Karban Nesanel

To Swap Or Not To Swap

2011-10-14T13:17:00.002+02:00

I had an epiphany about the whole terrorists-for-soldiers swap. I used to be very against it, until this revelation of mine. Now I think we should do it and it's worth it, and I'll tell you why.

First off, we have to ask, why do people not want to do the swap? Well, what I usually hear is that they don't want to teach the arabs that it's ok for them to kidnap our soldiers. If we do the swap, it shows them we'll just free all of our prisoners to get our boys back, and they'll kidnap more soldiers.

Ok, really think about this for a second. Does this actually make sense? We don't want them to start kidnapping soldiers again? Do you think they ever stopped trying? Do you think they ever thought, "Oh, they're not doing the swap, maybe this kidnapping-soldiers thing isn't such a good idea"? Who actually thinks that arabs think like that? I can guarantee that they have never stopped trying to kidnap soldiers, just like they never stop trying to do terror attacks. Come on, they're arab terrorists, do people actually think they ever stop trying to do anything to hurt us? No. Just because no other soldiers have been kidnapped doesn't mean they don't try. I hate to say it, but kidnapping soldiers is a win-win for them. If we don't do a swap, then they have our soldier, and if we do swap, then they get their terrorists back.

Obviously we should lock up [and give the death penalty to (but that's a different story)] as many arab terrorists as we can. But if by releasing them we get one of our boys back, then I say do it. Besides, how many terrorists are there in Aza? 50,000? 100,000? 1,000,000? Will another thousand make a difference? No, it won't. 1K doesn't make that much of a difference when the number is that big.

What we should really do is implant GPS's into there bodies, and just arrest them all again. The GPS's to cut out all the unnecessary where-are-they?-Let's-get-our-intelligence-going thing.

It doesn't matter what we do, they never stop, never. And not swapping is not going to change that.

Lastly, I would like to thank the Good Lord for foiling our enemies plans, and I pray that they will never again be successful in carrying out attacks.

Carlos Beltran Is My New god

2011-06-16T23:03:00.002+03:00

In 2001 Carlos Beltran stole 31 bases, & was caught only once. In 2003 he stole 41 bases, & got caught 4 times. In 2004 he stole 42 bases & was caught only 3 times. In 2004 he stole 28 for Houston. In 90 games, he stole 28 bases & didn't get caught once.

His career stolen base percentage is 88%. EIGHTY-EIGHT (291 for 330)! This dude is my new god...

And he is 11 homers and 9 steals away from the 300-300 club.

Noam Adin Rechter Levy

2011-05-16T19:43:00.000+03:00

My sister had asked me to write something about what I had experienced when I heard that my friend, Noam Levy, was killed in action. Tonight and tomorrow is his yartzheit. She had to read it in front of her school, and this is what I wrote:

Noam Adin Rechter Levy z"l

by Tonny Schwarzmer

Thursday May 7, 2009, 6:30 AM. I was getting ready for the day of learning ahead of me. I was in Aish Hatorah Hesder. I had done my army service already, and had returned to yeshiva. I had been in Duchifat, 94 (our unit number), in Kfir Brigade, and was stationed in Ramallah.

I had davened, showered, gotten dressed and eaten. I was about ready to go when my phone rings. It was my friend Avinoam from yeshiva, who was in the draft after me in Duchifat.

"Did you hear?", he asks me.

"Hear what?"

"Someone from our unit was killed. He was even from your draft."

My heart pounded. Did he say a friend of mine was killed? I don't think I heard him right. Can't be.

"What did you say??"

"Someone from your draft was killed."

"Who? Do you know who it was??"

"No, sorry."

I right away made some calls. I started with my commander, Lior, who was now the staff seargent for the August 2008 draft.

"Lior someone told me one of ours was killed? Is that true? Who was it??"

"Yeah, it's true. It was Noam Levy."

So it was true, I couldn't believe it. A friend of mine from the army had been killed. The first thought I had in my head was, "God, please let this terrorist pays for what he did to my friend."

I spoke to Lior for a few minutes asking him what's happened, whats going on now. It turns out I knew quite a few people on the mission, the Deputy C.O. 2nd Lieutenant Amit, two squad leaders Seargents Yoni and Mordechai, and of course Noam. In the end this is what happened:

They had went on a routine mapping mission for Shabak. We go into Arab's homes, and instead of arresting them like we usually do, we map out their house and hand over the intelligence to Shabak. I myself had been on many of these mappings. Obviously, anytime we go into an Arab village, it could potentially turn into a mess, but they never did when I went, so it was thought of as a lesser level mission.

While Yoni and Mordechai were leading their squads in the houses, Amit, Noam, and the rest Amit's special patrol hummer were driving around the village, making sure everything was quiet. The Arabs had started rioting however, and throwing rocks. Amit tried arresting the leader of the riot, but there was no way the Arab was going to let the dirty Israeli Soldier just take him. He started fighting with him and before they knew it, they were wrestling on the ground. Somehow, Amit's gun discharged by itself. I don't think he really paid attention to where it went at first, but it had shot Noam in the the eye, and he never had a chance.

Irony of ironies I think, Noam was the head medic of the platoon. He was a great guy. He made aliyah with his family from Canada when was about 10 years old. In training, he would help out whenever he could, in whatever he could. When I found out he was Canadian (after about 4 or 5 months with him), I couldn't believe it, he was so Israeli. He would help me out with my Hebrew though, whenever I had needed it. He would help us with getting a minyan if we ever had trouble. Just an overall amazing friend.

His family is unbelievable. While the army had forcably discharged Amit for what had happened, the Levy's had embraced him. They could have just blamed him, "you killed our son!" and all that, but they didn't. They realized it wasn't his fault and there was no way in the world he would've let it happen if he could have stopped it. They pleaded with the army to let Amit back in, but they wouldn't budge. You'd think that if the family of the dead soldier forgave him, the army could too. "No," was the answer.

Last year on Yom Hazikaron Noam's father told me the conversation he had with General Gabi Ashkenazi, the head of the army at the time. He said to him, "I know there are many initials and special army names, Mem"Peh, SamechMem"peh, etc. But I only know of one -- Kodkod Olam, -- The Master of the World," he said, pointing a finger up to the Heavens. [ed. note: Funny thing, the head of the army in army lingo is called Kodkod Olam.] General Ashkenazi just looked at him, dumbfounded.

In the end, it wasn't some Arab terrorist like I had thought (or hoped, I guess, too). It was his friend, his officer. Because of that we don't say "Hashem Yikom Damav -- Hashem shall avenge his blood," we just say, "alav hashalom -- upon him shall be peace." Ours isn't to look for a reason as to why this happened, just to accept it ("HaTzur tamim po'alo ki kol dirachav mishpat..." Dvarim, beginning of Parshas Ha'azinu). Ours is to trust in Hashem that "Gam zu l'tovah -- also this is for good." Noam had accomplished his mission in this world, and we have to accomplish ours. By doing that we can bring Mashiach very soon.

The Search For...No, Not Spock, Chametz

2011-04-18T00:14:00.004+03:00

Tonight is the night before Pesach, and the night we search for chametz throughout the entire house, in every single crevice to make sure no chametz is left, as per the halacha and per what the Torah says. Somewhere along the line, people started putting out 10 pieces of bread, so that the bracha we make (as with basically every other mitzvah, we say a bracha) wouldn't be a bracha levatala, a wasteful bracha.

I have seen though, that over time, this particular mitzvah, the searching for the chametz, has been warped. Instead of looking through everything, some people only look for those 10 pieces of bread. I was once in my step father's house on the night of Bedikas Chametz, and he literally finished in 3 minutes. He found all of the pieces of bread, and that's it. Do you know how long it takes to properly search everything in a regular house? It should take at least an hour (at the very least, more than 3 minutes). To look in every draw, every cabinet, every couch cushion, every space behind all the beds, everything. People are bound to find chametz during the bedika -- even though they're sure they cleaned it already.

Just think, because of 10 little pieces of bread, I bet thousands of people throughout the years have lived through a Pesach with chametz. Wouldn't it have been better to not put out those 10 little pieces of bread?

I'll tell y'all a little secret though, a source, to not put them out. The Vilna Gaon says that one shouldn't put out those pieces of bread. But what about the bracha levatala you ask?

Well, what's it called? ........ Yes, it's called BEDIKAS chametz (the SEARCH for chametz) not METZI'AS chametz (the FINDING of chametz). We're supposed to make sure that there isn't anymore chametz, not to find it. The bracha levatala would be if you said the bracha, then went and watched tv. That's a bracha levatala. Not when you searched but didn't find anything. Does that make sense? You didn't find chametz, and therefore it's an aveira? Please.

Besides, let's say you hid the pieces. Or better, you let your young boy or girl of 4 or 5 years old hide them. A pretty good idea, teaching them about the mitzva and all, while having fun at the same time. I actually like that (kind of like having the kids steal the afikomen. Keeping them up, learning about Pesach. To digress, I heard on Shabbos that Lubavitch don't have their kids steal the afikomen. They don't want to teach them to steal and become thieves). But picture, they're kids hiding things from you, maybe they will try a little extra hard to put it in a really good place to make sure you looked everywhere? Well, what if it was too good of a place and you couldn't find it? What if no one could find it? Not only did you make a bracha levatala (according to the custom, right? I mean, why else 10? Doesn't that mean less than 10 would be a bracha levatala?), but now you KNOW there's chametz in your house over Pesach! And it's not just a crumb, that maybe you be say isn't anything. It's a substantial piece, not small. That's a huge problem. Not only is their chametz in your house over Pesach, but you know about it.

So, for those of you who haven't done Bedikas Chametz yet, please, do the bedika (baseball...?) the way it outta' be.

Nusach HaGra

2010-12-05T23:35:00.000+02:00

Once again it has been a long time since I wrote. I get home from work and just want to collapse. Now I know what it's like having a job. Hm...

Anyway, I'm writing today about the Vilna Gaon's nusach for davening (prayer). It's basically Nusach Ashkenaz, but with a few changes (not like Nusach Sfard). A lot of them are vowel changes on words, (from "v'shivchacha" to "ushvachacha" for example), he takes out whole t'filos (Tehillim 30 before Baruch She'amar, Shomer Yisrael in Tachanun). In a lot of these changes, the explanation on the bottom says "In every old siddur, it's like this, but then the [Arizal/Shlah/Ravah] changed/added this." There is a general rule that once the Gemara was closed, we're not allowed to argue with the rabbis in the Gemara. The one's who put together the davening which we know today was put together by the Anshei K'neses Hagdolah, right before the 2nd Beis Hamikdash was built. Therefore, no one had the right to change the davening.

One thing the Vilna Gaon says is very weird, and I never understood it. He says we're not allowed to say Tehillim in public, which means to two things: 1) no Kabbalas Shabbos on Fri night (he says to say it at home if you want to say it at all), and 2) the Shir Shel Yom is only one Perek of Tehillim. Meaning, on Rosh Chodesh you just say Tehillim 104, instead of the regular Shir Shel Yom in addition to Tehillim 104. On Shabbos Rosh Chodesh we only say Tehillim 104 (this is the only Shir Shel Yom that pushes off Shabbos's SS"Y), etc. etc.

As I said before, I ever understood as to why he would say that, and in what capacity? Does that mean that we can't have tehillim rallies, like we had during the intafada, or that are moast probably going on right now for the fire? Are those not allowed? Or just tehillim added later to davening, like Kabbalas Shabbos?

I don't remember when, but I realized at some point that it's to make sure that people don't think that Tehillim isn't really part of the davening. Except for the SS"Y and Pesukei D'zimra, which was established by the 120 Tzaddikim of the Anshei K'neses Hagdolah.

To illustrate this point, I am going to relate to you something that actually happened a few Shabbosim ago. I was at shul one Fri night a few weeks ago when a guy came in really, really late to Maariv. Late as in, right before Shmoneh Esrei. And what did he start with? Not with Shmoneh Esrei with the shul, as the halachah states he shouls (and after Shmoneh Esrei he would say the rest of Maariv), and not even Shma. He started at Lechu N'ranina! And that's the point! He actually thought that Lechu N'ranina was part of davening! Is it? Of course not, it was added by the Arizal in the 1500's. It's a nice thing, but not actually davening. It's just Tehillim.

Now understand, when I say "just Tehillim," I don't mean to take anything away from it. Obviously it's holy, it's part of the Tanach and all that, but if someone says it, it doesn't take him out of his obligation of davening.

I'm not even against Kabbalas Shabbos, mind you. It's actually a nice idea. According to R' Yaakov Kaminetzky, Tehillim 90 - 100 was written by Moshe Rabbeinu (Tehillim 90 starts with "a Prayer to Moshe...") and said every Shabbos by B'nei Yisrael when we were slaves in Egypt. I actually have been contemplating to start saying all 11 chapters every Fri night, instead of just those few. No decision yet.

My point is that people have to realize what's important, and what isn't. Saying Shmoneh Esrei with the congregation, is. Lechu N'ranina, not so much.

Discuss.

"Let Us Search And Examine Our Ways And Return To Hashem."

2010-07-20T00:41:00.001+03:00

"Let us search and examine our ways and return to Hashem.

Let us lift our hearts with our hands to God in heaven.

'We have transgressed and rebelled -- You have not forgiven...'"

-Eicha 3:40 - 42

We have a bunch of things going on in this country now. The building freeze, pressure from Obama for everything, Gilad Schalit deal/no deal, stupid supreme court, etc.

You know, some people are for giving away terrorists for Gilad, and some are against. I understand both sides, and people protest, yes, no. In the end though, it's not our decision, it's Netanyahu's decision. He might be swayed one way or the other, but in the end, he's the decision maker. Which then made me realize that we can't change the outcome, because what it really means is that Hashem is going to decide, as the Gemara states (and as I have talked about before) world leaders don't have free will. The real way to protest, is to daven to Hashem, to do teshuvah, that Hashem may forgive us for our misdeeds.

We're not really supposed to rationalize why Hashem has certain things happen, but I feel like maybe the building freeze happened because we didn't deserve it, maybe K'lal Yisrael as a whole was rejecting the land. So Hashem says, "That's how they feel? Ok then..." and here we are, no building for 10 months, may it not be longer. I could be totally wrong, and you can argue with me, but that's how I feel.

Truth is, we don't know what's a punishment -- is giving back the 1,000 terrorists the punishment, or the not giving? On the one hand, BH Gilad would be back with us in one situation, and the other, at least the terrorists aren't let out. On the other hand, Gilad would still be in captivity, and in the other situation, the terrorists would be freed and would have the potential to do more attacks, ch"v. If one of those terrorists is someone who I personally caught, and now he's let go, it's like, then what the hell did I catch him for in the first place?

Anyway, my point is that really we don't know what a punishment is from Hashem and what isn't. We never really know. Someone lost their job. Punishment? Well...he got a new job and now he's happier than ever. Maybe it wasn't a punishment...? Maybe the firing was the punishment...? Who knows?

I digress....

I believe we are indeed, being punished, as a whole, by the fact that Mashiach isn't here yet. We're not on that level. We haven't done enough mitzvos, enough acts of kindness, etc. We have to daven, ask forgiveness, learn the lessons from 9 B'Avs that came before us. The Ultimate day of forgiveness, Yom Kippur, is coming soon, 2 months from Wednesday. No better day to start than today.

I can never not mention the story of the navi, Zechariya ben Yehoyada (another topic I have spoken about before), who was killed in the Beis Hamikdash (B"M) by Klal Yisrael, for protesting King Yoash's placement of an idol there. Can you imagine how corrupt, how sinful, how evil they were to have done that? They placed an idol in the Beis Hamikdash, and, in the Beis Hamikdash, killed the guy who protested the action. The most holiest place on Earth, now desacrated by a dead body. Not just a dead body, murder! And this wasn't right before the B"M was destroyed -- it was 250 years before. This still amazes me...

I would like to finish by quoting the end of R' Nosson Scherman's introduction to Artscroll's Eicha:

נפלה לא תוסיף קום בתולת ישראל
"The maiden of Israel has fallen; she shall rise no more." (Amos 5:2)
A tragic, frightening prophecy.
In Eretz Yisrael, they punctuated the verse differently and read it this way:

נפלה ולא תוסיף - She has fallen, she shall not fall again.

קום בתולת ישראל - Rise up, oh maiden of Israel! (Brachos 4b)
After more than nineteen centuries of fall, May Mashiach, born on 9 B'Av, finally come to redeem the buried holiness of this day and say to us, "You have fallen enough! Rise up, oh maiden of Israel!"

She Did What...??

2010-04-13T10:00:00.000+03:00

By now you have all probably heard about the stupid little girl who stole top-secret IDF military documents, and gave them to a reporter, uri blau of haaretz. "Some of the documents include detailed plans for military operations, the deployment of IDF forces in routine and emergency situations, operations against terrorist leaders, evaluations, and more." If these documents fall into, or have fallen into, ch"v, enemy hands, it could mean a lot of soldiers killed. Originally, they thought uri only had 50 (which is what he gave back awhile ago), but when they asked this girl, anat kamm, she said she gave him about 2,000 documents.

So the question is, really, why did she do it? Why would she risk her life, basically, in copying these documents and giving them to a journalist? Because ideologically she didn't agree with the army (or so I've read). Right, okay. Even if that wasn't the reason, what idiot would do something so stupid as to endanger the lives of fellow Israelis? This is one thing I just can't understand about the leftists in this country. They don't care about the welfare of fellow Israelis, fellow Jews, just about the poor, oppressed arabs. People who are trying to kill us, of a differnt nationality other than their own. What kind of people are they? To not care about their own brothers??

And people are even defending them, anat and uri! People are calling anat the victim, calling this oppressing the media! WHAT?! Are these people nuts?! What the hell are they saying?? How dare they defend these people?? Let me tell you, if someone stole American Army top-secret documents, they'd be all over their @$$ in half a second.

And haaretz...don't even get me started. They're paying for his lawyer, and expenses, and supporting his staying in London... as MK Ben-Ari said, haaretz should be closed down for defending this guy, and I totally support that. Anyone who can defend a guy like this should be shot. I call for any self respecting Jew to boycott haaretz newspaper. They can't get away with what they're doing.

I'm sorry I'm all over the place and not explaining myself well, but this makes me so mad that people can do this. There's a reason why the military has secrets, and it should be, as it has always been, on a need to know basis. Besides, the terrorists should be killed anyway (uri wrote on article talking about how the IDF disobeyed the supreme court and killed terrorists when they could've been arrested, which is how this whole mess started in the first place), but that's for a different post.

Let's hope for better news tomorrow.

What Idiots! Or Are They...?

2009-12-30T21:28:00.003+02:00

I can't believe 2009 is almost over. By my next calculus class, I'll be writing 2010 as part of the date. Woah...

In the Jerusalem Post today (& Arutz-7) there's an article that the 443, the highway from Yerushalyim to Modi'in and Ben Gurion, will be opened to arabs. Not the whole thing though, just the part that is technically in the Shomron. It's been closed since 2002, but the High Court ruled it was somehow illegal for it to be prohibited for all arabs. Yes, it could be controlled, but a blanket rule for all arabs is not allowed.

You see, smart people learn from their mistakes. That is, for the most part, what makes them smart. They can learn from the past. They do, in fact, have 20/20 hindsight. Well, as we see from this decision, not everybody has 20/20 hindsight.

Time and again the government/army will be a little lax in the prohibitions on arab thoroughfare. They'll remove patrols from a certain road, take checkpoints out, etc., and each time, Jews get hurt or die. In 2008 when Ms. Rice told us to remove some checkpoints, a terrorist tried doing an attack (I don't remember, surprisingly, if he was actually successful) a mere few hours after we had left the checkpoints (I was there). Recently [-ish] they relaxed checkpoints in the Gush, and a few weeks ago someone got stabbed by a dirty, rasha, terrorist. On Thursday, a rabbi from Shavei Shomron was shot at while driving and was killed.

So you see, if those 3 judges did in fact have 20/20 hindsight, they'd realize that opening up 443 to arabs is a bad idea, no matter how legal it is. According to the Torah, when there's life in danger (piku'ach nefesh), you do whatever possible to prevent it. Even if there's a chance that life is in danger (sfeik piku'ach nefesh) you do whatever you can.

It's from decisions likes these where that gemara (I don't remember where) is so true. It says that world leaders and of the like don't have free choice. I mean, obviously they have free choice to pick whatever they want to eat for breakfast, but when it comes to decisions that actually matter, they don't and HaShem puts in their heads what He wants. At first you might think, that's so not fair, one of the basic principles of human life is free choice, how can He do that? But think about it -- don't we say all the time that HaShem has a master plan? He does, He has a master plan. Now how could He possibly put that master plan into action when people are making their own choices? They need to make the choices HaShem wants. So how does He do that? He takes away their free choice about the stuff that matters. Makes sense?

Hopefully this comforts most of you that yes, there are in fact reasons for all these [what seem like] ridiculous decisions by our leaders. It doesn't always comfort me, honestly.

Let's all just daven (pray) that Maschiach come really soon, when there won't be a need for these [what seem like] stupid decisions. Amein.

Terrorist's Dad: 'Could Such a Sweetheart Do Something So Bad?'

2009-12-08T00:47:00.002+02:00

by Hana Levi Julian

(IsraelNN.com) The father of a terrorist who tried to murder two Jews a week ago intends to sue the husband of one of the victims.

The terrorist had stabbed Tamar Mizrahi and a second victim, a man, at the gas station located at the entrance to Kiryat Arba-Hevron. Both were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem. Tamar's husband David ran the attacker over after he had been shot by a soldier from the Nachson Regiment and by a local guard. The terrorist later died of his wounds, and his father said he will sue David.

"Could such a sweetheart like this do something bad? I don't believe it," his father told...Sunday evening...

...Mizrahi was seen driving his car over the terrorist who stabbed his wife, and has since been charged on suspicion of attempted murder.

cont'd here...

Wait, what? This is is being charged with attempted murder? Yeah he was shot already, but who knows if he would've tried doing something again? He was trying to protect people there. Can't someone just take care of business without being afraid that they're gonna get thrown in jail by this ridiculous judicial system?

Moishele Good Shabbos

2009-11-09T18:22:00.004+02:00

Motza'ei Shabbos I went with Tzivia and her family to the Carlebach Yartzheit concert at Binyanei Ha'umah. It was very cute, very nice. And what's a Carlebach concert without a story? So Shlomo Katz came out and told a story from R' Shlomo about Moishele Good Shabbos. Basically this Moishele always spoke in a some niggun, and always said Good Shabbos. R' Shlomo met him when R' Shlomo was a little boy in the shtetel. Later, he met a good friend of Moishele in Tel Aviv, sometime later met Moishele's son Lazar, and Shlomo Katz met his great-grandson at a wedding only a few weeks ago. Very cute, right? Well, When R' Shlomo met the friend in Tel Aviv, this friend told him what happened to Moishele. He was on a train with his family on his way out of Europe with fake British passports, when his wife begged him:

Wife: Moishele, please just keep your mouth shut, and don't say anything, please.
Moishele: But how can I leave this holy place without saying Good Shabbos one more time?

He opens the window and at the top of his lungs sings, "Good Shabbos! Good Shabbos!" in that same niggun. Well, someone recognized him from the "Wanted" posters that the Nazis hung up with his picture on it. He pointed Moishele out to the Nazis and with his dying breath as they beat him in front of his family, he said "Good Shabbos."

Now that's all very nice and sweet and Rabbi Akiva-esque and all, but am I the only one to see the problem? He knows he is wanted by the Nazis, he is almost free from them on his way out, and what does he do? He announces himself to the Nazis. Why? Because he just can't hold himself, he has to yell Good Shabbos to Europe, he just has to. What is wrong with him?! He knows he might die and all, but he has to say Good Shabbos?? Does "v'chai bahem" mean nothing to you??

And worse, they don't just kill him, they beat him to death -- in front of his wife and kids. He couldn't just listen to his wife, no, he had to get himself killed. I don't care how much bitachon he had that HaShem would keep him safe, even Avraham took precautions that he wouldn't die.

What is it that would make him want to do this? That he would not be able to hold himself for a short time? What is it? I have to know.

2009 This Year In Baseball Awards

2009-11-03T13:55:00.002+02:00

Yup, folks, it's that time of year again. The baseball season is [almost] over, and it's now time to vote for the awards; best starter, closer, hitter, etc...but the category I love to go over is...come on, you remember...the Play Of The Year. This year's nominees are really good. Since there is a Mets player who was nominated, I obviously (and so will you if you know what's good for you) will be voting for him. It's Daniel Murphy, on Jul 8 against the Dodgers. Absolutely Ridiculous Play.

2nd place I think should be Dewayne Wise of the ChiSox. He made an amazing homerun saving catch (as we all know that is my favorite play in baseball). But not just that, it's the circumstance: it preserved Mark Beuhrle's perfect game (that is also up for an award, Best Performace). He wasn't in for the whole game! He came in as a defensive replacement I think in the 9th inning when this play occured (it was the first out, which means he literally came in 5 minutes ago).

Curtis Granderson is nominated once again for a homerun-saving catch he made on May 8 at Cleveland. He won the Play Of The Year award in 2007 also for a homerun-saving catch. If he actually does win (and somehow beats out Murphy) I think he would be the first player to win 2 of the same award in any category. I might be wrong but I don't think so. 3rd place I think is a tie between Curtis and Torii Hunter (who also won the award before, also on a homerun-saving catch and would be in the same situation as Curtis if he won this year). Curtis's catch also saved the game, he caught what would've been a walk-off 2-run homer by Grady Sizemore.

Honorable Mention goes to Gutierrez and Carl Crawford, who, of course, also had homerun-saving catches. Mauer's play was also really good, as the Izturis & Aybar combo. Eric Bruntlett and Joba Chamberlain are the last 2 nominees. Joba's play wasn't that bad either, but since he's a Yankee, and Eric is a Phillie (not only that, he did it against the Mets), they shall not be voted for. Eric's play also wasn't that good I think -- the only reason why it's up there is because he had an unassisted triple play to end a game, first in history to do that. And as all unassisted TP's, he just was in the right place at the right time. Nothing special like jumping over a fence, or a behind-the-back flip, or diving to get the guy out.

One of the best plays I've seen in my entire life was Brian Giles I think in 2002 or 2003, when he was on the Pirates, he made an indescribable homerun-saving catch at Dodgers stadium in LA. I can't find it though. If anyway knows what I'm talking about and knows where it is or something, please let me know.

Well, let the voting start, and good luck to Daniel Murphy! Let's Go Mets!

Mets Plays Of The Year

2009-10-12T13:52:00.001+02:00

Well, the Mets' season ended 2 weeks ago and it wasn't a good one. The comforting thought is that even the worst teams in baseball have amazing plays. I'm going through the Mets' plays and I just found one which I thought was ridiculous, on both ends:

Here's another really cool play from Santana & Wright

A diving catch by Tatis

No words to describe Murphy here

That your play of they year, folks, for all of baseball.

I hope this guy got into a car accident after the game. Maybe teach him a lesson messing with D-Wright. But look at the class from Wright, no arguing or punching the guy in the face, which is what he deserved.

Well, next year I guess....Let's go Mets!

God Says "Hakuna Matata!"

2009-08-07T17:55:00.002+03:00

I think one thing people are scared about is that there are just too many arabs. Sometimes there's in-killing (fatah-hamas), or we'll stop a suicide attack, or something, but that's only a little bit. One dies here, one there. Not really enough to get rid of them.

HaShem in this weeks parsha though, says not to worry. Dvarim 7:17-20: "Perhaps you will say in your heart, 'These nations are more numerous than I, how will I be able to drive them out?' Do not fear them! You shall remember what HaShem your God did to Paroh and to all of Mitzrayim...So shall HaShem your God do to all these peoples before whom you fear."

HaShem knew we were going to ask this question. So he asuaged(?) our worries early on, right in the Torah.

May Mashiach come soon.

D-Wright's Weird Season

2009-07-31T00:49:00.002+03:00

David Wright, to say the least, is having a weird season. He has 64 runs scored, 21 stolen bases, and a .323 average, totally normal numbers for him.

And now here are the weird numbers: 6 homers, 48 RBIs, and 95 strikeouts. 95 Ks through only 4 months of the season. All of last year he only had 118. That means that too keep that pace he can only K 23 times in the next two months. About 40 games, 23 Ks.

Now the 6 homers...I don't know what the deal is. New ball park? Carl Crawford has more homers than him. Ty Wigginton has more.

The RBIs are more easily figureoutable (I love inventing new words). He only has 48 RBIs, yes, but how is he batting with Runners In Scoring Position (RISP)? Is he choking? It's not like him, but it would make sense. Or is he ok? Or is he doing great? Well, his average is...wait for it.... .336, which is great. Which just means that the rest of the team is just not getting on base. In comparison, as I've mentioned before, last year D-Wright had 124 RBIs, with an RISP average of .243. Almost 100 points higher in that stat, which, you would think, would bring a lot more RBIs. Let's just have the rest of the team get on base though. Reyes, the lead-off man, has been out for a while and we don't know when he's coming back. Beltran also, he's hurt and not coming back soon it looks like. That's probably related, two big guys for them gone.

B'kitzur, let's pray that D-Wright has a homer frenzy (maybe even a 5 homer game...?), he keeps his RISP average up, and his teamates get on base for him. And that Mashiach come speedily in our day.

"If We Don't Make Kiddush, The Goyyim Will Make Havdallah"

2009-07-30T15:02:00.003+03:00

The above quote was quoted today by someone who was speaking before one of the kinnos at yeshiva (I davening with the Israelis, but went to the Americans for kinnos). It was said by some big rabbi that most of us, if not all of us, have heard of (I kept saying it to myself all day so I wouldn't forget who it was, but alas I forgot).

I've mentioned this before. Why was the Beis HaMikdash destroyed? I was speaking to someone, and they kept asking how could God have let this happen? All these atrocities (truth is, that a lot of people have this question)? And I said, well, it's pretty simple actually, we sinned and HaShem punished us. We sinned a lot. A lot. And it was mostly with avodah zara (although we were also immoral and killed people, apparently). So much so that King Yoshiyahu (grandson of King Menashe) was 16 years old in the 8th year of his reign when he first saw a Torah. Chilkiyahu the Kohein Gadol (Yirmiyahu's father) found a Sefer Torah, showed it to Yoshiyahu and he got pretty much the entire nation do teshuva, it was unbelievable. If he wouldn't have gotten killed he may have been able to get to those people who were still doing avodah zara (some stubborn people hid their idols behind their doors, so that Yoshiyahu's inspectors wouldn't find them) and the nation would've been without avodah zara for the first time since King Shlomo. But anyway...that's how much we sinned. So much so that the king didn't see a sefer Torah until he was 8 years in his reign (16 years old).

We sinned so much that King Menashe put an idol in the Kodesh Hakadashim, the Holy of Holies. So much we sinned that when the navi (prophet) Zechariyah ben Yehoyada was protesting the placing of an idol in the Heichal (room of the Beis HaMikdash connected to the Kodesh Hakadashim, where the mizbei'ach and the menorah are) by King Yo'ash, the people stoned him and killed him (I quoted in the post that I linked to above). On Yom Kippur no less! Not only was he protesting an idol, it was, among other things, Yom Kippur! And inside the Beis HaMikdash, where someone who even had been near a corpse can't go, and they killed him there.

We had sunk so low, and yet people ask (even the Jews alive then asked more or less the same thing) how could this have happened.

The answer lies in Yirmiyahu's response to the people who asked him. "If you would have cried even once while you were in Tziyyon, you would not be here today (on their way to Bavel in captivity)."

Yom Kippur is coming up in less than two months. What better time to start cleansing ourselves for YK than now? Even if we take on one thing, try to fix one thing in ourselves. You shouldn't bite more than you could chew. You see that's one difference between Judaism and Christianity -- by them it's you gotta be perfect or nothing. By us, even one little act could change things. The Rambam says (don't know where, Hilchos Teshuva maybe?) that everyone should act as if the merits of the world are equal to its demerits, and any act you do will tip the scale one way or another. The smallest act can tip the scale one way or another.

We can do it. Slowly but surely.

"Lo alecha hamlacha ligmor." We don't have to finish, we don't have to be perfect, we just have to do as much as we can, starting with one thing.

People ask the same question about the Holocaust, how could this have happened? If there's a God, there's not way he would have let the Holocaust happen, is what atheists say. A lot of survivors decided not to be religious, understandably. They couldn't see God, they felt He had left them.

I was told the answer to this only recently. We have to look at what happened in Germany a few years before that, in the late 1800's. With the Enlightenment, also came the reform movement. What was there motto? Berlin is the new Yerushalayim. Why do they calls shuls "temple"? Because they didn't believe anymore in the Beis HaMikdash being The Temple anymore. They decide to trim some mitzvos. "This doesn't apply anymore." Basically they decided not to folllow the Torah. I hate to say this, but HaShem clearly states in the Torah what would happen if we started to go away from HaShem...

It breaks my heart, but to me at least, it seems that this is correct, that this is the Emes (truth). I mean, it's kind of comforting for me at least, that there was a reason for the Holocaust. Wouldn't it be worse if it happened just because? I think so.

May Mashi'ach come speedily in our day.

Been Awhile...That Time Of Year Again

2009-07-28T19:05:00.004+03:00

I know it's been awhile since I wrote, I don't like it. It just seems that I never have time, or that when I do I'm just lazy and wanna watch a movie. Whatever.

Just to update, Tzivia took her psychometry, and I have a driving test on Sunday. If I pass, I get my license. Wow...

Well, it's that time of year again, 9 B'Av. Being that I've been learning in the Old City the entire year, it's kind of like I am reminded of it everyday. That we don't have the Beis HaMikdash. One time I saw a group go up and enter Har HaBayis, and I'm cool, they're going, I wish I could go. Someone then responded, they aren't Jewish, they're stam a tour group. "Uch, I hate them."

Anyone can go up freely it seems. But us, no...We need special groups at special times; you can't daven, take pictures, nothing like that. You can't even bend down. Seriously, the arabs are, as they say in Hebrew, "chayyim b'seret." (Literally that means "living in a movie," but as we all know, that's the problem with slang -- you can't ever translte it literally)

Let's just daven that Maschiach comes very very soon.

This One Is Not Just A Face Or A Name

2009-05-07T10:21:00.005+03:00

IDF Soldier Killed in Action Near Ramallah
by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) A soldier from the IDF Duchifat Battalion was killed when terrorists opened fire on an army force at Bir Zeit, near Ramallah, in the Binyamin region on Wednesday night. His name was released for publication on Thursday morning: Noam Adin Rechter Levi, 20, from Mitzpeh Netofa in the Galilee.

continued here...

Thank God soldiers don't die very often. But even when they do, how many times do we know them? Usually, we'll see their picture in the paper, be sad, think of him every Yom HaZikaron, but that's it.
Well, I know this one. We were together for a year, maybe a little less. He was in the Nov 06 draft, but because he was a medic, he came to my draft to finish training. He was in the 2nd division (machlakah 2), while I was in the 3rd (Machlakah 3), so we for basic and advanced training, a lot of the day we weren't together. But we talked alot, chilled, hung out. Noam was a great person, and great friend. He always cheered me up when I needed it, he always made me laugh. He was Canadian too, and therefore spoke English, which for me in the army was huge (I was the only American). I didn't see him so much, we weren't SO close, but we chilled a lot, & let me tell you, he was a really speical "neshama," as they say in Hebrew.

E-l malei rachamim...Goodbye Noam.
I miss you man.

HaShem Yikom Damecha.

The Siren

2009-04-28T19:50:00.001+03:00

Just like last week on Yom Hasho'a, there was a siren to remember the dead -- two actually on Yom Hazikaron, one at night at 8 pm, and the other at 11 am the next morning. On Yom Hasho'a though, the siren is at 10 am, so when I looked at my watch at 1045 I thought I might have missed it. But then I thought can't be.... either way, at 11 I was on a bus to town. We were on Begin, and I see the bus pull over. I look up from what I was doing, and then I see him stand up, and I realize that the sound I hear in the backround is the siren. It was really cool, finally having that experience of stopping-in-the-middle-of-everything for the siren. I don't stand quietly. I don't think that does anything. I say Tehilim to myself quietly, l'ilui nishmas the dead. So that's what I did. Then it stopped, and we kept going. Until next year...

Milu'im, Pesach

2009-04-28T01:14:00.003+03:00

Once again it's been a while since I last wrote. Since then I had milu'im a week and two days before Pesach. I finished milu'im on Erev Pesach itself. Said Birkas Hachama on base at 630 am. Gorgeous sunrise, above the hills. It was cool being back, I missed the army. I brought my gun also, that was cool. I was one of about 5 people who brought their pistols. Everyone who did, though, works as a security guard somewhere (one guy even works in the Old City, but I don't see him because he's in the Christian Quarter). Everyone kept asking me, "So, where do you work?" "Uh...at home," I said, or "I work for my wife."
My friend is making for me a thigh holster for it for next milu'im. It's not comfortable to keep in the pants when I got the vest and all that on me.
Milu'im was good. It was the first shabbos a I wasn't home since July, that shavu'a milchama. A little weird, but it was ok. It was funny getting there the first day and seeing my sergeants in the same milu'im unit as me. I got there and saw one of them with long hair, an eyebrow ring. I even did a jeep patrol with one of them for eight hours.
Milu'im is such another world. They don't care about being "medugam," looking good and presentable. You can have your sleeves rolled up while wearing the vest, you don't need to cuff your pants up above the boots, there's no dress uniform. Milu'im is about coming, doing the job, and going home. No fooling around with all that stuff.
Pesach was great. We were at her parents. On Sunday Chol HaMoed we went to Teveriya to the Sheraton. Gorgeous place, amazing food, great people. met some friends there. New ones, old ones, random ones, good stuff. We went biking at Agam Chula in the Chula Valley next to the Golan on Monday. We went to some kivrei tzadikim also. Erev Yomtov afternoon we went on a boat ride on the Kineret. All in all, great time.

Now I'm BH back at yeshiva, new zman, new meseches. Same Old City.
Well that's it for me. Til next time...hopefully soon....

Let's Go Mets!

"Missing Baseball"

2009-03-16T23:38:00.002+02:00

My friend tagged me in her note on Facebook. She's doing a limerick contest, and the winner gets some prize. So I figured, eh why not? She tagged me, I might as well. So this is what I entered. What y'all think?

I'm so happy for the return of baseball
I craved having a catch and all
I yearned for the sound of ball and mitt
And that game-winning hit
Oh how I missed the game of baseball

Ok well someone commented on it and said that they also have to be in rythym. Oh well. I guess I'll fix it up...(what if I take out the word "so?" Let's see...)

I'm happy for the return of baseball
I craved having a catch and all
I yearned for the sound of ball and mitt
And that game-winning hit
Oh how I missed the game of baseball

Whatever...what y'all think?

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXXII

2009-03-08T20:20:00.002+02:00

I haven't done this in a LOONG time... no good lines worth repeating. What is a man to do?

Props (some like saying "hat tip." I like that actually) to Kfare on this one. I think this happened at the Superbowl two years ago:

Clive (Kfare's English roomate): It's funny, I thought I heard a guy say SuperBOWL instead of superball.
Kfare: It is Superbowl
Clive: Oh, that's stupid.

Kiddush Levana -- Praying To The Moon....? Nah...

2009-02-02T22:31:00.003+02:00

Wow I haven't posted in a long time... shame on me. Anyway it's mine and Tzivia's wedding anniversary this Shabbos. One year...wow. The year went by so fast didn't it?

I was at the Kotel tonight, and after I finished Ma'ariv, my friend and were saying Kiddush Levana, the prayer for sanctifying the moon after Rosh Chodesh. I've noticed that many people actually face the moon.

Listen, I understand how it would start that people would face the moon. Kinda like what I think about the Kotel, people just might not realize. I mean, you DO have to look at the moon first. But people have to realize that we can't face the moon. We have to face mizrach (or whatever direction Yerushalayim is), and not look we're actually praying to the moon.

The annoying one is when they're facing the moon when they're AT the Kotel...*sigh*

Are sfardis actually supposed to face the moon...? That's ridic...

Agunos: The Problem & Solution

2008-12-22T19:23:00.004+02:00

Tzivia has been taking an introduction to Taldmud class at HU, where she's doing mechina. The final isn't a test, but a thesis paper, on pretty much anything they want in Judaism, with, obviously, roots in the Gemara (not excactly sure what that means...). I have been helping my wife on the topic she chose, takanos, while using ksuba and agunah as her rxamples.
For those who don't know, an agunah is a woman is "chained" (the literal meaning) to her marriage, there is no way for her to get out of it (the Torah says that the man has to give her the get). Either the husband disappeared, or he refuses to give her a get. Fortunately, the former is not so common. Sadly, the second one is more common than it has ever been.
It seems that everyone (rabbis, non-rabbis, people who think they're rabbis...) has tried to come up with something to get rid of the agunah situation, but for one reason or another, it's shot down.

The question is though, why does something need to be done? Why do we need to think of a new halcha, takana?

No, no, I'm not saying agunah is good. I'm saying that maybe we should revert to something of old. There is already something to be done. The Gemara (Kiddushin 50a, and about four or five other places including Bava Basra, Arachin, Gittin) says, "we force him until he says, 'I'll do it.'" According to pretty much everybody (Rambam Hil. Gerushin 2:20; Tur Even Ha'ezer Siman 134 (I'm pretty sure that's the siman)), "force" means to beat the crap out of the guy. It was used in the times of the gemara, geonim, rishonim and even acharonim. So why don't we use it today?
Great question. And the answer I got from two seperate people today (one of which, I'm told, has been involved with agunah work, and the other a rabbi)? Because governments are full of leftists who don't like hitting people. The rabbi said it a little nicer, but that's basically waht he meant. People are getting more politically correct. Of course we should try to avoid it if we can, like imprison him, fine/tax him, etc., but if none of these work, then hey, we shouldn't just stop there, especially when the halacha says not to! Halacha says to beat him, so why aren't we? Because the government is against hitting people, as is understandable, but is sometimes needed.
The beating is only allowed though, when the husband is required to give a get. If he is not required, no beating. I must say though, I would think most of the agunah cases are, in fact, requiring the husband to give a get. I've read a few cases where the husband is abusing and beating her -- clearly a case where he would be obligated.
I did hear though, that there might be a few secret mafias around beating up recalcitrant husband who refuse to give a get. That is good. But that fact that it needs to be secret...?
A few of the things I have read have been bashing the rabbis. "The rabbis are all selfish," "the rabbis don't care about agunahs," "If they cared, they make a takana or something,"etc. etc. Listen, I don't know these rabbis, it could be they really are as seflish as people are saying, and really they could do something. I do know one thing though: It's hard to change halacha. Sure, we can try to make a takana, passively not doing anything ("from now on we won't do this...," "from now on, this is assur...," etc.), but to actively add something to halacha can, and is, to my knowledge, very questionable. I don't think its fair to blame the rabbis for not doing anything, not trying to find a loophole. It just might be that, nebach, there's no way to get an agunah a get, except by the husbands will. I don't like it eiter, and I don't think it's fair, but that's the Torah of God, and for whatever reason He decided it to be this way. I think rabbis obviously should try to find something, but shouldn't be blamed for not finding anything. Believe it or not, it's kinda hard to make up halachos.
Besides, as I said before, there is a beautiful way that has worked for a long time, and I think that should be put back in use.

Names No Normal Person Should Name Their Kids

2008-12-18T23:12:00.004+02:00

Adolph
Hitler
Eichmann
Heinrich
Himmler
Haman
Sadam
Osama
Aryan Nation

Anyone care to add?

Adolf Hitler refused a birthday cake

2008-12-18T22:37:00.003+02:00

Adolf Hitler refused a birthday cake

By staff writers December 17, 2008

The father of a toddler called Adolf Hitler Campbell says it is unfair that a store denied him a birthday cake with his child's name on it.

New Jersey man Heath Campbell, 35, has decorated his home with swastikas and says he is related to a member of the SS.

But he says it is the store that wouldn't write "Happy Birthday Adolf Hitler" on a cake that should be showing more consideration for other people's feelings.

"They need to accept a name. A name's a name. The kid isn't going to grow up and do what (Hitler) did," he told the Associated Press.

...."Other kids get their cake. I get a hard time," he said. "It's not fair to my children."

continuation here....

Say that again? Your poor boy Adolph doesn't get a cake while everyone else does? Aw, I'm sorry, maybe next time you won't be an idiot.

And no, my misguided friend, a name isn't just a name. You gotta think before you give your son a name like that. "Haman Schwarzmer! Get back in here!"

Seriously, come on...

Besides, how do you know how your kid will grow up? I bet the first adolph hitler's (yimach shmo vzichro) mother said the same damn thing..."He's gonna grow up and kill Jews? My son??..."

Aryan Nation?? Please...

And The Winner Is....

2008-12-17T15:40:00.002+02:00

I know, I know, I forgot to tell you guys the winner. Anyway, the winner is....

Shalhevet.

Pictures to come soon be"H.

Name That Gun: Finalists

2008-12-03T21:38:00.004+02:00

Here are the ones that are left, my favorites. I want you all to now vote. No no, the one with the most votes won't win, i just want a feel of what everyone is thinking about.

Shalhevet
Aaron Leff
Rabbi Yaged
Rabbi Hecht

Voltron
Inigo Mantoya
Eagle Eye
The Shvachinator
Tony (yeah, yeah...)

I think that's it...yeah that's it. So, let's see those votes!

Name That Gun

2008-11-20T20:47:00.003+02:00

This is the gun I got today, the Smith & Wesson 6906 (this is 659, but they're really similar). I wasn't even expecting to buy one today: I had heard that there was a gun store in Giv'at Zev, so I decided to check it out. It's a great place, there was a security guards course going on, a soldier came to get his gun fixed. Great deal. This gun at another place was 2300, and the one I got was 1800 (shekels, of course). I have my next 4 shootings there for free, gave me discounts here and there, great guy, everyone loves him. His son is in Lotar, and he was my madrich. Thank God, I shot well, all 50 hit the target. It's been awhile since I shot a pistol, but I didn't forget. All I need to do now is to go to the Misrad Hapnim on Sunday, show them the forms, and then Monday or Tuesday to pick up the gun and we're good.

Anyway, I'm having a contest. Everyone gives me suggestions for names for my gun, and I (maybe with another friend or two) will choose the best. The winner I'll take out for lunch or dinner or something (if someone can think of a better prize, let me know).

I am going to put in two suggestions myself.

Ayelet
Shalhevet

I'm thinking maybe to keep Ayelet from my army M4. And Shalhevet for something new.

Everyone, send in your suggestions. Just comment here (or facebook, wherever), and may the best [wo]man win!

The Posts That Never Were II: Checkpoints, Wedding Stuff, & The Coldest Night Of My Life

2008-11-06T01:20:00.001+02:00

January 12, 2008

So, once again, I haven't posted in a while. Since then, fun stuff has happened.

One of the things we do is the checkpoint at the entrance of ramallah. It's a diplomatic checkpoint, only members of the organizations listed can come through (with ID of course), and only important people pass through. There is a list of about 746 people who can pass through (who aren't necassaraily part of these organizations), they all know their number, and those who don't know if they can pass or not, can't. Most of the people are doctors, CEO's of banks, people who work for the water and electric companies, etc. A lot of Americans work in ramallah, so here and there I make a friend. One time this lady passed by and I asked her, "Where are you from?"

Lady: I'm from New Yowk.
Me: Oh cool I'm from Connecticut.

Then she makes this face at me and says, also gesturing with her hands, "I don't wanna know what you'we doing hewe." *New Yowk-ese*

Another time a guy passed by, but this time I put on a British accent, and I told him I'm from Manchesta. Around two weeks later, a guy passed by and asked me, "You've been here before?" And without thinking, just spoke in my regular American accent, "yeah, I'm here a lot." Oh, ok cool, happy new years, etc. Five seconds after he drove away, I realized that he was the same guy I told that I was from Manchesta in my British accent. I'm wondering if he noticed.

I got some time off to do some wedding stuff, aka register. We went to the rabanut at first, but they were just too obnoxious, and someone suggested we go to Belz to register. We didn't even have everything, and instead of pushing us out like the rabanut, the rabbi said, ok, so fax it; it took us 30 minutes. One of my friends did go, and with everything, it only took them 15 minutes.

I also went to pick out the bentchers. That was fun, looking at all the types. What I wanted though, was the songs in the back, but not the NCSY bentcher. [Ed. note: I was surprised to find, about 5 months after the wedding, that this bentcher is missing one or two basic shabbos zmiros...*sigh*]

A few Thursday ago I went on a mission. Sorta. I was supposed to do a mission that night anyway, but before we were told anything about it my lieutenant came to my room and told me to get my equipment on (bullet-proof vest and regular vest), we're going. Ok, sure, I said. Got ready, hopped into the ze'ev (soldier transporter) with the other 8 guys, and on the way they told us what we're doing. The number 1 wanted terrorist in my area was leaving his house. He was a gun seller to terrorists. However to make matters worse, he is also the Champion martial arts guy for like, all of the arabs in Israel, or something like that, so we had to be even more careful. So get get out to walk 2 minutes to where we would be waiting for him to pass. Our Captain says to us, "yallah yallah, he'll be there in 3 minutes." We get to where we're supposed to be, they tell us what car to look for, and we start. 30 minutes, an hour, and it's cold outside. I was told after it was 3 - 4 degrees Celcius outside, and I was lying down on the ground, making it even colder. I was with 2 other guys on the right side about 100 meters from my lieutenant who was in the middle, and 3 other guys on the other side of him. After a while we get on the radio to my lt., Hey it's cold.

Lt: Yeah me too, just sit tight.

Well. we sat tight, all the while my lieutenant and his radioman got...man I forgot the word, but their temperature dropped too much. My captain decided to...no, not let us leave, but bring us fleeces. But me and 2 friends decided, no, we're going back we're too cold, and we went back with the captain.

I didn't mention yet that I wasn't wearing anything to keep me warm...no one was. We all thought a few minutes and it would be over, so I didn't bring anything. Thank God I was wearing a thermal shirt, to keep at least a little warm. Even long johns I wasn't wearing...In the end we were there for about 3 and a half hours in the cold. In the end we couldn't even look for the terrorists car. And that wasn't even the other guys, my friends and I who left early were there for 3 hours. Everyone else was there for another 3 -- although they DID have fleeces after that. I remember being told that they were there until 1 am and they didn't even catch him...

[Ed note. In the end, a few months later, he was indeed caught.]

The Posts That Never Were I: Shvu'ayim Shetach, Hagnam, and Tekes Hashhba'a

2008-11-06T01:05:00.001+02:00

Because I was in the army, I didn't have much time at home, and when I was, not much time on the computer and especially to blog.

There were a number of posts I started writing, but never finished/posted. I decided I'd post them now.

May 21, 2007

The past few weeks have actually gone by really fast. It was April 29, starting the 2 weeks of shetach (we leave base for a week and, for lack of a better description, camp out), M16 b'sisi (where we shot all week and learned how to shoot in all positions), and sada'ut, a taste of what being a chayyal is really like. M16 b'sisi was really fun, I mean, shooting a gun is fun. You get to know your gun (which I named Ayelet) really well that week. I did really well until we got to 100 meters, and I kinda dropped off. I think I still have a chance of becoming a sharpshooter though, so I'm ok.
Sada'ut is the hard week of shvu'ayim shetach. No cell phones, not even watches, and the few people that are allowed have their watch scrambled up. No connection with the world at all. Our sada'ut though was easier than most -- it was cut short because it was too hot to do anything. We went Sunday night, did Masat Pil (with everything on our backs) for 3 km, set up the tents, ate went to sleep. We woke up, davened, did another 2 km to a base called Tevetz to sit under their shade and have shiurim about sada'ut. All day we had these shiurim, even going til the night. We learned to crawl, and then we played a game called Melech HaHar, King of the Mountain, where the sergeant had a sticklight and we had to steal it from him. But we had to be unheard, if he or the other commanders heard us, or saw us standing, they told us to go back down the mountain a little. Then we went to sleep at 330 (someone who snuck a watch told me), woke up at around 530, davened, ran, went back to sleep til 2, then went back to our own base. It wasn't so hard, but the annoying thing about shetach is that you can't stay clean. I like being clean, so I had to get used to that. It was really hot, and after during a masa you sweat alot, but since we're in the shetach, you're not allowed to take off your uniform, and obviously you can't shower. You have to sleep in those uniforms drenched in sweat, wake up and do it again, for 3 days. In M16 b'sisi even longer, 4 or 5 days. 2 weeks straight of this. Fun fun, right?
After sada'ut we had whats called Hagn"amim, short for haganat machane, basically doing shmirah all week, from Thursday til Thursday. The unit was split up and each machlakah was at a different base. I wasn't with my machlakah because during M16 b'sisi I hurt my knee and couldnt do regular shmirah, so I stayed at my own base with Machlakah 2.

The swearing in ceremony was at the Kotel, Sunday May 20th. I have to say, I felt kinda stupid walking that way; "Smol yemin smol! Smol yemin smol!" It was cool though, having quite a bunch of people there, being a chayyal bodeid and all, who don't really have many people there. Talya, Adina and Shifra came, that was awesome. Yesodei came, my aunt with Saba Yosef came, and the Bogners and Solomonts. Thank you guys. We even went out to dinner after.

Til next time...

Those Kotel Letters

2008-11-05T23:17:00.002+02:00

As I mentioned once, I daven Ma'ariv at the Kotel (Koisel...?) before I go home. Because I'm there everyday, I see things that other people who aren't there everyday see, like the cleaning guys for example, sweeping, putting stuff away etc.

One day last week I was davening, and I saw one of the cleaning guys sweeping up a big pile of what looked like little papers, and I thought to myself, "No...", and what I saw next confirmed my suspicion. I saw him reach out, and sweep with his hand a pile of little Kotel-letters on the floor and sweep them up into the garbage, from a place that, honestly, the letters would've been blown away by the next wind.

I kind of couldn't believe it. After seeing that I wondered how many people thought their letters were somewhere safe in the old and secure walls of the Kotel, when their letters really had been swept up like last week's trash; wondered how many peoples' prayers had been chucked like the toungue of R' Chutzpis HaMeturgaman.

Truth is, I never really understood the whole putting-a-note-in-the-Kotel thing. I mean, you might as well just say whatever it is you've written, no? Is there any advantange to putting a letter in? God knows what you're thinking, and if you actually daven it, isn't that even better than writing it down? The power prayer with proper kavana can have, I would think (I could be wrong, of course), could do more than simply writing it.

I guess I could understand if people said they feel more connected somehow to the Kotel by putting something in. Sorta. Not really. I hear where they're coming from, but for me I just don't understand.

If anyone would like to indulge me, to explain this, "minhag", please do. If you do good, I might even change my mind...

2008 This Year In Baseball Awards

2008-11-02T08:49:00.001+02:00

That time of year is back, folks! It's that time to vote for Mets players for the awards again this year. The Mets actually have a candidates in the key categories, best hitter, pitcher, play, and performance. Hitter and performance are both Carlos Delgado; performance for going 3-5 with 2 hrs and NINE rbis on June 27 (two days after his birthday) at the Bronx Zoo, aka Yankee Stadium, and hitter, well, you can tell why. Pitcher, obviously Johan Santana. Even though he was only 16-7, if it weren't for the bullpen, he'd have at least 20 wins for sure. His ERA was also 2.53, and had 206 K. Best Play of the Year, is Carlos Beltran, who jumped over the fence to rob the Cardinals of a homerun (for those who've followed the blog for a while, you guys know that's my favorite play in baseball).

In the Best Play category, there are actually a few other really, really good plays. Max Ramirez, the TEX catcher, I would say should be ranked 2. Reed Johnson and Willie Harris both made spectacular plays.

Well, good luck to the Mets, and...Next Year's The Year!

The "New" Post-Army Hesder

2008-10-28T16:34:00.004+02:00

What is hesder? It's a four year program (people think it's five because most guys are in yeshvia until shana heih (or more), not starting the actual four years until shana bet) where guys do a year and four months of the army, and the rest of the time learning in yeshiva, all the while technically soldiers in Tzahal. Post-army hesder guys are there if there's an emergency, before milu'imnikim (reservists) are called up.

Funny thing though. Until now, the post-army hesder guys were barely ever called up, if at all. They weren't even called up for the Second Lebanon War -- they weren't in any type of unit to be called up. You can't just go in war and battle, it has to be all set up with commanders and officers and equipement and all that stuff. You can't just go if you want to.

So the army finally started doing what it should've been doing a long time ago -- putting us in actual units, that if chalilah v'chas they need us, they can call us.

Because my army ID was stolen with my wallet last week....(don't ask)....I had to wait outside of the base for around 2 hours until I got permission, and even then I had to wait until the radio room actually called it in to the guards. On Sunday I have to go to get a new one. That means that until then, I can't get my regular 9.60 shekels on inter-city busses. Including the bus on the way to the base to get my new ID...whatever.

Anyway, back to where we were....this week they started the new post-army hesder, putting us in actual milu'im units. The question I have is is it just hesder guys, and when we get out of hesder, we're put in actual milu'im units? Or these are milu'im units, and we get put in now? Either way, we'll find out...

It's actually kind of cool though: if there's an emergency, we report to a certain base that just happens to be right outside of where I live; maybe two minutes by car?

When we got there, we had to fill out a form (the usual name, address, t.z. number, etc. etc.), and had a short interview with our new colonel. He seems nice. I think he was surprised by the number married guys we had...hehe. He asked me what I did in the army, and I told him, sharpshooter. I don't see why I won't continue that in my new unit. Fun paka"l...

He even asked if I wanted specifically to be with any of my friends, or just to put me wherever he wanted, which was nice, because I did want to be with some specific people. A few of the guys I mentioned were spread out, but at least I'm with one of them I said.

Rabbi W has told me a few times how his brother and this guy have been together in the army the whole way, starting from basic training, all the way to going together to the same vatika (like where I was at in Ofrah), and even in milu'im together. And you wouldn't guess...they live in the same neighborhood, and go to the same shul.

Yehi Ratzon it will be a peacefull time...

Look At These Guns

2008-10-27T18:46:00.000+02:00

As I mentioned once, because I'm in yeshiva in the Old City, and that I live in Givat Zev, I can get a pistol license. Well, b'ezrat Hashem that will happen soon, as a month will be up in around a week or 2 and I will get my license. Because one only has 2 months to buy a gun after he gets the licnese, (or else he has to go through the whole process again -- it happened to my chavrusa) I have started to look around. I'm looking at getting the Smith & Wesson 6906 (similar to the 659 you see), which a friend at Aish got in black -- I'd be getting it in silver (besides for looking cooler, I've read that stainless steel is much better quality than black) -- for 2250 shekel.

I went yesterday to the other shooting range in Yerushalayim in Talpiyot to look at what they got. The guy showed me a new gun that just came out, the Bul Cherokee (3rd picture down), really suggested I get it. I said I didn't want a new gun -- they're usually expensive, but he said that this one is only 2990. It's 40% plastic, so it's really light, and really comfortable. It's big, but light, and holds 16 bullets. The SW I want, is smaller, but heavier (not too heavy though), and holds only 12 bullets. I don't know, we'll see, maybe I'll look for another store, see what they have.

Til next time.

New Suit

2008-10-27T15:54:00.002+02:00

I got a suit for my wedding, and that's the only suit I've been wearing since then (the pre-wedding I've had since 12th grade and was getting small/old), meaning that if I don't take it to the cleaners for awhile, I'm stuck with wearing a not-so-clean suit. Before Rosh Hashana I decided to take it in, but figured, I'm going to need to take it in after also, so I might as well wait. Tzivia, though, had a different idea. "You only have one suit?? Buy another one, gosh!"

So I went yesterday to buy another one. Shopping for the wedding suit took maybe 2 seconds -- how hard is it to find a straight, black suit? It didn't take me long to find it. This time, however, I didn't just want to buy a black suit, I wanted pinstripes, like mafiosos....or Sfareidis (sfardi chareidis, nickname made up by....don't remember who), whichever, take your pick. So I went looking. I went to the wedding suit store in Geulah on Malchei Yisrael, but didn't have anything I wanted -- after I had gone to the other stores, I realized that are really expensive -- so I went down the street.

They had much better prices, and something I liked, but still I wanted to check out one more store. I walked in, and went to the size I was looking for, 48. I saw about 6 suits, 4 of them really similar to each other and to the one at the other store, that I liked. I then decided to look at size 50, why not? I looked, and saw The Suit. Prefect pinstripes, perfect in thickness and distance. But alas, 50 is too big. And it wasn't really similar to the suits I had liked. I then looked at 46, why not? And again, The Suit was there, in size 46. A thought then came to me: my wedding suit is 46 (I had, yes, gained a little weight since then, so I figured to buy a 48), so if this one is too tight I could just take it out a little bit, and the owner of the store agreed. I tried on the jacket -- not only did it fit (it's a bit too tight when I close it, but I only close it for Shmoneh Esrei, and it's also nothing a little running can't fix), but it also had 4 buttons, something I had always wanted. When I had gone shopping for my wedding suit, the guy said, "4 buttons has been out for two years." I then tried on the pants...a perfect fit. All he had to do to the suit was to make the cuffs, and that's it. It felt a little weird getting a suit, and the guy not making any markings on it with the dry soap at all.

I'm so excited for Shabbos with a new suit.

D-Wright Is A god

2008-10-21T20:06:00.002+02:00

David Wright finished the season with 33 homers, 115 runs scored, and 124 RBI (runs batted in). For those Who don't know 100 RBIs in a season is great. If one consistently gets 100 RBIs every season (like Wright), he's known as a star. Anyway, Wright batted .243 for the season with runners in scoring position. .243...a figure which isnt really good....and yet he STILL had 124 rbis....imagine if he would've batted .300 with RISP....

New Time For Mincha

2008-10-07T19:44:00.003+02:00

Because we turned the clock back already, so BH I can daven Ma'ariv before I go back home. So I went to the Kotel and was davening at about 6pm. At 605 I noticed that there was a minyan right in front of us, and I only heard them say Kaddish and Shmoneh Esrei, so I thought that I just must have missed their Barchu and rest of Ma'ariv. When I finished my Ma'ariv Shmoneh Esrei, I heard them all of a sudden say in unison, "Baruch Hu uvaruch Shmo." And I was wodnering, "What...?" and then I heard another one, and then an "Amein." And then another BHU"SH, and then another "Amein," and then something entered my ears that I wasn't expecting to hear: Kedusha. "Nekadeish es Shimcha...." And then I realized, Dude, they're davening Mincha.

Just so you understand, if today would've been Shabbos, it would've ended 13 minutes before they started Mincha. Not like, oh, sunset was only 10 minutes ago, but Shabbos would've been over already! *sigh* What were they thinking...?

Nu nu...

Annoying Israeli Government Offices

2008-10-06T19:59:00.003+02:00

Two weeks ago I gave in forms for a gun license, but I didn't have a passport picture, so she told me just to bring it whenever. I asked how long it would take and she said about a month.

Today I went in to give in that picture and she said, what, you came in just to bring in the picture? You didn't have to bring it in today, we call you in the end, and then you bring it in. What, Revital (the girl who dealt with me) didn't tell you? Uh, no I said.

So then I asked her how much longer it would be, and she said another month. I asked, "that's what the girl said 2 weeks ago." She then stares at me over her glasses and says, mamash no. Right now we sent out those licenses for people who came to us in August.

More waiting...

Muslims Urinated Next to Torah Scrolls at Cave of Patriarchs

2008-09-10T23:06:00.002+03:00

Muslims Urinated Next to Torah Scrolls at Cave of Patriarchs

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

"Muslims converged on the Cave of Patriarchs in Hevron Friday for Ramadan prayers, urinated next to Torah scrolls and left behind Hamas flags.

"The Cave of the Patriarchs is the tomb of the biblical founders of the Jewish faith, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their wives, Sarah, Rivka, and Leah.

"The desecration occurred on one of the 10 days during the year that the holy site is open only to Muslims and is closed to Jews. The same arrangement also is accorded to Jews on 10 holy Jewish days.

"Uri Karzen, a Hevron resident, reported that a Kohen, who recites the priestly blessings during the Sabbath morning service, told him he smelled urine next to the Holy Ark containing Torah scrolls. Karzen and other worshippers moved the table, where the Torah scrolls are placed during the reciting of the portion of the week, in order to avoid the foul smell.

"The Hamas flags were discovered in the windows that mark the burial sites of Abraham and Isaac and the matriarchs, Sarah, Rivka and Leah."

Yeah doesn't anyone find a problem with that...?

"Noam Arnon, spokesman for the Jewish community in Hevron, said there is always some sort of damage discovered upon their return every time Jews are prohibited from entering the holy site."

We should just prohobit the Arabs from coming at all? Seriously, it's obvious that they don't care about the place, they just want to cause us problems. We should just chuck them. This makes me sick.

Gaza Terrorists Training 11-Year-Old Children To Kill Jews

2008-08-31T15:24:00.004+03:00

Gaza Terrorists Training 11-Year-Old Children to Kill Jews

by Ze'ev Ben-Yechiel

"'I am learning how to fight the Jews and kill Jewish children,' said 11-year-old Muhammad, one of dozens of children who have undergone terrorist training in the last few days in Gaza.

“'The parents of the Jewish children are the soldiers and officers who kill us here. I want these parents to get a taste of what it's like to have your children killed, just as the Palestinians experience every day,' said the boy. He and his young terrorist associates have undergone live firearms training, including pistols and rifles, from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.

"A photograph published in Ynet showed a young boy from the training aiming an Israeli-supplied (emphasis added) M-16 rifle straight at the camera, his small frame bent to support the weight.

"...We are preparing these children to fight the enemy, as the enemy does not differentiate between children and adults; (emphasis added) it wants to annihilate the entire Palestinian nation."

I can't even think straight right now I'm so mad. "Just as the palestinians experience everyday"? Are we actually killing "palestinian" children everyday? This coming from people who killed about 8 of our children in yeshiva....

"'I would rather die fighting the occupation than die at home from a missile, which is what happened to hundreds of Palestinian children,' said Muhammad.

“'This is an enemy that cannot be trusted and is famous for breaking its promises. The enemy even killed the prophets; it cannot be trusted,' he said."

Because we shoot lots and lots of missiles at the Arabs, right? Because we break cease-fires 2 hours after they go in effect.

Yeah, that's what I thought...

Whatever, let them think what they want, no one's going to convince them otherwise -- one has got to be pretty dumb and stubborn if he can't see the facts in front of him, or let people show them the facts. And like it says in the hagadah, there will always be people he hate us and want us destroyed. So it doesn't matter what anyone says, they won't care. So we might as well just let them be...Stupid is as stupid does...

For My Savta

2008-08-31T10:57:00.004+03:00

For those who don't know, Mrs Toby Schwarzmer, my grandmother, was nifteres (expired) on Friday night at 3 am.

For My Savta
by Tali Schwarzmer

Even though you've moved on, the message is still clear
You loved us with all your heart, even all your soul
You were strong until the end, something i admire
And even though times were hard, you pushed fought your hardest

Even though you've moved one, there's one thing left behind
The Scrabble champ you will remain, always and forever
Cause no one wanted to play again, once you were defeated
We love you Savta, with all our hearts, and that will never die

<3>

I haven't spoken to her in a long time, and when I called last week she was too weak to talk on the phone -- Pesh only understood every 3rd word she said last week. So at least I spoke to Saba last week, and he said he would tell Savta I love her and miss her etc. Thank God for that.

Mishmeret Chillul HaShem

2008-08-29T18:10:00.000+03:00

I was on the bus yesterday, and I heard two people talking in English behind me, saying how they hate religious people -- although I think they meant charedis. They mentioned how they didn't like that people said that they were religious, but they're actions would show otherwise. One example one of the guys said was the mishmeret tzni'us. (the modesty watch) For those who don't know what this is, it's a group of chassidim who, as is in the name, "protect" the tzni'us level in their neighborhoods. Their definition of "protect" though, is not what we may think. Instead of asking and talking nicely to these people (mostly women), they beat them up. I read an article in Jpost this week how they actually followed one woman around for awhile, days or weeks, and then one day they attacked her in her apartment, and told her to leave the neighborhood, or else they would keep harrasing her. She eventually moved, and a few of the chassidim were caught and convicted.

The problem I think is that chassidim think we're in the time of the Beis HaMikdash, when the Torah was actually the rule, not some secular government (notice how they don't like advancment in a lot of things, like clothes). I don't even know if one is allowed to do this according to the Torah (if anyone finds anything, let me know and give me a source), go beat up those who aren't tzni'us. Even if it is allowed, it can't be done by some vigillante, it's by the beis din, the court. We don't have a beis din like that today unfortunately. Today we can't just go around beating up people who don't keep the Torah. It's a huge chillul HaShem (desecration of God's name). Back then, even if it was allowed, there was no problem of chillul HaShem -- it was a Torah society. But we're not there yet. We're not at that level yet -- too many people are not keeping the Torah (wether accidently or not) for this to work.

They just are too blind to see what effect they have on themselves -- and us. This gives Jews a bad name. More importantly gives God a bad name: "What kind of God would tell His people to do this?"

We have to create the Mishmeret chillul HaShem. This has to stop somehow.

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXXI

2008-08-29T15:34:00.002+03:00

*while driving through the tunnel on Begin highway in Yerushalayim*

T: What is this tunnel for?
M: Does this tunnel go under something?

To Swim Or Not To Swim...

2008-08-10T17:45:00.002+03:00

Iran Does Backstroke on Competing with Israeli in Games

by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu

"Several hours after the Iranian National Olympic Committee said its swimmer would compete with an Israeli at the Beijing Sumer Games, the swimmer pulled out of the contest. The Iranian council had said that the competition would not present a problem because the swimmers were separated by five lanes and would not face each other.

"However, Iranian swimmer Mohammed Alirezaei left his lane empty instead of swimming against Israel's Tom Be'eri, who finished fourth. He set a new Israeli record with a 1.02:42 time in the 100-meter breaststroke category.

"'Alirezaei swims in lane one and the representative of the Zionist regime in lane seven, so they will not face each other,' Iranian Olympic Committee secretary Ali Kafashian told an Iranian news agency prior to the race."

At my first glance at this story, I had the obligatory "stupid people, why can't they ever learn?" reaction. Then I realized, hey, it's one least person that the "representative of the Zionist regime" has to beat. I don't mind, it's his loss. Isn't the whole point of the Olympics to "go for the gold?" Looks like he just went for disgrace. I really don't mind. You know what? Even better, let them leave the Olympics altogether -- it would make the Olympics a better place for everybody.

We're Getting Closer

2008-08-10T15:26:00.002+03:00

Wow, even some secular Israelis want the to build The Beis HaMikdash...

"Seculars Want Temple', as Fast of Av Begins Saturday Night

by Hillel Fendel

"The fast of Tisha B'Av, the "saddest" day in the Jewish calendar, begins on Saturday night as the Sabbath ends, and ends Sunday evening at sundown...

""Secular Jews for the Temple"
The centerpiece of Tisha B'Av mourning is the destruction of the Holy Temple (Beit HaMikdash). Among the many groups that have sprouted over the past several years promoting awareness of the Beit HaMikdash is one named "Secular Jews for the Temple." Ahuvyah Tabenkin of left-wing Kibbutz Ein Harod said, 'It's true that we don't exactly represent a majority of secular Kibbutz members... but the pioneers have always been a minority: the Zionists were a minority among the Jews, those who came to the Land were a minority among the Zionists, those who worked the land were also a minority, and now we are a minority as well. But I hope that soon we will be the leaders...'

"Asked whether he calls for the actual construction of the Temple, he said, 'There are many religious authorities, including Maimonides, who say that the Temple must be rebuilt, and so I think it should be done... As a first step, we must show that we control the Temple Mount... I call upon all of Israel to come to the Mount on [Tisha B'Av] and show that it belongs to the Jewish nation.'"

continued here...

This makes me happy to read this. People are starting to realize that we need the Beis HaMikdash. That when we say "l'shana haba'a Birushalayim" we mean Yerushalayim habenuya -- The built Yerushalayim, a "built" which means with holiness and Torah and Beis Hamikdash (and sapphire...).

Anyone who wants to read my 9 B'av post from 2 years ago, can see it here.

Sixteen Wounded In Copycat Bulldozer Attack In Jerusalem

2008-07-22T16:47:00.003+03:00

Sixteen wounded in copycat bulldozer attack in Jerusalem

By JPOST.COM STAFF AND AP

"Sixteen people were wounded, one of them moderately, as a bulldozer driver went on a rampage in central Jerusalem Tuesday afternoon in an apparent attempt to recreate the terror attack in the capital earlier this month.

The vehicle reportedly left a construction site near Yemin Moshe neighborhood and set off towards Liberty Bell Park (Gan Hapa'amon), near the corner of Keren Hayesod and King David streets. It drove a distance of approximately 160 meters, attempting to overturn a bus and crashing into four other vehicles - one of which it flipped over. The man was then shot dead by a civilian and a border policeman."

The article later says that the bus that got turned over was the 13, which was the bus turned over in the last tractor attack. I don't know when exactly it happened, but around 1245, when I got back from getting-out-of-the-army, I was thinking of taking the 13 to Misgav Ladach where Tzivia was getting a procedure done. Thank You Lord I decided to go home.

Update: At this moment I looked at Arutz 7 again, they are reporting now 23 wounded.

"Skin Deep -- Hey Mom, The Rabbi Approved My Tatoo"

2008-07-20T21:31:00.001+03:00

"Skin Deep -- Hey Mom, The Rabbi Approved My Tatoo"
For Some Jews, It Only Sounds Like "Taboo"

by Kate Torgovnick

ROBERTA KAPLAN, 71, has never been a fan of tattoos. “I’m a very Jewish person,” she said. “I was told from way, way back that you’re not supposed to desecrate your body.”

Ms. Kaplan ordered her five children to renounce tattoos. (What would neighbors at synagogue think?) Her children, in turn, did the same (every third teenager may have an ankle tattoo souvenir from spring break, but that doesn’t make it right by the Torah).

This article makes me sick; it says that because really if a Jew has a tatoo, they can be buried in a Jewish cemetery (apparently in the Old Country they said you can't be), so the whole law is false.

Is that even true? Can one not be buried in a Jewish cemetery with a tatoo? Please tell me, but I want a source, not just a "yes" or "no."

The problem I have with this article is that people who don't know any better will quote this article as authoritative, and, it's just wrong.

“They’re taking this prohibited act and using it to feel more Jewish.”

And if it makes you feel more Jewish it makes something prohibited, permitted...? Is that true...?

Let me fill you in...no, no it doesn't work like that Kate, I'm sorry, but it doesn't. You can't just make something OK because you feel more connected, or anything like that. Just because Ploni Almoni feels more connected to Judaism when he's screwing his mother or sister, or yes, even his father or brother, doesn't make it OK. Kate, why do you have to mislead everybody?

"Take Marshal Klaven, 29. While studying in Israel as a teenager, he decided to become a rabbi. For the first time, “it became not just the Jewish people, but my Jewish people,” he said. This sense of belonging inspired him to get the first of his three tattoos, a Star of David and a dove."

Quotes like this make me sick:

"For Mr. Klaven, historical context is key. When Leviticus was written, tattooing was largely a pagan practice, done to mark slaves or to show devotion to a pharaoh, Mr. Klaven said. Since tattooing has evolved, he thinks the rule may be outdated."

“We were hesitant because we knew it was against the religion, but Judaism has got to evolve with the times.”

The whole point is that the Torah is forever and it doesn't need to be changed.

"Todd Weinberger, the creative director of Inked Magazine, grew up in a family that kept kosher, and recently got his first tattoo with his girlfriend, Jennifer Goldstein, an editor at CosmoGirl magazine. Their matching Hebrew ones read, “Forever and ever.” “We’re not into marriage, so we wanted to get commitment tattoos,” said Mr. Weinberger, 37, who lives in Brooklyn. “We were hesitant because we knew it was against the religion, but Judaism has got to evolve with the times.”

Last weekend, Mr. Weinberger’s family saw their adornments for the first time. “It went over a lot better than I thought,” he said. “They were more upset that it was a commitment to us not getting married.”

A commitment tatoo, that because they're against marriage...*sigh*

Hey, Sarge!

2008-06-20T17:28:00.002+03:00

I don't know what it's like 100% in the American army, but here in Tzahal, a chayyal will get promoted in ranks just out of how long he has been in the army. Nothing like doing something really good, promotion, or being up against a board who decides, nothing like that, just if you've been in the army for x amount of time, then you are x rank. So usually, after a year and 4 months, one will get to the rank sergeant, but because hesder guys get discharged at that point, so we get promoted to sergeant a little sooner, after a year and 3 months. I didn't know this, but one of my friends went to the doctor, and on his papers it says, "Sergeant Binyamin...." I was like, wow, cool, I'm a sergeant. Thing is though, no one really cares about rank in the army, probably because one gets a rank after a certain amount of time.

I wonder if I'm going to get the stripes to put on my uniform...

Home Stretch

2008-06-12T22:04:00.002+03:00

Well, I'm almost done. I'm getting out on July 22, and before that I have about 2 weeks of discharge-vacation, namely, vacation before my discharge.

So we're in training, as I said last time. We've done some training in shetach patu'ach -- in the field. We had a whole-unit exercise last Thursday. We finished at about 830 in the morning, but woke up at 145, 200. Slept only an hour that night. And walked not a lot at all, not even 2 kilometers I think. The actually exercise took around an hour -- but then there was the obligatory walk with the wounded guy on the stretcher, namely me. So at the end, while everyone was exhausted and tired and so sweaty, I was chillin' on the stretcher. That was cool.

We had urban warfare training. That's actually kind of fun, cool exercises. we have around 2 more weeks of this at Tze'elim, at the arab village the army built to train in. Impressive I have to say. And then the last week of training is shavu'a milchama, war week. *sigh* I have to say, If I wasn't getting out of the army right after the training was over, I wouldn't mind so much. I am however, so I mind and "ein li ko'ach." I don't want to walk 80 km in war week. Doesn't interest me right now, not something I want to do. And if they don't allow us to take cell phones and stuff like in basic training, I'll bring it anyway, I won't care. Like I'll go a week without talking to Tzivia? Sure...at least I'm not the only married guy.

I went to Aish HaTorah today to check it out for next year. Not bad, I like it. Good shiur, good guys. Zsh is there, and Ovadya is also there, although next they won't be, but still. That also means I can get a pistol license easier. Don't think that I'm going to this yeshiva JUST so I can get a gun, that is NOT true. Just a cool positive that comes with it. Expensive though....we'll see.

I also love being in the Old City, absolutely love it. There's nothing like learning Torah that close to the Holiest Place On Earth, the Center Of The World. I love it.

Anyway, have a great shabbos everybody.

Game Over

2008-05-11T20:50:00.001+03:00

No more siyyurim (hummer patrols). No more missions. No more arrests, patrols, throwing flash-grenades. None. It's over. It was supposed to last until Tuesday, but I was sent today with 25 other people to go set up our new base, Nevi Musa near the Dead Sea in the middle of nowhere, where we'll be for the next month, training. Then regillah (week-vacation), then 3 weeks near Be'er Sheva training in urban warfare. 7 weeks of training means I get to be in Otni'el for less than a week, then get discharged. No more Ramallah. No more Silwad. No more Ofrah, Beit El. It's all over.

I'm going to miss it.

Purim

2008-04-03T10:44:00.004+03:00

Ah, the army... BH I am in it. Really. I really am happy I'm in it. Sometimes though, it gets annoying.

Like yomtov for example. My 2 favorite yomim tovim are Simchas Torah and Purim. On Simchas Torah night, from 2 pm before yomtov - 10 pm at night I was in the hummer patrol, missing, for one, davening with a minyan, and of course, dancing. In the morning I was in the kitchen, but I didn't really care and davened with the minyan anyway. I even got to lein thank God. Didn't really dance though.

The two days before Purim I was at the checkpoint at Rimonim (I was there last week to when the closed it...stupid Condoleeza...), but because the M'saya'at (another company in Duchifat) switched us late, we couldn't daven with a minyan. In the end I leined for about 7 guys. We couldn't even go have any type of chagigah, party, dancing, food, music, nothing. Everyone's doing shmirah, or toranut, or something or the sort. 30 minutes after I finished leining I had to go to a fillbox til Motza"Sh, meaning that Fri morning, the mitzvos would be really annoying. I took someone's megillah with me and read for myself in the fillbox Fri morning (19 minutes!), and from the scarce amount of food we had in the mini fridge, I made a kinyan on 2 or 3 things and gave it to someone for shaloch manos (I couldn't even go to the makolet before to buy stuff). Seudah was a roll with a slice of coldcuts -- but then Shmulik came and he made some shwarma, and also snuck a little bottle of wine. Matanos Le'evyonim I asked Tzivia to give for me, but then on Shabbos I realized that she's in Yerushalayim, I'm in Ofrah...

But mah la'asot? Someone's got to take care of these arabs. At least next Purim will be normal -- not in the army (ba"h), not on Friday...

8 Dead, 10 Wounded...

2008-03-07T15:51:00.003+02:00

As I'm sure we all heard, there was that terrorist attack at Yeshivas Merkaz HaRav Kook last night, to start off Adar II. A gunman [y'mach sh'mo v'zichro, may his name and memory be erased] came in with a cardboard box with the gun inside, and started shooting. Four minutes straight, just shooting. 500 - 600 bullets. Finally someone heard and shot him twice in the head.

So what do we do now? We can't change what happened, but we can effect the future. What do we do know? You know, when we're kids, I heard a lot that you know, when you're learning, you can't get hurt. The Midrash says that when the Mal'ach Hamaves wanted to take Dovid HaMelech, he distracted him, and in the exact second where he wasn't saying the words of Torah, he fell and died. So they say, oh, say Torah, and you won't get hurt. I think there's a source for that maybe? Whatever it is, that's not what happened last night. These high school kids were killed al kiddush HaShem, sitting in the beis medrash, shteiging away. All of a sudden... "R' Ashi says it's mutar..." and that's it. On one hand that's very holy, the last words, dying with words of Torah on your lips. On the other hand, shouldn't they be protected? They were learning...?

I don't know. but I do know that we should all try to work on ourselves to be better people. Maybe if we are better, HaShem won't decree such a thing. Maybe He will, but even so, at least we're better people. "Useshuva usefilah utzedakah ma'avirin es ro'ah hagizeirah."

By the way, my wife just told me a few minutes ago that she had heard that the gunman [yshv"z] used to work at the yeshiva. As a cleaning person I guess maybe, something of the sort? Maybe we should think twice, nay, 100 times before hiring Arabs for jobs.

The Really Annoying Tzitzis Curls: Problem & Solution

2008-03-07T10:59:00.005+02:00

You know how sometimes if you untie then retie tzitzis (for whatever reason), the strings get curled at the end? Right? Familiar? We all know why it happens. It's because the string was tied for so long, it just stays in that position, more or less, curled. So I did that yesterday. It has been annoying me that I'm walking around with a shittah of techeiles that no one holds anymore, so I decided to do something about it -- I changed the tying to Gr"a. But then I realized that I would haver the dreaded Really Annoying Tzitzis Curls, and was saddedened to realize that that was going to be my fate, but, I had to change my tzitzis anyway. But then HaShem put an idea into my head: why don't I iron the tzitzis strings? That would for sure work. So I spoke to the shvigger (mother-in-law), we got the iron, we did it and low and behold, the Really Annoying Tzitzis Curls are gone.

Thank you Lord for this epiphany.

More Vacation! Wooo!

2008-03-06T15:17:00.002+02:00

Yup, more. Except this one is my regular (Ha! Regilah...!) week-vacation that every chayyal gets every 4 months. It's cool, just chilling, resting. I tried to go to the shooting range (no, we do NOT shoot enough in the army. Besides, that's only m16s and m4s, I want to shoot a pistol) today...no, I didn't try to go, I went, but it wasn't so successful. They lady said that I have to get a "te'udat yosher" from the police (I assume a te'udah saying that I'm yashar, straight (no, not that type of straight)), and something from the doctor. I walked out, but then I went back in. Slichah, I'm a chayyal, does that matter? No, still need those stuff. Too bad...Good thing that when I get back to base I have to m'apeis (straighten the sights I guess?) my new gun. Yeah shooting! Wooo!

Last week we had tekes So Maslul. It marks the end of a year (about) that we trained and fought together, the guys I was drafted with. Now we're all splitting up to the 3 other companies of Duchifat: Palchod, Mivtza'it or M'saya'at. The arsim almost always go to the M'saya'at. BH I'm going to the Palchod, following my Lieutenant Matan. It is possible that I won't be in his machlakah (platoon), but I am davening that that is not that case. He is absolutely amazing. Sunday we'll find out.

Either way, my new base will be in Ofrah, not in P'sagot like I had thought. You see, on May 18 the whole unit is leaving Ramallah and going up to the Jordan Valley for training for 10 weeks. They figured there's no point to switch bases for 2 months (every 4 months the companies switch bases), so we're staying in Ofrah.

Being married is still cool. Haven't got tired of Her. Yet...Hehe just kidding. Chalilah v'chas if should get tired of her...

That's it for now. Have a great Shabbos.

Going Back...

2008-02-24T12:21:00.003+02:00

Well, my wedding vacation is over. I'm going back to base tonight. Almost four weeks, not bad. And then my regilah (week vacation every soldier receives about every 4 months) starts after my Tekes Sof Maslul on Thursday. In Afulah. Away from Yerushalayim. Away from Zalman's wedding. I hope I can make it on time.

I must say, being married is cool. It feels different. More grown up I guess, which is weird, because whod'a thunk I would've done this so fast? Heh, not me.

Crazy stuff...Sometimes I just can't believe I'm married. And in the army. And all that. Wow. BHYY.

Happy birthday to me :-)

The 25 Hour...From Now

2008-02-06T17:41:00.000+02:00

So my wedding is now a shabbos away (aka in another 25 hours). Never thought it would come so quickly. A really great friend, mentor, and teacher of mine on my last birthday said, "happy birthday. i know it will be the start of your best year yet!..." I don't really know how she knew that, unless she just figured, army, got to be. I don't know. I'll ask her.

I'm just sitting and waiting til it happens. I mean, obviously, if something needs to be done, I'm doing it. But in general, that's what im doing. It really nervewracking, I just want it to happen already. Nu nu...

Besides that I'm good. The army's not bad. Two weeks ago guy left to the commanders course, so now we don't have enough people to go on missions every night like we used to. That's a load off the head. More breaks, more time off to do nothing, or whatever else you want. Actually, if I wouldn't be getting married now, I would have returned to base on Sunday night to go on a big mission. I heard it went ok BH.

Because I'm getting married, I beH will be on vacation for awile, so I had to return my gun. I have to say, boy I miss that thing (don't worry, I miss Tzivia more). Carrying it around for a whole year, you get attached to it. And honestly, I feel safe with it. I know that if ch"v something happened, I'd be able to take care of business. Or at least, it would be much easier than if I didn't have a gun.

I don't know, that's pretty much all I have to say now. Just thinking about the wedding, getting married, hope no one's insulted if I forgot anything or anyone. And all that stuff. Hope everyone's doing ok. I'll try to post more often, now that I'm on vacation and that beH I'll be getting out every Shabbos. We'll see.

Golani Brigade Captain to Receive Award for Bravery in Gaza

2007-12-22T19:21:00.000+02:00

Golani Brigade Captain to Receive Award for Bravery in Gaza

by Hana Levi Julian

(IsraelNN.com) IDF Captain Nitai Okshi will receive a citation for bravery next week; he is the first IDF soldier in years to receive such an award for operations in Gaza. He is a member of the elite Golani Brigade, one of the most highly decorated infantry units in the IDF.

continued here...

It's funny, we all make fun of how my Captain is all morale and stuff. I can actually see him do something like this. Let's hope he could if we needed him to.

Israel Gov't, Police Stand by as Hamas Broadcasts from Temple Mt

2007-12-22T19:16:00.000+02:00

Israel Gov't, Police Stand by as Hamas Broadcasts from Temple Mt

by Hillel Fendel

More Olmert-Fatah-Hamas collusion: Hamas has been given exclusive radio broadcast rights from the Temple Mount this week - while Jews mourning the First Temple siege are banned from the site.

continued here...

Such a busha...no words...

"...Vacation's All I Ever Wanted..."

2007-10-31T20:45:00.000+02:00

So I'm on vacation now, Praise the Lord, HalleluY-a *southern-black-minister speak* (although I left out the "jesus the lord" part). Before we went on vacation though, we went to our new base in Beit El. Yup, new base, we finished all of our training, now we're going to be doing what we're trained for -- takin' care of bid'ness *ebonics*. As I may have mentioned, I'm in the Ramallah area. Went we got to my Beit El, saw a mosque out in the distance a bit (3 - 4 kms maybe) and asked my mefakeid (commander, sergeant in rank),

"Omri, mah zeh?"
Omri: Ramallah.
Me: Sweet.

We didn't do anything though. We got our equipment, the next day had our masa aliyyah lag'dud, and then vacation.

Now, masa aliyyah lag'dud, is I guess you could say an entrance fee to the g'dud, the unit. We finished training, we're doing a masa with the g'dud, and now we're going to fight with the g'dud.
It was from Handarta Sayeret Duchifat (the Sayeret Duchifat Memorial) in Pisgat Ze'ev (northeast Yerushalayim) until the Kotel, about 12 km. Let me tell you, it didn't feel like 12 at all. I wasn't feeling so well that week, I had a cold, my ankle which I sprained 4 yrs ago was acting up again as it does here and there, but I was not going to miss this masa. And I didn't, Praise the Lord HalleluY-a. Walking through the streets of Yerushalayim to the Kotel, one whole unit of Tzahal, all together, how can I miss that? It was absolutely amazing. Even though no one loves running when you're wearing your vest and all your stuff, I didn't mind one bit when we did the obligatory 50 meter sprints that you do every so often in a masa. Just being part of it, I didn't care what I did. They could have told us to fly, and I would have. You know, it's weird -- if you were there, you would've have seen a whole unit walking on the sidewalk to the Kotel. You would have felt amazing, watching Tzahal just march right on, feeling a huge sense of pride. Well, it was weird because I didn't see it -- I was it.
And then we get to the Arab part of Yerushalayim, right outside "their" part of the Old City, guys singing the song about Moshe Rabeinu "*low part* Vayach es hamitzri, vayifen ko vacho...*high part* la'asos nekama lagoyyim*--*lp* and he hit the egyptian and looked here and there...*hp* to do revenge on the nations" was a cool feeling. I know, I know, the point isn't to do revenge on them, it's to defened ourselves, yada yada I know, I know. But someday, we have to give back 100x what they've given us for so many years.
Then we reached Kikar Tzahal (the intersection before that long footpath to Sha'ar Yafo) and we just sprinted as fast as we could. We stopped after a little bit, but, just the symbol, when we get to Yeruhalayim, running as fast as we can. Then we skipped Sha'ar Yafo and entered through Sha'ar Tziyyon, singing Am Yisrael Chai, and, most importantly, Yibaneh HaMikdash, at the end, seeing the Beis HaMikdash in its ruin (not just its ruin, its insult to injury with a mosque on the holiest place on earth, but that's another post for a different time...).
We got to the Kotel, and had a little tekes (ceremony), and then we got our really nice Duchifat March 07 gun straps. Now all we need is our Duchifat pin that we're supposed to get sometime soon and it's all good...

When Is It Going To End?

2007-10-31T20:09:00.000+02:00

Last Shabbos I was eating at home, and someone talking about something she had read in the newspaper in passing. If I remember correctly, a women got onto a mehadrin bus (men in the front, women in the back) in Beit Shemesh, and sat in the front, not knowing it was in fact a mehadrin bus, and then a chayyal sat down next to her. Next thing she said was that 5 chassidish teens beat her up for it.

So, as I asked, when is it going to end? When are chassidim going to stop doing these extreme acts, which are aveiros by the way--which they are supposed to care SOOOO much about--and act like normal people? It makes me sick, even more so living right next to them in Sheinfeld.

Bad Chayyal?

2007-10-14T16:17:00.001+02:00

So i went to get a haircut at my barber in chareidiville (aka Nachala Umenucha in Beit Shemesh) on erev Shabbos. I was walking out, and this chassidish kid with hir mother starts saying, "ima chayyal! Ima chayyal!" (I was in my uniform and all) but not with the usual excitement usually related to that phrase. In fact, it was quite the opposite, he was crying! He was scared of me. I've never met anyone scared of chayyalim before. His mother though, said, "it's ok hes not going to do anything." I wasn't embarrassed, but I was for sure shocked. I wonder what was going through his head then. I mean, do chassidim really teach their kids to hate the army? I can't imagine that's the case. First, they don't give me strange looks, or spit/curse at me. That's a start right? Also a bunch of times they have stopped me to ask questions. So I can't imagine they HATE. I also can't imagine that they don't appreciate the army. We, with HaShem of course, keep them safe. So I just can't imagine thats the case, that they teach to not like us. Is it possible that a chayyal did something bad to him or his family? Yeah, I guess so, anything is possible, but I hope to God not. Also, I was, of course, wearing my kippah, and my tzitzis were hanging out, so he can tell I'm religious. And he still thought I would ch"v do something? I wonder....

The Jonnies

2007-10-05T00:13:00.000+02:00

In the Israeli Army, a jonny is an arab that you catch, wanted, not, or you saw him looking suspicious or with a gun, something like that. Well, my unit is now doing the shmirot for the whole area of moshav Migdalim, the hummer patrols (of which i did on erev yomtot going into the yomtov, 2 - 10 pm), foot patrols, etc. So tonight the foot patrol of my machlaka caught 3 jonnies. WITH a gun. Yup we caught 3 could-be terrorists with a gun. I'm telling you, the gun looks its from America's independence war. Like they made it at home with a pipe and thats it. Not only that, I saw them being escorted into our base blindfolded to our chamal (the room with the radio people) and when I saw that, I thought, wow, there's our mitzvah, right there. That's why I'm here. Who knows what they could've done. I'm proud of my boys.

Shmittah

2007-09-26T13:12:00.000+02:00

So, again, I haven't posted in a while, but that's what happens when you're in the army and have a girlfriend/are enageged. Yup, I am. Believe it or not. But anyway, I just wanted to share with you one thing that I heard over Yom Kippur.

I don't know how many people realize this, but pretty much every major bad thing that has happened in Israel, it has been either a shmittah, or post shmittah year. Probably meaning that we haven't been too good in keeping it. Let's try to do a better job this year, huh? For my sake at least...?

Long TIme No Post

2007-07-23T00:00:00.000+03:00

I know it's been a loong time since I posted last, but it's hard, I don't have a lot of free time to just sit down and write. I wish I did, but hey, that's life. I don't really have time no either -- it's 1200 AM and I have to get to sleep soon, but I'll just say a few things before I go to bed.
Basic training went by really fast I have to say. First it's the end of April, going down to the shetach (field) for the first time for a whole week of shooting range, and then the time just ZOOMS by and now I'm in advanced training with a different gun than with I started (my M4 sharpshooting gun), my Duchifat March 07 dogtag cover, and last but definitely not least, my new barret which I got last week (the new camouflage one they just brought into Tzahal about a year and a half ago). I'm in it, I'm in the army, I know what I'm doing, and it's great. I was thinking yesterday how it was the first day of the army, not knowing ANYTHING that goes around, trying to feel my way through it, and actually succeeding. Just taking one day at a time.

My mother was here for 2 weeks, from June 21 - July 3rd, that was fun. And I had my week vacation from July 2 - July 9, even funner. I hung out with Tzivia the entire time, taking her to a baseball game, going mini golfing, etc. good times, good times. In between and at the end were 2 masa'ot (our hikes), 27 km, and then the big one for the barret, 49. Did them both, however begrudgingly, and I got my barret because of it. A lot of time during the masa, I thought to myself, I'm walking 50 km for a piece of fabric? But yet, somehow I just kept going and going.

And what's to come? Our favorite (and by that I mean not), shetach, pretty much every week. We'll see how that goes.

Til next time, whenever that is...

But before I go, just one question:

Who's still reading this?

And My Paka"l is...

2007-06-01T18:16:00.000+03:00

I don't know why, but everything in the army is called a paka"l. Not sure what it stands for, but everything is either a paka"l this, or a paka"l that. A paka"l kissim is something you put in your pocket to hold everything. To do paka"lim is to do push-ups.
When people get paka"lim, that's the thing that they're going to be doing for their service. For example, some people got the Ma"g (big huge machine gun), some got the Negev (also a machine gun, but a better version of the Ma"g). Some become the drivers, some get the GPS thing, some become mefakdei chulyot (a chulya is 4 people). So the question is, what is mine?

Well, Thank the Lord, I got what I wanted. I will iyH, become a sharpshooter. I got the gun on Wednesday, the M4, what Israelis call the Flatop. I mean, it does have one. It's pretty much just like the M16, just without the bridge, which is why it's flat. Since I'm a sharpshooter though, so it's not just blank, instead of the bridge, I get the Trijicon, the scope. It multiplies the distance by 4. 40 meters looks like 10, 400 looks like 100, etc. It's so cool, I have to say.

After I've told people that I want to be a sharpshooter (kala in Hebrew), they've been like, doesn't that mean that you have to kill people? "Yeah, so?" It doesn't bother you?

Listen, the midrash says that when Kriyas Yam Suf was happening and the MItztiyim were dying, the angels were giving praise and HaShem said, "My creatures are dying and you're praising me?" So, obviously it bothers me a little bit (or at least it should I guess), but it CLEARLY doesn't bother them to kill us all the time. And it's a mitzvah -- "I'm ba l'hargicha hashkeim l'hargo--If someone comes to kill you, get up and kill him (Sanhedrin 72a or around there). We have to do all mitzvos with hapiness, or try. And I'm positive that getting rid of someone who could potentially hurt me would make me really happy. How about you?

Random Thought

2007-04-24T14:11:00.000+03:00

Is Wazoo really that high, that if something is "up to Wazoo", it's really a big thing?

Basic Training Month I

2007-04-24T13:28:00.001+03:00

I know I haven't posted in awhile, I've been a bit busy. I wonder how many of you still check my blog...

Well, it's been a month from Shabbos. It's been a weird month. Not what I'm used to, let me tell you. However, I'm am getting used to it; not liking it, but getting used to it. I don't like not sleeping, I don't like being tired. The past week though, I was sick and coughing all night every night, hence no sleep. And I'm in the army so it's not like I could just take a nap in the middle of the day. Yet. I'm told actually that in vatikot (after a year in the army when one actually goes on missions), and maybe even in kav (front line -- dong checkpoints and stuff) that if you are guarding at night, you get to go back to sleep in the day. Can't wait.

Everything is timed in the army. Everything. Wake up -- 15 miutes exactly to be outside and dressed. Davening is timed, eating, breaks, sleeping, is timed. And if you're 10 miliseconds late, they yell at you like you have just done the worst thing possible in the world. And it's better to come on time without the mission (batem im mesimah?) then to finish the mission without coming on time. Example: even if you're in your boxers after the 15 minutes after wake up, it's better to come out like that on time then it is to actually get dressed and be late. They're teaching us to be yeckies. I never thought that day would come...

It'd hard. It is. All the excersizing, the not sleeping, it can get to you. And even though you're sore all over, you gotta get up and do it all again anyway. Over chol hamo'ed Pesach, we ran 2 km 2 days in a row. Last week, we did the obstavle course in 2 parts WITH our vests and guns and everything -- including the 500 meter running before the wall, the first part of it. She said that you're supposed to be tired when you get to the wall. And I said, "oy." Before this time, I wasn't able to go over the wall with my vest, but on my 3rd try, I finally did it, thank the Lord in Heaven. and then we did the 2nd part of the obstacle course, running the whole thing and doing it backwards so the the last thing was the halfway mark, the rope. You have to climb up the rope and touch the bar. I still can't do that with the vest on. I think I was able to it without the vest, but not with it. Yet.

And then there's all the push-ups, and matzav shtayyims (m"sh - push-up position in the "up" position) after, and before runs, and obstacle courses. And whenever they feel like it, and when we get punished for something.

And then of course there's shmirah, guard duty. Wake up in the middle of the night to do shmirah for 20 minutes. I don't really get why they do that. I mean, I do, someone's got to watch the stuff, right? But, how are we able to do something like that to 100% if we're so tired?

And then of course there all the short runs they make us do because we don't come on time. Like, from here to that post, 30 seconds ZUZ! And if we don't come on time, we'l do it again, and again, and again.

We also have to keep track of everyone, it's called a matza"l, short for matzeivat lochamim (lit. - sitaution of the fighters). Pretty much just to know where everyone is. And we're at the point where if we don't get it right, we have to do 10 the next time. You'd think it's pretty easy, but sometimes it's hard keeping track of 37 peopl, knowing where everyone is. In the beginning, it was annoying, they'd yell at us because not everyone knew everyone's name. "You've been together one day and you don't know everyone's name yet?!" Something like that.

I wasn't there for this because I was home sick, but I was told that one day, they filled a tent with gas, guys went in with the gas masks, and then after a minute of two they had to take them off and breath in the gas, to know what it's like. I heard some guys threw up...

We actually have quite a bit of classes. We have classes on shooting, balistics. Last week we had a shiur on finding directions, finding north if we're lost. We had, for 2 days, classes on first aid (it was great because in the summer I took the Red Cross one and have my license for that. Thanks Adam!). I got my license here too. And I finally learned how to use the green thing that soldiers have sticking out of their pockets!
Once a week we have a shiur in arabic. I'm supposed to know now colors (apparently green (achdar) is very imprtant to them), directions, numbers (I know now how to count to a million), a few other random things (waqef o ana batuchak!). I actually forgot what the last shiur was on. It's weird, they teach us so much in a short time, expect us to be experts in it after, but we can't even take our notebooks to study and go over it. It's annoying.

We're always supposed to have something in our kotefet (the problem with being in Tzahal is that I know something in Hebrew, but I have no idea how to say it in English. Like this, for example, but it's what the thing on the shoulder is called, what you put the barret in). Either the barret (kumtah), or the hat we wear with our 2nd uniforms. We can't have the hat on madei aleph (the nice unis we wear outside), but we can have the barret on madei bet (the 2nd unis). But if it's on our head then obviously we don't need anything in our kotefet.
I've lost my barret 3 times, I'm on my 4th one. 2 times Everyone was in my tent, it was a whole balagan, and I put my barret down, I thought I had put in in my bag, but I guess I didn't (or maybe it was stolen...?), and it wasn't there. Another time I had lost it in the tachana merkazit in Yerushalayim, so I went to the information booth, asked if they had any spares (which is what I'm told you're supposed to do, they have tons), and the lady said to go to the police station here, so I went, he asked which kind, and he gave it to me, it was great. The one I have now isn't mine, it's a friends spare, and it's too small, not looking nice, I think I'm going to do that again....

We always have to be medugam (um...looking nice, presentable). Shirt tucked in, pants tucked in over the boots (that's why we have rubberbands), something in the kotefet (it has to be the left one). We might have just been running around, doing excersize, push-ups, sit-ups, crawling around, but we have to be medugam while doing it. Theyr'e big on that.

Last week we learned ta"s tasa"ch. That's the whole "Smol, yemin, Smol! Smol yemin smol!" And all that stuff, the special ways we needa stand in ceremonies. We're learning it now because my tekes hashba'a (swearinig in shindig) at the kotel is in like, less than a month, and we have to walk like that, and stand like that to look nice. When you see a whole unit of soldiers doing that, maybe it looks nice, but when we're learning it, it's the most ridiculous thing ever.

Every week when we leave Fri morning we have misdarei rasar (again, one of the things I don't know how to say in English, but the rasar is some big guy on base). He checks over every single soldeir to make sure we're medugam. Also we're not allowed to move. We're not allowed to move in shloshot, 3 rows to be at attention, or in a chet. We have to ask permission to even scratch. But certain people, like this rasar guy, you can't even ask. We have to stand there not moving for a long time sometimes. I'm sure it'll get worse.

Since I'm a chayyal bodeid (lonely soldier, no parents here), I'm told that I'm allowed to leave with the first unit who has misdarei rasar, even if it's not my unit. That most weeks I can skip it. I gotta speak to someone about that...

All this makes one appreciate Shabbos so much more. This past shabbos, with all that, and me being sick, I was so tired, and because of that, Fri night I slept 10 hours straight for the first time in around 2, 3 years, maybe 4. Oh, it was beautiful.

Time for mincha. Til next time...

Basic Training Week I

2007-03-30T14:36:00.000+03:00

So I finished my first full week of basic training. Early, but still finished. On Monday we got our madei bet (2nd uniforms, not the nice ones), and Tuesday we got our guns. When we got them, we had to write on a piece of paper the number of the gun and the scope that it came with. I was writing down the number, and above the number on the gun it says where the gun came from:

Colt's Firearms Industries Co. (or something like that)
Colt's Firearms

And now, here's the Kicker:

Colt's Firearms
Hartford, Connecticut

I couldn't believe it. I looked at it for a minute in shock. Like, no, no, can't be, that would be just too good. But no, it's really from CT. You know what that means? That means that ALL, yes ALL of the M16's that the Tzva Hagana L'Yisrael (IDF) use are from CT. Can anyone say "represent"?

Weds night we had our first masa (army hike). It was only 3 Ks, not even 2 miles, and I can do that in 20 minutes, but never have I done it with my battle vest, in it were 5 (FIVE!) full magazines of [29] bullets (which are quite quite heavy I might add), 2 water things, and we had to hold our gun the entire time. Personally, I think I was fine, it was good. A little tired at the end, but I was fine. We had to run at the end a little bit, but it was ok. In my kittah (3 kittahs in a machlakah, 3 machlakahs in a unit) theres this big guy, tall and big, and not so in shape, and he was losing it even before the halfway mark, so we brought ourselves together and helped him do it, literally taking him by the arms and leading him pretty much. But we finshed, had a type of tekes (ceremony) and we got our tags that hang off of the left shoulder, the coat of arms so to speak of my brigade. I'm starting to look like a real chayyal...

Right now I'm off til next Wednesday. I got off yesterday to go to some government office so I can be a chayyal bodeid, but then I went and they're on strike. So I have Sunday off too to do it, and then its yomtov. And then off for Shabbos Chol HaMoeid and second yomtov I'm off again, at least that's what my mefakeid told me today. I love yomtov.

Anyway, time to get ready for shabbos. I don't knwo how often I'll be able to update, we'll just play it by ear. Good Shabbos everyone.

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXX

2007-03-20T17:12:00.000+02:00

Tonny: Ezra, how old are you?
Ezra: 3.
Tonny: Oh yeah? Cool, when was that?
Ezra: I turned 3 on my birthday.

"Tomorrow, Tomorrow..."

2007-03-20T17:07:00.001+02:00

Yup, tomorrow it is. 730 tomorrow morning I have to be at Bakum, the same place I was at on Jan 25 to get my tags and ID. I'm staying at my friends house in Ramat Gan, which is like, literally minutes from Bakum.

I was going to post on Sunday, but the computer froze and was annoying. I remember a while ago when I would see a chayyal, I would think, "hey, that's going to be me at some point sometime soon." But then motza'ei Shabbos I saw one and I thought, "hey, that's going to be me not sometime soon, but in THREE days." Like, it kind of just HIT me. But I'm excited, I can't wait.

NOTE TO THOSE CONCERNED: To all those who are going to lose sleep because I am in the army, DON'T. Well, not yet at least. Literally, nothing happens in the beginning. So don't worry. Yet.

Next time I write I will be a full chayyal. Can't wait. And hopefully I'll be posting a new picture.

14 hours, 25 minutes...

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXIX

2007-03-09T09:34:00.000+02:00

Mordy: *argh* How do you lock you phone?
Tonny: Try closing it...?

Purim, Tzahal

2007-03-09T09:28:00.000+02:00

Purim was absolutely amazing, and I leined Megillah 5 times times. Not bad right? Well, I know that Abba has done it at least 6 times in one day once, my 5 times was over 2 days But anyway, it was awesome, let's just leave it at that.

2nd, they told us finally where we're going to in the army, which unit. Everyone who has a 97 in my yeshiva (and S'derot too, Zsh is also gonna be there) is going to Kfir, which is in Chirmak -- the unit with the ugly camouflage barrets.

All I have to say is, if we get the ugly red boots I WILL have to shoot somebody in the stomach.

Long Time No Update

2007-02-27T02:18:00.000+02:00

I know I haven't really updated in a while, but I don't have time at yeshiva for any big updates anymore. We only have internet now during lunch for 2 hours, and that's it. But really there hasn't been much going on. Yeshiva, learning, almost in the army, that stuff. A few shabbosim ago, I went to the Solomonts, then to Tuvia's yeshiva, next one to Tzfas, then UYO was this past shabbos. My birthday was on Friday; thank you all for all the birthday wishes. At UYO, I had seen all the food for shabbos, but not the birthday cake that Adina had the idea to get, and that Sarah Beth actually bought. Thank you Sarah Beth. And Adina. Thank you both.

I just can't wait for baseball. Let's go Mets. It's going to be the first year in 5 years that I will not be in a fantasy league. Gonna be kinda busy. ...sigh...

Anyway, laila tov everybody. I wonder if I still have readers...

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXIII

2007-02-27T00:14:00.000+02:00

Me: I think I might speak Hebrew better than you.
Tzivia: No, I know Hebrew, but not dikduk.
Me: I don't get how one can know Hebrew, but not dikduk. "Hey, I can speak Hebrew...but I can't speak Hebrew..."

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXII

2007-02-16T02:02:00.000+02:00

Since Mordy came back last week, here's a tribute to Mordy, 2 from him this week:

Mordy: It's kind of a bizzayon to have the baseball book on top of the gemara.
Tonny: To the baseball book or he gemara...?
Mordy: No comment...

Tonny: Weren't you supposed to sit next to Yoni?
Mordy: Yeah, but like, it's infested with ants. Like, they're crawling all over the wall. They'd be there, "Hey buddy, I'm trying to learn gemara here..."

Schimmelism Of The Week LXXI

2007-02-11T00:08:00.000+02:00

Roth: Rabbi, do you hold of liberal people?
The Chov: Yeah, I hold them under water...

Schimmelism Of The Week LXX

2007-01-31T23:19:00.000+02:00

Sorry for the long delay -- my yeshiva doesn't really believe in internet anymore.

Me: And here's my teudat choger (army ID).
Rabbi Lipman: OMG OMG WOW WOW WOW.
Me: Jeez, Rabbi, chill, you're acting like all the girls I've showed it to.

And Now For The Stuff You Guys Don't Know About...

2007-01-31T22:06:00.000+02:00

So I finally get to be on the computer for a little while, you guys (whoever you may be) don't even know what happened. Just that I'm a chayyal and that's it -- there was a whole shindig.

I needed to have my profile closed by January 18th in order to be in the chiyyul last Thursday. But I still needed to do a color blind test (which they did the first time but the chayyelet didn't write it down. *sigh*), and I was running around to sign up for kupat cholim to do the color blind test, when Yedidyah (the guy who was taking care of me with all this) called me, he said, they sent your file to Be'er Sheva (because I'm learning in Ohr Etziyyon), so go to Yerushalayim NOW and open up a new file, and get it closed, and don't leave until they tell you that you have a 97. So I went, got to Yerushalayim, spoke to Tal (the dude Yedidyah spoke to), Tal took care of me and zehu. At one point, Tal was asking his commander Avi (the head dr. I think -- he was wearing a blue shirt), he wants to be in the chiyyul next week what should I do?

Avi: Who told him to come here?
Tal: Me.
Avi: Who told you to bring him here.
Tal: Yedidyah from his yeshiva.
Avi (In english): Who the f*** is Yedidyah??

Later he was telling Tal to forget Yedidyah. Tal told me later not to worry about it. BH it all worked out.

We got to Tel HaShomer last Thursday at 1000 am. But the soldeirs wouldn't let us go in. 50 minutes we had to wait. Finally they let us in. 1100 we start. Then I had to go to the bathroom. Because of that I had to go to the end of the line. When I was going back to the line, a saw a guy from my yeshiva who was on my bus in line with me who was almost done. So I started the process, and right before the last thing to do, we broke for for lunch... I left at 430 after getting there at 1100. I would've left earlier if I didn't have to go to the bathroom. *sigh*

I was going to go to Beis for Shabbos, but then someone said that Superbus is free for me. So I was like, Beis, paying for it, or Solomonts for free...and there you go.

And there's the stuff you guys don't know about.

And Here We Did...

2007-01-26T09:30:00.000+02:00

I did it.

And Here We Go

2007-01-24T23:24:00.000+02:00

Well, tomorrow's the day.

The last time I paid full price for a bus was last Thursday (more on that later). Won't again for about 4 years.

Yup. Tomorrow I [officially] become an Israeli soldier.

But it doesn't really mean anything -- I'm still in yeshiva, I'm not training, and I won't even have my uniform yet.

So don't worry about me yet.

Last Thursday though was crazy. I ended having to do the health part of the army interview again. My profile had to be closed by Thursday for me to be mit'chayeil (the becoming-a-soldier-but-not-really thing I'm doing) tomorrow. But I needed to give in 2 things: 10 measurements for 10 straight days (1 a day) of my pulse and blood pressure, and a color blind test. Both stupid. The color blind test I did the first time, but she didn't write it down, and the pulse thing: the doctor wrote down my pulse was 40. Clearly wasn't. I sent in the b.p./pulse, but wasn't able to do the c.b. test, so Thursday I was running around trying to do it, when Yedidyah (guy in yeshiva who's been taking care of my army stuff -- Thanks Yedidyah!) called and said, drop what you're doing and go to Yerushalayim NOW to do your health stuff again, and don't leave til you have your profile. So I did, and I did the physical again, and my profile is 97. Kravi. Not a desk job.

Yesterday in yeshiva one of the rebbeim talked to us who are going in March, telling us about what we need to do to get ready for the army. And telling us a little about the shiurim. It's going to be intense: from after Purim, til March 17 about, we're going to be having around 3 shiurim a day, 3 times a week. Or something like that. A lot. Emunah, halachah, and something I can't remember. And then March 21 we start...

Come visit.

Spiritual Fiesta

2007-01-12T02:01:00.000+02:00

Spiritual Fiesta
by: Rabbi Dov Moshe Lipman

The Oklahoma Sooners have arguably the premier college football program. Four Heisman trophies and appearances in three out of the last six championship games. The 82,000 fans that pack Memorial Stadium couldn't be happier.

The Sooners unlikely opponent in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl did not seem to belong on the same field. Sure, the Boise State Broncos were undefeated this season, but with no high profile players, no records under their belts, a small fan base at their tiny 14,000-seat stadium, and no previous competition at this high level, most assumed this game would be a blowout.

Yet with less than two minutes left in the game, Boise State was leading the mighty Sooners, 28-20.

continued here... http://www.aish.com/societyWork/arts/Spiritual_Fiesta.asp

Great article, even if you don't like sports...

Where Have You Gone....Tonny...?

2007-01-09T13:52:00.000+02:00

I know I haven't posted in a while -- the yeshiva took away the internet, and we can only go on it between 130 - 330. Thing is though, all of the past 2 weeks, I'd go during lunch, and the computer room would be locked...

Anyway, here's an update: I started the army process officially: I had my tzav rishon (lit. first declaration). That's where you have the interview, the physical, where you get your Profile Number ("Do you have a 97?"). After a long while of not recieving my tzav rishonm I had it on Sunday. At first I thought that a guy in my yeshiva had used his protexia (connections) and set it up for me. But then at my first interview the guy (well, chayyal) asked me, "Do you know why we called you here?" Apprently, they had seen i was in the country for longer than I am allowed without going to the army, and they wanted to know whazzup.

Me: Uh, I was planning on being mitgayeis (drafting) anyway.
Chayyal: Oh, that makes things much simpler then.

So he said, while your here now, do it now. So I did. A lot of waiting. Got there at 730 in the morning, waited 40 - 50 minutes for the first guy to get there, then at the end i had waited an hour for my personal interview, and that took over an hour. I left at 215, 230. I was told I had done everything, but no. This guy in yeshiva I talked about before, he called the army to see about my profile, but they said that they want me to meausure my blood pressure and pulse for the next 10 days, and also to check if I'm color blind. Thing is though I did that color blind thing already. Whatever. And I need to get them signed by a doctor. BH, Thank the Lord that the Rosh Yeshiva's wife is a doctor, she could sign this stuff, we'll fax it and with God's help, on January 25th I become a soldier.

Scary isn't it?

Don't worry though, I won't be training yet, that's on March 21st. I'll be a soldier with most of the benefits (cheaper busses, free trains), but without the bad stuff (fighting, training, always being tired). Not bad, right?

Lonely Man Of Humor

2006-12-26T09:01:00.000+02:00

It seems that I'm the only one who thinks it's funny that the god of 1/3 of the people in this world was Jewish.

Schimmelism Of The Week LXIX

2006-12-12T08:46:00.000+02:00

Sam: I am incredibely smart.
Tonny: Hey, it happens once in a while

Tehilla Is Home!

2006-12-12T08:41:00.000+02:00

Tehilla [bas Bracha] was discharged from St. Louis Children's Hospital today at noon. We are so grateful to HaShem and to all who have shared this ordeal/challenge with us.

She is in great spirits, thrilled to be home, and looks forward to getting back to school on Monday. She starts out patient therapies next week, afternoons Mon-Thurs, which will probably go for 2 months. HaShem should please continue to give her brochos towards a complete, full recovery; she's definitely on the way B"H.

Everyone in the hospital (all the nurses, Doctors, and staff) know Tehilla well and are so amazed at her recovery. This is a testimony to the power of tefilla and all the efforts on her behalf. We always need chizuk (encouragement and strength) when it comes to davening, teshuva, learning and doing mitzvos, especially when it requires self sacrifice or difficulty. If we'd only know and appreciate the power and affect our little (all the more so the big) efforts make through our choices. Our prayers make a difference, every mitzvah goes into a high yielding zechus account which pays and helps us more that the most impressive financial portfolio. Tehilla's recovery is proof (for those who are open to see and choose to think about this).

We hope and daven that Rafael Dovid (ben Brocha) will follow. I'll write more about our feeling at a latter time. It's serious but as I told several people yesterday: HaShem is the Creator, Sustainer and Supervisor. This means also... He created Dovid's brain, He sustains Dovid's brain (there's no cruise control..., every moment is an expression of HaShem's direct will), and He supervises all that's going on in Dovid's brain. The Almighty can put it all back together, He knows all the anatomy and how to make it all work.

He is making improvements but it's hard to see him not himself. This is the month of nissim and we hope that his movement on his left side, his thinking abilities, and all that needs healing and repair.

Dovid is scheduled for surgery on Monday morning (December 11th) to put back his bone flap. It's a 3 hour surgery and they expect him to bounce back within 24-48 hours. Please daven for him, give tsedakah on his behalf, and do what ever possible.

May I suggest that you think of other cholim in need of rachmei shamayim (mercy from HaShem) when doing these efforts on behalf of Dovid. Please continue to daven for 3 year old Reuven ben Tova Chaya, 4 month old Miriam bas Devorah, and I just heard that 4 year old Zev Eliezer ben Chaya Shaindel is in dire need of tefillos for a refuah shelaima.

I wish everyone a wonderful Shabbos and as all the brochos for the week flow from Shabbos, that this coming week will bring refuos, yehoshuos, and nechamos for all in need.

Thank you again for all you have done on behalf of my children. May HaShem, the source of all brochos, bestow brochos for you and your family.

Good Shabbos,

EG

Schimmelism Os The Week LXIII

2006-12-05T08:53:00.000+02:00

Malka: I want a baby.
Yehonatan: You want that one *pointing to a father holding his baby*?
Malka: Yeah.
Yehonatan: Ok I'll go over and ask him if he needs it over Shabbos, maybe we can borrow it.
Malka: Thanks honey.

So What...?

2006-11-30T08:43:00.000+02:00

"Arab spokesmen refused Olmert's demand to give up the 'right of return.' Hamas deputy leader Abu Marzouk, based in Damascus, said, 'We reject any deal that does not recognize the right of return... The Palestinian people will never give up this sacred right. Our people have been fighting for 58 years to achieve the right of return for all those who were expelled from their homeland.'"

And we've been fighting for 2000 years. What's you point?

Update From ST Louis

2006-11-29T09:14:00.000+02:00

Been a crazy past few days. Shabbos in Har Nof with Yehonatan & Malka, and Tuvia. Zoo with Tzivia. Learning shtark. And Ezra made me run today and will forever hate him for it.

But, here's an update on Tehilla and Refa'el Dovid:

Saturday Night, Nov. 25th, 5 Kislev

We have so much to be thankful for. I'm happy to share encouraging news. It is clear to me that we can gain a strong sense of chizuk and appreciation for the power of all the tefillos and mitzvos that have been directed as a zechus (merit) for Rafael Dovid and Tehilla.

Last Tuesday (Nov 21) Dovid had a shunt put in his head to drain the cerebrospinal fluids. The operation was successful and he returned to his room awake and alert after the surgery.
On Wednesday morning he started to respond to questions by nodding his head. I thought I saw it in the morning. Around noon, my wife asked Dovid if he wanted Abba to return soon and he immediately nodded his head yes. This has continued since then, not exactly every time he is asked to respond but a good number of times which indicates his awareness and this level of communication.

On Thursday night my daughter brought her newborn Blumi (still getting use to the name...) to see Dovid. She asked him if he wanted to kiss the baby. He nodded YES and as the baby was brought close to him he lifted his head a drop and shaped his lips as if to try to kiss her. This is HUGE! It brings excitement, encouragement and tears of joy.

On Friday, the Physical Therapist came in with the OK to sit him up and move him to his wheel chair. Last week he was up to 5 minutes sitting up, his head and neck held up of course, and 3 + hours in his chair. Now the goal was to again go for the 5 minutes sitting up and an hour in his chair. As we together moved him to his chair sitting him up he had such a painful distressed look on his face and he let out an .... "AAHHH". It was heartbreaking to hear and at the same time we were ecstatic that he made a sound! This was the first sound he has made! We got him comfortable and he made it well through the hour.

Brocha spent Shabbos with Dovid and 2 friends spent Shabbos with Tehilla. After Shabbos I immediately called Brocha to hear how Shabbos went. She shared this amazing news...
She heard a few sounds from Dovid through the night so she figured she'll try to get more out of him. She told him how much we love him; Abba loves you, Ema loves you and who loves you more than all..... He responded, "HASHEM"!!! Of course it's not his normal voice, it was slow, high pitched, and with stress but he said it! She continued to read to him and he answered a question from the Parsha... I don't remember the question but he answered, "ROCHEL". The Physical Therapist came in to again put him into the wheel chair. Again, something was hurting and he let out a cry... my wife asked him, "Dovid, tell me what's hurting?" He responded, "my arm". The Therapist asked which arm, he responded, "my left arm". It was so...........wonderful. It wasn't his normal voice; he hasn't used his voice in 6 1/2 weeks. But it was clear and tells us that not only is he able to speak but to think and process, B"H!! There were several other words and responses in addition.

I'm trying not to say the word "unbelievable" even as just an expression. It's believable because "Ein od m'lvado" - it's all possible since HaShem runs the world. I just need to think it and live it. This whole ordeal and praying for the kids to be well is so out of our hands that it helps actualize the emunah and bitachon that we know is true in our hearts and minds.

HaShem is always speaking to us and sending us messages. Everything we see and hear, witness and experience is no accident. The lessons and messages comes on different levels. Even if it's a bit far removed from me, if it comes to me it's for me to process.

So many people from so many different places have heard about this "accident" and have responded in so many different ways. It has affected so many, for the good and better. There are so many life lessons and truths that we can think about with hopes of internalizing to change us and raise our spiritual status. This is how we grow. It's so much better (I think) to keep learning from the events and lessons of others before the wake up calls need to ring louder and closer. Ultimately it's all for our good and HaShem knows best for each one of us. Not one drop of pain or suffering, distress or discomfort is without calculation. Just as a parent determines the duration of the "time out" or severity of the punishment that is aimed as being the best lesson for the mistake, so too HaShem runs and controls all the details of everything in life. It's back to basics: He's the Creator, Sustainer, and Supervisor and it's our test and job to live it... (walk the talk).

After the phone call and getting the kids at home a bit settled, I went to the Hospital to make Havdalla for Brocha (and Dovid). We were talking about birthdays so I said to Dovid, "yours is in March, when is Chaim's?" He responded, "APRIL".

Getting past the tears of joy and gratitude, we can see that our tefillos are working and that there is continued improvement day after day. We daven that he'll continue to improve day by day all the way back to a refuah SHELAIMA, a full recovery where he will come back to himself in every way.

Tehilla is also improving beautifully. She is more and more focused and less and less agitated and irritable. She is more and more aware of her comments and reactions. As I've written before, she is totally with it, remembers everything, it's just that she's louder than normal and less inhibited to share her thoughts. Her normal self is very refined, well balanced, good judgement, etc.... she's truly a super star. She'll get back to this but in the meanwhile we are all seeing the process of recovery along with a sense of humor that we have never seen before. Nothing that she says is inappropriate it just uninhibited. She doesn't act like this all the time throughout the day, but at different times of the day. We are limiting the number of visitors she has so as not to get over stimulated and that her visitors come with a specific purpose or plan. Friends are coming to go over school work or to discuss specifics about some school projects. This has been very helpful and therapeutic. The brain is still healing and the everything inside needs to reconnect. We are davening and optimistic that she'll have a full recovery Be"H and the Doctors feel the same. I believe she'll be in the Hospital for 2-3 weeks longer.

We haven't been told clearly but we believe Dovid will be going to the rehab unit sometime this week, perhaps even on Monday. During his time in the TCU (Transitional Care Unit --step down from ICU), he has been receiving Phyical Therapy (more range and motion), Occupational Therapy, and Speech Therapy. Once he goes to the rehab unit, it becomes intense rehab throughout the day.

We need to get Dovid back talking, walking, and moving all parts of his body. He has his sister's Chasuna coming up on February 1st in St. Louis, he needs to dance and say divrei Torah at the Sheva Brochos. Baseball season is coming up in April. He's the best on his team at any position and doesn't know how to hit less than home runs. With HaShem's help and continued tefillos, he can do it all. The most important is the extra learning projects I am hoping to set up for him.

Thank you for your part in their recovery. Everyone's tefillos and extra efforts to create zechus for both Rafael Dovid and Tehilla is making a difference. Tefilla is the most potent tool we have. It works.

With deep gratitude and appreciation,

EG

Sunday evening, Nov. 26, 6 Kislev

I tried sending out this email last night but it didn't go out.

I'll just add a few things to the above.

Dovid is speaking a little more, slowly, not totally clear yet but clear enough to recognize (most of the time) what he's saying.

The 2 points which thrilled us:

1) The Doctor asked him today which sibling is getting married. He responded, "LEAH". He then asked him who the Chosson is. Keep in mind this is new information in his data bank, he has never met the Chosson. He responded clearly, "REUVAIN".
2) Dovid has learned the first few mishnayos in Pirke Avos by heart. I started saying the Mishnayos and let him fill in the blank... Moshe kebail Torah m.... he said "SINAI". etc.. and several other times he responded correctly. The second mishna: He responded to: al ha.. "Torah", al ha... he responded "haavoda", and he completed the misha "chasadim"

This past week he has started moving his right hand a lot. We are hoping the rest of his body will follow soon with HaShem's help.

There's a lot to be thankful for and there's ever so much to daven for. We shouldn't just daven for our basics when in need or when we are at a loss; we should appreciate our basics of health and family with gratitude and expression every day. How much richer and happier our lives would be with this little effort. I know this and you know this but I have been negligent and perhaps it's worth mentioning.

EG

Schimmelism Of The Week LXII

2006-11-23T08:54:00.000+02:00

Jordan: It's so windy.
R Lipman: It's the sound of music.
Jordan: Sounds like wind to me.

Two Realizations

2006-11-19T22:34:00.000+02:00

I have realized two things in the past week:

It's better for me if people meet me during the week first, and not on Shabbos. If they meet me on Shabbos, then they say, "oh he's a black hatter," and then I gotta be like, no really, I'm cool. But if they meet me during the week, they say, "hey, he's cool," and then on Shabbos they see the black hat, they're like, woah he wears one? That's crazy. When I walked into the room Fri night wearing my hat, Tzivia, Chayki and Miriam were all like, what? No, I don't believe you.

The second is that I can't wait until a Shabbos when I'm in the army where I get to where my hat (I know that there will be some Shabbosim where I won't be able to). I walk in to shul with my suit, hat, and gun slung over the shoulder, and probably TOTALLY confuse people. "Ok," they might think, "he's wearing a hat and he has a gun." "What are you?"

Me: A chayyal, so what?
Dude: But you wear a hat.
Me: So?

With what I'm told about what people think about when they see someone wearing a hat, this seems like this is going to happen alot.

I can't wait.

It's Wedding Time!

2006-11-14T08:55:00.000+02:00

No, not for me. Not yet (BE"H) at least. Yesterday there was a wedding at yeshiva at 845 am.

You see, my Rosh Yeshiva, Rav Chaim Druckman, is the head of giyyor (conversion) for all of Israel, thus the beis din is here at yeshiva. They haven't really done anything in around a year and a half (the chareidim don't agree with R' Aviyor's (the head of this beis din) opinion on geirus, so somehow they've managed to stop it), but 2 years ago, they would hold weddings here all the time of people who were living together, but not Jewish, Now they're Jewish, they need to be married according to the Torah, so we'd have a quick wedding and zehu. Yesterday we had one of those.

Ezra, who helps R' Aviyor with things like this, got a minyan, had the chuppah, the chassan and kallah brought the food--prtetzels, nishnushim, cookies, drinks--and it was great. In total there were maybe 20 - 25 guys, 2 guys on recorder, 1 on guitar. We danced a little, shmoozed, and of course ate.

Zack: This literally is a $14 wedding.

May have been. But it was the best $14 wedding I've ever been to.

Schimmelism Of The Week LXI

2006-11-14T08:44:00.000+02:00

Abutbol: Ani avakesh, al tignov [et havaflim].
Tonny: Ani lo tognov, ani rak lokei'ach.
Abutbol: Ani lo aratei'ach, ani rak sim et ha sakin baleiv.

Abutbol: I ask, don't steal [my wafers].
Tonny: I'm not stealing, I'm just taking.
Abutbol: I'm not murdering, I'm just putting the knife in his heart.

More Mashi'ach-Is-Almost-Here Proof

2006-11-09T19:51:00.000+02:00

R' Ya'akov Kaminetzky on Breishis 22:1 quotes a Zohar:

Come and see: a prince from the sons of Yishma'el for 400 years asked God, "Does the one who curcumcised have anything?" What did HaShem do? Instead of giving them closeness On High, he gave them something down here (instead of Olam Haba, he gave them from Olam Hazeh); in the merit that Yishma'el was circumcised, HaShem gave them Eretz Yisrael to have to watch while it's empty [before Mashi'ach], and they will prevent B'nei Yisrael from coming back etc., and in the future, they will start strong wars (milchamos chazakos) etc., and HaShem will [lit. wake up] on them...

That's exactly what's happening now. In the past 55+ years, we've been getting back the land, first the main part, then Yerushalayim and Golan and Sinai, etc. We're taking it back, it's time for the arabs to give it up to us.

And you say, but what about Gush Katif? We gave it to them?

There are, in all miracles, aspects of them that, if people wanted, people could reject them. For example, at Kri'as Yam Suf, Par'oh thought (whether he himself thoguht that or HaShem made him think that is a whole different issue) that the splitting of the sea was done by really really strong winds. So too here, so we gave back a little bit of the Eretz Yisrael. Not too much, but enough to make people skeptical.

This kind of fits with what the Rashbam says here (Breishis 22:1). Between the kicking out of Yishma'el and the Akeidah, there is the story of Avraham making a bris, a pact, peace treaty if you will, with Avimelech, King of the Plishtim. I won't take your land, you won't take mine, etc. The Rashbam explains that after that, HaShem was quite mad. "You're going to make a peace treaty with the Plishtim? To give them some of the land that I am giving you and your kids? Here, go kill your son--your future--see how much good that did for you."

The land of the Plishtim today is called Aza.

We'll just have to wait and see.

We're Going

2006-11-08T23:31:00.000+02:00

The whole yeshiva is going to Yerushalayim on Friday for the gay pride parade. Well, we're going for the anti part, but you know. It's going to be ridiculous. Lots of Jews. Lots of Tehillim.

Hopefully no violence. BH the parade route was changed, now they're "only" parading in the Government part of Yerushalyim. I guess the only solice i find in all of this is that technically, outside of the Old City walls isn't Yerushalayim; like, biblically. Right...?

In yeshiva for Shabbos. I'm definately more comfortable now than I was the first time...

Til next time, whenever that is...

Schimmelism Of The Week LX

2006-11-07T08:57:00.000+02:00

*During meals, Amitai usually says the Daily Halacha. Sunday night he wasn't there, so Ezra did it. Amitai was back at it last night*

Ezra: Shkoyach, shehichlafta oti.
Amitai: Bevakasha.
Tonny: Shkoyach, shehichlafta oto.

Ezra: Shkoyach for replacing me.
Amitai: Your welcome.
Tonny: Shkoyach for replacing him.

Ezra: Not bad Tonny, not bad.
Tonny: Hey! I said a joke in Hebrew!

What Really Happened

2006-11-06T10:30:00.000+02:00

I called my cousin Rivka on Thursday. I worry about her, I miss her; I wanted to know how she was doing. Hearing that her best friend (Tehilla bas Bracha) and half her family were in a terrible car accident didn't put her in the best of moods obviously. Hearing that her best friend had some kind of brain damage (lo aleinu) didn't really help either. I haven't spoken to them since I came to Eretz Yisrael, and I worried. I'm still worrying, but at least I spoke to Rivka.

She said she's doing ok; she's been better. She then told me what happened. I had heard just that the car flipped over a bunch of times, and Tehilla and Refa'el Dovid were the most seriously injured, Aviva Rochel and R' Elazar Yitzchak were let out that night or something, Elisha and Eliyahu Chayyim a week later I think, and for the most part are doing well (if I remember correctly).

They were at a farm owned by one of the Jewish families there an hour and a half away from St Louis. One of their girls, Liz, and is friends with Tehilla and Rivka. It was Chol Hamo'ed, some family thing, fun times. As it was getting later, it got cold and rainy and icky outside, some of the family left early. The Rebbetzin left with I think 2 or 3 kids, and one of them slept over at the farm. And then the Rabbi with the rest of the kids (mentioned above) left. Around 10 minutes later, Liz picks up a ringing phone, and someone asks if they're alright.

Liz: Yeah why?
Guy on the phone: Oh, there was an accident on the edge of your property (ed. note -- Rivka told me accidents happen all the time, one of these country dirts roads not nice in the rain), just wanted to make sure you're ok.
Liz: Oh, thanks, we're ok.
Guy: Oh. Well...they're wearing yarmulkas.

Rivka told me she let out such a scream. She drove there, and couldn't believe that people got out alive. The van was all messed up, pieces of it here and there. Ambulances came and brought everyone to hospitals. What happened was Aviva was making a left, and on the oncoming car didn't stop for her...and slammed right into them.

Tehilla and Refa'el Dovid (Refa'el was added around a week later I think) have some brain damage. Tehilla at first was in a coma, not really responsive; she started squeezing hands. When the doctor told them aboiut the MRI, it wasn't good news. 3 days later, Thank God, she was talking, moving around somewhat. The doctor came in and said, "this can't be the same girl I saw 3 days ago. It just can't." The part of her brain that got damaged was her memories, personality, coordination (I think), and other stuff. She has no idea where she is sometimes. She thinks she's in Israel with 20 siblings (she really has 10), 30 cousins (really has around 14). Rivka said it's the hardest when Tehilla doesn't even recognize her. Sometimes she does fully, sometimes not her face but that there is a Rivka, sometimes her face but not that there is a Rivka.

Sometimes they correct her...

Rivka: What high school do you go to?
Tehilla: B'nei Akiva.Rivka: Uh, try Beis Ya'akov. How many people in your school?
Tehilla: Hundreds.
Rivka: Uh, try 40...

...and sometime they don't.

Rivka *on the phone*: Tehilla I'm going to come visit you tomorrow.
Tehilla: In Israel?
Rivka: No, St Louis.
Tehilla: St Louis is in Israel?
Rivka: Yes...
Tehilla: Well, I'm leaving the hospital tomorrow, I'm going [somewhere].
Rivka: Well, wherever you are, I'll find you.

She was moved to a childrens rehab hospital last week. We just have to keep davening for a full recovery -- or as full as possible.

Eliyahu Chayyim I think it was, was up and saw the entire collision. Saw everything. Including her little 7-year-old brother Refa'el Dovid fly through the windshield. Apparently the only thing he got was brain damage, on his body he got nothing, no cuts, bruises, etc., just brain damage. I think they're keeping him in a medically-induced coma, but not positive. He has been responding and opening his eyes (I guess not in a coma...?). Since he's so young, the doctors said it's a possibility that the other side of his brain can completely compensate for the damage, and he will be fine. We just gotta keep davening.

Aviva, Elisha and Eliyahu Chayyim are doing well. Going back for checkups. "Aviva is basically back in full swing," father Rabbi Elazar Yitzchak said.

I was spaced out for awhile after I hung up with Rivka. Just being thankful to HaShem that I have my health, friends and family, and for overal my situation right now. I couldn't ask for better.

I heard a beauitful vort Friday night at the tisch of R' Birnbaum at KBY, where I was for Shabbos. The Midrash brings 3 ways to explain why nisyonos (tests) only happen to tzaddkim, and not resha'im:

1. Let's say you are selling flax (to be made into linen), and you want to show potential customers how good yours are, you're going to hit the best ones, to show off, to make them better.

2. Now you're selling jugs and pitchers (not baseball ones). To show off how good your jugs are, you hit the ones with the best sound, the strongest ones, so they won't break--obviously you're don't want to break them while showing them off, so you hit the best ones.

3. You have 2 oxen to do some work in your field with, a really old, weak one, and a young, strong one. What, you're going to do this work with your weak one, who might possibly die in the middle?

HaShem only gives tzaddikim nisyonos. Why? 1) It makes them better. Because they passed a certain test, they are a better person because of it. 2) HaShem wants to show you off to the world. 3) What, the resha'im are going to carry this world? I don't think so.

HaShem didn't need to test Avraham at the Akeidah, He knew he would pass. He wanted Avraham to see it and know it too. And he took in all the lessons from it, and became an even better person than he already was.

If you have nisyonos, just remember -- it means you're a tzaddik; you must be doing something right.

Shakes Head In Dissapointment

2006-11-02T09:07:00.000+02:00

Some of the blogs I like to read are blocked. Some of them aren't.

Zeh me'atzbein oti.

Endy -- The New "The Catch"

2006-11-01T08:51:00.000+02:00

Someone showed me a picture of Endy Chavez making the most ridiculous catch ever. And then yesterday I watched it. It really was the most ridiculous catch ever. In Game 7. Top of the 7th, tied at one, 1 man on, someone hits the ball over the fence for a 2-run homer, Cardinals taking the lead 3-1. OH WAIT, NO HE DIDN'T! Endy Chavez jumped and caught the ball over the wall.

You guys gotta see it...

When I get on an English computer, I'll try to put the link up.

Schimmel Of The Week LIX

2006-10-31T09:07:00.000+02:00

Tonny: We got a thunderstorm that knocked out the power.
Zsh: We [in Sderot] don't need those, we got Kassam rockets to do that.

Back At Zanoach

2006-10-26T19:51:00.000+02:00

No, don't worry, just here for tonight -- I need to get some stuff, and I'm on my way to Efrat. I got a ride from a guy in the Ohr Etziyyon who actually lives in Efrat (but I needed to come back to Yesodei) and he dropped me off, he said, "everyone who goes here go to Beit Shemesh." So I started walking, 10 seconds later a car comes, flag it down, and he brings me right to the path to go to Zanoach. And I might get a free ride to Yerushalayim tomorrow too...

Ohr Etziyyon is really good. One thing I love: Ovadyah, a shiur vav guy (6th year), BLASTS Jewish Music in the morning. I love it. Wake up to Shwekey, its' chill. You don't get that everywhere.

I feel my hebrew improving. It's still a little hard, but I'm getting there. I speak Ivrit most of the day--although surprisingly there are a lot of English speakers there (a lot of guys who are sons of those who made aliyyah, or made aliyyah when they were young)--all my chavrusos are in Ivrit. All my roomates are Israeli. There's an American from MTA actually, it's pretty cool.

Food's ok. Breakfast isn't god at all. I have tomatoes everyday for breakfast, that's it. Lunch and dinner isn't so bad. Oily.

There's shiur in here, so I'm going to bounce. Email me. Call me. Whatever you want.