Maggid from Mezritch: Consider Your Wife Physically Repulsive

In the writings of the Maggid of Mezritch, the successor of the Ba'al Shem Tov (founder of the Hassidic movement), he suggests that one should view his wife as being physically repulsive and love her just like he loves his tefillin.

Here's the original (Tzava'as haRivash 123:2):

Translation:

A man should love his wife in the same manner that he loves his tefilin – that is solely because the tefilin are an instrument for fulfilling G-d's commandments.

He should not think about her as a desirable physical being.

This is explained by the following: A man who wants to travel to the market and he can only travel there by riding a horse - should his need for the horse cause him to love the horse?
Is there any greater nonsense to think such a thought?

Similarly, in this world a man needs a wife in order to fulfill the service of G-d in order to be able to merit the future world. And if he neglects his service of G-d in order to think about her –
Is there any greater nonsense than that?

Rather he should view her as physically repulsive.

Therefore, if he sees a beautiful woman, he should realize that the white components of her body come from the father's semen while the red components are from the mother's blood which is repulsive and if he places such on food – the food would become disgusting.

What a fine example of the value of a woman in Judaism!

Hat tip: StM.

Rabbi Cardozo's Questionable Affection for Secular Jews

In his latest essay coined The Enduring Preciousness of the Secular Jew, Rabbi Cardozo speaks of the need for "unconditional love and respect for fellow Jews, whatever their background or beliefs".

This is a refreshing voice coming from the orthodox camp, even though we probably should define Rabbi Cardozo as left-wing modern orthodox.

When observing even those who are fully committed to helping fellow Jews find their way back to Judaism, we see an attitude that is foreign to religious life and thought. We cannot escape the impression that some people, without denying their love for their fellow Jews, tend to talk down to secular Jews. This has become the norm. Constant emphasis is placed on the need to fix the secular person’s mistaken lifestyle. No doubt such an attitude is born out of love, but it lays the foundation for infinite trouble. It is built on arrogance.

While religious Jews are seen as the ideal, they turn secular Jews into second-class members of the Jewish people. It is they who need to repent for their mistaken ways. Such an attitude is built on notions of disparity and lack of affinity. The secular Jew will always feel inferior. As such, the point of departure from which one reaches out to bring fellow Jews closer to Judaism is its undoing. The suggestion that “one should throw oneself into a burning furnace rather than insult another person publicly” (Berachot 43b) may very well apply, since it is the community of secular Jews that is being disparaged and treated as inferior. 

I agree. Kiruv people tend to think they are superior to secular Jews because they are so convinced of their secular lifestyle and that should change.

Revisiting unconditional love
I already mentioned unconditional love for children in my previous post Loving an OTD Child.

However, instead of appealing to unconditional brotherly love, Rabbi Cardozo frames it in such a way that, again, it's all about turning secular Jews into observant Jews. He continues:

For people to bring their fellow Jews back to Judaism there is a need to celebrate the mitzvot that secular Jews have been observing all or part of their lives, not to condemn their failure to observe some others. Only on the basis of sharing mitzvot will an authentic way be found to bring Jews back home.

The foundation should be humility, not arrogance. There is little doubt that secular Jews, consciously or unconsciously, keep a large number of commandments. Many of them may not be in the form of rituals, but there is massive evidence pointing to secular Jews’ commitment to keeping interpersonal mitzvot. Beneath the divisiveness of traditional commitment lie underpinnings of religion such as compassion, humility, awe, and even faith. Different are the pledges, but equal are the devotions. It may quite well be that the meeting of minds is lacking between religious and non-religious Jews, but their spirits touch. Who will deny that secular Jews have a sense of mystery, forgiveness, beauty, and gentleness? How many of them do not have inner faith that God cares? And how many will not show great contempt for fraud or double standards? Each of these is the deepest of religious values.

This not only calls for a celebration but may well become an inspiration for religious Jews – not just by honoring secular Jews for keeping these mitzvot, but by renewing these and other good deeds themselves. There is a need to make the non-observant Jews aware of the fact that they are much more religious than they may know. To have them realize that God’s light often shines on their faces just as much if not more than on the faces of religious Jews.

Just as non-religious Jews need to prove that they are worthy of being friends with religious Jews, so too must religious Jews be worthy of the friendship of their secular fellow Jews. It would be a most welcome undertaking if the religious would call on their secular fellow Jews for guidance in mitzvot that demand their own greater commitment.

There is a significant need for calling Jews back to their roots by showing them that they never left. Once religious Jews learn that secular Jews are their equals, not their inferiors, a return to Judaism on equal terms will come about.

It's all about letting them return to the fold. Not about unconditional love and brotherhood.

Now how again should secular Jews not feel inferior?!

Loving an OTD Child

Rabbi Eliyahu Safran published a worthy article yesterday in the Jewish Press on about how Rav Shteinman treated OTD children. I quote the following:

A father approached the gadol hador, known for his wisdom, insight, deep sensitivity, and understanding. The father was fervent in his faith and love for the Jewish people, so much so that he was adamant that if his child did not follow the “right” path he would sooner see him dead.

Would the great rav, recognizing the father’s love of Torah and Hashem, praise the father for this level of piety? No. The gadol saw only a bitter, judgmental man embarrassed and disgusted by his child. The rav made clear that such a father was not expressing sacrifice but was contemplating murder, for his motives were selfish, cruel, and callous.

The gadol hador counseled, “The child must be made to believe that his parents truly love him and that it hurts them to see their beloved child lose out on a life of real happiness.” Such love, the gadol taught, would create the potential for the child to return to the right path.

Now, this already can be called progress. Too many communities consider OTD children an oisvurf (outcast), worthy of shunning. Too many parents find their child disgusting because they see in them the antithesis of their beliefs, evil incarnated! Indeed, some parents would rather see their child die than to have to see their child go off the path. This is a direct result of the parents' warped haredi indoctrination where shidduchim are more important than the child's wellbeing.

That's why many OTD people considered Rav Shteinman as one of the good guys. He was not as firebrand as the others. In many circumstances he ridiculed misguided frumkeit. He was very adamant that schools should accept children to yeshivas. He was also more open to allow haredi males to serve in the army, allowing for the creation of the Nahal haredi ultra-orthodox IDF battalion. Dov Lipman, a haredi moderate, wrote a remarking obituary of Rav Shteinman in the The Jerusalem Post called Secular Israel should also miss Rav Shteinman.

Still, however praise worthy the Rabbi was, I have difficulty with the reason why he believed that the child should be shown love:

Rav Shteinman beseeched us to never close off a chance for return. He taught that love for our children keeps that chance alive.

The goal is not love but the love is a way to love bomb a child into becoming orthodox again. Does this really count as loving your child?

Similar sentiments can be found elsewhere, e.g. with Rabbi Uri Zohar, the legendary Israeli actor who became a baal teshuvah and became influential in the Jewish missionary movement:

“When a child comes home at four in the morning from the disco, give him some cake with a cup of coffee and a note saying, ‘We love you,'” he said.

“This will reassure him that you love him not because he is a tzaddik or because he davens or says brachos, but just because he exists. After he grows up and understands that everything around him is a bluff, he’ll return. Slowly at first, but he’ll be inside, at home, within the community.”

“If we throw a child out of the house chalilah, we deprive him of the chance to return,” he said. “Our job as parents is not to know when he’ll do teshuvah and return to the way of the Avos. Rather, the mitzvah of this generation is to accept with love and mercy those children who will return in the end. For deep within they know the truth. Therefore, in the end, they’ll return to their heavenly Father.”

No. Don't love your child because you hope to turn him into a clone of who you are.

Love your child because you are a parent. And your children depend on your unconditional love.

Is the survival of the Jewish people a unique miracle?

Our latest translated video attempts to refute the notion that the unique survival of Judaism is proof for the existence of God:

An 'Urgent' WhatsApp message...

So someone sent me this message on WhatsApp tonight:

URGENT! Please share with as much people as possible. The Rav hamekoubal Nissim Shalom declared that his grandfather ZT"L appeared to him in a dream and revealed to him that the Machiach is at his door, and ordered him to let as many jewish people as possible know about it as well as many people as possible. The Rav insisted upon the fact that whoever will send this message will be saved from the suffering which are supposed to occur with the coming of Machiach and that whoever won't do it will sustain a substantial loss of money. The Rav asked to send this message to at least 12 people, a number corresponding to the number of the tribes of Israel. It is a very favorable moment now in heaven , and to those who might be skeptical and not believe in the words of the Rav should know that the Rav would never make such a declaration without serious reasons to do so because it is forbidden to give false hopes to the Jewish people. From the Rav Yoel Benharoushe. Thank you.

So how does one approach such a chain mail skeptically?

Well, one of the following shall do the trick:

1. Chain mail messages should always get you in a skeptic mindset!
2. Google the whole message and you will find the oldest reference to be a Yeshivah World News topic dated 2010 (it's December 2017 now, the mashiach surely is stuck in traffic somewhere!).
3. Note that the name of the alleged grandfather of the mekubal (kabbalist) is not mentioned.
4. Note that no dates are mentioned (that will surely fuck up the success of any chain mail!).
5. In a real fake chain mail, there's always a vague promise "whoever will send this message will be saved from the suffering which are supposed to occur with the coming of Machiach" and a threat if you don't forward the message: "whoever won't do it will sustain a substantial loss of money".
6. Google 'Nissim Shalom' and you will find no other reference to the guy besides this chain mail and some sefardi Facebook profiles.
7. Look up who Rabbi "Yoel Benharoushe" is on Google and you will find the name of some guy who owns an art gallery.
8. Lastly, the following should be common sense to you:
   
   

Kindly let me know in the comments if I missed something.

Great

HT: Lav Dafke

On Morality in Bemidbar

As they say, "A picture says more than a 1000 words":

Numbers Chapter 31 בְּמִדְבַּר

א  וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.	1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
ב  נְקֹם, נִקְמַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מֵאֵת, הַמִּדְיָנִים; אַחַר, תֵּאָסֵף אֶל-עַמֶּיךָ.	2 'Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites; afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.'
ג  וַיְדַבֵּר מֹשֶׁה אֶל-הָעָם לֵאמֹר, הֵחָלְצוּ מֵאִתְּכֶם אֲנָשִׁים לַצָּבָא; וְיִהְיוּ, עַל-מִדְיָן, לָתֵת נִקְמַת-יְהוָה, בְּמִדְיָן.	3 And Moses spoke unto the people, saying: 'Arm ye men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the LORD'S vengeance on Midian.
ד  אֶלֶף, לַמַּטֶּה, אֶלֶף, לַמַּטֶּה--לְכֹל מַטּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, תִּשְׁלְחוּ לַצָּבָא.	4 Of every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war.'
ה  וַיִּמָּסְרוּ מֵאַלְפֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה--שְׁנֵים-עָשָׂר אֶלֶף, חֲלוּצֵי צָבָא.	5 So there were delivered, out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.
ו  וַיִּשְׁלַח אֹתָם מֹשֶׁה אֶלֶף לַמַּטֶּה, לַצָּבָא:  אֹתָם וְאֶת-פִּינְחָס בֶּן-אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, לַצָּבָא, וּכְלֵי הַקֹּדֶשׁ וַחֲצֹצְרוֹת הַתְּרוּעָה, בְּיָדוֹ.	6 And Moses sent them, a thousand of every tribe, to the war, them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, to the war, with the holy vessels and the trumpets for the alarm in his hand.
ז  וַיִּצְבְּאוּ, עַל-מִדְיָן, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה; וַיַּהַרְגוּ, כָּל-זָכָר.	7 And they warred against Midian, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew every male.
ח  וְאֶת-מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן הָרְגוּ עַל-חַלְלֵיהֶם, אֶת-אֱוִי וְאֶת-רֶקֶם וְאֶת-צוּר וְאֶת-חוּר וְאֶת-רֶבַע--חֲמֵשֶׁת, מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן; וְאֵת בִּלְעָם בֶּן-בְּעוֹר, הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב.	8 And they slew the kings of Midian with the rest of their slain: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, the five kings of Midian; Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.
ט  וַיִּשְׁבּוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-נְשֵׁי מִדְיָן, וְאֶת-טַפָּם; וְאֵת כָּל-בְּהֶמְתָּם וְאֶת-כָּל-מִקְנֵהֶם וְאֶת-כָּל-חֵילָם, בָּזָזוּ.	9 And the children of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and all their cattle, and all their flocks, and all their goods, they took for a prey.
י  וְאֵת כָּל-עָרֵיהֶם בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם, וְאֵת כָּל-טִירֹתָם--שָׂרְפוּ, בָּאֵשׁ.	10 And all their cities in the places wherein they dwelt, and all their encampments, they burnt with fire.
יא  וַיִּקְחוּ, אֶת-כָּל-הַשָּׁלָל, וְאֵת, כָּל-הַמַּלְקוֹחַ--בָּאָדָם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה.	11 And they took all the spoil, and all the prey, both of man and of beast.
יב  וַיָּבִאוּ אֶל-מֹשֶׁה וְאֶל-אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן וְאֶל-עֲדַת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-הַשְּׁבִי וְאֶת-הַמַּלְקוֹחַ וְאֶת-הַשָּׁלָל--אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה:  אֶל-עַרְבֹת מוֹאָב, אֲשֶׁר עַל-יַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ.  {ס}	12 And they brought the captives, and the prey, and the spoil, unto Moses, and unto Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp, unto the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan at Jericho. {S}
יג  וַיֵּצְאוּ מֹשֶׁה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, וְכָל-נְשִׂיאֵי הָעֵדָה--לִקְרָאתָם:  אֶל-מִחוּץ, לַמַּחֲנֶה.	13 And Moses, and Eleazar the priest, and all the princes of the congregation, went forth to meet them without the camp.
יד  וַיִּקְצֹף מֹשֶׁה, עַל פְּקוּדֵי הֶחָיִל, שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת, הַבָּאִים מִצְּבָא הַמִּלְחָמָה.	14 And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, the captains of thousands and the captains of hundreds, who came from the service of the war.
טו  וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם, מֹשֶׁה:  הַחִיִּיתֶם, כָּל-נְקֵבָה.	15 And Moses said unto them: 'Have ye saved all the women alive?
טז  הֵן הֵנָּה הָיוּ לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, בִּדְבַר בִּלְעָם, לִמְסָר-מַעַל בַּיהוָה, עַל-דְּבַר-פְּעוֹר; וַתְּהִי הַמַּגֵּפָה, בַּעֲדַת יְהוָה.	16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to revolt so as to break faith with the LORD in the matter of Peor, and so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.
יז  וְעַתָּה, הִרְגוּ כָל-זָכָר בַּטָּף; וְכָל-אִשָּׁה, יֹדַעַת אִישׁ לְמִשְׁכַּב זָכָר--הֲרֹגוּ.	17 Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him.
יח  וְכֹל הַטַּף בַּנָּשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר--הַחֲיוּ, לָכֶם.	18 But all the women children, that have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.
יט  וְאַתֶּם, חֲנוּ מִחוּץ לַמַּחֲנֶה--שִׁבְעַת יָמִים:  כֹּל הֹרֵג נֶפֶשׁ וְכֹל נֹגֵעַ בֶּחָלָל, תִּתְחַטְּאוּ בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי--אַתֶּם, וּשְׁבִיכֶם.	19 And encamp ye without the camp seven days; whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify yourselves on the third day and on the seventh day, ye and your captives.
כ  וְכָל-בֶּגֶד וְכָל-כְּלִי-עוֹר וְכָל-מַעֲשֵׂה עִזִּים, וְכָל-כְּלִי-עֵץ--תִּתְחַטָּאוּ.  {ס}	20 And as to every garment, and all that is made of skin, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood, ye shall purify.' {S}
כא  וַיֹּאמֶר אֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן אֶל-אַנְשֵׁי הַצָּבָא, הַבָּאִים לַמִּלְחָמָה:  זֹאת חֻקַּת הַתּוֹרָה, אֲשֶׁר-צִוָּה יְהוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה.	21 And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war that went to the battle: 'This is the statute of the law which the LORD hath commanded Moses:
כב  אַךְ אֶת-הַזָּהָב, וְאֶת-הַכָּסֶף; אֶת-הַנְּחֹשֶׁת, אֶת-הַבַּרְזֶל, אֶת-הַבְּדִיל, וְאֶת-הָעֹפָרֶת.	22 Howbeit the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,
כג  כָּל-דָּבָר אֲשֶׁר-יָבֹא בָאֵשׁ, תַּעֲבִירוּ בָאֵשׁ וְטָהֵר--אַךְ, בְּמֵי נִדָּה יִתְחַטָּא; וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָבֹא בָּאֵשׁ, תַּעֲבִירוּ בַמָּיִם.	23 every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make to go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of sprinkling; and all that abideth not the fire ye shall make to go through the water.
כד  וְכִבַּסְתֶּם בִּגְדֵיכֶם בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי, וּטְהַרְתֶּם; וְאַחַר, תָּבֹאוּ אֶל-הַמַּחֲנֶה.  {ס}	24 And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye may come into the camp.' {S}
כה  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר.	25 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:
כו  שָׂא, אֵת רֹאשׁ מַלְקוֹחַ הַשְּׁבִי, בָּאָדָם, וּבַבְּהֵמָה--אַתָּה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, וְרָאשֵׁי אֲבוֹת הָעֵדָה.	26 'Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou, and Eleazar the priest, and the heads of the fathers' houses of the congregation;
כז  וְחָצִיתָ, אֶת-הַמַּלְקוֹחַ, בֵּין תֹּפְשֵׂי הַמִּלְחָמָה, הַיֹּצְאִים לַצָּבָא--וּבֵין, כָּל-הָעֵדָה.	27 and divide the prey into two parts: between the men skilled in war, that went out to battle, and all the congregation;
כח  וַהֲרֵמֹתָ מֶכֶס לַיהוָה, מֵאֵת אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הַיֹּצְאִים לַצָּבָא--אֶחָד נֶפֶשׁ, מֵחֲמֵשׁ הַמֵּאוֹת:  מִן-הָאָדָם, וּמִן-הַבָּקָר, וּמִן-הַחֲמֹרִים, וּמִן-הַצֹּאן.	28 and levy a tribute unto the LORD of the men of war that went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the flocks;
כט  מִמַּחֲצִיתָם, תִּקָּחוּ; וְנָתַתָּה לְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה.	29 take it of their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest, as a portion set apart for the LORD.
ל  וּמִמַּחֲצִת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל תִּקַּח אֶחָד אָחֻז מִן-הַחֲמִשִּׁים, מִן-הָאָדָם מִן-הַבָּקָר מִן-הַחֲמֹרִים וּמִן-הַצֹּאן--מִכָּל-הַבְּהֵמָה; וְנָתַתָּה אֹתָם, לַלְוִיִּם, שֹׁמְרֵי, מִשְׁמֶרֶת מִשְׁכַּן יְהוָה.	30 And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one drawn out of every fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, even of all the cattle, and give them unto the Levites, that keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD.'
לא  וַיַּעַשׂ מֹשֶׁה, וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה.	31 And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.
לב  וַיְהִי, הַמַּלְקוֹחַ--יֶתֶר הַבָּז, אֲשֶׁר בָּזְזוּ עַם הַצָּבָא:  צֹאן, שֵׁשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וְשִׁבְעִים אֶלֶף--וַחֲמֵשֶׁת אֲלָפִים.	32 Now the prey, over and above the booty which the men of war took, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,
לג  וּבָקָר, שְׁנַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים אָלֶף.	33 and threescore and twelve thousand beeves,
לד  וַחֲמֹרִים, אֶחָד וְשִׁשִּׁים אָלֶף.	34 and threescore and one thousand asses,
לה  וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם--מִן-הַנָּשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָדְעוּ מִשְׁכַּב זָכָר:  כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ, שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אָלֶף.	35 and thirty and two thousand persons in all, of the women that had not known man by lying with him.
לו  וַתְּהִי, הַמֶּחֱצָה--חֵלֶק, הַיֹּצְאִים בַּצָּבָא:  מִסְפַּר הַצֹּאן, שְׁלֹשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף, וְשִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים, וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת.	36 And the half, which was the portion of them that went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep.
לז  וַיְהִי הַמֶּכֶס לַיהוָה, מִן-הַצֹּאן--שֵׁשׁ מֵאוֹת, חָמֵשׁ וְשִׁבְעִים.	37 And the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.
לח  וְהַבָּקָר--שִׁשָּׁה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים, אָלֶף; וּמִכְסָם לַיהוָה, שְׁנַיִם וְשִׁבְעִים.	38 And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and twelve.
לט  וַחֲמֹרִים, שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת; וּמִכְסָם לַיהוָה, אֶחָד וְשִׁשִּׁים.	39 And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.
מ  וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם, שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר אָלֶף; וּמִכְסָם, לַיהוָה--שְׁנַיִם וּשְׁלֹשִׁים, נָפֶשׁ.	40 And the persons were sixteen thousand, of whom the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.
מא  וַיִּתֵּן מֹשֶׁה, אֶת-מֶכֶס תְּרוּמַת יְהוָה, לְאֶלְעָזָר, הַכֹּהֵן--כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה.	41 And Moses gave the tribute, which was set apart for the LORD, unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.
מב  וּמִמַּחֲצִית, בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲשֶׁר חָצָה מֹשֶׁה, מִן-הָאֲנָשִׁים הַצֹּבְאִים.	42 And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided off from the men that warred--
מג  וַתְּהִי מֶחֱצַת הָעֵדָה, מִן-הַצֹּאן--שְׁלֹשׁ-מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף, שִׁבְעַת אֲלָפִים וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת.	43 now the congregation's half was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,
מד  וּבָקָר, שִׁשָּׁה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אָלֶף.	44 and thirty and six thousand beeves,
מה  וַחֲמֹרִים, שְׁלֹשִׁים אֶלֶף וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵאוֹת.	45 and thirty thousand and five hundred asses,
מו  וְנֶפֶשׁ אָדָם, שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר אָלֶף.	46 and sixteen thousand persons--
מז  וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה מִמַּחֲצִת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶת-הָאָחֻז אֶחָד מִן-הַחֲמִשִּׁים--מִן-הָאָדָם, וּמִן-הַבְּהֵמָה; וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָם לַלְוִיִּם, שֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת מִשְׁכַּן יְהוָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְהוָה, אֶת-מֹשֶׁה.	47 even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one drawn out of every fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, that kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
מח  וַיִּקְרְבוּ, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, הַפְּקֻדִים, אֲשֶׁר לְאַלְפֵי הַצָּבָא--שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים, וְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת.	48 And the officers that were over the thousands of the host, the captains of thousands, and the captains of hundreds, came near unto Moses;
מט  וַיֹּאמְרוּ, אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, עֲבָדֶיךָ נָשְׂאוּ אֶת-רֹאשׁ אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה, אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדֵנוּ; וְלֹא-נִפְקַד מִמֶּנּוּ, אִישׁ.	49 and they said unto Moses: 'Thy servants have taken the sum of the men of war that are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.
נ  וַנַּקְרֵב אֶת-קָרְבַּן יְהוָה, אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר מָצָא כְלִי-זָהָב אֶצְעָדָה וְצָמִיד, טַבַּעַת, עָגִיל וְכוּמָז--לְכַפֵּר עַל-נַפְשֹׁתֵינוּ, לִפְנֵי יְהוָה.	50 And we have brought the LORD'S offering, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, armlets, and bracelets, signet-rings, ear-rings, and girdles, to make atonement for our souls before the LORD.'
נא  וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, אֶת-הַזָּהָב--מֵאִתָּם:  כֹּל, כְּלִי מַעֲשֶׂה.	51 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of them, even all wrought jewels.
נב  וַיְהִי כָּל-זְהַב הַתְּרוּמָה, אֲשֶׁר הֵרִימוּ לַיהוָה--שִׁשָּׁה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף שְׁבַע-מֵאוֹת וַחֲמִשִּׁים, שָׁקֶל:  מֵאֵת שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים, וּמֵאֵת שָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת.	52 And all the gold of the gift that they set apart for the LORD, of the captains of thousands, and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.--
נג  אַנְשֵׁי, הַצָּבָא, בָּזְזוּ, אִישׁ לוֹ.	53 For the men of war had taken booty, every man for himself.--
נד  וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה וְאֶלְעָזָר הַכֹּהֵן, אֶת-הַזָּהָב, מֵאֵת שָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים, וְהַמֵּאוֹת; וַיָּבִאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל-אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד, זִכָּרוֹן לִבְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי יְהוָה.  {פ}	54 And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tent of meeting, for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD. {P}

More on Yahweh in your DNA

My friend Victor Hill had the following to add to my previous post called "Yahweh Hides in your DNA":

Chazal tell us
מילתא דעבידא לאיגלויי לא משקר – יבמות צ"ג ע"ב

This man tells his high school class that in 1986 he was a scientist at the Weizman Institute of Science and made a discovery that shows that the Tetragrammaton is patterned on every strand of human DNA. He says that at the time of this discovery he received calls from the Vatican, from the Israeli chief rabbi, and from prime minister Yitzchak Shamir. He claims ...that his results were published in the journals SCIENCE and NATURE, and anyone who doubts him can look it up for themselves in the October 1986 issue of NATURE.

It turns out that his name doesn’t appear as an author of any article in that journal at any time. In particular, in October of 1986 there were six issues of the journal and he doesn’t appear in any of them.

He seems to not have learned the first rule of miracle stories: NEVER GIVE EXACT NAMES AND DATES. A miracle story must be at all times unverifiable.
http://www.nature.com/nature/archive/?year=2014-1986#1986

In addition, Dr Rubinstein claimed (see minute 1:35) that men and women have different amounts of chromosomes. Such a scientist!

Here's another video of the the great scholar saying [at about the 1:50 min. mark] that males and females have different numbers of chromosomes. Again he says males have 22 and females have 24!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwYUPSe5ozQ&t=116s

Yahweh Hides in your DNA!

A friend of mine sent me a Hidabroot video of Dr Yeshayahu Rubinstein. A longer video can be seen below:



In this video, the Argentinian-born scientist explains how he discovered God in DNA.

Wall Street millionair turned kiruv Rabbi Yaron Reuven is using this highly interesting material and explains it in English (he mentioned that Dr Rubinstein is from Venezuela, which may be the smallest inaccuracy in the story):



Dr Yeshayahu Rubinstein explains that there are two polynucleotide helixes in the DNA. He claims they are held together by a bridge of sulphur that bridges the DNA base pairs in a sequence of 10-5-6-5. And guess what? The gematria of 10-5-6-5 is יהוה! Or Yahweh, the God if the Jews. See here proof that our bodies tell the truth about its Creator!

The Hebrew skeptics site Sharp Thinking debunked this in 2014 in an article called God Hides in Small Details.

Rubinstein claims in the above video at around 4:43 minutes that his findings were published in Nature magazine in October 1986.

Here's how Dr Rubinstein is wrong:

• It wasn't possible until 2012 to view DNA with an electron microscope, see DNA imaged with electron microscope for the first time. How did Rubinstein see the DNA helix 26 years before the first DNA image through an electron microscope?
• There is no bridge of sulphur bridging the DNA helixes. Your friend here is Wikipedia:
  
  The DNA double helix polymer of nucleic acid, held together by nucleotides which base pair together.
  
  Nucleotides are organic molecules that serve as the monomers, or subunits, of nucleic acids like DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid). The building blocks of nucleic acids, nucleotides are composed of a nitrogenous base, a five-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose), and at least one phosphate group.
• Also according to Prof. in molecular genetics Rotem Sorek from the Weizmann institute:
  
  The molecular build of DNA was already discovered by Watson and Crick in the beginning of the 50's. Science knows this structure in its details. There is no sulphur bridge between the DNA helixes whatsoever. There is also no sequence of 10, 5, 6 and 5.
• Gil'ad Diamant from the Sharp Thinking site mentioned above looked up the October 1986 edition of Nature, but didn't see the article involved:
  
  
  
  So he decided to call up Rubinstein who said that it appeared on a one-page piece about the Watson-Crick Structure of DNA. In the end, it allegedly said something like:"By the way, this is the name of God in the DNA".
  
  When asked about the fact that there is no mention whatsoever about the article on the Internet, and if he could show a copy of the article, Rubinstein claimed that he unfortunately gave away his last copy of the article...

Hmmm...

Last night: Large Fundraiser in London to 'Save Children' from Irreligious Parents

Last night at 6:30 - 8 PM, in the shtetl of Stamford Hill, a large gathering was held in the big Bobov shul at Egerton road to raise money to fund the legal expenses of parents who wish to alienate their spouses, who went off the derech (left orthodoxy)  from their children. They talk about 'saving' 17 children whom would possibly become irreligious if their rebellious parent gains custody of them. Can you feel the fear? 

It was advertized like this:

Partial translation of the second advert:

‘Rescue the Children’ Convention with the participation of the Greats of the Generation

Since we now need one million pounds therefore the community is requested to join in with a minimum sum of £500 and it is possible to pay this in instalments up to two years

And everyone who donates the sum of £5,000 and above will receive a certificate of partnership signed by the important guests, Their Holinesses, the Lords, Rabbis and Teachers, Peace be to them and long good days.

• The big synagogue will be prepared with thousands of seats to accommodate the thousands of members of the community.
• The women’s synagogue will be open for men
• There will also be loudspeakers on the street
• We ask the community not to come with cars
• Due to lack of space, teenage boys and young boys will not be allowed in.

Of course, the Head Rabbi of Stamford Hill wrote a proclamation that everyone should join the effort:

This is a translation of the Head Rabbi’s letter of support for the convention:

Holy Proclamation

From His Honour the Genius Head of the Bet Din and leader of the flock, peace to him and to long and good days

To participate in the convention ‘Rescue of the Children’

Rabbi MCE Padwa
Principal Rabbinical Authority of the Union of Orthodox Hebrew Congregations
35 Filey Avenue, London N16 6JJ

With the help of God, 5th day of Av, 5776, London (Tuesday 9 August 2016)

To our great pain, and our misfortune, our community finds itself in a terrible situation - seventeen of our pure and holy children where one of the parents, God rescue them, have gone out to an evil culture, and want to drag their children after them. This is a decree of shmad (lit. apostasy) and this situation has motivated our rabbis who are in Israel:

• His Honoured Holiness, our Lord, teacher and Rebbe of Viznitz, peace to him and to long and good days
• His Honoured Holiness, our lord, teacher and Rebbe of Slonim, peace to him and to long and good days, and
• His Honoured Holiness, our lord, teacher and Rebbe of Rachmastrivka, peace to him and to long and good days

to come here in a personal capacity to increase prayer and to gather money for the legal fees, and to achieve this a convention has been organised of prayer and also to collect money.

It is incumbent upon every male of the town to come and join in personally in the convention and God should hear our outcry and it should fall in our hands to rescue the holy children from descending into ruin, Amen so be the will

Who signs in honour of this great deed

Moshe Chaim Efraim Padwa

Apparently, the event raised £ 600'000 (roughly 750'000 USD), which sounds like they are willing to spend lots of cash on lawyers, so that the ex-religious parent, who likely has little money if any, gives up their children quickly. 

To me, it sounds like the parents should be rescued. From their belief that it is OK to alienate children from a parent, for religious reasons.  

---

Some pictures of the event (from Jewish Daily News):

Dershowitz On Halacha and Animal Sacrifices

Image from jewishleadership.blogspot.com

Alan Dershowitz, in his 1997 book called The Vanishing American Jew: In Search of Jewish Identity for the Next Century, has an interesting quote about halacha and animal sacrifices (italics mine):

Jewish Halakah — the methods used by rabbinic authorities to derive religious law — is a wonderful institution of which we should be very proud because it has contributed so much to the quality of our lives as Jews as well as to the lives of all humankind.

But it is an ever-changing institution that must continue to change.

Consider, for example, the elimination of animal sacrifices from the Jewish ritual. If you asked a Jew who lived in Jerusalem during the days of Solomon's Temple what the central ritual of Judaism was, he would answer without hesitation “the animal sacrifices in the Temple.” He would point to verses, chapters, indeed large portions of the Torah as describing these rituals in the most minute detail and commanding them in the most unequivocal terms. Judaism without animal sacrifice would be unthinkable to a Temple Jew. Yet the unthinkable has come to pass without weakening Judaism or Jewish life.

Nor will Judaism ever return to animal sacrifices. Because we need to pretend that Judaism is immutable, we have created the myth that we will return to animal sacrifices when the Temple is rebuilt. No we won't! Not in my religion! Jewish animal sacrifices were no more brutal than the rituals of other primitive religions — indeed, they were far less brutal than human sacrifices. But those days are over and Judaism will never return to them, even if we build another Temple.

The rabbis will figure out some way to justify not returning to so primitive and anachronistic a ritual, because they know that Judaism today could not survive it. Perhaps that is why we will never have another Temple: because the rabbis would not want to be confronted with the dilemma of how to rationalize a Temple without biblically commanded animal sacrifices.

In any event, this was a major change in Jewish life and in Judaism – a change that would have occurred had the Temple remained standing. (Some Orthodox scholars might well argue that God saw to it that the Temple was destroyed precisely in order to put an end to animal sacrifices, which had seen its day go by. So be it, but the result is the same: no more animal sacrifices!)

HT: Fred McDowell.

Survey of Those Who Have Left Orthodoxy

Nishma Research has conducted a fascinating Survey of Those Who Have Left Orthodoxy - June 2016.

The Forward picked up on this and published an article called Ex-Orthodox Feel Pushed ‘Off the Derech’ — but 95% Still Say They’re Jewish:

"Many formerly ultra-Orthodox and Modern Orthodox Jews who no longer hold the beliefs of their communities feel “pushed off the derech,” yet still retain their sense of Jewish identity, a groundbreaking new study of the group has revealed.

A third of those surveyed have yet to physically leave their communities, and may maintain outward displays of religious observance while having “left” the community in their beliefs and private lives. When they do leave, over half the respondents reported feeling disconnected to any Jewish community, and nearly a quarter have trouble with dating, holding relationships, or finding a job. 

The report surveyed 855 people who once identified (or currently reside in) Chasidic, Chabad, Yishivish, Modern Orthodox, or other Orthodox communities. Many of these individuals now identify as Off The Derech, or OTD, and go to organized OTD Meetups or are members of OTD social media groups. 

Other important factors cited by respondents included the treatment of women within ultra-religious communities and the widespread perception of contradictions, double standards, and hypocrisy. Contrary to widely held assumptions about those who leave Orthodox Judaism, only 2% of respondents cited the influence of the Internet or weak secular education as significant spurs to leaving .

The report was released by Nishma Research, a marketing firm that specializes in Jewish demographics.

A huge majority — 95% of all respondents — still view themselves as Jewish. Two-thirds now identify as either “traditional,” culturally or humanist Jewish, or, simply, “just Jewish.” Only 21% identify now with a mainstream denomination such as Reform, Conservative, or Chasidic. The Pew Research Center’s “Portrait of American Jews,” by contrast, reported that 70% of American Jews identify with a mainstream denomination.
Mark Trencher, the director of Nishma Research, noted that there was an inverse relationship between level of observance while still a part of Orthodox Judaism and level of observance after leaving.

“It seems that those who started out most stringently to the right — Chasidic Jews, Yidishists — after leaving the community, they retained less of their beliefs and practices than other groups,” he said. 

Acceptance by the respondents’ families, Trencher said, also started out lower in the most religious groups.

“But it does grow over time. The understanding and acceptance of the families goes up to about half after ten years. That’s in pretty much every group, too.”

The study was a joint effort with Footsteps and Project Makom, two organizations that help facilitate the transition out of Modern and ultra-Orthodox communities. It may be difficult to leave Orthodox Judaism, or simply leave a specific community, if an individual does not know people outside the community, does not have the material means to leave, or does not have sufficient English skills to live on their own.

“The only surprising thing to us was how many people filled it out in a week and a half,” says Lani Santo, the executive director of Footsteps. “It’s great to have quantitative data on things that we as an organization have known qualitatively for some time.”

Read more here.

Aron Ra Responds to Rabbi Gottlieb on Evolution

Interesting Body Count: How Many Has God Killed?

Kuzari Revisited...By Christians!

New Blog On The Block

It's called Diary Of An OTD Girl. Highly recommended!

Video Taken Out Of Context?

Judge for yourself!

Me thinks Mizrachi just had his royal narcissistic ass fact-checked.

Mizrachi: Lying Is Allowed for Kiruv Purposes

Please find my translation of the video as subtitles to the video below:

Linking to this video:

• Jewish Outreach: What Your Rabbi Isn't Telling You
• Failed Messiah

Please don't forget to sign my petition: Demand from TorahAnytime.com to remove Yosef Mizrachi's Shiurim

Petition to Remove Yosef Mizrachi's Shiurim from TorahAnytime.Com

I started a petition against Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi who really crossed the border this time by downplaying the Holocaust. The movie can be found here:



Mizrachi has a history of hurting the feelings of Holocaust survivors, like saying it was predicted in the Torah.

Please sign the petition to have his lectures removed from TorahAnytime.Com here.

Why Kids Flip Out

The Weekly Kefirah once again has a thoughtful insight into why kids from traditional but secular backgrounds may be easily manipulated into kiruv.

An excerpt from his post It's Because of the Book:

The reason why they are so easily victimized is because of the book, specifically in this case the Torah.

The problem arises because while less-fundamentalist versions of Judaism don't necessarily follow the Torah, they still venerate it. They still believe that it was God's divine gift. And they teach this to the kids. The book is important.

Now when the kids grow up, they start looking around and they find some people who actually take the book seriously. Perhaps they say, "If it's God's gift to humanity, then, shouldn't we be taking it seriously?" Because they don't necessarily have the tools (Hebrew) to examine it themselves, they're susceptible to cherry-picked verses and explanations. They can be presented with a very fundamentalist viewpoint, modernized by out-of-context quotes and sketchy interpretations (italics mine). And they eat it up. They eat it up, because they have been taught their whole life that the book is the key.

The only solution, it seems to me, is to create awareness for what outreach does. Rebecca M. Ross does a great job at Jewish Outreach: What Your Rabbi Isn't Telling You.

Also, a positive outlook on skepticism, knowledge about the religion and the tools of critical thinking should help parents to inoculate their children against the dangers of (especially deceptive) kiruv.