Author Topic: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!  (Read 180765 times)

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Offline AsheDina

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #50 on: November 23, 2009, 11:52:21 AM »
Muman; I want to tell you I apologize for my post the other day, I am not only tired of the Jew-bashing of GOOD Jews, but I am SICK and tired of really super good Christians being persecuted.  I don't like leftists, thats the way it is, I dont even believe their 'politics' are politics, I believe it is strait up evilness.  I am sorry I used bad words.  I believe that leftist Jewish people are reprobate, until they prove otherwize.

I will also explain something; I dont believe that gentiles and Christians are 'just above the animals', as you have said before, right here on this forum.  This pained me very badly.  My mom is a Jewess, by law, I am also.  But, even though, I realize that G-d has blessed me, (sometimes I see more than other people), I don't carry an attitude that I believe I am 'better' just because G-d chose our race/people.  He chose our race, because we are SMALL.  So, obviously, G-d loves humility.

So, because of that statement that you made here on this forum, I have carried animosity toward you, and I apologize for this (my animosity) 

So, my question is this;  Since I know you from when you first came to this forum, and also know that you were very close to gentiles, I will ask you if you can please always refrain from statments that would cause hurt to our members that are proven, love G-d and are good people?

thank you.
Shalom- Paulette Aishe Dina
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Offline The One and Only Mo

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #51 on: November 23, 2009, 12:15:00 PM »
Muman; I want to tell you I apologize for my post the other day, I am not only tired of the Jew-bashing of GOOD Jews, but I am SICK and tired of really super good Christians being persecuted.  I don't like leftists, thats the way it is, I dont even believe their 'politics' are politics, I believe it is strait up evilness.  I am sorry I used bad words.  I believe that leftist Jewish people are reprobate, until they prove otherwize.

I will also explain something; I dont believe that gentiles and Christians are 'just above the animals', as you have said before, right here on this forum.  This pained me very badly.  My mom is a Jewess, by law, I am also.  But, even though, I realize that G-d has blessed me, (sometimes I see more than other people), I don't carry an attitude that I believe I am 'better' just because G-d chose our race/people.  He chose our race, because we are SMALL.  So, obviously, G-d loves humility.

So, because of that statement that you made here on this forum, I have carried animosity toward you, and I apologize for this (my animosity) 

So, my question is this;  Since I know you from when you first came to this forum, and also know that you were very close to gentiles, I will ask you if you can please always refrain from statments that would cause hurt to our members that are proven, love G-d and are good people?

thank you.
Shalom- Paulette Aishe Dina
I would like to point out that any of those statements you speak of all have sources.....It is not Muman making things up, he is quoting ideas from Torah.

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #52 on: November 23, 2009, 02:25:52 PM »
Thank you AsheDinah,

I value your friendship and I do remember that we had a very good relationship here when I first joined. I don't have any superior feelings over non-Jews, but I do have a tremendous amount of pride of the Jewish heritage. In order to remain Jewish we must strive to prevent influences from outside of Jewish thought. Judaism has remained Jewish despite 1000s of years of attempts to assimilate us or convert us. The Rabbis instituted methods to prevent assimilation. If only we understood the reasoning for these rules we would understand it comes not from Jews feeling superior, but from our desire to keep our customs, beliefs, and our heritage which was given at Mount Sinai.

While modern western society has caused a lot of Jews to lose their heritage it is also possible to bring some of them back. How do we do this? Why should a Jew want to be jewish? We must instill pride in them, to feel that there is something worthwhile for their spirit and body which is not offered to those who are not-jewish. Every other religion and culture has this aspect to it, the French feel superior to Americans, Americans feel superior to French, Germans feel superior to everyone, etc. etc.... There is nothing wrong with feeling that we are special, as long as the goal is to make this world a better place..

Jews do have a special mission. I believe this with the very fibre of my being. There is such a thing as a Jewish Neshamah and a religious Jew knows how to look for the special traits a Jew possesses. I believe all of humanity has sparks of the Jewish neshamah and this is why some people see fit to convert to Judaism.

I understand where you are coming from and I will always try to consider how others will perceive what I write here... I want the entire world to know that Hashem, blessed is his name, is the master of the universe, the holy one. I truly forsee the messianic age when all of humanity will know that Hashem is L-rd. It will be a time of peace, prosperity, and knowledge...

Thank you for your kind words. Baruch Hashem!

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline The One and Only Mo

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #53 on: November 23, 2009, 04:39:15 PM »
Thank you AsheDinah,

I value your friendship and I do remember that we had a very good relationship here when I first joined. I don't have any superior feelings over non-Jews, but I do have a tremendous amount of pride of the Jewish heritage. In order to remain Jewish we must strive to prevent influences from outside of Jewish thought. Judaism has remained Jewish despite 1000s of years of attempts to assimilate us or convert us. The Rabbis instituted methods to prevent assimilation. If only we understood the reasoning for these rules we would understand it comes not from Jews feeling superior, but from our desire to keep our customs, beliefs, and our heritage which was given at Mount Sinai.

While modern western society has caused a lot of Jews to lose their heritage it is also possible to bring some of them back. How do we do this? Why should a Jew want to be jewish? We must instill pride in them, to feel that there is something worthwhile for their spirit and body which is not offered to those who are not-jewish. Every other religion and culture has this aspect to it, the French feel superior to Americans, Americans feel superior to French, Germans feel superior to everyone, etc. etc.... There is nothing wrong with feeling that we are special, as long as the goal is to make this world a better place..

Jews do have a special mission. I believe this with the very fibre of my being. There is such a thing as a Jewish Neshamah and a religious Jew knows how to look for the special traits a Jew possesses. I believe all of humanity has sparks of the Jewish neshamah and this is why some people see fit to convert to Judaism.

I understand where you are coming from and I will always try to consider how others will perceive what I write here... I want the entire world to know that Hashem, blessed is his name, is the master of the universe, the holy one. I truly forsee the messianic age when all of humanity will know that Hashem is L-rd. It will be a time of peace, prosperity, and knowledge...

Thank you for your kind words. Baruch Hashem!


:clap:
Muman, you are a source of knowledge, wisdom, and purity. I wish everybody else in this miserable, wretched universe was like you.

Offline Irish Zionist

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #54 on: November 25, 2009, 06:50:29 PM »
Muman what were the events around the destruction of the 1st and 2nd temple.
The banding together by the nations of the world against Israel is the guarantee that their time of destruction is near and the final redemption of the Jew at hand.
Rabbi Meir Kahane

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #55 on: November 26, 2009, 12:01:40 AM »
Muman what were the events around the destruction of the 1st and 2nd temple.

Hello Irish Zionist,

You are asking me some very excellent questions. I appreciate the opportunity to explain Jewish thought with the world. Regarding the 'Churban' or Destruction of the two Temples it is essential to understand what the Jewish sages tell us. The Jewish people have marked the occasion of the destruction on the day of Tish B'Av {the ninth of the month Av} when our tradition teaches that Rome finally destroyed the second Beit HaMikdash. Many tragedies have befallen my people on Tisha B'Av including the destruction of the two Temples and it was the day on which the ten spies which Moses sent out came back with a slanderous report.

Our sages have explained that the Tanakh discusses four exiles which the Jewish people will go through before the final redemption. These exiles are:

    * "Nafshi" (Emotional) - Babylonian tyrant Nebechudnezzer wanted the Jewish people to emotionally submit themselves to him and his idolatry. They refused, so Nebechudnezzer destroyed the First Temple and sent the Jews packing to Babylon.

    * Gufani (Bodily) - While living under Persian domination, the Jews experienced an exile which threatened to annihilate them through the genocidal machinations of Haman, the villain of the Purim story.

    * Sichli (Intellectual) - Under the rulership of the Greeks, the Jews were subject to harsh decrees prohibiting their connection to G-d and Torah. The tide of Greek philosophy and culture -- chronicled in the Chanukah story -- threatened to extinguish Jewish intellectual thought.

    * HaKol (Combination) - The current exile began 2,000 years ago with the Roman destruction of the Second Temple and the disbursement of the Jews to four corners of the globe. During this time, Jews have been subjected to a horrific combination of all other exiles -- perpetual persecution, expulsion, humiliation, mass murder, and more.

As we know, the first Churban was the destruction of the First Beit HaMikdash by the Babylonian king Nebuchednezer. The sages have explained why the first destruction happened.  The reason the first temple was destroyed, according to our sages, was because the Jewish people had committed the three 'cardinal' sins, those being Idolatry, Sexual immorality, and Murder.

The Torah relates to us the story of the spies which returned with a slanderous report against the land of Israel. Ten of the twelve spies spoke lies to the people about the land, described by Hashem as the land of Milk and Honey. Only Joshua and Caleb did not give bad reports. But due to the majority of the spies giving a bad report the people of Israel were very depressed, so depressed they cried to Hashem, they weeped tears which were in vain.

Hashem was displeased that they weeped because of this. His displeasure was so severe that the generation which left Egypt would have to die in the desert. Hashems anger flared against the people because despite Hashems mighty hand which was displayed at the parting of the sea, his awesome power of bringing ten plagues on the mightiest nation known to man, the people were weeping like little children. Moses had to pray with all his intention, all of his heart and soul. Hashem forgave the people but he remembers the sin and will make us cry every year because we cried because of the spies. This is one explanation of why both Temples were destroyed on Tisha B'Av.

The First temple was built about the Jewish year 2928 and was destroyed in the year 3338 for a total count of 410 years.

So fast forward about 72 years later... The Jewish people are back in Israel and are starting to rebuild the Temple and resume service. The second Temple stood for 420 years before the Roman barbarian Titus finally crushed Jerusalem. Our sages explain that the second Temple was destroyed because all of Israel was full of Sinat Chinam or 'Baseless Hatred'. It is a complex issue to describe what exactly constitutes baseless hatred but as you can guess it involves hating another Jew for no particular reason other than our own reason.

On first glance it seems that the three cardinal sins of Idolatry, Sexual Immorality and Murder are far greater than hating another Jew in your heart. Yet we were only exiled from the first Temple for 72 years, and we have been exiled from the Second Temple for over 2000 years. It is hard for a religious Jew to not yearn for the rebuilding of the Temple because it is a part of our soul.

I hope I have scratched the surface of this very interesting and important topic. I have provided numerous links to pages which support the ideas I have presented here.

Thank you,
muman613

References:

Here is the portion of Torah which discusses this event of the spies:

Quote
Numbers 14
11 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'How long will this people despise Me? and how long will they not believe in Me, for all the signs which I have wrought among them?  12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and destroy them, and will make of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.'  13 And Moses said unto the LORD: 'When the Egyptians shall hear--for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them--  14 they will say to the inhabitants of this land, who have heard that Thou LORD art in the midst of this people; inasmuch as Thou LORD art seen face to face, and Thy cloud standeth over them, and Thou goest before them, in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night;  15 now if Thou shalt kill this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying:  16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.  17 And now, I pray Thee, let the power of the LORD be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying:  18 The LORD is slow to anger, and plenteous in lovingkindness, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, upon the third and upon the fourth generation.  19 Pardon, I pray Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy lovingkindness, and according as Thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.'  20 And the LORD said: 'I have pardoned according to thy word.  21 But in very deed, as I live--and all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD--  22 surely all those men that have seen My glory, and My signs, which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to proof these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice;  23 surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that despised Me see it.  24 But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it.  25 Now the Amalekite and the Canaanite dwell in the Vale; tomorrow turn ye, and get you into the wilderness by the way to the Red Sea.' {P}

http://www.aish.com/tp/b/sw/48955446.html
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/144569/jewish/The-First-Temple.htm
http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/540660/jewish/First-Temple-Destruction.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/953569/jewish/The-Destruction-of-the-Temple.htm
http://www.ou.org/yerushalayim/tishabav/churban.htm
http://www.aish.com/h/9av/ju/48945386.html
http://www.akhlah.com/history_tradition/torah_timeline.php
http://www.jewishmag.com/93mag/baseless/baseless.htm
http://www.torah.org/learning/jewish-values/hate3.html
« Last Edit: November 26, 2009, 01:18:46 PM by muman613 »
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #56 on: November 26, 2009, 01:20:39 AM »
It is a coincidence that Rabbi Schaffier talks about this very topic on his latest show on IsraelNationalNews...

Listen to this shuir to hear more about this topic...

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Radio/News.aspx/1636
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline Irish Zionist

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #57 on: November 26, 2009, 02:30:47 AM »
Thanks Muman I really learned alot there. Thank you for your wisdom and if you don't mind I will have many more questions about Judism.
The banding together by the nations of the world against Israel is the guarantee that their time of destruction is near and the final redemption of the Jew at hand.
Rabbi Meir Kahane

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #58 on: November 26, 2009, 01:34:01 PM »
Tears play an important part in the process of prayer. It is important to try to understand the way tears can be understood as a way of connecting with Hashem. The tears which were cried in vain were tears which were not good tears but tears of fear and weakness. Tears which are brought about in knowledge that Hashem is with us are tears which are shed for good.

After the destruction all the gates to heaven were closed, except for the gate of tears.



http://www.aish.com/jw/j/48957306.html
TEARS ON TISHA B'AV
by Rabbi Shraga Simmons 

    If I forget you Jerusalem
    May I forget my right hand
    May my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth
    If I ever don't think of you
    If I don't raise up Jerusalem above my highest joy

    - Psalms 137:5,6


The first historic tragedy to occur on Tisha B'Av was when the Jews in the generation of Moses accepted the Spies' slanderous report, thereby squandering the chance to fulfill their destiny in Israel.

Upon realizing the gravity of their mistake, the people sat down to cry (Deut. 1:45). They realized that the land had been promised, but only their fears prevented them from going forward. At which point G-d responds: "Today you cried for nothing; in the future I'll give you a real reason to cry." (Talmud - Ta'anit 29a)

And we've been crying ever since. Both tears of sadness and tears of hope. The Western Wall in Jerusalem is also called the "Wailing Wall," because of all the Jewish tears Jews have shed there over the centuries.

During the 1900-year exile, Jews would travel to Jerusalem at great expense and danger, just to have the chance to pray at the Wall. There, they would pour their hearts out to G-d, beseeching him for Jewish redemption. They watered the Wall with their tears and melted the stones with their kisses.

GLASS OF TEARS

The following story is told about the Chasam Sofer, the great 19th century Hungarian rabbi:

Quote
    One afternoon before Tisha B'Av, the Chasam Sofer, a great 19th century European sage, would neither study Torah nor write responsa. He simply closed himself in a room.

    One of his disciples could not restrain his curiosity and quietly opened the door of the room. He saw the Chasam Sofer weeping bitterly over the destruction of the Temple, his tears falling into a glass in front of him.

    At the meal before the fast, the Chasam Sofer drank from the tears collected in the glass, in fulfillment of the verse (Psalms 80:6): "You fed them with the bread of tears, and gave them tears to drink in great measure."

When the Jewish people were slaves in Egypt, the redemption did not come about until they cried out to G-d (see Exodus 3:7). So too, the future redemption will follow the same pattern: When the Jewish people cry out to the Almighty, He will hear their cry and redeem them.

Do we appreciate the loss of the Temple to the extent that it brings us to tears? This is precisely the level we strive to achieve on Tisha B'Av.

HOPE FOR REDEMPTION

We must feel the pain of exile if we have any hope of reversing it. Like orphans who never knew their parents, we go about our daily lives insensitive to the lack of a healthy spiritual world. On Tisha B'Av, we strive to understand what the loss of the Temple means -- and how we can connect with our destiny, our struggle, our mission and our identity as a people.

The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris. As he passed by a synagogue, he heard the sound of people weeping inside. He turned to his assistant and asked, "What's going on in there?"

"Today is Tisha B'Av," came the reply, "and the Jews are mourning the loss of their Temple."

Napoleon looked toward the synagogue and said, "If the Jews are still crying after so many hundreds of years, then I am certain the Temple will one day be rebuilt!"

The Talmud (Brachot 32b) teaches that when the Temple was destroyed, all the Gates of Heaven were closed -- except for one. That is the Gate of Tears.

This Tisha B'Av, we must remember that the tears we shed for the destruction, are precisely those tears which will bring about redemption.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2009, 01:58:02 PM by muman613 »
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline Christian Zionist

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #59 on: November 26, 2009, 02:25:27 PM »
Shalom Muman!

Why do Lubavitchers believe that the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Messiah?  He did not rebuild the temple, he dis not stop wars in the world and he did not bring all Jews back to Israel either?  Does it not violate the fundamental tenents of Judaism?


I have not heard any vociferous opposition from other Orthodox Jews to the Lubavitcher movement for calling their Rebbe as their Messiah? 

Thanks!

CZ
Isaiah 62:1 -  For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burns.

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #60 on: November 26, 2009, 03:42:09 PM »
Shalom Muman!

Why do Lubavitchers believe that the late Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson as the Messiah?  He did not rebuild the temple, he dis not stop wars in the world and he did not bring all Jews back to Israel either?  Does it not violate the fundamental tenents of Judaism?


I have not heard any vociferous opposition from other Orthodox Jews to the Lubavitcher movement for calling their Rebbe as their Messiah? 

Thanks!

CZ

Shalom Christian Zionist,

I happen to know many good Chabad rabbis and Chabad members from my local area. There is nothing wrong with believing that someone is Moshiach as long as that person is alive and has the potential to carry out the mission of Moshiach. I have just heard an awesome talk from a Rabbi who explained that even the greatest sage of Israel, the revered Rabbi Akiva believed for a time that Moshiach had finally come. In this case Rabbi Akiva believed that Bar Kochbah was Moshiach because he had sucessfully repelled the Roman armies for many years. But in the end Bar Kochba fell and it had to be admitted that he was not Moshiach.

There is also the belief, though the Chassidim discuss it more frequently, that there are sparks of Moshiach in every generation. We believe that Moshiach can come at any time, and he may already be here but the time is not right for it to be revealed. The Chassidim also have the concept that their Rebbe is a tzadik, or a righteous Jew, who is learned and can be learned from. The tzadik is a very integral part of Chassidic thought because every Chassidisha sect of Judaism has its tzadik. The Breslov chassidim have Rabbi Nachman of Breslov who died in the early 1800s and is still today revered as the Rebbe of Breslov. I happen to associate with this kind of Chassidism because my family is from the city where the Rebbe is buried.

Some people assume that because the Beslovers revere and love their rebbe so much that he must have thought that he was Moshiach. I have never read anything by Rabbi Nachman which suggests that he thought he was Moshiach. Rabbi Nachman, while living in exile, did make a journey to Eretz Yisroel and Breslovs Yeshiva today is in Jerusalem. And Rebbe Schnereson of the Chabad chassidim has always supported Aliyah to Eretz Yisroel while always sending agents/schliachs to the four corners of the world.

The Chabad organization is blessed and it is a blessing for the Jewish people. I have attended many Shabbat and Yom Tov functions with Chabad and often they don't even charge anything. Many times I donate money to Chabad, either my local Chabad, or the national Chabad via the telethon. I have asked my friends about this belief that the Rebbe was moshiach. Most Chabad people I know say that they believed he may have been Moshiach while he lived but realized once he died that he wasn't. I can certainly understand this.... When I watch video or even photographs of the Rebbe of Lubavitch I get shivers because I know that Hashems glory shone from his face. When Chabad would have their get togethers the spiritual energy would flow like noplace on earth. The intimate nigguns/tunes which were sung, the closeness of bodies and closeness of spirit... It is unlike any other experience and I can only watch it now on youtube.. [ ]

There are some Chabdniks who still believe he was moshiach. I do not understand how they can believe this. But I will not judge them because he certainly had sparks of Moshiach within him, and he revealed many other sparks of Moshiach by sending Mitzvah patrols into the world to make sure Jews all over the world could perform the commandments of the Torah.

References:


http://www.jewfaq.org/mashiach.htm
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/101679/jewish/The-Personality-of-Mashiach.htm
http://www.aish.com/jl/h/48954961.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi_nachman
http://www.613.org/hasidism/03.htm
Quote
Why Chassidim Have Rebbes

Chassidim seek attachment with their Rebbe to strengthen their bond with the Tzadik.  The Rebbe is considered a possible foundational Tzadik - the source of life affirming good.   Therefore, the stronger one is connected to him the more life one derives directly through the Tzadik.[23]

  One can get life in other ways, evil gets life from G-d even though it is not connected to the Tzadik in a direct way, yet to receive vitality in the holiest manner,[24] there is a need for a direct channel to the Tzadik.

The world of evil is superficial. Sin is a product of externalism.  For instance, lusts tantalize with promises of pleasure yet they are rarely a path to satisfaction. Once they are realized man is left with an aching emptiness, for evil is hollow within.  A holy person is an inner person who rises above an extrinsic perspective.

 There is a superficial connection to the Tzadik, and internal attachment to the Tzadik.  Physically being a chassid, a follower, while in practice not emulating his ways is a superficial attachment.  The attendant who hovers around the Tzadik, setting the holy man’s schedule or serving him lunch is not necessarily connected to the Tzadik.  True connection, requires a relationship on an inner level, where one learns and grows from the example of the Tzadik.[25]  The quiet student who is inspired by the Tzadik’s presence or words to serve G-d with added devotion and to emulate the Tzadik has the inner bond even if he never introduces himself to the Tzadik.  The student who resembles the Tzadik is the true chassid.  The attendant is a chassid only in name.  He and the Tzadik reside in different worlds and he does not receive life directly through the Tzadik. 

Personally becoming a Tzadik Yesod Olam might seem to be an unrealistic goal for many of us.  The Tanya teaches that many souls do not have the potential of reaching the heights of Tzadikhood.  However, all souls can attain great spiritual levels.  An awareness of the different types of souls within mankind, can help each of us actualize our individual latent proclivities for holy behavior.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2009, 04:12:46 PM by muman613 »
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #61 on: November 26, 2009, 04:03:43 PM »
Here is Chabads discussion of the concept of Moshiach in every generation:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/101679/jewish/The-Personality-of-Mashiach.htm


B. Mashiach In Every Generation

Any time is a potential time for the coming of Mashiach.7 This does not mean, however, that at the appropriate time he will suddenly emerge from Heaven to appear on earth.8 On the contrary: Mashiach is already on earth, a human being of great saintly status (a tzadik) appearing and existing in every generation. “In every generation is born a progeny of Judah fit to be Israel’s Mashiach!”9

On the particular day that marks the end of the galut, when Mashiach will redeem Israel, the unique pre-existing soul of Mashiach ‘stored’ in Gan Eden from aforetimes will descend and be bestowed upon that tzadik.10 R. Mosheh Sofer summarizes this principle in his responsa:11

“As for the coming of the scion of David, I need to posit the following premise: Moses the first redeemer of Israel, reached the age of eighty years and did not know or sense that he would redeem Israel. Even when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘Come and I will send you to Pharao…’ (Exodus 3:10), he declined and did not want to accept that mission. So it will be with the final redeemer.

“The very day that the Bet Hamikdash was destroyed, was born one who, by virtue of his righteousness, is fit to be the redeemer.12 At the proper time G-d will reveal Himself to him and send him, and then will dwell upon him the spirit of Mashiach which is hidden and concealed above until his coming.

“Thus we find also with Saul that the spirit of royalty and the Holy Spirit which he had not sensed at all within himself came upon him after he was anointed…

“The tzadik himself does not realize this potential. Because of our sins many such tzadikim passed away already. We did not merit that the Messianic spirit was conferred upon them. They were fit and appropriate for this, but their generations were not fit…”13

This explains why R. Akiva would consider Bar Kochba to be Mashiach (Yerushalmi, Ta’anit 4:5; see Hilchot Melachim 11:3; and cf. Yeshu’ot Meshicho, Iyun Harishon:ch.4). Furthermore, it explains a discussion in Sanhedrin 98b about the name of Mashiach, with different authorities suggesting Shiloh, Yinon, Chaninah and Menachem (cf. Yeshu’ot Meshicho, Iyun Hasheni, ch. 3, that the term Mashiach is an acronym of these four names): each school picked the name of its own master (Rashi). The implication is clear: each school regarded its own master as the most likely potential Mashiach of that generation by virtue of his saintliness and perfection; see R. Tzadok Hakohen, Peri Tzadik, Devarim:13. In later generations, too, we find the same attitude among the disciples of R. Isaac Luria, the Baal Shem Tov, the Vilna Gaon, R. Chaim David Azulay, and many other extraordinary personalities, as stated explicitly in their writings. 4
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #62 on: November 26, 2009, 04:22:27 PM »
Here is the discussion of the machlokes/disagreement concerning whether Rebbe Nachman and his followers believed he was Moshiach...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabbi_nachman
Did he believe he was the Messiah?
Secular academic view

The Encyclopedia Judaica and other secular academic sources claim that Rebbe Nachman saw himself as the Messiah. One proof that secular academics offer is that the messianic personality is expected to rectify errant souls. Rebbe Nachman did speak to his disciples about the principle of tikkun (rectification of souls), and even suggested that he was capable of rectifying souls. However, this power was also claimed by Rebbes of other Hasidic sects. The principle of tikkun is also found throughout the teachings of (Rabbi Isaac Luria), who preceded Rebbe Nachman by several hundred years.

Some secular academics postulate that Rebbe Nachman was influenced by the teachings of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, false messiahs of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, respectively, but that he was not actually a Sabbatean or Frankist. As proof, they note that Rebbe Nachman's thinking on tikkun olam, the Kabbalistic healing of the universe, bears similarities to the teachings of Sabbatai Zevi.

In his writings, Rebbe Nachman refers to Sabbetai Zevi as SHaTZ (an acronym for his Hebrew name, SHabbetai TZvi, and concludes the reference with the expression yimach shemo (may his name be obliterated). The latter expression is generally reserved for the worst enemies of the Jewish people.

Breslov view

Rebbe Nachman never claimed that he was the Messiah. He taught the general Hasidic concept of the tzaddik ha-dor (tzadik of the generation), which is the idea that in every generation, a special, saintly person is born who could potentially become the Jewish Messiah if conditions were right in the world. Otherwise, this tzaddik lives and dies the same as any other holy man. Toward the end of his life, he said, "My light will burn until the coming of the Messiah" — indicating that the Messiah had not yet arrived. Breslover Hasidim do not believe Rebbe Nachman was the Messiah, but they do believe that the light of his teachings continues to illuminate the paths of Jews from many disparate backgrounds.

It should be noted that the Sabbateans based their teachings on the same Zohar and Lurianic kabbalah that are considered part of classical Judaism by Hasidism. Where the Sabbateans diverged from accepted teaching was in believing that Sabbatai Zevi was "the Messiah" and that the Halakha (Jewish law) was no longer binding. Rebbe Nachman did not do the same. He did not claim he was the Messiah, and when asked, "What do we do as Breslover Hasidim?" he replied, "Whatever it says in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law)."
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #63 on: November 26, 2009, 08:44:14 PM »
Thank you so much Muman!

I really commend the Lubavitcher movement for supporting Zionism and for encouraging Jews to make Aliya.

But I thought Judaism  (the Talumd) teaches that the Messiah must stop all wars in the world and build the 3rd temple.
Isaiah 62:1 -  For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burns.

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #64 on: November 27, 2009, 12:34:03 AM »
Thank you so much Muman!

I really commend the Lubavitcher movement for supporting Zionism and for encouraging Jews to make Aliya.

But I thought Judaism  (the Talumd) teaches that the Messiah must stop all wars in the world and build the 3rd temple.

Yes, these are a part of the mission of Moshiach...

http://www.moshiach.com/topics/in-depth/the-messianic-era.php

Quote

• Restoration of the Bet Hamikdash
• Ingathering of the Exiles of Israel
• End to Evil and Sins
• Awareness and Knowledge of G-d
• Universal Worship of G-d
• Universal Peace and Harmony
• Resurrection of the Dead
• Blissful Utopia: End to Disease and Death

So it is obvious that anyone who accomplishes these goals can be called Moshiach... Anyone who has accomplished some of them may be a candidate for moshiach...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #65 on: November 27, 2009, 01:38:19 AM »
Excerpt from interview from 1992:

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2944/jewish/Belief-in-Moshiach.htm

HANDELMAN:

    Here again, one might also think of these events as just part of another cycle in history. That is, there are always periods of great reform and progressive hope, and then a regression to oppression and war. Hearing about this new emphasis on Moshiach, some people fear that you're setting yourself up for disappointment, and that it's very dangerous to read into these events some impending arrival of the Moshiach, because it hasn't happened for the last several thousand years.

FRIEDMAN:

    That's exactly true, and that's why it has to happen now. This fear of disappointment, I think, is a very invalid and insubstantial argument. There's always a chance that we might fail in the things we hope for, the things we work hard for. But that is not an argument against doing it.

HANDELMAN:

    Nevertheless, in the past in Jewish history, when Messianic movements have arisen, such as Bar-Kochba or Shabbetai Zvi, the resulting disappointment was disastrous for the Jewish people. This disappointment is not a simple thing, it's not like being disappointed in love --

FRIEDMAN:

    The stronger the virtue, the greater is the damage if it doesn't work. But we should distinguish between today and the past failures of Bar-Kochba and Shabbetai Zvi. Really the two are very different: Bar-Kochba didn't turn out to be a disaster; he just didn't accomplish the goal.

    Shabbetai Zvi turned out to be a disaster. But what they all have in common, all the past Messianic fervor, is that they happened in a time of great trouble, when people were really desperate, when they had reached the bottom of the cycle, and the only way to go was up; and it had to be Moshiach - which is understandable. When things are that dark, you have to hope for something, you have to look forward to something.

    On the other hand, it is still a virtue and a compliment to the Jewish people that our faith is so strong that for 3,000 years we have been consistently confident of his arrival. And what's unique about this time around is that we're doing very well. There is no great trouble. Things are relatively good for Jews today.

HANDELMAN:

    Many people agree that the concept of Moshiach is important in Judaism, but point to passages in the Talmud which say that we mustn't speculate about these things -- that we can anticipate Moshiach, but we're not supposed to inquire into whom it is or talk about signs of the times.

FRIEDMAN:

    On the one hand, the Talmud in Sanhedrin says that the Sages were very unhappy with people who set dates and made predictions about the time of Moshiach's arrival. But on the other hand, anyone who doesn't expect Moshiach every day is a heretic. So how do we reconcile this?

HANDELMAN:

    How do we?

FRIEDMAN:

    If the average person were to start making predictions and say, "I think according to the signs, to the stars, to the this, that, and the other, that Moshiach is coming tomorrow," that is wrong. Moshiach is coming today, always today, never tomorrow, never next week or next month, because we're not supposed to rely on signs. We're supposed to believe and trust that G-d said that He's going to send Moshiach, and G-d will send him today. That's the only resolution to this kind of conflict.

    So on the one hand, yes, it's true that we shouldn't play around with predictions. But on the other hand, if somebody says, "I know Moshiach and he's alive today," that's great --

HANDELMAN:

    You just said a minute ago that it's wrong for every Tom, Dick, and Harry to start making these predictions.

FRIEDMAN:

    We're not talking about predictions. The predictions are not kosher. But if somebody says, "Moshiach is here; I know someone, and he is Moshiach," that's fine.

HANDELMAN:

    In the passage you quoted earlier, Maimonides says you can "assume" someone is Moshiach, but you don't know it for sure unless certain conditions are met.

FRIEDMAN:

    Right. Assume it, and hope it, like Rabbi Akiva did. He went and carried Bar Kochba's armor for him.

HANDELMAN:

    But as with Shabbetai Zvi, we have seen that when people do get very worked up about Moshiach and they're wrong, the consequences are bad.

FRIEDMAN:

    But how can you reconcile this fear of a false Moshiach with your belief in Moshiach? What does your belief in Moshiach consist of if you're afraid that he might be a false Moshiach?

    When the real Moshiach does come, what are we going to say? Who's going to believe him? Are we going to say, "Got to be careful -- remember Shabbetai Zvi?"

HANDELMAN:

    Still people find finger-pointing very unsettling. They feel that it's very dangerous to point to someone and claim that he is the Moshiach.

FRIEDMAN:

    If people can point a finger to someone and say, "This is Moshiach," that simply shows how alive and vibrant their faith in Moshiach is. Whether this person is or is not Moshiach is irrelevant.

HANDELMAN:

    Would you say that it is irrelevant even if, for example, we decide on the wrong person? New religions have been formed as a result of the belief that certain persons were the Moshiach, and Judaism suffered considerably when these other religions persecuted the Jews for refusing to accept these "Messiahs."

FRIEDMAN:

    The same is true of belief in G-d: The belief in G-d has been the cause of a lot of suffering, too. If you believe in the wrong god, or you start fighting over who G-d is, it also causes trouble.

    But you can't use the abuse of something as an argument against it. And the same thing holds true for attributing great powers to an individual. Just because there was a Jim Jones and a Jim Swaggart, are you going to say that you shouldn't believe in anybody? It's because we don't believe in the right people that these charlatans find their way into those positions. If we're open to the idea that somebody alive today is Moshiach, whether it's some Kabbalist in Israel or a Rosh Yeshiva in Lakewood, New Jersey, that would indicate that our belief in Moshiach is alive and healthy and well. Then when Moshiach comes, there'll be no problem.
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #66 on: November 28, 2009, 04:40:57 PM »
Shalom Muman. Why do you think the black Hebrews have any rights to Israel and what are your thoughts on them claiming Moses was black. Is there any versus in the Talmud/Torah that dispel these claims?
« Last Edit: November 28, 2009, 05:40:30 PM by Irish Zionist »
The banding together by the nations of the world against Israel is the guarantee that their time of destruction is near and the final redemption of the Jew at hand.
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Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #67 on: November 29, 2009, 03:02:12 PM »
Shalom Muman. Why do you think the black Hebrews have any rights to Israel and what are your thoughts on them claiming Moses was black. Is there any versus in the Talmud/Torah that dispel these claims?

Irish Zionist,

This is a very tender topic indeed. I do not know the definitive answer so I will give you my opinion according to the understanding I have learned from a variety of Rabbis I listen to, and research which I have done. Just this week Tamar Yonah, who has a radio show on Arutz Sheva radio in Israel, just spoke with a scholar who believes that The Ark of the Covenent is in Ethiopia today. I do not fully believe this theory but there is ample evidence of a link from Israel to Ethiopia, both in Moses times and in King Solomons times.

There is Talmudic evidence that there was a Jewish presence in Ethiopia and I just learned that Moses himself was the King of Ethopia for a time.

I recognize the Ethiopian Jew as a Jew if he is true to the custom and ritual of Judaism. From what I have heard about Black Hebrews I am not so sure that they are really Jewish. I think that it is a difficult question because there are some Ethiopian Jews who do make aliyah to Israel and have to learn the laws which Ashkenazi and Sephardic Judaism have instituted via the Schulcan Aruch {code of Jewish law}. Ethiopian Jews also will not have learned as much Talmud as the other ethnicities of Judaism.

I have read some information that Black Hebrews do not keep commandments but just like to daven like Jews. I also read that they are very racist and anti-white. I don't know because the only african-american Jews I know are good people who are davening in Ashkenazi nusach.

References:
http://www.torahtots.com/jewishpress/20060803midrash.htm
Quote
Moshe Rabeinu, King of Ethiopia

The kingdom of Ethiopia is ancient, with a civilization dating back many centuries. More than 3,000 years ago there ruled over this land a young king who was only 27 years old. This king ruled for 40 years and helped make Ethiopia a great power. His Name? Moshe Rabeinu, Moses our teacher.

No, this is not a typographical error. The same Moshe of Biblical fame, the same man who led the Jews from bondage in the land of Egypt and who gave them the Torah at Mount Sinai, was also King of Ethiopia.

How did he get there and when did it happen? Here is the story of Moses, King of Ethiopia.

http://www.chabad.org/parshah/article_cdo/aid/811478/jewish/Interpolated-Translation.htm

Quote
15 Pharaoh heard about the incident, for Dathan and Aviram informed on Moses.54 Pharaoh therefore sought to kill Moses. He had him tried, but although Moses had a speech impediment, he miraculously defended himself eloquently. Still, Pharaoh wanted to pronounce him guilty, but God struck him dumb. Pharaoh then tried to mumble his intentions to his ministers, but God made the ministers deaf. Pharaoh motioned to the executioners to kill Moses, but miraculously, the executioner's sword was unable to harm him.55 God made the executioners blind, and thus Moses fled from Pharaoh's presence.56 He fled to Ethiopia, where he joined the army and 9 years later was crowned king. He remained king of Ethiopia for 40 years.

In the year 2418 (while Moses was king of Ethiopia), certain families of the tribe of Ephraim, assuming that the 400 years prophesied in the Covenant between the Parts began as soon as the covenant was made (in the year 2018), concluded that they were over. Mistakenly believing that the time of their redemption had arrived, 30,000 armed men from this tribe left Egypt and set out toward the Land of Israel. They took money with them but no provisions, assuming they would either buy food from the Philistines or conquer their country. But the Philistines defeated them instead, and killed them all except for ten individuals who returned to Egypt to report the events.57

While Moses was in Ethiopia, Miriam married Caleb, son of Yefuneh, of the tribe of Judah, and they had a son whom they named Hur.58

In the year 2434, at the age of 67,59 Moses left Ethiopia and settled in the land of Midian. He thought it was time to get married, so he sat down near a well, following the example of his ancestor Jacob, who found his wife at a well (see Figure 2).

http://www.askmoses.com/en/article/241,2061383/Who-was-Moses.html

Quote
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #68 on: November 29, 2009, 10:20:31 PM »
Shalom Muman!


Is the book of Job the first one in the Tanach?  Who wrote it (under divine inspiration)?  Why is the name of God given in singular instead of Elohim unlike in other places?   Was Job a Jew or a gentile?   Some people say that the Job mentioned in Genesis 46:13 (And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron) was the same Job described in the book of Job!   Probably this Job from the tribe of Issachar separated from his brothers and settled down in the land of Uz?

Thanks in advance!

CZ
Isaiah 62:1 -  For Zion's sake I am not silent, And for Jerusalem's sake I do not rest, Till her righteousness go out as brightness, And her salvation, as a torch that burns.

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #69 on: November 29, 2009, 10:42:00 PM »
Shalom Muman!


Is the book of Job the first one in the Tanach?  Who wrote it (under divine inspiration)?  Why is the name of G-d given in singular instead of Hashem unlike in other places?   Was Job a Jew or a gentile?   Some people say that the Job mentioned in Genesis 46:13 (And the sons of Issachar; Tola, and Phuvah, and Job, and Shimron) was the same Job described in the book of Job!   Probably this Job from the tribe of Issachar separated from his brothers and settled down in the land of Uz?

Thanks in advance!

CZ

Shalom CZ,

Very interesting question... Job is such an incredible story and one I refer to when I want to discuss the nature of HaSatan, the heavenly prosecutor. Your first question seems a bit humorous {im sorry} to me because everyone knows that Tanach, which is Torah, Naviim, and Ketuvim. The first book of Torah is Beresheit, or Genesis which starts "Before beginning creation Hashem said, "Let there be light"".

When did the story of Job take place? Our sages don't really explain whether he really existed or was only a parable. There are many references to him in Talmud, and I recall the story which places Job as one of the advisors to the Pharoah of Egypt. According to this Midrash, Pharoah had three advisors when he was trying to resolve his 'Jewish problem' and they were named , Yitro, Job, and the wicked prophet Biilam. I have provided links below which discuss these topics more intensely.

Who wrote the book of Iyyov? According to some opinions it was written by Moshe Rabbeinu himself. Was Iyyov a Jew? It is doubtful that he was. According to Jewish belief he was not Jewish but he was a righteous gentile. I will provide some evidence of this in a link below.

I hope this answers some of the questions you have...

Have a Blessed Week!
muman613

References:

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/pesach/5755/vol1no10.html
Quote
The Pasuk that the Hagada cites in reference to "Va'yareinu osanu" is "Hava nischachma lo, " the verse which discusses the advice given to Pharoah about ensalving the Jews. The Gemora in Sotah tells us that Pharaoh had three advisors: Yisro (Jethro) , Bilam and Iyov (Job). Bilam, because he gave the above advice, was punished with death. Iyov, who did not respond to the advice but kept quiet, was punished with suffering. Yisro, who fled in protest of the advice was rewarded by having his descendants serve in the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish court. The Gemora where this is brought down was discussing the concept of reward and punishment being Mida K'neged Mida, that the reward or punishment fits the deed. Rav Y. Z. Soloveitchik (aka the Gri"z) was puzzled by this. One can understand why Bilam, who advised persecution, was punished with death. But why was Iyov, who remained silent punished with suffering, and Yisro who fled was rewarded with his descendants serving in the Sanhedrin ?

http://www.torah.org/learning/iyov/intro.html

Quote

Before we begin a conceptual analysis of this holy book it will be helpful to clarify four things:

   1. Who wrote it?
   2. What is its content?
   3. In what form is the material presented?
   4. What is the purpose of this book?


Let us consider each these questions:

1. Who wrote it?

From chazal (our Sages) z"l, it is clear that the authorship of this book is attributed to Moshe (Moses) Rabbeinu (our teacher). This point is discussed in the tractate Bava Bathra page14b. The Malbim explained that Moshe wrote it to console the Hebrew nation when they were enslaved and suffering under Egyptian oppression.

2. What is its content?

The book of Job (in Hebrew Iyov) is the story of an exceedingly righteous man who is afflicted with horrific suffering for no apparent reason. While the main character is obviously Iyov, it is not at all clear who this person was. In fact the Talmud ( Bava Bathra page 14b ) contains a long dispute if

Iyov was a Jew, a gentile, or indeed if he at all existed.

According to the latter opinion the book of Job is a parable. It seems that most of our sages did not accept this opinion. But even according to this minority opinion we cannot relegate this work to the realm of empty fiction or myth. We can confidently claim that it is the greatest commentary on human suffering ever written.

It is interesting to note that the Vilna Gaon offers a fascinating interpretation of this Talmudic passage. According to his approach the latter opinion does not dispute the reality of Iyov. Rather it explains the purpose of his existence. He ( Iyov ) was created to be a role model ( a "mashal" in Hebrew ) from whom everyone can learn the appropriate way to accept suffering. Accordingly, we are to take a lesson from Iyov that man has no license to sit in judgment of G-d. He ( G-d ) does not need our moral approval. Although at times some of His ways may seem to be harsh they are always based on absolute justice. Alas, the world of the absolute is often beyond our comprehension.

The tragic suffering of Iyov evokes the strong protest of all fair minded human beings: Should the righteous suffer? This question has to be one of mankind's most elusive mysteries since time immemorial. Several answers are presented and fiercely debated throughout the chapters of the book. They are forwarded by the friends of Iyov: Eliphaz, Beldad, Tzofer, and Elihu.

There is also a curiously veiled character who appears in the story; the Satan. He is the antagonist, the prosecutor, the villain (additional pejorative epithets are optional). His motivations are not clear, but his influence is clearly demonstrated. We will devote special attention to the subject of the Satan in one of our future installments.

There can be no discussion on human suffering without mention of G-d. Indeed, comprehending G-d's role in the world is essential in order to understand this book. His acquiescence to the Satan is simultaneously perplexing and disturbing. The absence of Divine intervention throughout this drama lends strong support to Iyov's contention that G-d neither scrutinizes human behavior nor concerns Himself with the human plight.

3. In what form is the material presented?

The discussions and arguments are presented in the form of a dialogue between Iyov and his friends. Each of these characters presents a unique approach to Iyov's plight. On the one hand Iyov is a believer, a man of intense faith and devout service. However, he cannot accept that a merciful, righteous G-d would consent to the dreadful suffering meted out to him at the hands of the Satan. The foundations of theology are tested in a battle field of what appears to be senseless human suffering. The issues are hotly debated between Iyov and his three friends. Finally Iyov finds balm for his wounds in the wisdom of Elihu ben Barachel.

4. What is the purpose of this book?

Moshe wrote this book as a source of consolement for his brethren who were suffering at the hands of their brutal Egyptian slave masters. They wanted to know why the righteous suffer while the wicked prosper. This was an issue with which Moshe had to struggle with his entire life time. As a young man he saw both the tranquillity of Pharaoh's palace and his brothers subjected to arduous labor and cruel torture. He felt compelled to find out if there was order and justice in the world or if man was just to suffer silently? Indeed, Moshe was so absorbed with this issue that on one momentous occasion when his intimate relationship with G-d could have secured for him whatever his heart desired, Moshe requested only two things:

1. That G-d cause His Divine Presence to dwell only amongst the Jewish nation for eternity.

2. That G-d grant him the wisdom to understand the suffering of the righteous and the prosperity of the wicked.

Our Sages tell us that although Moshe was granted his first request. The second remained concealed from him.

Our Sages reveal to us that ultimately there is an approach which can help us constructively accept our own misfortunes and suffering, however they make it clear that no absolute solution is available. Let us be patient in our investigations and all the more so in our conclusions. Let us have the humility and integrity to recognize and accept our own human limitations. After all, we have not the prophetic powers of Moshe nor the wisdom of Solomon and even they could not uncover the answer. It is crucial to realize that our limitations in understanding does not mean that suffering is without reason or plan. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato explains in his book Daas Tevunos that part of our reward in the world to come will be that G-d will reveal to us the meaning of every bit of pain and suffering that we experienced in our life times.

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline Irish Zionist

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #70 on: November 30, 2009, 11:48:17 AM »
Muman thanks for answering my hard question, I hope this one isn't that hard.
Can you tell me why there is 9 candles for Chanukah?
« Last Edit: November 30, 2009, 01:48:19 PM by Irish Zionist »
The banding together by the nations of the world against Israel is the guarantee that their time of destruction is near and the final redemption of the Jew at hand.
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Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #71 on: November 30, 2009, 02:26:55 PM »
Muman thanks for answering my hard question, I hope this one isn't that hard.
Can you tell me why there is 9 candles for Chanukah?

On Channukah we use a special menorah just for the Yom Tov... A normal Menorah has Six branches and one in the middle for a total of seven candles... A Chanukah Menorah has Eight branches {four on each side} and one in the middle for a total of nine candles....

The Holiday of Channukah is to remember the miracle which occured after the Maccabees defeated the Greeks and there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day, and it miraculously burned for eight days. The sages decreed that we will forever remember this miracle by lighting one candle on each of the eight nights of Channukah. The reason there is a ninth candle is that we use this candle, the shamash, as the candle to light each of the eight other candles. We light one candle on the first night, using the Shamash, and then we light two candles on the second night, again using the Shamash as the candle to light with.... The reason for this is explained by the sages... I have provided some links with some good information about the Miraculous holiday of Channukah...


References:

http://www.torah.org/learning/yomtov/chanukah/5755/vol1no58.html
http://www.torah.org/chanukah.html

http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday7.htm

Quote

Traditions

    Our rabbis taught the rule of Chanukkah: ... on the first day one [candle] is lit and thereafter they are progressively increased ... [because] we increase in sanctity but do not reduce. -Shabbat 21b, Babylonian Talmud

Chanukkah is not a very important religious holiday. The holiday's religious significance is far less than that of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Passover, and Shavu'ot. It is roughly equivalent to Purim in significance, and you won't find many non-Jews who have even heard of Purim! Chanukkah is not mentioned in Jewish scripture; the story is related in the book of Maccabees, which Jews do not accept as scripture.

Chanukkah Menorah
The only religious observance related to the holiday is the lighting of candles. The candles are arranged in a candelabrum called a menorah (or sometimes called a chanukkiah) that holds nine candles: one for each night, plus a shammus (servant) at a different height. On the first night, one candle is placed at the far right. The shammus candle is lit and three berakhot (blessings) are recited: l'hadlik neir (a general prayer over candles), she-asah nisim (a prayer thanking G-d for performing miracles for our ancestors at this time), and she-hekhianu (a general prayer thanking G-d for allowing us to reach this time of year). See Chanukkah Candle Lighting Blessings for the full text of these blessings. After reciting the blessings, the first candle is then lit using the shammus candle, and the shammus candle is placed in its holder. The candles are allowed to burn out on their own after a minimum of 1/2 hour.

Candlelighting Procedure Each night, another candle is added from right to left (like the Hebrew language). Candles are lit from left to right (because you pay honor to the newer thing first). On the eighth night, all nine candles (the 8 Chanukkah candles and the shammus) are lit. See animation at right for the candlelighting procedure. On nights after the first, only the first two blessings are recited; the third blessing, she-hekhianu is only recited on the first night of holidays.

Why the shammus candle? The Chanukkah candles are for pleasure only; we are not allowed to use them for any productive purpose. We keep an extra one around (the shammus), so that if we need to do something useful with a candle, we don't accidentally use the Chanukkah candles. The shammus candle is at a different height so that it is easily identified as the shammus.

It is traditional to eat fried foods on Chanukkah because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Among Ashkenazic Jews, this usually includes latkes (pronounced "lot-kuhs" or "lot-keys" depending on where your grandmother comes from. Pronounced "potato pancakes" if you are a goy.) My recipe is included later in this page.

Gift-giving is not a traditional part of the holiday, but has been added in places where Jews have a lot of contact with Christians, as a way of dealing with our children's jealousy of their Christian friends. It is extremely unusual for Jews to give Chanukkah gifts to anyone other than their own young children. The only traditional gift of the holiday is "gelt," small amounts of money.

Another tradition of the holiday is playing dreidel, a gambling game played with a square top. Most people play for matchsticks, pennies, M&Ms or chocolate coins. The traditional explanation of this game is that during the time of Antiochus' oppression, those who wanted to study Torah (an illegal activity) would conceal their activity by playing gambling games with a top (a common and legal activity) whenever an official or inspector was within sight.

DreidelsA dreidel is marked with four Hebrew letters: Nun, Gimel, Hei and Shin. These letters stand for the Hebrew phrase "Nes Gadol Hayah Sham", a great miracle happened there, referring to the miracle of the oil.

The letters also stand for the Yiddish words nit (nothing), gantz (all), halb (half) and shtell (put), which are the rules of the game! There are some variations in the way people play the game, but the way I learned it, everyone puts in one coin. A person spins the dreidel. If it lands on Nun, nothing happens; on Gimel (or, as we called it as kids, "gimme!"), you get the whole pot; on Hei, you get half of the pot; and on Shin, you put one in. When the pot is empty, everybody puts one in. Keep playing until one person has everything. Then redivide it, because nobody likes a poor winner.

You can play a virtual dreidel game here! Requires JavaScript.
You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline ✡ Hindu Zionist ॐ

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #72 on: December 02, 2009, 11:53:32 AM »
shalom muman,

can you tell me more about city of Jericho. Is it one of the holy city for the Jews? and what significance does the city have?

Offline muman613

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #73 on: December 06, 2009, 12:26:33 AM »
shalom muman,

can you tell me more about city of Jericho. Is it one of the holy city for the Jews? and what significance does the city have?

Hindu Zionist,

I have not been ignoring your question, quite the opposite... I need to refresh my memory concerning Jericho. We have no holidays to remember it and the story is a short one. I have been doing some research and hope to come up with some good material for this topic. I should post more tomorrow...

You shall make yourself the Festival of Sukkoth for seven days, when you gather in [the produce] from your threshing floor and your vat.And you shall rejoice in your Festival-you, and your son, and your daughter, and your manservant, and your maidservant, and the Levite, and the stranger, and the orphan, and the widow, who are within your cities
Duet 16:13-14

Offline Every Jew AK47

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Re: Ask MUMAN613! almost live!
« Reply #74 on: December 06, 2009, 05:40:29 AM »
Shalom Muman,

My question is, do you think all people who don't like reggae music are stuck up? 

I read your posts and you seem like a great guy.   No hard feelings bro..  I just don't dig reggae..  But, you may think its crazy, the Grateful Dead does have a few good tunes, you said you were a deadhead , right?  I live in Deadhead USA.   Remember how the shows use to clog up the freeways around here.

Anyhow, shalom v'ahava.
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