Although the majority of countries in the world already recognize a sovereign state of Palestine, most in Western Europe, along with the U.S., do not. The news of the latest additions—whose formal recognition will begin Tuesday—was welcomed by Palestinian officials as a highly symbolic victory for their people and derided by the government of Israel, which wasted no time in excoriating the decision.
Wednesday, May 22, 2024
Tzadikim control Nature
Sefer HaIkkarim (01:21) Belief in G-d and in His Torah brings man to eternal happiness and causes his soul to cleave to the spiritual substance. This is proved by experience, as we know from continuous tradition. We know of no instance of a philosopher or other investigator attaining to the degree of the prophet, which means the union of the divine spirit with the human intellect. We do find that the devotees of the Torah came into such close intellectual union with G-d that they were able to change the laws of nature, cause the latter to do their bidding and perform miracles against the laws of nature…
Sefer HaIkkarim (01:21) Pious men, even if they are not prophets, can change the laws of nature by prayer. Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were cast into the fire and were not burned. Rabbi Hanina the son of Dosa and Rabbi Phinehas the son of Yair made certain temporary changes in the nature and conduct of the world. This shows that one who believes in G-d and in His Torah is above nature and not subject to natural law. On the contrary, the laws of nature are subject to him, and he can change them as he pleases. This is strong and convincing proof that the Torah is divinely revealed, since God shelters, protects and shields those who trust in Him and who observe His covenant and commandments.
Sefer HaIkkarim (02:11) The intellect acquired through the Torah will be a separate intellect existing independently, permanently and controlling all material things, as the prophets and pious men produced signs and miracles by means of the intellect which they acquired through the Torah. This intellect is, as it were, a separate intellect, produced by the Active Intellect or by the sefirah called Sabbath.
Sefer HaIkkarim (03:30) There are cases in which the degree that a person attains by the doing of many commandments with the right motives is such that he is the subject of divine providence in this world and is delivered from all accidents, like many of the pious men of Israel, who were able to change the laws of nature by their will, as for example, Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa, Nahum of Gamzo, Rabbi Phinehas ben Yair, and others.
Beracha
Sefer HaIkkarim (04:19) My opinion therefore is that the blessings are not declarations of the future at all. A blessing is a prayer plus the bestowal upon the recipient of the capacity to receive the divine influence. Celestial influences descend upon the recipients through a chain of intermediate agents and in varying degrees, provided, however, that the recipients are worthy, and occupy a certain definite relation and order, and are in addition prepared to receive the influence in question. And if the transmission is interrupted in any of the intermediate agents, or the relation or order is changed, or the recipient is not prepared, the influence or relation gets confused, and the divine influence does not rest upon the person if the order is changed. For this reason there must be in the recipient the proper preparation to enable him to receive the influence in question. But if the recipient is not himself prepared to receive the divine influence, he may be prepared by a prophet or a righteous or pious man, and thus the one who bestows the blessing becomes an intermediate agent in causing the influence in question to descend. This is the reason for the laying on of hands by those who gave the blessings upon those who received them. The purpose was to confer upon the recipient of the blessing the capacity or preparation to receive the influence or good in question. Thus the pious or righteous man who conferred the blessing was a sort of channel conducting the divine influence.
Sefer HaIkkarim (04:19) The same purpose is intended in the priestly benediction. The priests blessed the people in order that they (the priests) might be the intermediate agents to cause the divine influence to rest upon the recipients of the blessing in accordance with each one’s preparation. The lifting of their hands at the time of the blessing was a sort of laying on of hands. The priests blessed all Israel, or the congregation, because the many collectively are more prepared to receive divine influence than an individual. For it is impossible that there should not be among them some one who has preparation for receiving some measure of divine influence through the mediation of the priests. Of similar nature are the blessings which the righteous or the pious confer upon their recipients. The purpose is that the divine influence may rest upon the recipient through their mediation.
Sefer HaIkkarim (04:19) The question may be asked, how can the righteous or the pious man be an instrument through which a blessing may come upon a person when the pious man himself is poor and dependent upon the bounty of others. The answer is given by the Rabbis, who say that the merits of the righteous avail others, but do not avail the righteous man himself.
Sefer HaIkkarim (04:19) After the influence is transmitted to the recipient of the blessing through the instrumentality of the blesser and in accordance with the amount of preparation of the recipient, the blesser has no power to stop the influence and prevent it from descending upon the recipient. For it descends of its own accord, the blesser being merely an instrument for the blessing to reach the recipient. Therefore though the instrument be removed, the blessing does not depart. It is the same as if a person drew by means of an aqueduct the water of a spring to a garden in order to promote the growth of the plants. The author of the conduit might cease to exist, but the stream made by the channel would not cease to water the garden.
Spain, Norway and Ireland will recognize a Palestinian state
Palestinian statehood has been recognized by more than 130 out of 193 member states of the United Nations, according to the Palestine Liberation Organization.
US Allies Recognize 'Palestine as a State'
https://www.newsweek.com/us-allies-recognize-palestine-state-spain-ireland-norway-1903358
Ireland, Spain and Norway announced plans to recognize a Palestinian state on Wednesday.
It comes as the mounting death toll in Gaza from Israel's seven-month war has prompted global calls for a ceasefire and lasting solution for peace.
Leaders of the counties said on Wednesday that a two-state solution is essential for peace in the region.
Israel's foreign minister Israel Katz responded to the moves, posting on X, formerly Twitter: "Today's decision sends a message to the Palestinians and the world: Terrorism pays."
Tzadikim should avoid Danger
Zohar (Shemos 36a) When punishment impends over a place a man should not go out into the open, since, once the Destroyer is given leave, he does harm indiscriminately, and makes no distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous; therefore the people of G-d should hide themselves lest they be consumed in that vengeance which is the due of the Destroyer.
Israel recalls envoys over Palestinian statehood, ‘We won’t stand silent’
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-802167
Israel recalled its ambassadors from Ireland and Norway to protest the declarations by both countries that they recognize Palestine as a state.
“I have instructed the immediate recall of Israel’s ambassadors to Ireland and Norway for consultations in light of these countries' decisions to recognize a Palestinian state,” Foreign Minister Israel Katz said in a message he posted on X.
Wicked are important
Zohar (Shemos 20b) As thorns are scattered among the lilies, so does G-d permit in His world the wicked to be found among the righteous, for, as without the thorns the lilies could not exist, so would the righteous go unrecognized in the world were it not for the wicked, as R. Judah said: “How are the righteous recognized? By contrast with the wicked I If it were not for the one, the other would not be known.
Wicked have righteous sons
Zohar (Shemos 12b) There are many wicked parents who beget more good sons than righteous parents, and that a good son born of wicked parents is of special excellence, being pure out of impure, light out of darkness, wisdom out of folly.
Death of Tzadikkim
Zohar (Shemos 10b) We have been taught that the righteous are removed from this world before their time for one of two reasons: one for the sins of their generation, for when there is much sin in the world the righteous are penalized for its guilt; the second is that when the Holy One, blessed be He, is aware that they would commit a sin if they lived longer, He removes them before their time.
Stefanik files ethics complaint against Judge Merchan
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/21/stefanik-ethics-complaint-judge-merchan-trump
Stefanik, a close Trump ally and one of his most vocal defenders in Congress, has filed five formal complaints against judges and prosecutors involved in cases against Trump.
French TV channel mistakenly reports Mossad agent ‘Eli Copter’ behind Iran president crash
During a live segment updating on the crash, Haik quoted a Telegram channel saying: “The pilot was a Mossad agent with the name ‘Eli Copter’, it’s not currently clear whether this is true or not, but that’s the rumour going around.”
Haik was ridiculed for not recognising the joke, which also works in French as the word for helicopter is the same as in English.
The Eli Copter joke, which is thought to have originated on Twitter/x and was spread on Israeli Whatsapp groups, last night and later reported as fact on Hamas channels on Telegram.
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