Parshas Acharei and Morality

Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlit”a on Parashas Acharei / Issue #745 / April 30, 2016

with my (not of the Rabbi) annotations in blue:

You shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, which a man shall do and live by them. Vayikra 17:5l

EVEN THOUGH the parshah begins with the Yom Kippur service, it spends some time discussing forbidden relationships. In fact, this is the section that we read during Minchah on Yom Kippur, because the matters are inherently connected. They have also been a major discussion throughout the history of mankind.

It’s amazing how much they are an issue once again. Nurture, or nature? That’s one argument. Are the moral norms of society naturally human, or were they instilled by earlier generations which, for one reason or another, thought such values were better for society.

That discussion only starts if someone is already holding that the values did not come from God Himself. People who believe that the Torah is not Divine in origin believe that the relationship boundaries within it are manmade, and therefore open for discussion and certainly revision.

The Ministry of Tourism is preparing to invest an impressive NIS 11 million to promote LGBT tourism to Israel. The ministry is planning a campaign targeting multiple countries, including many in Europe, that is intended to promote Israel as a liberal country and entice members of the LGBT community to visit.

If someone believes that God gave the Torah, then clearly there is something inherently “natural” about avoiding certain relationships. God made the world a certain way and set the rules of Creation. He could have made the world any way He wanted with any kind of guidelines. If He forbade certain relationships it is because maintaining such boundaries best further the cause of Creation.

Twitter can make you immoral, claim scientistsSocial networks such as Twitter may blunt people's sense of morality, claim brain scientists. New evidence shows the digital torrent of information from networking sites could have long-term damaging effects on the emotional development of young people's brains. A study suggests rapid-fire news updates and instant social interaction are too fast for the 'moral compass' of the brain to process. [this, no less is from the DailyMail]


Why does it even make a difference?

The first answer is that this is what matters to God. We don’t understand His way of thinking, as it says,

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” says God. (Yeshayahu 55:8)

It is amazing that people do not believe in God. Even more amazing is how people who believe in God think they are smarter than Him. It is equally amazing how people assume that because they are “happier” with something that the Torah forbids that this is justification enough to have it. Happiness at all costs seems to be a popular motto.

First comprehensive study in a decade also shows that 70 percent of Israelis believe the Jews are the 'Chosen People.’ HOWEVER, New Poll (2005) Shows Atheism on Rise, With Jews Found to Be Least Religious Only 38 percent of the Jewish population worldwide considers itself religious, while 54 sees itself as non-religious and 2 percent categorizes itself as atheist.

The Talmud says that every 70 years God brings some kind of disaster to the world to rid it of illegitimate offspring. It may not be obvious to us because they die among many others who die for other reasons. World War II killed over 70 million people, but it certainly did not appear to be for the sake of removing children of illegitimate relationships. This is especially so since many of them may have been adults at the time of the war, and parents of their own children.

World War II killed over 70 million people

How many times has man pursued something because it was “there” and the eventual result was destructive? How many times have people chased after their desires only to find out down the road at what cost? This is the way desire works: eat, drink, and be merry today, and let tomorrow be what it may.

The trouble is that some prohibitions undermine Creation so severely, that the world cannot continue to function if they are perpetrated. Even if the transgressors do not know better, the world cannot bear the burden of such anti-Torah behavior. This forces Creation to have to “reboot” as it did in the time of the Flood, and on a smaller scale in Sdom.

א  וַיָּבֹאוּ שְׁנֵי הַמַּלְאָכִים סְדֹמָה, בָּעֶרֶב, וְלוֹט, יֹשֵׁב בְּשַׁעַר-סְדֹם; וַיַּרְא-לוֹט וַיָּקָם לִקְרָאתָם, וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אַפַּיִם אָרְצָה.

1 And the two angels came to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them; and he fell down on his face to the earth;

ב  וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֶּה נָּא-אֲדֹנַי, סוּרוּ נָא אֶל-בֵּית עַבְדְּכֶם וְלִינוּ וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם, וְהִשְׁכַּמְתֶּם, וַהֲלַכְתֶּם לְדַרְכְּכֶם; וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹּא, כִּי בָרְחוֹב נָלִין.

2 and he said: 'Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your way.' And they said: 'Nay; but we will abide in the broad place all night.'

ג  וַיִּפְצַר-בָּם מְאֹד--וַיָּסֻרוּ אֵלָיו, וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ; וַיַּעַשׂ לָהֶם מִשְׁתֶּה, וּמַצּוֹת אָפָה וַיֹּאכֵלוּ.

3 And he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

ה  וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֶל-לוֹט וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ, אַיֵּה הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר-בָּאוּ אֵלֶיךָ הַלָּיְלָה; הוֹצִיאֵם אֵלֵינוּ, וְנֵדְעָה אֹתָם.

5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him: 'Where are the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.'

THIS WAS TO PERFORM HOMOSEXUALITY

because of these two evil festivals, which opposes and disregards God's will, purpose and festival called Passover, God decided to send His angels to proclaim judgement upon the cities or culture of the Canaanites which was practiced by the people of Sodom and Gomorrah.They celebrated two Canaanite pegan festivals, one on immorality/homosexuality and the other on Ashtereth/Goddess of Easter (wife of Nimrod).

Thus, the fact that illicit relationships do not matter to us does not mean that they do not matter to God, and that He won’t act to prevent them. It may appear to us that chaos in the world has nothing to do with sexual preferences of society when in fact, they are the Divine reason for it.

At the exact same moment that Ichud Yerushalayim took place, the Summer of Ramdom Acts of Promiscuous Immorality began in June of 1967.  Coincidence??  Of course not.  At the same time that about 20% of the Jewish people began their trek toward purity with the beginning of the Ba'al Teshuvah movement, Malkhut Edom's Main Street began its 49 year downward trek toward the Abyss.  In both cases we arrive at the "endpoint" of each 49 year trek is the last week of Sefirat HaOmer this Summer of 5776. http://yearsofawe.blogspot.co.il/2016/02/the-disintegrating-statue-of.html

This should be reason enough to uphold the relationship boundaries set out in the Torah. We don’t understand Divine wisdom enough to tamper with them, and doing so only leads to destruction from Divine wrath. Not every science experiment has gone as planned. Tampering with the spiritual boundaries of Creation is even more dangerous, something we know far less about than the world of science.

We are at the End of Olam HaZeh, the very End. One might not be able to see it because the world right now is run by some awful people who think that they will be around for the next 225 years.  The process of moral decay really began in 1918

And so those 49 years passed as 1/3 of Mankind perverted themselves below Mem Tet Sha'arei tumah (49th level of impurity) leaving 2/3rds of Mankind with furrowed brows watching the world crumble morally beneath their feet.  Then the Motzei Shmittah year 5727 hit, and the Summer of Love of 1967 began to take down the middle third of America and through America the rest of Mankind on another 49 year plunge until the present day where it is no longer an issue of public acts of promiscuity in city parks, but public acts of LGBT lovemaking along with the marriage contracts to recognize these abominations.  So the middle third is now about to plummet through the 49th floor by the end of this summer of 5775 as we crash into the beginning of the 49th Yovel cycle since Ezra HaSofer in 5776 Years of Awe

The bigger question perhaps is why people want to break through the boundaries in the first place? It seems so natural for a man and woman to meet, like each other, and then marry and have children. The Talmud states that the world was made for the sake of procreation, so that would imply that even marriage is for this reason.

The mind and the heart are often at war with each other. Peace of mind, which everyone wants but few people ever achieve in a lasting way, is when they work in tandem. This can occur if a person is ignorant of right or wrong, and does his heart’s bidding. It is only true peace of mind when a person knows right from wrong, is committed to the former, and his heart accepts it as well.

Brainwashing works based upon the relationship of heart and mind. Basically, the idea is to cause the person so much pain that the mind gives up fighting for its rights. The heart is so overwhelming, due to brainwashing techniques, that the mind literally surrenders completely to the heart. It reboots, so-to-speak, leaving the person vulnerable to “education” from his captors as he once was from his parents.

Parents and educators, if they are loving, use the opportunity to “program” their children for good, to give them a fighting chance to not only survive but to thrive. Brainwashers are far from loving, and use the opportunity to program their victims to do their bidding in ways they themselves will not or cannot.

Tiva, desire, has no brains. It just wants. It has a natural attraction to all kinds of things, all of which bring it pleasure. It is not concerned if the pleasure is illicit or not. It just wants the pleasure, and sometimes, as the Talmud says, its illicitness only serves to enhance the pleasure by adding an element of risk. “Stolen waters are sweet,” until the “thief” is caught.


In a healthy person, even if the person is a ba’al tiva, someone who desires much physical pleasure, the mind doesn’t simply look the other way. People know when they are being gluttons and become disgusted with themselves as a result. This is why Amnon hated Tamar more than he desired her once he had his way. He had become lovesick to the point of forcing his way on her, and once he did, he rejected her because he rejected himself.

This is why those who wish to break the Torah’s boundaries must first discredit Torah. They have to delegitimize Torah so that their minds will have less of a problem succumbing to the intense physical desires of their hearts. To be able to live with themselves, they have to make the wrong right, or at least questionable, so that the mind will have less problem with it.

This is also why the Nazis had to first dehumanize the Jews to annihilate them. Even the criminals they freed from jail to become death squads had limits when it came to murdering Jews in cold blood. Before they could involve more “civilized” people in the process of genocide they had to first “brainwash” them into believing that the Jews were subhuman. They had to make them think that they were doing mankind a favor by wiping the Jewish nation out, every last man, woman, and child.

This is what Hitler, ysv”z, said about the Jewish people. He blamed them for imposing morality on mankind. He despised circumcision because of what it represented: sexual discipline and the need to develop oneself to be Godly. He wanted to have fun in life as he defined it. The Torah, vis-a-vis the Jewish people, stood in his way.

Thus, as German society became more open to changing social mores, the door opened to the Holocaust. It may not have been noticeable at first, but it certainly was in the end. Once a society gravitates downhill, every moral obstacle along its path becomes a nuisance and expendable, no matter how innocent.

It’s already happening again. Even though many Jews have joined the ranks of those who wish to abolish Torah standards, it will eventually turn on them as well. It did in the Holocaust. Though a Jew might cease to view himself as a Jew, his enemy never does.

The Campaign to Delegitimize Israel
Delegitimizing the Jewish State
Delegitimizing Jews and the Jewish State: Antisemitism and Anti-Zionism after Auschwitz
3D Test of Anti-Semitism:
Demonization, Double Standards, Delegitimization

All of that, however, is just part of the buildup to God’s reaction. In the end, World War II consumed everyone, Jews and non-Jews alike. The anti-Semites purged the Jews, but Heaven purged the world. The lie persisted, but only until God ran out of patience, so-to-speak.

How much more time will pass before it happens again is anyone’s guess, and everyone’s risk.


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Addenda

We Cannot Survive Without A Nes and The Unthinkable Is About To Happen

British MP called to ethnically cleanse Israeli Jews. MP Naz Shah said all Israeli Jews should be 'relocated' to the US and suggested Britain would pay 'transportation costs.’

Right-wing German party calls for end to kosher slaughtering Popular German right-populist party's platform calls to end religious slaughtering, minarets, Muslim calls to prayer and more

AfD isn't nearly as toxic as the Nazis, to be clear. But its rise is a troubling sign for Germany — and the West in general. Germany held regional elections on Sunday in three states, and the results were shocking. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which ran on a xenophobic, anti-immigrant platform. […] Der Spiegel has a nice map on this, showing the countries where far-right parties have a presence in parliament (yellow dots) or are actually part of the government (red dots). It turns out the xenophobic far right has surged in countries as diverse as Sweden, the UK, the Netherlands, and Hungary.

All Life Begins With a Bright Flash of Light

Creation of the World (Ohr HaGanuz) and 

Creation of New Life of a Baby (Neshoma)

Human life begins in bright flash of light as a sperm meets an egg, scientists have shown for the first time, after capturing the astonishing ‘fireworks’ on film.

An explosion of tiny sparks 
erupts from the egg 
at the exact moment of conception.

Eggs flash as they meet sperm enzyme, capturing the moment that life begins CREDIT: NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Telegraph:  Scientists had seen the phenomenon occur in other animals but it is the first time is has been also shown to happen in humans.

“To see the zinc radiate out in a burst 

from each human egg was breathtaking.”

Professor Teresa Woodruff, Northwestern University

Not only is it an incredible spectacle, highlighting the very moment that a new life begins, the size of the flash can be used to determine the quality of the fertilised egg.

Researchers from Northwestern University, in Chicago, noticed that some of the eggs burn brighter than others, showing that they are more likely to produce a healthy baby.

The bright flash occurs because when sperm enters and egg it triggers calcium to increase which releases zinc from the egg. As the zinc shoots out, it binds to small molecules which emit a fluorescence which can be picked up my camera microscopes.

Over the last six years this team has shown that zinc controls the decision to grow and change into a completely new genetic organism.

..............................................

Light Burst

God saw that the light was good, 

and God separated 

between the light and the darkness. (Bereishis 1:4)

[T]he hiding of the Original Light was more sophisticated [...] as the Leshem explains:

He made a separation in the illumination of the light, that it should not flow or give off light except for the righteous, whose actions draw it down and make it shine. However, the actions of the evil block it, leaving them in darkness, and this itself was the hiding of the light. (Sefer HaKlallim, Klal 18, Anaf 8, Os 4). So, yes, the Ohr HaGanuz was hidden on the first day of Creation.

Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlit"a in Parshas Vayigash

"In the future HKBH Will Remove the Sun from its Sheath and it Will Burn the Reshaim . . ."

Volcanic Activity on Earth, as One Manifestation of Atmospheric Changes

According to the Sky Watch 11 Video as seen on ShiratDevorah there is a diagram of the Magnetosphere that shows the change in magnetic flow surrounding our Sun. In essence, it shows a REVERSAL of the magnetic flow, and shows the PROTECTIVE COVER deflecting these magnetic rays away from the sun NOT TO BE THERE. One should view the video to grasp what this means.

Regular Magnetosphere flow above, and 

Reversal of flow below:

The Midrash (1) states that “there is a sheath around the sun” and explains this to be the meaning of the verse: “He has set up a tent for the sun” (Psalms 19:5).

Hidabroot Explains: Dr. N. Vidal, a senior astronomer at the Greenwich Observatory in England, Professor of Astronomy at Australia’s National University and a visiting professor at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics at Harvard University, Massachusetts, explains:

“The sun is a giant ball of gas, whose outermost temperature is 6000 °C (10,832 °F). Gases at much higher temperatures flow beneath the surface. According to our estimates, the temperature continues to rise as we approach the center of the sun, where it reaches 15,000,000 °C! Today, we picture the center of the sun as a type of ‘nuclear reactor’ that releases vast quantities of heat, which make their way slowly outward. As it moves out, the strength of this heat diminishes until it reaches the surface layer, where it is ‘only’ 6000 °C. The extremely high temperatures within the sun cause gas storms of tremendous proportions, which form waves that crash against the surface gases with unbelievable force. These outer layers themselves absorb the heat being radiated from within the sun, and restrain the shockwaves caused by these waves striking it. We call this outer layer, ‘the sheath.’

IS THIS SKY WATCH VIDEO REVEALING THE REMOVAL OF THE SHEATH AROUND THE SUN That Prophecies Predict?

"In the future HKBH will remove the sun from its sheath and it will burn the reshaim . . ."

AbsoluteTruth: several verses in Malachi (3:19-20), the closing of the book of prophets, where the prophet describes the end of days. The verse states: “The day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the wicked people and the evildoers will be like straw and Hashem will burn them up and totally consume them. But a sun of righteousness and healing will shine for those who fear my name, with healing in its rays…”

This might lead to various changes to our Earth. One such effect could be the following increase in volcanic activity around the Globe. I removed the list but added a link, because the list was eating up my blog space online.

List and map of currently active volcanoes. The following list of volcanos fall into these 4 categories:
=major eruption  =erupting  =minor activity / eruption warning  =unrest

Some Chol HaMoed Outings

Chol HaMoed Outings – Choose those appropriate for your family:

In honor of the Intermediate Days, Arutz Sheva has prepared a list of family-oriented events unfolding across the country, from Sunday through Wednesday.

Ancient Shilo - Shilo - at the heart of Samaria, explore the ruins of the village where the Mishkan (Tabernacle) once stood - in the first capital city of Ancient Israel. Family fun for all ages. Open Sunday through Wednesday from 9:00 am - 6:00 pm.

Birkat Kohanim (Priestly Blessing) - Jerusalem - Tens of thousands flood Jerusalem every year for this special blessing during Chol HaMoed Pesach and Sukkot. On Monday morning, Chief Rabbis David Lau and Yitzhak Yosef will hold a special welcoming event at the first Birkat Kohanim for Chol HaMoed at the Western Wall.

Family fun event, Seven Arches Hotel, Jerusalem - On Monday, the Seven Arches Hotel on the Mount of Olives will be hosting a family fun day, including a performance from the children's band Prachei Yerushalayim (lit. 'Flowers of Jerusalem') and appearances by artists Yishai Lapidot, Idan Amedi, and Yishai Rivo.

Sidewalk paintings, city of Jerusalem - 13 different sidewalk murals from artists based in Israel and abroad are being displayed across the city throughout the entire month of Nissan.
The Herodian, Gush Etzion - this incredible ancient Israelite fortress is holding family-friendly tours, workshops, and presentations throughout the holiday, including a series of survivalist workshops.
Workshops and activities in Gush Etzion will be available throughout the holiday, including a special workshop for young engineers in Alon Shvut, tractor rides between Gush Etzion communities, and special cards covering all activities at Deer Lands Farm.

Cave of the Patriarchs and Jewish Quarter, Hevron - the Jewish community of Hevron urges the public to visit during the holiday; Arutz Sheva will cover the main event in honor of Pesach on Monday. The event honors 50 years since the Six-Day War - and the liberation of Judea and Samaria (Shomron), the heart of Israel.

Family scavenger hunt, Hevron Hills - a family scavenger hunt and tour is being hosted in the Yattir Forest on Monday and Tuesday, from 10:00am - 5:00pm. Participants will be guided from point to point with a special smartphone app.

Katif Center, Nitzan - the Katif center offers families the chance to learn more about the former communities of Gudh Katif. The center will be open Monday and Tuesday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Hamat Geder Nature Preserve, Yarmouk Valley (North) - Mini safaris, views to the Gilad and Golan area, and a prime spot for bird-watching, Hamat Geder invites the whole family to visit during the holiday.

Yitzhak Rabin center, Tel Aviv - The Yitzhak Rabin center is hosting a special exhibit about the 1976 Entebbe operation during the holiday; free of charge. Open Sunday through Wednesday.

Children's theater festival, Haifa - for the 26th year running, Haifa will be hosting a children's festival in the city, this year featuring over 200 plays and artists. Mini-plays will be running in the city streets all day long, free of charge, from Sunday through Thursday.

"Itbach al Yahud" – "Butcher the Jews"

"Itbach al Yahud" – "Butcher the Jews" 

– and not the "Israelis" or the "Zionists"

I am sorry to tell you that the terror attacks we from which we suffer today and yesterday, a week ago, a month, a year and a decade and century ago, are all part of the same war, the same struggle, the same Jihad waged against us by our neighbors for over a century. Sometimes it is a full scale war with tanks, noise, flames, planes and ships and sometimes it is a war on a slow burner known as "terror" with explosions, stabbings and shots.

Each of these is Jihad in Arabic, each is aimed at Jews just for being Jewish.

Anti-Semite trashes Williamsburg shul

I regret to remind you of the fact that this war began way before the establishment of the Jewish state declared in 1948. The riots and massacres of 1920, 1921, 1929, 1936-39 et al, were not due to a Jewish state or what our enemies call the "occupation" of 1948, and certainly not because of the 1967 "occupation". The bloody and cruel massacre of the Jews of Hevron in 1929 was carried out against Jews who were not part of the Zionist movement, quite the contrary. The Palestine Liberation Movement (Fatah) was founded, may I remind you, in 1959 and The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in 1964, years before the 1967 "occupation" that was a result of Israel winning the Six Day War.

I hate to point out to you that the shouts we heard, mainly in the 1948 War of Independence, were "Itbach al Yahud" – "Butcher the Jews" – and not the "Israelis" or the "Zionists," because their problem is with the Jews who refuse to be dependent on the mercy of Islam, refuse to live as dhimmi, protected ones, the way Islam mandates for Jews and Christians. In the Arab world, children still sing (in Arabic): "Palestine is our country and the Jews are our dogs." The dog, in Islamic tradition, is an unclean animal. Sharia law stipulates that if a Muslim is praying and a dog, pig, woman, Jew or Christian walks in front of him, his prayers are worthless and he must begin the entire ritual once again.

It is not pleasant to tell you this, but Israel's enemies' most popular chant is (in Arabic) – "Kyber, Khyber O Jews, Mohammed's army will yet return." Khyber is an oasis in the Arabian Peninsula that was populated by Jews until Mohammed slaughtered them in 626 C.E. The chant commemorates that event and threatens a repeat performance. The Jews, according to the Koran (Sura 5, verse 82) are the most hostile enemies of the Moslems. Verse 60 states that Allah's curse and fury upon them turned them into monkeys and pigs. Since when do monkeys and pigs have the right to a state? Since when are they entitled to sovereignty?

Despite what you think, peace with Egypt was achieved only after Sadat realized that despite Arab efforts to destroy Israel in the 1948 War of Independence, the 1956 Sinai Campaign, the 1967 Six Day War, 1970 War of Attrition, and even the 1973 Yom Kippur War that took Israel by surprise, the Jewish state managed to push back all the Arab armies and bring the war to their territory. That is why Sadat understood that Israel is not conquerable and that there is no choice other than making peace, even if this peace is temporary and based on the precedent of the 628 C.E. Hudabiya Peace in which Mohammed gave a 10 year hiatus to the infidels of Mecca, but broke it at the end of two years when they fell asleep on the watch.

Yassir Arafat did not sign the Oslo Accords because he believed in peace, but because, calling it the "Hudabiya peace," he saw the agreements as a Trojan horse that would hoodwink the Jews. The only objective of the Oslo Accords was to create a Palestinian entity with an army and weapons that would be used to destroy Israel when the time was ripe. He repeated this constantly, but our decision makers explained that he is only saying it for domestic consumption, and when suicide bombers set themselves off in our streets, the victims were called "victims of peace."

Since when does peace require victims? And when will the rifles we allowed them to obtain be turned on us?

It saddens me to tell you that all of Israel's efforts to please the Hamas Gazans failed, and Hamas went on from being a terrorist organization to becoming a terrorist state. Deathly rockets, attack tunnels, suicide bombers - all are considered legitimate in the eyes of Gaza's Jihadist government, so to hell with the lives of the men, women and children living there, and to hell with their welfare, health and assets. The Gazans are pawns in the hands of Hamas, the Jihad and the Salafists, all of whom appointed themselves the liaison between the residents of Gaza and Paradise, having already given them a taste of hell on earth.

You were wrong again – basing your policy on pipe dreams, delusions and hopes instead of on facts and figures. It pains me to tell all the soul-weary peace seekers in Israel and the world, that the concrete and iron that you forced us to give the Jihadists in Gaza in order to rebuild their destroyed homes, were used to build tunnels of death both to Gazans and Israelis. Instead of building hospitals, schools and infrastructure, the Jihadists built an infrastructure of death, suffering and disaster.

You were wrong again – basing your policy on pipe dreams, delusions and hopes instead of on facts and figures. Analysts, including me, are not entirely blameless: they said in wondrous harmony that when Hamas has to bear the responsibility for food, electricity and welfare in Gaza, its leaders will become more moderate, realistic and pragmatic.

We were wrong: Hamas, despite leaving the opposition in order to rule, has not ceased its Jihad against Israel and has not removed Israel from the top of its list of priorities, nor has it changed in the slightest its wholly negative view of the "Zionist entity."

I hate to ruin the "two states for two peoples" party, but I must, because what is happening in Gaza today is exactly what will happen to the second Palestinian state you are trying to establish in Judea and Samaria. Hamas will be the winner of elections for the legislature, as they were in Gaza in January 2006, and will win the presidential elections as well. If they don't they will take over all of Judea and Samaria in a violent putsch, just as they did in Gaza in 2007. And when that happens, what will you say? "Ooops…we didn't know…we couldn't imagine…?" So now you know and do not have to extrapolate. This should be your working hypothesis. If Gaza's Hamas is digging tunnels of death in the sand today, it will be digging through rocks to build them from Judea and Samaria – and let's see you find them and blow them up when that happens.

And to anyone with a short memory, let me refresh it: In July 2014, Hamas managed to shut Ben Gurion Airport for a day by launching rockets from Gaza. If and when they gain control of Judea and Samaria, they will be able to shut Ben Gurion down with a slingshot, and will be able to overlook all the runways from the Beit Arye heights. Anyone who does not believe me should get into his car and drive to the top of the hills to the east of Ben Gurion Airport, located in "conquered, occupied territory" (conquered from whom, precisely?).

Due to Israel's wind conditions, most of the planes that land in Ben Gurion approach from the east, cruising right over those very same hills. Will Hamastan allow planes headed for Israel to circle and approach landing from above its territory? Just what price will Israel have to pay after an RPG or machine gun shoots down one El Al plane, G-d forbid? Will we offer them Jerusalem so as to calm them down?

And if we are already talking about Jerusalem, what will you do when the State of Hamas presents you with an ultimatum: Jerusalem or war? The Temple Mount or we shut down Ben Gurion Airport? And when the world supports their demand for Jerusalem, letting Israel pay the price of calming down radical Islam, what will you say? And when the snipers go back to shooting at passersby on Jerusalem streets from the walls of the Old City as their Jordanian brothers did until 1967, where will you hide? Behind concrete walls? A security fence? Or will you simply move Israel's capital city to Tel Aviv?

I am sorry to disappoint you but the worst thing that ever happened to Israel's hopes for peace was the rise of the peace movements, those calling for Israel to establish a terror state in Judea and Samaria and give up East Jerusalem for it. In the Middle East, he who expresses a desire for peace, talks about his yearning for peace and offers his land and country as bribery in exchange for a paper which has the word "peace" on it, is looked upon as someone who lost a war and is begging for his life.

[me: This is a good spot to refer you to Shilo Musings post by Caroline Glick:  Israel's Estranged Generals. So apropos.]

The peace movements turned Israel's image into that of a weak and soft defeatist country, the exact opposite of the kind of country that achieves peace in the Middle East. In the violent and radical region where Israel is trying to survive, anyone considered weak gets kicked, you know exactly where, and is sent to hell in the best case, or butchered and beheaded as a matter of course.

In the Middle East, peace means that your enemies leave you alone because you are too strong, threatening and dangerous to start up with. In the Middle East only the unvanquished obtain peace.

Anyone who does not accept these facts, who is not ready for "blood, sweat and tears," he who impatiently demands "Peace Now" does not belong in the Middle East. Here, we have room only for the brave, the strong, the steadfast and those who believe in the justice of their cause. Anyone who lacks those traits can find a suitable home somewhere else, where life is peaceful, quiet, prosperous and blooming. May we suggest Paris, Brussels, Madrid, Boston or San Bernardino….

Kosher and happy Passover wishes to all the Children of Israel!

Written for Arutz Sheva by Dr. Mordechai Kedar


Dr. Mordechai Kedar is a senior lecturer in the Department of Arabic at Bar-Ilan University. He served in IDF Military Intelligence for 25 years, specializing in Arab political discourse, Arab mass media, Islamic groups and the Syrian domestic arena. Thoroughly familiar with Arab media in real time, he is frequently interviewed on the various news programs in Israel.

The Message of the Seder Night

On Seder Night, Jewish fathers and mothers are supposed to tell their children the truth – that their future is not in Brooklyn or Brussels, but in the Land of Israel. In the same way that Hashem didn’t want us to continue living in Egypt, He doesn’t want us to continue living in Brooklyn or Brussels today. Hashem gave us the Land of Israel to live in. He took us out of Egypt and brought us to the Land which He promised to our Forefathers. He told Moses and the Jewish People, over and over, that the Torah was to be lived in the Land of Israel, not in gentile lands.

That is the message of the Seder Night. That is what we are supposed to teach our children – that we don’t belong in foreign, gentile lands. A Jew belongs in Israel.

All of this is simple and straightforward, right? You don’t have to be a genius to figure out from the Bible that Hashem wants the Jewish People, the Children of Israel, to live in the Land of Israel. It’s written there at least 500 times. That’s the whole story. It’s as simple as two plus two

Then why don’t the Jews in the Diaspora, understand? Why don’t they teach this simple message to their kids on Seder Night? Year after year, when they read the Passover story, and munch on their matzot and lettuce, don’t they sense that the Land of Israel is missing? Unfortunately, the answer is no. What could be missing? They have beautiful Pesach dinnerware, and gefilte fish until it comes out of their ears, and Passover cruises to San Juan and Hawaii. To their way of thinking, they are already free men! The Redemption is already complete! Passover is a nice historical story for the kids, but it doesn’t have any meaning today. Don’t bother them with messages. Drink the four cups and be merry!

That’s what happens when a Jew eats gefilte fish in gentile countries for nearly two-thousand years. He stops thinking like a Jew. He stops believing in the words of the Haggadah and in the words of the prayer, “Next year in Jerusalem.” For him, “Next year in Jerusalem,” becomes a slogan without meaning. The Torah turns into a list of precepts, and loses its entire national goal of building the Jewish Nation in Israel.

To a Jew who identifies with the foreign country he lives in, Judaism means keeping the other commandments, being a good person, and living a good life in Brooklyn, Brussels, or Beverly Hills. Forgotten is Hashem’s command to live in the Land of Israel. Forgotten is the commandment to establish a Jewish Kingdom in Israel with a Jewish king, and Sanhedrin, and Jewish army, and Temple.

A visit to Jerusalem – maybe. But live there? You’ve got to be out of your mind!

Readers who live in Israel will understand what I am saying. But Jews in the Diaspora will not. That’s because they live in foreign countries and identify with foreign things. That’s their exile. They aren’t free to think clearly. That’s the meaning of, “Now we are here in exile; next year may we be in the Land of Israel. Now we are slaves; next year may we be free men!”

A Jew in America thinks like an American. He thinks that America offers him everything he needs for himself and his family. He gets goosebumps when he stands up at the ballpark to sing the National Anthem. He thinks that he has already discovered the land of freedom. That’s because he lives in the spiritual and cultural darkness of America, just like the Jews lived in the darkness of Egypt until Hashem forced them to leave.

So, my dear brothers and sisters in America, and Europe, and Australia, and Mexico City, this Pesach, try something new. Teach your children the truth.

NEXT YEAR IN ISRAEL, PART II

Maccabeats on Passover

DO I WANT TO LEAVE EGYPT?

BS"D

DO I WANT TO LEAVE EGYPT?

What a question! Of course I want to leave! Moses is here with us, along with his brother Aaron. You’re asking if I want to leave with them? They are going to write about us in the Torah, in the Haggadah! This is the greatest moment in history!

Yes … I am asking, and I will tell you why: because eighty percent of the Jewish People never left Egypt! (See Rashi to Exodus 13:18; 10:22) But why on earth would anyone want to miss out on the greatest event in history?

The Chofetz Chaim said that we will be able to understand the events of the Final Redemption from what happened at the Exodus from Egypt, so it is crucial for us, some 3,300 years later, to understand precisely what happened. Why would any Jew have wanted to stay in Egypt?

Let’s try to answer by asking a question: What is chometz (leavening)? What is so important about getting rid of chometz that we cannot have Passover without it? Why is getting rid of chometz crucial to freedom from slavery?

In Egypt, there was no checking for chometz. We just ran! We had no time. Only after we left Egypt did the command take effect to “nullify the leaven” (Exodus 12:15). But we did not leave Egypt with chometz. Why did we have to leave the chometz behind?

Here’s how I see it.

It was very hard to leave Egypt. And it will be very hard – even harder, I am sure! – to leave our present exile to greet the Messiah. I don’t think we begin to understand the gravitational power pulling us toward impurity. The Evil Inclination is like the irresistible gravitational force of the sun, which keeps the entire solar system tethered in place. The sun is ninety-two-million miles away, yet it keeps the earth in its exact position. “Indeed, the world is fixed so that it cannot falter” (Psalm 96). It is impossible – if you are a planet – to break away from this force.

But we are not planets! If you are a person, you are endowed with free will and you can choose to resist the “irresistible.” It is very difficult, but this is why G-d gave us free will, to “choose life” and not death. The Vilna Gaon said that the coming of man into this world is in order to test him whether he will listen to the Evil Inclination (Esther 1:19).

Let’s get back to chometz. The Torah is not telling us not to eat. The Torah is telling us that our entire purpose in this world is to serve G-d. Therefore, our eating, as well as all our actions, must reflect that purpose. Eating exercises a particularly strong influence on mankind. The Vilna Gaon also said that “the Evil Inclination comes primarily through eating and contentment” (Proverbs 7:1).

Any time eating becomes an end in itself we get into deep trouble. Look at history: all suffering in the world came about precisely because Eve and Adam had a desire to eat a particular fruit! In Shushan, the capitol of Persia, the entire Jewish Nation was brought to the brink of destruction because they enjoyed a banquet, and the food was even kosher!

In Egypt G-d showed us how to save ourselves. He instructed us that our survival depends not on satisfying our desires but on adhering to His Word. As Samuel the Prophet says, “to obey is better than a choice offering…” (I Samuel 15:22).

It requires cosmic levels of discipline to elevate ourselves to the point at which we can merit liberation from slavery. Today we are challenged tremendously on this issue. We are gravitationally pulled to subordinate our service of the Master of the Universe to our personal desires. Why else are we called upon, at least twice a day, to “remember all the commandments of G-d and perform them, and not explore after your heart and after your eyes after which you stray”?

Our “hearts and eyes” desire challah and cake and pizza, but we can live on matzah. When we are fleeing from danger, we must somehow comprehend that this world is not about challah; this world is about serving G-d. All sweetness, all life, all pleasure, all freedom, all knowledge comes through Him. G-d is One and His Name is One. He is everything! In the crunch, when life hangs by a thread, we need to eat, but we don’t need to eat challah.

Did Adam and Eve have pleasure from the forbidden fruit? They believed that following their desires would yield pleasure, but in fact all they received was pain; the “delicious fruit” became dust and ashes. Through matzah we inherit worlds upon worlds of true pleasure, freedom from troubles, and never-ending happiness in an eternal relationship with the Master of the Universe.

There are stories about prisoners of war, who – after years of subjugation – began to believe their captors were their saviors. Your mind can become warped by slavery until you love what enslaves you. This happened to four-fifths of the Jewish People in Egypt! But if we exert our strength to free ourselves, G-d will send the Messiah to save us!

“Pesach” with a letter “samech” refers to the holiday in which we were freed from Egypt. “Pesach” with a letter “sof” means “opening.” Perhaps the Torah is hinting that Matzah is our opening.

“You shall eat it in haste” (Exodus 12:11) because our one job in this world is to run to Him! “We run and they run. We run to the life of the World to Come while they run to the well of destruction!” (Hadran) May our choosing to eat this thin, beaten-down food open the gate through which we return to the Garden of Eden and the Life of the World to Come, freedom from exile and freedom from troubles, a world of purity and joy in which Torah rules and the barrier between us and our Creator is removed forever.

Chag kasher v’Sameach - A kosher and joyous holiday!

© Copyright 2016 by Roy S. Neuberger

Roy Neuberger's latest book, WORKING TOWARD MOSHIACH, is now available worldwide in Jewish bookstores and online at www.2020vision.co.il as well as amazon and fedlheim.com. His book 2020 VISION is available in ENGLISH, HEBREW, SPANISH, FRENCH, GEORGIAN and RUSSIAN.
Roy is also the author of FROM CENTRAL PARK TO SINAI: How I Found My Jewish Soul, available in ENGLISH, HEBREW, GEORGIAN and RUSSIAN, and WORLDSTORM: Finding Meaning & Direction Amidst Today's World Crisis.
ROY AND HIS WIFE SPEAK PUBLICLY ON TOPICS RELATED TO HIS BOOKS AND ARTICLES.
Roy may be reached at: info@2020vision.co.il. Website: www.2020vision.co.il

Pesach in Egypt

An Oldie but Goodie, as they say:

CITY OF DAVID PESACH TOURS

Each Pesach season the City of David offers TOURS especially for children, and Adults. Here are some and one can find more at

CITY OF DAVID PESACH TOURS

Tour the City of David with Dee Dee Exciting New Attraction Especially for Kids – Tour the City of David with Dee Dee. 
Help Dee Dee find his way through the site, while discovering hidden stories and bringing ancient characters to life.
Read More HERE

Biblical City of David
Biblical City of David Tour- Passover 2016 A Journey through Time to the Place Where it all Began…
Read More HERE

From the City of David to the Western Wall
The Temple Mount Ascent - Passover 2016: City of David-Western Wall Corner A New Guided Tour of the Most Recent Discoveries from the Second Temple Period.
Read More HERE

ALSO NOT TO MISS

Absalom’s Tomb Free: Experience the Kidron Valley - From Absalom’s Pillar to the Siloam Pool
Tour the biblical Valley of the Kings where the Jewish pilgrims passed through on their way to the Temple, and if you so choose, walk through the cool waters of Hezekiah’s Tunnel and explore the City of David at a reduced price!

Experience the excitement of a brand new tour. It’s a combination of the well-known water hike through Hezekiah’s Tunnel at the City of David with an enjoyable visit to the biblical Valley of the Kings, where pilgrims passed through on their way to the Temple during ancient times.

This new route includes an array of new attractions and entrance to the City of David at a discounted price.

The tour begins with a breathtaking view of the Mount of Olives. Stop at Absalom’s Tomb, a grandiose burial monument from the days of the Temple, for a rest stop. In the shade of the mountain, you will hear melodious authentic music and laugh at a short theatrical performance by a “biblical” actor who will bring you back to the days of the past.

Along the length of the route, you can stop and participate in various workshops and attractions that are all free of charge: camel riding, flute making, basket weaving and a musical circle.

A short walk through the Kidron Valley will lead you to the Gihon Plaza, where you can enter the best water attraction in Jerusalem – walking through Hezekiah’s Tunnel by the light of your flashlights, all the way to the Siloam Pool.

Entrance to the tunnel is offered at a special discounted price for visitors continuing from this tour. Tickets are available at the Mount of Olives Information Center at the beginning of the tour route, or at the entrance to the tunnel from the Gihon Plaza. There is also a dry tunnel for those who prefer not to walk through the water.

The tour is offered Sunday – Wednesday, 16th of Nissan – 19th of Nissan, April 24 – 27
From 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Tickets to enter Hezekiah’s Tunnel can be purchased between 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM.

Important Information: PLEASE SEE THE SITE FOR ALL PERTINENT INFORMATION

A shuttle service will be available for those coming to the Passover in the Kidron Festival. You can park your car for a flat all-day rate at the Ammunition Hill parking lot and enjoy the round-trip free shuttle service straight to the Mount of Olives Information Center! The shuttle leaves the Ammunition Hill parking lot between 10:30 AM and 7:30 PM ever half an hour.

Sign up for REMINDERS – to Say Sefirat HaOmer via email or iPhone, and Others

Seguloh for Hatzlucha & Refuah 
- Tried and tested!

Say these 8 chapters of Tehillim for Hatzlucha / Refuah.
(go to above link)

For Other Reminders and
SEFIRAT HAOMER

(go to above link)

Parshas Hamon

Birkas Hamazon

Me'en Sholosh

Mincha Maariv

Krias Shema

Tefillas Ha'Sheloh

Igeres HaRamban

Tehillim

Segulos

Tefillas HaDerech

Lag Bomer Songs
(go to above link)

Building of the Third Temple

The Temple Institute is dedicated to elevating public awareness in preparation for the building of the Third Temple. Hundreds of thousands from all over the world identify with the cause, and send hefty donations to assist the institute in implimenting its dream. Infolive.tv spoke with Rabbi Chaim Richman about the work being done at the institute, why so many identify with the cause, and whether the rebuilding of the Temple will bring peace to the world

G–D is Bringing the Ten Plagues . . .

Witness the Plagues of Egypt Again, 

Now, Before Pesach

"Ruler of the World interferes with freedom of choice without us noticing. If we notice, if we think a little bit about what is going on in heaven and the world, we will see, hear, and understand G-d's actions in the world and what He is doing in the entire world. G-d is bringing the ten plagues, every minute all over the earth, using the forces of nature, natural disasters, earthquakes, fire, floods, harsh winds, conflicts between countries and among themselves (....) Reb Nir Ben Artzi

All events happened between April 10 and April 16:  Japan, California, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Chili, the UK, Texas (a plague of hail
INSIDE their home). 

Mystical Dimension of the Seder Plate

The Passover Seder is replete with revealed and hidden significance. The following is a brief outline of the mystical dimension of the Seder Plate. By Rabbi Yitzchak Ginsburgh

Z’roah (“Arm”–Shankbone)

Corresponding to the sefirah of chesed, lovingkindness, the Z’roah represents G-d’s outstretched arm to redeem His People. We are thus reminded to emulate this trait, and to display lovingkindness toward G-d’s creations.

Beitzah (Egg)

Corresponding to the sefirah of gevurah, awe, the beitzah represents our awe of G-d and awakens our commitment to Torah and Mitzvot. Two separate verses guide us in our service of G-d. The first says, “Ivdu et Hashem b’simcha,” “Serve G-d with joy.” The second enjoins us to serve G-d with awe and to rejoice with trembling. The inner dimension of this awe is joy.

Maror (Bitter Herbs)

Corresponding to the sefirah of tiferet, beauty and mercy, the maror represents the bitterness of the trials and tribulations of this world, and our prayers which arouse G-d’s great and infinite mercy to redeem us.

Charoset

This mixture of apples, pears, nuts and wine traditionally symbolizes the brick and mortar used by the Hebrew slaves in Egypt. Corresponding to the sefirah of netzach, victory, the charoset represents our confidence in the strength which G-d gives us to succeed in life’s endeavors.

Karpas (Greens)

Corresponding to the sefirah of hod, thanksgiving, the karpas represents our sincere thanksgiving for all the good G-d bestows upon us, particularly, on this evening, our redemption from Egypt.

Chazeret (Bitter Herbs)

Corresponding to the sefirah of yesod, foundation, the chazeret reminds us of our strongest existential connection to G-d in all situations of life. This is a state of continual repentance, chazarah (“return”–same root aschazeret) b’teshuvah.

Three Matzot

Corresponding to the sefirot chochmah, binah and da’at (chabad), the matzot represent our meditation and knowledge of G-d in an inner state of bitul, self-nullification. The matzot also remind us to continually be aware of Jewish continuity through our love for all Jews, who are divided into the three categories of Cohen, Levi and Israel (which correspond to the three matzot).

Four Cups of Wine

The ability to flow freely and connect all these levels together is accomplished by drinking the four cups of wine on the Seder night. “When wine enters the secret emerges.”

The Recital of the Haggadah

The revelation of the secret is the recital of the Haggadah of Pesach, relating and revealing the wonders that G-d lavished upon His people, Israel.

With blessings for a kosher and happy Pesach

Exciting, Uplifting, Promising and Revealing Message

Here with is the full message from the AbsoluteTruth. Reserve personal opinions and read the message which is uplifting and promising, as well as very revealing.

A Very Exciting Message from 

Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, Shlita, Parashat Pesach, 

9 Nissan 5776 (17/4/16)

בס"ד

Father in Heaven, Ruler of the World interferes with freedom of choice without us noticing. If we notice, if we think a little bit about what is going on in heaven and the world, we will see, hear, and understand G-d's actions in the world and what He is doing in the entire world. G-d is bringing the ten plagues, every minute all over the earth, using the forces of nature, natural disasters, earthquakes, fire, floods, harsh winds, conflicts between countries and among themselves. The Russians are mocking the US - evil is eating at itself.

In Israel, the land is developing and growing without anyone noticing. A cloud of fire surrounds the borders of Israel and G-d is protecting Israel, the Holy Land, from heaven.

G-d is taking down all of the Arab countries and causing harm to the security, social structure, and economy of every country that bothers Israel and the Jews in Israel.

G-d is creating anti-Semitism around the world to banish the Jews from Africa, Asia, and America. G-d is bringing refugees from Africa, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, and more countries to cover Europe and the United States to banish the Jews from their homes and work, and to bring them to the holy land. If they understand now, it will be good, if not, they will lose their property, their homes, and their lives will be in constant danger.

Arab countries that almost conquered Israel in the Yom Kippur war have been fighting each other for five years. G-d is fighting for Israel! The government is not functioning - signs of the Messiah, refugees in Europe - signs of the Messiah, anti-Semitism in the world - signs of the Messiah, all of the Arab countries are being destroyed - signs of the Messiah, the beautiful winter in Israel, the real estate that is growing in the holy land, bridges and roads are being built, there is work, protection for Israel - all signs of the Messiah, preparation for his revealing!

The righteous that are buried in Israel are moving in their graves, and those in the heavens are preparing for the horns to sound, announcing the crowning of the Messiah King!

Do not belittle Israel, the holy land is G-d's first born, Israel was born first. G-d gave it to the Jews and it has everything! There is no sickness; there is all the good that man could want, the state of Israel is heaven. The sickness in Israel comes from the outside, there is work for everyone and all is good.

What is missing? Kindness, giving, joy, and G-d-fearing, these are what need to increase.

The borders of Israel are protected by a cloud of fire and G-d is guarding from above. During the holidays and Sabbath, G-d is closer to His children.

The government of Israel and IDF must be united. There are those who think that if they are soft and do nice things to please the gentiles, they will change and support the government of Israel. The gentiles will continue to hate the Jews in Israel and the world forever, nothing will change that. The Arabs want Israel, they are jealous of the Jews living in Israel.

The rain that fell is not for nothing, it reveals the Arabs' hiding places to the IDF.

The government and IDF must not trust Hamas and the Palestinians, they are waiting for us to be complacent and then they plan to attack.

The United States is all noise, inside and out, it is empty. They are only interested in the elections and Obama is traveling the world. The US can't do what Russia can do.

Russia is always showing power and control, even against the US. They are playing the US, training and always ready for battle.

The Palestinians and Hamas are pretending to be weak so that people feel sorry for them; it is the way of the snake.

The Arabs have a lot of land to hold millions of people and they want the Holy Land. Jews, watch over yourselves, don't count on a miracle.

Egypt - nothing will help them, Saudi Arabia will eat them up. Egyptians are starving; Sisi is selling parts of Egypt for work and food. The Saudis are the worst extremists. The evil will come to Egypt from Sinai desert. ISIS and Hamas are there, there are united and their plan is to destroy Egypt. The Egyptians don't want Sisi, Arabs are like a snake eating a snake.

Syria is falling apart. You must not release even a centimeter of the Golan Heights because there will never be a country in Syria, only chaos. Watch over the borders of Israel!

Turkey has no control over ISIS and what's going on there, they are losing and ISIS is laughing at all of Europe. People don't understand that ISIS is in every country that at any second a million new ISIS members can rise. The refugees running from Africa are infiltrating Europe. Arduan agreed to take refugees and got money for that, and the refugees are running towards Europe. Even the Christians in Europe will get in trouble with the refugees.

Iraq continues to be destroyed.

Jordan's king is scared and watching over himself, waiting for the US to help him - he is delusional.

Every country in the world wants to benefit from the knowledge of the Jews in Israel. The entire world exists only thanks to Israel. Every patent invented is from the Jewish mind.

Diaspora Jews, G-d is speaking to you endlessly: there was exile, He exiled you after the destruction of the Temple and now He wants you to come to salvation, to Israel urgently! "Don't say that I didn't warn you". The state of Israel didn't start thousands of years ago, it started in 1948, and since then the exile was over! You in exile are stubborn and things will get worse.

Those who commit adultery, steal, cheat, take bribes, and live on the backs of others are being revealed by G-d in Israel and the world. G-d is revealing the officials and dealing with the non-officials quietly. The ancient snake is wounded; it is dying and losing its power to interfere with the world. Because the power of impurity is going to disappear from the world, all of the bad things are being revealed because he can't keep them anymore, he is going and disappearing! The power of purity is growing!

Jewish parents must watch over their children from alcohol abuse, drugs, gambling, and assimilation.

Passover is the holiday of freedom and joy. What is freedom? It is the choice of man. G-d is helping you obey the commandments. If you don't obey them, there are ten plagues. The choice of man on the holiday of freedom begins with Passover; in heaven, Passover starts a new year.

A kosher and happy Passover is not just cleaning the house from the inside, it is also cleaning the body, spirit and soul so that we are kosher and pure for G-d and ready to accept the Messiah!

Passover is a good holiday, a holiday of joy, a holiday of redemption and the Messiah! On Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot, G-d wakes us up so that we change and are ready for Passover, so that we are worthy to see the Messiah!

G-d is taking the reins Himself! He is no longer waiting for a full awakening from below to bring the Messiah King from above. Everything requires awakening below so that there is awakening above. G-d has waited a long time for the greats of Israel to wake up, to cry out and tell people that this is the time of redemption and the crowning of the Messiah King, but they act like they don't care, it is too much for them. So G-d took things in His own hands and isn't waiting anymore for awakening, G-d is awakening things from above to below to crown the Messiah King!


Courtesy of the site "Tair Neri"


NOTE: Please see the addition to Something is Terribly Not Right in Chelm

A Very Important Message – Stumbling Into Avoda Zora

This is from Dov Bar Lieb and his Days of Awe blog. This should be taken by all as awareness of involuntary stumbling into avoda zarah.

From the Sefer, "The Path of the Righteous Gentile" by Clorfene and Rogalsky from the Chapter on Idolatry:

According to many authorities, the Noachide is NOT warned about the concept of (Shituf or "Partnership with G-d") (Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chaim, chapter 156) This would mean that there is no earthly penalty by the Jewish courts for a gentile in Eretz Yisrael who believes in the Trinity or the triune god with HaQodesh Baruch as the senior partner. If you have a non-Jewish friend who believes in this, KINDLY explain to them why it is wrong. If a non-Jew and even worse a Jew bows down to crosses with the body of Yoshke actually on the cross, he does incur the death penalty. Therefore the idolatry in the Catholic and Orthodox churches is far more severe than the idolatry in the Protestant churches where the crosses are bare. The idolatry of shituf is far less severe than actually bowing down before figurines..

Continued: The concept of partnership is the acknowledgement of the existence of the G-d of Israel in combination with the belief in the possibility and the existence of a deity (independent will) other than G-d. So long as the ascribing power to a deity other than the Creator remains conceptual, it is permissible to the Noachides according to many authorities. BUT worship of this independent being is clearly idolatry. The danger of the concept of shituf is that it frees people to act in accord with teh non-existent gods and opne a doorway to actual idolatry. Most recent authorities agree that the Noachides, even if they are not warned or punished for it, are forbidden to believe in Shituf (partnership) (Nodah b'Yehudah, volume 2, Yoreh Deah, number 148). Have a talk with those who pray to Yoshke with words as long as they are not praying toward a physical form of Yoshke which is far more severe. Tell them that they are praying toward Hevel veRiek (Vanity and Emptiness). If you can convince them not to do this, then they may result in saying something like "Father G-d in Yoshke's name" which of course is also very problematic, but even according to those who say that Partnership is idolatry, the Bnai Noach ARE permitted to swear by the name of this avodah zarah in combination with praying to G-d..

Very concise halakhot here. Most Fundamentalist Xtians are good people. They don't bow down before figures of Yoshke on the cross as the Catholics and Greek and Russian Orthodox do. If they have crosses in their churches, the crosses are usually bare. Talk to them with respect, and you might actually get listened to along with respect in return. Tell them that their Deeds are not dirty rags before the Creator of the Universe. He takes into acct. our extenuating circumstances when He judges us. So He expects us to make the right choice given our extenuating circumstances. He does not condemn us to Hell just because we don't have the choice of pure driven snow to choose from. That choice may not be available to us, and He does not hold it against us if it is not. So they don't need their "Friend" as an intermediary after all. Remember they tend to fear G-d more than someone who does not believes in a deity who sits in judgement of him. Those people are far more dangerous, and you don't want one as your President.

Quick points to what I wrote yesterday about the ameliorating circumstances of American fundamentalist Xtians who live in America (not here in Israel). When using the word Noachide, I was referring to the book's definition that Noachides were the Children of Noach. The book's convention is to call those Noahides who are righteous: Righteous Gentiles or Righteous Noachides.

Nothing I wrote has anything to do with Xtians being allowed according to halakhah to become Ger Toshav (halakhic residents) here in Israel or G-d forbid to missionize here, G-d forbid. A believer in the Trinity still has the p'gam of being an idolater even if it is a lesser offense than bowing down to figures.

When referring to the fact that those who believe in the Trinity, but don't bow down to statues, are not punished BY THE EARTHLY COURTS, one can assume that if they don't correct their beliefs before they die, they will have to deal with the consequences of their belief in the Trinity in the Heavenly Court, but not in any halakhic court down here.

Addenda

1. The laws of judging gentiles in Jewish courts only apply in the Land of Israel because during Yemot HaMashiach, the gentiles will set up their own courts in their own countries. 2. Therefore there is another problem that arises. Are gentiles who even have a p'gam of idolatry, such as believing in the Trinity and praying to one of the partners with G-d, allowed to live in Eretz Yisrael even if there is no warning as there would be for more explicit idolatry where there are real figurines on the crosses? This brings up the third possibility of Banishment from the Land of Israel for those who are not chayav Mitah, but who are "guilty" of believing in or praying to G-d's "partners". I don't have the answer to this. I would have to do more research on this matter for which I have no time right now.

Then there might be specific laws against such Xtians engaging in missionary activity IN the Land of Israel.

Since what I wrote on my blog in that Comment was meant to be applied with relationships outside of Eretz Israel, such as whom one should vote for President, I did not discuss these matters in that comment.

Dov Bar Lieb and Days of Awe

"He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, and He spared us."

Exodus Chapter 12

"And God said to Moses and Aaron: This month shall be the head month for you; it shall be the first month of the year... and you shall eat the sacrificial meat during this night, roasted over fire. You shall eat it with matza and bitter herbs... This day must be one that you will remember. 

You must keep it as a festival to God for all generations; it is a law for all time that you shall celebrate it... Eat matza for seven days... You must keep this as a law, for you and your children forever. 

When you come to the Land that God will give you, as He promised you, you must also keep this service. Your children may then ask you, 'what is this service to you?' You must answer, 'It is the Passover service to God. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, and He spared us."