Posted By simmons on April 11, 2014
World War Z: The Beginning of the Invasion of Israel All new video on World War Z, during the beginning of the zombie "invasion" of the city of Jerusalem. Due to loud noises from the religious celebrations of t... By: Richard Parker
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World War Z: The Beginning of the Invasion of Israel - Video
Posted By admin on April 11, 2014
Israel airstrike kills 3 in Gaza Strip after drone crash Originally published on March 12, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ An Israeli airstrike ... By: TomoNews US
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Israel airstrike kills 3 in Gaza Strip after drone crash - Video
Posted By admin on April 11, 2014
Israel again prevents Olympic runner from leaving Gaza Gaza #39;s fastest man Nader Al-Masri has once again been deprived from attending a marathon outside the blockaded coastal enclave. The Israeli high court upheld... By: PressTV News Videos
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Israel again prevents Olympic runner from leaving Gaza - Video
Posted By simmons on April 10, 2014
Rallye Villa de Teror 2012 (Germn Hernndez-Israel Pereira) Honda Civic Type R-R3 This episode of Travelogue explores the #39;thousand year-old #39; village of Nuodeng, deep in rural Dali, Yunnan.
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Rallye Villa de Teror 2012 (Germn Hernndez-Israel Pereira) Honda Civic Type R-R3 - Video
Posted By simmons on April 10, 2014
Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state 2012 : Reconocimiento de pal April 06, 2014 Al Jazeera News ONE TIME ONLY DONATION $
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Palestinians win implicit U.N. recognition of sovereign state 2012 : Reconocimiento de pal - Video
Posted By richards on April 10, 2014
Daf Yomi Talmud Beitzah Yom Tov page 7 Gemarrah #39;
Beitzah is the seventh tractate of Seder Moed of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. Beitzah means egg in Hebrew. This tractate is called Beitzah since this is th...
By: Moshe Weisblum
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Posted By richards on April 10, 2014
Sacred-Texts Judaism Buy CD-ROM Buy books about Judaism Translated by Michael L. Rodkinson [1918] Book 1: Tract Sabbath Book 2: Tracts Erubin, Shekalim, Rosh Hashana Book 3: Tracts Pesachim, Yomah and Hagiga Book 4: Tracts Betzh, Succah, Moed Katan, Taanith, Megilla and Ebel Rabbathi or Semahoth Book 5: Tracts Aboth, Derech Eretz-Rabba, Derech Eretz-Zuta, and Baba Kama (First Gate) Book 6: Tract Baba Kama (First Gate), Part II and Tract Baba Metzia (Middle Gate) Book 7: Tract Baba Bathra (Last Gate) Book 8: Tract Sanhedrin: Section Jurisprudence (Damages) Book 9: Tracts Maccoth, Shebuoth, Eduyoth, Abuda Zara, and Horioth Book 10: History of the Talmud
A search for Talmud at Google will turn up hundreds of thousands of hits, a depressing number of which are to anti-Semitic sites. However, to our knowledge this is the first extensive English translation of the Talmud to be posted on the Internet. The Talmud is a vast collection of Jewish laws and traditions. Despite the dry subject matter the Talmud makes interesting reading because it is infused with vigorous intellectual debate, humor and deep wisdom. As the saying goes, 'you don't have to be Jewish' to appreciate this text. If you put in the hard work required to read the Talmud, your mind will get a world-class workout. The process of studying the Talmud has been compared with the practice of Zen Buddhist Koan meditation, and for good reason.
Rodkinsons' ten-book edition, the only extensive one currently in the public domain, contains complete translations of the 'Festivals' and 'Jurisprudence' sections of the Talmud. Rodkinson only finished about a third of the Talmud. All ten volumes were prepared at Sacred-texts and are available here in their entirety.
Rodkinson has been widely criticized, both from traditionalist Jews who feel that translating the Talmud is not an acceptable practice, as well as from those hostile to the Talmud and Judaism in general. As often seems to be the case, the political spectrum seems to be a Mobeius loop. All of these viewpoints are abundantly represented on the Internet. Some quote material out of context, or ascribe hostile intent to innocent passages. The most hurtful critics are those who claim that Rodkinson deliberately left out material to conceal an evil Jewish agenda. After completion of this etext, I can unequivocally state that this is hogwash. Rodkinson's Talmud is, by definition, an abridgement for modern readers. He left out only the sections where the debate spins off into complete obscurity, and was careful to document where he did so. Now that this incredible text, lovingly translated, is on the Internet perhaps these criticisms can finally be put to rest.
Bibliographic note on Rodkinsons' Talmud Rodkinson's translation went through at least two editions. The sacred-texts version was prepared from the second edition. All of these were from the 1918 printing, with the exception of book 1, which was scanned from a 1903 printing. The numbering of the volumes changed radically between the first and second edition; to add to the confusion the second edition was bound into a ten book set, two volumes per book. This numbering is consistent, for instance, the second edition book 1 contains volumes 1 and 2; book 5 contains volumes 9 and 10, and so on. However, the volume sequence of the first edition was completely shuffled in the second edition; for instance, volumes 9 and 10 of the second edition (in book 5) correspond to volumes 1 and 2 of the first edition. This confusion will be evident if you shop the used book market for individual books of this set (which are fairly abundant at reasonable prices).
Book 1: Tract Sabbath Tract Sabbath discusses what can and cannot be done on the Jewish Holy day. This tract has a wealth of information on everyday Jewish life in late Classical times, including, for some reason, a great number of medical recipes. Because almost everything is done differently on the Sabbath, this contains an incredible level of ethnographic detail about a wide range of household activities including livestock, clothing, meals, horticulture, hunting, and other more obscure topics, such as fire-fighting and feminine hygiene. Rodkinson makes the point in an appendix that many of the Talmundic regulations which seem to be arbitrary were developed as a response to political persecution. He also includes a prayer which is offered upon the conclusion of studying any tract.
Book 2: Tracts Erubin, Shekalim, Rosh Hashana Tracts from section Moed (Festivals). Tract Erubin deals with regulations concerning travel on the Sabbath, and the proper construction of 'Erub', propitiatory offerings for transgressions of these rules, usually, but not always, constructed of food. Tract Shekalim deals with tithes. Tract Rosh Hashana discusses the Jewish New Year, a floating holiday tied to lunar observations.
Book 3: Tracts Pesachim, Yomah and Hagiga Continuing with tracts from section Moed (Festivals). These are primarily discussions of the rituals to be performed on important holy days: principally Passover and the Day of Atonement. The short third tract, Hagiga, discusses the Holocaust ceremony, (meaning a burnt-offering), which today has come into use as a term for the Nazi genocide. Among other points of interest is description of the ritual of the scapegoat in Chapter VI. of Tract Yomah; and Chapter II. of Tract Hagiga has a notable digression on a variety of subjects, including the cryptic Chariot of God, and the names and characteristics of the seven heavens.
Book 4: Tracts Betzh, Succah, Moed Katan, Taanith, Megilla and Ebel Rabbathi or Semahoth Completing the Festivals portion of Rodkinson's Talmud translation. Tract Betzah details regulations about cooking, fishing, hunting and other activities on feast days. Tract Succah discusses the Festival of the Tabernacles, particularly the construction and use of the Succah, or booth. Moed Katan is about miscellaneous laws about some minor festivals, for instance activites which are permissible during intercalendary periods. Taanith has discussions about the beginning of the rains, including a sequence of folktales about rainmaking Rabbis. Megilla is about Purim, particularly about the public reading of the book of Esther during that festival. Ebel Rabbath is about mourning and other funerary activities.
Book 5: Tracts Aboth, Derech Eretz-Rabba, Derech Eretz-Zuta, and Baba Kama (First Gate) This book starts out with three tracts on ethics, including the lucid and moving Pirqe Aboth (Sayings of the Fathers), (also available at sacred-texts in a translation by Taylor). This edition of Aboth comes with extensive commentary. The Baba Kama is the first section of a three-part opening arc of the Jurisprudence section. To the modern reader it is of interest because of the unintentional and (sometimes pungent) atmospheric details of everyday life in first century Israel. Many of the Baba Kama cases start when 'an ox gores' someone or something; the modern equivalent would probably be automobile moving violations. The debates are notable because they are based equally on scripture and appeals to an emerging standard of common-sense justice and human rights.
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Posted By richards on April 10, 2014
Cartoon by Steve Greenberg
Each time we hear of yet another heart-wrenching and infuriating agunah story, we tend to point an accusing finger at the Jewish legal system that has created these circumstances, in which spiteful, angry husbands can cynically abuse the divorce laws to extort and torment their wives. And this is not an unreasonable reaction. It is true that within halachah, the husband alone possesses the legal authority to issue the Jewish writ of divorce, a get. A wife cannot issue a get, nor can a rabbinical court. Yes, the category of annulment exists in the Talmud, but centuries of legal precedent agree that annulment does not apply to such cases. So it can be stated fairly and accurately that the law itself, without intention to do so, has created the circumstances that enable these abuses to occur.
In the minds of some, this leads to the ineluctable conclusion that we ought to simply abandon the religious law. This, however, is a tautological nonstarter for Orthodox Jews. For us, the halachah is our life and the length of our days. A much more subtle and plausible version of the idea though, has begun to circulate within our community, namely, that if we are to remain committed to halachah as a system, then we have no choice today but to avoid creating halachically valid marriages. There are indeed any number of ways that a couple and a rabbi can purposefully subvert the halachic validity of a marriage ceremony, and any one of these ways would be sufficient to obviate the need for a get, should the couple separate later on. The justification for this proposal is simple and straightforward. If we have no way of ensuring a halachic off-ramp, then we simply have to avoid getting onto the halachic on-ramp.
On a visceral level, I understand why this proposal is appealing. There is even a sense of justice about it. Yet, I shudder to think about its possible unintended consequences. For as much as we are stymied by halachah in these awful agunah situations, we are thankful to halachah for having created the marriages and the families that so many of us enjoy.
While the Torah itself spoke of marriage in only a legalistic way, the talmudic literature reinvented marriage as a deeply committed, truly covenanted relationship. The rabbis of the Talmud utilized the verse Love your friend as yourself as the legal framework regulating the marital relationship, and they described the marital bed itself as a place where the presence of God should hover. And these were no mere homiletics. The Talmud legally mandates that spouses cherish and respect one another, and take responsibility for the others material and emotional welfare. In addition, the Talmud imposed the institution of the ketubah with an alimony payment at its heart, to prevent husbands from seeing their marriages as being easily disposable. In this way, it protected wives and protected the institution of marriage from being undertaken and from being regarded casually. Long-term commitment was bred into the system so that marriage would have the strength to endure the crises and conflicts that invariably affect every marriage at some point or another. And this is the legal and ethical nature of halachic marriage.
What might the consequences be if we began to advise our daughters to avoid entering halachically binding marriages? Even though it might seem a sensible and practical idea for any given woman, what would the impact be if it became the practice of the entire community? The same halachic system that frustrates us when we rally against a recalcitrant husband also produces the kinds of marriages that we desire to have for ourselves, for our children and for our community. This is part of the reason, after all, that we are committed to halachah to begin with.
The existence of agunot is the ugliest moral scar on the face of Orthodox Judaism, bar none. And each one of us who upholds halachah bears personal responsibility for mitigating the unintended yet devastating damage that it allows to occur. A couple of centuries ago, in a different time and place, this was easier to do. When a husband was tormenting his wife, or leaving her chained to a dead marriage, the local rabbinical court utilized various kinds of social, economic and even physical pressure to induce him to give his wife a get. But in our time and place, in which religious courts do not wield legal enforcement powers, and recalcitrant husbands can simply leave the social and economic orbit of the Jewish community, the old ways do not serve us nearly as well.
Today, in our time and in our place, the responsibility falls squarely upon the shoulders of each one of us. The first thing we each need to do is insist that every single couple that marries signs the halachic prenuptial agreement (go to rabbis.org). The halachic prenup is not a panacea, but it has the civil legal capacity to profoundly discourage husbands from withholding a get. Years ago, our synagogue board at Congregation Bnai David-Judea modified our bylaws to prohibit any rabbi ever employed by the synagogue from performing a wedding without a halachic prenup. Please check to see that your synagogue has a similar policy. And if you are already married and dont have a halachic prenup, circle Sept. 7, 2014, on your calendars. This is the day on which the Pico-Robertson Orthodox community will be hosting a mass halachic postnuptial signing.
No less important, each and every one of us must also commit fully and without any exceptions to the watertight policy that there is never, ever an excuse or justification for extortion. No one, not our brother, nor our son, nor our rabbi, can ever attach conditions of any kind to the delivery of a get. Not a financial condition, not a child custody condition, not any condition of any sort. And we have to possess the moral vision and religious courage to loudly and publicly label any effort to impose such conditions for what they are extortion plain and simple. We cant let ourselves be fooled or hoodwinked.
Extortion can hide even in the folds of piety or behind the mask of rabbinical ordination. We cannot fall for it. We have to call it out when we see it, for it may be up to you and you alone to save a woman from becoming an agunah.
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Posted By richards on April 10, 2014
Chances are There's Something Jewish About Your Joe
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Four of Cups: The creator of the Anthora cup was Leslie Buck who was a survivor of Auschwitz and Buchenwald.
In the Talmud (Eruvin 65b), Rabbi Ilai cleverly opines: A person is recognized by three things: their cup, their pocket, and their anger. In other words, how they handle their liquor (self control), their money (generosity), and their temper (patience). Its a lot more poetic in the Hebrew, where the three characteristics are, koso, kiso, and kaaso.
A more alliterative English translation might be, pour, pocket, and pique. Entire sermons and morality tales can be woven from this dictum, but with Passover and its four cups of wine quickly approaching, I wanted to shed a little light on some unusual Jewish connections to item #1 from this aphorism: The Cup.
Four cups of coffee is more common for many of us than four cups of wine (and not just for users of the Maxwell House haggadah), and one place where I often see peoples cups, pockets and anger-management skills come into play is standing on line at Starbucks.
Are we the wise child who chats up the barista with questions about bean origins, shade-grown vs. organic, and optimal brewing temperatures? The wicked child who snarls his order and sighs impatiently at the guy chatting up the barista? The simple child who tips generously and smiles warmly at the mother and sugar-crashing toddler behind him in line? Or the child who stands in stunned silence at the overwhelming choice of sizes, flavors, and add-ins on the menu?
No matter which child you are, when you exit Starbucks youll be carrying a cup whose iconic design is largely Jewish in origin. One of the 1971 founders of the original Starbucks, Zev Siegel, was Jewish, and in 1987 the company was bought by fellow Jew and former employee Howard Schultz, who was passionately committed to turning Starbucks from a whole-bean coffee roaster and retailer into a chain of espresso bars that served as communal gathering places like those he encountered on buying trips to Milan as Starbucks former director of marketing.
The new Starbucks logo was a merger of the original Starbucks logo and the logo for Il Giornale - Schultzs espresso bar that he opened when he couldnt convince the original Starbucks owners to focus on brewed coffee sales. Schultzs new Starbucks logo (a form of which is still in use today) featured a stylized version of the original Starbucks two-tailed mermaid (technically a Melusine), changed from brown to green to match the green circle with white block lettering and stars that was part of Schultzs original logo for Il Giornale. For many coffee drinkers, a quick sighting of the Starbucks green alone (Pantone 3298) is enough to elicit pavlovian caffeine cravings that are not easily denied.
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The Secret Jewish History of the Coffee Cup (Starbucks and Otherwise)
Posted By richards on April 10, 2014
Maybe it is appropriate that books created by the People of the Book are just as complex and varied as the people themselves. Our Torah contains multiple versions of the same stories. In the Talmud, interactive commentaries spiral out from original texts. Our prayer books feature several languages, and we have a sage (Rashi) who has his own script. For the linear 21st-century mind, it can be hard to take in.
But the story of the Exodus from Egypt, a story we are commanded to retell on the holiday of Passover, seems to lend itself to a straightforward, simple text. After all, the ritual is called seder, or order. As it is set forth in Torah, there are only two parts to the mitzvah: Make a sacrifice, tell a story. (You know the one: Let my people go, cross the sea, women dance with timbrels and dayenu.)
Yet every year, when I open the book placed in front of me on the table, I am reminded of how easy it can be to lose my way in the haggadah. The collection of excerpts from the Bible, Mishnah and midrash, interpolated with instructions for ritual not to mention illustrations and quotes on civil rights, feminism and climate change can be daunting. Whether the text is hand-compiled or Maxwell House, one of the Four Questions should be: Which page are we on?
The oldest haggadah still in existence was part of a 10th-century prayer book, but there is evidence that haggadot were separate books earlier than that. Almost from the start, they were seen as personal objects, less subject to the rules of the community and more amenable to the expression of personal taste.
In the Middle Ages, well-to-do families commissioned artists to create personal haggadot. Illuminated and beautifully decorated, many of them were also illustrated, a practice that was allowed despite the belief that the second commandment regarding graven images forbade it because they were thought to be educational.
As soon as there was printing, there were printed haggadot, and today we are inundated with beautiful and intriguing versions of endless variety. Based on the number of versions, the Passover haggadah may be one of the most popular Jewish books, just as the seder is one of the most observed Jewish rituals.
But in all that time, they didnt get simpler.
The form of our Passover ritual is generally believed to have been lifted from a Greek gathering called a symposium. There were three parts to the evening: a banquet, set speeches and discussion. Turns out the symposium had its literature, too, which shaped our haggadah, and reflects teaching methods that were considered best practice thousands of years ago.
Rabbi Adam Schaffer, religious school director at Temple Aliyah in Woodland Hills, suggests that the haggadah is more like a lesson plan than a storybook, and handing them out is a little like giving lesson plans directly to the students. There are a multitude of discussion topics. Its the job of the seder leader to bring coherence to the evening, to help create an experience as if you were there as well as to pass on the story of our ancestors.
But if the haggadah is like a big lesson plan, Schaffer amends, it is also like a jazz score, a basic melody with themes that the people at the table are meant to riff on.
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