I, like everyone else, have no idea what G-d's master plan is for this world or this country. What I do know is he is the Creator of all things. He is the supreme judge and jury. I believe he has a sense of justice that man cannot comprehend nor see even if they think they can.
I heard a great thought from a Rabbi years ago when he was discussing the verse in the Torah "To the righteous you shall do bad and the wicked one you shall do good." He asked what kind of logic is this? How are we supposed to understand what this verse means. It defies our common sense and makes everything else the Torah has said before it, seem contradictory. Can this really be what the Torah means?
The rabbi responded with a simple, but very deep answer. He said we cannot know what Our Maker has in store for us, but know that there is most definitely a master plan which in time everyone will know all about . However, to gain insight into a particular event we must understand this verse as follows. Take a look at a crochet picture from behind. It is a sorry mess of random strings wandering aimlessly with no particular rhyme or order. Then turn it over and look at the beautiful picture it makes when it's all put together. A mess of incredible strings with seemingly no purpose, turned over onto it's front and now it all makes sense.
Events happen in this world that seem to be random instances of day to day events. Understand and know that NOTHING is just random. Each event leads to the next one which leads to another some forty years later, to another some sixty years later, to another some two hundred years later and so on. My personal opinion, and I may be way off here, is that the first slave to land foot on American soil, was done so that all those who have descended from slaves, can know that G-d above heard their cries and now has answered their prayers. Unlike others, I do not believe he doles out justice only to his people although I do believe it all comes back to his people BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE HAS SAID and things happen only for that reason. I believe that the first slave trader was put here BECAUSE Barak Obama was supposed to be exalted at this moment in this place. While I am worried for my people in the worst way, I am uplifted by the events of last night because it assures me that while I may not understand His plan, I am comforted by this perceived if not actual Justice for an oppressed and maligned people, that the promises he made to my forefathers are alive, burning and await their fulfillment.
That being said, I am reminded of the movie The Ten Commandments when Nefratiri comes to Moses' house to save him because Pharaoh has ordered the first born of all Jews to be killed which meant that the tenth plague would be the killing of the first born from the mouth of Pharaoh himself. She begs Moses to come with her so she can save him and Moses looks at her and says something to the extent of "You are the vehicle that G-d is working through." My own belief is like everything else, there is a reason a man who is surrounded by haters of the Jews and Israel won the Presidency of the United States last night. It was a grand moment for him, those who cried in pain and anguish for hundreds of years and all others who support him. And rightfully so. But it is very possible that through the execution of his Judgment and Justice he has uplifted an entire race of people, while at the same time passing heavenly judgement on His chosen people, His nation, to be carried out through the exalted Barak Obama.
Today is a day for celebration for any believer of G-d.
Today he has uplifted an oppressed people.
Today he has made the embarrassed, proud, the humiliated, honored.
What it means for the Jews in the short run is much more anguish and pain. More murder and moral equivocation. More appeasement of evil. More cowering in fear by Europe, the UN and now America in order to fulfill the verse "To the wicked you shall do good." More Jewish parents burying their young sons and daughters. More cries to the heavens for the Redeemer seemingly falling on deaf ears. It will be hard to live with. It will lead to many days of sorrow and fear, depression and pain. But do not let that discourage you. For just as He has exalted those that want to do us harm, He is making sure that no stone is left unturned. That when the day the Messiah finally comes to deliver His people to lead the world in Servitude to Him, no one race of people on the entire planet can come to Him with a claim that they did not oppress the Jewish People or cause them to be harmed. The prophet Isaiah in Chapter 53 makes sure that the world knows that their claims of innocence will go unheard. There will be no mercy for those that chose to do harm to the Jewish people and no time left for their repentance.
Therefore, I am celebrating today. I am happy for my African American friends who have long awaited this day and glad to see their happiness and joy. I am also glad for the believers of Hashem. For just as he has fulfilled the words of Isaiah and Deuteronomy, so too will he fulfill the words of the prophets who have told us of our ultimate redemption. The Torah is alive and it is Life for all those who embrace it.
Last night, Hashem showed once again, that there is a time for everything. I am rejoicing today because I know His words are true and His promises are real.
May it be His will that I am alive to witness the redeeming of His people so that they can serve Him with joy and happiness and let ALL the world know that He is One and His Name is One.
May it come speedily in our days. Amen.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
I could not have said it better myself
No electorate is less concerned with it's own self preservation than the Jewish voter-Dick Morris, Jew, October 30, 2008.
And therein lies the rub.
I am not sure why we do what we do or what is it that drives us to work so hard against our own self interest, but we are the absolute best at ignoring what is best for us just to try and fit in. I have always wondered how the Jews throughout history allowed themselves to be subjected to the most ruthless and cruel governments of all time without so much as a whimper. I now know how that happened.
We are, for the most part, a loyal and committed group. We are by our very nature, ideologues. We are, as the Torah tells us, a stiff-necked people. So it should not have come as a surprise that we always do what is best for everyone but ourselves. I just didn't think when all the evidence was so blatant, we would sell our own people out for the empty promise of a thousand dollars.
When I think back to Germany and consider all that led up to the destruction of the Jewish presence there, I used to be amazed at how so many smart people allowed the nazi's rise to power. I am not amazed or even curious anymore. I am witnessing a moment in time that will not soon be forgotten.
We sit on the precipice of an upheaval we have never seen in the history of our country, and we not only sit by and cheer the movement, we embrace and work for it. We are being told to give to the greater good. Fairness for all. Everyone should be at the same spot at the same time. Except of course for the elites who dictate the mantra. Funny how two millionaires like Barak Obama and Joe Biden, give nary a penny to charitable causes, yet are asking us to give to the cause of the greater good. The Talmud in Taanis mentions an old Jewish motto which referred to those who preach about their own greatness. "Remove the beam from your eye, before you try and take out the spec from your neighbors eye." You ask me to give up for the common good when you have failed by example, to lead the vision of self sacrifice?
As a side note of curiosity, how is it that a community organizer, a law professor, a state senator and US senator, is a millionaire? Where is the revenue? What job did he have that enabled him to accumulate such wealth?
I am left with this one question that eats at me daily. Why is it that we can commit to a cause made of nothingness, false promises and empty slogans which quite possibly may be a detriment of our own freedom, but we ignore the calling of the Creator of the Universe and treat his cause as something we do by rote or barely a few times a year?
I am afraid that in twenty or so years-I should be lucky to live that long- I am sitting with my young grandchild and he/she asks me Grandpa, was there really a Jewish state called Israel in the beginning of the twenty first century? Yes dear there was. What did you do to stop it from being destroyed? she'll ask. Sadly, I may not be able to answer. Who was it that allowed this to happen? The entire world I'll say. What did the Jews do? I won't even know what to tell her. Didn't they care that Israel was going to be destroyed? I will say no they didn't. They wanted five hundred dollars in the mail instead. But hadn't they learned about what happened in Spain? France? Russia? Germany? I suppose they just didn't care.
Here is the scenario. April 2008. Iran attacks Israel with a dirty bomb or some form of transfered deadly chemical weapon as PROMISED by Ahmediajad over and over again. President Obama convenes his top foreign advisors to ask how should America react. In the room are Zbigniew Bzrezinski and his son Mark, Anthony Lake, Susan Rice and Robert O. Malley and Ivo Daalder. All of whom have a history of blaming Israel first.
(FYI_This is from today's issue of American thinker magazine."Then there is this disconcerting article in the Financial Times about Democratic Presidential candidates and Israel. One of the key advisers to one of the Presidential candidates admitted to some tactical moves to garner pro-Israel support in America:
"The plain fact is there is no upside for candidates to challenge the prevailing assumptions about Israel," said one of their advisers, who asked not to be named. "The best strategy is to win the White House and then change the debate."
One well-regarded blogger, Rutgers Professor Judith Apter Klinghoffer believes this adviser was Ivo Daalder, who was quoted throughout the article and who is one of the foreign policy advisers to Barack Obama.")
So this group of advisors needs to help Obama with his plan. I ask you as a Jew, do you think this will be good for our people or not so good? Personally, I have no doubt that by the end of an Obama presidency, AS A POLICY, Israel and America will no longer be staunch allies.
Can we trust him? I can't help but think about Obama's pledge to abide by the public financing laws and then when it was convenient, he broke that pledge. Or his pledge to not raise taxes on those making over 250,000 only to hear in last nights infomercial the number 200,000. Or his promise to keep Jerusalem unified only to have him disagree with himself the next day.
Would you buy a used car from this man?
One last thing. If there was nothing incriminating on the tape that the LA Times has, Obama should ask them to release the tape so everyone can see it. That would be a sign of character and someone I might be able to trust. He won't do that, however. Rumor has it, he was not very flattering to Israel. Hard to believe based on his past statements?
I will let you be the judge.
And therein lies the rub.
I am not sure why we do what we do or what is it that drives us to work so hard against our own self interest, but we are the absolute best at ignoring what is best for us just to try and fit in. I have always wondered how the Jews throughout history allowed themselves to be subjected to the most ruthless and cruel governments of all time without so much as a whimper. I now know how that happened.
We are, for the most part, a loyal and committed group. We are by our very nature, ideologues. We are, as the Torah tells us, a stiff-necked people. So it should not have come as a surprise that we always do what is best for everyone but ourselves. I just didn't think when all the evidence was so blatant, we would sell our own people out for the empty promise of a thousand dollars.
When I think back to Germany and consider all that led up to the destruction of the Jewish presence there, I used to be amazed at how so many smart people allowed the nazi's rise to power. I am not amazed or even curious anymore. I am witnessing a moment in time that will not soon be forgotten.
We sit on the precipice of an upheaval we have never seen in the history of our country, and we not only sit by and cheer the movement, we embrace and work for it. We are being told to give to the greater good. Fairness for all. Everyone should be at the same spot at the same time. Except of course for the elites who dictate the mantra. Funny how two millionaires like Barak Obama and Joe Biden, give nary a penny to charitable causes, yet are asking us to give to the cause of the greater good. The Talmud in Taanis mentions an old Jewish motto which referred to those who preach about their own greatness. "Remove the beam from your eye, before you try and take out the spec from your neighbors eye." You ask me to give up for the common good when you have failed by example, to lead the vision of self sacrifice?
As a side note of curiosity, how is it that a community organizer, a law professor, a state senator and US senator, is a millionaire? Where is the revenue? What job did he have that enabled him to accumulate such wealth?
I am left with this one question that eats at me daily. Why is it that we can commit to a cause made of nothingness, false promises and empty slogans which quite possibly may be a detriment of our own freedom, but we ignore the calling of the Creator of the Universe and treat his cause as something we do by rote or barely a few times a year?
I am afraid that in twenty or so years-I should be lucky to live that long- I am sitting with my young grandchild and he/she asks me Grandpa, was there really a Jewish state called Israel in the beginning of the twenty first century? Yes dear there was. What did you do to stop it from being destroyed? she'll ask. Sadly, I may not be able to answer. Who was it that allowed this to happen? The entire world I'll say. What did the Jews do? I won't even know what to tell her. Didn't they care that Israel was going to be destroyed? I will say no they didn't. They wanted five hundred dollars in the mail instead. But hadn't they learned about what happened in Spain? France? Russia? Germany? I suppose they just didn't care.
Here is the scenario. April 2008. Iran attacks Israel with a dirty bomb or some form of transfered deadly chemical weapon as PROMISED by Ahmediajad over and over again. President Obama convenes his top foreign advisors to ask how should America react. In the room are Zbigniew Bzrezinski and his son Mark, Anthony Lake, Susan Rice and Robert O. Malley and Ivo Daalder. All of whom have a history of blaming Israel first.
(FYI_This is from today's issue of American thinker magazine."Then there is this disconcerting article in the Financial Times about Democratic Presidential candidates and Israel. One of the key advisers to one of the Presidential candidates admitted to some tactical moves to garner pro-Israel support in America:
"The plain fact is there is no upside for candidates to challenge the prevailing assumptions about Israel," said one of their advisers, who asked not to be named. "The best strategy is to win the White House and then change the debate."
One well-regarded blogger, Rutgers Professor Judith Apter Klinghoffer believes this adviser was Ivo Daalder, who was quoted throughout the article and who is one of the foreign policy advisers to Barack Obama.")
So this group of advisors needs to help Obama with his plan. I ask you as a Jew, do you think this will be good for our people or not so good? Personally, I have no doubt that by the end of an Obama presidency, AS A POLICY, Israel and America will no longer be staunch allies.
Can we trust him? I can't help but think about Obama's pledge to abide by the public financing laws and then when it was convenient, he broke that pledge. Or his pledge to not raise taxes on those making over 250,000 only to hear in last nights infomercial the number 200,000. Or his promise to keep Jerusalem unified only to have him disagree with himself the next day.
Would you buy a used car from this man?
One last thing. If there was nothing incriminating on the tape that the LA Times has, Obama should ask them to release the tape so everyone can see it. That would be a sign of character and someone I might be able to trust. He won't do that, however. Rumor has it, he was not very flattering to Israel. Hard to believe based on his past statements?
I will let you be the judge.
Monday, October 27, 2008
If We Can't Even Trust Ourselves...?
I, for one, am glad I don't actually sit and ponder what is happening in the world. Don't get me wrong, I watch my stocks plummet daily and listen to the news about how the worst is ahead....of course until November 5th when the world will be saved.
Forgive me if I don't buy into the hype.
I have lived a rather short time when compared to the worlds existence, but have been around long enough to know, if it sounds like a snake and looks like a snake, it's probably a snake.
Therefore, last week was the first day as a Jew in America, that I thought I might need easy access to my passport. I am by no means a fatalist, but under the walk like a duck theory, I can't get away from the harrowing thought that EVERY SINGLE advisor that Barak Obama has used and credited vis a vi foreign policy, is not only anti-Israel, but scarily so. Worse, if Dennis Ross-who ingeniously gave us intifada one and two, is the only friend of Israel in the "policy" hub that this massively inexperienced Obama has in his confidence, we as Jews need to really think about our people and where we go from here.
Alas, that is not the worst of it. Not to be outdone, the brilliant coat tailer Tzpi Livni announced yesterday that she cannot come to terms with the morally bankrupt Shas party in Israel because she refused to take negotiating away Jerusalem off the table.
Who does this? What other nation/people is so stupid?
Does anyone really think that the Saudis would split Mecca? Medina?
Would the Egyptians split Cairo?
The Americans split New York?
How is this even an issue?
Sadly the answer is that if you are of the ilk that believes Uganda is a good substitute for Israel, it's an easy jump to put no importance on Jerusalem.
And for all my fellow Jews who are confident that Jerusalem will not be split under an Obama administration, I refer you to his comment at the AIPAC conference this past summer to a crowd full of Jews-that Jerusalem MUST remain united, (which he prefaced with a "Let me make myself perfectly clear") only to turn around the next day and tell Charlie Gibson that he mis-spoke and said so after the speech...Of course he said that to ..umm...no one. Doesn't sound like change to me-sounds like a typical politician who in front of thousands promises them what they want to hear and then behind closed doors says oops without correcting it ON the record... at least until the arab countries cry foul and only then does he say I must have misspoke. When asked by Gibson if that was a rookie mistake he said it was just a mistake. Well now, as a Jew I feel much more comfortable with that answer.
I then thought maybe I could find solace in the self proclaimed Friend of Israel and, as we have been told for three months now, foreign policy expert, Joe Biden. Maybe his support of the Jewish state and his great command of foreign policy based on his expertise would lead me to back Obama. However as a long time observer of the plagiarist Biden, three things came to mind right away which actually had me question Obama's judgement more than anything else. One was Biden SUPPORTED the nuclear freeze agenda in the 80's-he was way WRONG on that as history has proven-he also voted against the first Iraq war which passed overwhelmingly in both houses-WRONG AGAIN. However as a Jew, the following story I recently read convinced me that within all his bluster is someone who just doesn't get it....
In a conversation with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, after a sharp
confrontation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the subject
of the settlements, Menachem Begin defined himself as “a proud Jew who does not
tremble with fear” when speaking with foreign statesmen.
During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen.
John Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and
Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this
activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel.
When the senator raised his voice and banged twice on the table with
his fist, Begin commented to him: “This desk is designed for writing,
not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think
that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what
we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but
we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years
of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats.
Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”
After the meeting, Sen. Moynihan approached Begin and praised him for
his cutting reply. To which Begin answered with thanks, defining his
stand against threats.
I guess Joe is not the answer for me as a Jew then.
I love my people. I love my people who will be forced to vote for the unreliable John McCain and I love my people who will incredulously vote for Barak Obama.
However, as a Jew who loves his people more than he loves politicians, I looked at David Duke's friends and knew that they were bad for me and my people, and I look at Barak Obama's friends and know that they are bad for me and my people-The Jewish People. As for those of you who say that Obama just knows them he's not friends with them....if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck. At the very least, even they would then have to admit that if their argument is to be believed, Obama is not very loyal to the people who helped him get where he is (Khalidi, Monsoor, Wright) or he is being disingenuous, which then boils it down to a question of either character or expedience... either way you slice it, it is uncomfortable and slick at best.
Less then five minutes ago, while writing this post, a Jewish lady I know mentioned to me how despicable it was that Shas brought down the Israeli government because Livni would not agree on Jerusalem. How does this happen? How do Jews not care anymore about their people? How can Jews who actually understand the Balfour declaration or the UN partition plan, or the creation of other mideast countries, make such a statement? (For the record, I do not believe the lady I spoke to cares a lick to learn about any of that or even about the land of Israel except to take a possible tour with Hadassah)
When did the Jews stop caring about Jews?
I am brought back to the essence of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane's message when he said that westernized Jews have become too comfortable with America. For the record, I love this country and all the opportunity it has given myself, my family and my people, but I am not naive enough to believe that what has happened to us, as a people, everywhere else in the world where we have become staples of society, could not happen here. It might not happen all the same, but do not sleep on this, it can happen in the greatest country ever known to mankind.
I am not and never have been a fan of Mccain. Like his competition, he has always been an appeaser. However, he does have some things he believes in through his statements and through his record. When forced with two brutally unappealing candidates who will both spiral America into levels of desperation we have not seen in decades, I am forced to then think about what is best for my people. I am not totally comfortable with Mccain and Israel, but with Joe Leiberman having his ear I am a bit comforted. However, by knowing what is NOT best for the Jews, I recognize the lesser of two evils which is why I cannot cast a vote for Barak Obama.
I just hope soon, when the Israelis go to the ballot box, they end the cycle of madness and stupidity that has befallen their leadership, and choose a leader like Begin, who won't cow tow to big brother in the US and do what is best for the Jews.I hope that kind of leader still exists.
If we won't do what is best for us, why would we be foolish enough to think someone else will?
Forgive me if I don't buy into the hype.
I have lived a rather short time when compared to the worlds existence, but have been around long enough to know, if it sounds like a snake and looks like a snake, it's probably a snake.
Therefore, last week was the first day as a Jew in America, that I thought I might need easy access to my passport. I am by no means a fatalist, but under the walk like a duck theory, I can't get away from the harrowing thought that EVERY SINGLE advisor that Barak Obama has used and credited vis a vi foreign policy, is not only anti-Israel, but scarily so. Worse, if Dennis Ross-who ingeniously gave us intifada one and two, is the only friend of Israel in the "policy" hub that this massively inexperienced Obama has in his confidence, we as Jews need to really think about our people and where we go from here.
Alas, that is not the worst of it. Not to be outdone, the brilliant coat tailer Tzpi Livni announced yesterday that she cannot come to terms with the morally bankrupt Shas party in Israel because she refused to take negotiating away Jerusalem off the table.
Who does this? What other nation/people is so stupid?
Does anyone really think that the Saudis would split Mecca? Medina?
Would the Egyptians split Cairo?
The Americans split New York?
How is this even an issue?
Sadly the answer is that if you are of the ilk that believes Uganda is a good substitute for Israel, it's an easy jump to put no importance on Jerusalem.
And for all my fellow Jews who are confident that Jerusalem will not be split under an Obama administration, I refer you to his comment at the AIPAC conference this past summer to a crowd full of Jews-that Jerusalem MUST remain united, (which he prefaced with a "Let me make myself perfectly clear") only to turn around the next day and tell Charlie Gibson that he mis-spoke and said so after the speech...Of course he said that to ..umm...no one. Doesn't sound like change to me-sounds like a typical politician who in front of thousands promises them what they want to hear and then behind closed doors says oops without correcting it ON the record... at least until the arab countries cry foul and only then does he say I must have misspoke. When asked by Gibson if that was a rookie mistake he said it was just a mistake. Well now, as a Jew I feel much more comfortable with that answer.
I then thought maybe I could find solace in the self proclaimed Friend of Israel and, as we have been told for three months now, foreign policy expert, Joe Biden. Maybe his support of the Jewish state and his great command of foreign policy based on his expertise would lead me to back Obama. However as a long time observer of the plagiarist Biden, three things came to mind right away which actually had me question Obama's judgement more than anything else. One was Biden SUPPORTED the nuclear freeze agenda in the 80's-he was way WRONG on that as history has proven-he also voted against the first Iraq war which passed overwhelmingly in both houses-WRONG AGAIN. However as a Jew, the following story I recently read convinced me that within all his bluster is someone who just doesn't get it....
In a conversation with Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, after a sharp
confrontation in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on the subject
of the settlements, Menachem Begin defined himself as “a proud Jew who does not
tremble with fear” when speaking with foreign statesmen.
During that committee hearing, at the height of the Lebanon War, Sen.
John Biden (Delaware) had attacked Israeli settlements in Judea and
Samaria and threatened that if Israel did not immediately cease this
activity, the US would have to cut economic aid to Israel.
When the senator raised his voice and banged twice on the table with
his fist, Begin commented to him: “This desk is designed for writing,
not for fists. Don’t threaten us with slashing aid. Do you think
that because the US lends us money it is entitled to impose on us what
we must do? We are grateful for the assistance we have received, but
we are not to be threatened. I am a proud Jew. Three thousand years
of culture are behind me, and you will not frighten me with threats.
Take note: we do not want a single soldier of yours to die for us.”
After the meeting, Sen. Moynihan approached Begin and praised him for
his cutting reply. To which Begin answered with thanks, defining his
stand against threats.
I guess Joe is not the answer for me as a Jew then.
I love my people. I love my people who will be forced to vote for the unreliable John McCain and I love my people who will incredulously vote for Barak Obama.
However, as a Jew who loves his people more than he loves politicians, I looked at David Duke's friends and knew that they were bad for me and my people, and I look at Barak Obama's friends and know that they are bad for me and my people-The Jewish People. As for those of you who say that Obama just knows them he's not friends with them....if it walks like a duck, talks like a duck, it's a duck. At the very least, even they would then have to admit that if their argument is to be believed, Obama is not very loyal to the people who helped him get where he is (Khalidi, Monsoor, Wright) or he is being disingenuous, which then boils it down to a question of either character or expedience... either way you slice it, it is uncomfortable and slick at best.
Less then five minutes ago, while writing this post, a Jewish lady I know mentioned to me how despicable it was that Shas brought down the Israeli government because Livni would not agree on Jerusalem. How does this happen? How do Jews not care anymore about their people? How can Jews who actually understand the Balfour declaration or the UN partition plan, or the creation of other mideast countries, make such a statement? (For the record, I do not believe the lady I spoke to cares a lick to learn about any of that or even about the land of Israel except to take a possible tour with Hadassah)
When did the Jews stop caring about Jews?
I am brought back to the essence of the late Rabbi Meir Kahane's message when he said that westernized Jews have become too comfortable with America. For the record, I love this country and all the opportunity it has given myself, my family and my people, but I am not naive enough to believe that what has happened to us, as a people, everywhere else in the world where we have become staples of society, could not happen here. It might not happen all the same, but do not sleep on this, it can happen in the greatest country ever known to mankind.
I am not and never have been a fan of Mccain. Like his competition, he has always been an appeaser. However, he does have some things he believes in through his statements and through his record. When forced with two brutally unappealing candidates who will both spiral America into levels of desperation we have not seen in decades, I am forced to then think about what is best for my people. I am not totally comfortable with Mccain and Israel, but with Joe Leiberman having his ear I am a bit comforted. However, by knowing what is NOT best for the Jews, I recognize the lesser of two evils which is why I cannot cast a vote for Barak Obama.
I just hope soon, when the Israelis go to the ballot box, they end the cycle of madness and stupidity that has befallen their leadership, and choose a leader like Begin, who won't cow tow to big brother in the US and do what is best for the Jews.I hope that kind of leader still exists.
If we won't do what is best for us, why would we be foolish enough to think someone else will?
Friday, October 24, 2008
A Moment to Recognize His Awe
I am stepping off my soapbox just for today to get lost in the wonders of The Creator Of the Universe and all His Glory.
I am in awe of His mercy, His love, His patience, His judgment, His justice, His hand, His blessings, His promise, His might, His kindness, His power, His greatness....As I write, I realize that I must ask for His forgiveness for posting this, for I am so far from the one who should be doing so....yet I must give Him praise for allowing me to live the life he has granted me even though I have fallen so drastically short of his high hopes for me....I still bow to His Awesomeness and offer this short, inadequate but heartfelt testament to the greatness of His work.
The Reason?
Today, at this very moment, my son is preparing to spend Shabbat in Krakow, Poland.
He is a Jew.
He is in Poland.
In the year 2008.
Davening with a minyan and spending his time in solitude with his Creator. In Krakow.
How Awesome is the goodness of the Maker of All Things?
In the context of history, I am not sure who was worse to the Jews, the Poles or the Germans. If you don't have a great grasp of Europe, the question might seem ridiculous. But if you understand the wickedness of the Poles and their government, the question, while it might be a bit shocking, has some merit. While Germany was owning up to their evil following the war, the poles kept killing Jews and subjecting them to vermin status long after the war was over. There were and are still a large majority of anti-semites populating the land which to this day, remains a stain on mankind.
However, this Shabbat, young Jewish men return to send a message to this lowlife people from a lowlife country, that the Will and Might of Hashem is far too much for their wicked ways, yet in His mercy, he sends His people, the very people the poles wanted to eradicate, to sanctify this vile, disgusting, grotesque country with the beauty and holiness of Shabbat. Mi' Chamocha Ba-aylim Hashem?
Who can explain the impossible odds that the Jewish people have overcome?
How can it be that some sixty plus years later, the Jews have rebuilt themselves from the ashes and thrived, when in the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents, the question of Jewish survival or more to the point Jewish extinction was not just a Talmudic question, but a CBS news one?
It can be because the One Who Is, does not forget His promise or his people.
We have done everything we can to lose His faith in us. We have left His ways, have turned our backs on His Torah, have destroyed the very essence of His word from within and have allowed those who should be ashamed of themselves to dictate what is right and what is wrong.....AND STILL He allows us to continue and flourish.
It is with that as a backdrop that I offer my thanks to Hashem. He has given me far more than I will ever deserve and unfortunately I have only repaid him with inadequacy.
Ma' Ashiv La'Hashem-How can I repay You for all the blessings You have given me? I cannot even begin to describe the incredible blessings Hashem has granted me and to be able to witness my children grow up to become shining examples of what a Jew is supposed to be, I am so very humbled that He has granted me the time and opportunity to watch my children grow in Torah and Ma'asim Tovim and in service to Him.
I cannot wait to speak IYH with my son and hear about his trip back into Jewish history. As this new cycle of the Torah starts today, I hope everyone takes a few moments to give thanks to Hashem for all that he has done for you. Hold your child just a moment longer, tell your spouse you love them and live life with a smile. Ivdu Es Hashem B'simcha!
Most of all join, me in singing praises to The Creator of the Universe......Chasdai Hashem l'olam Ashirah!!
Shabbat Shalom.
I am in awe of His mercy, His love, His patience, His judgment, His justice, His hand, His blessings, His promise, His might, His kindness, His power, His greatness....As I write, I realize that I must ask for His forgiveness for posting this, for I am so far from the one who should be doing so....yet I must give Him praise for allowing me to live the life he has granted me even though I have fallen so drastically short of his high hopes for me....I still bow to His Awesomeness and offer this short, inadequate but heartfelt testament to the greatness of His work.
The Reason?
Today, at this very moment, my son is preparing to spend Shabbat in Krakow, Poland.
He is a Jew.
He is in Poland.
In the year 2008.
Davening with a minyan and spending his time in solitude with his Creator. In Krakow.
How Awesome is the goodness of the Maker of All Things?
In the context of history, I am not sure who was worse to the Jews, the Poles or the Germans. If you don't have a great grasp of Europe, the question might seem ridiculous. But if you understand the wickedness of the Poles and their government, the question, while it might be a bit shocking, has some merit. While Germany was owning up to their evil following the war, the poles kept killing Jews and subjecting them to vermin status long after the war was over. There were and are still a large majority of anti-semites populating the land which to this day, remains a stain on mankind.
However, this Shabbat, young Jewish men return to send a message to this lowlife people from a lowlife country, that the Will and Might of Hashem is far too much for their wicked ways, yet in His mercy, he sends His people, the very people the poles wanted to eradicate, to sanctify this vile, disgusting, grotesque country with the beauty and holiness of Shabbat. Mi' Chamocha Ba-aylim Hashem?
Who can explain the impossible odds that the Jewish people have overcome?
How can it be that some sixty plus years later, the Jews have rebuilt themselves from the ashes and thrived, when in the lifetimes of our parents and grandparents, the question of Jewish survival or more to the point Jewish extinction was not just a Talmudic question, but a CBS news one?
It can be because the One Who Is, does not forget His promise or his people.
We have done everything we can to lose His faith in us. We have left His ways, have turned our backs on His Torah, have destroyed the very essence of His word from within and have allowed those who should be ashamed of themselves to dictate what is right and what is wrong.....AND STILL He allows us to continue and flourish.
It is with that as a backdrop that I offer my thanks to Hashem. He has given me far more than I will ever deserve and unfortunately I have only repaid him with inadequacy.
Ma' Ashiv La'Hashem-How can I repay You for all the blessings You have given me? I cannot even begin to describe the incredible blessings Hashem has granted me and to be able to witness my children grow up to become shining examples of what a Jew is supposed to be, I am so very humbled that He has granted me the time and opportunity to watch my children grow in Torah and Ma'asim Tovim and in service to Him.
I cannot wait to speak IYH with my son and hear about his trip back into Jewish history. As this new cycle of the Torah starts today, I hope everyone takes a few moments to give thanks to Hashem for all that he has done for you. Hold your child just a moment longer, tell your spouse you love them and live life with a smile. Ivdu Es Hashem B'simcha!
Most of all join, me in singing praises to The Creator of the Universe......Chasdai Hashem l'olam Ashirah!!
Shabbat Shalom.
Monday, August 11, 2008
My Heart Cries.....
I cannot believe it has been almost a year since my last post.
Unfortunately, nothing has changed.
This past weekend our people lost a holy Jewish soul who just wanted to be told he was a good Jew. His story resonated with me. He was a child looking to fit in. He didn't wear white shirts or learn all day. He struggled finding anyone who would talk with him and tell him that being different than the other kids was okay and he was as important to the people of Israel as anyone else.
He passed away yesterday from injuries sustained in a car accident in Baltimore early Friday morning.
My children knew him.
I knew him.
I could have been him.
I am a graduate of life on the street. I was one of "those kids". I wanted nothing to do with Judaism when I was 18. I was in a very bad way. I know all too well where this child was coming from.
Quite a few years ago, there was a job opening for someone to run a program to help "children at risk" I applied. I didn't get the job. Why? I found out later when the person was hired. I didn't have the look they wanted. I didn't wear a white shirt or black pants, wasn't currently in the Yeshiva of the month-or have an MSW-all I had going for me was I knew who these kids were-I was working with them on my own and was one of them in my youth. But the powers that be thought I wasn't right for the job.
It was a colossal failure. They hired someone (two people actually-yeshiva guy and yeshiva girl) who had no clue what they were dealing with. They had the exact look that these children were running away from. Who thinks this way? Separate times for boys and girls? Exactly what they were running away from. Did anyone think that was actually going to work?
The experiment didn't last a year.
Now is the time. We need leadership.
We have told our children all the No's we can think of. No movies, no TV, no DVD, no internet, no girls, no competitive sports....What are they supposed to do? What do you expect them to do? Where do you think they're are going to turn?
We are dealing with real lives, real Neshomos. Children who are crying to be heard. What have we NOT taken away from them? How many more kids will the streets have to grab away from us before we open our eyes?
We have NUT-JOBS walking around trying to cancel concerts from Lipa Schmeltzer? Some guy pulls out a bunch of papers proclaiming that the Rabbis have given him permission to be a tattle tale/snitch/self proclaimed macher and we are supposed to take him seriously? All the problems we are facing and the best he can do is protest Lipa Schmeltzer?
Agudas Yisroel makes a proclamation that we all need to vote. With everything we are dealing with that needs leadership and direction we get "go Vote"? Are you serious?
What is wrong with us? Our people are in trouble.
ARE THERE ANY LEADERS LEFT IN KLAL YISROEL?
We are worried about singers? Voting?
We are to blame because we buy into this craziness.
NO MORE!
We are at war. They come at you with a gun you better be prepared to come back at them with a cannon. All bets are off now. If that means we have to let boys and girls spend time together supervised somewhere, we have to do it. It has been my experience-both being a child like this-raising children and working with these type of children for more than two decades that Torah cannot compete with teenagers when it comes to girls and sports. We have to find a way to work with this paradigm in so much as we need to take our ideologies and move them aside-we are in a war for our kids lives. The tired old ways will not do it. Personalities will get this done. The last thing a kid on the street wants to hear is that the Torah is the ultimate guide to happiness-he has heard that and rejected that.
What are we prepared to do?
I am not advocating anything not halachic-chas vshalom. We need to change the game and we need to do it now. We need to preach from the rooftops (and kal v'chomer the pulpit) that its okay to wear a blue shirt or not go to bais medresh. We need to let children who can't wear a jacket or hat, not wear one and find a way to tell them they are still loved and MORE IMPORTANTLY an important part of the Klall. Our community is crying for leadership. Someone to say what we are doing now IS NOT WORKING.
We spend so much time patting ourselves on the back about how great we are, we have no time to take a critical look at what we MUST do to save EACH AND EVERY CHILD-not just the ones who are stars in cheder.
My soul aches for my people. I have not been able to sleep because I know what we have to do and I am not sure we have anyone in Klal Yisroel who is willing to do it. We need to stop pretending and start doing-we need substance-we need to realize that we can make a difference, but WE HAVE TO CHANGE.
I liked this boy. I like his entire family. They are great people and I cannot even fathom the grief they must be going through.
I hope they find some solace in the fact that their precious child is with his Maker now and under his protection where nothing more can happen to him. I know it is little consolation, but what else can I offer those whose lives have been shattered by a tragedy like this.
I was not surprised to hear that the funeral home was full, but I was saddened at how many in attendance would have actually forbid their children to even speak with this child let alone hang with him.
The duplicity is priceless and the irony sickens me.
The ball is in our court.
What are we prepared to do?
Unfortunately, nothing has changed.
This past weekend our people lost a holy Jewish soul who just wanted to be told he was a good Jew. His story resonated with me. He was a child looking to fit in. He didn't wear white shirts or learn all day. He struggled finding anyone who would talk with him and tell him that being different than the other kids was okay and he was as important to the people of Israel as anyone else.
He passed away yesterday from injuries sustained in a car accident in Baltimore early Friday morning.
My children knew him.
I knew him.
I could have been him.
I am a graduate of life on the street. I was one of "those kids". I wanted nothing to do with Judaism when I was 18. I was in a very bad way. I know all too well where this child was coming from.
Quite a few years ago, there was a job opening for someone to run a program to help "children at risk" I applied. I didn't get the job. Why? I found out later when the person was hired. I didn't have the look they wanted. I didn't wear a white shirt or black pants, wasn't currently in the Yeshiva of the month-or have an MSW-all I had going for me was I knew who these kids were-I was working with them on my own and was one of them in my youth. But the powers that be thought I wasn't right for the job.
It was a colossal failure. They hired someone (two people actually-yeshiva guy and yeshiva girl) who had no clue what they were dealing with. They had the exact look that these children were running away from. Who thinks this way? Separate times for boys and girls? Exactly what they were running away from. Did anyone think that was actually going to work?
The experiment didn't last a year.
Now is the time. We need leadership.
We have told our children all the No's we can think of. No movies, no TV, no DVD, no internet, no girls, no competitive sports....What are they supposed to do? What do you expect them to do? Where do you think they're are going to turn?
We are dealing with real lives, real Neshomos. Children who are crying to be heard. What have we NOT taken away from them? How many more kids will the streets have to grab away from us before we open our eyes?
We have NUT-JOBS walking around trying to cancel concerts from Lipa Schmeltzer? Some guy pulls out a bunch of papers proclaiming that the Rabbis have given him permission to be a tattle tale/snitch/self proclaimed macher and we are supposed to take him seriously? All the problems we are facing and the best he can do is protest Lipa Schmeltzer?
Agudas Yisroel makes a proclamation that we all need to vote. With everything we are dealing with that needs leadership and direction we get "go Vote"? Are you serious?
What is wrong with us? Our people are in trouble.
ARE THERE ANY LEADERS LEFT IN KLAL YISROEL?
We are worried about singers? Voting?
We are to blame because we buy into this craziness.
NO MORE!
We are at war. They come at you with a gun you better be prepared to come back at them with a cannon. All bets are off now. If that means we have to let boys and girls spend time together supervised somewhere, we have to do it. It has been my experience-both being a child like this-raising children and working with these type of children for more than two decades that Torah cannot compete with teenagers when it comes to girls and sports. We have to find a way to work with this paradigm in so much as we need to take our ideologies and move them aside-we are in a war for our kids lives. The tired old ways will not do it. Personalities will get this done. The last thing a kid on the street wants to hear is that the Torah is the ultimate guide to happiness-he has heard that and rejected that.
What are we prepared to do?
I am not advocating anything not halachic-chas vshalom. We need to change the game and we need to do it now. We need to preach from the rooftops (and kal v'chomer the pulpit) that its okay to wear a blue shirt or not go to bais medresh. We need to let children who can't wear a jacket or hat, not wear one and find a way to tell them they are still loved and MORE IMPORTANTLY an important part of the Klall. Our community is crying for leadership. Someone to say what we are doing now IS NOT WORKING.
We spend so much time patting ourselves on the back about how great we are, we have no time to take a critical look at what we MUST do to save EACH AND EVERY CHILD-not just the ones who are stars in cheder.
My soul aches for my people. I have not been able to sleep because I know what we have to do and I am not sure we have anyone in Klal Yisroel who is willing to do it. We need to stop pretending and start doing-we need substance-we need to realize that we can make a difference, but WE HAVE TO CHANGE.
I liked this boy. I like his entire family. They are great people and I cannot even fathom the grief they must be going through.
I hope they find some solace in the fact that their precious child is with his Maker now and under his protection where nothing more can happen to him. I know it is little consolation, but what else can I offer those whose lives have been shattered by a tragedy like this.
I was not surprised to hear that the funeral home was full, but I was saddened at how many in attendance would have actually forbid their children to even speak with this child let alone hang with him.
The duplicity is priceless and the irony sickens me.
The ball is in our court.
What are we prepared to do?
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