The Wisdom of the Reeds

The Lost Ark of the Covenant

(IsraelNN.com) Ethiopian church leader says Friday, June 26, marks the right time to unveil the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, which he says has been hidden in his church for centuries.

Abuna Pauolos, Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, was in Rome this week to meet with Pope Benedict XVI. While there, he told reporters that the time had come to reveal before the world the Holy Ark. He said that the holy container has been in the custody of his church for hundreds of years...

How did the Ark get there?

Read on...

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The Queen of Sheba's palace isn't what it used to be. Its roof is long gone. Its grand entrance is but a memory. Yet the 3,000-year-old ruins remain, sprawling over thin-grassed farm fields in Axum -- once the capital of a great world power and today a dusty Ethiopian town where cows and children, goats and donkeys roam free.

Here, according to Ethiopians, a great dynasty was born. And, as all great dynasties should, this one begins with a love story. As they tell it, the Queen of Sheba left Ethiopia only once, to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem. Solomon, despite being married, became smitten with the beautiful Queen. She reciprocated his desire and upon her return to Axum she gave birth to his son, Menelik.

Menelik I took the throne when his mother died, roughly a thousand years B.C.E., and began a line of Solomonic rulers that endured with only a brief interruption until Emperor Haile Selassie, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, was deposed 31 years ago.

Menelik I is also, according to the Ethiopian Orthodox church, responsible for that country's possessing the greatest relic of the Judeo-Christian tradition. It seems that the king went to visit his father, and somehow brought back the original Ark of the Covenant, previously kept in the great Temple in Jerusalem.

The Ark is believed to hold the original tablets containing the Ten Commandments that God handed to Moses on Mount Sinai, and it is now said to be kept in Axum's Church of St. Mary of Zion. Only one elderly monk guards this treasure, which no one else may see. More here

the Jewish Virtual Library states:

The Ark remained in the Temple until its destruction at the hand of the Babylonian empire, led by Nebuchadnezzar. What happened to it afterward is unknown, and has been debated and pondered for centuries. It is unlikely that the Babylonians took it, as they did the other vessels of the Temple, because the detailed lists of what they took make no mention of the Ark. According to some sources, Josiah, one of the final kings to reign in the First Temple period, learned of the impending invasion of the Babylonians and hid the Ark. Where he hid it is also questionable – according to one midrash, he dug a hole under the wood storehouse on the Temple Mount and buried it there (Yoma 53b). Another account says that Solomon foresaw the eventual destruction of the Temple, and set aside a cave near the Dead Sea, in which Josiah eventually hid the Ark (Maimonides, Laws of the Temple, 4:1).

One of the most fascinating possibilities is advanced by Ethiopian Christians who claim that they have the Ark today. In Axum, Ethiopia, it is widely believed that the Ark is currently being held in the Church of Saint Mary of Zion, guarded by a monk known as the "Keeper of the Ark," who claims to have it in his possesion. According to the Axum Christian community, they acquired the Ark during the reign of Solomon, when his son Menelik, whose mother was the Queen of Sheba, stole the Ark after a visit to Jerusalem. While in the not-so-distant past the "Ark" has been brought out for Christian holidays, its keeper has not done so for several years due to the tumultuous political situation in the country. The claim has thus been impossible to verify, for no one but the monk is allowed into the tent.......

(until now)

Also See: The Temple Institute which says: While some claim to have evidence that the ark is in Ethiopia, and of course, moviegoers were treated to a fanciful version of the story in "Raiders of the Lost Ark," in reality, the expression "lost" ark is not an accurate description from the Jewish people's point of view - because we have always known exactly where it is. So the Ark is "Hidden," and hidden quite well, but it is not lost.

Tradition records that even as King Solomon built the First Temple, he already knew, through Divine inspiration, that eventually it would be destroyed. Thus Solomon, the wisest of all men, oversaw the construction of a vast system of labyrinths, mazes, chambers and corridors underneath the Temple Mount complex. He commanded that a special place be built in the bowels of the earth, where the sacred vessels of the Temple could be hidden in case of approaching danger. Midrashic tradition teaches that King Josiah of Israel, who lived about forty years before the destruction of the First Temple, commanded the Levites to hide the Ark, together with the original menorah and several other items*, in this secret hiding place which Solomon had prepared.

This location is recorded in our sources, and today, there are those who know exactly where this chamber is. And we know that the ark is still there, undisturbed, and waiting for the day when it will be revealed.
source

God’s Perfectly Imperfect Plan

by Yonatan Udren

For those of us who believe in God, we must face a serious question, one that philosophers have been wresting with since the beginning of theological debate.

If God is perfect, why are we, God’s creations, so imperfect?

We expect a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and infinite to create beings that reflect some aspect of those qualities. Yet no one can claim even one of them. The divide between us and God appears too vast. Could such a God create something so imperfect? One could wonder if this Creator exists after all.

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato, the eighteenth century Italian Kabbalist, teaches that God desires to bestow the best possible good. One might think that creating perfect human beings would satisfy that criteria.

But not so; the greatest good was creating humanity with imperfections, and then empowering us to fix them through Torah and mitzvot. This allows us to feel a sense of accomplishment for the work that we have done, as opposed to feelings of shame like a beggar who receives sustenance with no toil.

This can also allow us to accept our flaws, and the flaws of others. Those imperfect cracks are the places where God is most revealed. Those blemishes empower us to work on our character traits and our service to God, and it is through this work that we actualize our true potential.

Chag Sameach to all my Jewish readers

Who Took the Bones Out of Gefilta Fish?

by Tzvi Fishman
If the recent six day overdose of Yom Tov and Shabbat weren’t enough to get Diaspora Jews to move to Israel, with its force-feeding of gefilta fish day-after-day, until fish jelly dripped out of their noses and horseradish dripped out of their ears, I don’t know what it’s going to take until they are fed up with practicing Judaism in a jar.

Judaism in a Jar

Since we are on the eve of Holocaust Remembrance Day, let’s go back to the Shabbat of Chol HaMoed Pesach and take another look at the Haftorah. Our Sages explain that the Dry Bones of Ezekiel’s prophecy represent the Jewish communities in the exile, which the Prophet pictures as a grave:

“Then He said to me, son of man, these bones are the House of Israel” (Ezekiel, 37:11).

“Lo, I will open your graves and cause you to come out of your graves as My People, and bring you home to the Land of Israel” (Ezekiel, 37:12).

Can anything be clearer than this? The Prophet clearly states that it is G-d’s will that His People rise up from their graves in Vienna, and Monsey, and Australia, and Japan, and come home to Israel.

Valley of Dry Bones

Isn’t this exactly what happened in the wake of the Holocaust? Can there be a clearer picture of the Jewish People miraculously rising from their graves to return home to the Land of Israel?

Make no mistake my beloved and deluded brothers, the exile is a grave. Don’t be deceived by the beauty of your cemeteries, the manicured lawns and towering monuments – the lands of the Diaspora are graveyards.

Valley of Dry Bones, East

The Jewish communities there are dry bones, scattered, dislocated, discombobulated, disintegrated, withered, sapped of life, “a valley of bones – exceedingly dry” (Ezekiel, 37:2).

Those who have broken away from the Torah to find sanctuary amongst the goyim have decomposed beyond recognition, turning into gefilta fish without bones; and those who bravely cling to the tenets of the Torah have only its dry, crumbling skeleton to cling to, without being graced with the life-giving spirit of the Land of Israel inside.

The establishment of the State of Israel out of the graves of the Holocaust is the greatest Sanctification of G-d that there is!

Graveyard of Galut

The Greatest Sanctification of G-d

Just as the Prophet declared:

“And I will lay ligaments upon you, and I will make flesh grow over you, and cover you with skin, and put breath into you, and you will live, and YOU WILL THEN KNOW THAT I AM G-D” (Ezekiel, 37:6).

But just as there are people who deny the Holocaust, there are people who deny the State of Israel. I don’t see any difference.

Upside Down

Defense Minister Ehud Barak commented on the UN conference on racism, dubbed Durban II, at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting, saying, "It's an upside-down world, when the president of Iran can be a guest of honor at an anti-racism conference.

*******

Yosef, the son of Rebbe Yehoshua ben Levi saw a vision of Heaven as he momentarily stood on the threshold of death. His father said to him, 'What did you see?' He said, 'I saw an upside-down world. Those who are on the top in this world are lowly up there, while those on the bottom here are on top up there'. [Gemara in Bava Basra 10]

shiratdevorah.blogspot.com

Dear World

By Rabbi Meir Kahane, Zt"l
(November, 1988)

Dear World,

It appears that you are hard to please. I understand that you are upset over us, here in Israel. Indeed, it appears that you are quite upset, even angry and outraged! Indeed, every few years you seem to become upset over us. Today, it is the brutal repression of the Palestinians; yesterday, it was Lebanon; before that it was the bombing of the nuclear reactor in Baghdad and the Yom Kippur War campaign.

It appears that Jews who triumph and who, therefore, live, upset you most extraordinarily. Of course, dear world, long before there was an Israel, we, the Jewish people - upset you.

We upset a German people who elected a Hitler and we upset an Austrian people who cheered his entry into Vienna and we upset a whole slew of Slavic nations - Poles, Slovaks, Lithuanians, Ukrainians, Russians, Hungarians, Romanians. And we go back a long, long way in the history of world upset.

We upset the Cossacks of Chmielnicki who massacred tens of thousands of us in 1648-49; we upset the Crusaders who, on their way to liberate the Holy Land, were so upset at Jews that they slaughtered untold numbers of us. We upset, for centuries, a Roman Catholic Church that did its best to define our relationship through Inquisitions. And we upset the arch-enemy of the Church, Martin Luther, who, in his call to burn the synagogues and the Jews within them, showed an admirable Christian ecumenical spirit.

It is because we became so upset over upsetting you, dear world, that we decided to leave you - in a manner of speaking - and establish a Jewish State. The reasoning was that living in close contact with you, as resident-strangers in the various countries that comprise you, we upset you, irritate you, disturb you.

What better notion, then, than to leave you and thus love you - and have you love us? And so we decided to come home - to the same homeland from which we were driven out 1,900 years earlier by a Roman world that, apparently, we also upset.

Alas, dear world, it appears that you are hard to please. Having left you and your Pogroms and Inquisitions and Crusades and Holocausts, having taken our leave of the general world to live alone in our own little state - we continue to upset you.

You are upset that we repress the poor Palestinians. You are deeply angered over the fact that we do not give up the lands of 1967, which are clearly the obstacle to peace in the Middle East.

Moscow is upset and Washington is upset.

The Arabs are upset and the gentle Egyptian moderates are upset. Well, dear world, consider the reaction of a normal Jew from Israel. In 1920, 1921 and 1929, there were no territories of 1967 to impede peace between Jews and Arabs.

Indeed, there was no Jewish State to upset anybody. Nevertheless, the same oppressed and repressed Palestinians slaughtered hundreds of Jews in Jerusalem, Jaffa, Safed and Hebron. Indeed, 67 Jews were slaughtered one day in Hebron - in 1929.

Dear World, why did the Arabs - the Palestinians - massacre 67 Jews in one day in 1929? Could it have been their anger over Israeli aggression in 1967? And why were 510 Jewish men, women and children slaughtered in Arab riots in 1936-39? Was it because of Arab upset over 1967? And when you, World, proposed a U.N. Partition Plan in 1947 that would have created a Palestinian State alongside a tiny Israel and the Arabs cried and went to war and killed 6,000 Jews - was that upset stomach caused by the aggression of 1967? And, by the way, dear world, why did we not hear your cry of upset then?

The poor Palestinians who today kill Jews with explosives and firebombs and stones are part of the same people who - when they had all the territories they now demand be given them for their state - attempted to drive the Jewish State into the sea. The same twisted faces, the same hate, the same cry of "idbah-al-yahud" - "Slaughter the Jews!" that we hear and see today, were seen and heard then. The same people, the same dream - destroy Israel. What they failed to do yesterday, they dream of today - but we should not "repress" them.

Dear World, you stood by the Holocaust and you stood by in 1948 as seven states launched a war that the Arab League proudly compared to the Mongol massacres.

You stood by in 1967 as Nasser, wildly cheered by wild mobs in every Arab capital in the world, vowed to drive the Jews into the sea. And you would stand by tomorrow if Israel were facing extinction. And since we know that the Arabs-Palestinians daily dream of that extinction, we will do everything possible to remain alive in our own land. If that bothers you, dear world, well - think of how many times in the past you bothered us.

In any event, dear world, if you are bothered by us, here is one Jew in Israel who could not care less.

The Rav Meir Kahane Making a Speech - "They" Must Go

Hashem (G-d) loves me

V'hi She'amda

Yonatan Razael wrote a beautiful melody for this song, which he sings here with Yaacov Shweikey. We hope you enjoy it.

Birchat HaChamah - The Blessing Over the Sun: 8 April 2009

Although G-d created light and darkness on the first day of creation, it was actually on the fourth day of creation that G-d placed the luminaries into the sky. Read more

Unanswered Prayers

from the writings of Rav Kook

"קַוֵּה אֶל-ה', חֲזַק, וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ; וְקַוֵּה אֶל-ה"
"Hope to God. Be strong and He will give you courage, and hope to God." [Ps. 27:14]

Why does the psalm repeat the phrase "hope to God"?

The Sages learned from this repetition that we should be tenacious in prayer. "If a person prays but is not answered, he should pray again" [Berachot 32a].

Yet one could ask: If God did not answer my prayer the first time, what will I accomplish by praying again?
The answer to this question requires understanding the very essence of prayer.
The purpose of prayer is to elevate the soul by bolstering its powers with images of holiness and perfection. There are an infinite variety of such mental images, and God knows exactly which ones are needed to perfect each individual soul. Divine wisdom determines what we are lacking - thus providing the stimulus for our prayers - so that the soul may perfect itself in the appropriate area.

On occasion, a particular visualization in all of its aspects may not succeed in penetrating the depths of the soul. In such cases, acceptance of the prayer is delayed until the prayer is repeated sufficiently so that soul will fully assimilate this image of holiness.

We should not be discouraged if our prayers are not answered outright. All worldly matters have the potential to provide spiritual gains of eternal value. People are usually disheartened if they do not succeed easily; but if we are aware that our actions are gradually bringing us closer towards our goal, though the path be long and difficult, we will be encouraged by our incremental progress.
Therefore the psalm repeats the phrase "hope to God." The basis of hope is recognizing the value of these prerequisite steps. We must realize that each prayer, every holy aspiration and image, brings us that much closer to our goal. Not having fully arrived, we need to "be strong and take courage," to gather strength to continue our spiritual efforts, "and hope to God."

[adapted from Ein Eyah vol. I p. 151; Introduction to Olat Re'iyah p. 25]

The Deer and the Wolves

by Rabbi Lazer Brody

With the aftermath of elections and the horse-trading of politicians trying to put together a coalition that’s based on self-expediency rather than emuna, everyone seems to be at everyone else’s throats. That’s so unfortunate, for in the face of today’s challenges, we need unity ever so badly.

The Hamilton, Ontario Jewish community wins our showcase award for Jewish unity. This past week, the community sponsored a fantastic fund-raising event for the construction of a new mikva, with all segments of the community taking part – Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform. What a sanctification of Hashem’s name when everyone got together to further the cause of Jewish family purity! Breslev Israel salutes you, Hamilton.

True spirituality brings people to truly love and respect one another. By the same token, material interests are devastating to peace, whether on a personal or national basis. Here's an example taken from chapter three of The Trail to Tranquility to show why:

Two Russian soldiers were once on a winter maneuver in the Siberian forest at midnight. The light of the full moon reflected on the snow, so the woods were well illuminated.

All of a sudden, they heard a thud. A distressed wild turkey with a broken wing had fallen from the treetops. Within seconds, two hungry wolves arrived on the scene. One grabbed the turkey by the wing, and the other sunk its teeth in the turkey's thigh. The two wolves began a tug of war. When neither wolf succeeded to free the turkey from the other's grasp, they attacked each other. Viciously and mercilessly, they literally tore each other apart, until one wolf dropped dead on the snow. The victor limped away, dragging the turkey between his teeth and leaving a trail of blood on the snow. A few minutes later, he keeled over and died too.

The gruesome but profound incident conveys a powerful message: The turkey weighed more than twelve pounds; it would have been a more-than-adequate dinner for both wolves. Their greed led them to anger, and their anger led them to violence. As a result, three corpses in were left in the snow - the turkey and the two wolves.

The Talmud teaches a consequent rule of thumb from situations like the wolf fight: Wherever you have peace, you have abundance; with no peace, starvation is prevalent.

Have you ever wondered why deer multiply so much faster than wolves? When a thirsty clan of deer arrives at a stream or other source of water, the bucks first allow the does to drink, and the does make sure that the fawns drink before they partake of the water themselves. The leader buck is the last one to drink - he won't take a sip until the entire herd is cared for. It's worth roughing the outback for an entire month just to witness such an inspiring sight.

Deer adults - both bucks and does - are extremely considerate of the young. When a herd of deer reaches a lush meadow, the fawns are first allowed to partake of the most luscious and tender greens; only after they've had their fill, the rest of the herd grazes.



Whereas the deer live in peace with one another, the wolves don't.

Peace is the true reflection of faith in The Almighty. People with faith know that The Almighty has plenty of resources to feed the entire world, so they don't have to use unethical means to obtain their livelihood. They know that G-d will provide for them without reverting to aggression or theft.

When there's peace, there's plenty for everyone.

King David teaches us that the humble shall inherit the earth (Psalms 37:11). Why? Humble creations – like the deer – get along famously with one another and therefore readily cooperate for the common welfare. Arrogant creations, on the other hand, want the whole world for themselves and therefore are constantly at each other’s jugular vein.

It’s no happenstance that the Land of Israel is nicknamed Eretz Hatzvi, or Land of the Deer (see Rashi’s commentary on Daniel 8:9). The Land of Israel is the inheritance of the humble and prolific deer, who by the way are a kosher species. Amazingly enough, the wolves are a dying breed. Today in Israel, the wolves need the intervention of the Society for the Protection of Nature to prevent them from becoming extinct altogether.

Let’s learn from the deer and live in peace with one another for the benefit of everybody. With national unity and mutual aid, we’ll certainly invoke Divine compassion to beat the rap of the impending recession and thereby insure an adequate and respectable livelihood for everyone, amen.

Master of this world and all the worlds, You are the King of Kings!"

"Ka Ribon Olam"

Midnight Hour, Breslever-Purim Style

From Ethiopia to Israel's Knesset

Inspirational video from the “apartheid” State of Israel.

"Purim poem"

Sing this poem to the tune of bingo was his nameo

By Yisrael Moskovits

Many years ago in Persia there once lived a king: Achasheverosh was his name.
He ruled 127 countries: that was his fame.
He made a party for 180 days: and then for one more week...
The wine was older that your age: it wasn't for the meek.
There was much pomp: the food was good and the wine was flowing...
everyone took it in: there was no other place to be going.
At this point he was not sober: he did something rash...
He demanded of Vashti: make a show before everyone at the bash.
She said that she would'nt do it: you must be drunk...
That enraged him even more: He didn't like her spunk.
O' he beheaded her: and that calmed him down.
But without Vashti: he was in a frown.
He needed another queen: to wear Vashti's crown...
so let there be beauty contest: I'll choose the new queen on my own.
The beauty pageant: came to town...
Esther won it: it was hands down.
He wanted to know her: Na-tion-ality...
"No" she said. "That secret stays with me!"

Bigson and Seresh were lurking around: to overthrow the king...
But Mordechai understood their lingo: and disrupted their ring.
Esther came and told the king: on Mordechai's behalf...
about the plot of poisoning: it's not a matter to laugh.

The king made Haman : into a VIP...
Now he belonged to the : Persian high socie-ty.
Everywhere he went : people had to bow...
It was the new rule in Persia: don't ask me how.
Mordechai just came and went: he didn't bow a bit...
That made Haman vent: I'm gonna have a fit.

Haman planned with the king to kill the Jews
but he didn't want this to be big news.
"They have different ways from us and from the things we do...
for example their holidays they celebrate: without a barbecue!"
"I see, about them, You are right...
but this must be done out of sight."
"Aren't you afraid of their G-d: haven't you been told?"...
"No! said Haman he is old: and he can't even scold."
"And besides, I have for the kings pockets: ten thousand of silver"...
"Ok you have my stamp: but the money you must deliver."
He planned to kill them all: from near and from far...
The decree was stamped: the date was set for Adar.

Mordechai bade Esther: with a plea...
to null-ify: Haman's decree.
She came to stand before the king: after fasting for three days...
It's very urgent it couldn't wait: Please don't be fazed.


The king tossed and turned all night: He just couldn't sleep
Then Haman came early morn: with a secret he couldn't keep.
The kind said first: there is something I want you to do...
To repay a favor: to Mordechai the Jew...
To lead him on my horse around the city streets: and then you must tell...
This is how the king favors a person: who did him well.

Haman found Mordechai teaching his students: and asked what are they saying?...
"They are learning the service of the temple and are praying."

"I came to lead you around the city with the kings garments and horse."...
"You, Haman, are wicked person. Have you no remorse?"

No one saw who threw the garbage: on Haman's face...
But he had to be at the party: and appear with grace.
There was no time to change his clothes: no time at all...
The king's men were waiting outside: to whisk him to the ball.
The king said to Esther the queen: "What troubles you my dear?"...
I'll give you half the kingdom: if you tell me your fear.
She said there is someone very cruel: who plans for my defeat...
and this man will be then trying to take your seat.
The king rose up and cried aloud " Who can this be"?...
Her finger pointed to the man: "It's Haman, can't you see"?

There's a gallows outside that Haman just built: it's fifty cubits high...
"Then hang him now hang him high": came the king's reply.

Mordechai came to the king: about the Jew's plight...
"I'm sorry", the king said, "Haman's decree still stands." : The Jews will have to fight.
They took to arms: and won the war...
But in Shushan : they needed one day more.
They made this miracle into a Holiday: and celebrate it with much glee...
I drink the wine I drink so much: I don't know if I'm me!
The reading of the Megilla: its for us to hear...
When Haman's name comes up: the noise is hard to bear.
The shops are all empty: everything is gone...
It's all being sent: to people around the town.
We send the food: with good will...
So the poor people: can eat till their fill.
We send mishloach manos: and give to the poor...
It's better to eat a little less: and to give a little more.
The message that Purim comes to tell: it's very clear to see...
Hashem protects his people: from any evil decree.
There's one more thing about Purim: remember it for Hashem's sake...
We must try to obliterate: the name of Amalek.

Happy Purim Yisrael Moskovits
MysticalPaths.blogspot.com

What Makes Purim a Holiday?

In addition to the festivals enjoined explicitly in the Torah (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover and Shavuot), our Sages established Chanukah and Purim as national Jewish festivals – and these are the only ones the entire Jewish community is obligated to observe.
These were the only two times (after the completion of the Five Books of Moses) when the entire Jewish community was in mortal peril — Haman’s decree of extermination and the Syrian-Greek attempt to destroy the very core of Judaism, Torah and mitzvahs — and was miraculously saved. After the destruction of the Second Holy Temple and the ensuing dispersion of the Jewish community throughout the Middle East, Africa, and Europe, there was never a time when all of Jewry was in mortal danger.
However, that does not preclude individuals or communities from observing days of thanksgiving for a particular miracle or event that occurred for them or their ancestors. On the contrary, this is also an obligation: “There are four categories of people who must give thanks – those who crossed the sea or the desert; one who was gravely ill and recovered; one who was released from prison.” (Talmud, Brachot, p.54b) The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 219) adds that any event similar to these where a person was miraculously saved, such as surviving a wall collapse or being gored by an ox, (or their modern equivalent – surviving a car crash) etc., obligates one to give thanks to G-d.
The Talmud (Brachot, p.46a) relates that once when Rabbi Zeira was ill his colleague Rabbi Abahu undertook to make a “yom tov” for all the rabbis if Rabbi Zeira would recover, and so he did. This may be the source of the custom to celebrate events like those mentioned above with a meal, although this is not obligatory.
Indeed, throughout history there were several other “Purims” celebrated in communities that were saved from dire situations, such as Purim Hebron, Purim Fossano, Purim Yemen, Purim Saragossa and others.
Among Chassidim, the 19th day of Kislev, when the Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was absolved of wrong-doing and was released by the Russian authorities, is observed as a special holiday. Similarly, among Chabad Chassidim, the 10th of Kislev, 12-13th Tammuz, 5th Tevet and other days are also celebrated as days of liberation.
It is interesting to note that there is no obligatory celebratory meal on Chanukah, whereas a meal is one of the requirements on Purim. One of the reasons given for this is that the decree on Purim was the physical annihilation of the Jews, whereas the decree on Chanukah was spiritual annihilation. Accordingly, Purim is celebrated with a meal and gifts of food and charity, whereas Chanukah is celebrated by lighting candles and reciting Al Hanissim and Hallel.
Rabby Yosef Zaltzman (Exodus Magazine)

Happy Purim!

The Lunar Files

By Tzvi Freeman

Arguing with G-d is an old Jewish tradition. Abraham did it, Moses did it, most Jewish grandmothers do it frequently. But, according to our sages, the first to argue with G-d was the moon.

Before we get to that story, it's important to point out just how ludicrous arguing with G-d really is. Here you have the first belief system that ascribes absolute omnipotence to a single deity. Power over everything, both in heaven and in earth. He knows all, directs all, and everything that occurs comes from Him. Everything -- including Abraham, Moses and your grandmother. And they argued with him.

It doesn't stop there: They usually win.

We must say, therefore, that G-d wants to argue. It's part of The Plan. Furthermore, we must say that He likes losing arguments (most of the time).

I can empathize. After all, what fun is it to run a world so passive that its inhabitants agree with whatever you do? There would be no challenge, no thrill. It's that interactive experience that G-d desired in creating the cosmos. And a lot of that comes from losing arguments with your own creations.

In fact, the rabbis of the Talmud recount that when G-d lost an argument with them once, He laughed and said, "They beat me! My children beat me!" So, He really does get a kick out of the whole thing.

Arguing with the moon -- and losing -- was also part of the plan. G-d set her up to it.

Here, for the first time, reconstructed from genuine accounts of enlightened sages, is the entire dialog: see here

Where am I?

by Izzy Greenberg

Where are you? How often should I ask myself this question? How often should I ask it of my friend? My father? My sister? My children? My spouse?

On the one hand, asking this question incessantly or at the wrong time can be devastating, or at least very uncomfortable. But avoiding it entirely is even worse. So how do I strike a balance here?

The Exodus from Egypt serves as the paradigm for all forms of growth and liberation, both personal and collective. In this regard, the Torah’Дфs instruction is very clear: Remember the Exodus from Egypt every day. Every day? Am I supposed to be neurotic? Well, sort of.

I am bound by many factors ’До intellectual prejudices, physical desire, self-perception, money, etc. But perhaps none of these limitations is more debilitating than the growth I achieved yesterday. In his revolutionary book, Tanya, The Alter Rebbe, Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, teaches that the world is being recreated all the time. Every day, in fact every moment, a new energy is willing the world ’До and all of its inhabitants ’До into being.

The question is, why? Why did my soul descend from the spiritual bliss of the higher worlds to get down and dirty in the obsessive materialism of this physical earth?

I came here for a purpose. Beyond just a general purpose that applies to everyone, to transform this physical world into an abode for the Infinite, there is my specific purpose ’До the small but indispensable role that I have to play. And even my specific purpose finds new forms of expression every day, at every moment, as the world (and me with it) is being recreated. For this reason, the Torah instructs me to remember the Exodus every day. Yes, I have to function and spend most of the day ’Дъjust doing it.’Дщ But, nevertheless, that functionality has to be infused with a daily dose of: Where are you?

So, where are you? As the world is being recreated all the time, so is my reason for being. Am I keeping up with the shifting paradigms and the changing realities to focus my purpose and my life in the right direction, or am I resigned to being swept away by the incessantly rushing waters of my material life, by necessity, by the need to function? I am powerful. I am being created at every moment. Will I deny the power and purpose of my being, or will I acknowledge them and utilize them to spur further growth? Where are you? Indeed, every day.