Search Results

We said it wouldn’t and couldn’t happen here. They said it could. Guess what? It did. This past weekend. Charlottesville, Virginia saw the rise of Nazi Regime once again. The so-called “alt-right”, a rag-tag group of people who believe that white makes right. A group of people that contain a group of so-called “Neo-Nazi’s”. In other words, Hitler will rise again. Somehow, they are the master race and want “their” country back. They feel they are inherently and genetically superior to everyone else. This past weekend they made their feelings known. In public, marching in the streets. Just like the Germans did in the 1930’s. Make no mistake, these people have around for years. But for the last 60 years or so they remained on the fringes of society, meeting in back woods and people’s houses. Now, they have no problem not only being seen, but proclaiming their message of hate for all to see. We all saw them come out to protest the deconstruction of a statue of General Lee, a man touted as a Civil War hero, who was defending their way of life. Their way of life involves keeping people of African descent oppressed. Their way of life means that they are always in control, on top, having all the wealth and power. And who is the obstacle to this utopia? We Jews. These groups marched in the streets, just like the Nazi’s did in the 1930’s, chanting “Jews will not replace us”. There were also parades of these Nazi’s chanting, “Seig Heil”. During the Saturday of the protests, Jews in Charlottesville were attending Shabbat morning services. Alan Zimmerman, the president of the congregation, looked out across the street and saw three men—dressed in fatigues, carrying semi-automatic weapons, obvious part of this alt-right movement—standing there watching. One of their neighbors, a non-active Marine, offered to stand guard, after the police refused to post men there. Mr. Zimmerman recommended that his congregants leave the synagogue by the back door to avoid a confrontation. We all heard the President’s response. He minimized these people saying the they weren’t all bad, some of the counter-protesters started some of the violence that ensued and there was a lot of blame to go around. No reaction to David Duke, a former leader of the KKK, saying that they were proud of their president. Many are criticizing the President for his lax stance, including a lot of members of his own party. But here’s the real problem: the President has surrounded himself with more Jews than probably any other President in recent history. Where were their voices? Where was their outrage? Many Jews have supported him, ostensibly for his tough stance on Israel. But that is now starting to fade. His Business Advisory Council has disbanded because these business leaders did not want to continue to be associated with him after his callous remarks this weekend. Yet his lackies and sycophants still stay close to him. Some had thought that Gary Cohn, his top White House economic leader and key liaison to the US business community might join the rest of the business leaders and resign. At this point, he is still on the job. David Shulkin, US Secretary for Veterans Affairs and Jewish, told reporters that while he was “outraged” and felt compelled to speak out against those hate groups. He also defended his boss’ response and approach. He said he feels the President made it clear how he feels. Likewise from Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and top economic adviser Gary Cohn, who are both Jewish, no comments. They were right there with their President during the press conference. Advise to the President’s lawyer, Michael D. Cohen, also Jewish: Fire your client. Sheldon Adelson, business mogul and billionaire, major contributor to Trump and big supporter of Israel—no comment or censure. This criticism even went as far as Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu who has remained in office as Prime Minister many years because Israeli’s see him as standing up for Israel and defending his country and Jewish people against the Palestinians and rest of the world, was silent at first. After three days of silence and pressure from his own people, he finally took a stand. Finally, and this is the worst of it, are the President’s own flesh and blood. His daughter, now an Orthodox Jew, has said nothing to criticize what went on in Charlottesville. Worst of all is the President’s son-in-law and most intimate advisor, Jared Kushner. This man was born an Orthodox and has remained true to his roots all his life. Until now. Silence. Nothing. No statement, no criticism. We can go on about Jews who sympathized with Nazi’s so that they would get privileges, including the privilege to live. Maybe these people are more concerned with their own comfort, wealth and power than standing up for their own people. Perhaps they are rationalizing the watered-down reaction to save their own skins. But the Torah is very specific. We say this twice a day: “You will love your G-d with all your heart, will all your soul and with all your might”. It’s very clear. You do what is right, and be willing to give up your comfort, your wealth, and your life. These people have clearly ignored that. We need to stand up not just for all the injustice, but for ourselves. We need to come together be a people. We need to stand together and stand up to this oppression and bigotry and hatred. If we don’t, the Holocaust may end up being a lot more than just a memory.

A commentary on this week's Torah Portion, Re'eh: New month of Elul; Blessings and Curses; Completeness of Torah; Being tested with challenges to help you grow; Pesach eating https://youtu.be/SvFOsvmLa2I #TorahPortionParashaReeh

Release means confronting our own "hearts of dearness" and then turning things over to a Higher Love and Wisdom. By "things" we mean the destructive fears, worries, hates and jealousies. When we release them to G-d we consent to the healing and outworking of thoughts and feeling that we cannot cope with ourselves. Releasing with wisdom and love does not mean dumping in a fearful, chaotic manner and walking away from our individual role in solving a situation without personal introspection. It means we do not thrash around in our own limited impotence and complicate our feelings with anxiety that we are alone. When we release, we unleash power and difficulty surrenders. One thing is forever good; that one thing is success. Ralph Waldo Emerson

Now that it’s summer, I get to go out into my back yard and pick, literally, the fruits of my labor. That would be a fig tree. My wife and I look forward to this time of year when we are inundated with a delicious fruit that contains B vitamins, iron and potassium, among other things, as well as that all-important fiber. We also have a date palm, but we don’t really deal with it that much. In ancient Israel, they did eat a lot of dates and in fact make beer out of it. In the front yard we have an orange tree. I’m not really too sure about this because those oranges are very tart and it’s really tough to eat them. I’ve found that I can take this wonderful source of vitamin C and squeeze it into hot water—since they usually ripen mid to late fall—and have a wonderfully tart hot beverage. What does this have to do with Judaism? Let’s consider the fact that we live on a planet where, if we are careful and attentive, we have our needs provided for us. Earth provides all sorts of delicious food. We have a variety of grains—wheat, rice, barley—that provide vitamins, minerals, fiber, carbohydrates; fruits (some of which we just mentioned); vegetables as well with their respective nutrients. This planet provides a variety of animal life (including fish and fowl) that also provide food. Some of these animals provide dairy. Many of them are capable of “heavy lifting” provide power for farming tools. Finally, we have all sorts of natural resources—like trees to provide wood and a variety of metal ore—that we can use for building and providing the raw materials for building and technology. All of which makes our lives easier and more pleasant. What are the odds, then, that all this just happened? What are the odds that the same planet that provided for human life, also provided for the sustenance of that life? Did all this happen by chance, a cosmic roll of the dice? It would be easy to say that without all of things coming together, there would be no life. And of course, let’s not leave out the fact that our planet is just the right distance from the right type of star that provides just the right amount of light and heat. This is probably why many people do not believe in extraterrestrial life; what are the odds of all this coming together in other places in the galaxy, let alone the whole Universe? But this is not a treatise or discussion on aliens from other planets. This, of course, is a treatise on the existence of G-d. Certainly, there is a validity—as much as I would hate to acknowledge—that this planet and all its life and bountiful materials—is the result of a roll of the dice. A trillion to one odds, maybe. Or, this is the result of a Supreme Being with Omniscience, that designed the whole thing. Consider that the Divine Being, whom we come together each week to acknowledge, praise and worship, put all this together just for use. He (or She) wanted material physical beings created in His Divine Image with His Divine Spark to do His work in the physical realm. And to sustain us, he gave us everything we’d need to survive and growth. This, then, is a treatise on two ideas. The first is the existence of G-d, that there is more going on than just odds. The other treatise—and it is mentioned in this week’s Torah portion—is that since Earth is here for our benefit and our use, we need to care of it. We need to treat it as G-d’s creation. To do any less would be to disrespect HaShem. We need to use the resources to the best of our ability with the utmost respect. This leads to another concept. As we respect and treat our environment with respect and manage optimally our ecosystem, so are we to do with our own bodies. Our bodies are created in the Divine image as well and are a gift from G-d. We are really only “borrowing” these bodies, and when we’re done with them, we give them back. One interpretation of Deuteronomy 4:15 is to take care of ourselves, our bodies. If we are not in the best health, we can’t worship HaShem fully, as the Shema commands us. Some consider this an admonishment to not smoke or drink, or eat bad foods. HaShem created us, then, in His own image to use and enjoy the bounty of Earth, our home. G-d gave us all we need. So maybe, just maybe, we never left the Garden of Eden, Gan Eden, after all?

On the heels of observing commandments; community obeying the commandments; women studying Torah. https://youtu.be/z3aBNcGfOkE

Harmony comes when resistance is faced with love instead of confronted with opposition. Harmony issues forth when bending and swaying like nature's patterns: the breeze, the tide, the seasons. Harmony is not attained in agonized submission or hopeless despair to overwhelming forces. Harmony is tasted in quiet waiting while the storm brews, until Wisdom and Love disperse the clouds and recreate the sunshine which always follows the rain. We are harmonized to life's tune when we accept the rain as a sister to the sun and use the wake of the storm as a quiet time to mobilize our inner perspective. By harmony our souls are swayed; by harmony the world was made. George Granville

This week's Torah Portion, August 5, 2017 https://youtu.be/9slrVJ3bAm8

Life is both basic existence and creativity. The various colors of life's panorama reflect a rainbow of potential for experiencing life's message, which is: live life both vigorously and contemplatively. Life has meaning when life means something to us. Life means something to us only when we are real to ourselves and dare to face our conflicts, expose our rationalizations, and free our inhibitions so we can make contact and connect to people. There are no sidelines in a spiritual world. We must enter it and live. It matters not how long we live, but how. P.J. Bailey

http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/31/what-is-tisha-bav-why-today-is-a-day-of-mourning-in-the-jewish-calendar-6753368/#ixzz4oQenpLBp Today marks a solemn day in the Jewish calendar. Tisha B’Av is a time to reflect on the Jews who have been killed over the years in a number of tragedies. Millions will pay tribute to them with prayers, fasting and readings from the Torah at synagogues around the globe. Here is everything you need to know about Tisha B’Av. When is Tisha B’Av? Tisha B’Av always falls on the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av. In the gregorian calendar this is usually in either July or August. This year Tisha B’Av begins the evening of 31 July and ends on August 1. The date is known as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar and commemorates the times when Jewish people have been persecuted over the years – often on the ninth day of Av. For this reason, Tisha B’Av is considered by many to be a day destined for tragedy. The first horror Jews commemorate during Tisha B’Av is when Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first temple in Jerusalem in 586BCE, killing 100,000 Jews. The second is when the Romans destroyed the second temple in Jerusalem in 70CE. The Holocaust and World War I are also commemorated during Tisha D’Av. What is Tisha B’Av The date is known as the saddest day in the Jewish calendar and commemorates the times when Jewish people have been persecuted over the years – often on the ninth day of Av.For this reason, Tisha B’Av is considered by many to be a day destined for tragedy.The first horror Jews commemorate during Tisha B’Av is when Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the first temple in Jerusalem in 586BCE, killing 100,000 Jews. The second is when the Romans destroyed the second temple in Jerusalem in 70CE.The Holocaust and World War I are also commemorated during Tisha D’Av.Read more: http://metro.co.uk/2017/07/31/what-is-tisha-bav-why-today-is-a-day-of-mourning-in-the-jewish-calendar-6753368/#ixzz4oQfjhWTw

New Month of Av; Moses' first discourse; don't do what your parents did; euphemisms to avoid evil speech; battles. https://youtu.be/8yEWf6NvCIM

Success is measured by inner satisfaction, not in the largeness of feats accomplished. A small overcoming and unannounced act of love, these are the hallmarks of the successful person. Success can be silent and unpraised, but rich is rewards when the giving of ourselves has reached another human being. We may worship Success only if we can worship Wisdom and Love first, for then our drives are geared towards the accomplishment of self-growth, the capacity to touch and reach others, and the commitment to perfect the imperfect in the world. Then the goal will not be the crass symbols of success that an irrational modern society defines and reveres. When wanting becomes tempered and harmonized with the laws of love, then we are assured success. We succeed when we no longer need. He has achieved success who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much. Mrs. A.J. Stanley

This week’s Torah portion is the double portion of Matot-Masei, and it closes out the book of Numbers. In the portion of Matot, HaShem commands Moshe Rabbeinu to צרור אח המדיני, “harass the Midianites”. It was confirmed that the Midianites had been massing for attack against the Israelites, and the order was to attack first. Each of the tribes contributed about a thousand of their best warriors to form a sort of special forces. This had been a recurrent theme over the last three books. After the Israelites left Egypt, the Amelakites were waiting for them. But rather than attack the masses, according to the Mishnah, they laid in wait until the mass of people passed them by, then attacked the rear. This was where a lot of the women and children were marching. Earlier on in Numbers, we read about the Moabites. This was a loose confederation of tribes who saw the Two-and-a-half million Israelites preparing to enter the land and they got worried. They were afraid that the Israelites would attack and destroy them. It doesn’t seem that there was any reason for this fear, but they had seen them win battles before and became quite distressed anyway. They engaged Balak as their king who then sent for Balaam the priest/sorcerer to go curse them. That didn’t work as HaShem had him pronounce curses. They settled on plan B which was to send their daughters in to seduce the men into depravity in celebration to their pagan gods. Today, once again Israel is in turmoil. A few days ago, rogue Palestinian youths attacked and killed two Israeli Druze policemen guarding the Temple Mount. Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, acting on security concerns, shut down the Temple Mount, which now houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Palestinians became enraged. Today there were more attacks on Israelis. Palestinian youths broke into a settlement home and killed three Israelis and critically injured one more. They were “neutralized” by Israeli police. Later this evening in Israel, clashes broke out near the Temple Mount. Three Palestinians are dead. It’s not clear, at this point, who is to blame or specifically what happened. The point is that in 3500 years, not much has changed. We Jews want our ancestral holy land back. We have built it up over the last 60 years from a desert into a living, breathing, viable country. Israel has excelled in arts and sciences, with many medical technological innovations. And how does the rest of the world react? Israel ceded land to the itinerant Arabs, who are now deemed “Palestinians” more than ten years in exchange for peace. Instead of peace, a terrorist group—Hamas—seized control of Gaza and turned into a staging area for attacks against Israel. This was not against the army, but against school children and civilians. As they engaged in wanton violence against Israel, they spread over the world demeaning Israel and accusing them of “oppressing” them, forcing them into this violence as the only way to get their freedom. As much of the world sympathizes with them, their activities in their own land is ignored. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East where all religions are free to practice. In Gaza, you accept Islam or you die. In fact, Hamas has executed many people they believed were Israel sympathizers. They have used their children and women as shields against the onslaught of Israel reprisal after their unprovoked attacks. This is somewhat reminiscent of the commandment to “not have your children pass through Molech”, an ancient pagan practice that many believed was a euphemism for child sacrifice to appease a god. Again, in 3500 years, not much has changed. Israel has developed life-saving medical technologies that has been used to save even Palestinian lives. Where disaster strikes, Israel is one of the first countries to respond. Israel is responsible for many advancements, including the web site paradigm that I use. Yet the world continues to condemn Israel. While the UN puts forth a resolution each month condemning Israel for one thing or another, other issues go largely ignored. No resolutions have been put forth condemning Middle Eastern countries for their suppression of woman’s rights, their oppression of gays and minorities. Nothing is said about the attacks on innocent civilians in Syria, refugees who, by the way, get treated is Israeli hospitals. It makes one wonder if the ancient commandment to “harass the Midianites” should be revisited. Maybe that’s the only way peace will prevail in the area. Of course, the humanitarian implications are obvious and would further ignite an already inflammable situation. Or does it really matter. As Israel stands alone in the Middle East, more and more countries and realizing the reality of the situation and coming to Israel’s defense. In fact, many countries, previously Israel’s enemies, are approaching them for help in fighting indigenous terrorist groups that are starting to sprout. So maybe things will improve. So how do we handle it in the meantime? One might consider the old song, “you can’t please everyone, so you have to please yourself”. Or in Israel’s case, it may be more like “you can’t please anyone...”.