On Monday
night I added two names of people to pray for in two different ICU’s in Israel
and on Tuesday both had passed on. It is a great Mitzvah to visit and pray for
the people who are ill. For this weekend only! Hodayah bat Orna
This week’s issue is dedicated to
the soul of my father Felix ben Yitzchak Z”L who passed away 46 years ago.
Quotations:
This week a certain extreme sector of the Charedi Community rioted when two
Yeshiva Boys refused to even go to an induction center to register to get their
exemption. 45 or 50 more were arrested. My grandson, Noam, a Yeshiva student
himself, said: “Very good they deserve it for not following the law.” I replied
that if I was Prime Minister I would make sure that they had a choice a minimum
of 5 years in the slammer and at first solitary confinement for a few days
before going before a judge or immediate induction into the army. If they have
time to riot and demonstrate instead of being in the Yeshiva they have time to
battle the enemy.
Parsha Yisro
This is the Parsha where Yisro makes a Kiddush HASHEM Now I
know that the LORD is greater than all gods. But the main event in our
Parsha which tops the splitting of the sea in the last Parsha is the voice of
the L-RD on Mount Sinai being heard round the world in the first two
commandments and then Moshe receiving the rest of the Assera Debros
(Decalogue).
Yisro gave Moshe perhaps the best advice given in the Torah if not
in the Tanach by a human. That is to delegate authority. Moshe delegates
authority to people to become leaders in Torah from the Heder Rebbe type of 10
people to 50 to like the Head Master of the school or even adults to a 100 or
more and further on to 1000 etc. up to the Sanhedrin.
18:1 Now
Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had
done for Moses, and for Israel His people, how that the LORD had brought Israel
out of Egypt.
How did Yisro hear? In those days traders would go from city to
city and pass along the news much like bloggers do today only face to face and
messages were exchanged via these traders. Usually they had goods that people
needed so they met in the market place. Rachav and the people of Yericho also
heard this way and wore sore afraid.
2 And
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after he had sent her
away, 3 and her two sons; of whom the name of the one was Gershom; for he said:
'I have been a stranger in a strange land';
Ger means stranger and a Ger Tzeddek means a stranger who has
become righteous. Moshe therefore named his son Gershom. We do see that Yisro
does love Moshe as a son for earlier read of the “daughters of Yisro”. If we
assume that he married off all of them, only Moshe had remained to attend his
flocks for Moshe came from without and had no home other than Yisro to take his
wife. This is what we sometimes say at a wedding “You are not losing a daughter
– you are gaining a son”. It does not always work that way.
4 and the
name of the other was Eliezer: 'for the God of my father was my help, and
delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh.' 5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law,
came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness where he was
encamped, at the mount of God; 6 and he said unto Moses: 'I thy father-in-law
Jethro am coming unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.' 7 And Moses
went out to meet his father-in-law, and bowed down and kissed him; and they
asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
The way this is written is that he was most welcomed by Moshe.
This is the proper way for in-laws to behave. However, parents should keep
their distance and let the next generation run their own lives whether for
better or for worse as they are adults and nobody likes a meddling in-law in
their affairs. We can advise our own children but only to a certain point as
they must keep their Shalom Beis with their spouse over everything. Yisro was a
priest and therefore a leader and wise of council. The Medrash has him as an advisor
to Pharaoh along with Iyob and Bilaam when the astrologers saw that a redeemer
would come unto the Bnei Yisrael.
8 And
Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the
Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the travail that had come upon them by the
way, and how the LORD delivered them.
Yisro delighted in hearing the miracles that had occurred to the
Bnei Yisrael and the DIVINE Justice melted out on the Egyptians. He heard of
the splitting of the sea and the total defeat of the Egyptian Army by HASHEM
alone.
9 And
Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, in that
He had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said:
'Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians,
and out of the hand of Pharaoh; who hath delivered the people from under the
hand of the Egyptians.
He acknowledged what HASHEM had done and make a Bracha. A similar
Bracha is made when we pass Kfar Ben Nun or Beit Horon in Eretz Yisrael where
miracles have occurred in the past.
11 Now I
know that the LORD is greater than all gods; yea, for that they dealt proudly
against them.'
This is a big Kiddush HASHEM which he does and acknowledges. For
he had studied all the various religions and sought after the truth all his
life. Midian also came from Avraham and is listed as a ben Ketura.
Now I know: I
recognized Him in the past, but now [I recognize Him] even more. — [from
Mechilta] Than all
the deities: This teaches us that he
[Jethro] was knowledgeable about every type of idolatry in the world, and there
was no pagan deity that he did not worship. — [from Mechilta] For with the thing that they plotted, [He came] upon them: Heb.
זָדוּ. [To be explained] according to its
[Aramaic] translation. [Onkelos renders: For with the thing that the Egyptians
plotted to judge Israel, with that He judged them.] With water, they planned to
destroy them, and they [themselves] were destroyed with water. That they plotted: That they planned wickedly.
Our Rabbis, however, interpreted it [זָדוּ]
as an expression related to “Now Jacob cooked (וַיָזֶר)”
(Gen. 25:29) [and thus to infer that] in the very pot in which they cooked,
they themselves were cooked. [from Sotah 11a]
12 And
Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; and
Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses'
father-in-law before God.
Kashrus question: Could they eat with Yisro and could he offer up
a sacrifice to HASHEM in the presence of the Bnei Yisrael? We can either explain it as being outside of
the camp of Yisrael and certainly it was before the revelation on Har Sinai so
the laws of the Torah except some semblance of Shabbos with the Mann and
Pessach/Rosh Chodesh was in place.
Burnt offering[s]:
Heb. עֹלָה.
As its apparent meaning, because it [the offering] was completely (כֻּלָּה) burned [on the altar And [peace] offerings: Peace
offerings. And Aaron
came: And where did Moses go? [Why is he
not mentioned here as partaking of the feast?] He was standing and serving
them. — [from Mechilta, Jonathan] Before God:
From here [we learn] that if one
derives pleasure from a feast at which Torah scholars are seated, it is as if
he has derived pleasure from the splendor of the Shechinah. — [from Ber. 64a,
Mechilta]
Note last week it is mentioned Miriam, the sister of Aaron. Rashi
says there is because Aaron is going to become great and the Cohain Gadol.
13 And it
came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people
stood about Moses from the morning unto the evening. 14 And when Moses'
father-in-law saw all that he did to the people, he said: 'What is this thing
that thou do to the people? Why do you sit by yourself alone, and all the people
stand about thee from morning unto even?' 15 And Moses said unto his
father-in-law: 'Because the people come unto me to inquire of God; 16 when they
have a matter, it cometh unto me; and I judge between a man and his neighbor,
and I make them know the statutes of God, and His laws.' 17 And Moses'
father-in-law said unto him: 'The thing that thou do is not good. 18 You will
surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee; for the thing
is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it yourself alone. 19
Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God be with thee: be
thou for the people before God, and bring thou the causes unto God. 20 And thou
shalt teach them the statutes and the laws, and shalt show them the way wherein
they must walk, and the work that they must do. 21 Moreover thou shalt provide
out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating unjust
gain; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds,
rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
The Judge has to be fair, impartial and not interested in taking a
bribe. Judges therefore cannot judge relatives except a parent over his
children fighting and even then you might have one with a reputation for
instigating but it just might be the other this time.
22 And
let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be, that every great
matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge
themselves; so shall they make it easier for thee and bear the burden with
thee. 23 If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt
be able to endure, and all this people also shall go to their place in peace.'
24 So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he
had said. 25 And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads
over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties,
and rulers of tens. 26 And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard
causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
27 And Moses let his father-in-law depart; and he went his way into his own
land.
Only after he departed would the Bnei Yisrael receive the Torah as
it is “Between ME and the Bnei Yisrael” some of it does apply to Goyim but most
not. We will however be their priests
19:1 In the third month after the children of
Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into
the wilderness of Sinai. 2 And when they were departed from Rephidim, and were
come to the wilderness of Sinai, they encamped in the wilderness; and there
Israel encamped before the mount.
Now we will see Moshe going up and
down the mountain three times as he prepares the nation to receive the Torah.
3 And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD
called unto him out of the mountain, saying: 'Thus shalt thou say to the house
of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: 4 Ye have seen what I did unto the
Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto Myself. 5
Now therefore, if ye will hearken unto My voice indeed, and keep My covenant,
then ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples; for all the earth is
Mine; 6 and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation. These
are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.'
We will receive this wonderful
treasure called Torah and we will be priests unto the Goyim.
7 And Moses came and called for the elders of
the people, and set before them all these words which the LORD commanded him. 8
And all the people answered together, and said: 'All that the LORD hath spoken
we will do.' And Moses reported the words of the people unto the LORD. 9 And
the LORD said unto Moses: 'Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the
people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe thee forever.' And
Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD. 10 And the LORD said unto
Moses: 'Go unto the people, and sanctify them to-day and to-morrow, and let
them wash their garments, 11 and be ready against the third day; for the third
day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
The people are to wear their
finest and be ready with clean garments on the third day.
12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people
round about, saying: Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount,
or touch the border of it; whosoever touches the mount shall be surely put to
death;
Most likely he will die at the
hand of the L-RD like the strange fire with the death of the two sons of Aaron written
in Sefer Vayikra.
13 no hand shall touch him, but he shall
surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live;
when the ram's horn sounds long, they shall come up to the mount.'
However, just a Zar (stranger aka
non Cohain) cannot offer a Korban without the pain of death so too here.
14 And Moses went down from the mount unto the
people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their garments. 15 And he
said unto the people: 'Be ready against the third day; come not near a woman.'
It is interesting that Rashi knew
from our sages what we know from microscopes today that the sperm can live
within a woman for three days and if not received by the egg is expunged by the
womb.
Be ready for three days: For the end of three days.
That is the fourth day, for Moses added one day of his own volition. This is
the view of Rabbi Jose [who says that the Torah was given on the seventh of
Sivan]. According to the one who says that the Ten Commandments were given on
the sixth of the month, however, Moses did not add anything, and “for three
days” has the same meaning as “for the third day.” [from Shab. 87a] Do not go near a woman: [to have intimacy with her]
for all these three days [of preparation], in order that the women may immerse
themselves on the third day and be pure to receive the Torah. If they have
intercourse within the three days, the woman could [involuntarily] emit semen
after her immersion and become unclean again. After three days have elapsed
[since intercourse], however, the semen has already become putrid and is no
longer capable of fertilization, so it is pure from contaminating the [woman]
who emits it. — [from Shab. 86a]
16 And it came to pass on the third day, when
it was morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon
the mount, and the voice of a horn exceeding loud; and all the people that were
in the camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to
meet God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount. 18 Now mount Sinai
was altogether on smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the
smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked
greatly. 19 And when the voice of the horn waxed louder and louder, Moses
spoke, and God answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon mount
Sinai, to the top of the mount; and the LORD called Moses to the top of the
mount; and Moses went up. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Go down, charge the
people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22 And let the priests also, that come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves,
lest the LORD break forth upon them.' 23 And Moses said unto the LORD: 'The
people cannot come up to mount Sinai; for thou didst charge us, saying: Set
bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.' 24 And the LORD said unto him: 'Go,
get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee; but let not
the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest He
break forth upon them.' 25 So Moses went down unto the people, and told them.
20:1 And God spoke all these words, saying: 2
I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the
house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 3 Thou shalt not
make unto thee a graven image, nor any manner of likeness, of anything that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth; 4 thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the
children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; 5 and
showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My
commandments. 6 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for
the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
These first Commandments given set
the rules for understanding and behaving toward out L-RD G-D and the love or
punishment for behaving and misbehaving. This is the verbal Torah and Moshe
will come down to detail it in the Oral Torah.
7 Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 8
Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 9 but the seventh day is a Sabbath
unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy
cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; 10 for in six days the LORD
made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the
seventh day; wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
Remember:
Heb. זָכוֹר [The words] “remember (זָכוֹר)” and “keep (שָׁמוֹר)” (Deut. 5:12) were
pronounced with one utterance. Similarly [the statements], “Those who profane
it shall be put to death” (Exod. 31:14) and “And on the Sabbath day, two lambs”
(Num. 28:9) [were said in one utterance], and similarly, “You shall not wear
shaatnez,” and “You shall make tzitzith for yourself” (Deut. 22:11, 12).
Similarly, [the phrases] “The nakedness of your brother’s wife [you shall not
uncover]” (Lev. 18:16), [and] “Her brother-in-law shall come in to her” (Deut.
25:5) [were said in one utterance]. This [occurrence of God saying two phrases
simultaneously in one utterance] is the meaning of what is said: “God spoke one
thing, I heard two” (Ps. 62:12) (Mechilta). [The word] זָכוֹר
is in the פָּעוֹל form, an expression
of ongoing action, like “[Let us engage in] eating and drinking אָכוֹל וְשָׁתוֹ) )” (Isa. 22:13), [and] “walking and
weeping הָלוֹ וָּבָכֹה)
)” (II Sam. 3:16), and this is its interpretation: Pay attention to always
remember the Sabbath day, so that if you chance upon a beautiful thing, you
shall prepare it for the Sabbath (Mechilta).
This day is holy unto you. You and
your family and even the Ger who visits you will enjoy the holiness and the
pleasure of the day. However, only you and the Ger Tzeddek can have an extra
Neshama, the Yechida which is bound directly to HASHEM as Shabbos is “between
ME and the Bnei Yisrael” forever. If you observe you will be at peace with
yourself and your family will be at peace. If you violate it, your soul will be
restless and strife will occur. Guard the Shabbos is written in Devarim but
here it is to remember the Shabbos. How do we remember? Sunday is Rishon for
the coming Shabbos and Monday is the second day counting towards the next
Shabbos. We do this through our purchase of food or clothing for the Shabbos.
The observance of Torah is our life and length of our days.
11 Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy
days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
It is a natural law and those who
don’t observe it when they are young often get a boomerang when they have their
own children. This is the first of the five commandments of the Decalogue between
man and man which is on the second tablet that was given to Moshe some are
plain moral logic and the last is more a fence to prevent you from being like
Saddam Hussein to kill his loyal general to take his wife or property which was
done later on by Achav with Nadav in Sefer Melachim.
12 Thou shalt not murder.
Yes there are people that anger
you so much or have done such wrongs to you that you feel like it so the Torah
has to emphasize it. The same with some of the other commandments on the tablet
where the Yetzer is strong.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not
steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. 13 Thou shalt
not covet thy neighbor’s house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife, nor
his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing
that is thy neighbor’s.
It might be that your neighbor’s
wife has youth, strength and a figure with intelligence but she is personality
wise a wicked witch and as loyal as Potiphar’s wife so don’t be jealous the
grass is not as green as it appears on the other side and the neighbor’s Volvo
and his Mercedes are both in the garage every week for something is breaking
down. Remember everybody has a mission in life and his mission is not your
mission and vice versa.
14 And all the people perceived the
thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain
smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. 15 And
they said unto Moses: 'Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak
with us, lest we die.' 16 And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear not; for God is
come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.' 17
And the people stood afar off; but Moses drew near unto the thick darkness
where God was. 18 And the LORD said unto Moses: Thus thou shalt say unto the
children of Israel: Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from
heaven. 19 Ye shall not make with Me--gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall
not make unto you. 20 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me, and shalt
sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and
thine oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come
unto thee and bless thee. 21 And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt
not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast
profaned it.
The Altar shall be of natural
stone the legend has it that it was cut by the Shamir which could have been an
acid or laser like reflected light on the rock. Or did they use the NAME to
make a Mizbayach rock?
22 Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto Mine
altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.
The Cohanim will have
undergarments under their robes and not ascend like the Scots or the Arabs.
A Shabbat in
the Park by Rabbi Y. Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=897-20
"Rose, my child, remember: G-d is watching over you
every step of the way. Don't forget who you are!"
In the early part of the 20th
century, before WWI, a young girl stood near her father on the quay of a Polish
harbor, a steamer trunk at her feet. Out of her nine siblings, twelve-year-old
Rose was the child chosen to be sent to the "golden land," America.
Life in Poland was hard, hunger a constant visitor in her home. After much
scraping and pinching, her family saved enough for a single one-way ticket to
the United States. And Rose, the youngest of the nine, was the lucky one chosen
to go.
Her father hoisted the trunk on
his shoulder and walked silently, his coattails flapping behind him. Rose could
see the effort he was making to keep his emotions in check. The weight of
living was apparent on the lines of his face, in the burning sadness of his
wise eyes, and in the gray in his beard. His back, however, was ramrod
straight, in seeming defiance of his tribulations.
With an involuntary sight, her
father dropped the trunk on the deck and turned to his daughter. A gray head
bent over an upturned innocent face, as the father gazed deep into his
daughter's unclouded eyes. He felt an urge to scream, to protest the cruelty of
fate. How he longed to snatch Rose back home, to hold her as he had held her
when she was a mere infant. Instead, he laid a trembling hand on her cheek.
"Rose, my child, remember:
G-d is watching over you every step of the way. Remember His laws and keep them
well. Never forget that more than the Jews have kept the Shabbat, the Shabbat
has kept the Jews. It will be hard in the new land. Don't forget who you are.
Keep the Shabbat - no matter what sacrifice you must make."
Rose buried her face in the
scratchiness of her father's coat, her slender arms wrapped tightly around him
as if to anchor herself to all that was familiar in Poland. Tatte gave another
heaving sigh. His straight shoulders bent over his daughter as his tears
mingled with hers. A blast from the ship tore the two apart. Tatte bent
down and hugged Rose again, squeezing the breath out of her in a hug meant to
last a lifetime. Then he turned and walked down the gangplank, a stooped man,
finally defeated by life's hardships. As the ship steamed away from the shtetl
life of Poland, a fresh sea wind blew on the passengers preparing to start life
anew.
For Rose, the journey was
crammed with questions and uncertainly. Would her relatives really extend a
welcome to her, or was she to be all alone in the new land? How frightening was
the thought of a new life without her loved ones. As the ship made its entrance
into New York harbor, the passengers stood plastered against the railing,
shouting and clapping as they saw the "new land." Rose stood aside,
shy and unsure. Would the new land fulfill its promise of hope, freedom, and
riches? Would her relatives meet her here - or was she now homeless?
Rose did not have long to worry.
Her relatives were waiting for her, solicitous of their "greenhorn"
cousin. She was soon safely ensconced in their home.
Life in America was new and
strange. Polish mannerisms were quickly shed - along with religion. Modesty,
keeping kosher, and Torah were abandoned, together with the outmoded clothing
and accent. Rose's relatives insisted religion was "old-fashioned":
an unnecessary accessory in America. Rose, however, never forgot her father's
parting words. She put on the new clothes her relatives gave her, cut her hair
to suit the fashion, but never gave up on the Shabbat.
With her mature appearance and
demeanor, it was not long before Rose found a job as a sewing machine operator.
But what would she do about Shabbat?
Every week without fail, Rose devised
a new excuse for her boss to explain why she did not come to work on Saturday.
One week she had a toothache, another week her stomach bothered her. After
three weeks, the foreman grew wise. He called her over. "Rose," he
said in a tone that indicated he had only her welfare in mind. "I like
your work, and I like you. But this Shabbat business has got to stop. Either
you come in this Saturday, or you can look for a new job."
Upon hearing this development,
Rose's relatives were adamant. Work on Shabbat, she must. They applied
pressure; they cajoled, pleaded, and enticed. Rose felt like a leaf caught
between heavy gusts of wind, pushed and pulled with no weight or life of its
own. She was so young and vulnerable. She wanted to please her relatives. But her
father's words kept echoing in her head. What should she do?
The week passed in a daze for
Rose. Her emotions were in turmoil. On the one hand, Tatte is not here
to help me be strong. I do want to please my new friends. I want friends. I
want to fit into this new land, she reasoned. And then just as quickly came
another thought: On the other hand, how can I forget Shabbat? How can I give up
the beauty Tatte taught me?
"Rose, sweetheart, listen
to us. It's for your own good." On and on went her relatives, until Rose's
determination wavered.
On Friday, Rose walked to work,
lunch bag in hand and head stooped in thought. She sat at her machine
throughout the day, listening to the humming of the other machines as she
absentmindedly went about her job of mass-producing. Would it be so awful to do
this tomorrow as well? Decision time was nearing.
Whirr, bzzz, hirrr, bzzz. The machine kept tune to Rose's troubled thoughts. What
should she do - or was the question, what could she do? As the sun slipped over
the parapets of the Lower East Side, Rose knew there was really no question.
She was Jewish, and she would keep the Shabbat.
Shabbat in America was not the
warm day Rose had known at home. This week was the worst yet. She lacked the
courage to face her relatives and tell them of her resolve. Instead, she left
the house in the morning, pretending to be headed for work. Back and forth
through the streets of Manhattan she paced.
Later in the day, she rested in
Tompkin's Square Park, together with the city pigeons. "Tatte, this
song is for you," she whispered. The pigeons ruffled their feathers. "Yonah
matza bo manoach" ("On it [the Shabbat] the dove found
rest."). There she sat among the pigeons, singing the traditional Shabbat
songs, with tears in her eyes and sobs between the verses.
When three stars finally peeked
out from the black sky announcing the end of Shabbat, the moon shone down on a
weary girl and bather her face in its glow. Rose had triumphed, but her victory
would cost her dearly. She had no job and had alienated her family.
"Baruch HaMavdil…" (the blessing said upon the departure of the Shabbat).
It was the time to face the hardness of the world. Rose trudged homeward,
dreading the nasty scene to come when her relatives learned that she hadn't
been at work.
As she neared home, a shout
broke into her reverie. "Rose! What…what…I mean, how are you here? Where
were you?"
Rose looked at her cousin Joe,
her expression woebegone.
"Joe, what will become of
me? I kept Shabbat and lost my job. Now everyone will be angry and disappointed
with me, and oh, Joe, what will I do?" The words tumbled out together with
her tears.
Joe looked at her strangely.
"Rose, didn't you hear?" he asked gently.
"Hear what?"
"There was an awful fire in
the factory. Only forty people survived. There was no way out of the building.
People even jumped to their deaths." Joe's voice was hushed, and he was
crying openly. "Rosie, don't you see? Because you kept Shabbat, you are
alive. Because of your Shabbat, you survived."
Out of 190
workers, Rose Goldstein was among the minority of those who survived. The
infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire on Saturday, March 25, 1911, claimed
the lives of 146 immigrant workers present. Because it had been Shabbat, Rose
Goldstein was not there. As her father
had said, more than the Jews keep the Shabbat, the Shabbat keeps the Jews.
Non-Jewish Love Story and
Personal Victory thanks to Chaim B.
Subject: The victory of Annie Glenn, John Glenn's wife ....John
Glenn's wife
> The victory of Annie Glenn, Wife of John Glenn.
>
> ONE OF THE NICER STORIES of THIS ERA.
>
> For half a century, the world has applauded John
Glenn as a heart-stirring American hero. He lifted the nation's spirits when,
as
> one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was
blasted alone into orbit around the Earth; the enduring affection for him is so
powerful that even now people find themselves misting up at the sight of his face
or the sound of his voice.
>
> But for all these years, Glenn has had a hero of his
own, someone who he has seen display endless courage of a different kind: Annie Glenn.
>
> They have been married for 71 years. He is 93; she
turned 95 on Friday. This weekend there has been news coverage of the 50th
anniversary of Glenn's flight into orbit. We are being reminded that, half a
century down the line, he remains America 's unforgettable hero.
>
> He has never really bought that. Because the heroism
he most cherishes is of a sort that is seldom cheered. It belongs to the person
he has known longer than he has known anyone else in the world.
>
> John Glenn and Annie Castor first knew each other
when -- literally -- they shared a playpen.
>
> In New Concord, Ohio, his parents and hers were
friends. When the families got together, their children played.
>
> John -- the future Marine fighter pilot, the future
test-pilot ace, the future astronaut -- was pure gold from the start. He would
end up having what it took to rise to the absolute pinnacle of American regard
during the space race; imagine what it meant to be the young John Glenn in the
small confines of New Concord.
>
> Three-sport varsity athlete, most admired boy in
town, Mr. Everything. Annie Castor was bright, was caring, was talented, was
generous of spirit. But she could talk only with the most excruciating of difficulty.
It haunted her.
>
> Her stuttering was so severe that it was categorized
as an "85%" disability -- 85% of the time, she could not manage to
make words come out.
>
> When she tried to recite a poem in elementary
school, she was laughed at. She was not able to speak on the telephone. She
could not have a regular conversation with a friend.
>
> And John Glenn loved her. Even as a boy he was wise
enough to understand that people who could not see past her stutter were
missing out on knowing a rare and wonderful girl.
>
> They married on April 6, 1943. As a military wife,
she found that life as she and John moved around the country could be quite
hurtful. She has written: "I can remember some very painful experiences –
especially the ridicule."
>
> In department stores, she would wander unfamiliar
aisles trying to find the right section, embarrassed to attempt to ask the
salesclerks for help. In taxis, she would have to write requests to the driver,
because she couldn't speak the destination out loud. In restaurants, she would point to the items on the menu.
>
> A fine musician, Annie, in every community where she
and John moved, would play the organ in church as a way to make new friends.
She and John had two children; she has written: "Can you imagine living in
the modern world and being afraid to use the telephone? 'Hello' used to be so
hard for me to say. I worried that my children would be injured and need a
doctor. Could I
> somehow find the words to get the information across
on the phone?"
>
> John, as a Marine aviator, flew 59 combat missions
in World War II and 90 during the Korean War. Every time he was deployed, he
and Annie said goodbye the same way. His last words to her before leaving were:
>
> "I'm just going down to the corner store to get
a pack of gum." And, with just the two of them there, she was able to
always reply: "Don't be long."
>
> On that February day in 1962 when the world held its
breath and the Atlas rocket was about to propel him toward space, those were
their words, once again. And in 1998, when, at 77, he went back to space aboard
the shuttle Discovery, it was an understandably tense time for them. What if
something happened to end their life together?
>
> She knew what he would say to her before boarding
the shuttle. He did -- and this time he gave her a present to hold onto: A pack
of gum.
>
> She carried it in a pocket next to her heart until
he was safely home. Many times in her life she attempted various treatments to
cure her stutter. None worked.
>
> But in 1973, she found a doctor in Virginia who ran
an intensive program she and John hoped would help her. She traveled there to enroll
and to give it her best effort. The miracle she and John had always waited for
at last, as miracles will do, arrived. At age 53, she was able to talk fluidly,
and not in brief, anxiety-ridden, agonizing bursts.
>
> John has said that on the first day he heard her
speak to him with confidence and clarity, he dropped to his knees to offer a
prayer of gratitude.
>
> He has written: "I saw Annie's perseverance and
strength through the years and it just made me admire her and love her even
more." He has heard roaring ovations in countries around the globe for his
own valor, but his awe is reserved for Annie, and what she accomplished: "I
don't know if I would have had the courage."
>
> Her voice is so clear and steady now that she
regularly gives public talks. If you are lucky enough to know the Glenn's, the
sight and sound of them bantering and joking with each other and playfully
finishing each others' sentences is something that warms you and makes you
thankful just to be in the same room.
>
> Monday will be the anniversary of the Mercury space
shot, and once again people will remember, and will speak of the heroism of
Glenn the astronaut.
>
> But if you ever find yourself at an event where the
Glenn's are appearing, and you want to see someone so brimming with pride and
love that you may feel your own tears start to well up, wait until the moment
that Annie stands to say a few words to the audience. And as she begins, take a
look at her husband's eyes.
Miracles under fire by Yona Kempinski and Avi Yashar http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/191008#.VNSCUMv9nIU
Adir Ovadia
given citation for taking out three terrorists with his bulldozer while under
fire; religious articles survived 'from heaven.'
Sergeant Adir
Ovadia was given an honorary citation this week for his fearless work
in Operation Protective Edge; he told Arutz Sheva in an
exclusive interview that as he worked under fire to save fellow
soldiers, he also witnessed what he believes to be a miracle.
Ovadia, a
soldier doing his mandatory service in the heavy equipment company of
the IDF combat Engineering Corps' 603 Battalion, was deployed
into Gaza. There, his role included clearing routes to allow Israeli
troops to operate, exposing terrorist tunnels used to attack the IDF, and
locating pits and explosives meant to kill soldiers, with the last goal
being his unit's main mission.
He had just
recently finished a course and begun in his position as a military engineer, a
combat position that he worked hard to get into after first being drafted in a
non-combat role with the Ordnance Corps.
Speaking
about his emotions at being told suddenly that he would be entering
Gaza, Ovadia related "you get filled with energy, all of your blood starts
flowing."
One day
"we heard an explosion," he recalls, telling of how a report came in
of a bulldozer that had been directly hit by an anti-tank missile inside Gaza.
His mission was to open an alternate route to reach the battle zone where the
bulldozer had been struck.
Ovadia drove
his bulldozer first leading his unit towards the damaged vehicle, recalling
"we were stressed out asking 'who are they?', because we knew (the
bulldozer) was from our battalion."
While clearing
the path, Ovadia in his vehicle approached the house that the anti-tank
missile was fired from, and as he advanced gunfire erupted towards him from the
various windows of the building.
"They
started to fire from the first house, which we (eventually) crushed and it
collapsed. We continued working for around two hours under
incessant gunfire, just gunfire and more fire without any stopping,"
he stated. "We destroyed the house with them (the terrorists) inside.
(Then) the shooting stopped."
The three
terrorists inside the house were killed, and in doing so Ovadia and his
commander Tamir Asulin, who was also given an honorary citation, prevented the
threat of more missiles being fired from the structure at Israeli forces.
In situations
like that, when faced with deadly fire, "you don't think about
anything," said Ovadia, noting that the only thing on his mind was
doing his work the best he could so as to provide quiet and stability for the
residents of the south who suffered constant rocket barrages.
Witnessing
miracles
After the
harrowing mission, Ovadia and his crew were sent out of Gaza into the
surrounding staging area. On the way there, Asulin told him "I have
bad news for you, promise me that you won't break down." Ovadia told him
that he wouldn't break, asking him to tell him the news.
"He told
me 'Moshiko (a nickname for Moshe - ed.) is dead. Moshiko was killed.' I
stopped myself," said Ovadia. "I got to the staging area, I saw all
my friends crying on the sand, crying hard. I got out of my vehicle; I
tried to hold it in and not cry but you can't, it's too strong."
But amid the
tragedy Ovadia witnessed what he terms a miracle, as all the belongings of
Moshiko were unharmed, despite having been in the bulldozer that was struck by
a powerful missile that took the soldier's life.
"All of
his things were clean. Nothing was burned. He was a religious man, he was a
believer. In his vehicle were religious texts (a prayerbook - ed.), tefillin
(phylacteries), tzitzit, none of it was damaged. Not even a small bit of them
was burned," Ovadia recounts.
"I looked
at that and I said one thing - this is from heaven what happened here. I was
there in the vehicle with my commander Tamir Asulin, we couldn't believe it, we
were in shock," he noted. "All of the things there, all of the books,
all of the holy things, nothing happened to them. There are even pictures of
it."
Speaking about
the citation, Ovadia acknowledged "it makes me happy, I won't say it
doesn't. This is something that will accompany me my whole life, with this
person (Moshiko - Ed.). It's more for him than for me."
He said he was
sure that his commander, Asulin, would agree that his citation too was for
Moshiko, and that what they did was for him.
Video from the
interview, in Hebrew, can be seen here: (In the article see reference
above)
Was Teva
Noach discovered? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCCeb4NgTQA&feature=youtu.be
Author Joan Peters Passes away! Part 2
How do we defend ourselves &
protect our loved ones? Learn the past. Read (or re-read Joan’s
Book). Learn that this is truly a religious war. They aren’t fighting for
territory. They want to murder Jews because the Koran tells them to. Islam
means ‘submission’ to what is written in their Koran. They are supposed to
follow Mohammed’s examples & he cut off 800 Jewish heads.
When you get what’s in their heads
& hearts, the world will know that the negotiators cannot win “their hearts
& minds”. All we can do is to stand strong, trust in G-d, &
defend Our Jewish country. Our Land, Our People & Our Book are all One.
From our Website: WinstonIsraelInsight.com
of Dec. 7, 2014 THE TRUTH CONCERNING THE ARAB REFUGEES OF
1948 from Joan Peters “From Time Immemorial: Origins of Arab-Jewish Conflict
over Palestine” 1984 St. Martin’s Press
http://emetnews.org/analysis/the-truth-concerning-the-arab-refugees-of-1948.php excerpt from the book “From Time
Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over Palestine”,
written by Joan Peters, 1984, pp, 12-16. The excerpt is an excellent source of
information regarding what really happened in 1948 regarding those Arabs who
left Israel. Be sure to share it with others. Lee Underwood Emet News
Service http://emetnews.org/
The Truth Concerning the Arab Refugees of 1948 [from: Joseph E. Katz]
Although Arab myth tells of Israel driving the Arabs out in 1948, it was their leaders who told them to leave. To this day the Arab nations still refuse to absorb them into the surrounding Arab nations, preferring instead to let them suffer in refugee camps even though most of them were not even alive in 1948.
The people are in great need of a “myth” to fill their
consciousness & imagination…. — Musa Alami, 1948
Since 1948 Arab leaders have approached the Palestine
problem in an irresponsible manner…. they have used the Palestine people for
selfish political purposes. This is ridiculous and, I could say, even criminal.
— King Hussein of Jordan, 1960
Since 1948 it is we who demanded the return of the
refugees… while it is we who made them leave…. We brought disaster upon … Arab
refugees, by inviting them & bringing pressure to bear upon them to leave….
We have rendered them dispossessed…. We have accustomed them to begging…. We
have participated in lowering their moral & social level…. Then we
exploited them in executing crimes of murder, arson, & throwing bombs upon
… men, women & children-all this in the service of political purposes …. —
Khaled Al-Azm, Syria’s Prime Minister after the 1948 war
The nations of western Europe condemned Israel’s
position despite their guarantee of her security…. They understood that … their
dependence upon sources of energy precluded their allowing themselves to incur
Arab wrath. — Al-Haytham Al-Ayubi, Arab Palestinian [sic]
military strategist, 1974
At the time of the 1948 war, Arabs in Israel were
invited by their fellow Arabs — invited to “leave” while the “invading” Arab
armies would purge the land of Jews.[1] The
invading Arab governments were certain of a quick victory; leaders warned the
Arabs in Israel to run for their lives.[2]
In response, the Jewish Haifa Workers’ Council issued
an appeal to the Arab residents of Haifa: [See
Official British Police Report ]
For years we have lived together in our city, Haifa….
Do not fear: Do not destroy your homes with your own hands … do not bring upon
yourself tragedy by unnecessary evacuation & self-imposed burdens…. But in
this city, yours & ours, Haifa, the gates are open for work, for life,
& for peace for you & your families.”[3]
While the Haifa pattern appears to have been prevalent,
there were exceptions. Arabs in another crucial strategic area, who were
“opening fire on the Israelis shortly after surrendering,”[4] were
“forced” to leave by the defending Jewish army to prevent what former Israeli
Premier Itzhak Rabin described as a “hostile & armed populace” from
remaining “in our rear, where it could endanger the supply route …”[5] In
his memoirs, Rabin stated that Arab control of the road between
the seacoast & Jerusalem had “all but isolated” the “more than ninety thousand Jews in Jerusalem,”
nearly one-sixth of the new nation’s total population.
If Jerusalem fell, the psychological blow to the
nascent Jewish state would be more damaging than any inflicted by a score of
armed brigades.[6]
According to a research report by the Arab-sponsored
Institute for Palestine Studies in Beirut, however, “the majority” of the Arab
refugees in 1948 were not expelled, & “68%” left without
seeing an Israeli soldier.[7]
TO
BE CONTINUED AND CONCLUDED NEXT WEEK WITH THE REFERENCES.
The road between Arad and Lahavim Junction, road 31, has become
horrible a narrow road due to construction instead of working on a few miles
the whole stretch has for a number of years been turned into bumper to bumper
driving at times. However there are spaces where the road speed is higher. 70
people have died in the last few years. 8 Bedouin women were killed when a
semi-trailer with a wide load drove on the road and chopped into the bus they
were on. 73 Orphans from that accident.
Seventh
Police Commander out of 15 accused of misbehavior. Chief of Beer Sheva too.
Something is rotten in the Police.
Petition
to ban the MK who supports Hamas and rode on the ship to ram the blockade of
Gaza: From the Party that I am backing came the petition and it is being
supported by all groups by the left Labor Party. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190991#.VNQ79i5RfHU
Inyanay Diyoma
IDF stops
knifing and grenade attacks: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190722
It was
not only Israel but with the CIA: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190727#.VM0PyMscTIU
Netanyahu
does not want security escalation because: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621205,00.html
From
Martin Sherman - he calls them out like they should be called out. Bibi is no
Tzaddik but these two!!! http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-fray-The-demise-of-Israeli-patriotism-389454
Nazrallah
via Iran threatens Israel over Syrian presence: http://debka.com/article/24371/Nasrallah-to-Israel-Accept-“the-mix-of-Lebanese-and-Iranian-blood-on-Syrian-soil-in-Quneitra”-or-face-war
Egypt
bombs suspected terrorists lairs after the attack on Friday: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Egyptian-military-bombing-Islamist-terror-bases-in-Sinai-after-deadly-attacks-389555
Israel
knew of the terror threat from tunnels and the politicians did nothing! But is
he any better to wait until he runs to be an MK? http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israel-knew-about-about-the-Gaza-tunnel-threat-but-did-nothing-about-it-389561
In 2012 Bibi backed Romney now it is time
to pay the piper: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2015/01/28/obama-allegedly-deploys-hit-team-to-israel-to-defeat-netanyahu-in-election/ From
Gail: “A U.S. State Department funded group is financing an Israeli
campaign to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, & has
hired formed Obama aides to help with its grassroots organizing efforts.
“U.S.-based
activist group OneVoice International has partnered with V15, an ‘independent
grassroots movement’ in Israel that is actively opposing Netanyahu’s party in
the upcoming elections, Ha’aretz reported on Monday. Former national
field director for President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign Jeremy Bird is
also reportedly involved in the effort.
“OneVoice
development & grants officer Christina Taler said the group would be
working with V15 on voter registration & get-out-the-vote efforts but would
not engage in overtly partisan activities. She said OneVoice & V15 are
still formalizing the partnership.
While V15
has not endorsed any particular candidates, it is working to oppose Netanyahu in the March
elections.
“’We’ve
formed a partnership with [V15], but it’s important to know we’re absolutely
nonpartisan,’ Taler told the Washington Free Beacon. ‘Our biggest emphasis &
focus right now is just getting people out to vote.’ “OneVoice said in a
press release on Tuesday that it is teaming up with V15 because Israel ‘need[s]
a prime minister & a government who will be responsive to the people.”’http://freebeacon.com/national-security/state-department-funded-group-bankrolling-anti-bibi-campaign/
…“Steinberg
pointed out that American taxpayer funds have been used for similarly
politically-charged projects in the recent past. In 2012, USAID, the US’s
largest provider of foreign assistance, donated millions of dollars to Israeli NGOs through the
‘Peace & Reconciliation Program,’ which included support for the so-called
“Geneva Initiative” – another grassroots project pressuring the Israeli
government to make concessions to the Palestinians.
“’After public exposure, the funding was discontinued,’ Steinberg
said.” (Emphasis added) http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/01/28/ngo-monitor-head-slams-use-of-american-taxpayer-funds-to-finance-anti-netanyahu-campaign/
Fire
Bombers one dead and one captured: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190734#.VM09mcscTIU
From Gail
written by Dore Gold on Iranian expansion while Obama sleeps: Indeed, the most dramatic demonstration of Iranian intervention that occurred this
year was the fall of Sana’a, the capital of Yemen, to Iranian-backed Shiite
rebels from the Houthi clan. According to an account in the Saudi-owned Asharq
Alawsat, on Jan. 19, among the demands of the Houthi rebels to the Yemeni
president was that they be given control of Bab al-Mandab, the strategic naval
choke-point through which oil tankers carrying three to four million barrels
per day move from the Indian Ocean to the Red Sea & on to world markets.
While this conflict began as a local war, the Houthi demands exposed a clearly
Iranian agenda to gain control of the most important sea lanes that are vital
to the global economy.
It is
no wonder that a member of the Iranian Parliament who is close to Ayatollah
Khamenei defiantly declared not long ago that "three Arab capitals have
already fallen into Iran's hands," hinting that a fourth capital, namely
Sana’a, was on the way. For those in the West who are still in a state of denial
about the Iranian role in these insurgency wars, in late January, Khamenei's
personal representative to the Guard's Quds Force, Ali Shirazi, openly
admitted: "The
Islamic Republic directly supports the Houthis in Yemen, Hezb’Allah in Lebanon,
& the popular forces in Syria & Iraq."
… If a future agreement
between the P-5+1 & Iran will not seriously scale back Iran's nuclear
infrastructure, then how is it to make the world more secure? How will the
agreement make it difficult for Iran to eject the inspectors of the International
Atomic Energy Agency, as did North Korea, & race to complete an atomic
bomb? In his new book, "World
Order,' Kissinger writes that in the U.S. there are those who apparently
believe that the nuclear negotiations between Washington & Tehran are
transforming the relationship between the two & that this change will
compensate the West for abandoning its past policies on Iran's nuclear program.
They rely on a new Iranian foreign policy of "mutual acceptance"
emerging as a result of the negotiating process.
From Gail an article by Ruthie Blum
condensed:
"The massacre of
two-thirds of European Jewry, that is, over six million Jews, would have
required industrial equipment on an extensive scale -- but the number of
crematoria erected for incinerating the bodies would have barely sufficed for
incinerating the bodies of those who died from viral diseases. No one ever saw
a single one of the thousands of trucks it was claimed were used in burning the
bodies. …
"No report by any
Western or other intelligence agency prior to the end of World War II about
widespread massacre of Jews exists. All these claims were made only after the
war, & by the winning side."
Iran's plan to succeed
where the Nazis failed, by exterminating the collective Jew, in the form of the
Jewish state, is no secret, other than maybe to the Obama administration. Its
ability to do so is being enhanced by the minute.
Finally from Gail: How Europe & the US subvert Israel’s
sovereignty By Vic Rosenthal
One
of the most infuriating things about the struggle to keep a sovereign Jewish
state is the degree of interference in its affairs by Western governments &
interests — which are, with very few exceptions, anti-Israel in practice if not
in word.
The
Obama Administration has recently expressed its anger that Israel’s PM
Netanyahu wants to ‘interfere in its affairs’ by accepting an invitation
to speak to Congress on the subject of Iran. But interference in Israel’s
affairs by Western governments is widespread and, unlike Netanyahu’s proposed
speech, mostly hidden.
For
example, the European Union & individual European states contribute huge
sums of money to
various non-governmental
organizations in Israel which are run & staffed by
anti-Zionist Jewish extremists & Arabs. These organizations, like Adalah,
B’Tselem, Rabbis for Human Rights, Breaking the Silence, etc., along with the
international “human rights” establishment (Human Rights Watch, Amnesty
International, ICRC, & others) create & disseminate propaganda intended
to delegitimize
the state of Israel & criminalize its actions in self-defense.
Many
of these groups work closely with anti-Israel UN forums like the UN Commission
on Human Rights), providing raw data — mostly unsupported allegations from
sources in terrorist organizations like Hamas — which are sanitized & used
to buttress legal & diplomatic warfare against Israel. B’Tselem today is
releasing a
report which accuses the
IDF & Netanyahu government of committing war crimes in Gaza during
Operation Protective Edge this summer.
Europe is joined in funding these
enterprises by the
US government & various foundations in the US, among which the New Israel Fund
(NIF) is prominent.
But
apparently even this isn’t enough. Now a group funded from US & European
sources is mounting an
effort to defeat PM Netanyahu in the coming election.
Ha’aretz
reporter Roi Arad revealed in an article in the Hebrew edition [January 26]
that the foreign funded organization, “One Voice”, is bankrolling the V-2015
campaign to defeat Binyamin Netanyahu’s national camp in the March 2015 Knesset
Elections.
One
indication of the generous financing is that it has now flown in a team of five
American campaign experts (including Jeremy Bird, the Obama campaign’s national
field director) who will run the campaign out of offices taking up the ground
floor of a Tel Aviv office building.
V-2015
is careful not to support a specific party – rather “just not Bibi”. As such,
the foreign funds pouring into the campaign are not subject to Israel’s
campaign finance laws.
I
question the ‘grassroots’ character of a movement that involves a 5-man team of
high-priced professionals including Bird, whose other clients include Hillary
Clinton. & I question the honesty of claiming to be nonpartisan when you
oppose one side in what is essentially a two-sided race.
The One Voice organization has close
connections to the Obama Administration, & it lists the US State Department & the European
Commission as ‘partners‘ (ironically, President Obama
& Secretary of State Kerry refuse to meet with Netanyahu on the grounds
that it would constitute ‘interference’ in Israel’s election!)
It
is reasonable to assume that if the details of this Astroturfing
campaign paid for by elements hostile to the state should become well-known in
Israel that it will backfire. On the other hand, recent revelations of the anti-Zionist
attitudes of several of Labor’s candidates — shocking to naive observers like myself — didn’t
seem to hurt them in the polls.
It
isn’t easy for a story like this to “grow legs” in Israel. All of the TV
& radio broadcasters in Israel & most of the print media — a
significant exception being the “Israel
Hayom” newspaper — lean left &
oppose PM Netanyahu. There is now an attempt in the Knesset (temporarily frozen
due to the upcoming election) to ban free newspapers of a certain size &
frequency of publication. It precisely fits Israel Hayom, of course.
Right-wing
media have had a hard time here. The Arutz 7 radio station was unable to get a
broadcast license, operated as a pirate station for a time, & finally was
given a license by a special act of the Knesset — only to have it taken away by
Israel’s Supreme Court. Now it broadcasts only on the Internet.
As
an American, I thought I was familiar with polarized politics & the extreme
tactics used by the Left to try to stifle free discussion of controversial issues.
But in the US, the Right has managed to develop effective communications
channels, while in even-more-polarized Israel, the Left has maintained its
almost-monopoly on the ‘real’ media.
There
is also a constant din of scandals (corruption, secret recordings, sex, you
name it) that distracts people from the real scandal — the fact that our
enemies are already inside the walls of our city & are trying to manipulate
us into opening its gates.
Analysis
is that the right does not look any more at Netanyahu as Mr. Security with both
the building freeze and the inept handling of the Gaza War and now with
Hezballah: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621306,00.html
Jerusalem
Post’s guide to Israeli Politics taken before Eli Yeshai (Symbol Tzade Chaf
Soffit – pure in Hebrew) entered the race: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Politics-The-insiders-guide-for-the-politically-perplexed-389449
Brit Hume tells Obama to put on his big boy pants and man up to
meet Netanyahu but we shall see below towards the end a deep analysis on how he
is undermining the Israeli Election. He was wrong on Egypt, Libya, pulling out
of Iraq and not striking Assad before ISIS moved in and now he botches up
things in Israel for the people are not fools and the right will get more
votes. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190749#.VM3i78scTIU
Arieh
Deri is ruining the Shass Party according it the founder: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190746#.VM3kmMscTIU
Besides Islamists in Britain there are your old fashioned
anti-Semites going to rally: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621370,00.html
Israel
doesn’t need a second Oslo: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190781#.VM5vMMscTIU
Expect a
4th operation in the Gaza Strip and a 3rd in Lebanon: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621448,00.html
It is
important to hear what Netanyahu knows says Bill O’Reilly. He says that
Americans should listen to what Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has to say to
Congress: Contrary to remarks by other network figures, Fox's Bill O'Reilly
tells viewers, "I want to hear what Netanyahu has to say on Iran" •
Fox News political correspondent Chris Stirewalt says White House response to
Netanyahu invite was "too cute." – condensed from Gail
Ed-Op:
Let the Sunni and Shia extremists fight it out and kill each other in the name
of Allah: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621536,00.html
John
McCain deplores the worst relations from the White House that he has ever seen
in his life and he is no youngster: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190796 Gail
brings down in an article by Caroline Glick the following: The US has also refused to
acknowledge Iran’s control over the Syrian regime, & so denied the basic
fact that through its proxies, Iran is developing a conventional threat against
Israel. For instance, earlier this month, Der Spiegel reported that Iran has
been building a secret nuclear facility in Syria. … Lee Smith raised the reasonable
prospect that it was Iran that assassinated Argentinean prosecutor Alberto
Nisman two weeks ago. Nisman was murdered the night before he was scheduled to
make public the findings of his 10-year investigation into the 1994 bombing of
the AMIA Jewish Center & the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos
Aires. According to Smith, Nisman had proof that Iran had carried out the
terrorist attacks to retaliate against Argentina for abrogating its nuclear
cooperation with Tehran.
From the Golan Heights to Gaza, from Yemen & Iraq to Latin America to Nantanz & Arak, Iran is boldly advancing its nuclear & imperialist agenda. As Charles Krauthammer noted last Friday, the nations of the Middle East allied with the US are sounding the alarm.
From the Golan Heights to Gaza, from Yemen & Iraq to Latin America to Nantanz & Arak, Iran is boldly advancing its nuclear & imperialist agenda. As Charles Krauthammer noted last Friday, the nations of the Middle East allied with the US are sounding the alarm.
From Gail
a Video Clip on Bibi Sitter Political Satire: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=23211 Disclaimer
I have no intention of voting for him in this election as I have previously
stated but I liked it.
From
Gail: Teaching Kindergarten Teachers to defend their pupils: http://www.jewishpress.com/news/breaking-news/efrat-nursery-kindergarten-teachers-learning-self-defense/2015/02/01/
ISIS
murders 70 by knife alone in one month: http://debka.com/article/24373/ISIS-in-full-swing-under-ex-Iraqi-general-70-deaths-in-a-month-on-the-march-in-10-countries
From Gail
an American Employee of Elbit Systems non-Jew killed in Saudi City per family
they say he committed suicide believe what you want: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Employee-of-Israeli-defense-firm-Elbit-subsidiary-mysteriously-dies-in-Saudi-Arabia-389628
Medals
awarded to brave soldiers from Protective Edge: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621951,00.html
The Winds
of War are blowing says Northern OC. http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Expect-many-more-rounds-of-fighting-after-Gaza-war-IDF-Northern-Command-chief-warns-389745
I may
have posted this but the Video Link came from Rabbi A. L. Councilman Daniel
Greenfield discusses anti-Semitism: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpGPzoaNVCU
The search for intelligent life continues this is the Israeli
Experiment. http://www.algemeiner.com/2015/01/29/searching-for-signs-of-intelligent-life-among-israels-leaders/
ISIS had
already murdered the Pilot from Yarden by burning him to death bye-bye female
terrorist and 5 more. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190877#.VNER5i5RfHU
Not so
bad for us: http://debka.com/article/24375/Islamist-State-plots-terror-attacks-inside-Tehran-Hizballah-high-up-killed-in-Damascus-bus-blast
3 French
Soldiers stabbed in Nice defending Jewish Institution: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190872#.VNETCC5RfHU
Hamas
claims to have captured super spy: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Hamas-claims-to-have-captured-senior-collaborator-with-Israel-after-15-years-389853
Guess who
exports arms to Israel enemies give you one guess: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4622592,00.html
King
Abdallah speaks perfect Arabic to ISIS now maybe we should learn this jargon
with Hamas and Hezballah: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4622763,00.html
Old land
mine swept down in the rains to clean area seriously injured a female officer: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190922#.VNJKVsv9nIU
From
Barry Shaw Hamas and Sharia take over University of California Davis: http://www.jihadwatch.org/2015/01/muslim-student-hamas-sharia-law-have-taken-over-uc-davis?utm_source=Jihad+Watch+Daily+Digest&utm_campaign=c5b43274a9-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_ffcbf57bbb-c5b43274a9-123486541 Video: http://www.rightsightings.com/jewish-students-at-u-c-davis-under-attack/
Terrorists
in CA: http://www.bill613.com/news/terror-cell-based-montreal-allegedly-planned-assassinate-jewish-leaders/
From Gail
Iran trying to control the Strait in Yemen but Obama likes them against Al
Qaeda: http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=66275
From Gail
– Bennett accuses Livni of an article she wrote the debate: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190783
Iran
trying to open up a new front in the north: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4623066,00.html
Ed-Op the
world is helpless against the Jihad: In 2013, jihad
killed 17,958 people. In 2014, the death toll jumped to 32,007. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4622782,00.html
Anything
to disrupt dissemination of the truth fire alarm set off to disrupt Israeli
Ambassador: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190932#.VNL1o8v9nIV
Ancient History repeats itself: Over 50 years ago I learned
economics and got a 97 or 98 from my teacher. I still remember the argument
either you buy guns or you buy butter with your budget. If you want both raise
taxes. Israel is running on a 4.5% deficit and the only way to compensate is to
cut the budget or add taxes it is a matter of simple mathematics: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190930#.VNL2UMv9nIU
Ed-Op by
a leftist who attacks both the major parties: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4622874,00.html
67% of
first time voters leaning to the right: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4623074,00.html
The
Holocaust Memorial: Putin was not invited and Obama and Netanyahu did not
attend: http://www.jpost.com/International/Diplomats-Putin-offended-he-wasnt-invited-to-Aushcwitz-memorial-could-hurt-Iran-talks-389997
Editorial
Center-Left commentary backs Netanyahu on the illegal campaign front against
the Likud: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4621930,00.html
Steven L.
asked me for the link regarding the stabbing of the French Soldiers at the
Jewish Center in Nice so here it is: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190872
Al Qaeda
had top leaders killed in Yemen by drone strike: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/190967#.VNNra8v9nIU
Jordan’s
King will get revenge on ISIS and I saw pictures of their air strike which has
since disappeared from the Media: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4623133,00.html Fox did
carry the story of the air raids somehow Israel is withholding: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2015/02/05/jordan-launches-new-airstrikes-after-vowing-harsh-war-on-isis/
Jordan is
weighing the use of ground troops as ISIS is a threat to them and the Saudis
but the inclusion of Iran has the moderate Sunnis very vary of the Coalition: http://debka.com/article/24379/US-coalition-against-ISIS-is-fraying-Gulf-Arab-partners-mull-withdrawal-over-Iran’s-involvement
US boosts
pilot rescue teams: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/191002#.VNSS88v9nIU
Now Matis Wolfberg’s Good Shabbos Story Continues “The exciting
Conclusion” or “Good Yomtif Pontiff Part 2”
Good
Shabbos Everyone. Last week we began telling the amazing true story of
how a fellow lawyer and I were trying desperately to get to Eretz Yisroel in
time for Shabbos. In route to the Holy Land on early Friday morning, our
plane experienced some sort of trouble and we had to make an emergency landing
in Rome.
By about 10 am they fixed the plane, however, by the time we were actually ready to take off, it was about 1:00 p.m. Eretz Yisroel time, and Shabbos was to start just after 4:00 p.m. and the flight was supposed to take about two and a half hours from Rome. The pilot announced that he could not guarantee exactly what time the plane would arrive in Eretz Yisroel, and therefore, anyone who was concerned about arriving in time for Shabbos should consider deplaning and remaining in Rome, although Continental would not take any responsibility for anyone who chose to do so.
Shraga Feivel and I made a "cheshbon" an accounting... We figured that at the worst, we could spend Shabbos the airport in Tel Aviv and at least there we could have kosher food. But staying in Rome would be risky, because we didn't know our way around and we didn't know the language and who knows where we would end up for Shabbos. It seems that our fellow Jewish passengers agreed with us and thankfully, none of them chose to deplane. If they had, our flight would have been even more delayed because it is well known, that a plane will not take off carrying the baggage of a person who is not on the plane (due to security concerns.)
In any case, the plane finally took off and the rest of the flight to Eretz Yisroel was uneventful. We watched the clock carefully. Every minute counted! We ended up landing a few minutes after 4 pm local time, mere minutes before candle lighting. It is important to note that while in America candle lighting is generally at 18 minutes before sundown, the custom in Eretz Yisroel is to light candles even earlier, usually about 30-40 minutes before sundown.
While the airplane was taxiing, I turned on my cell phone and attempted to call a friend in Ashdod, thinking that maybe we could make it close to him in time and walk the rest of the way. Thankfully, he didn't pick up, because there are many closer places than Ashdod to the airport. I called a friend in Yerushalayim and his wife picked up. She was holding the match in her hand ready to light the Shabbos Candles! She told me to forget about Ashdod and to go to Bnai Brak.
Continental was courteous enough to announce that the Shomer Shabbos passengers should be given a preference when exiting the plane. Thankfully most of the passengers obliged. Once off the plane, Shraga Feivel and I hit the ground running, literally. When the security personnel saw me rushing off the plane, they parted like the splitting of the sea.
Anyone who has been to the new airport in Tel Aviv knows that it is a long way from deplaning to the passport control. Shraga Feivel and I both had one carry- on bag. We ran the whole way. Between my panting for breath I kept saying to myself quietly "Shabbos Koydesh" - the "Holy Shabbos." I had had nightmares many times of being stuck somewhere around sundown time before Shabbos, and now, it was really happening. Finally, we made it to the passport control. After a short wait, we made it through.
I told Shraga Feivel that we would have to leave our luggage there because there was no time. He didn't have anything to wear for Shabbos, but I told him that that was the least of our worries. We ran out to the street towards the taxis. I jumped into a waiting taxi but was quickly rebuffed by the driver who chastised me for not waiting in line. (Boy, has Israel changed over the years!) I kept running towards the last taxi in the line of taxis and amazingly, I found just what we needed... an Arab cab driver. It was truly one of the miracles of the day, for it would have been very tricky to drive so close to sundown with a Jewish (non-observant) driver, because he would no doubt have to violate Shabbos to drive away from wherever he would take us.
In short order, Shraga Feivel and I, along with a couple the Benders from Lakewood jumped into the Arab's cab and... what do you know? The Arab cab driver also refused to take us because we didn't wait in line!!! Thankfully, a police officer was there and understood what was happening and he told the cabbie to take us. The driver protested a little more but finally agreed to take us. He drove like a maniac to Bnai Brak, racing against the clock. On the way, I was able to call home to tell my wife what happened. We made it to the Bnai Brak in record time. It took us about 34 minutes from the time we landed to the moment we were standing on the street next to the bridge which leads into Bnai Brak! At first the cabbie didn't want to take dollars, and we had no shekels. Finally he relented and took the dollars. The streets were closed already for Shabbos by then and he let us off by the bridge by the highway across the street from the Coca Cola plant in Bnai Brak.
The streets were full of young people wearing their Shabbos finest. We were an odd sight, carrying our luggage on the street at that time. Initially we planned to walk with the Benders to the Vishnitz area, where they had friends who could put us up for Shabbos. However, on the way, a kindly Bnai Brak resident asked us if we had where to stay. I told him no, and he promptly invited us to stay with him for Shabbos. We accepted and parted ways with the Benders.
We went straight to the apartment of a neighbor so that I could borrow a Bekishe - a Shabbos coat, which I had sent in my luggage under the plane. (My shtreimel and a shtievel I did have, thankfully). The neighbor of our host was surprised to see us carrying what we were carrying at that late hour and I hurried into one of his rooms where I unloaded my "muktzeh" items (forbidding to handle on Shabbos) onto his floor. Among the things I dropped there was a large sum of cash and my passport. It was amazing, here I was emptying my pockets onto the floor of a person I never saw before in my life!
When I went upstairs to our host, I saw that Shraga Feivel was busy trying on the host's Shabbos suit. Miraculously, the suit and even the host's shoes fit. It was also a miracle that our host happened to wear a short suit on Shabbos like Shraga Feivel does.
Still wanting to catch a mikvah that day (it is the custom of Chassidim to go to the mikvah daily, as well as on Erev Shabbos), Shraga Feivel and I walked to a nearby mikvah. We managed to go to the mikvah, then daven mincha and still daven with a minyan Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv! By the time we walked home after davening to the host's house, we were walking on air. We were shaking our heads in disbelief that we had actually made it! It was not exactly the Shabbos we had planned, but we made it! Kiddush had a special meaning that night, and I was very moved by the words I recited over the cup of wine. "And Hashem blessed the seventh day and He sanctified it..."
Besides the fact that we had barely eaten the entire day, we were thankful to be eating a hot Shabbos meal, instead of subsisting on dry bread, potato chips and nosh like the 9 passengers who we later learned were unfortunately left stranded in the airport in Tel Aviv. (Some had waited for their luggage others just couldn't handle the rush...)
We tremendously enjoyed Shabbos in Bnai Brak. Our host's hospitality was unforgettable. When I told him that I would be memorizing the event in my weekly publication, he asked to remain anonymous. On Motzoi Shabbos, I snapped a picture with Shraga Feivel (on the left) and our host. I partially obscured the host's face to protect his identity! (so he shouldn't be inundated with guests for Shabbos!)
Motzoi Shabbos we picked up our bags in the airport. The rest of trip was amazing. We experienced a true spiritual uplifting from the events surrounding that Shabbos. We hope not to descend from the "aliyah" we experienced then. We have told this story this past two weeks in the hope that those who read it will be influenced not to "test it," i.e., to avoid flying so close to Shabbos.
The importance of Shabbos is evidenced by the fact that Shabbos appears in the Ten Commandments, which is the seminal creed of the Jewish people. As we read in this week’s parsha Yisro in the fourth commandment: You shall remember the Shabbos day to make it Holy. Six days you shall workand you shall do all of your labor. But the seventh day is Shabbos forHashem your G-d, you shall not do any work...(Shemos - Exodus20:9) Many people are willing to accept upon themselves the Ten Commandments. However, one who does not keep Shabbos is only observing nine of the Ten Commandments. (Shabbos, Rav Aryeh Kaplan)
The Sages have told us in many places about the greatness of Shabbos. For example, Whoever is careful with Shabbos observance will be forgiven for all of his sins, even idol worship. (Ibid, citing Shabbos 118b) And, Respecting Shabbos is greater than fasting 1000 days. (Ibid., citing Tachuma, Bereishis 3) Also, Whoever takes pleasure in the enjoyment of the Shabbos will be granted all his heart’s desires.(Ibid., citing Shabbos 118b) And, Observing Shabbos is equal to fulfilling all the mitzvahs of the Torah.(Ibid., citing Pesikta) And, Proper observance of just one Shabbos is equal to having observed every Shabbos since the time of Creation. (Ibid., citing Mechilta, Ki-Sisa 31) 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
By about 10 am they fixed the plane, however, by the time we were actually ready to take off, it was about 1:00 p.m. Eretz Yisroel time, and Shabbos was to start just after 4:00 p.m. and the flight was supposed to take about two and a half hours from Rome. The pilot announced that he could not guarantee exactly what time the plane would arrive in Eretz Yisroel, and therefore, anyone who was concerned about arriving in time for Shabbos should consider deplaning and remaining in Rome, although Continental would not take any responsibility for anyone who chose to do so.
Shraga Feivel and I made a "cheshbon" an accounting... We figured that at the worst, we could spend Shabbos the airport in Tel Aviv and at least there we could have kosher food. But staying in Rome would be risky, because we didn't know our way around and we didn't know the language and who knows where we would end up for Shabbos. It seems that our fellow Jewish passengers agreed with us and thankfully, none of them chose to deplane. If they had, our flight would have been even more delayed because it is well known, that a plane will not take off carrying the baggage of a person who is not on the plane (due to security concerns.)
In any case, the plane finally took off and the rest of the flight to Eretz Yisroel was uneventful. We watched the clock carefully. Every minute counted! We ended up landing a few minutes after 4 pm local time, mere minutes before candle lighting. It is important to note that while in America candle lighting is generally at 18 minutes before sundown, the custom in Eretz Yisroel is to light candles even earlier, usually about 30-40 minutes before sundown.
While the airplane was taxiing, I turned on my cell phone and attempted to call a friend in Ashdod, thinking that maybe we could make it close to him in time and walk the rest of the way. Thankfully, he didn't pick up, because there are many closer places than Ashdod to the airport. I called a friend in Yerushalayim and his wife picked up. She was holding the match in her hand ready to light the Shabbos Candles! She told me to forget about Ashdod and to go to Bnai Brak.
Continental was courteous enough to announce that the Shomer Shabbos passengers should be given a preference when exiting the plane. Thankfully most of the passengers obliged. Once off the plane, Shraga Feivel and I hit the ground running, literally. When the security personnel saw me rushing off the plane, they parted like the splitting of the sea.
Anyone who has been to the new airport in Tel Aviv knows that it is a long way from deplaning to the passport control. Shraga Feivel and I both had one carry- on bag. We ran the whole way. Between my panting for breath I kept saying to myself quietly "Shabbos Koydesh" - the "Holy Shabbos." I had had nightmares many times of being stuck somewhere around sundown time before Shabbos, and now, it was really happening. Finally, we made it to the passport control. After a short wait, we made it through.
I told Shraga Feivel that we would have to leave our luggage there because there was no time. He didn't have anything to wear for Shabbos, but I told him that that was the least of our worries. We ran out to the street towards the taxis. I jumped into a waiting taxi but was quickly rebuffed by the driver who chastised me for not waiting in line. (Boy, has Israel changed over the years!) I kept running towards the last taxi in the line of taxis and amazingly, I found just what we needed... an Arab cab driver. It was truly one of the miracles of the day, for it would have been very tricky to drive so close to sundown with a Jewish (non-observant) driver, because he would no doubt have to violate Shabbos to drive away from wherever he would take us.
In short order, Shraga Feivel and I, along with a couple the Benders from Lakewood jumped into the Arab's cab and... what do you know? The Arab cab driver also refused to take us because we didn't wait in line!!! Thankfully, a police officer was there and understood what was happening and he told the cabbie to take us. The driver protested a little more but finally agreed to take us. He drove like a maniac to Bnai Brak, racing against the clock. On the way, I was able to call home to tell my wife what happened. We made it to the Bnai Brak in record time. It took us about 34 minutes from the time we landed to the moment we were standing on the street next to the bridge which leads into Bnai Brak! At first the cabbie didn't want to take dollars, and we had no shekels. Finally he relented and took the dollars. The streets were closed already for Shabbos by then and he let us off by the bridge by the highway across the street from the Coca Cola plant in Bnai Brak.
The streets were full of young people wearing their Shabbos finest. We were an odd sight, carrying our luggage on the street at that time. Initially we planned to walk with the Benders to the Vishnitz area, where they had friends who could put us up for Shabbos. However, on the way, a kindly Bnai Brak resident asked us if we had where to stay. I told him no, and he promptly invited us to stay with him for Shabbos. We accepted and parted ways with the Benders.
We went straight to the apartment of a neighbor so that I could borrow a Bekishe - a Shabbos coat, which I had sent in my luggage under the plane. (My shtreimel and a shtievel I did have, thankfully). The neighbor of our host was surprised to see us carrying what we were carrying at that late hour and I hurried into one of his rooms where I unloaded my "muktzeh" items (forbidding to handle on Shabbos) onto his floor. Among the things I dropped there was a large sum of cash and my passport. It was amazing, here I was emptying my pockets onto the floor of a person I never saw before in my life!
When I went upstairs to our host, I saw that Shraga Feivel was busy trying on the host's Shabbos suit. Miraculously, the suit and even the host's shoes fit. It was also a miracle that our host happened to wear a short suit on Shabbos like Shraga Feivel does.
Still wanting to catch a mikvah that day (it is the custom of Chassidim to go to the mikvah daily, as well as on Erev Shabbos), Shraga Feivel and I walked to a nearby mikvah. We managed to go to the mikvah, then daven mincha and still daven with a minyan Kabbalas Shabbos and Maariv! By the time we walked home after davening to the host's house, we were walking on air. We were shaking our heads in disbelief that we had actually made it! It was not exactly the Shabbos we had planned, but we made it! Kiddush had a special meaning that night, and I was very moved by the words I recited over the cup of wine. "And Hashem blessed the seventh day and He sanctified it..."
Besides the fact that we had barely eaten the entire day, we were thankful to be eating a hot Shabbos meal, instead of subsisting on dry bread, potato chips and nosh like the 9 passengers who we later learned were unfortunately left stranded in the airport in Tel Aviv. (Some had waited for their luggage others just couldn't handle the rush...)
We tremendously enjoyed Shabbos in Bnai Brak. Our host's hospitality was unforgettable. When I told him that I would be memorizing the event in my weekly publication, he asked to remain anonymous. On Motzoi Shabbos, I snapped a picture with Shraga Feivel (on the left) and our host. I partially obscured the host's face to protect his identity! (so he shouldn't be inundated with guests for Shabbos!)
Motzoi Shabbos we picked up our bags in the airport. The rest of trip was amazing. We experienced a true spiritual uplifting from the events surrounding that Shabbos. We hope not to descend from the "aliyah" we experienced then. We have told this story this past two weeks in the hope that those who read it will be influenced not to "test it," i.e., to avoid flying so close to Shabbos.
The importance of Shabbos is evidenced by the fact that Shabbos appears in the Ten Commandments, which is the seminal creed of the Jewish people. As we read in this week’s parsha Yisro in the fourth commandment: You shall remember the Shabbos day to make it Holy. Six days you shall workand you shall do all of your labor. But the seventh day is Shabbos forHashem your G-d, you shall not do any work...(Shemos - Exodus20:9) Many people are willing to accept upon themselves the Ten Commandments. However, one who does not keep Shabbos is only observing nine of the Ten Commandments. (Shabbos, Rav Aryeh Kaplan)
The Sages have told us in many places about the greatness of Shabbos. For example, Whoever is careful with Shabbos observance will be forgiven for all of his sins, even idol worship. (Ibid, citing Shabbos 118b) And, Respecting Shabbos is greater than fasting 1000 days. (Ibid., citing Tachuma, Bereishis 3) Also, Whoever takes pleasure in the enjoyment of the Shabbos will be granted all his heart’s desires.(Ibid., citing Shabbos 118b) And, Observing Shabbos is equal to fulfilling all the mitzvahs of the Torah.(Ibid., citing Pesikta) And, Proper observance of just one Shabbos is equal to having observed every Shabbos since the time of Creation. (Ibid., citing Mechilta, Ki-Sisa 31) 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
Note that Mr. Wolfberg pronounces Kodesh (standard Israeli
pronunciation) as Koydesh the Eastern European Chassidic Yiddish pronunciation.
Also his other Hebrew Words in his stories. Motzei becomes Motzoi.
Let his story be a lesson to you try not to travel too close to
Shabbos your plane, boat or train should arrive near your destination at least
12 to 14 hours before Shabbos. I had that problem once with my mother-in-law
arriving delayed and then the taxi was in an accident. We arrived back in
Ashdod close to candle lighting time it was horrible. In France I had trouble
finding a hotel and made it with bated breath once although I had entered the
city a few hours before Shabbos.
Wishing everybody a healthy and wonderful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
