Parsha Bechukosai
Last week’s Parsha was a small Parsha and so is
Bechukosai. Is there a continuation from last week’s Parsha? The first things
that comes to mind is Shmita, Yovel and the Eved (slave) who is a Hebrew. This
week, the continuation is in the valuation of men and houses for a vow to the
treasury of the Mikdash.
3 If ye walk in MY statutes, and keep MY
commandments, and do them; 4 then I will give your rains in their
season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall
yield their fruit.
This is the contract between the HOLY ONE, blessed be HE,
and the Bnei Yisrael. Observe and receive blessings – don’t observe and then
see what happens.
5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage,
and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread
until ye have enough, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will
give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid;
and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword
go through your land.
There are 100,000 missiles poised at us from the north
and some with poison gas and then there are perhaps 20-30,000 or more being
readied to shoot at us from the south and hundreds in the Sinai. This is only
from terrorists while Syria and Iran have their own arsenals and yet either I
am a fool or I have belief as faith placates my soul. Or is it an Israeli phenomena
called “It won’t happen to me”? Whatever it is I feel more secure in Israel
than in the USA. As for the beasts ceasing – there was an incident this week
either on the Golan or near-by where a wolf that had rabies attacked 7 people.
It is a hint about the laxation of the 7th day observance in
Yerushalayim with a special bus running or is it a hint on the lack of
observance of the 7 Biblical Days of menstration?
7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall
fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase a
hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall
fall before you by the sword.
This was the Six Day War and unfortunately, if our
“leaders” did not the miracles and Chashgacha but rather spit in the face of
HASHEM on limiting the settlement of Yehuda and the Shomron and not letting the
Arabs escape into Yarden. Nor annexing the conquest.
9 And I will have respect unto you, and make you
fruitful, and multiply you; and will establish MY covenant with you.
Mida k’negged Mida or measure for measure if you respect
G-D and HIS commandments then HE will respect you!
10 And ye shall eat old store long kept, and ye
shall bring forth the old from before the new. 11 And I will set MY
tabernacle among you, and MY soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will
walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be MY people. 13 I
am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye
should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made
you go upright.
Wow great, we are at Sinai (note this is linked to Parsha
Behar) and what a great set of promises for keeping a few commandments like
ceasing and desisting from doing Melacha on Shabbos and refraining from working
the fields during the Shmita year. Not bad for less work. Instead of being
slaves, I, HASHEM have freed you so just don’t disobey the chain of command.
14 But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not
do all these commandments; 15 and if ye shall reject MY statutes, and
if your soul abhor MINE ordinances, so that ye will not do all My commandments,
but break MY covenant; 16 I also will do this unto you: I will
appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall make the eyes
to fail, and the soul to languish; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your
enemies shall eat it. 17 And I will set MY face against you, and ye
shall be smitten before your enemies; they that hate you shall rule over you;
and ye shall flee when none pursues you.
I am dealing with a 9.5 year old orphan who faced by the
loss of his mother has unjustified fears at times. I can imagine a whole people
prone to panic because they are lacking the faith and Mitzvos to protect them.
Yet this is a merciful start of a punishment as there is a chance that the
people may awaken and repent.
18 And if ye will not yet for these things hearken
unto ME, then I will chastise you seven times more for your
sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make
your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass. 20 And your strength
shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her produce, neither
shall the trees of the land yield their fruit.
The first chastisement was like a slap on the wrist for
misbehaving and the object was simple repentance and observance of the Mitzvos.
Now things were 7 times more difficult and the ground did not yield crops and
you will work hard and be frustrated. This is completely opposite from the
observer who got less work.
21 And if ye walk contrary unto ME, and will not
hearken unto ME; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to
your sins.
A little mathematics as 7 x 7 is 49 times more difficult
a life. You are still free but starting to work rigorously like in Egypt with
little to show off for your work. Did it ever occur to you to wake up and
behave?
22 And I will send the beast of the field among you,
which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few
in number; and your ways shall become desolate. 23 And if in spite of
these things ye will not be corrected unto ME, but will walk contrary unto ME; 24 then
will I also walk contrary unto you; and I will smite you, even I, seven times
for your sins.
Continuing to sin the punishment now reaches extreme proportion
7 x 49 = 343.
25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall
execute the vengeance of the covenant; and ye shall be gathered together within
your cities; and I will send the pestilence among you; and ye shall be
delivered into the hand of the enemy. 26 When I break your staff of
bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your
bread again by weight; and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
This stage is the start of a famine where nobody is
certain when it will end.
27 And if ye will not for all this hearken unto Me,
but walk contrary unto Me; 28 then I will walk contrary unto you in
fury; and I also will chastise you seven times for your sins. 29 And
ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye
eat. 30 And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your
sun-pillars, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; and MY
soul shall abhor you.
We see what happened in the days of the Novi Elisha when
the people were eating their own children in a famine and the story of the four
‘Lepers’. (Melachim 2 Chapters 6 and 7) The punishment has now grown to 7 x 343
= 2401 times worse conditions than before the sin.
31 And I will make your cities a waste, and will
bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your
sweet odors.
I created sheep, goats, pigeons and cattle so I don’t
need your Korbanos but your repentance.
32 And I will bring the land into desolation; and
your enemies that dwell therein shall be astonished at it.
Samuel Clemens visited Israel sent in 1867 CE and his
description was published in 1869 CE http://ziontruth.blogspot.co.il/2006/07/mark-twain-on-jerusalem-and-jews-there.html
33 And you will I scatter among the nations, and I
will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and
your cities shall be a waste.
Years ago I received from Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlita
the right to copy his Drasha which I don’t always do (we are to blame see
below): http://www.torah.org/learning/perceptions/5775/bechukosai.html?print=1
Parashas Ki Savo in Sefer Devarim is read just in advance of Rosh
Hashanah to remind us that there is a Judge in Heaven Who judges man on earth.
It reminds us of the cause-and-effect relationship built into Creation, of our
responsibility to uphold it, and of our culpability when we fail. Bechukosai,
the other “fire-and-brimstone” Parshah, is read in advance
of the holiday of Shavuos to remind us where we received the responsibility for
which we are judged on Rosh Hashanah.It’s complicated. Punishment is not only in response to the sins that are performed, but also for how punishment is carried out. It seems, from the Talmud, that Heaven is also concerned about appearances:
Rebi Yossi ben Chanina said: [The verse says,] “Like the flame that goes forth from between the potsherds, I looked, and behold a stormy wind came out of the north, a great cloud with a fire flashing up, so that a brightness was round about it; and out of the midst thereof as the color of Chashmal, out of the midst of the fire” (Yechezkel 1:4). Where did it go? Rav Yehudah said that Rav said: “It went to subdue the whole world under the wicked Nebuchadnetzar.” For what reason? So that the peoples of the world should not say, ‘The Holy One, Blessed is He, delivered His children into the hand of a lowly people.’ ” The Holy One, Blessed is He, said, “Who caused ME to be a servant to idol worshippers? The sins of the Jewish people caused ME.” (Chagigah 13b)
The verse is part of the vision of “Ma’aseh Merkavah” that Yechezkel had and described. The fire, of course, was spiritual and very Kabbalistic, but its impact on history was to assist Nebuchadnetzar in his takeover of the known world of that time. This is what God meant when He referred to Himself as “servant to idol worshippers.” What compelled God to act in this seemingly peculiar manner? The fact that the Jewish people were on their way to exile in Bavel—Babylonia—over which Nebuchadnetzar was king and ruler. It would have looked “bad” for God and the Jewish people had they been exiled to Bavel and Nebuchadnetzar not become the feared conqueror that he became. If they were going to be exiled, it had to be to a place “worthy” of conquering God’s people.
You would think that it wouldn’t even make a difference at that point. If the Jewish nation reached a level where they became in need of exile, didn’t they also reach a point where God should have turn His back on them? Yosef HaTzaddik may have gone into his exile in style, but it was just the opposite case for his descendants, especially those who were taken in chains to Bavel. Is the idea literal? If yes, does it always apply? It would explain why the Greeks conquered their world before exiling the Jews of their time, and the Roman Empire spread vast and wide before doing the same. Is it the reason for Hitler’s, ysv”z, unprecedented and “miraculous” takeover of Europe as he prepared the way for the Holocaust? If yes, then this would lend new and frightful meaning to the following: All punishment comes to the world because of the Jewish people. (Yevamos 63a)
We might have thought that the “chicken” came before the “egg,” but in this case, the opposite appears to be true. We watched nations become more powerful and then assumed that they just “happened” to overrun the Jewish people along their way to domination. The assumption has been that the Jewish people just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Apparently not. Apparently we should be able to predict history by the extent to which we, as a nation, backslide. If it is only a little then we can expect peace and international cooperation. If it is a lot and even catastrophic then we can expect some nation to emerge on the international scene in a block buster kind of way and have crazy success at subduing its enemies and increasing its reach of terror. The relationship between what we do spiritually and what our enemies accomplish militarily, the Talmud is saying, is direct: Onkelos the son of Kolonikos was the son of Titus’s sister. He wanted to convert to Judaism, and went and raised Titus from the dead by magical arts and asked him, “Who is most in repute in the [other] world?”
He replied, “The Jewish people.” “What about joining them? He asked. He answered, “Their observances are burdensome and you will not be able to carry them out. Go and attack them in that world and you will be at the top, as it is written, “Her adversaries have become the head, etc.” (Eichah 1:5). [This means that] whoever harasses the Jewish people becomes the most powerful nation. (Gittin 56b) So direct is the correlation that we ought to pay serious attention to the rise of evil powers, especially the ones which are “gunning” for us. It should inspires to do some serious teshuvah, and quickly:
An official close to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei asserted that his government has a godly ordained right to annihilate Israel, Al Arabiya reported on Tuesday. The “government of the Islamic Republic of Iran has divine permission to destroy Israel,” said Mojtaba Zolnour, a Khamenei representative in the elite Revolutionary Guards. According to semi-official state news agency Fars, Zolnour said that, “the Noble Koran permits the Islamic Republic of Iran to destroy Israel.” He added that, “Even if Iran gives up its nuclear program, it will not weaken this country’s determination to destroy Israel.” (The Algemeiner, May 13, 2015) As the article says, such threats are nothing new coming from Iran. They have spewed forth from the mouths of Iranian leaders ever since the Shah was deposed and replaced by the ayatollahs. They have never made any secret of their dreams and plans to eradicate the Jewish state. This is why PM Netanyahu takes them at their word and is fighting to move the world to as well.
What is different today is President Obama. Just as he did a 180 regarding the Arab world when he first came into office, he has done one now with respect to Iran and its nuclear program. The Western word in the late 1930s could not deal with the Nazi threat, and were not prepared to fight against it, so they pursued a path of appeasement. Rogue nations are causing the same problem today and once again, appeasement is becoming the accepted means to maintaining world peace. President Obama’s approach to Iran and Islam in general is so off-base in so many obvious ways that it becomes credible, for many, because it is just too incredible otherwise. The world had Iran where it wanted, at least on the ropes, when the American government decided to capitulate and pursue a path of peace. Perhaps, just as 9/11 made the current Administration think that improving relations with the Arabs while distancing itself from the Israelis would make a more secure America, it thinks the same about Iran as well.
I think this is also the reason why the President had a tough time using the “G” word with respect to the Armenian massacre by the Ottoman Empire starting in 1915. The Armenians are big on this, and it really matters a lot to them for current leaders to acknowledge the genocidal part of their past. Instead, President Obama talked around it and refused to state the simple and obvious fact. Why? Because the Ottoman Empire in that part of the world evolved into the Republic of Turkey, an American and NATO ally. It is also an Islamic state, though a secular one. Obama can’t use the “G” word because, as always, he is terrified of offending the “A” world. In true liberal fashion, he appeases the enemy while shunning the ally.
But that’s not the main point here. In this discussion it matters less why the American President is empowering the Iranians than it does that he is. The fact that it is against logic makes it even more important, applying the verse, “This is from God, that which is wondrous in our eyes” (Tehillim 118:23). The wondrousness of a historical event is what makes it appear more like overt Divine Providence. Ironically, it was unusual circumstances that put another Democrat, President Truman, into Office just at the time the Jewish people needed an advocate in the White House back in 1948. It is a Democrat as well who has also come to Office as a result of unusual and even questionable circumstances, just at a time that the Jewish people, apparently, require an antagonist in the White House. This is not to absolve the US President of any blame for what he has done and plans to do. This is to shift the focus to the real issue at hand. Though it is the American President who is empowering a Jewish enemy, it is the Jewish people who are empowering the American President, and Kabbalah explains how.
It is a long and complex discussion, but this is the long and short of it. Though gas fuels cars, what fuels gas? Though electricity moves heavy things, what moves electricity? Energy. What is energy? Well, it’s . . . it’s . . . something we find in gas and electricity and in people as well that gives things life and lets them move. We don’t know exactly what it is, but we are well acquainted with what it can do. The reason why science cannot adequately define energy is because they are trying to understand it in physical terms. Energy is not physical but spiritual, holy sparks of Divine light to be exact. They are in everything that exists and animate all that lives. Including evil, because just as gasoline fuels a car that is used to help others in need, likewise does gasoline fuel getaway cars used for robbing banks. One source of fuel with both a good and potentially bad application. One source of life, but it can be used to do good or to do evil.
To maintain free will, evil has to exist. To maintain evil, holy sparks have to be shared. This is something God has established and oversees, to make sure that evil gets only as many sparks as it needs to do its part to help man exercise free will, and not more. Evil exists, but it can be kept in check and used as a vehicle to earn reward in the World-to-Come.
If evil becomes overly dominant in society it is because it has gained access to additional holy sparks, more than its Divinely-allotted amount. Somehow the Divinely-established balance has been lost, and history has shown us what happens to the world and man when that occurs. How can that happen? Kabbalah explains that the additional holy sparks feeding evil can only come from the Jewish people, from the sins they commit. Either they are doing things they shouldn’t, or not doing things they should. Even doing the right thing at the wrong time or in the wrong place feeds holiness to evil.
How do we know when this is happening? We first learn this lesson from Ya’akov Avinu: He heard Lavan’s sons saying, “Ya’akov has taken everything that belonged to our father; from our father he has gained so much.” Ya’akov saw Lavan’s face, and it wasn’t the same as before. (Bereishis 31:1-2) Anti-Semitism is the key. When dislike of Jews increases it is a sign that evil is getting stronger in the world, and that it is getting more than its due of holy sparks. That is when it is time to do some serious national introspection, and to find ways to stem the flow of holy sparks to the side of evil before it overcomes the side of good.
34 Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths, as long
as it lies desolate, and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land
rest, and repay her Sabbaths.
All the Shmita years that were not observed.
35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest;
even the rest which it had not in your Sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon
it. 36 And as for them that are left of you, I will send a faintness
into their heart in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a driven leaf
shall chase them; and they shall flee, as one flees from the sword; and they
shall fall when none pursues.
This is irrational fear that turns into panic.
37 And they shall stumble one upon another, as it
were before the sword, when none pursues; and ye shall have no power to stand
before your enemies.
Your heart will melt and you will not organize a defense
but rather flee Spain or Portugal or it is futile to resist a Pogrom by
hoodlums and cowards. You will end up going into cattle cars and know the truth
about the round ups and actions and do nothing.
38And ye shall perish among the nations, and the land of
your enemies shall eat you up. 39 And they that are left of you shall
pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities
of their fathers shall they pine away with them. 40 And they shall
confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery
which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto
Me.
The Hebrew word used for contrary is B’ Kerry or as if
this is a happening a mere occurrence and not connecting it to our actions
before HASHEM Yisborach.
41 I also will walk contrary unto them, and bring
them into the land of their enemies; if then perchance their uncircumcised
heart be humbled, and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity;
Then I will go B’ Kerry on them and the fury of MY Kerry
will be terrible in your eyes. Maybe this Kerry will humble your pride.
42 then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and
also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember;
and I will remember the land.
I can remember Rabbi Glixman crying from time to time “Until
when will you leave your children abandoned?” It has been a long hard Gallus
and he saw the Jewish wounded coming back from Europe and even a fellow who
died in his arm and as a young soldier (he volunteered at 17) he perspired holding
the hand of a man who died in his arms and it was winter and the perspiration
turned to ice crystals. This was before he heard of the holocaust or exposed
the Nazi in FL hiding among us as a Jew who ended up with a Jewish Child so he
hid the name from us. G-D did not forget us but molded us through the
destruction of the Temple to the various attacks, crusades, inquisition, book
burnings, pogroms and round-ups of Jews with slaughter especially during the
black plague until the holocaust. If you want to read a read of what happened
in Arab Countries with the rapes, kidnaps, murder and pillage read “From Time
Immemorial” by Joan Peters. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_Time_Immemorial
43 For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and
shall be paid her Sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them; and they
shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they
rejected Mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes.
More than this time has passed so there was other sins
too.
44 And yet for all that, when they are in the land
of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy
them utterly, and to break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their
God. 45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their
ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the
nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.
You have acted abhorrently but for the sake of your
forefathers and MY Covenant, I will redeem both you and the land.
46These are the statutes and ordinances and laws, which
the LORD made between Him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand
of Moses.
Again a reminder that these laws were given on Sinai and
not just the two Luchos that Moshe brought down with the Decalogue.
1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and
say unto them: When a man shall clearly utter a vow of persons unto the LORD,
according to thy valuation,
Sometimes
people would vow their own value as a worker or slave unto the Temple. There
was a standard valuation for men, women and children per age group and it did
not matter if the person was able or disabled, well or ill, he or she had the
value set forth by the Torah.
3 then
thy valuation shall be for the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years
old, even thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of
the sanctuary. 4 And if it be a female, then thy
valuation shall be thirty shekels.
This was the
price in which a slave was sold. By today’s standard most of us could afford a
Jewish slave/servant if we were willing to supply a room, bedding, board,
clothing, etc.
5 And
if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy valuation
shall be for the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 6 And
if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy valuation shall be
for the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation shall be
three shekels of silver.
We see the
value based on productivity on the farm or domestic help.
7 And
if it be from sixty years old and upward: if it be a male, then thy valuation
shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels.
As we age
our physical strength lessens and even the sharpness of our brain.
8 But
if he be too poor for thy valuation, then he shall be set before the priest,
and the priest shall value him; according to the means of him that vowed shall
the priest value him. 9 And if it be a beast, whereof men
bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD
shall be holy. 10 He shall not alter it, nor change it,
a good for a bad, or a bad for a good; and if he shall at all change beast for
beast, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy. 11 And
if it be any unclean beast, of which they may not bring an offering unto the
LORD, then he shall set the beast before the priest. 12 And
the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as thou the priest values
it, so shall it be. 13 But if he will indeed redeem it, then
he shall add the fifth part thereof unto thy valuation.
People did not only vow their own worth but also
that of their animals or their house or field.
14 And
when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest
shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest shall value it, so
shall it stand. 15 And if he that sanctified it will
redeem his house, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy
valuation unto it, and it shall be his. 16 And if a man shall sanctify unto the
LORD part of the field of his possession, then thy valuation shall be according
to the sowing thereof; the sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty
shekels of silver. 17 If he sanctify his field from the year
of jubilee, according to thy valuation it shall stand. 18 But
if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto
him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee, and
an abatement shall be made from thy valuation. 19 And
if he that sanctified the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the
fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to
him.20 And if he will not redeem
the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be
redeemed any more. 21 But the field, when it goes out in the
jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession
thereof shall be the priest's.
The Cohain
did what an insurance claims auditor does in evaluating of damages and here of
people and various goods or a home.
22 And
if he sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the
field of his possession; 23 then the priest shall reckon unto him
the worth of thy valuation unto the year of jubilee; and he shall give thy
valuation in that day, as a holy thing unto the LORD. 24 In
the year of jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even
to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 And
all thy valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary; twenty
gerahs shall be the shekel. 26 Howbeit the firstling among beasts,
which is born as a firstling to the LORD, no man shall sanctify it; whether it
be ox or sheep, it is the LORD'S. 27 And if it be of an unclean beast, then
he shall ransom it according to thy valuation, and shall add unto it the fifth
part thereof; or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy
valuation.
The Beis
HaMikdash makes a 20% commission on the land.
28 Notwithstanding,
no devoted thing, that a man may devote unto the LORD of all that he hath,
whether of man or beast, or of the field of his possession, shall be sold or
redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD. 29 None
devoted, that may be devoted of men, shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put
to death.
This is an
animal or an object and not the Jewish Slave.
30 And
all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of
the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy unto the LORD. 31 And
if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it the fifth part
thereof. 32 And all the tithe of the herd or the
flock, whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.
A reminder
of the laws of Teruma and Maaser. The 10th new animal is Maaser
Behama given in the month of Elul.
33 He
shall not inquire whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if
he change it at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be
holy; it shall not be redeemed.
The Maaser
belongs to the Cohain and is his property and cannot be redeemed.
34 These
are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel
in mount Sinai.
Whatever was
written in Sefer Vayikra happened at the foot of Har Sinai.
Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak
This week is movie week from WWII below and the logical reason why
Judaism is the true religion. I received this movie from Johnny A. it is 20
minutes long entitled “The mystery of the Jews”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6k1jHAYtbI
THE BOILING LEAD TREATMENT The great Kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe de Leon, looked at the well-known sinner of 13th century Spain penetratingly by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
A man who had acted against the
Torah all his adult life suddenly started to be terrified by the thought of his
fate in the world-to-come. Much to his own surprise, he found himself
entertaining thoughts of repentance, even though he realized how difficult it
would be for him. He decided to discuss it with Rabbi Moshe de Leon, but
that he would do so without actually committing himself. Entering into
conversation with the great Kabbalist, he introduced the matter in joking
fashion. He told him that he had a serious disease and wondered if there was
any medicine for it. The sage looked at the well-known sinner of 13th century
Spain penetratingly for a long moment, and then replied that there is no cure
for the man's countless intentional transgressions other than an early death.
The man's eyes widened. Then he
said soberly, "If I accept upon myself this judgment, and all the
suffering that will accompany it, will I then have a share in the
World-to-Come?" The Kabbalist assured him that he would, but the man
insisted, "Swear to me that I will be in the same place as you." R.
Moshe de Leon promised that when the time came, he would do his best in
Paradise to keep him close.
Hearing this oath, and believing
it, the man stood very still, visibly shaken. He left, and for a period of time
tried to forget the great sage's words, but without success. He could not get
them out of his head. His former way of life now seemed empty and unfulfilling.
In the end, he returned to R. Moshe de Leon. "Alright," he said
finally in a low but firm voice, "I agree. I will take upon myself
whatever the Rebbe decrees upon me."
"Follow me," the Rabbi
said, and strode off to his Study Hall.
As soon as they arrived, he sent
for some pieces of lead and a bellows. He fanned a huge flame with the bellows
and held the lead over it in a pan. As the pan heated up, the lead liquefied
and bubbled. He then called over all the men studying Torah, young and old, and
sat the man on a bench near the bellows and showed him the boiling lead.
"Confess all your sins," he intoned. "Acknowledge G-d's majesty
sincerely and wholeheartedly; say 'Shma Yisrael … echad';
and accept this death in atonement for all of your sins and having rebelled
against your Creator and angering Him your whole life."
The Jew sprang up from his seat,
and did exactly as the Master had commanded him, the whole time crying bitter
powerful sobs. His obvious sincerity affected everyone present. The Rabbi moved
to stand next to him and told him to sit down. "Open your mouth wide and I
will pour into it this boiling lead," he said severely. He covered the
man's eyes with his handkerchief and tied it securely. "Prepare
yourself," he warned. The crowd of Torah scholars stood around them,
shocked and terrified. The man braced himself and stretched open his mouth as
wide as he could. R. Moshe de Leon swiftly removed from the folds of his robe a
jar of rose-honey, and leveled a spoonful of it on the blindfolded man's
tongue. "May your sins depart and your crimes be atoned," he recited
loudly.
As soon as he tasted the honey
and realized what had happened, the man screamed in shock and outrage.
"Rebbe, Master, what did you do to me? Why didn't you kill me? Why do you
deceive me? Destroy my body just as you promised, in honor of our Creator, the
King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. I can't bear my evilness any
longer; why should I live? And I haven't suffered at all - not a blow, not a
wound, not even a drop of blood. Please! Do it to me."
The Rabbi put a hand on his
shoulder and did his best to calm him. "Dear friend," he began
gently; "Don't panic and don't be agitated. G-d desires the change of
heart of the wicked, not their death. Your return and repentance have been
accepted on High. Now you have to live a new life of purity and
righteousness."
From that moment on, the Jew was
a completely different person. He spent all of his time in the Study Hall,
totally attached to R. Moshe de Leon, drinking thirstily as much of his
master's teachings as he could. He prayed and repented, and studied day and
night, eating very little and hardly speaking to anyone.
Years went by. The great
Kabbalist, Rabbi Moshe de Leon, was taken to the Heavenly Yeshiva. His Baal Teshuva (repentant,
"successful Returner") was inconsolable. He prayed that G-d do him
the kindness to take him from this life and restore him to his irreplaceable
master. Day after day he prayed and pleaded thus. Rivers of tears flowed from
his eyes and heart. Finally, his request was granted. He became ill, and never
again rose from his sickbed. One day soon thereafter, he suddenly sat erect and
called out, "Clear the way for our teacher and master, Rabbi Moshe de
Leon, who comes now to fulfill his oath to me and escort me to his chamber in
Paradise."
A few seconds later, his soul
departed to its eternal reward. It is said-and some even saw in a dream - that
he indeed merited to study Torah in the Heavenly Academy with his beloved
teacher.
[Translated/adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from HaMidrasha #17.]
[Translated/adapted by Yrachmiel Tilles from HaMidrasha #17.]
Biographical note:
Rabbi Moshe De Leon (1238-1305) of Guadalajara, Spain, is best known as the first publisher of the Zohar (the teachings of second century mishnaic sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, as recorded by his students that constitute the primary text of Kabbalah). He is also the author of the Kabbalah tome, Shekel HaKodesh. http://www.ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=124-24
Rabbi Moshe De Leon (1238-1305) of Guadalajara, Spain, is best known as the first publisher of the Zohar (the teachings of second century mishnaic sage, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, as recorded by his students that constitute the primary text of Kabbalah). He is also the author of the Kabbalah tome, Shekel HaKodesh. http://www.ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=124-24
FIFTH NIGHT - FIVE WEDDINGS [As
told by Rabbi Moshe-Chaim Greenwald to the editor of Kfar Chabad Magazine]** by
Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
Although I am not a Lubavitcher, I feel it is
important for people to share their personal
stories about the Rebbe, so that we and our children can know more about the
great spiritual presence that lived among us. We always kept this story within
the family, but now, after the passing of our holy Leader, I feel obligated to
make it public. May the merit of our belief in tzaddikim bring us closer to the
Redemption that the Rebbe worked his whole life to bring.
My father, Rabbi Abraham-Tzvi Greenwald, was born in
Lodz. Poland, in 1911. His father died when he was only eight years old,
leaving his mother alone with seven young orphans. She sent my father to live
with her cousin, Rabbi Menachem
Zemba, a famous Talmudic scholar in pre-war Warsaw. Rabbi Zemba raised him
devotedly, took responsibility for his education, and even studied with him
personally.
On the fourteenth of Kislev, 5689 [1928], Rabbi Menachem-Mendel Schneerson married Rebbetzin Chaya-Mushka, the
daughter of the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef-Yitzchak Schneersohn. The
"great wedding" in Warsaw was attended by the Chasidic masters and
great leaders of Polish Jewry, including Rabbi Zemba.
Rabbi Zemba was quite taken by the Lubavitcher
Rebbe's new son-in-law, and wanted to meet with him personally. He arranged to
visit the Rebbe at his hotel, taking along my father, who was then 17.
The two scholars had a lively discussion on many
issues throughout the Talmud. Rabbi Zemba was very impressed and spoke about
their encounter for many years afterwards.
When Rabbi Zemba was ready to leave, the Rebbe
suddenly turned to my father and said: "There are only a few days left
until Chanukah. Do you know why it is customary in Chassidic shuls to celebrate and make special parties
on the fifth night of Chanukah?"
My father was not aware of this custom or its reason,
nor was Rabbi Zemba, who looked intently at the Rebbe, waiting for his answer.
The Rebbe continued, still addressing my father: "It happens that the
fifth day of Chanukah can never occur on a Shabbat. This represents great
darkness [such that even the great holiness of Shabbat cannot penetrate]. The
fifth candle symbolizes that the light of Chanukah can illuminate even such
intense darkness. This is the duty of every Jew, wherever he may find himself,
be it in Warsaw, in Moscow or in London, to illuminate even the greatest
darkness."
*
* *
Years passed. The tragedy of the Holocaust hit Polish
Jewry. My father went through its horrors, first in the ghetto and then in the
death camps. His first wife and five children were killed in front of his eyes.
At the end of the war, he was still alive, thank G-d, but broken in body and
spirit.
For two years he circulated among the DP camps
looking for surviving family members. Alas, all his sisters, brothers and
family had been murdered. In 1948 he emigrated and sailed to America, settling
in Philadelphia, where his uncle, Moshe-Chaim Greenwald (for whom I am named),
lived. His uncle, an Amshinover chassid who had moved there before World War I,
welcomed him with open arms and tried to rehabilitate him and help him start a
new life after his terrible holocaust trauma.
His uncle and the Amshinover Rebbe pressured my
father to meet my mother, who also lived through the war. My mother, a daughter
of Reb Zushe Zinkovitz of Cracow, a chassid of the Rebbe of Alexander, had
managed to escape with her sister at the beginning of the war, wandering from
country to country until they came to Canada. They were raised by their
great-uncle, Reb Koppel Schwartz, a prestigious Jew in Toronto.
My father needed encouragement and confidence for his
second marriage, so Reb Koppel traveled with him to New York to receive the
previous Lubavitcher Rebbe's blessing. Reb Koppel told the Rebbe that my father
was a holocaust survivor who lost his whole family. The Rebbe's eyes began to
tear. He then blessed my father to build a family and live a long life.
Before leaving, my father mentioned that he had
attended the Rebbe's daughter's wedding in Warsaw. The Rebbe's eyes lit up, and
he said: "Since you were at my son-in-law's wedding, it would be proper to
stop in and visit him, too."
Reb Koppel and my father went downstairs to the
Rebbe's office. To my father's great surprise, the Rebbe instantly recognized
him from his visit almost twenty years before. The Rebbe asked him about Rabbi
Zemba's last days. He heard that he had been killed in the Warsaw Ghetto
uprising, but did not know the details.
After my father related all that he knew, the Rebbe
said: "Since my father-in-law, the Rebbe, told you to come visit me, I
must tell you a Torah concept. We are now in the month of Kislev, close to
Chanukah. It happens that the fifth day of Chanukah can never occur on a
Shabbos. This represents a great darkness. The fifth candle thus symbolizes the
great light of Chanukah, which can illuminate even such an intense darkness.
That is why the joy on this night is so immense. It is the duty of every Jew,
wherever he may find himself, be it in New York or Philadelphia or London, to
illuminate even the greatest darkness."
My father was stunned. The exact same insight came
back to him, word for word, as the Rebbe had told it to him 20 years before in
the Warsaw hotel.
*
* *
After getting married, my father served as a teacher
and rabbi for the Adath Israel congregation in Washington Heights, New York. My
sister and I were born there. When I was five years old, we moved to Toronto
where Reb Koppel had found him a position in a Satmar Yeshiva. My younger
brother was born there. Although my father's attitudes became close to those of
Satmar and he sent us to study in schools and yeshivas close to their approach,
he still respected the Rebbe and always spoke of him to us with the highest
regard.
Before my marriage in 1968, my father said that
although we were not Lubavitch chassidim, he wanted me to receive the
Lubavicher Rebbe's blessing before my wedding, just as he had done before his.
It was not easy to schedule an appointment with the Rebbe without waiting for
months because of his busy schedule. My father pleaded with the Rebbe's
secretariat to allow me in for a blessing, until finally it was agreed to let
us in before the wedding, but only for a blessing - no other discussion.
On the designated day, we flew in from Toronto. My
father was excited at the prospect of seeing the Rebbe again. There were many
people waiting for their turn with the Rebbe that evening, and by the time we
entered the Rebbe's room, it was early morning. It was the first time I saw the
Rebbe and he made a big impression on me. My father gave the Rebbe a note with
my name and my bride's, requesting that we merit to build a Jewish family.
Before even looking at the note, the Rebbe looked up
at my father and smiled. He said, "It is now more than 20 years since you
came here. It's high time, especially since my father-in-law sent you to
me."
My father stood shocked, unable to answer. Meanwhile,
the secretary was knocking on the door that we should hurry, but the Rebbe
motioned with his hand to dismiss the interruption. Opening the letter, he gave
us his blessings to build a home, and he also blessed my father with a long,
good life. The Rebbe said to my father: "Just as you attended my wedding,
so may G-d give you strength to attend your grandchild's wedding."
My father was very moved by this blessing.
Before going out, my father requested to ask the
Rebbe a question. "We told the secretary that we would come in just for a
blessing, but I would nevertheless like to ask an important question that has
been bothering me, should the Rebbe permit me do so."
The Rebbe smiled and said, "Since the Rebbe sent
you to me, I must answer all the questions."
At that point the secretary began knocking on the
door again to interrupt, and again the Rebbe motioned us to ignore it.
My father continued: "Living in a Satmar
community, I often hear complaints and criticism about Lubavitch. How can you
associate with people who are secular, irreligious and against the Torah. How
can you put tefillin on with people who are not observant.
The verse in Psalms states, 'Whoever hates You, O G-d, I will hate." My
father apologized profusely, saying he didn't mean to criticize, but only to
understand himself and in order to be able to explain to others.
The Rebbe answered: "Suppose the daughter of one
of your zealous neighbors were to abandon Judaism, G-d forbid. What would he
do? Would he try to bring her back to Torah and mitzvot or would he say: "Whoever hates
G-d, I will hate," sever relations, and never want to see her again?"
The Rebbe continued: "Of course he would say his
own daughter is different, as it says, 'do not remain oblivious to the plight
of your relatives'. The Rebbe's expression became serious, he banged on the
table and said: "In G-d's eyes, every Jew is as dear and precious as an
only child. To my father-in-law, every Jew is a relative who cannot be
ignored."
The Rebbe then looked at me and my father
penetratingly and said: "We will conclude with a blessing. It is known that
all chassidim celebrate the 5th night of Chanukah. The reason is because the
fifth day of Chanukah can never occur on a Shabbos. This represents a great
darkness. The fifth candle thus symbolizes the great light of Chanukah, which
can illuminate even such an intense darkness. This is the duty of every Jew,
wherever he may find himself, be it in New York or Toronto or London. Every Jew
is a part of G-d above, His only child. When you illuminate his soul, then even
the farthest Jew, in the darkest place, can be awakened."
My father was so taken aback and shocked to hear
these words again that he didn't hear the rest of the blessing of the Rebbe. He
didn't even remember leaving the Rebbe's room. All the way back to Toronto he
kept muttering to himself: "Amazing; most amazing."
*
* *
Ten years passed. In 1978 my younger brother got
engaged to a girl from London. Just minutes before leaving our house to fly
there for the wedding, our neighbor, a highly respected member of the Satmar
community, came in and asked to speak privately with my father. He confided to
him that his daughter had forsaken Judaism and burst into tears. He and his
wife didn't know much about it in the beginning, as she hid it from them. But
two weeks ago, to their great embarrassment and dismay, she ran off with a
non-Jewish boyfriend and fled to London. All their efforts to locate her were
unsuccessful. He asked my father, since he was going to London, to try to find
his daughter and save her. My father who was a close friend of this neighbor
was terribly shaken by this story. I was also distraught and began thinking
about what we could possibly do about this situation in London.
My brother's wedding was a joyful celebration. On the
first night of sheva brachot,
the week of festive meals, my father told his new relative the story, and asked
his advice. The bride's father told my father that he himself had no idea what
to do, but he recommended a Lubavitch friend, Rabbi Avrohom-Yitzchok Gluck, who
had accomplished many missions for the Lubavitcher Rebbe and had helped many
lost souls throughout Europe find their way back.
They immediately called him. Rabbi Gluck promised to
do all he could. He called the girl's parents in Toronto for any particles of
information and clues on how to locate the girl.
My parents remained in London for twelve days. One
day during Chanukah, Rabbi Gluck called. "Come quickly. I have a nice
surprise for you."
My father hurried to Rabbi Gluck's house. When he
came in, he saw a girl sitting in the living room crying profusely. Rabbi Gluck
had located the girl, and she wanted to return with them to Toronto.
As my father looked around the room, his eyes fell on
the kindled Menorah. It
had five burning candles. He felt faint as he recalled the Rebbe's words to him
from 50 years ago, and from 30 years ago and from 10 years ago:
"The fifth candle symbolizes the strength of the
menorah light...the role of every Jew is to light up the darkest place, in
Warsaw or London, ...in New York or London, ...in Toronto or London.... If his
daughter were to stray from Judaism, ...for G-d, every Jew is an only child,
...for my father-in-law every Jew is a relative who cannot be ignored."
The girl returned to her family and to Judaism.
Needless to say, from that day on this "zealous neighbor" stopped
speaking against Lubavitch.
When my father returned to Canada he felt a strong
desire to see the Rebbe again. But by this time it was even more difficult to
get a private audience with the Rebbe. It wasn't until the following Tishrei,
in 1980, my father succeeded in joining a group "audience" with the
Rebbe, along with all the guests who had come to the Rebbe for the holidays.
When his turn came to pass by the Rebbe, he could not
speak and bust out crying from great emotion. Finally he briefly told him the
story. The Rebbe commented: "My father-in-law had great foresight."
Every time my father retold this story, he would
marvel over the wondrous miracle of the Rebbe. Fifty years ago when he was a
bridegroom, the Rebbe saw what would happen 50 years later. But even more, he
could not get over the modesty of the Rebbe, who attributed everything to his
father-in-law's foresight.
The chain of miracles did not end there.
My father passed away on the 14th day of Kislev 1988,
following the celebration week of my eldest daughter's marriage. Thus was
fulfilled the Rebbe's blessing: that he would rejoice at the wedding of his
grandchild. It was exactly 60 years to the day since the Rebbe's wedding in
Warsaw.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from Kfar Chabad
Magazine - both Hebrew and English - and other sources.]
Copyrighted © by Ascent-of-Safed, 2002]
Copyrighted © by Ascent-of-Safed, 2002]
** Editor's
note: I now have first-hand testimony from a reliable person who heard the
story from the mouth of the author. -YT, 16 Adar 5770
Biographical note:
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet. His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been printed, as well as dozens of English renditions.
The Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet. His emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism number in the thousands. Hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been printed, as well as dozens of English renditions.
Rabbi Menachem Zemba [13 Elul 1883 - 19 Nissan 1943] was
considered one of the greatest Talmudic scholars of his generation. He was a
dedicated follower of the Gerer Rebbe. He was killed, along with nearly his
entire family, in the Warsaw Ghetto. http://www.ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=113-13
Perkei Avos Chapter 1 the
Conclusion
12. Hillel and Shammai received
from them. Hillel would say: Be of the disciples of Aaron—one who loves peace, a
pursuer of peace, one who loves all creatures and brings them close to Torah.
Hillel as in the case with
the three converts and the man who tried to anger him Shabbos 33, was a calm
and unassuming man. He had been so poor that even when he rose to greatness
kept his humility. He loved all so this statement follows his own philosophy of
life
13. He would also
say: One who looks to make for himself a name, destroys his name. One who does
not increase, diminishes. One who does not learn (Torah) is deserving of death.
And one who make personal use of the crown of Torah shall perish.
I found out the first
section in my youth when I lacked Torah. I tried to act like a big shot because
of some good qualities that I have but in the end I truly was nothing. When I
became more humble and cautious, I made a better name for myself. The second
part although Hillel is talking about Torah I saw this past year with my
Israeli Bank. I had a few extra Shekels and put it in the bank on interest. But
the interest is close to zero and there is a hidden inflation as a result, my
earnings were going down. I invested in cautious stocks and I made perhaps 2 or
3% but at least it did not fall. Of course the analogy is for Torah as one who
does not increase his learning eventually forgets his past learning. Finally we
saw this week a Rabbi in Israel going to jail for trying to bribe policemen and
making a bundle in cash from his followers. I B”H have not asked for a penny or
as Moshe said, “A shoe lace” from anybody. I have asked for donations to the
Kollel but received nothing during all the years of writing this blogspot and
when it was a more private Drasha. That is a pity but we do manage to scrape
through.
14. He would also
say: If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what
am I? And if not now, when?
Although Hillel was very
humble, he knew how to stand up for his rights and property. But one cannot be
truly humble if he is only selfish. Do not delay your Torah studies for if not
now when?
15. Shammai would
say: Make your Torah study a permanent fixture of your life. Say little and do
much. And receive every man with a pleasant countenance.
Shammai was very strict but
his standards he applied to himself and that Torah was the main stay of his
life. He was not a talker but did things with all his heart and that was the
example he showed others. Be polite and cheerful when you receive a person.
[However, he had a quick temper and when the three Gerim came to him wanting to
convert without oral Torah, standing on one foot and wanting to be the Cohain
HaGadol he lost his temper while Hillel stayed calm and told them to learn.]
16. Rabban Gamliel
would say: Acquire for yourself a master; stay away from doubt; and do not
accustom yourself to tithe by estimation.
Obtain for yourself a wise
Rabbi-teacher and learn well from him. Try to avoid getting into a doubt on
Halacha one way is to learn and retain everything and another way is to make an
inquiry deeper into the matter. Try to be exacting in your fulfillment of the
Mitzvos and Tithe is just an example. Do not treat it as something light or a
burden to get over with.
17. His son, Shimon,
would say: All my life I have been raised among the wise, and I have found
nothing better for the body than silence. The essential thing is not study, but
deed. And one who speaks excessively brings on sin.
Sometimes if one keeps his
mouth shut especially when he does not know well the subject he is better off.
[I was a teen and walked into a room filled of youngsters of mixed sex having a
discussion “are you an inni or an outi?” Not wanting to be played a trick on I
answered “I am a Hippie!” They were all rolling on the floor laughing it seems
they were discussing belly buttons and I walked into the middle of it.]
We see often today a lot of
people in the Beis Medrash and they are learning hard. However, they do not go
out to teach what they learn to others or set an example. So what good is that?
All their Torah learning lives and dies with them and is not transmitted
neither by teaching, deed or example. This is why doing the Mitzvos is the most
important thing and not just learning.
Lastly, if one only chats,
talks and jokes too much, he will eventually end up sinning.
18. Rabbi Shimon ben
Gamliel would say: By three things is the world sustained: Torah, Emmes and Shalom.
As is stated (Zachariah 8:16), "Truth, and a judgement of peace, you
should administer at your [city] gates.''
Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel
concludes our chapter with the foundation as in those days tables were made
with three legs. Thus three pillar of the world is like standing on these three
pillars and that is Torah, Truth and Peace.
From a Website the accidental Talmudist: An
amazing tale: from 1940 until 1944, while thousands of French Jews were being
deported to concentration camps, the tiny mountain village of Le Chambon-Sur-Lignon was the safest place in Europe to be Jewish.
The 5,000 residents of Le Chambon, along with 24,000
others from nearby villages, hid 5,000 Jews - mostly children - and helped
hundreds of other Jews flee to neutral Switzerland. The spiritual leader of Le
Chambon was young Pastor Andre Trocme. He was a committed pacifist and, like
the rest of the village, a Protestant Huguenot. For hundreds of years, the
Huguenots of Le Chambon were persecuted by French Catholics. Trocme and the villagers
had great sympathy for the Jews as an oppressed religious minority, and were
deeply committed to protecting Jews from any threat.
The Germans occupied Paris in 1940, and Trocme
immediately reached out to the American Friends Service Committee (Quakers),
who were in Marseilles negotiating the release of foreign Jews from internment
camps. The Quakers were able to get some Jewish children out of the camps, but
there was no place for them to go. Trocme offered his village as a home for
displaced Jews. Every family in Le Chambon and surrounding areas sheltered
Jews. They gave the refugees food, clothing, and false documents. Children were
hidden in farmhouses, schools, and hotels.
The townspeople had to trust their neighbors, knowing
that if just one person gave away the secret, the entire community could die.
Despite their brave actions, the people of Le Chambon claimed that they were
not heroic, but simply human. Pastor Trocme’s wife Magda said, “The issue was:
Do you think we are all brothers or not? Do you think it is unjust to turn in
the Jews or not? Then let us try to help!”
Pastor Trocme required the Jewish children to attend
Protestant religious school to avoid suspicion, but he encouraged them to hold
Jewish worship services in secret. In 1943, French police, collaborating with
the Germans, arrested Pastor Trocme and his assistant, Pastor Edouard Theis.
They were questioned about hiding Jews.
“We do not know what a Jew is,” Trocme responded, “We
know only men.” The pastors were held and eventually released. Le Chambon
continued to harbor Jews until the town was liberated in September 1944. In
1990, the entire town was recognized as "Righteous Among the Nations"
by Yad Vashem. For heroically opening their hearts and their homes, we honor Pastor
Andre Trocme, his wife Magda, and the brave people of Le Chambon as this week’s
Thursday Heroes at Accidental Talmudist.
With thanks to Tali Chais.
The
real truth about: Medcins Sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders)
If you think Medecins Sans Frontieres are doing a wonderful job, please read this.
To:
The Chief Operational Officer
Médecins Sans Frontières
Sent to the Australian Office and New York Office
Subject: Dismay
Dear Sir/Madam
When my daughter wed in July 2006, in lieu of gifts she asked for donations to be made to Doctors without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres as our family had always supported the Group. Well, I have a regret. I've just read a presentation by Alan Dershowitz "Doctors Without Borders erected borders when it came to Israeli doctors who flew to the Congo to treat 50 local villagers who had been severely burned. The Israeli volunteers worked around the clock, treated the burn victims and trained local doctors to perform skin grafts, and donated tons of medical equipment. But Doctors Without Borders refused to work with the Israeli medics and para medics and treated them "as though we were occupiers." - quoted one Israeli medic.
Dr. Marie Pierre Allie, President of the French branch of the organization, said that “Israel’s actions in Gaza were actually worse than the Darfur genocide in the Sudan ."
Only a blind moonbat could even make such a comparison! MSF has an apparent problem with one democratic Jewish State but is quite at ease with the existence and actions of 56 dysfunctional & corrupt Islamic states. As one critic has put it well, "These are Doctors With Borders - and without scruples." Google "Doctors without Borders Israel" and you will get more confirmation of the reactions around the world.
My family will no longer donate to Doctors without Borders until this cynical, hateful and bitter culture towards Israel - which obviously emanates from the top - ceases. I shall disseminate this email as widely as I can and shall ask recipients to forward it on also.
George Greenberg
Melbourne Australia
If you think Medecins Sans Frontieres are doing a wonderful job, please read this.
To:
The Chief Operational Officer
Médecins Sans Frontières
Sent to the Australian Office and New York Office
Subject: Dismay
Dear Sir/Madam
When my daughter wed in July 2006, in lieu of gifts she asked for donations to be made to Doctors without Borders / Medecins Sans Frontieres as our family had always supported the Group. Well, I have a regret. I've just read a presentation by Alan Dershowitz "Doctors Without Borders erected borders when it came to Israeli doctors who flew to the Congo to treat 50 local villagers who had been severely burned. The Israeli volunteers worked around the clock, treated the burn victims and trained local doctors to perform skin grafts, and donated tons of medical equipment. But Doctors Without Borders refused to work with the Israeli medics and para medics and treated them "as though we were occupiers." - quoted one Israeli medic.
Dr. Marie Pierre Allie, President of the French branch of the organization, said that “Israel’s actions in Gaza were actually worse than the Darfur genocide in the Sudan ."
Only a blind moonbat could even make such a comparison! MSF has an apparent problem with one democratic Jewish State but is quite at ease with the existence and actions of 56 dysfunctional & corrupt Islamic states. As one critic has put it well, "These are Doctors With Borders - and without scruples." Google "Doctors without Borders Israel" and you will get more confirmation of the reactions around the world.
My family will no longer donate to Doctors without Borders until this cynical, hateful and bitter culture towards Israel - which obviously emanates from the top - ceases. I shall disseminate this email as widely as I can and shall ask recipients to forward it on also.
George Greenberg
Melbourne Australia
70 years
passed this week for VE day: The battle of the bulge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cmlLqgeMOE
The inferior Sherman Tank but mass
produced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bj0AzL95Weg The battle of Kursk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22xpNBJCS4U
D-Day Operation
Overlord Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIjmOcp_xhQ
Stalingrad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNEQpMB7Jy0
The Torah
forbids hurting animals: http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Environment-Ministry-indicts-teen-for-abusing-dog-403171
Inyanay Diyoma
After
being ordered not to shoot to kill roadside terrorists an infiltrator was
injured: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195199#.VU5NEPmqqko
Jihadists
vs. Jihadists let them fight it out: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195186#.VU5Tsfmqqko
It
appears that this is why Assad has again resorted to poison gas again: http://debka.com/article/24590/Qalamoun-battle-is-do-or-die-for-Bashar-Assad-Hassan-Nasrallah-and-Iran%E2%80%99s-Gen-Soleimani-
Did
Israel attack again a Hezballah convoy? http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/israel-and-the-middle-east/hezbollah-convoy-attacked-by-jets-lebanese-sources-say-13348
Measure
for measure as IDF helps a Nepal Doctor’s family who treated Israelis: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4655503,00.html
And the
big question is: http://shilohmusings.blogspot.co.il/2015/05/will-new-likud-government-fulfill-right.html
Three
Ed-Ops from Martin Sherman in order received. Due to my own being busy the
first two were long over-due: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Washington-Lausanne-Munich-399039 http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-Fray-Parading-past-predictions-400756 http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-fray-The-immorality-of-the-two-state-principle-402445
Ed-Op
from Diane Weber Bederman If I were a Muslim I would be embarrassed: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/70954
From
Diane also but it disappeared from the times of Israel already: The Spread of
Messianics in Israel: What propels Christian Zionists? Why do they love Israel so
much? CBS reporter Bob Simon, in a 1992 “60 Minutes” program found the answer:
Because the return of the Jews to their ancient homeland is seen by
Evangelicals as a precondition for the Second Coming of C.
Somehow I don’t
see the Jews as the winners from all this love. The Jews have given their blood
in more wars since 1948 than I care to remember in order to keep this Jewish
homeland Jewish, yet they aren’t the principle winners in this vision.
I
want to introduce you to Canadian Wayne Hilsden, living in Israel since 1983.
He is cofounder of King of Kings Community Jerusalem (KKCJ) a congregation
located in the heart of
Jerusalem. All made possible with the help of the Lord as he is wont to say.
“The vision of King of Kings Community is ‘to be a compelling, Messiah-centered,
Spirit-empowered, disciple-making community that reveals the true face of
Yeshua (Yeshu) to Israel and to the nations.’”
Hilsden believes God recently gave him a mandate to “get Israel
back into biblical theology.” He sought the Lord for a fresh vision for the
future and came to see that KKCJ “should be identified even more closely with
the local, messianic
Jewish Body in Jerusalem
and Israel and be rooted more deeply in the soil of Israel.” He then formed FIRM (Fellowship of
Israel Related Ministries) in 2014. Its mission: “to unite a global fellowship
of biblically sound believers committed to cultivating Messiah-centered
relationships that work to bless the inhabitants of Israel and the worldwide
Jewish community.”
And at the same time offering as proof of its support for Palestinian human rights, FIRM enlisted
Jerusalem-based attorney and activist, Calev Myers, in forming its board of
directors. The same Calev Myers,about whom I have written extensively who declared “We believe the day is coming,
friends, when Yeshu once again will reveal himself to Israel, to the Jewish
people.”
Hilsden (KKCJ) and Calev Myers are also affiliated with ICEJ-The
International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem which has 70 chapters world-wide.
ICEJ’s Envision conferences in Jerusalem bring together Evangelical pastors and Israeli
messianic missionary leadership including Myers and Hilsden and Tel Aviv born
Avi Mizrachi of Israel’s Dugit Messianic Outreach Center and Adonai Roi
Congregation
Hilsden said “A sense of urgency came into my spirit that there is
a force, primarily spiritual in nature, that is seeking to destroy the people
of Israel. God is calling us to have a special
plan for Israel that reaches
well into the future and culminating at the time when the Lard returns.”
I find this all rather confusing. I wrote a piece on Messianics
that included Hilsden.
I
received a gmail admonishing me that Hilsden is not a Messianic. He’s a
gentile. OK. He must have a large department that watches all media to have
found my article and then me.
Hilsden has established parameters for the
development of local Messianic Congregations. There would need to be:
And then there
was a concerted effort to raise up Messianic believers to join the leadership
team for planting congregations. So far, two other congregations have been
planted.
Hilsden is thrilled with the expansion of the ministry and property.
They are located in the Clal Building with a view from the 14th floor,
the highest floor of The Jerusalem Prayer Tower “strategically located so that
you can see almost all the way around Jerusalem!”
They have established a
Hebrew-speaking fellowship along with their English services; a Bible College;
the Kings School of Media which opened in 2009 to” raise up believers in the
land to take forward God’s Word through media.” They have a Messianic school of music and arts in Jerusalem and a branch in Tel Aviv.
Over the Shavuot holiday there will be another massive
missionary event. “Among the prominent missionary leaders scheduled to take part,
according to Yad L’Achim, are Avi Mizrachi of a missionary congregation in Tel
Aviv, Avner Bursky, Shira Sorko Ram of Tiferet Yashka and Maoz Israel, Koby
Ferguson, and others.” The four-day extravaganza will be open to the public,
free of charge and takes place in the newly-built Orna Hall in the Malha
complex in southern Jerusalem. Room for 11,600 spectators.
Gershom Gorenberg, author of “The
End of Days,” said “The Jews
die or convert. As a Jew, I can’t feel very comfortable with the affections of
somebody who looks forward to that scenario… They don’t love the real Jewish
people. They love us as characters in their story, in their play, and that’s
not who we are. And we never auditioned for that part, and the play is not one
that ends up good for us… If you listen to the drama that they are describing,
essentially, it’s a five-act play in which the Jews disappear in the fourth
act.”
Another
stabbing attack: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/19-year-old-stabbed-in-East-Jerusalem-in-suspected-terrorist-attack-402706
First
real right wing Justice Minister on threat as the leftist Mafia worries about a
normal supreme court: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195273#.VVBWZTocQeE
The Kurds
riot in Iran after the rape-suicide of a Kurdish Hotel Maid: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/5734/iran-rape-kurds
Syria
transferring or trying to transfer Chlorine Gas to Hezballah: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195298#.VVG4mDocQeE
The Torah
tells us to finish them off and our “military” says this: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195317#.VVG6bDocQeE
The
Saudis are not fooled by Obama and Kerry either: http://debka.com/article/24592/Saudi-king-followed-by-GCC-rulers-snubs-Obama-on-summit-US-fails-to-isolate-Netanyahu-on-nuclear-deal
From Dr.
Harry is this really the religion of peace? “When you
meet the unbelievers, smite their necks.” Sura 47:4. Historian Timothy Furnish
writing in a 2005 study published in Middle East Quarterly says: “For
centuries, leading Islamic scholars have interpreted this verse literally.”
Similarly, “[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, ‘I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.’"
Beheading has been used by Islamists since the time of Mohammed: Ibn Ishaq (d. 768 C.E.), the earliest biographer of Muhammad, says that Mohammed ordered 700 Jewish men in Medina to be beheaded for allegedly plotting against him.
Furnish writes: “Yusuf b. Tashfin (d. 1106) led the Al-Murabit (Almoravid) Empire to conquer from Western Sahara to central Spain. After the battle of Zallaqa in 1086, he had 24,000 corpses of the defeated Castilians beheaded ‘and piled them up to make a sort of minaret for the muezzins who, standing on the piles of headless cadavers, sang the praises of Allah
Similarly, “[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, ‘I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip.’"
Beheading has been used by Islamists since the time of Mohammed: Ibn Ishaq (d. 768 C.E.), the earliest biographer of Muhammad, says that Mohammed ordered 700 Jewish men in Medina to be beheaded for allegedly plotting against him.
Furnish writes: “Yusuf b. Tashfin (d. 1106) led the Al-Murabit (Almoravid) Empire to conquer from Western Sahara to central Spain. After the battle of Zallaqa in 1086, he had 24,000 corpses of the defeated Castilians beheaded ‘and piled them up to make a sort of minaret for the muezzins who, standing on the piles of headless cadavers, sang the praises of Allah
After a
second large earthquake in Nepal a day after the medical field hospital left,
Israel to send a smaller hospital and evacuate premature babies born surrogate
mother to Israel: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4656659,00.html
Bibi
claims that Israeli is working hard and Obama says “hardly working”. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195358#.VVLMozocQeE
I have
made no bones about it that I am not a supporter of Rand Paul but he is not
corrupt like this woman: http://www.thepoliticalinsider.com/chuck-norris-digs-up-hillary-clintons-dirt/
Photo
from Miriam Esther E. The Vatican will recognize Palestine. Let’s see their
record: https://www.facebook.com/491614440889403/photos/a.581973991853447.1073741830.491614440889403/958841677500008/?type=1&theater
Hezballah
fights with Al Qaeda and associates and suffers heavy losses: http://debka.com/article/24595/Some-250-Hizballah-dead-in-Qalamoun-battle-Nasrallah-pushes-Lebanese-army-to-enter-Syrian-war-
Do you approve
of terrorist training where they blow themselves up?: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195440#.VVVmG_mqqko
Israel
gets 34th government in 67 years it is not always an election as
this is only the 22nd??? Knesset http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4657533,00.html
Another
drive and hit attack by an Arab. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/195418#.VVWSdvmqqko
Ed-Op on
the front lines of anti-Semitism it is time for Europe to wake up: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/16931#.VVWVZPmqqko
Have a great Shabbos and next week we shall see how the Bnei
Yisrael found grace Bamindbar.
Rachamim Pauli
