Prospects for Peace

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel's incoming Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu struck a conciliatory tone as he took office Tuesday, promising to seek a "permanent arrangement" with the Palestinians and full peace with the entire Arab and Muslim world.

In his speech the Prime Minister reminded how the Jewish and Arab Peoples have had productive periods of history where they lived together peacefully—he held out the hope of a return to those days. Everyone realizes the problem is with the extremists and certainly to moderate extremes helps to lessen the tension, but a strong center is inevitable if there is to be lasting peace.

The Cabala explains how the center of all things is composed from will, the will of each side to meld together; essence is described as will—a focused line emanating from the highest spiritual level down to the very earth. It is this middle line which allows creation to exist and it is this middle line that will bring peace to the Middle East.

Between two wills is the nothing of submission that melds the two together. Islam means Submission and Yehudi/Jewish means Admission; there is no greater love than the love between two brothers because of their equality—there is a way to peace through will and love.

The Curse of the Car

NYT—The White House on Sunday pushed out the chairman of General Motors and instructed Chrysler to form a partnership with the Italian automaker Fiat within 30 days as conditions for receiving another much-needed round of government aid.

A Rebbe a century ago remarked: you should do everything at least once just for the experience with the exception of driving a car; seems the Rebbe did not like cars. Perhaps it was not the car which was repugnant to the Rebbe, but the manner in which the car is massed produced.

Henry Ford, a known anti-Semite and inventor of the assembly line, was famous for saying: why do I need to hire a man when all I need is his hand. That curse has extended into all parts of society where one can sell their brain, their ability—the thing they love most for a buck.

Now the question is whether there is enough good in this complicated dehumanizing apparatus to justify continuation.

Torture and Justice

NYT-LONDON — A Spanish court has taken the first steps toward opening a criminal investigation into allegations that six former high-level Bush administration officials violated international law by providing the legal framework to justify the torture of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, an official close to the case said.

The seventh of the Seven Commandments given by God to the first human beings Adom and Chava and passed on to Noah before the flood is to make courts of law to administer justice. This last commandment given equally to all peoples of the earth involves four other commandments: prohibitions against murder, stealing and the protection of life both human and animal. There are many admonitions in the Torah against judges taking bribes or favoring the rich and powerful—justice must be performed without favor or even compassion.

The Cabala points out that this is the second of seven worlds which is related to the attribute of Gevorah/Severity; it is the job of the human being to sweeten the severity so we can go on to the third world of Teferit/Beauty.

Severity is sweetened by removing the essential evil who exploited this hard, but neutral attribute.

Not Kosher

Oakdale, California's annual Testicle Festival is always a place to have ball. It's common practice on cattle ranches for young male bovines to be castrated into steers, which after the initial loss, eventually makes them more docile and easier to handle. Fans of the delicacy, also referred to as "mountain oysters," come from around the state.

The Talmud-Book of Law describes how the Jewish farmers of that day would fasten a coin the animal’s testicles and a non-Jew would come along and understand that the animal needed to be castrated and here was the reward—plus you could eat them.

The reason why castration is not allowed to the Jewish People from the Torah/Teaching is because we are the Chosen People—chosen to do 613 Commandments corresponding to the 613 divisions in the human body divided 365 connecting vessels to 248 limbs which is reflected in the 365 days of the earthly years and 248 years to Pluto’s cycle around the sun.

The non-Jew has the Seven Commandments of Noah: 1) prohibition against serving idol, 2) prohibition against using God’s Name in vain, 3) prohibition against murder, 4) prohibition against stealing, 5) the obligation to make laws concerning the earth and the life upon the earth, 6) the obligation to make laws concerning sexuality, 7) the obligation the make courts of law to administer justice. These seven commandments correspond to the seven continents upon the earth.

High Waters Rising

Residents of south Fargo, North Dakota, evacuated their homes early on Friday as the Red River rose to its highest level in 111 years. The river is expected to crest by Saturday at 42 feet.

Shlomo, King of Israel son of Dovid wrote in his love poem to God called Shir HaShirim/Song of Songs, “Mighty waters will not be able to conquer my love and rivers will not inundate; if a man gives all the riches of his house with love it will be disrespected.”

Water is an often used metaphor throughout the Torah/Teaching who is compared to the water which emanates from the heavens, but does not lose her essential quality upon the earth.

Water is the sign of life and growth when administered in proper portions; the number 42 in Cabala is the essence of chaos, called Mob, refers to the previous world which was on the planet Mars. The number 111 is the Milue/Essence of the letter Aleph/1 along with being the 111th Congress of the USA.

The letter Aleph depicts the primordial splitting of the waters and 42 represents the essence of chaos; we live in a time when the essence of order and chaos do battle—in the Torah/Teaching it is called, End of Days when true order will overcome chaos.

New Moon—New Year

The first commandment to the Jewish People at the brink of becoming a nation 3500 years ago is: the new moon of this month will be the beginning of your months—the month is called Nisim/Miracle. The spring time is the New Year for the human being with our unique ability of freedom of choice. Though most decisions in life happen out of practice reactions there are instances of choice which require forethought and intention.

Intention is the key to freedom of choice; actions are often not enough or inappropriate for the situation, but the clarity of one’s intentions can often overcome other obstacles.

It is during this month that Pesach/Passover occurs at the full moon; like the spring, this holiday celebrates birth and freedom. It is a time to reflect on one’s intention in being in this world created by the Creator; it is a time to reflect upon the meaning of life and how to plot our course to the future.

It’s in the Numbers

President Obama traveled to Capitol Hill on Wednesday to lobby Democratic lawmakers on his $3.6 trillion budget proposal, ahead of votes in the House and Senate this week.

Thirty-six is a seminal number in Cabala which makes a science out of the interchange between numbers and letters. For example, 36 is twice 18-Chai/Life and twice 36 is 72 known as AB the highest number directly related to God’s Name YHVH. Each letter of the YHVH is giver of life and when combined together gives life to the four different forms of existence: inanimate, growing, animal and human who live within the four elements of fire, air, water and earth in the four directions upon the earth.

During these unsettled days it is appropriate to look for some sort of heavenly indication, a Simon Tov/Good Sign, for reassurance. In the Book of Esther which records the end of the first exile—the king says I will give to you up to half the kingdom. Thirty-six is half seventy-two.