US Looks the Other Way While Iran Engineers Destruction

B"H


Israel has now supplied the US government with soil samples from Iran to prove that Iran is building secret reactors.


No go. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta continues to claim that an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities could "consume the Middle East in a confrontation and a conflict that we would regret."

This begs the question:  Would Panetta "regret" a nuclear attack on Israel?

Refusing to make a choice IS a choice.  The longer the US waits and quakes in it's boots, the more sure we can all be that Khomeini will near his goal nuclear holocaust in the name of "the 12th Imam."

We all know that the US government doesn't have the B'Z to attack Iran, and that they will wait in the wings and watch as Israel does it.  "After all," they are probably thinking, "All the arabs hate Israel anyways, so nothing will change if they attack!"

What they don't realize is that things will change.  America will become an even better target for the terrorist forces of the world because arabs don't respect weakness, they respect strength.  

Israel already understands that it is more important to be respected than loved.  The US may learn that lesson the hard way--led by weak-kneed patsies like Leon Panetta.

M

Rabbi Elyashiv Condemns Hareidim to Poverty, Ignorance . . . Again

B"H

It is so sad that Rabbi Elyashiv has so little trust in the strength of Torah that he thinks that those who study secular subjects will become "tainted" by those subjects and turn away from Torah.

Did Maimonides turn away from Torah when he studied medicine?  Did he stop being a man of learning?

How can a rabbi who has no formal education in History, Art, Technology, or Science render a p'sak about those areas?  A rabbi NEEDS to know a lot more than Gemmorah and the collected works of Rabbi Elyashiv!

Even more pertinent, is Torah something divorced from everyday life, or a guide to it?

Back to my blogging . . .

B"H

I have been so quiet lately!

Mostly it is the result of a tremendous amount of work that was completely unexpected and overwhelming.  Most of my work is done on the computer, so taking a moment to blog after a full day of computer stuff was almost more than I could face.

However, I need to write, and I will continue now.  The three-month hiatus was a nice break.  Thank you for standing by.

Michelle

Some customs for the holiday of Hanoukah by Joseph Mosseri

1) The custom in Egypt was not to say Sidouq HaDin all 8 days of Hanoukah.

2) The custom amongst all Middle Eastern and North African Jewish communities is to only use pure olive oil for the Hanoukah lights. The reason being that this is considered to be the best way to fulfill the commandment and because the holiday miracle occurred through olive oil.

3) When lighting, the custom as brought down by Maran, Hakham Yosef Karo, in his Shoulhan 'Aroukh, is to start with the light on the right. Meaning that on the first night when you are going to light, you begin with the wick closest to your right hand.

On the second night, you begin with the wick adjacent to the one you lit on the first night, them you light the one of the first night.

On the 3rd night, you begin with the newest wick, and work your way back to the right. And such is the manner on each night.

By the last night you'll be lighting that closest to your left hand first and moving to your right. In the same manner that we write English or any Western language. Since the custom is to use oil wicks and not candles, we light with a candle and after the obligatory lights are kindled, the Shamash, or extra wick is kindled with the candle. The candle is then extinguished.

4) If you can safely light near your entranceway in order to publicize the Hanoukah miracle to those who pass by in the street that is great. If not you can feel comfortable knowing that you can follow the custom to light inside the house where it will be publicized to the family members. This is based upon MaHaRYQaSh ,in his gloss to the Shoulhan 'Aroukh, chapter 671.