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 | | | Many people have asked me for a prayer to say for Israel and the Israeli soldiers fighting to protect the country and its citizens. Here is a prayer: He Who blessed our forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob -- may He bless the fighters of the Israel Defense Forces, who stand guard over our land and the cities of our God, from the border of the Lebanon to the desert of Egypt, and from the Great Sea unto the approach of the Aravah, on the land, in the air, and on the sea. May the Almighty cause the enemies who rise up against us to be struck down before them. May the Holy One, Blessed is He, preserve and rescue our fighters from every trouble and distress and from every plague and illness, and may He send blessing and success in their every endeavor. May He lead our enemies under our soldiers' sway and may He grant them salvation and crown them with victory. And may there be fulfilled for them the verse: For it is the Lord your God, Who goes with you to battle your enemies for you to save you. Now let us respond: Amen. Love Yehuda Lave | | One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Chabad Synagogue Near San Diego I davened in this synagogue many times as it was near my parents home. More on the story below the rest of the stories. Also below is the comment from the US Secretary of State | | | U.S. Department of State "I'm heartbroken about the shooting at the synagogue in Poway, CA. This despicable act of anti-Semitism on the last day of Passover, and six months after the Tree of Life synagogue massacre, is sickening. May the victims' families and the Jewish community know no more sorrow. Anti-Semitism is a cancer. It's an affront to religious liberty, which is at the core of our nation's founding. All Americans stand with the Jewish people in the fight against the world's oldest bigotry—on this sad day and always." — Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo | | Abbas: No Jerusalem, No Peace US President Trump has often been on the record saying that he wants to take a different path than his predecessors for resolving the decades-long dispute. The peace plan is expected to be presented by the Trump administration in the spring or early summer. However, details have started to leak… The Trump Administration's peace plan for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not include the establishment of a Palestinian state according to a report in The Washington Post. According to the report the plan promotes the provision of great economic opportunities for the Palestinians and Israeli control in the disputed territories. The Information Minister of the Palestinian Authority Nabil Abu Rudeina, harshly criticized such an alternative. "What we saw from the deal so far is not acceptable. If not all the issues are on the table such as Jerusalem and the refugees "right to return" there is nothing to talk about," Abu Rudeina said. Abu Rudeina stressed that the PA will not accept the United States as a mediator in the peace negotiations and that payments to imprisoned terrorists and their families will not stop. "You cannot send a soldier and then not help his family," he said Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas offered the same sentiment a few days ago when asked about the plan. "We opposed this deal in the first place because it took Al-Quds out of Palestine, so we did not want the rest of the plan because there is no state without Al-Quds, and there will be neither a state in Gaza nor a state without Gaza." He added: "Why does President Trump want to talk about any solution or any issue after he transferred the embassy to Al-Quds and recognized Al-Quds as the capital of Israel? Therefore, I don't think there is any sense in talking with him." Abbas said. | | Babysitting on Shabbat The Hoffmans were spending Pesach at a hotel with their baby. The program included many shiurim and lectures on assorted topics. On Shabbos afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman wanted to attend a certain lecture together. "The baby needs to sleep, though; I need someone to watch him in the room," Mrs. Hoffman said to her husband. "Do you have any ideas?" "Our neighbors are here with their teenage daughters," replied Mr. Hoffman. "See if one of them is willing to babysit for two hours." "Do you think it's OK to ask them?" asked Mrs. Hoffman. "They're on vacation!" "It doesn't hurt to ask," said Mr. Hoffman. "If it's not good for them, they won't do it." The Hoffmans went down and found their neighbors sitting and talking in the lobby. "I'd like to hire one of the girls to babysit in the room for two hours," Mrs. Hoffman said to them. "I know it's your vacation, so I'm willing to pay a little more than usual. If it's not good, I'll find some other arrangement." "I'm willing to babysit for $20 an hour," said one of the girls, Rivki. Mrs. Hoffman was about to close the deal, when her husband said, "Not so fast, Rivki." "What's the matter?" asked Rivki. "We're just sitting here; I can earn some money." "It's Shabbos," said her father. "Although babysitting does not entail any melachah (prohibited work), working for pay on Shabbos is inherently problematic, even if you are just sitting in the room." "But I've babysat on Shabbos before," said Rivki. "After Shabbos people came and gave me money, and you didn't stop me." "They can give you a gift afterward," said her father, "but you can't take a job and charge payment" (Mishnah Berurah 306:15). "What's the problem?" asked Mrs. Hoffman. "Rabbi Dayan is over there," said Rivki's father. "Perhaps he can explain better." Rabbi Dayan explained, "The Gemara (B.M. 58) teaches that a person is not allowed to charge payment for work on Shabbos (s'char Shabbos), even permitted work," replied Rabbi Dayan. "It is a kind of commerce. Similarly, one is not allowed to charge rental payment for Shabbos or Yom Tov. However, if the payment for Shabbos is not distinct, but included in a larger payment, it is permitted (b'havlaah). Therefore, a weekly or monthly salary or rental fee is permitted, if there isn't a specific reckoning for Shabbos" (O.C. 306:4). "I don't understand," said Mrs. Hoffman. "We pay the hotel for their services on Pesach and Shabbos. We pay for each day that we rent the room. Not only that, a chazzan comes just for Shabbos and Yom Tov, and gets paid for his services. "Payment to the hotel is not schar Shabbos, since the hotel has operating expenses during the week, so that it is b'havlaah," replied Rabbi Dayan. "The payment covers, for example, purchase of food and cleaning the room before and after Shabbos" (Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 28:70). "Furthermore, since the hotel 'day' is not reckoned from sunset till sunrise, but rather from morning to morning, each 'day' includes part of a weekday," added Rabbi Dayan. "This applies to almost all commercial rental reckonings nowadays" (Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 28:67-68). "What about the chazzan just for Shabbos?" asked Mr. Hoffman. "Shulchan Aruch writes that it is prohibited and some allow," replied Rabbi Dayan. "Those who allow maintain that Chazal did not prohibit for the purpose of a mitzvah. It is not a source of blessing, though, and therefore better if it's b'havlaah. The practice is to permit it, but the hiring itself cannot be done on Shabbos or Yom Tov. "The Poskim allow payment to a doctor or midwife; either because it is a mitzvah, or they provide care also before or after Shabbos, or there is potential danger in the future if they won't receive proper compensation" (O.C. 306:5; Mishnah Berurah 306:24; Aruch Hashulchan 306:12; Shemiras Shabbos K'hilchasah 28:74-75; Pischei Choshen, Sechirus 8:42-43). | | Roeber Leather Bookbinding at Kfar Chabat 041619 On the Kfar Chabad moshav is a one of a kind bookbinding operation where 200 hundred handbook books are produced each day. That's small but custom | | Olmert offered Abbas more than 100% of West Bank, and Abbas still refused peace deal Saeb Erekat recently described what he said to Abbas during the negotiations in 2008:
"Olmert wants to give you 20 sq. km. more, so that you could say [to Palestinians]: "I got more than the 1967 territories."
By Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik
Read on our website
As Israel, the PA and the international community await the publication of the American peace plan, it is clear, based on PA leader Mahmoud Abbas' behavior in previous peace talks, that nothing the United States can offer will be enough for the PA leader.
PLO chief negotiator Saeb Erekat who was present at the negotiations between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Abbas in 2008, recently told PA TV how generous Olmert's offer was on all final status issues. In fact, Olmert literally accepted all of the PA's publicly expressed demands, and even offered Abbas more than the full area of the West Bank and Gaza, and yet Abbas still rejected the offer.
Erekat explained that the area of the West Bank and Gaza Strip before they came under Israeli control in 1967was 6,235 sq. km. Olmert offered Abbas even more land than that, a total of 6,260 sq. km. At the negotiations, Erekat encouraged Abbas to accept the offer, saying that he could tell Palestinians: "I got more than the 1967 territories." And still Abbas rejected the offer.
Regarding Israel's capital Jerusalem, Olmert was likewise very generous. According to Erekat, Olmert offered: "What's Arab is Arab, and what's Jewish is Jewish." This would have kept the Temple Mount - Judaism's holiest site - under Palestinian rule with far-reaching implications for Jews and Judaism. The PA has said many times they would never allow Jews access to the Temple Mount since they consider Jews' presence on any area of the Temple Mount a desecration of the nearby Al-Aqsa Mosque. Yet Olmert still offered to give this to the Palestinians for peace - and even this wasn't enough for Abbas.
On the topic of refugees, Olmert was also forthcoming. He offered to have 150,000 refugees absorbed into the state of Israel over a period of 10 years. And still Abbas rejected it.
It's no wonder that Mahmoud Abbas has announced that the Palestinian Authority has already rejected Trump's peace proposal - his yet unpublicized "deal of the century." Since Abbas already rejected a peace offer that included more than 100% of the land he claims that he wants, all future offers, including the Trump plan which will never be as generous, will likewise be rejected by Abbas.
The following is an excerpt of the interview with Saeb Erekat:
PLO Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat: "I heard [former Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert say that he offered [Abbas] 100% of the West Bank territory. This is true. I'll testify to this. He [Olmert] presented a map [to Abbas], and said: "I want [Israel] to take 6.5% of the West Bank and I'll give [the PA] 6.5% of the 1948 territory (i.e., land in Israel) in return." [Olmert] said to Abbas: "The area of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip on the eve of June 4, 1967, was 6,235 sq. km. Erekat says (i.e., I, Erekat, said to Abbas): 'There are 50 sq. km. of no man's land in Jerusalem and Latrun.' We'll split them between us, so the territory will be 6,260 sq. km." [I said to Abbas:] Olmert wants to give you 20 sq. km. more, so that you could say [to Palestinians]: "I got more than the 1967 territories." Regarding Jerusalem, [Olmert said:] "What's Arab is Arab, and what's Jewish is Jewish, and we'll keep it an open city." Regarding the refugees, [Olmert] offered him [Abbas] 150,000 refugees... [Olmert] said: "The refugees' right to return to the State of Palestine is your law. But regarding Israel, we will accept 150,000 refugees over 10 years. 15,000 [per year] over 10 years."
[Official PA TV, Philosophy of Endurance, Dec. 1, 2018] | | Hundreds of US Doctors Serving Jewish Communities Sign Petition to Vaccinate Some 500 doctors serving Jewish communities in North America have signed a petition asking all children and adults in good health to be vaccinated. "We, the undersigned doctors, who faithfully serve the Orthodox Jewish communities of North America, urge all members of our community to receive all the recommended vaccines," the letter reads.The letter is signed by state doctors from New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Toronto and Montreal. "We are aware of the dangerous misinformation campaign underway and we reject any unconfirmed unscientific statement that would contradict all available scientific studies on vaccination," the letter also said. Right now there is a false perception going around that Orthodox Jews do not vaccinate. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The majority of Orthodox Jewish children are vaccinated, according to statistics released by the health departments of New York State and New York City. There is no religious reason for not getting vaccinated and leading rabbis in New York have called on their faithful to vaccinate their children. The petition is targeting the small percentage of people who have refused to inoculate themselves. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed 555 cases of measles so far in 2019. This is 50% more than the total number recorded in 2018. | | One Dead, Three Injured in Shooting at Chabad Synagogue Near San Diego Suspect described as a 19-year-old white male is in custody By Yaakov Ort A gunman burst into a Chabad-Lubavitch synagogue outside San Diego during services on the last day of Passover on Saturday morning and opened fire, killing one person and injuring three. Authorities identified the fatality as Lori Gilbert Kaye, who had been attending services at the synagogue and succumbed to her wounds in the shooting. A female minor and two male adults, including the synagogue's rabbi, Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, were also injured, but were in stable condition. The suspect, John Earnest, a 19-year-old white male from San Diego, is in custody. San Diego County Sheriff William Gore said that a man entered Chabad of Poway at about 11:30 a.m., and opened fire on worshippers with an AR-type assault weapon. An off-duty Border Patrol agent believed to be inside the synagogue shot at the suspect as he fled. The sheriff says the agent didn't hit him, though he did strike his car. Congregation member Minoo Anvari, who said that her husband witnessed the shooting, said the rabbi called for unity and prayed for peace even after getting shot. "The rabbi said, 'We are united,' " said Anvari, a refugee from Iran. "He prayed for peace," said Anvari. "Even in spite of being injured, he refused to go to the hospital until he spoke. And he finished his speech and then left the synagogue." Goldstein, who is originally from the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., is also a Jewish chaplain with the San Diego sheriff's department. Goldstein has been described as "talkative, warm and kind" by members of the Southern California community. Anvari said her husband told her that the shooter was screaming and cursing when he opened fire. A witness said there were six or seven shots followed by screams and then another volley of shots. The witness said the wounded rabbi tried to calm the gunman and members of the congregation. Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said the congregation was targeted by "someone with hate in their heart ... towards our Jewish community and that just will not stand." The congregation "took security very seriously," he said. "I also understand from folks on the scene that this shooter was engaged by people in the congregation and those brave people certainly prevented this from being a much worse tragedy," Vaus told reporters. Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein, the synagogue's rabbi, also serves as a police chaplain in San Diego. San Diego Police Chief David Nisleit said the 19-year-old suspect called police to report the shooting, and a California Highway Patrol officer heard it on a police scanner, saw the suspect and pulled him over. Nisleit says the suspect got out of his car with his hands up, and he was taken into custody without incident. The shooting came as the synagogue was hosting a celebration for the last day of Passover. Several children were in the building at the time. A handful of police cars were parked outside of the synagogue in the city of Poway, a little more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of San Diego. Crime tape surrounded the street in front of the building. "Please stay clear of the area and allow deputies to safely do their job," the sheriff's office tweeted. "Please don't spread misinformation that could cause concern or panic." U.S. President Donald J. Trump and others offered thought, prayers and condolences after the attack. Most synagogues around the nation had increased security after a gunman opened fire inside Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue on Oct. 27, killing 11 people. On learning of the attack there were calls for prayers (Psalm 20), charity, and acts of kindness for a complete and speedy recovery of those injured, including the rabbi, Yisroel ben Chana Priva. The names of the other injured will be published when available. | | See you tomorrow Love Yehuda Lave | | | |
