Next Year in Jerusalem!

I believe we are moving fast towards redemption.  Just as we have lessons in the Pesach Hagada (Passover guide book) we need to reflect on how we relate to history and our future redemption today.  Will we leave our Exile and go with Moses or will we be one of the majority who found excuses to stay behind where we thought we felt more comfortable?

Reflect:

 Who is your Pharaoh?
Who is your Pharaoh?

a) Barak Obama

b) Materialism / Comfort Zone

c) Your career

d) G-d is your only, Only, ONLY, Master.

What are your goals in striving towards freedom? 

a) To make as much money as you can and sped it on fun things

b) To laze around on the couch and drink beer and watch and cheer a ball game

c) To fight for your beliefs so you are allowed to live by them 

How can you best serve G-d? 

a) Staying in the Exile and 'practicing' Judaism but not living and embracing it. 

b) Suffering what you have to do because of 'obligation' and the rest of the time feeding your desires

c) Just talking to G-d, striving to be his servant, bringing the holy to the mundane, and making the mundane holy.

Perhaps these are questions we should be asking ourselves and relate them to today at the same time.

Is Materialism our pharaoh, keeping us enslaved?

Do we view freedom as what we were taught it was through western standards and western eyes, and not through what G-d tells us in the Torah?

Are we trapped in golden cages in the Exile, not wanting to leave 'Egypt' (america) because we are frightened of what it will be like on a journey in the 'wilderness' until we get to the Promised Land, and so we choose to stay in our comfort zones, not leave, and miss our chance at redemption and being embraced by G-d in His Land?

I would just like to re-post this video, and show you the miracles that G-d made for us, the Jewish people, His Chosen Ones.  When you see the sea split, think to yourselves, "Look how much G-d loves us, G-d didn't do this for any other nation except us.  He really, really loves us!"

And to sum up,  I wish all of the friends of the Jewish People to stand strong, be at peace, and be blessed with all good things.  As for all of my Jewish brothers and sisters in the Exile, I pray you have a wonderful, happy, and kosher Pesach.  May you learn from our rich history and Holy Torah, and may you yearn, and accomplish, our fervent prayer, "Next year in Jerusalem!".

The Murder Weapon

A young Jewish teen was murdered today, axed to death.  An Arab, planning to do an act of terror, infiltrated into the community of Bat Ayin and the 'brave' man picked and preyed on KIDS to kill. Sick.  And sick, sick, sick, again.  The boy who fell victim to the axe murderer was named Shlomo Nativ.

(To the left, Shlomo Nativ, z"l )

Where was Shlomo's mother when this vicious attack took place?  Maybe cleaning her house for Pesach (Passover).  She might have been scrubbing her stove like I was today, ...as her son was being murdered.  I couldn't help thinking after I read about the terror attack in between cleaning jobs, that from now on, every year, instead of looking forward to a happy Pesach holiday, Shlomo's parents will be observing the anniversary of their son's too-soon death. 

Another young boy, 7 year old Yair Gamliel was also attacked by the same Arab terrorist who the army has not yet found, but believe they will, and have already brought in 2 Arab men in for questioning.  Little Yair had the terrorist's axe slammed into his head,,,,
One Bat Ayin man saw what was happening and wrestled with the terrorist using his hands, trying to overpower him to get the axe away from him.  The terrorist tried to hack at him as well, but was unable to and instead broke free and ran away. Reports also say that Bat Ayin's security team managed to shoot at the terrorist as he fled, and they believe he was wounded. The Army is making sweeping operations in two Arab villages near by.  

Bat Ayin (the blue point above on the map) is a community located southwest of Jerusalem, with wide spaces and open land.  The Arab who came on a mission to murder, had to purposely head for the community to seek out his victims.  Looking at photos and news clips of the surrounding areas, one sees valleys and hills making Bat Ayin a target only if it was specifically planned.

Who raises children to grow up into men who then choose to take an axe and go on a murder spree, and target children?  What kind of monsters are these Arab women raising?  

I have an acquaintance who takes a lot of taxis.  He is friendly with a lot of drivers, Jewish and Arab.  One of his drivers who is an Arab, was telling him how upset he was because the Hamas and other Moslem leaders are constantly telling Arab parents to give up one of their children for 'The Jihad'. He said that all the time, they are pressured into sending a child to 'jihad'.  He said that kids are told this at school, and the parents are constantly bombarded by it if they haven't already made 'the sacrifice'.  The cab driver continued and said that he didn't want to give up one of his kids, but felt really guilty about not doing it with so much pressure placed on him. 

Hmmm, and how would THAT scenario go?

Husain gets home from a  long day's work driving his Jerusalem cab.  He walks in the door, sits down on his chair in the living room and thinks, "Hmmm, should I send Ahmed, Rashid or Ibrahim to die?  Eeny, meenie, meeny miney mo..."

What kind of culture is this?  How sick can this world be?  How do these Arab women live in a society that lives for glory through blood and death, treats women like second class citizens (I know, worse) and pressures parents to choose a kid and sacrifice him for the Jihad?  I wonder if the other surviving brothers fight over 'Jihad Kid's' room after his mother straps a bomb on him and sends him to blow himself and other innocent people up on busses, in cafes, or just raises her child to think it's glorious to hike up a mountain with an axe and look for the nearest kids to prey on and sink that axe into their skulls.  So then who's the murderer? The parents, or the kids they raise or send out, to murder?

I took a picture of the murder weapon on my computer while watching Israel's channel 10 news there, as I couldn't find a photo of the murder weapon online yet, so you are some of the first to see it.  Imagine THAT in your head.  ...Or your child's, G-d forbid!   

The murder weapon 

American Brown Shirts? Yes We Can!

Word has it that Obama, true to his election promises, is going to start a “civilian national security force” which is meant to be a military force -as strong as the U.S. armed forces, as well funded, and will be situated on the home front.  Critics are calling it "Obama's Youth Brigade" and claiming it smells of the 'Brown Shirts' during the Nazi era.  His Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, is helping him to implement this new national security force. As of now, it would be mandatory for those citizens who are in the "GIVE “ (Generations Invigorating Volunteerism and Education)  program.  But that's not all. The Federal Government will obligate other American youth to serve as well such as those Americans who get student loans.   

Below, is a video of an interview on C-SPAN with Rahm Emanuel (who is now the White House Chief of Staff under Obama).  In it, he states that this civil security force plan, would be for all American citizens between the ages of 18-25 to serve for 3 months (could eventually be longer) in a type of 'basic training'. This includes women. "Citizenship is not an entitlement program.  It comes with responsibilities." Emanuel stated. He claims this is not a draft, rather it is a 'universal service'  and 'required'. 

It seems though that this is worse than the regular draft Americans knew from the past.  Emanuel describes this new plan would require everyone between the ages of 18-25, women included.  The Obama administration may get their way.

The rules and demands of this new civilian security force also include religious restrictions. The Bill, as shown below, would forbid American youth in these brigades to participate in conducting worship services, and operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship.

SEC. 1304. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

Section 125 (42 U.S.C. 12575) is amended to read as follows:

SEC. 125. PROHIBITED ACTIVITIES AND INELIGIBLE ORGANIZATIONS.

(a) Prohibited Activities- A participant in an approved national service position under this subtitle may not engage in the following activities:

(I am skipping here to article # 7)

7) Engaging in religious instruction, conducting worship services, providing instruction as part of a program that includes mandatory religious instruction or worship, constructing or operating facilities devoted to religious instruction or worship, maintaining facilities primarily or inherently devoted to religious instruction or worship, or engaging in any form of religious proselytization.

I am curious as to how young religious Jewish American men who need to pray in a minyan (quorum of ten men or more) feel about this.  How could a religious Jew manage? Would there be kosher dining rooms?  Would they get off for Shabbat?  How will Jewish families feel when their sons AND daughters are taken away to serve just because they wanted a higher education but didn't have all the money to plop down at one time, so they took a student loan. Does someone have to be rich now, in order to be able to afford keeping the mitzvoth in America?

And for the rest of the American people… Why even have a civilian national security force?  What is the need?  Isn't the U.S. military enough?  Aren't there enough American soldiers in bases all over the U.S.  to use in case of an emergency?  And if not, America already has what is called the National Guard.  Why is there a need for an additional governmental mandatory youth force? Who will these youth be beholden to, the U.S. Constitution, or the office of the President?  And where will this stop?  At first, it is voluntary.  But the plan is to make it mandatory. Emmanuel says the plan is for it to be 'universal', for all American citizens in the age group they described above. ...And it wouldn't be that difficult to enforce either.  One more major terror attack (G-d forbid) against Americans would be a good excuse to push through this draft for all young Americans.  

I wonder how American Jews are going to feel, having to possibly soon send their children to a place that does not let them practice their Judaism and denies or prevents them from fulfilling their Jewish obligations (Shabbat, kosher, daily prayer minions, etc,)  These demands and restrictions should bother other religious Americans as well.  I don't know how this youth brigade is going to manifest itself, but it sure would make me very uncomfortable if I were a religious person living in the 'Land of the Free', because it seems like those freedoms will only be a memory of what once was.  

The civilian national security force bill has already passed in the House in a vote of 321-105 and will now go to the Senate.  It will then go to President Obama for the final stamp of approval.  And I imagine if anyone says 'nay' to him, he will answer, "YES WE CAN!"