Walid Shoebat has a blog
http://www.shoebat.com/blog/
and twitter !
http://twitter.com/WalidShoebat
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
JEWS GO HOME!
(I originally got this from Rav Tovia Singer)
JEWS GO HOME!
Maybe some people remember that during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, there was an oil embargo against America; oil prices sky-rocketed. The Arab world was punishing America for supplying Israel with supplies during this crucial war - if America had not done this, Israel may have fell. As a result bumper stickers began to appear reading, "We don't want Jews! We want oil!". Anti-semitism was flaring dangerously. A gentile named William Ikon wrote a letter to the editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph that was subsequently published in 250 dailies throughout America. He wrote the following:
"Jews go home, G-d forbid that you should think that these remarks made by a few sick people expresses the opinion of all the people of America and you would pack your belongings and go. Jews go home. We do not want Jews. We want oil. But before you leave, could you do us a favor?! Could you leave behind the vaccine formula of Dr. Jonas Salk before you go?! You would not want our children to be paralyzed by polio. Will you leave behind the capability you have shown government, in politics, your influential prowess, your good literature and your tasty food.
Please have pity on us. Remember it was from you that we learned the secret of how to develop great men as Einstein and Steinmetz and many others who are of great help to us. We owe you a lot for the atomic bomb, research satellites and perhaps we owe you our very existence. Instead of observing from the depths of our graves how Hitler, old but glad, passes through our streets relaxed in one of our Cadillacs if he would have succeeded to reach the A-bomb and not us.
On your way out Jews, could you do me one more favor? . . . Could you pass by my house and take me with you? . . . I'm not sure I could live a secure life in a land in which you are not found. If at any time you will have to leave, love will leave with you. Democracy will leave with you and essentially everything will leave with you. Everything my buddies and I fought for in World War II goes with you. G-d will leave with you. . . If you pass by my house, please slow down and honk, because I'm going with you. . ."
JEWS GO HOME!
Maybe some people remember that during the Yom Kippur war in 1973, there was an oil embargo against America; oil prices sky-rocketed. The Arab world was punishing America for supplying Israel with supplies during this crucial war - if America had not done this, Israel may have fell. As a result bumper stickers began to appear reading, "We don't want Jews! We want oil!". Anti-semitism was flaring dangerously. A gentile named William Ikon wrote a letter to the editor of the Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph that was subsequently published in 250 dailies throughout America. He wrote the following:
"Jews go home, G-d forbid that you should think that these remarks made by a few sick people expresses the opinion of all the people of America and you would pack your belongings and go. Jews go home. We do not want Jews. We want oil. But before you leave, could you do us a favor?! Could you leave behind the vaccine formula of Dr. Jonas Salk before you go?! You would not want our children to be paralyzed by polio. Will you leave behind the capability you have shown government, in politics, your influential prowess, your good literature and your tasty food.
Please have pity on us. Remember it was from you that we learned the secret of how to develop great men as Einstein and Steinmetz and many others who are of great help to us. We owe you a lot for the atomic bomb, research satellites and perhaps we owe you our very existence. Instead of observing from the depths of our graves how Hitler, old but glad, passes through our streets relaxed in one of our Cadillacs if he would have succeeded to reach the A-bomb and not us.
On your way out Jews, could you do me one more favor? . . . Could you pass by my house and take me with you? . . . I'm not sure I could live a secure life in a land in which you are not found. If at any time you will have to leave, love will leave with you. Democracy will leave with you and essentially everything will leave with you. Everything my buddies and I fought for in World War II goes with you. G-d will leave with you. . . If you pass by my house, please slow down and honk, because I'm going with you. . ."
Sunday, March 7, 2010
The Inside-Out House By Lazer Gurkow
The Inside-Out House
By Lazer Gurkow
Shortly after the Chassidic master Rabbi Mendel of Horodok (1730?-1788) arrived in the Holy Land, it happened that a man climbed the Mount of Olives and sounded a shofar (ram's horn). A rumor quickly spread that the shofar's call heralded the arrival of Moshiach. When word of this reached Rabbi Mendel, he threw the windows wide open and sniffed the air. He then sadly closed the windows and remarked, "I don't smell Moshiach."1
In retelling this story, Chassidim have often asked: why did Rabbi Mendel need to open the window to sniff the air outside to know if Moshiach had arrived? Why couldn't he smell the air in his own room? Rabbi Mendel--they would explain--was sniffing the air to determine if the hallmark of the messianic era, the revealed manifestation of the Divine, was present. He therefore sniffed the outside air, for within his room the Divine was already present!
Order Reversed
This story sheds light on an exchange, recorded in the Talmud, between Moses and Betzalel, Moses' chief architect for the building of the Tabernacle. Moses summoned Betzalel and relayed G-d's instructions for building the Tabernacle (the portable sanctuary built by the Children of Israel in the Sinai Desert). First he laid out the measurements of the sacred vessels that would inhabit the Tabernacle, and then the dimensions of the Tabernacle itself.
Betzalel, the prototype architect, objected to the order. "As a rule," he argued, "a person first builds a residence and then makes its furniture." Moses conceded the point and exclaimed, "Indeed, you stood in G-d's shadow and understood his intention." (The name Betzalel is etymologically composed of two Hebrew words, b'tzel E-l, which mean "in the shadow of G-d.")2
G-d and People
What is the underlying principle of the different perspectives on the Tabernacle expressed by Moses and Betzalel?
The purpose of the tabernacle, and the temple that followed it, was to establish a domain for G-d within the physical space of our world.3
When G-d descended upon Mount Sinai, his presence was overwhelming and the people could not withstand the sheer intensity of the experience. They were physically thrown back from the mountain and G-d dispatched angels to lead them back. Their souls expired from the spiritual intensity and G-d nursed them back to life.4
After the Sinai experience, it was clear that the people could not be exposed to a direct revelation of G-d's presence. G-d instructed them to build a special chamber instead, where his unrestricted presence would be manifest. Only the worthy, such as the high priest, would access this sacred chamber; but its aura would affect those outside.
Gradual Transformation
The environment outside the chamber was yet incapable of supporting a direct revelation of divinity. However, with effort and commitment, revelation could, over time, be made possible. According to our prophets, this will be accomplished in the messianic era when there will be a direct revelation of G-dliness throughout the world.5
The work that makes this possible is diligent study of Torah and the practice of its commandments. Every time Torah is studied, a mini revelation, similar to that of mount Sinai, is effected. Every object utilized in the performance of a mitzvah is enveloped by a surge of divinity, similar to that of the Tabernacle.6
This regular diet of divinity gradually purifies our worldly environment and lifts the universal veil. We are closing in on the utopia of direct revelation that will be manifest in the messianic era.
When G-d first instructed that the tabernacle be constructed, he envisioned this utopia. He anticipated a day when the divinity within the sacred chamber would expand to envelop the entire nation and when the human eye would see G-d and not be overwhelmed by the experience.7
Vision and Reality
Moses, a G-dly man, envisioned this utopia as well. Gazing out upon the world, he ignored its imperfections and saw only its divine potential. His mandate was to expose the "outside" world gradually to the divine presence on the "inside," and he wished to accelerate the process. By building the Holy Ark before the walls that would enclose it, he hoped to offer to the "outside" a glimpse of its own capacity and thereby activate its potential.
Betzalel, the architect, was a realist with the patience of a man accustomed to long-term goals. The environment on the outside was not prepared to host the Divine presence just yet. He recognized that it was not appropriate to expose the Holy Ark to a yet unconditioned "outside." It would require centuries of gentle coaxing, committed coaching and tireless training.
Moses was the visionary; Betzalel the realist. Moses' vision inspired confidence in the project; Betzalel's realism made it possible. We pray for the day that Moses' vision becomes Betzalel's reality.8
FOOTNOTES
1. The idea of "smell" is used allegorically to imply an indiscernible presence. It's worthwhile noting the Talmudic text from Sanhedrin 93b: "Bar Koziba (Kochba) reigned two and a half years, and then said to the Rabbis, 'I am the Messiah.' They answered, 'Of Messiah it is written that he smells and judges (Isaiah 11:3) let us see whether he [Bar Koziba] can do so...'").
2. Talmud, Berachot 55a.
3. Exodus 28:8; Midrash Tanchuma, Naso 16. See Tanya ch. 36.
4. Mechiltah Exodus 20:15; Talmud, Shabbat 87b; Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 29:4; Zohar p. 85.
5. Isaiah 30:20.
6. Tanya ch. 37; Torah Ohr 67a.
7. Tanya ch. 22. Isaiah 12:8. Isaiah 40:5.
8. Moses was not being "unrealistic." In his presence all were uplifted, and under his guidance this was indeed possible. The trouble with this approach was that Moses would not live forever. G-d did not want Moses to blaze his own trail, carrying the people along on his back. G-d wanted the people to create the "inside" environment on their own. He wanted a system that would survive Moses and be effective in the long term. (See the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Likutei Sichot vol. 16 p. 205).
By Lazer Gurkow
Shortly after the Chassidic master Rabbi Mendel of Horodok (1730?-1788) arrived in the Holy Land, it happened that a man climbed the Mount of Olives and sounded a shofar (ram's horn). A rumor quickly spread that the shofar's call heralded the arrival of Moshiach. When word of this reached Rabbi Mendel, he threw the windows wide open and sniffed the air. He then sadly closed the windows and remarked, "I don't smell Moshiach."1
In retelling this story, Chassidim have often asked: why did Rabbi Mendel need to open the window to sniff the air outside to know if Moshiach had arrived? Why couldn't he smell the air in his own room? Rabbi Mendel--they would explain--was sniffing the air to determine if the hallmark of the messianic era, the revealed manifestation of the Divine, was present. He therefore sniffed the outside air, for within his room the Divine was already present!
Order Reversed
This story sheds light on an exchange, recorded in the Talmud, between Moses and Betzalel, Moses' chief architect for the building of the Tabernacle. Moses summoned Betzalel and relayed G-d's instructions for building the Tabernacle (the portable sanctuary built by the Children of Israel in the Sinai Desert). First he laid out the measurements of the sacred vessels that would inhabit the Tabernacle, and then the dimensions of the Tabernacle itself.
Betzalel, the prototype architect, objected to the order. "As a rule," he argued, "a person first builds a residence and then makes its furniture." Moses conceded the point and exclaimed, "Indeed, you stood in G-d's shadow and understood his intention." (The name Betzalel is etymologically composed of two Hebrew words, b'tzel E-l, which mean "in the shadow of G-d.")2
G-d and People
What is the underlying principle of the different perspectives on the Tabernacle expressed by Moses and Betzalel?
The purpose of the tabernacle, and the temple that followed it, was to establish a domain for G-d within the physical space of our world.3
When G-d descended upon Mount Sinai, his presence was overwhelming and the people could not withstand the sheer intensity of the experience. They were physically thrown back from the mountain and G-d dispatched angels to lead them back. Their souls expired from the spiritual intensity and G-d nursed them back to life.4
After the Sinai experience, it was clear that the people could not be exposed to a direct revelation of G-d's presence. G-d instructed them to build a special chamber instead, where his unrestricted presence would be manifest. Only the worthy, such as the high priest, would access this sacred chamber; but its aura would affect those outside.
Gradual Transformation
The environment outside the chamber was yet incapable of supporting a direct revelation of divinity. However, with effort and commitment, revelation could, over time, be made possible. According to our prophets, this will be accomplished in the messianic era when there will be a direct revelation of G-dliness throughout the world.5
The work that makes this possible is diligent study of Torah and the practice of its commandments. Every time Torah is studied, a mini revelation, similar to that of mount Sinai, is effected. Every object utilized in the performance of a mitzvah is enveloped by a surge of divinity, similar to that of the Tabernacle.6
This regular diet of divinity gradually purifies our worldly environment and lifts the universal veil. We are closing in on the utopia of direct revelation that will be manifest in the messianic era.
When G-d first instructed that the tabernacle be constructed, he envisioned this utopia. He anticipated a day when the divinity within the sacred chamber would expand to envelop the entire nation and when the human eye would see G-d and not be overwhelmed by the experience.7
Vision and Reality
Moses, a G-dly man, envisioned this utopia as well. Gazing out upon the world, he ignored its imperfections and saw only its divine potential. His mandate was to expose the "outside" world gradually to the divine presence on the "inside," and he wished to accelerate the process. By building the Holy Ark before the walls that would enclose it, he hoped to offer to the "outside" a glimpse of its own capacity and thereby activate its potential.
Betzalel, the architect, was a realist with the patience of a man accustomed to long-term goals. The environment on the outside was not prepared to host the Divine presence just yet. He recognized that it was not appropriate to expose the Holy Ark to a yet unconditioned "outside." It would require centuries of gentle coaxing, committed coaching and tireless training.
Moses was the visionary; Betzalel the realist. Moses' vision inspired confidence in the project; Betzalel's realism made it possible. We pray for the day that Moses' vision becomes Betzalel's reality.8
FOOTNOTES
1. The idea of "smell" is used allegorically to imply an indiscernible presence. It's worthwhile noting the Talmudic text from Sanhedrin 93b: "Bar Koziba (Kochba) reigned two and a half years, and then said to the Rabbis, 'I am the Messiah.' They answered, 'Of Messiah it is written that he smells and judges (Isaiah 11:3) let us see whether he [Bar Koziba] can do so...'").
2. Talmud, Berachot 55a.
3. Exodus 28:8; Midrash Tanchuma, Naso 16. See Tanya ch. 36.
4. Mechiltah Exodus 20:15; Talmud, Shabbat 87b; Midrash Rabbah, Shemot 29:4; Zohar p. 85.
5. Isaiah 30:20.
6. Tanya ch. 37; Torah Ohr 67a.
7. Tanya ch. 22. Isaiah 12:8. Isaiah 40:5.
8. Moses was not being "unrealistic." In his presence all were uplifted, and under his guidance this was indeed possible. The trouble with this approach was that Moses would not live forever. G-d did not want Moses to blaze his own trail, carrying the people along on his back. G-d wanted the people to create the "inside" environment on their own. He wanted a system that would survive Moses and be effective in the long term. (See the Lubavitcher Rebbe's Likutei Sichot vol. 16 p. 205).
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Let Us Get Our Priorities Straight
To my internet friends. My name is Max Gibson. I am a "self-proclaimed Zionist." I am also a Combat Soldier in the IDF. More important than that, I am a G-d fearing man.
I noticed recently that an article had been written about me a couple of years ago.
I would like to point out two interesting points in the article.
1) It referred to the problem on UC Irvine as being "exaggerated."
*I was called to the campus by the College Republicans whom complained repeatedly of Muslim Student Union (MSU harassment
*Surveying the scene, the MSU had created a huge and heavily funded week-long event calling Israel an Apartheid State.
*Furthermore while surveying the scene, it was COMMON not only from students, but from the various Shul's (House of Worship for Jews) to voice similar concerns about the safety of their students
*The article seem to apply that there is no Anti-Semitism on the campus, yet:
*Well how about this?
*And how about this one?
*A simple google search can provide with limitless evidence of otherwise, assuming you do not want to take my word or personal experience as evidence enough
2) It stated that I lied about my safety on campus as I spoke out against the Muslim Student Club(s) and the Anti Israel Propaganda
*That conversation the Police Chief and I had is false. Either he did not report the conversation correctly OR the article writer decided to manipulate the information.
*I was threatened, PERIOD.
*The Police Chief and staff offered to protect me AND did so
*No one spit on me on accident during an argument... they spit on me while walking by cursing me
-------
But this is common in my work. See, speaking out for Israel does not only bring out Far-Left extremists and Muslim Student Union(s). It also more often than not has brought out my brother Jew against me.
And on that note I have noticed that other individuals and organizations whom speak out for Israel will get attacked by attempts of "character assassination."
I have noticed recently that on Twitter, The Walid Shoebat Foundation (http://www.shoebat.com) is getting attacked by the usual crowd, but more recently a self-proclaimed Jewish Internet Defense Force decided to attack his character.
Interesting enough, the article spreading lies about me was posted by this JIDF. I guess it is part of his job as defending Israel to attack the character of a Jewish Soldier Zionist. I guess he decided to believe an article he read about my character, INSTEAD of any sort of merit I have earned from fighting for Israel during Oferet Atsukah (The "Gaza War") and being a G-d fearing Jew that made Aliyah.
So, David or JIDF ... my brother, my son. Do you wish to make stryfe with Pro Israel organizations and individuals?
First item of business: you claim Walid Shoebat is not who he says he is despite his PROOF (http://www.shoebat.com/credentials.php)
Now you have to prove you are doing what you claim to do, your website seems very capable of taking in money, now I want to see it spent.
You live in Israel, come to my Yeshivah and bring a presentation making the students and Rabanim (Rabbis) aware of the problem on the internet that you deal with. I would love to meet you in person.
Here is my e-mail: xamgibson@live.com
As you attack the character of Walid Shoebat, someone whom I call friend and family. Then you also attack mine. Come redeem yourself.
I noticed recently that an article had been written about me a couple of years ago.
I would like to point out two interesting points in the article.
1) It referred to the problem on UC Irvine as being "exaggerated."
*I was called to the campus by the College Republicans whom complained repeatedly of Muslim Student Union (MSU harassment
*Surveying the scene, the MSU had created a huge and heavily funded week-long event calling Israel an Apartheid State.
*Furthermore while surveying the scene, it was COMMON not only from students, but from the various Shul's (House of Worship for Jews) to voice similar concerns about the safety of their students
*The article seem to apply that there is no Anti-Semitism on the campus, yet:
*Well how about this?
*And how about this one?
*A simple google search can provide with limitless evidence of otherwise, assuming you do not want to take my word or personal experience as evidence enough
2) It stated that I lied about my safety on campus as I spoke out against the Muslim Student Club(s) and the Anti Israel Propaganda
*That conversation the Police Chief and I had is false. Either he did not report the conversation correctly OR the article writer decided to manipulate the information.
*I was threatened, PERIOD.
*The Police Chief and staff offered to protect me AND did so
*No one spit on me on accident during an argument... they spit on me while walking by cursing me
-------
But this is common in my work. See, speaking out for Israel does not only bring out Far-Left extremists and Muslim Student Union(s). It also more often than not has brought out my brother Jew against me.
And on that note I have noticed that other individuals and organizations whom speak out for Israel will get attacked by attempts of "character assassination."
I have noticed recently that on Twitter, The Walid Shoebat Foundation (http://www.shoebat.com) is getting attacked by the usual crowd, but more recently a self-proclaimed Jewish Internet Defense Force decided to attack his character.
Interesting enough, the article spreading lies about me was posted by this JIDF. I guess it is part of his job as defending Israel to attack the character of a Jewish Soldier Zionist. I guess he decided to believe an article he read about my character, INSTEAD of any sort of merit I have earned from fighting for Israel during Oferet Atsukah (The "Gaza War") and being a G-d fearing Jew that made Aliyah.
So, David or JIDF ... my brother, my son. Do you wish to make stryfe with Pro Israel organizations and individuals?
First item of business: you claim Walid Shoebat is not who he says he is despite his PROOF (http://www.shoebat.com/credentials.php)
Now you have to prove you are doing what you claim to do, your website seems very capable of taking in money, now I want to see it spent.
You live in Israel, come to my Yeshivah and bring a presentation making the students and Rabanim (Rabbis) aware of the problem on the internet that you deal with. I would love to meet you in person.
Here is my e-mail: xamgibson@live.com
As you attack the character of Walid Shoebat, someone whom I call friend and family. Then you also attack mine. Come redeem yourself.
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