Baruch HaShem

Folks, don't underestimate the power of prayer and of The One and Only Living G-d, HaShem, Our Father. The night before the travesty of Annapolis, I prayed the Perek Shirah along with millions of other Jews around the world. The joyful news is that the entity calling itself "palestine" still does not exist. Jerusalem is still united. Nothing bad regarding Jerusalem, the Jewish Holy City of Israel, is threatened to occur until the end of 2008, according to the agreements that the erev rav Olmert and his godless self-loathing minions made with the Arab demons yesterday.

So, let us pray and give thanks to HaShem. Nothing bad has happened yet. Yesterday was just pomp, it was just fluff, it was just a chance for George Bush to establish immortality by inserting himself into ridiculous - and embarassing - photo opportunites with Arab maniacal despotic barbarians.

Baruch HaShem, we will outlive our enemies yet again.

Annapolis, Shannapolis

Via A7:

Never underestimate the power of prayer. When Sanheriv’s massive legion of soldiers surrounded Jerusalem on the verge of waging a devastating attack, King Hezkiahu turned to Heaven and prayed:

“Dear G-d, I don’t have the power to defeat all of the enemies that have gathered against us and Your Holy City – please, while we sleep, You do it or us.”

When Hezkiahu awoke in the morning, two-hundred-thousand enemy soldiers lay dead, stricken by a mysterious plague.

Recite this prayer. Send it to friends. Annapolis, Shannapolis. We shall overcome!

This is my prayer

Let me wander in the shephelah, let me walk in the Negeb, where the only sustenance is provided by G-D.

Bring us back to the tents, to the flocks, I pray.

Bring us back to the canopy of the open skies where we might press our faces upon the platform that holds His footstool

And swear for all of our lives by His Holy Name that we accept His covenant...each day.

And at night, when the whisper of the wind has silenced, we'll sit before our fires

As our animals rest and our children's eyes begin to close with sleep. We will hold them, and know that Thou art holding all of us.

May we huddle together beneath the very stars that He showed His servant Avraham, thanking the Living G-D.

Thanking Thee for another day

And perhaps Thou willt grant us another day, to see Thy sunrise

To see each other

We will hold on to one another And cling to Thee

Swearing our lives and love to Thee.

h/t to yesha galluzzo

Connecting secular phenomena to the Divine

"Almighty God, look at this magnificent apple that You created! The wisdom of its waterproof enclosure, the beauty of its tantalizing red color, and the temptingly delicious aroma with which it is perfumed. How can I even begin to thank You!" -- Rabbi Avigdor Miller (1908-2001), one of America's leading Torah educators and author of groundbreaking books on Jewish thought.

B"H, one of my goals, once I get past this awful asthma episode, is to become more mindful of Hashem's creations. I've been too cynical and too sad to be a conveyor of positive thought.

May Hashem get me back on track. Amen.

A Passover Prayer for Israel's Missing Soldiers

Please add a prayer at your Passover seder for Israel's kidnapped and missing soldiers.

Perek Shirah

Folks, I've just discovered Perek Shirah and I'm already so thrilled although I don't know much about it. Perek Shirah is an ancient, sacred work that has become increasingly popular in recent years. Some sources ascribe it to King David, who was inspired to compose it after being told by a frog, as it were, that its "song" to God was loftier than David's own Book of Psalms. Others credit its authorship to King Solomon, whose wisdom was so all-encompassing that he understood the "speech" of all the components of the world -- animal, vegetable, and mineral. Still others suggest that it was compiled by the great sages of the Mishnah: Rabbi Yishmael, Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Nechunia ben Hakanah, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkenos. Whoever its author, Perek Shirah has a place of honor in Jewish liturgy, and many people recited it every day. The Sages promise abundant blessing to those who do so.

There are three opinions regarding who or what actually "sings" the 85 songs in Perek Shirah. Some say that each creature literally sings its own song. Human beings cannot hear them, of course, just as there are many sounds in nature that human senses cannot detect, but are there nonetheless. A second opinion is that the singing is done by angels. The third opinion is that the songs are not actually spoken; they are implicit in the existence of the creatures and their roles in the universe. So it makes sense that one who understands the function of the sun, the ocean, the cat or dog would understand what we should learn from it, and that is its song.

Here is the first song that I myself discovered in Perek Shirah, and I can not deny its meaning for me:

The Eagle says:

"And You, Hashem, God, Master of Legions, God of Israel, arouse Yourself to
remember all the nations, do not show favor to any faithless men of violence,
Selah" (Psalms 59:6)

One of the interpretations is the majestic, high-flying eagle is the king of the bird kingdom. A good king is merciful to those that depend on him -- especially the young -- but he cannot tolerate evil and violence. The message is that man should be judacious in dispensing generosity. Those who deserve it, must receive it -- but it is cruel to show mercy to those who destroy the tranquility of the world.

I love Hashem.