Interesting Posts and Articles #364

1) "Biff Spackle" makes funny observations, with fake footage to make the point. For example, this:

Biff Spackle located this up-to-date hurricane map: 

and this, as another example.

These are jokes, people, not something to be taken seriously. However, a recent post with a "discovery" from Biff Spackle was unfortunately taken quite seriously: Obama Truth Team Unveils Spiffy New Logo

President Obama is trying to recruit a 2 million member-strong "Truth Team" to ensure that those speaking out against his administration are appropriately dealt with. I'm not kidding.

The Obama campaign is today beginning a new effort to enlist and educate at least 2 million supporters for a “grassroots communications team” they’re calling the Truth Team... “The goal is to ensure that when Republicans attack President Obama’s record, grassroots supporters can take ownership of the campaign and share the facts with the undecided voters in their lives,” the campaign said in a statement.

The teams will be first launched in 13 “swing states,” including Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia.

Cub Reporter Biff Spackle, in another world exclusive, nabbed photos of the Truth Team's new logo:

The one on the right is for their arm-bands.

In all seriousness, have you ever heard of such a thing? And can there be any doubt as to what Obama meant when he twice mentioned -- in very visible public settings -- the need for "a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well-funded" as our military?

If we don't vote this man out in November, this country is finished.

There are various clues that this was intended humorously. You need to be a careful reader though. One hint would be the phrase "in all seriousness" following the joke.

What happened was that the author of this blogpost thought that Obama's Truth Team was Nazi-like, and so opened up a painting program and produced the above graphics. There are T T's arranged in a circle, with black on a red background, in order to be reminiscent of the Nazi swastika.

But this was not real. And no cub reporter is going to have the worldwide exclusive. It would have been launched on Obama's website.

But one or two Jewish blogs took it seriously. The blogposts are down, now that they realized their mistake.

Now, I think that it is somewhat silly for a person in power of the entire country to try to organize a Truth Team. And calling it a Truth Team sounds downright Orwellian, and it communicates the idea of Propaganda Squad.

On the other hand, this ironically demonstrates the need for an Obama Truth Team.

2) At Matzav, Rav Wosner and Rav Karelitz say that it is a mitzvah to report Purim fireworks sales.

3) Life In Israel has a book review of Strictly Kosher Reading.

4) Emunah Therapy on aliyah and personal growth.

5) Help! A Wolf!

Tomer Devorah informs us that: Gog u'Magog Beginning on Purim 5772?

30 Shevat 5772
Rosh Chodesh Adar

This new blog claims that HaRav HaMekubal Tidhar Elon, Rosh Yeshiva ofYeshivat Shemen v'Sassonin Eretz Yisrael said this in a recent shiur.

And at Shirat Devorah:

That rumor from last week, about Gog and Magog beginning on Purim has apparently been clarified by Rav Fish, but as I have not personally seen it, I can only blog this as a rumor. Hopefully someone will be able to confirm whether or not Rav Fish did send this out [please leave a comment if you know]

''And I also heard from Rav Tidhar Eilon Azulai Shlit"a that already in the upcoming month of Nissan, the great revolutions of the Redemption will commence.''

HaRav HaMekubal Tidhar Elyon Azulai Shlita from the Yeshiva Shemen Sasson, allegedly said to two people who came to him for advice, that it will be the last time they would be able to do a certain kind of teshuva, and that the Gog and Magog war will begin Purim 5772, and continue for two weeks leading up to Rosh Chodesh Nissan 5772......

They link to this post:

 וכן שמעתי בשם הרה"ג המקובל ר' תדהר אילון אזולאי שליט"א שכבר בחודש ניסןהקרוב יתחילו המהפיכות הגדולות של הגאולה   .
 Translation::And I also heard from Rav Tidhar Eilon Azulai Shlit"a that already in the upcoming month of Nissan, the great revolutions of the Redemption will commence.

story update from Rav Fish::

 הרב המקובל תדהר אילון שליט"א Kochav Yaakov from yeshiva Shemen Sasson said to 2 people who came to him for advise about רע חטא.He said to them its last time you could do Gilly Shelli. meaning some type of  Teshuva and Gog Magog will start on התשע"ב פורים .. and continue for 2 week leading up to Rosh Chodesh Nisan 5772 it could start with Syria or Iran there will be some type of  Revelation of moshiach by then.UPDATE FROM Rav Fish

ירמיהו הנביא ניבא על מה שקורה היום בסוריא

And in other news, the psychic tractor driver Nir Ben Artzi agrees to this assessment:

All the disturbances experienced by Am Yisrael – the pressures, the concerns, the worries: “what will the day bring?” “what will be?” “where will we go?” – the Holy One has gathered together and on the great day of Purim, all will be transformed for the good! Am Yisrael will see great miracles! All things that were thought of as impossible – things that a person cannot believe will happen – the Holy One will transform all of it into happiness and great joy for Am Yisrael this coming Purim!

I can only reply to the navi sheker as Yirmeyahu replied to the navi sheker of his day:

וַיֹּאמֶר, יִרְמְיָה הַנָּבִיא, אָמֵן, כֵּן יַעֲשֶׂה יְהוָה; יָקֵם ה, אֶת-דְּבָרֶיךָ, אֲשֶׁר נִבֵּאתָ לְהָשִׁיב כְּלֵי בֵית-ה וְכָל-הַגּוֹלָה, מִבָּבֶל אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה.

6 even the prophet Jeremiah said: 'Amen! the LORD do so! the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house, and all them that are carried away captive, from Babylon unto this place!

6) And see at Shirat Devorah and Tomer Devorah the following from Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak, who already has a false ketz prediction under his belt:

“The People of Israel are called to prepare the refrigerators and to buy a stock of canned goods and dried food products. We are located at the entrance on the way to a mess. I know things that you don’t know and it’s forbidden to me to reveal. I can only hint that you need to prepare the refrigerators. Iran is at the doorway!” so said Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak shlita this evening.

"…We are before the destruction. How can we sit complacently and do nothing, going to work as usual and continuing the routine? …I’m not mistaken. We’re positioned a month before war. It’s really close...."

I don't know why anyone would pay him the slightest bit of attention at this point. Well, we'll see what will be.

7) At Bat Aliyah, a guest post by Rabbi Nachman Kahana (who also has his own blog): The Courage to Tell the Truth.

In the comment section to my recent post on reasons why American Jews don't make aliyah, someone pointed out a troubling assertion though, from this guest post:

Indeed, we must pray to HaShem. But can any thinking, learned Jew take seriously the idea that the tefilos coming out of 13th Avenue in Boro Park, or President Street in Crown Heights or even Forest Ave. in Lakewood N.J. have an iota of influence in the Shamayim on the fate of the holy Jews in Yerushalayim and Eretz Yisrael?

He is arguing here with a speech by Rabbi Moshe Wolfson, where Rabbi Wolfson had said:

"Why are we quiet? Where is the awakening? Why is everyone so apathetic?... Everyone is busy with narishkeiten, we don't hear the alarm? We don't know that we have to pierce the heavens for rachamim from the Ribbono Shel Olam?"

"Everyone knows that there is currently a growing danger from Iran - and it is a great error for whoever does not know this. "Why should a Yid not know what is happening to [other] Yidden? Everyone must know what is happening in regard to other Yidden. Everyone must know what is happening in Eretz Yisrael."

Surely Rabbi Kahana is not suggesting that Rabbi Wolfson is not a thinking, learned Jew? Here is a bio of Rabbi Wolfson:

Harav Moshe Wolfson

Harav Moshe Wolfson learned from the undisputed Torah giants of the previous generation. As a talmid in Torah Vodaath, he was infused with Torah from Rabbi Gedalia Schorr ztl, Rabbi Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz ztl and Rabbi Avraham Pam ztl. In time, the brilliant student joined the staff of Torah Vodaath, and he is known today by thousands simply as, hamashgiach (the mashgiach, or spiritual advisor). Over two decades ago, Rabbi Wolfson expanded his community and Torah influence by establishing the community of Emunas Yisroel in Boro Park.Rabbi Wolfson authored the seforim Emunas Itecha, a collection of discourses known for their deep and inspiring messages, originally delivered on Shabbos and Yom Tov. Rabbi Wolfson normally delivers his divrei torah in Yiddish, though on recent appearances at the yeshiva he has shared his elucidated Torah wisdom in English.

More than that. In many shuls across America, we say a tefillah lishlom haMedina, a prayer for the peace of the State of Israel.

אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, צוּר יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹאֲלוֹ, בָּרֵךְ אֶת-מְדִינַת-יִשְׂרָאֵל, רֵאשִׁית צְמִיחַת גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ. הָגֵן עָלֶיהָ בְּאֶבְרַת חַסְדֶּךָ וּפְרֹשׂ עָלֶיהָ סֻכַּת שְׁלוֹמֶךָ וּשְׁלַח אוֹרְךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ לְרָאשֶׁיהָ, שָׂרֶיהָ וְיוֹעֲצֶיהָ...

Is Rabbi Nachman Kahana saying that this was a waste of time, and that the rabbis of these many shuls are not thinking, learned Jews?

I wish someone had told me earlier. I could have skipped out on it to check out the kiddush club. Or told the rabbi, so that we could get to the chulent sooner!

Seriously, though, I think that this holier-than-thou attitude is misguided, and Rabbi Kahana is not the one to judge to whom Hashem will listen. Indeed, the assertion is a bit obnoxious.

8) Here at parshablog, On Rabbenu Ephraim and Werewolves.