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אש –Thoughts on Tisha B’Av

August 6, 2017 Sheila Stokes 3 Comments

The 9^th of Av this year was observed on Tuesday, the saddest day of the year, with plenty of reason. The following is from Chabad.

The 9th Day of Av (the 11th Jewish month) is first mentioned in the book of Zechariah 7:3. One of four Jewish fast days, it commemorates dramatic national catastrophes (related to the destruction of Jerusalem), in an attempt to benefit from history by avoiding – rather than repeating¹ – critical, moral and strategic missteps. It concludes the 21 days of predicament and lamentation, which began when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by Nebuchadnezzar (1st Temple) and Titus (2nd Temple), launching a seven-week period of consolation, ingathering and renewal.

There are many major Jewish calamities are commemorated on the 9th Day of Av:

* Unlike Joshua & Caleb, the other “ten spies/tribal presidents” slandered the Land of Israel, preferring immediate convenience and conventional “wisdom” over faith and long term vision, thus prolonging the wandering in the desert for 40 years, before settling the Promised Land;

*The destruction of the First Temple and Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon (586 BCE) resulted in the massacre of 100,000 Jews and a massive national exile;

*The destruction of the Second Temple and Jerusalem by Titus of Rome (70 CE) triggered the massacre of 1-2 million Jews and another massive national exile, aiming to annihilate Judaism and the Jewish people;

*The Ten Martyrs – ten leading rabbis – executed by the Roman Empire;

*The Bar Kokhbah Revolt was crushed with the killing of Bar Kokhbah, the fall of his Beitar headquarters south of Jerusalem in Judea and Samaria (135 CE) by Hadrian, who still afflicts us to this day by having changed the name of the land to “Falestine” as a poke in the eye to the Jews referencing their ancient enemy the Philistines. The plowing of Jerusalem, and the killing of 600,000 Jews by the Roman Empire;

*The pogroms of the First Crusade (1096-1099) massacred tens of thousands of Jews in Germany, France, Italy and Britain;

*The Jewish expulsion from Britain (1290);

*The Jewish expulsion from Spain (1492);

*The eruption of the First World War (1914);

*The beginning of the 1942 deportation of Warsaw Ghetto Jews to the Treblinka extermination camp.

This year was in some ways a more horrible than usual observance. It was just a few short days ago that the Knesset voted to take down the magnetometers. I touched on that in Neve Tzuf, but Caroline Glick does an excellent job of explaining how that decision was made. Turns out Bibi caved to….wait for it….the IDF and Shin Bet. No, I’m not kidding. This column is well worth reading. Losing and winning the Temple Mount. It actually makes a lot of sense if you remember the column Moshe Feiglin of the Zehut party wrote last year about “The Soldier Who Fired A Defense Minister”. It appears some of the people at the top levels in the IDF attended the John Kerry school of military studies. School motto “The quickest way of ending a war is to lose it.”~~George Orwell

So let’s take a quick look at that “sacred” tenet often referred to “Status Quo”. This data comes from this week’s episode of Walter’s World with Walter Bingham. This episode he had two security experts on, one of them is Alan Baker, the former Israeli Ambassador to Canada. The topic of the show is what is the status quo? Meaning what does the term itself mean.

Originally, the status quo began in the 19^th century with the Turkish Ottoman Sultan who issued a decree that involved seven holy places in Jerusalem and Bethlehem and affected only Christians. It gave priority to the Orthodox. Then in 1967 when Israel won control of Jerusalem in a war it did not start a new status quo arrangement was made. Israel decided to remove the Israeli flag, army units and Rabbi Shlomo Goren from the Temple Mount and give control back to the wafq-kos. Because administering the site brings in income for them, it’s another reason they want it. Then the Chief Temple Rabbi approved Jews being sent to the Kotel to pray instead.

So about this sovereignty, Abu Mazen claims they have sovereignty, Israel claims they do. No one has had sovereignty since the Ottoman rule ended in 1922. The Jordanians didn’t have sovereignty when they took control of it by hostile take over either. Only Pakistan recognized Jordanian control, the international courts and the U.N. never did. The status quo was an informal, non-binding arrangement to enable the day to day functioning. Israel was in control after it took over control from Jordan and extended it’s laws and administration over all of Jerusalem. While it guarantees freedom of access and worship, issues of sovereignty were never mentioned. The same laws apply in Jerusalem as do Tel Aviv and Be’er Sheva. The peace treaty with Jordan made no mention of the status quo, and Jordan did not ask. Israel has FULL responsibility for security. The status quo NEVER regulated security, it regulates day to day events, like prayers. Even if you take the lowest U.N. (necessary) opinion of Israel, that they are “occupiers”, that Jerusalem is occupied territory, according to the laws of occupation, and the Hague rules of 1907 it would be Israel’s duty to maintain the public order and security. That is the opinion of International law as well.

So, how did Tisha B’Av go this year on the Temple Mount? Well, according to another one of my favorite programs, Temple Talk, it was…amazing. Rabbi Chaim said he arrived at 0610 and there were already hundreds of Jews lined up waiting to visit through the one gate non-Muslims are allowed to use. There had been speculation and trepidation that after the shameful caving of the Knesset and Prime Minister Netanyahu that the pieceful Falestinians would riot or incite violence because when they’ve done that in the past, the police reward them by shutting down the Temple Mount to……the Jews. But this year, this year was different. Very different. There is speculation that it’s the new Police Commissioner. The TT show said the police now greet you, it tends to be the same crew and they are polite and encouraging. They want everyone that comes to get to go up on the Temple Mount. The TT hosts said they were expecting the wafq-kos to really be following everyone closely and up in their faces, but it didn’t happen. The police kept the wafq-kos at a distance, there were very few muslims on the Temple Mount and the ones that were there were not allowed to cause problems. While no open prayer was allowed, the police did an outstanding job of maintaining order. The hosts of the show said that there is a Spiritual upheaval and renewal afoot, and everyone knows it, that it’s been building for decades. As it turns out, 1,263 Jews, an unprecedented number visited the Temple Mount this Tisha B’Av this year. I saw in another report the wafq-kos also said it was unprecedented, as well as unacceptable. The Israeli police have shown the way. It is possible to maintain principles, order on the Temple Mount and not cave in to terrorist demands.

I saw a movie recently, in a theater. A real one. I don’t go to many/any movies usually. I don’t think they make very good movies any more, and I’m not inclined to give my money to actors/actresses that will use it to further their bully pulpit and denigrate my values, culture and self-defense rights.

But there was a good reason I went to this one. It was made in 1977, so not a new movie. It’s called מבצה יונתן or Mivtza Yonatan. It’s about the raid on Entebbe that happened on 4^th July 1976. An Air France plane was hijacked by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Falestine. There are some interesting points I’d like to bring out. One, the movie was made only a year after the event. Two, the movie was pro-Israel and pro-IDF. While it was an Israeli made movie, do you think such a thing would happen today? I don’t. Then there were some of the lines that were said in it that struck me. One was when the doctor that was on board asks one of the German female terrorists “Why? Haven’t we done enough to the Jews?” She answers they are fighting for world freedom, they aren’t fighting the Jews, they are fighting the Imperial Zionist. Another line is when Sayeret Metkal begins to plan the potential rescue options. After Yoni comes back from a meeting with the powers that be, Yitzak Rabin was P.M. at the time, his staff asks him what happened and the remark is made nothing will happen because their government will never go for it because of world opinion. After the Jews have been separated out from the other passengers one of them asks a male German terrorist what he hopes to accomplish with all this. He says the world is dirty and it needs to be destroyed and rebuilt. That the Israelis stole Falestinian land and used German money to do it. And the last line is two newspaper reporters that are waiting in Israel reporting the events. One says to the other that if the Jews give in, no one will be safe, there will be an epidemic of sky-jacking. Now, I know these are all lines in a movie, but the female German Terrorist sounds like a modern day spokesperson for the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement. I think the male German terrorist is a bit confused, if German money was used, what was “stolen”? Not all the terrorists were German, some were pieceful Arabs. And despite this, Rabin signed the Oslo accords. He didn’t learn, and things have been worse since. And despite knowing that was the Falestinians and their supporters have been doing for a very long time, Bibi still caved. He didn’t learn either.

And what was the fallout from the “world”?

From Wikipedia

The United Nations Security Council convened on 9 July 1976, to consider a complaint from the Chairman of the Organization of African Unity charging Israel with an “act of aggression”. The Council allowed Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Chaim Herzog, and Uganda’s foreign minister, Juma Oris Abdalla, to participate without voting rights. UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim told the Security Council that the raid was “a serious violation of the sovereignty of a Member State of the United Nations” though he was “fully aware that this is not the only element involved … when the world community is now required to deal with unprecedented problems arising from international terrorism.” Abdalla, the representative of Uganda, alleged that the affair was close to a peaceful resolution when Israel intervened while Herzog, the representative of Israel, accused Uganda of direct complicity in the hijacking. The US and UK sponsored a resolution which condemned hijacking and similar acts, deplored the loss of life arising from the hijacking (without condemning either Israel or Uganda), reaffirmed the need to respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all States, and called on the international community to enhance the safety of civil aviation. However, the resolution failed to receive the required number of affirmative votes due to 2 abstentions and 7 absences. A second resolution sponsored by Benin, Libya and Tanzania, that condemned Israel, was not put to the vote.

Western nations spoke in support of the raid. West Germany called the raid “an act of self-defence”. Switzerland and France praised the operation. Representatives of the United Kingdom and United States offered significant praise, calling the Entebbe raid “an impossible operation”. Some in the United States noted that the hostages were freed on 4 July 1976, 200 years after the signing of the US declaration of independence. In private conversation with Israeli Ambassador Dinitz, Henry Kissinger sounded criticism for Israeli use of US equipment during the operation, but that criticism was not made public at the time. In mid-July 1976, the supercarrier USS Ranger and her escorts entered the Indian Ocean and operated off the Kenyan coast in response to a threat of military action by forces from Uganda.

I never did like Kissinger. But the point is, not much has changed has it? The Falestinians are terrorist, a majority of Israeli Jews believe at least half of the F.A. residents are terrorists or support terrorism a new study shows. Israeli/Jewish life appears to be cheap to the world. The world gets it’s panties in a twist when Jews defend themselves be it in Entebbe or the Temple Mount.

But while the Temple still has not been, I hope and pray Rabbi Chaim and Yitzchk Reuven are correct and there is a spiritual awakening afoot, that the Temple Mount really will stay “In our hands”.

At the start of the movie Operation Yonatan, Yoni is training “The Unit” to rescue hostages from a skyjacked plane. The movie is in Hebrew, but it has subtitles. The command to enter the plane simultaneously through multiple windows was “אש” “esh”, meaning “fire” because they were going to commence firing upon gaining entry to the plane. Those men were willing and able to put boots to windows and boldly enter and take control for the safety and very lives of those held hostage by terrorists. That I think my friends, is the attitude we should have. We should be willing to put boots to the barriers that separate us from those people, places and things held hostage by old, timid, outdated, erroneous or terrorist beliefs or threats. Not necessarily with guns and RPGs, but with courage, knowledge and conviction in our hearts and our minds.

I will leave you with this beautiful, beautiful Tisha B’Av movie made by the Temple Institute in Jerusalem. It’s only a couple minutes long.

“אש”

1Rather than repeating? How many times have how many people given away the Temple Mount. Perhaps it should be apply, not just read.

Elsewhere, genocide, guns, hatred of Jews, Israel, Politics, self defense, Terrorism

#Neve Tzuf Halamish

July 26, 2017 Sheila Stokes 5 Comments

Allow me to translate the following for you.

In the meantime, a CBS headline on the events read: “3 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in violence over Jerusalem shrine.” Fox News reported: “3 Palestinians, 3 Israelis killed in violence over holy site.”

An NBC headline said: “Al Aqsa Mosque Clashes: 6 killed as Jerusalem Shrine Tensions Worsen.” And the New York Times: “Deadly Violence Erupts in Standoff Over Mosque in Jerusalem.”

What this means is, in the middle of Shabbat supper Friday night a 19 year old piece of חרה from a Arabic village came into the home of a family enjoying the meal, and they had gathered to celebrate the birth of a new grandchild that very morning. The terrorist knocked on the door, and as the family had invited the whole community to come share in their joy at the birth of their new grandchild, they opened the door thinking it was one of their guests. He at once began stabbing the family.

It seems that Neve Tzuf – Halamish does have a security fence, covered with touch sensors. And if the sensors are tripped it activates an alarm and the security team from Halamish responds. And they did, according to the settlement’s security coordinator, Victor Vaknin. If the volunteers see that the fence has been breached, they call the IDF to come search the area. That didn’t happen Friday night. That part of the fence butts up against some woods, and they thought an animal had triggered it again. The bucket of chum terrorist had worn a white shirt that night, knowing he would blend in, and even if seen, no one would think anything of it. This is the same section of fence that last November three buckets of chum started a fire that destroyed 17 homes and damaged 25 others, according to Victor Vaknin. He said they have asked for additional cameras, and to close the road that the terrorists are using. They’ve been asking for seven months. I heard one report that attempted to blame the security detail for being too slow to respond to the alarm, and implied had they been quicker they might have caught him. Personally I fail to see how such speculation and attempts to deflect guilt for not being able to provide the requested additional resources onto a potential already grieving security group will improve anything.

On Monday, the military said it received the requests from Halamish and passed along its recommendations to the Defense Ministry for final approval, which it has yet to receive.

But this is not new news. Samaria Regional Council reveals government has failed to provide adequate funding to maintain security arrangements in Samaria.

An internal document from the Samaria Regional Council’s security division revealed the existence of serious security failures in many Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

The document presents a series of significant gaps in the security systems of dozens of communities, the cost of which would total tens of millions of shekels.

“In some of the council’s communities, the security apparatus is in bad shape and continues to deteriorate, due to the lack of a budget,” the document states.

The Samaria Regional Council noted that a budget of NIS 43.7 million ($12.25 million) will enable the renewal of the security fences, security roads and security lights in the council’s communities.

Chaim and Tzila Fogel live there as well. They are the parents of the Fogel family murdered in 2011. On March 11, 2011, two falestinian terrorists entered the home of Rabbi Ehud and Ruth Fogel and butchered them, and three of their six children. An 11-year-old Yoav, a 4-year-old Elad, and 3-month-old Hadas.

So as the bucket of chum slaughtered the family, Michal, the wife of one of the victims, 36 year old Elad Salomon, grabbed 5 small children, stuffed them in a room and as the door had no lock hung on to it and blocked it with her body. She doesn’t know for how long, and called the police. What finally stopped the slaughter was a good guy with a gun. It turns out there was an IDF solider on leave. Not only was he on leave, he was home that night. He heard the screams, grabbed his gun ran over and shot the terrorist through the window. The other victims are Elad’s father, Yosef Salomon, 70, and his sister Haya, 46. His mother Tova was also attacked and stabbed, but she is in hospital. She says the terrorist laughed in her face as he waved the knife.

The soldier’s mother explains how it happened.

In the wake of this the IDF increased patrols and nabbed 25 bucket of chum with ties to Hamass. Among them? A member of the Falestinian Authority legislative council member. You know, the F.A., Israel’s “peace partner”. The town is setting up a new outpost and blocking what they call “the road of death”. Probably a good plan since no one else seems to be helping with that.

So what has been the reaction from the arab world to the slaughter of an old man, and his two middle aged kids?

You REALLY need to watch this, you REALLY do.

https://www.facebook.com/103473109738311/videos/1422678237817785/

And then there is this

Photos of celebrations, these came from IsraellyCool. I follow good people on Twitter. You know this is the typical reaction in the arab world to the slaughter of Jews, right? They also hand out candy.

And how would you feel if your child took the life of three innocent human beings?

Happily, the psycho witch has been arrested now, she has been publicly calling for more Jews to be murdered.

So why do these pieceful arabs do this?

One reason, Hate taught in Arab schools caused massacre, and guess what? Our tax dollars pay for this.

President Trump, I don’t think the pieceful falestinians and Abu Mazen took you seriously when you said incitement had to stop. In fact, I know he didn’t. He called for another “Day of Rage”. And the idiots listened. The bucket of chum had written on Facebook earlier that “There is no point to living without the Al-Aqsa Mosque,” had bought his knife days earlier in preparation for carrying out an attack. In fact the Falestinian Authority has picked him up 3 months ago because they suspected him of planning an attack. The metal detectors have been up a little over a week now.

“Living without Al-Aqsa”? Where would the stupid stupid man get an idea like that? Nothing has happened to the mollusk where the arabs store the rocks and Molotov cocktails. Oh, from Abu Mazen and people like the member of the Knesset who went out and incited the arabs to kill and riot.

And then theres this thing about getting along with Jordan. Why? Why on earth should Israel worry about getting along with Jordan and placate the wafk-os. An Israeli security official serving in the Israeli embassy in Amman, Jordan, was wounded Sunday night when he was attacked by a terrorist in his home adjacent to the embassy. Jordan holding Israeli Embassy guard who shot 2 after being stabbed

Why should Americans care about getting along with Jordan and trying to curry their favor? A Jordanian soldier to murder ed 3 US instructors who were there training the Jordanians in counter-terror tactics. And then Jordan lied and tried to cover it up with several different stories.

And someone needs to tell Rex Tillerson he looks stupid copying barry’s old State Department reports and just changing some wording. Better yet, tell President Trump to give Tillerson his walking papers.

What else plays into it? Those stupid stupid UN decisions saying that Hevron, where the Cave of Machpelah is located is not Jewish. You know who is buried in the cave? Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. Not Jewish? The Temple Mount, not Jewish. The U.N. is un-hinged.

It seems every time they come out with one of these stupid decisions Israelis pay the price with more arab riots.

Israel needs to stand firm on leaving the metal detectors in place. There are 11 gates for muslims to go through, there is 1 for everyone else, and it has pretty much always had a metal detector. Muslims can pray on the Temple Mount, no one else can. Any other country that had undergone attack like this would be thinking about protecting their citizens. Well, maybe not Germany, they don’t seem to care much.

Why else?

Terrorist: I attacked soldiers so PA would cover my debt

Interrogation of Palestinian terrorist proves: PA payments motivate terror

This is absolutely about sovereignty on the Temple Mount and not metal detectors.

Dr. Tsvi Sadan is always a good read. It’s Not About Metal Detectors, Dummy

This is a war for sovereign control of Temple Mount

And the Falestinian Authority admits they have no desire to work for peace. No metal detectors, no cameras. You have no right to stop us from killing whenever and where ever and whomever we want to. We don’t want the cameras that Jordan wanted to install because they accused Israelis of violating the Al-Aqusa and they will catch is us on tape attacking people.

And this is an old video from Moshe Feiglin, of Zehut. He’s pretty good at seeing how things will play out.

Here’s what I want to know. How much did I pay for this? How much money did my government steal from me to finance this slaughter of innocent people? How much per ounce of blood covering the floor the sofa and the stairs? How many hours did I work to pay for that shed blood? How much per life? How much did I pay for the Fogel family, for the Salomon family, for Hallel Yaffa Ariel who was an American citizen? How much for the two Druze police officers? Because I’m very sick and tired of it. In fact, I don’t want to do it any more. What we’ve been doing isn’t working. We give money to help the “poor suffering falestinians” and Linda Sarsour the feminist heroine (the idiots) calls for a jihad in America, they build terror tunnels in Gaza, and kill people at random. There was another stabbing attack in Petach Tikvah Monday. This time an Israeli-Arab was stabbed by a pieceful Falestinian because he thought the man was Jewish. Then Abu Mazen incites and pays the killers, with my money. They teach the children in schools to hate Jews and kill them. In the UN schools I might add.

ENOUGH. ENOUGH.

We need solutions. I have some ideas. In no particular order.

First, President Trump needs to cut ALL funding to the F.A. It gets cut by half as of NOW. RIGHT.NOW. The next attack of ANY kind, on a citizen, solider, police officer will result in the remaining half being cut by half. The next attack, it’s gone. No money at all, period. Three strikes, you’re out. And if the U.N. increases their donation to the F.A., we cut our funding, or end it, to the UN. Abu Mazen is going to pay killers. If some of the money actually did go to the people, maybe they will catch on. Oh, we kill people and we don’t have money for chewing gum. No more money for Falestine. What do we do with those funds? I’ll come back to that. The muslims in Israel that want to live in peace there may decide they have had enough of the trouble these terrorists are causing and sort some of it out themselves. I have no doubt they could.

Israeli Service dogs, fur missiles. I dearly love fur missiles.

Terrorists worst nightmare, child’s friend

The problem with this one is it takes time, and a lot of money. And as we’ve seen above, the lack of funding has already created problems. Another problem is muslims don’t like dogs. They say they are unclean. I’m not even going to swat at that low hanging fruit. But in some parts of countries where there is a large concentration of muslims, they start posting signs that you are no longer allowed to walk your dog in public parks. They will kill the dog and then the family.

Israel needs to quit listening to some of the outrage from some of the “Jewish Community”. Turns out some of those don’t actually have any real Jews in them.

I agree with Jack Engelhard, Time to deport Abbas. But I would go further. Any terrorist, rather than being paid? Their family will be deported to Jordan, or Syria, there’s lots of room there. The family will not be paid for the land, they forfeited that when they raised their child to be a killer, or when they didn’t stop it. Israel will take possession of the land forfeited by the family’s inability to live as good citizens. Think you’re going to get paid from “deep pockets Abu”? Best leave a forwarding address. No more destroying a room in the terrorists home, because they’ve been deported. But I did see a novel idea, destroy the village. It seems some of these villages have produced many terrorists. But as he says, it would call for a very strong leader.

So what to do with the funds we will not be giving the Falestinian Authority. I asked a trusted source in Israel a few questions.

To get a gun in Israel, you need a “good reason”, like some of the states here, like for example Jersey, where Carole Brown died because she was waiting for her permission slip. It is fairly common for the people in Judea and Samaria to have handguns. Rifles are only for security people or the IDF. There are places for them to get trained. I know that most do serve in the IDF, the reason I asked this question was because some might have chosen to do their national service in a different way.

So here is my proposal: America begins at once, with the one half we have cut from the F.A. to arm EVERY adult living in Judea and Samaria with a handgun. And those that need training, the excessive funds can cover that. Would you care to speculate how fast the willingness of future “martyrs” of Falestine will dissipate when they realize there is a almost 100% chance the next person they attack will kill them? And that will not stop some, I know, they want to die. But what it will do, is save the lives of the Jews living in the Biblical heartland of Judea and Samaria. No more Salomon families grieving, no more Fogel families. We have seen in America that the gun does not always have to be used, but the knowledge that your victim maybe armed is a big deterrent. And if the worst happens? As a lawyer buddy used to say, you may only need a gun once. But if you need it, you will need it very badly. And if you do not have it when you need it, you most likely will not need it again. Or something along those lines.

To those that say “Oh, I don’t want to take sides!” You’ve been taking sides, that’s why the terrorists are sure they’re going to be paid, and the money is being redirected to save lives rather than take them. Good plan.

And just to update this, I wrote most of this column only a couple days ago, that’s how fast things change. Not only have the metal detectors come down, Israel is also taking down the security cameras that have been up there quite a while. Why would they do this? It’s something we’ve never seen arabs do, called taking hostages. Yeah, I can’t even type it with a straight face.

Remember the wounded Embassy guard attacked by a 16 year old Jordanian? Well, Jordan decided the wanted to “question him” Israel said, nope, he’s got diplomatic immunity. Then the Jordanians surrounded the embassy calling for death to Israel, and the whole staff was trapped in there. Ambassador, seriously wounded guard and everyone else. And Jordan refused to let the guard go, everyone else stayed in solidarity. Well, till the mobs surrounded the embassy, then they didn’t have much choice. But the security guard and the embassy staff are safely back in Israel now. All it took was taking down the metal detectors and cameras. Living Temple Mount visitors vulnerable. Like I said, no more. No more killed at their Shabbat table and no more shot on the Temple Mount. NO.MORE.

Elsewhere, genocide, gun control, guns, hatred of Jews, Inspiration, Israel, Jewish history, mindset, Politics, Terrorism

The Temple Mount

July 21, 2017 Sheila Stokes 1 Comment

In case you don’t know it, we are in “The Three Weeks”. This period started on th 17^th of Tammuz, this year that would be 11 July. It is a fast day, and marks the date that the Romans breeched the walls of Jerusalem. It will conclude on the 9^th of Av, 1^st of August this year, the date that both of the Holy Temples were burned. The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 423 BCE, the Second Temple by the Romans in 69 CE, but both on the 9th of Av. There are a lot of other tragedies on the 9^th of Av, but for now I’m just going to stick with the three weeks, and, the Temple Mount.

The three weeks are a time of introspections, and reflection as well as mourning.

I won’t say much about recovering sovereignty of the Temple Mount only to give it away again in 1967, we all know. But I actually had someone say to me that maybe Moshe Dayan and Levi Eshkol gave control back to the Islamic Wafko Wakf? Waqf? WakaWaka? Whaqever, because if they didn’t there would be an Arab uprising. Seriously? An Arab uprising? What do you call being attacked by, oh never mind. Israel had just defeated a massive “Arab uprising” in SIX days. I kept my mouth shut and my eyes mostly in my head. But that wrong decision, in MY opinion, wrong, and has continued to haunt Israel ever since. This last week has more than proved it. The Temple mount is so holy (3^rd holiest site in islam actually) that when Israel finally gained control in 67, the area was covered in weeds and almost no one ever went there. It’s only since Jews have had access that they flock there to pray. They pray with their butts toward Al-aqsa and facing Mecca. You know, the usual sign of respect by turning your butt to something. Th is web site has a collection of photos and a movie if you are curious what the site looked like before Israel when it was totally under Islamic control and neither Jew nor Christian could even go there.

One week ago, on Friday the 14^th there was a terrorist attack on the Temple Mount. Two pieceful falestinians ran FROM the Al-aqsa mollusk and shot two DRUZE Police officers in the back, one of them a new father. An additional officer was wounded, but I think not fatally. Druze are a sect of Arabs, NOT Jews. These two are far from the only Druze killed by the falestinians. There was a Druze police officer attacked when he responded to the Har Nof massacre. But this video can explain it far better than I can as to what happened.

There were actually FOUR pieceful Falestinians involved.

So, let’s just dwell on this a moment, shall we? The killers/cowards/terrorists came from the Alka-seltzer mollusk, yes, yes, I am getting more peeved, with guns. After they killed the Druze police officers guarding the mollusk, they ran back TO the mollusk. Apparently the Jordanian Wafq either helped them, or turned a blind eye. These are the people that follow Jews and Christians who are on the Temple Mount to make absolutely sure no one says a prayer, if someone sneezes don’t even say “bless you”. I understand 58 members of the Wakf were brought in for questioning by the Police on suspicion of having supplied the weapons or help hide them. And, we know from the past that they absolutely store weapons and rocks for throwing in the Alka-seltzer mollusk. That way they are handy to throw at non-muslims and the police should the occasion arise.

The Temple mount was closed, briefly and then of course the outpouring of world condemnation, and then it was re-opened. But it was re-opened with a new improved feature. They added magnetometers, metal detectors. For muslims. You see EVERYONE else has had to go through a metal detector since I don’t know when. I had to go through them when I went to the Kotel. Jews, Christians, tourists have always had to go through them. I had to go through them to get onto the campus at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, you have to go through them to get to shopping malls, to ride the bus and your purse may be searched. This is a part of everyday life.

But then an amazing thing happened. After the metal detectors were installed, the Wakf boycotted them. They refused to go through them. Inquiring minds would like to know why? Then they urged other muslims not to go through them to go pray at Alka-seltzer. Now SOME Muslims have gone ahead and gone through them and continued to pray. But the truly wonderful thing is Jews are able to go to the Temple Mount without the Waqf. If you prefer a slightly humorous take on it, I’d read this. Humorous yes, but still plenty of truth in it. But an outrage, and absolute outrage, muslims having to go through a metal detector? UN-heard of. Except, well, like maybe Mecca, and a couple other places, in muslim countries.

So, now, finally after all these thousands of years can Jews, Christians, tourists, anything other than muslim pray on the Temple Mount that is in Israel’s hands? OF COURSE not!

I listened to one of my favorite radio shows today, and they were talking about Avi Dichter, Knesset member and formerly head of general security who said that Israel is sovereign and the era of the Waqf calling the shots is over. And this security expert did not seem to think that allowing Jews to pray would create a security risk.

Israel’s peace partner on the other hand, Abu Mazen of the Falestinian Authority has called for (another) day of rage. This is made even more amusing because Hamass admits Israel gives full religious freedom to Muslims . Unlike muslims who won’t allow anyone else to pray. And there certainly have been clashes with people injured. And there have been riots in East Jerusalem.

And so the IDF puts 5 battalions on alert, cancels all weekend leave to deal with unrest. Because Friday is a day of prayer and rioting. You know, like most of the world’s other religions, prayer and rioting, peanut butter and jelly, hummus and pita.

So, it will have been one week ago today that the attacks occurred, and I have some thoughts. It was a blessing it happened on a Friday. ONLY muslims are allowed on the Temple Mount, holiest site in Judaism on Friday. Had there been Jews, or anyone else up there I can only imagine the carnage. Once again, it has been shown, someone determined to get a gun to harm others will do so, and as the saying goes, the only thing to stop a bad man with a gun, is a good man with a gun. The police did, but sadly have lost two fine men. Side note, have any of the arab leaders expressed sympathy to the families of the Druze police officers? No. I would urge Israel not to give in to the threats. It’s like the kid pitching a hissy in Walmart, you give in and it will get worse each time because they’ve learned it will work. And, personally, I think that’s why it is so bad now. The Temple Mount can not, just can not become part of another “land for peace” deal. In my life I’ve had all kinds of people give me advice about all kinds of things. Some of it I felt was not right. Not right for the time, or not the right direction. They got miffed about it. But here’s the thing, if I was right and went ahead and did it anyway, who will pay the price? Me. It costs them nothing to give the advice, only their time, and I’m grateful I have people that wish to do so, but if I do it feeling it’s wrong, they pay no price, I do. Israel may have a lot of people tell her to get rid of the metal detectors, but they will not pay the price. Israelis will. We have people tell us we don’t need to carry everywhere we go, we are paranoid. But who pays the price? We do, or our family.

But for now, I will leave you with this, this miraculous video. I got if from Aryeh of the Israeli political party Zehut, which means “Identity”.

This man is openly crying on the Temple Mount over the destruction of the two Temples. And he is NOT thrown off the Temple Mount because the Waqf are busy pitching a hissy that they can’t help more people smuggle in guns.

And this beautiful picture, no Waqf present to harass people. G-d bless Aryeh for sharing these. If prayer could be open, everyday with no worry or fear? Personally, I believe when that day comes? MANY things will begin to come right. I don’t believe G-d was pleased when Esav traded his birthright for a bowl of soup, I don’t believe he was pleased when the spies came back and gave a false bad report about the land G-d had given his children, and I don’t think he’s any happier about his children not being allowed to come and talk to him in the place that he chose. Embrace it, embrace the gift, in this three weeks of mourning, there is this tiny window of good. May it fly open and all good rush in.

gun control, gun grabbers, guns, Israel, Media, mindset, Politics, self defense, Sellouts and traitors, So Much Stupid!, You can't fix stupid

Over The Top

July 14, 2017 Sheila Stokes 4 Comments

Let me just start out by saying this column is not so much about defending President Trump as it is about venting. Venting that the left has now decided to step up the deceive and control game, and now “regular” people are doing their bit.

Second Amendment supporters have know for ages that cnn (#FakeNews) has been deceptive in their reporting. Americans that are unfamiliar with firearms and the shooting sports are easily deceived apparently by the cnn news readers. What’s not to believe? Nice clothes, nice hair (except Rachel Madow on msnbc, who makes me think of Kramer on Seinfeld) well modulated voices, how could they not be trustworthy?

A police officer named Leroy Pyle did an excellent video years ago explaining the “assault” rifle scam.

But G-d bless and protect James O’Keefe of Project Veritas. He has been dumping fantastic amounts of tape on cnn (#FakeNews) and their producer really does think American voters are stupid as sh#t. Shades of Jonathan Gruber, eh? Holy wikileaks Batman, O’Keefe is a one man truth squad.

So after all the false stories cnn has spread, been forced to retract because they weren’t true, had producers resign over stories they ran that they were caught out on, they are seeing ramifications. CNN’s Anonymous Source Proven Wrong About Trump It seems our social media savvy President got hold of a little gif from a old wrestlemania clip. Someone had doctored the clip and put the cnn (#FakeNews) logo over the other persons face so President Trump appeared to be attacking cnn (#FakeNews).

Predictably the media had kittens. The president was encouraging violence against reporters! How many reporters have been attacked by conservatives? None that I know of. Some have been attacked at “peaceful protests” by antifa and blm. Hey cnn (#FakeNews) how about telling the truth about some of those “peaceful protests”, how about doing some investigative journalism and finding out who’s behind them? Oops, guess that doesn’t fit their narrative.

CNN (#FakeNews) instead sent their ace investigative reporter Andrew Kaczynski to find out WHO did the offending gif. I kid you not. I would really urge you to read the link about Kaczynski, he’s a real piece of shi work. So old Andy tracked down the Reddit users who made the gif. And threatened to Dox him, unless he apologized profusely and promised never to do ANYTHING EVER again to annoy cnn (#FakeNews), whatever it might be, they didn’t specify. The gif was removed from the Reddit users account, he apologized profusely, begged forgiveness. And cnn (#FakeNews) crowed about their journalistic achievement of threatening a private citizen into submission. Such hatred and bile are usually reserved for conservative women, like Sarah Palin or Ann Coulter.

Legality schmegality. Probably within a day Sen. Ted Cruz informed them they may well have committed an illegal act. Ted Cruz says CNN might have committed a crime when they did this. Oopsie.

But it gets even better. Cnn (#FakeNews) and crack reporter (Buzzfeed reject) Kaczynski may well have identified and threatened the wrong person. Yep, they out-faked themselves. They blackmailed the wrong dude. High journalistic standards indeed. Did CNN Identify The Wrong Person?

I’m sure CNN is still trying to understand what went wrong. They were so sure the gullible people were fooled. But, last I’ve heard, they aren’t making any efforts to correct the problems, because hey, ideology and delegitimizing the lawfully elected President is more important than you know, mundane “news”.

But, I suppose Home Depot, Lowe’s and other stations are incredibly grateful to cnn (#FakeNews) for continuing on with their ideological suicide. Now Nick-at-Night, Home & Garden TV, Investigation Discovery, ESPN, Discovery channel and others are beating cnn (#FakeNews) in the ratings. One of the others beating them is MSLSD NBC. I wonder how many heard about the Freudian slip of Mika Brzezinski? She was complaining about President Trump, and let slip it is THEIR job to tell people what to think. Yeah, boy howdy.

But it’s not just the #MSM and #MediaBias that can’t stand that someone thinks something other than what they think people should. I got a email from a friend around the Independence Day. It wasn’t one of the fake ones, it was real.

Relax, Trump is stone cold sane By Dr. Keith Ablow

Well, apparently one of the people he sent it to was a liberal. I first noticed this phenomena when George W Bush was in office. If you sent a email a liberal didn’t like they hit “reply all” and told all your family and friends how stupid it was. A cousin of mine sent out a email and someone replied to all. I’ve had people forward emails I sent them. The liberal hit reply all and DEMANDED an apology from me. I sent him a link, and said “NUTS”.

This time a liberal, or just very rude person didn’t like the email my friend sent, so he hit reply all.

Happy 4th of July.

The issue of Trump’s actions or his sanity or his temperament is most likely A-OK for those who voted for and support Trump.

What you failed to mention is the ongoing investigations of Trump and his associates regarding Russia and Traitor like actions and Traitor like appearances.

Simple question on this 4th of July celebrating American Independence and our American Way of Life …. Do you support traitors?

I’d had enough. My happy little holiday was interrupted by this baloney. So I thought I’d help out the poor soul who is obviously illiterate in computer etiquette.

If you look carefully at the top of your email program you will see a”Reply” AND a “Reply all” button choice. Ooops, Apparently you inadvertently hit the reply ALL choice. Thus you subjected me and everyone else Dave sent this email to hearing your response. Speaking for myself, I could care less what you think. I do care what Dave chooses to forward and read it with interest.

In the future please, pay attention to “Reply” and “Reply ALL”.

Attention to detail matters.

Son of a gun, my helpful efforts were unappreciated.

On the 4th of July … his rant on Trump was over the top and I care less what you feel about that. Let’s watch what the investigations turn up on Trump.

SERIOUSLY? You impose your unwanted presence into my happy little email home, during a dinner party and essentially pass gas, and then attempt to tell my what my friend sent is “over the top”?? You sanctimonious jerk.

I’m sure you are embarrassed at not having paid enough attention to detail when you chose to reply. You replied to EVERYONE that Dave sent the email to. I don’t know you, I’m sure some of the them don’t know you, you are behaving as the equivalent of a boorish party crasher.

Whatever Dave or anyone choose to send, it is NOT yours to determine if it is “over the top” or not, you see, that’s where individual freedom comes in. WE all get to decide for OURSELVES if it is over the top or not. YOU are not in charge of U.S. and YOU don’t get to tell us if it is or not.

I’m VERY tired of getting emails from people I don’t know that have taken exception to something one of their friends, family, acquaintances or their insurance agent has sent and to express their childish displeasure decides to “shame” the sender, or pitch their email hissy fit and hit “reply all”. You have now stamped your feet and attempted to behave as a petty tyrant by telling a whole group of people what will be acceptable and unacceptable to them, because it is unacceptable to you.

Since you apparently do not know this, the mature, adult thing to do when confronted by an email you do not agree with is to merely hit the delete button, NOT the reply all.

You may go seek your safe space now, I’m sure it’s been a very trying day for you, getting such an upsetting email from Dave, and then two from me.

Stay out of homes where you aren’t invited, don’t hit reply all. It will be ok.

I think, just me here, that for too long we’ve been polite when attempts were made to vilify conservative points of view. People were rude, hateful and we “took the high road”. Perhaps the time has come to cease. Perhaps the time has come to say “NUTS”. I’m tired of getting offended email from snowflakes that I don’t know, I didn’t send them email, I don’t want their email. Personally I’ve learned not to send email to someone who won’t appreciate it. If I do, on rare occasion, it’s a link to a story usually and I don’t send it to more than the person I’m communicating with. So when I get stuff like this back? I’m just done. If these people can’t learn to use either the “delete” key or the “reply” key as opposed to the “reply all”, they might not ought to be using a computer. But, then, I could just be cranky about it. Bet a quarter the person gets his news from cnn (#FakeNews).

So let’s see how I do with a little “CNN (#FakeNews) still reporting, shall we?

Evidence of Collusion with Russians FOUND!!

I first check CNN to see if they had picked up the story yet and run with it. So my cnn (#Fake News) search for the topic yielded two results. One about Newt Gingrich and empty symbols and one about former PM David Cameron of Englandistan. I was discouraged by this but not dissuaded in my quest for truth, justice and the American way of life, and some good coffee.

So I persevered and checked to see if just maybe by some slight chance someone else had picked up on the story. Was I ever in luck!

(CNN #FakeNews) – America. This just in! Evidence has been found of a shocking collusion between the United States President and Russia! There is no word yet if this evidence is going to lead to the proof that the Russians hacked the US elections, but we are sure it will. If not, we’ll make it up as we go. A daring CNN reporter was able to secretly tape the US President as he spoke to Russia President, our camera man hid behind the potted plant to obtain the video. The proves the collusion we’ve been droning on about. We at CNN are very daring and edgy.

So whaddya think? Do I have a bright future with CNN (#FakeNews) or not?

If you want to watch the video CNN supplies with the title of “CNN: President Obama caught on open mic” here ya go, as you can see, they are not exactly identical.

CNN- tagline all the news that’s fit to fake, lie about, or obfuscate.

CNN anti Israel bias

CNN anti gun bias

CNN controversies

I can only hope that the backlash of it being made so clear that the #MSM has been deceptive in their news coverage about topics like this, that people will begin to question their reporting on those “evil black rifles”, and guns in general.

duty, Elsewhere, hatred of Jews, Inspiration, Israel, mindset, Terrorism

Izzy and Friends

June 21, 2017 Sheila Stokes 4 Comments

Yes, this is going to be another “Dang Sheila gets to meet cool people and hear interesting speakers!” kind of column. Because I do.

I recently attended a Friends of the IDF event, with the IDF being Israeli Defense Forces if you hadn’t guessed that.

The evening started out with a lovely welcome from the organizer and the master of ceremonies. I believe I heard this was the first event like this that the organizer had set up, and she did an amazing job, so I’m hoping it won’t be the last. We then sang The Star Spangled Banner and HaTikvah, the national anthems for both America and Israel, of course!

Then it was movie time. As we just commemorated the 50 years of the reunification of Jerusalem they had a wonderful video to show us, and the three soldiers in the iconic photo have been touring the U.S. and talking to audiences.

Sadly, we did not get to hear their talk, but we did get to hear two other real life heroes that night.

We next saw a video on Friends of the IDF and it talked about all the different programs they offer. They are certainly a lot more involved than I would have realized. The little movie did a segment on each program. Wikipedia has info on the programs as well as the FIDF website. I admit to only knowing about a couple of the programs, the Lone Soldier of course, and the wounded veterans. They do a lot more than that, and impact lives of the soldiers and their families in a multitude of ways. For each segment they showed there would be an IDF soldier to tell how that program had affected their life. It certainly did a good job of putting a face and a human to the programs.

We then heard our first hero of the night, First Sergeant Keren Shlomi. Keren said she did not have a typical childhood, and I would imagine she’s right. She was born in Israel as I recall, but her family fractured and she ended up living in Canada with her her Mom. She said that she missed Israel, and felt like there was a hole in her heart. She got to go back to Israel on a trip and then she knew what was making the hole in her heart and what would fill it. Keren went back as often as she could, and when she was of age she decided to move back and serve in the IDF. Up on the projection screen flashed a picture of Keren wearing sunglasses and holding an Israeli flag. Her smile said it all, in Hebrew and in English, she was home and whole. She served in the first co-ed combat unit which was on the Egyptian -Israeli border at the time. She became a sharpshooter and eventually moved into Intelligence. Over time she became completely disconnected from her family, but she says she never felt alone. She had her IDF family, and the Friends of the IDF also were supportive. After her army career she worked three jobs, baby sitter, and courthouse security were among them. To be honest, if it were me? I could actually only do one of those, and it wouldn’t be babysitting. I’ve done it, I know. Keren wanted to go to college, she had a dream and if she had to work three jobs, she was willing to do it. She figured within a few years she’d have saved up enough money to go to college. But then someone told her about the FIDF impact scholarship and she applied. She won one of the scholarships. She gives 130 hours of community service during every year of schooling so not only does the scholarship impact her life, she impacts the lives of others, 130 hours a year worth! It seems like a great program and Keren certainly is a good ambassador for it.

Our next speaker was First Sergeant Izzy Ezagui, and his dog. Nope, not kidding. Though Izzy did all the talking. Why you ask did First Sergeant Izzy need a dog on the platform with him? Well, I’m so glad you asked, let me tell you!

American born Izzy began his talk in moderately thickly accented English. As I sat there listening I kind of marveled to myself that I had never noticed how much an Israeli accent sounds like a French accent, and how had I never noticed it before when I talked to people? Sorry Izzy. After a few lines he asked us how he did with his fake Israeli accent, that he had practiced it for a long time for us. He got applause for that. Then he told us about his friend on the stage with him, his service dog. He says people ask him why he has a service dog. He says he tells them that women are heavy, the dog helps him pick them up. I can believe it, the dog was adorable, and better behaved than many children. So why does First Sergeant Izzy need a service dog?

Izzy said he had originally planned to make Aliyah to Israel as a Lone Soldier, but his family messed that up for him by making Aliyah as well. So once in Israel, his family lived in Jerusalem and Izzy began his IDF service.

One Shabbat Izzy’s Orthodox Commander called, so Izzy knew it wasn’t going to be good. They were being called up, and Operation Cast Lead began in response to about 80 rockets a day being fired into cities in Israel, with kindergartens and civilian areas being targeted. This time as far south as Beer Sheva, this was before the Iron Dome was in place. As far as I’m concerned, that could have prompted a massive bomb in the middle of Gaza, but then I adore Beer Sheva, and do not claim to be impartial. In two weeks Hamass had fired 500 rockets into Israel. Just part of our tax dollars at work. So the IDF ground forces entered Gaza during stage II of the operation. During that excursion a Captain in his brigade was killed. He had sustained a neck wound, but held it shut and continued to give orders to his men in an effort to save their lives, and he succeed in that, losing is own life in the process. Izzy’s company was going to be sent in to retrieve the Captain’s body. Izzy said he now face one of the most terrifying times to date of his IDF service. He didn’t know what to do. It seems Izzy had told his Mother that he was being sent to the Lebanon border (which was quiet at the time). When he talked to her he told her they had him in the kitchen doing dishes since they were rookies. So, now does he tell her where he really is before they go in? What if something happens and she had no warning? Should he tell her? Should he not? As he was sitting there pondering his dilemma, a mortar shell landed and ripped his arm off. The medics responded quickly and gave him some morphine for his pain. Then they loaded him up in the ambulance. The ambulance crew looked down sympathetically and asked if he had been given morphine for his pain. He earnestly replied no, he hadn’t. They have him some. They took him to the helicopter that was going to fly him to Saroka in Beer Sheva. He was loaded up into the helicopter for his flight to Beer Sheva, the air ambulance crew being a sympathetic lot gently inquired if he’d been given any morphine. No, no he hadn’t. They gave him some. He said he landed in Beer Sheva half loopy. Honestly, I’m surprised he even had a fourth to loop. But he had enough presence of mind to realize he stood a very real chance of dying. Because when they landed he realized there was a news crew there. A news crew with a camera, and his mother thought he was on the Lebanon border doing the dishes. A slow painful death awaited him, no doubt. Izzy then did what any combat wise veteran of the IDF would do who hoped to survive. Despite having massive quantities of morphine in his system, he more or less thought on his feet and threw a blanket over his head so when they took him into Saroka it would buy him enough time to talk to his mom before she saw him being wheeled into a hospital in Beer Sheva, no where near Lebanon.

Izzy says recovery was slow, and not at all simple. Recovery involved learning to ties shoes and open bottles, and dealing with phantom pain.

But as Comrade X commented on another column I did recently, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. Izzy is a Tibetan Mastiff.

Izzy was determined to remain in the IDF. So his recovery also involved learning to jump 7 foot walls, load an unjam a rifle, all with one arm, Izzy remains a sharpshooter still. His last training exercise involved hiking from one live fire exercise to the next. For 30 hours. The training is a week and a half long. One year when they trained on Hanukkah, on the fourth night Izzy borrowed rifles. He removed their slings and stuck them in the ground, upright. He then placed a candle in the barrel and lit them creating a makeshift Hanukkah menorah. Then he had a friend take his picture with it,which went viral. He said he couldn’t really lie his way out of it, there aren’t any other one armed soldiers in the IDF. He said the higher ups were not happy, not happy at all, but he was not worried about being arrested. He said in fact, he doesn’t ever worry about being arrested. Because it’s impossible for anyone to handcuff him, so he is pretty much golden.

His final assignment was leading a squad of 13 men. Amazing, just amazing. It’s like Comrade X says, it’s not the size of the dog in the fight…

Izzy is now a motivational speaker and has a book coming out next March. If he is as riveting to read as he is to listen to, this is going to be a wonderful book!

We all face battles in our lives, some health related, some personal, some financial, some spiritual, but face them we will. It’s harder when we face more than one kind at once, but perhaps when you think about people like Gal Hirsch and Izzy you can look and up ask for what you need be it courage, strength, stamina, or whatever, and with G-d’s help, continue to fight another day.

I’m sure this is what Izzy would tell us, Live Like A Warrior

defense of others, duty, Elsewhere, genocide, hatred of Jews, Israel, mindset, Politics, Sellouts and traitors, Terrorism

Memories

June 4, 2017 Sheila Stokes 2 Comments

Memorial Day has passed. I didn’t exactly get to spend it the way I planned, but it’s ok. I think it’s still timely to talk about Memorial Day considering D-Day is coming up.

I’ve had a lot of thoughts about Memorial Day this year. I always do. I saw a tweet by Kay Wilson who queried “How can any American ever say Happy Memorial Day?” If you are unfamiliar with Kay, she is amazing. She is the victim of a horrific machete attack. Kay is British born, and living in Israel.

From doing a little reading, it seems the average age of soldiers from the Revolutionary War, up till now is early 20s. This is including older experienced officers which raises the age average. Although drummer boys could be as young as 12. I believe I read the average life expectancy of a solider in WWI in the trenches was six weeks. Six. Weeks.

How many died? I got an interesting email from Shmuel Sackett of Zehut, an Israeli political party I belong to. Yeah, pretty cool beans. To be honest though, I am not the only one who got the email, it was one Shmuel sent out to the group. It’s also right in line with Kay’s sentiments and is titled “What Did You Buy On Memorial Day?”

Let me ask you a question. Isn’t Memorial Day supposed to be somber? A day of remembrance, mourning and reflection? A day to pay tribute to the hundreds of thousands of brave men and women who lost their lives fighting for the USA? Do you have any idea how many heroes we are talking about? I did some research and found that from the American Revolutionary War until today – are you ready for this? – a total of 666,441 American soldiers have lost their lives in battle. If it’s hard for you to think about war from 1776, let me break down that number in more modern times. In WWII – 291,557 soldiers were killed and in Vietnam the number was 47,424. After 9/11, American forces went to war in Afghanistan and lost 1,954 soldiers while a whopping 3,836 have been killed in Iraq.

He is expressing his shock and sorrow outrage, let’s be honest, that in America, Memorial Day has become a day of picnics, shopping and holiday.

I’m not saying that there aren’t Americans that don’t feel the same. There are. Originally Memorial Day was called Decoration Day and it’s origins predate the Civil War. I can still remember when it changed from being observed on May 30^th. That was back in 1971. My family observed it as a Memorial Day to family members that were gone and we would go decorate graves. Not that I didn’t have family that served in the military, I did. My Dad was in the Navy, one Uncle was in the Navy and wanted to be a fighter pilot. At 6’4” he was deemed too tall and instead was in communications. It was interesting when I talked to him about it a few years ago, he still couldn’t tell me much of what he did. I do know he was aboard the USS Missouri the day Japan surrendered. I have another Uncle that was in the Battle of Midway and survived. He had been gone for many years before I ever found that out. I was in first grade when he died at 33 of a heart attack and I was devastated. I have another Uncle that also served in the Navy, and at one time I considered enlisting in the Navy. My nephew is trying his very best to be accepted into a different branch of the military. Sigh, there’s always one. But, I couldn’t be prouder of “The Brat” and I love him dearly.

This is one paragraph, about one family, and I’m so blessed, all mine survived. Look at the stats quoted by Shmuel above. All those listed had families, they had lives and loves. They had hopes, dreams and aspirations.

In Israel, Yom Hazikaron יוֹם הַזִּכָּרוֹן is observed very differently.

By law, all places of entertainment are closed on the eve of Yom Hazikaron, and broadcasting and educational bodies note the solemnity of the day.

Memorial candles are lit in homes, army camps, schools, synagogues, and public places, and the flags are lowered to half staff. Throughout the day serving and retired military personnel serve as honor guards at war memorials throughout the country, and the families of the fallen participate in memorial ceremonies at military cemeteries.

National memorial services are held in the presence of Israel’s top leadership and military personnel. The day opens with a siren the preceding evening at 20:00 (8:00 pm), given that in the Hebrew calendar system, a day begins at sunset. The siren is heard all over the country and lasts for one minute, during which Israelis stop everything, including driving on highways, and stand in silence, commemorating the fallen and showing respect.

When I saw the post from Kay, I answered her and told her it is because so many in America do not even realize what Memorial Day is. Some of it is due to the massive liberal influences in the government, and some of it is due to the school system. I heard a very interesting lecture recently and facts and figures were given showing the decimation of the US military in the last 8 years, by our own government. In addition to the military being used as a “social experiment”. And don’t think that hasn’t taken a toll.

I was still young when the soldiers came back from Viet Nam, and I remember stories of them being spit on and berated. Thank you Walter Cronkite, Jane Fonda and John Kerry, and scores of liberal school teachers, and countless others. Bill Clintoon set a shining example by fleeing to Canada. I can remember being at an amusement park one time in Texas, not on Memorial Day. The two men in line ahead of me were talking about having come back. In line it was hard not to over-hear. I looked at them and said “Thank you, thank you for serving”. They were young, and looked shocked. Then they looked grateful. They didn’t determine the policies of going to war, they didn’t get a vote on being sent. They got drafted, and they suited up and showed up and tried to do the right thing.

I was recently in a conversation with a man and his wife. The man had retired out of the Marine Corp after 38 years. They were watching a John Wayne movie on TV, he was in a submarine. She had gone with him on every posting he had ever been sent. She commented “All wars are stupid”. I was quite for a moment, it happens rarely, then replied “Yes, perhaps, but some of them need to be fought, and some of them are worth fighting”. I’m working on Hebrew as a second language, not German, I get to make a choice. Some wars need to be fought.

I’m pretty old now, I’ve got to realize some of my hopes and dreams, there are some still in the bag to be worked towards. But I’m alive, and I have that chance. These men and women that showed up and answered the call? Their hopes and dreams died with them on fields, beaches, in trenches and hedgerows. I would also include law enforcement officers who answer a calling to try to protect as those that fall in service to our country now. It’s not the same, they get to go home (usually) at the end of their shift, but that “sheepdog” mentality resides in them as well. They are serving in a different arena.

I admit it, I would like to see America observe Memorial Day in a way more similar to Israel’s observance. I would like to have a nationwide siren sounded at the same time all across the US and people stop what they are doing in honor of those that gave all. I would like to see stores close and the day treated as a day to respectfully honor fallen heroes. While I can’t make that happen, I can make sure I do my best to honor the men and women who suited up and showed up.

This video is from Black Rifle Coffee company. They are veteran owned and operated. They also star in their own videos. Some of which are pretty darn funny, some outrageous, some kinda gross. But all quite original. I just got my first order, and it’s darn good coffee! No, they are not paying me to write this, they don’t even know who I am, but this video is what made me “pull the trigger” on buying the coffee. I highly recommend “Coffee or Die”.

Just some things to keep in mind with the approach of D-Day.

Elsewhere, genocide, hatred of Jews, Inspiration, Israel, Jewish history, mindset, Politics, resistance

Yom Yerushalayim, 50 Years

May 24, 2017 Sheila Stokes 3 Comments

50 years. It’s been 50 years since Yerushalayim, Jerusalem was reunited. This city so rich with history of the Jewish people is mentioned over 627 times in Torah (none in the koran) has been the center of Spiritual life for thousands of years. How can it not be? The place that G-d will choose?

Throughout it’s history various and sundry groups have tried to deny the Jews access to the Holy City and Har HaBayit, The Temple Mount. Romans, Greeks, Muslims, various and sundry Arab groups, the UN, some former U.S. Presidents. And, all have been successful for a time. For a time. But many of those that tried to prevent them from being in the place that G-d chose for them to worship have faded away. To take their place new enemies arise. It’s as though there is evil that absolutely fears that Jews will pray on the Temple Mount. What are they so afraid of? Most of them say Jews are sub-human, and/or they don’t believe in the G-d of Israel anyway. And yet the fear remains doesn’t it? Those that hold control over the Temple Mount now, claiming it as their “holy site” show their reverence for it by turning their asses towards it when they pray. To Mecca. They play soccer and have picnics on it. They store rocks and firework with which to attack the Israeli police and Jews and Christians that try to visit in the “holy” Al Aqsa. Not how one typically treats a holy site I would say. Countless artifacts have been discarded by them into a trash heap over the walls into E. Jerusalem where Arabs have used ancient timber for firewood. The list of abuses goes on and on.

Looking back at the Six Day War that reunited Yerushalayim, here are some quotes to give you an idea of the mindset Israel was facing. It also might be helpful to remember, the Falestinian Liberation Organization didn’t exist until 1963. It was created by the Arab league.

As of today, there no longer exists an international emergency force to protect Israel. We shall exercise patience no more. We shall not complain any more to the UN about Israel. The sole method we shall apply against Israel is total war, which will result in the extermination of Zionist existence.~~Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of Egypt

Our forces are now entirely ready not only to repulse the aggression, but to initiate the act of liberation itself, and to explode the Zionist presence in the Arab homeland. The Syrian army, with its finger on the trigger, is united….I, as a military man, believe that the time has come to enter into a battle of annihilation.~~Syrian Defense Minister Hafez Assad

Yeah, pretty much like the “peace partners” Israel has today. Israel never intended to retake Jerusalem during the war. They asked King Hussein of Jordan (who was illegally occupying Judea and Samaria and Jerusalem) to stay out of it after the war started. But Hussein feared the PLO. He was afraid they would try to depose him.

King Hussein of Jordan signed a defense pact with Egypt on May 30. Nasser then announced:

The armies of Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon are poised on the borders of Israel…to face the challenge, while standing behind us are the armies of Iraq, Algeria, Kuwait, Sudan and the whole Arab nation. This act will astound the world. Today they will know that the Arabs are arranged for battle, the critical hour has arrived. We have reached the stage of serious action and not declarations.

President Abdur Rahman Aref of Iraq added his two cents to the rhetoric:

“The existence of Israel is an error which must be rectified. This is our opportunity to wipe out the ignominy which has been with us since 1948. Our goal is clear — to wipe Israel off the map.”

On June 4, Iraq joined the military alliance with Egypt, Jordan and Syria.

Some of this came from a really good overview. You can read all of it here. And it has maps. Lots of maps.

This is what the tiny, new nation of Israel faced.

I like this video, it shows a lot of pictures of what Jerusalem was like before Israel was re-born.

Then, the battle for Jerusalem. I like this video. Alot. It has scenes and commentary from THAT day, as well as a lot of modern video towards the end showing many places in Jerusalem. I recognize many of them, and have walked the streets, shopped in the shops and gawked at all of it. And am quite sad I am not there at the moment.

And I will admit, my tears fill my eyes when I hear Mota Gur saying “Har Ha’Beit B’Yadeinu!” The Temple Mount is in our hands. Then to hear Shlomo Goren blow the shofar? Look at what Israel faced. Not only did she win her survival, she regained land, and Jerusalem. You will notice that people of all faiths are allowed to practice their faith in the areas Israel controls. But only in those areas. The areas muslims control? No. Not even safe. Sadly not everyone realizes the Holiness of The Temple Mount and control was given back to Jordan. I really think we would not being seeing a lot of the problems we see now if that hadn’t happened.

What does the future hold? I don’t have a crystal ball. There is much unrest in the world, and evil is everywhere. Do I have all the answers? No. In fact, I don’t even have all the answers I need. But I do think a good start would be returning Jewish prayer to the Temple Mount.

If you want someone who may well have a crystal ball, or at least a plan, you can watch a fascinating webinar I just saw with Moshe Feiglin of Zehut. Not only will he tell you some behind the scenes info going on now, he will tell you some interesting history.

For today, just for today, I will savor the miracle of G-d, the return of a reunited Jerusalem to Israel.

יום ירושלים שמח

Happy Jerusalem Day!

authoritarian swine, genocide, gun control, hatred of Jews, Inspiration, Israel, Jewish history, mindset, Politics, resistance, Sellouts and traitors, Terrorism

Yom Ha’Atzmaut Then and Now

May 5, 2017 Sheila Stokes 3 Comments

Yom Ha’Atzmaut, I think this year I’ll do a little media round-up for ya’ll for Yom Ha’Atzmautיום העצמאות. I spent the day making balls and frying falafel for an impending big party that night. As I fried I had a plenty of time to reflect on the miracle of the nation state that was born from the ashes in a day.

A day when an ancient people, the Israelites declared to the world “We’re Home”. Thanks to the work of Eliezer Ben-Yehuda the Hebrew language had been revived. Some words were borrowed, especially technical terms, but many are pretty much the same. Modern Hebrew really caught on during the Second Aliyah, from 1904-1914.

So what had gone on before the Nation State reappeared?

Well, the Allies knew about the concentration camps far earlier than has been thought.

The Allied Powers were aware of the scale of the Jewish Holocaust two-and-a-half years earlier than is generally assumed, and had even prepared war crimes indictments against Adolf Hitler and his top Nazi commanders.

Newly accessed material from the United Nations – not seen for around 70 years – shows that as early as December 1942, the US, UK and Soviet governments were aware that at least two million Jews had been murdered and a further five million were at risk of being killed, and were preparing charges. Despite this, the Allied Powers did very little to try and rescue or provide sanctuary to those in mortal danger.

But they weren’t the only ones who more or less sat on their thumbs. One of my favorite writers, Jack Engelhard points out that while 400 Rabbis marched to Washington to talk to FDR about helping the Jews, the majority of American Jews sat on their thumbs. FDR by the way, couldn’t be bothered to meet with the Rabbis, he went golfing.

Eventually the war was won, and the camps were discovered and the prisoners were freed. Ohrdruf was the first camp freed by the Americans. Dwight Eisenhower, George Patton and Omar Bradley were there. The entire army present was shocked and appalled at what they found, what the reality was. If there had been any question in their minds as to why they were fighting, it was gone.

This is part of a cable he sent to George C. Marshall, the part in bold, I bolded.

… the most interesting—although horrible—sight that I encountered during the trip was a visit to a German internment camp near Gotha. The things I saw beggar description. While I was touring the camp I encountered three men who had been inmates and by one ruse or another had made their escape. I interviewed them through an interpreter. The visual evidence and the verbal testimony of starvation, cruelty and bestiality were so overpowering as to leave me a bit sick. In one room, where they were piled up twenty or thirty naked men, killed by starvation, George Patton would not even enter. He said that he would get sick if he did so. I made the visit deliberately, in order to be in a position to give first-hand evidence of these things if ever, in the future, there develops a tendency to charge these allegations merely to ‘propaganda.’

He then made the townspeople come view the camp, and help assist in burying the bodies. The townspeople all claimed they had no idea what had been going on, despite the smell that had been noted in the town. He also ordered many photos be taken of the camp to prevent people from being able to try to deny what had taken place. Doesn’t seem to have stopped them though, does it?

I would say the hope of Israel was beating in prisoner’s hearts. This is a recording made IN Bergan-Belsen after it was liberated. The BBC was there, and the prisoners knew they were being recorded. They asked to be allowed to sing on the recording. They are singing Hatikva, the national anthem of Israel, it means “The Hope”.

And so Jews then began making their way to Israel, they were going home. They began to work the land which had been let go into desolation and turn it in to a vibrant living land again.

This is a song I learned in school, my teacher says they sang it in the Kibbutzim, it’s called Boker Boker http://www.zemereshet.co.il/song.asp?id=337 it’s an actual recording and they are singing about different times of the day, but it all involves going to work. And she explained that they were just so happy to have a home and land to work, that they woke up happy to work the land and have their own, new lives. Something I should remind myself a few times. But it’s a very happy song.

And then in 1948, Independence was declared after the United Nations voted to partition the land. A scheme known today as the “Two State Solution”. It was rejected by the arabs, and they were much more honest about their motives then. They said they would drench the land in blood, and no compromise.

The Declaration, and I’ve been in this very room when they played a recording of the speech. I could not help it as I felt my eyes fill with tears. I have a copy of the Declaration in Hebrew. I’m such a baby I can’t quite read it without the vowel points though.

The Aftermath

Here’s some rare combat footage

Israellycool has some excellent old photos like this one.

But it’s all different now, isn’t it?

Turning once again to Jack Engelhard, I see that the German ambassador was in Israel recently. To meet with Bibi? No, he chose to meet with Israel’s enemies. Jack has informed Mrs. Merkel that today Germany’s actions will not be buried on the back pages of the paper, they are front page.

These days Israel celebrates the 69th Anniversary of its Independence. The Jewish State is not to be trifled, as were the Jews in the good old days.

Back then when you kicked us around you managed to get the cooperation of The New York Times and others to hide your dirty work.

The papers – led by the Times – let you off the hook as you rounded up, shot and gassed millions of our people.

They buried the news on the back pages.

Speaking of everyone’s favorite puppy pee pad, the New York Slimes, all the news that’s fit to lie about, they have changed so much! They recently ran a op-ed from M arwan B arghouti, a convicted terrorist guilty of murder, serving five life sentences. The Slimes didn’t find this information relevant as they ran his op-ed about why he was on a hunger strike in an Israeli prison. They listed him as a “Marwan Barghouti is a Palestinian leader and parliamentarian.” You can make this stuff up, but in the case, I’m not. Remember, we’re talking about the Slimes. After the outcry, it was added why he was in the slammer. Honestly, I’m kind of shocked there was an outcry. I didn’t realize anyone actually read the Slimes, I thought they just bought it when they were teaching puppies to piddle in a certain spot. So no, the Slimes is still/always evil.

To put things in perspective, Israellycool did a similar column from Charles Manson, yes, that one. He is listed as a “Singer-Songwriter”. And it is well worth the read. Actually, if you’re only going to read one of the columns, make it this one. You’ll know what Barghouti wrote and Israellycool does a good job of showing both.

And today, do all American Jews stand up for their kin in Israel? Um, not so much. Alan Dershowitz supported hillary, who would have continued obama’s anti-Israel policies. He recently talked with Moshe Feiglin about the future of Israel, as a Jewish state. The two had very different ideas. To Alan, Jews living in the Biblical heartland is a problem, and it being a Jewish state is kind of a problem.

If any nation ever was a living breathing symbol of “fastening upon the minds of the American people the belief, that ‘the price of liberty is eternal vigilance.’”~~ author Thomas Charlton it would be Israel.

I look at Israel, her people, the land, and the miracles that have happened there and it really makes me think about something I heard on one of my favorite radio shows recently. On Temple Talk they were discussing Pharaoh’s army chasing the fleeing Hebrews across a large strip of land that only a few hours earlier had been a sea. There are a couple walls of water on either side, your country has had frogs, locust, hail, darkness, boils, wild animals and all ya’lls first born is dead. The G-d of Israel said “Let them go”, you didn’t so you got all that and more. Now you think it’s a good idea to chase them across the strip of land in between two walls of water? Good idea had nothing to do with it. It was a deep hatred of the Jews. And it drives the enemies of Israel to do very stupid things, that oft times leads to their own demise. Germany has replaced six million Jews with how many muslims? And how’s that working out for them?

But, we’ve had Yom Ha’Atzmaut, and Am Ysrael Chai עם ישראל חי

The People of Israel LIVE!!!

Thank you G-d, for all your miracles and your love.

genocide, gun control, hatred of Jews, Israel, Jewish history, Media, Politics, Schools and campuses, Sellouts and traitors, So Much Stupid!

Yom HaShoah 2017

April 24, 2017 Sheila Stokes 3 Comments

יום השואה

Holocaust Day. I saw a picture on Twitter, along with a comment by the poster that said

“The #Holocaust did not begin with the crematoriums of Auschwitz. That’s where it ended. Began with words & hate.”

Of course it did. The Jews had been living in “civilized” Germany for ages with their German neighbors. I’m sure things began to change, and like the frog being boiled in the pot of water the temperature gradually increased. Things were fine, until one day they weren’t. And then it was too late.

I’m sure there were signs that things were changing in the country. Like a Manchester Mayoral candidate giving his minute manifesto in Britain completely in Urdu. Jolly old Britainistan. Guess the English speaking voters in England don’t matter so much. Or perhaps the body piercing shop in the Australian North Queensland city of Cairns displayed a sign saying “No Israelis served here.”

Oh, they say “We don’t hate Jews, we just hate Israel” but it’s crap. Everyone except a deluded Liberal knows it’s crap. There is one Jewish nation in the whole wide world, there used to be something like 57 Arabic ones, but I’m not sure I shouldn’t add in France and England bringing it up to around 59. Probably could throw in Germany for an even 60. And what the liberal tripe in Queensland doesn’t understand is if he went into Gaza, he stands just as good a chance as being stabbed as I do. Ok, so since I’ve had a couple Systema classes maybe I’ve got a little, at least a little bit in my corner. But some people do not understand when a group of folks say they hate you, they mean ALL of ya’ll. There was a 21 year old exchange student stabbed to death in Jerusalem a couple of weeks ago. Hannah Bladon came from the country of Britainistan. Why she came to Israel to study is rather odd. It’s the comments under this article that are surprising. These are some of the groups she liked on Facebook

B’Tselem (the helpful group that turned over the video on Elor Azariya, the solider)
Breaking the Silence
Palestine Solidarity Campaign UK
Palestine
Institute for Middle East Understanding
Palestine Music Expo
Jewish Voice for Peace <<<an Anti-Jewish, Anti-Israel group.
Tent of Nations / Nassar Farm Agriculture Company
Also, many News Articles she had “Liked” were those in support of Muslims in the UK.

I’m reading that list and there’s something nibbling in the back of my mind. It’s like there’s a pattern to the list of groups, I just can’t put my finger on it. But my poor point is, the girl supported the kind of people that stabbed her to death. He didn’t care what her politics were. She wasn’t a muslim. And in the muslim world, once a country has been a muslim country it remains a muslim country and those living there are occupiers. So.

I wonder if back then people couldn’t see who the enemy was? Goodness knows poor Hannah didn’t. I don’t thinks she’s alone though. The Anti-Defamation league says that Anti-Semitic incidents have risen by 86%. They think it’s Trump supporters. Possibly because that’s what cnn and mslsd told them. I think they’re stuck on stupid. Truly. It’s not Trump supporters that are rioting and burning and attacking people wearing red caps. It’s certainly not Trump supporters that rioted at Berkley to prevent a gay Jewish immigrant, Milo, from giving a speech to the sold out crowd waiting to hear him. The ADL hasn’t figured out their enemies are the left now. The BDS movement, the social justice for Falestine crap. That is ALL leftist. And do you know who funds leftists and those causes? Of course you do, George Soros. It seems the 1998 interview with the “news” program 60 minutes has surfaced. It’s a short article, but it has the video.

If you don’t know who your enemy is, if you don’t know who hates you, you will not be looking in the right direction or paying attention to the threat, because you refuse to acknowledge they do not have your very best interests at heart.

My colleague Y.B. has written about Canary Mission before. If you don’t think Anti-Semitism is alive, well, and socially acceptable on the left you don’t follow Canary Mission on Twitter. Let’s just look at one of their listees, shall we? Mohammad Jabr, Mohammerhead owns Boost Mobile in Liberty, Missouri. So what cell phone wisdom does Mohammerhead freely share? Oh, little nuggets like, oh forget it. I’m not writing what he said. I put the link in, he’s vile. It’s not like he secretly said it to buddies, he posted in freely on social media. And I’m almost equally sure pointing out what he said is vile and despicable will be called islamaphobia. A word that didn’t even exist all that long ago.

Israel is 8 hours ahead of us, so the two minute siren has already been sounded. In Israel when the siren is sounded for Yom HaShoah everything stops. On the highway people stop their cars and get out, they are paying their respects for the six million Jewish souls that lost their lives in the holocaust. This is from a live stream in Israel. https://www.facebook.com/theisraelproject/videos/10156094580767316/

Is Anti-Semitism still alive and well? Oh yes, it just wears a mask sometimes now called Anti-Zionism, or Anti-Israel. It’s a word game. It’s the same thing, just being politically correct, like islamaphobia. I’ve been accused of being a Zionist, shocking I know. My answer was easy “Damn skippy”.

Yom HaShoah, some Jews will be as easily deceived today as they were not all that long ago. Some, not so much. Now there is an Israel where they can flee Britainistan and Franceistan. For never again, to mean NEVER AGAIN you need to open your eyes and see where the threats are. Because everything will be fine, till it’s not.

I will leave you with V’afilu B’hastara. It means Even in a concealment. While it’s sung in Hebrew, the words are in English on the screen and it is very beautiful. I listen to this song a lot.

Am yisrael chai עם ישראל חי The people of Israel live

Inspiration, Israel, Jewish history, Jewish humor, mindset, Politics, spirit of rebellion

Pesach and the Haggadah

April 19, 2017 Sheila Stokes 2 Comments

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

פסח Pesach 2017 has concluded. I hope everyone’s was blessed. I learn things every year, and this year I did some deep reflecting and thinking, just sort of processing some of the things I read.

While I realize my life, and our lives in America today, have little if anything in common with the Israelites held captive in Egypt all those years ago, in the Haggadah, it says “In every generation each individual is bound to regard himself as if he personally had gone forth from Egypt”. Hmm, I’ve never been to Egypt, and I have no desire to go there now. But I have watched The Mummy movies several times. Even the old black and white one. But that’s not what it means. Turns out, we all have our own Egypt, Pharaoh and Moshe.

In each one of us there is an Egypt and a Pharaoh and a Moses and Freedom in a Promised Land. And every point in time is an opportunity for another Exodus.

Egypt is a place that chains you to who you are, constraining you from growth and change. And Pharaoh is that voice inside that mocks your gambit to escape, saying, “How could you attempt being today something you were not yesterday? Aren’t you good enough just as you are? Don’t you know who you are?”

Moses is the liberator, the infinite force deep within, an impetuous and all-powerful drive to break out from any bondage, to always transcend, to connect with that which has no bounds.

I wonder, how many of us are in chains of one sort or another? Work situations, relationship situations, health situations, financial situations? There are no limits to the things that can bind us. I might take a minute to mention that former Congressman Bob McEwen points out that when you look at the effect of taxes, working and not being allowed to keep the fruit of your labor is slavery. For those fans of Hillary and Bernie.

How could I make such a statement in the middle of talking about Pesach? Well, because Rabbi Tsvi says

Tell it in first person, in the now. Don’t say, “Long ago, the ancient Hebrews…” Say, “When we were slaves in Egypt, the perverse socio-bureaucratic system thoroughly crushed every individual’s sense of self-worth!” Everything that happened there parallels something in each of our lives. We are truly living it now. We are simply examining our own lives in the dress of ancient Egypt.

See? It’s relevant!

There is a point during the Seder where the youngest child present asks four questions. Hmm, would this present a problem? Cowgirl kitty refused to ask the right questions. No problem, Rabbi had the answer.

No children? Let an adult ask. There’s just you? You be the child, and G‑d will be the father. While you’re at it, ask Him a few other difficult questions for us all.

Oh, I’m good with this! I’m so good with this! What’s more? We’re not limited to four!

Part of the Seder is eating Matzah. My Kosher for Pesach Matzah came from Israel. I’ve been eating Matzah since last Monday night, the 10^th. This is a mitzvah, a commandment. Yep, until there is another Holy Temple, this is the only mitzvah we can eat. And according to Rabbi, this is an incredibly powerful thing. An amazing thing. Matzah has been called the bread of faith or Emunah.

Emunah is when you touch that place where your soul and the essence of the Infinite Light are one. It’s a point that nothing can describe. Where there are no words, no doubts, no uncertainty, no confusion—nothing else but a magnificent oneness before which all the challenges of life vanish like a puff of vapor.

I should have ordered like a gazillion cartons (5 boxes to a carton) of this!

We too began buried in Egypt, all but losing our identity. But that furnace of oppression became for us a firing kiln, a baker’s oven, the womb from whence we were born in the month of spring. In our liberation from there, we brought our fruits of freedom to the world.

http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard_cdo/aid/117118/jewish/7-Bread.htm

Miracles happen when Divine energy from beyond the cosmos enters within. Why did miracles happen in Egypt? Because we believed they would. Those who didn’t believe in miracles saw only plagues. To see a miracle, you need an open heart and mind, open enough to receive the Infinite. That is the opening we make when we thank G‑d for the miracle of our food.

http://www.chabad.org/library/howto/wizard_cdo/aid/117124/jewish/13-Bless.htm

Aren’t these amazing thoughts to ponder and ruminate on?

And then, there’s the miracle of the parting of the Sea of Reeds, the obstacle.

But the greatest of barriers turned into the greatest of miracles. Not only did the sea become an ambush for the enemy, but also a path that led the children of Israel to their ultimate freedom.

So it is with every obstacle. When you’re out to do the right thing, the entire world is there to assist you—including the most formidable threats, the most impossible challenges. The bigger they are, the more impossible to traverse, the greater the miracle they will provide.

That is the true reality of everything in this world: to serve you on your mission. What is your mission? To make this world miraculous.

And obstacles are miracles waiting to happen.

So, I think we all struggle with slavery of some sort, perhaps this will give you some hope, and maybe a different perspective. The children of Israel went into Egypt as 12 different tribes, and came out a nation. These are just some of the things that really struck me this year, and I’m still chewing on some of them. Unlike the matzah which I am now loading with my leftover yummy charoset which I munch right down.

I’ll leave you with one final Pesach thought, because A) it’s a really good one, and B) it has a picture of a camel.

Got the popcorn?

Here’s a song I learned in school, I love this version. I know it’s by a group called Tractor’s Revenge, but the words are wonderful. I have it on my phone, so I sang it at the end of my Seder.

Echad Mi Yodea אחד מי יודע

It has the meanings in English, it’s wonderful!

Then there is this one, wonderful thoughts, Passover: I’m in Love with the Taste of You, this year’s Aish Pesach video.

And lastly, just for fun. Pesach Funk. “Freedom! Oh man! Gonna live my life the best way I can!” Boy can they dance!

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