Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor | | | Everybody has feelings-you can't drive others crazy with those feelings I have a handicapped daughter. She is my only child but I take care of her and her handicapped husband She has taught me much about love and life as I speak to her twice daily. Becasue of her handicap, she isn't mature enough not to let her feelings overcome her thinking. When she feels something she is spontaneous and it doesn't matter to her, who she hurts with her response to her feelings. Being an adult, means to be in control of your feelings and realize the other person has feelings too and make sure we don't hurt others with our feelings. Love Yehuda Lave | | TOP TEN STUPIDEST CRITICISMS OF ISRAEL'S ACTIONS ON THE GAZA BORDER Natan Slifkin wrote these very insightful points that I wanted to share with you all: TOP TEN STUPIDEST CRITICISMS OF ISRAEL'S ACTIONS ON THE GAZA BORDER 1) People have a right to peacefully protest! (Indeed they do. But there are plenty of people here who are taking butcher knives and firebombs and guns to storm the border and kill and kidnap Israeli civilians.)
2) There is no evidence of that! (Yes there is. There are Arabic Facebook pages and interviews and photos.)
3) But it's not all the Gazans who are doing that! (Right. And it's not all the Gazans who are being shot!)
4) Israel is just trying to kill as many Gazans as possible! (If it was, there would be carnage like in Syria, which probably doesn't particularly upset you. Israel is trying to avoid killing Gazans – aside from anything else, it is politically very damaging.)
5) Israel should just use tear gas! (They have, but it often doesn't work, such as when it's windy, or when the Gazans have gas masks and bury the canisters.)
6) Israel should only use rubber bullets! (They often can't, because these only work at short range.)
7) Israel should just arrest them! (If soldiers went up to the crowds to do that, there would be a bloodbath.)
8) Israel is so technologically advanced, there must be a way to stop them without shooting them! (No army in the world has yet found a way to repel armed attackers without ever using bullets)
9) It's so disproportionate – so many Gazans wounded or killed, and no Israelis! (So what?! When you are repelling an armed invasion, there is no reason to let them kill more of you before continuing to stop them!) And the Top Stupidest Argument is…:
10) The Palestinians have legitimate grievances! (Even if this were true – what, so Israel should just let them storm the border and butcher its civilians?!) | | Rav Kook on the Perasha Attaining Ahavat Yisrael Rav Kook stressed the importance of loving the Jewish people. In his magnum opus Orot HaKodesh, Rav Kook gave practical advice on how to achieve this love. Love for the Jewish people does not start from the heart, but from the head. To truly love and understand the Jewish people – each individual Jew and the nation as a whole – requires a wisdom that is both insightful and multifaceted. This intellectual inquiry is an important discipline of Torah study. Loving others does not mean indifference to baseness and moral decline. Our goal is to awaken knowledge and morality, integrity, and refinement; to clearly mark the purpose of life, its purity and holiness. Even our acts of loving-kindness should be based on a hidden Gevurah, an inner outrage at the world's — and thus our own — spiritual failures. If we take note of others' positive traits, we will come to love them with an inner affection. This is not a form of insincere flattery, nor does it mean white-washing their faults and foibles. But by concentrating on their positive characteristics — and every person has a good side — the negative aspects become less significant. This method provides an additional benefit. The Sages cautioned against joining with the wicked and exposing oneself to their negative influence. But if we connect to their positive traits, then this contact will not endanger our own moral and spiritual purity. We can attain a high level of love for Israel by deepening our awareness of the inner ties that bind together all the souls of the Jewish people, throughout all the generations. In the following revealing passage, Rav Kook expressed his own profound sense of connection with and love for every Jewish soul: "Listen to me, my people! I speak to you from my soul, from within my innermost soul. I call out to you from the living connection by which I am bound to all of you, and by which all of you are bound to me. I feel this more deeply than any other feeling: that only you — all of you, all of your souls, throughout all of your generations — you alone are the meaning of my life. In you I live. In the aggregation of all of you, my life has that content that is called 'life.' Without you, I have nothing. All hopes, all aspirations, all purpose in life, all that I find inside myself – these are only when I am with you. I need to connect with all of your souls. I must love you with a boundless love.... Each one of you, each individual soul from the aggregation of all of you, is a great spark from the torch of infinite light, which enlightens my existence. You give meaning to life and work, to Torah and prayer, to song and hope. It is through the conduit of your being that I sense everything and love everything." (Shemonah Kevatzim, vol. I, sec. 163) Love for Every Jew: For Rav Kook, Ahavat Yisrael was not just theoretical. Stories abound of his extraordinary love for other Jews, even those who were intensely antagonistic to his ways and beliefs. Below is one such story, from the period that Rav Kook served as chief rabbi of pre-state Israel. A vocal group of ultra-Orthodox Jerusalemites vociferously opposed Rav Kook due to his positive attitude towards secular Zionists. They would frequently post in the streets of Jerusalem broadsheets that denounced the Chief Rabbi and discrediting his authority. One day Rav Kook returned from a brit milah ceremony in Jerusalem's Old City, accompanied by dozens of students. Suddenly a small group of hotheaded extremists attacked the rabbi, showering him with waste water. The chief rabbi was completely drenched by the filthy water. Emotions soared and tempers flared. By the time Rav Kook had arrived home, news of the attack had spread throughout the city. Prominent citizens arrived to express their repugnance at the shameful incident. One of the visitors was the legal counsel of British Mandate. The attorney advised Rav Kook to press charges against the hooligans, and he promised that they would be promptly deported from the country. The legal counsel was astounded by Rav Kook's response. "I have no interest in court cases," replied the rabbi. "Despite what they did to me, I love them. I am ready to kiss them, so great is my love! I burn with love for every Jew."
These were Rav Kook's thoughts, shortly after this deeply humiliating act. Rav Kook would say: "There is no such thing as Ahavat Chinam — groundless love. Why groundless? He is a Jew, and I am obligated to love and respect him. There is only Sinat Chinam — hate without reason. But Ahavat Chinam? Never!" (Adapted from Orot HaKodesh vol. III, pp. 324–334; Malachim K'vnei Adam, pp. 262, 483–485.) | | The Greatest Showman - This Is Me [Official Lyric Video] Alexa Gabrielle 3 months ago This is magical. When this number played in the theater, I started bawling so badly someone had to hand me a tissue. I just couldn't help it- me and so many people can relate to this song, it is truly beautiful. The lyrics are more powerful than any song I have ever heard, this is me is by far my favorite song! And The Greatest Showman is amazing and definitely my favorite movie, I cannot express how much the soundtrack has touched me. I have literally not been as affected by hurtful comments after watching this movie. In fact, immediately after the movie, I was singing a song and someone commented that I was a bad singer and other hurtful things about my appearance. Usually, I would have been close to tears and try and make myself feel better, but this time, I just kept singing and thinking about "This Is Me" and I didn't feel upset or affecting by the hateful words. At. All! I was surprised but not really, The Greatest Showman is a movie no one should miss, and everyone can take something from it! | | AS HEARD FROM RABBI AVIGDOR MILLER Z'TL "And you should love your fellowman as yourself" (19:18)
If such is the obligation toward one fellow Israelite, then how vastly must we love the entire people of Hashem! This intense love for our people, and even for a single one of our nation, actually is included in the command of "You shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart" (Devarim 6:5), "for Hashem your G-d loves you" (ibid. 23:6), and "I love you, said Hashem" (Malachi 1:2). "Yes, I loved you with an everlasting love" (Jeremiah 31:3).
The commandment "I am Hashem your G-d" (Shemot 20:2) means also "Think as I think!" If you love Me, you must love my people, and each individual of My people. This is included in the words "Holy shall you be, for I Hashem your G-d am holy ", which means that you should emulate Me. "And you should walk in His ways" (Devarim 28:9). The Holy Scriptures express the thoughts of Hashem (as He wishes to reveal to men); And these Scriptures speak solely about Hashem's people and nothing else. Therefore this verse: "And you should love your fellowman as yourself" "is a great principle of the Torah" (Yerushalmi Nedarim 9:4) and is an essential corollary of "You shall love Hashem your G-d."
When Hillel was approached by the perspective Ger who wished to learn the entire Torah in the same time that he would be able to stand on one foot, Hillel replied: "Do not do to your fellow that which you do not wish to be done to you, this is the entire Torah, and all else is commentary which you should learn" (Shabbat 31A). Hillel did not quote the first and most fundamental commandment "I am Hashem your G-d" (Shemot 20:2) which is certainly the most obligatory. But the most difficult to achieve, and in the area in which most of the tests in life occur, is the function of successful living with others. Thus when a family of Cohanim enters to serve in the Sanctuary, the group that is leaving say to the newcomers: "He that put His name upon this edifice should cause that among you should be love and brotherhood and peace and friendship" (Berachot 12A). It is most noteworthy that instead of blessing them that their service be performed with the utmost perfection, and the purest devotion of heart, they considered as most necessary to pray that Hashem assist them to maintain love toward their family members during the week that ensued. Because of the urgency of this commandment, the same words are said at the marriage rite: "Love and brotherhood and peace and friendship" (Ketubot 8A).Between a man and his wife, between neighbors and all of Israel, this is the most difficult and all inclusive commandment and is indeed an extremely "great principle of the Torah" (Yerushalmi ibid.).
The Sacred Scriptures state clearly that the seed of Israel, meaning the loyal Jews of today and of all generations, are G-d's beloved people (Devarim 7:8, 23:6, 1 Kings 10:9, Yeshaya 43:4, Yirmiya 31:2, II Chronicles 2:10, Malachi 1:2,,,) Those who choose to identify themselves with the loyal Jewish people are here intended. And when we endeavor to love them more, Hashem in like measure loves Us more. "And I shall bless those that bless you" (Beresheet 12:3). Quoted from " A Kingdom of Cohanim " by Rabbi Avigdor Miller ZT"L | | | According to a report from Yediot Yerushalayim, the Jerusalem Fund will be building attractions around the Montefiore Windmill. As part of the upgrades (though some may argue with that descriptor), the area around the windmill will now include an outdoor escape room, a cafe, a wine store that will host tastings, Segway tours, theatrical tours and, of course, a gift shop. In addition, there will be seasonal events there targeted at attracting Jerusalemites, Israelis, and tourists from abroad. The windmill, which sits in Yemin Moshe was built in 1857. It was intended to strengthen the settlement of Jews outside the walls of the old city but closed after just 18 years. While some people think that the mill was not utilized because there was not enough wind, it was most likely because replacement parts were expensive. It was finally phased out with the construction of steam-powered mills. In 2012, the windmill underwent a renovation that allowed its blades to turn with the wind again. | | Israel's Druze honor the prophet Jethro in annual pilgrimage to ancient tomb While the Hebrews were hanging out in the desert after fleeing from slavery in Egypt, they brought all of their problems to their leader Moses. But when his father-in-law Jethro came to visit with Moses' wife and children, he saw that his son-in-law was ready to collapse under the onus of so much work. That's when Jethro, a Midianite priest who honored the Lord, decided to put in his two cents' worth.
Although he agreed that Moses should continue to explain God's laws and teachings to the people, he had great advice for lightening his load – suggestions so fundamental, in fact, that his ideas are still being put into effect today. For he instructed Moses to choose capable judges and leaders who would respect God and could never be bribed, and to have them act as officials over "thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. . ." Always willing to learn, Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything that he said." (Exodus 18:21-24).
Known in Arabic as Shu'eib, Jethro is highly revered by the Druze as a prophet. Tradition holds that he lies at rest in the Galilee at the Tomb of Nebi Shu'eib, located near Tiberias and Mount Arbel.
Druze pilgrimages to the tomb have been common for centuries, but there was never an official date for paying homage to the prophet. However, after the State of Israel was established in 1948, the days between April 24 and April 28 were declared an official Druze holiday. During this period Nebi Shu'eib overflows with visitors, from worshipers to celebrants roasting sheep at barbecues, and shoppers roaming the complex bazaars in search of bargains.
There are about 130,000 Druze in Israel, with about a fifth residing in the Golan Heights and most of the rest on Mount Carmel and in the Galilee. A unique ethnic minority, their religion is an offshoot of Islam that differs markedly from Islam in its beliefs. It was established in 1017 by Egyptian ruler Caliph El Hakem bi-amer Allah (El-Hakem by the command of Allah).
For the next 26 years people were welcomed into the ranks. After that time, however, the religion was closed to outsiders. Converts are not accepted, and the Druze are forbidden to intermarry. Druze are either religious or nonreligious and only the religious group is allowed to read the holy books and learn its doctrines.
If they had their druthers, Druze would rather be called "al-muwahdoon" (Believers in the One God). In fact, they loathe the name bestowed upon them by a Christian historian in the 11th century. He called them Druze after one of the missionaries, Nashtakin Darzi. But although Darzi later turned his back on his Druze brothers and is considered a traitor, the name has persisted.
One belief held by the Druze concerns the mystery of Caliph El-Hakem bi-amer Allah's disappearance four years after founding the new religion. It was the caliph's daily custom to mount a donkey and ride to the mountains outside of Cairo to meditate and pray. One day in 1021 he didn't return. Although his clothes were found, all buttoned up and standing tall, there was no one inside! Some say he was murdered, but many Druze believe he is only hiding, watching his faithful and waiting to return on the Day of Judgment.
Unable to accept the fact that followers of Islam would willingly accept another faith, Muslims in the Middle East have been persecuting the Druze since the very beginning. As a result, thousands left their homes in Egypt and elsewhere and today live mainly in Lebanon, Syria, Israel and Jordan.
Until the 13th or 14th century, Druze families in this country lived in scattered, makeshift colonies near sources of water and in strategically protective hills. One day, however, two hunters looking for rabbits stumbled upon a cave that led to an ancient cistern filled with water. That seemed like a good site for a permanent settlement, and area Druze flocked to what would become Beit Jann, a major Druze village in Israel located on the ridges of Mount Meron.
Indeed, all the Druze villages to follow were built high in the hills, for reasons of security. In earlier times, when danger approached, the Druze would light torches and send a message from mountaintop to mountaintop – exactly like the ancient Israelites who used this method to announce the beginning of the new month to their brothers and sisters in the Diaspora.
Visitors of all faiths are welcome at the Tomb of Nebe Shu'eib, where one of the main attractions is a large footprint that many believe was made by Jethro. Above the prophet's tomb hang pretty necklaces and decorative rugs, embroidered or woven by Druze women fulfilling a vow.
Second in importance to Nebi Shu'eib is the tomb of the prophet Sabalan, also open to visitors and located above the Druze village of Hurfeish. Tradition holds that while fleeing from Muslim persecutors Sabalan crossed the wadi below the site. A dam immediately descended from the heavens, filling the wadi with water.
Sabalan's life was saved when he hid in a cave above the wadi – a cave that is the center of the complex today. Here, according to tradition, Sabalan died and was buried. An ancient mulberry tree adds a dash of color to the complex, which offers a stunning look at the village below.
Druze men and women dress in two vastly different styles. Those clothed in headdresses or scarves, baggy pants or long skirts have been initiated into the mysteries of religious doctrine. Bareheaded people in pants or jeans and shirts are the secular Druze. Comprising the vast majority of the Druze population, they are not permitted to read Druze holy books or to learn religious secrets. Yet they tenaciously follow Druze tradition and customs.
Never having had a country (or a language) of their own, the Druze are steadfastly loyal to their adopted nations. Thus with the exception of the Druze living in the Golan Heights, Israel's Druze have been citizens of the modern state of Israel since its inception, and the men are required to serve in the Israeli army.
Indeed Druze are high-ranking officers in the Israel Defense Forces, while others are members of parliament and government ministers. Sadly, nearly 500 Druze soldiers have lost their lives in Israel's wars and in terrorist attacks over the years.
Israel's Druze men and women are highly educated and can be found in all walks of life, from medicine, law and agriculture to high-tech and industry. Representatives of the Druze community are often asked to light a torch "for the Glory of the State of Israel" at the official Independence Day ceremonies on Mount Herzl.
| | See you tomorrow Love Yehuda Lave | | | |
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