How are we Judged? Is there an afterlife? and you can always improve

Katie had a tough month when John got sick--a little food therapy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBK3KfZ4w2o


You Can Always Improve

Rabbi Chaim Shmuelevitz frequently said: Be especially careful if you feel you have gone down in your spiritual level. There is danger when one feels he has failed spiritually. He is likely to give up completely, and in panic might commit many wrongdoings.

Even if you feel you are on a low rung, strengthen yourself wherever you presently are. If you take an optimistic view of your situation and feel confident that you can improve, you will be able to elevate yourself.

Love Yehuda


Is this life all that there is -- or is there something beyond our earthly existence? Does it make a difference what you do in this lifetime -- or can one do whatever he desires and just obey the "11th Commandment" (Thou shall not get caught!)?

The bible teaches that we are more than just a body. "And the Almighty formed man from dust of the earth, and He blew into his nostrils the SOUL of life' (Genesis 2:7). On this verse, the Zohar states that 'one who blows, blows from within himself,' indicating that the soul is actually part of God's essence. God is eternal, the soul is eternal. King Solomon wrote, 'The dust will return to the ground as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it' (Ecclesiastes 12:17).

Intuitively we know this. Every species acts solely for it survival -- except mankind. We will sacrifice ourselves to save someone else or for an ideal. Cows may be content to chew their cud and be contented. We are driven to have meaning and purpose in our lives.

Moshe Maimonides, the Rambam, set forth "13 Essential Beliefs of Spirituality". The Tenth and Eleventh Principles state that G-d is aware of our actions and that He rewards and punishes us according to our actions. Since we do not see evil always being punished or goodness always being rewarded, it is logical -- that if there is a good and just G-d -- that there is a World of Souls, an afterlife which is the great equalizer. There, evil which has not been punished in this world is punished and good deeds which have not been rewarded are rewarded.

How is the soul judged? For every commandment one fulfilled and every transgression that one refrained, there is a spiritual reward of feeling a closeness to the Almighty. For the transgressions, one's soul is sentenced to Gehenom; one can picture Gehenom as a "spiritual laundry" for the soul. For up to 12 months the soul goes through a purification process. Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler likened the experience to having a movie of one's "greatest" transgressions -- and then having all of a person's loved ones ... parents, grandparents, spouse, children ... watching it with you. Imagine the embarrassment. Embarrassment can be a worse punishment than devils with pitchforks!

There are allusions to an afterlife in the Bible, though it is not explicitly stated or described (the Talmud, Sanhedrin, Chapter 10 called Chelek, does discuss the afterlife). When the patriarch Jacob died, the Torah relates, "... he died and was gathered to his people" (Genesis 49:33). The Torah then informs us of the 40 day embalming period and the 70 days Egypt mourned Jacob before Joseph received permission to bury his father in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the burial cave in Hebron. What does the Torah then mean that "he was gathered to his people"? It is a reference that his soul was gathered to the afterlife.

Later in the book of Numbers we have the story of Bilaam, the evil non--Jewish prophet, who hires himself out to the King Balak to curse the Jews. Instead of cursing the Jews, his prophecy blesses the Jews. He proclaims, "Let me die the death of the righteous and let my end be like his (the righteous Jews)" (Numbers 23:10). Do the righteous die any better than the wicked? Bilaam was saying, "Let me live my life on my terms and according to my desires, but when it comes to the afterlife, let my soul be rewarded as the righteous are rewarded.

I think that these two allusions are valid, but not emotionally compelling. If the afterlife is such an essential part of Jewish belief, why does the Torah only reference it obliquely? The Torah could have described the next world in detail, yet it refrained from painting a picture. Why?

There are two reasons: (1) The Torah is a guidebook for THIS life. It sets forth instructions on how to live a meaningful, holy life and how to improve yourself and the world. The Almighty wants us to focus on our obligations in this life; the afterlife will take care of itself. (2) Even if the Torah described in detail an afterlife -- how would one verify its existence? No one has ever returned from the next world to confirm or deny that vision.

Other religions paint a picture of the afterlife one will receive. The Talmud teaches, "He who wishes to lie says his witnesses are far away." For example, "I paid back the money I owed you, but my witnesses happen to be visiting Europe" -- or "Have faith in our religion and you will get Heaven." There is no way of validating the claim.

While Judaism believes in an Afterlife, a World to Come, the Torah makes no promises that are "far away." The Torah tells you about rewards and punishments in THIS world -- in response to your actions. You need go no further than this verse from the Torah: "If you will follow My decrees and observe My commandments and perform them; then I will provide your rains in their time, and the land will give its produce and the tree of the field will give its fruit. Your threshing will last until the vintage, and the vintage will last until the sowing; you will eat your bread to satiety and you will dwell securely in your land. I will provide peace in the land, and you will lie down with none to frighten you ... I will make you fruitful and increase you..." (Lev. 26:3--9).

Why is reward and punishment so important for us? As Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg teaches: "A world without reward and punishment is a world of utter indifference, and indifference is the ultimate rejection. One cannot serve indifference. In order for there to be a relationship between G-d and man, G-d must react to man's actions. Our awareness of this reaction, reward or punishment, informs us that the Almighty cares, that our actions make a difference. Without reward and punishment life has no meaning -- for what man would or would not do would make no difference." (Rabbi Yakov Weinberg, Fundamentals and Faith).

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When are you allowed to lie? and Yehuda and Payson do Torey Pines

Yehuda and Payson do the private part of Torey Pines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90QsPvubaqE

GOOD MORNING! When are you allowed to lie? A friend told me a story about his  eldest son, Avraham, when he was 6 years old his friend desperately wanted him to come play at his house. "Come to my home. I'll give you cookies and milk!" Avraham became very upset -- not because he didn't like the incentive, but because his friend had used the gambit before and hadn't delivered on his offer to provide cookies and milk.

"George, you are such a liar! You always promise and you never give. I'm going to call the police on you for lying and have them put you in jail!" He then got the phone number of the police -- and called them. "Do you put people in jail for lying?" he asked into the telephone. This was followed by, "Uh...huh, uh...huh, good, ok, thank you, goodbye."

Meanwhile, George is shaking in fright. "Are they coming to get me? Are they going to put me in jail?" Avraham  answered, "No. The policeman said that is wrong to lie and that you shouldn't do it again!"

Where in the bible is the prohibition to lie? In the Book of Exodus (23:7), the Almighty tells us, "Keep far away from a lying word." The Talmud, Sanhedrin 92a, expresses the severity of lying by comparing it to idolatry. Idolatry is defined by thinking that anything other than the Almighty has power to accomplish something; putting one's faith in his lies would be akin to idolatry. In another tractate of the Talmud, Sotah 42a, liars are listed amongst those who will not behold the Divine Presence in the World to Come. It brings support from the verse in Psalms (101:7), "He who spreads falsehood shall not be established before My eyes."

Yet, we see that there are times when it is not only permissible to deceive, it is laudatory. In the story of the Spies coming up int he bible soon, Caleb tries to quell the growing revolt against going up to the Land of Israel by posing as an ally of the other spies who had fomented the crowd. According to the Talmud, Sotah 35a, Caleb cried out, "Is that all that the son of Amram (a derogatory way of referring to Moshe) has done to us?" The crowd quieted to hear Caleb's calumny, but instead Caleb tried to turn around their sentiments by continuing, "He took us out of Egypt, split the sea, brought us the manna and gathered together the quail."

Rabbi Zelig Pliskin presents a compilation of the basic laws regarding lying in his book Love Your Neighbor . Here are the parameters:

1) It is permitted to tell an untruth to make peace between two people who are having a dispute, or to save someone from harm. For example, you may tell someone that a person with whom he has quarreled now regrets his behavior, even if it is not true -- if you have no other option. Your words should be as close to the truth as possible.

2) If your host was very hospitable, you should not tell an unscrupulous person about the hospitality extended, since he might take advantage of the host.

3) When someone asks you for information that if you answered truthfully would constitute rechilus, (talebearing -- needlessly telling someone what another person said or did something against him) -- you should tell him a lie rather than relate that information.

4) You are permitted to tell an untruth out of humility to not draw attention to yourself.

5) You are permitted to deceive someone who is trying to deceive you in order to save yourself from being cheated. However, you may not deceive someone to revenge a past wrong he perpetrated upon you.

6) You are allowed to praise something that someone has acquired, though it may not deserve that praise.

7) You may lie to save someone's life.

8) A teacher may say an incorrect statement to see if his students are paying attention or remember their learning

9) It is not lying to make a statement that everyone knows is an exaggeration, i.e.. "I told you a thousand times."

By the way, Avrahm calling the police in front of his friend worked. I saw the kid 20 years later and he grew into a fine young man!

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STAY up all Night on Tuesday June 7, 2011 the holiday of Shavout (weeks) and Think Creatively

Think Creatively

Use your creativity to find solutions for dealing with difficult people and difficult situations. Be open to being creative in all contexts of your life.

Today, think of a specific difficulty you are experiencing. Utilize your creativity to think of a new solution.

Love Yehuda

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFG_2iT-Lm4&feature=youtu.be

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Indiana Fishing -- this is the way to catch 'em. with Gratitude and Lag Baomer in San Diego

The spiritual holiday of Lag Baomer in San Diego in our Back Yard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVyKssRtWaI

Accepting Gratitude

When someone expresses gratitude for something you have done, express your gratitude for that person's gratitude. By accepting that person's words of gratitude, you are making it more likely that this person will continue to express gratitude to others.

This is the easy way to catch fish, any fisherman would take them with Gratitute




Indiana Fishing

Love Yehuda

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Words can change your life and turn your faults into virtues and a little Memorial day Fun

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3otXzECQ19w

A little memorial day fun in cool San Diego with special people

Turn Your Faults Into Virtues

The Dubner Magid (an early sage-Jacob ben Wolf Kranz-1740-1804)) offered the following parable: A king owned a magnificent diamond which accidentally sustained a deep scratch. The royal diamond cutters said no amount of polishing would remove the flaw entirely. But one expert volunteered, "I can rectify the flaw in a manner that will render the diamond more valuable than before." The king told him to go ahead, and with great skill he engraved rose petals on the diamond. The deep scratch served as the stem of the flower.

Similarly, said the Dubner Magid, a person can transform negative traits into virtues. With creativity, you can use your mistakes and faults in a way that will gain you more than you would have otherwise.

Love Yehuda

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hzgzim5m7oU   

 

 

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for those of you who remember what the pain of 1967 was really like on this Day of joy for the unification of Jerusalem

This day commemorates the miraculous liberation of the Old City of Jerusalem on the 28th of Iyar, 5727 (June 7, 1967), just days after several Arab armies threatened to wipe the State of Israel off the map.  Israel took the initiative with a surprise, defensive attack, wiping out the Egyptian Air Force in one day, and taking over Jerusalem, Gaza, Judea, Samaria, the Sinai and the Golan Heights shortly thereafter. Weeks of national trepidation and tension, including the preparing of thousands of body-bags in Jerusalem and elsewhere, suddenly gave way to celebration and thanksgiving.

It has been noted many times that in the days prior to the war, Israel used its informal ties with Jordan's King Hussein to ask him repeatedly to hold its fire and forces and allow Israel to concentrate only on its Egyptian and Syrian fronts. Had Hussein listened, the course of history would have been very different, as Israel would not have liberated Jerusalem, Judea or Samaria – at least not then.

The war marked Israel's return to the Old City of Jerusalem for the first time since having been ignominiously driven out in 1948, and for the first time in 1,899 years as sovereign rulers.



In fact, though most Jews were thrilled in 1948 when the renewed State of Israel was established, for others the joy was greatly tempered by the lack of inclusion in its borders of the holy sites of Jerusalem– and particularly the Temple Mount.

The continued longing for Jerusalem and other Biblical areas was expressed by Rabbi Tzvi Yehuda Kook, the head of Yeshivat Merkaz HaRav.  Speaking to his students on Independence Day of 1967, just weeks before the Six Day War, he appeared to be gripped by prophecy when he cried out, "Where is our Hevron? Have we forgotten it? And where is our Shechem (Nablus)?  Have we forgotten it? And where is our Jericho? Have we forgotten it?! ... And where is all the rest of the Land of Israel?  Where are all the pieces of G-d's Land?  Do we have the right to give up even one millimeter?  Heaven forbid!" 

One of his students, Rabbi Chanan Porat, who was later to be a leader in the movement to settle all of the Land of Israel, said that the rabbi's emotion was so extreme that it left an impression on him forever: "He roared and cried out from the depths of his heart; we saw that he was truly like one crying over someone who had just died, as if he was torn in pieces.  We felt as if he was speaking in the name of the Land of Israel, and that its tearing-asunder was tearing his own flesh as well."

Just days after Rabbi Kook's emotional cry, Egypt placed a blockade around the Straits of Tiran leading into Israel, and preparations for war began. Within three weeks, Hevron, Jericho, Shechem and Jerusalem were once again in Jewish hands. Rabbi Kook and his friend the Nazir, Rabbi David Cohen, were given a special military escort to the Western Wall within hours of its liberation.

The continued longing for Jerusalem in the 19 years between '48 and '67 was expressed on another level by Naomi Shemer, in her famous song "Jerusalem of Gold." The original lyrics read, "The city that sits solitary, and in its midst - a wall... How the cisterns have dried, the market-place is empty, and no one frequents the Temple Mount, in the Old City... Jerusalem of gold, and of bronze, and of light, Behold I am a violin for all your songs..."

Just a few months later, she was able to add these lyrics as the final stanza: "We have returned to the cisterns, To the market and to the market-place, A ram's horn (shofar) is heard on the Temple Mount, In the Old City."  The song Jerusalem of Gold quickly became Israel's unofficial national anthem, sung in joy at every opportunity.
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How smart is your right foot and focus on the positive

Focus On The Positive

If a person consistently talks about the faults of others, he will usually overlook even the most obvious positive attributes of those same people.

Today, think of someone that you often degrade, and try focusing on one positive quality of that person.

Love Yehuda

HOW SMART IS YOUR RIGHT FOOT? 

This is hysterical. You have to try this. It is absolutely true. I guess there are some things that the brain cannot handle.


You have to try this please, it takes  just  2 seconds. I could not believe this!  It is from an orthopedic surgeon............ This will  confuse your mind and you will keep trying over and over again to see if you can outsmart your foot, but, you can't.  It is pre-programmed in your brain!

1. While sitting at your desk in front of your computer, lift your right foot off the floor and make clockwise circles.

2. Now, while doing this, draw the number '6' in the air with your right hand. Your foot will change direction.

I told you so! And there's nothing you can do about it! You and I both know how stupid it is, but before the day is done you are going to try it again, if you've not already done so.

  

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Glick on Netanyahu's comeback and facing Opposition

Facing Opposition

Frequently, when you spend a lot of time, money, and energy on a worthwhile project, some people will oppose your plans. It is easy to feel discouraged in such situations.

Rabbi Yechezkail Levenstein (in his book Ohr Yechezkail: michtavim, p.53) wrote to someone facing such a challenge, "Don't pay any attention to those opposing your work. Every worthwhile project will face some obstacles and opposition." When you realize that it is normal for people to oppose you when you try to accomplish, you will find it much easier to tolerate and overcome the difficulties of that opposition.

Many others have spoken on facing oppositon with patience:

Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family.

Virginia Satir


A man who is a master of patience is master of everything else.
George Savile

A wise man is superior to any insults which can be put upon him, and the best reply to unseemly behavior is patience and moderation.
Moliere

Deliberately seek opportunities for kindness, sympathy, and patience.
Evelyn Underhill


Have patience with all things, But, first of all with yourself.
Saint Francis de Sales

Have patience. All things are difficult before they become easy.
Saadi

It takes patience to appreciate domestic bliss; volatile spirits prefer unhappiness.
George Santayana

Patience is the companion of wisdom.
Saint Augustine

We have no patience with other people's vanity because it is offensive to our own.
Francois de La Rochefoucauld

You must first have a lot of patience to learn to have patience.
Stanislaw Lec

Now let us look at these lessons in terms of the political events of last week.

Column One: Lessons of Netanyahu's triumph

 

By CAROLINE B. GLICK

 

Jerusalem Post - 27/05/2011

 

In the coming weeks and months, the threats to Israel will surely only increase.  And with these escalating threats will come also the escalating need for strong and certain leadership.

 

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was hoping to avoid his clash with US President Barack Obama last week in Washington.

 

Four days before his showdown at the White House with the American leader, Netanyahu addressed the Knesset.  His speech was the most dovish he had ever given.  In it, he set out the parameters of the land concessions he is willing to make to the Palestinians, in the event they ever decide that they are interested in negotiating a final peace.

 

Among other things, Netanyahu spoke for the first time about "settlement blocs," and so signaled that he would be willing to evacuate the more isolated Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.  He also spoke of a long term military presence in the Jordan Valley rather than Israeli sovereignty along the militarily vital plain.

 

Both strategically and ideologically, Netanyahu's speech constituted a massive concession to Obama.  The premier had good reason to believe that his speech would preempt any US demand for further Israeli concessions during his visit to Washington.

 

Alas, it was not to be.  Instead of welcoming Netanyahu's unprecedented concessions, Obama dismissed them as insufficient as he blindsided Netanyahu last Thursday with his speech at the State Department.  There, just hours before Netanyahu was scheduled to fly off to meet him in the Oval Office, Obama adopted the Palestinian negotiating position by calling for Israel to accept that future negotiations will be based on the indefensible – indeed suicidal – 1949 armistice lines.

 

So, just as he was about to board his plane, Netanyahu realized that his mission in the US capital had changed.  His job wasn't to go along to get along.  His job was to stop Obama from driving Israel's relations with the US off a cliff.

 

Netanyahu was no longer going to Washington to explain where Israel will stand aside.  He was going to Washington to explain what Israel stands for.  Obama threw down the gauntlet.  Netanyahu needed to pick it up by rallying both the Israeli people to his side and rallying the American people to Israel's side.  Both goals, he realized, could only be accomplished by presenting his vision of what Israel is and what it stands for.

 

And Netanyahu did his job.  He did his job brilliantly.

 

ISRAEL TODAY is the target of an ever escalating campaign to demonize and delegitimize it.  Just this week we learned that a dozen towns in Scotland have decided to ban Israeli books from their public libraries.  One Scottish town has decided to post signs calling for its residents to boycott Israeli products and put a distinguishing mark (yellow star, perhaps?)  On all Israeli products sold in local stores to warn residents away from them.

 

Israelis shake their heads and wonder, what did we do to the Scots?  In San Francisco, there is a proposition on the ballot for the fall elections to ban circumcision.

 

The proposition would make it a criminal offense to carry out the oldest Jewish religious ritual.  Offenders will be punished by up to a year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000.

 

Israelis shake their heads and wonder, what did we do to the people of San Francisco?  It seems that everywhere we look we are told that we have no right to exist.  From Ramallah to Gaza, to Egypt, to Scotland, Norway, and San Francisco, we are told that we are evil and had better give up the store.  And then Obama took to the stage on Thursday and told us that we have to surrender our ability to defend ourselves in order to make room for a Palestinian state run by terrorists committed to our destruction.

 

But then Netanyahu arrived in Washington and said, "Enough already, we've had quite enough of this dangerous nonsense."

 

And we felt things we haven't felt for a long time.  We felt empowered.  We felt we had a voice.  We felt proud.  We felt we had a leader.

 

We felt relieved.

 

The American people, whose overwhelming support for Israel was demonstrated by their representatives in both houses of the Congress on Tuesday, also felt empowered, proud and relieved.  Because not only did Netanyahu eloquently remind them of why they stand with Israel, he reminded them of why everyone who truly loves freedom stands with America.

 

It is true that the American lawmakers who interrupted Netanyahu's remarks dozens of times to applaud wanted to use his presence in their chamber to send a message of solidarity to the people of Israel.  But during the course of his speech, it became apparent that it wasn't just their desire to show solidarity that made them stand and applaud so many times.  Netanyahu managed to relieve them as well.

 

Since he assumed office, Obama has been traveling the world apologizing for America's world leadership.  He has been lecturing the American people about the need to subordinate America's national interests to global organizations like the United Nations that are controlled by dictatorships which despise them.

 

Suddenly, here was an allied leader reminding them of why America is a great nation that leads the world by right, not by historical coincidence.

 

It is not coincidental that many American and Israeli observers have described Netanyahu's speech as "Churchillian." Winston Churchill's leadership was a classic example of democratic leadership.  And Netanyahu is Churchill's most fervent pupil.  The democratic leadership model requires a leader to set out his vision of where his country must go and convince the public to follow him.

 

That is what Churchill did.  And that is what Netanyahu did this week.  And like Churchill in June 1940, Netanyahu's success this week was dazzling.

 

Just how dazzling was make clear by a Haaretz poll of the Israeli public conducted after Netanyahu's speech before the Congress.

 

The poll found that Netanyahu's approval ratings increased an astounding 13 percentage points, from 38 to 51 percent in one week.  Two-thirds of the Israelis who watched his speech said it made them proud.

 

As for the US response, the fact that leading Democrats on Capitol Hill, House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, felt it necessary to distance themselves from Obama's statements about Israel's final borders makes clear that Netanyahu successfully rallied the American public to Israel's side.

 

This point was also brought home with Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Rep.  Debbie Wasserman Schultz's interesting request to Republicans during their joint meeting with Netanyahu.  In front of the Israeli leader, Wasserman Schultz asked her Republican counterparts not to use support for Israel as a campaign issue.  Her request makes clear that following Netanyahu's brilliant triumph in Washington, Democrats realize that the president's poor treatment of Israel is an issue that will harm them politically if the Republicans decide to make it an issue in next year's elections.

 

WHILE THE democratic model of leadership is certainly the model that the founders of most democratic societies have in mind when they establish their democratic orders, it is not the only leadership model that guides leaders in democratic societies.  This week, as Netanyahu demonstrated the strength of the democratic leadership model, two other leadership models were also on prominent display.  The first was demonstrated by Obama.  The second was exhibited by opposition leader Tzipi Livni.

 

Obama's leadership model is the model of subversive leadership.  Subversive leaders in democracies do not tell their citizens where they wish to lead their societies.  They hide their goals from their citizens, because they understand that their citizens do not share their goals.  Then once they achieve their unspoken goals, they present their people with a fait accompli and announce that only they are competent to shepherd their societies through the radical shift they undertook behind the public's back.

 

Before Obama, the clearest example of subversive leadership was Shimon Peres.  As foreign minister under Yitzhak Rabin, Peres negotiated his deal with the PLO behind the public's back, and behind Rabin's back – and against their clear opposition.  Then he presented the deal that no one supported as a fait accompli.

 

And as the architect of the deal that put the PLO terror forces on the outskirts of Israel's major cities, Peres argued that only he could be trusted to implement the deal he had crafted.

 

Eighteen years and 2,000 Israeli terror victims later, Israel still hasn't figured out how to extricate itself from his subversive legacy.  And he is president.

 

Today, Obama recognizes that the American public doesn't share his antipathy towards Israel, and so as he adopts policies antithetical to Israel's security, he waxes poetic about his commitment to Israel's security.  So far his policies have led to the near disintegration of Israel's peace with Egypt, the establishment of a Fatah-Hamas unity government in the Palestinian Authority, and to Iran's steady, all but unimpeded progress towards the atom bomb.

 

As for Livni, her model is leadership from behind.  Although Obama's advisers claimed that this is his model of leadership, it actually is Livni's model.  A leader who leads from behind is a follower.  She sees where her voters are and she goes there.

 

In Livni's case, her supporters are on the Left and their main spokesman is the media.  Both the Left and the media oppose everything that Netanyahu does and everything he is.  And so, as Livni sees things, her job as the head of the opposition is to give voice to their views.

 

As Netanyahu stared Obama down in the Oval Office and reminded Israelis and Americans alike why we have a special relationship, Livni was telling audiences in Washington and Israel that Netanyahu is a warmonger who will lead us to devastation if we don't elect her to replace him soon.  With Obama adopting the Palestinians' negotiating positions and with Fatah embracing Hamas rather than honestly admitting that all hope for peace is dead for the duration, Livni said that Netanyahu is leading us to war by defending the country.

 

Netanyahu's extraordinary leadership this week has shown that when used well, the democratic model of leadership trumps all other models.  He also showed us that he has the capacity to be the leader of our times.

 

In the coming weeks and months, the threats to Israel will surely only increase.  And with these escalating threats will come also the escalating need for strong and certain leadership.

 

Netanyahu should realize what his astounding success means for him as well as for Israel.

 

The people of Israel and our many friends around the world will continue to stand behind him proudly if he continues to lead us as well and wonderfully as he did this week.  And we will admire him.  And we will thank him.

 

Love Yehuda

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A remarkable video of 28-year Bibi and hear the underlying factors and Mike Huckabee on Israel's betrayal

Hear the Underlying Factors

If you get insulted, ask yourself, "What underlying factors are motivating this person to insult me?" Regardless of the words the person is using, the underlying message is that he is frustrated or discouraged. Try to react towards him in the context of his underlying problems and not his actual words.

In the following remarkable Video of Netanyahu at  age 28, it seems he has been forced to be giving the same speech for 34 years.  Notice that the Arab questioning him tries everything to get him upset by Bibi (using an English name then), answers him with honesty and compassion. The frustration of the Arab is apparent.

Love Yehuda

Subject: Fwd: FW: A remarkable video of 28-year Bibi

 

 

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-----Please watch and forward.

This is a fantastic video of Bibi when he was a 28 year-old graduate student at MIT (in 1978) debating the status of the West Bank and the Palestinians. No wonder he was so good last week. If he was that good then, Obama didn't stand a chance today, even with his teleprompter. Well done, lad!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lixYEZ9M_dU

To sum up the problem of the last week Here is Mike Huckabee the Governor who wanted to run for President

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Subject: YouTube - Huckabee on Obama's Betrayal of Israel (5.21.11)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e1gbnDNoVs




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A Kosher way to see The Sistine Chapel and you control your reaction.

You Control Your Reaction

You do not have complete control over anyone else. But you do have a strong degree of control over your reaction to any given situation.

Knowing this will improve your skill of thinking instead of reacting emotionally. The more confident you are that you can control a situation using wisdom, the less chance you will lose your temper.

Love Yehuda

Speaking of being able to control, you can control looking at every part of the Sistine Chapel..Finally a Kosher way to see the beautiful Art.

 

Give it time to  load.  On the bottom is a plus or minus sign to move forward or backward towards the picture and the M is to make your mouse move all over the place.  I, of course, went straight to the ceiling to check that out!

         
A look into the Sistine  Chapel
 
Here is an amazing bit of technology that allows us into a place most of us will probably never see in person, and would definitely never be
alone in the room.
 
It is always very crowded and of course you can't see Michelangelo's artwork close up as you can here.  This is especially spectacular if you have a large high-definition screen!

The Sistine Chapel: Virtually view every part of Michaelangelo's masterpiece. 

Just click and drag your arrow in the direction of the part you wish to see.  In the lower left, click  on the plus (+) to move closer, on the minus (-) to move away.

The choir is thrown in free!
          
AMAZING!  MOVE THE ARROW AND YOU  WILL SEE EVERY PART OF  THE
 CHAPEL.
    
This virtual tour is incredible.  Apparently done by Villanova at the request of the Vatican..
  
http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html <http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html> 
    
   
 
 
 

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Got beer???? and focus on the Roses and a summary of last weeks political events

A summary from the media on last week's political events.

U.S. President Barack Obama's Palestinian Authority-Israel peace plan is a "formula for war," writes Bret Stephens, foreign affairs editor and deputy editorial page editor of The Wall St. Journal.

In an op-ed article in the Journal, Stephens charged that the president's approach to Israel and his relationship to American Jews has showed that he "has mastered the concept of chutzpah."

He noted that President Obama's "sandbagging" Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu "with an adversarial policy speech" the day before his visit is not the first time the American leader has treated foreign visitors with disdain.

"Remember when the Dalai Lama visited Mr. Obama last year?" Stephens wrote. "As a courtesy to Beijing, the president made sure to have the Tibetan spiritual leader exit by the door where the White House trash was piled up. And that was 11 months before Hu Jintao's state visit to the U.S."

Stephens accused President Obama, who said in his speech "It's time to tell the truth," of composing language that served as a "thin tissue of falsehoods, rhetorical legerdemain, telling omissions and self-contradictions….

"For starters, it would be nice if the president could come clean about whether his line about the 1967 line – "mutually agreed swaps" and all – was pathbreaking and controversial, or no big deal. On Sunday, Mr. Obama congratulated himself for choosing the hard road to Mideast peace as he prepares for re-election, only to offer a few minutes later that "there was nothing particularly original in my proposal."

"Yet assuming Mr. Obama knows what he's talking about, he knows that's untrue: No U.S. president has explicitly endorsed the '67 lines as the basis for negotiating a final border."

Stephens articulated what virtually no other newspaper or news website, except for Israel National News, has stated: "Mr. Obama would also know that in 2009 Hillary Clinton had described this formula as 'the Palestinian goal.' Now it's Mr. Obama's goal as well, even as he insists that 'no peace can be imposed.'

The article also chastised President Obama for maintaining that the United States "will hold the Palestinians accountable for their actions and their rhetoric." Stephens challenged the president, "Can Mr. Obama offer a single example of having done that as president, except perhaps at the level of a State Department press release?"

If President Obama were really pro-Israel, "He would tell Palestinians that there is no right of return," wrote Stephens and "would outline hard and specific consequences should Hamas join the government."

President Obama glaringly dismissed the issues of the status of Jerusalem and that of "refugees' by suggesting the inherent contradiction that the Palestinian Authority and Israel should discuss them – after agreement on a PA state.

That sums up why, Prime Minister Netanyahu had to come back fo forcefully for the Israeli Position.. Maybe sandbagging him backfired??


Focus On The Roses

"A person who gathers honey will not escape being stung by bees. A person who gathers roses will not escape being scratched by thorns."

The positive things in life also have negative aspects. Keep your focus on the beautiful roses of the world, and the thorns will seem trivial and inconsequential.

Love Yehuda

Got beer????    A landlord's nightmare!!    SINGLE GUY LIVED IN THIS TOWNHOUSE FOR 8 YEARS IN OGDEN UTAH .  THE LANDLORD THOUGHT HE WAS THE BEST RENTER BECAUSE HE NEVER CALLED OR COMPLAINED AND WAS NEVER LATE ON A PAYMENT.  THESE PICTURES DON'T EVEN COME CLOSE TO WHAT IT REALLY LOOKED LIKE.  CENTURY 21 REALTY HAD ALREADY MOVED SOME OF THE CANS OUT, AND THEY HAD CAVED IN THE TUNNELS THAT THE RENTER HAD MADE TO GET TO THE BEDROOM, BATHROOM, AND KITCHEN.  All this, yet you still do not see any dust, scattered clothing, or dirty dishes anywhere.  Other than having a minor drinking problem, he was basically a very clean, organized person. Add to this, the fact that he was concerned about his health, proven by the fact that he drank 'Light' beer.  Beer cans by the tens of thousands. Mountains of cans burying the furniture. The water and heat were shut off, apparently on purpose by the tenant, who evidently drank Coors Light beer exclusively for the eight years he lived there.  There was an estimated 70,000 beer cans in the townhouse. To accumulate that amount of cans, the resident must have consumed an average of 24 beers a day for the 8 years of his tenancy!

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Netanyahu speech to Congress in 2011 and in 1996

Speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to a Joint Meeting of the United States Congress, Here is a link to the complete speech without the introduction with the text below

http://wwwwakeupamericans-spree.blogspot.com/2011/05/netanyahu-israel-will-not-return-to.html

As a comparison from the Cspan website is his first speech to Congress, 15 years ago in 1996. It starts at 19 minutes into the 55 minute tape

He said great things 15 years ago and we are still having to justify not dying to live in the land of Israel. Do things change??

http://c-span.org/Events/Israeli-Prime-Minister-Addresses-Congress/10737421714-2/   (this is th tape from 1996)

May 24, 2011  Text from yesterday's talk

I am deeply honored by your warm welcome. And I am deeply honored that you have given me the opportunity to address Congress a second time.

Mr. Vice President, do you remember the time we were the new kids in town?

And I do see a lot of old friends here. And I do see a lot of new friends of Israel here. Democrats and Republicans alike.

Israel has no better friend than America. And America has no better friend than Israel. We stand together to defend democracy. We stand together to advance peace. We stand together to fight terrorism. Congratulations America, Congratulations, Mr. President. You got bin Laden. Good riddance!

In an unstable Middle East, Israel is the one anchor of stability. In a region of shifting alliances, Israel is America's unwavering ally. Israel has always been pro-American. Israel will always be pro-American.

My friends, you don't need to do nation building in Israel. We're already built. You don't need to export democracy to Israel. We've already got it. You don't need to send American troops to defend Israel. We defend ourselves. You've been very generous in giving us tools to do the job of defending Israel on our own. Thank you all, and thank you President Obama, for your steadfast commitment to Israel's security. I know economic times are tough. I deeply appreciate this.

Support for Israel's security is a wise investment in our common future. For an epic battle is now unfolding in the Middle East, between tyranny and freedom. A great convulsion is shaking the earth from the Khyber Pass to the Straits of Gibraltar. The tremors have shattered states and toppled governments. And we can all see that the ground is still shifting. Now this historic moment holds the promise of a new dawn of freedom and opportunity. Millions of young people are determined to change their future. We all look at them. They muster courage. They risk their lives. They demand dignity. They desire liberty.

These extraordinary scenes in Tunis and Cairo, evoke those of Berlin and Prague in 1989. Yet as we share their hopes, but we also must also remember that those hopes could be snuffed out as they were in Tehran in 1979. You remember what happened then. The brief democratic spring in Iran was cut short by a ferocious and unforgiving tyranny. This same tyranny smothered Lebanon's democratic Cedar Revolution, and inflicted on that long-suffering country, the medieval rule of Hezbollah.

So today, the Middle East stands at a fateful crossroads. Like all of you, I pray that the peoples of the region choose the path less travelled, the path of liberty. No one knows what this path consists of better than you. This path is not paved by elections alone. It is paved when governments permit protests in town squares, when limits are placed on the powers of rulers, when judges are beholden to laws and not men, and when human rights cannot be crushed by tribal loyalties or mob rule.

Israel has always embraced this path, in the Middle East has long rejected it. In a region where women are stoned, gays are hanged, Christians are persecuted, Israel stands out. It is different.

As the great English writer George Eliot predicted over a century ago, that once established, the Jewish state will "shine like a bright star of freedom amid the despotisms of the East." Well, she was right. We have a free press, independent courts, an open economy, rambunctious parliamentary debates. You think you guys are tough on one another in Congress? Come spend a day in the Knesset. Be my guest.

Courageous Arab protesters, are now struggling to secure these very same rights for their peoples, for their societies. We're proud that over one million Arab citizens of Israel have been enjoying these rights for decades. Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, only Israel's Arab citizens enjoy real democratic rights. I want you to stop for a second and think about that. Of those 300 million Arabs, less than one-half of one-percent are truly free, and they're all citizens of Israel!

This startling fact reveals a basic truth: Israel is not what is wrong about the Middle East. Israel is what is right about the Middle East.

Israel fully supports the desire of Arab peoples in our region to live freely. We long for the day when Israel will be one of many real democracies in the Middle East.

Fifteen years ago, I stood at this very podium, and said that democracy must start to take root in the Arab World. Well, it's begun to take root. This beginning holds the promise of a brilliant future of peace and prosperity. For I believe that a Middle East that is genuinely democratic will be a Middle East truly at peace.

But while we hope and work for the best, we must also recognize that powerful forces oppose this future. They oppose modernity. They oppose democracy. They oppose peace.

Foremost among these forces is Iran. The tyranny in Tehran brutalizes its own people. It supports attacks against American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. It subjugates Lebanon and Gaza. It sponsors terror worldwide.

When I last stood here, I spoke of the dire consequences of Iran developing nuclear weapons. Now time is running out, and the hinge of history may soon turn. For the greatest danger facing humanity could soon be upon us: A militant Islamic regime armed with nuclear weapons.

Militant Islam threatens the world. It threatens Islam. I have no doubt that it will ultimately be defeated. It will eventually succumb to the forces of freedom and progress. But like other fanaticisms that were doomed to fail, militant Islam could exact a horrific price from all of us before its inevitable demise.

A nuclear-armed Iran would ignite a nuclear arms race in the Middle East. It would give terrorists a nuclear umbrella. It would make the nightmare of nuclear terrorism a clear and present danger throughout the world. I want you to understand what this means. They could put the bomb anywhere. They could put it on a missile. It could be on a container ship in a port, or in a suitcase on a subway.

Now the threat to my country cannot be overstated. Those who dismiss it are sticking their heads in the sand. Less than seven decades after six million Jews were murdered, Iran's leaders deny the Holocaust of the Jewish people, while calling for the annihilation of the Jewish state.

Leaders who spew such venom, should be banned from every respectable forum on the planet. But there is something that makes the outrage even greater: The lack of outrage. In much of the international community, the calls for our destruction are met with utter silence. It is even worse because there are many who rush to condemn Israel for defending itself against Iran's terror proxies.

But not you. Not America. You have acted differently. You've condemned the Iranian regime for its genocidal aims. You've passed tough sanctions against Iran. History will salute you America.

President Obama has said that the United States is determined to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He successfully led the Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran. You in Congress passed even tougher sanctions. These words and deeds are vitally important.

Yet the Ayatollah regime briefly suspended its nuclear program only once, in 2003, when it feared the possibility of military action. That same year, Muammar Qadaffi gave up his nuclear weapons program, and for the same reason. The more Iran believes that all options are on the table, the less the chance of confrontation. This is why I ask you to continue to send an unequivocal message: That America will never permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons.

As for Israel, if history has taught the Jewish people anything, it is that we must take calls for our destruction seriously. We are a nation that rose from the ashes of the Holocaust. When we say never again, we mean never again. Israel always reserves the right to defend itself.

My friends, while Israel will be ever vigilant in its defense, we will never give up on our quest for peace. I guess we'll give it up when we achieve it. Israel wants peace. Israel needs peace. We've achieved historic peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan that have held up for decades.

I remember what it was like before we had peace. I was nearly killed in a firefight inside the Suez Canal. I mean that literally. I battled terrorists along both banks of the Jordan River. Too many Israelis have lost loved ones. I know their grief. I lost my brother.

So no one in Israel wants a return to those terrible days. The peace with Egypt and Jordan has long served as an anchor of stability and peace in the heart of the Middle East.

This peace should be bolstered by economic and political support to all those who remain committed to peace.

The peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan are vital. But they're not enough. We must also find a way to forge a lasting peace with the Palestinians. Two years ago, I publicly committed to a solution of two states for two peoples: A Palestinian state alongside the Jewish state.

I am willing to make painful compromises to achieve this historic peace. As the leader of Israel, it is my responsibility to lead my people to peace.

This is not easy for me. I recognize that in a genuine peace, we will be required to give up parts of the Jewish homeland. In Judea and Samaria, the Jewish people are not foreign occupiers. We are not the British in India. We are not the Belgians in the Congo.

This is the land of our forefathers, the Land of Israel, to which Abraham brought the idea of one God, where David set out to confront Goliath, and where Isaiah saw a vision of eternal peace. No distortion of history can deny the four thousand year old bond, between the Jewish people and the Jewish land.

But there is another truth: The Palestinians share this small land with us. We seek a peace in which they will be neither Israel's subjects nor its citizens. They should enjoy a national life of dignity as a free, viable and independent people in their own state. They should enjoy a prosperous economy, where their creativity and initiative can flourish.

We've already seen the beginnings of what is possible. In the last two years,

the Palestinians have begun to build a better life for themselves. Prime Minister Fayad has led this effort. I wish him a speedy recovery from his recent operation.

We've helped the Palestinian economy by removing hundreds of barriers and roadblocks to the free flow of goods and people. The results have been nothing short of remarkable. The Palestinian economy is booming. It's growing by more than 10% a year.

Palestinian cities look very different today than they did just a few years ago. They have shopping malls, movie theaters, restaurants, banks. They even have e-businesses. This is all happening without peace. Imagine what could happen with peace. Peace would herald a new day for both peoples. It would make the dream of a broader Arab-Israeli peace a realistic possibility.

So now here is the question. You have to ask it. If the benefits of peace with the Palestinians are so clear, why has peace eluded us? Because all six Israeli Prime Ministers since the signing of Oslo accords agreed to establish a Palestinian state. Myself included. So why has peace not been achieved? Because so far, the Palestinians have been unwilling to accept a Palestinian state, if it meant accepting a Jewish state alongside it.

You see, our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state. This is what this conflict is about. In 1947, the United Nations voted to partition the land into a Jewish state and an Arab state. The Jews said yes. The Palestinians said no. In recent years, the Palestinians twice refused generous offers by Israeli Prime Ministers, to establish a Palestinian state on virtually all the territory won by Israel in the Six Day War.

They were simply unwilling to end the conflict. And I regret to say this: They continue to educate their children to hate. They continue to name public squares after terrorists. And worst of all, they continue to perpetuate the fantasy that Israel will one day be flooded by the descendants of Palestinian refugees.

My friends, this must come to an end. President Abbas must do what I have done. I stood before my people, and I told you it wasn't easy for me, and I said… "I will accept a Palestinian state." It is time for President Abbas to stand before his people and say… "I will accept a Jewish state."

Those six words will change history. They will make clear to the Palestinians that this conflict must come to an end. That they are not building a state to continue the conflict with Israel, but to end it. They will convince the people of Israel that they have a true partner for peace. With such a partner, the people of Israel will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise. I will be prepared to make a far reaching compromise.

This compromise must reflect the dramatic demographic changes that have occurred since 1967. The vast majority of the 650,000 Israelis who live beyond the 1967 lines, reside in neighborhoods and suburbs of Jerusalem and Greater Tel Aviv.

These areas are densely populated but geographically quite small. Under any realistic peace agreement, these areas, as well as other places of critical strategic and national importance, will be incorporated into the final borders of Israel.

The status of the settlements will be decided only in negotiations. But we must also be honest. So I am saying today something that should be said publicly by anyone serious about peace. In any peace agreement that ends the conflict, some settlements will end up beyond Israel's borders. The precise delineation of those borders must be negotiated. We will be very generous on the size of a future Palestinian state. But as President Obama said, the border will be different than the one that existed on June 4, 1967. Israel will not return to the indefensible lines of 1967.

We recognize that a Palestinian state must be big enough to be viable, independent and prosperous. President Obama rightly referred to Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people, just as he referred to the future Palestinian state as the homeland of the Palestinian people. Jews from around the world have a right to immigrate to the Jewish state. Palestinians from around the world should have a right to immigrate, if they so choose, to a Palestinian state. This means that the Palestinian refugee problem will be resolved outside the borders of Israel.

As for Jerusalem, only a democratic Israel has protected freedom of worship for all faiths in the city. Jerusalem must never again be divided. Jerusalem must remain the united capital of Israel. I know that this is a difficult issue for Palestinians. But I believe with creativity and goodwill a solution can be found.

This is the peace I plan to forge with a Palestinian partner committed to peace. But you know very well, that in the Middle East, the only peace that will hold is a peace you can defend.

So peace must be anchored in security. In recent years, Israel withdrew from South Lebanon and Gaza. But we didn't get peace. Instead, we got 12,000 thousand rockets fired from those areas on our cities, on our children, by Hezbollah and Hamas. The UN peacekeepers in Lebanon failed to prevent the smuggling of this weaponry. The European observers in Gaza evaporated overnight. So if Israel simply walked out of the territories, the flow of weapons into a future Palestinian state would be unchecked. Missiles fired from it could reach virtually every home in Israel in less than a minute. I want you to think about that too. Imagine that right now we all had less than 60 seconds to find shelter from an incoming rocket. Would you live that way? Would anyone live that way? Well, we aren't going to live that way either.

The truth is that Israel needs unique security arrangements because of its unique size. Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. Mr. Vice President, I'll grant you this. It's bigger than Delaware. It's even bigger than Rhode Island. But that's about it. Israel on the 1967 lines would be half the width of the Washington Beltway.

Now here's a bit of nostalgia. I first came to Washington thirty years ago as a young diplomat. It took me a while, but I finally figured it out: There is an America beyond the Beltway. But Israel on the 1967 lines would be only nine miles wide. So much for strategic depth.

So it is therefore absolutely vital for Israel's security that a Palestinian state be fully demilitarized. And it is vital that Israel maintain a long-term military presence along the Jordan River. Solid security arrangements on the ground are necessary not only to protect the peace, they are necessary to protect Israel in case the peace unravels. For in our unstable region, no one can guarantee that our peace partners today will be there tomorrow.

And when I say tomorrow, I don't mean some distant time in the future. I mean — tomorrow. Peace can be achieved only around the negotiating table. The Palestinian attempt to impose a settlement through the United Nations will not bring peace. It should be forcefully opposed by all those who want to see this conflict end.

I appreciate the President's clear position on this issue. Peace cannot be imposed. It must be negotiated. But it can only be negotiated with partners committed to peace.

And Hamas is not a partner for peace. Hamas remains committed to Israel's destruction and to terrorism. They have a charter. That charter not only calls for the obliteration of Israel, but says 'kill the Jews wherever you find them'. Hamas' leader condemned the killing of Osama bin Laden and praised him as a holy warrior. Now again I want to make this clear. Israel is prepared to sit down today and negotiate peace with the Palestinian Authority. I believe we can fashion a brilliant future of peace for our children. But Israel will not negotiate with a Palestinian government backed by the Palestinian version of Al Qaeda.

So I say to President Abbas: Tear up your pact with Hamas! Sit down and negotiate! Make peace with the Jewish state! And if you do, I promise you this. Israel will not be the last country to welcome a Palestinian state as a new member of the United Nations. It will be the first to do so.

My friends, the momentous trials of the last century, and the unfolding events of this century, attest to the decisive role of the United States in advancing peace and defending freedom. Providence entrusted the United States to be the guardian of liberty. All peoples who cherish freedom owe a profound debt of gratitude to your great nation. Among the most grateful nations is my nation, the people of Israel, who have fought for their liberty and survival against impossible odds, in ancient and modern times alike.

I speak on behalf of the Jewish people and the Jewish state when I say to you, representatives of America, Thank you. Thank you for your unwavering support for Israel. Thank you for ensuring that the flame of freedom burns bright throughout the world. May God bless all of you. And may God forever bless the United States of America.

Read more: http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2011/05/24/video-and-transcript-benjamin-netanyahus-speech-congress#ixzz1NLB1L3Mc

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at Aipac conferece on Monday May 24, 2011 before speaking to Congress today May 25, 2011

I don't usually send out more than one e-mail in a day, but this one is worth watching... This is what you need to understand


http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/292643-6

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Can we eat to starve Cancer? A Ted Video and Build on your Spouse's Image

Build On your Spouse's Image

If your spouse portrays a picture of him/herself more positively than you feel is accurate, accept it. Build upon it. It is frequently a mistake to try to demolish this picture.

By building upon it, you create a more positive future reality. 

People tend to act in ways that are consistent with their view of themselves. For example, your spouse might say, "I consider myself to be very considerate." Let's say you disagree and feel that your spouse has a long way to go to fit this picture. You would like your spouse to be more considerate, wouldn't you? Therefore, it is best to express gratitude for the consideration already displayed. By doing so you have a better chance of having a more considerate spouse.

If you argue, there is a good chance you will end up in a no-win quarrel. Even if your spouse ends up agreeing with you, it is not likely that your approach will improve their character.

Love Yehuda

Here is something I found interesting and thought you might too.

http://www.ted.com/talks/william_li.html?ga_source=embed&ga_medium=embed&ga_campaign=embed

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