לוחצים למורים להתחסן; ואפילו לוחצים למתפללים להתחסן / Israeli Teachers are the Latest Targets. So are ALL Religious Jews.

ערב שבת קודש פר׳ יתרו תשפ״א

English follows the Hebrew.

YNET: קבינט המומחים ממליץ: לאסור על מורים ללמד בכיתות אם לא התחסנו

03.02.21

ישיבת קבינט המומחים המליצה כי רק עובדי הוראה שיתחסנו יוכלו ללמד בכיתות בבתי הספר ומי שטרם התחסן ימשיך ללמד דרך הזום, אך יש להבהיר כי לא ברור בשלב זה האם למהלך יש היתכנות משפטית. נציין כי מנתוני משרד הבריאות עולה כי רק 53% מעובדי ההוראה קיבלו את המנה הראשונה של החיסון (27% את השנייה), על אף שקודמו בוועדת התעדוף של המשרד. עוד המליצו המומחים להתיר תפילות באוויר הפתוח במסגרת של יותר מ-20 איש, בהתנייה שהמשתתפים כבר מחוסנים.

(אדיר ינקו ותמר טרבלי חדד)

עשר אגורות (2¢):

מגילת אסתר
The Scroll Of Esther

ומה קורה למורים [הבוחרים] שאין להם שרות אינטרנט בבית? עד כאן, המורים והתלמידים כאלה מתחברים לפגישות זום דרך מס׳ טלפון. וכן יש דבר כזה. זאת אומרת שהתלמידים החרדים ללא שרות אינטרנט בבית מקבלים שיעורים רק דרך קול המורה, בלי תמונות בלי כתיבת המורה על הלוח ובלי עוד הרבה. כל תלמיד הלומד דרך הטלפון מפסיד.

ומה עם התלמידים בעלי קושי לימוד? התלמידים כאלה כבר מתוסכלים. בעתיד פשוט יהיו יותר מתוסכלים. ומה קורה לתלמידים דתיים מתוסכלים? הם זורקים את הכיפה.

זה מה שכוחות שלטון רוצים? אני בכלל לא משוכנע שלא.

עוד המליצו המומחים להתיר תפילות באוויר הפתוח במסגרת של יותר מ-20 איש, בהתנייה שהמשתתפים כבר מחוסנים.

האם ימנעו מיהודים מלשמוע את קריאת מגילת אסתר בחג הפורים? המצוה הזו קודמת כל המצוות כולן חוץ ממת מצוה. אפילו מצות קריאת המגילה קודמת לתלמוד תורה ובזמן קיום בית המקדש קודמת לעבודת הכהנים בהר הבית.

האם הם יגידו לנו לשמוע את מגילת אסתר דרך זום למרות שלא יוצאים מידי חובה ככה?

אני כבר התרעתי לכם שאם אנו לא ״מתנהגים יפה״ בחג הפורים אז ייתכן שניענש בחג הפסח.

וואלה! פנייה לרמטכ"ל: כפיית חיסונים על חיילים - פגיעה חמורה בזכויות יסוד

אמיר בוחבוט, 31.01.2021

במכתב שנשלח גם לשר הביטחון ולראש אכ"א, דרשה מועצת החירום למשבר הקורונה לטפל ב"לחצים פסולים" שמופעלים על חיילים. הורים טענו כי בשבועות האחרונים ילדיהם נתקלו באיומים שלא יישלחו לקורסי פיקוד אם לא יתחסנו ואף הוענשו בעיכוב היציאה לביתם. "מנוגד לחוק הבינלאומי"

בע״ה לא ילחצו לחיילי צה״ל להתחסן והחיילים המחליטים הלא להתחסן לא ייענשו.

אבל גם לאזרחים רגילים אמורים להיות אותן הזכויות. נכון?

YNET: Health experts back banning unvaccinated teachers from schools
Teachers Union calls the proposal illegal and says those who choose not to get vaccinated, shouldn't get punished; so far only 53% of teaching staff have received the first dose of the vaccine and 27% the second

Adir Yanko, Tamar Trabelsi-Hadad | 02.03.21

The panel of health experts advising the coronavirus cabinet formulated a series of recommendations for opening up Israel’s education system, including preventing teachers who have not received both doses of the coronavirus vaccine from teaching in class. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

זום Zoom

What happens to those teachers who choose not have Internet service at home? Until now, these teachers and students connect through the Zoom conferencing service through a local telephone number. (Yes. There is such a thing.) This means that Haredi (ultra-Orthodox) students without internet service at home receive material only by way of the teacher's voice. This means no pictures nor graphics, save for what is included in their text books, no writing nor drawing diagrams on the board, etc. In other words, every student who learns over the phone loses out.

And what about students with learning difficulties? Such students are already frustrated. They are only destined to become even more frustrated. And what happens to frustrated religious students? They throw off their kippot (skullcap/religious observance).

Is this what powers that be want?

I have already warned you that if we don't "behave" like good little Jewish boys and girls on Purim, then we may very well get punished for Passover.

The report continues...

"The experts also recommended allowing open-air prayers for up to 20 people, provided all participants have been vaccinated."

Does this mean that Jews may be prevented from hearing the reading of Megillath Esther (Scroll of Esther) on the holiday of Purim? The reading of Megillath Esther takes precedence over all other mitzvoth (Torah commandments), save for burial of the dead. It even takes precedence over Torah study, and when the Beth HaMiqdash (Temple) stands, it takes precedence over the work of the Kohanim (Temple priests).

Will the government tell us to hear the Megillath Esther on Zoom, even though this does not fulfill this mitzvah?

Sure. Why not? What does the government the powers that be care about mitzvoth?

Arutz 7 reports that so far "...no sanctions will be taken against [IDF] soldiers who refuse to be vaccinated." Nor should their be. But shouldn't civilians also be entitled to the same rights?

South Park has Outdone Itself!

י״א לחודש העשירי תשע״ט

I have often called "South Park," an animated television show, one of the greatest commentaries on American society and culture.

Yes, I realize that where I live (Israel) is going through one of its usual sad and difficult periods.

However, my praise of South Park here, is not for the purpose of encouraging everyone to laugh. Rather, it is an opportunity to examine current trends in U. S., society and culture.

If South Park is not you're thing, you can read about prospects for Israel's future by scrolling down to the previous post, or by clicking here.

Top: Kenny McCormick, Bottom: Eric Cartman, Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski

This finale of South Park's 22nd season has something for everyone.

Materialism.

Social status and class.

The power of the corporations.

Government complicity.

Tracking and spying via the internet.

The preference for online shopping, and the consequences.

The pros and cons (mostly cons?) of the legalization of marijuana, particularly in the State of Colorado.

How everything can be deemed offensive, whether it really is or not.

The numbed out masses.

Socialism.

Communism.

Capitalism.

Did I mention materialism?

The episode, which originally aired in the U. S. last Wednesday, December 12, 2018, can be watched here, and yes, I mean that it can be watched on line, LEGALLY.

WARNING: This program contains profane language.

...albeit the result of the realistic expression of the American society and culture I allude to above.

ההתראה הראשונה מיוטוב של עשר אגורות! / Esser Agaroth's First YouTube Strike!

ערב שבת קודש חנוכה / פר׳ מקץ תשע״ט

השבוע אני קיבלתי את התראה הראשונה שלי על הפרת הנחיות הקהילה של יוטוב.

This week I received my first YouTube strike for violating its community guidelines.

קיבלתי את ההתראה מפני ששמתי סרטון של אירגון טרור חמאס יש״ו בכתבה ״אני רוצה לקבל בחזרה את אורי אריאל הקודם״ (אנגלית). ואפשר לצפות את זה למטה מהערוץ של פלוואטש (מבט לתקשורת פלסטינית). אני שלחתי ערעור על ההתראה שהסביר ששמתי את הסרטון הזה לא כדי להציג את התמיכה שלי אלא להראות לכולם את האמת עליו, ושאחת ההמטרות של האירגון הזה היא להשמיד את עם ישראל ולכבוש את כל ארץ ישראל. וכן המטרה הזו אפילו כוללת כיבוש תל אביב. (תראו את המפה בתוך סמל חמאס שמאלה)

בדרך כלל אני לא מוריד, שומר ומעלה מחדש קובצי סרטון לערוץ יוטוב שלי. אני משתמש באסטרטגיה הזו, רק אם יש חשש שהסרטון "ייעלם" מהאינטרנט, כדבר כזה מקורה לפעמים באתרים מיסיונריים נוצריים. כמובן, האלה כוללים מה שנקרא נוצרי ציוני ו/או חברים של ישראל. כולם מאוד ערמומיים.

סמל חמאס
Hamas Emblem

תוך כמה שעות אני קיבלתי את דחיית הערעור. זאת בכלל לא הפתיעה לי, שבשביל ההודעה שביתה לעיל מזכיר כי הכוונה והסברים, שאני לא הספקתי לכתוב בתיאור וידאו, הם לא השיקולים היחידים.

I received this strike because I posted a video from the Hamas terrorist organization, may its name and memory be blotted out, in a post entitled "I want the Old Uri Ariel Back," and which can be viewed below from PalWatch. I appealed the strike, stating that I had posted this video not to show my support but to show everyone the truth about it, Of this organization is to destroy the people of Israel and conquer the entire Land of Israel. And this goal even includes the conquest of Tel Aviv (See the map within the Hamas emblem, left).

I usually do not download, save, and re-upload video files to my YouTube channel. It is the strategy I use, only if there is a concern that the video will "disappear," such as in the case of Christian missionary sites. These, of course, include so-called Christian Zionist / friends of Israel sites. They are all very sneaky.

Anyway, within hours, the I received the rejection of the appeal. This did not come as any surprise, as the above strike notification mentions that intent and explanations, which I did not bother to post in the video description, are not the only considerations.

אני לא מודאג על ההתראה עצמה. כתוב שהיא תימחק בעוד שלושה חודשים.

יש כתבנים ושדרנים אחרים שהם המטרות של הטרדה על ידי כוחות השלטון המשתמשים ביוטוב ככלי למנוע את הבעת דיבור החופשי. זה כולל את הנחיות הקהילה הנכתבות בזהירות. יוטוב מרוויח מאוד מהסרטונים
של הכתבנים ושדרנים האלה, אבל זה לא משנה להם.

בטח שיש אתרים אחרים המארחים סרטונים. בא״ה בעתיד יתקיימו אתרים כאלה שיכולים להשיג המון צופים  להיות כמו יוטוב. עד אז, אנסה להשתמש בקודי ההטמעה [באישור] מערוצים אחרים ביוטוב.

I am not concerned over the strike itself. The notification says that it will be erased in only another three months.

There are other writers and broadcasters who are the targets of harassment by the powers that be who use YouTube as a tool to impede the expression of free speech. This includes the cleverly crafted "community guidelines." YouTube profits greatly from these targets' monetized videos, but that doesn't matter to them.

There are, of course, other platforms. One of these day they will hopefully be able to compete and reach the kind of numbers YouTube can. Until then, I will try to use the embed codes [with permission] from other YouTube channels.

U. S. Government Spies on its Own Citizens. Duh!

ב׳ לחודש השנים עשר תשע״ו

Well, "they" have finally come out with it. But, of course, those of us bothering to pay attention already knew this was going on in one form or another.

The Guardian: US intelligence chief: we might use the internet of things to spy on you
James Clapper did not name specific agency as being involved in surveillance via smart-home devices but said in congressional testimony it is a distinct possibility

Spencer Ackerman and Sam Thielman in New York, 9 February 2016

The US intelligence chief has acknowledged for the first time that agencies might use a new generation of smart household devices to increase their surveillance capabilities.

Image Credit: Mid-Continent Public Library

Cutting to the chase...

...James Clapper, the US director of national intelligence, was more direct in testimony submitted to the Senate on Tuesday as part of an assessment of threats facing the United States.

“In the future, intelligence services might use the [internet of things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials,” Clapper said.

...which they attempt to justify, claiming that...

Online threats again topped the intelligence chief’s list of “worldwide threats” the US faces, with the mutating threat of low-intensity terrorism quickly following. While Clapper has for years used the equivocal term “evolving” when asked about the scope of the threat, he said Tuesday that Sunni violent extremism “has more groups, members, and safe havens than at any other point in history”.

The Islamic State topped the threat index, but Clapper also warned that the US-backed Saudi war in Yemen was redounding to the benefit of al-Qaida’s local affiliate.

Domestically, “homegrown extremists” are the greatest terrorist threat, rather than Islamic State or al-Qaida attacks planned from overseas. Clapper cited the San Bernardino and Chattanooga shootings as examples of lethal operations emanating from self-starting extremists “without direct guidance from [Isis] leadership”.

And, while the U. S. Government attempts to justify spying on its own citizens...

On the Iran nuclear deal, Clapper said intelligence agencies were in a “distrust and verify mode”, but added: “We have no evidence thus far that they’re moving toward violation.”

...which is code for "We are really stupid," or "We are collaborating with Iran," or most likely, "We are being lax in security, so that an attack will surely occur, justifying further measures to increase control over the populace."

Clapper’s admission about the surveillance potential for networked home devices is rare for a US official. But in an overlooked 2012 speech, the then CIA director David Petraeus called the surveillance implications of the internet of things “transformational … particularly to their effect on clandestine tradecraft”.

In other words, someone screwed up, and even the U. S. Government could not hide it anymore. Due to its arrogance, it underestimated its own citizens.

Clapper suggested that US adversaries had overtaken its online capabilities: “Russia and China continue to have the most sophisticated cyber programs.”

...which is suppose to justify the U. S. Government's goal of accessing...

Connected household devices [which] are a potential treasure trove to intelligence agencies seeking unobtrusive ways to listen and watch a target...

...which, in conclusion, means...

...“Law enforcement or intelligence agencies may start to seek orders compelling Samsung, Google, Mattel, Nest or vendors of other networked devices to push an update or flip a digital switch to intercept the ambient communications of a target,” the authors wrote.

The introduction for the television series Person Of Interest (2011) explains one way in which the U. S. Government could theoretically spy on all of its citizens simultaneously.



The existence of this show suggests that either there was a leak (very doubtful)...

Or "they" are trying to convince us just how far-fetched this is, in an attempt to keep the wool pulled over our eyes...

Or this is one of the ways in which "they" are trying to get us used to the idea of being spied on, and attempt to show us how this is for our "own good."

Will the Leftist Monopoly Over Israeli News Ever End? As If!

י"ז לחודש האחד עשר תשע"ו

Arutz 7: Leftist Monopoly over TV News is About to End
Filber Committee hands in recommendations that will allow conservatives to establish a TV channel and broadcast non-PC news.

Gil Ronen, 1/25/2016

A governmental committee has handed in recommendations that will end the leftist monopoly over news content on Israeli television.

The inter-ministerial committee under Communications Ministry Director Shlomo Filber has recommended – according to multiple news reports Monday – to end the situation in which the only channels broadcasting news are Channels 2 and 10.

Implementation of the recommendations will open up the communications market to competition and allow, among other things, an Israeli "Fox News" – that is, one or more channels that provide news content that is not liberal-leftist in nature. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
HA! HA! What a joke!

Sure, way back when, Arutz 7 was an alternative voice. Raid after raid by the police, the station's founders continually demonstrated their sacrifices, including being jailed.

Now, Arutz 7 is a completely different animal, desperately trying to keep its head above water, and allowing this to guide its quasi-journalistic path. One day it is an apparent advocate for Torah-based principles, albeit these instances have become increasingly few and far between, if at all. Then the next day, the combination station/website/Hebrew print weekly turns its back on Torah-observant Jews, and their sacrifices for the sake of protecting their religious rights, as well as protecting Eretz Yisra'el (the Land of Israel), feigning "journalistic objectivity."

And, I'm not even talking about their chumminess with Christians, and apparent refusal to print anything counter to the opinions of the father and son Rabbis Melamed.

Needless to say, when I was contacted to be interviewed by Arutz 7 (for the third time), I declined.

In a nutshell, Arutz 7 was a great idea, which went horribly wrong.

And speaking of great ideas, which went horribly wrong...

Enter David Horowitz's Times Of Israel. Many of us thought that this would be the platform to get the message of truth out regarding the Leftist control of the State of Israel, its government's co-dependence on the "international community, and a variety of flaws worthy of criticism. Boy, were we wrong!

I vaguely remember that praise for the late Prime Minister Yitzhaq Rabin, from Horowitz himself, was the last straw. But, in the end, there was so much crap included in TOI, that it was difficult for me to pinpoint TOI's greatest sin.

I only had one post refused for publishing, too, "The War in Gaza: What did it accomplish?" That was hardly a grievance. TOI staff claimed that it violated one of its policies:

[Post should] ...not incite to acts of violence or promote hatred based on race, gender or sexual preference

Apparently, criticism of Hamas for firing missiles at us did not sit well with TOI. Yet, remembering this policy, I even made a point of differentiating between Hamas and Fata"h. (Fata"h did not happen to be firing missiles at us, at the time.) As both of these terrorist groups are Arab, how could they even call this post racist? Anyway, I finally had to request that TOI delete my account. TOI's reaction appeared to one of shock.

Now, if you really think that there is that much difference between Fox an CNN, and not just the illusion of an adversarial relationship then you have been living under a rock.

And as far as political parties go... A handful of differences on social issues? A few differences in the way they amass power and wealth? And until not so recently, a few differences in foreign policy? These are suppose to convince us that there are significant differences between Democrats and Republicans? Tories, Liberals, and Labor? Likud and the latest reinvention of Israel's Labor Party?

Likewise, if you really believe that the State will allow a mainstream news source to exist which will actually criticize it positions, then you have been living in a very deep hole.


Anyway, I'll bet that the only thing Prime Minister and Communications Minister Netanyahu cares about is making Israel Today, which is in his corner, seem more mainstream an legitimate. Maybe one of these new news stations will just be a reflection of Israel Today's print version anyway.

The invention of more news sources will just be another rouse, an illusion, an opportunity to try to convince us of the existence  of free speech in this country. And certainly anything Torah related presented, other than kashruth and Shabbath -- not to mention further attempts at passing off mamlakhtiyuth (die-hard State loyalism) as Torah -- anything other than these topics will immediately be labeled as extremist, and a threat to the "democratic" State of Israel.

Of course, in this case, "they" would be correct.

Say Goodbye to the Post Office, Sooner than You Think!

י״ט לחודש החמישי תשע״ה

Times of Israel: An end to mail domination, as Israel seals collection boxes
The Postal Authority says it’s changing ‘to improve our service.’ Just don’t actually try to mail a letter

Jessica Steinberg, July 31, 2015

Do'ar Yisra'el
Israel Post

Want to mail a letter? Think again. Many of the Israel Postal Company’s red metal mailboxes throughout the country have been labeled “Inactive,” and their mail slots filled with hardened white foam.

“The world has changed,” said Maya Avishai, spokesperson for the company. “People are sending more emails and fewer letters, so our resources are changing.”

The Israel Postal Company, originally known as the Israel Postal Authority, is a government-owned company that has been undergoing a privatization process for several years, but is still struggling with its recovery plan following a massive strike last October.

As part of that recovery, the company plans to have fewer mail deliveries, eventually dropping to just twice a week, cutting its staff of 5,000 employees and reducing the number of local post office branches and mailboxes.

It may not be worth the effort, said Professor Sam Lehman-Wilzig, chairman of Bar-Ilan University’s School of Communication.

“The issue is whether the older media, in this case the post office, can find ways to adapt itself to a new threat, which is email,” said Lehman-Wilzig. “People stopped sending letters, I almost don’t get any wedding invitations in the mail. So what the post office has been trying to do relatively unsuccessfully is to branch out.”

The post office’s problems are nothing new in the history of communication, said Lehman-Wilzig. Every time there has been a new way of transmitting information, it threatens the older methods and then, when it can’t adapt itself, ends up disappearing.

“Who sends a telegram today?” asked Lehman-Wilzig. “It took several decades for the telegram to disappear, but of course it was the way of communicating electronically for around 50 years. There are no telegrams anymore, and we certainly don’t have the Pony Express.” (cont.)

(Tip Credit: Yitz Woolf)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
No matter how logical this report is, suggesting a gradual shutdown of postal services, unless the post office can adapt, this will still be representative of the desired advancement by the powers that be to control, and more closely monitor the populace's (our) communications.

Israel already seems to be in the forefront of converting to a completely electronic economy.

Could it be that the recently reported "mishaps" and complaints from the public regarding the Israeli Postal Service are just convenient catalysts?


Stay tuned!

Dance, Asaf! Dance!

ד' לחודש הרביעי תשע"ה

This video of Asaf Goren's audition for the television reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance" has already been cruising around the internet. But, I wanted to add my take on it.

While I often criticize being like the goyim, seeking acceptance and validation from goyim, I have to say that one of my weaknesses is dance and choreography. We all have them. You give me a break, and I'll try to give you a break about yours.

Although Asaf Goren is a "break" dancer, there is no pun intended here.

And, no. I do not believe that there is any Qedushath HaShem here, or anything like. However, he is wearing a talith (kosher, fringed garment), which is misswah mid'Oraitha (Torah commandment), and thus a good example to be setting in front of the Jewish American public. Just very good skill, and suitable entertainment for weddings, bar-misswah parties, and some holidays.

Whether you or I like it or not, these kinds of events do have the potential to wake up a Jewish American kid or two to his heritage, and to an exploration and discovery of its importance.


Incidentally, the video also features Paula Abdul. Most know about her singing career, highlighted by her skill as a dancer. But, what many of you do not know is that she is also quite an accomplished choreographer. A Jewish choreographer. Plus, the last I heard, this Los Angeles native was moving in the direction of Shabbath observance, at least to some degree.

When Abdul announced on a televised Chabba"d event that she lit Shabbos candles, I believe that was another positive

Here are some locals, break dancing in Jerusalem, off of Ben-Yehudah Street at "The Chess Board." You will see at least one of these kids wearing a talith qatan, with the tzitzith (kosher fringes) hanging out here, too.

I have to say that as low as we have gotten spiritually, I would rather have my son break dancing on a Thursday or after-Shabbath evening, than doing a heck of a lot of other things, I can think of, and/or that I actually did myself as a kid.
Extreme situations often call for extreme measures.

Say Goodbye to the Post Office

ט״ו לחודש השלישי תשע״ה

YWN: Jerusalem: Many Residents Complain of Poor Postal Service
(Tuesday, May 19th, 2015)

Do'ar Yisra'el
Israel Post

The Israel Postal Authority is in the midst of implementing a fiscal rehabilitation program which results in the closure of many branches, including in Yerushalayim. While the service boasts improved service and increased efficiency, a growing number of capital residents’ are complaining of not receiving mail.

There are a growing number of complaints of mail not reaching its destination, packages that are never delivered and mail being dumped in piles on streets. Persons wishing to mail a letter are finding it increasingly difficult as a growing number of mailboxes have ‘inactive’ stickers on them, making near to impossible to find a mailbox in some areas other than visiting a post office.

Malcha

Residents of this neighborhood complain the local post office has shut down and there is not a mailbox in the entire community. During the past summer the post office in the Malcha Mall shut its doors and as a result, mailboxes in the area have been sealed to render them inactive. The residents add mail delivery is extremely poor in the neighborhood as well. They call on city officials’ to act to restore this basic service.

Katamon

Some neighborhoods in the capital are seeking nonconventional methods to solve the problem. One such neighborhood is Katamon, where mail is received in the “Erez’s Place” grocery store. The owner has been hired part-time as an area postal clerk. Prior to the post office some residents received their mail in a gas station. This bizarre situation exists elsewhere in Israel too. (cont.)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):

Menta

When I first saw "Malcha," "Katamon," and "received their mail in a gas station," I rolled my eyes. What receiving mail at a gas station actually means is receiving it from the Menta convenience store found at Delek gas stations.

As a kid, my family's local post office was at a pharmacy, and even as an adult in Downtown San Diego, my local post office was also at a pharmacy. Smaller post office branches, spread out, mini-post offices brought them much closer to residents. So, I do not understand what the big deal is as to where ones post office is located, and what it looks like.

There have been closures of post office branches, such as Mordechai Ben-Hillel and the Bell Tower in Downtown Jerusalem. However, they have been absorbed by the enlarged and renovated Agrippas Street branch, with eight or nine service windows, instead of the usual four or five. It is also open until 6:00pm, as well as Friday mornings; whereas most branches close at 5:00pm, and are closed on Fridays. Every time I have been to this new, consolidated branch, it has never been crowded.

On the other hand, I am unable to verify nor deny the complaints, such as mail found dumped in the streets, which would be a very serious matter indeed.

What disturbs me, though, is that lack of reporting of the big picture.

Years ago, the U. S. Postal Service began mulling over the possibility of closing an addition day, such as Tuesday. Like Israel and other countries, the post office was becoming less in demand. So, the decreasing of operating hours has been one of the money-saving options on the table.

I imagine that the next stage in mail evolution will be the delivery of goods ordered by phone and online only. The dying art of writing a letter with ink and paper will finally meet its end (חו״ח).

Attractive and creative holiday cards, and even wedding invitations, can be sent online. And who can argue with the decreased use of paper as a result? Grandma's birthday gift money can now be sent through PayPal.

So, will we really be sacrificing anything, through the loss of "snail mail" postal services? Won't this be a win-win situation, with increased efficiency and speed and decreased felling of trees, among other things, by using the Internet?

Please allow me to state the obvious.

Just as governments have been moving us to an increasingly plastic economy, they have been moving us to entirely electronic systems of communications.

In Israel, direct deposit of salaries is the norm. Before this, checks were used. Then more and more

employees were issued checks which could only be deposited ones own personal account. In other words, one had no choice but to have a bank account. Choice has been taken out of our hands.

Israel is certainly not alone in this trend. Now checks even seem like a rarity, and cash is unheard of, unless it is used in under the table dealings. The use of physical currency is becoming demonized.

At the same time, we can see this trend in the shifting of communication from hard copy to almost entirely electronic.

Start at 00:16.


This is still the case. However, now it has become much easier for "them."

Joke: How many government officials does it take to sift through our mail?

Answer: None. A computer does it for them.

Eventually, it will be impossible not to have Internet, and trying to cancel it will be laughable.



When I recently signed up with a new cellular phone company, I was asked for my e-mail address. I responded to the Haredi* clerk with, "What if I told you that I was Haredi, and did not have an e-mail address?"

He gave me this look, and said, "C'mon. Even Haredim have e-mail."

So, I suggest that we stop complaining about picking our mail up at convenience stores, and be grateful that we still have mail service at all.

How long do you think it will last?

*********

*Haredi = Ultra-Orthodox

Israeli Election Shenanigans? Surprised?

ד׳ לחודש הראשון תשע״ה

Reports of alleged shenanigans during the recent, Israeli elections have been streaming in. Calls from Eli Yishai's Yachad Party to join the protest, by adding their names to a petition of declared Yachad voters, has been circulating the Internet. 

Some photos of the shenanigans can be seen in a report on the matter on Yachad's Official Website:

Eli Yishai
Yachad Party Head

Yachad: Battling Over The Truth!
(Esser Agaroth (2¢) Translation)
March 20, 2015

We have received you encouragement! Your support! We feel your outcry, and we have decided, to fight for the truth! Hundreds of declarations of counterfeiting have been brought to our attention. Were you witnesses to any of this? Join the fight! (cont.)

It is pretty easy to have a ballot disqualified. All it takes is a slight ink mark, or even a folded corner, if you can believe it. But, there were much more creative ways employed to go after Yachad voters.

For example, some ballot notes were replaced by fake ones with Baruch Marzel's name on them. Baruch Marzel, on the Yachad list, ran independently in a previous election. This was one of many attempts to confuse and mislead Yachad supporters, with the goal of having as many of their votes disqualified.

Here is another example from Official Yachad (English) Facebook Group, a comparison between real Yachad ballot notes and another fake one found at polling stations. These were later disqualified by official ballot counters.

L: Fake election note "HaRav Eliyahu Yishai"
R: Real ballot note "Eli Yishai"

My sources, who have been in contact with those present at the official recount, claimed that the were about 50,000 ballot notes which had been disqualified. Of those 50,000, 13,000 were for the Yachad Party.

One fourth of the disqualified ballot notes came from one small party? Does that make any sense to you?

Furthermore, reports indicated that the Yachad Party was between 11,000 and 12,000 short of making the minimum threshold to enter the K'nesseth with four mandates.

My educated guess would be that if Yachad had made it in, there would be one less mandate (MK) for the Likud Party, one less mandate for the far left Meretz Party, one less mandate for the Untied Arab Parties, and one less mandate for another party, which would shift the edge to the right, and probably give Prime Minister Netanyahu the option to leave out  supposedly centrist Kulanu (Kachlon) Party from the government he is attempting to form.

As far as any complaints, petitions, and protests against the election results go, I really don't see the point.

I think that today might even be the deadline for the completion of any investigations into complaints about the elections. I'm not sure. But, quite frankly, I don't think it matters. Does Yachad have a chance of winning an appeal? They have a chance at convincing the Supreme Court

As if.

We have seen, time and time again, how Torah-observant Jews have begun to gain ground, sticking to the established rules of Israeli democracy, only to have those rules changed by the government, the justice system, or by party heads themselves, as in the case of Netanyahu vs. outgoing MK Moshe Feiglin. This is one of the reasons why I refer to the system of government of the State of Israel as deMOCKracy.

An additional question remains regarding the alleged, Israeli election shenanigans. Whoever was behind the shenanigans, more likely than not, presents themselves in public as being pro-democracy, yet privately subverts the democratic process, and even justifies it using a totally distorted understanding of democracy.

Were they religiously motivated? Were they anti-religiously motivated? Either way, it all spells the same thing: H-Y-P-O-C-R-I-S-Y. None of us should be in the least bit surprised by this.

Either you believe in democracy, real democracy, or you don't.

Personally, I pray for the time, when we don't have to worry about such things as democracy, or in Israel's case, deMOCKracy.

Dear Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Rejects Extremism? Seriously?

ערב שבת קודש פר׳ וארא תשע״ה

Oh, I know that I am probably going to get into trouble for this, one way or another, assuming that Mark ever sees this, and bothers end up reading it, which I seriously doubt. Disrespecting a brother in public is a big "No-No," albeit not my intention to do so. Since Mark is a brother, I will do my best to put this as nicely as I can.

Nevertheless, I do believe this issue is important enough to warrant an open letter to founder of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, brother or not.

That being said, I am also certain that many Jews will get on my case for not being strong enough in my calling him out for his recent statement on "extremist."

If I have taken his statements out of context, then by all means, let me have it. This was what Mark Zuckerberg (or his staff) posted on his own Facebook page, January 9, 2015, which was swiftly picked by the usual social media transportation devices:

Let me share an experiment with you. Those of you with Internet savvy probably have some experience with Google Translate. Although I appreciate this tool, and it has been getting better, it is far from perfect, even with languages closely related to each other.

Sure, some of U. S. President George W. Bush's famous last words included, "We don't have enough Arabic translators." and this was one of the few times that he was right (Ahem!).

However, using Google Translate can provide us, including Mark Zuckerberg and his staff, with enough information to know if a particular Facebook group is connected to an "extremist" group. It even provides definitions below, confirming the proper use of the words and phrases entered.

Here are some examples. Just spell "Hamas" in English, translate to Arabic, and then translate the Arabic back into English. Copy this word and search for on Facebook, and see what comes up.

حماس = Hamas
A Palestinian Islamic movement founded in 1987 with the aim of establishing a Palestinian state incorporating present-day Israel and the West Bank. In 2006 Hamas defeated the more moderate Fatah in the elections for the Palestinian National Authority.

حزب الله = Hezbollah
An extremist Shiite Muslim group that has close links with Iran, created after the Iranian revolution of 1979 and active especially in Lebanon.

تنظيم القاعدة = Al-Qaeda
A militant Islamic fundamentalist group.

الدولة الإسلامية في العراق وسوريا = Islamic State of Iraq and Syria

الدولة الإسلامية في بلاد الشام = Islamic State of the Levant

Apparently, ISIS and ISL are too new for a definition. Or if the absence of a definition popping is a result of an error in spelling after all, well, then you still have three more groups above to use in your searches.

Sure, your search results will invariably include those set up as anti-terrorist groups and pages. But, these can be weeded out with a quick translation of the title.

See for yourself just how many come up on your searches.

Why can't Zuckerberg's team uncover these as easily as we can?

Now try searching in Hebrew, or even in English, for so-called "extremist" groups. I doubt that you will find too many of them, not to mention the double standards when it comes to defining what is, or is not, an "extremist" group.

Debbie Schlussel is one of several writers who have reported on the application of double standards on Facebook, including their own personal experiences with Facebook censorship. I recommend that you check out her site.

There are plenty of misguided, Jewish leftists, both English and Hebrew speakers, ready to jump on anything they find to be even remotely threatening to their assimilated, anti-Torah ways of life. Some of them may even get paid to sit in front of their computers screens, and search and report any group, page, forum, or comment, they find to be offensive to their Western exile, assimilationist sensibilities.

In fact, one theory has suggested that a certain "peace center," which shall remain nameless for now, employs such individuals to do just that, as well as making certain that enough comments which reflect their view can be found on every news item.

Now, let's hope that the Esser Agaroth Facebook Page is still where I left it, after Shabbath.

Oh, yeah, and please don't hesitate to "like" it.

ΕΣΠΟΝΔΑ

Why Didn't Saturday Night's Left-Wing Protest make the News?

כ״ח לחודש השביעי תשע״ה

I am very surprised that I could not find any reports on the demonstration I saw, building up last Saturday night. At 9:15, I saw it developing at the top of the Ben Yehuda Midrahov (pedestrian mall). A banner was being hung between two poles which read in Hebrew and Arabic...

עוצרים את הגזענות!

(Stop Racism!)

I suppose that someone may have filmed and clip, and posted it on YouTube. But when I could not find it on the Internet, with general and news searches, I did not bother.

The numbers were few. But, it seemed like it was just getting started. Or perhaps the bus carrying protestors from Tel-Aviv broke down. That is the Leftist' usual modus operandi [MO], shipping in ringers from Tel-Aviv, on Shabbath itself, in preparation for a post-Shabbath demonstration.

Avraham Burg was there, with his incredibly-shrinking kippah, mulling around, and chit-chatting with his cultural elite.

Avraham Burg
Former Speaker of K'nesseth (Labor)
Current French/EU Passport holder

What does Burg care? Getting a little too hot in France for you, Avraham?

When came back the same way at around 11:00, the banner was gone, and the area was dominated by a bunch of kids in kippoth and tzitziyoth, dancing to an upbeat version of הקדוש ברוך הוא, אנחנו אוהבים אותך! (Holy One, Blessed Be He, We Love You!). While I was walking up Ben Yehuda Street, I could not hear anything from the other direction, down below at Kikar Tzion (Zion Square). If any remnants of a protest was there, the usual, final destination of demonstrations in Jerusalem, then it was insignificant.

It continues to amaze me at just how little "religious" Jews know of Torah. Either they are completely ignorant of the fact that the Torah addresses everything, including how we are to interact with non-Jews, and not just "Shabbos and Kashrus shailos." Or they only listen to the "Acharonim Acharonim Acharonim," to "Rabbanim Tze'irim," and to anyone else who appeals to their galuth (exile) values and sensibilities.

Definitely tough Jews to reach and wake up.

Jewish Voices on Campus, What on Earth are you Still Doing There??!!

כ״ז לחודש השביעי תשע״ה

This video was going around the Internet. When I first saw it making the rounds, I just figured that it was another one of those silly, hasbarah, "please like us!" videos.

Boy, was I wrong.

I recommend watching this video, if for no other reason than to see just how wrong I was.


(Tip: Emergency Aliya Now Facebook Group)

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
After only two minutes into this video, I found that it was more than just your typical documentation of university campus, Jew-hatred. This was personal.

I picked up on the hints (00:13), and allusions to Alpha Epsilon Pi, the college fraternity of which I am a brother/alumnus (Ξ^Δ '87).

Please read the writing on the wall. It may seem to be trickier to read than the writing on walls in England, France, Sweden, and the rest of Europe. But, you owe it to yourselves to look at it, and look at it hard.

Just like Henry from Cal. Berkeley says, "It doesn't show up in the newspapers, because it's to be expected."

This video really got to me. It tugged on my heartstrings, and it tugged HARD. In fact, the video really upset me to the point of tears.

I am the one in Israel. I am the one on the front lines. I am the one who heard sirens this summer, and had to go into the bomb shelter. I am the one who survived an attack from a suicide bomber. I am the one North American Jews are always saying they are worried about, they are frightened for, they are praying for.

And yet, you are all the ones who are in danger, and I am the one worrying about you, and praying for your safety. This video was only the tip of the iceberg.

So much for silly, "Jewish leaders" who insist on proclaiming that...

“...our reality, as American Jews, is that we are not a community under siege. Let us say it plainly: the anti-Semitism that is festering elsewhere poses no danger to us.”

Such "leaders" are not leaders, but rather clowns (See Rash"i on Gen. 25:19).

Swastikas painted on the AEPi House, Emory University, just after Yom Kippur
(Photo: @AtlantaSmiles/Twitter)

And, even if you are sick and tired of listening to "aliyah rhetoric," and have no interest in hearing about "God and Torah stuff," I am obligated to get in your faces with it, anyway,...yet again, as it says...

לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל-דַּם רֵעֶךָ (ויקרא יט,טז)

Do not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor (Lev. 19:16)

The U. S. and Canada are not your true homelands. They are only temporary places where we were able to find refuge, during our exile.

It does not matter how successful we have been at battling anti-Semitism, fighting for your religious and political rights, asserting our place in North American society, and making great contributions to it. It is still the exile, and being exiled from our only true homeland is a punishment.

The doors began opening gradually just over 100 hundred year or so. They were flung open in 1948/תש״ח, propped open in 1967/תשכ״ז, and further stabilized in 1973/תשל״ד.

Unfortunately, many Jews have been having trouble seeing this, seeing that the door has been opened for them personally. And so, they have been receiving some help from above to find the door, with a little, painful nudge here and there.

Please, may these nudges not have to get too painful, in order to get the message across.

It would be an oversimplification to call these kicks in the pants "anti-Semitism." It goes much deeper than that.

Aliyah is not "giving up," nor is it "running away." It's "running to...."

Jake from the University of Southern California [USC] says, "Antisemtism, hatred of the Jewish People, of Israel, is real. And I can only hope that in the future we will be able to get through it together."

Jake..., fellow brothers,... the only solution is aliyah. This is the only way we will be able to get through it together.

ΕΣΠΟΝΔΑ

#BringBackOurBoys Why Were They Really Killed?

ג׳ לחודש הרביעי תשע״ד

Statements as to why three Jewish boys were recently abducted by Arab terrorists have been flooding the Internet, and have been accompanied by the usual finger pointing and blame game.

Now that the boys have been found murdered, May God avenge their blood!, it is of the utmost importance to answer the question in title.

Most of you may find this to be insensitive and distasteful. However, I intend to answer the questןon anyway, if for no other reason that piqu'ah nefesh (saving a life).

Eyal Yifrah (19), Naftali Frenkel (16), Gil'ad Sha'ar (16)

First, here is a sample of the opinions being thrown around as to why the boys were abducted in the first place.

The Yated Ne'eman newspaper "holds the government of Israel responsible for the kidnapping of three teenage boys...a direct result of the Israeli government’s effort to draft Hareidim into the army."

Rabbi Dov Lior (Qiryath Arba-Hevron) said Thursday that the abduction of Eyal Yifrah, Gil'ad Shayer and Naftali Frenkel "was God’s punishment for what he called “anti-religious” legislation pushed by the current Knesset, and for Israel’s stated willingness to abandon parts of Eretz Yisrael."

Mekubal Rabbi Yaakov Adas, "who is admitted to Shaare Zedek Medical Center, hinted on Friday night the kidnapping of the youths was due to President Shimon Peres taking part in a prayer service with Pope Frances and PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) during his recent visit to the Vatican."

There were also statements of the obvious, that the Arabs are seeking to kidnap more Jews, in order to exchange them for more prisoner releases.

On a more direct, Rabbi Shmuel Eliyahu shlit"a (Tzfath) "accused the family of abducted soldier Gilad Schalit on Sunday of weakening Israel by appealing to the public’s sentiment in order to ratchet up pressure on the government for a prisoner swap."

Odd that no one mentioned anything about...

• allowing heinous desecrations on the Temple Mount
• allowing pork sales in Jerusalem
• inviting avodah zarah into the Land, and helping it to dig its claws into it
• I am sure that someone also blamed Israeli Gay Pride events. I just happened to miss these reports. 

How is it that, in times of tragedy, no one ever seems to bring up what is explicitly mentioned in the Torah, if we fail to heed a few of its commandments in particular, removing these  perei adam (wild asses of men) from our midst...

במדבר לג

נ וַיְדַבֵּר יְהוָה אֶל-מֹשֶׁה, בְּעַרְבֹת מוֹאָב, עַל-יַרְדֵּן יְרֵחוֹ, לֵאמֹר. נא דַּבֵּר אֶל-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם: כִּי אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת-הַיַּרְדֵּן, אֶל-אֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן. נב וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם אֶת-כָּל-יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ, מִפְּנֵיכֶם, וְאִבַּדְתֶּם, אֵת כָּל-מַשְׂכִּיֹּתָם; וְאֵת כָּל-צַלְמֵי מַסֵּכֹתָם תְּאַבֵּדוּ, וְאֵת כָּל-בָּמוֹתָם תַּשְׁמִידוּ. נג וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וִישַׁבְתֶּם-בָּהּ: כִּי לָכֶם נָתַתִּי אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, לָרֶשֶׁת אֹתָהּ.נג וְהוֹרַשְׁתֶּם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, וִישַׁבְתֶּם-בָּהּ: כִּי לָכֶם נָתַתִּי אֶת-הָאָרֶץ, לָרֶשֶׁת אֹתָהּ. נד וְהִתְנַחַלְתֶּם אֶת-הָאָרֶץ בְּגוֹרָל לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתֵיכֶם, לָרַב תַּרְבּוּ אֶת-נַחֲלָתוֹ וְלַמְעַט תַּמְעִיט אֶת-נַחֲלָתוֹ--אֶל אֲשֶׁר-יֵצֵא לוֹ שָׁמָּה הַגּוֹרָל, לוֹ יִהְיֶה: לְמַטּוֹת אֲבֹתֵיכֶם, תִּתְנֶחָלוּ. נה וְאִם-לֹא תוֹרִישׁוּ אֶת-יֹשְׁבֵי הָאָרֶץ, מִפְּנֵיכֶם--וְהָיָה אֲשֶׁר תּוֹתִירוּ מֵהֶם, לְשִׂכִּים בְּעֵינֵיכֶם וְלִצְנִינִם בְּצִדֵּיכֶם; וְצָרְרוּ אֶתְכֶם--עַל-הָאָרֶץ, אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם יֹשְׁבִים בָּהּ. נו וְהָיָה, כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּמִּיתִי לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם--אֶעֱשֶׂה לָכֶם.

Numbers 33
50 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 51 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell in it; for to you have I given the land to possess it. 53 And you shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell within it; for to you have I given the land to possess it. 54 And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families--to the more you shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer you shall give the less inheritance; wheresoever the lot fall to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit. 55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land in which you dwell. 56 And it shall come to pass, that as I thought to do unto them, so will I do to you.

Wouldn't want to be labeled a racist, would we? Even though the Torah makes no such distinctions here.



Well, now it is my turn to up the ante. Please allow me to bring you back down to earth, from the spiritual realms. Leave your guesswork to the Gedolim, and take a look at what is within your control, and that is following the halakhah.

Let me also preface this by stating very clearly where I personally place the blame,...on the Israeli religious educational system, and thus the the Israeli Government and its Statist "rabbis" who not only support, but collaborate with this system on a daily basis.

And of what exactly am I accusing the State and its puppets?

I am accusing them of teaching Torah against the halakhah. Well, it has already been forbidden to listen to anything Shlomo Aviner has to say regarding halakhah. But what about the other diehard, State loyalists?

The negative commandment of לא תחנם/Lo Techonem (Deut. 7:2) encompasses not saving them from danger and not providing them with any medical treatment, if at all possible.

Three categories, not providing the goyim with any foothold on the Land, not providing them with gifts, and not even saying anything nice about them are emphasized as keys points to preventing from violating misswath lo ta'aseh (negatively phrased Torah commandment). (Ramba"m, Laws of Avodah Zarah and the Laws of Goyim 10:1-9) Rabbi Shmu'el Eliyahu shlit"a of Tzfath warned us of this of this prohibition, and incurred the wrath of the Left, the Modern Orthodox, and of course, as you might suspect, the ADL.

So, to what degree are all of these groups complicit in these boys' murders?

How many of you would like to bet that this halakhah was never mentioned, despite its direct relevance to these boys' lives, or if it was, it was glossed over, qualified to prevent teachers from getting arrested, or said not to have any relevance in our current time and situation, e. g. before the coming of Mashi'ah.

If I am mistaken, and this halakhah was taught in their schools, its observance has been discouraged, no, fought tooth and nail by the co-dependent, desperately politically-correct Israeli Government, by compliant "rabbis" who prefer silence to the truth, and confused and naive parents, who without fail, pass on their confusion to the next generation.

And yet, eyewitness testimony at the trempiada (hitchhiking station) suggests that these boys were lurered into a Arab's car after "doing the nice thing" of helping him in the push-starting of his car

"Such nice things" are forbidden! But, how would they know that, with the current, anti-Torah educational system of the anti-Torah State of Israel?!

Jews often talk about using this approach to negotiate a peace settlement with our Arab enemies, show them that we are willing to work with them, do "nice things" for them, give them food and medical care,...and even help push start their engines.

NO! ENOUGH ALREADY! 

How many more of our children must be murdered while we just sit here with faith in a useless, co-dependent government, and their equally useless ie. "rabbis" before we start following Torah Law instead of playing with it, crossing out what we do not like or otherwise distorting it?!

*********

According to the Ramba"m (Teshuvah 148), and the Beth Yosef and the [uncensored] Ba"H (Rabbi Yoel Sirkish) in their respective commentaries on the Tur, Lo Tehonem, ALL hold that the use of the term 'oved 'avodah zarah indicates a goy who does not keep the Seven Torah Commandments of B'nei No'ah.

The few lines of the Ba"H mentioned above were apparently never seen by Rabbi Avraham Yitzhaq Kook ztz"l nor Rabbi Ovadiah Yosef ztz"l.

What Can We Do to #BringBackOurBoys?

ראש החודש הרביעי תשע"ד

Eyal ben Iris Teshurah (19), Ya'aqov Naftali ben Rahel Devorah (16), Gil'ad Micha'el ben Bath Galim (16)

Multiple Choice Question:
Which of the following strategies will have the most chance of having the three captive Jewish boys Eyal, Ya'aqov Naftali, and Gil'ad Micha'el returned home safely and unharmed? (Check all that you believe apply.)

A. Prayer.

B. Prayer at a particular person's grave site.

C. Taking in Shabbath 15 minutes earlier than usual.

D. Lighting three extra Shabbath candles.

E. Women gathering in public to perform these misswah of hefresheth hallah (separating the hallah from the bread dough).

F. Learning certain portions of text in the merit of the boys' return.

G. Signing an on-line petition.

H. Attending a demonstration.

I. Starting an on-line #hashtag campaign.

J. Teshuvah (Repentance)

K. Taking appropriate actions against our enemies.*

L. A. and K.**

   *Supposedly G., H. and I. are to encourage the Israeli Government to implement K. Ask yourself this question: When was the last time you actually saw these strategies do anything other than fool you into believing that you were doing something?


**Maybe J., as well, but quite honestly, perhaps The Almighty has other plans in store for us. We should all do teshuvah irregardless. If it takes the abduction of these boys to motivate us,...well,...then it is unfortunate that we have sunk to such a spiritual low, but so be it.

The correct answer is L.

In other words, this "sitting around" mentality, which has really only is nothing less that shirking our own responsibility, both for the abduction of these boys, and for their return. We are simply dumping it all on The Almighty.

This reminds me of the Ramba"m, who writes in his Igereth Hakhmei Marseilles (Letter to the Sages of Marseilles) that the Second Temple fell due to an over reliance on astrology [to fight against the Romans].

Traveling much farther back, Resh Lekish also suggests that we did not take the necessary action to defeat the Romans, mainly making aliyah when called by Ezra HaSofer, and thus taking proper possess of Our Land in the first place (TB Yoma 9b).

Those who chose B, C, D, E, or F, I feel compelled to ask you,...

"Why not just cast a frickin' spell already?!" (leHavdil)

I mean, for some you, ill-educated about the proper place for such practices, this is what you may eventually be led to do someday. There is a fine line between the types of magic which are permissible versus those types which are forbidden. May The Almighty keep the masses far away from such concepts! 

However, what these seguloth DO have the power to do include...

1. To prevent Jews from violating Shabbath,  by calling attention to its proper beginning and ending times.

2. To encourage Jews to take an interest in keeping Shabbath, by reminding them that they are part of the greater community of Am Yisra'el.

3. ...including the lighting of Shabbath candles.

4. To educate women regarding the misswah of hefresheth hallah, its importance, and how to do it.

5. To encourage Torah learning.

Of course, the above sum up many components of teshuvah anyway.

Taking action, along with prayer, instead of laying it all at The Almighty's doorstep, is also a necessary component of teshuvah.

Let us hope that we will not have to learn this lesson the hard way again.

Renouncing My U. S. Citizenship, Part 1

ב' לחודש השנים עשר ב' תשע"ד

Well, after toying with the idea of renouncing my U. S. citizenship, I have made the decision to go through with renunciation. The truth is that I had already thought this through thoroughly. I had been thinking of renunciation as far back as 2001.

Eventually, I will put all of the various parts to the documenting of this journey of mine together into a Renunciation of U. S. Citizenship Guide for Israeli Dual Citizens. But, for now, I will post the stages of my process in parts.

You can go straight to the following link to make an appointment with:

http://jerusalem.usconsulate.gov/appointment2.html

After reading this page, decide how you want contact the Consulate for your appointment. I clicked at the bottom to view available appointment dates and times. I then chose one, and it took me about a minute to complete the online form.

By the way, there was a note suggesting reports of difficulties using Firefox to complete an appointment request. So, using a different web browser was recommended.

Click on "Request notarial and other services not listed above," and that you read and understood, then click "continue."

Make sure you have your U. S. Passport number and a valid e-mail address. The form did not allow the request to go through without an e-mail address.

Your appointment sheet should look like this. Print it out, because it needs to be brought with you.

U. S. Consulate, Jerusalem, Appointment Sheet
Grayed out areas = personal details and passwords
(Click to enlarge)

I must say that I am a bit nervous, but the good kind of nervous,...and excited, all at once.

I am mostly concerned about being interrogated, so to speak, and that I will be sent home for a "cooling-off period," which I have heard can happen.

The number of U. S. citizens renouncing their citizenship has been growing dramatically. I intend to add one more to the number, with my own renunciation.

I simply intend to tell them the truth as to why I want to renounce, and then hold my ground. I am prepared to accept a second, required visit. But, I am also prepared to do everything I can to avoid this. After all, I have to miss work for this process.

I will update you on ט' אדר ב'/March 11, after my appointment, and will include the forms I was required to complete, and the details of my "interview."

So, stay tuned!

*********

Toying with the Idea of Renouncing My U. S. Citizenship

Renouncing My U. S. Citizenship, Part 2

Renouncing My U. S. Citizenship, Part 3

American No More

Renouncing My U. S. Citizenship, the Final Chapter

Government Data Requests? Thanks for Telling Us!

כ"ה לחודש השנים עשר תשע"ד

I have to use Dropbox at work. It is an easy way for my colleagues and I to share information, and to work from outside of the office, if need be. Sure, there are probably better, and more efficient systems out there, but this one is sufficient for our needs, inexpensive, and... my boss's decision, not mine.

This morning I found an e-mail message from Dropbox, informing its users of some changes in policy, terms of service, blah, blah, blah. Included in this message was "Dropbox's Government Data Requests Principles." The Red highlighting was added by me.

(See below for text of this screen shot.)

Dropbox's Government Data Requests Principles

We understand that when you entrust us with your digital life, you expect us to keep your stuff safe. Like most online services, we sometimes receive requests from governments seeking information about our users. These principles describe how we deal with the requests we receive and how we’ll work to try to change the laws to make them more protective of your privacy.

Be transparent:  Online services should be allowed to report the exact number of government data requests received, the number of accounts affected by those requests, and the laws used to justify the requests. We’ll continue to advocate for the right to provide this important information. Learn more.

Fight blanket requests:  Government data requests should be limited to specific people and investigations. We’ll resist requests directed to large groups of people or that seek information unrelated to a specific investigation. Learn more.

Protect all users:  Laws authorizing governments to request user data from online services shouldn’t treat people differently based on their citizenship or where they live. We’ll work hard to reform these laws. Learn more.

Provide trusted services:  Governments should never install backdoors into online services or compromise infrastructure to obtain user data. We’ll continue to work to protect our systems and to change laws to make it clear that this type of activity is illegal. Learn more.

Esser Agaroth (2¢):
You can click for yourself on anyone of the "Learn more" links, and then report back to me if Dropbox was any clearer than in its page posted above.

I do not know about you, but so far, I have no idea what Dropbox policy is, I assume, other than following the law. What those laws are, though, I do not know. I suppose that if Dropbox is fighting for or against one thing or another, then that could serve as a clue.

More disturbing, even though hardly news, was the following statement:

"Like most online services, we sometimes receive requests from governments seeking information about our users."

Sheep + People = "Sheeple"

Call me paranoid, but it seems pretty clear from this that "they" have been requesting data, and that multiple parties have been providing "them" with the data.

Just a friendly reminder. 

Wake up, stay awake, and don't be "sheeple!"