There's nothing for Bibi to discuss with Obama
Besides my usual varied postings on Shiloh Musings and me-ander, you can read the weekly international Jewish Bloggers Magazine, Havel Havelim. 

Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, according to his aid, media adviser Nir Hefetz, won't bend on the "settlement issue."  Read carefully, Hefetz is his "media adviser," that means public relations, image etc.  I wouldn't read much policy in that.

Bibi has already come out with lots of mixed messages about our rights to live freely in the Land of Israel.  He's a PR expert, a master with words and images.  The big problem is that the State of Israel isn't some toiletries or shoes to be marketed.  It's a life and death issue.

Our enemies, like Jimmy Carter, are uncompromising in their demands that we have no rights to live and build Jewish life, homes, communities in Judea and Samaria.  We in Israel and Jews all over the world must recognize the fact that the world doesn't care what happens to us.  They didn't care seventy years ago when the Nazis persecuted and murdered Jews, and they don't care now.  The war against the Nazis had nothing whatsoever to do with helping Jews.  It was to stem German aggression.  Germany's aim was to take over the world starting in Europe.  That's what World War Two was all about.  A historian like Netanyahu should know that.

There's nothing for Bibi to discuss with Obama.  He should stay home and build our country!  That's the best defense!

There's more to read on Shiloh Musings and me-ander.  Shabbat Shalom u'Mevorach!

I grew up in a Jewish home of minimal Jewish traditions.  I discovered Torah Judaism when Modern Orthodoxy was beginning to shake off the "new immigrant" mentality where the priority was to fit into American society.  That was about forty-five years ago, and since then Jewish learning and delving into the Halachik (Jewish Law) literature has grown amazingly.

Those two sufficed even in the religious homes a generation or two ago.  But now, like the "bragging" about how late one was up expounding Torah and "yitziat Mitzrayim," the Exodus from Egypt, at the the Passover Seder, now on Rosh Hashannah there's competition "l'shaim Shamayim," of course in the Name of G-d, for the number of foods and blessings, in many case no more than Hebrew puns, to bless the new year.

Another Jewish Holiday which has seen a boom, unexpected increase in the observance of a once minor aspect, is Shavuot.  Outside of Israel, Shavuot was a pretty-much unknown, ignored and forgotten holiday, except by those who were seriously religious.  So, unlike wine and matzah on Passover and honey on Rosh Hashannah there certainly weren't many Jews studying Torah all Shavuot night.

In recent years, the study of Jewish texts on Shavuot night can be found all over the world and not only in strictly Orthodox frameworks.  In Israel, there's an amazing variety of learning, lectures and discussion groups throught the night open to Jews of all observance, all stripes and styles. Many Jews who don't fit the mold, don't wear the uniform are taking their Judaism very seriously.  Thank G-d.

No doubt Moshiach Ben David is on His Way!

Before the "main attraction," check out the latest media news.  Also, please don't forget that I post on Shiloh Musings and me-ander much more frequently. This week's special event is JPIX-The Jewish Blog Picture Carnival, a collection of links to illustrated Jewish blog posts from all over the world.

The Tal Law, Postponed Again

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Somewhere in the middle of the longest "parsha section" in this week's Torah Portion, Ki Tavo, I noticed:

 מג הַגֵּר אֲשֶׁר בְּקִרְבְּךָ, יַעֲלֶה עָלֶיךָ מַעְלָה מָּעְלָה; וְאַתָּה תֵרֵד, מַטָּה מָּטָּה. 43 The stranger that is in the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and higher; and thou shalt come down lower and lower. Here we are, less than two weeks before Rosh Hashannah, right in the middle of the Jewish Month of Ellul, and we ought to be getting ready for our annual "hearing" before G-d Almighty. מד הוּא יַלְוְךָ, וְאַתָּה לֹא תַלְוֶנּוּ; הוּא יִהְיֶה לְרֹאשׁ, וְאַתָּה תִּהְיֶה לְזָנָב. 44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. מה וּבָאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל-הַקְּלָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה, וּרְדָפוּךָ וְהִשִּׂיגוּךָ, עַד, הִשָּׁמְדָךְ: כִּי-לֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ, בְּקוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ--לִשְׁמֹר מִצְו‍ֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו, אֲשֶׁר צִוָּךְ. 45 And all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee.

What does that phrase mean?  It's customary at the Rosh Hashannah Evening meal/s to have a "head" on the table and say a special request to G-d that "we should be a head and not a tail."  In our family we've been using fruit heads, like the one illustrating this post.

What does all this mean?  On Rosh Hashannah, we ask that G-d make us the "head not the tail," because the opposite is a curse, a punishment for our sins. 

What do we hear in the news all the time?  Our politicians, the faux leaders of Israel are concerned about what U.S. President Obama thinks, what the U.N. will vote, the opinions of everyone but G-d.  We have become "tails" rather than the "head." 

We're taking orders from the goyim, just like in the curse detailed in the Torah! G-d willing we'll be blessed with true wisdom and true leaders.

Shannah Tovah to one and all!