Jonathan Pollard: How to Quickly Free the Hostages…

..He also has a plan, but not the best for keeping hostages alive

 

Numbers…..

 Have the number of 

soldier lives lost 

equal to, 

greater than, 

less than 

the number of hostages still in captivity?

What does this say??

How can the war end tomorrow??

Hamas Adopts Riskier Tactics, 

IDF Warns of Increased Kidnapping Threats

It’s time

The IDF adopts 

greater maneuvers

Such as

Pull out All

Soldiers

Create an exit GATE with camera 

Stop food deliveries, 

electricity

AND 

Medical deliveries

Then

WAIT…..

Soon the trickle of Gazans 

will storm the GATE

Leaving behind

Terrorists & Captives

Wait……

For

The

Surrender

One terrorist together with one captive

Until

ALL

Captives are out

Announcement for NY-NJ

 if you’re in New York - NJ please pass this along to your friends [all Jews are friends]

Live “Health in Halacha” Event in Lakewood NJ Tomorrow Evening, Link and Call-In Number to Join by Zoom 

Health and Healing From a Torah Perspective

BS”D

I’m excited to let you know about the Rofim International Bikur Cholim “Health in Halacha” live symposium in Lakewood NJ tomorrow night, G-d willing.

Monday July 14, 7:30 PM, 590 Madison Avenue.

You can attend in person or on zoom.

Zoom shortcut link: tinyurl.com/TruthSavesLives (call-in number and zoom ID/passcode on the flyer, as well as below.)

Speakers: 

•Dr. Ted Koren

•Rabbi Raphael M. Szendro 

•ER Physician Dr. Richard Bartlett MD

•Rabbi Shlomo A. Pollak

Zoom Meeting Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/9521753151?pwd=W2OWcXYLjrd6v8AC407bcmb7HHrWF4.1&omn=85160177621

Zoom Meeting ID: 952 175 3151
Passcode: 911

Call-in numbers (enter above meeting ID and passcode): 

929-205-6099 or 646-931-3860

The plan is for the recording to be posted to my hotline: 929-277-2700.

P.S. I’m not making this event myself, so it’s a treat for me!

Brucha Weisberger

Bar Kochva: Did Rebbi Akiva Really Think He Was Moshiach?

 

How All Aspects of Redemption Are Encompassed in Shabbos

The History of the Sefer Tzipisa L’Yeshuah: Yearning for Redemption (Now Available to Pre-Order!)

 

Season Wrap-up: Excavating Jerusalem’s Gatehouse

 

 

 After three weeks of excavation, our work at Jerusalem’s royal quarter has ended. We had a successful and productive season in an area of the Ophel that has not been touched since Dr. Eilat Mazar’s 2009-2010 excavations. In today’s episode, Let the Stones Speak co-host Christopher Eames interviews excavation director Prof. Yosef Garfinkel about his perspective on the season and the future of the site. 

Added attraction:

 Jerusalem 1920s in color [60fps, Remastered] w/sound design added

Palestinian Threat to Jewish Sovereignty of Yerushalayim …..today is the 17th of Tammuz

What happened on the 17th of Tammuz thousands of years ago may be repeating under the ever watchful eyes of the government.

A new investigation by the Regavim Movement’s Arab Research Department reveals that the Palestinian Authority has been building a systematic governance apparatus in the heart of Jerusalem for over a decade, in violation of the Oslo Accords and in direct violation of Israel’s legal authority.

The PA’s Ministry for Jerusalem Affairs operates as an official arm of the Palestinian government in Israel’s capital, with an annual budget of tens of millions of Shekels. Among other areas of activity, this ministry runs a compensation system for illegal Arab construction, provides legal representation against Israeli state institutions, and publicly conducts coordination with international organizations

While the Jerusalem Municipality and the State of Israel struggle to enforce planning and construction laws in eastern Jerusalem, the PA is building a parallel governance infrastructure that effectively functions as an alternative sovereignty

One of the PA ministry’s central areas of activity is its mechanism to support illegal construction. Regavim’s research reveals that for years, the PA has provided “compensation” payments ranging from $15,000 to NIS 52,000 per housing unit, depending on the location and nature of the violation, to residents whose illegally built structures were demolished by the State of Israel. Additional support includes collaboration with the Red Cross and UN agencies, including the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

According to official Palestinian Authority and UN data, over the past five years, at least NIS 35 million has been distributed through this compensation mechanism, excluding costs for legal, planning, and advocacy support. A network of professionals, including lawyers, engineers, and architects, operates through PA-affiliated organizations, providing systematic representation for residents in Israeli courts and planning committees, in full coordination with the PA’s Jerusalem Affairs Ministry. Demolition operations are often documented and used to exert political and diplomatic pressure on Israel internationally

Meir Deutsch, Director General of Regavim: “The State of Israel enforces the law only sporadically and fails to act systematically or strategically to counter Palestinian plans. As a result, where Israel does not assert control, the PA fills the vacuum, establishing itself as the de facto governing authority, with the encouragement and substantial funding provided by foreign governments and international organizations. 

The result is the quiet by consistent loss of Israeli governance, the erosion of Israeli sovereignty, and the entrenchment of de facto Palestinian Authority sovereignty.”

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/411466

Hashem Brings His Children Home, Little by Little

 The following several videos show 

the ancient days slowly moving into the Modern Era

bringing Hashem's Children back 

to the Promised Land. 

All in separate posts.

חיי היהודים בארץ ישראל (1913) / נוח סוקולובסקי חלק ב'

 

Back when His Children wore sensible clothing

The trainride to Yerushalayim:  I was fortunate on one of my early visits to Jerusalem I was able to ride the train along its once upon a time route. 

One can also see the area of the Kotel BEFORE it was cleared of arab homes and more.

These are precious scenes as nowadays the cities are full of Towers lifting residents up into the air, away from the pure earth of Eretz Yisrael.

Jerusalem back in the early to mid 1890's

Dec 19, 2012 John L. Stoddard's trip to Jerusalem back in the early to mid 1890's. Music is Gladiator soundtrack. Amazing photographs from 125 years ago.

I cut the soundtrack. The scenery some will recognize, and unfortunately there are also non-Jewish scenes. One can stop watching at 6:00.

 

 

תפילה ראשונה נשמעת בכותל בירושלים 1934 JERUSALEM [Palestine]

תפילה ראשונה נשמעת בכותל בירושלים 1934 JERUSALEM Jul 26, 2015 תפילה ראשונה עם פסקול שהוסרטה בכותל המערבי בירושלים בשנת 1934 מתוך הסרט של קרן היסוד "לחיים חדשים". הסרט המלא סוקר את כל ארץ ישראל, אך הקטע המרגש ביותר ליהודים מאמינים היא התפילה הספרדית בכותל, שהונצחה בסרט. לחלוצים הקטעים המרגשים ביותר הם כמובן: "שיר העמק" ושירים נוספים של נתן אלתרמן. את הגירסה המחודשת עם תרגום לעברית עיבדתי במלאת לסרט 75 שנים. השנה אנחנו מציינים 80 שנה לבכורת הסרט שהוקרן ב1935 בקולנוע ציון בירושלים, ובקולנוע מגדלור בתל-אביב. את הסרט המלא אפשר להשיג בארכיון שפילברג, באוניברסיטה העברית טל. 02-5882513

 

First prayer heard at the Western Wall in Jerusalem 1934 JERUSALEM Jul 26, 2015 

First prayer with soundtrack filmed at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in 1934 from the Keren Hayesod film "For New Lives". The full film covers the entire Land of Israel, but the most moving part for believing Jews is the Sephardic prayer at the Western Wall, which was immortalized in the film. 

For pioneers, the most moving parts are of course: "Shir HaEmek" and other songs by Nathan Alterman. I adapted the new version with Hebrew subtitles to mark the film's 75th anniversary. This year we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of the film's premiere, which was screened in 1935 at the Zion Cinema in Jerusalem, and at the Migdalor Cinema in Tel Aviv. 

The full film is available at the Spielberg Archive, at the Hebrew University, Tel. 02-5882513

My Beloved Yerushalayim ....ancient and 1920's

Jerusalem 1920s in color [60fps, Remastered] w/sound design added I colorized, restored, and created a sound design for this 1925 footage of Jerusalem, featuring panoramic views from the surrounding hills, including Mount Scopus, the Mount of Olives, the Old City, and the new city. 

The film showcases architectural landmarks such as the fortified walls built by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Haram esh-Sharif, the Dome of the Rock, Al-Aqsa Mosque, and the Western Wall, part of the ancient structure of the Temple Mount. [...] 

Within the Old City, the footage reveals the vibrant atmosphere of its markets and streets, with scenes of small businesses, daily trade, and people gathering near the Jaffa, Damascus, and Herod Gates. It also depicts water distribution efforts during a period of drought and everyday activities in the historic quarters

 

AND

 Jerusalem (A rare video!) - Old original photographs of the Holy Land from 1853 ..... [this also includes some nonJewish sites]  Nevertheless the others are magnificant.

 

Another Neshoma Returned to Shamayim…… Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech zt”l

Change the name but leave the attributes of the neshoma, 

“the spirit of one who serves Hashem,” 

and this could be written for each of the Netzach Yehuda soldiers 

that are no longer with us but have returned their neshomas

Rabbi Yitzhak Amsalem, head of the Torat Hachaim Yeshiva for Youth in Yad Binyamin, spoke with Israel National News about his student, Sergeant Moshe Nissim Frech HY”D of the Netzach Yehuda Battalion, who was killed by an explosive device in Gaza. Frech, he said, was “a quiet, humble, and modest young man—yet full of life within. His four years in the yeshiva left a deep mark on all who had the privilege of knowing him.” 

Rabbi Amsalem described a sensitive and special soul: “Moshe HY”D possessed a refined spirit and exceptional character traits. He radiated warmth, care, and genuine concern for every friend. He always noticed who needed a kind word, encouragement, or simply a listening ear—and always responded with generosity and humility.” 

His presence was gentle but profound,” the rabbi added. “He never raised his voice, but his presence spoke volumes. The constant smile on his face uplifted those around him. Even in difficult times, he was the one who knew how to strengthen others.”

Rabbi Amsalem concluded, “Moshe was driven by a deep sense of mission, both in his spiritual life and in his military service. His principled stance, combined with his soft heart and simplicity, made him a rare soul—a soldier with the spirit of one who serves Hashem.”

NOTE:

I'm not in favor of our Yeshiva Bochurim entering the IDF but if such a decision is made by any precious Jew, I only hope that if the above occurs that Hashem brings them to a precious place in Shamayim.

Uncovering Balak's True Identity - The Approaches of R' Chaim Kanievsky & R' Aharon Leib Shteinman

 

Going over the Parsha on Shabbos, I learned that Balak might not have been a Moabie; therefore, maybe Rus was not a Moaviah? Today I found out that prolific Rabbi Glatstein devoted an entire shiur to this puzzlement.

Balak - Israel is Blessed

What was the greatness that Bilaam lost when he came to try to curse the Jewish people? If, in the end, he blessed them, why was Bilaam considered so wicked? What was the ingratitude that both he and Balak had to the forefathers of the Jewish people? How did he and Balak unintentionally bring curses upon themselves? Why was it that he could not curse the Jewish people? Where do we see that the Jewish people are intrinsically loved and blessed by Hashem, no matter what they have done wrong? 

 

Shiva Asar B'Tamuz - Mourning the Assimilation of the Jewish People

 

Jewish assimilation is not just a cultural shift — it's a spiritual loss. In this heartfelt video, we reflect on the pain of losing Jewish identity, heritage, and connection through assimilation. This is a cry from the soul to awaken, reconnect, and restore our people. A must-watch for anyone who cares about the future of the Jewish people.

The Seventeenth of Tammuz in History

 1  Tammuz

• Yaakov and family went down to Mitzrayim (according to one source. This would be the establishment of the first voluntary Jewish settlement outside of Eretz Yisrael).

3 Tammuz

• Yehoshua “commanded” the Sun and the Moon to stand still.

5 Tammuz

• Yechezkeil’s first prophecy, 502b.c.e.

9 Tammuz

• Nevuchadnezer’s army breached the walls of Jerusalem, 586bce.
• Pompey captured Jerusalem and killed 12,000 Jews, 63bce.

10 Tammuz

• Tzidkiyahu HaMelech was captured by the Babylonians, 586bce.

15 Tammuz

• Chur, son of Miriam was killed attempting to dissuade the people from demanding the golden calf. As such he is the first Jew to die “Al Kiddush HaShem”, in defense of his faith.

16 Tammuz]

• The golden calf emerged from the fire into which gold of Bnei Yisrael was thrown.

17 Tammuz - 

Shiva Asar B'Tammuz: Fast Day and beginning of "The Three Weeks"

The fast of Shiva Asar B'Tammuz: Declared by the Neviim / Prophets, that marks the beginning of "The Three Weeks," a period of mourning for the destruction of Yerushalayim / Jerusalem and the Beit HaMikdash / Holy Temple, culminating in the fast of Tisha b'Av.

17 Tammuz 1656 - 2105 B.C.E.:

On this day, Noach sent out the dove the first time to see if the waters of the Mabul / Great Flood have receded; (according to Rab' Eliezer) "But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot and she returned to the ark..." (Bereishit / Genesis 8:9). Some say that was a sign that Bnei Yisrael (who are compared to the dove - Shir HaShirim, 2:14) won’t find rest on this day when the walls of Yerushalayim were breached….. See Da’at Zekeinim (Bereishit, 8:3)  

The Talmud (Taanit 28b) lists five tragic events in Jewish history that occurred on the 17th of Tammuz, on account of which a fast was instituted on this day:

1) Moshe came down from Har / Mt. Sinai with the first stone Luchot / Tablets, inscribed with the Aseret Hadibrot / Ten Commandments. Moshe broke the Luchotwhen he saw the Bnei Yisroel / people of Israel worshipping the Egel HaZahav / Golden Calf (2448/1313 B.C.E. or 2449/1312 B.C.E.) 

2) The walls of Yerushalayim were breached in 3339/422 B.C.E. before the destruction of the  Beit HaMikdash / First Temple and in 3829/69 C.E. before the destruction of the Second Beit HaMikdash, according to the Talmud Yerushalmi, Taanit 4:5 The city of Yerushalayim / Jerusalem is conquered. 
According to the literal meaning of the verse in Melachim / Kings, during the first churban (destruction) this actually took place on 9 Tammuz. [The Yerushalmi states that the wrong date was recorded due to the enormity of the tzarot (troubles).]

3) The korban tamid (the daily sacrificial offering) in the  Beit HaMikdash was discontinued, three weeks before the Babylonians' destruction of the First  Beit HaMikdash in 423 BCE.

4) King Menashe placed an idol in the heichal of the (first) Beit HaMikdash. 

5) Apostomus, a Greek officer who ruled Eretz Yisrael before the destruction of the Second  Beit HaMikdash, burned a sefer Torah in public (3823/63 B. C.E.), setting a precedent for the horrific burning of Jewish books throughout the centuries. According to some, it was he who placed the idol in the Beit HaMikdash at the same time he burned the sefer Torah.

The fighting in Yerushalayim / Jerusalem continued for three weeks until the 9th of Av, when the Beit HaMikdash was set aflame.

17 Tammuz - 1099:

Crusaders captured Yerushalayim. 

17 Tammuz - 1148:

Anti-Jewish riots in Cordova, Spain. 

17 Tammuz - 1388:

The Jews of Lithuania received a Charter of Privilege.

17 Tammuz 5151 - June 20, 1391:
:
While the Jews of Toledo, Spain were commemorating the fall of the Beit HaMikdash, their Christian neighbors, incited by the archdeacon of Ejica, Ferrand Martinez, attacked. 4,000 Jews were massacred in Toledo, Spain, sparking pogroms in other Spanish Jewish communities, leading to widespread poverty and deaths. Rabbeinu Yehudah of Toledo, the son of the Rosh, (Rabbeinu Asher), his wife (the daughter of the Baal Haturim), and his mother-in-law were killed al kiddush Hashem. Hy"d.
This followed massacres in Seville, where 4000 Jews were murdered. Hy"d, and many others were forced to convert, as well as in Cordova. 
On Tisha B'Av 5252/1492, 101 years later, the extinction of Spanish Jewry was completed with the mass expulsion.

Our sages found a hint to the tragedies of the seventeenth of Tammuz in the
story of Noach and the dove which took place on this day, as mentioned
above. The dove's not finding a "resting place" alludes to the trials
which the Bnei Yisroel / people of Israel, which are likened to a dove, experienced on
this day many generations later.

17 Tammuz 5536 - July 4, 1776:

The Declaration of Independence was announced in the "new" country of America promising religious freedom for all. The Declaration of Independence eventually provided the basis for religious tolerance in most other countries. While there were less than 2,500 Jews within the colonies, approximately 600 Jews participated in the revolution including 24 officers (and the great-grandfather of Supreme Court Justice Cardozo). Isaac Franks, David Salisbury Franks and Solomon Bush all attained the rank of lieutenant colonel. One company in South Carolina had so many Jews that it was called the “Jews Company”. 

17 Tammuz 5558 - July 1, 1798:

· Special taxes on Jews were finally abolished in Switzerland.

17 Tammuz 5701 - July 12, 1941:

4000 Jews of the Bialystoker ghetto were shot al kiddush Hashem. Hy"d..

17 Tammuz 5701 - July 12, 1941:

Several hundred Jewish women and girls were abducted from their houses, raped and shot by the S.S. during the night in Khotin, Ukraine. Hy"d.

17 Tammuz 5730 - July 21, 1970:

All Jewish property was confiscated in Libya.

17 Tammuz 5762 - June 27, 2002:

In a landmark church-state decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that tuition vouchers were constitutional.

17 Tammuz Yahrtzeits

Rabbeinu Yehudah of Toledo, the son of the Rosh, (Rabbeinu Asher), his wife (the daughter of the Baal Haturim), and his mother-in-law were killed al kiddush Hashem. Hy"d. (1391). See above.

HaRav Yitzchak Hakohen Rappaport, zt”l, (1680 - 5515 / 1755), author of Batei Kehunah
He learned in Yerushalayim in Yeshivat Beit Yaakov, but due to the difficult situation in Eretz Yisrael was sent as an emissary to Turkey and the Balkans to raise money.  In 1714 he was invited to be the Rav in Izmir, where he served for 36 years. He returned to Yerushalayim in his old age in 1749 and became the Chief Rabbi. 

HaRav Chaim Tzvi Mannheimer, zt”l, (5574 / 1814 - 5646 / 1886), Rav of Ungvar and author of Ein Habdolach.
Harav Chaim Tzvi was born in 5574/1814 to Harav Dovid Leib Mannheimer and Rebbetzin Sheindel.
In his youth, Reb Chaim Tzvi learned under Harav Yaakov Koppel Altenkonstanst, also known as Reb Koppel Charif, mechaber of Chiddushei Yaavetz. From this yeshivah, Reb Chaim Tzvi went on to Toplatchon, to the yeshivah of Harav Binyamin Zev Lev, the author of Shaarei Torah. After that, Reb Chaim Tzvi moved on to the yeshivah of the  Chatam Sofer — all before he became bar mitzvah!
The Chatam Sofer arranged a shidduch for him with the daughter of a naggid from Grupe who was willing to support a chattan dedicated to learning. Following his wedding to Gittel in 5592/1832, Rav Chaim Tzvi settled near his father-in-law.
A few years later, the Chatam Sofer told him that the time had come to not rely fully on his father-in-law and advised him to take up a Rabbinic position. Reb Chaim Tzvi said he did not feel worthy. The Chatam Sofer told Reb Chaim Tzvi that if he wouldn’t take the Rabbanut by choice, it would fall on him anyway.
Reb Chaim Tzvi went to work for his father-in-law by day and dedicated the nights to Torah learning. Once, on a business trip, he was robbed and badly hurt. When he returned home, he saw a letter from the Chatam Sofer. “I told you to take up a Rabbinic post by choice…” It was then that Reb Chaim Tzvi finally agreed to become a Rav. He accepted an offer from Shutelsdorf, the first kehillah that offered him a position.
Since the city was relatively small, Reb Chaim Tzvi found time for learning and opened a small yeshivah in the city as well. Later, he became Rav in Verboi, after their Rav, Harav Shmuel Zomer, moved to Pupa. In Verboi, Reb Chaim Tzvi also opened a yeshivah.
After the petirah of Harav Meir Asch, the city of Ungvar was without a Rav, and the Haskalah movement was making inroads there. The leaders of the Torah community of the city all agreed that the best person to fill the post was Reb Chaim Tzvi. Thus he became Rav in Ungvar in 5621/1861. Reb Chaim Tzvi also had an impressive yeshivah in Ungvar.
Rav Chaim Tzvi was niftar on 17 Tammuz 5646/1886 and was buried in Ungvar.
A few years before the outbreak of World War II, his talmidim published some of his responsa in Shu”t Ein Habdolach.

HaRav Avraham Tzvi ben Harav Chaim Ungar, zt”l, Hy”d, (5658 / 1898 - 5704/1944), Rav of Kapawar, Hy”d. Born in Tzehelem, (now Deutschkreutz), in Burgenland, Austria, he was a sixth generation descendant of the Panim Me’irot and a descendant of the Arizal. 
As a young child he spent many hours of the day learning. Before his bar mitzvah, he was accepted to the yeshiva of his uncle, Harav Eliezer Dovid Greenwald, the Keren L’Dovid, in Tzehelem. 
When the Keren L’Dovid left Tzehelem, Reb Avraham Tzvi moved to the yeshiva of Harav Shmuel Rosenberg, the Be’er Shmuel, in Unsdorf. After several years in Unsdorf, Reb Avraham Tzvi returned to Tzehelem. He was given semichah by the Keren L’Dovid in 5674/1914. 
During World War I, Reb Avraham Tzvi fled to Vienna, where he became close with Harav Moshe of Shinev, who was also in Vienna. 
After his marriage, Reb Avraham Tzvi settled in Beled, where he plumbed the depths of Torah together with his close friend, Harav Yoel Pelner. 
Later, he moved to Kapawar, (Kapuvar, a suburb of Shofron, Hungary), where he served as Rav. He opened and developed mosdot of chinuch — a Talmud Torah and a yeshiva — realizing this was the future of Klal Yisrael. He was met with fierce opposition, but Reb Avraham Tzvi did not waver.
Reb Avraham Tzvi was close with many Rebbes, notably the Minchat Elazar of Munkacz.
He was noted for his avodah in tefillah.
When the Nazis reached Hungary in the summer of 5704 / 1944, Reb Avraham Tzvi was not spared. The Nazis deported the Ungar family to the Shopron ghetto near the Hungarian border. From there they were taken to Auschwitz, where the father, mother and five younger children were murdered. Hashem yinkom damam. All five elder brothers survived. Reb Avraham Tzvi was killed on Shabbat, at the age of 46. His five elder sons survived. 
His son, Rav Yitzchak Shlomo, related that his father was a mohel, and he took his knife with him even to Auschwitz. On the last day of his life, as he was being transported to his death, he met a lady from his kehillah who had an eight-day-old infant with her. On the train, Reb Avraham Tzvi performed the emotional brit, adding that the baby will now be a Yiddishe boy being mekadesh Shem Shamayim. 
After the war, Reb Avraham Tzvi’s son Harav Yitzchak Shlomo moved to Eretz Yisrael and became a Rav in Bnei Brak. He established Yeshivat Machaneh Avraham Chug Chatam Sofer, named in his father’s memory, in 5722 / 1962. He also published his father’s works, Machaneh Avraham on masechtot Mikvaot and Beitzah. 

HaRav Yaakov Yosef Herman, zt”l, (1880 - 5727 / 1967). A native of Slutsk, Russia, he immigrated with his parents and younger sister to New York City at the age of 8 and was left on his own five years later after his family returned to Russia. Following his marriage, Herman's home became known for hachnosat orchim - feeding and lodging dozens of people in his home, including visiting European rabbonim seeking kosher meals. He displayed a staunch commitment to mitzvah observance at a time that many abandoned their faith, and urged promising young Jewish men to pursue advanced Torah study in the great yeshivot of Europe, including his own son-in-law, HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg, (1910–2012). For his promulgation of Torah values to his co-religionists, Herman was called the "Chofetz Chaim of America" by Rab' Boruch Ber Leibowitz, the Kaminetz rosh yeshiva, who lived with the Hermans for two years while he was fundraising in the United States. Herman's youngest daughter, Ruchoma Shain (died March 2013), immortalized his exploits in "All For The Boss: The life and impact of R' Yaakov Yosef Herman, a Torah pioneer in America" - An affectionate family chronicle, first published by Feldheim in 1984.

HaRav Salman Mutzafi, zt”l, (1900-1975). Born in Baghdad to Rav Tzion Meir, descendant of an illustrious family of Torah scholars who first arrived in  Baghdad during the Spanish expulsion. The person who had the greatest influence on Rav Salman during his childhood was the Ben Ish Chai. Every Shabbat, the young Salman accompanied his father to Baghdad’s main shul to hear the Ben Ish Chai’s drasha, which lasted for two hours and was attended by over 2,000 people. In 1934, he moved to Eretz Yisrael. For two full years, he studied the nine volumes of Siddur Harashash, with all of its kabbalistic kavanot. It is said that his prayers have successfully saved the Jewish people on many occasions.

HaRav Shimon Biton, zt”l, (5742 / 1982), Rav and head of the Beit Din of Marseilles and author of Shalmei Shimon.

HaRav Shmuel Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l, (1923 - 5759 / 1999), Rosh Yeshivat Ner Yisrael of Baltimore, the only son-in-law of Harav Ruderman, the founding Rosh Yeshiva.
The Weinberg family is from the Slonimer chasidic dynasty, a Lithuanian chassidut. The approach and relationship of the Slonim chasidim to Torah has been similar to the classical Litvishe approach. The founder of the dynasty was Rav Avrohom ben Yitzchok Mattisyohu Weinberg, the author of Chessed L’Avraham. As a youth, Rav Weinberg studied in the Rabbenu Chaim Berlin yeshiva in New York City under Rav Yitzchok Hutner, a talmid of the Alter of Slobodke. Rav Weinberg married the only daughter of Rav Yaakov Yitzchok Ruderman, the rosh yeshiva of Ner Yisroel of Baltimore and another talmid of the Alter. In 1964, Rav Ruderman sent him to Toronto, to preside as the rosh yeshiva of a branch that Ner Yisroel had established there several years earlier. Eight years later, when the yeshiva in Toronto decided to become independent, he returned to Baltimore. Shortly before the petirah of his father-in-law in 1987, Rav Weinberg was asked to preside as the rosh yeshiva of Ner Yisroel in Baltimore. He was a member of the Moetzet Roshei Hayeshivot of Torah Umesorah for many years, and was very active in expanding the projects of this important organization.

HaRav Yaakov Yitzchak Spiegel, zt’l, (1937-2001), Rav of the Romanian shul Khal Shaarei Shomayim, son of Rav Moshe Menachem Spiegel, the Admor of Ostrov-Kalushin (formerly of Brownsville, later of the Lower East Side), and the grandson of Rav Naftali Aryeh Spiegel, the former Rav of Ostrov-Kalushin in Poland; a talmid muvhak of Rav Aharon Kotler.

HaRav Benyamin Mekeketz Didi, zt"l, author of Yad Benyamin on Pirkei Avot. (year??)

HaRav Shlomo Shemamso, zt"l, author of Shoresh Yishai. (year??)

Also Note:  17 Tammuz:

• Fast day and beginning of the Three Weeks.
• The first Luchot were broken.
• King Menashe placed an idol in the Beit HaMikdash.
• The Korban Tamid was discontinued in the second Beit HaMikdash.
• 4000 Jews were killed in Toledo, Spain, 1391. The riots spread to many other Spanish Jewish communities bringing death and poverty in its wake.
• The destruction of Spanish Jewry began on the 17th of Tammuzand was completed (so to speak) 101 years later on Tish’a b’Av.
• The American colonies declared their independence, 1776.
• 4000 Jews of the ghetto in Bialystok were shot, 1941.

The Jewish National Period of Mourning ……REPOST

The Three Weeks are Upon Us; What Will We Make of It?

The "Three Weeks" between the fast days of 17th of Tammuz (July 21, 2019) and Tisha B'Av (August 11, 2019) have historically been days of misfortune and calamity for the Jewish people, in which God is so to speak more distant from His people.

On the 17th of Tammuz Moses broke the Tablets after the Sin of the Golden Calf, and the Roman breached the walls of Jerusalem, among other tragedies. On the 9th of Av, the nation of the Exodus cried as a result of the negative report of the Spies, and both Temples were destroyed, among other tragedies.

We observe various aspects of mourning during this time, such as not celebrating weddings or cutting our hair. The mourning becomes more intense as it gets closer to Tisha B’Av.

On Shabbat during the Three Weeks, the Haftorahs are taken from chapters in Isaiah and Jeremiah dealing with the Temple's destruction and the exile of the Jewish people.

Agonizing over these events is meant to help us conquer those spiritual deficiencies which brought about these tragic events. Through the process of "teshuva" – self-introspection and a commitment to improve – we have the power to transform tragedy into joy. In fact, the Talmud says that after the future redemption of Israel and the rebuilding of the Temple, these days will be re-dedicated as days of rejoicing and festivity.

The story is told of Napoleon walking through the streets of Paris one Tisha B'Av. As his passed a synagogue he heard the sounds of mourning and crying. "What’s this all about?" Napoleon asked. An aide explained that the Jews were in mourning the loss of their Temple. "When did this happen?" Napoleon asked. The aide replied, "About 1700 years ago." Napoleon said, "Certainly a people which has mourned the loss of their Temple for so long, will merit to see it rebuilt!"

Seventeenth of Tammuz

The beginning of a 3-week period of mourning is the 17th of Tammuz, a fast day commemorating the fall of Jerusalem, prior to the destruction of the Holy Temple.

On the 17th of Tammuz, no eating or drinking is permitted from the break of dawn until dusk. (Should the day coincide with Shabbat, the fast is delayed until Sunday.)

Five great catastrophes occurred in Jewish history on the 17th of Tammuz:

• Moses broke the tablets at Mount Sinai – in response to the sin of the Golden Calf.

• The daily offerings in the First Temple were suspended during the siege of Jerusalem, after the Kohanim could no longer obtain animals.

• Jerusalem's walls were breached, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE.

• Prior to the Great Revolt, the Roman general Apostamos burned a Torah scroll – setting a precedent for the horrifying burning of Jewish books throughout the centuries.

• An idolatrous image was placed in the Sanctuary of the Holy Temple – a brazen act of blasphemy and desecration.

The Nine Days

The period commencing with Rosh Chodesh Av is called the "Nine Days." During this time, a stricter level of mourning is observed, in accordance with the Talmudic dictum (Ta'anit 26): "When the month of Av begins, we reduce our joy."

During this time the additional "signs of mourning" include abstaining from meat and wine (except on Shabbat) and from doing laundry or wearing freshly laundered clothes (except on Shabbat). We also do not bathe for pleasure, though it is permitted to bathe in cool water in order to remove dirt or perspiration. For more details, see “The Three Weeks.”

Tisha B'Av – Ninth of Av

The intensity of mourning reaches a peak on Tisha B'Av, five national calamities occurred:

During the time of Moses, Jews in the desert accepted the slanderous report of the 12 Spies, and the decree was issued forbidding them from entering the Land of Israel. (1312 BCE)

The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar. (586 BCE)

The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans. (70 CE)

The Bar Kochba revolt was crushed by Roman Emperor Hadrian. (135 CE)
The Temple Mount was plowed under, and Jerusalem was rebuilt as a pagan city.
Other grave misfortunes throughout Jewish history coincided with the Ninth of Av, including the expulsion from Spain in 1492, the outbreak of World War One in 1914, and the mass deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942.

During the late afternoon prior to Tisha B'Av, it is customary to eat Seudah Hamaf-seket – a meal consisting only of bread, water and a hard-boiled egg. The food is dipped in ashes, symbolic of mourning, and eaten while seated on the ground. (The rules are somewhat different when Tisha B'Av falls on Shabbat or Sunday.)

Sundown marks the commencement of Tisha B'Av, where no eating or drinking is permitted until nightfall the following evening. It is also forbidden to bathe or wash, wear leather shoes, or engage in marital relations. We also do not learn Torah, except for texts relevant to Tisha B'Av and mourning – e.g. the book of Lamentations and Job, and certain sections of the Talmud (including the story of Kamtza and Bar Kamtza).

The Book of Eicha (Lamentations), Jeremiah's poetic lament over the destruction of Jerusalem and the First Temple, is read in the synagogue as part of the evening service. Special “Kinot” (elegies) are also recited, both at night and during the day.

Other mourning practices include sitting on a low chair (after midday, a regular chair permitted; see “Laws of Shoes and Chairs”). We also minimize business and leisure activities.

Following Tisha B'Av, all normal activities may be resumed, except for the following which are delayed until midday of the 10th of Av, because the burning of the Temple continued through the 10th of Av: haircuts, washing clothes, bathing, listening to music, and eating meat and wine.


Source: AISH.com

Reb Ginsbourg: A Nation That Dwells Alone

 

'A nation that dwells alone'

Our Sages took care to maintain this separation, enacting decrees so that we do not mingle with the nations, such as forbidding their wine, lest we thereby come close to their daughters, and the like.

Our Parasha relates that (23:7-9) Balaam declaimed his parable, and said: "From Aram, Balak ..led me..'Come curse Yaakov for me'..How can I curse? - G-d has not cursed. How can I curse..For from its origins, I see them as mountain peaks, and from hills do I see it. Behold! It is a a nation that dwells alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations."

Rashi comments: ’’From its origins, I see them as mountain peaks": I look at their origins and the beginning of their roots, and I see them established and powerful, like these mountains and hills, because of their patriarch and matriarchs.

It is a nation that dwells alone": This is the legacy their forefathers gained for them - to dwell alone.

The Dubner Maggid adds: Bnei Israel merited this accolade , since from beginning till end, no foreign seed was mingled with them - this is "from its origins I see them"...

Balaam said about his generation, that, though far from the days of the Avot, nevertheless ‘I see them as mountain peaks’: when I look at them, I see this generation, as going on an established path, all the way back to their Avot.

The Bina l’Itim elucidates: When Balaam was forced here to praise Israel as being above all other nations, he first credited it to them coming from a trunk and attribution that is first and head of all attributes - saying: look at the stone from which they are carved:- as the prophet says:(Isaiah 51:1)’Look to the rock from which you were hewn..look to Avraham your forefather and to Sarah who bore you..’. : what nation has such holy forefathers like us; and should Ishmael and Esav, say: we too are descended from them, the holy Matriachs did not participate in their creation, the Imahot, as is known, having their own level of private sanctity.

The Abarbanel adds: The Avot are alluded to, as ‘mountain peaks’, and the Imahot as ‘hills’, as the people are are hewn from the same sources, a direct continuation from father to son, and it can therefore not be said that alien people from other nations were intermingled with them - as they were ‘a people that dwelled alone, and were not reckoned among the nations.’

They were unlike the rest of the nations, who were assemblies of different peoples gathered together, from here and there, and becoming ‘as one’, despite there not being a natural connection between them.

Not so Bnei Israel, because from their Avot and their Imahot, Balaam saw them always ‘dwelling alone, and not being reckoned among the nations.’, nor intermingled.

The Netziv expounds: Balaam drew an analogy between Bnei Israel and a lofty mountain, the mountain, in its hardness, being rock-like, this alluding to the strength of the people’s emunah.

‘From hills’: the righteous among the people are likened to high hills, meaning - by way of praise - that they are above the natural order - this is what Balaam saw.

‘A people that dwell alone’: not like all other nations and peoples, who when exiled from their country, mingle with, and draw close to their exilers - even more than before their exile.

Not so, Israel, who ‘dwells alone’, and does not mingle with the local people, but ‘dwells’ in tranquility and honor, so that all can see ‘that the Name of Hashem is called upon him’.

‘And not reckoned among the nations’: - should they wish to mingle with the local people, he is ‘not reckoned’ in their eyes, ‘as a person’.

Our Sages (Sanhedrin 104.) say: We read ( Vezot haBracha 33:28) ’And Israel dwelled safely and alone as Yaakov blessed them..’- now, see how they sit alone as Yaakov- meaning: My Will was that they should be ‘alone’: not intermingled with other peoples - then they would ‘dwell safely’, but, alas, now that they seek to be like all other peoples, they ‘sit alone’, from the other peoples, as no people wishes to mingle with them.

We find this, in their exile in Egypt - as expounded by the Bet Halevi - that they abstained from circumcising themselves, saying: Let us be like the Egyptians; what did Hashem do? He turned the hearts of the Egyptians towards them, to hatred.

They thought that since they were in exile, it was appropriate for then not to be different than the locals - yet the opposite happened: the Egyptians distanced themselves from them.

The reason for this, is because Israel has a different and loftier צורה: ’form’ than all other peoples, as Isaiah says:(49:8) ’ואצרך: and I will make you the people of the covenant..’- meaning: I have made you in a special form.

Therefore, one who acts against his form, can be likened to a monkey in the form of a man - so, a Jew who seeks to be like the other people, becomes repugnant in the eyes of those other people - in the words of Hosea (8:8): ’Now in the eyes of the other peoples, like a utensil they have no wish for.’

Rav Meir Robman - brought in the Sefer ‘Yalkut Lekach Tov’, comments, that Balaam’s wonderment at Bnei Israel being apart from all other nations, can be well understood, from the well-known words of the Rambam, that man - by his nature - is drawn in his attitudes and deeds after those of his friends and associates, and the customs of the land. This explains Balaam’s wonderment, as to how, in every aspect of life - their clothing, their food and all their ways, Bnei Israel - despite always being a very small minority in the populace - kept their own way of life, different and apart from thr locals, without intermingling with them.

Balaam gives the answer: The answer to this phenomenon, can be found in the passuk preceding this statement, that ‘they were a people that dwell alone’, when he says: ’For from its origins, I see it rock-like’ - these are the Avot, ‘and from hills do I see it’- these are the Imahot’ as Rashi notes, the Avot and the Matriarchs are the foundation and the anchor on which the people rest during all the generations.

We see clearly that the power of ‘dwell alone’ we inherited from the holy Avot.

The Torah tells of Avraham Ha’Ivri: Avraham, the Hebrew, on which our Sages expound in the Midrash: ‘All the world on one side, and he, on the other side- singular was he in his way’ - the way of Hashem, as against the whole world who engaged in idolatry, and he stood steadfast like a wall, in his faith in Hashem - not mixing with them, or assimilating.

To the contrary, he went and taught the whole world that there is one Creator who is the master of heaven and earth.

One is obligated to say: ‘When will my deeds reach those of my forefathers, Avraham Yitzchak and Yaakov?’

This applies equally to our subject. Our duty is to be steadfast in the maelstrom in which we stand, in today’s world.

We are to remain apart from the other nations, and from those of our brethren who have fallen to their wiles - not to be influenced by them, but rather, to try to share the light of the Torah, to light their way from their darkness.’

Rav Yosef Chaim Shneur Kotler, brings the words of the Ramban: I look, and see them, that they dwell alone, and there is no people with them, unlike the many people and nations which gather together, to be one camp; but they all have one Torah, and one law, and are one people, who dwell alone under the banners of Yaakov and Israel.

So it is said in the Gemara (Bra’ 11:): ’Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us His Torah’, this is the choicest of all the blessings.

Expounds the Rav: Read literally, the intent of these words, is that Israel is special in its essence and being, and is not included in the number of nations, nor counted in one count with the rest of the nations.

The Ramban, however, expounds, that the separation came by the giving of the Torah- as we read in the blessing that was established on the Torah: 'Who chose us from all the nations, and gave us His Torah.’

The Targum Yonatan ben Uziel adds: This people do not behave in the ways of the other nations.

This inevitably means that they will be different in their whole way of life and conduct, as we indeed find specified in the Torah, in mitzvot such as what foods are forbidden to them, the principle being:(Kedoshim 20:24) ’I am G-d, your G-d, who has distinguished you from other peoples’.

This distinguishment being the objective of all that pertains to the nation of Israel- our main work is to go in this way, and to take care not to go in the ways of the nations, which would change the nature and essence of the purity and sanctity of the nation of Israel.

Israel are required to be separate in all that they do, general and particular, as it says:(Acharei Mot 18:3) ’You shall not follow their statutes’, and the intention is not only deeds that relate to idolatry, but also to general deeds, which have no specific reason, and are only ‘their statutes’ - in these, too, we are required to be distinguished from the nations.

The reason for this, is that every deed that a person does, has a source in his soul, from which source his deed arises.

In this, Israel differ from the other nations, in their essence and in their source; further, in Israel all the deeds have an objective and a purpose.

Therefore, even though these deeds may be appropriate for the nations, they are forbidden to Israel, as they do not lead to the attainment of our purpose and objective.

Rashi, on the passuk in our parsha (23:9): ’Who counted the dust of Yaakov..’ comments: The number of Mitzvot they fulfill with dust, are innumerable: ‘You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey’, ‘You shall not sow your field with a mixture of seeds’ - the Midrash continues, listing many other Mitzvot to which this applies.

Continues the Rav: This is because in every thing, there is the opportunity to fulfill a Mitzvah; more than this - this converts the act to the performance of a Mitzvah.

The deeds of the nations, even those which in themselves have no bad aspect, since they are not directed to this purpose, therefore remain as bare deeds without purpose - for this reason: ’You shall not follow their statutes - this leading to ‘a people who dwell alone’.

For this reason, that Balaam said: 'Who counts the dust of Yaakov or numbered a quarter of Israel’, meaning: even the physical deeds of Israel, have this lofty and praise-worthy level, because they themselves are deemed as fulfilling Mitzvot, as they are directed to the desire objective.

This is why our Sages say, that ‘one eye of Balaam was blinded’, this because he could not comprehend this matter, that it is possible to infuse sanctity into every physical deeds, and that, in this, Israel differ from all the other nations, whose wisest and most righteous men do not have this ability to sanctify physical deeds.

It was because of this, that one of the eyes of Balaam was ‘blinded’ - he was unable to suffer this reality of sanctity, in the objects of this world.

Rav Eliyahu Shlezinger expounds that, from our parsha, we learn a new foundation, as to the passuk: ’A people that dwells alone and not be reckoned among the nations’: Our Avot and Matriarchs in all the past generations were founded and steadfast in this, not veering from their faithfulness, despite the countless tribulations which they suffered, not ceding even one minhag, such as their way of dress as Jews.

The unyielding stand of our Avot and Imahot, stood their descendants in good stead, from generation to generation, in remaining as a ‘people that dwells alone and not reckoned amongst the nations’.

In all the days of our galut - from place to place - when in every place, the overwhelmimg majority of the populace was not Jewish, with their culture and deities, behold this wonder: The Jews did not go in their ways, and did not change their own traditions - not changing their language, nor their traditional Jewish names, which were the names of our holy Avot and Matriarchs.

Even the wicked hater of Jews, Balaam, knew to appreciate those he meant to curse, being unable to be oblivious to the might of this reality that confronted him, till he was compelled to be moved to praise them.

Last, the exposition of Rav Gedalia Schorr: In Parashat Vayishlach, we learned of the level of Yaakov Avinu, that it was לבדו: ‘ by himself’, always ‘alone’, his thoughts cleaving to Hashem.

This is what Balaam said on the nation as a whole, that they inherited this attribute from Yaakov Avinu, to be לבדד: ‘by itself’, like he was לבדו : ‘by himself’ - as it says in Parashat Vezot Habracha (33:28): ’And Israel dwelled safely and alone, as Yaakov (blessed them) in a land of grain and wine’ - meaning that they inherited this level, so that it was at the level of being able to ‘dwell safely and alone’, like the level of Yaakov: just as he was at the level of לבדו: ’by himself’, so too, his seed, as a result, throughout the generations, were able to not go in the ways of statutes of the nations, but to remain ‘alone’.

Our Sages took care to maintain this separation, enacting decrees so that we do not mingle with the nations, such as forbidding their wine, lest we thereby come close to their daughters, and the like.

Likewise, the leaders of the nation throughout the generations were on the guard to keep the level of the people, to be לבדו: by itself - as whilst they are לבדו: ‘alone’, they are בטח: safe, that they would keep their sanctity and level, as Hashem’s nation.

We find that when the people did not maintain their status of ‘alone’, Divine Providence ensured that they should be distanced by the nations - causing them to become hated, where they had sought to be favored, as we found at the beginning of their sojourn in Egypt.

Whilst this was against the will of the people at those times, Hashem’s Will was that they not go in their ways, but remain faithful to their mission to be ‘a people that dwells alone’.’

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/411473