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30 April 2011

Liberalism Gone Hawkish


In a city that never sleeps

A red tailed hawk is nested on a ledge overlooking Washington Square. She has been guarding her 3 eggs since the beginning of April. Her mate swoops in occasionally to bring food (rats, mice, etc.) or to swap places with her so she can stretch her wings a little. Never for too long!

Hawks are predators. They have returned to Manhattan to take their place among the towers of grey.

Coincidentally they have chosen the ledge outside the office of the president of a leftist-leaning university. Birds of a feather ...?

Or is this liberalism turning hawkish?

Red-Tailed Hawk BirdForum

29 April 2011

The Winds Are HIS Messengers

Historic "Tsunami-like" Flooding ... Not Since 1933


Flood waters from the Ohio River crash against a step of a home along the river in Utica, Ind., Monday, April 25, 2011 (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

The great Mississippi River flooding is starting to resemble the shores of Japan. A result of the massive and unprecedented tornado damage to the mid-section of America. According to this map, the flow is in the direction of Katrina's legacy.

"As if tornadoes and damaging thunderstorms were not enough, historic flooding is also threatening the Mississippi River, below St. Louis, as well as the lower part of the Ohio River. The rising waters are expected to top levels set during February 1937. This mark is the middle Mississippi Valley's equivalent to the 1993 event farther north along Old Man River.




While the amount of evacuees currently numbers in the hundreds, it could soon number in the tens of thousands as levees are topped or breached and rivers expand their girth into more farming communities, towns and cities."

Killer Twisters "It was the deadliest day for tornadoes since a series of twisters killed more than 300 people in 11 states in 1974, Brooks added. The death toll from Wednesday has surpassed 250 and is rising. The worst day in recorded history for storm fatalities is March 18, 1925, with 747 deaths."

"Tornadoes whipped up by wind, not climate"

AFP - US meteorologists warned Thursday it would be a mistake to blame climate change for a seeming increase in tornadoes in the wake of deadly storms that have ripped through the US south." (report by Grady Dixon, assistant professor of meteorology and climatology at Mississippi State University)

The Winds Are HIS Messengers:

Tehillim 104: "HE makes the winds His messengers, the flaming fire His attendants; He established the earth upon its foundations, that it falter not forever. The watery deep, as with a garment You covered it; upon the mountains, water souls stand. ... He peers toward the earth and it trembles, He touches the mountains and they smoke. ...Sinners will cease from the earth, and the wicked will be no more...."



Mankind Gone Insane

Look around you, see what your local 'news'paper prints on it's cover page, listen to your average 'news' radio broadcasts and you will find mainly

Human Terrorism, Bio-Terrorism & Eco-Terrorism

The only nation that truly desires PEACE is Eretz Yisrael and the Jewish People

But the world is only interested in greed, war, persecution, killing, starvation. The one united national body is the one entity that supports the most anti-Israel resolutions voted on by the most anti-Jewish countries gathered together under this entity.

Honesty, integrity, and truth are being co-opted by evil.

So what else is new?

In America ... Storm death near 300 in South...
Deadliest Swarm of Twisters Since 1974...
Among Largest, Strongest Ever Recorded...

Are we witnessing Eco-terrorism?

Or is this "Nature's" way of taking revenge on nations that refuse to support Israel in the World's political arena, and instead their leaders aid, abet, support and condone financially & militarily, surreptitiously.

27 April 2011

Weather Terrorism?



A gathering of weather reports, and photos.

Death Toll 215. From the pictures in the following articles covering the devastation that ripped through many southern and mid-American states, one would think they were viewing the tsunami disaster in Japan. But no, it's right in the middle of the good old USofA. Did "weather terror" enter anyone's mind? Hundreds dead as tornadoes rip through the South here and here.

Severe weather in April has been active and destructive. The month is not only ending with multiple severe weather outbreaks but is also ending with widespread flooding in the mid-Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. photos of flood disaster.

The lonestar State of Texas is battling a state-wide draught and fierce fire. Texas Governor Rick Perry called on Texans to pray for rain as cooler temperatures on Thursday helped firefighters contain wildfires that have charred more than 1.5 million acres across the state. photos of the wild wildfires sweeping across Texas.

A significant and life-threatening severe thunderstorm and tornado outbreak is on tap for Wednesday. Thursday, the front will sweep through the East Coast with possible damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes. You can track the dangerous storms using the radar, watch/warning and forecast maps below.

Thursday on the East Coast. No area of America is being spared of the April winds, tornados, hurricanes, drought and disaster.

Twister Onslaught Centers on Tennessee Valley...
Michigan Tornado blows 40,000 Turkeys into distress.
Spiked, Softball-Sized Hail Accompanies TX Twisters...

Funnel forms during live TV shot...
A funnel cloud tried to form into a tornado near Cleburne State Park live during storm coverage on NBC 5. (The video clip was 3 minutes and 30 seconds long, we sped it up the video is now a little over 1 minute in length.) video

Possibly a nation tampering with electromagnetic fields, or weather manipulation? Read The Power of Scalar and Eco-Terrorism.

Ruling in the Exception

From The Wonders of your Torah

Progress in science (and society) is made by taking note of details that a previous theory is unable to account for.

The history of modern science testifies to the truth of the above statement. But it also applies to social/political development and progress.

Every system or theory, whether scientific or political, has rules. The Torah, with its complex set of precepts for living a good life, has a myriad of rules. They are compiled in the Shulchan Aruch, the universally accepted code of Jewish law and custom.

But every rule has an exception (whether or not this rule has an exception gives rise to a logical paradox, but God is above logic and His Torah draws His infinite light, above logic, into finite strokes of logic).

Most good, God-fearing Jews live by the rules, as indeed God desires. They are generally unaware of the exceptions (and often are inclined to repress into their subconscious the very existence of exceptions). But the great tzadikim (righteous souls) of every generation are always conscious of exceptions to the rules, and to a large extent devote their lives to the exceptions.

A congregation of souls, all together, creates a rule. But each individual soul, when observed out of the context of the congregation, is an exception to the rule.

Political systems, based on political philosophy, tend to weave a network of policy fit for the rule, the congregation (the klal), but often lose sight of the individual (the prat), the detail that does not fit the rule. The true leader is the one who studies/judges individual cases (as portrayed in the Bible in the figures of King David and King Solomon) and bases his leadership around them. He is aware of a deep secret: The exception (the seeming insignificant detail that for some ‘mysterious’ reason does not fit the rule) enriches the rule and motivates progress.

And so it is with regard to the organic development of the Oral Tradition. In every generation new, individual situations arise, calling for new, inspired judgment. This finds expression in the wealth of responsa literature, the true sign of progress in the Torah itself.

24 April 2011

Gimmel Nisan

This is directly from Zhus Avos and something to bookmark for next Pesach. You can sign up to receive erev Rosh Chodesh an informative email on yahrzeits for the new month and wonderful Chassidishe and Torah insights, such as this:


It is known that the day of 3 Nissan is mesugal for parnasa. The source for this is Sefer Chaim V'Sholom (Vayeitzei), from the Munkatcher Rov (the Minchas Elazar) who says he heard from the Reb Yechezkel Shraga of Shiniva (Divrei Yechezkel) that the day of 3 Nisan, when the Nasi of Zevulon is read, is mesugal for parnasa and ashirus. This sounds like any one of the other numerous segulas for parnasa. That's why I think it's a disservice to tell anyone this without also telling them what it says before that on the very same page.

He starts off the page (here is the link to the page so you can see it; this is my understanding of it) by explaining thatולזבולן אמר שמח זבולן בצאתך means that through Zevulon's הוצאות (hinted by בצאתך) for Torah (his giving money to Yissachar so he can learn Torah) the Torah is his reward, but Zevulon will also be happy (שמח) in this world immediately since he needs to make more money in order to support talmidei chachomim. (See link for the rest) This seems to be the lesson we should take out of it. By supporting people who learn Torah – everyone according to their means – we can be worthy of getting parnasa. This should get those people that speak disparagingly of talmidei chachomim that are supported to stop doing so, as really the talmidei chachmim are doing the giver a favor.

If I may add: שמח זבולן is equal to באמת, hinting at dealing honestly. שמח זבולן is also meramez to simcha being mesugal for parnasa. Reb Nosson Breslover once told someone with financial troubles that simcha is mesugal for paranasa. The man replied that it was difficult to be happy in his present situation. Reb Nosson responded: "But, what won't a person do for parnasa?" (The same story is told over with the Yismach Yisroel of Alexander) Reb Mendel Riminover says a remez to simcha being mesugal for parnaas is the last letters of פותח את ידך and והיית אך שמח are the same and they are a Name connected to parnasa. If I may add, the first letters of שמח זבולן are equal to the first letters of והיית אך שמח. This is also meramez in the Mishna: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. How does one become an עשיר? השמח בחלקו – by being happy with one's lot.

זבולן equals המן reminding us of פרשת המן. Leah said regarding זבולן that Hashem gave her a זבד טוב. Rashi says that this means as Onkelos translates it, חלק טב – "a good portion." The gematria of חלק is equal to הצלחה. The word זבולן in א״ת ב״ש is עשפכט, equal to 479 – the gematria of בזעת, as in בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. The last letters of שמח זבולן בצאתך equal לחם. This posuk teaches us that although there are people that seem to amass great wealth without breaking a sweat, the posuk is teaching that if one thinks בזעת אפיך, meaning one's own efforts are what makes - as the posuk says: ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה - then no matter how much one may have it's never enough (as Chazal teach that if one has 100 he wants 200). Then despite all you may have, תאכל לחם, it seems like you only have bread. The gematria of בזעת with the kolel is equal to the last letters of ואמרת בלבבך כחי ועצם ידי. The posuk then says: עד שובך אל האדמה כי ממנה לקחת כי עפר אתה ואל עפר תשוב - which can be read as: until he does teshuva and realizes that he is just dust and powerless, as Avrohom Avinu said: ואנכי עפר ואפר – "I am but dust and ashes". When someone comes to the realization that every single great idea and every single penny comes only from Hashem, (as is hidden in the pesukim, אפיך is equal to אלף, which alludes to Hashem who is One and the אלופו של עולם and the first letters of כחי ועצם equal 26, Hashem's Name) then even if he only has bread, he feels like he has everything, as the Mishna says: איזה הוא עשיר השמח בחלקו. He is then taken out of the curse of בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם. Hashem is saying אפיך, meaning "(by the sweat of) your face". When you take the ך off to make it אפי which would be referring to Hashem, then you have the first letters of פותח את ידך – we ask Hashem to "open His hand" since we can't do anything on our own. We can then realize there is only One that controls everything, as בזעת אפיך תאכל לחם is equal to שמע ישראל ד׳ אלקינו ד׳ אחד with the kolel.

Rashi on the words, בזעת אפיך, says: לאחר שתטריח בו הרבה – "after you toil a lot." But many toil and barely put food on the table? לאחר שתטריח - "After you toil" can mean two things: 1) After you are done with thinking that your own toil makes parnasa. 2) Reading it with a comma לאחר שתטריח, בו הרבה. After toiling hard by working on your emunah, thenבו הרבה . This doesn't mean quantity, rather quality. There will be lots of shefa; the money will come from the side of kedusha, as opposed to one who thinks he gets money on his own has the money coming from the "other side." A remez to this is that בו הרבה is the same gematria as טהור.

The Munkatcher Rov shows how the Name of זבולן is equal to 95 which will be equal to the Names of Hashem – י־ק־י־ק אדנ׳ - when Moshiach comes. After he speaks about the segula for parnasa, he says that we should understand that Nisan is a time of Geula. Exactly what he means I don't know, but as Rav Gamliel Rabinovitz shlita constantly says we need parnasa to live but we should remember that Hashem has no house, no wife (we are in golus), most of his children don't know how to say Shema. He says that Hashem doesn't even have bread, so to speak, as we say in korbonos: את קרבני לחמי. He says that besides constantly saying: "give me, give me", we should ask Hashem to rebuild His house.

We should all remember that the brocha of parnasa on this day comes from supporting talmidei chachomim. May we all be zoche to have parnasa berevach and do good things it, and may we be zoche to realize what we are missing without Hashem's House so we can daven properly for its rebuilding.

17 April 2011

The Coming of Moshiach

Chag Kasher V'Samayach Klal Yisrael and the World




The Wonders of Your Torah
Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

In Hebrew, the word for Passover, Pesach (פסח), reads Peh Sach (פה סח), “a talking mouth.” Pesach celebrates freedom, first and foremost – freedom of speech.

God does not reveal, even to the greatest of prophets, exactly when the Mashiach will come and bring redemption to the world. God wants us to believe that Mashiach can arrive this very day, and pray as earnestly as we can that he indeed arrives today. The sages have provided us with various signs to know when the time is ripe, but we can never really know for sure, we can only believe and pray. This is exactly what God wants, for He desires that we nurture in our souls messianic consciousness, a state of consciousness that is not one of knowledge but one of faith and prayer.

“His heart does not (and cannot) inform His mouth.” This is the idiom the sages use to describe the block that exists, as it were, between God’s heart and mouth, i.e., His inability to reveal to us the date of redemption.

We all can identify with God in this respect. We all know how difficult and virtually impossible it is to express in words our deepest thoughts and feelings, those that lie hidden away in our hearts.

The ability to delve into the depths of our hearts and find the correct words to give verbal expression to our hitherto unconscious thoughts and feelings is itself the secret of the coming of our individual, personal Mashiach.

Similarly, for God to tell us when Mashiach will come is itself the coming of Mashiach. To tell us that Mashiach will come tomorrow is not to tell us at all! Mashiach is the revelation of God’s heart to us, so when He tells of his arrival he is already here.

Pesach is the holiday of freedom – freedom of speech. Not just freedom to express in words our conscious thoughts, but freedom to express the depths of our unconscious, the depths of our faith (we eat matzah, “the food of faith,” in order to speak words of faith). God begins to express Himself to us by liberating us from Egypt on the external, physical plane, thereby arousing us to give expression to ourselves. Our self-expression then arouses Him to give absolute expression to Himself. This is the coming of the Mashiach.

06 April 2011

Let's Get Ready ... inside

Everyone is blogging this video ... music for the Neshomala

You can download the album from iTunes. It sounds great.

Getting ready ...



PS When i lived in BP i shopped here and it was a great experience. Mr. Banda is truly a Jew who loves Jews. He takes the common weekly experience and lifts it to another plane, making shopping for Shabbos also holy!

03 April 2011

Its About Time ...


Time to Prepare for Pesach
"Time does not exist. Clocks exist." - wall graffiti

"Today we look at various clocks, watches and means to tell the time, a fleeting continuum that is otherwise invisible and even irrelevant, especially when considered as a disappearing line between absolute concepts of 'past' and 'future'."



















Design: Dale Mathis

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