The Wisdom of the Rooster

by Rabbi Michoel Gourarie

Every day prayers begin with thanking G-d for our basic needs like the power of sight, the ability to walk, our clothing, shoes and all other essentials. However, there is one blessing that seems to stand out a little. In this prayer we thank G-d "for giving the rooster understanding to distinguish between day and night."

There are two difficulties with this blessing. Firstly, all the other blessings thank G-d for providing our basic needs. While it is an amazing phenomenon that roosters crow at the beginning of each day, it does not seem to be a basic need. Secondly, telling the difference between light and dark is not so difficult. Why does it require special understanding to distinguish between day and night?

A friend once shared with me a great thought. Although a rooster crows at the beginning of each day it actually happens some time before it gets light. When it senses that dawn will break soon, and light is on the way to substitute the darkness, he emits the crowing noise that became the ancient alarm clock.

In every day there are periods of light - clarity, blessing, peace of mind and prosperity; but there are also sometimes patches of darkness - challenge, confusion and difficulty. It takes special strength not to be caught up in the moments of challenge. It takes maturity to look beyond the darkness and see the light that awaits us. A wise person learns from the rooster. He/she knows that the darkness is only temporary and light is on the way. The rooster is symbolic of an attitude filled with optimism, hope and belief. The rooster teaches us to envisage and celebrate blessing even before it comes.

Every day we thank G-d for the wisdom of the rooster. It is the rooster's lesson that will carry us through every part of the day.

Netanyahu: We Hit Back Immediately and With Force

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu told Israelis "The people who gave the order... are no longer living."

Prime Minister Netanyahu gave a very short statement before press cameras at 8:30 P.M. Thursday evening following the lethal three-stage terror attack that claimed 7 Israeli lives and saw 33 wounded.

"We all witnessed an attempt to ratchet up the level of terror emanating from Sinai," he said. "If someone thinks that Israel will put up with this, he is wrong."

"I have established a principle: when Israeli citizens are hurt, we hit back immediately, and with force. This principle was implemented today. The people who gave the order to murder our civilians, who were hiding in Gaza, are no longer among the living," Netanyahu said.

Source: Israel National News

Terror Attacks in Israel

Some very close friends of mine have just accompanied their son's body to Israel for burial, he died after a long battle with lung cancer, aged 28, leaving behind a wife and baby. Only hours after the levaya took place, the terror attacks occurred. I don't have any words.... but here's the latest from YouTube on Israel's retaliation.

15 Av - Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu

I'm a few days late with this post, but I''m sure Rabbi Nachum Ish Gamzu would say: "Gam Zu L'Tova"  anyway.

Nachum of Gimzo, a teacher of Rabbi Akiva, was a Tanna of the 2nd generation [1st century]. In the Talmud he is called "ish gam zu" [the man of "gam zu"], and this name is explained as referring to Nachum's motto. It is said that on every occasion, no matter how unpleasant the circumstance, he exclaimed "Gam zu le-ṭovah" [This, too, will be for the best].

Due to the miraculous events which continually punctuated the life of Nachum Ish Gamzu, he was nominated to present the Emperor with a gift. This journey to Rome posed many hazards, and the man who would undertake it would need to be accustomed to miracles which would be necessary on this dangerous mission. At one of the inns where he stayed, the innkeeper decided to investigate the contents of the Rabbi Ish Gam Zu's box, and when he discovered the jewels and precious stones inside, he stole them and replaced the contents with earth from his garden.

So Rabbi Ish Gam Zu arrived at the Emperor's palace with a box of earth. When the Emperor found the box to contain nothing but earth, he had Nachum Ish Gamzu thrown into jail. Nachum accepted this with his usual 'Gam Zu le'Tovah' - and a miracle occurred, in the form of a visit from Eliyahu ha'Navi, who suggested to the Emperor that this might be special earth from Avraham the father of the Jews, who, during the battle against the four kings, threw earth at them which turned into swords (and straw which turned into arrows).

The Emperor tried it out on an enemy whom he had hitherto found invincible. When the Emperor was victorious, he set Nachum Ish Gamzu free, filled the box with jewels and precious stones and sent him home with great honor. When the innkeeper realized what had happened - he demolished his house and brought the dust to the Emperor as a gift (thinking that all the earth on their property was special 'miracle earth'). But of course, nothing happened with the earth that they brought, and the Emperor had them killed for mocking him.

Everything that happens in life is for the best, even if we don't perceive it that way until much later. Later we can look back and realise that it really was "gam zu l'tova".

Fukushima Plant Cracking, Radioactive Steam Escaping

“Very serious and alarming”: Workers say ground under Fukushima plant is cracking and radioactive steam is coming up — Melted cores may be moving out of buildings

Host: “Workers say the ground underneath the facility is cracking and radioactive steam is escaping through the cracks” [...]

Dr. Robert Jacobs, Hiroshima Peace Institute: Very serious and alarming development [...] started after two recent earthquakes [...] Indication that radioactive material is moving underground [...] radioactive material, the melted core, may be moving down out of the building itself [...]

Source: ENE News

The Golden Calf: Another Perspective on Glenn Beck

by Heshy Rosenwasser - Israel National News

It is particularly galling that Beck, a non-Jewish entertainer, is given the Knesset podium as a pulpit when REAL Jewish teachers of REAL Torah - Rabbi Dov Lior and Rabbi Yaakov Yosef, are almost arrested.

The people and state of Israel, and the Jewish community around the world, is mesmerized by the appearance of television commentator Glenn Beck in Jerusalem, both for his address to the Knesset and for his 'Restoring Courage' rally near the Temple Mount. Love him or hate him-it is impossible to avoid him.

Beck has been given the red-carpet treatment by Knesset members Danny Danon and Nissim Ze'ev, who showed him around the country and invited him to speak before the Knesset's Immigration and Absorption Committee. Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger has gone so far as blessing Beck's rally.

Have we gone mad?

Continue reading at: Israel National News

Truth be Told

Whenever Josh writes about controversial subjects, people email me and complain. 

First of all, you do not have to read his blog.  I suggest that if it offends you, do not click on it.

The reason I keep Josh on the Blog Roll is because I myself have been conned by a rabbi [many years ago] and I think it is important that people understand that there are, unfortunately,  rabbis today who are not what they appear to be [I'm speaking generally here, not referring to the subject of the controversial posts].   Some of these rabbis have a huge yetzer hara for money, and will do anything to get it.   Contrary to their followers' claims that these rabbis are "tzadikim", in reality they destroy lives and destroy souls.

As I don't have personal information about the rabbi[s] being written about, I don't get personally involved.  However, I do remember that at the time I was taken for a ride.... no-one believed me, and the rabbi concerned has not changed his ways at all, has not done teshuvah, and continues on his merry way, destroying lives and families.

For this reason, I think it is pertinent that people wake up to the fact that we live in a dangerous world where very few people can be trusted.  Josh, however, can be trusted, whether you agree with him or not, and for me, an honest person will always be welcome on my blog roll.  But if you don't want to read his stuff, don't click on his blog. I do not take responsibility for what he writes, you need to complain directly to him, not to me.  Josh is staying on the blog roll for many reasons, but it's your choice whether or not you read him.

Many Jewish people are, by nature, naive.  If we don't possess the trait of deceit, it's hard to notice it in someone else until it's too late and we've already been conned. Sometimes we need a wake-up call and sometimes those wake-up calls are hard to digest, but nevertheless they are necessary. 

If you comment, please don't yell or hurl abuse at me, because I will delete you :)  Josh, however, will stay. 

Sufficient Aggravation

Rabbi Nota of Chelm had a chassid who was very well-to-do, who said to him "I am very wealthy and I lack for nothing. But recently there is a little voice within me, that tells me that all is not well. It is as if I have a premonition that my fortunes are about to take a turn. It is one thing if a person is born into a life of poverty, and accepts poverty as a way of life. Not so with me. If I lose my fortune, the change will be disastrous, and I doubt that I will be able to adjust to it."

"What kind of changes have you made in your home recently?" Rabbi Nota asked.

Assuming that the Rabbi was inquiring about laxity of Torah observance, the chassid said "G-d forbid, Rabbi. Everything is as it was. Shabbos is totally Shabbos, my kosher standards are as rigid as ever, and I faithfully study the Torah daily."

"That's not what I am after" the Rabbi said. "What physical changes have you recently made in your household?"

The chassid thought for a moment, then said "Yes, I did make a change, but it is hardly significant. I had a set of expensive crystal glassware, but I would get upset when a crystal goblet fell or was chipped. I therefore set it aside, and bought silver goblets which are more resistant to damage."

"There you have your answer" Rabbi Nota said. "Every person is destined to experience a small amount of adversity. You were fulfilling your quota of unpleasantness when a piece of crystal was damaged. When you eliminated that source of unpleasantness, you invited adversity from other sources. Put away the silver goblets and use the crystal again. You will then have sufficient aggravation from the crystal being chipped so that you will not need any other."

And so we have an explanation for the custom in Jewish homes that when a glass or dish breaks, we exclaim "Mazel tov!" If we were destined to experience some loss, we satisfied this decree by the loss of the glass or dish, and now we could go on to be happy.

Source: Rabbi Abraham J. Twerski MD