Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Wake up, America !!!




B"H

Americans just look what you let into your country during the past years. As it is sad on the video: This is not Gaza but Fort Lauderdale / Florida.

To the Palestinian woman screaming for putting the Jews into the "Auschitz ovens": I thought that the Holocaust is only Zionist propaganda and not true at all. So, how come you are demanding ovens ? Are you unaware of your own stupid propaganda ?

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

The "Chmielnicki Massacres"

B"H

The "Chmielnicki Massacres" started in 1648 and basically ended in 1649. I am saying "basically" because there were some further pogroms following.

When we look at Jewish history, it is nothing unusual at all that from time to time, someone claimed to me the Meshiach or that the redemption (Ge'ulah) wouldn't be too far away anymore. Some rabbis even gave specific dates, hence years, when the Meshiach would be due to arrive.

Especially after the expulsion from Spain in 1492, Jewish mysticism changed. The Middle Ages hardly included any good times for Jews and if so, they didn't last for too long. Although Spain had been the new almost perfect homeland of the Jews for many centuries, everything came to an end in the 15th century. Some years later, the same happened to the Jews in Portugal.
Due to all the traumatic experiences, Kabbalah became more and more apocalyptic and the Jews started to long for Meshiach. And as I already mentioned, specific dates for the arrival of the Meshiach were stipulated and one of those dates was the year 1648. But instead of the redemption, the year 1648 only brought disastrous events for the Jews in Eastern Europe.

The "Chmielnicki Massacres" actually took place in a vast area. Today the names of most of the places are unknown to us unless someone is dealing with chassidic history.
More than 300 years ago there were areas called Podolia, Volhynia, Cherginov and Poltava. Today those are parts of the Ukraine and Poland. And in those days, these areas were ruled by Poland and the economy was in the hands of the noblemen whereas the Jews suffered from the conflict between the nobility and the serfs as well as the conflict between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. And, as in most centuries before, also the Jews had high positions in the country's economy system which made the Polish Gentiles look at them as supporters of the rich (of Capitalism).

Already in 1637, militant Cossacks called for killing the Jews but were stopped by the Polish army. Unfortunately, the Jews missed getting the hint. The hint that if a pogrom was about to start and be stopped, there may be another one just around the corner. The Jews didn't understand any warning and instead proclaimed that they were saved due to kabbalistic influences. And the year 1648 should be the year of Meshiach anyway.

Until 1648, the Cossacks, however, had improved a lot and became much more organized. Their leader was Hetman Bogdan Chmielnicki whose goal was to get the Cossacks officially recognized and, at the same time, getting rid of the Jews. First, the Jewish communities in the Dnejper region were wiped out. Survivors either converted to Christianity or were sold into slavery.
Afterwards the Cossacks continued their massacres in Nemirov where 6000 Jews were slaughtered. I am using the word "slaughtered", as it was more than only a brutal murder. The Cossacks cut throats, drowned Jewish children and used any kind of torture one can imagine. Synagogues and Torah scrolls were destroyed and the parchment of the Torah scrolls was used for making sandals. Later, the following communities were wiped out: Tulchin, Polonnoye and Narol.

Eventually Chmielnicki made an agreement with the Polish King John Casimir about the recognition of the Cossacks. Jews, on the other hand, weren't allowed living in places where Cossacks lived.
But not only in Poland, the massacres took place. The Jews in Lithuania and White Russia also had to suffer. There, the Cossacks stormed the communities Moghilev, Vitebsk and Vilna. When Sweden conquered Poland in 1665, there was a short period of time when the Jews could return to their normal lives, as they were friendly with the Swedes. The Polish, on the other hand, saw this kind of friendliness as a betrayal and it came to further massacres. There is an official opinion that during the years 1648 – 1658, 300 Jewish communities were wiped out.

And what does all of this has to do with us ? Isn't that history and today we are facing other problems ?
It could be but today, at least for another two hours or so, we are fasting. Today is "Asarah be' Tevet – the 10th of Tevet". And secondly, those massacres had an important impact on later history.
_____________________

Sources:

"The Encyclopedia of Hasidism" by Tzvi M. Rabinowicz

Furthermore, some writings of the Jewish philosopher Gershom Sholem.

I am innocent

B"H

Just recently I overheard the following conversation between an English tourist and a born Israeli:


Tourist:
You Israelis always claim that everything is someone else's fault. If I go and complain, I am always told that this his not his or her fault because his boss is in charge. So, the boss is guilty.
Not me, the teacher, but the whole school system. Not me, the clerk, but the general manager. Not me, the shop keeper but the tax office.


Israeli:
Yes, we love doing this but actually it is not our fault. When we go to the army, it is not the soldier's fault but the officer or general is guilty. We learn to say this in the army and thus, it is the army's fault and not ours.

Special Prayer on "Asarah be' Tevet"



B"H

The 10th of the Jewish month Tevet is an approx. 12 hours rabbinical fast day. The 10th of Tevet (Asarah be' Tevet) has a long history beginning with the Babylonians besieging Jerusalem in the time of the First Temple. Throughout history, the tenth of Tevet has never been a good day for the Jews and also this year, we are at war. Israel is at war with a Palestinian enemy called Hamas and leading Israeli rabbis have called for special prayers on today's fast day. Saying Selichot and Tehillim for the well - being and peace of our nation.

The poster above calling for special prayers was signed by Rabbi Eliyashiv, the Rebbe of Sadigura, Rabbi Auerbach, Rabbi Lipkovitz, Rabbi Wosner, Rabbi Steinman, the Rebbe of Nadvorna, the Rebbe of Lelov, Rabbi Scheinberg, Rabbi Karelitz and one of the Vishnitzer Rebbes, Rabbi Israel Hager.




The ORLOI - Rebbe at Shacharit (morning prayer) this morning.
Photo: Chadrei HaCharedim

Monday, January 5, 2009

Getting Rabbi Machlis Appointed


Rabbi Mordechai Machlis


B"H

Since I started this blog, I have been mentioning one Rabbi over and over again: Rabbi Mordechai Machlis from Jerusalem.

For nearly 30 years, the Machlises have been hosting countless Jews as well as Gentiles on Shabbat. They are the only address where anyone just can go for a Shabbat meal. Without being invited, without being selected, as in other places, the door to the Machlis home is always open. All about the Machlises you can find here.

But I don't only want to mention all the meals and free food the family has been providing. Rabbi Mordechai Machlis teaches at Bar Ilan University as well as at various other places and he teaches us as well. Every Sunday and Thursday, he gives us his time and teaches the Prophets. On Sundays the Book of Ezra and on Tuesdays the Book of Zephania. He doesn't charge and if anyone has a question, he is welcomed to ask.

There are a thousand things I could say about the Rabbi and his family. Last Shabbat, I came from Tel Aviv and didn't really have a place to sleep over in Jerusalem. The Rabbi didn't hesitate and gave me a room in his house. I didn't even asked for it but he just helped out.

Anyone who has ever been to his house can confirm all my statements. In fact, the Machlises have hosted and helped thousands of people in the course of the years and never ever asked for anything in return. Now the time has come that we do something for them and especially for the Rabbi. Please join us in filling out this form

http://www.moskowitzprize.com/eng/home.htm

and get the Rabbi appointed for the Moskowitz Price.
Just to remind you, don't emphazise too much on the free food but rather on Rabbi Machlis'es teachings and classes. On how he visits people in hospital or in jail.

Further requested details about the Rabbi you can find o his Website or on in the article I wrote. See links above.

It would be great if the Rabbi would win and I am sure that this could be the greatest present we give him in return.


By the way, Rabbi Machlis has no clue about this campaign we started for him. It is meant to be a surprise, so Psshhh !!!

In case you have any further questions, please let me know and I will forward them to the initiator of the "Machlis - Campaign", Rabbi Yosef Yedidiyahu Klausner.

miriamwoelke@gmail.com

Sunday, January 4, 2009

E - lo - hei - nu Melech HaOlam

B"H

The following teaching I heard from Rabbi Mordechai Machlis last Shabbat:

When we Jews say a blessing on the food, we always say:
" ... E - lo - hei - nu Melech HaOlam - ... our G - d, King of the World".

Sometimes you find this group of people (Jews) who are too much into the "E - lo - hei - nu" concept. They only think of G - d as the G - d of the Jews but overlook that G - d is there for all people and all creation. He also created the other nations (Gentiles) and is not there exclusively for the Jews.

Then there is this group of Jews concentrating too much on the "King of the World" concept. They think that Israel and the Jews are just like all the other nations and we all have to be together and globalized. These Jews are so far from Judaism that they don't realize the special task in the world G - d gave the Jewish people which is being a light to the nations. Through our behaviour we have to influence the world to the better.

These two groups of Jews should try to combine both concepts: Realize that G - d is there for all creation but also that we Jews do have a special role in this world.

The Woman on the Ground

B"H

On my way through the haredi Ge'ulah neighbourhood in Jerusalem last Tuesday night, I witnessed a certain incident which I couldn't get out of my mind afterwards. A rather heavy haredi woman, maybe in her 50ies, stumpled and fell onto on knees on the ground. I didn't really saw her falling but when I looked over to the other side of the road, I saw her on her knees. Her face showed an expression of pain and she tried to get back on her feet.

Unfortunately, the traffic was so busy in the narrow shopping street Yechezkel that I couldn't cross the road and thus, was unable to help the woman getting up. There was no other help around but only an also fifty or something - year - old Chassid who was waiting for the traffic to stop so that he could cross the street.

The woman tried to get up but because she was so heavy, she tried to get hold of something in order to pull herself up. The Chassid stood right next to her and didn't know what to do. He looked at her and wanted to help but, at the same moment, he moved a little further away. On the one hand, it seemed like he wanted to help this poor woman and, on the other hand, he hesitated due to all the modesty laws. Not touching a strange woman but only one's own wife and maybe the daughters.

Eventually the woman got back on her feet and the Chassid walked away. I could see that he was still bothered from not having made a real decision but he was also relieved that the woman had got up.

Later on, when I arrived at the class of Rabbi Mordechai Machlis, I told him about the incident and asked how the right response of the Chassid should have been. If he shouldn't have just forgotten about all the modesty for a while and simply helped another human being ? And, by the way, the woman had not been a half - naked twenty year old girl but a haredi woman.

Rabbi Machlis quoted a teaching from the Talmud Tractate Sotah 21b where a Chassid is trying to be so pious by not helping a drowning woman that she finally dies. He couldn't overcome all the rules and get her out of the water and thus caused her death. The Talmud calls this Chassid a "Chassid Shoteh - a Foolish Pietist".
The Rambam (Maimonides) commentates that this particular Chasid not helping the drowning woman is taking his "piety" to foolish extremes.

The question comes up if helping someone from another gender only applies to the case where the person is in danger. We didn't really discuss that too much but Rabbi Machlise's opinion was that the Chassid should have given the woman laying on the ground a helping hand. "And does it matter if an injured woman is older and looks haredi or if she is twenty and dressed immodestly ? Injured is injured and we are obligated to help".

Already from an early age, haredi population learns all kinds of modesty rules. At a certain age, girls and boys are being separated and not allowed to play with each other unless they are siblings. According to Halach, men and women are only allowed to touch each other when they are either married or a parent. Anyone going against those rules would become an "outlaw" and considered as immodest. Lets say a "pervert".

The Chassid standing next to the woman must have all had these thoughts in mind. Unfortunately, he was unable to overcome all rules and society laws in order to help the woman laying on the ground. I cannot believe that helping another person should become suddenly a matter of gender.

Lets Play PRETEND

For Israel

B"H

If you are interested in helping Israel in the present time of war: Praying Tehillim (Psalms) is always a good solution.
Especially Psalm no. 20.


Update:
Here are the latest videos from the Israeli army (Zahal):


http://de.youtube.com/user/idfnadesk

Friday, January 2, 2009

Shabbat Shalom

B"H

Besides the whole war situation, Israel is freezing. Jerusalem has 6 degrees Celsius and Tel Aviv has not much more. It is cold and all of us are sitting covered in blankets. Heaters are not too common and even if they were, the electricity bill would just kill everyone. This is why every winter, we wear warm clothes, pray for more rain and hope for warmer weather.

Not alone that is it freezing, the war situation worries us as well. Israel intends sending ground troops into Gaza and we all know what that means. Many soldiers are probably going to die. G - d willing not, but we have to be realistic. We always pay a high price and the world keeps on attacking us.

Anti - Semitism is on the rise again and a few days ago, two Israelis got shot by Arabs in a Danish shopping mall. "Only" injured but this tells us something. Especially Europe has shipped in all kinds of fundamentalist Muslims and now doesn't know how to deal with them. In the Middle Ages, the Muslims didn't succeed too much in conquering the whole of Europe but only Spain. Today, the Muslims make up a high percentage of the European population.

Reality may be sometimes hard and depressing but, nevertheless, I wish us all a happy and peaceful Shabbat. Not to forget all those Israelis living in the southern regions who are spending their Shabbat in bomb shelters.

Shabbat Shalom or Gut Shabbes to all of you !!!

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Benjamin Netanyahu defending Israel

B"H

Benjamin Netanyahu is an experienced speaker and he knows how to explain Israel's war against the Hamas terrorists.

Unfortunately, the whole world seems to love the Palestinians and consider them as the only victims. But who speaks about Israel twons like Sderot, Ashdod, Netivot, Kiryat Malachi, Ashkelon or Beersheva, who are now constantly being bombed by Hamas ? And who speaks about Sderot which has been suffering from Kassam rockets for more than six years. Where were those people demonstrating now against Israel when Israelis got bombed ? Then the world didn't care at all. Doesn't this tell us something about how other people like to be lied at in order to keep up their dreamworld ?

"Shloshim" after Mumbai

B"H

Chassidut Chabad organized a huge gathering at Kikar Shabbat / Ge'ulah yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon. The gathering was to show "Achdut - Unity" among all Haredim and to remember the six Jewish victims of Mumbai.

Even those Haredim who, until now, weren't really that what you would call "good friends of Chabad" were invited to participate. It was supposed to be an awakening for all and many important haredi Rabbis as well as thousands of other participants arrived.

"Shloshim" (30) days after the terror attack in Mumbai / India where six Jews lost their lives.


Photos from yesterday's gathering in Ge'ulah / Jerusalem:


Among the Rabbis is the Toldot Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe whose son - in - law was murdered in Mumbai.







All photos can be viewed here:
http://www.bhol.co.il/news_read.asp?id=7842&cat_id=2