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, August 31, 2019

Ancestry.Com Digitizes Millions Of Holocaust Records, Free To Public and rundown of the Good news in Israel

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works  with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement

The Torah states:

"Noah walked with the Almighty" (Genesis 6:9).

What lesson about life is the Torah teaching us through this verse? What does it mean that Noah "walked" with the Almighty?

Rabbi Obadia Sforno, a classic commentator, explains that Noah walked in the Almighty's ways, which means to do good to others. How? The people acted corruptly and Noah tried to teach them how to improve their actions.

There are different levels in helping others. We find in the Rambam (Maimonides, Mishne Torah, Gifts to the Poor 10:7-14) that there are eight levels of giving tzedakah (the Hebrew word used for charity; there is no word in Hebrew for charity. Tzedakah means "justice, righteousness.") The highest level is to help a person earn a living on his own. Why is this the highest level? When one helps a person become self-sufficient, he is helping him not just once, but for the rest of his life. Similarly, when you help someone become a better person you are not just helping him for the moment; you are helping him accomplish more his entire life.

Not only will he do many more good deeds, but there will be a positive influence on his children and grandchildren. The more elevated a person is the more he will share his high ideals with his family. You are helping this person's future generations! Strive to do the ultimate - help others to become better people.

Love Yehuda Lave

Ancestry.Com Digitizes Millions Of Holocaust Records, Free To Public

The project contains approximately 1.2 million digitized images, which are searchable by entering a person's basic demographic information.BY SONIA EPSTEIN

A digital, searchable archive of Holocaust records is now available to users around the world via the website Ancestry.com.
Ancestry, the consumer genetics and genealogy giant, partnered with the Germany-based Arolsen Archives to produce the online database, called the Holocaust Remembrance Collection. The archives, previously known as the International Tracing Service (ITS), holds more than 30 million documents on Nazi persecution, containing information on 17.5 million victims and survivors of National Socialism.
 The digitized archive, available on Ancestry.com as of July 31, includes two separate collections.
"Africa, Asia and Europe Passenger Lists of Displaced Persons" tracks displaced people who left Germany and other European countries from 1946 to 1971. The 1.7 million records in the collection mostly document the journeys of Holocaust survivors, former concentration camp inmates and slave laborers, and refugees from Central and Eastern European countries as they traveled to different countries, especially America, after the war.
The second collection, "Registration of Foreigners and German Individuals Persecuted" includes 9.97 million records from 1939 to 1947 documenting persecution faced by German Jews, people with non-German citizenship, and stateless people living in Germany and areas of German occupation. The documents are not restricted to those who were imprisoned in camps and include information on the deceased, such as burial records.
All together, the project contains approximately 1.2 million digitized images, which are searchable by entering a person's basic demographic information.
Previously, accessing these records required submitting manual requests for copies of the documents.
The new project is part of what Ancestry describes as its "philanthropic initiative to make culturally important records available to everyone," according to its vice president of media Monique Dinor.
It is also personally important to Ancestry's chief financial officer and chief operating officer Howard Hochhauser, who used the Arolsen Archives and the US Holocaust Memorial Museum to learn more about his grandmother's experiences in Germany during the Holocaust.
"Sharing her story of strength, struggle and resiliency with my family was a powerful and moving moment, and one I'll never forget," he said in a press release. "This collection will help people learn more about the magnitude of the Holocaust, those who lived through it and those who perished as a result of it."
Today, with more than 70 years having passed since the Holocaust and the number of survivors dwindling, organizations are seeking to make records more widely available. Digital copies of the Arolsen Archives will also be available on the websites of Yad Vashem and the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC.
Records available online include those from the American Zone of postwar occupied Germany. In early 2020, Ancestry plans to continue digitizing documents from the British, French and Soviet Zones.

ISRAEL'S MEDICAL ACHIEVEMENTS

Re-igniting cells to kill cancer. Ben Gurion University scientists have discovered a protein in the membrane of cancer cells that helps the cancer to grow by disabling the immune system's white blood cells. They have also identified a potential antibody antidote and have secured a startup and funding to develop and commercialize it.

https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-researchers-discover-how-to-disable-Natural-Killer-cancer-cells-597159

 

MRIs detect molecular changes in the brain. Hebrew University of Jerusalem scientists have transformed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect microscopic changes in the biological makeup of brain tissue. Doctors can now get an early warning if a patient is developing a disease such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.

https://www.jpost.com/HEALTH-SCIENCE/Israeli-imaging-technique-could-help-doctors-predict-Alzheimers-cancer-597134  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266682

 

Analyzing brain cells for Alzheimer's.  Israel's Quantified Biology uses AI (Artificial Intelligence) to analyze images of those cells in the brain responsible for electrical communication between neurons. The startup helps researchers into Alzheimer's treatments by identifying their effect on these key cells.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3766658,00.html

 

A gene to protect against the Zika virus. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli work to eradicate the deadly Zika virus. Now Tel Aviv University scientists have identified the gene IFI6, which combats the Zika virus by protecting cells from infection and preventing cell death. It can lead to a new anti-viral therapy.

https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-identify-genes-that-protect-cells-from-zika-virus/

 

Detecting undiagnosed head injuries. More than 50 million people worldwide suffer traumatic brain injuries (TBI) ever year. CT and MRI scans often fail to detect mild concussions. Israeli neurobiologist Dr. Adrian Harel has founded Medicortex Finland which detects TBI cell damage in a biomarker in saliva and urine.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-founded-company-aims-to-rapidly-detect-undiagnosed-head-injuries-597096

 

Hello Heart.  Israeli-founded Hello Heart is a Smartphone app that helps users lower their blood pressure and reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, strokes and coronary heart disease. It provides tools to self-manage hypertension by encouraging behavior change in companies' employees. FDA approved and HIPAA compliant.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767452,00.html  https://helloheart.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCNjuwnA8NI

 

Novel diet for children with Crohn's disease. Israeli and Canadian researchers have developed a diet that in a 12-week put 75% of children with Crohn's disease into remission.  The diet comprised eggs, chicken, potatoes, apples, and mashed bananas and initially excluded wheat, dairy, fish, rice, and other fruits and vegetables.

https://www.medpagetoday.com/gastroenterology/inflammatoryboweldisease/80308  

https://www.gastrojournal.org/article/S0016-5085(19)36714-9/fulltext?

 

Live long and prosper. (TY Roc) Israel's National Plan on Aging includes increased budgets for R&D for healthy longevity; health education and increased awareness about aging-related diseases; better public systems for early detection and prevention of aging-related diseases. See also report "Longevity in Israel".

http://longevityalliance.org/?q=enhancing-research-development-and-education-healthy-longevity-included-israel-national-masterplan  https://www.israel21c.org/israel-fast-becoming-world-hub-of-aging-industry/

https://aginganalytics.com/longevity-in-israel/

 

Saving babies in Ghana. (TY Arlene) Israel has upgraded neo-natal facilities in the Kumasi South and Suntreso hospitals in Ashanti, Ghana. Israeli medical personnel from Beersheva's Soroka Medical Center also trained staff at those hospitals. Doctors there estimate that some 700 babies have been saved as a direct result.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/07/30/israeli-experts-upgrade-neo-natal-units-in-ghana-saving-700-babies/

https://yen.com.gh/131224-israel-upgrades-neonatal-units-kumasi-south-suntreso-hospitals-photos.html

 

Enhancing emergency services in Mexico. Many Mexicans lose their lives each year because emergency calls from mobile phones do not accurately pinpoint the caller's location. Israel's Carbyne, is to provide Google's ELS (Emergency Location Service) in real time. For previous newsletter articles on Carbyne,.see here.

https://www.israel21c.org/google-and-israels-carbyne-improve-911-service-in-mexico/

ISRAEL IS INCLUSIVE AND GLOBAL

Underprivileged teens startups. Israel's Unistream operates after-school programs for teens and young adults to learn to be leaders and entrepreneurs. 80 startups from this program competed for business and social impact prizes. Winners were Genie (diapers), Homeet (cooking), Smart Shoes, and Segev Shalom (Bedouin education).

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767102,00.html  

 

The power behind empowering Access Israel. NGO Access Israel creates awareness of the needs of people with disabilities. Its founder IAF pilot Yuval Wagner was invalided after a 1987 helicopter crash. Accessibility problems drove him to setup Access Israel with support from ex-IAF pilot, then President Ezer Weizman.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Accessibility-a-major-component-toward-leading-a-normal-life-597011

 

Ethiopian-Israelis are a hi-tech bridge. I reported previously (see here) on Israeli NGO Tech-Career that has helped 550 Ethiopian-Israelis get jobs at Israel's top hi-tech companies. Tech-Career held a recent event to show that the Ethiopian-Israeli community can be a bridge between Israel and the African tech market.

http://nocamels.com/2019/08/ethiopian-israeli-link-africa-emerging-tech-market/

 

Excavating an ancient church. A couple of weeks ago I reported that Israeli archaeologists had unearthed an ancient mosque, showing that Israel respected the history of all religions. Now, excavations in Israel's Galilee have uncovered remains of an ancient church said to mark the home of the apostles Peter and Andrew.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-galilee-church-unearthed-said-to-be-home-to-apostles-peter-and-andrew/

 

Taking sick Palestinian Arabs to hospital. 900 volunteers in Israeli NGO Road to Recovery take Palestinian Arabs (around 150 every day) to get lifesaving treatments in Israeli hospitals. The NGO recently won the IIE Victor J. Goldberg Prize for Peace in the Middle East. It also arranges beach days and has saved Israeli lives.

https://www.israel21c.org/israelis-and-palestinians-on-a-journey-towards-peace/

 

British army adopts Israeli electric motorbikes. British Special Forces have reportedly adopted an electric motorcycle developed in Israel. In a recent exercise, the British Army parachuted the motorcycles from a helicopter together with soldiers, who then traveled 10 miles on the silent vehicles.

https://worldisraelnews.com/british-special-forces-adopt-electric-israeli-motorcycle/

https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2018/06/01/this-silent-all-electric-dirt-bike-could-soon-drive-special-operators-into-battle/  http://www.zeromotorcycles.co.il/zero/zero-s/index.html

 

Connecting teachers to Israel. Hundreds of Jewish and non-Jewish educators visited Israel for a World Education Conference organized by KKL-JNF. The aim of the trip was to strengthen the teachers' connection to and understanding of Israel, in order to teach about Israel in a more informed way.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Jewish-educators-come-to-Israel-to-improve-understanding-597059 

Birthright for academics. I reported previously (see here) on Ido Aharoni when he was publicizing Israel's achievements in his work at the Israeli embassy in New York. Now at New York University, Professor Aharoni is still "changing the conversation" with his "Birthright for academics" program to positively rebrand Israel.

https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/jn-meets-ido-aharoni-the-nation-brander-intent-on-making-israel-cool/

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Africa's most advanced satellite. Israel's SpaceCom is shortly to launch its Amos 17 satellite on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center. Its main aim is to improve TV, cellular and Internet services to Africa. SpaceCom already has $53 million of orders for services. The satellite will operate for up to 20 years.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-spacecom-to-launch-most-advanced-amos-satellite-to-service-africa/  

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767211,00.html

 

Jerusalem to revolutionize waste recycling.  (TY Janglo) Jerusalem Municipality has begun to replace its current recycling facilities whereby residents were required to sort waste into paper, bottles, glass, plastic etc. In future, sorting will be done centrally, by GreenNet situated in the Atarot Industrial Area, north of Jerusalem.

http://green-net.ysbgroup.com/home-EN.html

 

Smarter garbage trucks. Israeli startup GreenQ uses sensors on garbage trucks and big-data analytics to optimize schedules and routes for trash collection. It helps avoid collecting empty bins or missing overflowing ones. GreenQ says it can save 30-50% of a city's costs for refuge collection and reduce traffic congestion.

https://www.israel21c.org/greenq-makes-garbage-trucks-smarter-and-thats-good-for-all-of-us/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0wKZ28F044   https://greenq.gq/

 

Recycling waste into recycling bins. I reported previously (Apr 2018) on Israel's UBQ which is turning garbage into reusable thermoplastic building material. It is shipping 2,000 recycling bins made from UBQ's material to the Central Virginia Waste Management Authority, for delivery to Virginia residents.

https://www.jpost.com/Jpost-Tech/Environment/Israeli-recycling-technology-aims-to-revolutionize-global-waste-597012

 

Sustainable villages. Israeli entrepreneurs Jonathan Haran and Victor Hajaj are founders of the Sustainable Group. They plan to build the first carbon-negative village in a kibbutz near Mizpe Ramon. They are also developing AI software for cities to manage food, water, energy and waste for humans and the environment.

http://nocamels.com/2019/07/israeli-sustainability-pilot-village-in-a-box-water-food-energy/

http://sustainable.co.il/  https://youtu.be/0D2qgvjiNxQ

 

An all-seeing eye. Israeli-founded Mobileye demonstrated its new EyeQ4 camera in London. It can track and analyze masses of data including traffic lights, bus stops and even manhole covers. It can calculate rush hour traffic volumes, detect muggings and accidents. Data is uploaded to the cloud in real time.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767208,00.html

 

Waze's new Israeli carpool feature. Israeli-developed Waze has released a new carpooling feature in Israel. Drivers will now be able to invite multiple passengers to join their carpool, and if the car has at least three passengers, their route will be adjusted to include High Occupancy Vehicles (HOV) lanes.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767278,00.html

 

Making light work of broadband. Israel's Juganu has developed "Digital World" that combines smart street lighting and advanced connectivity for municipalities. It enables intelligent traffic control, security and accident monitoring, rescue coordination, support for smart cars and of course lighting and more – all without cabling.

https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-led-lighting-connectivity-co-juganu-raises-23m-1001293005

https://juganu.com/   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w_yMEiGFn8

 

Putting Israel in the shade. (TY Janglo) Israel's National Planning and Building Commission is eliminating bureaucracy preventing artificial shade in public spaces. It estimates the cost of shading a street at around NIS 1000 per square meter – trivial, compared to the NIS 800,000 cost of one person's treatment for skin cancer.

https://en.globes.co.il/en/article-planners-to-start-putting-israel-in-the-shade-1001294511

 

Leading the way in computer vision. Rare positive (video) article on Israeli imaging technology from the UK Financial Times. Extracts from the video – "This technology's impact is being felt in fields from medicine to self-driving cars and even shopping." "There's one small nation at this industry's forefront, Israel."

https://www.ft.com/video/cf0259d7-dfba-4c97-9dc5-89919cccb1c7

 

Tomato-picking robot. Israeli startup MetoMotion is developing a robotic system for labor-intensive tasks in greenhouses. The company's robot can pick tomatoes, using 3D vision and machine vision algorithms to identify and locate ripe tomatoes. MetoMotion states that the robot can also prune and de-leaf.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767459,00.html https://metomotion.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYtpPvJWf0M  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb17WtGOg4Q

 

Defending against the unknown. (TY OurCrowd) I reported previously (see here) on Israeli cybersecurity startup ThetaRay. It has just launched Version 4.0 of its advanced analytics platform to help global banks detect and prevent "unknown unknown" cybercrimes that are hard to spot with older cybersecurity products.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/thetaray-4-0-with-intuitiveai-gives-banks-a-powerful-new-weapon-against-financial-cybercrime-300888999.html

 

Toddlers need to know who is boss. A study of 120 toddlers aged 17 months by researchers at Bar-Ilan and Illinois universities shows that they have a well-developed understanding of social hierarchies and power dynamics. They reacted differently to situations where misbehavior was dealt with compared to when it wasn't.

https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/parents-who-show-children-whos-boss-on-right-track-israeli-uni-study-shows/

ECONOMY & BUSINESS

 

 

Massive demand for shares in TASE. Shares in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange company have been floated on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE). Demand for the 31.7% stake on offer has outstripped supply by a factor of five to one.  https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767242,00.html

 

Brazilian & EU support for low sugar Israeli juice. I reported previously (7th Jan) on the reduced sugar juice technology of Israel's Better Juice. Better Juice has since won a 50,000 Euro grant from the EU's Horizon 2020 program and is setting up a pilot plant thanks to Brazil's Citrosuco, the world's largest orange juice producer.

http://nocamels.com/2019/07/israel-better-juice-citrosuco-sugar-reduce/  

 

Stay on top of your work.  Israel's Monday.com is used by 350,000 people in 80,000 organizations, from 76 countries to manage and track projects, manufacturing lines, and schedules. It has just raised $150 million, valuing the company at nearly $2 billion. So how is it that I've never reported on it?  I need Monday.com!

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767346,00.html   www.monday.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UbaEcto56k

 

Lightricks is now a Unicorn. I reported previously (see here) on Israel's Lightricks – developer of Facetune, Enlight and Swish. The startup has just raised $135 million of funds to value the company at $1 billion and give it the financial title of a "Unicorn". Lightricks revenue in 2018 was $150 million – 3 times that of 2017.

https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3767441,00.html

 

Boosting business at McDonald's. (TY Nevet) I reported previously (31st Mar) that McDonald's had bought Israel's Dynamic Yield for $300 million. The purchase is already making a big return on investment as the burger chain has seen large increases in sales thanks to the Israeli-developed AI personalized digital menus.

https://diginomica.com/mcdonalds-300-million-ai-gambit-yielding-results

CULTURE, ENTERTAINMENT & SPORT

Window wonderland. (TY Janglo) Jerusalem's "Window Stories," is a towering palace made of 550 windows salvaged from across the city, in a variety of shapes and styles from different eras. It is free to the public until 21st Sep in Gan HaSus (Horse Garden) on King George Street. At night it becomes a glittering lighthouse.

https://en.mekudeshet.com/events/window-stories/

 

J.Lo knocks it out of the park. Jennifer Lopez's "It's My Party" concert to celebrate her 50th birthday in Tel Aviv's Hayarkon Park was acclaimed as one of the best ever. The singer/dancer brought a 100-person crew, including dancers, musicians and 45 tons of equipment for the 90-minute show in front of 57,000 fans.

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Culture/Jennifer-Lopez-Knocks-it-out-of-Hayarkon-Park-597483

https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Its-JLos-party-and-shes-starting-it-today-when-she-arrives-in-Israel-597139

 

Film debut for Oscar-winning film. (TY Benyamin) I reported previously (2nd Mar) when Israeli director Guy Nattiv won an Academy Award (Oscar) for his Live Action Short film "Skin".  Skin has just opened at US theatres and will be shown at October's Haifa International Film Festival. (See 1st link to interview with Guy.)

https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/arts/skin-movie-actor-jamie-bell-oscar-director-guy-nattiv

https://www.fromthegrapevine.com/arts/oscar-academy-award-best-short-film-2019-winner-skin-guy-nattiv

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC9KXnwlImU

 

World premier of flamenco romance. Spanish flamenco star María Juncal is to premiere her latest work, Life is Romance (La Vida es un Romance), on 9th Aug at the Suzanne Dellal Center as part of the Tel Aviv International Dance Festival. Juncal performs annually in Israel. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Tel-Aviv-dance-festival-to-host-world-premiere-of-flamenco-romance-597189

 

Summer night of two hugs. (TY Sharon) Two recent emotional encounters in Jerusalem included  ex-Chief Rabbi Israel Meir Lau and the son of the chaplain of the US Army unit that liberated him from Buchenwald. Also, President Rivlin greeting Dr Ruth Westheimer at the Jerusalem Film Festival's documentary of her life.

http://rjstreets.com/2019/07/30/jerusalem-one-summer-night-of-two-hugs/

 

Whale shark returns to Israeli coast.  For the fourth time this year, the largest species of fish – a whale shark – has been tracked swimming up the Gulf of Eilat. Israel is a haven for this endangered species, due to warm waters and the absence of shark fishing. (N.B. the only reported shark attack in Israeli waters was in 1974.)

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266583

https://www.jpost.com/OMG/Sharks-are-aggregating-in-Israel-says-Haifa-researcher-597018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ytuR-B_SM0 http://www.sharkattackdata.com/place/israel

THE JEWISH STATE

Herzl inspires forever. I briefly mentioned previously (Nov 2015) the Israel Forever Foundation. It has just launched the "My Herzl International Youth Essay Competition," to mark the anniversary of Theodor Herzl's passing. Teens worldwide, aged 13 to 17, are invited to write about their vision for continuing Herzl's dream.

https://www.jns.org/opinion/israel-forever-honors-herzls-yahrtzeit-by-inspiring-the-next-generation/

 

Awards for three inspiring women Zionists. The World Zionist Organization honored Ilana Metzger, Joy Wolfe (StandWithUs UK President and VeryGoodNewsIsrael supporter) and Ruth Jacobs for their Zionist activism by awarding them Golden Golda Awards - named after former Israeli premier Golda Meir.

https://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/three-inspiring-women-honoured-for-israel-advocacy-at-golden-golda-awards/

 

Abramovich helps turn back the desert. Russian-Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich has made a large donation to KKL-JNF to help afforestation, forest rehabilitation and fight desertification in the Negev. The gift will also fund a new forest dedicated to Lithuanian Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust.

https://www.jpost.com/J-Spot/Roman-Abramovich-gifts-significant-donation-to-KKL-JNF-projects-597121 https://www.jns.org/roman-abramovich-donates-to-combat-climate-change-effects-in-negev-desert/

 

Israel welcomes 121 Ukrainian Olim. A special flight, organized by the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, brought 121 new immigrants to Israel from the Ukraine. They were welcomed at a special ceremony attended by Israel's Prime Minister, the Absorption Minister and the president of the IFCJ Yael Eckstein.

https://www.jns.org/israel-welcomes-121-new-immigrants-from-ukraine/

See you tomorrow bli neder

Love Yehuda Lave

Rabbi Yehuda Lave

PO Box 7335, Rehavia Jerusalem 9107202

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Thursday, August 29, 2019

Is There Life on Other Planets? The Jewish view on UFOs, aliens and extraterrestrial intelligence By Tzvi Freeman

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Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works  with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money,  and spiritual engagement

A SMILE

A smile costs nothing ... but gives much. It enriches those who receive it without making poorer those who give it. It takes but a moment. However, the memory of it sometimes lasts forever. None is so rich or mighty that he can get along without it. And none is so poor that he can't be made rich by it.

A smile creates happiness in the home, fosters goodwill in business... and is the countersign of friendship. It brings rest to the weary, cheer to the discouraged, sunshine to the sad. It is Nature's best antidote for trouble.

A smile cannot be bought, begged, borrowed or stolen. It is something of no value to anyone until it is given away. Some people are too tired to give you a smile. Give them one of yours. None needs a smile so much as he who has no more to give.

Love Yehuda Lave

Is There Life on Other Planets? The Jewish view on UFOs, aliens and extraterrestrial intelligence By Tzvi Freeman

Question:

Someone told me that according to Judaism, human beings are the only conscious beings in the universe. Is there any basis to this?

Response:

Certainly not!

First of all, the sages discuss the fact that animals also feel pain, based on the biblical prohibition against causing them undue suffering.1

Second, there are plenty of accounts in the Torah of the higher angels, who are conscious of a realm of reality far beyond ours.

Third, Maimonides2 and others write about the heavenly bodies as conscious beings—and not simply in an allegorical sense. If anyone should ask, "How can a ball of helium and hydrogen contain consciousness?" simply ask in return, "And that a warm mass of gray meat has consciousness is reasonable?"

The uniqueness of humankind is not our consciousness, but the way that consciousness is able to enter the realms of good and evil, make decisions and distinguish between them.

Sources in Torah

Several Torah scholars of past generations have discussed the possibility of life on other planets. Rabbi Chasdai Crescas (Spain, 1340–1411) wrote that there is nothing anywhere in Torah that negates such a possibility.3 Rabbi Yosef Albo (Spain, 1380–1444), on the other hand, disagreed.4 Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz (Poland 1765-1861), cites Albo, but rejects his thesis.5

Shortly after the first moon landing, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of blessed memory, pointed out6 that there is support in Torah for the notion that life exists on other planets. Furthermore, we can know something about that life through deduction from what the Torah tells us. Here is his argument:

In the Book of Judges,7 Deborah the prophetess sings about the victory of Barak over Sisera. In her song, she says, "Cursed be Meroz! Cursed, cursed be its inhabitants, says the angel of G‑d!"

Where is Meroz, and who are its inhabitants? The Talmud8 gives two explanations, one of them being that Meroz is a star or planet. The heavenly bodies had also come to help the Israelites, as Deborah stated just one verse earlier, "From the heavens they fought, the stars from their orbits . . ." This star, however, which was the dominant star of Sisera, apparently did not come to their aid. And so, General Barak penalized Meroz—and its inhabitants.

Are these inhabitants intelligent? Intelligence is defined by Torah to mean the capacity to make decisions with free will. Free will is only possible where there is Torah, whereby the Creator offers His creatures more than one possibility and asks that they make the appropriate choice. (Torah includes the laws of Noah, which are given to all human beings.) In other words, just as we are created by the Creator's word, so we are provided free choice by His command to do or not do.

So, if there would be intelligent life elsewhere in the universe, those creatures would have to have Torah. Could they have a different Torah than us? This is not possible, since Torah is truth, and there cannot be two truths.

Could they then have the same Torah as us? This also seems impossible, since the Torah itself describes in detail how the Torah was revealed on this planet, and that account itself has a strong impact on how the Torah is to be fulfilled.

It therefore appears that although it is quite possible there is life on other planets, that life would not be intelligent in a way similar to human life and culture.

But should we be looking?

Dr. Velvl Greene was a microbiologist who was enlisted by NASA in their project to determine if there is life on Mars. He asked the Lubavitcher Rebbe privately if this was something he should be doing.

The Rebbe replied, "Dr. Greene, look for life on Mars! And if you don't find it there, look somewhere else in the universe for it. Because for you to sit here and say there is no life outside of planet Earth is to put limitations on the Creator, and that is not something any of His creatures can do!"9

Footnotes 1.

See, as examples, Talmud Baba Metzia 32a; ibid 85a.

2.

Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 3:9.

3.

Ohr Hashem 4:5.

4.

Sefer Ha'Ikrim.

5.

Sefer HaBrit HaShalem 1:3, 4.

6.

Shabbat Parshat Devarim 5729 (August, 1969).

7.

Judges 5:23.

8.

Shevuot 36a; Moed Katan 16a. See also Rashi on in Judges ad loc.

9.

For a full account of this story, see The Rebbe and the Scientist: Looking for Life on Mars.

By Tzvi Freeman

What It's Like to Rekindle Jewish Life in Barcelona After 500 Years of Darkness

https://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/4442900/jewish/What-Its-Like-to-Rekindle-Jewish-Life-in-Barcelona-After-500-Years-of-Darkness.htm#utm_medium=email&utm_source=14_news_en&utm_campaign=en&utm_content=content

What Do Anti-Semites Have to Offer?

Anti-Semitism is a powerful, negative, thoroughly unholy phenomenon. Stripped of its negativity, however, its raw power can be used in the service of holiness.

By Michael Chighel

https://www.chabad.org/multimedia/video_cdo/aid/4435503/jewish/What-Do-Anti-Semites-Have-to-Offer.htm#utm_medium=email&utm_source=1_chabad.org_magazine_en&utm_campaign=en&utm_content=content

What Do You Know About Ancient Shiloh?

Shiloh is an ancient city located 40 kilometers north of Jerusalem. For generations, it was Israel's spiritual center.

By Doron Kornbluth and Seth Aronstam

Shiloh is an ancient city located 40 kilometers north of Jerusalem. For generations, it was Israel's spiritual center.

The First Holy Temple was built in Jerusalem by King Solomon, roughly three thousand years ago. Until then, G‑d's "home" — the Mishkan (Tabernacle) — was in Shiloh. Indeed, Jewish spiritual life was centered there — and Jews performed aliyah l'regel (pilgrimage) and brought offerings there — for 369 years, until the death of Eli, the High Priest, when the Ark was stolen by the Philistines and, it seems, Shiloh was destroyed (I Samuel, chapter 4).

Identification of the ruin as ancient Shiloh has been nearly unanimous. Local Arabs preserved the name ("Seilon"), and there are storehouses and signs of destruction that have been dated to the right time period. Furthermore, the location fits descriptions in the Torah almost perfectly.

For much of Jewish history, Shiloh was a symbol of destruction. Indeed, when the prophet Jeremiah warns Jerusalem about its sinfulness (Jeremiah 7:12), he says (in the Name of G‑d) "Go now to My place that is in Shiloh, where I caused My Name to rest at first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel."

That being said, Shiloh itself is hardly depressing. When Jacob calls his sons together to bless them (Genesis 49:10), he says of Judah, "The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh…" What is this "Shiloh"? The famous commentator Rashi declares that Shiloh refers to "Moshiach," the Messiah himself, meaning that Shiloh is a symbol of Redemption.

In 1978, modern Shiloh was established beside the ancient site. It now includes four thousand people, a hesder yeshiva where boys study Torah alongside army service, a kollel where married men study, and much more. Interestingly, the town's main synagogue was designed to replicate the original Mishkan from the Bible. Today, Shiloh has become a symbol of Jews identifying with the past and yearning for the future.

Modern Shilo built its synagogue to resemble the ancient Mishkan (tabernacle). By Doron Kornbluth and Seth Aronstam Doron Kornbluth is an author, internationally renowned speaker, and inspirational licensed Israeli Tour Guide. His articles, newsletter, books, tours of Israel, and international seminars and talks help inspire Jewish identity. Doron is one of the bestselling authors in the Jewish world. His books include Why Be Jewish? Raising Kids to LOVE Being Jewish, Cremation or Burial? A Jewish View, The Jewish Holiday Handbook, and Why Marry Jewish? (all by Mosaica Press). An engaging popular lecturer, Doron speaks in over 50 cities a year to all types of audiences on many subjects. Doron is also an experienced and licensed Israeli Tour Guide. He began guiding youth groups around Israel in the 1990's and offers fascinating and inspirational tours to individuals, families and groups. For more information, visit his website. Seth Aronstam was born and raised in South Africa and now lives with his wife and children in the Beit Shemesh area of Israel. In college, he studied graphic design and advertising. Over the last twenty years, he has established himself as one of the premier art directors, graphic designers, and visual artists in Israel, South Africa, and the United States. He has worked with some of the most prestigious graphics and advertising firms in the world. Seth's passion is photography. He has developed new techniques and was, for example, one of the first photographers in Israel to use advanced drones for still photography. With a keen eye, tremendous technical know-how, and endless patience, he has taken some of the best photographs ever taken of the Holy Land. For the first time, in Inspirational Israel, his amazing photographs are available to all.

Excerpted and Adapted with permission from the acclaimed Inspirational Israel (Mosaica Press, 2019) More from Doron Kornbluth  |  RSS

Dogs react to $3000 Robot Dog

Watch these dogs' hilarious reactions as they meet an Aibo for the very first time. Excited to bring to you today the magical Sony Aibo, a new artificial intelligence dog created by Sony to be as real as a robot dog can be. Let's see how the Aibo interacts with real dogs! Why Do People Love the Sony Aibo Robot Dog?: https://youtu.be/72eSciRc82w Revenge of the dogs: Sony Aibo does not impress your furry friends https://cnet.co/2XezhGi We played with Aibo: Sony's $2,899 robot dog https://youtu.be/oGo0TwNXXuo Sony Aibo: what it's like to live with a robot dog https://youtu.be/-sobjkWJq3I

Backfire! Sleep apps may actually be causing insomnia | Consumer Tech Update from Kim Komando

Is there an app for that? People wanting a good night's sleep are downloading apps they think will help them go to dreamland. But now, a doctor in London says the apps don't have the intended effect, and Kim explains why.

The Opening of the Academy Awards: 1965 Oscars

Bob Hope opens the 37th Academy Awards, and Claudia Cardinale and Steve McQueen present the Oscar for Sound to the Warner Bros. Studio Sound Department (accepted by George R. Groves, Sound Director) for My Fair Lady. Introduced by Arthur Freed with orchestra conducted by Johnny Green. Featuring red carpet arrivals and overture with Gregory Peck, Dick Van Dyke, Richard Chamberlain, Joan Marshall, Agnes Moorehead, Greer Garson, Ann-Margret, Roger Smith, Deborah Kerr, Anthony Quinn, George Hamilton, Lila Kedrova, Jane Fonda, Roger Vadim, Army Archerd, Vince Edwards, Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews, Gladys Cooper, Jack L. Warner, Debbie Reynolds, Buster Keaton and more. Watch more of the 1965 Oscars: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list...

See you Sunday bli neder Shabbat Shalom

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Rabbi Yehuda Lave

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