Thank you letter to Canadian PM Steven Harper

The Right Honorable Stephen Harper
Prime Minister, Ottawa, Canada.

Dear Mr. Harper;

You make me proud to be a Canadian!

Your speech at the gathering of the international parliamentarians in Ottawa on November 8th 2010, was a bench mark in world history. It was timely, weighty, inspirational and I believe of Churchillian magnitude. (National Post, November 9th 2010.)

Today, as a Canadian/Israeli dual citizen, I remember the ultimate price that my father Victor Alloway Rawlings paid on April 9th, 1945 for our freedom. He fell when his regiment of Canadian soldiers, The Regina Rifles were liberating Holland from Nazi oppression just three weeks before the war ended. I was 13 months old at the time.

Your speech brought tears to my eyes, because you expressed so clearly the ancient yet on going battle that each of us must fight. “We all must,”as you said, “stand up against evil and choose to promote freedom, democracy and justice; the universal principals of all civilized nations.”

I have spent the last 40 years in Israel, living and working there as a documentarist, TV producer, speaker and writer, trying to foster these ideals in the media. Now, my wife and I are on a sabbatical, residing in Parksville B.C. in the riding of my dear friend and your colleague Dr. James Lunney MP, Nanaimo- Alberni.

A few hours ago my son David excitedly called me from Jerusalem. “Dad did you see what Prime Minister Stephen Harper said yesterday? It’s in all the media here. This is exactly what you and Mom have said for decades now. Dad, take courage. Truth will prevail.”

I couldn’t agree more with my eldest son. His children’s great-grand parents and their entire generation of Berlin Jews were lost in Auschwitz as well as my father in Holland. Today, I was privileged to accompany Dr. James Lunney to the laying of the Wreath of Canada at the Remembrance Day service in Parksville, followed by later visits to Qualicum, Bowser, Lantzville and Nanaimo. My wife and I were deeply touched by the tremendous response of Canadians on this Memorial Day. I will take courage. The sacrifices of millions including our family in Holland and Auschwitz were not in vain;
nor are the efforts of our families in Canada and Israel today.

May you continue to be an anointed leader. May God give you courage in the face of many challenges. May you be an inspiration to other world leaders to have the courage to follow your outstanding example in promoting human dignity in their own countries and abroad.

Sincerely,
Dr. John (Jay) Victor Rawlings
CEO/Founder
Jerusalem Vistas Canada Society
http://www.israelvision.tv

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the Ottawa Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism

8 November 2010 Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today made the following remarks at the Ottawa Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism:

“Members of the Steering Committee, fellow parliamentarians, Ladies and gentlemen, let me begin by saying how delighted I am to see so many of you from around the world, gathered here in Ottawa for the second annual conference of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism.

“It is a sign, not only of your commitment to our common cause, but also of the momentum established at the London Conference last year.  It is, therefore, a great sign of hope.

“History teaches us that anti-Semitism is a tenacious and particularly dangerous form of hatred.  And recent events are demonstrating that this hatred is now in resurgence throughout the world.  That is why the work of the Inter-parliamentary Coalition for Combating Antisemitism has never been so important or timely as it is now.

“On behalf of the Government of Canada and all Canadians, I commend you and support you in the great and important work that you are doing.

“I would like to thank Minister Jason Kenney, for inviting the ICCA to Ottawa, and for his outstanding record of leadership in combating anti-Semitism.

“I would like also to thank my introducer and friend, Scott Reid, Chair of the Canadian Parliamentary Coalition to Combat Antisemitism, and Mario Silva, Vice Chair, for organizing this conference.

“And I would like to thank all my colleagues in the Parliament of Canada here today, including Professor Irwin Cotler, for their dedication to your mission.

“Ladies and gentlemen, colleagues, two weeks ago I visited Ukraine for the first time.

“In Kiev I laid a wreath at Babi Yar, the site of one of the numerous atrocities of the Holocaust. I was left there with much the same impression as I had in Auschwitz in 2008 — that such horrors defy all comprehension.

“At the killing grounds of Babyn Yar, I knew I was standing in a place where evil — evil at its most cruel, obscene, and grotesque — had been unleashed.  But while evil of this magnitude may be unfathomable, it is nonetheless a fact.

“It is a fact of history.  And it is a fact of our nature — that humans can choose to be inhuman.  This is the paradox of freedom.  That awesome power, that grave responsibility — to choose between good and evil.

“Let us not forget that even in the darkest hours of the Holocaust, men were free to choose good.  And some did.  That is the eternal witness of the Righteous Among the Nations.  And let us not forget that even now, there are those who would choose evil and would launch another Holocaust, if left unchecked.  That is the challenge before us today.

“The horror of the Holocaust is unique, but it is just one chapter in the long and unbroken history of anti-Semitism.  Yet, in contemporary debates that influence the fate of the Jewish homeland, unfortunately, there are those who reject the language of good and evil.  They say that the situation is not black and white, that we mustn’t choose sides.

“In response to this resurgence of moral ambivalence on these issues, we must speak clearly.  Remembering the Holocaust is not merely an act of historical recognition.

“It must also be an understanding and an undertaking.  An understanding that the same threats exist today.  And an undertaking of a solemn responsibility to fight those threats.

“Jews today in many parts of the world and many different settings are increasingly subjected to vandalism, threats, slurs, and just plain, old-fashioned lies.

“Let me draw your attention to some particularly disturbing trends.  Anti-Semitism has gained a place at our universities, where at times it is not the mob who are removed, but the Jewish students under attack.  And, under the shadow of a hateful ideology with global ambitions, one which targets the Jewish homeland as a scapegoat, Jews are savagely attacked around the world, such as, most appallingly, in Mumbai in 2008.

“One ruthless champion of that ideology brazenly threatens to ‘wipe Israel off the map,’ and time and again flouts the obligations that his country has taken under international treaties.  I could go on, but I know that you will agree on one point: that this is all too familiar.

“We have seen all this before.  And we have no excuse to be complacent.  In fact we have a duty to take action.  And for all of us, that starts at home.

“In Canada, we have taken a number of steps to assess and combat anti-Semitism in our own country.  You will no doubt hear from my Canadian colleagues about the measures we have taken to date.

“I will mention for the time being that, for the first time, we are dealing with Canada’s own record of officially sanctioned anti-Semitism.  We have created a fund for education about our country’s deliberate rejection of Jewish refugees before and during the Second World War.

“But of course we must also combat anti-Semitism beyond our borders, an evolving, global phenomenon.  And we must recognize, that while its substance is as crude as ever, its method is now more sophisticated.

“Harnessing disparate anti-Semitic, anti-American and anti-Western ideologies, it targets the Jewish people by targeting the Jewish homeland, Israel, as the source of injustice and conflict in the world, and uses, perversely, the language of human rights to do so.

“We must be relentless in exposing this new anti-Semitism for what it is.  Of course, like any country, Israel may be subjected to fair criticism.  And like any free country, Israel subjects itself to such criticism — healthy, necessary, democratic debate.  But when Israel, the only country in the world whose very existence is under attack — is consistently and conspicuously singled out for condemnation, I believe we are morally obligated to take a stand.  Demonization, double standards, delegitimization, the three D’s, it is the responsibility of us all to stand up to them.

“And I know, by the way, because I have the bruises to show for it, that whether it is at the United Nations, or any other international forum, the easy thing to do is simply to just get along and go along with this anti-Israeli rhetoric, to pretend it is just being even-handed, and to excuse oneself with the label of ‘honest broker.’  There are, after all, a lot more votes, a lot more, in being anti-Israeli than in taking a stand.  But, as long as I am Prime Minister, whether it is at the UN or the Francophonie or anywhere else, Canada will take that stand, whatever the cost.    And friends, I say this not just because it is the right thing to do, but because history shows us, and the ideology of the anti-Israeli mob tells us all too well if we listen to it, that those who threaten the existence of the Jewish people are a threat to all of us.

“Earlier I noted the paradox of freedom.  It is freedom that makes us human.  Whether it leads to heroism or depravity depends on how we use it.

“As the spectre of anti-Semitism spreads, our responsibility becomes increasingly clear.  We are citizens of free countries.  We have the right, and therefore the obligation, to speak out and to act.  We are free citizens, but also the elected representatives of free peoples.  We have a solemn duty to defend the vulnerable, to challenge the aggressor, to protect and promote human rights, human dignity, at home and abroad.  None of us really knows whether we would choose to do good, in the extreme circumstances of the Righteous.  But we do know there are those today who would choose to do evil, if they are so permitted.  Thus, we must use our freedom now, and confront them and their anti-Semitism at every turn.

“That, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the purpose of our intervention today: our shared determination to confront this terrible hatred.  The work we have undertaken, in our own countries and in cooperation with one another, is a sign of hope.

“Our work together is a sign of hope, just as the existence and persistence of the Jewish homeland is a sign of hope.  And it is here that history serves not to warn but to inspire.

“As I said on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel, Israel appeared as a light, in a world emerging from deep darkness.  Against all odds, that light has not been extinguished. It burns bright, upheld by the universal principles of all civilized nations — freedom, democracy and justice.

“By working together more closely in the family of civilized nations, we affirm and strengthen those principles.  And we declare our faith in humanity’s future in the power of good over evil.

“Thank you for all you are doing to spread that faith.  And thank you for your kind attention.

“Thank you very much.”

Random Act of Culture

A long time friend of Vistas sent this marvelous information and link to the below clip. No matter what your background--this is spectacular! Imagine shopping in one of the largest department stores, and suddenly an organ fires up and all throughout the store "shoppers" burst into chorus.

The Story:

The great Wanamaker Grand Court Organ was originally located  Wanamaker's Department Store, Philadelphia...and is now--Macy's. They still do mini-concerts daily and weekly on the what is is the largest operational pipe organ in the world with 28,482 pipes!. Macy's supports the continued use of this instrument, the most often publicly heard Pipe Organ in the USA, and arguably the world. A National Treasure, it is valued in excess of $57! Recent renovations and additions have resulted in the finest state of conservation and tonal quality ever.

And what better piece of music to sing to organ accompaniment than The Hallelujah Chorus? No doubt some will tut-tut about this particular type of performance, but how great is it to see all the singers amongst the crowds throughout the Grand Court in Macy's. Note the response, attention and delight of the shopping crowd. And at the end, the applause and cheering says it all...I say we need MORE Random Acts of Culture all over the world! Enjoy!!

Weekly Bible Study~Vayeitzei~Genesis 28:10 to 32:3

This week's reading is Vayeitzei, "go out" and is from the book of Genesis, Chapters 28:10 to 32:3. Jacob leaves his hometown Be'er Sheva  and journeys to Charan to the home of his uncle Laban. He stops for the night at a place that traditionally is considered to be Har Moriah, the site of the Akeida, (the binding of Isaac)  and the location of the future Beit Ha Mikdash. We know it as the Temple Mount. Jacob dreams of a ladder. It was pointed out by one of the great sages that the ladder was described as having its "feet" planted in the ground (representing worldliness and basic decency) and that its "head" reached the heavens (representing spiritual pursuits). In his dream Jacob sees angels going up and down the ladder. Some say that this is a message telling us that wealth is temporary and can go "up" and "down", therefore if we are blessed with wealth we should use it wisely, constructively and charitably. Gd appears to Jacob and tells him that He will bequeath the entire land to Jacob's descendants, and that He would safeguard him (Jacob) until his return to Canaan. When Jacob wakes up, he recognizes the holiness of the location and erects a monument to Gd. He names the location Beth El (House of Gd) and makes a vow to tithe all his belongings when Gd's promise of a safe return would be fulfilled.

The next day he arrives at a well on the outskirts of Charan where he spots Rachel, Laban's youngest daughter, arriving with her father's sheep. When she is unable to remove the cover of the well, Jacob single-handedly rolls away the heavy stone and gives water to the flock. Rachel tells her father about Jacob, and Laban rushes out to greet him. Jacob goes to Laban's home, and after a month, Laban offers Jacob the job of tending to his herds, and asks Jacob what he wants in terms of wages.

Laban had two daughters--Rachel, and her older sister Leah. Jacob falls in love with Rachel and offers to serve Laban for seven years in exchange for her hand in marriage. Laban accepted the deal and after the seven years pass, Jacob tells Laban he wants to marry Rachel. Laban arranges a wedding feast, but when it is time to go to their tent for the night, Laban switches the girls, giving Leah instead of Rachel. Some sages say that Rachel cooperated in this ruse by giving Leah her "private signals" to Jacob. They say she did this to save Leah from a probable marriage to Esau, Jacobs elder brother. When Jacob realizes the deceipt he protests, so Laban offers to give Rachel to him as well--in exchange for another seven years service. Jacob marries Rachel, and begins another seven years of working for Laban. Leah gives birth to four children, Reuben, Simon, Levi, and Judah--but Rachel remains barren. Rachel and Leah both give their handmaids to Jacob as concubines. Rachel's maid, Bilhah, bears two children, Dan and Naftali, and Leah's maid gives birth to Gad and Asher.

Leah's son Reuben picked dudaim (fertility) plants for his mother. Rachel asks Leah for some of them, and Leah agrees, provided that Rachel relinquishes her turn with Jacob that night. As a result Leah gives birth to another two sons--Issachar and Zebulun--and one daughter--Dinah. Eventually, Rachel, too, gives birth to a son, whom she names Joseph. At that point, Jacob asks Laban for permission to take his wives and children and return to Canaan. Laban, not wanting Jacob to leave, points out that his divining reveals that his wealth and blessings are due to Jacob's presence in his home.

Laban wants Jacob to stay so he tells him to name his wages "And I will give it!" Jacob asks that all the streaked and spotted sheep born  be given to him and in return, he would continue caring for Laban's flocks. Laban, in a sly move takes all the existing spotted and streaked sheep from the herd and gives them to his son. Jacob makes striped poles for the strong and robust sheep to view while they are mating. As a result, the sheep give birth to striped lambs. Despite Laban's sneaky ways, and continual changing of the terms of Jacob's wages, Jacob soon becomes very wealthy and after six years, Gd commands Jacob to return to Canaan. Jacob talks to his wives, and they agree that it is time to leave.

Jacob waits until Laban is away, then takes his family and belongings and slips away. Rachel takes one of Laban's idols. Some say she did this in order to save her father from the sin of idolatry. When Laban discovers they have left he goes after them. The night before he reaches them, Gd warns Laban in a dream not to harm Jacob or his family. When Laban finally catches up to Jacob on Mount Gilead, he complains that Jacob didn't allow him to say goodby to his daughters, and he also says that one of his idols is missing. Jacob allows Laban to search for his idol in their belongings. Laban searches everything (except Rachel's personal belongings), and finds nothing.

Laban and Jacob made a peace treaty and erecte a stone monument to seal the pact. Laban  kisses his family good bye and returns to his home in Charan, while Jacob continues on his way. When he entered Canaan, he is greeted by welcoming angels.

Next week, as Jacob returns to the Holy Land, he once again has a dream--this time he will struggle with an angel. Jacob will get a new name, finally meets his brother Esau, then loses his wife.

Kristallnacht~72 Years

During the evenings of November 9th and 10th, 1938, thousands of synagogues and Jewish businesses and homes were damaged or destroyed.

The Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum in Jerusalem is holding a ceremony and symposium to mark 72 years since the Kristallnacht pogrom. The pogrom was named for the broken glass that resulted when the Nazis unleashed a series of riots against the Jews in Germany and Austria.

German and Austrian ambassadors will participate in the symposium. The program is in Hebrew with translation into English available, and includes lectures on Antisemitism and Holocaust Denial, as well as Holocaust Survivor Artists from Central Europe. There will also be memorial ceremonies held at  noon and at 5:30pm. Rabbi Mordechai Neugroschel will speak in the Yad Vashem Synagogue. He is is a well known lecturer and educator in Eretz Israel. He speeches in Hebrew and English reach a wide range of Israeli audiences.

Over the years the organizers of Yad Vashem have created one of the most complete centers for Holocaust information. I hope to post more on this amazing institution at a later date.

They now have a website where you can learn about the Shoah, and even search the database for names of Shoah victims.

Do visit their on line section dedicated to the  Kristallnacht Exhibition called It Came From Within.  You will find pictures and stories of the people who lived and died during those terrible nights. 

The sad truth is that the evil of antisemitism is rising around the world once again. Israel and the Jewish people are being blamed for all the ills of the world. 

While Christians are being slaughtered in every Muslim country in the Middle East, the mainstream Media  either ignores the atrocities, refuses to name the perpetrators or promotes the view that this would not be happening if Israel would only give up their country. I listen to BBC and their biased reports bear no resemblance to what is happening here in Israel. They maintain a policy that is completely  against Israel and consistently invite only those who share their antisemitic views. I don't know which is more disturbing, the fact that they are funded by public taxes or that they are heard around the world!

Sadly, even those in Germany have once again joined in the hatred towards Israel and the Jews. There was an article in the New York Times pointing out that the keynote address this year for the commemoration of the Kristallnacht pogrom at Paulskirche (a former church in Frankfurt that is a symbol of German democracy), will be delivered by Alfred Grosser, who was born in the city 85 years ago. Last year, he published a book called “From Auschwitz to Jerusalem,” in which he suggested that Germany was not critical enough of Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians because of the legacy of the Holocaust. A "Pro Palestinian" Jew, he rails against Israel. It should be noted that he lives in France, where his family fled in 1933. 

Today there are many, many Jews both in Israel and abroad who jump on the podium to vilify Israel. Just as there were Jewish Kapos in the concentration camps, these people bring shame to themselves.

The violence today has nothing to do with land--it is totally about the evil rise of Islam and their bid to conquer the world to establish a new Caliphate. Read and be informed.

We must stand up and say Never Again to those who would deprive us of the freedoms that so many have died for. As we remember the horror of Kristallnacht and what it brought to the world we must ask ourselves; "If Israel falls...who is next?"

Now They are Putting Korans in Church Pews--Why?

This weekend, the Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston along with Christian communities in Atlanta, Seattle, and Detroit will initiate a series of sermons that have been designed to produce an ecumenical reconciliation between Christianity and Islam. This next line is a shocker:  In addition to the sermons, the Sunday school lessons will center on the inspired teachings of the Prophet Mohammad. Qurans will be placed in the pews next to the Bibles.

There is much more--to read the entire article, simply click on the link to go to Bare Naked Islam's blog. The first video prompted me to do more searching and I found the second clip. Although the clip header says 3-to-5 it actually starts where the first clip leaves off. It is interesting how they use terminology to bring Jesus into Islam, but if you listen carefully, you see that they use him as a tool to bring Christians into Islam. The second video discussed this in more detail, including how they change the crucifixion and resurrection--claiming it did not happen. There are many, many articles and clips available due to the openness of the internet--this is but one example. We must take care about what we watch and what our children are exposed to. People who are new to faith, or those who have struggled with doubts can easily be drawn in. Be informed!

If you are interested in reading more articles that you will Not see in the mainstream Media do go to the home page of Bare Naked Islam for many more articles--you may be surprised!

Part 2 to 5 of Jesus of Islam

Are Christians Being "Cleansed" from the Middle East?

The Mainstream Media, the UN and associates, and others, are constantly blaming all the ills of the world on Israel. Calls of brutality, apartheid and even comparisons to the holocaust. This is false propaganda, but sadly, we as humans are so tied to our evening news we accept as fact whatever flashes on the screen.

The pope decried the decline of Christians in the Middle East saying, "urgent and concerted international effort to resolve the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, especially in the Holy Land, before such conflicts lead to greater bloodshed."  A 46-page document from the Vatican said input from clerics in the region blamed the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories for inhibiting freedom of movement, the economy and religious life, alleging that access to holy places is dependent on military permission that is sometimes denied on security grounds.

Müezzin Mahfili~for readers of the Koran during services

FACT: Israel is the only Middle East country where freedom of movement is enjoyed by all faiths. Where there are entry restrictions it is usually for Jews! A case in point  is the Temple Mount, where Christians  have better access and freedom of movement than Jews, who can be arrested if they move their lips (because they might be trying to pray!) Of all the countries in the Middle East, Israel is the only one whose Christian population has increased! While the percentage of Christians in the Israeli population has declined due to the immigration of Jews, the absolute number of Christians has increased. The Christian population of Israel has grown from 34,000 in 1949 to about 140,000 today. Think about it--how many churches have been built in Saudi Arabia, or any other Arab country in the last ten years? More likely we see projects like Hagia Sofia in Turkey (pictured right) that has been turned into a mosque! I have seen it.

The countries where Christianity is being obliterated are those with Muslim majorities. On a daily basis, Christians are brutalized, murdered and forced to accept Islam; churches are vandalized and burned, graves are dug up and the bones desecrated, because according to Islam, they are impure. Now this doctrine is spreading. A Christian can't wear a tiny cross around her neck in the UK, but a Muslim can wear a full burka, people are being dragged into court for standing on a street to pass out Christian leaflets, and worse, drawing a comic of Mohamed will net you a death sentence! But what is the Media saying--Not Much!

For those of you who are interested in Truth this is a Must Watch movie. You will see and hear the gripping testimonies of those who have lived under Islam and rejected it. Many, but not all have embraced Christianity. Critical verses from the Koran and the Hadiths are explained by people such as Bat Ye'or, Cairo born author, Abdullah Al-Araby (pseudonym), Walid Shoebat and Serge Trifkovic. You will see world politicians praising  Islam and urging us all to accept (submit to?) the rising Muslim population in our midst.

Learn why, for Muslims there is No God but Allah and Muhammad is his Prophet. Learn about the Struggle and Jihad. Learn of Expansion through conquest and historical evidence of enslavement and massacres of Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians and Hindus by Muslim invaders. Learn about Deceipt in War and Taqiyya. Finally learn why Islam is More than a Religion; why Sharia law rules every aspect of religious, political and personal action and the true meaning of Dar al-Islam ("the house of Islam" or "the house of peace"). Educate yourself and pass it on to others.  Please take time to watch (below) or at this link:

http://www.eyeblast.tv/public/checker.aspx?v=hd8zIrVrVr

Befriend a Soldier

YNet News has published an interesting article about a New Website,  Befriend a Soldier launched by former IDF soldiers aimed to connect discharged Israeli combat troops with the general population. It gives you, the general public worldwide, an opportunity to contact a former IDF Soldier and ask serious questions. I have met many young people who have done their service and feel strongly that the things they are exposed to on a daily basis are beyond what anyone should have to face. 

Do look at their site, and by all means participate!  You will surely learn something and you might even make a friend. The link is: 

http://www.friendasoldier.org/

Bible Study for Week of 31 October~06November 2010

This week's study, Toldot, means "offspring" and "generations"; it also means "generations" in the more general sense, (ie) that which a person generates and produces. Thus, "the toldot of Isaac" are Isaac's two sons, Jacob and Esau, as well as the deeds and achievements of Isaac...And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. 

Toldot--Genesis 25:19-28:9
Isaac and Rebecca (sister to Laban) marry. After twenty childless years their prayers  are answered. Rebecca conceives but the pregnancy is difficult. G-d tells her "there are two nations in your  womb" and that the younger will prevail over the elder.

The twin boys emerge, Esau first, followed by Jacob who is born clutching Esau's heel. Isaac favors Esau "a cunning hunter and man of the field" but Rebecca loves Jacob "a  wholesome man, a dweller in the tents of learning". One day, when Esau returns exhausted and hungry from the hunt, he sells his rights as the firstborn (birthright) to Jacob for a pot of red lentil stew. Then comes the famine in Canaan and Isaac escaps by traveling to Egypt via Philistine (The Holy Land). And Gd told Isaac to remain there and that He (Gd) will give to him all the blessings promised to Abraham.

In Gerar, the land of the Philistines, Isaac claims Rebecca is his sister, out of fear that he will be killed over her beauty. He farms the land, and reopens wells dug by his father Abraham. Eventually, Abimelech, king of the Philistines, perceives that Rebecca is Isaac's wife. He reprimands Isaac, but then issues a decree that no one should touch them. While in Philistine, Isaac sows crops, and miraculously harvests many times more than a field's normal yield.

The Philistines eventually became envious of Isaac's wealth, and ask him to leave. He moves away from the city, settling in the Gerar Valley. There, Isaac's servants dig two new wells but the Philistines contest his ownership over these wells. Isaac moves on and digs a third well. This well is uncontested and he names it Rehoboth "for now the Lord hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land".

Isaac goes to Beersheba, where Gd appears to bless him and assure him that He (Gd) would always be with him. Abimelech travels to where Isaac is and requests to enter into a peace treaty with him; "We saw certainly that the Lord was with thee".

Isaac agrees to Abimelech's request and on that day, Isaac's servants inform him that they have successfully dug another well. Isaac names it Shebah. Isaac is now becoming old and blind. He wants to bless Esau, but first asks him to hunt for his (Isaacs') favorite game. Rebecca overhears, and devises a plan to disguise Jacob as Esau, including using goatskins to simulate the feel of his hairier brother. She then prepares the meal and sends Jacob with it to Isaac.

 Jacob receives the blessing for "the dew of the heaven and the fat of the land and mastery over his brother". Esau arrives soon after and only then does Isaac realize what has happened. He tries to comfort Esau with a minor blessing "Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above; And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck". But Esau remains furious and is determined to kill Jacob. Once again, Rebecca finds out and asks Isaac to send Jacob to Charan to find a wife. Isaac does so, and blesses Jacob again before he departs.

After Isaac sends Jacob to his brother-in-law Laban's home, to marry one of his daughters,  Esau also marries (again) this time to Machalat the daughter of Ishmael. 

We see from this that Isaac was blinded concerning Esau’s (un)worthiness for the birthright, while Rebecca, who had lived under the same roof with the evil Besuel and Laban, saw through him and took steps to insure Jacob received the blessing, then finally, sent him away to safety. How often in families do we have this same situation where one parent favors a particular child. Does this contribute to sibling rivalry? Do we even recognize we are favoring one child over another? What if we have a difficult, unruly child? A very wise woman with many children once said that when a child of hers became "uncontrollable" she would immediately ask Gd to help her react to the child with love, and to provide her with a method to deal with the situation.

Next week Jacob leaves his hometown Be'er Sheva and journeys to Charan. On the way, he meets and struggles with an Angel.

Israel's Critical Security Needs for a Viable Peace

From the time Israel was declared a state in 1948 it has been under attack. Time and again agreements have been drafted and even signed, but the violence has continued, with Israel so far being able to defend itself.

Israel is one of the smallest countries in the world. A comparison of the middle east was made to a hand. Hold out the hand and there you have all the Arab countries. Look at the nail of the tiny finger and there you have Israel. And yet, the world is constantly trying to force this small nation to give up land. The time has come to say No More!
  

Please watch this video produced by the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs--If Israel gives up any more land it will be suicide. Remember, All of the Arab countries in the middle east have sworn to wipe Israel off the world map--it is in the constitutions and charters of each one. Even our "peace partners" have not removed this caustic declaration from their charter.