Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Never Truly Alone."
Alone, in the quiet.
There is pain, suffering, and loss.
Anxiety and depression.
But wait, there is also faith.
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
July 30, 2022
July 15, 2022
An Army That Sings and Dances
Please see my new poem in The Times of Israel called "An Army That Sing and Dances."
In joy and tears.
By song and dance.
With an uplifted heart and a yearning soul.
Soldiers of the Holy Land.
They stand before G-d Almighty.
Ready to lay down their lives in complete faith.
The Redemption is here.
Just open your eyes.
Oh L-rd, return us to the Promised Land.
In joy and tears.
By song and dance.
With an uplifted heart and a yearning soul.
To serve You, and only You.
July 13, 2022
David Slays Goliath
This video clip is totally awesome:
David standing up to and killing Goliath.
Faith over fear.
With G-d, anything is possible! ;-)
July 12, 2022
July 10, 2022
Sprinkling of Jewish Wit and Wisdom
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Sprinkling of Jewish Wit and Wisdom."
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
July 2, 2022
Contradictions, Corruption, and Lies
The list of “nonsensicals” in our society could go on and on (and I won’t even get started with all the Covid mandates and chaos), and you have to ask yourself what type of country (and world) we are leaving to future generations: A world that is full contradictions, corruption, and lies!In the end, we can’t live with the double-talk and lies that we are being fed or the political grandstanding and corruption that takes the place of real humanity and progress. This leaves us to find truth and faith in the good and love that is G-d and to act from His word and not the phony media or corrupt politicians that seek to lead us continuously astray.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 25, 2022
Not by Chariots or Horses
As I watched through the window of the synagogue, the people practicing their boxing, I remembered when I was young and learning to fight. It took an enormous amount of training, hard work, and practice, and still at the end of the day, the realization always that we are but the foot soldiers for G-d. We must be the best prepared in every way that we can (“Never again!”); however, it is G-d who not only leads us, but also fights for us. In the Prophets (Joshua 6), we learn that Hashem literally brought down the walls of the great city of Jericho simply by having Joshua and the Israelites march around it, blow the Shofar, and yell a great shout. So too may G-d continue to fight for us against the enemies in our time and speedily complete the final redemption.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
June 12, 2022
Why I Cry At Circumcisions
Circumcision reminds me of Abraham, our forefather, who was tested and told to sacrifice his beloved son, Isaac, to G-d. It is truly counter-intuitive for a parent to hurt or sacrifice their child. Yet, this is exactly how G-d tested Abraham before the angel of G-d told him not to raise his hand to Isaac, and instead Abraham then offered to G-d a ram that was caught in the thicket. However, when it comes to circumcision, we are also tested and actually are commanded to surgically remove the male child’s foreskin and as the baby cries out, every parent, no matter how faithful and religiously devoted, winces and feels deeply inside for their child’s pain, even if it is only momentary and soothed by a sip of kosher Kedem Concord Grape wine.The rite of the circumcision is an incredible transcendental religious experience, where our very faith is tested and we go against our own physical instincts to protect the child, no matter what, and instead we submit ourselves to G-d Almighty, the Master of the Universe to perform the circumcision, because He told us to. Whether there are medical benefits or not, G-d commands, and we obey. We are His people, and his thoughts and plans are infinitely greater than ours. At the circumcision, in an act of complete faith, we graciously give over our male children and ourselves—in body, mind, and soul to G-d. We renounce our desires, our gratification, our very instincts, and put ourselves in G-d’s merciful hands. In that moment of selfless giving, we fulfill our covenant of generations with G-d and we affirm our holiness as individuals and as a nation.
(Photo Credit: Avital Pinnick; https://www.flickr.com/photos/spindexr/4678468852/)
June 4, 2022
Testing Our Faith
In short, I think it’s healthy for us as human beings to ask questions, even the most difficult questions of why. We need to make sense of our world and the context in which we live. Questions like: Why do good people at times experience horrible loss and suffering? Why do atheists and sinners often seem to excel and succeed (my wife says, perhaps they sold their soul to the devil!)?While asking why to search for G-d and try to understand His ways is human, at the same time, we as mere mortal human beings can not ever fully know G-d’s ways or His plan for us. In short, Mendel, the Chabad rabbi, said today, don’t get fixated on the why. Instead focus on what you can do to make the world better. Actions speak louder than words.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 29, 2022
Zionism of Strength and Humility
I sometimes get very scared when we don’t give Hashem the proper credit for our incredible accomplishments and military successes, but rather we talk about our own “self-reliance.” To a certain extent, the calls for self-reliance is understandable amidst broad-based anti-Semitism in the world, calls for Boycotts, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) against Israel, and near constant United Nations resolutions again us. Of course, in these circumstances and with our history of suffering persecution, pogroms, and Holocaust, we may look to insulate and protect ourselves from the world’s incessant and irrational hatred of Jews.Most importantly though, we have to recognize that G-d is in charge. As a small people in a tiny (albeit marvelous) land, surrounded by enemies, we can never forget that remaining sovereign over Israel and defeating our enemies that rise up against us time and again is nothing but completely miraculous. Our enemies are 1,000 to 1 against us, and yet G-d makes them run from before us.
(Source Photo: IDF; https://www.flickr.com/photos/idfonline/51131344223/in/album-72157719004030432/)
May 15, 2022
The Tragic Comedy of the “Anti-Zionist Synagogue”
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "The Tragic Comedy of the 'Anti-Zionist Synagogue'."
"…the creation of an ethnic Jewish nation state in historic Palestine resulted in an injustice against the Palestinian people, an injustice that continues to this day."
However, the facts do not match the rhetoric. Anti-Zionism, regardless of the source is ultimately about Jew hatred.
May 7, 2022
Playing The Odds
I thought to myself while Jews don’t take those wild odds (1 in a 100 of paralysis), why do they play the odds with their souls by pretending to be religious on the outside, but on the inside and away from human eyes doing evil? Surely, we all know that G-d sees everything and that a faithful judgment awaits us all. And it all made sense not to play the odds not only with our physical health, but also with our spiritual wellbeing.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
May 1, 2022
The Real Unthinkable Option
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 23, 2022
Jude in America
What was shocking was that despite the professional environment, this was a climate where they actually felt “safe” expressing their Antisemitism and hate. In this case, these high-level, powerful, “educated” people working in the heart of our nation’s capital should know better, much better than to harass someone because she is a Jew, an Israeli, a woman or all three.It is unfortunate that there still are individuals that hate out there: that lash out questioning our faith, our people, and our intentions. Good people see the common humanity and good in others, and bad people are infatuated with imaginary intolerable differences, especially of minorities, and enjoy scapegoating them, goading others to join their hate, and even violently preying on them.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
April 2, 2022
Teaching Our Children To Be Good Jews
What happened to genuine faith in G-d, belief in the holy Torah, our duty to abide by the 613 commandments, and generally doing right in this world by our fellow man and before G-d Almighty? Maybe I’m being too literal here but being a “good Jew” has got to mean something important. We are keeping alive the tradition of our parents, grandparents and great grandparents, spanning back thousands of years to our Forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to G-d delivering us from Egyptian servitude, and His giving to us the Torah on Mount Sinai, and to His bringing us to Israel, the Land of Milk and Honey, and keeping us from being wiped away by one great empire after another. Being a Jew means being part of an important important and yes, “chosen” for a special mission of being a “light unto the nations” and that means action on our part: thinking, saying, and doing what’s right all the time!We are tested daily to do what’s right, even when it’s not convenient, easy, enjoyable, or popular. What is a Jew? We need to really ask ourselves that question. It’s not trivial and neither should the answer be. Our lives in this world and the next are depending on how we live up to the high bar that is set for us each and every day of our lives that Hashem mercifully grants to us.
March 26, 2022
Putin’s Ukrainian Hogwash
“Talk less and do more.” Unfortunately, Putin apparently didn’t learn this lesson as a child and is now, as they say, having to learn it the hard way later in life. He and his henchmen signaled to the world how they would bring Ukraine to its knees, surround and capture the capital, Kyiv, overthrow the leadership and install a pro-Kremlin puppet, and demilitarize the country. However, Putin spoke very big, but after a whole month of fighting now, things haven’t turned out the way Putin had counted on. With Russian casualties, wounded, captured, and missing now estimated at up to 40,000, and with the Russian forces on the retreat, no one in their right minds could’ve imagined such a modern David and Goliath scenario playing out with Ukraine as the David.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
March 10, 2022
Stand Up!
All the greedy and corrupt power players at the table with their fancy suits, money, gold, and properties around the globe.
And their game is sustained up on the bent backs of the simple people with nothing (not even clothing).
But a Seeing Eye (and a Hearing Ear) in Heaven is watching the evil perpetrated.
Eventually, faith tells us that the game will be over and the simple hard-working people will be fully restored and the corrupt will suffer their just desserts. ;-)
(Source Photo: Facebook)
February 12, 2022
Overcoming The Inquisitor
Please see my new article in The Times of Israel called "Overcoming The Inquisitor."
While anti-Semitism and persecution for being Jews is horrible and should never happen, in a sort of obscene and ironic way, it ends up making us stronger as Jews. In short, testing our faith, ends up solidifying our faith!No one likes adversity, suffering, or persecution, and G-d only knows that we as Jews have known our deeply painful share. Yet whether from Egyptian slavery to the Inquisition, the Holocaust, and more, it’s our test as Jews to survive, and to learn and grow from it our faith in Hashem.
Yes, these things are far easier said than done, but when we face these terrible events, we must try with all our might to overcome them, heroically and faithfully.
(Credit Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
January 28, 2022
January 23, 2022
Not Terror But Hugs
While standing up for the Torah to be brought back to the ark, a little boy comes up to me and just gives me a big hug. I learned afterwards that the boy “makes the rounds” in shul giving everyone a beautiful Shabbat embrace. This simple symbolic act of caring and loving others, mainly many older people in synagogue, by this innocent child gave people an uncommon sense of happiness and even hope in our future despite the anti-Semitism and hate of too many others outside.The love of G-d is our secret for life and for our perseverance throughout history. G-d loves us as His children, but also punishes us as His children. As children, we are always learning and growing, but as adults we have to act in a way of righteousness and holiness, so that we will merit the former, and not the latter. With G-d's mercy and blessings, hopefully, we will have peace in our synagogues and our lives, wherever we reside in the world, to worship and live as Jewish people free of bigotry, hate, and terror, once and for all.
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