Happy Diwali to Everyone!

[✡ Hindu Zionist ॐ]

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL THE JTF MEMBERS.

Wish Israel the victory over the evil regime of Iran, may Iran's nuclear reactors be destroyed in the coming year.
Wish America the best to restore their economy and achieve cultural balance, may it never go on the path of communism under Obama.
Wish India sees the fall of the evil secular pro-Muslim government this election year 2013. And takes a strong stand of Kashmir in the face of Pakistan and China.

Best Wishes to everyone this Diwali.

One another note,

Here are two beautiful stamps  to be issued by Israel Post in December this year.Israel Post will issue this  set of two stamps to commemorate 20 years of Diplomatic Relations with India featuring Festivals of Lights in India  ( Deepawali ) and Israel ( Hanukkah ) .

This is a wonderful set, a great delight  for Indians !!





Date of Issue : 12 December 2012

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-11-07/india/34971701_1_stamps-ronen-goldberg-israeli-artist

Diwali  or Deepavali, popularly known as the "festival of lights," is a festival celebrated between mid-October or mid- November . For Hindus, Diwali is one of the most important festivals of the year and is celebrated in families by performing traditional activities together in their homes with crackers and lighting oil lamps and candles.

The name "Diwali" is a contraction of "Deepavali" which translates into "row of lamps". Diwali involves the lighting of small clay lamps filled with oil to signify the triumph of good over evil.

Diwali is an official holiday in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Mauritius, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Suriname, Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji.

[Dr. Dan]

Sounds a lot like Hanukah to me!!!!!

Happy Diwali to you too.

[syyuge]

Happy Deepavali to you all.

[Zelhar]

Happy Diwali to you guys.

[briann]

Have a very festive Diwali.

[muman613]

Happy Diwali to all of our Indian members...


BEWARE: The names of Avodah Zara are displayed in this video (@ 1:10 & 1:40) . I normally do not post videos with names of foreign deities because a Jew is commanded to never mention these names. You can pause or skip those sections...

[Yehudayaakov]

Happy Deepavali  to all 

[muman613]

Channukah falls out on the week from Sundown Dec 8th to Sundown Dec 15th (8 days of Channukah)...

[syyuge]

Thanx for all kind comments and good wishes.

[JTFenthusiast]

Happy Diwali to all of our Indian members...


BEWARE: The names of Avodah Zara are displayed in this video (@ 1:10 & 1:40) . I normally do not post videos with names of foreign deities because a Jew is commanded to never mention these names. You can pause or skip those sections...

HI Muman,

Just for my own education, saying the names of other religion's deities is considered Avodah Zara?  And if we are not allowed to say them, are we allowed to read them?  And finally, why is the act of reading or saying Avodah Zara.  Thanks

[muman613]

Shalom JTFEnthusiast,

Avodah Zarah simply means "Foreign Worship/Service".... The issue, according to my understanding, is that there is a commandment where Hashem says that the names of foreign deities should not be on our lips. I will find this exact commandment momentarily...

Shemot (Exodus) 23:13 says this:

12. Six days you may do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, in order that your ox and your donkey shall rest, and your maidservant's son and the stranger shall be refreshed.
13. Concerning all that I have said to you you shall beware, and the name of the gods of others you shall not mention; it shall not be heard through your mouth.
14. Three times you shall slaughter sacrifices to Me during the year.


There is a discussion on this topic concerning whether a Jew can say 'Mumbai' which may be the name of an avodah zarah...

http://www.yutorah.org/_materials/May%20One%20Say%20Mumbai.doc

Is there a problem with saying the name of an avoda zara?
The passuk in Parshat Mishpatim (Shemot 23:13) states that we may not mention the names of other gods. Chazal (Sanhedrin 63b) understand this prohibition to include one who tells his friend to meet him near a particular avodah zara. The gemara further states that one may not even refer to a city named for an avoda zara unless the particular avoda zara is mentioned in the torah.

Parameters of the Prohibition to Say the Name of a Deity.
The gemara (Sanhedrin ibid.) explains that both mentioning and causing others to mention the name of a deity is prohibited by the torah. The particular example employed by the gemara is to avoid telling a friend to meet you in front of avoda zara X.

[muman613]

From that same DOC file on whether we can say the modern name of 'Bombay'...

A.The Halacha. The Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 147:1) rules that it is prohibited to mention the name of an avoda zara whether or not there is a reason to do so. Furthermore, the gemara says that even causing somebody else to mention the name of the avoda zara would be prohibited. The Maharam Schick (Yoreh Deah #171) adds that it would be similarly prohibited to say something that would cause one to think about an avoda zara. While many leading poskim dispute the Maharam Schick’s stringency on this matter, the actual torah prohibition of explicitly mentioning the name of an avoda zara remains intact. Indeed, Rabbi Menashe Klein (Responsa Mishnah Halachos IX:169) suggests that this may be what Chazal had in mind when they said “Jews in the Diaspora worship idols in purity” (Avoda Zara 8, Avos d’Rabi Nasan 26:4).

It seems I may have stepped into a problem because I have caused some Jews to even 'think' about avodah zarah.... I pray that everyone who has seen that post fast-forwarded past the avodah zarah (if they are Jewish)...

PS: I do not mean this as any judgment of the religion of India... But I am concerned whether it is correct for a Jew to mention these names...

[JTFenthusiast]

Shalom JTFEnthusiast,

Avodah Zarah simply means "Foreign Worship/Service".... The issue, according to my understanding, is that there is a commandment where Hashem says that the names of foreign deities should not be on our lips. I will find this exact commandment momentarily...

Shemot (Exodus) 23:13 says this:

12. Six days you may do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest, in order that your ox and your donkey shall rest, and your maidservant's son and the stranger shall be refreshed.
13. Concerning all that I have said to you you shall beware, and the name of the gods of others you shall not mention; it shall not be heard through your mouth.
14. Three times you shall slaughter sacrifices to Me during the year.


There is a discussion on this topic concerning whether a Jew can say 'Mumbai' which may be the name of an avodah zarah...

http://www.yutorah.org/_materials/May%20One%20Say%20Mumbai.doc

Muman,

Thank you for that very succinct and easy to understand explanation of all three questions I asked of you!!!