Parsha Massei, war laws, ill on Shabbos and 3 stories

No atheists in fox holes. Chabad did a massive job of scrounging up 2000 pairs of Tephillin that front line soldiers requested.

Parsha Massei

Redemption

These are the journeys of the Children of Israel who left the land of Egypt in their legions, under the charge of Moshe and Aharon.(Bamidbar 33:1)
The Jewish people, or what was left of them at the time, left Egypt over 3300 years ago. It had been 210 years since they had first come to Egypt as a large single family, and the last 116 years had been spent in slavery. Two hundred and ten years and ten miraculous plagues later, the descendants of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov were on their way to freedom.
On their way to freedom, yes, but they had yet to fully achieve it. Once Pharaoh woke up to the fact that his slave work force had been taken away from him he pursued the fleeing Jewish nation with the best of his army, catching up with them by the Reed Sea. He had cornered them with the goal of recapturing and returning his slaves to Egypt.
Unbeknownst to Pharaoh, and the Mixed Multitude that had let Egypt with the Jewish people, God had lured the Egyptians to the sea to make an end of them altogether:

Moshe said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Stand firm and see God’s salvation that He will wreak for you today. As you have seen the Egyptians today, you shall no longer continue to see them for eternity. (Shemos 14:13)

The rest is history that almost everyone knows: the sea miraculously split, the Jewish people fled to safety, and the Egyptians who followed after them drowned in the sea. The prophecy of being a stranger in a land that was not ours had finally been fulfilled. That chapter on Jewish exile had finally come to a close.
It had certainly seemed that way at the time. Though troubles still lay ahead for the newly freed Jewish nation, including another exile in the desert for 40 years, they had nothing to do with Egyptians. In the millennia that followed there would be the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and even the Romans to conquer, subjugate, afflict and even exile the Jewish people, but not Egyptians.
True. But though, as Moshe Rabbeinu promised, the Egyptians are buried in our past, Yetzias Mitzrayim, the exodus from Egypt, is not:

Just as the coming to the land [of Israel] was with two of the 60 myriads, so too was the leaving of Egypt with two of the 60 myriads. (Sanhedrin 111a)

The Talmud is discussing how many men between the ages of 20 and 60 years survived the Ten Plagues and actually left Egypt with Moshe Rabbeinu. Four- fifths of the Jewish people had died during the Plague of Darkness for deciding not to join the exodus, and the Talmud wants to know how many men of this age group actually survived to go out.
It concludes, based upon a connection between two verses, that it was the same amount of men from this age group that actually survived the 40 years in the desert and entered Eretz Yisroel with Yehoshua Bin Nun: two. The rest had died off from one punishment or another while wandering in the desert. The discussion in the Talmud could have ended there. A question had been asked and answered, seemingly providing us with little else than an interesting fact about a past exile and redemption. Until, that is:

Rava said, “It will be likewise in Yemos HaMoshiach.” (Sanhedrin 111a)

All of a sudden what had seemed relevant only to the past has become completely pertinent to the future. Perhaps this was the intention of the Talmud when asking its question, to tell us about our past for the sake of our future. Apparently it is about more than just learning from the past. On a deeper level the future is the past all over again:

Also in the final generation the entire “Generation of the Desert,” with the Mixed Multitude will reincarnate, and this is [also alluded to by the verse], “this people will rise up, etc.” The matter is that there is not a single generation in which Moshe Rabbeinu, a”h, is not there b’sod, “The sun rises and the sun sets” (Koheles 1:5), [and] “One generation goes and another comes” (Koheles 1:4), in order to rectify [each] generation. Also, the Generation of the Desert itself with the Mixed Multitude, all of them will reincarnate in the final generation, “like in the days of leaving Egypt” (Michah 7:15). (Sha’ar HaGilgulim, Ch. 20)

According to this the final act of Jewish history will really be the first act all over again. The question is, why bring the souls of the generation of the exodus back in the generation of the Final Redemption if not to get right the second time what was failed the first time. This may be the deeper meaning of the following as well:

The Sefer Mitzvos HaKatan wrote in his explanation of the positive mitzvah, “I am God, your God, Who took you out of Egypt,” that “it . . . is the basis of what the rabbis teach: When a person is brought to judgment they will ask him, ‘Did you anticipate the redemption?’ (Shabbos 31a) . . . For, ‘I am God, your God, Who took you out of Egypt,’ means: Just as I want you to believe that I took you out [from Egypt], I also want you to believe that I, God your God, will gather and redeem you in mercy a second time.” (Ohr Yechezkel, Emunas HaGeulah, p. 287)

Would it not have been sufficient to simply command us to believe that God is God, aside from the fact that He took us out of Egypt? Does God really need to justify to us His demand of loyalty from us, by saying that He redeemed us from slavery? Not at all.
Rather, says the Sefer Mitzvos HaKatan, Yetzias Mitzrayim was not included only to teach us to be loyal to God. It was also included to inspire us to have faith in the Final Redemption, to remind us that God will, eventually, take us out of exile another and final time.
The only thing is that we could have still learned that lesson without mentioning the exodus from Egypt. Therefore, the question remains, why connect the Final Redemption to the first one if not because the first one has an important lesson to teach us about the final one. Perhaps it will even tell us about how events will unfold and why.
Just knowing this information may save a person from the difficulties of the time. The answer to some of the most pressing questions about the present lie in the past. To make sense of the current redemption, we have to first understand and appreciate the first one.
Moshe Rabbeinu had known even before going down to Egypt that his first attempt to free the Jewish people would fail. God had told him this during their first encounter on Mt. Sinai while Moshe had been grazing his father- in-law’s sheep:

However, I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except through a mighty hand. (Shemos 3:19)

Therefore, it is a curious thing that after he was rebuffed by Pharaoh that Moshe Rabbeinu returned to God upset and complaining:

So Moshe returned to God and said, “God! Why have You harmed this people? Why have You sent me?” (Shemos 5:22)

The answer, of course, is that though Moshe had been forewarned that his first attempt to free the Jewish people would not meet with success, he had not known in advance that his request to free his troubled people would actually make their situation worse:

“Since I have come to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name he has harmed this people, and You have not saved Your people.” (Shemos 5:23)

In fact the situation deteriorated so much that it resulted in a complete sense of helplessness and hopelessness for the Jewish people. To break their spirit and to cause them to abandon all hope in being redeemed Pharaoh demanded that the Jewish people fill their daily quotas of bricks without receiving sufficient supplies to do so:

“You shall not continue to give stubble to the people to make the bricks like yesterday and the day before yesterday. Let them go and gather stubble for themselves. But the number of bricks they have been making yesterday and the day before yesterday you shall impose upon them; you shall not reduce it, for they are lax. Therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ” (Shemos 5:7-8)

What Jewish leader would not have been upset by the situation? Understandably, Moshe Rabbeinu, well-known for his ability to feel the suffering of his less fortunate brothers, certainly had been. The only problem is that his reaction to the crisis didn’t seem to impress God that much. Quite the contrary, it invoked harsh Divine criticism:

God said to Moshe, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for with a mighty hand he will send them out, and with a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.” (Shemos 6:1)

You have questioned My ways [of running the world, which is] unlike Avraham, to whom I said, “For in Yitzchak will be called your seed” (Bereishis 21:12), and afterwards I said to him, “Bring him up there for a burnt offering” (Bereishis 22:2), yet he did not question Me. (Rashi)

God spoke to Moshe . . . He called him to account since he [Moshe] had spoken harshly by saying, “Why have You harmed this people?” (Shemos 5:22). (Rashi, Shemos 6:2)

It even sealed his fate to die in the desert and not enter Eretz Yisroel with the nation:
What will be done to Pharaoh you will see, but not what will be done to the kings of the seven nations when I bring them into the Land. (Rashi, Shemos 6:1)
In short, what Moshe Rabbeinu had seen as contrary to redemption God told him was the basis of it. He informed Moshe that what he had perceived as an extension of exile was in fact the beginning of redemption, in fact the key element of it, the nadir at which point the descent ends and the ascent can finally begin. The Torah makes this point here:
Moshe spoke thus to the Children of Israel, but they did not pay attention to Moshe because of [their] shortness of breath and because of [their] hard labor. (Shemos 6:9)
They did not listen to Moshe: They did not accept consolation, i.e., they despaired completely of ever being redeemed . . . because of [their] shortness of breath: Whoever is under stress, his wind and his breath are short, and he cannot take a deep breath. (Rashi)
In Hebrew it is called “kotzer ruach,” literally, “shortness of breath.” On the surface of it, it sounds as if the Torah is merely reporting on the psychological and emotional state of the Jewish people when Moshe Rabbeinu returned to tell them the good news about the impending redemption. In truth the Torah is telling us what it is that actually makes redemption possible in the first place.
It is this knowledge that makes sense of an otherwise murky Jewish history, and which has the most to say about current Jewish and world affairs. Understanding how is only meaningful after a review of some of the most important and sublime principles of existence, which we will discuss next week, b”H. (with the help of HASHEM) Text Copyright © 2014 by Rabbi Pinchas Winston and Torah.org.

From 5771 Please bear with me give me the leisure to speculate this once:

I would like you all to look at the Map of the Sinai Desert: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sinai-peninsula-map.jpg I usually do not go out on a limb like this but recently I saw a few films and commentaries on Nuweiba http://www.touregypt.net/nuweiba.htm Where on the Saudi side there is a column that says at this point Moshe crossed the sea with the Bnei Yisrael and chariot wheels and other items were found in the shallow water there. The article and film was first sent to me by my late friend Elio of blessed memory.

Nuweiba, which means "bubbling springs" in Arabic, is a 7-km long town stretched along the Aqaba coast of the Sinai Red Sea. It would be an ideal spot to rest and drink for people and animals because of the springs.

If we go back 3323 years the ice caps from the last Ice Age were much thicker and the oceans many meters lower. Off the coast of Haifa a town was found to have existed in what is now about 25 meters of water of course this is before Moshe according to the people who discovered the town.

It is not customary for a Rabbi to open up his Drasha based on archeological and scientific facts as in Torah we usually require tradition or proofs from the Tanach with other than the cross of the Sea of Reeds which would make the gulf of Eilat at Nuweiba so shallow at the onset that sea weed or regular reeds would be growing in that area.

I do not try to find out where exactly Ramses was. However, it most likely was either on the 4^th branch of the Nile River seen by NASA photos of the Nile or near the Red Sea coast. Suez could even have been part of Goshen as during the Yom Kippur War the Israeli Army occupied Suez if I am not mistaken and it is part of or close to Goshen. From the first map above and the scale it would not be impossible to see a path at the rate of travel of 20 to 25 miles per day for a people to go and still have the animals graze and move. There is a limit how much flocks can move but there are also miracles occurring.

Beresheis 33:12 And he said: 'Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee.' 13 And he said unto him: 'My lord knows that the children are tender, and that the flocks and herds giving suck are a care to me; and if they overdrive them one day, all the flocks will die.

A good excuse for Yacov and yet I have seen Buffalo who just calved take their calves on a trip for a mile or two in a short time.

So with the whole distance involved about 100 plus to 120 it would be feasible at 20 miles a day in six days to cover the distance. Some people would be riding on donkeys like the children and the elderly but most, being slaves would have the muscles and physical strength to endure a daily 20 mile walk and even more or perhaps less. On the evening of the 6^th day they are stuck in Nuweiba. I have still one problem here as the beach or entrance is basically flat. However, looking at the topographic map on top we do see a mountain pass beforehand and Pharaoh may be held there by HASHEM.

The crossing of the Sea would have been a real Sea in the gulf of Eilat and not a lake between Egypt and Sinai as most of the speculation by scholars have been through the years and no archeological proof has ever been found.

So given the leeway to speculate let us see how it works out with our Pasukim.  

33:1 These are the stages of the children of Israel, by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses wrote their goings forth, stage by stage, by the commandment of the LORD; and these are their stages at their goings forth. 3 And they journeyed from Ramses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying them that the LORD had smitten among them, even all their first-born; upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. 5 And the children of Israel journeyed from Ramses, and pitched in Succoth. 

One day’s journey and Succoth was in the wilderness (but where).

6 And they journeyed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 

These would be stops going down the coast of the southern Sinai Peninsula until one cuts through the mountains.

7 And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back unto Pihahiroth,

One of the roads that cross the Sinai there.

which is before Baal-zephon;

This is somewhere in the mountain pass around Nuweiba. It might have been an awe inspiring mountain site that would make it have the name Baal-zephon or have an area for viewing the star Polaris from a certain area on the mountain top as the Egyptians learned Astronomy from Avraham Avinu when he passed through.

and they pitched before Migdol. 8 And they journeyed from Penehahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham,

This implies being on the Saudi side if I am correct. It would be about a 3 day trip to Aquba. They then return to Sinai or they crossed back after the Egyptians died by another miracle.

and pitched in Marah. 9 And they journeyed from Marah, and came unto Elim; and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they pitched there. 10 And they journeyed from Elim, and pitched by the Red Sea. 11 And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and pitched in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin,

This Sin is spelled Samech Yod Nun as we spell the country of China in Hebrew and is not the Tzade Nun written later on which is near the modern Sde Boker in the Negev south of Beer Sheva and Dimona and closer to Maaleh Akravim.

and pitched in Dophkah. 13 And they journeyed from Dophkah, and pitched in Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush, and pitched in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai. 16 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and pitched in Kibroth-hattaavah. 17 And they journeyed from Kibroth-hattaavah, and pitched in Hazeroth. … 36 And they journeyed from Ezion-geber, and pitched in the wilderness of Zin--the same is Kadesh. 

This area is reasonably close to Arab so as to send an alert to the king and cause the war mentioned earlier in the Sefer.

37 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.-- 38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month. 39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 

As I wrote in the past 14 of the stops were made in the first year and more than half of them before receiving the Torah. Very few stops are mentioned in the next 38 years until the last year we suddenly see a lot of journeying again.

40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.-- 50 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 51 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places. 

Moshe Dayan’s mistakes in the Six Day War included getting bold headed which would lead to the Yom Kippur War, not letting the Arabs of Yehuda and Shomron flee to Jordan on their own, to give the keys to the Temple Mount to the Arabs there and perhaps not to put on trial the murders of the 1929 Chevron Pogrom. Since the Mosques are not idolatry we would not have had to break them down.

53 And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it. 54 And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families--to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; wheresoever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit. 

A man who is born from one tribe shall live in the designated family area. There technically could arise over the centuries conflict of interests when a man from let us say Dan inherits from his mother who is from Benyamin property. Even though I have never read or don’t remember a Halacha on this; I would think that Beis Din would pressure him to sell the land in Yehuda and he could buy a house in the City or land in his own tribal area with the money. It might also be allowed to have a rental deal.

55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land wherein ye dwell. 

The Canaan Liberation Organization within your borders will come and begin to harass you.

56 And it shall come to pass, that as I thought to do unto them, so will I do unto you. 

If you don’t drive them out, for this sin; I, HASHEM, will drive you out.

34:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye come into the land of Canaan, this shall be the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan according to the borders thereof. 

The next Pasukim are the borders of the land from what appears to be the Dead Sea a

3 Thus your south side shall be from the wilderness of Zin close by the side of Edom, and your south border shall begin at the end of the Salt Sea eastward; 4 and your border shall turn about southward of the ascent of Akravim, and pass along to Zin; and the goings out thereof shall be southward of Kadesh-barnea; and it shall go forth to Hazar-addar, and pass along to Azmon; 5 and the border shall turn about from Azmon unto the Brook of Egypt, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Sea. 

Modern Scholars cannot decide if the brook of Egypt is Nahal El Arish or the 4^th part of the Nile Delta which is now without water.

6 And for the western border, ye shall have the Great Sea for a border; this shall be your west border. 7 And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea ye shall mark out your line unto mount Hor; 

This is in Turkey at the Turkish/Syrian Border. It appears to me that all of modern Lebanon and Syria would belong to the Bnei Yisrael in the future.

8 from mount Hor ye shall mark out a line unto the entrance to Hamath;

This the hot springs of Hamat Gader where the Syrian, Jordanian and Israeli borders meet today and this area is just below the Golan Heights in Israeli hands. 

and the goings out of the border shall be at Zedad; 9 and the border shall go forth to Ziphron, and the goings out thereof shall be at Hazar-enan; this shall be your north border. 10 And ye shall mark out your line for the east border from Hazar-enan to Shepham; 11 and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah, on the east side of Ain; and the border shall go down, and shall strike upon the slope of the sea of Chinnereth eastward; 12 and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the goings out thereof shall be at the Salt Sea; this shall be your land according to the borders thereof round about.' 13 And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying: 'This is the land wherein ye shall receive inheritance by lot, which the LORD hath commanded to give unto the nine tribes, and to the half-tribe; 14 for the tribe of the children of Reuben according to their fathers' houses, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to their fathers' houses, have received, and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received, their inheritance; 15 the two tribes and the half-tribe have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan at Jericho eastward, toward the sun-rising.'

Some the instructions are to the Kinneret but the Golan Heights occupied by Reuven is on the other side of the Kinneret and the promise to Avraham up until the Euphrates River is not mentioned at this point as the border but for the future. Therefore only in the Messianic Days will we see the real boundaries of Eretz Yisrael.

16 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 17 'These are the names of the men that shall take possession of the land for you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun. 18 And ye shall take one prince of every tribe, to take possession of the land. 19 And these are the names of the men: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Yephuneh. … 29 These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.'

These men had proven themselves and the other men are this time on a spiritual and physical level ready for the conquest of Canaan.

35: 1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 2 'Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites. …

These too shall provide temporary sanctuary for the man slaughterer and an escort of Leviim until the city of refuge.

9 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 10 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that kills any person through error may flee thither. 

There are certain situations that merit this such as chopping wood with an axe where the head might fly off the handle. However if an animal butted the man that he fell off a height on to another person and killed him this is taint amount to a complete accident that the man slaughtered could himself be killed in the misshapen and therefore innocent and exempt from fleeing.

12 And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. 13 And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that kills any person through error may flee thither. 16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. …

36:6 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: Let them be married to whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they be married. 7 So shall no inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe; for the children of Israel shall cleave every one to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers. 

This paves the way for intra-family and genetic problems.

8 And every daughter, that possess an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel, shall be wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may possess every man the inheritance of his fathers. 9 So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave each one to its own inheritance.' 

Tribal areas were not only politically correct but given the Stamp of Approval by HASHEM.

10 Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad. 11 For Mahlah, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their father's brothers' sons. 12 They were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father. 

There were enough young men with their own inheritance willing to add to their portion by marrying the daughters of a first born the son of a first born which would give them close to a double portion.

13 These are the commandments and the ordinances, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 

Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak

Gilad Shalit and the Lubavitcher Rebbe by R’ Yerachmiel Tilles

http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=869-47

"I heard this story at the Kotel on Simchat Torah and thought it was too fantastic to be true... until I met the Chabad shaliach whose story it is in Shul this morning and heard it from him first hand. I'm recounting this to the best of my knowledge... I hope you'll forgive me if I get any of the details wrong..."(as received in an email in 2011 by Shlomo Price of Tsfat)

"Rabbi Eliyahu and Chana Canterman are the Chabad representatives in Talbiyeh, Jerusalem. They are typical Chabad Shluchim, with a home that is open to all, and always willing to go the extra mile for another Jew regardless of the inconvenience caused to themselves.

When they founded their Chabad House in the last decade, one of the projects that the Cantermans took on, along with other Chabad Shluchim in Jerusalem and local organisations, was to provide meals each day to the parents of Gilad Shalit, Aviva and Noam, at the protest tents outside the Prime Minister's residence on the border of the Jerusalem neighborhoods of Talbiyeh and Rechavia. Over time, they became close friends with Aviva and Noam, providing not only food but emotional and pyschological support during this difficult period.

Around Purim time last year, Chana Canterman brought a special gift to Aviva Shalit along with her meal: a dollar that she had received many years before from the Lubavitcher Rebbe that was to be given to a worthy charity. "Take this dollar" said Chana, "and may it be a segulah (merit and omen) that Gilad be released this year". Aviva accepted the dollar gratefully and carried it with her wherever she went.

Mrs. Canterman didn't hear anything more about the dollar or think about it until she received a text from Aviva Shalit last Wednesday, the 19th of October 2011 (the 21st of Tishrei, 5712), the day after her son, Gilad, had come home. In the text, Aviva asked her if she remembered when she had received the dollar from the Rebbe. Unsure, Chana replied that she didn't remember exactly when she had received it as it was over twenty years before, but that, as with all dollars given by the Rebbe to be distributed to charity, the date should be written on the dollar itself.

The date on the dollar that was given to Aviva Shalit before Purim, the dollar that Chana Canterman had received over twenty years before from the Lubavitcher Rebbe was Chaf (the 20th of) Tishrei, the exact date on the Jewish calendar that Gilad Shalit came home to his family and his people.

The Cantermans never publicized this story, as they don't want people to think their motives for helping the Shalits were anything other than altruistic. However, I felt that it was too amazing, too inspiring a story to keep from other people.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from an email received by Shlomo Price of Tsfat and submitted to Tzfatline@aol.com, the local English language mailing list (original source of email not known to me or remembered by him-Sorry).

I often start off the first section with people who need prayers for the ill. This time I have a little personal story to start off with and some Halachic Issues at the end.  Last Friday, I got off this Drasha or blogspot by 2 PM when I finished with all the people who honored me to be a member of a group whether it be one with 23 members or 18,000 members I know very well only a small percentage of the thousands listed as members of the groups will read my posts or war updates. I have taken explaining Torah and Israel’s Standpoint as I see it and with all my heart.

I do aerobics and eat much healthier and work out in the gym to keep in shape. However, a Rabbi can over perspire and drink out the salts in his body causing a health crisis. I did a chore for my wife between 3 and 4 which did not require that much physical effort. I was perspiring profusely and I don’t usually have such a sweat from a little effort even in humidity. As I walked down the five steps to the kitchen to taken a drink I felt faint and dizzy. My blood pressure was normal but my heart beat 45. I drink and rested.

I took a nap and felt slightly better and just at candle lighting with the table set up I decided to pray Mincha at home because I was a bit weak. My wife saw that I was pale and I began hyperventilating. I ended up being taken to Tel HaShomer Hospital. I decided to pay it safe as I did have a few signs of a possible heart incident 1) Perspiration 2) stomach pains 3) nausea 4) weakness and faintness and now 5) I was feeling a lack of oxygen (even though I was to learn that the blood oxygen was high)

My decision was that on a Sofek Pekuach Nefesh one is permitted to violate the Shabbos. The doctors did not think that there was anything wrong with me on their initial examination of my blood pressure, pulse and symptoms as I had stopped hyper-ventilating by this time. However, there is an enzyme in the blood which they checked call troponin which indicates some damage to the heart muscle and it was high.

I am with a relatively slower heart beat now and Arrhythmia but B”H no need at this time for a pacemaker. This comes 5 years after being treated from an ultra-high pulse with arterial fibrillation. So listen to the signs in your body and don’t ignore what is going on as the life you save may be your own. As for me I have to cut down on water intake now to raise my sodium level and just watch myself for a while.

Some interesting Halachic points came up about turning on and off a light for an ill person taking cold water from an electric cooler for a person on Shabbos who is very ill, drawing blood on Shabbos, writing down vital signs of person who is ill or even recovering on Shabbos. There is a Halachic Book called Lev Avraham on modern hospitals and medical questions regarding Shabbos like praying in a room with a covered bed bottle about 4 Amos behind you or less. I had a Siddur with me and in the wee hours of the morning ended up praying while lying in the emergency room. It was the first time since Shabbos Yom Kippur that I fasted until 3:30 AM on a Friday Night. ALWAYS PRAY FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH. There were other issues if I need to sit at the facilities is it better to get up for a moment and leave the stable heart monitor or strain myself ringing for the nurse and requesting a bed pan and being stuck with it next to my head until the nurse or somebody would come back.

Returning to basics: In the Mishnah in the second chapter of Shabbos it is written: IF ONE EXTINGUISHES THE LAMP BECAUSE HE IS AFRAID OF GENTILES, ROBBERS, OR AN EVIL SPIRIT, OR FOR THE SAKE OF AN INVALID, THAT HE SHOULD SLEEP, HE IS NOT CULPABLE! When a person is ill enough to be in a hospital or he thinks that he is ill to that point, we do allow a violation of the Shabbos to keep him alive for further Shabbos Observance in the future. What if a person is on his death bed? We still prolong his life but not by heroics if he is that far gone.

Melech Shlomo wrote: “There is nothing new under the sun.” This is my Drasha from 5766: As we close Sefer Bamidbar this week and Rosh Chodesh Av is just around the corner we are having a rough time in Eretz Yisrael with the terrorist attacking from the air civilian targets. The world is reporting about Lebanese refugees but not about 70% of Kiriat Shemona and the population of other towns that have fled south. With the summer heat cooped up in a small shelter and the bombs going off, tempers can flare. It was hard enough for an hour or less at a time for the 39 Scuds that fell during the winter. I sometimes would come home from work exhausted from lack of sleep that I would rest in the shelter for an hour on a mattress to get my strength back. It was cool and bearable. One son was in the army and the other son was out of the house at the time except on some Shabbasos. Try to imagine being confined in a small room with your wife and children and everybody getting stir crazy after all these days. One man left the shelter in Nahariya perhaps to get food, air or take a shower. Just then the Katyusha hit him. Was it is time or because he put himself in danger, he was judged again as it is written in if I recall Talmud Berachos about walking under a leaning wall and putting oneself in danger. It is hard to break the Jewish spirit as we are an "Am Kasher Oref" (stiff necked people).

Rabbi Y. Frand on fighting a war:

Dear Friends,

We announced together with last week's weekly thought on the Parsha that it would be our last offering until we resume for Parshas Shoftim. However, in light of the situation in Eretz Yisroel, I felt compelled to send out one more dvar Torah for two reasons:
1. To present some Hashkafas Ha'Torah in viewing the current war and what ultimately brings success.
2. Additionally, I hope that people will study this piece as a zchus for the brave soldiers who are putting their lives on the line to protect Klal Yisroel in Eretz Yisroel and as a zchus that they should all return safe and sound to their families who are also moser nefesh as well on behalf of Klal Yisroel.
Let us all be zoche to hear besuroso tovos ye'shuos ve'nechamos.

Yissocher Frand

The Special Role of the Kohen Who Reminds Us of the Source of Success at War

Before the Jewish people go out to war, a specially designated Kohen addresses the nation. He tells them "Hear O' Israel. You are going out today to do battle. You should not be afraid because the Almighty One will help you..." [Devorim 20:3] The Kohen who made this speech was known as the Priest Anointed for War (Kohen Mashuach Milchama). A Kohen was specifically anointed with the sacred anointing oil to have this job and to deliver this charge to the people before they went out to battle. In several ways, the Kohen Mashuach Milchama is similar to the Kohen Gadol [the High Priest]. Unlike a regular Kohen, but in common with the Kohen Gadol, he is forbidden to marry a widow but must marry a virgin. Likewise he is given the privilege (in common with the High Priest) to pose questions to the Urim v'Tumim. In fact although there was an office called the segan [vice] Kohen Gadol, the Rambam writes [in Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 4:19] that the Kohen anointed for war outranked the segan Kohen Gadol. It seems strange that the only known duty of the Kohen Mashuach Milchama was to address the people before they went out to battle. A person could perform such a job without working a single day his whole life! Wars are not an everyday occurrence. One can go years or decades without needing to make such a speech. It is conceivable that despite his exalted position such a Kohen never had to carry out the duties of his office.

This anomaly leads us to a simple question: Why not assign this job to the Kohen Gadol himself? Why create a new job title? Why not let the Kohen Gadol, or if not him the segan Kohen Gadol, perform this job if, and when, it becomes necessary to go to war?

Let us point out something else. The Rambam writes [in Hilchos Melachim 1:7] (regarding a son inheriting the throne from his father the king) "And not only regarding monarchy alone but all position of authority and all appointments in Israel are passed down through inheritance to one's son and one's grandson forever, providing the son is a worthy successor to his father in wisdom and in Fear (of Heaven)". However, the Rambam writes [in Hilchos Klei HaMikdash 4:21] that the position of Mashuach Milchama is an exception to the rule. This job does not pass on through inheritance to one's son, but rather the son of a Kohen Anointed for War is just a regular Kohen. Why does this exception exist?

Let us raise a third difficulty: The pasuk [verse] introducing the job of the Mashuach Milchama states: "And it will be when you draw near to battle the Kohen will approach (v'nigash haKohen) and speak to the people." [Devorim 20:2]. The two words v'nigash haKohen seem superfluous. What do they add? Obviously, the Kohen will not be standing a mile away when he gives the charge to the people. It is understood that he must approach the people before he begins to speak. In addition, usually the verb "hagasha" in Tanach connotes prayer. The Medr ash says regarding on the words "VaYigash eilav Yehudah" [Bereshis 44:18] that Yehudah approached Yosef with a prayer. Similarly, when the pasuk says, "Vayigash Eliyahu" [Melachim I 18:36] the prophet Elijah offered a prayer. Likewise, the words here "v'nigash haKohen" seem to imply that the Kohen Mashuach Milchama uttered some kind of prayer. The Torah does not tell us what prayer he uttered. What was it?

Finally, the Torah instructs that anyone who was afraid to go to battle was to return home [Devorim 20:8]. The Talmud states [Sotah 44b] that in addition to the simple interpretation of excluding someone who was actually afraid of doing battle on the battle field, this pasuk refers to someone who was afraid of aveyros [sins] he committed, which might make him undeserving of being saved in a time of danger. The Gemara says this would even include someone who merely violated the prohibition of talking between the time he put on his hand Tefillin and the time he put on his head Tefillin. Why, we ask, did the Talmud cite this specific example of a "small aveyra"?

To answer all four questions, I would like to quote a very interesting approach from Rav Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg, the Tolner Rebbe, in his Sefer Heimah Yenachamuni. Rav Weinberg suggests that fighting a war presents a person with a very difficult spiritual test. A person needs to go to battle with weapons and with military strategy. A person needs to use the latest technology and to fight the battle the ways battles are fought -- with soldiers, arms, battle plans, etc. We have a strong perception and gut feeling that an army is victorious because of military prowess.

Viewing the matter from a spiritual point of view, we all know that this is not true. We know that the outcome of a battle is determined "Not with valor and not with strength but with My Spirit, says the L-rd of Hosts" [Zecharia 4:6]. We know that to think it is our military might that made us success ful is heresy. It is falling into the trap of "My strength and the power of my hand made for me all this valor." [Devorim 8:17]

Those of us who remember the Six Day War in 1967 remember how the entire world was talking about the brilliant strategy of the Israeli army which defeated armies of tens of millions of Arabs. They decimated the forces of Egypt, Jordan, and Syria in less than a week's time. There was a pervasive feeling of "we are so much smarter than them", "we are so much braver than them", "we are so much more technologically advanced than them". The attitude was indeed "My strength and the power of my hand made for me all this valor." This is a "treife hashkafa" – an improper, mistaken philosophy.

Certainly, we cannot rely on miracles, but we must always keep in the forefront of our minds that "It is He who gives us the strength to have valor" [Devorim 8:18].

How can people avoid the trap? How can those who have to fight that battle and be ou t there in the foxhole and who are so apt to fall into the trap of "my strength and the power of my hands..." avoid the trap? What can prevent them from making this tragic mistake?

Prevention of this mistaken attitude was the job of the Kohen Mashuach Milchama. The Kohen Mashuach Milchama prevented them from adopting this "treife hashkafa" by telling them "Hear O Israel you are drawing near today towards a war with your enemy. Do not let your hearts become soft; do not fear nor be alarmed; do not be frightened of them..." That was his message. We may have the arms and we may have the most brilliant generals and the best strategy but we must know that in the final analysis it is the Master of the Universe who will help us win this war.

That was his job and that is why it says "v'nigash haKoehn v'Diber el ha'Am" [the Priest drew near to speak to the nation]. This was not just a speech to the people. It was also a prayer to G-d. "Please, G-d, do not let my people fall prey to this foreign philosophy of 'the strength of my arms makes this valor for me'".

That is why the Kohen Gadol was not given this job. The Kohen Gadol spends his entire day and his entire life in the Beis HaMikdash. He is a person who is entirely spiritual. This job description does not require a holy person. It requires a person who knows the temptations of what it is to be out there in the "real world" and to deal with these feelings of "it is my strength which accomplished all this". This job requires a unique special person.

That is why the Kohen Mashuach Milchama's son does not automatically inherit the position. The position requires rare talents. Every generation needs a new Kohen Mashuach Milchama.

That is also the reason why the Talmud cites a person who spoke between putting on the hand Tefillin and the head Tefillin as the example of one who returns home from battle due to being afraid of his aveyros. The Tefillin shel Yad [Hand Tefillin] represent the attitude of "the strength of my hand". It is the head, the brain, which has to rein in such a philosophy of life. The Head has to rule over the Hand. One who pauses between donning the hand Tefillin and the head Tefillin believes that there can be a separation between the two. He believes there can be a time when the philosophy of the Hand rules by itself without being reined in by the philosophy of the Head. Such a person indeed must retreat from the battlefield. Transcribed by David Twersky Seattle, WA; Technical Assistance by Dovid Hoffman, Baltimore, MD RavFrand, Copyright © 2007 by Rabbi Yissocher Frand and Torah.org

If you do not know how to read in Hebrew, Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky Shlita has called on all to say the following Psalms Tehillim for the IDF Soldiers and of course civilians in harm’s way. Also yesterday I confused the Hebrew Numbers and I should have written 91. The reference is for a better translation and the original Hebrew.

73: http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16294  1 A Psalm of Asaph. Surely God is good to Israel, even to such as are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.
3 For I was envious at the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For there are no pangs at their death, and their body is sound.
5 In the trouble of man they are not; neither are they plagued like men.
6 Therefore pride is as a chain about their neck; violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes stand forth from fatness; they are gone beyond the imaginations of their heart.
8 They scoff, and in wickedness utter oppression; they speak as if there were none on high.
9 They have set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walks through the earth.
10 Therefore His people return hither; and waters of fullness are drained out by them.
11 And they say: 'How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?'
12 Behold, such are the wicked; and they that are always at ease increase riches.
13 Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, and washed my hands in innocence;
14 For all the day have I been plagued, and my chastisement came every morning.
15 If I had said: 'I will speak thus', behold, I had been faithless to the generation of Thy children.
16 And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes;
17 Until I entered into the sanctuary of God, and considered their end.
18 Surely Thou set them in slippery places; Thou hurl them down to utter ruin.
19 How are they become a desolation in a moment! They are wholly consumed by terrors.
20 As a dream when one awakes, so, O Lord, when Thou arouses Thyself, Thou wilt despise their semblance.
21 For my heart was in a ferment, and I was pricked in my reins.
22 But I was brutish, and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.
23 Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hold my right hand.
24 Thou wilt guide me with Thy counsel, and afterward receive me with glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee I desire none upon earth.
26 My flesh and my heart fails; but God is the rock of my heart and my portion for ever.
27 For, lo, they that go far from Thee shall perish; You do destroy all them that go astray from Thee.
28 But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, that I may tell of all Thy works.

91: http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16312 1 O thou that dwell in the covert of the Most High, and abide in the shadow of the Almighty;
2 I will say of the LORD, who is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust,
3 That He will deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He will cover thee with His pinions, and under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day;
6 Of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold, and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 For thou hast made the LORD who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation.
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tent.
11 For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee upon their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.
13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the serpent shalt thou trample under feet.
14 'Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.
15 He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him, and bring him to honour.
16 With long life will I satisfy him, and make him to behold My salvation.

121: http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16342  1 A Song of Ascents (steps of the Temple).
I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains: from whence shall my help come?
2 My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; He that keeps (guards) thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, He that keeps (guards) Israel doth neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD shall keep thee from all evil; He shall keep thy soul.
8 The LORD shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and forever.

140: http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16361 1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.
2 Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man;
3 Who devise evil things in their heart; every day do they stir up wars.
4 They have sharpened their tongue like a serpent; vipers' venom is under their lips. Selah
5 Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man;
who have purposed to make my steps slip.
6 The proud have hid a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the wayside;
they have set gins for me. Selah
7 I have said unto the LORD: 'Thou art my God'; give ear, O LORD, unto the voice of my supplications.
8 O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, who hast screened my head in the day of battle,
9 Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; further not his evil device, so that they exalt themselves. Selah
10 As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.
11 Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
12 A slanderer shall not be established in the earth; the violent and evil man shall be hunted with thrust upon thrust.
13 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the poor, and the right of the needy.
14 Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name; the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.

144:  http://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16365 1 [A Psalm] of David. Blessed be the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2 My lovingkindness, and my fortress, my high tower, and my deliverer;
my shield, and He in whom I take refuge; who subdues my people under me.
3 LORD, what is man, that Thou take knowledge of him? or the son of man, that Thou make account of him?
4 Man is like unto a breath; his days are as a shadow that passes away.
5 O LORD, bow Thy heavens, and come down; touch the mountains, that they may smoke.
6 Cast forth lightning, and scatter them; send out Thine arrows, and discomfit them.
7 Stretch forth Thy hands from on high; rescue me, and deliver me out of many waters, out of the hand of strangers;
8 Whose mouth speaks falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of lying.
9 O God, I will sing a new song unto Thee, upon a psaltery of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee;
10 Who gives salvation unto kings, who rescues David Thy servant from the hurtful sword.
11 Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hand of strangers,
whose mouth speaks falsehood, and their right hand is a right hand of lying.
12 We whose sons are as plants grown up in their youth;
whose daughters are as corner-pillars carved after the fashion of a palace;
13 Whose garners are full, affording all manner of store; {N}
whose sheep increase by thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 Whose oxen are well laden; with no breach, and no going forth, and no outcry in our broad places;
15 Happy is the people that is in such a case. Yea, happy is the people whose God is the LORD.

Inyanay Diyoma

July 20 = 22^nd Tammuz 5774

Motzei Shabbos I managed to get the news very late about the two soldiers that were killed and two more that died since. There are others who have not had their families notified et. I am in Tel HaShomer Hospital not as a paramedic but as a patient and  on Friday night there was a siren with two loud close booms. Helicopters were bringing many wounded here today and also other hospitals in the center of the country or Yerushalayim. 

Hamas is looking to wear down the IDF the United Nazis called for a cease-fire and they fired and we returned with hell-fire missiles at them and tank fire vs. their RPG's Israel-http://debka.com/article/24114/Israel-faces-perilous-protracted-war-as-IDF-expands-its-operation-into-Hamas’-urban-strongholds

The truce that wasn't http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4546861,00.html

Miracle alert http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183107#.U8u8i8aKDIU My friend Meir K. reported to me that the boom was so loud but no ambulances but he knew something fell.

Grodno Yeshiva in Ashdod moves temporarily to Beit Shemesh  as the Yeshiva Worlds dedicates more learning and prayers for the Yeshiva. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183108#.U8u95saKDIU

More soldiers have been killed or wounded but these names were released today http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4546677,00.html

Story dying on a Kiddush HASHEM http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183095#.U8u_ecaKDIU

The Turks have gone overboard even for moderate  Netanyahu http://wwTw.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/Netanyahu-finally-calls-out-Erdogan-for-anti-Semitic-statements-363529

July 21^st = 23 Tammuz 5774

This morning at 6 AM I heard 3 more helicopters come into the hospital besides the attack on the hospital which was even closer this time. This morning one of the undiscovered tunnels was used and 10 terrorists infiltrated and became Shahidim but we had two Yeshuvim under lock-down for hours. One group of five heading to one of the Yeshuvim was discovered by observers and they took out a jeep of ours with an RPG and all the implications that follows. The Nahal Brigade attacked them and killed them.  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183142#.U8zo3caKDIU

In memory of the fallen. This morning there were photos and stories of the first five names of Golani announced yesterday. This is the first black soldier mentioned: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4547474,00.html http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4547424,00.html  

The battles continue: http://debka.com/article/24116/Five-IDF-task-forces-begin-driving-into-Gaza-City-Israel-draws-up-over-plan-for-control-of-the-Gaza-Strip

Bennett tells BBC Reporter off as he sits in Gaza in shirt sleeves because he knows Israel will not bomb him while our citizens run to the shelter. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183129#.U8zuRcaKDIU

While I was in the hospital watching on TV an attack on Ashdod, Ashkelon, Gedera and Yavne with 10 rockets we get 8 lobbed in our direction. I disengaged from the heart monitor and slowly walked to the sheltered area. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4547347,00.html

July 22nd

There was a glitch in sending out the mail on my part last night. A few helicopters arrived at the hospital today up until 4 PM when I was let out of hospital there was no less. Two experts on heart rhythm examined me today one said pacemaker and the other said no need at this time so I am going home and will try to get back to normal during the next week or two. Our Sages say that sometimes waiting could be worth it. http://www.everydayhealth.com/news/scientists-use-gene-therapy-create-biological-pacemaker-pig-hearts/?xid=aol_eh-news_17_20140714_&aolcat=HLT&icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl21%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D503142

There was an attack in an area near the hospital wrecking the home of Aharon Meir with 60 years of memories inside a lot of sentimental lost. Miraculous, he was comforting the mourners for I think Dov Chanin who was buried last night and his wife was out of the house. These old houses do not have shelters similar to my family on the farm.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4548142,00.html

 The Israeli body count went up to 27 today with somebody blurting out on TV 32 but that might have been an example of how much can the people take. The body or part of body of a soldier blown up in a vehicle was captured by Hamas during the conflict dressed as Israeli Soldiers. http://www.aol.com/article/2014/07/22/israeli-soldier-missing-as-gaza-fighting-rages-on/20934918/?icid=maing-grid7%7Chtmlws-main-bb%7Cdl46%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D505095

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4547981,00.html

I accidentally was part of the funeral procession of Lt. Col.  Dov Kidar on the way back from the hospital. Drive by Shooting in the Shomron last night: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183216#.U86r7saKDIU

After this item below hit the main news from Israel there was a number of rockets sent from Givat Zev in the east, Greater Modiin, Arab Areas, Yahud, Lod,
Ben Shemen, Nehalim and as far west as Reshon, Bat Yam in an attempt to hit the airport. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4548391,00.html

Main strategy of the terrorists on the ground is to kidnap a soldier: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183215#.U86sesaKDIU

One of our snipers was killed. Golani which was hit badly including the top commander of the brigade who just returned to the fight and the head of the Kfir Section. They are like the US Marines. The Paratroopers are what they are cut out to be and the other units are like Army Rangers that is why the whole drafted or enlisted active service Golani is in the fight with the other units from the reserves in other areas.

Missile count the last few days 162, 100, 132 and a relatively quiet day until a few minutes ago with under a hundred. 28 terrorists are learning how to sing right now. 23 tunnels blown up with 66 entrances. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183209#.U86tmcaKDIU  As of this morning: http://debka.com/article/24120/Israeli-forces-are-fighting-hard-to-win-their-first-battle-against-Hamas-a-savage-and-tenacious-enemy

50 Ambassadors caught in a barrage of 8 rockets in Ashdod 7/8 were shot down and one hit a school which was on vacation causing damage and strewing pellets all over. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183208#.U86vD8aKDIV

Because of ISIS and Al Aqaeda http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/EU-calls-on-Hamas-to-disarm-condemns-use-of-civilians-as-shields-368509 Ban Ki-Moon condemns rocket attacks on civilians.

From my cousin David Film of the Calagry Anti-Israel Riots: http://www.sunnewsnetwork.ca/video/3689511026001#.U834FKMLnKE.facebook

Gail Winston sent out a comment about 13 of our finest boys or rather men she said that were killed with some photos. She also sent me this:

Warning the enemy kills our soldiers by David Rubin

David Rubin,  David Rubin is former mayor of Shiloh, Israel.

Is the Israeli army moral or suicidal?  For several years, our political and military leaders have been proudly reciting the national mantra - about the extensive warnings that we give before we attack an enemy. This proclamation is repeated over and over to the world media during our many wars, all to counter the unfair charge that we are excessively harming civilians.       

It is now being reported that thirteen Israeli soldiers are dead in the terrorist stronghold of Shejaiya in Gaza, after advance warning was given by the IDF to leave the area because the IDF would be attacking soon. Hamas was well prepared, apparently using the advance notification to plant explosives and to prepare ambushes well ahead of time, thereby putting our soldiers at a disadvantage.        

Nobody wants to say the truth, because we know that our political leadership is under heavy pressure from Obama, Kerry, the EU, and the UN, who claim to be concerned about civilian casualties. None of us want to be seen as undermining our prime minister with criticism that will make it difficult for him, but it needs to be said and stated clearly:

The warnings given in advance of attacks- the leaflets dropped from the sky, the text messages, and so on are putting our soldiers in danger. Not only the Gaza Arab civilians get the warning messages, but also the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists, and especially their leadership that has been planning for years for this scenario. They exploit our political defensiveness to defeat us militarily by eliminating our deterrence. It's a sophisticated, yet simple game of psychological warfare and they are winning.

Every general in the free world knows that you cannot win a war - even a very justified war like this one - by essentially giving the enemy 48 hours advance warning to evacuate a bomb factory or to plant booby traps with which to ambush our soldiers. Israel should ignore the private lectures of self-righteous politicians like John Kerry, recently caught off camera blasting Israel for harming civilians, yet publicly spouting empty words referring to our right of self-defense.

The IDF is not an organization of public relations apologists and should only be in the business of winning wars by defeating the enemy - speedily, decisively, and completely. For our political leadership to continue this risky political game of national suicide through pathetic apologetics is a danger to our soldiers and to their ability to win.

Protective Edge Day 16 July 23^th = 25^th Tammuz 5744

MSG FROM THE GAON AND TZADDIK RABBI CHAIM KANIEVSKY SHLITA (Thanks to Albert) http://www.hineni.org/sites/default/files/prayersforIDFsoldiers.jpg        

If you cannot view it. Psalms = Tehillim 73, 91, 121, 140, 144                 

I was hoping that Kerry would not come here but instead despite the FAA ban he found a way to get to Ben Gurion. The US Embassy is closed due to pussy president policy.

We lost according to my understanding definitely 2 more boys who have become brave young men defending us. Boys from my standpoint and age and men for their deeds. Most were just a little older than my grandson who is saying prayers and learning more Torah for merits for them.

Regarding this Gail Winston wrote below. Dear Friends & Family,

“We have lost 27 soldiers to date in Gaza.”

Yes, that is the number of Israeli Jewish soldiers who have been killed in battle with the murderous Islamic Hamas.   We are saddened to our very souls for these brave, skilled men.  They’re not lost.  We shall always remember them.  Their memories shall be as a Blessing.

But, their valor has triumphed over the Hamas who fight behind their own women and children.  Hamas use their children and women as their “Human Shields”.  They don’t fight bravely.  They put their Rockets & Missiles into & under their schools, hospitals, kindergartens & their civilians’ homes. 

We Jewish Israelis believe in fighting for the sake of Life; the Hamas Muslim Brothers believe in bringing their own civilians to death.  The Israelis warn the Gazan civilians to leave the Hamas’ battlefields but, the cowardly Hamas leaders order their women, children, disabled & elder men to stay as “Human Shields” for their Rockets & Mortars.   We Jews use cement to build shelters for our people; the Gazan Hamas use the cement Israel allows into Gaza to build their homes to build miles of cement lined high tunnels from which to attack Israel’s civilians.

          We also celebrate the skills & devotion of our women soldiers who stand guard over the computer banks which track & decipher the presence of Terrorists & Locations of their Tunnel hiding places.

          We may be at war for an unknown amount of time but, we will fight to WIN this time, G-d willing.

Have a peaceful & quiet night, All the very best, Gail/Geula/Savta/Mom

From: Arlene Kushner  akushner18  July 22, 2014  “A Proud and Anguished Heart”

 Before I share news, I want to take the liberty of talking, first, about the anguish in my heart – the tears that I carry inside of me - because of this war we are fighting.

 There is, above all, the sense of loss that fine young Israeli men in the prime of their lives are being taken down by the enemy.  I mourn them, and the circumstances that have brought them to their deaths. (see below)

 But there is more: There is the sense of inherent and breathtaking injustice that is at the core of what is going on. 

 I’ve seen it expressed in several different contexts over the years: Muslim Arabs, who face us as enemies, crow that they have a tactical advantage because “Just as they [the Jews] love life, so do we love death.”  While we seek to protect our people, they find theirs dispensable. And oh, what a diabolical imbalance that generates.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 “Might-have-been-horrors” don’t count for the world. 

 It’s true with regard to the rocket attacks from Hamas. They have launched way over 1,000 rockets since the beginning of the war.  If they had been successful, many many Israeli civilians would have been killed and enormous damage would have been done.  But we have the Iron Shield anti-missile defense and a homefront defense that seeks to protect civilians. So the world pays no attention to the malicious intent of Hamas or the fact that they are committing war crimes.

 In recent days, as well, we’ve caught several Hamas terrorists coming through tunnels on their way to generating massacre and mayhem in Israel.  But that’s the point. We were on the lookout and we caught them. 

 The world clearly has no imagination about what would have happened, had the Shin Bet and the IDF not been diligent. 

 So let me provide a reminder.  Three years ago, terrorists made their way into the community of Itamar and slaughtered the Fogel family.  Among those killed was a three month old baby.  Her throat was slit.       

When the terrorists were caught, they expressed pride in what they had done.  Bodily mutilation is the norm, you see, when they murder Jews.

So the world may not care, or may choose to look away. But we here in Israel know.  The possibilities have been seared into our national consciousness.  We know what would happen – Heaven forbid! – if terrorists utilizing tunnels made their way into our communities. 

We know that we must do all that we can to assure that this does not happen.  This means taking out those tunnels.  It’s the obligation of the government and the IDF to see it done, to protect the people of Israel.

~~~~~~~~~~

But we are dealing with a diabolical enemy that is pleased to sacrifice its own people in order to make matters difficult for us.  Just as their rockets are stored in and launched from civilian places such as mosques and schools, so are the entrances to the tunnels located in civilian areas. Some tunnels open up inside of houses.  Maybe underneath someone’s bed.  Or under mosques.

We warn the civilians that they should leave before we launch an attack – an attack that is essential for the safety of Israeli civilians.  What other nation in the world does this??  I do not believe there has ever been another.  I don’t believe there ever will be another.  It actually puts us at a tactical disadvantage because Hamas knows where we are about to attack.  But does the world notice? Are we praised?  Of course not. 

For the local civilians are told by Hamas not to leave when Israel advises them to do so.  They are encouraged to be “martyrs” for their great cause.  Being a martyr means dying in an Israeli attack so that Hamas can leverage the death against us in a PR blitz.  Dead Arab women and children are Hamas’s weapon.  It’s made to look as if Israel uncaringly or deliberately launches attacks on innocents.

          More anguish.  There is no joy for us in killing children. 

 ~~~~~~~~~~

          In various places in the world from Paris to Boston  (pictured), there are orgiastic demonstrations of hatred towards Israel going on.  Because we are “child killers

          The venom of anti-Semitism flows in the veins of these demonstrators. But their maliced views of Israel are stoked by left leaning media that can only be described as anti-Semitic as well. (There is no difference between irrational anti-Israel attitudes – imbalanced reportage - and anti-Semitism.)

          With it all, they’ve had help from the American secretary of state.  John Kerry had been advised by Israeli officials that we were attempting to do pinpoint operations that would minimize collateral damage.  After having done an interview, and when he mistakenly thought the mike was off, he said, “It’s a hell of a pinpoint operation.  A hell of a pinpoint operation. We’ve got to get over there [to push a ceasefire].”  See it here:

  http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/hot-mic-kerry-mocks-israel-hell-pinpoint-operation_796808.html

 And so a pox on the houses of all those who judge us wrongly and all those who wish us ill.

 In the end, we know who we are, and we must account only to Heaven.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 Because of who we are, my heart is also filled with pride. And when the anguish has dissolved, the pride will remain.  I could not be more proud to be an Israeli.  I could not be more proud of who the Israeli people are.  Very, very far from perfect, we are heads and shoulders above the rest of the world.

 Israeli Ambassador to the US Ron Dermer, bless him, says that: “...the Israeli Defense Forces should be given the Nobel Peace Prize… a Nobel Peace Prize for fighting with unimaginable restraint.”

 Reminding his audience that the British had carpet bombed Germany after being attacked, he said, “I will not accept, and no one should accept, criticism of Israel for acting with restraint that has not been shown and would not be shown by any nation on earth. I especially will not tolerate criticism of my country at a time when Israeli soldiers are dying so that innocent Palestinians can live.” (All emphasis added)

 “Israel did not have to send its soldiers into many of the places they are fighting today. We could have...bombed from the air all the buildings that were being used by fighters to store and fire weapons. But we didn’t. As we have done time after time, we are sending our soldiers into this hornet’s nest of Palestinian terror that is booby-trapped with mines and riddled with subterranean tunnels.”

http://www.timesofisrael.com/dermer-idf-deserves-nobel-peace-prize-for-unimaginable-restraint/  ~~~~~~~~~~

See some of the beautiful soldiers of the IDF (with thanks to Chana G):

http://youtu.be/4IkwXf18FcQ 

They sing of not being afraid, and of putting trust in Heaven. This video made me weep.

~~~~~~~~~~

Here in Israel we have “lone soldiers.”  Young men who have come to Israel and joined the IDF, while their families are still abroad.  One such lone soldier died in battle the other day: Nissim Sean Carmeli, originally of South Padre Island, Texas. and more recently of Haifa.  The Maccabi soccer team of Haifa put out a call to its fans to attend his funeral “so that his funeral will not be empty.”  More than 12,000 people came.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183181#.U86mgpvlrIV

This, my friends, is Israel with its largeness of heart.

~~~~~~~~~~

We have lost 27 soldiers to date in Gaza.

A couple of days ago, Hamas announced it had kidnapped a soldier in Gaza, but Israel denied this was the case. 

Also two days ago a Personnel Carrier in Gaza that was carrying seven soldiers ran over a device that exploded, causing a fire in the carrier.  The original announcement was that the seven had died.  Now we are being told that only six soldiers’ bodies have been positively identified.  I need not spell out the ugly and painful circumstances that have caused a delay in doing this identification. 

The one soldier whose remains have not been identified has now been identified as Oren Shaul, which is the person Hamas said it had kidnapped. 

 The very best information I have at this point is that while he must be listed MIA until his body is located and identified, the working assumption is that he is, indeed, dead. Hamas may have grabbed his body – although I have heard that the site was under surveillance after the grisly event.  Or, his dogtag may have been thrown a distance away in the explosion, and grabbed by Hamas.  It has been noted that Hamas, after the initial jubilant announcement, has not put up any video of him – which would have been expected for them to make their case.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 Now as to that “ceasefire” that various international agents are pushing.  Eventually, certainly. But it is not going to happen so fast, I’m pleased to report.  Consider some of the elements in play:

 []  Abbas went to Doha, Qatar to meet with head of the Hamas politburo Khaled Mashaal regarding a ceasefire.  Word was that Mashaal was agreeable and was going to come to Cairo to pursue matters further.  However, Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader sitting directly in Gaza (and identified for some time now as more militant than Mashaal), says that his movement has decided to “end the blockade with its blood and weapons and there would be no return back.” 

 In other words, he is holding out for a lifting of the naval blockade of Gaza, which is not going to happen.  He is also still demanding the release of the prisoners originally traded for Shalit who had been rearrested recently, something Israel is opposed to as well.

 Commented Netanyahu to Sky News Arabic, “If Hamas really wants a cease-fire, I am sure that we can get to that, but they don’t want one.”

 http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/US-UN-pushing-hard-for-immediate-cease-fire-368386

 As long as Hamas is holding out, we keep fighting.  Terms that are mutually acceptable are going to be hard to come by.  Hamas wants a victory and Israel will not give it one.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 At the same time, Israel, having not yet done all that must be done, at a bare minimum, is not looking for a ceasefire anyway.

 UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon came calling in Jerusalem today. Israel, Netanyahu told him, will “act decisively to end the threat to its citizens.”  It’s time for the international community to hold Hamas responsible for its behavior:  “The international community must take a clear stance...

 ”I believe that you understand this, it is the right of every state to defend itself, and Israel will do what it needs to do to defend ourselves. “This is not only our right, this is our duty.”  (all emphasis added) 

https://warsclerotic.wordpress.com/2014/07/22/netanyahu-rejects-cease-fire-ban-ki-moon-suports-israel/ 

The prime minister knows that the nation is solidly behind him if he stands strong in continuing to fight. This is a long post, and it’s impossible here for me to fully convey the sense of the Israeli public with regard to wanting the IDF to keep going.  

~~~~~~~~~~

Lastly, we have this:   Kerry, who had declared, “we must get over there,” arrived in Cairo today.  Master diplomat that this deluded man perceives himself to be, he was coming to make sure that a ceasefire was put in place without delay.

 But when Kerry and his top aides showed up for a meeting with Egyptian President Sisi – oops! - Egyptian security checked them with metal detectors. This is absolutely unheard of, as top American diplomats are routinely offered every courtesy.  Sisi has “dissed” the secretary of state. 

 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/22/kerry-security-check-egypt_n_5608923.html

 This contempt from Sisi has been well earned by Kerry.

 ~~~~~~~~~~

 © Arlene Kushner. This material is produced by Arlene Kushner, functioning as an independent journalist. Permission is granted for it to be reproduced only with proper attribution. 

 If it is reproduced and emphasis is added, the fact that it has been added must be noted.

@@@@@@@@@

 US intelligence source claims Hamas has many more tunnels than Israel says

By ARIEL BEN SOLOMON, JPOST

As Israeli security forces thwarted the latest attempt by terrorists to infiltrate Israel via tunnels from Gaza on Monday, The Jerusalem Post has learned that Israel may be underestimating the extent of tunnel penetration on its southern border.

Steven Emerson, founder and executive director of the Washington-based Investigative Project on Terrorism, told the Post in an exclusive interview on Sunday that US intelligence officials believe that Israel is underestimating the number of tunnels.

He said that according to a senior National Security Council official dealing with the Middle East, American satellites – equipped with special high resolution infrared detection technology – have preliminary findings of around 60 tunnels on the Israel-Gaza border.
            This number could actually be higher though because it does not include overhead satellite coverage of ground structures that are several stories in height and are impervious to infrared detection, Emerson said.
This information seems to contradict Israeli estimates of remaining tunnels, Emerson said.

The IDF told the Post on Monday that up until now 45 tunnels have been discovered, but when asked how many it estimated remain, it said that no information was available.

Emerson said that the advanced American satellite, which was originally developed to deal with the Iranian theater, had been directed to orbit over Israel and send the data to specialized reconnaissance agencies operating under the aegis of the National Security Agency (NSA) for analysis.

The infrared heat-seeking technology works by detecting changes in terrain density and the preliminary findings show that the tunnels are 1.5 m. by 1.2 m. and at least 46 m. in length.

Emerson said that he is unaware if Israel requested such intelligence from the Americans or if it has yet been shared between the two nations – though he presumes that if it hadn’t it will be.

Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that the threat of the tunnels is not a new one and Israel is aware of them. “It is an operation with more risk, but it is vital. If these tunnels were not found, then the results would have been a lot worse,” Netanyahu said of the ground operations in Gaza.

Emerson said that “according to American experts, there are only a couple of very specialized international corporations that manufacture tunnel-based equipment that detect unusual gaps in the density of hard rock being measured.”

The technology also has commercial uses and assists in determining areas suitable for tunnels and mines.
Emerson speculated that Israel did not purchase this equipment because of its high cost – and due to its belief that Israel can find and deal with the tunnels without it. He said that an ex-Israeli intelligence official who he spoke to came across as arrogant when speaking of the tunnel threat, and had a “we can deal with it,” attitude.

“It is believed that the construction of the more advanced Palestinian tunnels began right after the 2012 cease-fire agreement, when Israel agreed to lift restrictions for humanitarian aid, including large quantities of steel and concrete,” he said, adding that the agreement to lift the blockade was overseen by Hillary Clinton.
Egyptian tunnels are easier to build and are dug by using traditional excavation equipment and are meant mainly for commerce. These are easier to see, he said, adding that the ones crossing into Israel are for military purposes and “are of a totally different magnitude.”

Emerson said that Hamas has learned from Hezbollah how to improve its use of tunnels. He also said that Hamas terrorists are probably not using any communication devices while inside the tunnels, making it harder to detect them.

In addition, the tunnels are quite sophisticated, with water, sewage, and lighting allowing for month longs stays.

Regarding Israel’s efforts at using conventional forces, such as tanks and troop carriers, Emerson said that these are easier targets for Hamas since they can gather intelligence on them from close up.

Hamas has been very good at adapting and Israelis “need to think outside the box as they traditionally have and use their ability to think two steps ahead of their enemies,” Emerson said.

Herb Keinon contributed to this report.

 ‘Whole city of terror tunnels’ discovered  Special to WorldTribune.com TEL AVIV — Israel’s military has begun its first major test in underground warfare.

Military sources said the Israel Army was engaged in its first major campaign to detect and destroy Hamas’ huge underground network in the Gaza Strip. They said the campaign marked a test of newly-acquired doctrine, skills and equipment.

            Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett:  “A whole city of terror tunnels has been found,” Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett said. “Without the ground operation, we would have woken up one day to an Israeli 9/11.”

The Army has discovered some 50 tunnels in and around the Gaza Strip. The sources said the tunnels, some of them 30 meters underground, formed a network meant to infiltrate Israel and attack communities near the Gaza frontier.

“It’s like the ‘Underground’, the ‘Metro’ or the ‘Subway,” Israeli military spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said. “These tunnels are all connected. I would describe it as ‘Lower Gaza.’ ”

The sources said the war in the Gaza Strip could serve as a prelude for a more extensive underground war with the Iranian-sponsored Hezb’Allah. They said the tunnels in southern Lebanon would be much harder to detect than those in the sandy terrain of the Gaza Strip.

“Hamas planned these tunnels for years, and planned to use them to kidnap soldiers,” Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Mordechai Almoz said. “[Now] they see the tunnels collapsing one after the other.”

For the last two years, the army has sought to develop skills and equipment to fight in enemy tunnels and bunkers. Hamas and Islamic Jihad have been using tunnels to infiltrate Israel, abduct soldiers, fire rockets deep within the Jewish state, operate command and control as well as conceal fighters amid any invasion of the Gaza Strip.

“There is a significant operational need for the development of a subterranean maneuvering capability in view of the currently evolving and future threats and operational challenges,” [Res.] Col. Atai Shelach, a leading ground commander, said. “The IDF will be required to operate in the subterranean medium more and more intensively in the coming years and decades.”

In an analysis for Israel Defense magazine, Shelach said underground warfare required precision intelligence as well as combat skills. He also cited technology, weapons and communications to coordinate with above-ground troops.

“Without sounding like a pessimist or a preacher, it must be noted that subterranean warfare is a major type of warfare, just like the warfare categories associated with combat operations in urban terrain, in open terrain, in dense/tangled areas or in fortified localities,” Shelach said.

The sources acknowledged that Israel has been challenged by entry to enemy tunnels, avoiding booby-trapped tunnels and the selection of tunnels in underground combat. Other challenges include training soldiers to fight in an environment with little oxygen or light.

“Today, we suffer from techno-operational blindness that stems from the absence of technological capabilities for spotting the subterranean objectives, and once they have been spotted — for operating down there while ensuring the security of the forces on the one hand and operating effectively from an operational point of view on the other hand,” Shelach said.

^^^^^^^^^^^

Has Hamas ended the prospects for a two state solution?

by Alan M. Dershowitz  July 22, 2014 at 3:00 pm  http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4467/hamas-israel-airport

Hamas's decision to fire rockets in the direction of Ben Gurion Airport may well have ended any real prospect of a two-state solution. Whether the regulators and airlines that have stopped flights to and from Israel are right or wrong, this stoppage cannot possibly be tolerated by a democratic country that relies so heavily on tourism and international travel. It is of course a war crime to target an international civilian airport, as Hamas has clearly done. Israel has every right to keep that airport open, employing all reasonable military means at its disposal. Since Hamas fires its rockets from densely populated civilian areas, there will be more Palestinian civilian deaths.

 This of course is part of Hamas' grand strategy: by targeting Israeli civilians and international air travel from its own civilian areas, Hamas leaves Israel no choice but to take military actions that risk the lives of innocent Palestinians. There will be even more innocent Palestinian deaths now, as Hamas has raised the stakes considerably for Israel. Every country in the world would do everything in its power to keep open the airports, which are the lifelines to its economic viability. Hamas knows this and welcomes Israeli military action that produces more dead Palestinian civilians and hence more international criticism of Israel.

Even more importantly, Hamas' actions in essentially closing down international air traffic into Israel, considerably reduces the prospect of any two-state solution. Israel will now be more reluctant than ever to give up military control over the West Bank, which is even closer to Ben Gurion Airport than is Gaza.

Were Israel to end its military occupation of the West Bank—as distinguished from its civilian settlements deep in the West Bank—it would risk the possibility of a Hamas takeover. That is precisely what happened when Israel removed both its civilian settlements and its military presence in Gaza. Hamas took control, fired thousands of rockets at Israeli civilian targets and have now succeeded in stopping international air traffic into and out of Israel.

Israel could not accept the risk of a Hamas takeover of the West Bank and the resulting Hamas rocket attacks at the nearby Ben Gurion Airport. It may still be possible to create a two-state solution whereby Israel withdraws its civilian settlers from most of the West Bank and agrees to land swaps for areas that now contain large settlement blocks. But Israel will have to retain military control over its security borders, which extend to the Jordan River. It will also have to maintain a sufficient military presence to assure that what happened in Gaza does not happen in the West Bank. These military realities do not have to exist forever. Israel's military presence could be reduced if the Palestinian Authority were to maintain effective control over the West Bank and prevent terrorists from using that area to send rockets and terrorists into Israel.

The new reality caused by Hamas' shutting down of international air travel to and from Israel would plainly justify an Israeli demand that it maintain military control over the West Bank in any two-state deal. The Israeli public would never accept a deal that did not include a continued Israeli military presence in the West Bank. They have learned the tragic lesson of Gaza and they will not allow it to be repeated in the West Bank. The Palestinian Authority, however, is unlikely to accept such a condition, though it should. This will simply make it far more difficult for an agreement to be reached.

It was precisely one of the goals of the Hamas rocket and tunnel assaults to scuttle any two-state agreement between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. The Hamas Charter categorically rejects the two-state solution, as does the military wing of Hamas. In this tragic respect, Hamas has already succeeded. By aiming its rockets in the direction of Ben Gurion Airport, Hamas may well have scuttled any realistic prospects for a two-state solution. It cannot be allowed to succeed.

The international community, which has a significant stake in protecting international air traffic from terrorist rocket attacks, must support Israel's efforts to stop these attacks—permanently. If Hamas is allowed to shut down Israel's major airport, every terrorist group in the world will begin to target airports throughout the world. The shooting down of the Malaysian airliner over the Ukraine will be but one of many such tragedies, if Hamas is allowed to succeed. An attack on the safety on Israel's airport is an attack on the safety of all international aviation. Israel is the canary in the mine. What Hamas has done to Israeli aviation is a warning to the world. In its efforts to prevent Hamas from firing rockets at Ben Gurion Airport, Israel is fighting for the entire civilized world against those who would shoot down civilian airliners. The world should support Israel in this noble fight.

Family in denial about soldier in blown up APC from the Viet Nam War Era. http://debka.com/article/24120/The-missing-Israeli-sergeant’s-uncertain-fate-His-family-denies-his-death-Hamas-claims-his-capture

651 enemy dead and 4500 plus enemy wounded. The other day at the funeral of Shawn Carmeli 20,000 and 5,000 in Ashkelon despite the missiles to bring the lonely French Immigrant Jordan ben Simon to eternal rest. I am listening to the radio of thousands upon thousands at funeral of Max Steinberg, who was a lone soldier and was the rights champion of all lone soldiers and he got them underwear, toilet paper and other necessities. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4548586,00.html

Breaking news a foreign worker was killed in an agricultural settlement. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183245#.U8-PSsaKDIU

IDF Base (where I served) in the desert becomes the new international airport:   http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183240#.U8-QZsaKDIV

Could this be a solution to the problems in Gaza?: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183222#.U8-RkMaKDIU My knowledge of the Jihad says no.

Jihad shoots at soldiers from Mosques, Hospital, Playground, Graveyard and what not: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Hamas-gunmen-shoot-at-IDF-from-hospital-prompting-return-fire-368599

July 23 evening Ohr 26^th of Tammuz 5774

For those who ask about the day starting in the evening – “There was an evening and a morning one day” –Chapter 1 Genesis

I received this story via the grape vine it is good advice all the time: There have been some posts recently regarding calling a trusted cab company as oppose to hailing one and I wanted to press on how important this is. I can verify the below story is true as I heard it first hand and know the person personally (who has requested that I do not mention her name). 

WARNING: do not flag taxis right now... Only call a company or driver you know and trust to pick you up!
I experienced what may have been an attempted kidnapping last night. A normal looking taxi (Mercedes, yellow light on top, orange placard that I think said 'Geula') pulled over to pick me up and there were two men sitting in front (which gave me a weird feeling), so I said "no thank you, I already called a cab." The driver said "what, what, he's with me" when he saw me looking at the other man. Then the driver got out of the car and came around to my side and I realized he was holding a gun. He used the gun to motion for me to get into the taxi and I immediately ran into the 24 hr SOS market that I was standing right next to. I saw him leave as I got into the market.
This was around 11pm last night (Monday) on Emek Refaim. The police took the incident very seriously and I wanted to share this to iyH prevent this from happening to anyone else. Please stay safe everyone! 

BREAKING NEWS – The Cabinet met in the Army War Room with the Generals tonight. It was decided to take the gloves off. When at 9 PM clockwork precision timed with Mashaal’s speech Hamas set off about 17 rockets to Ashdod, Gush Dan before Tel Aviv and Airport City-IAI-Ben Gurion to help the airlines not fly to Israel.

As a result, Artillery, Tanks using Tammuz Missiles, Carpet Bombing with bunker busters starting pounding the area from the air. Plenty of dust. It looks like parts of or all of Beit Hanoun and two other areas are going to have plenty of soccer fields and parking places soon.

The Cabinet also decided to target even after the war the heads of Hamas if they appear above ground.   

The death toll of our soldiers rise to 32: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183260#.U9AEQ8aKDIU Names: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IDF-announces-three-more-Israeli-soldiers-killed-in-Gaza-368634

Written before the Cabinet Meeting: http://www.debka.com/article/24122/IDF-Commanders-Time-for-decisive-war-move-after-IDF-victories-in-Shejaiya-E-Rafah-and-Khan-Younes-

July 24^th = 26^th Tammuz 5774

Terrorist using baby shields: http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/249264/idf-soldier-terrorists-ran-toward-us-with-babies-in-hand.html

Overnight strikes against terrorists http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IAF-hits-35-targets-overnight-ground-forces-kill-several-Hamas-operatives-take-prisoners-368709   and videos http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183293#.U9DDocaKDIU

More attacks on Gush Dan: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549228,00.html

Earlier this week it was announced that we attacked a rocket storage facility in Sudan where the supplies go to Hamas from Iran.

Skyrider Drone Unit: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IDF-drone-unit-source-We-are-up-in-the-air-247-carrying-out-100-flights-a-day-368754

It is usually the Jon Steward types who are the first to go into the gas chambers and the loyal Jews somehow manage to get G-D’s help. http://dailycaller.com/2014/07/23/mark-levin-savages-jon-stewart-over-putrid-israel-segment-read-up-ivy-league-boy/

We cease and they fire would hurt our armor corp. http://debka.com/article/24124/A-“humanitarian”-ceasefire-would-give-Hamas-time-to-find-answers-for-Israeli-Chariot-4’s-Windbreaker-armor

Egypt has no love lost for the Muslim Brothers and the Jihad: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549359,00.html

Obama’s Muslim Brotherhood Advisors in his White House give into the threat of no cease fire talks at all: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549146,00.html

It was good that I was sitting down because I don’t know if my heart standing was strong enough for this shocker: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183299#.U9D4B8aKDIU Even though the Rabbis said that in the end it will not be the cowardly right that goes after the Arabs but the left like Lapid and Livni.

Col. Richard Kemp – hit them again harder and harder: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4548821,00.html

July 25^th = 27^th of Tammuz 5774

No atheists in fox holes. Chabad did a massive job of scrounging up 2000 pairs of Tephillin that front line soldiers requested.

150 terrorists surrendered yesterday but I forgot to write about it. It could be that the explosion at UNWRA was caused by a rocket attack on the IDF that fell short and not an IDF shell. It was so nice to finally find you at home and Ibn Amalek too. Last night, the home of the Jihad spokesman was destroyed by a missile and he along with his son was inside.

Last night rocket wise and mortar wise things were quiet but this morning after “only” 60 rockets yesterday a large barrage of rockets were sent in the area of Gush Dan and even some Arab Towns in an effort to hit Ben Gurion Airport which was not their target before but has turned into their strategic target because of the lack of flights still from Austrian, Swiss and Lufthansa Airlines not to mention their friends in Turkey who left 4000 foolish Israelis trapped there with their cheap vacation deals which turned very expensive. A rocket was sent towards Eilat and knocked down by Iron Dome.

How do they aim these unguided rockets. I was in an Air Base in SD on a tour of a former Minute Man Missile Silo. The missiles of the 50’s and perhaps early 60’s were essentially rockets. In the interior of the Silo was a compass which one used to set the co-ordinates of let us say Leningrad or Moscow back then. The Missile would be guided from the initial setting on the ground. In the 60’s with the transistors and other processors in place, the astronauts used simple computers they were advanced calculators but not the hand held ones of the 70’s. These simple computers were the forerunners of the pre-windows home computers which had two floppy disks back in the 80’s. Today our technology and consoles are better than what the TV show Star Trek dreamed of in the mid 60’s. The Arabs use the map of Tel Aviv or perhaps even Google Earth and aim the rocket in that direction by a compass it is inaccurate but enough to put an area under alert especially if 7 to 10 are aimed at one time.      

Meanwhile do you really think that the last Friday of Ramadan will be quiet? 26 policemen injured. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549646,00.html

Apt House hit in Ashkelon: http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/Rocket-barrage-fired-across-central-Israel-rocket-hits-home-in-Ashkelon-368907

Remaining 2000 Israelis stranded in Turkey rescued: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183338#.U9Ix4MaKDIU

Mom and Dad flown in to hug lone soldier: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183328#.U9IyUcaKDIU

Flash Mob in Vienna simulates an attack by Hamas: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/183342#.U9IyyMaKDIU

Congress speeds through resupply legislation appropriation: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549741,00.html

Right on target: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4549741,00.html

Last Week’s Good Shabbos Story came late from M. Wolfberg:

 Good Shabbos Everyone.  In this week's portion Mattos the Torah tells us how the Bnai Yisroel used horn blasts in their battles against Midian. In this vein, the Midrash discusses some of the other uses of horn blasts in Jewish communal life.
        The Midrash tells us that in earlier times, the custom on erev  Shabbos (Friday afternoon) was to blow three horn blasts to inform the public that the Holy Shabbos was approaching. The attendant of the shul would go up onto the highest roof of the city and there he would blow the horn. The first set of horn blasts was blown earliest in the day, in order to give notice of Shabbos to those workers in the fields who were the farthest away from the city. The second set of blasts was later in the day and was directed at those working even closer to the city.  The third set of blasts began as the final moments of Shabbos approached. By the end of the third set of blasts, all of the residents of the city were to cease from all the creative labors which are forbidden on Shabbos.
        It is interesting to note that to this very day, many Jewish communities in cities such as Jerusalem and Monsey, New York, use horns to announce the arrival of Shabbos.
        Besides the interesting historical value of this discussion in the Midrash, what spiritual lesson can we take out of the fact that Shabbos is announced with horn blasts? The commentators teach us a beautiful and inspirational lesson based on this section of the Midrash.
        This world is compared to the six days of the week, while the World to Come is compared to Shabbos.(See Sanhedrin 97a) As we approach the World to Come, which is a time of the eternal Shabbos, horn blasts are being blown to call Jews home to Torah and mitzvahs. The first set of blasts is now being blown. As we mentioned above, in earlier times, this first blast was to call those workers home who were furthest away, in order to give them enough time to come home. So too, as we approach the redemption and the World to Come, the world of the eternal Shabbos, the first horn blast has been blown for those Jews furthest away to come home to Torah observance.
        We should recognize certain events in our lives as the horn blast calling us home. The further we are away from Hashem, Torah and mitzvahs, the sooner we must begin coming home, in order to be ready for the days of the eternal Shabbos.  The following amazing and even humorous true story illustrates how one Jew heard the horn blast and made his way home.
        Rabbi Eliezer Sandler was fortunate; in 1973, he became the first full-time Chief Jewish chaplain in the South African army since World War II.  As part of his duties, Rabbi Sandler would visit bases throughout South Africa and Namibia. At that time, the army was fighting terrorist elements who were trying to destroy the fabric of South African society.
        On his first visit to a certain base, Rabbi Sandler was told that there were three injured Jewish servicemen in the infirmary.
        "I will go there at once," said Rabbi Sandler. The first two patients were clearly ill, their faces were gaunt and pale. One wore a cast from the hip down. The other was recovering from malaria. But the third patient surprised Rabbi Sandler. This third patient was a tall healthy-looking soldier who did not seem to be hurting in any way.
        "Why are you here?" Asked Rabbi Sandler in puzzlement. "I am recovering from shock." The young soldier explained.  "You see, I was trampled by an elephant."
        "An elephant!" Said Rabbi Sandler in astonishment. The soldier nodded and said: "Let me tell you my story: I was part of a reconnaissance patrol. We were roaming though the jungle, looking for the enemy. Now remember, this is a wild jungle. Besides the human enemy, we also have to contend with the danger of wild animals such as lions and tigers. And when you see those animals close up in the African jungle, they look a lot larger than when you see them in a zoo!"
        "As the radio man, I always carry radio equipment on my back. The radio gear is a big heavy package. If we spot the enemy, it is my job to call it in on the radio.
        "Well, one day we happened to bump into a huge elephant. By buddies were bored and they decided to have some fun by teasing the elephant, pulling at its ears and tail. Nothing much happened at first. But eventually the elephant got angry. He raised his tusks in the air, he blasted his horn and trumpeted his war march, and started coming for us.
        "We got the message, and we started running away as fast as we could. But my radio pack was heavy; it slowed me down. I tripped over a root on the jungle floor and fell flat on my face. Seconds later, the elephant ran right over me!"
        "Now, elephants are pretty heavy. (An adult male African elephant can be up to 11 feet tall and weigh up to 6 metric tons!)  The radio pack on my back was squashed to the size of a penny. So why am I still alive? That is just it. It was an absolute miracle. The ground happened to be soft sand, and when the elephant ran over me I sank right into the ground. I ended up completely unhurt. I am here just to recover from the shock."
        Rabbi Sandler was in shock himself when the soldier completed his amazing story. "I have never heard a story like that," Rabbi Sandler began to say. "You know, you have to bench gomel (the thanksgiving blessing) and offer thanks to G-d for saving you."
         "I have never heard of that," said the soldier with interest. "How does it work?"
         "You have to go to a shul and make the blessing with a minyan." Rabbi Sandler explained.
         The soldier raised up hands and said "I am afraid that I still do not know what you are talking about."
         Rabbi Sandler explained to the under-affiliated soldier some of the basics of Jewish ritual, including the idea of praying together in minyan (a quorum of ten men) in a shul. The young man listened intently. Unfortunately, he had grown up without any real Jewish education. After hearing what Rabbi Sandler had to say, the soldier was even more interested in giving thanks to G-d, but there was no synagogue or minyan in the African jungle.
         After his recovery, the soldier returned home to Johannesburg, South Africa, where he finally had the opportunity to "bench gomel" in a shul on a day when the community read from the Torah. However, the soldier did not stop at just "benching gomel." He was determined to find out more about his heritage, the heritage which he was deprived of while growing up. Little by little, the young man learned more and more about Torah and mitzvahs. Today, the young soldier has come home and is totally Torah observant. All of his Torah is because of the foot of an elephant! (Visions of Greatness  Vol. 5, Rabbi Y. Weiss, p.90)
        In our story, the soldier heard the horn blast from an elephant. We should recognize the horn blasts in our own lives.  These blasts are sounded to bring us home to Torah observance; so that we will be prepared for the the times of the eternal Shabbos, the World to Come. Good Shabbos Everyone.

Taken from 5771: Now for M. Wolfberg’s “Flohred”

 Good Shabbos Everyone. In this week's Parsha Masei, the Torah details the journeys of the Bnai Yisroel (Children of Yisroel) as they traveled through the desert. Why is it so important for the Torah to describe in such great detail the wanderings of the Jewish people? The commentary Maor Eynayim explains that there is a reason for every place that we must go in life. Namely, we must go to that certain place to elevate the sparks of holiness, which lay there, waiting to be elevated. We elevate the sparks of holiness in that place, by serving Hashem in that place. This is especially true in places with little or no Jewish communities. The following inspiring true story illustrates one Jew's journeys in this world.
         Reb Yitzchok Flohr was a man who was privileged to learn under the tutelage of Reb Shraga Feivel Mendlowitz, referred to by many as the architect of Torah in America. Reb Yitzchok was a G-d fearing Jew, and his love for mitzvos was well known. He often went to great lengths to fulfill Hashem's commandments, even when it meant incurring an expense or inconveniencing himself to do so. 
         As an importer of esrogim from Italy, Reb Yitzchok often had to travel to Europe to supervise the cutting of the esrogim. Reb Yitzchok usually made sure that he had his tefillin with him on the flight so he could use them while davening shacharis (praying the morning prayers) on the plane.  
         On one return trip to the United States, Reb Yitzchok boarded the plane, made his way down the narrow aisle to his seat and started to arrange his belongings. As he looked through his carry-on bag, he suddenly realized that his tefillin were nowhere to be found. He must have forgotten to remove them from his luggage before boarding the flight. Reb Yitzchok was distressed at the thought of davening shacharis without tefillin. But since he would be arriving home in the afternoon, there would be ample time after claiming his luggage to put on his tefillin before nightfall. Feeling somewhat calmer, Reb Yitzchok sat back comfortably in his seat and began to relax.  
         After a short time, Reb Yitzchok was startled by an announcement over the plane's loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, we will be making an emergency landing in Portugal due to engine trouble. Everything is under control, and there is no need for concern. Please remain seated and stay calm. We will be landing shortly." The plane erupted into a din of hushed hysteria. The crew circulated the cabin, trying to reassure the nervous passengers. Reb Yitzchok's mind immediately turned to his tefillin. Perhaps, he thought, he would be able to retrieve his luggage in Portugal and bring the tefillin on board the plane when the flight resumed. 
         The plane landed in Portugal without further incident. The passengers exited the aircraft and were directed to another terminal, where they were told that there would be a delay of a few hours. Naturally, no one was pleased with this situation. For some, this meant missing an important meeting or appointment; others were simply frustrated that things weren't going smoothly.  
         And Reb Yitzchok? He, too, was concerned. For with this additional delay, he would not arrive in the United States in time to put on his tefillin. Yet how could he let an entire day pass without donning tefillin. Reb Yitzchok approached the nearest desk. "Excuse me," he said to the ticket clerk. "I left an important item in my checked luggage. Is there any way I can retrieve it while we're waiting?" "Just a minute, sir, I'll check that for you." The woman glanced at his ticket and pressed several keys on her keyboard, then looked up with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Mr. Flohr, but I'm afraid your luggage is on the cargo plane, headed to New York. The delay didn't affect your baggage, since it goes separately." "Thank you," Reb Yitzchok said somberly, and then walked back to his seat in the waiting area. He needed a pair of tefillin. Where does one get tefillin in Portugal-particularly when he doesn't know anyone in that country? No easy solution came to mind. 
         Perhaps, Reb Yitzchok thought, he could find an earlier flight to the United States. Once in New York, he could easily call a friend and borrow a pair of tefillin. Reb Yitzchok began to walk from one terminal to the next, checking the departure times for every airline. It soon became clear that his own flight was the earliest one to the States. He already knew that it would be arriving too late. As he passed a departure screen, a new idea occurred to him. There was a flight leaving very soon to London. A friend of his lived there, and fortunately enough, he had the man's phone number on him.  
         Reb Yitzchok quickly exchanged a few dollars for the local currency, then headed for the nearest public phone. "Hello?" came the English voice at the other end. "Hello, this is Yitzchok Flohr calling." "Reb Yitzchok! Shalom aleichem! What brings you to call me?" His friend was surprised, though pleased, to hear from him. Reb Yitzchok explained his problem and made his request. His friend was happy to help. Soon, the arrangements were made. The friend would come to the arrival gate in London with a pair of tefillin. Reb Yitzchok would don the tefillin and then be on his way for the next leg of his journey, back to America. 
          With the necessary arrangements in place, Reb Yitzchok went to the ticket desk. "I was on the flight that made an emergency landing here," he explained. "I would like to get on the next flight to London, and then travel from there to New York."  
         The agent tried not to show her puzzlement at the unusual request. "Okay, sir, I'll try to book that for you." She got busy with her keyboard. "Fine," she said finally. "There were still a few seats left on each flight. I'll just need to stamp your ticket with the change and you'll be all set. But are you sure you want to do this, sir? It's quite expensive." "How much is it?" Reb Yitzchok asked. "Eight hundred dollars." "I'll take it!" he said enthusiastically, handing her the ticket to be stamped. Reb Yitzchok walked to the gate joyfully.  
         The flight was uneventful, and he met his friend in London right before nightfall. Reb Yitzchok put on the tefillin with intense happiness, thankful to Hashem for giving him the resources to fulfill such a holy mitzvah, despite the odds against him. (From Reb Yosef Weiss, Visions of Greatness p.197) 
          Sometimes in life, we find ourselves in far-flung places; we should know that it is no coincidence. Rather, we must go there to elevate spiritually the holiness which lays there. Good Shabbos Everyone. M. Wolfberg is sponsored by: L'illui Nishmas Aryeh Leib ben Avrohom and Malka bas Tzvi Refuah Shleima to Reb Mordechai Mendel ben Tziporah Yitta  Refuah Shleima to Leah bas Tziporah

This week’s Good Shabbos Story has not arrived yet so I brought down the old one.
A healthy and peaceful Shabbos to all and pray for the people of Yisrael.
Rachamim Pauli