Judaism

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• Exhibition Traces the Emergence of Jews as Medical Innovators

  NYT > Jews and Judaism

  13 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  An exhibition offers a look at the emergence of European and American Jews as innovators in medicine, despite their status as outsiders frequently scorned by the establishment.

• Facebook IPO: Good for the Jews?

  JTA -

  15 May 2012 | 8:23 pm

  The story of Facebook’s impact on the Jewish world ultimately may be about the ways it is prompting Jews to change how they organize communities.

• Science and Chazal - three approaches

  rabbisedley

  13 May 2012 | 12:45 am

  No chidushim in this post, but just another interesting example of different approaches to aggadata.I was learning Ein Yaakov with my daughter on Shabbat, and we came to the passage in Yoma 20b that speaks about the noise that the sun makes as it travels across the sky during the day:Our Rabbis taught: Were it not for the sound of the revolution of the sun, the sound of the tumult of Rome would be heard; and were it not for the sound of the tumult of Rome, the sound of the revolution of the sun would be heard.The footnote in Soncino sends me to Otzar HaGeonim which understands this…

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:DESTINATION BAR / BAT MITZVAH:HILTON HEAD,BLUFFTON,CHARLESTON

  Rabbi Arthur Segal

  15 May 2012 | 4:46 pm

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: DESTINATION BAR / BAT MITZVAH:  HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON, CHARLESTON, SC   SHALOM: I was honored and blessed beyond words to officiate at a 3 day celebration for the Bat Mitzvah of Reilly Sara Biller at the Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, Charleston, South Carolina during the weekend of May 11- 13, 2012.   Reilly was/is an excellent student and it gave me such joy to listen to her, and watch her, perform her Bat Mitzvah roles so wonderfully. Teaching  and guiding her was an honor!   Her family, and friends, some local, and many from NC, NJ and other…

• Global Worrying

  Cross-Currents

  Avi Shafran

  15 May 2012 | 8:50 am

  I think I’ve discovered what makes me so uncomfortable about the assertion that global warming is a real and urgent problem. A front-page New York Times story on May 1 concerned (thanks, Mr. Rumsfeld, for the pithy phrase) a “known unknown”: the earth’s cloud cover. Specifically, the causes and effects of its extent, altitude, and qualities—which are only very imperfectly understood. MIT professor of meteorology Richard S. Lindzen, the article explains, considers clouds a sort of planetary self-corrective mechanism that can counter the effects of greenhouse gases, the global warming…

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  NYT > Jews and Judaism

• Exhibition Traces the Emergence of Jews as Medical Innovators

  13 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  An exhibition offers a look at the emergence of European and American Jews as innovators in medicine, despite their status as outsiders frequently scorned by the establishment.

• Q. and A. With Times Reporters About Abuse in Ultra-Orthodox Jewish Communities

  10 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  Taking Questions: The Times reporters Sharon Otterman and Ray Rivera are responding to readers' questions about abuse cases in the ultra-Orthodox community.

• Beliefs: Bronx Teenager Knows Her Torah Trivia

  10 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  Yeshiva University last weekend hosted the National Bible Contest, which tests students’ knowledge of stories from the Hebrew Bible.

• Who Speaks for the Children?

  10 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  Religious leaders in Brooklyn’s ultra-Orthodox Jewish communities must ensure that molesters are brought to justice.

• Bloomberg Among Critics of Brooklyn District Attorney

  10 May 2012 | 11:00 pm

  Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and leading mayoral candidates rebuked Charles J. Hynes, the Brooklyn district attorney, for his handling of sex-abuse cases in the ultra-Orthodox community.

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  JTA -

• Facebook IPO: Good for the Jews?

  15 May 2012 | 8:23 pm

  The story of Facebook’s impact on the Jewish world ultimately may be about the ways it is prompting Jews to change how they organize communities.

• Five steps to studying and learning from the Torah

  15 May 2012 | 7:08 pm

  If we study the Torah the way a child plays with a toy -- repeatedly and open to the possibility of discovering something remarkable -- then perhaps we can discover something remarkable.

• Old becomes new as couples personalize wedding ceremonies

  15 May 2012 | 3:59 pm

  As couples continue to personalize their weddings, many are giving egalitarian slants to ceremonial aspects that largely had been ignored outside the Orthodox world.

• Political, social turmoil worries Hungary’s Jews

  13 May 2012 | 4:49 pm

  Anxiety over anti-Semitism in Hungary is one toxic element of a broader national crisis that touches all parts of society two years after the 2010 elections swept the conservative Fidesz party to power.

• JDC CEO Steve Schwager stepping down

  diegomelamed@hotmail.com

  11 May 2012 | 3:08 pm

  Steve Schwager, CEO of the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, is stepping down.

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  rabbisedley

• Science and Chazal - three approaches

  13 May 2012 | 12:45 am

  No chidushim in this post, but just another interesting example of different approaches to aggadata.I was learning Ein Yaakov with my daughter on Shabbat, and we came to the passage in Yoma 20b that speaks about the noise that the sun makes as it travels across the sky during the day:Our Rabbis taught: Were it not for the sound of the revolution of the sun, the sound of the tumult of Rome would be heard; and were it not for the sound of the tumult of Rome, the sound of the revolution of the sun would be heard.The footnote in Soncino sends me to Otzar HaGeonim which understands this…

• What have the British ever done for us?

  11 May 2012 | 3:37 am

  There is a great scene in 'The Life of Brian' (don't watch the whole movie - not tzanuah in one scene) were they are discussing "What have the Romans ever done for us?"Without wishing to minimize the comedy of that scene, or the seriousness of the gemara, I am reminded of this scene every time I learn the gemara about Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yossi (Shabbat 33b)Now, why is he [R. Judah son of R. Ila'i] called the first speaker on all occasions? — For R. Judah, R. Jose, and R. Simeon were sitting, and Judah, a son of proselytes, was sitting near them. R. Judah…

• Chief Rabbi Hertz on Aggadata

  10 May 2012 | 12:59 am

  I found this section on Aggadata in the Introduction to Nezikin in the Soncino Talmud. It is by Chief Rabbi J. H. Hertz and is clearly written to remove any charges of anti-Christian sentiment from the Talmud (if you read the entire piece it is clear that is a major issue for him - this was the first time that the entire Talmud was translated into English).But it is still shocking to see what he writes - I suspect that if a Chief Rabbi today would claim that Aggadata is simply "beautiful old stories" or that "certain Jewish commentators are fools" they would get in trouble.But Chief Rabbi…

• Lag Ba-Omer

  8 May 2012 | 10:08 pm

  None of the reasons for celebrating Lag Ba-Omer really make any sense to me. It is not the yahrzeit of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, nor do we normally celebrate yahrzeit's with bonfires and rejoicing (and it is not mentioned in Chazal, Shulchan Aruch or any of the commentaries).The Talmud (Yevamot 62b) says it is because the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. But if you observe mourning in the first part of the Omer, the reason that they stopped dying must be because they were all dead. Not much cause for celebration (if you observe the second part of the Omer, presumably there were more…

• The End of Chareidi Power

  8 May 2012 | 3:40 am

  This looks to me as though it is the end for the Chareidi parties and their power in the government.In a surprise move, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced at 2:00am that he is withdrawing the bill for early elections, and instead forming an alliance with Shaul Mofaz and his Kadima party.This move has been branded 'cowardly', 'dirty' and 'shady' by the left and has made new opposition leader Shelly Yechimovich very angry, but to me it seems a brilliant 'win-win' situation for everyone except the Chareidim and Tommy Lapid.Bibi wins, because he now has a way out of the dilemma posed to him by…

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  Rabbi Arthur Segal

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:DESTINATION BAR / BAT MITZVAH:HILTON HEAD,BLUFFTON,CHARLESTON

  15 May 2012 | 4:46 pm

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: DESTINATION BAR / BAT MITZVAH:  HILTON HEAD, BLUFFTON, CHARLESTON, SC   SHALOM: I was honored and blessed beyond words to officiate at a 3 day celebration for the Bat Mitzvah of Reilly Sara Biller at the Wild Dunes Resort, Isle of Palms, Charleston, South Carolina during the weekend of May 11- 13, 2012.   Reilly was/is an excellent student and it gave me such joy to listen to her, and watch her, perform her Bat Mitzvah roles so wonderfully. Teaching  and guiding her was an honor!   Her family, and friends, some local, and many from NC, NJ and other…

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: DEREK ERETZ: PITFALLS OF RABBIS/ MINISTERS CHARGING TO TEACH

  7 May 2012 | 4:37 pm

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: DEREK ERETZ: PITFALLS OF RABBIS / MINISTERS CHARGING TO TEACH   Shalom and Peace: Today we continue with a bit more of Jewish Ethics (Derek Eretz) from the Talmud. "Do not exact pay for thy teaching. Moreover, take no compensation whatever for it, for the Omnipotent has given His teaching to thee gratuitously; for the one who asks for reward destroys the whole world (because there are many who cannot afford to pay and will remain ignorant). And do not say: "I have no money to live on, and therefore I must take reward for my teaching." Remember all money is the Lord's,…

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: REASON FOR THE USEAGE OF 'TESTAMENT' IN NAMES OF BIBLES

  7 May 2012 | 11:46 am

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: REASON FOR THE USAGE OF 'TESTAMENT' IN NAMES OF BIBLES    Reason for the word "testament" (?)   In the Septuagint, the forcedJewish translation of the Bible into Greek, made in third-and-second-century BCE Alexandria.  Jeremiah's b'rit is translated as diatheke, a word generally meaning "last will and testament," but also signifying "covenant" in Alexandrian Greek. Apparently unaware of the Alexandrian usage, the anonymous translator of the Vetus Latina, who knew no Hebrew and was working solely from the Septuagint, rendered diatheke as testamentum,…

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ: LYING FOR PEACE IS OK

  7 May 2012 | 9:44 am

    RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: DEREK ERETZ:  LYING FOR PEACE IS OK     Jewish  Spiritual  Renewal:      Derek  Eretz Zuta + Rabbah:     Shabbat  6/2/12     (aka  Derech  Eretz, Derekh Eretz )         Shalom  my dear Chaverim, Talmidim, v' Rabbanim, friends, students and fellow rabbis:     An oneg, joy-filled, Shabbat this coming weekend to all. I hope you had a spiritual Shavuot, making the Sinai Revelation personal to and…

• RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: NASO: SHALOM NOT STRIFE: MUSSAR

  7 May 2012 | 9:44 am

  RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: NASO: SHALOM NOT STRIFE: MUSSAR     RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:ECO-JUDAISM: NASO; SHALOM NOT MAKLOKET (pettiness)       RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL: JEWISH RENEWAL: NASO: COHAN BLESSINGS Parasha Naso: Numbers 4:21-7:89 Rabbi Arthur Segal  www.jewishspiritualrenewal.org www.jewishrenewal.info Via Shamash Org on-line class serviceJewish RenewalJewish Spiritual RenewalHilton Head Island, SC, Bluffton, SC, Savannah, GA "Live Long and Prosper" Parasha Naso is the longest in all of the Five Books of…

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  Cross-Currents

• Global Worrying

  Avi Shafran

  15 May 2012 | 8:50 am

  I think I’ve discovered what makes me so uncomfortable about the assertion that global warming is a real and urgent problem. A front-page New York Times story on May 1 concerned (thanks, Mr. Rumsfeld, for the pithy phrase) a “known unknown”: the earth’s cloud cover. Specifically, the causes and effects of its extent, altitude, and qualities—which are only very imperfectly understood. MIT professor of meteorology Richard S. Lindzen, the article explains, considers clouds a sort of planetary self-corrective mechanism that can counter the effects of greenhouse gases, the global warming…

• What the Presidency Can Tell Us About Gedolei Yisroel

  Yitzchok Adlerstein

  15 May 2012 | 1:56 am

  A few months ago, veteran political columnist James Fallows presented two opposing views of the Obama presidency in a cover story for The Atlantic. It generated much discussion, in part because of its balance, in part because of the depth that only someone who has been as close to the presidency as Fallows can bring. Fallows admits to leaning to a favorable view of the President, but it does not get in the way of pinpointing his flaws and errors. If you are open to two points of view on the subject, “Obama, Explained” remains a good read. Fallows considers, inter alia, the gargantuan task…

• Open Mouths and Open Mikes

  Emanuel Feldman

  11 May 2012 | 10:15 am

  The power of human speech made the headlines once again this month — even before the WikiLeak shocks had worn off — with two gaffes by prominent American politicians. One of Mitt Romney’s top campaign strategists was asked if Romney would not be permanently locked into certain positions because of his primary promises. He replied with the unfortunate “Etch-a Sketch” analogy: You shake the picture a bit and start from the beginning. Which of course led the anti-Romneys to charge that this proves that Romney has no convictions and no principles. He is just a politician who blows with…

• Measured Insularity Does Not a Monk Make

  Avi Shafran

  10 May 2012 | 8:55 am

  This article appears in the current issue of the New York Jewish Week and is shared here with that paper’s permission. Haredi Jews have become accustomed to their portrayal in a variety of negative ways over the years, the result of our stubborn refusal to assimilate Western values and mores into our lives, our rejection of the notion of a multi-winged Judaism-bird (and, perforce, of conversions of non-Jews to “new Judaisms”) and, to our shame and chagrin, the inexcusable actions of some individuals in our community. Still, it was eye-opening to read Rabbi Eugene Korn’s recent…

• Agudath Israel statement on same-sex marriage

  Avi Shafran

  9 May 2012 | 8:16 pm

  In the wake of President Obama’s sharing of his personal feeling that the millennia-old institution of marriage should be redefined in contemporary America, National Jewish Democratic Council chair Marc R. Stanley declared his admiration for the president’s demonstration of “the values of tikkun olam.” A political group is entitled to its opinion, no less than a president is to his. But to imply that a religious value like “tikkun olam” – and by association, Judaism – is somehow implicated in a position like the one the president articulated, is outrageous, offensive and…

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  DOVBEAR

• More anti-science nonsense from Avi Safran

  15 May 2012 | 12:27 pm

  How does Avi Safran find the nerve to churn out nonsense like this on a regular basis? Once again: the climate may in fact be in crisis  What discomforts me, though, is the stance of those who insist that they know with absolute surety—which they can’t—that it is. And that by lambasting any who dare dissent from their pronouncement, they show unwillingness to even consider the possibility that the world G-d created for us humans may not need our help to stay inhabitable—that, in His wisdom, He may have imbued not only our skin with the ability to heal its wounds, but…

• Posters supporting Weberman are up in Williamsburg

  15 May 2012 | 12:07 pm

  Posters such as the ones pictured above are being used to invite Willamsburg pedestrians to a fundraiser on behalf of accused sex offender Nechamia Weberman. Victim groups think this awful. I disagree. Weberman hasn't been convicted yet. He merely stands accused of committing a heinous crime, but the jury - quite literally - is still out.  If his friends and neighbors believe he is innocent and wish to help him, what's wrong with that? Though much has been said about victim harassment, this belongs to a different category. Abusing your authority to silence…

• Secret origins: Challah dipped in honey

  14 May 2012 | 3:29 pm

  Does this sound familiar? After all the preparations have been completed, the father offers each member of the family a piece of bread dipped in honey, which had been previously blessed in church. From this account of the traditional Christmas eve feast in the Ukraine  Search for more information about SECRET ORIGINS at4torah.com

• Secret origin of kreplach

  14 May 2012 | 10:24 am

  The people of the Slavic lands are big into pierogi, a dumpling made of dough, shaped into a semi-circle and filled with meat, potato or cheese. Listen to Wikipedia: Some cookbooks from the 17th century describe how even during that era the Pierogi were considered a staple of the Polish diet, and each holiday had its own special kind of Pierogi created. There were different shapes and fillings for holidays such as Christmas and Easter, and important events like weddings, had their own special type of Pierogies "kirniki" – filled with chicken meat. There were also Pierogies made especially…

• Mocking the Matzav

  11 May 2012 | 12:43 pm

  A note from EFREX DB: Thought you might get a kick out of this one. For some reason, I periodically trawl the bastion of intellectual cowardice and moral hypocrisy known as matzav.com. Yesterday, they posted the following article on Obama’s gay marriage stance (as usual, ripped from another site with all external links stripped and a snide comment thrown into the headline): http://matzav.com/your-president-obama-affirms-his-support-for-same-gender-marriage#comments The comments are the usual sprawl of incoherent rantings, but I thought commenter #24’s line wins the prize for unintentional…

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  Cosmic X in Jerusalem

• America, Whither Go You?

  15 May 2012 | 4:19 am

  Who will win the elections in November, Obama or Romney?The elections remind me of what the Talmud says (Sanhedrin 109B) about On Ben (the son of) Pelet and his wife. On Ben Pelet was one of the leaders of Korah’s rebellion against Moses’ leadership (see Numbers ch. 16). He appears at the beginning of the story but is not mentioned later on. What happened? The Talmud says that his wife saved him

• Legalizing Gay Marriage: Progress or Regress?

  13 May 2012 | 6:47 am

  From Maimonides, Laws of Forbidden Relations 21:8 (my translation): Lesbian relations are forbidden and it is among the “doings of Egypt” that we have been warned about as it is said, “After the doings of the land of Egypt, wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do”. The sages said, “What did they do? A man marries a man, and a woman marries a woman, and a woman marries two men.” What would Maimonides

• Cosmic X at Little Green Footballs

  11 May 2012 | 1:46 am

  Check out  this page that I put up at Little Green Footballs, and the discussion in the comments.

• Rabbi Lau Speaking in English

  2 May 2012 | 9:33 am

  Wise words from a wise man:

• Rabbi Lau Speaking Yiddish (With English Subtitles)

  1 May 2012 | 1:28 pm

  RabbI Lau is one of our national treasures:

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  WordPress.com News

• Stay In The Conversation

  Beau Lebens

  15 May 2012 | 6:01 pm

  It’s now much easier for you and your commenters to keep track of the conversations you’re involved in across WordPress.com. Some recent tests have shown that by subscribing commenters to new comments by default, they are more likely to stay engaged and come back and comment more on your blog. With that knowledge, we’ve changed the default comment following behavior to help you get more conversations going on your blog. We made the initial changes last week and after great feedback from you we just launched an update. Here’s how it works: By default, posting a comment…

• Look at These Gorgeous Blogs

  Sheri

  15 May 2012 | 1:05 pm

  We’ve added a user showcase where you can view stunning customizations made by people just like you. From complete redesigns with CSS to adding pizzazz with Custom Fonts to clever use of options like background and header, this showcase will spark your imagination and inspire creativity. Discover details about what each showcase blog is doing with WordPress.com themes and customizations by clicking a thumbnail to see a colophon-style list of credits on the left. We’ve also updated footer links so blog owners can show off the types of customizations they’ve made and visitors can…

• Photo Blogging 101, Part 1

  Erica V.

  14 May 2012 | 10:00 am

  Spring is in the air. With the weather warming up, now is a great time to get started on a photo blog. Creating a photo blog is a wonderful introduction to blogging on WordPress.com or an opportunity to refresh your current site. Ready to get started? You can sign up for a new blog right over here. Getting started Photo blogs, sometimes called phlogs, use pictures instead of words. While many photo bloggers choose a type of photo that they want to focus on, such as portraits, others use their photo blog to document their life’s events. Photo blogs come in a variety of styles, including…

• New Themes: Just Desserts and Oxygen

  Michelle Langston

  10 May 2012 | 8:11 am

  Happy Thursday! We’ve added some exciting new themes to our ever-growing collection, and we’re happy to tell you all about them. First out of the oven is…Just Desserts. Yep, that’s a theme! Designed by Andy Rutledge, Just Desserts is a deliciously stylish premium theme that’s perfect for blogs centered on food. With its responsive, single-column layout and unique presentation of images and posts on the front page, Just Desserts gives you a delectable canvas on which your mouthwatering photos and text can really shine — even when viewed on smaller mobile devices…

• Find Friends Who Use WordPress

  Nick Momrik

  1 May 2012 | 2:32 pm

  Are you curious to see how your friends are using WordPress? Give the new and improved Friend Finder a try to connect with your Twitter, Facebook, and Google contacts who have WordPress sites! After authorizing WordPress.com to use your Twitter, Facebook, or Google account to find your friends (don’t worry — none of this account information is saved!) you’ll see a list of people you know who have WordPress sites. Click Follow and each time your friend publishes a new post it will show up in your Reader under Blogs I Follow. If you have multiple blogs, make sure to set the…

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  A Simple Jew

• Through simplicity

  A Simple Jew

  14 May 2012 | 8:37 am

  ואני בתמי תמכת בי ותציבני לפניך לעולםAnd as for me, because of my simplicity, You supported me, and You always stood me upright before You. (Tehillim 41:13)Everything I have accomplished in my life of lasting value is due to the fact that I have repeatedly relied on emunah peshutah (simple faith) when confronting obstacles that loomed largely in front of me.

• 17 Iyar

  A Simple Jew

  8 May 2012 | 7:29 pm

  Leaving the Kiev airport on the way to Uman for Rosh Hashanah last year, the driver of our van offered to first take us to visit the kevarim of other tzaddikim in Vilednik, Berditchev, and Mezhibuz for a very reasonable additional cost. We immediately agreed and drove through the night on bumpy Ukrainian back roads without sleeping; arriving in Vilednik at midnight, Berditchev at 2:00 a.m., and Mezhibuz at 4:00 a.m.In Mezhibuz, I spent a lot of time by the kever of the Degel Machaneh Ephraim. I had last visited Mezhibuz 10 years previously and had not expected that I would have time to…

• A garment can always be removed

  A Simple Jew

  2 May 2012 | 8:22 am

  מה תשתוחחי נפשי ותהמי עליWhy are you downcast my soul, and why are you bewildered on my account? (Tehillim 42:6)Anytime I feel a wave of depression or sadness wash over me, I must remember that my essence is pure; Hashem created it and placed it within me. If I regard something about myself as “bad”, I must remind myself that it is only a garment that I can still remove from over me. Nothing that I do can tarnish the purity of my soul. 

• Wielding the sword of prayer

  A Simple Jew

  30 Apr 2012 | 7:56 am

  הנה יביעון בפיהם חרבות בשפתותיהם כי מי שמעBehold, they spew with their mouths, swords are in the lips; for they say “Who listens?” (Tehillim 59:8)Depth of communication is a characteristic of a strong relationship. Conversely, superficial communication is often a characteristic of less genuine relationship. With this in mind, how would you characterize your communication with Hashem?In the midst of a deep conversation with a best friend or spouse, your complete attention is on the person you are speaking to. When you fail to communicate with Hashem in…

• Back down on earth

  A Simple Jew

  23 Apr 2012 | 7:36 am

  To know Your way on earth (Tehillim 67:3)There is a powerful story in Sichos HaRan #292 that sheds light on these words,"A somewhat notable Chassid, came to see the Rebbe. He was an older man and was knowledgeable in the writings of the holy Ari. Wanting to enter the Rebbe's circle, he spoke in the manner of the important Chassidim, saying, 'I would like the Rebbe to teach me the way to serve G-d.'The Rebbe looked at him with wonder and quoted the verse (Tehillim 67:3), "To know Your wayin the earth.'The Rebbe meant that he was still 'in the earth' - immersed completely in earthiness - and…

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  Yo, Yenta!

• For the Yiddishe Mamas

  Head Yenta

  9 May 2012 | 9:35 am

  Nu, such a lovely tribute to the Jewish mother, acknowledging the endless chores and sacrifices of motherhood. Even if the serene mother in this video has not a hair in her sheitel out of place nor does her frying pan contain a speck of stubborn cooked-on gristle. And nevermind that it’s basically a promo for Israeli company Wissotzky Tea. Though the lady exudes the calm that I couldn’t achieve even with a column of Xanax, the low-pro product placement keeps it classy: Tea makes a nice Mother’s Day present, no doubt. I loooooves me some tea. Every day. With milk and honey.

• Holocaust education: You’re doing it wrong

  Head Yenta

  3 May 2012 | 10:35 am

  This week in wacky Southern public school news: A seventh-grade social studies teacher has been indicted for assault and battery after calling a student “a Jew” and dragging him under a desk. Witnesses told police that Patricia Mulholland grabbed the kid by the collar when he got up to sharpen his pencil with the command “Come here, Jew.” The she lugged him under a table and said “This is what the Nazis do to the Jews!” Sound like someone mixed some Percoset with her morning coffee after staying up too late on WorldNetDaily.com. But Mulholland’s…

• Not-the-T-Shirt of the Week: Badge of Dishonor

  Head Yenta

  26 Apr 2012 | 10:02 am

  Last week the world went apesh*t over this t-shirt on the Urban Outfitters website, for damn good reason. The Anti-Defamation League came out with its usual “strongly-worded” chastisement of any use of a six-pointed star that could be construed as offensive, demanding an immediate apology from the so-hip-it-hurts clothing purveyor. Considering last week was Yom Ha’Shoah (that’s Holocaust Remembrance Day for the rest of y’all), it was a prime time callout. Urban Outfitters (heh, I was going to write UO, which so super close to OU, standing for the Orthodox Union…

• Getting Dirty with Jane

  Head Yenta

  20 Apr 2012 | 11:31 am

  I want to be Jane Fishman when I grow up. A few weeks back I had the delight of spending a morning with the writer and gardener known and loved around these parts for her funny, thoughtful prose in the Savannah Morning News and her whomping bi-yearly plant swaps, where last October I picked up some kind of overachieving looping-leafed lily that’s giving the fig ivy a run for space. (Yes, we just missed the April swap, dangit. I must’ve been at a kid soccer game, or at synagogue, or most likely, digging around in my own cucumber seedlings and chasing the chickens away from the…

• Happy Bloggiversary to Me

  Head Yenta

  11 Apr 2012 | 9:42 am

  Everybody having a fine Pesach week? I always break out my Manischewitz shirt at work to let everyone know not to offer me donuts. Better Jews than I are Counting the Omer this month. Midianite Manna sewed up some absolutely gorgeous cloth counting calendars: You can put chocolate in the little pockets or an inspiration card for each day. I might try this next year. Seeing as I didn’t learn anything about Omer counting in Reform school, this year I’ll just count down the days until pizza and beer. Anyway, Passover week brings another important number for Yo, Yenta!: My 8th…

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  Rabbi Rachamim Pauli Drasha

• Parsha Behar, Stories, laws of Kings

  10 May 2012 | 11:20 pm

  Bryna bas Gina Sara passed away about three weeks ago I was negligent in following up her status. I have not been able to get an answer on Rachel Sara bas Chava so I am removing her from my list. THE BEST NEWS THAT I CAN GIVE MY READERS IS THAT THIS WEEK IS THE LAST WEEK THIS YEAR THAT ERETZ YISRAEL WILL BE AHEAD OF THE DIASPERA IN THE WEEKLY PARSHA AND NEXT WEEK THE WORLD CATCHES UP AND WE GO BACK TO THE FUTURE. The second best is that one of the largest governments ever has been formed in Israel. It allows for unity vs. the divisions caused by an election. Futuretopics to be covered here…

• Parsha Emor, Sefiros, Two record Baal Shem Tov Stories

  3 May 2012 | 9:47 am

  I know that many of my readers like a bit of Kabbala and desire to learn all the secrets. The reason I bring down the Sefiros is that they are mentioned in the counting of Omer and therefore we have to try to understand what Chessed of Chessed through Malchos within Malchos is. The Rambam knew Kabbala and in Yesod HaTorah brought down even the Halachos of Kabbala but he warned us to learn ALL THE HALACHOS WELL BEFORE GOING INTO KABBALA! Chapter 4:Halacha 13The matters discussed in these four chapters concerning these five mitzvoth are what the Sages of the early generations termed the Pardes,…

• Parsha Acharei Mos - Kedoshim, THE LRD hates lewness, Sefiros

  26 Apr 2012 | 10:58 am

  I am withdrawing my support for Lt. Col. Shlomo Eisner: I received eye witness reports of the fact that he beat Jewish Settlers one of the witnesses is on the Likud Central Committee. When he beat settlers he had the backing of his superiors but when he hit the anarchists and anti-Semites he lost support. HASHEM gave him measure for measure – you want to advance by beating MY CHILDREN, I will withhold your advancement from you!  I do not know what happened to my computer this past week that it did not copy and paste in color like usual and one of the things important to me is to…

• Parshiyos Shemini, Tazria-Metzora, Sefiros

  20 Apr 2012 | 2:25 am

  For my blogspot readers, something is wrote with my computer that it did not copy and paste the type size or color this week and it took a lot of hard work to produce this in the correct type size too. I have done my best to rework the whole blogspot by hand that it looks the way I wanted it to appear but may not. Please reinstate J. Pollard - Yehonatan ben Malka and a new person Rachel Sarah Bas Chava Erev Pessach I received this letter from Dr. Harry H. and wanted to use it as a guest editorial. Have a Happy Passover, and do not let Middle Eastern events get you too upset. In brief, Israel…

• Introduction to Parsha Shemini, Pessach and news

  5 Apr 2012 | 2:59 pm

  Due to an error by adding two names I will repeat my prayers for the ill list. MEN: Eliezer David HaCohain ben Naomi, Asher ben Malka, Avraham ben Devorah, Zvi Yechezkel ben Leah, Aharon ben Rishol, Chaim Zev ben Faige Tova, Naphtali Moshe ben Tziporah, Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Yoel ben Esther, Zev ben Rachel, Binum Benyamin Tuvia ben Chana Friedel, Shalom Yosef ben Chaya Moosha, Aaron ben Sara Chana, Chaim Yisrael ben Chana Tzirel Women: Karen Neshama bas Esther Ruth, Chaya Melacha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Zvia Simcha bas Devora Yached, Bryna bas Gina Sara, Rachel bas Chana, , Hodaya Nirit…

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  Beyond BT - The Baal Teshuva / Baal Teshuvah site for Baalei Teshuva / Baalei Teshuvah and Other Growth Oriented Jews

• The Limits of Inspiration

  Mark Frankel

  15 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  One of the most popular articles in the last Klal Perspectives Issue, focused on the crisis of spiritual connection in the American Orthodox Community, was Rabbi Moshe Weinberger’s titled “Just One Thing is Missing: The Soul”. BTs might particularly appreciate Rabbi Weinberger’s reference to a line from an old song “Something inside has died, and I can’t hide it, and I just can’t fake it”. As Rabbi Weinberger cataloged a multitude of ills of the Orthodox community the lyric that came to my mind was “Your no good, your no good, your no good, baby your…

• Of Slugs, Racquetball and Shabbat

  Michael Gros

  14 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  When people become observant, they often face certain delicate situations in the workplace, from struggling to find kosher food at meetings to having to leave early on Friday afternoons in the winter to be home for Shabbat. But for a division president of a $1.5 billion retailer, becoming frum led to its own set of challenges, both harrowing and humorous. Yehoshua (Harry) Looks grew up attending a synagogue affiliated with the Reconstructionist Judaism movement. He was always attracted to the intellectual side of Judaism. After he married his wife Debbie, the couple moved around; from Ohio to…

• A Few Links

  Administrator

  10 May 2012 | 8:21 am

  Growing Your Shul With Torah Learning – Part 2 New York Times selects Orthodox Jews as growing NY power group Internet Filters for the Orthodox Jew Who Is Wise, Strong, Rich and Honored

• Mourning’s End – Understanding Sefira and Lag B’Omer

  Rabbi Daniel Travis

  9 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  The Torah’s Honor The untimely demise of a Torah giant impacts every Jew, leaving a deep feeling of loss. If two Torah leaders died on one day (G-d forbid), the tragedy would be immense. We cannot even fathom how we would feel if the number was ten, fifty, or a hundred. In this light, we can begin to grasp the devastation of 24,000 Torah scholars dying between Pesach and Shavous, all students of Rabbi Akiva. Our Sages reveal that they all died for the same reason: they did not honor each other properly ( Yevamos 62b). Their failure to honor their colleagues prevented them from…

• 7 Rules Of Mindful Eating

  Guest Contributor

  8 May 2012 | 12:00 am

  Copyright: HealthyJewishCooking.Com By Chaya Rivka Zwolinski Choose, Sit, Commit, Acknowledge, Pace, Chew, Complete A Taste of Authentic Jewish Eating: Eating mindfully doesn’t just involve your brain-based intellect. It involves your heart-based intellect, both of which, in different ways, correspond to the soul. In the Jewish tradition, mindful eating means making informed choices not only about what you eat, but also about the way in which you eat–the very act of eating. The mechanics of eating as well as your intention and motivation are important. The choices themselves are based on…

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  A Mother in Israel

• Guest Post: Me? Pre-Cancerous?

  Hannah Katsman

  6 May 2012 | 4:01 pm

  This a guest post by reader Ruth. Two months ago, four months after giving birth to my second child, I went to the “lady doctor” to get a prescription—to delay producing baby number three if you get my drift! Lovely as they are, we need a gap! It was my first time with this doctor so she told me she may as well do a Pap smear test then and there. According to government recommendations, I’m still not due one, but she said it couldn’t hurt. So I thought, “Why not?” One can never be too cautious and after having gone through childbirth, a Pap smear test is really no big…

• Why Can’t Breastfeeding Mothers Just Be Nice?

  Hannah Katsman

  29 Apr 2012 | 11:00 am

  When someone posted a picture of a Jewish TV celebrity breastfeeding on the subway, it prompted a hot Twitter debate about whether breastfeeding in public is inconsiderate. Seeing a mother breastfeeding, even if nothing shows, makes some people uncomfortable. That feeling is unlikely to change, at least in the short term. I believe this happens when people grow up without seeing breastfeeding as part of daily life.  Our culture associates breasts with sex, not with feeding babies. Even if the mother exposes more than necessary, the uproar over public breastfeeding exceeds concern over women…

• We Learned Not to Ask: Second-Generation Holocaust Story

  Hannah Katsman

  18 Apr 2012 | 2:53 pm

  Dr. David Wahl Tonight and tomorrow we observe Holocaust Remembrance Day in Israel. A few weeks ago I listened to a moving podcast, The Suitcase by the Door, via American Public Media. APM interviewed Dr. David Wahl, a child of Holocaust survivors. Wahl’s parents had some unusual habits, like requiring everyone in the family to own a single pair of well-kept shoes, and keeping a packed suitcase by the door. Only as an adult did he realize that other survivors had similar eccentricities. The ones who had to endure forced marches knew they were more likely to survive if they took good…

• The Indispensable Post-Pesach List

  Hannah Katsman

  16 Apr 2012 | 3:06 am

  This is an update of a post  first published in 2009. The funny thing about Pesach is that you spend weeks getting ready, obsessing about crumbs and making sure that everything in your kitchen has been switched over and made kosher for Passover. No matter how simply you clean, it is still a ton of work. But the minute the holiday is over, you look around your kitchen and realize that all of it —the drawer liners, the Passover pots, the taped-up cabinets—are completely useless. Your new goal becomes putting your kitchen back together, restocking your pantry and forgetting that there ever…

• Erev Pesach 2012: My Passover Mantra

  Hannah Katsman

  6 Apr 2012 | 8:31 am

  This was the first year that I got through the Passover preparations without having a panic attack (so far at least). Last year I got up from shiva for my father about ten days before the holiday.  So when it came to Pesach cleaning I kept telling myself, “Good enough.” Since I usually find myself trying to do just one more little extra thing whenever I find downtime, I repeated this mantra often! “Good enough” for me means no obsessing or comparing myself to others, no doing things twice “just in case,” and no unnecessary errands or cooking. Also calling…

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  The Nahmias Cipher Report

• So You Love Me? Use The FDA HIV Test Kit

  Ayanna Nahmias

  15 May 2012 | 11:57 pm

  Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-Chief Last Modified: 00:57 AM EDT, 16 May 2012 WASHINGTON, DC – David Morgan of Reuters UK first broke the news that the United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is considering approval of an over-the-counter home HIV test kit. If approved, the test could further empower sexually active men and women, by arming [...]

• Esperanza Spalding Feature in Newsweek

  Ayanna Nahmias

  11 May 2012 | 11:11 pm

  Reblogged from the jazzmonger: Esperanza Spalding! I have made my admiration for this beautiful, talented lady a recurrent theme here on thejazzmonger blog. Now, I am pleased to report that she is the subject of an excellent article in Newsweek and it’s affiliate The Daily Beast. Abigail Pesta’s piece begins, as most Spalding features do, with [...]

• Bagmati River Slum Razed

  Ayanna Nahmias

  10 May 2012 | 5:19 pm

  Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-Chief Last Modified: 18:19 PM EDT, 10 May 2012 KATHMANDU, Nepal – Wednesday, 8 May 2012, was a day of great disruption and equal measure of sorrow for the residents of the shanty town at UN Park in the Thapathali area in Kathmandu. Most of the make-shift neighborhood encompassed an area 400-metre long, [...]

• An American Tragedy, part two

  Ayanna Nahmias

  9 May 2012 | 2:42 pm

  Reblogged from myownstormypetrelwords: I’ve written about a few of these subjects before: the obscene incarceration rate in America http://www.myownstormypetrelwords.wordpress.com/2012/03/19/georgia-another-proud-moment/; Doug Blackmon’s ground-breaking book, Slavery by Another Name, in which he describes the forced labor system in place for more than a century after the end of the Civil War. http://www.myownstormypetrelwords.wordpress.com/2012/02/13/slavery-by-another-name/ But now, Michelle Alexander has [...]

• Will Liberia Let Them Eat Dust?

  Ayanna Nahmias

  8 May 2012 | 1:16 pm

  Ayanna Nahmias, Editor-in-Chief Last Modified: 14:16 PM EDT, 8 May 2012 MONROVIA, Liberia – Across Africa water shortages and drought are an increasingly prevalent phenomenon. Some instances are a consequence of natural disaster, but in some cases clean water is being hoarded by powerful factions and used to extort impoverished people, or as a means [...]

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  Patheos Articles - Jewish

• The Secrets of a Good Heart

  9 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  May God bless us during this period to assume the strengths, traits, and internalization of a Good Heart.

• Free of Bieber Fever

  2 May 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Nonsense falls away, and what you are left with is you. Who are you and who have you been?

• Torah: The Original Self-Help Book

  25 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm

  Delve into the Torah and you will achieve personal development, spirituality, and relationship with God -- all of which are really one and the same.

• Counting Up to Where You're Going

  18 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm

  As we build ourselves, develop, and grow, we ascend from our personal state of infancy thereby freeing ourselves from our reactive and dependent lower nature.

• Passover, Then and Now

  10 Apr 2012 | 5:00 pm

  At what level are we in bondage? How can we find the freedom of Passover?

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  Life in Israel

• UTJ's Governmental Dilemmas

  Rafi G.

  16 May 2012 | 5:24 am

  UTJ has some serious dilemmas to consider in the near future, and it does not look like the possibilities are all that good. 1. The first is regarding the committee formed by the prime minister to seek out an alternative solution to propose as law to replace the Tal Law. UTJ announced that it would not send a representative but would work behind the scenes, during and after the fact, to mitigate the potential problems. They will not send a rep because they will not participate in a committee whose sole purpose is to find a way to take yeshiva boys out of yeshiva. While at first it seemed as…

• Mehadrin Conference Center

  Rafi G.

  16 May 2012 | 3:51 am

  The Haredi city-councilmen in Jerusalem are requesting an allocation of city land for the purpose of building a large conference hall - one that can hold 1000 seats or more. The said conference hall would be designated for the haredi community alone, and it would be designed in a "mehadrin" style - the kitchens, separate entrances for men and women, I assume [more than] adequate separation between the genders in the halls, etc. The Iryah's response to the request is that there are already a number of locations in the city that can hold such large events, and in previous years the haredi…

• Norman Finkelstein - Political scientist - BBC HARDtalk 2012 (video)

  Rafi G.

  16 May 2012 | 2:44 am

  Norman Finkelstein - Political scientist - BBC HARDtalk 2012 I hope Finkelstein is wrong... ------------------------------------------------------ Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel ------------------------------------------------------

• The Nigunim Project-T.a.Z and Leder B (video)

  Rafi G.

  16 May 2012 | 1:28 am

  The Nigunim Project-T.a.Z and Leder B strange... ------------------------------------------------------ Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel ------------------------------------------------------

• Izabo: Time - Israel's 2012 Eurovision Entry (video)

  Rafi G.

  16 May 2012 | 12:15 am

  Izabo: Time - Israel's 2012 Eurovision Entry This is the music video for the official submission of Israel for Eurovision 2012. I am actually impressed with the song and video. It looks like it took a lot of work to make this clip, and the song is catchy. It is at least better than anything I can remember from the past few years of entries... ------------------------------------------------------ Reach thousands of readers with your ad by advertising on Life in Israel ------------------------------------------------------

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  Chai Life

• Scout Walker vs. Scott Walker

  Evan

  14 May 2012 | 9:37 am

  Source: Scout Walker vs. Scott Walker

• Must-Have Free iPhone Apps in 2012

  Evan

  10 May 2012 | 3:38 pm

  It’s been a few years now since I last compiled a list of must-have iPhone apps and a lot has changed. The OS itself has hugely evolved and the app market has grown exponentially along with it. As such, my old must-have apps lists has become a bit outdated. Unlike the last time I did this, when apps were split up in to different posts, I will be covering everything right here, split up in to the following categories: News & Social Media, Reference, Audio/Video, and Utilities. You may notice that the ever-popular category of “Games” is missing. There’s just too…

• Happy Star Wars Day 2012!

  Evan

  4 May 2012 | 8:15 am

  Source: Happy Star Wars Day 2012!

• SloPig: My Evening of Trayf

  Evan

  23 Apr 2012 | 9:46 pm

  In what was, with out a doubt, the most unkosher thing that I have ever done, I had the opportunity to spend this past Sunday evening at SloPig Milwaukee along with my lovely wife, Jessie, and our good friend Mandi Lindner. Having only heard of it a week ago, I can honestly say that I had no idea what to expect other than lots and lots of pig, along with alcohol of some sorts. I’ve never been one to stay strict to the laws of keeping kosher, but I’ve also never actively sought out and eaten pork beyond the standards: bacon, deli ham, and various forms of sausage, so I wasn’t…

• Never Forget.

  Evan

  19 Apr 2012 | 10:02 am

  Source: Never Forget.

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  Jewish Renaissance in Israel

• Tikun Leil Shavuot 2012 for Birthright Participants in Israel: Beit Midrash Elul

  jewishpartner

  13 May 2012 | 8:51 am

  Beit Midrash Elul invites Birthright participants to a Shavuot study session on Justice and Kindness in the Book of Ruth. For further information please contact heftsi@elul.org.il

• Study Sheet for Yom HaAtzmaut: the Passover Hagada and Israel’s Declaration of Independence

  jewishpartner

  23 Apr 2012 | 5:59 am

    Partnership2Gether, the Midreshet website and Beit Midrash Bina invite you to delve into a study sheet written by Rami Porat which examines similarities and differences between Israel’s Declaration of Independence and the Passover Hagada – two key texts which express the People of Israel’s connection to the Land of Israel from different perspectives. Study Sheet in English Study Sheet in Hebrew

• “Like” Seder Night – Elul’s Facebook Passover Seder

  jewishpartner

  4 Apr 2012 | 6:53 am

  Millions of Jews in Israel and all over the world will hold a Seder on the 14th of Nisan. The Jewish people reads the Haggadah and passes the story of the Exodus from Egypt on to the next generation “You shall tell it to your child”. For Seder night this year Beit Midrash “Elul” is distributing a page in Facebook format. Download Elul’s Facebook Seder Page

• Pseifas (Mosaic) 2: A Matching Grant Program Promoting Jewish Renewal in Israel

  jewishpartner

  21 Mar 2012 | 5:00 am

  An initiative of AVI CHAI and UJA-Federation of New York in collaboration with Tmura – The Israeli Public Service Venture Fund and the Jewish Funders Network . For more information click here.  

• Nejama Leibowitz Parasha: Bamidbar

  jewishpartner

  13 Mar 2012 | 4:29 am

  Parashat Bamidvar EL TABERNACULO EN EL DESIERTO DE SINAY Por Nejama Leibowitz Rara y extraña nos resulta esta parashá. El estudioso difícil­mente logrará percibir su beneficio. No se registra en ella relatos de acontecimientos, ni tampoco la descripción del carácter de algún héroe nacional, ni virtudes, ni preceptos, ni decretos divi­nos, ni leyes. Tan sólo material estadístico fruto de un censo, números, nombres, detalle minucioso de la disposición del cam­pamento y de la distribución de acuerdo a las banderas, y nue­vamente números. ¿Qué enseñanza y qué provecho…

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  Jewish Contemplatives

• Lag B'Omer and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai (May 2012)

  Jewish Hermit

  9 May 2012 | 9:03 am

  Lag B’Omer is intimately related to the memory of  Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.  Rabbi Shimon Bar Yohai is intimately connected to the Jewish contemplative tradition, especially where it involves solitude and seclusion.  In 2008,  I published  an essay on this website to celebrate Lag B’Omer and as that is now a good while ago,  I have decided to repost  some of it here today  with a few editorial additions:    The Holy Fire of Shimon Bar YochaiThough Lag B’Omer is a festival with disputed origins, by far and away its most celebrated form is…

• The Spiral and the Beam - (April 2012)

  Jewish Hermit

  12 Apr 2012 | 8:24 am

  The spiritual and the physical are not forces in opposition, they are facets of the same created  reality. They may sometimes be in tension with each other but they are not engaged in some sort of dualistic battle to the death.  When there is conflict  between them, it is put there by Heaven in order that we should labour to produce unity in diversity. I am writing this as we are approaching the Seventh and Eighth days of Pesach. This year the eighth day (Acharon Shel Pesach) coincides with Shabbos. What follows is a short reflection on the significance of the Chagim on our…

• Shabbos Observance and the Coming of Moshiach (March 2012)

  Jewish Hermit

  2 Mar 2012 | 8:28 am

  “And Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel upon his heart before HaShem continually”Exodus 28:30This text from Parashas Tetzaveh describes the Breastplate and the Urim and Thumim which Aaron wore as part of his ceremonial robes as the first high priest. Judaism has no High Priest these days, and so the offices of the Temple are performed by each individual Jew when reciting the daily services. Each one of us bears the responsibility for the entire nation upon our individual hearts. In our worship, we often make special mention of people or causes which we seek to commend…

• Contemplative Roots and Branches - (February 2012)

  Jewish Hermit

  7 Feb 2012 | 3:53 pm

  (Photo: Sorelle White)On the “Fifth Day” of the tale called “The Seven Beggars”, Rebbe Nachman of Breslov tells us of a “Tree that stands beyond Space”.  This image has many overlapping and layered meanings in Breslov, many of which are explored  by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan in his translation of the Tales. These include (among many others) the concepts of  the Garden of Eden, the role of the Tzaddik, the symbolism of the Temple, and the Gathering of the Exiles.  But to me—more than anything"The Tree that stands beyond Space" is an image which highlights the…

• Solitude in Jewish Contemplative Practice - February 2012

  Jewish Hermit

  1 Feb 2012 | 6:30 am

  In the tractate of the Mishnah known as the “Ethics of the Fathers”, we are strongly advised “not to separate ourselves from the community” (Pirkei Avot 2:5). Anyone attempting to lead a Jewish solitary life has to come to terms with this directive, yet there have always been Jews who have felt inspired to make solitary lives of prayer and study their main spiritual discipline and a major part of their contribution to the life of the Community of Israel. If you consult a modern Hebrew dictionary, you will discover that the word for solitude is “b’didut”. In Jewish mystical…

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  My Journey to Judaism

• Two Voices In Israel Heard Loud And Clear on Fox!

  Jeisyn Murphy, MDiv, PhD

  25 Apr 2012 | 8:13 pm

  Reblogged from Lehitgayer News: Ari Abramowitz and Jeremy Gimpel, soldier and commander in the IDF reserves, are the founders of TheLandofIsrael.com and the creators and hosts of “Tuesday Night Live in Jerusalem.” These two amazing speakers in Israel are getting their message out: Fox news hears why Israel would be justified in attacking Iran’s nuclear sites. Jeremy and Ari are gifted teachers who have a clear message about faith and fear. Read more… 12 more words We all need to support these guys. This is fantastic!

• Major Israeli Newspaper Runs Missionary Ad by David Lev

  Jeisyn Murphy, MDiv, PhD

  25 Apr 2012 | 11:46 am

  Reblogged from Lehitgayer News: For the first time, a major Israeli newspaper has accepted an ad from an open missionary group. The economic daily Calcalist on Wednesday featured a large ad placed by Jews for Jesus offering readers an app that leads them to the organization’s website, where there is a “hard sell” in Hebrew on why Jews should believe in Jesus. The ad is printed on a background of the flag of Israel, clearly associating the ad, and the organization, with Israel’s Memorial Day for fallen IDF soldiers, being commemorated on Wednesday. Read more… 306 more…

• Report: Child Unwittingly Dismantles Bomb

  Jeisyn Murphy, MDiv, PhD

  24 Apr 2012 | 5:41 pm

  Baruch Hashem…what an amazing miracle! A young boy unwittingly dismantled a bomb on the Sabbath, the hareidi-religious news site Kikar Hashabat reports. The incident took place in the Musrara neighborhood of Jerusalem, which is bordered by Meah Shearim and by an Arab neighborhood outside Shechem Gate. The boy found the device and began to play with it, eventually bringing it to his parents to show them. The shocked parents recognized it as a possible explosive and called police. When police sappers arrived, they told the father that the boy had prevented a disaster when he…

• The Jews as Christ-Killers, Again?

  Jeisyn Murphy, MDiv, PhD

  23 Apr 2012 | 11:32 pm

  Reblogged from Lehitgayer News: Excerpts from an article published on Monday, April 23, 2012 8:10 AM here The Society of St. Pius X propagates the worst kind of anti-Semitism and Rome is on the verge of returning them to the Catholic fold. Their US website defends the Inquisition. Israel must react. 1250 French Bible illustration depicts Jews (identifiable by Judenhut) being massacred by crusaders (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Read more… 361 more words This should not be allowed to happen without protest!

• 3 Reasons Messianic Judaism Is An Artificial Religion

  Jeisyn Murphy, MDiv, PhD

  22 Apr 2012 | 6:02 pm

  1. Messianic Judaism Disregards The Authority Of The Sages. Rabbi Mordechai Rhine published an article last week on parashas Shemini focusing on Nadav and Avihu. About their death he asked, “How could it be that these two great sons of Ahron would err in such a significant way as to deserve the divine punishment of death on this auspicious day?” He answers by citing a story from the Talmud: Moshe and Ahron were going in the lead, Nadav and Avihu were behind them, and the rest of the Jewish people followed. Nadav and Avihu said, ‘When will these elders die so that we can be the…

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  Abq Jew

• Torah in the Modern World

  Abq Jew

  15 May 2012 | 3:46 pm

  Congregation Albert's Adult Education Retreat:  Congregation Albert announces a full day of learning! Torah in the Modern World UNM Student Union Building Sunday June 3 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $36 Community  $18 CA Members  To register by Monday May 21  please contact Tammy Kaiser (505) 883-0606 or  tammy@congregationalbert.org Featured speakers and topics include: Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld - Keynote Rabbi Min Kantrowitz - Business Ethics Cantor Barbara Finn - Torah Tunes Rabbi Paul Citrin - Resurrection IS a Jewish Idea Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld - Amazon.com And Jewish Ethics…

• Crypto Judaic Studies Comes Home

  Abq Jew

  15 May 2012 | 9:00 am

  A Message From SCJS President Dolores Sloan: The Society for Crypto Judaic Studies is preparing for a homecoming.  For it was in New Mexico in 1991 - in the mountains, near Taos, to be exact - that the first gathering of what was to become the Society took place.  And it's in New Mexico - in Albuquerque - where our 22nd Annual Conference will be held, July 22-24, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. 22nd Annual Conference July 22 ~ July 24 Hotel Albuquerque Old Town It was in New Mexico that some folks turned on their radios one day in 1988 and heard a program on National Public…

• At Home in Utopia

  Abq Jew

  14 May 2012 | 3:11 pm

  Life in the Bronx Coops:  The New Mexico Jewish Historical Society and the HaMakom Jewish Film Festival are proud to announce their presentation of At Home in UtopiaSunday May 20 @ 4:00 pm Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) 1050 Old Pecos Trail  Santa Fe, NM 87505 In the mid-1920s, thousands of immigrant workers escaped tenement life by pooling their resources to build housing collectives in the Bronx. Adjacent to the newly opened subway corridor and in the midst of empty fields, they constructed the United Workers Cooperative Colony, a.k.a. “the Coops,” where they practiced the…

• Mothra: An Alternate Derivation

  Abq Jew

  13 May 2012 | 9:47 pm

  A Lesson From Semitic Theology:  Yes, Burquenos, three weeks later we are still living in the time of Mothra.  As Abq Jew pointed out, the ongoing Miller moth infestation has destroyed our nightlife, upended our backyard parties, crippled our economy, and made even a trip to the refrigerator a nerve-wracking endeavor. Mothra, Abq Jew reminds you, is the title (and title creature) of the eponymous Japanese post-atomic film Mothra (1961).  How did Mothra get its name?, Abq Jew heard you ask. In Learning-Hebrew in the Time of Mothra, Abq Jew proposed one explanation, based on a…

• When The Moon Hits Your Eye

  Abq Jew

  9 May 2012 | 11:15 am

  Like A Big Pizza Pie, That's Emor, Eh?   In Napoli, where love is king When boy meets girl, here's what they say This week, the whole world celebrated the Supermoon of 2012, whereby our one and only Moon came as close to our one and only Earth as it ever will, until the next time. Here in Albuquerque, much of the Moon's magnificence was obscured by an unruly bunch of dark clouds, a rarity in the Duke City, but whose untimely timing seemed to portend something bigger and ... yes, better. This, Abq Jew reminds you, is one of the occasions during the Jewish year when we get to read…

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  The WebYeshiva Blog

• Parsha Podcast: Behukotai

  Rabbi Chaim Brovender

  15 May 2012 | 9:20 am

  Amel HaTorah Click here for sources

• Insights in Yirmiyahu: Moshiah’s Name

  Rabbi Yitzchak Blau

  14 May 2012 | 8:11 am

  Behold, the days come, says the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous shoot, and he shall reign as king and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  In his days Yehuda shall be saved, and Yisrael shall dwell safely; and this is his name whereby he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness. (Yirmiyahu 23:4-6) Chapter 23 echoes many prominent themes in the book of Yirmiyahu.  The prophet faults the leadership for not promoting justice and righteousness (verses 1-2).  We hear of false prophets reassuring the populace that all will be well (pesukim…

• A Nazir’s Hair: The Positive Side

  Rabbi Gidon Rothstein

  10 May 2012 | 10:30 am

  As I mentioned two weeks ago, the presentation of nazir in the Torah seems to focus on the prohibitions on grape-related products and on becoming ritually impure by contact with a person who has passed away.  More verses are devoted to those two than to growing hair, and the balance of presentation could logically lead to a focus on wineas central to the status of being a nazir (while the Torah spends more time on the ritual impurity aspect, that seems less nazir specific, since every priest is required to avoid that impurity, as does any Jew who wants to enter the Temple in the next…

• Insights in Pirkei Avot: Making Torah Your Own

  Rabbi Yitzchak Blau

  10 May 2012 | 8:04 am

  Great is Torah, for it gives life to its observers in this world and in the World to Come as is stated:  “For they are life to he who finds them, and a healing to all his flesh” (Mishlei 4:22).  And it says: “It shall be health to your navel, and marrow to your bones” (Mishlei 3:8).  And it says: “She is a tree of life for those who hold fast to her, and happy are those who support her” (3:18).  And it says: “For they shall be a garland of grace for your head, and necklaces about your neck” (1:9).  And it says: “She shall give to your…

• Parsha Podcast: Behar

  Rabbi Chaim Brovender

  7 May 2012 | 9:13 am

  Theory and Practice Click here for sources

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  Abq Jew

• Torah in the Modern World

  Abq Jew

  15 May 2012 | 3:46 pm

  Congregation Albert's Adult Education Retreat:  Congregation Albert announces a full day of learning! Torah in the Modern World UNM Student Union Building Sunday June 3 10:00 am - 4:00 pm $36 Community  $18 CA Members  To register by Monday May 21  please contact Tammy Kaiser (505) 883-0606 or  tammy@congregationalbert.org Featured speakers and topics include: Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld - Keynote Rabbi Min Kantrowitz - Business Ethics Cantor Barbara Finn - Torah Tunes Rabbi Paul Citrin - Resurrection IS a Jewish Idea Rabbi Harry Rosenfeld - Amazon.com And Jewish Ethics…

• Crypto Judaic Studies Comes Home

  Abq Jew

  15 May 2012 | 9:00 am

  A Message From SCJS President Dolores Sloan: The Society for Crypto Judaic Studies is preparing for a homecoming.  For it was in New Mexico in 1991 - in the mountains, near Taos, to be exact - that the first gathering of what was to become the Society took place.  And it's in New Mexico - in Albuquerque - where our 22nd Annual Conference will be held, July 22-24, at the Hotel Albuquerque in Old Town. 22nd Annual Conference July 22 ~ July 24 Hotel Albuquerque Old Town It was in New Mexico that some folks turned on their radios one day in 1988 and heard a program on National Public…

• At Home in Utopia

  Abq Jew

  14 May 2012 | 3:11 pm

  Life in the Bronx Coops:  The New Mexico Jewish Historical Society and the HaMakom Jewish Film Festival are proud to announce their presentation of At Home in UtopiaSunday May 20 @ 4:00 pm Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) 1050 Old Pecos Trail  Santa Fe, NM 87505 In the mid-1920s, thousands of immigrant workers escaped tenement life by pooling their resources to build housing collectives in the Bronx. Adjacent to the newly opened subway corridor and in the midst of empty fields, they constructed the United Workers Cooperative Colony, a.k.a. “the Coops,” where they practiced the…

• Mothra: An Alternate Derivation

  Abq Jew

  13 May 2012 | 9:47 pm

  A Lesson From Semitic Theology:  Yes, Burquenos, three weeks later we are still living in the time of Mothra.  As Abq Jew pointed out, the ongoing Miller moth infestation has destroyed our nightlife, upended our backyard parties, crippled our economy, and made even a trip to the refrigerator a nerve-wracking endeavor. Mothra, Abq Jew reminds you, is the title (and title creature) of the eponymous Japanese post-atomic film Mothra (1961).  How did Mothra get its name?, Abq Jew heard you ask. In Learning-Hebrew in the Time of Mothra, Abq Jew proposed one explanation, based on a…

• When The Moon Hits Your Eye

  Abq Jew

  9 May 2012 | 11:15 am

  Like A Big Pizza Pie, That's Emor, Eh?   In Napoli, where love is king When boy meets girl, here's what they say This week, the whole world celebrated the Supermoon of 2012, whereby our one and only Moon came as close to our one and only Earth as it ever will, until the next time. Here in Albuquerque, much of the Moon's magnificence was obscured by an unruly bunch of dark clouds, a rarity in the Duke City, but whose untimely timing seemed to portend something bigger and ... yes, better. This, Abq Jew reminds you, is one of the occasions during the Jewish year when we get to read…