We Were Not Illegal Migrants in Egypt!

It is a total distortion of history and theology to claim that we must sympathize with and help the illegals, because we "were foreigners in Egypt."

“‘Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt,’ Exodus 22:21 — How should we treat our refugees?”
Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s insights into the Holiday of Passover 

Biblical Jacob and family had been invited by the Pharaoh of the time to sit out the famine in Egypt where, due to Joseph's phenomenal administration, there was enough food. When the situation got better, our ancestors didn't rush back to the Holy Land. They felt too comfortable, and then afterwards, there was a new administration in Egypt. That new Pharaoh had forgotten that Jacob and family were privileged as a thank-you to all that Joseph had done. He enslaved them. And then the Jewish People were forbidden to leave. That's where the Passover Story begins.

I don't see how illegal migrants have anything in common with Jacob and family thousands of years ago. It pains me to see respected rabbis, like Rabbi Shlomo Riskin adopting Leftist ideology to Jewish History and Theology.



The illegal migrants come to Israel attracted by our high standard of living, a chance to live in a secure society with excellent healthcare and sympathetic, kind citizens, such as Rabbi Riskin. They know that they will be protected, their children educated and cared for. That's the type of society we have here in Israel. The illegals are also willing to take on jobs that very few Israelis want to do. But we didn't invite them and we don't owe them anything. The illegals are in no rush to leave Israel, because they know that they won't be enslaved.

We are not like the Egyptian Pharaoh. And the illegals are not like the Jews who were enslaved in Egypt. The neighborhoods in Israel in which the illegals live have become high crime areas. Veteran Israelis are in danger, and they are the ones we should be worrying about and caring for. Why don't I hear the rabbis, like Riskin, and politicians preaching that we must care for and protect Israelis from the dangers caused by the illegals?

Jewish/Israeli Pride--Michael Douglas & Orange

For the longest time, I've begged (on my blogs) the Israeli Government, official and media to act outrageously insulted and demand suitable compensation or else against those who treat Israel badly. That includes offenses like Turkey's sending the flotilla of weapons to support Gazan arab terrorists against us, or the countries led by the USA that refuse to recognize Jerusalem as our Capital City and everything inbetween.

So I was completely overjoyed when the new Netanyahu, Likud Government actually exhibited outrage at the anti-Israel comments of the head of Orange recently. And just like I've always said, "if you act strong people will respect you," the Orange company head is in Israel to apologize and smoothe things over.

Orange chief executive Stephane Richard, whose remarks about ending a licensing deal have caused anger in Israel, will meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Friday during a visit to the country, a company spokeswoman said.
"Richard declared that he is happy to have a chance to clarify Orange Group commitment to Israel," spokeswoman Nilly Richman said in a statement, adding that the CEO also planned to meet Israel's former head of state Shimon Peres.
After arriving in Israel on Thursday, he visited Tel Aviv-based Orange Fab, an accelerator program for Israeli high-tech start-ups that was purchased by Orange.
Israel protested to France after Richard said last week that he would terminate a licensing arrangement with Israel's Partner Communications "tomorrow morning" if the contracts allowed. Orange is 25 percent owned by the French government. (Reuters)

We're always getting bullied, because we kowtow in response instead of hitting back. Today there is a lot of emphasis in child-raising in how to teach your children not to be a victim. International Relations and diplomacy work the same way. Israel's being "nice" about being insulted and trying to placate the bullies only increases the diplomatic offensive against Israel.

More about Jewish pride...

Kirk, Michael and Dylan Douglas  

In an interesting twist, two generations after Issur Danielovitch aka Kirk Douglas married the non-Jewish Diana, his grandson Dylan, son of Michael and the non-Jew Catherine Zeta Jones, is strongly identifying as a Jew. At his request he even had a Bar Mitzvah of sorts.

A few decades ago, it would be unheard of for a family with Jewish roots, but non-Jewish according to Jewish Law, to come out so publicly and proudly as Jewish.

“I have no formal religious background,” he said. “So this came as a surprise to some degree.”
His son, intrigued by his many Jewish friends who were going through the process of studying for their bar mitzva, spent many Saturdays observing what they learned in Hebrew school. After several months, “he came to me and his mom and said, ‘Mom, dad, I want to have a bar mitzva.’” 
“’When I go to their houses on Friday night, we light the candles, I feel something. When I go there and listen to them talk, my soul feels something,’” Dylan told his father.
“I said, ‘That’s fantastic,’” Douglas recalled, the pride for his son clearly evident in his voice. (Jerusalem Post)

I certainly can't predict of this strong Jewish identity will last in young Dylan, if it will fade away or he'll get more involved or even convert. At the same time, I wonder about the non-Jews in my extended family. Will any of them try to return to their Jewish roots? 

At the book launch for Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's latest book, he and Caroline Glick discussed the situation of families like that of the Douglases. Chazal gives a different status to non-Jews of paternal Jewish roots versus non-Jews without any genealogical Jewish history. According to Riskin, potential converts of paternal Jewish lines,  zera yisrael, Jewish Seed, are supposed to be welcomed to conversion proceedings (education) and not given the usual series of refusals.

Now I must return to the kitchen and prepare for Shabbat...

May Israel's leaders lead with strong confident Jewish Values, fearing only G-d Almighty, and may all Jews and also those of Jewish roots return to Our Jewish People and Jewish Land, Torah and Mitzvot.

Shabbat Shalom uMevorach!

May You Have a Peaceful and Blessed Shabbat!

"Land for Peace" Debate Between Rabbi Riskin and Caroline Glick

Like many who showed up Tuesday night at the Menachem Begin Heritage Center for the book launch/promotion for Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's latest book, The Living Tree: Studies in Modern Orthodoxy, I had been looking forward to seeing his "Land for Peace" ideology effectively demolished by Caroline Glick.

We had been hoping for fireworks but instead discovered that Glick is a firm admirer of Riskin, barring that specific policy. Especially now that Rabbi Riskin is under attack by powerful people who want him forcefully retired as Chief Rabbi of Efrat, this  was time for him to get his general policies across. Both Riskin and Glick made statements about it in Hebrew for the Hebrew language press, obviously.

The two issues they seemed to agree most on concern conversion and women poskot aka "rabbis," though the word "rabbi" or "rabbah"wasn't mentioned. Riskin gave his Halachik/Jewish Law defense of both policies. About conversion, he said that for those with patrilinial (via the father) Jewish history/roots there is a concept of zera yisrael, Jewish Seed, which when recognized makes for an easier conversion, but a conversion nevertheless.

Riskin also gave a halachik defense of knowledgeable women decided matters of Jewish Law.

And, yes, they did mention Land for Peace, which is something that they have agreed to disagree about. We all know that Glick has been one of the most vociferous and convincing opponent of that policy. Simply put, it has been proven, over and over that when we give the Arabs our Land, we suffer more terrorism and hostility. Glick challenged Riskin to give halachik reasons to defend his policy, but he refused. Actually, he did admit that it hasn't been successful, but for those who wanted to hear his defense of it from a halachik point of view, there was great disappointment. Rabbi Riskin stated:

"Land for Peace is a security issue, not a halachik issue." Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

I will never forget how during the tense and frightening times leading up to Disengagement, Riskin stayed on the fence, saying that he couldn't make a decision, because Disengagement was a  policy, problematic as it was, had been legally voted in by the Israeli Government. The late Rabbi Aaron Lichtenstein, Z"L came out supporting it for that very reason.

photos by Rose and 
graphics by Fred 

On the eve of Disengagement I was in New York and had been asked to speak at an anti-Disengagement Rally sponsored by AFSI. While waiting my turn to speak, I was completely surprised to see Rabbi Riskin joining me. The last I had heard was that he was still on that "fence." Opposing Disengagement for me was obvious from the very first moment I had heard of it, so I had trouble relating to the fact that a rabbi I had once so admired could be so uncertain. When he spoke there he didn't mention that uncertainty. He spoke like a politician who had always opposed it. I was very confused and disappointed. I think that his talk would have been better and more effective if he had talked of his difficulties and how he came to join the opposition. I'm still waiting for that speech.

And I completely disagree with Riskin's claim that the question of Land for Peace has nothing to do with halacha. We, the State of Israel and the Jewish People/Religion are not like any other. Our military victories from 1948 onward and the fact that terrorist missiles usually land in "empty fields" are all due to the fact that we are a Holy Nation and G-d protects us. For that reason, every policy, especially security and Land must be looked at from a Jewish Halachik perspective. Ordinary "rules" don't apply here; that is why the State of Israel continues to exist.

In Israel there can be no separation between state and religion, because our existance is only because of the Jewish Religion, not history.

Here is the recording/video of the entire program:

Fallen apple breaks interfaith fence

Posted by Jewish Israel

Jewish Israel resumes its series on Orthodox leaders who publicly engage in interfaith activities which challenge Jewish tradition and halacha. Part 3 of our series deals with Rabbi Shlomo Riskin and his continued quest for theological commonality with Christians via his major role in an upcoming conference at Yale University exploring "new frontiers in Christian-Jewish theology."

Has Rabbi Riskin overturned the psak of his own mentor, Rav Joseph B. Soloveitchik? Jewish Israel takes an "academic" look at the situation.


Pastor Hagee has Jews and Christians "bound together by a covenant relationship." But what are the costs involved when pastors like Hagee start building our synagogues, Judaic studies departments, and recruiting our rabbis? Is Judaism in for a theological realignment?

Also, this month reports from major evangelical and messianic sources claim that Jews are coming to faith in Jesus in unprecedented numbers – "the numbers are not just rising, but spiking, observers say."...more

Joel Bell's Center and Rabbi Riskin's video

Posted by Jewish Israel

Joel Bell opens new WBZ missionary center in Sha’ar Binyamin
Joel Bell has completed construction on a 5000 square ft. facility 15 minutes north of Jerusalem. The World Biblical Zionist Strategic Center is designed to enhance the development of the “ Biblical inheritance” which evangelical Christians now claim to share with the Jewish people (and you thought there were no strings attached).

Bell makes it clear in his latest video that Samaria is his “birthright” - but not only his. He has established a strategic “covenant relationship” with Kenyan evangelical Christians who have opened up offices in Joel’s new facilities.

Meanwhile, Bell’s partner, Don Esposito, has announced that he has “sealed the deal with the Jewish Agency to be able to bring believers [in Jesus] over to Israel for anywhere from 9 months up to 2 years.”…more

Rabbi Riskin video “gone viral” among Orthodox Jews and messianic Christians

In Jewish Israel's December 26th post we made mention of and posted excerpts from yet another controversial video of Rabbi Riskin. That video is now making the rounds among Jewish online news services and blog sites like Yeshiva World News, 5 Towns Jewish Times, and Dov Bear. The video was originally posted on YouTube by “a follower of the Nazarene, Yeshua Ha'Mashiach [Jesus Christ]” who has a messianic site.

Two other Rabbi Riskin videos are available at Jewish Israel here and here, in addition to numerous reports and blog postings (for a complete list, click on JI’s search facility).

Representatives from Jewish Israel (including a well-respected Rav), and a former Christian bible teacher who is now a counter-missionary expert, have met with Rabbi Riskin to discuss his personal take on Christian scripture and his unorthodox stance on interfaith relations. There has been an ongoing article and blog debate between Rabbi Riskin and this writer. The correspondence has been hard-hitting, but civil. This topic demands our continued attention.

Rabbi Riskin's continued pursuit of theological endeavors with evangelicals is especially problematic, because even though he is on record for opposing dialogue with Jews for Jesus or any messianic entities, messianic sites use his material and credit Rabbi Riskin for strengthening the messianic community in Israel:

(Excerpt from a popular messianic site):
“Riskin says that he was ‘truly fascinated’ by Jesus, and considers him a ‘model rabbi’, who lived the life of a Jewish rabbi in Israel. Riskin’s language is honest and refreshing, and his words strengthen the Messianic Jews in Israel…”

Meanwhile, “Christian Zionist” groups regularly make use of Rabbi Riskin’s theological spin in their promotional material which calls for a breaking down of borders between faiths.

Riskin and The Christians

When idols fall, the vibrations continue, they go on and on, and we never know when the last of the repercussions have died out, or if the echos will be even louder. That's how I feel about Rabbi Shlomo Riskin. For those of us who became religious in the mid-1960's, (pre-dating the term BT,) he was legend, perfection.

Four years ago, before Disengagement, I wrote about his worship of Democracy, which he used to defend Disengagement. Yes, a bit later, he relented and opposed it. For those of us who never had a single solitary doubt that it was immoral, illegal and against the principles of Judaism, Riskin's indecisiveness was incomprehensible. I will republish my essay at the end of this.

Now Ellen Horowitz has revealed that Riskin has gone beyond the norms of the Torah Judaism I thought he believed in. He is working with Christians in an interfaith endeavor - Ohr Torah Stone's Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding & Cooperation.

Here in Shiloh, our Chief Rabbi, HaRav Elchanan Bin-Nun, does not allow Christian groups into our synagogue and told me that he wants restrictions on the Christian groups visiting Tel Shiloh. Synagogues are not to be used for non-Jewish prayers, and Christian groups shouldn't enter at all.

Riskin's embrace of Christians is the opposite. Here's the article I wrote about him four years ago:

The Battle of the Religions

Musings #79
October 23, 2004
The 8rd of Cheshvan

"The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal, that you can gather votes like box-tops is... the ultimate indignity to the demo-cratic process."- Adlai Stevenson

The Battle of the Religions

The Greeks, led by their King, Antiochus tried to destroy Judaism, then the Christians, in many guises including the Crusaders and then the Catholic Church during the Inquisition. Later the Nazis were more concerned with murdering anyone with Jewish ancestors, while in the same century the Communists tried to wipe out all religions, especially Judaism.

But in modern time Judaism has an even more dangerous enemy: DEMOCRACY!

I have to finish this musing quickly. The words were rattling so noisily in my brain, that they were crowding out the shacharit prayers, and I have less than an hour before leaving for boker limud nashim, where I study King David’s T’hilim and his son, King Solomon’s Kohelet. Democracy, the ultimate philosophical hevel, norishkeit.

In recent weeks, as political and spiritual leaders are being “polled” as to their opinions/instructions concerning Arik Sharon’s “disengagement” from yishuv Ha’Aretz, “settling” the Land of Israel, the Land that G-d sent Abraham and all Jews to in this week’s parsha, portion of the Bible, Lech Lecha.

This is a moment of truth between man and G-d, between those considered leaders and the One G-d, HaKodesh Baruch Hu. Some, like HaRav Ovadia Yosef, have publicly stated that we are to oppose Sharon’s plan. But another rabbi, who had been saying confused things, causing many to publicly argue and debate what he means, finally said that “democracy” must rule. Yes, Rabbi Shlomo, “Stevie Wonder,” Riskin stated that as important as Eretz Yisrael is, “Israel is a democracy.” (quoted from The Jerusalem Post, Friday October 22, 2004.)

The same rabbi, who inspired so many of us in the 1960’s, the rabbi who was not embarrassed to be an Orthodox Jew, to doven with a mechitza to posken that the only hair covering for a married female must be 100% obvious, a hat or scarf, not a wig. He was, for us, the epitome of a proud Jew.

Today Rabbi Riskin publicly stated that Judaism is secondary to democracy. I am saddened to write this, but Stevie Wonder is no longer wonderful. He worships democracy as his primary religion. G-d’s rulings, G-d’s Torah, G-d’s mitzvot, go second to votes in the Keneset.

Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein in the same issue of The Jerusalem Post said that “…the government is framing the disengagement in a way that would translate halachically as pikuach nefesh…” so it must be considered as not violating halacha. That brings us to the Adlai Stevenson quotation and the Kohelet shiur I’m rushing to get to.

Rabbis Riskin and Lichtenstein are basing their decisions on norishkeit, not Yiddishkeit. Hevel, vanities, democracy, advertising. Let’s return to our roots and not repeat—ain chadash mitachat lashemesh—there’s nothing new under the sun. Let’s not repeat the sin of the spies. The “people” worshipped democracy; ten spies verses two.

That fatal mistake has been made too many times. Now we must prove to G-d and man that we have learned our lesson. We must follow Joshua and Calev and redeem Our Land.

Batya Medad, Shiloh

Sounds Like The Olde Time "Stevie Wonder"

Way back in the mid-1960's, we were wowed by stories of a young rabbi, who grew up just about a mile away from my childhood home. He was already a legend, having convinced his first rabbinic congregation to get off its "conservadox" fence and go all the way to Torah Judaism. Everyone referred to him as "Stevie Wonder."

Over the decades, even though he had left his then enormously successful rabbinic post, taking along many congregants and followers to Israel, I became disenchanted by his strict adherence to certain Left-wing ideologies and fence-sitting.

I was beyond words, furious, that as the monstrous Disengagement approached, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin hadn't opposed it fully, without apologies. Then when I was waiting to speak at an anti-Disengagement Rally, in Times Square, NYC, I was shocked to hear him announced as a featured speaker.

• I wish I could write that since then he has taken a leadrship role in our struggle to settle, hold on to our precious Eretz Yisrael, the Land of Israel.
• I wish I could write that he has used his great leadership powers and talents in the political sphere to give us an alternative to the tired, selfish and corrupt politicians.

Just here and there, we hear a spark of "seichel," intelligence, common sense, from him. This Friday's column in the Jerusalem Post is one of those. Here are some excerpts:

I am ashamed of a government whose prime minister, former president, former finance minister, former government ministers of health and internal security - among others - have charges of moral turpitude hovering over their heads, making a bitter truth of Natan Sharansky's quip that the difference between him and other Israeli ministers of state is that he was imprisoned before he joined the government. I am ashamed of a Chief Rabbinate which can summarily nullify the conversions of thousands of Israelis (even though they were performed by a court of Torah scholars) with crass indifference to the lives they are destroying, and disregarding the manifold biblical directives of how we are to love the proselyte. I am ashamed of the religious court judges who, in the name of the "purity" of Israel, are impervious of the cries of abused women, captives to husbands who either refuse to grant a get or demand a high ransom for them. I am ashamed of a politically controlled, coalition-driven system of religious court judges who disregard the compassion of the Talmud and have made our divinely given and just laws a cruel laughingstock for Jews and gentiles alike. I am ashamed that our political and religious leaders answer to a party rather than a constituency, that many of our politicians are motivated by profits rather than prophets, and many religious court judges seek grace in the eyes of those to their Right rather than in the eyes of the One above.

Most of all, I am ashamed that these "leaders" are not ashamed, and that, in a presumed democracy, individuals in high office hold onto their seats despite many opinion polls crying for their resignation.

I must say that I am ashamed that a man of Rabbi Shlomo Riskin's great potential hasn't been the leader we're praying for.

That means that G-d willing there is someone else who will lead us, and I pray that we will hear his voice and begin the process to Geula shleimah, complete Redemption.

Shavua Tov U'Mevorach

May you have a good and blessed week.