Facing the giant

There is an idea in Judaism that Hashem is constantly sending us signs and messages of which we must decode and figure out how to apply to our daily lives. One of the ways He does this is through the lessons in the parshat hashavua (weekly Torah section). In light of the recent terrorist attack on Yaffo Street this last week, what can we learn about it from that week's section Parshat Chukat?

At the end of the parsha the Israelites face a confrontation with the nation of Bashan and their king the giant Og. Hashem tells Moses, "Al tira oto," or, "Don't fear him" (referring to Og). This is commonly understood to mean that because of Og's immense size, combat with him meant certain danger if not death, and G-d needed to reassure Moses so he would have the courage to face such an enemy. However, if G-d was on the side of the Israelites, why would Moses need be afraid? The had just had a similar confrontation in which Hashem had granted them victory, and the Torah doesn't seem to mention any sin they had committed that would forfeit their divine protection. Even if Og was a giant, that is merely a physical advantage, and Moses of all people who had a closer relationship to Hashem than anyone else should have known that physicality is nothing compared to G-d's strength. So why the need for words of encouragement?

Back in B'reshit (book of Genesis) when Abraham's nephew Lot is captured, it says that the fugitive came to inform Abraham about it. The term fugitive refers to the giant Og. Og was of a time before the flood that destroyed the world but his life was spared and he was allowed to ride on top of Noah's Ark. Within the world there is klipot, spiritual shells that block Hashem's divine light and feed off the power of evil, and since the world was destroyed during the flood the Ark served as a temporary world in the meantime. Since the time had not yet come for a perfect existence there was still a need for klipot in the world, and Og was allowed to survive outside the Ark during the flood serve as the klipah. This is why he is referred to as the fugitive- though he should have died like all the other wicked people of his generation he was able to make it out alive.

When Og came to tell Abraham of what had happened to Lot his intention was that Abraham should rush off to battle in order to save Lot and end up getting killed, allowing Og to take Sarah as a wife for himself. Even though he had wicked intentions, the fact was he still did a good thing and because of that Abraham rewarded him by giving him a brit milah (circumcision). The brit milah is one of the most important mitzvot it the entire Torah and somebody who has one merits great spiritual reward.

With this in mind, let's take another look at what Hashem tells Moses, "Al tira oto." While the word "oto" means "him", it can also be read as a contracted form of "ot shelo", or, "his sign." Often a brit milah is refered to as a sign (ot), and while Moses may have not been intimidated by Og's physical stature, he knew that Og had a brit milah and therefore because of it may merit spiritual protection, making it much more difficult to defeat him. As it turns out though, Og had strayed in sexual deviancy and because of this had forfeited the holiness of his brit milah and any spiritual protection it may have afforded him. This is why Hashem told Moses not to fear him, for even though one might think that Og's brit milah would give him merit and protect him, his evil ways had caused him to lose any such merit.

Possibly the biggest enemy to the Jewish people and especially Israel today is the muslim nations who seek our destruction. Numbering in the billions, they are most certainly a giant as far as peoples go. If it weren't enough that they outsize us, they too, like Og, have a brit milah. They also worship G-d and often lead very devout lifestyles often willing to give their life on command in what they view as the service of G-d. If one wasn't worried enough by their sheer size, one could most definitely be worried that G-d may grant them success in the merit of their devotion to Him. More than that, this is an enemy that already lives amongst us. For all the high tech equipment and strategies Israel's government and Army employs, checkpoints, weapon confiscations, world class intelligence gathering, etc., our enemy can sidestep us and use simple every-day objects like a bulldozer from a local construction sight to try and destroy us as did the terrorist this last week (may his name be erased).

Yet scratch under the surface of their seeming piety and you don't have to look hard to find many contradictions. The same people who proclaim to be holy commit mass murders, bombings and countless other terrorist attacks, oppress their women and subject them to honor rapes and killings, as well as countless other horrible behaviors. This is certainly not becoming of a people that wishes to make themselves the representatives of G-d. Therefore when confronting this seemingly giant enemy in what often looks like a hopeless situation, we must have faith that G-d will protect us. Wicked murderous peoples lose any protection they may have been expecting from G-d while we have the promise laid out in His Torah that we will survive to the end and see our redemption, may it come soon.

Before mentioning the events of Og and Bashan, earlier in the parsha it described the Para Aduma, or Red Heifer. The Para Aduma was used to purify people of the impurity of death, which according to the Torah is the strongest of impurities. Just as Torah instructs us in a purification process before relating the story of the battle with Og, we need to understand that while our enemies' defeat hinges on their impurity, likewise our victory hinges on our ability to purify ourselves and cleave to Hashem. May it be His will that we have success in this and that we don't know from any more heinous attacks in our time.

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Isaiah's Wail

For the first time since 1967, the Isaiah Scroll (pictured above), is on display at the Israel Museum, in Jerusalem.

The 2,100 year old scroll is the only complete scroll of the famous Dead Sea Scrolls, discovered in the Qumran caves within the Judean desert, in 1947, and represents the oldest biblical manuscript in existence - dating back 1,000 years prior to the next oldest biblical manuscript, the Aleppo Codex.

The reason for the scroll having been kept from the public for so long is the concern over the effects that light and humidity will have on the very delicate scroll.

With Isaiah's Scroll finally seeing the light of day, here is a golden opportunity to, 1) strengthen the right of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel. After all, this is very same Isaiah who was walking around Jerusalem, when the 1st Holy temple stood upon the Temple Mount, defending the unity of Jerusalem against those (Assyrians) who sought to destroy her.

And, 2) to celebrate the vitality of Judaism and the Jewish people. Here we are, in the very same places the Isaiah walked, among the descendants of those very Jews who lived in Israel (Judea) during that time. We are one nation, with one Homeland, keeping the same traditions and Torah, and in many ways, facing the same challenges that the Jewish people faced thousands of years ago, during Isaiah's lifetime.

Instead, what is being focused upon is Isaiah's message of "universal peace," and the scroll's relevance to all people.

However, is this an accurate representation of Isaiah's prophecy?


Those answering in the affirmative will quickly cite the verse that adorns the Isaiah Wall outside of the United Nations, which speaks of the messianic vision of peace:

"They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore." (Isaiah 2; 4)

However, before we concede this point to the universalists, let us cite the complete prophecy, of which the above verse represents only a small segment.

"The prophecy that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw, concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

It will happen in the end of days, that the mountain of the Temple of Hashem will be firmly established as the head of the mountains, and it will be exalted above the hills; and all nations will stream to it. And many nations will go and say: 'Come, and let us go up to the Mountain of Hashem, to the Temple of the G-d of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths.' For from Zion will the Torah come forth, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem. And He will judge among the nations, and will settle the arguments of many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." (Isaiah 2; 1-4)

When looking at this particular prophecy of Isaiah in its complete context, it is very clear that the Messianic vision of universal peace is preceded by a few things:

1. The Jewish people will have complete sovereignty over Israel, in general, and over Jerusalem, in particular.
2. At the center of Jerusalem will stand, on the Temple Mount, the Holy Temple.
   
3. The nations of the world will recognize the truth and righteousness of the teachings of the G-d of Israel, and will stream to Jerusalem to learn and live by them.
   
4. The nations of the world will stand before G-d in judgment for their actions, and justice will be meted out.
   

And, only then, after all of the above have taken place, will the vision for universal peace transpire.

With Israel finally bringing the Isaiah Scroll to light, perhaps it's time that we do the same for Isaiah's teachings, and in doing so, merit witnessing their fulfillment.

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Mezuzah's In Space

NEW YORK - NASA’s Discovery space shuttle is set to undertake a six-month-long research mission on the international space station in May. Aside from the usual team of astronauts, however, this "kosher" shuttle will also be carrying some very precious cargo on board in the form of two unique mezuzahs.

Jewish-American astronaut Gregory Chamitoff, who will be part of the Discovery crew, will place the mezuzahs, designed by Israeli jeweler Laura Cowan, on the door post near his shuttle bunk. The astronaut noted that these mezuzahs will serve as a constant reminder of home, and give him a sense of Jewish identity.

These unique mezuzahs’ personal odyssey began some 10 years ago, when 37-year-old Cowan went to study jewelry design in London. Inspired by a film that she had seen dealing with space exploration, she began to design mezuzahs and other Judaica items shaped like the moon or a space shuttle. Cowan then returned home to Israel and began to sell these unique items in her Tel Aviv studio.

Several months ago, Cowan was contacted by Phil Hattis, a professor of aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who asked her about the unique space-shuttle shaped mezuzahs that she designs.

“He asked me how much the mezuzahs weigh, and what they are made out of before he even inquired about the price,” said Cowan. “I later found out that he wanted to purchase a mezuzah as a gift for one of his students, Gregory Chamitoff, who would soon be embarking on a shuttle mission."

The mezuzah which Hattis purchased is a replica of the Apollo space shuttle that landed on the moon, complete with the windows which this famous shuttle had sported.

As it turns out, however, Chamitoff would not have to settle for this mezuzah alone. His close friend, Lisa Stone, also purchased a space-shuttle shaped mezuzah for him—this one more closely resembling recent models of NASA shuttles. Chamitoff was pleased to receive both mezuzahs, and even called Cowan to make sure that they are made of materials that can endure space travel.

“He didn’t want to have to leave behind either one of these mezuzahs,” Cowan enthusiastically stated. “He said that he would take them both to space and place him near his bunk to give him a sense of home as well as Jewish identity.”
Astronauts usually are allowed a very limited number of personal items on their missions, yet Chamitoff insisted on taking both mezuzahs with him on the six-month long mission. “They represent the two most important elements in his life: Space and the Jewish faith,” noted Cowan.

Cowan’s two mezuzahs will thus head out to space this May, adorning Chamitoff’s bunk aboard the shuttle. “I am very proud of the fact that a Judaica item that I designed is heading off into space,” said Cowan, “not only on a personal level but also as a Jew.”

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Tour of the Temple Mount - Video

Have you ever thought about visiting the Temple Mount, but, for whatever reason, have yet to do so?

Well, here's your chance to take a virtual tour (until you're ready for the real thing, of course).

Below is a video preview (8+ minutes) of a tour of the Temple Mount led by Rabbi Chaim Richman of the Temple Institute. The tour was led in August, 2005.



For the complete 90 minute tour, visit here.

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Lessons From Olive Oil

You must command the Israelites to bring you clear illuminating oil, made from hand-crushed olives, to keep the lamps burning constantly. (Shemos/Exodus 27:20)

The MeAm Lo’ez teaches:

It is well known that from the time that Moses was born until he died, he did not have an hour of rest. When he was born, his mother placed him in the Nile. As soon as he was rescued from the Nile, he was brought before Pharaoh. There he put a coal in his mouth and had his tongue burned, as has been discussed at length in earlier sections.

After that, as a result of the actions of Dathan and Aviram, Moses was forced to flee. After he fled from Pharaoh, the angel wanted to kill him because he had delayed circumcising his son.

Besides this, it is impossible to imagine the suffering he endured from the Israelites during the 40 years that they were in the desert. There were wars with Sichon and Og, which we shall discuss in forthcoming sections.

Throughout this, Moses was forbearing and tolerant, as the Torah says, “The man Moses was very humble, more so than any human being” (Numbers 12:3). It was as a result of this that Moses reached a higher spiritual level than any other human being, as it is written, “There has not risen another prophet in Israel like Moses, who knew God face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

The Israelites could also learn a lesson from the olive oil itself. In order to obtain the oil, the olive must be crushed in a mortar, and then ground in a mill. Only then can the oil be extracted so that it can provide light for the world.

The same is true of Israel. Although they are hounded and persecuted by the nations, who insult them, make them suffer, beat them, and take their money, they should not become discouraged by this terrible suffering. They should not give up their sacred Torah and not complain or grumble. Rather, they should accept everything with love, since in the end, they will see good. In the end, they will bring light to all the world.

God thus said to Moses, “And you must command the Israelites that they bring to you pure olive oil, pressed for the lamp.” You must command the Israelites to have forbearance and humility, just as you do. This is something that only you, and no one else, can tell them. You have suffered much, and have experienced many troubles. They should also take a lesson from the olive, which must be crushed and bruised before it yields the pure oil that illuminates the world.

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Motorcycle Minyan Seeks a Rabbi Who Was Born To Be Wild

Above photo from Hillel's Angels

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — A newly formed minyan in this South Florida community is looking for a rabbi. Applicants must be enthusiastic about working outside a traditional synagogue setting — way outside. On the open road.

The King David Bikers, a motorcycle minyan formed just six weeks ago, has already attracted more than a dozen members who share the group’s interests, as spelled out by president Jeff Mustard: “the passion to ride and the bond of our faith.”

Mustard is leading the search for a spiritual leader for the King David Bikers. “I’m looking for a rabbi to impart a certain Jewish fabric to the group,” he said. “Lessons from the Torah, Jewish enrichment, Jewish education.” The only requirement is that the rabbi ride a motorcycle, a quality not readily found among Jewish clergy.

Rabbi Yaakov Nerenberg of the South Florida Association of Rabbis offered to help Mustard in his search for a Harley-loving spiritual leader. But he told the Forward that not all rabbis are born to be wild. “I am having difficulty finding a rabbi who can fit their needs,” Nerenberg said. Despite that challenge, Nerenberg remains optimistic and continues to search because to him it “sounds like they are on the right path.”


Mustard said that interest in the King David Bikers took off almost immediately after he launched a Web site heralding the group’s formation in February. “A new congregation is rolling into South Florida and it has less to do with whether you are a Conservative, Reform or Orthodox Jew than it does with whether or not you ride a motorcycle,” the home page announces. “If you are Jewish and you ride a motorcycle, finally there’s an organization for you.”

Mustard expects membership to reach two dozen by next week. He said the positive response has been gratifying. “It says to me that what I was feeling, other people were feeling, and there was clearly a pent-up demand for it. It’s like creating a product that really works and people are buying it,” he told the Forward while eating pizza at a Fort Lauderdale outdoor cafe a few feet from where he had parked his gleaming 1600cc Yamaha Road Star Silverado.

Currently, the riders meet every Sunday at the Rascal House — a venerable delicatessen that Mustard has deemed the “big temple of delis” — for breakfast, schmoozing and riding afterward. Mustard, an advertising executive during the workweek, characterizes the members as mostly professionals and businessmen, with a few female and non-Jewish riders diversifying the pack.

There are other Jewish biker clubs in the country, including the Chai Riders and the Star of Davidson in New Jersey and the Sabres in Atlanta. But according to Mustard, the King David Bikers are the first in Florida and the first to seek a rabbinical leader. He hopes to start other chapters around the country. “I think this could be a national organization in other major markets,” Mustard declared while fielding cell phone calls from rabbis and interested bikers.

Star Of David Bikers

The King David Bikers have plans to attach mezuzas to members’ bikes, along with saying a short blessing over the kosher hogs, a custom adopted by other Jewish motorcycle communities.

The group has also planned several socially conscious events, including attending a lecture on the Holocaust and a commemorative ride to Miami Beach’s Holocaust Memorial on April 18, the day before Holocaust Remembrance Day. Charity will be another priority — Mustard described plans for a dreidel drive during Chanukah to collect toys for needy children.

Mustard envisions the King David Bikers as more than just weekend Harley hobbyists. “I see this organization as being part motorcycle club, part social club, part chamber of commerce,” said Mustard. “I have a feeling that strong relationships, both personal and business, will evolve from this.”

Hillel's Angels


[BTW - there is an Israeli motorcycle club as well. Personally, I am against motorcycles because I believe that they are inherently dangerous, and I think it's prohibited to ride them. BUT, I appreciate the will to have a club of Jewish people who ride. In Israel, I have seen them ride through Gush Katif and Hebron in solidarity with the people there. G-d bless them, and give them safety, and may all those who ride in the Galut, drive home into the sunset of destiny. YF]

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Music for the (Spiritual) Revolution

Shuli Rand struggles and searches for God (From Hebrew Maariv Online)
Worth a listen & some thought!

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Messiah Musical

I have been inundated lately with tons of pro-Jesus email. This is due to the fact that I regularly dismiss Christianity as untruth, and dis Jesus as a false prophet-deity. My Christian listeners sometimes wonder why "my heart has been hardened" against their Messiah. It is with this in mind that I share the quite-offensive but funny video.

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David Lynch Believes in God

by Aaron Fox

I know because I just asked him.

Many of you have done a better job than I have on keeping your eyes and ears away from bad stuff and therefore have never heard of David Lynch. He's a film maker of dark, absurd, violent and highly creative movies. There, I just saved you about 20 hours of ultimately nonredeemable hours.

Riding on the ray of light of Madonna, Mr. Lynch too has blessed us with his presence. Instead of McKabbalah, he's promoting transcendental meditation as the cure for world strife. I still think Jews keeping the mitzvot will do the trick.

So how did he tell me that he believed in God? No, he did not step out of the shadows of the corner of my living room with a sashaying midget in a red suit with Lynch giving me the message backwards into a flashlight. He was holding a "lecture" series in Israel's three biggest cities and since I live in Haifa (yes we're still #3) it gave me a chance to check him out. Since he doesn't lecture, he has an interesting Q&A format where he just takes questions from the audience for two hours. There wasn't even an opening statement just an opening question. I suggest Rabbis of Israel look into this format because I for one have been lectured to death.

He is a former hero of mine, an idol I have since smashed. I wondered, did my interest in him have any sort of commonality to what I'm into today: God, Torah and Eretz Israel?

I formed the simple question that would get to the wild at heart of the matter.

On my turn at the microphone I asked, in the presence of an auditorium filled with the classic young secular Israelis, "Do you believe in God?"

"Yes, absolutely," Mr. Lynch doesn't hesitate.

Someone in the crowd shouted, "Which one?"

Lynch didn't flinch, "The all-powerful, merciful one."

A buzz breaks out in the auditorium. I was afraid that this was the end to his answer. So I asked, "Why?"

He said, "You and I should have a long talk." That would be welcomed (with anyone for that matter). He explained himself using the unified theory of quantum mechanics which I admit did lead into his transcendental meditation pitch, much to the chagrin to our protectionist Jews out there.

But that's not the point. The point is that I made aliyah. This enabled me to send a message to my unbelieving brethren. The next time one of them is confronted with the question of God he will remember to himself that even the darkest, most violent, most way-out-there director in the history of Hollywood basis his search for happiness and enlightenment on a firm belief of an all-powerful, merciful God. Maybe God is not such a nerd after all. How's that for Jewish outreach?

If I never made aliyah, nothing would have interrupted the onslaught of technical questions from the secular Jews about lighting, sound, digital versus film, movie theater versus internet, blah, blah, blah...

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How To Pray for Aliyah

By Adam Kenigsberg

As many of you know, one of the central components to Jewish practice is prayer. Three times a day, we engage in a conversation with our Creator. The central portion of this conversation is known as the Shemoneh Esrei (which means 18, although there are 19 parts to it - long story, not for now). This prayer is also known as the amidah (which means standing) because it is said while standing.

Of the 19 sections, the first three are praises of G-d, the last three are "thank yous" to G-d, and the middle 13 are requests.

What you may not know is that one is allowed, and even encouraged, to add personal prayers within the paragraphs of the Shemoneh Esrei. It is preferable to do this sometime before the last line of each paragraph (which always starts with "Baruch...") and should be related to the general topic of that request - as you will see below.

What I noticed from my own prayers is that EVERY ONE of the requests has something to do with a Jew living in Israel!

Below is a list of the 13 requests in the Shemoneh Esrei. Each paragraph is noted by the first few words of that paragraph, transliterated and in quotations. Then, I put in my own personal Aliyah-related prayer that relates to that specific paragraph. You can find a copy of the standard Shemoneh Esrei in any traditional Jewish prayer book (I believe the most popular publisher today is Artscroll - particularly if you want an English translation of the prayers)

Anyway, here it is:

"Atah Chonein" - Please give me understanding to realize how important it is for my soul to dwell in your holy land.

"Hashiveinu Avinu" - Just as you "return" me from transgressor to righteous again, please return me to the land that you promised my righteous ancestors.

"Selach Lanu" - Please erase any of my sins that may be stopping you from granting me the privilege of doing Your Will in Your Holy Land.

"Re'eh B'anyeinu" - Please make me part of the beginning of the redemption by placing me in the land of redemption.

"Refaeinu Hashem" - Please heal me from my own doubts and worries about moving and give me full spiritual health in the land that you created for the Jewish soul.

"Barech Aleinu" - Please give me the money I need to (get out of debt here, and) move to Israel - and please provide me with a livelihood in Your Holy Land.

"Tikah B'Shofar" - You promise through prophecy to eventually gather in all Jews from the four corners of the Earth and bring them to Israel. I volunteer to go now!!! Please gather me first!

"Hashivah Shofteinu" - Please remove me from the laws of a foriegn nation (U.S., Canada, UK, wherever you are) and bring me to the land where only You, G-d, are in control.
{Jewish teachings say that G-d appointed an angel for each nation on Earth, to control day-to-day life - except for the nation of Israel, where G-d controls every detail directly}

"V'Lamalshinim" - The Talmud compares one who lives in the Diaspora to an idol worshiper!!! Please remove my wicked status of idol worshiper and bring me to the only land that You created for the Jewish people to serve You!

"Al Hatzadikim" - In the merit of the truly righteous, both those that are with us today and those that have passed into the world of Truth - please consider my pleas to live in the Land of Israel.

"V'Lyerushalayim" - The return of the Jewish people to Israel is the first step to rebuilding Jerusalem and the Holy Temple - please enable me to be a part of this rebuilding.

"Et Tzemach David" - The Kingdom of (a descendant of) King David can only be established when the People of Israel dwell in the Land of Israel. Please bring me to Israel as one more step towards this Kingship.

"Shema Koleinu" {This is traditionally where the person praying will insert any additional requests. Pray for Aliyah, as well as any other personal needs, in the middle of this prayer}

I hope that this will improve your focus and intention in your prayers. Obviously, feel free to re-word any or all of these personal requests as you like. Also, feel free to copy and distribute this to anyone.

May we all merit to live in the Holy Land of Israel very soon!!!

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Cartoons for the Soul

Just in time for the High Holidays!!
Kabbalatoons

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The Secret Weapon of the IDF

All the nations of the world will see that G-d's Name is associated with you, and they will be in awe of you. (Devarim 28:10).

Menachot 35b interprets this verse as a reference to the tefillin worn on the head.



When the Gentiles see the Jews proudly attired in tefillin, they respect them. Tefillin cast an aura of fear over Israel's foes. Even demons and spirits will tremble in fright (Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot 5a).



The first letters of Shem Hashem Nikrah, "G-d's Name is associated," spell out the name of the letter SHiN. A Shin bolts out of either side of the head tefillin. It is the first letter of Sha-D-I. (Baal HaTurim).



"Tefillin are G-d's crown... Whoever dons this crown will become the ruler below, as G-d is the ruler above" (Zoher III 269b).



Similarly, Berachot 56a maintains that a person who sees tefillin in his dreams will soon rise to power. Berahot (6a) interprets "G-d's powerful arm" (Isaiah 62:8) as tefillin. "Tefillin grant power to Israel."



Accordingly, it has always been customary for Jewish soldiers to observe the mitzvah of tefillin with great care.



Text taken from Meam Loez on Ki Tavo p. 150. Photos collected from the Internet.

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Elul Niggun: Father in the Forest

A Father Calls out to His Children

"...This soulful melody is a dialogue between the Almighty Father and His children, the people of Israel. The Father looks for His children in the Diaspora, Galut, and implores them to return Home to the Holy Land..."


"Where have you been that you have forsaken Me?" He inquires of His children, "Dear children, please return Home, I feel forlorn without you."

The children's answer is "But, Father, how can we return when there is a guard blocking the door?"

*Matisyahu's more recent version of the niggun HERE

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NACHAS

My father (a"h) had an interesting quirk. He absolutely loved it when all his children were home for Shabbat. He would tell me: "Now that everyone is home, I finally feel at rest." No matter what time of day we arrived, he would promptly go to sleep on the couch as we three siblings palled around in the house. As he slept you could see on his face the nachas that he felt.

The Rebbe from Slonim says that there is a similar nachas for G-d Himself. He states, in his book Netivot Shalom, that just like a regular father, G-d loves it when His children love each other and are together. That is the reason why the Lord loves Shabbat - because on Shabbat His children are together in synagogues and around the table and have the opportunity to show each other affection.

What a concept - giving G-d nachas. We live in the i-pod, i-tunes, i-generation. Everything is about 'me'. All the gadgets are there to serve 'me'. So often in our religious life we ask "what does this do for me? How does this benefit me? How will I grow from this? What will I achieve? " Kashrut is good for me, Shabbat is good for me, even prayer is good for me. But what about good for G-d? How can I please G-d? This seems to be a question that is not often discussed.

Many of us think that our life's goal is to reach our greatest potential, to be the best person we can be. Maybe our goal should be to do the best service for Hashem. What does He want? What will make Him happy?

To that end we come to the issue of living in Israel. The Torah tells us that "When you come to the land of Israel which Hashem your G-d has given you, the Land shall keep a Sabbath for the Lord." (Vayika 25) The Ibn Ezra tells us that this passage contains a secret about the end of days. What is that secret? When the Jewish people will return to the land of Israel, it is G-d who will enjoy the Sabbath - all His children will be home, and He will finally feel at peace. The Torah is telling us an amazing thing: G-d gets nachas from His children, the Jewish people, being at home, in the land of Israel. Amazing.

Not only G-d is happy when the Children of Israel are home. Our grandma, Mama Rachel, the great matriarch of the Jewish people, is continuously crying and refuses to be consoled. Why is she crying?

Thus says the LORD, "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted for her children, because they are no more." Thus says the LORD, "Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work will be rewarded," declares the LORD, "and they will return from the land of the enemy. "There is hope for your future," declares the LORD, "and your children will return to their own territory." (Yirmiyahu 31)

Rachel is crying because she misses her children, she awaits their return from the Exile. Every time a Jew comes home, he or she brings joy to Rachel, helps her stop crying, because we are fulfilling her greatest wish - that we return. Have you ever considered giving some nachas to Rachel? Have you ever though about bringing joy to her who can only be consoled by the return of her children?

Living in Israel certainly has an element of self-gratification. One feels spiritually fulfilled speaking Hebrew, living with the holidays, breathing the air of Jerusalem. As Nefeshb'Nefesh says it you can "Live The Dream." But the highest level of making Aliyah is not about serving the self or even serving the country - it's about serving and pleasing G-d. The Torah tells us that "G-d's eyes are on the Land from the beginning of the year to the end of the year." (Devarim 11) He is always looking at Israel, over and above other places, to see how His children are doing. By living in Israel, and loving your fellow Jews there, you bring G-d the greatest gift of all: the nachas that all His children have returned home.

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1967: A Year of Jewish Military Campaigns

The friendly folks over at Chabad are happy to point out that more than one important military campaign was launched in 1967.

According to Lubavitch, 2007 marks the 40 year anniversary of the great Rabbi General Menachem Mendel's Tefillin campaign, which also has helped the nation and people of Israel expand their spiritual borders.

Check out this 1 minute video in honor of the anniversary, entitled "The Tefillin Booth"

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A Neo-Zionist Challenge: Shmittah & The Living Torah

Next year is going to a be a Shmittah year - the one year in every seven, where the Land of Israel must be left to lie fallow.

Since the destruction of the 1st Holy Temple in Jerusalem, until present times - over 2,500 years later - Shmittah has been only Rabbinically mandated. However, within the next 25 years, when the majority of the Jewish People will be living in the Land of Israel, Shmittah (along with all of the other Mitzvot HaTeluyot Ba'aretz - Land of Israel dependent commandments) will return to Biblically mandated status.

Below are two article presenting differing perspectives as to how modern Israeli society should be relating to Shmittah - each with their own set of pros and cons:

1) Chief Rabbinate to Reduce Use of Special 7th-Year Dispensation

2) The ground beneath our feet

Equally important as the solution that will ultimately be agreed upon and implemented is the discussion in itself.

For 2,000+ years, this discussion did not take place - could not take place - in a manner that had any practical relevance. With the re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty in the Land of Israel the Torah of Israel has returned to life.

Rabbi Yotav Eliach puts it best:

The Torah sets up a constitutional blueprint for the running of a Jewish society which is anchored in a Jewish state. Parashat Mishpatim, most of Vayikra and Bemidbar, and all of Sefer Devarim, make this point very clear. Judaism is not merely interested in the ritualistic aspects of our lives. It is rather a framework for running a Jewish republic, one complete with a court system, government, army, welfare and tax system. Finally, this constitutional blueprint is not meant for implementation in any piece of territory in which the Jewish nation may happen to be the majority, but primarily in the one country whose boundaries are clearly outlined geographically in the Torah: The Land of Israel.

One of the striking ways to reinforce these points is by showing that there are four basic areas of mitzvot in the Torah that are dependent upon the Land of Israel in one way or another:

a) All mitzvot connected to the Beit Hamikdash in any shape or form;
b) All mitzvot connected to having a Sanhedrin court system functioning;
c) All mitzvot connected to the soil of Israel;
d) All mitzvot connected to the running of the government, army, and taxes.

Taken together, these four areas make up approximately 50% of the 613 mitzvot. Another graphic way to make the point of Israel's centrality to Jewish life is by looking at the Shas. Two of the six sedarim of Shas, Kodashim and Taharot, are totally dependent upon the Land of Israel, as is Seder Zera'im (with the exception of Masekhet Berakhot).

The fourth, Seder Mo'ed, is also very dependent upon the Land of Israel. All the special sacrifices associated with each holiday are dependent upon the Beit Hamikdash in Israel, as is aliyah la'regel, bikkurim, and the bringing of the omer. The fifth, Seder Nezikin, is also connected, to a large extent, to the concept of a functioning Jewish legal system existing in the land of Israel, headed by the Sanhedrin. Only the sixth seder - Nashim - can be kept almost in its entirety (the exception being Sotah) outside the boundaries of Israel.

Thank G-d for the challenges that go along with living in the Land of Israel!

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Just Came Back From Meron...

Check out this awesome article featuring my photos from Meron.

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