Coming to a Close - Interesting Dreams

To anyone who enjoys reading here I apologize I haven't written anything in a really long time. I've been trying to restructure my learning schedule and also had an opportunity to switch jobs for the first time in half a decade so while I've been investing a lot in updating my professional life and (I hope) my spiritual life, I haven't been investing any time or energy in my writing.

One of the goals I have with this blog is to focus my posts on threshing out ideas based either on Torah or at least logical reasoning. I don't like to spend too much time on "feelings" that aren't backed up by some sort of evidence/logic as everyone has their own feelings and whose to say mine are any more relevant than yours that you should be spending time contemplating mine instead of your own?

I especially never intended to speak about my dreams as Chazal says that there is no dream without at least some element of nonsense, and mine in particular never seem to have any significant meaning worth speaking about. However, I have had several dreams over the last several months which I view as significant in that while I'm not some mekubal that can interpret them or even confirm they do have some sort of message, they had quite a significant emotional affect on me both during the dream and after I woke up (including a really striking one the night before the Har Nof shul massacre).

I'd like to share my most recent one as it greatly ties into how I've been feeling lately. I was living in some sort of real-life post apocalyptic tv shows or movies. I'm not sure if the reason had been war or zombies or who knows what, but civilization had collapsed and I was in a group of survivors scavenging for food and supplies. I started telling one of my comrades that G-d was bringing the world to an end and he said something to the effect of, "He already did, look around you." I replied that I didn't mean civilization collapsing, but something even more than that. That even for the survivors - Hashem was bringing their world to an end and that human history was about to come to it's complete end even for those of us still around. As I was telling him this I started crying my eyes out and I said something to the effect of, "It's all going to be finished." Just as I completed that sentence I woke up from the dream!

I don't currently have the head-space to comment on the amazing rate of deterioration (or should I say revelation of the true nature) of Israel's relationship with America, nor the expansion of conflicts in the middle east. I'll leave that to bloggers like Rabbi Brody and Devash. And although Nissan/Pesach as well as shmita is an auspicious time for Am Yisrael, and I'm sure many geula bloggers will make connections to this, I also won't get into that right now. I guess I just need to take a step back for a moment, look at the bigger picture and get off my chest that while I and a lot of people I know have spoken over the last decade or so about how history seems to be speeding up, I feel like in the last year and the last few months even that heightened rate of acceleration is drastically picking up the pace.

Like I said I'm not going to use this post to try and make any ramazim through current events or the like. I just want to say that regardless of any particular instances, I just have this general feeling in my gut of "Whoah, what is going on here?" and I guess I'm just curious if anyone else is feeling that as well? If so please feel free to share.

Shabbat Hagadol Shalom and Chag Kasher v'sameach. May we only hear good things for Am and Eretz Yisrael.

We are at war with every single arab

There are a lot of people with very harsh words to say about the Jews who allegedly killed the arab boy recently. Some of them are prominent Torah authorities, while others are just talk backers who are enjoying shooting their mouths off.

I'm trying my best not to get into this one as I'm sure there are loads of misinformation being put out there on it, and additionally in my heart of hearts my mind is already made up as to how I feel. If Rov haPoskim come out and say a certain act is assur, then we have to follow the halacha "even if they say left is right and right is left," right? However if that ends up being the case it would be easier to move a mountain then change the way I feel. No matter how many declarations are made and condemnations spread, I just can't bring myself to remove pity from these poor boys whose futures will be tarnished for the rest of their lives and instead place that pity on some arab who probably hated us anyway and for all we know would have grown up to do such things to Jews himself G-d forbid.

Let me just pose things like this: Is what these boys allegedly did any worse than what the Hamasnikim did to our 3 young kodshim? Yet the police found the time and ability to nab the Jewish perps while the arab murderers are still at large, and if they indeed ever are found they will most likely be let out in another cockamamie prisoner release far sooner that these boys will set free.

I don't know how many remember this off the top of their heads, but I thought I would bring up this little blast from the past. Shortly after the massacre at Merkaz Harav several years ago, Rav Kanievsky came out saying that it was assur to hire arab employees as, "After all we are at war with them."

See here:
Top Hareidi Rabbi Bans Arab Labor Following Merkaz HaRav Attack

and here:
Prominent rabbi to yeshiva heads: Don't hire Arabs

In light of this from Rav Kanievsky we need to remember that we are in a constant state of war and that as a nation the arabs are all our enemies. I won't go so far as to extrapolate that the Rav meant it extends to being allowed to kill any random arab you wish, however there is an inyan that each and every one has a status of potential enemy combatant. No matter what the final psak din is with the current parsha we're going through, I think we need to keep this in mind when trying to frame things in the appropriate context.

And no matter who is halachikly eligible for a target of Jewish blood and Hashem's name being avenged, may He sanctify His name by doing it for us Himself in an open way which is undeniable to all the world so that justice may be wrought uncontested.

The Rainbow Connection?

In this emotionally charged time I would like to say that I'm not a prophet, nor the son of a prophet, and not anyone who is connected to Hashem enough to lay any claim to knowing the reasons behind why He does certain things. In writing this I'm just a simple person who is sharing an observation as a possibility - a possibility which I don't believe goes against Daat Torah so what the heck.

Our boys were kidnapped on the night of June 12th. The very next day, June 13th, was the 16th annual Tel Aviv Gay Parade. While these were two separate dates in the Gregorian calendar, it was the same date on the Hebrew one. Additionally if I'm not mistaken it was at the close to a full week of such disgusting celebrations.

This week the day after the funeral, the charred body of an arab teen shows up in the forest, and immediately arabs start rioting and indeed the entire world comes out in condemnation of us as the perpetrators, even though there isn't any public evidence as to who committed the killing. However rumor has it that the main police lead right now is that the kid was gay and his own family murdered him as an honor killing. This could just be speculation, but if you've seen the picture of him Ynet posted, let's just say he's not the most macho looking kind of guy.

If indeed he was killed by his own people, maybe even his own family, for being gay yet we are still being wrested with the blame a thought popped into my head of the possibility of this being consequences for the continued support of "gay rights" being pushed in our name. It's been observed by others before how ironic it is that the gay movement has chosen the rainbow as it's icon when this is the very symbol G-d chose to remind humanity of the flood. Indeed Chazal says seeing a rainbow is an omen that the world is returning to a level of degeneration low enough to merit a second flood had G-d not promised never again to bring another one (of water at least). It could be that with every extra rainbow flag that is waved, it's actually a hint from Shemayim that we are getting deeper and deeper in the shmutz. Additionally Chazal tell us that though the sins of the generation were great, Hashem didn't actually decree the flood until it reached the point where gay marriage became legal and common. It's interesting to note that recently Education Minister Shai Piron got himself into a bit of hot water for an interview in which he didn't even speak out against homosexuality per se, but rather said from a religious point of view a gay couple can not constitute a family. It's no surprise for left wing secular Israelis to espouse pro-gay views... ain chadash tachat hashemesh. However when it reaches the point that people are suddenly shocked that a self-proclaimed "Orthodox Rabbi" says from a Torah perspective that gays aren't a real family, that's something that raises an eyebrow. The fact anyone would reasonably expect something different from the mouth of a man with a kippah on his head is indicative of what a low level we've reached. I'm personally surprised he keeps the kippah on his head when he apparently boasts in the same interview that he's supported every pro-gay piece of legislation that has been offered up during his time in the knesset.

Chazal teach us that the original flood reached everywhere in the world except for the land of Israel. Indeed, lately we have, for the most part, seemed to enjoy being an island of tranquility in the middle of an ever increasingly violent and self-destructive Middle East and entire world for that matter. Like I said, I have no clue why Hashem is making things play out the way they currently are, however it's interesting to ponder the "rainbow connection."

I'd like to write further on the murder of our boys, some of the reactions across Israeli society and what I hope is the big picture of it all, however that will have to wait for a later post. In the meantime let's just pray that we merit to see all "abominations" cleansed from our land - up to and including the wanton slaughtering of our children, may Hashem avenge their blood.... and may He do so in the most brutal and painful way possible.

It's a very very Mad World

I think this may have been part of what Chazal had in mind when they said, "Let Ben David come... but don't let me be around to see it..."

Head of Roman Catholic Church greeted by head of Secular Zionist Church

The Washington Times had an interesting piece on the Vatican a few weeks ago which I mean to comment on but things have been a little hectic lately. However in honor of "His Un-Holiness" being in town I guess now is as fitting a time as ever. Before I begin, let's do a short word-association quiz. Please take mental note of the very first thing that comes to mind when you think of the following:

1) Buddhist Monk
2) Voodo Witchdoctor
3) Catholic Priest


Let's see if your answers resemble mine at all... 1) orange tunic & sandals 2) doll with a pin 3) child molester. I could be wrong but I'm guessing my personal #3 is a pretty common first answer these days. And indeed the WT's piece speaks about the UN's Torture Committee issuing a special report on abuse cases in the church. The findings themselves didn't seem to contain any bombshells - mainly just that members of the church have problems keeping their hands off the kiddies (wonder how much money was spent discovering that huge revelation?).

However there was one very eyebrow raising suggestion the committee included in its report: "The U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child rebuked the Vatican in February for its handling of the sexual abuse scandal and suggested that the Catholic Church update its canon to approve homosexuality, abortion, birth control and premarital sex."

Now it's nothing new that the UN supports such values, and I could frankly care less what the Church's policy on these things are as no matter what they may claim about their spirituality and holiness, they have a marked history of transgressing the 3 true cardinal sins: Murder (i.e. Inquisition), Niuf (molestation/underage rape), and Avodah Zara (worshiping a guy on a stick). However what is worrisome is that suddenly the UN feels it has a mandate to start dictating to major world religions what their policy should and should not be regarding controversial issues of tremendous moral impact. Just as they feel it's their right to re-write the rules of Catholicism, what's to stop them from attempting to make a few edits to the Gemara or Rashi on Tanach when they discuss the Jewish people's connection and G-d given rights to the land of Israel? Rav Kahane HY"D was branded a racist for trying to pass laws in the Knesset that were based straight out of the Mishna Torah. If the state's participation in certain UN committees, or it's standing in the UN in general was threatened by what the Torah has to say about our relationship to Israel I wonder just how willing today's politicians would be to try and censor rabbinic figures and books who state the truth on these issues? Given that Rav Yaakov Yosef and Rav Dov Lior were stalked and arrested like mafiosos a couple of years ago not even for any sefarim they themselves wrote, but simply for writing a haskama on somebody else's book it's troubling to speculate.

Let's pray the UN and the rest of the world just leave us alone and keep their attention focused on the guy in the bathrobe and Bar Mitzvah kipah.

The "Miracles" of Secular Zionism

Not nearly as much coverage as is deserved is being provided as to the recent home demolitions and essentially mini-expulsion that took place yesterday. Ynet reports that several residents ascended  to the tops of the houses to protest the destruction and "were removed and the demolition went ahead using tractors and engineering equipment." I find "removed" a somewhat insufficient description of what happened. My wife has a friend whose relative happened to live in one of the homes that was destroyed. The family only received notification the night before that the following day their home was going to be bulldozed to the ground. The mother while protesting her home being destroyed was apparently thrown off the roof and broke several of her ribs.


A week after the big fanfare of "Yom HaAtzmaut" it's amazing to see the miracles secular zionism and their "independence" has wrought. Throughout the ages of this long hard exile Jewish mothers were forcibly converted to Islam, those resisting dying with the words of Shema on their lips. Jewish mothers were raped and subsequently slashed to pieces in European pogroms. Jewish mothers held on to their scared naked children as the Germans filled their lungs with Zyklon-B in the death camps. But through it all we held on so that these heros of the Jewish people could bring us back to our homeland, build us a state, and form an army of our very own - an army for the Jewish state filled with Jewish soldiers. At last we could be a "nation like all other nations." And after so much suffering at the hands of others in foreign lands at long last Jewish mothers can be thrown from the rooftops by Jewish soldiers instead of by anti-Semitic non-Jewish ones.

Har Tzion and the Vatican - the Backstory

Rumors of a secret government plan to relinquish properties sitting on Mt Zion, including the tomb of David HaMelech have been in an out of the news for probably at least a year now. Recently they seem to have been picking up steam and getting a lot of mention in the blogosphere as well. However many people may not be aware of just how deep the historical and spiritual roots of this controversial deal go. While the spiritual analysis is my own, the follwing historical information is based off the book "Where Heaven Touches Earth," by Dovid Rossoff. It's an incredibly well written and finely documented book of the Jewish history of Jerusalem, and I highly recommend reading it on the "inside" for the full account of this story as well as many others.

In 1898 Kaiser Wilhelm the second of Germany visted Jerusalem to great fanfare from all the city's communities - Jews, Christians, and Muslims, which involved extensive preparations that would forever change the face of Jerusalem. When entering the old city through Sha'ar Yaffo have you ever wondered why there is the actual gateway - i.e. "Jaffa Gate", but then right next to the gate it is a much larger passageway?

It turns out the Kaiser specifically wanted to ride into Jerusalem on horseback, however Ottoman law forbade anyone who wasn't a citizen of the empire from doing so through the city gates. In order to appease the Kaiser while still keeping within the letter of the law a compromise was reached whereby the city walls would be breached and the Kaiser would be able to ride his horse through the hole - thus not riding through the gate itself.

While virtually the entire Jewish community of Jerusalem, Sefardim, Chassidim and Perushim, attended the welcoming ceremony, Rav Yosef Chaim Zonnenfeld was a notable exception. He quoted a mesorah from the Gra that the Germans are descendants of Amalek and that therefore the Kaiser didn't have a din of a non-Jewish king that one should make a bracha on seeing.

During the Kaiser's visit to Eretz Yisrael the Turkish Sultan gave him a gift of property on top of Mt Zion. However, living in Germany, the Kaiser didn't have much personal use for Jerusalem real-estate so he in turn gave it over to the Catholic Church. Presumably the Church retained control of the area until the formation of the modern state of Israel... and it's a likely reason why on the face of it they desire to have it back.

I'm no professional archeologist but the idea that the room above the kever is where the "Last Supper" supposedly took place is preposterous. Even supposing such an event did occur, according to their own narrative Yashka lived at the time of the second Beit HaMikdash which was roughly two thousand years ago. Now over the ages dust and rubble and garbage accumulate up slowly raising the level of the ground - hence the need for archeological "digs." If you want to study a previous era in Israel you need to literally dig it up as the current ground level always belies past ones. An obvious example would be the Kotel. Due to the enormous size of the structure it still juts out from the ground quite a ways, however anyone who has ever gone on one of the Western Wall Tunnel Tours has seen first hand just how far down the retaining wall actually goes and just how much altitude the sands of time have covered up.

Now the building which lies upon the site of Kever David is level with the perimeter wall of the Old City - however this wall was built by the Turks long after the fall of the Roman empire which itself came about several hundred years after the destruction of the Temple. Therefore the current structure which supposedly contains the room of this famous meal must have at its earliest been built over a THOUSAND YEARS after the event was supposed to have taken place! Thus we're left with two possibilities - either the claim is entirely false or perhaps this room is the "second coming" of the original room.

Now maybe I'm just being a little overly silly and your average Catholic priest would counter that the current room is simply a maker or the original location - I can buy that. However what I have a hard time swallowing is given the relatively generous religious freedom said average Catholic priest could have praying at the site, what exactly necessitates the Church retaining official control of the site? As there's several quite large active churches in the vicinity it's not like they can claim that we're running them out of town. However looking at the story with Kaiser Wilhelm, things start to fall a bit more into place. The Catholic church is the traditional religious institution of Europe which is populated by the spiritual descendants of Eisav. Indeed according to Rav Zonnenfeld and the Vilna Gaon the Germans are the epitome of Eisav - Amalek. And here we see that an Amaleki king psychically breached the walls Jerusalem after which he handed over Kever David to the spiritual clutches of Eisav via the church. As the blemish in Jerusalem continuously gets fixed by the city growing faster and faster by the day, they wish to regain what they are losing by focusing on the tomb of David HaMelech - the very king from whose line the Mashiach will come to finally vanquish their power once and for all (perhaps vainly hoping to forestall their inevitable spiritual defeat). May it be G-d's will to save us from losing our spiritual as well as physical connection to our holy tzaddikim, and in King David's merit may his true descendant finally come for the FIRST and FINAL time to redeem us once and for all.

Hashem, just please bring him home!

I'm getting so burnt out on this latest media frenzy concerning Jonathan. I just can't take all the theories, speculations, backtracking and rumors. All I know is that I deeply need him to come home to us now. This country needs it. The Jewish people as a whole need it. On a deeper spiritual level perhaps the whole world needs it. But besides all that I come back to the fact that I need it. Though I mourn over the yearning for a brother whose been in prison almost as long as I've been alive, and one whom even if freed I may never merit to actually meet in person, none the less I have a hole in my heart that will never be healed until I know he is walking a free man in the same streets that I do.

Rav Mordechai Eliyahu said that Jonathan is the Yosef HaTzaddik of our generation. A rav of mine whom was a close talmid of Rav Eliyahu told me once that the Rav additionally said just as Yosef rose to greatness when he was released from prison, so to when Jonathan is finally released he will return to Israel and rise to greatness as well.

In honor of Pesach approaching and all this talk of Jonathan's potential freedom in the air, I'd like to repost "Yehonatan's Song" I originally put on the old Kumah blog several years ago. It's a parable both of Jonathan and his relationship to Am Yisrael and his wife, as well as our national relationship to G-d while in the galut. May we merit to see his happy and healthy return home as well as Rav Eliyahu's words come true - ken yehi ratzon...


Behind the bars within my heart
My thoughts begin to stray
With all this pain I start to ask
Why it has to be this way?
But then my thoughts, they turn to you
And suddenly I’m free
I never have forgotten you
So please don’t forget me

Father won’t you take me by the hand?
And lead me straight to your promised land
And all that we’ve done wrong
Won’t you please set right?
The road is hard and oh so long
Traveled by singers of a solemn song
But within all this darkness
You’ve shown me the light
Please bring redemption, set me free!!
And let the whole world proclaim and see
That there’s a G-d in Israel tonight
Yes, there’s a G-d in Israel tonight.

Stuck inside this concrete pit
Underneath the ground
My enemies, they never stop
To try and bring me down
And the flame of hope lights up my heart
From deep within this hole
They may have trapped my body
But they’ll never trap my soul

Father won’t you take me by the hand?
And lead me straight to your promised land
And all that we’ve done wrong
Won’t you please set right?
The road is hard and oh so long
Traveled by singers of a solemn song
But within all this darkness
You’ve shown me the light
Please bring redemption, set me free!!
And let the whole world proclaim and see
That there’s a G-d in Israel tonight
Yes, there’s a G-d in Israel tonight.

Another week, another month
The years go on and on
It’s sometimes hard to smile
After being here so long
My love for you is strong enough
To always show a way
To not give up and hold on tight
And live another day

Father won’t you take me by the hand?
And lead me straight to your promised land
And all that we’ve done wrong
Won’t you please set right?
The road is hard and oh so long
Traveled by singers of a solemn song
But within all this darkness
You’ve shown me the light
Please bring redemption, set me free!!
And let the whole world proclaim and see
That there’s a G-d in Israel tonight
Yes, there’s a G-d in Israel tonight.

Will the Honeymoon be Over?

If one seeks a sharp and insightful analysis of human nature vis-a-vis oppression and society at large, I would highly recommend Rav Binyamin Zev Kahane's Pesach Haggada of the Jewish Idea. One of the many gems found there is a thought (I believe in the name of his father ZT"L HY"D) on Pesach Matzah Maror. He discusses how extreme economic hardships can ferment hatred of "the other" in an otherwise civil society saying that once a people have become accustomed to the luxury of eating bread (Matzah) and meat (Pesach), should there be a sudden turn of fortunes they will do anything possible to avoid returning to having to eat the bitter Maror of how life was before things became so good. Should things become desperate enough they will willingly give themselves over to a leader who they aren't guaranteed can even improve things if he is convincing enough and can prove to them that the stem of their problems is "those people" and that "if we can only take care of them things will be good again."

The recent lobbying assault by AIPAC in favor of an American attack on Syria has left me scratching my head even more than I previously was trying to figure out why Obama himself wanted to do such a thing. Multiple major news outlets have predicted that if AIPAC were to not sway enough hearts and minds, their credibility would be historically lessened. So they seem to have what to lose. Yet if they were successful in this venture, they would contributing to fanning the flames in a conflict that could, G-d forbid, very quickly turn dangerous for Israel (whom their entire purpose is supposedly to stand for and help) so it's not entirely clear what they have to gain. Yet win or lose, the very fact they have jumped into the fray automatically taints the whole issue with a Jewish/Israeli slant when in reality it has nothing to do with us. And when we're talking about a conflict that even the simplest of observers can see has no pretty resolution for America and could very well end up costing it quite a bit (and not just monetarily) I wonder to myself why on earth you would want to give the public a reason to believe it's Israel's interests that got them involved in this mess in the first place.

Now Drudge is featuring headlines such as this and this about the latest Snowden leaks revealing that Israel is privy to all that data the NSA is gathering, quite often on American citizens (which Israel is bound by the "honesty policy" not to take advantage of). A quick perusal of the talkbacks show quite a few people that are less than please with this revelation. One my argue that many or most of those people posting are just anti-Semites regardless. Yet the tone of quite a few of them is not so blatantly anti-Semetic but truly feeling upset, or even betrayed. It's a tone of people with no default negative Jewish or Israeli bias, but just ordinary people who have become very frustrated.

And you know what? If I was your average American I'd be pretty frustrated too. I know I certainly wouldn't be thrilled about my president wasting vast amounts of my tax money and risking the lives of my soldiers in a cause that had no obvious benefit to my country whatsoever, and smacked of what I perceived as a favor for Israel. I know I would be plenty angry that every time I wanted to type something into my Gmail I'd have to look over my digital shoulder lest some stranger across the ocean in Ramat Gan become privy to details of my life meant only for friends and family. Even if I was somewhat pro-Israel myself I imagine I'd start rethinking my position on things a little. Even one's closest friend would have some explaining to do if he was busted flirting with his wife.

Conventional wisdom has been for a long time that America, or at least the American public was firmly behind Israel through thick and thin... yet it looks like a lot of rules in the game of life have changing these days.

Israeli - Arab Peace Negotiations - Israel Tachlis Style

With the looming threats of pointless and untimely negotiations between Bibi and Abbas (whom none ever expected to work in the first place) getting derailed before they even begin, how about seeing some honest debating on the REAL issues with fair representation from both sides? I'd like to acknowledge Ari Louis, founder and director of Israel Sports Radio (and good friend of Israel Tachlis), with a blast from the past of his former American television show "Louis Live" where he invites some distinguished guests to delve into the ongoing Israeli-Arab conflict. Enjoy....

It's a bird! No wait it's a plane! No wait it's Bibi! No wait... who is it again?

To put it extremely lightly, you couldn't call me Bibi's biggest fan. Though G-d has blessed him with intelligence, experience, and American English that would rival any oleh chadash it always seems to get washed down the drain of wretched policy. Flying back and forth between right and left more often than a ping pong ball, there is only one true constant in his decision making - he will do whatever it takes to make sure that it is his tuckus occupying the chair in the PM's office.

Like most others, the recent decision on the prisoner release infuriated me. But maybe more than others, I was already infuriated the week before the decision as I knew deep down that it would go through. How? Because when Bibi wants something he can pull the strings to get it. Just last year I watched in disbelief as the cabinet approved making Ulpana in Beit El Judenrein, including supposedly religious MK's not lifting a finger to stop it for cowering fear of losing their seats at the table. Aside from the absolute ridiculous injustice of the case, both from a moral and legal aspect, it showed me just how skillful Bibi is at manipulating the government to have his way. And though HE HIMSELF of all people declared before the neighborhood was even built that it would never be evacuated, apparently not even Bibi is able to stop Bibi. Had I possessed the money and resources at the time of the past election, I would have liked to have posted pictures of good Jews from Beit El being unjustly kicked out of their homes next to all those nonsensical billboards of Bibi in front of the Kotel proclaiming what a strong prime minister he was. Though, perhaps, recent as it may have been maybe people wouldn't have really gotten the point. Maybe a PR campaign reminding everyone who gave away Hevron would have been a little more poignant eh?

Yet just when I'm ready to throw in the towel and resign to label Bibi in my mind as complete and total rat, all of a sudden something right wing comes out of left field. Reading today of his refusal to sign further agreements with the EU over their recent policy decisions regarding entities in Yehuda and Shomron I almost felt proud of the old boy. Though it certainly took long enough, one would almost think Bibi took the diapers off and moved on to pull-ups. Additionally, I must give credit where credit is due. Building a new border fence in the south and the speed with which it has been progressing is something I commend whole heatedly as well.

So I don't really know what to make of Bibi these days. Is he a sellout leftist wolf in right winged sheep's clothing? Is he a misguided but well intentioned proud Jew and lover of the land of Israel? Is he simply just the opportunist he often seems to be who will whore himself out to whichever side of the political aisle best currently suits his needs? As Jeremy Man Saltan said in a great recent interview on the Yishai Fleisher Show, it seems that only Bibi and G-d really know what Bibi is actually thinking. Though I myself wonder G-d is actually the only one of those two who knows. I myself know one thing for sure - and that's who my choice would be for the next Likud primaries if I were to vote in them. I'd personally do a write in for a dashing young fellow by the name of Ben Nitay...

Just Spit it Out Already!

Above is a recent episode of Al Jazeera's "Head to Head" featuring Dani Dayan as the guest. While he does make several good points, I found the majority of his statements to be twisted logic that leaves one scratching their head, dodging questions, and trying to change the subject. Even if your rooting for him it's a little difficult to wave the pom-poms on this one. Indeed even Sam Westrop, the guy whom they have apparently brought in to support him only seems to dispute the claims of those arguing against Dani, but he doesn't go so far as to say that Dani himself is right (his repeated argument seems to be your previous point X is wrong because of fact Y, therefore let's just let the diplomats at negotiating table decide who is right).

Though I know from a factual, moral, and certainly Torah point of view Dr. Karmi is not correct. However if I had happened to be an outside observer with no background in the matter I would probably believe her just by virtue of how confident she is in her position. She makes her accusations with full certainty and no shame while Mr. Dayan barely even calls her out on her fallacies instead opting to re-frame the argument in terms of terrorism and security (when he can catch a breath in between hemming and hawing).

Though I didn't thoroughly follow the past American elections, and basically paid no attention to the Republican primaries, I recently found this clip from the Republican debates which underscores the problem:

While Newt definitely is more correct from a historical and factual point of view (and I personally think he wiped the floor with Romney), Romney hits the nail on the head as to the unfortunate reality of why simple truth doesn't prevail at about the 3:36 minute marker when he states that if Bibi really thinks this is our land, let him say it himself. Newt Gingrich, and those like him, can make all the eloquent and factually accurate statements in the world as to the land of Israel belonging exclusively to the people of Israel but if we (and especially our so called "leadership") don't do it ourselves then why should the world even pay attention to their great points?

Recently Arab MK's were suggesting to change the hatikva anthem citing it is Jewish bias and lack of Arab references. Rav Meir Kahane הי״ד often spoke of the absurdity of expecting an Arab citizen of Israel to loyally and dutifully sing a national anthem that speaks of a Jewish soul and a Jewish home while at the same time celebrating the defeat of his own people. When I was in university, my campus Hillel had an off the derech leftist serving as a shaliach from Israel. During one of the many debates I had with her she asked me how I thought it felt for an Arab to have to sing a national anthem with the above mentioned problems. To her wide eyed shock I told her that the Rav (whom she completely reviled) almost precisely word for word posed the same exact question she just had. I said his solution was to conclude that the land of Israel belongs exclusively to the Jewish people and therefore our first and foremost concern should be with actualizing that reality instead of worrying about how Arab feelings might be hurt by it. I then asked her what her conclusion was. It was something that we should instead look into writing a new anthem.

And unfortunately we are doomed to keep going around and around on this merry-go-round of ridiculousness and violence until we finally grow the fortitude to say it like it is. This land is our land... period. Why? Because regardless of what the United Nations, US State Department, Arab world, or whoever else says, G-d said otherwise. And there is nothing to be ashamed of in that. By claiming this land we are simply fulfilling a mission bestowed upon us by the Creator of the universe. Is it offensive that we believe our religion grants us the right (and even obligation) to a national destiny on a specific plot of real estate at the expense of other people from different religions? Yes... quite so in fact. But what are we to do? If G-d says to do it we must follow through no matter how offensive it might be. One need not dig deep to find a myriad of items in any religion that would offend those of other faiths. That's the way it goes. But as the famous Bill Cosby quote goes, "I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everyone." Bill need only reverse that mantra to find the key to success... instead of trying to please everyone, try to please "The One." Or as, l'havdil, Chazal tell us, "Make His will your will so that your will will be His will."

It is most definitely His will that this land be ours. Can't somebody PLEASE stop the shenanigans and just call it like it is already?

Paying the Price on the Tag

I hate graffiti. And while even I agree that on occasion some can be creative or even artistic, in general I find the vast majority of it to be lacking any artistic qualities and often just crass and tasteless if not downright incomprehensible. But you know what I really don't like? Graffiti in Jerusalem. The uniform chalky limestone look of the mandatory Jerusalem stone building exteriors gives the city a unique beauty not shared by other cities in the country and probably most in the world .And nothing disrupts this ascetic eye candy bespeaking of the ancient past via the eyes of modern architecture like a nice fat ugly street tag. You know what else I hate? Flat tires. I hate getting three flats in as many weeks, having to waste my days off and hard earned money getting them fixed and being told by the guy at the shop that at least two of them were from somebody sticking a knife into my tires. Dealing with the above mentioned acts if they are done anonymously and to anonymous victims simply out of pure delinquency I find frustrating and stressful. When they are done to targeted groups for ideological reasons, I find it scary no matter who the respective perpetrators and victims may be. Therefore I think most decent people of any persuasion find it regrettable that we are witnessing a growing phenomenon known as "Price Tags."

Enter a slew of politicians issuing condemnations of the highest order and pushing for new legislation to deal with this phenomenon such as our lovely Justice Minister Tzipi Livni. Now I highly doubt somebody so entrenched in the Gaza Gush Katif philosophy of kicking innocent Jews out of their homes could even spell the word "justice" much less minister it to a nation, but perhaps she feels she qualifies for the position based on her attendance at many "Social Justice" events. Tzipi was pushing for recently declined measures to legally equate price tag acts with acts of terrorism. Apparently spraying paint is now the equivalent of spraying rocks and Molotov cocktails, and slashing tires is as serious as slashing people. Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovich compared price tag acts to terror and recently said, “This phenomenon might bring about a serious deterioration in Jerusalem and the West Bank." I wonder how many public statements Minister Aharonovich has made warning of the threat of deterioration Arab rock throwing poses? And while many have been calling the Price Tag phenomena a threat to democracy, how often has that same phrase been applied to rock throwing exactly? Go ahead and google it... see what you come up with. Maybe Arab rock throwing is considered to be a valid democratic right? Perhaps the American phrase "vote with your wallet" should be adjusted to "vote with your rock."

All in all the concern, condemnations, and proposed punitive actions seem somewhat one-sided. And therein lies an interesting albeit under-examined point. To the government, media, and left wing of this country who are so up in arms about anti-Arab actions taken by Jewish youth I ask - who and what do you think caused them to be this way in the first place if not you!? An entire generation of Jewish youth has grown up witnessing their friends family and countrymen murdered and maimed in bus bombings, stabbed, rocketed and stoned. And all the while the above mentioned institutions go to our enemies and the world at large accepting the blame on ourselves, apologizing for existing and exercising suicidal measures of restraint in self-defense to avoid heaven forbid looking like an aggressor. Sending in soldiers to take on knife and club wielding flotilla activists with a couple of paintball guns ring a bell? Armed soldiers caught on camera running away from rock throwers because they will be prosecuted for shooting to defend themselves? 1,027 terrorists released for one soldier? Hundreds let out of prison scot-free for a few dead bodies returned? And what message does this send to youth who spend their childhood witnessing all this? If you express your negative feelings towards other groups through violence and intimidation you will get away with murder (both figuratively and sometimes literally). Additionally, if you want your family property and people being fought and behalf of, you may as well do it yourself because as a Jew your government and media very often won't bother doing it for you.

Additional shock and condemnation has been raised over several incidents in the past couple of years of Jewish youth beating Arabs they find associating with Jewish girls. Many would write this off as bigotry but it's naive to think it's occurring entirely in a vacuum. While mainstream Israeli society would like to sweep it under the rug, the fact remains that countless Jewish women are trapped in abusive marriages with Arab men whom have taken them to live with them back in their villages and they now find themselves unable to leave due to the danger of attempting to, or fear of having to leave their children behind. The story is often a textbook case - a girl who is down and out, suffers very low self esteem or has a bad situation at home is overwhelmed by the gifts and charm of an Arab man just to meet an entirely different person once he has taken them out of the reach of the family and friends. And where is law enforcement when these women start to feel the horror of regret over their decisions but are unable to leave on their own? Nowhere to be seen. Perhaps for fear of appearing racist by breaking up an interracial/religious marriage, or perhaps just for fear of causing a riot when the neighbors catch wind, police usually won't step foot in one of these villages to help take these women out. So while it is not right to attack a stranger in the middle of the street based solely on his being an Arab and his lady friend being a Jew, can one be realistically be surprised when we see it happening? I'm frankly surprised it doesn't happen more often. The built up frustration of watching the honor and safety of Jewish girls and women get trampled upon doesn't dissipate on it's own and when the authorities simply throw their hands up in the air for too long it's not so inconceivable that private citizens take matters into their own hands even if it be in unlawful ways.

So instead of applying some common sense to an ever less sensible situation, the powers that be continue to make logic defying decisions and are all of a sudden shocked an appalled when human nature takes over and people begin to react in ways they don't want them to. Golda Meir famously said, "Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us." That may be true but I contend that security will come when the government cares more about protecting our own rights over those who seek us harm. And if they view the youth who do Price Tag acts as "problem children" then they need look no further than the mirror to find out who the parents are. They themselves racked up the hefty price on these price tags and just because they chose to pay in tashlumim doesn't mean the bill would never get charged.