Parsha Chayei Sarah, miracles and stories.

Miracles

1)    Last week I published in Inyanay Diyoma the miracle of the woman who was stabbed with a curved kinife and the doctors managed to remove the knife from the spinal cord bones without cutting the nerves and paralyzing her.

2)    On Shabbos I read that it was released for publication that a few weeks ago a gang of five Jihad members had grenades and rifles but one of the grenades exploded prematurely injuring members of the cell just before they started their rampage.

3)    From Aleph: Hello Family and friends, I'm Back from The Hospital and doing fairly well.
This has been a total Miracle, I had chest pains on Sunday the 25th and was rushed to the hospital with blood pressure on 210, and the pills were not lowering it at all. Scans show that I had two infarctions and that 3 Main Arteries of the Heart were clogged totally and Probably I needed open heart surgery, but My Doctor scheduled a catheterization of The arteries, to everyone's surprised there was not 2 scars from any Infarction, nor where the 3 Arteries Clogged or the Aorta Clogged as the Radiologist said, Which left everyone baffled that the night before it clearly showed blockage close to 100% and now nothing? All my Doctor could said is this is a "Miracle" Praise the Lord for his goodness unto me and my Family , this is the second Miracle this year , first the Cancer Cured through a Natural Protocol and now , no Heart blockage after it was shown I did have Blockages .
Praise YKVK Rafeh! G-d Our Healer! .All I need to do now is take new Pressure Pills , and drop 20 Lbs quickly , I already lost 12 because I didn't eat for 6 days. Change to a Fat free diet which I was already on.
The Lord said, "If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for IAM the LORD, who heals you." Exodus 15-26. 

Parsha Chayei Sarah

Regarding the commentary that Avraham gave the Angels Matzah is not far from the truth. If an oven is warm it takes about a minute or two to mix dough and paste an Iraq Lafa on the walls. Since Sara and Avraham came from Iraq, I would assume that was their bread. Any baked goods made in less than 18 minutes is considered Matzos.

Some of the commentaries state that this was after the Akeda of Yitzchak that Sara walked from Beer Sheva to Chevron and when she heard that Yitzchak went up on the Mizbayach she died. However, there are all sorts of ideas that the Akeda occurred when Yitzchak was 10, 13 or 37. One when he was old enough to learn Torah another after his Bar Mitzvah and a third by Rashi when he was 37.

23:1 And the life of Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years; these were the years of the life of Sarah. 2 And Sarah died in Kiriatharba--the same is Hebron--in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah, and to weep for her. 3 And Abraham rose up from before his dead, and spoke unto the children of Heth, saying: 4 'I am a stranger and a sojourner with you: give me a possession of a burying-place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight.' 5 And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him: 6 'Hear us, my lord: thou art a mighty prince among us; in the choice of our sepulchres bury thy dead; none of us shall withhold from thee his sepulchre, but that thou may bury thy dead.' 7 And Abraham rose up, and bowed down to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth. 8 And he spoke with them, saying: 'If it be your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar, 9 that he may give me the cave of Machpelah, which he hath, which is in the end of his field; for the full price let him give it to me in the midst of you for a possession of a burying-place.' 10 Now Ephron was sitting in the midst of the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the hearing of the children of Heth, even of all that went in at the gate of his city, saying: 11 'Nay, my lord, hear me: the field give I thee, and the cave that is therein, I give it thee; in the presence of the sons of my people give I it thee; bury thy dead.'

This sounds like take and keep as it is worth nothing to me. But wait he demands 400 Shekels of Silver which in his day was like millions of dollars in our day.

12 And Abraham bowed down before the people of the land. 13 And he spoke unto Ephron in the hearing of the people of the land, saying: 'But if thou wilt, I pray thee, hear me: I will give the price of the field; take it of me, and I will bury my dead there.' 14 And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him: 15 'My lord, hearken unto me: a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver, what is that betwixt me and thee? bury therefore thy dead.' 16 And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed to Ephron the silver, which he had named in the hearing of the children of Heth, four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant. 17 So the field of Ephron, which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field, and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field, that were in all the border thereof round about, were made sure 18 unto Abraham for a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all that went in at the gate of his city. 19 And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah before Mamre--the same is Hebron--in the land of Canaan. 20 And the field, and the cave that is therein, were made sure unto Abraham for a possession of a burying-place by the children of Heth.

Why was the name Kiriat Arba? For the four couples buried there = Avraham & Sara, Yitzchak & Rivka, Yacov & Leah with legend saying that Adam and Chava are buried there. Why is called the cave of the Machpelah? For it was wonderous to those who entered either they saw the light of heaven in the cave or the darkness of Gehennom in the cave. 

24:1 And Abraham was old, well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

Had blessed Abraham with everything: [The word] בַּכֹּל is numerically equal to בֵּן [son]. Since he had a son, he had to find him a wife.

Others say that this means Avraham also had a daughter.

2 And Abraham said unto his servant, the elder of his house, that ruled over all that he had: 'Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh. 3 And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.

Swear on my holy bris and that any child that has or will issue from my womb will avenge himself on you.

4 But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son, even for Isaac.'

This Shidduch is for my spiritual heir for Yitzchak and not Yishmael.

5 And the servant said unto him: 'Peradventure the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land; must I needs bring thy son back unto the land from whence thou came?' 6 And Abraham said unto him: 'Beware thou that thou bring not my son back thither. 7 The LORD, the God of heaven, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my nativity, and who spoke unto me, and who swore unto me, saying: Unto thy seed will I give this land; He will send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence.

I believe with perfect faith that G-D will send his angel before you and make your path and mission successful. You will find a wife.

8 And if the woman be not willing to follow thee, then you shalt be clear from this my oath; only you shali not bring my son back thither.'

The message is clear in order to inherit the land and he was a perfect sacrifice, he cannot leave Eretz Canaan. 

9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

Eliezer was a loyal servant and although he had two daughters, he agreed to his master’s demands.

10 And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and departed; having all goodly things of his master's in his hand; and he arose, and went to Aram-naharaim, unto the city of Nahor.

Of his master’s camels: (Gen. Rabbah 59:11). They were distinguishable from other camels by the fact that they would go out muzzled to prevent robbery, that they should not graze in strangers’ fields.

Rashi says that what Eliezer brought was with a note that they are gifted to Yitzchak. So the woman would over-night become rich.

11 And he made the camels to kneel down without the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water. 12 And he said: 'O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, send me, I pray Thee, good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham. 13 Behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water. 14 So let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say: Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also; let the same be she that Thou hast appointed for Thy servant, even for Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master.'

Merciful Avraham was a big Baal Chessed so he wanted to choose for Yitzchak a woman with this trait. The prayer was made in good faith but what would happened if she was married, deaf, dumb, blind, with a limp or even a prostitute? Eliezer did not pray correctly.

15 And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder. 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

So even though Eliezer prayed not quite correct, HASHEM understood the Kavannah and a pretty unmarried virgin came out.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said: 'Give me to drink, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher.' 18 And she said: 'Drink, my lord'; and she hastened, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. 19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said: 'I will draw for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.' 20 And she hastened, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw, and drew for all his camels.

She gave to him which was proper but then she went beyond the call of duty and offered to give drink to his camels. So this part of the prayer was complete but still she might have been betrothed to somebody else.

21 And the man looked steadfastly on her; holding his peace, to know whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden ring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold; 23 and said: 'Whose daughter art thou? tell me, I pray thee. Is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?' 24 And she said unto him: 'I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor.'

Ah an eligible female from the family of Avraham with a good family background.

25 She said moreover unto him: 'We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in.'

This is even more than Eliezer hoped for or prayed for this is already a great Chessed.

26 And the man bowed his head, and prostrated himself before the LORD. 27 And he said: 'Blessed be the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who hath not forsaken His mercy and His truth toward my master; as for me, the LORD hath led me in the way to the house of my master's brethren.'

She now hears who the man belongs to and she knows her family’s history.

28 And the damsel ran, and told her mother's house according to these words. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man, unto the fountain.

And Laban ran: Why did he run and for what did he run? “Now it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring,” he said, “This person is rich,” and he set his eyes on the money. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:7]

30 And it came to pass, when he saw the ring, and the bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying: 'Thus spoke the man unto me,' that he came unto the man; and, behold, he stood by the camels at the fountain.

Over the camels: to guard them, as (above 18:8):“And he was standing over them,” in order to serve them.

31 And he said: 'Come in, thou blessed of the LORD; wherefore stand thou without? for I have cleared the house, and made room for the camels.' 32 And the man came into the house, and he ungirded the camels; and he gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men that were with him.

And unmuzzled the camels: He loosened their muzzles, for he would shut their mouths so that they would not graze along the way in fields belonging to others. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:8, Targum Jonathan]

33 And there was set food before him to eat; but he said: 'I will not eat, until I have told mine errand.' And he said: 'Speak on.'

Until I have spoken: Here אִם serves as an expression of אִשֶׁר, [that] and as an expression of כּי, as in (below 49: 10):“Until (עַד כִּי) Shiloh will come.” This is what our Sages of blessed memory said (Rosh Hashanah 3a): The word כִּי serves for four meanings. One of these is [the Aramaic] אִי, which is equivalent to [the Hebrew] אִם.

34 And he said: 'I am Abraham's servant. 35 And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and men-servants and maid-servants, and camels and asses. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old; and unto him hath he given all that he hath. 37 And my master made me swear, saying: Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell. 38 But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son. 39 And I said unto my master: Peradventure the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said unto me: The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house; 41 then shalt thou be clear from my oath, when thou come to my kindred; and if they give her not to thee, thou shalt be clear from my oath.

This is the first part of the mission to state which family for they knew via messengers that Abram was now Avraham and Sarai was Sarah in the same way that Avraham knew that Rivka was born.

42 And I came this day unto the fountain, and said: O LORD, the God of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go: 43 behold, I stand by the fountain of water; and let it come to pass, that the maiden that cometh forth to draw, to whom I shall say: Give me, I pray thee, a little water from thy pitcher to drink; 44 and she shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed for my master's son. 45 And before I had done speaking to my heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the fountain, and drew. And I said unto her: Let me drink, I pray thee.

In the split instance that Eliezer finished to pray so too his prayer was answered.

I had not yet finished: [Meaning]:“I was not yet finishing.” And similarly, wherever the present tense is called for, sometimes the past tense is used, and it could have been written טֶרֶם כִּלִתִי (past tense), “I had not yet finished;” and sometimes the future tense is used. An example [that a verb denoting continuous action is sometimes expressed in the past and sometimes in the future] is (Job 1: 5):“for Job would say” (אָמַר) : this is in the past tense. “So would Job do” (יַעִשֶׂה) : this is in the future tense. But the meaning of both is in the present tense, [namely] “for so would Job say: Perhaps my sons have sinned? and so he would do this” [in a continuous fashion].

46 And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said: Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also. So I drank, and she made the camels drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said: Whose daughter art thou? And she said: The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him. And I put the ring upon her nose, and the bracelets upon her hands.

She is from a good family and a close one to Avraham and therefore could be a worthy Shidduch for Yitzchak. He was too hasty when he placed the gold on the maiden so he reversed the story.

And I asked…and I placed: He reversed the sequence of events, because, in fact, he had first given [her the jewelry] and then asked [about her family]. But [he changed the order] lest they catch him in his words and say, “How did you give her [the jewelry] when you did not yet know who she was?”

48 And I bowed my head, and prostrated myself before the LORD, and blessed the LORD, the God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49 And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.'

To the right: [This refers to a wife] from the daughters of Ishmael. To the left: [This refers to a wife] from the daughters of Lot, who dwelt to the left of Abraham (Gen. Rabbah 60:9).

The Pshat is really somebody near-by from a relative in Haran.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: 'The thing proceeds from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

And Laban and Bethuel answered: He [Laban] was wicked and jumped to reply before his father. We cannot speak to you: to refuse in this matter, either with an unfavorable reply, or with an appropriate reply, because it is obvious that the matter has emanated from the Lord, according to your words, that He designated her for you

Rashi has the Pshat but the Medrash as the possibility that Lavan tried to poison Eliezer and accidently poisoned Bethuel.

51 Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken.' 52 And it came to pass, that, when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth unto the LORD.

That he prostrated himself on the ground: From here [we learn] that we must give thanks for good tidings.

53 And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

And… delicacies: Heb. וּמִגְדָּנוֹת. An expression of sweet fruits (מְגָדִים), for he had brought with him various kinds of fruits of the Land of Israel.

54 And they did eat and drink, he and the men that were with him, and tarried all night; and they rose up in the morning, and he said: 'Send me away unto my master.'

And they lodged: Wherever lodging is mentioned in Scripture, it refers to one night’s lodging.

55 And her brother and her mother said: 'Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go.'

And her brother and her mother said: And where was Bethuel? He wanted to stop [Rebecca’s marriage]; so an angel came and slew him. — [Gen. Rabbah 60:12] A year: יָמִים [means] a year, as in (Lev. 25:29):“the time of its redemption shall be one full year (יָמִים).” For a maiden is granted a period of twelve months to outfit herself with ornaments. — [Kethuboth 57]. Or ten: [Meaning] ten months, for if you say that יָמִים is [to be understood literally as] days, it is not customary for people who make requests to request a small thing and [to say,] “If you are unwilling, give us more than that.” - [Kethuboth 57].

To my great sorrow, I have a friend who started to get demented early and his son or wife started answering for him often. These are delaying tactics for perhaps negotiating more for them. Eliezer is a Shaliach Mitzvah and does not want to delay.

56 And he said unto them: 'Delay me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master.'

Sofar it seems that everything that has occurred was with help from heaven do not delay it. (In 1967 we were given the keys to the Temple Mount and Arabs were evacuating Yehuda and the Shomron but what did that pork eating Defense Minister do? The rest is history and trouble.) Never ever delay what HASHEM has given you.

57 And they said: 'We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.' 58 And they called Rebekah, and said unto her: 'Wilt thou go with this man?' And she said: 'I will go.'

Were they hoping that she would refuse or delay the matter but rather she too wanted the Mitzvah so she answered the way she did. She had faith.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.

Rivka would never return but Devorah would with Yacov. [A little aside story. My daughter-in-law and her father were raised by a black nurse who was originally hired to take care of her great grandmother and was so good that her grandmother kept her on to work raising her father and then her and her siblings. The woman similar to Devorah in our Parsha is now elderly but was invited to see and hold my granddaughter and also the cousins of my granddaughter. It is not a surprise that Yacov cried at the loss of Devorah after Rachel died for she raised 3 generations.]

60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her: 'Our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let thy seed possess the gate of those that hate them.' 61 And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the land of the South. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

He was davening Mincha.

64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she alighted from the camel.

The Hebrew was like falling but all the translations follow Rashi as sliding down. And saw Isaac: She saw his majestic appearance, and she was astounded by him (Gen. Rabbah 60:14). And she let herself down: She slipped off toward the earth, as the Targum כִינַת, “and she leaned.” She leaned towards the earth but did not reach the ground, as (above verse 14):“Please lower (הַטִּי) your pitcher,” [which the Targum renders:] אַרְכִינִי [tilt]. Similar to this, (II Sam. 22:10):“And He bent (וַיֵּט) the heavens,” [which the Targum renders:] וְאַרכִין, an expression of leaning towards the earth, and similarly (Ps. 37: 24):“Though he falls (יִפֹּל), he will not be cast down,” meaning that if he falls toward the earth, he will not reach the ground.

65 And she said unto the servant: 'What man is this that walks in the field to meet us?' And the servant said: 'It is my master.' And she took her veil, and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things that he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted for his mother.

This is what love is about not fancy infatuations love at first sight. Rather she became his wife and then over time grew to love eventually in the hierarchy of the kitchen and home took the place of his mother. As I wrote a few weeks ago when my wife was ill and I took a hotel room by the hospital and held her hand and she smiled I finally figured out what love was all about.

25:1 And Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah. 2 And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. 3 And Jokshan begot Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim. 4 And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

Many of the people of the east and the Druze claim to come from these people aka Brahmans and the Druze from Midian. Avraham became a father of many nations.

5 And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac. 6 But unto the sons of the concubines, that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country.

Midian was in eastern Sinai or the other side of the Yarden and some to Syria, Iraq and India.

7 And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years. 8 And Abraham expired, and died in a good old age, an old man, and full of years; and was gathered to his people. 9 And Isaac and Ishmael his sons buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre; 10 the field which Abraham purchased of the children of Heth; there was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife. 11 And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son; and Isaac dwelt by Beer-lahai-roi.

We started this Parsha with the death of Sara and end up with the death of Avraham ending the era of the first of the Avos.

12 Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore unto Abraham. 13 And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the first-born of Ishmael, Nebaioth; and Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam, 14 and Mishma, and Dumah, and Massa; 15 Hadad, and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedem; 16 these are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their villages, and by their encampments; twelve princes according to their nations. 17 And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he expired and died; and was gathered unto his people. 18 And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur that is before Egypt, as thou go toward Asshur: over against all his brethren he did settle.

All the family of Yishmael is mentioned because of his daughter who will marry Esav in the future for no more generations are mentioned.

Making the most of our lives

Sometimes we must make the most of our lives. Last week I was informed that my Wednesday Torah Learning partner of 27 years who was going down-hill he has the same thing that Robin Williams committed suicide over Parkinson with Dementia setting in. He is now in an old age home. My friend who had a mild form of cancer 20 or more years ago, is now on his last legs in Seroka hospital. Enjoy life while you can. Don't say I will learn Torah tomorrow for perhaps tomorrow will not come. Live the moment enjoy your Mitzvos, repent now for tomorrow may be too late. Love your spouse for in the end only the Mitzvos and the family are all you have.

A news item and story from 12 years ago

This was from my first Torah Drasha: RABBI WHO LOBBIED FOR HOLOCAUST RESCUE DIES AT 89 http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/54227#.VjnLSPkrKM8

Baruch Rabinowitz (Robbins), an American-born rabbi who lobbied on Capitol Hill for U.S. action to rescue Jews from the Holocaust, passed away in Jerusalem on December 8, after a long illness.  He was 89.

One of the first full-time Jewish lobbyists in Washington, Robbins - then known as Rabinowitz-- was the chief D.C. representative of the Emergency Committee to Save the Jewish People of Europe, better known as the Bergson group.  The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies <<http://www.WymanInstitute>www.WymanInstitute.org>, which holds a collection of memoirs and documents pertaining to
Rabinowitz's work, has established a Baruch Rabinowitz Memorial Fund to encourage research into his and his colleagues' Holocaust rescue activities.

Known for his ability to obtain bipartisan support for his efforts, Rabinowitz played a major role in the Bergson group's crowning achievement, a November 1943 Congressional resolution urging the
Roosevelt administration to establish a government agency to rescue Jews from Hitler.  During the final fifteen months of the war, the Board helped rescue an estimated 200,000 Jews, including current U.S. Representative Tom Lantos (D-CA)..  Part of its work involved facilitating and financing the rescue activities of Raoul Wallenberg.

After the Holocaust, Rabinowitz remained with the Bergson group in Washington, lobbying for U.S. support for the creation of a Jewish State, and also quietly raising funds for Etzel, one of the Jewish
militias battling the British in Mandatory Palestine.

Born in Brooklyn in 1914, Rabinowitz was a seventh-generation direct descendant of the founder of Hassidism, the Baal Shem Tov.  He was expected to take the mantle of his father, Rabbi Samuel A.
Rabinowitz, who was known as "Brooklyner Rebbe."  But at age 17, he chose instead to board a ship and sail to the Holy Land, where he studied under its first chief rabbi, Abraham Isaac Kook, from whom he received rabbinical ordination.  He later returned to the United States, became active in the nationalist Revisionist Zionist movement, served as a rabbi until 1940, and then became a full time
Jewish activist.  After the Six Day War in 1967, Rabinowitz - now known as Baruch Robbins - moved to Israel..  In 1978, although 64 years old and legally blind, he left his home in Caesarea to settle
in the fledgling community of Elon Moreh.

The first match by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=936-08

A recently-widowed Chasid named Meir walked and tramped for many days in order to spend the festivals in the court of his Rebbe, Rabbi Moshe-Zvi of Sevran. When it was time to take leave and he was admitted to the Rebbe's room, he told about the difficulties he was having finding a wife. Because he was a poor Torah scholar and a widow, no one wanted him.

"Go in peace," said the Rebbe, blessing him. "I advise you to accept the first marriage proposition that is suggested to you." He also gave him a bit of money for the trip.

On his way home the Chasid decided to stay the night in a village inn. In the dining area he found a group of loafers with nothing better to do than wasting their time in drinking and foolish jesting. Being cold from his journey, and not wanting to socialize, he found a seat in a corner next to the stove. He tried to be unobtrusive, but the mischief-makers spotted him right away and asked him where he was from and what was his business. He gave them the name of his home town, and told them that he had just visited the Rebbe of Sevran.

"What did you want from the Rebbe, and what did he answer you?" they pried.

Meir naively told them everything: "I asked the Rebbe to pray that the Al-mighty arrange that I meet my marriage partner, and he told me that I should agree to the first match that was proposed to me."

At this, one of the party jumped up and exclaimed: "Excellent! I have a first-class match for you. My sister is a young divorcee, very nice, and she happens to be in the kitchen, right now! Wait here and I'll tell her. Then I'll bring her out, and if you are agreeable, we can shake hands on it."

Now in fact this good-for-nothing was in no way related to the young woman; she was the daughter of the wealthy innkeeper, who was not in town at the time.

The prankster ran into the kitchen, explained the joke to her and asked her to play her role, saying it would be excellent for the inn's business, as many celebratory drinks would certainly be ordered. She innocently agreed, and followed her 'brother' out into the main room where he introduced pair to each other.

"Nu, Rabbi, what do you say?" asked the smiling matchmaker.

Meir answered coolly: "Fine; I agree."

All present greeted his decision with loud cheers and applause. Many ordered vodka with which to treat the Chasid on the occasion of his unconventional engagement, and had a great time toasting l' Chaim and offering him their blessings, all the while snickering behind his back.

After a while, when the boisterousness had begun to die down, one of the loiterers came up with a further suggestion: "Why don't we arrange the marriage ceremony straight away? Then we can throw a really tremendous party!"

Someone else at his table objected: "But none of our crowd knows how to draw up the marriage contract and conduct the ceremony."

"What a pity. We could have had such a great time."

Meir, overhearing them, promptly volunteered that he knew both to write the Ketuvah and supervise the Chupah. This unexpected participation by the religious sucker gave them even more cause for mirth. They took a clean tablecloth and held it up with four broomsticks over the heads of the couple as a Chupah canopy. The Chasid wrote out the Ketuvah document; and then with the inexpensive ring that someone cheerfully donated to him, he duly sanctified the giggling young lady as his lawful wedded wife "according to the religion of Moses and Israel."

All the inn's customers shouted "Mazal tov! Mazal tov, Chatan v' Kallah (bride and groom)." The groom was promptly hoisted onto the shoulders of the drunken celebrants, who bounced him up and down and twirled him around. They enjoyed their practical joke so much that after they lowered him down they tugged at his hat and long robe from all sides, made fun of him without any restraint, and even started to slap him around a bit.

Seeing how things were faring for him, the new bridegroom decided that even though it was his wedding night, it would be wise to make his escape. He snuck away and was able to arrange to sleep in the cottage of one of the gentile villagers.

In the morning he carefully crossed the threshold of the inn, wary despite the unlikelihood that his persecutors of the night before be already up and about. Instead he saw a well-dressed man on the other side of the room with his back to him. He asked one of the servants, who confirmed that this was indeed the owner of the inn and that his name was Zvi Velbka.

The young man approached the innkeeper, and said, "Good morning, father-in-law!"

The innkeeper was shocked at being called 'father-in-law' by this obviously impoverished and unemployed scholar. "Who are you? What are you talking about?" he demanded.

"I married your daughter last night," responded Meir quietly.

The innkeeper shouted for his daughter to come out of the kitchen. Seeing her "Chatan" and how upset her father was, she quickly explained: "This young man has been providing us with a little entertainment. Last night we made believe and had a engagement party and marriage ceremony, just for fun! You'll be pleased with how much extra food and liquor was sold."

Her father did not like the sound of what he heard, and plied her with questions in order to find out exactly what had taken place. When he heard her answers, he burst out, "Oh, no! You silly girl!" Turning to Meir he shouted furiously, "Chutzpan  (impudent one)! How dare you play along with those idiots. They may not understand the implications of a Ketuvah and a wedding ceremony in front of witnesses, but if you are a Chasid and a scholar as you appear, you should certainly have known that to do so constitutes a legally binding marriage under Torah law. Didn't you realize that they were making fun of you? I demand that you divorce my daughter immediately!"

To make his point clearer, he slapped the Chasid across the face. Meir neither moved nor spoke; he simply shook his head 'No.'

Mr. Velbka quickly realized that he had taken the wrong approach. "If I stay angry, he'll continue to take no notice of me," he thought to himself. "Since I'm already tied up with this pathetic pauper, I'll have to speak to him politely in order to be able to get out of this mess."

He therefore changed his tone, asked Meir to give his daughter a bill of divorce, and promised him twenty silver rubles for his trouble, a significant amount of money. To his surprise, the Chasid quickly refused. He doubled and redoubled his offer, but each time with the same lack of success.

"You might as well stop trying to buy me off," said Meir finally. "Let me tell you what is really going on. My Rebbe told me to agree to the first match that was proposed to me, and that's what I did. Anyway, she seemed to be a pleasant young woman, and of good character. This crowd may have treated the whole matter as a joke, but I took it seriously. I accepted the offer, according to the Rebbe's instructions, and I certainly will not withdraw from the marriage without a specific order to do so from the Rebbe."

Upon discovering that they were both Chasidim of the same Rebbe, the innkeeper said, Fine. Let us go to Sevran together and whatever he says we shall do."

When they arrived, Zvi Velbka put his complaint to the Maggid: "Last night, while I was away from home, along came this bum, believed a band of jokers who told him my daughter was their sister, and accepted their proposal to marry her. Then he himself wrote a Ketuvah and gave her a ring under the wedding canopy in front of witnesses! I want to dissolve it and I offered him some money to do so, but he won't agree without your approval. I am now willing to offer him one hundred silver rubles-a fortune for him-so long as he gives my daughter a divorce."

"If you will to retire to your lodgings," said the Rebbe, "I'll discuss the matter with Rabbi Meir."

When the innkeeper returned a few hours later, the Maggid told him: "I discussed the divorce with the Chatan, and he is agreeable -- provided that you give him a thousand silver rubles. I will then propose an excellent respectable match that I have in mind for your daughter. The new bridegroom will bring a thousand silver rubles to supplement the dowry, so really you will lose nothing at all."

The innkeeper quickly agreed, but said that he needed a few days to prepare the sum. The Rebbe smiled and said that he also needed additional time to arrange a scribe and two witnesses.

They agreed to meet again in a week's time. Velbka returned to his inn while Meir remained in Sevran at the Rebbe's request.

The Rebbe acted quickly. Borrowing three hundred rubles he set about to transform the appearance of the young groom. With a haircut, a new suit and an elegant streamed [round hat of fur and velvet worn by Chasidim on Shabbat and special occasions], Meir seemed a different person. He impressed everyone with his fine appearance and intelligent mien.

When Mr. Velbka arrived, money in hand, to complete the divorce, the Rebbe took him aside and whispered: "I have found the perfect match for your daughter." They walked into the Beit Midrash (study hall), where the Rebbe pointed to the renovated Meir, who was sitting in front of a large tome of Talmud, studying it with another Chasid.

Velbka was duly impressed with the young man's sophisticated appearance. Not recognizing him at all, he agreed that this could very well be a suitable match. The Rebbe then revealed the truth; this was, in fact, the man his daughter's had already married.

Reb Tzvi's face fell, but he said nothing. The Rebbe spoke further: "I have heard from heaven that this match has been decreed. You, however, were supposed to have lost your entire fortune, and so been forced to take this match. When I prayed on your behalf I succeeded in averting that part of the verdict."

"I am willing to do whatever you say, Rebbe," said the awed innkeeper.

"Very well," asserted Rabbi Moshe-Zvi. "I vouch that this man comes from a family of excellent lineage, and is himself an accomplished Torah scholar and a refined person of outstanding character. The only negative is his poverty.

"Now, thank G-d, he has a thousand silver rubles. A proper good diet will further improve his appearance. You could do no better than to continue with him. I assure you: it is a match made in heaven. May you both journey home with joyful hearts."

The innkeeper took the Rebbe's counsel to heart, and happily brought his son-in-law home with him. The newly wedded couple lived many happy and prosperous years together, and were frequent visitors to the court of the Rebbe of Sevran.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles mostly from A Treasury of Chassidic Tales (Artscroll), but with variant and added details from other written and oral sources. (Zevin -see #263 in this email series--records it in the name of a different Rebbe, without names of the two Chasidim, and with it taking only one visit to the Rebbe by the innkeeper.)

Biographical note: Rabbi Moshe-Zvi Giterman of Sevran [of blessed memory: 5535 - 27 Tevet 5597 (1775 - Dec. 1837 C.E.)] was a disciple of his father, whom he succeeded as Maggid of Savran in 1802, and of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of and Rabbi Boruch of Mezhibuz. He later became the Rabbi of Berditchev after the passing of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak in 1810, and subsequently of the towns of Uman and Kishinev as well. He had thousands of Chasidim. His Torah insights were collected and printed in the book, Likutey Shoshanim.

Connection: Weekly Reading - Finding a match.

Help from heaven (neither story is a surprise for me it is a matter of a 99 year old man believing that his 89 year old wife will become pregnant – faith)

I cannot tell you when Rabbi Yerachmiel Boyer Shlita told me of the man who learned the Daf Yomi and was ill. He fell asleep instead of the Shuir and Rabbaynu Tam came and taught him the Daf.

Angela is married civilly to a Jew. She became interested in converting and gave Chizuk to her husband. Here is her similar story.

Hope you don't mind me sharing this. I've been heart heartedly studying Hebrew and with one thing and another (and my father dying) I've not been applying myself at all to my studies. The Hebrew letters just would not sink in and my heart has not been in it.

Yesterday I decided to go for a meditation and as I'd been up so early I fell asleep after my meditation and dreamt the following.

I was in a classroom with old fashioned wooden desks, sitting there on my own and in front was the teacher's desk and a blackboard. Standing behind the teacher’s desk was a smiling old man with twinkling eyes and a white beard. He had a long black robe on and a tallit over his shoulders. He had something I didn't recognize on his head, not like a kippah at all. I sensed a great wisdom from him. Suddenly the blackboard came alive with the Hebrew alphabet, each letter was silver blue and shining. On this teacher's desk was a book and he opened it... this beautiful shining silver light came out of it and was reaching upwards to the sky.

The teacher said to me... "This is your book and I am going to help you remember what you once knew" and smiled. I then woke up.

Well today, something has clicked into place, I can feel something has changed. I also wondered about the "teacher" in the tallit and long black robe. Long black robe? . So, because I like validation I went on the hunt on the internet and found nothing for half an hour...then something turned up... an obscure book about liturgical rituals in synagogues. The google search took me to a chapter where the Rabbi, Shamash, and Chazanim wore long black robes and enwrapped in their talliot.

A meaningful dream for me...particularly the teacher, the book, the words "remember what you once knew", the black robes and the fact I woke up today feeling I knew a lot more Hebrew than I did a day ago. Uncanny!

Earth about to get a mini-ice age due to rarer sunspot activity wonder what Al Gore will say then? http://www.livescience.com/51597-maunder-minimum-mini-ice-age.html

This week the sand pollution levels reached 93 times in Ben Gurion Airport and outgoing flights were halted. The hurricane in Yemen and this last dust storm are part of the results of El Nino heat by Peru and not man made Global Warming. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202960

Fortress of Antiochus found: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202863#.VjkBsPkrKM9

Made his money from holocaust Jewish wealth: Later that year, at age 14, Soros lived with and posed as the godson of an employee of the Hungarian Ministry of Agriculture. The official was at one point ordered to inventory the remaining contents of the estate of a wealthy Jewish family that had fled the country; rather than leave Soros alone in the city, the official brought him along.[22] The next year, 1945, Soros survived the Battle of Budapest, in which Soviet and German forces fought house to house through the city. https://www.facebook.com/JewishTeaPartyPatriots/photos/a.745499278828935.1073741825.124286827616853/946961165349411/?type=3

I just imagined that my opponent was yelling in Arabic with a knife: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4718886,00.html

Jewish Judo: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4718828,00.html

Israeli elections on the horizon as Netanyahu moves further and further left. I am beginning to prefer labor as if they agree to build, they build! http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202726#.VjWms_krKM8

Nauseated:  Religious bodies, such as the Episcopal Church, the United Church of Christ, the Unitarian Universalist Association and the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association, Now the Reform trying for transgender rights. Then you wonder why their numbers are declining they have become as fruitful and multiplying like a mule. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4721070,00.html Halacha if the person has changed their gender by an operation the person cleaning the body must be of the new gender. Orthodox Judaism does not condone self-mutilation.

Inyanay Diyoma

Two terrorists try to have a motorcycle shooting but are neutralized: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202696#.VjNh5_krKM8

Light rail attack two wounded and terrorist neutralized: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202700#.VjNkuPkrKM8

If Yose Sarid, Zahava Galon, Tzippy from the Zionist Party are Zionist then count me out of their number as I am a Torah Jew. Still I yearn for Torah State. Martin Sherman brings pro Jewish State idea. http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Into-the-fray-Preserving-the-Jewish-nation-state-430491

Israel struck Hezballah and Assad Forces that came too arms transfer to Lebanon. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202716#.VjT-GfkrKM8

Nobody will know if this is true or false or the plane had a failure but one thing for sure is that plane went down in Sinai.  http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202713#.VjT_R_krKM8

Terrorist shot and killed near Jenin: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Initial-Report-Terrorist-attempts-stabbing-near-Afula-430604

Using children with knives in photos by Muslims: Defining the deadly social disease infecting the followers of Muhammed. Understanding why some Muslims, and the Islamic State in particular, act violently is captured in one word: Fitnaphobia. Fitnaphobia is defined as: An overwhelming and unreasonable fear of forces that cause controversy, fragmentation, scandal, chaos or discord within the Muslim community, thereby disturbing social peace and order within the Ummah (the Islamic Nation).

Fear is gripping many Israelis and that is so simple without fear of G-D one has fear of man that does not mean to be reckless. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4717234,00.html

Islamic Centers in Sweden under attack. http://powderedwigsociety.com/swedes-burn-9-muslim-refugee-centers-to-the-ground/

I had to choose the terrorist or my soldier: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202755

Pollard still rots in jail and then 5 more years. But the CIA can spy and does so hard: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IDF-reportedly-warns-soldiers-Beware-of-CIA-recruitment-431703

Obama criticized for no real strategy on Syria: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202785#.VjbsA_krKM8

Hit and run of border police yesterday gives himself up, one stabbing attempt and three people stabbed in Rishon Le Tzion. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202820#.VjdzufkrKM8

Summary of Monday´s attacks as of 8:30 PM http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4719646,00.html

The man who died in a truck attack recognized as a terror victim: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202825#.Vje31_krKM8

Chevron Radio Station inciting violence: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202850

A picture is worth a thousand words where the Arabs are in charge it is like Mark Twain saw where the Jews are including the Shomron you have a green line from our trees. http://www.hakolhayehudi.com/arabs-cling-to-the-land-of-israel-without-loving-the-land/

Sudanese tries to choke Israeli on an International Flight: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4720487,00.html

The weather was bad in Israel in Yerushayim and Tel Aviv 26 times the pollution in Modiin only 21 times. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4720384,00.html

Iranian troops humiliated by ISIS: http://debka.com/article/24985/Iran%E2%80%99s-elite-Rev-Guards-units-routed-by-ISIS-in-the-Al-Safira-pre-battle-for-Aleppo

Mainstream Media propagates lies about Iran complying http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Report-Media-misleading-by-reporting-that-Iran-implementing-nuclear-deal-431936

With a weaker US military the US most cooperate with its strongest ally in the ME. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202900#.VjmQB_krKM8

From Miriam what Facebook is famous for shutting down the just and letting the unjust go on. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/the-arab-world/facebook-page-of-palestinian-peace-activist-ahmed-shahwan-shut-down-16896

Jordanian Plane from Dubai makes an emergency landing in Israel. http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Plane-from-Dubai-makes-emergency-landing-in-Tel-Aviv-431923

Israeli company supplies Africa with internet for free WHEN WILL THEY SUPPLY ISRAEL FREE? http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4717977,00.html

From Joyce: Stabbing in the back in Crown Heights: http://pamelageller.com/2015/11/34-year-old-jewish-man-stabbed-in-brooklyn-by-masked-man.html/

Second Russian Plane downed this week in the Sudan: http://debka.com/article/24992/Russian-made-cargo-plane-crash-in-S-Sudan-kills-dozens-Second-Mid-East-air-disaster

More terrorist bodies returned as terror intensifies an Ed-Op: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4720391,00.html

Because of the Iran Deal, Israel needs $2,000,000,000 more aid each year in equipment: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4721343,00.html

You heard of Mr. T. well here is Israeli Corporal T. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/202995

Faisal Mohammad Identified as the campus stabber in California. http://www.aol.com/article/2015/11/05/student-who-stabbed-4-at-university-meant-to-do-more-harm/21259755/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmaing5%7Cdl2%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-845576571

UK evacuates citizen from Sinai no baggage only a carry-on to be checked baggage will go via the Suez Canal. http://debka.com/article/24994/Anti-air-missiles-in-ISIS-hands-also-imperil-Saudi-Jordanian-and-Israeli-skies

Have a peaceful and restful Shabbos,

Rachamim Pauli