Monday, June 23, 2025

 You would like to help those in Israel but… to whom? Where? How?

Donate to this Israeli family. It’s easy and good:
Okay my friends, here the backstory.
This is the website of R’ Michael Winner, an Israeli/ American who lives in the North of Israel with his large family.
If you read my writings regarding each week’s Torah portion, you will have noticed that I often post his writing, from Israel, on the weekly parsha.
I have been reading his weekly d’vrei Torah for over ten years, originally sent to me by a Jewish friend.
I have subscribed to his email and posted his writings on Facebook for about five years.
And – I have done him an injustice because – I HAVE NEVER PUBLISHED HIS WEBSITE as I have done with so many other folks whose work I Share.
I am going to make amends and, I ask any of you who have enjoyed his personal experiences and his d’vrei Torah to donate something, any amount at all.
He and his family, like all Israelis right now, is in a time of great need.
I have posted the link to his d'var Torah from last week at the bottom of this post but, here is “our” story; Rabbi Winner and I.
I developed a friendship with a Jewish woman many years ago because she liked what I wrote elsewhere, posted back in the Early Days of the Great Googly News Web - on Forums and News Groups that became Google Groups… We exchanged emails about her writing and mine and I used to write her about what it means to try and be a Torah observant Jew.
We became Friends on Facebook. She in turn started sending me R’ Winner’s d'vrei Torah.
Due to “politics” our friendship waned, but I subscribed myself to R’ Winner’s weekly thoughts on the parsha.
A couple of times, I exchanged some of my better writing with him, telling him a bit about myself.
Then, a year ago March, he wrote me:
“We have a free subscription to Mishpacha Magazine (couldn't afford it otherwise), and over Shabbos, my wife was telling me about this interesting story that she was reading about a ger from Minnesota. Of course, being that there are not too many, I said, ‘What's his name?’ :)”
They were reading the “biography” that my daughter-in-law, Faigy Murray, had me send into the Mishpacha Magazine called "Like Son, Like Father - https://mishpacha.com/like-son-like-father/
It was a condensed version of a 61 page “biography” I had sent to my grandson (her son) because his Rebbe asked how his Zaidy (me) became Jewish.
So, I have a certain kesher; connection with this family.
Now, I have many close friends in Israel – some young men that I had a hand in raising here in Minnesota who are now married Israelis with families; relatives of close personal friends whom I know; close friends who made Aliyah; and many, many others.
They more than deserve our help and prayers.
As I noted above, I am singling out my Israeli Kollel man; this avrech, R’ Winner, because I have wrongly neglected to include his website in all the D’vrei Torah of his that I have posted over the years.
I would appreciate anyone doing what they can in this time of great need.
*Last week’s excellent personal commentary, in case you did not read it.
Thank you.

Thursday, June 19, 2025

 




Never Again.

After the attacks of 9/11, my oldest brother — a Vietnam veteran — gave out American flag memorial pins to his employees and family. I still wear mine to this day. It reminds me not just of what was done to us — but who did it.

Then came something even more horrific: the atrocities of October 7th. Israel was brutally attacked by the butchers of Gaza in a massacre that defies words. I searched for an October 7th memorial Israeli flag pin, something that could say: We remember. We will not forget. We will not forgive.

All I found were generic yellow ribbon designs. That wasn’t enough. So I had these pins made.

They are small, but they speak loudly.
I wear mine next to my 9/11 pin — two markers of grief and resilience. Side by side.

For a while, I gave them out or sold them personally. Everywhere I went, Israelis stopped me and asked where they could get one. So I opened an Etsy shop so anyone who stands with Israel can wear one too.

Now, as Israel confronts Iran — the puppet-master behind so much of the terror — it’s more important than ever to show where we stand.

This pin is not just a tribute. It’s a reminder.
Of who we are.
Of what they did.
And that we will never forget.

Am Yisrael Chai.

Wear the memory. Carry the message.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LIBATT

Monday, February 15, 2016




Okay, my Liberal Friends...
The point made by this meme is all over the Internet and, apparently believed by some of those who tend to be more middle of the road....
Here are the Facts!
July 1, 1987 (Not an election year) - Ronald Reagan nominated Robert Bork, an eminent Conservative Judge -
July 1, 1987; 45 minutes later - the despicable Senator Ted Kennedy said on national TV, broadcast to all and sundry:
"Robert Bork's America is a land in which women would be forced into back-alley abortions, blacks would sit at segregated lunch counters, rogue police could break down citizens' doors in midnight raids, schoolchildren could not be taught about evolution, writers and artists could be censored at the whim of the Government, and the doors of the Federal courts would be shut on the fingers of millions of citizens."
This was the end of a 2nd Presidential term where the current office holder has Always been considered a "disappointment" throughout all of US history (FDR being the exception vis a vis WWII being in progress); Reagan was most likely suffering from some early dysfunctions of Alzheimer's;
And the Republicans have always been a day late and a dollar short in terms of using the media effectively.
Kennedy's vicious and untrue slander affected the nation and the Democrats, led by Joe Biden, viciously rejected Robert Bork.
Then President Reagan picked a mildly Conservative Judge (and his record has born that out - more Liberal than Conservative but - middle of the road which appeared to be the Fair and Right thing to do at the time) - Anthony Kennedy on November 30th, 1987 (Still NOT an election year).
He was confirmed on February 3rd, 1988 - well BEFORE the 1st Presidential Primary on Feb. 16th and even before every caucus (Kansas and Michigan started before Feb 3rd but Ended after Feb 3rd).
This is what the leading Democrats had to say about Reagan's prospective nomination of Robert Bork on June 29, 1987 - BEFORE Reagan even nominated him! -
""The majority leader, Robert C. Byrd, Democrat of West Virginia, also said a nomination of Judge Robert H. Bork, a leading contender to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., ''would be inviting problems'' in the Senate because of his role in the Watergate scandals.....
"....At the same time the No. 2 Democrat in the Senate, Alan Cranston of California, the party whip, urged colleagues in a letter to form a ''solid phalanx'' of opposition if the President's nominee was an ideological extremist. Some Democrats in Congress are worried that Mr. Reagan will nominate a conservative who will be committed to overturning Supreme Court decisions on abortion and other issues...."
http://www.nytimes.com/.../byrd-says-bork-nomination...
BYRD SAYS BORK NOMINATION WOULD FACE SENATE TROUBLE
NYTIMES.COM|BY BY JONATHAN FUERBRINGER, SPECIAL TO THE NEW YORK TIMES
There are a host of issues here at hand but - I would urge Liberals and Democrats to stop lying to Themselves.
It's not healthy.

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Leaving Mother Russia





Today was the 30-year
anniversary of Natan Sharansky’s walk to Freedom from the Soviet Union.
He spent 9 years in the
Gulag as a prisoner for the “treason” of wanting to emigrate to Israel.

When he was finally released across the “Bridge of Spies” in East Germany, those
waiting for him at the West Berlin checkpoint saw him walking a zig zag back
and forth.  They feared that he was
either drugged or unhinged.

When Sharansky got to the other side, he explained that he had been told by his
minders to “walk straight across the bridge.”
He final act of defiance
was to Not obey his oppressors.

“We are leaving Mother Russia,

We have waited far too long.

We are leaving Mother Russia,

When they come for us we’ll be gone.”



“…My friends we know what
silence brings,

Another Hitler waiting in the wings,

So stand up now and shout it to the sky,

They may bring us to our knees but we’ll never die!”
-        
Safam “Leaving
Mother Russia”

We live in a world where
anyone under 30 years old, not only may not know who Natan Sharansky is, but
who do not know what the Soviet Union; Communism; and the Cold War were…
We are living in a world
where those under 30 have no clue as to what happens when you surrender your
life to The Government in order to have the “freedom” Not to struggle…

OR, conversely, what happens when you surrender your life to someone larger
than life; a polar opposite demagogue who says: “I like making deals,
preferably big deals. That’s how I get my kicks.”
“If you ask me exactly
what the deals . . . all add up to in the end, I’m not sure I have a very good
answer. Except that I’ve had a very good time making them.”

Natan Sharansky suffered for well over 9 years
in an empire that imprisoned people’s minds and souls because he refused to be
a slave to the bribery of comfort, where someone or something else would take
care of him.

He suffered because what he wanted above all was his Freedom to be a Man in a
system that killed Men; to be a Jew in a world that despises Jews; and to be
Free to think and choose in a world that has largely given up thought and
choice.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

Life is beautiful all the time.
Back about 25 years ago, when the world was young and it was a Soviet Empire, not a Muslim Empire that was our nemesis, we lived next to Irvington, NJ, which was next to Newark, NJ.
It was a mixed neighborhood where the residents were more “working class” or newly arrived in their corporate jobs and therefore less financially stable.
Next door to us lived a very nice older black couple who had been there for at least 25 years. He was retired from the merchant marines. On the other side lived a very white Catholic family. He had a landscaping business and was not very friendly towards my Jewish family. Across the street were immigrants from England where the husband was newly employed as… a guy who created the chemical formulas for flavors in food… or something like that. And, behind us was an Orthodox Jewish Lubavitch family who father worked in the financial world.
Most of our other neighbors were either immigrant families, white and black, or “ethnic” white folk who were a tad less educated or cultured than to that which we were accustomed.
One day, when my eldest (Jewish) son was not home, two of the (very “Christian”) neighborhood boys stopped by to see if they could “play” with him. These were cousins, I believe 6 and 7 years old, respectively.
When they were informed that our son was not home, they responded rudely and began riding their little bikes around in our driveway, swearing like little sailors, using rather foul language as to why our son wasn't home.
I was both shocked and bemused, not comprehending how they could possibly be upset or why they would express themselves in this way.
From my back porch I asked them to stop and to leave. They ignored me.
Back in days of yore, I was not so even tempered and sweet as I am today (well, at least that is how I see myself now; others might differ).
I strode down off of my back porch, onto my driveway, and literally grabbed each child by the scruff of his neck, stopping them and making them dismount from their bicycles.
I then began to march them out of my driveway, while they held onto their bikes, telling them that I was taking them to their own houses to talk to their parents.
It so happened that by the time I got to the end of my driveway, the mother of the younger of the two was walking by. I told her what had happened and she, appropriately, scolded her child and took him home while telling her nephew to go home to his father.
And, all was well with the world.
My wife’s mother was visiting with us at the time. Some time later, my wife and her mother were sitting on the front porch when they sent my son to get me. He told me that the 7 year old's father was out front and wanted to talk to me. My mother in law and my wife both appeared rather nervous. When I went outside to talk to this man, I understood why.
The father was a strapping young man with a close haircut, wearing what I believe is commonly called a “wife beater” sleeveless t shirt, showing off his impressively muscular physique. He was about 6’ 2” and he was not happy.
I, on the other hand, was about 6’, overweight, slightly balding, and not a particularly impressive specimen of manhood. Apparently, my wife and mother in law were afraid that this guy was going to beat the bejeesus out me.
His son was with him, still on his bicycle.
I walked up to him as he stood on the sidewalk outside of my house, curious but unafraid.
“Hi,” I said, “I understand that you want to talk to me.”
“Did you put your hands on my son’s neck?!!” he inquired with obvious anger.
“Yes, I did,” I replied, intending to continue...
“How dare you touch my son!” he yelled at me, stepping closer and getting menacingly “in my face.”
“Whoa,” I replied, more astonished than fearful. “Your son and his cousin were riding around in my driveway, swearing, using extremely bad language and would not leave. Are you okay with that?”
He took a step backward and repeated, “Don’t you ever touch my son again. I’ll sue you for everything you've got!”
“What?” I replied truly confused. “You are angry with me for not letting your 7 year old son swear at me in my driveway? And you want your son to stand here listening to you threaten me and tell me that his behavior is acceptable. Really?!”
My antagonist was momentarily disconcerted and brusquely told his son - “Go home.”
His son pedaled off. He had been smirking thus far during our brief conversation but, he looked a bit put out himself as he left. I don’t think he understood why his father was letting this “old fat guy” send him away…
His father continued to threaten me with lawsuits and angry rhetoric.
And, I continued to try and ask him why he thought it was okay for his son to do this.
Each time I would ask him something like: “You really want to bring your son up this way?,” he would take a step backwards.
I did not step forwards but, with every comment or admonition I made, he would jerk backwards almost like I was punching him. He probably took about five steps backwards to my comments, retorting each time about how he was going to sue me, until he finally turned and left.
I was totally amazed. I also had a “fight or flight” adrenaline rush as I only then realized that my body, if not my mind, had fully expected him to pummel me into the ground.
It was an extraordinary experience.
That whole enterprise was brought to mind via the contemplation of a new perspective I have picked up recently called – a false narrative.
A false narrative is one where the whole premise upon which it is based, is a lie. It is an invented story to explain whatever point of view the author wishes to justify.
The boy’s father in question based his false narrative on the idea that I was criminally wrong to place my hand upon his son’s neck and escort him off of my property.
My questions did nothing to dispel his belief in this false narrative; however, my questions did confuse him enough to back away and go away.
(And, no, he did not sue me. I never saw him again.)
Today, we live in a world of false narratives…
Many of us blithely accept these narratives as true and thereby do a great of damage to our own integrity and our relationship to truth.
We know Right from Wrong.
If we choose to not question that which is Wrong, and instead worry about being “sensitive” or “poetically correct,” then we are supporting what is wrong. We are supporting a false narrative; a lie.
I learned a little bit from my experience that G-d supports us, even in peculiar circumstances, when we support truth.

Friday, May 30, 2014


“How odd of G-d to choose the Jews.”

Once more we reach my parsha in the Torah where the third aliyah that we read during the weekday, the aliyah of Yisroel, begins with “the sons of Murray!”  
I love this parsha…    
What?
Do I detect skepticism among some of you?  The parsha plainly says: בְּנֵי מְרָרִ, that’s “b’nai,” the sons of; and mem resh resh yud, which certainly sounds like M r r y or, in my case, Murray!   All right, so the Torah pronounces it Merari.  But all that means is that, for the gentile world, the sons of Merari gradually became Murray’s.  After all, Kohein became Cohen, nu?

However, perhaps a more important feature of this week’s parsha is not the parsha of Naso itself but, what follows.
And what follows is Shavuous – one of the Three Pilgrimage Festivals where all Jews were required to travel to Yerushalayim to bring Offerings to the Bais HaMikdosh, our Holy Temple.
And, Shavuous, where G-d Gave His Holy Torah to His Chosen people on Har Sinai.
Where the Jewish People said: “Na’aseh v’nish’mah,” We shall do and we shall hear!
This is the seminal moment of Jewish History when the Children of Israel Choose to become the Chosen People!

(For the rest of the non-Jewish world, the Christian holiday of Pentecost comes somewhere around this day, June 8th this year.
This year, Shavuous begins on Tuesday night, June 3rd, and it continues on June 4th and June 5th.
Pentecost, meaning the “50th day,” is the day associated with the apostles speaking in the different languages of all of the Jews that came from around the world to celebrate Shavuous in Jerusalem which is, according to the Torah, 50 days after Passover.)

I heard this story from a lawyer – I am not sure who.
He was a relatively successful lawyer and was trying a case where the next court date was supposed to be on Shavuous.  
He explained to the Judge that he could not make that court date as it was a Jewish holy day and he was not allowed to work on that day.
The Judge told him: “Mr. Lawyer.  I am Jewish.  I celebrate the Jewish holidays of Passover and Chanukah.  So don’t try and make up some story about some invented holiday that I have never heard of!”
The Judge did eventually come to find out that this was a real Jewish holiday but, that is an example of how little known is Shavuous, even to most non observant Jews.

Nonetheless, over 3,300 years ago, Am Yisroel; the Jewish people, received the Torah at Har Sinai and formally became G-d’s Chosen People. 
Moshe Rabbeinu informs the Jewish people that G-d tells them: 
“And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples, for Mine is the entire earth. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of princes and a holy nation.” 

However, we are informed that it was not that G-d Chose us, rather that Israel Chose G-d.

The Midrash tells us that G-d not only revealed Himself to the Jewish People but – to all the Nations of the world.

We learn that G-d first went to the children of Esav and asked them: “Will you accept My Torah?”
The Children of Esav answered, “What’s in it? 
Hashem said: “Thou shalt not commit murder.”
The Children of Esav said: “L-rd of the Universe, the very essence of our father Esav is that he is a murderer.  As it says, (Bereishis: 27:22) ‘And the hands were the hands of Esav,’ and (Bereishis: 27:40) ‘By the sword you shall live.’ 
L-rd of the Universe, we cannot accept Your Torah.”

G-d then went to the children of Amon and Moav and He said to them: “Will you accept My Torah?”
The Chidren of Amon and Moav answered, “What’s in it?” 
Hashem said: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
The Children of Amon and Moav said: “L-rd of the Universe, our very essence is that we come from adultery. As it says (Bereishis: 19:36), ‘And Lot's two daughters conceived from their father.’
L-rd of the Universe, we cannot accept Your Torah.”

G-d then went to the children of Yishmael and He said to them, “Will you accept My Torah?”
 The Children of Yismael answered: “What’s in it?”
Hashem said: “Thou shalt not steal.”
The Children of Yishmael said: “L-rd of the Universe, our very essence is that we live from thievery and robbery. As it says (Bereishis: 16:12), ‘his hand will be upon all, and everyone's hand upon him…’
L-rd of the Universe, we cannot accept Your Torah.”

Hashem went among all the nations of the world.  There was not a nation to whom G-d did not speak and on whose door G-d did not knock, asking them whether they wished to accept His Torah.  And every nation refused after hearing what was in the Torah.

 After G-d had spoken to all the nations of the world, G-d came to the Children of Yisroel and He said to them: “Will you accept My Torah?”
And the Childen of Yisroel said: “Na’aseh v’nish’mah; We shall do and we shall hear!”
We learn that Israel immediately pledged their loyalty to whatever Hashem wanted them to do even before they knew what was being asked of them.
This is the one seminal moment in Jewish history when the entire Jewish Nation spoke as One and proclaimed to G-d – Whatever you ask of us, we will do – even before we know what it is.
Israel Chose G-d and thereby became the Chosen People.

For most Torah observant Jews, the above is sort of “inside baseball,” a well known midrash.
However, I heard an additional understanding of “Na’aseh v’nish’mah” from one of our Kollel rabbis, Rabbi Aryeh Cohen, the other night –

Judaism is not a religion.   It is a Relationship.
“Na’aseh v’nish’mah; We will do (whatever you want) and (then) we will hear (what you want us to do)” is the Relationship that the Jewish People pledged to Hashem in their Greatest Moment at Har Sinai.
And, for over 3,300 years, we have been trying to remember to infuse this sacred Relationship which we Chose to have with G-d into every aspect of our lives.

And, for men, there is no more important place to remember to instill this Relationship than in marriage.
“We will do and then we will hear” is, quite frankly, the opposite of my and, I suspect, many men’s responses to their wives’ requests.

G-d Chose the Jews because the Jews Chose to have this special Relationship with G-d.
There is not a married couple who, somewhere inside of them, does not want this special Relationship with their spouse.
The Torah was given to us to transform our lives by taking each mitzvah; each lesson that the Torah can teach us, and applying it to every facet of our life.
For men, imagine the Relationship you could have with your wife if every time she asked you anything, your immediate response was – I will do whatever you ask, even before you tell me what it is….
May we all be zocheh to such a Relationship with our spouse’s and to remember that we Chose this Relationship at Mt. Sinai by proclaiming to the world that we agree to do what is necessary before we even know what it is that is necessary to do.
Gut Shabbos and Gut Yom Tov.