Swallowing the Bait: The Gullible Ortho-jblogger

Ocasionally I read posts on Ortho-jblogs from outside of Israel, particularly from the U.S.A., that cause me to shake my head with disbelief and ask myself: How can seemingly intelligent people be so gullible?

Now you, dear reader, are probably scratching your head and wondering what in the world is Cosmic X talking about. I'll describe a typical scenario:

Ortho-jblogger is a God fearing Jew that is interested in Israeli current events. Where does he get his news? He reads Ynetnews, Haaretz or Jpost. He comes across an item where religious Jews are described as doing or saying something outrageous. Ortho-jblogger immediately gets into a tizzy. How could religious Jews do such a thing? He starts blogging about the latest scandal. Sparks fly from his keyboard as he eloquently expresses his indignation. He is incensed at the desecration of the Divine Name! He is shocked by the insanity that has taken hold of his coreligionists! How could Rabbi Ploni do/say this or that? He publishes his post, feeling that he has done his duty in defending the honor of Torah and Judaism as he understands it. However, Ortho-jblogger does not realize that he has been had. He has swallowed the bait: hook, line and sinker.

Ortho-jblogger doesn't understand is that the sources that he gets his news from are not always accurate, and that's an understatement. Often the writers or the editors are promoting an anti-Torah agenda. They intentionally distort events and/or quote things out of context. Frequently their ignorance of Torah causes them to err. Sometimes a faulty translation of an article from Hebrew to English is at fault. In any case Ortho-jblogger is lacking the facts, an his rant is for naught. Not only that, but he will often disparage other Jews and even Torah scholars based on the erroneous information that he has received.

If Ortho-jblogger took his blogging more seriously, indeed, if he took his Judaism more seriously, he wouldn't hit the publish button so fast. He would consider the reliability of his news source. Do they have a particular agenda that may cause them to skew their reporting? Are they more interested in selling newspapers than in telling the truth? How would he rate their knowledge of Torah and Judaism on a scale from one to ten?

Ortho-jblogger would check out other news sources, such as Israel National News. True, INN has a right-wing religious agenda, and this influences their reporting. However, my experience is that they are for more accurate than any other source of news from Israel. Moreover, they are learned, God fearing Jews. When a rabbi says something or makes a halachic ruling they understand the issue. When INN errs they are not afraid to publish a correction.

Ortho-jblogger might also want to consult with the Ortho-jbloggers that live in Israel before he flies off the handle. There are quite a few of us. He will be better informed. His blog will become a source of information instead of a disseminator of disinformation. In this way he could save himself and the rest of us a lot of grief.

Get Ready For Jerusalem's Triple Purim

I'm rehashing an old post that is relevant for today:

This year we'll be celbrating three days of Purim in Jerusalem. This is called "Purim Meshulash"(triple Purim).

Here's a link that briefly mentions the laws of Purim Meshulash. This link deals with Purim Meshulash in more detail.

Tzviya Sariel is Acquitted

Another ridiculous chapter in the annals of the Israeli Judicial System comes to an end:

Judge Nava Bechor of the Kfar Saba Magistrates Court acquitted 18-year-old Tzviya Sariel this afternoon (Wednesday) on charges of having pushed an Arab man three and a half months ago. Tzviya has been in prison ever since the incident, apparently because she refused to cooperate with the legal system, sign papers, or accept legal defense.

Judge Bechor, who showed impatience with both the defendant and the prosecution during the course of the 3.5-month-long case, announced her verdict around 3 PM, explaining that it was based on "reasonable doubt."

In a session two weeks ago, the Arab complainant essentially withdrew his accusations against Tzviya - which he said he never knowingly signed in the first place. He did not identify Tzviya as the party who allegedly pushed him, and told the court, "We are not interested in the accused being incarcerated, because she is a young girl... I tell you, in the name of the Haj, we are willing to withdraw the complaint because we want peace..."

The complainant also testified that he had been duped by the police into signing the charges against Tzviya. He said he had been ordered to sign something he could barely read: "When the police wrote, I don't know what they wrote. I just signed. They told me to bring my identity card and to sign. The person who wrote my statement in Arabic spoke in Hebrew..."

Despite this, Justice Bechor ordered Tzviya held in jail until the next session, which she originally scheduled for a month later. Shmuel Medad of the Honenu legal rights organization, who has been following the case closely, told Arutz-7 at the time, "There is simply a plot and scheme to keep Tzviyah in jail, for no justified reason... Even the judge herself seemed ashamed to keep Tzviyah in jail for another month. It's either orders from above or I don't know what, but the judge ran out without announcing the decision - she had the stenographer do it for her - and did not seem to be happy or proud of her ruling."

Tzviya had become a heroine of sorts in many circles, saying repeatedly that she refused to have any part in what she saw as a "show." She further said that no non-Torah-based legal system has the right to void Jewish national rights over any parts of the Land of Israel.

She remained consistent up to the very end, refusing even to allow a representative to sign a paper that would have enabled her to be freed a day earlier. Professor Hillel Weiss, of the Professors for a Strong Israel, had agreed to post a 5,000-shekel bond and take personal responsibility that she would appear for future court dates - beginning with the reading of the verdict on April 3. However, Tzviya refused to allow him to sign for her, whereupon the judge - "owing to the special circumstances of this case," she announced - agreed to advance the verdict reading to today.

The girl's stubborness was not appreciated in some religious-Zionist circles, however. Some felt that her parents and teachers were to blame for not encouraging her to do the minimum necessary to get her out of prison.

Tzviya's friends, however, were very supportive throughout her ordeal. "What goes on in the courtroom and police stations is truly a farce," one school friend [name withheld at her request] told Arutz-7. "The police simply make up accusations, and the judge makes rulings that have nothing to do with justice. She refuses to identify herself, so she has to stay in prison with criminals for weeks and weeks? What does that have to do with justice?"

Reactions

Medad told Arutz-7 after the decision, "This case was unjustified from beginning to end. It was aroused by Iyad Amar, a Druze deputy commander in the Civil Administration, who cajoled the Arabs to enter the town of Elon Moreh and pick olives - after 20 years of not being allowed to do so, because it was the exact spot where Arabs of that village killed a young boy named Rami Haba. But this time, Amar told them that if they don't come to pick olives, they will be betraying their people... And then, this past Friday, the Rabbinic Court for the Nation and the Land ordered her release, yet for some reason, this order was simply never implemented."

The Public Committee for Tzviya, headed by former Gush Katif resident Datia Yitzchaki, announced that it is looking, together with Honenu, into the possibility of suing the Civil Administration offices who "arranged the provocation in the first place," as well as people in the State Prosecution and Prison Service who "abused and harassed" Tzviya.

Women in Green announced: "Tzviya represents the wonderful youth that is loyal to the Land of Israel and that fears neither the internal enemy nor the external enemy, and that with G-d's help will soon activate the Jewish revolution that we are all anticipating in order to attain the turnabout in which, as we will read in the Book of Esther on Purim [this week], 'the Jews will rule over their enemies.'"

Homesh First announced, "It has been proven once again that the State Prosecution is the enemy of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, and runs a campaign of persecution against them while selectively enforcing the law."

בבא בלוגרא

Don't miss this!

Some Food for Thought on The Fast of Esther

Eating is usually a pretty selfish act. It does not have to be that way. One can eat with the intention that the food will give him strength to serve God(bechol derachecha da'ehu). It is known that certain righteous individuals eat with very high kabbalistic intentions (leyached yichudim, leha'alot nitzotzot, etc.). They eat in order to say the blessing before eating, and not the other way around. Most people are not on that level. The stomach searches in vain for food to digest and lets us know that we are hungry. It demands our attention. We eat something, and our stomach is satisfied. Sometimes we are not even hungry. We see some tasty food, and we devour it because we enjoy its savor. This is just one manifestation of the trait of selfishness that dwells within us.

The fast enables us to free ourselves from our selfishness. Our self-serving instinct to satisfy our hunger and thirst is put on hold. The mind is now open to consider things that we may not have the time to think of when we are busy fulfilling our bodily desires. We remember that there are people that are hungry on a regular basis. What have we done to help them? We remember the terrible decree that Haman devised to wipe out the Jewish people, and how this decree helped us to become unified and to return to God. What have we done lately in terms of our relation to God? Are we getting closer, or are we distancing ourselves from Him? Where are we in relation to the Jewish people? Are we divisive rabble rousers, or have we encouraged unity? Are we sensitive to the suffering of others, or are we indifferent to problems as long as they do not occur in our own backyard?

These are just a few of the things that we can consider while our head aches and our empty stomach growls.

HH #158

Here.

Zachor in Merkaz HaRav

I usually do not daven in Merkaz HaRav. However, I have for many years been accustomed to go there for the reading of parshat Zachor. The custom was that the Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Avraham Shapira zt"l, would read "zachor et asher asa lecha Amalek...", remember what Amalek did to you. Rav Shapira would read the parasha in the traditional Ashkenazic pronunciation (Zochoir es asher oso lecho amoleik...). Afterwards the parasha was read a few more times from different students, each one reading with a different pronunciation and/or tune. We would hear modern Israeli version, a Sefardic Yerushalmi version, a Yemenite version, a Morrocan version, and even a Hasidic version (zuchoir asher usu lechu amuleik).

Last Shabbat I went to Merkaz HaRav for the first time since the massacre to hear parshat Zachor. I imagine that after the cowardly massacre of yeshiva students by a lowly Arab terrorist, an act that was so similar to that of biblical Amalek, hearing parshat zachor was a little bit different this year for the rabbis and the students. I know that it was for me. Rav Yaakov Shapira shlita was called up to read the parasha as his father had before him. A few students read the parasha after him more or less as I described above. Even after such a tragedy the Jewish people continue to stride forward. Torah, mitzvot and tefilah, and more torah, mitzvot and tefilah. Temidim kesidram umusafim kehilchatam.

After the tefilah everybody ( a couple of hundred worshippers) lines up to wish Rav Yaakov Shabbat Shalom.

Afterwards, at my son's request, we went down to see the site of the massacre, the yeshiva's library. This was an eery feeling, to see this place, full of holy books, which had become a killing field. The bullet holes were all over the place. There were bullet holes in the floor, caused by point blank shots fired by anti-Jew to make sure that those lying wounded would never get up again. Here, between the shelves laden with sacred tomes, absolute evil came to confront holiness and purity with the purpose of wiping it out. I sat down with my son at one of the tables in the yeshiva library to learn Mishnah, joining others that were already learning. The wicked one succedeed in cutting down the lives of eight pure and holy souls, but he failed in his task. Merkaz HaRav carries on with more resolve than ever.

The Hamans, Hadrians and Hitlers of the world make a lot of noise, cause a lot of destruction and misery, but they eventually die an eternal death. Our Arab neighbors are following the same path, which led them in the past to a Nakba. I have a feeling that another Nakba is on the way for them.

Vayikra

Among the sacrifices described in this week's Torah reading we find the following:

13. And if the entire community of Israel errs because a matter was hidden from the eyes of the congregation, and they commit one of all of all the commandments of the Lord, which may not be committed, incurring guilt; 14. When the sin which they had committed becomes known, the congregation shall bring a young bull as a sin offering. They shall bring it before the Tent of Meeting. 15. The elders of the community shall lean their hands [forcefully] upon the bull's head, before the Lord, and one shall slaughter the bull before the Lord. 16. The anointed kohen shall bring some of the bull's blood into the Tent of Meeting,
17. and the kohen shall dip his finger from the blood, and sprinkle [it] seven times before the Lord, before the dividing curtain.
18. And he shall then place some of the blood on the horns of the altar that is before the Lord in the Tent of Meeting. And then he shall pour all the blood onto the base of the altar [used] for burnt offerings, which is at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.
19. And he shall separate all its fat from it and cause it to [go up in] smoke on the altar.
20. He shall do to the bull just as he did to the bull of the sin offering thus he shall do to it. Thus the kohen shall make atonement for them [the community], and they will be forgiven. 21. And he shall take the bull outside the camp and burn it, just as he burned the first bull. It is a sin offering for the congregation. (Leviticus 4:13-21)

Rashi explains that we are dealing with a case that the Sanhedrin issued an erroneous decision regarding any matter in the Torah that incurs the penalty of excision, by declaring that matter permissible, and the community acted upon their instruction. Because of this erroneous decision, a special sacrifice is brought, which is known as the par he'elem davar.

It is interesting to note that the Torah itself takes into account the possibility that the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Israel's greatest rabbis, could make a mistake. Even the most outstanding Torah scholars are human. They are not infallible. We see also in the Talmud that the rabbis were not afraid to say that they were mistaken(Shabbat 63B, Eruvin 16B, 104A):

דברים שאמרתי לפניכם טעות הן בידי

If this is so for these men of great wisdom and piety, how much more so should the average man on the street be ready to admit his mistakes. A person should seek the truth without letting his personal honor get in the way.

Getting Up From Shiva

I wasn't at Merkaz HaRav tonight. However I heard some of the eulogies on Radio Qol Hai. Once again, Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef came to Merkaz HaRav. I was very moved by the way he strengthened and encouraged the students and the families. You can read a summary of the eulogies here.

Update: INN now has an English article up.

Shiva Calls

Photo Feature: Two Families Mourn in Strength

Menahem Avellim

שבר בת עמי

Here is What Ynetnews Won't Show You

Ynetnews recently published an article about a "gilui daat" poster. The article is a "work of art", a masterpiece of taking quotes out of context in order to make a media spin. Ynetnews did not provide the full text of the poster or even a high quality image that can be read.

Here is what Ynetnews wants to hide from you. Click on the photo below to see an enlargement that is readable. For those of you that do not understand Hebrew, I am sorry but I just do not have the time to translate this:

Here is my translation of the poster. Additions for the sake of style and understanding are included in square brackets:

With the assistance of Heaven

A Revelation of the Opinion of Torah
after the murder of eight holy young men in the Mercaz HaRav Yeshiva in Jerusalem

The terrible situation of "For, behold, Your enemies are in an uproar, and they that hate You have lifted up the head"[Psalms Chapter 83] is a direct result of the lack of a fit government.

A fit Jewish government needs to act according to the fundamental rule that is that is adjudicated in the Jewish Code of Law (OC 329) that it is forbidden to compromise with gentiles that are coming to harm Jews or Jewish property, since every [act of] weakness invites additional violence and murderousness, as the Lubavitcher Rabbi vehemently warned.

The current ruling establishment in the land of Israel is walking on a path of increasing compromise to the Arab enemy, to those inside [the land of Israel] and to those outside, and in this way it is nourishing and inflating in their midst the illusion that they will be able to destroy the existence of Jews in the Holy Land, God forbid. Moreover, not only are they acting in weakness and compromise with regards to the Arab enemy, they also say that he [the enemy] is right, and thus give him more substantive power to harm us, God forbid. And what is most severe from all [of the above], they even supply weapons to the enemy that is directed towards the spilling the blood of Jews.

True Jewish leadership knows how to send the nation to war with the recognition of the justice of a war against the enemies of Israel, that they are the enemies of God that are coming to harm "Israel, my first born"[Exodus 4:22] and to steal the inheritance of God.

When going to war ,the Priest Anointed for War [see Deuteronomy Chapter 20] turns to the nation and infuses every soldier with the awareness that he is going to fight against enemies and not brothers. Therefore it is forbidden to have mercy or pity on the other side. Rather one must act out of the "holy strengths" of hating evil. Everyone is required to describe to himself what the enemy devises to do to us and to apply [this] to him "measure for measure". "Don't have mercy on them for they will not have mercy on you."

And in practice: First and foremost it is incumbent upon all of us to devote ourselves to the main and fundamental repair and to act for the establishment of a fit Jewish leadership. This in addition to blessed local actions, and in addition to the necessary repair that starts in everyone's private home: to cease to employ and to provide for the Arab enemies and to switch over to "Hebrew labor" and trade with Jews.

And may we merit to "the Jews gathered themselves together in their cities... to lay hand on such as sought their hurt"[Esther Chapter 9]. In those days at this time.

Rabbi Yaakov Yosef
Rabbi Daniel Stavsky
Rabbi Yitzchak Shapira
Rabbi David Drukman
Rabbi Ido Alba
Rabbi Gadi Ben-Zimra
Rabbi Shmuel Yaniv
Rabbi Uzi Sharbaf
Rabbi Yigal Shendorfi
Rabbi Yehuda Kroizer

The public is invited to hear how fit Jewish leadership speaks

in a gathering with Rabbi Yitzchak Ginzburg
in honor of 6 Adar the Yahrzeit of Moshe Rabeinu may peace be upon him

that will take place on 6 Adar Beit (after the seven days of mourning) at 20:00 in Heftzadi Hall (21 Yirmiyahu St.) Romema Jerusalem

A Couple Of More Pics From The Funeral

The funeral for the eight Yeshiva students took place on an unusually hot day. Someone had chessed on his mind. He filled empty soft drink bottles with water and put them in a wheelbarrow along with some plastic cups. The sign says "Water, feel free to take a bottle."



This is one of the entrances to the Merkaz High Yeshiva High School. The sign mentions the Talmudic statement (Shabbat 88A) that the Jews re-accepted the Torah on Purim:

Pekudei

Lately I've been trying to post some words of Torah dealing with the weekly Torah reading. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that today. Instead I'll post a few links:

Pekudei in English with Rashi

Rabbi Kook on Parshat Shekalim: All For One

Aish HaTorah

Shabbat Shalom veChodesh Tov!

דרכי ציון אבלות

I just came back from the funeral at Merkaz HaRav. This article from INN describes the scene:

The eight Jewish martyr students who were slaughtered Thursday night in a terror attack on the Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva are:

Doron Mehereta, 26, of Ashdod
Ro'i Rote, 18, of Elkanah in Samaria (Shomron)
Yonadav Haim Hirschfeld, 19, of Kokhav HaShachar (Shomron)
Yochai Lipshitz, 18, of the Old City of Jerusalem
Yonatan Yitzchak Eldar, 16, of Shilo (Shomron)
Neriah Cohen, 15, of Jerusalem
Segev Pniel Avichayil, 15, of N'vei Daniel in Gush Etzion
Avraham David Moses, 16, of Efrat, Gush Etzion

Doron, Yonadav and Ro'i were students in Merkaz HaRav; the others were students in the LeTze'irim Yeshiva High School of Merkaz HaRav in the adjacent building.

Seven of the ten wounded students remain hospitalized. The public is asked to pray for the recovery of: Naftali ben [son of] Gila from Sderot, Yonatan ben Avital, Shimon ben Tirza, Nadav ben Hadas, Reuven ben Naomi and Elchanan ben Zehava.

The funerals began at near the main entrance to the capital, at Merkaz HaRav Kook Yeshiva, considered to be the heart of the national religious movement. The ambulances carrying the victims arrived around 10:30, making their way with difficulty through the large crowd of mourners and arousing new waves of sobbing and wailing with each arrival. Rabbi Benny Eisner, a veteran Merkaz HaRav student and teacher in the high school, led the mourners in the recital of Psalms.

The first eulogy was delivered by Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, who succeeded his late father, Rabbi Avraham Elkanah Kahana Shapira, at the helm of the yeshiva when the latter passed away just a few months ago. Rabbi Shapira spoke sobbingly of the "eight sons that we have lost in one day," and called for a "better and more believing leadership... This slaughter is a continuation of the slaughterous pogrom of 1929 in Hevron [when Arabs murdered with axes 67 Jews in their homes and synagogues]... The Land of Israel, which these eight loved so much and were so devoted for - we have to stop playing with it! We have to stop dividing it!.. Please pray for us, and for the yeshiva, that it should continue to grow and have influence..."

Rabbi Yerachmiel Weiss, head of the Merkaz high school, spoke next, in a voice breaking with emotion and tears: "G-d is just, and His ways are just... We have questions; but the questions are so difficult, so difficult... How is it possible to eulogize one Torah scholar on Rosh Chodesh Adar? But two? and three, and four, and five...?? Your ways are so hidden, Master of the Universe! ... In Adar, we increase joy - look how much joy You gathered to Heaven! They were in the midst of studying Torah, such joy, such purity... We have been left with such a hole... I just want to tell You, Master of the Universe, what great people You took: Yehonadav - he gave [nadav, in Hebrew] so much; what purity and simplicity... You took Yochai from us - he lives [chai] in G-d, what Torah study he did; even while they were setting up for the Purim party, he came to learn Torah... You took Segev Pniel of the Avichayil family - what a family, and what valour [chayil] in Torah! ... You took Yehonatan [meaning "G-d gave"] - what prayer, what Torah, what beauty... You took our dear Avraham David - just two days ago I had a long talk with him in his room - what knowledge he had, what integrity, what music he gave us with his Torah reading... and the youngest, Neriah - the candle of G-d, his light will be missing from us..."

Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu, a former Chief Rabbi of Israel and one who has been very close to the Yeshiva and its students for decades, was unable to attend because of ill health, but his assistant Rabbi Shmuel Zaafrani read aloud his message of eulogy.

Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, the Rishon LeTzion, quoted verses speaking of enemies defiling G-d's holies, and asked, "How much longer, O G-d?... Whoever could have thought that the evil would have come to the gates of the yeshiva, with such cruelty... This is a tragedy of all of Am [Nation] Yisrael; we are all crying, we are all mourning... Let us arouse to distance ourselves from all hatred and disunity, and let us increase love, brotherhood and Torah study..."

Following the concluding eulogy by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky, the eight families of mourners tore their shirts and recited aloud the Kaddish prayer.

At the conclusion of the eulogies and prayers, eight separate funeral processions set out for the various communities where the boys are to be buried. Yochai and Neriah will be buried in the Mt. of Olives cemetery in Jerusalem. Announcements were made regarding each funeral - where the ambulance carrying the body would be stationed and from where the bus setting out for the burial was leaving.

National Union MK Effie Eitam noted Friday morning that “whoever chose the Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva as a terrorist target knew it was the heart of national Zionism.” Virtually every religious-Zionist yeshiva in the country was founded and/or staffed by former students of the yeshiva.

Eitam, who learned at the yeshiva 30 years ago after living in the secular Ein Gev kibbutz, called the institution “the mother of all Zionist yeshivas” whose graduates serve in the IDF and have been at the forefront of development in Judea and Samaria. “The victims were murdered,” he declared, “but their hope and faith cannot be killed.”

Among the thousands of mourners at the funeral could be seen rabbis from around the country, as well as Minister Meshulam Nahari of Shas, MKs Nissan Slomiansky, Nissim Ze'ev, Ruby Rivlin, and Zevulun Orlev, and former MK Ehud Yatom. Benches were set up at the entrance to the yeshiva for the families of the victims, surrounded by the large crowd of mourners.

Here are some pics that I took. A mourning notice with the names of the victims:

The bodies were placed in the plaza in front of the Yeshiva on benches that came from the lecture hall. The name of each victim was placed on a shtender in front of his body:



The mourners:

Arab Terrorists Attack Jerusalem's Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva: 8 Dead

From IsraelNN.com:

Two Arab terrorists infiltrated Jerusalem's Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva at around 8:30 Thursday night and murdered eight Jews. At least 10 people have been wounded; three are in critical condition, a fourth victim was wounded moderately and six others, lightly.

The attackers entered from two separate entrances to the yeshiva and opened fire on the students before one of them was gunned down himself by an armed civilian. Witnesses say that the attack began in the seminary's library with the terrorists spraying bullets in every direction.

The yeshiva student who killed the terrorist, 40-year-old Yitzchak Dadon, said that he shot the attacker in the head with his personal weapon, after which another armed civilian "finished him off." Asked by a Channel 2 TV reporter what weapon the terrorist had, Dadon said, "A Kalachnikov," and turning to the camera, he added, "The Kalachnikov that you gave him, President Peres...."

The second terrorist hid in the yeshiva building, with subsequent reports indicating that the attacker was killed by responding security forces. Police are deployed in the surrounding neighborhood, and scoured the yeshiva and connected buildings. Most students in the building were evacuated after taking cover in the yeshiva's bomb shelter, according to police spokesmen.

Fifty ambulances responded to the scene, which emergency responders have called "a major incident." The wounded were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Karem Hospital.

In Gaza City, Arab residents went out into the streets and fired rifles in the air in celebration of the attack against the Jews of Jerusalem.

Police forces are on heightened alert throughout the country.

The Merkaz HaRav Yeshiva is located near the entrance to Jerusalem, in the Kiryat Moshe neighborhood. The yeshiva, founded by Rabbi Avraham Yitzchak Kook, is at the heart of the national-religious movement in Israel.

I had just finished davenning Arvit when my cell phone started vibrating. My wife told me about the terror attack at Merkaz HaRav. She then said I should go bring my twelve year old son home. He was at a swimming lesson at an indoor pool that is a two minute walk away from the Yeshiva.

I went to the pool. The swimming lesson was over and and I found my son in the locker room getting dressed. The staff at the swimming pool would not let us leave the building for the police feared that another terrorist was at large. We waited for over half an hour before heading home.

On the way home we passed the Yeshiva. There must have been about twenty ambulances in front of the building. There were also police, journalists, and ZAKA. I told my son that the land of Israel is acquired through affliction. This isn't the first time that I've been close to an Arab terrorist attack.

I thought to myself about the dead. Young men at the prime of their lives, who had been sitting learning Torah, when animals disguised as humans cut their lives short. I thought about the wounded, some of whom may never really heal from this attack. I thought about the mourning notices that will be pasted up all over the city tomorrow, each one with a list of the grieving families. May the sick be healed and may the mourners be comforted with the building of Jerusalem.

I thought of the politicians that gave our enemies guns. May they rot in hell May they repent from their folly.

Update: I just read in the book HaHar HaTov HaZeh how Rabbi Min HaHar rebuked his daughter for cursing a chicken. Therefore I changed the end of this post, which was written at a time when my emotions overwhelmed me.

A Book About Rabbi Shlomo Min-HaHar

Rabbanit Puah Shteiner has published a book (in Hebrew) about her father Rabbi Shlomo Min-HaHar, zt"l. I am currently reading it and it is really very good. You can read more about the book here.

The New Badatzim

Rabbi Eliezer Melamed published an important article in lasts week's issue of BeSheva. Rabbi Melamed writes that one should be very wary of eating in a restaurant that has only "regular" kashrut and is not kasher lemehadrin. With regards to certain new badatzim that have sprung up lately, well Rabbi Melamed pretty much disses them.

Let the diner beware!

Israeli Study Finds Heavy Cell Phone Use Linked to Cancer

Read it.

I thought that you might want to know this.

Dvar Torah For Vayakheil: Jewish Generosity

This week's Torah portion deals with the building of the Tabernacle and its vessels.

And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying: Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD, whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, the LORD'S offering: gold, and silver, and brass; and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats' hair; and rams' skins dyed red, and sealskins, and acacia-wood; and oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense; and onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate. (Exodus 35:4-9)

This offering is voluntary, coming from "whosoever is of a willing heart". Will the Jewish people reveal enough generosity to contribute what is needed?

Growing up in New Jersey, I went to a regular public school. Sometimes I would hear jokes about the Jews from my non-Jewish classmates. I still remember a few of these jokes. Here's a Jewish joke of the holocaust genre:

What's the difference between a Jew and a pizza? A pizza doesn't scream when you put it in the oven."

Did you laugh? I don't find this funny at all. As I child I was hurt when I heard such stupidity.

But most of the Jewish jokes I heard portrayed the Jews as stingy people that just love money. This is very far from the truth. Judaism teaches that This World is only a corridor to The World To Come. In This World money is just a means to do good, one of many, and certainly not a goal in and of itself. After one dies the good deeds that he did will go with him to The World To Come. The wealth that he accumulated for himself will not. Therefore our sages said that one should spend a minimal amount of time making a livelihood and spend as much time as possible learning Torah. In spite of this the "money hungry Jew" stereotype exists and gave rise to jokes like this:

How do you drive a Jew crazy? Put him in a round room and tell him that there is a penny in the corner.

This depiction of a Jew did not describe anyone that I knew. But the people who told these jokes and laughed at them were apparently convinced that the stereotype was accurate.

The answer to the question that I asked earlier is also the answer to people that harbor such evil prejudices:

And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they wrought. And they spoke unto Moses, saying: 'The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.' And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying: 'Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary.' So the people were restrained from bringing. For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.(Exodus 36:4-7)

The Torah testifies to the generosity of the nation of Israel. The children of Israel contributed more than what was needed for the building of the Tabernacle. A stroll around Jerusalem also testifies to the generosity of the Jewish people. The yeshivot, hospitals, university campuses etc. that you see were built with the financial help of Jews from around the world. "Happy art thou, O Israel, who is like unto thee?.."(Deuteronomy 33:29). As for the jokers:

The wicked shall return to the nether-world, even all the nations that forget God.(Psalms 9:18)

Mystery Tree No. ?

Update: Soccer Dad is right! It's an almond tree, or in Hebrew shaqed or sheqeidia.
The almond appears several times in the Torah, for instance when Yaakov's sons go down to Egypt for the second time:

And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds; (Genesis 43:11)

The almond also appears in the first chapter of Jeremiah. The verses make absolutely no sense when they are translated into English:

Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying: 'Jeremiah, what seest thou?' And I said: 'I see a rod of an almond-tree.' Then said the LORD unto me: 'Thou hast well seen; for I watch over My word to perform it.'

Here's the verse in Hebrew:

וַיְהִי דְבַר-ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר, מָה-אַתָּה רֹאֶה יִרְמְיָהוּ; וָאֹמַר, מַקֵּל שָׁקֵד אֲנִי רֹאֶה. וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלַי, הֵיטַבְתָּ לִרְאוֹת: כִּי-שֹׁקֵד אֲנִי עַל-דְּבָרִי, לַעֲשֹׂתוֹ.

There is a play on words here. The word for "almond" (shaqed) is similar to the word shoqeid which is translated her as "watch over". Shoqeid could have been translated as "being diligent" or "being assiduous". The almond tree blossoms at the end of the winter, before most if not all of the other fruit bearing trees. Just as the almond blossoms quickly, so G-d will act quickly to fulfill His word.

Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge: Stringing It Up

Now that the mast is up the cords that will hold up the bridge are being attached:



Here you can see how the cords connect to the bridge:



When all the cords get attached these yellow supports under the bridge will be taken away:



This Wikipedia article explains the engineering principles behind the bridge:

Similar to Calatrava's earlier (1992) design, the Puente del Alamillo in Seville, Spain, this subtype does not balance forces by using a symmetrical arrangement of cable forces on each side of the tower, but rather makes use of an angled cantilever tower loaded by cable stays on one side only, and consists of a single pylon counterbalancing the 360 metre span with lengths of cables. While this leads to a less structurally efficient structure, it makes a dramatic architectural statement.

Yes, it does make "a dramatic architectural statement", kind of like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I hope these guys know what they are doing!

Dvar Torah For Ki Tisa: Getting Angry

Anger is a bad character trait. It is something that we must cleanse ourselves of, as the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto) explains in his classic book The Path of the Just:

There are innumerable traits; for as all of a person's worldly actions, so are his traits. It is from them that his actions flow. But just as we discussed those mitzvoth which there was a greater need to consider, because of the greater frequency of lapses in relation to them, so shall we discuss the chief traits in greater detail because of the relative frequency with which they come into play. These are pride, anger, envy, and lust - all evil traits, whose evil is widely recognized and need not be demonstrated. They are evil both in themselves and in their results, for they are all outside the realm of intelligence and wisdom. Each one of them has it within itself to lead a person into severe sins. In relation to pride we are explicitly warned (Deuteronomy 8:14), "And your heart will be proud and you will forget the Lord, your God." Concerning anger our Sages of blessed memory said (Shabbath 105B), "One who becomes angry should be in your eyes as one who serves idols."

Furthermore the Ramchal writes that one who is humble does not get angry:

Unquestionably, Humility removes many stumbling blocks from a man's path and brings him near to many good things; for the Humble man is little concerned with wordly affairs and is not moved to envy by its vanities. Furthermore, his company is very pleasant and he gives pleasure to his fellowmen. He is perforce never aroused to anger and to controversy; he does everything quietly and calmly. Happy are those who have been privileged to attain this trait!

It is well known that Moshe Rabbeinu was humble:

Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men that were upon the face of the earth.

However, in this week's Torah portion, Moshe loses his temper:

And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' And he said: 'It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.' And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount.

What's interesting that our sages praise Moshe for smashing the tablets! He got angry, smashed the tablets which "were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God". Rashi, at the end of his commentary to the Torah, brings us the words of our sages with regards to this matter:

before the eyes of all Israel. [This expression alludes to the incident, where] His heart stirred him up to smash the tablets before their eyes, as it is said, “and I shattered them before your eyes” (Deut. 9:17). - [Sifrei 33:41] And [regarding Moses shattering the Tablets,] the Holy One Blessed is He gave His approval, as Scripture states, “[the first Tablets] which you shattered” (Exod. 34:1); [God said to Moses:] “Well done for shattering them!” - [Shab.. 87a]

(A paranthetical comment: The words of the sages are based on a play of words in Hebrew. The Torah was given in Hebrew and really must be learned in Hebrew.) Since the sages praised Moshe, we have to conclude that there are times when one may get angry. These are the words of the Rambam (Maimonides) in the Laws of Character Traits (1:7):

כיצד--לא יהיה בעל חמה נוח לכעוס, ולא כמת שאינו מרגיש; אלא בינוני: לא יכעוס אלא על דבר גדול שראוי לכעוס עליו, כדי שלא ייעשה כיוצא בו פעם אחרת

To paraphrase the Rambam:

One should not be a madman that angers easily, and not like a cadaver that has no feeling. One should be in between; one must not get angry unless he is dealing with a very big, important matter that is fit to get angry about, in order that people won't repeat it.

No doubt that the sight of the Golden Calf and the dancing, so soon after the giving of the Torah, was something to get angry about. But what about the Ramchal who said that a humble person is "never aroused to anger"? IMHO he agrees with the Rambam, that in rare, special cases even one who is humble can get angry. However, everyone agrees that anger is a negative character trait that must be avoided.

Say Mazal Tov To Yaak

Here.

Clinton, McCain, Obama

Am I the only one who thinks that the upcoming presidential elections are nothing but a popularity contest? The only issue that I am aware of is the American military presence in Iraq. I would really like to see a table that would summarize the candidates and their positions with regards to the issues. The rows of the table would contain the issues, and the columns would contain the names of the candidates. Does something like this exist, or is the public more interested in what the candidates eat for breakfast?

The Mitzvah of Living in Israel

Tzvi Fishman has been spending a lot of time trying to convince us that there is a mitzvah to live in the land of Israel. One of his readers, Shimshon from NYC, wasn't convinced until he asked his rabbi. Then he wrote a talkback(#46) entitled Fishman is right!:

I know that sounds strange coming from me. It isn't easy for me to write it. In fact, I went to my rabbinic mentor this week to get ammunition in my debate against Fishman. He is one of the well known and respected leaders of the UltraOrthodox world in Brooklyn. When I explained the reason for my visit I received the surprise of my life. He said that Fishman was right, that living in Israel was a mitzvah beyond all measure, and that anyone who could go there certainly should. When I asked him why he didn't announce this publicly he smiled and said, "Do you want me to be banned by the other rabbis?" He also answered that one is not allowed to teach something that a majority of the community cannot observe, and this is the case with aliyah since it is not practical for many families, and his task is to strengthen them in their Yiddishkiet until Moshiach comes, but that anyone who could go to Israel is certainly performing a great mitzvah. My head is still spinning around. But I gathered from his answer that I owe Mr. Fishman an apology for some of the things that I wrote. Also, if I led other Jews astray, I am sorry.

A truly great and enlightening talkback.

The Red Ethrog

The Ethrog is red. Usually an ethrog is green, yellow, both, or something in between. But today the ethrog is red.

When he was younger he was yellow-green like most ethrogs. But even then the ethrog wasn't really kosher. He tried to pretend that he was, however he had small black spots on his snout. Only the wise knew that he was pasul.

Today however, even the common folk know that the ethrog is chaser, part of the ethrog is missing. He lacks a heart. The ethrog is interested in money and power. He had no interest whatsoever in his brothers whom he is obligated to defend. People are murdered, young children are maimed. As the rockets rain down on Sderot, the ethrog is busy with other matters. Who cares about Sderot? Let them eat kassams!

Then the ethrog started turning red. The spin masters of the Israeli MSM shouted "KOSHER, KOSHER". But the ethrog was far from being kosher. The oketz fell off and the pitam was broken. The spin masters, those emotionally and intellectually deficient robots disguised as human beings, shouted "KOSHER, KOSHER" even louder.

Then the spin masters looked at their own hands. Their hands were full of blood. The blood of the children of Israel was all over their hands. The spin masters were not embarrassed. They took the bloody red ethrog in their bloody red hands and kissed it.

Haveil Havalim #154

Here.

Dvar Torah: Parashat Tetzave

Here's something interesting: Rav Kook on Tetzaveh: The High Priest's Clothes and the Convert

BTW, the weatherman says that we are going to have snow in Jerusalem this Monday. Here's a pic from the last snowstorm. I like this guy's car:

Another Mystery Tree

It's been a while since I posted a "mystery tree". But this one is really isn't such a mystery. Do you recognize it?



Update: Rafi got it. This is a carob tree.

The carob tree stars in at least two places in the Talmud. One is the story of Choni HaM'agel:

One day he was journeying on the road and he saw a man planting a carob tree; he asked him, How long does it take [for this tree] to bear fruit? The man replied: Seventy years. He then further asked him: Are you certain that you will live another seventy years? The man replied: I found [ready grown] carob trees in the world; as my forefathers planted these for me so I too plant these for my children.

Choni sat down to have a meal and sleep overcame him. As he slept a rocky formation enclosed upon him which hid him from sight and he continued to sleep for seventy years. When he awoke he saw a man gathering the fruit of the carob tree and he asked him, Are you the man who planted the tree? The man replied: I am his grandson. Thereupon he exclaimed: It is clear that I slept for seventy years."

Another famous story from the Talmud where a carob tree plays a major role is the story of Rabbi Shimon Ben Yochai and his son Elazar:

Rabbi Shimon and his son went and hid themselves in the study hall, and his wife brought him bread and a mug of water and they dined. When the decree became more severe... they went and hid in a cave.

A miracle occurred and a carob-tree and a wellspring of water were created for them. They would remove their garments and sit up to their necks in sand. The whole day they studied; when it was time for prayers they robed, covered themselves, prayed, and then put off their garments again, so that they should not wear out. Thus they dwelt twelve years in the cave.

Here's a question: What's the connection between carobs and gold? The answer:

Ceratonia siliqua, the scientific name of the carob tree, derives from the Greek kerátiōn (κεράτιων), “fruit of the carob” (from keras [κέρας] "horn"), and Latin siliqua "pod, carob." The term "carat", the unit by which diamond weight is measured, is also derived from the Greek word kerátiōn (κεράτιων), alluding to an ancient practice of people in the Middle East weighing gold and gemstones against the seeds of the carob tree. The system was eventually standardized and one carat was fixed at 0.2 grams.

In late Roman and early Byzantine times the pure gold coin known as the solidus weighed 24 carat seeds (about 4.5 grams). As a result, the carat also became a measure of purity for gold. Thus 24 carat gold means 100% pure, 12 carat gold means the alloy contains 50% gold, etc.

Dvar Torah: Terumah

This week's Torah portion, Terumah. contains instructions regarding the building of the Mishkan and its vessels. Some kipah wearing Jews consider the Temple and sacrifices as something that we would be better off not having. Such Jews should read the following from the Rambam (Hilchot Meilah chapter 8):

ראוי לאדם להתבונן במשפטי התורה הקדושה, ולידע סוף עניינם כפי כוחו. ודבר שלא ימצא לו טעם, ולא ידע לו עילה--אל יהי קל בעיניו; ואל יהרוס לעלות אל ה', פן יפרוץ בו. ולא תהא מחשבתו בו, כמחשבתו בשאר דברי החול. בוא וראה, כמה החמירה תורה במעילה: ומה אם עצים ואבנים ועפר ואפר--כיון שנקרא שם אדון העולם עליהם בדברים בלבד, נתקדשו; וכל הנוהג בהן מנהג חול, מעל בה'--ואפילו היה שוגג, צריך כפרה. קל וחומר למצוות שחקק לנו הקדוש ברוך הוא--שלא יבעוט אדם בהן, מפני שלא ידע טעמן; ולא יחפה דברים אשר לא כן על ה', ולא יחשב בהן מחשבתו בדברי החול. הרי נאמר בתורה "ושמרתם את כל חוקותיי ואת כל משפטיי, ועשיתם אותם" (ויקרא יט,לז; ויקרא כ,כב)--ואמרו חכמים ליתן שמירה ועשייה, לחוקים כמשפטים: והעשייה ידועה, והיא שיעשה החוקים; והשמירה, שייזהר בהן ולא ידמה שהן פחותין מן המשפטים. והמשפטים, הן המצוות שטעמן גלוי, וטובת עשייתן בעולם הזה ידועה, כגון איסור גזל ושפיכות דמים וכיבוד אב ואם; והחוקים, הן המצוות שאין טעמן ידוע. אמרו חכמים, חוקים שחקקתי לך, ואין לך רשות להרהר בהן. ויצרו של אדם נוקפו בהן, ואומות העולם משיבין עליהן--כגון איסור בשר חזיר, ובשר בחלב, ועגלה ערופה, ופרה אדומה, ושעיר המשתלח.

וכמה היה דויד המלך מצטער מן המינים והגויים, שהיו משיבין על החוקים; וכל זמן שהיו רודפין אותו בתשובות השקר שעורכין לפי קוצר דעת האדם, היה מוסיף דבקה בתורה, שנאמר "טפלו עליי שקר, זדים; אני, בכל לב אצור פיקודיך" (תהילים קיט,סט), ונאמר שם בעניין "כל מצוותיך, אמונה; שקר רדפוני, עוזרני" (תהילים קיט,פו).

וכל הקרבנות כולן, מכלל החוקים הן. לפיכך אמרו חכמים שאף על עבודת הקרבנות, העולם עומד--שבעשיית החוקים והמשפטים, זוכין הישרים לחיי העולם הבא; והקדימה תורה ציווייה על החוקים, שנאמר "ושמרתם את חוקותיי ואת משפטיי, אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם" (ויקרא יח,ה).

Jewish Justice

Last week I lamented about the anti-Torah nature of the Israel Judicial System. But there is a solution for those of us who seek Jewish justice:

One component of the Zionist vision of the restoration of Jewish sovereignty was an aspiration for the judicial system of the Jewish state to reflect the principles of justice and cumulative wisdom of this ancient people’s legal tradition.

Accessible, fair, inexpensive justice is an essential ingredient in every sound, civilized society.

Despite the prestige of the Israeli courts worldwide, sizeable portions of Israeli society are alienated from them, feeling that they are not based on the foundations of Jewish law.

On the other hand, the alienation from the state rabbinical courts is also extreme. This system is forced on the entire population and its exclusive authority in divorce and personal-status cases results in bitter antagonism toward it.

Mishpat VeHalachah BeYisrael is operating in cooperation with religious authorities, academics, and experts from the business world.

The Torah has solutions to even the most complex, sophisticated problems of the modern economy, based on the principles of justice, honesty, and ethics. The court will apply the principles of the Torah and halachah in all aspects of public and commercial life and in the ever-changing modern world.

The Mishpat VeHalachah BeYisrael court system gives a tool for solving a serious problems. The solution that is acceptable according to halachah and Israeli law and will make possible the issuance of just rulings based on Jewish law in a pleasant and efficient manner.

Yishar Koach to Eretz Hemdah.

Ynetnews Goofs Again

Quote:

In an article recently published in the Rosh Yehudi (Jewish Mindset) pamphlet, the Rabbi of Bet El and spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist movement, Rabbi Shlomo Aviner, called on Orthodox Jews to change their deeply entrenched prejudices against divorced women, and to start judging people based upon their character rather than their past marital status.

Rabbi Aviner is that rabbi of Beit El Aleph. The rabbi of Beit El Beit is Rabbi Zalman Melamed.

Rabbi Aviner is a spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist movement, but certainly not the spiritual leader of the Religious Zionist movement. It is interesting to note that the Hebrew version of this article did not have these errors.

HH #152

I must admit that I feel guilty because I never hosted Haveil Havalim. At least I'll put up a link: Haveil Havalim #152 The Patriots Must Lose Edition

The Snow Is Gone

Almost all of the snow has melted, but the memories remain. Here's a pic of a real hip Israeli snowman:

Please Pray For...

the complete recovery of HaRav Yisrael Noach ben Hinda.

Dvar Torah: Mishpatim

The State of Israel is a miracle. There is absolutely no doubt about it. The return of the Jewish people to their ancestral homeland after being dispersed all over the world is more than the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. It is a major league, big time miracle. The rebirth of the Hebrew language as a spoken language is no small feat either. The Torah renascence that we are experiencing here in Israel with the proliferation of institutions for Torah learning is also a phenomenon that fills the heart with happiness.

However, Israel does have its problems. The judicial system here is a great cause of shame. This is not because that it is more or less corrupt than they judicial systems of other countries. So why I am so embarrassed by the present judicial system in Israel? What exactly is wrong with the Justice Ministry, the Israeli High Court of Justice, and all of the other parts of the Israeli judicial system?

The problem is that Israeli law is not based on Torah. It is a mixed multitude of laws derived from the laws of the Turks, the British, and the Knesset. (To our great shame some of the most anti-Torah laws come from the Knesset. Remember the "hitnatkut"?). This is an intolerable disgrace that should not and cannot be ignored by anyone that believes in Torah. With all of the joy that accompanies all of the good things in our Third Jewish Commonwealth, the fact that the return to Zion did not include a return to Torah law is an insult to our holy Torah.

Jewish law clearly forbids using these courts. Take a look at this Rambam (Laws of Sanhedrin 26:7):

כל הדן בדייני עכו"ם ובערכאות שלהן אף על פי שהיו דיניהם כדיני ישראל הרי זה רשע וכאילו חרף וגדף והרים יד בתורת משה רבינו שנאמר ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם לפניהם ולא לפני עכו"ם לפניהם ולא לפני הדיוטות היתה יד העכו"ם תקיפה ובעל דינו אלם ואינו יכול להוציא ממנו בדייני ישראל יתבענו לדייני ישראל תחלה אם לא רצה לבא נוטל רשות מבית דין ומציל בדיני עכו"ם מיד בעל דינו

Yes, this Rambam also applies to the Israeli Judicial System. It doesn't matter how many menorahs and magen-davids are inscribed on the courtroom walls. It doesn't matter if the judge wears a yarmulke or not. It doesn't matter if he or she knows how to sprinkle his or her legal opinions with verses from the Torah or quotes from Chazal. These courts are not what the Torah intended. They are a desecration of God's name.



So what can we do? First of all one include a clause in any contract that he signs that any disagreement with regards to the contract will be decided by a rabbinic court. One should always try to solve any legal problem that he might have in a rabbinic court. One should never seek justice in the Israeli Judicial System without receiving permission from a rabbinic court.

It's Still Snowing in Jerusalem

I tried going to work today. The usually traffic laden streets of Givat Shaul in Jerusalem were almost empty. The palm trees on Kanfei Nesharim Street received a white coating:



A mortally wounded umbrella on Beit HaDefus Street:



This reminded me of an old post:

But the last rainstorm has not been without its victims. If one walks around Jerusalem, the victims can be seen every so often abandoned and lying on the ground near the sidewalks. I’m not talking about the homeless. I'm talking about the umbrellas that could not stand up to the Israeli mountain winds. I do a lot of walking and I usually have to replace my umbrella every one to two years. You walk down the street with the top of the umbrella pointed head on into the wind. Then of a sudden the wind changes direction and comes under the umbrella. It would be nice if at that moment you would lifted up into the air and spirited across the puddles like Mary Poppins, but that just does not happen. The untimely gust of wind turns your umbrella inside out. The average umbrella will survive this trauma several times, but sooner or later the fabric will tear and the arms will bend. It is not suave to walk around Jerusalem carrying an umbrella that looks like a television antenna. Of course this is not an excuse to litter. I guess the people who threw down their umbrellas were too worried about getting wet to find a dumpster to throw their umbrella into.

It has been said, “If you build a better mousetrap, the whole world will beat a path to your door.” Who will build the better umbrella that can handle Jerusalem’s winds?

Snow clouds cover a section of the Jerusalem Forest:



Did I mention that that the office building where I work was closed?

More Snow Pics From The Holy City

The tip of a tall cypress tree sways during the snow storm in Jerusalem this morning. The winds will die down, the snow will melt, and the cypress tree will remain.



Bad news for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. A new candidate for Prime Minster emerged today:



He'll probably do a better job than the current one.

It's Snowing, It's Sticking

The weather forecasters got it right! School is out and the kids are happy. I probably won't be going to work today. I'm not to happy about that because it will probably cost me a vacation day.

Here's a pic of a lemon tree covered with snow. It is probably asking itself,"What in the world is going on?"

Will It Snow and Will It Stick?

What's going to be? Everybody is talking about snow:

Although snow is not that unusual in Israel, Tuesday’s storm is expected to dump more of the white stuff than normal, with some forecasts predicting snowfalls of up to 25 inches in the northern part of the country.

Jerusalem is likely to see up to 10 inches by the end of the storm and even the southern regions could see two inches or so.

The tension is killing me!

HH #151: A New Era

Soccer Dad has passed the ball to Jack, and Jack has put up the latest edition of Haveil Havalim. Thanks for the link, Jack!

And thank you Soccer Dad for everything that you have done for the jblogosphere.

Putting Pressure On Shas

Here's the latest political poster making the rounds in Jerusalem:



The sign says:

For Sale!
Capital City,Prestigious, In Excellent Condition, 3000 Years
For Details: Eli Yishai

Eli Yishai, Don't Sell Jerusalem

The problem is, Shas is immune to criticism. During the "Oslo era", the Israeli Right tried to apply pressure on Shas to leave the Labor-Meretz-Shas government. The pressure did not work then, and it probably will not work now. Shas is interested in the dissemination of Torah. For that they need to be in the government in order to receive as much money for their institutions as possible. When Rabbi Ovadia Yosef decides that it is time to leave the government, they will. Let's hope that it won't be too late.

Kol HaKavod!

Click

Do The Dhimmi

Bar Kochva Lives!

I recently attended a lecture by Gershon Bar Kochva from Midreshet Hebron. He talked about the city of Hebron, from biblical times until now. It's been a long time since I visited Hebron, and after hearing the lecture I decided that I've got to visit Hebron soon. If you ever get a chance to hear this guy, don't miss it!

Here's a pic:



Update: When I put this post up I forgot to give it a title (*blush*). Now it has one.

Where are the Protests?

Why aren't people taking to the streets to protest the disastrous policies of Ehud Olmert? Caroline Glick has the answer:

Simply stated, between the media's intimidation and the official harassment of citizens who dare to protest or even disagree with the government's policies, the public has simply lost faith its ability to influence the course of the country. This sense of disenfranchisement has demoralized the public into silence.

The Mast Is Up!

They finally finished the mast:



The mast is supposed to support cables that will support the bridge. It looks like the top of the mast will be visible from many parts of the city. Time will tell if the bridge will be an eyesore or a cherished landmark, a white elephant or an important part of Jerusalem's transportation infrastructure.

HH #149 Is Up

Rafi G., the guy from RBS who enjoys eating his own pets, has put up Haveil Havalim #149 - The "Vengeance upon the Nations" Edition. He did a great job, and was nice enough to link to one of my posts. Thanks Rafi.

Canada Hospital Wants To Hasten Patient's Death

From Cross Currents:

This week Jerusalem Post health reporter Judy Siegel reported that Samuel Golubchuk, the 84-year-old frum Jew from Winnepeg, whose doctors seek to remove him from his ventilator and feeding tube, had awakened. Today’s Email brought a further up-date from Dr. Leon Zachorowicz, a frum neurologist, who has submitted an affidavit in the case. Dr. Zachorowicz describes Mr. Golubchuk as “awake, alert, has returned back to his baseline, sitting up in a chair at times, more interactive, and shaking hands purposively.”

Nevertheless his doctors still seek to kill him, and are contesting the matter in court, including moving to exclude Dr. Zachorowicz’s affidavit and those of other experts on the grounds that they arrived too late. Apparently winning to them is more important than Mr. Golubchuk’s life. Indeed in a similar case recently in Calgary, involving an elderly Chinese man, whose family contested the doctors’ decision to cut off life support, and won, the patient eventually improved so much that he was able to walk out of the hospital and return home. Nevertheless the doctors continued to pursue an appeal. Presumably they wanted to bring him back to the hospital and kill him.

There is a hearing this afternoon that might well determine Mr. Golubchuk’s fate. His name is Chaim Shmuel ben Pinya. His son Percy can be reached at sgolubchuk@shaw.ca The family is looking for support to help finance the costly litigation.

What To Eat On Tu Bishvat

First of all, a little bit about Tu Bishvat:

The 15th day of the month of Shvat marks the beginning of the "new year" for trees.

Tu B'Shvat is the new year for the purpose of calculating the age of trees for tithing. The Torah states that fruit from trees which were grown in the land of Israel may not be eaten during the first three years; the fourth year's fruit is for G-d, and after that, the fruit can be eaten. Each tree is considered to have aged one year as of Tu B'Shvat, no matter when in the year it was planted.

It is customary to plant trees and partake of the fruits of the land of Israel to mark the occasion.

The funny thing is that instead of eating "fruits of the land of Israel to mark the occasion", many will bless on dried figs from Turkey or apricots from California, וּכְדַי בִּזָּיוֹן וָקָצֶף.

The good news is that Kommemiut and Otzar HaAretz have are marketing a plate of Tu Bishvat fruits that are from the Land of Israel. I picked one up today. Here's a pic of the plate in my shopping cart, full of veggies from Otzar HaAretz:

Bush, Free Your Captive: Jonathan Pollard

I just took a night stroll through the Kiryat Moshe of Jerusalem and I saw this:



The sign says, "Bush, Free Your Captive".

Under the picture of Islamofascist Haniyeh is the name Gilad Shalit, who is being held captive in Gaza. The names of Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser are under the picture of Nassrallah the war criminal. Under the image of George W. Bush is the name Jonathan Pollard.

I've already stated many times that the continued incarceration of Pollard is a stain on "the land of the free and the home of the brave." Pollard is in jail because he is a Jew, and not because of any crime that he committed. Bush did not put him in jail,but he has the power to set him free. As long as he doesn't, he is in some pretty bad company.

Update:

Deputy Prime Minister and Shas Chairman Eli Yishai, who attended the event, forwarded a letter from Shas spiritual leader the Rabbi Ovadia Yosef to Bush. Yosef asked the president to free jailed Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard.

Yosef's plea was sent along with a letter from Pollard's wife Esther, asking Bush to pardon her husband, who has been incarcerated for 22 years.

Some Truth From The Sultan

Sultan Knish telling it like it is:

Israel has no democracy anymore. It is ruled by a man supported by less than ten percent of the country and by a party illegitimately put into power by a dead man. This same government ruthlessly suppresses dissent and bribes its coalition partners. Non-violent protesters are kept detained for months. Ruthless brutality is practiced along with ethnic cleansing of Jews by the will of this government.

We want Mashiach now!

Update: This just in from Yisrael Medad:

Just five minutes ago I spoke with Tzvi Fishman. I had called him to let him know that I spied him on Channel One TV news holding up the poster reminding President George W. Bush of the Holy Bible's promise of God to the Jewish People that the Land of Israel is the patrimony of the Jewish People. It is Eretz-Yisrael and not Ertetz-Yishmael.

But Tzvi told me that while he is delighted that his sign was seen by hundreds of thousands, he himself was detained by the police and as of this moment is still in detention.

May he be released soon.

Update: Arutz 7 has a video of Fishman getting arrested.

The Amazing Mr. Bagel Is Back

Here.

By the way, according to Blogger, this is post number 1000!

Welcome To Jerusalem President Bush

I hope that you enjoy your stay in the holy land. If you feel like a lame duck, you should know that Mr. Olmert is even lamer than you are. The next time elections come around, we're going to throw him out on his ear.

Please tell your Jewish friends back in the U.S.A.(I'm sure that some of your best friends are Jewish) that it's time for them to go home to Israel. Remember, no matter what Ehud tells you, Jerusalem is not for sale!



Update: George, check out this article article by Caroline Glick!

Rav Ovadiah Wants Pollard Free

This is very good:

During US President George W. Bush's visit to Israel this week, Yishai plans to give him, via Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, a letter from Shas spiritual leader and Israel's former Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef, appealing for freedom for Jonathan Pollard.

Yeshai did not say if he had confidence that Olmert would actually hand over the letter to Bush. It will be recalled that Olmert's predecessor Ariel Sharon, in February 2002, was given a letter on behalf of Pollard signed by 110 Knesset Members to give to Bush, but - it was later found out - never delivered it to its destination. Similarly a few months later, when Sharon met again with Bush in Washington, the issue of Pollard was not raised. Olmert, too, has been roundly criticized in the Pollard camp for all but ignoring him.

Rabbi Yosef's letter explains the importance of the concept and religious obligation of "freeing captives" in Jewish tradition, and the urgency of the Pollard case in particular.

Better Late Than Never

HH #148

It's Time For A Jerusalem Calatrava Bridge Update

Looking east on Kanfei Nesharim Street the middle mast of the bridge can clearly be seen. It still hasn't reached its full height: