Shemittah, the Jewish Sabbatical year, brings security and blessing. The Torah says keeping this Mitzvah will prevent disaster and exile. Shemittah is Shabbat LaHashem. A taste of the World to Come. Learn about one womens quest for knowledge and rediscovery of this long lost Mitzvah according to the simple Torah reading of the text found in the beginning posts of this blog.
In NYU on Tuesday Feb 9th (mistake on last notice which read the 8th. Thanks Helen Freedman for correction) there is a debate, (you can buy a ticket which is selling fast), with a motion for the US to step back from its special relationship with Israel. You can vote online before the debate. Vote on-line against the Motion!
The following was sent by Jeff Daube forwarded by Barbara Sommers of ZOA
Intelligence Squared Debates presents an all star lineup of Roger Cohen, (CU Prof) Rashid Khalidi, Itamar Rabinovich, and Stuart Eizenstat in a debate at NYU next Tuesday, February 8th, called, "THE US SHOULD STEP BACK FROM ITS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL: For or Against the Motion." http://intelligencesquaredus.org/
I would like to begin with a quote from the Book of Haggai "Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying: Is this the time for you to dwell in paneled houses, while this house sits in ruins?" As Israel capitulates to America and enforces a building freeze in Judea and Samaria, the words from Haggai ring loudly in our ears! Since the liberation of theTempleMount in 1967 there has been an ironclad freeze on anything Jewish on theTempleMount. No Jewish prayer or study and certainly no building. It is no wonder that the freeze has now spilled over to the rest of Israel. I do not blame the Arabs; I blame the Jewish Nation for not stepping forward and reclaiming theTempleMount. How can we talk about building the Land of Israel when we have allowed its center to remain in ruins?
I have been privileged to visit our TempleMount numerous times. Each time that I go to theMount of God, I think of the verse from Psalms 24, "Who will go up to theMount of the Lord and who will stand His holy place? One with clean hands and pure heart." Before I can enter the Holy Mount, I am given a stern warning from the police, "If we catch you, swaying, praying, singing, dancing, bowing or closing your eyes, you will be arrested for incitement to violence." Aside from the humiliation of being barred from praying on our holiest site, we also have to go through a humiliating ritual of having to stand in a corner while all secular and non-Jewish tourists get to go up first.
Once on theMount I have to watch as the foreigners (Arabs), desecrate it. Did you know that Arab children play soccer and families gather for picnics, on the Holy Mount? So aside from the grave insult of being prevented from praying, I am forced to watch these obscenities take place.
From the very place that theTemple priests brought the holy sacrifices, Arabs now gather for picnics. From thevery place that the Levites sang the sweet praises of the Lord, the Muslim leaders call for the death of our people and the destruction of our State. The place of Oleh Regel (pilgrimage) has become the place for Kadur Regel (soccer) by Arab children.
Are these the type of people that should be allowed up on theMount of the Lord? Are these the type of people who should be standing in His Holy Place? I say enough! The time has come to end this humiliation.
It is time to demand that Jews be allowed to ascend and pray unrestricted on theTempleMount! It is time to demand that the police put an end to the soccer games and the picnics, make the Arabs respect our holiest site! It is time to demand that the police arrest and put on trial the Muslim leaders who use theMount to call for our destruction! Does the verse say "And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem" or "the word of Mohammad". Perhaps I am becoming confused?
However the silence is deafening! Where are the rabbis, communal leaders and Knesset Members? Why are they not speaking and crying out? How can we remain silent as the Arabs with the consent of the Israeli government, destroy the very remains of theTemple itself? How do we justify protesting for the Sabbath, while ignoring theMount. Does not Maimonides teach "As it is written: 'My Sabbath you shall guard and my Temple you shall fear', just as guarding the Sabbath is eternal, fearing theTemple is eternal as well".
We must bring theTempleMount back into our national heart and mind and begin to restore her to her former glory. Yes this will be a long difficult path, but so was our return to Zion after 2,000 years of exile. Our parents, grandparents and great grandparents had their mission and we have ours. The question is what can we do?
1.Learn the laws of theTempleMount and come! Bring your family and friends and strengthen Jewish presence on theTempleMount.
2.Contact public officials and Rabbis and urge them to visit theMount and to vocally support unrestricted Jewish prayer and ascent.
3.Urge Knesset Members to pass a law that will place theTempleMount under Rabbinic instead of Islamic control.
4.Flood the courts with petitions demanding the right for Jewish Prayer on theMount and for unlimited Jewish access 24 hours a day 7 days a week.
5.Write letters to the newspapers and call into radio shows and speak about theMount.
6.Jews outside of Israel must protest to the Israeli government in every legal way possible. Petitions, call-ins, letter campaigns and yes even peaceful protests outside of Embassies and Consulates.
7. Everyone can send their financial support to Temple Mount Organizations, we need fuel to fight the good fight!
When we as a nation act, then we will have regained our national pride and sanity. Until then I cry for our self-inflicted shame.
Yosef Rabin
Liaison to North American Jewish Communities
HaTenu'ah LeChinun HaMikdash (Organization for Temple Renewal)
Linking to Hebron.....and committed Marriage..... ps by Robin Ticker
Thank you Yosef Rabin for that heartfelt message that carries with it strong emotional pain.
Har Habayit is eternally connected to Hebron. The light of the morning sun signals from Hebron to start the daily sacrifices. Yerushalyim and Hebron are linked permanently . I just listened to a fantastic lecure by HaRav Meir Goldvicht distributed by the Hebron Fund which beautifully links Hebron to Yerushalyim.
Adam and Chava are buried in Hebron. When the 3 Malachim come to visit Avrohom he accidentally came across the Cave of Machpela chasing after a sheep and finds the burial place of Adam and Chava with the lights burning. Avraham connected with the past , Adam and Chava and Avrohom's life's work was a tikkun, a correction, of the original sin of Adam and Chava. Avrohom Avinu bought the property in Hebron and Efron tells him that he has the Land, the field and the tree for 400 Shekel keneged, a reminder from G-d regarding the Land of Israel which is 400 Parsa by 400 Parsa. It says in the Gemara Kicha Kicha Misdei Efron, just like the field was bought so to a marriage is acquired with buying. The tree reminds us of the Mitzvah to plant trees when we come to the Land. Hebron connects us to our G-d, our forefathers, Temple Mount and to each other. The Covenant to Abraham takes place in Hebron. The Covenant is then repeated to Yaakov at Har Hamoriah. Har Hamoriah the way it is spelled (with a vav, maleh when Shlomo Hamelech builds the Temple) is Hebron in Gematria. The first marriage in Tanach takes place in the field of Hebron with Yitzchok praying, connecting to his ancestors and to Hashem. It is not surprising that marriage is linked to the purchase of that exact place of where the first Torah marriage occurred between Yizchok and Rivka. Yehoshua and Kalev when they tour the Land start in Hebron. Judea, Samaria and Yerushalayim are eternally bound together as are Hebron and Temple Mount. Od Yeshama BeArei Yehudah Uvechutzot Yerushalyim........ We are yearning for that marriage we had at Sinai to once again occur in a monogamous relationship with Hashem linking us to our field in Chevron, Har Habayit to our Father up in Heaven to the gates of Heaven and to Gan Eden...
In NYU on Feb 8th there is a debate, (you can buy a ticket which is selling fast), with a motion for the US to step back from its special relationship with Israel. You can vote online before the debate. Vote on-line against the Motion!
The following was sent by Jeff Daube forwarded by Barbara Sommers of ZOA
Intelligence Squared Debates presents an all star lineup of Roger Cohen, (CU Prof) Rashid Khalidi, Itamar Rabinovich, and Stuart Eizenstat in a debate at NYU next Tuesday, February 8th, called, "THE US SHOULD STEP BACK FROM ITS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ISRAEL: For or Against the Motion." http://intelligencesquaredus.org/
Tamar Adelstein Coordinatorof Crown Hts Women for the safety and integrity of Israel and the Shleimos Haaretz Talk Show.
Documentary Film:Yibaneh - The fund for building and development in the hills of Judea, founded by Women for Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green).With Gush Katif and Northern Shomron destroyed, the next target is Jewish Judea and Samaria. We can not sit by and allow this to chas veshalom happen. Now is the time to support Jewish Building in Judea in order to prevent mass expulsions in the future!
Other upcoming Events in Brooklyn for Eretz Yisroel
Wednesday, Feb 3--8:15 pm Alon Davidi, Chairman of the Sderot Security Committee, in association with AFSI, will be giving a Sderot Security Update at the Young Israel of Flatbush, 1012 Avenue I, off Coney Island Ave. Free admission. Make your reservations through AFSI - 212-828-2424; afsi@rcn.comAfter event, meet with Helen Freedman, Director of Afsi. for an activist meeting for Yesha. Join with other Brooklyn activists to help safeguard a Jewish presence in the heartland of Eretz Yisroel.
Thursday, Feb 11 - 7:30 pmMember of Knesset, Dr. Arieh Eldad - will be speaking on Israel's Survival Strategies at the West Side Institutional Synagogue, 120 W. 76th Street, between Columbus & Amsterdam Avenues. Free admission. Reservations are required. Call 212-828-2424 or email: afsi@rcn.com
