A world moving towards Truth

A few months ago I came across this video , (TO WATCH IT - scroll to bottom of the post) which brings to light a list of new words that are no longer politically correct and therefore can not be used in kids textbooks in the USA. Among those words are Deaf, Poor, Americans...(YEAH AMERICANS?) and many others. It seems a little strange at first, like what is going on here? I think the main point to notice here is that these words are offensive to some people and therefore people should avoid them. Looking at this specific point, I think it is definitely a GREAT thing and a step in the right direction.

On the other hand, do these words that they are choosing have any intrinsic bad in them? As some of those words could also be used for a good purpose and not necessarily in an offensive manner. Also whatever word they are planning to take out of textbooks will be replaced with a word that has the exact same meaning and therefore may become offensive once again. Will the new words be removed in another 5 years? What is really offensive: the word or what they portray? Something to think about.

Anyways, thanks to Hashem, proper speech was taught to the Jewish People apprx 3000 years ago when we received the Torah. The Great Kabbalist, The Ramchal z"l (i.e.,HaRav Moshe Chaim Luzzato from around 250 yrs ago, explicitly teaches us a lesson for life about proper speech in his book of Messilat Yesharim (Path of the Just)

Here is my English translation of what he says:

A general rule: One's evil inclination has many ways [to make a person stumble, but know this:] anything a person says that can possibly cause harm or disgrace to his friend, whether in his presence or behind his back, this falls under the transgression of "Lashon Harah". It is hated and vile before G-d. (שנאוי ומתועב לפני המקום).

As it is written:

Erchin page 16b: "Anyone who speaks loshon hara is like one who has denied everything (i.e., all of Torah)"

and

Tehillim 101: "He who slanders his neighbor in secret, Him I will cut down."

Back to american text books: As weird as it seems, If we focus on the good point that "Offensive words should be avoided" , we can see how the world is slowly coming to the realization of what our Holy Torah taught us many many years ago...

So, I think we are a seeing yet another sign that the world is moving towards, and laying out the groundwork for the final redemption in which The Truth will be revealed to the whole world.

Other interesting signs...
• Product reviews / user comments all over the internet leave businesses no choice but to be honest about the products that they try to sell. (truth)

• Abundance of knowledge available to everyone via internet. (knowledge)

• Via Internet - Everyone in the world can receive the same information simultaneously (oneness)

• Creation of the Euro, talks of the Amero, (currencies, countries coming together) conspiracies of a One World government. (oneness)
• ANY MORE? probably many...leave comments, let us know!

Did the term "Average Joe" originate from the Gemara - apprx 2000 yrs ago?

The Gemara (Talmud) written apprx 2000 years ago covers a very wide spectrum of topics. Here is something you probably never noticed.

In Gemara Pesachim 68b it says,

when the Holiday of Shavuot arrived (Holiday in which Israel receives the Torah) Rav Yosef said "Make for me a special animal" a third calf. What's a 3rd calf? Rashi explains that the 3rd calf that comes out of the Mother is the very best meat. Implying that Rav Yosef ate a very special meal on this occasion. So why was Rav Yosef eating such a lavish meal on this Holiday?

Rav Yosef said "If it wasn't for this day of Shavuot" and had we not received the Holy Torah, How would I be able to learn Torah and become a wise scholar? Without, the Torah, "I would have been like every other Yoseph in the street "

(i.e., Had it not been for the Torah, I would have been an average Joe)

Joseph/Joe is the english form of Yosef

Could it be that the term "Average Joe" evolved from this Talmudic source from apprx 2000 years ago?

But let's also learn an important lesson from Rav Yosef z"l

How fortunate we are to have been given the Torah!

A Jew is indeed no average Joe and don't you forget it.

When Adar comes we increase our joy...When Av comes we decrease our joy

The month of Av has arrived and here is a related story which I heard from Harav Zamir Cohen.

Our sages teach us:

"When Adar comes in we increase our joy - When Av comes in we decrease our joy."

Hebrew: "Mshenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha - Mshenichnas Av M'maatim b'Simcha"

Rav Yonatan Eibeshitz z"l was known to be a wise little kid when growing up. One day upon coming home from school in the month of Adar, he decided to take out all the pots and pans from the kitchen cabinets and play some drums. His mother asked him "what is the occasion? He said "Ima, m'shenichnas Adar marbim b simcha!" (translation: "Mom, When Adar comes in we increase our joy!") He continued the party . The noise was getting a little out of hand for his mother.

Mother:"Yonatan, it's quite loud"

Yonatan: "yes Mom, when Adar comes in we increase our joy!."

By now the pots and pans were flying around the room and Yonatan was having a ball. A sudden knock at the door brought silence to the room. His mother went to answer the door and to Yonatan's surprise it was his father. Yonatan dropped his home made drums and made a run for it. He was in his bedroom within a couple seconds. After hearing what had happened, his father came to speak with Yonatan in his room.

Father: "What happened Yonatan, your mom told me that you were making alot of noise in the kitchen"

Yonatan: "Dad, but you know what our Rabbis tell us: When Adar comes in we increase our joy!"

Father: "ok, that is beautiful son... but why then did you stop when I came in?

Yonatan: "Dad, True, Mshenichnas Adar Marbim b'Simcha ... but ... Mshenichnas Av M'ma'atim b'Simcha"

(English: When Adar comes in we increase our joy... but ...when Av comes in we decrease our joy!")

Av is also the hebrew word for father - I hope you got that (-:

Be a maven!

From the beginning of time the Jews have contributed to the world on such a large scale. If you compare the contributions to their numbers, it's phenomenal.(-: I was happy to discover that the word "Mavin" or sometimes could be spelled "Maven" actually comes from the Hebrew word "Meivin" which simple meaning is to understand. The wikipedia definition of the word is as follows:
[wikipedia] A maven (also mavin) is a trusted expert in a particular field, who seeks to pass knowledge on to others. The word maven comes from the Hebrew, via Yiddish, and means one who understands, based on an accumulation of knowledge.

Jews, you're awesome...keep up the good work in accumulating knowledge. The Torah is the greatest gift, and Hashem gave it to us, so we can live by it.

Try -Making a set time every morning on accumulating your knowledge of Torah - It adds up!

Consistency is the key...