, and destroying homes, synagogues and yeshivot.

Instead of defending the Israeli nation and society, they serve the interests of Israel’s enemies. Instead of strengthening and protecting the unique Jewish identity of the Jewish People, they are determined to make us a nation like all others, without an identity, without a culture, without Jewish values. Those presently in the seat of power offer a religion of “disengagement” from the people, Torah and land.

Rabbi Shlomo Aviner:

I lament for our Holy Land liberated with our soldiers’ blood and now turned over to our enemies; for that section of the Land built with great toil over the course of generations, now destroyed and left desolate; for the pure and holy Jewish communities that have been shattered.

I lament for the precious families cast into the street without a home, without work, without agriculture and without schools for their children; for a people’s army that has been contaminated, ravaged and shattered, and the higher echelons of the army who did not say: “We can’t do it. We’re incapable of carrying out such an inhuman order.”

Israel Not Actually Disengaging from Gaza

What will the average Israeli think when he sees Arabs from the Gaza Strip are still running around Tel Aviv? "I thought we were disengaged! They are over there, and we are here." Soon the nasty truth that was religiously covered up by the Israeli government and MSM will come to light. 10,000 Arab workers from Gaza will continue to work in Israel every day:

Some 10,000 Arab workers from Gaza will be allowed, every day, to cross over into mainland Israel. This, despite the claim by many pro-disengagement elements that Israel must separate itself from Gaza, along the lines of, "We're here and they're there."

BTW, I posted about this a long time ago.

9/11 Roundup

It's hard to see this date on the calendar without posting something. Since I have nothing particularly original to say, I'm providing the following links from other bloggers:

Clarity And Resolve

Smooth Stone

Mystical Paths

Sultan Knish here, here, and here.

Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky At Machon Meir

Last night I heard a lecture by Rabbi Yigal Kaminetzky at Machon Meir. Rabbi Kaminetzky was the regional Rabbi of the Gaza Strip. The lecture was fascinating and inspiring. It was hard to believe that the confident and commanding speaker was a man who was just forcefully expelled from his home in Neve Dekalim and is now living in a hotel room.

Rabbi Kaminetzky told those who had filled the study hall in Machon Meir about the special place that was Gush Katif. The Gush was a place of miracles: A place where nothing grew prior to 1967 became a world reknowned leader in agriculture. The remarkably low casualty rate in the face of over 5000 mortars and rockets was also a miracle.

Gush Katif was also a place of Torah and Chessed. A place full of Yeshivot and Kollelim. A place where the farmers would send part of their produce to charitable organizations all over the country. The Gush was a tight-knit community, where 70% of the population had come from development towns.

This post does not do justice to the lecture. If you get a chance to hear Rabbi Kaminetzky speak, please go and hear him. You will be inspired.

Court Okays Demolition of Synagogues

Hashiva Shofteinu K'Varishonah!

Rabbi Druckman Agrees With Cosmic X

Rabbi Druckman:

"Our reaction must not be from 'the gut,' such as in the case of the students who said they would not enlist in the army, but rather from 'the head' and from our sources. Serving in the army is a Biblical commandment, for we still are in a state of war and we have enemies surrounding us - even though there are those who like to fool themselves otherwise. If there is no army, who will protect us? The war in which we find ourselves is a defensive one, thus that it has the Halakhic [Jewish legal] status of a 'mandatory war.'

Cosmic X:

I really do understand these teens. The sight of IDF soldiers throwing these brave Jews out of their homes instead of protecting them, all for the benefit of a corrupt government will not be forgotten. However, let's remember that we are still surrounded by enemies, and until the day when "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" the army is still important. Let me rephrase that: Serving in the army is more than important, it is a mitzvah. Of course, if one receives orders that are in opposition to Jewish Law he should simply not fulfill them. This was the case before "disengagement" and it will always be the case.

Update: Rabbi Melamed's opinion:

"The ambition and goal of enlisting in, contributing to, and changing the army, has not proven itself. More than the religious officers changed the army, the army changed them."

Getting Into The Elul Mood

Yesterday my younger daughter and her friend were doing their mathematics homework together in our livingroom. I grabbed my shofar (ram's horn) and blasted away. They looked at me as if to say, "Can't you see that we are trying to study here!"

I said, "What's all of this x and y nonsense? It's Elul! Wake up sleepers from your slumber!"

They smiled.

The View From The Roof Of The Synagogue In Kfar Darom

(Photo by Moshe X)

A little note about those black uniforms that the police wore: Black is not the ideal color to wear in the hot Israeli sun. Black, as is well known, absorbs heat. The temperature during the expulsion of the Jews from the Gaza Strip hovered at about 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).

A doctor who was in Gush Katif during the expulsion told me the following story: A policeman was brought by his colleagues to the clinic, apparently dehydrated. The doctor gave him an infusion and told the other policemen to wait outside. When they left, he asked his patient, "Why in the world are you wearing black in this kind of heat?"

The policeman replied,"Psychological warfare."

Update: See this interesting post by Jameel: Destroying the Gaza Synagogues: Deconstructing Zionism.

Update: See recent pics of Atzmona at Out of Step Jew.

Last-Minute Rescue Work for Gush Katif Property

The Bart Family Home

This was the home of the Bart family in Kfar Darom. Today, thanks to Israel's immoral and corrupt government, it is a pile of rubble. The mother of the family, Channah, was paralyzed from the waist down four years ago as the result of a terror attack. The Bart family bravely stayed in Kfar Darom. The Israeli government cowardly retreated from Kfar Darom, handing it over to the terrorists who wounded Channah and killed and wounded many others. (Photo by Moshe X)


We will not forget what was done and who was responsible!

More "Disengagement" Fallout: Teens State Intention Not To Serve In The IDF

Ynet reports:

Group of teens draft petition calling on country’s youth not to enlist in the army, as it “fights its own people and thus strengthens the terrorists.

The ynet article brings a quote from the petition:

“I hereby declare that even though I have reached the age of recruitment to the IDF, I will object to serving in an army that expelled Jews from their homes, that burned down synagogues and yeshivas, that destroyed the lives of 15,000 Jews in the Land of Israel...
Therefore, at the IDF recruitment center I will announce: I have no motivation to serve in an army that fights my Jewish brothers. I will not serve in the IDF.”

I really do understand these teens. The sight of IDF soldiers throwing these brave Jews out of their homes instead of protecting them, all for the benefit of a corrupt government will not be forgotten. However, let's remember that we are still surrounded by enemies, and until the day when "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more" the army is still important. Let me rephrase that: Serving in the army is more than important, it is a mitzvah. Of course, if one receives orders that are in opposition to Jewish Law he should simply not fulfill them. This was the case before "disengagement" and it will always be the case.

Victims Of "Disengagement"

Check out what Batya has to say about this.

Also, see Pinchas' excellent photo essay of the reburial of those exhumed from Gush Katif's cemetary.

Media Backspin: Israeli Katrina Support, Unreported

I also noticed that CNN left Israel out. The CNN omission reminded me of an old post of mine.

Israeli Judicial Notes

Be´er Sheva Suicide Terrorist Had Been Freed by Israel

State Gives In, Releases Mother of Nine from Disengagement Wing

The Show Trial of Col. Leshem

Speaking of Moshe Leshem, here's a picture of him on the roof of the Kfar Darom synagogue. (photo: Moshe X). Col. Leshem is holding the megaphone.

Another Picture From The Moshe X Collection

The sun sets on Neve Dekalim, days before it was destroyed by Israel's corrupt government:


We will not forget what was done and who was responsible!

Jblogosphere Shorts

Haveil Havalim #35 is up at Israel Perspectives.

Smooth Stone has launced a new blog, Campaign to Divest from "Palestine".

Galileeblog reports that Israeli Arabs Try to run down Jewish hitcher in Galilee.

The Muqata has a before and after picture of a Jewish settlement that was destroyed.

Some thoughts for the month of Elul at Mystical Paths.

Those Exhumed From Gush Katif's Cemetery Reburied In Jerusalem

Cosmic X was there. Thousands gathered to accompany the dead to their (hopefully) final resting place. The crowd was almost entirely composed of "national religious" Jews, as Rabbi Lau keenly observed:

It's sad for me that I don’t see sections of the nation actively honoring the Gush Katif dead,” said Lau.

Excellent coverage of the event can be found on Ynet and Arutz 7. You can also read this lackluster account from The Jerusalem Post, which has apparently been edited to death. As far as I can tell Ha'aretz decided to ignore the event, although they do have an interesting article about how the graves were exhumed.

New Israeli Blogger Alert

Welcome Amkha Yisrael!

I Don't Know

I do not know if the "disengagement" plan caused the tsunami that wracked South East Asia. Nor do I know if the plan is responsible for Hurricane Katrina. I cannot say for certain that these conjectures are incorrect either.

In any case: "Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD." (Lamentations 3:40)

Profiting From The Calamity Of Others

After The destruction of Gush Katif the only "insect free" vegetables available in my local grocery store were from the Cohen-Mann farm of Moshav Batzra. I was about to buy a head of lettuce, until I saw that the price went up from 4 NIS to 5 NIS.

I told the grocer that I do not believe that his costs or the costs of the Cohen-Mann farm suddenly jumped 25%, and I object to this kind of profiteering. He started to explain to me the rules of the market, supply versus demand etc. I taught the grocer a lesson in "price elasticity of demand" by not buying a head of lettuce.

Speaking of "insect free" vegetables, here's a picture (courtesy of Moshe X) of the last days of Netzer Chazani, a thriving Jewish community destroyed by Israel's corrupt government. The workers are packaging bug free celery.




Update (Sept. 4): Alei Katif try to turn over new leaf