IGNORANCE PLAGUES THE WORLD

IGNORANCE PLAGUES THE WORLD

There is Great Confusion about the “Biblical Nation of the Jews” returning to its biblical homeland, designated by G–D for the descendants of Yaakov (Yisrael – the Nation of Jews) Avinu.

FRENCH IGNORANCE SPEWS INTO ANTI-SEMITISM. The Europeanization of France's foreign policy towards the Middle East conflict – from leadership to EU-accommodation. tandfonline AND IN FRENCH POLL, MAJORITY SAY ZIONISM IS A JEWISH CONSPIRACY. The poll also revealed widespread hostility toward and ignorance about Israel. JPost  So France won’t move their Embassy to Jerusalem . . .  et tu France

GERMANY’S TWO FACES. The Europeanization of Germany's Foreign Policy toward the Israeli–Palestinian Conflict: Between Adaptation to the EU and National Projection. AND The Europeanization of France's foreign policy towards the Middle East conflict – from leadership to EU-accommodation. tandfonline So Germany won’t move their Embassy to Jerusalem?

Nations are taking sides via political–economy, thus aligning with evil vs. good.

What’s wrong with American Jewish liberals: Liberal American Jews “are not especially connected to Israel because they are not especially connected to being Jewish.” ArutzSheva  See also PewForum: Population/Distribution Charts

Why aren’t Jews in America moving back to the Jewish Homeland ?

(from whence they were originally banished)

"You Never Looked So Good" by Eytan Kobre in Mishpacha Magazine:  Growing hunger for the fleeting high of the superficial

Rabbi Mizrachi, shlit”a, in one of his shiurim, spoke about “Fake Jews.” Jews who look Jewish, practice Jewish customs, pray and “learn”, but are not internalizing Torah *“ethics” [Pirkei Avos] and values. Rampant dishonesty, lashon hara, heretical views within a Jewish lifestyle, and this he calls “Fake Jews.” [The Final War Can Begin] Perhaps along with the Erev Rav, the estranged and ‘fake Jews’ are the "generation wholly guilty”?  Or is it “heresy”: any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs. Or, because of our long long history in this Golus, we are unintentionally “wholly innocent”?

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"The Son of David (Moshiach) will come only in a generation wholly guilty or a generation wholly innocent"

Talmudists discuss the question of redemption at length, we see that to them it means a colossal uprooting, destruction, revolution, disaster, with nothing of development or progress about it. "The Son of David (Moshiach) will come only in a generation wholly guilty or a generation wholly innocent" "The Son of David will not come until the kindgom is subverted to heresy.” [Sanhedrin 98a]

BABYLONIA TALMUD:   Tractate Sanhedrin: Folio 98a:

Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship? R. Eliezer countered, But is it not written, if thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me? R. Joshua answered, But it is elsewhere written, And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times and a half' and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. At this R. Eliezer remained silent.

R. Abba also said: There can be no more manifest [sign of] redemption than this: viz., what is said, But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel, for they are at hand to come. R. Eleazar said: Than this too, as it is written, For before these days there was no hire for man, nor any hire for beast; neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction. What is meant by, 'neither was there any peace to him that went out or came in because of the affliction?' — Rab said: Even for scholars, who are promised peace, as it is written, Great peace have they which love thy law, 'There [shall] be no peace on account of the affliction.' Samuel said, 'Until all prices are equal.’

R. Hanina said: The Son of David will not come until a fish is sought for an invalid and cannot be procured, as it is written, Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil; whilst it is written, in that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth.

R. Hama b. Hanina said: The son of David will not come until even the pettiest kingdom ceases [to have power] over Israel, as it is written, He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches; and this is followed by, in that time shall the present be brought unto the Lord of hosts of a people that is scattered and peeled.

Ze'iri said in R. Hanina's name: The son of David will not come until there are no conceited men in Israel, as it is written, For then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride: which is followed by, I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall take refuge in the name of the Lord.

R. Simlai said in the name of R. Eleazar, son of R. Simeon: The son of David will not come until all judges and officers are gone from Israel, as it is written, And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin: And I will restore thy judges as at first.

R. Johanan also said: The son of David will come only in a generation that is either altogether righteous or altogether wicked. 'in a generation that is altogether righteous,' — as it is written, Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever. 'Or altogether wicked,' — as it is written, And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; and it is [elsewhere] written, For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it.

The disciples of R. Jose b. Kisma asked him, 'When will the Messiah come?' — He answered, 'I fear lest ye demand a sign of me [that my answer is correct].' They assured him, 'We will demand no sign of you.' So he answered them, 'When this gate falls down, is rebuilt, falls again, and is again rebuilt, and then falls a third time, before it can be rebuilt the son of David will come.' They said to him, 'Master, give us a sign.' He protested, 'Did ye not assure me that ye would not demand a sign?' They replied, 'Even so, [we desire one].' He said to them. 'if so, let the waters of the **grotto of Paneas turn into blood;' and they turned into blood. When he lay dying he said to them, 'place my coffin deep [in the earth],


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* Pirkei Avos (Ethics of the Fathers). Pirkei Avot consists of the Mishnaic tractate of Avot, the second-to-last tractate in the order of Nezikin in the Mishnah, plus one additional chapter. Avot is unique in that it is the only tractate of the Mishnah dealing solely with ethical and moral principles; there is little or no halacha (laws) found in Pirkei Avot. https://ift.tt/1VpF3do

* The background surrounding the Second Temple Period: Second Temple Turmoil and the Ethics of the Fathers. Rabbi Berl Wein gave a tremendous synopis this Shabbat, as an intro to his shiur on Pirkei Avos [but, of course, I cannot remember enough to write it here, see following:]

Harvard.edu. When the nascent Jewish community returned from exile in Babylon circa 515 BCE, the Temple was rebuilt and rededicated. The Second Temple stood for approximately 500 years. During the Second Temple period, the religious practices that emerged during earlier Israelite Biblical history (particularly the Israelites’ slavery in Egypt, kingship in Israel and Judah, and conquest and exile by the Assyrians and Babylonians) became further developed and refined into a more formal, post-Biblical Jewish identity. The development of what we know as Judaism today took place late in this period, as the religious leadership of the rabbis emerged. . . After the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in the year 70 CE and during the subsequent exile of the Jews from the land of Israel once again, the rabbis confirmed and remodeled Jewish practice into some of the systems more contemporary Jews may recognize today. Translating the laws of the Torah into a new cultural language, the rabbis established a comprehensive ethical system that ordered the entire life of the Jewish people. Rabbinic Judaism is therefore built upon the Torah’s commandments (mitzvot in the plural and mitzvah in the singular), encouraging Jews to serve God in manifold ways both ritual and ethical. The mitzvot concern both one’s relationship with God and with other people. As one of the early rabbis put it: “The entire world stands on three things: the Torah, the service of God, and acts of loving kindness" (Pirkei Avot [Ethics of the Fathers] 1:2).

**grotto of Paneas: The once very large spring gushed from the limestone cave, but an earthquake moved it to the foot of the natural terrace where it now seeps quietly from the bedrock, with a greatly reduced flow. From here the stream, called Nahal Hermon in Hebrew, flows towards what once were the malaria-infested Hula marshes. Banias.

The ancient city that lay at Banias was originally Dan (Mivzar Dan – the Fort of Dan) which stood atop a cliff containing a cave dedicated to the Greek god Pan (from here the name Panias comes, and this was changed to Banias when translated to Arabic.) During the conquests of the land, the city fell under the rule of the Romans, and King Herod, built a temple here in memory of Augustus.

Today, amid the natural beauty of the Banias reserve lies ruins from the past two of which are especially noteworthy. The Banias Cave is that cave mentioned built for the Greek god Pan, and in front of this, the remains of Herod’s temple can be seen. Banias Waterfall

Plan with Me and a Sneak Peek of My Latest Art Projects

Frugal Happenings (May 20 to May 26)

Sunday May 20

• We took my daughter out to get her birthday present.  This was budgeted for, but was still a big ticket item.  She's been asking for an Apple watch for a while, and she is one of those people who truly uses her gadgetry.
• I bought a small package of canvases for a class on Monday.
• We went to Staples and had something laminated (a requirement) and purchased some pens my daughter needed.  We used rewards from returning toner cartridges to pay for the pens.
• While we were out we decided to hit drive thru, but while waiting in line decided to head home and heat up leftovers instead....so at least one frugal win for the day.
• I used the crockpot to cook two meals worth of Greek Lemon Chicken.

Monday May 21

• I had physical therapy and was actually allowed to walk without the walker.  Not frugal, but totally worth the cost!  Thank goodness for insurance helping cover part of the cost is all I can say!
• I attended my art class and was the only person that showed up.  I ended up having a private art lesson for $15.  
• I paid a medical bill online to save on postage.  I am also paying these on our CC and then immediately paying them off.  I'm doing this for tracking purposes for taxes and for the rewards.  (As soon as they hit the statement I pay the CC.)

Tuesday -- Thursday

• I came home feeling miserable with what turned into a full blown migraine.  I was down from about 5:30 Monday night until basically Friday morning.  I did minimal anything so in that respect life was pretty frugal.  I believe my daughter picked up two cartons of eggs for us.  That was the extent of our spending.  Mostly I didn't eat and she fended for herself....from whatever was on hand and whatever was easy.  She did pick up the farm box for me.

Friday May 25

• I had an eye doctor's appointment.  My vision has not returned to normal since that last "spell" and my doctor has ordered more tests.  She is worried I have lost part of my field of vision.  I'll be having tests in June to see if we can figure out what is going on.  For now, I am driving the mile to physical therapy.  I literally go down a parking lot type road from my house to there -- and that is it.  It's limiting, but we feel like it is safest for now.
• We went to the library, and I picked up a couple of refresher course type painting books.

Saturday May 26

• Michaels was offering canvas and a few other painting supplies at prices ranging between 50 and 70% off.  I picked up right many supplies.  I was careful to be selective and even though I felt like I spent a lot, I am set for 6 months on most of my supplies.
• I picked up two glass oil bottles from Bed, Bath and Beyond.  
• I had my hair trimmed, and my daughter had her hair cut and colored.  
• We made homemade pizza.

Ultimately this week was a weird mix of spending and not spending.  Nothing except my big purchase of art supplies wasn't budgeted and planned for.  However, technically even the art supplies have a budget line.  I simply hadn't intended to pick them all up at once.  

Quick Asian Omelette

Hello Dear Reader,

One of my first recipe books I bought was this one-

It was a great book, full of authentic recipes and how-to, step-by-step instructions, it also had a comprehensive pictorial of ingredients and utensils used in Chinese cooking. It helped me a great deal while being introduced to Asian cooking. Lovely Hubbies Gran loved it so much I gave it to her, but alas, it wasn't amongst her recipes books, after she passed away.

There was a quote in the book by the Author, Yan Kit, that went something like "If an unexpected visitor arrives, set an extra pair of chopstick, cook some more rice and make an omelette" I have been making this omelette for years to stretch out a meal to feed either extra people at our table or just because everyone seemed hungrier than usual. I also make it quite often with just one egg for my lunch to have with left over rice and asian greens.

For every egg, add 1 teaspoon each of sesame oil and oyster sauce, whisk well

Add a generous amount of sesame oil to a non stick, heavy based frypan and heat until really hot, add whisked eggs to hot sesame oil. And gently fold in edges (like this method) until eggs are just starting to set, don't overcook it or it will be dry

Transfer to a serving platter and pour over extra oyster sauce and chopped spring onions if you have them

A tasty and simple way to make a meal go further. On this particular night we had a dish we call "Mince and Egg" it is made with only 500 grams of lean beef mince and as our sons lovely partner was with us for dinner, I made this omelette to make that small amount of meat to stretch a bit further.

How do you make your meals go further?

Have a lovely day,

💗Fi

One Year Ago-Thai Pork and Noodle Soup

Two Years Ago-My Secret Obsession

Weekend Book Reviews

Defeating Dementia by Richard Furman, MD, is an insightful look into the connection between Alzheimer's and artery health.  The book explains dementia and the stages of Alzheimer's.  It focuses on five risk factors, and changes that can be made now.  The book is a mix of medical information and the journey of an Alzheimer's patient.  While there is no cure for Alzheimer's, Defeating Dementia does offer hope.  This book offers encouragement to families dealing with the disease or hoping to prevent it.  The ending of the book brought back memories of my own grandmother and had me in tears.  It did make me optimistic for the future.


Coach Wooden's Forgotten Teams by Pat Williams and Jim Denney is all about John Wooden's summer basketball camps.  I am a huge college basketball fan and have a great respect for Coach John Wooden.  I completely enjoyed this book. The life advice (not just what relates to basketball) is inspiring.  It was great to read that he was the same with young campers as he was with UCLA players.  I think the current college basketball culture would do well to draw from the wisdom of Coach Wooden.




disclosure:  I received these books from Revell but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!

HURRICANE MEKUNU – SALALAH, OMAN UNDER WATER

HURRICANE MEKUNU – SALALAH, OMAN, 
UNDER WATER

Huge Storm Created Flooding in Western Oman

Mountainous Waterfall

Hurricane #Mekunu made landfall creating unbelievable scenes of flash flooding and very large water falls rushing down from the mountain into the city below.

For Perspective:

Weekend Book Reviews

Siriously Delicious by Siri Daly promises a mix of nutritious and not as nutritious recipes.  It covers everything from breakfast to sides to desserts.  I did mark a few recipes that looked good including the Greek nachos and homemade samoas.  I thought overall the cookbook was best for beginners .  All of the recipes were good, but a serious home cook would most likely be bored.  I make variations of many of the recipes already.  If you are a new cook, this would be an excellent cookbook to start your journey!

Nicola Temple's Best Before:  The Evolution and Future of Processed Food fell a bit flat for me.  I could not decide if the author was in favor of or against processed foods.  She mentioned that hand making pasta at home was more difficult than using a machine to make pasta at home.  If the ingredients are exactly the same, I hardly see a huge difference.  I also found it confusing that she said buying a frozen lasagna and bagged salad were better since they eliminated food waste.  I would much rather discuss ways to use up fresh ingredients instead of being told to choose convenience.  I prefer an author to take a firm stand on a topic.  Plenty of people "ride the fence" on issues as a safety net, but I want substance and conviction.

Bad Neighbors by Maia Chance is the second book in the Agnes and Effie Mystery series.  Agnes and her great aunt Effie get a test run of the Stagecoach Inn when a tour group needs a place to stay while their bus is repaired.  When Agnes goes to pick up the senior guests, a mechanic at the repair shop has just been found murdered.  To make matters worse, her boyfriend Otis is the only suspect.  Agnes must juggle the inn guests and investigating the murder all while being stalked by the murdered.  I did guess the killer's identity before it was revealed, but it did not make me enjoy the book any less.  I adore Agnes, Effie, and cousin Chester and am already looking forward to more of their adventures!

disclosure:  I received these e-books through NetGalley but was not otherwise compensated for these reviews.  All opinions are my own!