Guns'N'Moses

Just a few weeks short of 2366 years ago, Mordechai the Jew sealed a royal decree addressed to all Jews in the Persian Empire: they are to arm and defend themselves against their attackers, who in turn are required by a previous decree to annihilate and exterminate all of them. A miracle happened, and the Persian Jews did not start questioning and ridiculing the decree as insane and extremist. The bloggers of the time did not start making fun of rabbis, claiming that the evil Mordechai was manipulating the senile king in order to maximize the profits of his cousin Ezra HaSofer – CEO of Schmitd Ben Wessonstein, Persia’s largest rifle manufacturer. It seems that at that time, even the leitsanei hador understood that Buschashverosh gave Hamadinejad a free hand to eradicate them for good. Seemingly, the bleeding hearts didn’t claim that Mordechai was a warmonger trying to cash in on a drunkard’s boastings.

The Yidden at the time diligently went to the blacksmiths and gunsmiths to pick up arms and shields, and were getting ready to kill or be killed. No, they did not transgress the prohibition of “ מרידה באומות– rebellion against the nations”. They heeded Mordechai’s orders after fasting, repenting and davening for quite a while. And another miracle happened – they defeated all of their enemies, so much so that not one Jew had fallen.

2298 years later, a different empire banned Jews from all positions in firearm manufacturing and trading professions, and later barred Jews from bearing or owning any firearms. These were two laws in a long series of anti-Jewish racial laws. We all know what followed, and the memories of the gas chambers, incinerators and torture death camps became forever engraved in the Jewish memory. They are painful and depressing memories, but we must face them. Not only for the memory of the deceased and the commemoration of History’s biggest genocide, but first and foremost to draw the right lessons for our future. Unfortunately, now as then, all too many Jews feel so safe and secure amid the world’s turbulent incertitude – masked only by our addiction to unprecedented wealth and well-being – that they completely forget that the story of Purim is still a valid lesson, a fate’s warning, rather than just the commemoration of distant events.

The Constitution of the United States of America grants us all the right to keep and bear arms. Although in the states hosting the largest Jewish communities, the “bearing” part of this right is more theoretical than practical, so far even the most rabid left-wing extremists can only dream of stripping the citizens from owning rifles. All too many in our communities are simply oblivious to both the importance of the matter as well as to the accessibility of firearms. A used AR type rifle in great condition can be obtained for under $700, including paperwork. Handguns have more bureaucracy wrought around them, but are not inaccessible.

What people need to understand is that the Founding Fathers embedded in the Constitution the right to bear arms and to organize militias because of governments and rogue elements in any human society are unpredictable and cannot be trusted. Firearms handling and safety can be fairly easily and quickly learned by most anyone, from young children to elderly people, and require no specific physical strength or abilities. Furthermore, regular yet not excessively frequent training can instill a strong sense of responsibility, integrity and discipline in most users. In fact, shooting sports might be easily incorporated in frum summer camps or programs dealing with problematic youth (obviously not for kids who are already experimenting with drugs or alcohol – I’d say for not yet “at risk”) for little or no cost. The national 4-H youth program has an impressive shooting department within it. Of course, introducing a firearm in a large family’s home needs extra caution, but is in no way impossible.

If nothing else, the fact that our rabbis do not mandate guns should make you buy one! So this year on Ta’anis Esther take a few moments to think about what was the original cause of this fast day, and whether a little extra caution and preparedness is worth the investment.

Oh, just one more thing – on Purim don’t forget to lock up the gun before you get loaded!

PS –

If it seems to anyone that this post in any way insinuates support for Zionism and its state, or to reject the principles of bitochon – it is not the case. However, just as even the biggest Satmar buys a car to get to work rather than relying on G-d to supply him with a free flying carpet (sha’atnez free) or split the Ramapo river for him, and the greatest masmid in Lakewood applies for food stamps, Medicaid and HUD sec. 8 to support his selfless toils to grow in Torah, Yira’s Shomayim and honesty, so too we might be better off being prepared for the slight possibility of G-d not miraculously rescuing us from our dear Arab and Liberal friends.

PPS –

For those on the far-far-left wing of ultra-open super-modern Orthodoxy: wouldn’t it worth it to be prepared for just in case, that maybe, perhaps, efsher, ken zayn, ulai, the crazy evil fanatics like Rush Limbaugh, Rav Yisroel Belsky or myself would decide to assault you?

Abominog (מחאה נמרצת)

מחאה נמרצת
נבלה נעשתה בישראל

I call on any and all Rabbis, influential leaders, batei-din etc. to vehemently condemn and protest the abomination committed last week in Teaneck, NJ. (Two “Orthodox Jews” formed a sodomite civil union)

This action must be decried and condemned even more harshly than those of the buffoons who visited the Hitler of the Middle-East (Ahmadinejad) and the Conservative “rabbis” ignoble decision to permit sodomite behavior.

An official Cherem must be pronounced, especially by the rabbis of Teaneck, NJ, and everything must be done so that no Orthodox shul may tolerate them in its midst. And any shul that should give them shelter be pronounced non-orthodox and excluded from all orthodox organizations, and shul officials lose their positions in those organizations.

May the curse of the house of Eli befall on all who remain silent on this abomination.
"...למה לי רב זבחיכם"

For those feeble-minded, misguided, brainwashed or whose souls are otherwise too polluted to understand why these events are worse than cover-up of child molestation or paying honor to a terrorist, here’s a short outline:

· Rabbis and the Rabbinical establishment being silent on the two despicable sodomites masquerading as orthodox Jews and having their pictures spread all over the printed and cyber medias, not only give the impression of condoning or not caring about such behavior – but agreeing that it is accordance with the heilige Torah. (Despite any previous protest aginst the Conservative ‘psak’ or such behavior)

· The clowns who visit Ahmadinejad claim that they appease him and try to prevent him from harming Jews; child-molesters and their alleged protectors deny the evil they do. But the sodomite maggots openly promote their abominable deviances, ‘בריש גלי’, as “Orthodox Jews".

· The Torah and its laws are eternal, irrevocable, and unalterable. Distortion and defilement of the Torah and its laws doesn’t necessarily happen through reinterpretation or repelling of those laws: when the Law is blatantly transgressed and ridiculed while the Judges passively look on, it is equally a sullying of G-d’s honor. In other words, it’s as if a grocery sells obvious chazer with a hechsher, and the Rabbis who know it take no action.


PS.
It has come to my attention that a despicable, cowardly blogger promoting this tragic event and jubilating over it calls a certain respectable Rav a “friend of the blog”. I very strongly advise that Rav to distance himself from this depraved individual, lest all his work and ideas are dismissed.

Assassimilation

A recent survey shows that there are actually more Jews living in the States than we actually thought. Great news indeed! Unfortunately, the survey includes “people who think of themselves as Jews, ethnically”, and children of one Jewish parent. So according to this study, assimilation isn’t as big a deal as some of us may think. Well, until a few more generations, when the descendents won’t remember their grandparents’ Jewish origins.

Stopping assimilation and intermarriage overnight is probably unlikely, but many would like to slow the tide as much as possible. However, if this is done for the sake of sentimental nostalgia, and loosely defines Jews on ethno-folkloristic basis, it doesn’t lead any further than the aforementioned survey. The preservation of a nation must have at least a meaningful coherence and maintain its integrity. Which of course necessitates a definition tighter than “grandma used to bake kugel”.

Assimilation today is a rather slow process, each generation distancing itself from its origins until it merges with the surrounding nations. The first step in stopping the tide is obviously maintaining the Orthodox population, as well as reaching out to secular Jews who aren’t yet assimilated. Meddling with intermarried couples results in faulty and false giyurs that only increase the problem.

The argument that a more ‘open’ approach would result in maintaining a broader spectrum of people identified with Judaism, even if only on a folkloric basis, averred to be mistaken: according to a recent Mishpacha article, the intermarriage rate among Reform and Conservatives is triple that of unaffiliated secular Jews! Sadly, the ‘drop out’ (from Orthodoxy) rate is highest within Modern Orthodoxy. (Based on educators and laymen’s estimates, in absence of ‘scientific’ data.)

The Zionist dream of a non-Jewish Jewish state, wherein the nation would be defined by not being Jewish and be proud Israelis, averred being a fata morgana too. Ethiopian and Russian immigrants of dubious origins were imported to the country by hundreds of thousands for the sake of breaking down the society’s still strongly traditional makeup.
Our good friends who indulge in compulsive haredi and ortho-bashing don’t achieve much more than offering an excuse to drop out or for secular people to stay the way they are.

The main focus then should be on preventing dropping out as much as possible, to help stabilize the dropouts, and sensible kiruv. By ‘sensible’ I mean coming to the sad realization that certain sectors better be left alone: completely assimilated and intermarried people should be in our prayers, but the energy and resources for de-facto kiruv would benefit from being geared towards more likely targets. As has been recently suggested, collaboration between different orthodox factions may yield positive results – and in my opinion all the more so with ‘off the derech’ and ‘at risk’ kids. Instead of insisting on keeping them in our party enclaves, rather bring them closer to Judaism, period.

Perhaps a more unified and harmonious Judaism would be more appealing to those on the outside, without having to break down the protective walls of separation.

Sweet Child O'Mine

This Shabbos (and motzai Shabbos) we celebrated our family’s newest addition’s birthday.

This shall provide you with a living, scientific proof that acquired traits are very much hereditary. Nix evolution.

Computer addict; like father, like daughter.

The sweet tooth for booze starts at an early age. What will it be tonite – Budvár, Smíchov, Pilsen, Löwenbrau?

Some more images to come. Yup, I'm still using analog.

Jewry Duty

It’s only a few steps from what passes for ‘normal’ in this corner of the world. The border isn’t clearly defined. But once you’re inside, you just know you’re there. Here live people who never heard about Louis Pasteur or Louis Armstrong (either one), people who don’t know the difference between Barchetta and bruchetta, many of whom never even ate meat - not only tenderloins and similar delicacies, but even pre-packaged Meal-Mart stuffed peppers. They never heard of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley or Pink Floyd; most oblivious even to Mordechai Ben David or Avrohom Fried. Many of them never traveled in a vehicle of any kind, most only rode buses. There are cars and cell phones, but technology stops pretty much there. Life here streams at a different dimension. And wonder of wonders, they don't become fatally ill from not watching the Sopranos, they do not expire of not knowing CO2 from H2O, and the fact that they are ignorant of recent world history doesn't turn them into monsters. Although they despise a culture in which the biggest promoters of smut become billionaires, they do not slam airplanes into buildings, and do not decapitate anyone. To the best of my knowledge, this abysmal ignorance hasn't brought them to die of hunger, epidemy, or to break out in tribal warfare. They do not slaughter each other, neither the adherents of different cultures and religions. There are many "open houses" here - houses in which anyone can step at any time, and will be fed and accommodated, no questions asked. They are peaceful people who spend most of their time learning, davening and engaging in simple craftsmanship or trades.

Yet, for some reason, these are among the most hated people on planet Earth. Not only by the secularist-communist kibbutz movement, but even by many torah-observant Jews. How can anyone call these people, despite their flaws and faults, “stormtrooping tsnius nazis” and similar epithets? Is it a subconscious recognition that authentic Judaism –inasmuch as such a thing exists today- lies within a two square-blocks area in Yerushalayim that generates such animosity?

The times when a majority of Jews had a clear idea about what Judaism really is, and actually practiced it, were unfortunately short, few and distant. To dismiss anything that doesn’t confirm to the strict confines of Old Jerusalem life would be foolish at best, yet denying that they carry the rest of the Jewish world on their shoulders – even if indirectly – is equally foolish. After all, their seclusion from modern life and its scientific and technologic advantages is largely possible because they themselves rely on it. Many of their supporters, suppliers and other providers of assistance are religious Jews living a very different life. The fact of the matter is, however, that any ideological deviance from the strict traditional consensus resulted in total severance from the Jewish nation. The Reform and Conservative movements today can be considered ‘Jewish’, only by strict racial definition – if at all. At their beginnings, these movements had no significant practical differences from the original national nucleus. But after a relatively short time, any semblance of Judaism was altered beyond recognition. It may sound as a vicious cheap shot, but sadly, it is hard to deny that Modern Orthodoxy and the Mizrahi movement are headed in a similar direction. And the general Haredi society is practically moving toward Modern Orthodoxy. Does this explain the rigid blockade and seeming detachment of contemporary Yeshivish leadership? Is it possible that they deem, for the long-term benefit of the klal, better to erect seemingly irrational walls around a minuscule lodge in order to protect its integrity? I can’t answer these questions. I can only theorize that just as an onion bulb has layer upon layer protecting the core, so too our nation has a core protected by numerous “layers”. At a certain point the layers become dry and brown – beyond that everything clinging to the onion is either dirt or parasites. Whether “true Yiddishkeit” inherently demands a strict Nietzschean “only the fittest survive” type of rule is debatable. Maybe in the times when the entire klal Yisroel lived on their land this was the case, as we find in the times of Chizkiyahu, that even young children were experts in hilchos tum’ah vetaharah, and the Jews were regularly castigated at every misstep. After the destruction it is perhaps impossible to achieve such levels, and our mere survival possibly relies on incorporating a more tolerant approach and a wider range of outlooks. There still is, however, a red line not to be crossed. Once Toraic principles are distorted or explained away, with all the good will, falsifiers have to be identified as such, and ties have to be severed with them.

Regardless of the segment one was born into or chose to adopt, it seems to me that denigrating and putting down the ‘purists’ who distance themselves from any other culture is self-destructive. There may well be a wide range of legitimate claims against this ideology/lifestyle – nevertheless, this should be done while bearing in mind that the precious core, small and fragile, is the reason for the “outer layers’” existence. The hurt over the “hesderniks’” death on the battlefield while others sit and learn in Yeshiva is legitimate and understood. However, if the reason for the soldier’s fall is to afford a secular, spoof-Western state with gay bars, rather than letting Jews sit in batei midrash, he not only died in vain, but for a bad and abortive clause.

We rely on Jerusalem far more than we’d like to consciously admit. Whether going to see B.B. King in NYC, annihilating a gourmet meal or davening on Yom Kippur in shorts and T-shirts in Kibbutz Sa’ad, we tend to forget that the reason we can do all this with a relatively clean conscience and transmit Yiddishkeit to the next generation, is due to the hundred and one years old blind Yerushalmi who walks for over an hour from his phoneless apartment to shul - less than a thousand feet away - sits down, asks someone to read him the Gemore, corrects him if he misses a word in toisfes, and asks for another cigarette.

Appetite For Destruction

The Jewish bankers control world economy and suck the Christians’ hard earned riches and money. The Jews are responsible for the 1929 stock market crash, world communism, freemasonry, and control all medias worldwide. Jews drink Christian blood, have big noses and plot to overthrow governments. Rabbis hide CB’s in their beards and their tooth fillings, and are all child molesters.

So claim some of our best ‘friends’. Even more painful is when some of our own wayward kin make more subtle, albeit similar claims. The Karaites, Helenisers, Zionists, Jewish Communists, Reformers and others have used similar rhetoric, in either concealed or not so concealed terms. The authentic Jew has been vilified, persecuted and incited against even by his own creed. But the most gut-wrenching experience is to hear this contempt-filled incitement and enraged hatred from our very own ‘orthodox’ or pseudo-orthodox brothers.

The oral diarrhea spurting forth of some websites calling themselves ‘progressive Judaism’ or similar media-borrowed monikers spew their hatred with greater zeal and bigger success than all “white supremacist” organizations combined together. Packaged in endless caring and hope for downtrodden miserables or for the well-being of the community itself, these Jewish anti-Semites fancy that they can hide behind such frail veils. But they are very mistaken. Even their target audience often sees through their evil intentions. Every day a new topic emerges, and somehow the Orthodox community, and especially its leadership, is again besmirched, smeared and accused for all of the world’s ills. They detest true Judaism with all their hearts, all their souls, and all their being.

Criticism is necessary for the preservation of any society – and Jewish history is par excellence loaded with its greatest leaders being criticized and chastised at every turn. The stretch, however, from that to willful vilifying, slandering and inciting is very long. Even when the nucleus for their ‘criticism’ is a valid topic, they use it as an excuse to bark and roar like bloodthirsty hounds. The end result is invariably a haughty smirk or an outright spit in the face of authentic Judaism. Their reason for doing it is one and only: hate. Whether this uncontrollable flow of hatred pours forth because they can’t stand to see entire communities renouncing the material temptations that are at a hand’s reach and dedicate themselves to the ways of Torah, or for other reasons, I can’t tell. But it is obvious that just as they or their fathers have left that kind of life behind, they want to force us to do the same.

Even more distressing is that some of our own have tacitly and cunningly endorsed certain of these hatemongers and their rhetoric. But make no mistake – our enemies have proven to make us stronger while destroying only themselves. Like all the false ideologies that arose in the last three thousand years, they will be blown away by wind like the autumn leaves. And even the beneficial effect to their hate-ridden hisses – namely, weeding out the true evil from our midst and correcting our own wrongdoings – will not be credited to them.

© 2007 Joseph Izrael

Stairway To Heaven

I tried to avoid the EL-AL ban controversy for various reasons, first and foremost because it does not pertain to the purpose of this site, as well as time and energy constraints. I’m a full-time chef, entertainer and psychologist even when on vacation. I sometimes wonder whether heilige Darwin created evolved all those amazing species only to give my dear children another excuse to spend my time and money, or to create more jobs within another arm of the entertainment and bioscience industries. He was a hell of a capitalist, you’ve gotta give it to him.

Some time ago a Moshe Feiglin article caught my attention as being the most witty and interesting among all that has been said and written on the subject. Here’s a short summary of his ideas (but reading the whole article is very strongly recommended):

…"[Y]ou are the one with the greater interest that the State should supply the atmosphere of Jewish identity. Both of us want our children to retain their Jewish identity. But your children will need a generally Jewish environment in order to retain their identity much more than my children."
"O.k., I understand," he said, "but what does that have to do with El Al?"
"The Shabbat is one of the foundations of Judaism," I answered. There is no Judaism without Shabbat. Shabbat is very important to me and that is why I prefer to have the people with the greatest interest in its preservation decide. I don't want to decide if El Al should fly on Shabbat. I want you to decide.
"Me?"
"That's right. You! I don't want religious parties or religious legislation. The more religious parties and religious legislation that we have in this country, the less Jewish identity we have. The majority of the public wants to preserve our Jewish identity. Why turn it into coercion and push the large traditional sector into the waiting arms of the small anti-religious minority? I want to break out of that cycle. I want you to take responsibility for your Jewish identity. We are both on the same side. I don't want the job of coercing you into anything. I completely rely on you. You can decide if El Al should fly on Shabbat." …

Despite the strong arguments and interesting angle of presenting the subject, I respectfully digress. Besides for Israel having been created as the Jewish state, and as such having an evident obligation to preserve at least a bare minimum of symbolic adherence to Jewish tradition, the argument itself is fallacious. Applying self-discipline to the legal system is a script for anarchy and abolition of the rule of law. So why not abolish all fiscal laws and penalties in order for people to be able to self-define their moral discipline and integrity? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if theft and robbery were thwarted solely by the people’s honesty instead of the fear of sentencing? Unfortunately, reality teaches us otherwise. And so too, even though within democracy’s parameters we’d be hard pressed to prevent Israelis from desecrating Shabbos, we must however prevent this from happening via something that represents the state which, in the eyes of many –justifiably or otherwise-, symbolizes Judaism.

The true approach came through the lens a Mishpacha magazine reader in the letters to the editor:

“I respectfully but vehemently disagree with your explanation of the El Al issue. You refer to their decision, when they flew on Shabbos, to “slap this community in the face”. You mention their lack of “any sensitivity to our feelings”, and so on. While there’s a lot of truth in your words, I think they slightly, but significantly, miss the point:
The early days of the Battle for Shabbos in fledging Israel, waged in Kikkar Shabbos and at the Edison’s Theater, saw some of “Jerusalem’s finest” fighting with their heart and soul and sacrificing their bodies for kedushas haShabbos. But their screams were more than outrage; they were cries of pain accompanied by tears for Yiddishe neshamons straying away from hachayim v’hatov. They cried for Hashem’s Shabbos and for Hashem’s children, not for their own sensitivities.
Today, one struggles to hear, under the war cries of “Shabbos!” on Bar Ilan Street, any echoes of those earlier convictions. As in many areas, we mimic the actions we saw our elders doing, but we’re lacking the pnim. That same “Shaaaabbbooossss!” that once arose out of our ahavas Hashem – and, yes, even out of ahavas Yisrael – today seems to come from a source of pure contentiousness, if not animosity. It’s as if the “struggle for Shabos” has degenerated into a soccer match: Shomrei Shabbos vs Mechalelei Shabbos; let’s see who’s stronger.
Perhaps this is just another manifestation of the unfortunate fragmentation within Israeli society in which everything is seen in terms of “us” and “them”. Perhaps the secular media is to blame for that. Perhaps it’s the inevitable outcome of a system of coalition politics, where everything comes down to miflagtiyut, party lines. But shouldn’t we be above that? Is it really our Shabbos or Hashem’s?
The attitude of “they can’t trample a community like ours” has a ring of black power ballyhoo. Similarly, the increasingly prevalent attitude of chareidim demanding their rights as a powerful consumer bloc is more is more benefiting a consumer union dedicated to financial benefit than those who claim more rarified ideals.
Did El Al insult us when they flew on Shabbos? Did they disrespect our feelings? Did they “deal a ringing slap in the face of their most loyal customers”? Yes, yes, yes.
But more importantly they desecrated Hashem’s Shabbos. To focus elsewhere is to miss the point entirely.”

Shloimi Kolko
Jerusalem

© Joseph Izrael 2007

The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

An Arab woman disagrees with an anonymous Jewish blogger; I am talking about the one who refuses to acknowledge that he is an anti-Semitic hatemonger and incites brothers against each other, mourns for a brutal dictator, calls his execution a miscarriage of justice, and hints at Simon Wiesnthal being a revengeful maniac. Sad but true.

PLease click here to view the video.

For those of you whose "mame loshen" is Hebrew, this person speaks a very clear and eloquent Arabic, and even if you don't speak that language you will be able to understand many words and some sentences. (Just in case that the aforementioned blogger claims that the video was edited by right-wing fundamentalists and the subtitles forged.)

© Joseph Izrael 2007

Sin After Sin (Israel Syndrome Pt. III)

(loosely continued from part II
includes refernces to part I)

Yossef sees his very own brothers before his eyes, after an absence of twenty-two years. Instead of jumping in their arms, he starts a seemingly cruel charade of confusion and obscurity. The most dazzling part in this familiar story, in my very humble opinion, is that the scriptures never actually tell us why Yossef had to harass his brothers at such lengths. If admission of the brothers’ guilt was the objective, it was right there after the first accusation was made. But it seems that Yossef wanted more than that.

Rashi points out that the one who found the money pouch in his pack is Levi, based on the word “the one”, referring to his being the single one remaining of a pair. It is not clear whether Rashi himself intended to hint to it, but it seems that this was no mistake; the posuk states: “ויפתח האחד את שקו לתת מספוא לחמרו במלון, וירא את כספו והוא בפי אמתחתו - And the one opened his sack to give fodder to his donkey in the inn, and he saw his money, and lo, it is in his pack’s mouth.” The verse gives a lot of seemingly unnecessary information, namely the location of the occurrence, the reason for opening the pack, and the location of the money in the pack. The last detail repeats itself when the other brothers open their own sacks at home: “והנה איש צרר כספו בשקו - …and each one’s money bag is inside his sack…” Presumably, each had to feed his donkey at one point or another on the road. Yet none found it in the mouth of his pack (אמתחת), rather inside their sacks, while emptying them. Did Yossef intentionally plan for Levi to find his moneybag on the road? Was it intended to signal them to come back to him while still not too far (not more than one donkey's "tankful" away)? And if yes, why?

In his initial encounter with the brothers, Yossef uses the word “Elokim”, in all probability not the most frequent expression in idolatrous Egypt. This sure should have lit a red light, especially after three days of captivity. Upon their second encounter Yossef acts even more weirdly – feasting with them, seating them according to their birth dates, giving them presents, and again mentioning “Elokim”. Even in Yehuda’s final argument, it seems that Yossef didn’t actually plan to ‘out’ himself at that point. Was he begging for them to recognize him? Or to admit and acknowledge something beyond their guilt in selling him?

After Yaakov’s passing, for no apparently valid reason, the brothers, suspect that Yossef still harbors ill-feelings against them, and come with a fabricated plea from their father for Yossef to forgive them. But Yossef never explicitly forgives them: he only states that he is not G-d’s representative, and that his transfer to Egypt was beyond their control.

By his peculiar antics and strange behavior, Yossef was probably trying to get his brothers to admit their initial mistake regarding their original dissent. It is possible that he tried hinting to them that their view of having status of Ovos like their forefathers was ultimately proven wrong. By singling Shimon and Levi out, he may have been trying to hint to them that just as they had judged the citizens of Shchem for their distorted ideology of agreeing to injustice (i.e. accepting Hamor’s behavior and reasoning), - so too they should renounce their own mistaken belief.

It seems that both the brothers and Yossef stuck to their initial beliefs until their deaths, and there was no definite solution to their machlokes. Yossef’s dream of a definitively united and bound nation never materialized, and he possibly held his brothers culpable for it, as it depended mostly on them.

________________________________

Note another parallel, or at least similarity, between Yaakov and Yitzchok: both blind before their passings, and in somewhat similar ways, exchange the firstborns with their juniors.

In the baker’s dream the birds freely peck at Pharaoh’s pastries, without being chased away. At the bris bein hab’sorim, Avrohom chases the buzzard (or whichever bird of prey it was) away. According to Rashi the bird symbolizes David who tries to defeat Israel’s enemies, but is prevented by Heaven from doing so. In the baker’s dream, the verse uses the word “ והעוף - the bird”; the simple meaning is just a general reference to birds, an oft-occurring expression, (although anywhere else this expression is used without a ‘heh’/”the”) yet can be interpreted as the specific bird. In our case, probably a heavenly intervention to keep Yossef from realizing his dreams the way he saw them.

--(Cont.)--


© Joseph Izrael 2007

Gangland

“Dead men - tell no tales
Gangland – where jailbirds die”
“Gangland”, Iron Maiden, (The Number Of The Beast, 1982)

Michael Savage was just speculating that the hasty execution after the lengthy trial was to prevent the butcher from spilling the beans on several high-profile political figures in the EU and the USA. Who knows what was going on there between the oligarchs.
So far all we know is that amnesty is underway for some twenty million illegal invaders, who in turn will import their extended families and cause us to lose what little is left of our sovereignty, borders, language and culture.

© Joseph Izrael 2007

No Prayer For The Dying

So he hung.

What’s the big deal, you may ask, since the situation didn’t really improve, and it seems as if Bush is determined to let our troops perish in Iraq instead of quartering that area and let the Arabs decide how to run their countries, while the US Armed forces can fulfill their actual purpose – to protect us and barricade our own borders?

The big deal is that there is a big lesson to learn here. Bleeding hearts are heard all over the media saying that a helpless man, as bad as he was, in captivity is no longer harmful, poses no threat, and therefore his execution is an act of barbarism.

But that is of course a vile propagandist fabrication. Humanity is obligated to eradicate evil from its midst, in many cases even after the physical threat is no longer present. Capital punishment is an essential element of maintaining a stable and spiritually healthy society, not only to deter would-be criminals, but also to teach a universal lesson that all man’s actions have consequences. All consequences are neither immediate nor drastic, but when one trespasses on domains forbidden by universal human pact, the very life with which he breached that pact shall be taken from him. Conversely, a society that rejects this notion by eliminating capital punishment, frees itself and the individual from personal responsibility and accountability.

This is true on a collective level as well. A society – be it a nation, a religion, city, sect or group, is responsible for its own global behavior. The Islamic peoples hold the West collectively responsible for its psychological degeneracy, yet most of us refuse to admit this fact. It is our duty to hold Islam collectively responsible for its actions, and be held to the same answerability as they have held their dictator. Our survival depends on it.

As Yidden, we are tenfold bound to such responsibility. We must not view each other as separate communities and factions, but as one single nation. We cannot dismiss problems in one sector as not ours. Yet the solution is definitely not finger-pointing or denigrating a specific segment. We are in this together, and whether the ship sinks or survives is in the hands of the entire nation.

So yesterday we have learnt this lesson.
A man of immense power, who, for three decades ruled with an iron fist, went down as a coward, and paid the ultimate price. This should be a reminder for other large-caliber criminals who are still free, that winds of change come unexpectedly, and that nothing is granted.

I would kindly ask the reader to please take the time and read this article. It is very important, and if you’re up to it watch the video as well – if this is what they do to each other, pause for a moment and think what they might do to you.

© Joseph Izrael 2006

Curse Of The Hidden Mirror

My eyes opened wide, unable to dislocate from that position, my jaw dropped, and the knife in my hand also nearly dropped. I just couldn’t believe what I heard. A colleague of mine, rank-and-file yeshivish guy, came in to relate an upsetting event, and amidst his harangue blurted out a four-letter word. I was amazed.
“What?” I asked in disbelief “Did you just say that? Is it really possible?” I was sure that it was a slip of the ear - my ear. But he nonchalantly answered, “What’s the big deal? I’m just like you”. That left me wondering – although this was by no means an excuse, what, takeh, gives me the right to talk that way? Yes, I do work in an environment where foul language is very much the order of the day, but that’s no justification either. On the spot I decided to try to curtail my mouth’s output. Again I was taught a lesson to hold first and foremost myself to standards at least as high as I expect from others.

And some others could do the same.

On the heels of Yehuda Kolko’s indictment came a flurry of information and advice dealing with sexual abuse in the orthodox community, as well as a resurrection of the hate-fest of yore, the excuse being this time support or opposition to the UOJ.

Regardless of one’s position about the issue, I feel that there is a strong sanctimonious element in those orthodox bloggers and leaders who suddenly lecture excessively on sexual abuse per-se. Not that it isn’t Chas Vesholem an important matter in and on itself, – au contraire. However, a large part of the talk entirely misses the point;

I assume that most readers are familiar with at least the notion (not the halochos) of “Eglah Arufah”: the sages and leaders of the city are responsible for their communities’ welfare, and if a serious crime has been committed, they must demonstrate that everything in their power was done to prevent the crime. This however requires at least a corpus delicti. Even with taking all the allegations at face value, in all probability the leaders who were smeared and attacked probably didn’t know about the accusations until recently. The molested people and those who allegedly knew about them were first and foremost responsible to report what they knew to law enforcement and prominent rabbis. The fact that they were silent for so long (now citing fear and claims that they did actually report it to “the rabbis” – unnamed of course – doesn’t give the impression of too strong arguments) inculpates them as much as those whom they are now targeting. As I have said before, the main issue at hand is not how to deal with child abuse per-se, but how to change the mentality of entire communities who hush their own children’s plight to avoid a bad name, ostracism and “bad” shidduchim. This mentality cannot be blamed solely on the leaders – it is, however, in great part, the leadres’ responsibility to fight such trends.

Another point that I haven’t seen addressed elsewhere, is that scores of anonymous comments on UOJ claimed to care for the welfare of our “heilige kinderlach”, hypocrisy and corruption among rabbis. They used this as an excuse to smear and besmirch not only all rabbonim, but the entire “charedi” community. There wasn’t however anyone attacking the MO/Mizrachi movement, who, unfortunately, are just as guilty. I wonder how Gil Student or Rav Schachter would have reacted, had an unruly “Un-Modern-Orthodox Jew” besmirched Rav Kook and R’ Joseph Bear Soloveichik because of acts carried out by Shlomo Aviner, Ze'ev Kopolovich and others in that sector (alleged and convicted sex offenders). Allegedly, there was a similar pact of silence among top Mizrachi leaders. Agudah leaders, neither in Israel or the USA, didn’t come out mere days after the convictions and scandals, drooling with glee and lecturing everyone on sex abuse. I’m not saying this to relieve them from responsibility or to justify their actions (inaction, rather) but because it is a fact. (It has been insinuatedthat an Agudah speaker hinted at MO Rabbis not being true gdolim. If it is true, it was a critical error. This however does not justify retaliation.) Is it possible that leaders of both sectors are unhappy with the ever broadening social cut without distinct affiliation, and the slowly eroding border between these segments? I pray it isn’t the case. I might be over-sensitive, and as a matter of fact I wish my analysis is wrong - unfortunately, there are just too many details pointing to the contrary.

Although a beneficial aspect of the UOJ phenomenon is hardly deniable, the unfortunate truth is that instead of a good solution to the problem, in its broader sense, we’re not only back at square one, but the flames of hatred have been revived as well. Despite my firm belief that the end does justify the means, determining which ends justify what means is all too often an arduous –and risky- task. Although in our times prophecy has been bequeathed to fools, it is probably safe to speculate that Kolko’s arrest won’t have a deep effect on hareidi community. I wonder what prominence the story will get in the mainstream Orthodox media, if any. The corrupt justice system, coupled with evidence being nearly impossible to produce (such crimes are usually not committed in front of a wide audience, and so far there were no allegations of penetration) only increase Kolko’s chances to clear his name. If that will ח"ו be the case, the big losers will not be UOJ’s gang but the community at large, and the big winners will again be the criminals, emboldened would-be criminals, and their abettors. And in case of a conviction, will the school and Beis-Din systems be changed and improved? I really hope so.

I only hope that if it will ח"ו be the case, all of the weekend warriors, Monday morning quarterbacks and holy crusaders will stick to their words and practice what they preached by creating enough outrage and fury within the community, so that the situation doesn’t return to what it was.

Instead of sectarian animosity, rabbis and leaders of all sectors should unite and try to mend our common troubles.



© Joseph Izrael 2006