Get to Heaven Keep the Seven

Everybody wants spirituality. To be a good person means to walk in G-d's ways. How does that translate to reality? The only guidebook to spirituality that has stood the test of time is the Hebrew Bible. The Bible says that the Jews will be a light onto the nations. But if you are not a born Jew, you have to convert, which is not so easy!! If you do convert, it is a lot of work to be a Jew (three times a day prayer, keeping kosher, observing the Sabbath).

This blog will show you how to be Jewish without the work!!

Saturday, December 5, 2015

The new America and the holiday of Channaka

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

Focus On The Present Benefit 

If someone wronged you or quarreled with you in the past, try to change that dynamic in the present. Right now -- can you do acts of kindness for him? Can you gain from his wisdom or experience? Can you have a worthwhile relationship?

If the answer is yes to any of these questions, then disregard your past experiences, and deal with this person in the present.

I am not saying to forget what happened. Once a relationship sours or the person hurts you can never really feel the same in your heart. And the expression fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me also applies.

However, if you let your past hurt stop you from having a relationship now, you are letting your past dictate your present.

Love Yehuda Lave

As many of us are all too aware, the security situation in Jerusalem has taken a dramatic turn for the worse. In addition to the widely reported stabbing attacks occurring on a regular basis, residents of eastern Jerusalem neighborhoods are living with a daily onslaught of rock attacks, firebombings, attacks with incendiary firework devices and vandalism.


We at the Israel Land Fund have helped to equip residents with various forms of self-defense and emergency equipment and have found one particular piece of equipment that has proven to make an immediate difference for the Jewish residents of eastern Jerusalem. Surveillance cameras.

We have seen a consistent decrease in attacks once a camera system has been installed, and when terrorists do attack these areas, they are more likely to be brought to justice. These camera systems have provided Israeli forces with crucial intelligence in situations where time is of the essence. Several terrorists have already been identified by ILF cameras and arrested by Israeli security forces, saving property and lives.

We at the Israel Land Fund are turning to you, our supporters, to help us install more cameras in neighborhoods like Beit Tzafafa, Beit Hanina, Armon Hanatziv, the Mt. of Olives and others.

Each camera system (with microphone) costs 4,600 Israeli Shekels, including installation. We are seeking to purchase 10 of these systems.

By enabling the Israel Land Fund to install these crucial systems, you are saving lives and making an immediate impact on Israel's battle with terrorism.

Please contact the ILF for more details 

Paul McCartney & Bruce Springsteen - I Saw Her Standing There & Twist And Shout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDAMRMQr48g

Fats Domino, Elvis Presley, Johnny Hallyday, Celine Dion & Louis Armstrong in Blueberry Hill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc9pRbbd3rw

https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xlp1/v/t1.0-9/12289556_558261644333198_5035524149790987501_n.jpg?oh=01c597737f508d63e2ee5051db03a6f5&oe=56E9C27B&__gda__=1457831273_8a05f9a816f63865a0b7b6a85bcaa9cb

Nicholas knew the killer, Farook, says his wife. 'And with our faith, they may not necessarily have got along'
Messianic San Bernardino victim was 'gentile' supporter of Israel, argued with killer on Islam
Nicholas Thalasinos was not Jewish, but 'felt he was put on this earth to follow Hashem and God's people'
By URIEL HEILMAN

TA — While America puzzles over the mass shooting in San Bernardino, California, many American Jews are puzzling over an additional element: the religious identity of victim Nicholas Thalasinos.

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Pictured on his Facebook page wearing a scarf-style tallit prayer shawl, Thalasinos, who was killed along with 13 others in Wednesday's shooting at a center for people with disabilities, has been variously identified in media reports as a Jew, a Zionist and, in some cases, a messianic Jew.

Just two weeks ago, Thalasinos reportedly got into a heated argument about the nature of Islam with co-worker Syed Farook, whom authorities said perpetrated the horrific San Bernardino attack along with his wife, Tashfeen Malik. Investigators announced Friday that they were treating the attack as a terrorist act motivated by Islamic extremism. Both husband and wife were Muslim, and authorities said Malik had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in a Facebook post.

Thalasinos' friend, Kuuleme Stephens, told The Associated Press on Thursday that she happened to call him while he was working with Farook, and that he brought her into their debate, loudly declaring that Farook "doesn't agree that Islam is not a peaceful religion." She heard Farook counter that Americans don't understand Islam, and Thalasinos responded by saying "I don't know how to talk with him," she said.

Stephens said Thalasinos did not believe his co-worker would ever turn violent. However, Stephens said his grieving wife told her later Thursday to tell the media that she now "believes her husband was martyred for his faith and beliefs." It wasn't immediately clear why Jennifer Thalasinos came to that conclusion.

Thalasinos "knew Syed. He worked with him," Jennifer also told the New York Post. "He knew he [Farook] was Muslim, and with our faith, they may not necessarily have got along."

Nicholas and Jennifer Thalasinos (Facebook)

Nicholas and Jennifer Thalasinos (Facebook)

What was that faith? Nicholas Thalasinos apparently identified as a messianic Jew, but not as Jewish.

Bat Zion Susskind-Sacks, an Israeli who struck up a Facebook friendship with Thalasinos about a year ago, provided JTA with the transcript of an online conversation she had with him in September. Writing soon after he and his wife renewed their vows in a Jewish-style ceremony complete with huppah canopy and tallit prayer shawls, Thalasinos said: "As a gentile who loves HaShem, I know my place is to support Israel and the Jewish people."

Thalasinos' final Facebook post, made early Wednesday, seemed to affirm this identity. In the post, sharing an anti-Semitic message he said he received, he wrote of the alleged sender: "He ALSO assumes I'm a JEW – a great Compliment, I should keep him around for that reason alone!

San Bernardino shooters under FBI surveillance leading up to the attacks Friday, December 04, 2015 by: Julie Wilson staff writer Tags: San Bernardino shooters, FBI surveillance, terrorist attacks Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/052207_San_Bernardino_shooters_FBI_surveillance_terrorist_attacks.html#ixzz3tSji2kQa

 The recent massacre at the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, Calif., in which a married Muslim couple killed 14 people and wounded 21 others is further proof that the surveillance state does not work. Americans have surrendered 100 percent of their privacy for a surveillance state that continues to fail them.


Decked out in tactical gear and armed to the teeth, Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and his Saudi wife of two years, Tashfeen Malik, 27, opened fired inside a mental health facility on Wednesday. According The Washington Times, the young, successful couple may have been "radicalized by Islamist extremists either in the U.S. or during trips to the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia" where they had recently traveled.

We're now learning that Farook was in contact with individuals under "FBI scrutiny," according to a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity. As recent as last June, Farook had been in contact with "four people from the Los Angeles area who were previously under investigation by U.S. counterterrorism officials," The Washington Times is reporting.

Eitial Goldwicht's New York's Great Hanukkah Blackout

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8MTwzvr3C4

Chanukah begins this year on Sunday evening, December 6, 2015, and continues through Monday, December 14, 2015. What follows is a how-to guide to the basics of Chanukah observance.

Chanukah in a Nutshell

Chanukah -- the eight-day festival of light that begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month of Kislev -- celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, of purity over adulteration, of spirituality over materiality.

More than twenty-one centuries ago, the Holy Land was ruled by the Seleucids (Syrian-Greeks), who sought to forcefully Hellenize the people of Israel. Against all odds, a small band of faithful Jews defeated one of the mightiest armies on earth, drove the Greeks from the land, reclaimed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem and rededicated it to the service of G-d.

When they sought to light the Temple's menorah (the seven branched candelabrum), they found only a single cruse of olive oil that had escaped contamination by the Greeks; miraculously, the one-day supply burned for eight days, until new oil could be prepared under conditions of ritual purity.

To commemorate and publicize these miracles, the sages instituted the festival of Chanukah. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah (candelabrum) lighting: a single flame on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on till the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled.

On Chanukah we also add the Hallel and Al HaNissim in our daily prayers to offer praise and thanksgiving to G-d for "delivering the strong into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few... the wicked into the hands of the righteous."

Chanukah customs include eating foods fried in oil -- latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts); playing with the dreidel (a spinning top on which are inscribed the Hebrew letters nun, gimmel, hei and shin, an acronym for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, "a great miracle happened there"); and the giving of Chanukah gelt, gifts of money, to children.

Click here for the complete story of Chanukah, and here for a comprehensive "How To" guide for the observances and customs of Chanukah.

The Menorah

The basic elements of a kosher menorah are eight holders for oil or candles and an additional holder, set apart from the rest, for the shamash ("attendant") candle.

The Chanukah lights can either be candle flames or oil-fueled. Since the miracle of Chanukah happened with olive oil – the little cruse of oil that lasted for eight days – an oil menorah is preferable to a candle one, and olive oil is the ideal fuel. Cotton wicks are preferred because of the smooth flame they produce.

Whenever purchasing a mitzvah article, we try to buy the most beautiful one that is within our means. So, if at all possible, go for the silver menorah. Beautifying a mitzvah is our way of expressing our appreciation to G‑d, and showing how dearly we hold His commandments.

The eight candles of the menorah must be arranged in a straight, even line, not in a zigzag or with some lights higher than others. If it is an oil menorah, the oil cups must hold enough oil to burn for the required time – at least 30 minutes on weeknights, and up to one-and-a-half hours on Friday evening (see Special Shabbat Rules). If it is a candle menorah, the candles should be large enough to burn for the required time.

Electric menorahs are great for display purposes, and are a wonderful medium for publicizing the Chanukah miracle. But the Chanukah lights used to fulfill the mitzvah should be real flames fueled by wax or oil – like the flames in the Holy Temple.

The Shamash

The shamash – the "attendant" candle that is used to kindle the other lights – sits a bit higher or lower than the other candles, on the ninth branch of the menorah. Many Jews have a tradition to use a beeswax candle for the shamash.

Though the shamash's primary function has been served once the candles have been lit, we don't extinguish the shamash. Instead, we set it in its place adjacent to the other lights, ready to "serve" in case a candle blows out. Another reason why we leave the shamash lit is because it is forbidden to use the Chanukah lights for any practical reason. This way, if a candle is needed, the shamash is available for use, preserving the sanctity of the mitzvah lights.

Who

Men and women alike are obligated to participate in the menorah lighting. In some families, the head of the household lights the family menorah while everyone else listens to the blessings and answers, "Amen." In many other families, all members of the household, including children, light their own menorahs. Either way, it is important for everyone to be present and involved when the Chanukah miracle is festively commemorated.

Where

Light Up Your Home

Light the menorah in your own home. If you are traveling out of town, set up your menorah wherever you will be staying for the night. If you will be spending the night in a Jewish home, you have the option of giving your host a dollar or so, a symbolic contribution towards the menorah expenses, and then you are covered by his/her menorah lighting - or better yet, light your own menorah too. Two candles are more powerful than one!

Students who live in dormitories or their own apartments should kindle menorahs in their own rooms or in a communal dining area. In places where this is prohibited, a rabbi should be consulted as to where to kindle the menorah.

Window or Door

In the home, there are two preferred locations for the menorah.

You can set up the menorah in a central doorway. Place it on a chair or small table near the doorpost that is opposite the mezuzah. This way, when you pass through the doorway, you are surrounded by two mitzvot - the mezuzah and the menorah. Ideally, the menorah lights should be between 12 and 40 inches off the ground.

Or you can set up your menorah on a windowsill facing the street. This option should only be exercised if the window is less than thirty feet above ground-level.

When

The Chanukah lights are kindled every night of Chanukah. The Maccabees chased away the forces of darkness with swords; we do it with light.

The custom of many communities (and such is the Chabad-Lubavitch custom) is to light the menorah shortly after sunset. In other communities, the menorah is kindled after nightfall (approximately thirty minutes after sunset). Either way, the menorah must contain enough fuel to burn for at least thirty minutes after nightfall. Note: The standard Chanukah candles only last approximately 30 minutes. If using those candles, then light after nightfall every night (aside for Friday).

Regardless of the custom you follow on other Chanukah nights, on Friday night the menorah is lit before sunset, and on Saturday night it is lit after nightfall. See Special Shabbat Rules for more information.

Ideally, you should light the menorah at the earliest possible opportunity. Only delay if you are awaiting the arrival of family members who wish to be present when the menorah is lit. The Chanukah lights may be lit as long as there are people in the streets, or as long as there is another family member awake to participate - but no later than one half hour before dawn. (If no other household member is awake and the streets are already quiet, light the menorah without reciting the blessing.)

Lighting the Menorah

1. Arrange the lights on the menorah. Ensure that there is enough oil, or that the candles are big enough, for the lights to burn until half an hour after nightfall (or, if lighting after nightfall, for one half hour). On the first night, set one candle to the far right of the menorah. On the following night, add a second light to the left of the first one, and then add one light each night of Chanukah - moving from right to left.

2. Gather everyone in the house around the menorah.

3. Light the shamash candle. Then hold it in your right hand (unless you are left-handed).

4. While standing, recite the appropriate blessings.

5. Light the candles. Each night, light the newest (left-most) candle first and continue lighting from left to right. (We add lights to the menorah from right to left, while we light from left to right.)

The Blessings

Before lighting the Chanukah candles, we thank G‑d for giving us this special mitzvah, and for the incredible Chanukah miracles:

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam a-sher ki-de-sha-nu be-mitz-vo-tav ve-tzi-va-nu le-had-lik ner Chanukah.

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-hei-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-a-sa ni-sim la-avo-te-nu ba-ya-mim ha-hem bi-z'man ha-zeh.

[Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to kindle the Chanukah light.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days, at this time.]

On the first night of Chanukah, Sunday evening, December 6, 2015 (or the first time on Chanukah you perform this mitzvah), add the following blessing:

Ba-ruch A-tah Ado-nai E-lo-he-nu Me-lech ha-olam she-heche-ya-nu ve-ki-yi-ma-nu ve-higi-a-nu liz-man ha-zeh.

[Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has granted us life, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this occasion.]

Relish the Lights

After you finish kindling the menorah lights, place the shamash candle in its designated place on the menorah. At this point it is traditional to sing Chanukah hymns such as Haneirot Halalu and Maoz Tzur.

Linger around the menorah for about half an hour (aside for Friday afternoon, when Shabbat preparations are in full gear). Share some Chanukah stories with your family, enjoy a draidel game and indulge in some traditional hot latkes (fried potato pancakes) or sufganiot (fried donuts)! (See Chanukah Foods.)

For the first half hour after the candles are lit (or until half an hour after nightfall, if the menorah was lit before dark) the menorah should not be transferred from its place. If a flame dies out during this time, it is best to relight it. After this time, the menorah can be moved if necessary, and there's no need to rekindle extinguished flames.

Many women refrain from performing household chores during the first half hour that the lights are burning, to honor the brave Jewish women who played a significant role in the Chanukah victory.

Special Shabbat Rules

It is forbidden to light a fire on Shabbat, which extends from sunset on Friday evening until nightfall of Saturday night. Therefore, on Friday afternoon, light the menorah before the Shabbat candles. Shabbat candles are traditionally lit eighteen minutes before sundown. Use additional oil or larger candles for the Friday night Chanukah lights, as they must remain lit until one half hour after nightfall - approximately 1½ hours after the Friday afternoon lighting time. Note: The standard 30-minute Chanukah candles cannot be used on Friday.

For the duration of Shabbat, do not relight any flames that have gone out or move the menorah, nor should you prepare the Saturday night Chanukah lights during the Day of Rest.

On Saturday night, light the menorah after Shabbat ends at nightfall. Traditionally, the menorah is kindled immediately after the havdalah service.

Blessings on the Kindling of the Menorah

Click here for the blessings in Hebrew, transliteration and translation of the blessings on the kindling of the menorah.

V'al Hanissim

During the eight days of Chanukah, we add the V'al Hanissim ("And for the miracles...") section in the amidah (daily silent prayers) and in the Grace after Meals. In this section we summarize the miracles of the Maccabee victory, and thank G‑d for the "miracles, redemption, mighty deeds, saving acts and wonders" that He wrought for our ancestors.

Click here for the Hebrew text of the V'al Hanissim, as well as an English translation.

Hallel

Every day of Chanukah, we recite the complete Hallel in the course of the morning prayers. The Hallel is a sequence of praise and gratitude-themed psalms (Psalms 113-118) that is recited on Jewish holidays.

Torah Reading

The Torah is read every day immediately following the Hallel. The Chanukah readings are from the Book of Numbers (7:1-8:4), and discuss the dedication of the Tabernacle, the gifts that the tribal leaders brought in honor of the inauguration, and the command to Aaron to kindle the Tabernacle Menorah daily.

On Chanukah, too, we celebrate the dedication (or, to be precise, the re-dedication) of the Temple by the Maccabees after it had been defiled and contaminated by the Greeks. And the command to Aaron to kindle the Menorah is also an allusion to the Chanukah Menorah, a mitzvah that we have thanks to the bravery of Aaron's descendants—the priestly Hasmonean family that led the Maccabeean armies in battle against the Greeks.

Click here for the Chanukah readings along with commentary and contemporary insights.

Chanukah Hymns

Various hymns have been composed in honor of Chanukah. The two most popular ones are Maoz Tzur and Haneirot Halalu, which are traditionally sung after the lighting of the Menorah.

When to Light the Chanukah Menorah."

Attached (below) is the newest issue of "When to Light the Chanukah Menorah."

Halachically Speaking Volume 4 has been released and available at Israel Bookshop.

Have a lichtige Chanukah,

Rabbi Moishe Dovid Lebovits
Author of Halachically Speakinges are available at www.thehalacha.com

Click here to download "When to Light the Chanukah Menorah".

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