09 November 2026
We Can No Longer Ignore What the Torah Predicted!
The prophecies of the Bible are unfolding before our eyes, as clear as day. Righteous Gentiles, Noahides from around the world, are coming to Jerusalem to stand with Israel and take part in the final redemption. As the words of the Torah and the Prophets come to life before our very eyes, every human being faces a choice:
Will you recognize what's happening, and decide where you stand?
Prophets Of Israel Daily:
• Prophets of Israel Daily (Nach Yomi)
https://thelandofisrael.com/prophets-...
Tragedy for Pregnant Women Years After ……..
Pregnant Woman, Unborn Baby Die After Medical Emergency at Israeli Hospital
JERUSALEM (VINnews) — A 30-year-old woman from Rishon Lezion and her unborn baby died over Shabbat following a severe medical emergency at Sheba Medical Center, according to a report by Yisrael Hayom.
The woman, identified as Orel, was 29 weeks pregnant when she suddenly collapsed at her home. She was rushed to the hospital by Magen David Adom paramedics in critical condition.
Orel had been staying at home for two weeks after her pregnancy was classified as high-risk. Following her collapse on Shabbat, she was evacuated to Sheba, where doctors immediately took her to the obstetric operating room.
Medical teams continued resuscitation efforts and connected her to an ECMO machine, which provides temporary heart and lung support, in an attempt to save both mother and baby. Despite extensive efforts, both were pronounced dead.
The mother and baby were buried Saturday night at Ganei Esther Cemetery in Rishon Lezion. The case was reported to the Health Ministry for review.
In a statement, Sheba Medical Center said the woman arrived in critical condition and that medical teams made extensive efforts to save her and her unborn child. The hospital expressed condolences to the family.
The tragedy follows several other cases in Israel involving pregnant women who died alongside their unborn babies.
In April, the Health Ministry announced the formation of a committee to investigate the death of Reut Cohen, who collapsed at her home and died along with her twin daughters while 28 weeks pregnant. She was taken to Meir Medical Center in Kfar Saba.
In another case in August, a woman in her 40s died following a rare medical complication at Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba. She was 34 weeks pregnant with her seventh child when she arrived complaining of abdominal pain. Her condition rapidly deteriorated, and doctors performed emergency surgery. The baby was delivered without signs of life, and the mother died the following day.
Meanwhile, Maayanei Hayeshua Medical Center in Bnei Brak announced an extraordinary medical achievement this week: a woman who had previously undergone 11 Caesarean sections successfully delivered her 12th child through another C-section, an exceptionally rare occurrence in obstetric medicine.
Comments to the above:
They should investigate whether these mothers took the C Vaccine a few years ago. It has shown to cause early births/ stillborns at 6 months+. Mothers complaining of issues should be kept under medical watch after 24 weeks.
At the time of the C Vaccine, NOT ONE study was done on pregnant women, yet all the doctors were saying “safe and effective” for pregnant women. They can add this on to the study.
Philly Boycott BACKFIRES Spectacularly:
Massive Crowds Flood Jewish-Owned Philadelphia Restaurants, Drowning Out Anti-Israel Protest on Eve of Kristallnacht
An anti-Israel campaign targeting six Jewish-owned restaurants in Philadelphia spectacularly backfired Sunday, as hundreds of Jewish community members and supporters descended on the businesses, packing dining rooms, forming long lines outside and waving Israeli and American flags in a powerful show of solidarity on the eve of the anniversary of Kristallnacht.
What organizers had promoted as a bicycle ride to boycott and pressure businesses they labeled “Zionist establishments” instead turned into a day of booming business, with supporters traveling from across the region — including New York — to make sure the targeted restaurants were anything but empty.
The demonstration, organized by a group calling itself Philly Bike On Your Left, targeted six popular establishments in the Rittenhouse Square area: Mac Mart, K’Far Cafe, Huda, Goldie, Dizengoff and Schlesinger’s.
Promotional materials for the ride declared, “No business for Zionists! These Zionist Establishments must go! Not in our city!”
The timing sparked particular outrage. The protest took place on November 8, the eve of the 88th anniversary of Kristallnacht, the November 1938 Nazi pogrom during which Jewish businesses, homes and shuls were attacked across Germany and Austria.
The Israeli-American Council (IAC), working alongside local Jewish organizations and community members, mobilized a major counter-response, urging residents to visit the targeted restaurants and demonstrate that attempts to intimidate Jewish business owners would not succeed.
At Huda, owner Yehuda Sichel described an extraordinary turnout, with customers streaming into his restaurant to express their support.
Sichel, whose grandfather survived the Holocaust and witnessed Kristallnacht, said the campaign was particularly painful given his family’s history.
He believes his restaurant was targeted because he previously helped raise funds for Israeli children injured or traumatized following the October 7 massacre.
“I didn’t send it to any military,” Sichel said. “I’m an American. I’m a Jew. I’m a proud supporter of the Israeli cause but that does not mean I’m in the government over there. I don’t even have any influence on the government in Philadelphia.”
Poster
The bicycle protest began around noon, with participants riding through Philadelphia carrying Palestinian flags, many wearing masks.
But instead of encountering deserted restaurants, the protesters found large crowds of supporters waving Israeli flags, cheering and confronting the boycott campaign.
Outside Dizengoff, demonstrators were greeted with chants of “Shame on you!”
Another supporter shouted, “This is America, not Nazi Germany, coward.”
Police deployed a significant presence around Rittenhouse Square and worked to separate the opposing groups as verbal confrontations erupted. According to Philadelphia’s ABC6, three people were arrested during the demonstrations.
The boycott ride ultimately ended early, with organizers citing safety concerns.
Matt Sheldon, who traveled from New York to support the Philadelphia Jewish community, estimated that approximately 75 people participated in the boycott ride.
“It’s the biggest bust of a boycott there is,” Sheldon said. “They made these Jewish restaurants rock stars.”
The turnout was so overwhelming that lines outside some establishments stretched down the block. According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, hundreds of people waited outside Huda, with some Jewish supporters even putting on tefillin while standing in line.
The controversy drew condemnation from prominent elected officials and Jewish organizations.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker defended the right to peaceful protest while making clear that targeting businesses because their owners are Jewish was unacceptable.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro described the boycott as “designed to intimidate and drive Jewish businesses out of our communities.”
Senator John Fetterman issued an especially forceful condemnation, calling the demonstration a “sick parade of rank antisemitism.”
The Anti-Defamation League also urged residents to patronize the targeted restaurants.
“This protest is an attempt to intimidate a Jewish community that has faced generations of violence, exclusion and antisemitism,” the ADL said. “It’s the latest in a string of incidents that hold Jewish businesses responsible for events in the Middle East. That’s antisemitic, plain and simple. But we refuse to let hate win.”
The organizers pushed back against the criticism, claiming the demonstration had been “grossly misrepresented.”
They insisted the date had not been selected because of the Kristallnacht anniversary and maintained that the businesses were targeted over their owners’ support for Israel rather than their Jewish identity.
Jewish community organizations rejected that distinction, arguing that singling out businesses and calling for their removal from the city because of their owners’ Zionist beliefs was deeply troubling.
The National Jewish Advocacy Center also became involved, sending letters to Philadelphia law enforcement requesting protective measures and notifying protest organizers to preserve evidence related to the campaign. The organization also warned about a separate boycott ride announced for November 15, raising concerns that the intimidation campaign could continue.
The IAC said the campaign recalled historical efforts to isolate and economically punish Jewish communities.
The organization stressed that the most effective response would extend beyond Sunday’s enormous turnout, urging supporters to continue eating at and ordering from the six restaurants in the coming days and weeks.
The nonprofit JewBelong also joined the response, placing billboards at 14 locations throughout Philadelphia.
The billboards declared, “Running over Jewish businesses isn’t a peace plan,” and encouraged residents to “boycott the boycott ride.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
UTJ REJECTS EISENKOT: Yaakov Asher Refuses To Join Effort To Oust Knesset Speaker Ohana
pic RDL
United Torah Judaism chairman MK Yaakov Asher announced Monday that his party will not participate in an effort by Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party to remove Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana before a new government is formed.
In an official letter sent to incoming Yashar faction chairman MK Roy Folkman, Asher explained that UTJ’s longstanding position is that a Knesset Speaker should be replaced only in conjunction with the establishment of a new government, rather than immediately following the inauguration of a new Knesset.
The response comes after Folkman approached Shas and UTJ earlier Monday, seeking their support for an initiative to replace Ohana during the opening session of the 26th Knesset, scheduled for Tuesday.
Asher began his letter by congratulating Folkman on his new position.
“First of all, I wish you great success in your role as chairman of the Yashar faction. Welcome back to the Knesset!” Asher wrote.
He then outlined UTJ’s position.
“Regarding the matter itself, the principled position of the United Torah Judaism faction is that replacing a Knesset Speaker should take place simultaneously with the formation of a new government, and not upon the convening of the Knesset.”
Asher emphasized that his position reflects longstanding parliamentary practice rather than opposition to any particular candidate.
“Our position is that this is currently the appropriate course, and this is how it has been done in the past, with the exception of one isolated case, in order to prevent an absurd situation in which the Knesset Speaker would be opposed to the government that is ultimately formed,” he explained.
He concluded his letter by writing, “I wish all of us a good and productive parliamentary session.”
The refusal comes as Eisenkot attempts to assemble a parliamentary majority following President Isaac Herzog’s decision to grant him the mandate to form Israel’s next government.
Eisenkot’s political bloc has reportedly secured support from 67 MKs for the effort to replace Ohana. The current speaker has indicated that if a formal request bearing 61 signatures is submitted, he will schedule a vote within one week.
Shas has also stopped short of endorsing the initiative, with a senior party official stating earlier Monday that no instructions had been received to cooperate in replacing the speaker.
Although Asher’s response represents a rejection of Eisenkot’s immediate request, it does not rule out future negotiations between UTJ and the parties seeking to establish the next government.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
🚨ALERT: This WAR Is About Something MUCH BIGGER
What if the war unfolding in Israel is about something much bigger than politics, territory, or military conflict?
Rabbi Aron Sokol sits down with Rabbi Michael Friedman for a powerful conversation about the deeper spiritual meaning of Israel's struggles, the psychological wounds of 2,000 years of exile, and the biblical prophecies unfolding in our generation.
From Ezekiel's vision of the dry bones to the return of the Jewish people to their homeland, we explore the connection between national healing, redemption, the Temple Mount, and the rebuilding of the Beit HaMikdash.
Could the events we're witnessing be preparing the Jewish people for something extraordinary?
Subscribe to Parsha Inspired for Torah insights, biblical prophecy, Israel updates, and conversations about Moshiach and the final redemption.
Rabbi Winston: Parashas Chayei Sarah
RABBI WINSTON: Parashas Chaye Sarah
AVRAHAM LISTENED TO Ephron, and Avraham weighed out to Ephron the silver that he had named in the hearing of the sons of Chais, 400 shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.
Mundane, right? You can just see the scene, a large gathering of everyday people going about their everyday business, buying, selling, standing around talking, dealing with their children, while some “prince” of a man is “over there” bargaining with the king for the right to bury his wife in some not-yet-famous cave. It was nothing out of the ordinary for them, but for Avraham, it was beneath his dignity.
However, this is what the GR”A has to say about it:
They are the 400 worlds that tzaddikim will inherit in the future world from that Chivarta, as it says in Idra Rabba, 128b: 400,000 worlds of the “white” of the skull of Arich Anpin emanate down, and from the light of those “white” the righteous will inherit 400 worlds in the future time. We find a hint to this in what the Torah writes, “400 shekels of silver, accepted by the merchant.” (Biur HaGR”A, Sifra D’Tzniusa, Ch. 1, p. 19c)
If you learn Kabbalah and recognize all these terms, enjoy. If you don’t, then where do I begin if not at the beginning?
The original light of G–D, called Ohr Ain Sof (Light Without End), is too spiritually intense for anything but it to exist. So, G–D reduces its intensity to allow Creation to exist and man to have free will. The system He created to do this is called the Sefiros and Partzufim, of which there are very many with all kinds of names performing all kinds of functions just to implement the will of G–D. This is the main discussion in the halls of Kabbalah.
Not coincidentally, the sefiros are structured like a human body. Not physically, but spiritually. So, the first three, Keser, Chochmah, and Binah, function like our three sections of brain. But Keser, being the highest, also plays the role of the skull, sefiros-speaking. Because, though we relate to our body parts in physical terms, they are really defined more in terms of their function.
Every body part is represented in the sefiros on some level, but generally-speaking, Chesed is the entire right arm from shoulder to fingertips. Gevurah is the entire left arm, and Tifferes corresponds to the torso, the body from the waist until the neck. Internal organs are also represented, but instead of bodily fluids flowing through them, it is all Divine light. All of it is just to maintain Creation and allow history to flow, always according to the will of G–D.
Then comes Netzach as the entire right leg, Hod as the entire left leg, and Yesod as the reproductive organ, the main source through which Divine light flows from inside the system to the world in which we live. Malchus, generally, is considered to be the “earth” on which the entire structure stands. One of my latest books, “Heaven to Earth,” goes into all of this in more detail.
If you look at the top of your head you will notice that your scalp is white (unless you are bald and get suntanned up there). On a human being, it's just hidden skin under the hair, but in the sefiros, it’s a very high level of light, one that we only get now after extreme filtering, but which will be more direct in the World to Come. Right now, we get more pleasure from a good burger or salad or something really entertaining, but, believe it or not, that’s only a fraction of the pleasure one can get from direct Divine light. In this world, if you ask a person, “Great steak or G–D?” a lot of people might have to think about that for a bit.
But not in the World to Come. Not even as early as the Messianic Era when we finally get to see what G–D’s light is like without a lot of the filtering. Then, no one will have any doubts about which pleasure is greater. We’ll still enjoy a good steak, but not nearly as much as experiencing higher levels of Divine light. In this world, some of the luckier, more spiritual people get to taste a little of that light from time to time, and they already choose spiritual pleasure over physical pleasure.
That’s actually not the point right now. The point we’re trying to make is how something so mundane as a business transaction can have such phenomenal spiritual consequences. The physical world is completely intertwined with the spiritual one, and when something moves down here, it moves something up there, and vice-versa. But it happens in such a hidden way that we just don’t sense it, and we only get excited about what appeals to our senses in the here and now.
Obviously, at least “400” questions still exist, maybe even “400,000.” The GR”A explains all of this in his commentary, and the Sha’arei Chochmah, a commentary on his commentary, fills in what the GR”A leaves out. If you do the work, you can understand it too. But the main point for now is illustrating how something so seemingly simple and plain in the Torah can allude to the deepest of kabbalistic secrets. You’d be amazed, actually—awed.
Latest book published: Derech Eretz, about how “good manners” is a lot more important to world rectification than people think (Amazon). Almost finished, b”H: Chanukah Forever, my latest effort to better understand the depth and centrality of the holiday of Chanukah.
Have a great Shabbos,
Pinchas Winston
PM Netanyahu speaks to ALL Israelis:
The israeli shortsighted selfishness has brought Israel to an impassible situation, with enemies within and without poised for dreaded action. There is only one way out of this *gorge/chasm.
A government dependent on Hamas supporters will not fight Hamas. A government dependent on those who hate Judaism will not preserve Israel as a Jewish state. A government dependent on radical Islam will not fight radical Islam,” Netanyahu declared.
He further warned that such a government would be incapable of confronting Iran’s nuclear threat, claiming that approximately one-third of its members have described IDF soldiers as war criminals or praised Hamas Nukhba terrorists and Hezbollah operatives.
The prime minister also warned of severe internal unrest if a government dependent on Islamist parties takes office.
“The fires and flames we see in the streets of Paris and Brussels will pale in comparison to the fires and flames we will see in the streets of Yerushalayim, Tel Aviv, Haifa, and other Israeli cities,” Netanyahu said.
“These are not imaginary scenarios. These are not scare tactics. This is the reality we will face, and we must stop it because our lives depend on it,” he added.
“With such a government, Israel simply will not survive,” Netanyahu warned.
Instead, Netanyahu called for a broad coalition bringing together the national camp and all Zionist parties willing to cooperate in protecting Israel’s security and future.
“There is only one alternative: not national suicide, but national unity,” Netanyahu said.
“I call for the establishment of a national unity government that includes all the parties of the national camp and all the Zionist parties that want to preserve our country, the one and only state of the Jewish people.”
Netanyahu argued that such a government could permanently eliminate the Iranian nuclear threat, preserve Israel’s Jewish character, and promote unity within Israeli society.
Concluding his statement, Netanyahu urged political leaders to demonstrate responsibility.
“I call on everyone to act responsibly at this decisive moment. This is the need of the hour. This is essential for our very existence.”
The Yashar party, headed by Gadi Eisenkot, responded by rejecting Netanyahu’s proposed framework and inviting him to join a government led by Eisenkot instead.
“Netanyahu is welcome to accept our principles and join Eisenkot’s government,” the party said.
(YWN’s Jerusalem desk is keeping you updated after tzeis ha’Shabbos in Israel)
*************
* By way of example: a film The Gorge—about two snipers guarding a mysterious, heavily fortified chasm containing unknown threats—has sparked debate over whether it functions as a political allegory. [im using this as an allegory of what the israelis have voted themselves into!] A situation reflecting that in Shamayim.
What Brings Joy to a Shepherd?
Blessed Rains Bring Joy to the Shepherds of Gush Etzion
The shepherd of Givat Ma’aleh Tidhar in Gush Etzion photographed this morning the new growth that has begun after the blessed rains that fell last week. ⛈️🌦️
The fresh young shoots bring renewed joy to all the shepherds. The earth is being renewed, and the rains are clothing the land in a green mantle. ☘️🌱
There are no words to describe it. How fortunate we are to have merited living in a generation of redemption! 🙏🏻
Source: Elisha Yered, Settlement Activist
Posted Nov. 8, 2026
A IDF Reservists Experience
800 Days of Reserve Duty — and This Is How He’s Treated
Adi Kolani, a Gush Etzion resident and renovation contractor, has served more than 800 days in the reserves since the war began, fighting in Judea and Samaria, Lebanon, and Gaza. He and his wife also volunteer as Magen David Adom ambulance drivers and paramedics. During the fighting, Adi voluntarily made his excavator available to the IDF for months of use in Gaza, only to get it back damaged and unable to be used.
Last week, Arab terrorists from the village of Beit Ummar attempted a lynch against a resident of Gefen Ami and burned a Jewish car. Border Police officers confiscated the same excavator—along with tools essential to Adi’s livelihood, worth tens of thousands of shekels—from outside their home without presenting orders or a clear explanation. His wife was briefly detained.
His wife Matti said, “Personally I am very hurt by the army. We gave our excavator to use for army use and this is how they say thank you and pay us back. My husband has been in the army reserves for over 800 days and did whatever he was asked to and risked his life in Gaza and Lebanon tons of times throughout the last 3 years. It is not nice the way they are saying thank you to us.”
Adi called the Etzion Brigade Commander and asked why he confiscated his tools and equipment when he had nothing to do with the Arab attack. He was told that the army wants quiet and he is being punished since there was conflict in the area. Gefen Ami residents understand it is a type of collective punishment just for being there on the hilltop without government “authorization.” Matti explained that even before Jews came to settle the Gefen Ami hilltop the Arabs were not quiet. They would thrown molotov cocktails and rocks on the Jews traveling on Road 60 below.
The Honenu organization is demanding the equipment’s immediate return, stressing the injustice: a man who repeatedly sacrificed for the war effort is now being mistreated by the very security forces he supported.
Source: Israel National News and Interview with Hilltop Maccabees
Published Nov. 8, 2026
08 November 2026
Shalom Pollack: Jewish leaders
I have been a close observer of Israel and its politics for over half a century, and I have formed opinions about many public figures and "leaders".
I want to share my favorites.The questions I ask myself are:
Is he (or she) God-fearing?
Does he love his people?
Is he loyal in his private and public life?
Is he intelligent?
Is he consistent in his thoughts and beliefs (is he intellectually honest)?
Is he knowledgeable about what is important to our people and country?
Does he think outside the box and independently despite popular trends?
Can he communicate well?
The current litmus test cases for a would-be leader are:
What did or didn't they do, say, or not say about:
Oslo - 1993
Mass expulsions - 2005
The latest Gaza war ("round") and the hostage situation
Jonathan Pollard's grievous incarceration in the USA, 1985-2015.
Amiram Ben Uliel, serving a life sentence since 2015.
https://us.list-manage.com/O9CtKFdLnma?e=6fef771d7c&c2id=b7ab69906b3ece6eab394384ed3abb92
Considering the above, I have two candidates for my favorite Jewish leaders in the last over half a century:
The first on my list is the holy, martyred Rabbi Meir Kahane. (1932- 1990).
The Jewish people were not ready for his courage and honesty and are paying the price to this very day, much as the Jews in the generation of Jeremiah the prophet.
The second leader is the head of the "Zehut" party, Moshe Feiglin, the only politician who does not fear to say publicly that 'Kahane was right".
Feiglin passes every one of my litmus tests and prerequisites for Jewish leadership.
He is the only politician who visited Jonathan Pollard in his cell and, from the day he was arrested, uniquely, never stopped fighting for his release and good name.
Amiram Ben Uliel, serving a life sentence based solely on an admission extracted by severe and continued torture, never leaves the lips and heart of Moshe Feiglin, who has attended all of his legal appeals and is his most vociferous defender against a corrupt legal and security system.
On the day after Oct. 7, 2023, he pleaded that not one soldier be sent into Gaza to risk their lives because he predicted that it would just be another "round" with inconclusive results.
(His grandson was killed when he was ordered to search a house for terrorists while making sure not to hurt "innocent non-combatants.")
He repeats, "Victory means occupation, expulsion, and Jewish settlement, as in 1948. Nothing less. No more "rounds".
He was vehemently opposed to exchanging hostages for thousands of terrorists or other concessions to Hamas that would ensure their survival.
He demanded cutting off water, electricity, and food until every hostage was returned. (What would Churchill have done had Germany demanded concessions and withdrawal from liberated Europe in return for British hostages?)
He was accused of being indifferent to the plight of the hostages and their families. He understood the difference between the emotional concern of a parent for a loved one and the responsibility of a leader to the safety of seven million Jews.
He never publicized it, but it came out that, from the day that the first hostage was abducted until the day of the last one's release, he had a pebble in his shoe as a constant reminder of their plight.
Which leader does that?
He and his son both donated a kidney to Jews.
He was accused of racism when he insisted on only a Jewish recipient and not an Arab.
(I wonder how many of his critics have donated a kidney to an Arab or anyone else).
Now that he is in the Knesset, I pray that God watches over him and that until the coming of Moshiach, he will lead our nation speedily in our time,
We are in great need.
shalompollack613@gmail.com
Who is Acting Naive Here?
.....or maybe deceitful?
Shas Leader Aryeh Deri Reportedly Said Left-Wing Parties Would “Give Us Everything We Want” To Secure Chareidi Support
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2620073/political-bombshell-shas-leader-aryeh-deri-reportedly-said-left-wing-parties-would-give-us-everything-we-want-to-secure-chareidi-support.html
Does that include this:
NO BLANK CHECK: Golan Demands Enlistment And Transportation On Shabbos In Any Chareidi Partnership
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2620294/no-blank-check-golan-demands-enlistment-and-transportation-on-shabbos-in-any-chareidi-partnership.html
“NO ‘BLANKCHECK’ Golan” just chased the Chareidim away
And this:
Gadi Eisenkot and his centrist Yashar party have made universal, mandatory military or national-civilian service for all Israeli citizens—including the ultra-Orthodox (Haredi) population—a non-negotiable core principle of any coalition he leads.
And
Universal Conscription Demand: Eisenkot insists on mandatory service for all Israelis to strengthen the IDF and ease the heavy burden placed on active and reserve soldiers
Terrorists Back Again.......to Gefen Ami
Arab terrorists set an Israeli car on fire in Gefen Ami.
Source: News from Yesha [https://hilltopmaccabees.org/2026/11/07/arab-terrorists-set-an-israeli-car-on-fire-in-gefen-ami/]
Rabbi Weissman: On Blindness and Partnering with the Wicked
Not Just a Midrash #2 — two fundamental teachings
On blindness:
Bereishis 21:19 states:
ויפקח אלהים את עיניה ותרא באר מים ותלך ותמלא את החמת מים ותשק את הנער
And Hashem opened her eyes, and she saw a water well, and she went and filled the flask with water and gave the lad to drink.
The pasuk could have simply stated that Hagar saw a well. By stating that Hashem opened her eyes, the Torah indicates that Hashem gave her special assistance in discovering the well, without which she would not have seen it.
The Midrash Rabba in 53:14 takes it a big step further, teaching us a fundamental lesson:
וַיִּפְקַח אֶת עֵינֶיהָ, אָמַר רַבִּי בִּנְיָמִין הַכֹּל בְּחֶזְקַת סוּמִין עַד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מֵאִיר אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם, מִן הָכָא וַיִּפְקַח אֱלֹהִים אֶת עֵינֶיהָ.
And He opened her eyes: Rabbi Binyamin said, everyone is presumptively blind until Hashem enlightens their eyes, as we learn from here, “And Hashem opened her eyes.”
Maharzu explains:
שאף שנזדמן לה באר דבר גשמי הנראה לא הרגישה עד שהקב”ה האיר עיניה
Even though a well was prepared for her, something physical that is visible, she did not sense it until Hashem enlightened her eyes.
The Eitz Yosef explains:
שאין העין יכול לראות אלא במה שניתן לו רשות אע”פ שהיה הדבר לפניו
For the eye can only see what it is given permission to see, even though something is in front of it.
It is true that Hagar received special divine assistance, which is why the Torah makes a point of it, but Chazal teach us that everyone can see only because Hashem enables them to see, and they only see that which Hashem enables them to see.
Indeed, when we say the bracha of פוקח עורים every morning, thanking Hashem for giving sight to the blind, we’re talking about ourselves!
Even though it is the way of the world for healthy people to see, we should never take it for granted. We’ve all had the experience of somehow missing something that was right before us, and also just “happening” to notice something important that we could easily have missed. A Torah-minded, God-conscious person will understand that there is a spiritual cause behind even these seemingly mundane events; they are not mere coincidences.
We can take this a step further. If we need Hashem’s assistance to see physical things before us, without which we are essentially blind, how much more do we need Hashem’s assistance to see things that are not physical, with our mind’s eye!
Indeed, in the language of Chazal a פקח is someone with a healthy mind, a sharp mind.
All around us are zombies, people with generally high intelligence, yet blind to things that are right before them. They cannot think clearly. They cannot reason or be reasoned with. They cannot accept facts that should be self-evident, and they misuse their intelligence to make convoluted arguments against plain reality.
Have you heard some of the ridiculous rationalizations people regurgitate to explain away October 7, so they can maintain delusions about a regime and the monsters who betrayed them?
There is definitely free choice involved with their tragic condition, but we should not be so arrogant as to believe we are vastly superior to them. Even if we are “awake” about certain things, we too were oblivious for a long time, and should not take full credit for seeing what we eventually saw. Hashem gave us plenty of assistance, otherwise we too would have remained blind.
No doubt we still have plenty of blind spots as it is.
So we should be very grateful to Hashem for opening our eyes and our mind’s eye, and continuously pray for assistance. We should ask Hashem to help us understand the Torah correctly and draw proper conclusions. And we should never take our vision for granted.
On partnering with the wicked:
The Yalkut Shimoni on Yehoshua, Remez 3, mentions several people in Tanach whose names are written defectively because of something improper they did. One of them is Yehonadav, who was later referred to as Yonadav. The Midrash states as follows:
וכן אתה מוצא ביונדב שמתחלה נקרא יהונדב ומשבא לאותו מעשה מנעו ממנו אות אחד ונקרא יונדב שנאמר בהתחברך (לרשע) [עם אחזיהו] וגו’
And so you find with Yonadav, that at first he is called Yehonadav, and when he came to that deed a letter was held back from him and he is called Yonadav, as it says “When you partnered [with Achazyahu] etc.
The Zeis Ra’anan explains that the Midrash might be referring to Yonadav. the friend of Amnon, who advised him on how to take advantage of Tamar, or to Yehonadav ben Reichav, who partnered with Yehu, a king who became an idolater. The Zeis Ra’anan deems the latter explanation more plausible; it certainly fits much better.
The partnership with Achazyahu is in reference to Yehoshafat, a righteous king from the house of David, who became close to Achazyahu, a wicked king of the ten tribes. They partnered on a business venture that became a total loss. The navi attributes Yehoshafat’s loss to his partnership with a wicked person, for which Hashem made a breach in that which he did (Divrei Hayamim II 20:37).
The Midrash concludes as follows:
מכאן אמרו חז”ל אל יתחבר אדם לרשע אפילו לקרבו לתורה
From here Chazal said that one should not partner with a wicked person, even to draw him closer to Torah.
It seems that both Yonadav and Yehoshafat partnered with wicked kings of the ten tribes kiruv purposes. Despite their good intentions, this was improper, a degradation of the Torah for which they were criticized and suffered losses.
A God-fearing, Torah-minded Jew must keep a certain distance from wicked people. Even if he must associate with them, he should not become close to them. If a tzaddik becomes friends or partners with a rasha, he should not expect to turn the rasha into a tzaddik; either way, it is inevitable that the rasha will degrade him and damage his relationship with Hashem.
When one befriends or partners with a wicked person, to a certain extent he is legitimizing and condoning wickedness, if not explicitly then implicitly. No matter how he rationalizes it, he is engaging in chanufa and disgracing the Torah he claims to hold dear.
This lesson from Chazal has massive implications for how kiruv should and should not be conducted. By all means, be friendly with people and spread the light of Torah — but don’t get too close to people who trample all over the Torah. Don’t partner with them.
It also obliterates one of the core arguments many Jews make in favor of partnering with the wicked in a Hellenist government and joining their un-Jewish army. We’ll do kiruv! We’ll draw them closer to Torah! We’ll change things from within! We’ll turn the whole state around, eventually! You’ll see!
That experiment has been tried for many generations already, and the results are terribly lopsided. As Rav Elchonon Wasserman warned way back in 1912, decades before the wicked Zionists declared a state, the Religious Zionists who foolishly partnered with them in contravention of the Torah would not succeed in drawing them closer to Torah — but the Zionists would succeed in drawing them away from it.
In an open letter to Mizrachi rabbis that remains unanswered more than a century later, Rav Wasserman wrote:
Do you think that by joining with them you will bring them back to the good? Or that you will make them “Mizrachi” people? No, Rabbosai, a hundred Mizrachi people will turn into Zionists faster than one Zionist will turn into a “Mizrachi”. And why? Because deviating from the straight path is very easy, but climbing up is very difficult.
See the complete open letter here
Open Letter to Mizrachi Rabbis by Rav Elchonon Wasserman (1912)
Chazal make it very clear that one must not partner with reshaim, even with the intention of drawing them close to Torah.
It’s not just a Midrash. It’s Hashem’s timeless truth.
In related news:
Lucy promises she won't pull away the football next time.
Interesting comment:
The observation that half of religious soldiers lose most or all of their observance in the “Jewish” army will be corroborated by many. I doubt many grow in their observance at all, unless they started off with little to begin with and turned to Hashem in desperation.
As usual, Chazal were right. Maybe we should finally listen to them.
Contact me at weissmans@protonmail.com.
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