Showing posts with label psalms. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Deal for Shalit release now on the table

Shana tova to my fellow geulah bloggers and readers!

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 reached a deal 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.

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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 immediate, unconditional release of Gilad! You may want to visualize Gilad sitting in the sukkah with his family...talk about the unbounded joy of Sukkot!

גְּמֹל עַל-עַבְדְּךָ אֶחְיֶה;    וְאֶשְׁמְרָה דְבָרֶךָ.
גַּל-עֵינַי וְאַבִּיטָה--    נִפְלָאוֹת, מִתּוֹרָתֶךָ.
גֵּר אָנֹכִי בָאָרֶץ;    אַל-תַּסְתֵּר מִמֶּנִּי, מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
גָּרְסָה נַפְשִׁי לְתַאֲבָה--    אֶל-מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ בְכָל-עֵת.
גָּעַרְתָּ, זֵדִים אֲרוּרִים--    הַשֹּׁגִים, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
גַּל מֵעָלַי, חֶרְפָּה וָבוּז:    כִּי עֵדֹתֶיךָ נָצָרְתִּי.
גַּם יָשְׁבוּ שָׂרִים, בִּי נִדְבָּרוּ--    עַבְדְּךָ, יָשִׂיחַ בְּחֻקֶּיךָ.
גַּם-עֵדֹתֶיךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי--    אַנְשֵׁי עֲצָתִי.

לְעוֹלָם יְהוָה--    דְּבָרְךָ, נִצָּב בַּשָּׁמָיִם.
לְדֹר וָדֹר, אֱמוּנָתֶךָ;    כּוֹנַנְתָּ אֶרֶץ, וַתַּעֲמֹד.
לְמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, עָמְדוּ הַיּוֹם:    כִּי הַכֹּל עֲבָדֶיךָ.
לוּלֵי תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי--    אָז, אָבַדְתִּי בְעָנְיִי.
לְעוֹלָם, לֹא-אֶשְׁכַּח פִּקּוּדֶיךָ:    כִּי בָם, חִיִּיתָנִי.
לְךָ-אֲנִי, הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי:    כִּי פִקּוּדֶיךָ דָרָשְׁתִּי.
לִי קִוּוּ רְשָׁעִים לְאַבְּדֵנִי;    עֵדֹתֶיךָ, אֶתְבּוֹנָן.
לְכָל-תִּכְלָה, רָאִיתִי קֵץ;    רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד.

עָשִׂיתִי, מִשְׁפָּט וָצֶדֶק; בַּל-תַּנִּיחֵנִי, לְעֹשְׁקָי.

עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב; אַל-יַעַשְׁקֻנִי זֵדִים.

עֵינַי, כָּלוּ לִישׁוּעָתֶךָ;    וּלְאִמְרַת צִדְקֶךָ.
עֲשֵׂה עִם-עַבְדְּךָ כְחַסְדֶּךָ;    וְחֻקֶּיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.
עַבְדְּךָ-אָנִי הֲבִינֵנִי;    וְאֵדְעָה, עֵדֹתֶיךָ.
עֵת, לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיהוָה--    הֵפֵרוּ, תּוֹרָתֶךָ.
עַל-כֵּן, אָהַבְתִּי מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ--    מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז.
עַל-כֵּן, כָּל-פִּקּוּדֵי כֹל יִשָּׁרְתִּי;    כָּל-אֹרַח שֶׁקֶר שָׂנֵאתִי.

דָּבְקָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשִׁי;    חַיֵּנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
דְּרָכַי סִפַּרְתִּי, וַתַּעֲנֵנִי;    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
דֶּרֶךְ-פִּקּוּדֶיךָ הֲבִינֵנִי;    וְאָשִׂיחָה, בְּנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ.
דָּלְפָה נַפְשִׁי, מִתּוּגָה;    קַיְּמֵנִי, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
דֶּרֶךְ-שֶׁקֶר, הָסֵר מִמֶּנִּי;    וְתוֹרָתְךָ חָנֵּנִי.
דֶּרֶךְ-אֱמוּנָה בָחָרְתִּי;    מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ שִׁוִּיתִי.
דָּבַקְתִּי בְעֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ;    יְהוָה, אַל-תְּבִישֵׁנִי.
דֶּרֶךְ-מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ אָרוּץ:    כִּי תַרְחִיב לִבִּי.

בַּמֶּה יְזַכֶּה-נַּעַר, אֶת-אָרְחוֹ--    לִשְׁמֹר, כִּדְבָרֶךָ.
בְּכָל-לִבִּי דְרַשְׁתִּיךָ;    אַל-תַּשְׁגֵּנִי, מִמִּצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
בְּלִבִּי, צָפַנְתִּי אִמְרָתֶךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֶחֱטָא-לָךְ.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהוָה--    לַמְּדֵנִי חֻקֶּיךָ.
בִּשְׂפָתַי סִפַּרְתִּי--    כֹּל, מִשְׁפְּטֵי-פִיךָ.
בְּדֶרֶךְ עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ שַׂשְׂתִּי--    כְּעַל כָּל-הוֹן.
בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ אָשִׂיחָה;    וְאַבִּיטָה, אֹרְחֹתֶיךָ.
בְּחֻקֹּתֶיךָ אֶשְׁתַּעֲשָׁע;    לֹא אֶשְׁכַּח דְּבָרֶךָ.

נֵר-לְרַגְלִי דְבָרֶךָ;    וְאוֹר, לִנְתִיבָתִי.
נִשְׁבַּעְתִּי וָאֲקַיֵּמָה--    לִשְׁמֹר, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.
נַעֲנֵיתִי עַד-מְאֹד;    יְהוָה, חַיֵּנִי כִדְבָרֶךָ.
נִדְבוֹת פִּי, רְצֵה-נָא יְהוָה;    וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי.
נַפְשִׁי בְכַפִּי תָמִיד;    וְתוֹרָתְךָ, לֹא שָׁכָחְתִּי.
נָתְנוּ רְשָׁעִים פַּח לִי;    וּמִפִּקּוּדֶיךָ, לֹא תָעִיתִי.
נָחַלְתִּי עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ לְעוֹלָם:    כִּי-שְׂשׂוֹן לִבִּי הֵמָּה.
נָטִיתִי לִבִּי, לַעֲשׂוֹת חֻקֶּיךָ--    לְעוֹלָם עֵקֶב.

אַשְׁרֵי תְמִימֵי-דָרֶךְ--    הַהֹלְכִים, בְּתוֹרַת יְהוָה.
אַשְׁרֵי, נֹצְרֵי עֵדֹתָיו;    בְּכָל-לֵב יִדְרְשׁוּהוּ.
אַף, לֹא-פָעֲלוּ עַוְלָה;    בִּדְרָכָיו הָלָכוּ.
אַתָּה, צִוִּיתָה פִקֻּדֶיךָ--    לִשְׁמֹר מְאֹד.
אַחֲלַי, יִכֹּנוּ דְרָכָי--    לִשְׁמֹר חֻקֶּיךָ.
אָז לֹא-אֵבוֹשׁ--    בְּהַבִּיטִי, אֶל-כָּל-מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
אוֹדְךָ, בְּיֹשֶׁר לֵבָב--    בְּלָמְדִי, מִשְׁפְּטֵי צִדְקֶךָ.
אֶת-חֻקֶּיךָ אֶשְׁמֹר;    אַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי עַד-מְאֹד.

יָדֶיךָ עָשׂוּנִי, וַיְכוֹנְנוּנִי;    הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶלְמְדָה מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ.
יְרֵאֶיךָ, יִרְאוּנִי וְיִשְׂמָחוּ:    כִּי לִדְבָרְךָ יִחָלְתִּי.
יָדַעְתִּי יְהוָה, כִּי-צֶדֶק מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ;    וֶאֱמוּנָה, עִנִּיתָנִי.
יְהִי-נָא חַסְדְּךָ לְנַחֲמֵנִי--    כְּאִמְרָתְךָ לְעַבְדֶּךָ.
יְבֹאוּנִי רַחֲמֶיךָ וְאֶחְיֶה:    כִּי-תוֹרָתְךָ, שַׁעֲשֻׁעָי.
יֵבֹשׁוּ זֵדִים, כִּי-שֶׁקֶר עִוְּתוּנִי;    אֲנִי, אָשִׂיחַ בְּפִקּוּדֶיךָ.
יָשׁוּבוּ לִי יְרֵאֶיךָ;    וידעו (וְיֹדְעֵי), עֵדֹתֶיךָ.
יְהִי-לִבִּי תָמִים בְּחֻקֶּיךָ--    לְמַעַן, לֹא אֵבוֹשׁ.

הוֹרֵנִי יְהוָה, דֶּרֶךְ חֻקֶּיךָ; וְאֶצְּרֶנָּה עֵקֶב.
הֲבִינֵנִי, וְאֶצְּרָה תוֹרָתֶךָ; וְאֶשְׁמְרֶנָּה בְכָל-לֵב.

הַדְרִיכֵנִי, בִּנְתִיב מִצְו‍ֹתֶיךָ:    כִּי-בוֹ חָפָצְתִּי.
הַט-לִבִּי, אֶל-עֵדְו‍ֹתֶיךָ;    וְאַל אֶל-בָּצַע.
הַעֲבֵר עֵינַי, מֵרְאוֹת שָׁוְא;    בִּדְרָכֶךָ חַיֵּנִי.
הָקֵם לְעַבְדְּךָ, אִמְרָתֶךָ--    אֲשֶׁר, לְיִרְאָתֶךָ.
הַעֲבֵר חֶרְפָּתִי, אֲשֶׁר יָגֹרְתִּי:    כִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ טוֹבִים.
הִנֵּה, תָּאַבְתִּי לְפִקֻּדֶיךָ;    בְּצִדְקָתְךָ חַיֵּנִי.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Land slides across the world

Slide nearly devours 2 homes in Newport, Oregon

For the mountains may move, and the hills may shake; but My kindness shall not depart from you, neither shall My covenant of peace be removed, says Hashem, who has compassion on you.

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

In Washington state, landslides closed sections of three state highways. In Portland, what started as a sinkhole washed away over 50 feet of Highway 22 near the Oregon Coast. Meanwhile, on Thursday the National Weather Service warned of further landslides as heavy rains are expected for western Washington, where soils are already saturated.

In the Phillippines, at least 60 people have been killed by floods and landslides, and 27 are missing.
On Thrsday, Phillipine weather authorities warned that a northeast monsoon and a wind convergence may trigger flash floods and landslides in thea areas of Eastern Luzon and Eastern Visayas.

In Brazil, in recent flooding and landslides that are now being called the country's worst natural disaster, over 700 have died and over 200 are missing. Here is a video of a man miraculously rescued after being buried alive in mudslides.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

More bird and fish deaths across U.S.

A healthy grackle in Georgia, 2009 (Quinn Dombrowski)

On Monday, 200 birds were found in downtown Yankton, South Dakota. The birds were congregating downtown in past weeks instead of migrating for winter. An animal control officer reported that a veterinarian had no initial explanation for the deaths, and that in her 10+ years of animal control she has never witnessed anything like this.

Last weekend, 300 grackle birds were found dead on the side of I-65 in Huntsville, Alabama. According to the UK Daily Mail, a witness to the incident said 'it looked like they were committing suicide'. Grackles have recently been found dead in hundreds in Arkansas, Louisiana and Kentucky.

The weekend before, CA highway patrol officers found 100 dead birds just off Highway 101 in Geyserville, CA, near Santa Rosa. The brown- and black-winged birds were intact and had not been shot.

Meanwhile thousands of dead gizzard shad fish have been spotted in Chicago harbors. The fish appear to be frozen to death.

שמות טו, ח: קפאו תהומות, בלב-ים

and the depths froze in the heart of the sea (exodus 15:8)

Creation of Adam (zoom) / Michelangelo

When I see Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You have established,
What is man that You should remember him, and the son of man that You should be mindful of him?
Yet You have made him slightly less than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and majesty.
You give him dominion over the work of Your hands; You have placed everything beneath his feet.
Flocks and cattle, all of them, and also the beasts of the field;
The birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, he traverses the ways of the seas.
O Lord, our Master, how mighty is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalms 8:4-10)

Monday, January 17, 2011

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)

rucho shel mashiach