Shabbath Shalom

"And he (Esau) said 'Let us travel on and go; I will go before you.' He (Yaakov) answered him: 'My lord knows that the children are weak, and ...the nursing sheep and cattle. If they are driven hard..., all the sheep will die. Please go ahead of me, my lord. I will lead my group slowly, following the pace of my work..., and the pace of the children....' 'Let me put some of my people at your disposal,' said Esau. 'What for?', replied Yaakov. 'Just let me remain on friendly terms with you.'" [33:12-15]
Esau desired to share the future spiritual rewards in store for Yaakov. His proposal was to share olam hazeh, the material world. "If we travel together, we will make progress." Concerning the future, when Esau was supposed to have dominance, Yaakov being in exile, he says "I will walk before you," i.e. all alone; I will claim my rights. Yaakov declined; he preferred to be junior, insignificant, in the early stages of Jewish history, in order not to fall victim to Esau later on. He pointed to the fact that if "the sheep (i.e. Israel) are delicate" now, then at a time of exile, after such a partnership, "the sheep would surely succumb" totally to the harsh conditions when Esau had dominance
source

PA killed Oslo, time for annexation

Mesika Samaria regional head urges Netanyahu to declare Israeli sovereignty over settlement blocs Israel plans to keep
In the wake of the UN vote on “Palestine,” Israel must declare sovereignty over its communities in Judea and Samaria (Shomron), Samaria regional council head Gershon Mesika said Friday in an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu.
The PA appeal to the UN was clearly “a media ploy, and an event that was in its entirety a pathetic attempt to copy Jewish history – from the selection of the date of voting, November 29, to the calls of ‘The nation of Palestine lives’ at the ‘spontaneous’ celebrations in Ramallah,” Mesika said.
However, he continued, “We must remember that this move is likely to have a growing impact, by upgrading its status to a member state.”
“But most importantly, this is the ‘Palestinian’ Authority’s final, decisive killing of the Oslo Accords,” Mesika declared. The PA appeal to the UN violated “both the spirit of the Accords and the first principle in them, that each step would be the result of negotiations.”
“Over the years the state of Israel has been the only one keeping the accords, while the Arab terrorist entity, imported from Tunisia, has regularly ignored it. But the appeal to the UN means the declaration of the accords’ death… Therefore the state of Israel has nothing to stop it from annexing all the communities it has established in Judea and Samaria, and the state lands,” he argued.
“Not only would it be the only useful response,” he added, “but first and foremost, it would be the morally and historically right thing to do. Judea and Samaria are the heart of the Jewish people.”
Declaring sovereignty “would turn today from a fake, copycat holiday of the terrorist PA to a real holiday for the Jews,” he concluded.
Arutz sheva

our Jewish little place: parashah Vayshlach - Yaacov gifts

our Jewish little place: parashah Vayshlach - Yaacov gifts: Yaacov hears that Esau is on the warpath so he prepares for war, prays and sends Esau gifts of appeasement. Yaacov fights with an angel a...

our Jewish little place: Channukah - hand made menorah

our Jewish little place: Channukah - hand made menorah: This year our hand made menorah is made of wood and of  blue and white glass mosaic pieces.

because is Israel

Because is Israel

Technion Israel - Hanukkah 101

Technion students Eyal Cohen and Tomer Wassermann from the Mechanical Engineering faculty and Matan Orian and Dvir Dukhan of Industrial Engineering and Management take on the challenge to build a Rube Goldberg machine that lights the Chanukah menorah. Hanukkah is the holiday of miracles and here is another one.
The film was made in the Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Robotics Laboratory in the William Davidson Faculty of Industrial Engineering and Management.

a piece of...Gad Eden

vayshlach

By Lazer Gurkow
Yaacov sent a message to his brother Esau. When messages are sent we usually focus on the message, not the messenger, but this essay is actually about the messenger.
The midrash records a debate about the nature of Yaacov's messengers. One sage held that Jacob sent human messengers to do his bidding. The others held that Yaacov sent angels.
We marvel at Yaacov's familiarity with angels and his authority over them. How many people do you know who can send angels to run their errands? But in truth, in this sense Yaacov is not all that unique. We do it too.
Our sages taught that every word of our prayers summons an angel who collects it, cleanses it and perfects it, and presents it to G‑d. If the word was enunciated improperly, the angel remolds it so that it is presented correctly. If it was said without proper mindfulness, or worse, if it was chanted with inappropriate thoughts, the angel removes the stray thought and presents the prayer to G‑d in pristine form. If it was said in a language other than Hebrew, the angel interprets it and presents it to G‑d in the Holy Tongue.
Knowing that every word of our prayer is examined by an angel for grammatical correctness and for proper concentration serves to enhance our mindfulness during prayer. It inspires us to be alert to the words of our prayer and to pray with complete devotion.

Shabbath Shalom!

Shabbath at Gaza border

And Laban was told that Jacob had fled. And he chased after him a seven days' journey...
The Chassidic masters explain that, even after 20 years in Laban's house, there still remained "sparks of holiness" that Jacob needed to redeem; that is why it was neccessary that Laban should chase after him and the two should have their final encounter on Mount Galed.
In other words, there are two types of "sparks" which a person redeems in the course of his life. The first are those which he consciously pursues, having recognized the potential for holiness and goodness in an object or event in his life. The second are opportunities whose potentials are so lofty that they cannot be identified by his humanly finite perception. His redemption of these "sparks" can only come about unwittingly, when his involvement with them is imposed upon him by circumstances beyond his control. (The Lubavitcher Rebbe)
Source

our Jewish little place: Parashah Vayetze - Yaacov's dream

our Jewish little place: Parashah Vayetze - Yaacov's dream: Yaacov left for Beersheba and headed for Charan. He came to a familiar place and spent the night there because the sun had already set. 

Operation Pillar of defence

At this time, Israeli residents are requested to continue to pay attention to Home Front Command’s instructions.

Over the course of Operation Pillar of Defense, the IDF targeted over 1,500 terror sites including 19 senior command centers, operational control centers and Hamas’ senior-rank headquarters, 30senior operatives, damaging Hamas’ command and control, hundreds of underground rocket launchers, 140 smuggling tunnels, 66 terror tunnels, dozens of Hamas operation rooms and bases,26 weapon manufacturing and storage facilities and dozens of long-range rocket launchers and launch sites.
Senior Operatives Targeted:

14.11 – Ahmed Sai’d Halil Jabri, head of Hamas’ military wing.
15.11 – Hab’s Hassan Us Msamch, senior operative in Hamas’ police.
16.11 – Ahmed Abu Jalal, Commander of the military wing in Al-Muazi
16.11 – Khaled Shayer, senior operative in the anti-tank operations.
17.11 – Osama Kadi, senior operative in the smuggling operations in the southern Gaza Strip.
17.11 – Muhammad Kalb, senior operative in the aerial defense operations.
19.11 – Ramz Harb, Islamic Jihad senior operative in propaganda in Gaza city.

Rocket Launched Towards Israel:

Total number of rockets launched from the Gaza Strip – 1,506
‘Iron Dome’ Interceptions – 421

Israeli Casualties:

Fatalities – 5 Injuries – 240

9.00 PM ceasefire

first line : Cease-fire went into effect
second line: Alarm in Beersheba
IRONIC?!

9:05 P.M. Four Grad rockets fired toward Be’er Sheva, one intercepted.
Well. That lasted long.!!!

Spirit of our soldiers .

The Muqata: Day 7 of the Gaza War 19-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 7 of the Gaza War 19-Nov-2012: Day 7 of the Gaza War 19-Nov-2012follow at the Muqata

A song of Ascents

IDF Reservists Prepare to Defend Their Homes

Thousands of IDF reservists were called up as Operation Pillar of Defense began. They left their jobs and families for one purpose, to defend their homes. 

Barrage of 16 rockets fired at Beersheba; 13 intercepted

Beersheva this morning

The Muqata: Day 6 of the Gaza War 19-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 6 of the Gaza War 19-Nov-2012: follow at the Muqata

Vayetze

Based on Rabbi Nachman's Wisdom
"Leah had beautiful eyes" (Bereshit 29:17).
Rachel is "the beautiful girl who has no eyes" (Zohar 2:95a).
Though Leah Imeinu  had beautiful eyes and Rachel Imeinu has no eyes, they have something in common. They cry.
Leah Imeinu  had beautiful eyes. She saw very well with them. She saw better than most people. Many people, including even Yitzchak Avinu (Tanchuma Yashan, VaYetze), said that Leah Imeinu was Esav's destined. Nu? A boy from a fine family. His brother, an upstanding scholar. Esav himself was rich and a leader of men (Genesis 33:1, 9).
It is possible to be wise - to "see" things - and still be faithless, utterly lacking in belief in God. This is not only true in regard to secular wisdom, but even in regard to Torah wisdom. One may be ordained, one may have a doctorate in rabbinics and still be lacking in faith. Esav also saw, but missed the point (ibid. 28:6, 8; Or HaChaim). True sight, says Rebbe Nachman, is wisdom and faith. "My heart saw much wisdom" (Ecclesiastes 1:16). How does this verse prove Rebbe Nachman's point? The answer is in the "heart." Leah Imeinu is the heart, binah (insight), the hidden world (Likutey Moharan I, 32).

Israeli IDF soldiers sing Ani Maamin

Choosing the safe room

Voices from the Home Front

AM YISRAEL CHAI!

A brief compilation of Israel TV reports on the crucial role Sderot's Hesder Yeshiva plays in operating the Sderot Municipal Emergency Volunteer Network and bringing aid, encouragement and good cheer to the residents of Sderot during the Pillar of Defense operation

IDF COS Benny Gantz Meets "Pillar of Defense" Reservists

Thank you IDF soldiers

The Muqata: Day 5 of the Gaza War 18-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 5 of the Gaza War 18-Nov-2012: Day 5 of the Gaza War 18-Nov-2012 Follow at the Muqata

Iron Dome, Ashdod

מח"ט דרומית מתדרך לוחמי מילואים ב"עמוד ענן"

Sorry, only in hebrew.

The Muqata: Day 4 of the Gaza War 17-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 4 of the Gaza War 17-Nov-2012: follow at the Muqata

IDF pinpoint strike

On Nov. 17, the IDF targeted the house of a high-ranking Hamas commander in Gaza. Note the secondary explosions, which indicates that explosives were stored in the building.

For more information about the challenges Hamas sets to the IDF go to:

For more from the IDF:
http://www.idfblog.com/
http://twitter.com/idfspokesperson/
http://www.facebook.com/idfonline/
http://www.idf.il/english/

Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of Tzfat.

"May G-d watch over and protect and save and take mercy on all of his sons and daughters, on the people of Israel, on all the soldiers. May He give wisdom and knowledge to the commanders to make the right decisions, courage to our leaders to protect the people of Israel without fearing the nations of the world at all,"
 
Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu, the chief rabbi of Tzfat.

Rockets over Tel Aviv

Iron Dome gets near Tel Aviv

IAF Targets Fajr Infrastructure in Gaza

Overnight, the IDF targeted approximately 100 medium and long range rocket launch and infrastructure sites across the Gaza Strip. This has significantly damaged the rocket launch capabilities and munitions warehouses operated by Hamas and other terror organizations.

Shavua Tov

Radio Daron information

Important Information for Residents of Israel: This coming Shabbat, Radio Darom will be in "silent mode" and only broadcast emerrgency messages of Air Raids for targetted areas -- 101.5 FM. 
This way you can keep your radio on, and it will be quiet except when messages are broadcast which are important to go to your bomb shelter. 
The station will go quiet from 4 PM today to 6 PM on Saturday evening.
SHABBATH SHALOM

The Muqata: Day 3 of the Gaza War 16-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 3 of the Gaza War 16-Nov-2012: Day3 of the Gaza War 1 6 -Nov. Follow at The Muqata

Shabbath Shalom

May Hashem protect our brothers living in the south and our soldiers defending His people. May Israel be blessed

whishing a safe night

Gaza. Operation Pillar of Cloud. Pic from The Muqata

Wishing a quiet and safe night to our brothers and sisters in Southern Israel.  May G.d bless and protect the brave soldiers of the IDF, who are fighting for the safety and security of our country

PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s Statement on Operation Pillar of Defense, 15 November 2012

Missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, 15.11.2012

עומרי חיון צילם את שדרות רוטשילד ת''א בזמן אזעקה הראשונה בלעדי ל

Israeli army spokeswoman comments on Gaza attacks

Avital Leibovich, the Israeli military spokeswoman, talks to Al Jazeera about the killing of Hamas military chief Ahmad Jabari and the subsequent air strikes. She says Hamas started the escalation in violence.

Minister of Home Front Defense Avi Dichter

At this very moment Israel is renewing the power of deterrence to what it was. We are in the process of targeted attacks against their infrastructure and against Hamas leaders.

The goal is to bring back the deterrence. Most of the long-range missiles have been destroyed, but not all of them. People should remain alert…. The Israeli home front is strong, and we won’t allow Hamas to break it. ..

Arch-terrorist Jabari had avoided assassination a number of times, but even a cat at the end of the day only has nine lives..

The Muqata: Day 2 of the Gaza War 15-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 2 of the Gaza War 15-Nov-2012: Day 2 of the Gaza War 15-Nov-2012 

Updating from the Muqata

Live Updates: IDF Launches Widespread Attack on Gaza Terror Targets

Live Updates: IDF Launches Widespread Attack on Gaza Terror Targets 

“Important announcement for the residents of the Gaza Strip:For your own safety, take responsibility for yourselves and avoid being present in the vicinity of Hamas operatives and facilities and those of other terror organizations that pose a risk to your safety.Hamas is once again dragging the region to violence and bloodshed. The IDF is determined to defend the residents of the State of Israel. 

This announcement is valid until quiet is restored to the region. 

Israel Defense Forces Command.”

The Muqata: Day 2 of the Gaza War 15-Nov-2012

The Muqata: Day 2 of the Gaza War 15-Nov-2012: 

Follow the war update at the MUQATA

Israel Matzav

Israel Matzav: Who will explain to this child why her family was destroyed?

Israel under attack

Three killed in Kiryat Malachi attack

Kiryat Malakhi - 9:46 IST

At least three people killed this morning when a Grad rocket hit an apartment building in Kiryat Malachi. Five other people were injured in the attack, with three in serious to critical condition.
Rescue teams hurried to the scene to treat the injured, who were taken for treatment in a Beersheva hospital. Among the injured was a two year old baby. Sources said that the buiding hit by the rocket was in the Chabad neighborhood of the city.
Three people were killed in the morning when rockets hit two buildings in the city of Kiryat Malachi. A 4-year-old boy was seriously hurt and was taken to the Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer for treatment. A 1-year-old girl sustained light injuries and was taken to Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon. Her father was hurt as well.

Kibbutz Reim, near the Gaza Strip.

It is not natural for families to have to eat, sleep and live in shelters for a long period of time and such a situation cannot be allowed to continue.

Chodesh Tov!

Rosh Chodesh Kislev

Kislev is the ninth month of the year, counting from Nisan. 
In the Torah we find that the root of the word Kislev means 'trust' and 'hope': "Did I place my kili (my hope) in gold…?" (Job, 31:24) "…And they placed in Hashem their kislam (their trust)." ( 78:7)
Kislev therefore illustrates the issue of trust. When you make an appointment to meet someone, and they haven't yet arrived, you can't see them or know for certain that they'll arrive on time. You can only see or envision their arrival by means of trust. When our days are dark and cold, we may not see the light and warmth of life clearly. Many people struggle with "seasonal affective disorder", a form of depression attributed to the diminished sunlight of winter. After the Winter Solstice, the glimmer of light that arrives really does spark in us a trust in a brighter future.
In the summer months, people are generally more outgoing and in brighter moods. As the sunlight begins to decrease, people tend to become more introspective. The autumnal Hebrew month of Tishrei (occurring around September and October) is saturated with holy days such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and the festival of Sukkot. The next month, Cheshvan, has no holidays at all, and it is typically rainy and cold.
This is when people are drawn further inward, and many desire to spend time alone. Kislev continues becoming darker and colder. People tend to retreat into their warm homes, and due to a subtle hibernation instinct in humans, we may actually sleep more than usual. Kislev culminates with the Winter Solstice, the longest night of the year. The following night is therefore minutely shorter--the first glimmer of light begins to re-awaken. At this season there's a natural desire to join with family and friends and celebrate.
Every yom tov has a natural, seasonal explanation, as well as a historical and spiritual story that gives rise to the celebration. When the Torah speaks of Pesah , for example, it defines the celebration as a commemoration of the story of the Exodus from Egypt. However, the Torah also says Pesah is to be celebrated in "the month of Aviv", when harvesting begins. Thus, the content of the day, the narrative, is understood within a particular context, a specific season, with all its physical and psychological qualities. Before exploring the depths of the content of Hanukkah, let's first delve more into the context, and the intricate interconnection between Hanukkah and its month and season.
Re-awakening Light

Israelis open their homes

Thousands of families throughout the country are happy to open their doors Shabbath for the residents of the South..
The Keren Kehilot Foundation for Community Revival in Israel opened a special center Wednesday in order to help the people of Israel living under the constant threat of rockets.
“Embrace the South” aims to help the residents of the south by matching them up with Israeli families who have opened their homes and offered to host these families, so they won’t have to live within 15 seconds of a shelter and can walk outside without fear.

To contact the organization call 02-5379777 or email: levdarom@gmail.com

The contact number for Shomron Hosting is 1-700-700-106

IDF reserve soldiers to be called up

Cabinet Secretary Zvi Hauser said Wednesday night that the Cabinet decided to allow the army, as appropriate, and with the approval of the Minister of Defense, to call up reserve forces. This refers to former soldiers currently living civilian lives who still participate in annual reserve duty.

It's raining rockets in Israel

Toldot - Eisav the transformer

Our sacred Torah is often highly ambiguous. An example is the account of Yaacov and Esau, the twin sons of Isaac in our parshah.

Yaacov  is described as “a pure man, dwelling in tents,” and Esau is “a man who knew how to hunt, a man of the field.” This is understood as meaning that Yaacov represents goodness, simplicity and purity, dwelling in the tents of Torah study, while Esau represents evil. He is hunter, a man of battle and of conquest. Yet the Torah adds also a note of ambiguity, which has challenged scholars for thousands of years: their father Isaac openly preferred Esau to Yaacov.
If Yaacov represents good and Esau represents evil, how could the great patriarch Isaac possibly prefer Esau?
The same ambiguity is found in the teachings of the sages. They tell us that while Esau was a fetus in the womb, he struggled to come out whenever his mother went near an idolatrous temple. Further, they say, even before the twin babies were born they were struggling over the two worlds: the world to come, which was Yaacov’s choice, and this world, which was the focus for Esau.
Yet, conversely, the Zohar explains that when the Torah says “and the boys grew up,” it means this in spiritual terms: their spiritual inheritance from their grandfather Abraham began to be seen in them, and in fact Abraham himself, who was still alive, was active in educating them.

in your prayers

Please have our sons in the IDF in your thoughts and prayers.

He Who blessed our forefathers Avraham, Yitzack and Yaacov , may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Force, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our G.d from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea.
May Hashem cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighting men from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies under their sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is Hashem, your G.d, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. Now let us respond: Amen.

Operation Pillar of Defense.

In response to the incessant rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip , more than 700 have struck Israel since the beginning of the year, and more than 120 since Saturday , the IDF has launched a widespread campaign against terror targets in Gaza. 
The operation, called Pillar of Defense, has two main goals: to protect Israeli civilians and to cripple the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza.
We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.
IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) November 14, 2012

Day 1 of the Gaza war 14-Nov-2012

In the past hour, the IDF targeted Ahmed Jabri, the head of Hamas’ military wing, in the Gaza Strip. Jabri was a senior Hamas operative who served in the upper echelon of the Hamas’ command and was directly responsible for executing terror attacks against the State of Israel in the past number of years.
The purpose of this operation was to severely impair the command and control chain of the Hamas leadership, as well as its terrorist infrastructure. This was a surgical operation in cooperation with the Israeli Security Agency, that was implemented on the basis of concrete intelligence and using advanced capabilities.
The IDF will continue to target sites that are used for carrying out terror attacks against the citizens of Israel while improving their daily security.

FINALLY!!!

Thank you IDF! Thanks to our soldiers.

our Jewish little place: parashah Toldot

our Jewish little place: parashah Toldot 

Today. Southern Israel

Life on the border with Gaza. Things people do not know, but should!

Barak working for expansion Itamar

Deputy Mayors Tour Itamar

Israel News photo: Courtesy of Lerner Com

Defense Minister Ehud Barak has approved steps for expanding the area zoned for residential building in the town of Itamar, in Samaria, where two Palestinian Authority Arab terrorists savagely murdered five members of the Fogel family in March 2011.

Officials from Itamar and the Shomron (Samaria) Regional Council confirmed to Arutz Sheva Monday that they have pressuring the government to allow re-zoning that would enable the town to build up to 538 more homes, more than double the number now existing.

The Haaretz newspaper reported that Barak approved the expansion in September after more than a year of pressure that followed the brutal  murders of the Fogel family members, including the parents and a young baby.

The rezoning also approves 137 homes already built, according to the newspaper.

Barak has been a major stumbling block to approving new homes in Judea and Samaria outside of areas that have been zoned for residential building. A few Jewish communities have succeeded in gaining approval for rezoning, but many others have faced political and bureaucratic obstacles.

Once zoning is approved, building usually can take place without the explicit approval of the Defense Minister, who officially is the final authority in Judea and Samaria, which Israel has not annexed as it did in the Golan Heights and all of Jerusalem.

However, the expansion of the residential zone in Itamar has a special clause that requires Barak’s approval.

Nationalists have argued for years that building new homes is the best answer to terrorists who kill Jews in Judea and Samaria.

Itamar Central Committee member Moshe Goldschmidt told Arutz Sheva Monday that it will take time for the re-zoning to reach final approval.

Shomron Regional Council liaison David Ha’Ivri said, “There also are negotiations between regional councils and the government. Barak always is trying to make it difficult [for us], but political give-and-take allows for opportunities.

“That does not mean that Barak has woken up to say, “How can I help Jews in Judea and Samaria.’”

Arutz Sheva

15 Seconds to save your mama, kids...

Ordinary life goes on in Gaza and in Israel. Then, without warning, the quiet is broken by rockets fired from the Gaza Strip. It takes 15 seconds for the rockets to explode. That 15 seconds is all the residents of southern Israel have to get to shelter. That 15 seconds is all they have to save themselves and the ones they love.

85 rockets 2 days

Alarm in Ashdod

First you hear sirens and at 0:34 you hear the interception of an incoming Grad rocket by the Iron Dome battery at Ashdod.

Kerem Shalom closed

4 Soldiers Wounded by Missile, One Very Seriously
Gaza terrorists hit an IDF jeep with an anti-tank missile early Saturday evening. The IDF Spokesman announced that four soldiers were hurt.
IDF Radio said that on soldier was very seriously wounded and another soldier suffered moderate-to-serious wounds. Both were evacuated to Soroka Hospital in Be'er Sheva.
Two other soldiers were in light to moderate condition, suffering from shrapnel wounds. They were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon.
The jeep reportedly caught fire. It had been driving along the border between Gaza and Israel, opposite the Zeitoun neighborhood in central Gaza, east of Gaza City.
Voice of Israel public radio said the jeep belonged to the Givati Brigade.
According to an Arab report, the IDF responded with heavy tank fire at the eastern part of Gaza and at an area east of Khan Younis. There were also reports of artillery fire and fire from helicopters.
By 9:00 p.m., reports said three Arabs were killed and 29 were wounded in Israeli counterstrikes on Gaza.
On Thursday, a huge tunnel packed with hundreds of kilograms of explosives blew up near an IDF force. One soldier was lightly wounded. The tunnel reached into Israeli territory.
Voice of Israel said that Islamic Jihad is believed to be behind the missile attack.
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said following the fighting: "The IDF has given a stern response to the event and additional responses will be evaluated in the next few days. We will not look the other way following the escalation along the security fence."
Arutz Sheva

The Defense Ministry has ordered that the Kerem Shalom crossing be temporarily closed following the border attack Saturday, saying the IDF will not risk the lives of its own to ensure aid be delivered to Gaza. 
FINALLY, I add!

Rockets!

In the last hours, 20 rockets fired from Gaza exploded in Israel. 

The lives of over one million civilians are at risk. 

Share to show the reality of life under fire

Shavua Tov

"Walk discreetly with your G-d" -  Micah 6:8

This Shabbat is Shabbat Mevarchim ("the Shabbat that blesses" the new month): a special prayer is recited blessing the Rosh Chodesh  of upcoming month of Kislev, which occurs on Thursday of next week.

Prior to the blessing, we announce the precise time of the molad, the "birth" of the new moon. 

 Click here for molad times.

Shabbath Shalom

King David, also the embodiment of malchut (royalty), experienced this level of selflessness as well. Thus he is described as "leaping and dancing before G-d" (with an abandon that embarrassed his wife Michal, daugher of Saul). Like Sarah, he was able to maintain selflessness even in the midst of self-manifestation. For when one experiences the ultimate level of selflessness, there is no room for corruption even when joy is made manifest.
It is with the power of our past, the joy of Sarah and King David, that we are capable of experiencing the joy that will lead to the ultimate joy, when "they will come to Zion in song, eternal joy upon their heads…" (Isaiah 35:10)

[Adapted from Sefer Hamaamarim 5679 p. 87; Sefer Hamaamarim Melukat 2:145]

Behind the scenes

This video, filmed in Nabi Saleh this past Friday, shows Palestinians parents pressing their children to provoke IDF soldiers a side of the demonstrations not usually talked about, despite it being a frequent occurrence.

“Behind the Garden Walls”

The picture "Behind the Garden Walls" is part of a series of paintings of gates and windows in Safed, painted in watercolor and acrylic on paper. Safed is a picturesque hilltop town in the Galilee with narrow winding lanes , stone houses hundreds of years old, with arched stone ceilings, hidden courtyards with fig trees and grape vine arbors, underground water cisterns, and many ancient synagogues. It became famous as a center of Bible learning in the 1500's after many scholars expelled from Spain at the beginning of the Spanish Inquisition (1492) settled there. It also became known as the birthplace of Kabalah scholarship. Today Safed is considered a center for spirituality and kabalah learning.
The gate shows a glimpse of a walled garden. Many of the old stone houses in Safed have a walled courtyard that is hidden from street view. Inside the garden there is usually a grape vine for shade and for wine-making, sometimes there are pots full of flowers. Most of the windows and doors in Safed are painted various shades of turquoise or sky blue. According to tradition this is because blue is the color of the sky and thus reminds us of heaven and of the commandment to feel an awe of G-d at all times.

if you don't hear the melody...you won't see the light

renanim Tzefad

Gimpel: Obama votes show Jewish detachment

 arutz sheva

Jewish Home party candidate Jeremy Gimpel spoke to Arutz Sheva on Wednesday following U.S. President Barack Obama’s victory in the U.S. presidential elections.
The U.S. Jewish community was behind Obama’s victory, he said. “More than 70 percent of them supported Obama. There’s a message here for the people of Israel in the land of Israel, that the Jews there are completely detached from the land of Israel,” he declared.
The Israeli government ignored American Jewry for generations, he added, and now Israel is paying the price. “There’s a ‘silent Holocaust’ there, half of the Jews in the United States are unaffiliated and assimilated. Today there is not a single Anglo-Saxon representative in Knesset who can speak to this community,” he said.

Yitzack's Afternoon Prayer

Yitzack went out to meditate (lasu'ach) in the field toward evening." (Ber. 24:63)

The meaning of the word lasu'ach is unclear, and is the subject of a dispute among the Biblical commentators. The Rashbam (Rabbi Samuel ben Meir, twelfth century scholar) wrote that it comes from the word si'ach, meaning 'plant.' According to this interpretation, Isaac went to oversee his orchards and fields. His grandfather Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki, 1040–1105), however, explained that lasuach comes from the word sichah, meaning 'speech.' Isaac went to meditate in the field, thus establishing the afternoon prayer.
Why doesn't the Torah use the usual Hebrew word for prayer? And is there a special significance to the fact that Isaac meditated in the afternoon?
The Soul's Inner Prayer
Rav Kook often expanded concepts beyond the way they are usually understood. Thus, when describing the phenomenon of prayer, he made a startling observation: "The soul is always praying. It constantly seeks to fly away to its Beloved."
This is certainly an original insight into the essence of prayer. But what about the act of prayer that we are familiar with? According to Rav Kook, what we call 'prayer' is only an external expression of this inner prayer of the soul. In order to truly pray, we must be aware of the constant yearnings of the soul.
The word lasu'ach sheds a unique light on the concept of prayer. By using a word that also means 'plant,' the Torah is associating the activity of prayer to the natural growth of plants and trees. Through prayer, the soul flowers with new strength; it branches out naturally with inner emotions. These are the natural effects of prayer, just as a tree naturally flowers and sends forth branches.
Why was Isaac's meditative prayer said in the afternoon?
The hour that is particularly suitable for spiritual growth is the late afternoon, at the end of the working day. At this time of the day, we are able to put aside our mundane worries and concerns, and concentrate on our spiritual aspirations. Then the soul is free to elevate itself and blossom.
(Gold from the Land of Israel pp. 56-57. Adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I, p. 109)