Breaking news: Two dead in direct hit in Ashkelon, One dead in Tel Aviv, schoolhouse struck as Hamas launches hundreds of rockets and European Union recommends reopening to Israeli tourists and the Netanyahu family sues former PM Olmert for defamation and my letter to the Jerusalem Post on the subject and What's My Line? - 500th Episode! Julie Andrews; Martyn Green & Martin Gabel [panel] (Feb 7, 1960) and Rationalist Judaism: The Horses of Chelm and Rebbi Meir Kahane- Parshat BechukotaiA GLORIOUS REDEMPTION OR...?
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.
If you follow My statutes...I will bring peace in the land...But if you do not listen to Me and carry out all these commands...I will bring on you sudden terror" (Leviticus 26:3-16). This is the incontrovertible law of the Jewish people, and there is no escaping it. Whether the Jew's future will be bright or bleak, peaceful or horror-filled, depends only on his devotion to his task in this world - bowing his head and subjecting his will to the yoke of heaven. We find the following in the Talmud regarding the Messiah:
"R. Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction. It says, 'in its time' and it says, 'I will hasten it.'" (He is referring to Isaiah 60:22 - "I, the L-rd, will hasten it in its time" - which is a puzzling verse for how can G-d hasten a redemption that apparently has a set date as implied by the words "its time"?) R. Yehoshua explained: "If the Jews are meritorious, G-d will hasten it. Otherwise, it will be in its time" (Sanhedrin 98a). In other words, if Israel merits redemption through mitzvot and good deeds worthy of redemption, it will come "in haste" - as in, "Today, if you hearken to His voice" (Psalms 95:7). Otherwise, it will come only "in its time," at the latest time possible, near the end of the sixth millennium.
The Talmud continues: "R. Yehoshua ben Levi raised a contradiction. It says, 'And behold there came with the clouds of heaven one like a son of man' (Daniel 7:13), and it says, 'Lowly, riding upon an ass' (Zechariah 9:9). [He explained:] If the Jews are meritorious, the Messiah will come 'with the clouds of heaven.' Otherwise, he will be 'lowly, riding upon an ass.'"
Before us, then, is a fundamental principle regarding the future of the Jewish people. Redemption can come in one of two ways. If we are worthy, G-d will hasten it with glory and majesty and without the suffering or Messianic birth-pangs about which both Ula and Rabba said, "Let it come without my seeing it" (Sanhedrin 98b).
If we do not merit this scenario, however, the Messiah will certainly still come, but only later on, "in its time" - and this redemption will be accompanied, G-d forbid, by the terrible sufferings of chevlei Mashiach.
Only the blind fail to see that we are living today in "the footsteps of the Messiah." The Talmud (Sanhedrin 98a) states explicitly, "R. Abba said: There is no more revealed sign of the end of days than the prophecy of Ezekiel 36:8: 'But you, O mountains of Israel, shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel for it is near to come.'" (Rashi: "When Eretz Yisrael yields its produce in abundance, the end is near, and no sign of the end of days could be more clear.")
G-d is imploring us, His beloved chosen nation, to accept what He desires to give us. The Messiah is knocking at our door, his footsteps can be heard in the streets, the voice of G-d calls, "Return to Me...and I will return to you" (Zechariah 1:3). Hurry! In glory! At this very moment! "Today, if you hearken to His voice!" (Psalms 95:7).
Yet, if G-d forbid we miss our chance and the moment arrives from which there is no turning back, G-d will bring the last stage of redemption "in its time," with Messianic birth-pangs and tragedies the likes of which we have never known. G-d warns us, "I will bring them into their enemies' land where their stubborn spirit will be humbled and their sin forgiven" (Leviticus 26:41). The Sifra (Bechukotai 8:5) states: "This is fitting treatment for Israel. I will not let them say, 'Since we have been exiled among the nations, we will emulate their deeds.' Rather, I will establish My prophets over them, and they will restore them to the proper path under My wing. What source have we for this? 'That which comes into your mind shall never come about...With anger poured out will I be king over you' (Ezekiel 20:32-33). Against your will. Not by pleasant means shall I establish My kingdom over you."
G-d will not allow Israel to remain in the Exile and assimilate. Either they will repent and merit majestic redemption "in haste," or, G-d forbid, He will rule over them angrily, against their will. Israel can leave the Exile either through repentance or against their will, by unpleasant means, through exilic horrors from which they will have to flee - if they can.
"If you follow My statutes...I will bring peace in the land...But if you do not listen to Me and carry out these commands...I will bring on you sudden terror" (Leviticus 26:3-16). This is the choice, the ONLY choice. All the rest is worthless and of no avail. TIME IS RUNNING OUT. THE DECISION IS IN OUR HANDS! Written in The Jewish Idea
Two dead in direct hit in Ashkelon, schoolhouse struck as Hamas launches hundreds of rockets, One dead in Tel Aviv as Airport has to close and schools are closed today as well.
Hamas gloated after it bombarded the city of Ashkelon. Over 400 rockets have been launched since last night.
By David Isaac, World Israel News
At 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, Hamas announced that it had fired 137 heavy rockets in five minutes at the city of Ashkelon. Two women have been reported killed by a direct hit. A third, an 80-year-old woman, was extricated from the building. She is in critical condition.
The Barzilai Medical Center reported it has treated 84 casualties, two of them in serious condition. Forty-nine casualties are currently being treated in the emergency room, Kan News reports.
Three rockets made direct hits on buildings in the city.
One rocket struck a school. Firefighters struggled to put the fire out. No one was trapped inside as classes had been canceled in areas near the Gaza Strip due to the security problems.
Sirens have sounded throughout southern Israel during the day as rockets continue to be launched into Israel. In the morning, dozens of rockets hit the city of Ashdod. A mother and daughter, 12, arrived at Assuta Hospital in Ashdod with shrapnel wounds but were otherwise listed as lightly injured after a rocket struck their home.
Before morning on Tuesday, a rocket made a direct hit on an apartment building in Ashkelon, injuring four. The father, 40, was listed in serious condition having sustained a head injury. The mother, 39, was moderately injured. Their two children, ages 6 and 12, were lightly injured. Also lightly injured in the rocket strike were an 82-year-old woman and a 63-year-old man. The IDF has requested that Ashkelon residents remain in their reinforced rooms.
Israel returned fire, killing several terrorists. It also attacked a terror tunnel and other targets. Gaza's Health Ministry claims 26 have been killed and 122 injured.
The exchange of fire began on Monday after Hamas fired a rocket barrage at Jerusalem, the first time in years. The rocket attack and Arab riots in the capital put a halt to the annual Flags Parade to celebrate Jerusalem Day. One of the rockets narrowly missed hitting a home in a settlement on the outskirts of the city.
The IDF has said the current round of fighting may last several days or lead to a still wider operation. It has struck over 130 targets since yesterday and has called up 5,000 reservists.
The Three Musketeers at the Kotel
Netanyahu family sues former PM Olmert for defamation and my letter to the Jerusalem Post on the subject
Only a person imbued with blind and unrestrained hatred is able to say such serious and offensive remarks in the media," the defamation suit said.
By Aryeh Savir, TPS
The Netanyahu family filed a defamation lawsuit against former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Thursday after he questioned their mental stability during an interview on television.
Netanyahu's attorney is demanding monetary compensation of NIS 837,000 for repeated defamations of the prime minister and his family, including a statement during a television interview that Netanyahu, his wife and son are suffering from a mental illness and that "a hospitalization order should be issued for them."
The defamation lawsuit filed by Adv. Yossi Cohen, on behalf of the Netanyahu family, states that "instead of coming to terms with reality, bowing his head and paying his debt to society, Olmert began to obsessively and successively engage in malicious and vicious slanders against the Netanyahu family."
"Only a person imbued with blind and unrestrained hatred is able to say such serious and offensive remarks in the media – this is a dangerous statement that the court must condemn and determine that it is not a matter of freedom of expression," the suit states.
Olmert was offered to retract his statements in a subsequent interview but refused to do so, and when asked about the threat of a defamation suit, he said he would be happy to defend his claims in court.
My letter to the Jerusalem Post
It is against the law to print Libel
Any editor who edits an article whether it is "observations" as Ehud Olmert's April 23, 2021 or a news article has a duty to delete outright libel from the article.
The Difference Between Libel, Slander, and Defamation
Both libel and slander are false statements made about one person by another person. Libel refers to a false statement made in writing, such as on a website or in a newspaper. Slander refers to a false statement that is spoken, rather than written. With the rise of the Internet, slander could also refer to a statement made during an online chat. Defamation is a statement that damages the reputation of a person. Both libel and slander are forms of defamation.
In the United States, the 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times vs. Sullivan established that a public figure must prove that not only was a false statement published but that it was published with "actual malice."That means the person or media organization making the false statement knew or should have known it was false but published it anyway. They must have demonstrated "reckless disregard for the truth"—either a lack of fact-checking, or printing the false story in spite of knowing the facts.
Without a doubt in court, Olmert's consistent unproven attacks on Netanyahu, rise to the standard of a reckless disregard for the truth. Netanyahu has been convicted of nothing, but the writer who is a convicted criminal, in the guise of praising Bennett, calls Netanyahu a crook.What an upside world we live in and your contribution to this libel is making you a party to it.
An immediate apology should be issued by the Post and dropping of this "commentator" who continues to commit libel. If it was a criminal act, Olmert would be behind bars again.
What's My Line? - 500th Episode! Julie Andrews; Martyn Green & Martin Gabel [panel] (Feb 7, 1960)
MYSTERY GUEST: Julie Andrews
PANEL: Arlene Francis, Martyn Green, Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel
European Union recommends reopening to Israeli tourists
European Council adds Jewish state to list of countries whose citizens should not face entry restrictions to the bloc's 27 countries
Israel has been added to a European Union safe list for countries that the EU says should be allowed to freely travel to Europe for tourism, a statement said on Thursday. The recommendation is not legally binding, and local authorities in member states of the 27-country bloc are responsible for implementing it, while having the right to decide which restrictions they want to ease. due to COVID
The European Union has imposed a blanket ban on non-essential travel during the pandemic, though with exceptions for a few individual countries, including Australia, South Korea and Thailand. Other recommended exceptions to the EU travel ban include New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore and, as of Thursday, Israel.
Israel has since late December undertaken the most rapid per capita vaccination campaign in the world. As of mid-April, nearly five million people had received two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech jab in Israel, more than 70 percent of the population, the threshold commonly seen for herd immunity. Israel has brought its daily virus caseload down from several thousand to a few dozen.
Britain has not yet been added to the list by EU member states. Its vaccination drive has seen 65 percent of adults receive a first jab of the vaccine.
"Following a review under the recommendation on the gradual lifting of the temporary restrictions on non-essential travel into the EU, the Council updated the list of countries for which travel restrictions should be lifted to add Israel," the European Council said in a statement.
China is to be added subject to confirmation of reciprocity, the statement said.
The move came after last week the European Commission presented a proposal to further lift restrictions on nonessential travel from the listed countries due to the developing epidemiological situation and vaccination campaigns.
It suggested countries should allow travelers into the EU if they have been vaccinated with serums approved for use in the region. Member states could also individually decide to accept travelers immunized with vaccines listed by WHO for emergency use.
The Commission also proposed to raise the threshold related to the number of new COVID-19 cases used to determine the list of countries from which all travel should be permitted.
Travel to the EU is currently extremely limited except for a handful of countries with low coronavirus infection rates. But with the summer season looming, the European Commission hopes that the new recommendations will help dramatically expand that list.
Once upon a time, there was a town called Chelm. It was a small town, where nothing much happened, and it ran happily under the leadership of its wise men.
As time went on, the town grew, and grew, and spread out. It began to take a long time to get from one side to the other, even riding on a pony. Fortunately, however, some fast and powerful horses became available. Everyone bought them, and was thrilled to be able to gallop to their destination, with tremendous horsepower.
A maskil from another city once came to visit. He was appalled to see hundreds of people galloping around at great speed in all directions, among pedestrians, even children. Some of the horses were even pulling rickety wagons, packed with passengers, along treacherous hillside curves at tremendous speed.
"Are you crazy?" he said. "This is so dangerous! It's a miracle that you haven't had lots of casualties! First, you have to separate the streets into areas for horses, and sidewalks for pedestrians. Then, the people who ride the horses should wear helmets, for their own protection. There should also be speed limits. At busy junctions, someone should direct traffic! And most importantly, you have to stop the situation of large numbers of passengers being rushed around hillside curves at breakneck speeds!"
The Wise Men of Chelm were dismissive, even hostile, to the maskil. "You don't know what you're talking about," they said. "We are the Wise Men; what do city-bred maskilim know? And do you know how much bittul Torah it will cause if you try to restrain traffic? Finally, the proof that your concerns are completely misplaced is that nobody has ever yet been hurt! We've been running things this way for years without problems; that shows that we know what we are doing."
Dismayed, the maskil tried to do what he could. He stood at the busiest street every day, and tried to direct the horses away from the people.
Eventually, the inevitable happened. A horse trampled over some children. The maskil rushed over to the severely injured children, and frantically waved his arms and yelled to prevent any other horses from stepping on the prone bodies. The horses, scared by the yelling man, reared away, and one of them collided with another person and killed him.
The maskil was hauled before the Wise Men. "It is your fault that a man was killed!" they thundered. "Everything was fine until you got here! Couldn't you even do your job properly?!"
"But... but..." he stammered... "It was an impossible situation! It was obviously going to result in tragedy!"
"How dare you criticize us, especially at a time like this, when an innocent man has lost his life!" the Wise Men thundered. "Have you no heart? And have you no respect?"
"But... but... what about the injured children?" asked the maskil.
"We do not know why the Lord does these things," said the Wise Men. "The only thing to be done is to encourage our children to learn more Torah, and our women to be more modest."
And they banished the maskil from the village, and continued exactly as before.
A week later, a wagon careened off the hillside path, killing all twenty children on board. But the Wise Men decided that it was an incomprehensible Act of God, and called for everyone to stop speaking lashon hara.
