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In the book, Essential Talmud, I read about how the Talmud was censored in many European countries. In some of the books, instead of the word "non Jews" it was replaced with "Africans"
Putting the words: "Judaism is" in a google search you get lots of variety of choices. Put the words: "Christianity is" ditto. Now try putting "Islam is" (hat tip on that one = Atlas Shrugs)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David Part 2
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Part 2: THE LOAN
For turning their backs on their own heritage, the covenants that were between them and God, God also turned His 'back' (so to speak) on them. Things were so bad, it is said that they went down to the 49th level of uncleaniness --and there are only 50 levels!
(If that doesn't give you hope...)
So when they began calling upon His Holy Name again. The Almighty gave them a loan. I'll split the sea -cause a great miracle for the world to behold that I am with you. But afterwards you must prove that you are deserving of it.
As one kabbalist pointed out, its also another great miracle that Yom HaAtzmaut /Independence day falls on the same day as the 7th day of Passover -the day of celebrating the splitting of the sea.
Which brings us to the situation that we have today. Slowly slowly with the birth of the Haskala movement, the Jewish people began once again to chase after a different way --the European way. Many began to reject their own heritage. Then came the holocaust. I won't even begin to talk about the horrors there. No doubt the Jewish people in Europe were crying out for salvation. Many who had rejected their Judaism in the hopes of being accepted by the non-Jewish world received a figurative slap in the face when they understood that they were not accepted. In fact, despite many Jews attempting to intermarry, the nazis searched through various document down several generations to find our who they consider still Jewish.
A way out was needed. Zionism was born. There were two types: the type who wanted Israel to be a little Europe within the middle east. All like minded Jewish people were welcomed. The second type was a bit more tolerant of religious Jews and thought they could all be a part of the new little Europe within the middle east.
In other words, no thoughts of returning to the land for the sake of reviving the covenant with God. No God in the picture at all!
That's not a good way to start paying back a loan.
The old Jewish community that was already in Israel welcomed the new influx of Jews. Anything was better than dealing with the massacres at the hands of angry Arab mobs. In fact, when Israel got its independence, the whole town of Tsfat -Mahmoud Abbas's home town when he was a youth, up and moved to East Jerusalem in an attempt to consolidate in case Israel would take revenge for the 1929 massacre in a nearby town.
On top of that, all the Arab lands around Israel started sending their own Jewish population to Israel. Why should they contend with the Jewish population, let them go to their own land!
So, a new group of Jews: dark, very different in culture, long haired, and very religious began to show up in the new little Europe within the middle east. Plus they were penniless -what money they had was confiscated before they were kicked out of Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, etc.
The Zionists of old dealt with these new immigrants. Not very nicely. Another touchy subject. Suffice it to say there was now a "lower class" to do the menial work a country needed done.
Another strike against paying back that loan.
What will be if that loan is not paid back? What will be if Israel doesn't get its act together? Clearly the world is attempting to get rid of the whole Jewish state by demanding that they make suicidal concessions in the name of peace.
There was always some one from within the religious groups who saw this and tried to payments going.
Enter Rabbi Kook...
To be continued...
Part 2: THE LOAN
For turning their backs on their own heritage, the covenants that were between them and God, God also turned His 'back' (so to speak) on them. Things were so bad, it is said that they went down to the 49th level of uncleaniness --and there are only 50 levels!
(If that doesn't give you hope...)
So when they began calling upon His Holy Name again. The Almighty gave them a loan. I'll split the sea -cause a great miracle for the world to behold that I am with you. But afterwards you must prove that you are deserving of it.
As one kabbalist pointed out, its also another great miracle that Yom HaAtzmaut /Independence day falls on the same day as the 7th day of Passover -the day of celebrating the splitting of the sea.
Which brings us to the situation that we have today. Slowly slowly with the birth of the Haskala movement, the Jewish people began once again to chase after a different way --the European way. Many began to reject their own heritage. Then came the holocaust. I won't even begin to talk about the horrors there. No doubt the Jewish people in Europe were crying out for salvation. Many who had rejected their Judaism in the hopes of being accepted by the non-Jewish world received a figurative slap in the face when they understood that they were not accepted. In fact, despite many Jews attempting to intermarry, the nazis searched through various document down several generations to find our who they consider still Jewish.
A way out was needed. Zionism was born. There were two types: the type who wanted Israel to be a little Europe within the middle east. All like minded Jewish people were welcomed. The second type was a bit more tolerant of religious Jews and thought they could all be a part of the new little Europe within the middle east.
In other words, no thoughts of returning to the land for the sake of reviving the covenant with God. No God in the picture at all!
That's not a good way to start paying back a loan.
The old Jewish community that was already in Israel welcomed the new influx of Jews. Anything was better than dealing with the massacres at the hands of angry Arab mobs. In fact, when Israel got its independence, the whole town of Tsfat -Mahmoud Abbas's home town when he was a youth, up and moved to East Jerusalem in an attempt to consolidate in case Israel would take revenge for the 1929 massacre in a nearby town.
On top of that, all the Arab lands around Israel started sending their own Jewish population to Israel. Why should they contend with the Jewish population, let them go to their own land!
So, a new group of Jews: dark, very different in culture, long haired, and very religious began to show up in the new little Europe within the middle east. Plus they were penniless -what money they had was confiscated before they were kicked out of Yemen, Morocco, Algeria, Iraq, etc.
The Zionists of old dealt with these new immigrants. Not very nicely. Another touchy subject. Suffice it to say there was now a "lower class" to do the menial work a country needed done.
Another strike against paying back that loan.
What will be if that loan is not paid back? What will be if Israel doesn't get its act together? Clearly the world is attempting to get rid of the whole Jewish state by demanding that they make suicidal concessions in the name of peace.
There was always some one from within the religious groups who saw this and tried to payments going.
Enter Rabbi Kook...
To be continued...
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
A Play on Words: Battle of the Brits
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Bnei Israel is locked in a battle with Bnei Ishmael. What we have in common is we both have a form of BRIT -circumcision (Brit really means convenant, slightly stronger than a promise. The covenant in question was God telling Abraham to circumcise himself and his people. Thus Ishmael, who was 13 at the time got circumcised and from thus it is said that Ishmaelim /Arabs circumcise their sons at 13. Isaac got circumcised when he was 8 days old, so the Jewish tradition continues.)
This whole struggle was handed over to us by the BRITish.
And USA which is know in Hebrew as Artzot haBRIT is giving both sides money and ammo so that we can come to a supposed peace agreement.
Bnei Israel is locked in a battle with Bnei Ishmael. What we have in common is we both have a form of BRIT -circumcision (Brit really means convenant, slightly stronger than a promise. The covenant in question was God telling Abraham to circumcise himself and his people. Thus Ishmael, who was 13 at the time got circumcised and from thus it is said that Ishmaelim /Arabs circumcise their sons at 13. Isaac got circumcised when he was 8 days old, so the Jewish tradition continues.)
This whole struggle was handed over to us by the BRITish.
And USA which is know in Hebrew as Artzot haBRIT is giving both sides money and ammo so that we can come to a supposed peace agreement.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Israel :Moshiach ben Yoseph and Moshiach ben David
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I saw this nice video at Hochma & Mussar, Ehav's blog:
It got me thinking about Israel and what I think and how I feel.
But before I write about that, I think its important to review the prototype of history: Egypt.
Pretty appropo since we are starting the book of Shemot / Exodus.
Background: So, as you know Joseph's brother sold him because they were jealous of their father's treatment of him and also because he seemed to be having dreams of grandeur --when he's not even the first born!
But it was all Divine providence because being in Egypt enabled Joseph to rise to viceroy position and help his family during a famine. Time passed. A new Pharaoh arose; one who did not know Joseph. This new Pharaoh decided to enslave Jacob's descendents for "they have become too numerous" (the Egyptians who were turning towards Jacob and his ways were too numerous and was seen as a possible threat -according to some sources). So slavery. The Hebrews moan --too tired to even cry out. God hears them. Moses is born. Mazal tov.
Plot: The Hebrews are begging for salvation from the Egpytians. The country they once grew to admire, they even ran after the Egyptian ways and got entangled. As a result of the Jewish people not keeping their own way, they became enslaved.
(Abraham was told long ago that his children would become slave to a strange land --perhaps that's why Esau copped out of the birthright?)
So here they are, like naughty children coming back to the very Father they has snubbed begging for forgiveness and a second chance.
Imagine a father hearing his baby full of regret wanting to come back....
...Now what Papa can say no to that?
So, He gives them a loan. Credit. They get their freedom but they must get their act together.
So with an outstretched hand SWOOSH!!! the sea of reeds is split open. The clouds of glory leads the way towards the land of Israel, they are fed and clothed throughout their stay in the desert.....and the press declared the exodus from Egypt unfair and oppressive! lol. Sorry skip the last sentence.
So they got their freedom! woohoo!! But they are no better than when they were in Egypt. So as they walk and journey through the desert, they learn and grow and become righteous again. They work on divestment of their old slave ways, change their mentalities (wisdom, understanding, knowledge), work on every part of trmselves: chessed, gevurah, tiferet, etc. They reach such a level culminating to the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai. They reached a level that they could manage to hear at least two of the commandments from G-d Himself, Blessed Be His Holy Name.
To be continued...
I saw this nice video at Hochma & Mussar, Ehav's blog:
It got me thinking about Israel and what I think and how I feel.
But before I write about that, I think its important to review the prototype of history: Egypt.
Pretty appropo since we are starting the book of Shemot / Exodus.
Background: So, as you know Joseph's brother sold him because they were jealous of their father's treatment of him and also because he seemed to be having dreams of grandeur --when he's not even the first born!
But it was all Divine providence because being in Egypt enabled Joseph to rise to viceroy position and help his family during a famine. Time passed. A new Pharaoh arose; one who did not know Joseph. This new Pharaoh decided to enslave Jacob's descendents for "they have become too numerous" (the Egyptians who were turning towards Jacob and his ways were too numerous and was seen as a possible threat -according to some sources). So slavery. The Hebrews moan --too tired to even cry out. God hears them. Moses is born. Mazal tov.
Plot: The Hebrews are begging for salvation from the Egpytians. The country they once grew to admire, they even ran after the Egyptian ways and got entangled. As a result of the Jewish people not keeping their own way, they became enslaved.
(Abraham was told long ago that his children would become slave to a strange land --perhaps that's why Esau copped out of the birthright?)
So here they are, like naughty children coming back to the very Father they has snubbed begging for forgiveness and a second chance.
Imagine a father hearing his baby full of regret wanting to come back....
...Now what Papa can say no to that?
So, He gives them a loan. Credit. They get their freedom but they must get their act together.
So with an outstretched hand SWOOSH!!! the sea of reeds is split open. The clouds of glory leads the way towards the land of Israel, they are fed and clothed throughout their stay in the desert.....and the press declared the exodus from Egypt unfair and oppressive! lol. Sorry skip the last sentence.
So they got their freedom! woohoo!! But they are no better than when they were in Egypt. So as they walk and journey through the desert, they learn and grow and become righteous again. They work on divestment of their old slave ways, change their mentalities (wisdom, understanding, knowledge), work on every part of trmselves: chessed, gevurah, tiferet, etc. They reach such a level culminating to the giving of the Torah at Mt Sinai. They reached a level that they could manage to hear at least two of the commandments from G-d Himself, Blessed Be His Holy Name.
To be continued...
Repentance: Just Spreading the Word
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We are now starting a new book: Shemot /Exodus. These times are said by Jewish sages to be propicious times for repentance in general -and more specifically, repentance for immodesty, ilicit sexual nature.
Imagine, if you will, a big arrow pointing at this present time -these next 6 weeks- and saying: insert repentance here.
Repentance = thinking of how damaging these acts were, regretting them. Deciding not to do them again.
It could also help to say psalms and give charity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many have fallen in this transgression. And there are lots and lots of traps for ensnaring people in it. Once someone falls in this, it takes a long long while before a rectification is done (according to the Zohar). So, it stands to reason that this would be a "favorite weapon" against those trying to do good and be good.
You can read more about it at Shirat Devorah.
.
We are now starting a new book: Shemot /Exodus. These times are said by Jewish sages to be propicious times for repentance in general -and more specifically, repentance for immodesty, ilicit sexual nature.
Imagine, if you will, a big arrow pointing at this present time -these next 6 weeks- and saying: insert repentance here.
Repentance = thinking of how damaging these acts were, regretting them. Deciding not to do them again.
It could also help to say psalms and give charity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many have fallen in this transgression. And there are lots and lots of traps for ensnaring people in it. Once someone falls in this, it takes a long long while before a rectification is done (according to the Zohar). So, it stands to reason that this would be a "favorite weapon" against those trying to do good and be good.
You can read more about it at Shirat Devorah.
.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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