Rabbis Mizrachi, Reuven and Anava

A Night To Remember - Rabbi Mizrachi Rabbi Reuven

And Rabbi Anava On One Stage
[each one speaks approx 1:13min, so you can skip if you want]

Baruch Dayan HaEmes

[Am Yisrael, we are all suffering in this last days before we greet Mashiach, such terrible tragedies everywhere one looks. Let us do something privately to show Hashem that we are sorry, that this has to be]

A(nother) terrible tragedy struck the Boro Park community on Tuesday … 

the drowning of a young child.

Tzvi (Hersh) Elimelech Yechiel Michel Grossman Z”L 

(son of R’ Moshe and Mrs Shaindel)

Shamayim is recalling the guarantors 

[the poor little neshoma]

When the recipients of the Torah said: “Our children are our guarantors” (for we will educate them in the path of the Torah), the Holy One, blessed be He, said: “They are certainly good guarantors. Because of them, I will give it to you.”

Our Children, Our Guarantors
The Midrash [Midrash Rabbah, Song of Songs 1:3,1] relates that before G-d gave the Torah to the Jewish people, he requested guarantors who would ensure that the people would indeed study Torah and fulfill the mitzvot.

Why did G-d demand guarantors before giving the Torah? Weren’t the Jewish people the Chosen Nation? Yet G-d knew that a time would come when the people would become preoccupied with work, with worldly cares and burdens. For various reasons the Jewish people would eventually lose their sense of the importance of Torah and the preciousness of mitzvot. In that state, G-d forbid, it is possible that the Torah would be abandoned.

Therefore G-d asked the people for guarantors. He wanted to be assured that His precious gift, the Torah, would be treated with the respect and dignity it deserved, and would never be forsaken.

At first the people offered their elders. “Our forefathers will be our guarantors.” The elderly are no longer employed, do not have the burden of earning a livelihood. They have plenty of free time. They can be the guarantors.

However, G-d did not accept this suggestion.

Next the Jewish people offered their rabbis, their spiritual leaders. “The prophets will be our guarantors.” Take the rabbis, they study Torah all the time! Who could be a better guarantor than that?

But G-d did not agree to this either. He wanted an assurance that ALL Jews would study Torah, not just those with an abundance of free time, or those whose exclusive occupation was to study Torah. Everyone, even those who were occupied with other matters, even those who find it difficult to study. It’s not enough that your grandfather or your rabbi is learned and fulfills mitzvot. G-d wanted this from every single Jew.

Therefore He asked for other guarantors. Finally, the Jewish people offered their own children. They promised that the children would study Torah and safeguard it for generations. And to this G-d agreed. The children are the ideal guarantors.

When a child is taught Torah from an early age, he acquires a taste for it, a love of study that accompanies him throughout his life. He will study Torah in adulthood, and in turn pass it on to his own children.

Furthermore, when a child studies Torah he repeats what he learned to his family members, and so creates an environment of Torah in the home.

(based on an address of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Likutei Sichot vo. 2, p. 572-573)


Source about the tragedy YWN

ANCIENT PORTAL TO THE KOTEL: MAGNANIMOUS FRUM JEW NEEDED

The Jerusalem Post ran a headline, Magnanimous Zionists Should Save the New Imperial Hotel and Jaffa Gate! JPost

BUT WHAT WE NEED IS A MAGNANIMOUS JEW TO BUY THE IMPERIAL HOTEL AND TURN IT INTO A YESHIVA FOR MORE FRUM JEWS TO STUDY THE TORAH IN OUR ANCIENT PORTAL TO THE KOTEL AND . . . .

Dear Ateret Cohanim leaders, Israeli politicians with power in this matter and fellow Zionists,

Beware.

Jerusalem’s history is under attack. Venerable, family-run institutions are threatened. Our holy city’s charming yet delicate urban and spiritual ecosystem risks being disrupted. Ateret Cohanim should drop its battle to destroy the New Imperial Hotel. Israeli leaders and Jerusalem municipal officials should step in if they can, while the rest of us should stand up, because we must.

Jerusalem is a patchwork of layers, corners, stories, villages, families. We’re all responsible for its historical preservation. We need stronger city leadership to protect key sites and neighborhoods representing every phase of Jerusalem’s storied past.

In an old-new city that’s forever growing – and excavating – it gets confusing. But we resented Islam’s tradition of imposing mosques on Jewish and Christian holy sites. We mourned Jordan’s violent attempts to eliminate the Jewish presence, when it illegally occupied east Jerusalem starting in 1949. Israel has chosen the opposite path of mutual respect and creative preservation to nurture Jerusalem as an international ecumenical treasure.

It must continue.

I want a strong Jewish presence in the Old City, without squeezing others out. With Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian Quarters, Jerusalem exemplifies the City of Peace, which Israel safeguards gloriously.

One Jerusalem gem dominates the Jaffa Gate area. When the Grand New Hotel was built in 1884, excavations uncovered traces of the Roman conquest, of Herod’s “second wall,” of a cistern which locals declared the pool Batsheva bathed in when she caught King David’s eye.

This Grand New Hotel hosted notable pilgrims, including Kaiser Wilhelm II in 1898, and Gen. Edmund Allenby in 1918. Mohammad Dajani began running the hotel in 1949, renting what he renamed the Citadel Hotel from its owner, the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate.

Now the New Imperial Hotel, it still throbs with history. A Dajani grandson recently restored the lovely stone walls: historic bric-a-brac leaps off them in the hotel’s expansive halls and sitting areas. Dajani’s office, occupied by his son Abu el-Walid Dajani, is majestically cluttered with historic photos.

“Dajani” is a legendary Jerusalem family, keepers of the keys to King David’s Tomb for 800 years. In 2014, Walid’s nephew Dr. Mohammed S. Dajani, an activist for Muslim moderation – Wasatia – accompanied 27 Palestinian students to Auschwitz. Furious, the university union he never belonged to fired him. Hooligans burned his car.

The family hotel and the neighboring Petra Hotel are Palestinian landmarks, Jerusalem landmarks – making them precious to me as a Jerusalemite, an Israeli, a Zionist. The same Ateret Cohanim real estate grab threatens both hotels.

UPDATE: MOSQUITOES ON THE HUNT

Deadly Mosquito-Borne Virus That Causes Brain Swelling Found In Florida 

Florida health officials are warning of an uptick in a mosquito-borne virus known as Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE). Several sentinel chickens tested positive for EEE, which can spread to humans via infected mosquitoes and cause brain infection and swelling, the Florida Department of Health in Orange County said in a Thursday statement. Sentinel chickens are fowl that are tested regularly for the West Nile virus and EEE. Their blood can show the presence of the diseases, but they don't suffer from the effects of the viruses. SEE UPDATE BELOW

read carefully

The Mosquitoes Are Coming for Us

They are our apex predator, the deadliest hunters of human beings on the planet. NYT

It has been one of the most aggravating sounds on earth for more than 100 million years — the humming buzz of a mosquito.

She gently lands on your ankle and inserts two serrated mandible cutting blades and saws into your skin, while two other retractors open a passage for the proboscis. With this straw she sucks your blood, while a sixth needle pumps in saliva that contains an anticoagulant that prevents that blood from clotting. This shortens her feeding time, lessening the likelihood that you splat her across your ankle.

NYT Armando Veve

The female mosquito needs your blood to grow her eggs. Please don’t feel singled out. She bites everyone. There is no truth to the myths that mosquitoes prefer women over men or blondes and redheads over those with darker hair. She does, however, play favorites. Type O blood seems to be the vintage of choice. Stinky feet emit a bacterium that woos famished females, as do perfumes. As a parting gift, she leaves behind an itchy bump (an allergic reaction to her saliva) and potentially something far worse: infection with one of several deadly diseases, including malaria, Zika, West Nile, dengue and yellow fever.

Mosquitoes are our apex predator, the deadliest hunter of human beings on the planet. A swarming army of 100 trillion or more mosquitoes patrols nearly every inch of the globe, killing about 700,000 people annually. Researchers suggest that mosquitoes may have killed nearly half of the 108 billion humans who have ever lived across our 200,000-year or more existence.

_______________________________

Received an interesting email today. Of course be cognizant of the fact that it was written many years ago in answer to a question from a mispallel:

Q. What lesson should we learn from the mosquitoes and the diseases that they sometimes carry?

A. For us the lesson is as follows. Many people who should be sitting in the Yeshivos and the Batei Midrashim in the evenings and whenever they have spare time, are instead going out and wandering around in places they shouldn't be. Who said that you should be walking around in the parks and sitting on the stoops wasting your time?! Sunday, for instance. Sunday you have a day off. They could be sitting all day in the yeshiva. But no, instead they're wandering around all day in the fields, in the parks, and they're getting bit by mosquitoes.

Now a simple bite should be enough of a warning. But sometimes people ignore the simple warnings. And so they get sick. Some people, chas v'shalom, get lyme disease, from lying in the grass instead of sitting at the shtender. And it's a lesson they should make use of.

They should be at home making use of their lives when they have spare time. You wait a whole week for that one day off from your job. So you should be going to the yeshiva on Sunday. Don't most people have off on Sunday? So go to the yeshiva and take along breakfast and lunch and stay the whole day in the yeshiva. Stay there all day long and come home for supper. That's how you should live. Be a kollel man once a week. But no, you have to go wandering in the country, in the woods where the deer are spreading disease and there are ticks. Sometimes the blades of grass are poisoned with dangerous germs. And the children wander there too. So you want to wander in the woods and sit on the grass as if you forgot that you're in this world to accomplish something with your life?!

So, make sure to use the mosquitoes as a lesson, a reminder, of what you're here in this world for - that you're responsible for spending your leisure time in the best way possible.
TAPE # E-201 (September 1999)

Tonight SPECTACULAR SIGHTS – Delta Aquarids and Milky Way

Stargazers are in for a treat tonight as two spectacular sights are set to light up the sky: the Milky Way and the Delta Aquarids meteor shower, which could see up to 20 shooting stars visible per hour.

Aryeh King – IMPORTANT MESSAGE

A BIG THREAT – Arabs stealing Jewish land.

SEEKING LANDOWNERS FROM 1922 to 1938

ALERT: SUMMER FRUITS AND VEGGIES

Vote For Who? To Lead The Jewish State?

HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND THIS?

Netanyahu Promotes Plan to Build Homes for PA Arabs in Area ‘C’

jewishpress

Israel’s Security Cabinet has reportedly spent the past two days mulling plans to build some 700 housing units for Palestinian Authority citizens, along with some 6,000 more housing units for Israeli citizens.

All of the residential projects are to be built in Israeli-controlled portions of Area C in Judea and Samaria. The Supreme Planning Committee for Settlement in Judea and Samaria is to review the plans for the Israeli residential units. [is this to compensate for the demolitions of illegally built buildings?] *see comments below

Yesha Council: Netanyahu surrenders to the PA

Yesha Council chairman responds to reports that government ministers discussed approving building plans for Arabs in Area C. ""Instead of fighting the Palestinian Authority's takeover of Area C and destroying the illegal construction which is rampant there, the Prime Minister raises the possibility of surrendering to the phenomenon and approving the illegal construction. We strongly oppose this and call on the cabinet ministers not to support this bad proposal," said Dorani.

“It is inconceivable that Israeli construction will be conditioned on Palestinian construction. The expectation of a right-wing government, along with harsh enforcement against the violators, is to approve Israeli construction without restrictions throughout Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley," he added."arutzsheva.

GIVE US A REAL “JEWISH” LEADER

REPLACE THE TWO-FACED PM

THE STATE NEEDS A WHOLESOME AND HONEST LEADER

WHO DOES THE RIGHT THINGS

NOT THE DS AGENDA

The Prime Minister is using ALL his political trump (no pun intended) cards to try to win the next ”moment of judgment” election:

* Netanyahu said pushing for pre-election Putin trip to Israel:
As Likud appeals for Russian-speaking voters, Jerusalem city hall rushes approval for memorial to siege of Leningrad, reportedly in bid to give president a reason to visit.
timesofisrael

* Leaked recordings reveal Sara Netanyahu’s efforts to sabotage URWP-Shaked merger
timesofisrael

* Netanyahu Followed His Wife's Edicts. Now He Will Pay the Price
He could have had a restrained, downsized and loyal Ayelet Shaked on the list of top ten Likud Knesset candidates. But now she's back, and in a big way, leading a right-wing union that may have the power to dethrone him
Haaretz!


LISTEN TO WHAT COMMENTERS ARE SAYING:

1. Bibi is a traitor within Likud.
His job is to pretend he is "right wing" and do everything he can to stall any progress for a real Jewish state. His job is to hold back all the "right wing nationalists" in his party from accomplishing anything meaningful. His job is to explain to his voters that every concession made was forced on him by some pressure somewhere and he has convinced many. His job is to control right-wing members and bring in as many leftists into his government or party to foil any meaningful change and to be able to blame them for his own betrayal. His job is to set facts on the ground for an Arab State within Israel by allowing huge Arab legal and illegal building within Yesha and at the same time freeze and destroy as much Jewish building as he possibly can. The left don't realize what a great asset they have and they want to bring him down since they want the money and power and G-d willing , they will because he is preventing any meaningful change.

2. @Oren Wysocki There is still no debate or direct question asking if Netanyahu, or Shaked, or Feiglin support A two state solution or A one state solution. Not much access to the media to make our case that Judea and Samaria are ours by virtue of G-d giving them to us. He gave them to us in the Balfor declaration, in the San Remo conference, in Israels declaration of independence, and in the victory of war of 1967 when the arabs once again attempted to seize all Jewish lands, and the world did not believe for A moment that they should be punished for their attempt. Sometimes you have to win before the truth comes out.

Most of the Israeli public does not understand that the two state solution is nothing more than an attack on the lives and nation of the Jewish people. They do not understand that america could be in on harming Israel, they do not understand that Netanyahu could be deceiving them, and giving the impression that he is being reasonable, managing A difficult situation, and making sure that the security considerations of the Jews of Israel are protected, so that no substantial number of additional Jews might die as A result of unthought out positions.

Both America and Netanyahu might need the Jews of Israel to say they are ready to stand up to the left first. It was A promising sign that the Trump supporters shouted send her back pertaining to representative Omar. The American people may not be able to lead against the lies about coexistence and the reasonability and dependability of the arab muslims. All they did was stand up to A bully who blames America and the Jews for everything. It may be to late for American demographics, or American freedom in order to take the next step to real justice and security for the American people. Or it can be intentional on the part of the americans or on the part of Netanyahu.

Either way, the Jews of Israel do not understand, that they are not being led, they do not have that privilege. The only way they are able to break through the death that the gentiles of america have planned for them is by protesting and resisting in every available fashion to an exceptional degree. At the ballot box, at marches, at the dinner table and at the workplace.

The majority opinion of the people of America, Europe and the world are either uncomfortable with anyone standing up to the muslims, especially the Jews, or their governments are tyrannies that see the Jews of Israel as A fundamental threat to their regimes. They are aware that the Jewish race and the Jewish soul is inherently inclined to liberty and freedom, truthful discourse and meaningful debate. You cannot have meaningful debate or artistic expression under A fascist dictatorship. You cannot engage the thoughts and feelings of the people in theater, when the people are slaves of government authorities who live in perpetual fear of being arrested for saying the wrong thing, thinking the wrong thing, or ending up the odd man out in . . .

@Oren Wysocki any supposed agreement will be met with screams of racism and violations of international law, which will be supported by the United Nations which has already agreed to play along with Islamic lies.
These issues about tyranny, injustice and acceptance of lies, they apply to Israel, but less so, what the Jews of Israel are agreeing to is much milder. They believe that they must make some type of compromise. That Netanyahu, with his story about his brother, with his reputation as A war hero, and A member of the secular right wing nationalists, must be making the best reasonable decision for the Jewish people. It is not the best way to save the lives of hundreds of Jews that will be lost retaking Judea and Samaria. Possibly thousands of Jewish lives when you consider losses to Israeli Jews moving to America and assimilating, and the destruction of economic efforts of millions of Israeli Jews over decades being wiped out because they could not defend their nation from the idea of surrendering land to avoid the discussion of arab muslim incompatibility with Jews. Imagine the billions of shekels of losses in the Israeli real estate market that will be incurred when missiles come from Judea and Samaria into Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and every other Israeli city. Coexistence or shared administration are both fundamentally flawed, and only being accepted because some Israelis think they have no other choice, or they would be offered the better one. Large numbers of arab muslims should be severely punished economically and physically for attacks on the Jews of Israel. That arrangement is possible if Egypt was to attack the Jews of Israel, or if Jordan does, or if Syria and to A lessor extent if Lebanon does. It should be obvious that the current mentality of Jews of Israel and americans does not allow them to support attacking the ‘palestinians’ of Judea and Samaria, or Gaza. Leaving Israel with no deterrence as long as they submit to American demands, and fear losing American support and weapons sales.
There is much to explain, but I am hopeful that G-d will arrange for the Jews of Israel to be victorious over these substantial and entrenched ideas so that we do not have to sacrifice the lives of so many Jews in order to know that the americans are either incompetent or maliciously motivated to deceive and pressure the Jews of Israel to support the idea of equality and coexistence, even at their own detriment, for as long as they are able, until the Jews of Israel stand up to them.
Victory can come in the form of A demand to divide Jerusalem that is rejected, or of the ‘palestinians’ demanding the right of return, or some other arrangement that the Jewish people of Israel do not support that enables the Israeli government and even the Netanyahu administration to reject the plan. But the threat, if this creeping construction and relocation of arab muslims to key locations, doing to the Jews of Israel what we attempted to do

@Oren Wysocki Jews of Israel what we attempted to do them, isolating the Jews in surrounded outposts with no land, no access and difficult security, has the potential to threaten our attempts to assert our rights, and to stand up to arab muslims inherent aspiration to war with the Jewish people. The reason this threat is concerning, is that although even A little access to the media allows the religious and the right wing to win arguments, because our observations and arguments are based in history, that has been un rewritten, and facts that have not been censored. The lefts claims of utopia, and forgetting the motivations that have caused 1400 years of oppression and mass murder of hundreds of millions of people are absurd and cannot withstand any type of questioning, or debate. That is why you get the feeling that the leftist media is inventing an entire alternate world when they describe what they can achieve with peace, while you know that today, yesterday and tomorrow are all days that the arabs would slaughter millions of Jews if they were given the opportunity.
Abbas can reject the plan himself, but that may not work, since at this point the leftist-muslim alliance dominates all of Europe, and much of America, and almost all of the rest of the world. This translates into the left having most of the levers of power in the nation of Israel, which means that arabs will have more opportunities to build in key locations, while the Jews will face A mostly hostile leftist government that opposes them at every step and does not care about the truth, only declaring some leftist propaganda talking point in order to maximize the pretense to get as many Jews as possible to stand down.
This world is substantially in the grip of A powerful tyranny, and the rulers of that tyranny do not want A strong secure Israel, refusing to play along with their free speech edicts about islam being A religion of peace, and that all inequality and racism is the fault of Jews and white gentiles and never the fault of arab muslims. Israel faces substantial collapse if the two state solution goes though, the americans have time, the Europeans less so. Muslims and communists both support tyranny, they are no threat to billionaire tyrants, in fact they are allies. Any Jew who wants liberty for the Jewish people, who wants an end to Jewish people being accused of evil, immorality, and outrageous illegitimate claims of human rights violations completely in contrast to the actual situation of arab muslims desiring to conquer, slaughter and deny Jews equal rights before the law, with the Jews just wanting A nation of their own so they can avoid the next holocaust, and the mass murders they suffered at the hands of the muslims.
The americans are in the grips of an evil themselves, that compels them to keep pretending that the arab muslims can be lived with, as long as the Jews accept their disproportionate crime rates, violence rates, and terrorism. It may appear . . .

3. Netanyahu, a disengagement and freeze planer, will never build a single unit for Jews in that area but the enemy will be allowed y him to build at will.
Our votes will go the Shaked and her group. Netanyahu is a disaster, lying and conniving disaster.
GauchoSam

Climate Change and The Carbon Myth

EXHIBITION ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE 

OPENS AT TEL AVIV MUSEUM OF ART

An exhibition that opened at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art on Thursday is one of the first of its kind to present global cities as "tools for combating" climate change.

Climate change used to mean summer to fall, 

fall to winter, winter to spring, and spring back to summer

The temporary exhibition, Solar Guerrilla: Constructive Responses to "Climate Change", includes a series of interdisciplinary collaboration with a range of public and private institutions, commercial companies and professionals from around the world. Case studies from Tel Aviv, New York, Copenhagen, Singapore, Masdar and many other cities are presented, organized in six thematic sections.

Urban Innovation = Cubicle Homes

Sustainability = Restricted Nutrition and much more.

Dr. Orli Ronen, head of the "Urban Innovation" and "Sustainability Lab" at Tel Aviv University and academic consultant to the exhibit, addressed the media in front of the exhibit’s opening, which depicts a massive mural of climate activists.

Climate Change is definitely on the Agenda 2030 Map

“We should be much more concerned with climate change, and this exhibition is an enormous opportunity to get the message across,” Ronen said. “Because climate is not the center of conversation, definitely not in Israel, and also in other places around the world.”

Relationship between climate, change and social activism = Convincing people 

that the world is in trouble so you must give up 

everything you ever have known if your lifetime

The name "Solar Guerrilla", according to Ronen, reflects the relationship between climate change and social activism, which is why the exhibit opens with a demonstration from the group “350", a leading climate organization fighting to "stabilize carbon levels" in the atmosphere.

climate organization fighting = is solar guerrilla (a fierce predator)

stabilize carbon levels = eliminating oxygen & the greening of Planet Earth

“It shows that the world is changing, and people are reacting to it,” Ronen added. Museum director Tania Coen-Uzzielli also spoke on the museum’s role in the discussion on climate change.

Tel Aviv is known for its extreme alternative views

Important concern of society = should be the over million children in poverty

not terraces with plants

“We feel at the Tel Aviv Museum of Art that this extreme, important concern of society that is climate change has to be addressed,” she said. “This exhibition wants to have an activist message to our public, and take an important position in this matter and invite people to reflect. We see that the museum in this way is becoming crucial and has an important role.”

________________________________

Water and oil is part of the creation of Earth, resources for our use; they are not fossil fuels and carbon excess. Limiting the Sun’s effects onto Earth (even with "solar minimum") is to set in motion the dimming and “clouding” of earth to diminish all life forms (includes human life).

[while the climate is changing, as it does periodically because it is part of the evolution of Earth and the Universe. what causes it is not human interaction. the climate change the above article relates to is human manipulation of weather and other facets of our atmosphere and earth, in order to change the dynamics that G-D the Creator put into His Creations. They created a language and movement over the years to depopulate, eliminate free movement in countries, control over humans, and poisoning the atmosphere (via chem-trailing), earth by poisoning our foods (herbicides and pesticides), human injections (vaccines of dubious origins and robotic creativity), contaminating water supplies (fluoride poisoning), and much more. These are not fallacies or lies, they are part of a extreme world movement to limit life on Earth. Time will tell when it becomes so obvious in their later stage developments.] BUT there are "good forces” IY"H fighting all of the above. Its a race to finish line (Mashiach)

KOL HAKAVOD HaGAON RAV AMAR

Efforts To Oust Jerusalem Chief Sephardi Rabbi, HaGaon HaRav Amar After Anti-Toeiva Remarks

SILENCING DIVERSITY IN ACTION

Pluralistic activists in Jerusalem City Hall are working to oust the city’s Chief Sephardi Rabbi, HaGaon HaRav Shlomo Moshe Amar Shlita from his post as the rav released harsh words against the toeiva community, calling on them to remove their kippot.

THREATS AND COERCION NOT TO BE TOLERATED

The “pluralistic bloc” in City Hall, composed of Councilpersons Yossi Chavilov and Laura Warton, sent a harshly-worded letter to the Chief Rabbis on Thursday, calling to remove Rav Amar from his post.

NO ONE CAN SPEAK TRUTH

“We, members of the Jerusalem City Council, turn to you to take actions to remove Rabbi Shlomo Amar” the letter states, explaining “due to his remarks in which he once again attacks the toeiva community”.

The letter explains that the Chief Rabbinate of Israel Council has the authority to fire a city rav, and they feel in this case, this is what the council must do.

THE TORAH STATES THE HALACHA . . . ABOUT  TOEIVA

The letter, also sent to Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Leon, asks rhetorically if he views the letter as being defiant, against his chareidi coalition partners- adding, “only time will tell”.

Source:  YWN

IS THIS REALLY GALUS?

IS THIS REALLY GALUS?

by Rabbi Avrohom Neuberger

If we don’t mourn the destruction, are we truly in galus?

You know how you occasionally hear or read something and wonder, “Wow, that’s so obvious. How did I miss it?”

I just had one of those moments, and I am asking myself that very question: How did I miss it?

Chareidi media has been all over the new law affecting the real estate market. It is presented as a chareidi news story since, as the headlines declare and the articles explain, many frum people are in the real estate sector, and these laws regulating rental properties stand to impact the frum community on many fronts. I read the articles and the readers’ reactions — some say it’s good for the Jews, most insist it’s bad for the Jews — and shrugged my shoulders and moved on to the next article.

But then a rosh yeshivah called me to point out something that should have been obvious, but I had missed.

“What do you think a non-Jew would think,” he asked me, “if he read these articles?”

He noted, correctly, that the articles seem to convey that these laws are somehow against the Jews. In fact, some writers went as far as to claim that there were anti-Semitic overtones in these laws.

But think of it this way, this rosh yeshivah asserted: If a village comprised of Jews and non-Jews was wiped out by a tornado, and the chareidi press would mention only that the tornado killed Jews, would that not be insensitive?

A tornado is not a Jewish catastrophe; it is a general catastrophe.

Yet the chareidi reporting surrounding the new real estate guidelines is in a sense even more callous. On the face of it, this law was motivated by very human concerns regarding the skyrocketing costs of rents in the city. Why would we Jews protest a law presumably motivated by a creed of caring for the underprivileged? A non-Jewish reader will undoubtedly conclude that we only care because we are no longer able to raise rents, and are looking out only for our self-interests.

Does this not reinforce the worse caricatures of money-grubbing Jews? Whom are we pitying? Shylock?

The rosh yeshivah clarified that he obviously does not mean to condemn real estate owners, the overwhelming majority of whom are running perfectly legitimate businesses and providing work for so many employees, many of whom are our fellow Yidden. Furthermore, their largesse has been propping our mosdos for decades, and they have rightfully earned our full admiration.

Rather, he is condemning the chareidi press for publicizing this and painting it as a “Jewish” story.

And I, in turn, am condemning myself. How did I miss this?

I once read a fascinating study about social awareness, in which social scientists sought to determine which measurable factors — i.e. age, income, gender, race, etc. — impacted one’s awareness of his surroundings.

Those conducting the study had people walk down a random city street and then asked them what they had noticed. The findings were somewhat predictable, with one significant surprise. A fairly predictable result, for instance, was that people tended to notice others who were like themselves — young girls noticed other young girls, teenagers noticed other teenagers, women noticed other women.

But they were surprised to discover that one group scored much lower than the others in social awareness. The mega-wealthy, as a group, were particularly poor in noticing what others were doing. Why? The scientists theorized that because these people are self-sufficient and are wealthy enough to believe that their independence is permanent, they forfeit the instinct to bond with other people. Unless they make a concerted effort to care, their economic status fosters a feeling of being different, and isolates them from the world, causing them to live in a social bubble.

Are we, the Jews of chutz l’Aretz, suffering from a similar condition? Does our reporting of the real estate guidelines not demonstrate that we are living in a bubble? Has our justified concern for self-preservation and insularity from a culture so foreign to ours resulted in our becoming oblivious to our environment and how we may be perceived by others?

At the same time, has our collective economic comfort, coupled with our acceptance into society, caused us to forget that we are in galus, so that we don’t care how we are viewed? Do we realize that we are guests in a host country? There was a time when people would never wear a tallis on the street. Are we so comfortable, so “in your face,” that we can confuse Jersey for Bnei Brak?

But sadly, this does seems to be true. We don’t really see ourselves as being in galus. A case in point. I have been told that a large poster appeared in a local shul announcing the formation of a new neighborhood. It presents a panoramic view of the site, with the following words emblazoned on it: “Sa na einecha ure’eh… ki es kol ha’aretz asher atah ro’eh, lecha etnenah ul’zaracha.” This verse obviously refers only to Eretz Yisrael, not New York or New Jersey. Yet it was coopted for selling homes in the Tristate area.

How sad.

Bear in mind Kli Yakar’s exhortation on the verse, “Penu lachem tzafonah” (Devarim 2:3).

Chazal expound: “If Eisav’s time has arrived, conceal yourself — hatzpinu es’chem” (Devarim Rabbah 19). It seems that this concealment refers to a Jew who has found, even in this galus, a small measure of success. Let him hide it and conceal it before Eisav — for no nation is as jealous of the Jewish nation as Eisav, who feel that they were robbed of Yaakov’s blessing…. Yaakov similarly chastised his children, “Lamah tisra’u — why are making you making yourselves so visible?”

This is the polar opposite of how Jews act nowadays, in the lands of their foes. For if someone has 100 rubles, he dresses in finery and lives in a home as if he has thousands, and in doing so, he incites the non-Jews against him. It is this custom that is at the heart of all our troubles.

[As we head toward] the Three Weeks, when we are meant to mourn the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, I ask rhetorically: Can galus can be mechaper (atone) if we don’t relate to it as a punishment altogether? Because if we do not mourn the destruction, are we truly in galus?

Kol hamisabel al Yerushalayim zocheh v’ro’eh b’vinyanah. Let us be zocheh in the coming period to be misabeil, and thereby to bring the Geulah bimeheirah.

______________________________
Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 768. Rabbi Avrohom Neuberger is the rav of Congregation Shaarei Tefillah of New Hempstead and the author of Positive Vision, a Chofetz Chaim Heritage Foundation project (ArtScroll\Mesorah)

[yes, everyone, he lives in chu”l]

IF I WERE THE DEVIL

This is the video that Rabbi Mizrachi said he viewed 

and said that all but one 

has happened in the last 50 years.

This was a show that aired in 2012 on Inspiration Network, using a famous audio broadcast from Paul Harvey. All copyrights are owned by their various copyright holders. The producers wished to share their show and I am also sharing with you.

Watch without children present

Not for the young innocent mind

Help a Child Eat a Meal at Yad Ezra V'Shulamit

Shlomo's story of giving and generosity is special. As Yad Ezra v'Shulamit's youngest donor, his lemonade stand helps other Jewish children in Israel who aren't as fortunate. Watch his story, and donate generously at YadEzra

Yad Ezra v’Shulamit

BREAKING ISRAEL’S CYCLE OF POVERTY THROUGH CHARITY 

Today’s socio economic environment in Israel poses many challenges to the day-to-day lives of many struggling families. It can even be difficult for middle class families to manage their basic expenditures. This is a much larger concern for Israel’s underprivileged. While the Israeli government has several programs that assist those living below the poverty line, it is still not sufficient for them to ensure that their families have the food, clothing and education they need. Naturally, the consequences of this reality are devastating. Hundreds of thousands of children and families go without eating three proper meals per day. However, unfortunately it does not end with hunger. Hunger leads to depression, anxiety and puts kids at risk.

Yad Ezra V’Shulamit was founded in 1998 with the initial goal of providing immediate hunger relief to dozens of Israeli families in need. While this goal was the primary focal point and will always be considered to be part of the organization’s future donations, it was not the only aspect of the long term plan. From the beginning, we understood that poverty did not exist in a vacuum. Contributing food to the hungry may ease the immediate essential daily requirements for families living in dire conditions, but the perpetuation of poverty would still be prevalent. Therefore, we set out to truly break the cycle of poverty once and for all by providing a “full service” humanitarian offering of sorts. This would go on to include after school educational programs, academic enrichment via personalized tutoring, professional guidance, and activities for teens at risk. This type of charity focuses on the empowerment of the individual through tailored rehabilitation, which assists in building self-confidence and ultimately future success.

It has been quite some time since the year 1998. There are currently over 100,000 individuals who rely on Yad Ezra V’Shulamit for assistance, compared to a few dozen when we first started. While we feel honored to be able to help so many Jewish families, it is also a massive undertaking. With your help, we have been able to feed thousands of people and offer extracurricular activities, which subsequently breaks the cycle of poverty. Your direct online donations to our Jewish charity has helped with aiding the disadvantaged, and has also provided the funding necessary to help us open new projects and initiatives. 

As a non-profit organization aimed at extinguishing poverty in Israel, we are heavily reliant on donations to help us achieve our mission. We appreciate all of the support we receive and consider our donors direct partners in our organization. If you’d like to support our cause, please consider making a donation.

CHAZAK! Mattos – Masei

CHAZAK!

By Roy S. Neuberger

We have reached the end of Sefer Bamidbar and the culmination of Am Yisroel’s travels through the Midbar. The Holy Nation is gathered on the Plains of Moav, across from the Eastern border of the Holy Land, poised to cross the Yarden River. 

The goal is in sight and the moment is filled with drama.

I have written before about my favorite road in the world, Route 90, the longest road in Israel, which links Eilat in the south to Metula on the Lebanese border. One can look eastward from this road across the Yarden River and see the Plains of Moav. I always imagine that I see over there the legions of Israel arrayed in their formations, still under the leadership of Moshe Rabbeinu, waiting to enter the Holy Land. 

Parshas Masei opens with the amazing list of the travels of Israel. What’s so amazing?

What is amazing, my friends, is how we got here. How did we survive those forty danger-filled years, years of kedusha but also rebellion and constant confrontation with our enemies? How did we survive as a spiritual nation, a nation destined to represent the King of the Universe? Even though we angered Him, He still protected us and enabled us to survive and reach this moment. 

Indeed, when we reach a significant moment, we are obligated to acknowledge that Hashem enabled us to pass through many obstacles and we have finally arrived: “Shehecheyanu … Hashem has kept us alive and sustained us and has brought us here!” We have to thank Hashem for the fact that we continue to exist and we continue to march toward our goal.

As I write, it is the Seventeenth of Tammuz, the beginning of the Three Weeks, and we have just recited these words: “Remember Your mercies, Hashem, and Your kindnesses, for they are eternal…. Remember Your congregation, which You acquired long ago. You redeemed the tribe of Your heritage, the mountain of Zion, the one where You rested Your Presence…. Remember …. the affection of Yerushalayim, the love of Tzion … do not forget….” 

Now, thousands of years later, these words fit our situation perfectly; they are the words we need to go onward. After thousands of years of wandering in the Desert of Golus, we are once again on the border of the Holy Land, poised to enter. Once again, we can look back on all the challenges through which we have passed. Once again, we are surrounded by enemies, but once again we are filled with hope. 

“Moshe wrote their goings forth … at the bidding of Hashem.” (Bamidbar 33:2) Every step was directed and supervised from Above! Every move was necessary. “Vayisu mai-ramsais … they journeyed from Ramsais in the first month … and encamped in Succos; they journeyed from Succos and encamped in Eisam ….” (Bamidbar 33:5ff)

Today, once again, Jews are on the move, seeking safety and survival, seeking to return to the Place where Hashem will again rest His Presence on His Nation. As we enter the Nine Days, it is vital to remember that Hashem is watching over all our journeys.

“Chazak! Chazak! V’nischazaik!”

*          *          *          *

Roy Neuberger, author and public speaker, can be reached at roy@2020vision.co.il.

© Copyright 2019 by Roy S. Neuberger

________________________

These pictures were not submitted by Reb Neuberger, 

but I thought it might enhance our recent parshiot

Rabbi Winston – Parshas Mattos

God spoke to Moshe, saying, 

“Take revenge for the Children of Israel against the Midianites…” 

(Bamidbar 31:1-2)

I REMEMBER BEING somewhere, and noticing a person who just did not belong. It was hard NOT to notice him, since he was so rude and obnoxious. It really bothered me, and had I been the host, I probably would have asked him to either clamp down or get out, politely of course.

But as I looked around the room, and especially at the host, I noticed that no one paid attention to this annoying person. Instead, they acted like he wasn’t even there, which made me wonder if I was hallucinating. So I went over to someone else and asked, “What’s the story with this guy? Doesn’t he bother anyone else other than me?”

The person looked over at the nuisance and frowned. Then he just told me, “He always does that, and no one wants to deal with him, so they don’t.” “Okay,” I thought to myself, “this is weird. I guess I’ll just have to pretend that he’s not here too.”

It wasn’t the last time I experienced such a strange situation. In fact, we actually witnessed it, so-to-speak, in Parashas Balak. Zimri was that “nuisance,” and no one was doing much about him, until Pinchas came along and put an end to his disturbance. He overlooked all the “political” issues and responded to the crisis in kind.

Likewise, Shaul HaMelech brought back the Amaleki king, Agag, alive. He had planned to kill him, as commanded. But the fact that he left him alive one moment longer than he could have, even if for a “good” reason, underscored his appreciation of the severity of the situation. He lost the kingship for this, and it was Shmuel HaNavi, whom Agag correctly called his “Angel of Death,” who merited to eradicate that evil from the world.

It’s a recurring pattern throughout history. Billions of people have lived and do now. You’re bound to get a lot of obnoxious people over time. Some will be noisy but do little damage, others will make us regret that we did not deal correctly with them much earlier. Hitler, ysv”z, after all, stated quite clearly what he wanted to do and how. The world just let him follow through and paid an unspeakable price later on.

And now it is happening once again in a big way, in the United States. Whoever thought that Arabs would become members of the House of Representatives? Why not? Jews have. So many other nationalities have. Why not Arabs as well?

Well, it depends. If these are American Arabs, that is, Arabs who have embraced America as their home like any other American actually born there, then why not? They have every right to run for power if they are LOYAL American citizens.

But if they are Arabs who are loyal to Arab causes above that of American causes, bent on using American power to accomplish what Arab power could not, then it is no longer called “voted into power.” It is called infiltration of the system, and that can only lead to abuse and destruction of the American way of life.

There’s that famous dictum: Don’t be so open minded that your brains fall out. But that’s only one half of the problem. The other half of the problem is that people’s minds are so shuttered they cannot perceive the damage occurring around them. They have adopted the attitude that if we just look away, the problems will go away on their own.

No such luck. In fact, there is no luck at all. It’s all Divine Providence making things happen the way they are. Even people who know that in general do not understand that in particular. God sends the “troublemakers” of history to TEST us. 

They think they got in by popular vote only. They think they are making inroads for their own good. They think they were clever enough to figure how to use the American system to execute their agenda. And make no mistake about it: they think their success is speeding up THEIR idea of the Messianic Era. If you don’t believe that, just listen to what THEY say.

Bilaam and the Midianites thought EXACTLY the same thing in their time. They thought they found a weakness in the Jewish system of defense that they could exploit to their advantage, and they did. But not because they were smart and crafty, but because God showed it to them. If you take certain spiritual weaknesses for granted, God has a way of showing you just how dangerous that can be, and was. We lost 200,000 people when all was said and done.

And the crisis set up a test for everyone else as well. The vast majority of the population did not fall prey to the daughters of Midian, or the idol worship they pushed on their victims. But they also didn’t stop those who did, making them quite non-innocent as well. People who don’t respond to spiritual crises may not be punishable by plague or capital punishment, but they can still be cut off from the Jewish people, and probably were.

And as the Talmud states, it has nothing to do with your projected level of success or failure in correcting the situation (Shabbos 54b-55a). It has only to do with your willingness to try and rectify a spiritually corrupt situation. God wants to see the extent to which you cannot live with the crisis as it stands. For Pinchas, it had nothing to do with whether or not he would succeed at his act of zealousness, only with making the sacrifice to try. 

Once all the tests were over, there came payback time. The 200,000 spiritually corrupted Jews were gone. The opportunity to save the day had been rejected by most and accepted by one. God’s summary of the entire incident came at the conclusion, after which came the command to wipe out the instruments of destruction, the people of Midian, and Bilaam as well.

As the kings of Midian were wiped out, they might have wondered why they ever got involved in a war they could have avoided. They may have considered for a second or two that they had bitten off a lot more than they should have tried to chew.

Bilaam especially may have through to himself, “Well that didn’t go as hoped. What was I thinking? God had even warned me…and STILL I tried?!”

The mistaken associations of those in power today may continue, belittling the Holocaust to get at Israel and the Jewish people. Such people pass up their chance to be intelligent in order to be crafty instead. They abuse the system, designed to promote liberty, to accomplish just the opposite. The lies may continue to flow like putrid water, causing damage, and creating tests for everyone else who still values the truth.

For now. But justice will come, DIVINE justice will come. And when it does come, the good will triumph over the evil. The only question always remains to be, who will be sacrificed along the way until that time comes?

Rabbi Kahana – We Were as Dreamers

BS”D 

Parashat Matot 5779

Rabbi Nachman Kahana

We were as dreamers

Sefer Bamidbar contains the history of our wanderings in the desert up to the time the Jewish Nation finds itself on the banks of the Jordan River preparing to enter the Promised Land.

As we approach the end of Sefer Bamidbar, I would like to recall three sequential parshiot, Shlach, Korach and Chukat. Shlach brings us the unfortunate episode of the miraglim, Korach relates the organized rebellion against Moshe Rabbeinu’s leadership and Chukat begins with the tahara (purification) process of one who comes into contact with a corpse.

What makes these three parshiot unique is their time frame. Shlach occurs in the second year of our sojourn in the desert, as most likely does the middle parasha, Korach. Parashat Chukat finds us 38 years later when Aharon and Miriam have already passed away. Hence, the three parshiot cover 38 years of our wandering in the desert.

How odd! Just look at recent history as evidence of the tumultuous and restless nature of the Jewish people. The tiny State of Israel has not receded from the headlines of the world since its inception. The Jewish people have affected the world in all aspects of life more than any other nation, as the great Hebrew author Shai Agnon said in his acceptance speech when he received the Nobel prize for literature, “The Jewish nation comprises about one quarter of a percent of the world’s population. According to this, how many people of the eleven award winners tonight should be Jewish? Obviously eight!”

It would, therefore, be logical to conclude that the Jewish nation under the leadership of Moshe and Aharon experienced numerous events in the 40 years in the desert. Where is a description of these gripping events that this mysterious mass of people experienced as they were sustained miraculously in the arid desert with food and water? Where is a description of the spiritual-national phenomena as this mass of people were freed from slavery to give to the world the human “road map” of morality? The 40 years and their adventures are swallowed up in only the three parshiot of Shlach, Korach and Chukat.

The answer lies in the fact that events and changes take place in the life of individuals and nations – events that fill thick volumes of history. Then an event comes along so huge and revolutionary that it obscures all previous events and renders them anachronous.

The Torah’s objective is to teach us that, now when the Jewish Nation is getting closer to the hallowed land of Eretz Yisrael, what consequence is there in describing the desert experience?

We find another precedent for this. During the Second Temple period, many miracles occurred in Eretz Yisrael (as they do today) – so many that the rabbis declared a ban on fasting on the dates of these miracles, and they drew up a list of days called “megilat ta’anit” (days when one is not permitted to fast). However, when the Temple was destroyed, the megilat ta’anit was nullified. These days were no longer of any consequence, because they were eclipsed by the new catastrophic events.

We of this generation are witnesses to the truth of this phenomenon.

For thousands of years, Jews were loyal and productive citizens of the major countries of the world. The Jews’ contribution to the economic and moral success of countries such as France, England, Russia, Morocco and Persia was important at the time. However, the moment the Jewish people returned to Eretz Yisrael 71 years ago, all previous history became a matter for dustbins of history. This is what King David meant when he wrote in Tehillim, “ha’yee’nu ke’chol’min” (we were as dreamers). When the redemption comes, all previous experiences will become as a dream.

Having experienced leaving the galut to return home to Eretz Yisrael, I can say, “ha’yee’nu ke’cholmin”.

The Zohar says that on the first night when people come to Eretz Yisrael to stay, they are given an additional “neshama” (soul), as if they are born anew. Just as a newborn infant cannot remember from where he came, so too the life in Eretz Yisrael is so pervasive as to render a person’s former experiences in the galut as a dream.

Thousands of our brothers and sisters have arrived here through the efforts of Nefesh Be’Nefesh, to join with the 100,000 or so Americans who came here in the last 71 years. The big question is why so few from a community that numbers several million?

In my view, the Jews of America are blameless. The blame is clearly on the shoulders of the leaders who contribute to extending the galut by not coming themselves and thereby projecting a message that nothing really happened in 1948.

I propose that the contract of a rabbi be limited to five years, after which time he must come on aliya with the financial help (in the form of severance pay) from the community. While the rabbis who encourage the building of new shuls or yeshivot might appear to strengthen Yiddishkeit, they are just another nail in the coffin called – galut.

There is still some time to think, to plan, to decide and to implement. A new dawn has arrived for the Jewish Nation. To reject it is to become an anachronism of history. To take part in it is to be a star player in the fabulous history of Am Yisrael.

Shabbat Shalom,

Nachman Kahana

Copyright © 5779/2019 Nachman Kahana

BELOW THE RED LINE

The Religious Community in The NY Metro Area and in 

Eretz Yisrael are LOSING CHILDREN.

Car suffocating, freak accidents, suicides, car accidents, drownings, drug overdoses (32 last month) chokings on food, abuse of caretakers in Ganim, the big “C”, and other deadly happenings.

Our Children are the insurance by which we as a fledgling nation vowed to our commitment to observance to the Torah and its way of living. Once this “insurance” is revoked, it means the level of religious observance has dropped below the RED LINE.

Am Yisrael, we are in danger, as never before in our history. Yes including “that era”.

Rabbi Mizrachi Shlit”a, a modern day Yirmiyahu, is warning us. One must listen to his warnings in this video, especially current events.

______________________________________


Child falls out of moving vehicle on busy highway
Harrowing footage shows moment child opens door of car making turn on highway at Kokhav Yair junction, falls out into middle of the street. arutzsheva

'It's a miracle no child has died'
MK Kati Shitrit initiates Knesset discussion on treatment of children with severe life-threatening allergies in school. arutzsheva

NY State Police Statement On Kiryas Joel
Tragedy Where Child Was R”L Killed By Falling Closet YWN

TRAGEDY: Chareidi Toddler R”L Chokes To Death In Arad YWN

TRAGEDY in Modi'in Illit: Infant Dies After Being Left In Parked Car YWN

ROARING DRUG EPIDEMIC IN OUR COMMUNITY: 3 Weeks, 32 Overdoses And Endless Tears
YeshivaWorldNews Call Amudim for help:  646-517-0222 

Hasidic girl dies from overdose
A young woman, 20 years old, born into a Hasidic community in New York, died of a heroin overdose. Her death reveals a troubling picture of the drug phenomenon in the Hasidic communities in the US, which have already lost 71 young people this year. return

I recently lost my 23 year old son to an unintended drug overdose. My family is all beyond consolation. He did not "appear" to have a drug problem. He was living with his family post-college, in which he did well. He never pushed himself or really had goals, but he was so bright he always excelled. jewishvaluesonline [date not available, but serves as an example of what parents are dealing with]


9-year-old girl wounded by gunfire in Lod
Girl shot in back on Struma Street in city, evacuated to Assaf Harofeh Hospital; circumstances under examination.

6-year-old stabbed in playground
6-year-old boy hospitalized in moderate condition after being stabbed in playground in Rehovot.