Tamar's birthday at Gan Harmony

Tamar's actual birthday isn't for another month and a half (in Elul), but she has been waiting all year for a birthday party at Gan Harmony, which she finally had last week. So here is a video of her celebrating turning 5 (even though she is really still only 4). It is in Hebrew, but you can probably figure out what is going on even if you don't speak the language.

You can also see how wonderful Gan Harmony is with its integration of children with special needs with regular children. Everyone is an equal part of Gan life, and participates in everything that is going on.

Enjoy

Modern Miracle!

I don't usually like the stories that talk about miracles, especially at a time when others do not receive miracles. It is true that Baruch Hashem very few Israelis were killed in the recent Gaza war (a fact which the UN and the world now uses to support the claim that Israelis are war criminals). But the lives of those few who were killed, and of the many who were injured are also a huge loss to the Jewish people, and musn't be belittled.

G-d has plans that we can't understand, and whatever happens is for the best. The hand of G-d is visible to those who wish to see it and invisible to those who don't.

Despite that, this story is worth sharing and publicising. A soldier sent to Gaza the day after his wedding is difficult enough to grasp. Then the fact that he was critically injured and not expected to live makes for a very tragic story indeed. Now, three weeks later, he was released from hospital for rehab.

Baruch Rofeh Cholim. And just as G-d healed this person, may He heal all the sick of Israel.

Here is the story from Ynet

Three weeks after they gave him mere hours to live, the paratrooper officer critically wounded in Operation Cast Lead saluted his doctors farewell – and left the hospital.

Platoon commander 2nd Lt. Aharon Karov, 22, was ordered to cut his leave short and report for duty in Gaza the morning after his wedding to Tzvia, 19. She was by his side on Tuesday as he said goodbye to the doctors who saved his life at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. The young officer will continue his rehabilitation at the Shiba Medical Center in Tel HaShomer.

"Physically he can do just about everything, but he is still very weak and hasn't regained his strength yet," his father, Rabbi Ze'ev Karov said. "He can walk and move all his limbs, although movement is limited in his left arm, which has 300 pieces of shrapnel imbedded in it."

"This morning he put on his tefillin (phylacteries) by himself, I wanted to let him but he wouldn't let me. He has to communicate for now with his hands and his eyes, because his oral cavity was injured.

"He has amazing, tremendous will power," Rabbi Karov added. "Several times he asked me, through sign language, if his legs were okay. He tried to get up but couldn't, and I explained to him that his muscles were lax. But he is so motivated, and he's aware of his condition.

Aharon's doctors also agree his rapid recovery is nothing short of miraculous. Trauma Unit chief at Beilinson, Professor Pierre Zinger: "When he was brought in everyone was pessimistic and thought his hours were numbered. The injuries were very bad, but in the end there was no injury to the brain."

Another doctor who came to say goodbye was Dr. Steve Jackson, the neurosurgeon who operated on Karov immediately after his injury. "Things were extremely bad, I told the family he serious head trauma. They all cried, his wife too, and I told her: 'God willing, I'll yet circumcise your son,' and then she smiled."

Jackson, a major in the Golani Brigade, saluted Karov as they said goodbye.

Karov's family agreed to allow cameras to capture his emotional departure from the hospital "to strengthen the Israeli people," his father said. "We want to show them that there is no despairing. That everything can happen, on the personal level and the national one."

Another soldier who was seriously wounded in the operation, Golani infantry soldier Cpl. Ben Shpitzer, was also transferred to the rehabilitation institute on Tuesday. He and Karov were ward neighbors while at Beilinson, and plan to share a room during their recovery process.

Installing Hebrew in Linpus on Acer Aspire One

I recently bought myself an Acer aspireOne netbook computer. It is cheap and lightweight, which were my two main requirements. And, just for something different (and to save a small amount of money) I decided to get the linux linpus version. Linux has both advantages and disadvantages over windows, which I won't go into right now. Since I do a lot of work in Hebrew it was very important for me to be able to type in Hebrew. Unfortunately this took a lot of time. On the other hand, now that I've managed to do it (thanks to all the wonderful websites out there who are only too happy to help newbie linux people) it is so exciting. I whooped with you! I want to share it with you as well (in case you also decide to go the linux route).




I'm a complete novice at this, and take no responsibility for anything if it goes wrong. Make backups and say tehillim before you start. Also, even though I think this is what I did to get it to work, please leave comments if I've left out a stage, or said something dangerous.

(It is really not hard, believe me – if I could do it...)

There are two separate things that need doing – you will need to change the keyboard layout, and also to install the Hebrew pack for open office.

Let's deal with the keyboard first (as this is what took me the most time)

First you need to download the keymap for Hebrew. I found that on this site:
http://www.frame-poythress.org/poythress_articles/2007KeyboardGreekHebrew.htm

now you need the keymap for Hebrew for linux. So right click on this link and save it (somewhere)
il.new

Hopefully you remember where you saved it – if not open the downloads folder in firefox and right click on il.new and click on “open in containing folder” which will show you where it is (look at the address bar on the top of the page)

now open your terminal window by going to files -> my documents and then clicking the file menu and selecting terminal (there are other shortcuts to do that – if you know them, fine, if not you'll learn).

To install the keymaps you have to navigate to where you saved the il.new file (inside the terminal window). You do that by typing cd [directory]. For example, if you saved it in 'downloads' you would type cd Downloads.

Then type the following line

cp -v il.new /usr/share/X11/xkb/symbols/il

now change back to the main directory by typing cd

then type sudo mousepad /etc/X11/xorg.conf

you will see a section entitled “input device”
In the line Option "XkbLayout" you will see some letters inside “” separated by commas (or perhaps only two letters with no commas). You want to add 'il' to the list (separated by a comma but no space).

Now save that file and restart your computer. Hopefully on the bottom where you have the language in addition to your EN or UK or whatever language you will also have a flag of Israel. You can switch between languages by either clicking on that icon, or using shift+alt.

The next part is to install the Hebrew addons for Open Office. But I'm too tired now, so that will have to wait for another post.

Mo's new karate suit

Mo just came home from his karate chug with his uniform. I couldn't resist the opportunity to try out my new computer and its video and photo capabilities.

i just got my new Acer Aspire One netbook computer, and after almost 24 hours I still think it is wonderful. It is running linpus linux, which makes a nice change from windows (no more vista - yay!) and means that all programs from now on are free. Hopefully I'll blog about it in detail when I've got the hang of it all. So far, apart from being a different way of thinking I've been able to do everything that I could do with windows on linux.

Here is a photo of Mo in his karate suit:



Here is the video

Greek Wisdom mp3 shiur

Here is a shiur I gave last night (the first night of Chanukah) at Darche Noam on "Greek Wisdom and Kaballah". I argue in favour of learning science (at a time which is not day and not night) in order to come to know G-d, and to come to love and fear Him. This is also the goal of learning kabbalah, which explains the Rema's comment in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 246:4 that 'Tiyul BePardes' means learning about nature.

I also mention an idea of Rav Tzadok HaCohen that kabbalah is the penimiyus and Greek Wisdom is the chitzoniyus, as well as discussing Acher (Elisha ben Avuyiha), and the wars between the Chashmonaim which led ultimately to the destruction of the Temple.

The mp3 audio shiur can be downloaded by clicking on this link:
Greek Wisdom and Kabbalah

Or listen to it online:




Here are (some of) the sources for the shiur:
pdf download

Midos 2:3
ב,ג לפנים ממנו, סורג גבוה עשרה טפחים. ושלוש עשרה פרצות היו בו, שפרצום מלכי יוון; וחזרו וגדרום, וגזרו כנגדן שלוש עשרה השתחוויות.

Sotah 49b
בפולמוס של טיטוס גזרו על עטרות כלות ושלא ילמד אדם את בנו יוונית... ת"ר כשצרו מלכי בית חשמונאי זה על זה היה הורקנוס מבחוץ ואריסטובלוס מבפנים בכל יום ויום היו משלשלין דינרים בקופה ומעלין להן תמידים היה שם זקן אחד שהיה מכיר בחכמת יוונית לעז להם בחכמת יוונית אמר להן כל זמן שעוסקים בעבודה אין נמסרין בידכם למחר שלשלו להם דינרים בקופה והעלו להם חזיר כיון שהגיע לחצי חומה נעץ צפרניו נזדעזעה א"י ארבע מאות פרסה אותה שעה אמרו ארור אדם שיגדל חזירים וארור אדם שילמד לבנו חכמת יוונית... איני והאמר רבי בא"י לשון סורסי למה אלא אי לשון הקודש אי לשון יוונית ואמר רב יוסף בבבל לשון ארמי למה אלא או לשון הקודש או לשון פרסי לשון יוונית לחוד וחכמת יוונית לחוד וחכמת יוונית מי אסירא והאמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל משום רשב"ג מאי דכתיב (איכה ג) עיני עוללה לנפשי מכל בנות עירי אלף ילדים היו בבית אבא חמש מאות למדו תורה וחמש מאות למדו חכמת יוונית ולא נשתייר מהן אלא אני כאן ובן אחי אבא בעסיא שאני של בית ר"ג דקרובין למלכות הוו
[Bava Kama 82b-83a]
[Shita Mekubetzes Bava Kama 82b]
[Magen Avos Tashbetz 2:19]

Menachos 99b
שאל בן דמה בן אחותו של ר' ישמעאל את ר' ישמעאל כגון אני שלמדתי כל התורה כולה מהו ללמוד חכמת יונית קרא עליו המקרא הזה לא ימוש ספר התורה הזה מפיך והגית בו יומם ולילה צא ובדוק שעה שאינה לא מן היום ולא מן הלילה ולמוד בה חכמת יונית

Rambam Perush Hamishnayos end of Sotah

'שהיו מכנים את הרמזים שבדבור וכן דברים שאינם כפשוטם אלא יש להן ענין נסתר, חכמה'.

Teshuvos HaRivash 45
אמנם, ספרי הטבע לא מן השם הוא זה. אבל ראוי לימנע מהם אם הם מתאמצים לעקור עקרי תורתינו הקדושה, ובפרט שני עמודי התווך אשר היא נכונה עליהם, שזהו: חידוש העולם, והשגחת השם יתברך בפרטי המין... ואנחנו מקבלי האמת דעתנו שהתורה שלנו שלמה שבאה אלינו במעמד הר סיני מפי הגבורה ובאמצעות אדון הנביאים ע"ה, היא למעלה מהכל וכל חקירתם אפס ותוהו לערכה...
ואין להביא ראיה מן הרמב"ם ז"ל כי הוא למד קודם לכן כל התורה כולה בשלמות, הלכות ואגדות תוספתא ספרא וספרי וכוליה תלמודא בבלי וירושלמי, כמו שנראה מספר משנה תורה. וכדי להשיב את האפיקורוס עשה ספר המורה, לסתור המופתים והראיות שהביא הפילוסוף...

Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 246:4


Hilchos Teshuva 10:6
י [ו] דבר ידוע וברור שאין אהבת הקדוש ברוך הוא נקשרת בליבו של אדם, עד שישגה בה תמיד כראוי ויעזוב כל שבעולם חוץ ממנה כמו שציווה ואמר "בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך" (דברים ו,ה; דברים י,יב; דברים ל,ו): אלא בדעה שיידעהו. ועל פי הדעה--על פי האהבה--אם מעט מעט, ואם הרבה הרבה.
יא לפיכך צריך האדם לייחד עצמו להבין ולהשכיל בחכמות ותבונות המודיעין לו את קונו כפי כוח שיש באדם להבין ולהשיג, כמו שביארנו בהלכות יסודי התורה.

Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah 2:1-3
א האל הנכבד והנורא הזה--מצוה לאוהבו וליראה ממנו, שנאמר "ואהבת, את ה' אלוהיך" (דברים ו,ה; דברים יא,א) ונאמר "את ה' אלוהיך תירא" (דברים ו,יג; דברים י,כ). [ב] והיאך היא הדרך לאהבתו, ויראתו: בשעה שיתבונן האדם במעשיו וברואיו הנפלאים הגדולים, ויראה מהם חכמתו שאין לה ערך ולא קץ--מיד הוא אוהב ומשבח ומפאר ומתאווה תאווה גדולה לידע השם הגדול, כמו שאמר דויד "צמאה נפשי, לאלוהים--לאל חי" (תהילים מב,ג).
ב וכשמחשב בדברים האלו עצמן, מיד הוא נרתע לאחוריו, ויירא ויפחד ויידע שהוא בריה קטנה שפלה אפלה, עומד בדעת קלה מעוטה לפני תמים דעות, כמו שאמר דויד "כי אראה שמיך . . . מה אנוש, כי תזכרנו" (תהילים ח,ד-ה).
ג ולפי הדברים האלו אני מבאר כללים גדולים ממעשה ריבון העולמים, כדי שיהיו פתח למבין לאהוב את השם, כמו שאמרו חכמים בעניין אהבה, שמתוך כך אתה מכיר את מי שאמר והיה העולם.

Moreh Nevuchim [Letter of the Author to his Pupil, R. Joseph Ibn Aknin.]
In the name of G-d, Lord of the Universe.
To R. Joseph (may God protect him!), son of R. Jehudah (may his repose be in Paradise!):--
My dear pupil, ever since you resolved to come to me, from a distant country, and to study under my direction, I thought highly of your thirst for knowledge, and your fondness for speculative pursuits, which found expression in your poems. I refer to the time when I received your writings in prose and verse from Alexandria. I was then not yet able to test your powers of apprehension, and I thought that your desire might possibly exceed your capacity. But when you had gone with me through a course of astronomy, after having completed the [other] elementary studies which are indispensable for the understanding of that science, I was still more gratified by the acuteness and the quickness of your apprehension. Observing your great fondness for mathematics, I let you study them more deeply, for I felt sure of your ultimate success. Afterwards, when I took you through a course of logic, I found that my great expectations of you were confirmed, and I considered you fit to receive from me an exposition of the esoteric ideas contained in the prophetic books, that you might understand them as they are understood by men of culture.