Contents:
1. "Ancestors of American Presidents"
2. Personality of "Ephraim"
3. Humor
1. "Ancestors of American Presidents"
Subject: Britam 97
From: John C. Shore
Dear Yair;
You may know about this book "Ancestors
of American Presidents" by Gary
Boyd Roberts
but seven presidents fo the USA are
listed as kin.
Warren G. Harding 29th
Richard Nixon 37th
James Carter 39th
Franklin Roosevelt 32nd
Geo H.W. Bush 41st
Leslie Lynch King Jr. changed to Gerald
Ford 38th
Also Harold Brooks-Baker director of
Burke's Peerage, Pub House that traces
the lineage of royal and noble families
said Bill Clinton and Bob Dole are
distant cousins. (AP article published
in The Daily Oklahoman, Oct 28 1996.
Clinton is also of Royal lineage, born
Wm Jefferson Blythe, but took his
stepfather's name, but his mother can
be traced back to King Henry III who
ruled England 1227 to 1272.
Most people in the USA have no idea
about genealogy as to leaders of this
country.I guess it would be difficult
to find out which tribe they came
from but I am sure it is written down
somewhere. This leads me to conclude
that many of us could be Jewish and
have no idea because of assimilation...
Just info to think about. John
2. Personality of "Ephraim"
Question From: David M
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-99
Yair
I know I have touched on a variant
of this question before with you, but i
would like to try to ask it again,
from a more psychological profile angle
From the Bible and commentators
it would seem clear that the tribe of
Ephraim is marked by an impetuous personality,
perhaps much more so than
the other tribes;
they are fiery and given to immediate
emotional responses
ie. aside from comparing the House
of Joseph to a flame, when the
Israelites were forbidden by G-d to
enter the Holy Land after they screwed
up in the desert, the Bible records
that the tribe of Ephraim refused to
accept this verdict and attempted to
conquer the land alone, only to be
beaten back
how would you square this away with
the very well known British personality
and temperament of measured responses,
repressed outward emotions, and even
a cold aloofness?
Please advise
David M., New Jersey
Answer: Your question is a valid one
in its own right but I think you have
confused the sources.
According to tradition, some time before
the Children of Israel came out of
Egypt led by Moses the Tribe of Ephraim
made
an attempt of its own to go out from
Egypt but was unsuccessful and many
were killed by the Philistines.
This said to be hinted at in the Book
of Chronicles though I presonally
have difficulty with the Chronology
involved:
[1-Chronicles 7:21- AND ZABAD
HIS SON, AND SHUTHELAH HIS SON, AND EZER,
AND ELEAD, WHOM THE MEN OF GATH THAT
WERE BORN IN THAT LAND SLEW, BECAUSE
THEY CAME DOWN TO TAKE AWAY THEIR CATTLE.
[1-Chronicles 7:22] AND EPHRAIM
THEIR FATHER MOURNED MANY DAYS, AND HIS
BRETHREN CAME TO COMFORT HIM.
Apart from this incident, when the
spies brought back an evil report about
the land and the people did not want
to enter the land, it was decreed
that they should wander in the wilderness
for 40 years then there were some
who did not accept the verdict, tried
to enter the land and were killed:
[Numbers 14:39] AND MOSES TOLD THESE
SAYINGS UNTO ALL THE CHILDREN OF
ISRAEL: AND THE PEOPLE MOURNED GREATLY.
[Numbers 14:40] AND THEY ROSE UP EARLY
IN THE MORNING, AND GAT THEM UP INTO
THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN, SAYING, LO,
WE BE HERE, AND WILL GO UP UNTO THE
PLACE WHICH THE LORD HATH PROMISED:
FOR WE HAVE SINNED.
[Numbers 14:41] AND MOSES SAID, WHEREFORE
NOW DO YE TRANSGRESS THE
COMMANDMENT OF THE LORD? BUT IT SHALL
NOT PROSPER.
[Numbers 14:42] GO NOT UP, FOR THE
LORD IS NOT AMONG YOU; THAT YE BE NOT
SMITTEN BEFORE YOUR ENEMIES.
[Numbers 14:43] FOR THE AMALEKITES
AND THE CANAANITES ARE THERE BEFORE YOU,
AND YE SHALL FALL BY THE SWORD:
BECAUSE YE ARE TURNED AWAY FROM THE LORD,
THEREFORE THE LORD WILL NOT BE WITH
YOU.
[Numbers 14:44] BUT THEY PRESUMED TO
GO UP UNTO THE HILL TOP: NEVERTHELESS
THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD,
AND MOSES, DEPARTED NOT OUT OF THE
CAMP.
[Numbers 14:45] THEN THE AMALEKITES
CAME DOWN, AND THE CANAANITES WHICH
DWELT IN THAT HILL, AND SMOTE
THEM, AND DISCOMFITED THEM, EVEN UNTO HORMAH.
The people who tried to enter the land
in this last instance were not
necessarily from the Tribe of Ephraim.
[If you have a source that says
differently please let me know].
Concerning your remark about the psychological
profile of Ephraim and the
English: The very name Ephraim
in Hebrew embodies aristocracy and the
British still have an aristocratic
system and values. The Australians, New
Zealanders, and South Africans as well
as the British belong to Ephraim and
some of these can be quite impetuous.
There is not a place in the world
where the British have not fought and
hardly a people on earth they have
not warred against and probably beaten.
In the Second World War, the
Germans had three times as many planes
as the British yet the British kept
fighting even though everybody else
had given up and at that time the
Russians were on the German side and
the USA was neutral. In the Gulf War,
British dive bombers undertook the
most dangerous missions and suffered the
highest losses per head. Britain at
present is prepared to stand with the
USA once again even though most of
the world is in effect against them. The
British may seem reserved reserved
etc and not impetuous yet nevertheless
Britain does fit the psychological
profile of Ephraim. This works for good
and bad: All over Europe there are
gangs and troublesome youth (skinheads
in Germany, Arab youth in France, etc)
yet none of them, except the British
ones, need monitoring by Interpol.
When the English soccer fans come to
town, anywhere in the world,
the opposition stays off the streets. [I
probably would too]. Ephraim is described
as a drunkard and a playboy and
as sexually corrupt and this description
fits British and Australian youth
and pop culture.
The psychological profile of Ephraim
in my opinion fits the British more
than anybody else.
3. Humor
From: "David S.Devor" <devor@usa.net>
Subject: light humor
======================================================
New billboards are getting attention
in Arizona. Some reported seeing one
or two messages, but the newspaper
listed all of them. Here's a list of
all variations of the "God Speaks"
billboards. The billboards are a simple
black background with white text. No
fine print or sponsoring organization
is included:
Tell the kids I love them.
-God
Let's meet at my house
before the game.
-God
C'mon over and bring the kids.
-God
What part of "Thou Shalt Not..."
didn't you understand?
-God
We need to talk.
-God
Keep using my name in vain;
I'll make rush hour longer.
-God
Loved the wedding.
Invite me to the marriage.
-God
That "Love Thy Neighbor" thing ...
I meant it.
-God
I love you and you
and you and you and ...
-God
Will the road you're on
get you to my place?
-God
Follow me.
-God
My way is the highway.
-God
Need directions?
-God
You think it's hot here?
-God
Have you read my #1 best seller?
There will be a test.
-God
Do you have any idea
where you're going?
-God
Don't make me come down there.
-God
================================================================
On the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah,
there is a ceremony called Tashlich.
Jews traditionally
go to the ocean or a stream or river
to pray and throw bread crumbs into
the water.
Symbolically, the fish devour their
sins.
Occasionally, people ask what kind
of bread crumbs should be thrown. Here
are suggestions for
breads which may be most appropriate
for specific sins and misbehaviors:
For ordinary sins.....................White
Bread
For erotic sins.........................French
Bread
For particularly dark sins..........Pumpernickel
For complex sins.....................Multigrain
For twisted sins.......................Pretzels
For tasteless sins....................Rice
Cakes
For sins of indecision...............Waffles
For sins committed in haste......Matzoh
For sins of chutzpah.................Fresh
Bread
For substance abuse................Stoned
Wheat
For use of heavy drugs..............Poppy
Seed
For petty larceny......................Stollen
For committing auto theft..........Caraway
For timidity/cowardice...............Milk
Toast
For ill-temperedness.................Sourdough
For silliness, eccentricity..........Nut
Bread
For not giving full value..............Shortbread
For jingoism, chauvinism...........Yankee
Doodles
For excessive irony...................Rye
Bread
For unnecessary chances.........Hero
Bread
For telling bad jokes/puns.........Corn
Bread
For war-mongering....................Kaiser
Rolls
For dressing immodestly...........Tarts
For causing injury to others.......Tortes
For lechery and promiscuity.......Hot
Buns
For promiscuity with gentiles......Hot
Cross Buns
For racist attitudes....................Crackers
For sophisticated racism............Ritz
Crackers
For being holier than thou...........Bagels
For abrasiveness.......................Grits
For dropping in without notice......Popovers
<
For over-eating...........................Stuffing
For impetuosity..........................Quick
Bread
For indecent photography............Cheesecake
For raising your voice too often.....Challah
For pride and egotism..................Puff
Pastry
For sycophancy, ass-kissing........Brownies
For being overly smothering..........Angel
Food Cake
For laziness................................Any
long loaf
For trashing the environment.........Dumplings
For those who require a wide selection
of crumbs, we suggest a Tashlich Mix
available in three
grades (Tashlich Lite, Medium, and
Industrial Strength) at your favorite
Jewish bookstore.
==============================================================
====================================================================================
Neurotic: A person who worries about
things that didn't happen in the
past... instead of
worrying about something that won't
happen in the future, like normal people.
====================================================================================
A man is lying on the operating table,
about to be operated on by his son,
the surgeon. The
father says, "Son, think of it this
way ... If anything happens to me, your
mother is coming to
live with you."