Prayers for
Men: Eliezer David HaCohain ben Naomi, Avraham HaCohain ben Yocheved, Asher ben
Esther Malka, Avraham ben Devorah, Menashe Ben
Golda, Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Yoel ben Esther, Yehonatan ben Malka,
Zvi ben Chava, David Zvi ben Sarah Leah, Daniel ben Rivka, Nehemiah Arieh Liab
Peretz ben Esther Rachel, Eliyah ben Chana, Reuven David ben Rachel, Aharon Chayim ben Ruchama, Mordechai ben Nina,
One
of my Yeshiva buddies from back in the days needs prayers for improved hearing
Chaim Dovid ben Chana Golda. This week
only.
Women: Karen
Neshama bas Esther Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas Baila Alta, Rachel bas Chana,
Hodaya Nirit bas Mazel, Rivka bas Idit, Tsvia Simcha bas Devorah Yachad, Miriam
bas Irene Taita Malka, Esther Rachel bas Sarah, Golde Chaya bas Esther, Lydia bas Elvira, Shulamis bas
Etta, Chana Friedel bas Sara, Drorah Rivka bas Chana
The following
person is recovering from long term non-threatening injuries and need Psalms.
Binum Benyamin Tuvia ben Chana Friedel,
Motzei
Shabbos will be the 28th of Iyar or Yom Yerushalayim. Here is a film
about some of the miracles of the Six Day War which occurred 49 years ago. Those
of us who were around then and relatively young will remember “Those were the
days my friends”. Naomi Shemar wrote “The Karish” or shark about Sharm El Sheik
and then “Yerushalayim Shel Zahav”. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8i3uIz7hoYs
Parsha Bamidbar
Yermiyahu 31:1
Thus says the LORD: the people that were left of the sword have found grace in
the wilderness, even Israel, when I go to cause him to rest. Forty years they were in Kollel no work only Torah learning
and Shabbos Observance (Yom Tov too). They eat Mann and were satisfied and
fully nourished.
I
asked Rabbi Mimran this question and he also had it. I will see if he found an
answer. It has bothered both him and I why the Rabbis who set the weekly
Parshiyos broke up Shevet Levi (the counting of the tribe of Levi) into two
Parshiyos. Is it that they did not want to make Naso super long or add too much
to Bamidbar? One interesting aspect of everything is that Naso is the longest
Parsha with 176 Pasukim, the longest Psalm 119 is 176 Pasukim and the longest
Gemara Baba Basra is 176 Dafim. These all are 22 letters x 8 which is a number
above Teva (Nature) for Nature has only 7 days of Creation and 7 of the 10
Sefiros of Sefiras HaOmer. Perhaps for
this reason. There might have been a tradition in Oral Law but I do not know of
it.
After
going into a lot of sources, Rabbi Mimran came up with a Medrash that stated
that since Kohath had the holiest vessels to carry and Aaron and Moshe came
from that son of Levi that they went first. Still that does not answer why the
separation of Shevet Levi so the question remains.
1:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the tent of meeting, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying:
There is a generalization in Torah no early and no late in the Chumash. There is no indication if this happened in Chronological order or not but I assume that Parsha Metzora and Tazria were thrown in to relieve the grief of the loss of the two sons of Aaron. For they were leaders for the next generation on the level of Moshe and Aaron. We had learned about Pessach Sheni in the last Sefer. Now we return to a time before Pessach Sheni.
2 'Take ye the sum of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, every male, by their polls;
The Chumash is the first record of births of people. However, one can plainly see we do not get up to the number of 600,000 recorded males and a similar number of females and perhaps twice that or more the number of children.
The
very word “desert” conjures up images of lots of very dry sand, scorching heat,
a tremendous lack of water, and therefore, very dangerous conditions. Yet, the
Jewish people spent 40 years in the desert and rarely did they complain about
such circumstances. Even when they complained about a lack of water it was
before they were even thirsty.
This
is because in reality, the Jewish camp was a traveling oasis. Bread fell from
the sky, special clouds plowed the desert and protected them from deadly
elements, the light of God led them on their journey, and a mystical well
followed them everything they went. Even their clothes did not need cleaning or
repair. Their environment had been more than ideal.
This
situation was not only while the Jewish people traveled in the desert. It is
the situation of the Jewish people as they travel through history. History is a
desert for the descendants of Yaakov, and protection from its elements is
purely by the grace of God then, and now:
The
whole world is sustained by [God’s] charity. (Broches 17a) – Rabbi Pinchas
Winston Shlita [condensed] http://torah.org/torah-portion/perceptions-5776-bamidbar/
3 from twenty years old and upward, all that are able to go forth to war in Israel: ye shall number them by their hosts, even thou and Aaron.
The Torah does not view 18 year-olds as soldiers and disciplined enough. The human brain has not fully developed until 20 to 21 years of age. Remember, most of the people married quite young in Biblical Times. They did not have our worries of College and a Career. Apprenticeship started in the teen years and only a few did Rabbinical Studies although the Nation used Shabbos or the Evenings to learn. I recall reading in the Talmud about pure 18 year-olds looking for marriage. Among Beis Yacov Girls and Yeshiva Boys that is true today and even a bit older age. It is much healthier to marry off your children younger from many standpoints. I married at the age of 22.5 and by 24 was a parent and by 49 had my first grandchild from my youngest child.
4 And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers' house.
Today there exists in the world a lot of sibling rivalry and some is over money, some over honor and some justified or unjustified of the other sibling. The Torah views a family as one unit under the house of his father. A strong family is united and a weak one is divided. Sometimes a wife or inheritance will drive a wedge between two brothers but the Torah views them as a family unit.
… 17 And Moses and Aaron took these men that are pointed out by name. 18 And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls. 19 As the LORD commanded Moses, so did he number them in the wilderness of Sinai.
When it came for me looking for a Shidduch in the unwritten as of yet story of my return to Judaism, I found out part of my Yichus (pedigree) and it was good. But since I was a Baal Teshuva, it did not impress most of the families. People cannot base everything on the merits of the fathers and must view the merit of the individual which is often ignored in a Shidduch. For David had a great-grandson called Menashe who was a rotten apple in his day but Hezekiah came from Menashe and was close to being the Moshiach. During our learning of Avos (which I skipped this year) we learn in the name of Rebbe Meir not to look at the pitcher but its contents. For one has a pitcher which is new and has old mellow wine inside and one is old and is devoid of even new wine.
20 And the children of Reuben, Simeon and Gad, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
This camp was situated in the south and was guarded by Rafael Ha Malach (the angel Rafael). The camp was Machane Reuven (camp of Reuven) after the oldest brother.
26 Of the children of Judah, Issachar and Zebulun, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
Of all the camps, Machane Yehuda was the largest and was posed in the east for guarding the camps and was the first to march. The camp was guarded by Michael Ha Malach.
32 Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
Machane (Yosef) Ephraim was the smallest of the camps see my blogspot for past years and calculations of the size. They were guarded by Gavriel Ha Malach.
38 Of the children of Dan, Asher (and) Naphtali, their generations, by their families, by their fathers' houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, all that were able to go forth to war;
They were situated in the north which according to Talmud Berachos Daf 5 is the direction of the Shechina but in our Machane Dan was guarded by Uriel Ha Malach. The Shechina rested in the middle of the camp on the Aron HaKodesh.
… 46 even all those that were numbered were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. 47 But the Levites after the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them. 48 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 49 'Howbeit the tribe of Levi thou shalt not number, neither shalt thou take the sum of them among the children of Israel; 50 but appoint thou the Levites over the tabernacle of the testimony, and over all the furniture thereof, and over all that belongs to it; they shall bear the tabernacle, and all the furniture thereof; and they shall minister unto it, and shall encamp round about the tabernacle. 51 And when the tabernacle sets forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the common man that draws nigh shall be put to death. 52 And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man with his own camp, and every man with his own standard, according to their hosts.
An example of this is in the song sung at the evening meal of Shabbos “All that sanctify the Shabbos”. It says there: “A man in his camp and a man under his flag” – (Ish Al Machane Hu V’ Ish Al Deglo).
53 But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of the testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of the testimony.' 54 Thus did the children of Israel; according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
2:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 'The children of Israel shall pitch by their fathers' houses; every man with his own standard, according to the ensigns; a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting.
We now turn to the division of labor among the Leviim and as I wrote this week we only have the number of the children of Kohath and next week the other two sub-tribe bothers.
… 22 Those that were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those that were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred. 23 The families of the Gershonites were to pitch behind the tabernacle westward; …
Levi was exempt from the slavery of Mitzrayim for they were the priests and not being enslaved did not reproduce like the other tribes. HASHEM asks that the males be numbered from one-month old sort of redeemed for service for HASHEM vs. that of the sizeable other tribes from 20 upwards.
… 29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle southward;
Their place in the camp was to become important in the rebellion of Korach as he nurtured his influence with Reuven and Gad his neighbors.
… 33 Of Merari was … they were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward;
This left for Aaron and his sons (I read commentary that Moshe also) was in the east.
40 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Number all the first-born males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names. 41 And thou shalt take the Levites for Me, even the LORD, instead of all the first-born among the children of Israel; and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel.'
The redemption of the firstborn and the work of the children of Kohath conclude our Parsha
…….
I
wanted to finish up with my ideas and experiences in a few Yeshivos and looking
for a Shidduch but it just did not work out but this week. I was busy trying to
get some annual check-ups in and on the phone a lot. Therefore, I will take a
story from Chabad and My Return to Judaism Part 4 will appear in the future.
The one eyed
electrician at Meron by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=965-37
But
when he gave the same talk a week later in the elementary school of Kfar
Chabad, he no longer wore the eye patch. After he finished, one of the
teachers, Rabbi Chayim Ben-Natan, invited him to wrap Tefillin. The man,
accepted with alacrity. When he finished saying the Shma Yisrael prayer
and removing the boxes and straps with the rabbi's help, Meir (not his real
name) offered to tell Ben-Natan his story.
For many years he has suffered from diabetes. Recently, he developed a painful eye problem and a loss of vision in one of his eyes. As this was diabetes-related, the doctors all insisted that no cure is possible. His most recent doctor gave him some salve to put on the bad eye to ease the pain, and a black patch to cover it so as not to compromise the vision of his remaining good eye.
His incomplete vision made it impossible for him to continue working as a technician. Instead, the IEC trained him to give presentations to school children about electricity.
One time he was driving in the Galilee to an appointment at a school in Carmiel. On the way, he called his office to check in and confirm the directions. His supervisor, a religious Jewess, upon hearing his location, recommended that he detour to one of the holy burial sites in the North of Israel and pray there for an improvement in his condition.
"Why not?" he thought to himself. "It can't hurt." And off he went to Meron, to the burial site of the great sage of the Mishna and Zohar, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai.
As he stood there praying with one hand on the tomb marker (clearly this was not on Lag B' Omer! -YT), he heard a man at a nearby table groaning and repeatedly crying out, "Hashem, G-d, help me, please! In the merit of Rabbi Shimon, help me now!"
When Meir finished his own prayer, he turned away from the tomb marker. The man who had been crying out stared at him in wide-eyed amazement, and suddenly grabbed his arm! "Praise G-d! Give thanks to the Al-mighty. My prayers are answered. Rabbi Shimon sent you to me!"
"What are you talking about?" Meir said calmly. "Nobody sent me here."
"It's true. It's true!" proclaimed Uri (not his real name) loudly, refusing to release Meir's arm. "I have a wife and five children at home and no electricity. I've been praying for hours to get my electricity back, and here you are from the Electric Company." He pointed to the IEC insignia on Meir's uniform. "Clearly you were sent here to help me. Now give me back my electricity!"
Uri explained that his electricity had been cut off because he owed thousands of shekels in unpaid bills, which he could not afford to pay. He then resumed demanding that Meir give him back his electricity, speaking louder and louder. Meir tried to explain that the nature of his job was in no way related to Uris' problem, not technically, not financially. None of his disclaimers helped. Uri would not relent in his belief that "obviously" Meir had been sent by Heaven and Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai to help him get his electricity restored.
Despairing of ever being able to make Uri be sensible, and in danger of being late to his assignment, Meir finally asked Uri for the number of his account. Uri showed him his most recent bill. Meir said, "Look, let me step outside, and I'll call someone very important in management, check what the situation is, and try to arrange something for you."
Uri grinned in anticipation and stepped back. Meir went out, used his IEC internal communication device to check Uri's account, verified that he owed 2500 shekels…and paid the entire bill with his own credit card number!
Returning inside, he told Uri, "Okay, it is all arranged with the company. You can go home. In two hours you will have electricity." Uri pumped Meir's hand enthusiastically. He couldn't thank him enough. "You see," he said, "I was right that Rabbi Shimon sent you to me."
Meir went to his car, shaking his head in amazement at his own spontaneous kind deed. About ten minutes, later, half way to his destination, he had to pull over to the side of the road. His bad eye was itching so badly he couldn't wait any longer to remove his patch in order to rub his eye. Taking off the patch with his right hand, he moved his left hand towards his eye to massage it, when all of a sudden he realized that he was seeing through the windshield with the eye that had been under the patch. Seeing normally! His vision was fully restored!
The various doctors that Meir had been seeing could not believe their own eyes. "This can only be a miracle,'' each one proclaimed, even if it was not clear that before this episode they believed in miracles. Meir smiled, understanding the simple formula: If you provide light for another Jew, G-d will provide light for you. And also, as the Talmud states, "Rabbi Shimon Bar-Yochai can be relied on in desperate situations."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Heard from several Chabad Chasidim in Tzfat, including the brother of Rabbi Ben-Natan in the story.
Biographical note:
Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, one of the most important sages in Jewish history, lived over 1800 years ago. Teachings in his name abound throughout the Mishnah, Gemara, and Midrashim, while the Zohar, the primary source text of Kabbalah, is built around Rabbi Shimon's revelations to his inner circle of disciples. During the hours before his passing, on Lag B' Omer, he disclosed the "most sublime" secrets of Torah, in order to ensure that the day would always be an occasion for great joy, untouched by sadness because of the Omer period and mourning for him. The seminal importance of the Zohar in Jewish thought and the annual pilgrimage to Meron on Lag B’ Omer are testimonies to his success.
The
Blessing of 13 by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
Chaim and his wife sat down at their table after a long hard day. "Thank G-d, we have been blessed so much, and I'm not complaining," the wife announced, looking nervously at her husband. "It's just that we now have twelve children, bli ayin hara, and there is no more room in the house, and we can't really afford any more children. Although we're coping, isn't twelve enough?"
The husband lovingly sympathized with his wife and then began to speak about the importance of relying on the Creator. He then reassured her that He never gives anything to anyone that is impossible for them to handle.
"Since you are healthy and our only concern is a financial one," he suggested, "I think that we should leave everything in His hands, for if He blesses us with another child He will surely provide us the means to support that child, as He does with all of our children. Remember we're not just having children for our sakes, we are building G-d's army," Chaim said to his wife.
The woman accepted her husband's words and within a short period of time, she was delighted to find out that she was pregnant again.
On the day that the baby was born, in the same hospital, an exceptionally wealthy gentile died leaving no heirs or family. Years earlier, he had declared in his will that all of his money should be given to the largest family in Antwerp since he had never married and had no family to give the money to.
Now, there were several families in
Antwerp with twelve children, but no family with thirteen children. Well, at
least there was no family until the day that the gentile died, when there was
one Jewish family who had officially become the largest family in the city,
having just been blessed with their thirteenth child!
When the world goes Ape against human
beings something is sick. Yes Pekuach Nefesh overrides Gorilla Life. Human come
first. PETA is against Jewish Kosher Slaughter but never against killing
chickens by chopping off their heads or the Halal only Kosher. http://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/31/donald-trump-and-jungle-jack-hanna-weigh-in-on-gorilla-controv/21386999/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D1271900903_htmlws-main-bb
A reason not to stay up all Shavuous
Night if you are not a Kabbalist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLhgp7TMVf8&app=desktop
The wonderful world of
internet. A Jew in LA asks a Canadian Aunt for advice and a Rabbi sitting in
Israel offers a solution. Contrary to some Charedim if used properly the net
can do wonders.
The ugly kosher wars in the
early 1900’s with high prices and the Jewish Mafia: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4804734,00.html
IDF will not allow parents
to retrieve only children from combat units during a war. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4809400,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
Dr. Martin Sherman has moved
into other newspapers as a free-lance journalist: ALGEMEINER: http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/05/27/gaza-a-port-is-no-panacea-for-poverty
ISRAEL HAYOM: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=16241
ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18936
ISRAEL’S VOICE http://www.israelsvoice.org/2016/05/26/gaza-port-no-panacea-poverty/
JEWISH MEDIA AGENCY http://jewishmediaagency.com/into-the-fray-gaza-port-no-panacea-poverty/
TIMES OF ISRAEL http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gaza-a-port-is-no-panacea-for-poverty/ And Jewish Press no link at this time.
ISRAEL HAYOM: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_opinion.php?id=16241
ISRAEL NATIONAL NEWS: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18936
ISRAEL’S VOICE http://www.israelsvoice.org/2016/05/26/gaza-port-no-panacea-poverty/
JEWISH MEDIA AGENCY http://jewishmediaagency.com/into-the-fray-gaza-port-no-panacea-poverty/
TIMES OF ISRAEL http://blogs.timesofisrael.com/gaza-a-port-is-no-panacea-for-poverty/ And Jewish Press no link at this time.
Not only Dr. Martin Sherman
left the Jerusalem Post but also Barry Shaw: Are leftist at the paper making it
an English HaAretz? Comptrollers Report on BDS: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/18938#.V0nkmo9OI5s
US politics reverts to the
1960’s. Trump with Charisma like JFK and protests like during Viet Nam War era.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/05/28/at-least-35-arrested-after-trump-rally-in-san-diego.html?intcmp=hpbt1
Surprise-surprise in CA
illegals can now vote but in other States normal Hispanics want to save their
jobs or earn better: http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2016/05/28/growing-number-vocal-hispanic-minority-speaking-out-in-favor-trump/?intcmpBDS=hpbt1
New way to take care of
naval threats like missiles artillery: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2016/05/28/first-look-at-navys-experimental-railgun-that-can-fire-at-4500-miles-hour.html?intcmp=hpbt3
From
Stan Brazoria, Texas: I have purposely remained silent on the murder of a
young man near where I live whose body was found in the cab of his pickup
truck, - beheaded, with the head still missing, on purpose. RP This type of incident
is foreign to the US and so imported murderers.
Obama has his retirement
place ready and this appeared in mainstream but not where he will worship: http://www.jewsnews.co.il/2016/05/26/shocker-obama-to-live-in-9-bathroom-mansion-near-islamic-center/
Netanyahu will not wiggle
his way out of this one and a real crises is in the making which would bring on
new elections: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4808768,00.html
From
Richard A. http://www.breitbart.com/california/2016/05/28/vandals-deface-vietnam-war-pow-memorial/
Far
left to unite with Arab Party: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212926#.V0q945F96M8
Helicopters
to be fitted with anti-missile system: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212927#.V0q--JF96M8
To
make POTUS look tough the cream-puff army makes wild claims against ISIS: http://debka.com/article/25454/US-military-chiefs-overrate-damage-to-ISIS-
Two
Rabbis plus his wife possibly going to trial did the trick, Netanyahu
compromises: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/212961
Soldier
stabbed in Tel Aviv by Allah Hu Akbar 17 year old: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213012#.V00-35F96M8
Terror
being reduced in the Philippines: http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Philippine-troops-kill-54-Islamist-militants-in-the-south-455438
Need term
limits on Prime Minister in Israel I also think Knesset Members too but perhaps
a bit longer. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213033#.V00ZtY9OI5s
Putin sends
back Israeli tank as a gesture and this analyzes why: http://debka.com/article/25456/Why-Putin-sent-a-lost-Israeli-tank-home
After 10 months
in jail with his only crime being the grandson of Rabbi Meir Kahane: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213090#.V06mG49OI5
Film how a
simple skateboard saved many lives thanks to Chaim B. https://gfycat.com/PlaintiveObedientFlounder
State Dept.
admits their tricks on the Iran deal. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213139#.V0-YIo9OI5s
Fact finding
tour on building smart walls and fences: http://debka.com/article/25458/%22Build-the-wall%22-Trump-plans-July-trip-to-Israel-
New
Cyber-Military-Wall to keep Israel safe from a Cyber-attack. IDF has a bunker
working 24/7: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=34081
Ed-Op Dr.
Martin Sherman into the Fray this week on Israel and the comparison with
extreme groups and by whom. http://jewishmediaagency.com/fray-like-manna-heaven-israels-detractors/
Parenting 102
do not try this at home leaving a 7 year-old in the woods alone. http://www.aol.com/article/2016/06/02/boy-abandoned-in-forest-by-parents-as-punishment-found-six-days/21388636/
No PLO State
(filled with terrorists) as long as National Union can help it. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213210#.V1D4bI9OI5s
Building site
closed for two weeks because of employing illegal terrorist. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213171
Private
helicopter errs into south Lebanon: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/213166#.V1Ewo49OI5s
Israel to
optimize commercial flights and save trillions: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4811260,00.html
Yehuda
and Shomron Yeshuvim being irreversible. http://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-palestinians-settlements-idUSKCN0YM1MY
Good
Shabbos all,
Rachamim
