Comments on: Olmert’s Harry Truman moment

By: Israel Perspectives: Feeling 'Right' at Home

Israel Perspectives: Feeling 'Right' at Home — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 23:13:29 +0000

Haveil Havalim #52

For those of you who still don’t know what HH is all about, here is Ezzie’s official HH definition:

Haveil Havalim is the carnival of Jewish blogs — a weekly collection of Jewish & Israeli blog highlights, tidbits and points of interest collected…

By: Robert

Robert — Sat, 07 Jan 2006 02:27:04 +0000

The best American comparison I can draw is if the new PM will become an Andrew Johnson (Lame Duck President, nearly impeached) or a Lyndon Johnson (able to mobilize the government, pass radical legislation and carry on a war at the same time).

By: Red State Rant

Red State Rant — Fri, 06 Jan 2006 13:34:28 +0000

We can only hope he’s wrong

Charles Krauthammer says Sharon’s stroke may be the biggest disaster in Israel’s history. Sharon introduced a third option, breaking the left/right dichotomy of appeasement and intransigence towards terrorism that characterized Israeli politics in re…

By: Kesher Talk

Kesher Talk — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 19:41:38 +0000

After Sharon?

[ UPDATE: Multimedia on Sharon and his legacy at MSNBC. ] I got to see Sharon speak when he came to NYC last spring to campaign for the disengagement among American Jews. He got a mixed reception. Sometimes a divisive…

By: Kesher Talk

Kesher Talk — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 18:23:06 +0000

After Sharon?

I got to see Sharon speak when he came to NYC last spring to campaign for the disengagement among American Jews. He got a mixed reception. Sometimes a divisive public figure can unite people in death, who would be at…

By: Joel

Joel — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 17:48:58 +0000

Sharon was fond of quoting the famous line by Charles DeGaulle (of all people) “the cemeteries are full of indispensable men.”

By: Sabba Hillel

Sabba Hillel — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 15:15:12 +0000

We know that whatever happens, however tragic, will lead to the results that Hashem wants. All we can do is pray that events transpire to avoid suffering and tragedy.

FDR completed his mission in the world and it was time for Harry Truman to take over. His decisions led to the end of World War II without the millions of deaths that an invasion of the home islands of japan would have caused. His decisions led to the founding of the State of Israel. Can we expect, that FDR would have done better or worse. No, we can speculate, but the probability of an outcome is 100% once it is in the past.

Can we know what Ariel Sharon’s illness will lead to? No. All we can do is pray that we can recognize what Hashem wants us to do and do it.

When Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi lay dying, his students kept him alive through their prayers. His maid recognized that his time was over and dropped some pots, distracting them, thus allowing him to pass on.

When it was time for King David to die and King Solomon to take over, Hashem arranged for him to die.

We can and must pray for the recovery of Ariel Sharon from his illness. We can and must also pray for the welfare of the people and state of Israel.

Hashem will send the proper leader that we deserve. However, Hashem has also granted us free will to make choices. May we have the wisdom to recognize what those choices should be.

“Behold, I have set before you life and death, therefore choose life”.