http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/torah/ en-us Fri, 3 Oct 2008 02:17:45 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2096277/posts A friend of mine in the media covered the Republican National Convention and brought me back a souvenir: a navy blue yarmulke with “McCain ’08” printed on it in English and Hebrew. I guess there wasn’t time for the campaign to make them up with Sarah Palin’s name, too, which is a shame. With all the disquiet she has evoked in the Jewish community, that would be a collector’s item. Jews themselves, and liberals who feel we belong naturally in the Democratic fold, give reasons for the gathering unease about her. A gaping cultural difference is noted. “Eating moose meat... The Jewish Daily Forward http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2096277/posts#comment Fri, 3 Oct 2008 02:17:45 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2090432/posts In the media, Catholicism is the religious tradition most frequently, and misleadingly, held up for approbation as having no problem reconciling Darwinism with theistic faith. The tradition next most often cited as Darwin-friendly is my own, Judaism. You can bet a new Rabbis’ Letter in support of evolution will garner the usual uncomprehending applause. Boasting 305 signatures so far, the letter holds that "It is possible to be inspired by the religious teachings of the Bible while not taking a literalist approach and while accepting the validity of science including the foundational concept of evolution." The Open Letter Concerning Religion... Evolution News & Views http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2090432/posts#comment Thu, 25 Sep 2008 19:21:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2085888/posts The disregard of the past is a common illness in Twentieth Century life. Much of secular society, and secular Jewry, blithely ignore the lessons of our past and of general history at large. Same-sex marriages, blind pagan worship of environment and nature, widespread use of addictive drugs, a disproportionate emphasis in life on sports and unwarranted adulation of athletes and the strong, feel-good and undemanding moral standards, all were staple components of the downfall of society in the Classical Era of Greece and Rome. But our world blithely ignores all of the lessons of the past. We see our society... Jewish World Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2085888/posts#comment Fri, 19 Sep 2008 15:22:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2076681/posts Jewish worshippers returning to Hebron's Cave of the Patriarchs after Muslims were given exclusive access to the holy site at the weekend reported that the cabinet containing their Torah scrolls had been urinated on. One Jewish resident of Hebron told Israel National News that he and several other men had to move the cabinet to another part of the room because of the strong smell of urine in the area where it is usually positioned. Additionally, green Hamas flags were found placed in the windows that mark the burial sites of Abraham, Isaac, Sara, Rebecca and Leah. The Cave of... Israel Today http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2076681/posts#comment Sun, 7 Sep 2008 14:51:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2068593/posts In Cohen's opinion, the relationship between science and religion is a clear one. The two work together and Jews should openly welcome both. "When I first joined the organization, it was in the '60s, and there were strong issues with regard to the question of the synthesis of science and religion," Cohen commented. "Science was quite dominant at the time and people had religious doubts. The issue of whether an Orthodox scientist could really support much of the religious doctrine as viewed from a scientific point of view was something that people saw to be problematic. The early articles dealt... The Jewish Advocate http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2068593/posts#comment Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:26:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2054513/posts "And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for I have given the land to you to possess it. But if you will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then those that you let remain will be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you dwell. And it shall come to pass, that as I thought to do unto them, so will I do to you." (This week's Torah portion, Numbers 33: 53, 55, 56) This... Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2054513/posts#comment Thu, 31 Jul 2008 21:47:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029643/posts Once upon a time, Jews who found Judaism cumbersome simply declared the Torah obsolete and went about their lives as they pleased. They weren't inclined to intellectual contortions. Some "progressive" Jews today, though, choose instead to twist and torture the Jewish canon, in an attempt to force it to "yield" what they wish it actually did. In a way, their reluctance to just jettison the Torah and Talmud is admirable. Other words, though, come to mind for their merciless manipulation of the Jewish religious tradition. A recent example of such intellectual anarchism is Hillel. The campus organization, that is, not... Jewish World Review http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2029643/posts#comment Wed, 11 Jun 2008 21:04:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2027764/posts What support is there for the claim that God spoke to all the Jewish people at the foot of Mount Sinai?Who did God give the Torah to at Mount Sinai? Most people reply, "God gave the Torah to Moses." And what were the Jewish people doing while Moses was receiving the Torah? "Worshipping the Golden Calf." Correct answers -- but NOT according to the Bible. The above answers come from Cecil B. DeMille's classic film, "The Ten Commandments." Amazing the impact one movie can have on the Jewish education of generations of Jews. It's a great film, but DeMille should... 'Aish HaTorah http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2027764/posts#comment Sun, 8 Jun 2008 02:58:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2021883/posts A recent fire has led to an outpouring of generosity for a struggling synagogue that lost its Torah in the blaze. A Broward County woman who wants to honor her dead parents, and a couple who commute between Miami and New York, are donating new Torahs to a beleaguered Jewish congregation in Miami Beach whose synagogue was ravaged in a recent fire. ''These show people that we're going to come back stronger after a tragedy,'' said an appreciative Rabbi Zev Katz, the head of Miami Beach's Chabad Shul, part of Judaism's Orthodox Hasidic movement. Miami Beach police and fire officials... Miami Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2021883/posts#comment Tue, 27 May 2008 14:20:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997084/posts In the days when Moses dictated the law of the land, the five daughters of Zelophephad took issue with the rules of inheritance. The Book of Numbers xxvii recounts how the sisters sought counsel with Moses in front of the congregation of travelling Israelites to demand that the laws be altered to accommodate female succession. This bit of biblical history is often brushed over, as are other feminist aspects of the Old Testament, because for thousands of years men alone have interpreted the Hebrew Scriptures, according to a feminist revision of the text. The Torah: A Women's Commentary re-evaluates the... The Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997084/posts#comment Sat, 5 Apr 2008 07:37:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989788/posts Libyan leader says the Bible is counterfeit Thursday, 20th March 2008. 11:42am By: Manasseh Zindo. LIBYAN leader Col Muammar Gadaffi, who is in Uganda, on Wednesday March 19 celebrated the anniversary of the birth of Prophet Mohammed with a series of attacks on European countries and the Bible for besmirching the Prophet Gadaffi was speaking to a large crowd at Nakivubo War Memorial Stadium in Kampala after leading the Thuhur (afternoon) prayer, where he said any Bible and Torah (Old Testament) that does not mention the Prophet Mohammed was written by mankind and therefore a fraud. Full article posted here Religious Intelligence http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1989788/posts#comment Sat, 22 Mar 2008 10:51:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1985229/posts 30 Adar I, 5768 March 7, ‘08 This Shabbat, Jews throughout the world will read the Torah portion, Zachor, in which we are commanded to remember Amalek and his evil schemes to obliterate the Nation of Israel. But currently, Israel is in the throes of a desperate attempt to erase its history. In doing so, it has lost its internal reference point, leaving it completely dependant on its enemies. Without Judaism, we have no right to be here. We are nothing more than foreigners occupying the land of the Hamas, who are simply fighting a war of independence. Those who... Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1985229/posts#comment Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:27:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1928840/posts Setting priorities in keeping with your values is a daily task for us all. I may, for example, feel the need to spend two hours exercising every day. But if that conflicts with my family responsibilities, I have to consult an overall worldview, a scheme of values, to decide which imperative comes first. So it goes in public life no less than in private. The world Jewish community is united in few things, but a rough consensus has emerged that our greatest worry, our top priority in need of being addressed, is the threat posed by Muslim extremists. With some... The Jewish Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1928840/posts#comment Wed, 21 Nov 2007 14:45:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926157/posts Israeli politicians are busy 24 hours a day trying to solve the "Arab problem". Deals are made, complicated agreements are signed and dangerous risks are taken. In an effort to make the Arabs happy; terrorists are released, Jews are kicked out of their homes, shuls and yeshivot are smashed and billions of dollars are taken from Jewish poor and given to the "Palestinians". After all has been said and done, there is still no peace. Want to know why??? Because all of these efforts are going towards a problem that simply does not exist. There is NO Arab problem in... Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1926157/posts#comment Thu, 15 Nov 2007 15:37:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920637/posts Toledot (Genesis 25:19–28:9) This week Jews will read Toledot on our annual progression through the Torah. The section begins with a depiction of Rebecca's pregnancy which certainly must be the most difficult one in the entire Bible. Did G-d give Rebecca the right to "choose"? The life struggle of Jacob/Israel with his twin, Esau, is described from his time in Rebecca's womb. It continues for the much of the rest of the book of Genesis. The struggle wasn't interrupted for even the moment of birth. Who can read this portion and suggest that "life" begins at birth? ML/NJ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1920637/posts#comment Sun, 4 Nov 2007 00:50:49 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1909907/posts How long since you had to look inside a math book? Because here's a question that might have got by you: A down payment on a home costs $5,000. Housing one brain-damaged man for a year costs $20,000. How many families lose homes to mental retardation? This extra-credit teaser comes from a Nazi-endorsed schoolbook (currency adjusted). It was the first step in curing society of the unneeded. Shortly after, with the country now ready, beautiful killings ("euthanasia" in Latin) began. It is comforting to think that Nazis were demons rather than humans. But following their defeat you couldn't find an... Chabad.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1909907/posts#comment Thu, 11 Oct 2007 20:44:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1885954/posts "We're getting divorced. But we're doing it amicably, with mutual respect." When ex-spouses (or ex-es) describing their divorce sound like "we're withdrawing our offer on the house we looked at Thursday", you can get the idea that they never invested enough to be hurt by the loss. But listen again: you'll hear emptiness in the voice: Pain in the heart. Yes, the stigma is lost. Yes, some koffee-klatch and water-cooler conversations have an "everybody's-doing-it" attitude. No. No one who went through divorce thinks it's painless. But if pain-free divorce is a myth (in the shattering), divorce is a reality, an... Chabad of Rancho Mirage http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1885954/posts#comment Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:08:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1856441/posts A new “mishigas” (nonsense) has entered the Jewish world. It is becoming more popular by the day. It’s called traveling to Europe to see the great “alter haym” (old home). The goal of these trips is to relive the wonderful life the Jews had back in those good old days. Very often, prominent Rabbis lead these trips, whose frequency and popularity are growing rapidly. Virtually every week, a major Rebbe goes to Hungary, Ukraine or Poland. Thousands flock with him to walk the sacred European ground where his grandfather once stood. Ahhhh... what holiness! What a privilege to travel to... Manhigut Yehudit http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1856441/posts#comment Tue, 26 Jun 2007 13:45:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1854323/posts The State of Israel has entered a sort of values vertigo. The heavens are the earth, the earth is the heavens, good is evil and evil is good. The first obvious expression of this vertigo was Rabin's handshake with Arafat on the White House lawn. It blurred the distinction between friend and foe, good and evil and justice and depravity. "Behold, I have set before you today life and goodness, and death and evil." (Deuteronomy 30:15) There is good and there is evil -- and not as the paganistic post-modernism would have us believe. There is life and there is... Manhigut Yehudit--The Jewish Leadership Movement http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1854323/posts#comment Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:32:41 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1831862/posts "G-d spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai and said ... Six years you may plant your fields... and the seventh year shall be Shabbat, you shall not plant.” Why was this Divine commandment of shmita (Sabbatical year when fields are left fallow) particularly related to Mt. Sinai? After all, the entire Torah was taught to Moses on Sinai. Shmita, perhaps to a greater degree than other commandments, tests the Jew's faith in G-d, because it explicitly calls upon him to demonstrate his confidence in G-d's bounty, his belief in G-d's power and providence. "And if you ask what will we... ChaBaD.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1831862/posts#comment Fri, 11 May 2007 12:27:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824492/posts Most of the Jewish people are so scattered and removed from each other that they hardly ever find a common language, or even any language that makes sense to them as Jews. This is what is called assimilation, which is basically the loss of their common heritage. We therefore have to try to reach some deeper levels of the soul, many of them bordering on the unconscious, to help us get back to talking together, to having some kind of a common language. Jews can hardly be categorized as a nation (even though there is now an emerging Israeli nation);... ChaBaD.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824492/posts#comment Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:40:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824485/posts I'm very rich. That I never hear. I'm very humble. That I never hear. I'm very spiritual. Ah, at that I cringe very often. Why don't they realize spirituality is humility? Truth is, when they say "spiritual" they mean abstract: a quest for the unnoticed, unstated, the uncommon. But spirituality, in that definition, is not something inherently good, worthy or desirable. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak (known in Yiddish as the Freidike Rebbe) was unimpressed by yeshiva bochurim, the boys in yeshiva, who opened the refrigerator just to see what was inside. When I first heard that, at about fifteen, I pretty... ChaBaD.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824485/posts#comment Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:15:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824484/posts In a world of crises, an immediate problem is the dissolution of the family. We regret the passing of the fabled Jewish family, not out of sentimentality, but from realistic appreciation of a personal experience. The devoted family, an anchorage amid confusion, is rapidly disappearing, even among Jewish people. "What can we do?" is the distressed cry of parents seeing their children growing away from them, going elsewhere for guidance and even affection. We attempt, futilely, to recreate the old family spirit, and wonder why we don't succeed. The atmosphere of a Jewish home was not produced by spontaneous generation,... ChaBaD.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1824484/posts#comment Fri, 27 Apr 2007 12:08:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1815344/posts Biblical Liberation from Liberalism By Michael Medved Wednesday, April 11, 2007 With the arrival of the eight day Passover Festival on Monday night, I was preparing some material for our family-reunion Seder meal (Diane and I will be together with all three of our children, plus my visiting father from Jerusalem) when I stumbled across one of the most important of all verses in the Hebrew Scriptures. Leviticus 19:15 declares: "You shall not commit a perversion of justice: you shall not favor the poor and you shall not honor the great, with righteousness shall you judge your fellow." About fifteen... Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1815344/posts#comment Wed, 11 Apr 2007 05:31:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1805666/posts An overlooked enigma of political life is why there are distinct ideological groupings at all. We take the liberal/conservative divide for granted, rarely pausing to contemplate how mysterious it actually is. The Hebrew Bible solves the mystery. The solution can be found in the unexpected context of the Torah's seemingly primitive and bizarre laws of ritual contamination. The relevant material is laid out in dense detail mainly in Leviticus, a.k.a. the stuff most Jews skip over in shul (as Christians do in church). If you don’t see the mystery, consider the following: Doesn’t it seem equally if not more plausible... Jewcy.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1805666/posts#comment Fri, 23 Mar 2007 17:13:54 GMT