To read the latest article, please go to:
Breaking Idols – Re'ei
To read the latest article, please go to:
Breaking Idols – Re'ei
Comments anyone….?
But could it be happening in front of our eyes and we dont see it!!
Could we find someone who is foretelling like …Eliahu?
Are the Children of Hashem returning….?
Are the Children of Hashem remembering our Mesorah that was ripped from us by anti-Torah agents….?
Is someone “beginning” to build the Third Beis….?
If we look with our “Spiritual” eyes can we find these things occurring……?
We have been in doubt for so many years can we change our focus….?
Try…..
Seems he’s appealing to a certain Jewish mentality…….
A fiery portal to hell has opened on Earth: the entrance is in Turkey
Dear Friends,
"Heal us and we will be healed" is a phrase familiar to all of us who pray the most important of all prayers, the Amidah. Prayer is far from new. In fact, when Adam, the first human being, was created, he was, to quote Targum, "a speaking spirit." At the time of his creation, there wasn't much opportunity to shmooze with the ‘chevra’. He and Chavah communicated with Hashem, as naturally as you communicate with your closest and most trustworthy friend.
DOES HASHEM SPEAK TO YOU?
Hashem's communication isn't necessarily verbal. If you close your eyes, breathe deeply, and give yourself even a split second to think about how each breath fills your lungs with the life force that sustained you yesterday and will sustain you tomorrow, you begin to hear Him. His language is what we call hashgachah – His aware, loving intervention. His story is what we call the sefiros, the aspects of His will through which He lets you know of His presence, and become more and more willing to see how His traits are mirrored in your soul. Your natural language is far more limited – we have only words.
Speaking to Hashem is not so easy. You can see His unending giving. You see His hashgachah. You don't see Him. Imagery opens the door to your heart, yet He ultimately cannot be seen. The way idol worshippers solved this "problem" was by creating gods in their own image – gods of compassion, power, and so on – and giving them physical features.
There is another way to deal with this "problem." It too is destructive. It is by escaping from Him, becoming involved with what His engaging, beautiful world is, without becoming involved with its Creator. You may even let this evolve into living a life in which maintaining control is what your day-to-day life is all about.
When the world was less corrupted by the love of autonomy and unceasing self-interest, people tended to hear two voices when they listened to themselves. The spiritual self that wants meaning and loves compassion and connection, and the animal self, the part of you that has the same narrow interests that animals do. All they want is pleasure and survival. Do you want much more than that? For some of us, the answer is a hearty no.
Most of us have very fluid identities. The animal self isn't evil. It is also a bridge between you and Hashem if you are willing to use it to reach toward Him. The animal self is the clay; you, when you express yourself through the spiritual self, are the sculptor – you shape it. You can use it to translate your inner world into one in which the animal self and the spiritual self speak the same language, both working toward the same goal: being in touch with Hashem with both words and actions.
That goal, though elusive, is immensely rewarding. It comes from their making peace with each other, which is the inner peace that so many of us find elusive. One of the ways we make this happen is through tefillah. When you ask Hashem for your real-world needs, the gap between words like "exalted" and "transcendent" and words like "income" or "illness" disappears. They all become part of your conversation with Him.
ADVENTURES IN TEREM AND HADASSAH
My husband suffered terrible pain in his right shoulder (if it had been the left shoulder, we both would have been very frightened) along with overwhelming weakness. We went to Terem, Jerusalem's immediate care facility. It was very impressive – clean, efficient, and courteously managed. They concluded that he had some sort of mechanical shoulder problem together with a bad virus.
We went home relieved to hear the good news while recognizing that a virus can linger for quite a while.
My husband's son wasn't satisfied with the "wait and see" verdict. He suggested that we see one of the Bostoner chassidim who "just happens" to be a world-class physician and who is also blessed with an extraordinary love of people. He is a family friend. We have been blessed in that department.
He looked at the test results and immediately noticed that the electrolytes were missing. He sent us straight to Hadassah's emergency room.
There they ran more tests and discovered a serious condition involving acid in the bloodstream, bacteria, and blood sugar levels that were far too high, despite my husband's careful use of insulin.
The next day I called three of the heroic men who devote countless hours to helping people navigate the medical jungle of unfamiliar terminology, unclear decisions, and overwhelming bureaucracy. Unlike every previous interaction I had ever had with them, I simply couldn't get through. Even the efforts of my granddaughter, who is a medical professional, didn't help. She located someone who might have been able to contact the head of the department, but he was away on vacation.
It was only then that the miracle happened.
I realized that I am not alone.
I am not in charge.
Everything is unfolding according to a plan far more intricate and beautiful than anything a human being can see.
I was – and still am – deeply disappointed, on one hand, with how long it took to hear Hashem speak to us, but anxiety is no longer playing the leading role.
The words, "Heal us and we will be healed," remind us that this beautiful, complex, multifaceted gift called life is in Hashem's hands. Sometimes He draws us close through health, and sometimes He draws us close by reminding us of our fragility and mortality.
Go to the doctor – not out of desperation, but because Hashem expects you to care for the gift He has entrusted to you. (And choose a good doctor!)
How should you treat a gift that no human being can give you? You should be careful with it. You should be kind to it. At the same time, listen to the messages that its Creator sends you with love and with an open heart.
And yes, things are getting better.
A LITTLE KABBALAH
Hashem both fills the world and transcends the world. He is in every cell, every atom. Nothing has true independence.
The more you study what He allows you to see, the more you recognize His hidden hand. The more you recognize His hidden hand, the more awareness of His unity enters your mind and heart.
This isn't emunah. This is awareness, and your mind demands it in its search for meaning.
Emunah begins where you realize there are places your mind simply cannot go. He is here, and at the very same time He is infinitely beyond the here and now. That is where emunah lives.
The capacity for emunah is already in your bloodstream. It is part of the inheritance Hashem gave us through His promises to the Avos.
A SHORT LESSON IN HEBREW
Classical Hebrew is often referred to as Lashon HaKodesh. It is a language whose vocabulary allows you to express yourself in ways that connect both to the concrete world and to the world beyond it.
There is no word for victim in classical Hebrew.
There are many words describing deep suffering and evil, but no word for victim.
People often use the word korban as a substitute. They are mistaken.
A korban is a means of drawing close to Hashem. The korbanos in the Beis HaMikdash revolve around bringing the animal self into harmony with the spiritual self in a unified effort to draw closer to Him.
Nothing could be further from the mentality of seeing yourself trapped in a labyrinth of chaos imposed upon you by other people or by circumstances beyond your control, while Hashem and His compassion remain hidden away in some inaccessible place.
You don't have to live there.
He is inviting you in.
Love,
Tziporah
Why is it important to stress that we were given the land because of our forefathers' merits? Famous commentators give their explanations below.
The Torah in our Parasha, continues to relate Moshe Rabeinu’s admonition to Bnei Israel:(9:1-6)’Hear O Israel, today you cross the Jordan, to come and drive out nations that are greater and mightier than you..But you know that Hashem, your G-d - He crosses before you..He will destroy them and will subjugate them before you, you will drive them out..as Hashem spoke to you.
‘Do not say in your heart, when Hashem pushes them away from before you:’Because of my righteousness did Hashem bring me to possess the Land and because of the wickedness of these nations did Hashem drive them away from before you’.
‘Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to possess their Land, but because of the wickedness of these nations does Hashem, your G-d, drive them from before you, and in order to establish the Word that Hashem swore to your forefathers, to Avraham, to Yitzchak and to Yaakov.
‘You should know that not because of your righteousness does Hashem, your G-d, give you this good Land to possess it, for you are a stiff-necked people.’
The Malbim elucidates:’Know, that if you were righteous on the one side, that the reason Hashem vanquished them was because of their wickedness - not your righteousness on the one side, as what causes you to possess the Land, is not your righteousness, but only to establish the oath He made to your forefathers.
‘Know that your coming to possess the Land is not due to your righteousness, as you are a stiff-necked people.. as you have always angered Hashem, be it when you left Egypt, be it in the years since then till this day.’
The Netziv adds:’Moshe warned them repeatedly against making two wrong assumptions: the First: not to trust in themselves, that they would not fall into idolatry, as the over-confidence makes you less careful, and more likely to transgress.
‘The Second error, is, so to speak, trusting that Hashem would never render the Land desolate, even of they engaged in idolatry, trusting that He greatly desired that the Land be populated.
‘As against the first assumption, Moshe said:’Because of my righteousness, Hashem brought me to the Land’, Hashem trusting that I would not transgress, and therefore, I, too, can trust in myself.
‘As to the second assumption, that ‘because of the wickedness of the nations, Hashem will drive them out, before you’ - so strong being Hashem’s desire that the Land not be unpopulated, this despite the wickedness of these nations till now, Hashem did not drive them out, as this would leave the Land barren, bit only ‘before you’ - finding you righteous.
‘Therefore, even if you should transgress into idolatry, there will still be no nation better than you - and the Land cannot be allowed to be unpopulated, as can be seen from the seven wicked nations being permitted to possess it, till now.
‘But because of the wickedness of these nations, Hashem, your G-d’- Moshe adding the words:’your G-d to denote that by Hashem’s 讛砖讙讞讛 驻专讟讬转: Divine Providence, the unmatched wickedness of these nations increased, so that their full measure of wickedness should be fulfilled, this so that the oath to Avraham in the Covenant between the Halves - that his descendants would return to the Land when the full measure of the wickedness of the local inhabitants was reached.
‘Know you this day - if you reflect on the matter, that even your past righteousness does not guarantee that you will not transgress in the future - because you are a stiff-necked people, as your past proves.’
The Ktav Sofer comments:’We need to understand the reason for the lengthy and repetitious saying - after already saying:’Not because of your righteousness’, it should have concluded by saying:’Because you are a stiff-necked people’.
‘We also need to note that initially it says:’To possess their Land’, without mentioning ‘the good’ - yet, it then says ‘this good Land’.
‘It can be said - as Ramban has noted in Parashat Ki Tavo - that we do not find that Hashem promised the Avot ‘a Land flowing with milk and honey’, only that He would give their descendants ‘the Land’.
‘It was only to the generation that came out of Egypt, did He promise this.
‘The reason is, that the Avot did not seek to eat of the prime produce of the Land, only to enjoy its spiritual sanctity- so there was no need to mention to the Avot, the nature of the Land - that it was ‘a Land flowing with milk and honey’.
However, the generation that left Egypt, were not seeking the sanctity of the Land, but only to eat of its goodly produce.
‘They therefore undoubtedly said in their hearts that the main goodness of the Land they were to enter, waa not ‘because of their righteousness’, but only to fulfil Hashem’s covenant with Avraham - and that it was a Land blessed with material bounty in which nothing was lacking, and this must surely be because of our righteousness, as this was not promised to the Avot.
‘To set them straight, Moshe then told them, that it was ‘not because of their righteousness’, as ‘you are a stiff-necked people’, and not deserving any additional blessing -but that this was in the merit of the Avot.’
The Abarbanel expounds:’Moshe was concerned that ‘you might come to say in your heart: ‘In driving the nations from the Land before you’, that they have lost the Land, and you will inherit it’ - that the two are joined -this for two reasons: First, that the reason they lost the Land, was their wickedness; the Second: that you - and no other nation - will inherit it, this because of your righteousness, as this is the way of people, to ascribe all their successes to themselves - be it as due to their bravery, or their strength from their efforts, and, on seeing their success, they will ascribe it to their merits and righteousness.
Moshe warned them against such thoughts: from saying that because of their righteousness Hashem brought them here, and that because of the wickedness of the nations, Hashem disinherited them before you - as one part of what you said was correct - that Hashem drove them out because of their wickedness - however, you erred in thinking that Hashem gave you their Land, because of your righteousness, as it says:’Not in the merit of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart are you coming to possess the Land, but because of the wickedness of these nations’.
‘Should you conclude: If they lost the Land because of their wickedness, if not for our righteousness, why did Hashem then give us their Land?
‘Know you: you are inheriting the Land because of Hashem’s oath to the Avot, as He promised in the Covenant Between the Halves:’the fourth generation will return here, as till then the full measure of the wickedness of the nations will not have been completed’ - to make clear that the wickedness of the inhabitants of the Land was the reason for they being driven from the Land - not the righteousness of Bnei Israel.
‘To reinforce this truth, Moshe then added:’You are a stiff-necked people’, who have constantly angered Hashem, this being proof that it was not because of your righteousness that Hashem brought you into the Land.’
Sforno comments:’When you see that you vanquish them not by natural means, and you acknowledge that it is the work of the One Above, do not err to say that it is due to your righteousness, Hashem brought you to inherit the Land, and so that occurs rapidly, He drove the inhabitants out, speedily, and that, due to their wickedness,,Hashem drove them out before you - as the reason Hashem drove them out was indeed their wickedness -,not so that you should speedily inherit, in their place.
‘You are not inheriting the Land because of your righteousness - and your righteousness is therefore does not merit that Hashem drive out the inhabitants speedily, as it is because of their wickedness that Hashem is driving them out, before you - as He wished that this be by your hand, and to thereby establish that by His command, you merit to inherit the Land.
ThIs because you are a ‘stiff-necked people, which precludes being just and righteous, as it leads to not heading admonition, when required.
The Ohr Hachaim Hakadosh elucidates:’’Not by your righteousness’:Meaning: not by your righteousness do you merit to inherit the Land, though this generation was a kosher one - it was not sufficiently meritorious to inherit the Land, and this required also the merit of the Avot.
‘At the same time, the merit of the Avot by itself, would not have sufficed for them to inherit the Land, if it had been a wicked generation, as the generation of the desert proves.’
The Alshich Hakadosh expounds:’Do not consider the Land as your eternal gift, as it is only yours whilst you observe the Torah.
‘This is what is alluded to by Moshe prefacing his admonition with: ‘Shema Israel’, in the singular, meaning:whilst you are united and righteous.
‘Further: ‘You are crossing the Jordan today, to come to inherit the Land’, do not think that this will be by the might of your hand, ‘as the nations are mightier than you’ and their ‘cities great and fortified to the heavens’, so that you will not be able to defeat them by natural means
- but, rather recognize ‘that Hashem, your G-d, He crosses before you.. He will subjugate them before you, and then you will be able to ‘drive them out and cause them to perish quickly’.
‘Should you err to think that your righteousness has caused that Hashem himself brings you into the Land, know that this is not the case, as He ‘only’ enables you to drive them out.’
A parting gem from the Chidushei HaRim:’’Not because of your righteousness and the uprightness of your heart’: Moshe Rabeinu wanted to establish this to encourage less meritorious future generations - whose deeds in themselves do not merit that they inherit the Land - nevertheless, the merit of the Avot will stand them as a merit.’
[Why would certain members of the "religious" still deem it "Osser" to enter the Temple Mount extended area? What could be their "motive" or "doubt" about entering the Temple Mount platform? We know certain people among the Israeli public do not want to even consider begin building the Third Beis HaMikdash. They fear the loss of their "control" over Israel, and much more. Some insist that Mashiach needs to be revealed prior to any building. However, it takes much time to even lay the base; first, all extraneous matter needs to be removed. This needs to be delved into and exposed.]
Maj. (res.) Ben Sabo, an officer in the Chashmonaim Brigade, told Arutz Sheva that he was invited to testify during the High Court hearing on the Arrest Law but was not allowed to present the data he had brought from the field that showed that the arrests are counterproductive to Chareidi enlistment.
“I encountered the fortified wall of ‘democracy’ protecting itself from the people,” he said. “The defense invited me to present authentic testimony from the field before the High Court—without theories or manipulation—as someone who has served as a training commander in the Chasmonean Brigade for the past year and a half. I am the brigade’s head of training and have been with it since its establishment. This is what I do. I’m not speaking from the outside,” he emphasized.
Sabo, expecting a professional discussion on the delicate issue, was shocked by what he encountered in the courtroom: “They’re sitting there as a full panel of justices while all of the petitioners are from the left. Ninety percent of the time, the petitioners were speaking. They wasted time and joked around with the left-wing petitioners. [Leftist lawyer] Eliad Shraga told jokes and the justices burst into laughter. The audience was stunned. It looked like a working meeting of the radical left…”
When it was finally Sabo’s turn to speak, Justice Noam Sohlberg announced: “The head of training for the Chasmonean Brigade has indeed arrived. We appreciate you, but you won’t have time to speak—not even for a minute. We’ll inform you of our ruling later today.”
“They didn’t silence me—they silenced Am Yisrael,” Sabo emphasized. “They’re trampling the sovereignty of Am Yisrael in a heavy-handed and authoritarian manner and refuse to listen. But today there is alternative media, and what they try to suppress will come out.”
Describing the information he had hoped to present, Sabo said: “The Chashmonaim brigade got off to a tremendous start, with great momentum and a very high level of professionalism. It was established with the backing of Chareidi Rabbanim from across the spectrum, who were in contact with us. They encouraged us and wanted the initiative to succeed because they understand that there are serious Chareidi young men for whom three daily study sessions are not their way of life, and who want to fulfill other meaningful mitzvos while remaining spiritually strong. These are not troubled youths. At the same time, they want to take part in this great mitzvah. A great deal changed after October 7, and the Chareidi public wants to participate—but in a way that is clean, pure, and consistent with halacha as they know it, and that must be respected.”
“There was strong enlistment at the beginning, but then there were those who wanted to cause unrest through arrests and persecution despite the fact that it’s obvious that arrests won’t lead to enlistment. There are organizations whose sole goal is to stop Chareidi enlistment, or organizations seeking to drive a wedge between the religious and Chareidi communities, and to achieve that, they inflame hatred in order to create tensions within Israeli society.”
Sabo said he wanted to present data showing that “every time tensions are escalated, we experience dozens of cancellations in the week before enlistment. It’s not even certain a company will be opened based on the results of the latest cycle. We also launched a professional officer training course—the first class was full but the second still hasn’t opened because there are no soldiers willing to volunteer. Soldiers tell us they feel tension and hostility when they return home because they’re labeled as hostile to Chareidi society. It has become much harder for them to continue serving in the brigade.”
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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