tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-190083422024-03-13T19:01:41.774+00:00Kehillah Or AhayimDiário Digital da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - KOaH
KEHILLAH OR AHAYIM -
SHEMA ISRAEL ADONAI ELOHENU ADONAI ECHADBlog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.comBlogger987125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-813249352384047102010-10-17T23:35:00.000+01:002010-10-17T23:35:20.873+01:00Israel's Strange Priorities<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div class="blue" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 7px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">10.02.2010]</span></div><div class="entry-body" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="pageTitle" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 16px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Israel's Strange Priorities</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Once again, Prime Minister Netanyahu has </span><a href="http://www.jpost.com/Israel/Article.aspx?id=189942" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">publicly pleaded</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> with the Palestinians not to leave the "peace talks." And his Defense Minister (who did his best to give Arafat the Old City of Jerusalem) joined in by promising that a compromise can reached that will allow the talks to go on.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />While Israel's leaders are chasing after Abbas ( a man who believes that Jerusalem was never Israel's capital) the Iranians continue to charm the West and proceed toward attaining nuclear weapons. Last week, a Yale University professor arranged for her students to meet and listen to Iran's tyrannical President. Did you hear or read anything about this meeting -- this brainwashing of American college students? Well unless you read the </span><a href="http://www.yaledailynews.com/news/2010/sep/27/relating-to-iran-in-seminar-and-in-person/" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yale Daily News </span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">or</span><a href="http://pajamasmedia.com/michaelledeen/" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Michael Ledeen</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> the chances are this is the first time you even heard of this outrage. <br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />Where are the critics of this odious man and the deadly regime he represents? Where are the human rights groups who denounce Israel for phony human rights abuses? Why aren't they protesting? Where are Israel's defenders? Where is the State of Israel?<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />We received a note from a popular Christian writer who asked why Israel's Prime Minister was not in New York focusing the world's attention on the barbarity and the dangers of the Iranian regime. We responded, "Ask him."<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />As Iran moves closer to attaining nuclear power, we need to demand that the United States and Israel make stopping Iran a top priority.</span></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-24813705027040155842010-10-17T02:52:00.000+01:002010-10-17T02:52:59.702+01:00Concedieron el Premio Nobel de la Paz a un famoso disidente<div class="top-news-uptitle" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10px; padding-left: 9px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Liu Xiaobo cumple una larga condena de cárcel</span></div><div class="top-news-title" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16pt; font-weight: 600; padding-left: 7px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Concedieron el Premio Nobel de la Paz a un famoso disidente</span></div><div class="top-news-description" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #333333; font-family: arial; font-size: 9pt; margin-right: 5px; padding-left: 7px;"><img align="left" alt="" border="1" height="360" hspace="10" src="http://www.aurora-israel.co.il/images/uploaded/image/01-31-10-2010/2640/otras/IIa-paz.jpg" vspace="2" width="300" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">El escritor chino Liu Xiaobo, galardonado con el Premio Nobel de la Paz y en prisión desde el año 2008 por pedir reformas democráticas en su país, es un molesto disidente para el Gobierno comunista de Beijing, que ha tratado, sin éxito, de intimidar a la Academía sueca, para que no incluya al implicado entre los galaronados este año.<br />
En los últimos días ha sido la propia “dictablanda” china, como el mismo Liu denomina al sistema de su país, la que más fama le ha dado al amenazar formalmente a la Academia de Oslo y al Gobierno noruego con graves consecuencias en sus relaciones bilaterales si deciden otorgar el próximo viernes el galardón más importante del mundo a este polémico crítico literario y político. Nacido en Changchun (Jilin) el 28 de diciembre de 1955, Liu es uno de los autores del manifiesto conocido como “Carta 08”, rubricado por otros 303 conocidos intelectuales y artistas de su país en 2008, y que un año después le supuso una condena de 11 años entre rejas.<br />
En el documento, los todavía hoy acosados firmantes pedían al Gobierno de la segunda potencia económica del mundo que aplicara derechos recogidos expresamente en la Constitución china, como la libertad de prensa y de expresión, el multipartidismo o la protección del medio ambiente.<br />
El manifiesto, que hoy acumula 20.000 firmas, estaba inspirado en la “Carta 77” que la oposición de la extinta Checoslovaquia redactó en 1977 y contribuyó a la caída del régimen comunista en 1989.<br />
Fue ese mismo año cuando Liu abandonó su estadía como profesor visitante en la Universidad de Columbia, en Nueva York, para encabezar la huelga de hambre en las protestas estudiantiles de la Plaza de Tiananmen, en Beijing, que ese verano acabaron en masacre.<br />
Aquella madrugada del 4 de junio de 1989, él y otros tres veteranos activistas salvaron cientos de vidas al negociar una salida pacífica de la famosa Plaza antes de que los carros blindados mataran a los centenares que se negaban a abandonar su protesta en las inmediaciones del lugar.<br />
Quienes lo conocen de entonces aseguran que su carácter se suavizó y su lucha tomó un cariz francamente pacifista y dialogante.<br />
Tiananmen le valió una primera condena, de dos años, y en 1996 llegó la segunda, de tres, en un “campo de reeducación laboral” (“laogai”) donde celebró su matrimonio con su segunda y actual esposa, la poetisa Liu Xia, cinco años más joven que él y que gracias a un certificado especial podía visitar a su marido a menudo.<br />
Ella cuenta que “les une una amistad de décadas y su amor por la literatura, en concreto por el ruso Dostoievski y checo Kafka”; y él definía así su relación en un mensaje escrito tras la sentencia de 2009: “Tu amor es la luz que atraviesa los muros y las rejas de la prisión, acaricia cada pulgada de mi piel, calienta cada una de mis células y me permite mantener mi calma interior”.<br />
La misma calma interior que mostraba en 2007, cuando abandonó la Presidencia del “Centro Chino PEN para la libertad de expresión” y en una entrevista anticipaba un futuro carcelario que se veía resignado a afrontar para proseguir con su lucha pacífica por el futuro de sus compatriotas.<br />
Una actitud similar a la del pacifista alemán Carl von Ossietzky, el otro presidiario galardonado con el Premio de Oslo en 1935, cuando cumplía condena por alta traición y espionaje.<br />
Geir Lundestad, el director del Instituto Noruego Nobel y quien denunció esta semana las presiones de la vicecanciller china Fu Ying para que la distinción no vaya a parar a ninguno de los disidentes chinos nominados, sugirió en 2001 que tarde o temprano la pesadilla de Beijing se hará realidad.<br />
Otros ganadores del galardón como el Dalai Lama, líder espiritual tibetano en el exilio, o el escritor Vaclav Havel, ex presidente de la República Checa e impulsor de la “Carta 77” contra el rígido régimen comunista, han expresado públicamente su apoyo al escritor chino premiado, que cumple una larga condena de cárcel. (EFE).</span></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-84651599941783805502010-10-17T01:48:00.001+01:002010-10-17T02:00:07.362+01:00Netanyahu: o Líbano está se tornando uma extensão do regime iraniano<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Netanyahu: o Líbano está se tornando uma extensão do regime iraniano</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">O primeiro-ministro Benjamin Netanyahu (foto) respondeu à previsão do "desaparecimento dos sionistas" feito no Líbano, o presidente iraniano, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, com um convite a olhar para a força que tem o país.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Netanyahu advertiu que o Líbano está se tornando uma extensão do regime dos aiatolás do Irã ".</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Hoje ouvimos insultos e abominações da fronteira libanesa A melhor resposta para tal blasfêmia foi dada 62 anos atrás:. Estado e tudo o que temos construído e desenvolvido desde então", disse ele, no Museu da Independência, em Tel Aviv.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"E desde então, olhar para as pessoas do estado, eo exército é o povo de Israel. Vamos continuar a construir e criar o nosso país e estar preparado para protegê-lo", continuou ele.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Netanyahu evitou responder a pergunta de se seu governo tivesse considerado assassinar o líder iraniano durante sua visita ao país vizinho dos cedros.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Nós vemos o que precisa ser feito para proteger o Estado", ele disse simplesmente.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">O deputado do Partido União Nacional Aryeh Eldad, disse que Israel deve aproveitar a visita de Ahmadinejad ao Líbano para assassiná-lo, o que "seria como matar Hitler em 1939, pouco antes do Holocausto.</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Por sua parte, porta-voz do Ministério dos Negócios Estrangeiros, Yigal Palmor, disse que o discurso do presidente iraniano no sul da cidade de Bint Jbeil, perto da fronteira com o Estado judaico, corresponde a "um incendiário obsessão descontrolada."</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"Nós não serviremos a revista," ele disse Ahmadinejad, que na sua visita oficial ao Líbano, elogiou o grupo xiita Hezbollah (Partido de Deus), chamado por seus partidários a "Resistência".</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">O líder iraniano elogiou o Hezbollah por "provocar a derrota amarga dos sionistas e introduzir medo e desespero nos corações dos sionistas." EFE, Aurora</span></div></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-23207487263008435232010-10-14T01:50:00.000+01:002010-10-17T01:56:22.780+01:00Parshas Lech Lecha<div align="center" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Parshas Lech Lecha </span></div><div align="center" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
</span></div><div align="center" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Rabino Pinchas Winston</span></div><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Divine Intervention in Our Wars Against Our Enemies</span></div><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></div><table style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="545"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">And the angel of God said to her, "You are pregnant, and you will give birth to a son. You will call him 'Yishmael,' because God has heard your affliction. (Bereishis 16:11) </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br />
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It is the butterfly effect in action. There was Hagar, in the middle of nowhere, pregnant and dying. Sarah, her mistress, had been hard on her and she had fled to the desert, and left up to her own devices, she and her future son Yishmael would have died then and there, and what a different world it would be today!<br />
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In next week's parshah, history will get a second chance. This time Yishmael will already be a young man when Avraham sends him away with his mother, this time on command from God, and they will come close to dying. And, even though the angels will protest against any kind of Divine survival effort, because of how he will later treat the descendants of Yitzchak in the future, God reminded them that He judges a person based upon his current spiritual status only, not his future one.<br />
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Amazing, is it not, how such a seemingly insignificant event, comparable to the simple fluttering of a butterfly's wings, could have such a dramatic result thousands of years later, like a raging storm caused by the same butterfly half a world away? Most people do not almost die as he once did twice, and yet, look at what he has become and what he has done over the millennia, because he did not!<br />
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And he is only just warming up.<br />
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Even God, according to the Talmud, had second thoughts, so-to-speak:<br />
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There are three things that God regretted creating: Kasdim, Yishmael, and the yetzer hara. (Yerushalmi, Ta'anis 15a)<br />
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A little later on, the Talmud brings the story about how when the Jewish people were on their way into exile to Bavel and dying from thirst, they turned to the people of Yishmael for relief. Feigning sympathy, the Yishmaelim instead fed the Jews salty fish to intensify their thirst, and then gave them empty water pouches from which to quench themselves, causing them to die immediately. With relatives like that ...<br />
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But, how does God regret anything? Regret is something you feel when you did something you thought would turn out well, but happened to turn out bad. For God, such surprises are not possible, since He is omniscient, and always knows the outcome of an event before it even begins. Indeed, God wouldn't cause something to happen unless He intended for the end result from the start.<br />
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Rashi, answering a similar question, says the following:<br />
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God repented-vayinachem-that He had made man on earth, and it pained His heart. (Bereishis 6:6)<br />
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Vayinachem: It was a consolation-nechamah-for Him that He created man on earth, for had he been one of the Heavenly beings he would have incited them also to rebel against God.<br />
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It pained Him: In the mind of God man became an object to be bothered (i.e., punished).<br />
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In other words, it wasn't that God was surprised by the outcome of history; He knew what would eventually occur long before man was even created. However, once history fulfilled its destiny, necessitating a Flood, God turned from Divine mercy to Divine judgment, in order to decide what to do with mankind who had become so corrupt (Rashi). The verses are noting the historical change of Divine thinking, which had always been planned. This has to be the case, because with respect to the yetzer hara, the Midrash says:<br />
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Rebi Nachman the son of Shmuel said: "... And behold, it was very good" (Bereishis 1:31); "And behold," this refers to the yetzer tov; "very good" refers to the yetzer hara, for the yetzer hara is very good. Were it not for the yetzer hara, a man would not build a house, marry a woman, do business ... (Bereishis Rabbah 9:7)<br />
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After all, as the Talmud states, "God created the yetzer hara, and He created Torah as its spice" (Kiddushin 30b). Hence, without the yetzer hara, what would there be for Torah to spice?<br />
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But then again, why would God 'regret' having created it, if its purpose is so central to everything the Jewish people strive to accomplish? The answer to this question is also in the Talmud:<br />
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Rav Shimon, the son of Levi said: Every day the yetzer of a man strengthens itself seeking to kill him, and it would succeed if Heaven did not help him. (Kiddushin 30b)<br />
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Confused? No need. The Midrash is talking about the yetzer hara prior to Adam HaRishon's sin, when man was perfectly balanced between good and evil (Derech Hashem 1:3:1). The Talmud is talking about the yetzer hara after man sinned and spiritually 'absorbed' the yetzer hara into his very being. Long gone is man's perfect balance between good and evil; he is like meat for the vultures now.<br />
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The situation is the same with respect to the descendants of Yishmael. Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world today, going far beyond the effects that Christianity once had. And, the strange thing about it is that when Christianity spread, it brought a more advanced message about God than the paganistic world at that time had ever known. Islam seems to be a large step backwards for the Western world, and one that many would not take if the Arab world wasn't so incredibly intimidating.<br />
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The Yerushalmi made its statement in fifth century. We are living some 15 centuries later, and during the time since Bnei Yishmael have had time to grow, build, and conquer. And conquer. And conquer some more. And today, what they do not take through war they take through diplomacy and diplomatic intimidation. The have greatly upset the equilibrium of Creation, and for that reason, God changed his heart, so-to-speak, with respect to his creation.<br />
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But that is just a Divine warning to man to be aware of Bnei Yishmael just as he should be aware of his yetzer hara. And, in each case, he must turn to God for help, for clearly the power that each wields is more than anyone can counter on his own. Indeed, that is the very reason why both exist in the first place: to turn man back to God.<br />
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Hence his name: Yishmael: God will hear, as in:<br />
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Eventually the king of Egypt died. By that time, the Children of Israel were broken because of the servitude, and they cried. Their cry for help came to God, who heard their groaning. God remembered his covenant with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'akov, and saw the Children of Israel. God was aware of their suffering. (Shemos 2:23-25)<br />
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That is the job of Yishmael. Like the yetzer hara, they exist to make the Jewish people turn to God for help, Who is only too willing to give it. The problem is that we are not too willing to ask for it, instead turning to politicians or technology to solve our problems. Or, we simply adapt to the situation and say things like, "Nu, it could always be worse." Hence, the Talmud says:<br />
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Rebi Alexandri said: Rebi Yehoshua ben Levi raised the following contradiction: It says, "Behold like the clouds of Heaven came one like the son of man" (Daniel 7:13). It is also written, "Lowly and riding upon a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). If they merit it, he will come with the clouds of Heaven, but if they do not merit it, he will come upon a donkey. (Sanhedrin 98a)<br />
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It is certainly no coincidence that the Arab world is compared to the chamor-donkey-for a number of reasons. Hence, when the Talmud says that if we are not worthy of Moshiach arriving like clouds of Heaven, that he will arrive lowly and riding upon a donkey, it is safe to assume that this means on the back of Yishmael. Yishmael, the Talmud indicates, and all the trouble he will cause us, God forbid, will trigger Moshiach's arrival.<br />
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Why? The answer is obvious. All hypocrisy aside (which is not an easy task), the Arab world, for the most part, shuns the modern world. Turning a blind eye to the Arab aristocracy, which most seem to do, Muslims, in general, see modern technology as a device of the devil, and deplore and fear it. They'll use it to carry out terrorist attacks on innocent civilians, but they won't use it that much in everyday life.<br />
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It is just the opposite by the Jews. They'd rather not use technology for military purposes, but instead just enjoy its multiple and often addictive opportunities in everyday life. Jews, for the most part, love the good life, and they'll use the modern world any way they can to get more of it, sometimes at the cost of important spiritual values, like God, for example.<br />
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Indeed, explains the Shem M'Shmuel (Parashas Vayishlach), the number one obstacle in the path of the Final Redemption will be materialism. It already is. In fact, find me a deviation from the long term goals of the Jewish people, and I will show some form of materialism that is causing it. And, as a result, for the umpteenth time in our three-millennia history, it is endangering us all over again, leaving us, once again, in harm's way.<br />
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Fascinating, is it not, how the more technology speeds up and tries to dominate people's lives, the faster Islam and Sharia Law tries to dominate the world? It is a such a counter-culture, with some aspects being reminiscent of certain Torah values. But, like all the religions that have used Judaism as their base, the Muslim adaptation has become extreme in its interpretation and application of the original Word of God, until it has become anything but that.<br />
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One thing is for sure. Like the yetzer hara, which is all over us and trying to kill us every chance it gets, Yishmael is all over the world, and capable of doing very much the same, one way or another. In each case, we aint going to win this war on our own, not without a formidable amount of Divine intervention. There are just too many of them, they have too much chutzpah, and the West tends to be intimidated by them to no end.<br />
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And to think, all we have to do is ask for God's help.<br />
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And to fear, we won't, at least not until, as was in the case of Egypt, we are forced to scream out for Divine assistance.<br />
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And, we didn't even get a chance to deal with Persia-Iran-yet.<br />
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Rav said: "All the keitzin-end dates-have passed, and the matter depends only on repentance and good deeds." But Shmuel maintained: "It is sufficient for a mourner to keep his mourning." This matter is disputed by Tannaim: Rebi Eliezer said: "If Israel repents, they will be redeemed; if not, they will not be redeemed." Rebi Yehoshua said to him, "If they do not repent, will they not be redeemed! Rather, The Holy One, Blessed is He, will set up a king over them, whose decrees will be as difficult as Haman's, whereby the Jewish people will repent, and He will thus bring them back to the right path." (Sanhedrin 97b) </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-37033278683110717022010-10-13T02:14:00.000+01:002010-10-17T02:14:57.069+01:00Parshas Lech Lecha<div align="center" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Parshas Lech Lecha </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Avraham's Legacy to his Descendants</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></div><table style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;" width="545"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Why is Avraham so special? The Torah does not grant him the complimentary adjectives that it lavished upon Noach at the beginning of last week’s parsha. His willingness to die on behalf of his belief in one God at the test of the furnace of Ur Casdim is not even mentioned in the Torah text. It was only inferred by the rabbis from tradition and a reference to one word – Ur – in the text itself.<br />
<br />
So why is Avraham the father of many nations and generations and the spiritual ancestor and guide to so many millions in the world, even thirty five centuries after his death? The rabbis of Mishna Avot have long ago provided the answer to these questions. They stated that our father Avraham was sorely tested by life and the Creator ten times and he rose greater each time from the experience.<br />
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I have often thought that the most remarkable quality of the Jewish people is not necessarily or even mainly its scholarship and its contributions to the betterment of humanity, as much as it is its resilience. This resilience is personified in the life and vicissitudes of our father Avraham. To a great extent we all pray that we not be tested too often or too severely in our lives. Yet simply being a Jew and not deserting the cause of the Jewish people at the time of its need is a significant test.<br />
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Many are the critics and enemies of Avraham. Yet he never loses his faith. His hopes for humanity and his loyalty to the values that have guided his way in life survive all of his experiences in life. That is the Jewish definition of the quality of resilience that has become the hallmark of Jewish life throughout the ages.<br />
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I have also often thought that the most difficult tests in Avraham’s life concerned members of his immediate family. Throwing one’s self into a fire for an ideal or a closely held belief is not unique to the Jewish people. Even though we may be the leader in continuous world martyrdom we are not the only ones with such a history and value.<br />
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Perhaps that is why the Torah did not choose to stress the test of Ur Casdim in its text. But, it does tell us, in painful detail, of the betrayal of Avraham and his values and life style by his ungrateful nephew, Lot. How does one deal with such a disappointment? Yet Avraham goes to war to save Lot and his wealth and it is because of Avraham alone that Lot apparently undeservedly survives the destruction of Sdom.<br />
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Avraham’s son Yishmael behaves like a wild beast in human guise. Parents may be helpless and even blameless regarding the behavior of their adult children, but the hurt that those adult children can inflict upon their parents with wrongful behavior is immeasurable. Yet Avraham does not waver, and at the end of his life he lived to see that Yishmael repented and returned.<br />
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It is the unwavering courage and tenacity of Avraham, in the face of all defeats, hurts, hostile enemies and false friends, that most impresses us about our father. This strength of constantly renewing resilience is the legacy that he has bestowed upon us, his generations and descendants.<br />
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Shabat shalom. </span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-26997970628647342822010-10-11T01:53:00.001+01:002010-10-17T01:54:29.288+01:00Weekly Review: October 10, 2010<div style="color: #277396; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><strong>Weekly Review: October 10, 2010<br />
</strong>Dear Friend of Jerusalem,<br />
<br />
Here are the latest headlines from the <a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">One Jerusalem Blog</a>:</div><div style="color: #277396; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">● </span><b><a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/jerusalem-is-voted-one-of-the.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">Jerusalem is voted one of the world's top travel destinations</a></b>: We always knew this was the case but its good to see the rest of the world catching on. Our friends at the City of David have received special mention. Bravo. Check out the winner's list here.... (<a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/jerusalem-is-voted-one-of-the.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #277396; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">● </span><b><a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/americans-distrust-obama-on-is.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">Americans Distrust Obama ON Israel, Iran, Security</a></b>: The Emergency Committee for Israel recently polled 1,000 likely Americans and the results show a growing divide between Americans and the policies of the Obama Administration:Some highlights from the poll:47% believe that Obama's outreach to Muslim world has decreased American... (<a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/americans-distrust-obama-on-is.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #277396; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">● </span><b><a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/israelis-growing-inpaitent-wit.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">Israelis Growing Impatient With Government</a></b>: Haaretz political reporter Yossi Verter in the weekend magazine (published in Hebrew) reports new polls from Kamil Fuchs which he says should be headlined :"Government in Free Fall". Netanyahu lost 12 per cent support since June 2010. Foreign Minister Lieberman... (<a href="http://www.onejerusalem.org/2010/10/israelis-growing-inpaitent-wit.php" style="color: #147dba;" target="_blank">read more</a>)</span></div><div style="color: #277396; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><b style="color: #277396;">Sincerely, The One Jerusalem Team</b></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-41409145827847557882010-10-08T02:54:00.000+01:002010-10-17T02:55:50.928+01:00Lech Lechá<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><span class="texto14Bold" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Lech Lechá</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;" /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 13px;"><span class="texto12" style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #434343; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></span></o:p></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><strong style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><img _height="75" _width="75" align="right" alt="" src="http://cip.org.br/img/uploaded/imagens/9/lech-lecha_2010.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">O particular e o universal no judaísmo<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Muitas vezes o judaísmo é criticado por ser fechado. Segundo essa observação, os judeus ocupam-se apenas deles, não querem contato com não judeus e acreditam que são o povo escolhido por serem naturalmente melhores do que os demais.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">A parashá que inicia o caminho de Avraham, o primeiro hebreu, nos mostra uma realidade bem diferente. O primeiro mandamento que recebe o patriarca - e através do qual se torna patriarca desse povo acusado de ser particularista - é: “Vai-te da tua terra, da tua pátria, da casa de teu pai, à terra que te mostrarei... e seja benção... para que em ti sejam abençoadas todas as famílias da terra”. Ou seja, ele deve justamente abandonar a pátria particular, a casa particular e se entregar a uma causa geral cujo objetivo é a benção da humanidade inteira.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">É verdade, para isso irá a uma terra determinada e fará uma viagem para si mesmo (Vai-TE − a ti mesmo), mas o objetivo final são todos. O judaísmo é particular porque não se impõe, porque não persegue, porque não tenta converter, porque não acredita ser o único caminho. Mesmo assim, quer trazer a benção a todos, a sua benção particular, sem impor, sem converter. Todos são igualmente dignos e destinatários dessa benção.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Normalmente é assim: o que temos a dar para fora de nós é aquilo que é especial em nós. Para podermos contribuir precisamos desenvolver a nossa unicidade, aquilo que nos faz únicos. S.R.Hirsch, que viveu na época da Emancipação no centro da Europa, dizia que é justamente a abertura cultural da Europa que convida os judeus a contribuírem com sua particularidade, a realizarem a sua missão universal de aportarem a sua particularidade judaica. Na era moderna o judeu não é chamado a se assimilar e sim a se aproximar da sua identidade, ser mais ele mesmo, pois é em virtude disso que será valorizado.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><strong style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">As contas morais, políticas e existenciais<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></strong></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Nesta parashá, Avraham acumula muito sucesso, conquista bens econômicos significativos, salva-se de ameaças e salva reis em meio a guerras injustas. Ao voltar vitorioso da guerra, Deus diz a ele: “Não tema, Eu cuidarei da sua recompensa”. Os comentários tradicionais se perguntam: do que poderia temer Avraham uma vez que obteve tanto sucesso, uma vez que a recompensa justamente estava na sua mão? Destacarei quatro das múltiplas respostas que foram sugeridas ao longo da história de leituras empáticas: a) Avraham temeu ter atropelado e matado na guerra inocentes que estavam misturados entre criminosos; b) Avraham temeu pela integridade moral dele mesmo pelo fato de ter matado mesmo justificadamente. A guerra machuca e estraga a humanidade em todos os casos; c) Avraham temeu a possível represália dos descendentes daqueles que perderam a guerra, mesmo sabendo que foram culpados, levando a uma escalada interminável de violência; d) Avraham temeu pelos efeitos de seu sucesso. Assim como tememos o fracasso, existe o temor do sucesso, que pode gerar inveja nos demais, arrogância própria e falta de autocrítica, necessidade (interna - psicológica; ou externa - teológica, mística) de compensar o bem com algum mal neste mundo ou em outro, nesta dimensão ou em outra. Como se o mundo e a vida tivessem equilíbrios rígidos que precisam se manter a fim de manter a saúde das pessoas e de sua educação. Ter e não ter, conquistar e perder. Talvez essa seja uma possível explicação para a expressão da famosa benção dos sacerdotes que começa dizendo “ievarechechá Ad-nai veishmerecha”, ou seja, Deus te abençoe e te cuide. Te cuide de ter recebido a benção, te cuide da própria benção, de como esta será administrada por você, de como você será visto pelos demais por ter recebido a benção e</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">de como será visto por você mesmo depois de ter consciência de ter recebido a benção.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Recebamos bênçãos, sejamos bênçãos, cuidemos das bênçãos e cuidemos de tudo que nos cerca através delas e por elas.<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm;"><br />
</div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Shabat Shalom,<o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Rabino Ruben Sternschein</span><o:p style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;"></o:p></span></div><div align="justify" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0cm; margin-right: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;"><br style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;" /></div></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-2461660718293475912010-10-08T01:58:00.000+01:002010-10-17T02:58:05.252+01:00Rabbi Yissocher Frand<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate;"></span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rabbi Yissocher Frand</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">'s Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 698, Did the Avos Keep the Torah? Good Shabbos<br />
</span></span></div><div align="left"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Lech-Lecha #1 or Lech-Lecha #2 – Which is the harder test?</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
The Medrash Rabbah on this week's Parsha states in the name of Rav Levi: There are two times that "Lech Lecha" is written in the Torah and we do not know which is G-d's favorite – the first or the second. The first "Lech Lecha" is obviously the first pasuk of our parsha [Bereshis 12:1]: "Go out from your land, from your birth place, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." The second "Lech Lecha" is in connection with Akeidas Yitzchok [the Binding of Yitzchak], where Avraham is told "Go out to the Land of Moriah and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you." [Bereshis 22:2] Rav Levi concludes that Akeidas Yitzchok was a greater test than the test of Avram leaving his homeland and thus the second instance of "Lech Lecha" is "more precious to G-d".<br />
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It is actually strange that Rav Levi was even puzzled by this question. Why would anyone think that the test of leaving one's homeland (particularly in the conte xt of the great reward that HaShem promised to Avram if he complied with this commandment) might be comparable to the test of the Akeida? The Akeida would be most difficult for any parent – particularly such a person as Avraham, who was the paradigm of Chessed [kindness] and who had preached monotheism and the virtues of a Merciful G-d all these years to his many disciples.<br />
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A Nesivos Shalom (by the Slonimer Rebbe) at the beginning of the parsha addresses this issue. Certainly, the Akeida was a very difficult nisayon [test], but it was a "one shot affair". Avraham was called upon to ascend the mountain, sacrifice Yitzchak, and then the nisayon would be over. However, the nisayon of Lech Lecha in our parsha is a test of beginning a journey that will affect him and will last the rest of his life.<br />
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Everyone has his own personal odyssey in life. We are all charged with the task of bringing completeness (shleimus) to our souls. We have to achieve correction (tikun) of our neshma [soul] in our own personal fashion. That is the charge of Lech LECHA (go in YOUR OWN way). This charge involves a lifetime of work. Many times, this charge requires getting out of the box that is one's environment, one's society, and one's family. We never enter life with a clean slate. We all enter life with baggage – emotional baggage, financial baggage, genetic baggage, family baggage. Sometimes the "baggage" is very good and extremely helpful. Other times the baggage can be a real handicap. The type of people that we are and the characteristics (middos) that we have are primarily not our own choosing.<br />
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When a person is given a mission in life and a goal to accomplish, it may involve the need to rid himself of so much of the baggage that he came with (one's land, one's birthplace, one's family). Such a challenge is not a one shot deal. Rather, it accompanies us day in and day out. Such a constant – lifelong – challenge may indeed be cumulatively a greate r test than a test requiring only a momentary rise to the occasion, as difficult as that challenge may be. </span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Historia Rav Chaim KAnievsky com Rav Bracha"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"></span></span></span></span><br />
<span class="" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 20px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" title="Historia Rav Chaim KAnievsky com Rav Bracha"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: nowrap;"><div style="text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; white-space: normal;"><b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bReRK-n0w">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5bReRK-n0w</a></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; white-space: normal;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 15px; white-space: normal;"><img src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwLoBL6V5O9TfrHJgC82k7GQp3kCLHlTkP7eoDvJv9Ogs-Quo&t=1&usg=__gxsn8QFXK6DsHEPWN1HVK6xYRY8=" /></span></span></div></span></span></span></span></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-12226027458986761632010-09-17T09:18:00.004+01:002010-10-17T02:22:28.047+01:00Shana Tova<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/midreshetshaareibina#p/a/u/0/dVlzFbA2MQ4">http://www.youtube.com/user/midreshetshaareibina#p/a/u/0/dVlzFbA2MQ4</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/midreshetshaareibina#p/a/u/0/7SyDuuiDCFg">http://www.youtube.com/user/midreshetshaareibina#p/a/u/0/7SyDuuiDCFg</a>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-2419478445114362182010-09-10T16:56:00.000+01:002010-10-17T17:58:10.301+01:00Americans Distrust Obama ON Israel, Iran, Security<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;"></span><br />
<div class="pageTitle" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 16px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Americans Distrust Obama ON Israel, Iran, Security</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">The Emergency Committee for Israel recently polled 1,000 likely Americans and the results show a growing divide between Americans and the policies of the Obama Administration:<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />Some highlights from the poll:<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />47% believe that Obama's outreach to Muslim world has decreased American security. 33% say it has increased security.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />51% said that Israel's enemies are America's enemies. 38% disagree<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />51% believe Jerusalem should remain undivided capital of Israel, only 20% disagree.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />26% say the creation of a Palestinian State will increase terrorism against Israel. 19% say it will decrease.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />22-16 say anti-American sentiment will increase with the creation of a Palestinian State.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />81% believe that enemies of the United States use the Israel-Palestinian conflict as an excuse for being anti-American.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />Nearly 60% disagree that Israeli policies create terrorists.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />76% say the United States can not be safe with a nuclear Iran.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />79% say that Obama will fail to stop Iran from going nuclear.<br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px;" />Clearly the American people are strong supporters of Israel and for a robust effort to stop Iran. Rea the whole poll </span><a href="http://www.committeeforisrael.com/" style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; text-decoration: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">here. </span></a>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-27140397836522382642010-07-29T02:38:00.001+01:002010-10-17T02:42:12.670+01:00Halacha Yomit: Making a bracha for another person<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvpwziMy84&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tvpwziMy84&feature=related</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">In this video, Rabbi Chaim Brovender, of WebYeshiva.org, discusses if one can make a bracha for another person. He explains that this only holds for bread and wine, and for fruit eaten as part of a meal.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwLoBL6V5O9TfrHJgC82k7GQp3kCLHlTkP7eoDvJv9Ogs-Quo&t=1&usg=__gxsn8QFXK6DsHEPWN1HVK6xYRY8=" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSwLoBL6V5O9TfrHJgC82k7GQp3kCLHlTkP7eoDvJv9Ogs-Quo&t=1&usg=__gxsn8QFXK6DsHEPWN1HVK6xYRY8=" /></a></div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-5265143034461572742010-03-28T02:27:00.002+01:002010-03-31T02:32:53.139+01:00El éxodo de un judío catalán<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">El éxodo de un judío catalán<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">El periodista Moshé Yanai (Barcelona, 1930) rememora cómo él y otros judíos fueron expulsados secretamente de España en 1944 por decreto del Gobierno franquista<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Javier Dale | Barcelona | 26/03/2010 | Actualizada a las 00:58h |<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">http://www.lavanguardia.es/ciudadanos/noticias/20100326/53898985753/el-exodo-de-un-judio-catalan-barcelona-cadiz-israel-haifa-palestina-europa-franco-vera-ebro-segunda-.html<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Hace 66 años, cuando arrancaba 1944, Moshé Yanai avistaba por primera vez la silueta de Haifa, entonces parte del protectoradopalestino del Reino Unido. Cerraba así un trayecto que duró días a bordo del Nyassa, un buque portugués que era el primero en cruzar el Mediterráneo sin escolta desde el arranque de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Su puerto de origen quedaba ya muy atrás. Y también una tierra, una ciudad, un idioma, una vida y una identidad: la suya propia. Hasta ese momento, Moshé Yanai había sido Mauricio Palomo, un niño cuya vida había transcurrido en el principal 1º de la calle Marques de Campo Sagrado 28 de Barcelona, la ciudad que le vio nacer. El por qué de su llegada a Haifa en aquel 1944 sólo encuentra una respuesta: Mauricio Palomo –Moshé Yanai- es judío.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Yanai, que hoy cuenta 79 años, ha dedicado gran parte de su vida a ejercer de traductor y periodista en Israel. Pero nunca ha olvidado Barcelona, Catalunya, ni el misterio de su salida de España. El pasado verano una nueva información le permitió arrojar luz sobre su propia existencia. Lo que le ocurrió a él, a su familia y al grupo de judíos que abandonaron España en enero de 1944 fue que fueron oficialmente expulsados. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">La pesadilla de la familia de Moshé Yanai, hijo de dos turcos emigrados a Barcelona, empezó el 20 de diciembre de 1940. "Dos agentes secretos llamaron a la puerta de nuestro apartamento –recuerda- , y pidieron a mi padre acompañarlos a la comisaría para contestar algunas preguntas, pero le llevaron a la cárcel Modelo. No le preguntaron nada, nunca hubo una acusación contra él". Así, José Palomo, un hombre que había llegado a Catalunya dos décadas antes, donde se había establecido como comerciante y había fundado una familia pasaba de ser un ciudadano sin pasaporte pero libre a un recluso que fue trasladado de inmediato a un campo de concentración ubicado en Miranda de Ebro (Burgos). "Era judío y apátrida; en otras palabras, persona no grata", afirma con amargura Moshé Yanai, que recuerda cómo su padre mantuvo la esperanza de poder volver a Barcelona: "Durante los primeros años de nuestra permanencia en la Palestina Mandatoria, mi padre ansiaba que los aliados derrocasen el régimen de Franco y pudiera regresar. Después de tantos años en Barcelona, y tras haber dominado tanto el castellano como el catalán, se consideraba hijo de esa tierra que le había acogido, por la que realmente tenía un profundo cariño". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Franco y los judíos <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">La única suerte de la familia Yanai/Palomo fue que la detención del padre no implicó la del resto de la familia. "El régimen franquista era cruel, pero en ese sentido se portó en otra forma que los nazis –explica Moshé Yanai-. Las familias de los detenidos judíos no fueron tocadas". Sin una persecución organizada contra los judíos, pero sí atentos a las denuncias que se pudieran recibir, Yanai aún no tiene una explicación a porqué su padre resultó detenido, y no otros judíos de su familia. El único argumento que encuentra es el de la denuncia directa de algún comerciante que conociera la religión de su padre y que quisiera "ampliar mercado" en una época de carestía: "Suponemos que fue detenido por una denuncia de alguien a quien mi padre habría perjudicado comercialmente". La historia y los archivos ofrecen respuestas a algunas de las preguntas que han acompañado a Yanai a lo largo de su vida. Lamentablemente, la memoria histórica no puede responder a todas. Quizá la denuncia que supuso el éxodo de los Palomo aún exista entre algún legajo de papeles olvidados, quizá el tiempo amarillo ya la haya corroído. Pero ese papel, ese aparente trámite burocrático, rompió la vida de una familia por el delito de ser judía. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Mientras el niño Mauricio Palomo y su madre trataban de sobrevivir en la Barcelona de posguerra, su padre, José Palomo, languidecía en un campo de concentración en Miranda de Ebro. La primera vez que Moshé fue a visitarle se estremeció: "Nunca había visto un lugar de reclusión –rememora-. Los ennegrecidos muros coronados por alambres de espino eran tan amenazadores como los ceñudos rostros de los soldados de guardia". El encuentro familiar –el único en todos los años de reclusión de José Palomo- fue dramático, por mucho que el padre de Moshé quisiera, con sentido del humor, rebajar su padecimiento y evitar el sufrimiento de sus seres queridos: "Nos contó alguna que otra anécdota, enfocándola de modo tal que pareciera que todo era en broma. Pero no había nada cómico en lo que ocurría". Paradójicamente, el hecho de José hablara catalán le permitió obtener el favor de alguno de sus carceleros: "A los guardianes que procedían de Catalunya les encantaba hablar con él en el excelente catalán que conocía. Eso sí, con mucha discreción". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Entretanto, y sin la conciencia de si su padre saldría alguna vez de la cárcel –o con el temor de que pudiera morir allí-, Moshé y su madre seguían con su vida. Como parte de la comunidad judía de Barcelona –Yanai estima que serían "unos cuatro o cinco mil" antes de la Guerra Civil- seguían con sus ritos. "Si no me equivoco, la sinagoga de Barcelona estaba cerca o en El Paralelo, y constaba de una sala de oración sefardí y otra ashkenazi". A pesar de todo –el encarcelamiento de su padre, la observación discreta de la religión- Moshé y su madre pudieron seguir practicando su religión sin ser recriminados. "Afortunadamente, desconocía lo que era el antisemitismo. Por eso, y a pesar de todo, mantengo esa actitud tan positiva con respecto al país en donde nací. Pero con la guerra y las conmociones de aquella época, no llegué a obtener ninguna educación religiosa. Lo único que mi madre hizo cuando cumplí los 13 años fue realizar la ceremonia del Bar Mitzvá".<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Poco imaginaba entonces que, poco después de la ceremonia, su vida iba a dar un giro de 180 grados. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">La expulsión <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Sólo había pasado un mes y medio desde que había cumplido con el rito del Bar Mitzvá cuando Moshé Yanai se vio paseando por Cádiz de la mano de su padre, puesto en libertad, y de su madre. En apenas 45 días la vida de este niño judío catalán había dado un vuelco: la familia volvía a estar unida, pero se veían obligados a abandonar Barcelona, Catalunya, España, sin una explicación. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">En Cádiz, alojados en el Hotel Playa, más de 500 judíos de distintas nacionalidades esperan a embarcar en el buque portugués Nyassa, con destino a Haifa. Saben dónde están y a dónde irán, e intuyen lo que les espera. Pero aun no saben por qué están allí. Por qué les obligan a irse. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">El pasado verano, un reportaje publicado por Diario de Cádiz resolvió al fin el enigma: fueron expulsados. Cuando el Nyassa partió, la Delegación del Gobierno de Cádiz recibió varios telegramas. Entre ellos, el que decía: "Prohíbase la entrada en España, aunque traigan documentación en regla, a los súbditos extranjeros Josef Palomo Sagues, de 37 años, hijo de Mauricio y Sara, natural de Bruyrquía, y Rudolf Heymann, de 42 años, hijo de Luis y Betty, natural de Hamburgo (Alemania). Expulsados del territorio nacional". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">La orden nunca se hizo pública, ni fue comunicada a los expulsados. Como tampoco, en las breves noticias publicadas en los medios de entonces, figura que el Nyassa hiciera escala en España. Sólo Diario de Cádiz publicó algo al respecto: "En tren especial ha llegado la expedición que se esperaba, integrada por 550 israelitas de distintas nacionalidades que se hallaban refugiados en España. Se hará cargo de ellos la Cruz Roja, que los trasladará a Palestina en un barco portugués que es esperado el próximo lunes". Pero no concreta –no podía concretar- que entre los israelitas se encontraba un grupo de judíos expulsados del país. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">"No estaba loco" <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Pilar Vera, la periodista que encontró el telegrama que confirmaba la expulsión de los judíos españoles, comenta que el hallazgo fue casual, casi una fábula. "El Archivo Histórico de Cádiz no guarda las causas por su nombre. Es decir, uno no puede buscar masones' o 'prostitución' y encontrarse con todos los expedientes, sino que tiene que saber lo que busca`, o a quién busca". Indagando sobre documentos vinculados a un hombre apellidado Palomo halló el telegrama "relativos a órdenes de expulsión. Entre ellas, por supuesto, estaba la familia de Moshé". El 22 de Enero, la Dirección General envió un primer telegrama informando de una lista de apátridas –"Eufemismo para judíos en tiempos de Franco", concreta Vera- que embarcarían en el Nyassa. Pero las autoridades franquistas esperaron a que el barco arribara a Haifa para emitir la orden de expulsión. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Cuando Vera contactó con Moshé Yanai para confirmarle que, en efecto, tanto él como su familia como el resto de los judíos que viajaron en el Nyassa habían sido expulsados, el anciano judío catalán sintió "una gran emoción, la sensación de que, al fin, se había cerrado un capítulo... y de que, sobre todo, no estaba loco", explica la periodista, que añade: "dado que el régimen franquista mostró, por comparación, una actitud más tolerante hacia los judíos que los otros fascismos en Europa, sonaba muy extraño que se hubiera llevado a cabo la expulsión de un grupo de judíos del territorio nacional". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Una nueva vida <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">En Haifa, y ya con Barcelona como el recuerdo de un imposible obligado a la nostalgia, la familia Palomo pronto fue la familia Yanai. Fueron años duros: Israel no existía –Palestina era un protectorado británico-, y la familia tuvo que adaptarse a nuevas circunstancias. La primera –al menos para Moshé- aprender hebreo: "Había que dar un giro completo: escribir a la inversa, de izquierda a derecha. Y luego puntos y rayas en lugar de vocales… Y eso que todavía no sabía que en el hebreo moderno, que mi padre todavía no conocía, habían desaparecido tales adiciones que hacen las veces de vocales. Pronto se instaló en una aldea agrícola –Ben Shemen- donde conoció a un tal Shimón, que con el tiempo sería Shimón Peres. Fueron tiempos de carencias, en los que Moshé aprendió a sacarse las castañas del fuego: como muchos judíos, ante las dificultades de su situación, pretendían viajar a Latinoamérica, el joven Yanai pudo empezar a ganarse la vida como profesor de castellano. Al poco, se establecieron en un arrabal de Tel Aviv junto a la mayoría de judíos que llegaron de España. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">La paz llegó a Europa, y al cabo de tres años nació el estado de Israel, y en paralelo Moshé Yanai empezó a hacerse una vida: su dominio de varios idiomas le permitió establecerse como traductor, más tarde como periodista. Para su padre, el expulsado Jose Palomo, preso durante tres años en un campo de concentración, la vida no fue tan fácil: "Ansiaba que terminara la guerra para que los aliados derrocasen el régimen de Franco, y pudiera regresar. En Israel siempre tuvo una condición modesta. Pero no dejó nunca de trabajar. Para él, fue una amarga decepción no haber conseguido regresar a Barcelona". <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Moshé tuvo la suerte que le faltó a su padre. Ha podido visitar Barcelona, la ciudad en la que nació, aunque sólo sea para comprobar que el edificio en el que transcurrió su infancia, el de la calle Marqués del Campo Sagrado 28, fue derruido. Pero sí sobrevive el Mercat de Sant Antoni, que tantas veces visitó. A sus 79 años, aún planea un nuevo viaje que también le llevará a Cádiz. Aunque esta vez será distinto. Esta vez sí sabrá por qué tuvo que partir su vida en dos a los 13 años: porque fue expulsado. Al fin, el círculo se ha cerrado.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-41589617654872826582010-03-26T15:09:00.000+00:002010-03-26T20:10:44.792+00:00casher l'Pésaj:<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Productos casher l'Pésaj:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Para los que ya han pedido sus productos de Pésaj, por favor,ven a recogerlos. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Los precios para los miembros son más económicos que para los no-miembros.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Aún así, los precios son accesibles para </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Si todavía no los has pedido, todavía quedan:</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Matsá cubierta en chocolate Yehudá (Israel)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Pastas de té dulces de matsá (limón y naranja) Bienfaisán (Francia)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Sémola de matsá Rosinski (Francia)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Matsá cuadrada, doble paquete, Rosinski (Francia)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Matsá shmura, Yehudá (Israel)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Rábano picante j'rein (para acompañar el guefilte fisch)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Vino dulce de shabat de Hafner (Austria)</span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-68152128735395487212010-03-26T14:19:00.001+00:002010-03-26T20:20:44.431+00:00A Sweet and Healthy Pesach<span style="color: blue;">Dear Beloved Readers of the Shabbat Shalom Weekly,,</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">A Sweet & Healthy Pesach ! </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">If you enjoy reading the Shabbat Shalom Weekly </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">and have often thought about making a contribution</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">to help it continue and reach more people,</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">but it went from the front burner to the back burner ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">and then kinda fell off the stove ...</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Then I ask, please, don’t "passover" this opportunity to give!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Take the pleasure of being a partner in something important and meaningful. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">May you and your family be blessed with health, happiness and long life!</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Warmly,</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Rabbi Kalman Packouz</span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-53082406700061934002010-03-26T14:15:00.001+00:002010-03-26T20:17:13.870+00:00G-d Showing Off<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">G-d Showing Off</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Chapter 5, Mishna 5 </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">"Ten miracles were performed for our fathers in Egypt and ten at the [Red] Sea. Ten plagues did the Holy One, blessed be He, bring upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten at the sea." </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">This week's mishna makes mention of four sets of ten miracles, all of which occurred at the time of the Exodus: ten miracles performed for us in Egypt, ten miracles at the Red Sea, the Ten Plagues of Egypt, and ten plagues at the sea. It's also a wonderful case of Divine providence that we reached this mishna immediately before Passover. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Moving from easiest to hardest, the Ten Plagues are of course well recorded in Scripture. They are: blood, frogs, lice, mixtures of wild animals, animal-afflicting pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and death of the firstborn. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The ten miracles G-d performed for us in Egypt are explained by the commentators to be the sparing of us from the plagues affecting the Egyptians. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The ten miracles at the sea are not as explicit -- other than, of course, the splitting of the sea itself. The commentators, based on the Midrash, explain that together with the parting of the sea, many other miracles occurred: the seabed drying and hardening to afford easy passage, the sea dividing into twelve passageways for the Twelve Tribes, water flowing from the sea wall providing the Jews with fresh drinking water, etc. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Finally, the ten plagues the Egyptians suffered at the sea were the punishments they received in the process of drowning, such as the Pillar of Fire heating up the seabed, G-d removing the wheels of the chariots, and the continuous jarring of the Egyptians in the water. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The Ten Plagues, as well as the accompanying miracles, stand apart in Jewish History. Never before or since has G-d performed so much so spectacularly for a single nation. G-d revealed Himself in unprecedented glory and power, delivering us from an invincible, implacable foe, and leading us to our ultimate salvation. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">There is an additional aspect to the story which in a way adds even more to its impressiveness. To some extent the Ten Plagues were not even *necessary*. G-d had many means at His disposal of saving us from servitude (of course). He could have easily provided us with magic carpets and whisked us away with much less drama and fanfare. Or He could have kept any one of the plagues going until we were well out of harm's way -- rather than bullying Pharaoh into acquiescence only to have him renege as soon as things quieted down. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Instead, G-d made a much lengthier saga out of it. (And we'll assume this was *not* with an eye towards producing a better motion picture.) ;-) In fact, if we look more closely at the story, Pharaoh wasn't even capable of bearing so many plagues. As the Torah attests, G-d had to "harden" Pharaoh's heart by the sixth plague in order to prolong the ordeal (see Exodus 9:12). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Furthermore, the splitting of the sea occurred -- as well as scholars can determine -- quite close to the northern tip of the Gulf of Suez. G-d could have easily led Israel slightly further north on a fully land-based route. Instead, He led them right up to the sea, pinned them between the water and their enemies, only to then split the sea in climactic drama. Again, G-d seems to have almost orchestrated events for the sake of heightening the drama -- certainly beyond what was necessary to save us. What was the idea behind this? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">Jewish thinkers distinguish between two types of miracles (see Sifsei Chaim Vol. 2, pp. 5-6). The first type is basically utilitarian: A righteous person is in trouble and cannot be saved via natural means. G-d will bend or break a few rules, so to speak, in order to save him or her. These miracles are not extremely rare occurrences. G-d ordinarily avoids tampering with the laws of nature -- preserving the concealment of His existence. However, if a person's greatness warrants -- if he is the type who serves G-d above and beyond *his own* natural abilities -- G-d may just reward in kind and look after him beyond the normal allowances of nature. (See _Tales out of Shul_ by R. Emanuel Feldman, pp. 198-201.) </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">I mentioned this story not long ago, but I think it drives this home well. I can't remember who this story was said about, but I believe it was a great rabbi who lived in America in the mid-20th Century. He had been accosted by a mugger and turned to flee. The assailant shot him point-blank from a few feet away. The rabbi kept running, only to discover later that the bullet had lodged itself in his coat and went no further. He insisted on wearing that same coat with the bullet hole for years to come, long after it wore out, as a reminder of the great kindness G-d had performed for him. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">However, many miracles of our history -- in particular ones with which holidays are associated -- were of a different sort. You could almost say they were for the sake of show. A classic example is the miracle of Chanukah. G-d did not *have* to make one day's supply of oil last eight days (long enough for the Jews to produce a fresh supply of pure oil). If the Jews, after recapturing and rededicating the Temple, did not have any more pure oil, it would have hardly been their fault. They tried their best and would certainly bring pure oil as soon as it became available. Why eight days? </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The answer is that G-d had a message to deliver. There was something He wanted us to know. The victorious revolt of a small band of devout Jews against the world's greatest army was not just a successful guerrilla uprising. It was miraculous: It was the Hand of G-d. G-d Himself had been operating all along. And there was a message behind it -- that the eternal light of the Torah shines brighter and steadier than the darkness and barbarity of Greek civilization (for all its flair and sophistication), as well as all other "modern" philosophies which have come to take its place. And the Sages rightly saw in the miracle Divine sanction to commemorate Chanukah for future generations. Its salvation was not a limited, short-lived one -- in order to save a few righteous individuals (who would not remain independent for all that long anyway). It contained a message which would endure for all time. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">And the same is true regarding the Ten Plagues. As we have seen, G-d did not perform them out of necessity -- as the only means of bringing about Israel's salvation. They too were for show: to demonstrate unmistakably G-d's powerful and providential rule of mankind: "In order that you tell your sons and grandsons how I mocked the Egyptians and My signs which I placed upon them -- and you shall know that I am the L-rd" (Exodus 10:2). </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The great and mighty Egyptian Empire, which for generations had humiliated the Jews and subjugated them to their service, was now cowering helplessly and miserably before our all-powerful G-d. G-d had made them His plaything, an object He could punish, subdue -- and ridicule -- at will. Never again would the Jewish people see physical might as the arbiter of authority. We would be subservient to G-d alone. All who challenge G-d's authority would ultimately become the butt and plaything of His infinite justice. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">For this reason Judaism relates belief in G-d very closely to the Exodus. In the opening statement of the Ten Commandments, G-d identifies Himself as, "the L-rd your G-d who took you out of the Land of Egypt..." (Exodus 20:2). We relate to G-d not merely as the Creator of heaven and earth, but as the One who, in His greatness and power, delivered us from the bondage of Egypt, demonstrating His true reality -- and earning our eternal gratitude. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The Ramban (Nachmanides, of 13th Century Spain), in His commentary to Exodus 13:16, elaborates further: Since the times of Enosh (grandson of Adam; see Genesis 5), there were various sects who did not believe in G-d at all, or who believed in a creator who either was not aware of or was not concerned with the deeds of man. Now, when G-d publicly performs a miracle on earth and takes control of the course of history -- as He did at the Exodus -- all such notions are swept away. And when a prophet foretells the occurrence of that miracle (as did Moses), it also becomes established that G-d communicates with man. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The Ramban continues: Since G-d does not perform open miracles for every generation -- since not all are worthy of it -- He commanded us to forever commemorate and memorialize the miracles He did for us -- so that the matter be firmly established for all generations. Thus, a great number of the commandments serve as reminders of the Exodus -- Passover, tefillin (phylacteries), mezuzah, as well as the daily obligation to mention the Exodus in our prayers. All these serve not only to remind us of G-d's awesome strength, but to remind us of the wonderful kindness He did for us. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">The Ramban concludes with an even more profound message: From the recollection of open miracles we begin to recognize the hidden miracles of life -- the providence with which G-d always oversees us -- for this is the foundation of the entire Torah. Thus, Passover and the story of the Exodus provide us with the key message of life: that the same G-d who redeemed us from bondage to freedom continues to watch over us -- whether through miracles or within nature -- rewarding us, punishing us, and constantly spurring us to the greatness for which we are destined. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: blue; color: white;">I'd like to wish my readers a happy and kosher Passover!</span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-81014923706919116882010-03-19T17:15:00.001+00:002010-03-19T17:16:59.813+00:00El 27% de los israelíes cree que Obama es antisemita<span style="color: blue;">Publicado 19/03/2010 </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Aurora informa</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">La opinión pública, dividida con respecto a las construcciones</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">El 27% de los israelíes cree que Obama es antisemita </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Un 69% de los israelíes considera que el presidente estadounidense, Barack Obama (foto), es justo y amistoso con su país, aunque un 27% piensa que es antisemita, según un sondeo que publica hoy el periódico Haaretz.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">La encuesta se efectuó el pasado martes y miércoles en medio de la mayor crisis diplomática en décadas entre ambos países aliados.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Netanyahu ha salido indemne del incidente en términos de opinión pública interna, según los resultados del sondeo, que muestra un país dividido sobre el precio que pagar por mantener la amistad con Washington.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Así, un 48% de los encuestados opina que Israel debería seguir construyendo casas para judíos en Jerusalén del Este, aunque supusiera un enfrentamiento con la Casa Blanca, frente a un 41% que aboga por detener la ampliación de los asentamientos en la ciudad.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Muchos medios israelíes dan por resuelta la crisis, tras la conversación telefónica que mantuvieron ayer Netanyahu y la secretaria de Estado estadounidense, Hillary Clinton.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">De acuerdo con el portavoz del Departamento de Estado, Philip Crowley, y con la oficina de Netanyahu, ambos abordaron "acciones concretas" que se podrían tomar para mejorar el clima entre las dos partes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">El enviado de la Casa Blanca a Oriente Medio, George Mitchell, sellará el próximo domingo la reconciliación con una visita a la zona que había sido inicialmente aplazada y en la que se reunirá con Netanyahu y con el presidente de la Autoridad Palestina, Mahmud Abás.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Netanyahu quiere además oficializar el fin de las idas y vueltas, con un encuentro en la Casa Blanca con Obama, quien ha pospuesto su viaje a Indonesia y Australia para impulsar un proyecto de reforma sanitaria.</span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-62074453082042334572010-03-19T17:03:00.000+00:002010-03-19T17:03:33.218+00:00Parashat Vaikra<span style="color: blue;">Shabat Shalom Chaverim</span> <br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Andre Moshe</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Parashat Vaikra</span><span style="color: blue;"><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Vaikrá (Levítico) 1:1 - 5:26</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Nuestra parashá habla sobre los siguientes temas:</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Primera aliá (1:1-13): Las leyes del sacrificio olá (holocausto) de los vacunos, de los corderos y de las cabras.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Segunda aliá (1:14 - 2:6): Las leyes del sacrificio olá de las aves. Las leyes de la minjá (ofrenda). </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Tercera aliá (2:7-16): Leyes de otros tipos de menajot (ofrendas). La minjá de las primicias. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Cuarta aliá (3:1-17): Las leyes del sacrificio shelamim (de paz) de los vacunos, de los corderos y de las cabras. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Quinta aliá (4:1-26): Las leyes del sacrificio jatat (por el pecado) del Cohén Gadol (Sumo Sacerdote), del pueblo y del rey. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Sexta aliá (4:27 - 5:10): Las leyes del sacrificio jatat de las cabras y de los corderos por el individuo. Las leyes del sacrifico olé veiored (variable) de las cabras, los corderos y las aves.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Séptima aliá (5:11-26): Las leyes del sacrifico olé veiored de harina. Las leyes del sacrificio asham (por culpa) y la reparación de algunas culpas.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Comentario de la Parashá</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Esta semana comenzaremos a leer el tercer libro de la Torá, el libro de Vaikrá (Levítico), y con él comenzaremos a estudiar acerca de los distintos korbanot que se ofrecían en el Mishkán (Santuario).</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">En el Mishkán se hacían todo tipo de "servicios, ritos o ceremonias" - por explicarlo de alguna forma - que la misma Torá nos dice que D'os se lo ordenó a Moshé. Estos servicios se dividían en varias clases: había que preparar panes especiales y disponerlos cada shabat sobre la mesa, otras veces había que quemar el incienso, y habían otros servicios que consistían en derramar un poco de vino y de agua.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Pero todos estos servicios no son tan conocidos para la mayoría de la gente. De todos los servicios que se ofrecían a D'os los más famosos son los llamados korbanot, pero ¿qué son los korbanot y qué significa la palabra korbán?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">La palabra proviene de la raíz hebrea "kof", "resh" y "bet" que denota la idea de acercamiento: lehitkarev (acercarse), lekarev (acercar). Los korbanot - que generalmente se los traduce erróneamente como "sacrificios" - son determinados servicios mediante los cuales el hombre podía (o a veces debía) acercarse a D'os, a través de un korbán que él acercaba al Mishkán (Santuario) o al Bet Hamikdash (Templo de Jerusalem). </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Los korbanot eran en su mayoría, de animales de varias especies, que eran tratados de distintas formas según el korbán que se ofrecía. Pero habían también varios korbanot de especies vegetales, como ser las distintas menajot (ofrendas, oblaciones), y es por eso que es erróneo hablar únicamente de sacrificios animales al referirse a los korbanot. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">A pesar de esta breve introducción al tema, todavía hay una gran pregunta sin respuesta: ¿Por qué D'os ordenó en su Sagrada Torá - que es eterna, y también lo son sus leyes - todos estos servicios tan extraños a nuestra mentalidad, y especialmente, si hablamos de la obligación de matar animales limpios de culpa y cargo, por nuestros propios pecados?</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Variadas respuestas pueden ayudarnos a descifrar este interrogante, pero en este comentario trataremos de ofrecerles a nuestros estimados lectores (en esta parashá y la siguiente), la visión de uno de los más grandes sabios y pensadores que tuvo nuestro pueblo: Rabí Iehudá Haleví (España, 1085 - 1140), a través de una traducción - absolutamente libre y no literal - de algunas partes de su famoso libro "Hakuzarí", que es un diálogo entre el rey de los cuzares y un sabio judío.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">En su libro, Rabí Iehudá Haleví nos relata acerca de la historia del rey de los cuzares - rey no judío - quien buscó servir a D'os a través de distintos caminos y variadas religiones, y que a pesar de sus grandes búsquedas, soñaba por las noches que le decían: "tu intención es buena, mas tus acciones no lo son", hasta que se acercó a hablar con el sabio de los judíos, después de que los mismos cristianos y musulmanes le dijeron que no tenía nada que hacer con ellos, y le dijeron que vaya a las fuentes.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">"Dijo el cuzar: A pesar de que es lógico pensar que el más destacado de todos los pueblos del mundo, es el que desciende del hombre que siguió más fielmente las ideas de Adam, el primer hombre, sin alejarse de D'os yéndose detrás de otros dioses en toda la historia, todavía no se entiende cómo es que el pueblo judío pecó haciendo el becerro de oro después de recibir la Torá. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Dijo el Sabio: En esos tiempos todos eran idólatras, y además de tener muchos dioses - espiritualmente hablando, ellos cometían otro pecado al materializarlos diciendo que cada dios se manifestaba a través de una imagen. En el desierto del Sinai, los hijos de Israel estaban esperando que Moshé descienda de la montaña a la cual había ascendido después de haber escuchado los Diez Mandamientos, y Moshé los había preparado diciéndoles que él bajaría de la montaña con algo que le daría D'os para ellos y que ellos lo verían, así como veían a la columna de nube y de fuego que los acompañó al salir de Egipto. Ellos lo esperaron a Moshé, pero por cuanto que se demoró en bajar, se juntaron algunos de los hombres del pueblo y buscaron alguna imagen tangible que esté delante de ellos, sin que se contradiga con la idea de D'os. Su pecado consistió en que relacionaron a D'os con la obra de sus manos y de su deseo - sin que D'os lo haya ordenado, y pensaron que llegarían por su propia inteligencia al camino que los llevaría hacia D'os, y el pecado en sí no fue que hicieron una imagen, pues el haber hecho una figura no es tan grave por sí mismo, ya que vemos que también en el Mishkán estaban los querubim (imágenes de jóvenes) sobre el arca. (Véase también el comentario del Rav Ari Kahn a la parashat Ki Tisá).</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Dijo el cuzar: Ya me ayudaste a encaminar mi pensamiento respecto de lo que yo soñaba todo el tiempo: "tu intención es buena, mas tus acciones no lo son", pues el hombre no puede llegar a D'os sin lo Divino, es decir sin seguir Sus palabras, y esto es una gran verdad, pues la mayoría de las personas tratan de acercarse a Él, incluso los que miran las estrellas y los hechiceros y los que sirven al fuego o al sol, pero ninguno lo logra.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Dijo el Sabio: Así es. Y es por eso que todas nuestras leyes están escritas en la Torá - que es lo que habló D'os con Moshé - y respecto de toda la Torá que escribió Moshé y se la dió al pueblo en el desierto, era como si D'os mismo hubiera hablado con ellos y no precisaban ninguna transmisión oral ni explicaciones para cada parte o mitzvá, o para saber cómo eran los sacrificios y cómo se los sacrificaban, y dónde y de qué lado, y cómo se los mataban y qué se hacía con sus partes y con su sangre. Todo estaba explicado por D'os hasta el más mínimo detalle, pues si faltaba alguno de esos detalles de los sacrificios, se echaba todo a perder, así como ocurre con las criaturas de la naturaleza que están formadas por todo tipo de elementos y células combinados de una manera determinada y en una cantidad determinada, y si falta alguno de ellos o la relación entre ellos se desequilibra, crecerán con deficiencias o imperfecciones, o tal vez no existiría alguna planta o algún animal, o algún miembro de alguno de ellos.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Así también está especificado en nuestra Torá quién debe comer cada parte del animal o si debe quemarse, y quiénes deben hacer el servicio a D'os y cómo deben estar vestidos, y más que todo el Cohen Gadol a quien se le dió permiso para allegarse hasta el lugar más sagrado, el lugar de la Divinidad: el arca de la Torá. También están descriptas las condiciones que debe cumplir respecto de santidad y pureza, y las plegarias que debe rezar y muchas otras cosas que si vendríamos a detallarlas nos extenderíamos demasiado.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Así también respecto de la forma del Mishkán que le fue mostrado a Moshé en el monte Sinai junto con la menorá y la mesa, y el arca y todo lo que se necesitaba, le fue mostrado espiritualmente a Moshé cómo debería ser su forma material, así como el Gran Templo que construyó Shelomó le fue mostrado a David espiritualmente, y así como también el tercer Templo le fue revelado al profeta Iejezkel.</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Y no existe en el servicio a D'os una lógica humana como para que podamos comprender, tampoco podemos relacionar lo que D'os nos ordenó con otras cosas que ya supimos, y tampoco podemos crear teorías que expliquen algo, pues ya ves que los más grandes investigadores se ahogaron en el mar de dudas más grande, pues si esto sería comprensible para los hombres, los filósofos - a través de su sabiduría y entendimiento - hubieran llegado a la conclusión de que todos estos servicios son la idea que D'os tiene para el hombre, y también hubieran experimentado un acercamiento a D'os a través de una profecía, mucho más de lo que ocurrió con los hijos de Israel, pero nada de esto ocurrió con ellos. </span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Dijo el cuzar: Ahora entiendo, y también me quedo tranquilo aceptando la Torá sin dudas ni rechazos…".</span><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">(Hacuzarí, primera parte, cap. 96 - 100) </span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-72963429518688247772010-02-21T01:18:00.000+00:002010-02-21T01:18:21.226+00:00Double Commitment - One Wavelength<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div class="post_header clearfix" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 223, 234); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(59, 89, 152); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #222222; display: block; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 3px;"><span class="author_header" style="float: left;"><a class="author_post" href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1338262208" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Reuven Shefigal</a> escreveu</span><span class="timestamp" style="color: grey; float: right; font-size: 9px; padding-top: 2px;">às 11:54 de 13 de Fevereiro de 2010</span></div><div class="post_message" style="line-height: 15px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px; word-wrap: break-word;">"And these are the judgements you shall place before them". And as the commentaries express - place them neatly and orderly like a fine table is set.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />From Avraham to Moshe and the receiving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai, passed some 400 years of waiting to have this Godly system for man presented. Avraham was described back then as the right founding father because he could be trusted to "command his sons and household after him, to keep Hashem's way and to act with righteousness and judgement".<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />We are used to thinking that the Bnei Yisrael said the famous Na'ase Ve'Nishma, declaring their commitment to keep the laws without questions as to content -meanings, and will strive to study to understand the laws as well. In this weeks parsha the event is brought down, and we see that not only did they say only Na'ase at first , but also when Moshe told them the Mishpatim they first answered Na'ase. Then Moshe made a big party inviting the youngmen with sacrifices and feast, then he wrote the laws down and read them, and only then they declared Na'ase Ve'Nishma.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Torah records the sequence of events in a strange way. First there is the general call to obey everything Hashem will tell them, and they said Na'ase. Then there was the giving of the Ten Commandments, and then a continuation, as depicted by the "vav" at the start of Parshat Mishpatim, then the laws were given, Moshe told the people the laws. They declared Na'ase. Had a party, Moshe wrote and read and they declared Na'ase Ve'Nishma. The Mishpatim thus are part of the Ten Commandments, and only with them is Moshe back with the people to celebrate, hear their acceptance, and then continue, rising up Mt. Sinai and entering the thickness of the cloud, to receive the rest of the Torah, and at the end of 40 days receives the first tablets.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />I wish to point out 2 issues. One, that Na'ase VeNishma is relevant once the format of the Torah is presented. All the while that Bnei Yisrael received an oral passing of Hashem's commands they agreed to do anything the Lord requests. Once Moshe wrote it down, they realized that Torah is composed of the oral and written. They saw that the written law is the basis and that it requires great study to extract the oral law from it. Then they said Ve'Nishma, that they will study the written law. <br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Second, that the Ten Commandments are the chapter heads of a complete system of law, touching the particulars of every aspect of life. Not general codes, but a way of life, the way of Hashem, that was mentioned in the verse about Avraham. Interestingly, the verse states, keeping and acting, indicating the two-way system of the Torah, refraining from the bad and persuing the good. This was the model Torah that Avraham instituted in his household, positive and negative laws, as King David sang in Tehillim (Psalms), "turn from bad and do good". <br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Na'ase commitment to perform the mitzvoth relates therefore to the revealed. It starts with the basic knowledge that Hashem commanded and its our duty to perform His Will, even to bend our will to be one with Hashem. It’s a very personal arena where naturally one would want to understand as much as possible. Comes Na'ase and demands a willingness to do as the law states without understanding. It is like the written law, the revealed part. The Ve'Nishma commitment to study and gain clarity, to personally grow thru your aspiration and actualization of new understandings now grasped, relates to that knowledge and wisdom which is concealed from you right now, at your personal level, but its waiting to be grabbed. In this way it is like the oral law, that represents the proper and true teaching and application of the written law.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />A Torah scholar reads thru Parshat Mishpatim, and the Talmudic and Aggadic teachings in his soul jump to life. His appreciation of the material in the written Torah is enhanced in proportion to his knowledge. Still, he is caught in the cycle of Na'ase Ve'Nishma, just like the simple Jew. Understand this well, that once one progresses in this cycle, the Nishma, concealed, oral law, once acquired, becomes your Na'ase, revealed, written law, and of course the obligation to act accordingly, in alliance with your new level of understanding. And so you will continue to the next level of aspirations to learn more and more of that which is still concealed from you. This cycle carries the Jew throughout his life with constant personal growth.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Moshe was commanded here to set the laws before them, orderly and clearly. Before he passed on, Hashem told him to put the Torah in their mouths, and called the Torah a song. There is an enlightening distinction to make between these two aspects, the Torah that Moshe set before us, and the Torah he put in our mouths. We recite everyday after Amida, the quote from Yeshayahu the Prophet, ''This is my covenant, my spirit that is upon you and my words that are in your mouths will never ever leave you or your sons or your son's sons, forever". I am sure the prophet was correct, and if we look around us at the Jewish nation and see so much violation of the laws of the Torah, not to panic. This guarantee clearly states that the Torah is in all of our mouths. I think the meaning is that, although the acts are lacking, the Na'ase aspect, the Nishma aspect is very alive, the seeking and clarification that the Jewish nation is undergoing, testify to the fulfillment of the prophet's words. Even where whole Jewish societies don't practice Judaism, the Na'ase, revealed laws, they will always remain in search for the Nishma, the concealed. This we see, that somewhere down the line, the return to Torah takes place.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />These sparks of Torah commitment were implanted by Avraham, Yitzchak and Ya'akov, they're in our Jewish souls, in our mouths and such, a common tongue must be found with every individual and group yearning to talk about Judaism. Oral law thus includes this important feature of bringing our brothers and sisters close by recognizing that there is no lack of conversation material. We are all, more or less, on the same wavelength.</div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-44654664053482492832010-02-21T01:16:00.002+00:002010-02-21T01:16:41.695+00:00The Temple In One's Heart<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<div class="post_header clearfix" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #f7f7f7; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(216, 223, 234); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(59, 89, 152); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; color: #222222; display: block; font-size: 11px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 4px; padding-top: 3px;"><span class="author_header" style="float: left;"><a class="author_post" href="http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1338262208" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Reuven Shefigal</a> escreveu</span><span class="timestamp" style="color: grey; float: right; font-size: 9px; padding-top: 2px;">às 4:21 de 19 de Fevereiro de 2010</span></div><div class="post_message" style="line-height: 15px; padding-bottom: 4px; padding-left: 4px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 10px; word-wrap: break-word;">In this weeks Parsha Bnei Yisrael are called upon to contribute to the building of the Mishkan. Each individual is to give according to his heart's inclinations, to be as generous or frugile as one sees fit. Alongside this donation, is the required, sort of tax, that each mature man must give, the half-shekel, which was used for the foundational sockets of the Mishkan. This was a set sum which could not be added to or detracted from, regardless of one's ability or desire.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The mutual obligation clearly represents the principle of equality opposite each other, as a nation, unity of purpose, and before Hashem, the national concensus to accept His Reign and the standing before Him as an individual.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Rambam, as explained by Rav Elimelech from Lazynsk, took this to an additional realm. The half-shekel also indicates that no one is complete without his mutual and common binding to the whole, and there is shared responsibility between us. Each person should see himself as able to tip the balance, the scale of judgement, with every action, thought and spoken word.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />If we could train ourselves to take this thought abit farther, it would change our lives. A person should look at himself as if he\she stands exactly at the even point as regards one's merits and demerits. Such, one would understand that one's next act will tip the scale to here or there. Life or Death, Reward or Punishment, Good or Bad. One shoud look at the community that way and at the nation, and at the world civilisation too, as being dependent solely and exclusively, on his/her personal choice at this very moment.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />Reaching this point seems unattainable on a practical level? However, cognitively we can build a ladder that will take us there. The Mishkan represents this concept and parallels the birth of the Nation of Israel. The Bnei Yisrael used the Mishkan in the desert and eventually it reached Shilo, after conquering a large part of Eretz Yisrael, The Promised Land, where it stood an additional 369 years, and was replaced by the Bet Hamikdash in Yerushalayim. In Shilo the Mishkan received a stone base, yet the roof was of the original Mishkan. The Bet Hamikdash was built by King Solomon with a permanent foundation and roof.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The maturing of Bnei Yisrael parallels the Temple they had at any given time in their development. And as we explained, there really is no ignoring one's personal part in the whole. In the desert, we are like children, being cared and nutured by Hashem. There is Mon, clouds of glory, etc., and when we reach the taking up of arms to conquer the land, we are like young mature men, with a stron root and foundation, just as the Mishkan in Shilo. When we become grown, tested and experienced men we have a Bet Mikdash. If we remove the yoke of Torah, we risk losing all, as has happened to our great people twice.<br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" /><br style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 0.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;" />The Third and final Temple is waiting for our mutual commitment. May it be Hashem's will to bring about our personal and collective redemption and geula, speedily in these forthcoming days.</div>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-58863614274235955812010-02-19T17:07:00.000+00:002010-02-19T17:07:11.470+00:00Parshas Terumah<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div align="center">Parshas Terumah </div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #364f72;">Rabbi Label Lam</span></div><div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #364f72;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: medium;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Parshas Terumah <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">What Life is Like in the Holy of Holies<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">You shall make two cherubim of gold- beaten shall you make them-from both ends of the lid. You shall make one cherub from this end and one cherub from this end; from the lid you shall make the cherubim at its two ends. (Shemos 25:18-19) <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Cherubim: They each had the image of a child’s face. (Rashi) <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Cherubim: The two are to face each other like friends exchanging words of Torah. (Baal HaTurim) <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">What is the significance of these two angelic faces fixed in the Holy of Holies? Are they like children or are they like friends learning Torah with each other or both? What might be the connection between these two images? What is the value of such a place, the Holy of Holies, where no man may go, except the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur? What do we get from the Holy of Holies now that the Temple/Tabernacle is no more and we find ourselves in the depth of a protracted exile? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Rabbi Klonymos Kalman Shapiro ztl., the Rebbe of Piacezna buried in a metal canister a written record of the lectures he gave in the Warsaw Ghetto during the hellish war years between 1939 and 1942. His fiery words were later uncovered and published posthumously in a Sefer entitled, Aish Kodesh- Holy Fire. The following is a tiny ember of that fire from a talk given in June of 1942 not long before the demise of the Rebbe: Every Jew has faith that there exists nothing else but G-d. As explained in sacred literature, when the Torah says, “There is none but Him…” (Devarim 4:35) It does simply mean that there is no G-d but G-d. It means that nothing exists but G-d. The universe and everything in it is the light of G-d. Therefore we must grasp everything in the world, not as something individual unto itself, but as a revelation of G-d’s light. Even our Jewish children must not be seen as just another category of persons. Just our children; Jewish children in addition to bei ng the permanence and existence of the Jewish People, are creations and Renewal, the revelation of G-d. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Likewise, the Torah that we teach to school children or that one person teaches his friend, even if he merely gives him a word of caution or guidance, should not be seen as events unto themselves but as tremendous revelations of G-d. Each instant is a renewal and a birth, for each learning event is a creation and a renewal. Before studying and learning, the person may not have been a Torah student or a principled person, and now, through learning, he has undergone a renewal and birth. As we said above, any person who teaches Torah to another is considered by the Torah to have given birth to him, and every birth and renewal is a revelation of G-d, because there is nothing else, and nothing else but G-d exists in the world. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">It follows then everything a Jew does or says is actually an expression of his inner soul, which is always acting for and talking to G-d, because the soul knows that there is nothing but G-d. The soul knows that everything is G-dly and every action or word is directed toward G-d. We ourselves may be unconscious of this because the physical body, besides blocking our awareness of the sanctity of our soul and its yearning for G-d, also blocks our awareness that whatever we are doing is actually for G-d. Though a person may think that he is acting or speaking on his own behalf, as for example when a Jew asks his friend for a favor, in reality his soul knows that his friend cannot grant the favor, the favors come from G-d. His soul knows that the one from whom the favor is being asked has merely been designated as the agent of G-d in the granting of the favor. So, while a person may think that he is begging a favor from another, his inner self is begging G-d all the time for help because G-d is omnipotent, He is a Merciful Father and He will show mercy and save us. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">Somehow the Piacezna Rebbe spoke and wrote, while in the midst of those terrible flames, with the perspective of one who treads on the most sacred of soil. I wonder if it is entirely necessary to be surrounded by suffering and the smell of death to gain such a concentrated appreciation of what life is like in the Holy of Holies?!</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-77196272471064398292010-02-19T15:04:00.000+00:002010-02-19T15:04:10.384+00:00Shabat Shalom<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">Shabat Shalom para todos!!!!<br />
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"Shabat Shalom para todos!!!! Que terminen esta semana y empiecen la siguiente llena de bendiciones ustedes y sus flias ;) Amén"</span></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-9326112793041495962010-02-03T20:33:00.000+00:002010-02-03T20:33:31.150+00:00Returning Apples<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><i><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RABBI BELSKY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></span></i></i></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">QUESTION 47: RETURNING APPLES</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">My wife said that she bought 5 apples at a local market, and that they tasted spoiled. I returned the apples, and they gave me $1.50 back. When I got home, my wife admitted that she wasn't absolutely sure she had gotten the apples from that store. Am I obligated to return the money?</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RABBI BELSKY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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If it may have been from a different store, you just got $1.50 that may be not coming to you. How could you be clear about whether that money belongs to you? You got it under false pretenses, and must give it back.<br />
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">QUESTIONER</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
So there's the question of percentages again. If I asked her, "What percentage are you sure that you went to this store, as opposed to another store?" Let's say there are only four stores where she shops, at the very least it's a 25% chance that this was the store where she bought the bad apples.<br />
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">RABBI BELSKY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
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In this case, as well, I don't see how you can keep the money.<br />
</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">NEXT WEEK'S QUESTION 48: BUS DRIVERS</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;"><br />
</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #20124d;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: white;">There are many bus drivers who work for Monsey Trails, and some are more aggressive in traffic than others. In the morning, when people looking in can see us in tallis etc, I've sometimes wondered if more aggressive driving could lead to a chillul Hashem. How concerned should the bus driver, the passengers, and the bus company be about this? If a bus driver does something overly aggressive, is it the passenger's responsibility, halachically (according to Jewish Law), to say something to him or talk to the bus company? Should the bus company have a clearly written policy about guidelines concerning this? If a bus driver wants to avoid the possibility of chillul Hashem entirely, and be extra polite in his driving, and as a result gets his 40 passengers home 15 minutes later, is it still his obligation, or right, to do so? </span></span></i></i></i></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-19061726878440447102010-02-03T20:26:00.000+00:002010-02-03T20:26:45.954+00:00Parshas Yisro<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Parshas Yisro</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
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</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; color: #364f72; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;"><i>Rabino Dovid Siegel</i></span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yeshaya 6:1</span></b></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: medium;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Parshas Yisro <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yeshaya 6:1<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This week's haftorah reveals to us the unlimited potential of of the Jewish soul. The prophet Yeshaya shares with us his astounding vision of Hashem's throne of glory. He says, "Fiery angels stand before Hashem in service ... They call to one another and say in unison, 'Holy, Holy, Holy is Hashem the master of the legions whose glory fills the entire world'" (6:2,3) Yeshaya saw one of the loftiest visions ever to be seen by man and responded in the following manner, "Woe to me for I remained silent because I am a man of impure lips...and my eyes beheld the Divine Presence itself." (6:5) This verse displays Yeshaya's humble response to his awesome experience feeling unworthy of catching the faintest glimpse of Hashem's magnificent glory. Yet, Yeshaya was troubled by his personal silence during those lofty moments unable to participate in the angels' glorious praise. (see Radak ad loc) He attributed this to his personal imperfec tion and inadequacy. Apparently, his speech was impure and sinful and rendered him unworthy of uttering a sound in Hashem's holy presence. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The vision continued and Hashem commanded one of His fiery angels to deliver Yeshaya a burning coal. Yeshaya said, "And with tongs the angel removed the coal from the altar, touched my mouth and said...'Your sin is removed and your error forgiven.'" (6:6,7) Immediately following this, Hashem asked, "Whom shall I send?" and Yeshaya responded and said, "Here I am; send me." (6:8) Yeshaya's awesome vision together with his humble response initiated him into prophecy. After this initial cleansing, he became worthy of transmitting Hashem's penetrating message to His people. In addition, Yeshaya's cleansing process allowed him to join the ranks of the angels and converse with Hashem in His actual presence. (Radak ad loc) <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This intriguing incident suggests the unthinkable, that man can rise to the lofty status of Heavenly beings. Although Yeshaya was privy to the inner most levels of spirituality he sensed his mortality and felt unworthy of associating with such elevated levels of holiness. Alas, he was a human being and not a spiritual entity. He identified with impurity and sin and didn't deserve to see such revelations or sing Heavenly praises. Hashem revealed Yeshaya that he had the potential and after minor refinement he would personally attain those lofty levels. Interestingly, when we reflect upon this incident we tend to side with Yeshaya. We also wonder, "What position does an impure mortal occupy amongst Heavenly angels?" How could man even consider participating in Heavenly praise? Although angels reflect Hashem's glory what can be said about man?! <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The answer to these is found in the essential discussion of mortality between Hashem and the angels. The Sages relate that the angels complained to Hashem when He chose to share His precious Torah with His people. They argued, "Your glory (Your Torah) should remain among the Heavenly beings. They are holy and Your Torah is holy, they are pure and Your Torah is pure and they are everlasting and Your Torah is also." Hashem responded that the Torah could not remain amongst them because they are perfect spiritual beings with no mortality, impurity or illness. Hashem's true glory would ultimately come from man plagued by impurity and mortality. (Midrash Shochar Tov 8) This response also troubles us because, in truth, we side with the angels. Isn't perfect fulfillment of Hashem's will the greatest tribute to His honor? What could be more glorious than the angels' purest praises? How could mortality and impurity serve as positive factors in Hashem's ultimate glory? <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The Sages' words in this week's haftorah provide deep insight into this. Rashi reflects upon the burning coal and notes that the fiery angel held it with tongs. This suggests that the coal's heat was too intense for an angel to hold. Surprisingly however, Yeshaya's lip endured direct contact with the coal without being harmed. Rashi quotes the Sages who explain a human being's potential truly surpasses the status of an angel. They support this with a verse in Yoel that says, "For His camp is massive but mightier are those who do His word." (Yoel 2:11) Chazal interpret Hashem's massive camp to refer to His angels and those who fulfill His word to refer to His prophets. This teaches us that, in truth, a devout prophet is greater than an angel. (Rashi 6:7 from Midrash Tanchuma) <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The upshot of this is based on man's equal ability to obey or disobey Hashem. An angel's clear perception of Hashem basically leaves no room for anything but perfect behavior. Man, on the other hand, is plagued by impurity, weakness and temptation. His perfect adherence to Hashem's will is undoubtedly true testimony to Hashem's greatness. Man's absolute negation for Hashem's sake displays the true power of His word. The spiritual ascent of a prophet proves that free thinking man can be so subservient to his master that he transcends all physical barriers. Maimonides explains that the basic qualifications of any prophet demand full control over all passions and emotions never succumbing to any physical desire. After achieving this he continues to detach himself from worldly matters totally focusing his mind on spirituality while training it never to stray into frivolity or vanity. He continues developing until his mind becomes transfixed on Hashem's innermost secrets thus deeming one worthy of Hashem's contact. During prophecy one realizes that he transcended all human barriers and joined the ranks of the angels. (see Rambam Yesodei HaTorah 7:1) This incredible accomplishment by man supersedes indeed the Heavenly angels even during their loftiest praises to Hashem. Man, unlike angel, begins far from perfect but can actually refine himself and attain the spirituality of the Heavenly hosts themselves. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">We now understand that the human being sings the "praise of all praises" through his enormous efforts overcoming his human imperfections. Yeshaya originally felt unworthy of participating in the Heavenly display of Hashem's glory due to his human limitations and imperfections. Hashem responded that his conscious decision to totally subject himself to Hashem's will surpassed the Heavenly praise. Once Yeshaya's personal speech was totally cleansed he was worthy of participating in the loftiest of all praises. He could now speak in Hashem's presence and even rise above the angels and display, through his total subservience, Hashem's greatest honor. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This lesson has great bearing on our times. Chafetz Chaim raises the classic concern how the latest generations consider meriting the advent of Mashiach? If previous generations who were undoubtedly more pious than ours did not merit Mashiach how could our shameful generation merit him? Chafetz Chaim answers that, on the contrary, no generation ever qualified for Mashiach as much as ours. He explains that in previous times Mitzva observance was, basically, a foregone conclusion. It did not require endless self sacrifice and had therefore had relatively limited value. In our days, however, foreign influences are so rampant that even basic Mitzva observance requires tremendous devotion and sacrifice. In present times, we may add, morality has fallen so low that attaining any level of purity and self negation is a tremendous accomplishment. In this light every mitzva has such great value that we, above all, display Hashem's greatest glory. Hashem undoubtedly tells His angels , "Look at My people who manage to remain moral and pure even in their corrupt and free thinking environment." </span></b></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">"Can anyone bring Me greater glory than them?!"</span></b></div></span></span></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19008342.post-10232892166022740622010-02-03T20:17:00.000+00:002010-02-03T20:17:38.145+00:00Parshas Yisro<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span><br />
<div align="center"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Summary of The Weekly Torah Reading: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><b>Parshas Yisro</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><i>Rabino Aron Tendler</i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-size: medium;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><b>Summary of The Weekly Torah Reading: <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><b>Parshas Yisro</b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;"><br />
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</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-size: 13px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: #3d85c6;">Moshe Prera, Pres. KOAH</span></b></span></span> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Note: The Shabbos Torah Reading is divided into 7 sections. Each section is called an Aliya [literally: Go up] since for each Aliya, one person "goes up" to make a bracha [blessing] on the Torah Reading. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">1st Aliya: Yisro brings Moshe's wife and two sons to join him in the desert. In 18:10, Yisro proclaims his belief in Hashem (G-d) and identifies His manifest justice as the primary motive for his belief and conversion. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">2nd & 3rd Aliyot: Yisro observes Moshe's daily schedule as chief administrator, judge, and teacher. He advises his son-in-law to delegate some responsibilities to a hierarchy of worthy judges and administrators. This would allow Moshe to focus his attention on those issues that demand his specific attention. Moshe listens to Yisro's advice. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">4th Aliya: This begins the preparation for Revelation. It is the 1st day of Sivan, and the Bnai Yisroel have been in the desert for 43 days. Moshe is told by Hashem to explain to the nation that they are a "kingdom of priests..." <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">5th Aliya: Moshe tells the nation of G-d's expectations and they respond, "all that Hashem will command we will do." Moshe is further instructed to tell the people to prepare themselves by immersing themselves and their clothing in a Mikveh, and to remain apart form their spouses for 3 days. Mt. Sinai is to be fenced off so that no person or animal could ascend the mountain until the shofar sounded the conclusion of Revelation. On the 3rd day, Revelation began with lightning, thunder, the sounding of a Shofar, and Mt. Sinai completely engulfed in clouds, smoke, and fire. Moshe led the nation to assemble at the foot of a trembling Mt.Sinai. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">6h Aliya: Hashem summoned Moshe to ascend the mountain and instructed him to re-emphasize the prohibition against anyone ascending the mountain during Revelation. Moshe descends and discharges G-d's wishes. With Moshe standing among the people at the foot of the mountain, Hashem spoke the Ten Commandments to the entire people. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">7th Aliya: This last Aliya describes the reaction of the nation to Revelation. In 20:19, the Pasuk factually states that the Bnai Yisroel (Jewish Nation) collectively heard G-d speak. It is among the most fundamentally important statements in the entire Torah. The Parsha concludes with the three commandments regarding the Mizbeach (Altar). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Summary of The Haftorah: <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Haftorah Yisro <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d;">Yishaya 6 - 7 </span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">This week's Haftorah is from Yishaya 6 and 7. Continuing the theme of Revelation, the Haftorah recounts the famed vision known as Maaseh Hamerkavah - the vision of Hashem as He sits upon His throne surrounded by various angels singing His praises. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">Yishaya prophesied during the reign of Achaz, the King of Yehudah. This vision is repeated in greater detail in Yechezkel, and is usually associated with Yechezkel, rather than Yishaya. However, in this awesome vision, Yishaya is told of the eventual destruction of Yerushalayim. He is sent to relate this prophecy to the new King Achaz, who would prove to be an evil and wicked monarch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75;">The concluding prophecy is far more optimistic than the beginning one. Achaz is told not to fear the coming war with Aram and Israel. In the merit of his, yet to be born son, Chizkiyahu, their alliance would fail. Chizkiyahu would eventually be crowned as "The Prince of Peace," and return the Jewish people to an unprecedented devotion and commitment to Torah scholarship and observance. Unfortunately, the Jewish People would return to their evil ways and Yerushalayim would be destroyed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div></span>Blog da Comunidade Judaica Portuguesa - Or aHayimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12032001777092536346noreply@blogger.com0