A Destiny In Which Steve Jobs Played A Principal Role

Steve Jobs: Change We Learned To Believe In

iTechnology And  A Better World

By Tzvi Freeman

One day in 1979, 24-year-old Steve Jobs walked into Xerox PARC and saw the first GUI—a computer interface with a mouse, designed to work the way people work. As Steve Wozniak describes the scene, Jobs was jumping up and down like a small child, demanding “Why aren’t you doing anything with this? This is the greatest thing! This is revolutionary!”

The executives responded that the world wasn’t ready for this. My bet is that a lot of them were pretty scared by it. What’s the point of being a techie, after all, if everyone can do it? But Jobs grabbed whoever he could from the PARC team and built the Macintosh.

If he hadn’t, I would never have been able to become a writer—being rather dyslexic and uncoordinated. I wouldn’t be able to hold a job—because I can’t sit in an office behind a desk for more than an hour. In fact, I have no clue where I would be—other than a real lousy, clumsy cog in IBM’s wheel.

I used to joke that Apple was my second religion. Then Apple got too popular, and I was never one for being part of a mass movement. Nevertheless, I believe in Apple, because I share Steve Job’s vision. And I believe the course of history was changed through him for the better—real, real better.

When Steve Jobs started Apple at 19, this world was the world of IBM, General Motors, Exxon, Dow Chemicals and Encyclopedia Britannica. Today, make that Google, Apple, eBay, FaceBook and Wikipedia. Jobs promise was that 1984 would not be an Orwellian techno-1984 that would reduce us to uniformed humanoids, and he made good on that promise.

What has changed? Everything changed. The world has been turned on its head.

There was once a world where you had to memorize a manual to use a word processor—the same one just about everyone used. Where you had to take someone from the IT department out to lunch just to get basic stats about the company you managed. Where you had to hire a computer expert to get simple tasks done much as we hire accountants to take care of our income tax statements today (and I hope, not for much longer).

Today, we live in an iWorld. If I don’t like the encyclopedia entry, I modify it. If I’m fed up with working at a desk, I check my iPhone map for the closest park and go work there. Technology is here to serve me. I don’t need to conform to it, I don’t need to be manipulated by it, I barely need to spend time learning it—because it learns me.

So some of you are asking, "What is so beautiful, so messianic, about an iWorld?"
And my personal answer: the iWorld is the destiny of humankind and its saving grace.

It is the belief that a human being is not a cog in the wheel of a great machine, but the inherent master of all machines. It has enabled us to create a world where everybody knows when justice has been perverted and can scream about it to the whole world loud and clear. It is the power by which totalitarian regimes have fallen and will continue to fall, by granting everyone access to knowledge, which is power. And behind it all stands a tacit conviction that every human being contains something of the Divine, and therefore should be master of his or her world and destiny.

In Jewish terms—at least, the way I experienced the evolution of the past thirty-something years: The iWorld is the world of Moses, a world where every man, woman and child is a member of the covenant, and must therefore know the laws and teachings for themselves. And what Big Machine Inc. et al were interested in building was more like the world of Egypt's pharaoh and its priestly caste, of those who inform you “we have all the knowledge and we’ll let you know when you need to know.”

Around 500 years ago, Western Civilization began moving rapidly towards towards its destiny, towards that iWorld. In the last 50 years, we’ve been rapidly shifting gears upward. Up and away from a world where human beings are tightly squeezed through homogenization filters so they’ll fit into the system, into a world designed to fit the human being. Into a world where knowledge is free, opportunities for expression and creativity lie literally at your fingertips, every voice is heard and almost anything becomes possible even for the most handicapped child.

The world has its destiny, produced and directed by the Master of all destiny. A destiny in which Steve Jobs played a principal role. Sure, his role was nothing more than a provider of tools—it's up to us to use them to create that world for which we yearn.

Wall Street - A Crisis Of Values

The ancients looked up at the heavens and saw the stars in their constellations. They honored them as stewards of divine energy and life, as the embodiment of all forces of nature and the origin of human passions. They abandoned the Master for the servant, for in truth there is only One and all else is but a tool in His hand.

Modern man looks down to the headlines of the finance page and sees there all the forces that will make or break his career, his retirement plans, his success as a human being. He too is a fool, for in truth there is only One and all else is but a tool in His hand. [M.M. Schneerson]

From Wall Street To Main Street

God throws things at us, totally confusing and mixing up our order and plans for our lives, and our sense of security as well. And our job, I feel, after the initial overwhelming upset, is to set to work organizing and setting the mess right again.

So how are we to deal with an overwhelming financial crisis?

The Rebbe often told people that wealth is a test – a test because it is often harder to keep focused while comfortable. Somehow, our inner wiring is such that when faced with crises we find ourselves searching for God, spirituality and meaning.

But, he would tell people, that test is the challenge of our generation. Our job is to have wealth, lots of real, touch-with-your-hands-and-feel-it money and to turn that into a good thing, to use the money for Godliness.

When faced with any question, we are taught to look inside the Torah and see what it tells us. Torah, our Sages have taught us, is from the Hebrew word hora'ah, lesson. The Torah is, essentially, a guidebook and lesson for us, for all times and for every situation.

When the Torah teaches the law of tithing, it says  "and you shall surely give a tenth of your earnings to charity". The commentaries explain that the double language of "and you shall surely give a tenth of your earnings to charity", which can be viewed as a strengthening of terms, hence the phrase "and you shall surely", has another meaning as well.  "you shall tithe", comes from the same root as , "you shall be wealthy". The verse is also saying "tithe" and  "you will become wealthy".

In other words, when we give charity, God gives us the ability to do so in abundance. Of this promise – that when you give charity, God will repay you many times over God says:  "test me in this". Try it, He is telling us, give some charity and you will see that you will make the money back, and then some.

As counter-rational and unbelievable as this piece of advice is, going against every grain of logic in our minds, I have seen some really special people who actually follow this advice. [Aliza Silberstein]

The crisis in the Western world is not financial, but a crisis of values.

A culture that conditions people to believe happiness will come from possessions rather than relationships is bound to collapse. Without spirituality and faith, materialism corrupts the mind and soul.

The best investment a person can make is to look far beyond the materialism and invest in their relationships, families, communities and human connections, business values and ethical dealings. 

Our real security comes from within, in feeling and trusting God’s presence in our life. 

Focus on nurturing your connection to nature, the universe, a deity, and whatever lies beyond here and now.

Who is truly happy? One who is content with their lot. One never knows what life will bring and how things will wrap themselves up in the end.

The great use of life is to spend it for something that outlasts it.

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

It is every man's obligation to put back into the world at least the equivalent of what he takes out of it. The value of a man resides in what he gives and not in what he is capable of receiving.

9/11: Ten Years On The World Remembers

Into the sky: The 'Tribute in Light' shines above lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty, and One World Trade Center, left, on Saturday in New York

America remembers: Nation mourns a decade after 9/11 terror attacks with tears and tributes to the victims who were lost on the day that changed the world

• America remembers the day 10 years ago when terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center and Pentagon
• Bush and Clinton among guests at dedication in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, of memorial to Flight 93 hijackers
• Other memorials planned for New York and Washington D.C. as America mourns almost 3,000 victims

Families of the thousands of victims killed in New York on 9/11 gathered this morning at Ground Zero as the nation braces itself for a sombre day of tributes paid to those who lost their lives in the terror attacks which shocked the world ten years ago today.

As dawn broke, mothers, fathers and children began filtering in to the memorial site to lead the U.S. in pausing and reflecting on the decade since terrorists caused the Twin Towers to crumble, flew into the side of the Pentagon and crashed a plane in Pennsylvania.

At the ceremony today, moments of silence will be held to mourn those who perished as each of the planes crashed and the two towers went down, while President Barack Obama and his predecessor George W. Bush will deliver readings and the names of the 2,753 who died will be read aloud.

While New York will form the focus of the memorial day, respects will be paid throughout the country, with events at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania also poignantly marking the passing of innocent Americans a decade ago.

As authorities stepped up security throughout New York City, the National September 11 Memorial and Museum memorial service will see families gather throughout the day.

A moment of silence will be held at 8.46am, when the first plane crashed into the North Tower, and then the names of the victims will be read.
Further moments of silence will be held to mark the other attacks in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania at 9.03am, 9.36am, 9.59am, 10.03am and 10.28am.

The annual 'Tribute in Light' will then begin from the WTC site at sundown, visible for more than 60 miles. Two blue beams, made up of 7,000 watt bulbs, were switched on for the first time this year on Tuesday night.

As the victims' families gather to honour their lost ones, law enforcement agencies around the country have stepped up security at airports, nuclear plants, train stations and elsewhere in anticipation of possible anniversary attacks.

President Obama met with his national security team on Saturday, but the White House released no new information about possible threats.
A statement insisted counterterrorism efforts were working well and would not ease in the weeks and months ahead.

Residents and workers in the area will be required to carry identification to gain access with 20 downtown streets planned for closure.
Today marks the opening of the memorial and museum, set in the footprints of the original twin towers among a small forest of oak trees in an eight-acre plaza.

The memorial, which opens to the public tomorrow, features two 50ft-deep pools, each containing fountains, along with a museum with exhibitions and artefacts to teach visitors about the events of September 11. The pools have the victims' names etched around its perimeter.

Various American leaders have taken time this week to speak about the attacks and the importance of remembering what happened ten years ago.

President Obama has sought to strike a balance between remembering and moving forward, while also trying to summon the feeling of unity that existed during the dark days after terrorists killed nearly 3,000 Americans.

'They wanted to deprive us of the unity that defines us as a people. But we will not succumb to division or suspicion. We are Americans, and we are stronger and safer when we stay true to the values, freedoms and diversity that make us unique among nations,' he said.

Mr Obama also thanked American troops who have served in two long wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and added: 'We're doing everything in our power to protect our people. No matter what comes our way, as a resilient nation, we will carry on.'

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led New York in the days after the attacks, voiced some of the same themes in the Republican Party's weekly radio and Internet address. He said that on 9/11 terrorists had achieved their goal of killing Americans - but failed to destroy the American spirit.

'The country was not broken, but rather, it was more united in the days after September 11 than at any time in my lifetime. We displayed heroic spirit in many ways, but perhaps the most heroic was the unity of spirit that we shared as Americans,' he said.

'The American people demonstrated one of the most basic values that we share - our love of freedom and the value we place on individual human life.'

Meanwhile, former President George W. Bush paid tribute to the victims of Flight 93 yesterday, describing their actions as some of the most courageous in U.S. history.

Mr Bush was joined by former president Bill Clinton to lead a silent tribute to the victims of September 11 at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania the day before the official anniversary of the terror attacks.
Mr Bush said the defiance of passengers aboard the doomed plane was a shining example of democracy in action.

More than 4,000 people, including relatives of those killed when the plane crashed into a rural Pennsylvania field, attended the service.

Mr Bush, who was joined by his wife Laura, placed a wreath of white flowers by the 9/11 memorial stone embedded in the wall outside Corridor 4, which is close to where the hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, killing 184 people.

Also at Saturday's brief ceremony were Defence Secretary Leon Panetta, former Pentagon chief Donald H. Rumsfeld and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Admiral Mike Mullen.

A long white stone wall bearing the names of those who struggled with al-Qaeda terrorists on the fourth airliner to be hijacked on September 11, 2001, was unveiled on the rural Pennsylvania field where the Boeing 757 crashed.

Current vice president Joe Biden joined the former presidents, families of the victims and several hundred others -- many in patriotic T-shirts or holding US flags under a slate grey sky.

During the ceremony, the names of the 40 victims were read out, one by one, accompanied by chimes.

Today President Obama will also join a two-hour commemorative service at the spot where Flight 93 went down.

The Flight 93 National Memorial currently includes an elongated walkway which sweeps past a circular field marked by a wreath-bedecked 17-ton boulder.

The adjoining wall bearing the names of the dead retraces the direction in which Flight 93 came down. Planted by the entry to the walkway are three young elm trees, representing the three 9/11 sites.

Notable upon the stage yesterday were the flags of Germany, Japan and New Zealand - in remembrance of wine merchant Christian Adams, 37, student Toshiya Kuge, 20, and lawyer Alan Anthony Beaven, 48, the non-native-born Americans.

A U.S. Navy brass quintet in crisp white uniforms played a prelude. US park rangers and FBI agents raised the national flag. Award-winning bagpiper Bruce Liberati performed, as did Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan.

In the aftermath of 9/11, local volunteers took on the task of greeting visitors and maintaining a makeshift memorial along the chain-link fence that overlooks what some call 'America's first battlefield against terrorism'.

On Friday, family members of those who died on Flight 93 visited the site, read the guestbook and viewed the many mementos left by people from all over the world who have come to pay their respects.

Relatives shed some tears, but they also celebrated the spirit of the guestbook - a rare feeling that people from vastly different walks of life had come together.

'I don't focus on what happened. You can't change that,' said Lorne Lyles, whose wife, CeeCee Ross Lyles, had been working as a United Airlines flight attendant for only nine months on that September morning in 2001.
'Coming here is more of a celebratory thing. She's been memorialised,' Mr Lyles said. 'Just to see the outpouring from all over the world is touching. You really do have some caring people in the world.'

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar spoke at the site on Friday. He noted that for all the progress on the memorial, there's still work to be done.

When it is finished, it will include a Tower of Voices with 40 wind chimes.

Public and private donors have contributed $52 million, but $10 million more is needed to build a true visitors centre and to finish landscaping, Mr Salazar said. 'We will not be able to complete the site' without additional funding', he said.

Meanwhile, 2,753 Flags of Honour - each baring the names of 9/11 victims in patriotic stripes of red and blue - are standing at the tip of Manhattan as New York City marks the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The NYC Memorial Field, part of a five-day installation, was erected to give New Yorkers a public place to gather in remembrance of those who were killed in the horrific acts of September 11, 2001.

On Friday in midtown Manhattan, 2,753 empty chairs, representing the lives lost on 9/11, were set to face south toward the World Trade on Bryant Park's lawn for part of a project called Ten Years Later, A Tribute 9/11.

Meanwhile, actors and performers from the Broadway community gathered at Times Square in costume for Broadway Unites: 9/11 Day of Service and Remembrance ceremony.

Yesterday morning at precisely 8:46am, thousands gathered to grasp hands and form a human chain to commemorate 9/11 at the tip of the Lower Manhattan waterfront heading north.

Organisers at Manhattan Community Board 1 said the event is open for those who feel excluded from today's official 9/11 Memorial ceremony, which is only open to families of the victims. Events to mark the tenth anniversary will go on throughout today in Manhattan.
 The Metropolitan Museum of Art will display the 9/11 Peace Story Quilt with an accompanying programme throughout the afternoon.

Graduate students from New York University will read poetry from the quilt and a free concert will be performed. Created in collaboration with New York City students aged between 8 and 19, the quilt was made to convey the importance of communication among cultures and religions to achieve peace.

The 92nd Street Y will have free memorial services on 9/11 for families at 2pm and for other adults at 3 pm. A talk will also be given by photographer Joel Meyerowitz, creator of the World Trade Center archive, at 7:30pm.

The New-York Historical Society will showcase a selection of photos taken during the immediate aftermath of the attacks on the World Trade Center. The Remembering 9/11 photo exhibition will be on view until April 12.

A film titled World Trade Center: All Times, based on a 10-year project by Fred J. DeVito that began as a way to remember the events and how they shaped the lives of Americans, will play at the Big Screen Plaza in Manhattan's Flatiron district. 

 The New York Mets will hold a tribute at Citi Field at 7:30pm, half an hour before their game against the Chicago Cubs begins. John Franco will throw the first pitch to Mike Piazza - both members of the 2001 team.

An Evening of Light 10th Anniversary Gala will be also held at Capitale at 8pm.
 The fundraiser event is for Tuesday’s Children, a non-profit family service organisation which helps those affected by the attacks on 9/11.


FDNY 10th anniversary memorial service honouring members lost at WTC, a free ceremony at St Patrick’s Cathedral, will be held from from 2-4pm, honouring the 343 FDNY families that lost a loved one at the World Trade Center. The ceremony will be shown on large TV monitors in midtown Manhattan.


Later in the day, the famous church will hold a free concert given by the Young Peoples Chorus of New York, the New York Choral Society, and Cathedral Choir of St Patrick.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2036119/9-11-Memorial-events-Bill-Clinton-Laura-Bush-weep-tribute-ceremony.html

9/11 Army Chaplain Reflects - The Soldier In His Ash Covered Boots

A Symbol Of 9/11 Loss. In remembrance of those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks.

By Colonel Jacob Z. Goldstein

One of the first tasks you learn as a soldier is how to shine your boots. No matter where you're stationed or what your mission, your day begins with polished boots.

When my men and I arrived at Ground Zero, fires were raging out of control and the smoke was burning our eyes. The first thing I noticed was the ash. Cars, people, buildings -- everything was covered in ankle-deep ash. Some time later it occurred to us that many people who had been inside the World Trade Center had been completely burned, cremated by the intense heat of the explosions and fires. This ash was their remains.

 I did not clean my boots that night. How could I? Would it make a difference? Within four hours I would be back outside, amid the carnage and destruction. I have not shined my boots since September 11, and when my mission here is completed and I am no longer needed at Ground Zero, these boots will be buried, never to be worn again.

 The question I hear every day, from soldiers, civilians, politicians and rescue workers is, "How could God allow this to happen?" They ask me this as I walk on the ashes, as I climb over destroyed buildings, and as I pass the constant stream of families in mourning, peering over the barricades. I could tell them that there are people who choose to do good and people who choose to do evil. But what do I say to the thousands of innocent people who are suffering, the victims and the bereaved? What can I offer? I can only try to offer hope.

 Essentially, my job is hope. I am not trained in desert warfare, I cannot fly an F-16, and I get stuck sometimes just trying to send e-mail. But I do know the value that Judaism places on hope and faith. The Talmud teaches us that even if the blade of an enemy's sword is at one's throat, one must never give up hope.

Inside every person there is an incredible reservoir of hope and strength. I have seen it in our Armed Forces for 26 years. But September 11th exposed this hope in each and every person.

I saw hope in a firefighter who stood on burning debris with his boots melting, hoping to find survivors. I saw hope in the eyes of a rescue worker who pulled a yarmulke out of the wreckage and gave it to me, hoping that I could find out to whom it belonged.

I saw hope in a volunteer who heard that I was going to blow the shofar at Ground Zero on Rosh Hashanah. When she heard the notes of the shofar, tears began to stream down her face. When the service was over, she gathered herself together, took a deep breath and went back to work.

I saw hope and strength in the Army combat engineers who built a sukkah at Ground Zero for rescue workers and families of the Jewish faith. I heard hope in the words of President Bush and Governor Pataki. I saw hope in the actions of Mayor Giuliani, who was constantly with the workers, encouraging them and thanking them for their help. These ordinary people, these rescue workers, these leaders, help give us hope and faith in a time when we need it most.

A grandfather was talking to his grandson about how he felt. He said, "I feel as if I have two wolves fighting in my heart. One wolf is full of anger, despair and hopelessness. The other is full of compassion, strength and hope."

 The grandson asked, "Which wolf will win this fight in your heart?"


The grandfather answered, "The one that I feed."


If there is one thing we need most today, it is hope. Feed the hope and faith in yourself and others around you. Never give up. Never lose hope, as it is the essential ingredient with which we will rebuild our society. Without it, we have buildings that can be destroyed. With it, we are one nation under God, indivisible.

Colonel Jacob Z. Goldstein is the chief chaplain of the New York Army National Guard. He and his team were eyewitnesses to the tragic events of September 11th, and one of the first military units to arrive at Ground Zero.

Hurricanes, Tsunamis And Turmoil. Why Are Misfortunes Befalling Our Homes?

Just as God's world has its storms and seasons, so, too, our homes.

As I finished viewing one news clip where houses were being knocked down by bulldozers, I watched another, showing a tropical storm doing the same damage.

And I wondered: why are misfortunes befalling our homes?

Why a merciful God decreed and allowed these things to happen is beyond our comprehension. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts higher than your thoughts" (Isaiah 55:9). It is not for us to give or suggest reasons for the sad and bad things that transpire in the world.

But it is for us to offer solutions. To share in the pain of those who have lost their loved ones, their homes and their livelihoods. To extend moral, emotional and material help in every way possible.

We are also duty-bound to learn and grow from everything we experience or witness.

"A man without a home is not a man," the Talmud says, because without a home we have no place, no world. Our home is the setting of our lives: the place where we sleep and eat, laugh, play and cry. Our home is the place where we live as a family; where we imitate God, creating our own miniature world.

Just as God's world has its storms and seasons, so, too, our homes. There are times when our home life glows like the shining sun and flows calm like a soft stream. Sometimes we have tsunamis, hurricanes and turmoil.

Today, many who live in the pathways of the storms are taking a closer look at the physical structure of their home, making sure it has solid foundations and strong walls to help it withstand these outside forces.

All the more so the inside, the very reason we built our home in the first place. It must have strong foundations, morals and values to withstand the outside forces and the negative influences that storm on around us.

When we witness catastrophes, both man-made and God-sent, that knock down our homes, rip through our lives and leave us stranded and homeless, it is a time first to help those out there, bring them in, feed them, dress them and spread the warmth.

It is also a time to look into our inner foundations, the interior morals and values, and check that they are stable and strong. Enough to give us good reason to call upon God to put a final end to all these disasters once and for all.

As we enter the month of Elul, ushering in the New Year, we remember that at the beginning of the year God decides what the year has in store for us.

So we beseech and pray to Him: "Let us join You in making this world a home, a home that begins in our small houses and courtyards, in our cities, in our countries and throughout Your beautiful creation. Help us and guide us, give us the courage and all that we need materially and physically to withstand the stormy conditions. Let our homes be everlasting edifices of holiness.

"And may Your creation; our world, be strong and safe, pure and holy." [Mendel Cohen]

The Dollar - Read The Fine Print

We pray for it, we slave for it, we devote our best years and finest talents to acquire it. And then we blame it for all our ills.

In particular, two basic accusations are leveled against the dollar:

a) It has usurped the position, once occupied by the spiritual, the transcendent and the divine, of the highest striving of man and the ultimate authority in his life. In this day and age, the dollar is god.

b) It is the cause of untold division and strife. It has pitted brother against brother, neighbor against neighbor, nation against nation. Indeed, virtually all conflicts are conflicts between the haves and the have-nots. And what do the haves have that the have-nots do not? Money.

But is the dollar really at fault? Is a six-and-one-eighth by two-and-five-eighths inch piece of green and white paper to be blamed for the fact that we have transformed the ultimate means into an ultimate end? That a most potent social glue is used to build walls of hostility and fortresses of isolation? What does the dollar itself say about its intended and perverted uses?

By divine providence, the designers of the dollar inscribed on it two key phrases. The first, which extends above the large “ONE” on its reverse side, is “In God we trust.” Not I, says the dollar, can provide you with solace from the pain of life and security against its uncertainties; not I should serve as the object of your yearning and the focus of your striving. Do not trust in me—trust in God. Do not serve me—use me to serve God.

The second phrase, inscribed on the face of the Great Seal of the United States reproduced to the right, is “E pluribus unum” (“Out of many, one”). Yes, the world we perceive with our eyes of flesh is a plural world, a world of great variety and diversity. But our mission in life is to make of the many one, to unite these diverse forces into a harmonious expression of the oneness of their Creator.

People are different—differently endowed with talents, resources and opportunities. Money can deepen these differences, when it is used to hoard wealth, reward privilege and exploit the needy. But money is far more suited to unite and equalize. It is the ultimate abstractor, converting goods, talent and toil into a commodity that can easily be traded and shared. It is a medium of generosity and cooperation between men and nations, a consolidator of resources to a common end.

The next time you use or pursue a dollar, take a moment to read the fine print. [The Rebbe]

To Each His Path

Just as it is right to direct someone on to the path where he belongs, so too it is a crime to direct someone onto a path that does not belong to him.

Each person is born with a path particular to his or her soul, generally according to the culture into which he or she was born.

There are universal truths, the inheritance of all of us since Adam and Noah. In them we are all united. But we are not meant to all be the same. Our differences are as valuable to our Creator as our similarities. [Tzvi Freedman]

The Burning Palace

The sensitive human being gazes at a brilliantly structured universe, a splendid piece of art. He is overwhelmed by the grandeur of a sunset and by the miracle of childbirth; he marvels at the roaring ocean waves and at the silent, steady beat of the human heart. The world is indeed a palace.

But the palace is in flames. The world is full of bloodshed, injustice and strife. Thugs, abusers, rapists, kidnappers and killers are continuously demolishing the palace, turning our world into an ugly tragic battlefield of untold pain and horror.

"And God said to Abraham: 'Go from your land, your birthplace, and your father's house...'" (Genesis12:2) To what may this be compared? To a man who was traveling from place to place when he saw a palace in flames. He wondered: "Is it possible that the palace has no owner?" The owner of the palace looked out and said, "I am the owner of the palace." So Abraham our father said, "Is it possible that the world lacks a ruler?" Go d looked out and said to him, "I am the ruler, the Sovereign of the universe."

"What happened to the owner of the palace?" Abraham cries. Why does God allow man to destroy His world? Why does He permit such a beautiful palace to go up in flames? Could God have made a world only to abandon it? Would anyone build a palace and then desert it?

The Midrash records God's reply: "The owner of the palace looked out and said: 'I am the owner of the palace.' God looked out and said to Abraham: 'I am the ruler, the Sovereign of the universe.'"

What is the meaning of God's response?

Note that the owner of the palace does not make an attempt to get out of the burning building or to extinguish the flames. He is merely stating that He is the owner of the palace that is going up in smoke. It is as if, instead of racing out, the owner were calling for help.

(In our times today we too witnessed a palace going up in flames. Ten years ago we gazed in disbelief at the horror of The World Trade Center uncontrollably going up in flames and burn to the ground. Now today too, London is burning and consumed up in flames as rioters rampage across the city as police struggle to contain a third night of rioting and looting.

Residents of large areas of London and parts of Birmingham and Liverpool are holed up in their homes, too fearful to walk the streets as masked and hooded rioters take over the streets.

Police were largely powerless to prevent gangs of rioters, most of them youths, as they marauded through the main streets of districts in north, south, east, west and central London.

Firefighters were also prevented or unable to keep up with the number of blazes that were started by rioters, many carrying cans and bottles of alcohol).

God made the palace, man set it on fire, and only man can put out the flames.

Abraham asks God, "Where are you?" God replies, "I am here, where are you?"

Man asks God, "Why did You abandon the world?" God asks man, "Why did you abandon Me?"

Thus began the revolution of true monotheism. Humanity's courageous venture to extinguish the flames of immorality and bloodshed and restore the world to the harmonious and sacred palace it was intended to be. Abraham's encounter with God in the presence of a burning palace gave birth to the mission statement of the moral crusade - to be obsessed with good and horrified by evil.

  

By forgetting Gods covenant with Noah, we failed to do our part in the protection of the destroyed palace.

For too long, many in society succumbed to the lure of the modern popular notion that there is no such thing as absolute evil behavior. "Thou shall not judge," has become the cherished motto of our times. We have been taught to rather understand the underlying frustrations compelling the aggressor to follow his extreme route.

This "sophisticated" and "open-minded" point of view has allowed many of us to sustain an ethos of boundless tolerance, accepting all forms of behavior as just, since at the core of every mean act lies a crying heart.

Few ideas have been rejected in abiding by the Noahide Laws with so much passion, because the refusal to take a stand against what is wrong, will result in wrong's victory. For example, a non-judgmental view of a suicide bomber may appeal to our sense of compassion and understanding. Yet in reality it assists the "frustrated activists" in their continuous slaughter of innocent victims.

The Noahide Laws, in its impassioned attempt to turn the world into an exquisite palace, created absolute universal standards for good and evil. These standards are defined by the Creator of the universe and are articulated in His manual for human living. Taking the life of an innocent person is evil. No 'if's, 'but's or 'why's. The killer may be badly hurting, but that never justifies the act of murdering an innocent human being.

Have we lost sight of our mission statement crafted by God to Noah on that fateful day thousands of years ago? Terrorists, anarchists and thugs the world over have learned that they can continue their despicable work without serious consequences.

Good people of the world are waiting to be inspired by our four-millennia long heritage of standing up to evil and banishing it from God's palace. [Adapted from YY Jacobson]

In the morning prayer, fire burns fire.

In our default state, we burn with anxiety - the anxieties of survival in a hostile world. When we meditate and pray, we fan a fire of love for that which transcends this world. One fire swallows another and we are set free. Liberated from fear, we face the world no longer as slaves, but as masters.

The perfection in the Divine service lead to the realization of the essential unity in human nature, to the point where the Good Inclination and the Bad Inclination become one, through the transformation of the Bad Inclination by and into the Good Inclination, for otherwise, of course, there can be no unity and harmony, since all that is holy and positive and creative could never make peace and be subservient to the unholy, negative and destructive.

Let us resolve to unite together as a power that will work to cure the poverty, evil, hurt and unjust that exists and bring some sanity and calm to the world. God’s Creation will then truly be complete and will impart  meaning and fulfillment to our lives thus resulting in a truly ethical and moral culture and society.

Question: 

Why would God allow terrible things to happen in the world without intervening to prevent them? The story answers your question, "Could God have made a world only to abandon it?"

The palace represents God's Kingdom. The flames represent the tainted vision of man. The reason God appears unconcerned is because the flames are not real: they appear only in the terrifying dreams of one who has broken God's commandment not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. If the man abandons the sinful habit of judging good and evil for himself, and leaves judgement to God (to whom it belongs), the flames will be transformed, and the man will see only the pure, Holy light of God. God assures the man that there is a sovereign ruler, and that ruler is I AM. The palace is not on fire, but because the man has attempted to usurp God's authority, his mind is a raging inferno. [Yehudi Waharam]

A Wise Business Investment Amidst The Grave Financial Crisis

The Rebbe often told people that wealth is a test – a test because it is often harder to keep focused while comfortable. Somehow, our inner wiring is such that when faced with crises we find ourselves searching for God, spirituality and meaning.

But, he would tell people, that test is the challenge of our generation. Our job is to have wealth, lots of real, touch-with-your-hands-and-feel-it money and to turn that into a good thing – to use the money for Godliness.

When we give charity, God gives us the ability to do so in abundance. Of this promise – that when you give charity (with an open hand and willingly), God will repay you many times over - God says: "test me in this". Try it, He is telling us, give some charity-- and you will see that you will make the money back, and then some.

Certain areas in the field of commerce are currently not realizing expectations. Undoubtedly we must view this is a test from God. Though He knows that the heart is always open, and at all times ready to heed the call of performing good deeds, still, He tests us in order to satisfy the reluctant-to-believe angels of the Heavenly Court.

God therefore says to them:
"See, despite the natural tendency to decrease in charity when business is not as it once was, here is a wise person, who understands that this is only an attempt to test him. He also understands that when he will withstand the test – and will then understand the real intent behind it all – not only will his business be as prosperous as beforehand, but it will be better than before.

"For a father loves when his son understands the true intention of his father's actions; and the more the child demonstrates his wisdom, so much greater are the gifts that he receives from his father."

Businesspeople say that a veteran in the field has a better grasp of commerce concepts. As you are in business already for a long time, you should be able to understand God's intention in this all.

Just as you would stand firm with any good investment, the same applies here. Not only should we not decrease God's share, to the contrary, we should give even more on His account. Then God will fulfill his assurance stated in the Torah: "Give a tenth to charity in order that you become wealthy" – and He will give His "partner" an even greater income than before. [M.M. Schneerson]

In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich. It is very easy to overestimate the importance of our ownachievements in comparison with what we owe others.

Wealth is a great thing to have and a great thing to share. Your worth as a person does not come from what you are paid. It comes from who you are and what you give.

It is through giving that we become fulfilled and happy and begin to appreciate what we have.

Money can't buy you a place in heaven but good deeds can!

Bomb Strapped To Teen Girl In Exclusive Sydney Suburb Of Mosman

Bomb disposal experts attend a house in the Sydney suburb of Mosman where it is believed an 18-year-old schoolgirl has a bomb strapped to her neck. Picture: Attila Szilvasi

Developing Story: Sydney police race to defuse ‘collar bomb’ on teen girl, who was plunged into a terrifying life-or-death situation early this afternoon when a suspected live bomb was forcibly strapped to the 18 year old schoolgirl — along with a ransom note — in an apparent extortion attempt. Street is in lockdown. British military reportedly consulted by Sydney police.

The incident has garnered worldwide attention, with international news websites from the BBC in Britain to CNN in the US offering prominent coverage.

Update Just In 12:20am: POLICE have secured the release of a Sydney schoolgirl who spent 10 hours strapped to an explosive device. Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch said the girl had been released from the device and reunited safely with her parents. The device was still intact, he told reporters.

The victim has been tentatively identified as 18 year old Madeline Pulver who is the daughter of  high-profile business executive William Pulver, who was believed to be the target of the apparent extortion bid.

Mr Pulver is chief executive of the technology company Appen Butler Hill, which provides complex "linguistic solutions" for language and data to businesses. Appen provides linguistics technologies to companies including Microsoft, Google and Nokia.

According to twitter reports "Police have confirmed that the bomb siege at Mosman is over, with the teenage victim released safe and well." "Sydney police say young woman in #Mosman bomb incident now safe" ending a horrifying 10-hour ordeal. "Great job NSW Police Bomb Squad!"

POLICE are trying to defuse a bomb strapped to a teenage girl at a multimillion dollar house in the exclusive Sydney suburb of Mosman.

The investigation into the incident on Sydney's lower north shore is now being headed by the robbery and serious crimes squad, which also deals with extortion attempts.

It was not clear how the device came to be strapped to the 18-year-old girl but it is understood she did not place it there herself.

(The Sydney Morning Herald said a balaclava-clad man entered the house in the afternoon and placed the device on the girl, although police would not confirm reports it was strapped to her.

The Australian said There were reports last night police believed the extortionist had told Ms Pulver the device was a bomb, which he could trigger from remote, and that he had also attached a microphone enabling him to hear what she was saying. Police were understood to have X-rayed the device and were analysing it to see if it contained explosives and how it was wired).

Police believe a ransom note is attached to the girl's neck but bomb experts have been unable to read its contents.

A senior police police officer described the device as an unusual "collar bomb" which has never been seen before in Australia.

He said police believed it was an extortion attempt and that details of the situation were being conveyed to police via the girl's father.

NSW Assistant Police Commissioner Mark Murdoch said the situation was a "very serious and sensitive matter". "We are still treating the suspicious package as live," he said tonight. "I can't confirm whether it is strapped to the woman involved but she is still in the vicinity of the device."

When asked whether the girl could move away from the bomb, Mr Murdoch said: "No, she can't get away from it."

Mr Murdoch did not confirm whether girl was a victim of an extortion attempt - instead he said police were still unsure what they were dealing with.

"We don't know what we are dealing with...we are working very hard to find out exactly what it is, and equally important, what it isn't," he said.

As the incident enters its ninth hour,  Mr Murdoch said the device was proving "a tough nut to crack".

NSW police had spoken with other agencies in Australia including the federal police and were researching the device, he said.

He said the girl, believed to be a Year 12 student at a north shore private school, was extremely calm, with specialist officers helping to guide her through the ordeal.

She has not moved from a room at the front of the house since authorities arrived.

Her parents were being cared for by police and being kept "fully up-to-date", but the only people the young woman had contact with were police negotiators.

A bomb disposal expert in full headgear was seen outside the home.

The drama unfolded at 2.40pm this afternoon when an 18-year-old girl called police to the mansion in Burrawong Avenue, Mosman "following discovery of a suspicious device".

The street is home to Sydney's richest, including racing identity Gai Waterhouse, ex-Wallaby Phil Kearns and John Eales.

Police have cordoned off the house and a command post has been set-up on the corner of Burrawong Ave and David Street.

A third police rescue vehicle has entered the crime scene, as well as a number of detectives.

The girl is believed to be studying her HSC this year. She celebrated her 18th birthday with a party at her home three weeks ago.

Police said in a statement the incident was not being treated as self-harm.[heraldsun.com.au]

*Mosman is one of Sydney's prestige suburbs, home to multi-million dollar properties and Australian identities.

The Tapestry Of Living Life On Which All Our Lives Are Woven

 

If you could see the tapestry of life on which all our lives are woven,
Then you'd feel the purpose to which we've all been chosen,
As our lives surge forward like waves on an endless ocean,
There's so much we can do to fill our world with devotion,
The value and effect of all that we do,
Transforms our planet and environment too,
The pain, the sadness, the joy and the growing,
All enrich our lives with the seeds of all-knowing,
The wisdom that burns within, heals us like a song,
Like the rays of the sun as it warms a cold empty dawn,
So if we treasure each moment like it was our last,
We're treasuring our lives, future, present and past,
When we see that glory lies in each moment, we'll be drawn,

Like dandelion seeds carried by a mystic wind, to a new golden dawn.

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Weaving A Tapestry Of Experiences

With our first breath is the demand for an attentive touch. Our infancy is a loom limited to only knowing need and it must be delivered by the gentle, caring touch of a human hand. Once self sufficient, our needs ever increase, and can only be achieved through our deliberate choices. A beautiful tapestry of our choices is defined by the positive and wondrous things that have touched us and taken us to limitless places that get woven into our lives.

A countless measure of life events determine how to find the touch needed and choosing to receive it. A kiss on the forehead, a soft embrace of comfort and safety, a hand placed on yours to always let you know you are not alone, a shoulder upon which rests your dreams. All the simplest, elementary pleasures and pains of childhood serve us for a lifetime and foreshadow the complexities we contrive. Boundaries are needed, but setting the protective walls too high means you won’t be able to see past them either.

The fibers of living are inevitably spun of truth and lies, generosity and greed, sharing and possessing, love and hate, joy and despair, dignity and shame, courage and fear, humility and ego, desire and denial, clarity and confusion. Choose fibers that are not spun of regret. Our experiences, observations, actions, and realizations can weave tapestries of giving and receiving.

Weave positive protections from harm. Patience allays misunderstanding. Listening grows trust. Reality defeats fantasy. Simplicity overrides illusion. Validation promotes success. Gratitude delivers satisfaction. Accountability defeats risk. Affirmation denies insult. Adventure conquers complacency. Reality binds expectation. Kindness lights darkness. Compassion battles fear. Courage earns admiration. Contentment supercedes passion. Respect yields reciprocation. Negativity breeds nothing.

Truly seeing what you have blinds dissatisfaction. Touching hearts connects souls.

Weave gently and with care so the flexibility for change always exists. This tapestry not only lasts your lifetime, but stays behind for others to continue. [Fruma Porter]