I feel like singing

UN: We have criticized Israel unfairly

The United Nations Human Rights Council has not managed to deal fairly with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the council's president Doru-Romulus Costea told a Spanish newspaper on Saturday, according to Israel Radio.

Is the UN Human Rights Council going to change its approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Doru admitted that he was dissatisfied with the fact the council had overly focused on the degree of human rights violations by Israel.

"The body which I head must examine the actions of both sides equally, and we have not done that," said Costea. "Clearly, from now on things need to change."

Israel Radio reported that earlier this week, US President George Bush criticized the UN Human Rights Council, saying that it had put too great an emphasis on Israeli actions.

Top Ten Reasons why The Ushpizin Make Great Guests

10. They always R.S.V.P. ASAP

9. Eventhough they are family, they show-up on time

8. They do not set drinks on the succah furniture without a coaster under it

7. They are shepards; but never bring their work (sheep) home with them.

6. They never complain about the food - the halachic status of your succah - the bees - or the rabbi's speech

5. Even though they are quite famous, they never take the conversation spotlight away from you. Surprisingly, they are great listeners!

4. They do not begin eating until the hostess sits down and takes the first bite.

3. They drink responsibly

2. They allow you to brag that your succah can hold an additional 7 people

1. The proof is in their track record: they always get invited back

Have an enjoyable Sukkot!

Hitle- I'm mean Ahmadinajad's Speech at Columbia University

A minute by minute account:

Liveblogging Ahmadinejad's Columbia University Speech

3:06. "Best of luck to all of you," he says, wrapping things up, to robust applause, a few boos. He seems pretty tired but happy with his performance. Wonder where he's going to lunch. Michael's? Elaine's?

3:04. Ahmadinejad agrees to an earlier request from President Bollinger, and invites Columbia students and faculty to visit Iran and meet with Iranian academics and students. Considering the spate of jailings of Iranian-American scholars, you've really got to pity the parent who's faced with that release form.

3:02. Now here's a problem for the White House: China and Russia are sympathetic to Ahmadinejad's argument that the U.S. shouldn't get to decide who gets to join the nuclear club.

2:59. Here's a problem for all you Democratic presidential contenders: Ahmadinejad basically shares your criticism of President Bush's policy on Iran.

2:55. Ahmadinejad claims that the IAEA "has verified" that Iran's nuclear program is being used for peaceful purposes. Actually, they're still trying to prove you're not, which is the assumption of the U.S., Britain, France, etc. He just called nations pursuing nuclear weapons "backward, retarded." Oh, the field day "The Daily Show" will have if he's ever forced to eat those words.

2:52. We know that Iran is funneling arms, cash and fighters into Iraq. We know that they are backers of Hezbollah, a terrorist organization. Can they do those things and still be a "peace-loving nation," Mr. President? All this peace and love talk is making him sound like Dennis Kucinich. A fascist, anti-semitic, possibly nuclear-armed Dennis Kucinich.

2:50. "In Iran, we don't have homosexuals like in your country." Ladies and gentlemen, the first indisputably crazy thing he's said all day.

2:43. Ahmadinejad., who has a PhD in "transportation engineering and planning from the Science and Technology University," according to his official bio, draws on advancements in science and technology as a basis for his jury's-not-out position on the Holocaust. There are two legs to his position, though, and one at least is pretty widely shared in his part of the world: The Palestinians had nothing to do with World War II.

2:41. Why does your nation support terrorism? "We're a cultured nation, we don't need to resort to terrorism," he says, smiling.

2:37. We're onto the Q&A. Asked about his position on Israel, Ahmadinejad says, "We are friends of the Jewish people," and goes on for a bit about "loving" all nations and peoples. The questioner asks him to state whether he advocates the destruction of Israel, yes or no. Ahmadinejad gets a little touchy, sort of (that smile again), and asks why his answer doesn't count as an answer. Medium applause.

2:33. He states in closing that his is a peace-loving nation that wants to extend its hand in friendship to all other nations. There's lots of applause at first, and it's quickly followed by boos. Very loud boos.

2:28. Ahmadinejad's just finished railing about the decades of Western exploitation and adventurism in the Middle East. That's pretty undeniable. On the Holocaust: Why are scholars "who want to approach the question from a different perspective" thrown into jail, he wants to know. That is the case in Germany, at least, where denying the Holocaust is a crime. Also: not a bad, dare we say it, question to ask.

On Israel: The Holocaust happened in Germany, why should the Palestinians have to suffer for it? Now that it's Washington's policy to help the Palestinians establish statehood, we're wondering how helpful -- truly helpful -- Iran has been in that endeavor.

2:19. If you watched Ahmadinejad's "60 Minutes" interview, you'd have seen how he threw the abuses at Abu Ghraib, the infinite-seeming detention of foreigners at Guantanamo, and the NSA's super-secret surveillance program back at his interviewer. This is what John McCain, Lindsey Graham and others mean when they say violating the Geneva Conventions in the war on terror undermines America's ability to challenge rogue nations. When someone like Ahmadinejad illustrates this point, that's got to sting someone, somewhere.

He is pretty clearly talking about the U.S. now, when he talks about nations that misuse power and knowledge to "try to control all in the name of combating insecurity and terrorism." He continues, "They do not respect the privacy of their people, they tap telephone calls and try to control their people... by using precise scientific methods and planning, they begin their onslaught on the domestic cultures of nations." Try asking whether they agree with that last part before the U.N. General Assembly, and see how many hands shoot up.

2:14. Ahmadinejad is quoting verses on the origins of knowledge from the Quran, and names a range of prophets from the Judeo-Christian tradition as well as from Islam as those who "delivered humans from ignorance, negligence, superstitions, unethical behavior and corrupted ways of thinking with respect to knowledge."

2:07. Bollinger closed his speech to rousing applause, which made us wonder why the audience is even here. The clappers don't speak for everyone.

Ahmadinejad: "In Iran, we actually respect our speakers. We don't think it's necessary before the speech is even given to come in with a series of claims---"

[Loads of applause]

"--to attempt in a so-called manner to provide vaccination of some sort to our students and faculty. The text read by the gentleman here was an insult to information and the knowledge of the audience here. In a university environment, we must allow people to speak their mind, to allow everyone to talk, so that the truth is revealed by all."

We get why Bollinger introduced Ahmadinejad the way he did, but it's a little inconsistent with his defense of having Ahmadinejad there in the first place.

2:03. We were starting to wonder why Bollinger invited Ahmadinejad in the first place, but he's explained it: "Frankly and in all candor, Mr. President, I doubt that you will have the intellectual courage to answer these questions. But your avoiding them will have meaning for us."

1:58. Bollinger just spanked his guest hard for questioning whether the Holocaust happened. "You are either brazenly provocative or stunningly uneducated," he says, to loud applause. Bollinger challenges Ahmadinejad to stand by this position. Sort of weird, after that diatribe about academic and intellectual freedom, but necessary in this forum. Also: We will inevitably misspell Ahmadinejad's name at some point in this liveblog. We'll fix later, promise.

1:56. "Mr. President, you exhibit all the signs of a petty and cruel dictator." Wow. Bollinger came under fire big time for inviting Ahmadinejad to speak, and he certainly isn't making it easy for the Iranian ruler with this introduction. It's probably more the case that he's going the extra mile because of the controversy. Wonder if Ahmadinejad knew this was coming.

1:52. Columbia University President Lee Bollinger is introducing the featured speaker, first with some words about academic freedom and freedom of speech, then with some words about recently jailed Iranian-American academic Haleh Esfandiari and others. One is still jailed in Iran; Bollinger announces the university has extended a visiting faculty invitation to him.

1:48. Welcome to The Gate's liveblog of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's speech at Columbia University. The audience was thanked for its civility -- in other words, please don't make a ruckus. Attendees won't be allowed to get up and ask the Iranian president questions; instead, they may write down one question on an index card and pass them down to be collected by ushers. Two student leaders seated at a desk near a stage will choose among and ask the questions, in a Q&A to follow Ahmadinejad's half-hour speech.

That's Right, You Tell 'em!

The Religion of Peace

Tuesday is the 13th of Tishrei, the day before Succot, but it's also the day of an incredibly shocking lynching that took place in Israel 7 years ago.
It had been just after the start of the most recent Terror War the Arabs have launched against Israel, and Vadim Nurzhitz and Yossi Avrahmi were on their way to their army base to report for reserve duty.
They took a wrong turn and found themselves in Ramallah where they were immediately arrested by Arab policemen. A mob formed around the police station demanding that they send the soldiers out to the mercy of the mob. They then stormed the building, beat the soldiers to death and threw their mutilated bodies into the street, where they were dragged with the mob continuing to beat the dead, limp bodies.

But the Palestinians said that the soldiers were on an undercover mission, in civilian clothes and driving a civilian car, when they were captured. The Israeli army said the men were reservists trying to reach their post when they took a wrong turn.

This in an article from CNN, and that statement is an outright lie, you can see from the pictures that they were soldiers because they were wearing their uniforms. They knew exactly who they were attacking, and this was how they would tell the story to the world.

What's really weird about the whole story is that the entire incident was caught in videotape by an Italian news channel, which then aired it. They were then immediately banned from entering the Arab controlled part of Israel. This is the letter then sent the following day:

Riccardo Christiano, Italian TV's representative in Israel,
wrote to the PA:
"To my dear friends in Palestine, We bless you, and feel that we must clarify that the photos of the events in Ramallah were taken by a private Italian station, and not by official Italian TV. We emphasize to you that we respect the proper journalistic work guidelines with the Palestinian Authority. Be sure that we would never do something like that."

Why did they do this? So they could continue broadcasting from the Arab conrolled areas! Who cares if they actually are accurate in their reporting!

Sure, We'd let Hitler speak

Message to Liberals

From the Life-of-Rubin blog:

You're not unpatriotic because you have an opposing opinion.

You're not unpatriotic because you oppose the war.

You're not unpatriotic because you hate our President.

You're unpatriotic because you give comfort and honor to our enemies.

You're unpatriotic because you interview them and give them a stage to play their mind games.

You care more about respecting an evil murderous dictator then you're own President. Even that doesn't make you unpatriotic, but it does make you wrong.

Judaism. . .On Demand

I do some work with my shul so I receive some email from institutions I normally wouldn't. Here's an example:

********** ****** Network and ******** ****** Temple present a LIVE webcast of Kol Nidrei Service
September 21, 2007 4:45 Western/7:45 Eastern
Join Rabbi ****** ******* and Cantor ******* ****** on this historic event!
Watch live at www.*****************.com
Available on demand immediately following the live service

Note: I purposely have not included the names.

I understand what they're trying to do, but their missing the whole point of Judaism. It's not something that you can gift wrap and put in a box, it has to be the essence of who you are.

Always forgive your enemies. . .it annoys the hell out of them!

Ahhh some humor-The Interactive Teshuva Hotline

Thank you for calling the Interactive Teshuvah Hotline here in Heaven. Due to the approaching High Holidays, which is our busiest season, all of our telephone lines are temporarily busy. Please wait patiently as your call will be answered in sequence - and remember, patience is a virtue. You will no doubt enjoy our musical selection of Yeshiva Rock and the Best of Shlomo Carlebach, while you wait. Please note that these telephone lines will not be available on the two days of Rosh Hashanah, and on Yom Kippur. For a voice recording in Ashkenazic English dialect, press 1, for Sephardic, press 2, for New York, press 3. If you are uncertain, press 4. This line is also available in other languages. For Hebrew, press 5, for Yiddish, press 6, for Russian, press 7, for others, press 8. Please note that our service is not available in Arabic or French.

If you have never used the Interactive Teshuva Hotline before, you will need to listen carefully to our simple sequenced instructions. This service is available for touch-tone telephone users as a supplement to your davening (praying) at shul over the Ten Days of Awe. It is not a substitute. Let us now begin.

To access your personalized account of all your known aveiros (transgressions), including dates and affected parties, please press 1 now. If you have not already apologized to the affected parties, please hang up now and call back when this has been done. For a personalized list of aveiros towards HaKadosh Baruch Hu, (Him) please press 2. Please note that in order to provide timely service to all callers, there is now a limit of 20 aveiros per person at one time. Politicians and Reform Party supporters will require several visits to complete their inventory. Humour columnists who frequently exceed their word counts or use big words should hang up now and try calling later, say, after the Millennium.

Please select the aveiros you have committed this past year. In case you have forgotten, we offer a list of the most popular aveirot. To activate this function, please press the pound (#) key. Once you have chosen the proper aveirah, enter the code and press the pound key to enter it. As you enter your aveirah, our service will prompt you for your Explanation. If you committed the aveirah because he/she did it, press 1.

If you did so by accident, but did not mean to, press 2. If you have a good reason, but won't tell anyone what it is, press 3. If you did so knowing you were wrong, but didn't think you would get caught, press 3. If you blame your legal counsel for the aveirah, press 4. If you blame the influence of Freud or television, press 5. If you blame it on Rock n' Roll, Rap and/or drugs, press 6. If you want to blame someone else for the aveirah but can't think of anyone in particular, press 7.

At the conclusion of your aveiros, enter the star (*) key. For those of you with 7 aveiros or less, we offer a Tzadik Express Line. Please press 1 to access this Express line now. This is only for real tzadikim: if you think you are a tzadik or tzadeket, you are probably not. Remember, no sneaking in with 8 or more aveirot. Please note that the same aveirah committed against two individuals counts as two items.

Now that you have entered your personal aveirot, you may access the Selichot component of our service. As our computer reads out each aveirah you have indicated, please enter the contrition code.

For example, a "1" means you are only mildly sorry for your action, "2" means you are somewhat sorry, but have mitigating circumstances and a good lawyer, "3" means you are very sorry but will likely repeat it and have a great lawyer, "4" means you are very very sorry, and will not repeat it unless there are mitigating circumstances and you have Dershowitz on retainer, and "5" means you are extremely sorry and will not repeat the aveirah under any circumstances, since you have only your second cousin's son-in law who failed the bar twice. Please proceed with your Selichos sequence now....

Our computer has now processed your request for Kaparah (atonement). Before we reveal the decision results, you may increase your score by pledging additional tzedakah to your favourite charity.

All major credit cards are accepted. Please enter your pledge amount (in US dollars), followed by your credit card number and expiry date. Thank you. Based on your Aveirah Score, Selichos Score and Tzedakah Score, you have been granted conditional atonement. This offer expires within one calendar year.

Thank you for visiting the Teshuva Hotline today, and remember, we know everything.

What's going on in my head. You know, Israel, future of the Jewish people, stuff like that

No idea what this post is going to be about but I need to rant. I B"H had a very full day today, and as I was davening maariv I was thinking about where I had been throughout the course of my day.
First, I got up at 5:30am to go to a 5:55 selichos. After davening I went to school and had 6 hours of class. Then I drove home and had to drive another hour to a meeting across town to which I arrived late to and missed because of intense traffic on the beltway. Then I came back home, ate dinner and went out to night seder, where I eventually davened maariv.

I had a very uplifting experience during night seder, I had been listening to Rabbi Ken Spiro talk about Jewish history on the car ride back from college on the first kings of Israel, Saul through Shlomo. I sat down to night seder and heard a 13 year old kind learning the beginning of Samuel 2, the first chapter. He was studying for a test he has tomorrow and he was having trouble understanding the story of Saul's death, with him being killed by the son of an Amaleki, and then being killed by David for the murder of a Jewish King.
This kid who was in 7th grade in my old school, and I was very happy to hear that there was someone there who was teaching Tanach.

I'm really seeing how important knowing your history is, especially nowadays, with Olmert and Peres planning to split Jerusalem and give Judea & Samaria to the terrorists. They have no idea what they're history is, and if they do know, they don't see it as their history.
Or as Peres said put it (to paraphrase) "history is a waste of time and shouldn't be learned, instead we should be looking to the future and only then will we reach our potential." (End paraphrase)

But it's very interesting that we're going into the Sh'mitta year in Israel, to look back at 7 years ago what was going on? In 2000/5760 the Arabs started their war in Israel, the "Intifada." Seven years before that was Oslo. I hope this Sh'mitta year will break the trend and be a good year for the Jewish people.

Anyways these days, the Yomim Noraim (High Holidays) really make me feel that there's absolutely nothing little old me can do here in America besides pray to the General of this complicated battle field, G-d. I have no power, and these politicians have no power, but the problem is they think they do. Looking at the kings in the Bible, David and Shlomo, those guys knew how to be a leader. They knew that G-d was the real leader and they were simply conduits to run the Jewish people. Olmert doesn't think that, can you imagine if Olmert said to Abbas "Sorry, I have to drive you and all of the other Arabs from this land because you pose a threat to the future of the Jewish people. Oh and this isn't my decision, the G-d of Israel commanded me to do it, I'd rather not, be He commands, therefore I do."

As Rabbi Spiro put it very well, "Liberalism comes from Judaism, but Judaism isn't Liberalism."
Our problem is that we're too compassionate, even if it means doom for us. I have some liberal relatives who are pro-Israel, but they were trying to explain to me the reason that Sharon was throwing Jews out of Gush Katif was simply a demographic move, it wasn't because he wanted to throw Jews out of their homes, that was just an unfortunate side effect.
Why then, during the nights of davening at the Kotel, did Sharon make the statement that "they thing they're G-d can save them? Let him try"
Of course we see that he did get his punishment.

But the point is that there was a difference between the Jews if Gush Katif and the Jews of some secular kibbutz. I can't say that the same move would have been made if the the situation had been with the latter.

But that's why J & S are being offered, as well as Jerusalem, these are HOLY sites to the Jews, the secular leaders have no claim to these areas, these are the sites of those "crazy settlers." The world wants us to create and Arab terror state, so will create one, it's only the religious Jews that are being thrown out of their homes. No. Big. Deal.

I'm learning the Eim Habanim Semaicha right now, and Rabbi Teichtal was very supportive of the secular Jews who had left Europe to settle the land of Israel. But he told them that they need to make sure that any state that is established has to have a strong backing in Torah, if you're reason for settling the land is not based on Torah, then you have no claim to that land, and it won't be long before the nations of the world recognize that and demand you give it away.

I envy the people who lived in those times because a secular Israeli who, even if he didn't follow Torah, had a strong sense of nationality and that being a member of the Jewish people was something to be proud of.
Now, the kids of these secularists don't live in Israel, their parents see the Zionist dream as dead, who cares if we give away the country, our kids won't be around to settle it, it's only those religious people who still want to live here. Why no move to America where I don't have to serve in the army, and I can make more money and live the American Dream?

What was the Zionist dream? It was about after 2000 years, a people without access to their homeland returning home and building that home into a conduit to being a Light unto the Nations.
As Rabbi David Zeller said, quoting a Buddhist Monk, "You Jews have done a wonderful job developing the physical world, but you have to develop to spiritual world if you don't want the world to blow up!"

As we've seen Israel is great when it comes to physical aspects of the world, but they really need to develop the spiritual aspect of it, and that can be as simple as doing what I did on the post below and just mention G-d's name in the advertisements for tourism and Aliyah.

We have a job to do, another reason the secularists wanted a state was to be and Light unto the Nation, it was to be Like all the other Nations.

We can't be like the other nations, we have a job to do, and no matter how much we deny our mission it still stands, the only question is it going to be our generation that perfects the world or a generation after us?

We have a mission.

Deal with it.

A Little Inspiration over Rosh Hashanah

Gamar Chasimah Tovah

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Ok so I decided to start looking for these 'broad news stories' regarding Jews in Judea & Samaria. I typed "West Bank Jews" into their search engine and came up with a story entitled "Legality of Settlements Debated."

I guess I was wrong, they have done interviews with 'settlers,' and I'm sure all of them have been this sincere and honest, and the reporter was interviewing them without any bias at all.

Take this for example: In an an interview with Aviva Winter, they like to use the word 'claimed' a lot. Like:

"Winter claims settlers have a Biblical right to the land."

"Israel claims it respects ownership rights in the West Bank," says Dror Etkes, the Settlement Watch Coordinator for Israel Peace Now.

And my favorite paragraph:

Asked if she thinks the 2.4 million Palestinians currently living in the West Bank are in "the right place," the Tacoma, Wash.,-born Winter claims, erroneously, that most Palestinians were brought into the West Bank during Jordanian rule in the 1950s.

I like how they stick that word "erroneously" in there.
Erroneously: in a mistaken manner; "he mistakenly believed it"

Oh, it's unfortunate how mistaken she is. Where is the proof that she's wrong? There is none on the broadcast, they just claim that she's mistaken.

One tactic that they do, and Christiane Amanpour did this on her program God's Warriors, makes any religious statement that a Jew makes, and uses it to portray them as religious fanatics.

Winter says it's natural that everyone knows they have their own land to which they belong.

"The Arabs have 21 lands where they belong to," she says. "I think that's the way God created the world, every nation has his own right place to live, and if you're not in your right place then there is a lot of problems."

Asked if she thinks the 2.4 million Palestinians currently living in the West Bank are in "the right place," the Tacoma, Wash.,-born Winter claims, erroneously, that most Palestinians were brought into the West Bank during Jordanian rule in the 1950s.

Lets look at this statement, Winter says everyone should have their own land, and she says that the Arabs already ave 21 countries (saying why do they want Israel? For the sole purpose of driving the Jews off of it, because they know that the land belongs to them). Then a statement by NPR that points out that Winter was born in Washington State, not Israel.

Well duh, when a people is displaced from their land, they're not going to have been born there. And the claim that we weren't there is baloney, the Arabs wouldn't be bulldozing Jewish artifacts on the Temple Mount if it didn't prove that there had been a Temple there. Just in the past week new archaeological findings have pointed to previous Jewish settlement in Israel.
They're also wrong in claiming that Jews started to come to Israel starting in the mid- 1800's. There is historical documentation of Jews that have been (the point of a weekly series in the Hamodia) (and particularly Chassidim in the 1700's) coming to Israel from the Diaspora going back to the 1200's and farther.

NPR you are biased, and the only way I am going to think otherwise is if you can do a program, do ONE that talks about the Jews right to Israel. Not an hour long program where you look at one side of the issue and conclude the Jews were never there, a program where religious Jews give their side, which is not treated as a joke, of why the land is important to them, and proof, that we were the first occupiers of the land.

On another issue, I've been finding it very funny whenever I hear the word 'Palestinian.' I mentioned what that word means in Biblical Hebrew: "Occupier."

These Arabs, and the media that laps up everything the Arabs say, are really stupid.

Sabrina the Lion part 2

It was reported back in July that Sabrina the lion had been recovered from her kidnappers in Gaza.

Here are a few pictures of what's happened since then, from The First Post, a news source from Britain:

Well I must say I'm impressed with this guy, not everyone has the guts to try to drag a lion into a car. And a nice car it is, I wonder what happened to the 'economic disaster' in Gaza.This guys riding around in some hot wheels. I guess if you're a member of the Hamas Executive Force you're allowed to side step this 'disaster,' by taking the money for the other Arabs for yourself.

Ahhh, this is cute, a little baby next to a LION! He doesn't look very happy does he?

The caption here says "an armed guard escorts Sabrina back to the zoo." I wonder why she gets such special treatment. Or maybe it's s false caption and these thugs just happened to be riding back at the same time.
Poor thing.

Microsoft redesigns the iPod

Only certain people will enjoy this, I think it's hilarious.

Interesting Stuff

A woman died who had a great sense of humor and always used to say that when she died she wanted a parking meter on her grave that says "Expired". So her nephew got her one on ebay! He said that her grave is right by the road so everyone can see it and many people have stopped to get a chuckle. Her humor does live on and i think that is wonderful!

How to Rip Vocals off an MP3

I hope I don't get in trouble for this

This article was recently posted on YESHIVA WORLD NEWS, but has been since taken down. Why I'm not sure, as it is an incredibly important article pertaining to the lack of acceptable kosher outlets for frum boys.

Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum: A Kosher Alternative (”MUST READ”)

September 5, 2007

Many people are in total shock at some of the goings on in the Catskills this summer. I will not go into the details. Suffice it to say that hundreds of our teenagers - boys and girls - were enticed to engage in activities that are far from what their parents and teachers consider acceptable, and far from what we have a right to expect from Yeshiva and Bais Yaakov products. While there are many reasons for it and no easy or simple solutions, we must be very careful not to add to the problem by forbidding everything without providing a satisfactory kosher replacement.

The Yetzer Hora of today is not the one of yesterday or the one our grandparents had to deal with. Today we have television, movies, CDs, DVD’s, Internet, videos, certain type cell phones, and music that are extremely attractive and contain more filth than ever before. They are everywhere and they can easily be brought into our homes without detection. Their influence and message is so powerful and seductive that they have penetrated even the best homes. We are dealing with a mighty foe whose magnetic power of attraction is difficult to resist. Saying “No” doesn’t always work. Unless we provide our children with a kosher alternative to it all, we are asking for trouble.

While in the past, summer camps may have been considered a luxury and kids could be kept in the city, nowadays camps are a lifesaver. Most summer camps provide kids with a kosher outlet for their pent up energies with a balanced program of learning and sports. There is Color War and BOG. There are hikes and trips. Children are kept so busy that they don’t have the time or desire to look for non-kosher means of entertainment.

Many years ago, Pirchei Agudas Yisroel used to organize trips to Washington, Baltimore, and Toronto. Motzoei Shabbos there was learning along with game nights, and concerts. There was the famous Pirchei Choir that put out beautiful records and tapes that brought countless hours of delightful Jewish entertainment into thousands of homes. This was all done in order to keep children busy during their free time so they shouldn’t have to go looking elsewhere. It was important to show children at a very early age that the Torah is not just restrictions, but that Shabbos as well as the rest of the week can be a time of constructive joy and pleasure. Happy laughter and family voices in the home will keep more kids off the streets at night than the strictest curfew.

I still remember when the Pirchei Agudas Yisrael put on a play and concert more than forty years ago in Montauk Junior High School. ( The play was based on the book Family Aguilar. ) There were some who tried to convince the rabbonim to put a ban on it. Since I was the president of Pirchei at the time, Rabbi Moshe Sherer z.l, asked me to go down to the venerable gaon hador, Rabbi Moshe Fienstien z.t.l., to get his halachic opinion. Not only did he not ban it, but he gave it his blessings. He understood only too well the importance of giving the boys a kosher alternative; otherwise they would soon find their pleasures elsewhere. One must be very careful before imposing restrictions. “Restrict everything and everything becomes permitted,” is what my father z.t.l. once said. When some tried to ban the Miami Boys Choir Concert in N.Y. and tried to get Rabbi Pam z.t.l.s’ signature as well as that of the Mirer Rosh Yeshiva to ban it, they both refused to sign.

A number of years ago, Rabbi Motty Katz of JEP and I organized a Chanuka trip to Washington on the two days that yeshivas give off for Chanuka vacation. Thanks to Mr. Yisroel Lefkowitz and others who helped subsidize part of the trip, we were able to charge only $20, which included an overnight stay in a nice motel. We were only able to take along 100 boys even though many more boys wanted to come along. I received a very nasty letter in the mail from a prominent rosh yeshiva accusing me of causing bitul Torah and admonishing me for organizing the trip. I very respectfully replied that it wasn’t I who was causing any bittul Torah but rather the yeshivas that gave the kids off for two days without providing them with something positive to do. I told him that if he wanted, I would show him where some of his students are hanging out during this time. I never received a reply.

I give great credit to the Mirer Yeshivah in Yerushalayim that has realized the great problem of what happens when their bocurim have nothing to do during bein hazmanim. The yeshiva organizes trips at subsidized prices which take their talmidim around Eretz Yisroel. If only other yeshivas would follow their example, many tragedies would be avoided.

When sports and concerts are forbidden, and all forms of kosher entertainment are off limits, we are asking for trouble. If our kids can’t find a place to vent their energy within a kosher environment, then they will find it elsewhere. In a time of war even the Torah itself permitted one to marry a captive non-Jewish girl under certain conditions. Chazal explain the logic behind this law. The Torah understood that a person is only human and therefore in this instance, while fighting a war, it gave him some leeway. The Gemora tells us that for everything the Torah forbade it gave us something similar that was permitted. Today’s war with the Yetzer Horah is far greater than ever before.

But in every generation we have the likes of Doeg and Achitofel who misled great people such as Shaul and Avshalom with falsehoods and lies that caused them to try to kill Dovid. Doeg even succeeded in getting Shaul to kill all the Kohanim in the city of Nov. This shows how falsehoods can be spread, how easily they are believed, and the terrible damage that can result. Even the greatest of the great are vulnerable to such camouflaged slander and can be misled by advisors they trust. Just turn to Shmuel II chapter 16 and read the story of how Dovid who knew better than anyone else of the great dangers of an evil tongue was himself taken in by Tziva who fabricated a false story about Mefiboshes. If even the greatest of the great can be misled, then we’d all better be very careful and constantly on our guard least we too fall into the same trap.

Things haven’t changed much since ancient times. Today, too, we have self proclaimed agitators and charlatans who have nothing to do with their time but to go around to our leading Torah sages and try to convince them that separate-seating concerts are a threat to our Yiddishkeit and to ban them. They falsely claim that there is pritzus in the hallways plus other fabrications. Exaggeration is a blood relative to falsehood, and almost as bad. A gossip is one who can give you all the details without knowing all the facts. Unfortunately, they often succeed in their mission. All it took was one Korach to convince the 250 heads of Sanhedrin of the holiness and purity of his mission.

Some have organized special activities and places for these “at risk kids” to get together under proper supervision, but this is not the real solution. The problem must be addressed long before young people reach the “at risk” stage. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If the money we spent on rehabilitation where to be spent on prevention, we’d get far more for our money, and fewer people who need intensive intervention

It must be clearly noted that despite all that was said, one is required to follow the ruling of our sages even when they say “Right is left and left is right.” Nowadays when there is no Sanhedrin, one must seek a leading posek and follow his ruling on all matters and not go “posek hopping.” This applies not only in the above case but in all other areas as well. There are some disagreements among our leading poskim in Hilchos Shabbos which can be an isur sekilah. One can’t pick and choose stringencies from one or leniencies from another. (Gemora ) The Agudas Yisroel follows the ruling of the Moetzes Gedolai HaTorah. Others can decide on their posek whom they wish to follow. But whoever it is, the p’sak must be followed even if it hurts.

Yes, there are legitimate concerns that must be addressed in order to make sure that concerts are conducted in a true Yiddish atmosphere and flavor. Performers should not be Jewish rock or rap singers and the music should not imitate today’s street hip-hop culture as some performers unfortunately do. Sadly, I’ve gone to frum weddings where the music and dancing felt like one was in a discothèque with only the flashing lights missing. Roshei yeshivas and rabbonim danced in the middle of the circle having no idea as what type of music they were dancing to. I hope no one is going to ban music at weddings because of this, but rather the m’sader kidushin or rabbonim should meet with the band leaders as well as the mechutonim to rectify this outrage. Serious concerns must be discussed between the concert organizers and rabbonim beforehand. Instead of seeking to ban these concerts, we must make sure that they are a kiddush Shem Shomayim. Music has a powerful effect upon the listener and we must ensure that it follows in the footsteps and style of Dovid Hamelech the “n’im zemiros Yisroel,” to whose words our music is often put.

We definitely need our gedolim to guide us, and if we come to them with sincere requests to teach us to run activities al pi Torah, they would respond wisely and constructively. We should no longer leave the field open to those few agitators and connivers who choose to deprive our young people of positive outlets. For if we close the doors to that which is permitted, they’ll unfortunately, soon find other places to fill the void!

To mention a few things about this article, particularly the music part. I used to be a big fan of Soulfarm and the Moshav band. It took me five years to realize that, it doesn't matter how good of musicians they are, or that they are playing music from Reb Shlomo, the concerts that they give are nothing more than an excuse for people to get together and smoke, drink and do drugs. Now I still enjoy listening to their music (particularly C. Lanzbom), I am a musician and the best way from me to become a better musician is to listen to the music of great musicians.

But wouldn't it be better to see them live?

No if to become a better musician I have to sacrifice what I believe in, it's not worth it.

I mentioned in a post a few weeks ago that I had gone to a wedding of a cousin of mine. Now these relatives were not what I would call frum, and the tziut level of a wedding can usually be decided by what kind of music is being played.

I'll admit I was impressed with the band they had, they could play (and did play) every kind of music conceivable. From rock, to jazz, to instrumental Carlebach.

But try as you might, it was a wedding with Jews, it wasn't a Jewish wedding. I had a friend who got married at the end of July and after attending my relatives wedding, I could appreciate the incredible level of Tziut at that wedding. And even though it was tzniut, it didn't compromise on the fun level of it.
Now there were guys drinking, which I find unacceptable. As one person I know put it "If you can't reach a spiritual high without drinking, you have a lot of work to do."

Just on a side note, my first year in Yeshiva we had a Shabbaton in the Old City, and during our Friday night tisch, one of the waiters went over to one of my Rabbi's and said, "This is weird, everyone here's is so happy and loose, and no one's had anything to drink!"
My yeshiva had a zero tolerance from foreign substance abuse, that's one of the reason I picked it. A guy has to find out how to have a good time outside of a bottle.

Anyways back to the subject at hand, I saw an interesting comment on a blog the other day, talking about the hypocrisy of the Orthodox, and particularly the Yeshivish, world, who say not to listen to Non-Jewish music, yet when you go to weddings you hear it all the time.
I was at a wedding back in February that had Eitan Katz playing. Now Eitan is awesome, and it was a very lively and ruach-filled wedding. But during the meal the band was playing an instrumental of a non-Jewish song. I remember this mostly because it was a song that I happened to really hate.

Anyways the point is that there are now plenty of kosher things that have been taken out of the non-Jewish world. For example Matisyahu, who's music I actually like, even though I don't really like reggae, I don't listen to it for the music style, I listen to it because he as an incredibly great message. And if people are going to be listening to reggae, or rap, or hip hop, wouldn't it be better that they're humming songs about the Beit Hamikdash, instead of the other garbage that is normally put in its place?

Of course there are bands who take the non-Jewish guise and put it in a Jewish setting that's not kosher, Blue Fringe for example. BF are a bunch of very talented musicians, but they're purpose is not the same as Matisyahu's, who wants to spread the light of G-d to the world. BF is solely in it for the money.

Now Mordechai Ben David being unkosher is kinda laughable. Shwekey? Chaim David? Shlomo Katz? I was at a Simply Tzfat concert last week, and it was an incredibly uplifting experience because the people making the music were G-d fearing Jews who were teaching Torah, and that's why they were there, not to make money, but the bring an uplifting environment to the people in attendence, and experience that was based in holiness, not sexuality.

Because that's the main concern for all these bans, sexuality. We are bombarded with it all day (and yes, I know that it happens in Israel also) and the response it to shut it out as much as possible, which is a good thing, but offer a constructive alternative. The fact that secular culture has taken one of the most private, beautiful things, and turned it into one of the most public things is a disgusting shame. It shows how these 'progressives' are trying to bring equality and openness to the everyone, and that everything is exceptable because (sarcasm alert) "we don't want to offend anyone! Nooo!

A major item in the news now for the good part of the past 2 years has been whether to legalize gay marriages or not. I mean we can't offend gay people can we?

But when you try to raise yourself by listening to your body, your not progressing, you're regressing back into an animal state, where you are no longer in control of your body, it's your body that controls you.
Judaism believes that the reason we humans have intellect is because we are not animals, we have a potential that differs from person to person, where every single animal only has the level to reach of every other animal. We're in the most technologically advanced time in human history, yet people want to live like animals.

During one of the times in Jewish history when some Jews decided they wanted to join the 'enlightenment movement,' they approached the Rabbi of the generation and started mocking him because he was still following this ancient religion. Why didn't he join them in they're progressive ways?
He said "you have it backwards. You think that by throwing off the Torah you are free from such burdens, but your not. You've simply replaced the burden of Torah with the burdan of your animal instincts. If you let you animal instincts take over, you have no way of combating them, Torah is a guidebook to not only fight the animal inside you, but also to grow and reach your true, unique human potential.

That's all for tonight.

I hate Al Jezeera

So why do I read it? Because it's important to know what the enemy is saying about you. Big headline today ISRAEL CONDEMNED OVER LEBANON WAR. This sounded interesting so I opened it up and was (sarcasm alert) pleasantly surprised by what I read. . .

The report, released on Thursday, accused Israeli air raids of causing "most of the approximately 900 civilian deaths" during the war.

"Responsibility for the high civilian death toll of the war in Lebanon lies squarely with Israeli policies and targeting decisions in the conduct of its military operations," the report said.

"Most of the 900 civilian deaths huh, well why did those civilians die? Maybe it was because the Hezbollah terrorists shot rockets into Israel and then ran into a crowd of civilians so Israel wouldn't shoot back, and hey maybe those IAF pilots got a little pissed off at this war crime that hit the FIRE button out of frustration, I don't know, but I do know they were not aiming at civilians, unlike Hezbollah, which specifically targeted civilians which is an international war crime.

Israel has said it attacked civilian areas because Hezbollah set up rocket launchers in them.

Mark Regev, an Israeli foreign ministry spokesman, said: "We faced a very specific problem in that Hezbollah adopted a very deliberate and premeditated strategy to embed itself among the civilian population."

The rights organization, though, said there was no basis to the Israeli claim.

Which one do you think they're setting up to seem more legitimate, Israel or the rights organization?

Kenneth Roth, HRW executive director, said at a press conference in Jerusalem that, while Israel did not appear to have had a deliberate policy of killing civilians, there was "a pattern of killing that amounts to indiscriminate fire".

Unbelievable, this guy is saying that Israel is using Hezbollah as an excuse to randomly shoot Arabs in Lebanon. "A pattern of killing that amounts to indiscriminate fire." Is Hezbollah also 'indiscriminate' in the targets that they chose?

HRW acknowledged that Israel warned civilians that aircraft were going to bomb villages, at one point announcing a 48-hour cease-fire to let civilians leave.

But the air strikes that followed targeted civilians as well was militants, the report said.

So Israel doesn't keep its promises huh? Did Hezbollah tell the Jews "Oh, you should leave because we're going to send missiles into your country for the single reason being that we don't like you.
Why is the fact that it was Hezbollah that started this war by kidnapping three Israeli soldiars and the IDF's purpose for being in Lebanon was to get them back. Hezbollah was the one who then started firing rockets into Israel for the sole purpose of injuring and killing as many Jews as possible.
What are you going to get from an organization that supports terrorism? It's still important to know what they're saying about us.

Shabbat Shalom

10 more reasons not to make Aliyah

This is a list from Tamar Yonah's blog:

1) The government is not to their liking.
2) They won't come until there is peace.
3) They don't believe they are obligated to live here until the Moshiach comes (I think that Tzvi Fishman has proven that wrong with the Torah sources given on his blog.)
4) They won't come unless they know they have a job in their field waiting for them.
5) Their kids are too old
6) Their kids are too young
7) They're waiting until they retire
8) They're waiting until they are dead and need to be buried
9) Their furniture won't fit in these small apts. - Honest to goodness, this was an excuse. One American woman looked at my parent's dining room when they were here touring Jerusalem on a pilot trip and the woman said, "I can't make aliyah, I see that my dining room table would never fit into an Israeli apt. that I can afford".
10) I have old sick parents or I am divorced and I can't take my kids with me.

Of the above 10 reasons why most Jews don't make aliyah today.... only number ten has any merit at all. I personally sympathize with divorcees that want to be in their children's lives, and cannot do so if they are forced to leave them in the Old Country. I also understand how someone who feels they cannot come because they are caring for their elderly parent who cannot be moved or travel such a long distance. However, even these two excuses can be argued.

Now obviously as I've said before there are legitimate reasons to stay in America, IE spouse doesn't want to go, (and even if the Rambam says you have to divorce your spouse to make Aliyah, I don't think that kind of thing applies today.)

But the question that needs to be asked is why? Each and every Jew needs to ask why he is not preparing to make Aliyah, but they should be honost about. "I'm scared," is a legitimate opinion. Scared I won't be able to get a job, scared about the security situation, scared about the government, statues of kashrut, and many other fears.
But what about the people who are going? Do you think that the same things haven't crossed their minds?
The Torah says, "when" you settle the land. Not "if, maybe, or possibly."
"When."

The question is which generation of your family will be doing it? Will it be you? Or you kids? Or your grandkids?
Doesn't matter which one because 100 years from now (if one of the lines didn't intermarry or assimilate) will look back on the generation that made the made the move and be greatful that they were the ones who made the move and made the struggle so that they could live in the land G-d gave us. (Mashiach pending of course).

So what are you waiting for? Are you going to stay trapped in your fear and wait from a future generation to make the move? Or are you going to overcome the Exile mentality of fear and "leave the land of your father to go to the land that I will show you."
It has never been easier to make Aliyah, Avraham Avinu didn't have Nefesh B' Nefesh offering money and assistance, neither did the rest of the Jewish people after 40 years trekking through the desert. One question I hear from lots of families who make Aliyah is "Why didn't we do this sooner?"
So you can wait for the security situation to improve, or for more money, or for many other reasons then what is listed above, but eventually ALL of the Jewish people are going to return home, and it's a question if they are going to do it willingly by themselves or are they going to have to wait for G-d to give them one final whack on the behind to get them out the door.

Of course I'm worried about the security situation, the schooling, jobs, finding a wife, taxes, income, nor being able to make it, but I have complete faith in G-d that I will make it and I'm going with that in mind, and that the only way to do it. I don't think there was one person of the 210 who got off the plane on Tuesday, who had all of these questions ironed out, or weren't worried. But they came. And I'm coming too, just look on the right side of my blog for the day remaining, as of now it's 312 give or take a day.

I have a date, do you?

"Why I Live in Israel"

Ben Goldfarb
Director, Paradigm Shift Communications

September 4, 2007

How could you give up the American dream? I was asked when I moved to Israel almost two decades ago. The answer was, and still is: I'm exchanging the American dream for the Israeli dream. (Part 1 of two.)

I was born and raised in the United States, and I am not ashamed to say that I love America. I feel a deep sense of gratitude toward the U.S. for providing a safe haven for Jews and other minorities. I enjoy my visits to the States, which reinforce positive feelings I have for many aspects of American culture and mentality.

NOTE: Once you live in Israel, Jewish law (Halacha) delineates specific guidelines regarding the permissibility of leaving Israel even for short trips. Consult your rabbi for more information.

Despite these positive feelings, however, I still decided to move thousands of miles away from home and settle in another country. Here are some of the reasons which led to my ascent to the land of Israel.

Religious obligation
The debate of whether or not there is a commandment to live in Israel is beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that I subscribe to the opinion that there is a biblical commandment to live in the land of Israel. As an Orthodox Jew, observing the Torah is a package deal. Just as I have an obligation to observe the Sabbath ( Shabbat) and keep Kosher, I have an obligation to live in Israel.

Historical mandate
In my humble opinion, I believe the future of the Jewish People revolves around our presence on Jewish soil. Jewish history is here in the making. Rather than being a spectator and supporter of Israel from abroad, I prefer to be an active participant in her history and destiny.

Education and culture
There is nothing like watching your children grow up in Israel. Fluent in unaccented Hebrew, they soak up religious texts with ease. They were given the gift of growing up in what I like to define as normative Jewish existence — being Jewish in a Jewish country. They are therefore free, for the most part, of the baggage of an exile mentality.

As for their educational opportunities, there are more students learning Torah now in Israel than in pre-Holocaust Europe. While many would argue that we haven't reached the quality of learning that was attainted by the Torah giants and their students before World War II, most people would agree that the opportunities for Torah learning in Israel are by far the most diverse and extensive in the world.

Economic standard of living
There is a popular myth that one can't "make it" in Israel. This carries as much weight as many of the urban legends circulating on the Internet. I know of countless examples of Israelis who moved to the United States for the "good life" who are living hand-to-mouth. Alternatively, I am intimately familiar with numerous American expatriates and returning Israelis who are making a much better living here in Israel than they did in the land of opportunity.

The amount of money a person is destined to make in any given year is determined on the Jewish New Year (Rosh HaShannah). This amount of money will not be increased or decreased by a single penny, no matter what country you choose to live in. Moving to Israel will not necessarily decrease one's livelihood; it might even increase it.

Spiritual standard of living
Israel has the highest spiritual standard of living in the world. Almost everywhere you turn in Israel, you will find individuals and groups of people who are involved in spiritual growth, giving to others, and creating a better world. No one can deny that these activities take place in the Diaspora, but in my experience, the degree and depth of these spiritual pursuits in Israel surpass anything I have seen or experienced anywhere else.

These are some of the reasons why I live in Israel. While this list isn't designed to persuade anyone to move here, it is intended to be a partial explanation of why I shifted from the American to the Israeli dream.

Who was the Mystery Soldier who left the hospital so quickly?

Yoni, an Israeli Defense Force soldier stationed in Hebron, was shot by an Arab terrorist. It happened very early in the morning, and no one else was awake to hear it. Yoni passed out and was bleeding steadily, his life was heading toward a silent end.

But another soldier stationed nearby heard the shot and went to investigate. He found a fellow Israeli soldier bleeding to death. He tried the best he could to stop the bleeding and called for help. Waiting for help to arrive, he kept applying pressure to the wound- literally holding Yoni's life in his hands.

Yoni was taken to a hospital in Be’er Sheva where he underwent surgery. Yoni's parents were notified and they rushed to the hospital. Imagine the fear of the parents who were only told "your son has been injured and is in the hospital." When they arrived the doctor told them that Yoni was shot but will be alright. Had it not been for the immediate actions of the other soldier, their son Yoni would have bled to death. It was a miracle that the other soldier heard what no one else heard, and managed to locate Yoni as quickly as he did. The parents wanted to thank that soldier, but he had just left the hospital after hearing that the soldier he helped would survive.

While recuperating at home, Yoni and his parents called the army to find out the name of the other soldier so they could thank him personally. Unfortunately, that soldier's name was not recorded and although they tried to ask around they simply couldn’t track down who that other soldier was.

Yoni's mother knew that the important thing of course is that Yoni is well, yet she couldn’t help feeling that as long as she couldn’t meet and thank the solider who bravely saved her son’s life- the entire frightening episode is still not fully over. Not being able to thank the soldier continued to give her an empty feeling… but then she had an idea.

The couple owned a grocery store in Kiryat Malachi (a town near Ashkelon), so they decided to put up a sign in the store, describing what happened, figuring that Israel is a small country and eventually they might found out who the mystery soldier was.

Months passed with no response. Finally, one morning about a year later, a woman customer noticed the sign hanging by the door of the store. She recalled how happy her son Yair was when he came home one Friday night and told them how he heard a shot and was able to save another soldier’s life in Hebron. She went back and told the owner of the store. The story matched. The two women now decided to try to reach their sons on cell phones and see if they could meet at the store. Fortunately it turned out that both the young men and even the fathers were able to all meet that afternoon at the store.

The families soon gathered for an emotional "rendezvous". The soldiers recounted army experiences and finally after all this time Yoni’s mother could stand up and thank Yair for saving her son’s life or as she put it, “You saved my world”. She looked forward to feeling “completion” after all this time by thanking the soldier, but little did she know that the story was hardly complete.

After the tearful thank you, Yair’s mother quietly pulled her aside and asked to speak with her outside. The two women went out alone. And she asked Yoni’s mother: “Look at me- you don’t remember me?” “No, I’m sorry did we meet before? she responded. "Yes. You see there is a particular reason I came into your store today… I used to live here and this time I was just passing by but I wanted to give you my business, even though I was only buying a few things.”

“What are you talking about? Yoni’s mother asked. “Twenty years ago I used to live around here and came all the time to buy milk and bread... One day you noticed that I looked really down and you were so nice and asked me why I was so down and I confided in you. I told you that I was going through a very difficult time and on top of that I was pregnant and planning on having an abortion. As soon as I said “abortion” you called your husband over and the two of you didn’t seem to care about your own store but sat down and patiently listened to me and I remember what you said.

“You told me that it is true that I was going through a hard time but sometimes the good things in life come through difficulty, and the best things come through the biggest difficulties. You spoke of the joy of being a mother and that the most beautiful word to hear in the Hebrew language is “Ima” (mother) when spoken by one’s child.. you both spoke and spoke until I was convinced that I actually should have this baby- so you see G-d paid you back!”

What do you mean? asked Yoni’s mother. I had a boy twenty years ago that you saved by telling me to think twice before doing the abortion. With happy tears she declared, "My beloved Yair wouldn’t have been alive if not for you. He was the one you were looking for. He was the one who grew up to save your son, Yoni’s life!"

Note: This incredible story is true.

Please Remove Me from your email list

Whew! I didn't even realize it, we've past post #100!

I wrote about a month ago on this guy in my shul who didn't like the Good Shabbos messages I sent out in my email notifying that the shul newsletter for the week had been posted online. I decided to not respond to his email and the next week I sent an email specifically with him in mind, with a Bracha that we should notice the blessings that we get every single day.

He then sent me an email asking for me to remove him from the shul mailing list. I very politely sent him an email telling how to do it himself.

My question is why didn't he just go to the shul website and unsibscribe from the mailing list himself? Well it's quite simple really, he wanted to me to know how much he was upset by this. In reality I don't care. He has an issue (this has not been the first time he and I haven't seen eye to eye on certain issues) and he has to work on it, I asked a Rabbi if there was anything else I could of done, and I can't see any.

But I'm not here to talk about that, I'm here to talk about Pastor Joel Hunter and Jeremy Gimpel.
For those of you who don't know, one of the people I really look up to is Jeremy Gimpel. He is doing something for the Jewish people that, as far as I know, no one else in the Jewish world is doing, he's reaching out to the Christians.
Most of use Jews when we hear the word 'Christian,' we immediately go on the defensive, because of our experience with missionaries. Jeremy is reaching out to all of the other Christians and he sees them not as enemies, but as allies in the war against radical Islam.

Anyways, Pastor Joel Hunter is a pastor in a Church in Orlando FL, and he has Jeremy and his partner Ari Abramowitz, up in arms.
Why?
Pastor Hunter is an advocate for a Palestinian State.

Read previous posts on my blog to see my stance on that, but what's really shocking is that he's doing it in a rather cowardly way. He didn't tell anyone in his congregation about it, he wouldn't go on Ari & Jeremy's show, and . . . Well that's a whole other paragraph.

Mr. Hunter finally agreed to do a debate with Jeremy, on his own terms. . .on NPR.
NPR wasn't able to host the debate, so Hunter then chose the BBC.

Now both of the above radio stations have a bias against Israel, and it showed when the debate between Hunter and Jeremy took place.

I'll admit that I have not heard the debate, and that's because the BBC didn't release it. They didn't even release it to Jeremy like they promised. Instead they aired a condensed version of it which consisted of Hunter talking for 4 minutes, and Jeremy getting in about 15 words before the cut him off in the editing.

Fine, balanced journalism.

Anyways, what does this have to do with the above story?

I found a blog called Tzemach, on which they had an interview with Jeremy. It is a Christian website, and when scrolling down to look at the comments, this is the first one I found:

Shmuel

The cornerstone is Jesus, not the Tanak, not the Torah. Old Covenant Israel rejected the Messiah. Your are advocating a dispensational understanding of Israel, which is nonsense. The modern state of Israel was created by Zionists, and Zionism has nothing in common with Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God.

Please remove me from your email list.

Ahh, the magical "Please remove me from your email list."

Anyways these are Christians, so I don't follow anything that they hold religiously, but it is because of the Christians and the United States that we have a State of Israel today (well obviously it's the hand of G-d, but he's using them as his tool), and I can't knock them for that, even it some of them feel that the Jews are 'occupiers,' and 'settlers.'

Rabbi Ken Spiro said the reason that the beginning of the Torah talks about Abraham and the initial dwelling of the Jews in Israel, and not at the first Mitzvah, is for this very reason. To show that we were there first.

So United Nations, Jimmy Carter, Pastor Hunter, and Shmuel. We've got G-d on out side while you have the power of man, and history shows that all men who try to destroy the Jewish people and therefore try to destroy G-d, in the end get destroyed themselves. I encourage you to choose the right side before it's too late.

Shalom

Alternative Energy

Goel Jasper's talk in Baltimore

“How to do Teshuva … In One Easy Step”

by Go'el Jasper goeljasper@yahoo.com

Needless to say, this is an important time of year. We’re spending our time right now working on our neshamas (souls) … working on our midot (personality traits) … working on our observance of mitzvot … working on our interactions with people around us.

And we do this same thing year-after-year.

And sometimes we do it well. And sometimes we do it … not as well.

And it’s not my job to speak with you tonight about how to go about that important work. I’ve got enough of my own work to do.

You may have heard, for example, that I have a problem with a certain community in Germany – and its rabbi – that decided to ship 19 tons of Eretz Yisrael to that place – mission control of the darkest years in modern Jewish history – for the purpose of building a replica of the Kotel – the Western Wall. This same community has spent millions of dollars building a new Jewish Community Center to serve its 12,000 Jews.

And during the media blitz that took place during – of all times – the week of Tisha B’Av, that community’s rabbi was quoted as saying, "This is a sign that people are putting their trust in the Jewish future of Germany."

All this would be bad enough. But to provide a poetic epilogue to the story, this rabbi happens to be the great-grandson of The Eim Habanim Semeicha, Rabbi Yissocher Shlomo Teichtal, who, from Hungary, advocated during the Holocaust that all Jews should return to Eretz Yisrael and said about Jews of the time, “They only care and desire to make an honorable living and build a big house with a courtyard made of hewn stones… to last for many years, so that they can bequeath it to their children and grandchildren who will be born on foreign soil.”

And now his great-grandson is doing exactly that same thing. Building a big house made of stones – 19 tons of which will come from Israel – to last for many years, so they can bequeath it to their children and grandchildren.

Anyway, I have a tough time with this, and I have made public my thoughts about it. So I guess I have some forgiveness I need to ask … at least from one rabbi in Berlin.

And I’m not about to provide you with a roadmap for your own teshuva efforts this year, although I’m open to any advice you may have for me, because I think I am in serious need of it.

Why?

Because I have a major problem. And my problem seems all but unsolvable at this point in Jewish history.

My problem is that I believe we are suffering from an issue of symantics and technicalities. And I think we are so wrapped up in it that even our leadership isn’t aware of how big the problem is.

But first, we’re going to learn a little chumash lesson to get started. Then we’ll get to the main topic of this evening.

Today’s Parshah – Ki Tavo. The very first pasuk:

וְהָיָה, כִּי-תָבוֹא אֶל-הָאָרֶץ

And it will be when (because) – not if - you come into the land

אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיךָ, נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה; וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ.

That HaShem your G-d gives to you for an inheritance; and you will – not you are allowed to – possess it and settle (dwell in) it.

Now, let’s move ahead a little bit to Pasuk י"ז:

אֶת-ה' הֶאֱמַרְתָּ, הַיּוֹם: לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לאלקים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו, וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְו‍ֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו--וְלִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ.

You have confirmed HaShem today to be your G-d, and that you would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and listen to His voice.

Now, let me ask you a question:

Where is the room for interpretation here?

First pasuk, Moshe, G-d’s spokesperson says: “When you come into the land that HaShem has given you and you will possess it and settle it.”

Seventeenth pasuk: “You’re gonna walk in His ways, and keep his statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and listen to His voice.”

Where’s the big debate? Kinda makes you scratch your head, doesn’t it?

It seems very clear. You gotta come into the Land. Period.

Unless …

And this is the point of the talk this evening …

Unless you see the Torah as nothing more than a history book. Because you can’t have it both ways.

Why is it that we all think it’s quite normal to wave around four species of vegetation on Sukkot and we blow into a ram’s horn on Rosh HaShana?

Because the Torah says it, right?

Why is it that we wear leather bands on our arms and on our heads, and we don’t eat pig but we do eat cow.

Because the Torah says so.

Why don’t we all live in Eretz Yisrael …

Because the Rambam doesn’t include Yeshuv HaAretz in his list of the 613 mitzvot.

But the Rambam did write this:

Based on the Mishna (Ketuvot 110b), the Rambam rules that husband or wife may coerce their partner to immigrate to Israel. Should the wife refuse, the husband may divorce her with no obligations to pay the Ketuvah. Should it be the husband who refuses he must divorce her and pay the entire Ketuvah.

Sounds pretty Zionistic, no? Basically, if you want to make Aliyah and your spouse doesn’t, that’s grounds for divorce, according to the Rambam.

He also says the following, in Hilchot Melachim, Chapter 5, halacha 15:

לעולם ידור אדם בארץ ישראל, אפילו בעיר שרובה גויים; ואל ידור בחוצה לארץ, ואפילו בעיר שרובה ישראל: שכל היוצא לחוצה לארץ--כאילו עובד עבודה זרה

You may have heard this before from others, but I’ll say it again anyway. The reason the Rambam didn’t include Yeshuv HaAretz in his list is because, to him, living in Israel is an assumption.

It’s the same reason he lists the mitzvah of building a mishkan, but not of building the aron inside the mishkan. To him, if you have to build the mishkan, of course you have to also build the aron.

Similarly with Aliyah, one of his mitzvot is that we have to destroy all the inhabitants of the Land. He doesn’t mention inhabiting it, but why do you think we’re destroying the inhabitants? So we can have an empty Eretz Yisrael? In other words, it’s Rambam’s version of saying, “Duh?!”

But you know what? It doesn’t even matter if its one of the Rambam’s 613 mitzvot or not. Because the Torah doesn’t say that we only have to follow the 613 mitzvot as outlined by the Rambam. Let me repeat:

Perek כ"ו ,Pasuk י"ז:

אֶת-ה' הֶאֱמַרְתָּ, הַיּוֹם: לִהְיוֹת לְךָ לאלקים וְלָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו, וְלִשְׁמֹר חֻקָּיו וּמִצְו‍ֹתָיו וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו--וְלִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ.

You have confirmed HaShem today to be your G-d, and that you would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and listen to His voice.

There are five categories of, for lack of a better term, “stuff” that we have to do.

So there’s nowhere to hide, when it comes to the mitzvah of Yeshuv Ha’Aretz, of living in Eretz Yisrael. Maybe it’s not one of the Rambam’s 613 Mitzvot, but I think it fits quite comfortably into either “walking in His ways, statutes, commandments, ordinances or at least listening to His voice.

So why has the ordinance of Aliyah fallen off the radar screen? As you can imagine, I’ve done a lot of thinking about this. And I think the reason why Yeshuv HaAretz isn’t taken seriously today is sociological, not mitzvah-related. For 2000 years, we had not been able to go to live in Israel. Do you know how much time that is? It’s 100 generations. 100 generations of rabbis and students. 100 generations of no light at the end of the tunnel. A one hundred-generation story that was going so poorly for the Jewish people that it ended with the ultimate of punchlines. Six million dead.

Do you really think the leaders of all those generations had Aliyah on their minds?

We’re in a different time today. I mean, how many of us in this room remember a time when we couldn’t go visit the Kotel, let alone remember a time when there was no Israel?

Well, for almost 2000 years, that was the deal. No Israel. No Kotel. No hope.

Oh, the special people still did it, or tried to do it. The Ramban – we’ll get to him later – did it in the year 1267. Rabbi Josef Caro – the writer of the Shulchan Aruch – our code of Jewish law! – Made Aliyah in 1536. More than 500 of the Vilna Gaon’s students and their families made Aliyah between 1808 and 1812. The Gaon himself tried, but had to turn back and return to Lithuania. In 1933, the Chazon Ish – at the age of 55 – made Aliyah, where he held no official position – yup, no job and he still made the big move.

So the special people still managed to do this mitzvah of Aliyah. But for most people, it was not even a thought.

We are less than two weeks away from the beginning of the Shmita year in Israel. I know. When you think of Shmita, you think, uh oh, that’s probably going to drive up the price of my etrog next year. Or, oh no, how will I know which restaurants I can enjoy when I go to Israel to visit this year?

Well, I’ll spare you the details, because there’s a lot more to shmita than that. I’ll just give you a couple of examples instead, to demonstrate to you how significant Shmita year is for us in the Holy Land. I have to post a sign outside my front gate outlining to anyone walking by that all the fruits in my yard – and we are blessed with figs, persimmons, pecans, pomegranates, loquats, mangos and lemons – are free for the taking. That’s right. Anyone who wants can just ring our bell and come into our yard to take our fruits. Of course, I can go to someone else’s yard and do the same thing. In fact, there’s a particular peach tree I’ve had my eye on for a while …

Another example: Everyday, when we send our kids to school, if we send them with a fruit, we have to remind them to bring home the core or the pit or any piece they don’t eat, because these fruits are holy. So we can’t just throw them in the garbage.

Why am I talking about shmita? Well, first of all, it’s an example of how much more complete one’s Jewish existence is when living in the Land promised to our forefathers. But there’s another reason also.

Remember, for 2000 years we couldn’t live in Israel, right? So who do you think was keeping shmita? And which rabbis were giving the rulings? How did our ancestors who were fortunate enough to be living in Eretz Yisrael – and there were many, many people who were fortunate enough to merit living there – how did they know what to do?

I’ll tell you how I learned what to do. I can tell you because I just learned it all within the last two months. I learned from a young rabbi in Tel Tzion, just north of Jerusalem. And one of the things he told me was that most of the material regarding shmita has been generated by the rabbinical leaders like the Chazon Ish and R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach within the last 80 years. So just about everything we learned, other than the Torah sources, was fairly recent.

Because shmita wasn’t on the radar screen. It was almost in the same category as korbanot and mitzvot regarding the bet hamikdash.

And that’s what I think the situation is with Aliyah. For 2000 years, it just wasn’t on the radar screen. But as Avi Mori – my father – likes to say, there is absolutely no way for a Jew who is serious about his Jewishness to justify not making Aliyah.

And if you say that maybe my dad’s wrong … well then so is the Torah.

וְהָיָה, כִּי-תָבוֹא אֶל-הָאָר! ֶ& #1509;

And it will be when – not if - you come into the land

אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיךָ, נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה; וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ.

That HaShem your G-d gives to you for an inheritance; and you will possess it and settle (dwell in) it.

It’s ridiculous. How many times does the Torah talk about kashrut? About keeping Shabbat? About being kind to your fellow man?

Several times each. Fair enough. So we do them. Heck, we do things that are only mentioned once.

And how many times does the Torah tell us to settle the Land of Israel?

Dozens of times.

So I ask you: Is the Torah a guidebook for our lives or is it a history book, a storybook?

And you can’t say, well, when it comes to the book of Vayikra, it’s a guidebook. That’s why we don’t eat rabbit sandwiches.

But when it comes to Bereishit, Shmot, Bamidbar and Devarim, it’s a storybook. That’s why we like reading about Avraham leaving the good life behind and going to the place that HaKadosh Baruch Hu will show him. And isn’t it nice that he paid for Hevron in that storybook. And isn’t it a sad story when Moshe asks HaShem one more time to please let him into Israel.

It’s a storybook, right?

Of course not. Of course it’s a guidebook. And you know it. And I know it. And our leaders know it. But for some reason, most of us don’t act like it when it comes to Aliyah.

Instead, we say things like, well, we need a lot of Jews to be living in the Diaspora because that way, we can influence the governments of the world to protect us.

Oh really? Have you taken a look at how wonderful the world’s governments – including the United States – have been to Israel in the last 15 years? Are you enjoying the results of the Oslo agreement as much as I am?

We say things like, how can we leave all the Jews behind by making Aliyah?

Unbelievable. When it comes to figuring out how to send our kids to college, we have funds set up from the day the child is born … sometimes earlier.

But no time is long enough to plan for Aliyah.

I have an idea, and I’d like to bounce it off you …

What do you think of the concept of a rabbi standing up in front of his congregation and saying, “Chevreh, I have an announcement to make. Three years from now, I will be going to the airport to do the mitzvah of Aliyah – you know, the one that is mentioned ten times more often than the mitzvah of not eating pork. I’d like us to work together over the next three years to rebuild our community in Israel. And I don’t want to leave anyone behind. We’re all going to go together. Because we’re Jewish, and that’s where G-d wants us to live.”

Wouldn’t that be terrific? But more importantly, wouldn’t it make sense?

Instead, they say that they’re needed here.

You know what I say? I say the only reason they are needed here is to bring Jews there … to bring Jews home.

We all sing the praises of those who do it. Isn’t it beautiful that the Dresslers made Aliyah! Such an inspiration! Isn’t it incredible, that after years and years of wishing and dreaming, the Friedenbergs finally did it, and with teenage kids!

It can be done. If the Dresslers and the Friedenbergs and the Golombs and the Jaspers can do it, anyone can do it. And the rabbis can lead the way.

But we have to help them understand that it can be done.

You know why? For the same reason people in the time of Ezra and Nehemia didn’t do it.

Life is too darn good here. You have everything you need here. And you don’t want to leave it.

And as long as being a rabbi pays four times better here than being a doctor pays there, it’s going to be very tough to convince Diaspora rabbis to change their tune, and, as one Baltimore rabbi said, to begin walking the walk.

Don’t get me wrong. There are exceptions. Rabbi Zev Shandalov, rabbi of a small congregation in Chicago, just announced a few months ago that he’s leaving two years from now to make Aliyah, and that he’d like his whole congregation to come with him.

Then, on the other side, there’s Rabbi Avi Weiss in Riverdale, New York, who really tells it like it is. I had him on my show a few months back and asked him point-blank – How can you preach Aliyah and not do it yourself? Why should your congregation listen to you if you don’t walk the walk.

And he said, - and I give him a lot of credit – “You’re right. I have grandchildren in Israel and when it comes to the mitzvah of Aliyah, they are my rebbes. I know I should be there … but New York is where I’m comfortable. I know I’m not whole when I’m not in Israel, but this is where I am comfortable.”

But he’s the only one I’ve heard who has said it. He’s comfortable. New York is what he knows. It’s his world. Life is good for him there.

Good for Rabbi Weiss. He’s big enough to tell the truth. And I respect him for that.

But if the most pro-Aliyah rabbis, like Rabbi Weiss … and others who talk the talk, aren’t walking the walk, what’s the solution?

I believe the solution is that we’re going to have to do this the hard way. We are going to have to push them. We are going to have to challenge them. Ask your rabbi, “How is it a mitzvah to keep kosher, but not to live in Israel, when the whole purpose of the Torah … even if we think of it as just a storybook, is for the Jews to go from the Diaspora to Eretz Yisrael?”

And I can already tell you their answers: They’ve unfortunately been so conditioned regarding this fundamental mitzvah, that they will either come up with a cute, clever response, like “well, someone has to turn out the lights here when everyone else is gone!” or they will, for a moment, gaze longingly beyond you and tell you how much they wish they could do it. But their kids are in school here, and education is tough in Israel. Or they have grandchildren here, so how could they go away like that? Or my favorite … “Do you know how tough it is to make a living in Israel as a rabbi?”

And every time I hear that, I think to myself, do you know how tough it is to make a living in Israel as a public relations professional. I’m making approximately half of what I was making in the States. But I bite my tongue. Because they don’t know better. They’ve been influenced. Influenced by 2000 years of exile.

But not to worry. Because although they have been conditioned, they’re wrong. Life can be pretty darn good in Israel.

How good? Let me tell you:

How many of you are Shomer Shabbat? Now, how many of you wear a kippa to work? Now how many of you feel 100% comfortable wearing your kippa to work?

How many of you send your kids to Jewish schools? Now, how many of your kids – at the age of 10 – can pick up any sefer and read it, understanding every word to the point where when you learn it with them and you translate, they ask you, “Abba, are you translating for me, or for you?”

How many of you have children who have had a “siddur party” when they received their first siddur? How many of those parties were held at the Kotel?

Listen, I know the United States is a great place to be Jewish. I lived here for most of my life. I even lived in Baltimore, which I refer to as the most dangerous place for a Jew to live in the Diaspora. Why? Because it’s so darn great. You’re Jewish? Anything you need is right here in Baltimore. Five (or more) different schools? Check. Restaurants? Check. Supermarket? Check. 26 Orthodox shuls of one kind or another? Check. And that’s why it’s so dangerous. Because it’s so great. And because we’re not supposed to be living here.

And there have been people far greater than you – far greater than we – who also got it wrong. There were ten of them. They went to Israel to scout out the Land, and they returned with the best and worst of reports.

“It’s an incredible Land – they said – it has fruits like you wouldn’t believe.” And they showed the Bnei Yisrael those fruits.

“But there are giants there and the Land devours its people.” – they said. And that was the end of that.

And that entire generation died, except for two. And those two – Yehoshua and Calev – made it into Eretz Yisrael.

How important is it to make Aliyah?

Moshe Rabbeinu was dying, and he had one last request for HaShem: Please, let me go into the Land.

Moshe Rabbeinu … OUR TEACHER!!! What is he teaching us there? He’s teaching us that if you have the chance to go into the Land, you go. Because you may not have another chance!

The generation of Ezra and Nehemia also got it wrong. Ezra told people – he sent letters – come back to the Land with me. We’re going to rebuild Jerusalem!

And they told him no, you go to the great Jerusalem there. We’ll be fine here in our little Jerusalem here.

Ezra was a leader. But no one followed. They decided to stay in the Diaspora because, well, Seven Mile Market has all the Israeli products we need. And Rambam does a great job of making us FEEL Israeli on Yom HaAtzmaut.

Don’t get me wrong. I think it’s wonderful that Baltimore has all the resources it has. And my wife Gilla and I always say that if we weren’t living in Israel, we’d want to live in Baltimore.

But for us, for Gilla and me, we want to live in Israel. And it’s time for the Jewish people to correct our history of messing up big-time, when it comes to the mitzvah – or ordinance – of Aliyah.

Which gets me to the title of this talk:

“How to do Teshuva … In One Easy Step”

You may think that the title is a play on words regarding the literal meaning of “teshuva.” Returning. Ah, Go’el’s being clever. Teshuva, as in returning to Israel. We get it.

And if that’s your takeaway, that’s fine with me. Because at the end of the day, that’s what I want from everyone in this room.

But that’s not what I meant. You see, I do marketing for a living, so I know there’s always got to be a “What’s In It For Me,” in any sale you are trying to make. So those of you who may be dozing off, now’s the time to listen …

I know what we are all going through this year… and every year. We look back and we think, my gosh. I’m right in the same spot I was in last year. I promised Hakadosh Baruch Hu that I’d try hard and that I’d change my ways. And I’ve succeeded in some areas … but definitely not in all areas. And so here I am again.

But let me tell you what I do when it comes time for Yom Kippur and maybe my davening’s not going so well, or maybe I’m feeling the scale may be tipping a bit to the other side.

A year ago, leading up to last Yamim Noraim, I was a mess. Not going to minyan everyday. Missed selichot a few times. Speaking lashon hara. Not treating people with respect. You name it … I was doing it.

It was the first time in a long time that, quite literally, I felt like I had to throw myself upon the mercy of the Heavenly Court.

And there I was. Neilah.

And it was during the Amidah. And I said, “HaShem! I know! I’m a disaster! I’ve got absolutely no defense for the way I’ve conducted myself! And I wanted to do better this year, but I didn’t! I was lazy. I was selfish. I was … a disaster. But HaShem … let me just say one thing in my defense …

I came home to be with you! I gave it all up! I gave up my Yankees! I gave up good Chinese food! Gilla gave up Target! We gave up schools we loved! Our friends. Our families. We gave it all up! And we did it for one reason and one reason only!

You told us to come here, HaShem!

וְהָיָה, כִּי-תָבוֹא אֶל-הָאָרֶץ

So we did it! We’ve given ourselves over to you! We believe in You!

We’ve put our Jewishness, our Torah observance, our commitment to you above all else!

We love that our kids speak Hebrew with Israeli accents. We love that all offices are closed during Jewish holidays. We love that we are able to observe the mitzvah of shmita and that we can visit the Kotel anytime we want to and that we never, ever have to say good-bye and get on a plane, wondering when the next time is that we’ll be back in our Land.

We love all those things about being here in Israel.

But that’s not why we’re here, Hakadosh Baruch Hu!

We’re here for you!

Now, I ask you … how can Avinu Shebashamayim say no to a tefilla like that?

But you can’t do that here in BALTIMORE. You can only do it there. You can only say that you have put your spirituality first, no matter what impact it has on your material existence, in Eretz Yisrael.

As I said in the beginning, this is a time of year when we look inward and we ask ourselves, what have I done this year? What’s gone well? What’s not gone well?

How can I become a better Jew?

You want to become a better Jew? It’s a simple formula, and it starts with putting your Jewishness above all else.

And if you are saying to yourself, “He’s right. Maybe we should think about Aliyah … right after Shmuel finishes high school … right after we’ve put a little more money away … right after the security situation in Israel improves … right after I retire …”

You’ll never do it. And you’re missing the point.

Na’ase V’Nishma. We will do and we will listen.

That is one of the most famous lines in the Torah, and most people take it to mean that the Jewish people were so eager to get the Torah that they first said “whatever it is, fine. We’ll take it!” And then, after the deal is done, we’ll take a closer look and figure out the details.

Well, there’s another interpretation. First you do what HaShem asks of you, and only then will you have the mindset to be able to understand, to be able to listen to what he’s asking of you.

In other words, and this is consistent with how the Ramban sees things, you will only be able to appreciate what’s behind the mitzvot after you do them.

Let’s spend a second on the Ramban, and then I’ll take questions. Some of you may know that the Ramban says that all mitzvot done outside Eretz Yisrael are only done as practice mitzvot. They don’t count.

What that also means is that, if you live in the Diaspora, all your energy devoted to improving yourself during Elul and the Aseret Yemei HaTeshuva and even on Yom Kippur, is all just practice.

So I ask you – Do you want to live your entire life just practicing? Or do you want to actually get into the game and play it for real?

I believe it’s time to really live your life. To do the mitzvot the way they are to be done in the place where they are supposed to be done. I believe now is a great time to be doing it. I mean, there’s even an organization today – Nefesh B’Nefesh – that gives you money to do it!

There’s one more thing that needs to be mentioned.

I haven’t been completely fair to you tonight. I keep quoting the beginning of the parsha:

וְהָיָה, כִּי תבוֹא אֶל-הָאָרֶץ

And it will be when (because) – not if - you come into the land

אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיךָ, נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה; וִירִשְׁתָּהּ, וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בָּהּ.

That HaShem your G-d gives to you for an inheritance; and you will – not you are allowed to – possess it and settle (dwell in) it.

But I’ve left out the ending.

So just in case you think maybe the ending doesn’t help my argument … Just in case you think the end of the parsha doesn’t give me something on which to hang my hat …

Allow me to quote the final pasuk of this week’s parsha, Perek כ"ט, Pasuk ח' :

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם, אֶת-דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית הַזֹּאת, וַעֲשִׂיתֶם, אֹתָם--לְמַעַן תַּשְׂכִּילוּ, אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן.

Observ e therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that you may succeed in all that you do.

I wish you all much success in the coming year, and that I will welcome all of you soon as you walk down the steps of that airplane so you too can begin the process of succeeding – and of living – in our Land.

Shavua Tov.