"Years before the Purim story, Haman and Mordecai meet in the desert on their way to the capital. Haman lacked self-control, and ran out of provisions. Mordecai, being more level-headed, had rationed his food. Starving, Haman came to him begging for food. Initially Mordecai refused. (The guy was an enemy combatant, after all.) But later Mordecai made Haman an offer -- food in exchange for being sold into Mordecai's servitude.
But they had no parchment for a contract! Immediately Haman wrote on Mordecai's sandal: I Haman the Aggagite am the servant of Mordecai because I sold myself to him for a loaf of bread.
Mordecai didn't hold Haman to a contract signed under duress. But he did use it to humiliate his foe. When Haman later becomes Prime Minister (Esther 3:1-4) and demanded that everyone bow down to him, Mordecai showed him the sole of his sandal." (Medrash Esther vol V pg 60 in Buber's edition; Yalqut Shim'oni, #956)
What does all this have to do with Obama? Obama has no free will, he is an agent of Hashem. Why is he giving Israel a hard time? Because Hashem has sent him to do so - a punishment or a challenge for us. When Obama showed us his shoes he was saying: "Look folks, I am essentially your servant, because if you do good, Hashem will redirect me away from you; but if you do bad, Hashem will use me as a stick against you. I am your servant because my actions are totally dependant on your relationship with Hashem. Basically, all I do is up to you - as is written on this shoe!"
Sivan 27, 5769, 6/19/2009
Yishai and Malkah on WeJew
Sivan 25, 5769, 6/17/2009
Senator Bob Menendez Acknowledging Israel's History
The begining is good, and so is the end. The middle "peace" part can be edited out though - enjoy:
Yishai and Malkah Fleisher are Zionists, activists and turned-on Jews. They met at Cardozo Law School in Manhattan as students, got engaged, and flew to Israel to get married in Hebron.
Malkah is originally from Sherman, Texas and is a graduate of George Washington University with a degree in Political Communication. She hosts a variety of shows at Arutz Sheva's Israel National Radio, including the Eishet Chayil Show.
Yishai is an internationally recognized lecturer, show host, and columnist and has been featured on CNN, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and other international and Jewish media. Yishai was an IDF paratrooper and studied Poli-Sci at Yeshiva University. Yishai co-founded Kumah, a grassroots organization dedicated to encouraging American Aliyah. His writing and Zionist efforts landed him a job at Arutz Sheva's Israel National Radio. Today he hosts the "Yishai and Friends" show and is the Director of Programming of the station.
