Parsha Mekeitz, stories, Chanucha and news

From Sheldon two Israelis get a pre-Chanucha Miracle down under. Israeli religious singers Benny Elbaz and his son Gad left Sydney’s Lindt’s Café now under siege only moments before it was under siege by one or more Islamic fanatics, COL Live reported. “Several minutes before the kidnapping…, all of our friends left after sitting there and hour and 15 minutes,” Elbaz wrote on Facebook. http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/pre-hanukkah-miracle-for-israel-singer-who-left-cafe-moments-before-siege/2014/12/15/

From 167 BCE a light of freedom against tyrants: http://www.wnd.com/2014/12/light-of-the-jews-still-defies-todays-tyrants/?cat_orig=world

Parsha Mekeitz

Last week’s Parsha started off with Yosef’s Dream. Every dream contains some nonsense and the fact that his mother was bowing down unto him when she was dead and buried was that nonsense. The butler squeezing the grapes into Pharaoh’s cup is also nonsense. I am sure he squeezed them elsewhere and strained them. As for the Baker while the Butler appears alive in the dream, he is passive and the birds coming to eat is a sign that he is not alive as they would fear a living person and fly off.

This week we have the nonsense of a skinny cow swallowing a fat cow while the animal is herbivorous. Also ears of grain do not eat ears of grain but rather they are the symbols to interpret the dream(s). In Meseches Berachos it says that an early morning dream or a repeating dream indicates the truth and it is about to happen. 

41:1 And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed: and, behold, he stood by the river.

It came to pass at the end: Heb. מִקֵץ. The Targum renders: מִסוֹף, at the end, and every expression of קֵץ means end. By the Nile: Heb. עַל-הַיְאֹר, lit., by the canal. No other rivers are called יְאוֹרִים except the Nile, because the entire land is covered with many man-made canals (יְאוֹרִים), and the Nile rises in their midst and waters them, for it does not usually rain in Egypt as it does in other countries.

2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, well-favored and fat-fleshed; and they fed in the reed-grass.

Of handsome appearance: This was a symbol of the days of plenty, when creatures appear handsome to one another, for no one envies his fellow. — [from Gen. Rabbah 89:4]

3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean-fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill-favored and lean-fleshed kine did eat up the seven well-favored and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.

Devoured: A sign that all the joy of the plenty will be forgotten during the days of the famine.

5 And he slept and dreamed a second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven ears, thin and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them.

Aand beaten: Heb. וּשְׁדוּפוֹת. hasled(e)s in Old French, burnt up, parched; וּשְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם [in Targum Onkelos], beaten, an expression similar to מַשְׁקוֹף, lintel, which is constantly beaten by the door, which knocks against it.

7 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof; and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

That his spirit was troubled: Heb. וַתִּפָּעֶם [Onkelos renders:] that his spirit was agitated, knocking within him like a bell (כְּפַעִמוֹן) (Tanchuma Buber, Mikeitz 4). Concerning Nebuchadnezzar, however, Scripture says:“and his spirit was agitated (וַתִּתְפָּעֶם)” (Dan. 2:1). There were two [reasons for this] agitation: forgetting the dream and ignorance of its interpretation. — [from Tanchuma Mikeitz 2] The necromancers: Heb. חַרְטֻמֵי, those who would arouse themselves (נֶחֱרִים) with the bones (טִימֵי) of the dead, so that they would [be able to] inquire of the bones. ([The word] טִימֵי means “bones” in Aramaic. In the Mishnah (Oholoth 17:3), we find: A house that was full of “timia,” meaning “full of bones. But no one interpreted them for Pharaoh: They did interpret them, but not for Pharaoh, for their voice did not reach his ears, and he had no satisfaction from their interpretation, for they said, “You will beget seven daughters, and you will bury seven daughters.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 89:6]

Either they were completely ignorant of the dream or afraid of the consequences for misinterpretation.

9 Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying: 'I make mention of my faults this day:

It is not usual for a person to tell is master or boss his past faults but this time it works out well.

10 Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in the ward of the house of the captain of the guard, me and the chief baker. 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

Each one according to the interpretation of his dream: A dream fit for the interpretation that was interpreted for us and similar to it. [I.e., a dream for which the interpretation given was appropriate, and which was similar to that interpretation.]

12 And there was with us there a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

Since a Hebrew, slave or youth could not become a minister, he uses these three terms as Rashi states:

A Hebrew lad, a slave: Cursed are the wicked, for their favors are incomplete. He mentions him with expressions of contempt. A lad: a fool, unfit for a high position; A Hebrew: he does not even understand our language; A slave: and in the statutes of Egypt it is written that a slave may neither reign nor wear princely raiment. — [from Gen. Rabbah 89:7] [For] each [of us]…according to his dream: According to the dream and close to its contents. — [from Ber. 55b]

13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: I was restored unto mine office, and he was hanged.' 14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon. And he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

If he had to be shaved, it seems strange to me that he would be called a youth or lad as only a full grown man would have a full beard. We also see that Yosef when he met his father the time period was that he was 39 which is 17 plus 22. Now this was 9 years after the dream as in 45:11 there is yet 5 more years to the famine. In other words Yosef was 30 and by even the standard of living 147 years, Yosef is not a youth.

15 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard say of thee, that when thou hear a dream thou can interpret it.' 16 And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying: 'It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.'

Not I: Heb. בִּלְעָדָי. The wisdom is not mine, but God will answer. He will put an answer into my mouth that will bring peace to Pharaoh. — [from Targum Onkelos]

Yosef is now making a Kiddush HASHEM and the linkage is important as the Priest Class in Egypt are not slaves. Pharaoh might have learned that he was the crown prince of his father's house giving him added class. For it was not until 7 years later that Yehuda shows his kingship to all and Reuven is ostracized by his father for his silly remark about his own two sons.

17 And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph: 'In my dream, behold, I stood upon the brink of the river. 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat-fleshed and well-favored; and they fed in the reed-grass. 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill-favored and lean-fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness. 20 And the lean and ill-favored kine did eat up the first seven fat kine. 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill-favored as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up upon one stalk, full and good. 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them. 24 And the thin ears swallowed up the seven good ears. And I told it unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.' 25 And Joseph said unto Pharaoh: 'The dream of Pharaoh is one; what God is about to do He hath declared unto Pharaoh. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven lean and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years, and also the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind; they shall be seven years of famine. 28 That is the thing which I spoke unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He hath shown unto Pharaoh.

G-D has chosen your honor, Pharaoh as his instrumental king in preventing a catastrophe of epic proportions.

29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt. 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 and the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine which follows; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice, it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

These good years followed by the horrible years are coming soon that is why the dream repeated twice.

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. 34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven years of plenty. 35 And let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. 36 And the food shall be for a store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.' 37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Pharaoh said unto his servants: 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom the spirit of God is?' 39 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Forasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou.

Yosef advised only to choose a wise man to implement the handling of the crises and was satisfied with that. However, HASHEM had greater plans for Yosef.

40 Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled; only in the throne will I be greater than thou.'

Yosef has become the wise man to implement the fight against the famine.

41 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.'

You are not only the minister in charge but henceforth my second in command and prime minister over all of Mitzrayim.

42 And Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: 'Abrech'; and he set him over all the land of Egypt.

In Egyptian it means bend your knee in Hebrew the same word means a young father and is used for a young man in the Kollel until he is more mature and called Rav or teacher even if he is not a full Rabbi.

44 And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.' 45 And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt.—

The name is like Tzafoon at the Seder table meaning hidden. Paneah is to interpret or interpret the hidden (message of G-D).

46 And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt.--And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. 47 And in the seven years of plenty the earth brought forth in heaps. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Joseph laid up corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until they left off numbering; for it was without number.

The numbering system was not that advanced. When I was working on the Lavi Project we talked about kilo-bytes or 600 kilo-bytes in a personal computer, now we deal with mega-bytes and giga-byte storage and even tera-byte storage. This is in a matter of less than 30 years computer development.

50 And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Poti-phera priest of On bore unto him. 51 And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh: 'for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house.' 52 And the name of the second he called Ephraim: 'for God hath made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.' 53 And the seven years of plenty, that was in the land of Egypt, came to an end. 54 And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said; and there was famine in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians: 'Go unto Joseph; what he says to you, do.' 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine was sore in the land of Egypt. 57 And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn; because the famine was sore in all the earth.

What caused such a famine? Was it a super volcano in the Mediterranean? Whatever the physical cause it was from G-D and Yosef was the man in charge.

42:1 Now Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, and Jacob said unto his sons: 'Why do ye look one upon another?'

What are you stuck like a caterpillar on a cocoon? Do something and be proactive.   

2 And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.'

Reuven’s leadership was not there and perhaps the younger Yehuda did not try to out advise his older brothers or was ignored.

3 And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn from Egypt. 4 But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said: 'Lest peradventure harm befall him.'

We can understand that Yacov wanted to guard the last remnant of his beloved Rachel. Yosef was gone. Little did Yacov know that the brothers upon arriving in Mitzrayim looked all over the markets and slave markets and even houses of male prostitution for Yosef because of his beauty but they could not find him.

5 And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came; for the famine was in the land of Canaan. 6 And Joseph was the governor over the land; he it was that sold to all the people of the land. And Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down to him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly with them; and he said unto them: 'Whence come ye?' And they said: 'From the land of Canaan to buy food.'

Yosef knew supposedly 70 languages per the Medrash and especially Hebrew but he made himself unknown to all behind the façade of a translator.

8 And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew him not. 9 And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed of them, and said unto them: 'Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.'

When they bowed down his memory came back to him but not seeing Benyamin he worried if they did something to him so the inquiry starts.

10 And they said unto him: 'Nay, my lord, but to buy food are thy servants come. 11 We are all one man's sons; we are upright men, thy servants are no spies.' 12 And he said unto them: 'Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come.' 13 And they said: 'We thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and, behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not.' 14 And Joseph said unto them: 'That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies. 15 Hereby ye shall be proved, as Pharaoh lives, ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be bound, that your words may be proved, whether there be truth in you; or else, as Pharaoh lives, surely ye are spies.' 17 And he put them all together into ward three days. 18 And Joseph said unto them the third day. 'This do, and live; for I fear God:

I believe that they kept him in the pit for 3 days and that is why he did measure for measure. This is not vengeance but Chessed as if they get punished in this world, they are relieved of punishment in the next.

19 if ye be upright men, let one of your brethren be bound in your prison-house; but go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses; 20 and bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die.' And they did so. 21 And they said one to another: 'We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us.'

They are sure now that this is from HASHEM as they confess and do not know that Yosef understands them.

22 And Reuben answered them, saying: 'Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore also, behold, his blood is required.'

You did not listen to your older brother and have made a wreck out of your father for your actions now we all must pay the piper.

 23 And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for the interpreter was between them. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and he returned to them, and spoke to them, and took Simeon from among them, and bound him before their eyes.

In case he did not know that hot-headed Shimon was the culprit he knew from their accusing looks and perhaps even hot words at him.

25 Then Joseph commanded to fill their vessels with corn, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus was it done unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with their corn, and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the lodging-place, he espied his money; and, behold, it was in the mouth of his sack. 28 And he said unto his brethren: 'My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack.' And their heart failed them, and they turned trembling one to another, saying: 'What is this that God hath done unto us?'

Now they were scared half out of their wits. What will happen even if we return we will be accused of being thieves and sold for thievery? Is this out fate for our past actions?

29 And they came unto Jacob their father unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that had befallen them, saying: 30 'The man, the lord of the land, spoke roughly with us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him: We are upright men; we are no spies. 32 We are twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan. 33 And the man, the lord of the land, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are upright men: leave one of your brethren with me, and take corn for the famine of your houses, and go your way. 34 And bring your youngest brother unto me; then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are upright men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.' 35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Jacob their father said unto them: 'Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is not, and Simeon is not, and ye will take Benjamin away; upon me are all these things come.'

I was clever enough to withstand Esav and the biggest cheat Lavan and you country bumpkins can’t withstand the legal system in Mitzrayim!

37 And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying: 'Thou shalt slay my two sons, if I bring him not to thee; deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him back to thee.' 38 And he said: 'My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he only is left; if harm befall him by the way in which ye go, then will ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.

Reuven instead of showing leadership shows more recklessness before his father. Aren’t his children a continuation of Yacov? If Yacov slays them it is like he killed off all his generations. Reuven is not assuring anything.

43:1 And the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, that their father said unto them: 'Go again, buy us a little food.'

Corn in old English is not American Maize but means grain. They had not much left in the way of grain to eat or plant.

3 And Judah spoke unto him, saying: 'The man did earnestly forewarn us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food; 5 but if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you.' 6 And Israel said: 'Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?' 7 And they said: 'The man asked straitly concerning ourselves, and concerning our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words; could we in any wise know that he would say: Bring your brother down?'

You are really bumpkins not only did you make the man take Benyamin down there but are you trying to kill me with your actions and lack of restraint in your language.

8 And Judah said unto Israel his father: 'Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live, and not die, both we, and thou, and also our little ones.

Let’s face facts if Benyamin does not go down with us we will all die.

9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him; if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame forever.

Yehuda was a big Yeras Shamayim and he would guarantee his place in the next world if he failed to bring back Benyamin was good enough for Yacov for the original logic was still not enough but Olam HaBa was the language that Yacov understood.

10 For except we had lingered, surely we had now returned a second time.' 11 And their father Israel said unto them: 'If it be so now, do this: take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spicery and ladanum, nuts, and almonds;

This is the same perfume that the Yishmaelim were selling when they went down to Egypt. I hope the photo comes out as I am not so good with word or if it will come out in my blogspot. Purple flowers and a wonderful smell. This was taken of my neighbor’s plant.

12 and take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks carry back in your hand; peradventure it was an oversight;

The first order of business is to be up front about the money as if you are straight hopefully ELOKIM will guide you and keep you from harm.

13 take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man; 14 and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may release unto you your other brother and Benjamin. And as for me, if I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.'

This theme is repeated in different words by Esther: 4:16 'Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast in like manner; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.’

15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph. 16 And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the steward of his house: 'Bring the men into the house, and kill the beasts, and prepare the meat; for the men shall dine with me at noon.' 17 And the man did as Joseph bade; and the man brought the men into Joseph's house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said: 'Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.'

Now they were sore afraid for surely he must be thinking that they took his money.

19 And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they spoke unto him at the door of the house, 20 and said: 'Oh my lord, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food. 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the lodging-place, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it back in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hand to buy food. We know not who put our money in our sacks.'

They are showing this Prime Minister who knows the hidden that they are honest and straight forward with him so that they will not be seized.

23 And he said: 'Peace be to you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks; I had your money.' And he brought Simeon out unto them.

He honors and fears KAIL SHAKKAI the ELOKIM of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yacov so they must figure that he had a dream like Pharaoh had when Sara was there so they have less to fear.

24 And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Joseph's coming at noon; for they heard that they should eat bread there. 26 And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed down to him to the earth. 27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said: 'Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?' 28 And they said: 'Thy servant our father is well, he is yet alive.' And they bowed the head, and made obeisance.

These Yokels did not dawn upon themselves why he asks these questions or did they think this Egyptian Diplomatic curtesy?

29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother's son, and said: 'Is this your youngest brother of whom ye spoke unto me?' And he said: 'God be gracious unto thee, my son.'

He set is eye on Benyamin above them. Is if for homosexuality? Is it for them being honest with him? They are lax and happy at this time.

30 And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned toward his brother; and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and came out; and he refrained himself, and said: 'Set on bread.'

They had no idea that it was disgusting for an Egyptian to eat at the same table with these characters but with his power his servants did not want to lose their heads over this for questioning him.

32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians, that did eat with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

Hebrews eat lamb and their god was a sheep this is scandalous.

33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one with another. 34 And portions were taken unto them from before him; but Benjamin's portion was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank, and were merry with him.

He spoke through an interpreter and feigned divination with his cup. He also tested if they would be jealous of Benyamin or had they learned their lesson?

44:1 And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: 'Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2 And put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money.' And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and were not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward: 'Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my lord drinks, and whereby he indeed divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.' 6 And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these words. 7 And they said unto him: 'Wherefore speaks my lord such words as these? Far be it from thy servants that they should do such a thing. 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought back unto thee out of the land of Canaan; how then should we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen.'

You country hicks did you not learn anything from grandpa Lavan about tricks and cheating? If you got your money back the last time isn’t it possible that you were framed and did you not learn anything from Rachel dying because of the Teraphim and Yacov’s statement?

10 And he said: 'Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my bondman; and ye shall be blameless.'

They were not careful with their words and now they have fallen into the trap.

11 Then they hastened, and took down every man his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, beginning at the eldest, and leaving off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Benjamin's sack.

So that they would not suspect anything for if he searched Benyamin first they might suspect some trick.

13 And they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city. 14 And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house, and he was yet there; and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Joseph said unto them: 'What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine?'

Sometimes I feel like saying that you should know instead of know ye, but my job is not to modernize the better translation and modern English in the newer JPS version which costs money so I use this antiquated free-bee from the internet. I do try to modernize things when the spell check hits the word for example and the brothers marveled came with two L’s. On one hand they cannot fight the whole of Egypt but on the other hand they cannot destroy their father so they have returned.

Now for the crushing blow. This man’s mother stole a Teraphim from his grandfather he is the son of thief and has become one himself! Yosef makes the statement which floors them all. They have no more wind in their sails. Yet Yehuda is the guarantor of Benyamin and the same man who suggested selling Yosef into slavery. Is his repentance complete now?

16 And Judah said: 'What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's bondmen, both we, and he also in whose hand the cup is found.'

A king must take responsibility for his actions of persuading his father to send Benyamin and he has the buck stop by him. [Note he did not blame Reuven or George W. Bush for this occurrence but takes the helm come what may.]

17 And he said: 'Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.'

Yehuda is put to this last and final test by Yosef and how will he react?

Our Rabbis when they divided up the weekly Sedra broke at this point so that the reader or Synagogue listener attendee would come back next week to see what happens to Benyamin. Will the brothers leave him or will they plea for him. Is he to become another Yosef after all he is a ben Rachel or is he a full brother?

The Ninth Flame by R’ Yerachmiel Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=890-13

"Tonight we have performed a miracle greater than the miracle of Chanukah. We have lit a flame more powerful than the Chanukah lights." As heard from a Holocaust survivor, who was an eleven-year-old child in the camps. Today Rabbi Simon Jacobson Shlita is 81 years old and living in the United States.

Chanukah 1944. Auschwitz.

It was exactly 70 years ago. Time moves very quickly and very slowly for me. 70 years ago is both like yesterday and like a 1000 years ago. Those horrible days are frozen moments that never go away. Yet they are also very distant and apart - from another universe, another era.

I will never forget the last Chanukah in the barracks. Most of us were so consumed with scrapping together any morsel while avoiding the attention of the guards that we had no inkling which day in the year it was. Especially in those last weeks before the liberation, the Nazis were particularly unpredictable and cruel, and the chaos only made matters worse.

Yet there were a few who always knew the exact dates. They would tell the rest of us that today is Shabbos, Pesach and other significant days.

On this particular day a man would tell me that it was Chanukah.

That morning I went to the infirmary to try smuggling out some balm - anything to help relieve my father's open sores. His disease - I am not sure whether it was Typhus or some other cursed ailment - was eating his body away, and whenever I could sneak over to see him I would see him silently struggling for some relief. As a child I was completely overcome by the sight of my suffering father. That particular day, when I finally snuck over to my father's bunk - if you could even call it that, it was more like a cattle pen - he was no longer there. I became frantic.

An older gentleman, who I did not know but I often saw talking to my father, came over to console me. He too did not know when my father was taken - to this day I don't know if it was the disease or a Nazi bullet that took my father to heaven - but his was a calming presence.

He told me that today was Chanukah and we celebrate the victory of the few weak over the many powerful oppressors. We light the candles to demonstrate that our light is stronger than any darkness. Your father would be very proud to know that you carry on his light despite the blackness around us.

I was so moved by his words - and all the memories it brought back from my earlier years in Lodz - that I suggested to him enthusiastically that we should light the menorah tonight. He sort of smiled to me the child - a smile hardly concealing his deep anguish - and said that it would be too dangerous to try. I insisted and made off to get some machine oil from the factory.

I was so excited. And for this brief moment I was able to put aside my grief. I slowly made my way back, so not to be noticed, to the barrack with my treasured bit of oil. Meanwhile the strange gentleman had put together some wicks, apparently from clothing or some other material.

Now we needed fire to light our makeshift menorah. I noticed at the end of one building smoldering cinders.

We agreed that we would wait till dusk and at an opportune moment we would light our Chanukah lights. Wait we did. As we were walking over to the cinders a guard, one of the especially ruthless ones, noticed us and grabbed away the oil and wicks we were concealing. He began cursing and frothing at us. A miracle seemed to happen when his superior barked some command that apparently needed his participation, and he ran off with our precious fuel.

The miracle however was short-lived. The animal yelled back at us that he will soon return to "take care of us."

I was terrified. The gentleman was absolutely serene. And then he said to me - words that are etched into my every fiber until this very day:

"Tonight we have performed a miracle greater than the miracle of Chanukah. We have lit a flame more powerful than the Chanukah lights.

"The miracle of Chanukah consisted of finding one crucible of oil, which miraculously burned for eight days. Tonight we performed an even greater miracle: We lit the ninth invisible candle even when we had no oil…

"Make no mistake. We did light the Menorah tonight. We did everything in our possible power to kindle the flames, and every effort is recognized by G-d. G-d knows that we were deprived by forces that were not in our control, so in some deeper way we lit the Menorah.

"We have lit the ninth flame - the most powerful one of all, so powerful that you can't even see it."
The man then promised me: "You will get out of here alive. And when you do take this ninth invisible flame with you and let it go free. Let it fly like a bird.

"Tell G-d that as great as His miracle of Chanukah was, we performed an even greater miracle: We lit a candle even when we had no oil.

"Tell the world - show them the light that has emerged even from the darkest of darkness. We had no physical oil and no spiritual oil. We were wretched creatures, treated worse than animals. Yet, we in some miraculous way we found a 'crucible' where none existed - in the hell fires of Auschwitz.

"The fires of Auschwitz annihilated not just a Temple. They burnt to ashes the people themselves. In the Temple's destruction the Divine wrath was released on 'the wood and the stones.' Here they have consumed our lives.

"So there was no oil. Not even defiled oil. No oil, period. Yet we still lit a flame - a flame fueled by the pits of darkness. We never gave up.

"Let the world know that our ninth flame is alive and shining.

"Tell every person in despair that the flame never goes out."

As he finished these last words, the Nazi beast returned and viciously led him away behind one of the barracks…

I made my escape. A few weeks later the Russians arrived and we were liberated.

Here I am today to tell you the story of the ninth flame.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Source: From a Chanukah e-mailing ({wisdomreb@meaningfullife.com} of Rabbi Simon Jacobson. Those who read this on-line will realize that this story originally was published precisely 10 years ago.

                                                           

B'H

What is Chanukah?

Chanukah  is an annual eight-day festival beginning on the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev. According to a well founded tradition, this festival was instituted by Judah Maccabee and his followers to commemorate the dedication of the Temple after it had been rescued from the Greeks in 164 B.C.E. (The word Chanukah means dedication). Another explanation of the eight day celebration is a legend connected with a significant part of this dedication ceremony: the kindling of the menorah in the Temple. In the Talmud it is related how, upon entering the Temple, the Hasmoneans discovered that the Greeks had defiled all the Oil for lighting the Menorah except for one cruse. This cruse contained only enough oil to keep the candelabrum burning for one day, but a miracle occurred and the  oil lasted for eight days. In commemoration of this miracle  a festival was instituted to be celebrated by kindling lights for eight days.

And What is Chanukah Today?

In the  prayer that is added in the silent devotion, Al Ha Nissim, the import of the events is stressed and , interestingly enough, the military victory is not stressed. What is underlined is the fact that the priest Mattathias and his sons refused to compromise their religious beliefs or practices. They took a stand and they were able to reestablish the services of the L-rd in the Beth HaMikdash.

What is  Chanukah Today nothing more than a reflection of the same fortitude, the same courage, the same strength of Mattathias and his sons. We respect your religious practices, but they are yours and we have deep regard and devotion to ours. When we light our Menorahs we are kindling new flames of inspiration in the heart of the generation of today from the old fires of devotion and self-sacrifice that warmed the hearts of our great heroes in the past.

"May we all light our Menorahs with pride and devotion and show the world that when it comes to our faith we do not compromise"

 "Wishing You and Yours a Very Beautiful Chanukah"
Love, Yaffa and Family

"PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF ISRAEL (I have never met Yaffa except on the internet but her thoughts are beautiful)

Why do bad things happen to good people a woman talks 24 minutes by Rivka Malka Perlman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKb2sy5-Gyg&feature=youtu.be

The most famous photo of the Six Day War recreated with the oldest man being 90 today: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604783,00.html

Proof of the accuracy of the Bible: http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/jerusalem-discovery-confirms-the-bible/ Sorry no Arabic or Palestinians here!

Eli Yeshai gets OK to split Shass if necessary if Deri is bringing it downhill: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188588#.VIxvrMYcTIU

Just as there are extreme thugs among certain Chassidic Groups so the hot heads in the Sephardic Community go after Eli Yeshai: (Poor Rabbi Mimran Shlita one of the Torah Poskim caught in the middle): http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188717#.VI_9024cTIU

Ed-Op on the left wing Saban Conference and Bookings Institute vs. N. Bennett: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-Fray-Bennett-at-Saban-What-he-should-and-shouldnt-have-said-384425

Israelis struggle financially. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604849,00.html

From Dr. Harry: Back in 1983, approximately 50 corporations controlled the vast majority of all news media in the United States.  Today, ownership of the news media has been concentrated in the hands of just six incredibly powerful media corporations. These corporate behemoths control most of what we watch, hear and read every single day.  They own television networks, cable channels, movie studios, newspapers, magazines, publishing houses, music labels and even many of our favorite websites. Sadly, most Americans don’t even stop to think about who is feeding them the endless hours of news and entertainment that they constantly ingest.  Most Americans don’t really seem to care about who owns the media.  But they should. The truth is that each of us is deeply influenced by the messages that are constantly being pounded into our heads by the mainstream media.  The average American watches 153 hours of television a month.  In fact, most Americans begin to feel physically uncomfortable if they go too long without watching or listening to something.  Sadly, most Americans have become absolutely addicted to news and entertainment and the ownership of all that news and entertainment that we crave is being concentrated in fewer and fewer hands each year.     

                                                                                  

The six corporations that collectively control U.S. media today are Time Warner, Walt Disney, Viacom, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., CBS Corporation and NBC Universal.  Together, the “big six” absolutely dominate news and entertainment in the United States.  But even those areas of the media that the “big six” do not completely control are becoming increasingly concentrated. For example, Clear Channel now owns over 1000 radio stations across the United States.  Companies like Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are increasingly dominating the Internet.

Inyanay Diyoma

Last week I did not publish about all the possible combinations of political alliances for move votes nor the shooting of over 50 bullets at the Athens Israeli Embassy. Greeks blame far left group: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188593#.VIxnEsYcTIU

We have a Halacha about marrying a captive woman with full rights or setting her free as written in Ki Sisa and that is with limitations on the man – today that Mitzvah is basically null and void. ISIS on the other hand has a guide for the rights of a fighter to take sexual slaves. http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ISIS-published-female-sex-slave-handbook-384510

Arab version of a car “accident” under investigation as soldiers escape injury: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinian-car-crashes-into-IDF-outpost-in-West-Bank-384471

The right wing “Extremists” as the left claims is in fact what the voters want an Ed-Op: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4602514,00.html

Acid attack on Friday afternoon injures 7. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4602832,00.html

Hamas hacks into IDF Computers: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188618#.VI1OxcYcTIU

Gail Winston: 3. FIRE IN MOSQUE NR RAMALLAH WAS ELECTRIC HEATER SHORT NOT ARSON http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.631291 From: Yisrael Medad

Israeli firefighters have determined that a fire at a mosque in early November was an electrical fire, rather than an act of arson as was previously believed. Overnight on November 12, Palestinians in the village of Mughayer, close to Ramallah, noticed that the village Mosque had gone up in flames. Locals claimed that the mosque had been set ablaze by arsonists from a nearby Jewish settlement. Both Israeli police and firefighters arrived on the scene to investigate. Firefighters found no traces of flammable materials or liquids, nor was any racist graffiti found at the scene. The electric fire is believed to have been caused by a space heater. The second floor of the mosque suffered extensive damage.

An Arab prince denounces Islamism by Daniel Pipes (thanks to Gail Winston)

In a remarkable but thus far unnoticed address on Dec. 5,Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, the crown prince of Bahrain (an island kingdom in the Persian Gulf and home to the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet), candidly analyzed the Islamist enemy and suggested important ways to fight it.

He has much to teach Westerners (starting with his hapless U.K. counterpart, Crown Prince Charles), if only we would listen. Yes, some Western leaders speak about confronting the Islamist ideology, but the majority avoids this issue by resorting to euphemism, obfuscation, and cowardice. Most frustrating are those leaders (like Tony Blair) who deliver powerful speeches without follow-through.

Prince Salman, 45 and widely acknowledged to be the Bahraini royal family’s principal reformer, opens his remarks by addressing the inaccuracy of the phrase, “War on Terror.” The time has come, he says “for us to get rid of” a term that dates back to 9/11. “It is a bit misleading, it is not the entirety and the totality of our conflict” but merely a “tool” and a tactic.

He goes on in flawless English to place the current conflict in historical context: “If I think back in the last century, we faced a very different foe. We faced communism and we faced it together. But when we faced communism we understood it as an ideology. Terrorism is not an ideology.”

He notes that “we are not only fighting terrorists, we are fighting theocrats.” As Salman uses this term, theocrats are men “placed at the top of a religious ideology who [have] the power by religious edict to strip someone … of their hereafter — and use [religious power] for political gains.” They are also tyrants, isolationists, and misogynists who will need to be fought “for a very long time.” He scorns them for being “very much like the seventeenth century” and having “no place in our modern 21st” century.

He urges us “to discard the term ‘War on Terror’ and focus instead on the real threat, which is the rise of these evil theocracies”; to this end, he proposes to replace “War on Terror” with his formulation: a “War on Theocrats.” This concept, he hopes, will make it possible to “start to put together the military, social, and political — and maybe even economic — policies in a holistic manner to counter this, as we did with communism.” In perhaps the outstanding line of the speech, he states that “it is the ideology itself that must be combatted. It must be named, it must be shamed, it must be contained, and eventually it must be defeated.”

So far, perfect. But Salman avoids the bitter reality that the “twisted” and “barbaric” ideology he describes is specifically Islamic and the theocrats are all Muslim: “This war that we are engaged in cannot be against Islam, … Christianity, … Judaism, … Buddhism.” So, when naming this ideology, Salman dithers and generalizes. He proffers an inept neologism (“theo-crism”), then harkens back to World War II for “fascist theocracy.” He implicitly rejects “Islamism,” saying he does not want a “debate about certain political parties, whether they’re Islamist or not.”

I submit that Islamism is precisely the term he seeks for the enemy ideology; and we are engaged in a “War on Islamism.” Salman understands the problem well — the transformation of Islam into a totalitarian ideology. But he seeks refuge in the pretense that Christianity, Judaism, and Buddhism all share this affliction. Better that he — and other forthright Muslims — accept the ineluctable reality that Islam alone contains a totalitarian temptation.

On the positive side, Salman’s remarks fit into a growing trend among Muslim politicians directly to confront the Islamist danger. Two recent examples:

§  In an important conceptual breakthrough, the nearby United Arab Emirates government has placed the Council on American-Islamic Relations and many other nonviolent groups on its terrorism list on the grounds that they engage in incitement, funding, and the other precursors of terrorism.

§  The government of Egypt issued an Interpol arrest bulletin for Yusuf al-Qaradawi, 88, the hugely influential spiritual leader of the Muslim Brotherhood, for “incitement and assistance to commit intentional murder, helping … prisoners to escape, arson, vandalism and theft.”

This new tendency has great importance. As I often say, radical Islam is the problem and moderate Islam is the solution. Now, we may add another influential leader, indeed a crown prince, to the ranks of those Muslims who wish to find a solution. Daniel Pipes (DanielPipes.org) is president of the Middle East Forum.

Condense also from Gail: A hypocritical and manipulative Left by Dr. Haim Shine

On Thursday, I entered a taxi cab in Tel Aviv. The friendly driver, a member of the sixth generation of his family to live in the Land of Israel, explained to me that Israelis are currently under assault by a media brainwashing campaign. The Left, which controls the media, is joining hands to oust the Right from power. “We’re not stupid,” the driver said as I paid my fare.

After I got out of the taxi, I told myself that, in a country where taxi drivers have more wisdom than scheming journalists or professors and writers who sign petitions on behalf of those seeking to kill them, there is hope that the general population will survive this hypocritical and manipulative media onslaught.

My own Editorial Opinion: 1) My heart goes out to the people of Australia and Prime Minister Tony Abbott for the horrific Islamic Attack by a person they welcomed with Assulm to their country, my fellow Jews and the whole Nation. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604070,00.html

2) The Israeli Police Raid on the Lehava (flame) Group is part of the leftist rule of silencing the most popular newspaper in the country, the attempted murder twice of Barry Chamish for exposing the truth about the assassination of PM Yitzchak Rabin (He showed me the hospital report “GSW abdominal cavity” (not gunshot wound from Yigal Amir into the back!)

The leftist Arutz 2 TV News had an interview last night with the head of the group. My translation, “They offered the arrested boys after sleep depuration and other forms of Shin Bet tactics offering money and no trial to arrest Ben Zion the group leader, the arrested boys refused to sign anything.” I wonder how value is their “confession” to the burning of the kindergarten as it was under extreme duress. I have never heard the leader nor the ten arrested call for violence. I wonder what this has to do with coming election. Burn the Reichstag and throw out your enemies. I am a little fry and have condemned the burning of the Gan. Silencing a group is not a solution in a democratic society it is like Turkey closing a Newspaper and TV Station in the last few days. We live in sick times and it will take the Moshiach to set Justice Straight (Then you will not wonder why so many of the high society and in crowd did not make it through the war of Gog and Magog. Tehillim 24:3 Who shall ascend into the mountain of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place? 4 He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart; who hath not taken My name in vain, and hath not sworn deceitfully.5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188713 Related story: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Analysis-Erdogans-regime-becoming-more-dictatorship-than-democracy-384895

Surprise-Surprise Obama about to team up with Moscow and Iran to help Dictator Assad! Remember “Tell your boss after the election”. http://debka.com/article/24296/Is-Obama-ready-for-an-about-face-to-recognize-Assad-Will-Syria-provide-the-strike-force-against-ISIS- I have been saying for years leave Assad alone and I like him much weaker now with a much smaller Air Force and Chemical Arsenal.

See the map in this area as ISIS essentially controls 45 KM on the Israeli Border as the “good” rebels switch to ISIS leaving Israel and Yarden exposed to the danger of attack from American Trained Enemies. Right now they are more for taking over Syria but they have larger ambitions: http://debka.com/article/24301/Syrian-rebel-Yarmouk-Brigades-ditch-US-and-Israel-allies-defect-to-ISIS

From Sheldon and Israeli News Family honor or commit suicide to honor Islam: http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/tel-aviv-suicide-bomb-plot-foiled/2014/12/15/

What did the fellow do wrong all he did was throw (an) explosive device(s) at the IDF! http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604047,00.html

Hezballah catches “spy”??? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604618,00.html

1)    Israeli Police Dept. the Israeli version of Eric Holder covering up terrorism: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188757#.VJHBkJscTIU

2)     The Israeli Police Dept. might not be corrupt but inept as they arrest the defender: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604783,00.html

EU removes Hamas from the terrorist list. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604665,00.html

EU votes for a Palestinian State http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604845,00.html

After the terrorist attack in Australia there was the attack in Pakistan killing 132 Muslim School Children out of the 141 dead and 124 injured most of whom were children. And in Yemen 16 Muslim School Girls dead out of 26 dead in a terrorist attack. Even if we could understand Sunni vs. Shia murders can we understand this internal inferno of murders making no logical or military sense? Here is an Ed-Op called When Jihad turns into Genocide: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4604601,00.html

US eases restrictions on Cuba a lesson that misbehavior pays off with Obama: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188778#.VJG_ZpscTIU

EU is appeasing again and appeasement only leads to war: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Israel-severely-rebuked-internationally-as-PM-warns-spirit-of-appeasement-blowing-through-Europe-385001

Hamas holds a large military exercise: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188813

UN move by the PLO will facilitate a Hamas take over and no more: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Netanyahu-Palestinian-move-at-UN-will-lead-to-Hamas-takeover-in-West-Bank-385107

Did the Mossad accomplish the impossible? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4605201,00.html

The left’s attempt to silence the right wing group fails in court they are freed: The police crackdown didn't stop at Lehava - on Thursday the Jerusalem offices of former MK Dr. Michael Ben-Ari's Otzma Yehudit party were raided by police, who made the outlandish claim that they were a front for Lehava. "On false pretenses, and to make up for the severe criticism being levied at them, they decided that the best move was to come into our offices and interfere with the organization of an election event for our party," said Ben-Ari. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188834#.VJOmI_ABg SO WHO RUNS THE POLICE IN ISRAEL???

I will give you one guess who is reconstructing terror tunnels with Israeli cement paid by the US and EU? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4605504,00.html

G-D in the Army of Yisrael the biggest threat! Commander targeted by the Left and perhaps Likud. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188847

Stop apologizing and be firm like the Maccabees. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188821#.VJPqn_ABg

Kurds score a big victory in Iraq: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/188853#.VJPrl_ABg

Had Ben Gurion done this it would have positively shaped the course of history then and today Bethlehem and Chevron: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4605192,00.html

Now for M. Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story “Good Times”

 Good Shabbos Everyone.  As we prepare for Chanukah, let us meditate on one of the central themes of this joyous chag:  Nes Gadol Hayah Sham - "a great miracle happened there."   Chanukah is the celebration of the victory of the few over the many.  On Chanukah we remember that it is the hand of Hashem which caused us to be victorious then.  Let us then tell the following amazing true story which illustrates how the hand of Hashem guides the lives of Jews.
         Even before war clouds thickened over eastern Europe in the pre-Nazi years, it became common for Jews in the besieged countries -- tired of pogroms, poverty, and despair --to send children to the United States, where opportunities for a better life beckoned.
         From the early 1900s on, parents scrimped their rubles to pay for the long and arduous voyage of their sons and daughters, who traveled alone aboard unseaworthy vessels that offered inhuman conditions and an uncertain fate. Since tickets for each treacherous journey cost a small fortune and exacted a heavy toll on the destitute families, parents often chose to ship their children to America one by one rather than sending them all at once.
         But it was always their hope and dream that all the children would eventually reach the American haven, where they would be joined later by their parents. In the interim, they would stay with relatives who would care for them and help them wait, sometimes for months or years. And sometimes the longed-for reunions never took place at all. Anya Gold was the chosen one in her family. She was the eldest of eight, and in 1930 her Polish parents told her it was time to go. They had saved just enough money for one ticket, and had decided that Anya would be the first child to leave. They would all soon join her, they said. Growing up in Baltimore under the sheltering wing of an affectionate aunt, Anya waited for her family to arrive. But they never did. It took years for the family to accumulate enough money for another fare, and by then they had been caught in Hitler's web.
         In Baltimore, over the years, Anya had received the occasional letter from Poland recounting family news and milestones -- her siblings' bar mitzvahs, their marriages, the births of grandchildren.
         She awaited these letters eagerly and savored each one. And then the letters came no more. Anya feared the worst, but it was only after the war that she was able to conclusively determine her family's fate. A few stray survivors from her hometown in Poland who trickled into Baltimore in the late 1940s brought the news she had both known and dreaded to hear: Her entire family had been wiped out. They had all perished in the camps. It was hard to go on afterwards, but even the survivors began to rebuild their lives.
         Her family's memory burned in her mind, heart, and soul, but Anya knew that the best way for her to commemorate their legacy was by creating one herself. She would marry and have many children, she vowed. And each would carry one of her siblings' names. Anya did indeed marry a wonderful man named Sol, and their life together was almost idyllic. They were truly soul mates, and their love ran deep. They longed for children -- flesh of their flesh, blood of their blood -- but in this one area, they were thwarted. It was the only thorn in their otherwise perfect union. They were childless.
         After many years of trying, of seeking help from specialists the world over, Anya and Sol confronted the reality of their situation. "Would you want to adopt?" Anya asked Sol one day in a tentative voice. Anya had considered this option for a long time, but inwardly she had rebelled. She didn't want to raise someone else's children. She wanted to cradle her own newborn in her arms. She couldn't imagine that she would feel the same way about an adopted child. Still, there seemed no other recourse. They were never going to have children of their own, the doctors had pronounced -- a death knell to their hopes and dreams. Her husband was more certain.
         "Yes, let's adopt," he urged. They contacted a Jewish agency in New York and were told that an infant had just been given up for adoption by its teenage mother. They traveled to New York with growing excitement, but when they arrived their hopes were dashed. The flustered agency official stammered an apology.
         "I'm so sorry," she said, "but the grandmother has decided to raise the baby, after all." Had their trip to New York been a total waste? "You know," the agency official remarked, "I do have a wonderful little girl named Miriam who is in desperate need of a home." Miriam was adorable and endearing, but she was already eight years old. Although Anya and Sol reluctantly agreed to meet the child, and were captivated by her sweet appeal, they couldn't quite come to terms with her age.
         "I really wanted a child young enough to know me as its only mother," Anya explained. "I want a newborn to cradle in my arms." "I understand," the agency official said. "But Miriam has really been through a lot in her short lifetime, and could really use a loving home." "Sorry, but no," Anya said, with regret.
         A year passed with no prospects. Anya had contacted many agencies across the United States, but an infant was increasingly difficult to find. All the while, Anya's intense longing for a child consumed her being -- a hungry and hollow ache.
         "You know," she mused to her husband one day, "maybe we were too quick to dismiss adopting Miriam. She was really an exceptionally appealing child. Something about her actually tugged at my heartstrings in a special way." Sol looked at her thoughtfully. "It's been a full year," he said. "Do you think she's still available?" She was, the agency official told them over the phone. "Not too many people want a nine-year-old," she explained mournfully, "So, yes, she's still available... "But there's a complication," she added. "Her little brother has been found in Europe and has joined her in our Home for War Orphans. The siblings are inseparable, and we've promised them that they'll be adopted together. Would you consider two?"
         Back in New York, Anya and Sol met the siblings and once again, Anya felt drawn to Miriam's sweet demeanor. Her six-year-old brother Moishe was adorable, too. Anya and Sol looked at each other silently, telegraphing their mental agreement. Let's do it!
         Back in Baltimore, Anya shepherded the two children across the threshold into their new home, and they glanced at the furnishings with eyes of wonder. Little Moishe was shy and restrained, but Miriam was adventurous and curious, and she moved around the living room excitedly, touching the knickknacks and curios that adorned the mantels and tables. Suddenly, she stopped short in front of the piano and her face went white. She pointed to a photograph. In a tight and strained voice, Miriam asked, "Why do you have a picture of my bubbe (grandmother) on your piano?" "What?" Anya asked, confused. "My babbe. Why is my bubbe's picture on your piano?"
         Anya stared at the portrait of her deceased mother. What in heaven's name was the little girl talking about? Miriam ran to the lone piece of luggage she had brought with her from the orphanage.
         From a battered pouch, she retrieved a faded photo and brought it to Anya's side. "See," she said, pointing. "I have the same picture, too. My bubbe." "My mother," Anya whispered almost inaudibly. "Do you want to see a picture of my mommy? " Miriam asked. She raced to the luggage to retrieve another photograph. "Do you want to see what she looked like?"
         She handed Anya a picture of someone she knew very well. "Sarah!" Anya screamed, as her knees buckled beneath her. "How do you know my mother's name?" the child asked in confusion. Unknowingly, Anya had adopted the two orphaned children of her dead sister, Sarah. They were flesh of her flesh, blood of her blood. They were... her own.  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   In memory of  Tziporah Yita (Wienshienk) bas Reb Lipa , Erev Chanukah 5723

Chanucha Samayach and have a good month of Teves and Shabbat Shalom,

Rachamim Pauli