Benjamin Netenyahu gave these quotes at the end of his speech to the combined houses of Congress on Tuesday last.
Deuteronomy 31:6
חִזְקוּ וְאִמְצוּ, אַל-תִּירְאוּ וְאַל-תַּעַרְצוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם:
"Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them"
The full video of the speech can be found at
https://www.youtube.com/embed/wRf1cdw4IAY?autoplay=1
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke to Congress Tuesday about the emerging nuclear deal with Iran.
Thank you
Thank you…
… Speaker of the House John Boehner, President Pro Tem Senator Orrin
Hatch, Senator Minority — Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, House
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
I also want to acknowledge Senator, Democratic Leader Harry Reid. Harry, it’s good to see you back on your feet.
I guess it’s true what they say, you can’t keep a good man down.
My friends, I’m deeply humbled by the opportunity to speak for a
third time before the most important legislative body in the world, the
U.S. Congress.
I want to thank you all for being here today. I know that
my speech has been the subject of much controversy. I deeply regret that
some perceive my being here as political. That was never my intention.
I want to thank you, Democrats and Republicans, for your common support for Israel, year after year, decade after decade.
I know that no matter on which side of the aisle you sit, you stand with Israel.
The remarkable alliance between Israel and the United States has
always been above politics. It must always remain above politics.
Because America and Israel, we share a common destiny, the destiny of
promised lands that cherish freedom and offer hope. Israel is grateful
for the support of American — of America’s people and of America’s
presidents, from Harry Truman to Barack Obama.
We appreciate all that President Obama has done for Israel.
Some of that is widely known, like strengthening security cooperation
and intelligence sharing, opposing anti-Israel resolutions at the U.N.
Some of what the president has done for Israel is less well- known.
I called him in 2010 when we had the Carmel forest fire, and he immediately agreed to respond to my request for urgent aid.
In 2011, we had our embassy in Cairo under siege, and again, he provided vital assistance at the crucial moment.
Or his support for more missile interceptors during our operation last summer when we took on Hamas terrorists.
In each of those moments, I called the president, and he was there.
And some of what the president has done for Israel might never be
known, because it touches on some of the most sensitive and strategic
issues that arise between an American president and an Israeli prime
minister.
But I know it, and I will always be grateful to President Obama for that support.
And Israel is grateful to you, the American Congress, for
your support, for supporting us in so many
Last summer, millions of Israelis were protected from thousands of
Hamas rockets because this capital dome helped build our Iron Dome.
Thank you, America. Thank you for everything you’ve done for Israel.
My friends, I’ve come here today because, as prime minister of
Israel, I feel a profound obligation to speak to you about an issue that
could well threaten the survival of my country and the future of my
people: Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons.
We’re an ancient people. In our nearly 4,000 years of history, many
have tried repeatedly to destroy the Jewish people. Tomorrow night, on
the Jewish holiday of Purim, we’ll read the Book of Esther. We’ll read
of a powerful Persian viceroy named Haman, who plotted to destroy the
Jewish people some 2,500 years ago. But a courageous Jewish woman, Queen
Esther, exposed the plot and gave for the Jewish people the right to
defend themselves against their enemies. The plot was foiled.
Our people were saved.
Today the Jewish people face another attempt by yet another Persian
potentate to destroy us. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei spews
the oldest hatred, the oldest hatred of anti-Semitism with the newest
technology. He tweets that Israel must be annihilated — he tweets. You
know, in Iran, there isn’t exactly free Internet. But he tweets in
English that Israel must be destroyed.
For those who believe that Iran threatens the Jewish state, but not
the Jewish people, listen to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah,
Iran’s chief terrorist proxy. He said: If all the Jews gather in Israel,
it will save us the trouble of chasing them down around the world.
But Iran’s regime is not merely a Jewish problem, any more than the
Nazi regime was merely a Jewish problem. The 6 million Jews murdered by
the Nazis were but a fraction of the 60 million people killed in World
War II. So, too, Iran’s regime poses a grave threat, not only to Israel,
but also the peace of the entire world. To understand just how
dangerous Iran would be with nuclear weapons, we must fully understand
the nature of the regime.
The people of Iran are very talented people. They’re heirs
to one of the world’s great civilizations. But in 1979, they were
hijacked by religious zealots — religious zealots who imposed on them
immediately a dark and brutal dictatorship.
That year, the zealots drafted a constitution, a new one for Iran. It
directed the revolutionary guards not only to protect Iran’s borders,
but also to fulfill the ideological mission of jihad. The regime’s
founder, Ayatollah Khomeini, exhorted his followers to “export the
revolution throughout the world.”
I’m standing here in Washington, D.C. and the difference is so stark.
America’s founding document promises life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness. Iran’s founding document pledges death, tyranny, and the
pursuit of jihad. And as states are collapsing across the Middle East,
Iran is charging into the void to do just that.
Iran’s goons in Gaza, its lackeys in Lebanon, its revolutionary
guards on the Golan Heights are clutching Israel with three tentacles of
terror. Backed by Iran, Assad is slaughtering Syrians. Back by Iran,
Shiite militias are rampaging through Iraq. Back by Iran, Houthis are
seizing control of Yemen, threatening the strategic straits at the mouth
of the Red Sea. Along with the Straits of Hormuz, that would give Iran a
second choke-point on the world’s oil supply.
Just last week, near Hormuz, Iran carried out a military
exercise blowing up a mock U.S. aircraft carrier. That’s just last week,
while they’re having nuclear talks with the United States. But
unfortunately, for the last 36 years, Iran’s attacks against the United
States have been anything but mock. And the targets have been all too
real.
Iran took dozens of Americans hostage in Tehran, murdered hundreds of
American soldiers, Marines, in Beirut, and was responsible for killing
and maiming thousands of American service men and women in Iraq and
Afghanistan.
Beyond the Middle East, Iran attacks America and its allies through
its global terror network. It blew up the Jewish community center and
the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires. It helped Al Qaida bomb U.S.
embassies in Africa. It even attempted to assassinate the Saudi
ambassador, right here in Washington, D.C.
In the Middle East, Iran now dominates four Arab capitals, Baghdad,
Damascus, Beirut and Sanaa. And if Iran’s aggression is left unchecked,
more will surely follow.
So, at a time when many hope that Iran will join the community of nations, Iran is busy gobbling up the nations.
We must all stand together to stop Iran’s march of conquest, subjugation and terror.
Now, two years ago, we were told to give President Rouhani and
Foreign Minister Zarif a chance to bring change and moderation to Iran.
Some change! Some moderation! Rouhani’s government hangs gays,
persecutes Christians, jails journalists and executes even more
prisoners than before.
Last year, the same Zarif who charms Western diplomats laid a wreath
at the grave of Imad Mughniyeh. Imad Mughniyeh is the terrorist
mastermind who spilled more American blood than any other terrorist
besides Osama bin Laden. I’d like to see someone ask him a question
about that.
Iran’s regime is as radical as ever, its cries of “Death to America,”
that same America that it calls the “Great Satan,” as loud as ever.
Now, this shouldn’t be surprising, because the ideology of Iran’s
revolutionary regime is deeply rooted in militant Islam, and that’s why
this regime will always be an enemy of America.
Don’t be fooled. The battle between Iran and ISIS doesn’t turn Iran into a friend of America.
Iran and ISIS are competing for the crown of militant Islam. One
calls itself the Islamic Republic. The other calls itself the Islamic
State. Both want to impose a militant Islamic empire first on the region
and then on the entire world. They just disagree among themselves who
will be the ruler of that empire.
In this deadly game of thrones, there’s no place for America or for
Israel, no peace for Christians, Jews or Muslims who don’t share the
Islamist medieval creed, no rights for women, no freedom for
anyone. So when it comes to Iran and ISIS, the enemy of your
enemy is your enemy.
The difference is that ISIS is armed with butcher knives, captured
weapons and YouTube, whereas Iran could soon be armed with
intercontinental ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs. We must always
remember — I’ll say it one more time — the greatest dangers facing our
world is the marriage of militant Islam with nuclear weapons. To defeat
ISIS and let Iran get nuclear weapons would be to win the battle, but
lose the war. We can’t let that happen.
But that, my friends, is exactly what could happen, if the deal now
being negotiated is accepted by Iran. That deal will not prevent Iran
from developing nuclear weapons. It would all but guarantee that Iran
gets those weapons, lots of them.
Let me explain why. While the final deal has not yet been signed,
certain elements of any potential deal are now a matter of public
record. You don’t need intelligence agencies and secret information to
know this. You can Google it.
Absent a dramatic change, we know for sure that any deal with Iran will include two major concessions to Iran.
The first major concession would leave Iran with a vast nuclear
infrastructure, providing it with a short break-out time to the bomb.
Break-out time is the time it takes to amass enough weapons-grade
uranium or plutonium for a nuclear bomb.
According to the deal, not a single nuclear facility would be
demolished. Thousands of centrifuges used to enrich uranium would be
left spinning. Thousands more would be temporarily disconnected, but not
destroyed.
Because Iran’s nuclear program would be left largely intact, Iran’s
break-out time would be very short — about a year by U.S. assessment,
even shorter by Israel’s.
And if — if Iran’s work on advanced centrifuges, faster and faster
centrifuges, is not stopped, that break-out time could still be shorter,
a lot shorter.
True, certain restrictions would be imposed on Iran’s nuclear program
and Iran’s adherence to those restrictions would be supervised by
international inspectors. But here’s the problem. You see, inspectors
document violations; they don’t stop them.
Inspectors knew when North Korea broke to the bomb, but that didn’t
stop anything. North Korea turned off the cameras, kicked out the
inspectors. Within a few years, it got the bomb.
Now, we’re warned that within five years North Korea could have an arsenal of 100 nuclear bombs.
Like North Korea, Iran, too, has defied international inspectors.
It’s done that on at least three separate occasions — 2005, 2006, 2010.
Like North Korea, Iran broke the locks, shut off the cameras.
Now, I know this is not gonna come a shock — as a shock to
any of you, but Iran not only defies inspectors, it also plays a pretty
good game of hide-and-cheat with them.
The U.N.’s nuclear watchdog agency, the IAEA, said again yesterday
that Iran still refuses to come clean about its military nuclear
program. Iran was also caught — caught twice, not once, twice —
operating secret nuclear facilities in Natanz and Qom, facilities that
inspectors didn’t even know existed.
Right now, Iran could be hiding nuclear facilities that we don’t know
about, the U.S. and Israel. As the former head of inspections for the
IAEA said in 2013, he said, “If there’s no undeclared installation today
in Iran, it will be the first time in 20 years that it doesn’t have
one.” Iran has proven time and again that it cannot be trusted. And
that’s why the first major concession is a source of great concern. It
leaves Iran with a vast nuclear infrastructure and relies on inspectors
to prevent a breakout. That concession creates a real danger that Iran
could get to the bomb by violating the deal.
But the second major concession creates an even greater danger that
Iran could get to the bomb by keeping the deal. Because virtually all
the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program will automatically expire in
about a decade.
Now, a decade may seem like a long time in political life,
but it’s the blink of an eye in the life of a nation. It’s a blink of
an eye in the life of our children. We all have a responsibility to
consider what will happen when Iran’s nuclear capabilities are virtually
unrestricted and all the sanctions will have been lifted. Iran would
then be free to build a huge nuclear capacity that could product many,
many nuclear bombs.
Iran’s Supreme Leader says that openly. He says, Iran plans to have
190,000 centrifuges, not 6,000 or even the 19,000 that Iran has today,
but 10 times that amount — 190,000 centrifuges enriching uranium. With
this massive capacity, Iran could make the fuel for an entire nuclear
arsenal and this in a matter of weeks, once it makes that decision.
My long-time friend, John Kerry, Secretary of State, confirmed last
week that Iran could legitimately possess that massive centrifuge
capacity when the deal expires.
Now I want you to think about that. The foremost sponsor of global
terrorism could be weeks away from having enough enriched uranium for an
entire arsenal of nuclear weapons and this with full international
legitimacy.
And by the way, if Iran’s Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program
is not part of the deal, and so far, Iran refuses to even put it on the
negotiating table. Well, Iran could have the means to deliver that
nuclear arsenal to the far-reach corners of the Earth, including to
every part of the United States.
So you see, my friends, this deal has two major
concessions: one, leaving Iran with a vast nuclear program and two,
lifting the restrictions on that program in about a decade. That’s why
this deal is so bad. It doesn’t block Iran’s path to the bomb; it paves
Iran’s path to the bomb.
So why would anyone make this deal? Because they hope that Iran will
change for the better in the coming years, or they believe that the
alternative to this deal is worse?
Well, I disagree. I don’t believe that Iran’s radical regime will
change for the better after this deal. This regime has been in power for
36 years, and its voracious appetite for aggression grows with each
passing year. This deal would wet appetite — would only wet Iran’s
appetite for more.
Would Iran be less aggressive when sanctions are removed and its
economy is stronger? If Iran is gobbling up four countries right now
while it’s under sanctions, how many more countries will Iran devour
when sanctions are lifted? Would Iran fund less terrorism when it has
mountains of cash with which to fund more terrorism?
Why should Iran’s radical regime change for the better when it can
enjoy the best of both world’s: aggression abroad, prosperity at home?
This is a question that everyone asks in our region. Israel’s
neighbors — Iran’s neighbors know that Iran will become even more
aggressive and sponsor even more terrorism when its economy is
unshackled and it’s been given a clear path to the bomb.
And many of these neighbors say they’ll respond by racing
to get nuclear weapons of their own. So this deal won’t change Iran for
the better; it will only change the Middle East for the worse. A deal
that’s supposed to prevent nuclear proliferation would instead spark a
nuclear arms race in the most dangerous part of the planet.
This deal won’t be a farewell to arms. It would be a farewell to arms
control. And the Middle East would soon be crisscrossed by nuclear
tripwires. A region where small skirmishes can trigger big wars would
turn into a nuclear tinderbox.
If anyone thinks — if anyone thinks this deal kicks the can down the
road, think again. When we get down that road, we’ll face a much more
dangerous Iran, a Middle East littered with nuclear bombs and a
countdown to a potential nuclear nightmare.
Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve come here today to tell you we don’t have
to bet the security of the world on the hope that Iran will change for
the better. We don’t have to gamble with our future and with our
children’s future.
We can insist that restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program not be
lifted for as long as Iran continues its aggression in the region and in
the world.
Before lifting those restrictions, the world should demand
that Iran do three things. First, stop its aggression against its
neighbors in the Middle East. Second…
Second, stop supporting terrorism around the world.
And third, stop threatening to annihilate my country, Israel, the one and only Jewish state.
Thank you.
If the world powers are not prepared to insist that Iran change its
behavior before a deal is signed, at the very least they should insist
that Iran change its behavior before a deal expires.
If Iran changes its behavior, the restrictions would be lifted. If
Iran doesn’t change its behavior, the restrictions should not be lifted.
If Iran wants to be treated like a normal country, let it act like a normal country.
My friends, what about the argument that there’s no
alternative to this deal, that Iran’s nuclear know-how cannot be erased,
that its nuclear program is so advanced that the best we can do is
delay the inevitable, which is essentially what the proposed deal seeks
to do?
Well, nuclear know-how without nuclear infrastructure doesn’t get you
very much. A racecar driver without a car can’t drive. A pilot without a
plan can’t fly. Without thousands of centrifuges, tons of enriched
uranium or heavy water facilities, Iran can’t make nuclear weapons.
Iran’s nuclear program can be rolled back well-beyond the current
proposal by insisting on a better deal and keeping up the pressure on a
very vulnerable regime, especially given the recent collapse in the
price of oil.
Now, if Iran threatens to walk away from the table — and this often
happens in a Persian bazaar — call their bluff. They’ll be back, because
they need the deal a lot more than you do.
And by maintaining the pressure on Iran and on those who do business
with Iran, you have the power to make them need it even more. My
friends, for over a year, we’ve been told that no deal is better than
a bad deal. Well, this is a bad deal. It’s a very bad deal. We’re
better off without it.
Now we’re being told that the only alternative to this bad deal is war. That’s just not true.
The alternative to this bad deal is a much better deal.
A better deal that doesn’t leave Iran with a vast nuclear
infrastructure and such a short break-out time. A better deal that keeps
the restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in place until Iran’s
aggression ends.
A better deal that won’t give Iran an easy path to the bomb. A better
deal that Israel and its neighbors may not like, but with which we
could live, literally. And no country…
… no country has a greater stake — no country has a greater stake
than Israel in a good deal that peacefully removes this threat.
Ladies and gentlemen, history has placed us at a fateful crossroads.
We must now choose between two paths. One path leads to a bad deal that
will at best curtail Iran’s nuclear ambitions for a while, but it will
inexorably lead to a nuclear-armed Iran whose unbridled aggression will
inevitably lead to war. The second path, however difficult,
could lead to a much better deal, that would prevent a nuclear-armed
Iran, a nuclearized Middle East and the horrific consequences of both to
all of humanity.
You don’t have to read Robert Frost to know. You have to live life to
know that the difficult path is usually the one less traveled, but it
will make all the difference for the future of my country, the security
of the Middle East and the peace of the world, the peace, we all desire.
My friend, standing up to Iran is not easy. Standing up to dark and
murderous regimes never is. With us today is Holocaust survivor and
Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel.
Elie, your life and work inspires to give meaning to the words, “never again.”
And I wish I could promise you, Elie, that the lessons of history
have been learned. I can only urge the leaders of the world not to
repeat the mistakes of the past.
Not to sacrifice the future for the present; not to ignore aggression in the hopes of gaining an illusory peace.
But I can guarantee you this, the days when the Jewish people
remained passive in the face of genocidal enemies, those days are
over.
We are no longer scattered among the nations, powerless to
defend ourselves. We restored our sovereignty in our ancient home. And
the soldiers who defend our home have boundless courage. For the first
time in 100 generations, we, the Jewish people, can defend ourselves.
This is why — this is why, as a prime minister of Israel, I can
promise you one more thing: Even if Israel has to stand alone, Israel
will stand.
But I know that Israel does not stand alone. I know that America stands with Israel.
I know that you stand with Israel.
You stand with Israel, because you know that the story of Israel is
not only the story of the Jewish people but of the human spirit that
refuses again and again to succumb to history’s horrors.
Facing me right up there in the gallery, overlooking all of us in
this (inaudible) chamber is the image of Moses. Moses led our people
from slavery to the gates of the Promised Land.
And before the people of Israel entered the land of
Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for
thousands of years. I leave you with his message today, (SPEAKING IN
HEBREW - SEE ABOVE.), “Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them.”
My friends, may Israel and America always stand together, strong and
resolute. May we neither fear nor dread the challenges ahead. May we
face the future with confidence, strength and hope.
May God bless the state of Israel and may God bless the United States of America.
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you all.
You’re wonderful.
Thank you, America. Thank you.
Thank you.
END
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Friday, January 16, 2015
TaNaKh and Animal Sacrifice
Shalom:
[This blog posting was written for most Christians .]
A question was asked of me the other night. It went as follows: "If animal sacrifice is not necessary, they killed many animals needlessly. Unless the bible is just baloney like they believe over there. Just saying."
Proper English and grammar aside for now, let's consider this and reason together. TaNaKh (prounounced "Tah-Nahkh" and meaning Torah, Prophets and Writings in Hebrew) is the "Old Testament" in Christian bibles. Torah contains most, if not all, of the law for Jews. In fact, the word "Torah" itself means "Law" in Hebrew. Torah contains about 613 laws by which Jews should live their lives. This includes the laws dealing with sacrifices.
HaShem says in Lev 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. [12] Therefore I said unto the children of Israel: No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourn among you eat blood. [13] And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that taketh in hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. [14] For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof; therefore I said unto the children of Israel: Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of al flesh is the blood; whosoever eateth it shall be cutoff. "
You will also find "... the blood upon the altar... " mentioned many times in the TaNaKh. A short listing is:
Now, I am not sure where "over there" is except maybe at some Reform Judaism synagogues or at some concervative Christian churches. Most Liberal Christians don't really seem to care who believes what so long as the are properly "churched." Some Reform Jews, most Conservative Jews and/or all Orthodox Jews attending their own particular synagogues actually believe that TaNaKh is the written word of G-d, not just campfire tales that were eventually written down. (Nor do most conservatives and/or Orthodox believe in the JEPD theory that teaches basically the same thing but in a different context.)
Shalom,
Ya'akov
[This blog posting was written for most Christians .]
A question was asked of me the other night. It went as follows: "If animal sacrifice is not necessary, they killed many animals needlessly. Unless the bible is just baloney like they believe over there. Just saying."
Proper English and grammar aside for now, let's consider this and reason together. TaNaKh (prounounced "Tah-Nahkh" and meaning Torah, Prophets and Writings in Hebrew) is the "Old Testament" in Christian bibles. Torah contains most, if not all, of the law for Jews. In fact, the word "Torah" itself means "Law" in Hebrew. Torah contains about 613 laws by which Jews should live their lives. This includes the laws dealing with sacrifices.
HaShem says in Lev 17:11, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh atonement by reason of the life. [12] Therefore I said unto the children of Israel: No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourn among you eat blood. [13] And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, that taketh in hunting any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall pour out the blood thereof, and cover it with dust. [14] For as to the life of all flesh, the blood thereof is all one with the life thereof; therefore I said unto the children of Israel: Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh; for the life of al flesh is the blood; whosoever eateth it shall be cutoff. "
You will also find "... the blood upon the altar... " mentioned many times in the TaNaKh. A short listing is:
- Ex 29:20
- Lev 3:2
- Lev 4:30
- Lev 5:9
- Lev 8:19
- Lev 8:24
- Lev 9:9
- Lev 17:6
- Dt 12:27
- II Chr 29:22
- etc, etc.
Now, I am not sure where "over there" is except maybe at some Reform Judaism synagogues or at some concervative Christian churches. Most Liberal Christians don't really seem to care who believes what so long as the are properly "churched." Some Reform Jews, most Conservative Jews and/or all Orthodox Jews attending their own particular synagogues actually believe that TaNaKh is the written word of G-d, not just campfire tales that were eventually written down. (Nor do most conservatives and/or Orthodox believe in the JEPD theory that teaches basically the same thing but in a different context.)
Shalom,
Ya'akov
A US Navy Pilot - Maybe
Greetings:
The following is purported to be from a US Navy pilot. Most of those who read my blog know that I am a Jew, American by birth, Southern by the grace of G-d, patriotic and fairly conservative. However, the following email (following this blog), while it sounds good to most right-wing Southerners of the SBC Baptist persuasion, leaves a lot to be desired. Some points to be considered are:
So, really now, who is the hero and who is the coward? Someone who fights for his country using unconventional methods (the bit about hiding behind women and children aside for now) or the guy who flies miles overhead, unseen in the dark, firing "smart" bombs against an enemy who cannot fire back because they have no weapons that will reach that high? My bet is that the real heroes are those ground troops, Army, Marine and Navy Seals, who fight up close and personal every day, facing probable death or maiming on every patrol. They are the ones who get "up close and personal"with the enemy. Not some Air Ranger dropping bombs on an unarmed enemy.
Here is the email that I received. And remember, I am a conservative Jew who loves his country and his G-d but fails to blindly accept government propaganda. (Note: Added emphasis and bold print are mine to show the parts that are really weird.)
===========================
I Am Coming!
Dear Terrorists,
I am a Navy Aviator. I was born and raised in a small town in New England . I come from a family of five. I was raised in a middle class home and taught my values by my mother and father.
My dad worked a series of jobs in finance and my mom took care of us kids. We were not an overly religious family but attended church most Sundays. It was a nice small Episcopal Church. I have a brother andsister and I am the youngest in my family. I was the first in many generations to attend college.
I have flown Naval aircraft for 16 years. For me the flying was never a lifelong dream or a "calling," it just happened. I needed a job and I liked the challenge. I continue to do it today because I feel it is important to give back to a nation which has given so much to me. I do it because, although I will never be rich, my family will be comfortable.
I do it because many of my friends have left for the airlines and someone has to do it. My government has spent millions to train me to fly the small multi-milliondollar aircraft. I make about 70,000 dollars a year and after 20 years will be offered a pension.
I like baseball but think the players make too much money. I am in awe of firemen and policemen and what they do each day for my community, and like teachers, they just don't get paid enough.
I respect my elders and always use sir or ma'am when addressing a stranger. I'm not sure about kids these days but I think that's normal for every generation.
I tell you all this because when I come for you, I want you to know me. I won't be hiding behind a woman or a child. I won't be disguised or pretending to be something I am not. I will be in a U.S. issue flight suit. I will be wearing standard US issue flight gear, and I will be flying a navy aircraft clearly marked as a US warplane. I wish we could meet up close in a small room where I could wrap my hands around your throat and slowly squeeze the life out of you, but unfortunately, you're hiding in a hole in the ground, so we will have to do this a different way.
I want you to know also that I am very good at what I do. I can put a 2,000 lb weapon through a window from 10,000 feet up. I generally only fly at night, so you may want to start sleeping during the day. I am not eager to die for my country but I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect it from animals like you.
I will do everything in my power to ensure no civilians are hurt as I take aim at you.
My countrymen are a forgiving bunch. Many are already forgetting what you did on Sept 11th. But I will not forget!!
I am coming. I hope you know me a little bit better, see you soon...sleep tight.
Signed
A U.S. Navy Pilot
Our Soldiers are one
of our greatest assets!
God Bless
============================
Shalom,
Ya'akov
The following is purported to be from a US Navy pilot. Most of those who read my blog know that I am a Jew, American by birth, Southern by the grace of G-d, patriotic and fairly conservative. However, the following email (following this blog), while it sounds good to most right-wing Southerners of the SBC Baptist persuasion, leaves a lot to be desired. Some points to be considered are:
- He flies at night when the enemy cannot see him.
- He fires "smart" missiles designed by others - all he has to do is point and aim from a VERY safe distance.
- He does nothing to prevent civilians from being hurt - he is told to hit a target and he obeys his orders.
- If he ever did meet one of these guys up close and in person he probably would wet his pants.
- The initial rant about "All American Boy" could be said about thousands (millions?) of other USA men. They do, or did, the same things in their youth.
So, really now, who is the hero and who is the coward? Someone who fights for his country using unconventional methods (the bit about hiding behind women and children aside for now) or the guy who flies miles overhead, unseen in the dark, firing "smart" bombs against an enemy who cannot fire back because they have no weapons that will reach that high? My bet is that the real heroes are those ground troops, Army, Marine and Navy Seals, who fight up close and personal every day, facing probable death or maiming on every patrol. They are the ones who get "up close and personal"with the enemy. Not some Air Ranger dropping bombs on an unarmed enemy.
Here is the email that I received. And remember, I am a conservative Jew who loves his country and his G-d but fails to blindly accept government propaganda. (Note: Added emphasis and bold print are mine to show the parts that are really weird.)
===========================
I Am Coming!
Dear Terrorists,
I am a Navy Aviator. I was born and raised in a small town in New England . I come from a family of five. I was raised in a middle class home and taught my values by my mother and father.
My dad worked a series of jobs in finance and my mom took care of us kids. We were not an overly religious family but attended church most Sundays. It was a nice small Episcopal Church. I have a brother andsister and I am the youngest in my family. I was the first in many generations to attend college.
I have flown Naval aircraft for 16 years. For me the flying was never a lifelong dream or a "calling," it just happened. I needed a job and I liked the challenge. I continue to do it today because I feel it is important to give back to a nation which has given so much to me. I do it because, although I will never be rich, my family will be comfortable.
I do it because many of my friends have left for the airlines and someone has to do it. My government has spent millions to train me to fly the small multi-milliondollar aircraft. I make about 70,000 dollars a year and after 20 years will be offered a pension.
I like baseball but think the players make too much money. I am in awe of firemen and policemen and what they do each day for my community, and like teachers, they just don't get paid enough.
I respect my elders and always use sir or ma'am when addressing a stranger. I'm not sure about kids these days but I think that's normal for every generation.
I tell you all this because when I come for you, I want you to know me. I won't be hiding behind a woman or a child. I won't be disguised or pretending to be something I am not. I will be in a U.S. issue flight suit. I will be wearing standard US issue flight gear, and I will be flying a navy aircraft clearly marked as a US warplane. I wish we could meet up close in a small room where I could wrap my hands around your throat and slowly squeeze the life out of you, but unfortunately, you're hiding in a hole in the ground, so we will have to do this a different way.
I want you to know also that I am very good at what I do. I can put a 2,000 lb weapon through a window from 10,000 feet up. I generally only fly at night, so you may want to start sleeping during the day. I am not eager to die for my country but I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect it from animals like you.
I will do everything in my power to ensure no civilians are hurt as I take aim at you.
My countrymen are a forgiving bunch. Many are already forgetting what you did on Sept 11th. But I will not forget!!
I am coming. I hope you know me a little bit better, see you soon...sleep tight.
Signed
A U.S. Navy Pilot
Our Soldiers are one
of our greatest assets!
God Bless
============================
Shalom,
Ya'akov
Monday, July 7, 2014
Do WHAT you can WHEN you can
Greetings:
From my friend in Pittsburgh:
Sometimes it's not really just luck Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II.
He tells this story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel , Germany , and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks.
"Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns.
That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit.
Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.
"On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck.
The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky.
It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
"He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer.
"Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech.
The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read:
"This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea."
Lesson: Do WHAT you can WHEN you can. You never know when it might be sufficient.
Shalom
Ya'akov
From my friend in Pittsburgh:
Sometimes it's not really just luck Elmer Bendiner was a navigator in a B-17 during WW II.
He tells this story of a World War II bombing run over Kassel , Germany , and the unexpected result of a direct hit on their gas tanks.
"Our B-17, the Tondelayo, was barraged by flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns.
That was not unusual, but on this particular occasion our gas tanks were hit.
Later, as I reflected on the miracle of a 20 millimeter shell piercing the fuel tank without touching off an explosion, our pilot, Bohn Fawkes, told me it was not quite that simple.
"On the morning following the raid, Bohn had gone down to ask our crew chief for that shell as a souvenir of unbelievable luck.
The crew chief told Bohn that not just one shell but 11 had been found in the gas tanks. 11 unexploded shells where only one was sufficient to blast us out of the sky.
It was as if the sea had been parted for us. A near-miracle, I thought. Even after 35 years, so awesome an event leaves me shaken, especially after I heard the rest of the story from Bohn.
"He was told that the shells had been sent to the armorers to be defused. The armorers told him that Intelligence had picked them up. They could not say why at the time, but Bohn eventually sought out the answer.
"Apparently when the armorers opened each of those shells, they found no explosive charge. They were as clean as a whistle and just as harmless. Empty? Not all of them! One contained a carefully rolled piece of paper. On it was a scrawl in Czech.
The Intelligence people scoured our base for a man who could read Czech. Eventually they found one to decipher the note. It set us marveling. Translated, the note read:
"This is all we can do for you now. Using Jewish slave labor is never a good idea."
Lesson: Do WHAT you can WHEN you can. You never know when it might be sufficient.
Shalom
Ya'akov
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Torah- 5774, 6 Adar II
Today is 8 March 2014, Gregorian. Our reading comes from
Annual Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Triennial Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-2:6
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
After reading this portion of Torah today and listening to Rabbi Mecklenberger last night at Erev Shabbos services, I became aware of something that I had not thought about for a while; mainly that we can be forgive through sacrifices. Christians teach that we cannot be forgiven through the sacrifice of blood from bulls, goats, sheep and pigeons, but Torah teaches that not only can we be forgive through the blood of those animals but, if we are too poor to sacrifice even an pigeon, then we can be forgive through the sacrifice of a fine meal offering with oil and frankincense.
The poor should not sacrifice even a pigeon if they cannot afford it. And the rich cannot sacrifice a pigeon if they can afford a sheep or bull. HaShem is most merciful for He has made it possible for us to live a life that might have some sins BUT when we become aware of those sins the we should atone for them according to Torah. Today, we give money to a Temple fund of some kind rather than sacrificing an animal or bird or a fine flour offering. (This is because we no longer have a Temple and a sacrificial altar. When the Temple is restored, then we will return to a sacrificial offering system - or so I have been told.)
Anyway, for many years I was taught that the Christ was necessary because the blood of bulls and goats could not atone for our sins. But, HaShem says in his Torah that our sins WOULD be forgiven if we offered our proper sacrifice. I have to believe Torah, not the preaching of some Christian pastors and evangelists. So should we all.
Not only that, but if we defraud another person, or deal deceitfully with another person, or rob another person, we are to restore all of what was lost PLUS a 20% penalty. Then we have to go to HaShem and offer a sin sacrifice in addition to that restoration. There is no mention of jail time. His plan is that we restore what we did wrong. As soon as we are made aware of our sin.
Truly, the Jews are called to a higher level of behavior than the rest of the world. And truly we are not only a Chosen People, but we are a Holy People, called out of the world to to the will of HaShem. May HaShem forgive us should we forget His Torah (Law) and His Mitzvot (commandments.)
Until next week,
Shalom
PS: I might change some things later but this is the posting as of 8 March 2014 - 6 Adar II 5774.
Annual Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Triennial Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-2:6
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
After reading this portion of Torah today and listening to Rabbi Mecklenberger last night at Erev Shabbos services, I became aware of something that I had not thought about for a while; mainly that we can be forgive through sacrifices. Christians teach that we cannot be forgiven through the sacrifice of blood from bulls, goats, sheep and pigeons, but Torah teaches that not only can we be forgive through the blood of those animals but, if we are too poor to sacrifice even an pigeon, then we can be forgive through the sacrifice of a fine meal offering with oil and frankincense.
The poor should not sacrifice even a pigeon if they cannot afford it. And the rich cannot sacrifice a pigeon if they can afford a sheep or bull. HaShem is most merciful for He has made it possible for us to live a life that might have some sins BUT when we become aware of those sins the we should atone for them according to Torah. Today, we give money to a Temple fund of some kind rather than sacrificing an animal or bird or a fine flour offering. (This is because we no longer have a Temple and a sacrificial altar. When the Temple is restored, then we will return to a sacrificial offering system - or so I have been told.)
Anyway, for many years I was taught that the Christ was necessary because the blood of bulls and goats could not atone for our sins. But, HaShem says in his Torah that our sins WOULD be forgiven if we offered our proper sacrifice. I have to believe Torah, not the preaching of some Christian pastors and evangelists. So should we all.
Not only that, but if we defraud another person, or deal deceitfully with another person, or rob another person, we are to restore all of what was lost PLUS a 20% penalty. Then we have to go to HaShem and offer a sin sacrifice in addition to that restoration. There is no mention of jail time. His plan is that we restore what we did wrong. As soon as we are made aware of our sin.
Truly, the Jews are called to a higher level of behavior than the rest of the world. And truly we are not only a Chosen People, but we are a Holy People, called out of the world to to the will of HaShem. May HaShem forgive us should we forget His Torah (Law) and His Mitzvot (commandments.)
Until next week,
Shalom
PS: I might change some things later but this is the posting as of 8 March 2014 - 6 Adar II 5774.
Haftarah- 5774, 6 Adar II
Today is 8 March 2014, Gregorian. Our reading comes from
Annual Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Triennial Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-2:6
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Is 44:24,25p "You have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities. It is I, I who - for My own sake - wipe your transgressions away and remember your sins no more."
This goes along with the Torah reading for today. HaShem wipes away our sins, as far as the East is from the West, and remembers them no more.
Is 44:6 "Thus said HaShem, the King of Israel, their Redeemer, HaShem of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no god but me."
Is 43:10,11 "Before Me no god was formed and after Me none shall exist. None but me, HaShem. Beside Me, none can grant triumph."
This is like unto the Shemah: "Hear, O Israel! HaShem is our God. HaShem is One."
There is but one HaShem, one God. And He is ONE GOD, not two, not three, not five. This is something that has sustained the Jews for many centuries. HaShem is our God, and He has give us His Torah, his Law, for all time. It is through His Torah that we strive for perfection, which we can never have, but we strive for it. And when we fail, he forgives us. Our hope is in HaShem, not in the blood of bulls, goats and pigeons and not in a fine flour offering. It is in HaShem who forgives us because he wants to forgive us. All we have to do is ask. We do not need anyone else to forgive us.
Until next week,
Shalom
PS: I might change some things later but this is the posting as of 8 March 2014 - 6 Adar II 5774.
Annual Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-5:26
Triennial Torah Portion: Leviticus 1:1-2:6
Haftarah: Isaiah 43:21-44:23
Is 44:24,25p "You have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities. It is I, I who - for My own sake - wipe your transgressions away and remember your sins no more."
This goes along with the Torah reading for today. HaShem wipes away our sins, as far as the East is from the West, and remembers them no more.
Is 44:6 "Thus said HaShem, the King of Israel, their Redeemer, HaShem of Hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no god but me."
Is 43:10,11 "Before Me no god was formed and after Me none shall exist. None but me, HaShem. Beside Me, none can grant triumph."
This is like unto the Shemah: "Hear, O Israel! HaShem is our God. HaShem is One."
There is but one HaShem, one God. And He is ONE GOD, not two, not three, not five. This is something that has sustained the Jews for many centuries. HaShem is our God, and He has give us His Torah, his Law, for all time. It is through His Torah that we strive for perfection, which we can never have, but we strive for it. And when we fail, he forgives us. Our hope is in HaShem, not in the blood of bulls, goats and pigeons and not in a fine flour offering. It is in HaShem who forgives us because he wants to forgive us. All we have to do is ask. We do not need anyone else to forgive us.
Until next week,
Shalom
PS: I might change some things later but this is the posting as of 8 March 2014 - 6 Adar II 5774.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
My Precious
Greetings:
It seems that there has been a lot of attention focused lately on Munoz Family problems with John Peter Smith (JPS) hospital in Fort Worth. It seems that about 8 weeks ago Eric Munoz found his wife, Marlise Munoz, lying unconscious on the kitchen floor. She was 14 weeks pregnant then and is about 22 weeks pregnant now. But, here's the kicker; she has been pronounced "brain dead" and the family wants JPS to take her off of life support. In effect, killing the baby as well. JPS has refused citing a 1999 law that requires a hospital to keep a woman on life support if she is pregnant.
Eric's lawyers say that this law was never intended to apply to someone who is "brain dead." Question: To whom would this law apply? A woman who is fully conscious does not need life support. I would think that this is exactly the kind of situation to which this law would apply. Anyway, according to the Dallas Morning News, on Friday afternoon (yesterday) a local judge ruled that JPS had to remove all life support from Marlise Munoz by Monday afternoon, presumably by 6:00 p.m. or before. In effect, killing the baby as well as killing Marlise's brain-dead body. The baby is now 22 weeks old and will be what is called by the press a "viable fetus" in another two weeks. So, since the baby could be delivered by Ceaseran section in two or three weeks the family is, effectively, having an abortion for Marlise. Remember, she was 14 weeks pregnant when she slipped into a coma and could have had an abortion at any time before that had she chosen to do so. Apparently she did want the baby before the accident and subsequent hospital stay.
But the family says that had she known that the baby was deformed she would have chosen abortion. And the family says that the baby is not only deformed (legs) but also has heart problems and water on the brain. Something that JPS has neither confirmed nor denied. My question is this: If the baby were "viable" at this time could you perform an abortion? Not on your Nelly! It would be the same as killing a three-year-old baby because it was deformed, had brain damage and heart problems. The first question is, "At what point is the beginning of life?" The local and national press, as well as the family, believe that life begins at 24 weeks when the baby can be delivered but that Marlise is only 22 weeks pregnant now and should have the abortion by effectively killling her brain-dead body.
In Torah study on the past Monday, one of the gentlemen (obviously of the more "Liberal Jew" classification) in the class protested that,"What if the fetus is deformed and/or has brain damage?" He is of that class that does not understand that life begins when G-d creates it, at conception, not some "legalese" definition of life such as that determined in our courts. Obviously I am in the more "Conservative" or "Orthodox"Jewish belief that G-d's court has already determined that the baby is alive. It is funny that people in the USA have been convicted (legally, in court) of murder for causing a woman to miscarry, even before the magical 24-week statute of "viability" period. Yet, this judge had determined that the baby is still a fetus and not yet alive since it is not 24-weeks old. In two more weeks, it will be what they call a "viable fetus" and re-classified a "baby" by law. I am not sure but it seems that if the "fetus" were not brain damaged and/or deformed that the family would want Marlise kept alive. Or so it seems. They have not publicly stated one way or the other except to declare that the baby is deformed and has brain damage. I am still waiting for JPS to confirm or deny that report. But it does not really matter, does it?
So, feel free to comment, for or against killing Marlise's brain-dead body and her baby. Or not. I will publish anything that is "readable" one way or the other. Meaning, no name calling, no angry anti-abortion or pro-abortion rants but something intelligent and readable by high-school students or college freshmen. (College FreshLadies?) No profane nor vulgar language, please.
Shalom,
Yaakov
It seems that there has been a lot of attention focused lately on Munoz Family problems with John Peter Smith (JPS) hospital in Fort Worth. It seems that about 8 weeks ago Eric Munoz found his wife, Marlise Munoz, lying unconscious on the kitchen floor. She was 14 weeks pregnant then and is about 22 weeks pregnant now. But, here's the kicker; she has been pronounced "brain dead" and the family wants JPS to take her off of life support. In effect, killing the baby as well. JPS has refused citing a 1999 law that requires a hospital to keep a woman on life support if she is pregnant.
Eric's lawyers say that this law was never intended to apply to someone who is "brain dead." Question: To whom would this law apply? A woman who is fully conscious does not need life support. I would think that this is exactly the kind of situation to which this law would apply. Anyway, according to the Dallas Morning News, on Friday afternoon (yesterday) a local judge ruled that JPS had to remove all life support from Marlise Munoz by Monday afternoon, presumably by 6:00 p.m. or before. In effect, killing the baby as well as killing Marlise's brain-dead body. The baby is now 22 weeks old and will be what is called by the press a "viable fetus" in another two weeks. So, since the baby could be delivered by Ceaseran section in two or three weeks the family is, effectively, having an abortion for Marlise. Remember, she was 14 weeks pregnant when she slipped into a coma and could have had an abortion at any time before that had she chosen to do so. Apparently she did want the baby before the accident and subsequent hospital stay.
But the family says that had she known that the baby was deformed she would have chosen abortion. And the family says that the baby is not only deformed (legs) but also has heart problems and water on the brain. Something that JPS has neither confirmed nor denied. My question is this: If the baby were "viable" at this time could you perform an abortion? Not on your Nelly! It would be the same as killing a three-year-old baby because it was deformed, had brain damage and heart problems. The first question is, "At what point is the beginning of life?" The local and national press, as well as the family, believe that life begins at 24 weeks when the baby can be delivered but that Marlise is only 22 weeks pregnant now and should have the abortion by effectively killling her brain-dead body.
In Torah study on the past Monday, one of the gentlemen (obviously of the more "Liberal Jew" classification) in the class protested that,"What if the fetus is deformed and/or has brain damage?" He is of that class that does not understand that life begins when G-d creates it, at conception, not some "legalese" definition of life such as that determined in our courts. Obviously I am in the more "Conservative" or "Orthodox"Jewish belief that G-d's court has already determined that the baby is alive. It is funny that people in the USA have been convicted (legally, in court) of murder for causing a woman to miscarry, even before the magical 24-week statute of "viability" period. Yet, this judge had determined that the baby is still a fetus and not yet alive since it is not 24-weeks old. In two more weeks, it will be what they call a "viable fetus" and re-classified a "baby" by law. I am not sure but it seems that if the "fetus" were not brain damaged and/or deformed that the family would want Marlise kept alive. Or so it seems. They have not publicly stated one way or the other except to declare that the baby is deformed and has brain damage. I am still waiting for JPS to confirm or deny that report. But it does not really matter, does it?
So, feel free to comment, for or against killing Marlise's brain-dead body and her baby. Or not. I will publish anything that is "readable" one way or the other. Meaning, no name calling, no angry anti-abortion or pro-abortion rants but something intelligent and readable by high-school students or college freshmen. (College FreshLadies?) No profane nor vulgar language, please.
Shalom,
Yaakov
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