The Belzer Rebbe was mourning his father:
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Pulling out the Teshuva Whip
B"H
Last Friday, 1pm, Tel Aviv Central Bus Station, Bus No. 405 to Jerusalem.
I was sitting at the second row behind the bus driver. Right behind me sat an Israeli soldier of French origin. Behind the soldier sat a German tourist called Florian who constantly yelled into his cell phone speaking English with an annoying German accent.
I speak with a German accent too but hopefully I am not that annoying German.
A Sephardi guy with a black kipa is sitting down right across the soldier behind me and is immediately starting a conversation with him. How religious he is and when he started his Teshuva (becoming frum) process.
Oh, no, I thought. Now I have to suffer all the way to Jerusalem from this "Yes, my name is Florian" and the two newly BTs.
The balck kipa Sephardi announced that he had lived with a Schickse (Gentile woman) for the past six years. All bus passengers turned around and stared at him. He kept on shouting that this sinful relationship was over now and he is in the middle of his Teshuva thing. He said this to all of us just like apologizing for his Yetzer with the Schickse. Then he went on and on that he now keeps all Mitzvot. Within a minute he started but is still suffering from all his old sins. Probably including the particular relationship. In order to do real Teshuva, he needs to have 49 fasts.
I think I heard this concept once and it is the Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria) stating. It seems like a serious Tikun (soul rectification) but to me it just sounds like medieval torture. I have not been always following the Torah way and I still struggle but why should I fast 49 times ?
Yes, I know that this may sound lazy and selfish. However, I think that a serious Teshuva and intention is enough and G - d does not want to see us whipping ourselves. Start a new religious life and try to make everything better.
What is more important: Work or Prayer ?
B"H
We have a new baker at the bakery. He has only started to work a few days ago but a new problem is already coming up:
The new worker is national religious and is supposed to start at 6am. He claims that he can only start later, as he wants to say his Shacharit (morning prayer) together with a Minyan (10 Jewish men) in a Synagogue.
My question is: What is more important ?
Going to work on time and keeping the job or prayer ?
The bakery does have a solution for him: First of all, he has time for Shacharit until 10am or so. Secondly, there is a Synagogue (of Rabbi Mordechai Sharabi) right behind our building and he could quickly jump over to pray. There is no point in showing up for work too late when the goods have to be baked on time.
Anyone has the right halachic advice (incl. source) ?
Between the Western Wall and King David Hotel
B"H
Photos from the last days of Succot in October 2009
Jerusalem
At the Western Wall (Kotel)
In front of Jaffa Gate: The entrance to the Old City
The Cardo in the Jewish Quarter. Once the Cardo used to be an ancient Roman shopping street leading from today's Damascus Gate (Arab Quarter) into today's Jewish Quarter.
The new Mamilla Shopping Mall in front of Jaffa Gate. Those of you who have money can feel like in Beverly Hills and shop expensive clothes and jewellery.
In front of the Western Wall (Kotel)
In front of the Old City: The famous "King David Hotel".
Between Jaffa Gate and King David Hotel
A new Toy: The BURKA BARBIE
The new Burka Barbie
The end of Barbie's emancipation ?
I must admit that I have not played with dolls because I found this rather stupid. The new Burka Barbie, however, looks like a toy from the days in the Middle Ages but obviously people agree to bring those days back. Even the wildest feminists shut up.
Chassidic Parashat Toldot
B"H
Yesterday, a few hundred Haredim were demonstrating outside INTEL in Jerusalem. The chip manufacturer decided to work on Shabbat and the Edah HaCharedit is making another fuss.
After all those demonstrations during this summer, I am a kind of sick of the subject and I am not going to report any further about yesterday. Its always the same anyway.
Thus, I prefer concentrating on the positive site which is the Parasha from last Shabbat.
Parashat Toldot in Boyan, in Vishnitz, in Strikov and many more !
Yesterday, a few hundred Haredim were demonstrating outside INTEL in Jerusalem. The chip manufacturer decided to work on Shabbat and the Edah HaCharedit is making another fuss.
After all those demonstrations during this summer, I am a kind of sick of the subject and I am not going to report any further about yesterday. Its always the same anyway.
Thus, I prefer concentrating on the positive site which is the Parasha from last Shabbat.
Parashat Toldot in Boyan, in Vishnitz, in Strikov and many more !
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Marriage Import from Cyprus
B"H
There are no official weddings between Jews and non - Jews in Israel. If such a "couple" wants to get married they usually go abroad. Mostly to Cyprus.
Years ago, those mixed couples went to the embassy of Paraguay to Tel Aviv and just received a formal marriage certificate. However, the State of Israel did not accept such certificates after a while. Now couples who cannot have a halachic wedding in Israel (also a Cohen and a divorcee, Gentile or convert) go to Cyprus.
It is the Torah forbidding Jews to marry a Gentile !
The Torah and not particularly the State of Israel. Especially not only the "bad" Orthodox Jews.
Israel's secular press loves to jump onto the intermarriage subject and blame all religious Jews. More than that, the foreign press loves to take the topic as an example for showing how religious Jews are still walking around in their stone age. They are conservative, do not know what is going on in the world and they are rassists. The German press as well as other countries.
The majority of secular Jewry as well as the Gentile world have no clue about what it means to be Orthodox. They see something on TV and this seems to be enough for building up a negative opinion. Most journalists are not into deep research nowadays but just google a few issues together. Some media people from Germany told me that the information I am handing over does not need to be too precise, as their readers do not know anything about Judaism anyway. So, what does it matter then when something is stated wrong ?
Again, the secular Ynet jumps on the intermarriage subject and once more, I am explaining the reason why those marriages are forbidden:
G - d created Jews and Gentiles with a special purpose in this world.
Jews and Gentiles were created with different kinds of souls (Neshamot). Connecting these two different souls is impossible even if the marriage (intermarriage) seems to be a happy one.
What I have noticed over and over again is that the Jewish part of a mixed marriage is always trying to justify himself. Not in front of his non - Jewish partner but in front of other Jews. If anyone is asking him about his wife, he always answers with a hesitation and the "Yes, but …" sentence.
How can anyone congratulate to such a marriage when the children will not be Jews anymore ? Another lost generation going down the drain !
People accuse the State of Israel or religious Jews but why is no one accusing G - d ?
G - d made this law and He definitely had His reasons for doing so !
Link:
Friday, November 20, 2009
Shabbat Shalom
B"H
"Dead Tired" - this is my feeling today. The weather change, not enough sleep, whatever. November is always a boring month. A least the Jewish month of Kislev has started. This already provides us a taste of Chanukkah, success and spirituality. At least, when I am awake.
What do we learn from this week's Parashat Toldot ?
Our foremothers were all barren but after all those years of long prayers, they finally became pregnant.
Do not take it too literally, as I am not talking about fertility but about the fact that we should never give up hope. "Hope" is also the keyword for Chanukkah. The Talmud tells us that even when we have the sword on our throat, we should still hope for the best.
Especially in our times, people look for something positive called hope. For the light at the end of the tunnel but unfortunately, many look into the wrong directions. I do not want to sound like a preacher but maybe we should concentrate on the source. The being which created us and everything around. His name: "G - d".
In bad times, we always remember Him. Admit. Even if you are the most secular person, as soon as you are in trouble you call out for G - d.
In good times, we mostly forget about Him. Why pray and for what ?
However, the Talmud also tells us that we should thank G - d for the good as well as for the bad happening to us.
Just imagine yourself as this tiny little point in the universe still being part of a whole entire world. You are a world within yourself. So, do not make yourself smaller than you are but start asking G - d for help. What do you have to loose ?
"Shabbat Shalom - Gut Schabbes" to everyone !
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Mike Oldfield: "In the Beginning"
B"H
I am a great fan of the spiritual Irish pop singer ENYA as well as of the English musician Mike Oldfield. "Man in the Rain" or "Moonlight Shadow" are my absolute favourite songs by Mike O.
Here a brilliant song by Mike Oldfield song to the creation of the world.
GILO belongs to WESTjerusalem
B"H
Who has ever been to Gilo ?
Taking a local bus, passing the Rehavia neighbourhood, going down Gaza Street, reaching the "Malcha" Mall and the Jerusalem Train Station; then going up the hill to Gilo.
Gilo is located on a hill and the bus ride seems to take ages. We find the Arab village Beit Zafafa right before the entrance to Gilo. The main road is splitting the village in half. Many Arab traders set up their stands and sell all kinds of products to the bypassing Israelis. A good bargain for Beit Zafafa.
About 40,000 people live in Gilo. Relatively cheap housing have made the neighbourhood quite attractive. Furthermore, Gilo has built up its own social services including a shopping mall. The only disadvantage is the great distance to Jerusalem's city center.
Gilo has been part of Westjerusalem for more than 30 years. A fact, B. Hussein Obama and Syria fan Putin love to ignore. Some years back, the Gilo inhabitants were contantly attacked by Palestinian terrorists from the Arab village of Beit Jalla. The world did not give a "damn" about the attacks on Jews. Only when the Israeli army decided to strike back, the world went mad. In favour of the Palestinian terrorist, of course.
Again, Gilo is under attack once more. It looks like Israel has to ask Obama for permission on anything. Are we allowed to build one more house or does the Muslim president considers it as an act of terrorizing the Palestinians ?
Within a few years, Israel is going to face an even worse enemy:
The world's Islamization is spreading fast and those who speak out against it, will become less and less.
Rebbe Israel Hager (Ahavat Israel) in Karlsbad
The Vishnitzer Rebbe Israel Hager (Ahavat Israel), 1860 - 1936, in Karlsbad.
Karlsbad seemed to have been quite anti - Semitic because when the Jews bought their first houses in 1850, the inhabitants complained. It looks like that there was less (none ?) anti - Semitism in Marienbad.
From Wikipedia:
Yisroel Hager was born on August 20, 1860. He was the firstborn son of Rabbi Boruch Hager. He married the daughter of Rabbi Meir Horowitz of Dzikov. In 1875 he moved to his father-in-laws house and studied at great length with his brother-in-law Rabbi Yehoshua of Dzikov. 3 years later he returned to Vyzhnytsia and became very close to his grandfather, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Hager. In 1893 he was appointed as rebbe in Vyzhnytsia. The young rebbe invigorated new life into the chassidus and it attracted many more followers from the surrounding provinces. He established many Talmud Torahs and also a yeshiva to which he appointed his son Rabbi Menachem Mendel as rosh yeshiva. When the First World War broke out he was forced to move to Grosswardein. He lived there until his death in Oradea on 2 June 1936[1]. In 1949, his remains were transferred to Israel and re-interred in Zichron Meir. His sons were Reb Menachem Mendel of Visheve, Reb Chaim Meir, who inherited his fathers position in Grosswardein; Reb Eliezer of Vyzhnytsia; Reb Boruch of Siret and Reb Shmuel Abba who died young. He also had six daughters.
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