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21 hours ago
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Shir Ha-Ma'alot #32
On the Sheva Berachot – "Who created the man in His Image"
What is the image of God? The Rambam explained at the beginning of the Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) that this is the human intellect. We have emotion as well, but animals also have emotion. And, on the contrary, what causes the human emotion to be exalted higher than the emotion of angels is the human intellect which refines and purifies that emotion. Both man and woman are in the image of God, both of them are bearers of intellect. This obviously does not refer to basic intellect which is required to fix an object, but to the highest form of intellect which is utilized for ethical and spiritual matters to reach a knowledge of Hashem. This is the fundamental equality of a man and a woman - both of them were created in the image of God. There are all types of physiological and psychological differences, but these are completely offset compared with the common denominator. There are even differences between the intellect of a man and the intellect of a woman. On the one hand, there is a certain advantage to the male intellect in that it is not especially intermingled with emotion; the constitution of a woman is therefore weaker than that of a man (Shabbat 33b). On the other hand, there is a certain advantage to the female intellect in that it is more intermingled with emotion, the understanding of a woman is therefore greater than that of a man (Niddah 45b). There is a difference, but do not forget the common denominator. It is therefore not enough for a couple to love one another, they also need to value each other as being a bearer of intellect.
At the end of the Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam returned to these words, a part of which is brought by the Rama in his introduction to the Shulchan Aruch: The way that a person acts when he is alone in his room cannot be compared to the way that he acts in front of a great king. But, behold, a person is constantly in a state of being in front of an awe-inspiring king, his intellect, the Divine spark which is in him, which attaches him to the Master of the Universe.
What is the image of God? The Rambam explained at the beginning of the Moreh Nevuchim (Guide for the Perplexed) that this is the human intellect. We have emotion as well, but animals also have emotion. And, on the contrary, what causes the human emotion to be exalted higher than the emotion of angels is the human intellect which refines and purifies that emotion. Both man and woman are in the image of God, both of them are bearers of intellect. This obviously does not refer to basic intellect which is required to fix an object, but to the highest form of intellect which is utilized for ethical and spiritual matters to reach a knowledge of Hashem. This is the fundamental equality of a man and a woman - both of them were created in the image of God. There are all types of physiological and psychological differences, but these are completely offset compared with the common denominator. There are even differences between the intellect of a man and the intellect of a woman. On the one hand, there is a certain advantage to the male intellect in that it is not especially intermingled with emotion; the constitution of a woman is therefore weaker than that of a man (Shabbat 33b). On the other hand, there is a certain advantage to the female intellect in that it is more intermingled with emotion, the understanding of a woman is therefore greater than that of a man (Niddah 45b). There is a difference, but do not forget the common denominator. It is therefore not enough for a couple to love one another, they also need to value each other as being a bearer of intellect.
At the end of the Moreh Nevuchim, the Rambam returned to these words, a part of which is brought by the Rama in his introduction to the Shulchan Aruch: The way that a person acts when he is alone in his room cannot be compared to the way that he acts in front of a great king. But, behold, a person is constantly in a state of being in front of an awe-inspiring king, his intellect, the Divine spark which is in him, which attaches him to the Master of the Universe.
Originally posted by Torat HaRav Aviner
RubinReports: J’Accuse!: The Frame-Up of Captain Israel by Major Dictatorships
J’Accuse!: The Frame-Up of Captain Israel by Major Dictatorships
[Please subscribe to read more original satire, historical parallels, Middle East politics, U.S. foreign policy, and life in the fourth grade]
By Barry Rubin
The affair began in a most unusual way. A low level spy—in fact, the cleaning woman at the foreign embassy—uncovered an important document in a waste-basket. It showed that someone was violating human rights, acting aggressively, and murdering civilians indiscriminately.
The document ended up on the desk of the officer in charge of counter-intelligence. Who could be the culprit, the traitorous spy to all that was right in the world? The officer, Major Oppressive Dictatorships, of course, already had a bias. He hated Jews and wanted to destroy them. He barely had to look down the roll of countries to know that there was only one Jew on that list: Captain Israel. Yes, he must be the one.
But Major Dictatorships had a problem. True, Israel had access to having an army, force, and the instruments of war. Yet the document did not resemble Israel’s handwriting or general behavior. Of course, that was no problem for him. He knew Israel was at fault. It had no right being on the roll of nations any way. And so it did not bother his conscience at all to forge documents proving what he already believed: Israel was the spy.
The documents were taken to the armed forces commander, General Assembly. He, too, suspected that all was not in order but it didn’t matter to him either. Deciding that Israel was guilty suited his purposes as well. And so he endorsed the prosecution. Captain Israel was court-martialed and quickly convicted. No one listened to his protestations of innocence.
It was a dramatic ceremony. Before all the countries drawn up in the large hall, Israel was stripped of his sword. His buttons were cut off, the insignia identifying him as an officer and gentleman were torn away. The mob howled for blood. But instead Captain Israel was sent to Devil’s Island for life.
Naturally, Israel’s community protested, but few others joined it. Gradually, though, the idea grew among a minority that Captain Israel had been framed. A few wrote in protest: the army was covering up, the government was complicit.
But most responded: What? Can General Assembly and all the others have lied? Ridiculous! Of course you are only saying he's innocent because you are on his side. The documents were persuasive; the newspapers proclaimed his guilt in great detail. The hierarchy of an entire religion insisted on his guilt. A whole wing of the political spectrum condemned him as a monster. Everyone agreed. Only Captain Israel could have betrayed the secrets of human rights and proportional response to the enemy.
There matters would have rested, with Captain Israel rotting away forever on Devil’s Island. But the turmoil grew. And most miraculously of all, a courageous officer replaced Major Dictatorships as head of counter-intelligence.
[Let me dispense with satire and give his real name, as a monument should be built in his honor: Lieutenant Colonel Marie Georges Picquart. In addition, there is no one who fits that role today. Lieutenant Colonel Europe? No, he mostly abstained. Lieutenant Colonel Intelligentsia? Largely the one leading on the mob. Lieutenant Colonel America? The best choice but not so unambiguous. And where is Picquart now that we need him? Where are the heroic intellectuals who will stand up for truth no matter what the personal cost?]
Re-examining the case documents, Picquart was shocked. It was obvious that Captain Israel was totally innocent. The actual traitor was Major Libya Syria Iran. The documents were in his handwriting, L.S. Iran was known for his reckless behavior. He had every motive to betray democracy and human rights. But because of his background, he had too many friends in high places willing to excuse his behavior.
No, it was even worse! Once General Assembly, Major Dictatorships, and the others realized that Major Iran was the one who was the real threat they engineered a cover-up, even calling Major Iran as a witness in the case to testify as to Israel’s guilt, since the real culprit was one of the main people who hated Captain Israel and wanted to see him executed.
Thus, the guilty were exalted; the innocent derided and punished.
Picquart was a man of incredible courage and honesty. He tried to tell everyone the truth even if it destroyed his career. But instead of listening, the high command transferred him to a far-flung post in a war zone where they might hope he would be killed.
Nevertheless, Picquart’s words were heard and heeded by a few who also had the courage to speak out, showing logically how everything presented at the trial had been a lie. They demanded justice and the punishment of the real criminals.
So five years after being convicted, Captain Israel was brought back from Devil’s island and given a new trial. And guess what? Despite all the evidence that he was innocent, the court-martial again convicted him. Indeed, it took ten years for Captain Israel to be completely exonerated.
Major Dictatorships, despite all General Assembly’s efforts to shield him, was dishonored and committed suicide. General Assembly was disgraced. Major Iran had to flee into exile. Lt. Colonel Piquart was restored, honored, promoted to general, and even later became minister of war.
Of course, this is only a story. But cannot one learn from it to struggle and never give up hope, believing that truth will out and justice will triumph? In the meantime, of course, lies triumph and villains prosper. Yet truth will not be denied forever.
Oh, sorry, did I say, Captain Israel? I meant Captain Dreyfus, Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
Note: The story above, with minor alterations to relate it to contemporary events, is an accurate depiction of the Dreyfus affair, which shook the politics of France between 1894 and 1904.
In 1894, Dreyfus was falsely accused of passing French secrets to Germany. J’accuse (I Accuse) was the title of the single most important article, by the novelist Emile Zola in 1898, written in defense of Dreyfus. Major Dictatorships is based on Major, later Colonel, Hubert-Joseph Henry; General Assembly, on French minister of war General Auguste Mercier; Major L.S. Iran, on Major Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy.
The religious group insisting on Dreyfus's guilt was the Catholic Church. The political wing condemning Dreyfus was the right-wing. In both cases, there are different actors playing those roles today.
By Barry Rubin
The affair began in a most unusual way. A low level spy—in fact, the cleaning woman at the foreign embassy—uncovered an important document in a waste-basket. It showed that someone was violating human rights, acting aggressively, and murdering civilians indiscriminately.
The document ended up on the desk of the officer in charge of counter-intelligence. Who could be the culprit, the traitorous spy to all that was right in the world? The officer, Major Oppressive Dictatorships, of course, already had a bias. He hated Jews and wanted to destroy them. He barely had to look down the roll of countries to know that there was only one Jew on that list: Captain Israel. Yes, he must be the one.
But Major Dictatorships had a problem. True, Israel had access to having an army, force, and the instruments of war. Yet the document did not resemble Israel’s handwriting or general behavior. Of course, that was no problem for him. He knew Israel was at fault. It had no right being on the roll of nations any way. And so it did not bother his conscience at all to forge documents proving what he already believed: Israel was the spy.
The documents were taken to the armed forces commander, General Assembly. He, too, suspected that all was not in order but it didn’t matter to him either. Deciding that Israel was guilty suited his purposes as well. And so he endorsed the prosecution. Captain Israel was court-martialed and quickly convicted. No one listened to his protestations of innocence.
It was a dramatic ceremony. Before all the countries drawn up in the large hall, Israel was stripped of his sword. His buttons were cut off, the insignia identifying him as an officer and gentleman were torn away. The mob howled for blood. But instead Captain Israel was sent to Devil’s Island for life.
Naturally, Israel’s community protested, but few others joined it. Gradually, though, the idea grew among a minority that Captain Israel had been framed. A few wrote in protest: the army was covering up, the government was complicit.
But most responded: What? Can General Assembly and all the others have lied? Ridiculous! Of course you are only saying he's innocent because you are on his side. The documents were persuasive; the newspapers proclaimed his guilt in great detail. The hierarchy of an entire religion insisted on his guilt. A whole wing of the political spectrum condemned him as a monster. Everyone agreed. Only Captain Israel could have betrayed the secrets of human rights and proportional response to the enemy.
There matters would have rested, with Captain Israel rotting away forever on Devil’s Island. But the turmoil grew. And most miraculously of all, a courageous officer replaced Major Dictatorships as head of counter-intelligence.
[Let me dispense with satire and give his real name, as a monument should be built in his honor: Lieutenant Colonel Marie Georges Picquart. In addition, there is no one who fits that role today. Lieutenant Colonel Europe? No, he mostly abstained. Lieutenant Colonel Intelligentsia? Largely the one leading on the mob. Lieutenant Colonel America? The best choice but not so unambiguous. And where is Picquart now that we need him? Where are the heroic intellectuals who will stand up for truth no matter what the personal cost?]
Re-examining the case documents, Picquart was shocked. It was obvious that Captain Israel was totally innocent. The actual traitor was Major Libya Syria Iran. The documents were in his handwriting, L.S. Iran was known for his reckless behavior. He had every motive to betray democracy and human rights. But because of his background, he had too many friends in high places willing to excuse his behavior.
No, it was even worse! Once General Assembly, Major Dictatorships, and the others realized that Major Iran was the one who was the real threat they engineered a cover-up, even calling Major Iran as a witness in the case to testify as to Israel’s guilt, since the real culprit was one of the main people who hated Captain Israel and wanted to see him executed.
Thus, the guilty were exalted; the innocent derided and punished.
Picquart was a man of incredible courage and honesty. He tried to tell everyone the truth even if it destroyed his career. But instead of listening, the high command transferred him to a far-flung post in a war zone where they might hope he would be killed.
Nevertheless, Picquart’s words were heard and heeded by a few who also had the courage to speak out, showing logically how everything presented at the trial had been a lie. They demanded justice and the punishment of the real criminals.
So five years after being convicted, Captain Israel was brought back from Devil’s island and given a new trial. And guess what? Despite all the evidence that he was innocent, the court-martial again convicted him. Indeed, it took ten years for Captain Israel to be completely exonerated.
Major Dictatorships, despite all General Assembly’s efforts to shield him, was dishonored and committed suicide. General Assembly was disgraced. Major Iran had to flee into exile. Lt. Colonel Piquart was restored, honored, promoted to general, and even later became minister of war.
Of course, this is only a story. But cannot one learn from it to struggle and never give up hope, believing that truth will out and justice will triumph? In the meantime, of course, lies triumph and villains prosper. Yet truth will not be denied forever.
Oh, sorry, did I say, Captain Israel? I meant Captain Dreyfus, Captain Alfred Dreyfus.
Note: The story above, with minor alterations to relate it to contemporary events, is an accurate depiction of the Dreyfus affair, which shook the politics of France between 1894 and 1904.
In 1894, Dreyfus was falsely accused of passing French secrets to Germany. J’accuse (I Accuse) was the title of the single most important article, by the novelist Emile Zola in 1898, written in defense of Dreyfus. Major Dictatorships is based on Major, later Colonel, Hubert-Joseph Henry; General Assembly, on French minister of war General Auguste Mercier; Major L.S. Iran, on Major Ferdinand Walsin Esterhazy.
The religious group insisting on Dreyfus's guilt was the Catholic Church. The political wing condemning Dreyfus was the right-wing. In both cases, there are different actors playing those roles today.
RubinReports: J’Accuse!: The Frame-Up of Captain Israel by Major Dictatorships
Israel Matzav: And another new Israeli technology: Snow making
And another new Israeli technology: Snow making
For those of you who think Israel is a hot desert company, this story may throw you for a loop. One of Israel's new technologies is the best snow making equipment in the world. The sun-baked Mediterranean country might not appear on many lists of top cold-weather destinations, but an Israeli engineering firm has come up with a machine capable of generating snow in all weathers.Read the whole thing.
Six times as powerful as a traditional snow cannon, the All Weather Snowmaker, developed by IDE Technologies, produces flakes regardless of temperature, humidity and wind -- conditions which affect cannons' performance.
...
The technology behind the machine was originally developed to desalinate sea water, and it took 15 years for someone to think of using it to make snow.
A refined version was being used to cool mines in South Africa when a Russian IDE engineer came up with the idea.
"During a mission in South Africa in 2005, he suddenly exclaimed: 'It's snow, I can ski on it!'," IDE spokesman Moshe Tessel said.
I'm not into skiing. So I've included a picture of a place where I'd like to see snow. Sure beats dome games.
Israel Matzav: And another new Israeli technology: Snow making
Israel Matzav: Never defend an Islamic country
Never defend an Islamic country
Harvard's Middle East Strategy blog has a fascinating post entitled "How the Saudis radicalized US troops." The bottom line ought to make Americans think about whether it's worth stationing US troops in Islamic countries at all. The genesis of radical Islamic thinking within the military was in the 1990-91 Gulf War, when nearly half a million soldiers and marines were deployed in Saudi Arabia to liberate Kuwait and defend the oil kingdom from Saddam Hussein’s aggression. While the Saudis were adamantly opposed to any expression of religious practice by their guests, including a ban on Christmas carols, bible classes and Christian and Jewish prayers, they embarked on a well-orchestrated and generously funded effort sponsored by the Saudi government to convert as many American military members as possible to Islam.
According to General Norman Schwarzkopf’s aide Rick Francona,Saudi officers appeared to have been directed by their senior military or religious leadership to spot and assess potential converts to Islam among American military members. Once a particular American was ‘targeted,’ […] a few Saudi military officers, including a military imam, would attempt to meet the American in either a purely social setting or at least outside of the work area. These approaches usually included fairly generous gifts and of course, literature about Islam. The gifts included expensive briefcases, pens, books and other personal items. Americans who decided to convert to Islam were rewarded handsomely […] including all expenses paid trips to Mecca, and payments as high as $30,000.
The commander of Saudi forces in the Gulf, Prince Khaled bin Sultan bragged in his memoir that more than 2,000 American troops converted to Islam through this campaign. “These Muslim troops are now the messengers of Islam in the U.S. forces,” said Dr. Abu Ameena Bilal Phillips, a Jamaican-born convert to Islam (1972) who worked during the Gulf war under the auspices of the U.S. Air Force while converting U.S. troops to Islam in his spare time. After the war, Phillips moved to the United States to “set up Islamic chapters in the U.S. Defense Department.”
Nearly two decades have passed since the Saudi conversion campaign, and most of the converts may no longer be in uniforms. But the seeds sown during the Gulf War have germinated, creating scores of radicalized Americans who are a threat to their comrades in uniforms as well as to their civilian communities.
Israel Matzav: Never defend an Islamic country
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