The Names

Last Saturday, Rabbi Oppenheimer spoke on the devastation caused by the tsunami in South Asia. Working from memory, I will try to capture the essence of his very fine sermon, although I will be unable to truly do it justice.

Rabbi Oppenheimer began by urging everyone to do what they can to support humanitarian relief efforts; he suggested Portland-based Mercy Corps. He then emphasized that any attempt to "explain" the mysterious acts of G-d is doomed to failure, as Job discovered centuries ago. From the voice in the whirlwind, Job received the great smackdown of all time: "Where were you when I laid the foundations of the Earth? Speak, if you have knowledge of it...."

There is something about the sea, the rabbi noted, that draws us: its sameness, its oneness. Even though a complex ecosystem is concealed beneath the waves, to our eyes the sea appears pure and whole. It reminds us of the undifferentiated unity from which the universe was created; and this is why so many people live by the sea - not only sailors and fishermen who depend on it for their livelihood, but vacationers and retirees who fill the tourist hotels and build their summer homes there.

While it is natural that we are drawn to the sea, it is also an essential fact of our existence that we are not part of it. We live on dry land, and just as we no longer belong to the sea, neither do we belong to the realm of the undifferentiated. We are all unique individuals, each with a name, each with a life, each with a special place in creation.

Turning to the week's Torah portion - the beginning of Exodus - Rabbi Oppenheimer reflected on the opening passages of the book: a list of the names of the sons of Israel who migrated to Egypt (from which the book of Exodus takes its Hebrew name, Shemoth, or "names"). This is to stress the importance of the individual - even in a time when Pharaoh's regime would come to enslave the whole Jewish population.

Eventually Pharaoh commanded that all male Israelite children be killed at birth, by drowning in the Nile. And it was from that very Nile that Moses, the future leader of the Jewish people, would be rescued. Moses seemingly made a career of doing battle with water, too - turning it to blood, bringing frogs out of it, and finally splitting it for the escaping Jews.

No one knows how many lives were lost to the Nile by Pharaoh's command. What is recorded is the Egyptian regime's determination to dehumanize its slaves by turning them into mindless automata, mere working machines. The Nazis did the same thing with their concentration camps. What the Torah comes to tell us - Rabbi Oppenheimer explained - is that each human being is unique and precious. We must never allow our lives to be swallowed up by the demands of industrial society - that's why the Sabbath is so important, because it forces us to break away from the work week and reclaim our own sense of self.

Tragedies remind us of how fleeting, and how sacred, life is. Returning to the victims of the tsunami, the rabbi said: "Each of those hundred thousand people had a name. Each one had a family; each one was special to someone."

Google Hit of the Day

Fellow Mac OS X sufferer in Central Time Zone, who found this blog (and this post) with the search terms "spinning beachball of death" and "unexpectedly quit".


I feel your pain.

Morning Report: January 2, 2005

Tsunami update. Over 100,000 dead and some five million homeless - those are the latest grim statistics on the South Asian tsunami tragedy. See Command Post for how to help.

Laser prankster "meant no harm", lawyer says. A man in Parsippany, New Jersey, who was detained by law enforcement officials for pointing a green laser at a police helicopter, "meant no harm", according to his attorney. The article in the Star-Ledger says Gina Mendola Longarzo, attorney for David Banach, stated that her client uses lasers in his work. Morning Report notes that most other reported laser incidents involved airplanes, not helicopters, and suggests that this case is at most a "copycat" incident, and not a reason to dismiss a potentially serious phenomenon.

Congratulations

... to the Windows user in Central Time Zone, referred by White Pebble, who visited Dreams Into Lightning at 5:26 PM your time. You are visitor number 10,000 according to SiteMeter.

Your prize is a lifetime supply of free visits to this blog.

Thanks to you and to the other 9,999 visitors for your support. Have a great New Year.

We can do it!

A big and heartfelt year-end thanks to all my readers as we close out 2004. I'm fully confident that I'll be able to keep Dreams Into Lightning going throughout 2005, and I'm constantly getting ideas on how to expand it and improve it.

What are YOUR ideas? Feel free to comment. I don't require registration (this blog isn't that big ... yet) although obviously I don't tolerate trolls.

BTW, SiteMeter tells me I'm only 15 hits away from the 10,000 mark. Can we ring in the new year with a five-digit SiteMeter count? We shall have to wait and see ...

From A Marine in Iraq

Thanks to Blanche for forwarding this.

Hello Everyone, I am taking time to ask you all for your help. First off, I'd like to say that this is not a political message. I'm not concerned about domestic politics right now. We have much bigger things to deal with, and we need your help. It seems that despite the tremendous and heroic efforts of the men and women serving here in Iraq to bring much needed peace and stability to this region, we are losing the war of perception with the media and American people. Our enemy has learned that the key to defeating the mighty American military is by swaying public opinion at home and abroad. We are a people that cherish the democratic system of government and therefore hold the will of the people in the highest regard. We love to criticize ourselves almost to an endless degree, because we care what others think. Our enemies see this as a weakness and are trying to exploit it. When we ask ourselves questions like, "Why do they hate us?" or "What did we do wrong?" we are playing into our enemies' hands. Our natural tendency to question ourselves is being used against us to undermine our effort to do good in the world.

How far would we have gotten if after the surprise attacks on December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor, we would have asked, "Why do the Japanese hate us so much?" or "How can we change ourselves so that they won't do that again?"

Here in Iraq the enemy is trying very hard to portray our efforts as failing and fruitless. They purposely kill innocents and desecrate their bodies in hopes that the people back home will lose the will to fight for liberty. They are betting on our perceived weakness as a thoughtful, considerate people.

Unfortunately our media only serves to further their cause. In an industry that feeds on ratings and bad news, a failure in Iraq would be a goldmine. When our so-called "trusted" American media takes a quote from an Iraqi doctor as the gospel truth over that of the men and women that are daily fighting to protect the right to freedom of press, you know something is wrong.

That doctor claimed that out of 600 Iraqis that were casualties of the fighting, the vast majority of them were women, children and the elderly. This is totally absurd. In the history of man, no one has spent more time and effort, often to the detriment of our own mission, to be more discriminate in our targeting of the enemy than the American military.

The Marines and Soldiers serving in Iraq have gone through extensive training in order to limit the amount of innocent casualties and collateral damage. Yet, despite all of this, our media consistently sides with those who openly lie and directly challenge the honor of our brave heroes fighting for liberty and peace. What we have to remember is that peace is not defined as an absence of war. It is the presence of liberty, stability and prosperity. In the face of the horrendous tyranny of the former Iraqi regime, the only way true peace was able to come to this region was through force. That is what the American Revolution was all about. Have we forgotten? Freedom is not free and "peace" without principle is not peace. The peace that so-called "peace advocates" support can only be brought to Iraq through the use of military force. And we are doing it, if only the world will let us! If the American
people believe we are failing, even if we are not, then we will ultimately fail. That is why I am asking for your support. Become a voice of truth in your community. Wherever you are fight the lies of the enemy. Don't buy into the pessimism and apathy that says, "It's hopeless," "They hate us too much," "That part of the world is just too messed up," "It's our fault anyway," "We're to blame," and so forth.

Whether you're in middle school, working at a 9-5 job, retired, or a stay-at-home Mom you can make a huge difference! There is nothing more powerful than the truth.

So, when you watch the news and see doomsday predictions and spiteful opinions on our efforts over here, you can refute them by knowing that we are doing a tremendous amount of good. Spread the word. No one is poised to make such an amazing contribution to the everyday lives of Iraqis and the rest of the Arab world than the American Armed Forces. By making this a place where liberty can finally grow, we are making the whole world safer.

Your efforts at home are directly tied to our success. You are the soldiers at home fighting the war of perception. So I'm asking you as a fellow fighting man: do your duty. Stop the attempts of the enemy wherever you are. You are a mighty force for good, because truth is on your side. Together we will win this fight and ensure a better world for the future.

God Bless and Semper Fidelis,
1st. Lt. Robert L. Nofsinger
USMC Ramadi, Iraq
Sep 27, 04 10:17 am

This says it all. I can go on and on about the bankruptcy of establishment liberalism, the victim mentality, yada yada, but this young officer says it much better. Please read this message often, and think about what it means for us in the year, and the years, to come.

Barnett, Harari: the Map and the Storm

Two important articles have been making the rounds in the blogosphere and I wanted to touch on them. Israeli physicist Haim Harari argues in A View from the Eye of the Storm that the current conflict - the product of a wholly disfunctional Mideastern society - rests on four pillars: suicide-murder, lies, money, and anarchy. Thomas P. M. Barnett of the US Naval War College, in his March 2003 article titled The Pentagon's New Map, points to the conflict between "the Core" of functioning, integrated, prosperous countries, and "the Gap" of non-integrating nations whose climate of "repressive regimes, widespread poverty and disease, routine mass murder, and—most important—the chronic conflicts" provides the breeding ground for the next generation of al-Qaeda followers. More to follow.

Sri Lanka Rejects Israeli Rescuers

Sri Lankan officials have rejected Israel's offer of trained relief workers following the tsunami tragedy. According to Joshua Mitnick's article in the Washington Times, 'A 150-member Israeli military delegation had been just hours from taking off in an air force plane when the mission was scrapped unexpectedly. Israel ultimately sent a plane with 80 tons of medical supplies, food and emergency equipment to the disaster-stricken country. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official denied Israeli press reports that Sri Lanka had bristled at accepting aid from the Israeli military. "The reason that was given was that they were overflowing with [emergency] crews, and what they really need was the supplies and equipment," David Saranga, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, told Channel 1 television news.' Some observers were reminded of the Iranian regime's refusal to allow Israeli rescue workers into Iran, following the earthquake in Bam last year. Further information will be posted as it becomes available. Thanks to Gila and all who brought this to my attention.

In a related story, Israeli aid goes unreported by the MSM, according to this communique from Honest Reporting. Thanks to Gila (again) and Rabbi Melman for the link. Among the invisible aid from Israel:

●  The Israeli organization Latet ('To Give') filled a jumbo jet with 18 tons of supplies.

●  A medical team headed by four doctors from Jerusalem's Hadassah Hospital arrived in Sri Lanka on Monday night (Dec. 27), carrying medicine and baby food. The doctors specialize in rescue operations, trauma and pediatrics.

●  An IDF rescue team is now on its way to Sri Lanka with 80 tons of aid material, including 10,000 blankets, tents, nylon sheeting and water containers, all contributed by the IDF.

●  A ZAKA rescue-and-recovery team arrived in the disaster areas Monday night, armed with its specialized equipment for identifying bodies.

●  A Health Ministry contingent left for Thailand on Monday night to aid in rescue efforts. The group includes doctors, nurses and four members of the IDF.

●  Israel has also offered its assistance to India ― a search-and-rescue team from the Home Front Command, as well as consignments of food and medicine.

Dreams Into Lightning will follow this story as more information becomes available.

Morning Report: December 30, 2004

Tsunami disaster: how to help. The death toll from the recent tsunami disaster is now over 100,000. To find out what you can do to help, go to Command Post. Update: Information also available at Roger L. Simon.

Commercial jet targeted by laser. Fox News reports this morning that the FBI is investigating a green laser that targeted the cockpit of a commercial aircraft flying in to Cleveland. 'Authorities are investigating a mysterious laser beam that was directed into the cockpit of a commercial jet traveling at more than 8,500 feet. The beam appeared Monday when the plane was about 15 miles from Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (search), the FBI said. "It was in there for several seconds like [the plane] was being tracked," FBI agent Robert Hawk said.' (Fox) Follow-up: Rash of Pilot Laser Sightings Reported

Terrorist attacks on Saudi regime - Damascus, Riyadh in same boat? A recent bulletin from Debka provides information on Wednesday's terrorist attack on Riyadh, which included three car bombings and a machine gun attack, apparently targeting the life of Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdelaziz: 'Riyadh attack was al Qaeda attempt on life of interior minister’s son Prince Mohammed bin Nayef bin Abdelaziz, his father’s deputy and director of the ministry’s security unit running war on terror. ' Debka's feature article on the Saudi attack reports: 'This was the first attempt by Osama bin Laden’s organization to assassinate a member of the Saudi royal family. It is a pivotal event in that it sharply escalates the terrorist offensive besetting the kingdom and raises the stakes on both sides. By targeting interior minister Prince Nayef’s son, the terrorists declared open warfare on the minister who had been trying for the past year to maintain a dialogue with the Saudi cell through his connections in the clergy. According to our sources, Saudi cell leader Saud bin Hamoud al-Uteibi marked out the Nayef family after concluding that the interchanges the minister initiated were not on the level but an effort to plant his agents inside the terror cell and break it up from within. Had the assassination plot against Prince Mohammed succeeded, a major upheaval would have ensued – destabilizing not only the oil kingdom but sending tremors around the Arab and Muslim Middle East as well.' Morning Report notes that Riyadh and Damascus appear to be finding themselves in the same situation these days. A recent analysis available from Stratfor suggests that the Syrian regime's support for the Iraq insurgency may be motivated by a fear that the insurgent elements - including al-Qaeda - might otherwise set their sights on Syria. This, the Stratfor article continues, may help explain Syria's recent efforts to put on an Islamic face. Thus Damascus, like Riyadh, finds itself in the unenviable position of being caught between militant islamists and Western (chiefly US) adversaries. (Debka, Stratfor) Update: Debka reports: 'Saudis claim 3 senior al Qaeda operatives killed Thursday – two on 26-man wanted list - day after terrorist car bomb attacks on interior ministry and recruiting center in Riyadh. They were identified as Sultan Bejaad al-Uteibi and Bandar Abdulhrahman Dakheel. Nine were killed Wednesday.'

Iraq: 7200 leaders step forward. Mohammed posts on Iraq the Model: 'Iraqis' response to terror was so clear; after the terrorists, or the so called insurgents threatened to slaughter anyone who participates in the elections, 7200 Iraqis rushed to announce their candidacy. YES, 7200 Iraqis representing more than 200 different political parties and I believe this makes the image clearer for the viewer. And to remove the fog and debunk the claims about the Sunni population being against the democratic process, I want to point out that tens of the political parties come from the Sunni population. Moreover you almost can't find a single list that lacks Sunni candidates in it, even lists from She'at, Kurdis, Christian or liberal parties.' (ITM)

Najaf police chief: Iran regime agents behind car bomb. The chief of police in Najaf, Iraq, has pointed the finger at Tehran in connection with a recent car bomb attack, according to this article in Iran Focus: 'The police chief in Najaf said that the commander of three terrorists arrested on Sunday in connection with a car bomb that exploded in the holy city, had extensive connections to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). He said that intelligence for when and where to attack was given by an MOIS agent to the terrorist cells. “Iraqi security forces had received information regarding a possible attack. The chaotic security situation, due to the burial ceremony of Sheikh Hatam al-Hassan however, enabled the terrorists to use the opportunity to carry out their attack”, he said. One of the three Iraqis, arrested whilst taking photos of the scene minutes before the explosions, was a resident of Najaf, while his two accomplices were both from Basra. He added that Iran closed its border with Iraq following the attacks to limit any intelligence leaks.'

Bin Laden and democracy. An article at Armies of Liberation highlights the choices facing the peoples of the Mideast today: 'Reform, elections, judicial independence, stemming corruption: these are the buzzwords on the Arab street today, and this is the essential work of the pioneering Iraqis. The transition of executive power in Egypt, Lebanese independence, minority rights in Syria, freedom of press in Yemen, youth enfranchisement in Saudi Arabia: these are the topics of modern patriots in the Middle East, their hope derived from free Iraqi labor unions and political parties and the anonymous anti-corruption hotline in Baghdad. Opposite these concepts of reform are the nihilistic ideology of al-Qaeda and the bloody tactics of the “Amir of Iraq,” Zarqawi, who freely murders innocent children, patriotic Iraqis, and poor truckdrivers.' Jane also offers a memorable interpretation of bin Laden's media image. (Armies of Liberation)

Egyptian opposition. A recent MEMRI bulletin, quoting metransparent.com, states that there are now four candidates set to oppose Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt's elections scheduled for mid-2005. They are: author and former military officer Jalal 'Amer; former MP Muhammad Farid Hassanin; feminist author Nawal al-Sa'adawi; and Sa'd al-Din Ibrahim, director of the Ibn Khaldoun Research and Development Center. (metransparent.com via MEMRI)

Mosque Visit

A couple of weekends ago I had the privilege of visiting the Bilal Mosque in Beaverton at the invitation of Imam Mamadou Toure. I've posted on Imam Toure before - he's an eighth-generation Sufi Imam from Senegal, an eminent scholar, and a truly wonderful human being. This was my first visit to Bilal - I'd been to the Muslim Community Center on MLK Boulevard in Portland a few times - and it was exciting to be able to attend the two-hour class that Imam Toure was giving.

My impressions of the local Muslim community, both at MCC and at Bilal, were entirely positive. They struck me as uniformly warm, decent, down-to-earth folks. If any of them harbored any anti-Israel or anti-Jewish sentiment, they kept it to themselves. The people I met with and interacted with are most certainly not anti-Jewish.

There's a lot of trouble out there in the world. You know that and I know that. We don't have to create problems where none exist. There are narrow-minded people and raving bigots in every place and in every religion. We don't have to be like them.

There is much more I'd like to write, but this is all for now.

Morning Report: December 27, 2004

Earthquakes, tidal waves kill thousands in Asia/Pacific. A massive earthquake of magnitude 9 struck in the Indian Ocean, triggering massive tidal waves and tsunamis that claimed thousands of lives in the region. The quake, centered off the coast of the Indonesian island of Aceh, ranks as the largest earthquake worldwide in 40 years and the fourth largest since the recording of earthquakes began in 1899. Currently the known death toll is over 22,000; that figure is expected to rise. Information is available at The Command Post. (various)

Thoughts on natural disasters. Reflecting on the massive tragedy in Asia, Wretchard says: 'In an abstract way, the information flows surrounding the Tsunami of December 2004 structurally resembled those preceding the Pearl Harbor and September 11 attacks. The raw data announcing the unfolding threat was there, yet the pattern so evident in hindsight was invisible to those who were not looking for it. But if tsunamis and asteroid strikes are rare events, they are comparatively more common than that still rarer object, the unprecedented event: the something that has never happened before. Threats like that can emerge suddenly out of chaotic systems, like WMD terrorism or new viral plagues. Against such events, specific precautions are impossible because no one can prepare for what cannot be foreseen. The real challenge is not so much to create a new dedicated network of staring systems against known threats but to tie current sensors to systems which are capable of cognition. The most valuable survival asset is situational awareness -- the ability to recognize threats you have never seen before and respond in an evolving manner -- and that capability has not yet come to the world as a whole.' Glenn Reynolds argues that 'Over the longer run, of course, the best protection against catastrophes, whether foreseen or unforeseen, is a society that is rich enough, and diverse enough, to be well-prepared for all sorts of contingencies. Which means that economic growth, and the freedom that produces it, may be the best guarantor of safety for us all. A rich society can afford to worry about things that a poorer one wouldn't have the resources to think about. A rich society can take steps to prevent disasters before they happen. And a rich society is better positioned to survive disasters once they occur, even if they are completely unforeseen, or unforeseeable.' (Belmont Club, Tech Central Station)

Chavez and China. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that his country's trade with China would increase dramatically as a result of major new trade agreements between China and Venezuela. The bilateral agreements, which were the result of Chavez' three-day visit to Beijing, provide for the purchase of Chinese security equipment by Venezuela, and Venezuelan oil and asphalt by the PRC. In another development, Beijing issued a stern warning against any moves toward independence by Taiwan. (Stratfor)

Debka: Israel releases Palestinians in prisoner exchange. A bulletin from Debka reports: 'Israel frees 159 Palestinian prisoners - 19 guilty of terrorist crimes short of murder – as promised Egyptian president Mubarak in return for Israeli Azzam’s release. President Katsav pardoned small group of illegal entrants.' (Debka)

Journalists convicted in Yemen. Jane reports on the erosion of press freedom in Yemen: 'This week in Yemen: Four more journalists convicted, another editor attacked, justice delayed again for al-Khaiwani. This is on top of one editor imprisoned, one editor murdered, and three newspapers closed. You can’t write about the Saudis-oh no-but trash Bush all you want. You can’t write about governmental corruption in your own country but its fine to demonize the US and UK governments until the cows come home. “Democratization” without a free press is just another way of gaining development aid and clinging to power until your son, Salah Jr., turns 40 and can take over the presidency. ...' (Armies of Liberation)

Earthquake Tragedy

Enormous tidal waves and tsunamis from a massive 9.0 quake in the Pacific have resulted in thousands of deaths in six Asian countries. CNN coverage is here; Command Post coverage is here.

Stay tuned for more information.