Now available on: http://rabbipauli.blogspot.com/
My good friend R’ A.L., Avraham ben Devorah, was ill for close to a month and asked for prays for a full recovery.
A few weeks ago I warned that one could not do on-line conversion. If this were the case, I would certainly have mentioned this. However, one must live within the Jewish Community. Last week I received a Post from a Lady in
I also found some interesting information on the Rabbi Coffman that you say does online conversion. He is involved in a place in
It’s already Elul
My cousin Susan in
Enough of the outside modesty and the years before the Playboy Philosophy and uncensored movies poisoned all the European and American continents. Only a few people who cut themselves off from the mass media are not affected. Some reflections that we do in Elul is how to improve ourselves. Last week, I realized that the Drasha, Inyanay Diyoma and Good Shabbos story was a bit long so I condensed the Drasha. I received a letter from Ephraim the moderator of Chevrutha@Shamash.org that the Drasha ran 40 pages. To make life easier for everybody even though Gog and Magog is getting closer, I will try to separate out the Inyanay Diyoma into a new blog and mailing in the future. This week, I have copied some headlines with links for those who want to delve deeper. This will enable me to print more Emmanuel Winston and Caroline Glick commentaries. There are many like Rav Mimran Shlita who depend on clean news. Last week there was a piece of news in Eretz Yisrael that was Yellow Journalism at its best, but I skipped all the juicy parts and stuff that would embarrass soap opera writers to write about.
All the world that we know today is crumbling around us. The stock market, banks, airlines, amusement parks, companies, etc. are collapsing.
We can work night and day for a greener environment and we can jump up and down and distribute flyers for our favorite candidate. However, in the end when Rosh Hashanah comes the things that really matter are our repentance, prayer and charity. One can be exempt from a certain Mitzvah if he or she is working on another. Sometimes one is stuck visiting the ill, comforting mourners, even making Shalom Beit with his/her spouse that the time for praying with a Minyan escapes from our fingers. Or one is busy worrying about a will and inheritance for his children to give them a better future and Jewish education for the generations afterwards. One Seder night, my Nephew was in the hospital next to his wife giving birth. Both he and the religious doctor missed out on a family Seder because they were bringing his first born into the world. But if you don’t have an excuse to skip a mitzvah because of another mitzvah then as is said in Yiddish “Hop a Mitzvah”. Neither you nor I are expected to be a Moshe Rabbaynu and grandson going on twelve will not finish Shass before his 12th birthday like the Vilna Gaon but he is at the top of his class and happy where he is and learns well. Instead of reading Gemara on vacation, he is reading about the heroes of the Shoah and the miracles of 9/11. That too is important.
Yacov Glicksman Zal was present when somebody asked my Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Yacov London of saintly memory what to do if he had only 15 minutes a night to learn Torah – what should he learn? The Sage answered the fellow in two words: “Learn Mussar”. He went on to explain that if the fellow will learn only 15 minutes a day Mussar that he will find time to learn more. So is the way of the world, we make time and put in an effort for what seems important to us.
Now for a little bit of Mussar to even one person reading this: Some of us come only to Schul on the High Holidays and the Shlosha Regelim and maybe Chanucha and Purim while others come a bit more or a bit less. Did you ever notice a cripple or blind person making the effort to come to Schul? They over come many difficulties and still they come. Two weeks ago on Shabbos for the first time in years since I had a bad case of the flu in the winter time I had the misfortune of being over half a mile from the local Schul with a very painful spur in my heel. I preferred to skip the morning service as I had no crutches with me to aid me. It was a wrenching decision. I was afraid of walking half-way and getting stuck or all the way and not being able to return all Shabbos. That was once in perhaps 15 years. The question is to anybody who doesn’t go at least weekly to Schul if not daily – What is your excuse? I did make it to Mincha as the pain subsided and I had a ride back Motzei Shabbos and I ask myself in reflecting should I have put in a stronger effort?
My father who grew up in Europe after World War I and my mother who graduated High School and went job hunting during the Great Depression looked at my generation with electric trains and a few toy soldiers and toy trucks as a pampered generation. My children remember not having anything but Seltzer to drink on Shabbos or water and very little chicken or fish during the week mostly eggs and next to no American Cheese. Yet they probably had a good deal of toys and my grandchildren pampered more. My parents were always worried if I would be tough enough in my pampered childhood to face life as an adult. Nowadays, pampering has gotten out of control and child starts like Miss Lohan and Miss Spears end up in rehab. In my youth there were institutions for the people who were a danger to themselves and to society but nobody heard of rehab for the rich. Baseball Players like Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris did not get six figured salaries but a few times more than the average Joe. Movie greats like Bogart, Mitchum, Wayne and Grant did get six figured salaries but they had to make film after film. Even if we took these former greats and brought their salaries up with inflation they would not come close to some of the two bit actors of today. This entire paragraph is a lead up to what are we doing to educate the next Jewish generation? Are we teaching them Torah values or make money, gute gelt, and to dress like a slut is popular or do we teach them tznius and ethical behavior? There are Yeshiva Bocherim looking for the girl with biggest PHD = Papa has dollars. What about love, sympathy, empathy, intelligence and being able to run a Jewish home? Good Ancestry and tons of money may help in the back ground for choosing a husband or wife but we must in educating our children rise up above the physical and think of the spiritual. Look this month not at the physical but the spiritual. The physical world of money and food is to advance the spiritual world and not the opposite. That is what Avraham, Yitzchak and Yacov did with their riches and that is what we should do too.
I found this from two years ago a quote which Jackie sent to me and is so appropriate that I think I should conclude this with: "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it's called the present! Live and savor every moment... This is not a dress rehearsal!"
Parsha Shoftim
Perkei Avos and the Medrash Rabbah remind us that one of the three pillars of the world is judgement / justice. A perversion of justice literally rocks the world more than a number 9 earthquake. One is a physical symptom and the other is a spiritual one which affects the physical. A judge has to be impartial and not related to the litigants. I would possibly excuse myself from Judging a dispute between a good friend of mine and John Doe. However, if let us say my friend A wanted to bring to court my friend B and asked me to be impartial since I like both, I would not favor one over the other.
16:18 Judges and officers shall thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God gives thee, tribe by tribe; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
18. Judges and law-enforcement officials. Heb. שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים. שֹׁפְטִים are judges who decide the verdict, and שֹׁטְרִים are those who chastise the people in compliance with their order, (who strike and bind [not found in early editions]) with rods and straps, until he [the guilty party] accepts the judge’s verdict. In all your cities. Heb. בְּכָל-שְׁעָרֶי, in every city. For your tribes. [This phrase] refers back to “You shall set up… for yourself.” Thus, the understanding of the verse is “You shall set up judges and law-enforcement officials for yourself, for your tribes, in all your cities that the Lord, your God, is giving you.” For your tribes. This teaches us that judges must be appointed for every tribe, and for every city. — [Sifrei, San. 16b] and they shall judge the people [with] righteous judgment. Appoint judges who are expert and righteous so that they will judge justly. — [from Sifrei]
Officers means policemen or guards and they too should be of high character and not take bribes either otherwise they will work for the criminals and not protect the average Bnei Yisrael. As for town officials whom you hire to oversee the police force and the courts they too should be G-D fearing and not take graft. If one learns Meseches Sanhedrin, there was also a doctor attached to the court system if one of the cases involved corporal punishments as proscribed in the Torah. This was done by saying the words “HE who is compassionate and atones for sin ….” The whole basis for straps was for bringing about atonement on the part of person being given the strapping. Just as a father disciplines a son, so the court carries out the discipline of the HOLY ONE on HIS children.
19 Thou shall not wrest judgment; thou shall not respect persons; neither shall thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
19. You shall not pervert justice. [This is to be understood] according to its apparent meaning. You shall not show favoritism. Even during the statement of pleas [by the litigants]. This is an admonition addressed to the judge, that he should not be lenient with one litigant and harsh with the other, [e.g., ordering] one to stand [while allowing] the other to sit, because as soon as one notices that the judge is showing more respect toward his opponent, he cannot plead his case any longer [because he thinks that it will be of no use]. And you shall not take a bribe. Even [if you intend] to judge justly — [from Sifrei]. For bribery blinds. As soon as he [the judge] accepts a bribe from him [a litigant], it is impossible for him not to be favorably disposed towards him, to decide the judgment in his favor. Just words. Heb. דִּבְרי צַדִּיקִים, just words, true judgments.
In Hebrew if you take the word bride (Shin Chet Dalet) and add one to each letter like bribing the letters you get (Tav Tet Hay) or tip the scales/err – thanks to Isaac my bank manager in Barclay’s Mercantile some approximately 30 years ago. Even flattery is a form of bribe even if one does not get anything out of it but a good feeling.
20 Justice, justice shall thou follow, that thou may live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God gives thee.
20. Justice, justice shall you pursue. Seek out a good court. (Sifrei; San. 32b) that you may live, and you possess [the land]. The appointment of fitting judges is sufficient merit to keep
This is what the Judge should always have before him and not some agenda only the Emmet (truth). However, the Judges have to be deserving of the position and today due to the weakening of our generation, there are undeserving or uncompassionate Judges out there. They either delay the Din or can’t see beyond their Gemara Text that the children of a couple requesting divorce are better off in a broken home than a home break-up daily.
21 Thou shall not plant thee an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shall make thee. 22 Neither shall thou set thee up a pillar, which the LORD thy God hates...
We finished with Justice we jump to two mitzvos to avoid idolatrous practices. This Parsha is very Mitzvah rich and I don’t intend to comment on each and every Mitzvah this year.
17:1 Thou shall not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God an ox, or a sheep, wherein is a blemish, even any evil thing; for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God. … 7 The hand of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. So thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee. I wrote about these mitzvos last year and now more about judgement.
8 If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, even matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
8. If a matter eludes you [in judgment]. Heb. כִּי יִפָּלֵא. [The term] הַפְלְאָה always denotes detachment and separation; [here it means] that the matter is detached and hidden from you. Between blood and blood. Between ritually unclean blood [of menstruation], and ritually clean blood. — [Niddah 19a] (See Rashi on Lev. 12:1-5.) between judgment and judgment. Between a judgment of innocent and a judgment of guilty. Between lesion and lesion. Between a ritually unclean lesion, and a ritually clean lesion. Words of dispute. Whereby the Sages of the city [the judges] differ in their opinion on the matter, one declaring it impure, the other pure, one ruling guilty, the other innocent. Then you shall rise and go up. [This] teaches [us] that the
Our greatest leaders like Moshe and David lost sleep over judgement cases and dirtied their hands into looking into various bloods. Sometimes they could come upon a solution easily and sometimes it would take a long time. When the Judge works with a pure heart and an innocent trust in HASHEM he succeeds. However, if the Judge thinks it is his knowledge and learning in matters, he may fail.
9 And thou shall come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and thou shalt inquire; and they shall declare unto thee the sentence of judgment.
9. [And you shall come to] the Levitic kohanim. i.e., the kohanim, who are descended from the tribe of Levi. And to the judge who will be in those days. Although this judge may not be [of the same stature] as other judges who preceded him, you must listen to him, for you have only the judge [who lives] in your time. — [R.H. 25b]
Woe unto us today when are leaders are followers of various public opinion polls and our Judges are far from those of the past. We really need Moshiach Now just for this if not for the promised redemption to the children of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yacov.
10 And thou shalt do according to the tenor of the sentence, which they shall declare unto thee from that place which the LORD shall choose; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they shall teach thee. 11 According to the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do; thou shalt not turn aside from the sentence which they shall declare unto thee, to the right hand, nor to the left.
11. either right or left,. Even if this judge tells you that right is left, and that left is right. How much more so, if he tells you that right is right, and left is left!- [Sifrei]
That was possible in the days of Rav Moshe Feinstein and perhaps in the court of Rav Nissim Korreletz and maybe in the court of Rav Emmanuel Quint but to our great misfortune there is a weaken of the generation and even Judges today can’t tell left from right and right from left. Shlomo HaMelech when he sat in judgement often used a bit of common horse sense not found in the 410 Simanim of Choshen Mishpat or 175 Simanim of Eben HaEzer.
12 And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the priest that stands to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt exterminate the evil from
13. And all the people shall listen. From here we derive [the ruling] that they postpone his execution [i.e., of the זְקַן מַמְרֵא, the rebellious sage] until the Festival [when all
14 When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, and shalt possess it, and shalt dwell therein; and shalt say: ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me’; 15 thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose; one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee; thou may not put a foreigner over thee, who is not thy brother. 16 Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses; forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you: ‘Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.’
16. he may not acquire many horses for himself. But, only what he needs for his chariots, “so that he will not cause the people to return to Egypt” [to purchase the horses], because horses come from there, as it is said of Solomon (I Kings 10: 29), “And a chariot that went up and left Egypt sold for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for one hundred fifty.” — [San. 21b]
A Davidic King or even a leader such as Hillel, Rabban Gamliel, Rebbe, etc. was to be careful not to act like the non-Jewish Kings and Despots. Saddam Hussein’s sons would gather good looking Iraqi females for their desires and one collected an excessive amount of rare and expensive automobiles which he could be bribed with. We see that Rashi writes based on Sanhedrin that there is a limit to the number of wives a king can have. Solomon thought that he could have more but in the end despite is other wisdom, he turned out to be a wise-guy according to the Sages of blessed memory.
17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.
17. And he shall not take many wives for himself. Only eighteen, for we find that David had six wives, and it was told to him [by Nathan the prophet] (II Sam. 12:8):“and if this is too little, I would add for you like them and like them” [totaling eighteen]. — [San. 21a and Sifrei] and he shall not acquire much silver and gold for himself. However, he may have what is required to provide for his troops. — [San. 21b]
I would like to add for aggrandizing the Beis HaMikdash he could multiply silver or gold or to tax the people for roads to be built to Yerushalayim and a water system. However, the king could not be all the time “In his counting house counting all his money”. Nor was the king to milk the people dry through over burdening taxes.
18 And it shall be, when he sit upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book, out of that which is before the priests the Levites.
If he does this, he merits that his kingdom will remain established. — [Sifrei] two copies of this Torah-. Heb. מִשְׁנֵה הַתּוֹרָה i.e., two Torah scrolls, one that is placed in his treasury, and the other that comes and goes with him (San. 21b). [I.e., a small scroll, which the king carries with him. Thus the Talmud derives מִשְׁנֵה from שְׁנַיִם, two.] Onkelos, however, renders פַּתְשֶׁגֶן, copy. He interprets [the word] מִשְׁנֵה in the sense of repeating and uttering. [I.e., one copy of the Torah, which the scribe would write while uttering the words before he writes them, deriving מִשְׁנֵה from שִׁנּוּן, studying .]
The king had to remember WHO is the real leader and ruler of the world. Maybe he needs a hurricane, tornado or earthquake to remind him or maybe just writing a Sefer Torah that is and obeying the commands as Rashi writes in the next Pasuk is enough to keep him in the merit column.
19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life; that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them; 20 that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left; to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
20. and so that he will not turn away from the commandment. Not even from a minor commandment of a prophet. In order that he may prolong [his] days [in his kingdom]. From this positive statement, one may understand the negative inference [i.e., if he does not fulfill the commandments, his kingdom will not endure]. And so we find in the case of Saul, that Samuel said to him, “Seven days shall you wait until I come to you to offer up burnt-offerings” (I Sam. 10:8), and it is stated, “And he waited seven days” (I Sam. 13:8), but Saul did not keep his promise and neglected to wait the entire [last] day. He had not quite finished sacrificing the burnt-offering, when Samuel arrived and said to him (I Sam 13:13-14),“You have acted foolishly; you have not kept [the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you…] so now your kingdom will not continue” (I Sam 13:13-14). Thus we learn, that for [transgressing] a minor commandment of a prophet, he was punished. He and his sons. [This] tells [us] that if his son is worthy of becoming king, he is given preference over any [other] person. — [Hor. 11b]
Just like the king wants his soldiers to keep his commands all the more so THE KING OF KINGS!
… 18:7 then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD. 8 They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which is his due according to the fathers’ houses. 9 When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God gives thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that uses divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer,
The passing through fire believe it or not is done today by superstitious North African Women. We no longer have that type of worship but they take an infant and pass it over a flame. During ancient times it was a regular ritual for the idol. Even a person with ESP outside of a warning dream is forbidden. These characters who call themselves whatever are mostly charlatans out for money or to entrap unsuspecting females into their web of taking advantage of a woman. They claim to do this and that. Even the
10. who passes his son or daughter through fire. This was the Molech worship. They made two bonfires on either side and passed the child between them both. — [San. 64b] a soothsayer. What is a soothsayer? One who takes his rod in his hand and says [as though to consult it], “Shall I go, or shall I not go?” Similarly, it says (Hos. 4:12),“My people takes counsel of his piece of wood, and his rod declares to him.” - [Sifrei] a diviner of [auspicious] times. Heb. מְעוֹנֵן. Rabbi Akiva says: These are people who determine the times (עוֹנוֹת) , saying, “Such-and-such a time is good to begin [a venture].” The Sages say, however, that this refers to those who “catch the eyes (עֵינַיִם) ” [i.e., they deceive by creating optical illusions]. one who interprets omens. [e.g.,] bread falling from his mouth, a deer crossing his path, or his stick falling from his hand. — [Sifrei , San. 65b]
11 or a charmer, or one that consults a ghost or a familiar spirit, or a necromancer.
One who collects snakes, scorpions or other creatures into one place. a pithom sorcerer. This is a type of sorcery called pithom . The sorcerer raises the [spirit of the] dead, and it speaks from his [the sorcerer’s] armpit. a yido’a sorcerer. Here the sorcerer inserts a bone of the animal called yido’a into his mouth, and the bone speaks by means of sorcery. — [Sifrei , San. 65a] or a necromancer. As, for example, one who raises [the dead spirit] upon his membrum, or one who consults a skull. — [Sifrei , see San. 65b]
Alas poor Yorek I knew him well! – Hamlet (spelling of the name). These quacks used the ability to threw their voice like is done with dummies and a little knowledge of human nature and the fact that the person coming to them is vulnerable and generally gullible. The exception being the ‘witch’ who recognized Shaul HaMelech and supposed contacted Shmuel during the 11 months of mourning for the Tzaddik – MALBIM.
12 For whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto the LORD; and because of these abominations the LORD thy God is driving them out from before thee.
It does not say, “one who does all these things,” but, “whoever does these things,” even one of them. — [Sifrei , Mak. 24a]
13 Thou shalt be whole-hearted with the LORD thy God.
Conduct yourself with Him with simplicity and depend on Him, and do not inquire of the future; rather, accept whatever happens to you with [unadulterated] simplicity and then, you will be with Him and to His portion. — [Sifrei]
In short a bit of Bitachon and Trust in G-D is needed. What is kosher is Chachmot HaYad (Palmistry by somebody who has learned the subject and not a professional fortune teller) , Chachmot Hapanim (Ability to read one’s forehead and face like the Ari Zal), Gematria of the Name, Hebrew Birth-date, etc. to be used to understand into the personality of the asker and the Midos and not necessarily tell the future. I was working out at the gym this week and after watching Dr. Phil to fill up my time for an hour went to an
14 For these nations, that thou art to dispossess, hearken unto soothsayers, and unto diviners; but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.
He caused His Divine Presence to rest upon the prophets and upon the Urim and Thummim. — [Targum Jonathan]
This means: Just as I am among you, from your brothers, so will He set up for you [another prophet] in my stead, and so on, from prophet to prophet.
And when there is no Prophet a Talmud Chacham who knows the Mishnah, Talmud, Halachos and Traditions will offer you support and one need not fear and lose his Bitachon not because of external threats or internal threats or illnesses. One must understand and believe that all is for the best. {Perhaps you will recall the story of the G-D fearing Talmid of a Rosh Yeshiva who was about to pass from this world. The Rosh Yeshiva requested that he ask when he gets to the true world why somebody young like him who studied so hard and was so G-D fearing could die so young from an awful disease. After the thirtieth day the boy returned in a dream to the Rosh Yeshiva and he asked, “Nu what was the answer to the question.” The boy replied: “When I appeared before HASHEM and I saw all the ways of the L-RD were straight and every path was Shalom, I was too embarrassed to ask such a question.”} With this in mind we may be weak an have anxiety when we see the wicked prospering and other wicked ones threatening us with nuclear, chemical and biological annihilation. Perhaps as human beings in a normal order of the world we cannot help worrying, but we still must have faith and hope. We must continue to pray, repent and give charity through money and good deeds.
16 according to all that thou didst desire of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying: ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.’ 17 And the LORD said unto me: ‘They have well said that which they have spoken. 18 I will raise them up a prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee; and I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. 19 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which he shall speak in My name, I will require it of him. 20 But the prophet, that shall speak a word presumptuously in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’
20. which I did not command him to speak. But which I commanded his fellow prophet [to speak]. or who speaks in the name of other gods. Even though his words coincide with the halachah [Jewish law], forbidding what is forbidden or permitting what is permissible. — [San. 89a] [That prophet] shall die. By strangulation. Three [sinful prophets] are executed by man [i.e., by the court]: One who prophesies what he has not heard, one who prophesies what was not told to him but was told to his fellow [prophet], and one who prophesies in the name of a pagan deity. However, one who suppresses his prophecy [i.e., does not announce it], or one who transgresses the words of a prophet, or a prophet who transgresses his own words [of prophecy]-their death is by the hands of Heaven, for it is said (verse 19), “I shall exact [it] from him.” - [San. 89a]
Thus for example a Jew name Yeshu in the Book of Mathew chapter 6 recites the Shema does not make us have to follow him. (From my reading of the New Testament, just like the late Lubavitcher Rebbe, it was his followers who claimed that the was the Moshiach and in the Gospels there is no prophecy of the future found at all to the best of my knowledge – to the Romans he was just another Yid that they nailed to cross to stop his following.) I am sure that today the way some religions are practiced there are crazies and missionaries running around shouting “Son of” (even heard one idiot state that the late Rebbe was the manifestation of … on earth – HASHEM Yerachem). Anyway if the fellow is not stark raving mad, if we had a Sanhedrin, he would be put on trial for his life.
21 And if thou say in thy heart: ‘How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?’
[This verse alludes to a future time when
In over 2,200 or perhaps more years no Jew has had real prophecy – special help yes like the Rebbe, Arizal and others received but not prophecy as was known in Yisrael.
22 When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken; the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously, thou shalt not be afraid of him.
And says, “This thing is destined to happen to you,” and you see [afterwards] that it does not come about, “that is the thing the Lord did not speak” ; so execute him. But you might say, “This applies to one who prophesies regarding the future. However, suppose one comes and says ‘Do such and such a thing, and I am telling you this by the command of the Holy One, blessed is He,’ [how do we know whether he is speaking the truth? Regarding such a case,] they were already commanded that if someone comes to make you stray from any of the commandments, ”Do not hearken to him“ (Deut. 13:4), unless you are certain that he is a perfectly righteous person, e.g., Elijah on Mount Carmel, who sacrificed on a high place when high places were forbidden, [but did so] in order to control Israel [against idolatry]. Everything must be done according to the needs of the time, and the need for preventive measures to protect against breaches [in the religion]. Therefore [with respect to this authentic prophet], it is stated, “hearken to him" (verse 15). - [San. 89a] you shall not be afraid of him. I.e., do not restrain yourselves from advocating his guilt, and do not fear that you will be punished for this [when your advocating leads to his death]. — [Sifrei]
19:1 … 21:7 And they shall speak and say: ‘Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 8 Forgive, O LORD, Thy people
Introduction to the Rambam’s Hilchos Tshuvah
There is one positive Mitzvah involved and that is to do Tshuvah and confess our sins before HASHEM.
Perek Aleph Mishnah Aleph: Any Mitzvah that a persons violates whether it is a positive or negative command when a person repents for his violation, he must confess his sin before G-D (Aleph Lamed) Baruch Hu. As it is written: “Man or woman that shall do etc.” should confess the sin done by Vidui (confession) in words. The Vidui is a positive command! How does one confess? He says, “Please G-D, I have sinned, I have transgressed and I have made the crime of … and forever I will not do it again.” That is the principle of Vidui. Who ever expands on his confession is praiseworthy. Furthermore (When the Beis HaMikdash existed prior to the year 70 CE), those who bring various Korbanos (Sacrifices) for accidental or intentional sins would not be forgiven until they did Tshuvah (Repentance). They would have make a Vidui by confessing there sins as stated that they must confess these things. The same goes for those who deserved the punishment of death or lashes would not receive atonement for their sins without repentance and confession (Tshuvah V’ Vidui). Likewise, one who caused bodily or monetary damage to his fellow man is not forgiven until he compensates him, confesses and repents and takes upon himself to never ever do such a thing again.
Instead of a story: Rabbi Shraga Simmons of Aish HaTorah – Life’s Most Important Thing
Every person has one thing that he is living for. Let's call it a "personal bottom line." For some it is money, for others prestige, for others pursuit of pleasure. Now let's imagine that you're faced with a situation where you are about to lose everything - your job, your house, your car, even your health and your family (God forbid). But ... you are given the choice to hold onto ONE THING, only one thing. What would it be?
FUTURE FUNDING
This week we begin the month of Elul. In many respects, this is the most important time of the Jewish year. As the month which immediately precedes the High Holidays, Elul is a crucial period of preparation.
To get started, let's first ask the question: What is Rosh Hashana all about anyway?
Imagine that you are a scientific researcher who is funded through a philanthropic foundation. Each year, you are required to appear before the Board of Directors and present a summation of your achievements during the past year. How much money the board grants you for the coming year will be based on how well you utilized last year's grant - and how solid is your plan for the coming year. Of course, if you've squandered past resources and are unprepared for the future, your chance of receiving additional grant money is slim.
So, too, on Rosh Hashana. Ever since the creation of Adam and Eve, Rosh Hashana has been the day when every human being (so to speak) is created anew. We stand before our Creator and say: "This is how I have utilized my resources, and this is my plan for the future."
APPRECIATING THE GIFT
This is indeed serious business. Life is not to be taken for granted. Life is a precious gift from Above. It is delicate and tenuous and can be taken away at any moment.
The story is told of a sculptor who was commissioned to design a bronze statue of a horse for the town square. After many months of work, he produced a sculpture with perfect detail - showing every sinew and hair follicle. It was truly a masterpiece! However, when the statue was proudly placed in the town square, everyone walked by and completely ignored it! The sculptor was very disappointed to find all his hard work going unappreciated. Finally a friend said: "I think the problem is that the horse is so perfect that people think it's real! But if you would make a crack, then people will notice it as a work of art."
The point of this story, explains the Chasan Sofer, is that our lives are full of blessings. Our eyes alone are worth many millions of dollars! But we mustn't take our "funding" for granted!
A person's relationship with God is similar to that of a parent to a child. For example, what happens when a child asks for a cookie? The parent is glad to give one. But if the child would show a lack of appreciation (like refusing to say "thank you," or throwing the food on the floor), do you think the parent will give the child another cookie? No way!
Now imagine that the child takes the cookie, and says something to the effect of: "Thank you so much. This cookie is sweet and fresh and delicious. I really appreciate your efforts to get me this cookie." What will the parent say when the child looks up gingerly and asks for a second cookie? "It's my pleasure!"
This Rosh Hashana, will we be able to stand before God with confidence? Only if we have first done significant soul searching - who we are and where we are headed. Because if we don't have such clarity, then how can we expect God (the Board of Directors) to grant us another year of life?!
PERSONAL BOTTOM LINE
There are a few special customs that Jews perform during Elul, to help awaken us to the task ahead. One is the daily recitation of Psalm 27. There, King David exclaims:
"One thing I ask ... is to dwell in the house of God all the days of my life."
King David tells us a tremendous insight: If I was stripped bare and could only choose one thing, it would be You, God. That's the bottom line. A relationship with God supersedes all else, for He is the source of everything. No if's, and's, or but's.
Coming to this realization is what Elul is all about.
Not long ago I was sitting and learning Torah in a synagogue near my home. This synagogue is located in the basement of a large apartment building. (In
So I'm sitting in this bomb-shelter-turned-synagogue, and I'm thinking that if ever (God forbid) there should be a war, this bomb shelter would be a good place to be stranded. There's Torah books, scholarly rabbis and holiness permeating the walls. I could gladly spend weeks here!
Then I recalled a time in my life when I was keeping less mitzvot. I had gone out one evening with some friends to hear music at a local tavern. As we were leaving to go home, we discovered that the winds were howling at
I spent the next 48 hours in the tavern with a group of strangers, and I recall at the time considering myself fortunate to be stranded there and not elsewhere. There was so much to keep us entertained: Video games, a pool table, a superb sound system, etc. How grateful I was not to have been stranded in the dentist's office or a gas station!
So recently, when I imagined being stranded in my synagogue bomb shelter, that snowstorm came to mind. Tavern versus Synagogue. The qualitative difference is astounding. Could there be any question? King David's words rang like a bell: "One thing I ask is to dwell in the house of God..."
POLICING THE GATES
Another special custom for the month of Elul is to blow the Shofar every morning in the synagogue. The Shofar sound is literally an alarm clock designed to arouse us from our spiritual slumber. The Shofar brings clarity, alertness, and focus.
The reason we lose touch and make mistakes is that we don't take the time every day to reconnect with our deepest desires and essence. Therefore, the solution is obvious: Spend time alone everyday to ask: "Am I on track? Am I focused? Am I pursuing goals which will make the greatest overall difference in my life and in the world?"
This week's Parsha begins:
"You shall appoint judges and police for yourself in all your gates." (Deut. 16:18)
The commentators explain this verse metaphorically: You should set guards at "your gates" - i.e. at the openings of your body. Guard your ears from gossip. Guard you mouth from falsehood. Guard your eyes from straying after frivolity.
Elul is the time to construct a sincere, realistic model of where we've fallen short in the past and how we expect to change in the future. May this be a meaningful time of growth for us all.
Rosh Hashanah for Children from R’ A.L. http://www.akhlah.com/holidays/roshhashana/roshhashannah.php
What happens to soldiers who receive meals of milk after meat before the required waiting time?
The following actually happened to my group in the army. We were a group of paramedic trainees at the time. Instead of being served chow in the field between 12-1, out lunch did not arrive until close to 2:30 to 3 PM. We then went back to the base also famished for the super which was going to be at 5 PM. There was not way that I could keep 3 hours or the 5 or 6 hour people could keep their time.
One of our group was a Rabbi and Mohel. He stated that since the 5 or 6 hour group held it is a halacha (Beis Yosef) that for army service one could violate the halacha. However, the Minchag of 3 hours could not be violated but we would have to make a Beis Din to release the 3 hour people from their vows and customs and so it was.
And if you are a Jewish Soldier out in Iraq, Afghanistan or guarding a base somewhere in Israel and outside of Israel and there are not three other Jews to make a Beis Din. I ask you the following question: If you had known that your Minchag would put you into this situation would you have made such a vow? If the answer is: “No I would not have.” Then take my written Rabbinical annulment so that you can eat and keep up your strength in the army.
From Simcha – A brief course in Israeli history from 1948 onwards (Hebrew Only): http://go.ynet.co.il/timeline/
Inyanay Diyoma (shortened this week)
Gog and Magog appears to be approaching.
Former Russian Black Sea Fleet commander, Adm. Eduard Baltin was quoted by
Moscow halts Iran cooperation with US, will complete Bushehr reactor http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=5545
Dutch sabotage agent recalled from Iran
Cheney goes to four countries around
Jewish Republicans, Alaskans praise McCain's VP choice http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1219913200960&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull "The Jewish community should be very excited that Sarah was selected. She has been very conscious of the Jewish community here in Alaska and now with the opportunity of her new position, she'll have the opportunity to look at the Jewish community globally," said Alaskan Republican Jewish Coalition member Terry Gorlick, who knows Palin well and has worked with her on several issues.
"Sarah's absolutely pro-Israel," he said, referring to conversations with her and comments she's made about
Top Iranian general: Any attack against us will lead to world war http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3589660,00.html
If it is going to be Gog and Magog then he is correct but since we are dealing with wicked lunatic fanatics who hate non-Shiite Moslems anything is possible.
I give honor these three of the four candidates running for president/vice-president: McCain has a son who has served in
From Herm: Hizballah base in
Not everybody sends their girls to Beis Yacov: http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/01/palins-17-year-old-daughter-is-pregnant/
Sarah and Todd Palin and released by the campaign, said that Bristol Palin would keep her baby and marry the child's father, identified as a young man named Levi Johnston. Barak Obama said keep family out of this. When I saw the name Levi before the name
Some good news for Terror Victims: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3590749,00.html
Other Terrorist on a bulldozer: I had been on driving by about less than half an hour before the incident: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3591155,00.html
From Elazar: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3590251,00.html
http://www.gamla.org.il/english & freeman.org
URGENT!! STOP SECRET AGREEMENT! forwarded with comments by Emanuel A. Winston, a
Read this and believe it. Many of us have been trying to tell you for a long time. Getting rid of
[See the attached articles from the Women in Green, via the Unity Coalition for Israel, Hillel Fendel of Arutz 7, by Tel Belman of Israpundit and by Professor Barry Rubin's "Conspiracy to Shrink Israel".] Under President George W. Bush and Rice, it is
Pass all of this on to your Congressmen, the Media and the Christian Zionists.
COMMENTARY BY EMANUEL A. WINSTON
###
On Fri, 8/29/08, Women in Green
From: Women in Green
Subject: URGENT ACTION ALERT - Stop Secret Agreement
To: wfit2@womeningreen.org Date: Friday, August 29, 2008, 5:35 AM
Unity Coalition for Israel http://www.israelunitycoalition.org EXPLANATION
Momentous negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians are taking place virtually unnoticed while we are preoccupied with United States elections.
A lame duck
BACKGROUND ARTICLE: Rice Visit: PA State Closer than Ever by Hillel Fendel Arutz-7 August 26, 2008
(IsraelNN.com) Negotiations between Israel and PA continue at a "crazy" pace, agreement on dividing Jerusalem is "closer than ever," and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is pushing for a nearly-complete agreement on a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria by January. So reports Aaron Klein of WorldNetDaily (WND). Secretary Rice, completing a visit to the region today (Tuesday), has been pressing
Despite official Israeli government denials,
The Israeli team, led by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, is willing to conclude an agreement on a Palestinian state by the end of the year, but wants to leave talks to decide the fate of
High Intensity Talks
WND`s Aaron Klein quoted an unnamed Palestinian Authority negotiator saying that the intensity and frequency of Israeli-Palestinian talks in recent weeks have been "crazy," and that the sides have been meeting on a daily basis, usually at the highest levels. The negotiator further said
Reports of the past few months say that the Olmert-Livni negotiators are prepared to give up well over 90% of Judea and
To Participate in the Action Alert, click on the link below to view the letter. You may use the letter as is or change anyway you like.
http://www.israelunitycoalition.org/aa/alert.php?id=28
ACTION ALERT - Stop Secret Agreement
=============================================
Women For Israel's Tomorrow (Women in Green) POB 7352, Jerusalem 91072, Israel
Tel: 972-2-624-9887 Fax: 972-2-624-5380 mailto:wfit2@womeningreen.org
http://www.womeningreen.org
Terror Pays, Capitulation Doesn't By Ted Belman
The seventies were witness to the Munich Massacre of Israeli Olympic athletes, the Yom Kippur War, the oil embargo, the PLO terrorist attacks on international airlines and airports, and finally the appearance of gun-toting Yasser Arafat before the General Assembly of the United Nations.
Bat Ye'or studied this decade and set out her thesis of what was going on in Europe vis a vis the Arabs in her ground-breaking book
1) European policy would be independent from, and opposed to that of the United States;
2) recognition by Europe of a "Palestinian people," and the creation of a "Palestinian" state;
3) European support for the PLO;
4) the designation of Arafat as the sole and exclusive representative of that so-called Palestinian people;
5) the de-legitimizing of the State of Israel, both historically and politically, its shrinking into non-viable borders, and the Arabization of Jerusalem.
Essentially
Recently, former Italian President Francesco Cossiga revealed that the government of
"The terms of the agreement were that the Palestinian organizations could even maintain armed bases of operation in the country, and they had freedom of entry and exit without being subject to normal police controls, because they were 'handled' by the secret services,"
Germany also capitulated to Arab demands at this time by releasing the Arab terrorists from jail that were captured in the aftermath of Munich Massacre. It only took a month.
Prof. Barry Rubin Wrote Morality and Enlightenment or Fear and Greed?
European countries and much of the elites there and in the
Often, implicitly or explicitly, it is suggested that, ironically, the experience of Jewish persecution had brought about this contemporary hypersensitivity to the suffering of the helpless underdog. In fact, though, the motive is the same now as it was then: hypersensitivity to the power and wealth of the persecutors.
In this regard, during the worst of the suicide bombings on the streets of
The
Henry Kissinger instructed the CIA to continue diplomatic contacts with Yassir Arafat's PLO representatives before the 1973 Yom Kippur War, even after Arafat ordered the kidnapping and murder of the American ambassador and his deputy in Khartoum, Sudan.
The newly-released material contains, among other things, information on the Egyptian effort in the spring of 1973 to plead with the
In a telegram Helms sent Kissinger - then Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor - on July 5, 1973, Helms reported that King Hussein of
The most sensational revelation in the documents was the contents of the diplomatic negotiations held between Robert Ames of the CIA and the head of the Fatah's security apparatus, Ali Hassan Salameh, who was also the commander of the Fatah's Black September organization.
Since the contacts between the CIA and the Fatah were revealed, their purpose has been described as obtaining intelligence information to warn of terrorist attacks against Americans; but the Helms' documents reveal that Arafat sent Salameh to the talks without hiding his responsibility for killing American diplomats in Khartoum in March 1973. Ames also agreed to Salameh's requests and asked Washington about various diplomatic issues, such as the Nixon administration's intentions relating to Palestinian interests.
Salameh told
Arafat, for his part, was unmoved: He threatened, via
You will recall in my article The Conspiracy to Shrink
"Kissinger: I think, when we look at history, that when Israel was created in 1948, I don't think anyone understood it. It originated in American domestic politics. It was far away and little understood. So it was not an American design to get a bastion of imperialism in the area. It was much less complicated: And I would say that until 1973 the Jewish community had enormous influence. It is only in the last two years, as a result of the policy we are pursuing, that it has changed,
We don't need
We can't negotiate about the existence of
You mentioned new weapons. But they will not be delivered in the foreseeable future. All we agreed to is to study it, and we agreed to no deliveries out of current stocks. So many of these things won't be produced until 1980, and we have not agreed to deliver them then.
If the issue is the existence of Israe1, we can't cooperate. But if the issue is more normal borders, we can cooperate.
Aide: Your Excellency, do you think a settlement would come through the Palestinians in the area? 'How do you read it? Is it in your power to create such a thing?
Kissinger: Not in 1976. I have to be perfectly frank. I think the Palestinian identity has to be recognized in some form. But we need thoughtful cooperation of the Arabs. It will take a year or a year and to do it, and will be a tremendous fight. An evolution is already taking place.
Aide: You think it will be part of a solution?
Kissinger: It has to be. No solution is possible without it. But the domestic situation is becoming favorable. More and more questions are being asked in Congress favorable to the Palestinians.
Capitulation to terror didn't save the
Today the West continues to capitulate by trying to be politically correct rather than correct. Surrendering its values like free speech and the rule of law to Islam is just plain surrendering.
The war on terror was a phony war from the get go. It was concocted in order to avoid the real war, namely, the war on Islam.
It little profits a country to avoid terror if it loses its soul in the process.
Islam represents a bigger danger to the West than the
By Ted Belman +1 416 256 7597
Hizballah anti-Jewish propaganda mentioned even by this leftist TV station: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck0u2lEZAoc&feature=user
Under the Theme “Country First” Joe Lieberman called on fellow democrats and independents to vote for John McCain and shake up the
Since more than 50% of my readers are on the east coast of the USA, Hurricane Hanna is expected to hit somewhere between the Georgia-South Carolina border around the time that Shabbos is coming in. Hanna is expected to dumb a lot of rain from FL to
He also preferred the Restless Reformer to the Resko types in
Egyptian foreign minister Ahmed Abu Ghait met secretly with Hizballah leaders in Beirut last week, DEBKA file’s counter-terror sources report, and invited a delegation to pay a formal visit to Cairo. The pro-Iranian Hizballah is listed by the UN and many nations as a terrorist organization.
Israeli Leftists worried about Palin: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3590992,00.html
Now for M Wolfberg's Good Shabbos Story: Get Off Your Soap Box.
Good Shabbos Everyone. Hashem tells us this week, "the L-rd your G-d chose you from among all other peoples on earth to be His treasured people." (Devorim 14:2) From here we see that the Jewish People are Hashem's chosen people. Many Jews cringe at the mention of the concept of us being the "Chosen People." What does it mean to be chosen? It means that we have been selected for a special and holy mission on this earth; namely to increase G-dliness in the world through the performance of mitzvahs.
The following amazing true story is told by Chana Weisberg who lives in Toronto, Canada. "I glance hurriedly at my wristwatch on this busy Friday afternoon and I'm reminded of a story about a watch from another land and generation. My young daughter notices my far-off expression. I begin to describe to her a different time when my own mother, Rebbetzin Basheva Sudak-Schochet -- her grandmother -- was a youngster, not much older than she.
"In that foreign land, observing Shabbos was not as simple as it is today, a matter of just adding an extra potato to the simmering pot of cholent," I explain while pealing potatoes. "For Savta, keeping Shabbos was a perilous practice -- one that could cost preciously."
I begin to tell her of a time when the moments ticking on a wristwatch might have marked the very gift of life... Samarkand, 1943 The sounds of footsteps did not bode well for the young Sudak family, gathered around their Shabbos table. Adjacent to their home stood their underground soap factory. The factory was illegal in the Soviet Union and its discovery could mean instant imprisonment, being sent to the front, or languishing in frigid Siberia for years.
But, as dangerous as it was, the factory also spelled the Sudak's salvation, providing their sustenance while allowing them to avoid working on Shabbos. In those days of the Communist Party's all-out war on religion, observing Shabbos was not only an unheard of luxury that no employment would tolerate -- it was a literal death sentence.
Rabbi Pinchas Sudak had taken all possible precautions to ensure that the factory's entrance was well hidden from any prying or meddling eyes, covered over by large planks of wood. But the approaching footsteps sounded like they knew where they were headed. Someone had informed the authorities.
Pinchas and Basya made quick deliberations. "Pinchas, run away." Basya ordered. "If they arrest you, you will surely be sent to the front. I will remain with the children, vehemently denying that the factory belongs to me. Hopefully, the penalty will not be as grave for me and they will have compassion for a lone mother with young children. "Go now. Run, Pinchas!" Pinchas gazed at his beloved wife momentarily, before hastily leaping off the high wall surrounding their home. With a prayer in his heart that he would again be reunited with his family, Pinchas fled, racing to avoid detection and capture, his heart beating wildly.
Basya was promptly led off to prison, leaving her oldest child, eleven-year old Basheva, to tend to her own fear and the fear of her two younger siblings, Nachman and Bracha. But there wasn't the luxury of tears or fright. It was time for action.
Basheva received a message via a family friend to immediately try to meet with her mother's interrogator, a cold-hearted female prosecutor who would determine the outcome of this case and who held the keys to her mother's freedom.
"Tell her that your mother does not own the factory. Your father is in the army fighting valiantly for Mother Russia. The man who ran away was your mother's Polish friend who was helping the family make ends meet. He got the family into this illegal mess, while your mother is innocent," Basheva was instructed.
With the heavy Communist indoctrination in the school system, officials tended to believe young children who, often enough, would succumb to the brainwashing they underwent and convict their own parents for "crimes" committed against the State. Though only a youth, tall and mature Basheva understood her grave responsibility and its sweeping implications. With immense faith and a heartfelt prayer on her lips, she squared her slight, young shoulders and confidently went to meet the prosecutor. Basheva convincingly told her tale and tearfully concluded, "Please, I miss her so much. I want my mother back!" The prosecutor was touched by this attractive and personable young girl. "I'll see what I can do," she replied coolly. The following day, Basheva received a new message from her anxious father. "Go upstairs, into your mother's room, and open her drawer. You'll find an expensive gold watch. This time, go to the prosecutor's home. Tell her you want to present her with this gift. Don't ask for anything in return, just explain to her that you want to see your mother."
Basheva did as instructed . For the next few days, she kept a vigilant watch in front of the prison. She was able to see her mother sitting outside on the cold ground, in a fenced-in area of the prison. She brought a coat for her to keep warm and daily delivered kosher food for her to eat. Though it was comforting to see her mother, it was painful to see her behind bars in such woeful conditions. Those were difficult days for such a young girl, filled with intense anxiety about the future fate of her parents and family.
After two weeks, to Basheva's surprised elation, her mother walked out of the prison door, a free woman. The prosecutor had closed the case, recording that the owner of the illegal factory was a Polish man who had fled upon its detection. Pinchas remained in hiding. The plan was that Basya and her children would leave Samarkand shortly and the family would be reunited in far-off Tashkent.
Several weeks before their departure, on a Friday afternoon, as she was walking from her mother's house, Basheva happened to meet up with the prosecutor. The woman, who had taken a liking to Basheva, amicably told her that she had "another case on this street."
Having grown up in the Soviet Union, Basheva understood the veiled meaning of her words. "A case" could only bode dangerously for her people. Immediately she informed her uncle. He ran ahead to the home of Rabbi Binyamin Gorodetsky, who lived on that street, and warned him of the imminent danger. R' Binyamin exited through his back door and raced to inform his brother, R' Simchah, of the peril.
R' Binyamin escaped, and eventually left Russia to settle in Paris. Unfortunately, his brother didn't heed the warning and was imprisoned for ten long years. Two weeks later, on a Friday morning before the Sudaks' departure from Samarkand, Basheva was walking from her grandmother's home and once again met the prosecutor. "I'll be making an arrest," she matter-of-factly informed Basheva.
Basheva ran to the home of her uncle, R' Yisroel Leibov, but he dismissed her warning, thinking that a young girl couldn't possibly be privy to such information. Late that night, Basheva's aunt was arrested and her passport confiscated. Early the next morning, a pale and tense R' Yisroel entered the Sudak home, asking Basheva to bring some jewelry to the prosecutor.
To the relief of the family, Basheva was, once again, able to secure her aunt's release. In the darkness of night, at the close of Shabbos, the Sudaks left Samarkand to make the long journey for Tashkent. Over three hundred kilometers away, they hoped that the long arm of the Soviet secret police wouldn't follow them. But that is a whole other story. Not one to be told on a busy Friday afternoon.... Conscious of the approaching Shabbos, I pause to glance down at my wrist. A young girl... a gold watch... the holy day of rest... And the indomitable spirit and invincible faith of our people."
Hashem has chosen us, now let us reciprocate and chose Him! Jews can show their choice by observing Shabbos and all the other mitzvahs. A worker who puts his whole entire "soul" into his job, will advance through the ranks and will even receive raises. So too do we Jews all have an assignment. By applying ourselves to our spiritual jobs, we will all attain spiritual advancement and rewards. Good Shabbos Everyone.
