New Video! Earthquakes, Elenin and the Land of Israel

My first YouTube video:



Please like this video and comment on Youtube if you feel so inclined (so far there are far too many anti-Israel comments)!

Australian insurers: Overflowing rivers are not floods

Some Australian insurers have informed customers that while their policies cover flash floods and storm water damage, an overflowing river is not defined as a flood, according to Monsters and Critics.

Did the rivers swell on their own?

Massive fish kill off of New South Wales coast

A massive fish kill that has been ongoing since early January has affected a wide cross section of estuarine and reef species, including mullet, flathead, luderick, whiting, catfish, angel sharks, and rock cod. Tourists and residents of Callala Bay, Hare Bay and Red Rock have reported thousands of dead and dying fish on beaches and shallow water.

Psychologically unstable anti-Semite receives gun license in Australia

JTA reports:

A Holocaust denier who believes there is a Jewish conspiracy to eliminate other races received a gun license in Australia, despite being deemed a possible security risk.

Darryl Potts, an elevator technician at Parliament House in Canberra, had his pistol license revoked in 2009 by New South Wales police after he expressed white supremacy views.



But the New South Wales Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled this week that even though Potts may hold offensive views, he is entitled to a firearms license -- despite a psychiatrist's assessment that he had the potential “to put public safety at risk.” Potts told the tribunal that he did not believe 6 million Jews were killed in the Holocaust.

Manny Waks, the president of the Jewish community in the capital, told JTA that “This is a concerning development for the Australian Capital Territory Jewish community. Based on the media reports, here we have a virulent anti-Semite who has been assessed by a psychiatrist as having the potential to put public safety at risk, possibly in legal possession of a firearm.

“It is no surprise that a number of community members, myself included, are concerned about this," he said. "We certainly view Mr. Potts as a potential threat to our community.”
Some 600 Jews live in Canberra.

Chabad in Canberra to open a new mikvah

(source: lubavitch.com)

As Australia is experiencing the worst floods in its history, the Chabad in its capital city will open a new mikvah (Jewish ritual immersion pool) in February.

From crowneights.info:

After more than half a century with no rabbi, no Jewish school or kosher butcher in town, Canberra’s 2000 Jews are beginning to see change.

One of the first projects that Rabbi Dan and Naomi Avital launched when they opened a Chabad center in Australia’s capital city, in March 2009, was the construction of a mikvah. For a community that has been lacking the basics, says Rabbi Avital, it’s imperative to start from the beginning.

“A mikvah is what a Jewish community needs most. It’s the first thing that must be built. That’s the foundation and it’s essential for the infrastructure of a Jewish community.”

For local women who were making the three hour trip to Sydney for the nearest mikvah, Canberra’s new mikvah will make life a whole lot easier. What’s more, the Avitals expect that many additional women for whom the three hour trip was too much, will also begin using Mikvah Chaya Mushka Canberra. Naomi Avital, director of Mikvah Chaya Mushka who will be teaching classes on the laws and traditions of the mikvah, says that 15 women have already expressed an interest using the mikvah.

“By exploring the spirituality and importance of the mikvah in the new classes, we’ll hope to remove stereotypes and any fears about the mikvah,” she says.

The new mikvah will be formally opened in February by US Ambassador Jeff Bleich. The elegant, state-of-the-art ritual bath was co-sponsored by Eliezer Kornhauser, a Melbourne based developer and a major supporter of Chabad activities in Canberra.

Australia calls for a halt to settlement building

On Tuesday, Australia and Britain called on Israel to halt settlement building. The remarks were made at a summit between British Foreign Secretary William Hague, his Australian counterpart Kevin Rudd and Australian defence ministers Liam Fox and Stephen Smith. “Our joint belief (is) that the parties involved should return to direct talks and refrain from acts that undermine confidence such as settlement building,” Hague said.

Oprah's Biggest Career Failure

On tonight's premiere of CNN's Piers Morgan Tonight, Oprah is asked to describe her biggest career failure. Rather than use the opportunity to apologize for her controversial 1989 show on devil worship, parts of which are used today online by anti-Semitic hate groups, she uses her camera time to describe the depression she experienced after the flop of her movie 'Beloved', which led to a 'macaroni-and-cheese-eating tailspin'.

In 1989, Oprah had no shame in giving a platform to a Jewish woman, suffering from mental illness, who claimed her family had been involved in "human sacrifice rituals" and "worshiping the devil" in since the 1700's. "There are other Jewish families across the country, not just my own family," the woman said on broadcast television, completely unchallenged or fact-checked by the host, either during or after the interview.

When the show aired, the Anti Defamation League criticized Oprah for irresponsibly allowing a woman to broadcast the blood libel on the basis of "recovered memories."

Today, clips from the show are used on Twitter and YouTube by anti-Semitic hate groups.

Initially, the show's producer defended the show by pointing out the woman's mental illness, as recounted in sections from Kitty Kelley's Oprah: A Biography (Crown Archetype, 2010):

“We are aware that the show has struck a nerve,” said Jeff Jacobs, then COO of Harpo Productions. He pointed out to the press that Oprah had said on the air that “Rachel” was one particular person talking about her particular situation. “And she was identified at the top of the show as being mentally disturbed,” he added, not commenting on why such a person would be allowed on the show in the first place.

Dangers of a boycott surfaced, and Oprah eventually met with a select group of Jewish leaders to tame the uproar. Oprah eventually released the following statement:

“We recognize that The Oprah Winfrey Show on May 1 could have contributed to the perpetuation and historical misconceptions and canards about Jews, and we regret any harm may have been done. We are aware of community and group sensibilities and will make every effort to ensure that our program will reflect that concern.”

Nevertheless, Oprah refused to make an apology on her show or publicly comment on the program or the statements.

In the words of Phil Baum, associate director of the American Jewish Congress:

It’s an inadequate response to the harm that may have been done on that broadcast. It’s not our sensitivities she ought to be concerned about. It’s a question of the integrity of her show. This apology cannot possibly reach anything like the people [7,680,000 homes, according to the A.C. Nielsen Company] who were exposed to these statements.

Recently, during her 'Ultimate Australian Adventure', Oprah made comments referring to the larger-than-life power of her show:

"I have the biggest mouth on earth and the biggest platform, aren’t you glad I like it [referring to Australia]? When we do cooking shows and people might do something I don’t like, I just say I don’t like it."

Still, Oprah and her producers seems to think irresponsibly airing a message charged with centuries of bigotry does not deserve a formal apology.

Oprah in Australia: Avoda Zara?

Oprah at her 50th birthday party / Alan Light

Coverage of Oprah's Ultimate Australian adventure', in which Oprah brought 300 US guests to tour Australia and film four shows out of her final season, reveals an inordinate degree of 'Oprah-worship':

• Australia spent $5 million to bring Oprah to Australia

• Sydney's landmark opera house was re-named the "Oprah House" for the filming

• BBC's Nick Bryant: "Her eight-day tour has felt like a presidential, papal and royal visit all rolled into one."

• Australia's Herald Sun: "If it was even possible, 6,000 of her dearest fans who gathered to worship her on the steps of the Sydney "Oprah" House for her first show this morning, found more love in their hearts for their hero. Oprah grooved her way through the audience onto centre stage to the beat of I Come From The Land Down Under, her bright orange dress swaying in the wind, opening the show with an obligatory chant of 'Aussie Aussie Aussie, Oi Oi Oi.' It was church, Oprah style. The object of worship? A much-loved TV icon, all smiles and full of words of affection. The congregation? Screaming Oprah-files, the lucky 6,000 who beat 350,000 others to score tickets to her first of two tapings. Another 6,000 will see her second show this afternoon."

• Oprah, in her final words to the camera: "This experience for me and my 300 guests has been of a divine order, really heaven sent. We thank you. We thank you for your open faces, we thank you for teaching us it much better to work to live rather than live to work. Thank you for teaching us how to do it."

• Oprah: "I have made myself an official ambassador of Australia and I have a big mouth and a big platform. It is immeasurable what four hours of a love festival about your country, broadcast in 145 countries around the world can do." She vowed to share Australia's 'open faces' ("There’s a sense of openness and warmth I haven’t seen in any other country") with her global audience: "I have the biggest mouth on earth and the biggest platform, aren’t you glad I like it? When we do cooking shows and people might do something I don’t like, I just say I don’t like it."

• Oprah told the audience she now understands why they call Australia 'Oz.': "Because it truly is at the end of the yellow brick road. After being here a week, I know this. I love Australia."

• An audience member: "Oprah made me the person I am today. She is my inspiration."

• The Herald Sun:"Another fan in the audience said she had skipped her child's sixth grade graduation to be at the Sydney show."

  לָמָּה, רָגְשׁוּ גוֹיִם; וּלְאֻמִּים, יֶהְגּוּ-רִיק

Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain? (Tehillim 2:1)

Water, Flooding and Mashiach

A big wave crashing in Santa Cruz, CA / Mila Zinkova

 Exodus 1:8-10



A new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Rashi (11th-century commentator) on the phrase 'A new king': Rav and Shmuel [differed in their interpretation]. One said [the king himself was] really new, and one said his decrees were new.

rsm: Brazil and Australia, two nations recently hit by major flooding, are led by two newly-elected leaders, both of whom come in the footsteps of a past leader who was infamously anti-Israel. Brazil's Lula recently established the first Palestinian embassy in Brazil. Australia's Rudd left a deep diplomatic divide between Australia and Israel.

He said to his people: 'Behold, the people of the children of Israel are greater and stronger than we are. Let us outwit him, lest he multiply; if a war occurs, he too will join our enemies and fight against us, and depart from the land.

Rashi on the phrase 'Outwit him': [Him refers to] the nation. [As in] be witty regarding what to do to him. Our sages taught, let us outwit the savior of Israel, by judging them with water, for He has already sworn that He will not flood the world [again] (but they did not understand that He swore He would not bring a flood upon the whole world, but He will bring one on one nation).

 rsm: Major flooding is occurring now in Brazil, Australia, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. In Brazil, over 620 people have been killed by floods and mudslides. In Australia, the worst floods in the country's history have devastated large parts of Queensland and are now 'spreading' to parts of Victoria, with more rain in the forecast. Floods in the Philippines and Sri Lanka have left one million people displaced.

Exodus 1:22

And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, 'Every son who is born you shall cast into the Nile, and every daughter you shall allow to live.'

All his people: He commanded his people as well. On the day Moses was born, his astrologers told him, today their savior is born, and we do not know if he is Egyptian or Israelite, and we see that his end is to brought down by water, therefore he made a decree that day on the Egyptians as well, as it says 'every son who is born', and not 'every son who is born to the Hebrews', yet they did not know that his end was to be brought down by the waters of Merivah [when Moses struck the rock instead of speaking to it, failing to sanctify God's name, and losing his privelege to enter the land of Israel].

 rsm: Moses was destined to save the Jewish people, take them out of exile and bring them into the land of Israel. Egyptian magic foresaw that water was his 'weak spot' and attempted to foil his plan by drowning him. In return, God drowned the entire Egyptian people in the Red Sea. Every generation since includes an individual with the soul of Moses, who has the potential to bring redemption. In this sense, the war between the Mashaich and His enemies is negotiated with acts involving water. Current flooding may be merely warnings.

פרשת שמות, פרק א, פסוקים ח-י

וַיָּקָם מֶלֶךְ-חָדָשׁ, עַל-מִצְרָיִם, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדַע, אֶת-יוֹסֵף

וַיֹּאמֶר, אֶל-עַמּו:  הִנֵּה, עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--רַב וְעָצוּם, מִמֶּנּוּ

הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה, לו:  פֶּן-יִרְבֶּה, וְהָיָה כִּי-תִקְרֶאנָה מִלְחָמָה וְנוֹסַף גַּם-הוּא עַל-שֹׂנְאֵינוּ, וְנִלְחַם-בָּנוּ, וְעָלָה מִן-הָאָרֶץ

רש"י: ויקם מלך חדש: רב ושמואל חד אמר חדש ממש. וחד אמר, שנתחדשו גזרותיו

נתחכמה לו: לעם. נתחכמה מה לעשות לו. ורבותינו דרשו נתחכם למושיען של ישראל לדונם במים, שכבר נשבע שלא יביא מבול לעולם (והם לא הבינו שעל כל העולם אינו מביא, אבל הוא מביא על אומה אחת)

 שמות א, כ"ב: וַיְצַו פַּרְעֹה לְכָל עַמּוֹ לֵאמֹר כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ וְכָל הַבַּת תְּחַיּוּן

רש"י: לכל עמו: אף עליהם גזר. יום שנולד משה אמרו לו אצטגניניו היום נולד מושיען, ואין אנו יודעין אם ממצרים אם מישראל, ורואין אנו שסופו ללקות במים, לפיכך גזר אותו היום אף על המצרים, שנאמר כל הבן הילוד, ולא נאמר הילוד לעברים, והם לא היו יודעים שסופו ללקות על מי מריבה

Heavy flooding worldwide

Flooding in Toowoomba, Australia 2011 / Kingbob86

UK:

Flood warnings are in place on nearly all of Scotland's rivers following heavy rain. Areas along the River Eden in Cumbria, a county in Northwest England, were also on high alert. North Wales had four flood warnings overnight.

Phillipines:

Two weeks of heavy rains in the Philippines have killed 51, left 400,000 displaced people, and have overall affected 1.5 million people.

Brazil:

More than 656 people have died from floods and mudslides in the mountains around Rio De Janeiro, in the country's worst disaster on record. "It's impossible to know the extent of the catastrophe," James Barros, a colonel from a state police battalion in the region, told the Globo news network. "There are areas where mudslides carried away entire families, with no one left to recognize bodies."(WSJ)

Sri Lanka:

Floods have killed 32 and displaced 300,000 in Sri Lanka, spurning fears of water-borne diseases and massive economic hardship following destruction of rice fields.

Australia:

Australia's flood crisis spread to Victoria on Sunday, forcing the evacuation of 3,000 residents, just after floods killed at least 20 and ravaged Queensland in the worst disaster in Australia's history. Sharks have been spotted swimming through flood-hit streets of a town in Queensland. Some towns still do not have clean tap water.

The Talmud teaches that while God promised he would not bring a flood upon the whole world again, he will bring a flood upon one nation (Sotah 11a).

Click here for a current map of Australia river levels
 

A flood on one nation

the cover of the sefer Kishutei Kallah,
from hebrewbooks.org

The following is taken from the sefer Kishutei Kallah ('Decorations of the Bride') of Rabbi Nathan Neta of Shinyiva zt"l on Parashat Beshalach:

וישובו המים על מצרים, כי לפי שנשבע ה' שלא יביא מבול לעולם, אבל על אומה אחת מביא. או שיביאם אל תוך המים (על זה לא נשבע) - סוטה יא ע"א

'That the waters may come back upon the Egyptians', for יהוה swore He would not bring a flood on the world [again], but on one nation He would bring it; or, He would bring them into the water (on this He did not swear). (Sotah 11a)


Sources:

שמות י"ד, כ"ו: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, נְטֵה אֶת-יָדְךָ עַל-הַיָּם; וְיָשֻׁבוּ הַמַּיִם עַל-מִצְרַיִם, עַל-רִכְבּוֹ וְעַל-פָּרָשָׁיו

Exodus 14:26: And יהוה said unto Moses: 'Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.'

Babylonian Talmud Tractate Sotah Page 11a:

This section of the Babylonian Talmud collects commentaries of the sages (200-500 CE) on the Biblical story of the Jewish people under Egyptian slavery, as told in the first chapters of the book of Exodus. The text is composed of quotations from the Torah (the Five Books of Moses), followed by interpretations of the sages, whose views are grounded in the quotations themselves, or in quotations from other parts of the Torah:

"A new king arose..." (Exodus 1:8) Rav and Shmuel [differed in their interpretation]: One said [the Pharoah was] actually new and one said his decrees were new. He who said actually new [based his view on the verse] as it is written 'new'; and he who said his decrees were new, as it is not written 'And he died and he reigned.'

[Note: Brazil and Australia have new leaders, who come in the footsteps of a past leader who was infamously anti-Israel. Brazil's Lula recently established the first Palestinian embassy in Brazil. Australia's Rudd left a deep diplomatic divide between Australia and Israel.]

"Who knew not Joseph" — he was like one who did not know [Joseph] at all.

"And he said unto his people, Behold the people of the children of Israel." A Tanna [sage who lived prior to 200 CE] taught: He originated the plan first, and therefore was punished first [referring to Pharoah]. He originated the plan first, as it is written: 'And he said unto his people' (Ex 1:9); therefore he was punished first, as it is written: 'Upon you, and upon your people, and upon all your servants.' (Ex. 7:29)

"Come, let us deal wisely with him" — it should have been "with them" [plural, not singular] — Rabbi Chama in the name of Rabbi Chanina said: [Pharaoh meant,] 'Come and let us outwit the Saviour of Israel. With what shall we afflict them? If we afflict them with fire, it is written: "Behold יהוה will come in fire" (Isaiah 66:15) and it is written "יהוה will judge by fire". [If we afflict them] with the sword, it is written: 'And by His sword all flesh." No, let us afflict them with water, because the Holy One, blessed be He, has already sworn that he will not bring a flood upon the world; as it is said: "For this to Me is like the waters of Noah, as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be angry with you, nor will I rebuke you." (Isaiah 54:9) They were unaware, however, that He would not bring a flood upon the whole world, but upon one people He would bring it; or alternatively, He would not bring [the flood] but they would come and fall into it. Thus it says: "And the Egyptians fled towards it" (Exodus 14:27)...

Rabbi Chiya son of Abba said in the name of Rabbi Simai: There were three in that plan: Balaam, Job, and Yitro. Balaam who devised it was slain; Job who silently acquiesced was afflicted with sufferings; Yitro, who fled, merited that his descendants should sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone.

 בבלי מסכת סוטה דף י"א ע"א

ויקם מלך חדש וגו

רב ושמואל חד אמר חדש ממש וחד אמר שנתחדשו גזירותיו מאן דאמר חדש ממש דכתיב חדש ומאן דאמר שנתחדשו גזירותיו דלא כתיב וימת וימלוך

אשר לא ידע את יוסף דהוה דמי כמאן דלא ידע ליה כלל

ויאמר אל עמו הנה עם בני ישראל

תנא הוא התחיל בעצה תחילה לפיכך לקה תחילה הוא התחיל בעצה תחילה דכתיב ויאמר אל עמו לפיכך לקה תחילה כדכתיב ובכה ובעמך ובכל עבדיך

הבה נתחכמה לו להם

מיבעי ליה א"ר חמא ברבי חנינא באו ונחכם למושיען של ישראל במה נדונם נדונם באש כתיב כי הנה ה' באש יבא וכתיב כי באש ה' נשפט וגו' בחרב כתיב [(ישעיהו סו, טז) ובחרבו את כל בשר] אלא בואו ונדונם במים שכבר נשבע הקב"ה שאינו מביא מבול לעולם שנאמר (ישעיהו נד, ט) כי מי נח זאת לי וגו' והן אינן יודעין שעל כל העולם כולו אינו מביא אבל על אומה אחת הוא מביא אי נמי הוא אינו מביא אבל הן באין ונופלין בתוכו וכן הוא אומר (שמות יד, כז) ומצרים נסים לקראתו והיינו דא"ר אלעזר מאי דכתיב (שמות יח, יא) כי בדבר אשר זדו עליהם בקדירה שבישלו בה נתבשלו מאי משמע דהאי זדו לישנא דקדירה הוא דכתיב (בראשית כה, כט) ויזד יעקב נזיד
א"ר חייא בר אבא א"ר סימאי שלשה היו באותה עצה בלעם ואיוב ויתרו בלעם שיעץ נהרג איוב ששתק נידון ביסורין יתרו שברח זכו מבני בניו שישבו בלשכת הגזית שנאמר (דברי הימים א ב, נה) ומשפחות סופרים יושבי יעבץ תרעתים שמעתים סוכתים המה הקנים הבאים מחמת אבי בית רכב וכתיב (שופטים א, טז) ובני קיני חתן משה וגו'

Brazil, Australia hit by deadly floods

Floods and mudslides in Brazil have killed nearly 500 people, WSJ reported Thursday.

Two weeks ago, Brazil became the first country in the Western hemisphere to host a Palestinian embassy. The same weekend, PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas attended the inauguration of Brazil's new President, Dilma Rousseff. At the inauguration, Abbas met with other South American leaders to discuss their support of a Palestinian state.

Abbas, Lula and Brazilian FM meeting in Brasilia on Friday

Meanwhile, across the globe, the city of Brisbane, Australia, has nearly gone underwater. The floods have killed 19, and 61 are missing. Large parts of the city have become muddy lakes, and torerents have flooded 12,000 homes in the city of 2 million. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh told reporters that the city "looks more like a war zone in some places." Aerial views of the city reveal a sea of brown water.

Israel's best friends in the world have arguably been the US, Canada and Australia. While the Obama administration is sliding from that historical commitment, current Australian PM, Julia Gillard, is known as "one of Israel's closest friends."

Yet former Australian PM and current Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd, who hails from the flooded state of Queensland, left behind a rocky relationship with Israel, and as foreign minister has shown no signs of reversing the damage he began. In February, Australia expelled the Mossad chief in Canberra, Australia's capital, reversing the last government's decision to station senior intelligence people in each others' countries, and pausing Canberra-Jerusalem intelligence cooperation. to station over the Dubai passports affair. In response to the Marmara aid ship debacle, Rudd criticized Israeli policy: "When it comes to a blockade against Gaza, preventing the supply of humanitarian aid, such a blockade should be removed."

In the current Gillard government, Rudd was appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, in what was criticized by many as a move to appease internal political divisions. A month ago, during a visit in Israel, Rudd called for Israel to allow international inspectors into its nuclear facility, and to halt construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

"...We do not support new settlement construction and the reason is that it undermines the prospects of the successful prosecution of peace negotiations."
..."There is a second reality also, which is what security challenges Israel would face if the peace process entirely collapses..."
"All of us, if we are any students of the history of the last decade or so, have a grasp of what can go wrong, and what can go wrong big time if the Palestinian people don't have a stake in a negotiated outcome..."

Australian Christian Pastor Danny Nalliah blogged last Friday night about the connection between the floods and Rudd's recent comments, citing journalist and Christian author Bill Koenig. Koenig, author of Eye to Eye: Facing the Consequences of Dividing Israel, has previously made connections between events such as Hurricane Rita and US pressure on Israel not to interfere with Hamas' election in Gaza, a position that brought about the current reality in Gaza, where rockets fall weekly if not daily on Jewish communities in the southern part of the country.

Keep watch of how countries align on the question of Jerusalem.