tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90742437645663066952024-02-21T05:27:07.969+02:00rucho shel mashiacha deeper look into current events, with a preference for purpose over randomnessUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger343125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-9050552091692603372014-03-27T22:50:00.002+02:002014-03-28T03:06:10.016+03:00Prominent Kabbalist: The Russian Invasion of Crimea is a sign of Impending Redemption<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On Purim (Monday March 17th), Rabbi Moshe Shternbuch, Head of the
Rabbinical Court of Jerusalem, allowed a secret to slip out. He peeled
back the curtain and offered a peek into a tradition handed down from
his grandfather, the Vilna Gaon, a prominent 18th-century Kabbalist:<br />
<br />
“Even
though I am careful not to share the mysteries, I feel that this is
something I am permitted to reveal..This was something Rabbi Isaac had
received directly from those who heard it from the mouth of the Vilna
Gaon, who said, shortly before his passing: <br />
<br />
“'<i style="font-weight: bold;">When you hear that the Russians have invaded Crimea, you will know that the bells of Redemption have begun to ring.</i> <i>When
you hear that the Russians have reached Constantinople (Istanbul,
Turkey, as it is called today), you can already don Sabbath clothes and
await the appearance of Moshiach.'</i><br />
<br />
“Last week the Russians
invaded Crimea and the world slept… According to our tradition from the
Vilna Gaon, this is a sign of impending redemption … Perhaps what the
Gaon meant by 'bells of the redemption' is like a bell that signals the
arrival of someone or something.”<br />
<br />
Adapted for easier understanding for readers of all level of familiarity with the tradition from the presentation and translation of the teaching in English by <a href="http://rabbipinchoslipschutz.blogspot.com/2014/03/historic-lessons.html">Rabbi Pinchos Lipschutz</a><br />
<br />
An article in Hebrew on the Purim sermon can be found <a href="http://www.hidabroot.org/ARDetail.asp?BlogID=116114">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Update: The version recorded in the writings of the Vilna Gaon's students' is as follows:<br />
<br />
<i>When the Russian ships cross the Dardanelles, it is already time to don Sabbath garments </i><br />
<br />
<b style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #909090; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #909090; font-size: 11pt;">היא כי כאשר יעברו ציים רוסיים במיצרי הדרדנלים, אפשר כבר ללבוש בגדי שבת...</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span class="text15"><b><span style="color: #909090; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-12192015469636101762014-01-13T02:59:00.004+02:002014-01-13T02:59:31.498+02:00Fireball over Northeast US<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="HG-Daily Hampshire Gazette-Body-Dateline">
</div>
<h1>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.gazettenet.com/news/townbytown/northampton/10187893-95/fireball-seen-streaking-across-sky-over-northampton-reports-from-all-over-new-england">‘Fireball’ seen streaking across sky over Northampton; reports from all over Northeast </a></span></h1>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>“It was way brighter
than any meteorite I’ve seen.”</i><i> Similar reports from
people all over New England, New York and New Jersey flooded Twitter and
the website of the National Meteor Society soon afterward. Of the 90
reports of the bright object on the website, called a meteorite or
fireball by many, 17 were from Massachusetts, including one from
Amherst.</i><i>Connolly said the
fireball was about five times bigger and hundreds of times brighter than
most meteorites he has seen. He said it <b>glowed blue and orange as it
traveled for three or four seconds northeast across the sky before
disappearing behind clouds.</b></i><i>He noted that it was not
completely dark out at the time, and usually meteors are only visible
when it is completely dark. “This was very bright, as bright as the
moon,” he said.</i>Neither he or his wife heard any noise when they saw the fireball, he said.<br /> <i>A report from
Rollingsford, N.H., said the fireball appeared to be about the size of a
quarter when held at arm’s length and had a trail of sparks. Others
commented that it left a green trail and appeared low in the sky.</i></blockquote>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<h1 class="" id="" itemprop="headline">
<a href="http://www.wcvb.com/news/local/metro/meteor-sighting-reported-by-hundreds-on-east-coast/-/11971628/23895118/-/vccolpz/-/index.html#ixzz2qEg29v98"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Meteor sighting reported by hundreds on East Coast</span></a></h1>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"reports of a green
fireball were reported by drivers on Routes 128 and 495 in
Massachusetts just after 5 p.m."<br />Other reports came from Connecticut, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. There were also reported sightings in Europe.</i></blockquote>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-19776269894875530502013-06-12T22:04:00.000+03:002013-06-12T22:04:08.945+03:00Mashiach in Our Times <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="userContent"><br /> The Rebbe explains that missing an
opportunity to bring Mashiach eventually results in an even higher
manner of his revelation than was previously possible. The fact that the
Rebbe's physical presence is hidden <span class="text_exposed_show">from
us (although, as Chassidut teaches, the tzimtzum -- withdrawal -- is
not truly real) can be understood as a "descent for the sake of
subsequent ascent," meant to awaken the messianic spark within us.<br /> <br />
It is crucial to consider what factors brought about this descent and
what exactly the coming ascent should be. It is not enough to simply
proceed with the same type of messianic activism in which we engaged
before Gimel Tamuz or even to increase it. We must continue to raise
Mashiach consciousness, but in a new and totally different manner. </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><i>More <a href="http://www.inner.org/mashiach/gtamuz1.htm">here</a></i></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">* </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">The
revelation of the light of no bounds whatsoever happens necessarily on
the heels of the narrow straits, and therefore 'if you see corrupt
generation after corrupt generation, then anticipate the footsteps of
Mashiach", for then will be the true revelation of the light of no
bounds whatsoever, which is much higher than the revelation of the
Exodus, as it says "like in the days of your leaving Egypt, I will show
you wonders", when wonders in Hebrew is combined of the words "50
miracles" </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><i>~ the Rebbe </i></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">* </span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}">After
the exodus from Egypt, 86 sparks of Chaos that had splintered off the
highest lights in the dawn of creation remained in need of sifting out
from within the husks of the other side. These were clarified throughout
the long, two-thousand-year exile "with sweat and blood", and in the
late twentieth century, all that remain are "small canisters" of sparks,
that are still in need of clarificatio<span class="text_exposed_show">n.
Therefore we are wise in these times to accept every circumstance that
the Holy Blessed One brings us, even if it seemingly takes us away from
our "spiritual work", since the main purpose of the final moments before
Mashiach arrives is the extraction of the highest concentrations of
light in the most unlikely of places, where they have been hiding
literally with no caring glance since the first moments of time. The
secret of this work is to declare valiantly with all of the heart "When I
soar to the heavens there you are; when I reach the depths, it is none
but you!" This type of work is not for the masses, but the Ba'al Shem
Tov was told that when all are able to do this work, Mashiach will
arrive. He was so disheartened when hearing this, knowing how difficult
it was to remain rooted in one's higher being, and at the same time know
there is nothing other than Him, that he fell into a deep depression
upon hearing this prophecy. He eventually recovered, consoled by the
greatness of the soul of Mashiach. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><i>(Based on the Rebbe's writings) </i></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><span class="userContent" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-65466494213686235222013-06-11T02:35:00.001+03:002013-06-11T02:35:47.098+03:00Astrological chart of Menachem Mendel Schneerson and Gimmel Tammuz, his moment of passing: The dark rift of a Rebbe and of the cosmos<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" id="fbPhotoPageCaption" tabindex="0"><i>*** Note to readers: the perspective of this blog has gone through a transformation; please indulge as you wish! *** </i></span></div>
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><i><br /></i></span>
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0">Astrological chart of Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the 7th Lubavitcher Rebbe, the "King of Egypt" of Holiness, the carrier of the generational messianic spark of the generation in the last half of the 20th century <i class="_4-k1 img sp_dzqh79 sx_3f32f7"></i><br /><br />This chart is the Rebbe's birth chart, born 18 April 1902 in Nikolayev, Russia. The Rebbe's birth time is reconstructed as 7:54pm by an Israeli astrologer (a different birth time would<span class="text_exposed_show"> affect only some data in the interpretation such as house placements and moon degrees).<br /><br />In honor of today, the anniversary of the Rebbe's passing, this chart also includes transits for 1:50 am 12 June 1994, the moment that the Rebbe transitioned to the world of spirit and is now available to all beyond the boundaries of time and space.</span></span><br />
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><i><br /></i></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX5A7RwvEEsy6Mmvb0M0VQwROI-BSbWYbDgRvbYf1wlvqtnp0FIbkmBl5fww8CqxhmWnBbC3hPgbbcbVTh3Lfbt3um68emlSKEGTpdIl9wI9QqxRtZ8EIZN0XFVzR1QwMx0rE2F8NSkLx/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-06-10+at+2.57.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="617" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiX5A7RwvEEsy6Mmvb0M0VQwROI-BSbWYbDgRvbYf1wlvqtnp0FIbkmBl5fww8CqxhmWnBbC3hPgbbcbVTh3Lfbt3um68emlSKEGTpdIl9wI9QqxRtZ8EIZN0XFVzR1QwMx0rE2F8NSkLx/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-06-10+at+2.57.56+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><br /></span><span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> <br /> Some interesting things to note about the Rebbe's chart, with transits for his day of passing: <br /> <br />
* The Rebbe's chart features a grand cross between Pluto in the 8th
house (17 Gemini), Venus in the 4th house (11 Pisces), Uranus in
Sagittarius, and the Moon in Virgo (10th house). The grand cross is a
marker of unique individuals and can also be viewed three-dimensionally
as a pyramid that creates a pathway to higher destiny if the individual
can overcome the quadrupled tensions between planetary forces that plays
out within. In the case of the Rebbe, this higher destiny involved his
work in the outside world (10th house), his roots and past (4th house),
connection to the feminine (his association with the sefira of Malchut)
and unity consciousness (Venus in Pisces), and intellectual versatility
and genius in applying ancient wisdom to the highly dynamic context of
the late 20th century (Uranus in Sagittarius), bridging old (Venus in
4th) and new (Uranus). For any individual the existence of a capacity
for change and revolution along with a deep embedding in a chain of
succession of leaders and expectations could create conflict (squares),
but with G-d's help such an individual can capitalize on the highly
discordant energies to translate the divergent forces within the soul to
the birth of something entirely new in the world outside, such as a new
movement that brought together the spirit of the age of
Aquarius/Mashiach with the deepest teachings of Kabbalah of ancient
days, without sacrificing neither an iota of piety and the fire of
authentic observance nor a thread of human sensitivity and empathic
attitude towards his fellow man and woman. Such a soul seeks not peace
but continuous growth and upliftment in oneself and in the world around
him or her. <br /> <br /> * On the day of the Rebbe's passing, 12 June 1994,
a day of great loss for the world, when the sheep lost their shepherd,
there were two yods in the sky. A Yod is a rare astrological formation
highlighting times of a severe buildup of tension that moves a process
entirely to a different realm on which the tensions at hand can be
resolved by the birth of something new and unheard of. The yods on this
day quite interestingly were pointing at the Sun, the most important
planetary force for our world and solar system. One had Uranus in
Capricorn and Pluto in Scorpio as its base, indicating monumental
worldly fueling pernicious messianic fervor and vice versa. Yet both
these energies were quincunx with the Sun, the natural order of things,
and perhaps something needed to shift to another level, another epoch,
the Twin Sun, the Hidden Light, that which can be revealed only in the
absence of the leader and in the shattering of the light of the leader
into thousands, millions of sparks of light in the souls of all who he
had touched, all of whom become lightbearers, invigorated if by nothing
but deep remorse and longing to use the small flame inside themselves
that had been lit to illuminate further corners of darkness, which light
can so often attract and find itself painfully in. The second yod had
as its base the node or karmic destiny in Scorpio or the messianic
yearning, and Neptune in Capricorn, indicating that perhaps there was
also a personal breaking point, echoing what the Rebbe had said a decade
earlier, "I have done all I can do to bring Mashiach; now it lies in
your hands". Both of the yods pointed, or drove pressure, towards the
Rebbe's very own Pluto in Gemini, the other-worldly axis of his own
grand cross, in the 8th house of reincarnation and transitioning. It was
as if the Rebbe was being called, just as the logs of the energies he
had cultivated in this world and global events were producing enough
sparks to tilt the scales, it was time for the instigator to move from
seen to unseen, and bring the entire process to a new level. <br /> <br /> *
At the time the Rebbe departed there was also a Grand Water Trine
between Saturn in Pisces, Jupiter in Scorpio, and Mercury in Cancer,
indicating that there was some resilient if not solid structure which
was being left behind, built from the long-standing chain of tradition
transcending time and space that would not cease, the agents of
redemption that stood ready to deploy to their next task, and the
ancient brilliance of the indwelling presence of G-d and spirit of
prophecy that no longer lay bounded in a patriarchal and hierarchical
power structure. The power of the movement now lay in the emissaries
stationed around the globe and in any man or woman who chose to
represent the Rebbe through his teachings and ideas and even dare to
introduce new teachings in the prophetic tradition that had been through
death and rebirth so many times, there was almost an indication that
with such a loss as this at such a potent time as this, the words "she
has fallen and will not rise again" would be read rather as they are in
the Zohar: she will not fall again; now, rise up<br /> <br /> * Seeing as
the yods in the Rebbe's birth chart with passing transits point towards
the 8th house of reincarnation it could be suggested that the soul of
Mashiach which the Rebbe carried was returning to its celestial house of
study, preparing for its next incarnation. The culmination of the story
then lies in the point opposite the apex of the yod, which can be found
in the degrees between Sagittarius and Capricorn, which is the site of
the Dark Rift and the origin of the cosmos. When the world as we know it
was formed, we are told the spirit of Mashiach already existed; the
destiny of rebirth and the eternal golden age existed even before the
fall; the power of return is the power on which the world is based. In
this sense the departure of the Rebbe and his transition to the world of
the unseen was a milestone of experience for his flock that that would
culminate shortly in the realignment of the cosmos with its own birth
point, now infused with self-consciousness, now ready as an awakened
being colored by history and knowledge to experience the dream which had
eluded it as an infant creation, as it must have been: now, with da'at
(knowledge through experience), it would re-encounter the tasting of the
Tree of Life, on the eve of Sabbath, in the garden of Eden, amidst
peace and brotherhood between all Life, and the full activation and
aliveness of all human and natural faculties without any weakness or
death. Just as the Rebbe departed through the transpersonal 8th house,
the universe will realign with its own zero point. <br /> <br /> Tonight,
Gimmel Tammuz, marks 19 years since the Rebbe's passing. Nineteen years
is a sacred number in the history of the Rebbe's lineage, and the 19th
of the month of Sagittarius (Kislev) is new year's day for the new inner
revelation of scripture that is birthed each solar year. Tonight there
are three grand water trines in the sky to celebrate the resilient flow
of prophecy that echoes in the Rebbe's chilling absence. They are led on
one side between Neptune in Pisces and Saturn in Scorpio, creating a
harmony between the inner self-direction of the soul and the authorities
that must sanction the arrival of the long-awaited age. On the other
the deep wounds of Chiron in Pisces, the absence of the leaders and the
leaderless flocks, are galvanized and alchemized into miraculous
self-healers and miracle-workers, led by the nodal scorpio, the
messianic tug within each soul which awakens in the hour of need when
the flock must heal itself and when the darkness itself must illumine,
because this is how the system was built, that no darkness could be
impenetrable, since darkness itself has always contained light, since
darkness is destined to give light, but only when it must, only when, we
are left 19 years after with no other way, with no other consolation,
other than the alchemizing of wound and loss into scars, and scars into
reseviors of self-illumination and beacons of light. <br /> <br /> This is
the deeper meaning of the seating of the Rebbe in Brooklyn, at the gates
of Romi, the perch of the self-healer at the precipice between exile
and redemption, removing but one bandage at a time from his many wounds,
so that, if the moment comes when it is time, he will not have to
reapply the bandages all at once, but will have only one to reapply and
will thus not tarry. If we are to understand the many wounds of the
healer of the generation as the sufferings he experiences as penitence
for the generation out of his great natural love for closeness between
humanity and G-d, and the wounds of the generation as they reverberate
through the collective soul as Chiron, which holds as well the potential
for alchemizing wound into self-illumination and the drawing down of
all G-dly powers into the flesh, we see that the application of the
bandage is the discovery of the self-healing and Godly rivers within the
soul, which, once they begin to flow, are infinite and therefore ready
to heal all wounds of self and other, which are one and the same.
Because all wounds result from the disconnection between the infinite
and finite, and the reconnection of the link between the two found
through the wounds of the healer are enough to ignite the connection for
the soul of humanity as a whole. This is the importance of the soul of
each generation which has within it the blueprint of all souls, and of
the spark of each soul which is united in the collective soul. When the
darkness of the collective souls illumines, the white fire behind the
black fire of the letters of the Torah shines and the root of all people
in Torah is revealed, and new waters of the miracle of the soul, of
knowledge, of wisdom, of humanity and of creation flow down onto the
world and onto the souls of all who desire wisdom, all who have reached
the point at which such a revelation is inevitable, built into the very
structure of the universe, instigated by the removal of the last beacon
of light, and the dawning of the revelation of the great ones as never
before. </span></span><br />
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span>
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><span class="text_exposed_show">Planetary positions for today can be seen <a href="http://planetwatcher.com/#">here</a>. </span></span><br />
<span aria-live="polite" class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"type":45}" tabindex="0"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /></span></span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-38771666380638365652012-10-19T14:25:00.004+02:002012-10-19T14:25:38.934+02:003 Cheshvan ~ R' Yisrael of Rozhin <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmil9sK7OFfH-rDx7ZD-qZA7Z1zDW5TdMcP-MEciBZY7XSQ_MtdreuaAys-QtoqOmZsfFSrTZ-Klt_laSFgRzfzZyXZ4-QX6QlSWbMJOancBWR6kAXp8PflgC64xvwUxOmqNvXtXmOqt1/s1600/2009CA2670_jpg_ds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmil9sK7OFfH-rDx7ZD-qZA7Z1zDW5TdMcP-MEciBZY7XSQ_MtdreuaAys-QtoqOmZsfFSrTZ-Klt_laSFgRzfzZyXZ4-QX6QlSWbMJOancBWR6kAXp8PflgC64xvwUxOmqNvXtXmOqt1/s320/2009CA2670_jpg_ds.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158129/torah-crown-unknown/">Torah scroll crown from the court of Rabbi Israel Ruzhin</a><a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158129/torah-crown-unknown/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank"><span></span></a></span></span></i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br /></span></span>
<span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption">The mere mention of the word "Ruzhin" is enough to conjure up stories
of fabulous wealth and undreamed of treasures. Indeed, the Rebbe of
Ruzhin was already a legend in his own lifetime. All of his personal
belongings, even his everyday cutlery, were made of the most expensive
materials. The buttons on his bekeshes were made of solid gold, studded
with diamonds, </span></span><br />
<div class="text_exposed_show">
and his pillowcase was
woven from pure gold thread. Even though the reasons for the Rebbe's
conduct were not understood by most people, he was regarded as one of
the greatest tzaddikim of his time.<br /> <br /> As a small child his
phenomenal level of kedusha was noticeable. When he was only a few years
old he would often cry bitter tears but would refuse to disclose the
reason for his crying. When his father told him that as a father he has
the right to decree that his son tell him the reason for his tears, he
answered, "I am thinking to myself how many times I have lifted up my
hands today not for the sake of heaven."<br /> <br /> Wherever the Rebbe
went crowds came to see him. The Rebbe travelled in a beautiful carriage
drawn by four white horses. On one occasion, the Rebbe was asked how he
keeps himself from having haughty thoughts when he sees the many people
pushing to see him. The Rebbe answered the question with a parable.<br /> <br />
There was once a king who ruled over a country which was too big for
him to control by himself. He therefore appointed a governor over each
province. One day the king decided to visit one of his faraway provinces
that he had never been to before. When the king arrived he asked the
governor to accompany him for a stroll through the main street of the
area. As they walked down the street together, crowds began to push each
other to get a better view of their governor. The king, however, was
not recognized by anyone. In the commotion to see the governor, the king
got pushed and shoved around along with everyone else. Can you imagine
how embarrassed the governor must have been? His importance came only
from the king, he must have felt terrible to see that the kiwas getting
pushed around. "Similarly", ended the Ruzhiner, "When I see the way
people try to honor me, I think to myself, if only they would honor
Hashem like this as well, and it makes me so upset that the idea of
becoming haughty doesn't even occur to me!"<br /> <br /> Although from the
outside it appeared that the Rebbe enjoyed all the comforts of this
world, nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, the Rebbe
afflicted himself terribly, denying his body even the basic necessities.
This point is illustrated by the famous story of the Rebbe's boots. The
Rebbe used to wear a magnificent pair of boots. It was rumored that
even the Czar of Russia was jealous of these boots. Made of solid gold
and studded with diamonds and other precious stones, they were the envy
of all who beheld them. Once on a bitterly cold night the Rebbe went out
in his boots to sanctify the New Moon. The Rebbe stood for a long time
in the snow davening. When he left, the chassidim noticed blood where he
had been standing.<br /> <br /> An investigation of the Rebbe's boots
revealed that they had no sole. Every time the Rebbe wore them he was
really walking barefoot and when he stood on the snow his feet became
stuck to the icy ground, causing them to bleed when he left. When this
story became known, even those people who had until then been opposed to
his extravagant life style, bowed their heads in deference,
acknowledging that the Rebbe's every action was only for the sake of
Heaven and not for his own pleasure.<br /> <br /> On one occasion he
commented that when the time came for him to be born, his soul did not
want to descend into this lowly world until the body promised the soul
that it would not partake of this world, only what it would need for its
basic survival.<br /> <br /> The Rebbe sought to lighten the heavy burden
of the Jews as much as possible. When it was decreed that all the Jews
had to change their way of dress to that of the non-Jews, most of the
authorities of the time held that a person should give up his life
rather than change his mode of dress. When the Rebbe was asked what he
held, he answered, "Jacob received Isaac's blessing when dressed in
Esau's clothes."<br /> <br /> On one occasion the Rebbe spoke about the
final geula and said that it would begin with the gradual emigration of
Jews to Israel. Just as in the times of Ezra there was no miraculous
redemption as in Egypt, similarly in our times if the generation will
not be worthy, the redemption will also take place in a natural way.<br /> <br />
The countries of the world will decide to give the Land of Israel to
the Jewish people as a land of their own, and the Jewish people will
come back and rebuild the land. There will be great miracles but they
will be hidden in the circle of nature, and after this we will see the
final redemption. As the Rebbe finished these words he sighed and said,
"Of course it bothers us that the geula should start in such a way, but
we have no more strength to wait. However it will be, let it start
already."<br /> <br /> Source: <a href="http://www.nishmas.org/gdynasty/frame.htm">The Golden Dynasty, The Lives and Times of the Rizhniner Rebbes</a><br /> <br />
<a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O158129/torah-crown-unknown/" rel="nofollow nofollow" target="_blank"></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-42843254495608478002012-07-25T19:59:00.001+03:002012-07-25T20:32:27.562+03:00Tzedakah miracle in Ir HaKodesh, week of Shabbos Chazon 5772<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Reposted from facebook: </span></span></h6>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}" style="font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">last
night i decided to take a walk around 1am. on my way back a sweet old
lady approached me asking if i knew where a certain hotel was. i must
note that since leaving my house i was filled with this expansive sense
of love and suddenly the situation struck me as very odd that an elderly
woman was roaming the streets looking for a place to stay for the
night. i told her i did not know where the hotel was but i knew of a
hostel nearby. we walked there but there was no room. then we tried
another hotel, long story, it turned out the rooms there were
$200/night, more than the woman had. at this point the woman began
looking at stairwells and considering just sitting somewhere for the
remaining night hours. the situation was heartbraking. i even offered to
let her stay in my room on a mattress, but she did not want to impose.
at this point we were in the ultra-orthodox jewish neighborhood of
jerusalem, and i thought, perhaps someone knows of somewhe<span class="text_exposed_show">re
she could rest for the night, perhaps in a syngagogue or house of
study. without really thinking i told her to wait and ran after one of
the ultra-orthodox men walking the streets. i explained the situation
and asked if he knew of a place she could rest, he said no..no..i began
to give up..then he said, that he has money, if that could help. as if
to reject it i said no, the only room is $200, but thank you. he
preceded as if i had said $5, pulled $150 out of his wallet and handed
it to the woman while quoting from the talmud that the temple was
destroyed because of a lack of love between people. together we giddily
walked to the luxury hotel, only to find out that there were no rooms
available! the man then said to the woman that it is not right to ask
for charity back after it has been given, so the money is now hers. we
considered several other hotels and the man walked off. as soon as he
walked off the woman took my hand and we walked into an alleyway. she
was beaming with excitement, she said, i will go to the local hospital
and sit there for the night, now i have money for the whole week, i can
stay somewhere nice while i find an apartment, maybe even save it for
shabbos. in other words, hashem orchestrated a miracle..nothing could
have turned out better. when i told a friend about this he said i had
met the souls of abraham and sarah roaming the streets of jerusalem. now
i know why i felt compelled to take a walk, sometimes we are but
vehicles for the miracles that are scheduled to take place..</span></span></i></span></h6>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">May the inherent righteousness and goodness of all our souls be revealed in full and hasten our full redemption, and may we merit to see the third temple speedily in our days, as one people with one heart.</span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-28309339049721095002012-07-13T13:11:00.004+03:002012-07-13T17:31:32.327+03:00Mesiras Nefesh for the inner teachings of Torah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHD_FDbN0GTvsrvRDGENoJFqHAiEBoxuWswR892sFB_hZNFGZlVaCVVMcF3M8zJwnqZUj2bfchU4_18OyzY1yu0zrVhCdKLqbSJxKgJKOjaudYfqS8Fn_Tc0gBrydnfstoSFaFNnA0I0H/s1600/Old_book_bindings_cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifHD_FDbN0GTvsrvRDGENoJFqHAiEBoxuWswR892sFB_hZNFGZlVaCVVMcF3M8zJwnqZUj2bfchU4_18OyzY1yu0zrVhCdKLqbSJxKgJKOjaudYfqS8Fn_Tc0gBrydnfstoSFaFNnA0I0H/s320/Old_book_bindings_cropped.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">"And Pinchas the son of Elazar saw" (Bamidbar 25:7)</span></i><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Pinchas endangered not only
his body (the tribe of Simeon threatened to kill him) but also his soul
(what he did was against the sages' will), all to remove G-d's wrath from the people. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Once, a fire broke out at the home of the Alter Rebbe, and
one booklet of Chassidus was burnt. After the fire was extinguished,
the Rebbe asked if anyone had studied the booklet. His son, the Mittler Rebbe, answered: But father, you had
written on it, 'No one should open this book, not in this world, and
not in the world to come!' The Rebbe replied: Where is your mesirus
nefesh - your total desire, to the point of self-sacrifice - for Chassidus..?</span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><br /></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">(Likkutei Sichot 18, p. 319)</span><br />
<br />
<i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">To order Dvar Malchut, a weekly collection of the Rebbe's teachings on the parsha in Hebrew, go to <a href="http://www.dvarmalchus.org/">http://www.dvarmalchus.org</a></span></i><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-42059284621079300262012-07-06T03:15:00.001+03:002012-07-06T03:17:32.878+03:00I will redeem you in the end like the beginning; not in haste will you go out...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
The following is a passage from the Lubavitcher Rebbe's address on the 13th of Tammuz 5718 (1958), the day on which the Rebbe's father, the Rebbe Rayatz, was miraculously freed from Soviet prison (translated as closely as possible from the Hebrew): <br />
<br />
1. The entire matter of geulah (redemption) - even the geulah of the individual, and especially on the day of the geulah of a "neshama klalit" (collective soul), whose personal joy is a collective matter - this is done by the power of the first geulah, Yetziyat Mitzrayim, the Exodus from Egypt; and serves also as preparation and precedent and an additional step to hasten and bring closer the complete future redemption which will come by means of Mashiach.<br />
<br />
2. In order for there to be geulah - there needs to be an "opening" (petach), a beginning, which gives strength, like in all matters.<br />
<br />
This is the case as well with the exodus, as it says in the midrash, that Egypt was a situation from which even one slave could not escape, in other words, by the laws of nature, there was no way even one person could leave, even by way of smuggling them out, and nonetheless, the exodus from Egypt completely broke the natural order - 600,000 left, walking by foot, women and children included, leaving at the height of day, by an outstretched arm.<br />
<br />
And this was an opening and a paving of the way for all matters of geulot which are beyond the laws of nature - there are geulot which are seen only by way of a hint on the worldly plane, and there are geulot that all eyes of flesh see which are the complete opposite of the natural order of things - like the geulah of the release of the Rebbe Rayatz from prison.<br />
<br />
When an additional incident of geulah takes place during history, all of the prior redemptions are awakened, and are no longer only in the past.<br />
<br />
And as it says in the Tanya, "our actions and service during galut" are the preparation by which we draw down all the matters which will be in the days of mashiach in the true and complete redemption.<br />
<br />
When past redemptions are re-awakened, then all the geulot until now, all together, start again to enact in all their power - to bring the complete redemption, the future redemption which will come by means of Mashiach.<br />
<br />
2. From the differences between the commencement of redemption - geulat mitzrayim - and the culmination of redemption, the final geulah by means of mashiach - geulat mitzrayim occured in haste (chipazon), while regarding the final geulah it says: 'you will go out, not in haste', but rather in comfort (nachat), as it says in Chasidus.<br />
<br />
In the exodus from Egypt, it says: 'the people fled'. Because there was a need to extract them from the 49 gates of impurity, prior to the giving of the Torah, and so they needed to flee.<br />
<br />
And because all matters are "for Yisrael who are called reishit - beginning', then the 'chipazon d'yisrael' - the 'haste of Israel' - also affected the 'hase of Egypt' and the 'haste of Shechina' (kivyachol) - as it says in Brachot and in the Midrash, that there are three things done in haste: the haste of Shechina, of Israel and of Egypt.<br />
<br />
And from this we also understand why regarding the future redemption it says 'you will go out, not in haste' - that this will be the case in the world and also above (kivyachol), the sense of 'comfort', until the level of 'menucha l'chayei olamim' - eternal rest - above the principle of 'they will go from strength to strength'.<br />
<br />
So it was in the exodus from Egypt, the people needed to flee, because although the exodus was supposed to extend 400 years, the Holy Blessed One 'medaleg al ha'harim' = 'skips over the hills', meaning that he 'skips over the end', cutting 400 years to 210 years, and therefore, the people needed to flee from Egypt in haste, because galut still had a hold (achiza) on them. <br />
<br />
This is not the case for the future redemption, as it says in the gemara, "kalu kol hakitzin' = "all the deadlines have passed", and "the thing depends on none else than teshuva" which is "in one moment and in one instant", there is no longer the hold of galus, and therefore, no need for haste.<br />
<br />
4. On the other hand, an opposite point can be learned: When the people were in Egypt, were it not for the Holy Blessed One "skipping over the end", they should have stayed in Egypt many years (r"l); if so there would be a place for saying that they did not have the precious time to take advantage of the service of galut, because galut is not only punishment, but rather there is the principle: "charity G-d did for Israel, that he scattered them among the nations."<br />
<br />
This is not the case now, before the future redemption which is coming - becauase "all the deadlines have passed", we must make precious and take advantage of every moment before the days of mashiach arrive, when 'the spirit of impurity I will remove from the earth' - then there will no longer be the principle of 'l'fum tza'ara agra' (according to the suffering is the reward), and there will not be two ways before a Jew to fulfill the command 'choose life', and through his free will he will connect to God's selfhood and essence, for this is the place of free choice, and the source of free choice.<br />
<br />
As the Rebbe Rayatz said several times, we must make every moment of galut precious and fill each with the appropriate content of Torah and mitzvot and altogether service of Hashem, because it could be that in one moment, there will be 'the salvation of Hashem is like the blinking of any eye', for there is no barrier other than "one hour" in which Israel returns in teshuva to their father in heaven.<br />
<br />
And so it is with the service of each and every individual - there is no time to say, 'I'll change, when I have the time', because these could be the very last moments of galus, and after these will come 'the years about which you say 'I have no desire for them'' - 'night like day will shine', the complete redemption by means of Mashiach. <br />
<br />
<i>Shabbat Shalom</i></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-57056025574092920142012-06-25T14:42:00.000+03:002012-06-25T14:42:13.512+03:00British fighter planes on stand-by to attack Syria if Turkey retaliates for downed plane<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="introcopy">
The Daily Star <a href="http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/view/258411/Brit-fighter-jets-put-on-Syria-alert/">reports</a>: </div>
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<div class="introcopy">
British fighter planes are on stand-by to launch an attack on Syria after Turkey pledged revenge for the downing of one of its war jets.</div>
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President Abdullah Gul announced Turkey will retaliate against Syria for shooting down a Turk F-4 on Friday.</div>
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<br /></div>
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He vowed his country would take “necessary” action against its neighbours despite admitting the plane may have been in Syrian airspace at the time it was fired at. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="storycopy">
He said: “It is not possible to cover over a thing like this. Whatever is necessary will be done. </div>
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<br /></div>
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“It is routine for jet fighters to sometimes fly in and out over borders, when you consider their speed over the sea.</div>
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<br /></div>
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“These are not ill-intentioned things but happen beyond control due to the jets’ speed.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="storycopy">
A Turkish revenge strike could mean British fighter jets backing their NATO ally in an air blitz on Syria in the weeks to come.</div>
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</blockquote>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-7222046199004085972012-06-11T13:44:00.004+03:002012-06-11T13:44:54.331+03:00Debka: Preparations underway for US air strike on Syria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/E2eNfuBwS6Q" width="420"></iframe><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-24763585099977297652012-03-04T01:35:00.002+02:002012-06-11T13:46:12.810+03:00A Niggun of Longing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Rabbi Hillel Patchper was sent by the Rebbe Rashab from Lubavitch to the Torat Emet Yeshiva in Hebron in the Land of Israel. After the yeshiva was closed, he was drafted by force to the Russian army. Without kosher food, the dear holy rabbi starved to death (may his memory and zechus protect us and all of Israel). This was the niggun to which he would pray: <a href="http://www.chabad.info/newvideo/embed.js?id=2792">http://www.chabad.info/newvideo/embed.js?id=2792</a></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-18617013210087961802012-03-02T12:04:00.001+02:002012-03-02T12:08:58.391+02:00The King's Messengers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlzlRANgHU5hPesvZEK2AVwkhHUq2Ks6cXt-Zi-OAGnl14b1Jx8kJDsOXqKfByXmqImtZouEwDCKon2g_wUH-wJI3SzRGHa_9iog7ZBt_9uwepv2lTzT_-BAQPWcoNI0-oUxf8A060gXu/s1600/rebbes+army.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGlzlRANgHU5hPesvZEK2AVwkhHUq2Ks6cXt-Zi-OAGnl14b1Jx8kJDsOXqKfByXmqImtZouEwDCKon2g_wUH-wJI3SzRGHa_9iog7ZBt_9uwepv2lTzT_-BAQPWcoNI0-oUxf8A060gXu/s400/rebbes+army.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="st">“<i>Shlucho shel adam</i> kemoto – the shaliach of a person is like the person himself” (Kiddushin 41b)<br /><br /><b>Send for Yourself</b></span><br />
<span class="st"><b> </b></span><br />
<span class="st"></span><span style="font-size: small;">From the Torah it is not clear who
initiated the sending of the spies to scout out the Land of Israel
before Moses was to lead the people in triumphantly. In Numbers 13:2 it
appears as if it was G-d's command: "Send for yourself people" (As in
"Go for yourself" that was said to Abraham). But how could this command,
which ended up so tragically, have originated from God?<br /><br />Rashi
explains: "Send for yourself"--by your own judgment; if you wish. This
implies that the success of the spies depended on their inner
identification and willingness to surrender to the task at hand.<br /><br />In
the case of a King's messengers, the will of the King is expressed more
through the acts of his messengers than by the King's own actions,
because in the act of comissioning messengers there is an inner bonding
between the will of the messenger and the will of the King who sent
them, and this power carries forth throughout the messengers' actions,
enhancing the greatness of the King.<br /><br />However, when there is
hesitation among the people, who feel as if they are heading towards the
unkown, and they will need a level of surrender that they have not yet
known, they yearn for a King who will understand their weakness but also
be able to provide them with strength and resolve. This is the test of
Moses: can he activate messengers? Can he bring others to act according
to their own internal compass, and in alignment with his will? And to
electrify others with his spirit too? Moses has brought them out of
Egypt, but can he inspire them with his vision to conquer the land? This
was his real test.<br /><br />Moses prepared his messengers with guidance,
but the mission ultimately failed. We learn from Deuteronomy 1:37 that
God considered the failure of the mission to ultimately have been Moses'
failure. The spies felt that in their current situation, which was
under Moses' leadership, they did not have the means to overcome the
obstacles that they encountered in the Land during their scouting
mission. Sure, they knew Moses as Prophet, Giver of the Torah, Judge and
Ruler, clean of sin and of earthly desires, who had led them through
the desert of mystical union, rather than through lands of military
battles. Yet this experience left them feeling that they did not have
enough desire and strength to leave the beauty of the desert, and cope
with the inhabitants of the land, who drew from the land lives full of
vitality and abundance. The world of the Oneness of Souls did not have
the strength to overcome the separation of Existence (or so they
supposed), and he who is comfortable in the land of separation will
ultimately be victorious in battles fought there.<br /><br />When the spies
said "They are stronger than us" [regarding the Giants], the word "They"
can also mean "He" in this context; in other words, the spies were in
fact making a statement about God Himself; they sensed that identifying
with God did not provide them with enough strength to protest and
nullify the gross forms opposite them, and they renunciated that "even
in the world to come He will not be able to pull us out of there" (G-d
forbid).<br /><br />But were the spies in fact corect [regarding Moses]? The
severity of their sin and Moses' reproach indicates so, but in what did
they sin? They sinned in the fact that they did not believe that Moses
could, and desired more than anything else, to leave his own boundaries.<br /><br />Moses
achieved 49 Gates of Binah (Understanding), and at his death reached
Sha'ar HaNun, the 50th Gate, the level of "no one knew", as Rebbe
Nachman explains that Moses' soul departed out of his desire for the
land of Israel, when he looked at Mount Nevo as a person desires a thing
with infinite longing, until his soul expired from not being able to
actualize his yearning. Moses is called "the faithful servant",
sustainer, shephard and nourisher of faith in the souls of Israel. How
does he sustain them? Through the Da'at (knowledge) that he sows in
them. But even though knowledge cultivates faith, nonetheless a person
must make a space in one's personality, as a result of the opening of
knowledge, in order for faith to take hold. For faith, with all her
silence and trasncendence of explanation, is infintely fiercer and more
violent than knowledge, which is conditioned by human limitations, and
therefore, the climate and immunity of Israel are fit for her.<br /><br />This
is why Moses yearns to move from knowledge of in the desert, to faith
above knowledge in the land of Israel. For this the spies needed to
believe that Moses of Israel was different than Moses of the desert,
that he yearned to leave the word of speech (dibbur-midbar) to the word
of the Hint (Remez), by which God had not yet been known, but which
marks the place at which Faith shines, where the God's revelation
transcends all conceptualizations and limits, and where humanity
reaches, by way of knowing-not-knowing, an identification </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">with God's validity and force.<br /><br />This
is in relation to the sin of the spies, but as for the leader--happy is
the generation whose leader admits that the people's sin is his own.
The spies did not believe that Moses could transcend his boundaries,
precisely because he does not believe in them truly and purely that they
too can trasncend themselves. Moses then sent the spies without full
trust that they would complete their mission. He himself failed to fully
identify with the Divine permission given to send messengers; and sent
them instead as if it were a command. Only by imparting the strength of
his own desire to his messengers can they succeed.<br /><br />Moses was a
stutterer, and already at the beginning of his path, it was clear how
much he hesitated from being a messenger himself, how much we doubted
that he could awaken the people to believe in redemption. Even after the
Exodus, until accepting Jethro's advice, Moses assumed that everyone
who wanted to speak to God had to go through him first. Moses was not
convinced then that his approach, which derived from seeing God and his
works, was going to be accepted fully and honestly (at least not to the
point of emulation) by those who had not seen visions of God themselves
regularly, who were burdened by slavery to physical reality, to its
rules, conditions and limitations. Before the Flood, 'from the water I
drew him' means that Moses was drawn from another world, from a
dimension that was entirely Chesed and revelation, and that was the
world he lived. Because of this, he stutters out of fear when he comes
to speak things to those to whom this reality is foreign, his heart
naturally telling him that he will not completely succeed in his own
mission.<br /><br />But he who truly wants to be a King must be able to rule
like Moses rules when he applied the advice of Jethro. One must believe
that every one, when the task is thrust upon them, will find the
strength necessary to fulfill it; the identification with the one who
sends will awaken this strength. When one comes to lead those who are
far with an inner capacity that longs to lifts to them up and awaken in
them identification with their King, there must be readiness to 'risk it
all' for their hidden qualities, despite the limtiations of their
revealed dimension, for without this there is no need in a king who will
be exalted and elicit honor and awe; there could just as well be a
tyranny. The thirst for the rule of a King is precisely the thirst for
someone who will impart trust in the innermost, concealed point, forcing
it to appear and draw the entire personality after it. Surely this
entails great risk, and threfore there will be mistakes from time to
time, as the Zohar states regarding the verse 'that a leader sins'--
Will a leader surely sin? Yes, a leader surely sins!<br /><br />Moses sent
spies but apparently did not believe enough that they could transcend
themselves, that without him they could want to lead like him. And
because he did not believe in them, they too did not believe in him,
that he could too work outside of his own boundaries, and be filled with
real desire for the Life of Israel, full of vitality, physicality, and
engagement, the opposite of the equanimous, spiritual and unitary Life
of the desert.<br /><br />This is the meaning of: Send--by your own
judgment. For there can be no absolute commandment to appoint
messengers, for this would deny the freedom of choice of the one who
sends whether or not to believe in his messengers. Still, God did want
Moses to send them, and the command was God's desire for Moses to rule
from his own freedom and readiness to rule, rather than out of obedience
alone to the God's will. <br /><br />The paradox of being commanded by God to choose can be explained as follows: </span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Even though I am an entity on own, full
of validity, freedom, and power of decision, in all this, I am You, not
really separate at all, my Will is like Your Will, wherever you send me,
to the hidden stairways and depth of concealment, the essential truth
of my being--which appears so separate--is your Being; it only requires a
wise and enlightened being to discern that I am nothing but a Hint to
You, one who may approach my soul so as to redeem her. After Him we will
surely go! </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<span style="font-size: small;">
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><br />~ Adapted to English from Yiztchak Ginsburgh, <a href="http://www.pnimi.org.il/hebrew/Product.aspx?Product=90&Category=3"><u>Rucho Shel Mashiach: HaTkufa B'Re'i Ha'Chasidut</u></a> [The Spirit of Mashiach: The Contemporary Era in the Light of Chassidut], compiled by Yisrael Ariel, (c) 2004, pp. 193-199</span></i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-27825714328618156272012-03-02T04:58:00.000+02:002012-03-02T04:58:01.670+02:00The Power of Emunah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/DbubSDnafI4" width="420"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-18120807676669419962012-03-02T03:52:00.000+02:002012-03-02T04:08:40.829+02:00The Ratzon of Exile<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUV0X3H7e4hhZH3YkP_t59gv5ZW3O57ZRXWQvgoJSKVw9w3udsAX7scP50rmYFqSJzPcoG0OOzISBOhqdzSX49pdaG4P-SvQ45M4AZvIWDJxfLjep5x33xMOEpBR8Sysl5Fc384QujHdM/s1600/chagall+horse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaUV0X3H7e4hhZH3YkP_t59gv5ZW3O57ZRXWQvgoJSKVw9w3udsAX7scP50rmYFqSJzPcoG0OOzISBOhqdzSX49pdaG4P-SvQ45M4AZvIWDJxfLjep5x33xMOEpBR8Sysl5Fc384QujHdM/s320/chagall+horse.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">According to Rabbi Ezra of Girona, the deeper meaning of Jewish history is the transmission and revelation Torah's secrets. Rather than view exile as a catastrophe, from a Kabbalistic perspective, these periods are those in which the inner dimension of Torah is revealed as medicine for people in times of darkness.<br /><br />This spiral of Jewish history is encoded according to Rabbi Ezra of Girona in the Song of Songs:</span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;">Egyptian exile & redemption: Song of Songs 1:5-10</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> Giving <span class="text_exposed_show">of the Torah 1:10-14 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Building of the Tabernacle 1:15-2:8</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Desert Sojourns 2:9-3:4</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Solomon's Temple 3:6-5:1</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Babylonian Exile 5:2-3</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Second Temple 5:3-6:2</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Exile of Edom 6:3-8:12</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"> Future Redemption 8:13-14</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"><i><br /></i></span></span><i><span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The One Who dwells in the gardens--The companions listen for Your voice; O, that you make it heard to me! </span></i><br />
<i><br />Make haste, my Beloved, and be like to a gazelle or to a young hart upon the mountains of spices [for the gazelle, even when it runs away, always looks back..]</i><br />
<br />
<i>~ </i><br />
<i> </i></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">While the (first) <i>Beit Hamikdash</i> was being consumed
by flames, Assaf (one of the Levites who served in the Holy
Temple) was composing a psalm:</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span></span><br />
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">A song to Assaf:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
O G-d,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
Aliens have entered Your estate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
They have defiled Your Sanctuary</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: small;">
They have laid Jerusalem in heaps...<a href="http://www.meaningfullife.com/torah/holidays/11b/On_the_Non-Existence_of_Evil.php#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""></a></span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.meaningfullife.com/torah/holidays/11b/On_the_Non-Existence_of_Evil.php#_edn12" name="_ednref12" title=""></a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Midrash asks: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Should not the verse have said “a wail to Assaf,”
“a keen to Assaf,” “a lament to Assaf”?
Why does it say “a song to Assaf”? But this is analogous
to a king who built a nuptial home for his son, beautifully
plastered, inlaid and decorated. Then the son strayed off
to an evil life. So the king came to the nuptial canopy, tore
down the tapestries and broke the rails, upon which the prince's
tutor took a flute and began to play. Those who saw him asked:
“The king is overturning the nuptial canopy of his son,
and you sit and sing?” Said he to them: “I am singing
because the king overturned his son's nuptial canopy and did
not vent his wrath upon his son.” So, too, was asked
of Assaf: “G-d destroyed the Temple and Sanctuary, and
you sit and sing?” Replied he: “I am singing because
G-d vent His wrath upon wood and stone and did not vent his
wrath upon Israel.”</span></div>
</blockquote>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This is the ultimate level of perception of which we are
capable in <i>galut</i>: the understanding that despite how
terrible and tragic something is in our experience, we know
that there is a higher truth, a greater good which it serves.
We might eventually discover this greater good, or perhaps
never learn what it is; nevertheless, our faith in the goodness
of G-d enables us to bear the hardship and pain of the perceived
evil in our lives. But we are incapable of recognizing, or
even conceiving of, the intrinsic goodness of the “evil”
itself.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
But there will come a time when the veil of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">galut</i><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
will lift, when the divine essence of existence will shine
forth, unobscured by the shell of darkness that encases it
today. On that day we shall proclaim, “This, too, is
for good.” In the words of the prophet Isaiah, “I
shall thank You, G-d, for having afflicted me,”</span><a href="http://www.meaningfullife.com/torah/holidays/11b/On_the_Non-Existence_of_Evil.php#_edn14" name="_ednref14" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" title=""> </a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">for the quintessential goodness of the “affliction”
itself will be revealed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;" /><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><i style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Based on an address by the Rebbe, Av 20, 5711 (August 22,
1951), adapted by Yanki Tauber</i></span><br />
<br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-36878331991600766592012-03-02T03:17:00.001+02:002012-03-02T04:06:18.619+02:00"It is all for the good": Two Levels<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPBgnA8bXpDaz41W264eHP_Bsxz_TJBVuRX_1iEYUsuRweF49qVhrYFQ4FJqd1n71LKSQLxd_CdZmB6GEhyCDiF8AiZarEoj6T6Sq0wdIyiovnzssMTQuCtV0qkVPCal4TlHAFvP8a8g4/s1600/gamzu.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqPBgnA8bXpDaz41W264eHP_Bsxz_TJBVuRX_1iEYUsuRweF49qVhrYFQ4FJqd1n71LKSQLxd_CdZmB6GEhyCDiF8AiZarEoj6T6Sq0wdIyiovnzssMTQuCtV0qkVPCal4TlHAFvP8a8g4/s320/gamzu.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"></span></span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">Rabbi Akiva taught: A person should always say: “Everything that G-d
does, He does for the good.” Rabbi Akiva was once traveling, when he
arrived in a certain town. He asked for lodgings and was refused. Said
he: “Everything that G-d does, He does for the good,” and went to spend
the night in a field.<br /> <br /> He had with him a rooster, a donkey and a
lamp. A wind came and extinguished the lamp, a cat came and ate the
rooster, a lion came and ate the donkey. Said he: “Everything that G-d
does, He does for good.” That night, an army came and took the entire
town captive. Said Rabbi Akiva to his disciples: “Did I not tell you
that everything that G-d does, He does for good? If the lamp had been
lit, the army would have seen me; if the donkey would have brayed or the
rooster would have called, the army would have come and captured me."<br /> <br /> ~<br /> <br />
Why was he called Nachum Ish Gam Zu (“This Too”)? Because whatever
happened to him, he would say: “This too is for the good!” Once the Jews
wanted to send a gift to the Roman Emperor. “Who will go?” they asked.
“Let Nachum go, for he is well acquainted with miracles.” They sent
along with him a chest full of precious stones and pearls. On the way,
he stayed at an inn. During the night, the innkeepers took the contents
of the chest and filled it with earth. In the morning, when Nachum saw
what happened, he said: “This, too, is for good.”<br /> <br /> When he
arrived there, he gave the chest to the king. When the king saw that it
was filled with earth, he wanted to kill all the Jews and said: “The
Jews are mocking me!” Said Nachum: “This, too, is for good.”<br /> <br />
Elijah the Prophet appeared disguised as one of the king’s ministers and
said: “Perhaps this is the dust of their father Abraham, who would
throw dust that turned into spears and straw that turned into arrows?”
There was a country which the Roman armies could not conquer; they tried
the earth brought by Nachum and succeeded in conquering it. So they
took Nachum into the Emperor’s treasury, filled his chest with precious
stones and pearls, and sent him off with great honor.<br /> <br /> ~<br /> <br />
There is a significant difference between Rabbi Akiva’s experience and
that of Nachum Ish Gam Zu. Both reacted to seemingly negative events
with the confidence that G-d is doing them good rather than evil. But in
the case of Rabbi Akiva, the events themselves remained negative: he
was left without a roof over his head, in the dark, and he lost his
rooster and donkey. The value of these negative events was only that
they prevented a greater evil—falling into captivity. Seen in this
light, they do not constitute a calamity but a salvation. The fact
remains, however, that these experiences were not themselves good, only
the implements of good.<br /> <br /> This is the ultimate
level of perception of which we are capable in exile: the understanding
that despite how terrible and tragic something is in our experience, we
know that there is a higher truth, a greater good which it serves. We
might eventually discover this greater good, or perhaps never learn what
it is; nevertheless, our faith in the goodness of G-d enables us to
bear the hardship and pain of the perceived evil in our lives. But we
are incapable of recognizing, or even conceiving of, the intrinsic
goodness of the “evil” itself.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"> <br /> In the case of Nachum Ish Gam Zu, the
“negative” event itself was revealed as a positive occurrence. The earth
the thieves exchanged for the contents of his chest was more valuable
than what they took, achieving far more than would a simple gift of gems
to an emperor whose treasury was already filled with the same. The only
possibly negative element in the whole affair is the anxiety and fear a
person of lesser faith might have experienced; Nachum, of course,
experienced nothing of the sort, since at no time did he doubt that only
good transpires in G-d’s world. Upon waking in the morning and finding
the chest filled with earth, he proceeded to the palace to deliver his
gift, confident that all would be shown to have been for good. </span></span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}">There will come a time when
the veil of exile will lift, when the divine essence of existence will
shine forth, unobscured by the shell of darkness that encases it today.
On that day we shall proclaim, “This, too, is for good.” In the words of
the prophet Isaiah, “I shall thank You, G-d, for having afflicted me,”
for the quintessential goodness of the “affliction” itself will be
revealed.</span></span></h6>
<h6 class="uiStreamMessage" data-ft="{"type":1}" style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-weight: normal;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="messageBody" data-ft="{"type":3}"><br /> <br /> <i>Based on an address by the Rebbe, Av 20, 5711 (August 22, 1951), adapted by Yanki Tauber</i></span></span></h6>
<div style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span class="text_exposed_show"></span></span></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-69738064131080716142012-02-14T15:20:00.001+02:002012-02-14T15:20:10.304+02:0022 Shevat: Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka Yartzheit<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Here are two precious stories about Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka: </span><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">The Rebbetzin, Chaya Mushka,
loved flowers. On her 50th wedding anniversary, a women's organization
sent an extravagant bouquet of flowers to the Rebbetzin and included a
card with requests for blessings for women who were unable to have ch<span class="text_exposed_show">ildren.
The organization brought the flowers to the Rebbetzin, but took out the
card to take to the Rebbe. The Rebbe looked at the card and when he saw
that it was addressed to the Rebbetzin he said “this is addressed to my
wife; please take it to her.” The Rebbe was informed that these were
requests for blessings. So the Rebbe said, “she too can bless”. <br /> <br />
The Rebbe explained: In Chassidus there are two kinds of light, memale
kol almin and sovev kol almin, a light that fills the worlds and a light
that “surrounds” the worlds. When the Rebbe blesses his blessing are a
level of "memale," and a person has to do something in this world like a
good deed in order to get those blessing to manifest in this world.
When the Rebbetzin blesses, her blessings are on a level of sovev and
when she blesses a person does not even have to do anything and the
blessings materialize in the world. <br /><br />~</span></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span class="text_exposed_show"><br /> </span></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text">Rabbi Chessed Halberstam recounted the following story of an act of ahavas Yisrael of the Rebbetzin Chaya Mushka.<br /> <br /> The Rebbe instructed Chessed to take the Rebbetzin to the park, and she used to take bread and feed the birds. The park was i<span class="text_exposed_show">n Long Island and they would travel along the Long Island Expressway to get there.<br /> <br />
Once the highway was blocked off and they made a detour through the
local streets. The route was congested and the traffic moved very
slowly. As they were driving, they noticed a group of people gathered
outside a house and a number of people crying. After passing the house,
the Rebbetzin told Chessed that her father, the Previous Rebbe, told her
that everything one sees is by Divine Providence and she asked him to
return to the spot where the people had gathered.<br /> <br /> They
returned, and after a brief inquiry found out that a poor Russian family
was being evicted from their home because they were in arrears for the
rent.<br /> <br /> The Rebbetzin asked how much they were in arrears, and
the bailiff answered approximately $8000. The Rebbetzin asked the
bailiffs that if she would write a check for $8000, would they allow the
family to continue living in the apartment, and they answered in the
affirmative. The bailiff asked how he would know if the bank would honor
the check and the Rebbetzin told him to call the bank. He called and
the bank gave the approval. The Rebbetzin wrote out a check, gave it to
the bailiff, and asked him if the same men who took the furniture out of
the house could bring it back in. She then quickly took leave of the
scene before the family would recognize who their benefactress was. She
also instructed Chessed not to tell anyone about what had transpired.
Only after the passing of the Rebbetzin was the story revealed.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span class="text_exposed_show">Tehiyeh Zichra Baruch </span></span><br />
<span class="commentBody" data-jsid="text"><span class="text_exposed_show"> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-41329460189880715092012-02-10T12:14:00.000+02:002012-02-10T12:15:53.190+02:00Naturally Aware<h3 class="post-title entry-title" style="color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</h3>
<span style="color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="post-header" style="color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</div>
<span style="color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #d9d2e9; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn0CJLatkmJcLQ6fJt8b52slWdOlLJf0Xl4Y_btqrHZCXDF6friBzTp1Qi6B5OTWju1VUOgwfyCSDkEsxu9Wh66qanRn5PAIPaXNBgXfWL-0X2zJmuvFyP_P-BlKtg7Tkm-SLk6Sj2_s/s1600/deer.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidn0CJLatkmJcLQ6fJt8b52slWdOlLJf0Xl4Y_btqrHZCXDF6friBzTp1Qi6B5OTWju1VUOgwfyCSDkEsxu9Wh66qanRn5PAIPaXNBgXfWL-0X2zJmuvFyP_P-BlKtg7Tkm-SLk6Sj2_s/s320/deer.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="color: #d9d2e9;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.7506123028784232" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Naturally Aware: </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Developing Consciousness in Light of Kabbalah and Chassidut</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">adapted to English from the book ‘Natural Awareness’ by Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh © 5759 Israel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><u style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Introduction</span></u><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With
the arrival of Chassidut and the revelation of the way of the Ba’al
Shem Tov, the way that is equal to every soul, all of Israel can now
serve God in the way of ‘the world to come’. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Until
the Ba’al Shem Tov appeared, the world operated on rote. This world is
the illusory world--it appears to us that the world is a reality
separate from God. Therefore when we take action in a fallen and dark
reality such as this, a reality which is “mostly bad and slightly
good,” we must direct all our actions (and even every thought and
utterance) in order to separate and extract the revealed bad from the
hidden good, the illusion from the divine truth.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
is the work of “Sifting” through this world, which at the very basis is
done by strictly keeping the laws of the Torah, which create the
consciousness of a servant fulfilling the commands of his master, and
who has no relation of sense of belonging to the reality in which he
operates, rather it belongs completely to his master. So it is when we
operate from an awareness of a reality separate from Hashem, we do not
identify with the awareness from which the mitzvot derive, rather we do
what is commanded out of the innocence of a faithful servant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
halacha we see, that the essence of the work of Sifting is to remove
the waste from the edible, to remove the bad from the good. This is by
way of the verse: ‘Avoid evil and do good’ (Psalms 34), i.e. first, move
away from evil and thereby turn your attention away from the very
existence of evil in order to remove it and move away from it, and only
afterwards, after a person is ‘clean’ from evil, focus on the doing
good. For only in a clean and pure state will a person’s good actions
illuminate in the light of ‘it was good’.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
Ba’al Shem Tov introduced a new way: ‘Avoid evil and do good’ -- Move
away from evil; do not address it and do not become involved with it,
instead--’do good’--because through doing good, you will naturally and
truly avoid the evil that has already clung to you--avoid, i.e. clean
yourself, from evil precisely by doing good, for ‘A small amount of
light banishes a great amount of darkness’ (Tanya Ch. 12). One should
focus less on the reality of the existence of evil--because in these
generations, which are weak in relation to the former, we do not have
the strength to truly overcome the evil and cope with it head-on
(because of this we were given a “high road” from above)--and focus more
on the doing of good and the reality of good in every place, and in
every act in the world. The good of our holy Torah is the “essence of
good” (which has no corresponding evil) whose light is not dimmed by the
reality of evil, but rather has the power to completely banish and
nullify all negative reality. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This
interpretation of the Ba’al Shem, represents the transition from the
work of “Sifting” through this world, to the work of “Unifying” of the
world to come. According to the Baal Shem’s interpretation, a person has
to sift the good from the bad, to accentuate the good, because then the
evil self-nullifies and naturally falls away. From now on we are closer
to the secret of sweetening, to sweeten the essence of reality, to see
what until now was “illusory”, from the perspective of the world of
truth--to see God in each and every thing--there is no place devoid of
Him (Tikkunei Zohar 57). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
this perspective, God unites with his world completely, as Abraham
spread Godliness in the world: “And he called there in the name of
Havaya God-World [El Olam]”--“God-World” and not “God of the world,”
because He is not “God” of “the world” separate from him at its essence,
but rather “God World”--everything is truly One. When a person thinks,
speaks and performs all his actions from this perspecive, this is the
work of Unifying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Also
in the work of Unifying, in which Natural Awareness is key, there is a
unique order of Subduing, Separating, and Sweetening. Subduing is the
existential state of the soul in which it is aware of the lowliness of
the human being, and this is what prepares the soul to stand ‘empty’ and
ready for the flow of divine awareness into her. Separating in the work
of Unifying is the continuous concern with ‘beautifying the mitzvah’
that derives from love of Hashem and love of the mitzvah (which is not
identical to the stringencies of the mitzvot that derive from fear). On a
higher level, Separating is expressed by the desire of the soul to be
reunited back in her Creator, like Rebbe Akiva’s passion: “My whole
life, I was sorry over this verse ‘with all your soul’ -- even to the
point that he takes your soul. I said, when will this come to my hands,
that I can fulfill it?’ (Brachot 61b) The Sweetening of the work of
Unifying is the continuous concern with the revelation of divinity in
each and every thing in the world, as in the complete surrender of
Abraham to walk in the world from place to place and to call the name of
Havaya: God-World.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the work of Unifying, there are three stages: our current period,
during which the work of Unifying is to hasten the coming of Mashiach,
when the essence of the work is to awaken the upper arousal, interest
and desire from above to end the exile and transition to the period of
“the days of Mashiach.” This awakening, the arousal from above, awakens
by means of the Natural Awareness that searches after the root of Nature
and awakens it to realize that revealing Godliness is its own innermost
desire.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the period of “the days of Mashiach”, the essence of the work of
Unifying is to fulfill all the commandments as ‘commandments of your
desire,’ out of complete perfection, and out of the innermost and
highest intention of the miztvot, and thus to unify the world with its
creator, by revealing the great and special concern that God has for
each and every detail of reality, that he tailored a supernal
commandment and special intention, through which God’s light would be
revealed, precisely through a particular detail of reality. In this
work, the Natural Awareness is awareness of the divine nature of the
mitzvot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the time of the “Resurrection of the Dead”, the time during which the
commandments are nullified (see Tanya, Iggeret HaKodesh 26, quoted
later), the work of Unifying is concerned with Godliness Itself and the
unification and mating of the different levels and manifestations
through which God is revealed to us. The Natural Awareness of a person
concerns itself with awareness of God’s nature itself and the direct
relationship between God and us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">In
the work of Unifying, a person in all of his actions makes the
intention ‘for the unification of Kudsha Brich Hu [the Holy Blessed One]
and Shechintay [His Shekhinah]’, to nullify the illusory separation
between the holiness of God and His light, and the created reality. A
person’s intent in the mitzvot is not to sustain his own soul but rather
as a chasid fulfills them, ‘who is the Chasid, he who does Chesed with
his Creator -- with His nest’ (unifying the Creator [koneh] with the
Nest [ken=Shechinah], Tikkunei Zohar, Introduction).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
purpose of the work of sifting is to extract the diamond from the rough
(see Jeremiah 15:19), to sift and redeem from exile the 288 holy
sparks--the holy “souls”--who fell into reality during the “breaking of
the vessels”. In other words, to reveal and bring to light the points of
good and truth that are hidden deep within each and every thing in the
world, even though it may seem “bad” from a superficial view. A
redemption like this, is akin to ‘leaving Egypt’, the exodus of the
children of Israel (the holy souls--holy sparks--who were buried in 49
gates of impurity) from the nakedness of the land (Genesis 42), the
place of impurity and pollution. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">On
the other hand, the work of Unifying is akin to the arrival in the
Promised Land, the Land of Israel, “the land which Havaya your God
desires, the eyes of Havaya are always on her” (Deuteronomy 11). Here
“the air of the land of Israel awakens” a person to see God and His
personal hashgacha (providence) over every thing. Here it is revealed
that God is everything, and everything is God. Here there are no longer
any sparks held hostage in the lower material realms, rather, after
being sifted and separated from the bad, they have become like
messengers here to elevate the world entirely and to merge it back with
God. This is the awareness of the true and complete redemption by our
Messiah (may it be speedily in our days).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The
way of the Ba’al Shem Tov fulfills the p’shat of the verse “Know Him in
all your ways” (Ecclesiastes 3:6), that even permitted things (i.e.
non-commanded activites such as eating, drinking, sleeping) be included
in the service of God, and a person should know God in each and every
experience that divine providence brings him. This way enables a person
to arrive at cleaving to and continuous knowing of the Creator. Serving
God in this way is the complete and encompassing service that is called
in Kabbalah ‘the work of Unifcations’. [This is what Mashiach told the
Ba’al Shem Tov when he ascended to heaven on Rosh Hashana. The Besht
askd, When will the master come? Mashiach answered, I will come when
everyone is able to do the unifications that you perform; i.e. when the
work of Unifying (rather than sifting) becomes the normative, popular
and known way of serving God].</span><br />
</div>
<div style="color: #d9d2e9;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">To purchase the Hebrew version of this book click <a href="http://www.pnimi.org.il/hebrew/Product.aspx?Product=76&Category=3">here</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span></div>
<div style="color: #d9d2e9;">
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 15px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-47277805121223351522012-01-10T23:23:00.002+02:002012-01-10T23:23:15.962+02:00Indonesia earthquake and tsunami warning<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="374" id="ep" width="416"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" />
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<embed src="http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed_edition&videoId=world/2012/01/10/delgado-sumatra-tsunami-quake.cnn" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="416" wmode="transparent" height="374"></embed></object></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-87304146986587924912011-10-30T12:27:00.002+02:002011-10-30T12:27:27.814+02:00Oprah visits a mikvah<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last week, Oprah visited Crown Heights, Borough Park and Brooklyn Heights for an episode of her new sho<i>w, Oprah's Next Chapter</i>. She was <a href="http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/brooklyn/shul_girl_oprah_3EGDmgFFm3Q5mq3xRYqYfJ">given a tour of a Brooklyn Heights mikvah</a> by Chabad women, enjoyed a meal with two Chasidic families, and discussed communal affairs with local women.<br />
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<a href="http://www.oprah.com/own/blog_detail.html?eid=208099422&bid=7#ixzz1cG9g7zsc"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Oprah's new show</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> will premiere in January on her network OWN. The show features "revealing interviews and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, from the ends of the big, beautiful earth to her own backyard."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-70708717510232255692011-10-11T21:47:00.004+02:002011-10-11T21:47:51.563+02:00GILAD -- HOME FOR SUKKOS B"H<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vUxTRrG3EyytfGP6hJx6zxTPqCJNcapCwo4bsgbS5i0fCF0brdjevEzUE1zRL8gyCSvE0nHU9XYK-cBBD84xzVLwklJ6ExKeB9TnCxSTa7s1cAUWsCqS7yiUchqXBJwwLp5JaP37jgUU/s1600/Picture+17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3vUxTRrG3EyytfGP6hJx6zxTPqCJNcapCwo4bsgbS5i0fCF0brdjevEzUE1zRL8gyCSvE0nHU9XYK-cBBD84xzVLwklJ6ExKeB9TnCxSTa7s1cAUWsCqS7yiUchqXBJwwLp5JaP37jgUU/s320/Picture+17.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!</div>
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GILAD IS COMING HOME FOR SUKKOT B"H!!!</div>
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MAY THIS BE THE FIRST OF A QUICKENING SERIES OF MIRACLES HERALDING THE FULL REDEMPTION OF AM YISRAEL!!!</div>
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And may this Sukkot be a time of truly unbounded joy, because through the unbounded joy of Sukkot we can access the unbounded joy of the messianic era. The Shalit family knows a bit what this feels like right now...</div>
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CHAG SAMEACH!</div>
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<b>ושמחת בחגך והיית אך שמח</b></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-52331626735951529072011-10-11T21:11:00.002+02:002011-10-11T21:43:39.062+02:00Deal for Shalit release now on the table<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink9zg49vP21WOLzfZyodjoa1xsjyYO6hYLbhTTf7c-7P4ylBQoely80gemgFmVzyG49CLM1oFLayV7NMEuQGmTKzRrHeoNbkmtAV3GomaVq5sqzxf_-vG26NFsvFsQh1TFSOblLQeUe1o/s1600/mount.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEink9zg49vP21WOLzfZyodjoa1xsjyYO6hYLbhTTf7c-7P4ylBQoely80gemgFmVzyG49CLM1oFLayV7NMEuQGmTKzRrHeoNbkmtAV3GomaVq5sqzxf_-vG26NFsvFsQh1TFSOblLQeUe1o/s320/mount.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Shana tova to my fellow geulah bloggers and readers! </div>
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With the onset of 5772 we have received a ray of sunlight of good news (yes, this blog may be known for doomsday posts, but who knows, maybe this will change in 5772?)...Israel and Hamas are said to have <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-hamas-reach-gilad-shalit-prisoner-exchange-deal-officials-say-1.389404">reached a deal</a> that will secure the RELEASE OF GILAD SHALIT B"H. The deal is part of a "brief window of opportunity" on the background of changes across the Arab world. As with previous deals, this will entail the release of prisoners by Israel as well, although this deal includes the most strict requirements yet for the exile of prisoners from Israel and the West Bank (although some may return to Gaza - Israeli press). The Israeli cabinet is meeting now (Tuesday 8 p.m. Israel time) to vote on the deal.<br />
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You may want to take this time to read the verses of Psalm 119 that spell Gilad's Hebrew name. When praying for Gilad's release keep in mind that Hashem is capable of anything and everything...and that we pray for the <b><u>immediate, unconditional</u></b> release of Gilad! You may want to visualize Gilad sitting in the sukkah with his family...talk about the unbounded joy of Sukkot!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">גְּמֹל עַל-עַבְדְּךָ אֶחְיֶה; וְאֶשְׁמְרָה דְבָרֶךָ.<br />גַּל-עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה-- נִפְלָאוֹת, מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ.<br />גֵּר אָנֹכִי בָאָרֶץ; אַל-תַּסְתֵּר מִמֶּנִּי, מִצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />גָּרְסָה נַפְשִׁי לְתַאֲבָה-- אֶל-מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ בְכָל-עֵת.<br />גָּעַרְתָּ, זֵדִים אֲרוּרִים-- הַשֹּׁגִים, מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />גַּל מֵעָלַי, חֶרְפָּה וָבוּז: כִּי עֵדֹתֶיךָ נָצָרְתִּי.<br />גַּם יָשְׁבוּ שָׂרִים, בִּי נִדְבָּרוּ-- עַבְדְּךָ, יָשִׂיחַ בְּחֻקֶּיךָ.<br />גַּם-עֵדֹתֶיךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי-- אַנְשֵׁי עֲצָתִי.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה-- דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם.<br />לְדֹר וָדֹר, אֱמוּנָתֶךָ; כּוֹנַנְתָּ אֶרֶץ, וַתַּעֲמֹד.<br />לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, עָמְדוּ הַיּוֹם: כִּי הַכֹּל עֲבָדֶיךָ.<br />לוּלֵי תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי-- אָז, אָבַדְתִּי בְעָנְיִי.<br />לְעוֹלָם, לֹא-אֶשְׁכַּח פִּקּוּדֶיךָ: כִּי בָם, חִיִּיתָנִי.<br />לְךָ-אֲנִי, הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי: כִּי פִקּוּדֶיךָ דָרָשְׁתִּי.<br />לִי קִוּוּ רְשָׁעִים לְאַבְּדֵנִי; עֵדֹתֶיךָ, אֶתְבּוֹנָן.<br />לְכָל-תִּכְלָה, רָאִיתִי קֵץ; רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">עָשִׂיתִי, מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק; בַּל-תַּנִּיחֵנִי, לְעֹשְׁקָי.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב; אַל-יַעַשְׁקֻנִי זֵדִים.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">עֵינַי, כָּלוּ לִישׁוּעָתֶךָ; וּלְאִמְרַת צִדְקֶךָ.<br />עֲשֵׂה עִם-עַבְדְּךָ כְחַסְדֶּךָ; וְחֻקֶּיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.<br />עַבְדְּךָ-אָנִי הֲבִינֵנִי; וְאֵדְעָה, עֵדֹתֶיךָ.<br />עֵת, לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיהוָה-- הֵפֵרוּ, תּוֹרָתֶךָ.<br />עַל-כֵּן, אָהַבְתִּי מִצְוֹתֶיךָ-- מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז.<br />עַל-כֵּן, כָּל-פִּקּוּדֵי כֹל יִשָּׁרְתִּי; כָּל-אֹרַח שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">דָּבְקָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשִׁי; חַיֵּנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.<br />דְּרָכַי סִפַּרְתִּי, וַתַּעֲנֵנִי; לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.<br />דֶּרֶךְ-פִּקּוּדֶיךָ הֲבִינֵנִי; וְאָשִׂיחָה, בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ.<br />דָּלְפָה נַפְשִׁי, מִתּוּגָה; קַיְּמֵנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.<br />דֶּרֶךְ-שֶׁקֶר, הָסֵר מִמֶּנִּי; וְתוֹרָתְךָ חָנֵּנִי.<br />דֶּרֶךְ-אֱמוּנָה בָחָרְתִּי; מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ שִׁוִּיתִי.<br />דָּבַקְתִּי בְעֵדְוֹתֶיךָ; יְהוָה, אַל-תְּבִישֵׁנִי.<br />דֶּרֶךְ-מִצְוֹתֶיךָ אָרוּץ: כִּי תַרְחִיב לִבִּי.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ-- לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.<br />בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ; אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ-- לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.<br />בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה-- לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.<br />בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי-- כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.<br />בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי-- כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.<br />בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה; וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע; לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ; וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי.<br />נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּמָה-- לִשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.<br />נַעֲנֵיתִי עַד-מְאֹד; יְהוָה, חַיֵּנִי כִדְבָרֶךָ.<br />נִדְבוֹת פִּי, רְצֵה-נָא יְהוָה; וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.<br />נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד; וְתוֹרָתְךָ, לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי.<br />נָתְנוּ רְשָׁעִים פַּח לִי; וּמִפִּקּוּדֶיךָ, לֹא תָעִיתִי.<br />נָחַלְתִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם: כִּי-שְׂשׂוֹן לִבִּי הֵמָּה.<br />נָטִיתִי לִבִּי, לַעֲשׂוֹת חֻקֶּיךָ-- לְעוֹלָם עֵקֶב.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי-דָרֶךְ-- הַהֹלְכִים, בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה.<br />אַשְׁרֵי, נֹצְרֵי עֵדֹתָיו; בְּכָל-לֵב יִדְרְשׁוּהוּ.<br />אַף, לֹא-פָעֲלוּ עַוְלָה; בִּדְרָכָיו הָלָכוּ.<br />אַתָּה, צִוִּיתָה פִקֻּדֶיךָ-- לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד.<br />אַחֲלַי, יִכֹּנוּ דְרָכָי-- לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֶּיךָ.<br />אָז לֹא-אֵבוֹשׁ-- בְּהַבִּיטִי, אֶל-כָּל-מִצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />אוֹדְךָ, בְּיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב-- בְּלָמְדִי, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.<br />אֶת-חֻקֶּיךָ אֶשְׁמֹר; אַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי עַד-מְאֹד.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ-- לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.<br />בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ; אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ-- לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.<br />בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה-- לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.<br />בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי-- כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.<br />בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי-- כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.<br />בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה; וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע; לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">יָדֶיךָ עָשׂוּנִי, וַיְכוֹנְנוּנִי; הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶלְמְדָה מִצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />יְרֵאֶיךָ, יִרְאוּנִי וְיִשְׂמָחוּ: כִּי לִדְבָרְךָ יִחָלְתִּי.<br />יָדַעְתִּי יְהוָה, כִּי-צֶדֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ; וֶאֱמוּנָה, עִנִּיתָנִי.<br />יְהִי-נָא חַסְדְּךָ לְנַחֲמֵנִי-- כְּאִמְרָתְךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ.<br />יְבֹאוּנִי רַחֲמֶיךָ וְאֶחְיֶה: כִּי-תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי.<br />יֵבֹשׁוּ זֵדִים, כִּי-שֶׁקֶר עִוְּתוּנִי; אֲנִי, אָשִׂיחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ.<br />יָשׁוּבוּ לִי יְרֵאֶיךָ; וידעו (וְיֹדְעֵי), עֵדֹתֶיךָ.<br />יְהִי-לִבִּי תָמִים בְּחֻקֶּיךָ-- לְמַעַן, לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ-- לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.<br />בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ; אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְוֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ-- לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.<br />בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה-- לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.<br />בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי-- כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.<br />בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי-- כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.<br />בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה; וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.<br />בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע; לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ; וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב.<br />הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ; וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל-לֵב.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: David;">הַדְרִיכֵנִי, בִּנְתִיב מִצְוֹתֶיךָ: כִּי-בוֹ חָפָצְתִּי.<br />הַט-לִבִּי, אֶל-עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ; וְאַל אֶל-בָּצַע.<br />הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי, מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא; בִּדְרָכֶךָ חַיֵּנִי.<br />הָקֵם לְעַבְדְּךָ, אִמְרָתֶךָ-- אֲשֶׁר, לְיִרְאָתֶךָ.<br />הַעֲבֵר חֶרְפָּתִי, אֲשֶׁר יָגֹרְתִּי: כִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ טוֹבִים.<br />הִנֵּה, תָּאַבְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶיךָ; בְּצִדְקָתְךָ חַיֵּנִי.</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-57087132964102116872011-09-23T13:11:00.001+03:002011-09-23T16:38:43.520+03:00A day of violence in the West Bank<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<i><b>Kiryat Arba</b></i><br />
Shortly before noon on Friday there was a <a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148212#.TnxncK4T3uE">car accident between an Israeli car and a Palestinian youth</a> on Road 60, near Kiryat Arba. In the accident, the Palestinian youth was severely injured. Following the incident, Arabs gathered at the site and began to riot and attack police officers who arrived at the scene. Despite arrests and attempts to quiet the riots, the Arabs continued to exert violence on police officers, who began to shoot rubber bullets on the rioters, until the crowd eventually dispersed. Israeli security forces are concerned that the security situation is highly volatile leading up to Abu Mazen's speech at the UN this evening.<br />
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<i><b>Har Gilo</b></i><br />
1:30 p.m.: Dozens of Arabs are presently rioting by the separation fene near Har Gilo. Israel army forces are on the other side of the fence to prevent a breach. No injures have been reported (<a href="http://www.hnn.co.il/rss_news_article85234.html">HNN Hebrew article</a>)<br />
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<b><i>Qalandia checkpoint (near Ramallah)</i></b></div>
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2 p.m.: Masked Arabs are throwing rocks at Israeli security forces at the Qalandia security checkpoint.<br />
4 p.m. Hundreds of Arabs demonstrated at Qalandia and threw stones at security forces, who responded with crowd control measures. </div>
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<b><i>Gilo </i></b><br />
2:10p.m.: Palestinian security forces report that dozens of Palestinian youths are assembling at a checkpoint in Gilo<br />
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<b><i>Shilo</i></b><br />
Dozens of Shilo area Jewish residents arrived at Eli Ayin mount to protest the recent evacuation of the settlement by the Israeli army. Simultaneously, <i>nearly 1,000 Arabs </i>from the village of Kutzra are marching towards the area with Palestinian flags, and the local Muazin (Muslim call to prayer) is calling for Arabs to confront the group of Jews. At present Israeli army forces are standing between the two groups, attempting to disperse the Jewish protestors. (<a href="http://www.hakolhayehudi.co.il/?p=15533">HaKol HaYehudi Hebrew article</a>)<br />
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<b><i>Chalchul</i></b><br />
<a href="http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/148218#.TnyI0a4T3uE">A man in his 30's and a baby were killed after their vehicle overturned</a> on Route 60 near Hebron on Friday afternoon. While police are claiming it was a traffic accident, initial reports from residents who arrved at the scene informed the press that a stone was thrown at the vehicle and caused the accident.<br />
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<i>This is a summary of events until 4:45 p.m. Israel time. We will pick up again on Saturday night. Shabbat Shalom to all. </i><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-6707818491673507602011-09-21T18:33:00.000+03:002011-10-27T00:28:31.524+02:00Obama's UN address + live webcast<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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From <a href="http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/2011/09/president-obama-at-united-nations.html">Obama's remarks at the UN General Assembly</a>:<br />
<blockquote>
<i>The Palestinian people deserve a state of their own, but ... a genuine peace can only be realized between the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves</i></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><i>America's commitment to Israel's security is unshakable, our friendship with Israel is deep and enduring ... Israel is surrounded by neighbors that have waged repeated wars against them. Israel's citizens have been killed by rockets fired on their houses and bombs on their buses</i></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote>
<i>Peace will not come through statements and resolutions at the U.N. If it were that easy, it would have been accomplished by now </i></blockquote>
You can watch the UN General Assembly debates live here: http://www.un.org/webcast<br />
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-24710181608062637802011-09-21T00:28:00.004+03:002011-09-21T00:47:19.887+03:00A guide to the Palestinian statehood bid: for, against, and undecided<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state is ultimately the creation of another Gaza or northern Lebanon in the heart of Israel. When Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza and northern Lebanon, the respective territory became not a basis for an entity that could develop healthy economic, political and social relations with Israel, but rather fertile ground for shooting rockets deeper into Israeli territory and infiltrating its borders to commit acts of violence on civilians--official strategic policies advanced by parties that were <i>democratically elected</i>, i.e. supported by the population, in the case of Gaza.<br />
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Moreover, as 45 years have passed since the said territory was won by Israel in a war they did not want (keep in mind: Palestinians, along with Jordan, Egypt, Syria, and Lebanon were enemies of Israel prior to 1967, when Israel had those dreamy pre-67 borders), the West Bank is now home to nearly one million Israelis, who have since built vibrant and extensive infrastructure, cities, schools, transportation systems, community centers and agriculture. In the present security context, the declaration of a Palestinian state outside of the context of a peace agreement with Israel is a declaration of war on a sovereign country.<br />
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In the days leading up to Abbas' formal application for UN membership at the UN this Friday, Israeli and Palestinian officials are busy tallying up pledges by countries to vote for and against the bid. The potential upcoming and critical votes on the matter, and the expected outcomes, are as follows:<br />
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<b>UN Security council vote</b><br />
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<b></b>On Friday, September 23, Mahmoud Abbas will submit the membership application to the UN Secretary General after his address to the General Assembly. Still, the UN Security Council vote on the bid may be <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-un-vote-on-palestinian-statehood-might-be-delayed-for-weeks-1.385632">delayed for several weeks</a>. If a vote should happen, the bid would require a majority of 9 out of 15 votes in favor in order to pass. As it stands, out of the 15 members of the UN so-called Security Council, six or seven have pledged to support the Palestinian bid. Palestinian foreign minister Raid Malki said that officials are now busy trying to <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-need-just-two-more-security-council-votes-in-bid-for-statehood-1.385604">convince two or three more members</a> in favor of accepting Palestine as a member state.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Permanent members</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">: The UN security council is composed of five permanent members: China, France, Russia, Britain and the US. Britain and France have thus far not announced an official position, although have said that Palestinians </span><a href="http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/b5d19ad6-e3af-11e0-bd3d-00144feabdc0.html#axzz1YWdRifsj"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">should approach the EU rather than the UN</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">. China and Russia are likely to support the bid. </span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Non-permanent members</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">: In addition to the five permanent members, the General Assembly periodically elects ten non-permanent members, who take part in the council for two-year terms. The current non-permanent members and their position on the bid are as follows:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">In favor (6): </span><a href="http://en.mercopress.com/2011/09/19/brazil-reiterates-it-will-defend-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-at-the-un"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Brazil</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">, </span><a href="http://ruchoshelmashiach.blogspot.com/2011/09/69-earthquake-hits-india.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">India</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">, Lebanon, </span><a href="http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/311723"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">South Africa</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;"> (China, Russia)</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Against (2): </span><a href="http://nvonews.com/2011/09/13/germany-oppose-palestinian-statehood-quest-at-un/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Germany</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;"> (US)</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Will abstain (1): </span><a href="http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/19058-colombia-will-abstain-from-un-vote-on-palestinian-statehood.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Colombia</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Undecided (6=have not yet made an official announcement, as of 9/20): Portugal, Bosnia, Nigeria, </span><a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4125070,00.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Gabon</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;"> (Britain, France)</span></blockquote>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">[Note: as a result of Palestinian pressure, YNet reports that </span><a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4124976,00.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;">Gabon and Nigeria are set to endorse</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cfe2f3;"> the bid, although no formal announcement has been made]</span></blockquote>
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In other words, the fate of Israel could lie in the hands of a West African nation most people never new existed, with a population of 1.5 million.<br />
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<b><br /></b><br />
<b>General Assembly vote</b><br />
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<b></b>If Gabon and Nigeria indeed endorse the bid, and if Palestinians (h"v) enlist the support of either Portugal, Nigeria or Bosnia (<a href="http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4124976,00.html">this article says Portugal is likely to endorse</a>), amounting to a majority in the Security Council, then the US will most likely be forced to use its veto power to kill the motion.</div>
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However, this still leaves the Palestinians with the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20064778-503544.html">option of going to the General Assembly</a>, by invoking Resolution 377, which states that if the Security Council fails to exercise its responsibility for the "maintenance of international peace and security," the General Assembly can in effect bypass the Security Council decision. Legal experts have emphasized that the wording of the resolution does not have the backing of international law, but Israeli officials are not taking chances.</div>
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Should the Palestinians go to the General Assembly after facing a US veto, they would require two-thirds of 193 votes in order for the membership bid to pass.<br />
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Some are warning that the Palestinians may bypass the Security Council entirely and head straight for the General Assembly, should their chances there be better. </div>
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<b>Indonesia</b></div>
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This is where countries like Indonesia come into the picture. And specifically, efforts by countries like Indonesia to not only back the bid, but lobby other countries to support it.<br />
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On Tuesday, after a meeting with Kazakhstani and Portugese officials, Indonesia's foreign minister announced that the country is <a href="http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/indonesia-an-enthusiastic-ally-for-palestines-un-aspirations/466653">actively seeking opportunities to ensure Palestine's bid</a> for UN membership.<br />
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Also on Tuesday, Indonesian officials upgraded the status of the <a href="http://www.myweathertech.com/2011/09/20/residents-evacuated-as-mount-tambora-volcano-activity-increases/">Mount Tambora volcano to Level 3</a>, after volcano activity increased, raising the risk of the emission of toxic gas to neighboring villages, and forcing evacuations of these areas.<br />
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The Mount Tambora volcano was responsible for the largest and deadliest volcanic eruption in history, in April 1815, in which nearly 100,000 people were killed.<br />
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In April, Tambora showed signs of awakening. In August, it made headlins for spewing thick white smoke into the sky.<br />
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Throughout the month of September, earthquake activity has increased.<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074243764566306695.post-79228373561635578632011-09-20T14:10:00.002+03:002011-09-20T14:10:43.565+03:00Suspected terror attack in Turkey<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A <a href="http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/report-suspected-bomb-explosion-rocks-turkish-capital-dozens-wounded-1.385571">bomb went off in downtown Ankara</a> on Wednesday morning, injuring at least 27 people. Turkish officials reported that the blast occurred in a minibus. Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc told Turkish television that the blast was <a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gc87v8Rix-w_1ILO0gSoDKAfLWVg?docId=CNG.509a4614df7925ab8f3fd1456a854ac2.71">caused by a bomb</a> that was planted in a vehicle. <br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0