How did we get here? G-d created the universe or by accident

Can't see images? Click here... Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor Unconditional Love We need to have such strong "core middos" that we can resist the temptation to sink into the quicksand of anxiety, despair and fury. The moments when we feel most hurt are the times when we will gain the most spiritual growth if we stay centered, courageous and compassionate. Love Yehuda Lave What's a Greater Leap of Faith: God or the Multiverse? What's a greater leap of faith: God or the Multiverse? What's the multiverse? Brian Keating, Professor of Physics at the University of California, San Diego, explains in this video. Brian Keating's new book, Losing the Nobel Prize, is available here   The Bridge by Fabrice Schomberg   A long, long time ago   an old man met an older man who told him that a secret bridge had existed since before he had been born, and whoever crossed it never came back.    Now that the older man was near to death, he wanted to tell the old man the whereabouts of this bridge and why no one ever came back.    He pointed in the direction of an inaccessible mountain, and explained that no one ever returned because the bridge led to a world of bliss, the one he was, of course, waiting to arrive at upon his death.    He was the bridge keeper, he said, and was to be the last across, but his frail state of being did not allow him to demolish the bridge at the right time as indicated by the divine.  He therefore asked the old man to do it, and with that request the older man passed away.    The old man buried the older man and took this last request to heart.  He prepared himself and set off for the journey to the inaccessible mountain where the bridge lay.    On the way his curiosity arose as to what was on the other side of this bridge.    When he finally found the bridge, the temptation was too big and he decided to cross it, promising himself that he'd come back.    As the old man ventured across the bridge, a mist gathered around him and just as the older man had told him,on the other side, he found a world of bliss with the presence of many, as well as that of the older man.    "What are you doing here?" said the older man. "It is not your time yet and you were supposed to demolish the bridge, not cross it."    "I could not help myself," said the old man, "the temptation was too great."    "Well it's too late now, you can't go back," said the older man.    "But I promised myself I would," retorted the old man.    "Well you can try. No one has managed to do so before, but you seem very determined," said the older man.    "A promise is a promise," said the old man, "and I promised to demolish the bridge."    The old man began his return journey but the weather had changed and it wasn't as before. It was windy and the bridge, unstable; there was a continuous storm, rain and darkness -  enough to make him lose direction. But amid the difficulties, he carried on walking straight and, years later, finally reached the other side, yet now too as an older man.    He started to demolish the bridge piece by piece until his mission was complete.      The, now older, man became frail and like his predecessor was about to give up his life to the great divine who had created him, when the older man appeared to him in a dream saying, "You have completed your task and now you are ready to cross naturally to the other side."  The now older frail man did not wake up from his dream and no one was there to   bury him. edited by Janet Cartlidge   www.sketchedworlds.com/stories   copyright © 2014 Fabrice Schomberg The Giro d'Italia's Secret Holocaust Hero and Cycling Champ In the darkest days of World War 2 Italy, record-breaking Italian cyclist Gino Bartali used his bicycle frame to smuggle forged documents, saving 800 Jews from death. His act of defiance against Nazi antisemitism made him a WW2 hero and inspired the Giro d'Italia 2018 to begin in Israel, the first time the race has opened outside Europe. The story - one that screams "made-for-netflix" - begins in 1938, when life under the Mussolini dictatorship though hard, was a relative refuge from Nazi-occupied Europe. All this changed in 1943 when the Nazis invaded and started transporting Jews to concentration camps. At the time Bartali was a celebrity and sports hero, two-time winner of the Tour de France and three-time winner of the Giro d'Italia. He used his status to support an underground group of fellow Catholics and partisans in WW2, including document-forging priests and nuns. Instead of using his fame to help himself, Bartali risked his life, stepping up to save as many Jews as possible. Incredibly, Bartali kept his wartime activities secret. Only after this WW2 hero's death was he recognized by Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations;" the highest accolade awarded to individuals who risked their lives to save Jews from the Nazis during the Shoah (holocaust). As the Giro d'Italia 2018 begins in Jerusalem, Israel, we remember Bartali's awesome legacy and share his mantra that "good is something you do, not something you talk about." Director - Rebecca Shore Executive Producer - Raphael Shore Writer - Baruch Goldberg, Rebecca Shore Editor - Ryan Lifchitz Art and Animator - Alex Meyler Original Score - Jack Shore Listen to more of his music: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN6v... The US Embassy in Jerusalem enhances US interests Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, "Second Thought: a US-Israel Initiative" May 15, 2018, www.TheEttingerReport.com,  https://bit.ly/2IKYEaW   1. The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish State, and the site of the US Embassy, reflects a realistic assessment of Middle East/Arab priorities, notwithstanding official Arab statements.  Thus, the Arab walk – unlike the Arab talk – does not consider Jerusalem and the Palestinian issues to be nearly as critical as are the clear, present and lethal threats to all pro-US Arab regimes, which are posed by Iran's Ayatollahs, ISIS, the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamic terrorists; the regional powder kegs in Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya; and the inherent turbulence throughout the tectonic Middle East with many potential eruptions (in Jordan, Egypt, etc.) of devastating, anti-US lava.    2. Recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem - as prescribed by the 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act - represent the resolve to focus on US interests in accordance with Middle East reality, while defying Arab pressure/threats and overruling the conventional "wisdom" of the State Department bureaucracy.   3. Relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem underscores the reassertion of the US independent and unilateral – rather than multilateral - action.  It distinguishes the US President, most members of the House and the Senate and most constituents from the UN state-of-mind, the European vacillation and the worldview of the "elite" media and think tanks. 4. Relocating the US Embassy to Jerusalem signals the determination to resurrect the US posture of deterrence.  It reflects the realization that passivity and retreats in face of Arab/Islamic pressure and threats of terrorism has fueled violence.  On the other hand, defiance of pressure and threats deters rogue elements, while generating tailwind to and security, stability and moderation.   5. Palestinian hate-education and terrorism were fueled by the December 1988 US recognition of the PLO, the 1993 Oslo Accord Israeli unprecedented concessions to the Palestinians and the 2005 Israel's uprooting of Jewish communities from Gaza. The latter already triggered three Israel-Hamas wars (2008/2009 – Operation Cast Lead, 2012 – Operation Pillar of Defense and 2014 – Operation Protective Edge). On the other hand, and contrary to assessments made by the State Department, the 2011 US veto of a UN Security Council condemnation of Israel's settlements policy did not trigger anti-US terrorism.   6. The non-implementation of the October 1995 Jerusalem Embassy Act has not advanced the peace process.  In fact, it has radicalized Arab expectations, forcing them to outflank the US from the maximalist side. Moreover, the US cave-in did not prevent the November 1995 Islamic car bomb, murdering five Americans in Riyadh; the June 1996 blowing up of the Saudi Khobar Towers with 19 US Air Force personnel murdered; the August 1998 blowing up of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, murdering 224 persons; the October 2000 blowing up of the USS Cole destroyer in the port of Aden, murdering 17 US sailors; the 9/11 Twin Towers massacre, etc..  It has undermined the US posture of deterrence, which is a prerequisite for the US national and homeland security, as well as global sanity. 7.  The relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem undermines the assumption that procrastination (in the Israel-Palestinian negotiation) serves the cause of the Palestinian Authority. 8. The relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is consistent with the US ethos from the 17th century Early Pilgrims and the 18th century Founding Fathers – who considered Jerusalem "the shining city on the hill" - until today. It is reflected through the 18 and 32 US towns and cities bearing the names Jerusalem and Salem (Shalem was the original Biblical name of Jerusalem) and by… the spelling of JerUSAlem. Quotes about being a Student You are always a student, never a master. You have to keep moving forward. Conrad Hall Connie Hall was judged to be one of history's ten most influential cinematographers.   A student of life considers the world a classroom. Harvey Mackay Harvey Mackay is a businessman, author and syndicated columnist.   I was a great student. I was good at everything. Donald Trump Donald Trump is the current President of the United States.   I was not a good student. I did not spend much time at college; I was too busy enjoying myself. Stephen Hawking   Stephen Hawking was the author of A Brief History of Time which is an international bestseller.   A self-taught man usually has a poor teacher and a worse student. Henny Youngman   Henny Youngman was an comedian and violinist famous for his mastery of the one-liner.   I've never professed to be anything but an average student. Dan Quayle Dan Quayle is an American politician.   It makes no difference how low tuition is if the student has no source of funds to pay that tuition. James E. Rogers Jim Rogers was an American entrepreneur.   Good dental care doesn't make you a good student, but if your tooth hurts, it's hard to be a good student. Geoffrey Canada Geoffrey Canada is an American educator, social activist and author.   What is the student but a lover courting a fickle mistress who ever eludes his grasp?William Osler   Sir William Osler was a Canadian physician and one of the four founding professors of Johns Hopkins Hospital.   Private student loans should be avoided at all costs. Suze Orman Suze Orman is an American author, financial advisor, motivational speaker, and television host    The C student starts a restaurant. The A student writes restaurant reviews. P. J. O'Rourke P.J. O'Rourke is an American political satirist and journalist.    I think what any student adds is the ideas they bring. Gordon Gee Gordon Gee is the President of West Virginia University.    Doctor Gordon Geezer An old physician, Doctor Gordon Geezer, became very bored in retirement and decided to re-open a medical clinic. He put a sign up outside that said: "Dr. Geezer's clinic. Get your treatment for $500 - if not cured, get back $1,000." Doctor Digger Young, who was positive that this old geezer didn't know beans about medicine, thought this would be a great opportunity to get $1,000. So he went to Dr. Geezer's clinic. Dr. Young: "Dr. Geezer, I have lost all taste in my mouth. Can you please help me?" Dr. Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from  box 22 and put 3 drops in Dr. Young's mouth." Dr. Young: 'Aaagh! -- This is Gasoline!" Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations! You've got your taste back. That will be $500." Dr. Young gets annoyed and goes back after a couple of days figuring to recover his money. Dr. Young: "I have lost my memory, I cannot remember anything." Dr. Geezer: "Nurse, please bring medicine from  box 22 and put 3 drops in the patient's mouth." Dr. Young: "Oh, no you don't -- that is Gasoline!" Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations! You've got your memory back. That will be $500." Dr. Young (after having lost $1000) leaves angrily and comes back after several more days. Dr. Young: "My eyesight has become weak --- I can hardly see anything!" Dr. Geezer: "Well, I don't have any medicine for that so, "Here's your $1000 back" (giving him a $10 bill). Dr. Young: "But this is only $10!" Dr. Geezer: "Congratulations! You got your vision back! That will be $500." *Moral of story* -- Just because you're "Young" doesn't mean that you can outsmart an "old Geezer" *Remember:* Don't make old people mad. We don't like being old in the first place, so it doesn't take much to tick us off. ENJOY YOUR DAY!!! P.S. Written in large print for old Geezers See you Sunday, Shabat Shalom Love Yehuda Lave Rabbi Yehuda Lave Your mailing address Contact Phone Website LIKE TWEET FORWARD You received this email because you signed up on our website or made purchase from us. Unsubscribe