Important notices
See HOME Page
See HOME Page
Interesting quotes from famous Jews
My father never lived to see his dream come true of an
all-Yiddish-speaking
Canada.
-David Steinberg
I once
wanted to become an atheist but I gave up. They have no
holidays.
-Henny Youngman
Look
at Jewish history. Unrelieved lamenting
would be intolerable. So, for every
ten Jews beating their breasts, God
designated one to be crazy and amuse the breast beaters. By the time I was five
I knew I was that one.
-Mel Brooks
The time
is at hand when the wearing of a prayer shawl
and skullcap will not bar a man from the
White House, unless, of course, the man
is Jewish.
-Jules Farber
Even
if you are Catholic, if you live in New York,
you're Jewish. If you live in Butte, Montana, you are
going to be a goy even if you
are Jewish.
-Lenny Bruce
The
remarkable thing about my mother is that for thirty years she served us nothing
but leftovers. The original meal has never been
found.
-Calvin Trillin
Let me
tell you the one thing I have against Moses. He took
us forty years into the desert in order to bring us to the one place in the
Middle East that has no
oil!
-Golda Meir
Even a secret
agent can't lie to
a Jewish mother.
-Peter Malkin
My
idea of an agreeable person is a person who agrees with
me.
-Benjamin Disraeli
It's so
simple to be wise. Just think of something stupid to say and then don't say
it.
-Sam Levenson
Don't be humble; you are
not that great.
-Golda Meir
I
went on a diet, swore off drinking and heavy eating, and in fourteen days I had
lost exactly two
weeks.
-Joe E. Lewis
A
spoken contract isn't worth the paper it's written
on.
-Sam Goldwyn
I don't want to achieve
immortality through my work. I want to achieve immortality through not
dying.
-Woody Allen
Whoever called it
necking was a poor judge of
anatomy.
-Groucho Marx
A
politician is a man who will double cross that bridge when he comes to
it.
-Oscar Levant
Too bad that
all the people who know how to run this country are busy driving taxis and
cutting hair.
-George Burns
A committee is a
group that keeps minutes and loses
hours.
-Milton Berle
I don't
want any yes-men around me. I want everybody to tell me the truth, even if it
costs them their
jobs.
-Sam Goldwyn
Television is a medium
because it is neither rare nor well
done.
-Ernie Kovacs
When I bore
people at a party, they think it is their
fault.
-Henry Kissinger
"DAILY JEWISH WISDOM" is found @ Beliefnet.com
JEWISH WISDOM:
Fear builds walls to bar the light. - Baal Shem Tov
Engage in Torah and charity even with an ulterior motive, for that habit of right doing will lead also to right motivation. - Talmud: Pesahim, 50b
The sword comes into the world because of justice delayed and because of justice perverted.- Ethics of the Fathers 5:8
Ever since Rabbi Akiba used the Passover seder to plan a revolutionary struggle against the Roman occupiers, the Jews have used the seder to begin concrete work on tikkun (healing and transformation).
- Rabbi Michael Lerner, the Tikkun Magazine Passover supplement 2006
To work out ends of righteousness and love are you called; not merely to enjoy or suffer.
- S.R. Hirsch, "Nineteen Letters," 1836
“Pessimism is a luxury that a Jew can never allow himself.” Golda Meir
The worship of God, though desirable as an end itself, can somehow never be in the right spirit, unless it impels one to the service of man. - Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan
Concentrate on three things and you will not fall into the grip of sin. Know from where you came, where you are going, and before Whom you will have to give account and reckoning.- Pirkei Avot 3:1
We cannot learn from general principles: there may be exceptions. - Johanan, Talmud: Kiddushin
A truly generous man is he that always gives, whether it be much or little, before he is asked.- Orchot Tsadiqim
The best security for old age: respect your children.- Sholem Asch
A Jew can be Jewish with God, against God, but not without God.- Elie Wiesel
He who promotes his own honor at the expense of his neighbor's has no portion in the world to come.- Judah b. Hanina, Genesis Rabbah
Even if all the world tells you, "You are righteous," consider yourself a sinner. - Rabbi Simlai
Prayer is meaningless unless it is subversive, unless it seeks to overthrow and to ruin the pyramids of callousness, hatred, opportunism and falsehood. The liturgical movement must become a revolutionary movement, seeking to overthrow the forces that continue to destroy the promise, the hope, the vision.- Abraham Joshua Heschel, "On Prayer"
Lose with truth and right rather than gain with falsehood and wrong.- Maimonides, "Tzavaah"
Seek the good in everyone, and reveal it, bring it forth.- Rabbi Nachman of Breslov (1772-1811), "Likutey Moharan"
Just as we love ourselves despite the faults we know we have, so should we love our neighbors despite the faults we see in them.- Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov
A man should never impose an overpowering fear upon his household. - Babylonian Talmud, Gittin 6b
If you add to the truth, you subtract from it.- The Talmud
Love unaccompanied by criticism is not love....Peace unaccompanied by reproof is not peace.- Genesis Rabbah 54:3
Quote of the Day
Site Visits
Fair Use Act
FAIR USE NOTICE: Many of the articles on this site contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making this material available in its efforts to advance the understanding of different issues related to this site. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use such copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Insights from the Folk in our Community
2009-2010 with ANOTHER GREAT INSIGHT FROM RABBI MAROOF:
Dear Friends,
Unlike some other holidays, New Year’s Day is generally considered by Jews to be a purely secular observance for all Americans, regardless of their religious beliefs. However, it is important for us all to be aware of the historical significance of New Year’s Day in Christendom. [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feast_of_the_Circumcision_of_Christ] When I send out emails about “comparative religion”, I often receive complaints. So I will not comment on this issue in detail. Instead, I will invite you to read the above website page and to determine for yourself whether New Year’s is a totally secular holiday that we should formally celebrate. Whatever your conclusion may be, enjoy the well deserved vacation time. Best Regards, Rabbi Maroof
from back in Sept. 2009:
with reference to the Daily Courier's article on Yom Kippur of Sept. 25th, 2009 :
http://www.dcourier.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=72780&SectionID=74&SubSectionID=109&S=1Sept. 27th, 2009
Mazal-Tov Congregation BeitTorah, you made your start. Sure you are small ( only 15 members ) but Temple B'rit Shalom had a humble beginning also, was not 170 families at that time. Now that people know about you there will be more Jews wanting a religious experience with services conducted by lay leaders combined with the monthly visits of Rebbe Levertov of Habad in Phoenix ( or other Habad representatives ) for those Jews who need a more traditional approach to Judaism. Again, Good luck Congregation BeytTorah. Pauline Finkelstein.
Yom Kippur 5770
Yom Kippur 5770
Adele Jay
Sept. 27th, 2009
How can we succeed to achieve Healing and Peace
When with each other we avoid every chance to talk?
What good is attempting to commune with our God
Amid untended messes strewn along our walk?
How dare we now enter the Day of Atonement
While dirtied and stained with business unfinished?
For surely HaShem knows our inner souls,
When the sincerity of our prayers is diminished!
Perhaps that is why yet one more chance still exists
To purge our sore guts from each and every sin,
To open talks and make Peace with all those around us,
With all our turmoils, and with where we have been
Until HoShanah Rabah, the end of Sukkot,
When we beat the willow, shedding the last of sins,
And validate our prayers said on Yom Kippur
Having come from the best of ourselves deep within.
Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles
SUKKOT 5770
Adele Jay
My simple Sukkah is up, albeit sized for a pup
With flowers and bright colors galore.
Lulav/Etrog stand ready, my small voice is still steady
For Sukkot Blessings, Songs I adore.
So bring on Ushpizim Guests, none are considered as pests,
All are welcome at my Sukkah’s “door” !
Many people ask what they can do as Jews to enrich their Thanksgiving Day observance with specifically Jewish content. It so happens that Mikveh Israel, one of the first synagogues in America and a Sephardic Congregation, have a specific liturgy for this day which they detail on their website here [ http://www.mikvehisrael.org/Hazzanut/heshvan.html#thanks ] and which has been in place, in one form or another, since Thanksgiving was first instituted.
We can adapt this practice at our Thanksgiving dinners by reading and discussing some of these prayers, specifically Mizmor LeTodah (Psalm 100) at the table. We can ask ourselves what we are thankful for and – more importantly - what we should be thankful for, as Jews, as Americans and human beings. We can express our gratitude by acknowledging the role the Almighty has played and continues to play in our lives and in the lives of all of our brothers and sisters – Jewish, non-Jewish, American and non-American – across the globe.
For additional discussion of Thanksgiving from a uniquely Sephardic religious and historical perspective, see this link [http://www.jewishideas.org/angel-shabbat/thoughts-thanksgiving-2009] from Rabbi Marc Angel, Rabbi Emeritus of Shearith Israel Congregation, the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue in New York.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Rabbi Maroof
**********************************************************************************
A PRAYER FOR THE THANKSGIVING FEAST
By Naomi Levy [OT FAirfax, VA]
For the laughter of the children,
For my own life breath,
For the abundance of food on this table,
For the ones who prepared this sumptuous feast,
For the roof over our heads,
The clothes on our backs,
For our health,
And our wealth of blessings,
For this opportunity to celebrate with family and friends,
For the freedom to pray these words
Without fear,
In any language,
In any faith,
In this great country,
Whose landscape is as vast and beautiful as her inhabitants.
Thank You, God, for giving us all these. Amen
***************************************************************************************
from Rachelle O. T.
| A Blessing for Thanksgiving Modim Anachnu Lakh (we are grateful to You) We are grateful for the food before us and for the friends and family around us, for the good in others and the bounty in our lives. May we appreciate our country and never take our freedoms for granted. May we seek ways to perform tzedaka and mitzvot, charity and good deeds. And, may we thank God for "nourishing and maintaining us constantly, every day, at all times, and in every hour." Amen. |
| | ||
| ||
The study of Oriental Martial Arts has come under attack and falsely condemned as being forbidden by Torah because of its alleged origins in unclean and idolatrous sources. Such a claim is not only ridiculous and untrue; it is offensive discrimination and prejudiced. Those individuals perpetuating this falsehood are exposing their own ignorance of Torah Judaism and are in violation of numerous Torah laws. It is forbidden to speak slander and lies. It is forbidden to falsely condemn something as illegitimate. Unfortunately most Rabbis today, unlike their counterparts in previous generations, have no education or exposure whatsoever into the belief systems and philosophies of other cultures. Therefore, they have absolutely no ability to recognize what is idolatry and what is not. Many modern-day Orthodox Rabbis have no education in comparative spiritual systems and therefore have no legitimate right to comment regarding them. Unfortunately, many modern-day Orthodox Rabbis will condemn anything and everything that is ethnically different or foreign as being “idolatrous,”regardless of whether or not it truly is. The old saying holds true, little knowledge is greatly dangerous. When prejudice rules, truth suffers. Many of our Rabbis are guilty of being uneducated and prejudiced against that which they know nothing about. To make matters worse, many are even proud of their ignorance and prejudice and boldly proclaim their wanton beliefs like vomit, condemning everything outside of their own little feeble points of view. It is so sad that this perversion is done under the name and banner of Torah Judaism, when in truth Torah Judaism teaches the opposite of what many of these misguided teachers proclaim. This is a blemish upon our holy Torah and a disgrace to the good name of Judaism and Jews. This prejudice and outright violation of Torah laws does not reinforce Judaism and protect Jews from foreign influences. On the contrary, it only makes those Rabbis speaking such look like fools and they only serve to flame the fires of anti-Semitism and Jew- hatred already running rampant in our world. Indeed,when these so-called Rabbis speak about things, which they know nothing of, their transparency becomes almost immediately apparent, and their legitimacy is quickly dismissed by anyone and everyone who knows the subject at hand better than they do. When Rabbis speak like fools, they are treated as fools. There is no greater Hillul HaShem (desecration of the Holy Name) more than this. Only when one speaks with wisdom and truth is one respected for what one says. There is no greater Kiddush HaShem (honoring the Holy Name) than this. Please take this admonition to heart. I do not want to enter further into disputes. Nevertheless, the truth must be told, especially a truth that is so very vital to our national and personal mortal survival. I condemn ignorance in all its forms. I condemn the ignorant that perpetuate ignorance. If one has a legitimate statement of condemnation about anything, then let the evidence be brought forth and discussed in the open forum of truth, exposure, investigation, analysis and intelligence. This is the Way of Torah and the honor of Heaven (Kavod Shamayim). Oriental Martial Arts are not only completely kosher and acceptable for Torah observant Jews to study and practice, I would go so far as to say they are an obligatory course of study and should be viewed as part of Torah study itself. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ NOTE: The views expressed in this piece are insights from a participant in Beit Torah and do not reflect a stand taken by the Congregation as a whole. However we do agree that discrimination in any form can cause pain to people who then, defensively, try to refute the validity of the source of that pain. Anyone in such pain deserves our compassion and comfort. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Biog highlights of Rabbi Bar Tzadok
Born and raised in New York, Ariel Bar Tzadok immigrated to Israel in 1979, and studied in some of the finest Sephardic yeshivot in Jerusalem, including Porat Yosef (Ir Atika) under Hakham Shalom Kohen.
In June 1983, Rabbi Bar Tzadok received his Rabbinic ordination (Haredi Ultra-Orthodox) from Rabbi Ya’aqob Peretz, Rosh Yeshiva of Collel Hekhal Pinhas......Rabbi Bar Tzadok continued to expand his education in areas of the world’s religions, philosophies and psychological systems. The Rabbi also explored the teachings of many occult systems and cults. After developing a working understanding of the parameters of human consciousness and how it touches both seen and unseen worlds, Rabbi Bar Tzadok began his career in Rabbinic/Life Coach counseling.
The Rabbi is also a life long practitioner of Chinese martial arts......Over the years, Rabbi Bar Tzadok has been featured in numerous newspaper articles, radio talk shows and television interviews. He has spoken for university groups and lectures around the country. He was also a guest on NBC-TV’s national prime-time series "Ancient Prophecies," as well as FOX-TV’s "Millennium Prophecies".
adele
The days passed over so quickly
With oh so many things to do
That when the seders came and went
We so needed strength to renew –
To renew our freedom from daily drek,
Our belief of world peace at the end of our trek,
That without slavery the world yet can be run
With us all as equals under the sun.
Lag B’Omer 5770, the 33rd Day of the Omer
Lag B’Omer 5770, the 33rd Day of the Omer
Adele Jay
How can we embrace who we are
Without the wrath of the heathen upon us?
Will we walk freely, near and far,
Without burly bigots waiting to hound us?
This Lag B’Omer lesson leaves us chin high,
Knowing Love of our Law comes first in our eyes.
We can only pray that others may yet see
That to study our Law, we all must be free.
