Watch: New River Exposed in Israel, Mired in Secrecy and Landmines By David Israel and Only in Israel: Boy Went Mushroom Picking, Found Byzantine Marble Slab with Greek Inscription Instead By David Israel and Drinking on Purim, required? NO, however Jerusalem Municipality offers free ice cream on Election Day (tomorrow)

Can't see images? Click here... Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor Love Yehuda Lave 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 Love Yehuda Lave Drinking on Purim, required? NO A person is obligated to drink on Purim," says the Talmud, "until he does not know the difference between 'Cursed be Haman' and 'Blessed be Mordechai'" There are different types of joy. There is "the joy of mitzvah," for a Jew is commanded to "Serve G‑d with Joy" Psalms 100:2. A mitzvah performed joyously is greater, deeper, more alive, than a mitzvah performed mechanically. This joy, however, is not an end in itself, but for the sake of enhancing a mitzvah. Another type of Jewish joy is the mitzvah to "Rejoice in your festivals" Deuteronomy 16:1. Here, joy is not an accessory to another aim. The mitzvah itself is to rejoice. But the fact that one needs to be commanded to rejoice indicates that this is still not the ultimate in joy. A greater joy is one King Solomon speaks of when he says, "The good-hearted is festive always." Proverbs 15:15, describing joy as a state of being rather than an activity. This is the joy experienced in the month of Adar—in the words of the Talmud, "When Adar commences, joy increases." One who is attuned to the spiritual essence of Jewish time spontaneously rejoices when entering the month of joy. The world's religions have had differing relationships with alcohol. Many religions forbid alcoholic consumption or see it as sinful or negative. Others have allocated a specific place for it. Judaism relates to the consumption of alcohol, particularly of wine, in a complex manner. Wine is viewed as a substance of import and it is incorporated in religious ceremonies, and the general consumption of alcoholic beverages is permitted, however, inebriation (drunkenness) is discouraged. This compound approach to wine can be viewed in the verse in Psalms 104:15, "Wine gladdens human hearts," countered by the verses in Proverbs 20:1, "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is riotous; and whoever stumbles in it is not wise," and Proverbs 23:20, "Be not among drunkards or among gluttonous eaters of meat" The Rambam, replaces the "can't tell the difference between Haman and Mordecai" standard with one that is more easily appraised: How does one fulfill the obligation of the Purim Seudah? One should eat meat and prepare as nice a meal as one can afford and drink wine until one becomes drunk and falls asleep from drunkenness. (Laws of Megillah) Maimonides' reading finds substantial support in the comments of the 16th-century Talmud commentator R. Samuel Eliezer ben Judah haLevi Edels, better known as the Maharsha. More recent commentators have been somewhat more limited. The 18th-century codifier, R. Abraham ben Yehiel Michal Danzig wrote: Since the entire miracle of Purim came about through wine, our sages obligated us to get drunk, or at least to drink more than what we are used to, in order to remember the great miracle. However, if one knows oneself, and is likely to neglect the performance of a [commandment], such as washing one's hands before eating bread or making a blessing over food before and after eating or that one might forget to pray or might act in a light-headed way, it is better not to get drunk. (Quoted in Be'ur Halakhah 694, s.v. "Ad") Don't get so drunk that you forget to perform any mitzvot. And count among those mitzvot the contemporary obligation to have a designated driver. Cars can be like Rabbah's sword, and one cannot count on a miracle. The best way to predict the future is to create it. Peter Drucker Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do Pele The first place we lose the battle is in our own thinking. If you think it is permanent then it's permanent. If you think you've reached your limits then you have. If you think you will never get well then you won't. You have to change your thinking. You need to see everything that's holding you back, every obstacle, every limitation as only temporary. Joel Osteen Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall. Confucius Jerusalem Municipality offers free ice cream on Election Day The free ice cream will be available to customers spending NIS 20 or more at retailers throughout the city, after bringing a receipt to select ice cream retailers. By AARON REICH While Israelis may be tired of elections, the Jerusalem Municipality has come up with a sweet offer to get residents excited about the third Election Day in a year: Free ice cream. The free ice cream will be available to customers spending NIS 20 or more at retailers throughout the city, after bringing a receipt to one of a number of select ice cream retailers. Read More Related Articles The retailers include Katzefet, Glida Metuka, Metudela, Cookie Cream, Selfy's and Mousseline. The move comes in response to reports that Jerusalem businesses suffered declining revenues during the last election."We will continue to strengthen Jerusalem businesses," Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion said in a statement, adding that he encouraged all Israelis to come to Jerusalem after voting to enjoy the delicious benefits. "Happy voting!" he added. This is not the only ice cream-related news to come in the wake of Election Day. Earlier this week, Ben & Jerry's debuted a special ice cream called "One Sweet Vote." The ice cream is both vanilla and chocolate, and it contains chocolate "peace signs," chocolate-covered almonds, white-chocolate chunks, and blondies – vanilla brownies. The ice cream was released with the goal of encouraging as many people as possible to vote, amid fears that voter turnout could decrease in the third round of elections within a year. Watch: New River Exposed in Israel, Mired in Secrecy and Landmines By David Israel There is a river in Israel nobody knew existed, until Sunday night, that is, when Kan 11 News exposed it to the world. To start, it's nice to know that in a world surrounded by satellites that take pictures of everything all the time, this great river could be kept a secret for so long. No one who should have known, including Israel's green groups and avid 4-wheel drive nature lovers, had any idea. On the other hand, it's also quite upsetting: how dare they—whomever "they" may be—keep such a natural treasure from us? This video is alive, despite the fact that for some reason YouTube has attached an error image to it. Click and watch: This will all be sorted out sooner or later, presumably. Meanwhile, here are the facts: on Sunday night, Channel 11 (Israel's PBS) revealed that there is a secret river, more than 6 miles long, flowing inside a huge canyon, between cliffs that are tens of meters tall, to the Dead Sea (The Sea of Salt in Hebrew). This river lies within the concession area of ​​the Dead Sea Works, an Israeli potash plant in Sodom, on the Dead Sea coast. This is the reason the secret river's existence has been kept secret. Also, according to the report, the Dead Sea Works concession is also why the river is currently in great danger. Apparently, no one really knows the exact scope of the works at Dead Sea Works, and what it may be doing to the local environment. Kan 11 was adamant about warning enthusiastic Israeli nature lovers to stay away from the new discovery, because, as they put it most bluntly: "the place is full of mines – there is a real danger to life facing anyone trying to get there." Of course, only in Israel would a news broadcast report someone planted a whole bunch of landmines someplace and move on, without stopping to inquire: landmines? In the middle of the desert? Why? When? Who put it there? In Israel, if someone put landmines someplace they must have had a good reason. Watch your step. According to Kan 11, "the place is packed with unique natural phenomena, not seen anywhere else in the world." The report also suggested that not only is Dead Sea Works suspected of exceeding the scope of their permits, another project, known as Salt Harvest, may also now come under scrutiny, because suddenly having the new river around may call its calculations into question. The Salt Harvest project aims to transport salt back to the Dead Sea, in order to raise the sea level which has been declining greatly over the years. Transporting the salt from the evaporation ponds and dispersing it at the bottom of the Dead Sea basin will cause the sea level to rise. Now, with the new river, it's back to the drawing board for everyone down there, at the deepest point on planet Earth. 50 Years Late: Rabbinate Recognizes Ethiopian Jews in Israel, Many Ethiopian Jews Aren't Impressed By David Israel Nearly 50 years after the late Rav Ovadia Yosef ruled that the Jewish status of Ethiopian Jews should not be questioned, last November, the Chief Rabbinate Council accepted his ruling, and recognized that Ethiopian Israelis are Jewish, Kan 11 News revealed Sunday night. Ethiopian Jews in Israel are immigrants and descendants of the immigrants from the Beta Israel communities in Ethiopia who now reside in Israel and have Israeli citizenship. The Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel is also composed of the Falash Mura, a community of Beta Israel which had converted to Christianity over the past 200 years, mostly under pressure from government and their neighbors, but were permitted to immigrate to Israel conditioned on their conversion to Orthodox Judaism. Rabbinical officials said the decision eliminated an old 1980s document that questioned the Jewishness of all Ethiopian olim and demanded various actions to confirm their Judaism, including Giur L'chumra. Rabbi Sharon Shalom, Dean of Ethiopian Jewry Studies at the UNO Academic College, told Reshet Bet radio on Monday morning: "It's a meaningless decision," and added, "This is not a holiday, the rabbinate is still punking us. It's like asking Guatemala to recognize the State of Israel – we've already established it, it's no longer relevant." Rabbi Shalom recalled bitterly an event when he and other males from his family and their neighbors had been ordered one night into a mikva, where they were told to undress and stood in a row while a messenger of the Chief Rabbinate performed bloodletting on them, in lieu of a circumcision. This was not a humiliation he would easily forget. The Kes (Ethiopian priest) of Kiryat Malachi, Andaleh Maharat, said he was pleased with the rabbinate's decision, and hoped the Ashkenazi Orthodox rabbis would accept it as well: "The Torah embraces, it does not reject. It does not give any single ethnic group a monopoly." Kes Maharat told told Reshet Bet: "We have made sacrifices to keep our Judaism. For us to come to Israel only to be told it is doubtful we are a Jewish – there's nothing more humiliating than that." The chief rabbi of Ethiopian Jews, Rabbi Reuven Wabashat, expressed optimism about the implications of the rabbinate's decision: "In recent years, all kinds of things have happened in the religious services system, and some have justified this by saying, 'The Chief Rabbinate has not yet recognized the Jews of Ethiopia.' Now, those who object to our Jewish status will have no more recourse." Martin Luther King Jr.'s Friendship with Abraham Heschel and The Jewish People By Howard Zik Many have seen photographs of Martin Luther King Jr. marching with rabbi and scholar Abraham Heschel in Selma and other places, but few know of the close friendship and bonding that developed between the two and the profound influence they exerted on one another. Sometimes in recent times we hear of claims of Martin Luther King ultimately turned against Israel in his perspective on world affairs. A full evaluation will, however, reveal to the contrary he was a true ally and admirer of Israel's national principles as well as supporter of its ongoing presence. In a March 26, 1968 speech 2 weeks before his assassination Dr. King in a  revealing speech expressed this heartfelt  support : " Peace for Israel means security, and we must stand with all our might to protect its right to exist …I see Israel as one of the great outposts of democracy in the world, and a marvelous example of what can be done, how desert land can be transformed into an oasis of brotherhood and democracy." This support by King is additionally revealed in his co-sponsorship of October 13, 1963 of the Conference on Soviet Jewry at Carnegie International Center as well as his January 16 th letter to the Soviet Union urging Moscow to change its policy regarding Jews. In the demonstration of King in Selma hundreds of King's followers wore yarmulkes in solidarity and gratitude to Jewish support of King's efforts. The alliance between King and Heschel is an intriguing saga and may first be told by understanding how each had come to certain views that united them. Both were born under circumstance where their peoples were subject to oppression. This included Heschel born within pogroms in Russia and King within oppressive segregation and denial of rights in the US South.  At the core of both of their perspectives is a vigorous advocacy of universal rights. Both King and Heschel held a common view that a respect for human rights cannot ever be confined to particular groups but must be extended to all groups as part of a cornerstone commitment to universal rights. One example of King's expression is a view he stated at the New York Conference of Religion and Racism (January 14, 1963). Here King asserted unequivocal solidarity with Herschel's opposition to the Soviet treatment of the Jews. Both tapped the Tenach and particularly the Prophets in supporting this world view.  In his acclaimed march on Washington before the Lincoln Memorial King quoted Amos in declaring "We will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like water," (Amos 5:24). Within jail cell in Montgomery in his March 1956 he declared this inspirational eloquent message, "Injustice anywhere threatens justice everywhere." Heschel for his part references the Jew's slavery under the Pharaoh as having special relevancy while marching with the King to secure freedom. Both jointly opposed the war in Viet Nam taking yet another moral stand against what they considered an injustice that went beyond the immediate concerns of their own peoples. A second parallel uniting them is the establishment of a state of justice or kingdom of God on earth rather than a hereafter. Although King's Christian's roots provided an emphasis on the hereafter he extended this commitment especially through the influence of the Baptist thinker Walter Rauschenbusch (Christianity and Social Crisis) who extended the notion of the "kingdom of God" to the life in this world as well as the hereafter. This was part of his dedication to what was called the Social Gospel movement originating in the early twentieth century which has its parallel in Judaism with the Jewish role of justice in the Torah and clarified by Prophets and rabbinic thought.  " The Social Gospel movement in its original form addressed social injustices among workers, children and schools  but in King and others led its application to civil rights of minorities in the sixties without its affiliation with  socialism .Further this involved a remarkable parallel with the Jewish concept of a messianic age. Another aspect of the relationship between Heschel and King are the complementary traits that they exhibited in relation to one another in their approach to ensuring human rights. King although a visionary, possessed more of a rational side while Heschel's nature shifted towards the mystical. King planned effectively and strategically mapped out his courses of action learning from experience. For example in his Birmingham  Alabama,  campaign  he timed his protest to occur after  the local elections so that the most radical of candidate for mayor, namely, Bull  O'Connor,  would not gain votes from King's presence. It appeared that King was inspired by Heschel's spiritual side and Heschel by Kings practical side and its efficiency (although moved by his spiritual side as well) in their commitments to lead meaningful lives. Herschel in his life perspective spoke of a "leap to action "from an intuitive (preconceived) sense of the sublime.  King for his part saw in Heschel's intuitive side with visionary elements the underlying mystical foundation for his commitments. In fact a rather similar experience was described by King in his early Montgomery experience which dissipated his personal fears of harm by an ineffable sense that God will be with him.  In this reciprocal linkage each spoke of one another as a prophet where prophet embodies both the mystical and practical sides. In an essential sense they were each other's ministers. King and Heschel remained friends and spiritual brothers ever since they met at the 1963 National Council of Christians and continued protesting together throughout until King's assassination in April 1968.The rapport and bonding between them was immediate. Each attempted to demonstrate how their religious commitments compelled them to take a moral stand in support of civil rights. Morality in their view was demanded by their religious identity revealed in their frequent use of quotes from Prophets. Most revealingly King delivered the keynote address at Heschel's birthday on March 25, 1968 10 days before his assassination. Here Heschel emotionally said "Martin Luther King is a sign God has not forsaken America. His presence is the hope of America." In response King said "Hershel is indeed truly a great prophet". Here and there we find those who refuse to remain silent and they are seeking to make the great ethical insights of Judaic Christian culture relevant in this day and age." The words of both are truly a great tribute to the relationship that helped shape them and in turn help shaped America. . Only in Israel: Boy Went Mushroom Picking, Found Byzantine Marble Slab with Greek Inscription Instead By David Israel Stav Meir, 13, a resident of Caesarea, went out a week ago with his father Zohar, his brothers and cousins, to look for mushrooms after the rains. He noticed a marble slab an inscription in Greek protruding from the ground and called his father over. "I immediately recognized that it was something ancient," Stav, a seventh-grader, said. Turns out he had studied archaeology in school as part of an Israel Antiquities Authority program, and now, he said, "I can easily identify antiquities when I see them." The excited Stav reported his discovery to the IAA which sent over its local archaeologist in Caesarea, Dr. Peter Gendelman, who came over to collect the find. According to Dr. Gendelman, "this is a burial inscription – a marble slab with an inscription engraved in Greek, and adorned with a cross. The slab, which apparently indicated the grave's location in the cemetery and the identity of the deceased, reads: 'The grave of […] and of Anastasius, or Anastasia.'" Gendelman added that, "in ancient times, Caesarea was already a center of attraction for a wealthy population (much as it remains today – DI). The quality of the slab discovered by Stav indicates the wealthy status of the entombed person, as well as the customs and beliefs of the inhabitants of Caesarea in the Byzantine period. This inscription joins a large collection of burial inscriptions previously discovered around ancient Caesarea." During the Byzantine period, the rich of Caesarea built magnificent mansions in the suburbs of the city, enjoying life in the countryside only a short carriage hop away from the bustling city. To this day, sections of five magnificent mansions have been discovered, each sprawling over an extensive area. According to Karem Said, Haifa District Archaeologist at the IAA, "the country's recent rainstorms have uncovered archaeological finds that were buried in the ground. The IAA is pleased and proud with Stav's good citizenship, and the real-life application of the knowledge he has acquired with us in the classroom and in the field. The finding of this inscription enriches archaeological knowledge and our understanding of ancient Caesarea. We awarded Stav a Certificate of Appreciation for his good citizenship, and we will come to his class for a special lesson addressing the discovery he has made. We urge all citizens to be our partners in preserving the treasures of the land. Let us know if you discover archaeological finds that have surfaced in the rain near your home." Thousands of schoolchildren across Israel study archaeology with the IAA. The curriculum breathes life into cultures and ancient times, in classroom and field studies, combining archaeological finds, puzzles, workshops, archaeological excavations, and tours. See you tomrorow bli neder Love Yehuda Lave Rabbi Yehuda Lave PO Box 7335, Rehavia Jerusalem 9107202 LIKE TWEET FORWARD You received this email because you signed up on our website or made purchase from us. Unsubscribe

Redeeming Israel in the public affairs world with Alan Dershowitz and US National Library of Congress to accept book of Talmud for first time and Israel is first country to urge halt to all overseas travel

Can't see images? Click here... 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. Now also a Blogger on the Times of Israel. Look for my column Love Yehuda Lave A Better Boycott   A Rabbi is walking down the street in New York when he is shocked by a sign hanging in front of a building. The sign reads, "WE WOULD RATHER DO BUSINESS WITH 1000 HAMAS TERRORISTS THAN WITH ONE SINGLE ISRAELI" Enraged, the Rabbi walks up to the building to go inside and yell at the owners, but he is stopped by a smaller sign saying, "THE CHEVRA KADISHA (Hebrew Burial Society)." Israel is first country to urge halt to all overseas travel In an unprecedented move, Israelis advised to avoid all travel abroad over virus Health Ministry warning sees 'high probability' pathogen has now spread worldwide and is no longer containable; Israelis returning from Italy ordered to a 14-day quarantine In a dramatic statement Wednesday, Israel's Health Ministry urged Israelis to seriously consider refraining from traveling abroad, as the country looked to isolate itself from the novel coronavirus outbreak rapidly spreading across the globe. "If you don't genuinely have to fly — don't do so," the ministry said in a travel warning. In making the announcement, Israel became the first country to urge its citizens to refrain from international travel entirely because of the outbreak, which started in China in December and has since infected over 80,000 worldwide and claimed well over 2,000 lives, almost all of them in China. The move comes after a series of additional countries announced they had identified cases of the virus on their soil over the past two days, including Brazil's announcement of the first confirmed case in Latin America and uncontained outbreaks in Germany, Italy and other European countries. Tuesday marked the first day since the start of the outbreak that more new cases were recorded abroad than in China, which has been the epicenter of the epidemic. The statement also expanded a previous travel warning for northern Italy to the entirety of that country and ordered all Israelis returning from Italy to a 14-day home quarantine, effective immediately. Israel has already banned the entry of any foreigners who have been to China, Hong Kong, Macau, Thailand Singapore, South Korea, and Japan in the 14 days prior. Israeli officials said the new reports of coronavirus cases in Greece, Austria, Switzerland, and Croatia, all announced over the past two days, appear to have arrived in those countries from travelers originating in Italy. Other hotspots have been identified in South Korea and Iran. "The current assessment is that there is a high probability that the pathogen has spread to additional areas in Europe and in many other places around the world," the travel warning said. The Wednesday statement advised the cancellation or delay of all international conferences and gatherings in Israel in the coming months, and to refrain from traveling to such events abroad, where the threat of contagion from multiple countries is higher. It also urged the avoidance of travel to "events of a religious character at which people from many different nations gather together," an apparent reference to Hajj, which falls in July. Israel's Health Ministry has taken an active approach to combating the spread of the virus here, going far beyond other countries in banning visitors from some countries and forcing Israelis returning from there into self-quarantine. The ministry has faced some criticism for unnecessarily panicking people and causing economic and diplomatic damage to the country. Ministry Director-General Moshe Bar Siman-Tov told Channel 12 News that the ministry preferred to take harsher measures now than be sorry later. The Foreign Ministry declined to comment on how the new directives could affect diplomatic work in Israel and abroad. The Israel Defense Forces did not immediately respond to a question on whether the measures would affect any planned exercises with international partners. So far, there have only been two confirmed cases in the country — both of whom were on a cruise ship where hundreds were infected and were already in quarantine when diagnosed. However, over the weekend South Korea informed Israel that several members of a group of pilgrims who returned from a recent visit to the country were found to have the disease. Another four Israelis were being treated in Japan, where they were diagnosed as having the virus while still on the ship. On Tuesday one of the Israelis was given the all-clear to leave the hospital. On Saturday authorities instructed some 200 Israeli students and teachers to self-quarantine due to their contact with the group of South Korean pilgrims. It is not clear whether the Korean tourists were already infected while in Israel. Ideas, that help explain how the world works Skill Compensation: People who are exceptionally good at one thing tend to be exceptionally poor at another. Redeeming Israel in the public affairs world The Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) is an Israeli research institute specializing in public diplomacy and foreign policy founded in 1976. Currently, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs' research portfolio consists of five primary initiatives: the Institute for Contemporary Affairs (ICA), Defensible Borders Initiative, Jerusalem in International Diplomacy, Iran and the New Threats to the West, and Combating Delegitimization. More broadly, the think-tank concentrates on the topics of Iran, Radical Islam, the Middle East, Israel, the Peace Process, Jerusalem, Anti-Semitism, and World Jewry. Its publications include the academic journal Jewish Political Studies Review and the email-distributed Daily Alert, a daily regional news summary. Combating delegitimization and BDS A core component of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs concerns efforts by the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement to delegitimize Israel. According to the organization's website, the initiative "is a major multilingual public diplomacy program" which seeks to expose those who undermine Israel's very legitimacy. This programme entails reinforcing the connection between "the Jewish people and their historical homeland including Jerusalem." Many of the institute's scholars, including Dan Diker and Ambassador Alan Baker, have published extensively on subjects pertaining to this initiative. This includes Dan Diker's BDS Unmasked: Radical Roots, Extremist Ends as well as Ambassador Baker's Palestinian Manipulation of the International Community. On Wednesday night (02/26/20), the Center sponsored a discussion with Prof. Alan Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus, of Harvard Law School, Ben-Dro Yemini, Israeli Journalist at Yediot Ahronot, and moderated by Dan Diker, Director of the Program to Counter Political Warfare and BDS at the JCPA on Dan Diker's new book, "Israelophobia: The Dangerous Dance between BDS and Anti-Semitism. The program was held at Mishenot Sha'ananim Conference Center. Dan, as the primary author of the new book, moderated the discussion. Professor Dershowitz, who contributed to the book with one of its chapters handled most of the points and Ben-Dror Yemini held his own in the discussion. Ben-Dror pointed out that much of the Anti-Israel Anti-Semitism comes from our own Israeli Professors who work oversees at many major colleges, in both their regular programs, but especially in the Colleges Jewish Studies programs. He gave the simile of the Talking Dog. Because of the fact that not too many dogs talk, when one does he is special. Many of these professors in these oversees colleges, make it their bread and butter to attack Israel. Since they are Jewish and Israeli themselves, they feel they have the right to do so and because they are "talking dogs" they get a job and important status at the Universities where they work. Ben-Dror felt these Israeli traitors were as important as the Anti-Semitic and Anti-Israel American Colleges that have crossed a line in the modern world. Professor Dershowitz talked of his long history in fighting Anti-Semitism. As a liberal Democrat, he is like a fish out of water, among his peers. As he was a main participant in the recent Trump Impeachment trial, he is now considered a traitor to the Anti-Trump Jewish media and establishment. His wife and daughter are shunned because he had the audacity to Support Trump in his Impeachment fight. Professor Dershowitz warned, that his experience has taught him that the world has become so polarized that no one looks at the arguments anymore, they just advocate by insulting the other party. This is especially difficult for Israel and Jews, because we rely on Truth to win our arguments. Once emotion takes over, we no longer will be to defend ourselves. For that reason, he said we have to not rely on the US always having our back and we have to be able to defend ourselves.       RABBI MEIR KAHANE "CHANGE THE SYSTEM" CHANGING THE SYSTEM Let it be clear as it could possibly be:  The main motivation behind the extraordinary, demonic drive for a change in the Israeli political system is the desire and passion to destroy the political power of the religious parties and community in Israel.   Disgust with the present system of corruption and bribery and stealing from the public trough?  Indeed, there is that and more, but for thirty years as Mapai and Labor-Left and its Mapam and kibbutz allies ruled the country with all the arrogance and contempt of some Stalinist Boss Tweed, corruption ran rampant and bribery was the order of the day, and they stole shamelessly by the light of the day.  The Histadrut ran the country and ran the money and took the money and created a cadre wealthy arrogant political leftist labor leaders.  The kibbutzim received the best land in the country and fully 30% of the water despite the fact that they totaled three percent of the population, at best.  Parties decided how much money to take for their expenses and needs – at will.  Never in Israel's history was there ever a single party able to form a government without a coalition, and how much political bribery was paid then!  Knesset members switched parties, and all that the liberals and leftists suddenly find disgusting began and flourished for decades under the liberals and leftist.  And no one shouted: Change the system!   More, in those days they not only stole money, the stole people.  They not only killed democracy, they kidnapped children and destroyed souls.  The Sephardic immigrants who came to Israel were treated with contempt and with strong-arm tactics that were worthy of the Bolshevik Mafia that ran the country.  The earlocks that were ripped from Yemenite children's heads went along with the forced irreligion that was thrust upon them in the Kibbutzim and Youth Aliyah institutions so proudly boasted of by the same Hadassah which, today, demands a change of the system.  Six hundred Yemenite children, kidnapped after being born, and given to elite members of the political Mafia establishment, are still missing, and the results of the deliberate destruction of Judaism within hundreds of thousands of Sephardic Jews by the left-liberal Mafia can be seen today in the crime, violence, pornography and general destruction of values of the grandchildren of the Jews of Spiritual genocide.  And no one shouted then: Change the system!   What was done to the religious Sephardic Jews then was deliberate, just as what is being done today is deliberate. Just as then the left-liberal Mafia feared the growth of the religious political power in the "democracy" that was Israel and so they went about destroying it, so, too, today the motivation behind the hypocritical call for change in the system in the name of "democracy" is an obscene fear that in a democracy the religious will win the day because of their population growth.   And so, the Nazi-like caricature that appear in the papers and the blatant incitement to hate against the religious.  And the outrage over ten of millions of shkalim to religious institutions when the kibbutzim just had debts of billions wiped away, and the Histadrut's corrupt institutions are bailed out with hundreds of millions of shkalim from the Treasury, and the Likud – a partner in corruption ever since it got a taste of power – decides to raise the amount of money for the parties since it is deeply in debt.   If all that was troubling the "moralists of democracy" was the power of small parties, there is a simple solution to it and that is to raise the percentage of votes needed for a Knesset seat from the present 1% to three or four or five.  That would eliminate all small parties and produce four major ones, as blocs are formed – right, left, cent and religious.  Ah, but that is the problem.  The religious would still be there and still be in a position to grow, through babies, and become more and more powerful and that is what disturbs all the "moralists" of the left.  If instead of the black-garbed Rabbi Shach and others, the small parties that held the government captive were those of Ratz and Mapam and Shinui – that would have never led to the hysterical demands of "Change they system!"  But it was the religious.  And that brought out all the hate and racism that the moralists so deplore when used against Arabs.   It is difficult to understand the sheer bile that possesses the left-liberal secularists when they discuss the religious.  It is an obsession with them.  It is a war – not of culture but of belief, of being.  Those who destroyed Jewish values and found themselves with a morally rotting state and children who are neither religious nor Zionist, but empty of all values except "Me," can never admit their failure.  And so they hate the religious and they hate Judaism and they hate themselves. What did the Rabbis say (Psachim 49b)?  "Greater is the hatred of the ignoramus for the scholar than the of the gentile for the Jew."  And we see it daily in Israel.   Are the religious parties corrupt?  Of course they are; shamefully so!  Are they a disgrace to Torah?  Of course they are, and in the words of the prophet Isaiah (1:6): "From the sole of the foot to the head, there is no soundness." And let the wise man understand . . . . But Labor and Likud make them look like pikers in comparison.   Change the system?  And then things will be better?  Has not history proven a thousand times over that it is not the system but the people who bring evil and corruption into the world?  The same thieves and corrupt politicians with their money and power will create the same abomination in Israel under any system.   Do you know what they wish to do?  They wish to create districts from which individuals can be elected.  Districts that will guarantee that the religious, despite their larger population, will always be limited to 3-4 seats since they live together in 3-4 districts.  Districts that make the vote infinitely less democratic (if that is what bothers you) than the present system of proportional representation.  For under the present system, every vote counts.  Under district voting, all those who did not vote for the winner see their votes go down the drain.  Indeed, that is why in England today there is a great demand to change the system from district voting to proportional representation, as in Israel . . . . Democracy?  They are not interested in democracy except that it will help them keep or get power.   And they tie all this to a demand for a constitution that de facto will turn Israel from a Jewish state into a Western democratic one in which Jewishness will not matter, and it will be "Israeliness" that will be the equal common denominator, with the non-Jewish Israeli equal common denominator, with the non-Jewish Israeli equal to the Jewish one and the very reason for a "Jewish" state destroyed.   When the All Mighty created the Torah He understood that it is not the "system" that makes things good or bad.  It is the people.  And that is why the same Torah that is so stringent concerning seemingly minor matters in a person's life has no definitive system for political organization or economic structure.  For these things are not the important ones in building a society.  Times change and structures change, but good and evil in the world come from Man.  And the same corrupt, hypocritical thieves will continue their dirty business in any system.  For a cesspool by any name remains just that.   And one final word. As I watch the enormous success of the liberal-left drive to change the system.  I will never forgive, until my dying day, those thousands and more "supporters" of mine who helped us lose Israel when we had a divine opportunity to save the land.   Watching the large rallies demanding a "change," I know that it is Kach that could have had the crowds and the rallies and the momentum in a demand for a Referendum.  The disgust of the people with all the parties, our unbelievable popularity as the only clean and honest group – all this made for a golden opportunity to demand People Power, a Referendum!  But we did not have the money that the liberal-left has, and so we lost the opportunity and I doubt if it will ever come again.  And the reason we had no money was that the ones who cheer me and condemn the Left and the traitors and Peres and Likud, and thus get their pious preaching jollies so that they can feel pure and good and righteous, never made the sacrifices.  Never gave me the money at a time when I saw the events coming.  Again. Once again, the betrayal by the supporters and cheerers.   The country is falling apart.  As small people haggle over seats and money and power, Iraq speaks of missiles and chemical warfare and Egypt nears a nuclear bomb and I sit in frustration knowing what might have been if my supporters and cheerers had cared enough to do more than gleefully condemn Peres.   And for that, for what they did to Israel, I will never forgive them. Written:  May 1990   US National Library of Congress to accept book of Talmud for first time US National Library of Congress to accept the book of Talmud for the first time The translation from Hebrew to English took world-renowned Rabbi Steinsaltz 8 years to complete. By CELIA JEAN For the first time ever, a book of Talmud will be accepted into the US's National Library of Congress, the largest library in the world. The book of Talmud, translated by world-renowned scholar Rabbi Adin Even Israel Steinsaltz, will be released to the library in a celebratory event due to be held on Thursday. The translation from Hebrew to English took Rabbi Steinsaltz 8 years to complete.  Read More Related Articles The event, first of its kind, will feature Jewish elected officials Congressman Eliot Engel, member of the United States House of Representatives, and Carla Hayden, Principal Director of the Library of Congress. During the event, representatives of Steinsaltz's family will grant the library the full volume of the translation, followed by a certificate of honor which will be given in return to Steinsaltz's family which is said to be one of the most influential in contemporary Judaism. According to Rabbi Steinsaltz's legacy knowledge is something that connects and mediates cultures and peoples. Translating the Talmud became the center of Rabbi Steinsaltz's life after he founded the Israel Institute for Talmudic publications in 1965, together with the Israeli government. Steinsaltz is considered by the Chabad as one of the most important rabbis of our time. His work is devoted to addressing education, the study of Talmud, Chassidism and philosophy. He has published over 60 books in many languages, and won the Israel Prize, as well as the President's medal and the 'Worthy Citizen of Jerusalem' award."It's a great honor for the both Diaspora and Israeli Jews to receive such honor from a great institution as important as the US National Library of Congress. For all the Talmud's thousands of years of existence, it is very exciting and meaningful for us, especially during times like these, when Judaism suffers from antisemitism," announced Mani Even Israel, the head of the Steinsaltz center.  The library is a research library that serves members, committees, the staff of the US congress and offers general lectures, concerts and exhibitions to the general public.  See you Sunday Bii-neder Shabbat Shalom Love Yehuda Lave Rabbi Yehuda Lave PO Box 7335, Rehavia Jerusalem 9107202 LIKE TWEET FORWARD You received this email because you signed up on our website or made purchase from us. Unsubscribe