Friday, February 12, 2016

Parsha Teruma, stories galore


In memory of my step-father Shmuel ben Yosef 5659 to Aleph Adar Aleph 5760


David Zvi ben Sarah Leah passed away at the age of 91. Here are 2 hours and 49 minutes of his testimony on the Holocaust: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZVCgkqLsZ8&app=desktop Recommended listening in pieces once you see the man.


Parsha Teruma


I started writing Parsha Teruma and had it all-ready on Tuesday this week except for some Rashi. I had internet References such as density of Acacia Wood and something and it erased too much so I am rewriting from memory.

Last year, I realized that either we had to have depended on a lot of miracles to move the Mishkan or the Rabbinical description was off over the course of time between the closing down of Shilo when the Temple was built about 1000 to 1400 years prior to the Talmudic Tradition being written down.

He is the Talmud on the Mishkan and the wagons that transported the wood. Four wagons were used and the Leviim used to walk on the side like airport workers guide a large jet that the wings do not crash into something during turns and parking. The Leviim to make sure that the wood would not fall off the wagons.

The wagons were from Yosef to Yacov when the Bnei Yisrael went to Mitzrayim 210 years prior. If you google wagons on the Chabad site, you will find an article by Rabbi Menachem Posner that Yacov planted the Acacia trees when the tribes went down to Mitzrayim.

In order to get an idea of the weight of the boards for the Mishkan I had to find the density of Acacia wood which varied from .69 to .89 kg/cu cm. Since all the Acacia trees that were planted in Israel are relatively young, I never saw a tree that was wide enough to make the boards or high enough. So I went and googled width of the tree and obtained 3-5 meters with no problem for the height either. One can see some trees like this in Kroger Park S. Africa. Remember the width of the board was 1.5 Amos and using the standard English Cubit of 18 in or 45cm we get for a ten Amah height 4.5 meters. Rabbi Schatz Shlita uses 43cm and only a 43-45cm matches the archeological discoveries on the Temple Mount before the Arabs tried to remove all. The Chazon Ish uses 50cm but I have not met an average height man with a breath from the tip of his middle-finger to the elbow with 50cm. Rabbi Schatz holds that the average man in the times of the Mikdash and Mishkan was a bit shorter. I also googled the 10 heaviest woods to check that 890 kg/cu m is correct and I found up to 1,328 kg/cu m as the heaviest type of wood.

Now the Gemara states that the top of the boards was a finger’s width which is 2cm. Rabbi Schatz holds 1cm to lower the weight but that is unnecessary. I then looked up how much pressure could a piece of wood take. I found a chart with all sorts of woods common in the USA. Since Hickory was .76 and close enough to the average, I discovered that it could withstand 9,600 to 10,300 lbs./cu in. I will not recalculate in meters but that is a lot of pressure and a board 4/5ths of an inch joined with another 50 boards plus the six on the fourth side could easily hold the 10 layers of skins on time. (Remember 2.54 cm = 1 in.)

Before I continue I will bring down the Soncino Talmud Bavli Shabbos on the wagons and how the wood rested on them. I would have brought down the Rashi but since he bases himself on the Talmud more or less, I bring down the sources.


26:15 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia-wood, standing up. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board. 17 Two tenons shall there be in each board, joined one to another; thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward: 19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons; 20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards. 21 And their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 22 And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards. 23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part. 24 And they shall be double beneath, and in like manner they shall be complete unto the top thereof unto the first ring; thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners. 25 Thus there shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board. 26 And thou shalt make bars of acacia-wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle, 27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the hinder part westward; 28 and the middle bar in the midst of the boards, which shall pass through from end to end. 29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for holders for the bars; and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold. 30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been shown thee in the mount.


 Shabbos 97B the last line or so on the page: Our Rabbis taught: If one throws [an object] from public to public ground, and private ground lies between them: [if it traverses] four cubits [over public ground]. he is culpable.
98A less than four cubits, he is not culpable. What does this inform us? — This is what he informs us, that [similar] domains combine, and we do not say, An object caught up [in the air] is as at rest.
R. Samuel b. Judah said in R. Abba's name in R. Huna's name in the name of Rab: If one carries [an article] four cubits in covered public ground, he is liable, because it is not like the banners of the wilderness.  But that is not so? for the waggons surely were covered, and yet Rab said in R. Hiyya's name: As for the waggons, beneath them, between them, and at their sides it was public ground? — Rab referred to the interspaces — Consider: what was the length of the waggons? Five cubits. What was the breadth of the board? A cubit and a half. Then how many [rows] could be placed: three: thus leaving half a cubit, and when you divide it among them [the spaces] they are as joined! — Do you think that the boards lay on their width? they were laid on their thickness. Yet even so, what was the thickness of the board? One cubit. How many [rows] were [then] laid? Four, thus leaving a cubit, and when you divide it among them [the spaces] they are as joined!  Now, on the view that the boards were one cubit thick at the bottom, but tapered to a fingerbreadth, it is well: but on the view that just as they were a cubit thick at the bottom, so at the top too, what can be said? — Said R. Kahana: (They were arranged] in clasped formation.  Now, where were they placed: on the top of the wagon. But the wagon itself was covered?

 

98 B— Said Samuel: [The bottom consisted] of laths.

Our Rabbis taught: The boards were one cubit thick at the bottom, but tapered to a fingerbreadth at the top, for it is said, they shall be entire [thammim] unto the top thereof1  whilst elsewhere it is said, [the waters …] ended [tammu] and were cut off;2  this is R. Judah's view. R. Nehemiah said: Just as their thickness at the bottom, was a cubit, so at the top was their thickness a cubit, for it is said, 'and in like manner [they shall be entire]'. But surely 'thammim' is written? That [teaches] that they were to come whole, and not divided. And the other too, surely is written 'in like manner'? — That [teaches] that they were not to erect them irregularly. Now, on the view that just as they were a cubit thick at the bottom, so were they at the top, it is well: thus it is written, And from the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards, and two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle: thus the breadth of these comes and fills in the thickness of those. But on the view that they were a cubit thick at the bottom, while they tapered at the top to a fingerbreadth, one receded and the other protruded? They were planed mountain-fashion.
And the middle bar in the midst of the boards [shall pass through from end to end]. A Tanna taught: It lay there by a miracle.
Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains. The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits. Throw their length over the breadth of the Tabernacle; how much was it? twenty-eight cubits. Subtract ten for the roof, and this leaves nine cubits on each side. According to R. Judah. the cubit of the sockets was left uncovered; according to R. Nehemiah, a cubit of the boards was uncovered [too]. Cast their breadth over the length of the Tabernacle: how much was it? forty cubits. Subtract thirty for the roof, leaves ten. According to R. Judah the cubit of the sockets was covered; according to R. Nehemiah the cubit of the sockets was uncovered.
And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle: [eleven curtains shalt thou make them]. The length of each curtain Shall be thirty cubits. [and the breadth of each curtain four cubits]. Cast their length over the breadth of the Tabernacle; how much was it? Thirty. Subtract ten for the roof, which leaves ten [cubits] on each side. According to R. Judah the cubit of the sockets was covered; according to R. Nehemiah the cubit of the sockets was uncovered. It was taught likewise: And the cubit on one side, and the cubit of the other side of that which remains [in the length of the curtains of the tent]: this was to cover the cubit of the sockets: that is R. Judah's view. R. Nehemiah said: It was to cover the cubit of the boards. Cast their breadth over the length of the Tabernacle: how much was it? Forty-four [cubits]. Subtract thirty for the roof leaves fourteen. Subtract two for the doubling over, as it is written, and thou shalt double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent, leaves twelve. Now, according to R. Judah, it is well; thus it is written, the half curtain that remains shall hang; but according to R. Nehemiah, what is meant by [the half curtain …] shall hang? — It shall hang over its companions. The School of R. Ishmael taught: What did the Tabernacle resemble? A woman who goes in the street and her skirts trail after her.
Our Rabbis taught: The boards were cut out and the sockets were grooved
99A also, the clasps in the loops looked like stars [set] in the sky.
Our Rabbis taught: The lower curtains [were made] of blue [wool], purple [wool]. crimson thread and fine linen, whilst the upper ones were of goats' [hair] manufacture; and greater wisdom [skill] is mentioned in connection with the upper than in connection with the lower. For whereas of the lower ones it is written, And all the women that were wise-hearted did spin with their hands; in reference to the upper ones it is written, And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun the goats; and it was taught in R. Nehemiah's name: It was washed [direct] on the goats and spun on the goats

The Rambam holds that all miracles were guided by the laws of nature and therefore no violation occurred. The Khartoum, Rabbi Schatz and I tend for thinner boards because of the weight. Now the total weight of the boards if only 2cm wide all the length would be 2,778 kg or 697 kg per wagon to go on non-paved roads in a wilderness. I did not take the weight of a full Amah depth as it would simply be doubled. If take a taper of one Amah to 2 cm of triangle I get weight x height x depth x density x 56 boards which gives me a total of 176 kg per board or 9,780 tons using .79 as the medium density of Acacia wood now slicing it and tapering it yields a bit more than half as the taper is from .655 m width is tapered to the 4.5 m height and the .02 m depth is full. If I only take 2 cm all the length, I get 48 kg per board or. So I have to come to the conclusion that the taper was only on the bottom and the boards would have to be stacked sideways and tied. Perhaps the taper was just enough to stabilize the boards or about 30 cm and the weight drops this would give us an additional 137 kg per board or a total of 185 kg per board. Or a total of 10 kilotons or 2.5 kilotons per wagon so it is feasible but on the border line of teams of oxen to haul the loads as there is a Medrash of flattening mountains but even if we say so, the mountains of Eretz Yisrael and the Golan Heights were not flattened.

In previous years I mentioned that my late friend Yacov Glicksman of blessed memory calculated that just the weight of the gold on top of the Aron HaKodesh would be 1600 tons for gold is a heavy metal and the clamps would not hold it. It was suggestion in Midrashim that the Aron called itself. Even a pretty hollowed out gold would be quite heavy but perhaps reasonable but the wood would weigh also a bit and it might be that there would have to be pulleys and rollers or other boards underneath and a lot more Leviim to carry the Aron. I have not checked this out just saying what Rav Arieh Glicksman Shlita reminded me. Both Yacov and I have recognized many miracles of the Yom Kippur War and we both strongly believe(d) in them but as I wrote above I like them coming by natural means. Aka meteors hitting the Amorites in the middle of the battle and leaving the Bnei Yisrael untouched.

Saw this on TV News but want to thank Judith W. for this. Beautiful Israelis. In Australia this was tried and the “blind man” ripped off by most but look at the Israelis. The Australian Video with the rip-offs was a hoax but not the Israeli one. http://www.techinsider.io/adrian-gee-blind-man-youtube-video-hoax-2015-11 Even the most non-religious have a beautiful Neshama: http://www.israelvideonetwork.com/the-blind-man-challenge-just-came-to-israel-the-results-were-spectacular/?omhide=true


From Judith W.: Rabbi Yosef Wallis, director of Arachim of Israel, talks to Project Witness about his father, Judah Wallis, who was born and raised in Pavenitz, Poland. Note I attended a few seminars from Arachim during my working years to fortify my wife and myself as sometimes work can get you down.

While he was in Dachau, a Jew who was being taken to his death suddenly flung a small bag at my father, Judah Wallis. He caught it, thinking it might contain a piece of bread. Upon opening it, however, he was disturbed to discover a pair of tefillin. Judah was very frightened because he knew that were he to be caught carrying tefillin, he would be put to death instantly. So he hid the tefillin under his shirt and headed for his bunkhouse.

In the morning, just before the appel [roll call], while still in his bunkhouse, he put on the tefillin. Unexpectedly, a German officer appeared. He ordered him to remove the tefillin, noted the number on Judah’s arm.

At the appel, in front of thousands of silent Jews, the officer called out Judah’s number and he had no choice but to step forward. The German officer waved the tefillin in the air and said, "Dog! I sentence you to death by public hanging for wearing these."

Judah was placed on a stool and a noose was placed around his neck. Before he was hanged, the officer said in a mocking tone, "Dog, what is your last wish?"

“To wear my tefillin one last time," Judah replied.

The officer was dumbfounded. He handed Judah the tefillin. As Judah put them on, he recited the verse that is said while the tefillin are being wound around the fingers: "Ve’eirastich li le’olam, ve’eirastich li b’tzedek uvemishpat, ub’chessed, uv;rachamim, ve;eirastich li b’emunah, v’yodaat es Hashem ? I will betroth you to me forever and I will betroth you to me with righteousness and with justice and with kindness and with mercy and I will betroth you to me with fidelity, and you shall know God."

It is hard for us to picture this Jew with a noose around his neck, wearing tefillin on his head and arm but that was the scene that the entire camp was forced to watch, as they awaited the impending hanging of the Jew who had dared to break the rule against wearing tefillin.
Even women from the adjoining camp were lined up at the barbed wire fence that separated them from the men’s camp, forced to watch this horrible sight.
"Yidden, I am the victor. Don’t you understand, I am the winner!"

The German officer understood the Yiddish and was infuriated. He said to Judah, "You dog, you think you are the winner? Hanging is too good for you. You are going to get another kind of death."

“Judah, my father, was taken from the stool and the noose was removed from his neck. He was forced into a squatting position and two huge rocks were placed under his arms. Then he was told that he would be receiving 25 lashes to his head, the head on which he had dared to position his tefillin. The officer told him that if he dropped even one of the rocks, he would be shot immediately. In fact, because this was such an extremely painful form of death, the officer advised him, "Drop the rocks now. You will never survive the 25 lashes to the head. Nobody ever does."

Judah’s response was, "No, I won’t give you the pleasure."

At the 25th lash, Judah lost consciousness and was left for dead. He was about to be dragged to a pile of corpses, after which he would have been burned in a ditch, when another Jew saw him, shoved him to the side, and covered his head with a rag so people didn’t realize he was alive. Eventually, after he recovered consciousness fully, he crawled to the nearest bunkhouse that was on raised piles and hid under it until he was strong enough to come out under his own power. Two months later he was liberated.
"I saw what you did that day when the officer wanted to hang you. Will you marry me?”

During the hanging and beating episode, a 17-year-old girl had been watching the events from the women’s side of the fence. After liberation, she made her way to Judah. She walked over to him and said, "I’ve lost everyone. I don’t want to be alone any more. I saw what you did that day when the officer wanted to hang you. Will you marry me?”

My parents walked over to the Klausenberger Rebbe and requested that he perform the marriage ceremony. The Klausenberger Rebbe, whose Kiddush Hashem is legendary, wrote out a kesubah [marriage contract] by hand from memory and married the couple. I have that handwritten kesubah in my possession to this day.

The Junior Draftsman by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles: http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=948-20

I [Rafael Ben-Zichri of Beersheba, Israel,] was born in Safro, Morocco, where I attended yeshiva until I was 16 years old. By then it was time to learn a profession, so I went to the city of Fez where there were more options. I decided to become a draftsman and enrolled in a special vocational school.
When the Second World War broke out it became very hard to find work - especially in my profession, and especially as a Jew. People were grateful to have any job at all.
One day I applied for a job at a huge woodworking factory that produced furniture and other items for the government. The plant was French-owned, and the workers were Arabs and Jews.
Because it was wartime, the factory was open seven days a week. As soon as I walked through the doors I vowed to myself that I would never desecrate the Sabbath, no matter what happened. I presented myself to the supervisor, and after a short interview I was hired. 
For a whole week I worked very diligently, so much so that I received several commendations. But I could not stop worrying about the coming Shabbat. No matter how hard I tried, I could not come up with any solution to the problem.
On Shabbat morning I found my feet taking me in the direction of the factory. But I was determined not to do any actual prohibited work, even if it meant being fired. I thanked G-d for every moment that went by without the supervisor noticing me. When eventually he came over, I made believe I was busy solving an equation, but I could tell that he knew I was faking. I said nothing, and he continued on his rounds. I breathed a deep sigh of relief. My first Shabbat had passed without incident.
I continued to be very industrious. The second week passed as the first. My hands worked diligently, but my mind was elsewhere. All I could think about was the coming Shabbat.
Again I found myself in the same situation as before. I stood at my usual workplace, but did not touch any of the wood or machinery. Unfortunately, that day the supervisor showed up early in the morning. I don't know if it was a coincidence or he was checking up on me.
My heart started to pound as he walked over. "Why aren't you working?" he demanded. I didn't answer, and he repeated the question. When I still said nothing he told me, "If you do not start working you will have to leave. You'll have to find a job among the Jews..."
A few minutes later the supervisor returned, but this time he wasn't alone. Walking alongside him was the manager of the factory! My whole body started trembling.
The manager looked a little familiar to me, but I wasn't really sure and I couldn't remember where I might have seen him. The manager gave me the once-over from head to toe before whispering something in the supervisor's ear. The only word I could make out was "draftsman."
It was common knowledge that the plant's draftsman had quit several weeks before. Since then the factory was lacking a full-time draftsman, and the work supervisor, who had been formally trained as a draftsman, was trying to fill two jobs at once. It had never occurred to me to apply for the senior position, as I was too shy.
Suddenly, I found myself being addressed by the manager. "If I'm not mistaken, I signed your diploma from draftsmanship school," he said. At that moment I realized why he looked so familiar. "Yes," I answered.
"Report to my office first thing tomorrow morning," he said, and went back to his other duties.
The next day I began my career as the plant's official draftsman. I was delighted by the unexpected promotion, but still worried about keeping Shabbat. I had a feeling that the whole happy adventure would be coming to an end that Saturday...
Shabbat came. This time I decided to take the initiative. I went to the manager's office and announced, "I don't work on Saturdays." His faced paled, and for a whole minute he was dumbstruck. In the end he didn't say anything and just nodded his head slightly in agreement. 
I worked in that plant for many years. And never again did my feet cross its threshold on Shabbat.
One time, in a rare moment of candor, the manager confided, "You should know that never in my life has anyone won an argument with me. You are the first person who ever succeeded, and got me to back down. Can you believe it? A little Jew, barely an adult, got the best of me...."

Some extreme right wing Jews have nothing to do with the philosophy of Rabbi Meir Kahane says the widow: http://www.jta.org/2016/02/10/news-opinion/israel-middle-east/kahanes-widow-jewish-extremists-have-nothing-to-do-with-kahanes-ideology


Inyanay Diyoma


Shop and violate the Shabbos then don’t expect the Shabbos will protect you: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/207600

Israel sends aid to Taiwan after 6.4 magnitude quake: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/207603#.VrYwhlh96M8







Iran can hit Londonstan and maybe the Sunni White House: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4764457,00.html

The Southern Front of the IDF is looking for tunnels as the politicians always blame the chief of staff and stay clean. Also preparing for the next war with Gaza. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/207866#.Vrw_PVh96M8

This week I lost a lot of data of stabbing attempt and a successful stabbing near Kfar Daniel. Strategic Data from Debka I have recovered the links.


Weak USA so Russia threatens World War: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/207908

New detection device can track terrorist in fog. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4764597,00.html




Good Shabbos I have one or two more links for stories to regenerate. Be well, Rachamim Pauli