Footprints of Moshiach, Parsha Tzav, Shabbos HaGadol,

Ruda Itzka Minyan bat Liba needs our prayers. Adele bas Adva the 3 year old from the stoning attack still it was a miracle. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166294#.UUYvsWz8LIU   Chana bas Gisela.

The Footprints of the Moshiach and it is all unfolding together before our eyes!

Preparing for Pessach is similar to preparing for Moshiach. Matzo Factories start work as early as six months in advance of Pessach and Book Stories start ordering and restocking for Pessach about two months in advance for delivery before the shopping rush starts. Some people start cleaning their house after Purim and others from Rosh Chodesh. According to the Rambam’s 13 Principles of Faith we are supposed to wait daily for the Moshiach. I have an overview of the Prophets and heard of the death bed talk of Moshiach from the late Rav Brevda. There are also indications from the books written by Kabbalists that the Moshiach will come between now and the end of 5776 at the latest. One thing is for sure that things that moved ever so slowly before the founding of the State of Israel are gaining speed and momentum. Things are coming to a head at an exponential rate. The changes in many countries in the Mideast are due to this factor. Lastly, we have been warned by Autistic Children and Bible Codes of happenings to come.

Just because we are reaching the time for Moshiach does not mean that we merit seeing him or living through Messianic Times. In fact a large number of Jews both Orthodox and not Orthodox are undeserving and the same for the rest of the Nations of the World. By “That Day” aka Yom Ha Hu we will see the weeding out of the human version of forbidden Chametz. All leavening which is in possession of mankind will be destroyed and accounted valueless as the dust of the earth. Rashi has brought down the numbers who died and the plague of darkness and we already lost a tremendous amount in the inquisition, holocaust and wars but yet there still is the groundless hatred. I have seen and heard hatred for ultra-religious, hatred for black Jews, hatred for religious and hatred for non-religious Jews. I have seen a Tunisian Jew look down on a Moroccan Jew and a Polish Jew dislike the German Jew and vice versa. I cannot be even sure that I, myself, have escaped completely this groundless hatred either by shock, silence or just a feeling of helplessness to oppose it. The present government of Israel is founded on groundless hatred for Charedi especially Charedi Sephardic Jews and it will not last before HASHEM too long. We will see many, if not all of the ‘leaders’ go down into the pit of Gehennom. The Knesset and Cabinet may have their atomic shelters and an evacuation route to the airport but it will not help them. The false Charedim who are being exposed and the husbands who refuse to give their wives a Get will get what they deserve. Don’t think I claim prophecy at all it is just logic based on the prophets. Axiom the Torah is Emmes. HASHEM is the Dayan Ha Emmes and an Emmes Din will be given out when or before the Moshiach comes. So I ask again – AM I READY, ARE YOU READY HAVE WE DONE TESHUVA (Repentance) TEPHILLA (Prayer) and TZEDUKA (Charity) to avert the evil decree. True with 1,600,000 in Israel under the poverty line on a normal salary or even twice a normal salary can we even afford to give ten Agora to each person? However, we should give what we can with an open heart. It is hard everytime an ultra-Orthodox bully spits on a small religious girl that is not a member of his sect, it is hard if not impossible for me to give to those with ultra-Orthodox Chassidic dress even a Shekel for the next few weeks. They are guilty and in turn we become guilty of groundless hatred. It is more than we want Moshiach now; it is we need Moshiach now. If you think my analysis is off then read Yeshaya 9:13 Therefore the LORD doth cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day. 14 The elder and the man of rank, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail. 15 For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed. 16 Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall He have compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is ungodly and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaks wantonness. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 17 For wickedness burns as the fire; it devours the briers and thorns; yea, it kindles in the thickets of the forest, and they roll upward in thick clouds of smoke. 18 Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land burnt up; the people also are as the fuel of fire; no man spares his brother. 19 And one snatcheth on the right hand, and is hungry; and he eateth on the left hand, and is not satisfied; they eat every man the flesh of his own arm: 20 Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together are against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

Furthermore, one does not have to be a prophet to figure out that Europe is making the same mistakes that it made before World War II but instead of with a crazed dictator or two a hell bend Islamic Jihad from all over. The Malbim who lived before WWI wrote that Yishmael (Arabs) would fight Esav (Europe) in the end of days. I trust that HASHEM will keep HIS promise to us and guide our protective missiles into destroying their incoming missiles. However, Europe that does not truly oppose the Iranians having a bomb will be blown up instead of us. It is then when a new crusade, not religious, will start against the Iranians and Iraqis after they have destroyed a few European Cities. Eventually, one will talk to the next and claim that the whole war is a Jew war because of Israel and their supporters. At this point all the Nations will turn their wrath upon Israel. Miracles that the world has not seen since the days of Moshe Rabbaynu will happen and our nation will triumph. Yeshaya 11:1 And there shall come forth a shoot out of the stock of Jesse, and a twig shall grow forth out of his roots. 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the LORD; and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither decide after the hearing of his ears; 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the land; and he shall smite the land with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

Yeshaya mentions darkness, a plague and not being able to breathe, which in modern terms is atomic = Yeshaya 5:24 Therefore as the tongue of fire devoureth the stubble, and as the chaff is consumed in the flame, so their root shall be as rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and contemned the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25 Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against His people, and He hath stretched forth His hand against them, and hath smitten them, and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still. 26 And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; 27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken; 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent; their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind; 29 Their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall roar like young lions, yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and there shall be none to deliver. 30 And they shall roar against them in that day like the roaring of the sea; and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and distress, and the light is darkened in the skies thereof., biological (I lost my initial reference in Yeshaya so I am using this one which is a bit weaker description) 19:2 And I will spur Egypt against Egypt; and they shall fight every one against his brother, and everyone against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. 3 And the spirit of Egypt shall be made empty within it; and I will make void the counsel thereof; and they shall seek unto the idols, and to the whisperers, and to the ghosts, and to the familiar spirits. 4 And I will give over the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, says the Lord, the LORD of hosts. 5 And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be drained dry, 6 And the rivers shall become foul; the streams of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither. 7 The mosses by the Nile, by the brink of the Nile, and all that is sown by the Nile, shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more. or maybe Yermiyahu 16:4 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, they shall be as dung upon the face of the ground; and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth., and chemical warfare (I lost the reference in Yeshaya about not being able to breathe but I did find 29:1 Ah, Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped! Add ye year to year, let the feasts come round! 2 Then will I distress Ariel, and there shall be mourning and moaning; and she shall be unto Me as a hearth of God. 3 And I will encamp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mound, and I will raise siege works against thee. 4 And brought down thou shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of a ghost out of the ground, and thy speech shall chirp out of the dust. 5 But the multitude of thy foes shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones as chaff that passes away; yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly. Iyob 4:9 By the breath of God they perish, and by the blast of His anger are they consumed. Drug Companies withhold or hiding dangerous reports of their medications and genetically modified plants and products on humans and animals. Last year it was identified by Gematria that the prophecy in Yechezkel 37 of Gog Melech Magog refers to Barak Hussein Obama both have the numerical value of 501 the Pasuk and the Name. We are there in the years of the war of Gog and Magog.

If we go according to Sanhedrin 96B – 97A Motzei Shmita is 5776 and by then the wars must end as it is also the last year of Obama. So who will be able to Tehillim 24:3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; and Ovadia 1:21 And survivors shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the kingdom shall be the LORD'S. It will not be a pretty sight and most of the dead will be brazen men who wanted to take advantage of the ruling powers or emboldened take physical, financial or sexual advantage of others. So what does the Novi declare – Yeshaya 4:1 And seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying: 'We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name; take thou away our reproach.' 2 In that day shall the growth of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written unto life in Jerusalem; On the other hand the other embarrassments and confusion that has corrupted our men and women will be gone and we will no longer be captives of the Yetzer HaRa. 52:1 Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. 2 Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. 3 For thus says the LORD: Ye were sold for naught; and ye shall be redeemed without money.

The last chapters of Zechariah are self-explanatory and the remainder of the world will become followers of the 7 Commandments of Noach and the derivatives thereof. Our religion believes in a spiritual cleaning of the soul by purging out our sins after death and that even non-Jews have a place in heaven if they are righteous. We are no better than the janitor or the head of nation but equal before HASHEM each of us fulfilling his individual task in this world. The Tribes will be reunited in Eretz Yisrael in the end of days as written by Yeshaya 27:13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in the land of Assyria, and they that were dispersed in the land of Egypt; and they shall worship the LORD in the holy mountain at Jerusalem.

So what is holding us back from Moshiach? The clock is in the 90^th minute of the soccer game or the second half of the 9^th inning of the baseball game and there are two outs. But in each case there is a chance that HASHEM gives both to the righteous and the wicked to repent and to stop this groundless hatred among us and turn it into love. I always wondered that if somebody had thrown a stone at me during my non-religious days and yelled Shabbos if I ever would have returned to Judaism or if somebody had tried to encourage a person to observe through love instead of fanatic hatred of violators how many would have repented. I was told by a Lubavitcher Chassid that only the
Rebbe could have dreams like I had (like a premonition that set me thinking). Had I listened to that person and not believed that HASHEM via future merits or a merit of an ancestor had given me the dream I would not be here today. Returning to Judaism and observing Shabbos, Kashrus, Family Purity and the rest of the Mitzvos starting from zero is not easy. Baalei Teshuva do it, Gerim do it and it is a slow process with our humanness giving us ups and downs. The main thing is to be inspired to rise higher and higher.

The Autistic children said that not everybody will survive and Rav Brevda heard from another Rabbi who was a student of the Chofetz Chaim that the Moshiach is alive and well among us but it is still not time for the revelation. Just as we must pass on the Matzo dough being rolled quickly so as not to heat up by our roller so too we must pass quickly away from temptation and the lingering thoughts and move on so that the Moshiach can come before the thoughts of sin turns into a leavened sin and diminishes our chance of meriting to see Moshiach or delays Moshiach.

With that my dear readers please clean the Chametz not only out of your house but out of your hearts and as we sell and nullify our physical leaven so too shall we nullify our spiritual leaven as well. In Nissan we were redeemed the first time and soon the final time. I cannot guarantee you that these wicked times allow for redemption this year but let us wait and hope as we celebrate Pessach and may Eliyahu HaNovi announce Moshiach speedily in our days. Amen v’ Amen Selah Vaed!

After I wrote the above and warned of corrupt people running things be Moshiach: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4357704,00.html

Times for my local area in Israel – Modiin, Ramat Modiin, Modiin Illit and the environs per Rabbi Barak Kochavi Shlita of Chabad Chashmonayim: Bedekas Chametz starts after the Maariv Prayer on Sunday Evening. Latest time for eating Chametz: 9:44 AM Latest time for storing and burning the Chametz should be no later than 10:46 AM (at that time the sale contract has become valid and the non-Jew has the option of taking the Chametz until a little over an hour after the end of full Pessach holiday). Last time for finishing the Afikoman (Second half of the split Matzo) is 11:47 which is Chatzos or Halachic Midnight. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afikoman This Matzo half is in lieu of a Korban Pessach today which was eaten by a person well fed from the Korban Chaggiga and Matzos.

Rabbi A.L. still hopes for a Korban Pessach this year. http://www.ebay.com/itm/-/181103955192

Parsha Tzav

6:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command Aaron and his sons, saying: This is the law of the burnt-offering: it is that which goes up on its firewood upon the altar all night unto the morning; and the fire of the altar shall be kept burning thereby.

The original fire on the Mizbayach came down from heaven after which until the destruction of the first Beis HaMikdash there was a constant fire burning. The wood and the cleaning of the ashes were done daily including Shabbos. The sake of heaven and the slaughter of the Korban Tamid (daily offerings) and the Shabbos and/or Rosh Chodesh or Yom Tov over rode the Shabbos. The language Tzav or command is used here which like in last week’s Parsha Vayikra (calling) is different than most occasions in the Chumash. With this introduction from me, I let Rashi explain the burnt offering aka Korban Olah.

Command Aaron: Heb. צַו. The expression צַו always denotes urging [to promptly and meticulously fulfill a particular commandment] for the present and also for future generations. Rabbi Simeon taught: Scripture especially needs to urge [people to fulfill commandments,] where monetary loss is involved. — [Torath Kohanim 6:1] This is the law of the burnt-offering…: This passage comes to teach us that the burning of [sacrificial] fats and parts [of an animal] is valid throughout the entire night [following the day it is offered up]. — [Meg. 21a] And [this passage also] teaches us regarding invalid sacrifices: which one, if it has already been brought up [on the altar], must be taken down, and which one, if it has been brought up [on the altar], need not be taken down. [And how do we know the latter case from Scripture?] Because every [instance of] תּוֹרַת [in the Torah] comes to include. [Thus here, it comes] to say that there is one law (תּוֹרָה for all sacrifices that go up [on the altar], even invalid ones, namely, that if they have already been brought up [on the altar], they need not be taken down. [However,] That is the burnt-offering: Heb. הִוא הַָעֹלָה [While the words תּוֹרַת הַָעֹלָה include invalid offerings, the words הִוא הַָעֹלָה come] to exclude the case of animals which have cohabited with a human, whether the animal was an active or a passive party to the transgression, and similar cases, in which their becoming invalid did not occur within the Holy [Temple precincts], but rather, they became invalid before they even arrived at the courtyard [of the Holy Temple]. - [Torath Kohanim 6:3]

3 And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes whereto the fire hath consumed the burnt-offering on the altar, and he shall put them beside the altar.

his linen tunic: Heb. מִדּוֹ, lit. his measure. This is כֻּתֹּנֶת, a long tunic (see Exod. 28:39:40). Now why does it say מִדּוֹ ? [To teach us] that it must be [made] according to his size [of the kohen wearing it]. — [Torath Kohanim 6:7] on his flesh: i.e., nothing must interpose between [the trousers and his flesh]. — [Zev. 19a] and he shall lift out the ashes: He would scoop out a full pan of ashes from the innermost [mass of ashes from] burnt out sacrificial parts [on the altar] and deposit them at the east side of the ramp [that led up to the altar (see Exod. 20:23, Rashi)]. — [Torath Kohanim 6:11; Tamid 28b]

4 And he shall put off his garments, and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes without the camp unto a clean place.

He shall then take off his garments: This is not an obligation, but proper practice, that, by taking out the ashes, he should not soil the garments in which he constantly officiates. [By analogy:] The clothes worn [by a servant] while cooking a pot [of food] for his master, he should not wear when he mixes a glass [of wine] for his master. Hence, [the verse continues,] “and put on other garments,” inferior to those [garments of the kahuna he had been wearing till now]. — [Yoma 23b]

The Talmud describes things about the Cohain Gadol and it seems to apply also to other Cohanim. A place where there is wealth one does not act cheap. How does it look to the congregation that the Cohain has gotten dirty now is going to serve others? This way he is always looking tip-top.

5 And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereby, it shall not go out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it every morning; and he shall lay the burnt-offering in order upon it, and shall make smoke thereon the fat of the peace-offerings.

There are a few hundred pages of Gemara written on all the Korbanos and the procedures of the Temple in Meseches Zevachim, Menachos, Pessachim, Yoma and other places. Rashi has the ability to condense in our Parshiyos in Sefer Vayikra  the procedures in a succinct manner.

And the fire on the altar shall burn on it: Heb. תּוּקַד. [In this passage,] we have many phrases employing the term יְקִידָה, “burning: ” עַל מוֹקְדָה, וְאֵשׁ הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ (verse 2), הַמִּזְבֵּחַ תּוּקַד בּוֹ וְהָאֵשׁ עַל (verse 5), and אֵשׁ תָּמִיד תּוּקַד עַל הַמִּזְבֵּחַ (verse 6). All these are expounded on in Tractate Yoma (45a), where [it is discussed how] our Rabbis differ regarding the number of wood-piles [that had to be arranged on that altar]. and upon it, he shall arrange the burnt-offering: [This teaches us that] the תָּמִיד עוֹלַת, the [morning] daily burnt-offering, must come first [in the order of sacrifices offered up on the altar]. - [Pes. 58b] the fats of the peace-offerings: Heb. עָלֶיהָ חֶלְבֵי הַשְּׁלָמִים, [i.e.] if they bring peace-offerings [they are to be offered up on that fire]. Our Rabbis derived from here, however, “with it (עָלֶיהָ), i.e., with the morning burnt-offering [i.e., after the morning burnt-offering, but not after the evening burnt-offering], complete (הַשְּׁלֵם) all the sacrifices [of the day].” Hence, there must be no sacrifice offered after the [evening] daily burnt-offering. - [Pes. 58b]

6 Fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually; it shall not go out.

A continuous fire: Heb. אֵשׁ תָּמִיד, the fire regarding which it says, “[to kindle the lamps] continually (תָּמִיד)” (Exod. 27:20) this fire must also be kindled from [the fire] on the outer altar. — [Yoma 45b] it shall not go out: [Since “it shall not go out” is stated twice, once in verse 5 and a second time here,] anyone who extinguishes the fire on top of the altar, transgresses two negative commandments.

The Reform Movement in conjunction with some Shabbtai Tzvi Kabbala instituted the Ner Tamid in the Synagogue about 150 to 200 years ago. It caught on in Orthodox Synagogues as a remembrance of the eternal light on the Mizbayach which we see in this Pasuk.

7 And this is the law of the meal-offering: the sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, in front of the altar. 8 And he shall take up therefrom his handful, of the fine flour of the meal-offering, and of the oil thereof, and all the frankincense which is upon the meal-offering, and shall make the memorial-part thereof smoke upon the altar for a sweet savor unto the LORD. 9 And that which is left thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat; it shall be eaten without leaven in a holy place; in the court of the tent of meeting they shall eat it. 10 It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it as their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as the sin-offering, and as the guilt-offering. 11 Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it, as a due for ever throughout your generations, from the offerings of the LORD made by fire; whatsoever touches them shall be holy.

Kosher Le Pessach all year around. This was the about of flour that would fit into the hand of the Cohain from the second to 4^th finger not much at all.

12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 13 This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering perpetually, half of it in the morning, and half thereof in the evening. 14 On a griddle it shall be made with oil; when it is soaked, thou shalt bring it in; in broken pieces shalt thou offer the meal-offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD. 15 And the anointed priest that shall be in his stead from among his sons shall offer it, it is a due for ever; it shall be wholly made to smoke unto the LORD. 16 And every meal-offering of the priest shall be wholly made to smoke; it shall not be eaten.

The Cohanim took turns serving various functions in the Beis HaMikdash and we see in Pasuk 15 this.

A note: This week I was super busy two weddings, Pessach questions and a story. One of the most important things is Jewish Education for future generations. Just before last Shabbos I got a jumbled message from Chana bas Gisela that she had a stroke and was scared. She has a young daughter who will only turn 16 this coming June. What will be with the Jewish Education of her precious daughter is there a place in Israel and how can I help get her to make Aliyah and find a place. A nice neighbor of mine gave me some facilities for a dormitory for Nefesh b’ Nefesh for teens. So I also ask for in the “Shomaya Tephilla” to add that Leah bas Chana will be taken care of in a Frum Facility and get a good Jewish Education and of course add Chana and the names above to Tehillim and the “Rofa’aynu” prayer. I therefore bring down an anthology of commentary below.

 

From Rabbi Beryl Wein Shlita taken from the www.torah.org which has many weekly Drashos.

 

The parsha of Tzav more often than not coincides with the Shabat preceding Pesach – Shabat Hagadol, the “great Shabat.” At first glance there does not seem to be any inherent connection between the parsha of Tzav and Shabat Hagadol and Pesach. However, since Judaism little recognizes randomness or happenstance regarding Jewish life, and certainly regarding Torah itself, a further analysis of the parsha may reveal to us an underlying connection between Tzav and Pesach.

I feel that this underlying theme lies in the description that the parsha contains regarding the consecration of Aharon and his sons as the priests and servants of God and Israel. Judaism teaches us that freedom equals responsibility. Freedom without limits or purpose is destructive anarchy. The entire narrative of the Torah regarding the construction of the Mishkan and the institution of public worship/sacrifices came to emphasize to the freed slaves from Egypt their newfound responsibilities.
The rabbis cogently and correctly defined freedom in terms of obligations and study of Torah, as opposed to the alleged freedom of hedonism. The consecration of Aharon and his sons coinciding with the consecration and dedication of the Mishkan itself brought home to the Jewish people the requirement of community service and national unity.
Look at the freedom movements that have arisen in the Middle East over the past few years and the chaos and deaths of tens of thousands of people that followed in their wake. The inability to create unity, to develop a moral and tangible national goal mocks all pretenses of positive freedom. Without Aharon and the Mishkan the promise of the freedom of Pesach would have remained permanently unfulfilled.
Part of the lesson of the Great Shabat is that without Shabat, Jewish freedom is only an illusion. Shabat is truly the epitome of freedom. The absence of workday activities, the sense of family and friends, and of the contentment that Shabat engenders all combine to create a vision of true freedom that is attainable and real.
The Great Shabat that precedes Pesach gives it its true meaning and places the anniversary of our freedom from Egyptian bondage into holy perspective. Freedom to toil 24/7 is only a different form of slavery. When Saturday looks like Tuesday but only more so since school is out and the burdens of car pooling and “having a good time” are even greater, then that cannot even remotely be related to true freedom.
In reality every Shabat is the Great Shabat and the Shabat preceding Pesach is even more so. Shabat Hagadol represents the miracle that blessed our forefathers in Egypt when they took the Paschal lamb and the Egyptians did not object. But the true and ultimate miracle of Shabat Hagadol is Shabat itself. It has preserved the Jewish people throughout the ages in the face of opposing innumerable odds and challenges. It is in the realization of our freedom that we are able to properly appreciate and give tribute to Shabat - Shabat Hagadol, the Great Shabat that we now commemorate so joyfully and gratefully.
Shabat Shalom Pesach kasher v’sameach
Rabbi Berel Wein

From Rabbi Shraga Simmons Shlita:  Racing up the ramp: http://www.aish.com/print/?contentID=48954181&section=/tp/b/tb

The beginning of Parshat Tzav describes how every morning in the Temple in Jerusalem, one of the Kohanim (priests) would remove the ashes that had built up overnight on the altar.
The Talmud explains that the Kohanim would literally fight for the opportunity to remove the morning ashes. They'd even conduct a foot race up the ramp of the altar to see who'd get to the ashes first!
This illustrates the great desire of the Kohanim to serve God - they were literally fighting to clean up the place! (Now if I could only convince my kids to clean up their room...)
The Talmud goes on to describe how one time, two of the Kohanim were racing up the ramp, when one of them pushed the other, causing him to fall and break his leg. Such incidents became frequent, forcing the court to institute a more peaceful lottery system to decide which Kohen would remove the morning ashes.
On one hand, the Kohanim's enthusiasm is surely commendable. But on the other hand, the way that enthusiasm sometimes expressed itself was a disgrace to God's Holy Temple.
There is a principle in Judaism called Derech Eretz Kadma L'Torah - meaning that "kind behavior comes before the Torah." It is incompatible for someone to be rude to others, while claiming to be a devoted servant of God.
So the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, remember: Each human being is created in the image of God, and to respect each other is one of the greatest ways we can show respect for God.

Pray or not to pray by Rabbi Shraga Simmons Shlita: http://www.aish.com/print/?contentID=48960171&section=/tp/b/sw

Harold is walking down a darkened alley, when he's suddenly confronted by two masked men carrying guns. Fearing for his life, Harold throws his hands heavenward and begins to pray, "God, save me, please save me! I'll do anything, God ― I'll go to synagogue every day, I'll take that long-overdue trip to Israel, and I'll even give half my income to charity!"

At that moment, a police car pulls into the alley, and the thugs flee. Harold looks heavenward and says, "Never mind, God, I took care of it myself!"

Essence of Prayer

This week's parsha describes how offerings brought to the Temple in Jerusalem were a primary means of connecting with God. Today however, our primary connection is through the medium of prayer. (For example, the Shacharit and Mincha services correspond to the morning and afternoon "Tamid" offerings.) Every Jew is his own miniature "Temple." No intermediary necessary.

And while God answers all prayers, sometimes the answer is "No." We may be asking for the wrong thing without realizing it. A good parent will not lend the car keys to a teenager who is not yet responsible enough to handle it. All the begging in the world will not get a good parent to change his mind.

But prayer is our opportunity to move beyond these limitations. The Hebrew word for prayer, "li-heet-pallel," comes from the root "pallel," which means to inspect. The prefix "li-heet" is the reflexive form ― denoting an action that one does to oneself. Li-heet-pallel, therefore, is an act of personal introspection. When we pray, we look inside and ask, "What do I need to change about myself in order to get what I really want out of life?"

This process of self-transformation means that today I may no longer be the same person who God said "no" to yesterday.

Sometimes we only appreciate something when it's taken away. When we've had the flu and then recover, we appreciate what it means to be healthy. But we shouldn't have to get sick in order to appreciate our health!

Blessings are the Jewish version of "Stop and smell the roses." The Sages say that one way to guarantee good health is to say "Asher Yatzar" with sincerity. "Asher Yatzar" is the blessing that Jews says, believe it or not, after using the bathroom. We thank God for creating our bodies with a wondrously complex system of ducts and tubes. And we acknowledge that if any one of them were improperly ruptured or blocked, we could no longer stay alive. Saying this blessing with sincerity affirms our gratitude for good health.

We can learn our lesson without the experience of having it taken away.

Appreciate the Gifts

If prayer is solely for our benefit, then why does Jewish prayer always begin with praise of God?

One purpose of this praise is to sensitize us to God's awesome capacity to help. We take the time to recognize and appreciate all that He does for us.

And He does so much! We know that our parents love us because of all they've given us, yet God has given us gifts that are infinitely more valuable. If a human being would restore your eyesight, imagine the gratitude you'd feel? Yet God has given us eyes, ears, intelligence ― life itself. This knowledge that the Almighty can do anything is what ultimately gives us the strength and resolve to push beyond our limits.

That's why when a Jew prays in the morning, he begins with blessings that acknowledge our eyesight, mobility, consciousness and freedom. These awaken our appreciation for all the gifts God has bestowed upon us and remind us of how much God loves us. When we appreciate what we have, God will want to give us more.

It's the same with a parent and child. If I give my daughter a new toy, and she grabs it without any appreciation, then I as a good parent should not give her any more toys until she appreciates what she already has! We can understand that the son of a billionaire would be spoiled if his parents gave him everything he needed without having to work for it.

The same is true of our relationship with God. Certainly He can give us whatever we need; God is infinitely richer and more powerful than the biggest billionaire. But since God has our best interests at heart, He wants us to grow, to earn it ― and to become great.

So Much Food, So Little Time

This week's parsha (Vayikra 7:11-15) discusses the Korbon Todah, the thanksgiving offering brought to Jerusalem by anyone who survives a dangerous situation ― e.g. recovering from a bad illness, or arriving safely from an overseas journey. This thanksgiving offering consists of 40 loaves of bread, which the person then eats as a festive meal in commemoration of having been saved.

The Talmud notes two unusual characteristics of the thanksgiving offering that distinguishes it from other, similar offerings: (1) It involves an enormous quantity of food ― 40 loaves, and (2) All the loaves must be consumed within an exceptionally short amount of time ― less than 24 hours. Obviously, the person who brings this thanksgiving offering could never eat that much food in such a short time! So why would the Torah prescribe such parameters?

The answer is that the Torah wants to create a situation whereby someone will not only appreciate his good fortune, but will share that appreciation with others. With all this food to eat, he will be compelled to invite family and friends to share the story of how he was saved from danger.

Today, without our Holy Temple, we recite the thanksgiving blessing (Birkat HaGomel) in the synagogue during the Torah reading service.

Publicizing God's protection is us how we strengthen our connection and belief. This is the essence of Kiddush Hashem, the public sanctification of God's Name. After the coming of the Messiah and the perfection of the world, there will be no further need for offerings of atonement, because people will no longer sin. But there will always be thanksgiving offerings, because the human need to express gratitude is eternal.

Tune Out the Static

If you want to build a relationship with God, you'll need a framework for the relationship. Friday evening is a good time to reduce the outside static and get in touch with your inner self. Don't watch any TV or listen to the radio. (And if you're really bold, unplug the phone.) You could invite some friends over, prepare a nice meal, light the Shabbat candles, and enjoy the solitude.

As for the prayer aspect: Any relationship is built on communication, and communication has to come from the heart. God yearns to give us the pleasure of connection. The Talmud says that God made Sarah, Rivka and Rachel barren, so that they would turn to Him in prayer. You can pray in any language. Aloud.

To help you start, here's an opening line, written by my cousin, Leibel Rudolph o.b.m.:

Dear God
Give me the courage to let go,
And let you in.
I know you love me.
And with your help,
I will find all the purpose, joy, and happiness
You want me to have.

If anything starts happening, or if you want to talk more about prayer, feel free to contact me.

Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Shraga Simmons

… 8:31 And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons: 'Boil the flesh at the door of the tent of meeting; and there eat it and the bread that is in the basket of consecration, as I commanded, saying: Aaron and his sons shall eat it. 32 And that which remains of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire. 33 And ye shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting seven days, until the days of your consecration be fulfilled; for He shall consecrate you seven days. 34 As hath been done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make atonement for you. 35 And at the door of the tent of meeting shall ye abide day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not; for so I am commanded. 36 And Aaron and his sons did all the things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

The Cohanim did this meticulous during the consecration of the Mizbayach and Mishkan from the 1^st to the 8^th of Nissan 2449.

Oops I almost forgot to mention cleaning up areas of pets and non-leavened food for them.

Rabbi Ari Kahn Shlita: Sent by a friend; Soft matzah, like the kind Syrians make, yes. I don't know about Teimani matzah. They hold like the Rambam and allow salt in the recipe. Most Bal'adi Teimanim (those less influenced in their Minchagim by trade with Syria) do include salt in practice.

RHS is writing about straight flour and water. Matzos like Syrians, Persians, Babylonian and Moroccan Jews make. So I think your subject line is wrong.

And, the way Ashkenazim used to make it until a couple of generations before the Baal Ha Tanya. See SA HaRav on why Chassidim avoid eating Gebrochts, even though it was a new Chumerah. He said it's because the kind of matzos they were eating were also new.

(I spoke to RHS about soft matzah before buying from www.softmatza.com a decade or so ago. It had become an Avoda discussion, so I wanted to verify rumors.)  In truth I find no reason not to have Halachically soft Matzos but since Minchag Avosaynu b'yadanu (we have at hand the custom of our fathers to use thin hard cracker like Matzo) therefore because of the custom it becomes difficult to do so.

Canola for Pesach http://arikahn.blogspot.co.il/2013/03/canola-for-pesach.html by Rabbi Ari Kahn Shlita

For those who have asked- I do allow the use of Canola oil for Pesach – for Ashkenazim (and Sefardim). It should have certification for Pesach.
This is following the ruling of Rav Moshe Feinstein regarding peanut oil, and is actually on even firmer ground, for the rapeseed was considered inedible, and it was only recently that the technology was developed to allow the oil of the rapeseed (canola) to be used.
Issues of cost, health are also taken into consideration. This would allow products which say “lecithin” or “ "לאוכלי לפתית"  

Rabbi Ari Kahn

שו"ת אגרות משה אורח חיים חלק ג סימן סג 

בענין פינאט אם יש בו חשש איסור מנהג קטנית כ"ד אדר תשכ"ו. מע"כ ידידי מהר"ר יעקב גאלדמאן שליט"א. 

הנה בדבר הפינאט שכתבתי שבהרבה מקומות אכלו אותם בפסח וכתר"ה תמה בטעם הדבר משום ששמע שעושין ממנו באיזה מקום גם קמח וגם שמע שנזרעין בשדות כשאר קטניות, אבל ידע כתר"ה שאין זה ענין כלל, שכל הדברים העושין מהם קמח נאסרו ממנהג זה, דאין לך דבר העושין ממנו קמח כתפוחי אדמה לא רק במדינה זו אלא גם ביוראפ במקומותינו וגם בדורות הקודמים ומעולם לא חשו לאסור זה. וכן הטעם שמיני חטים מתערבין בהם שכתב הטור נמי אינו כלל שכל המינים שיש לחוש למיני חטים ושעורים שיתערבו נהגו לאסור, דהא עניס וקימעל שמתערבין בהן מיני חטים ושעורים כמפורש בט"ז סק"א ובמג"א סק"ג וגם איתא שם דקשה לבודקם ובח"י סק"ט כתב שלא יסמוך על בדיקת נשים וקטנים מצד קושי הבדיקה, ומ"מ לא אסרום כמפורש ברמ"א, וחרדל כתב הרמ"א בסימן תס"ד שנוהגין לאסור דהוי כמיני קטניות אף שאין בו הטעמים. ולכן אין לנו בדבר אלא מה שמפורש שנהגו לאסור וכן מה שידוע ומפורסם. וגם יש ליתן טעם דדין מה שנאסר במנהג הא אין זה דבר הנאסר בקבוץ חכמים, אלא שהנהיגו את העם להחמיר שלא לאכול מינים אלו שהיה מצוי לאוכלם מפני הטעמים דחשש מיני דגן שנתערבו שקשה לבדוק ומפני שעושין קמחים, אבל כיון שלא תיקנו בקבוץ חכמים לאכול דברים שיש חשש שיתערב בהן מיני דגן ודברים שעושין מהם קמח, אלא שהנהיגו שלא לאכול איזה מינים לא נאסרו אלא המינים שהנהיגו ולא שאר מינים שלא הנהיגו מפני שלא היו מצויין אז, שלכן תפוחי אדמה שלא היו מצויין אז כידוע ולא הנהיגו ממילא לאוסרם אינם בכלל האיסור דאלו מינים שנהגו לאסור אף שיש אותו הטעם ממש דאין למילף ממנהג לאסור גם דבר שלא נהגו לאסור, וכשנתרבו תפוחי אדמה במדינותינו לא רצו חכמי הדור להנהיג לאוסרן, אולי מפני הצורך, ואולי מפני שהטעמים קלושים, עיין בב"י ר"ס תנ"ג, שהר"י קרא לזה מנהג שטות, וגם משמע שהר"ר יחיאל ושאר גדולים היו נוהגין בהם היתר אף במקום שנהגו איסור דהרי ע"ז כתב וקשה הדבר להתיר כיון שאחרים נהגו בהם איסור, לכן חכמי הדורות האחרונים לא רצו להוסיף לאסור עוד המינים שניתוספו אח"כ רק שא"א להתיר מה שכבר נהגו לאיסור. וכן בעניס וקימעל אפשר לא היו מתחלה רגילים לזורעם במקום שזרעו מיני דגן ולא היה טעם להנהיג איסור ולכן אף אח"כ שהתחילו לזורעם במקום שזרעו מיני דגן שלכן צריכים בדיקה לא רצו לאוסרם שוב. ולכן גם הפינאטס לא אסרו בהרבה מקומות עוד מכ"ש. ובמקום שליכא מנהג אין לאסור כי בדברים כאלו אין להחמיר כדאיתא בח"י. ולאלו שיש להם מנהג ביחוד שלא לאכול פינאט אסור גם בפינאט אבל מספק אין לאסור. ולכן שייך שיתן הכשר שלא נתערב שם חמץ ויאכלו אלו שלא נהגו בזה איסור. וכן ראיתי שנותנים הכשר על פינאט אויל מהאי טעמא. ידידו, משה פיינשטיין.

I wrote about this last year in my www.rabbipauli.blogspot.com regarding all oils and Rav Moshe. Since there is a Rav in our Yeshuv, I sent my neighbor to him for approval as I refuse to Poskin anything in my Yeshuv. Megilla Esther: 7:8 Then the king returned out of the palace garden into the place of the banquet of wine; and Haman was fallen upon the couch whereon Esther was. Then said the king: 'Will he even force the queen before me in the house?' As the word went out of the king's mouth, they covered Haman's face. When there is a Rabbi who is a Posak for the town another Rabbi is forbidden to infringe on him if he is in town or available.

 

For a Ger or a pair of Gerim, I would recommend not taking on the custom of banning Kitniyos. Rather, be lenient. Judaism is hard enough. If you happen to take on a stricter custom you can at least permit peanuts and all oils as Moshe Feinstein did. A Note on Potatoes as they might be classified as Kitniyos – the Iraqi, Chinese and Iranian Jews had as staple rice and it was their main diet in Europe it is potatoes. If I were a big enough Ruv, I would declare for all Jews from the Americas (Maize aka Corn) as the staple and permissible for Pessach. Prior to 1492 Maize was unknown outside of the Americas and when the Kitniyos Minchagim started the yellow flour cannot be mistaken for wheat, barley, rye, oat or spelt flour. Note that many corn products such as corn flakes may contain wheat so do not use this as a Heckshir but if you have the custom to eat corn products or kosher le Pessach baby food then enjoy. As for the rest of us we need a Moshe Feinstein figure to permit it but a Sephardic Person, Yemenite or Ger can use corn.

 

 

Films on how to Kosher your kitchen thanks to Eliora (I have not viewed the third one): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OA3P1shmhME   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYru4JvCQqA  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksG3C8VpRpw

 

The Boxer as told by the Maggid Shalom Shwadron TzZal in a lecture in Rehovot about 36.5 years ago.

A man was a Jewish Boxer and he in turn married a Jewish gal. They were both unreligious. They had a son whom the mother wanted to send to a Jewish School. The school happened to be Orthodox and the boy one day came home wearing Tzitzis. The father saw red like a bull and beat the child hard for wearing the Tzitzis that he even needed medical attention. (There was no nanny State in America in those days and social workers and doctors most likely did not spare the rod or spoil the child). After a day or more the child went back to the Hebrew School but told his Rebbe that he did not want to wear Tzitzis. The Rebbe told him not to forgive his father until he asks for forgiveness and puts on Tzitzis himself to show that he loves you. And so it was after a bit of prodding from the mother and the child staying away from the father, he apologized and bought himself a pair of Tzitzis. Eventually a Yarmulke too and he slowly changed from a violent individual to a milder more merciful man. The child grew and became a Rosh Yeshiva in America with a good name for himself.

The child sent Seforim Kodesh to his father in English. One day he came across a quotation from the Chofetz Chaim (based on Meseches Shabbos about the questions asked a person when he enters the next world. The six questions are based on the six Sedarim of Mishnayos and the second question is: Have you set aside time to learning Torah?) The man was upset as he had no knowledge of Hebrew and had to start learning the Aleph Bet like a child. Eventually he was able to sit in a Yeshiva as his vocabulary improved and learn. The man went the way that his son arranged for him to go every Sunday to a yeshivah, where students took turns learning with his father. For years he studied with the students, often struggling with a single paragraph for an hour or more. But slowly he began to understand. After four years, he finally finished one complete page (double-sided) of Talmud, with all the translation, commentary, and details.

Excited, he went to Rabbi Moshe Feinstein for a verbal exam. He aced the test, and Rabbi Feinstein insisted the yeshivah students make a festive meal celebrating this milestone. At the meal, Rabbi Feinstein and other Roshei Yeshiva spoke about how a person can acquire their place in the "World to Come" with just one page when learned with the sacrifice this man demonstrated. When the man himself got up to speak, he emotionally thanked the students for patiently learning with him for so long and shared that he'd always been so afraid to die, worried that he hadn't yet fulfilled his potential. Now he could live in peace knowing he had conquered his biggest obstacle. Three days later, he passed away, having elevated a weaker area within that many people mistakenly leave behind.

When we flex the muscles that we are least inclined to exercise, when we take on and succeed in opportunities that seem beyond our reach, we not only get credit for reaching the goal, we retain a lasting residue of that hard work. The man’s biggest fight in his life was that with his Yetzer HaRa and his overcoming it to be a Frum Jew and at an old age to struggle to learn from zero a Daf of Gemara!  

A few sites for Passover/Pessach guidance for review or beginners also check out on-line Leaven sale. http://www.chabad.org/holidays/passover/pesach_cdo/aid/1846/jewish/How-To.htm and http://www.aish.com/h/pes/

Once upon a time in Britain: http://www.yourjewishnews.com/2013/03/26297.html

If modern media told the Pessach Story you too would blame the Bnei Yisrael and their G-D: http://www.aish.com/h/pes/mm/Passover-Breaking-News.html

Israel Aircraft wins a big contract: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166305#.UUYuX2z8LIU

Originally posted by Debbie and forwarded to me by Denise C. Baruch Dayan Emmes Rebbitzen Ruchama Shain, author of the world-famous book, "All For The Boss," passed away in Lakewood during the Sabbath at the age of 98 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166289#.UUWPMhf-JyI

What was a bad political move of the part of scared rabbit Netanyahu in the first place collapses: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166326#.UUbjdWz8LIU

A Sephardic or Chassidic Dynasty goes Criminal with a sex offender: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4357704,00.html Daniel P. (probably in jail for political activity in Israel against the lift wrote me this about this creep): I was in the same prison-wing as Rata for well over a year: he was quite the most disgusting piece of slime I ever had the misfortune to meet. I once the exquisite pleasure of kicking him with a good solid kick in the groin- the only time in my life I have ever struck a Jew and enjoyed it. The reason? - He got just a bit too friendly with me, just a bit too physical, putting his arm round my shoulders, calling me "motek" and "chamud", etc, and I explained to him very unequivocally (and physically) just how unwelcome his advances were. This was someone who, whenever he would get an Aliyah to the Torah, I would walk out of Schul; when he was chazzan, I refused to be part of the Minyan. And they make him a Rebbe?! THINGS ARE COMING TO A HEAD BEFORE MOSHIACH!

Arabs in Jaffa: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4358843,00.html

If you never understood Maftir Yona then watch this a clear explanation: http://www.pawnation.com/2013/03/19/whales-get-up-close-and-personal-with-boaters/?icid=maing-grid10%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl11%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D285936

The other side of the Israeli religious politics from Noah: http://www.algemeiner.com/2013/03/12/the-true-source-of-religious-secular-tension-in-israel-the-arrogance-of-ben-gurion-and-now-naftali-bennett/

Rabbi A.L. wonders if the Nanny State will come to this in the end: Bloomberg Limits Seder Portions

NEW YORK—Following his recent ban on soda containers over 16 ounces, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced that he now intends to place similar limits on wine and matzo consumption at Passover Seders.

“Everyone knows that Jews struggle with obesity,” the mayor declared at a news conference yesterday at Gracie Mansion, “so why aggravate the problem by drinking four whole cups of wine and eating three large sheets of matzo at a single meal?”

Noting that the Passover foods are a Jewish tradition dating back thousands of years, the mayor said, “That may be so, but look at the health problems they create. You eat all that unleavened bread, and your system is bound to get backed up. It’s no wonder Moses was pleading, ‘Let my people go.’”

Bloomberg added, “No one needs that much wine at a meal, either. And, shamefully, the biggest offender is a Jewish icon—the prophet Elijah. On Seder night, he goes from house to house drinking. Who does he think he is, some frat boy?”

In a surprising display of erudition in Jewish law, the mayor said he was familiar with, and opposed to, the adherence to the strictest requirements encouraged by some Torah sages.

“If you intend to adhere to the shiurim of the Chazon Ish, or even Rabbi Moses Feinstein, take your Seder out of the City,” said a defiant Bloomberg.

He outlined his restrictions as follows:

For the drinking of the four cups – “3.3. oz. will be the maximum permitted under New York City law. You may think 5.3 ounces is a saintly amount to drink for each of your 4 cups, but it is overly burdensome on the NYPD when they have to haul your machmir body off to detox.

For the Eating of Matzah – “No more than the size of 1/3 of an egg, measured by weight and not volume. You will be subject to citation or arrest if you feel the need to stuff half of a ‘Talmudic’ egg in your mouth and choking on your high Halachic standards.”

The Mayor then left the press conference angrily, turning only to add, “Next year in Jerusalem. If  you can fit on the plane!”

Several Jewish organizations have already filed lawsuits in Brooklyn courts, claiming that the mayor’s new proposal infringes upon their religious rights. Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwieback, legal counsel for Aguda Israel and author of the book When Abbada Things Happen to Agooda People, said, “Instead of downsizing Seder foods, the mayor should be increasing them, like donating his brains to make more charoses.

PETA comes out against ritual Jewish Slaughter but never mentions things like this thanks to Ruth. Here is approximately the data from  the start of this month: 20th March 2013 - Hundreds of dead Fish found washed up in Yunderup, Australia.
19th March 2013 - 5 Tons of dead Fish wash up at Milnerton, Cape Town, South Africa.
19th March 2013 - Dozens of Cattle dead due to Anthrax outbreak in NSW, Australia.
18th March 2013 - 15,000 dead Pigs found in the Huangpu River, Shanghai, China.
18th March 2013 - 80,152 Chickens killed due to Bird Flu in Netherlands.
17th March 2013 - 16,500 TONS of Oysters die en mass in Tien Giang, Vietnam.
14th March 2013 - Large number of dead Fish found in Haikou, China.
14th March 2013 - Large Fish kill in a moat in Xian, China. Link
14th March 2013 - Mass die-off (86 TONS) of Fish in Rio, Brazil.
14th March 2013 - 100+ Pelicans dead during past 2 months "baffling biologists" in Florida, America.
14th March 2013 - 181 Manatees killed by Red Tide this year in Florida, America.
14th March 2013 - 800 Chickens die of Bird Flu in Madhepura, India.
13th March 2013 - Hundreds of dead Fish found in Stansbury Park Lake, Utah,America.
13th March 2013 - Tens of thousands of Fish found dead in Hunter River, NSW, Australia.
12th March 2013 - Thousands of dead Fish found floating in Lake Titicaca, Peru.
12th March 2013 - Fish kill including dead Ducks along Union Ship Canal, New York, America.
11th March 2013 - Fish kill at Walborn Reservoir in Ohio, America. Link
11th March 2013 - Hundreds of Fish found floating dead in a lake in Ganjingzi, China.
10th March 2013 - Thousands of Fish found floating in Beihai Lake, Beijing, China.
9th March 2013 - Thousands of dead Fish found floating in Terry Baldwin Lake, Darwin, Australia.
9th March 2013 - Hundreds of Chickens killed due to Avian Flu in Bihar, India.
8th March 2013 - Large Fish Kill in Chang Feng Park in Shanghai, China.
8th March 2013 - Thousands of Chickens are dying of unknown disease in Dumuria, Bangladesh.
6th March 2013 - Thousands of Fish found dead in Congo Creek, Australia.
6th March 2013 - Fish kill in Baffin Bay has Scientists concerned, Texas, America.
6th March 2013 - 60,000 Fish found dead in ponds in China.
6th March 2013 - Dead Fish litter the Payette River in Idaho, America.
6th March 2013 - 1,000 lbs of dead Fish found in Kowloon Bay, China.
5th March 2013 - 18,000 Goats killed by "extreme weather" in Ladakh, India.
4th March 2013 - Thousands of Fish wash up dead on Eyre Peninsula, Australia.
3rd March 2013 - Salmon die off at the aquaculture facility in Nova Scotia, Canada.
3rd March 2013 - Thousands of Fish suddenly dead in Chan'an Village, Xian, China.
2nd March 2013 - Thousands of Fish found dead in Lake Keepit, Australia.
2nd March 2013 - "Significant" Fish kill on River Dodder in Ireland.
1st March 2013 - Thousands of Fish dead in a River in Victoria, Australia.
1st March 2013 - 1 Million fish dead so far this year in Lake Erie, America.

Inyanay Diyoma

Arming the Syrian Rebels is playing with fire: http://debka.com/article/22829/France-Britain-flout-US-objections-on-arms-to-Syrian-rebels-

For once Uncle Sap is not the Sap here but Europe is: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=306615

Roads become more dangerous after one terror success: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4356955,00.html

Obama and Israel behind the scenes: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166282#.UUVJs2z8LIU

Obama wants the quiet of the children here: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4357589,00.html

They would not dare do this with Turkey or Yarden but with Lebanon they can be brazen: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=306643

The US has only one Aircraft Carrier near Iran so they have become bold: http://debka.com/article/22831/Tehran-Our-commanders-now-authorized-to-open-fire-Go-home-Obama-

No more Gestures: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166328#.UUbRt2z8LIU

Remember the guns given out to the “policemen” in the Oslo Agreement? Obama’s life in danger: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4357764,00.html

Assad threatens Lebanon and perhaps Yarden: http://debka.com/article/22835/Assad-to-Beirut-Sack-Lebanese-army-chief-or-more-air-raids-Jordan-feared-next

Bibi and Barak appease Obama. Neville Chamberlain appeased somebody in 1938 remember? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4358232,00.html

Chemical Warfare starts in Syria: http://debka.com/article/22837/Witnesses-report-onset-of-chemical-warfare-in-Syria

IDF humanitarian services at work again. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166410#.UUmdG2z8LIU

With the various viruses and explosions in Iran, the US and Israel begin to see eye to eye on the date line. http://debka.com/article/22840/Obama-and-Netanyahu-agree-No-Israeli-strike-on-Iran-without-US-assent

Gaza welcomes Obama: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4359306,00.html

Quietly Egypt is uprooting Al Qaeda in Sinai for fear of this: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Syrian-rebels-take-towns-near-Israel-ceasefire-line-307250

Obama changes his concepts seeing that years of build freezes did not work: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166454#.UUsPI2z8LIU

From Dennis: US Dept. of Injustice under Eric Holder: http://washingtonexaminer.com/doj-argues-against-naming-israel-as-birthplace-of-boy-born-in-jerusalem/article/2524889

WHAT OCCUPATION IN OUR OWN LAND??? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4359732,00.html

Akko is a mixed city of Jews and Arabs and fermenting illegal Arab activity: http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Acre-mayor-Lankry-shot-in-chest-moderately-hurt-307380

Ok Gaza we are getting tougher on your drizzle of rockets and the Defense Minister is not Ehud Runaway from problems: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/166467#.UUwcOGz8LIU

Let us hope this is not Coup De Grace: http://debka.com/article/22847/Obama-Netanyahu-grant-Iran-another-three-months’-grace

The probability of Iran getting bombs and hitting Europe goes up every day with the European’s anti-Israel and pro-PLO stances do not be surprised. http://www.wnd.com/2013/03/revealed-evidence-iran-crossed-nuclear-red-line/

Now for M. Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story “Kiddush HASHEM” and “Pesach Preview”

Good Shabbos Everyone.  In our portion this week Vayikra, the Torah describes the various korbanos - sacrifices which were brought in the tabernacle and later in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. The root of the word korban - (sacrifice) is karov which means close. The essence of the korbanos was that they brought Jews closer to Hashem. The korbanos are sacrifices for Hashem. Our lesson this week is therefore the following: Whenever we make sacrifices for Hashem, we grow closer to Hashem and His Holiness. The following amazing and touching true story illustrates how two people grew closer to Hashem.       
        “It happened over ten years ago," recalled Rav Moshe Friedman of Rechasim, Israel. "The Rabbanim of my town chose me to accompany a sick person of our community who was traveling to the Columbia Presbyterian Hospital in Washington Heights, New York, for delicate brain surgery. For various reasons, no family member was able to accompany him, so I went instead." Rav Friedman continued.       
        "For the next twenty-four hours," the doctor sternly warned me on the erev Shabbos before the surgery, "this patient may not so much as move a muscle. If he does, he may suffer internal injuries that could prove to be fatal. Watch him well!"        
        I had been invited to eat the Shabbos meals with a family that lived close to the hospital. When I heard these dire words of caution, I immediately abandoned the idea and prepared to spend Shabbos in the hospital, keeping watch over this critically-ill young man.       
        "Chaim," I whispered to my friend, "Did you hear the doctor's orders? Do not move a muscle! But don't worry, I'm staying right here with you. If you need something, tell me, and I'll bring it.” Moving was forbidden but talking was permitted.       
        The Shabbos Queen made her regal entry even within the somber hospital walls, bringing along with her the calming peace and serenity of Shabbos. I davened Mincha (the afternoon prayers) and sang Lecha Dodi. When night fell, I davened Ma’ariv (the evening prayers) — trying to invoke a warm, and meaningful prayer there, a lonely Jew among hundreds of non-Jews.
        We sang Shalom Aleichem and Aishes Chayil, thinking about our families who were spending Shabbos without us so many thousands of miles away. Then I poured the grape juice and began reciting Kiddush. When I was only halfway through, two muscular orderlies wearing white coats entered the room. Without a word, they handed me a doctor's letter stating that the patient had to be taken downstairs for further x-rays.
        "What?" I asked incredulously, "He can't be moved! The doctor said one move could be fatal... It just can't be..." Without further ado, they lifted Chaim the helpless patient, placed him on a stretcher and wheeled him out of room. We took an elevator down to the 2nd floor basement to take x-rays. Because Chaim was very ill, I was allowed to accompany him on the elevator, which was operated by non-Jews.
        Once downstairs, I noticed an older woman who lay alone, waiting for her turn to take x-rays. I was overcome with pity for this lone woman, who seemed to be suffering greatly. Catching my sympathetic glance, she lifted her wrinkled hand and beckoned to me. I came towards her and saw her lips moving in a whisper. I bent my head down to hear better. All she said was two words: "Gut Shabbos." I looked at her in surprise.
        So this woman was Jewish! "Gut Shabbos!" I replied warmly. "May you feel better soon! May the Shabbos bring along a recovery for you." I turned to my friend and said, "Chaim!" I said, "Guess what? We have a fellow Jew here. This woman is Jewish, and she even speaks Yiddish." This was our first encounter with a Jewish face and Yiddish words in Presbyterian General, and we were both excited.
"R. Moshe," said Chaim, sharing my enthusiasm, "go to our room and bring down a cup and some grape juice. Make Kiddush for her — I'm sure she has not heard Kiddush yet."
        "Go up to our room?" I repeated. "Chaim, just think. We're on floor minus two and our room is on the seventeenth floor. There are no stairs reaching the upper floors of this building. How do you expect me to get there?"
        But Chaim would not be swayed, "R. Moshe, you could use the fire escape," he insisted, "Please get the grape juice and make Kiddush for her; she's a Jewish woman!" I had no choice. I know it wasn't advisable to upset Chaim in his condition — it could affect his already teetering blood pressure. It was obvious that I would have to comply with his wishes. I left the waiting room and ascended the two flights to the ground flour. I was about to leave the building when I encountered a new problem. The lobby doors were electronically operated. I stood at the side, waiting for a non-Jew to pass through and activate the doors.
        When someone finally entered the building, I zoomed past, not wanting to cause the electric doors to slay open for even an extra second. The people in the lobby probably had a good laugh, After allm they had seen a crazy fellow waiting patiently for several minutes at the doors and then suddenly scooting through them as if someone were at his heels.       
        I looked upwards from the base of the fire escape, trying to make out the seventeenth floor, but all I saw was a cloudy gray sky. I took a deep breath and began my trek. It was a typical New York winter. The cold penetrated my bones and the biting wind took my breath away. Upwards I marched, up and up, on and on, until, to my immense relief, I saw the number I7 smiling at me in a friendly, bright fluorescent yellow.
        My trials were not yet over. To my dismay, I realized that there was no handle on the door. The door could only be opened from inside. There was a small bell affixed on the brick wall, helpfully designed to call someone to open the door. But on Shabbos the bell was useless to me. "Ribbono Shel Olam," I cried out in despair, "I'm cold and exhausted from this strenuous climb. What do I do now? Go back down again? What will I tell Chaim?" My prayers were answered. The door was suddenly pushed open — someone must have mistaken it for a different door. The unsuspecting man was frightened out of his wits when I darted past him.
        I fell into the nearest chair, took a couple of deep breaths and rubbed my hands together, trying to warm myself up a little, Then I took the grape juice and a few cups and headed back to the fire escape, back to my waiting friend and the elderly Jewish woman. The descent was far easier than the way up. When I reached the ground floor, I had only a short wait until the automatic doors opened for a non-Jew. Since there a fence around the hospital, there was no problem to carry in the area around the hospital.
        Once in the main building, my halachic difficulties were over. I easily descended the two flights of stairs to the waiting room, and approached the woman. Speaking in Yiddish, I told her, "I've come to make Kiddush for you." The woman threw me a look of gratitude. She listened closely while I recited Kiddush and then said in as loud a voice as she could muster, "Amen." I would never have expected to hear such a hearty Amen from this sickly, emaciated woman.
        I gave her a drop of grape juice and then bent down once again to listen to what she was trying to tell me. "Fifty years have gone by since I heard Kiddush last," she said in a feeble voice. Using her last reserves of energy, she told me that she was born in Poland and that she had spent the war years hiding among gentiles. After the war she emigrated to America. She did not elaborate on what happened to her after that. She only repeated, as if in a trance, "It's been fifty years since I last answered Amen." I was overcome with emotion.
        What a zechus – merit it was for me that I could make Kiddush for this woman and give her the chance of saying Amen after fifty years. I was even further moved an hour later when I discovered that the woman had passed away... "Master of the Universe," I thought to myself, "I've traveled seven thousand miles in order to elicit a hearty Amen, her first in fifty years... the key she needed to open the gates of Paradise." Indeed, our Sages say "One who answers Amen with all his strength, the gates of Paradise are opened for him." (Shabbos 119b) (Heard from R. Moshe Friedman, Rechasim) 
        We can be inspired by this story to make every effort to say "amen" to other people's brachas - blessings.  In fact, the Sages tell us that answering amen is even more meritorious than saying the bracha itself.  One should also endeavor to say blessings loudly, so that others may answer amen.  One who says a blessing quietly is compared to a thief, because he denies others the mitzvah of answering amen!  Goods Shabbos Everyone.

  Good Shabbos Everyone.  In 1939, the German military began to attack Poland. When all of Poland fell to the Germans, the Jews knew it was time to take steps to escape from the destruction. Russia was no lover of the Jews, but many instinctively felt that anything was preferable to the Germans. So, along with many others, Harav Yisroel Rabinowitz packed his belongings and began to plan his escape to Russia.
        Reb Yisroel and his group cautiously approached the border, following in the footsteps of their barely visible guide. And then suddenly-disaster! Shouts and gunfire rang through the night as the border guards tried to stop the illegal refugees. Reb Yisroel ran desperately, zigzagging back and forth to avoid the bullets that were flying through the air. And then he tripped and fell, and the Russian guards were on top of him. Based on trumped-up charges, the evil Russians sentenced Reb Yisroel to 5 years of hard labor in Siberia.
        Despite the difficulties, Reb Yisroel was determined not to give an inch in his observance of Torah and mitzvos. He avoided treif food at all costs. He refused to work on Shabbos, despite many beatings and punishments. In time, the guards realized that he was adamant in refusing to violate his religious principles, and they left him alone.
        Other Jews in the area were greatly heartened by the presence of Reb Yisroel. The word quickly got around. For the many Jews imprisoned in the wasteland of Siberia, he became the source of halachic (Jewish legal) advice and much needed encouragement.
        Pesach was several weeks away, and Reb Yisroel began making plans for a chometz-free Pesach. He never touched the non-kosher soup, so he lived only on his bread ration. What could replace it for Pesach? Then he made contact with a woman living near the camp, who was willing to trade bread for other kinds of food. Now Reb Yisroel had to find a way to get to the woman to make the exchange. An idea began to form in his mind. He would eat only half his bread ration during the next few weeks, saving the other half to trade in return for potatoes. Then, shortly before Pesach, he would fake illness, thereby gaining access to the prison hospital, where security was lax. In the middle of the night, he would leave the hospital to make the trade.
        The first difficulty was in saving half of the meager bread ration. The entire ration itself was hardly enough to live on, and on the reduced ration, he started to feel weak from hunger. Still, the thought of the upcoming Yom Tov strengthened him and made it all worthwhile.
        Shortly before Pesach, Reb Yisroel managed to procure a grass that causes stomach illness. He was immediately admitted to the hospital, where they confiscated his fur coat; after all, they reasoned, bedridden patients had no use for fur coats. This certainly complicated his plan; going out in the Siberian night without a coat was not very advisable. But he had come this far, and he was determined to go ahead with his plan.
        Long after the other patients were asleep, Reb Yisroel slipped out of bed and climbed out of the nearest window. The freezing wind instantly knifed through his thin nightclothes, and he started shivering uncontrollably. Moving quickly to keep warm, he dashed to the hiding place where he kept his extra bread, grabbed the food, and raced to meet the woman.
        Upon reaching his destination, Reb Yisroel realized that he had to be back at the hospital before the nurses came around and discovered him missing. So he made the exchange quickly, thanked the woman politely, and dashed out toward the hospital. The way back somehow seemed to take much longer. Every step was an effort as the frigid wind snatched away his breath and froze his body. He slipped in the window and back into bed, with nobody realizing his absence. When Pesach arrived, the satisfaction of being able to observe the Yom Tov in accordance with halacha (Jewish law) made the outing at night well worthwhile.
        After Pesach, spring finally came to Siberia. As spring turned to summer, Reb Yisroel began thinking about Tisha b-Av. Should he fast in his weakened state? Reb Yisroel decided to fast and share in the sorrow of his Creator over the destruction of the Holy Temple. His friends heard about his plans, and they tried to convince him not to fast. Still, Reb Yisroel remained firm. So they decided to help him out as much as they could.
        One of the women cooked him a soup to eat after the fast. As soon as he ate the soup, Reb Yisroel suffered from unbearable stomach pains, and he was taken to the hospital. As he was dozing off, he suddenly realized that this was the second time he had been in the hospital for stomach pains; the first time, of course, he caused the stomach pains himself, to be able to observe Pesach.
        Shouts and cheers awakened Reb Yisroel the following morning. “We are free! We are free!” The other patients were dancing wildly around the room, laughing and crying simultaneously. “What is all this about?” Reb Yisroel asked in surprise. “Yisroel, we are free!” they cried with excitement. “Stalin made a pact with the Polish government in exile, allowing all the political prisoners of Polish nationalities who are the in hospitals to be set free. And that means that we are free to go!”
        Reb Yisroel immediately offered a heartfelt prayer to Hashem. Clearly, his being in the hospital at this opportune moment was a result of his mesiras nefesh (self-sacrifice) in observing the laws of Pesach. The hand of Hashem in his life was so evident, it was amazing! Reb Yisroel was sent to Tashkent, where he soon began teaching children. After the war, he came to America and became a rav in the Bronx, where he continued his vision in life: teaching Torah to all.
        As we celebrate the Yom Tov of Pesach, we remember the incredible story of Reb Yisroel Rabinowitz, how he made the service of Hashem a top priority. We can be inspired by the example of Reb Yisroel. Whenever we may be tempted to complain about the effort involved in doing a mitzvah, we should remember the words of the Sages, “Calculate the cost of a mitzvah against its reward.” (Avos 2:1) Although the effort to perform mitzvahs may be big, especially on Pesach, the reward for mitzvahs is incredibly great. Through mitzvahs we grow closer to Hashem in a state of happiness. Therefore, one should always be happy to put effort into performing mitzvahs. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: In Memory of R' Dov Behr ben R' Chaim (Wolfberg) of blessed memory, In memory of R' Yaakov ben Naftoly, of blessed memory In Memory of Reb Yitzchok ben Reb Shimon (Friedman) of blessed memory Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah

Have a kosher Pessach and a Good Shabbos,

Rachamim Pauli