Wednesday, December 31, 2014

The City of Jerusalem's Christmas Embarrassment

ט' לחודש העשירי תשע"ה

Well, at least one member of the Jerusalem City Council had the courage to stand up, and make the following statement:

Arieh King
מדף פייסבוק של חבר מועצת עיריית ירושלים אריה קינג:
מה טרם אמרתי על ראש העיר של ירושלים? זכור לכם מתי העירייה חילקה חנוכיות לתושבי העיר היהודים? האם זכור לכם מתי העירייה חילקה את ארבעת המינים לתושבי העיר? לא ברור לי כיצד עמיתי למועצה מהסיעות החרדיות, נתנו יד לחלוקת העבודה זרה על ידי עובדי העירייה. זוכרים את כול הרבנים שתמכו בראש העיר ברקת בבחירות לראשות העיר? אני מאחל לרבנים שתמכו בברקת חג מולד שמח.

From Jerusalem City Councilman Arieh King's Facebook Page:
What have I not already said to the mayor of Jerusalem? Do you remember when the municipality distributed Hanukkah menorahs to its Jewish residents? Do you remember when the municipality distributed a lulav and etrog to its Jewish residents? It is not clear to me how my fellow councilmembers from the Haredi factions, have condoned the distribution of avodah zarah (foreign/forbidden worship) by city employees. Remember that all rabbis who supported Barkat mayoral election? I would like to wish those rabbis who supported Barakat a Merry Christmas (sarc.).
Here is the announcement on the City of Jerusalem's website:


מחלקת הגננות בעיריית ירושלים תחלק גם השנה 100 עצי אשוח בחינם לתושבי ירושלים הנוצרים החוגגים את חג המולד

חלוקת עצי האשוח תתקיים ביום שני 22/12/2014- ברחבת שער יפו החל מהשעה 9.00 עד השעה 12:00 ומותנת בהצגת ת"ז עדכנית עם כתובת מגורים בעיר העתיקה.

כבכל שנה יקיים ראש העיר ירושלים ניר ברקת טקס קבלת פנים לשנה החדשה לראשי העדות והדתות בירושלים. הטקס יתקיים ביום רביעי 28/01/15 באולם מועצת העיר ב-19:30.

עיריית ירושלים מברכת את תושביה הנוצרים בברכת חג מולד שמח.

The Jerusalem Municipality will distribute 100 free Christmas trees for Christmas

Nir Barakat
Jerusalem municipality horticultural department will also distribute 100 free Christmas trees this year to Christian residents of Jerusalem celebrating Christmas

Distribution of Christmas trees will be held on Monday December 22, 2014 at the Jaffa Gate, starting at 9:00 am until 12:00 noon, contingent upon presentation of a current identification card with an address in the Old City.

As in every year Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat will hold a welcoming ceremony for the new year for the heads of religions in Jerusalem. The ceremony will take place on Wednesday January 28, 2015 in the City Council Chambers at 7:30 pm.

The Municipality of Jerusalem would like to bless its Christian residents with Merry Christmas.
Esser Agaroth (2¢):
I guess Mayor Barakat and the rest of the City Council couldn't take the hint from last year's damaged Christmas tree crop. Either that, or they simply weren't paying attention.

I am not sure that we can blame Mayor Barakat too much. After all, he doesn't know any better. He believes in "democracy" and "pluralism," not in Torah.

What are the Haredi factions' excuses? What are the excuses of other kippah-wearing, City Councilmembers?

I cannot think of any, save for money, votes, or gross distortions and rationalize compromises of the Torah.

Take your pick. They are all completely unacceptable.

*********

Related posts:
The Kiss of Esau
Disproving Christianity in 10 Minutes

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Leviticus 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. / (Moses) Commanded a Law of Equality religions do not exist, you have only a simple Torah Law.

Anonymous said...

Leviticus 19:34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. (Moses) Commanded a Law of Equality, religions no longer exist... Simple Equality under the Law.

Unknown said...

No, Terry. This is a common and incorrect understanding of this verse.

My guess is that you are a Christian, or someone else who is unfamiliar Torah.

When the Torah uses the word "ger," it means one of two things:

1) A righteous convert.

2) A non-Jewish resident alien.

Christians are neither. Christians cannot be either, because they are koferim, deniers of the Oral Law.

A resident alien must accept the entire truth of Torah, which includes both Written and Oral, and are inseparable.

Christians do not, and for that matter, neither do Muslims.

Esser Agaroth said...

Incidentally, there is irony here, as the Fundamentalist, Evangelicals, or whatever they're calling themselves these days, who are pushing to grab land, and citizenship, rejected the use of Christmas trees ages ago, believing it to be a pagan practice, from Germany I believe.

Not sure it there are Druidic connections or not.

Modern Rashi said...

Esser agaroth, when the Torah uses the word ger in this context, if you look at Rashi, he clarifies it to mean only a Ger tzedek, not a Ger toshav.

Esser Agaroth said...

Gavriel,

I imagine that you are referring to RaSh"I on Shemoth 22:20.

RaSh"I on Bereshith 23:4, citing Bereshith Rabba, however, does appear to introduce the concept of "ger toshav."

I wanted to find a way to include this concept, for as you know, "ger" is widely misinterpreted, not just by the A"Z above, but by Jews of the so-called "liberal" movements. I wanted to take the opportunity to nip this in the bud.

But, I may have been pushing it, and should been much clearer.

Thanks for pointing this out.

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