Take This Waltz

Leonard Cohen

Now in Vienna there's ten pretty women
There's a shoulder where Death comes to cry
There's a lobby with nine hundred windows
There's a tree where the doves go to die
There's a piece that was torn from the morning
And it hangs in the Gallery of Frost
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz with the clamp on its jaws

Oh I want you, I want you, I want you
On a chair with a dead magazine
In the cave at the tip of the lily
In some hallways where love's never been
On a bed where the moon has been sweating
In a cry filled with footsteps and sand
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take its broken waist in your hand

This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With its very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea

There's a concert hall in Vienna
Where your mouth had a thousand reviews
There's a bar where the boys have stopped talking
They've been sentenced to death by the blues
Ah, but who is it climbs to your picture
With a garland of freshly cut tears?
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
Take this waltz it's been dying for years

There's an attic where children are playing
Where I've got to lie down with you soon
In a dream of Hungarian lanterns
In the mist of some sweet afternoon
And I'll see what you've chained to your sorrow
All your sheep and your lilies of snow
Ay, Ay, Ay, Ay
Take this waltz, take this waltz
With its "I'll never forget you, you know!"

This waltz, this waltz, this waltz, this waltz
With its very own breath of brandy and Death
Dragging its tail in the sea

And I'll dance with you in Vienna
I'll be wearing a river's disguise
The hyacinth wild on my shoulder,
My mouth on the dew of your thighs
And I'll bury my soul in a scrapbook,
With the photographs there, and the moss
And I'll yield to the flood of your beauty
My cheap violin and my cross
And you'll carry me down on your dancing
To the pools that you lift on your wrist
Oh my love, Oh my love
Take this waltz, take this waltz
It's yours now. It's all that there is.

Thème de la semaine : Du mélange des genres

Thème de la semaine : Du mélange des genres

Par HAYAT ALAIN

Je ne suis pas passionné de sport, mais cette semaine une polémique dans ce secteur a attiré mon attention. J’en profite pour regretter, d’une manière plus générale, que ce qui devrait être un forum du meilleur de l’homme devienne de plus en plus une « marketplace » où l’argent et la politique prennent de plus en plus de place.

Cette fois il s’agit de Caster Semenya. Cette très jeune athlète sud-africaine a remporté à Berlin la médaille d’or du 800m. Mais voila, des doutes surgissent sur sa féminité. Pourtant, ce n’est pas la première sportive à avoir une apparence masculine, il suffit de regarder la télévision pour s’en rendre compte. Manœuvre de ses concurrentes, racisme comme on l’a même évoqué, ou la goutte qui fait déborder le vase pour les organisateurs.

Mais ce n’est pas la première mésaventure de cette jeune fille. Aimant cultiver cette apparence, utilisant couramment des pantalons, elle s’est déjà vu, au Cap, se faire interpeller à l’entrée des toilettes pour femmes. Il y avait donc des antécédents à cette ambigüité.

Que l’ambigüité existe dans la nature n’est pas nouveau non plus. Le Talmud, et les textes rabbiniques anciens qui établissaient les canons du droit, citent abondement les cas d’androgynie, d’absence ou de duplication des organes sexuels, ce qui place ces personnes sous statut spécial vis-à-vis de la loi juive. Ce n’est qu’un exemple de plus du fait que, contrairement à ce que notre logique souhaiterait, le monde n’est ni monolithique, ni manichéen, mais qu’il est composé d’une infinité de nuances.

Des lors on notera l’insuffisance – ou plutôt l’inadéquation – de ces règlements qui divisent le monde entre hommes et femmes. Si cela est bien suffisant dans la plupart des cas courants, s’il n’y a pas beaucoup de confusion dans notre vie au quotidien, les choses se compliquent lorsqu’apparait un intérêt économique. Car ce qui est naturel peut toujours être dévoyé, et le problème du dopage dans le sport est un bon exemple de la limite acceptable de l’entrainement physique quand les enjeux économiques sont énormes. Et l’une de ses formes est l’incitation pour les femmes de rapprocher leur morphologie de celle des hommes. Lorsque cette situation est naturellement créée par la nature, sous forme marginale, cela reste acceptable comme toute fantaisie de la nature. Mais y parvenir sciemment, grâce à l’aide médicale, nous semble relever de la manipulation frankensteinienne la plus condamnable. Le fond du problème reste que c’est cette volonté de dichotomisation du monde entre hommes et femmes, l’existence de règles différenciées pour les uns et les autres qui crée la tentation de frauder. Restant fidele à ma pensée, je trouve encore ici l’illustration du fait que c’est le système qui est en cause, et non celui qui veut profiter de ses failles.

Rapportons cette discussion à une indication qui se trouve dans notre lecture biblique hebdomadaire : « une femme ne portera pas de costume masculin et un homme ne mettra pas un vêtement de femme» (Deut. XXII, 5). On remarquera que ce verset est inséré dans une série d’autres prescriptions dont la tonalité est l’entraide et la responsabilité sociale. Il est donc difficile de penser qu’il n’est là que par sexisme, dans le but d’établir ou de renforcer la ségrégation entre hommes et femmes. Dans la mesure où l’habit est la manière de dire ce que l’on est, il devient important que le paraître corresponde à l’être. C’est une responsabilité sociale que de ne pas tromper son prochain, de déclarer et d’assumer ce que l’on est. Je crois que cela est un très bel enseignement, qui va au delà du simple aspect vestimentaire qui lui sert de support.

Je ne sais pas ce qui se passe dans la tête de Caster Semenya, et en conséquence je ne veux ni peux juger. Si elle est victime de son apparence et qu’elle revendique au fond sa féminité, cette histoire est triste pour elle du fait d’une publicité dont elle se serait bien passée. Si elle cultive l’ambigüité (au niveau des produits qu’elle peut prendre ou de son comportement) mais qu’elle utilise sa carte d’identité pour vaincre en série féminine, cela est triste pour la morale et pour le sport.

Jewish Agency events mark Shalit birthday

Jewish Agency events mark Shalit birthday

August 25, 2009

NEW YORK (JTA) -- Events marking the 23rd birthday of abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit will be held around the United States on Friday.

The Jewish Agency for Israel is organizing about a dozen ceremonies to honor the soldier, who was taken captive in a cross-border raid at the Gaza-Israel border more than three years ago. He is believed to be alive and in captivity in Gaza. Shalit's birthday is Aug. 28.

In Columbus, Ohio organizers will grant Shalit honorary citizenship. In San Francisco, a documentary on Shalit will be screened at the Jewish film festival. In Miami, children will release 1,000 balloons symbolizing the hope that he will be released soon.

"Participants at the events will be asked to sign post cards to the Red Cross asking that Shalit receive the full rights of an abducted soldier under international law and that the Red Cross work for the soldier’s release," the Jewish Agency said in a news release on Monday.

In Israel, activists on behalf of Shalit marked his upcoming birthday by demonstrating Tuesday in front of two prisons in which Palestinians are incarcerated, disrupting family visits. Demonstrators have called on the Israeli government to withhold visitors to Hamas prisoners until Hamas allows the Red Cross to meet with Shalit.

Tarragona's peace

Want to know what it feels like to be on top of the world? Come to Acre's celebration of Mediterranean culture as the city hosts 160 "castellers" from Barcelona who will create their traditional human towers on the city's boardwalk May 24 and 25.

Originating in the 18th century in the Tarragona region, groups called "colles" organize to create human towers reaching up to nine storeys high. Nenys Lazerovitch, an Israeli chef who has lived in Barcelona says that it is an amazing sight to see. "Each town or city quarter has their own team, it's almost like belonging to the scouts in Israel," he says, "they meet twice a week to practice, then hang out and have a beer."

Creating these towers or "castells" requires strength, skill and practice. At the base are men between 40-50 years old who bear the brunt of the weight. The last one up is a young child who waves his arms to salute the crowd upon reaching the top.

The city of Acre has experienced its share of hardship in recent years, with conflicts between Israeli-Jews and Israeli-Arabs making headlines. Mayor Shimon Lankri says, "We are taking the differences between cultural groups as a starting point for changing the city's image. We want to embrace Acre's multicultural nature, its history and traditions."

Viewing Acre as a center of Mediterranean culture creates a common bond that not only connects the diverse local population but extends to the entire region.

Taking inspiration from Barcelona as a model of success, the festivities will include music from La Carrau, who draw on traditional Catalonian influences - from food and wine to art. Acknowledging that change requires time, Lankri is committed to "working with the difficulties, not focusing on conflict, but on what we have in common."

Festivities begin Sunday, May 24 at 5 p.m. with tower building commencing around 7 p.m. between Ben Ami and Herzl Streets. Another tower will be built on the soccer field to celebrate laying the cornerstone for the new stadium on May 25 at 4:30 p.m.

The writer blogs at midnighteast.com

Estimados miembros y amigos de ReVista,

El País continúa su trayectoria anti-israelí publicando un perfil del país con datos equivocados. En la sección "Países" (http://www.elpais.com/afondo/paises/index.html) El País publica erróneamente el nombre del último Primer Ministro, Ehud Olmert, en lugar del actual, Benjamin Netanyahu.

En la sección "Internacional" El País continúa citando a Tel Aviv como capital de Israel, como así también en la sección "Corresponsales". Es evidente que El País se niega a reconocer la capital de Israel. Cada corresponsal aparece citado y la capital desde donde reporta, así están mecionados por ejemplo: "Washington, Estados Unidos", "México City, México". El corresponsal en Israel, Juan Miguel Muñoz se encuentra en "Jerusalén, Medio Oriente": http://www.elpais.com/internacional/corresponsales/

ReVista ya inició una queja formal al director del diario. Ahora pedimos a Ud. que también reclame con una carta a El País una corrección de estos errores inadmisibles.

Acciones a tomar:

ReVista ya escribió al director del diario El País reclamando la corrección de estos errores (ver carta a continuación). Si Ud. desea reclamar a El País en su derecho de lector agraviado por estos errores, escriba a:cartasdirector@elpais.es.

La carta a El País debe pedir que el diario corrija los errores en el perfil de Israel refiriéndose puntualmente a los casos de Benjamin Netanyahu como Primer Ministro en la sección "Países", y a Jerusalén como capital de Israel en las secciones "Internacional" y "Corresponsales".

Por favor envíe una carta concisa y factual, para favorecer que sea publicada. Escriba con cortesía y respeto.

Los siguientes requisitos deben seguirse para el envío de cartas:
> No exceder las 30 líneas mecanografiadas
> Las cartas deben estar firmadas
> Debe constar el domicilio, teléfono y número de DNI o pasaporte del autor.

Les pedimos que también nos envíen una copia ciega ("blind copy") de su carta a nuestro correo:revalertas@revistamo.org.

Es posible que El País no publique las cartas que enviemos pero cuántas más les hagamos llegar más probable será que consigamos la corrección de estos errores.

Muchas gracias por su participación,

Carolina Cole
ReVista de Medio Oriente
www.revistamo.org
http://blog.revistamo.org/

Carta que la directora de ReVista de Medio Oriente envió a El País

Estimado Director de El País:

Con gran inquietud notamos en la sección "Países" de elpais.com que el Primer Ministro de Israel está erróneamente citado. El Señor Benjamín Netanyahu, quien fuera oficialmente jurado en este puesto el pasado 31 de marzo del 2009 es el actual Primer Ministro. Ehud Olmert, citado por El País, fue el Primer Ministro anterior. Curiosamente, elpais.com cubrió extensamente la elección de Benjamin Netanyahu y la subsecuente formación de su coalición gubernamental, por lo cual es inexplicable que El País registre este error.

La población de Israel, citada también en el perfil de Israel en "Países" no está actualizada. La población estimada en el 2009 es de 7.411.000 (fuente: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Society_&_Culture/newpop.html)

Otro error inadmisible, esta vez en la sección "Internacional" es el de citar la capital de Israel como Tel Aviv. La capital de Israel siempre ha sido Jerusalén, capital histórica del pueblo judío, como así también único sitio del gobierno del Estado de Israel. El Presidente, Primer Ministro y Kneset o Congreso israelíes ratificaron a Jerusalén como capital en 1980 (fuente: http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/MFAArchive/1980_1989/Basic%20Law-%20Jerusalem-%20Capital%20of%20Israel). ReVista de Medio Oriente ha remarcado este error en cartas anteriores a la dirección de El País sin obtener una respuesta explicatoria de por qué el error es mantenido.

El País no querría ser citado como un diario que difunde errores burdos. Es por eso que esperamos ver una corrección de estos errores en el perfil de Israel a la mayor brevedad.

Apreciaremos una respuesta a nuestra carta y esperamos que Ud. haga las correcciones necesarias para servir como es debido a los numerosos lectores de El País quienes confían en su profesionalismo para obtener información veraz y completa.

Muy Atentamente,

Mónica Cooper
Directora
ReVista de Medio Oriente

monica@revistamo.org
www.revistamo.org

JERUSALÉM ETERNA

À memória de Sílvia Machado, EIL

Manuel Barreiro

JERUSALÉM ETERNA

Se não fosse a solidão

tinha andado sempre só…

Não te espantes Fraternidade,

se os meus vizinhos do lado

vivem precisando de mim,

mas nunca me quiseram como amigo.

Nem tu Igualdade te admires,

se até para ser igual aos demais

tive que ser sempre o melhor.

Lembras-te Liberdade…

pelas terras distantes

por onde errei,

mesmo o sol quando nascia

só nascia para mim

depois de ter nascido para os outros.

Errar é andar

e se vai

e não se tem para onde ir

para além do sítio donde se sai.

Fui o único a nunca ser dono

daquilo que me pertencia.

Por isso quero um país,

porque um estrangeiro nunca tem pátria

quando está na pátria dos outros.

Cada nação acaba no topo da cabeça

do seu homem mais alto

daí para cima o mundo é de quem olha para o céu,

tudo passa a pertencer ao sonho.

Foi daí que vieste, Jerusalém,

por isso continuas eterna.

Jerusalém de ouro, de cobre e de luz.

MANUEL BARREIRO

Letting It Go

Chapter 6, Law 9

Letting It Go

Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

*This class was mistakenly sent out to the Pirkei Avos mailing list, and we are sorry if you're receiving this for the second time.

"If one's fellow sinned to him and he does not want to rebuke him or speak to him at all because the sinner is particularly simpleminded or his mind is unsound, and he forgives him in his heart without hating or rebuking him, this is a pious practice (Heb., 'middas chassidus'). The Torah (Levit. 19:17) was particular only regarding one who hates [his fellow on account of the wrong he did him]."

This week's law continues and concludes the discussion of the previous few weeks. In past weeks we discussed the obligation to rebuke one's fellow. As Leviticus 19:17 states, if your fellow wrongs you -- or you otherwise catch him sinning, you must not bottle it up and hate him within, but you must rather come forward and ask him why he acted the way he did. For as we saw, direct (or perhaps indirect) confrontation is ultimately the best means of true reconciliation.

Here the Rambam adds an important caveat. Although open and frank discourse is often the best means of patching up relationships, at times the offender is just beyond reason. Some people are just so impervious to spirituality and healthy relationships that there's really no point attempting to reason with them. And provided you are not bottling up animosity (transgressing "You shall not hate your fellow in your heart"), you can just let it go. Don't hate him. Feel bad for such a G-dless, pathetic individual. Someone who lacks any religious inclinations, who cannot be led to consider that anything exists beyond man and the immediate, is frankly not even worthy of your hatred. Fairly condescending, but basically correct.

I don't have a whole lot to add to the Rambam's wise words this week, but I do believe it's reasonable we could extend his words somewhat. In the Rambam's mind, the only sort to be beneath constructive criticism is the imbalanced, someone who is so crazed or corrupted as to be beyond rational discourse. And such doesn't rate very high in the mind of a rationalist like the Rambam. As we all know, however, there are many who are perfectly sane and levelheaded, yet who just lack the moral bearings to be receptive to our sermonizing. And to them as well, silence may be the better course.

Not long ago, I attended a lecture given by a visiting scholar who happened to be an old friend from rabbinical college, R. Yosef Veiner. During the course of the lecture, he quoted the historical episode of R. Shimon ben (son of) Lakish, generally known in the Talmud as Reish Lakish. As the Talmud (Bava Metsiah 84a) and other sources attest, he began his career as a bandit. He later met up with the strikingly handsome R. Yochanan, one of the leading scholars of the first generation of the Talmud. R. Yochanan, recognizing Reish Lakish's great potential -- in whatever he endeavored -- offered Reish Lakish the hand of his own sister -- whose beauty was even greater than his own -- in marriage if Reish Lakish would only agree to study Torah. The deal was struck and Reish Lakish eventually grew to be Talmud scholar nearly equaling R. Yochanan.

The story thus far is quite well known, appearing in a prominent location in the Talmud. Another detail of it, mentioned in a much lesser-known Midrash, is not. The Midrash adds the following postscript -- that Reish Lakish, after "seeing the light" and heading off to study Torah, never again returned to the cave in which his accomplices were hiding. In spite of their past close kinship, he never once made contact with them again. As far as they knew, he had simply disappeared off the face of the earth.

The speaker who mentioned this was interested in a different issue and moved on from there. In passing, however, he made an interesting observation. Why did Reish Lakish, who clearly enjoyed a strong kinship with his former comrades, never again return to them? Why not take advantage of his association and use it to influence them for the better? If anyone could have reached them it was he. Why leave them to their vomit if he, no doubt more than anyone else, might have brought them back to G-d?

Perhaps the answer is that Reish Lakish realized he could not be the one to approach his former cohorts. They still knew him as fellow bandit. If he would now approach them as bandit-turned-rabbi -- and the only one among them who now knew better -- it just wouldn't have worked. There would be too much "Who does he think *he* is?" in the air. The friction created by the sudden spiritual chasm which had formed between them would have created too much ill will. The uneasy sense of difference would have made open and candid dialogue almost impossible.

And this too is yet another consideration we must keep in mind in approaching those less religious than we. When a person becomes more involved with religion, he may find that his past friends and relatives are the hardest -- rather than the easiest -- for him to reach. They may share a rapport with him, but of a different sort entirely. And more than anyone else, they may resent that one of their number -- perhaps one they knew as a small child -- now returns thinking he's better than the rest of them and alone knows better.

Thus, as we've observed in past weeks, the mitzvah (obligation) to rebuke one's fellow is not a simple one, but one which requires a serious judgment call -- whom to approach, what to say, and whom to avoid altogether. And as in many of the great challenges of life, there is no one simple answer. For true service of G-d requires not only great erudition in Torah study, but also the keen understanding of the workings of our fellow man.

Abbásinico

Abbás reitera que no habrá negociaciones con Israel si siguen asentamientos

El presidente de la Autoridad Palestina (AP), Mahmud Abbás, afirmó que la interrupción de los asentamientos israelíes en los territorios sigue siendo una condición previa para reanudar las conversaciones de paz con Israel.

Abbás, tras reunirse con el rey jordano, Abdalá II, declaró a los periodistas que la nueva Administración estadounidense de Barack Obama se mantiene firme en esa misma demanda para que Israel interrumpa los asentamientos.

"No hemos visto que los EEUU se hayan retractado en esa actitud", afirmó Abbás.

"Seguimos oyendo lo mismo que veníamos oyendo en el pasado, que Israel debería parar todos los asentimientos (en la Cisjordania), y a partir de ahí se podrían reanudar las negociaciones de paz", añadió.

El líder palestino dijo que este tema había dominado sus conversaciones con el monarca jordano. El rey, agregó Abbás, "ya ha informado a los estadounidenses y los europeos de que la posición árabe no cambiará en su petición de que cese toda actividad vinculada con los asentamientos, para que podamos seguir hacia adelante".

El presidente Obama y la secretaria de Estado, Hillary Clinton, han urgido a los Estados árabes a hacer más para alcanzar la paz en la región y a dar pasos concretos para mejorar su relación con Israel.

En Oriente Medio, sólo Jordania y Egipto mantienen vínculos diplomáticos con Israel.

Por su parte, el rey Abdalá insistió también en la posición de Abbás y dijo que Israel "debería parar todas las operaciones de asentamientos y otras medidas unilaterales que amenazan con derrumbar el proceso de paz".

Según un comunicado de la Casa Real jordana, el monarca y el líder palestino analizaron la posibilidad de "intensificar los esfuerzos mundiales para relanzar las negociaciones de paz" que permitan llegar a un Estado palestino independiente y a alcanzar una paz completa en la región. EFE

Eliyokum Cohen

Eliyokum Cohen

Hoje às 14:52

GOOD SHABBOS!!! this week marked a low point in Israels history...after running on a campaign of power and strength that piece of garbage netanyahu has now bowed to american pressure and and the muslim anti-semite obama has frozen construction in the beautiful settlements of Israel INCLUDING JERUSALEM...most are gonna read this and say WHO CARES...well would like your town to stop growing, would you like someone to tell you not to build an addition on your home or a new school for you kids...yeah thats what i thought...this weeks parsha has one very important message...no matter how big or strong the enemies army looks or actually is, they are nothing compared to the power of G-d...why Israel and Jews in general are so afraid of world opinion and pleasing the masses Ill never understand...as Jews we were born with the silver spoon in our mouths, that silver spoon being the knowledge that we were CHOSEN BY G-D to be His people...no one else on earth can say that...while youre sitting around the shabbos table tonight or out at a bar or whatever it is you usually do on friday nights, know this...there are thousands and thousands of Jews that are stuggling right now, devestated at the thought that their own people cause their pain...while you might not care, I DO and I'm trying to wake up Jews and start seeing the beauty and power of Judaism...the more knowledgable and more appreciatve we are about Judaism the less bad things happen...I send out a message every week knowing that most dont read it and the ones that do usually snicker or disregard it...thats fine, youll have an eternity to figure out why you never heeded my request...by clicking the INVITE FRIENDS button and taking literally 2 minutes out of your day to invite friends YOU might be the reason that someone comes back or Judaism or starts feeling more proud about being a Jew...if you knew the reward in that this group would already have a million Jews in it...please help me out...ive spent the last 5 weeks on the computer every day [....]please do your part, its never been easier to earn a mitzvah OR MILLIONS OF POTENTIAL MITZVAHS...have a great shabbos and KNOW not believe that Hashem is always protecting and hovering over His Beloved Jews...if He wasnt we wouldve been destoyed thousands of years ago...how could a people so small in numbers dominate the world like we do...ill let you answer that because you already know the answer...shalom shalom and may Hashem destroy those that try to destroy us

Parashá Ree

PARASHÁ SHOFTIM por Rav Peter Tarlow

Em louvor da bendita memória de Silvia Machado da EIL

Se llama la parashá para esta semana "Shoftim". La van a encontrar en el Libro de Deuteronomio 16:18-21:9). Su tema central es el desarrollo de un sistema de liderazgo. Aunque la traducción más común de la palabra "shofet" es "juez" en el contexto bíblico suele significar la persona que hacía los juzgamientos políticos. Es con esta acepción de la palabra que se ve la transición a las leyes tocantes a la guerra. Era el trabajo del shofet hacer las decisiones que determinarían si la nación había de entrar en guerra y la manera que iban a conducir la guerra.

Debemos decir que la Torá nos predica la paz, pero era suficiente realista para darse cuenta que hay momentos cuando la guerra va a estallar o hasta cuando la guerra sea necesaria. Toda esta sección semanal gira alrededor del concepto que las leyes deben tener algo que ver con la realidad como es y no con lo que queremos que sea. Por ejemplo, en esta sección encontramos una variedad de leyes que tratan de la protección de los cadáveres de los fallecidos. Dándose cuenta de que los fallecidos no se pueden proteger y que un cuerpo es el recipiente del alma, nos da un ramo de leyes enseñándonos el respecto apropiado por los difuntos.

Quizás no haya ningún lugar para comprender este principio que en el análisis de la parashá de quien debería y de quien no debería entrar en el ejercito. El texto nos enseña que vamos a eximir del ejercito a los hombres que acaban de construir una casa pero aún no viven en ella, a los hombres que recién plantaron un viñedo y no todavía ha probado su fruta, y a los hombres comprometidos pero aún no casados. Por fin la ley Biblia exime del ejercito a los temeroso y a los pusilánimes. Parece que el texto supone que nadie querría eludir sus deberes, pero si un hombre entra en la batalla con resentimientos o pensando en otras cosas, este hombre no sería un buen soldado. Esto es aún más correcto tocante a la 4ª categoría, o sea los que son cobardes o pusilánimes. El texto comprende que la negatividad fomenta más negatividad, y que no hay nada más peligroso al bienestar de un ejercito que una persona negativa.

El texto nos enseña que cada tiene su papel en la vida. Si somos personas negativas, si destruimos en lugar de construimos, entonces la sociedad está en peligro. En cambio, los positivos inspiran a los otros y sus opciones en la vida ayudan a todos. El texto nos desafía preguntándonos que tipo de persona somos. Es importante que sepamos que las opciones que escogemos impactan no solamente nuestra vida sino la de todos que tengan contacto con nosotros.

Postagem: Avimi Moshe Prera, Presidente Kehillah Or Ahayim

Ditos de sábios

Dichos de los sabios

Una viña rodeada de una valla es mejor que una sin esa valla. Sin embargo no hagas la valla más alta de lo que intentas proteger; porque entonces, si cayera, machacaría a las plantas.

A Torah

LOS MIEMBROS DE LA GRAN ASAMBLEA

1.- Moisés recibió la Torá en el Sinai y la pasó a Josué, Josué a los Ancianos, y los Ancianos a los Profetas. Y los Profetas la pasaron a los miembros de la Gran Asamblea. Éstos dijeron tres cosas: se pausado en el juicio; ten muchos discípulos; y haz una valla alrededor de la Torá.

The Winds of War Shift?

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 09, 2006

The Winds of War Shift?

That is the title of an opinion piece by Jonathan Rosenblum in today's Yated Ne'eman.

How I would like to remove that question mark from the title. And until midday yesterday (Sunday), it finally appeared that a more definitive and positive statement might be possible. Now, however, the question mark must return.

Last week ended with the Israel’s political echelons subjected to withering criticism from two of its best friends in the international media: Charles Krauthamer and Bret Stephens. Stephens, the former editor of the Jerusalem Post, pronounced Israel to be losing the war, both politically and militarily, in the Wall Street Journal. He pointed out that Prime Minister Olmert had consistently downgraded Israel’s war goals from the outset of fighting. Initially, Israel had spoken of "breaking" Hizbullah, then of evicting it from the Israeli border, still later of "degrading" Hizbullah’s capabilities, and, finally, of creating the circumstances for an effective international force to police the border.

Yet after scathingly critical articles by Bret Stephens, Caroline Glick, and Charles Krauthammer, there seemed to be a definite shift in Israel's favor.

And indeed by the end of last week, it appeared that the tide had turned in Israel’s favor. Israeli troops were now operating against Hizbullah positions in twenty or so villages in southern Lebanon, as opposed to the two that had occupied all the IDF’s attention in the war’s first weeks. And in a daring commando raid, deep in the Beka’a Valley, more than 60 miles north of the Israeli-Lebanese border, an Israeli force managed to capture five Hizbullah fighters and valuable intelligence information, and return home without incurring any casualties. Naval commandos landed off the Lebanese coast, and entered the coastal city of Tyre, from which most of the missiles aimed at Haifa have been launched. "The IDF has been able to learn on the go, and learn well," pronounced Glick.

But then, just as quickly and without warning, the tide seems to have turned once again--against Israel.

The horrendous casualties when a katyusha landed directly on a group of reservists gathering at Kfar Giladi on the Lebanese border, killing 12, however, seemed to have changed all that. The Jerusalem Post reported Monday morning that the IDF no longer planned to push to the Litani, and would content itself with securing a 6-8 kilometer security zone from the northern border.

With a cease-fire that would allow Israel to leave its forces in place till a suitable international force could be formed to take its place, Hizbollah would still be able to claim victory for being able to live to kill another day. never mind the question of what kind of international force can possibly be found that can stand up to the intimidation and bribes of Hizbollah--which so obviously undercut UNIFIL, currently under the command of the French.

Rosenblum suggests a way for Israel to keep Hizbollah under control:

Is there anything else Israel can do to deter Hizbullah? At least one school of thought assumes there is: Put Syria on notice that it will be held accountable for Hizbullah.

Hizbullah depends on Syrian support. And there is reason to believe that Syria will listen if the threat is credible. In 1998, Turkey threatened to go to war with Syria if Syria did not cut off support for Kurdish rebels in Turkey. Syria did. The time has come, writes Efraim Inbar, for Israel to talk Turkey to Syria.

The only question is: Does any Israeli leader know Turkey.

After Rosenblum finished his article, news came out that Israel might yet take the battle to Hizbollah and the winds might yet shift once again.

According to Arutz Sheva:

Halutz, who has not appeared in public in recent days, announced Tuesday that his deputy chief of staff, Major-General Moshe Kaplinsky (photo above), will work alongside Adam, overseeing all military forces operating in Lebanon.

...Others explain that the move signals more than dissatisfaction, but also a clear sign that Halutz expects to receive the green light from the prime minister for a large-scale military operation, one that will involve more than the close to 100,000 reservists already activated for service, one that will bring IDF forces deeper into Hizbullah territory in Lebanon.

Military historians report that Halutz’s move is not without precedent, citing that during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, then Chief of Staff David Elazar appointed his predecessor, former IDF Chief of Staff Chaim Bar-Lev to take command of the southern district, replacing Southern District Commander Major-General Shmuel Gonen (Gorodish).

...Since the start of the warfare, 105 Israelis, civilians and military personnel, have been killed. 3,487 Katyusha rockets were fired into Israel, and Magen David Adom emergency medical service officials responded to 1,070 calls for assistance resulting from rocket attacks. Air force officials’ report pilots have carried out over 5,127 sorties, and foreign sources report close to 800 Lebanese have been killed.

Despite Peretz’s and Halutz’s definitive position, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is moving cautiously, with aides admitting the prime minister remains undecided. Olmert is seeking additional guarantees regarding a decisive IDF victory, realizing the past four weeks have not produced the desired results. Analysts agree that IDF forces have ‘won’ most battles, but Hizbullah has not exhibited true signs of defeat as rockets continue to pound civilian population centers.

One thing is clear, when this operation is finished, there will be an investigation--both on how the 2 soldiers were abducted to how the operation was run. There will be tough questions, and answers that Israel will not be happy with.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Iran and Lebanon and Hizbollah and Hezbollah