i  find it instructive that the only people that have opened their hearts and homes to the many several hundred thousands of Jews that had to escape from the areas in the south of Israel have been the kibbutzim. i was at first unaware of this until i saw an article about a nearby kibbutz givat chaviva that opened all its facilities to thousands of Jews that had to escape--and till cant go back to their homes. now i have become aware that the only places that have been helping the Jews that have had to escape have been the kibbutzim  

 The Russian revolution is for me a case where it is hard to take sides. given what Nicholas II saw what had happened to all the previous tsars when they tried to be soft [they were murdered], it is hard to imagine what else he could have done. On the other hand, the misery of the Russian people was already growing in intensity because of the cities and industry growing and with WWI it is hard to see any recourse to any kind of action than to throw out a czar that seemed insensitive to their trouble. It is also hard to see any party taking power except the Bolshevik who controlled the army with Trotsky at it head. It is all very confusing. Then to try to reason through it all seems to make it worse. Marx was the author of a brilliant hypothesis that like all scientific hypotheses needed to make predictions, and then can be tested based on those predictions. All of Marx's prediction turned out to be false. Maybe it all comes down to what Rasputin told the czar, ''If my death will be caused by you or any of your close relatives, then you and your family will not last one year after that.''

 

 I think I ought to make Kant clear. There is knowledge that is known by way of reason, for example things known by definition. And there are things known by the five senses. But can we know things like universals [things that particulars have in common]?-Yes. Things are in the realm of possibility of experience. We can know them by structures in the mind like computer chips. [E.G. the ideas of time space and causality. But outside of the conditions of possible experience we can not know.

There are some attempts to get past this blockage, and one approach is that of Jacob Fries--and that is to say there is knowledge that is known, but not by reason and not by the senses.

[This is different from reason first Kant [the first interpretation] and from sensibility first Kant [Robert Hanna, Sperber].] This Kant-Friesian approach says neither reason nor sense perception is first. See Kelley Ross's web site To get an idea about this Kant-Friesian approach I think the best idea is to learn the books of Leonard Nelson who is a lot more clear than Fries himself, even though I think most are still in  German.  

When Robert Hanna and Kelley Ross argue for the Kantian position they do not usually bring evidence from physics. [Dr Ross is mainly interested in expanding the position of Kant and Fries--to develop a much wider world view than you could see in either. Dr Hanna is mainly interested   in showing the flaws in those Analytic thinkers that attacked Kant. ] But one little piece of evidence has convinced me for years about the truth of Kant from Physics. The humble little unremarkable electron. As it reacts or is part of the equations that deal with its kinetic and potential energy, it is fine. But if you try to calculate its mass as independent of all interaction [including its own field], its mass comes out to be infinite. 

the command of the Torah is to conquer the land of Israel from the Canaanites

I To the Rambam [Maimonidess], the command of the Torah is to conquer the land of Israel from the Canaanites. To the Ramban/Nahmanidess the command is to live in Israel. However the Rambam agrees that one should live in Israel. I admit I have never been able to figure out the approach of the Rambam. How could it possibly make any sense to conquer Israel and the move somewhere else? But where does one go to get clarity about the Rambam except to Reb Chaim of Brisk and that whole school of thought that started with him up until Rav Shach. And so far I have not seen anything that could bring me clarity about the Rambam.   

[And where is Israel? The boundaries are stated in Torah. And yet right then and there, the children of Gad and Reuben decided to live outside of those borders--and Moses agreed with them!! I imagine that this must be the reason for the Rambam. If it would be a command of the Torah to live in Israel, why did Moses not tell them to do so. Why did Moses agree that after they would help to conquer Israel, then they could live on the other side of the Jordan river? It must be that that was okay.--but you could  answer this that the borders of Israel  promised to Abraham extend from the Nile to the Euphrates River. 

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 To the רמב''ם, the command of the תורה is to conquer the land of ישראל from the Canaanites. To the רמב''ן the command is to live in ישראל. However the רמב''ם agrees that one should live in ישראל. I admit I have never been able to figure out the approach of the רמב''ם. How could it possibly make any sense to conquer ישראל and the move somewhere else? 

And where is ישראל? The boundaries are stated in תורה. And yet right then and there, the בני גד ובני ראובן decided to live outside of those borders, and משה agreed with them.  This must be the reason for the רמב''ם. If it would be a command of the תורה to live in ישראל, why did משה not  tell them to do so. Why did משה agree that after they would help to conquer ישראל, then they could live on the other side of the Jordan river? It must be that that was okay. But you could  answer this that the borders of ישראל  promised to אברהם extend from the Nile to the Euphrates River. however the borders of ancient israel did not extend that far. 

לרמב''ם, מצוות התורה היא לכבוש את ארץ ישראל מידי הכנענים. לרמב''ן הציווי הוא לגור בישראל. אולם הרמב''ם מסכים שצריך לגור בישראל. אני מודה שמעולם לא הצלחתי להבין את גישתו של הרמב''ם. איך זה יכול להיות הגיוני לכבוש את ישראל ואז ללכת למקום אחר? ויש לתרץ את זאת. איפה ישראל? הגבולות מצוינים בתורה. ובכל זאת, באותו רגע, החליטו בני גד ובני ראובן לחיות מחוץ לגבולות אלה, ומשה הסכים איתם. זו חייבת להיות הסיבה לרמב''ם. אם זו תהיה פקודה של התורה לחיות בישראל, מדוע משה לא אמר להם לעשות זאת. למה משה הסכים שאחרי שהם יעזרו לכבוש את ארץ כנען, אז הם יוכלו לחיות בצד השני של נהר הירדן? כנראה שזה היה בסדר. אבל אתה יכול לענות על זה שגבולות ישראל שהובטחו לאברהם משתרעים מהנילוס ועד נהר הפרת

 In Torah it is important to have an idea about what is the main thing and what are  the side issues. Thus monotheism and good midot [to be a mensch] ought to be the foremost in everyone' mind. Monotheism is certainly the command to worship and serve God alone. But it also means to understand that God is completely ''other''.  HE is not  a close relative of people. He does not share any characteristics of people,  for all characteristics He created. He has nothing in common with any physical objects- no form nor substance. He is not composed of ingredients. He is not a composite.  

Jay shuts down Islam's Origins in ONE HOUR at "Calvary Chapel Chino Hills"!