This week's Haftorah is also about making a mistake although much more major . Saul the King was supposed to show no mercy to the evil people trying to kill the Jews, but he did. The result of his mistake was that we still have the evil people in the world trying to kill us...However, erring on the side of mercy is usually not a mistake. In Saul's case it was becasue the bible teaches that when you show compassion when you should show strength, you end up not showing compassion when you should.
Saul's further mistake was not admitting it, and justifying his behaviour. G-d wants us to admit our mistakes, say we are sorry and fix the damage if it is possible. That is all a human being can do.
Why Israel is the World's Best Nation?
The writer, an Italian journalist with Il Foglio, writes twice weekly Giulio Meotti
I don't know another nation on Earth which since its founding, less than seventy years ago, had to sacrifice 23,000 soldiers.
I don't know another nation on earth without recognized borders.
I don't know another nation on earth whose population lives under a perpetual emotional strain.
I don't know another nation on earth threatened to be wiped off the map.
I don't know another nation on earth so threatened by boycotts all over the world.
I don't know another nation on earth where winners tend to lose wars.
I don't know another nation on earth which provides its own enemy with water, electricity, food, weapons, and medical treatment.
I don't know another nation on earth where guests on official visits utter disrespectful and offensive words.
But I also don't know another nation on earth which has recorded so many miracles.
Imagine a helpless, naked Jew at the gas ovens facing a Nazi official, who thinks he will get rid of the "Jewish cancer", get rid of this unique phenomenon of 2,000 years.
Could that helpless, naked Jew imagine that in 50 years other Jews will be flying F-16's in the skies over Israel ?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel 's population today would be nine times that of 1948, the year of the state's creation?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is much happier than all the European countries?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel has the highest production of scientific publications per capita in the world?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel has the highest worldwide publication of new books?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the only nation which began the XXI century with a net gain in the number of trees?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel has with largest number of chess grandmasters per capita of any city in the world?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the nation whose academics produce more scientific papers per capita than anywhere else in the world?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the nation with the highest ratio of university degrees to the population in the world?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the country which, in proportion to its population, with the largest number of startup companies in the world?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the country with the highest percentage in the world of home computers per capita?
Could that helpless Jew imagine that Israel is the nation with the largest immigrant-absorbing model on earth?
Unfortunately, you will not find Israel 's goodness and superiority in the media (also Israeli), because it doesn't fit in with the stereotype of the colonialist Zionist occupier. In the world's consciousness, the word " Israel " must be equated with fear.
Israel just came out of another war against terrorists whose value is less than that of animals. Do you know of any animal species sheltering behind its own children?
But the Jewish State, despite its media, its cynical politicians, establishment, once again showed the world it is the best humanity has to offer.
This hope is impressed in the faces of Israel 's fallen soldiers, its wounded an injured soldiers. In those faces there is joy de vivre, not sadness or hatred.
Terrorists and their Western appeasers want to destroy Israel because it is a light unto the nations.
The only one in the world in which we live.
Rosh Chodesh Adar at Kever Rachel brought out the dedicated to be with Rachel Imeinu on this day of simcha despite the impending snowstorm. Just like nothing can stand in the way of a mother protecting her children, the forecasts did not stop those who battle for Rachel's Tomb, a most protected holy site. The 8am Egged #163 bus to Rachel's Tomb was pretty empty for a Rosh Chodesh morning . Just a few were on the bus that reached Rachel's Tomb from Efrat at 9am. The Sefer Torah reading was a sweet comforting echo through the well heated ohel. The harsh wind that came through the door carelessly left open over and over again was stopped by the kind efforts of Nechama who works for RCRF no matter in The House of Rachel's Children purchased initially in March 2001 with all RCRF 501c3 money or at Rachel Tomb itself where it all began. The women patiently await their return to their borders.
Nina Devere who has been sponsoring the buses and running the programs needs a better response and so does RCRF which is dealing with lock outs, slander and chillul Hashem. Considering all the major accomplishments, Evelyn accepts the word of her dear friend Hana, a'h "You already won." Still RCRF was formed to save Kever Rachel and present the "good ideology". So sad, the good had to deal with inconceivable bad. Speaking on the parasha Terumah, building the Tabernacle, Evelyn sees it's all about IF and If NOT. We need more time to correct the IF NOT. Letting evil get away with IF NOT the bad becomes a raging plague. IF means, "Not by Rachel's tears alone, but working together with midos and wisdom" creates the geulah. When we act with derech eretz, do teshuva, HASHEM produces miracles.
Nina introduced Sarah Baumol who spoke on the month of Adar. She taught that Adar brings in joy. Good Happens. Bad turns to good. She says, "We can change mazal by deeds, not dice." She showed how the Haman/Mordechai predicament was turned into an Esther HaMalchah reality where the victory hidden became what we see. We need to do it again and make the miracles last. The program ended with Esther Cameron, editor of Deronda Review reading her poem.--
