Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Can Teeth Cause Psychogenesis?

You thought you were safe with an amalgam-filling of the tooth, or when they filled your root canal with amalgam metal. I would not at all be surprised if some young people, who were just fine during childhood, later developed mental problems because of these fillings.

When I told my dentist friend of this mercury radiation from the amalgam, he waved it off as nonsense. When I showed him this video (8 min.) that demonstrates it, he began to doubt his own conviction. Most dentists (and certainly most doctors) just don't know.  You can watch the video, and get more information, here.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Up Syndrome

Most people have no idea Down's Syndrome children are so very special children, the light of the household. Here's a really fine woman (introduced by a wonderful guy) who does understand. Kudos to the Palin family and to Glenn Beck. May they all enjoy ever more success.

The trisomy 21 syndrome, described by Dr. J. L. Down, ought better to be called "Up Syndrome".

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

A War Waged to Preserve Jewish Spirituality

It's naive to think the Maccabees rebelled against the ruling empire only because they begrudged governance by outsiders. For over 200 years the Land of Israel was under foreign rule - so what suddenly happened? The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, who then ruled. Then came the Persians, and under Koresh the Second Temple was built. The next ruler of this land was Alexander of Macedonia. Control thereafter fell into the hands of the Greek Assyrians - so why did they revolt just now?

The answer we find in the Chanuka prayer, "In the time of Matisyahu ... when the vile [Grecian empire] wanted to blank out from Jews Your Torah and to have them transgress Your laws, Your wishes."

The Greek Assyrians saw man, or himself, as the "center" of adoration and ability. They did not object to man-made codes of behavior.

So as long as Jews accepted Torah as an intellectual effort, a book with sound advice for health, business or education, if that's what people wanted to pursue - they had no problem with this. What disturbed them was the association of Torah to aspects of divinity and sanctity. Against such claims they resisted oppressively. They prohibited all attributions in Torah to G-d and His will.

These Gentiles did not want to kill Jews. They wanted Jews to live with them. They wanted only to deny Jews their attachment to G-d. So they forced Jews to renounce their Jewish tradition or their beliefs in holiness and G-d.

To make things worse, a Jewish majority also opposed religious attitude and preferred the secular Grecian lifestyle. These assimilated Jews, known as Hellenists, joined the ranks of the Gentiles. During the war, they actually fought on the side of the Gentiles!

The Chanuka miracle happened in the merit of the few righteous Jews who could no longer tolerate the spiritual oppression of the Greeks.

Today, after some 2,200 years, things haven't changed much. This is why the Chanuka blessing reads, "... miracles you performed ... in those days - in ours." For this struggle is an age-old struggle. Today too the minority Jewish religious element has its opponents who want to wipe out from Jewish education all mention of G-dliness and holiness - to be replaced by artificial rationale.

Today's "reform movement" is the modern-day equivalent of those Hellenists. The reform outlook treats Torah as a "nice book" - but not a holy book. They say, it "most probably" was written by some unknown author or authors. But why unknown? They don't know. This much they would admit; The authors of this book must have been "very smart" or "wise". And why has it achieved such high readership? They'd rather not speculate. And why would they too base their not-so-religious behavior on this book as their "source" - well, it's a great book, right? They consider this book part-history, part poetry (anything but divine!). That it is the authentic gift of G-d to the Jews - let's not be ridiculous! No doubt they most probably have a problem with this "esoteric" concept of "G-d" in the first place.

Is there a difference between the Hellenists of then and the reform movement of today? Yes. The Hellenists knew the other side and strayed therefrom (that's my guess). Today's reformists, except for a bitter few, are "infants kidnapped from birth" - as The Rebbe calls them. They never knew or were exposed to religious aspects of daily Torah life. From birth they grew up in an assimilated Gentile environment. For example, chances are 100% not a single reform "rabbi" today has forgone a college degree.  And I'll bet, also, their "temples" demand "membership admission". Okay, it's not a gladiator show, but the Rabbi should give them a good show for their money. Prayers, as in synagogue, to Hashem - what's that?

Chanuka is a holiday of lights, wherein every day its light is amplified, and wherein these lights must illuminate in public to bring light to others - especially to those "kidnapped from birth."

Thursday, December 17, 2009

The Commandment to
Make the Groom & Bride Happy

This commandment traces back to the sages. It's just that these Chabad boys take the tradition more seriously than others.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Visitors to the Temple of G-d

Suppose you invite someone to visit you at home; Would you not expect your visitor to behave properly? It would more than annoy you were he to spit on the carpet, or pocket a necklace – thinking you didn't see, right?

This is an analogy to how we might behave; For we too are visitors to this world - which is G-d's domain. Like that visitor, we too mustn’t do as we feel, in disregard of the master of this “house”. We too must behave properly.

But what constitutes proper behavior? How do we know what G-d expects of us?

The answers we find in the “Manual of Life” that G-d entrusted to the Jewish people. This supernatural event occurred in the Sinai Desert in the year 2,448, the day G-d gave Jews “The Ten Commandments”. Moses then took 40 years to complete the Torah as dictated to him by G-d, and by prophesy.

The Hebrew name “Torah” derives from the root word “to instruct”. The Torah, as a book of instruction, contains guidelines by which to live by – for both Jew and Gentile!

G-d chose the Jewish people as the Torah’s trustees. Jews must observe 613 laws contained therein that apply to them. Additionally, there are 7 laws meant for all Gentiles to observe. 

Starting with Adam and Eve, the first 10 generations were expected to observe 6 commandments. After the Great Flood, starting with Noah and his family, mankind received one additional commandment - thus the 7 Noahide Laws.  

Once the Jews received the Torah, they were obligated to disseminate these 7 Noahide Laws to Gentiles, among other obligations.

Eventually all Gentiles must acknowledge this Jewish role and that it derives via Moses (even though Noahide laws predate the Mount Sinai event by 16 generations, or 791 years).

This latter point is important. Were a Gentile to keep the 7 laws, perhaps because he grasps on his own their morality, or recognizes the inherent ideality these carry for world settlement, but refuses to recognize Moses as the mediator – this would disqualify this Gentile from being a Noahide. The giving of the Torah changed the nature of the heretofore Noahide obligations. Since that watershed event, Noahides must accept Moses into their realm of observance. This requirement is almost like an 8th commandment.

So were someone to ask you,"How many religions are there in the world?" The answer should be - "There are only 2 proper modes of decorum in the abode of The Almighty." Judaism is the behavior that conforms to the King’s expectations from His Jewish group of subjects. The 7 Laws of Noah constitute the framework of proper behavior for His Gentile group of subjects. These are two roles, for two groups of people – in the palace of the King.

There are only two ways to worship G-d. There are only two prescriptions of proper behavior in G-d’s domain: Jews serve one way, Gentiles in another.

Sunday, December 06, 2009

Jewish Soldier Discipline - Rabbi Yisroel Ariel

Some 30 years ago the avalanche began. That's when prime minister Menachem Begin decided to withdraw from Sinai. Most members of parliament, believers in "The Peace Process", voted in favor of his decision.

At that time, "The Organization to Stop the Retreat" rose to stave off the withdrawal. One of their slogans asserted, "Today Yamit - Tomorrow Jerusalem!" Everyone mocked them, "On Jerusalem we'd never acquiesce!"

Well, look and see this now for a fact. When today a house is about to be built in Giloh, a suburb of Jerusalem, Washington announces, "There will be no construction (for Jews) in Jerusalem!" That's what happens, you give an inch, and they want a mile.

Our sages taught (Shabbat 105b), "Such is the ploy of the instigator of sin: Today he says, 'Just do this', and tomorrow he says, 'Just do that', and, finally - you end up worshipping idols!"

The same applies to military code: He who agrees to uproot "illegitimate" settlements, or agrees to these "last-resort" evictions, will end up violating Shabbat. And did we not see the destruction of Chavat Gilad, the Yeshiva at Chomesh, and Shvut Ami, as "religious" soldiers shamelessly desecrated the Shabbat?

Some respond, "The soldiers are not to blame; It's their officers!" Says Maimonides (Kings 3, 9), "If the King of Israel decrees a decree that opposes one from Torah - for example, to desecrate the Shabbat, we do not obey!" Maimonides goes on to explain, "Were a king to give an order, and one of his servants gives an opposing order, to whom do we listen to?" Every child knows we obey the king's order. But it turns out, what's clear to a child is not clear at all to rabbis and educators.

For see how one of the principals of Yeshivot Hesder ruled when soldiers from both the Shimshon and Nachshon brigades stood up in protest of the evictions:  He said, "As soon as a soldier dons an IDF uniform, he must obey military commands."

In other words, Torah is but a Purim masquerade; When you wear civilian clothing, you serve Hashem; And when you dress up in military uniform, you serve military officers and desecrate the Shabbat. This is his admirable ruling.

Unfortunately, this isn't a joke, nor a festive Purim ruling, but rather a Halachic decision a "renowned" Yeshivot Hesder principal enunciated. This Yeshiva principal is greater than Maimonides, greater than Rabbi Avrum Shapira, greater than Rabbi Goren, and greater than Rabbi Niryah, (all of blessed memory), all of of whom said to disobey such a command. This principal is, in fact, greater than G-d, the King of kings, Who says (Devarim 1, 8): "... Come and occupy the land"; Whereas this principal says, "Wear uniforms and chase the Jews out of the land."

Maimonides chides elsewhere (Bechorot 4, 4), "I've seen in Israel people called 'Principals of Yeshiva' who haven't learned even one day."

Dear Yeshiva principal: Let's follow in the footsteps of the brave students, the soldiers of Shimshon and Nachshon. These are today's heroes. Such as these our sages refer to when they say, "And from my students I learned the most!"

(Translated from sos-israel.com)

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