Bechukotai

If Hashem would only talk to me I would know what He wants from me. How many times have we heard these or similar words being said, either by others or even by ourselves? Gaining clarity in this world seems to be almost impossible and leaves many of us with an overwhelming sense of inescapable confusion. Interestingly, there are lessons in this week's Torah reading which seem to contradict our inclination of giving in to such doubts.
In this week's Torah reading, we are taught about the frightening consequences of not fulfilling our responsibilities as established by the Torah. The repercussions are intense and serious and leave us with little doubt that our relationship with Hashem is not to be taken casually. On even a basic reading of this section one part of the retribution is particularly difficult to understand. The Torah paints for us the downward spiral of those Jews that distance themselves first from learning Torah, subsequently from the performance of mitzvot, and finally from a belief in Hashem Himself. The Torah outlines a seven step process of spiritual degradation and the terrible fate that befalls us for having dropped these seven levels. The verses describe that measure for measure we will be punished for the seven transgressions we performed. Rashi details how each of the hardships mentioned add up to the number seven. This seven step punishment/wake-up call is a chilling response to the seven steps of spiritual slumber the Jewish people have taken.
If the seven punishments are to be effective in waking us, we would assume that such a pattern should carry great significance. If not, there is punishment without a window of understanding. Based on numerous sources that is something that Hashem, our Healer, does not do. However, if we attempt to picture individuals or groups going through such suffering, it seems difficult to picture that they would have the clarity to count the seven afflictions and then match them with the seven spiritual steps that led them away from Hashem. It seems that Hashem is teaching us that even in the greatest of difficulties we have the ability to hear Hashem "talking" to us. Our job is to listen. This inability or unwillingness to see the interconnections of life reveals a callousness that itself is a cause for continued tribulations.
 

parashah Behar

 

Forbidden Activities during Shemittah

28. Which agricultural activities are forbidden during shemittah?

There are two categories, with differing laws.

1. Activities originally forbidden by the Torah. These are:
- Plowing (choreish).
- Planting seeds and plants (zorei'a and notei'a).
- Pruning (zomeir).
- Harvesting (botzeir and kotzeir).
2. Work forbidden rabbinically. This includes a large range of activities too numerous to list. Common examples are watering, fertilizing, weeding, spraying.

29. What is the practical difference between the two categories?

- Activities originally forbidden by the Torah may never be done, even if this will cause irreparable damage to plants.
- Activities forbidden rabbinically may not be done to improve the plants, but under certain circumstances are permitted to prevent damage.

30. Under which conditions are rabbinically forbidden activities permitted?

Two conditions must be fulfilled:
- The potential damage is a type that typically affects many people's plants, rather than an unusual occurrence affecting only the individual.
- Refraining from the work will cause irreparable damage to plants or fruits, or will cause only temporary damage, but repairing the damage after shemittah would involve a large expenditure.
In any event, the work must be kept to the minimum. 

12 tribes

Avraham Avinu and Sarah Imeinu's 3800th Wedding Anniversary

Avraham Avinu was born in the year 1948 from Creation. Sarah Imeinu was born in the year 1958 from Creation. According to Midrash1, Avraham married Sarah when he was 25 and she was 15. That means that it was the year 1973 from Creation. That was 3800 years ago - or 200 19-year cycles ago.
The exact date of their wedding is unknown, however. (Could it have been Lag Ba'omer? Who knows?)
For the couple who made Aliya on their 50th Golden anniversary and had their first child on their 75th Diamond anniversary, may Hashem remember their deeds for the merit of Kelal Yisrael on their 3800th.
source

making Lag b'Omer more significant than Shabbos

from : life in Israel

After I write this, you are probably going to call me too much of a kalte Litvak, which I technically am not though I did learn in Litvishe yeshivas. Or you might call me a Yekke, which I technically am though I did not grow up in a yekkishe community nor was our house overly yekkishe except for a few great customs (such as no mayim achronim, washing before kiddush, 3 hours between meat and milk, etc). But I am going to write it anyway.
Some holidays are overdone. I would even go so far as saying their significance and importance, especially in Israel, is "made up", fabricated and exaggerated. An example of this is Lag b'Omer. It does not really have much significance as a holiday, but people have given it all sorts of importance with kabbalistic meaning and significance. It is mostly a day of commemoration, maybe of a birthday, maybe of a death day, maybe of celebration for the revealing of the Zohar. Instead of a simple commemoration, and dropping tachanun out of davening, we light bonfires and stay much of the night, and give the kids one or two days off of school. And of course the conversion of bonfires to barbecues with hotdogs, potatoes and marshmallows makes for a good bonus. Hey - if that's what does it for them, more power to 'em. I usually enjoy a good party and when everybody is happy and celebrating something, people are that much more pleasant.
Other made up holidays include days like Yom HaAtzmaut, though it is different than Lag b'Omer. Yom HaAtzmaut is made up, literally, but is more of a secular holiday of gratitude, something akin to Thanksgiving combined with Independence Day, and giving thanks always also can take on some religious significance. Throw in some eretz yisrael emotions, and you also get a religious holiday in addition to the secular holiday. Again, I usually enjoy a good party, and of course giving thanks is important. I love barbecues and am a patriotic person by nature, and again, when people are happy and celebrating something, all is good.
Those are the two off the top of my head. There are probably more, though I can't think of other examples right now.

bonfires....

The official call by the Rabbanut to delay bonfires to Sunday evening was announced in the newsletter. It says that in order to avoid chilul Shabbos, the Rabbanut calls on everyone to delay the bonfires to Sunday afternoon. As well, Lag b’Omer vacation form schools has been increased to two days, upon the request of the Chief Rabbis.
The Rabbanut adds that the merit of the Tanna, Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai should protect us and intercede on our behalf so that our prayers should be accepted…

source

lag b'omer sameach

Lag BaOmer, this year, April 28, 2013, is a festive day on the Jewish calendar, celebrating the anniversary of the passing of the great sage and mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, author of the Zohar. It also commemorates another event. In the weeks between Passover and Shavuot, a plague raged amongst the disciples of the great sage Rabbi Akiva. On Lag BaOmer the dying ceased.

ShavuaTov

Four things advised for healing:
Find a good doctor and follow his instructions.
Dispel any thoughts about illness. Think only healthy thoughts.
Strengthen your confidence in the Healer of All Flesh, that He will heal you in whatever way He sees fit.
Increase your study of the inner light of Torah.

Based on letters and talks of the Rebbe, Rabbi M. M. Schneerson

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman.

Shabbath Shalom

These are the appointed times of G-d, callings of holiness, which you shall call in their appointed time (23:2)

The festivals are "callings of holiness" (mikra'ei kodesh), in the sense that each is a landmark in time at which we are empowered to call forth the particular holiness or spiritual quality imbedded within it.

our Jewish little place: Parashah Emor

our Jewish little place: Parashah Emor: Emor and the Jewish calendar in parashah Emor we read about the special times of year on the Jewish calendar First it discusses Shabbat...

our Jewish little place: lag b'omer collage bonfire

our Jewish little place: lag b'omer collage bonfire

one is where one's thoughts are

A voice of courage

Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from Frumlife

The Story of The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising~Never Forget!

Frumlife 

Jewish youth today, are being assimilated. Many have become "ashamed" of their roots and identify with the heroes of the countries they live in. Even in Israel, most are not aware of the bravery and heroism of their Jewish ancestors~an appalling situation considering what it took for the Jewish People to survive thousands of years and re-build the State of Israel. 

On  19 April 1943, exactly seventy years ago, thirteen thousand Jews were killed during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Of those, some some six thousand were burnt alive or died from other causes. The Germans had planned to liquidate the Warsaw ghetto in three days, but the heroic ghetto fighters held out for more than a month, with only the most rudimentary of weapons and their own determination.

Mordechai Anielewicz, was the leader of Żydowska Organizacja Bojowa (Jewish Combat Organization), also known as ŻOB, during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising from January to May 1943. As the fighting in the ghetto continued, Anielewicz and senior ZOB fighters retreated to the ZOB Central Bunker at 18 Mila Street. On 08 May 1943, the bunker was discovered, its five exits were blocked, the main entrance was broken open, and canisters of poisonous gas were thrown inside.
Icchak Cukierman, also known by his nom de guerre Antek, or by the anglicized spelling Yitzhak Zuckerman, was another of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. Zukerman survived, the war and later testified for the prosecution in the trial of Adolf Eichmann.
On 23 April, Anielewicz wrote to Zukerman, who was on the "Aryan" side seeking help for the uprising. The letter concluded with the following words: [* Note: Wording differs slightly in sources~See Version Below Video]

  Keep well.

Perhaps we’ll see each other.

What’s most important~the dream of my life has become a reality.

I lived to see Jewish defence in the ghetto in all its greatness and splendour...

dry bones on lag b'omer

Lag B’Omer’s Coming

lag b'Omer

In Israel, months before the advent of the festival of Lag B’Omer,  the 33rd day of the Omer, the 49 days that bridge between Passover and Shavuot ,one can see youngsters dragging all types of combustibles, from fallen trees to broken chairs to old mattresses. Their destination? The nearest empty lot, where they pile their treasured possessions to impossible heights and wait with eager anticipation until the night of Lag B'Omer, arguably their favorite time of year, when they turn the piles into enormous conflagrations. Ask anyone what the bonfires are for, and you'll be told they are in celebration of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, a great sage who lived and taught approximately half a century after the destruction of the second Temple.
What lies behind this rather enigmatic festival of Lag B’Omer? What’s so special about the 33rd day of the Omer? And who was Rabbi Shimon, to whose name Lag B’Omer is inextricably tied, and why do we celebrate him? And why the bonfires?
Some Background
The first 33 days of the Omer are observed as a period of mourning. We do not take haircuts, perform weddings, or listen to music. What’s the mourning all about?
Rabbi Akiva, the towering sage of the Mishna, exerted a powerful influence on the Torah scholars of his day, to the point that he had 24,000 disciples. Great as the members of this group was, they had one short-coming: They failed to show proper love and respect for one another. The tragic consequence of this shortcoming was a brief but cataclysmic epidemic that claimed the lives of these students – all 24,000 of them. The period during which the epidemic took place was none other than the first 32 days of the Omer.

60 sec hagan habotani

Emor - Holy to G.d

From Shenei Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz

Every person must make himself a servant of G-d and must sanctify himself so as to come as close to the sanctity of the High Priest as is possible. He should practice some solitude and avoid emerging from this communion with G-d to the extent his circumstances allow. He must be concerned that no blemish, physical or spiritual, should attach to him. His striving must be that he himself should qualify as an offering to G-d. Once he endeavors to do all this is he considered "Holy to G-d".

The thrust of the legislation is that the court proclaims the dates when the various festivals are to be observed. (Lev. 23:2) We determine when to rejoice, when to eat festive meals. These festive meals should serve a spiritual purpose, just as did the delicacies Isaac ordered before blessing his son. When one approaches the holy days in this spirit, the second half of the verse, "These are My festivals", will be true. On the festivals, a person must not be so preoccupied with chores that he...loses...awareness of his special closeness to G-d...

If, however, these days are observed only as days when you fill your stomachs, indulge your body, then they are not "My festivals", but are vomit and excrement, concerning which the prophet has quoted G-d as saying: "My soul hates your festivals." (Isaiah 1:14) On the festivals, a person must not be so preoccupied with chores that he thereby should lose the awareness of his special closeness to G-d on such days.

The Zohar (Sulam edition, page 24) poses the question that if the legislation of not slaughtering the young animal on the same day as the mother animal (Lev. 22:28) is to save the mother animal the pain of watching its young killed, this could be avoided simply by keeping them apart. The true reason, however, is connected to the Jewish people's sense of empathy. To the extent that a person displays consideration for the feeling of others he in turn may find that such considerations of his own feelings will be a factor when he will be judged. The reverse is also true.

[Translated and adapted by Eliyahu Munk.]

Shabbath Shalom

You shall be holy (19:2)

Sanctify yourself also regarding that which is permissible to you.

(Talmud, Yevamot 20a)

The meaning of this is that since the Torah has warned against forbidden sexual relations and forbidden foods, while permitting relations with one's wife and eating meat and wine, the lustful person can find a place to wallow in fornication with his wife or wives and be of "the guzzlers of wine and the gluttons of meat", and converse at will of all licentious things (since no prohibition against this is specified in the Torah). He can be a hedonist with the Torah's permission. Therefore, after enumerating the things which it forbids entirely, the Torah says: "Be holy." Constrain yourself also in that which is permitted.

(Nachmanides)

ketoret

He shall take a censerful of burning coals from the altar, and the fill of his hands of finely ground ketoret; and he shall bring [these] inside the curtain.

He shall place the ketoret upon the fire before G‑d; and the cloud of the incense shall envelop the covering of the [Ark of] Testimony . . . Vayikra16:12–13

Man’s quest to serve his Creator is perpetual and all-consuming, and can be pursued by all people, at all times and in all places. There was one event, however, that represented the apogee in the human effort to come close to G‑d—an event that brought together the holiest day of the year, the holiest human being on earth, and the holiest place in the universe: on Yom Kippur the kohen gadol (high priest) would enter the innermost chamber of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, the Holy of Holies, to offer ketoret to G‑d.
The offering of the ketoret was the most prestigious and sacred of the services in the Holy Temple. The ketoret was a special blend of eleven herbs and balms whose precise ingredients and manner of preparation were commanded by G‑d to Moses. Twice a day, ketoret was burned on the golden altar that stood in the Temple. On Yom Kippur, in addition to the regular ketoret offerings, the kohen gadol would enter the Holy of Holies with a pan of smoldering coals in his right hand, and a ladle filled with ketoret in his left; there, he would scoop the ketoret into his hands, place it over the coals, wait for the chamber to fill with the fragrant smoke of the burning incense, and swiftly back out of the room. The moment marked the climax of the Yom Kippur service in the Holy Temple.

a little bit of music...

 

Yosef Karduner - Shir La'ma'alot Acapella Tehillim Psalm 121

our Jewish little place: Birkat Ha'ilanot

our Jewish little place: Birkat Ha'ilanot: The blessing on the trees - Birkat Ha'ilanot - during the month of Nisan belongs to the category of the blessings we recite on seeing...

Happy birthday Israel!!

“Tell my parents that I regret nothing and that I am proud of what I did,”

Remembering Our Fallen.

http://www.idfblog.com/in-memoriam/#

“They Were Carrying Us”:

“They Were Carrying Us”: The Moving Testimony of Bereaved IDF Parents

Jacky and Tzipi Baldran built Kibbutz Lotem with their own hands and with the help of their children, Yigal, Nitzan and Aviv. Nitsan served as a fighter in the Golani Brigade. His last mission was in Lebanon in November 1998. Jacky says: “at 3:15 am, we heard a neighbor and soldiers knocking at the door. I went downstairs and I immediately understood what was going on”.

While we cannot return our murdered children, we can restore our discarded justice

Israel Matzav: While we cannot return our murdered children, we can restore our discarded justice

yom haZicaron - heartbreaking

Tamar and Yishai Fogel

Today at the official ceremony on Mount Herzl to commemorate the victims of terrorist actions, the Prime Minister met with Tamar and Yishai Fogel the children of Ruth and Udi Fogel of blessed memory who were murdered together with three of their children in the terrorist attack in Itamar. May their memory be a blessing.

Shabbath Shalom

Everything is by Divine Providence. If a leaf is turned over by a breeze, it is only because this has been specifically ordained by G-d to serve a particular function within the purpose of creation.

Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov

Light a Virtual IDF Memorial Candle Online

 

In advance of IDF Memorial Day next Monday, the Defense Ministry has launch a web application enabling everyone to light a virtual memorial candle and write a heartfelt dedication.
Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon wrote, “On Memorial Day our personal memories mesh with our national collective ones. Let us remember our fighters, and be worthy of their sacrifice.”

Candle application here: https://apps.facebook.com/modisraelizkor/

Chodesh Tov Iyar

Every month of the Jewish calendar highlights unique events in the unfolding story of the Jewish people. The month of Iyar, the second month, is no exception.

The month of Iyar usually coincides with the Gregorian month of May. Iyar is its Babylonian name. The Bible refers to it as ‘the second month’ or ‘chodesh haziv’ (the month of shining or blossoming). There are always two days of Rosh Chodesh Iyar (celebration of the new moon), the first of which is the 30th day of Nisan. Iyar always has 29 days.

Although there are no major biblical or rabbinical holidays in Iyar, there are two minor holidays. Pesach Sheni, the second Pesach, is a mandated make-up day for those who could not bring the paschal sacrifice at its appointed time. Pesach Sheni falls on the 14th of Iyar. Lag B’Omer, the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, is celebrated on the 18th of Iyar.

Two dates commemorating events in Israel’s modern history are celebrated in Iyar. Israel Independence Day is celebrated on the 5th of Iyar, and Jerusalem Day, the day Israel conquered Jerusalem during the Six Day War, is celebrated on the 28th day of Iyar. The 4th of Iyar is marked in Israel as its national memorial day for fallen soldiers (Yom HaZikaron).

On the first day of Iyar, King Solomon began the construction of the First Temple (Kings I:6:1). On the exact same day, hundreds of years later, Ezra began the construction of the Second Temple (Ezra 3:8).

On the first day of Iyar following the exodus, the thirsty Israelites reached a well of bitter water. Moses cast a tree into the water and it miraculously became sweet. God then promised that if Israel followed His ways: “The diseases I have placed on Egypt I will not place upon you, for I am the Lord your Healer.” The Hebrew letters Iyar form an acronym of I am the Lord your Healer, thus Iyar is a propitious time for healing. 

The community of Beka'ot, one of the many forgotten communities

A little bit of music...

"Song of Ascents" by Chaim David

Tazria

"If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male…on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin should be circumcised"—Leviticus 12:2-3.
Aside for being one of the many mitzvot, the obligation to circumcise a Jewish child at the age of eight days uniquely expresses a profound and fundamental religious truth inherent in all the mitzvot.
This is one of the reasons why the first mitzvah given to our forefather Abraham was that of brit milah (circumcision).
In fact, it has been said that brit milah is the mitzvah most universally accepted and performed by Jews of all denominations to this current day. And indeed, throughout the generations, despite the worst persecutions, the Jews have kept the mitzvah of brit milah with incredible devotion, self-sacrifice and joy.1
The obligation to circumcise a child at the age of eight days expresses a profound religious truth inherent in all the mitzvotPerhaps it can be said that the extraordinary message expressed by circumcision is what caused it to rise to the top of the list of rituals our enemies sought to eradicate time and again throughout our history. Perhaps they too recognized the power of its message.
But what is this unique message?

Never Again

We, pilots of the israeli airforce,
in the skies of the horror camps,
risen from the ashes of millions of victims,
carrying on their silent screams,
saluting their bravery,
and promising to be a shield for the jewish people
and its state - Israel
Nearly a decade ago, on september 4th 2003, these words were read by current IAF commander Gen. amir eshel over the skies of the auschwitz death camp. on this day of remembrance we promise: never again!

And You Shall Tell Your Children

Video: And You Shall Tell Your Children

And You Shall Tell Your Children
by JRoots
A powerful documentary on the faith and commitment of Holocaust survivors. 

(53 min. Viewer discretion advised)

Yom HaShoah

Shavua Tov

Any Jew alive on the face of this planet today is a walking miracle. Our mere existence today is wondrous, plucked from the fire at the last moment again and again, with no natural explanation that will suffice.
Each of us alive today is a child of martyrs and miracles.

Shabbath shalom

Any Jew alive on the face of this planet today is a walking miracle. Our mere existence today is wondrous, plucked from the fire at the last moment again and again, with no natural explanation that will suffice.
Each of us alive today is a child of martyrs and miracles.

From the wisdom of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory; words and condensation by Rabbi Tzvi Freeman.

Shir lama'alot

Shir lama`alot. -- A Song of Ascents.
Asse einaim el heharim: -- I turn my eyes to the mountains;
me'ain yavo ezri? -- from where will my help come?
Ezri me'im HaShem, -- My help comes from the Lord,
ose shamaim ve'aretz. -- Maker of heaven and earth
Al iten lammot raglecha -- He will not let your foot give way;
al yanum shomerecha. -- your guardian will not slumber;
Hineh, -- See
lo yanum velo yishan shomer Yisrael. -- the guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps!
HaShem shomerecha -- the Lord is your guardian
HaShem tzilcha al yad yeminecha. -- the Lord is your protection at your right hand.
yomam hashemesh lo yakeka -- By day the sun will not strike you,
veyareach balailah. -- nor the moon by night
HaSHem yishmorcha mikol ra'ah -- The Lord will guard you from all harm;
yishmor et nafshecha. -- He will guard your life.
HaShem yishmor tzecha ubo'echa -- The Lord will guard your going and coming
me'ata ve'ad olam. -- Now and Forever

                                    lyrics - Psalm 121 - King David of Israel

Shemini - Fire , holy and unholy

The shock is immense. For several weeks and many chapters – the longest prelude in the Torah – we have read of the preparations for the moment at which G‑d would bring His presence to rest in the midst of the people. Five sedras (Terumah, Tetzaveh, Ki Tissa, Vayakhel and Pekudei) describe the instructions for building the sanctuary. Two (Vayikra, Tzav) detail the sacrificial offerings to be brought there. All is now ready. For seven days the priests (Aaron and his sons) are consecrated into office. Now comes the eighth day when the service of the mishkan will begin. The entire people have played their part in constructing what will become the visible home of the Divine presence on earth. With a simple, moving verse the drama reaches its climax: “Moses and Aaron went into the Tent of Meeting and when they came out, they blessed the people. G‑d’s glory was then revealed to all the people.”

Just as we think the narrative has reached closure, a terrifying scene takes place:

Aaron’s sons, Nadav and Avihu, took their censers, put fire into them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before G‑d, which He had not instructed them to offer. Fire came forth from before G‑d, and it consumed them so that they died before G‑d. Moses then said to Aaron: “This is what G‑d spoke of when he said: Among those who approach Me I will show myself holy; in the sight of all the people I will be honoured.” (10:1-3)

Celebration turned to tragedy. The two eldest sons of Aaron die. The sages and commentators offer many explanations. Nadav and Avihu died because: they entered the holy of holies; they were not wearing the requisite clothes; they took fire from the kitchen, not the altar; they did not consult Moses and Aaron; nor did they consult one another. According to some they were guilty of hubris. They were impatient to assume leadership roles themselves; and they did not marry, considering themselves above such things. Yet others see their deaths as delayed punishment for an earlier sin, when, at Mount Sinai they “ate and drank” in the presence of G‑d (Ex. 24: 9-11).

These interpretations represent close readings of the four places in the Torah which Nadav and Avihu’s death is mentioned (Lev. 10: 2, 16: 1, Num. 3: 4, 26: 61), as well as the reference to their presence on Mount Sinai. Each is a profound meditation on the dangers of over-enthusiasm in the religious life. However, the simplest explanation is the one explicit in the Torah itself. Nadav and Avihu died because they offered unauthorized (literally “strange”) fire – meaning “that which was not commanded.” To understand the significance of this we must go back to first principles (Covenant and Conversation, Terumah) and remind ourselves of the meaning of

kadosh, “holy”, and thus of mikdash as the home of the holy.

Best bet in a chancy world

 

By: Rabbi Lazer Brody
The latter half of 5773 faces us with unprecedented uncertainty, not only in Israel but in America and Europe as well. There's considerable saber-rattling in the Far East. North Korea has an itchy finger on its nuclear trigger. Radical Islam is thriving. The economy and health care are subjects that most people prefer to avoid. Syria's chemical weapons are up for grabs. In Israel, just this morning, both the Golan in the North and the Eshkol region in the south have been bombed. Also, President Obama's recent visit to Israel, despite all the photo-ops and smiles, reawakens folks to the political pressures that will once again try to twist Israel's territorial arm. Who would have believed that Bibi Netanyahu, a former special forces commando himself, would have apologized to Turkey and Erdogan over the Mavi Marmara affair? That's just an example to show us that Hashem is in charge, not the politicians.
Meanwhile, there's an entire political upheaval over here, with the Bayit Yehudi party led by Naftali Bennett and the Yesh Atid party led by Yair Lapid now pulling the strings of the coalition with a severely weakened Bibi Netanyahu and his Likud party. They have all types of plans that call for drafting Yeshiva students into the army and cutting back financial benefits for Torah institutions and the Haredi populace.
Certain doomsday prophets in the Haredi community are yelling bloody murder. I humbly ask them, since when are we dependant on flesh and blood? Hashem does only the best for us; with the current government, we'll simply have to strengthen our emuna and place our total dependance on Hashem. Besides, if Hashem doesn't want the Haredim in the coalition, there's certainly a good reason and that too is for the very best. So why talk bad about other Jews? Let's invest our energies into more Torah, more prayer, and more mitzvoth. Jewish activism means doing something to make the world a better place. Let's not waste a moment on negative thoughts. Stop worrying! I certainly don't know what the future holds, but I can promise you that it will be good, even more than good. 
Sure, Israel suffers from big problems and major threats, from within and from without. But it's heaven for your soul. The fact is that here, more and more people are quietly getting closer to Hashem. In Israel, a beautifully quiet spiritual revolution is taking place. Entire communities of emuna-oriented Jews are mushrooming in places that for years never had a synagogue or a Torah scroll. Yavniel, Carmiel, and Maalot are three examples. Folks there aren't yelling at social protest demonstrations because they're talking to Hashem. Many of our good friends in the USA and Canada have made Aliya recently. I urged those who sought my advice to consider places other than Ramat Bet Shemesh and Har Nof. I sent them to Maalot, to Katzrin, and to Yerucham, where they could buy nice apartments for a song, not worry where the kids are playing and breathe clean air. I've heard no complaints, only expressions of how happy they are to be here. I firmly believe that the latter half of 5773 will be a wonderful for the Jewish people in Israel, despite the threats.

The Spring of Judea and Samaria

The Spring of Judea and Samaria. The ground breaking documentary on the rise of Jewish culture on the land at the cradle of Jewish civilization. That is the Land of the so called west bank. Never has there been given a change for the Jewish people of these communities to tell their story to the world and also for the world see see these outstanding communities. A Jewish Heritage Project Production. Non Profit.

documenatry by Ezra Ridgley
To recieved a copy of the Video file for a public showing in your area contact Ezra... at judeaandsamaria@gmail.com

Birkas Kohanim Chol Hamoed Pesach 2013 at the Western Wall 5773

Honor Your Father: A Son’s Dream to Serve in the IDF

Honor Your Father: A Son’s Dream to Serve in the IDF

our Jewish little place: making matzoth

our Jewish little place: making matzoth: 18 minutes to go.... 1 2 3 4 5 Ready!