Parsha Pinchas, 3 wks, Editorials, Parables, Good Shabbos Story

Sometimes we must pray against the odds. Rachel Sarah bas Osnat aged 16 has been sent home by the doctors who have done all that they can for her. Sarah bas Yehudit wrote me this: "shalom Rabbi thanks you for your prayers, unfortunately, despite three months of harsh treatment my options have now run out on my leukemia. So now I must trust in the almighty to give me my allotted time to enjoy my days and most importantly my husband and family. I am now going on a maintenance scheme and hopefully this will give me the above opportunity and the highest quality of life that is possible. I am luck I am surrounded by love and have a strong belief. Your future prays will be much appreciated. Shalom"

Yacov Glixman tried “The Grape Diet” years ago and it kept him alive longer on regular cancer. He told me shortly before his passing that if only he had it earlier he might have pulled through. Stephanie T. forwarded me this: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/134016.php

THE BOSTONER REBBE Rabbi Levi Yitzchak ben Sora Sosha had cardiac arrest and is in stable condition at the time of this writing.

Please pray for Bracha Elisheva bat Kaila, a young mother who has cancer and is having brain surgery

I received a request by phone last week from my friend Seth, a survivor himself, for Rachel bas Esther. Unfortunately the prayers came too little and too late as she was in the final stages of advanced cancer, her soul came to rest a day or two after my posting.

Last week, I was told that there were some complications with my post. You can always check www.rabbipauli.blogspot.com for perhaps a clearer version. Usually the color and spacing is preserved something that does not always come out on the Yahoo Groups especially the digest form.

Hamavidil Ben Kodesh L’Chol – Editorial Or what really happens to the soul after death

Sometimes it becomes inherent that a Rabbi must speak out on sanity prevailing. Rabbi Shmuel Botayach Shlita who personally knew Michael Jackson spoke of a man being manipulated to death. Worst of all in his death the “all-powerful” Yetzer Hara to make a bundle took over everybody. I came to write here about what happens to the soul after death. The real mourners were his siblings, mother and adopted children. His father, a few political priests, recording companies, etc. took over the funeral arrangements.

I have not written that much about life after death or the process of dying and why we Jews bury our loved ones immediately. However, after seeing the damage done to the poor “King of Pop”, I thought it was time to explain it. Did you ever wonder why Jews are either buried straight in the earth or with the simplest of coffins if victims of a terrorist attack? Has it occurred to you that the Chevra Kadisha unties all knots on the body and what is the reason? Why is the quickest funeral desired? Why do we still allow certain people to have a delayed funeral and for what reasons?

A few minutes before my mother passed on, I was given a choice by the doctor in the hospital. Put her almost 91on life support in her comatose state. My question was does she have a 5 or 10% chance of waking up again or will she be another Ariel Sharon in a vegetative State? Was I to give in to my personal refusal not to let go of Mommy and also pray that she survives until Jan. 1^st the next year for writing out checks for lowering the inheritance tax or paying the few thousand dollars to Uncle Sam off of taxes on inheritance. A financial advisor had told me one thing and if it were Dec. 27^th my mother’s birthday, I might have been even tempted to try it. However, Nov. 19^th it was not even a doubt in my0Amind to let her join her parents in the next world. There are things that go above and beyond in my case saving a few thousand dollars of my inheritance which taxes were paid in full over the years. My mother’s body was wrapped in simple cloth and placed into the grave next to that of my step father within less than 17 hours after her passing. Her elderly friends in Adventura, FL donated charity to the Hadassah Organization and Hospital which she volunteered for during her 30 plus active years in the group. Nobody was out to make a buck off of this simple Yiddishe Mama.

When a soul dies a few things happen. The Gemara in Moed Katan and the books “Life after life” and “More of life after life” and various cassette tapes describe the phenomena that occur. The soul departs and hovers over the body, the soul then is drawn to a light (well of souls in the Machpelah Cave in Chevron). The soul then continues on until it waits it turn for trial before the Beis Din shel Maalah (Heavenly Court). On the way there, the soul sees and recognizes all the ancestors past. (5, 6, 7 generations back etc.) If the person is a b ig Tzaddik, somebody like a Tanach, Mishnah or Gemara figure may come and visit him at his parting. If the soul on its journey towards the Beis Din sees the relatives smiling – ashrei v’tov (happiness and goodness await the judgement) but if frowning Oy Va Voy.

Prior to the burial the good angels and bad angels hang around the soul. If a male is going to be buried according to Yerushalayim and other traditions, his children are not to attend due to accidental or purposeful waste of seed. The offspring of the wasted seed do not attend the burial if the physical offspring do not attend. In Yerushalayim coins are placed on the body of a mail chopped up and the Chevra Kadisha throws them away after reciting certain pasukim and going around the body 7 times.

So by removing physically the desire for worldly possessions by the above ceremony and statements removing the deceased from all obligations, societies, memberships in this world, the soul is free for its spiritual journey. The Tehillim, Chessped and tears over the departed help protect the soul from attacks of negative versions of angels that might have been created by sin.

What happens when a burial does not take place immediately? If for honor of the deceased or for a close relative to come or for a dignitary like a Prime Minister to lie in State for up to three days, it is permitted. (With my teacher, my father, due to a blizzard it was for the burial grounds and hearse to travel on the street.) However, an immediate burial is best. Let us take a look Lihavdil at the Michael Jackson process. An autopsy was done taking cells and body parts – blood, fluids, brain tissue, etc. away from the dead preventing a complete rest and respite for the soul. Then the body has incompleteness in this world to rest peacefully in the next. This is not like a soldier killed in combat or a terror victim blown up for these people die on a Kiddush HASHEM and the soul goes immediately to a high plateau. The Neshama is confused – wants to go up but is attached to body in coffin which is not buried, body parts in various laboratories going from place to place and subject to destructive angelic forces hovering around it prior to judgement.

The delay in the funeral and then the music and singing and dancing in front of the dead body is what we call a joke on the account of the dead. I know that certain churches have Psalms sung, Spiritual Songs, perhaps the “Smile though your heart is breaking” sa ng at the funeral was appropriate from that standpoint as taps would be for a soldier. The only real honest and true glimpses that I got were the words of the adopted 11 year old and Brooke Shields – I’m sure that there were more but I was not going to spend 1.5 hrs watching a dollar making spectacle over the poor soul.

The placing of the body in a gold coffin just dies down the soul to this world and not burying it immediately delays the judgement process further. If you think that the person Michael Jackson had problems in his life that is nothing compared to each second that his soul is suffering in death. A soul without eternal rest tormented by body parts in different laboratories, trapped within a gold prison and without even a final resting place after about ten days or more.

I don’t know where I read these words but they are appropriate. “Forgive them, O’ L-RD they know not what they do.” As for Michael Jackson and some of his turning against the Jewish People in later years, I have already expressed my opi nion. What started out good decayed under the influence of Farrakhan and others. His Neshama was a lost soul in life but there was hope. Now it is a completely lost soul in death and as I write this - not real hope of even getting to a time of judgement before the heavenly court in the near future. Perhaps such a soul will become one of these spirits that do not rest but will haunt the Neverland Estate in the future.

Hmmm . . . Will the Jacksons (& Buds Sharpton, Jackson & Farrakhan) Teach Michael's Kids About Their Jewish Heritage? By Debbie Schlussel

In the past, whenever White families adopted Black children, there was always an outcry. "Who will teach them their Black heritage?" was the refrain. And it was usually insisted upon that the White families raising them would teach them about their Black heritage. So, since Katherine Jackson is the guardian of choice in the Michael Jackson last will and testament, and since Mrs. Jackson, Michael's mother, is seeking permanent custody of the children, I have to ask:

Who will teach Michael Jackson's two oldest kids--both Jews--about their Jewish heritage? Yes, both the older kids, Prince Michael Jackson I and Paris Michael Jackson, are Jews. Their mother, Debbie Rowe is a Jew, which means they are Jews under Jewish law, and their natural father, Dr. Arnold Klein, is also a Jew.

I'd love to see how the elite coterie of Jew-haters with which the Jackson family has surrounded itself are going to educate these kids about being Jews. How will the anti-Semitic, anti-White Nation of Islam bodyguards and Nation of Islam nanny Grace Wraramba teach the kids about their heritage? By telling them--as Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan says--that they come from a "gutter religion"? How will "Uncle Jermaine," a devoted Muslim and Nation of Islam member teach them about their Jewish heritage? I've already been told by Farrakhan's Nation of Islam followers that "The Zionist Bloodsuckers Killed Michael Jackson." Wouldn't be surprised if these kids have already been told that Jews are bloodsuckers, leeches, and kikes, just like their Daddy made clear he thought of the Jews in=2 0lyrics and a taped phone conversation about Jewish creditors who made it possible for him to live well beyond his means for years.

How about the other close friends and advisors of the Jackson family? Here's a gander, based on past actual quotes, of how the "Jewish heritage lessons" would go: (Yes, sad to say, all of these are quotes about Jews actually uttered over the years by both Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson,)Thanks to Stephanie K. and Debbie.

Parsha Pinchas

Rabbi Shimshon Rafael Hirsch of blessed memory writes that the little Yod. In Pinchas is G-D attaching his NAME or approval to the name written in Shemos without the Yod. It should be noted that throughout the history of our people, an addition of Yod or a removal of a vav is very important. Hoshea ben Nun becomes Yod – Kay – Vav Yehoshua ben Nun to protect him from the spies. Calev is saved by praying at the grave of the fathers in Chevron. Also the Rav notes that the little Vav in Shalom means Shalem or complete. Pinchas gets a complete eternal priesthood from HASHEM. Up until now, he is mention as a grandson of Aaron but not as a Cohain. Now he receives the Kahuna not based on birth alone but on his own zealousness for HASHEM. As he cared about the disgrace of the DIVINE NAME as if it were his own disgrace. Such caring earned him his place among the leaders of Am Yisrael.

25:10 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 11 'Pinchas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was very jealous for My sake among them, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy.

Pinchas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen: Since the tribes were disparaging him, saying, Have you seen the son of Puti, whose mother’s father [Jethro] fattened (פִּטֵּם) calves for idols (See Rashi, Exod. 6:25), and who killed a chieftain of an Israelite tribe? For this reason, Scripture traces his pedigree to Aaron. — [Sanh. 82b, Num. Rabbah 21:3, Mid. Tanchuma Pinchas]: by his zealously avenging Me: Heb. אֶתקִנְאָתִי בְּקַנְאוֹ, by his avenging My vengeance, by his releasing the wrath that I should have released. The term קִנְאָה always denotes someone motivated to take vengeance for some matter, in old French, enprenemant.

12 Wherefore say: Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.'

It shall be: This covenant of Mine [mentioned in the previous verse] shall be for him. An eternal covenant of kehunah: Although the kehunah had already been given to Aaron’s descendants, it had been given only to Aaron and his sons who were anointed with him, and to their children whom they would beget after their anointment. Pinchas, however, who was born before that and had never been anointed, had not been included in the kehunah until now. And so, we learn in [Tractate] Zevachim [101b],“Pinchas was not made a kohen until he killed Zimri.” for his God: Heb. לֵאלֹהָיו, for the sake of his God, as in (11:29),“Are you zealous for my sake (לִי) ?” and (Zech. 8:2),“I am zealous for Zion (לְצִיּוֹן) ”-for the sake of Zion.

…16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 17 'Harass the Midianites, and smite them; 18 for they harass you, by their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor.'

It is obvious to me that not all the Midianites were involved as Yisro and his family and tribes were around Mt. Sinai and these Midianites were on the eastern side of the Yarden. However, because they used every trick in the book to wipe out Am Yisrael and succe eded in a great way by Shimon, that It was time to take care of them in kind. After the plague and this is a few months before the passing of Moshe (Aaron passed away in Av) and this was time wise most likely after the Chagim something like Cheshvan or Kislev that this incident happened. So the sum of the Bnei Yisrael is to taken again after the 40 years in the Midbar and before entering Eretz Yisrael.

26:1 And it came to pass after the plague, that the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying: 2 'Take the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers' houses, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel.' 3 And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 4 '[Take the sum of the people,] from twenty years old and upward, as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel, that came forth out of the land of Egypt.' … 51 These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel, six hundred thousand and a thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

I have already mentioned that only a certain number of souls were to inherit Eretz Yisrael. I assume that by natural birth between the time of the numbering and the entrance into Eretz Yisrael around Pessach the number again reached six hundred and three thousand like in the first census.

64 But among these there was not a man of them that were numbered by Moses and Aaron the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the wilderness of Sinai. 65 For the LORD had said of them: 'They shall surely die in the wilderness.' And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Among these there was no man…: But the women were not included in the decree [enacted in the afterm ath] of the spies, for they cherished the Land. The men said, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt!” (14:4), whereas the women said, “Give us a portion” (27:4). This is why the passage of Zelophehad’s daughters follows here. — [Mid. Tanchuma Pinchas 7]

27:1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

Of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph: Why is this said? Has it not already said, “the son of Manasseh”? But to inform you that Joseph cherished the Land, as it says, “and you shall bring up my bones… ” (Exod. 13:19), and his daughters cherished the Land, as it says, “Give us a portion” (verse 4) (Sifrei Pinchas 10), [hence they were20of Joseph’s family in spirit], and to teach you that they [who are mentioned in the verse] were all righteous, for anyone whose deeds and whose father’s deeds are not clearly described, but Scripture specifies one of them to trace his genealogy for praise, he is a righteous man the son of a righteous man, but if it traces his genealogy for shame, as for example, “Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama came” (II Kings 25:25), it is known that all those mentioned with him were wicked people. — [Sifrei Pinchas 9] Mahlah, Noah…: Later (36:11) it says, “Mahlah, Tirzah… were” [in a different order]. This teaches us that they were all equal-one to the other; therefore, Scripture changes the order. — [Sifrei Pinchas 11]

To read behind the scenes, we need the Gemara. As it turns out that Machir was a first born son and so was Hepher so the portion of land was larger than the average portion parceled out. Even dividing it among the five daughters, it was still substantial. The landed orphans suddenly became attractive prospects to the men of their tribe. By marrying one of the young women, plus his own portion, the man was set for life if he worked his field properly. (Of course the blessings in the Torah for taking Teruma and Maaseh were to be watched along with Shemita.

One of the stories in my backlog of mail was about the land feeling the Mitzvos: A story is said about a Rav in Morocco who in his elderly age had a son. His son was loved by all who saw him, he had many talents and his parents taught him torah.


On one Friday night father and son went out to the Beit Kennesset (synagogue). Suddenly a strong wind blew followed by heavy rains. As they were passing by one of the houses, the house collapsed and fell on the little boy. His father cried and cried but despite his great pain on the death of his son, he continued his way to the Beit Kennesset to pray. When he came home he told his wife that the boy went to his rabbi’s house to learn and he will sleep there tonight. When his20wife heard this she told her husband to take their Shabbat meal to their son the Rav listened and took the food. He took the food to one of the poor people’s house and he did the same the next day.


When shabbat was over, he told his wife the bitter truth. When his wife heard she screamed and cried bitterly. Her cries were heard by all her neighbors and they all came. Together they all went to the place where the tragedy happened and they started to remove all the stones and debris so they can find the boy. To their great shock they saw the boy sitting between two pillars!! When the boy saw his parents he ran to hug and kiss them.


“What happened?”


The boy explained that he saw an elderly man removing all the debris and stones that were on top of him! Excited everyone picked the boy up and started singing and dancing with him till they reached his house and there they made a meal thanking Hashem for his infinite kindness.


From here we learn the great reward that a person gets for keeping the Shabbat, and preventing himself from feeling pain. Just like the father stopped himself from doing something natural- crying for his son's death. So too Hashem sees this and pays him back measure for measure and He changes the nature and the natural occurrences of the world.


In this week’s portion of the Torah (Behar) we are told to observe we are commanded to observe a much extended Sha bbat. Which is Shabbat of the land called Shemita. Where the farmer leaves his farm untouched with no activity the whole year. And G-d promises in his Torah that on the 6th year you will have three times as much produce. And we have been witnessing this miracle for thousands of years because the land of Israel knows who his owner is and it only works for the Jews because they are the only ones that must settle in it.


Shabbat Shalom, Binyamin Jadidi

2 And they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting, saying: 3 'Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.

but he was not…: Since they were going to say that “he died for his own sin,” they had to say that it was not for the sin of those who grumbled, and [that he was] not in Korah’s company who incited [the people] against the Holy One, blessed is He, but he died for his own sin alone, ad he did not cause others to sin with him (B.B. 18b, Sifrei Pinchas 13). R. Akiva says, He was the wood gatherer [see 15:32], and R. Shimon says: He was among those who ascended [the mountain] defiantly [see 14:44]. — [Shab. 96b]

The establishment of daughters inheriting and owning property 3300 years ago was a social revolution in the world. Women could not really run businesses outside of certain professions which men did not engage in or for the purpose of supplying certain entertainment for me. A woman owning land and running a farm in an agricultural society was like Carly Fiorina running Hewlett Packard one of the Dow thirty a few years back or some female governors.

4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.'

The Judges of 10 or 100 had a pretty good idea of the Jewish Law on this issue but kept pushing it up high for the Judge of 10, 50, 100, 1000 did not want to establish precedence on what essentially was a class action suit for all generations. When it passed the Judges of 10,000 and the Sanhedrin of the tribe of Menasha it was for Moshe and his Sanhedrin. Even though he realized that the daughters deserved an inheritance, he did not want to do anything to the right or the left without the rule of HASHEM.

5 And Moses brought their cause before the LORD. 6 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 7 'The daughters of Zelophehad speak right: thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

Now the law is set for all generations that women can be land owners. I have no idea how this applies in countries bordering Israel today or Iran but I would take it with a pillar of salt from the Dead Sea there. Recently regarding Afghanistan I saw films of women beaten in public by husbands or brothers with sticks. Today in a western culture we cannot imagine the revolutionary and radical idea this was. The Bnei Yisrael always respected their mothers, daughters and wives.

8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter. 9 And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. 10 And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethre n. 11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.'

Most people do not make out wills even today so an order of inheritance was established. Although it is not written that the daughters had to marry within their own tribe so as not to cause a massive tribal problem with land in Yehuda and the Galil or the Negev and Gush Dan, a Gezara was placed on the daughters to marry within their own tribe to keep the possessions and tribal territories. Today with absence of all the tribes and parcels of land, this does not apply and it is obvious that a woman with a Parcel in Asher could buy, sell, rent or move to the area of Zevulun.

12 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, and behold the land which I have given unto the children of Israel. 13 And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered; 14 because ye rebelled against My commandment in the wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the waters before their eyes.'--These are the waters of Meribah Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin. 15 And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying: 16 'Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them, and who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd.' 18 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit, and lay thy hand upon him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 And thou shalt put of thy honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may hearken. 21 And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD; at his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel w ith him, even all the congregation.' 22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him; and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the congregation. 23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a charge, as the LORD spoke by the hand of Moses.

What Am Yisrael needed was an orderly transfer of power from Moshe to the next generation. Aaron and Miriam were gone and Elazar was now the Cohain Gadol. Yehoshua was going to take over the leadership of the tribes and bring them into the land of Eretz Yisrael to settle down.

Chapters 28 and 29 are read on Roshei Chodeshim and Yomim Tovim.

28:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by fire, of a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in its due season … 9 And on the sabbath day two he-lambs of the first year without blemish, and two tenth parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and the drink-offering thereof. 10 This is the burnt-offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering thereof. 11 And in your new moons ye shall present a burnt-offering unto the LORD: two young bullocks, and one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; … 16 And in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD'S Passover. … 26 Also in the day of the first-fruits, when ye bring a new meal-offering unto the LORD in your feast of weeks, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; … 29:1 And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto you. … 7 And on the tenth day of this seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls; ye shall do no manner of work; … 12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days; … 35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly : ye shall do no manner of servile work; 36 but ye shall present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; … 39 These ye shall offer unto the LORD in your appointed seasons, beside your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or your peace-offerings. 30:1 And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

The faithful leader of Yisrael and servant of G-D giving out the Torah of the holidays close to his retirement from office and essentially for being in this world. For Moshe the only rest that he was going to get at 120 years of age was to rest in peace in his final unknown burial place deep in the ground.

Warning: Ken’s Steakhouse Balsamic Vinegar has an unauthorized OU corrective action is being taken.

Thanks again to Gene Alberts for supplying me we these stories: There is a story of a Rabbi who went to the store to buy something. The store was attached to the owner’s house. As he was ready to pay, he heard a baby crying nonstop. The Rabbi turned to the store owner and asked him “is this your baby crying?” The store owner answered “Yes, I have a baby sitter and she knows quite well how to take care of him.” And sure enough after a short while the baby quieted down.

Later on during the day the store owner went to his house to find out why his baby was crying. And as he enters the room he sees his baby has his tefilin on his head and hand???!!!20Shocked he asked the baby sitter to explain herself. She said

“I have noticed when you put on tefillin everyday you fall asleep. I understood from this that tefillin must be a wonderful remedy to fall asleep. So I tried it with the baby and the remedy worked…….”

Tefillin is two little black boxes made from skins of animal with holy scripts placed in it. It is extremely holy and if it G-d forbid falls down on the floor one must fast. Tefillin should be put on every morning except Shabbat and festivals. So we can energize our self and regulate our system with holiness. It is forbidden to fall asleep and talk about worldly matters when you have tefillin on.

The state of Israel is the holiest place in the whole world and it belongs to the Jews and it’s our homeland. And no matter where we’re at we should be aware that one day soon we are all going back to our homeland and we should not ever distract our minds from the state of Israel and fall asleep.

Just like tefillin. ישראל היא שלי תפילין Binyamin Jadidi

My son Asher was visiting me for the last 10 days and my youngest grandson Zachariah David was screaming. My daughter-in-law gave the baby a little tooth brush to rub his gums with – something for his age. He rubbed for an hour and was quiet. Teething is really painful to infants who can’t communicate what is bothering them. Often people do not communicate with their babies on the infant’s level. He was screaming with his father and I just spoke to him on his level – wa-wa gaga and eyes, ears, nose, etc. For him I was making sense that most adults didn’t make with him. Even when I later spoke to him as if he were three or four he listened as

I understood his needs. Often parents want to teach their child astronomy, history, Torah, etc. The child on his level does not want to hear the reasons for the great flood. Enough to say that the people were not nice they hit and bit each other and took candy from the others. The child wants to hear about the elephants, hippos, kangaroos etc. coming into the Teva two by two. There will be a time when the older child learns more of the real story and the adult about certain adult activities that indicate to me that the Moshiach will come and there will be unpleasantness among same sex marriages etc. I am not dreaming prophecy but know from the past the ways of HASHEM and can foresee that history will repeat itself since we did not learn our lesson. As they say in the Israeli Army, “If it does not go into your head you will learn through running with your feet or marching.”

From the Medrash Rabbah: There is a true story about a couple who was married for ten years but couldn’t have children. They went to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai for advice. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai told them to get divorced. But just like you got married with a festive meal you should get divorced with a meal. So they came home and made for themselves a big meal.


Drunk, the husband turned to his wife and said “look around the house and take whatever is dearest to you to your father’s house”. H earing this, his wife waited till her husband fell asleep and told her servants to carry her husband to her father’s house. At midnight her husband woke up and asked his wife “where am I?”
she said “in my father’s house”, he asked her “why, I cannot be here we are divorced?”


She said “didn’t you tell me to take whatever is dear to me to my father’s house? I don’t have anything more dearly to me in the world than you”. The couple went back to Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai prayed for them and gave them a blessing and she had a baby boy next year. The question we should ask is how come Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai did not give them the blessing to have children in the first place?


And the answer is: as long there wasn’t enough love and respect between these two people Rabbi Shimon Bar Yona’s blessing would not had any affect. He only gave them a blessing when he realized that there was enough love between this husband and wife. Let’s all learn this beautiful lesson and love and respect one another so we will be merited with lots of blessing from Heaven. Amen, Binyamin Jadidi

There was a story of a woman who hated her daughter-in-law ever since she entered her house. They would never stop arguing with each other. This mother-in-law’s deep hatred was because she had a beautiful daughter that was extremely dear to her but fifteen years ago died. The mother never stopped mourning and thinking about her. When her daughter -in-law first came to her house she noticed the resemblance …not only in appearance but also in character. She hated her because she thought, instead of her daughter being in her house; it was her daughter- in-law.

One night, her late husband came to her in a dream and asked her, “How much are you fighting with your daughter in law? Don’t you know who she is? If you only knew, you would love her and wouldn’t stop hugging and kissing her!” She asked, “Who is she?” and her husband replied, “This is your daughter who died fifteen years ago. On the day she died your daughter-in-law was born. They are very similar because she is your own daughter. It was decreed in heaven that your son will take her as a wife, she is returned to you and the whole day you are bothering and fighting with her! You are making your own dear daughter suffer so much!

When she heard this, she started shaking and crying for all that she did to her daughter- in- law. She got up, it was still night time, she went to her daughter in law, kissing and hugging her, and she apologized20for every unkind thing she did to her. And from then on, her behavior changed towards her. (Ben Ish Hai) Am Israel estimated by mistake that Moshe Rabbeinu was late to come back so they decided to designate a substitute. So, they made the golden calf. But, come to think of it there were other options: his brother Aharon. Why they did not pick him as a substitute?

It’s interesting, you have better manners towards strangers and behave more politely; you’re able to control your anger much better with strangers. You are able to give more respect to those who you can derive benefit from. But with members of your family, unfortunately it is not so.

But why is that? Because they are always available, we do not see the value in them. The fast of 17th of Tammuz would not have happened, if Aharon was designated instead of Moshe. But they thought of him as someone who is always there, always helping, and creating peace wherever he goes. He is one of us, he cannot be our leader. However, if the opportunity was given to Aharon, the golden calf would not have been built and the Tablets would not have been broken.

The strong message is: The mission in this world could be for only one person. But we don’t know who that person is. It could be the person whom you like or you don’t like, or even the person could like you or dislike you. No matter what, you should give a chance to everyone! You never know who the designated one is!

That is how you can save the tablets. Binyamin Jadidi

Nahman’s daily routine in death camp of Sobibor ,consisted of heavy lifting, usually of logs or bricks. A stocky man, Nahman appeared to be more like 40 than his true age, which was nearly 50. But after today it would no longer make a difference. An awkward calm overcame him. The shouting of the fanatical guards and the barking of the rabid dogs would normally have angered Nahman, but today it was strangely welcome, as to say, go ahead, holler away. You’ll soon have no more power over a dead man. The thought, although morbid, seemed like a fitting victory in a war that could have no winner.


Nahman stared at the mound of logs, the only thing separating him from death. He would finish moving them to the other end of the field and then he would die. It was as simple as that. Slowly the pile diminished and Nahman drew closer to his end.
Twenty logs remained.
Ten.
Five.
And then he came to the final one.


He bent down and although his back was sore and his fingers were bleeding, a bizarre tranquility permeated him. As he was moving in slow motion he pictures the faces of his children who were killed by the Nazis. I’ll be with you soon, children. His feet stumbled over one another but he moved onward. Step by step. Closer. But he no longer cared. Because if no one else did, then why should he? Finally he bent down and placed the last log on the ground. But as he straightened up he leaned forward to get a closer look at something he saw- something impossible. Nahman squinted as he tried to make out the words. What he saw would save his life.

Neszah Yisrael Lo Yeshaker- The Eternal One of Israel will not fall.


A whirlwind of emotions erupted within Nahman’s mind, heart and soul. Why should have someone carved this, if not with the hope that some lost soul would see it and gain encouragement? The thought struck Nahman: Someone does care. He looked up and saw the German guard’s face contorted into a sick, twisted grimace. I can’t let them win. I must fight on. My children will have to wait a little bit longer. Nahman glanced around. Another man had stumbled and needed help getting up. Nahman, now determined to live stood up, walked over and helped his sick, weak friend. He did not know his name but that did not matter.


On the 17th of Tammuz, a wicked king named Afostomos burned the sefer torah and placed an idol in the ark. His intention was to shatter our belief by destroying what protects Am Israel, and that is the Torah the command of Hashem. This is what the Babylonians, Greeks, Hitler tried to do and that is what the new Hitler, Ahmadinejad wants to do may their names be erased.

But never forget Neszah Yisrael Lo Yeshaker- The Eternal One of Israel will not fall and we should never loose our hope.

Because Hashem always protects us.

May all these fasts turn to days of happiness soon, Amen

Binyamin Jadidi

A short message that I sent a non-Jewish seventeen year old but it is appropriate for all: Young Lady as an old and wise man. if you want a long lasting real and true love relationship with C. - keep it as platonic as you can. Once both of you mature you will see where you stand and how to build something to last 50 to 60 years. Otherwise the hormones rule ove r the head, and passion of the moment is confused for love. – The reply from her was delightful. You have no idea how much your advice really means to me. I've needed to hear that...he's young and so very infatuated. He says he loves me; however, I feel as though that is much too soon to say. I don't want to hurt him, but maybe if he were to slow down on that talk of deep commitment...it might contribute to a healthier relationship. I agree with what you're saying completely, and I appreciate you :)

Halacha

It's customary not to say the Bracha of שהחיינו - Shehechiyanu during the 3 weeks from 17 Tammuz until after 9 Av. Therefore one should not buy nor wear new clothes during that period. Since the "3 weeks" begin on this coming Thursday, one should finish ones shopping in the coming days and wear all new clothes [at least for a short time] before Thursday. When eating a fruit for the first time in a season one says the Bracha of שהחיינו - Shehechiyanu. If possible, one should not wait for the "3 weeks" to eat those fruit for the first time. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:2

The woes of the Churban - the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash - began on 17th Tamuz and ended with the Bet Hamikdash being set alight on the afternoon of 9 B'Av. The fire burnt until sunset the following day. This period of 23 days - which start on Thursday - is know as "the 3 weeks" or Bein (Bayn) Hametzarim - בין המצ רים. As we then approach the 9th of Av - 3 weeks later - the laws of mourning intensify, as we will learn in the coming days. The mourning continues until the day after the fast of 9 B'Av; however, since this year the 10th of Av is a Friday, bathing, laundry and haircuts are allowed from early morning of 10 Av - in honor of Shabbat. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:1, 124:20

Since I haven’t fully recovered from my recent heart beat fibulations or the new medications which knock me out, I did not fast but still one should know the reason for the fast: 17 Tamuz which commemorates 5 major misfortunes which happened to the Jewish people on this date:
- Moshe Rabbeinu broke the Luchot - the tablets - upon seeing the Golden Calf being worshiped
- The daily Tamid sacrifice was suspended in the first Bet Hamikdash as a result of the siege
- At the time of the 2nd Bet Hamikdash the walls of Jerusalem were breached by the enemy, three weeks before the destruction
- Apostumus the wicked [Roman] burned a Sefer Torah
- An idol was placed in the Bet Hamikdash

The fast starts at dawn and ends at nightfall. On every fast day there is Krias HaTorah (Torah Reading) at both Shacharis and Mincha. At Mincha, the 3rd Aliyah also reads the Haphtarah (from Yeshayahu 55:6). Only somebody who is fasting should be called up to the Torah on a fast day. During the Mincha Amida, individuals add the "Anaynu" prayer into the 16th Bracha; Shema Kolaynu. If one forgot, one does not need to make amends. The Chazzan adds Anaynu during both Shacharis and Mincha, as a separate Bracha before Rofa’aynu. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 23:15, 19:14, 20:8

You may cut your nails during the 3 weeks, until the week in which 9 B'Av falls. On each Shabbat of the "3 weeks" we read a Haphtarah wherein the prophet foretold the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash. The first week (this week) we read the first chapter of Yirmiyahu. The second week we read most of the second chapter of Yirmiyahu. The third week we read the first chapter of Yeshayahu - Chazon; most of it in the sad tune that Megilat Eichah is read.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:6, 5 - Danny

Joseph Katzman wrote: Near his death Albert Einstein was asked what he would do differently if he could live life all over again? Einstein's response: "I would study the Talmud."

Jewish History 101 the time frame from after the coding of the Bible: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zugot

A Rabbi speaks out about our corrupt leadership and lack of Jewish Pride: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ywe_ZvXQXKc

Throughout the Centuries the Rabbis have made Gezaros sometimes even against the Torah to prevent a certain situation. Example: The Ashkenazic Community was forbidden for example to take on more that one wife except under rare conditions with the consent of 100 Rabbis. Today there are 813 or 849 such cases of the allowance of two wives out of 14 to 16 million Jews.

I began wondering about child molesters. These people if jailed usually strike again. Although castration is forbidden in the Torah in case of child rape, I personally believe that the Rabbis should go further on this issue – right now we have no real Sanhedrin and we have no person on the level of Rav Moshe Feinstein to issue such a call. So I shall continue to think this out loud. We have to either guarantee that this individual shall be in an escape proof prison with arm and leg irons on him for the rest of his natural life or that he is neutered so as not to physically harm a child again. It is just one man’s opinion.

Another case is that of a man who refuses to give=2 0his wife a Get (bill of divorce) either by running away and leaving her an Aguda or not running away and willing to go to jail even so as to punish her. In the first two cases the solution is not that easy. In the later case, the Beis Din under Jewish Law can give the man lashes of rebellion until he dies. Usually, the ‘Civilized Countries’ limit the Beis Din and the woman suffers. Also usually the man loves himself too much to die and grants her a Get.

The first case of the Agunah is a dead beat that has run away leaving his wife as a helpless woman. On the other hand, a man refusing to give a halachic divorce because the wife literally took him to the cleaners and his only option of survival is jail because of the civil courts and modern lawyers - then the Beis Din should over-rule the civil court on this or help make an appeal for him. The first case might be solved if the Beis Din had the power to remove his manhood from him if he were found and caught and refused to give a Get. You would see a quick settlement of some of these=2 0Agunah issues that can take up to 20 years to solve. The most famous case was that of Yehiel, a Yemenite Jew, who refused for over 20 to divorce his wife and remained in jail until she became a widow with his passing. Such a thing should not happen. If Beis Din does not want to do such a drastic method as I suggest, then they should take upon themselves a Gezara of Daas Moshe V’ Yisrael in the marriage and be able to annul the marriage. This would mean another document or an addition to the Ketubah. A Beis Din is not an army at war, they always have time and patience but to revoke a marriage retroactively would eventually occur after a year, two, three but not forever. The later idea is more than just one man’s opinion today.

Inyanay Diyoma

Editorial: WHAT IS THIS ORGANIC FERTIZILER? TIME TO HIT BACK HARD TO THE BULLY: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1246443757019&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

When your local tough guy on the block and his two cohorts gang up on you then you have two choices. The decision is up to you either run for your life or hit the bastard so hard that he doesn’t know that the Kike with the yellow streak running down his back can wallop the day lights out of the two toughest guys and the third one will take them over. I am talking about the USA, Europe and Russia pressing Israel to forsake the land promised to us by the L-RD G-D CREATOR of all.

If I were in place of Mr. Benyamin Netanyahu, I would speak even tougher that his father, the professor did to him. I would hold an ordinary news conference an give them such tit for tat that they would not know what hit them. I can imagine my standing next to Senator Mitchell and his discussion about freezing construction already began in Yehuda and Shomron.

I would calmly and firmly say to him. I would like to add a few words to the good Senator’s remarks. First of all I was given the land by the CREATOR of the Universe as a promise to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yisrael. The land is called the land of Israel. There is no land of Oz and there is no Palestine. THUS SAYS THE L-RD G-D, “THE HEAVENS ARE MY THRONE AND THE EARTH MY FOOTSTOOL.” In Egypt, Pharaoh was warned about tampering with the L-RD’s first born son, Yisrael see Exodus chapter 4.

I am not telling my allies what to do and I suggest that friends only make suggestions. I am suggesting to the United States and Europe if you want to stay out of the horse and buggy age and have some semblance of electricity then drill off shore for oil, build nuclear energy plants, convert to natural gas and hydrogen cars, build up the great plains with wind turbines and make coal gasification plants because radioactive cobalt takes 200 to 250 years to wear off after being dumped on middle-eastern oil fields. For if Yisrael will cease to exist so will a lot of other things.

(Actually if Am Yisrael were to cease to exist, so would the world as we have this tradition about the 36 Tzaddikim that keep the world existing.) Those who understand will understand and for those who are dense all the better still.

Stephanie K. fwd Sammy’s blog to me: http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2009/07/obama-is-lying-about-israeli.html

This one came from Ayelet: http://yidwithlid.blogspot.com/2009/06/iran-massacres-prove-un-is-impotent.html

Arutz 7 reports: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/132177

Will Netanyahu allow nukes in Teheran? http://www.debka.com/headline.php?hid=6165

Report: Saudis to overlook Israeli jets headed to Iran Sunday Times says Saudi officials have agreed in secret talks with Mossad chief to turn blind eye to Israeli planes flying over kingdom during any future raid on Iranian nuclear sites. According to report, PM briefed on matter. Israel: Reports unfounded

The third Jihad part 1: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=102824 part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbnaWpSS8Dk followed by 3 and 4.

From Joel – for people my age remove the music and enjoy the pictures: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUJQ-lywqSU

Lisa Miller sent me this. It makes we wonder why Israelis tolerate being pushed around by enemies both foreign and domestic. Tito the builder doesn’t let anybody tread on the Constitution of the United States: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eLqAWJ6NX4

From Solomon: Jpost translated the letter to Netanyahu that was initialized by MK Hotovely like this:
"We Likud MKs are turning to you due to reports that you would agree to freeze settlement growth temporarily in parts of Judea and Samaria, despite our promise to the voters to continue building in the settlements," the MKs wrote in the letter."

As the whole world knows all too well, burning oil of Arab deserts without building oases of peace only brings more aggression and war - so we all have to thank her. That is great; only mistake perhaps: Jews are not settlers, Jews are CIVILIZATORs, letting women be20respected by men and kids loved by their parents - as even the Mapai politician Golda Meir defined as the basis for peace:
Peace will come when the Arabs will love their children more than they hate us.
Without Judaism, men have a hard time to respect women and both a hard time to respect kids - so Jewish civilizators at least can present a great example for nonJews on the long path towards civilization.


Tzipi Hotovely als MK also is supported by great helps, as u can see at TZIPI Hotovelys FB page
http://photos-f.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc1/hs138.snc1/5920_99963294595_782729595_1975749_1647301_n.jpg .

Fishy business: http://directorblue.blogspot.com/2009/05/closing-chryslers-dealerships-readers.html

Blaming the Jews again = Jewish bloodbath: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3741971,00.html

Modern Mrs. Potiphar cases involving two male and two female soldiers was closed after the army gave it over to the Israeli Police – the threat of false civil accusations and law suits with criminal proceedings against the slanderers ended the case quickly. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3743357,00.html

Real Heroes: http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/08/lets-mourn-the-real-american-heroes/

Homeland Insecurity: http://news.aol.com/article/north-korea-cyber-attacks/560750?icid=webmail|wbml-aol|dl1|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fnews.aol.com%2Farticle%2Fnorth-korea-cyber-attacks%2F560750

From Chaim B.: Professor Wichman sent an e-mail to the Muslim Student's Association. The e-mail was in response to the students' protest of the Danish cartoons that portrayed the Prophet Muhammad as a terrorist. The group had complained the cartoons were 'hate speech'

Enter Professor Wichman. In his e-mail, he said the following:

Dear Moslem Association,

As a professor of Mechanical Engineering here at MSU I intend to protest your protest. I am offended not by cartoons, but by more mundane things like beheadings of civilians, cowardly attacks on public buildings, suicide murders, murders of Catholic priests (the latest inֲ ֲ ֲ Turkeyֲ ֲ ), burnings of Christian churches, the continued persecution of Coptic Christians inֲ ֲ ֲ Egyptֲ ֲ , the imposition of Sharia law on non-Muslims, the rapes of Scandinavian girls and women (called 'whores' in your culture), the murder of film directors inֲ ֲ ֲ Hollandֲ ֲ , and the rioting and looting inֲ ֲ ֲ Parisֲ ֲ ֲ ֲ Franceֲ ֲ . This is what offends me, a soft-spoken person and academic, and many, many of my colleagues. I counsel you dissatisfied, aggressive, brutal, and uncivilized slave-trading Moslems to be very aware of this as you proceed with your infantile 'protests.' If you do not like the values of the West - see the 1st Amendm ent - you are free to leave. I hope for God's sake that most of you choose that optionֲ . Please return to your ancestral homelands and build them up yourselves instead of troubling Americans. Cordially,

I. S. Wichman Professor of Mechanical Engineering

=============================

As you can imagine,

the Muslim group at the university didn't like this too well. They're demanding that Wichman be reprimanded and the university impose mandatory diversity training for faculty and mandate a seminar on hate and discrimination for all freshmen. Now the local chapter of CAIR got into the fray. CAIR, the Council on American-Islamic Relations, apparently doesn't believe that the good professor had the right to express his opinion.

==========

For its part, the university is standing its ground in support of Professor Wichman, saying the e-mail was private, and they don't intend to publicly condemn his remarks. http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/wichman.asp

Note: Professor Wichman did not mention plane hijackings, explosive devices against US soldiers, all the terrorism in Israel, Nigeria, Somalia, Ethiopia, Cyrus, India, Thailand, etc. Don’t worry Ward Churchill and other moral professors back the Moslems. Surprisingly PETA remained neutral on this as the Moslems used Donkeys and Horses as suicide explosive carriers.

From David L.: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124700261179807839.html

Strange for me but sometimes I approve of what Democrats do. I got this letter from Senator Bill Nelson: July 8,'09

Dear Richard,

Today I testified at a Senate hearing about the persistent and deadly risk posed by the prevalence of the Burmese python in Florida.

Invasive species like the Burmese python are wreaking havoc in our most treasured environments. Some estimate there are upwards of more than one hundred thousand of these deadly pythons in the Everglades National Park. The crown jewel of our national park system has been transformed into a hunting ground for these predators.

And last week the unthinkable happened.

An eight-foot Burmese python escaped from its container in a home northwest of Orlando. The pet snake bit a two-year-old girl and wrapped itself around her body. By the time the paramedics had arrived, the child had been strangled.

And this is not an isolated case. Over the last ten years, at least 17 people have been the victim of an attack. Seven have died.

It took this tragic event to bring back focus to this problem – and there’s something we can do about it.

I filed a bill in February (S. 373) which would declare pythons as injurious animals and halt the importation and interstate commerce of these deadly snakes.

The state of Florida has been working from its end to get a handle on these snakes. They now require a yearly registration fee, owners must display knowledge of handling and care, and snakes are now micro-chipped – so if one got loose you would have a chance to chase them down. Now it’s time for the federal government to step up.

Beresheis 3:15 ‘And I will p ut enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.'

Cap and Trade farce: http://michellemalkin.com/2009/07/09/the-farce-of-cap-and-tax-revealed/

Good Shabbos Everyone. In this week's portion Balak, we read about the attempts of the evil Bilaam to curse the Jewish people. When Bilaam opens his mouth intending to curse the Jew ish people, Hashem causes Bilaam instead to utter praises of the Jewish people. In Bilaam's first "blessing" he says about the nation of Yisroel, "Behold! It is a nation that will dwell in solitude and not be reckoned among the nations." (Bamidbar 23,9) When the verse states that the Jewish nation will "not be reckoned among the nations," it means that we are different and special; i.e., Hashem does not treat us as He treats the other nations. From here we see that the Jewish people receives special supervision from Hashem.
By examining history, we can clearly see that the Jewish nation has had a special fate among the nations. The continued existence of the Jewish people, against all odds, in the face of persecution, demonstrates that we are truly a exceptional nation, a nation which will "not be reckoned among the nations."
One of the most difficult periods in recent history was the Jewish experience in World War II. While we do not know for certain why such tragedies befell our people, one thing we know for certain: stories of amazing Divine Intervention during the darkest periods of history demonstrate that Hashem did not abandon His People. The following amazing true story is one such story which illustrates a ray of light from Hashem during the darkest night.
It was World War II, in Cracow, Poland. Reb Yitzchok20 Isaac Klingberg's apartment had been commandeered by the invading Germans who then set up their headquarters in the building. Amazingly, the Germans allowed R' Yitzchok to remain living in the hallway. It was a precarious existence for R' Yitzchok, but he was thankful to be alive.
"Zhid!" The German commandant's officer awakened R' Yitzchok from a fitful sleep. "Get into the office!" he commanded. "The commandant wants to see you." R' Yitzchok scrambled to obey the man's orders. He followed the German officer into the office and stood at attention, while the drunken commandant managed to stumble around his desk and sprawl into his chair.
R' Yitzchok's eyes widened in terror as the commandant pulled his gun out of his belt and flung it on the desk between them. "You see this gun?" he barked at his shivering victim. "I'm going to ask you a question. If you don't answer me truthfully, I'll kill you."
R' Yitzchok managed to nod, but his heart sank. The commandant was so drunk that he would probably shoot R' Yitzchok with the slightest provocation—even if he did speak the truth.
"Vaas es das Rema—who was the Rema?" the commandant demanded. R' Yitzchok stared, speechless. What sort of question was this? Why would a German commandant want to know about the Rema, and acronym for R< /u>abbi Moshe Isserles? (died 1572) The sixteenth century Torah leader was a towering figure whose works are among the foundations of Torah law. Rabbi Yosef Karo wrote the Shulchan Aruch, the guide to our daily lives, and the Rema added the Ashkenazic viewpoint on various customs and rulings wherever they differed. He was prepared to write the entire guide on his own, but he humbly abstained when he heard Rabbi Karo had already begun his work.
The commandant abruptly stood from his chair. "We were commanded to destroy the cemetery here in Cracow!" he shouted. "But then they sent us a telegram, telling us not to touch the Rema's shul, or his grave."
R' Yitzchok blinked in surprise. Could this really be true? "Vaas es das Rema—who was the Rema?" the commandant asked again, with drunken urgency. R' Yitzchok didn't know where to begin. Should he talk about the Rema's life, or simply mention his great written contributions to Torah Jewry? But before R' Yitzchok's could say a word, the commandant suddenly swayed—and then slid to the floor, passing out right at R' Yitzchok's feet. R' Yitzchok let out his breath with words of thanks to Hashem before beating a hasty retreat from the commandant's office.
R' Shimon Spira, R' Yitzchok's cousin, had a similar experience. After the war, R' Shimon Spira walked slowly through the20 streets of his hometown of Cracow, Poland. It was so different now than it had been had been before the war! Where were the-sixty thousand Jews who had made Cracow their home before World War II? R' Shimon was among the paltry two thousand survivors who had managed to escape the hands of the Nazis. After the war, it was natural for him to return to the city where he had spent his entire life. But there was not much left to see in postwar Cracow.
As his feet led him through the deserted streets, his recollections were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir." R' Shimon turned to see a shabbily dressed young man, accompanied by two friends of about the same age. "We're looking for the grave of the Rema. Could you show us the way?"
R' Shimon raised his eyebrows in surprise as the sound of the holy Rema's name passed through this young man's lips. He himself had visited the burial site many times before the war. But what interest would three non-Jewish men have in the Rema's grave?
"Why do you want to go there?" R' Shimon asked. "I understand why you're asking us that," the leader of the group said ruefully. "But despite the way we look, we really are Jewish. We were pretty young when the Nazis took over, and we were forced to work for them. Our assignment was to knock down the tombstones in all=2 0the Jewish cemeteries across town." The man's voice grew hushed. "When we reached the Rema's stone and prepared to knock it down, the sirens went off, and we ran to take shelter from the air raid. When the all-clear sounded, we went to try again—and again the sirens went off It kept on happening. Every time we went back to knock down the gravestone, the sirens would go off, and we had to run away."
"We finally gave up," the second man added. "But we did manage to chip off a small chunk from the gravestone,' "Now we want to go back there to ask forgiveness,' the leader concluded. With the world completely shattered by war, three secular young men sought atonement for chipping a stone. Tears sprang to R' Shimon's eyes.
"I can show you where to go. "R' Shimon reassured the three men. He beckoned them to follow him toward the shut and the adjoining cemetery.
"Your tale does not surprise me,' R' Shimon remarked as they walked. "It is only fitting for this great tzaddik, the Rema, Rabbi Moshe Isserles." R' Shimon stopped suddenly. "See that beautiful building?" R' Shimon gestured to the high archway that marked the entrance to the old shul. "The Rema's father built it in his honor, four hundred years ago. The Isserles family was very prominent, very wealthy and very supportive of Torah learning."
&nb sp; R' Shimon fell silent for a moment. "On the Rema's yahrtzeit," he continued quietly, "so many Jews came to daven here. Every year—on Lag B'Omer." R' Shimon's final words, while unspoken, reverberated through the quiet streets. "No more ...no more..."
"I showed them the grave," said R' Shimon as he finished telling his story. "Just like they said, the Rema's gravestone was still standing tall and straight. They asked the Rema for forgiveness—and then they vowed to change their way of life. All in the merit of the Rema." (Reb Yosef Weiss, p. 138 Visions of Greatness.)
History demonstrates that we are a nation which will "not be reckoned among the nations." We may not always understand Hashem's ways, but we clearly see that Hashem guides us with extra special Divine Providence. Good Shabbos Everyone.

Mr. Wolfberg’s stories are sponsored by: Refuah Shleima to Mordechai Menachem Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta

In memory of Shosha Malka bas R' Avrohom 21 Cheshvan Refuah Shleimah to Chana Ashayra bas Dodi

Be well and have a great Shabbos,

Rachamim Pauli