I turned this group of light waves into bits and bytes while I was walking down Achad HaAm Street in Tel Aviv. As I approached the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange I saw that someone defaced the building across the street with the "inspiring" slogan, "Death To Capitalism" accompanied with a drawing of the hammer and sickle. In the foreground you can see one of TASE's garbage dumpsters.
I bet that graffiti really has the Stock Exchange members on the run.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Israeli Baseball League Video
For the baseball fans among us, Arutz 7 has a video of the opening day. It is interesting that Arutz 7 seems to be very enthusiastic about this enterprise. In another article on Arutz 7 about the opening day, someone takes a different look at the league:
"Do we really need to import the big-bucks, beer-jlubbing, hero-worshipping culture of American baseball into the Holy Land?" asks one observer. "This is simply a Greek-like fan-culture with little redeeming value. Did we yearn to leave the Exile for 2,000 years merely so we could build a copy of it here in Israel? It's very nice that the league doesn't play on Shabbat, but I'm afraid that during the week, children will grow up idolizing players, as they do in the U.S. at great cost in time and money, instead of going out to play themselves or otherwise occupy themselves constructively."Personally, as I mentioned in a previous post, I don't have time for spectator sports.
Blood And Cola
A technician from one of the Kupot Cholim had just filled eight small flasks with my blood (for a blood test). Immediately afterwards I bought a coke. Can anyone out there identify where this picture was taken? Hint: Somewhere in Jerusalem.
Update: It is the Merkaz Mischari on Shaulzon St. in Har Nof.
Update: It is the Merkaz Mischari on Shaulzon St. in Har Nof.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Free Shalit Yes, But Not At Any Price
There are some in the Israeli MSM that are trying to convince us that we have no choice, that we must pay any price that the Hamas asks in order to save Gil'ad Shalit. I beg to disagree. The Jewish people weren't born yesterday. We are an ancient people and we have a long a bitter experience with kidnappers and other rogues. In general, our sages have said that we do not redeem captives for more than they are worth (see Gittin 45). There are other factors to be considered, but it is clear that giving in to the demands of the kidnappers will encourage more kidnappings. What's more, experience has shown that when Israel releases terrorists, the results are disastrous, as Yisrael Harel explains:
[Cross posted on Free Gilad Shalit]
May 21, 1985 witnessed what has come to be known as the "Jibril deal". Some 1,115 terrorists were released in exchange for three Israeli soldiers who had been abducted in Lebanon. According to statistics published by the Israel General Security Service (Shabak, or Shin Bet), more than 40 percent of those released went on to resume terrorist operations including acts of murder. Those released in the Jibril deal also produced the Palestinian leadership that launched the 1989 intifada--that in many ways continues to this day.We have to pray that God will give our leaders the wisdom to do what is good for the country. With all of the sympathy that I have for the Shalit family, we cannot have their personal interest take precedence over the interest of the entire nation.
With 22 years hindsight, that was a cancerous precedent. The terrorist organizations discovered Israel's soft belly: the inability to withstand the pressures exerted by the families of the abducted soldiers. Ever since, abductions have become routine: Israelis are kidnapped and Israeli governments, right- and left-wing, redeem the abductees with the wholesale release of terrorists. It is these frequent capitulations, especially in the Lebanon arena, that led Hassan Nasrallah in 2000 to the conclusion that Israel had lost the will to fight and could be likened in its weakness to a spider web.
[Cross posted on Free Gilad Shalit]
Monday, June 25, 2007
Mystery Tree Number 3
Okay, I know that this one is not easy. Click on the pic for an enlargement:
Update: That Zman Biur guy sure knows his stuff! Yes, it is a caper bush. In Hebrew it is called Tzalaf or Nitzpah (see Demai 1:1).
The caper bush is mentioned several times in Talmudic literature. For instance there is a discussion of what blessing to recite before eating different parts of the tree (Berachot 36). Our sages say that the caper bush is the boldest tree (Beitzah 25B). Rashi comments there that he doesn't know what is bold about the Tzalaf. Tosefot says that its boldness is in that three different parts of the tree can be eaten and that it provides new fruit every day. In Rabbi Rafael Halperin's Encyclopedia LeBeit Yisrael it is written that the caper bush's boldness is in that it is hard to destroy: If you burn it or chop it down it will quickly regenerate. I remember Rabbi David Samson telling me many years ago that the Tzalaf is bold in that it can take root in nooks and cranies, something that most trees cannot do.
In the Jerusalem Talmud (Shabbat ch. 15 halacha 3) there is a story where our caper bush plays a major role:
Here is another caper bush in bloom in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Shaul:
Update: That Zman Biur guy sure knows his stuff! Yes, it is a caper bush. In Hebrew it is called Tzalaf or Nitzpah (see Demai 1:1).
The caper bush is mentioned several times in Talmudic literature. For instance there is a discussion of what blessing to recite before eating different parts of the tree (Berachot 36). Our sages say that the caper bush is the boldest tree (Beitzah 25B). Rashi comments there that he doesn't know what is bold about the Tzalaf. Tosefot says that its boldness is in that three different parts of the tree can be eaten and that it provides new fruit every day. In Rabbi Rafael Halperin's Encyclopedia LeBeit Yisrael it is written that the caper bush's boldness is in that it is hard to destroy: If you burn it or chop it down it will quickly regenerate. I remember Rabbi David Samson telling me many years ago that the Tzalaf is bold in that it can take root in nooks and cranies, something that most trees cannot do.
In the Jerusalem Talmud (Shabbat ch. 15 halacha 3) there is a story where our caper bush plays a major role:
Once a pious man took a walk on the Sabbath in his vineyard and he saw a breach (in the fence that surrounded the vineyard). He thought to himself how he was going to repair it when after Sabbath. (Then) he said, "Since I thought to repair the fence (during the Sabbath, when he was usually careful not to think about mundane matters), I will never repair it."(This he did to atone for thinking about this on the Sabbath). What did the Holy One Blessed Be He do? He caused a caper bush to grow there and it filled the breach. From this caper bush he ate and it provided him with sustenance all his life.
Here is another caper bush in bloom in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Givat Shaul:
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Carnivals All Over And I Was Off Line!
I've been off line for the past few days and a lot has happened in the jblogosphere:
1) In a land down under, the Balebusteh hosted the 19th Kosher Cooking Carnival. It is a truly mouth-watering experience.
2) The Balebusteh's other half, Mr. Bagel, put up Jpix #10. I was quite honored to see one of my pics leading off the carnival.
3) In the shadow of the ancient tabernacle of Shiloh, we find of all things, Haveil Havalim.
I've got a lot of catching up to do.
1) In a land down under, the Balebusteh hosted the 19th Kosher Cooking Carnival. It is a truly mouth-watering experience.
2) The Balebusteh's other half, Mr. Bagel, put up Jpix #10. I was quite honored to see one of my pics leading off the carnival.
3) In the shadow of the ancient tabernacle of Shiloh, we find of all things, Haveil Havalim.
I've got a lot of catching up to do.
Labels:
Haveil Havalim,
Jpix,
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Wednesday, June 20, 2007
My Private Protest, Our Public Scream
This is for the record! Anyone who wants to know the truth about the shameful parade of homosexuals in Jerusalem scheduled to take place tomorrow should know the following:
This parade is taking place against the will of the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the city. We really don't want it. It is being forced upon us by the homosexuals and a judiciary that places their immoral set of values over the timeless values of the Torah. These people are raping Jerusalem by inserting into her a foreign object, i.e. this parade celebrating sexual deviancy, against her will. She is screaming, she is pleading, "Please don't! Please have mercy!!!" But the purveyors of filth and those that commit the most perverted of acts will not listen. They proclaim, "The Government is with us!", just like the Arabs of Hebron in 1929. Thousands of armed policemen, most of whom are also appalled by the shame parade, will follow orders and provide "security" for the march of the wicked.
Many conscientious people have done their best to try to stop this desecration of our city. They were not successful. However the truth cannot be altered by a parade or by a media spin. "Politically correct" slogans of "freedom of expression" and "democracy" cannot and will not change this simple fact: Homosexuality is a malady. If one's reproductive system is aroused by someone of the same sex this is certainly not something to be proud of! A million parades won't change that fact. The parade is an act of self deception on the part of the homosexuals and a ruse to recruit others into their depraved cult.
Shame on anyone who participates or facilitates this event! Shame on all those who defile the Holy City and the Holy Land! Shame on all those that promote licentiousness! May the Land vomit you out!
This parade is taking place against the will of the overwhelming majority of the inhabitants of the city. We really don't want it. It is being forced upon us by the homosexuals and a judiciary that places their immoral set of values over the timeless values of the Torah. These people are raping Jerusalem by inserting into her a foreign object, i.e. this parade celebrating sexual deviancy, against her will. She is screaming, she is pleading, "Please don't! Please have mercy!!!" But the purveyors of filth and those that commit the most perverted of acts will not listen. They proclaim, "The Government is with us!", just like the Arabs of Hebron in 1929. Thousands of armed policemen, most of whom are also appalled by the shame parade, will follow orders and provide "security" for the march of the wicked.
Many conscientious people have done their best to try to stop this desecration of our city. They were not successful. However the truth cannot be altered by a parade or by a media spin. "Politically correct" slogans of "freedom of expression" and "democracy" cannot and will not change this simple fact: Homosexuality is a malady. If one's reproductive system is aroused by someone of the same sex this is certainly not something to be proud of! A million parades won't change that fact. The parade is an act of self deception on the part of the homosexuals and a ruse to recruit others into their depraved cult.
Shame on anyone who participates or facilitates this event! Shame on all those who defile the Holy City and the Holy Land! Shame on all those that promote licentiousness! May the Land vomit you out!
Graffiti On The Left, Graffiti On The Right
Lame leftist stencil graffiti on Barzilai Street Tel Aviv. Meow to occupation:
I hate graffiti, but at least this rightist graffiti artist didn't use a stencil. What's more he is right. It is located in front of the Maimon Elementary School in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem. Kahane's way is the solution to the Arab problem:
I hate graffiti, but at least this rightist graffiti artist didn't use a stencil. What's more he is right. It is located in front of the Maimon Elementary School in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood of Jerusalem. Kahane's way is the solution to the Arab problem:
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Just Before Shabbat II
We light olive oil candles with floating wicks:
A little bit about the Jewish people and olives:
A little bit about the Jewish people and olives:
The Jewish nation is compared to the olive by the Prophet Yirmiyahu:
"Hashem has given you the title of a beautiful, fresh olive." (Yirmiyahu 11:16)
Several explanations are offered by our Sages for this comparison.
Rabbi Yitzchak sees in it the fulfillment of Jewish destiny in the end of days. When the Patriarch Avraham came to the ruins of the Beit Hamikdash to pray for his exiled descendants, G-d reassured him that, despite their serious sinning that precipitated their exile, there was still hope for their survival and return. A voice from Heaven quoted the above comparison to the olive, explaining that just as the true essence of the olive is the oil which can be extracted from it at the end of its existence, so too will the true essence of the Jewish nation emerge at the end of days. How this massive return to G-d will be effected has already been outlined by our Sages who stated that in order for Jews to be worthy of redemption by Mashiach a wicked ruler will be imposed upon them by Heaven, whose draconic decrees will motivate Jews to repent their ways and return to G-d.
This concept is echoed by Rabbi Yochanan who pointed out that just as the oil is extracted from the olive by crushing it, so too do Jews return to the proper path only through suffering.
Maharsha makes an interesting observation regarding the relationship of the olive to its oil. In the Torah listing of the seven agricultural species for which Eretz Yisrael is famed, the olive is described as the "oil-producing olive" (Devarim 8:8), for it is the oil rather than the fruit that is the true essence of the olive.
Jewish survival is the theme of the comparison to the olive in the approach of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi. His focus, however, is on the tree bearing the olives rather than the oil produced from them. Just as the olive tree does not shed its leaves both in winter and summer so will Jewry remain both in this world and in the Hereafter. Maharsha explains that winter is an allegory for the difficulties that Jews suffer in the generations preceding Mashiach, while summer symbolizes the era of redemption that awaits them.
Labels:
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Here And There
The The Jewish Blogmeister interviews DafNotes.
Akiva remembers the Rebbe.
Rafi has a video of the rabbinic visit to the Temple Mount.
Cox and Forkum are on target as usual:
Akiva remembers the Rebbe.
Rafi has a video of the rabbinic visit to the Temple Mount.
Cox and Forkum are on target as usual:
Labels:
jblogger
Monday, June 18, 2007
You Must Have A Boring Job
What other reason could there be for you to be reading this blog?
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jblogger
Just Before Shabbat
I snapped this one just before Shabbat. My kiddush cup is a little tarnished. Do you think that it holds a shiur?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Some Links
HH #121
Chana Meira Finishes Ulpan
Batya meets a famous jblogger. Who is it? Update: It's Soccer Dad!
Listim Atem!
Rafi Gets The Goose
And here is the quote of the day:
Chana Meira Finishes Ulpan
Batya meets a famous jblogger. Who is it? Update: It's Soccer Dad!
Listim Atem!
Rafi Gets The Goose
And here is the quote of the day:
I'd say that the most important lesson to be learned from the Hamas success in Gaza is that it is, in fact, quite possible to defeat a terrorist organization. And it can be done within days.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Another Mystery Tree In Jerusalem
This one is easier than the previous one. Do you know what kind of tree this is?
Update:Wow, I am surprised that nobody got this one. It is a pomegranate tree (rimon in Hebrew). This is how it looks in the flowering stage. Some of those flowers will become full fledged pomegranates.
The pomegranate is one of the "seven species" that the land of Israel was praised for:
(Deuteronomy Chapter 8):
And of course there is this famous midrash:
Update:Wow, I am surprised that nobody got this one. It is a pomegranate tree (rimon in Hebrew). This is how it looks in the flowering stage. Some of those flowers will become full fledged pomegranates.
The pomegranate is one of the "seven species" that the land of Israel was praised for:
(Deuteronomy Chapter 8):
And thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to fear Him. For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths, springing forth in valleys and hills; a land of wheat and barley, and vines and fig-trees and pomegranates; a land of olive-trees and honey; a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness, thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass. And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.This fruit is also plays a role in many midrashim:
"Did the pomegranates blossom yet?" [in the Song of Songs] - this refers to the young children who sit and learn Torah. They sit in rows like the seeds of the pomegranates. (Shir HaShirim Raba, 6, 17)
And of course there is this famous midrash:
Anyone who has ever eaten this exotic fruit is well aware of the extraordinarily large number of seeds it contains. King Shlomo’s comparison (Shir Hashirim 4:3) of this fruit to the Jewish people leads our Sages to finding merit even in those Jews whose standard of observing the mitzvot leaves something to be desired.
In one place (Berachot 6a) it is explained that the city of Tiberias is also called Rakat because the word raik means empty or unworthy. Just as in the above-mentioned passage we read the word rakota’ich as a hint to “the unworthy ones being as filled with mitzvah credits as a pomegranate is filled with seeds”, so too were even the unworthy people of Tiberias filled with mitzvot.
In another place (Berachot 6a) this appreciation of Jews is extended to the entire nation. Even the unworthy ones, our Sages tell us, are so filled with mitzvot like the pomegranate is filled with seeds that these merits will protect them against the fires of retribution in the World to Come.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
The Joy Of Doing A Mitzvah
Most Jews never perform the Mitzvah of giving Reishit HaGeiz (wool shearings) to a Cohen because most Jews don't own sheep. The same is true with regards to giving the zeroa, lechayayim and keiva (foreleg, cheeks and stomach) to a Cohen.
Rav Zalman Melamed, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Beit El, decided that he wanted to perform these Mitzvot. Arutz 7 has the story:
The continuation of the Arutz 7 story took place in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem. Cosmic X was there and here are some pics:
Can you see the joy of doing a mitzvah? Seated from left to right: Rav Yaakov Shapira, Rav Avraham Shapira, Rav Zalman Melamed, Rav Eliezer Melamed. In the foreground is a basket with "resihit hageiz" decorated with flowers:
On our left is a plate with the zeroa. The other plate contains the lechayayim and the keiva:
Rav Zalman Melamed, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat Beit El, decided that he wanted to perform these Mitzvot. Arutz 7 has the story:
The story began several years ago when Rabbi Zalman Baruch Melamed, the rabbi of Beit El and the dean of the town's yeshiva, began to wonder when he might ever have the chance to fulfill the Biblical commandment (mitzvah) of Reishit HaGez - giving to the Cohen (the priest) the first cuttings of the fleece of sheep grown in the Land of Israel.Be sure to read the rest of the story.
"After looking for a while," the rabbi told the assembled crowd of hundreds of adults and children at the joyous ceremony, "about 2-3 months ago, I finally found what I was looking for - right under my nose, here in Beit El." It turned out that a local resident with initiative, Chai Harush, had bought 20 sheep several months before.
The continuation of the Arutz 7 story took place in Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav in Jerusalem. Cosmic X was there and here are some pics:
Can you see the joy of doing a mitzvah? Seated from left to right: Rav Yaakov Shapira, Rav Avraham Shapira, Rav Zalman Melamed, Rav Eliezer Melamed. In the foreground is a basket with "resihit hageiz" decorated with flowers:
On our left is a plate with the zeroa. The other plate contains the lechayayim and the keiva:
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
A Jerusalem Moment: Mincha Time
A long summer day is coming to a close. The sun is approaching the western horizon. It doesn't matter if you are at the home or at the office. It's "mincha time". You stop whatever you are doing and you head off to the synagogue. Here is what "mincha time" looks like at in the Sha'arei Chesed neighborhood:
Monday, June 11, 2007
The Other Side Of The Bridge
Sunday, June 10, 2007
A Wild Beast Of An Ophthalmologist
Wikipedia on Bashar al-Assad:
(Photo courtesy of The Syrian Embassy)
How can such an educated man be such a despot? Perhaps this is the answer:
Dr Bashar al-Assad (Arabic: بشار الأسد, Baššār al-Asad) (born September 11, 1965) is the President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Regional Secretary of the Baath Party, and the son of former President Hafez al-Assad.
Standing about 189 cm (6 ft 3 in), Assad has a distinct physical build. He speaks English from an intermediate to an advanced level [1] and is fluent in French, having studied at the Franco-Arab al-Hurriyet school in Damascus, before going on to medical school at the University of Damascus Faculty of Medicine. He then went on to get subspecialty training in ophthalmology in London's academic hospitals.
(Photo courtesy of The Syrian Embassy)
How can such an educated man be such a despot? Perhaps this is the answer:
The following story is brought down by the revered Rabbi Dichovsky, of blessed memory, in his book, "Neot Desha," on the Talmud. In the introduction, he recounts his visit to the Chofetz Chaim to ask him this very same question about moving to Israel at a time of clear and present danger. We quote:
"I saw it proper to record a statement made to me by the most pious of all of the kohanim, the Rabbi of all Israel, the glory of the generation, the holy of all Israel, may he be blessed in memory, in the matter of Aliyah. I asked him about this question, and the following are the details of our encounter.
"It was the beginning of the year, 1933. There was a group of Torah scholars who had organized themselves to go together to Israel to learn Torah. I too was amongst them, but I had many doubts, because I knew that many of the great gedolim (Torah scholars) of Israel were opposed. The heads of my yeshiva were especially opposed to the idea that yeshiva students would go to Eretz Yisrael, even for the sake of studying Torah. They said that the proper conditions had not as yet been established in order to facilitate Torah study with the proper diligence in the Holy Land, to the extent that we are able to study Torah in the yeshivot in the Diaspora. Therefore, I said in my heart, that I must not ask my rabbis in this matter, for obviously the answer will be no.
"Like Rabbi Zera, who ran away from his teacher, Rav Yehuda, when he wanted to make Aliyah to Israel (Tractate Ketubot, 110B,) I decided to go and ask the counsel of the righteous tzaddik of our generation, our revered master, and to receive his blessing before I departed. Therefore, just before the Day of Atonement, I journeyed to the yeshiva of the Chofetz Chaim in the town of Radin, where I stayed in the shadow of this great, righteous individual. This was, as is known, the last Yom Kippur of this special tzaddik, for at the end of the year, in the month of Elul, he was taken to the yeshiva Above, may his merit be a shield to us and all Israel.
"In spite of his great physical weakness, a Heavenly Providence was with me, and I merited to see him the day after Yom Kippur. I told him my situation, and that I had a good chance of making Aliyah to Israel as a Torah student, only I had lingering doubts if I would be able to learn Torah with the same diligence with which I was learning now. Immediately, he answered, in his famous sweetness of speech, that there was no room at all for my wariness. Why in the world would I not be able to learn Torah there with absolute diligence – just the opposite would seem to be true, for the Land of Israel, without question, was more conducive for steadfast immersion in Torah. He recited the verse, ‘The gold of the Land is good,’ on which the Midrash says, ‘This gold are the words of Torah, for there is no Torah like the Torah of Eretz Yisrael; and there is no wisdom like the wisdom of Eretz Yisrael.’
"Before I could express the rest of the doubts that I harbored - especially the fear of the danger in Israel because of the children of Ishmael who were marauding violently against the Jews, for only a few years had passed since the end of the Hebron Massacre in the year 1929, which made clear to everyone the wild, bestial nature of the Ishmaelites, who with savagery and unbounded cruelty massacred Yeshiva students and showed no mercy even to the women and children - before I was able to confess all of my apprehensions, the Rabbi answered the question himself.
"In the following words of Torah, he said: ‘The holy Torah tells us regarding Ishmael that he is a ‘perei adam,’ a wild beast of a man. It is know that our Torah is eternal, and if it says about Ishmael that he is a wild beast of a man, then Ishmael will remain forever a wild beast of a man. Even if all of the cultured nations of the world will gather together and try to educate Ishmael and transform him into a cultured individual, so that he will no longer be a wild beast of a man, obviously this will be impossible in every fashion or form. They will not be able to do this through any means whatsoever, because he is not capable of being a cultured individual, for behold, the Torah testified regarding him that he is a wild beast of a man. This means that forever, for all eternity, Ishmael is by definition a wild beast of a man. Even if Ishmael will be involved in intellectual endeavor, like being a lawyer, or some similar profession, then he will be a beastly lawyer. If he will study diligently to be a professor, then he will be a beastly professor. This means that the bestiality of Ishmael will never cease.’
"Then the Chofetz Chaim let out a long, painful sigh and said, ‘Who knows what this wild beast of a man is capable of perpetrating against the Jewish people in the end of days?’ "Concluding his words to me, he said, ‘Nevertheless, fear not. There is no reason for this to prevent you from making Aliyah to the Land of Israel.’
"Then he blessed me, saying, ‘Go in peace, and the L-rd will bless your path.’
"So I left him, and journeyed in peace to the Holy Land."
Thursday, June 07, 2007
I Signed Up For Otzar Ha'Aretz. What About You?
Jameel had a great post about Otzar Ha'aretz not too long ago. I signed up and they sent me this nice book about the laws of Shmitah. It's been seven years since the last agricultural sabbatical year, and I know that I have to refresh my knowledge of the laws of Shmittah.
Labels:
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Mystery Tree In Jerusalem
Do you know what kind of tree this is?
Update:No, it is not a fig tree or a lime tree. It is a walnut tree. The light brown shell of the walnut that we are all familiar with is covered by a green peel.
In the Song of Songs (6:11) it is written:
Update:No, it is not a fig tree or a lime tree. It is a walnut tree. The light brown shell of the walnut that we are all familiar with is covered by a green peel.
In the Song of Songs (6:11) it is written:
"I went down into the garden of nuts, to look at the green plants of the valley, to see whether the vine budded, and the pomegranates were in flower."Why do you have to go "down" the the garden of nuts? One possible answer is here.
Arutz 7 Takes Notice Of Jblogosphere
Check this out.
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jblogger
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Legislation Against Offensive Parades
This just in:
I wonder if MK Gal-On would also stand up for a parade of nudists parading around in their birthday suits. Is this not "freedom of expression"?
Update: You got to love the headline for this item at jpost.com:
Update: Ynet reports that two bills passed their first reading:
The Knesset has passed on first reading a bill that is aimed at banning homosexuals from parading in Jerusalem. The bill was sponsored by National Union Knesset Member Eliyahu Gabbai and grants the Jerusalem municipality the power to prevent parades that are considered offensive.I commend MK Gabbai for his attempt to preserve the honor of Jerusalem. However, even though I am far from a legal expert, I suspect that the Israeli High Court of Justice will probably strike this law down.
Police have authorized the parade but officials have added they may rescind the permit for reasons of public security.
Meretz faction leader MK Zahava Gal-On condemned the proposed law, saying that "the right of expression is the right of all groups." She warned that "the sword that is aimed at one group today could be aimed at another tomorrow."
I wonder if MK Gal-On would also stand up for a parade of nudists parading around in their birthday suits. Is this not "freedom of expression"?
Update: You got to love the headline for this item at jpost.com:
Bill puts planned J'lem gay pride march in dangerOh dear, the parade is in danger! Call the army! Call the police! Call a doctor!
Update: Ynet reports that two bills passed their first reading:
The proposed amendment to Basic Law: Jerusalem, initiated by MK Gabbay, would enable the Jerusalem municipal council to ban parades and rallies in town for considerations of disturbance to public order, offending the public's sensitivities or for religious considerations.The article also contains an obvious mistake which I am sure will be corrected:
Forty MKs voted for Gabbay's bill and 23 opposed.
The Shas bill is more comprehensive and calls for a ban on pride parades throughout the country. The bill was also approved, with 41 MKs voting for it and 21 opposed.
The prime minister's office stated that "Prime Minister Ehud Barak does not think that Jerusalem is the appropriate location for holdingWrong Ehud guys!
gay-pride parades due to the special sensitive nature of the city, although he believes that such matters should not be limited by law."
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Israeli MSM Admits Bias
We call this in English, "abuse of power":
Update: There is now a larger, updated article on the INN web site. Here is some more:
(IsraelNN.com) A former senior editor at Kol Yisrael (IBA) Radio's Reshet Bet (Network 2), Dr. Chanan Naveh, admitted Monday that the IBA news staff, led by current MK Shelly Yechimovich, manipulated news reports in order to cause the IDF's retreat from Lebanon in 2000.
Mentioning then-host of the morning show Yechimovich and Military Affairs Correspondent Carmela Menashe by name, Naveh said: "the Kol Yisrael news room…took upon ourselves as a mission – perhaps an unstated one – to get the IDF out of Lebanon."
Dr. Naveh, who now teaches journalism, added: "Every news item that described what was going on in southern Lebanon, I have no doubt that we emphasized it… I have no doubt that we advanced an agenda that was controversial in the general public."
Update: There is now a larger, updated article on the INN web site. Here is some more:
At this point, Army Radio broadcaster Golan Yochpaz interrupted, "In my opinion, that is just super-problematic - super-problematic." Naveh did not miss a beat and said, "Correct, I'm admitting it, I'm not apologizing, I'm just saying this is what happened. It came from our guts because of the boys in Lebanon, this is what we did and I'm not sorry... I am very proud that we had a part in getting of our sons out of Lebanon."He's not sorry. Are they ever sorry?
It is widely accepted that the withdrawal from Lebanon in May 2000 under then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the lack of attention paid to the northern border since then led to the Second Lebanon War of last summer and its accompanying 160 military and civilian casualties.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Simon and Garfunkel: Breslevers at Heart or Prophets of Assimilation?
Not to long ago I linked to a post by Tzvi Fishman entitled "Prophets of Assimilation" where he disses Simon and Garfunkel:
Today I see that Lazer Brody has only good things to say about the musicians:
I am wondering if Lazer Brody is aware to the depths of Tum'ah that Simon and Garfunkel have fallen. Can one oppose the "shame parade" and sing the praises of these assimilated singers at the same time? Is this what Rabbi Brody calls "shmirat habrit"? I personally don't think that Torah Jews should look to ride the backs of Jewish celebrities that have turned their backs on the Jewish people.
The reunion engagement of Simon and Garfunkel, 2 lost brothers who sold their souls to the goddess of American success, reminded me of one of my short stories...Then in the story the protagonist tells us:
At 34th Street, posters of Simon and Garfunkel were plastered all over Penn Station. In another week, they would appear at the Garden for a historic reunion. Sure, they had married shicksas, but man could they sing!
Today I see that Lazer Brody has only good things to say about the musicians:
Two good Jewish boys, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, are really Breslevers at heart, even though they don't yet know it. Such a beautiful melody could only come from the upper portals. I've often sailed through an hour or more of personal prayer, talking and singing to Hashem with this niggun.Lazer even includes a clip from a Simon and Garfunkel concert in his post.
I am wondering if Lazer Brody is aware to the depths of Tum'ah that Simon and Garfunkel have fallen. Can one oppose the "shame parade" and sing the praises of these assimilated singers at the same time? Is this what Rabbi Brody calls "shmirat habrit"? I personally don't think that Torah Jews should look to ride the backs of Jewish celebrities that have turned their backs on the Jewish people.
The Military Solution To Kassams
On my way to Tel Aviv today I saw a lot of posters that were put up along the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway proclaiming, "There is no military solution to the Kassam". This is of course nonsense, the type of which the Israeli public has been force fed by left-wing politicians and their groupies in the MSM. The truth is that there is no diplomatic solution to the Kassam, just as there is no diplomatic solution to Nazism or Islamofascism. The only solution is a military one. The day that the Israeli government decides that the lives of Israeli civilians are more important than the lives of our enemy's civilians, the military solution to the firing of Kassam rockets against our civilian population will be forthcoming. VeHaMeivin Yavin!
I was wondering who was responsible for the signs. One possibility is Olmert and company, in a lame attempt to cover their absolute failure to provide security for the country. Another possibility is that this is just another silly utterance of the lunatic far-left fringe.
I was wondering who was responsible for the signs. One possibility is Olmert and company, in a lame attempt to cover their absolute failure to provide security for the country. Another possibility is that this is just another silly utterance of the lunatic far-left fringe.
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