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Teenagers
living in Hamas-controlled Gaza spend their summer holidays preparing
for the next possible battle with their neighbours in Israel. ITV News'
Middle East correspondent Geraint Vincent…
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Added on 27/07/2016
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Intuition as explained here is totally rational but arrived at by an unconscious process of synthesizing a body of knowledge rather than by a conscious step by step approach
Thus a poseik who has mastered the classic texts can make a leap of logic without necessarily being able to articulate the steps needed to arrive at his conclusion.
I have seen intuition unfairly rejected as "supernatural" lo bashamayim heed. Intuition is usually just the case of a master in his field taking it all in in the vast subconscious mind without being able to break it down.Lemashal, a baseball hitter is factoring in all kinds off training and experience when facing a major league pitcher who can throw a 90+ Mph fastball vs. A 75 Mph change-up etc. The vast number of steps in experience and muscle memory are perhaps too complex to explain. But years of training and experience can make a master hitter without consciously knowing the minutia.Ideally teachers need to share their thinking process in order to train others. But sometimes Master Poskim have an intuitive knowing that transcends a step-by-step approach but is also not "supernatural" but rather a gestalt as a result of mastering vast tracts of material.
As published by the Jewish News Service - August 11, 2016
http://www.jns.org/latest-articles/2016/8/11/could-the-dispute-in-the-south-china-sea-affect-debate-over-palestinian-statehood#.V60XDyMrLoE=
COULD THE DISPUTE IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEAAFFECT DEBATE OVER PALESTINIAN STATE?by Rafael Medoff(Dr. Rafael Medoff is the author or editor of 16 books about Jewish history, including The Historical Dictionary of Zionism [with Chaim I. Waxman].)Could satellite photos of a tiny island in the South China Sea affect the debate over creating a Palestinian state?The photos, released this week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, show that China is building military aircraft hangars on the disputed Spratly Islands. That violates a promise China's president made to President Obama less than a year ago, that "China does not intend to pursue militarization" of the islands.Moreover, a United Nations tribunal ruled last month that China's claim to the Spratly Islands and other nearby territories is "unlawful." Yet the international community has taken no action against either the illegal Chinese occupation or China's militarization steps.Israeli policymakers might want to keep an eye on these developments. Israel's leaders have said that any future Palestinian state would have to be completely demilitarized. But can Israel rely on the international community to enforce the demilitarization rules if the Palestinians violate them?Perhaps the most infamous experiment in demilitarization involved the Rhineland, an area of western Germany along the border with France, Belgium and Holland. The Locarno Pact, signed in the aftermath of World War I, required that the Rhineland be permanently demilitarized. But when Hitler sent his troops to occupy the Rhineland in March 1936, the Locarno signatories--Britain, France, and Italy--stood idly by.Pacifist sentiment was strong in England; treaty or no treaty, the Brits were in no mood to confront the Nazis. Lord Lothian, the veteran British diplomat, rationalized the militarization of the Rhineland as "no more than the Germans walking into their own backyard." The French, who now found themselves within shooting distance of the Wehrmacht, were not quite so sanguine about the latest developments. But with France mired in economic troubles and national elections just months away, French prime minister Albert Sarraut was unwilling to risk a costly conflict with Hitler.The United States was not a party to the Locarno agreement, but what President Franklin Roosevelt said mattered in the world arena. In this case, he didn't say much. Determined to maintain friendly relations with Germany, FDR refrained from explicitly condemning Hitler's Rhineland action. He would not even send U.S. observers to a League of Nations discussion of German aggression. Shortly after the Rhineland crisis erupted, Roosevelt headed off for a two-week fishing trip in the Bahamas, which coincidentally helped him evade questions about the controversy.Israelis need not to go all the way back to the 1930s for examples of how the world might respond if a Palestinian state began importing tanks or missiles. They themselves have had some bitter experience in this area in recent decades.Abba Eban describes in his autobiography how the Nixon administration pressured Israel to accept a ceasefire in the 1970 War of Attrition, promising that Egypt would not be allowed to move its missiles close to the Suez Canal. "Within a few days of the conclusion of the cease-fire agreement," Eban writes, "our head of military intelligence…was reporting…that the Egyptians had begun to move their missiles forward as soon as the ink was dry on the agreement." Nixon's response "was evasive," Eban charitably recalls. The U.S. administration "professed not to know that the violations were taking place." No action was taken against the Egyptians.An even more current example presents itself. The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), which consists of 10,506 soldiers (and 848 civilian advisers) is pledged to ensure that southern Lebanon is kept "free of any armed personnel, assets and weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL deployed in this area." That commitment from the international community is supposed to protect Israel's northern border. Yet Hezbollah has stationed over 100,000 missiles in that area. The missiles are aimed at Israel. And UNIFIL refrains from intervening.All of which leaves some Israelis wondering how international promises would fare if a demilitarized Palestinian state decided to re-militarize. When push comes to shove, would world leaders decide, as FDR did, to go fishing?
Rav Soloveitchik Sings Eli Tziyon
http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=31751
"Their mistake was, among many other mistakes,that pursuing and trying to punish other people, claiming that you are doing it of their own good, is a morally depraved and lethally dangerous one. It is OK to be for something. It is also OK to be against something, but a moral doctrine that includes on penalizing others-for their own good- is lethally dangerous, morally depraved, and illegitimate.Sociologists have pointed out, that the reason communists and other radical progressive revolutions have been so violent, is because of their self-image as the messengers of progress. Once a person has such a compelling belief that all that is needed for world to emerge, is that others drop their resistance, targeting others is no longer seen as an act of violence, it is an act of promoting progress."
“It may be that some Anti-semites use Palestine as a cloak for their bigotry but virtually all those active in support of the Palestinian people, and all who are active in our campaign, are motivated by anger at the crimes of the State of Israel.”
Guest Blogger R Avraham Bronstein:
If you're looking for something that hits Tisha B'Av themes more head-on, here are a few more I remember being good. Please note that I don't remember if any of these had objectionable language or content. If you want to screen these, I'd recommend pre-watching them.Storm of Emotions (2006), about the Gaza disengagement.(this one was VERY well done, and elicited a very emotional response)#17 Is Anonymous (2003), about the aftermath of a 2002 bus bombing in Israel(this is a bit procedural, but it does a good job of showing the effects of living under terror in Israel.)HaKayitz Shel Aviya (1989), about a Holocaust survivor and her young daughter, coping with the former's increasingly deteriorating mental health in early-state Israel.Hang Man (2010), about Eichmann's hangman turned shochet.Wasserman: The Rain Man
http://www.israelfilmcenterstream.org/film/wasserman-rain-man(this one is also very powerful, and deals directly with the possibility of faith after churban)Life Is Strange(I guess this is technically a Holocaust film, but it's really more focused on pre-war Europe)Israel in a Time of Terror (Dennis Prager, during the Second Intifada)I hope some of these are helpful.AB
The Concise Code of Jewish Law: A Guide to the Observance of Shabbat—Revised Edition
By Rabbi Gersion Appel
Revised edition edited by Rabbi Daniel Goldstein
OU Press, Maggid Books and Yeshiva University PressDespite the eternal nature of halachah, each generation requires its own halachic works. Some halachic works are expansive, theoretical and appeal to the intellect, while others are more practical, to the point and answer the crying need for day-to-day guidance in proper halachic observance. The Concise Code of Jewish Law is an up-to-date work ofhalachah lema’aseh for our generation, presented, as its title suggests, in a concise and user-friendly format. (This volume on Hilchot Shabbat is the first of a projected four-volume series covering all areas of practical halachah.) The text, which loosely follows the organization of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, is accompanied by notes with more detailed examples and applications, as well as a section of Hebrew sources and references at the end of the volume.First published a generation ago by Rabbi Gersion Appel, the work has been updated by Rabbi Daniel Goldstein in style and in substance to address new technological developments and the opinions of recentposekim. Unique among halachic works in English, Concise Code incorporates not only classic sources such as the Chayei Adam, Mishnah Berurah and Aruch Hashulchan, but a wide spectrum of the greatest posekimfrom the recent past such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik, Rabbi Shaul Yisraeli and Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, down to the leading posekim of our own day such as Rabbi Nachum Rabinovitch, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Rabbi Eliezer Melamed.The enthusiastic haskamot of Rabbi Ahron Soloveichik and Rabbi Dovid Lifshitz to the prior edition, and of Rabbi Hershel Schachter and Rabbi Mordechai Willig to the new edition, attest to the important place Concise Code should occupy in your library. Concise Code makes a perfect text for students, as well as for all those interested in enhancing their observance of halachah and acquiring greater knowledge about the intricacies of practical halachah in our generationResponding to a perceived need for our generation, The Concise Code of Jewish Law is a modern and up-to-date work of halachah lema’aseh, presented in a concise and user-friendly format. The main text is an adaptation of classic sources of halachah, loosely following the order of theKitzur Shulchan Aruch, supplemented by notes which explore issues in greater depth and address a wide variety of contemporary applications of the laws.This volume on the laws of Shabbat is part of a projected four-volume series covering all areas of practical halachah. First published a generation ago by Rabbi Gersion Appel, this edition has been updated by Rabbi Daniel Goldstein, in style as well as in substance, to address new technological developments and the opinions of recent poskim. Unique among English halachic works in its breadth of sources, Concise Code includes the halachicdecisions of classic works such as the Chayei Adam, Mishnah Berurah, andAruch Hashulchan, in addition to the rulings of the greatest poskim from the recent past, such as R. Moshe Feinstein, R. Joseph B. Soloveitchik, and R. Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, and the leading poskim of our own day, such as R. Nachum Rabinovitch, R. Hershel Schachter, and R. Mordechai Willig, and many more great poskim of the past and present.Concise Code is a perfect text for students, as well as all those interested in enhancing their observance of halachah and acquiring greater knowledge about the intricacies of practical halachah in our generation.The Concise Code of Jewish Law achieves an impressive integration of halachah together with hashkafah and fundamentals of our faith that underlie the halachah. With an engaging style, the author presents detailed halachic material in a manner that is easily accessible. Rabbi Appel’s updating of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch to deal with halachic issues of our generation is truly admirable. –Rabbi Hershel SchachterIn reviewing the first edition of Rabbi Appel’s The Concise Code of Jewish Law, I found it brimming with essential halachic information, old as well as new. I am confident that this updated edition will be a valuable aid to all who seek to be punctilious in their Shabbat observance. –Rabbi Mordechai WilligThis is a versatile masterpiece, which can serve equally well for the scholar and the novice. Of the many fine expositions of Shabbat laws currently available, Rabbi Goldstein’s revision of Rabbi Appel’s classic stands supreme.–Rabbi Dr. Tzvi Hersh WeinrebRabbi Gersion Appel broke new ground with his adaptation of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch for contemporary Jews. With great insight, he translated and updated the text for today’s concerns and gracefully condensed immense scholarship on other important cases. In this new edition, updated for the smartphone age, Rabbi Daniel Goldstein continues Rabbi Appel’s significant project. –Rabbi Gil Student
A friend of mine's son met Michael Jordan at a Make-a-wish foundation dinner. While usually held on Saturday, special accommodations were made for a Non-Shabbat date and for Kosher Food.Michael was described as a "real mensch"
"Palestinian leaders haven't been interested in peace for some time already," Mr Erdan was quoted as saying by Israel's Haaretz newspaper."The only goal is to de-legitimise Israel," he said.
Military chaplains: An Orthodox rabbi mixes faith and patriotism in Afghanistan - CSMonitor.com
http://m.csmonitor.com/2007/1113/p20s01-usmi.html
JWB Jewish Chaplains Council – JCC Association
http://jcca.org/what-we-do/jwb/
"Tizz Al NabiFor me this is a classic case of singling out Israel and yes antisemitism. Egypt physically occupied Gaza under a very strict military regime from 1948-67 and the world stayed silent. Israel uprooted thousands of its citizens and left Gaza completely and yet the world bleats that it is occupying Israel? Does the world criticize Egypt for closing the border on Gaza'a other border? No. Did the world criticize Egypt from 1948-67? No."
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The
Republican National Platform Committee unanimously adopted the
pro-Israel Amendment presented by South Carolina delegate Alan Clemmons.
00:05:53
Added on 13/07/2016
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Arutz ShevaTerrorism is about Ideology, not gunsIn denying the role of Islamic radicalism, Mr. Obama seems more concerned about shielding extremists from critical scrutiny than protecting U.S. citizens from terrorism.Matthew M. HausmanAfter the recent mass shooting in Orlando, President Obama predictably refused to blame radical Islam, although in a break from his usual practice he at least identified it as an act of terrorism. But in addressing the nation shortly afterward, he displayed more anger at Republicans who chided him for refusing to identify the enemy.Mr. Obama petulantly mocked his critics, asserting that using the term “radical Islam” would not make ISIS less radical. He seemed oblivious to the fact that jihad today is being waged by a variety of organizations and regimes besides ISIS – including Al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Islamic Republic of Iran – and that it is indeed motivated by religion. He concluded by polemicizing about gun control, which has absolutely no causal connection to Islamist terrorism, instead of extremist religious doctrine, which does.And many in the American Jewish establishment followed his lead, treating the massacre as a hate crime fueled by lax gun laws.The mainstream media had a field day speculating whether the shooter, Omar Mateen, was secretly gay and whether his murder of forty-nine and wounding of fifty-three was an act of self-hatred. Ignored in such glib analysis was the fact that Mateen seems to have had a history of radicalization –travelling to Saudi Arabia twice before the attack, openly pledging allegiance to ISIS, and bragging to coworkers about supposed connections to Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah.CONTINUE READING AT http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/19207
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שמע ישראל יהוה אלוהינו יהוה אחד
Hear O Israel Hashem is our God Hashem is the One and Only
והיה יהוה למלך על כל הארץ ביום ההוא יהיה יהוה אחד ושמו אחד
HaShem will be King over all of the world on…
00:01:53
Added on 02/10/2015
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Israel's Army Doesn't Need a Rabbi to Settle 'Debate' on Wartime Rape - Bloomberg View
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Robert
Kraft, founder, chairman and CEO of The Kraft Group and owner of the
New England Patriots, delivers the keynote address and received an
honorary doctorate at Yeshiva University’s 85th…
00:18:12
Added on 26/05/2016
55,536 views
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My son Zvi graduated Sy Syms School Of BuesinessOn 25 May, 2016.RRW
Can Orthodox Torah Jews learn to get along?
God & The 4th of July--by Meir Soloveichik
--in WSJ--7/1/16
Asked to propose a national seal in 1776, Adams and Jefferson chose religious themes.
On July 4, 1776, after voting to approve the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress advanced the following resolution: “That Dr. Franklin, Mr. J. Adams and Mr. Jefferson, be a committee, to bring in a device for a seal for the United States of America.”Of these three founders, two suggested seals that incorporated profoundly biblical images. Franklin, according to his own notes, proposed the following as the national seal: a picture of “Moses standing on the Shore, and extending his Hand over the Sea, thereby causing the same to overwhelm Pharaoh who is sitting in an open Chariot, a Crown on his Head and a Sword in his Hand. Rays from a Pillar of Fire in the Clouds reaching to Moses, to express that he acts by Command of the Deity.” Underneath the image, Franklin added, would appear the following motto: “Rebellion to Tyrants is obedience to God.”Jefferson, as described by John Adams in his correspondence, suggested a seal that bore a different image, but also from the Hebrew Bible: “the Children of Israel in the Wilderness, led by a Cloud by day, and a Pillar of Fire by night.”While the Declaration’s approval on the Fourth of July is still celebrated throughout the land, the tale of the seal that began on the same day in 1776 has been all but forgotten. Bruce Feiler, author of “America’s Prophet: Moses and the American Story” (2009), reflected that when he first encountered the story, it “stunned me. Why hadn’t I heard about this before?” The legal historian Michael I. Meyerson, in his 2012 book “Endowed by Our Creator,” reported that he had used Google Books to search more than 200 Thomas Jefferson biographies published since 1950 and had found only 12 describing Jefferson’s national-seal proposal.The messages behind the two Founders’ proposed images are quite different. In the biblical tale of the splitting of the sea, Franklin chose a scriptural story in which God himself miraculously intervenes into the natural order and redeems his people. The book of Exodus emphasizes that, in this event, only the Almighty was actively engaged: “And the Lord saved Israel from the hands of Egypt, and Israel saw Egypt dead on the shores of the sea.”Jefferson’s symbol, by contrast, focused on the courage of the people of Israel in journeying into the desert; it celebrated not so much the miracle performed by God as much as the human spirit. This, too, is lauded by the Bible, in the book of Jeremiah: “I remember thee, the loyalty of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.”Religious Jews to this day observe two separate holidays that commemorate these disparate themes. In the spring, they observe Passover. It is a remembrance of God’s miraculous intervention against a tyrannical Pharaoh, when Jews emphasize at the Seder that the Exodus occurred through the Almighty’s hand alone, “not by angel nor any other intermediary.”Then, six months later, Jews celebrate Sukkot, or Tabernacles, and build huts to commemorate, according to one opinion in the Talmud, the ramshackle shelters in which Israelites dwelled as they followed God through the desert.As Britain’s former Chief Rabbi Jonathan Sacks has written, Sukkot can thus be seen less as a celebration of divinely wrought miracles than of Israel, of a people’s courage to begin a journey “with no certainty other than faith itself that they would reach their destination.”Taken together, these two national-seal proposals uncannily presaged what the young nation would experience during the Revolutionary War that following the Declaration’s adoption.The American victory against the most powerful empire on earth was seen by many patriots as a miracle, a re-enactment of the Exodus itself. This sentiment was expressed by George Washington, who, in his 1789 letter to the Jewish community in Savannah, Ga., concluded his correspondence by invoking the “wonder-working Deity, who long since delivered the Hebrews from their Egyptian oppressors . . . whose providential agency has lately been conspicuous in establishing these United States as an independent nation.”At the same time, as miraculous as the American victory may have been, Washington himself, and the soldiers he led, remind us that the Revolution is also a tale of human endurance. “These are the times that try men’s souls,” Thomas Paine famously reflected in 1776, and his next words ring true today: “The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”Ultimately, the Continental Congress adopted the Great Seal familiar today. The front shows a bald eagle clutching an olive branch and 13 arrows (for the original states), and the back bears an unfinished pyramid of 13 layers—with the Eye of Providence overhead.As we observe the Fourth of July, it is entirely apt for Americans to thank God for the miracle of the nation’s founding—and to express gratitude as well for the courage of the men and women who helped bring it about.
