by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths In a small clearing in the Jerusalem forest sits a piece of the Twin Towers. It’s hard to spot and a long drive down a winding road with a hidden entrance, but nestled in that small clearing is a large memorial. Read More »

by Reb Gutman Locks @ Mystical Paths (at the Kotel, 5: 30 am) One of the four most important days in a Jewish man’s life is his Bar Mitzvah . At 13 years of age, G-d will say to the boy, “You are old enough now to be responsible for My mitzvahs . Read More »

Newsflash (Gerald Direct Intelligence Analysis ): Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatolla Khameini has laid out the legal and religious justifications for annihilating Israel and killing “all the Jews”. What is most shocking in this is that nobody seems to care. It made no headlines, and barely a ho-hum was heard around the world. Read More »

We note the gadol R. Elyashiv is reported to be in critical condition at Sha’arei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem today. Rav Amar, the Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel is reported to have said, “Klal Yisrael needs him, and he protects the entire generation. Read More »

We received a few complaints about our iPad edition. While it worked for some, for others the result was unreadable. We’ve removed it as a default, now displaying the traditional web site view on the iPad. If you liked the touch-magazine style, you can still view it at: http: //touch.mpaths.com Have a mobile touch day. Read More »

Heard from a Holocaust survivor, “when someone says they want to kill you, believe them.” “ALL JEWS” Lessons of Yaakov: Prayer (and mitzvot), Preparation, Wisdom (Politics). Read More »

Programming note – once a week or so we’re going to do a product review article. The blog does have some operating costs associated with it, and so far our advertising attempts (on the sidebar) aren’t even covering a cup of coffee per month. Read More »

by Reb Gutman Locks @ Mystical Paths Here are a few recent letters. A chiropractor in Baltimore wrote: “Hey, I put tefillin on one of my patients last week. He grew up Reform and never had the opportunity. Read More »

Commentor Yishai left this insightful comment on our post For His Fellow Jew … Just because someone is called a gadol doesn’t mean they’re a gadol. Read More »

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths It’s hard to judge “mood on the street”, so my U.S. readers will have to tell me if what’s displayed above is understood. Here’s the key: 58% of working age Americans are working, meaning 42% of working age Americans ARE NOT WORKING. Now I’d call that a 42% unemployment rate. The U.S. Read More »

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths A few miles south of Beit Shemesh in Israel is Socho. What’s Socho? The 3rd Mishneh of Pirke Avos (the chapter Ethics of our Fathers) starts “Antichnos the man of Socho received (the oral tradition) from Shimon HaTzadik. He said…”. Today Socho is a hilltop ruin of Antichnos’s town of 3,000 years ago. Read More »

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths “His brilliance in Torah was matched by his concern for his fellow Jews”, a quote from a hesped for a rav and rebbe from the previous generation. I miss that. There were few gedolim of the past generation that wouldn’t fit that statement. Read More »

by Reb Gutman Locks @ Mystical Paths Dudley wrote: Hi Gutman, I find it interesting that Abraham’s covenant with God that ‘his seed would outnumber the grains of sand in the ocean, stars in the heavens, etc. may actually apply to the lineage of Ishmael, not the lineage of Isaac (Jacob/Israel). There are so many Muslims and a lot fewer Jews. Read More »

News Report : Former haredi troops demand to report for reserve duty. Dozens of ultra-Orthodox youths claim IDF refuses to call them in for reserve service, despite pleas. The Israeli Defense Forces ultra-orthodox infantry battalion (Netzach Yehuda) is full. Read More »

Like many in Israel, especially those that have any financial resources in the US, I keep an eye on the Israeli Shekel currency rates. One of the easiest ways to do so is the little Windows currency gadget. I’ve been using it for years, it’s a nice gadget that does it’s job. Until today. Today, the New Israel Shekel disappeared. Read More »

     It is a custom for fathers to bless their children the evening of the holidays with the blessing that G-d commanded the kohanim (priests) to give. The blessing is: “G-d bless you and guard you. G-d make His countenance shine upon you and be gracious to you. G-d turn His countenance toward you and grant you peace. Read More »

Reprinted from CrownHeights.info… In what appears to be a frightening trend, authorities in Argentina captured an Iranian-Hezbollah terror cell which was, according to Debkafile , planning an attack on a Chabad center there. If confirmed, this is the third time this month that an Iranian linked attack on a Chabad House was foiled. Read More »

by Reb Gutman Locks @ Mystical Paths      Sufis belong to an unusual branch of Islam that stresses acceptance instead of war. They enjoy the mystical aspects of their religion, and are best known for their “whirling dervish” practice. They are often ostracized by the “mainstream” Muslim world. Read More »

by Reb Gutman Locks @ Mystical Paths Learning Talmud at the Kotel before davening (prayer) 3: 30 a.m.       For thousands of years, this scene has repeated itself. The “older” more learned boy gives over the page to the younger boy, who has to struggle to understand its meaning. Read More »

by Reb Akiva @ Mystical Paths By now practically everybody has heard of the incredibly stupid op ed piece in the Atlanta Jewish Times that, in talking about the approaches Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu should consider in defending itself and preserving it’s existence, said… “(option) three, give the go ahead for U.S. Read More »