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http://media.aish.com/images/AvNuevoFormato500x291-SP.jpg The same covenant that promises suffering, promises redemption. By every measure the Jewish month of Av is tragically unique, one in which the worst disasters in our history took place. Disaster is no stranger to us. In many ways it is part and parcel of God's covenant with Abraham. When Abraham was told that his people would be chosen, God told him that there would be a price to pay. What is that price? One look at Jewish history tells us two pieces of information that make us unique. One is that we don't disappear because we recognize that...

I came home tonight to find an answering machine message from a friend considering installing Kaspersky Internet Security on her computer. But, she had heard of the recent Israeli hack into Kaspersky and the rumors that Kaspersky is collecting info for the Russian government. I have read several authors' discussions about whether Kaspersky is safe to use. I have used it for about a decade or so, and find it to be excellent. I'd be interested to know what FReepers think, particularly those of you with a computer security background!

Monday marks the advent of Tisha B'Av, the Fast of the Ninth Day of the Hebrew month of Av, commemorating the destruction of the First and Second Temples and the subsequent exile of the Jewish people from their homeland. This year marks 1,946 years since the destruction of the Second Temple by Roman soldiers in 70 CE, who razed Jerusalem and murdered millions of Jews in order to solidify their rule over the Land of Israel. The Ninth of Av concludes a mourning period that commenced three weeks ago, on the Fast of the 17th of Tammuz, which marked the...

The "Inconvenient Tale" of the Original King James BibleBy Gary Michuta King James I at the Hampton Court Conference"Dr. Reynolds...insisted boldly on various points ; but when he came to the demand for the disuse of the apocrypha in the church service James could bear it no longer. He called for a Bible, read a chapter out of Ecclesiasticus, and expounded it according to his own views ; then turning to the lords of his council, he said, " What trow ye makes these men so angry with Ecclesiasticus ? By my soul, I think Ecclesiasticus was a bishop,...

Tisha b’Av is the saddest day of the Jewish calendar. On the ninth day of the Hebrew month of Av, Jews remember the tragedies that have marked our history, beginning with the destruction of our Temple in Jerusalem in 586 B.C.E. and continuing through the centuries of expulsions, pogroms and massacres to the catastrophes of our own era. The day is marked by the signs and customs of mourning. From sundown Monday night until nightfall Tuesday evening, Jews engage in a complete fast—abstaining from eating, drinking, bathing, wearing leather shoes, putting on cosmetics and from sexual activity. During the synagogue...

There was a noticeably quieter atmosphere along the length of Tel Aviv’s Rothschild Boulevard on Monday evening, as Tisha Be’av came in after sunset. Trance parties and impromptu jazz parties were replaced by a series of lectures and a number of campsites where readings of the Book of Lamentations were held. At busier spots throughout the boulevard, such as the Student Union headquarters and the main kitchen at the corner of Rothschild and Marmorek, signs were posted calling on people to respect the fast, and notifying passersby that there would be no music parties, performances or entertainment scheduled for the...

More than 3,000 people, including longtime Mormon critic James Dobson of Focus on the Family, have signed an online petition thanking the LDS Church for its efforts on behalf of California's traditional marriage initiative known as Proposition 8. "Anyone who participated in this process has come to admire the competence, diligence and moral courage that so many members of your faith community displayed as part of this coalition effort -- as Catholics, Evangelicals, Mormons and people of other faith communities all came together to fight this great battle for marriage," says the petition, which is addressed to LDS President Thomas...

The irony of Ariel Sharon taking action today to kick Jews out of Israel is immense. Today is one of the darkest days in jewish history according to an article in the WorldNetDaily (http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=45760). According to columnist Aaron Klein, Jews in Israel and around the world are marking the darkest day of their history (the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, the date on the lunar calendar on which the First and Second Temples were destroyed. Other more recent tragedies occurred on the same date, such as the outbreak of pogroms against Jews during the First Crusade, the...

....computers running the following: Win Xp, Svc. Pak 1 IE Version 6 Netscape version 7.2 Has McAfee but is uninstalled/turned off as it interfered with Netscape program. Has Adaware & Yahoo Spyware programs Has personal Firewall running at all times. They want an AV program that is very easy to install and use. Advise.

I am Authorized Version only. What is not the same cannot be the same. Simple logic tells me that anything that is different cannot be the same. If the A.V. differs from the R.S.V. or N.I.V. then they cannot be the same. So if one of the versions is correct we must assume the others are not. Since we know that GOD’s word is perfect and protected then we have to know that there is a version in English, so how do we decide on one. In this essay I will show why I believe that the Authorized version is...

LANCASTER -- Karen Perez of Lancaster wouldn't commit to march at a February peace rally in Hollywood with her mother and sister, at least not until she heard from her son, Navy Corpsman Lonnie Lewis. Lewis was aboard the USS Boxer, a Wasp class multipurpose amphibious assault ship, loaded with Marines and Navy personnel on their way to Kuwait. "I wrote an e-mail to him, telling him what I was thinking of doing, and he wrote back the most amazing e-mail," said Perez, seated in the living room of her Lancaster home with daughters Tonya Lewis and Ashley Perez and...

EDWARDS AFB - As in numerous conflicts in the past, if the U.S. begins the much-anticipated attack on Saddam Hussein's forces in Iraq, it will do so with a great deal of hardware conceived, developed, tested and built in the Aerospace Valley. With each of the major defense contractors represented, as well as Air Force and Navy test facilities, the region figures prominently in the nation's defenses. "This is probably the most exciting time at Edwards in 50 years," said Gen. Doug Pearson, commander of the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base.