Earthquakes and Divine Providence

We've all noticed the recent surge in earthquakes - actually "natural" disasters in general. They have been coming more frequent and pretty devastating as well.

While a recent report by CNN discusses whether this is actually an uncommon occurrence or not, it clearly shows how Hashem is directing these earthquakes to affect population centers, not the oceans they usually hit.

"Natural processes become disasters only when they interact with people," said Seth Stein, a distinguished faculty member at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Apparently Hashem wants us to take note. To paraphrase the saying - if a 7.7 earthquake rattles the Atlantic, does anyone make Teshuva?

Misfortune only comes to the world for the Jewish people [to make them do Teshuva].

The Jewish People will only be redeemed through Teshuva (RaMBa"M).

America & Pharaoh - Similarities

I was just noticing that America is doing the same as Pharaoh during the 10 Plagues. Pharaoh kept ignoring the signs of his country's downfall at the hands of Hashem - due to his stubbornness to keep the Bnei Yisrael as slaves. He kept making false promises and going back on them when the storm cleared.

America is doing the exact same thing. They are ignoring the fact that the current economic situation was caused in no small part by a false Congress passing corrupt laws full of spending money that was non-existent. They are continuing to do the same thing by increasing their "budget caps" enabling them to spend more virtual money - further plunging the country into debt.

It never ends well...America needs to pay attention and learn from history. We need to learn that Hashem does things to get us prepared for the future.

Tragic Helicopter Crash in Mexico

I am still reeling in shock after hearing and reading about the tragic helicopter crash of the Saba family in Mexico. What a sad day for Klal Yisrael. Tragedies that befall any of us is a true wake-up call, all the more so, when Hashem chooses to wake us up with a bucket of ice-water. I am still recovering from the shock and hope to change for the better in response.

Are any of us ready to go on such short notice? Have we fulfilled our missions faithfully? Have we done what we've set out to do? Or have we let our goals collect dust on a bookshelf? It's times like these to take those books down from the shelf, dust them off and get back on track.

Not to c"v detract from the horrific situation, but I was reminded of the tragic helicopter crash of a frum family in the Grand Canyon on Aug 11, 2001 - just 30 days before September 11th. From what I've heard - some people were saved from being in the World Trade Center on 9/11 due to there being some type of Shloshim program that morning. I just hope this wasn't a warning of something just as big (or c"v bigger).

Let's do Teshuva so we don't have to find out!

The Ant and the Grasshopper

THE ANT AND THE GRASSHOPPER

This one is a little different... . Two Different
Versions.... .......... .... Two Different Morals

OLD
VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away...
Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed. The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be responsible for yourself!


MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter. The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away. Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving.

CBS , NBC , PBS , CNN, and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food.

America is stunned by the sharp contrast.
How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, ' It's Not Easy Being Green ..'

ACORN stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the group singing, We shall overcome. Then Rev. Jeremiah Wright has the group kneel down to pray to God for the grasshopper's sake.

President Obama condemns the ant and blames President Bush, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus , and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight.

Nancy Pelosi & Harry Reid exclaim in an interview with Larry King that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper , and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act retroactive to the beginning of the summer.


The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ants food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again. The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and once peaceful, neighborhood.

The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Be careful how you vote in 2010.

I've sent this to you because I believe that you are an ant not a grasshopper! Make sure that you pass this on to other ants. Don't bother sending it on to any grasshoppers because they wouldn't understand it, anyway.

Dubai having money problems

Just continuing the spiral downwards - the downfall of materialism - the truth coming out of hiding... Dubai declares that it cannot pay its bills. They want to delay payment on their $60 Billion in debt for at least 6 months, until May 2010.

I see the Geula approaching every day - do you? Be sure to leave some comments...

Gematriot of Barack Obama

...Been thinking - We've all been calculating his name as Barak with a 'Kof' = 100 - as in the Hebrew word for lightning - Barak. However, if his name is sourced in Arabic, it's much more likely that the name really is spelled with a 'Kaf' = 20 - as in Arabic (Hebrew counterpart of Beracha, blessing).

Maybe we all need look into the Gematriot again and see what comes up...

How Ironic?

Does anyone else find it totally absurd that obama is discussing sanctions on Iran with none other than Russia? Didn't they build the nuclear facilities for Iran in the first place?!

Would love to hear what you think in the comments...