Sunday, January 22, 2006

This blog's focus is on Shemittah

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When I invited members to Shemittah Rediscovered I didn't realize that it meant that members had the ability to post to the blog. I simply thought it meant one can comment. (I was new to blogging) It's not that I have anything against the extra posts and I am happy to read them in their respective blogs. But I don't want to change the focus of my blog of Shemittah to other topics. Therefore, I am asking all members to relate their posts somehow to Shemittah or refrain from placing posts in order to keep the focus on Shemittah as was my original intention.

Thank you Yoel Ben Avraham and Batya Medad for getting me into blogging and I am not against the dialogue of Yoel ben Avraham and Turmos Ayya resident. I myself while living in Kiryat Arab went with an elderly Yemenite women (over 80) by the name of Miriam Yefet to the shuk of Hebron (now under siege by the army) and they (the Arabs) loved her in Hebron. (I helped her with the packages) They ran to do her bidding. She told them quite up front that this Land is Our Land and they respected her. She was able to distinguish between those that hated Jews and those that didn't. She aided the poor in Hebron and being that she spoke their language she also understood them.

I personally believe that Eretz Yisroel is an inheritance for Am Yisroel as promised repeatedly in the Torah. If Moshiach would tell us from which shevet we are from we would all be displaced. The non Jew has the status of a Ger Toshav whereby he would need to accept the sovereignty of Nation of Israel and the Torah just like the people of Israel would need to accept the Torah.

According to the Torah, Hashem says "Li Kol Haaretz". The Land does not belong to individuals. However, Hashem decides who to give the Land and has given it to Am Yisroel as a Nachala. Each Shevet and each person has their Nachala that belongs to them. That is my answer to the Arab who says "How can you kick me off my Land? " If the Mossiah would come and tell me that the Nachala I have isn't rightfully mine (as in the Jubillee year) then I would pick myself up and leave without argument. The Torah is the way of peace so when this happens Bimheira Biyameinu it will be done with love and joy. Each and every person who respects the Torah has a place to live on this earth and the blessings of wealth and prosperity are for Jews and Non Jews alike if we keep the Mitzvoth, Chukim, Mishpatim of the Torah.

Is Dialog Possible?

A Jewish "Settler" resident of the modern Jewish community of Shilo which grew up beside the site of ancient Biblical Shilo exchanges email messages with an Arab, resident of the village of Turmosayya, located in the valley beneath Shilo. Is there a place for true dialog between the two?


Friday, January 20, 2006

Live Video's from Hebron

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Video of Tzippy Schlissel mother of 10's arrest http://www.hebron.com/news/tzippyarrest.htm

Scroll past the pictures for the video and click on play.

also

Taken from EFSI Blog

IsraelReporter Shlomo Wollins continues his updates and live videos from Hebron. Don't read the news reports and summaries, check the video's and see for yourself!

(When you get to Israel Reporter scroll down to the pictures and click on the pictures. VIDEOS-click pictures to stream video clips)

These are the titles of the 9 VIDEO clips
- Video Coverage of Second Invasion of Chevron
- Exclusive Interview (English) with Chevron Leader mid-Invasion
- Video-walk in Midst of Riot Police Sweeping Buildings to Arrest Child-Protestors
- 10+ Riot Police Arrest Chevron Local Teenage Girls Refusing to Show ID
- Chevron Young Girls Stand Next to Riot Police Commandos and Sings Songs Expressing Strength, Faith, & Lack of Fear of Horses and Soldiers
- Chevron Young Boys Follow Expulsion Troops Chanting: “Police State!”
- Riot Horses from Germany Exit From Military Invasion on Chevron Streets
- Nightly “Kumsitz” (Singalong) Next To Campfire in Chevron Shuk
- Riot Police Sweep Shuk and the “Orange Donkey”

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Hebron Jews - Called extreme fascists!?!

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Subj: NPR radio Uri Avneri on Hebron 5:50am est January 17th about Hebron Jews

An Open Letter to the Spokespeople of Hebron, amv'sh

I woke up this morning to this broadcast of NPR. Perhaps I wasn't listening carefully but in my sleep it was my impression it was that Uri Avneri was a spokesperson for the Prime Minister of Israel. Even if he wasn't or was not represented as such, it's quite possible that the Prime Minister of Israel will wish to portray the Jews of Hebron as extreme fascists.

The reporter asked Uri Avneri "Why should Israel be willing to give more land to the Palestinians when there is no willingness on the Palestinians part to compliance". Avneri answered that the Jews in Hebron represent the most extremist Jewish element. He said that they are a small group of a few hundred surrounded by 200,000 Arabs and their goal is to purify Hebron from the 200,000 Arabs and make it a Jewish City. Most would consider their ideas as fascists." (Please listen to program for his exact language)

Argue back that if Hebron Jews are fascists then the Covenant and the Bible is a fascist doctrine. That means all Bible Believing Christians and Jews should be considered fascists as well.

Calling a Spade a Spade.

The Arabs talk about our Covenant and use it against us.

Even if you deny their allegations there is truth in their argument. Can you truthfully argue based on the Torah that the 200,000 Arabs belong in Hebron even if they don't murder us? Do they have any desire to keep the Mitzvoth and bring blessings to the world? Israel is like a violin. If the world wishes to hear music then it should not be in the hands of haters of music or even encased in a nice museum.

We don't have to be apologetic. Only those that accept the Bible and G-ds Covenant with Israel have a legitimate place in the Land of Israel.



Sincerely,
Robin Ticker

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Shemittah in Gush Katif - Anita Tucker

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I just came back from the Beit Orot Dinner and had the priviledge of listening to Anita Tucker. I was very moved when Anita told her personal story of being expelled. She described 15 soldiers, dressed in gray, intimidating, coming to her home in Netzer Chazani. The Tuckers were prepared with a very long table, with their beautiful table cloth and good dishes etc. Her daughter invited these soldiers into the house. The family sat the soldiers down and Anita proceeded to describe how she and her family came to Gush Katif. She mentioned that they were sent there by the government and they were encouraged to actively engage in an agricultural enterprise. They were greeted in a friendly manner by their Arab neighbor leaders who let them know of their hope that the settlers would consider them for employment in the future. When the Arab neighbors were told of their intention to actually grow something in the sand the Arabs were surprised because they said the land was cursed and nothing grew. The place was called by the Arabs El Gerara (Based on the Biblical times when Avraham and Yitzchok settled in Gerar).

After her talk I went over to Anita Tucker (who was a farmer in Gush Katif) and asked her "What did the farmers do during the Shemittah years". She told me that they wanted to take a Sabbatical but the Badatz convinced them to rely on Kulos (What I understood was that they imported sand and put layers of plastic on the earth and the produce was grown with this alternative earth. There were other kulos as well). The reason the Badatz (Hashgacha, I understood) convinced them to rely on these kulos because they did not want to deal with the Arabs and would rather deal with the Jews and felt the Arabs would take over because the Badatz would have to depend on them for produce.

Well the Arabs did take over...at least in Gush Katif.

My question is "Why couldn't things remain fallow in Gush Katif during Shemittah and Badatz organize lots of field trips to all the different farms rather than go to the Arabs? It would have been a blast!"

I don't know who is behind the Badatz but I wonder how they felt about the disengagement...

Anita also spoke about these 15 soldiers who listened stone face to her story. They were trained well to hide their emotions. When she saw there was no reaction, she began to cry bitterly for G-d to send her some sign that The State of Israel actually meant something to these men. Her daughter heard her cry and proceeded to show one of the soldiers her parents bedroom. Her daughter locked the soldier in with her Mother so that there would be privacy and told him to personally tell her mother how he felt. Anita said, the soldier cried. Anita was comforted that somehow her words did actually penetrate a fellow Jew. Her daughter did this for the remaining 14 soldiers. Each one of them cried individually, privately. The commander, last one retained however his mask and continued to reiterate that at 12:00 they would be asked to leave. At that point Anita ran from the bedroom locking him in by himself. The family walked out on their own surrounding by these men. Her husband remembered that he forgot Tallis and Tefillin. He went back and there he found that last commander crying. He was another fellow Jew touched by the tragedy. Anita felt G-d was sending her a message and it gave her faith and hope that once again the State of Israel will find its soul that is buried very deep in the hearts of it's Soldiers and will once again reclaim the Land.

If you have read my blog you will see that I am promoting an independant authority. The Lubavitch Rebbe in a letter to Geula Cohen in 1969 says not to call it a State of Israel since it would be too defining. So call it an authority based on Torah and Mitzvoth. I too believe like Anita Tucker in the soul of each and every Jew and their yearning for what's right and good and not what's evil will in the end prevail. I too do not wish them to be cut off. Yet, If we attempt a revolutionary concept on a broad scale, it will be too difficult to work out the details and iron out the kinks. I therefore promote a small scale Torah based enterprise that would allow such a ruling authority a chance to experiement, succeed and to expand at a pace that is not detrimental.

Any feedback to these ideas are most welcome.

Shavua Tov!