Thoughts on Judaism by Rony Havive

Judaism - And The Western World

One of the world's oldest living religions is Judaism. Judaism was the first religion based on monotheism, the belief in one God.

The origins of Judaism can be traced as far back as Abraham and has its spiritual and ethical principles embodied chiefly in the Bible's Old Testament and the Talmud. Judaism is the first religion based on ethical monotheism.

The development of Christianity and Islam was highly influenced by Judaism. Thus, had a major influence on Western civilization. Christianity, the eventually dominant religious faith of the West, was in large part a child of the Hebrew religion. When we speak of the Judeo-Christian heritage of Western civilization, we refer not only to the concept of monotheism, but also to ideas of law, morality, and social justice that have become important parts of Western culture. Given that fact, the major Western religions found their roots in Judaism.

Welcome Home Gilad Shalit

Gilad Shalit, an Israel Defense Forces soldier, returned home to the many friends, relatives and supporters waiting to greet him upon his return. Shalit returned to his home in the northern town of Mitzpe Hila on Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was reunited with his parents and brother for the first time since he was abducted and taken to Gaza in June 2006.

A parade of people were singing "Heveinu Shalom Aleichim" and marching with flags as the 25-year-old Shalit was driven up to his house for the first time in five years. Supporters who lined the street threw flowers at the IDF vehicle which transported the Shalit family to their home. This is a happy day indeed.

Hundreds Pray for Missing American Surfer’s Return

Hundreds Pray for Missing American Surfer’s Return

Two days after American surfer Daniel Bobis vanished beneath the waves off western Indonesia, his family is urging people to pray for the 32-year-old’s safe return.

The Previous Rebbe’s Arrival to America

The Previous Rebbe’s Arrival to America

9 Adar, 5700 • February 18, 1940
The Previous Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch, arrives in America after his miraculous rescue from Nazi-occupied Poland.

Chabad Rabbi Named Most Influential In America

Chabad Rabbi Named Most Influential In America

The Daily Beast and Newsweek have released their annual list of the 50 most influential rabbis in the United States.

Israel and Zionism

After the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in CE 70, Jews scattered and began living throughout the world. But the tie with the land of Israel remains. Every Jew feels and expresses this in a different way. Some choose to 'make aliyah' - to emigrate to Israel. Others may voice their criticism of the political situation that has developed in Israel.

People experience life in different ways. According to rabbinic tradition, our uniqueness is one of the three defining features of our fundamental humanity. The others are the fact that each of us is equal to the other and of infinite value. Being Jewish means different things in the hearts of many. Though many try to label it as this or that, it is in our hearts that we know we are Jewish and no man can change how we feel.

Judaism

Jews come from all ethnic backgrounds.
The word Jew is used in a wide number of ways,

• a follower of the Jewish faith
• a child of a Jewish mother
• someone with Jewish decent

The Amsterdam philosopher Ido Abram says there are five aspects that in some way affect the life of every Jew.
These are: religion and tradition, the tie with Israel and Zionism, war persecution and survival, personal history and the exchange between different Jewish cultures.

Jewish Holiday Listing for 2011

Jewish Holiday Listing for 2011

Tu B'Shevat - Work Permitted January 20
Fast of Esther - Work permitted March 17
Purim - Work should be avoided. Consult a Rabbi if this is not possible. Nightfall of March 19 through nightfall of March 20
Shushan Purim - Work permitted March 21
Passover - No work permitted on April 19-20 and April 25-26. Work is permitted only on April 21-22 and 24 with certain restrictions. Sunset of April 18 through nightfall of April 26
Second Passover - Work Permitted May 18
Lag B'Omer - Work Permitted May 22
Shavuot - No work is permitted Sunset of June 7 through nightfall of June 9
Fast of the 17th of Tammuz Work Permitted July 19
Fast of Tish'a B'Av Work should be avoided. Consult a Rabbi if this is not possible. Sunset of August 8 through nightfall of August 9
Rosh Hashanah No work is permitted. Sunset of September 28 through nightfall of September 30
Fast of Gedaliah - Work permitted October 2 -
Yom Kippur - No work is permitted. Sunset of October 7 through nightfall of October 8
Sukkot - No work permitted on Oct. 13-15. Work is permitted on Oct. 16-19 with certain restrictions. Sunset of October 12 through nightfall of October 19
Hoshanah Rabbah - Work permitted with certain restrictions. October 19
Shemini Atzeret - No work is permitted. Sunset of October 19 through nightfall of October 20
Simchat Torah - No work is permitted. Nightfall of October 20 through nightfall of October 21
Chanukah - Work permitted, except Shabbat Sunset of December 20 through December 28

Moshiach

We must all work together to bring Moshiach, now.
Do good - the phrase of the times.

Moshiach or Mashiach is the phrase “Messiah” comes from—it’s a Hebrew word meaning “the anointed one.” Moshiach is a leader who will redeem mankind from meaninglessness, and teach the purpose of life to the universe.

What It Means To Be Jewish

Jews come from all ethnic backgrounds.
The word Jew is used in a wide number of ways,

• a follower of the Jewish faith
• a child of a Jewish mother
• someone with Jewish decent

The Amsterdam philosopher Ido Abram says there are five aspects that in some way affect the life of every Jew.

You can't make a difference! That's NUTs, of course you Can :)

Drop by Drop. Deed By Deed. When the cup is full, one more drop will cause IT to go beyond its boundaries.

Moshiach - the after affect of humanity pushing IT beyond its boundaries.

Have you seen the news lately? Boundaries are getting pushed all over the place for good and bad.

The outcome is visible at the point of measure. When will the point of measure be? which side are You playing on?

Two questions for consideration this fine morning :)

The Secret of Success By Mordechai Wollenberg

Recommended reading - I found this story at chabadla.org by Mordechai Wollenberg called The Secret of Success.

Archeologists discover marble statue in excavation site in Jezreel Valley

Rare statue of Hercules found in northern Israel
Archeologists discover marble statue in excavation site in Jezreel Valley, depicting the Greek demigod holding a club decorated with the skin of the Nemean lion he killed according to legend.

Virtual Tours of Israel

Tour Israel
Plan a Israel vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Israel locals. Tour Israel now virtually and see the true wonders of this unique area as you plan your visit.

Brooklyn to adopt new Safe Stop program for citizens

More than 70 stores in the area have volunteered to be a Safe Stop in the event a citizen is in need of a safe place to get help immediately. Store owners and workers are committed to helping citizens in any emergency to get the help one should need.

read more...

Chabad Kidnap Victim Arrives in Israel

Victim returns!

A family reunited after a horrific ordeal.

Israel - Eco Bike Tours

Discover Israel in its utmost glory with our ultimate 7-day cycling tour!
Our full-board cycling journey will take you to biblical landmarks, bustling cities and pastoral agricultural communities, and through an ever-changing landscape.

Israel Goes Green with Eco Tours

Some aspects of Israel's "Green Revolution" are well known such as the increased use of solar power, water conservation and electric cars, but not many people are aware of the possiblility of enviromentally friendly travel to the land of the bible.

Eco Tours in Israel

This Israel eco tour information sounds very exciting. Israeli organization GoEco matches Israeli and international volunteers with 60 different ecological and humanitarian programs in Israel and the rest of the world.

Touring Israel

Interesting information for anyone who wants to tour the Petra area of Israel. I have not been on this tour, and can not recommend it personally, but the site looks informative.

Israel's Bio Diversity

Israel's Bio Diversity
The state of Israel is a parliamentary
republic in the Middle East looking out over
the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
The country enjoys a unique biodiversity due
to four different phytogeographic regions.
http://www.ronyhavive.net/israel.html

Chabad in Los Angeles

Rony Havive Recommends: Chabad in Los Angeles is a local and vibrant growing community with programs and activities for the entire family.

All are welcome to come and avail yourself of any of the programs and activities. They are very proud of their accomplishments and for becoming an important Jewish program and service provider in Los Angeles area. They welcome you with open arms.

Check it out today

There is nothing as whole as a broken heart.

Is sad bad? Chassidic teaching differentiates between two types of sorrow: merirut, a constructive grief, and atzvut, a destructive grief. Merirut is the distress of one who not only recognizes his failings but also cares about them; one who agonizes over the wrongs he has committed, over his missed opportunities, over his unrealized potential; one who refuses to become indifferent to what is deficient in himself and his world. Atzvut is the distress of one who has despaired of himself and his fellow man, whose melancholy has drained him of hope and initiative. Merirut is a springboard for self-improvement; atzvut is a bottomless pit.

How does one distinguish between the two? The first is active, the second—passive. The first one weeps, the second’s eyes are dry and blank. The first one’s mind and heart are in turmoil, the second’s are still with apathy and heavy as lead. And what happens when it passes, when they emerge from their respective bouts of grief? The first one springs to action: resolving, planning, taking his first faltering steps to undo the causes of his sorrow. The second one goes to sleep.1

The fast of Tisha b'Av

The fast of Tisha b'Av, the saddest date on the Jewish calendar, is the day which saw the destruction of both Holy Temples, as well as many other tragic events throughout our nation's tear-soaked galut (exile).

Fast of Tish'a B'Av

Sunset of August 8 through nightfall of August 9
Work should be avoided. Consult a Rabbi if this is not possible.

During the summer we have The Three Weeks, which is an annual mourning period. This is when we mourn the destruction of the Holy Temple and our launch into a still-ongoing exile.

The period begins on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz, a fast day that marks the day when the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 CE.

It reaches its climax and concludes with the fast of the 9th of Av, the date when both Holy Temples were set aflame. This is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar, and it is also the date of other tragedies spanning our nation’s history.

Alzheimer's Disease

 Know the 10 Signs of the disease, it's risk factors, and treatments.
http://www.ronyhavive.info/

Jewish Spirituality on the Jersey Shore

A popular venue, which attracts the youngest members of the shore community, is Crafts for Kids, a storefront on the boardwalk initiated by Tova Rapoport some eight years ago. In the colorful, friendly store, children aged two and older can choose from more than 75 different crafts to build or paint. For the few hundred children who choose a craft every month, the activities are something to do besides sitting at the beach all day.
 http://www.chabad.org/news/article_cdo/aid/1580732/jewish/Jewish-Spirituality-Found-on-Shore.htm

Rony Havive - Passover

The Seder Plate - The Bitter Herbs

Bitter herbs (maror) remind us of the bitterness of the slavery of our forefathers in Egypt. Fresh grated horseradish, romaine lettuce, and endive are the most common choices. Preparation: This must be done before the holiday begins. Peel the raw horseradish roots, and rinse them off well. Note: Dry the roots very carefully, since they will be eaten with the matzah later on for the Korech sandwich; to avoid gebrokts, not even a drop of water should be left on the horseradish. Next, grate the horseradish with a hand grater or electric grinder. (Whoever will be grating the horseradish will begin to shed copious tears or cough a lot. Covering the face with a cloth from the eyes downwards helps prevent inhalation of the strong, bitter odor.) The lettuce or endive leaves must be washed, carefully checked for insects, and thoroughly dried. You can instead use just the stalks, which are easier to clean and check. Place the horseradish on the Seder plate, on top of a few cleaned, dried leaves of romaine lettuce. Role in the Seder: After the recital of most of the Haggadah comes the ritual hand washing. Then matzah is eaten, followed by some maror, followed in turn by a sandwich of matzah and maror. More informaion.www.ronyhavive.net

Rony Havive - Chabad 2011

The Seder Plate - The Egg

A hard-boiled egg represents the holiday offering brought in the days of the Holy Temple. The meat of this animal constituted the main part of the Passover meal. Preparation: Boil one egg per Seder plate, and possibly more for use during the meal. Role in the Seder: Place one egg on each plate. As soon as the actual meal is about to begin, remove the egg from the Seder plate and use during the meal. A popular way of eating these eggs is to chop and mix them with the salt water which was set on the table. The eggs prepared this way are then served as an appetizer before the fish.

Rony Havive - Judaism
People experience life in different ways. According to rabbinic tradition, our uniqueness is one of the three defining features of our fundamental humanity. The others are the fact that each of us is equal to the other and of infinite value. Being Jewish means different things in the hearts of many. Though many try to label it as this or that, it is in our hearts that we know we are Jewish and no man can change how we feel.

Annual Gala Banquet
“If there is one thing predictable about Rony Havive,” says one of his dear friends, “it’s that he’s unpredictable!” “Rony doesn’t play by the book,” adds another. “He works totally on instinct and the guiding hand of G-d.”
And no one would agree with that assessment more than Rony himself! “Honesty…. integrity…. and belief are essential” he explains emphatically. “You’ve got to believe and open the door with emunah (faith) so miracles can happen. Especially when you’re down; that’s when it’s absolutely crucial not to lose bitachon (hope).”

Rony Havive - Israel

Rony Havive - Israel
The state of Israel is a parliamentary
republic in the Middle East looking out over
the beautiful Mediterranean Sea.
The country enjoys a unique biodiversity due
to four different phytogeographic regions.

Rony Havive - Moshiach

Rony Havive -Chabad
Moshiach
One drop of water becomes a river.  Read the words of Lubavitcher Rebbe.