Brit-Am Now"- 415

June 21, 2004

1. Re-Posting Brit-Am Postings
2. Attempted Reunification of Judah and Joseph
3. Question on Gu-ti
4. The Biblical Message (based on Isaiah, chapter1)
5. Arutz Sheva News Thursday,
HONORING A PORTUGUESE HOLOCAUST RESCUER

1. Re-Posting Brit-Am Postings
Anybody may repost Brit-Am Postings anywhere they wish without asking for
our permission.
But PLEASE:
Do not send them to those who may be affronted by them.
Acknowledge that they originated with us.
Acknowledge that they came from whoever is sending them without Brit-Am
being involved.

2. Attempted Reunification of Judah and Joseph
Recently we gave a de facto approval to an effort to possibly speed up the
reunification of Judah and Joseph.
The attempt fell apart.
Apparently the timing  was not right.
I do not think anything was lost.
Some good may have been done.
We can try again at another time.
In the meantime we can all go ahead in whatever positive directions are
open to us.

3. Question on Gu-ti
re The Tribes, ch. 10
>  I wonder if you could get one question answered for me. The writer of
> this work on Gad states a couple of times that the term "Yue chi" has
> been mistakenly transliterated from Chinese and really means Gadites,
> Gadani or whatever. This is very important to me. Do we know what Yue Chi
> meant in Chinese?  Is the writer suggesting that Yue Chi is a Chinese
> distortion of Gu-ti? This revelation has HUGE implications. Of course, I
> am ready to beleive it, but wonder what proof there might be.
>Thanks again,
>R

Answer:
As I understand it:
>Yue Chi is the present transliteration of the Chinese script describing
>the people in question.

At the time the script was written the values of the letters would have
been pronounced as "Gu-ti"
or "Gou-thi".
This is acknowledged in most standard reference works on the period in
question.
In Chinese there are several dialects that all use the same writing system
so that they may
read the writing of each other but not necessarily understand the speech.


4. The Biblical Message (based on Isaiah, chapter1)


Isaiah condemns Israel because of their corrupt deeds and because they
despised reverence for the Holy One of Israel. They shall be punished. The
punsihment has already begun and expresses itself in physical sickness. The
Ten Northern Tribes were exiled along with many from Judah. The inhabitants
of Jerusalem were left alone with desolation all around them. God does not
want "sacrifices" (1:11), prayers, and religious services that are not
accompanied by good deeds. We must cease to do evil and do good  "SEEK
JUSTICE, CORRECT OPPRESSION; DEFEND THE FATHERLESS, PLEAD FOR THE WIDOW"
(1:17). If we mend our ways we will be immediately forgiven. Everything can
be made right:
  <<THOUGH YOUR SINS ARE LIKE SCARLET, THEY SHALL BE AS WHITE AS SNOW>> (1:18).
Social justice is especially important.  Most of us hardly known any widows
or orphans. We certainly would not oppress them. There are however plenty
of people in similar situations. The principle remains that we should not
take advantage of the weak and vulnerable. Even in small ways we can apply
this rule. The other day I took the place in line of someone else. The
person behind the counter went ahead and served me because I am a friend of
theirs but they seemed uneasy about it. It was a mistake on my part. The
lady whose place I had unjustly taken never said anything but she gave me a
look indicating that she was quite offended. It was something I did not
need and with a bit of condsideration could have prevented. Things like
this happen to all of us sometimes. We also do not need to be offended
especially when no offence was intended. Even when offence is meant we can
sometimes afford to ignore it.
<< ALSO TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN; LEST THOU HEAR THY
SERVANT CURSE THEE:
<<FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH THAT THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE
HAST CURSED OTHERS  [The Preacher 7:21-22].
Charity begins at home.
If you look around, you probably have next of kin or those  you are close
to who need help and you may be able to help them. It would not necessarily
take much and it may make the world of difference. This is Israelite
heritage. This is what the God of Israel wants from us. If we do this, we
will blessed and "EAT THE GOOD OF THE LAND" (1:19). We are also called upon
to uphold the law and not to tolerate violence and oppression. This
includes doing what we can, when we can, to prevent crime, mafia- and
gang-type behavior, abortion and homsoexuality. Most abortions are not in
accordance with the real wishes of the mother and homosexuality often leads
to coercion and suffering: This also applies to the sexual promiscuous
atmosphere in general.  People who take drugs (even light ones like
marijuana, etc) are often forced into financial servitude and behavioral
patterns they do not want. In many cases these causes of suffering would
not exist if the attitude leading up to them was not tolerated.  Here too,
on the individual level, we may not necessarily be able to do anything
about all this corruption. God promises  us (1:26) however, that if we turn
back to Him, He will restore our judgres and things will be made right
(1:27).  God is on our side.
It is not difficult:
<< IT IS NOT IN HEAVEN, THAT THOU SHOULDEST SAY, WHO SHALL GO UP FOR US TO
HEAVEN, AND BRING IT UNTO US, THAT WE MAY HEAR IT, AND DO IT?
<< NEITHER IS IT BEYOND THE SEA, THAT THOU SHOULDEST SAY, WHO SHALL GO OVER
THE SEA FOR US, AND BRING IT UNTO US, THAT WE MAY HEAR IT, AND DO IT?
<< BUT THE WORD IS VERY NIGH UNTO THEE, IN THY MOUTH, AND IN THY HEART,
THAT THOU MAYEST DO IT.
<<SEE, I HAVE SET BEFORE THEE THIS DAY LIFE AND GOOD, AND DEATH AND EVIL;
<<IN THAT I COMMAND THEE THIS DAY TO LOVE THE LORD THY GOD, TO WALK IN HIS
WAYS, AND TO KEEP HIS COMMANDMENTS AND HIS STATUTES AND HIS JUDGMENTS, THAT
THOU MAYEST LIVE AND MULTIPLY: AND THE LORD THY GOD SHALL BLESS THEE IN THE
LAND WHITHER THOU GOEST TO POSSESS IT>> [Deuteronomy 30:12-16].

5. Arutz Sheva News Thursday,
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
June 17, 2004 / Sivan 28, 5764
HONORING A PORTUGUESE HOLOCAUST RESCUER
A Portuguese diplomat who defied his government and helped save thousands
of Jews during the Holocaust will be commemorated in special prayer
services in dozens of countries over the next few days.

Correspondent Michael Freund reports that the initiative, launched by the
International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation, is in honor of Aristides de
Sousa Mendes, who served as Portuguese consul in Bordeaux during World War
II.  Haifa Chief Rabbi She'ar Yashuv Cohen, the Chief Rabbi of Belgium, the
Archbishop of Montreal, and Cardinal Renato Martino of the Vatican are
among dozens of prominent religious leaders taking part.

In Israel, too, special prayers will be recited in Jerusalem, Netanya, Beit
She'an, Hadera and elsewhere.

The Wallenberg Foundation, headed by Baruch Tenenbaum, chose today, June
17, to commemorate Sousa Mendes because it was on this date in 1940 that he
began issuing the special visas to refugees.  Despite explicit instructions
from Portuguese dictator Antonio Salazar barring the entry of Jewish
refugees, Sousa Mendes issued 30,000 transit permits, including some 10,000
to Jews, enabling them to escape deportation to the German death camps.  As
a result, Sousa Mendes was denounced and stripped of his post. He died
penniless in 1954.

Yad Vashem has recognized him as a Righteous Gentile.  Asked once to
explain why he was willing to disobey his superiors and risk his career in
order to save Jews, Sousa Mendes is reported to have replied, "I would
rather be with G-d against men, than with men against G-d."


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