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Showing posts with label Courage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Courage. Show all posts
February 8, 2026
Each of Us Can Defend Israel
December 1, 2023
A Dream of Global Crises and G-d’s Sovereignty
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The article discusses the challenges facing the world today, including terrorism, war, health issues, financial crises, environmental problems, and social inequality. Technology can help us to address these challenges, but we also need to rely on G-d for help. The article concludes with the message that we should not be afraid of the challenges facing the world but instead focus on doing what is right and being faithful to G-d.
(Source Photo via https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-white-and-yellow-tiger-sitting-on-a-beige-sand-during-daytime-47312/)
May 14, 2023
Israel's 3 Stages of Attack
As we are maneuvering closer to the finish line with Iran, we must maintain our ultimate faith in the “Rock of Israel,” as well as continue to be dedicated to defending our people, land, and religion.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 1, 2023
Have No Fear, Hashem Is Here
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Have No Fear, Hashem Is Here."
When I watched the video of the IDF in this blog, I felt great pride in the courage and incredible progress that Israel, the Jewish State, has continued to make in building up its security capabilities. Israel’s miraculous success is based on faith, along with creativity, determination, and audacity.
November 2, 2022
May 1, 2022
The Real Unthinkable Option
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 17, 2021
Fiery Star of David
Saw it on Facebook and thought it's really dazzling!
Man, we're on fire and in a good way--rebirth after the horrors of the Holocaust, redemption to and flourishing of the Promised Land of Israel, and what looks like many more incredible things to come.
Hence, my reading of the three stars: our past, present, and future.
G-d's plan for the world is happening, and it's hopefully very bright indeed. ;-)
December 26, 2020
That's Called Living
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called, "That's Called Living."
I was overjoyed this week when the IDF captured the sick murderer of Esther Horgan. Esther, a wife and mother of six children, was jogging in the forest near her settlement of Tal Menashe in Shomron, when the bloodthirsty Palestinian attacker in waiting came upon her and smashed her head in with a rock.
Thank G-d, now there are over 400,000 settlers in the West Bank and another 200,000 around East Jerusalem. Esther Horgan and her family represent the best of the Jewish people giving of themselves, and putting themselves at the front line, in order to fulfill G-d's commandment to us to settle the land and safeguard the country for the rest of the Jewish people.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 27, 2020
You Can Overcome It!
It says:
Courage is endurance for one moment more.
Just when you feel that you cannot go on for another moment.
Just when you are at your very limit.
Just when you've reached your total breaking point.
Then...
You take that deep breath and focus your mind intently.
You disassociate yourself from the pain and struggle.
You see the challenge in front of you for what it really is and you raise yourself above and beyond it.
Your inner spirit is so much greater than its power over you.
You have the inner faith and can endure whatever it is.
You can overcome it! ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 21, 2019
Israel Must Leave No Stone Unturned
Over the last decades since 1973, Israel has taken strong actions again to beef up their defenses and leave no stone unturned including taking the bold steps in destroying the menacing nuclear reactors of Iraq in 1981 and the Syrian reactor in 2007. Now Israel is facing a similar decision on action with Iran and their weapons of mass destruction. Israel and the United States need to leave no stone unturned in trying to find a path towards a peaceful resolution with Iran, but if that stone threatens potential annihilation of Israel and other western allies, then there should be no doubt whatever that Israel and other civilized nations must act once more to remove the threat and turn that stone into harmless dust again.
Whether towards peace or G-d forbid to war, Israel must be courageous to act and leave no stone unturned to secure its peace and security, or the ultimate defeat of its unrelenting enemies. Israel must be like Joseph, and be able to interpret the dreams and events unfolding before them, and like Pharaoh to make the decision to act and restore the meticulous butler, hang the negligent and dangerous baker, and save the nation from otherwise assured destruction. May G-d give us the wisdom, courage, and strength to do what we must eventually do and let it be for the good.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
December 7, 2019
Faith Chases Out The Fear
It’s interesting that faith and fear are incompatible and they cannot coexist. Where one is, the other is not. Just like the light chases away the darkness, so too does faith expel fear from our lives. When we believe that G-d is in charge of everything that happens, and that he loves us and ultimately wants what is good of us then what is there for us to fear?
No matter in what danger we find ourselves and no matter how scared we feel, we are not alone. The Master of the Universe is watching over us, waiting for us to raise our eyes to the heavens in faith, and to take a stand and do what’s right. If we do, then G-d will manifest himself to us and indeed “will carry, and will deliver” us.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
September 22, 2019
Rambo Is Back
September 18, 2019
Aging Gracefully
Our bodies and minds may start to deteriorate.
We can't do all the same things we used to do (even as we can maybe do others).
There can be a deep sense of loss as abilities, things, places, and people that were critical to us for many, many years may no longer be present with us.
When I used to speak with my aging father about he and my mom getting older, he would joke and say:
Yes, we're getting older--what's the alternative?
Then the other day, I ran into a nurse from the Jewish Social Services Agency (JSSA).
We chatted briefly about the good work they do in helping so many elderly and handicapped people.
And then she says to me about how she herself is starting to feel what it's like to get older, and that she often tells her mom that everything hurts to which her mother responds:
You're not supposed to leave this world alive!
Putting these together:
I suppose we all need to do the best we can to age graciously ourselves as well as help others in the process--because there is no alternative to aging and no one leaves this world alive. ;-)
August 29, 2019
Go Years of Retirement
There are three phases:
1) Go-Go: You retire and are eager to enjoy your newfound freedom, and you spend the time and money to really do the pursuits and travel that you always wanted.
2) Slow-Go: After the initial adventurism and spending, you settle in some more and spend your time on quiet activities, socializing, and relaxing.
3) No-Go: This is the wind down phase, where you spend most of your time at home and at a certain point, may need some assistance to do everyday activities.
Obviously, the last phase is sort of depressing, but it too is a part of life.
Like a bell-shaped curve, we are born, grow, mature, and then decline.
This is the cycle of life for every living thing.
It takes maturity and courage to face it and to make the most out of every single moment that we are blessed with. ;-)
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 18, 2019
In Sderot: Bombs and Birthday Cake
Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and gave it to the Palestinians in a unilateral effort towards peace, but soon after terrorist group, Hamas, took control and has since been raining down missiles on the Israeli civilian population centers around it...Last night, as the missiles came towards Sderot and the Israeli sirens wailed for the people to seek shelter–they have only 15 seconds–the beautiful youth in Noaa’s birthday party ran towards the safe room. What was incredible with these youth, was that rather than stop the celebration and hide in fear and suffering from the missile attacks, instead they courageously continued the party and sang with great strength in Hebrew, Happy Birthday to Noaa!
Let us all learn from these amazing young people of Sderot to have birthday cake in the face of bombs and to celebrate life in the face of death, and let Mashiach soon come and bring us peace in the Promised Land.
(Credit Photo: Miriam Sasy)
July 15, 2019
OMG, What A Beautiful Song
By Yaakov Shwekey & Kobi Peretz
Even though I am walking through the valley of the shadow of death
I fear no evil
Because you are with me
Even behind the difficult things you are going through
I stand...I stand...I stand
Even in the place which is hidden, within that which is hidden
Surely, the blessed Hashem is found there too
My heart and soul are uplifted by this beautiful song. ;-)
May 29, 2019
Beautiful People
Obviously, she has a disability, but I was so impressed with her.
She had this cute dog sitting on her lap while in her wheelchair.
And the wheelchair had this awesome colorful mosaic in the wheels.
She seemed to be with family that loved her.
They stopped to stay hello and permitted me to take a photo.
I was so inspired by them.
There are truly beautiful people in the world and they make the world a wonderful place for all of us. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 6, 2019
Wrong Direction--Who Stands For The Truth?
A wife is listening to the radio and she hears that a car is dangerously going in the wrong direction on the highway.
Immediately, she calls her husband to tell him about the car going in the wrong direction, and to be careful.
He husband replies: One car going in the wrong direction...there are hundreds of cars going in the wrong direction!
How true this little story is about life and what direction we choose for ourselves--in the face of the groupthink and the tidal wave of public opinion that will sweep you away if you aren't strong of mind and especially of character.
Whenever we choose the road less traveled, others see us as dangerous and going the wrong way.
Yet to us, others may just be following blindly, and we may truly see something that everyone else is missing...could it possibly be that they are really the ones going the wrong way!
But there is always some doubt in our minds...we are fallible, we can wrong, we can be crazy.
Whose truth is it anyway--Mine? Yours? Or could it really be "The (objective) Truth"?
Alternatively, maybe we just lack confidence or courage?
It is very hard to be the nail that stands up (and doesn't get hammered down) and say that something is wrong and everyone should pay attention and change direction or their ways.
Perhaps, they are all heading off a moral cliff or just heading towards disaster.
In some cases...
We know the agendas of the people who want to steer you wrong.
We hear the propaganda and lies they are feeding you.
We can see down the road or just around the bend where the danger lies in wait.
- Can we stand up to the crowd?
- Can we demonstrate the moral truth?
- Can we get others to see what we see?
It is certainly not easy to be the contrarian in the crowd.
Not only may you not be recognized for what you are doing, but you may even be persecuted for it.
It doesn't matter...
Because you need to do it anyway just because you know deep inside that it's the right thing to do. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
August 15, 2018
It's Fight or Surrender!
This is why President Reagan was able to "tear down that wall" and win the Cold War.
He was a true role model for leadership and what a President is.
- Faith in G-d.
- A strength of convictions.
- The Integrity that touches hearts.
- Courage to carry forward.
- Pride in our nation.
- Judicious use of our might.
Go USA! ;-)
June 20, 2018
The Anxiety Filter
Notice the great big letters--and all in caps--for what ANXIETY feels like.
Anxiety is black--it's when we are in a dark foreboding place and we can't find our way out--it holds us back from doing what we need and like to do.
Anxiety feels so all-enveloping and ginormous--it dwarfs us in the "I"--and we feel so small and are paralyzed, incapable of freeing ourselves from it.
Anxiety is a cognitive and emotional bias where we see things in black and white--everything is to the extreme--and there are no greys; we tend to talk in all or nothing and our actions may mimic our extreme feelings.
Around the anxiety, we are bordering in blood red--we are in a dangerous place--where our feelings of fear, inadequacy, and being incapable of overcoming it can lead us to do something desperate and final.
When we are drowning in anxiety, it is like a lens or filter that clouds our vision and thinking, so we can make bad decisions, not make any decisions, or just procrastinate in order to avoid the issue and thing we are afraid of.
We have to fight off the octopus grip of anxiety.
We have to find our courage within and from G-d.
We have to conquer our demons so we can meet our destiny head-on.
We have a mission to fulfill in our life, and we can't let anything get in the way.
Fate is waiting for us to make our important contribution, so then we can be gathered to our fathers and rest in final peace. ;-)
(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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