Likud Construction Freeze Lame Excuse #1: “10 Months Eventually Pass”: Benny Begin

Former Prime Minister Menecham Begin z’l never meant for Israeli governance to fall as it has in the years since he signed the Camp David accords with Egypt’s Anwar Sadat, and particularly in the ensuing years since the disastrous Oslo era began. In fact, there are numerous citings in Torah, as well as in the contemporary history of OUR times of righteous Jews who were niftar (who passed away) pre-dating tragic down-turns in Jewish history. Menachem Begin’s passing in March, 1992 is one of a number of such contemporary citings as the Oslo Accords were signed, with great fanfare in Washington D.C. by then-prime minister Rabin and Shimon Peres as they both shook the blood-stained, cantaminated hand of arch-terrorist and serial murderer of Jews Yassir Arafat on 13 September 1993. read more

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Guess What: Barak, Not Shimshon Battalion, Politicized IDF!

Commentary:

Many of you may wonder why this blog has been silent for awhile, aside from the weekly Parsha HaShevua.

Frankly, it’s been a case of basically the same recurrent news, day after day. How many times and in how many different ways can one comment on the same news, again and again with only the names and the specific events changing, but essentially remaining the same? This author has been commenting on recurring news for the 4 plus years that this blog has been in existence plus years before. read more

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Yom Kippur 5770: Kohanim to the Jews; Paradigm for the Jews to Mankind

by Moshe Burt

The Mussaf portion of any prayers; Yom Tov, Rosh Chodesh, Shabbos represent the essence, the main point of that day.

On Yom Kippur, the essence of the service, the ikar is the avodah of the Kohen Godol. So much so is this the case that the Mussaf service centers around the order of the Kohen Godol’s service in the Kodosh Kodoshim (the Holy of Holies in the Beit HaMikdash). The service includes all of the preparations which the Kohen Godol makes prior to the service, the clothing he must wear at each step of the avodah, the number of times that the Kohen must bathe himself prior to each change of clothing and before each step of his service, the drawing of lots determining which goat is for Hashem and which for The Mountain of Azazel (the goat designated by lot to bear the burden of death to rectify B’nai Yisrael’s sins) and more. And by virtue of our being Hashem’s “most favored nation”, The Kohen Godol is to the Jews a paradigm of Hashem’s blueprint of what the Jews are to represent to the other nations of Mankind. read more

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Rosh Hashana 5770: Halacha, Teshuva and Communal “Norms”

by Moshe Burt

There seems to be a mistaken perception that an action or derech commonly done and accepted in society therefore is proper. The fact that actions or derech commonly accepted in society don’t necessarily make them automatically permitted by Halacha.

Toward the end of Parsha Nitzavim, Moshe Rabbeinu informs the B’nai Yisrael about Teshuva:

For this commandment that I command you today — it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in heaven, [for you] to say, “Who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?” Nor is it across the sea, [for you] to say, “Who can cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, so that we can listen to it and perform it?” Rather, the matter is very near to you — in your mouth nad in your heart — to perform it. (Parsha Nitzavim, Sefer Devarim, Perek 30, posukim 11-14) read more

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Devarim 5769: Seeking and Bringing True Jewish Leadership and it’s Applications

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by Moshe Burt

A number of years ago, Rav Aba Wagensberg spoke out in a shiur that Sefer Devarim represents Moshe Rabbeinu’s Mussar to B’nai Yisrael as the time of his death drew near.

He explained that near the end of Sefer BaMidbar, we began to see indications, via the story of Zelafchad’s daughters, Reuven and Gad’s desire to settle east of the Jordan, etc., that the B’nai Yisrael finally desired to accept Moshe Rabbeinu’s teachings and his Mussar which was meant to bring about the perfection of the Jewish people in emulation of the ways of Hashem as they were about to enter Eretz Yisrael. read more

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Obama’s Cairo Speech, Policies and the Jews

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Commentary:

I am dispensing with the 3rd person “this author” on this one. America’s president Barack Hussein Obama has made his Cairo speech. Aside from the questions of what it’s decipherings, implications and deeper meanings and analysis could mean to Israel and to the Jewish world, the question is; What Should Hussein Obama’s Cairo ingratiation to Islam mean to a Jewish state of Israel, to a real Jewish governance, and to the Jewish world?

What I see Obama’s speech meaning is that at long last, Israel must once and for all be weaned off the bosom of slavery to American aid and American approval. What it shows is that Israel MUST shake mentality of dependence (thus enslavement) and return to self-reliance of her modern-day-statehood-founding and of her Six-Day War resourceness — with home-bred talent, ingenuity and self-reliance which goes along with it, as well as reliance upon Hashem. What it proves is what I have been writing for years, that Jews are obligated to but One Ultimate Authority — Hashem in Shemayim. And when earthly Jewish leaders are NOT L’shem Shemayim, but are about L’shem their own self-interests, agendas, prejudices, their own self-enrichment and self-aggrandisement, self-affectionation and self-perpetuation of their own power and influence; they are clearly not worthy to lead the B’nai Yisrael. That is what sets apart Moshe Rabbeinu, Aaron HaKohen and certain other select Jewish leaders down through history from the Yudenrat: Real Leaders vs Corrupt, Evil Pretenders. If Jews and Jewish leadership act like Jews, then we are impervious to the Obamas, Clintons or, you name it srom successive previous American governments, read more

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Did Pope Plan Chief Islamic Judge Tamimi’s Notre Dame Institute Outburst?

Commentary;

On Tuesday, this blog posted a piece about Ashkenaz Chief Rabbi Metzger’s announcement which indicated that the ‘Pope Agreed Vatican to Stop Missionizing Jews.’

And this blog posed the question;

If the Pope walked out of the festivities at Notre Dame Pontifical Institute in Jerusalem after Chief Islamic Judge of the Palestinian Authority, Sheikh Tayseer Rajab Tamimi’s unscheduled, unsolicited verbal attack upon Israel, just why did Army Radio report that the Pope shook Tamimi’s hand on the way out? read more

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Parshiyot Behar/Bechukotai 5769: Connecting Shabbos, Shemittoh and Eretz Yisrael

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by Moshe Burt

Parshiyot Behar and Bechukotai are another power-packed doubleheader emphasizing the connection between the Jew and Eretz Yisrael.

Our Parshiyot parallel the laws of Shabbos with Shemittoh. And so, six days you shall work and you shall rest, refrain from all manner of avodah on the seventh day… to keep it Holy, just as in emulation of Hashem’s creation of the universe. When the laws of Shabbos are paralleled with the laws of Shemittoh: ‘I will command My blessing during the sixth year and it will provide produce for three years’, we are able to understand the Hatam Sofer’s explanation; read more

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Yom Ha’atzmaut — Modern-Day Jewish State of Israel at 61

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by Moshe Burt

A couple of thoughts on the 61st anniversary of Modern-Day Jewish State of Israel:

  • 1/ It should only be that all of B’nai Yisrael, forget the non-Jewish world, that all Jews, everywhere, unite and internalize modern-day Israel as a Jewish State, as a Jewish entity, as a Jewish Land connected to the Jewish people by eternal Divine legacy.
  • 2/ A friend of mine jested in Shul this morning that Yom Ha’atzmaut was like a fast day to certain Jewish sectors and that the siyum that was to be held, similar to Erev Pesach, was to eliminate the necessity of first-born to fast.

This author’s response to the latter:

As much as this friend was jesting when equating Yom Ha’atzmaut with a fast day, the reality seems to be that certain Jewish sectors appear to view the equation as valid.

A few years ago, after the expulsion of Jews from Gush Katif and the 4 Shomron towns, this author ceased to say Hallel on Yom Ha’atzmaut. This is a somewhat controversial topic. read more

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Parshiyot Tazria/Metzora 5769: Ta’amei and Tahara on National Level

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In learning about the laws of tzara’as, we find posukim which are a pelah, a wonderment.

Torah relates in our Parsha;

“If the tzara’as will erupt on the skin, and … will cover the entire skin of the afflicted from his head to his feet, wherever the eyes of the Kohen can see — the Kohen shall look, and behold! — the affliction has covered his entire flesh, then he shall declare the affliction to be pure; having turned completely white, it is pure. On the day healthy skin appears …, it (the affliction) shall be contaminated.” (Sefer Vayikra, Perek 13, posukim 12 – 14) read more

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