NEWS AND MIDRASH

Today is: Yom Shlee´shee, Tammuz 10, 5771 • 7 12, 2011


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Topics in the news

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The sinking of cruise ship Bulgaria on the Volga River in Tatarstan, Russia, leaves 129 people dead or missing.

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The World Netball Championships conclude with Australia defeating New Zealand in the final.

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During the Bersih 2.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, police arrest more than 1,600 people.

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Hundreds of thousands of protesters (pictured in Cairo) gather in cities across Egypt, demanding swift fulfillment of the goals of this year's revolution.

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Following a referendum, South Sudan secedes from Sudan, becoming a sovereign state.

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Space Shuttle Atlantis is launched from Kennedy Space Center on flight STS-135, the final mission of the Space Shuttle program.

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Current events

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Armed conflicts and attacks

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Armed gunmen blow up an Egyptian natural gas pipeline to Israel and Jordan in the town of El-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula. (AP via MSNBC)

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Suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen abduct two United States citizens and a Filipino relative from an island village in Zamboanga City in the Philippines. (Philstar)

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A United States drone attack kills seven people and injures another three in Pakistan's South Waziristan region. (Dawn)

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France in Afghanistan

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The President of France Nicolas Sarkozy visits Afghanistan to meet with the President of Afghanistan Hamid Karzai and commander of the International Security Assistance Force David Petraeus before visiting French troops stationed in Surobi. (Reuters via Alertnet)

President Sarkozy announces the withdrawal of 1000 troops from Afghanistan by the end of 2012. (Reuters)

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Disasters

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Four earthquakes ranging from 5 to 6.2 in magnitude hit the Philippines. (AFP via ABC News), (Times of India)

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Russian state television reports that at least 59 bodies have been recovered from the sinking of the cruise ship Bulgaria on the Volga River with more than 200 people on board. (CNN)

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International relations

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New Zealand refuses entry to Sri Lankan asylum seekers detained in Indonesia who claimed to be heading there. (SBS)

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Politics

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A large protest with as many as a million people participating is planned for the Egyptian capital Cairo over perceived lack of progress since the 2011 Egyptian revolution. (Gulf News)

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Voters in California's 36th congressional district go to the polls for a special election with Democrat Janice Hahn favoured to win. (Politico)

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Today in Judaism

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Today in Jewish History

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• King Zedekiah captured (423 BCE)

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When the Babylonians breached the walls of Jerusalem on the 9th of Tammuz, King Zedekiah fled the city. He was captured by Babylonian troops in the plains of Jericho on the 10th of Tammuz and was taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who forced him to witness the slaughter of his sons, and then ordered his eyes gouged out.

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Daily Quote

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The foot will more readily enter a tub of hot water than will the head. Therein lies the supremacy of the simple Jew over the learned scholar -- in his greater readiness for self-sacrifice.

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Rabbi Sholom DovBer of Lubavitch (1860-1920)

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Daily Study

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Chitas and Rambam for today:

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Chumash: Pinchas, 3rd Portion Numbers 26:52-27:5 with Rashi

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Tehillim: Chapters 55 - 59

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Tanya: Shaar Hayichud Vehaemunah, end of Chapter 12

Rambam:

• Sefer Hamitzvos:

• 1 Chapter: Rotseah uShmirat Nefesh Chapter Ten

• 3 Chapters: Shvuot Chapter 1, Shvuot Chapter 2, Shvuot Chapter 3

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Hayom Yom: "Today's Day"

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In the early period of his leadership the Alter Rebbe taught: "The footsteps of man are directed by G-d."1 When a Jew comes to a particular place it is for an (inner Divine) intent and purpose - to perform a mitzva, whether a mitzva between man and G-d or a mitzva between man and his fellow-man. A Jew is G-d's messenger. Wherever a messenger (shaliach) may be, he represents the power of the meshalei'ach, the one who sent him.2 The superior quality that souls possess, higher than the angels (who are also "messengers"), is that souls are messengers by virtue of Torah.

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Today's Mitzvah

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Negative Commandment 61

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Violating Oaths

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"Do not swear falsely by My Name"—Leviticus 19:12.

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It is forbidden to violate an oath which one makes obligating himself to do or not to do a certain action (unless the fulfillment of the oath involves violating a religious precept).

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THE SACREDNESS OF EACH DAY IN TORAH

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Genesis Chapter 1

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בְּרֵאשִׁית

Yom Shlee´shee.........Third day

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, יִקָּווּ הַמַּיִם מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמַיִם אֶל-מָקוֹם אֶחָד, וְתֵרָאֶה, הַיַּבָּשָׁה; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 9 And God said: 'Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear.' And it was so.

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י וַיִּקְרָא אֱלֹהִים לַיַּבָּשָׁה אֶרֶץ, וּלְמִקְוֵה הַמַּיִם קָרָא יַמִּים; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 10 And God called the dry land Earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.

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יא וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים, תַּדְשֵׁא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, עֵץ פְּרִי עֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ, אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ עַל-הָאָרֶץ; וַיְהִי-כֵן. 11

And God said: 'Let the earth put forth grass, herb yielding seed, and fruit-tree bearing fruit after its kind, wherein is the seed thereof, upon the earth.' And it was so.

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יב וַתּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ דֶּשֶׁא עֵשֶׂב מַזְרִיעַ זֶרַע, לְמִינֵהוּ, וְעֵץ עֹשֶׂה-פְּרִי אֲשֶׁר זַרְעוֹ-בוֹ, לְמִינֵהוּ; וַיַּרְא אֱלֹהִים, כִּי-טוֹב. 12

And the earth brought forth grass, herb yielding seed after its kind, and tree bearing fruit, wherein is the seed thereof, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.

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יג וַיְהִי-עֶרֶב וַיְהִי-בֹקֶר, יוֹם שְׁלִישִׁי. {פ} 13 And there was evening and there was morning, a third day. {P