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30 April 2025
NOTICE From Rabbi Pesach Lerner
Save The Hilltop Youth...... PLEASE ALREADY!
CLIMATOLOGY 101
EVERYTHING you need to know about the world and its weather.
Maughvet’s three inviolable climate axioms:
1. Temperatures tend toward extreme cold at the poles.
2. Rainfall in the equatorial latitudes is more abundant.
[Psst...write them down!]
3. Everything else you read on the topic is piffle.
With a love that could melt the polar ice caps,
Dean Maughvet
AND THE OPPOSITE TO * "With Jews Like These" ARE THE RELIGIOUS ZIONISTS
who attempt to meld their commitment to Hashem with their idealism of Zionism let history and HKB"H be the only judge of them
The Life and Legacy of my husband, Rabbi Avraham Yosef (Avi) Goldberg Hy"d
This Yom Hazikaron, Torah Mitzion honors the life, spirit, and legacy of Rabbi Avraham Yosef (Avi) Goldberg Hy"d, a true model of Torah, leadership, and heroism. by Rachel Goldberg, a wife that embodies what her husband was.
Rav Avi Goldberg was born to Aryeh Leib and Rivka on the 25th of Nisan, 5741 (April 29, 1981), in Jerusalem. He served as Rosh Kollel of Torah Mitzion in Memphis, Tennessee from 2008 to 2011 (5769–5771). As a shaliach, he exemplified commitment to Torah, community, and Israel, building deep bonds through chavrutot, shiurim, and vibrant communal life. He was a neighbor, a mentor, and a spiritual guide whose influence continues to resonate.
After his years abroad, Rav Avi continued to impact Israeli society. He was a beloved rabbi and educator at the Himelfarb Religious Boys High School in Jerusalem, a wedding officiant and marriage counselor through the Tzohar organization. He was also an outstanding musician. Rav Avi embodied the spirit of "Safra v'Saifa" — a man who brought to life the ethos of "the Torah and the sword", learning Torah and defending his country. As a reserve captain in the IDF, he served as a fighter and a military rabbi in Battalion 8207 of the Alon Brigade (228). His commitment extended beyond what was required: despite being exempt from reserve duty due to his age and family status, he chose to continue to serve, carrying heavy physical and emotional responsibilities with humility and strength.
On October 27, 2024 (25 Tishrei 5785), during the Swords of Iron War, Rav Avi fell heroically in battle inside Lebanon. He is the only military rabbi to have fallen in combat since the establishment of the State of Israel. His sacrifice symbolizes the spirit of "Milchemet Mashiv Haruach" — translated as the War to Restore the Spirit, as the IDF Rabbinate proclaimed the war should be called, a play on the fact that Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hagashem, literally meaning bringing the wind and rain, is recited during the Silent Prayer from Shmini Atzeret (October 7 in 2023) on through the winter The phrase echoed his life's mission: to infuse Am Yisrael with renewed faith, strength, and resilience.
Rav Avi leaves behind his loving wife Rachel, their eight children, his parents, and a brother — and a legacy of humility, devotion, and unwavering courage. His life serves as a living testament that greatness is achieved through faith, action, love for the Jewish people, and dedication to building a better future.
Torah Mitzion shares with you a film created in his memory - a powerful story of faith, heroism, and hope that will continues to inspire generations.
May his memory be a blessing and a call to live with strength, purpose, and heart.
Life is comprised of the "grey" and not only what appears to be of life.
Esser Agaroth: עם יהודים כאלה... / With Jews Like This...
עם יהודים כאלה... / With Jews Like This...
ראש החודש השני תשפ״ה
Hebrew follows the English
Esser Agaroth’s (2¢) Substack!
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ראש עיריית הוד השרו yes, both are the same person - what happened to this youngster? |
Arutz 7: Holocaust Memorial Day: Hod Hasharon Mayor's shameful speech
Mayor of Hod Hasharon Amir Kochavi speaks at the Holocaust Memorial Day ceremony and compares Nazi horrors to IDF's activities in Gaza.
Israel National News, Apr 24, 2025
Esser Agaroth(2¢):
So, who is Amir Kochavi? Here are a few items, gleaned from the highly flawed Wikipedia:
Kochavi is a descendant of Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk
and so much more
FIND OUT AT Esser Agaroth’s (2¢) Substack!
“STOP THE HATRED” he shouts…..
Stop the hatred’: As Israel marks Memorial Day, Herzog pleads for peace within society
WHO is responsible for all the WARS, the dead and dying, and injured?
Who is responsible for the deliberate 2020 Covid fiasco? And the dead and maimed?
What about All the children sacrificed to Molech in medical experimentation? And the dead and maimed?
Who is responsible for October 7? And the dead, suffering, and maimed?
WAKE UP FROM THE ZIONIST DREAM, it was ONLY a dream!
Look at the reality!
The Zionist Dream needs to be replaced with the benevolent Sages of the Torah.
We need Moshe Rabbeinu again!
I’m living her since 2010 and except for th3 first few months of euphoria it’s been downhill since then! The country that is, not my devotion to HKB”H and the coming Geula!
29 April 2025
"SECRET ZIONIST CONGRESS ELECTIONS"??
The 'SECRET' Elections Shaping (threatening) Israel's Future
Most of the Jewish public is unfamiliar with the World Zionist Congress, despite it being essentially "the parliament of the Jewish people." Since Theodor Herzl convened the first World Zionist Congress about 127 years ago, it has met every five years, bringing together delegates from around the world. In just a few days, on May 4, a significant opportunity will open for American Jews to influence the future of Zionist institutions — and Israeli policy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/407531
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Below are specific excerpts from the article :
[...] The World Zionist Congress is composed of about 500 delegates: one-third appointed by Israel’s Knesset, one-third elected through voting in the United States, and one-third from the rest of the world. Every five years, Jews worldwide vote for their representatives, determining the leadership of four key national institutions: the World Zionist Organization, Keren Hayesod (United Israel Appeal), the Jewish National Fund (JNF-KKL), and the Jewish Agency for Israel.
AH, NOW I HAVE MY ANSWER TO THE "$5 AND VOTE" COMMENT SOMEONE LEFT ME:
[...] any Jew living in the U.S. can register, pay five dollars, and vote online. "This is the opportunity to make a difference," MK Tal emphasizes. "These are major and critical institutions - the parliament of the Jewish people. Now is the time to call your relatives in America, take five minutes, and vote."
In recent months, a troubling trend has emerged: the "Brothers in Arms" organization, which has gained significant influence in Israel since October 7, is now making moves to take control of the national institutions. "This shows they understand just how powerful these institutions are," Sherman says. "If 'Brothers in Arms' succeed in electing the heads of Zionist institutions, it will be another stronghold they use to interfere with Zionist activities in Israel."
MK (Ohad) Tal warns: "We are in the midst of a battle over Israel’s very identity. We see it on every front; in the judiciary, in the security establishment, in academia, in the media, in religious life, and now in the national institutions. If 'Brothers in Arms' controls the leadership of the Zionist institutions, there will be no Zionism."
NOT JUST ZIONISM, BUT TORAH LIFE IN PARTICULAR. THE THREAT IS REAL
[...] The upcoming elections will determine the character of the national institutions for years to come. "We are in a battle for the soul of the State of Israel," concludes MK Tal. "This is not just about money, it’s about the Jewish and Zionist identity of Israel, and the future of the Israel-Diaspora connection."
To read the full article and what I omitted, it is important to read: "Secret Elections" at https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/407531
OF COURSE, OUR AUTHENTIC TORAH RABBINIC LEADERS HAVE A GREATER INSIGHT AND HOPEFULLY GUIDANCE FROM ABOVE TO ANALYZE AND GIVE THE TORAH COMMUNITY ADVICE.
************************
many questions come to mind:
1 Who comprises the "Jewish public" being spoken to?
2 what will be the "voting options" for American Jews? What are they being asked to vote on?
3 if the Orthodox community does not vote, that leaves the unaffiliated to have their voice heard, and their choices might lean toward the current "woke" mindset, and the anti-religious; it might be very detrimental to have their vote without an Orthodox (frum) input.
4 without a fair and complete input from all 'segments' of American Jews the outcome will be slanted.
5 to begin with there are more non-religious than religious Jews in America; that being mostly unaffiliated and halachically questionable Jews. The Reform and other 'movements' claiming to be Jewish are liable to have a stronger showing and greater influence.
6 this screams "Who is a Jew"
7 Leftist, anti-religious Zionists seek to gain a monopoly over the Religious citizens of Eretz Yisrael. One must concern themselves with the positive and negative outcome of this venture.
8 there are so many questions ...........
IT DOES EXPOSE A GENUINE THREAT TO A TORAH WAY OF LIFE IN OUR HOMELAND ERETZ YISRAEL
BUT I DON"T SEE WHERE THIS WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE RELIGIOUS AND OBSERVANT COMMUNITY IN ISRAEL, IN BOTH AREAS OF POLICIES AND LIFESTYLE. EVEN IF EVERY TORAH JEW IN NEW YORK STATE, NEW JERSEY, AND IN ALL OF AMERICA VOTED, THEY WOULD NOT REPRESENT THE MAJORITY OF JEWS IN AMERICA. BUT NOT VOTING COULD PRODUCE A LANDSLIDE AGAINST TORAH VALUES AND GREATER EREV RAV DOMINANCE.
PLEASE COMMENT AND GIVE OTHER READERS FOOD FOR THOUGHT AND ENCOURAGEMENT
SOME “ Zionists REALLY ARE not-Jews”
Zionists are not Jews’: Haredi extremists harass recruits from their community at IDF centers
Police clash with [attack] jeering, road-blocking protesters; IDF chief denounces extremists, says army ‘needs everyone’; Religious Zionism MK appears at base to support Haredi recruit
this guy was kicking (w/right foot) the youth on the ground
who is this guy?
MK Rothman Interview on Judea and Samaria
MK Rothman: Sovereignty Over Judea and Samaria “Depends on *Us”
*is the "Us" actually "US" or "voting in the WZO ....."?
Listen to Huckabee on the Abraham Accords:
Huckabee: Trump Decision on Judea, Samaria Sovereignty on Hold......U.S. President Donald Trump is not expected to announce a decision on recognizing Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria in the coming weeks, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee told JNS in Jerusalem on Monday night [...] https://vinnews.com/2025/04/28/huckabee-trump-decision-on-judea-samaria-sovereignty-on-hold/
28 April 2025
*Shapiro – Netanyahu – Zelensky
thought this interesting to hear
this is not political and any kind of endorsement, but Bibi talking about his father
*Ben Shapiro has been doing alot of "interviewing" lately:
Shmini - Moshe's Admission
Why do the sons of Aharon, Elazar and Itamar, merit to be part of a special prophecy? What was Moshe concerned about in regards to the sacrifice that was brought and was burned instead of being eaten? What was Aharon's humble response, and how did Moshe take it? Why were Elazar and Itamar silent if the rebuke of Moshe was directed toward them? What were the three instances that Moshe got angry and why did this cause him to forget a halacha? How does this forgetfulness work retroactively - he forgot it before he got angry?! What is the lesson of the fact that Moshe announced to the entire camp that he had made this mistake and been corrected by his brother Aharon?
Parshas Chodesh Iyar
Secrets of Chodesh Iyar
Is Tzitzis the Only Mitzvah Equal To All 613? {Daf Hashavua Iyun Sugya Nedarim 25a}
Why Is a Neder that Is Partially Muttar Completely Muttar? The Machlokes Rosh & Ran
Parshas Tazria - Metzora
ALL PARSHA - The Chasam Sofer on Parshas Tazria
ALL PARSHA - The Chasam Sofer on Parshas Metzorah
The Yahrtzeit of Rav Chaim Vital & the Desecration of His Grave - ל' ניסן
The Incredible Chidush the Kozhiglover Told Rav Yosef Engel as A Bachur
The Yahrtzeit of the "Eretz Tzvi" Rav Aryeh Tzvi Fromer כ"ז ניסן
27 April 2025
Esser Agaroth: האפיפיור נפטר. אז מה? / The Pope is Dead. Whatever.
Esser Agaroth (2¢):
So, the pope died.
So, the pope died.
I knew there was a reason for the timing of the release of the movie Conclave, a thriller centered around the Vatican's process of selecting a new pope.
Coincidence? Or were they expecting the death of the 88 year old pope in ill health, sooner than later. This pope's views were, at times, considered controversial by Catholics. I will let the conservative and liberal Catholics discuss amongst themselves about that.
Here I will address the leader of the Catholic Church, as he relates to Israel.
But first off...ברוך הטוב ומטיב
המבין יבין
Many of social media have taken issue with this comment, and others like it. Even those decrying this pope's anti-Israel stances want to claim that we are not to celebrate the downfall of our enemies.
I cannot believe that old canard is still being bandied around. I guess it is by Reform, Reconstructionist, or whatever Movement's supplementary school graduates who either did not get the memo, or received a revised and distorted version of it.
So, for their benefit, I'll just leave this here:
ABOUT THAT MOVIE AND MUCH MORE
ESSERAGAROTH SUBSTACK
Concise Opinionated English&Hebrew
WHY THIS WAR? WHAT FOR?
APRIL 2025
Trump: Saudi Arabia Poised to Normalize Ties with Israel Under Abraham Accords
The subjugation of Israel under the “Accords”!
https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/2391979/trump-saudi-arabia-poised-to-normalize-ties-with-israel-under-abraham-accords.html
Read this: From Sovereignty to Subjugation: The Hidden Agenda Behind ‘Israel’s’ Wars
* * * * * * * *
JANUARY 2025
The Day The IDF Stood Still
President Trump’s Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said that the hostage and ceasefire deal that went into effect between Israel and the Hamas Islamic organization is a step towards a normalization deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia
As noted, President Trump’s Abraham Accords are a series of treaties normalizing diplomatic relations between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco, facilitated by the U.S. administration between August and December, 2020.
The new entity in the process of formation will be neither free nor independent, but rather part of a Middle Eastern Union dominated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and later, Egypt, much as the European Union is dominated by Germany, France, and Italy. Military, judiciary, and law enforcement will be jointly administered by Israeli and Palestinian committees, responsible to a supranational assembly and Middle East Court of Justice.
Evolving from the current District Coordinating Office (DCO) liaison arrangement that Israel agreed to in the Oslo Accords, Israeli and Palestinian police and armed forces will be combined into multinational units, with one justice system. This would mean that “Israel” would have to obtain Saudi approval to use its forces on a national basis.
Witkoff continued discussing the emerging arrangement with Saudi Arabia: “I think that normalization is an amazing opportunity for the region. It’s basically the beginning of the end of war. The beginning of the end of war means that the entire region becomes investable, it becomes financeable. Banks do not have to underwrite whether the Houthis, Hezbollah, or Hamas is going to fire a missile and take down a hyperscale data center. So I think that normalization is huge for the State of Israel, it’s huge for the region, and hopefully it happens.”
THE ABRAHAM ACCORDS: A TROJAN HORSE FOR THE END OF THE JEWISH STATE
Many Israelis believe that those leading the nation and conducting hostage negotiations on its behalf are the very same ones responsible for ordering the IDF to stand down for eight hours, facilitating the hostage capture in the first place.
As evidence, they recall that:
– Numerous government reports predicted the October 7th Simchat Torah attacks,
– while independent and official experts issued similar reports.
– Direct warnings were submitted by foreign governments, Israeli intelligence officers, and forward observers in the field of specific attack plans, months in advance.
– Infiltrations using airborne craft as weapons were allowed by Israel to continue for five years.
– Israel had prior knowledge of training for the attacks,
– and enemy combatants were under surveillance beforehand.
– Israel disabled its security apparatus immediately prior to the attacks,
– domain names advertised the attacks,
– and there was ample prior knowledge of the attacks among Gaza’s “civilians.”
– Caucasian military advisors were deployed among the attackers,
– and Israeli officials admitted that this was no surprise.
– while independent and official experts issued similar reports.
– Direct warnings were submitted by foreign governments, Israeli intelligence officers, and forward observers in the field of specific attack plans, months in advance.
– Infiltrations using airborne craft as weapons were allowed by Israel to continue for five years.
– Israel had prior knowledge of training for the attacks,
– and enemy combatants were under surveillance beforehand.
– Israel disabled its security apparatus immediately prior to the attacks,
– domain names advertised the attacks,
– and there was ample prior knowledge of the attacks among Gaza’s “civilians.”
– Caucasian military advisors were deployed among the attackers,
– and Israeli officials admitted that this was no surprise.
Israel’s role comes into sharper focus in the context of this report’s analysis. October 7th was conceived to propel Israelis into the war hysteria necessary for them to unwittingly commit their army as a forward shock troop for the global new world order.
Israeli boys are fighting, getting maimed, and dying to clear out Shia entrenchment to make the Middle East safe for Saudi and American financial interests. This is the meaning of Israeli campaigns in Gaza, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, and elsewhere.
This is the function of U.S. President Donald Trump’s Abraham Accords.
[Excerpt from https://jewishhome.news/trump-the-rise-of-the-triad-and-israel-the-emergence-of-three-totalitarian-global-superstates/]
______________
26 April 2025
Rabbi Weissman: Molech Then and Now Part Two: Vaccines and Covid
From what we learned in part one we can derive many fundamental points about avoda zara in general and Molech in particular, including:
1) Proponents of idolatry used scare tactics to lure people, warning them that harm would befall their property or their children if they did not perform an act of worship. They preyed on people's fears and emotions, circumventing the need for rational arguments, which would not have been nearly as effective in luring people.
2) Because people's attachment to idolatry was emotional and irrational in nature, it was extremely difficult to talk sense to them. A hysterical mother who feared that only subservience to Molech would protect her children from harm would not be receptive to a reasonable argument — even if it meant sacrificing one of her children to save the others.
3) As such, those who had become lured into idolatrous practices would feel threatened by those who tried to reason with them, and would react with heated emotions.
4) As idolatrous practices became more widespread, eventually becoming the norm and even “accepted science”, the social pressure to conform would become overwhelming. This would become the main impetus for people to submit, even if they had misgivings and doubts.
5) At this point, those who raised rational arguments against the social norms and “science” would be mocked, ostracized, and persecuted.
6) Furthermore, those who refused to offer sacrifices and “share the burden” would be portrayed as selfish and existential threats who endangered everyone else, with dire potential consequences.
7) Those who served idolatry would thus experience a complete inversion of reality. No matter how much harm befell them, they would claim it would have been even worse if they didn't serve idolatry, and they would double down on their idolatry, making more and greater sacrifices. (For a clear example of this from Tanach, I have copied below part five of my 2021 series on historical lessons from Yirmiya).
8) Most importantly, like much of avoda zara, Molech is predicated on the notion of “the greater good”: there is no alternative but to actively sacrifice individuals for the sake of the collective, and we must always do so without compunction.
9) Like Molech, this ideology guarantees that what people fear most — their main impetus for serving idolatry in the first place — will not be prevented. Not only will it not be prevented, it will come to pass, ironically and perversely, at the very hands of those who submit to it. Idolatry consumes its own.
10) The Molech / Greater Good ideology is further predicated on the false belief that that which people fear most cannot be prevented — it can only be reduced by actively sacrificing some people to save the collective.
11) Although the ancient idolatries are no longer in practice in their original forms (at least not in the open), vestiges of them remain.
12) Although the Men of the Great Assembly neutralized the yetzer hara for idolatry, the dangers of falling prey to idolatry still remain, which is why Tanach is filled with warnings about it. Although people no longer have an intense natural desire to run and serve idolatry, as they do with other sins, such as immorality, they can still be duped into idolatrous behavior.
For example, none of the lost souls who attended the Nova music festival on October 7 felt a yetzer hara to dance around a Buddhist statue. They would have been just as happy partying without it. But it was there, and it was the thing to do, so they went along with it.
* * *
The Torah-minded Jew — and any decent human being — would scoff at the accusation that he is following in the ways of ancient Molech worshippers. He would find the comparison too far-fetched, too horrific and — deep down — too personally threatening to consider it. Yet, with all the above in mind, we can easily see how deeply Molech / Greater Good ideology has penetrated our society.
The most obvious example is the ideology behind mass vaccination in general, with the Covid era in particular. Even most vaccine advocates will concede, if grudgingly, that some people will be seriously injured and killed as a direct result of taking the shots. Nevertheless, they argue that almost everyone, if not everyone, should be coerced and even compelled to take vaccines for the Greater Good.
In other words, we are knowingly sacrificing some people with the actions of our own hands for the presumed benefit of saving others.
This is not medicine. This is not giving medical treatments that carry potential risk to people who are already sick, because it is nevertheless the best option for these specific individuals in their specific situation.
This is taking healthy people and sacrificing them for the presumed benefit to others.
This is Molech.
Granted, not everyone who undergoes the sacrificial ritual of injection will necessarily be harmed...but the same was true with Molech.
Actively sacrificing some people for the Greater Good is the ideology of Molech. This ideology is the foundation of much of the medical world today.
As with Molech, even religious Jews were lured by an intense, relentless campaign of fear-mongering, warning that their loved ones would die if they did not participate. Indeed, all of humanity would be threatened by those who refused.
As with Molech, even those with doubts and misgiving were brought to submission mainly by social pressure, without their concerns addressed with appropriate consideration, or even truthful information.
As with Molech, attempts to reason with people were met with strong emotional reactions.
As with Molech, dissenters were mocked and ostracized, potentially facing dire consequences as the ideology became widespread.
As with Molech, they were called selfish, blamed for the harm that befell others and society, and portrayed as an existential threat to all of humanity.
As with Molech, many of those who suffered harm from the shots continued to deny reality, arguing that it would have been even worse if they hadn't taken the shots. Instead of admitting the truth and changing course, they doubled down.
As with Molech, those who conceded that the shots were injuring and killing at least some people claimed that this was a necessary sacrifice for the Great Good.
As with Molech, they claimed there was no better option. Either we actively harmed some people with our own hands, or even more would die.
As with Molech, that which they feared and sought to prevent, they brought upon themselves.
As with Molech, they experienced a complete inversion of reality. The more they doubled down, the worse it became – more sickness, more death, more tyranny. It only stopped when they stopped. Yet, they still believe they saved the world, when just the opposite is true.
In part three we will further examine how the Molech / Greater Good ideology has infiltrated society. Hopefully Torah-minded and other decent people will take these lessons to heart and change course accordingly.
Historical Lessons from Yirmiya - Part 5 (October 2021):
After murdering Gedalya and many others, Yishmael ben Nesanya took the remnant of Judea hostage and was leading them to Ammon. Yochanan ben Koreach had warned Gedalya, but was dismissed as a conspiracy theorist. When he heard what happened, he gathered the other militiamen and chased after Yishmael's group. Yochanan's men overtook Yishmael in Givon.
When the captives saw Yochanan and his men, they rejoiced and joined his camp (41:13-14). Yishmael escaped with eight men and absconded to Ammon. That is the last we hear of him.
One observation that bears mention is that the captives greatly outnumbered their captors, as is generally the case. However, they did not put up any resistance until a formidable group of fighters came to rescue them. This is understandable; it is uncertain that they would have been able to overwhelm their captors, who were armed and experienced fighters. When Yochanan arrived, the balance of power shifted, and the people immediately joined his side.
Most of humanity finds itself in a similar situation today. They are being held hostage by a ruling class that has turned totally against them, policed by heartless enforcers who display contempt for the people they are supposed to protect. Their God-given freedoms have been snatched away and held on a string before them as privileges, to be temporarily earned through obedience to their slave masters. The world has become a large prison, in which the inmates are granted time to exercise in the yard, and, if they behave, occasional parole.
It seems most unlikely that those who have seized this unfathomable control over humanity will relinquish their grip voluntarily or peacefully. One cannot expect oppressed people to free themselves of this tyranny when they lack weapons and organization. However, if and when the balance of power shifts, and there can be some semblance of a fair fight, they may well rejoice and join those who come to rescue them.
*
After the remnant of Judea was rescued by Yochanan ben Koreach, they faced a dilemma. They feared the Babylonians would believe they were complicit in the murder of Gedalya, whom the Babylonians had appointed as governor. Remaining in Israel was extremely dangerous. Yochanan and the remnant of Judea decided to emigrate to Egypt.
Leaving aside the biblical prohibition of Jews returning to Egypt, the parameters of which are the subject of dispute (naturally), Egypt was a dubious destination in any case. Tzidkiyahu had revolted against Nevuchadnetzar because he counted on the Egyptians to defend Israel against the Babylonians. In the moment of truth, however, the Egyptians were nowhere to be found (37:7, Rashi, Eicha Rabba 4:20).
The prophets consistently condemned Israel's reliance on foreign nations to protect it; not once was this portrayed as anything other than a grievous betrayal against Hashem. This “pragmatic” reliance on foreign nations directly led to Israel's defeat, often at the hands of these very nations. This is one more fundamental lesson that most Jews, even “religious” ones, have failed to internalize to this day.
Now Yochanan and the remnant of Judea planned on fleeing Israel for Egypt, hoping to find refuge there. The situation in Israel was extremely precarious, while Egypt had thus far been untouched by the war, famine, and plagues that had devastated Israel. Life in galus was far more attractive. It was the pragmatic choice, and surely God would support the pragmatic choice.
Before making the move, however, they sought a rabbinic stamp of approval. Yochanan, his men, and all the people approached Yirmiyahu. They begged him to pray for them and find out what Hashem wanted them to do. The people repeatedly pledged to do whatever Hashem told them, whether they liked it or not (42:1-6).
Only after ten days did Hashem give Yirmiyahu a message. Perhaps this was to give the people a chance to calm down, collect their thoughts, and allay their fears. After all, people do not make wise decisions when in a state of fear (as we see all too well).
The message was unequivocal. If the Jews remained in Israel, Hashem would build them back up, for He had enough of the evil that had befallen them. They should not fear the king of Bavel; Hashem would protect them.
If, however, the Jews moved to Egypt, thinking life there would be better, they would arouse Hashem's fury. The very sword, famine, and pestilence they thought they were escaping would find them there. They would be destroyed in Egypt, never to see Israel again. Yirmiyahu hammered this warning home several times. He concluded by saying that he knew their entreaties to him and their pledge to Hashem were insincere, and that the Jews would disregard his words (42:7-22).
The remnant of Judah, from small to great, responded to Yirmiyahu as follows: “You are speaking lies! Hashem our God did not send you to tell us not to come to Egypt to live there. Baruch ben Nerya turned you against us in order to deliver us into the hands of the Chaldeans, so they can kill us and exile us to Bavel.” (43:1-3)
This response would be comical if it weren't so tragic. Yirmiyahu had a perfect track record of unpopular prophecies coming true, and the people had unanimously pledged to heed his words no matter what. Didn't matter. Yirmiyahu told them what they didn't want to hear, so they accused him of being a false prophet who was spreading “dangerous misinformation” and conspiring to kill them.
Yochanan and his group took Yirmiyahu and Baruch captive and went to Egypt.
The Jews who lived through this ancient Holocaust might have wondered where God was in all of it. God was busy giving them yet another chance, in spite of it all.
After the remnant of Judea settled in Egypt, Hashem sent them a final warning. All they had done to this point, all the prophetic warnings they had defied, was bad enough. Not only had they moved to Egypt, they were now serving idolatry there. Yirmiyahu warned them that Hashem would utterly destroy them, save a tiny number of survivors (44:1-14).
It is not surprising at this point that the people disregarded this prophecy as well. What is surprising is the claim they made in doing so. They said they would not listen to Yirmiyahu's words, but would continue to serve idolatry in the tradition of their forefathers, kings, and leaders. While they had served idolatry, all had been well, and the problems only started when they had stopped (44:15-19). Radak notes that they had never stopped this “tradition”. He says the people rationalized that they had become lax in their idolatrous observance, angering the gods and precipitating their troubles (44:18).
After this ludicrous twisting of reality, their fate is finally sealed.
We read this story and wonder how people could be so stupid, so dense, so completely out of their minds. How could they accuse Yirmiyahu of being a false prophet? He had hit home run after home run, while all the false prophets had been thoroughly proven wrong. How could they witness all that had befallen Israel and conclude that they hadn't served idolatry enough, that that was the problem?
Then we see people all around us continuing to trust pathological liars, no matter how many times they are caught in lies or otherwise steer them wrong. The words of these false prophets directly correlate to a steady deterioration in their lives. Everything they advised people would be good for their health has only harmed it. Everything they promised would lead to a restoration of the freedom that was seized from them has only furthered the tyranny.
People all around us trust the pathological liars, the godless “experts”, the heartless monsters. They get injected with crap that is supposed to keep them healthy, but it ruins their health. Instead of drawing the obvious conclusion – the shot is crap – they conclude that their health was ruined despite the shot, not because of it. They need more shots, and more shots, an endless supply of shots to boost all the previous shots that have failed and damaged their bodies in so many ways.
They need more masks to obstruct their breathing and dehumanize them, and more lockdowns to sacrifice everyone but the rich and powerful on the altar of “public health”, and more isolation from perfectly healthy people because you can never be too afraid for your own good.
Normal religious life is over forever. The only mitzva that matters is to lower one's chance of getting the virus du jour, however slightly, no matter the sacrifice.
They haven't served idolatry enough. That's the problem.
At this point in the period of Yirmiyahu, any Jew who had any hope of waking up had already woken up. The rest had twisted reality and corrupted their minds to such an extent that nothing, but nothing would turn them around. Show them one person who died because of idolatry. Prove it! There's no evidence!
God did not destroy them. God gave them chance after chance, warning after warning. They blew every chance and defied every warning, a perfect record of poor choices. They destroyed themselves. God only took them out of their misery.
The book of Yirmiya is not widely studied, even in yeshivas and seminaries. Most rabbis are ignorant of Tanach; in-depth Talmud study is where the glory is. When I was a student I was reprimanded in two different yeshivos for “wasting my time” studying Tanach.
Clearly Chazal and the great commentators throughout Jewish history did not consider Tanach a waste of time. The book of Yirmiya and the rest of Tanach are filled with urgent lessons to guide us through these times, and all times. There is virtually nothing “original” I added to these expositions, nor anything too profound; the messages jump right out of the text.
As was historically the case, the false prophets outnumber the people of integrity, but the truth is clear for all who wish to see it. I hope this series strengthens those who are faltering and wakes up those who can still be saved.
The remnant of Judea took every booster of idolatry until the bitter end. We are the remnant of the remnant. Let us be saved.
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In honor of Yom Hashoah, a vile kofer who attracts a large following with sewage like flies to feces routinely uses Nazi-like language in reference to a large segment of Jewish society. He should be put in cherem a thousand times over, by his own community.
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Visit rumble.com/c/c-782463 for my Torah classes, Amalek and Erev Rav programs, and much more.
Buy my books on Amazon here or contact me directly to purchase in Israel.
weissmans@protonmail.com
Download Tovim Ha-Shenayim as a PDF for free!
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