A havruta I once studied with told me about DailyGemara.com and it was a tremendous help.  Rabbi Eli Mansour gives an explanation of a complete daf (page) of the Babylonian Talmud.  He also introduces the commentaries for a wide range of Rabbanim, from all epochs of Jewish history.  Other similar sites include:

DailyHalacha.com  MishnaBerurah.com  LearnTorah.com  DailyTehillim.com

I have come across yet another ”Jewish” testimonial against the Israeli territories.  In stereotypical fashion, he begins by telling about his Jewish heritage (especially Sephardic) in order to legitimize his claims:

My grandmother, my mother’s family, are Sephardi Jews. Their roots are originally in Spain. My grandmother was born in Alexandria, Egypt. Her own parents were from the isle of Rhodes, in what’s now Greece, and Izmir, in what’s now Turkey. So the ancestry had a history of Jews having to relocate and move.

Beinart goes on to claim:

So it had a powerful effect on me, and it was one of a series of experiences that I would say led me to be willing to face a little more frontally than I had been willing to before the reality of what Israel’s occupation is and made me concerned about how I would tell my own children, how I would convey my love for Israel, try to make them devoted Zionists, while also not ignoring the reality of what happens when you hold millions of people for more than 40 years as non-citizens in the places in which they were born.

The Arabs have been hostile to Israel from the beginning.  How is you showing your “love for Israel” by taking sides with people who are militantly hostile to the Jewish presence in Israel?

Beinart speaks about “the original Israel:”

We have to invest and spend our money and celebrate the part of – the original Israel, which offers the right of citizenship to all people, but I don’t think we should be spending our money in the West Bank, which is a territory in which Israel’s founding ideals are desecrated.

What exactly is “”the original Israel?”  The Arabs from the beginning challenged the State of Israel.  It is absurd to conceive of such a concept.

Here Beinart defends his premise that the territories should be “punished” financially:

I don’t think we should have – we should have a free trade zone with Israel, which I think is wonderful, but I don’t think we need to have a free trade zone with the West Bank. I think we need to start to draw these distinctions because they’re necessary to help Israel survive as a democratic Jewish state.

So, by punishing the settlers with boycotts, it will help them to “survive!”  How’s that for a friend!  It looks like he really took his grandmother’s wisdom to heart!  Sephardic values corrupted by Jewish-American self-immolation?

Robert Putnam is an academic who converted to Judaism.  Beinart comments:

Well, in the United States, you now have, according to Robert Putnam, the Harvard political scientist, Jews are actually the most esteemed religious group in the country. There are three Jews on the – I say this with pride. There are three Jews on the Supreme Court, no Protestants. I think five of the last seven editors of The New York Times have been Jewish.

Of course Putnam would hold Jews in esteem because he (and I) has joined them from the outside!  If Gentile America held Judaism in such high esteem then they would themselves convert to Judaism!  Should non-Jewish America boycott such a polarization of power/agendas/outlook?  Apparently most Americans are more understanding of Israel’s situation that Mr. Beinart is.

Finally, Mr. Beinart unravels his own position:

I believe that the foundation of Jewish commitment is Jewish education. I believe what I most want for my children is knowledge of, joy in and fascination with Judaism. And I believe if they are given that then I will have discharged my duty to them and given them the tools they need to have a meaningful relationship with Judaism and – God willing – to pass it on to their children and grandchildren. I’m willing to pay a very high price, financially and in other ways, in order to make sure that I ground my children in that foundation.

What exactly is Beinart’s view of “Jewish education?”  Apparently this is the origin of the flaw in his thinking.  He wants his kids to be separate but multicultural.  This can only last for so long.  He wants to take his happy-go-lucky view of the American-Jewish identity and try to understand the State of Israel through this lens.  This is a miscalculation and represents a fundamental lack of understanding.  The crisis of identity among American Jews and the crisis of identity of the State of Israel are separate issues entirely.  One is a spiritual disillusionment and another a physical threat.  Beinart’s analysis of the situation portrays American Jews as riding high while Israel is in existential turmoil.  In fact, the opposite is true.  The Democratic nature of America is dissolving the American Jewish community.  The “success” Beinart describes are fireworks that amazing, yet temporal.

Passover Guide for the Perplexed 2012
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought”
March 31, 2012
Based on Jewish Sages

1.  David Ben Gurion, the Founding Father of the Jewish State (UN Commission, 1947): “300 years ago, the Mayflower launched its historical voyage.  Do many remember the exact data of the voyage, how many passengers were on the Mayflower and what kind of bread did they consume?  However, 3,300 years earlier, the Exodus from Egypt took place.  Every Jew knows the date of the Exodus – the 15th of the Jewish month of Nissan – and the kind of bread – Matza, unleavened bread – consumed.  Until today, Jews all over the world tell the story of the Exodus and eat Matza on the 15th of Nissan.  They conclude the story of the Exodus (Hagaddah) with the statement: “This year we are slaves, but next year we shall be liberated; this year we are here, but next year we shall be in the rebuilt Jerusalem.”

2.  Passover recounts Jewish history, re-entrenching Jewish memory, unity, collective-responsibility, roots, rights and sovereignty in the land of Israel. President Ezer Weizman in the German Bundestag, January 16, 1996: “Only 150 generations have passed from the Pillar of Fire of the Exodus from Egypt to the pillars of smoke from the Holocaust. And I, a descendant of Abraham, born in Abraham’s country, have witnessed them all. I was a slave in Egypt. I received the Torah at Mount Sinai. Together with Joshua and Elijah, I crossed the Jordan River. I entered Jerusalem with David, was exiled from it with Zedekiah, and did not forget it by the rivers of Babylon. When the Lord returned the captives of Zion, I dreamed among the builders of its ramparts. I fought the Romans and was banished from Spain. I was bound to the stake in Mainz. I studied Torah in Yemen and lost my family in Kishinev. I was incinerated in Treblinka, rebelled in Warsaw and migrated to the Land of Israel, the country whence I had been exiled and where I had been born, from which I come and to which I return… And, like our forefather King David who purchased the Temple Mount, and our patriarch Abraham who bought the [Hebron] Cave of Makhpela, we bought land, we sowed fields, we planted vineyards, we built houses, and even before we achieved statehood, we were already bearing weapons to protect our lives…”

3. “Next Year in the rebuilt Jerusalem” concludes the annual reciting of the Passover Saga.  It reaffirms the ancient Jewish commitment to build homes all over Jerusalem – the 3,300 year old indivisible capital of the Jewish People.

4.  Passover’s centrality in Judaism is highlighted by the first Commandment: ”I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.” The Passover ethos is included in daily Jewish prayers, Sabbath and holiday prayers, the blessing over the wine, the blessing upon circumcision, the prayer fixed in the Mezuzah (doorpost) and in the annual family reciting of the Exodus on the eve of Passover.  Passover paved the road to the People of Israel, the Torah of Israel and the Land of Israel. In Hebrew, Israel is the acronym of the names of the Jewish Patriarchs and Matriarchs.

5.  Passover’s centrality in the American ethos, inspiring the Puritans, the Pilgrims the Founding Fathers and contemporary American morality and state of mind.  The Pilgrims considered Britain “modern day Egypt,” the British king was “the modern day Pharaoh,” the sail through the Atlantic Ocean was “the modern day parting of the Sea” and America was “the modern day Promised Land.”  The term Federalism is based on “Foedus,” the Latin word for “The Covenant.” The Founding Fathers were inspired by the political structure of the semi-independent 12 Tribes (colonies), which were governed by tribal presidents (governors) and by Moses (the Executive), Aaron (the Judicial) and the 70 Elders (Legislature), a role model for US democracy. Adams, Jefferson and Franklin proposed the “Parting of the Sea” as the official US seal. The role model of Washington and Adams were Moses and Joshua.  Yale University President, Ezra Stiles stated (May 8, 1783): “Moses, the man of God, assembled three million people – the number of people in America in 1776.”  “Let my people go” became the “pillar of fire” for the Abolitionists and human rights movements in the US. “Proclaim liberty throughout all the Land unto all the Inhabitants thereof” (Leviticus 25:10) is inscribed on the Liberty Bell. The statues of Moses stare at the Speaker of the House of Representatives and tower above the Supreme Court Justices; a Ten Commandment monument sits on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol and a similar monument will shortly be erected on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol.

6.  Moses, the hero of Passover, has been a role model of faith, principle, humility and endurance-driven leadership for American leaders.  Moses’ name is mentioned only once in the Passover Hagaddah, as a servant of God, a testimony to Moses’ humility.

7.  The Exodus is mentioned 50 times in the Torah, equal to the 50 years of Jubilee, a pivot of liberty. 50 days following the Exodus, Moses received the Torah (Pentecost Holiday), which includes – according to Jewish tradition – 50 gates of Wisdom.  Where does that leave the 50 States?!

8.  Passover highlights the centrality of spiritual, social and national Liberty. The difference between the spelling of Ge’oolah (“deliverance” in Hebrew – גאולה) and Golah(Diaspora in Hebrew – גולה) is the first Hebrew letter, Alef - א.  Alef is the first letter in the Hebrew spelling of God, faith, father, mother, truth, covenant, soil, credibility, awesome, power, Abraham, light, love, Adam, courage, spring, unity, responsibility, horizon, tree, etc.

9.  Passover – the role model of liberty – interacts with Shavou’ot/Pentecost – the role model of morality - since Liberty and Morality are mutually-inclusive.  The Liberty/Morality interdependence distinguishes Western democracies from rogue regimes.

10.  Passover highlights the fact that the Jewish People were passed-over by history’s angel of death, in defiance of conventional wisdom.  Non-normative disasters have characterized Jewish history ever since slavery in Egypt and the Exodus: the destruction of the Temples, exiles, pogroms, expulsions, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, Arab/Muslim terrorism and wars, etc. The 1948 re-establishment of Jewish sovereignty constituted a modern day Exodus and Parting of the Sea. Adherence to the principle-driven and tenacious defiance-of-odds legacy of Passover constitutes a prerequisite to Jewish deliverance.

11.  The Exodus took place around 1,300 BC, establishing the Jewish People in the forefront in the Clash of Civilizations between democracies and rogue regimes.  Passover is celebrated on the 15th day of the Jewish month of Nissan ניסן – the first month of the Biblical Jewish year and the introduction of natural and national spring (Nitzan is the Babylonian word for spring and the Hebrew word for bud).  Nissan (Ness – נס is miracle in Hebrew) is the month of miracles, such as the Exodus, the Parting of the Sea, Jacob wrestling the Angel, Deborah’s victory over Sisera, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, etc.

12.  The 15th day of any Jewish month features a full moon, which stands for optimism in defiance of darkness.  It is consistent with the 15 parts of the Hagaddah (the Telling of Passover), 15 generations between Abraham’s message of monotheism and Solomon’s construction of the first Temple, the 15 words of the ancient blessing by the Priests and the 15th day of the Jewish month of Shvat, Arbor Day – the “Exodus” of vegetation.  The Hebrew value of 15 corresponds to two Hebrew letters which stand for God – י  and ה.

13.  Passover has four names:  The holiday of Pesach (Passed-over; sacrifice), the holiday of liberty, the holiday of Matza and the holiday of spring.  The number 4 features in the Passover Saga, representing the four women who shaped the life of Moses (his mother, Yocheved, his sister, Miriam, his savior, Batyah and his wife, Ziporah); Joseph’s four enslavements- twice to the Midianties, once to the Ishmaelites and once in Egypt; the 4 times that the word cup was mentioned by Pharaoh’s jailed wine-butler when recounting his dream to Joseph; the 4 Sons (human characters); the 4 glasses of wine drunk on the eve of Passover; the 4 Questions asked on the eve of Passover and the 4 stages of the divine deliverance from Egyptian bondage. The 4th Hebrew letter (ד) stands for God.

14.  Passover is celebrated in the spring (Aviv in Hebrew – אביב – which consists of two Hebrew words: Father – אב – of 12 – יב – months/tribes), the bud of nature.  The word spring is mentioned 3 times in the Torah, all in reference to the Exodus.  Passover – which commemorates the creation of the Jewish nation – lasts for 7 days, just like the creation of the universe.  Passover is the first of three Jewish pilgrimages, succeeded by Shavou’ot/Pentecost, which commemorates the receipt of the Ten Commandments, andSukkot/Tabernacles, named after Sukkota - the first stop in the Exodus.

“Next Year in the rebuilt Jerusalem”

Purim Guide for the Perplexed 2012
Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought”
March 6, 2012, Based on Jewish Sages

1.  Purim’s historical background according to the late historian, Prof. Israel Eldad:
*Xerxes the Great – Achashverosh in Hebrew – succeeded Darius the Great and ruled the Persian Empire during 465-486BC, 150 years before the rise of Greek’s Alexander the Great.
*Greece was Persia’s key opponent in its expansion towards the Mediterranean and Europe, hence the alliance between Persia and Cartago, a rival of Greece.
*Greece supported Egypt’s revolt against Persian rule, which was subdued by Persia with the help of the Jewish warriors of Yeb (in Egypt) and Cartago, which had a significant Jewish-Hebrew connection (Hanibal and Barca were a derivative of the Hebrew names, Hananyah and Barak).  *Xerxes was defeated by Greece at the 480BC Salamis Battle, but challenged Greece again in 470BC.
*According to a Greek translation of the Scroll of Esther, Haman (the Agagi) was a Macedonian by orientation or by birth.  Agagi could refer to Agag, the Amalekite King (who intended to annihilate the Jews) or to the Aegean Islands. Haman aspired to annihilate the Jews of Persia and opposed improved relations between Xerxes and the Jews Yeb.  He led the pro-Greece and anti-Cartago orientation in Persia. Mordechai was a chief advocate of the pro-Cartago orientation.

2.  Purim is celebrated on the 14th/15th days of the Jewish month of Adar.  Adar (אדר) is the root of the Hebrew adjective Adir (אדיר glorious, awesome, exalted, magnificent).  It is, also, a derivative of the Akkadian word Adura (heroism).  Jewish tradition (Babylonian Talmud) highlights Adar as a month of happiness, singing and dancing. The zodiac of Adar is Pisces (fish), which is a symbol of demographic multiplication. Hence, Adar is the only Jewish month, which doubles itself during the 7 leap years, during each 19 year cycle. Purim is celebrated on the 14th (in non-walled towns) and (in Jerusalem) on the 15th day of Adar, commemorating the deliverance of the Jewish People from the jaws of a holocaust in Persia and the 161 BCE victory of Judah the Maccabee over Nikanor, the Assyrian commander.  Moses ¬ – who delivered the Jewish People from a holocaust in Egypt and whose burial site is unknown – was born, and died (1273 BCE) on the 7th day of Adar, which is Israel’s Memorial Day for soldiers, whose burial site is unknown. The events of Purim occurred following the destruction of the 1st Temple by Nebuchadnezzar (586 BCE) and the exile from Zion, during the leadership of Ezra who returned to Jerusalem, and the inauguration of the Second Temple (3rd of Adar, 515 BCE) by Ezra and Nehemiah. Nebuchadnezzar died in Adar 561 BCE (Jeremiah 52:31).  Einstein published the theory of General Relativity in Adar 1916.

3.  Purim’s Hebrew root is fate/destiny (פור), as well as “lottery” (to commemorate Haman’s lottery which determined the designated day for the planned annihilation of the Jewish People) “to frustrate”, “to annul”(להפר), “to crumble” and “to shutter” (לפורר), reflecting the demise of Haman.

4.  Purim commemorates a Clash of Civilizations between Mordechai the Jew and Haman the Iranian-Amalekite. It constitutes an early edition of the war between Right vs Wrong, Liberty vs Tyranny, Justice vs Evil, Truth vs Lies, as were/are Adam/Eve vs the Snake, Abel vs Cain, Abraham vs Sodom and Gomorrah, Jacob vs Esau (grandparent of Amalek), Maccabees vs Assyrians, Allies vs Nazis, Western democracies vs Communist Bloc and Western democracies vs Islamic terrorism.

5.  Purim is the holiday of contradictions and tenacity-driven-optimism:

Grief replaced by joy; Esther’s concealment replaced by the disclosure of her national/religious identity; Haman’s intended genocide of the Jews replaced by redemption; Haman replaced by Mordechai; national and personal pessimism replaced by optimism.  A Purim lesson: Life is complex, full of contradictions, ups and downs and difficult dilemmas and worthy of principled-determination.

6.  Mordechai, the hero of Purim and one of Ezra’s deputies, was a role model of principle-driven optimism in defiance of colossal odds, in the face of a global power and in spite of the Jewish establishment.  He fought Jewish assimilation and urged Jews to return to their Homeland.  He was endowed with the bravery of faith-driven individuals, such as Nachshon – who was the first to walk into the Red Sea before it was parted. Mordechai was a politically-incorrect statesman and a retired military leader, who practiced “disproportionate pre-emption” instead of defense, deterrence or retaliation. The first three Hebrew letters of Mordechai (מרדכי) spell the Hebrew word Rebellion (מרד), which is consistent with the motto/legacy of the American Founding Fathers: “Rebellion against Tyrants is Obedience to G-D.”  Mordechai did not bow to Haman, the second most powerful person in the Persian Empire.  He was a member of the tribe of Benjamin, the only son of Jacob who did not bow to Esau. The name Mordechai is also a derivative of Mordouch,¬ the chief Babylonian god.

Mordechai was a descendant of King Saul, who defied a clear commandment (to eradicate the Amalekites) and spared the life of Agag, the Amalekite king, thus precipitating further calamities upon the Jewish People. Consequently, Saul lost his royal position and life.  Mordechai learned from Saul’s error. He destroyed Haman, a descendant of Agag the Amalekite, and Haman’s entire power base, thus sparing the Jewish People a major disaster.

In Gimatriya, “Cursed Haman” (ארור המן) equals “Blessed Mordechai” ברוך מרדכי), 502).

7. Queen Esther, the heroine of Purim’s Esther Scroll (the 24th and concluding book in the Hebrew Bible) was Mordechai’s niece. One cannot comprehend Purim without studying the Esther Scroll.  Esther demonstrates the centrality of women in Judaism, shaping the future of the Jewish People, as did Sarah, Rebecca, Miriam, Batyah, Deborah, Hannah, etc. Sarah was the first Jewish woman, and Esther was the last Jewish woman, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Sarah lived 127 years and Esther ruled over 127 countries. The name Esther (אסתר)is a derivative of the Hebrew word הסתר – “clandestine”, “hidden”, “subtle”, which was reflective of her (initially) unknown Jewish identity and subtle-style at the royal court.  The name Esther is also a derivative of Ishtar ¬ a Mesopotamian goddess, Astarte ¬ a Phoenician goddess.  In fact, the one day pre-Purim Fast of Esther (commemorating the three day fast declared by Esther in order to expedite deliverance), was cherished by the Marano in Spain, who performed Judaism in a clandestine manner. The Scroll of Esther is the only book in the Hebrew Bible, in which G-D’s name is hidden/absent.  It has been suggested that the explicit name of G-D is absent because the Scroll of Esther is the only book in the Hebrew Bible, which deals exclusively with the Diaspora and not with the Land of Israel. According to Michael Bernstein, the noun “King” appears 182 times in the Esther Scroll, which is the total sum of 26 (numerical value of G-D) times 7 (days of creation). Esther’s second name was Hadassah, whose root is Hadass (myrtle tree in Hebrew) ¬ which constitutes a metaphor for eyesight 20:20.

The name Esther is identified with the planet Venus (hence, Esther’s other Hebrew name ¬Noga, just like my oldest granddaughter¬ a glaring divine light, which is Venus in Hebrew). In Gimatriya, Esther (אסתר) and Noga (נגה) equal 661 and 58 respectively, and the sum of 6+6+1 and 5+8 is 13 (the number of G-D’s virtues).  In “small Gimatriya” both Esther (1+6+4+2) and Noga (5+3+5) equal 13, which is also the total sum of one in Hebrew (אחד) ¬ which represents monotheism, as well as the total sum of love in Hebrew (אהבה).

8.  The Persian King appointed Mordechai to be his top advisor, overruling Haman’s intent to prevent the resettling of Jews in Zion, the reconstruction of the Temple and the restoration of the wall around Jerusalem. He foiled Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jews. The king prospered as a result of his change of heart and escaped assassination. That was the case with Pharaoh, who escaped national collapse and starvation and rose in global prominence, once he appointed Joseph to be his deputy.

9.  Purim’s four commandments:

*Reading/studying the “Esther Scroll” within the family, highlighting the centrality of family, education, memory and youth as the foundation for a solid future.

*Gifts to relatives and friends emphasize the importance of family and community.

*Charity (at least the value of a meal) reflects compassion and communal responsibility.  According to Maimonides, “there is no greater or more glorious joy than bringing joy to the poor.”

*Celebration and Happiness sustains optimism and faith – the backbone of individuals and nations.

10.  Lethal enemy destroyed and lethal threat commemorated.  The pre-Purim Sabbath is called “Memorial Sabbath” (שבת זכור), commemorating the war of extermination launched by the Amalekites against the Jewish Nation, since the Exodus from Egypt.  A Purim lesson: Be wary of enemies, posing as partners of peace, concealing a strategic goal of extermination.

Happy Purim,

Ambassador (ret.) Yoram Ettinger, “Second Thought: US-Israel Initiative”
www.TheEttingerReport.com
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Some 9 years ago I was living in a student dorm in Tel Aviv.  I was sitting with the security guard, who was born in Israel and raised in Germany.  As we spoke, a 20-something tall blonde German tourist approached the desk we were sitting behind and begin chatting with us.  He commented that he had visited many cities in the world, and many, in his opinion, were far more beautiful than Jerusalem.  The security guard, then 50, was slightly insulted and somewhat embarrassed.  Having been the only person there with a yeshiva education, those present naturally turned to me to solve this riddle:

Ten kabs of wisdom descended to the world: nine were taken by the Land of Israel and one by the rest of the world. Ten kabs of beauty descended to the world: nine were taken by Jerusalem and one by the rest of the world. 

תלמוד בבלי מסכת קידושין דף מט/ב 
עשרה קבים חכמה ירדו לעולם תשעה נטלה ארץ ישראל ואחד כל העולם כולו עשרה קבים יופי ירדו לעולם תשעה נטלה ירושלים ואחד כל העולם כולו

The aesthetic beauty of other (mainly European) cities couldn’t be denied.  Although the modern Jerusalem, with it’s stone walls and ancient allure, is certainly worth seeing, we were at a loss to reject his observation.  After a few moments of silence, I responded to him that the concept of beauty in Judaism is markedly different than that of the Western world (Europe, having been founded by Yefet, the son of Noah).

In the world of Yefet (from which yofi, beauty, is derived), the aesthetic pleasure derived from symmetry, logic, physicality, and beauty is paramount.  That which cannot be ascertained though the senses is inconsequential.  Yavan (Greece) was one of Yefet’s sons, thus continuing his worldview.  In the very shape of the letters in the word Greece (in Hebrew) יון lies the essence of Greek philosophy and culture-the alluring beauty of symmetry.

In contrast, Jerusalem (Yerusalem) contains the world Shalem, complete.  The Star of David, seen on or inside many synagogues is the counter example to the Greek view of beauty.  If one adds the area of all of the triangles along the perimeter of the shape, (in a perfectly drawn figure) the sum will exactly equal the area of the hexagon in the middle.  The external matches the internal.  God’s will is congruent to our actions.  This is the secret to the riddle that the young German man posed to us…

I recently got into a small debate with a an Orthodox Rabbi whose article I happen to follow.  The discussion was forwarded to a Christian friend of mine and there ensued an interesting exchange.   I have purposely omitted  the identities of the parties involved.  In an excerpt from the Rabbi’s essay, he stated:

And there is absolutely no religious obligation to go to the Holy Land at this time under present circumstances. Get this straight! Don’t start quoting to me Rabbis! I’ll quote them right back at you! And I guarantee that my list against, will be far greater than your list for!

Concerning the issue of aliyah to Israel, he replied:

Thank you for quoting to me all those Gemaras from Talmud Bavli, EACH ONE OF WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN BAVEL, BY THOSE WHO LIVED AND DIED IN BAVEL! deKinda proves my point, not yours! No one disagrees with the holiness of the Land of Israel, but the present government and State of Israel have nothing to do with any of this, does it??

I responded:

True, but they were also on a much higher lever than our generation.  In addition, it was forbidden for Jews to come up as a nation against the goyim (below).  Furthermore, Jefferson was an ardent Christian and Franklin was a deist.

His response was:

Jefferson, a Christian?  What type? Have you ever read the Jeffersonian Bible? Have you ever read Jefferson on religion? Did you know that Franklin called himself a Noahide?

Finally, I stated:

Rav

1-Jefferson believed that Yeshu was an important religious figure, he didn’t understand that he was part of the Sitra Achra, clearly. The fact that he had slaves and was having bastard children with them shows what level he was on. Thank G-d Jefferson didn’t sign the Constitution!

2-I lived in Virginia from ages 2-23, including UVA. Also a close friend has a master’s degree in USA history. We studied this in school. Thank G-d

3-Using the word Bible or “bilbul” is in itself a departure from Judaism. Scriptures weren’t meant to be translated. The order of books in the Bible is not correct. Also, the “New Testament” was written in Greek, not Hebrew.

4-Newton rejected the divinity of Yeshu, but he also thought him to be on the “right side” as well.

5-We were taught in HS that Franklin was a deist.

6-Ultimately, I think USA was meant to be Bnei Noach from the beginning. However, that is certainly not the case now. The reason is because Israel isn’t a “Kingdom of Priests” like you have pointed put. I plan to write an essay on this subject.

Justin,

I definitely wouldn’t call Jefferson, or Franklin Christians . . . Though while a British colonist it was required that one attend church at least once per month and based upon the political atmosphere of the time, Jefferson at least would’ve called himself a Christian. That said, I wouldn’t disqualify them from Christianity because of slave ownership or even having “bastard” children. There is one major aspect of Christianity that you are missing. Christ, that is.We Christians believe that His grace was freely given, and that we are all sinners which is why He washed us in His blood.

That said, a slaveowner like Jefferson should have known that what he was doing was a sin, and there is no doubt he was fathering children with slaves as did his father in law and his wife’s grandfather too as well as two of his cousins.I think I actually agree with this rabbi about the Jewish State.

Tell me more of what you think.

There are a lot of major issues at hand here. I have enumerated them for the sake of organization:

1-I suspect that the forefathers of USA intended the county to be “Bnei Noach.” Their backgrounds in Freemasonry and the fact that Christian symbolism is never mentioned in the Declaration of Independence nor the Constitution substantiates this.

2-The fact that the framers of the country were of one mind and the people were of another is not unusual. For example, Pharaoh was Semitic and the Egyptians weren’t. Likewise, the State of Israel was founded by secular people who proclaimed “the Jewish soul yearns.” The Kabbalist the Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato) stated that in the Messianic Era, Jewish will be elevated to be “a Kingdom of Priests” and Gentiles will be elevated to the “status” of Jews. The presiding authority attempted to impose an agenda upon a somewhat foreign populace.

3-With respect to the following terms:

“His grace was freely given,” “He washed us in His blood”

There is no theological apparatus in Judaism that provides for such beliefs. One of the central ideas in Judaism is that Jews are the “suffering servants” (Isaiah) of God. One of the central premises of Christianity is to replace the Jewish people with one person (Jesus). Furthermore, the terms “Jesus Christ,” which are of Greek origin etymologically are not significant to the Jewish tradition from Sinai because the Hebrew language is perhaps the most significant aspect of Judaism-more than the Torah itself. In fact, the translation of the Torah into Greek was originally a fast day and a tragedy on the level of the Golden Calf. The dominance of Rome’s philosophy over the past 2,000 is rooted in it’s usage of Greek philosophy. One Rabbi martyred by the Roman’s was killed in the following manner:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Martyrs

and while Rabbi Yishmael wept, the Roman ruler’s daughter coveted Rabbi Yishmael for his physical beauty. When she was told that he would have to be executed as well, she asked that the skin of his head be flayed while he was alive, so she could stuff the skin and look at his face.

Just as he was flailed for the worship of external beauty, so the Tanach (Torah-Prophets-Writings) became relegated to being a  ”book” in the libraries of Alexandria and the Vatican.

I have recently responded to an article that Richard Silverstein has recently written for “mass consumption.”  I implore you to denounce this hateful fraudster!  My response is below:

It is sad for me to see someone like Mr. Silverstein being given any kind of forum to express his distorted view of the Jewish world, which stems from a dysfunctional Jewish identity.  Whenever he writes these formal pieces, he purposely tones down his own “lunacy” in order to appear normal/sane to a wider audience.  Don’t be fooled, he is no more Jewish than Ahmadinejad is.   I’ve read a substantial amount of his personal postings and it must be understood that he is a hater of Israel and must not be interpreted to be a “peace activist” of any sort (which is a charade).  It would be more productive for him and his readers if he simply made “tsuvah” (repented).

Professor Steven Plaut heads IsraCampus which is  ”Monitoring Israel’s Academic Fifth Column.” 

Isracampus at www.isracampus.org.il is the main watchdog group in Israel that documents, monitors and exposes the activities of Israel’s “academic fifth column,” meaning the radical anti-Israel academics employed as faculty members in the Israeli university system.

Modeled in part on “Campus Watch” in North America, ISRACAMPUS monitors and exposes the anti-Israel (and sometimes anti-Semitic) political activities, writings, and pronouncements of Israel’s far-leftist academic extremists.  Israeli universities contain hundreds of faculty members who are active in promoting boycotts of Israel, in organizing army soldiers for mutiny and refusal to serve, in promoting law breaking, and in collaborating with anti-Israel groups attempting to delegitimize Israel as a fascist, terrorist, racist, apartheid entity.  Students, professors, donors, alumni, journalists and others participate in ISRACAMPUS and help it gather materials.

Until ISRACAMPUS came upon the scene, few in Israel and fewer still outside Israel were aware of the anti-Israel activities of these Israeli academic radicals.  That is now changing.  The past few years, when there were numerous attempts to adopt boycott of Israel resolutions in the UK, Canada, in the US, and elsewhere, it was ISRACAMPUS that exposed the fact that most of these resolutions have Israeli academic initiators and sponsors, faculty members who draw salaries paid for by the Israeli taxpayer, calling on anti-Semites all over the world to boycott Israel.  The Israeli media and the Jewish press around the world are increasingly discussing and reporting about the shenanigans of “Israel’s Academic Fifth Column.”

Israeli academic institutions have been misused in recent years as platforms for radical anti-Israel and even anti-Semitic propagandizing, often by tenured radicals with embarrassing academic records and dubious research credentials.  These include Israeli faculty denouncing their own country in the foreign press as “genocidal” and supposedly perpetrating Nazi-like war crimes, professors who publish articles proclaiming Israel a fascist apartheid state engaged in “state terrorism,” lecturers who endorse Arab terrorism against Jews, applaud the Hizbollah, and call for Israel to be dismantled entirely.

While its web site has been in operation for only a relatively short period, the impact of ISRACAMPUS is already being widely felt.  A growing number of reports are appearing in the mainstream media about Israel’s academic extremists, “New Historians,” and “Post-Zionists.”

ISRACAMPUS is the best way to “keep Israeli universities honest,” and to ensure that their faculty engage in research and educating, rather than in Israel-bashing, sedition, and anti-Zionist political propagandizing.

And ISRACAMPUS needs your help to stay in operation!

Monday, January 02, 2012

Report: Silverstein persona non grata in Israel?

Here is an organization in Israel trying to refute some of the enemies within.