JUST ANOTHER DAY IN ISRAEL . . .

 

The six-year-old boy who was killed in an accident on Highway 60 near the Ma’ale Levona junction on Wednesday evening is Matan Zinman from the town of Shvut Rachel in the Binyamin region.

Matan was supposed to begin first grade in a month.

A preliminary investigation revealed that a Palestinian Arab vehicle crossed into the opposite lane and collided head-on with the vehicle in which Zinman was traveling with his mother and three brothers.

The mother, Rivka Zinman, and her four children were all evacuated for treatment at hospitals in Jerusalem. Matan arrived at the hospital in critical condition. Doctors fought for hours to save his life, but he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

The mother is in moderate condition, a 12-year-old girl is in serious condition, a 10-year-old boy is moderately injured and a six-month-old baby is lightly injured.

Rivka Zinman, who was driving the car with her children, said from the hospital on Wednesday evening,

 "We were driving on Highway 60 to a family gathering in Ariel. Suddenly a white Palestinian car emerged from the opposite lane and sped in front of me. I slowed down but the Palestinian car sped up. I realized it was going to hit me head-on and I was unable to stop. The collision was at an enormous speed. 

I lost my Matan to Arab terrorism on the road.”

The professional teams of the Binyamin Regional Council and the community of Shvut Rachel are looking after the needs of the family and the community. Social workers are accompanying the family members in the various hospitals.

PROSECUTE THE ARAB FOR INTENTIONAL MURDER

AND PUT HIM BEHIND BARS FOR LIFE!

Rabbi Weissman – CONTROLLED OPPOSITION

 

Controlled Opposition - The Erev Rav and the "Religious Zionists"

Watch this 2009 Meraglim documentary on the betrayal of the Yesha Council to enable the destruction of the Jewish communities of Gush Katif.

Watch how the Erev Rav phonies worked hand in hand with the Israeli police, the "holy" IDF, and the propaganda media to mislead well-meaning but naive and gullible "religious Zionists". This is EXACTLY what the Judenrat did for the Nazis, assisting them in keeping the Jews docile and compliant so they could be led like lambs to the slaughter.

The documentary concludes with the following defiant words: "We will not let the spies get away with it again."

Then came the masks, the house arrests ("quarantines" and "lockdowns"), the bodily invasions and DNA harvesting ("PCR tests"), the death shots, and the Nazi-style gesundheit papers ("green passports"). Same Erev Rav, same propaganda tactics -- in many cases the same characters! And the Dati Leumi fell for it all like no other segment of the population. They made a religion out of being slaughtered and turning against their own to serve the state.

Baaaaaah. Baaaaaaaaah.

Just a few years after helping destroy Gush Katif, many of the same Erev Rav still hold positions of influence within the Dati Leumi world. And the Dati Leumi are as obedient and compliant as ever. They make an avoda zara out of the state and the IDF as much as ever.

The Erev Rav plays them like fiddles. Same playbook, same results.

Baaaaaaah.

*   *   *

It's easy for us who understand what's going on to stay in our little cocoons of like-minded people and give up on trying to reach people at this point.  This is a catastrophic mistake.  So what if they continue to deny reality?  So what if they continue to dismiss powerful evidence because remaining under the spell is so much easier?   We are not allowed to give up fighting — for them!  

I'm telling you, I see it in my own life.  The guy in shul who publicly screamed daily at everyone for not wearing a mask (including me, which didn't turn out well for him) no longer wears one himself, and he is pleasant to me.  People in my family who mocked the “conspiracy” are still not fully on board with reality, but they are starting to have serious doubts.

Most of all: just a short time ago we wouldn't be able to get away with calling out these phony rabbis and “Jewish government” as Erev Rav working hand in hand with Amalek to destroy us.  The backlash from those around us would be overwhelming.  Now the backlash is an extreme, toothless minority.  The aura surrounding these phonies is being eroded. Their armor is being pierced.  They are like a boxer that has taken some serious body blows and is starting to wobble, even though he keeps throwing haymakers.

This is not the time to let up.  This is the time to keep pushing, harder than ever, and finally break the spell of the Erev Rav.  Don't be discouraged by the fools and miscreants who refuse to listen. Just keep going.

If the people who know the truth won't share it with the people who don't, who will?

______________________

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Download Tovim Ha-Shenayim as a PDF for free!

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Shloshim of Dr Velvel Zeev Zelenko zt”l

The first 40 or so minutes of this video you will hear a montage by Tzvi in memory of Dr Zelenko on his Shloshim (Thursday or Shabbos?)

The obsession with making everything on your computers gray and fuzzy has now attacked videos and photos; impossible to print a clear and sharp photo of a person or a thing.

Rabbi Green: Apartheid in Brooklyn

 Apartheid Brooklyn Business Alert in the heart of Crown Heights!

My family and I were shopping in Crown Heights, a hasidic neighborhood in Brooklyn. Suddenly I was shocked to see a sign hanging in the window of a coffee shop called "Chocolatte" stating that only the vaccinated may enter this business as per NYC requirement.

So I entered and asked the employee if that's the case, and if I'm violating their apartheid rule by entering the facility. She claimed to not know anything about it. I found that rather odd given the fact that it appeared that the new sign had recently been hung, so I ripped it down to show to her. (Awe shucks, it ripped in half)

She seemed a little annoyed that I had ripped it down, so I just tossed in the trash where it belonged.

So my chocobig question is, who put the abhorrent sign up at this presumably Jewish establishment when NYC no longer has any jab mandate? And why do the employees play dumb when asked?? Hmm…

NOTE:  The obsession with making everything on your computers gray and fuzzy has now attacked photos; impossible to print a clear and sharp photo of a person or a thing.

Rabbi Kessin: Our Loss & Their Gain READ NOTES

 Hashkafa Shiur #101

NOTES:

The workings of the Satan in relationship with Jews throughout our history

The Rabbi goes into the Creation Calendar, the “Divine Light”

Science and Messianic Light

And now, the advancement of science explodes

And is because we lose and the goyim have gained

Kabbala is the Messianic Light

The Medrash at the end of Kohelet describes the growth of wisdom in the Messianic Era

The Ari put his head down, and mumbles:  in the world of Asiya, he listens to a lecture of Shimon bar Yochai = you need to listen to Rabbi Kessin explain this! (near the end 56:00)

_____________________________

The obsession with making everything on your computers gray and fuzzy has now attacked videos and photos; impossible to print a clear and sharp photo of a person or a thing.

Something You Should Be Aware Of:

 

From August 1: Cash transactions above NIS 6,000 illegal

Offenders face significant fines & those splitting payments can be jailed. Law also applies to checks.

Israel's Law on Reducing the Use of Cash came into force in 2019 and next week, on August 1, the threshold for cash transactions is set to drop from NIS 11,000 to just NIS 6,000.

This amount refers to payments to businesses, including the self-employed and freelancers. Payments between private individuals (for example, when purchasing a property) have a higher cash threshold though that too is set to drop next week, from NIS 50,000 to NIS 15,000. The threshold for car purchases is the exception and will remain unchanged at NIS 50,000.

Around NIS 5 billion have already been collected in fines since the restrictions were voted into law. Tens of thousands of audit-raids on businesses have been conducted by the Tax Authority with thousands of violators penalized. In 2022 alone, around 6,000 audits have been conducted so far, with 2,189 law-breakers identified, representing a sum of NIS 35 million in illicit transactions.

According to Globes, Tax Authority figures show a gradual increase in compliance with the law, from around 84 percent in 2019 to 92 percent in 2021 and 95 percent in 2022.

The stated purpose of the law is to force the general public to use digital means of payment rather than cash, so that transactions can be easily monitored. The theory is that this will stifle black market activity, limit opportunities for tax evasion, and even make it harder for terrorists to operate (purchasing weapons, paying operatives etc.) Evidence exists that these objectives can be attained when smaller sums are concerned; however, those dealing with larger sums are more likely to identify opportunities to launder cash abroad, which has led to calls in countries such as Germany, which currently has no limits on cash transactions, to put such limits in place in order to stop the country from being a destination for those seeking to process their money.

In Israel there are few exceptions to the laws on cash transactions. One notable exception is that applied to gemachim, free-loan funds that are operated mostly by haredi Jews and lend out money without interest (in order to comply with halakhah, Jewish law, which forbids taking interest in most circumstances). Another exception applies to PA Arabs, although according to attorney Uri Goldman, this situation will be rectified by the end of 2022. Until then, only cash payments above the amount of NIS 50,000 made to PA Arabs must be reported to the authorities.

Goldman told Globes that, "The change to the law will mainly affect the self-employed and freelancers, such as renovators, plumbers, etc., for whom the difference between NIS 11,000 and NIS 6,000 will have a negative impact. The change will also have a detrimental effect on those renting or renting out property, as the threshold here will be dropping from NIS 50,000 to NIS 15,000. Individuals and businesses selling products such as electrical goods and furniture will also be greatly affected by the lowering of the ceiling.”

Violations of the law are punishable by significant fines, starting at 15 percent of the transaction if the cash payment was less than NIS 25,000 to a business, increasing to 20 percent where the transaction was between NIS 25,000 and NIS 50,000, and reaching 30 percent for larger transactions.

Between private individuals, the fines are lower, starting at NIS 10,000 for payments up to NIS 25,000, increasing to 15 percent for amounts up to NIS 50,000, and 25 percent for larger sums. As for people who are found to have been paid a salary in cash, they will be fined just five percent if the payment was above the NIS 6,000 ceiling but below NIS 8,500.

It is important to note that the penalties apply to payment by check and banker's check, as well as by actual banknotes.

Furthermore, splitting payments is a criminal offense. "Splitting transactions is prohibited and is a criminal offense punishable by three years in prison," attorney Goldman told Globes. Repeat offenders potentially also face jail sentences.

Unlike many other countries, the laws in Israel apply also to tourists. Goldman also noted that, "Responsibility for breaking the law rests on both parties to the transaction - the individual, the paying customer, and the business owner - but the sanctions imposed are different.”

A short period of grace will apply following August 1, but there are plans afoot to impose additional restrictions on cash in the future, with the Treasury and Tax Authority pushing for a law prohibiting any citizen from holding more than NIS 200,000 in cash in his home.

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Ascending Har HaBayit

 

Prominent personality Ben Shapiro and his father, currently in Israel, visited the Temple Mount on Sunday and prayed Minchah (the afternoon prayer) there.

It was the first time the elder Shapiro had ascended to the Mount. His mother passed away recently.

Ben Shapiro himself has visited the Temple Mount before but was removed by security guards during his visit, which he made with his wife. Guards ordered the entire group of Jews to leave after several members of the group (the Shapiros apparently not included) began to sing while on the Mount.

On this visit, Shapiro expressed his satisfaction with the positive atmosphere and improvements in the conditions for Jews visiting the holy site.

"You can't come to Israel and not visit the Temple Mount," he said.

Accompanying the Shapiros on Sunday was Rabbi Yehuda Levi from the temple Mount Yeshiva and Rabbi Shimshon Elbaum, the head of the Temple Mount administration.

Rabbi Elbaum lauded the visitors for prioritizing the Mount during their visit. He also blessed that they merit to see the rebuilt Temple in their lifetimes.

____________________________

Interesting comments to this:

Anonymous said...

I don't know the heter to go up there is when Rav elyashav said it's forbidden to go there.

Anonymous said...

The Rambam and the Me'erie lived 950 before R' Eliyashiv and they permitted, in fact the Rambam and his father and brother went up to the Har Habyit

THE GREATNESS OF REVENGE by Rabbi Miller zt”l

The Revenge Of Moshe Rabeinu 

In this week’s parsha Hakodosh Boruch informs Moshe Rabeinu of his impending death: 

[…] – “And Hashem spoke to Moshe saying…You will be gathered into your people” (Mattos 31:3). 

The successful life of Moshe is now drawing to a close and his last days on this earth were his final opportunity to achieve even more success and perfection. And what is the last opportunity that we find Hashem presenting Moshe with? : […] – “Take vengeance for the Bnei Yisroel from the Midianim,

 […]  – and only afterward shall you be gathered into your peoples” (ibid.) The function of taking  revenge from Midian was so eminently necessary that Hashem declared 

Moshe’s career as still incomplete without it. [Hebrew omitted as it doesn’t print correctly]

Now for us, this should be a big question. We have been brought up with the

idea that revenge is a contemptible attribute; it’s an undesirable middah. The

Torah tells us, don’t seek vengeance. לא תקום ולא תיטור– “Don’t try to get even; 

and don’t even bear a grudge against someone” (Vayikra 19:18). 

Children, from the youngest age, are trained to be repelled by the word nekama, 

to see it as a trait of those who lack self-control. And yet, we read here that Moshe 

was commanded to take revenge against his enemies, and that it would be 

his final achievement of perfection in this world! It’s a question! 

How are we to understand this anomaly, that the vengeance that is so 

belittled by the Torah could be the final act of perfection in Moshe’s life? 

[…]

So the gemara asks a kasha. If that was a criteria of greatness then nekama

must also be great, because there’s another possuk that says: א-ל נקמות השם. On

this side you have א-ל, and on the other side is השם, and in the middle you have

the word נקמה, revenge. Is that possible?! Isn’t revenge a contemptible attribute?

How could we say גדולה נקמה, that revenge is great?

So the gemara says אין, Yes! במילתיה, in its place, in the right place, revenge is

very great. How great is it? Revenge is as great as dei’ah! Because revenge 

is a very important form of seeing the Presence of Hashem. It’s right between 

the two names of Hashem because revenge is how you get close to Hashem!

And so we see that it’s not only that Moshe was commanded here to take revenge.

 It’s actually a yesod for our emunah in Hakodosh Boruch Hu. 

And so, it’s something we’re going to have to study.

So we’ll begin like this. The principle of vengeance is essential for man’s

understanding of Hashem. If the wicked remain unpunished, if the criminal act is not avenged, 

so men see injustice in the world and are therefore prone to think that the world is a chaotic 

and accidental place. Subconsciously, the sight of the wicked criminal walking free, 

cements in your mind that this world is a world of injustice.

[…]

But more important than the deterrent is that we’re depressed, we’re

depressed by the injustice. How can we have emunah in Hashem who runs the

world, when the wicked are running roughshod over everything we believe in? It

seems like there’s no shofeit, no one who is imposing righteousness in the world.

And we stand by and feel helpless. We can’t do anything about it.

Here you have Hitler, y’mach sh’mo. A rasha m’rusha if there ever was one. In

history of the world there was no bigger rotzei’ach than him. And then at the end,

when his plans began to fall apart, how did he leave this world? He left on his own

terms. He took a perfumed poison and left this world b’shalom. Is that justice?! Is

that yashrus? And so our neshamos are confused and depressed. .לית דין ולית דיין

There’s no judge and there’s no justice being meted out.

[…]

When you witness with your own two eyes that the wicked are getting 

what they deserve, you are acquiring da’as Hashem. When the Hand of Hashem 

come down on the wicked, that makes the emunah enter into your bones. 

He’s reacting – yes, He’s reacting – to the ma’asim of man.

[…]

Because no matter how much you see of Hashem, if you don’t see Him as the shofet ha’aretz, 

then you don’t see Him as clearly as you should. You need to see the strong hand of Hashem, 

the punishment upon the wicked, in order be a real ma’amin.

[…]

[ME: Use Monkey pox in place of Aids:]

Today, if you look in the newspapers, nothing at all is mentioned about the

very great retribution being visited upon the world. A tremendous plague,

a makkah min hashamayim. Hakodosh Boruch Hu is “rewarding” the homosexuals

by bringing upon them an incurable sickness. In New York City alone, eleven

thousand deaths have been reported from AIDS. Eleven thousand deaths in New

York City alone! And there are many thousands more that weren’t reported;

they’re ashamed. At least six hundred thousand suffering from AIDS in this

country. In a few years it will be a million, at least. The hospitals will be crowded

– even today the hospitals are jammed with beds of AIDS patients. Billions of

dollars – that’s our money, our hard earned money – going just for that.

[…]

Now, in this world of darkness, the שילומת רשעים and their אחריתם is not

something that you will always see so readily. The truth is that if you look, if you

want to see the truth then you will see a lot. But even so, the true settling of

accounts waits for the Next World. The reshaim would be lucky if this world was

the end for them. And so, our discussion of Hashem’s justice wouldn’t be

complete without understanding the acharisom of the reshaim in the Next

World.

[…]

It’s of utmost importance to know that there’s a Gehenim. And not in the

superficial way that most people do. To actually feel in your bones that the

reshaim are suffering in Gehenim right now. And in Gehenim, that’s where 

nobody gets away with anything! There’s no Israeli Supreme Court in Gehenim to

acquit the reshaim.

[…]  

We don’t commiserate with the wicked who are being punished. Not like

some say, that at the Seder we sing to Hashem for his righteousness, but at the

same time we commiserate with the Egyptians who were drowning, gargling, in

the Yam Suf.

[…]

Hakodosh Boruch Hu is bringing revenge upon the wicked and there is no

reason to commiserate with them. Seeing Hashem’s mishpat, to know in one’s

bones that the wicked are getting their recompense is most vital for a person’s

perfection of character. And therefore Moshe Rabeinu couldn’t leave this world

without seeing the punishment upon the Midianim with his own eyes. And so

too, whatever you achieve in the important avodah 

of רק בעיניך תביט ושלומת רשעים תראה is only a מעין עולם הבא ,

 is your preparation for Olam Habah.

[…]

The Rav told us tonight that the Jewish communities in the times of the

Beis Ha’mikdash were communities of kedusha. You said that there were

many tzadikim who counted every word that came out of their mouths.

Were the women of ancient Yerushalayim really better than the women

of today? Did they really speak less than the frum women of today?

You should know that, in general, when men are good, the women are

also good. There’s no such thing as men having shleimus without their wives.

Shleimus is contagious. All good midos are contagious. So you be sure to do

your part in making your home a beis ha’mikdash and be sure to lead yourself

bi’derech ha’torah and bi’derech ha’kedusha and it will be contagious. And

therefore, you must know, that whatever good things chazal tell us about the

men, you can be sure that the women and girls in the Jewish homes shared

in all the good qualities of ancient times.

To subscribe:  ey@torasavigdor.org.

[…] = Omission

_________________________

I can send anyone the pdf if you wish; just send me your email address in comments below.

Emes vs Sheker

 The War On Truth

There is an instinctive almost primitive emotion most people feel when their hometown is mentioned or makes it into the news. It is a mixture of pride and belonging. It is a matter of identity and family of course.

Our pride in the place we come from may not survive too much scrutiny, however. Many towns and cities have, in the final analysis, little to recommend them. We are nevertheless connected to them as profoundly as we once were connected to our mother’s womb.

In 2021 over 20,000 delegates to the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference more usually referred to as COP26, arrived in my hometown of Glasgow in Scotland.

People from Glasgow (it’s pronounced Glas-go not Glas-gow like cow!) are called Glaswegians. We all felt a surge of pride as the world’s media and cameras mushroomed across our city.

But pride gave way to laughter and ridicule when Wolf Blitzer, a news anchor with CNN, wrote on Twitter that he was reporting from Edinburgh in Scotland,“Where 20,000 world leaders and delegates have gathered for the COP26.”.

Edinburgh is 47 miles east of Glasgow; over an hour’s drive away.

European journalists helpfully tweeted maps of Scotland to Mr. Blitzer. A chain of Scottish eyeglass stores sent Blitzer an invitation to drop by and get his eyes tested for free and have a new pair of glasses on them!

The jokes and mockery came fast and furious but the non-funny side of the story is that CNN is more known for intentionally getting the facts wrong than for accidentally making fools of themselves.

That is abundantly clear when it comes to American politics. It is simply known as the mouthpiece of the Democratic Party. The needle moves off the dial though when it comes to coverage of Israel.

Now at this point, as a responsible columnist I should cite examples and proofs for my accusations. There are some though (and CNN is only one of many) whose behavior in this regard is so egregious and well documented that it is no more necessary than the need to substantiate a claim that it is a teeny wee bit cold at the North Pole in December.

Yet, if you believe that an independent and a free press is important to democracy, the fact that there is so little of it in today’s United States should worry you…a lot.

The American Civil Liberties Union, itself embroiled in controversy about its commitment to protecting free speech when it doesn’t echo Liberal values, nevertheless writes on the opening page of its webpage citing, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971):

“The freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is critical to a democracy in which the government is accountable to the people. A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing. It is also a vibrant marketplace of ideas, a vehicle for ordinary citizens to express themselves and gain exposure to a wide range of information and opinions.”

But what if the press and media jettison that role and no longer act as a watchdog to make sure the government is accountable to the people but rather feels itself accountable to one political party and its values.

The Washington Post, whose motto is, “Democracy dies in darkness” published a survey eight years ago which showed that only 7% of American journalists are Republicans.

Many have argued that, of course they have political preferences, but as professional journalists, they are able to neutralize them and report objectively and fairly.

Several organizations that monitor and rank U.S. media for biased reporting disagree.

Ad Fontes Media publishes a regularly updated chart in which they rank some of the larger American news sources by left or right-wing bias as well as by accuracy.

AllSides assesses ideological biases of online sources and produces media bias charts. Intriguingly, it actually presents news stories from different perspectives to allow you to see both sides.

There are others like those too, but all agree on one thing. The media does suffer from significant bias.

And if that claim of journalistic integrity-neutralizing personal preference may have seemed unconvincing in the past, it is dead and buried now.

The Pew Research Center just published results of a survey which shows that journalists in the United States differ markedly from the American people in their views of “bothsidesism.” That’s what used to be called “The Fairness Doctrine” where journalists should always strive to give equal coverage to all sides of an issue.

The results show that more than half of the journalists surveyed (55%) say that every side does not always deserve equal coverage in the news. By contrast, about three-quarters of the public (76%) say journalists should always give all sides equal coverage.

Pay attention, Washington Post and tell your journalists; Democracy dies in semi-darkness too.

Oh! and ironically, Ad Fontes Media’s current chart has the Washington Post firmly on the “Skews Left” section of its chart.

When journalists themselves now declare that a majority of them are not only biased but feel that the old tiresome nonsense about hearing both sides of an argument to arrive at the truth is irrelevant, they rather sound like Turkeys voting for an early Thanksgiving.

That’s probably why so many people simply do not trust the media or journalists at all. It’s also why the number of people getting their news and trusting what they hear from traditional sources has fallen off a cliff.

Journalists no longer act as watchdogs or investigate and report on government wrongdoing. They no longer protect the democracy that gave them legitimacy through the American Constitution’s First Amendment. We the people have a point; who needs them… or at least 55% of them?

By Rabbi YY Rubinstein at https://www.jewishpress.com/indepth/columns/the-war-on-truth/2022/07/22/

Rabbi Y Y Rubinstein is a popular international lecturer. He was a regular Broadcaster on BBC Radio and TV but resigned in 2022 over what he saw as its institutional anti-Semitism. He is the author of twelve books including most recently, "Truly Great Jewish Women Then and Now."

Rabbi Michoel Green

 Rabbi Green has lectures / shiurim every *Sunday evening on zoom and invites everyone to join in:

Dear Friend,

Please join us for our Sunday evening service tonight, 7/24, at 7:30pm EDT.

Link: tinyurl.com/meetwithrabbigreen

 Rabbi Michoel Green's Newsletter

*However, some of his notices arrive ‘after’ the event, so maybe contact him early on Sunday to get “link” info.

Mayim Achronim: The Puzzle of Pinchas ben Yair

 

The Puzzle of Pinchas ben Yair

This week’s parasha, Pinchas, begins by praising Pinchas, grandson of Aaron, for slaying the wicked Zimri and Cozbi, and describes God’s eternal reward to him. In the past, we have already explored in depth how Pinchas became Eliyahu. In addition to this, Kabbalistic texts note that smaller soul-sparks of Pinchas went to several other people in history. One of these people is the Talmudic sage Pinchas ben Yair, who is featured even more prominently in the Zohar. The Talmud seems to state that Pinchas ben Yair was the son-in-law of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, while the Zohar makes clear that he was his father-in-law. The contradiction has puzzled many in the past. How do we make sense of this, and what does the Biblical Pinchas have to do with it all?

The Zohar states in a few places that the three greatest mystics were Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai (“Rashbi”), Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair, and Rabbi Elazar the son of Rabbi Shimon. In Zohar III, 203a, we are told that these three figures correspond to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, respectively. So, Pinchas ben Yair is likened to Isaac. This is not just cosmetic. In Sefer Gilgulei Neshamot, the “Book of Reincarnations”, Rabbi Menachem Azariah de Fano (1548-1620) points out that Isaac reincarnated in the Biblical Pinchas. In fact, the numerical values of their names are the same! (יצחק = 208 = פינחס) Of course, a spark of Pinchas then went to Pinchas ben Yair, completing the spiritual connection. The book also points out something even more fascinating

Isaac’s main adversary in life was his half-brother Ishmael. The latter was eventually expelled from the home of Abraham so that he would no longer be a bad influence on Isaac. The Torah predicts that Ishmael would go on to become a “wild-ass” of a man (Genesis 16:12). Rabbi de Fano incredibly points out that to rectify his sins, Ishmael was literally reincarnated into a wild ass, a donkey, and this was the famous donkey of Pinchas ben Yair!

The Donkey of Pinchas ben Yair

The Midrash (Beresheet Rabbah 60:8) tells the story of how the donkey of Pinchas ben Yair was once stolen by brigands. The donkey refused to eat their non-kosher food. After three days, the criminals gave up and let the donkey go, wishing to avoid a rotting donkey corpse. The donkey returned home and Pinchas ben Yair called out to have food brought out to the poor animal immediately, for he knew that his donkey did not eat anything for three days. The servants brought some barley, but the starving donkey refused to eat it! Pinchas ben Yair asked the servants if all the appropriate tithes had been separated, and it turned out that the produce was demai, meaning there was a slight uncertainty regarding a particular tithe. Truly, the barley was still kosher, but the donkey had taken on an extra stringency! Sefer Gilgulei Neshamot explains why the donkey was so special: it was actually Ishmael, who had to be extra stringent to make up for the many sins of his past life.

The Midrash concludes with the later rabbis declaring that “if the early Sages were angels, we are merely humans; and if they were humans, we are merely donkeys”, to which Rav Mana counters: “We are not even donkeys” compared to the donkey of Pinchas ben Yair! This implies that Pinchas ben Yair was among the earlier generation of great Sages, a point that may help us in solving the Pinchas ben Yair father-in-law/son-in-law dilemma.

The problematic Talmud passage is in Shabbat 33b. It recounts how Pinchas ben Yair heard that Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar finally emerged from their many years of hiding in the cave. The phrasing there is that Pinchas ben Yair, chataney, “his son-in-law”, heard. This contradicts the multiple places in the Zohar where Pinchas ben Yair is described as Rashbi’s father-in-law. The solution can be found in the Ben Yehoyada of the Ben Ish Chai (1832-1909), in his commentary on the story that follows in the Talmud. Since Rashbi and Rabbi Elazar spent their time in the cave buried in the ground, learning Torah, their skin had become terribly parched and cracked. Pinchas ben Yair immediately took them to the bathhouse for healing.

The Talmud says that Pinchas was bathing Rashbi and tending to his wounds, crying over the suffering that Rashbi went through. Ben Ish Chai points out that a son should not bathe his father so as not to see him naked (something that we learn all the way back in the case of Noah and his sons following the Flood). The same rules of father and son apply to father-in-law and son-in-law. So, if Pinchas ben Yair was bathing Rashbi, it means he must have been his father-in-law, not son-in-law. (For obvious reasons, a father is allowed to bathe his child.)

Moreover, the Talmud continues that when Pinchas ben Yair cried, Rashbi responded that he should be happy, not sad, for his wounds were really the scars of his tremendous Torah learning in the cave. The Talmud concludes that initially, Rashbi would ask a question and Pinchas ben Yair would have 12 different answers for him, and henceforth, it was Pinchas ben Yair who would ask a question and Rashbi would have 24 different answers in return! The clear implication here is that Pinchas ben Yair was initially Rashbi’s teacher, and only after the cave experience had the disciple surpassed his master. Thus, Rashbi told his father-in-law to be happy that he merited to see his son-in-law attain such Torah greatness.

And so, we can confidently conclude that Pinchas ben Yair really was the father-in-law of Rashbi, as the Zohar says. When the Talmud says chataney in the passage above, it must be referring to Rashbi being the chatan. The reading should be that Pinchas ben Yair heard about his chatan, Rashbi. With this in mind, we can better understand another famous incident of that era.

Bar Kochva and the Messianic Age

As discussed many times in the past, Rashbi was one of the five main surviving students of Rabbi Akiva, who himself perished at the hands of the Romans during the Bar Kochva Revolt. At the time, Rabbi Akiva had declared Bar Kochva to be the presumptive messiah. If Rabbi Akiva did so, it means Bar Kochva was not a false messiah, but rather a failed messiah. Indeed, Sefer Gilgulei Neshamot says that Bar Kochva really did contain the spark of Mashiach ben Yosef. We know that Eliyahu is supposed to come first to herald the coming of Mashiach. So, who would have been the Eliyahu of that generation?

If Pinchas ben Yair is Rashbi’s father-in-law, that would make him a contemporary of Rabbi Akiva. He likely would have been among the rabbinic majority that proclaimed Bar Kochva the presumptive messiah. And Pinchas ben Yair is the spark of Pinchas, who is Eliyahu! In that case, Pinchas ben Yair would have served as the Eliyahu of that generation. And this now allows us to better understand the most famous teaching of Pinchas ben Yair, in the final Mishnah of Sotah:

Pinchas ben Yair says: Alacrity [in the observance of mitzvot] leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to purity, purity leads to abstinence, abstinence leads to holiness, holiness leads to humility, humility leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to piety, piety leads to Ruach HaKodesh [divine inspiration], and Ruach HaKodesh leads to the Resurrection of the Dead, and the Resurrection of the Dead is initiated through Eliyahu, of blessed memory.

Pinchas ben Yair himself was on the highest levels of alacrity, holiness, and Ruach HaKodesh—the Eliyahu of his generation—and believed the time was ripe for the Messianic Age and the Resurrection of the Dead. Alas, it was not to be, but he left the foundation for the path to that Final Redemption. His Mishnah served as the basis for a similar statement given in his name in Avodah Zarah 20b:

Torah study leads to vigilance, vigilance leads to alacrity, alacrity leads to cleanliness, cleanliness leads to abstinence, abstinence leads to purity, purity leads to piety, piety leads to humility, humility leads to fear of sin, fear of sin leads to holiness, holiness leads to Ruach HaKodesh, Ruach HaKodesh leads to the Resurrection of the Dead. . .

This, in turn, served as the basis for Mesilat Yesharim, “Path of the Just”, the classic textbook for personal development and spiritual growth, composed by the great Ramchal (Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, 1707-1746). The book has become standard reading in the Jewish world today, and every individual now has the tools to ascend to the highest spiritual levels. Through this process, we will be able to usher in the Messianic Age and the Resurrection of the Dead, as Pinchas ben Yair intended long ago.

*Note: for those who might point out that Pinchas ben Yair is also featured in stories together with Rabbi Yehuda haNasi, a later figure, this actually isn’t a problem. According to tradition, Rabbi Yehuda haNasi was born the same day that Rabbi Akiva died. Rashbi went into the cave some time after that, and 13 years later we know Pinchas ben Yair was still alive and well. At this point, Rabbi Yehuda would have already been in early adulthood. So, there is no reason why they cannot be featured in the same story

Reb Neuberger: The Bubbling Pot

 

BUBBLING POT 

The Three Weeks are upon us. 

 

Let’s try to imagine what it was like for those trapped in Yerushalayim as destruction closed in around them. This perfect Land of Torah, this perfect Nation! Our ancestors had everything … yet they let it slip away, and now destruction was closing in like a giant claw. 

 

The amazing fact is that, after two thousand years, we are still here.

 

We are the beneficiaries of endless miracles. Perhaps the greatest miracle in all of history is that – after all the indescribable, unbearable tortures that have been inflicted upon the Holy Nation of Israel, the unending hatred (yes, there have been a few breathing spaces, but not many), we are still here and we know that the Day of Redemption is near. 

 

Our Haftara tells it all. Yirmiya was the Novi who foretold impending doom. He was also the Novi who foretold the distant hope. One must marvel at his words. Look at today’s world, my friends. “‘I see a bubbling pot, and its spout is facing north.’ We can see the “bubbling pot” with our own eyes!

 

“Hashem said to me, ‘From the north the evil will be released upon all the inhabitants of the land ….’” (Yirmiah 1:13)

 

If you look at a world map, you will see that Russia dominates the north. Today Russia is a bubbling pot of trouble, with no apparent restraint upon its capacity for destruction. No one can tell Russia what to do. With ties to troublemakers all over the world, one cannot know exactly when this pot will explode, with its contents spewing evil in every direction. 

 

There is one place to which evil is attracted more than any other. 

 

“For behold,” says Hashem, “I am calling all the families of the kingdoms of the north … and they shall come and each of them shall place his throne at the entrance of Yerushalayim’s gates and by all its walls roundabout, and by all the cities of Yehuda….” (ibid 1:15) The world’s evil is attracted toward Yerushalayim like bees to honey. Evil is attracted to the Place of Purity. 

 

This applies not only to the world in the days of Yirmiah ha Novi, but also to the world in our days. The Prophet is foretelling not only the destruction of the First and Second Temples, but, in addition, the entire scenario for the end of history, for “this prophesy refers to future tragedies as well. The Yalkut states that in Messianic times, Gog will invade from the north.” (Rabbi Dovid Feinstein zt”l on the Haftaras)

 

Another Novi speaks to Gog: “Surely on that day … when you [Gog] come from your place in the uttermost part of the north, you and many peoples with you … a vast horde, a mighty army and you advance against My people like a cloud covering the earth. It will be at the End of Days that I will bring you upon My land ….” (Yechezkel 38:14ff)

 

The Prophet tells us that all the nations will surround the Land of Israel in the Final Days of history. These will be the days when Hashem makes Himself known. As King David says, “When the wicked bloom like grass and all the doers of iniquity blossom, it is to destroy them until eternity.” (Tehillim 92)

 

The prophesy of Yirmiah ha Novi contained in this week’s Haftarah ends with these amazing and consoling words: “The word of Hashem came to me, saying, ‘Go and call out in the ears of Yerushalayim, saying: Thus said Hashem: I recall for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your nuptials, your following Me into the Wilderness, into an unsown land. Israel is holy to Hashem, the first of His crop. All who devour it will be held guilty. Evil shall come upon them … the word of Hashem.’” (Yirmiah 2:1-3)

 

Hashem is waiting for our teshuva!

 

May we see the Final Redemption soon in our days!

 

Russia on the North

GLOSSARY

Gog: The kingdom which will attack Israel in the End of Days

Novi: Prophet

Teshuva: Repentance 

Yechezkel: Ezekiel the Prophet 

Yirmia: Jeremiah the Prophet