| For this thing (observance of the mitzvos) is extremely close to you, in your mouth and in your heart to do it (Deuteronomy 30:14).
Given the 365 restrictions and prohibitions of the Torah and the demand for performance of 248 mitzvos, how can Moses say that it is not only easy to observe, but that it is extremely close to you; i.e. extremely easy to do? The answer lies in one simple word that is repeated no less than fourteen times in this short (forty-verse) portion of the Torah: "Today." Moreover, the word appears superfluous; every verse could read just as well without it. The Torah must be telling us that if we concentrate on today's challenges and leave tomorrow's for tomorrow, then this challenge is extremely easy to accomplish. I have seen this message in my own work. When people who have abused alcohol for decades come for treatment of their alcoholism, they can be extremely frightened by the prospect that they will never again be able to take a drink. Giving up alcohol for life appears to be virtually impossible. The method that works best in overcoming alcoholism is that advocated by Alcoholics Anonymous: since you can do nothing today about tomorrow's sobriety, don't worry today about how you will stay sober tomorrow. You will have ample opportunity to concern yourself tomorrow about tomorrow's challenge. Today, just take care of today.
Today I shall ...
... try to concentrate on those things that are within my capacity to do today, and avoid worrying about challenges that are not within today's range of action.
Love Yehuda Lave |
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Yom Hazikaron: Israel's Memorial Day This day honoring fallen soldiers immediately precedes Israel's Independence Day. By MJL
My Jewish Learning is a not-for-profit and relies on your help Donate The fourth of Iyar, the day preceding Israel's Independence Day, was declared by the Israeli Knesset (parliament) to be a Memorial Day for those who lost their lives in the struggle that led to the establishment of the State of Israel and for all military personnel who were killed while in active duty in Israel's armed forces. Joining these two days together conveys a simple message: Israelis owe the independence and the very existence of the Jewish state to the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for it.  Yom Hazikaron, the Israeli Memorial Day, is different in its character and mood from the American Memorial Day. For 24 hours (from sunset to sunset) all places of public entertainment (theaters, cinemas, nightclubs, pubs, etc.) are closed. The most noticeable feature of the day is the sound of a siren that is heard throughout the country twice, during which the entire nation observes a two-minutes "standstill" of all traffic and daily activities. The first siren marks the beginning of Memorial Day at 8 p.m., and the second is at 11 a.m., before the public recitation of prayers in the military cemeteries. All radio and television stations broadcast programs portraying the lives and heroic deeds of fallen soldiers. Most of the broadcasting time is devoted to Israeli songs that convey the mood of the day. "Magash Hakesef" (The Silver Platter), a poem written by Nathan Alterman during the 1948 War of Independence, was during the 1950s and '60s the most common reading for Yom Hazikaron ceremonies. The poem attained a status almost similar to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address in U.S. culture. During the '70s, especially following the Six-Day War (June 1967) and the Yom Kippur War (October 1973), numerous new poems and songs commemorating fallen soldiers became popular and often replaced "The Silver Platter" in public ceremonies. "Hare'ut"("Friendship"), a song composed a year after the 1948 war, had an impressive comeback in the 1980s and '90s. The late prime minister Yitzhak Rabin considered this poem/song to be his favorite. Almost every high school in Israel has a "memorial corner" with the photos of the school graduates who fell in battle or while on military duty. Some high schools organize their own Yom Hazikaron ceremonies and invite the families of the fallen graduates to participate. The unique atmosphere of the day is enhanced by the sight of teenagers and children, all dressed in white shirts and blue pants or skirts, on their way to school, and thousands of soldiers in uniform on their way to the military cemeteries. The list of fallen soldiers becomes longer every year. The inevitable tendency of radio and television programs is to focus on individual stories of soldiers who lost their lives in recent decades, rather than on those who fought in the pre-state undergrounds and 1948 war, who have fewer surviving immediate family relatives today. Yom Hazikaron is not conceived as a religious commemoration by the majority of Israelis, but as part of the civil culture. The siren sound seems to inspire awe and sanctity no less than any traditional religious ceremony. Outside of Israel, Yom Hazikaron is commemorated as part of Israel Independence Day observance. There is usually a short memorial or a moment of silence preceding the communal Yom Ha'atzmaut celebration. In synagogues that observe Yom Ha'atzmaut, a special reading may be added to the service, often preceding the Kaddish [memorial prayer]. |
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IAF CREATES SPECIAL WEBSITE TO FOLLOW INDEPENDENCE DAY FLY-OVERS The fly-overs across the country will take place on during the later part of Thursday morning as part of the 71st Independence Day celebrations. MAY 3, 2019 14:02  IAF aerobatic team over Jerusalem . (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM) In preparation for Independence Day, members of the air force's Ofek 324 unit has developed a system for Israeli citizens to track the fly-over display that takes place every year on Independence Day.
The fly-overs across the country will take place on during the later part of Thursday morning as part of the 71st Independence Day celebrations. Read More Related Articles The special system for the real-time display of the fly-over will be accesible on cell phones through a website, which will display an interactive map that includes updates at any given moment during the display. The site allows tracking of the aircraft's location on the interactive map at any given time during the flight, and information about each of the participating aircraft, such as the type of jet, an image, dimensions, the engine and its performance. |
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| 15 Moshiach Facts Every Jew Should Know By Levi Avtzon
 1. Moshiach Will Be a Human Being Moshiach (also known as Messiah) won't be an angel or a spirit. Moshiach (literally translated as "the Anointed One") will be a scion from the house of David, from the tribe of Judah. He will be a pious, visionary and kind king who will teach Torah and offer guidance to all. Read: Who Needs a Human Moshiach? 2. The Torah is Rife With References to Moshiach There is a misconception that the concept of Moshiach is relatively new to Judaism. Nothing could be further from the truth. Maimonides cites numerous Scriptural references to the redemption and the redeemer. Read: Source Texts 3. We Pray for His Arrival Every Day We refer to the redemption many times throughout our prayers—in fact, one-third of the requests in the Amidah ("Silent Prayer," said thrice daily) are about Moshiach. We speak of the redemption in the blessings said under the chuppah (wedding canopy), where we break a glass to remember that we are not complete until the Holy Temple will be rebuilt once Moshiach comes. When we say Grace after Meals, we beg for his arrival. Read: Where Is It Written That We Must Yearn for Moshiach? 4. There Will Be No More War "Nation shall not lift a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore,"predicts Micah about this era. 1 Isaiah writes poignantly that "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." 2 Read: Is the World Really Getting Better? 5. It Is the Purpose and Goal of Creation In Tanya, we read: "It is known that the messianic era, especially the period after the Resurrection of the Dead, is indeed the ultimate purpose and the fulfillment of this world. It is for this [purpose] that [this world] was originally created." 3 Having G‑d reveal Himself in our physical and mundane world is the achievement of creation's purpose. Every act that we do makes this world a little more ready for G‑d's revelation. Read: What Is the Purpose of Existence? 6. We Will Be Occupied By Discovering G‑d In the last law in his magnum opus Mishneh Torah, Maimonides concludes: "The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G‑d. Therefore, the Jews will be great sages and know the hidden matters, grasping the knowledge of their Creator according to the full extent of human potential, as Isaiah states: 'The world will be filled with the knowledge of G‑d as the waters cover the ocean bed.' 4" 5 Read: Will We Have Free Choice When Moshiach Comes? 7. The Third and Final Temple Will Be Built The First Temple in Jerusalem was built by King Solomon and destroyed 410 years later by the Babylonians. The Second Temple was built by the Jewish community under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah and was destroyed 420 years later by the Romans. The third and final Temple will be built by either G‑d or the Moshiach himself ( or both) and will never be destroyed. A vision of this Temple was shown to Ezekiel while in the Babylonian exile. Read: Why Haven't the Jews Built the Third Temple Yet? 8. The Dead Will Be Resurrected The 13th principle in Maimonides' 13 Principles of Faith states: "I believe with complete faith that there will be Resurrection of the Dead at the time when it will be the will of the Creator, blessed be His Name and exalted be His remembrance forever and ever." 6 Read: Who Will Be Resurrected? 9. All the Jews Will live in the Holy Land At the end of the Passover Seder we all declare "Next Year in Jerusalem!" just as we do at the conclusion of the Yom Kippur services. One of the most important aspects of the Redemption is the promise of the ingathering of the exiles from the Diaspora, with all Jews settling in their tribal portion of the Holy Land. We are assured that no Jew will be left behind—including the "10 Lost Tribes." Read: Will the 10 Lost Tribes Really Return? 10. One Deed, Word or Thought Can Bring Moshiach According to Maimonides, we should view the world as a balanced scale. On one side are all our collective merits, and on the other side are our collective failings. "If one performs one mitzvah, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to the side of merit and brings deliverance and salvation to himself and others. This is implied by [ Proverbs 10:25], 'A righteous man is the foundation of the world,' i.e., he who acted righteously, tipped the balance of the entire world to merit and saved it." 7 All it takes is one action, one good word or one positive thought that can tip the scale and bring salvation to us all. Join the Effort! 11. There Will Be a Perfect World In the messianic age, Jews and gentiles will live in peace and harmony. All Jews will adhere to the 613 commandments and the non-Jews will follow the 7 Noahide laws for all humanity. Read: How Do Torah and Mitzvahs Contribute to World Peace? 12. We Are Like Dwarves on Giants' Shoulders Can we really be the last generation of exile and first generation of redemption? Are we better than our ancestors? Why us? The sages give an analogy of a child atop the shoulders of a giant. The collective deeds and sacrifices of our ancestors combined to bring this world to the doorstep of Moshiach. All we need to do is open the door! Read: Now More Than Ever 13. There Will Be No More Disease or Death During the messianic era, we will witness ultimate physical and spiritual bliss. All will be healed. 8 The blind, the deaf and the dumb, the lame, anyone with any blemish or disability, shall be healed: "The eyes of the blind shall be clear-sighted, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened . . . the lame shall leap as a hart and the tongue of the dumb shall sing . . ." 9 Death itself shall cease, as it is written, "Death shall be swallowed up forever and G‑d shall wipe the tears from every face . . ." 10 Read: The Messianic Era 14. Life Will Be Pleasurable and Easy The earth will become extraordinarily fertilite. 11 The wilderness of Israel will become "like Eden, and her desert like the garden of G‑d." 12 "I will call for the grain and increase it . . . and I will increase the fruit of the tree and the produce of the field . . ." 13 "The plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; and the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt." 14 In the words of Maimonides: 15 "At that time there will be neither famine nor war, neither envy nor strife. All good things will be bestowed in abundance, and all delicacies will be accessible like dust." 16 15. Here is What We Can Do to Make It Happen Although every mitzvah has the power to usher in the redemption, there are special mitzvahs that are deeply connected to Moshiach and redemption. Here are some: - Teshuvah— repentance
- Keeping Shabbat, the restful foretaste of the messianic era
- Torah s tudy, especially the inner secrets of Torah ( Chassidut), which are a sampling of the Torah that will be taught by Moshiach himself
- Giving tzedakah (charity)
- Increasing in love, peace and unity amongst us all
- Learning parts of the Torah where the era of Moshiach is discussed
May we all merit the coming of the righteous Moshiach and the ultimate redemption speedily in our days, amen! Footnotes 6. The 13 Principles of Faith formulated by Maimonidies in his commentary on the Mishnah (Sanhedrin 10:1). 11. Shabbat 30b; Ketubot 111b.  Rabbi Levi Avtzon lives in Johannesburg, South Africa, with his wife Chaya and their children. He is associate rabbi and director of outreach at the Linksfield Senderwood Hebrew Congregation. |
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| If guns kill people then Pencils Misspell Words, CARS Make People Drive Drunk and SPOONS Make People fat. |
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Gender Identity Law Declares War on Women, Forces Trans Men to be Accepted as Female
House Democrats have reintroduced a bill that would make "gender identity" a protected class under federal civil rights law and force men who identify as women to be treated and accepted as female. If the measure, known as the Equality Act, becomes law, it would drastically impact numerous sectors.
Hospitals and insurance companies will have to provide costly sex-reassignment therapies, employers and workers who don't conform to new sexual norms will lose their businesses and jobs and women would lose female-only facilities and sports. The only requirement for protection under the bill is a self-declared "gender identity."
In a statement celebrating the Equality Act's reintroduction last month, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this: "To dismantle the discrimination undermining our democracy, we must ensure that all Americans, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, are treated equally under the law — not just in the workplace, but in education, housing, credit, jury service and public accommodations as well."
The veteran California congresswoman claims the measure has strong bipartisan support even though two Republicans that supported it when it was first introduced in the last Congress are no longer in office. Florida's Ileana Ros-Lehtinen retired and Virginia's Scott Tayler failed to win reelection. Fortunately, the bill is likely to encounter serious resistance in the Republican-majority Senate as well as the White House.
Nevertheless, the transgender movement has become a dangerous war on women and girls and the law floating around in Congress will be detrimental to both. The Equality Act would be a setback to women's rights in several areas.
American women would be stripped of single-sex accommodations in public multi-stall bathrooms, domestic violence or rape crisis shelters, drug rehabilitation centers, jails, juvenile detention facilities, homeless shelters, locker rooms or group showers. Judicial Watch recently wrote about a separate law that aims to defund women's shelters that don't allow transgender men who self-identify as women.
The Equality Act goes further by also stripping a woman's right to have a person of the same sex conduct security searches on their body, supervise drug tests, handle intimate medical care and supervise children on overnight trips. This is because the language in the proposed law replaces sex with gender identity, open to the claimant's interpretation, as a protected category.
This would be especially harmful to females in areas such as competitive sports. A decades-old federal measure known as Title IX prohibits discrimination in all federally funded education programs, including sports.
It ensures that boys and girls in elementary through high school and men and women in college have athletic opportunities. If the Equality Act passes males will have the right to compete against females, an atrocity that even the most liberal women and feminists reject.
Among them is tennis legend Martina Navratilova, an 18-time Grand Slam champion who encountered lots of discrimination for coming out as gay during the peak of her professional tennis career in the 1980s. "You can't just proclaim yourself a female and be able to compete against women," Navratilova said. "It's insane and it's cheating. I am happy to address a transgender woman in whatever form she prefers, but I would not be happy to compete against her. It would not be fair."
A recent public high school case in Georgia supports the tennis great's assessment. At a track competition, a transgender athlete easily beat all the females. The mother of one of the demoralized athletes reached out to several women's rights groups for help but her concerns fell on deaf ears. A conservative public policy women's organization in Washington D.C. helped the mother express her concerns to Congress.
In a letter to the House Judiciary Committee the mother writes this: "To say that my daughter, as well as the other female athletes, were humiliated and had a sense of defeatism is an understatement. In the words of my daughter, 'What's the point Mom, we can't win.' Hearing this broke my heart, for my daughter and for all the female athletes, who train so hard, but no matter how hard they work and train they will never be able to beat a biological male. … What are we doing to our girls by forcing them to race biological males?"
Concerned Women for America, the group that assisted the Georgia mother, has conducted extensive research on the Equality Act and recently published a document outlining the measure's dangerous consequences for women and girls.
Shea Garrison, the organization's vice president of international affairs, says the bill wrongfully "redefines civil rights law" and "elevates the interests of one group over another." An esteemed academic, Garrison's work and research focuses on women's economic and social empowerment, religious freedom and human rights.
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Ocean in 3D A Must See !!
This may be one of the "best videos ever" of the ocean with a 3D effect.
The clarity is unbelievable. No special glasses or anything needed. Only the people actually living it can, most likely, see it any clearer. This is in HD, 3D, I hope your monitor can view it that way. http://www.youtube.com/embed/ mcbHKAWIk3I
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18 Unique and Impressive Buildings from Around the World Interesting that none of these are in the USA When you talk about artists, you usually think of painters, sculptors, dancers, singers, and even actors, but you'll rarely hear anyone include architects. Although most of them engage in safe and practical construction, some devote their lives to creating buildings and structures that are no less impressive than works of art. Here are 18 such buildings from around the world. If you see them with your own eyes, you'll spend long minutes in front of them just appreciating each one's beauty!
Unfortunatley- the pictures won't copy but you can google each one of them
1. "Hill of the Buddha" in Sapporo, Japan
2. The Russian Ministry of Agriculture's building in Kazan
3. "Jing An Temple" in the middle of the gray city of Shanghai, China
4. "City of Arts and Sciences" in Valencia, Spain
5. "Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple" in Tamil Nadu, India
6. Chain Structure in Singapore
7. Institute for Medical and Health Research building in South Australia
8. The "iceberg" in Aarhus, Denmark
9. "Intel Hotel" in Zaandam, the Netherlands
10. The "drunk house" in Sopot, Poland
11. "The Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art" in Cape Town, South Africa
12. "Polygon Riviera" in Cagnes-sur-Mer, France
13. "Agora Garden Tower" in Taipei, Taiwan
14. "Temple of the Sun" in Muhamadra, India
15. Imax Theater "Le KinéMAX" in Futuroscope Park, France
16. The Dancing House in Prague, Czech Republic
17. "Museum of Tomorrow" in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
18. "Hotel Morpheus" in the Macau Peninsula
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See you tomorrow on Yom Haatzmaut. Honor Yom Hazikron today
Love Yehuda Lave |
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