www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Daily_Blessings/Food_Blessings/Over_Grains/mezonot.pdf

www.hebrew4christians.com/Blessings/Daily_Blessings/Food_Blessings/Over_Grains/mezonot.pdf

Ki Tavo(Deuteronomy 26:1-29:8)

Establishing Torah

When the Jewish people entered the land, they were to assemble at two mountains for a new acceptance of the Torah, but the command to do so is found already in this week's Torah Portion. Twelve commandments were to be enumerated, and the people would acknowledge publicly that blessings await those who observe them and curses will befall those who spurn them. Each command discusses a specific act with the exception of the final one. It states: "Cursed is the one who will not uphold the words of this Torah, to perform them; and all the people shall say, 'Amen' ." (1)
The commentators ask, what does this seemingly vague command involve? The Ramban brings a Talmud Yerushalmi that answers this question. "Rav Assi says in the name of Rebbi Tanchum Bar Chiya, one who learnt, taught, guarded, and performed the Torah, but he had the power to strengthen the Torah and did not, is considered 'accursed.'... Even someone who was completely righteous in his actions but did not strengthen the Torah in the face of those who do not keep it - he is considered 'cursed.' (2)
The Chofetz Chaim wrote an entire book, 'Chomas Hadas', which was dedicated to urging people to do more to strengthen the Torah against the increasing tide away from Torah that threatened the very future of Torah observance. In his introduction, 'Chizuk Hadas' he enumerates four separate ways in which every Jew is obligated by the Torah to strive to increase observance amongst our fellow Jews.(3) The fourth is based on this Talmdu Yerushalmi; the Chofetz Chaim argues strongly that this obligation applies to any Jew who has the power to influence others. If a person does so, then he receives the blessings that were said on Mount Gerizim and if he does not he will suffer the curses of Mount Eival. He points out how awesome this idea is: The Levites turned to six hundred thousand people who stood on the two mountains and blessed the people who would keep these commands and everyone present answered 'amen'. Consequently, anyone who tries to uphold the Torah is blessed by the Priests, Levites and six hundred thousand people, God's agreement.
Rav Yitzchak Berkovits notes that by looking at some of the other sins enumerated in the curses we can begin to get a clearer idea of the seriousness of the failure to uphold the Torah. Amongst the other curses are: one who makes a graven image, one who degrades his parents, one who commits grave immorality, and one who strikes his fellow in private. There would be an inclination to think that failure to uphold the Torah is not such a terrible sin but we see from here that one who fails to uphold the Torah is placed in the same category as one who commits such terrible sins as those mentioned in the curses at Mount Eival. And the opposite is also true; a person who even tries to influence others to increase their observance is greatly praised by the Torah.
The Yerushalmi brings an example from the Books of the Prophets of a person who epitomized the desire to fulfill the command of this verse. King Josiah was brought up in a generation that had no knowledge of Torah to the extent that he had never seen a Torah scroll. When he was a mere child one of the Priests, Chilkiah, found a Torah scroll in the Temple courtyard, it was rolled to the verse, "cursed is the one who will not uphold the words of this Torah." When Yoshiyahu heard this he rent his clothes and said, "alei lehakim," which means 'it is my responsibility to uphold the Torah.' (4) He proceeded to do so and successfully reintroduced Torah learning and observance to the forlorn people.
The Netsiv discusses the actions of Josiah in the context of his own time. There was already a great flow of people leaving Torah for other ideologies and there seems to have been a difference of opinion as to how the remaining Torah true Jews should react to this. Some people believed that the best course of action was to hide away and focus on their own personal Divine Service. The Netsiv wrote a responsa in which he strongly disagreed with this approach. He believed that this was not the time to focus on one's own spirituality whilst the rest of the world was being spiritually destroyed.(5) One of his proofs for his attitude is the story of Josiah. The Prophet says that after Josiah found the Torah scroll, he said to the Priests and Levites, "... now go and serve Hashem your God and his people, Israel.' (6) In what way did he mean for them to serve Hashem and his people? The Netsiv explains, that up till that time, the only people who had maintained their spiritual level were the Priests and Levites and that they had retreated into their own world to avoid the perils of their surroundings. They had devoted themselves to their own spiritual development and relationship with God but had neglected the rest of the people. Josiah now urged them to change their behavior and to spread Torah to those who had lost their connection to it. He said that by serving the people in bringing them closer to Torah they would be simultaneously serving God because that was his desire at this time.
The Netsiv argues that just as in Josiah's time there was a great need for the observant Jews to uphold the Torah, the same was true in his time, where people were leaving Torah in droves. If the Netsiv's era could be compared to that of Josiah, then, all the more so the case is true in our time. There has never been a situation where so many Jews are so distant from any form of Torah than now. A survey was taken in 1990 of the state of observance in the United States. Here are some of its results.(7) In 1950 the intermarriage rate in USA was 6%, by 1990 it was 52% and rising. 2 million Jews do not identify themselves as Jews. 2 million self-identified Jews have no Jewish connection whatsoever. For every wedding between two Jews, two intermarriages take place. 625,000 US Jews are now practicing other religions. 11% of US Jews go to synagogue. Needless to say the situation is far worse now than it was in 1990. In Elul we all try to make a self-assessment of our observance of the mitzvot. We learn from this week's Portion that an essential part of that self-assessment is that each person should ask himself 'am I doing enough to uphold the Torah?'
The Chofetz Chaim, in his own life, demonstrated his fear of being judged for not doing enough to strengthen Torah observance on many occasions. On one occasion, during a three week stay in Riga he convinced 300 shopkeepers to close their stores on Shabbat.(8) Another time, upon hearing from Jewish soldiers that on Pesach they had eaten bread, he immediately set out to write a book, Machane Yisroel for Jewish soldiers which quickly met with considerable success. He founded and raised money for a Kosher Kitchen Fund, and he personally tried to come in contact with soldiers to influence them. A group of soldiers used to pass through his hometown of Radin every summer. The Chofetz Chaim invited them to a banquet in his home, received them with fatherly love, and gave them a talk to encourage their Torah observance.(9)
The Chofetz Chaim constantly emphasized that there are many ways in which a person can strive to uphold the Torah, whether it be by giving lectures in front of large audiences, establishing places of learning, or befriending those that are distant from Torah. Each person is blessed with unique abilities to help bring others closer to Torah. At present, there are outreach organizations that are providing many avenues through which people can increase their involvement in outreach, even on a part-time basis. They offer classes in outreach training, opportunities to learn one-on-one with a secular study partner, and many other options. With the High Holy Days fast approaching may we all be able to learn from Josiah and say that we genuinely tried to uphold the Torah.

The coffee and the tea

Bought a large cup of coffee yesterday as well as a very large cup of iced tea. Did not even get out of the parking lot and it all slid off the passenger seat onto the floor and the lids came off. Today the car smelled like some coffee shop - stale coffee. Not very good. I guess will be be some time before the smell goes away.

Having a stroke

My friend had a serious stroke last Thanksgiving. She was in a hospital for a few days, then in a different hospital rehab for a few days, then in a regular rehab for several months and now in a nursing home in the same rehab building. Nursing home means NO rehab whatsoever now. She still is paralyzed on the left side. Her mind is good. No function in her left arm and left leg. I watched her progress, particularly at the rehab center and it was mind boggling primitive. You would think that they would be able to put her in a halter and let her stand upright. No such thing. I just saw pictures of  a stroke center in Denmark. Much better than anything we have available for the average person. So dear Russians, if you have a stroke go to Denmark. This country worries about Obamacare. What the folks don't realize is that anything will be better than what we have right now We have lousy medical care in this country unless you are independently wealthy. Oh, yes the MittRomney care for multimillionaires. No expenses spared. 

Looks more like a hairdresser than a mohel

Today in rained in - where do I live again?

It rained today. Lovely! We needed the rain. It has been very hot. Mass this morning then to McDonalds for a cup of coffee with some friends. One of them had a birthday today. Not really my cup of coffee to celebrate a birthday at McDonalds but it was her birthday not mine. Waiting for the air conditioner repair people to come. Have been waiting all day. Nothing wrong, just regular maintenance. Here they tell you to expect them between  1 and 6 pm and then they come five minutes to six and one wasted a perfectly good afternoon, just waiting. Did a flyer for our church while I was waiting. Have lots of other things to do but did not feel like doing any.

How to kill someone

I love to watch a TV show that deals with unsolved murder cases. By the end of the show the cases have been solved - usually. I am amazed how stupid people are who commit murders.
1. Never leave any DNA behind. Even a small hair can identify you as the culprit these days. So only go in with a total secure body armor that covers you from top to bottom. Make sure you parade around in it because other people will notice your weird outfit.
2. Never kill anyone that will spill blood. Your footprints will get you later.
3. Never buy a life insurance on a person before you kill them. Really! Are you THAT stupid that the police will not notice?
4. Never ask anyone to kill for you. They will spill the beans before you can say "dead."
So the answer is not to kill because even if you don't believe in the ten commandments, justice will catch up with you.

From another source

I know this is not a trendy thing to say, but Mormonism is one far-out religion. Don't get me wrong. I know the patriotic drill about religion not being a roadblock to the White House. But I think that the Church of the Latter Day Saints has a few bizarro-world beliefs. I grew up a Roman Catholic so I'm familiar with the usual suspects when it comes to mysteries. But the Mormon mysteries border on the theatre of the absurd.
I really don't want to be judgmental. But Jesus was the love-child of God's having actual sex with Mary? Lucifer was Jesus's brother? The Garden of Eden was in Missouri? The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel also lived here long before the USA, spoke Hebrew (of course) but kept their records in Egyptian script? And the Lost Tribes will one day return and gather in...Missouri? And Christ will be raised in...Missouri?
There is no hell, but there is an outer darkness? And there are 3 heavens, and the highest heaven has three levels, and only Mormons can reach that pinnacle of paradise? And when they do, each gets his or her own planet?
And the test of truth is a good or bad feeling?
I'm not for a religious test to serve in public office. But when I vote, I will reserve the right to use common sense. OK?

With a name like Dollar????

Megahurch pastor Creflo Dollar has been arrested after authorities say he slightly hurt his 15-year-old daughter in a fight at his metro Atlanta home.

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Oh du mein Oesterreich

Oh la la hopsassa