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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

GILAD SHALIT IS FREE!

MAY HE TRULY BE GILAD SHALIT. AND MAY THE WORLD NOTE THAT THE 1939 DAYS OF GILAD SHALIT'S CAPTIVITY SHOULD REMIND US THAT WORLD WAR 2 BEGAN IN THE YEAR 1939 A.D. MAY THIS EVENT HARBINGER THAT A FULL SCALE WW3 IS AVERTED.

Joyous morning! At 6am EST it is not yet daybreak. Even so, the news from Israel is that Gilad Shalit is free and on Israeli soil. May his freedom harbinger peace everywhere in the world, give hope to all suffering and hopeless persons in the world, and transform the consciousness of every evil minded person everywhere in the world!

May this event harbinger that it is still possible that the other Israeli MIA's are yet alive and may be returned alive....

Zeev Rotshik MIA 1973

Yehudah Katz MIA 1982

Tzvi Feldman MIA 1982

Zachary Baumel MIA 1982

Ron Arad MIA 1986 Presumed Dead 1988

Guy Hever MIA 1988

Majdi Halabi MIA 2005

Eldad Regev DEAD 2006

Ehud Goldwasser DEAD 2006

and all the unnamed....

Eight days ago I sent a letter by e-mail to PM Netanyahu. There is no way to know, if he or if any of his staff read my letter. And yet, by some miracle, the very next day PM Netanyahu announced that a deal had been reached with Hamas for the freedom of 1,027 Arabs from Israeli jails in exchange for the freedom of Gilad Shalit. It would be a grand delusion for me to think that my letter made any especial or decisive impact with respect to Israel's decision to make the prisoner exchange deal. And while it would be nice to know, the important thing is that Gilad Shalit is now safe and home in Israel and that there is a window of opportunity for peace to be established between Israel and the Arabs. It is true that some of the released Arabs committed unspeakable atrocities (may those evils be transformed through the grace of HaShem into goodness). Let their freedom be a downpayment towards a peace deal.

Below is a copy of the letter I sent to PM Netanyahu.


ATTN: PRIME MINISTER NETANYAHU


DATE: 12 TISHREI 5772


THIS IS MY PRAYER AND REQUEST TO HASHEM, TO PRIME MINISTER BENYAMIN NETANYAHU, TO THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT, TO ISRAEL, AND TO THE WORLD ON THIS YOM SHEYNIE ACHAREI YOM KIPPUR V'LIFANEH SUKKOTH 5772.


EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE, PUBLICLY AND PRIVATELY, AND IMMEDIATELY, TO SEND LULAV AND ETROG, APPLES AND HONEY, AND A SIDDUR TO GILAD SHALIT!


Sunday this week was not merely Yom Rishon -- it was the first day after Yom Kippur on which we commence to erect our Sukkahs.

On Yom Rishon at Shacharith we say from Tehillim, "L'Dovid Mizmor, l'HaShem Ha'Aretz Oo'm'loo'aoh, Theybel v'Yoshvey Baooh...."


Monday this week is Yom Sheynie -- is the Sukkah progressing?

At Shacharith on Yom Sheynie we say from Tehillim, "Shir Mizmor Libneh- Korach: "Gadol HaShem Oo'm'Hoolal Me'od, B'Eir Elokenu, Har Kadsho...."


Tuesday this week is Yom Shlieshie -- is the Sukkah built and Lulavim and Etrogim en route?

At Shacharith on Yom Shlieshie we say from Tehillim, "Mizmor l'Asaf, Elokenu Nitzav B'Edath-Kel...."


Wednesday this week is not merely Yom Rivi'ie -- it is Erev Sukkoth. Is the Sukkah decorated, and Lulavim and Etrogim ready and delivered?

At Shacharith on Yom Rivi'ie we say from Tehillim, "El-N'kamoth HaShem, El N'kamoth Hofiye: HeeNoSeh Shofeth HaAretz.... "


Thursday this week is not merely Yom Chamishie -- it is Yom Echad, Sukkoth. Are Lulavim and Etrogim in hand for HaKofeh Aleph?

At Shacharith on Yom Chamishie we say from Tehillim, "Lamnatzeach El-HaGithith L'Asaf; Harneenu L'Elokim Euzinu...."


Friday this week is not merely Yom Shieshie -- it is Yom Sheni, Sukkoth. Lulav and Etrog in hand, we engage Hakofeh Beth!

At Shacharith on Yom Shieshie we say from Tehillim, "HaShem Moloch, Ge'Oot Lovesh, Lovesh HaShem Euz HeetAzar...."


HOW DARE WE THEN REST ON SHABBATH, IF WE HAVE NOT MADE EVERY EFFORT TO SEE TO IT THAT GILAD SHALIT IS SENT A SIDDUR, LULAV & ETROG, AND A FEAST OF APPLES AND HONEY, SO THAT IN HIS CAPTIVITY HE MAY ENJOY A TASTE OF THE NEW YEAR, KNOW THAT IT IS SUKKOTH, AND EMBRACE THE SYMBOLS OF HOPE IN HIS HANDS, THAT HE MAY PRAY, TOUCH, HOLD, WAVE, AND SMELL THE SWEET SCENTS OF LOVE AND FREEDOM!


(MAY GILAD SHALIT BE FREED TO DWELL IN THE SUKKAH OF HIS MOTHER AND FATHER AND IN THE CLOSE COMPANY OF THE USHPIZIN!)


MAY HAKOFEH GIMEL BE ENGAGED THIS SHABBATH FOR GOODNESS L'DOR V'DOR!


AHARON BENITZAK

Sunday, October 16, 2011

A MIRACLE BEFORE OUR EYES? GILAD SHALIT IMMINENTLY FREE? 1,027 ARABS FREE?

MAY THE U.S. GOV'T PARDON AND FREE JONATHAN POLLARD AND MAY THE ISRAELI GOV'T PARDON AND FREE YIGAL AMIR (AND POSSIBLY EVEN EXONERATE YIGAL AMIR).

May this past Tuesday's announcement that Israel will free 1,027 Arab prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit' freedom be only for good and not for evil. May all 1,028 freed prisoners be in good health, sound in mind and body, and may they all be spokespersons for peace in the world, whenever and wherever freedom may set their feet.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

AMERICAN AUTUMN AND THE YOMIM NORAYIM

UPWELLINGS OF CIVIL UNREST STIR AMERICAN STREETS

Economic inequality is stirringly real, though the extreme answers, tactics, and arguments from right and left leave much to be desired. There is much media hype, that the "Arab Spring" has found it's way to America's shores. Yet, it is true that the same generational influences are real in both places. Little of this self-absorption is based in real compassion for anything beyond selfish pain in private little goldfish bowls of self-centered life. Be this as it may, this too is a part of the developmental life of a volatile young generation in volatile times, and may not be ignored, and must be addressed warmly, wisely, and with more than whisperings of wishful thinking.

What is now a warning may grow far uglier and may manifest in violence between forces only too hungry to mix it up with each other in the ugliest of ways, which may tear our beloved USA apart, much as so many Arab nations are presently torn apart. No euphemisms, such as "spring", "flowers", etc. may truly substitute for the realities on the ground in so many nations.

Gaddafi's civilian supporters now face the same risks of revenge and annihilation that threatened Libya's upstart revolution only a few months ago. Yemen and Syria are being ripped apart. Egypt is in one moment promising to reform to allow greater democracy and to maintain peace with Israel; yet, persecutions of Egyptian Christians increase daily, the Israeli Embassy has been sacked, legal aid worker Ilan Grapel (an American-Israeli working in Egypt) has been accused of spying for Israel and has been jailed in Egypt; and we still hear nothing from Gilad Shalit: is he imprisoned in Gaza, in Egypt, in Iran???

In the US Vice-president Biden has spoken harsh, cruel, damning words with respect to Jonathan Pollard -- he does this during the Yomim Norayim! Biden must think he is G-d! May HaShem perceive the Chutzpah of this lump of flesh named Biden, damn up his mouth, and humble him! May HaShem do these things, unless by some miracle, He somehow inspires Biden to compassion!

The United Nations now considers the Petition of the PAL, should a "State of Palestine" be recognized by the world. Does the world need any additional Arab Terrorist States? No!!!!

Today we commence to build Sukkahs in which to dwell in exposure and yet to celebrate beneath the unpredictable heavens, having witnessed that HaShem has written and sealed The Book Of Life for the New Year 5772. We have tasted apples and honey on Rosh HaShannah, then fasted on Yom Kippur. What will be will unravel before our eyes, each moment full of promise, and no moment available to us as foreknowledge, as only HaShem knows, what we must discover.

Today is 11 TISHREI 5772 and it is Day 1930 in the Solitary Captivity of Gilad Shalit! May he be immediately granted freedom to dwell in the Sukkah of his mother and his father and in the ominpresence of the Ushpizin!

Lamah, Lamah Mah, Nikrah Moriah! Al Shem HaMor HaTov, Al Shem HaMor HaTov, Sheh Yeshno Sham!