Wednesday, 22 June 2011

MINESTRONE

i to You	Sivan 20, 5771 · June 22, 2011
Solid bedrock By Tzvi Freeman	Print this Page

If sleep is one-sixtieth of death, then waking up is a miniature rebirth. As your eyes blink open to greet the morning sun, you are a newborn child, a seed of a person ready to sprout forth from under the soil, spread forth branches and grow.
That seed contains the essence of who you really are. It is your indestructible core, yet one that is often forgotten, even abandoned, in the busy, noisy life we lead. Now is the time to grasp that essence-point, to bring it into the open, so that from there you can extend outward and rebuild yourself and your day, all resting upon its firm and solid foundation.

“So why is there a dot there? You think there was just an extra one lying around the print shop?”
The two boys strolled home from school in a small town in Belarus: Beryl, a sweet and bright nine-year-old, with his older brother Zalman, about eleven. Zalman was a stickler with grammar, scrupulous about every word of his tefillah. Beryl, on the other hand, was more of a philosopher, a sensitive soul. So now and again, Zalman would scold his younger brother about how he didn’t pronounce Hebrew words correctly.
This time, Zalman demanded of Beryl, “Why is there a point after the word b’chemlah in Modeh Ani?”
Zalman was referring to a period. It seems his little brother was ignoring the punctuation and stringing words together that really should be apart, thereby convoluting the meaning—which was just the sort of thing his older brother couldn’t tolerate. But the little boy had an alternative explanation for that little point.
“The whole idea is in a point,” he answered. “And the point has to expand and spread throughout the entire tefillah.”
Now what’s an older brother supposed to answer to that?
The boys’ father was a revered grand rabbi of a prestigious chassidic dynasty. When he heard about this interchange, he summoned the teacher and told him, “Teach my Beryl all you want. Just take care not to damage what is already there.”
A short while later, Zalman asked Beryl a related question, “Why do we have to pray every day?”
Beryl had an answer for this as well. “So that this point can expand and spread out every day,” he said. “You see, that’s why this word chemlah turns up another time in the prayerbook, in the blessing before Shema Yisrael. But there, you won’t find any point! Because that’s what tefillah does—it makes the point expand.”
Years later, after he became the fifth rebbe of Lubavitch, Rabbi Shalom Dovber explained that what he was referring to as a child is the essence-point of the heart.
—adapted from Rabbi Yosef Y. Schneersohn (1880–1950), Sefer Hasichot 5696, p. 235

Being Awake

As I explained earlier, waking up doesn’t mean cessation of REM. Waking up means becoming aware of your existence within an existence larger than your own. What we want to achieve is perhaps best summed up in a teaching of the Baal Shem Tov:

Rejoice constantly. Ponder and believe with complete faith that the Divine Presence is with you and protecting you; that you are bound up with the Creator and the Creator is bound up with you, with your every limb and every faculty; that your focus is fixed on the Creator and the Creator’s focus is fixed upon you.
—Tzavaat Harivash 137

In other words, when I’m awake I am aware of myself within a greater context. The simplest, most obvious of all truths is that “I didn’t make this place”—and yet the raw ego starts from the premise that it did. In a wakened state, I would be constantly aware of an awareness greater than my own—and how that awareness is aware of me.

Envision that the Creator, whose glory fills the earth, He and His presence are continually with you. This is the most subtle of all experiences.
Tell yourself, “He is the Master of all that occurs in the world. He can do anything I desire. And therefore, it makes no sense for me to put my confidence in anything else but Him, may He be blessed.”
—ibid.

Which is why the classic code of Jewish law that I keep mentioning, the Shulchan Aruch, tells us in its very first rule:

“I have placed G‑d before me constantly” is a major principle in Torah and in attaining the status of those righteous people who walk before G‑d.

If I can hold on to this awareness, you see, everything else will fall into place. I won’t have to think, “How should I behave? Should I do this or not do this? Why should I do anything at all?” Everything will flow naturally out of that higher consciousness, that state of knowing that the Infinite Creator of the world is here with me.
So how do I get there? Like everything else, I need to break it down into incremental steps. The first step of all steps is the Modeh Ani.

Starting with the Essence

How important are the first words to leave your lips? Since we’re quoting so much from him already, here’s what the Baal Shem Tov had to say about first words:

It is known that the world was created with thought, with speech and with action. The beginning of everything is thought. Speech branches out from thought. Action branches out from speech.
Similarly, when a person awakens from his sleep, he is a new creature, “new every morning,” as the verse puts it. If the first thing he says is just some everyday talk—all the more so if it is something untrue—then, although he prays and studies Torah afterwards, everything will follow after those first utterances. You see, just as speech branches out from thought and is subordinate to it, so the second utterance of a person follows from his first.
Something similar is stated in the Zohar and in the writings of the Arizal concerning the honor the Torah requires towards the oldest sibling: since the firstborn takes the main part, the rest of the siblings derive their current of life through him. They are like branches connected to the trunk of a tree. So it is with your first utterance.
Therefore, a person should take care to sanctify and purify his first utterance upon waking. He should also refine his first thought, so that it should be connected to holiness. In that way, all the words that follow will be in the same direction. Later, he will begin his tefillah with the joy of a mitzvah. Just as he sanctified his first utterance and first thought, so he will certainly be answered in his prayers.
—Keter Shem Tov 212

Our first words are the trunk of the tree from which all the rest of our words will extend. The first words we utter upon attaining semi-consciousness are:

“I thank you, living and enduring King, for You have graciously returned my soul within me. Great is your faithfulness.”

מודה אני לפניך מלך חי וקיים שהחזרת בי נשמתי בחמלה. רבה אמונתך

The Modeh Ani is said before washing your hands, while still lying half-awake in your bed. Unlike other tefillot, you don’t have to ensure that your hands, your body or the place where you are sleeping is clean before saying it. The simple reason is because it does not contain any name of G‑d or any verses of Torah. Yet there is a deeper reason: because it comes from a place that no impurity can contaminate, from the spark of G‑d within, a place where you and your G‑d are one, where not even the worst contamination in the world could come between you.
We call that level of the soul yechidah. Just as a person may have different names that he is called according to the role that he takes (father, husband, son, teacher, student), so the soul has different names according to the relationship it takes with the body. The Midrash lists five such names:

Five Levels of the Soul
Name	Pronounced	Relates to . . .
נפש	Nefesh	Action
רוח	Ruach	Emotions
נשמה	Neshamah	Mind
חי׳	Chayah	Desire
יחידה	Yechidah	Essence

The fast-thinking readers are raising their hands already, wondering whether the first four levels relate to the four rungs of the ladder of tefillah. Well, yes they do. What is stunning, then, is that before even approaching the ladder, we already have level five, the level that transcends all others. How did we get to the top without a climb?
The answer is also found in the chart above: while all other names relate to a particular faculty of the human psyche, yechidah relates to the essence. The essence is not a particular faculty—it is the essence of all of them. It is the essence of desire, of mind, or emotion and of action. If so, it is everywhere within the person, immediately accessible at any time and in any situation. And yet it remains unaffected by any of them. Essence, like oil, has two qualities: it seeps through everything, and it always floats above.

Apple Essence

Take an apple, for example. Don’t eat it yet—we want to talk a little about it first. Let’s talk about its essence. Is the taste of the apple its essence? No. Proof is, there are parts of the apple that have no taste, such as the stem; or parts that have a bad taste, like the seeds. And if an apple had no taste, would it not still be an apple?
Is the redness of the apple its essence? No. Proof is, inside, the apple is not red. Is the greenish-yellow-white of the apple meat its essence? No, because outside the apple is not greenish-yellow-white.
Neither is the texture of the apple its essence, or its weight or size. All of these are subject to change with or without notice—and it could still be called an apple.
The essence of the apple cannot be described in any way other than to say it is the appleness of the apple. Every part of the apple is equally appley, because every part of the apple is apple. (Something we might call in modernese “an emergent quality.”)
So too, there are aspects of the soul that are easier to access and other aspects that are elusive. The essence is the absolute of both extremes: absolutely accessible at any time, and equally absolutely elusive.
Right now, first thing in the morning, I’m going to latch on to that essence. That way, it will be with me when I climb up the first rung of my ladder. And the second, and the third, and even at the fourth, highest level—everything I attain will be because I started with that essential point. Because that’s what tefillah does: it makes that point expand.

Coming Up . . .

Since everything depends on the first step, in the next installment we’ll walk step-by-step through the Modeh Ani, both in video and in written word.

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Diário do Rio de Janeiro

Messages In This Digest (14 Messages)

1.: Opposition Party: Georgia Cannon Fodder Store For NATO And U.S. From: Rick Rozoff

2.: NATO Recruits More Armenian Troops For Afghan War Front From: Rick Rozoff

3.: Canada: Top Military Commander Candidate For NATO Military Chief From: Rick Rozoff

4.: Russia Outraged By U.S. Missile Shield Warship Maneuvers Off Georgia From: Rick Rozoff

5.: 96-Day Libyan War: Over 12,000 NATO Sorties, Over 4,500 Combat Missi From: Rick Rozoff

6.: Asia-Pacific NATO: Australia Broadens Military Purview From: Rick Rozoff

7.: NATO Air Strikes Target Towns Near Libyan Capital From: Rick Rozoff

8.: Americans' Support For Speedy Afghan Withdrawal At All-Time High From: Rick Rozoff

9.: Spokesperson: U.S. Aid Essential To NATO's Libyan War From: Rick Rozoff

10.: Iran Slams NATO's Killing Innocent Libyans, Destroying Infrastructur From: Rick Rozoff

11.: Latvia To Request NATO Intervention Over Russia Warship Deployment From: Rick Rozoff

12.: U.S. Cannot Afford Indefinite War In Afghanistan From: Rick Rozoff

13.: Senate Opens Door For U.S. Troops To Fight In Libya From: Rick Rozoff

14.: 260 NATO Soldiers Killed In Afghanistan This Year From: Rick Rozoff

Extra lança aplicativo para o Orkut

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 02:07 PM PDT

Não uso o Orkut, tenho meu perfil lá, mas hoje meu tempo em rede social é dividido entre Facebook (maior parte do tempo), Twitter e um pouco menos no Linkedin. Mas devo ao Orkut o fato de ter conhecido a namorada há 7 anos atrás. Mas a rede social do Google ainda é a mais usada do Brasil. Por isso achei bem interessante o aplicativo criado pela Agência 3 fez para o Extra.

O aplicativo chamado “Vê o Extra”, traz diretamente para o o perfil os temas que mais te interessam como, por exemplo, notícias e informações sempre atualizadas sobre o Rio de Janeiro, lazer, esportes e outros. Além disso, você ainda pode interagir com quem já instalou o aplicativo comentando a notícia e a compartilhando com os seus amigos. Como o Orkut acabou tendo um perfil mais ligado a Classe C e D, foi bem acertado lançar o aplicativo para esta rede social.

Para conhecê-lo basta você se logar no Orkut e instalá-lo em seu perfil seguindo o link: http://bit.ly/veoextra
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Sergio Cabral e suas estranhas amizades

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 01:46 PM PDT

Por mais que tenha sido chocante o desastre no mar da Bahia, não faleceu ninguém que eu conhecia mas pelo menos dois ou três amigos eram próximas a algumas destas pessoas. Mas o desastre mostrou em público umas das facetas do governador do PMDB, Sergio Cabral, as suas estranhas amizades. E até O Globo, normalmente complacente com Cabral, fez uma matéria comentando sobre essas relações.

Veja só, Cabral viajou para a Bahia no avião de Eike Batista, que tem vários projetos em nosso estado. A viagem não poderia nem ser diretamente ligada a algum interesse do bilionário mas não é correto um governador pegar “emprestado” um jatinho. É no mínimo desconfortável saber que isso acontece.

Pois bem, o PMDBista foi para o Jacumâ Ocean Resort, cujo proprietário era Marcelo Mattoso de Almeida, era ele que pilotava o helicóptero. Marcelo é um ex-doleiro acusado de fraude cambial e de crime ambiental em Ilha Grande, onde ano passado teve o desastre causado pelas chuvas. Mas, ok, o governador não é obrigado a saber quem pilota o helicóptero ou é dono do hotel. Pode ter sido apenas uma péssima coincidência.

A parte realmente estranha é que Cabral foi para a Bahia para o aniversário de um empreiteiro, o aniversário era de Fernando Cavendish, dono da Delta, que tem contratos na casa de 1 bilhão de Reais com o Governo do Estado e é um dos integrantes do consórcio de reforma do Maracanã, obra orçada em quase R$ 1 Bilhão. A empresa cresceu incrivelmente desde 2007, primeiro ano do governo Cabral, pulando de R$ 67,2 milhões para R$ 506 milhões ano passado e pelo jeito mais saltos este ano.

Já há varias denúncias contra Cavendish por tráfico de influência em reportagem na Veja é dada como frase do empresário o seguinte absurdo, apesar de ser verdade: “Com alguns milhões, seria possível até comprar um senador para conseguir um bom contrato com o governo”. Inclusive parlamentares da oposição no Governo Federal (PSDB, PPS e DEM) devem chamar o empreiteiro para explicações.

Na mesma matéria na Veja um dos denunciantes, Romênio Marcelino Machado, teria dito, a entrevista pode ser lida aqui:

A Delta, por ser uma das maiores empreiteiras do país, precisa usar esse tipo de expediente?
Romênio – Usa. E usa em tudo. O caso da reforma do Maracanã é outro exemplo. A Delta está no consórcio que venceu a licitação por 705 milhões. A obra mal começou e já teve o preço elevado para mais de l bilhão de reais. Isso é uma vergonha. O TCU questionou a lisura do processo de licitação. E quem veio a público fazer a defesa da obra? O governador Sérgio Cabral. O Cavendish é amigo último do Sérgio Cabral. A promiscuidade é total.

Fica a pergunta, não são estranhas as amizades do Governador Sergio Cabral?
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Mini Coupé no carnaval do Rio de Janeiro

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 11:44 AM PDT

Não canso de dizer que o Rio está na moda, por exemplo, antes os aliens só atacavam o Empire State, a Casa Branca, a Torre Eiffel, o Coliseu e o Big Ben, agora atacam também o Cristo Redentor. Repare, precisei falar o nome dos países em que estão estes monumentos? Então…

Isso tudo é para encher linguiça para falar sobre a propaganda que a Mini (aqueles carros maneiríssimos, pequenos e que custam o olho da cara) fez para anunciar seu novo modelo Coupé. No vídeo o carro passeia por algumas poucas cidades do mundo mas pelo jeito a preferência dele é o domingo de Carnaval no Rio de Janeiro.

Como disse o Carlos Merigo do Braisntorm 9, onde vi essa notícia originalmente, é um clichê. Mas ficou muito bom.

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Protesto contra cotas raciais em Concursos Públicos

Posted: 21 Jun 2011 10:59 AM PDT

O governador Sergio Cabral recentemente assinou um decreto reservando 20% % das vagas em concursos públicos para negros e índios; para preenchimento de cargos efetivos na administração pública direta e indireta no Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Eu que já sou contra as cotas para universidades públicas (na verdade contra as universidades públicas, o dinheiro deveria ir para bolsas, ensino fundamental e pesquisa), claro que achei um absurdo e pelo jeito não estou sozinho.

Foi criado um movimento por um grupo de universitários que fará no dia 3 de Julho, às 11 horas, na altura do posto 3 da praia de Copacabana, um protesto contra as cotas raciais em concursos públicos.

O movimento, que seguirá rumo ao Forte de Copacabana, ganhou força no Facebook em um evento chamado “Contra as Cotas Raciais nos Concursos Públicos“, atualmente conta com mais de 12 mil adeptos. Existe ainda um abaixo-assinado online, que já contabiliza mais de 2.500 assinaturas.

A única coisa que os estudantes reivindicam e defendem é que as provas de concursos públicos tenham apenas critérios meritocráticos; sem distinção de cor, raça, gênero ou classe social.

Data: 03/07/2011
Horário: 11 horas
Local: Avenida Atlântica, na altura do posto 3, em Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro
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Wednesday, Jun 22 '11, Sivan 20, 5771

Turkey and Israel in Talks

The results are yet unclear, but Israel and Turkey are making efforts to mend or at least contain their rift.

Today`s Email Stories:

	Abbas Heads off Bibi in Turkey
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1. Turkey and Israel Send Goodwill Signals
by Aryeh Ben Hayim Turkey and Israel in Talks

According to various sources, Israel and Turkey are engaged in direct secret talks with American encouragement in an attempt to restore normal relations.

Netanyahu sent a congratulatory message to Erdogan on his re-election. He was quoted in the Turkish Zaman, a pro-Islamic newspaper that supports the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of Prime Minister Erdogan, saying

“My government will be happy to work with the new Turkish government on finding a resolution to all outstanding issues between our countries, in the hope of re-establishing our cooperation and renewing the spirit of friendship which has characterized the relations between our peoples for many generations.”

A harbinger of the attempt to improve relations was the Turkish pullout from the forthcoming Gaza flotilla.

A few theories suggest themselves to explain why the Turkish government is in a more benevolent mood. The elections in Turkey are over and the AKP has gotten all the mileage it can from the anti-Israeli policy. Turkey has seen in Libya and currently in Syria that a pro-Arab policies not always a bed of roses. In Libya, Turkey lost investments. Syrian refugees fleeing the Assad regime have crossed over into Turkey. Syria also raised the issue of what the major humanitarian crisis really is – Gaza or Syria Israel, according to Hurriyet , an opposition daily , announced that the Turkish Red Crescent Society had been given permission to take in all the necessary medical material required to Gaza through the Erez crossing point.
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2. Abbas in Turkey as Obama Tries to Pull ‘Peace Process’ Strings
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu Abbas Heads off Bibi in Turkey

Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is visiting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to ask for help to promote unity with Hamas terrorists after U.S. President Barack Obama called Erdogan to push the ”peace process.”

Abbas’ visit coincides with a belated “mazal tov” congratulatory letter from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to Erdogan on his re-election last week.

The letter may have been prompted by President Obama. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters Tuesday, “It would be a good thing if Israeli-Turkish relations improved, and certainly we’ve encouraged both sides to work to that goal.”

Asked if the United States is participating in talks between Israel and Turkey, she answered, “I can only say that we talk to Turkey, we talk to Israel about improving their relationship, and it will be a very good thing if they’re talking to each other.”

Erdogan has exacerbated the rift with Israel by openly supporting Hamas as a “peace partner” and rejecting the idea that it is a terrorist organization, despite its being listed as such by the United States.

PA officials said Abbas is visiting primarily because of the cancellation of a planned meeting between him and Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal in Cairo. Abbas heads the rival Fatah movement, which disagrees with Hamas over who should be the next prime minister of the Palestinian Authority.

Hamas opposes the re-appointment of Salam Fayyad, whom it considers to be a lackey for the United States. The unity agreement that Fatah and Hamas signed in Cairo last month calls for independent leaders to head a government that is supposed to hold legislative and presidential elections.

Mashaal also arrived in the country on Tuesday for separate talks with Turkish leaders and left on Wednesday without meetring Abbas, according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
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3. PA Claims Israel Steals Gas in Exploration of Gaza Waters
by Chana Ya'ar PA Claims 'Gas' Theft Near Gaza

The Palestinian Authority is claiming that authorization by the Israeli government for the Noble Gas firm to explore the waters off the coast of Gaza for potential natural gas fields constitutes “theft.” Noble has developed other productive gas reservoirs in Israel, including several off the coast of Haifa.

Ramallah-based Fatah spokesman Dmitry Dliani told OilPrice.com the decision by the National Infrastructures Ministry was a “license to steal Gaza's natural gas reserves.” He demanded “international protection” against the move.

Two offshore wells have already been developed by the British Gas company, Gaza Marine 1 and Gaza Marine 2, tapping a natural reservoir estimated to contain 1.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas.

Israel has suffered a severe shortage of natural gas following repeated terrorist attacks on the supply line from Egypt's gas terminal at El Arish in the Sinai Peninsula.

The attacks have come in the wake of the “Arab Spring” uprising that toppled the 31-year regime of former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and significantly loosened security in the Sinai Peninsula.

The East Mediterranean Gas (EMG) company, a privately-held firm, was authorized by the Egyptian government in February 2004 to export gas to the Israel Electric Company. Owner Hussein Salem, a close confidante of Mubarak, fled the country in January as it became clear the revolution would become a tidal wave that would take over the government. He was reportedly tracked down, however, and arrested last week in Spain.

Former Egyptian Oil Minister Samih Fahmi, who authorized the transaction, was arrested and thrown into prison by the revolutionary government that took over Egypt. He is expected to face corruption charges later this year, partly due to the gas deal with Israel, which the new government contends was negotiated at below-market prices. Both Israel and former Egyptian leaders deny the charges.
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4. IDF Bombs Terror Tunnel after New Round of ‘Russian Roulette’
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu Hamas’ Russian Roulette

The IDF bombed a terror tunnel after Hamas broke its own truce again, trapping Israelis into targets of a terrorist version of Russian Roulette.

The aerial strike hit a tunnel in central Gaza that was designed for terrorists to infiltrate into Israel. Defense Minister Ehud Barak has not explained why Israel leaves such tunnels untouched so long as there are not missile or rocket attacks from Gaza.

A least one mortar shell and one rocket hit the Eshkol region Tuesday. Firing the crude rockets create a situation of Russian Roulette because they often explode in open areas in the agricultural region of the western Negev, but sometimes instead land in a deadly impact on a populated area, causing death and heavy damage.

Hamas several weeks ago declared another ceasefire on condition that Israel did not initiate counterterrorist operations, even for “ticking bombs,” imminent attacks by terrorists, whose plans often are discovered by Israeli intelligence before they can be carried out.

Other terrorist groups, such as Islamic Jihad, sometime act on their own, but the IDF said it “holds the Hamas terrorist organization solely responsible for maintaining the calm in Gaza and for any terrorist activity emanating from it.“

The return to terror in southern Israel coincides with the annual nationwide Turning Point 5 Home Front Command emergency defense drill.
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5. Police: Arab Towns 'Like the Wild West'
by David Lev Cops: Arab Towns Like Wild West

Police on Tuesday admitted that they were out of ideas on how to stem the high level of crime in the cities of “the triangle,” the Arab towns and cities that extend from north of Kfar Sava to Um el-Faham and Wadi Ara. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Shimon Shomroni, Israel Police Commander of the Sharon Region, said that police “were unsuccessful in meeting some of our goals in reducing crime. Some murders have not been solved,” he said, going on to describe the cities of the triangle as “the Wild West.”

Shomroni said he did not use that term loosely. “Residents of these cities have a tradition of gunfighting like in the old West,” he said. “If I were to fly a plane with a magnet attached to its bottom over Tira and Taibe, the plane would fall apart, and be dragged to the ground by all the metal weapons in these cities. That's how many weapons there are in the Triangle.

“The Arabs threaten us, while they educate their children that the police are inconsequential, all the while complaining that we don't do enough,” Shomroni continued. “I reject these charges.”

Police statistics showed that 71% of incidents of shootings and murders in the cities of the Triangle occurred on weekends, with at least half of them occurring between 9 PM and 3 AM. “We have increased patrols during these times and days, trying to keep track of the high-crime periods,” Shomroni said.

Shomroni told the reporters that police had allocated many resources to ensure safety in the Triangle, but that residents offered almost no cooperation. “We have taken off the gloves, and are operating with zero tolerance towards criminals. We recently began operating special units in the area, along with helicopters, mounted police, dog patrols, as well as Border Guard units, in our effort to bring down crime.” Some of these units ensure that orders to demolish buildings or close businesses issued by courts are enforced, as the private individuals and organizations the orders are issued on behalf of do not dare attempt to enforce the orders, fearing for their lives, Shomroni said.

“Crime cannot be stopped in one day,” Shomroni told the reporters. “There are numerous criminals in the triangle who commit crimes and then disappear for weeks at a time, taking refuge in Palestinian Authority controlled areas.” As a result, he said, police have increased their cooperation with the IDF, especially in peripheral areas. Joint IDF and police patrols now pursue these criminals into Arab towns and villages in order to make criminal arrests of these Israeli citizens, he said.
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6. Israel Chief Rabbi to Say Kaddish for Jonathan Pollard's Father
by Chana Ya'ar Chief Rabbi:Kaddish for Pollard

The soul of Professor Morris Pollard, the father of imprisoned Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard, will be supported by the personal prayers of Israel's chief Ashkenazi rabbi.

The younger Pollard has no minyan in prison, the mandatory quorum of 10 men for the proper recital the kaddish– the obligatory Jewish ritual prayer said during the mourning period for the dead.

Pollard's father, age 95, died over the weekend. The White House turned a deaf ear to requests by numerous individuals and official bodies, including the Israeli government, to allow Jonathan a few hours' leave for a final visit with his dying father. Likewise, the Obama administration rejected requests after the elder Pollard's death to allow Jonathan to attend his father's funeral Monday so he could fulfill his obligation under Jewish law to recite the kaddish at his father's grave.

Pollard, jailed for more than 25 years, is serving a life sentence in a U.S. prison after being convicted on a sole charge of passing information on terrorist activity to Israel, an American ally – a crime that usually carries a 2 to 4-year prison term. Repeated applications for parole and clemency have been denied.

During a visit from the chief rabbi, Pollard had once asked Metzger to recite kaddish for his mother on the anniversary of her death since he has been unable to properly fulfill the obligation.

“I therefore have resolved to do this small deed for our brother Jonathan and for the soul of his father,” the chief rabbi explained.
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7. Rabbi: Mayor Trying to Turn Jerusalem into Goa
by David Lev Rabbi: Jerusalem is Not Goa

A "beach party” that was to be held outside the Old City of Jerusalem is to be moved to the Malha neighborhood, but the incident has left a bitter taste among religious and hareidi residents of the city, who accused Mayor Nir Barkat of gross insensitivity to Jerusalem's religious heritage.

The city has decided to move the party after religious groups complained about the location and timing of the event. The city had planned to truck in 80 tons of sand and spread them on Rehov Alrov, the main street of the Mamilla Mall, visible from the Old City, and conduct a “beach party” on Friday, July 29 – just a few days before the beginning of the Hebrew month of Av, and in the midst of the Three Weeks mourning period for the destruction of the First and Second Temples. Deck and beach chairs were to be set up on the street, with the municipality distributing ice pops and watermelons, and supplying “beachgoers” with backgammon boards and “matkot” beach tennis rackets and balls, popular with Israelis as a beach pasttime. Two live bands were set to provide background music, which party attendees could hear through headphones they could rent for a small fee.

Although the city decided to move the party to Malha after numerous protests, many residents of the city feel that Barkat went too far in even planning the event, which is one of a number of parties and happenings that are taking place in the city this summer.

Rabbi Efraim Holzberg, who is close to senior hareidi leader Rabbi Shlomo Yosef Elyashiv, said that Barkat is mistaken if he thinks he is giving the people what they want. “Tourists and visitors come to Jerusalem for its holiness, not to see 80 tons of sand at a beach party. Barkat may understand tourism, but he does not understand chemistry – the chemistry of what attracts people to Jerusalem. People go to Holland to see canals and to Paris to see the Eiffel Tower, but they come to Jerusalem to see the Holy City.”

Rabbi Holzberg called on Barkat to think hard and long about his policies. “He wants to turn Jerusalem into Goa. Young people will go wild at these parties, losing all control. Instead of spreading holiness from here to other cities, they are seeking to bring unholiness to Jerusalem.

“The mayor is bringing the Judgement of Heaven down on us, G-d forbid,” he added. “One day it's a gay parade, another day it's a beach party. What's next?”

The Jerusalem municipality said in response that it planned to hold the party in Malha instead of Mamilla “in recognition of the fact that it is the Three Weeks.”
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8. Belfast Experiences Worst Violence in a Decade
by Amiel Ungar Belfast Erupts for Second Night

Northern Ireland, where everything appeared to be tranquil and resolved, erupted last night for the second successive night. Protestants and Catholics exchanged Molotov cocktails, gunshots and even pipe bombs.

Both sides blamed each other but such an outbreak has been unknown for the last 10 years. It was back to the old days of masked men wearing balaclavas and scarves covering their faces. New technology was also employed as the rioters used laser pens to blind the police.

One of the Protestant targets was a Roman Catholic church. Protestants claimed that their neighborhood had been attacked from the church grounds on the previous night.

One theory behind the violent outbreak was that a power struggle was developing within the Ulster Volunteer force (UVF), a Protestant paramilitary organization, and sectarian violence was being used by one of the competing factions to gain power.

The Protestant and Catholic leaders have a great deal at stake in preserving quiet. Northern Ireland Protestant First Minister Peter Robinson and Catholic deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness condemned the riot as well as a bomb attack on the police in Catholic West Belfast..

This part of the year is traditionally tense because it coincides with Protestant marches commemorating the Protestant victory over the Catholics in the 17th Century. However, in previous years, this period was not marked by such violence.

While the connection between nationalist violence and the economy is frequently oversimplified, one cannot rule out a connection between the economic downturn and the rioting.

The Irish tiger economy has gone bust and Great Britain, according to economists, must face more years of economic pain before the economy is turned around. Unemployment levels are going up, particularly youth unemployment. Even without the sectarian element this could have produced unrest.

One of the forces driving the 1998 Good Friday agreement was the sense that sectarian violence was keeping Northern Ireland out of the general prosperity in both Ireland and Britain and that all parties-Protestants and Catholics alike – could benefit economically from peace in Northern Ireland. If the economic horizon is now closed this could help re-stoke sectarian violence.

We are witnessing something similar in Spain's Basque region.

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Sivan 20, 5771 · June 22, 2011

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,769618,00.html#ref=nlint

--------------------

Photo Gallery: Syria on the Brink
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CONFIDENCE VOTE IN GREECE
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Papandreou Allowed to Continue from Frying Pan to Fire
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http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/0,1518,769760,00.html#ref=nlint

--------------------

Photo Gallery: A Question of Confidence
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Photo Gallery: Greece's Month of Destiny
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OPINION
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SPIEGEL 360: The Euro Crisis
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GUNFIRE AND BRICKS
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Sectarian Tensions Flare in Northern Ireland
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--------------------

Photo Gallery: Riots in Northern Ireland
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VILLA MUSSOLINI
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The Benghazi Mission: Diplomats Flock to Rebel City
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THE WORLD FROM BERLIN
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THE OCTOPUS AS ORACLE
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134 Hours Live: Norway Captivated by Fjord Cruise
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PICTURE THIS
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Sky Lights


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B"H

Sivan 20, 5771 * June 22, 2011

=========================================
E T H I C S O F O U R F A T H E R S
=========================================

Knowledge and Choice
--------------------

All is foreseen, and freedom of choice is granted.

- Ethics of the Fathers, 3:15

* * *

Throughout the generations, many of our sages have expounded on these two cornerstones of Jewish faith: G-d's all-encompassing and all-pervading knowledge, and the freedom of choice He granted to man. Much has also been written on the apparent contradiction between the two: if there are no limits to G-d's knowledge, how can man have real choice in his life? If G-d "already" knows what I will do tomorrow, is not my freedom to choose anything more than an illusion?

Maimonides writes:

"Freedom of choice has been granted to every man.... This concept is a fundamental principle and a pillar of the Torah and its commandments. As it is written: `See, I have set before you life [and good, and death and evil]' ... to say: the choice is in your hands.... For were G-d to decree that a person be righteous or wicked, of if there were to exist something in the very essence of a person's nature which would compel him toward a specific path, a specific conviction, a specific character trait or a specific deed...how could G-d command us through the prophets `do this' and `do not do this,' `improve your ways' and `do not follow your wickedness'...? What place would the entire Torah have? And by what measure of justice would G-d punish the wicked and reward the righteous...?

"One may ask: `G-d, of course, knows all that will transpire. Now, before a particular deed was done, did G-d know whether the person will be righteous or wicked, or did He not know? If He knew that the person would be righteous, then it was not possible for that person not to be so. And if you say that He knew that the person would be righteous, but it was also possible that he might be wicked, than G-d's knowledge was not complete!' Know that the answer to this question `longer than the land is its measure and broader than the sea,' and that many great foundations and lofty mountains hang upon it. But understand well what I am going to say. We have already explained in the second chapter of `The Laws of the Torah's Foundations' that G-d does not know with a `mind' that is distinct from His being, as is the case with man whose being and mind are two distinct entities. Rather, He and His `mind' are one and the same - a concept that is impossible for the human mind to fully comprehend. Thus, just as man cannot discover and grasp the truth of the Creator, as it is written `no man can perceive Me and live,' so, too, man cannot discover and grasp the `mind' of the Creator. In the words of the prophet, `My thoughts are not as your thoughts, nor are your ways as my My ways.' Therefore, we lack the capacity to know the nature of G-d's knowledge of all creations and all events. But this we know without doubt: that the deeds of man are in his hands, and G-d does not compel him to do anything...."

Rabbi Abraham ben Dovid (the "Raavad"), who wrote many glosses on Maimonides' work, takes issue with the latter's approach:

"The author did not act in the manner of the wise: one ought not begin something that one is incapable of concluding. He begins by posing a difficult question, then remains with the difficulty and reverts to faith. It would have been better for him to have left it as a matter of faith for the innocent, instead of making them aware [of the contradiction] and leaving their minds in doubt...."

Rabbi Abraham concludes by saying that "although there is no definitive answer to this," he had best offer at least "something of an answer" to the issue raised by Maimonides. The gist of his answer is that G-d knows what man will choose, but that this knowledge has no effect on the nature of man's choice. Rather, it is "like the predictions of the stargazers, who know, by some other means, what the behavior of an individual will be" but in no way determine it.

In his Tosfos Yom Tov commentary on our mishnah, Rabbi Yom Tov Lippman Heller elaborates on this theme, citing the answer offered by the Rabbi Shmuel Uceda in his work Midrash Shmuel:

"There is no contradiction in the first place. G-d's knowledge of the future is the result of His observing the deed that the person is doing. Just as a person's observation of the deeds of his fellow in no way compels his fellow's actions, so, too, is it with G-d's observation of one's deeds. One cannot argue that because G-d knows the future actions of man He therefore compels them, since before Him there is no precedence and subsequence, as He is not governed by the laws of time.... There is no `future' in G-d's reality - the whole of time is `present' to Him. So just as our knowledge of the present has no compelling effect, so, too, His knowledge is always in [His] `present' and non-compelling...."

The Tosfos Yom Tov adds that "indeed, this is consistent with the conclusion of the Raavad, who compares G-d's knowledge to that of a stargazer."

Some Questions

In light of all the above, several things need to be clarified:

How would Maimonides respond to the Raavad's argument? Indeed, why begin a philosophical discussion of an issue to which there is no philosophical answer?

On the other hand, the Midrash Shmuel's contention that "there is no contradiction in the first place" appears to be well substantiated. G-d, as the Creator of time and space, obviously transcends them. From His vantage point, the whole of time is an open book. To say that He "already" knows the future "before" we mortals have reached that juncture in our journey through time, is to speak of His reality in terms that are appropriate only to ours. In His terms, His knowledge does not precede our deeds - on the contrary, it results of His seeing them transpire in our future (much like the Raavad's hypothetical stargazer who can read the future).

So why does Maimonides not offer this answer? Is there a reason why he would consider it insufficient? Also, why does the Raavad, who does seem to offer this answer, refer to it as only "something of an answer" and concede "that there is no definitive answer" to Maimonides' question? And if there is a flaw in this answer (as both Maimonides and the Raavad apparently felt), was the Midrash Shmuel, and the commentaries who quote him, unaware of it?

Another Kind of Knowledge

The key to all this lies in the lengthy "non-answer" expounded by Maimonides. Instead of merely saying that we cannot grasp the nature of G-d's "mind," Maimonides refers to what he wrote earlier in his work that G-d and "His mind" are one. Let us examine his detailed formulation of this point in chapter two of The Laws of the Torah's Foundations:

"All existences aside of the Creator, from the highest [spiritual] form to a tiny gnat in the belly of the earth, all exist by virtue of His reality. So in knowing His own... reality, He knows everything....

"G-d is aware of His own reality and knows it as it is. He does not `know' with a mind that is distinct from him, as we know. We and our minds are not one; but the Creator - He, His mind, and His life are one from every side and from every angle and in every manner of unity. For were He to...know with a `mind' that is distinct of His being, there would exist several `gods' - He, His mind, etc.... One must therefore conclude that He is the knower, the knowledge, and the mind all in one. This concept is beyond the capacity of the mouth to articulate, the ear to comprehend and the heart of man to truly know....

"Thus, He does not know the creations by perceiving them, as we know them, but rather, He knows then through His perception of Himself.... By knowing Himself He knows everything, since everything relates to Him for its very being."

In other words, the very attribution of "knowledge"' to G-d is problematic. The possession of a "mind" and "knowledge," in our sense of these terms, implies both imperfection and diversity. Imperfection, because something other than myself (i.e., the knowledge) gives me something that I lack on my own. Diversity, because the state of "knowing" presupposes a minimum of three components to my being as a knower: the "I" that is the possessor of the knowledge, the information I possess, and the tool by which I possess it - my mind. And if I know many things, the "parts" to compose my knowing self are multiplied accordingly. True, these components have fused into a single entity (the knowing I), but G-d is a pure singularity, not a composite entity.

Maimonides, therefore, states that if we are to ascribe to G-d the knowledge of all beings and all events, we must conclude that: (a) His knowledge of the countless facts that comprise our existence are, in truth, but a single knowing - His knowledge of self (since what we call "existence" is merely the expression of His infinite potential to create); and (b) He does not know Himself via a "mind" that is a distinct from Him, but that He, His knowledge and His "mind" are an utterly singular unit.

Chassidic teaching takes this a step further. The act of creation is, in essence, an act of Divine knowing. In choosing to ``know'' Himself as the source of the created existence, the Almighty grants it validity and being. So ultimately, every created entity is but the embodiment of G-d's knowledge of it.

In the words of Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi: "G-d's...thought and knowledge of all created beings embrace, in actuality, each and every creation; for [this knowledge] itself is its very life and being and that which brings it into existence from nothingness into actuality."

According to this, one obviously cannot describe G-d's knowledge of the future - nor, for that matter, His knowledge of the past - as resulting from the facts and events of our existence. In fact, the very opposite is true: the facts and events of our existence result from G-d's knowledge of them.

The Tzimtzum

But in addition to this singular, all-embracing, creating knowledge, there also exists another level of Divine knowledge.

In essence, G-d is wholly untouched by the deeds of man ("If you fail, how do you affect Him? If your sins are many, what do you do to Him? If you are righteous, what do you give Him? What can He possibly receive from you?" -Job 35:6-7). And yet, G-d chose to be "affected" by what we do: to take "pleasure" in our accomplishments and to be "angered" by our transgressions. He chose to give himself these "traits" in order to enable us to relate to Him in a way that is meaningful to us.

This phenomenon is known as the tzimtzum ("contraction") - G-d is projecting Himself in ways that are "confining'' to His infinite and feature-free essence, assuming definitive attributes by which to relate to us on our terms.

On this "post-tzimtzum" level, G-d knows us in a way that is comparable to the workings of the human mind - with a knowledge that results from what we do. At the same time, He also knows us with a higher "pre-tzimtzum" knowledge: a knowledge that is an inseparable part of His "seamless" self-knowledge, a knowledge that is not caused by but is the cause of its contents. Chassidic teaching refers to these two levels as G-d's "higher knowledge" and His "lower knowledge."

Knowing the Unknowable

We hear the poet exclaim the "sky for height, the breadth of the earth, and the deep--who can trace them out?" But In light of all the above, we can begin to understand various approaches of Maimonides, the Raavad and others to the issue of Divine knowledge and human choice.

G-d's manifest effect upon our existence (as well as His "reaction" to our deeds) is confined to the interaction created by the tzimtzum-constriction and the "attributes" he assumes in His relationship to us. So on the most basic level, "there is no contradiction in the first place." G-d's "lower knowledge," although unbounded by time, space or any other limits, otherwise resembles knowledge as we know it. It is the product of His observation of our existence (whether past, present or future), so there no reason why it should affect our freedom of choice.

Ultimately, however, G-d does not know things because they occur; He knows them by knowing Himself, and His knowledge of them is the source of their very existence.

However, this "higher knowledge" is part of the pre-tzimtzum reality and, as such, has no perceptible affect on our experience. (Indeed, any logical examination of G-d's relationship to our existence must, by definition, be confined to the post-tzimtzum reality, since all created phenomena, including logic and its laws, are a product of the tzimtzum. Obviously, one cannot talk about "definitions" and "contradictions" when discussing the Creator of logic beyond the point at which He chooses to relate to His creation on its terms.) This is why the Midrash Shmuel and others feel that it is sufficient to deal with the issue of "Divine knowledge and human choice" on the level of "lower knowledge."

Nevertheless, the Raavad considers the "stargazer" explanation as only "something of an answer'' for it fails to resolve the ``contradiction'' as it pertains to the essence of G-d's knowledge. The Raavad, therefore, feels that Maimonides ought not to have begun discussion of an issue that ultimately extends beyond the parameters of logic.

But Maimonides chooses specifically to address the higher level of Divine knowledge, the level at which ``He and His mind are one'' and the workings of ``My thoughts'' are in no way comparable to those of ``your thoughts.'' For man must believe and understand that the Almighty's reality extends beyond what is rationally accessible to the human mind. Indeed, if the question of how G-d's knowledge is to be reconciled with the freedom granted to man does not arise, this means that one's perception of G-d's knowledge is limited to its ``lower'' aspect, regarding which there is indeed no logical inconsistency. To grasp the truly super-logical nature of G-d's ``mind'' is to understand that it, as His essence, is affected by nothing and is the ultimate effector of all.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Introductory reading to Ethics of the Fathers:

All Israel has a share in the World to Come, as is stated: ``And your people are all righteous; they shall inherit the land forever. They are the shoot of My planting, the work of My hands, in which I take pride.'' (Sanhedrin, 11:1)

Chapter Three

1. Rabbi Akavia the son of Mahalalel would say: Reflect upon three things and you will not come to the hands of transgression. Know from where you came, where you are going, and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting. From where you came--from a putrid drop; where you are going--to a place of dust, maggots and worms; and before whom you are destined to give a judgment and accounting--before the supreme king of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He.

2. Rabbi Chanina, deputy to the kohanim, would say: Pray for the integrity of the sovereignty; for were it not for the fear of its authority, a man would swallow his neighbor alive. Rabbi Chanina son of Tradyon would say: Two who sit and no words of Torah pass between them, this is a session of scorners, as is stated, ``And in a session of scorners he did not sit.'' But two who sit and exchange words of Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated, ``Then the G-d-fearing conversed with one another, and G-d listened and heard; and it was inscribed before Him in a book of remembrance for those who fear G-d and give thought to His name.'' From this, I know only concerning two individuals; how do I know that even a single individual who sits and occupies himself with the Torah, G-d designates reward for him? From the verse, ``He sits alone in meditative stillness; indeed, he receives [reward] for it.''

3. Rabbi Shimon would say: Three who eat at one table and do not speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten from the slaughter of the dead, as is stated, ``Indeed, all tables are filled with vomit and filth, devoid of the Omnipresent.'' But three who eat at one table and speak words of Torah, it is as if they have eaten at G-d's table, as is stated, ``And he said to me: `This is the table that is before G-d.' ''

4. Rabbi Chanina the son of Chachina'i would say: One who stays awake at night, or travels alone on the road, and turns his heart to idleness, has forfeited his life.

5. Rabbi Nechunia the son of Hakanah would say: One who accepts upon himself the yoke of Torah is exempted from the yoke of government duties and the yoke of worldly cares ; but one who casts off the yoke of Torah is saddled with the yoke of government duties and the yoke of worldly cares.

6. Rabbi Chalafta the son of Dosa of the village of Chanania would say: Ten who sit together and occupy themselves with Torah, the Divine Presence rests amongst them, as is stated: ``The Almighty stands in the community of G-d.'' And from where do we know that such is also the case with five? From the verse, ``He established his band on earth.'' And three? From the verse, ``He renders judgment in the midst of judges.'' And two? From the verse, ``Then the G-d-fearing conversed with one another, and G-d listened and heard.'' And from where do we know that such is the case even with a single individual? From the verse, ``Every place where I have My name mentioned, I shall come to you and bless you.''

7. Rabbi Elazar of Bartosa would say: Give Him what is His, for you, and whatever is yours, are His. As David says: ``For everything comes from You, and from Your own hand we have given to You.'' Rabbi Yaakov would say: One who walks along a road and studies, and interrupts his studying to say, ``How beautiful is this tree!,'' ``How beautiful is this ploughed field!''---the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life.

8. Rabbi Dusta'i the son of Rabbi Yannai would say in the name of Rabbi Meir: Anyone who forgets even a single word of this learning, the Torah considers it as if he had forfeited his life. As is stated, ``Just be careful, and verily guard your soul, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen.'' One might think that this applies also to one who [has forgotten because] his studies proved too difficult for him; but the verse goes on to tell us ``and lest they be removed from your heart, throughout the days of your life.'' Hence, one does not forfeit his life unless he deliberately removes them from his heart.

9. Rabbi Chanina the son of Dosa would say: One whose fear of sin takes precedence to his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom takes precedence to his fear of sin, his wisdom does not endure.

10. He would also say: One whose deeds exceed his wisdom, his wisdom endures. But one whose wisdom exceeds his deeds, his wisdom does not endure. He would also say: One who is pleasing to his fellow men, is pleasing to G-d. But one who is not pleasing to his fellow men, is not pleasing to G-d. Rabbi Dosa the son of Hurkinas would say: Morning sleep, noontime wine, children's talk and sitting at the meeting places of the ignoramus, drive a person from the world.

11. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in would say: One who profanes the kodoshim, degrades the Festivals, humiliates his friend in public, abrogates the covenant of our father Abraham, or who interprets the Torah contrary to its true intent---although he may possess Torah knowledge and good deeds, he has no share in the World to Come.

12. Rabbi Ishmael would say: Be yielding to a leader, affable to the black-haired, and receive every man with joy.

13. Rabbi Akivah would say: Jesting and frivolity accustom a person to promiscuity. Tradition is a safety fence to Torah, tithing a safety fence to wealth, vows a safety fence for abstinence; a safety fence for wisdom is silence.

14. He would also say: Beloved is man, for he was created in the image [of G-d]; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to him that he was created in the image, as it is says, ``For in the image of G-d, He made man.'' Beloved are Israel, for they are called children of G-d; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to them that they are called children of G-d, as it is stated: ``You are children of the L-rd your G-d.'' Beloved are Israel, for they were given a precious article; it is a sign of even greater love that it has been made known to them that they were given a precious article, as it is stated: ``I have given you a good purchase; My Torah, do not forsake it.''

15. All is foreseen, and freedom of choice is granted. The world is judged with goodness, but in accordance with the amount of man's positive deeds.

16. He would also say: Everything is placed in pledge, and a net is spread over all the living. The store is open, the storekeeper extends credit, the account-book lies open, the hand writes, and all who wish to borrow may come and borrow. The collection-officers make their rounds every day and exact payment from man, with his knowledge and without his knowledge. Their case is well founded, the judgment is a judgment of truth, and ultimately, all is prepared for the feast.

17. Rabbi Eliezer the son of Azariah would say: If there is no Torah, there is no common decency; if there is no common decency, there is no Torah. If there is no wisdom, there is no fear of G-d; if there is no fear of G-d, there is no wisdom. If there is no applied knowledge, there is no analytical knowledge; if there is no analytical knowledge, there is no applied knowledge. If there is no flour, there is no Torah; if there is no Torah, there is no flour.

He would also say: One whose wisdom is greater than his deeds, what is he comparable to? To a tree with many branches and few roots; comes a storm and uproots it, and turns it on its face. As is stated, ``He shall be as a lone tree in a wasteland, and shall not see when good comes; he shall dwell parched in the desert, a salt land, uninhabited.'' But one whose deeds are greater than his wisdom, to what is he compared? To a tree with many roots and few branches, whom all the storms in the world cannot budge from its place. As is stated: ``He shall be as a tree planted upon water, who spreads his roots by the river; who fears not when comes heat, whose leaf is ever lush; who worries not in a year of drought, and ceases not to yield fruit.''

18. Rabbi Eliezer [the son of] Chisma would say: the laws of kinin and the laws of menstrual periods---these, these are the meat of Halacha. The calculations of solar seasons and gematria are the condiments of wisdom.

Studied at the conclusion of each lesson of the Ethics:

Rabbi Chananiah the son of Akashiah would say: G-d desired to merit the people of Israel; therefore, He gave them Torah and Mitzvot in abundance. As is stated, ``G-d desired, for sake of his righteousness, that Torah be magnified and made glorious.'' (Makot, 3:16)

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