Police search for stolen vans amidst 9/11 terror alerts

Police on high alert before the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks are considering whether two incidents of vehicle theft in the DC and New York areas may be related to terrorist activity.

In Prince George County, two Ford Econoline U-Haul vans were reported stolen on Saturday, in what law enforcement agencies have been briefed may fit a terror warning. The vans both carry Arizona plates: AE10807 and AE15192.

Meanwhile, the NYPD is searching for three stolen vans, two of which belonged to a World Trade Center site contractor:

One of the vans, a white Econoline, was stolen from Liberty Storage, a self-storage facility in Jersey City, N.J. on Aug. 21 and had Oklahoma plates, police said. Thieves cut the phone lines, alarms and took with them surveillance video, in what could be an extensive effort to cover their tracks in a way that seemed different from the average grand larceny.

The other two, dark green Chevy vans, were stolen Sept. 1 and Sept. 2 from Tully Construction, Co. Contractors, which has been involved in recovery work at the site and is currently doing roadwork on West St. near 1 World Trade Center...The two green vans had a red stripe on the body and a yellow turret light. No arrests have been made, and the vans have not been recovered. Tully Construction was one of four contractors chosen to perform the clean up after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed.

According to a police source from the DC incident, "It just feels like something is going to happen."

 

Is Michele Bachmann Jewish?

No...but some Republican donors think she is, and it seems to be working in her favor. The New York Post reports:

Some Jewish donors are telling fund-raisers for Romney, a Mormon, that while they like him, they'd rather open their wallets for the "Jewish candidate," who they don't realize is actually a Lutheran, The Post has learned. "It's a real problem," one Romney fund-raiser said. "We're working very hard in the Jewish community because of Obama's Israel problem. This was surprising." Like other Republicans, Romney is trying to capitalize on President Obama's waning support among Jewish voters, who are upset with his administration's policies toward Israel.

Although Bachmann is not Jewish, she spent a summer working on a kibbutz in Israel (albeit as part of ministry work) and is a staunch supporter of the Jewish state. As she told the Weekly Standard earlier this summer:

If you consider what it was like in 1948 and literally watch flowers bloom in a desert over time — I don’t know if any nation has paralleled the rise of Israel since 1948.

By referring to Bachmann as the Jewish candidate, perhaps donors have not so much confused her religious affiliation, but rather have pinpointed her as Israel's strongest supporter among the Republican field. In response to a question on the relationship between America and Israel's security at the Republican Jewish Coalition, Bachmann said the following:

I am convinced in my heart and in my mind that if the United States fails to stand with Israel, that is the end of the United States . . . [W]e have to show that we are inextricably entwined, that as a nation we have been blessed because of our relationship with Israel, and if we reject Israel, then there is a curse that comes into play. And my husband and I are both Christians, and we believe very strongly the verse from Genesis [Genesis 12:3], we believe very strongly that nations also receive blessings as they bless Israel. It is a strong and beautiful principle.

Jewish? No. Honorary Jew? Perhaps.

The Hurricane of Peace

Many are pointing to the irony of the name of the hurricane that stands to threaten over 65 million people this weekend--Irene is derived from the name the Greeks gave to their goddess of peace. The End Times Forecaster points out that the threat of Irene follows pressure by the U.S. on Israel to agree for the first time that a Palestinian state should follow '67 borders earlier this month. Just as the U.S. is guiding Israel down a path of destruction in the guise of 'peace', so it faces an ironically-named whirlwind of destruction, right through its major metropolitan areas.

Moreover, while the world is conspiring to vote in favor of a unilateral Palestinian state on Israeli land on September 20th, Israel's historical ally, the United States, has stood silent. And as Israel continues to be barraged by rocket fire after a triple terrorist attack in the South last week, the U.S. and other Western countries sufficed to call for restraint in the region, rather than differentiate between perpetrator and victim.

The last major hurricane to inflict historical damage on the U.S. was Katrina, which took place almost exactly six years ago, in late August 2005. One week before Katrina hit, Israel evacuated nearly 10,000 people from their homes on the West coast of Israel to clear space for what would become a terror launching pad for Hamas, a move which was made in a large part as a result of U.S. pressure on Israel. A week after Katrina, Rabbi Avraham Shmuel Levin blamed Katrina on U.S. pressure on Israel to concede to Palestinian demands.

Edom can do teshuva, but so long as it guides the apple of Hashem's eye down a road of destruction, it shares the same fate--yet without the promise of eternal, unconditional protection.

NYC subway shutdown scenario

According to the NY Daily News, the New York City subway system could be shut down as early as late Saturday afternoon, ahead of the expected arrival of Irene on Sunday morning. The MTA's hurricane plan describes a "worst possible scenario" in which the hurricane hits south of the city, sending of a wall of water onto New York:

The MTA battle plan, created in 2007, but still valid today, says the worst possible scenario is a hurricane making landfall at Atlantic City, 100 miles south of the city. Hurricanes spin counter-clockwise, so a big storm making landfall to the south would push a wall of ocean water onto New York.

Federal scientists say a Category 2 hurricane could drive a 20-foot storm surge into Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn. If that is what appears to be looming, the MTA hurricane plan calls for bus service to begin to be curtailed at least 12 hours before landfall.

At least eight hours before landfall, the subways would start shutting down. At "zero hour" - approximately six hours before landfall, when winds reach 39 mph - all rail and bus service would be suspended, the MTA plan says.

See here for the possibility that NYC evacuations will take place on Shabbat and here for a map of potential NYC evacuation zones. You can also call 311 and give your address to check if you are in an area which may be under evacuation on Saturday morning.

NYC Evacuations may take place on Shabbat

As of early morning Friday forecasts, Hurricane Irene is set to hit North Carolina on Saturday morning local time, setting off what will be a predicted 36 hours of "destruction" until weakening to a tropical storm around Boston on late Sunday night.

In New York City, the storm is expected to hit early Sunday morning. According to Yeshiva World News, the call to evacuate low-lying areas may be made as late as Saturday morning, during Shabbat, posing a challenge for observant Jews. NYC Mayor Bloomberg's spokesperson made the following statement to YWN on Thursday:

Right now, we’re encouraging people with family who are shut-ins in low-lying areas like the Rockaways, Coney Island and Manhattan Beach, and the eastern edge of Staten Island to bring them to higher land on Friday. But there’s a possibility that on Saturday morning, the hurricane’s track may require mandatory evacuations of these areas before Shabbos is over. If you have family or friends in a low-lying area, it might not be the worst idea to invite them to you for Shabbos.

...As regards to the general public, we will make a decision about whether to order a mandatory evacuation of Zone A low-lying areas by 8:00 AM Saturday, the day after tomorrow. However, we recommend that people start going to alternative locations if they have them because of potential traffic jams and mass transit limitations on Saturday that Jay Walder is going to discuss in a couple of minutes. So if you live in one of these communities and have a relative or friend you can stay with in a safer, less vulnerable areas, you should think about arranging to stay there until the storm passes.

See here for the map of NYC Hurricane evacuation zones which will take effect should the mayor make the call Friday or Saturday.

Wishing all those in Irene's path a safe Shabbat, preferably on high land.

New York City Hurricane Evacuation Zones (Tentative)

Current tracks show Hurricane Irene is likely to hit all major US cities along the coast from North Carolina through New England, making it the worst the US has seen since 1821, when a hurricane wreaked havoc from Norfolk to Rhode Island. One scenario (see video above) shows the eye of the storm passing directly through New York city. According to one preparedness expert: "We're talking about something that could be cataclysmic if it goes full-scale."

New York city officials will announce Friday at the earliest whether to evacuate areas of New York City in danger of flooding. New Jersey and Delaware are also preparing for mass evacuations, although the geography of the New York Harbor makes it particularly vulnerable to become the storm's harbor. The city's Office of Emergency Management has prepared the following hurricane contingency plan should the storm's path warrant evacuations (via Business Insider; PDF available here):

• Residents in Zone A (Orange) face the highest risk of flooding from a hurricane's storm surge. Zone A includes all low-lying coastal areas and other areas that could experience storm surge in ANY hurricane that makes landfall close to New York City. 

• Residents in Zone B (Yellow) may experience storm surge flooding from a MODERATE (Category 2 or higher) hurricane. 

• Residents in Zone C (Green) may experience storm surge flooding from a MAJOR hurricane (Category 3 & 4) making landfall just south of New York City. A major hurricane is unlikely in New York City, but not impossible.

An interactive map can be viewed here.

* * 

Are you in Hurricane Irene's path? Be prepared:

• Stock up on batteries, non-perishable foods, first-aid supplies, drinking water and medications. Get supplies NOW, not later, as streets may be blocked by fallen trees. 

• Fuel and service your vehicles. 

• Have cash on hand in case power goes out and ATMs don't work.

• Park your car indoors if possible 

• Do not open windows during a hurricane 

Sources: MSNBC, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Hurricane Center. See Long Island's Hurricane Preparedness Guide for more suggestions

* *

The first verse of this week's Haftorah, along with the two verses preceding it, speak of the destructive power of water, as opposed to the unshakable love of God for the Jewish people:

כִּי-מֵי נֹחַ, זֹאת לִי, אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מֵעֲבֹר מֵי-נֹחַ עוֹד, עַל-הָאָרֶץ--כֵּן נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי מִקְּצֹף עָלַיִךְ, וּמִגְּעָר-בָּךְ

כִּי הֶהָרִים יָמוּשׁוּ, וְהַגְּבָעוֹת תְּמוּטֶינָה--וְחַסְדִּי מֵאִתֵּךְ לֹא-יָמוּשׁ, וּבְרִית שְׁלוֹמִי לֹא תָמוּט, אָמַר מְרַחֲמֵךְ, יְהוָה

עֲנִיָּה סֹעֲרָה, לֹא נֻחָמָה; הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מַרְבִּיץ בַּפּוּךְ, אֲבָנַיִךְ, וִיסַדְתִּיךְ, בַּסַּפִּירִים

For this is to Me [as] the waters of Noah, as I swore that the waters of Noah shall never again pass over the earth, so have I sworn neither to be wroth with you nor to rebuke you.

	For the mountains shall depart and the hills totter, but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall the covenant of My peace totter," says the Lord, Who has compassion on you.

 

O afflicted city, who was not consoled, behold I will set your stones with carbuncle, and I will lay your foundations with sapphires.

* * 

 

		Israel Rising points out that the first US state to feel the storm's hit is North Carolina, where Jonathan Pollard has been held inhumanely for over 25 years.

US to call for Assad to step down

US officials have given word that Obama will explicitly call for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, after weeks of weaker rhetoric against the regime. One official said the announcement may come as early as Thursday.

Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Bahrain withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. Meanwhile, at the UN, Russia's envoy said Western sanctions have proven ineffective in ending Syria's crackdown on demonstrations.

In the case of Egypt, Obama called for a transition to democracy in Egypt on February 4th, which was considered by many as a call for Mubarak to step down. Mubarak announced his resignation on state TV on the afternoon of February 12th.

Clinton: Assad has lost legitimacy

Bloomberg reports: 

A mob attack on the U.S. embassy in Damascus pushed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to say Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has lost legitimacy, a pronouncement the Obama administration had been reluctant to make in four months of anti-regime protests.

“From our perspective, he has lost legitimacy. He has failed to deliver on the promises he’s made. He has sought and accepted aid from the Iranians” on how to suppress his own people, Clinton said today in Washington in a joint news conference with European Union foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton.

“President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power,” Clinton said.

Default disaster looming

The U.S. Treasury Department has said that if Congress does not raise the national debt ceiling by August 2nd, borrowed funds would not be available to pay debts, and the U.S. economy would be forced to default, a situation without precedent in its history. At present Republicans are unwilling to raise the debt limit unless Obama can promise significant spending cuts. Meanwhile, Obama is keen on keeping the government strong (and expensive) in order to haul the country out of the economic crisis. 

The new IMF chief Christine Lagarde said Sunday that there will be "real nasty consequences" for the global economy if the U.S. defaults on its debt obligations. "If you draw out the entire scenario of default, yes, of course, you have all of that -- interest hikes, stock markets taking a huge hit and real nasty consequences, not just for the United States, but for the entire global economy, because the U.S. is such a big player and matters so much for other countries."

US debt rose to $4.36 trillion under President Bush as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as tax cuts. Under Obama an additional $3.9 trillion was added to the national debt as a result of his economic stimulus plan and decreased tax revenue during the recession.

Meanwhile, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said on Sunday that many Americans will face hard times for a long time to come. "It's going to feel very hard, harder than anything they've experienced in their lifetime now, for a long time to come."

Violent protest in Athens and other signs of economic doom

Three headlines in today's news do not bear well for the 'first world' as we know it --

Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou offered to step down late Wednesday after protests against austerity cuts and government bailout in downtown Athens turned violent, as demonstrators demolished walls and threw bricks and furniture and officers in riot gear struggled to regain control of the city's main square.

Meanwhile, US Federal Reserve Chief Ben Bernake warned that the US must raise its debt ceiling if it wants to avert economic disaster. According to Bernake:

"Failing to raise the debt limit would require the federal government to delay or renege on payments for obligations already entered into."

"Even a short suspension of payments on principal or interest on the treasury's debt obligations would cause severe disruptions in financial markets and the payments system."

In addition, Mr Bernanke said US government debt risked being downgraded, creating fundamental doubts about the nation's creditworthiness. Long-term damage to the "special role" of the dollar and of treasury securities in global markets was also possible, he said.

Instead of allowing a default, Democrats and Republicans needed to develop a credible long-range plan to rein in the nation's budget deficit, Mr Bernanke added. An increase of $2.5 trillion would allow the government to operate until early 2013. (BBC)

And according to Reuters, the economic prospects of the "rich-world" have darkened in the wake of a US slowdown and fiscal problems in Europe.

Iran will attack Turkey if they intervene in Syria

In recent weeks a number of military and diplomatic developments around the Mediterranean suggest a key role for Turkey in combating Assad's violent crackdown on protests, and the subsequent Iranian-Syrian backlash in its wake. Below is a summary of the latest developments in tensions between Iran/Syria camp and Turkey/NATO/US:

Adapated from the About Crazy World Blog: 

1. Iranian/Hezbollah media says they will attack Turkey if they intervene in Syria 

2. Since Turkey is a member of NATO, if Turkey is attacked, NATO is required to respond. This could explain the recent US fleet movement in the Mediterranean.

3. Syrian tanks have pushed toward more towns near the Turkish border. On Friday of last week, after the Syrian army entered the town of Jisr al-Shughour close to the Turkey border,  al-Jazeera quoted the Turkish President Abdullah Gul as saying Turkey is "ready for all scenarios including military ones" to handle the Syrian crisis.

4. Meanwhile, Turkish Foreign Ministry has called a special meeting of Arab and Western ambassadors to discuss the situation in Syria.

5. The Arab League issued the first condemnation of Syria violence

6. According to Debka File, On Monday, June 13, the US deployed the USS Bataan amphibian air carrier strike vessel opposite Syria’s Mediterranean coast with 2,000 marines, 6 war planes, 15 attack helicopters, including new V-22 Ospreys, and 27 choppers for landing forces aboard. Also this week, US naval units went operational in the Aegean, Adriatic and Black Seas as part of the joint US-Ukrainian Sea Breeze 2011 exercise. The USS Monterrey cruiser armed with Aegis surface missile interceptors has additionally been stationed in the Black Sea. Western sources additonally report a build-up of ship-borne anti-missile missile strength in the Mediterranean basin. 

7. Turkish Prime Minister Tayyep Erdogan is averse to be seen working hand in glove militarily with any US interference in Syria. At the same time, Western intelligence sources in the Persian Gulf are sure Washington is coordinating its military movements with Ankara and that Erdogan quietly agreed to place Turkish bases at US disposal for an operation in Syria.

8. On Tuesday, Iran capped these events with three separate warnings to the Obama administration against military interference in Syria. Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehman-Parast said Tuesday: “The Americans are not allowed to launch a military intervention in any country of the region including Syria.” Iran’s ground forces commander Brig. Gen. Kioumars Heidari added this threat: Any new military move by the US in the region will impose heavy costs on the country far greater than the costs it paid in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

See here for the latest on Turkish-Syrian relations

On San Fran-sicko and Circumcision

San Francisco burns after the 1906 earthquake

It's no coincidence that San Francisco, CA, the decades-old capital of sexual lawlessness, is the first U.S. city in which circumcision will appear on the ballot in November. Although experts doubt the bill will survive a public vote, the anti-circumcision movement has picked up momentum in past weeks, and with it, its cousin, anti-Semitism has not forsaken an opportunity to lash out yet again in the guise of liberalism.

According to Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, the foreskin represents the complete immersion of the human spirit in sexual desire, to the extent that this desire then eclipses higher realms of a person's being. According to Rav Kook, the question of circumcision concerns whether sexuality can be harnessed as an essential component of a full-fledged human being, or whether the human experience can be detached from its supernal root and left to rot in decaying bodily desire.

The following is a translation by Yaacov David Shulman at ravkook.net. The original passage appears on p. 300-301 of Rav Kook's Orot HaKodesh (Lights of Holiness), Volume 3. 

The precious reason for circumcision, which decreases sexual desire, encompasses broad principles of wisdom. The covenant-"to be a God to you and to your children after you"-offers knowledge of God's oneness, which is connected to circumcision. The covenant and circumcision are intimately intertwined.

"From his flesh does a man see God." If you have the power to harness all the abilities of your soul and all your drives to an enlightened and ethical goal, you will see unity in your internal world. The unity of the outer world will become increasingly clear to you. But if your abilities are splintered, if you cannot conceive of overall control of your drives and desires, you will conclude that the entire world, like you, is splintered, and that no unity can be found in existence.

Sexual desire in its essence-and in related expressions, physical, imaginative and spiritual-comprises the basis of all drives. If you experience sexuality in a way that your exalted spirit can rise to it and surround it, can unify it with all the wealth of human abilities (physical and spiritual), leading it to one integrated ethical and supernal goal, then that unity, in its power, is revealed. the revelation of Godly unity will appear in your flesh.

The total immersion of the human spirit in sexual desire to such a degree that the ideals and ethics in its realm are silenced has brought about the substance of the foreskin. This pathological state expresses itself physically as a powerful sexual drive that has left the realm of ideals and the transmission of the ultimate ethics.

Pessimism corresponds to ethical decline. It gives urgency to the divorce of sexual desire from idealism: since existence in general is such a great evil, how can the procreation of miserable creatures be ideal? This doctrine teaches that the sexual drive is not rooted in idealism, but merely demonstrates the eruption of desire.

How different is the outlook of general goodness, of optimism: "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good." This view permits idealism to extend even over the sexual drive.

The nature of flesh and the inclination of one's heart can descend to the degraded state of the foreskin. But with circumcision, you rectify the holy covenant and stride on an exalted path. All your abilities are directed toward a goal that is all-inclusive, ideal and holy. From your flesh will you see God. You will sanctify the Holy One of Israel, the one God.

Often those who oppose circumcision, although they are usually atheists, challenge supporters: If God wanted circumcision, why did he not create babies that way? The rabbis anticipated this question and wrote the following in Midrash Tanchuma (Tazria, 5):

Turnus Rufus the wicked asked Rabbi Akiva: "Whose deeds are better—Those of God or those of humans?" Rabbi Akiva answered, "Those of humans are better."...Turnus Rufus asked, "Why do you circumcise yourselves?" [Rabbi Akiva] replied, “I knew you would ask me about that, which is why I pre-empted and told you that things made by humans are better than things made by God.” Rabbi Akiva then brought Turnus Rufus two items: stalks of wheat and baked rolls. Rabbi Akiva said: "These [the stalks of wheat] are the deeds of God, and these [the baked rolls] are the deeds of humans. Are these [baked rolls] not more beautiful?

It's worth noting that the Rambam disputes the notion that circumcision reveals a lacking in God's creation, and emphasizes that circumcision comes to fix something on the human end of the spectrum, by curbing sexual desire. Either way, the above passages remind us that circumcision has always been revolutionary, and the debate over it brings up a society's deepest convictions concerning creation and the responsibility humans are given to take part in the creation of the next generation - the bridge between humanity and eternity. Circumcision involves a level of temimus - wholeness and simplicity of the Jewish soul before its Creator, both our best weapon and our culprit in the face of enemies of the Jewish people and the spirit of sinfulness and impurity polluting the otherwise relatively clean air of San Fran-sicko.

Keep in mind: Even though hatred towards anything related to God is flung at the Jews these days (and always, for that matter), the anti-religion tone of the bill and the media surrounding it nationwide are in effect a reaction to Christian ethics concerning sexuality, and their modern-day conflation with Judaism. As demonstrated in Rav Kook's passage above, Judaism affirms life and in this affirmation affirms sexuality. In recognizing the power of this drive in human nature, it seeks to provide boundaries and guidelines to ensure it does not eclipse all parts of one's life and of a society, so as to not nullify its own purpose - re-creation.

Pressure mounts on Obama to ditch the illusion of 1967 stability

According to The Hill, Democratic senators are likely to support a new resolution which would show broad, bipartisan consensus within Congress that the 1967 Israeli-Palestinian borders are not only "indefensible", but also contrary to U.S. national security interests.

Senators Joe Lieberman (Conn., Independent), and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) are behind the current resolution. Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) voiced support, claiming there is “total agreement” in Congress that “the ’67 lines will not work." Other rebukes of Obama's reckless Israel policy include speeches delivered by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) speech at AIPAC on Monday and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) at the AIPAC conference on Sunday and Monday. Both offered harsh criticism of Obama's hubris of determining borders of a sovereign nation on a podium rather than on the negotiation table.

On the absurdity of transferring populations and redrawing borders as a mechanism for solving problems of national security, George Berkin at NJ Voices makes the following analogy:

How’s this prescription for solving our conflict (illegal immigrants and drugs) with Mexico: Renegotiate the border, starting with where the line stood in 1844 (i.e. before we acquired a large chunk of territory in the Mexican War).

Or here’s a suggestion for resolving problems between Washington and Paris: renegotiate the western U.S. border based on geographic lines in effect in 1802, before the Louisiana Purchase.

While we’re at it, let’s return to the geography of July 1861, just after the Confederate states declared their independence but before the Civil War set things back to right.

Hey, why not? Overturning established borders to return to a previous line of demarcation sounds like a good idea, especially for those unhappy with the status quo.

...The U.S. would never agree to go back to previous borders, no matter how much other parties might promise that doing so would bring peace to the Southwest or improve relations with France or South Carolina.

But the analogy breaks down for other reasons – instructive reasons as we think about how the Palestinians are determined to destroy Israel.

First, none of the examples at the beginning of this post asks the U.S. to surrender part of Washington, D.C., the political (and emotional) seat of our government. But the “pre-1967” borders that President Obama wants Israel to return to would require the Jewish state to hand over part of Jerusalem, the political, emotional and spiritual heart of Israel.

Second, Americans would certainly feel bad about handing over part of the Southwest to Mexico. But no one can credibly claim that doing so would make it nearly impossible to defend what remained of our nation.

Not so were Israel to give up the territories it won – in a defensive war – against its assembled enemies nearly a half-century ago. Some commentators have pointed to Israel’s success in defending itself in 1967 as “proof” that Israel could repeat that military success, if worse came to worse. But having succeeded once before, under remarkable circumstances, is not a solid security strategy.

Third, none of my examples of territorial “givebacks” would be a first step to an ultimate goal of destroying the United States. Again, we would regret losing Texas and part of California, but the U.S. would remain standing. Mexico accepts the U.S.’s right to exist.

...It seems clear that demanding that negotiations start from Israel’s pre-1967 borders will not bring peace. Instead, Palestinian leaders, flush with a “pre-1967” victory, would establish a Palestinian state, and then make their next demand. They would demand a return to the area’s pre-1948 borders – that is, a return to the days before Israel became a new nation.

Joplin, MO hit by massive twister, 116 dead

At 1 a.m. Israel time Motzei Lag Baomer, just as the speakers turned off in Meron after a million people made pilgrimage to the gravesite of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and precisely the day after the world was supposed to end and "believers" were meant to be saved, a mile-wide tornado with a rank of EF4 (attributed to less than 1% of all tornadoes) ripped through the town of Joplin, Missouri, a major commercial, medical and cultural hub of the Southerastern United States, killing at least 116 people and leaving entire neighborhoods flattened and 30% of the town destroyed, including the town's hospital, where patients had to be evacuated. Many are reported as still trapped in destroyed homes.

Meanwhile, I saw this on the Seven Universal Laws blog:

However, keep in mind: rainbows are not a good thing. A rainbow is a sign that the world is deserving of a flood in the proportions of the flood in the time of Noach, but because of God's promise that He would not again destroy the world, we are spared the flood and given the rainbow as a sign of our situation. In fact, it is said that because of his righteousness, in the days of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, the world did not see a rainbow. (Perhaps that's why Hashem waited until the end of the Hilula.)

War on Syria and Isaiah 17

Today US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton gave clear signals that they are beefing up their stance on Assad's brutal repression of demonstrations (if this sounds like deja vu, you're right):

Clinton: "We will be taking additional steps in the days ahead."

Ashton: "We need to consider all of the options, and I think there will be a number of moves in the coming hours and days that you will see."

The first obstacle to a Libya-style attack will be getting past the China and Russia veto at the U.N. The second will be a decision of the West to intervene despite the fact that a military intervention could flare up the region by aggravating Syria's close ally, Iran. Iran, a Shia power, is closely related to the Shia minority currently ruling the Sunni majority in Syria.

It will be difficult for Israel to stay out of such a conflict, whether through the US seeking its help--whether overt or covert--or through elements in Syria or its allies lashing out on the US ally (G-d forbid). On the other hand, the situation in Syria now is untenable both from a human rights perspective and because if Assad is losing his grip, it is better if the US is involved in one way or another.

I have a source who is saying that Am Yisrael will all do teshuva very soon, after witnessing a big miracle, that Hashem will save the entire country in a big way. People will run to do mitzvot and seek knowledge of Torah like crazy.

May Am Yisrael do teshuva from ahava (love) and bechira (choice) with no delay and may we witness our enemies' fall by the hand of God for the sake of His glory!


Update: It's all laid out here in Isaiah 17: War on Syria, hard times for the Jewish people, turning of the people to God, rebuke of the nations (and it's no coincidence the world is split between unilateral declaration of a Palestinian state or the dividing of Jerusalem by Obama on the eve of such a confrontation...)

The Harsh Prophecy concerning Damascus

The harsh prophecy concerning Damascus; Behold Damascus shall be removed from [being] a city, and it shall be depth of ruins.

The cities of Aroer shall be abandoned; for the flocks shall they be, and they shall lie undisturbed. 

And a fortress shall cease from Ephraim and a kingdom from Damascus, and the remnant of Aram; like the glory of the children of Israel shall they be, says the Lord of Hosts.

And it shall come to pass on that day, that the glory of Jacob shall become impoverished and the fatness of his flesh shall become emaciated. 

And it shall be like gathering the harvest of the standing grain, and his arm reaps ears, and he shall be as one who gathers ears of grain in the valley of Rephaim.

And gleanings shall be left in it like the cutting of an olive tree, two or three berries at the end of the uppermost bough; four or five on its branches when it produces fruit, says the Lord, God of Israel. On that day, man shall turn to his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not turn to the altar of the work of his hands, and what his fingers made he shall not regard, neither the asherim nor the sun-images. For you forgot the God of your salvation, and the Rock of your strength you did not remember; because I planted you with pleasant saplings, and with the branch of a stranger you sow it.    On the day of your planting you mingled, and in the morning you cause your seed to blossom; a heap of harvest on a day of sickness and mortal pain. Woe to a multitude of many peoples, like the roaring of seas they roar; and a rushing of nations, like the rushing of mighty waters they rush.  Nations, like the rushing of many waters, they rush, and He shall rebuke them, and he shall flee from afar, and he shall be pursued like the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like the thistle blossoms before the tempest. At eventide, behold there is fright; before morning he is no more. This is the portion of our plunderers and the lot of our spoilers.

--

With Lag Ba'Omer approaching please consider donating to festivities at the kever of Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai

Yemini man yells 'God is great', pounds on cockpit prior to landing

On Sunday, a man with a Yemeni passport ran towards the front of the plane 20 minutes before landing and began yelling and banging on the cockpit door. Passengers report the man, identified as Rageh Almurisi, 28, yelled "God is great" in Arabic. Almurisi was subsequently tackled to the ground by a flight attendant, with help from a former Secret Service agent and retired police officer who happened to be on-board American Airlines flight 1561 from Chicago to San Francisco.

Larry Wright, the ex-cop who took him down, said he was sure Almurisi intended to crash the plane. Still, others prefer to believe he mistook the cockpit for the bathroom.

Almurisi now faces one count of interfering with a flight crew, a charge that could lead to up to a maximum of 20 years in prison. On Friday the court will decide if he can be released on bail.

On Sunday there were two other incidents of flight security scares. A continental flight from Houston to Chicago was forced to land in St. Lois after an Illinois man tried to open a door near the front of the plane. And a Delta flight from Detroit to San Diego was diverted to Albuquerque because of a "security threat".

Meanwhile, in an similar vein, flights landing in or departing from Tel Aviv were diverted to Cyprus or Jordan after Israeli fuel supplies were found to be contaminated by bacteria.

If I were a conspiracy theorist, I would say that governments are trying to scare passengers and thereby reduce the frequency of air travel, as a result of rising oil prices worldwide, in the wake of Middle East unrest and the uncertainty regarding the future of Libya's oil. One way or another, these days, a safe flight is not to be taken for granted.

Of course these incidents could very well be the first wave of revenge after the killing of Osama bin Laden last week. It is yet to be told if global terror will surge or subside in the wake of bin Laden's takeout. According to Rav Moshe Wolfson of Yeshivat Torah V'Daas brought to us by Rabbi Lazer Brody, bin Laden's fall signals the immanent fall of Yishmael. And the fall of Yishmael signals the approaching redemption, hinted to by the fact that bin Laden died on the last day of what will be Pesach Moshiach--the seven days of rejoicing that will be added on to Passover to celebrate the miracles of our final redemption. 

Amen ken yehi ratzon

Gilui Eliyahu on 9/11

In honor of the (alleged) killing of Bin Laden, we bring here an amazing story about the way in which nine New York Jews were saved on the morning of 9/11. This story appeared on Belief.net and was reprinted from the book Small Miracles for the Jewish Heart by Yitta Halberstam & Judith Leventhal:

In a small, makeshift synagogue not far from the Twin Towers, Orthodox Jewish professionals regularly meet early each morning for daily prayer services. Usually there is no problem rounding up a minyan (quorum of ten men required to pray) and the cramped quarters often overflow with worshipers. But on the morning of September 11th, there was an uncommon dearth of available men. Perhaps they had decided to remain that morning at their resident shuls for the important selichos services that precede the High Holidays. Or, perhaps, they were participating in the shloshim (one month anniversary) memorial services for the Jews who had been killed in the Grand Canyon helicopter crash. Two hundred men who worked in the World Trade Center, were, in fact, late to work that morning because of their participation in the shloshim service. But whatever the reason, the congregants were faced with a problem: only nine men were present, and time was marching on. These were serious men, professionals, and all had to be at their desks at the World Trade Center well before 9:00 a.m.

“What should we do?” they asked each other, impatiently tapping their wrist watches, as they paced the floors. “This situation hasn’t happened in ages! Where is everybody?”

“I’m sure a tenth man will come along soon,” someone else soothed. “We have to be patient.”

The men waited, restless and tense. Some of them were already running late. Finally, when they had all but given up and were going to resort to individual prayer (instead of the preferred communal one), an old man whom nobody had ever seen before shuffled in the door.

“Did you daven (pray) yet?” he asked, looking at he group.

“No, sir!” one shouted jubilantly. “We’ve been waiting for you!”

“Wonderful,” the elderly man responded. “I have to say kaddish (a special prayer recited on the yahrzeit, the anniversary of a close family member’s death) for my father and I have to daven before the omed (lead the prayer services). I’m so glad that you didn’t start yet.”

Under normal circumstances, the men would have asked the gentleman polite questions: what was his name, where was he from, how did he come to their obscure shul? By now, however, they were frantic to start and decided to bypass protocol. They hastily handed the man a siddur (prayer book), hoping he would prove himself to be the Speedy Gonzales of daveners (prayers).

The old man proved to be anything but. He seemed to rifle the pages of the siddur in agonizingly slow motion. Indeed, every gesture and movement that the man made seemed deliberately unhurried, protracted, and prolonged. The worshipers were respectful but definitely on shpilkes (pins and needles) to get to work.

“Oy!” someone smacked his forehead in frustration. “Are we going to be late!”

That’s when they heard the first explosion: the horrible blast that would forever shake their souls.

They ran outside and saw the smoke, the chaos, the screaming crowds, the apocalypse that lay before them.

It should have been us. After the initial shock and horror, consciousness dawned on them quickly. They realized they had been rescued from the jaws of death. Each and every one of them worked in the Twin Towers. Each and every one of them was supposed to be there before nine. Had it not been for the elderly man and his slow-motion schacharis (morning services), they probably would have been killed.

They turned to thank him, this mystery man who had saved their lives. They wanted to hug him in effusive gratitude and find out his name and where he had come from on that fateful morning.

But they’ll never know the answers to these questions that nag at them to this day-when they turned around to embrace him, the man was gone, his identity forever a mystery.

במהרה יבוא אלינו עם משיח בן דוד

Something's fishy about Osama's deep-sea burial

After Osama bin Laden was reportedly killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, U.S. officials supposedly rushed to bury the body within 24 hours, in accordance with Islamic law. According to one US official, finding a country willing to accept his remains would be "difficult", so the decision was made to bury him at sea. However, burial at sea, a common practice for fallen naval veterans, is not commonly allowed according to Islamic law, according to Al-Islam.org:

• It is obligatory to bury a dead body in the ground, so deep that its smell does not come out and the beasts of prey do not dig it out, and, if there is a danger of such beasts digging it out then the grave should be made solid with bricks, etc.

• If a person dies on a ship and if there is no fear of the decay of the dead body and if there is no problem in retaining it for sometime on the ship, it should be kept on it and buried in the ground after reaching the land. Otherwise, after giving Ghusl, Hunut, Kafan and Namaz-e-Mayyit it should be lowered into the sea in a vessel of clay or with a weight tied to its feet. And as far as possible it should not be lowered at a point where it is eaten up immediately by the sea predators.

• If it is feared that an enemy may dig up the grave and exhume the dead body and amputate its ears or nose or other limbs, it should be lowered into sea, if possible, as stated in the foregoing rule.

If the goal here is respecting Muslim burial law, which in itself is quite spurious, why rush to meet the 24-hour deadline, and yet break another considerably even more serious guideline, namely, to bury the dead in the ground? Falling back on an American public both glaringly ignorant on Islam and yet apologetically obsequious to Muslim sensitivities, this administration seems quite eager to bury something or other.

Jerusalem, no man's land?

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal over whether Jeruslaem-born Menchem Zivotofsky can have Israel listed as his birthplace on his passport, after State Department officials refused to recognize Jerusalem as part of Israel on his official documentation. According to the State Department's guide, consular officials are instructed: officials, "For a person born in Jerusalem, write Jerusalem as the place of birth in the passport."

The Zivotofskys' attorney Nathan Lewin told JTA on Monday that "We are gratified that the Supreme Court added the ultimate question whether the passport designation truly interferes with the President's power over foreign relations."

In 1995, Congress ruled that the U.S. should recognize a united Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and provisions were voted in allowing Americans born in Jerusalem to have Israel listed as their birthplace. Yet shortly after, George W. Bush issued a statement overruling Congress and dictating that "U.S. policy regarding Jerusalem has not changed." As a result, 9-year-old Menachem's birth certificate lists his birthplace as 'Jerusalem', in contrast to births in other countries which list the country, rather than city. 

Obama has thus far upheld the Bush administration's overruling of Congress' decision in favor of a purposefully ambiguous and non-committal policy on Jerusalem, essentially promoting Palestinian lunacy and surrealism, which does anything but set the stage for peace.

And so, while Obama effectively distorts the accuracy of 9-year old Menachem's birth certificate, he cannot even present the world with his own.

As originally seen on Israel Matzav 

Holocaust Remembrance Day in the shadow of Iran

So far it has been quite an eventful Holocaust Remembrance Day: The #1 Enemy of the free world has been reportedly killed, and Iranian TV ran a story that Israeli fighter jets were gathering in Iraq to attack Iran.

In New York, an assembly of Jewish groups gathered to learn and act on the key lesson of the Holocaust - Never Again. In 2011, despite an atmosphere of euphoria and deep-seated denial among liberal elements, the Jewish people are not in any less danger than we were in 1933. What's more, Ahmadinejad is even more open about his intentions than Hitler was, freely proclaiming to the world his mission to "wipe Israel off the map" one day, and his intentions to build nuclear weapons the next.

Kol HaKavod to the American people and their leaders who gathered today at the Iranian mission of the U.N. to call the world's attention to the real threat of another Holocaust, what is perhaps a final call for all who stand with us to do all in our power to stop Iran and its men-on-the-ground, Hezbollah and Hamas:

Hundreds gathered for a solemn vigil at the Iranian Mission to the United Nations on Sunday afternoon in New York City, to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day. An Israeli flag was held aloft by participants, and several feet away stood six burning torches, representing the six million Jews murdered by the Nazis during World War II. 

...Decrying the "hypocrisy of the UN and the whole world", Rep. Nadler declared, "we must take any action to ensure that there is no second Holocaust," and said that "all options should be on the table" as far as stopping Iran is concerned.

"Remembering the Holocaust is quite commendable, but what is needed now is a bold plan of Jewish activism," said Rep. Hikind, a former member of the Jewish Defense League. "Our enemies are closing in on us at blinding speed and our very existence as a people is at stake and no Jewish organizations have offered a concrete plan of action. 

The son of a survivor of Auschwitz, Hikind added: "We are an orphaned generation. What the Jewish community is sorely lacking today is authentic Jewish leadership, that was epitomized by Rabbi Meir Kahane, of blessed memory. We need organizations and leaders who can mobilize thousands of Jews to take to the streets near the United Nations in September and declare our collective outrage over the proposed unilateral vote on the creation of a Palestinian state that is sworn to destroy Israel and the Jewish people."

Also the son of a survivor, Rabbi Schwartz of Congregation Ohev Tzedek warned that "Ahmadinejad wants to visit a new Holocaust on Israel while denying the veracity of the Holocaust that happened 70 years ago. We must act to transform Yom HaShoah into Yom Ha'Atzmaut; a day of darkness into a day of light."

"Israel, which sends healing across the world in times of crises, has become a pariah state", said Rabbi Lerner of Young Israel of Great Neck. "Amalek lives on in the form of Ahmadinejad and others who represent an existential peril to Israel."

Rabbi Polakoff of the Great Neck Synagogue stated, "Remembering the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah is a misnomer. We must remember the lessons of this chapter of Jewish history every single day. If we don't remember, who will?"  (Israel National News)

Not one nation alone stood against the Jewish people throughout history, but in every generation our enemies stand against us to destroy us, but the Holy Blessed One saves us from their hands. May all of Am Yisrael join even closer together in times of hardship, and in the merit of our forefathers and all the great tzaddikim who were killed in sanctification of God's name in the Holocaust and in all turmoils our people have faced, in their merit may Hashem save us in these times as in the past, and bring our Redeemer and full Redemption with no delay.