Baruch Dayan Emmes Rav Zev Wolf ben Chana Rasha passed away just before publication, the last student of the Brisker Rav.
Parsha Vayeshev Part 2
38:1
And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and
turned in to a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.
At that time. Why is this section placed here, interrupting the subject of
Joseph? It is to teach us that Judah’s brothers demoted him
from his prominent status when they saw their father’s grief. They said to him, “You told us to sell Joseph. Had you told us to return him to our father, we would have listened to you.” He
moved away - from his brothers.
So he found a business partner.
2 And
Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite (merchant)
whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.
כְּנַֽעֲנִי - here means “a merchant.” Just like in the Proverb that we say each Shabbos “A woman of
value” Mishlei 31:24 She makes linen garments and sells them; and delivers
girdles unto the merchantכְּנַֽעֲנִי .
Instead of competition joining
forces in a larger expanded business.
3 And
she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name Er. 4 And she
conceived again, and bore a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And
she yet again bore a son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib,
when she bore him.
Shelah meaning to cease bearing
children.
6 And
Judah took a wife for Er his first-born, and her name was
Tamar. 7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was wicked in the sight of the
LORD; and the LORD slew him.
Tamar was an exceptional beauty. He
did not want her to become pregnant and spoil his lusting. He then did what
Onan did and wasted his seed. So being wicked, the L-RD killed him. For one of
the purposes of man in this world is to produce off-spring.
8 And
Judah said unto Onan: 'Go in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a
husband's brother unto her, and raise up seed to thy brother.' 9 And
Onan knew that the seed would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in
unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give
seed to his brother.
His sin is specified as he had
hatred to raise up his brother’s seed as required by the Torah.
10 And
the thing which he did was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him also. 11 Then
said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law: 'Remain a widow in thy father's house,
till Shelah my son be grown up'; for he said: 'Lest he also die, like his
brethren.' And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.
Yehuda has no idea why the two
sinning sons died. He thinks of Tamar as a Fem-fetal.
12 And
in process of time Shua's daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was
comforted, and went up unto his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend
Hirah the Adullamite.
He rejoined is old business
partner.
13 And
it was told Tamar, saying: 'Behold, thy father-in-law goes up to Timnah to
shear his sheep.' 14 And she put off from her the garments of her
widowhood, and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in
the entrance of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah
was grown up, and she was not given unto him to wife.
Women know how to manipulate men.
She is ready to trap Yehuda.
15 When
Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot; for she had covered her
face. 16 And he turned unto her by the way, and said: 'Come, I pray
thee, let me come in unto thee'; for he knew not that she was his
daughter-in-law. And she said: 'What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come
in unto me?'
HASHEM works in strange ways. First
Yehuda’s wife dies and then this woman on beautiful form is right in front of
him. A normal man might get an appetite outside and eat at home. But Yehuda is
over-come such that the Tzadik cannot control himself. The face being covered made
him think of her as a prostitute. Unlike the control of Yosef, Yehuda loses
control.
17 And
he said: 'I will send thee a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she said:
'Wilt thou give me a pledge, till thou send it?' 18 And he said:
'What pledge shall I give thee?' And she said: 'Thy signet and thy cord, and
thy staff that is in thy hand.' And he gave them to her, and came in unto her,
and she conceived by him.
He gives her the ring and staff of Kingship
and the cord of a champion of war.
19 And
she arose, and went away, and put off her veil from her, and put on the
garments of her widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by
the hand of his friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's
hand; but he found her not. 21 Then he asked the men of her place,
saying: 'Where is the harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?' And they said:
'There hath been no harlot here.'
When the non-Jewish partner comes
to pay the bill for Yehuda; he asksאַיֵּ֧ה
הַקְּדֵשָׁ֛ה where is the holy fertility cult woman.
For this was the standard procedure for a multi-god system having a fertility
cult while Yehuda saw the woman as a prostitute.
22 And
he returned to Judah, and said: 'I have not found her; and also the men of the
place said: There hath been no harlot here.'
23 And
Judah said: 'Let her take it, lest we be put to shame; behold, I sent this kid,
and thou hast not found her.' 24 And it came to pass about three
months after, that it was told Judah, saying: 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath
played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.' And
Judah said: 'Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.'
She was from Shem, the Cohain and
therefore a daughter of a Cohain who commits adultery is not stoned but burned.
25 When
she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying: 'By the man,
whose these are, am I with child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose
are these, the signet, and the cords, and the staff.'
She sent word to her father-in-law. She did not wish to shame him by saying, “I am pregnant by you”;
rather, she said, “I am pregnant by the man to whom these belong.” She said to herself: “If he admits it of his own accord,
let him admit, but if not, let them burn me, but I will not put him to shame.”
From here our rabbis said: It is better for a person to let himself be thrown
into a fiery furnace than to put his fellowman to shame in public.
26 And
Judah acknowledged them, and said: 'She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as
I gave her not to Shelah my son.' And he knew her again no more.
The commentaries are split here.
Some go according to the Pshat that he knew her no more and others interpret
this as “and they lived happily ever after”.
Some say that this means “He was not intimate
with her again,” while others say it means “he did not
cease being intimate with her.” A similar case to this we
find in connection with Eldad and Medad: וְלֹא
יָסָפוּ, which some translate as: “but they did not continue
to prophesy,” but Onkelos translates as וְלָא
פָּסָקוּ “and they did not cease to prophesy.”
27 And
it came to pass in the time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her
womb.
Rashi that Tamar went full term pregnancy.
28 And
it came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand; and the midwife
took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying: 'This came out
first.' 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that,
behold his brother came out; and she said: 'Wherefore hast thou made a breach
for thyself?' Therefore his name was called Perez.
Breech or bursting forth as we saw
with the dream of Yacov Beresheis 28:14 “And your seed shall spread forth…”.
30 And
afterward came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and
his name was called Zerah.
He came out second but it was the
first seed if they were not identical twins. Something like a labor union first
in last out when firings occur.
39:1
And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's,
the captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the
Ishmaelites, that had brought him down thither.
The Hebrew has Pharaoh’s Eunuch Captain
of the Guard. This will explain the actions of his wife.
2 And
the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house
of his master the Egyptian.
He was a hard worker like his
father before him.
3 And
his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he
did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph found favor in his sight,
and he ministered unto him. And he appointed him overseer over his house, and
all that he had he put into his hand.
He made things prosper like
grandfather Yitzchak from HASHEM’s blessings.
5 And
it came to pass from the time that he appointed him overseer in his house, and
over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's
sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had, in the house and
in the field. 6 And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and,
having him, he knew not aught save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was
of beautiful form, and fair to look upon.
Yosef at this time is in his 20’s perhaps
28.
7 And
it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon
Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.'
Now she is commanding him.
8 But
he refused, and said unto his master's wife: 'Behold, my master, having me,
knows not what is in the house, and he hath put all that he hath into my
hand; 9 he is not greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept
back anything from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do
this great wickedness, and sin against God?'
He was afraid, after his tattle-tale
in his past led him to be sold as a slave. It also may be that he was afraid
that his master might command him to listen to her (not all the people on our
planet are righteous).
10 And
it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto
her, to lie by her, or to be with her. 11 And it came to pass on a
certain day, when he went into the house to do his work, and there was none of
the men of the house there within, 12 that she caught him by his garment,
saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got
him out.
A woman asked a Sage of the Midrash
if Yosef was not affected by her. The Sage answered “Yes, but the image of his
father came to him and he resisted her.”
13 And
it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was
fled forth, 14 that she called unto the men of her house, and spoke unto
them, saying: 'See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in
unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.
She was scorned by him. This is one
of the types written in the book “Games People Play” by Eric Berne – a very
dangerous game. Centuries later there would be a Chassid who came to a house to
warm up and the woman tempted him. He fled into the Russian Winter and snow
without his coat just before the husband came who pursued him. A Rebbe and
Chassidim came out with a coat to greet him has Yosef HaTzadik and the Husband
released the truth.
15 And
it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he
left his garment by me, and fled, and got him out.' 16 And she laid
up his garment by her, until his master came home.
She hated him for rejecting her and
was willing to see the slave die. How dare he!
17 And
she spoke unto him according to these words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom
thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me. 18 And it came
to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and
fled out.' 19 And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of
his wife, which she spoke unto him, saying: 'After this manner did thy servant
to me'; that his wrath was kindled.
It is stated in the Midrash that he
would have killed Yosef had not another servant indicated the truth about the
lustful wife.
20 And
Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, the place where the
king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.
He was put in prison but sort as a
servant to the jailer.
21 But
the LORD was with Joseph, and showed kindness unto him, and gave him favor in
the sight of the keeper of the prison. 22 And the keeper of the
prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison;
and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.
He took care of the needs of the
inmates.
23 The
keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand, because
the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.
Even in prison, Yosef was
prosperous.
40:1
And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt
and his baker offended their lord the king of Egypt. 2 And Pharaoh
was wroth against his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and
against the chief of the bakers. 3 And he put them in ward in the
house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was
bound. 4 And the captain of the guard charged Joseph to be with them,
and he ministered unto them; and they continued a season in ward.
Potiphar was the captain of the
guard so this is basic proof that he knew Yosef was innocent but kept him there
for Shalom Beis. There is even a Midrash that she even tempted him in prison
and if he would sleep with her would tell the husband it was only a pretext because
she was angry at him.
5 And
they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man
according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the
king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.
The Chief Butler and Baker ended up
in jail. The first because there was a fly in Pharaoh’s drink and the second
because of a small pebble in Pharaoh’s bread or cake.
6 And
Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and saw them, and, behold, they were
sad. 7 And he asked Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward
of his master's house, saying: 'Wherefore look ye so sad to-day?' 8 And
they said unto him: 'We have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can
interpret it.' And Joseph said unto them: 'Do not interpretations belong to
God? tell it me, I pray you.'
Each dreamed a dream with the
solution of the other’s dream which means that the Butler saw the Baker being
hung and the Baker saw the Butler freed but nothing about himself. Yosef is
known as a man of G-D so he asks to interpret the dream via his knowledge from
G-D.
9 And
the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him: 'In my dream,
behold, a vine was before me; 10 and in the vine were three branches;
and as it was budding, its blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof
brought forth ripe grapes, 11 and Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I
took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into
Pharaoh's hand.' 12 And Joseph said unto him: 'This is the
interpretation of it: the three branches are three days; 13 within
yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and restore thee unto thine
office; and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former
manner when thou were his butler. 14 But have me in thy remembrance
when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and
make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this
house. 15 For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the
Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the
dungeon.'
He should have trusted in G-D and
he would have been freed, but instead trusted in man.
16 When
the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph: 'I
also saw in my dream, and, behold, three baskets of white bread were on my
head; 17 and in the uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked
food for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon my
head.'
Ravens do not attack healthy people
but fear man. This can only mean that the man is not alive.
18 And
Joseph answered and said: 'This is the interpretation thereof: the three
baskets are three days; 19 within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift
up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall
eat thy flesh from off thee.'
This is the interpretation as bad
as it was.
20 And
it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a
feast unto all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and
the head of the chief baker among his servants. 21 And he restored
the chief butler back unto his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's
hand.
He would become the Chief Butler as
Pharaoh realized that a fly most likely settled in the drink as the Butler
could not watch 24/7 but the Baker should have sifted better the grain. d
22 But
he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet
did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Tehillim 146:3-4. 3 Put
not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. 4 His
breath goes forth, he returns to his dust; in that very day his thoughts
perish.
Parsha Mikeitz
I spent most of my week dealing
with last week’s Parsha and the eight stories of the week. You will see that
due to the lack of sleep my concentration against an old traffic injury with
dizziness has over-come me. I have brought down my own commentary from 10years
ago. Anything new I have left for the end.
Last week’s Parsha started off with Yosef’s Dream. Every dream contains some
nonsense and the fact that his mother was bowing down unto him when she was
dead and buried was that nonsense. The butler squeezing the grapes into
Pharaoh’s cup is also nonsense. I am sure he squeezed them elsewhere and
strained them. As for the Baker while the Butler appears alive in the dream, he
is passive and the birds coming to eat is a sign that he is not alive as they
would fear a living person and fly off.
This week we have the nonsense of a
skinny cow swallowing a fat cow while the animal is herbivorous. Also ears of
grain do not eat ears of grain but rather they are the symbols to interpret the
dream(s). In Meseches Brachos it says that an early morning dream or a
repeating dream indicates the truth and it is about to happen.
41:1 And it came to pass at the end
of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.
It
came to pass at the end: Heb. מִקֵץ.
The Targum renders: מִסוֹף, at the end, and
every expression of קֵץ means end. By
the Nile: Heb. עַל-הַיְאֹר, lit., by the canal.
No other rivers are called יְאוֹרִים except
the Nile, because the entire land is covered with many man-made canals (יְאוֹרִים), and the Nile rises in their midst and
waters them, for it does not usually rain in Egypt as it does in other
countries.
2 And, behold, there came up out of
the river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the
reed-grass.
Of
handsome appearance: This was a symbol of the days of plenty, when creatures
appear handsome to one another, for no one envies his fellow. — [from Gen.
Rabbah 89:4]
3 And, behold, seven other kine
came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by
the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill-favored and
lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh
awoke.
Devoured:
A sign that all the joy of the plenty will be forgotten during the days of the
famine.
5 And he slept and dreamed a second
time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6
And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after
them.
And
beaten: Heb. וּשְׁדוּפוֹת. hasled(e)s in Old
French, burnt up, parched; וּשְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם [in
Targum Onkelos], beaten, an expression similar to מַשְׁקוֹף,
lintel, which is constantly beaten by the door, which knocks against it.
7 And the thin ears swallowed up
the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8
And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent
and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof; and
Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto
Pharaoh.
That
his spirit was troubled: Heb. וַתִּפָּעֶם [Onkelos
renders:] that his spirit was agitated, knocking within him like a bell (כְּפַעִמוֹן) (Tanchuma Buber, Mikeitz 4). Concerning
Nebuchadnezzar, however, Scripture says:“and his spirit was agitated (וַתִּתְפָּעֶם)” (Dan. 2:1). There were two [reasons for
this] agitation: forgetting the dream and ignorance of its interpretation. —
[from Tanchuma Mikeitz 2] The necromancers: Heb. חַרְטֻמֵי,
those who would arouse themselves (נֶחֱרִים)
with the bones (טִימֵי) of the dead, so that
they would [be able to] inquire of the bones. ([The word] טִימֵי means “bones” in Aramaic. In the Mishnah (Oholoth
17:3), we find: A house that was full of “timia,” meaning “full of bones. But
no one interpreted them for Pharaoh: They did interpret them, but not for Pharaoh,
for their voice did not reach his ears, and he had no satisfaction from their
interpretation, for they said, “You will beget seven daughters, and you will
bury seven daughters.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 89:6]
Either they were completely
ignorant of the dream or afraid of the consequences for misinterpretation.
9 Then spoke the chief butler unto
Pharaoh, saying: 'I make mention of my faults this day:
It is not usual for a person to
tell is master or boss his past faults but this time it works out well.
10 Pharaoh was wroth with his
servants, and put me in the ward of the house of the captain of the guard, me
and the chief baker. 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we
dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
Each
one according to the interpretation of his dream: A dream fit for the
interpretation that was interpreted for us and similar to it. [I.e., a dream
for which the interpretation given was appropriate, and which was similar to
that interpretation.]
12 And there was with us there a
young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and
he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did
interpret.
Since a Hebrew, slave or youth
could not become a minister, he uses these three terms as Rashi states:
A Hebrew
lad, a slave: Cursed are the wicked, for their favors are incomplete. He
mentions him with expressions of contempt. A lad: a fool, unfit for a high
position; A Hebrew: he does not even understand our language; A slave: and in
the statutes of Egypt it is written that a slave may neither reign nor wear
princely raiment. — [from Gen. Rabbah 89:7] [For] each [of us]…according to his
dream: According to the dream and close to its contents. — [from Ber. 55b]
13 And it came to pass, as he
interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was
hanged.' 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily
out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in
unto Pharaoh.
If he had to be shaved, it seems
strange to me that he would be called a youth or lad as only a full grown man
would have a full beard. We also see that Yosef when he met his father the time
period was that he was 39 which is 17 plus 22. Now this was 9 years after the
dream as in 45:11 there is yet 5 more years to the famine. In other words Yosef
was 30 and by even the standard of living 147 years, Yosef is not a youth.
15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I
have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard
say of thee, that when thou hear a dream thou can interpret it.' 16 And Joseph
answered Pharaoh, saying: 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of
peace.'
Not
I: Heb. בִּלְעָדָי. The wisdom is not
mine, but God will answer. He will put an answer into my mouth that will bring
peace to Pharaoh. — [from Targum Onkelos]
Yosef
is now making a Kiddush HASHEM and the linkage is important as the Priest Class
in Egypt are not slaves. Pharaoh might have learned that he was the crown
prince of his father's house giving him added class. For it was not until 7
years later that Yehuda shows his kingship to all and Reuven is ostracized by
his father for his silly remark about his own two sons.
17 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph:
'In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river. 18 And, behold,
there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored; and
they fed in the reed-grass. 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after
them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all
the land of Egypt for badness. 20 And the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up
the first seven fat kine. 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be
known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored as at the
beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came
up upon one stalk, full and good. 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin,
and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 And the thin ears
swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it unto the magicians; but there
was none that could declare it to me.' 25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: 'The
dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto Pharaoh.
26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven
years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came
up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the
east wind; they shall be seven years of famine. 28 That is the thing which I
spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto Pharaoh.
G-D has chosen your honor, Pharaoh
as his instrumental king in preventing a catastrophe of epic proportions.
29 Behold, there come seven years
of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 And there shall arise
after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the
land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 and the plenty shall
not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it shall
be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it
is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to
pass.
These good years followed by the
horrible years are coming soon that is why the dream repeated twice.
33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look
out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh
do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth
part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. 35 And let them gather
all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of
Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 And the food shall be
for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in
the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.' 37 And the
thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38
And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in
whom the spirit of God is?' 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Forasmuch as God
hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.
Yosef advised only to choose a wise
man to implement the handling of the crises and was satisfied with that.
However, HASHEM had greater plans for Yosef.
40 Thou shalt be over my house, and
according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I
be greater than thou.'
Yosef has become the wise man to
implement the fight against the famine.
41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph:
'See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.'
You are not only the minister in
charge but henceforth my second in command and prime minister over all of
Mitzrayim.
42 And Pharaoh took off his signet
ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures
of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him to
ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: 'Abrech'; and
he set him over all the land of Egypt.
In Egyptian it means bend your knee
in Hebrew the same word means a young father and is used for a young man in the
Kollel until he is more mature and called Rav or teacher even if he is not a
full Rabbi.
44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I
am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all
the land of Egypt.' 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah; and
he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph
went out over the land of Egypt.—
The name is like Tzafoon at the
Seder table meaning hidden. Paneah is to interpret or interpret the hidden
(message of G-D).
46 And Joseph was thirty years old
when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.--And Joseph went out from the
presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the
seven years of plenty the earth brought forth in heaps. 48 And he gathered up
all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up
the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every
city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the
sea, very much, until they left off numbering; for it was without number.
The numbering system was not that
advanced. When I was working on the Lavi Project we talked about kilo-bytes or
600 kilo-bytes in a personal computer, now we deal with mega-bytes and
giga-byte storage and even tera-byte storage. This is in a matter of less than
30 years computer development.
50 And unto Joseph were born two
sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera
priest of On bore unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the first-born
Manasseh: 'for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.'
52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: 'for God hath made me fruitful
in the land of my affliction.' 53 And the seven years of plenty, that was in
the land of Egypt, came to an end. 54 And the seven years of famine began to come,
according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the
land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished,
the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians:
'Go unto Joseph; what he says to you, do.' 56 And the famine was over all the
face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the
Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries
came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the
earth.
What
caused such a famine? Was it a super volcano in the Mediterranean? Whatever the
physical cause it was from G-D and Yosef was the man in charge.
42:1 Now Jacob saw that there was
corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon another?'
What are you stuck like a
caterpillar on a cocoon? Do something and be proactive.
2 And he said: 'Behold, I have
heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from
thence; that we may live, and not die.'
Reuven’s leadership was not there
and perhaps the younger Yehuda did not try to out advise his older brothers or
was ignored.
3 And Joseph's ten brethren went
down to buy corn from Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not
with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'
We can understand that Yacov wanted
to guard the last remnant of his beloved Rachel. Yosef was gone. Little did
Yacov know that the brothers upon arriving in Mitzrayim looked all over the
markets and slave markets and even houses of male prostitution for Yosef
because of his beauty but they could not find him.
5 And the sons of Israel came to
buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph
was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the
land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the
earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself
strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence
come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'
Yosef knew supposedly 70 languages
per the Medrash and especially Hebrew but he made himself unknown to all behind
the façade of a translator.
8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but
they knew him not. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them,
and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are
come.'
When they bowed down his memory
came back to him but not seeing Benyamin he worried if they did something to
him so the inquiry starts.
10 And they said unto him: 'Nay, my
lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man's sons; we
are upright men, thy servants are no spies.' 12 And he said unto them: 'Nay,
but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.' 13 And they said: 'We thy
servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and,
behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.' 14 And Joseph
said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies. 15
Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence,
except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch
your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether
there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely ye are spies.' 17 And
he put them all together into ward three days. 18 And Joseph said unto them the
third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:
I believe that they kept him in the
pit for 3 days and that is why he did measure for measure. This is not
vengeance but Chessed as if they get punished in this world, they are relieved
of punishment in the next.
19 if ye be upright men, let one of
your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the
famine of your houses; 20 and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall
your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so. 21 And they
said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we
saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear;
therefore is this distress come upon us.'
They are sure now that this is from
HASHEM as they confess and do not know that Yosef understands them.
22 And Reuben answered them,
saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye
would not hear? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'
You did not listen to your older
brother and have made a wreck out of your father for your actions now we all
must pay the piper.
23 And they knew not that
Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them. 24 And he turned
himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them,
and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.
In case he did not know that
hot-headed Shimon was the culprit he knew from their accusing looks and perhaps
even hot words at him.
25 Then Joseph commanded to fill
their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to
give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them. 26 And they
laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them
opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his
money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said unto his
brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their
heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this
that God hath done unto us?'
Now they were scared half out of
their wits. What will happen even if we return we will be accused of being
thieves and sold for thievery? Is this out fate for our past actions?
29 And they came unto Jacob their
father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them,
saying: 30 'The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us
for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are
no spies. 32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the
youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the
lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men:
leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your
houses, and go your way. 34 And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall
I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you
your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.' 35 And it came to pass as they
emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack;
and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36
And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children:
Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are
all these things come.'
I was clever enough to withstand
Esav and the biggest cheat Lavan and you country bumpkins can’t withstand the
legal system in Mitzrayim!
37 And Reuben spoke unto his father,
saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him
into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.' 38 And he said: 'My son shall
not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm
befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs
with sorrow to the grave.
Reuven instead of showing
leadership shows more recklessness before his father. Aren’t his children a
continuation of Yacov? If Yacov slays them it is like he killed off all his
generations. Reuven is not assuring anything.
43:1 And the famine was sore in the
land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had
brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a
little food.'
Corn in old English is not American
Maize but means grain. They had not much left in the way of grain to eat or
plant.
3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying:
'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except
your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go
down and buy thee food; 5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down,
for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with
you.' 6 And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man
whether ye had yet a brother?' 7 And they said: 'The man asked straitly
concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet
alive? Have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these
words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'
You are really bumpkins not only
did you make the man take Benyamin down there but are you trying to kill me
with your actions and lack of restraint in your language.
8 And Judah said unto Israel his
father: 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and
not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.
Let’s face facts if Benyamin does
not go down with us we will all die.
9 I will be surety for him; of my
hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before
thee, then let me bear the blame forever.
Yehuda was a big Yiras Shamayim and
he would guarantee his place in the next world if he failed to bring back
Benyamin was good enough for Yacov for the original logic was still not enough
but Olam HaBa was the language that Yacov understood.
10 For except we had lingered,
surely we had now returned a second time.' 11 And their father Israel said unto
them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your
vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey,
spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;
This is the same perfume that the
Yishmaelim were selling when they went down to Egypt. I hope the photo comes
out as I am not so good with word or if it will come out in my blogspot. Purple
flowers and a wonderful smell. This was taken of my neighbor’s plant.
12 and take double money in your
hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in
your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;
The first order of business is to
be up front about the money as if you are straight hopefully ELOKIM will guide
you and keep you from harm.
13 take also your brother, and
arise, go again unto the man; 14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the
man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for
me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'
This theme is repeated in different
words by Esther: 4:16 'Go,
gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me,
and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will
fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according
to the law; and if I perish, I perish.’
15 And the men took that present,
and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went
down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with
them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and
kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'
17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's
house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's
house; and they said: 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at
the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and
fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'
Now they were sore afraid for
surely he must be thinking that they took his money.
19 And they came near to the
steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house, 20
and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food. 21
And it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our
sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money
in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And other money
have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in
our sacks.'
They are showing this Prime
Minister who knows the hidden that they are honest and straight forward with
him so that they will not be seized.
23 And he said: 'Peace be to you,
fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your
sacks; I had your money.' And he brought Simeon out unto them.
He honors and fears KAIL SHAKKAI
the ELOKIM of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yacov so they must figure that he had a
dream like Pharaoh had when Sara was there so they have less to fear.
24 And the man brought the men into
Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave
their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph's
coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there. 26 And when
Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the
house, and bowed down to him to the earth. 27 And he asked them of their
welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he
yet alive?' 28 And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet
alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.
These Yokels did not dawn upon
themselves why he asks these questions or did they think this Egyptian
Diplomatic curtesy?
29 And he lifted up his eyes, and
saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said: 'Is this your youngest
brother of whom ye spoke unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my
son.'
He set is eye on Benyamin above
them. Is if for homosexuality? Is it for them being honest with him? They are
lax and happy at this time.
30 And Joseph made haste; for his
heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered
into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and came out; and
he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'
They had no idea that it was
disgusting for an Egyptian to eat at the same table with these characters but
with his power his servants did not want to lose their heads over this for
questioning him.
32 And they set on for him by
himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with
him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews;
for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
Hebrews eat lamb and their god was
a sheep this is scandalous.
33 And they sat before him, the
firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth;
and the men marveled one with another. 34 And portions were taken unto them
from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of
theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.
He spoke through an interpreter and
feigned divination with his cup. He also tested if they would be jealous of
Benyamin or had they learned their lesson?
44:1 And he commanded the steward
of his house, saying: 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can
carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2 And put my goblet, the
silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he
did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was
light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone
out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up,
follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore
have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and
whereby he indeed divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.' 6 And he overtook
them, and he spoke unto them these words. 7 And they said unto him: 'Wherefore
speaks my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they
should do such a thing. 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks'
mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we
steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants
it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'
You country hicks did you not learn
anything from grandpa Lavan about tricks and cheating? If you got your money
back the last time isn’t it possible that you were framed and did you not learn
anything from Rachel dying because of the Teraphim and Yacov’s statement?
10 And he said: 'Now also let it be
according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye
shall be blameless.'
They were not careful with their
words and now they have fallen into the trap.
11 Then they hastened, and took
down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 12 And he
searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the
goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.
So that they would not suspect
anything for if he searched Benyamin first they might suspect some trick.
13 And they rent their clothes, and
laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his
brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him
on the ground. 15 And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have
done? Know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'
Sometimes I feel like saying
that you should know instead of know ye, but
my job is not to modernize the better translation and modern English in the
newer JPS version which costs money so I use this antiquated free-bee from the
internet. I do try to modernize things when the spell check hits the word for
example and the brothers marveled came with two L’s. On one hand they
cannot fight the whole of Egypt but on the other hand they cannot destroy their
father so they have returned.
Now for the crushing blow. This
man’s mother stole a Teraphim from his grandfather he is the son of thief and
has become one himself! Yosef makes the statement which floors them all. They
have no more wind in their sails. Yet Yehuda is the guarantor of Benyamin and
the same man who suggested selling Yosef into slavery. Is his repentance
complete now?
16 And Judah said: 'What shall we
say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God
hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen,
both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'
A king must take responsibility for
his actions of persuading his father to send Benyamin and he has the buck stop
by him. [Note he did not blame Reuven or George W. Bush for this occurrence but
takes the helm come what may.]
17 And he said: 'Far be it from me
that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my
bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'
Yehuda is put to this last and
final test by Yosef and how will he react?
Our Rabbis when they divided up the
weekly Sedra broke at this point so that the reader or Synagogue listener
attendee would come back next week to see what happens to Benyamin. Will the
brothers leave him or will they plea for him. Is he to become another Yosef
after all he is a ben Rachel or is he a full brother?
41:55 And
when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread;
and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you,
do.'
Actually Pharaoh did not say “Go
unto Yosef” – that is for us only. He said, “Go unto Zaphenath-paneah”.
42:1
… 43:1 And the famine was sore in the
land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which
they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy
us a little food.' 3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did
earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be
with you. … 15 And the men took that present, and they took double
money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and
stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he
said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the
beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.'
Menashe was the interpreter and
kill actually meant ritually slaughter. There is a possibility that this being
before Matan Torah that Kashrus did not apply but with the previous Parsha “with
Lavan Garti and 613 I observed” implies that the slaughter was Kosher.
Paratrooper Lt. Itai Dori’s delayed wedding
Itai’s soldier was hit in the leg with 0.5 aka half an inch in diameter
armor piecing bullet that passed through his leg into Itai’s shoulder.
He thought that where he was would be a protected area from two buildings.
It was only later when he saw the Hamas What’s App. Of his injury did he
realize where he was shot from. He and the soldier were evacuated behind a tank
to be sent to the rear. He let his soldiers know that he was not injured badly.
The commander had to keep up the morale.
As he was waiting for evacuation just around his knee cap he was hit again
ripping the skin badly. He heard another click and crawled around the tank
opposite the click that probably saved
his life.
In the hospital, his soldier girl friend was at his side. He had bandages
on his shoulder and his left leg looked like one big bandage.
Now he is slowly recovering. He wants to continue in the army but not
front line. He hopes to pray Gomel under the Chupa (wedding canopy) soon with
his fiancé now.
War is hell the story
of two soldiers
I grew up in the years after WWII.
John Wayne and others would play war heroes. So the few people I saw missing
arms or with a hook or the man with no legs on a trolley board looked horrible
or even a man on crutches with one leg were there but rare events. I assume
that the VA or some group took care of them eventually because as I grew older
in school these people seemed to have disappeared from the scenery.
Captain Itai Schwartz
tank commander’s story of injury and recovery.
Itai Schwartz was hit inside his
tank. He managed with every ounce of strength to pull himself out of his tank
that might be hit again or catch fire. His leg was dangling. He was barking out
orders to his soldiers but his lungs were collapsing on him.
Near or on the helicopter he was
drifting in and out of consciousness. After operations like many other soldiers
he noticed his leg was missing. Miraculously, he is with us.
Yitzchak Bar - Givati
story.
Yitzchak was like most of the
infantry. Running alongside or behind the tanks to attack and take buildings.
The group went into a building. An explosion and a collapsing part of a
building. Dead and wounded soldiers around him. He lay there not knowing if he
would be rescued as the dust was all about him. His comrades in arms pulled him
and others whether alive or dead out of the rubble. Now it was to be evacuated
as he drifted between being awake and losing consciousness.
He was one of the people rescued
hanging on to a thread of life who woke up after a medically induced sleep
about nine days later next to his mother. He fell back to sleep. He wanted to
get out of bed. However, he did not feel his leg at the time. He asked his
mother about his wounds and his leg. She told him why he couldn’t feel his leg.
He had lost it in battle.
He is building himself up for the
Paralympics in 2028. He is going to continue with his studies.
Shalom Shitrit you can
be a criminal or a hero – your choice.
Today Shalom Shitrit is a person
who speaks in Hebrew or English motivating speaking for the IDF. However,
Shalom was not always that way. In fact as a youth he had a run-in with the
law. He was continuing in his bad ways until one of his close relatives ended
up in prison. He learned that prison was not a place where he would want to be.
Shalom had to enter a program of
wayward youths and make it to the IDF via trials, tribulations and earning the
right to serve.
Shalom is religious but like many
Sephardim only wears the Yarmulke to Prayers or speaking. Otherwise, he looks
like a non-religious Israeli from the street. He was engaged in battle when hit
by an RPG with various pieces of shrapnel all over and his leg essentially was
severed.
Today on his protasis he stands up
and talks before audiences for the IDF.
Sgt. First Class
Shneur Mazor the rescuer who maybe lost his left eye?
Shneur was in Lebanon at
headquarters of his Battalion. He was in the second tier reserve and rescue
team. [Which besides Border Patrol was my job if soldiers were sent across the
border, and they were a few times]. Otherwise my border patrol during quiet was
the front line.]
Headquarters gets a message that
3 or 4 soldiers are dead and 11 wounded. Shneur and his men start picking up
the rescued wounded that have been pulled out of the Fray. Shneur is about to
leave but a firefight breaks out. He is hit in is left eye. The lens is gone
and some of the muscles are torn. Shneur has undergone a few operations with
more on the way. He is hoping for a new lens and his sight to return somewhat
in his left. He needs a Hanukah Miracle above and beyond having his life spared
and a chance to see again.
Yokel at the Theater by R. Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1410-12
Due to the many pressures I did not put this in the usual format
or the next story.
On the side of the main road near Liozna lived a chasidic Jew
called Berel (not his real name) and his family. As he barely eked out a living
as a Torah tutor, the family's livelihood depended mostly on his wife's
excellent baking. On his way into town each day to tutor his students, he would
take along with him a load of his wife's bagels and other delicious baked goods
to deliver to their regular customers as he went along his way.
One freezing Russian winter night, as a heavy blizzard and blustery
wind continued to pile high mounds of snow above the ground, Berel heard a
sudden sharp knocking on his front door. He opened it, and there stood a
shivering man nearly frozen to death in the barrage of a merciless storm. Berel
pulled him into the house, poured him a quick shot of vodka, wrapped him in
blankets and prepared him a large glass of hot tea.
In those days, a wood-burning oven served both as cooking surface
and heating source. The warmest place to sleep was on a platform built above
the oven. Usually the little children slept on it, being prone to throw off
their blankets. However, due to the traveler's vulnerable condition, Berel set
his children down onto blankets on the floor and invited his guest to sleep
above the oven.
The next morning, at first light, the man rose, dressed and
departed. An hour or so later, when the children woke up, they were surprised
to find themselves on the floor. They quickly scampered back to their place
over the stove to warm up and perhaps sleep some more. One of the little boys
banged his foot into something hard. As he did, gold and silver coins started
pouring onto the floor from the sack he had unintentionally kicked over!
Astonished and excited, they climbed down as fast as they could, ran into their
parent's room and enthusiastically reported their find.
Was their father delighted about this unexpected treasure? No! The
opposite, in fact: he was terrified. Surely the bag belonged to the traveler
that had slept there. He would report the loss of his significant fortune, the
police or the military would investigate, and he -- the poor Jew who only tried
to help a traveler in need -- would be accused of theft and perhaps arrested
and thrown into prison!
As soon as he could, Berel hurried into Liadi to speak to his
Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, founder of the Chabad school of Chasidism. He told
the Rebbe all that had happened, and asked him what to do about this fortune
that had been left in his house.
The Rebbe answered: "My friend, don't worry. I'm telling you,
no one will come looking for it or make inquiries. The Al-mighty has sent it to
you as a gift."
He explained to his amazed chasid that if the man should happen to
come back, of course the money must be returned to him. But he wouldn't. Nor is
there any way to find him, since they didn't know his name or even the
direction in which he was traveling. Therefore, the traveler must have given up
all hope of its recovery and it was completely kosher to keep the coins.
Noting his chasid's nervousness, the Rebbe continued: "This is
my advice. Put the money somewhere safe. Don't let anyone around here see it or
know about it. Don't make any changes in your lifestyle; continue teaching your
students until the end of the semester. By then you will be convinced that no
one is looking for the money and whoever the owner is will have given up hope
of recovering it, which in Jewish law is equivalent to relinquishing ownership.
Come to me then, and I'll advise you what to do with the money."
* * *
At the end of the semester, the tutor returned to Rabbi Shneur Zalman to hear
his counsel. The Rebbe told him that the time had come for him to move to town.
He should search for a building to purchase with living quarters upstairs and a
store front at street level. Then he should buy merchandise for resale, open
for business and, with G~d's blessing, he would be successful. "After a
year, return here, give me a report and I will advise you what to do
next."
Berel did exactly as the Rebbe said. A year went by. When he came
to consult the Rebbe again, the chasid reported that his business was doing
quite nicely, B”H ('Thank G~d’). Yet, to tell-the-truth, all his investments in
home, store and merchandise had barely made a dent in the hoard of coins.
The Rebbe nodded and suggested to him to cease buying his
merchandise locally and instead to buy in larger quantities from the
wholesalers in Vitebsk [the main city in that region]. That way he would make a
greater profit in his own store, and he could also sell to the other retail
merchants in Liozna. "Come back in another year and apprise me of your
situation," the Rebbe concluded.
The chasid did as the Rebbe advised. Another year went by. When
Berel arrived for his annual appointment, he told the Rebbe that the sack was
still mostly full and that his business had become much more profitable due to
his purchasing expeditions to Vitebsk.
Said the Rebbe: "Is it not so that the wholesalers of Vitebsk
acquire their goods from the distributors in Moscow? Go there and buy directly,
so that this year, you can sell to the wholesalers in Vitebsk as well as to the
retailers in Liozna and your own customers." Then the Rebbe blessed him,
and also reminded Berel to come again in a year's time and let him know the
state of his affairs.
So the chasid did. Another year passed. Berel's enterprise was now
one of the largest of its kind in all Russia. When he had his annual conference
with the Rebbe and described to him the vastness of his business and his
success, "thanks to the blessings of the Al-mighty", nevertheless, he
added, there still remained in the sack much gold with which to further expand
the business.
The Rebbe smiled and responded, "Is it not so that the
distributors in Moscow buy from the exporters in Konigsberg [then the
metropolis of Eastern Germany), later, in 1946 annexed by the Soviet Union and
renamed Kaliningrad] Travel there periodically and buy in very large qualities
from the manufacturers. You can then sell to the distributors in Moscow, as
well as to the wholesalers in Vitebsk and the retailers in Liozna."
Another year went by. The unsophisticated chasid had become among
the wealthiest businessmen in Russia.
* * *
Berel's expeditions to Konigsberg involved exceptionally large levels of
investment. Before each of these trips, the chasid made it a habit to visit the
Rebbe and request a blessing. On one such occasion, the Rebbe said to him
unexpectedly, "You travel regularly to Konigsberg, yet you have never once
brought me a present from there."
The man was speechless. He felt overwhelmingly embarrassed. When he
reached Konigsberg, before attending to any of his business affairs, he went to
the busy commercial street with stores that specialized in valuable items of
gold and silver. There he bought an expensive snuff box made of pure gold and
upon his return to Liozna, he went immediately to the Rebbe's house to present
it to him.
"It's very nice," remarked the Rebbe, "but it is not
what I was hoping for."
The chasid was taken aback at the Rebbe's words, and after leaving
the Rebbe's presence resolved that on his next trip he would buy him something
even finer and more expensive. On the same street as before, he purchased an
even fancier snuff box. Not only was it also made of pure gold, it was also
inlaid with filigree silver, and encrusted with precious gems. It cost a small
fortune.
He confidently presented it to Rebbe Shneur Zalman. The Rebbe
looked at it carefully for a few moments but then said, "This is very,
very nice, but again, it is not what I had in mind." [1]
Before his next trip, when he made his regular request for a
blessing, the Rebbe said something that truly bewildered him." Tell me, in
all your visits to Konigsberg, did you ever go to the theater?"
Never mind that this pious villager would never ever consider
attending a theater; it is quite possible that he did not even know what a
theater is and certainly not what goes on inside one!
Nevertheless, he reckoned that if the Rebbe bothered to mention it
to him, it must be that is what he is supposed to do. He couldn't fathom the
reason why - the more so once he found out what a theater is - but on his next
trip to Konigsberg, he made inquiries as soon as he arrived, and followed
directions to the main theater of this cosmopolitan European city.
When he walked up to the cashier's window and asked to purchase a
ticket, she asked him if he wanted front, middle, back, or balcony. He had no
idea what she was talking about. "Just please give me your most expensive
seat," he responded politely.
He was ushered upstairs to a private compartment with a thickly
upholstered wide chair. Being quite tired from his long journey, he struggled
to keep his eyes open as he stared at the stage below, which was as yet
completely blocked by a tall crimson curtain. What was going on? He couldn't
venture a guess what was supposed to happen next.
Well, what happened was that suddenly all the lights in the
building were dimmed. The chair was so comfortable…he was exhausted…the theater
was now dark…
The naïve chasid fell deeply asleep. He never saw any of the
performance. Indeed, he did not even know there was a performance because he
continued to sleep soundly even after it ended. Finally, after everyone else
had gone home and all other seats vacated, one of the staff gently woke him up.
It was the janitor. "Excuse me, sir, but you really must get up and go
home now. I have to finish cleaning and lock the building."
The chasid was embarrassed and began to apologize for any
inconvenience he had caused. "Oh, that's all right, sir," the janitor
interrupted hastily, also a bit embarrassed. "By the way, sir, I see from
your manner of dress that you not from this country. Where are you from?"
"Belarus." (White Russia)
"What town?"
"Liozna."
"Really?" pursued the janitor further. "You appear
to be a chasid. Perhaps you are acquainted with Rebbe Zalman?"
"Acquainted? He is my Rebbe!"
"You don't say? Well, then, when you get home, please give him
my regards."
"Who are you? What's your name?"
"My name is Karl."
The chasid thought it quite strange that the janitor of a theater
in Konigsberg should have any connection to a Chasidic Rebbe but he didn't ask
any questions. Back in Liozna, he went right to the Rebbe's house and delivered
the message. To his astonishment, the Rebbe smiled broadly and said, "Ah!
That is the present I was hoping for."
* * *
Before his next trip to Konigsberg, the chasid visited the Rebbe as usual to
receive his blessing. Before he left, the Rebbe handed him a small parcel and
asked him to deliver it to Karl. "But, please, after you complete your
business affairs but before departing for home, be sure to get the parcel back
from Karl."
On his first evening in Konigsberg, the chasid made his way to the
theater. He again purchased a ticket for a private box, and after the lights
were dimmed, once again enjoyed a refreshing nap after his long journey,
confident that Karl would find him after the performance.
When Karl woke him up at closing time, the chasid told him how
happy the Rebbe had been to receive his regards, and that just before this
current trip, the Rebbe had requested that he deliver this package to him. Karl
said with wonderment, "For me? Really?"
When he finished his business affairs, the chasid returned once
more to the theater. When Karl discovered him there before closing, he
expressed surprise that the chasid had come so soon again to the theater. The
chasid quickly explained that he was ready to return home and the Rebbe had
ordered him to bring the package back with him.
"Oh really? I didn't even open it yet. Wait for me a minute,
please, and I'll fetch it."
When Karl opened it the businessman could see that is was filled
with papers, handwritten by the Rebbe himself. Excitedly looking over Karl's
shoulder, he realized instantly that it was a manuscript of Chasidic teachings.
Karl began to thumb through the pages, scanning them quickly. Then
he read one page closely and murmured, "Ruach HaKodesh ('Divinely
inspired')." Finally, a few pages later, he said to the chasid, "Tell
Reb Zalman I said this is all truly divinely inspired, that I don't know what
teachings will be left for our righteous Mashiach to innovate when he arrives,
may it be soon." Then he rewrapped the package and gave it back to the
chasid.
Shortly after the chasid returned the package to its author, Rabbi
Shneur Zalman finally decided to allow its publication. And so, on 19-20
Kislev, the Chasidic classic Tanya was first printed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Translator's appendix:
The Alter Rebbe had hoped the first completed book would be available on the
19th of the Jewish month of Kislev [Dec. 1796] in honor of the yahrzeit of his
own Rebbe the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov, founder of
the chasidic movement, but due to technical difficulties it was delayed a few
hours into the evening of the 20th.
Also, before releasing the manuscript for publication the Rebbe had arranged
for the written approbations of two of the greatest disciples of the Maggid,
the famed Rabbi Mushulem-Zushia and Rabbi Yehuda HaKohen, both of Anipoli.
These are printed at the beginning of Tanya. Nevertheless, it seems they were
not enough; the Rebbe also required the oral approval of Karl, the theater
janitor in Konigsberg!
Rabbi Shmuel Gronem Esterman (d. 5681 (1921 C.E.), a major teacher of Chasidic
thought from whom this story is known, believes that Karl was one of the
thirty-six hidden tzadikim upon whom the survival of the world depends.
Source: Translated and adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from Reshimat Devarim
by Rabbi Yehuda Chitrik, who heard it from Rabbi Shmuel Gronem Esterman;
supplemented from oral and other written sources.
Biographic note:
Rabbi Shneur Zalman [18 Elul 5505 - 24 Tevet 5573 (1745 - Dec. 1812)], one of
the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal
Shem Tov. He is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement and the author
of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya, as well as many other major
works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.
Connection: Yud-Tet+Chof (19-20) Kislev is the anniversary of the publication
of Tanya in 5557 (17
Footnotes:
[1] Perhaps what happened with one of those expensive snuff boxes is this:
It is told that the Alter Rebbe owned a silver snuffbox without a lid, because
he had detached the (shiny) lid, and used it {as a mirror} to center the
tefillin on his head precisely.
The Keeper of the
Eternal Flame by R. Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1411-13
In Jerusalem, on a shelf in a
closet in the house of Rabbi Yisrael Gliss, stands a tin pitcher that he
received from his grandfather. Every year during Chanukah, the pitcher is
placed in a prominent position on the table and Rabbi Gliss tells its story.
On the 29th of November in the year 1948, it was decided in the UN to end the
British Mandate and divide the Land of Israel. The Arabs reacted with violent
riots all over the country, and as a result the Old City of Jerusalem was under
siege. The Jewish residents were terrified and exposed to shortages and hunger.
The Arab market that only a short time before was full of Jewish shoppers was
now deserted. From time to time a British armored car would arrive from the new
part of the city with medicines and food for the besieged Jewish populace.
Several times some brave Jewish people broke into the deserted stores to find
food, but this effort did little to relieve the hunger in the city.
* * *
Reb Yonah Lippel, a devoted Breslov chasid, hid himself behind the Aron
HaKodesh ("the Holy Ark"- a tall fancy cabinet where the Torah
scrolls are kept). He looked cautiously over his shoulder, and only when he was
sure that nobody was watching, did he take a small jar from his coat pocket.
Carefully he brought it close to the opening of a tin pitcher and slowly poured
its contents into it.
A trickle of oil poured into the pitcher and raised the level in it by about an
inch (2.5 centimeters). Reb Yonah shook the jar, to make sure that not a drop
of the precious oil would be lost. Then he carefully replaced the pitcher in a
hiding place behind the Ark.
Reb Yonah was one of the keepers of the eternal flame that always burned in the
Tiferet Yisrael shul (synagogue) of the chasidim in the old city. He
always made sure that there was oil for lighting the flame so their light could
spread in the "miniature temple" and enable the worshippers to pray
to their Creator.
When the supply of oil in the shul ran out, Reb Yona started bringing oil from
home. This was not a simple matter. Reb Yona had a family blessed with small
children, and in times of hardship oil was a necessary yet difficult to obtain
item.
Others were concerned with how they would survive and last out the day, but Reb
Yona was made of sterner stuff; and he thought ahead. It was close to Chanukah.
It was essential to prepare for the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah
(Chanukah candelabrum).
He started saving drops of oil. Persistently, he collected one drop and another
drop, hiding the treasured liquid behind the Aron HaKodesh. As the tension in
the city grew, the Jewish people came to the synagogue to pray, to find solace
and faith.
They would look at the eternal flame, and its small light was for them a symbol
of the endurance of the Jewish people in spite of all the persecutions by their
enemies.
The days of Chanukah arrived. In all the homes in the old city the menorot
were taken out to make sure they were clean and polished, but instead of
filling them with oil, tears fell on them. All were victims of hunger and who
would dare dream of the luxury of oil for the menorah (candelabrum)?
"At least we will look at it," parents told their children, "and
remember the miracle of Chanukah. We will pray that there always will be the
'victory of the few over the many, as in those days and in this time'
."[1]
If at the start Reb Yonah had doubts whether it wasn't preferable to use the
oil for nourishment for his children, as Chanukah came closer he was convinced
that he did the right thing. "What are we and what is our life compared to
the lights of Chanukah," he whispered to himself.
* * *
On the eve of Chanukah Reb Yonah hurried to purify himself by going to the mikvah
(ritual immersion pool) and hastened to get the menorah ready that would stand
in the shul that evening, the first night of Chanukah. His face shined with
joy. The people in shul looked at him in surprise; they wondered if he had lost
his mind. What is this joy at a terrible time like this?
Before the afternoon prayer, Reb Yonah put the menorah in its regular place. At
the end of the prayer there was a dismal atmosphere in the shul. Normally
people would hurry home joyfully, with light steps to gather the family for the
lighting of the Chanukah Menorah. Now there was no light and no festivity. With
bowed heads the worshippers turned to leave the shul, each one to his home.
"Stop!" cried Reb
Yonah. "Let us light the first light of Chanukah!"
Before anyone could open his mouth for a retort, Reb Yonah had rushed to the
Aron HaKodesh, and in a moment reappeared with the pitcher of oil in his hand.
"Let us light," he said delightedly with a wide smile, and quickly
poured the oil into the menorah.
In his heart he prayed,
"Master of the world, You know I didn't do this for my honor, but for
Yours, to honor Your holiday and bring a little light to the depressed souls in
this besieged city."
Reb Yonah honored Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz [leader of the Breslov chasidim in
Jerusalem for the entire first half of the 20th century], to light the first
light. The rumor of the menorah in the Breslov shul spread like wildfire. In no
time the shul filled up with astonished people, all wanted to see the miracle
with their own eyes. The singing of "Hanerot Halalu"
(traditional Chanukah song sung loudly and joyfully shortly after the lighting)
soon filled the shul,, lifting the distressed hearts of all.
During all the eight days of Chanukah the lights burned in the shul, they
radiated and lit up all hearts and inspired faith and trust in G-d's salvation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted, annotated and supplemented by R. Yerachmiel Tilles from the
translation by Mrs. C.R. Benami, long-time editorial assistant for
AscentOfSafed.com, from the popular Israeli weekly, Sichat HaShavua
(#1565) based on a report from Rabbi Yisrael Gliss.
Rabbi Avraham-Yisrael Gliss is a tenth generation Yerushalmi (Jerusalem-born),
and a journalist, author and lecturer, and a well-regarded expert on Jerusalem
history.
Why this week?
Rabbi Avraham Sternhartz (1862-1955) was a
great-grandson of Reb Nosson (chief disciple of Rebbe Nachman). He arrived in
Jerusalem's Old City in 1936, where he was quickly recognized as the
outstanding Breslover elder of his generation. Among his disciples were a
number of the major Breslover leaders of the past few decades, including… Rabbi
Gedaliah-Aharon Koenig of blessed memory, founder and first leader of the Safed
Breslov community. [From Breslov.com, as is the photo]
Footnote: 1] From the Chanukah addition to the thrice-daily 'Standing
Prayer' (Amidah) and the "Blessings After Eating Bread'.
Photo: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hasidebreslov/100448727/
Milestone: Eduard
Kuznetsov, 85, Prisoner of Zion, journalist, writer and man of struggle, passed
away last week in Hadera at the age of 85. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401119
Milestone: Prof. Yoram
Maaravi, 67, a leading expert in geriatrics, tragically passed away after a
fall from a cliff during a hike on Saturday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401129
Milestone: Richard Perry, 82, Grammy Award
Winner. https://www.timesofisrael.com/richard-perry-producer-behind-youre-so-vain-ringo-starr-album-dies-at-82/
Inyanay Diyoma
Dec. 21st
Day 442 start of week 63
Undetected until too late. I woke
up at around 3:40 in the morning until I got to wash my hands, I hear from my
wife’s phone a siren. I wake up my wife grab my pajama bottoms that I had just
taken off and on my way down stairs meaning less than a minute I hear a boom.
It fell? Iron Dome? Our shelter was dark except for a red light from the
lightning protection cable and two LED lights from the TV. A new improved
faster Iranian Rocket from Teman had infiltrated to arrow missiles maybe a
David Sling missile and iron dome. The thousand pounds of explosives fell in a
playground in Yafo. 16 people were injured and fortunately none seriously.
Later a drone heading via Sinai and Gaza towards the outlying areas was shot
down by a helicopter. An IAF Probe has started. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401070 https://www.timesofisrael.com/missile-from-yemen-explodes-in-south-tel-aviv-park-lightly-injuring-16/
Meta Oversight Board against Zionism on
Facebook and Instagram. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401049
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-authorizes-military-sales-of-more-than-5-billion-to-egypt/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/elon-musk-endorses-far-right-german-party-after-governments-collapse/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/toronto-jewish-girls-school-fired-at-for-third-time-this-year/
Sources
with knowledge of the details said that Israel has demanded that “heavy”
terrorist prisoners who would be released as part of the upcoming hostage
release deal be expelled abroad, rather than be transferred to Judea and
Samaria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401068
Russian
President Vladimir Putin accused Jews of attacking the Russian Orthodox Church
and suggested that they lacked family and “roots,” the latest antisemitic
statement from the Russian leader since his 2022 invasion of Ukraine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401072
Sweden stops funding UNWRA. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401069
7.5KM tunnel destroyed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401059
Because of ICC, Netanyahu will not go to Poland
for 80th Anniversary of Liberation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401054
Poll the Likud gets weaker. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401060
Dec. 22nd
Day 443
The first thing that the
television presenter said today that out of 1700KM if the warhead fell 10meters
here or there, we would have had coffins and burials. One must acknowledge a
miracle happened in Yafo on the morning of Shabbos. Another point is that I was on the edge of the possible
hit zone. Perhaps 500 or 600 meters from me at the Yeshiva Dormitory there was
no siren or by my daughter over the hill and certainly not by my married
grandchildren further away.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-strikes-houthi-targets-in-yemen-takes-down-drones-over-red-sea/
Mentioned yesterday more details. https://www.timesofisrael.com/several-interceptors-failed-to-knock-down-houthi-missile-that-hit-tel-aviv-idf-probe/
Protests only raise the price. Nobel Prize
Laureate Prof. Yisrael (Robert) Aumann, one of the world's leading experts on
Game Theory, is calling on Israel to carefully consider any hostage deal and to
think about the good of all of the people of Israel and their security. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401106
Netanyahu
stated, "As we acted strongly against the terror arms of Iran's evil axis,
so we will act against the Houthis - the result will be the same." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401126
During
the fourteen months of the war, volunteering crossed all sectors, genders, and
ages. Almost one in every two people volunteered at the beginning of the war
(45.2%), but after six weeks the volunteering rate dropped to 28.7% and
currently stands at 15%. Donations and assistance were directed to over one
million citizens, with an estimated value of hundreds of millions of Shekels. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401111
Energy Crises in Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401122
Teachers with degrees from West Bank
Universities cannot teach in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401124
The
Kfir Brigade combat team, under the command of the 162nd Division, completed
their operational activities in the Beit Lahiya area. On Sunday, based on
intelligence information indicating the presence of terrorists and terrorist
infrastructure in the area, the troops began operating in the area west of Beit
Hanoun. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401117
The
combat forces of the 188th Brigade continue their activity in southern Lebanon,
in accordance with the understandings between Israel and Lebanon. During their
activity, the brigade's engineering forces located a combat hideout facility
with eight weapons depots above and below ground, connected by an underground
infrastructure. The facility also contained communications and electricity
resources, anti-tank missiles, charges, and computers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401116
Two US Navy pilots were
shot down over the Red Sea early Sunday morning in what the US military
described as a “friendly fire” incident. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401099
The
event, organized by the Kfar Chabad Council, was attended by many officials,
including IDF Spokesman Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari and Maj. Gen. David Zini. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401104
Body of Ukrainian Jew found. For more than
six months, the Jewish community in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, has been trying to
locate a community member, soldier David Strauber, who was an outstanding
student at the local Jewish school 'Or Avner - Chabad' in the city. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401107
A
young man and woman, both around 25 years old, were killed on Saturday night in
an accident between two private vehicles on Route 772. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401090
Dec. 23rd
Day 444
The only good news I heard this week is that
Iraqi Militias are stopping to send drones against Israel. There is a new
Sherriff elected in America and they have become cautious. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401159
Why Netanyahu really went on the trip to Har
Hermon last week: Israel has conveyed a clear message to the new leadership in
Damascus that Israel would not tolerate any attempt by Jihadist elements to
operate in southern Syria. According to the report, Israel made clear that as
long as no trustworthy force comes to replace it, it will take steps to ensure
its security. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401157
Rumors are flying that the UN WHO is about to
be cut off from US funds on Jan. 20th. Neither RFK jr. nor DJT want
to pay money and vaccine the world.
As I write this there is a fire raging at an
educational facility in Yerushalayim on Dovid Yellin Street and a guard ran
into it to save girls but was badly burnt.
Also not in the news two soldiers in the last
few days in serious condition in the hospital. Missing a limb in the hospital
is light to moderate. Serious could entail some danger to life.
The Iranians are about ready for the Atomic
Bomb. https://www.timesofisrael.com/pm-vows-escalated-fight-against-houthis-officials-said-eyeing-direct-attack-on-iran/
Mossad go after Iran directly not the Houthis. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401139
https://www.timesofisrael.com/air-force-chief-reportedly-vows-to-keep-politics-away-from-service/
Captive Omer Shem Tov started observing
Shabbos. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401151
A
resident of Shuafat, the daughter of a terrorist who carried out a ramming
attack on Highway 1 two years ago and was eliminated by police officers,
pledged allegiance to arch terrorist Yahya Sinwar and published incitement,
support, praise, and glorification while identifying with the Hamas terrorist
organization. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401155
Police
have arrested a person of interest following the incident in which a woman was set
on fire and burned to death on a subway train in Brooklyn, New York, on
Sunday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401146
A poll in Germany before the attack on the Xmas
Market had the AFD up and it is higher now.
Dec. 24th
Day 445
They have dates on texts that occurred before
the security operation. https://www.timesofisrael.com/sara-netanyahu-sues-networks-for-defamation-over-claims-she-leaked-security-secrets/
Members of the Lev Tahor cult on Monday violently attacked haredi
Jews who came to assist the cult's children who were rescued in a police raid
in Guatemala. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401219
Former captive with heart condition dies at 77.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401220
Hassan
Akskal, a political historian and academic in Turkey, was stunned to find out
where one of his students had disappeared to. "I've just learned that my
doctoral student, Asad Al-Shayebani, has become the new Foreign Minister of
Syria," he tweeted. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401133
"There was a done deal that was brought to
the small cabinet, and [Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu hesitated and
ultimately did not support it," Biton said in an interview with Radio
Kol Chai. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401214
The Fatah movement announced on Monday that it is
banning Al Jazeera from operating in Palestinian Authority-assigned
areas of Judea and Samaria, claiming that the channel "spreads conflicts
and incites." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401205
Foreign
Minister Gideon Saar has instructed Israel's diplomatic representatives in
Europe to work to advance in their host countries a government policy
recognizing the Houthi rebel group as a terror organization. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401218
Dec. 25th
Day 446
I did not want the 4:21 siren that I heard for
a few seconds but the applications did not work. One time a this and one time a
that. We were on the extreme northern border. On Shabbos my daughter did get a
siren. Running to the shelter and having interrupted sleep is not a fun deal
and certainly about 20 objects this month from Yemen is not much but it puts
millions into the shelter. Pieces of the missile fell in Beer Yacov.
The soldier from Talmon living after marriage
near me. I recognized his widow’s photo as one of the women I have passed by on
Shabbos if I went to Mincha in Chabad. His father is one of the administrators
in the local High School. Hundreds lined the 446 road for his body to pass by
on route to Har Herzl and we had trouble getting a Minyan yesterday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401250
12 hours later a UAV from Teman. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401299
https://www.timesofisrael.com/airline-pilots-crews-voice-concerns-about-middle-east-routes/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-votes-to-lift-ban-on-whatsapp-google-play/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/family-of-pms-late-aide-bleiweiss-sues-netanyahus-claiming-harassment-and-abuse/ SHE PAID OUT OF HER
POCKET THOUSANDS FOR BIBI AND SARAH.
Security in Gaza will be with the IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401294
Chief Sephardi Rabbi free the hostages at all
costs. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401297
An
Azerbaijan Airlines plane en route from Baku to Grozny, Russia, crashed in near
Aktau, Kazakhstan, on Wednesday morning. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401275
I have more news but that can wait
until tomorrow. I am behind because of the lack of sleep. I got good news from
my dietician. In the course of a year, I lost about 10kg or more or less 22
lbs.
Dec. 26th
Day 447
Some of my friends may recall that
the plane route before the war was either landing almost over my house or by my
brother-in-law’s farm on the other eastern side of the airport. I guess for the
civil aviation authority, the war is over.
The sad part of the Houthi attacks
is that 50 people were injured running to shelter with one woman in a coma for
a few days after banging her head.
Kibbutz
Shomria, located in the northern Negev, announced Thursday that Captain Amit
Levi fell in battle in Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401335
Wickedness removed by Walmart. Walmart, the
world’s largest retail corporation, has removed several T-shirts from its
online store this week that glorified Yahya Sinwar and Hassan Nasrallah, leaders
of the terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah, respectively. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401324
IDF, ISA, and Israel Border Police forces concluded a two-day-long
counterterrorism operation in the area of Tulkarm. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401325
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-brigade-head-lightly-hurt-in-blast-during-tulkarem-op-palestinians-report-8-killed/
In
recent days, with the direction of IDF and ISA intelligence, the IAF conducted
a precise strike on the terrorists Muhammad Jamil Salman Basous, a senior
terrorist in the engineering unit of the Gaza City Brigade in the Hamas
terrorist organization, and Muhammad Kamal Muhammad Al-Haj, a Nukhba company
commander in the Zeitoun Battalion. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401331
The
IAF early Thursday morning conducted a precise strike on a vehicle with an
Islamic Jihad terrorist cell inside in the area of Nuseirat. Yes Press was
written on it. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401320
Russians brought down aircraft. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401341
The
family of IDF Sgt. Gur Kehati, who was killed in the same incident in which
civilian Ze’ev (Jabo) Erlich was killed in Lebanon, stormed into an event held
in memory of Erlich in Samaria this evening to protest the event. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401309
The
conflict between Justice Minister Yariv Levin and the judiciary escalated today
with Levin deciding not to allow judges to teach in academia. Until recently,
Levin signed dozens of approvals for judges wishing to teach, but has stopped
recently due to the ongoing dispute with the legal system. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401226
Former
IDF Soldier, a medical student. He studied in Israel for a year and served in
the IDF as an infantryman in the Golani Brigade, reaching the rank of sergeant.
Yonatan returned to the U.S. and began volunteering for Hatzalah Volunteer
Ambulance Corps, which solidified his career path. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401167
First Sephardi Female to join the Canadian Gov.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401264
Dec. 27th
Day 448 end of week 63
In an e-mail I received this morning: Hanukkah
Sameach, I hope you are getting some rest – Stephen. I wish it were so. It has been 28years since a traffic accident left me dizzy and I
basically recovered but waking up in the middle of the night not for prostate
relief but suddenly over-came me today. After the attack by a full squadron of
airplanes on Teman, we were expecting something. Last night at a Hanukah Party
with all but one of my Israeli Grandchildren something happened on my
daughter’s street and I was on Level 4 alert started to get up to move to a
safe space but it only an ambulance or fire crew. I managed to purchase the
food for Shabbos but was so dizzy prayed for the first time in a long time at
home.
If that was not enough there was a stabbing
attack in Herzliya that killed a woman. I usually take a vacation with
pensionaries from there. But I do not know Ludmilla who was murdered. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-jets-hit-sanaa-airport-and-houthi-sites-along-yemen-coast-after-missile-attacks/
Ludmilla
Lipovsky, 83, was murdered Friday morning in a terror attack on Kdoshei Hashoah
Street in the central city of Herzliya. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401394
Israeli
Foreign Minister Gideon Saar has claimed that the new Syrian government should
be keeping Israel's defense echelon awake at night. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401397
Earlier
on Friday, the IAF struck infrastructure that was used to smuggle weapons via
Syria to the Hezbollah terrorist organization in Lebanon at the Janta Crossing
on the Syrian-Lebanese border. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401396
Chassidim Breslov warned about photos. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401386
The
president and vice president of the University of Michigan’s student assembly,
both prominent pro-Palestinian Arab activists, were removed from office this
week after being found guilty of dereliction of duty. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401382
Pekuach Nefesh release the hostages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401390
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat
ROSH CHODESH TEVES IS ON TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY.
Have a healthy, peaceful, restful
and wonderful Shabbos and Hanukah,
Rachamim Pauli
