For The 9th Of Av

Here is a well known story worth repeating:

During Napoleon's campaign against Russia, as he passed through a small Jewish shtetl, he expressed a desire to see the inside of a synagogue. By chance it was the fast of the Ninth of Av, and the Jews were sitting in darkness on the floor weeping as they prayed. When it was explained to Napoleon that the reason for the weeping was for the destruction of the Temple, he asked, "When did this happen?"
"Two thousand years ago," he was told.
Upon hearing this, the Emperor declared, "A people who knows how to remember its land for two thousand years, will certainly find the way to return." (Folk story told by the Jews of Russia; Dov Noi, Golah veEretz Yisrael)

And I add: A people who knows how to remember its Holy Temple for two thousand years, will certainly find the way to rebuild it.

Islam Against The World

Conventional "wisdom" among the state of Israel's socialist founders and their students is that if you throw enough money and land to the Arabs everything will be just fine and dandy. This idea has been proven wrong by history, especially the history of the past 15 years, where territorial concessions and massive aid have only fanned the fires of Arab violence.

Read this article by Prof. Oz Almog, "Islam Against The World". It is good to see that people in Academia are finally starting to understand the enemy, even if they still have a long way to go.

War, Unity, and Criticism

War is a time for unity. On the other hand, the leaders whose policy of appeasement and withdrawals brought about this war are planning to continue their folly. Are we allowed to criticize them? Rabbi Eliezer Melamed deals with this question. The following is my translation of part of Rabbi Melamed’s article in last week’s issue of BeSheva:

During these days, when we are all concerned about and praying for the well being of our brothers, the civilians and the soldiers, we are obligated to mention that there are those who are to blame for this terrible situation, in which a small organization of terrorists kidnap soldiers, shoot thousands of rockets at population centers, silence the entire North of the country and plant death-traps for our soldiers. Those guilty are the diplomats that preferred to mortgage our future for the sake of the present, and the army officers that remained silent and did not warn. Those that were cruel to the inhabitants of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria acted in a feeble manner against cruel enemies, and we all see the results. It is impossible not to think that there would have been less military malfunctions, if for the past two years the army brass invested most of its energy in preparations for war against our enemies, and not in the expulsion and destruction of Gush Katif and the outposts.

Now our precious soldiers have to repair, at the price of their lives, what others perverted. It is incumbent for us to speak about this now, for if we do not speak, the lesson will not be learned. The same people who brought about this terrible situation will celebrate like heroes, and in addition afterwards they will desire to uproot more settlements, in order to additionally endanger the residents of the Tel Aviv metropolitan area and the lowlands.

To our great dismay, the representatives of the nationalist opposition, instead of criticizing and sounding the alarm, are abundantly praising the Prime Minister's and Defense Minister's so called leadership. We are still far from the end of the battle. We need to honor the soldiers, for not because of the faith that they have in the politicians or in the army brass they are fighting valiantly, rather in spite of the leader's failure's they are willing to fight for Israel. If the leadership will learn the proper lessons, if those to blame will admit their guilt, and they will start a real process of policy repair, then it will be possible to praise them. Before this - it is forbidden. Praises are liable to strengthen them in their foolishness and the price we will all pay.

The Lives Of Our Soldiers Are More Important Than The Enemy's Civilians

That's something that is pretty simple and obvious to most. A country should not risk the lives of its own soldiers in order to protect the enemy's civilians. Unfortunately, Israel has often endagered its own soldiers in war for the fear that using superior firepower may cause civilian deaths among those who indiscriminately kill our civilians without batting an eyelid. Bloggers Chardal, Joe Settler and My Right Word have complained about this bizarre IDF practice. That's not surprising in that as religious Jews they are repelled by such a policy that is not only against Judaism but also against common sense.

The good news is that this feeling is apparently making its way into other circles as well. Here's something from Rafi Ginat Yedioth Ahronoth's editor in chief:

When fighting against a terror organization that along with its patrons declares again and again that its goal is to destroy us, is it illogical or illegitimate that we make some moral compromises? Should we not consciously decide to lower our moral standards in order to strike an enemy that has the moral capacity of horse thieves and drug dealers?

I have no problem considering myself less moral if it will save the life of one Golani soldier. For him I am ready to wash the Hizbullah terrorists with fire. I am ready to do the same to their helpers, their collaborators, the ones who turn a blind eye, and all those in contact with Hizbullah. May their innocents die instead of ours.

Following the Bint Jbeil disaster we cannot allow ourselves the moral luxury of chirurgical military operations that end in Rambam hospital chirurgic department. We are in the middle of a war, and this war must be won while crushing Hizbullah and all that it represents. We need to strike hard - and we should be allowed to feel good about it.

Although Ginat is still confused about what is moral and what is not, as least he understands that he must be "less moral" in the present situation.

I have no pleasure when truly innocent enemy civilians are killed, but we are in a war and war is not a picnic. I can only repeat what Ginat stated so eloquently: "May their innocents die instead of ours."

Days of Destruction

As rockets fall in the north and in the south, causing death and destruction, the anniversary of the destruction of the Jewish communities in the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria approaches. Given the security situation, it is not suprising that this anniversary is going almost unnoticed, even though it can be argued that this foolish act of the previous government is one of the main causes for the current flareup.

This week's issue of Besheva has some good articles concerning the expulsion and its aftermath. Warning: It's in Hebrew!

Definitely Worth Reading

My Friend Is Gone Forever

The Fallen are My Neighbors

AFP's fractured history lesson

Why did the soldiers have to die?

UN: Prediction Coming True?

ISRAEL @ WAR: Appeasement Inc.

Let the IDF Win

The Morality Card

A TRUE CONFESSION FROM HAIFA, and the WORDS OF A TORAH-SAGE

Beware the "Tel-Aviv Rose"

Olmert's Shamefull Performance

Why the UN Post was Bombed

A Keen Observation

I must admit that I am not exactly a Shmuley Boteach fan. It's not that I have anything against him, it's just a matter of style. That being said, let's give credit to the man where it is due. He wrote a great article in jpost today, with a keen observaton:

To make this point emphatically clear, let us reiterate that if there is one lesson that has been learned in five decades of Israeli concessions, it is that there is absolutely nothing that Israel can do to bring peace. Zero. Efes. Gornisht. Israel faces an implacable enemy that seeks not coexistence, but Israel's destruction. And through every Israeli concession, its hostility increases rather than declines.

Which leads to the following, self-evident conclusion. The only thing for Israel to do vis-a-vis‚ the Arabs, aside from militarily defending itself, is nothing.

Israel must hunker down and stall. It's the Arabs that have to change, not Israel. They have to democratize, fight their terrorists, curb state-sponsored anti-Semitism and cease teaching their children implacable hatred of the Jews.

That is the only thing that will bring peace.

Ehud Olmert, are you listening?

This is Really Good

I just came across a great article on the Arutz 7 web site, "Without a Doctorate in Expertise" by Shalom Pollack. He expresses exactly what I have been feeling for the past 20 or so years:

These are very hectic and thought-provoking days. In times like these, the media is full of experts. It seems their numbers grow from crisis to crisis. Well, I am not an official expert, but then again, my gut feeling was not wrong about what was right for the country and where events would lead; so, I feel I have as much right as any of the many authorities telling us yet again why we are in a mess and how things will turn out.

I am not a prophet, and not even an expert, but I am an avid observer and I do posses a normal memory. I remember the joy and how Prime Minister Ehud Barak beamed with self-satisfaction at the great coup he pulled off six years ago. Imagine the sweet sense of victory as the Israeli army fled Lebanon in the middle of the night, leaving mounds of equipment and personal effects behind for the enemy to plunder. Now, that certainly sent the Lebanese, and all our neighbors, a strong message, didn't it? Our south Lebanese allies were left in the dust. Yet, we were assured that if Hizbullah dared to cross that border, or shoot just one bullet, then we would respond with all our might. And all the experts assured us that this was cause for celebration.

Read the rest. It really is good.

Israel Bombs Lebanese Banks Holding Hizbullah Money

The war against terrorism is also a war against their financial infrastructure. NBC News did some great investigative journalism exposing how Arab banks fund terrorism. Ynetnews reports:

NBC television reported Tuesday that the IDF has bombed Lebanese banks holding Hizbullah money, this in the framework of Israel’s attempt to destroy the terror group’s financial infrastructure.

According to the report, in the past few days Israel has intentionally targeted financial institutions in Beirut and other cities throughout Lebanon, among them Tyre, Sidon and Nabatiyeh.

Israeli intelligence sources told NBC that at least 12 financial institutions that supported Hizbullah were attacked, adding that the organization, which secretly managed its funds, is now short on cash due to the bombings.

Some of the banks that held Hizbullah accounts were completely destroyed, while others were purposely damaged but not completely demolished.

NBC said that in one incident the Israeli Air Force bombed the home of a bank manager as a warning to other Lebanese bankers not to deal with Hizbullah.

Counter-Terror Bureau Director Dani Balilti told NBC that the message to all banks in Lebanon was that aid to Hizbullah is aid to a terror organization.

He said Israel knew they needed money and were desperate for cash, but that they didn't have it.

The Israeli Air Force targeted, among others, eight offices named Bet El Mal used by Hizbullah to store the organization's money. Two other banks in Lebanon were hit – Al Baraka and Fransa Bank, used by Hizbullah to transfer money around the world.

Now here is the best part of the article where NBC catches the Arabs lying red-handed:

The NBC network turned to the Baraka bank, which confirmed that one of its branches had been bombed, and that nearby bank branches were also bombed.

It was also reported Israel warned a third bank, the Middle East and Africa Bank (MEAB), that it too was in the crosshairs.

All banks denied any ties to Hizbullah. The director-general of the Fransa-Bank said that his bank had no ties to Hizbullah or any other political party.

The manager of the MEAB said that someone had tried to open a suspicious account at the bank, but that it refused to accept the money and fired a worker who was involved in the attempted deposit.

Despite the denials however, it turns out that the Lebanese bank was after all tied to terror.

Last week Hizbullah's television station al-Manar held a fund raising campaign, and in advertisements a MEAB account was given.

An Arabic-speaking producer of NBC called the bank in Beirut and asked to transfer a donation to Hizbullah. He was told he could transfer the money via any American bank branch, but that it was best he not say the money was destined for Hizbullah.

The MEAB held ties with American bank Wachovia. Following questions by NBC, the American bank immediately notified its cutting of all connections with the Arab bank.

NBC called the number displayed on the al-Manar advertisement. This time they were transferred to another bank, the Lebanese-French bank.

This bank has two connections with large banks in New York: Citibank and the Bank of New York. Representatives of the banks said they are blocking the transfer of all money meant for Hizbullah.

These guys at NBC deserve an award!

Ephraim Sneh Tries To Shirk Responsibility

The war goes on, the death toll rises, and the results of Israel's fleeing withdrawal from Lebanon become more and more apparent.

This morning an op-ed from MK Ephraim Sneh caught my eye, in particular the following:

"And on a personal note: In 2000 I warned against a unilateral withdrawal from Lebanon, because of the vacuum that would be created by an IDF pullout. I said that Hizbullah would take over the area in all its force, and would deploy opposite our settlements in the north."

Who exactly did he warn, his wife? I don't remember Ephraim Sneh coming out against the withdrawal from Lebanon. Not only that, it turns out that Sneh was the Deputy Minister of Defense in May 2000, the time of the pullout! That is to say that Mr. Sneh has (deputy) ministerial responsibility for the withdrawal and its results.

Perhaps Sneh warned against the pullout in closed meetings with Ehud Barak and other members of that government. Even so, if he really felt that the unilateral withdrawal was a mistake, he should have said so publicly, nay he should have resigned from his position as Deputy Minister of Defense!

I mentioned to a friend the other day that in Hebrew there is no word for "accountability." A quick look at the members of Israel's present government and members of Knesset shows that not only do we lack a word to express the concept, but that the concept does not exist in practice. Sneh continues in his article:

"This is exactly what happened. Now, the IDF is correcting the mistake. I warned that the message we would be sending to the Arab world would be that it is more worthwhile to draw Israeli blood than to negotiate with us. This also came to pass."

"Four months after the pullout from Lebanon the second intifada broke out. We lost more than 1,000. I hope we have learned the bitter lesson."

We can only hope that Ephraim Sneh has learned his lesson, and that he will not continue to support unilateral withdrawals, even if it means losing his seat in the Knesset.

Abomination Pride Parade In Jerusalem Cancelled!

Hat tip: Rabbi Yaakov Menkin.

Thank God!

I think that Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak's "Modesty March" at the Teddy Stadium will take place as planned, however.

Nasrallah: Arab Children Murdered By Hizbullah Are Shahids

Arutz 7 reports:

Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has issued an apology to the Nazareth Arab family whose two children, Rabiya and Mahmou Talouzi, were killed by a Katyusha missile.

"I ask this family for forgiveness, he told Al-Jazeera. "I know apologies are insufficient and I take full responsibility. It was not intentional and the dead in Nazareth are considered martyrs like those in Lebanon, Palestine and the resistance."

If Nasrallah accepts full responsibility does that mean that he will turn himself in to the police in order to stand trial for murder?

Meanwhile another Muslim cleric proves that he is totally divorced from reality:

Sheik Abu El-Walid Ghazalain stood amid dozens of mourners Thursday and held up photographs of the two Arab-Israeli brothers, ages 3 and 7, who were killed by a Hezbollah rocket while playing soccer.

"Israel has killed these two," the white-bearded sheik said as he stood next to the boys' shell-shocked father. "Not Hezbollah."

The article also contains the following:

The dead boys' aunt, Wafiqa, who has three sons who were nearly killed by the rocket, said Hezbollah "did not mean to hit us."

"I would sacrifice my life for (Hezbollah leader) Hassan Nasrallah. I hope victory will come to the Arab nations," she said.

Do I smell a fifth column here? Don't say that you weren't warned.

Aluf Benn Still Doesn't Get It

Aluf Benn published what may be one of the most embarrasing opinion articles ever. Just a few days before Hezbollah's attack on our soldiers and subsequent kidnapping, Benn published an article titled "We need a Nasrallah". The article is still available on the Haaretz web site, or alternatively on the IMRA web site. Among other things Benn wrote the following:

It is enough to see what is happening in Lebanon. The moment Hezbollah took control over the south of the country and armed itself with thousands of Katyushas and other rockets, a stable balance of deterrence was created on both sides of the border. The withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces from Lebanon in 2000 was made possible not only because of the daring of then prime minister Ehud Barak, but also thanks to Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who conducts a policy of "one law and one weapon" on the other side.

Nasrallah hates Israel and Zionism no less than do the Hamas leaders, Shalit's kidnappers and the Qassam squads. But as opposed to them - he has authority and responsibility, and therefore his behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best possible situation. Hezbollah is doing a better job of maintaining quiet in the Galilee than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army.

In today's Ha'aretz an obviously blushing Benn wrote an article entitled "How I erred". There he tries to explain how he goofed:

Two weeks ago, I wrote here that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah hates Israel but behaves responsibly, and that since he took control of south Lebanon, a stable balance of deterrence has been created on both sides of the border. "His behavior is rational and reasonably predictable. Under the present conditions, that's the best there is. Hezbollah is preserving quiet in the Galilee better than did the pro-Israeli South Lebanese Army," I wrote. But Nasrallah hastened to prove that his behavior is not predictable, when he gave instructions to attack an Israel Defense Forces patrol near Moshav Zarit and kill and kidnap its soldiers.

The mistake in my assessment stemmed, as always, from the idee fixe that what was is what will be. I believed that if Israel and Hezbollah had learned to live according to the "rules of the game" that had developed along their common border, they would be interested in maintaining the balance of power rather than violating it. The IDF, the intelligence services and the government, who have at at their disposal much better sources of information than mine, thought the same. Fact: They lowered the alert level in the north a few days before the attack in Zarit; that means that they expected quiet. But although I was in good company, the responsibility for the mistake is entirely mine.

I beg to disagree with Mr. Benn. His mistake is not "from the idee fixe that what was is what will be" but rather from his misunderstanding of Islam, which in turn caused him to misunderstand our enemy. It is this misunderstanding that causes him to call Barak's foolish withdrawal from Lebanon "daring". The withdrawal from Lebanon was a dishonorable act that gave a backwind to the global jihad. The withdrawal from Lebanon was a stab in the back to our allies there, who will probably never forgive us or want to be our allies again. In spite of this mistake, Aluf Benn is an interesting commentator, even if I often disagree with him, and am apparently on the opposite side of Israel's political map. Better luck next time, Aluf.

Nasrallah's Rogues Murder Muslim Children in Nazareth

Hezbollah, Lebanon's "Enemies of God" political party and terrorist organization, had a real fashla yesterday. The katusha rockets that they fired into Israel in order to murder the Jewish infidels killed two Muslim children:

Two brothers, aged nine and three, were killed Wednesday in the northern city of Nazareth as Katyusha rockets fell in the downtown and suburban areas of the city.

The deaths mark the first time since the recent violence has begun that that the victims have been Israeli Arabs. It was the third Israeli-Arab population center to be hit by Katyusha rockets during this conflict, though, after Madjal-Krum and Tubas Zangarit.

Nazareth residents reported hearing blasts at around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening as two rockets fell, one immediately after the other. The brothers, Muhammad and Rabiya Taluzi, were playing in the Bilaal neighborhood - located in the middle of a narrow steep road, with three-story buildings on either side - when a Katyusha fell, exploding next to them. They were killed immediately.

Eyewitnesses descried horrific scenes saying it was impossible to identify the bodies of the two children. Holes caused by metal pellets packed into the Katyusha dotted the wall of the adjacent buildings and the rocket left a crater in the road.

Ynetnews brings the words of Matans Taluzi, the brother of the murdered children:

“They were walking faster than me, running down the street. Suddenly I heard a blast and that’s it, they were dead. And then I was hurt a bit too and they took me to the hospital,” Matans told Ynet. Matans tried to hold back his tears. “My little brothers are shahids. That means they’re little kids who haven’t seen anything yet, so their place is in heaven,” he said.

It seems to me that Matans has a novel interpretation of the word "Shahid", which seems to be different than the way the term is described in Wikipedia.

Shahids or not, these children are dead, murdered by the hands of their co-religionists.

Update: Perhaps these comments from Nazareth residents explain why Matan Taluzi called his brothers shahids:

Some friend and relatives gathering to mourn the Taluzi boys said that even though the brothers were killed by a Hezbollah rocket, they should be added to the list of Lebanese casualties.

"The Israeli government is to blame for the incident," said a Nazareth resident near the house of mourning. "The Israeli aggression must stop."

What Are They Thinking in Tel Aviv?

Arutz 7 has an interesting photo essay on what the man-on-the-street in Tel Aviv thinks about the missile threat and whether their politics have shifted as a result. Check it out. Tel Avivians are very different from Jerusalemites. It's truly amazing how many people still support additional withdrawals, in spite of everything that has happened. But then again, the Torah says that we are a stiff-necked people.

A Phone Conversation Cut Short

Yesterday I called a relative of mine that lives in a kibbutz near Haifa. I asked her how everything was going. I mentioned that it is usually the Jerusalemites who are most threatened by the Arab terrorists, but today we are relatively safe and now the Haifa area is being bombarded. My relative, who is a holocaust survivor, told me that wherever terror hits, whether it is in the South or in the North, we all feel it. After we talked a little about family matters she told that a siren just went off. We ended the conversation so that she could take shelter.

The Party Of God Or The Enemies Of God?

Is Hizballah the party of God, as the Arabic meaning of its name suggests, or are they the enemies of God? The answer can be found in this week's Torah portion with Rashi's commentary:

(Numbers Chapter 31) 1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.' 3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: 'Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.

Rashi explains why Moshe said "the LORD's vengeance," rather than "Israel's vengeance":

For, when anyone stands against Israel, it is as if he stands against the Holy One, Blessed is He.

Maybe they should change the name of their organizaton.

The Lebanese Blogosphere Is Full Of Islamofascists

My stats told me that I'm getting a lot of hits from The Truth Laid Bear's "Crisis in the Middle East: Local Bloggers Report" page. There he provides links to posts from Israeli, Lebanese and "Palestinian" bloggers. Thanks Mr. Bear for all of the hits.

I checked out some Lebanese blogs and I was disappointed. Ya Islamofascists, why did you attack Israel? Did you have fun shouting "Udrub, udrub" and "Atbah Al Yahud"? Did you pass around candy in order to teach your children to be Islamofascists as well? Then they cry to the UN when we dare to fight back. A pathetic bunch indeed. Treppenwitz has their number.

An even more pathetic bunch are some of the Israelis that comment on such blogs, seeking a "dialogue". These guys don't know the difference between taqiyya and teqilla. They are ecstatic when the holy Arab agrees to answer them, even if the answer is the cliche, "I don't hate Jews, I hate Zionists." Bwa ha ha!

Yes Orna, You Are To Blame

Orna Shimoni of the "Four Mothers" movement objects to those who blame the "Four Mothers" for the Al-Aksa Intifada and the present situation. You can read her article in Hebrew here, and be sure to see the talkbacks of outraged Israelis. You can read her article in English here.

The "Four Mothers" movement, which enjoyed the help of the Israeli MSM, undoubtedly helped to create the present situation. They pressured the Israeli government to withdraw from Lebanon, thus enabling the Hizbullah to move their rocket launchers and army right up to the border. One just has to take a look at their web site, to see the role that the Four Mothers played in sowing weakness in the hearts of the soldiers and the public with regards to the war against the Hizballah, Hamas, and Fatah terrorists. And here are a few quotes from Orna herself:

Mothers! We ourselves shall replace our sons and become the hostages of the Syrians and the Government of Israel in the outposts of Lebanon!

Mothers! There is no time left. Tomorrow another one will die(emphasis is mine - CX). I call out to the mothers whose sons have been called up during the latest tri-annual round of service in the Lebanon: support this message and join the action. We would like to take the place of our sons in the Lebanese outposts.

Our sons, who are defending only themselves (i.e., according to Orna, the security zone did not protect Northern Israel. - CX), are struck down in the trenches and in the strongpoints, just waiting for an agreement. We are no worse than they in defending ourselves in a trench or in an outpost, and much better than they as hostages of the Syrians and the Government of Israel, until they reach an agreement.

People like Orna Shimoni, apparently do not understand that we are dealing with an implacable enemy, an enemy that receives only encouragement from our restraint. Israel has become a country where Jewish communities are uprooted because they "hard to defend", where the civilians serve as cannon fodder to protect the soldiers, thanks to people like Orna Shimoni and her friends in the Israeli MSM.

The withdrawal from Lebanon is an everlasting stain on the state of Israel, in that it was a display of weakness in the face of our enemies, and and act of treachery in the face of our allies. Does anyone remember the South Lebanese Army that we betrayed so shamefully? Yes Orna, you are to blame, but you are not alone.

Update: Read this article by Moshe Arens, They Fell Asleep at the Wheel.

News Flash: Nasrallah Wants Gay Pride March To Be Moved From Jerusalem To Beirut

(YallahOnline.com) Somewhere in Beirut - Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah proposed that the International Gay Pride Parade be moved from Jerusalem to Beirut. "I want to show the world that we Muslims are peace-loving and tolerant", said the Moslem cleric. Nasrallah added,"I'm sure the Israeli High Court will order the Israeli Air Force to stop bombing us. Freedom of expression is a very important value for them."

War Update

The war continues. Rockets fall in the North and in the South. Refugees flee Northern Israel, and some of them take refuge in The Muqata. The IDF strikes in Lebanon. The IDF continues to bomb empty buildings in Gaza.

Update: One soldier was killed and six others injured in an overnight bombing attack on IDF forces operating in Shechem.

Another update for those of us with a short memory: Historical Survey of Israeli Leaders: Will Rockets Fall?

Update: Terrorist Attack Foiled in Jerusalem:

A terror attack was foiled in Jerusalem at the last minute Monday morning after a would-be suicide bomber was discovered near the Old City.

Police stopped a suspicious-looking young Palestinian Authority Arab in IDF Square (Kikar Tzhal) who was carrying a large bag containing a bomb.

Update: We told you so by Shlomo Engel. An excerpt:

We told you that peace treaties are made with friends and war is made with enemies, but you stubbornly insisted that peace is made with enemies and war is made on settlers.

We told you that the Arab problem has nothing to do with a Palestinian state (or lack thereof), but rather with the existence of Israel. But you continued to heap scorn and to blame our troubles on the occupation.

You turned Yitzhak Shamir's famous saying, "The Arabs are the same Arabs, the sea is the same sea" into a shameful slogan, because you wanted to believe the Arabs wanted compromise and a normal life. Therefore, you argued, we must give them more and more and more – without receiving anything in return, of course.

And now for a song:

Ya Nasrallah, Ya Kalb,
Stinky little punk,
Yo mama must have been a skunk,
I'd like to write a song for you but nothing rhymes with Nasrallah.

Ya Nasrallah, Na'al Abuk,
Rotten fish in the Suk,
You really make me puke,
I'd like to write a song for you but nothing rhymes with Nasrallah.

Update: New stanza inspired by Yitz:

Ya Nasrallah, Ya Nasrallah,
A dirty terrorist hated by Allah,
Soon to be six feet under inshallah,
With the rest of the scum of Hizballah.

Is Lebanon Being Held Hostage By Hezbollah?

Some Lebanese definitely oppose Hezbollah. However, Hezbollah is an official political party in Lebanon, and they hold twenty-three seats in 128-member Lebanese Parliament. What's more, Hezbollah has two ministers in the government, and a third is endorsed by the group.

The Lebanese government cannot hide behind the Hezbollah and claim that they are not responsible for Hezbollah's actions since Hezbollah is part of the government!

Peace Now - Pay Later

The title to this piece is an old joke about the "Peace Now" movement. How unfortunate is it that the time of payment has come. We are now paying a dear price for the illusions that were behind the Oslo agreements in the early 1990s and Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon in the year 2000. How ironic it is that many of the politicians that were responsible for these two (literally) fatal mistakes are serving in the present government and Knesset: Shimon Peres, Chaim Ramon, and Amir Peretz, just to name a few. The lack of accountability here is amazing!

The time has come to pay the bills.

Pray For The Welfare Of Our Soldiers

He who blessed our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, may He bless the soldiers of Israel who stand guard on our country and the cities of our God. From Lebanon until the deserts of Egypt, from the Mediterranean Sea until the Plains of Jordan - on dry land, in the air and sea. May God afflict the enemies that rise against them before them. The Holy One, Blessed is He, should protect and save our soldiers from any misfortune or calamity, and from any sickenss or disease. May he send blessing and success in all their handiwork, destroy their enemies below them, and crown them with the crown of redemption and the crown of victory. And the verse "For God walks among you, to wage war for you with your enemies, to save you" should be fulfilled, and let us say, Amen.

Israeli Civil Rights Activist Placed In Administrative Detention

Arutz 7:

Staunch supporter of the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria Baruch Marzel today calling the attention of his political opposites to the ramifications of the arrest of Honenu organization head Ariel Gruner.

Baruch, don't hold your breath waiting!

That's The Way The Kadima Crumbles

We may be witnessing the beginning of the end of the Kadima Party. The party, which was never more than a collection of opportunists, held together by their common desire for power, is starting to show signs of deterioration as Kadima member Sheetrit opposes Olmert's unilateral withdrawal plan:

Housing and Construction Minister Meir Sheetrit (Kadima) came out publicly on Monday to oppose Prime Minister and party Chairman Ehud Olmert’s unilateral withdrawal plan.

Sheetrit said, “The current chances of implementing the realignment plan are very slim; there are many reservations, including my own. I do not believe in another unilateral disengagement.”

Meanwhile, Justice Minister Ramon still hasn't woken up from his intellectual coma:

According to Ramon, “The realignment and the disengagement were borne out of the understanding that Israel has no partner on the other side. The events of the past few days just prove this. Since Israel can’t be held hostage by Hamas and Qassam rockets, it must act according to its interests.”

Who and where is the doctor that will cure this man?

Ehud Olmert's Latest Book

As a Dog That Returneth to His Vomit...

...so is a fool that repeateth his folly (Proverbs 26:11).

Does Olmert also know how to say woof?

Yitzchak Rabin: There Will Be No Katyushas from Gaza

Arutz 7 has made available a recording of the late Prime Minister Yitzchak Rabin ridiculing (in Hebrew) those who warned that rockets would be fired from Gaza. A blast from the past (no pun intended):

"The scare-stories of the Likud are well-known," Rabin said in 1995 in the above recording. "Why, they also promised us Katyushas from Gaza. It's already a year that the Gaza Strip is mostly under the control of the Palestinian Authority - and there wasn't a Katyusha and there won't be any..."

We are now paying the price of the Israeli Left's stupidity and hubris.

British Crimes in the Holy Land Remembered

British war hero Roy Farran, the apparent murderer of 16 year old Alexander Rubovitch, has finally kicked the bucket.

For more information, see the following:

Eretz Yisrael Forever

Arutz 7

My Right Word

Photo Feature: Parting with a Son - The Asheris Mourn Eliyahu

Here's another article worth reading. I met Yitro Asheri about twenty years ago in Machon Meir. Yitro, my heart goes out to you and your family.

For Some The Disengagement From Reality Continues

This article deserves some serious fisking.

Now The Truth Can Be Told

Be sure to read this one from Ynetnews: Yaalon: Sharon planned pullout out of personal distress. Bogie just says what many of us here in Israel have said all along. Among his gems:

"There is no doubt that the disengagement failed. This failure emanates from the fact that the disengagement was essentially based on a doomed idea. It was not the result of thorough strategic analysis but the result of a political distress of his who was prime minister then, Ariel Sharon."

And this:

"The process created an illusionary hope that was not planned strategically and practically. The disengagement was mainly a media spin. Those who initiated it and lead it lacked the strategic, security, political and historical background. They were image counselor. They were spin doctors. These people put Israel in a virtual spin that is disconnected from reality using a media spin campaign which is imploding before our eyes."

Again, be sure to read the whole thing.

Disengagement Repentance

I think that recent current events have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that the ethnic cleansing of Jews from the Gaza Strip and the withdrawl of the Israeli Army from that part of the land of Israel was a terrible mistake.

How is it that Seargent Cosmic X knew that the "disengagement" was certain to fail, and big name Israeli politicians and army officers did not? Cosmic X immediately recognized the plan for what it was, a modern version of the "sin of the spies". The spies, for all kinds of reasons, did not want to fulfill the Divine commandment of conquering and settling the land. They caused our nation much suffering, as is well known. The rejection of the land of Israel is a sure recipe for disaster.

I am taking this opportunity to emplore all those that supported the expulsion, took part in it, or sat on the sidelines quietly to consider doing teshuvah, that is to say , repent.


It is well known that there are four steps in repenting:

1) Ceasing to do the particular sin
2) Confession (to God)
3) Regret
4) Accepting upon oneself not to do that particular sin again.

The power of teshuvah is great (see Rambam Laws of Repentance 7:6). Don't miss it.

Will The Homosexuals Defile Jerusalem?

Tensions are rising in the holy city. Yesterday the Knesset held a meeting about the planned international homosexual parade scheduled for next month in Jerusalem. A survey was presented which in my humble opinion accurately reflects the attitude of the public:

MK Yitzchak Levy (National Union/NRP) presented a survey showing that a large majority of the public - including a full 63% of the secular public - is against holding the gay pride parade in Jerusalem.

Among the public defining itself as traditional, the number was 81%, and among the religious, 99-100%.

"Don't force yourselves upon a city that clearly doesn't want you," Levy said.

I can only second MK Levy's request. Former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has come out strongly against the parade, and so has Rabbi Yosef Sholom Elyashiv.

I do not know if homosexuality is a physical malady, a mental disease, or a genetic defect. Whatever it is it is certainly nothing to be proud of.

Ignorant Musician Visiting Israel Alert

This guy has obviously been on the "dark side of the moon" for too long.

Some Links In Honor Of Jerusalem Day

Sara Yoheved Rigler has a nice article on the Aish HaTorah web site, My Home, My History, My Heart.

Arutz Sheva has a statistical analysis of Jerusalem's population, One Out of Ten Israelis Calls Jerusalem Home.

Haaretz, Israel's premier publication of leftist intellectual atrophy, couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate Jerusalem Day with a little bit of rot from Uzi Benziman, Ticking time bomb in Jewish Quarter.

Thank God For The State Of Israel!

Thank God for the state of Israel! With all of its shortcomings and problems, thank God for the state of Israel!

Many people tend to be ingrates, to concentrate on the negative, to be like flies that always land on the open wound and ignore the healthy flesh. Not I. Thank God for the state of Israel!

In our internet age, people are often superficial and ignorant, aware only of what was written in the last pop-up window. So let's remember what it was like to be a Jew about 70 years ago in Germany. Let's remember the world's reaction to the plight of the Jews.

We really do have so much to be thankful for, if you really think about it.

Thank God for the state of Israel!

A Happy And Kosher Passover To All

I'm coming out of hibernation once again to wish you all a happy and kosher Passover. Let's hope that Jonathan Pollard will also be able to spend this Passover as a free man.

Cosmic X Endorses...

My impression is that the public is not excited about the upcoming elections, and that is an understatement. The reason why, in my humble opinion, is that the public has lost faith in the political system. Israeli politics has become corrupt, and the public wants nothing to do with politics or politicians.

The corruption in Israeli politics is not only on the level of the personal mideeds of the politicians, i.e. the use of public money to provide friends and cronies with a livelihood, although this certainly exists. Israeli political corruption runs much deeper. It is the ability of politicians to promise one thing to the public, get elected on the basis of these promises, and then proceed to ignore their constituents and execute an entirely different policy. Sharon's "disengagement" policy, the uprooting of thriving Jewish settlements in return for nothing, in opposition of what he promised to the voters, was a glaring example of Israel's political corruption.

Israel's three major newspapers, Ma'ariv, Yediot Acharonot, and Ha'aretz, as well as Israel's television stations 1 and 2, are full fledged partners in Israel's political corruption. The job of the media is to be the "watchdog of democracy". Israel's MSM failed in their job, and instead of calling Sharon to order, they rooted him on in his effort to make the Gaza Strip judenrein. One of Israel's leading journalists was quoted as saying, "We must guard Sharon like an Etrog." Woe to us that these are our MSM journalists!

When we look back on the past year many other Israeli institutions get low marks as well, for example the police, and the army. Both of them stumbled and fell, and their uniforms are still soiled. Who knows how long it will take for these institutions to rehabilitate themselves? As for Israel's judicial system, it is rotten to the core. It is similar to impure earthenware vessels which can only be purified by breaking them.

My son Moshe X is now 18 years old and will be voting for the first time. He told me that he will be voting for the Ichud-Leumi/Mafdal. I asked him if he will hold his nose when he puts the slip in the envelope. He said that he will hold his nose and close his eyes, but that is what the hour requires. I agree with him.

So on Tuesday I encourage all lovers of Torah and the land of Israel to go out and vote for either Shas, Agudah, or the the Ichud-Leumi/Mafdal. I will be voting for the latter, since Rav Avraham Shapira the Rosh Yeshiva of Merkaz HaRav supports them. Whoever you vote for, don't forget to hold your nose!

And When I Awoke, I Was Alone

Purim is a very busy day.
The first item of the day was making sure that everyone, especially my wife, would hear the reading of the Book of Esther.

Shacharit started at 7:30 AM. Although I tried making sure that everyone got there on time, I was the only one that did. My kids came strolling in at around 8:00 AM. Moshe X had been at a Purim party until 2:00 AM the previous night, and he was obviously suffering from its after-effects. The main thing was that they all, except for my wife, arrived in time to hear the reading of the Megillah.

One of the signs of getting old is that you would prefer that people would not "stamp out" Haman's name during the reading of the Megillah. I'm old. I would prefer to hear the Megillah without those interruptions. Dream on!

When I came home that morning my main job was to make sure that my wife heard the special reading for women at 9:30 AM. Mrs. X needed a little bit of encouragement to finish her shower and dress quickly. In the end, she arrived on time. Mission accomplished.

The next task was Mishloach Manot. This was easy as they had all been prepared the previous day. The children were happy to deliver them, especially to a particular family that had a custom of giving five shekels "dmei Purim" to children that brought them Mishloach Manot.

Daf Yomi never rests and today the lesson would be at 11:00 AM, before the participants would be unable to comprehend a page of Talmud due to the high levels of alcohol in their blood. The lesson ended at 12:00 noon. Layehudim Hayeta Ora(the Jews had light), where Ora(light) is Torah according to our sages as it says "A mitzvah is a candle and the Torah is light."

One of my daughters wanted to visit her grandmother who lives in a different neighborhood. That's what fathers and automobiles are for. I let her know that I will not be able to drive her back home, for the time for sobriety is running out.

12:30 PM was the time for the Minchah prayer immediately followed by "Yeshivat Mordechai HaTzaddik", the Purim version of Avot U'vanim.

2:30 PM was the time to fulfil "ad delo yada", which means drinking enough wine so that you do not know the difference between "Cursed is Haman" and "Blessed is Mordechai". I chose a liter bottle of Grenache Rose from the Hebron Winery to do the trick. Perhaps the merit of the Patriarchs and Matriarchs buried in Hebron would save me from a hangover.

We had a very nice family over for the Purim meal. After the meal and about 3/4 of the above mentioned wine was in my stomach, I crashed out on my bed. I woke up a couple of hours later. It was dark out. The house was empty. All of the Purim fanfare was over. What a hangover! That's the last time I drink so much wine...until next Purim.

Purim Sameach!

Purim Sameach!



Along with the other mitzvot of Purim, I plan to fulfil the Mitzvah of "ad delo yada" tomorrow. I hope that the hangover won't be too bad.

Machon Meir - An Awesome Place

When I came to Israel over twenty years ago, I arrived at Machon Meir with a suitcase in one hand and a guitar in the other. I had been a Ba'al Teshuvah for about a year and a half, long enough to know that I really needed to learn in Yeshivah. Little did I know that I would not only learn Torah at Machon Meir, but that I would acquire the spiritual tools to deal with the afflictions that are a part and parcel of living in the land of Israel.

I visited Machon Meir recently, and the place has changed dramatically. In my day the Beit Midrash was in an old building that was cold in the winter and hot in the summmer. I remember seeing students dovvening Shacharit wearing "dubonim", winter coats. Today they have a beautiful new Beit Midrash, which is heated well in the winter and air-conditioned in the summer. Way back when, it was very difficult to stay in touch with the family abroad. Letters sent from Israel to the United States would take two weeks to arrive. If someone was flying to the States, we used to give him our letters so that he would send them in the U.S. as local mail. Today, the Machon has an "email room" where students can send email or communicate with their family abroad using one of the "messaging" programs. Making a phone call in my time was no simple matter. You had to buy "asimonim" (tokens) to use the one pay phone that was in the Yeshivah. (You would not get a dial tone until one of the "asimonim" dropped down into the telephone. This is the source of the saying "nafal lo ha'asimon" as and allegory for understanding a certain matter.) There was usually a line to use the phone. Making a long distance call was tremendously difficult because the "asimonim" would fall faster than you could put them into the phone. Today of course everyone has a cellphone. What a life the Yeshiva students have today!

I also noted that many of the faculty members that taught in my time are still teaching there. I imagine that is because that teaching in a Ba'al Teshuvah Yeshiva must be a pleasure. All of the students are there by their own free will and they want to learn. This must be a true paradise for rabbis and teachers.

The point of this post is that Machon Meir was an awesome twenty-some years ago and it still is today. For those interested in learning in Israel it is a place that certainly deserves checking out.

Weird Yankel

When Yankel came into the Beit Midrash you couldn't help but notice him. Don't get me wrong: He was not an imposing figure. He was actually kind of short. He wasn't a great Torah scholar so nobody would rise in his honor when entered the Beit Midrash. Yankel was different. He would dress weird. He would talk weird. He would come up to you and ask you weird questions. Yankel was weird.

Yankel never married. That is probably because he was weird. What kind of girl would want to marry a weird guy? But then again, there are a lot of weird guys that get married. He just had to find a girl that likes weird guys. Perhaps Yankel was asexual. It seems to me that getting married wasn't one of his objectives. Did I say that Yankel was weird?

The love of the people of Israel and the land of Israel burned in Yankel's heart. He liked to read a lot. He was very interested in the political situation in Israel. Yankel wanted to hasten the redemption of the Jewish people. He would publish his thoughts on this matter and distribute them in the synagogues and Batei Midrash in Jerusalem. He would talk about his ideas with you whether you were interested or not. For some he was a pest. You could make him very happy by reading the sheets he distributed or by discussing his ideas with him. Yankel should have been a blogger. He was weird.

Yankel passed away last week. Nobody published mourning notices as is customary in the Holy City. Blaring megaphones mounted on the roofs of by taxi cabs did not spread the news of his demise in the ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods of Jerusalem. A huge crowd did not take part in his funeral procession. I found out about his untimely death through a handwritten note that was tacked up on a synagogue bulletin board.

Yankel's family mourns. For them he was not weird; he was a brother and a son. Those who looked past his weirdness and valued his great love of the land of Israel and the people of Israel will miss him. Weird Yankel is no longer with us. May his soul be bound in the bundle of life.

Why Isn't Cosmic X Posting More Often?

Some of you are probably wondering what happened to me. I used to post quite often and now I'm lucky if I post once a week.

The answer is that changes in my life have severly limited the time that I can devote to blogging. I'm spending more time doing other things. I miss blogging, and I miss reading other blogs even more. Such is life.

Everything about Matisyahu

Here it is: A blog devoted entirely to Matisyahu. Enjoy.

Amona, Ehud Olmert, And Pharaoh

I imagine that Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has a headache. True, it was the heads of the settlers and their supporters that were violently bashed by police batons yesterday in Amona. Their heads and broken bones are surely aching, in addition tho their hearts. However, this is Olmert's second blow to the head since taking the reins from the ailing Ariel Sharon. He probably needs an aspirin, or even a dose of valium.

The first blow was the Hamas victory in the PA elections. I personally took absolutely no interest in those elections. I fail to see the difference between the Hamas and the Fatah. They are both terrorist organizations, murderers outside of realm of civilization. However, the starry-eyed among our nation, those that daydream while they are awake, had a real stake in these elections. For them it was important for the beardless murderers to be victorious over the bearded ones. Their first false messiah of peace, Yasser Arafat, is currently burning in hell together with his Nobel Peace Prize. Now, their second false messiah of peace, which they called in classic Orwellian "disengagement", has been proven to be a farce. We have left the Gaza Strip, but the Gaza Strip is chasing after us, reminding us every so often that rewarding terror breeds more terror. The "disengagement" was the greatest crime against the Jewish people in this century, and one of the greatest crimes that Jews have ever committed against fellow Jews. The rotten fruits of this crime, in which Olmert played a key role, are creating a stench that even the starry-eyed are having a hard time ignoring.

The second blow to Olmert's head was yesterday's events in Amona. Olmert, his henchmen, and his publicity agents disguised as journalists in the Israeli MSM, all claim that the deployment of thousands of policemen, the cracking of skulls, the breaking of bones, were all necessary in order to promote "the rule of the law." Those few houses in Amona were the symbol of evil, something that must be obliterated at any cost. Yet there are thousands, if not tens of thousands of illegally built structures constructed by Arabs in the Galilee, in the Negev, as well as Judea and Samaria. The government does almost nothing against illegal building by Arabs. The brutality demonstrated by the government has nothing to do with the rule of the law; it has everything to do with politics. Olmert thought that playing the tough guy will help his party garner more seats in the next elections. I have a feeling that the pictures of demonstrators with their faces covered with blood as the result of yesterday's government sponsored police brutality will not sit well with the Israeli electorate. I have a feeling that Ehud Olmert understands that his intransigence with regards to a compromise with the settlers of Amona was a mistake. The settlers were willing to dismantle the structures. Olmert said "No." Olmert wanted to look like a gun-toting sheriff walking into a lawless town. Yesterday he ended up looking more like the late Syrian tyrant Hafez Assad or Saddam Hussein.

It is reasonable to surmise that Olmert is now running to his political and media advisors. The words "damage control" and "creative slogans" are probably being ping-ponged back and forth between Ehud and his advisors. I have another word they might consider talking about: teshuvah. The Rambam (Laws of Teshuvah 6:3) says that G-d took away from Pharaoh the ability to do teshuvah because of Pharaoh's wickedness. I sincerely hope that Mr. Olmert will attend services this Shabbat and hear this weeks Torah portion, "Bo". I hope that he takes to heart what Pharaoh did and what happened to him in the end.

Rabbi Kaduri's Funeral

I heard late last night that Israel's elder kabbalist, Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri zt"l, had passed away. I could not help but feel sad, even the though the rabbi was well over 100 years old. Our nation had lost a great and special man.

Many years ago I wanted to receive a blessing from the rabbi. After the morning prayers I took a bus to the Bucharian neighborhood in Jerusalem. Rabbi Kaduri had not completed the morning prayers, even though he had started them well before dawn. That is because the rabbi's prayers were said using special kabbalistic "kavanot". I waited for the rabbi to finish his prayers. After he was finished many who were there requested his blessing. Finally my turn came and he placed his hand upon my head. I did not understand what the rabbi said. That is probably because I did not know Hebrew well enough back then. Those who were there told me to say "Amen" so I did.

I saw Rabbi Kaduri on many occasions. People always requested his blessing, and he never refused. He would smile and place his hand upon the head of all those who wanted to be blessed. Such was the way of this great man, a man whose heart was filled with Ahavat Yisrael and sought neither material gain nor honor.

After bringing my son back home from kindergarten, I ate lunch. I fell a little guilty about this. How can I eat while the funeral of the great kabbalist is now underway? The radio announced that the funeral procession would make its way from the Bucharian neighborhood to the Givat Shaul cemetery. I decided that I would join the procession in Givat Shaul, not too far away from my home. This would surely be a huge event, with myriads of Jews taking part. My past experience had taught me that I would need emotional and physical strength if I wanted to be in the midst of such a massive crowd. I ate well because I knew what was ahead of me.

When I arrived on Givat Shaul Street I saw the crowds of people arrive from the Romema neighborhood, filling the entrance to Jerusalem. The crowd was mostly made up of black-hatted ultra-Orthodox Jews, but there were many kippot serugot as well. I had expected the procession to pass on Givat Shaul Street, but it continued on the much wider Jerusalem-Tel Aviv Highway. Making my way through some narrow alleyways, I succeeded in joining the procession. I was able to get within a few meters of the car that carried the rabbi's body. The car itself was surrounded by policemen, which in turn were surrounded by the thousands who had come to pay the rabbi their last respects. The mourners chanted "Yoshev Besetter Elyon" as the procession turned left at Ginot Sakharov. The crowd was dense to the point of being unbearable. I felt like a lone water molecule being driven forward by a vast wave in the ocean. Falling down at this point would probably mean getting trampled to death.

As the procession had reached the Herzog Hospital I decided that it was time for me to leave. I made my way to the sidewalk and started walking back towards Givat Shaul Street. I meet a few friends along the way. I hope the next time I meet them will be at a happier occasion. All of a sudden a commotion: Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak passes by surrounded by a bunch of boys that form a ring about him. I did not see his face, but it was him. His traditional Yemenite dress and hat are unmistakable. I remember seeing him for the first time about 13 years ago in Kibbutz Chafetz Chaim, when he wasn't so famous. Since then he has distributed millions of cassettes and helped thousands of Jews become closer to their Father in heaven. He also has some miracles to his credit, as is known to anyone who has seen his videos.

I returned home and the radio announced that the police estimate that there were over 200,000 people who took part in the funeral procession, over 200,000 people who took time off from whatever they were doing to pay last respects to Rabbi Yitzchak Kaduri. The people whom Rabbi Kaduri loved showed that the feeling was mutual. May his memory be a blessing.

Blogging An Jewish-Arab Dialogue

Blogger Yoel Ben-Avraham apparently never rests! He has created a new blog called "Between Shilo and Turmos Ayya":

A Jewish "Settler" resident of the modern Jewish community of Shilo which grew up beside the site of ancient Biblical Shilo exchanges email messages with an Arab, resident of the village of Turmosayya, located in the valley beneath Shilo. Is there a place for true dialog between the two?

So far, it looks like the answer is "no". But we will, bli nedder, check in from time to time to see what's doing.

Avri Ran Acquitted and Freed After Months in Jail

Please read the entire article.

Update: Caroline Glick also wrote about this. (Hat tip: Joe Settler)

Some New Links

Learn Hebrew Verbs - another great web site from Jacob Richman. From the site announcement:

Learn Hebrew verbs is a free, on-line, educational resource
containing 300 Hebrew verbs conjugated in all tenses
(past, present, future, imperative).
The site menu provides selection by one tense or all tenses;
gender or both genders; singular and/or plural.
For your convenience, you can choose a Hebrew or English
menu to navigate the site.

The site is unique because you do not need Hebrew fonts to
display the Hebrew words. All words (including the nikud - vowels)
are displayed using graphics. There are over 10,000 graphic
images in the system.

Both the student and the teacher will find the site easy to use
and very educational. As mentioned, the site is free to all.

Shofar News - Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak's Shofar organization has a Hebrew news site.

Darga - learn taamei hamikra.

The Latest Israeli Betrayal Of Pollard

Shame, shonda, bushah.

The Latest Events In Hevron

Shlomo Wollins has great coverage on his blog. (Hat tip: Akiva)

The NCSY Alumni Retreat

No, I was not privledged to be a member of NCSY. I did receive an email asking me to publicize this so here it is.

Hevron Jews Refuse to Buckle Under

Is It Correct To Ask The Public To Pray For Ariel Sharon?

Last week's of issue Be'sheva provides several different opinions.

Who is Uprooting Those Arab Olive Trees?

Click here for the answer.

Our World: The fictitious 'third way'

Caroline Glick does it again, cutting through the spins of the MSM to give us some truth! A must read!

Tablature For "King Without A Crown"

Here are the tabs to that nifty guitar counterpoint in the chorus of Matisyahu's "King Without A Crown." Notice how it is constructed of tones from the chords.

(Note: This is my own work and represents my interpretation of the song. You may only use this for private study, scholarship, or research.)

Play this twice:


E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------9-9-9----9-8-8-8-----------------6-6-6-----------8-8-8-8-8---
G-10-10-10-------10---------8-8-8-8-8-7-7-7-------7-7-8-8-8-------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------


Then this:

E-------8-8---8-6-6-6-----------------6-6-6-----------------------------
B-9-9-9-----9---------8-8-8-8-8-6-6-6-------6-6-8-8-8-------------------
G-----------------------------------------------------8-8-8-8-8---------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------



E-----------------------------------------------------------------------
B----------9-9-9----9-8-8-8-----------------6-6-6-----------------------
G-10-10-10-------10---------8-8-8-8-8-7-7-7-------7-7-8-----------------
D-----------------------------------------------------------------------
A-----------------------------------------------------------------------
E-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Arms Smuggling Into Gaza Strip Increases Tenfold

Arutz 7 reports

:“The smuggling of weapons and explosives into Gaza has jumped by hundreds of percent in comparison to the period before the disengagement,” Diskin told the committee. “If before the disengagement, 200-300 rifles were smuggled in per month, now, we’re talking about 3000” per month.

But that's not all:

Terrorist attacks and attempts to carry out such attacks are also on the rise since the disengagement. Diskin said that in October there were 48 such incidents, as compared to 277 in December.

A while back, I left the following comment on Kantor's blog:

The minute that the IDF stops patrolling the Egyptian border anything and everything will be smuggled into Gaza.

You can't say that I didn't warn you.

10th Of Tevet

Today is a fast day, the 10th of Tevet. May those fasting have a meaningful fast.

A Year Of Blogging

I've been blogging for about a year now, and it is time to see how successful this endeavour has been.

1) Much of the blogging was against the "disengagement", i.e. the destruction of the Jewish communitees in the Gaza Strip and Northern Samaria in return for nothing. The destruction took place.

2) I came out against the starving of Terri Schiavo to death. R.I.P.

3) Here and there I criticized the MSM. Nothing has really changed on this front either. As Arik Einstein sang, "Baitonim kotvim mah sheheim rotzim" (The newspapers write what they want).

This blog has not been very successful at changing the world. For some it has provided a layman's view of life here in Israel. At least it has been interesting and fun.

Oy Vey MEME

Tovya tagged me with this MEME. (Thanks a lot Tovya!)

Four Jobs I Have Held in My Life:

(1) Warehouseman
(2) Fast Food Worker
(3) Security Guard
(4) Tour Guide


Four Movies I Could Watch Over and Over:

Not applicable. The only movie that I went to see in the past twenty years is Ushpizin, and once was enough.

Four Place I Have Lived:

(1) Highland Park, N.J.
(2) Brooklyn, N.Y.
(3) Beit El
(4) Jerusalem


Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:

Not applicable.

Four Places I've Been on Vacation:

(1) Gush Katif (I shed a tear)
(2) Nir Etzion
(3) Kinar
(4) Florida

Four Websites I Visit Daily (for me, regularly):

(1) Many of the blogs on my blogroll
(2) Arutz Sheva
(3) Jewish Blogging
(4) Jrants


Four Books I'll Read Over and Over Again (with G-d's help):

(1) Mesilat yesharim
(2) Orot
(3) Tal Hermon
(4) Sichot HaRav Tzvi Yehuda

Ariel Sharon Jokes

It was inevitable that these kind of jokes would start being circulated. The other day a friend of mine asked me if I got the SMS (text message) on my cellphone. I said that I did not. He told me that he got a message to requesting him to join a prayer service on behalf of Ariel Sharon at the central synagogue of Neve Dekalim.

(Neve Dekalim was one of the the communitiees that Sharon destroyed. The synagogue was later set ablaze by the Arabs.)

Haveil Havalim #52 At Israel Perspectives

Ze'ev has done a great job as usual.

Sharon in Critical But Stable Condition After 7 Hour Operation

May he have a speedy recovery.

At this time Ehud Olmert is Israel's Acting Prime Minister.

I Don't Know Who To Vote For

Israeli elections are coming up and I am pondering who to vote for. I do know who I don't want to vote for:

Labor
Meretz-Yachad
Kadima

and the rest of the left.

On the right side of the political map we have:

Mafdal - their behavior in this Knesset was disgraceful. They went into a government with the anti-religious Shinui party. They brought in Effie Eitam to lead the party, but then prevented him from leading the party.

Likud - Bwa Ha Ha!

National Union - They have some religious members but they are not a religious party by definition.

Agudat Yisrael - they helped the government survive during the destruction of Gush Katif and Northern Samaria.

Shas - probably the only party that was not stained by supporting this government in any way. But how can I vote for Shas when they were part of the Rabin government that initiated the Oslo disaster?

Havel Havelim #51 At Shiloh Musings

This issue is truly amazing!

Matisyahu Chords: Warrior

This song is pretty simple as far as chords are concerned. The intro and the chorus:

D | | | C#m | | | Bm | | | | | | C#m (repeat as necessary)

The rest of the song:

F#m | | | | | | | A | | | | | | | (repeat as necessary)

Chanukah And Prayer At Sunrise

King David said, "Awake up, my glory; awake, lyre and harp; I will rouse the dawn (Psalms 57:9). Rashi explains: "I rouse the dawn and the dawn doesn't rouse me." This was something that distinguished King David from the other kings of his day who would wake up later (see Berachot 4A and Rashi there).

I can't claim to be a student of King David in this respect. More often than not, the rays of the morning sun shining thrugh my bedroom window wake me up. This is really a shame because those early morning hours are perhaps the most beautiful time of day. Back in the days when I still did reserve duty I remember being stationed on the border with Jordan. There, facing East, I would spend the night watch waiting for the morning to come because then my shift would end and another soldier would come to replace me. It was spectacular to see how the sky, ever so slowly, changes from the black of night into the light blue of day, and how the sun rises majestically on the eastern horizon. Only after army service did I understand what is written in Psalms (130:6): "My soul waiteth for the L-rd more then they that watch for the morning..."

I already mentioned that I'm not one who usually rises early. However, the "Chanukah season" is the time of year when sunrise is at its latest (around 6:35), so the prayers start at about 6:10. That means getting up at 5:40, and even Cosmic X can handle that! At this hour most of Jerusalem is still asleep. As I make my way to the synagogue, through the semi-darkness, I see someone else who is on his way to pray. On the other side of the street is a Chassid with a towel draped over his shoulder on the way to the mikve. These are typical early morning scenes in Jerusalem that only early risers witness.

Inside the synagogue I see "the regulars". These are people who are really serious about their worship, and every time that I come to say the prayers at sunrise, they are here. The only things that concern them are "Torah and Tefilah." While many are occupied with thoughts about how they can buy a larger car or get a promotion at work, these men are only concerned with how they can serve G-d better. The Menorah spreads light on the southern side of the synagogue, reminding us of the miracles that the L-rd wrought for the Jewish people. The prayers are said with devotion, with the silent "shemonah esrei" prayer recited just after sunrise. Hallel. The Torah reading. Through the windows of the synagogue I see that the semi-darkness has turned to light. A new day has started, with a new hope for a better world. Perhaps the Mashiach will come today.

As the days get longer, and sunrise becomes earlier and earlier, Cosmic X will not have the strength or determination to say the prayers at sunrise like "vatikin". But these guys, "the regulars", as true students of King David, will continue to "wake up the dawn."

A Different Kind Of Menorah

Rabbi Elon Says No to Head Comprise NRP - National Union List

I must say that I am happy about this. It would be a shame for someone like Rabbi Mordechai Elon to dirty himself in the Knesset.

A Man Of Conscience

See this from Jerusalem Is The Place To Be:

I am a former Israeli Police Officer who quit my job once I saw that the Disengagement was going to really happen and I would be forced to displace my fellow Jews from their homes. I have since found a job in a field that allows me to help make the world (and future) a better place for us and our children.

If there were more Israelis like him, all of those settlements would not have been destroyed and all of those people would not be homeless and/or jobless.

More Matisyahu Chords

The song "Close My Eyes" has three chords. Sometimes they are played like this:

Gm | | | F | | | Cm7 | | | | | | |

and sometimes like this:

Gm | | | F | | | Cm7 | | | F | | |

The Prime Minister's Stroke And My Father's Stroke

The Prime Minister had a mild stroke yesterday. May he have a speedy recovery, and may he live to be 120, as a private citizen and not as the Prime Minister of Israel, speedily and in our days, Amen.

Sharon, being that he is the Prime Minister, received all of the tests that he needed immediately. The average Israeli does not get such special treatment.

A few years ago, my father, may he live to be 120, was in Israel and suffered a mild stroke. After taking him to the Bikur Holim hospital in downtown Jerusalem, the doctor gave us a series of tests to do (a CT and a lot of other tests whose names I have forgotten). We were told that for some of the tests we would have to wait for as long as two weeks before they could give us and appointment. We were quite upset about having to wait so long to have the tests done. We came home and I told my wife. She said she heard about a macher from Bayit VeGan called Z. that may be able to help us. My wife called Z., and he said that he would come to us tomorrow morning in a taxi and that he would be going to the Hadassah Ein Karem hospital.

The next morning a cab stopped by our apartment and inside was Z., dressed from head to toe in black Hasidic garb (actually, his socks may have been white). He was a jovial guy and told my father a joke in Yiddish which my father enjoyed. When we got tho the hospital we saw that all of the staff there knew Z. and treated him with great honor. We came to the place were there was a line of about 15 people waiting to do a CT scan. Z. entered a door that said "staff only." Two minutes later we heard our name called and my father had the CT scan done, ahead of everyone else who was waiting on line. We spent the entire morning doing tests as Z. guided us through the hospital corridors. In one morning we completed all of the tests! I do not know how Z. was able to arrange all of this. To this day the matter is a total mystery to me. Afterwards we took a cab back home, dropping Z. off at the Kollel he learns at in Bayit VeGan. May G-d bless him.

BTW, my father is doing just fine. He recovered most of the functions he lost because of the stroke, as his brain learned reroute its messages to bypass the affected area.

Rain, Blessed Rain!

It started Friday morning as I was buying food for Shabbat and actually for the entire upcoming week. I was at the checkout counter when the cashier noticed that it was raining outside. After putting all the food in bags and back into the shopping cart, I payed (with a check dated for sometime in February 2006), headed to the car and unloaded the groceries in the car, getting thoroughly wet in the process. I got in the car and called home from the cellphone, in order to tell my wife to take in any laundry in that may be hanging on the clotheslines. There was no answer, because my wife was already busy doing just that.

The rain continued to fall on and off Friday and Shabbat. On the Sabbath day in Jerusalem almost all of the businesses are closed , and there is very little traffic. All of these things combined gave us some nice clean mountain air to breathe this Shabbat. As Naomi Shemer wrote, "Avir Harim Tzalul KaYayin, Vereiach Oranim." (Mountain air clear as wine, and the scent of pines.)

There are some places in the world where rain is thought of as a nuisance. A song of the Beatles comes to mind:

When the rain comes,
They run and hide their heads,
They might as well be dead,
When the rain comes.

What may be true for Liverpool, is certainly not true in Jerusalem. As I mentioned in another post, we are highly dependent here on the winter rains and are very happy when they fall. G-d, please bring us some more!

Nir Barkat At Machon Meir

Nir Barkat, the head of the opposition in the Jerusalem Municipal Council, visited Machon Meir in the Kiryat Moshe section of Jerusalem today. He received the VIP treatment as the Rosh Yeshiva of Machon Meir, Rabbi Dov Begon, took him on a tour of the Yeshiva. Barkat showed genuine interest as he chatted with Rav Begon and met students from all over the world that came to Jerusalem in order to learn at Machon Meir. Little did Rabbi Begon and Councilman Barkat know that the blogger Cosmic X was watching them.

Sharon Advisor Says PM Will Partition Jerusalem

Sharon already has a chazaka (supposition) of being a liar. Whoever votes for Sharon is voting for corruption and a divided Jerusalem.

A Good Hardware Store

After 15 years of being opened and closed, the lock on the door to our bathroom needed replacing. The lock was a standard one that most of the contractors put in the apartments that they build. It wasn't totally shot, but sometimes you could lock the door and then have a hard time openning it up again.

I had no idea how how to change the lock. I wasn't born with two left hands, mind you. I guess there are other things that just interest me more. The troublesome lock remained in place, much to the chagrin of those who would find themselves temporarily locked in the bathroom.

Another unrelated problem that I had was copying keys to the apartment. It happened more than once that the keys that I had copied at a hardware store did not work when I came home to try them out. The people at the hardware store did not know how to copy keys well, or they just didn't care to do the work properly.

Both of my problems were solved when I found a fantastic hardware store in the Har Nof neighborhood in Jerusalem. The store is called "HaKol LaBayit" (Everything For The Home), and is run by American immigrants. I had some keys copied there and when I returned home they actually worked. The next time I was in the area, I entered the store and told them about my problem with the bathroom door. They showed me the part I needed to buy, and told me how to put it in. When I came home, I tried unsuccessfully to take the old lock out. I called "HaKol LaBayit" on the phone, and the lady (!) there explained to me how to take the lock out. (You have to remove the door handles first. In order to remove the handles there is a little pin holding the handles in place that has to be pulled up and out. Afterwards, after removing two screws, the mechanism can be removed.)

An old Jewish joke says that a man should have three things: A good doctor, a good lawyer, and good children...but that he shouldn't need any of them. I add to the list "a good hardware store".

Where Is The Rain?

For those of you who do not know, it usually doesn't rain in Israel during the summer. We are totally dependent on the rain that falls in the winter for the water that use. If rain does not fall during the winter, we are in trouble!

This winter has been very dry so far. Ironically rain did fall during the holiday of Sukkot, which is not considered a good sign. It is compared to a servant bring a drink to his master, only to have the master spill it on the servant's face!

This morning the shaliach tzibur in the minyan that I davenned at added a special prayer for rain in the "shma koleinu" blessing. May we soon be blessed with rain.

A Public Service From Cosmic X: The 2800 Number

Now this is cool! If you send and SMS in Hebrew to the Egged Bus Cooperative (2800), and write, for example, "from Beit El to Jerusalem (in Hebrew), within two seconds you get an SMS in return with a schedule of the busses from Beit El to Jerusalem.

Shabbat In Bet El

Shavua Tov everybody!

The X family spent last Shabbat outside of Jerusalem for a change. Mrs. X was tired of cooking and needed a change of scenery. We went to the community of Beit El, which is situated near Ramallah, just north of Jerusalem.

About 20 years ago, I used to learn in the Yeshiva in Beit El. Back then, the place was smaller and much less developed. Today there are thousands of people living in Beit El. Many of the places that were desolate in my time are now built up with houses and learning institutions.

It used to be very easy to get to Beit El. I used to drive my own automobile directly north from Jerusalem, pass through Ramallah/El Bireh and arrive at Beit El. The worst thing that could happen is that someone would throw a stone at the car as you passed by the Kalandia refugee camp. Stones can be deadly weapons, and people were injured and MVAs were caused by these stones. But this is nothing to compare to what can happen to Israelis if they enter Ramallah today, after we made "peace" with Arafat. The only Israeli civilians that enter Ramallah nowadays are journalists and "useful idiots" sympathetic to the Arab cause.

Getting to Beit El today isn't so simple. Instead of traveling due north, one has to bypass Ramallah by traveling through Pisgat Ze'ev. After the Hizmeh road block there is a special bypass road that passes by Sha'ar Binyamin, and Kochav Yaakov. After an hour on the road in a special bullet-proof Egged bus we finally made it to Beit El. In our Orwellian world bullet-proof buses + bypass roads = Nobel Peace Prize.

The people of Beit El are very gracious and excel in hospitality. We stayed at the apartment of a local family that had left Beit El for the Sabbath. They did not know us, yet they permitted us to stay at their apartment. They even prepared hot water for us so we could drink tea during the Sabbath. We spent the Shabbat meals with friends and we had a great time.

It turns out that there were a lot of guests in Beit El for Shabbat. The reason was that this week's Torah portion, VaYetze, mentions Beit El.

I could not help but feel the heavy shadow of the destruction of Gush Katif upon me during the Shabbat. Last summer we saw how the wicked Israeli government destroyed flourishing settlements in the Gaza Strip in return for nothing. The evil of the government is also reflected in the treatment of those who were expelled from their houses and farms. Many if not most of these people are still homeless and unemployed. As I gazed upon the beautiful community of Beit El I could not help but wonder if a similar fate awaits them. Please G-d, have mercy upon your land and people!

Matisyahu Live And Kiddush Hashem

I've been debating with myself if I should shell out the 130 shekels and go see Matisyahu at the Ma'abada. I really do like his music, but I decided that it would not be appropriate for someone like myself to go to the performance. I fear that the atmosphere at the concert will not be entirely "frum". It is not the kind of example that I want to set for my children. Matisyahu is a great Kiddush Hashem, and I'm sure that many have become interested in Yiddishkeit through his music. However, I think that it would probably be a Chillul Hashem for me to show up at such an event. I'll continue to enjoy his music from my mp3 player.

The Latest Addition To The Kadima Party

Matisyahu Chords

Someone arrived here looking for "Matisyahu Chords". I'm posting the chords to "King Without A Crown" (as far as my ears can tell) so that if he visits again he won't be disappointed.

Intro:

Fm | | | Eb | | | Bb | | | Cm | | |
(Repeat 4 times.)

Verses:

Ab | Cm | Bb | | | Ab | Cm | Fm | | | (Repeat over and over again. Sometime the guitarist plays G and slides up to Ab)

Instrumental and Bridge: Same as Intro

Israel's Judicial Dictatorship Strikes Again

The Israeli High Court of Justice used to be a respected institution in Israel. Unfortunately, Chief Justice Aharon Barak's judicial activism has eroded the image of the High Court. The court, under Barak's leadership, began to intervene in political issues which the court had previously avoided. Today the another nail was pounded into the coffin of the credibility of this institution. Professor Ruth Gavison will probably not be selected to join the court.

This morning I heard Kol Yisrael legal commentator Moshe Negbi, known for his ultra left-wing views, commenting on this. Negbi, who is great supporter of Barak's judicial activism, was also upset. He expressed concern that since it is now clear to the public that the appointments to the High Court are not based on legal prowess but rather on issues of Weltanschauung, the decision of who to appoint and who to not appoint will be taken away from the lawyers (who now enjoy a majority on the committee to appoint justices) and will be given over entirely to politicians.

Update: Just came across this interesting post from Judge and Jewry: Above the Din.

Charles Krauthammer's Bizarre Essay

As one who lives in Israel, and knows not only what the media reports but also a lot of things that are not reported, I can say with a clear conscience that Charles Krauthammer is totally clueless as to what is really going on here. Boker Tov, Boulder gets a hat tip on this one. Power Line's Scott Johnson also noticed:

I find this an amazingly poor performance from one of America's most clear-eyed commentators on the Middle East. The evidence of the day seems to me rather powerfully to undercut his thesis.

Krauthammer is not the only neocon commentator that has disappointed me lately. Other neocon commentators, such as blogger Captain Ed, have overlooked Sharon's crimes against the Israeli electorate which voted overwhelmingly against one-sided withdrawals. They overlooked Sharon's acting against two different inner-Likud votes on the matter. They overlooked the Sharon's use of the army against Israel's own citizens. If an American politician acted similarly would they continue to praise him, even if the politician's policies were in line with what they would like to see done? I doubt it.

Update: Here is an article by Sarah Honig that Charles and Ed should read.

Arab Terrorism In Netanya

So far five dead and forty wounded. The Middle East is a tough neighborhood. The Prime Minister is a wimp.

This Morning After Shacharit

The gabai announced:"R' Moshe invites everyone to drink L'Chaim in honor of the miracle that was wrought for him."

I walked over to R' Moshe and asked him what happened. He told me that Arabs shot at his car near (or in) the Jerusalem neighborhood of French Hill and that he escaped uninjured.

I don't think that this made the news.

The Expulsion Academies

This letter appeared in last week's issue of BeSheva. I've translated it into English for your reading pleasure:

Subject: The Mitzvah Of Expelling Jews

In a symposium that was held this week at Bar Ilan University the research of Elisheva Rosman was revealed. The research showed that girls from the Ein HaNetziv and the Lindenbaum Academies that were in the military enlistment program took part in the front line of the expulsion, in the Neve Dekalim synagogue and in Chomesh. Girls from this program in the Yerocham Academy were also enlisted for this campaign, although in the end they did not take part in it.

The girls were interviewed after the execution of the expulsion. They noted that they identified shared the pain of the families, but that they do not regret taking an active part in the expulsion. They explained their position in that refusing to carry out an order means undermining the strength of the army. The conclusion - expulsion and uprooting are a contribution to the State's security.

Is this the message that is taught in the above mentioned religious academies? Is it really true that following orders, even the most immoral ones, is a supreme value? Will these girls also follow orders to evacuate strikers by the army?

These academies must do some deep soul searching in the face of the results of this research, both in regards to education and in regards to the enlistment of girls in the IDF.

Edvah Naveh

Shaarei Tikva

Haveil Havalim #47 At Soccer Dad

Soccer Dad was all over the place! Check out his collection of links from all over the jblogosphere.

Arabs From Gaza Continuing To Work In Israel After "Disengagement"

The rockets are flying in from the Gaza Strip, terrorists are crossing into the Strip from Egypt and the icing on the cake:

In the meanwhile, the army continued to relax restrictions on Gaza Arabs, allowing another 2,000 workers to cross from Gaza into Israel. Another 1,000 merchants are also being permitted to cross, bringing the total to 2,000. Though Israel "disengaged" from Gaza in order to separate between Jews and Arabs, the current total of Gaza Arabs allowed to enter Israel daily thus now stands at 10,000.

I told you so!

Matisyahu In Jerusalem This Week

He will perform at HaMaabada on Thursday night and after Shabbat. If you check the link to HaMaabada you'll see that they spell his name with a "samekh" instead of a "sav". LOL!

The local press has also heard of Matisyahu:

Ha'aretz

The Jerusalem Post

Ynet

I would really like to see him but somehow I don't think that it will happen. (BTW, he will also be in Tel Aviv at The Barbi Club.)

Cosmic X In Tel Aviv

I was in Tel Aviv today for a convention that was held at one of Tel Aviv's fancier hotels (My workplace payed for it. I'm on a low budget and you would never find me in such a place.) Tel Aviv for a Jerusalemite is a different world. In Jerusalem I kind of fit in with the surroundings but in Tel Aviv I'm "different". Talit finges sticking out are not a common sight in the coastal city. What's more, there were not too many people walking around with an orange strip of cloth attached to their briefcase.

Anyway, the convention was alright and the hotel food was good, i.e. it was kosher, delicious, and did not cause indigestion. I even had some time after lunch to sit outside in the sun and listen to the three Matisyahu tunes that I have on my DISK-ON-KEY or whatever it is called. I must have listened to them a million times. Each time they get better.

Shabbat Shalom everybody.