The Series is 1. Open Mic: The Opportunity in This Crisis (Mishpacha); 2. A Manufactured Deadlock (Mishpacha); and 3. The Legal Double Standard (Hamodia)
19 July 2026
Series on Efforts to Abolish Charedim, the Torah Kedosha, and Deny God 2.
2. A Manufactured Deadlock (Mishpacha); and 3. The Legal Double Standard (Hamodia)
Series on Efforts to Abolish Charedim, the Torah Kedosha, and Deny God 3.
3. The Legal Double Standard (Hamodia)
Rav Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi zt"l …. Av 5
Rav Yitzchak Luria Ashkenazi zt"l
הרב יצחק בן שלמה לוריא אשכנזי זצ"ל
Av 5 , 5332
Known As: Arizal, Ha'ari Hakodosh
Father's Name: Shlomo
The Ari was born in Yerushalayim in 1534. By the time he was eight, he was recognized as a wonder-child, a prodigy who already outshone the greatest minds of Yerushalayim. At this tender age, he had already mastered the intricacies of the Talmud and committed dozens of volumes to memory.
The Ari's father passed away while he was still a child. Under the pressure of poverty, his mother went to Egypt, where they lived with her brother, Mordecai Frances, a wealthy tax agent. The Ari's brilliance continued to shine. The young prodigy was placed under the tutelage of Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi (1520-1592), best known for his important Talmudic commentary, the Shita Mekubetzes (Embracing System). There is also evidence that the young lad also studied under the great Radbaz, Rav Dovid ben Zimri (1480-1573), who was then the chief Rav of Cairo. By the time he was fifteen, his expertise in Talmud had overwhelmed all the sages in Egypt. According to a reliable account, the Ari himself also wrote a large Talmudic commentary around this time. Had he remained nothing more than a Talmudic scholar, he would have joined the ranks of the greatest of all times.
The Chida said on him that the way he reached such a high level was that Eliyahu HaNavi purified him with ashes of a Parah Adumah. The Arizal is respected and accepted by all the great Rabbonim of the Ashkenazim (chassidim and non-chassidim), Sefardim and Teimanim. Besides Kabbalistic Seforim, the Arizal is very often quoted in halachic works, such as the Magen Avrohom, Be'er Heitiv and Mishna Berura. He is the foremost Kabbalist of the last five-hundred years and was a Gilgul (reincarnated spark) of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai.
At this time he married his uncle's daughter. At age seventeen, he discovered the Zohar, obtaining his own manuscript copy. Later, he spent fifteen years meditating, at first with his master, Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi, and then alone, reaching the highest levels of kedusha. Eventually, he spent two years meditating in a hut near the Nile, utterly isolated, not speaking to any human being. The only time he would return home would be on Erev Shabbos, just before dark. But even at home, he would not speak. When it was absolutely necessary for him to say something, he would say it in the fewest possible words, and only in Loshon HaKodesh.
It is accepted that the Ari became worthy of Ruach HaKodesh. At times, Eliyohu HaNovi revealed himself to him and taught him the mysteries of the Torah. Every night his soul ascended to heaven. Angels would escort him, asking which academy he chose to visit. Sometimes it would be that of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. He also visited the academies of Rav Akiva and Rav Eliezer HaGodol, and on occasion the academies of the Nevi’im.
At the end of this period, he received a command from Eliyohu HaNovi to go to Eretz Yisrael. He arrived in Tzefas during the summer of 1570, and began by concealing his gifts completely. He was only there a short time when the Ramak (Rav Moshe Cordovero, 1522-1570), head of the Tzefas Mekubolim, died on June 26, 1570 (23rd of Tammuz, 5330). By identifying the heavenly pillar of fire that followed the great Mekubol’s funeral procession, the Ari established himself as the new leader.
The Ari passed away on July 15, 1572 (5th of Av, 5332), barely two years after he had arrived in Tzefas. During his brief stay there, he had assembled a group of approximately a dozen disciples, with Rav Chaim Vital at their head, and they continued to review his teachings. For the most part, it was Rav Chaim who put them into writing. The main works are: Etz Chaim (Tree of Life) and Pri Etz Chaim (Fruit of the Tree of Life), as well as the Eight Gates, which deal with everything from Bible commentary to divine inspiration and reincarnation.
The Ari also authored the liturgical poems "Azamer Bishvachin", "Assader Lis’udossa" and "Benei Heichola", sung at the three Shabbos meals respectively and included in nearly every Chassidic and Sephardi Siddur.
The teachings of the Ari have been afforded status as a primary authority, on the same level as the Zohar itself. Every custom of the Ari was scrutinized, and many were accepted, even against previous practice. The great Polish codifier, Rav Avrohom Gombiner (1635-1683), author of the Mogen Avrohom(Shield of Avrohom), takes the Ari's personal customs as legally binding precedents. In deciding disputes that had remained unresolved for centuries, he often cites the Ari's custom as the final authority. The fact that the Ari had acted in a certain manner was enough to convince this tough-minded legalist that this was the correct opinion.
There are a select number of individuals who live on a plane so high above the rest of humanity that it seems that they are a completely different, higher species of being. They teach, yet we grasp but little, and from the few crumbs that we catch, we can build mountains. Such a person was Rav Yitzchok Luria, the holy Ari, the Lion of Tzefas.
(Compiled from Meditation and Kabbalah by Rav Aryeh Kaplan and from other sources)
The Ari's father passed away while he was still a child. Under the pressure of poverty, his mother went to Egypt, where they lived with her brother, Mordecai Frances, a wealthy tax agent. The Ari's brilliance continued to shine. The young prodigy was placed under the tutelage of Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi (1520-1592), best known for his important Talmudic commentary, the Shita Mekubetzes (Embracing System). There is also evidence that the young lad also studied under the great Radbaz, Rav Dovid ben Zimri (1480-1573), who was then the chief Rav of Cairo. By the time he was fifteen, his expertise in Talmud had overwhelmed all the sages in Egypt. According to a reliable account, the Ari himself also wrote a large Talmudic commentary around this time. Had he remained nothing more than a Talmudic scholar, he would have joined the ranks of the greatest of all times.
The Chida said on him that the way he reached such a high level was that Eliyahu HaNavi purified him with ashes of a Parah Adumah. The Arizal is respected and accepted by all the great Rabbonim of the Ashkenazim (chassidim and non-chassidim), Sefardim and Teimanim. Besides Kabbalistic Seforim, the Arizal is very often quoted in halachic works, such as the Magen Avrohom, Be'er Heitiv and Mishna Berura. He is the foremost Kabbalist of the last five-hundred years and was a Gilgul (reincarnated spark) of Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai.
At this time he married his uncle's daughter. At age seventeen, he discovered the Zohar, obtaining his own manuscript copy. Later, he spent fifteen years meditating, at first with his master, Rav Betzalel Ashkenazi, and then alone, reaching the highest levels of kedusha. Eventually, he spent two years meditating in a hut near the Nile, utterly isolated, not speaking to any human being. The only time he would return home would be on Erev Shabbos, just before dark. But even at home, he would not speak. When it was absolutely necessary for him to say something, he would say it in the fewest possible words, and only in Loshon HaKodesh.
It is accepted that the Ari became worthy of Ruach HaKodesh. At times, Eliyohu HaNovi revealed himself to him and taught him the mysteries of the Torah. Every night his soul ascended to heaven. Angels would escort him, asking which academy he chose to visit. Sometimes it would be that of Rav Shimon bar Yochai. He also visited the academies of Rav Akiva and Rav Eliezer HaGodol, and on occasion the academies of the Nevi’im.
At the end of this period, he received a command from Eliyohu HaNovi to go to Eretz Yisrael. He arrived in Tzefas during the summer of 1570, and began by concealing his gifts completely. He was only there a short time when the Ramak (Rav Moshe Cordovero, 1522-1570), head of the Tzefas Mekubolim, died on June 26, 1570 (23rd of Tammuz, 5330). By identifying the heavenly pillar of fire that followed the great Mekubol’s funeral procession, the Ari established himself as the new leader.
The Ari passed away on July 15, 1572 (5th of Av, 5332), barely two years after he had arrived in Tzefas. During his brief stay there, he had assembled a group of approximately a dozen disciples, with Rav Chaim Vital at their head, and they continued to review his teachings. For the most part, it was Rav Chaim who put them into writing. The main works are: Etz Chaim (Tree of Life) and Pri Etz Chaim (Fruit of the Tree of Life), as well as the Eight Gates, which deal with everything from Bible commentary to divine inspiration and reincarnation.
The Ari also authored the liturgical poems "Azamer Bishvachin", "Assader Lis’udossa" and "Benei Heichola", sung at the three Shabbos meals respectively and included in nearly every Chassidic and Sephardi Siddur.
The teachings of the Ari have been afforded status as a primary authority, on the same level as the Zohar itself. Every custom of the Ari was scrutinized, and many were accepted, even against previous practice. The great Polish codifier, Rav Avrohom Gombiner (1635-1683), author of the Mogen Avrohom(Shield of Avrohom), takes the Ari's personal customs as legally binding precedents. In deciding disputes that had remained unresolved for centuries, he often cites the Ari's custom as the final authority. The fact that the Ari had acted in a certain manner was enough to convince this tough-minded legalist that this was the correct opinion.
There are a select number of individuals who live on a plane so high above the rest of humanity that it seems that they are a completely different, higher species of being. They teach, yet we grasp but little, and from the few crumbs that we catch, we can build mountains. Such a person was Rav Yitzchok Luria, the holy Ari, the Lion of Tzefas.
(Compiled from Meditation and Kabbalah by Rav Aryeh Kaplan and from other sources)
YERUSHALAYIM: The Nine Day is All Erev Tisha B'Av
Notices For Women
There will not be classes in Yeshurun throughout the month of Av. We will resume iy”H in Ellul.
Have a wonderful vacation!
This Monday there will be classes all over the city for the annual 9 days Shmiras HaLashon programs.
I am attaching the shiurim in Bayit VeGan
Additionally, there is the annual program in Shaarei Chessed that include:
Yom Iyun Shiur on Tues July 21 by Mrs. Miriam (Broderson) Frost in Khal Chassidim at 10:30 on “Rebuilding from the Inside Out: Geula and the Bais Hamikdash begin in the Heart”
The Chofetz Chayim Heritage Foundation Video Presentation at 2:30 on Tisha B’Av at the Minhal Kehillati on 38 Ussishkin
Bayit VeGan Program:
[click to download]
The Red-Green Alliance Exposed: How the Far Left & Jihadists Target Israel and the West
In this powerful talk from his recent speaking trip to Britain, Avi Abelow delivers a hard-hitting explanation of the Red-Green Alliance that few dare to speak about. Why did the October 7 massacre, the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust, not generate widespread sympathy and support for Israel and the Jewish people? Instead, it triggered an immediate explosion of pro-Hamas protests across the West on the very same day.
Avi Abelow answers the two questions nobody is asking: How is the decades-old Red-Green Alliance between radical leftists and jihadists systematically destroying Western civilization? And why has it unleashed a tidal wave of raw, Jew-hating antisemitism following October 7?
From the streets of London and other British cities filled with open support for Hamas, to campus hate and street violence exploding across America and Europe, Avi connects the dots with unflinching clarity. The “palestinian” cause, built not on nation-building but on the destruction of Israel, serves as the spearhead of this alliance. There is no desire for coexistence, only conquest.
This is not random chaos. It is a coordinated, long-planned ideological war against the Jewish state and the very foundations of the West. Avi explains the harsh truths that the mainstream media and weak leadership refuse to confront: the jihadists living among us, the betrayal by so-called allies on the left, and the urgent need for moral clarity and strength.
If you want to truly understand why Jew-hating antisemitism is skyrocketing and Western societies are unraveling before our eyes. this is the video you must watch.
Subscribe for more uncensored Israel news, security analysis, and biblical heartland updates from Avi Abelow. Share this with friends and family — the time for silence is over.
Am Yisrael Chai.
למה רבי שמואל הוריד את כל השיעור? סיפורים מופלאים ממרן המשגיח הגר"ד סגל לרה"י הגר"ש אלתר - כיתוביות
קרדיט תיעוד: דבר אמת.
מרן המשגיח הגה"צ רבי דן סגל שליט"א מספר לראש הישיבה הגר"ש אלתר שליט"א זכרונות משנות לימודו בפוניבז' אצל מרנא ורבנא הגאון רבי שמואל רוזובסקי שהשבוע חל היארצייט
"מי שיש לו תירוץ - שיכתוב!": הקושיה של המנהיג הגר"ד לנדו שנותרה ללא מענה בכינוס אלפי האברכים
The million-dollar Torah question from the leader of the generation, Rav Dov Lando! 🤯
During the annual conference of the "Chafetz Chaim B'Iyun" Kollels network, Maran Rosh Yeshiva Rav Dov Lando Shlit"a posed a monumental Torah difficulty on Parashat Korach and Lashon Hara (evil speech) that remains unanswered, challenging the entire Torah world:
"This is a question from the past, and I don't remember any answer to it. If anyone has an answer—let him say it!"
Why do we need a special halachic permission to speak Lashon Hara about Korach because he was a "ba'al machlokes" (instigator of dispute), when it can simply be derived from the fact that he was an "Apikores" (heretic)?!
Do you have an answer?
Write it in the comments below! 👇
Shalom Pollack: Stargazing Tour July 29
Shalom friends,🌟
Because I was not able to accommodate the many who requested to join us on the recent stargazing tour in the Ramon Crater, I am offering the last stargazing tour of this season, which will be IH on Wednesday, July 29. ⭐
We will sit around a campfire, served tea and marshmallows as our professional astronomer educates, entertains, and WOWs us as we are astonished by the heavens above.He will supply powerful telescopes and guide us in piercing the heavens
Mattresses and folding chairs will be provided for our convenience. You may bring your own if you wish.Bring a light-over garment, as the evening can be cool in the Crater.
🌠 There will not be any challenging walking.
We will stop at Mitzpe Ramon before descending into the Crater for our supper. You may bring your own food or choose one of the many eateries in the new outdoor plaza.
We shall depart from the Inbal hotel at 2:30 in the afternoon and return around 1 am. ★
Be prepared to make your own way home from the Inbal Hotel.
The cost is 320 shekels.
Please register early, as I had to disappoint late requests last time.=====
18 July 2026
Rabbi Glatstein: Illuminate The World With Torah
https://www.charidy.com/mmh26/cziman
Rabbi Glatstein's annual campaign is Thursday night July 16 9pm - Monday Night 9pm July 20th.
This campaign is a chance to help support the continued growth and reach of Rabbi Glatstein’s Torah. Every donation goes directly toward strengthening and expanding this powerful platform.
Canadian Wildfire Update
Wildfire Updates: Smoke Pushes Air Quality to
Dangerous Levels for Millions
Dense smoke from Canadian wildfires is choking a vast stretch of the Northeast and
Upper Midwest. Officials encouraged residents, including in New York, to stay indoors.
Upper Midwest. Officials encouraged residents, including in New York, to stay indoors.
Officials and health experts expressed growing concern on Thursday about dangerously
poor air quality across much of the northeastern United States and southern Canada,
as a cloud of dense smoke from scores of raging wildfires darkened skies and irritated
throats from the Great Lakes to New England.
Residents of some of the region’s most populated cities were urged to stay indoors or,
if they did go out, to avoid spending too much time in the polluted air. And as the
wildfires continued to burn, sensors that monitor the air quality index for millions
of people recorded figures sometimes nearly twice as high as what is considered
hazardous.
Screenshots from NYT article: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/07/16/weather/canada-wildfire-smoke-air-quality#heres-the-latest
* Air quality: Air is considered hazardous when the quality index — which measures the density of five pollutants — tops 300. On Thursday, Toledo, Milwaukee and Detroit were among the places with A.Q.I. levels over 500. Read more ›
_____________________
what in the world are they burning?
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Series on Efforts to Abolish Charedim, the Torah Kedosha, and Deny God 1.
The Series is 1. Open Mic: The Opportunity in This Crisis (Mishpacha); 2. A Manufactured Deadlock (Mishpacha); and 3. The Legal Double Stand...
