Category: Politics

  • Don’t Be A Frog

    The Jews were not enslaved all at once. It was a step-by-step process. First special taxes were levied on them. Slowly more and more of their freedom was taken away until they suddenly realized that they were enslaved.

  • The US is Not Just Another Country

    פרשת חוקה / ד’ בתמוז תשפ”ב

    The Hebrew translation of the name of the US does not translate as “the United States” but as The Lands of the Agreement”. Hebrew is the only language that translates the US in this way. It is a recognition the US is not just another country but unique in the world with a special mission.

  • For the Sake of Heaven

    פרשת קרח / כ”ח בסיון תשפ”ב

    The Mishna in Pirkei Avot mentions the difference between a disagreement for the sake of Heaven and for personal ego is the dispute between Shammai & Hillel, for the sake of Heaven, and Korach and his congregation for ego. The difference is that if the dispute is for the sake of Heaven, then they might disagree, but they did not look on their opponents as enemies. Korach and his congregation looked on their opponents as evil.

  • Facts, Not Opinions

    פרשת שלח / כ”ד בסיון תשפ”ב

    The problem with the men that Moses sent out to scout the land was that they let their egos get in the way. They had a preconceived notion and bent the facts to their opinions. A true spy is unknown to all and presents the facts as they are, not what they want them to be.

  • Know When to Leave

    פרשת שלח / כ”א בסיון תשפ”ב

    In this week’s portion we watch as Moses chooses the wrong people to scout out the Land. The problem with the men chosen was that they had a vested interest in staying in the wilderness. That they did not want to lose their position of leadership. Sometimes a leader has to recognize when it is time to leave.

  • The Miracles of Jerusalem Day

    פרשת במדבר / כ”ח באייר תשפ”ב – מ”ג בעומר

    Today is the anniversary of the Liberation of Jerusalem in 1967. For Jews this was an open miracle. There were many miracles during the 6 Day War and Jerusalem’s liberation was the high point. The question is do we recognize it when God performs miracles for us.

  • Liberty & The Torah

    פרשת בהר / ט”ז באייר תשפ”ב – ל”א בעומר

    In this week’s Portion the Torah ties liberty with property fights. Basically, when there is no ownership of property, there is no liberty. That is why one the quote on the Liberty Bell is found in this week’s Portion: Proclaim Liberty thro’ all the Land to all the Inhabitants thereof.-Levit. XXV. 10.

  • Mourning during the Omer

    פרשת קדושים – ט”ו בעמר / ל’ בניסן תשפ”ב

    We mourn Rebbe Akiva’s students death during the Omer. The official reason given is that they died from a plague. The reality is that they died fighting the Romans in the Bar-Kochba revolt. It is no accident that Israel Independence day happens during this period.

  • Do Not Fool Yourself

    פרשת כי תישה / ט”ו באדר א’ תשפ”ב

    After witnessing the greatest miracles man had ever seen the Israelites chose to worship an idol that they had created rather than God who performed the miracles. This is perhaps the real reason that the Jews were punished, they refused to believe reality.

  • The Andy Capp Defense

    One of my favorite comic strips growing up was Andy Capp.  It was about a no good layabout who justified his misbehavior in all manner of ways.

    In one of the classic strips the first panel shows Andy in a pub holding the hand of a young bar maid.  In the next, his wife Flo comes through the door and declares that he is cheating on her.  In the third panel Andy, in righteous indignation avers “Me cheating on you!  You’re supposed to be playing bingo!”

    I think of this comic strip now when I realize that we have a true life Andy Capp running for president.   That is Hillary Clinton.  It is impossible to list all the scandals that she has been associated with.  From the time she and her husband have entered into public life their names have been tied to one scandal after another.

    Their  method of dealing with the scandals is to lie and then to accuse their accusers of some minor infraction.

    Let’s take the email scandal.

    First Mrs Clinton states that she did not really have a private server.  Then she admits it but that it was for personnel emails only. The we discover that she used it for State Department emails, in violation of the law.

    Then she said it was done with the approval of the State Department.  When this is shown to be false, she accused previous Secretaries of State of the same actions.  When this excuse falls apart she claims that she is being singled out because she is  woman.  (I wonder what Candeleza Rice made of that one?)

    So at the end we realize that she has lied about this matter.  But her defense is that they (the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy) is out to get her and, besides, everybody does it.

    And besides, Trump has not released his tax returns.  Wow!

    The sad truth is that everybody doesn’t do it.

    That the reason that she is not considered trustworthy is that she has a sordid history.  And that history is of her own making.

    I want to say that I am not that enamored with Donald Trump.  He was my 17th choice of the 17 people who ran for president in the Republican primaries.  I did not vote for him.  But I will vote for him due to the fact that he will not steal from me and demand that I love him for it.

    He did not knowingly lie about his background or his misdeeds.  As sad as this is, I will be holding my nose when I vote.