Obama's Australia visit: No time for golf, Mr President, you're here to work

"Australians hope Barack Obama's trip to Australia will be a case of third-time lucky, but it probably won't include a round of golf for the US President."  [Obama is scheduled to arrive here November 16-17].

Personally, I hope it's a case of third time unlucky, and he doesn't get here at all.  So far his previous announced visits down under never happened..... and whenever he does travel, volcanoes start erupting.

I guess they'll just recycle that Big O from Oprah's visit......


More on Obama's Australian trip at:  News.com

The Turkish Ships

This is one of those times when I wish I knew more about what I was writing about.... but according to someone who knows more than I do, the ships from Turkey are a huge event:

Turkey is planning to send three warships to the the Eastern Mediterranean to defend against Israeli vessels if necessary and ensure freedom of navigation for Turkish ships....

"Gaza needs humanitarian aid and Turkey has aid to be sent there," Prime Minister Erdogan was quoted as saying by the National Turk. "And i assure every country of the world our humanitarian aid will not be attacked by Israel anymore like it happened to Mavi Marmara last year," he added. 

According to reports, three Turkish frigates from its Navy's Southern Sea Area Command will be deployed with the humanitarian shipments, and if an Israeli military vessel is confronted outside its 12-mile (19-kilometer) territorial waters, Turkish ships have reportedly been ordered to advance up to 100 meters (328 feet) from them in order to neutralize their weapon system. [more here]

Quoting from Parshas Balak:

Ships will come from the Kittites and afflict Assyria and afflict those on the other side, but he too will perish forever. [Balak 24:24]

According to Targum Yonatan, ships from Italy/ Turkey/ Constantine will come to enslave the sons of Ever [Avraham haIvri  = Ever].... and their end will be to fall into the hands of Moshiach.....and they will be lost forever.

Please leave a comment because there's so much more to this that I haven't blogged because I can't remember it.

Blue skies, blue seas....

.... a perfect day to sit and watch the waves rolling in

Bondi Beach, Sydney

Click to enlarge

Katia batters the UK

In the hurricane's tail: Worst storms for 15 years bring blackouts and transport chaos

The swirling remnants of Hurricane Katia have crossed the Atlantic and hit land by this morning, sweeping across large swathes of the country.

Forecasters issued urgent weather alerts for Scotland, Northern Ireland, the North East, North West and parts of the Midlands and Wales as the storm prepares to make its way eastwards.

The high winds have been accompanied by heavy rain and the Environment Agency has issued several flood alerts for inland and coastal areas.

Read more: Daily Mail

True Tefillin

Art: Alex Levin

"And all the nations of the earth will see that Hashem's Name is displayed upon you, and they will revere you" [Ki Tavo 28:10]

In Maseches Berachos [6a], Chazal expound on the above verse: "From where do we know that tefillin are a source of might for Israel? - From the verse "And all the nations of the earth will see that Hashem's Name is displayed upon you, and they will revere you". And it was taught: R' Eliezer HaGadol said "these are the tefillin of the head [sheba' rosh]."

The Sha'agas Aryeh [R' Aryeh Leib from Metz] was once travelling. Throughout the trip he wore his tallis and tefillin and engaged in Torah study.

The wagon driver was also wearing his tallis and tefillin - he was praying while steering the horses.

Suddenly, a band of armed robbers jumped out from the forest and attacked the wagon; they demanded that the driver stop the wagon and hand over all of his money.

The driver was terribly frightened. "Rebbe" he screamed, "we're in danger!"

The Sha'agas Aryeh heard the screaming coming from up front, so he stuck his head out the window to see what was happening. But when the ordinarily bold thieves took one look at the Sha'agas Aryeh, they were overcome with fear and immediately fled.

"Rebbe" asked the driver, "I am both younger and stronger than you. Yet it was you whom the thieves were terrified of. Why did the robbers run away when they saw you?"

"The robbers did not run because of my strength" answered the Sha'agas Aryeh, "but because of the tefillin on my head!"

"But I am also wearing tefillin" responded the driver. "Why did the thieves not run away from me?"

The Sha'agas Aryeh explained: "The Torah says "and all the nations of the earth will see that Hashem's Name is displayed upon you, and they will revere you". The Gemara quotes R' Eliezer HaGadol who teaches that this verse is referring to the tefillin of the head [sheba'rosh]. If you read the words of Chazal carefully, you will notice that Chazal did not say "tefillin she'al ha'rosh" [tefillin that rest on one's head]; rather "tefillin sheba'rosh" [tefillin that are inside one's head]. The holiness of the tefillin must be absorbed into one's head, and then it instills fear into the nations of the world. But if the tefillin are simply lying on top of one's head, then the nations of the world do not fear us at all.

Source: Rabbi Yisrael Bronstein

Pharoah Quotes Psalm 46

Obama's 9/11 speech [video] - stick around the for end, Dubya's face is a treat.




Psalm 46
1 For the Leader; [a Psalm] of the sons of Korah; upon Alamoth. A Song.
2 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
3 Therefore will we not fear, though the earth do change, and though the mountains be moved into the heart of the seas;
4 Though the waters thereof roar and foam, though the mountains shake at the swelling thereof. Selah
5 There is a river, the streams whereof make glad the city of God, the holiest dwelling-place of the Most High.
6 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, at the approach of morning.
7 Nations were in tumult, kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
8 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our high tower. Selah
9 Come, behold the works of the Lord, who hath made desolations in the earth.
10 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; 
He breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariots in the fire.
11 'Let be, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'
12 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our high tower. Selah 

Spiritual beings in physical bodies

"that you shall take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you will bring from your land, which the Lord, your God, is giving you. And you shall put [them] into a basket" [Ki Tavo 26:2]

First fruits represent the Jewish souls, as the Midrash teaches that the Divine Thought to create Jewish souls "preceded everything" [Bereishis Rabah 1:4]. In this respect, Jewish souls are "first" and cherished in a way similar to first fruits.

When the soul is in Heaven, before it enters a body, it enjoys an intense, ecstatic relationship with G-d.  Nevertheless, the soul is sent down to earth in a body which conceals its relationship with G-d.  This is not without profit since, through this descent, the soul is able to carry out a mission in the physical world, which can eventually result in an even more intense relationship with G-d.  For G-d's innermost "desire" is for His mitzvot to be carried out specifically in the physical world.

This is the lesson from the requirement of first fruits being placed in a basket.  Although the fruits are the finest and first of the crop, they cannot achieve perfection without a basket. 

Likewise, the Jewish soul, which is G-d's highest priority, cannot achieve perfection without coming down into a physical body, in a world of concealment and temptation, because it is precisely through that descent that an even greater ascent is achieved.

Source: Likutei Sichos Lubavitcher Rebbe vol 29

Also see: Yerida L'tzorich Aliya: Descent for the Purpose of Ascent

Washington: Lightning Jolts Presidential Address

Sept 8: Presidential Address: commentary by Richard Adams, The Guardian:

7.15pm: Now Obama is explaining his American Jobs Act, stressing that every proposal in it has been supported by politicians on both sides:

It will provide a jolt to the American economy ... you should pass this jobs plan right away.

At that moment a huge crash of thunder and lightning is heard over NW Washington.

Source: Guardian

Note: video does not contain the lightning, you don't need to watch it.