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1/31/12

bless your children!


shiros


10 Events and 10 Shiros
Chazal tell us that 10 great Shiros were sung to Hashem. 
9 already happened and the 10th is the big one we wait for every day.

1) Shiras Adam - The song Adam sang after Creation was completed: Mizmor shir l'yom hashabbos. To this day, it is part of our Friday night davening.
2) Shiras HaYam - The song at Yam Suf (Beshalach)
3) Shiras Ha'Be'er - Song of the Well in the desert (Bamidbar 21:17) when the Emorim were killed after plotting an ambush and the mountains crushed them. Their blood came up through the Be'er revealing the Nes to Bnei Yisroel.
4) Shiras Haazinu
5) Shiras Ha'Givon in Sefer Yehoshua when the sun remained up through the night to help Yehoshua in his battle.
6) Shiras Devorah in Sefer Shoftim - When Bnei Yisroel defeated the mighty Sisra's and Yael killed Sisra himself.
7) Shiras Chana in Sefer Shmuel
8) Shiras Dovid - Tehilim 18 when Dovid was saved from Shaul
9) Shir Ha'Shirim of Shlomo Ha'Melech
10) Shir HaGeulah - This song hasn't been sung yet; the song that will be sung in the times of Moshiach, as it says in the Book of Yeshayahu: "On that day there will be sung this song in the land of Yehuda.... (26:1)"
There are different versions of this list and other Medrashim bring

1. Shiras Mitzrayim
2. Shiras Yehoshafat

http://revach.net/lists/article.php?id=71

The Seven Species and Seven Attributes

Based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe

For the L-rd your G-d is bringing you to a good land: ... A land of wheat, barley, grapes, figs and pomegranates; a land of oil-yielding olives and [date] honey
Devarim 8:8
Our sages tell us that, originally, all trees bore fruit, as will also be the case in the Era of Moshiach. A fruitless tree is a symptom of an imperfect world, for the ultimate function of a tree is to produce fruit.
If "man is a tree of the field" (D 20:19) and fruit is the tree's highest achievement, there are seven fruits that crown the human and botanical harvest. These are the seven fruits and grains singled out by the Torah as exemplars of the Holy Land's fertility: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates.
The 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is the day designated by the Jewish calendar as the New Year for Trees. On this day, we celebrate the trees of G-d's world, and the tree within us, by partaking of these seven fruits, which typify the various components and modes of human life.

Deer walking around in the Odem

The forest and the moshav of Odem are located on Mount Odem, which is 3,580 feet above sea level, making it the second-highest town in Israel, after Neve Ativ, which sits on Mount Hermon. 
Odem, the moshav, has a few business concerns, but most interesting, perhaps, is its winery, Har Odem Winery, which is worth checking out, especially if the snow has melted by the time you get up there.

The tree



A man was travelling through the desert, hungry, thirsty, and tired, when he came upon a tree bearing luscious fruit and affording plenty of shade, underneath which ran a spring of water. He ate of the fruit, drank of the water, and rested beneath the shade.
When he was about to leave he turned to the tree and said: 'Tree, oh, tree, with what should I bless you?
"Should I bless you that your fruit be sweet? Your fruit is already sweet.
"Should I bless you that your shade be plentiful? Your shade is plentiful. That a spring of water should run beneath you? A spring of water runs beneath you."
"There is one thing with which I can bless you: May it be G-d's will that all the trees planted from your seed should be like you..."

Mitzvah and tradition: when's the last time you wished a tree Happy New Year?

 The 15th day of the Hebrew month of Shevat is a great opportunity.
It's known as Tu b'Shevat, the New Year for Trees.
Why do trees celebrate their New Year so much later than ours? It has to do with the rainy season in Israel, which commences with the festival of Sukkot. It takes four months for the rains to saturate the soil, nurture the trees and coax them into producing fruit. This is important to know if you are planning to give your tithes of fruits, as we did in Temple times, because the required tithes varied from year to year. It's also important if you are a tree and looking for something to celebrate.
We humans can also celebrate along with the treesWe humans can also celebrate along with the trees. After all, the Torah says, "Man is a tree of the field." We are nurtured by deep roots, as far back as Abraham and Sarah; we reach upwards to the heavens while standing firmly on the ground; and when we do all this right, we produce fruits that benefit the world—namely our good deeds.

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/615205/jewish/Tu-bShevat.htm

1/30/12

Hermon Mountain !

Israeli winter

TU B’SHVAT 5772 WITH B’AHAVAT YISRAEL

Help Keep the Galilee in Jewish Hands
Support Avoda Ivrit (Jewish Manual Labor)
Join B’Ahavat Yisrael and Galilee Youth organization this Tu B’Shvat for a real pioneering day of Avoda Ivrit (Jewish manual labor) as we begin to plant olive trees at a recently purchased agricultural property in the Galilee.
By supporting these efforts you are a partner in Saving the Galilee from being taken over by Arabs who also use fruit treees, mainly olives, to claim more and more of our Holy Land.  The equation is simple.  The more land that is purchased and worked by Jews in the Galilee the greater assurance of future Jewish sovereignty.

40 more reasons to be proud

Anyone who is not a frequent visitor to the Old City might have missed what has become a regular event in Jerusalem. Near the Kotel, in the Western Wall Plaza, the IDF holds swearing-in ceremonies for soldiers.
Soldiers of the Golani Brigade were sworn in last Thursday 
Before the ceremony began, over 40 lone soldiers were treated to a delicious dinner sponsored by the Lone Soldier Center in memory of Michael Levin. As at most Israeli gatherings, food is a central feature!
  
“Mi Mesugal” Division 13… can do it.”
      
Congratulations and thanks go out to all those who serve.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the next generation would not have to be called to serve in the army?
If you have a minute check out this video of the singing
http://youtu.be/rZh5PMlqjPA


I am an IDF soldier like everyone else

Oren Almog says he serves in the IDF “like everyone else.”
There are a few differences: Terror cost him his eyesight and five relatives.
A suicide bombing attack at Haifa’s Maxim restaurant in 2003 killed 16 people in addition to Oren’s father, brother and other family members. He went blind while being treated for his wounds.
He obviously is exempt from the draft but insisted on enlisting in the armed forced and being like most other Israelis  and now he is a soldier n the IDF. He is a volunteer soldier in an intelligence unit, the name of which cannot be disclosed.

A prayer for Israel





Blessed are you, Oh G-D, King of the Universe, for You sanctified and placed Your inheritance in the holy hands of Avraham, Itzaac, and Yaacov, our Fathers!
It is by their holy deeds and acts of faith that You, Hashem, have given us this land!
Please, Hashem, continue to guard us and hold us in Your holy hands! May all the nations know that you are our G-D, and that you will continue to secure OUR land.
Our leaders and those who have set out to have a role of leadership in the land have always fallen short of truly establishing Israel as a holy inheritance given only to us by the holy deeds of our Fathers! Frustrate their plans to give more land to the enemies of Zion!
We cry to you that You will raise up a leader that will truly shepherd our people and place a strong wall around our land! For that wall won't just be a wall made of brick or strong steel, but that wall will also represent a leader who has a true heart of love and honor for the beautiful sheep of Israel! Raise up a leader that will take a stand like Yeshoshua took when he saw with his own eyes the walls of Jericho come down! And may this leader be one that places an end to negotiations with seed of Ishmael, who have set in their hearts to the death, to steal, murder, and terrorize the seed of Yaacov!
Blessed are you, Oh G-D, King of Universe, who hears this prayer! You have established the Jews in their land, and You will one day restore the borders of what You gave to  Avraham, Itzaac, and Yaacov! We love you, Oh Hashem!
Amein!

1/29/12

have a blessed night

"Great minds discuss ideas, average minds discuss events, small minds discuss people."

The importance of peace is not only logically compelling, but can also be found throughout Jewish literature. Shalom, the Hebrew term for peace, is ubiquitous in Jewish life. Every major prayer ends with it. Every decent person yearns for it. Among other things, shalom is used:
- to conclude the Oral Law
- in the final blessing of Shemoneh Esrei
- to end Birkat Kohanim
- to end Birkat Hamazon
- as the essential word in our greetings to one another (e.g. "Shalom Aleichem")
- as the last description for the different times of the season
Our tradition has it that every nation on earth is designated with a guardian angel , except for Israel. G.d Himself is the guardian of the Jewish people.
So what are we, as Jews, to focus on instead? Aim to please an audience of One. And nothing pleases G.d more than seeing His children at peace with one another.
SHALOM ALEICHEM

a little bit of music...

Mordechai Ben David - Omdos Hayu Ragleinu 
in honor of the wedding of Nesanel and Breindy Cohen.


 

Arrest Fogel Murderer's Mother

Hadas Fogel (z "l)
Hadas Fogel (z "l)
HY"D


The Rabbi of Itamar, Rav Natan Chai, called upon the IDF to arrest the mother and aunt of the murderer following their praise for the atrocity.
"A situation in which Israel allows the murderer to be praised encourages the next murderer," he said. "A state cannot allow incitement to murder its citizens. The Shin Bet and IDF must act and arrest the people who praise the murders." 
The teenage terrorist and his partner in the massacre, another young member of the Awad clan, are members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). They were assisted by at least six others, four of them from their family.

a little bit of music...


Yosef Karduner  
Moshiach Yavo

I am JEWISH



Ten years ago this week, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, a young, successful, handsome man, was kidnapped and slaughtered by Islamic terrorists in Pakistan. His offense was being a Jew.
In the moments before Pearl was killed at the age of 38, he was videotaped saying bravely: “My father is Jewish, my mother is Jewish, I am Jewish.” In another segment Daniel said, “My family on my father’s side is Zionist.” In the third statement, he said, “My family follows Judaism. Back in the town of Bnei Brak there is a street named after my great-grandfather, Chaim Pearl, who was one of the founders of the town.”
Ten years after the murder, Daniel’s parents, Judea and Ruth Pearl, continue to speak about the pride Daniel took in their heritage, and they see him as a shining example of the best in the Jewish tradition.

When children feel disconnected, this is a way to reconnect them



Stern with a student in Itamar (Photo: Itamar Development Foundation)(Photo: Itamar Development Foundation)

Stern, a 31-year-old martial arts expert, started exploring the field when he was a child. By the age of seven he was already training in three different methods of the arts. When he joined the Marines his skills meant that in addition to serving in one of the US military's most prestigious units he was also training officers in Krav Maga.
At the end of four years of service in the Marines, Stern flew to Japan where he trained with a Ninjutsu master and received a 5th Dan black belt.
Encounters with a Marine Corps rabbi led Stern to return to his Jewish roots and become religious. Seven Years ago he made aliyah, and after spending time in Safed he moved to the settlement of Itamar in the Samaria.

Judean Hills


1/28/12

frumlife: What is "Zionism"?

frumlife: What is "Zionism"?: I recently started reading a series of books from the writings of Rabbi Meir Kahane . Indeed I have read much about him and his actions for ...

The 100% Kosher Religious Comedy Group


Under-Dos, the 100% kosher religious comedy group, specializes in funny sketches but makes sure not to push the limit.


“Our sketches are religiously oriented,” group member Yair Ya’akobi told Arutz Sheva. “This means we take every day situations from the typical religious guy and we try to take them to extremes and see what happens.”
Ya’akobi emphasized that while many comedy groups essentially make fun of religion, Under-Dos makes sure not to push the limit and not to make fun of the values which its members believe in.

a little bit of music...

קליזמר מקורי בגיטרה בריטון ומנדולינה
Original Klayzmer with Bariton Guitar and Mandolin by Nadav Bachar and Oren Tsor

SHAVUA TOV

"When the soul of a person binds itself to G-d, this produces joy." 
(Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, Likutey Moharan I, 61)

1/27/12

A little bit of music...

Shabbat songs - Rabbi Shlomo Carlebach

Parashah hashavua from the chassidic rebbes


Parashah BO
Shemot 10:1-13:16;

"Remember this day as the time you went out of Egypt." (Ex. 13:3)

There are those who ask why we consider the Exodus from Egypt to be of such central importance since after the Exodus the Jews were again enslaved under various nations and suffered at the hands of many dictators. The uniqueness of this first Exodus was that it fundamentally changed the character of the Jewish People to their very core. After being freed from slavery in Egypt, we became free people within our souls, even if later we were to again be under the yoke of the gentiles. The Exodus from Egypt terminated the possibility of a Jew being a real slave, because his essence is that of a free person.
(The Maharal of Prague - from L'Chaim #805)

"With a mighty hand G-d brought us forth out of Egypt." (13:14)
G-d's "mighty hand" was directed not only toward Pharaoh and the Egyptians but toward the Children of Israel, as some Jews preferred to remain in slavery and were redeemed by G-d against their will. Likewise, G-d will redeem us from our present exile with a "mighty hand," taking with Him even those Jews who might prefer to remain in exile.
(Lubavitcher Rebbe)

SHABBATH SHALOM



 
 
Times for: Jerusalem, Israel
Candle Lighting: 40 mins. before Shkiah | Time Zone: +2 | DST: no

Date Time    
Friday, January 27, 2012Light Candles at: 4:28 pm
Shabbat, January 28, 2012Shabbat Ends: 5:47 pm

צנחנים 890 סרט סוף אימון מתקדם

IDF 890 paratroopers the end of training

Proud to wear a Magen David


In the end, with regard to threats to our very existence, we cannot abandon our future to the hands of others. With regard to our fate, our duty is to rely on ourselves alone.


Six years ago, on the first International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israeli Air Force planes flew over the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp. When they flew over the camp, the pilots said over the radio: "In the skies over the camp of horrors, we arise from the ashes of millions of victims and carry their silent cry, salute their heroism and promise to serve as a shield for the Jewish people and our country - Israel." 

1/26/12

increase in rocket fire from the Gaza strip into the western Negev.

 This past week there was an increase in rocket and mortar shell fire from the Gaza Strip into the western Negev. Four rocket hits were identified and four mortar shells were fired. There were no casualties and no damage was done. A network calling itself the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade's Ayman Judeh Squad claimed responsibility for two of the rockets (Al-Qalaa Communications Network, January 19, 2012).
 On the night of January 18 an IDF force operating the southern Gaza Strip apprehended three Palestinians attempting to infiltrate into Israel through the security fence. One of them had a fragmentation grenade in his pocket (IDF Spokesman, January 20, 2012).

Clouds in th sky of the Sea of Galilee


Terror victim's widow gives birth


Puah Palmer, whose husband Asher and son Yonatan were killed in Samaria five months ago, gives birth to girl

Four months after her husband and infant son were killed in a terror attack in the West Bank, Puah Palmer gave birth Wednesday to a baby girl.
Asher Palmer, 25, and his 1-year-old son, Yonatan, died in September when their car overturned after it was stoned as they were traveling on Highway 60.
Puah, who was five months pregnant at the time of the attack, gave birth at the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem. Both mother and daughter were reported to be doing well.

IDF paratroopers bellowing "I have no other country."

Minutes before their swearing in ceremony at the Kotel, these proud paratroopers scream out in excitement (and in Hebrew) "I have no other country, only Israel!" 
We all should be proud of our IDF soldiers!

1/24/12

EMUNA


It does not matter how many mistakes you made on the way, how many errors you made and how many things you missed , at this very moment you are more successful than those who do not even try to improve themselves and make progress

Yom Kippur katan


...The very end of a month, when the moon is barely visible, is an appropriate time to remind ourselves of what we are to be doing with our lives. We can gaze upwards and see almost none of the moon, knowing that a mere two weeks later, the moon will be full. Similarly, we can gaze within ourselves and see not even a tiny spark of inspiration or desire to strive for greatness. At the same time, we should know that we have the ability within us to shine brightly. Right before we begin a new month, we should inspire ourselves to improve, regardless of the method we employ to do. For this reason, specifically the day before Rosh Chodesh is set aside for a day of self improvement and introspection, thus earning it the name Yom Kippur Katan.

The ‘humanitarian racism’ of Harriet Sherwood and the Guardian left

Manfred Gerstenfeld, Chairman of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, has published a very important essay at Ynet, titled, “Beware the humanitarian racists“, which serves to provide vital insights into the contrasting coverage of Israel and the Arab world at the Guardian.
Gerstenfeld introduces his essay by distinguishing between two kinds of racists.
Among racists, the humanitarian ones hide their evil behavior best. This is why their racism often goes unnoticed so they can claim that they are level-headed and decent people. Another type of racist, the “ugly” one, can be easily identified. He may, for instance, repeat the old colonialist statements claiming that Africans are like children, retarded or even subhuman. Such racists believe that people who cannot be held responsible for their acts should be treated as inferior.
Gerstenfeld then notes the dynamics which unite both manifestations of racism:
The basic views of humanitarian racists are very similar to those of the ugly type. They may claim, for example, that most contemporary problems of African states result from the colonial period, even if these countries have been independent for many decades. This in fact means that Africans cannot be responsible for their actions. The humanitarian racist’s worldview is as distorted as that of the ugly racist. It is not stated explicitly, but only implicitly in his words.
The humanitarian racist’s conclusion differs, however, from that of the ugly racist. He or she considers that as the non-white or weak cannot be held responsible for their acts, one should look away as often as possible even if they commit major crimes. Ugly racists fortunately can no longer get articles published in mainstream media, but humanitarian racists unfortunately are welcomed by them.

Kinneret from Golan Heights

The Kinneret (Sea of Galilee) has risen considerably since the beginning of January and is now 58cms higher than at this time last year at -213.37m, -37cm below the lower red line. 
(courtesy of @kinbot)

Religious soldiers: stop provoking us


Organisation that assists religious soldiers says attempts to make them uncomfortable are intentional.

The Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee hosted Major General Orna Barbivai Monday and discussed the Tal Law and the need to enlist hareidim to the army. However, an NGO that advocates for the rights of religious soldiers says that elements within the IDF are purposely provoking kippah-wearers.
According to Eliyahu Lax, Chairman of the Organization for the Religious Soldier, public promises to make army service more religious-friendly do not materialize on the ground.
Lax said that in Bahad 1, where the Officer's Training Courses are held, "they did not give cadets time for prayer, there has been women's singing with no possibility of leaving [the room] at the end of three training courses in a row, and there was the story of sending religious soldiers to clean women's restrooms although it is against the law, and more."

Masada


layla tov


"In peace, in harmony, I lie down and sleep; for You, G.d, will make me dwell in safety."
T. 4:9.
                                    
Sweet dreams from the Land of Israel

a little bit of music...



Ben Snof - Mizmor Hodaia - Thanksgiving Hymn
בן סנוף מזמור הודיה

1/23/12

Western Wall Rabbi 'Cannot Forgive the Mufti'


The Rabbi of the Western Wall said Monday that Israelis “cannot forgive the Mufti” for saying that only by killing Jews could the world be saved and Muslims proceed to Paradise.
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz, the Rabbi of the Kotel (Western Wall) and the Holy Places of the Old City of Jerusalem condemned comments made last week by Mufti Muhammad Hussein at the celebration of the 47th anniversary of the founding of the Palestinian Authority’s Fatah terror faction.

Save the date!


 Information about next month's Rosh Chodesh Prayers.

Women's Prayers at Tel Shiloh
Rosh Chodesh Sh'vat
Wednesday, January 25, 2011
8:30am
Shiur Torah, Short Tour & Torah Lesson
Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors
תפילת נשים
ראש חודש שבט בתל שילה
יום ד' 25-1 8:30
יהיו סיור ודבר תורה קצרים
 נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות
 
Tel Shiloh is open to visitors daily. Tours can be arranged through the office. 
Email telshilo@gmail.com or phone 02-994-4019.

The Muqata: As Modern Orthodoxy is led astray...


The Muqata: As Modern Orthodoxy is led astray...: Every Synagogue in Israel is inundated every weekend with over a dozen flavors of " parsha sheets " that addresses almost every possible se...

Kabbalah korner: a parallel universe


To begin to grasp life and the world in its true light, one needs to have a clear understanding of what is primary and what is extraneous.


By Rabbi Eliyahu Yaakov. 
Many are familiar with the fact that the word ;Kabbalah' means receiving—we are receiving the deepest teachings that have been passed down through the generations from teacher to student. In order to truly grasp these teachings, we cannot simply go out and learn them. Rather, we must open up a place inside ourselves where they can be received and become a part of our very being.
However, the word ;Kabbalah' also comes from the Hebrew word makbeel, meaning parallel. One of the most fundamental teachings of Kabbalah is that G-d looked into the Torah and created the world; that is to say, the Torah is the blueprint of the world. Just as a builder looks at a blueprint and then builds a building parallel to that which is in the blueprint, so did G-d look at the Torah before creating our world to match it.
The implications of this are astounding. For example, it is well-known that, according to Judaism, we should bless G-d when partaking of His world. If we have a snack, wear new clothes, or even see a beautiful person, there is a blessing for it. We all think that the way this worked was that originally there was a fruit and so G-d said that we ought to make a blessing on it. However, when we understand that our physical world has its root in the spiritual, we see that really G-d first looked into the Torah and saw that there is a spiritual concept of making a blessing, and therefore G-d created the fruit. In a similar vein, we think that our eyes permit us to see, whereas Kabbalah teaches that our eyes are actually what stop us from seeing: When we were purely spiritual—before we were in our bodies—we could see from one end of the world to the other. Now we are limited to seeing as far as the eye can see.

Snow on Golan


Moshe and Aharon


Rashi says that the Torah sometimes mentions Moshe before Aharon and sometimes reverses the order to teach us that they were Shkulin, of equal weight. This is impossible. Moshe was unparalleled. Obviously, there were some aspects in which they were equal, but that is irrelevant to us. We are interested in Moshe and Aharon in their roles as teachers and leaders of Klal Yisrael and as intermediaries between the Ribono shel Olam and His people, and in those respects, Moshe was greater. So we have to find an interpretation of what Rashi is telling usThe Chozeh of Lublin says that it was only because Aharon brought peace to the Jewish People that Moshe was able to experience the level of Ruach Hakodesh that he did.  Moshe alone would not have been Moshe. In that sense, they were shkulim.

1/22/12

Settlement security not improved since massacre


Almost a year after five family members were murdered by terrorists in Itamar, the Defense Ministry and IDF have yet to implement a plan aimed at revamping and upgrading settlement security measures.
The plan – drafted by the army’s Central Command and expected to cost around NIS 500 million – was put together following the Palestinian infiltration of the Itamar settlement near Nablus on March 11, 2011, and the murders in their home of Udi and Ruth Fogel and three of their children.
Almost a year after five family members were murdered by terrorists in Itamar, the Defense Ministry and IDF have yet to implement a plan aimed at revamping and upgrading settlement security measures.

and again about rain...!


Kinneret Rose by 3.5 cm Since Thursday
Rains over the past several weeks have raised the level of the Kinneret by 3.5 centimeters since Thursday. The Kinneret is now 33.4 centimeters below the “bottom red line” marker – the level at which scientists the lake needs to be in order to avoid environmental damage – and 4.535 meters from its maximum capacity.
More rain on Sunday, while the Hermon will see snow. The Kinneret should continue to rise over the next few weeks as runoff , from streams, and later from melting snow ,continues to make its way to Israel's largest supply of fresh water.

from Arutz Sheva

Migron is not an outpost

Migron is not an outpost. The word “outpost” implies a temporary status. Migron is the Jews' permanent hold on their homeland.
from Haim Shine on IsraelHayom

High atop a hill in the land given to the tribe of Benjamin, just where Saul's army once prepared for war with the Philistines, the outpost of Migron was built in 1999. Fifty families climbed up the steep hill, overlooking Nablus and Jerusalem, to deliver the historic homeland of the Jewish people. What they did, as Zionists and pioneers, was reminiscent of the glory days of the early Zionist settlement movement.
This rocky hill, uninhabited since the days of Saul and David and whose soil has not been cultivated -- even sheep and cows have notgrazed it -- became the home of Jewish settlers. The homeland once again proved that it was waiting with eternal patience for the return of its sons. Women and children carried the weight of the entire nation on their gentle shoulders.
In caravans, on difficult terrain, in freezing winter weather and sweltering summer heat, an amazing kernel emerged representing a generation of truth that feels an allegiance to the state of Israel and its military. Among Migron's 50 families are career soldiers serving in elite combat units, sons and grandsons of Israeli heroes who gave their lives to protect the country from terrorists.

and a rainy day in Yerushalayim too!

We can never get enough of seeing this blessing . May we see lots and lots of rain this winter!
It's pouring rain again in Jerusalem.May this year be a wet, wet year here in the Holyland, and may it be a blessing for Israel, the Jewish people and mankind!

a rainy day and the sunrise in the Negev


1/21/12

a little bit of music

 
ביצוע: מנדי ג'רופי. לחן שלמה לוי"צ ז'ורנו.

priceless...


On 15 December 2009, settlers did not want Palestinian farmers planting olive trees on the their land in Deir Nidham, north of Ramallah.
G-d bless this soldier for his loyalty to HIS people! And Betselem should be ashamed of  aiding our enemy!

SHAVUA TOV


1/20/12

a little bit of music

The traditional tune performed by Asaph Neve Shalom.
Shabbath Shalom

SHABBATH SHALOM

Times for: Jerusalem, Israel
Candle Lighting: 40 mins. before Shkiah | Time Zone: +2 | DST: no

Date Time    
Friday, January 20, 2012Light Candles at: 4:22 pm
Shabbat, January 21, 2012Shabbat Ends: 5:41 pm

a little bit of music


Ana BeKoach - Ovadia Chamama, Yitzik Eshel.
Ana BeKoach,the Kabbalistic pray as a song performed by Ovadia Chamama, Yitzik Eshel and 'Heaven and Earth'
 

Parasha Va'eira with Rabbi Nathan of Breslov

"And G-d/Elokim spoke to Moshe and said to him, I'm the Lord/Avaya."  (Shemot 6:2)

Background: At the end of his first meeting with Moshe, not only Pharaoh doesn't let the children of Israel go, but he makes heavier their work, thus causing discontent of the people. This discontent is orchestrated and amplified by two sinister characters who will never cease to challenge Moshe: Dathan and Aviram. They make Moshe so upset that the leader of the Bnei Israel goes towards G-d and asked Him in turn why the situation was much worse. The answer lies in the few words of our verse:

"And G-d/Elokim spoke to Moshe and said to him, I am the Lord/Avaya.''

Rebbe Nachman teaches in the Likutey Moharan (IV): "When a man knows that whatever happens to him is for his good, he is at a level where it tastes the World to Come, as it is written: "In Avaya, whose word I praise; in Elokim, whose word I praise." (Tehil. 56:11). This is a foretaste of the World to Come.''

Where There Are No Men, Strive To Be A Man...

Where there are no leaders (Men), strive to be a leader (Man).
Where there is no one to accept communial and spiritual responsibility and provide leadership, we are bidden to rise to the occasion and fill the role. 
The implication, however is that where there are competent "men", we are to stand aside and devote ourselves to the study of Torah. 
According to R' Yonah, the "leader" is someone to direct us upon the proper path of G-d's service. 
In the absence of such a person, we must strive to improve ourselves.

                    Artscroll (Nusach Ashkenaz) Siddur, Commentary On Pirkei Avos 2:6

U.S. radio host Lars Larson tours Shomron


More than 70 journalists from major international media outlets toured Samaria on Thursday, as guests of the Head of the Shomron Regional Council Gershon Mesika and the Minister of Information and Diaspora Yuli Edelstein.
Among the participants in the tour was well-known U.S. radio personality Lars Larson, who earlier this week attended a Knesset session on public diplomacy and international media.
Also in attendance were reporters from the British Guardian, China, Germany and the Reuters news agency, as well as journalists from France, Poland, South America, the United States, Radio London and several television stations from Russia.
It was the largest such visit by reporters and senior foreign journalists to take place in the region. The media people were given a comprehensive tour of the communities, industry, agriculture and wineries in Samaria.
Among the stops in the tour were the Lipski factory, Mount Gerizim, the community of Itamar, and the Givot Olam farm.

from Arutz Sheva

good morning

From Jerusalem Hills

Handmade Mickey Mouse Challah

Malkah and Leah Bat Zion Fleisher wish us Shabbat Shalom and share their beautiful Mickey Mouse Challah! Yummy!
 SHABBATH SHALOM!!

1/19/12

Rabbis who lack intellect...

In a sharp letter addressed to a friend, renowned London scholar and Chabad Rabbi Chaim Rapoport responds to the recent controversy surrounding Shmuley Boteach's recent book "Kosher J" 
He quotes Rav Moshe Feinstein who wrote "Everything that missionaries tried all these years and were not successful can be changed Heaven Forbid by Rabbis who lack intellect, who want to participate in interfaith dialogue with these people…"
Free translation from Hebrew

a little bit of music

Ben Snof
בן סנוף - אלוקים באו גויים
G-d, Nations Came 

עצומת ליכודניקים למען מיגרון

 חותמים עכשיו! http://www.migron.org/ צחוק הילדים המתגלגל, משחק כדורגל סוער משתלבים בהרמוניה עם קולות לימוד התורה בבית המדרש, חוג מחול מתמזג עם שיחות בשבילי היישוב, ציוץ הציפורים עם צהלת הסוסים- כולם מהווים את מנגינת חיינו וצמיחתנו ביישוב מיגרון.