ICEJ News of 9-13-04

[Dad Ernie]

NEWS STORIES

TENS OF THOUSANDS PROTEST DISENGAGEMENT

Sharon warns Cabinet

[Guest shiloh357]

"Jews should not think so lightly about transferring other Jewish people from their homes,

[Yahsway]

Im with ya on that Shiloh, I wish BB was back in running the country again.

[Trinity]

I just can't wait till its a Theocracy again

[Guest shiloh357]

Im with ya on that Shiloh, I wish BB was back in running the country again.

Of all the Prime Ministers, BB was my favorite. They need him back as PM.

[Guest shiloh357]

I just can't wait till its a Theocracy again

Hopefully sooner rather than later!

[other one]

I just can't wait till its a Theocracy again

Hope Jesus comes back first.

[Guest yod]

I just can't wait till its a Theocracy again 

Hope Jesus comes back first.

:LOL: good point!

I don't think it will happen. I don't believe that God will let it. I'm looking for some event to put a stop to it....like Oslo stopped.

[Guest yod]

This from an Orthodox jew who owns a store in the jewish quarter of Jerusalem...written yesterday 9.13.04

================================

Sunday evening began with a mass prayer gathering at the Western Wall .

The evergrowing segment of Israel's population that would not succumb

to the pressures of a generally hostile world view or to the fatigue of

unending battle were gathering together for strength. Thousands arrived

at the Western wall heeding the calls of former chief rabbis, Rav Avraham

Shapira and Rav Mordechai Eliyahu. Several hundreds decided to take

their prayers to the now monthly march around the gates. There was a sense of

gathering in order to recieve strength and spirit for the struggle yet

to come.

Those that speak about a possible civil war do not know these people.

These people will not raise an arm against a brother . Yigal Amir is

the perfect proof. The fact that over these long years of struggle and

threats he remaimns an anomaly is a very vocal testimony . An exception that

proves the rule ! These people were not preparing to act violently .

They were girding for a struggle that would be principled and based on

faith and belief. They are getting ready to stand at every street corner and

petition every contact. They are preparing to cling to their hom,es

and their families. They were getting ready to welcome the many thousands

who will join them in Gush Katif , should the need arise.

As I stood at the prayer gathering and read the psalms and heard the

shofars and the silver trumpets cry out their painful sound, I found

myself being uplifted and torn between feelings of sadness and destiny.

Sadness over the fact that we are still doing these things to ourselves

or letting others do it to us. The sense of destiny related to the fact

that after thousands of years I was standing in my state praying at the

closest spot to the Temple mount declaring my allegiance to my people's destiny

and future and to my commitment and faith. I was standing there for

the many millions before me that could not.

Around me stood many groups of people soldiers , yeshiva students and

many fathers and their young children. All of them seemed to be wracked

with the same emotions I was experiencing . Their cries to the Holy One

Blessed Be He pierced the darkening sky. I left the wall. though,

with a sense of not having achieved completion . I wasn't sure what

was missing but I sensed a feeling of something unfulfilled.

We walked quickly to Zion square to join the mass demonstration that

had already begun.Tens of thousands of protestors opposed to the expulsion

of Jews from Gaza and northern Shomron had arrived in downtown

Jerusalem and were calling upon Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to either back down from his plan or to hold new elections.

There was an electric feeling in the air. This was not a demonstration

of despair or hopelesssness. It was a declaration of resolute faith . That

spirit shot through the massed crowds and people began to smile at each

other . That place in my soul that had previously felt empty was

quickly filled by the sheer magnitude of the gathering .

Noam Namir, a young girl from the threatened community of N'vei

Dekalim, spoke for everyone there when she addressed Prime Minister Sharon,

"How could you threaten to throw me out of my home in Israel, after my

grandmother was expelled from her home in Poland, my grandfather was

thrown out of Spain, and my father was exiled from the Sinai town of

Yamit? I don't know how any Jewish soldier or police officer could

bring themselves to throw my family and me out of our house! How will they be

able to listen to such an order? "

I began to understand more clearly an old segment of Rosh Hashana

Torah I had once learnt and had heard again most recently from Rabbi Sholom

Gold .

Whenever the Biblical text uses the word "HaYom , The Day" ,it either

refers to or insinuates the day of Rosh Hashanh,the day of judgement.

The most obvious usage is in the Torah portion we read just prior to

Rosh Hashanah , Parshat Nitzavim;

Deuteronomy 29:9

"You are standing this day ( HAYOM )all of you before HaShem your G-d:

your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the

men of Israel, "

We see it again in one of the more obscure references in Kings II

chapter 4:11-13 ;

And it fell on the day ( HAYOM ), that he ( the prophet Elisha) came

thither, and he turned into the upper chamber and lay there. And he

said to Gehazi his servant: 'Call this Shunammite.' And when he had called

her, she stood before him. And he said unto him: 'Say now unto her: Behold,

thou hast been careful for us with all this care; what is to be done

for thee? wouldest thou be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the

host?' And she answered: 'I dwell among mine own people.'

Beyond the plain meaning of the text our sages learnt an important

lesson from this encounter. Elisha turns to this woman on Rosh Hashana day and

asks her if he should intercede on her behalf with the King. In this

case we are referring to the King of Kings,to HaShem. She answered that it

would be unecasery as as she declares , 'I dwell among mine own

people.' That is I stand before my King from amidst my people. It is from that

position I draw strength.

The greatest strength an Individual has as he turns in prayer before

his Heavenly King , is when he does so with and on behalf of his people.

The gathering at Zion square reinforced that sense. We stood before the

world. We stood before the rest of Israel. We stood before our Creator

united , for the sake of one another. Each of us amidst our people ,

for our people .

That truth is invincible.

It is with that truth we will enter into this year's Day of Judgement.

moshe kempinski ( http://www.shorashim.net )