The Isaiah Plan

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is coming to the region for yet ANOTHER stab at peace. -The establishment of a Palestinian State. It's not enough that there are at least 22 Arab states already in existence, and only 1 tiny, tiny Israel. They want to chop us up some more, slice us to bits like salami, and place a Moslem 'Palestinian Terror State' right in the belly of Israel.

The 'Road Map' peace plan and the 'Two State Solution' peace plan are just another re-hashing of a failed policy, the formula of 'land for peace'.

Each peace plan that has been shoved down the throats of the Israeli people in the last 30 years, has failed, and they have all been based on the 'land for peace' formula.

Here are some of the latest peace plans and summits from the last 30 years that have all been based on the formula of 'land for peace'. All have utterly failed and literally 'bled' Israel.

Camp David Accords (1978)
The Reagan Peace Plan (September 1, 1982)
Madrid Conference of 1991
Oslo Accords (1993)
Wye River Memorandum (October 23, 1998)
The Clinton Peace Plan (December 23, 2000)
Mitchell Commission (Plan) ( October 17, 2000 )
The Tenet Plan (June 10, 2001)
Camp David 2000 Summit (2000)
Taba summit (January, 2001)
The Zinni Plan (March 26, 2002)
Elon Peace Plan (2002)
Arab Peace Initiative (March 28, 2002)
The 2002 Nusseibeh-Ayalon Principles
The People's Voice (July 27, 2002)
March 2002 Saudi Peace Initiative
Geneva Accord (October 20, 2003)
Sharm el-Sheikh Summit of 2005 (February 8, 2005)
2006 Franco-Italian-Spanish Middle East Peace Plan
Binational solution
Two-state solution
Saudi peace proposal
Red Sea Summit
The Road map

What we should be saying to the U.S. administration is that we appreciate them wanting to make peace in the region, but they've gotten nowhere, except for weakening Israel and emboldening the Moslem Arab countries and terrorists. Thanks America, but no thanks. We'll handle it from here on out.

Our great prophet, Isaiah said in 32:17: "The product of righteousness shall bring peace; and the effect of righteousness, quiet and security forever." Got it? I think our great prophet was smarter then Bush & Co., Clinton & Co. and Carter & Co.

So, I propose we stop with all these peace plans. We should aim for justice and righteousness. We should pursue, not 'peace', but our enemies. Israel must crush the terrorist infrastructure. Israel must bring the Arab nations who conspire against her to their knees until they beg us for peace and give us an unconditional surrender. The only way to stop this war, is to WIN it.

The corrupt Palestinian Authority has forfeited its right to exist. It has encouraged, born, fostered, and sponsored terrorism. It has violated it's commitments it made in every peace treaty signed, which was to stop their violence and terror. We should mete out justice to those Arab terrorists and leaders who have spilled our people’s blood, to those Arab leaders who hold our soldiers captive, and to all the Arab and Moslem nations who conspire against us with threats of annihilation.

Enough, is ENOUGH!

One thing about aging. If you work on yourself, you become more refined like fine wine.  Ok, the cogs and wheels might get rusty and make some noise, but the living and learning never stops, and for this I am grateful.  And as each year passes, I find myself trusting more and more in G-d.  It is a liberating feeling.
 

We find ourselves now in the shmita year. This is the year where we, in Israel, make the land sit fallow, not working the earth, and giving it, its 7 year rest.
 
Vegetables that comply with the shmita laws are hard to find in the market place this year.  My Shabbat and holiday dishes call for fresh cauliflower, fresh dill, pumpkin, Zucchini, etc. etc.
 
This last Shabbat, after all the vegetables from before Rosh Hashana ran out, I didn't have all the ingredients I wanted, to make the dishes my family and guests love.  Instead of getting upset, throwing a dish, stomping on my kitchen floor and crying, I just said out loud,  "Well, baruch Hashem (Blessed be The Name [G-d]) we have what we need.  The carrots and frozen cauliflower will do.  It may not be as I wanted it to be, but it is enough to prepare the dish for Shabbat."

Ok, so I won't have fresh parsley or red onions.  I'll make due with dried parsley and white onions.
 
And now I want to get to the point of this blog piece....

We, who were brought up with Western values, watching the rich and the famous on TV, and living in a consumer based society,  were always taught to want 'more'.  A bigger house, a newer car, a newer, younger and prettier wife?  ... and all that.  The problem is, that there is no end to 'wants' and desires.  "I want this, I want that",   it never ends.  There is always something else we will want.  When we consider the flip side of the coin however, - what we NEED, ...well, there is a limit to THAT.  A cap can be put on what the 'needs' of a human being are.  G-d knows what we NEED - as a nation and as individuals.  And thank G-d, He provides us in this world with just that.  We humans may not divide the wealth of the earth up so well, so that all can eat and be housed, but the supplies are in stock on this planet, and G-d provides for us. 
 
So, when is enough, enough?  Should we always strive for more, to fulfill more of our desires? Should we choose to stay on this never ending treadmill, running and running for more and more? Or should we ask G-d to give us 'enough' to fulfill His will? Should we not recognize and be grateful, for what we have been blessed with, and after receiving 'enough',  look to help others with the overflow of bounty?
 

"And God spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying: 'Speak to the Children of Israel and say to them, when you enter the land which I am giving to you, the land shall be at rest - a Shabbat unto the Lord. For six years you shall plant your field and for six years your shall prune your vineyard and you shall harvest its produce. But the seventh year shall be a Shabbat of rest for the land - a Shabbat for the Lord ...' (25:1-4)"

The Shmitta year teaches us just this, that we are to STOP all agriculture and take off a full year from tilling the ground and working the Land.  What faith this takes!  Unheard of, for a nation to stop agriculture for a full year! We must be crazy.  And yet, this is exactly what G-d expects of us.  And by us complying, shows utter faith in G-d. 

We know that He will provide us with ENOUGH food for this next year,  and more. 

And we learn the important Torah lesson, that we should hope for 'enough', and throw out the Western treadmills which scream "more, more, more, more".

My Husband is Leaving Me

-And he's taking the kids.  No amount of begging helped.  I am alone in the house, and the quiet is...  well, actually, I hear giggling and my husband's low voice telling stories, through my upstairs bedroom window which is right next to and above the Sukkah that we built for the Sukkot holiday.  If I look out my bedroom window, through the palm branch roof of the sukkah, I can see slits of light from inside there shining through. I wonder what G-d thinks as he looks from above and sees His people sleeping in sukkot all over the Land of Israel.  It must be a very beautiful site. 

Our sukkah. Notice the green grass and our back yard's rock wall with a small water fall in the back.  Old torn couches were brought in agaisnt the temporary wooden wall of the sukkah. My kids placed their mattresses on the grass inside our sukkah, and the table and plastic chairs will be pushed towards the other wall to make room for a few more sleeping bags.

This is the time of year that Jewish families go out to the sukkah to 'dwell'.  Many men and children sleep there as well, and sometimes us mothers do too.  My kids were ecstatic when I slept out there with them last year.  Our sukkah at night turns into a 'wall to wall' sleep hall, with mattresses and old torn couches we use outside, on the grass.  The kids think of it as an adventure.  My husband is just a little less enthusiastic than the kids.  He feels more spiritual sleeping under the stars. 

Leaving the comforts of the home and baring the mosquitos and damp mornings is a small price to pay, to feel like a real Jew, connecting to the Land, the Torah and your nation.   Me?  I confess, I like having a mosquitoless sleep and having a nearby bathroom.  Maybe I will sleep in the Sukkah this year again though, but how could I ruin the father-kid bond?  heh heh --grin--   

Talking about leaving the boundaries of the 'norm', this last week on my show, I interviewed Rav Eliezer Sachs.  Rav Sachs has been working with an autistic young man named Binyamin Goldin.  Binyamin communicates, as I stated in my last blog post, through 'facilitated communication' (FC).  Binyamin seems to have some sort of ability to understand or see what is happening in the spiritual world and thus through FC is able to tell people in the physical world important messages.

Here are some interesting points to ponder of what Binyamin and others who are autistic are saying:

"Our world is really about to change."

"The war (of Gog and Magog) will soon begin, and we must prepare in Teshuva, (repentance). Work on every weak spot, return, do Teshuva.

Photo of Binyamin Goldin

Question: Is it possible to shorten the period of the harsh days?
Answer: No, it will soon begin. It will not be difficult for you if you are holding on to The Holy One Blessed Be He, don't be afraid of anything.
Tzaddikim (the Righteous) are not going to suffer.

Question: The white Russian bear is waking up, should we awaken Russian Jews to run away from there?
Answer:  ...To awaken them is not a simple matter. There is something funny there; there are messengers that went there and enjoy being there, making money. But not everyone, God forbid.   ...They are not so interested that everyone should return now. But truth is, we need to awaken them, but not in our way.

Question: What about American Jews?
Answer: The American Jews are so trapped, glued to materialism. To remove them from there is almost mission impossible. Whomever does not get out, at the end will understand that they need to get out. Oy to them, their fate will be with their nation.

....'the banks will be bankrupt (fall), money will not be worth anything...
 
Big wars...
The land (Israel) will not be destroyed... but complete countries will disappear from history, including their residents....
If, by this Rosh HaShana, Tishrei 5768, those will not do Teshuva (repentance) Oy to all...

This is the Day of Judgement, for the whole world, just as it is every year. But this year, we will reach the biggest changes, since our exit out of Egypt... Those that will not do sincere authentic Teshuva will disappear...
To hear this show, click HERE.

And so, on this holiday of Sukkot when we dwell in our sukkot, exposed to the elements, cold, heat and even missile attacks, may we let go of our materialism and appreciate the simpler life.  May we move from our multi-bedroom houses to the warm and loving 4 walls of the Sukkah.  May we give up the lavishness of the Exile, and trade it for the blessings and beauty of Eretz Yisrael (The Land of Israel).  
It is still, as it is every day, the awesome time for tshuva (repentance).  May we all merit it.

***  I've added and will be adding some photos of your sukkot.  See below...

Old City of Jerusalem, The Sukkah of Gutman Locks.  See his website: www.ThereIsOne.com

John and Gloria sitting in their Sukkah today, in Australia.

Ephraim's Sukkuzzi (double duties as a Mikvuzzi, too). 

Daniel D.'s backyard sukkah, from the USA.

A. Rogers - A new immigrant to Israel.  Maale Adumim.

The very talented artisit, Dr. Zvi Fenton, and his paintings on his sukkah wall, Jerusalem.

Jerusalem City Council Woman, Mina Fenton, in her sukkah with guests.  Ehud Olmert is in the center (red shirt) and was the mayor of Jerusaelm at that time.

"My Sukkah with my children gracefully posing.  All are invited!" Moshe Meir, San Carlos, California

H & E Bergstein sukkah outside their apartment, in Jerusalem.

Sukkah of Shlomo and Susie Benzquen on the front porch of their villa, Kochav Yaakov, Israel

Readers, send your photos in!  I will post them. :-)