Can't see images? Click here...

Yehuda Lave, Spiritual Advisor and Counselor

Yehuda Lave is an author, journalist, psychologist, rabbi, spiritual teacher and coach, with degrees in business, psychology and Jewish Law. He works with people from all walks of life and helps them in their search for greater happiness, meaning, business advice on saving money, and spiritual engagement.

On Feb 6, we were in the middle or our visit to Europe. The main stop for Miriam was a visit to her parents. Hence our snowy visit to Czech and our shabbat in Prague

Climb up the mountain and you will see what the land is like (Numbers 13:17-18).

These words are the instructions which Moses gave the spies when he sent them to scout Canaan for the Israelites.

On a visit to a salmon hatchery, I witnessed a wonder of nature. Salmon swim upstream, against the current, to reach the spawning place where they were born. To get there, they must jump against powerful cascades. It is fascinating to observe how they struggle to overcome both the pull of gravity and the force of waterfalls. Nothing stops the salmon from getting to where they "know" they must go.

While humans do not have an instinctual goal, we do have the capacity to discover our goals by the use of our intellect. We must often overcome many hurdles and obstacles to reach our goals, and we must not allow ourselves to be discouraged by the struggles we encounter. Those who do not have the courage to overcome the challenge are likely to rationalize their retreat by saying that the goal is not worth the sacrifice. Instead of admitting their reluctance, they devalue the goal.

Moses knew that the nd which was promised by God to Israel was the spiritual goal of the Jewish people, but he knew that when confronted with the difficulties of acquiring the land, some people might retreat and rationalize their reluctance by disparaging the land.

"Only if you are ready to climb mountains," said Moses, "will you be able to truly see what the land is like." The truth can be appreciated only by those who are ready to sacrifice for it."

Today I shall ...
... realize that reaching desirable goals may require much courage and effort, and I should not let any challenge divert me from worthwhile goals.

Love Yehuda Lave

Barach Cohen at the Golden Gate

· BCC at the sealed Shaar HaRachamim (Golden) Gate, Old City if Jerusalem.

Why is this Jerusalem gate the greatest proof that the Arabs ultimately fear the truth of Jewish prophecy and of the coming of Moshiach?

The Golden Gate – 'Shaar Rachamim' in Hebrew, meaning Gate of Mercy – is the only one of the eight gates to the Old City of Jerusalem that is sealed and not well-frequented. However, it has a rich history and, according to Jewish tradition, will play a key role in the future.

The name Golden Gate stems from Christian literature. In Jewish writings it is called Shaar Rachamim (Gate of Mercy). This is the gate that is closest to the Temple Mount, and hence Jews would pray by this gate, where they felt very close to the Divine Presence.

When Moshiach arrives, he will enter Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate (aka Golden Gate, Gate of Mercy). In an attempt to prevent this from happening, the Muslims sealed the gate during the rule of Suleiman the Magnificent. Additionally, they built an Arab cemetery just outside the gate to deter the Messiah.

According to Jewish tradition, on Yom Kippur a Temple messenger was sent with a sacrificial lamb through this gate to the desert. Also, the Red Heifer purification process involved bringing the sacrifice through this gate to the Mount of Olives.

Unlike the other gates of Jerusalem, the Golden Gate was built at least 1000 years before Suleiman rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in the 16th century. Some archaeologists believe that the original gate, dating back to the Roman Emperor Herod (about 10 BCE) or even to the prophet Nehemiah's period (440 BCE) still exists beneath the modern gate. This theory was supported in 1969 by James Fleming, a student of archaeology who was inspecting the gate when it happened to start raining. The ground gave way and he found himself in a pit of bones beneath the gate. He saw the top of another gate beneath the surface. He photographed his discovery, but when he returned the next day, the Arab custodians of the cemetery had sealed it with a cement slab.

The Golden Gate has a rich history and, according to Jewish tradition, it will play a key role in the future as well.

| The Party's Over: Google And Facebook Will Pay Taxes In Israel

The Israel Tax Authority has submitted tax assessments to the multinational tech giants operating in Israel and is negotiating with Facebook and Google, among others, over the final bill.
In so doing, the Tax Authority and the Antitrust Authority made good on a pledge they made at a special session of the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee exactly one year ago, that the issue of tax and economic concentration of these companies would be examined and action taken.

Besides the famous house in Sde Boker is his original house in Tel Aviv is his original home in the Center of Tel Aviv

The Ben-Gurion House is a historic house museum in Tel Aviv, which served as the family home of pre-State Zionist leader and then first Defense and Prime Minister of Israel, David Ben-Gurion, between 1931 and 1953. Until his death in 1973 it continued serving as an additional residence, along with two others, one private – "Ben-Gurion's hut" at Kibbutz Sde Boker in the Negev (known as his desert home), and the official residence as Prime Minister of Israel during his multiple terms as head of government.[1] The latter, known as Julius Jacobs House, is located in Rehavia, Jerusalem.

Ben-Gurion House is located at 17, Ben-Gurion Boulevard in northern Tel Aviv.[1].
Contents

History and structure

The house was built in 1930–1931, and David Ben-Gurion and his family lived there from June 1931 until 1953, when they moved to a small wooden house in Kibbutz Sde-Boker in the Negev desert, after which they returned to the Tel Aviv house only part of each year.[1]

The house was built on Jewish National Fund (JNF) land,[2] when the first shechunat ha-po'alim (lit. workers neighborhood, i.e. a workers housing project) was established there in 1930-31, as Shechunat HaPo'alim Aleph, at the junction of Jewish National Fund Boulevard and Lassalle Street.[3] The Jewish National Fund (Hebrew: Keren Kayemet Le'Israel) Boulevard was renamed to Ben-Gurion Boulevard after the politician's death in 1973.[3]

The house was designed by engineer David Tuvia,[2] and as customary in "workers neighborhoods" in Israel at the time, the house included only one room[dubious – discuss] and was worth 350 British Mandate pounds.[2] The Ben-Gurion family asked for permission to build a second floor, which was granted.[3] The house was expanded in 1946, and renovated in 1960.[2]
First floor

The first floor included the room of Ben-Gurion's second daughter, Renana. It also served Ben-Gurion during the Suez Crisis (Mivtza' Kadesh, "Operation Kadesh") as a shelter and a bedroom. From this room Ben-Gurion conducted his communication with Moshe Dayan, then his Chief of Staff, and from there he received front line updates on the progress of the operation.[4]
Second floor

The second floor houses a four-room library, a toilet and a bedroom, and served only Ben-Gurion himself at the time.

The library holds his personal collection of periodicals and 20,000 books, in ancient Greek, Latin, English, Hebrew, French, Turkish, German, Russian and other languages.[1] The library, known for its unusual size, may give an idea as to Ben-Gurion's fields of interest. The books deal mainly with the subjects of Zionism, history, various cultures and religions, a collections of Hebrew Bible books[dubious – discuss] and more. The many books on IDF's fallen soldiers show the importance given to this subject by Ben-Gurion.

One of the library rooms served as Ben-Gurion's study room, where he had his own study corner, in which he wrote in his diary. It also contained a special phone, that was a direct line to the Defense Ministry's office (compare the Red Phone).

On 13 May 1948, Ben-Gurion hosted the Minhelet ha'am (People's Administration) body: Aharon Zisling, Yehuda Leib Maimon, and Moshe Sharett, where they formulated and drafted the final version of the Israeli Declaration of Independence (Megilat HaAtzma'ut). The next day, they went from this house to Dizengoff House, now known as Independence Hall, and where the Tel Aviv Museum of Art was located at the time, where Ben-Gurion announced on the establishment of the State of Israel.
The house nowadays
PikiWiki Israel 4323 plate in bengurions house.jpg

In his will Ben-Gurion requested to bequest the house to the State of Israel, as is stated:

"I hereby bequeath to the State of Israel my house in Tel Aviv"[5]
— Ben-Gurion's will[5]

Three years after Ben-Gurion died, the Ben-Gurion law 1977 was enacted, which stipulates that the house will be open to the public, and will serve as a museum in memory of Ben-Gurion and as a commemoration of his legacy, as well "as a Reading, Reviewing and Research center", as Ben-Gurion himself requested.

The house was opened to the public on 29 November 1974, and as of today, guided tours and symposiums are conducted in the house, with the purpose of depicting Ben-Gurion's character and life work as a leader. In addition, memorabilia, historical documents, and Ben-Gurion's titles awarded to him when he was prime minister are exhibited in the house.

The Boulevard in which the house is situated, was called at the time Ben-Gurion lived there, Keren Kayemet Boulevard ("Jewish National Fund Boulevard"), and was renamed Ben-Gurion Boulevard after Ben-Gurion died. The name Keren Kayemet Boulevard was then moved to a central street within a northern Tel Aviv neighborhood, Ever Ha-Yarkon suburb, and is still named after the JNF today.