Prayers
for Men: Eliezer David HaCohain ben Naomi, Yoel HaCohain ben Henya, Avraham
HaCohain ben Yocheved, Avraham ben Devorah, Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Yoel ben
Esther, Zvi ben Chava, Daniel ben Rivka, Nehemiah Arieh Liab Peretz ben Esther
Rachel, Eliyah ben Chana, Reuven David ben Rachel, Aharon Chayim ben Ruchama, Mordechai ben Nina,
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, Golde Chaya bas Esther, Lydia bas
Elvira, Shulamis bas Etta, Chana Friedel bas Sara, Drorah Rivka bas Chana
Last week I added the following name of
a woman who subsequentially passed away: please remove Chantsha
Rochel bas Rachama Mirrel
The
following person is recovering from long term non-threatening injuries and need
Psalms. Binum Benyamin Tuvia ben Chana Friedel,
When Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbos we eat meat and drink
wine as usual but end our meal earlier than usual aka before sundown. This year
because the fast is less stringent, we are more lenient. Those like myself who
must take medicine should not stop. In years when I feel well, I treat it like
Yom Kippur for myself and drink less than a Shuir. This year if one feels a bit
ill or weak, he may want to be more lenient upon himself. Those who can fast
are blessed. http://yonanewman.org/kizzur/kizzur125.html
We are now in Chodesh Av and Elul starts the time of
Repentance. Shabbos 153 B: R.
Eliezer said: Repent one day before your death. His disciples asked him, Does then one know
on what day he will die? Then all the more reason that he repents to-day, he
replied, lest he die to-morrow, and thus his whole life is spent in repentance.
And Solomon too said in his wisdom, Let thy garments be always white; and let
not thy head lack ointment. R. Johanan b. Zackai said: This may be
compared to a king who summoned his servants to a banquet without appointing a
time. The wise ones adorned themselves and sat at the door of the palace.
['for,'] said they. 'is anything lacking in a royal palace?' The fools went about their work, saying,
'can there be a banquet without preparations'? Suddenly the king desired [the presence of]
his servants: the wise entered adorned, while the fools entered soiled. The
king rejoiced at the wise but was angry with the fools. 'Those who adorned
themselves for the banquet,' ordered he, 'let them sit, eat and drink. But
those who did not adorn themselves for the banquet, let them stand and watch.'
R. Meir's son-in-law said in R. Meir's name: Then they too would [merely] look
as being in attendance. But both sit, the former eating and the
latter hungering, the former drinking and the latter thirsting, for it is said,
Therefore thus says the Lord God, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall
be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: [behold,
my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed:] behold, my servants shall
sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart. Another, interpretation: 'Let thy garments
be always white' — this refers to fringes; 'and let not thy head lack ointment'
— to Tefillin.
Parsha Devarim
We are now in the 40 days prior to Moshe’s
death. Last week we got in our Mitzvah count to 413 Mitzvos. This new Sefer is
going to add 200 Mitzvos. Beresheis only had 3 Mitzvos in it for the Bnei
Yisrael but 7 for the Bnei Noach. The next three Seforim divide 400 Mitzvos and
so we have a large Mitzvah Count. We are in the eastern bank on the Yarden
opposite Yericho somewhere around where the bridge is today perhaps a trifle
north of there.
These are the words: Since these are words of
rebuke and he [Moses] enumerates here all the places where they angered the
Omnipresent, therefore it makes no explicit mention of the incidents [in which
they transgressed], but rather merely alludes to them, [by mentioning the names
of the places] out of respect for Israel (cf. Sifrei).
2 It is eleven days journey from Horeb unto Kadesh-barnea by the way of mount Seir.
It is eleven days journey from
Horeb: Moses said to them: “See
what you caused! There is no shorter route from Horeb to Kadesh-Barnea than the
way through Mount Seir, and even that is a journey of eleven days. But you
traversed it in three days!” For they traveled from Horeb on the twentieth of
lyar, as it is said, “And it came to pass in the second year, in the second
month, on the twentieth of the month [… the children of Israel traveled…]” (Num. 10:11-12). And on the twenty-ninth of Sivan, they sent out the spies
from Kadesh Barnea, (an interval of 40 days; cf. Ta’anith 29a). Subtract from
them the thirty days they spent at Kivroth Hataavah (Num. 11:34), where they ate the meat a “month of days,” and the seven days
they spent at Hazeroth for Miriam to be confined [as a mezora’ath] (Num. 12:15); we find therefore, that this entire journey [from Horeb to
Kadesh-Barnea] took [only] three days. And to such an extent did the Shechinah
exert itself to hasten your arrival to the land of Canaan, but because you
sinned, He made you travel around Mount Seir for forty years. [from Sifrei]
Either the ancient paths were different or Mt. Sinai then is not the Mt. Sinai of today or Mt. Seir is not in the place where it is today. For it appears to me that even if one travelled from Santa Katarina aka the foot of Har Sinai somehow via the coast past Eilat we would be still a bit far from Har Seir. There is an alternate thought that came to me is that they would need water and maybe the springs were closer to Har Seir. I checked the modern driving distances to Rafah which is 30 to 50 km west so I get 425.1 km via modern Taba up the coast. I don’t know the driving and walking range of sheep but it appears to be about 40km or 25 miles a day for 10 days as Rashi wrote 11 days otherwise you overdrive the animals as Yacov mentioned to Esav.
3 And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them;
This assembly is called together on Rosh Chodesh Shevat but known as the 11th month. Moshe is to die on the 7th of Adar so we have only 37 days left for people to review and learn Halachos. It is stated that when Moshe died 3,000 Halachos were forgotten and the people prayed and returned to them more than 2,000 but somewhere (my memory is rusty if it was something like 900 plus or 700 plus laws were forgotten).
After He had smitten [Sihon]: Moses said: If I rebuke them before they enter [at least] part
of the land, they will say, “What [claim] has this [man] on us? What good has
he ever done for us? He has come only to vex us and to find some pretext, for
he does not have the power to bring us into the land.” Therefore he
[Moses]waited until he had defeated Sihon and Og before them and had given them
possession of their land, and [only] afterwards did he rebuke them. [Sifrei] Sihon… who dwelt in Heshbon: “Even if Sihon himself had not been powerful, but had dwelt in
Heshbon, he would have [nevertheless] been powerful because the city was a
powerful one; and even had it been another city, and Sihon had dwelt in it, it
would have [also] been powerful because the king was powerful. How much more so
now, since both the king and the city were powerful!” [Sifrei] [And Og…] who dwelt in Ashtaroth: [Here, too,] the king was powerful, and the city was powerful.
[Sifrei] Ashtaroth: This is an expression denoting sharp cliffs and strength, just
as “Ashteroth-karnaim” (Gen. 14:5)
[the hard rocks of Karnaim]. And the Ashtaroth [referred to here] is indeed
that same Ashteroth-karnaim where the Rephaim [the giants] were, whom Amraphel
smote, as it is said, “And they smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim ” (Gen. 14:5). And Og escaped from them,
and that is the meaning of that which is stated, “And the fugitive came” (Gen. 14:13), and Scripture states
(further, 3:11)“For only Og, king of the Bashan, remained from the remnant of
the Rephaim.” In Edrei: the name of the kingdom. [Sifrei]
The description of Ashtoreth and the sharp cliffs sounds more like the modern view of what is known today as “Nimrod’s Castle” but it is half-way up or down the heights from the Banias and the other side of the Golan but it gives one a chance to play with his or her imagination.
4 after he had smitten Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt in Ashtaroth, at Edrei; 5 beyond the Jordan, in the land of Moab, took Moses upon him to expound this law, saying:
There is significance that this spot in Moav opposite Yericho is mentioned. It is the area in which the tribes went after the Moabite women and also just before entering into the land. This is perhaps the reason why Moshe delivered the Mussar and Halacha here. For without a scolding, they might lose their discipline under Yehoshua and not conquer the land as they should. The whole story of Achan and the spoils in Yehoshua 7:1 and the initial routing of the troops would have been worse without this Mussar.
6 The LORD our God spoke unto us in Horev, saying: 'Ye have dwelt long enough in this mountain;
You have dwelt
long enough [at this mountain]: [This is to be interpreted] according to its simple meaning.
But there also is an Aggadic explanation: I have given you much greatness and
reward for your having dwelt at this mountain: you made the Mishkan , the
menorah, and the [other] furnishings; you received the Torah; you appointed a
Sanhedrin for yourselves, and captains over thousands and captains over
hundreds. [Sifrei]
7. turn you, and take your journey, and go to the hill-country of the Amorites and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the Arabah, in the hill-country, and in the Lowland, and in the South, and by the sea-shore; the land of the Canaanites, and Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.
Although Rashi mentions turning by Arad, (Turn and journey: This is the way to Arad and Hormah.) if
you read the Pshat in the text, they were by Nahal Zin in the Paran Wilderness.
That would be quite a bit south of Arad. So either Rashi had a tradition from
people who did not fully know Eretz Yisrael or my interpretation of the Pshat
of Nahal Zin which is a straight path down to the Arava is wrong. It could be
that they left the area of Ayn or Ein Avdat alone and then nomads or people of
Avdat contacted the king of Arad for even when they attack Arad they do not go
by the most direct route from Zohar but via Maale Akravim which is south by
kilometers or miles by the Dead Sea Works of today. If any reader by accident
thinks that Modern Israel is the land, then reread this Pasuk as all of Lebanon
though all of Syria unto the Euphrates River will be ours when we are redeemed.
The destruction of large cities like Chalab and Aleppo in Syria are all done
for us to come in the future and take this land promised to us.
8 Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.'
Behold! I have
set [the land before you]: With your own eyes you can see [this]: I do not tell you this
from guessing or hearsay (Sifrei). Go in and possess [the land]: No one will contest the matter, and you will
not need to go to war. If they [the Israelites] had not sent the spies, [but
had trusted God] they would not have needed weapons of war (Sifrei). To your forefathers: Why does he [Moses] further mention Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob [when the reference “your forefathers” clearly indicates
them]? Their names are mentioned to show that] Abraham is worthy [of God’s
oath] by himself, Isaac is worthy by himself, [and] Jacob is worthy by himself
(Sifrei).
Moshe is exhorting them with Mussar and continues about how he made judges because the people were in constant disputes and one man could not handle it.
… 12 How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance, and your burden, and your strife? 13 Get you, from each one of your tribes, wise men, and understanding, and full of knowledge, and I will make them heads over you.' 14 And ye answered me, and said: 'The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.' 15 So I took the heads of your tribes, wise men, and full of knowledge, and made them heads over you, captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, and captains of fifties, and captains of tens, and officers, tribe by tribe. 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying: 'Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man; for the judgment is God's; and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.'
All this was for fair and just judgement under Halacha.
… 22 And ye came near unto me every one of you, and said: 'Let us send men before us, that they may search the land for us, and bring us back word of the way by which we must go up, and the cities unto which we shall come.' 23 And the thing pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one man for every tribe; 24 and they turned and went up into the mountains, and came unto the valley of Eshcol, and spied it out. 25 And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands, and brought it down unto us, and brought us back word, and said: 'Good is the land which the LORD our God gives unto us.'
Since the initial report was good they should have gone. But no the princes and politicians among them liked their status and Mann feeding in the desert. They knew that if they went, once people started farming they would have no time to honor and meet with the leaders. [That is a mistake for in each community there are Synagogues, prayer times and meetings daily and especially on Shabbos. For them just being once or twice a week ‘president of the Schul’ was not enough for them.
26 Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God; 27 and ye murmured in your tents, and said: 'Because the LORD hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to destroy us. 28 Whither are we going up? our brethren have made our heart to melt, saying: The people is greater and taller than we; the cities are great and fortified up to heaven; and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there.'
On Tisha B’Av the second Beis HaMikdash was destroyed on groundless hatred and the first Tisha B’Av in the desert the generation was destroyed on groundless fear. I know on my own self the saying “A coward dies 1,000 deaths and a hero dies but once.” For when I was a child, I lived on a very anti-Semitic block and being the only Jew had me beaten up more than once by the older children including my friends some of whom were non-Jews too. So I was a coward. It was only when I was in College with a handful of Jews who stood their ground against guns and larger people did I develop courage that held me through the days of border patrolling Fatach Land by Lebanon and opposite Syria on the Golan Heights. It was that one time stand. But it is hard to judge a generation of freed slaves that lived and toiled under the Pharaoh food stamp program.
29 Then I said unto you: 'Dread not, neither be afraid of them. 30 The LORD your God who goes before you, He shall fight for you, according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes; 31 and in the wilderness, where thou hast seen how that the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went, until ye came unto this place. 32 Yet in this thing ye do not believe the LORD your God, 33 Who went before you in the way, to seek you out a place to pitch your tents in: in fire by night, to show you by what way ye should go, and in the cloud by day.'
Rebellious cowards! Can’t you trust HASHEM with all the miracles that you have seen?
34 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, and was wroth, and swore, saying: 35 'Surely there shall not one of these men, even this evil generation, see the good land, which I swore to give unto your fathers, 36 save Caleb the son of Yephunneh, he shall see it; and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children; because he hath wholly followed the LORD.' 37 Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying: Thou also shalt not go in thither; 38 Joshua the son of Nun, who stands before thee, he shall go in thither; encourage thou him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.
So the whole previous generation died out save these two leaders. (He does not mention Eleazar for he would not be a man of war and only the Cohain who was a non-combatant. I am uncertain if the Cohain who leads the people to war was a Halacha at this time as he appears only later in Sefer Devarim and closer to the entrance to Eretz Yisrael.)
…
2:1 Then we turned, and took our journey into the wilderness by the way to the
Red Sea, as the LORD spoke unto me; and we compassed mount Seir many days. 2
And the LORD spoke unto me, saying:
Turn northward: Turn along the eastern side [of Moab], from the south to the
north, facing northward. Consequently, they were traveling in an easterly
direction, and this is what is meant by “And they came from the sun rise [i.e.,
east side] to the land of Moab” (Jud. 11:18).
I might think that this is
completely along the Syrian-African fault (Eilat or Aquaba through the Kinneret
up through Metulla – Agam Karoun in Lebanon) thus Rashi tells me that all this
is east of the fault apparently behind the initial mountains and quite a bit
into modern Yarden.
3
'Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward.
Turn northward: Turn along the eastern side [of Moab], from the
south to the north, facing northward. Consequently, they were traveling in an
easterly direction, and this is what is meant by “And they came from the sun
rise [i.e., east side] to the land of Moab” (Jud. 11:18).
After this time in
the desert, it is now time to move on to Eretz Yisrael for all but two of the
men of war have passed on.
4
And command thou the people, saying: Ye are to pass through the border of your
brethren the children of Esau, that dwell in Seir; and they will be afraid of
you; take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore; 5 contend not with them; for
I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot
to tread on; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.
There is a very important principle at work here. Just as the
Nations of the world have no right to tell us what land is or is not
legitimately ours from G-D; here too we have absolutely no right whatsoever to
take land away from Nations other than the land promised to us or ordained by
G-D such as what happened with Og, Sichon and the Midianites. Rashi explains
this principle in perhaps different words from our modern situation but
certainly clear enough.
Not so much as a foot step: meaning, even only for the sole of the foot to tread a single
step, I do not permit you to enter their land without permission. An Aggadic
interpretation is: [I will not give you of their land] until the day arrives
when the foot will tread upon the Mount of Olives [the Messianic era], as it
said: “And His [God’s] feet will [figuratively] stand [on that day upon the
Mount of Olives]” (Zech. 14:4): [I
have given Mount Seir] to Esau for an inheritance: from Abraham. I gave ten nations to Abraham, seven of them
for you [the seven of Canaan], and the Kenites, the Kenizzites, and the
Kadmonites (Gen. 16:18-21), who are Ammon, Moab, and Seir. One of them is for
Esau, and the other two are for the children of Lot (Gen. Rabbah 44). As a
reward [for Lot] for going with him [Abraham] to Egypt and for keeping silent
when Abraham said, regarding his wife, “She is my sister,” He treated him [Lot]
as his [Abraham’s] son [to inherit part of the land promised to Abraham] (Gen.
Rabbah 44).
6
Ye shall purchase food of them for money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also
buy water of them for money, that ye may drink.
Esav was not part of the Nations to be replaced by the Bnei
Yisrael and therefore the right to the land and produce belonged to them and
had to be purchased if they would sell it and if not one had to bring their own
food with them like some airlines that offer meals for money but the meals are
not kosher so one must bring his own food with him if he is hungry.
You shall buy: Heb. תִּכְרוּ. This is an
expression of purchase. Similar is (Gen. 50:5),“which I have purchased (כָּרִיתִי) for myself.” In the coastal cities, for
“selling” (מְכִירָה) , they use the word“
כִּירָה” (Rosh Hashanah 26a).
7
For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the work of thy hand; He hath
known thy walking through this great wilderness; these forty years the LORD thy
God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing.'
For the Lord, your God, has
blessed you: Therefore
you should not be ungrateful for His goodness [to you] by acting as though you
were poor. Rather, show yourselves as rich people.
While the people ate the Mann and
they did not multiply, the cattle that did not rebel against HASHEM did
multiply. Their clothing did not wear out 40 years in the desert by miracle and
so need for food, clothing and they were sheltered by the cloud of glory and
not rained upon or hurt by the sun. With conditions like this one can only
prosper and have time to learn Torah and Halacha.
The continuation of Chapter 2 is the war with Sichon. After he was
defeated and his lands conquered, Og came to do battle.
The rest is the continuation of the cities and inheritance on the Golan and Eastwards.
…12 And this land we took in possession at that time; from Aroer, which is by the valley of Arnon, and half the hill-country of Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites; 13 and the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the half-tribe of Manasseh; all the region of Argob--all that Bashan is called the land of Rephaim. 14 Jair the son of Manasseh took all the region of Argob, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maacathites, and called them, even Bashan, after his own name, Havvoth-jair, unto this day.-- 15 And I gave Gilead unto Machir. 16 And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the valley of Arnon, the middle of the valley for a border; even unto the river Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;
The modern named river starts at Hamat Geder and is the current border between Syria, Yarden and Yisrael. It continues to the Yarden River.
17 the Arabah also, the Jordan being the border thereof, from Kinneret even unto the sea of the Arabah, the Salt Sea, under the slopes of Pisgah eastward.
The inheritance included the city of Refuge on the modern Jordanian side of the river.
18 And I commanded you at that time, saying: 'The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it; ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all the men of valor.
A reminder of their promise to help conquer the land for the other tribes lest the anger of the L-RD be kindled against them.
19 But your wives, and your little ones, and your cattle--I know that ye have much cattle--shall abide in your cities which I have given you; 20 until the LORD give rest unto your brethren, as unto you, and they also possess the land which the LORD your God giveth them beyond the Jordan; then shall ye return every man unto his possession, which I have given you. 21 And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying: 'Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou go over. 22 Ye shall not fear them; for the LORD your God, He it is that fights for you.'
This is the concluding message and that is your L-RD G-D fights for you. Unlike Bar Kochba that asked neither for help or interference from G-D, here Moshe says to conquer in conjunction and with the help of G-D.
Part 6 of my return to Judaism. The entrance
into the Yeshiva World by Rabbi R. Pauli
Since the original story started months ago a
brief review of what happened and the continuation here up until the time I
entered the Yeshiva.
I begin to admit of the possibility of the
existence of G-D in August 1966 (5726). Thinking about all the consequences of
a BEING beyond time and space. I remember the oneness or universal field
theory. Shema Yisrael HASHEM ELOKAYNU, HASHEM Ehud. It clicks in my head. I
debate a physicist with a Yarmulke named Yehuda Himmelstein who convinces me
that all my misconceptions of belief come from my exposure to Catholicism of my
childhood friends and the Christian World. His explanations more or less
satisfy me for I have an open mind and will to admit to the possibility of a
fair and logical G-D and not what I consider silly being a Tzaddik all one’s
life and not getting a Holy Eucharist and going to hell for eternity – at least
the Jewish System is fairer and more logical.
In Jun. 1967 (5727) I see Jews with strange
looking communication black boxes on their hands and head in a newsreel of the
Six Day War. I am told these are Tephillin. In Sept. 1967 (5727) just before
the New Year, I see a whole bunch of fellows enter my physics class and start
an evening prayer. Baruch Hu … Shema … Kaddish …
silence and like in the war bowing down to a wall! I ask a fellow there by the
name of Danny Levy to buy me a prayer book. He purchases one or brings me one
and I believe that he says it is a gift but after 49 years can only bless him
for the jump start.
At the same time, Mrs. Dyckoff convinces me to go to Rabbi Klayman
or Clayman to make a Bar Mitzvah that I never had. I go to the Rabbi and he
tells me that I need not have a Bar Mitzvah but I feel compelled. He takes me
to buy Tephillin, Tallis, Candles & Candelabra, Kiddush Cup, Code of Jewish
Law and he gives me a book or two to read. Rosh Hashanah, I am driven to the
community Schul of Greenwood Lake by the Congregation Head. For the first time
in my life, I hold a Sefer Torah in my hands.
Eventually, I go to the Conservative Schul in my neighborhood and
Rabbi Alpert invites me into his Sukkah for a meal. I bench Lulav and Esrog for
the first time. Rabbi Clayman invites me for the Seder and I am still not
totally Frum and travel with two friends and make the second night. My friend
Sivan from the Boy Scouts teaches the blessings for the Torah and Haphtarah. I
make a Bar Mitzvah ceremony June 1968 (5728) and some people are so moved by my
return that they buy trees in my name in Eretz Yisrael.
In the course of the next year with the help of my Chabad friend
David Skolnick and my Mizrachi type friend Myron Zweihorn, I stop turning on
and off lights on Shabbos and am now about Nov. 1968 (Cheshvan 5729) completely
Shomer Shabbos. I am Davening all the prayers and one day I get some anti-Semitic
looks from some Blacks as I sit with a fellow collecting money for Leukemia. I
decide before my classes to Daven Mincha on South Campus of the University. An
art student named Sarai Rosenberg (whose mother incidentally works with me at
the Research Foundation in the Physics Dept.) scolds me that I should Daven
more modestly in a phone booth or empty classroom. I tell her about the
anti-Semites who made me want to Daven outside. She introduces me to the Frum
Crowd on South Campus. I sit down at a table with them and a fellow named David
Willig (now Rabbi of a Congregation) tells me about the Bostoner Rebbe. A
fellow named Hershkovitz (w) either had invited me to home for Shabbos before
this or now. I am introduced to Kugel and Chunt.
I am convinced by some to visit at this time Chabad for a
Shabbaton for non-religious or Baalei Teshuva. This was a disaster as I told my
story of the dream coming true, etc. I was told that “Only the Rebbe could be
on that level”. Still I would later on enjoy Chabad with Michael Gurwitz but
this first encounter was not positive because I knew what happened to me. Still
I read an article of my great-great…great grandmother Pearl the wife of the
Maharal of Prague and how she learned Torah and Gemara and was a helpmate for
the great Rabbi. So the encounter was not entirely negative for me and I found
out something about one of my forefathers and his wife.
I meet the Bostoner Rebbe who tells me that I am not on the level
yet to learn and understand the Holy Tanya and to keep my story for the time
being to myself as many Jews (unfortunately) do not believe in active miracles.
I have seen in the course of 50 years what Rabbi Yerachmiel Boyer Shlita says, “Those
who understand will understand, and those who don’t still the better.”
The Bostoner Rebbe suggested that I try to learn in Yeshiva Haichal
HaTorah which is close to my University and where a friend of mine Herbert
Vachss lives. Rabbi Vachss Shlita was to become a tutor and Rebbe for me. He
retired from the FDNY as either a Lt., Captain or higher in the Accounting
Dept.
I was a bit nervous as I had my interview with the Yeshiva Rabbi
and the cook (later known as the Tzaddikes Mama London of righteous memory) was
a bit nosy in her inquiry of me as I entered the building and asked to meet the
Rabbi.
I don’t know which of the London brothers I met with as all I
could do was say that I am College Student and would pay my board through
substitute teaching in the High School. I also proctored exams. I was accepted
and put in to the Rosh Yeshiva’s Shuir but that will be my story in part 7
where I introduce you to my Chavrutha Avraham Arieh ben Avraham Arieh Winograd
aka Lenny. I have more to write too about the Bostoner Rebbe Hadar HaTorah,
Shalom Hartman Institute in Yerushalayim, Aish HaTorah and more.
There is one subject that has bothered the
Rabbis for Centuries. That is Agunos or women whose husband’s whereabouts are
unknown. This sometimes happens with husbands who do not want to pay alimony or
want to punish the wife. But sometimes a husband goes off to war, is outside of
the country and jailed or is ill or dies and is buried what do we do with these
women. Rabbi Ovadia Yosef was Chief Rabbi during the Yom Kippur War and was
given the task of solving this problem. Previously, Rabbi Goren had solved the
problem with the Agunos of the submarine Dakar that disappeared but now there
were over a 1000 men. He went on soldier’s photographs taken with three days,
”dog tags”, dental evidence, witnesses who saw a plane go down without an
ejection seat, tanks burnt with four spots of ashes, etc. This solution had to
be done again for the workers of Cantor Fitzgerald when the World Trade Center
collapsed and no bodies were recovered. Who says that the Torah does not update
as Rav Ovadia Yosef looked up cellphone records, e-mail records and advice of
engineers regarding the twin towers to give a Psak Din.
Every once in a while I get some troubling
questions and statements from people who want to convert. This time one post
went on that I decided to delete with the following statement. NOTE this
unfortunately has adult content because of the nature of the previous
question/statement: A new subject was raised the
other day and I want to put an end to it once and for all. Homosexuality and
Transsexualism. While per sec the Torah does not approve of female - female
romance since the female is not wasting seed, the Torah did not condemn it as
with males in the story of Er and Onan or Lev.18:22 or Lev.20:13 and in Deut.
One is permitted in the case of artificial insemination as that is going with
procreation. I have rejected on the following Halacha homosexual males from
converting as it states: If one says I will follow 612 out of the 613 Mitzvos
we do not accept him as a convert. In short it is all or nothing. Recently I
wrote a news article in my blog spot about a transsexual who tried to fool the
Israeli Rabbis into marrying a male. There was a Rabbi who officiated and then
got wind of the deception. One now checks back to the birth of a person. We
have enough Jews who go against what the good L-RD created them for and don't
need more! As much as I help people convert I also prevent moving away from the
purpose one was created for. There is a Kabbalah Story of the wife of Rabbi
Chaim Vital who was a male in a female body for the Tikkun of his soul. Since
genetically it was female and male the Ari prayed and she gave birth which was
her Tikkun and passed away. Afterwards, Rav Chaim remarried. IN THE TORAH THERE
IS NO ACCIDENT IF A MALE IS PUT IN A FEMALE BODY OR VICE VERSA. G-D has a
purpose for everything. Trying change that via an operation destroys the true
Tikkun of the soul and leads to trouble for that soul in the next world. I have no plans to get into the Kabbalistic aspect of this
but let me just say it is not a brilliant future in the True world. Rabbi
Soloveitchik on Homosexuality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ItD03HtzKkg
Humans are frail so
let me write that true Teshuva, Tephilla and Tzeduka will avert any bad Gezaira
[Repentance, Prayer, Charity avert the evil decree] of the Beis Din Shel
Maalah. Hermaphrodites can only marry women as brought down in the Mishnah.
True Demographics of Israel: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216254
Ethiopian attacked by police is now an IDF officer: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4838034,00.html
CHIEF RABBI – DO NOT COVER UP ABUSE OF CHILDREN. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216092
58 minutes story of Yaron Savoy spying and hunting Nazis:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ftTKe9SYpQ4
From William Israeli Gold Medal (this from FB is the only source I have don't know if it is accurate): https://www.facebook.com/395223877328634/videos/533473023503718/
Inyanay Diyoma
Note: As the election in the States and in the future in Israel
approaches I express my opinions, facts and data from others. My intent is the
best for Israel. I have a friend whom I have known for well over 60 years and
60 years ago attended his Bar Mitzvah. He is very high up in the Democratic
Party and one can be friends. The main goal here is for the production and
distribution of words of Torah. My politics is based on what I personally
believe is best for Am Yisrael, Eretz Yisrael and to bring the Moshiach. So if
you see my political opinions vs. pure news please take this into account for
my intent is not to get people angry but to enhance my view of the world. So
please skip political opinions if they agitate you.
Editorial: Somebody is either incompetent high up in two
airlines or we are being lied to about hacking of computer systems. Why
incompetent? Every computer fellow knows that you need a power supply to save
your computer from a power outage. Kiriat Sefer has a special Shabbos Generator
and when the power fails in the Modiin area, they have street lights and other
lights. A short time ago, Southwest Airlines had a problem where they had to
issue tickets by hand. On Monday Aug. 8th and a bit on the 9th,
Delta Airlines was down. Since such an occurrence in one airline for so long
and now two airlines I become suspicious. If they were honest about a power outage,
some heads should roll in the company. However, if they don’t want the public
to panic because they were hacked then eventually it becomes like the bullet
that went into Governor Connelly and bounced around hitting John Kennedy too
unless there were more than one gunman. And Lee Harvey Oswald firing off in 5
seconds 3 rounds at a moving target at an incredible distance and hitting all
three accurately. Those who ever fired even an automatic rifle with recoil will
understand how a hand cocked rifle could not possibly do such accurate tricks.
Kabbalist
Hospitalized: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216199
Following
the accusation of a brigadier general of rape and ruining his promotion and
career. Commanders are now demanding male staff. One woman ruined the careers
of other women and the commander to stand trial is shouting the wife of
Potiphar. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216033
Israeli
Prisons a fertile ground for Hamas as the police raid individuals cells: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4837620,00.html
Background
of the terror attack in London which PC is not a terror attack: http://debka.com/article/25584/Terror-strikes-London-11-years-after-July-bombings
Into
the Fray the political correct absurdity in Israel. http://jewsdownunder.com/2016/08/05/into-the-fray-12/
There
is a claim out on the net and I am not from the IRS to verify this next year
that the Kahn law firm got a grant from the Clinton Foundation. Take it or
leave it: http://www.govtslaves.info/375000-deposited-to-the-khan-law-account-from-the-clinton-foundation/
Snopes might be good for facts like UFO’s and other things but it is paid for by George Tsoros and very leftist. http://theinformedamerican.net/snopes-is-liberal-as-hell/
Iran and Nukes on rockets before the end of 2017: http://debka.com/article/25592/Iran-could-have-an-operational-nuke-by-2017-end
People always have asked me about Jews that originally supported the Nazis well here are some self-hating Jews: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216069
First victim of Hillary’s hacked confidential and secret e-mails hanged in Iran: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216100
Travel warning issued by Israel because of political unrest and not terror: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4838465,00.html
Hillary’s health in question. Health woes. She has suffered repeated episodes of coughing, verbal stumbles, and fits of anger while on the campaign trail: http://theamericanmirror.com/shock-photo-grandma-hillary-helped-stairs/
While the US is distracted by ISIS the real Islamic Threat is (Huffington – AOL): http://www.aol.com/article/2016/08/07/the-biggest-security-threat-to-the-us-might-not-be-isis-or-al-qa/21446758/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl1%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D-460250115_htmlws-main-bb
This week there was a speech before 4,000,000 people by Erdogan of Turkey. He speaks and gestures just as Hoffman set up Hitler to speak. Scary isn’t it but fortunately I am not a Turk. http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/08/turkey-istanbul-pro-democracy-rally-160807095400728.html
How Trump can win: http://video.foxnews.com/v/5074396663001/dr-ben-carson-on-how-trump-can-recover-in-the-polls/?#sp=show-clips
Cesspool
of anti-Semitism at the Tenn. U. http://www.algemeiner.com/2016/08/04/exclusive-cesspool-of-antisemitic-anti-israel-racist-behavior-at-u-of-tennessee-uncovered-by-watchdog-group/#
After
the deaths of at least 5 children left in cars in the sun and one who survived
being in the share on a cooler day, http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4839061,00.html
Guest editorial from Gail W. T. Media
Bias??? Let's get real. The bias goes way beyond the media, starting with where
Journalists get INDOCTRINATED: in Colleges and Universities! – There hasn't
been freedom of thought or expression on our college campuses at least going
back to the year 2000! That's almost 20 years!
The bias was apparent regarding Israel for decades before. Now it has infected our entire body politic and the general society.
The bias was apparent regarding Israel for decades before. Now it has infected our entire body politic and the general society.
-
College Professors are hired according to COLLEGIALITY --- being likeminded in
Liberal/Leftist THOUGHT! Students no longer engage in critical thinking and are
not allowed to express ideas that diverge from the Left --- for fear of being
ridiculed, ostracized, being failed or graded low, not being selected or
allowed to pursue good internships and elite graduate programs. I saw all of
this happen from 2000-2005!
- We now have to have Free Zones on campuses where free-thinking students can vent!
-Journalism students come out of this environment and have been indoctrinated into the Liberal/Left! They are biased before they even go to work!
-CONCLUSION: We have already lost our Liberty and Freedom in the country and people are unaware that they are no longer the owners of their own thoughts and feelings. They have been turned into sheeple and have accepted that this is the way things are and should be! The young have accepted the yoke because they don't know anymore that things have ever been any different! The Left has done a good job over the period of decades --- slowly and unconspicuously --- and have succeeded in creating an Orwellian 1984 society of sheeple in America. Perhaps in countries where people are not so educated, they have more freedom of thought and belief than we do! This may be why the Brazilians have been able to throw off the yoke of Dilma and her socialism and We, the U.S. find ourselves paralyzed to do anything even about indicting politicians on the Left. Those who try --- end up DEAD!
There is no JOURNALISM left in America! It's all PROPAGANDA, POLITICAL PROPAGANDA! See it as such! The only journalism you can find anymore is in SOCIAL MEDIA like Facebook! I discovered PC thought back in 1966 and getting worse in 1968 in my English classes I had to play the game of get an A. A delicate balance of believing in Liberty Lobby on most issues and giving the leftist professors what they wanted.
- We now have to have Free Zones on campuses where free-thinking students can vent!
-Journalism students come out of this environment and have been indoctrinated into the Liberal/Left! They are biased before they even go to work!
-CONCLUSION: We have already lost our Liberty and Freedom in the country and people are unaware that they are no longer the owners of their own thoughts and feelings. They have been turned into sheeple and have accepted that this is the way things are and should be! The young have accepted the yoke because they don't know anymore that things have ever been any different! The Left has done a good job over the period of decades --- slowly and unconspicuously --- and have succeeded in creating an Orwellian 1984 society of sheeple in America. Perhaps in countries where people are not so educated, they have more freedom of thought and belief than we do! This may be why the Brazilians have been able to throw off the yoke of Dilma and her socialism and We, the U.S. find ourselves paralyzed to do anything even about indicting politicians on the Left. Those who try --- end up DEAD!
There is no JOURNALISM left in America! It's all PROPAGANDA, POLITICAL PROPAGANDA! See it as such! The only journalism you can find anymore is in SOCIAL MEDIA like Facebook! I discovered PC thought back in 1966 and getting worse in 1968 in my English classes I had to play the game of get an A. A delicate balance of believing in Liberty Lobby on most issues and giving the leftist professors what they wanted.
Aleppo
battle is fierce: http://debka.com/article/25594/Aleppo-battle-seesaws-pro-Assad-siege-in-place
Is Erdogan, Putin and Iran teaming up? http://debka.com/article/25596/Israel’s-let-down-Putin-Erdogan-hook-up-with-Iran
Clinton Foundation in Haiti – Tony Rodham gets the contract for the gold and there is oil there but earthquake relief for the people in the tents no. https://youtu.be/4PeO0SfCw5s
Caption how it is in the media and how it is in reality: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1575460026081048&set=gm.1222748657757400&type=3&theater
Israeli Navy asks for an emergency upgrade as the enemy fleet grows. http://debka.com/article/25599/Urgent-Israeli-Navy-order-for-new-US-coastal-craft
Bus Driver does not wait for ambulance but drives straight to the hospital. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4840611,00.html
Obama, the father of ISIS, had the Central Command manipulate intelligence: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216282
Stabbing in Yerushalayim: http://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-teen-moderately-wounded-in-e-jerusalem-stabbing/
Arab men try to pick up young Jewish Women and then keep them prisoners in their villages: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/216280
Have a good Shabbos and a productive fast. The main thing is the prayers for the rebuilding of Yerushalayim and the Mikdash.
Rachamim Pauli
