The Path You Choose

Ahmadinejad: Plotting his own downfall.....

Defense Minister Fayez Ghosn stressed Sunday that “Lebanon’s people, army and resistance are an invincible fortress in the face of Israel,” noting that the Lebanese "will never forget that Iran stood by them in great difficulties," during talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran.

Ghosn also said that Israel would fear Iran's reaction, should it consider moving in a hostile way against any regional country.

Ahmadinejad told the minister that Lebanon and Iran should work toward unity to confront the west and Israel, Iran's official news agency reported.

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Haman Is The Architect Of His Humiliating Downfall

With regard to Haman's downfall the U'Masok HaOr brings from HaChaim V'Hashalom that there are two ways Hashem saves Klal Yisroel from our enemies. One way is like Hashem did in Mitzrayim. Hashem pulls out all the stops to demolish our persecutors. Ten brutal nature-altering plagues, one after the other in vicious succession. Similarly by Sancherev whose massive army laid siege on the hopeless Yerushalayim and was poised to strike a fatal blow, Hashem miraculously wiped them all out during the night. This show of force, while devastating, is not embarrassing. In both these cases the victim had been bested by forces far more powerful than they could handle.

Another way that Hashem pays back our enemy and provides a salvation is by sending our oppressor into the trap he has laid for us. This is totally humiliating as the cunning calculation and great pride that went into preparing our downfall not only did not provide the desired result , but ended with our enemy lying in the very grave he prepared so meticulously for us. This was the downfall of Haman. The very same tree that he so proudly prepared was the tree he himself hung from. This was the theme all along even before Haman's final death. He schemed to wear the King's clothing and ride his horse by himself, yet he was the one pulling along his arch enemy in disgrace.

This theme repeats itself throughout the megila as a careful look will show Haman's hand in other events, all of which came back to haunt him. The path Haman paved to the top was simply a path he was preparing for his way back down, far down.

Source: Revach L'Neshama

No Pain No Gain

נס - Nes - Miracle

ניסיון - Nisayon - Trial

"All the affairs of the world, whether for the good or for the bad, are trials [nisyonos] for a man"… [Mesilas Yesharim [Path of the Just] Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]

When a person is destined to reach a level which is much higher than his present rung, it is necessary for him to undergo a descent first. [Lubavitcher Rebbe]

Before a person experiences a miracle - נס - , he is given a trial - ניסיון. There is no ascent [aliyah] without a prior descent [yeridah]. The lower the descent, the higher the potential ascent.

G-d tries the righteous, for knowing that the righteous will do His will, He desires to make them even more upright, and so He commands them to undertake a test, but He does not try the wicked, who would not obey.

Thus all trials in the Torah are for the good of the one being tried. [Nachmanidies, Commentary on the Torah; Genesis, p. 275; Chavel translation; ]

From here, we learn a number of important points. First, the purpose of a nisayon is not to reveal anything new to G-d, but to increase the spiritual reward of the person by bringing forth his or her latent greatness into actual deeds of righteousness.

Second, a person is only sent a nisayon that he or she has the potential to "pass," provided the person uses his free will properly.

Third [and this is implicit in the first point], the nisayon is intended for the good of the person—to elevate the person spiritually.

Nes can also be translated as "banner": The test is meant to "lift a banner" and reveal to the world, and to the person himself, the potential hidden within a human being.

The Cruel Bashar al-Assad of Syria - Torah Codes

Officials from more than 60 nations met Friday, calling on Syria's President Bashar al-Assad to step down and for the government to stop killing its people. That would allow humanitarian supplies to be delivered and evacuations to begin in Homs, which has seen heavy fighting.

Strait of Hormuz: US bolsters defences

US aircraft carrier in Strait of Hormuz [photo EPA]

Report: US ups defenses against Hormuz closing

Pentagon seeks to bolster sea- and land- based defenses aimed at thwarting any Iranian attempt to shut down strategic Strait of Hormuz, Wall Street Journal reports

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is bolstering US sea- and land-based defenses in the Persian Gulf in order to thwart any attempt by Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

The report cited defense officials as saying that the military has notified Congress of plans to preemptively place new mine-detection and clearing equipment and expand surveillance capabilities in and around the strait.

The US military also wants to quickly modify weapons systems on ships to target Iranian fast-attack boats, as well as shore-launched cruise missiles, defense officials told the newspaper.

Source and more: YNET

Adar: The Sweet Smelling Month

Source: Bnei Yisaschar - Revach.net

The Arizal says that each month represents a part of a person's head. The month of Adar represents the "nose". Sweet smell, says the gemara Brachos [44b], gives pleasure not to the body but rather to the Neshama. The Bnei Yisaschar explains that when Adam and Chava ate from the Eitz HaDaas [Tree of Knowledge] they used all their senses for the aveira [sin] except their sense of smell. The pasuk says: she saw, she listened, she touched, and she tasted. But nowhere does it say that anyone smelled. Therefore the sense of smell has a certain purity that is unmatched by the other senses.

It is therefore appropriate that for the great Nes [miracle] that took place in the month of Adar, the month of smell, that both of the heroes of Purim, Mordechai and Esther had names referring to smell. Mordechai's name says the gemara Chulin [139b] is hinted in the name of the fragrance used in the Ketores called Mor Dror or Mira-Dachya as translated by Unkelos. Esther's real name, the Megila tells us [2:7], was Hadassa - the sweet smelling myrtle tree. Since a person's name represents their true inner self, Mordechai and Esther with their lofty purity were able to avoid the pitfalls of Achashveirosh and his materialism during his party and even while living in his palace. During the special month of Adar where these qualities reign supreme, these two pure tzaddikim saved Klal Yisroel from destruction.

Essential

A Few Interesting Links

Last night ex-PM of Australia and current Foreign Minister - Kevin Rudd - dramatically resigned at a 1am Press Conference in Washington: and is now in the process of trying to reclaim his former position as Prime Minister: see Rudd, Gillard in leadership showdown

My latest obsession: the Vilna Gaon: a letter he wrote while travelling to Eretz Yisrael Iggeres HaGra - The Vilna Gaon's Letter

Parsha Blog responds to yet another call for all Jews to make Aliyah: Why Not Make Aliyah [an opportunity to voice your own thoughts in the comments]