Things We'd Like To See

This last Shabbat, I was reading a book called "Healing Back Pain" by Dr. John E. Sarno (as suggested by quite  a few of you readers) when my husband dropped a news paper on my lap and told me that I should look at a picture there.  This is the photo:

This photo was taken at the funeral of Tommy Lapid, a personal friend of Olmert's.  Lapid was a virulent religious Jew hater.  He was also a holocaust survivor.  I never figured that one out.

Tommy Lapid started a left wing political party called 'Shinui - 'change', whose raison d'etre  was to oust (Jewish) religious parties from the Knesset. It is strange, in that even though it appears his son Yair Lapid (in photo, right of Olmert) was not wearing a kippah on his head, his family requested an orthodox Jewish funeral and the mourner's prayer, the Kaddish, was said for him.

My husband told me, "Look, Olmert is wearing a kippah and he's crying. He's still a Jew.  Maybe instead of criticizing him so much, we should pray for him to do tshuva (repent)." He then left me with the paper and walked away.

This got me thinking, maybe indeed I should write something more positive and uplifting.  And since my back still hurts me (I am off pain killers now and it's very hard for me to sit), I decided to post pictures of things I'd like to see.  I invite you to add your own ideas below in the comments section.  So, here goes...

Things I'd Like To See:

Our missing soldiers rescued/freed. We have more beautiful boys still missing such as Ron Arad, Guy Hever, Zecharya Baumel, Zvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz missing since June 1982.  We'd like to see them home.

Ahavat Yisrael (love between brothers).  We are all Jews and we need to love each other.  Unfortunately, we see this happen usually when war breaks out, and then we see left and right get together, Ashkenaz and Sepharad get together, religious and not-yet religious get along together.  May we see this as an everyday occurrence instead.

Our leaders do tshuva (repent).  How nice it would be to be able to cheer & respect our leaders. (sigh) We really desire having a leader we can be proud of.

Our stolen Menora and other Temple articles returned to us (hidden in the Vatican?).

The Third Temple re-built here in today's Jerusalem!

All our land returned to us that is under Arab occupation in the north, east, and south.

The Leaders and nations of the world coming to Israel to pay tribute to Hashem!

That we could find the lost Ark and even get a peak inside it (without dying) to view the tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses broke, and see what the Manna bread looked like.  That would be so amazing!

To have Moshiach (The Messiah) come today!  We really need to make intense prayers on this one.  How wonderful it would be to finally get past the hate, immorality, and war mode we soon may be facing.  It's time to remember we all come from the One G-d and that we are all connected to each other and that it makes no sense killing each other.  When the knowledge of 'Hashem Echad U'Shmo Echad' enters the world and is understood by all, then we shall see a different world, an enlightened world, where we will  (ISAIAH 2:4) "beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Amen!

...And what would you like to see?  C'mon, inspire or even humor your co-blog readers...

The Parade That Nobody Came To Watch

Well, it was grueling for me.  I went to report on the IM-PURrade (Gay Pride parade) that took place in the Holy City of Jerusalem today.  Just driving there hurt me.  The colorful rainbow flags were already up, hanging from the city's light poles along King David Street, and it stung.  Security forces were everywhere.  I cringed thinking that a sex parade would soon be flaunting itself down the street with its marchers wearing smiles of victory that they can bring their private lives of what they do in their bedrooms, into our public streets.

The only good thing was, that it mimicked last year's parade, in that no one really showed up to view their 'pride'. The streets were empty, and it seems that Jerusalemites de-facto boycotted the event, yet again.

To tell the truth, almost everyone on the sidelines were either security forces or the media.  I took some photographs which I will post below.

Agron Street.  The marchers begin their parade, but there are no onlookers, just security forces and a few media people with cameras.

Above & Below:  Empty streets.  In the far back is the begining of the parade with its marchers.

In front of the YMCA and the King David Hotel. Hark!  It looks like a few tourists (11 people?) from the hotel came to view the parade. 

The marchers arrive.  Notice the child on top of the shoulders of the man in the red T-shirt.  I saw a few children and dogs brought to march in the parade.  Some Israeli MKs are trying to pass a law that children cannot be brought to march in these parades.

The photo above shows a sign in Arabic, as Arabs march as well. Some of the marchers were chanting and clapping, "Homophobia is a disease."

Behind the tail end of the parade, with police on horseback.  But still, the streets remain empty of onlookers.  They didn't have an audience.

How disapointing it must be to have a parade, if no one shows up to watch it???  Maybe our brothers and sisters here will get the message, that we are not interested in viewing or hosting parades which flaunt deviant sexual lifestyles. 

Gay Parade: Holy, or Not?

The Pride Parade takes place today at approx. 5pm.  Show up there with the thousands of others who will be there to voice their objections and show their willingness to defend the holiness of the Land. Place: Jerusalem's city center area/ Agron/ King David street to Liberty Bell Park.

G-d wants the Jewish People to be Holy.  No, G-d actually COMMANDS us to be Holy. 

Leviticus 19:1 - 20:27   (Parshat K'doshim)
1 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them:
You shall be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy.

So how is it that Jews can be prideful about what G-d labels an 'abomination'? 

Leviticus 18:22   (Parshat Acharei)
"You shall not lie down with a male, as with a woman: this is an abomination. 23. And with no animal shall you cohabit, to become defiled by it. And a woman shall not stand in front of an animal to cohabit with it; this is depravity. 24. You shall not defile yourselves by any of these things, for the nations, whom I am sending away from before you, have defiled themselves with all these things. 25. And the land became defiled, and I visited its sin upon it, and the land vomited out its inhabitants."

Now, lest I be called horrible names, and a 'gay basher'…  It is not I who stated these verses, but G-d Himself.  Anyone who denies these truths is denying the authority of Almighty G-d and is guilty of idol worship in that he is molding his own brand of religion and forming his own god of comfort and design to worship. 

Should people support any type of pride parades that run contrary to G-d's word? How about: 

Adulterer pride parades?  (This would be something to keep in the closet, or get ready for divorce papers from your spouse.)

Pornography pride parades?  (No more hiding those magazines under your bed. You could be in next month's Playboy as one of their supporters!) 

Bestiality pride parades? (I love my dog, but I don't sleep with her)

Pedophilia pride parades  (I love my kids, but I don't sleep with them either)

Gluttony pride parades     (Ok, I stand to lose a few pounds, ok, more than just a few, this is one of my vices (challenges)… but I wouldn't parade and JUSTIFY this unhealthy life-style choice.)

Thievery pride parades  (If I were a thief, I would keep it in the closet (sic), and try to get help for this vice.)  

'Dis-honor Your Parents' parade  (Are you kidding?  If my parent's saw me in a parade like this, Id be grounded

 for life! [wink] )

Sabbath Violaters parades (It would probably be held on Shabbat, I couldn't make it anyway)

Eat Pig & Shrimp parades (I'd rather be a vegetarian than eat oink.)
or any other 'pride' parade that G-d forbids or labels 'abominable'.

Even in the 7 Noahide laws, it states "Incestuous and adulterous relations are forbidden". -Human beings are not sexual objects, nor is pleasure the ultimate goal of life.  This goes for ALL of Mankind.

G-d creates each individual with challenges in their lives.  Some people have a tendency to have a short temper, others have a tendency to want to amass as many objects and material things that they can in life.  Still, others, feel a need to stray sexually and find it an immense task to stay faithful to their spouses, some also even commit adultery -sleeping with other men's wives.  And there are still others who  feel a 'same sex attraction' (SSA) and find it easier to build a relationship, sexual and emotional with someone of their same sex.  But these behaviors are not 'holy' and actually pull Man away from G-dliness.

Sex is a beautiful and wonderful thing.  It is a gift from G-d, after joining a man and woman in marriage (HOLY Matrimony) to build a loving, holy relationship together and to build families.   Sex is not to be used casually to fill an appetite, satisfy lust, legitimize free sex, enable 'the conquest', grant homosexuality, pedophilia, bestiality, etc.

I understand that it must be very difficult for people who feel 'same sex attraction'  and refrain from acting on it.  But we must all work hard to make ourselves better and holier people.  This goes for people who are wrought with the challenge of short fuses and lose their tempers, to those who shop till they drop and go into huge debts they can't get out of, or to those individuals who go to pick-up bars looking for their next 'conquest'…  but again, all these negative behaviors need to be worked on.  They are not holy, and should not be sought after, fed, excused, justified OR PARADED.

Holding 'Pride' parades of this kind is actually backwards, not forward thinking.  If one cannot fight his appetites which the Torah tells us is wrong, then at the least, they should curb it as much as possible, seek help,  and yes, - 'keep it in the closet'.  Sex, any type of sex, belongs in the bedroom, not in the streets. It is between you, your partner, and G-d.  PLEASE, DON'T MAKE IT MY BUSINESS.

I am glad that I have received emails from people (who engage in homosexuality) telling me, that though they call themselves 'gay', they do not support gay pride parades, especially in Jerusalem.  These people are, in my opinion, of a higher caliber. They are sensitive to other's beliefs and values and don't wish to march 'in their faces' or on other's 'turf'.  And yes, Jerusalem, - All of Israel for that matter, IS HOLY GROUND, Holy TURF.

To my brothers and sisters ( we all stem from Noah, and before that, Adam & Eve), I hope you will not march, nor support, these pride parades, and that you seek help to fight the challenges you face. We all have our own personal challenges that we must fight and try to improve on, on a daily basis. We should not look to rub other's noses in our unholy deeds.

G-d just wants us to be Holy. He tells us how, in the Torah.  He also tells us what will happen if we ignore His laws to live and grow to be a better person.

Bottom line: Is a homosexual life style holy?  Should it be flaunted in pride parades?  Is this a holy act?

With the nations of the world trying to wrest the Land of Israel from the Jewish people, it seems that perhaps indeed, we should protest this display of sexual abomination. As G-d spoke: Lev. 18:25. "And the land became defiled, and I visited its sin upon it, and the land vomited out its inhabitants."