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Eliezer Meir Saidel: Cubism – Noach

 

Cubism – Noach

הַשִּׁעוּר מֻקְדָּשׁ לִרְפוּאַת שִׂמְּעוֹנָה בַּת שָׂרָה
וְזֶה אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתָהּ שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת אַמָּה אֹרֶךְ הַתֵּבָה חֲמִשִּׁים אַמָּה רׇחְבָּהּ וּשְׁלֹשִׁים אַמָּה קוֹמָתָהּ. (בראשית א, ו-ז) 

In a previous shiur we explored how Noah's Ark in fact was a floating Beit HaMikdash. It is the only parsha in the Torah, aside from the parshiyot discussing the Mishkan, which specifies precise measurements.

As in the Mishkan, the unit of measure of the ark, was the אַמָּה. In this shiur I would like to explore this unit of measurement in greater depth and try to understand why the אַמָּה specifically is the unit of measurement that is fitting for a structure that houses HKB"H's Shechina, like the ark, the Mishkan and the Beit Mikdash.

First of all, what is an אַמָּה? What is the origin of the word? 

An אַמָּה is the middle finger on your hand, the longest finger of the five fingers. Each finger has a name. The אֲגוּדָל/גּוּדָל/בּוֹהֶן = thumb. The אֶצְבַּע = index finger. The אַמָּה = middle finger. The קְמִיצָה = ring finger. The זֶרֶת = little/pinkie finger. 

The measurement in question is called an אַמָּה, because it is defined as "the distance from your elbow to the end of the middle finger, the אַמָּה", around a half a meter (רַמְבָּ"ם = 45.6cm, חַיִּים נָאֶה = 48cm, חֲזוֹן אִישׁ = 57.6cm).

There is a machloket in the Mishna (כלים יז, י) as to the size of an אַמָּה. According to R' Yehuda, there are two distinct אַמָּה measures, the first for measuring a building structure (אַמַּת בִּנְיָן), which he specifies as six טְפָחִים (handbreadths), and a second for measuring the vessels of the Mikdash (אַמַּת כֵּלִים), which he specifies as five טְפָחִים. R' Meir on the other hand says there was a standard אַמָּה measure for all the components of the Mikdash, of six טְפָחִים, except for the Mizbechot (inner/outer) for which there was a separate measurement. The Rambam is posek according to R' Meir, i.e an אַמָּה is six טְפָחִים (רמב"ם, כלים יז, י).

As we can already see, the Torah "focus" regarding the etymology and symbolism (which we will soon explore) of the word אַמָּה centers around the human arm and hand. 

The English translation of the word אַמָּה is "cubit", derived from the Latin word "cubitum", meaning "elbow". While it is true that one endpoint of this measurement is the elbow, the English translation (derived from the Latin, derived from the Greek), as it invariably does, completely misses the essence of this term (the focus is not on the elbow, but the hand). This is one of the numerous reasons we commemorate the fast of the 10^th Tevet, because on the 8^th Tevet, Ptolemy ordered 72 Jewish chachamim to translate the Torah to Greek (מגילה ט ע"א), which Chazal say plunged the world into "darkness" for three days (מגילת תענית יג). Translation of the Torah (into any language other than Lashon HaKodesh) minimizes it and distances us from its true meaning.  

Just this last week, the American secretary of state gave a keynote address in Greece applauding the contribution of the ancient Greek culture to modern civilization and Western values (obviously playing to a local audience). Although the secretary of state is a staunch supporter and friend of Israel, his speech was severely lacking.  Not once does he mention the Bible. It was the Greek's perversion of the Bible (to a large degree) that has culminated in the apocalyptic mess the world is currently in.  

However, it is not the "cubitists" or the Greeks, or secretaries of state that interest me, it is the Torah.  

The question I would like to answer in this shiur is why the primary unit of measure in HKB"H's Beit HaMikdash, the physical structure that is capable of housing the Shechina, is the אַמָּה? 

The answer to this question is hidden within the word itself. If you reorder the letters of the word אַמָּה, you get the word הָאֵם – the "mother". 

It seems "counterintuitive" that the Beit HaMikdash is designed with a "feminine" unit of measure, when all who perform Avodah in it are male and the area in which women are allowed to enter is but a small fraction of the entire structure (the ramparts above the Ezrat Nashim). 

However, this is exactly what the Ramban hints to in his introduction to sefer Shmot. The Ramban asks why sefer Shmot contains the detailed description of the Mishkan? Would this description not have been more fitting in sefer Vayikra, together with the details of the Avodah performed in it? 

The Ramban answers that the purpose of sefer Shmot is to detail the Exodus of Am Yisrael from bondage in Egypt and their redemption as a nation. This redemption was not complete until Am Yisrael built the Mishkan and reacquired the reality that previously existed in the time of the Avot and Imahot. The Cloud of Shechina resting over the tent, the candle that remained lit perpetually and the blessing in the dough. When the Mishkan was built - the Shechina was present in the Ohel Moed, the Menorah (the נֵר מַעֲרָבִי) remained perpetually lit, and there was blessing in the Lechem HaPanim on the Shulchan.

Who is more associated with the tent, the Avot or the Imahot? The answer is simple. When the angels asked Avram אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ? What did Avraham reply - וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בָאֹהֶל (בראשית יח, ט). The "tent", the equivalent of the Mishkan/Beit HaMikdash is associated with the Imahot, הָאֵם – the "mother", not the Avot. 

The question above remains "Why then is the Beit HaMikdash on Har HaBayit predominantly a maledomain, not a female domain?" The answer is because it is necessary for the men to frequent the Beit HaMikdash, not the women, because the woman herself is a Beit Mikdash. The Shechina more naturally resides in women than in men, the woman's intrinsic spiritual design is more conducive to housing the Shechina (נדה מה ע״ב; פרי צדיק, אחרי מות, ז; רש"ר הירש ויקרא כג, מג). The man has to construct this structure artificially and externally to himself, to achieve the same result.  

Therefore, it is not surprising that the unit of measure for defining a structure that can house the Shechina is feminine. In the "marital" relationship kiveyachol between HKB"H and Am Yisrael, HKB"H is likened to the "groom" kiveyachol and Am Yisrael to the bride, the feminine. 

Shlomo HaMelech in Shir HaShirim which, in its entirety is an allegory to the Beit HaMikdash, repeatedly refers to its various components using the allegorical feminine.

In building the "house", the home, the active figure is the mother, not the father. Sarah was the active one in preserving the integrity of her home when she told Avraham to marry her maidservant Hagar and later to banish Hagar and Yishmael. Rivka was the active one in preserving the integrity of her home when she commanded Yaakov to get the blessing instead of Eisav and when she convinced Yitzchak to send Yaakov away to Charan to find a wife. The active ones in building and preserving the integrity of their home were Rachel and Leah – they actively "collaborated" in both marrying Yaakov and giving birth to the Twelve Tribes, Yaakov was seemingly a "passive" participant in this. Although there appeared to be sibling rivalry between the two, both sisters made sacrifices in order to not shame the other. Rachel revealed the simanim to Leah and Leah davened to not have a seventh son in order to not embarrass Rachel that she would have only one son in the Twelve Tribes, less than the maidservants Bilha and Zilpa. Instead, Leah's seventh fetus was converted into and born a girl – Dina (ברכות ס, ע"א).  

This concept of the mother figure actively building the "home" is the meaning of the passuk חַכְמוֹת נָשִׁים בָּנְתָה בֵיתָהּ וכו' (משלי יד, א), not only their own, "private" homes, but also the "national" home, the Beit HaMikdash, using the measure of an אַמָּה. 

Am Yisrael are slaves to HKB"H כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים עֲבָדַי הֵם וכו' (ויקרא כה, נה) and the female version of slave is a maidservant, an אַמָּה.  

Perhaps the most direct reference to the "feminine" aspect of the word אַמָּה and its association with a "hand" is when Pharaoh's daughter Bitya, stretched out her hand to retrieve Moshe from the bullrushes. וַתֵּרֶד בַּת פַּרְעֹה לִרְחֹץ עַל הַיְאֹר וְנַעֲרֹתֶיהָ הֹלְכֹת עַל יַד הַיְאֹר וַתֵּרֶא אֶת הַתֵּבָה בְּתוֹךְ הַסּוּף וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֲמָתָהּ וַתִּקָּחֶהָ (שמות ב, ה). Rashi quotes two possible commentaries from the Gemara (סוטה יב, ע"ב) for the phrase וַתִּשְׁלַח אֶת אֲמָתָהּ, either Bitya sent her maidservant, or she stretched out her hand. If you are interested in dikduk, Rashi here explains how a few dots change the meaning of the same letters to mean either hand (אֲמָה) or maidservant (אַמָּה).

The females are the ones who are active in preserving the integrity of the home and the "appendage of action" in the human body is the arm/hand. The arm/hand is synonymous with action, for example כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי (דברים ח, יז), or in our parsha זֶה יְנַחֲמֵנוּ מִמַּעֲשֵׂנוּ וּמֵעִצְּבוֹן יָדֵינוּ (בראשית ה, כט). The symbolic measurement corresponding to this concept is the אַמָּה, which in effect is the length of the entire arm, from the elbow to the end of the longest finger in the hand. 

From all of the above, one might mistakenly think that the males in Am Yisrael are "superfluous", since "everything" centers around the "female" – the active role in the home, in the structure of the Beit HaMikdash, in housing the Shechina, etc. However, this is obviously not the case. 

Chava made this catastrophic mistake in Gan Eden. The נָחָשׁ duped her into thinking that she could leave Adam, the man, out of the equation completely and create new life all on her own (see shiur on Eikev 2026). Chava was הָאֵם – the "mother" וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה כִּי הִוא הָיְתָה אֵם כׇּל חָי (בראשית ג, כ). 

Which brings us to the next level in deciphering the word אַמָּה. The gematria of "אַמָּה" is the same gematria as "אִמָּא אַבָּא". In last week's shiur we explored the intermingling of the left (male) and right (female) attributes of Gvura and Chessed. The midpoint, the "combination" of the two is the attribute of Tiferet. 

Avraham was Chessed and Yitzchak was Gvura. Both "passively" followed their wives' derech in maintaining the integrity of their homes – they did what their wives told them! (With Avraham, HKB"H explicitly told him to do so כֹּל אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ שָׂרָה שְׁמַע בְּקֹלָהּ).

Although Rachel and Leah were active in establishing their home and preserving its integrity, Yaakov was not totally the "passive" male in the equation. Unlike Avraham and Yitzchak, Yaakov took an active role in trying to preserve the integrity of his home, the unity between his sons. Yaakov is Tiferet, the balance between Gvura and Chessed – the mid-point between the two, just as the אַמָּה is the middle finger in the hand. Without the counterbalancing of the male attribute Gvura (Torah), the female attribute Chessed, is not anchored.  

Therefore, the אַמָּה measurement reflects this intermingling of Chessed and Gvura in the Beit HaMikdash, which is an underlying principle of many of the components, for example the Shulchan (Chessed) and the Menora (Gvura) standing alongside one another and the Mizbeach HaKetoret (reflecting the unity of the Twelve Tribes) in between the two. 

Therefore, the אַמָּה is also a tikkun for הָאֵם, Chava.

Another gematria of אַמָּה is לֵוִי, the tribe who performs the Avodah in the Mikdash. 

So far, we have been speaking about the connection between the אַמָּה and the Beit HaMikdash, but the first time the word אַמָּה appears in the Torah is in our parsha, Noach, in reference to the measurements of the ark. We said above that the תֵּיבָה was a kind of floating Beit HaMikdash, which explains the use of the word אַמָּה here. But what is the connection between תֵּיבַת נֹחַ and the "female"?

The first connection is that what typified the ark were "pairs", Noach and his wife, his sons, Shem, Cham and Yefet and their wives … the animals – male and female, אִמָּא אַבָּא. 

The next, deeper connection was Noach's wife. The Midrash tells us that Noach's wife was named Na'ama (בראשית רבה כג, ג). There is a machloket whether the Na'ama in question was the daughter of Chanoch, who never died and became the angel מט"ט(ספר הישר נח, עמ' כד), or the daughter of Tuval Kayin. Accordingly, there is a machloket whether she was a positive figure or a negative one. The first opinion (R' Aba bar Kahana) says she was called Na'ama - שֶׁהָיוּ מַעֲשֶׂיהָ נְעִימִים, that she was a tzaddikah. The other opinion (Rabanan) say very negative things about her (re: זוהר, חלק א נה, א), which I will not repeat here. 

I prefer to go with the positive view of Na'ama (R' Aba bar Kahana), also repeated by the Midrash Aggadah, Ramban, R' Bachyei, the Radak, the Maharal/Gur Aryeh, Siftei Chachamim and others – that she was a tzaddikah. If she was not, why would HKB"H have saved her by allowing her in the ark?

I have not found any source for this, but following the logic regarding the אַמָּה above, it is highly possible that Na'ama played some active (unbeknownst to us) role in protecting the integrity of Noach's home and raising a family that were worthy of being saved from the מַבּוּל. The gematria of נַעֲמָה is בָּטַח בָּהּ לֵב בַּעְלָהּ and בְּלִי פְּגָם.

As in many of my other shiurim, this shiur on the אַמָּה measure also illustrates the unfathomable depth of the Torah. How every letter has meaning and symbolism and is ordered by Divine providence and is in no way random or superfluous.

Shabbat Shalom
Eliezer Meir Saidel
Machon Lechem Hapanim
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Reb Neuberger: Parshas Noach

 

NOACH BEN CHAIM  

Noach ben Chaim was a righteous man in his generation.
 
We met some thirty years ago when Noach came to us for the first Shabbos of his life. His name was “Ned” then. We introduced him to tefillah, tzitzis and tefillin, and he -- a recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America -- introduced us to delicious pastries, which he made in our kitchen l’kovod the Yom Tov of Shavuos.
 
We bonded, and Noah bonded with Torah. He climbed the ladder rung by rung. Soon he was learning full time in Yerushalayim. There, he met a young lady and they were married. Noah became “Reb Noach,” learning all day and now with a long beard. The young couple was blessed with two beautiful Yiddishe maidalach and happiness reigned.
 
But the wheel turned. Hashem has His plan. Somehow, the plan for Noach turned away from simcha, and the young family was plunged into tragedy. I do not know all that happened during these years and I do not desire to know. All I know is that many years of suffering and sickness ensued, years shrouded in darkness, but, through it all, Noach held firmly to his intense connection with the Master of the World.
 
And now, we go forward, skipping over these dark years. Several years ago, we again connected with Noach. He had returned to his parents’ home in Florida (where they had retired) so that Noach could receive medical treatment, because he was now suffering from a terrible illness. I found healing for him from the well-known tzedakahorganization called Rofeh Cholim Cancer Society, whose head is my dear friend, Rabbi Chaim Rapfogel. RCCS initiated a course of treatment for Noach and he eventually moved northward to Far Rockaway, where his treatment continued and where many new friends clustered around him, drawn to him by his intense suffering and his great heart.
 
He was strong in the face of his illness. His face was always radiant with emunah and betochain. The words “Baruch Hashem” were always on his lips.
 
Noach ben Chaim suffered more than any other person I have known. His life resembled that of Iov, with suffering on every level. I have seldom seen a person who clung with greater tenacity and love to his Father in Shomayim. Every test was a test of love, an opportunity to grow closer to Hashem. He lived and breathed the air of Shomayim. His feet were on this planet, but his heart was with Hashem. Because of his great holiness, many friends gathered around him to help him in his sickness and his troubles. I want to mention in particular, among many, his landlady, Mrs. Elyse Possick, who was like a mother to him. She cried many tears of love.
 
Noach ben Chaim left this world a few days before Rosh Hashanah. He merited a choshuve levayah in Far Rockaway and a choshuve levayah and kevurah in the Holy Land. Truly now he is “ben Chaim,” because he is living in the World of Life and Truth.
 
Noach lived through a mabul, just as his namesake lived through a mabul as described in this week’s Parsha. He lived through a deluge of tears which would have drowned others. But he lived in a teva of righteousness and ruchnius which he built with his own hands. He was beloved by many and in turn he never ceased in his gratitude to those who were at his side. His hakaras ha tov was legendary and his heart was as big as the sky.
 
Now he is standing before the Kisai ha Kavod. I believe that he is remembering us, as he stands in Hashem's Presence. I am sure that he is pouring his heart out at this very moment, begging Hashem to save and protect those of us who are still in this world, utilizing his fountain of tears to beg for a yeshua for Am Yisroel.
 
May we all live to see the shining world which will greet us after all our troubles. 
 
“Let the year and its blessings begin.”

 

Noach ben Chaim

GLOSSARY
Baruch Hashem: Blessed is G-d
Betochain: living life with the knowledge that G-d is with you
Choshuve levaya: a funeral befitting a dignitary
Emunah: trust in G-d
Hakaras ha tov: gratitude
Kevurah: burial 
Kisai ha kavod: G-d’s throne
L’kovod: in honor of …
Mabul: the Biblical Flood
Parsha: Torah portion
Ruchnius: spirituality
Shomayim: heaven
Tefillah: prayer
Tefillin: leather boxes containing Biblical passages worn by men during weekday prayers
Teva: ark
Tzedaka: charity
Tzitzis: strings attached to the corners of a man’s garment as mandated by the Torah
Yeshua: redemption
Yiddishe maidalach: Jewish daughters
Yom Tov: Biblical holiday

Rabbi Wein: Parshas Noach

 WEEKLY PARSHA FROM THE DESTINY ARCHIVES

Noach

The rabbis were not so much critical of Noach – as he is paid the highest of compliments, throughout the Torah as a righteous person – but they were wary of him. I have often felt that this attitude is born of the idea that Rashi himself states in commenting upon the origin of Noach’s name. Rashi makes a point that the name Noach should not be construed as a derivative of the Hebrew word “nacheim” – meaning to comfort - but rather it is derived from the other Hebrew word “noach” – meaning, rest, leisure, comfortable but not comfort as in consolation.

Rashi attributes this understanding of Noach’s name to the fact that he was the father, so to speak, of modern agricultural technological advancement and progress. The iron plow, the first great essential tool for farming developed for humans, enabling settlers to abandon a nomadic existence, was an invention of Noach. This was his great contribution towards the advancement of human technology.

Noach therefore becomes the source of human technological progress which grants us leisure, eases our physical workload and gives us many physical comforts in life. However, technology alone with all of its attendant blessings does not guarantee us any sort of mental, spiritual or social comfort. It does not console us in our hour of grief nor does it strengthen our spirit in our moments of self-doubt and personal angst.

If Noach could have achieved these goals then Rashi points out that his name would have been Menachem – the one who brings true consolation and comfort to troubled souls. Hence Noach is viewed in tradition as being incomplete – technologically advanced but spiritually wanting – in short a pretty accurate description of our current human society.

The Rabbis of the Talmud taught us that if “one tells you that there is wisdom, knowledge and skills present amongst the nations of the world you should believe him.” However, if one tells you that there is Torah amongst the nations of the world, then do not believe him.” Judaism and Jewish society has no basic argument against the advance of technology. We are not the Amish nor are we willing to be consigned a back seat in the drive to physically improve the human condition of life on this planet. Yet Judaism realizes that true psychological and spiritual comfort cannot be found in the latest version of the ipod.

Noach’s technology can be enormously beneficial in a society that adopts Avraham’s values and beliefs. But bereft of any spiritual focus or restraint, technology run wild makes our world a more fearful place to inhabit and forces many to yearn for the good old, less technologically advanced, eras that preceded us. Noach’s grand technology could not save the world from the ravages of evil that brought upon humankind the great flood described in this week’s parsha.

Avraham’s grand values and holy behavior almost saved the seat of world evil, Sodom. The world is Noach’s world but its survival is dependent upon the survival and eventual triumph of Avraham’s children, ideas and beliefs.

Shabat shalom.

Rabbi Berel Wein

Reprinted from 5776 -2009

Rabbi Winston: Parashas Noach

THE ENTIRE EARTH spoke one language and had uniform words. Who doesn’t take speech for granted, except for the person who can’t use it? It is such an automatic process that most of the time we’re not even conscious that we’re using it. We think something, need to communicate it, and just do. It’s only when we don’t, that is, when our message doesn’t hit home, that we feel the reality and potential limitation of words.

Communication is the grease of life, whether we’re talking to others or just to ourselves. It’s what makes things work together in sync and run smoothly. The right words at the right time can have an amazing effect, whereas the wrong ones can have a catastrophic impact for years to come. Hitler, ysv”z, managed to manipulate an entire generation of intelligent people to do his unintelligent bidding with words. 

As a writer, you learn to appreciate words quickly. It’s annoying to make mistakes, but sometimes the omission of just one word changes so much, like leaving out the word “not” to say what was missing and saying instead that it wasn’t. Even a single letter can change everything, like writing “hear of G–D” instead of “fear of G–D” in last week’s Perceptions. Fortunately, others caught it.

Probably writing has greatly improved my vocabulary. When you write, you have to consciously choose your words, which makes you think about finding better ones, or more specific words. Recently, when I challenged AI’s conclusion about something, I found myself explaining myself with a much richer vocabulary than I normally use. I think I was trying to impress it. 

The Hebrew word for “word” is usually “milah,” as in Bris Milah. This might seem a little strange on a simple level, but in Kabbalah the tongue is considered to be the Yesod, the place of Bris and one of the sefiros, on a higher level. Therefore, there is also something called “Bris HaLoshon—Covenant of the Tongue.” It’s kind of an unspoken agreement, tongue-in-cheek intended, that we have with G–D to use our speech in a holy and trustworthy manner. 

In fact, the Gemara warns against not keeping one’s word and, parsha-appropriate, says: “He who exacted retribution from the Generation of the Flood and the Generation of the Dispersion will exact retribution from one who does not keep his word” (Bava Metzia 44a). Why reference the Flood and the Dispersion? Flood in Hebrew is “mabul,” and the tower was built in “Bavel,” both words from the same root that means “confused,” what happens when speech is not used to communicate truth. When language is detached from truth, society structurally collapses. 

Another Hebrew word for “word” is teivah, which can also mean “box,” like the one Ya’akov Avinu hid Dinah in to keep her safe from Eisav (Bereishis Rabbah 76:9), or ark, like the one Noach boarded in this week’s parsha to survive the Flood. That’s got to mean something.

It does. A word is like a box with a message inside of it. Until a person speaks, we don’t know what they want to tell us. The message remains hidden in their thoughts. But, once they choose the right words to convey their message, their thoughts are revealed and we become aware of something we may not have known before, or confirm what we did.

So, just as the ark protected life from the chaotic waters, a carefully chosen word packages and protects a hidden spiritual thought until it is safely delivered to the listener. A simple statement like, “Watch out!” can transfer their recognition of danger into someone else’s and save a life.

The Zohar says that you can tell what a person is like by how they speak, so if talk is cheap, then so is the person who thinks so. Even though actions can speak louder than words, they can also appear to express the wrong ones. This is why, as the Gemara points out, we have a mitzvah to judge a person to the side of merit (Shabbos 97a). What we see is not always what we get.

But unless a person deliberately disguised their message, words are a good indicator of a person’s approach to life. This is because speech is what we gained when G–D breathed a soul into Adam’s lifeless body. This makes speech a function of the soul (dead people can’t speak), but the spiritual quality of a person’s speech is the measure of the proportion of soul input into their speech versus body input at any given moment in time. It’s kind of a spiritual thermometer. 

Every now and then I am asked to contribute to a weekly parsha presentation along with five other writers. We are given the same verse to explain, but allowed only 250 words with which to do it. The fun part is going over the paragraph after having said what I wanted to say and editing out words and phrases that can be deemed unnecessary to bring the final count down to 250 without losing the depth of the message. It’s a good thought exercise and word discipline. 

Try it. Start writing down ideas that you might want to share with others, perhaps at the Shabbos Table. That alone is a great thing to do. But then edit, impose restrictions on how much you say and how you say it. It’s fun and good brain exercise which, given the direction of society today, we can’t get enough of.

Newest Books: Heaven to Earth (on the ten sefiros, life, and history) and “Redemption Therapy” on coping with the changing world in preparation for the Final Redemption. Both, as the rest of the books, are available through Amazon or my site, Thirtysix.org. 

Have a great Shabbos,

Pinchas Winston

How to heal a toothache - R' Moshe Levy

 

Noach: Unity Makes Nations Unstoppable - The Great Teaching of the Chofetz Chaim

Great Message:  

GLOBAL CHAOS IS SWEEPING THE EARTH!

 

footnote: are these the countries that walked out of the UN when PM Netanyahu began to speak? And are these the countries that have come out against Israel and the Jews?

SIMCHA: Ethiopia: Biblical Kingdom/Modern War

 

In this episode of Simcha’s Sessions, investigative journalist and historian Simcha Jacobovici begins with a critique of the widespread media oversight, moves to the deadly civil war unfolding in Ethiopia, and delves into the country's rich history and incredible biblical connections. The video opens by asking why certain conflicts receive non-stop coverage while others remain out of the headlines. From there, the discussion moves to the immense tragedy in Ethiopia—a glorious African nation that European colonization never managed to fully subdue—which currently faces a bloody civil war (particularly in the Tigray region) that has claimed the lives of over half a million people and left millions as refugees. Finally, Simcha connects this complex reality to deep biblical and cultural roots, including the connection to the Queen of Sheba, King Solomon, and the fascinating tradition surrounding the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in Aksum. In this video, we discuss: 🔹 Media Double Standard: Why the media silence around Ethiopia stands out so sharply compared to the massive coverage of other conflicts around the world. 🔹 The War and the Humanitarian Toll: An in-depth look at the civil war in Ethiopia, the grim statistics of over half a million dead and 2 million refugees, and the danger of continued violence. 🔹 History and National Pride: Ethiopia as the only African nation that stood heroically against foreign invasions and preserved its independence. 🔹 Biblical and Ancient Connections: The fascinating link between Ethiopia and biblical Israel, from the meeting of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon to archaeological wonders like the churches of Lalibela. 🔹 The Secret of the Ark of the Covenant: The tradition and local accounts according to which the true Ark of the Covenant is preserved and protected to this day in the heart of the church in Aksum. Join the Conversation: What do you think is the reason that massive historical and human tragedies like the one in Ethiopia are silenced in the media? Let’s discuss in the comments below!

זקן מועצת גדולי התורה במתקפה חסרת תקדים על היועמ״שית: ״יש שם איזה מכשפה!״ | צפו ⚠️ (תיעוד בלעדי)

 

MORE FROM HARAV HIRSCH "מי שרוצה להיות רבע חרדי – שיהיה רבע חרדי!" | הגרמ"ה הירש בהדרכה היסטורית שמפרקת את כל המחיצות ⚠️

 

CRUCIAL STATEMENTS BY HAGAON HARAV HIRSCH *****

 

HAGAON HARAV MOSHE HILLEL HIRSCH WARNS: Government Policies Threaten Chareidi Education And Way Of Life

[…]  “ I don’t know if you are aware of the policies of the current government,” the Rosh Yeshiva said. “Everyone knows about the problems with the army, but there are problems in every single area. In Chinuch Atzmai, in the chedarim, in the seminaries. Everywhere they can create difficulties for us, they do so.”

[…] “ He suggested that some policymakers are motivated by concerns about Israel’s changing demographics and the possibility that the Chareidi population will become a much larger share of the country in the coming decades.

“They are openly afraid of what will happen in 20 years, when they will become a minority,” HaRav Hirsch said.”

[…] “ What is their solution? To change us….[…]

************

Comment from separate article that applies here also:

Unless they want to go back to being anti-Zionist as they were 100 years ago (and similar to Satmar and Neturei Karta of today), they are stuck. The Hareidi rabbanim a century warned that the Zionists would get into the sort of “no win” situation, but zionism from its inception was an anti-Torah movement.

🛑לא רק בצבא, יש בעיות בכל שטח ושטח: הנתונים הכואבים שהביא מרן ראש הישיבה הגרמ"ה הירש בכאב בכינוס ג'IMP UPDATE

 If one listened to this video, they found it was cut short without explanation. Below is an explanation from YWN, mostlikely by an attendee at the meeting.

HaGaon HaRav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, Rosh Yeshivas Slabodka, issued a warning Wednesday evening about what he described as growing government pressure on the Chareidi community, saying the challenges extend far beyond the military draft controversy and threaten nearly every aspect of Chareidi education and communal life.

The remarks were delivered during a meeting with Rabbonim and community representatives from Rechasim, who visited the homes of HaRav Hirsch and HaGaon HaRav Dov Landau for guidance and brachos ahead of Israel’s upcoming Knesset elections.

HaRav Hirsch told the delegation that the public may not fully appreciate the scope of the difficulties confronting Chareidi institutions.

“I don’t know if you are aware of the policies of the current government,” the Rosh Yeshiva said. “Everyone knows about the problems with the army, but there are problems in every single area. In Chinuch Atzmai, in the chedarim, in the seminaries. Everywhere they can create difficulties for us, they do so.”

According to HaRav Hirsch, government policies have changed significantly from previous years, with restrictions and administrative obstacles now affecting institutions that previously operated without such interference.

“Things that for all these years they did nothing about, today they are taking action in every area, putting everything in danger,” he said.

The Rosh Yeshiva went on to express concern that the pressure on Chareidi institutions reflects a broader effort to influence the community’s future identity.

He suggested that some policymakers are motivated by concerns about Israel’s changing demographics and the possibility that the Chareidi population will become a much larger share of the country in the coming decades.

“They are openly afraid of what will happen in 20 years, when they will become a minority,” HaRav Hirsch said.

“What is their solution? To change us, so that by then we will not be so Chareidi, and consequently they will not lose their power in the country.”

HaRav Hirsch characterized the situation as an existential struggle from the perspective of those he believes are seeking to reshape Chareidi society.

“We have to understand that for them, this is a war of survival. And when someone is fighting for survival, he fights with tremendous determination,” he explained.

The Rosh Yeshiva emphasized that confronting these challenges requires not only political and organizational efforts, but also extraordinary Siyata Dishmaya.

“The only way we can fight this through natural means, before the Ribono Shel Olam, is if we ourselves do something truly extraordinary,” he said.

“We need extraordinary, extraordinary, extraordinary Siyata Dishmaya to succeed in every area. And for the Ribono Shel Olam to grant us that special Siyata Dishmaya, He must see that we want Him.”

HaRav Hirsch continued by explaining the connection between spiritual commitment and Divine assistance.

“If the Ribono Shel Olam sees that we want Him, there will be Giluy Shechinah. If He sees that we do not care about the Ribono Shel Olam, there will be Hester Panim. This is what the Gemara teaches.”

Turning to the upcoming elections, HaRav Hirsch stressed that the present political circumstances require an exceptional level of effort from those involved in United Torah Judaism’s election campaign.

“This coming term is something very, very unusual, and the Siyata Dishmaya required must also be extraordinary,” he said.

He then called for maximum participation among the party’s potential voters.

“Every single person must do his part and achieve 100%. One hundred percent of those who are eligible to vote for us must vote,” HaRav Hirsch declared.

He concluded by reiterating that, in his view, the community’s efforts during the election campaign must be accompanied by spiritual strengthening and a recognition of its dependence on Siyata Dishmaya.

“If in every location we achieve 100% participation among those eligible to vote for us, then we will have Siyata Dishmaya, through natural means, to prevail,” he said.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)

https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2610182/hagaon-harav-moshe-hillel-hirsch-warns-government-policies-threaten-chareidi-education-and-way-of-life-video.html

Noach: Lifespan

 

Annual Hilula of the Aish Kodesh of Piaseczna 2026 / 5787

 

Commemorating the 83rd Yahrtzeit of the Aish Kodesh of Piaseczna, HaRav Kalonymus Kalman Shapira ZTVK"L HY"D. The annual event takes place on October 14, 2026 at Cong. Aish Kodesh in Woodmere, NY. (https://www.aishkodesh.org/) and featured a talk by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger as well as music by Yosef Karduner with special guests Eitan Katz and Aryeh Kunstler