Kippalive - We Are Home

This is just so good:

Well done, gentlemen!

הרב יעקב אריאל: הרפורמים יצרו דת חדשה

מי שברך

The "Gay Pride" Parade Leaves Its Impurity in Jerusalem

I already posted that taking part in these "gay pride" parades is in and of itself a sin. Recently a Torah scholar showed me a passage from the Chacham Yosef Chaim of Baghdad, which further illuminates this matter.

The Gemara in the tractate Taanit 11A states the following:

בשעת פטירתו של אדם לבית עולמו כל מעשיו (נפטרין) לפניו ואומרים לו כך וכך עשית במקום פלוני ביום פלוני

Translation:

...when a man comes into the world beyond, all his deeds are laid before him in detail, and he is told where and on what day he committed them.

The Ben Ish Chai, in his book Ben Yehoyada, explains:

שם כו״כ עשית במקום פלוני. י״ל מה צירך לסיים המקומות. ונ״ל בס״ר דידוע אם אדם עשה עבירה הוא מניח כח טומאה באותו מקום שיהי׳ שורה שם תמיד ואז גורם נזק לאחרים אח״כ לאותם הבאים לדור שם באותו מקים, שיהי׳ להם אותו כח טומאה למכשיל להכשילם בחטא, וכן במקום שעשו בו תורה ומצות ג״כ שורה שם קדושה, ויהי׳ עזר להדרים שם כידוע, ולכן מםיימץ לו מקים שעשה בו עבירה, כי מלבד עונש שיגיע לו מגיף העבירה שלו, עוד יגיע לו עונש מסיבח המקום שטמאו ועשה בו כח טומאה, ועי״כ הי׳ מכשול לאחרים שבאו בו אח״כ.

The Ben Ish Chai has a question: Why is a person told where he committed his deeds? He answers that when a person transgresses he leaves the power of impurity in the place he sinned. This impurity lingers there constantly and harms others that come to live in that place, by being a stumbling block for them and causing them to sin. He adds that the original transgressor is punished not only for his sins but for the sins that he caused others to commit.

We can learn from this that these "gay pride" parades, wherever they are held, while they are in and of themselves impure, they leave impurity in their aftermath. The Ben Ish Chai mentions that the converse is also true: When people are involved in Torah learning and Mitzvot, they cause holiness to dwell in that place.

Thank God here in Jerusalem, much Torah is being learnt and many Mitzvahs are being done. Let's hope that the holiness will push out the impurity.

הרב שלמה אבינר - קונפליקטים בחינוך בהתמודדות מול הרפורמים

הרב יהושע שפירא - השפעת הרפורמה על התא המשפחתי

הרב יגאל לוינשטיין - חדירת הרפורמה לצבא

Can Donald Trump Make America Great Again?

One could point to the captain of the ship, President Barack Hussein Obama, and blame him for the fact the ship is way off course. In my mind, and in the mind of many others, not only is he a bad president, he may be the worst president ever. The debate about Obama is not about his foreign and domestic policy failures but about his intentions: Is he stupid, or are his divisive statements and destructive actions the product of an intentional plan to weaken the nation he was elected to lead?

Before pointing the finger at Barack Obama, we have to remember that he was elected in democratic elections, not once but twice! That says something about the electorate. The leader is just a reflection of the majority of the people.

If the above is true another question needs to be asked: How is it that the same nation that chose qualified and successful presidents like Wilson, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, and Ronald Reagan ending up choosing someone as unqualifed as Obama? How in the world did this happen?

I believe that the answer is that the electorate of 2008 was very different that the electorate of 1980. America's economic, military and political decline is a product of its moral decline. The United States of America is a country that still prints "In God we trust" on its money but has slowly but surely turned its back on God.

One of the expressions of the abandonment of God is America's embrace of illicit sexual relations and those that engage in them. This sordid embrace reached its culmination in the infamous OBERGEFELL v. HODGES decision.

Therefore, in answer to my original question,"Can Donald Trump make America great again?", the answer is a loud, resounding no. He does not seem to be a man of high enough moral fiber to pull Americans out of the sleazy cultural mud that there are drowning in. The change in America is going to come from the bottom up, if it is to come at all. It would take a miracle for the USA to reverse its moral decline, and only a miracle will make America great again.

What Happened to the Yemenite Jewish Children?

Here are a couple of films (in Hebrew):

Enlarging the Tents

The most amazing thing is happening, but not everyone is worthy of seeing it:

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations, spare not; lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes."

Herzl Biton: A True Israeli Hero

Why Are There Still Palestinian Refugees?

Here is an excellent video from Prager U:

Some Chol HaMoed Pics/Video in Jerusalem

Free Matzot for those visiting the Old City coutesy of Ateret Cohanim:

Some pics from King David's tomb.

Nice threads:

Outside the Old City near Jaffa Gate:

Old Passover Posts

Browsing through the archives I found the following which may be of interest:

What to say, and what not to say at the seder table: Pesach=Peh-Sach

Gratitiude: Hakarat Hatov

Getting ready: Preparing For Passover

Some things never change: Blogger's Pre-Passover Guilt Trip

I would like to hear Yaakov Shwekey and Yonatan Razel sing this one: A New Song For the Passover Seder

Have a happy and Kosher Passover!

American Jews and Israel

I have been known to bemoan the state of American Jewry on this blog. This impending decline of non-Orthodox Jewry was well evident many years ago. There were those who spoke up about it, but they were ignored by the masses and villified by the establishment, much like Jeremiah the prophet before the destruction of the First Temple.

The decay of American Jewry has of course had an effect on its relation with the State of Israel, I recommend reading a series of essays at Mosaic Magazine that deal with the topic:

If American Jews and Israel Are Drifting Apart, What's the Reason?

How American Jews Have Detached Themselves from Jewish Memory

Unspoken Reasons for the American Jewish Distancing from Israel

Israel: The Canvas on Which American Jews Project Their Hopes and Fears

Dear American Jews:

"The Holy One Blessed Be He gave three good gifts to Israel, and all of them He did not give except through affliction, and they are: Torah, and the Land Of Israel, and the World To Come.(Berachot 5A)"

The time has come! You have been given three special gifts! Come and claim them!

Update: Rabbi Alderstein also took notice.

What Happens When Nati Rom Joins a Tour of "Breaking the Silence" in Hebron?

This is just so good!

Only Good Tidings

R' Yisrael Rosenberg talks about his book, Rak Besorot Tovot (Only Good Tidings):

Here's an English transcript of the interview:

Arutz 2 Interview – English Transcript - The Menachem Toker Show, March 7, 2016

Menachem Toker, Host: Yisrael Rosenberg has published a book called, “Rak Besorot Tovot” (“Only Good News”), that collects within it all the positive prophecies of the Prophets of Israel. I understand that anyone who reads it – feels good.

Correct?

Yisrael Rosenberg: That’s the idea. I came to Israel, and I didn’t know that within the Hebrew Bible, there are many good stories. I learned Hebrew, and began to read within the Hebrew Bible; and I saw that all the future of the People of Israel is only good! And I thought it was worthwhile that people would see this, and understand that we have a fantastic future.

Menachem: It is a book that essentially where you selected only the good sayings, the positive elements from the Hebrew Bible, right? Read me something. I need to feel good before breakfast.

Yisrael: With pleasure. I took from a number of prophets, and this is Ezekiel.

“So says the Lord God: In My ingathering of the house of Israel from the peoples among whom they have been scattered, and I have been sanctified through them in the eyes of the nations; then they will dwell on their land that I gave to My servant, to Jacob.

And they will dwell upon it securely, and they will build houses, and plant vineyards, and dwell securely; in my execution of judgments against all those who plunder them from all around them, then they shall know that I am the God their Lord." (Ezekiel, Chapter 28, Verses 25, 26)

Menachem: Wow! How beautiful! You were a senior consultant for an international information management company, right? You lived in Boston with your family?

Yisrael: Yes.

Menachem: While will this book give us … OK, we know that it will give us good things, but how will this influence ME, in my soul?

Yisrael: I think it’s very important to understand that we are in the middle of a very difficult period. The Rabbis of the Talmud told us that it would be hard. But – the Hebrew Prophets promise, in many different places, it will be good for the Nation of Israel and the whole world. We must continue with all the efforts that we are making – religious, not religious; Oriental Jews, Ashkenazim; [the differences are] not important – the Nation of Israel together is working on these things, and we will continue forward, and we will see good.

Menachem:

“The glory of this last House will be greater than the first one, said the Lord of Hosts. And in this place I will grant peace.” (Haggai, Chapter 2, Verse 9).

It came out good, it came out good for me. I just opened it … Why don’t you open it too? What you open is what you read. Four or five words. Something positive. We want to be able to leave here with … to bring to our viewers here some positive energy and a positive atmosphere from this show …

What are you looking at? Read what you see!

Liron Sharon: Nope. Didn’t come out good for me.

Menachem: It couldn’t be. Not with the book “Only Good News”!

Liron: Oh!

“And the tree of the field will give forth its fruit, and the land will give forth its produce, and they will be on their land in security.” (Ezekiel Chapter 26, Verse 27)

Menachem: See! Peace, fruit –

Yisrael: There are actually five things - I didn’t know this. I came from outside the Land of Israel. We didn’t learn the Hebrew Bible; that was for the gentiles to learn. We Jews were ‘above’ that kind of thing. :-)

But when I came to Israel and learned Hebrew, suddenly I understood that there are five things that the prophets actually say. They say that:

1. There will be an ingathering of the Exiles to the Land of Israel,

2. There will be ‘Return’, meaning the coming close of the People of Israel to the Holy One, May He Be Blessed [God], in every possible way. I’m not talking about any one direction. Every individual will come closer, as an individual and with the collective, to the Holy One, May He Be Blessed,

3. There will be a leader that will bring the Nation of Israel together, unite them, and he will succeed.

4. There will be a complete prosperity in the Land of Israel, first of all, like you [Liron] said, agriculturally, but also economically, technologically, everything will prosper.

5. And in the end, like you [Menachem] said, the magic word:

Menachem: Peace!

Yisrael: There will be Peace!

Menachem: Peace and Love! Thank you very much, Yisrael Rosenberg. ​

A Purim Warning to American Jews

It is better to come to Israel in order to fill the mitzvah of living in the land of Israel. However...

Yishai RIbo Sings the Lehi Anthem

I have a special place in my heart for those Israel's soldiers, especially those who fought for Israel's independence. So I could not help but post this video of Yishai Ribo singing the anthem of the Lehi underground, "Anonymous Soldiers":

Why the Jews Are Indigenous to Israel