Note - if you received
the same direct post three or four times last issue, it is a glitch in the new AOL
system that I have not been able to over-come.
Parsha
Va’eira Part II
Last week, I cut short my commentary and return after
the first three plagues made not a dent upon Pharaoh for the fourth. The fourth
plague “mixture” is interpret by some to mean flies which might follow after
the frogs died and there was no creature to eat them. However, the general
consensus is noxious beasts and the proof will appear in the Pshat in our
Parsha.
8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Rise up early in
the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and
say unto him: Thus says the LORD: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
Incite
against you: Heb. מַשְׁלִיחַ בְּ, incite against you. Similarly, “and the
tooth of beasts I will incite (אִשַׁלַּח)
against them” (Deut.
32:24), an expression of inciting,
antiziyer in Old French, to incite, to set upon. — [from Jonathan]
17 Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I
will send swarms of flies/noxious beasts upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into
thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies,
and also the ground whereon they are. 18 And I will set apart in that day the
land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies/beasts shall be there; to the end that
thou may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
And I will separate: Heb. וְהִפְלֵיתִי, and I will set
apart. Similarly, “And the Lord will set apart (וְהִפְלָה)
” (Exod.
9:4), and similarly, “it is not
separated (נִפְלֵאת) from you” (Deut. 30:11); it is [not] set apart and separated from you. — [from Onkelos]In order that you know that I am the Lord in the midst of the
earth: Although My Shechinah is
in heaven, My decree is fulfilled in the lower worlds. — [from Onkelos]
Whatever came out of the Savana of Africa flies or
beasts came to attack the Egyptians but none was in Goshen.
19 And I will put a division between My people and thy
people--by to-morrow shall this sign be.' 20 The Lord did
so, and a heavy mixture of noxious creatures came to Pharaoh's house and his
servants' house, and throughout the entire land of Egypt, the land was
destroyed because of the mixture of noxious creatures. 21
And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said: 'Go ye, sacrifice to your
God in the land.' 22 And Moses said: 'It is not meet so to do; for we shall
sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God; lo, if we
sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not
stone us?
They worshipped among other gods a sheep deity. To us
it is an abomination I assume that Aaron told Pharaoh in other words.
23 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness,
and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us.' 24 And Pharaoh said:
'I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the
wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away; entreat for me.' 25 And Moses
said: 'Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms
of flies/beasts may depart from
Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh
deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the
LORD.' 26 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD. 27 And the
LORD did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms of flies
from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.
This sentence alone is enough to interpret that it was
not flies as it is normal that flies would be found.
28 And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and
he did not let the people go.
9: 1 Then the LORD
said unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him: Thus says the LORD, the God
of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 For if thou refuse
to let them go, and wilt hold them still, 3 behold, the hand of the LORD is
upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon
the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks; there shall be a very grievous
murrain.
This is Plague on the animals. It
might not necessary be Bubonic Plague it was something like Anthrax, Hoof in
Mouth or something that destroyed the animals.
8 And the LORD said unto Moses and
unto Aaron: 'Take to you handfuls of soot of the furnace, and let Moses throw
it heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it shall become small dust over
all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man
and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.' … 11 And the magicians could
not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the
magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
This was a skin disease.
… 14 For I will this time send all
My plagues upon thy person, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that
thou may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 15 Surely now I had
put forth My hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou
hadst been cut off from the earth. 16 But in very deed for this cause have I
made thee to stand, to show thee My power, and that My name may be declared
throughout all the earth.
This will show you, Pharaoh the
king-god, that I am a real G-D and not mortal like you.
… 18 Behold, tomorrow about this
time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in
Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
Note the first, fourth and seventh
of the punishments come announced in advanced. Every third plague comes
unannounced like the lice and the boils so far.
19 Now therefore send, hasten in
thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast that
shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come
down upon them, and they shall die.' 20 He that feared the word of the LORD
among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the
houses; 21 and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and
his cattle in the field.
I have written in previous years
the super volcano of Stromboli hurled massive boulders as far as Cyprus. There
is no reason not to believe that it could have shot a tremendous amount of ash
and hot lava into the atmosphere causing both a blocking of the sun, which we
see in the plague of darkness and pollution but also being the wintertime cause
lava to mix with a cold front. The combination of a darkened colder sky would
be larger than usual hail and then a hail of fire with lava rocketed all the
way to Egypt in chunks. It is not that this is a natural event. However, the
fact that this was announced beforehand and occurred at the time of the Exodus
that makes it a miracle.
22 And the LORD said unto Moses:
'Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land
of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field,
throughout the land of Egypt.' 23 And Moses stretched forth his rod toward
heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth;
and the LORD caused to hail upon the land of Egypt.
The description and the fire
raining down matches Stromboli. However, there is still the possibility that
this was a supercell like that that happens in southern Midwest of the United
States where baseball size hail smashes even car safety-glass windshields.
31 And the flax and the barley were
smitten; for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. 32
But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten; for they ripen late.
This is brought down to explain why
they were standing for the locusts that arrived 23 days later. It also gave
Pharaoh Fortitude that other crops could be harvested.
…34 And when Pharaoh saw that the
rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and
hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 And the heart of
Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as the LORD
had spoken by Moses.
Pharaoh remains stubborn. He does
not want to lose his cheap source of labor.
Parsha
Bo
Sofar, Pharaoh has
remained defiant and still thinks that he is god-like and that his gods will
protect him. He wants the Bnei Yisrael as cheap labor. He keeps being defiant
against Moshe and the L-RD. He is about to learn a lesson in humility and
HASHEM is about to fulfill the first part of the Bris with Avram between the
pieces Beresheis 15:7 And He said unto
him: 'I am the LORD that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee
this land to inherit it.' 8 And he said: 'O Lord GOD, whereby shall I know
that I shall inherit it?' 9 And He said unto him: 'Take Me a heifer of three
years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and
a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon.' 10 And he took him
all these, and divided them in the midst, and laid each half over against the
other; but the birds divided he not. 11 And the birds of
prey came down upon the carcasses, and Abram drove them away. 12
And it came to pass, that, when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon
Abram; and, lo, a dread, even a great darkness, fell upon him. 13
And He said unto Abram: 'Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in
a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them
four hundred years; 14 and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will
I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance. 15
But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old
age. 16 And in the fourth generation they shall come back
hither; for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet full.' 17
And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and there was thick
darkness, behold a smoking furnace, and a flaming torch that passed between
these pieces. The second half of the promise is still waiting to
happen. However, since the first half happened, someday we shall see: 18 In that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram,
saying: 'Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the
great river, the river Euphrates; 19 the Kenite, and the Kenizzite, and the Kadmonite,
20 and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Rephaim, 21
and the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Girgashite, and the Jebusite.'
May the second half be fulfilled speedily in our days
and not through trials and tribulations but through Chessed, Rachamim and the Merit
of our Avos.
10:1 And the LORD
said unto Moses: 'Come in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart, and the
heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs in the midst of them;
Come to me to Pharaoh. I am there
as I am here for the whole earth is full of HIS Glory. Pharaoh will refuse you,
but you must go through the protocol as this makes the Nes (miracle) greater.
2 and that thou may tell in the
ears of thy son, and of thy son's son, what I have wrought upon Egypt, and My
signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the LORD.'
We see here a great Mitzvah of
passing on the Torah to future generations. That is why Moshe asked to bring
the elderly and the little ones. What is the link of Torah Adam to Methuselah
to grandson Noach to Avram, Avraham to Yacov and Yacov to the 12 Tribes! People
passed now their lineage from father to son to grandson and sometimes even great-grandchildren.
Rabbi Salid Shlita wrote:
It is interesting to note
that when describing the actual obligation at the Seder, the Torah uses the
word "v'hegadta", you will tell. Here the word used his
"tsapair", which means giving an account. When the Torah says
"tell", it means to demonstrate, not just to verbalize. That it is
exactly what we do at the Seder. We don't just talk. We employ visual aids to
acquaint the children with the Exodus. That is a mitzvah, which is unique to
Pesach night.
The word "tsapair"
in our parsha is something else entirely. Here the Torah is instructing us to
constantly speak of the Exodus to our progeny, because it forms the foundation
of our faith. The fact is that we are obligated to mention the Exodus every
day. Maybe not with demonstration and full details, but not a day can go by
without calling to mind G-d's providence and care for us as shown by taking us
out of Egypt.
This might also explain why here the Torah states your "son's
son" as well. The "technical" mitzvah of Hagadah may be an
obligation only to one's children. But the dissemination of faith cannot be
restricted to one generation, on the contrary. Spreading the idea of a HaShem's
control of the world and his love for us should be shared with everyone within
the reach of our voice!
It is interesting to note
that when describing the actual obligation at the Seder, the Torah uses the
word "v'hegadta", you will tell. Here the word used his
"tsapair", which means giving an account. When the Torah says
"tell", it means to demonstrate, not just to verbalize. That it is
exactly what we do at the Seder. We don't just talk. We employ visual aids to
acquaint the children with the Exodus. That is a mitzvah, which is unique to
Pesach night.
The word "tsapair"
in our parsha is something else entirely. Here the Torah is instructing us to
constantly speak of the Exodus to our progeny, because it forms the foundation
of our faith. The fact is that we are obligated to mention the Exodus every
day. Maybe not with demonstration and full details, but not a day can go by
without calling to mind G-d's providence and care for us as shown by taking us
out of Egypt.
This might also explain why here the Torah states your "son's
son" as well. The "technical" mitzvah of Hagadah may be an
obligation only to one's children. But the dissemination of faith cannot be
restricted to one generation, on the contrary. Spreading the idea of a HaShem's
control of the world and his love for us should be shared with everyone within
the reach of our voice!
… 4 Else, if thou refuse to let My
people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border; 5 and they
shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall not be able to see the earth;
and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remains unto you
from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field;
The second, fifth and eight plagues
also had warning. This one has a strong resounding element.
6 and thy houses shall be filled,
and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as
neither thy fathers nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they
were upon the earth unto this day.' And he turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
This time the advisors to Pharaoh
speak their mind as their faith in the god-king has been shaken.
7 And Pharaoh's servants said unto
him: 'How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may
serve the LORD their God, know thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?'
Moshe and Aaron have been dismissed
but are called back as Pharaoh is about to question them on who will go and
serve and as opposed to what snares lie ahead for Mitzrayim.
8 And Moses and Aaron were brought
again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them: 'Go, serve the LORD your God; but
who are they that shall go?' 9 And Moses said: 'We will go with our young and
with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with
our herds we will go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.' 10 And he said
unto them: 'So be the LORD with you, as I will let you go, and your little
ones; see ye that evil is before your face. 11 Not so; go now ye that are men,
and serve the LORD; for that is what ye desire.' And they were driven out from
Pharaoh's presence.
12 And the LORD said unto Moses:
'Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may
come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that
the hail hath left.' ... 16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron
in haste; and he said: 'I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against
you. 17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat
the LORD your God, that He may take away from me this death only.'
This time Pharaoh actually appears
to be repenting but HASHEM still will harden his heart.
… 21 And the LORD said
unto Moses: 'Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness
over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.'
Those who have the Cohen Edition of
Soncino Press will see a suggestion of a Total Solar Eclipse. There was one on
Oct. 30, 1207 BCE but out plague of darkness had to have occurred in Chodesh
Adar so it appears to be something else for on my trip to view “The Great
American Eclipse” the darkness could not be felt. This brings us back to super
volcano Stromboli and the winds coming out of the west blowing the ash and dust
on Egypt causing such pollution.
22 And Moses stretched forth his
hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt
three days; 23 they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for
three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
Rabbi Cohen tried to explain the
three-day period as fear from the eclipse but the Medrash holds by six days the
first three nobody saw one another and the second, nobody rose from his place. The
Medrash tells about the darkness coming from Gehennom or the bowels of the
earth that seems to support the Stromboli Volcano theory.
… 27 But the LORD hardened
Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. 28 And Pharaoh said unto him:
'Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day
thou seest my face thou shalt die.' 29 And Moses said: 'Thou hast spoken well;
I will see thy face again no more.'
11:1 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Yet
one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will
let you go hence; when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out
hence altogether. 2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let them ask every
man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold.' 3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the
Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the
sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.
Unlike the all-powerful world leader Pharaoh, the
simple Egyptians have fear of the Bnei Yisrael and the ALL MIGHTY G-D. They
willing give as a loan anything asked. That is the Pshat vs. that they had
darkness and the Israelis could see where the jewelry was hid.
4 And Moses said: 'Thus saith the LORD: About midnight
will I go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and all the first-born in the land of
Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sits upon his throne, even
unto the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the
first-born of cattle.
The pico-second when Halachic Midnight occurs but since
the Egyptians did not have atomic clocks, Moshe tells them “around” Midnight.
12:1 And the LORD
spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 'This month shall be
unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to
you.
This month you are about to become
a nation and here is your calendar. For the purposes of the national existence
of Israel, the Torah should start here.
The Bnei Yisrael are forbidden to eat the blood of an animal. This time only to put a symbol on the house of the Bnei Yisrael, the blood was to be dipped in Hyssop (Marjoram) and placed on the door posts. Now in future generations, the Pessach for the generations the blood of all was mixed together and some sprinkled on the Mizbayach
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof. 10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. 11 And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.
A very terse description of the Halachos of the Korban Pessach. Unblemished, eating no blood and roasting it only with bitter herbs as a side dish.
12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD. 13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. 14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
You shall not forget this day throughout all your generations. This has become so ingrained in the people of Israel that even those Atheists celebrate it by specially eating bread and drinking beer or whiskey. An interesting statement of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe was that the Pessach Seder is not complete without the son who is a Rasha.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; howbeit the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. ... 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whosoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land.
Not only not found but also not seen this includes Gerim and non-Jewish Slaves. One could give money to a non-Jew to arrange for him to feed a modern caretaker or employee.
20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.'
Later on in the Torah it will say that one should not even see Chametz in his house.
… 24 And ye shall observe this
thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons forever. 25 And it shall come to
pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He
hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26 And it shall come to pass,
when your children shall say unto you: What mean ye by this service?
We read the Haggadah and both the
righteous and wicked sons ask the same question and even the simple son and the
baby looks on in wonder. The difference is the intonation. The righteous son
asks it as one learns Torah in sort of a sing-song Mishnah learning chant that
is taught to children. The wicked son angry asks with disgust the same
question. The simple son asks it according to his vocabulary and innocent
ability to understand.
27 that ye shall say: It is the
sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, for that He passed over the houses of the
children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our
houses.' And the people bowed the head and worshipped. 28 And the children of
Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
29 And it came to pass at midnight, that the LORD smote all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto
the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born
of cattle.
Pharaoh was no longer invincible
and a good deal of his army officers were first born children as they tend to
lead.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the
night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great
cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. 31 And he
called for Moses and Aaron by night and said: 'Rise up, get you forth from
among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as
ye have said. 32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be
gone; and bless me also.' 33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, to
send them out of the land in haste; for they said: 'We are all dead men.'
Not only will we let you go serve
your G-D but you are being driven out to do so.
34 And the people took their dough
before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes
upon their shoulders.
This is probably what we call
Iraqi-Pita or Lafah Bread today. It is mostly soft but if left on the oven too
long, it becomes crisp. Normal Lafah can be baked rapidly. The Matzah that we
have as our standard today has evolved over the centuries but a good G-D
fearing person could mix well and make Lafah even today as long as the batch
was completed, rolled and fully baked in under 18 minutes.
35 And the children of Israel did
according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of
silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment. 36 And the LORD gave
the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what
they asked. And they despoiled the Egyptians. … 43
And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: 'This is the ordinance of the passover:
there shall no alien eat thereof; 44 but every man's servant
that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat
thereof. 45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat
thereof. 46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry
forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone
thereof. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the Passover
to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and
keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised
person shall eat thereof. 49 One law shall be to him that is home
born, and unto the stranger that sojourned among you.' 50 Thus
did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did
they.
Our Parsha ends with:13:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 'Sanctify unto Me
all the first-born, whatsoever opens the womb among the children of Israel,
both of man and of beast, it is Mine.' 3 And Moses said unto the people:
'Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of
bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place;
there shall no leavened bread be eaten. … 6 Seven days thou shalt eat
unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD. 7
Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and there shall no
leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee,
in all thy borders. 8 And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is
because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt. … 12
that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb; every
firstling that is a male, which thou hast coming of a beast, shall be the
LORD'S. 13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if
thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck; and all the first-born
of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem. 14 And it shall be when thy son asketh
thee in time to come, saying: What is this? that thou shalt say unto him: By
strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage;
Our Sages of blessed memory
included this in the Aggadah to educate the children when they sit at the
Pascal meal with the family.
… 16 And it shall be for a sign
upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand
the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
This is the reason why the Mitzvah
of the redemption of the first born is written in the Tephillin.
Photos of Chickpea size hail. Israel had also thunder and
lightning but not out of the ordinary except my poor dog panicked at the noise
on his dog house and being hit when he fled. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155982098676894&set=pcb.10155982103411894&type=3&theater
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155982099071894&set=pcb.10155982103411894&type=3&theater
Citrus tree https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10155982099136894&set=pcb.10155982103411894&type=3&theater
Jews fantasy of eating the forbidden but really kosher. http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3907949/jewish/Are-Imitation-Crab-Pork-and-Cheeseburgers-Kosher.htm#utm_medium=email&utm_source=1_chabad.org_magazine_en&utm_campaign=en&utm_content=content
You will never be a
soldier in the Czar’s Army
By Asharon Baltazar
Like every eligible
male in Czarist Russia, Peretz Chein eventually received a letter stating that
he was required to show up at a conscription office. There, a
government-certified physician would appraise the young man’s health before
determining whether he was fit for a grueling army service. The letter required
him to report to the conscription office in Homel, a large administrative
center in what was then White Russia.
Now, the Czar’s army
was no place for a Jew who wished to follow Jewish tradition—or even remain
alive. It was no secret that Jewish conscripts were treated worse than their
fellow soldiers, and were often the first to be sent to the front, ill-prepared
for the rigors of battle. Besides, he was urgently needed at home, where he
worked hard to support his parents and siblings.
Naturally, Peretz was
worried. Knowing there was only one man who could help him, he traveled
to Lubavitch to meet with Rabbi
Shalom Dov Ber Schneersohn, also known as the Rebbe Rashab.
“With G‑d’s help, you will never be a soldier,” the Rebbe
Rashab said, dispelling any worries. “Just do what you were told. Report to the
office in Homel, and everything will be alright.”
Now, the inspectors in
Homel were known to be particularly exacting, more so than the staff in the
other intake centers around the country, and the Rebbe’s advice didn’t sit well
with some of Peretz’s relatives. Fearing the worst, they forbade him to appear
in Homel. But their doubts and bleak predictions could not sway young Peretz,
who remained confident in the Rebbe’s words. And so he departed for Homel,
determined to fulfill the Rebbe’s directive.
He arrived there long
before his scheduled appointment, which was to take place on Shabbat. Knowing that he would be in town for several
days, he arranged to lodge with a local Jew, a Polish Chassid.
Shabbat morning was as
nerve-wracking as could be for Reb Peretz.
He wanted to pray alone, have a quick Shabbat meal, and then run to the
conscription office to be there on time. But his host genially detained him.
“What are you worried
about?” he asked. “There’s no reason to hurry. Let’s go to synagogue as Jews
customarily do, and then, after the Shabbat meal, I’ll go with you to the
conscription office.”
Against his better
judgment, Reb Peretz listened to his host.
They prayed together
and then spent most of Shabbat afternoon singing traditional Shabbat hymns over
a lavish meal. The host did everything slowly and deliberately, as though he
had all the time in the world, while Peretz sat in his seat, a tight ball of
nerves, thinking incessantly about the appointment he was going to miss.
When they finally
arrived at the conscription office, it was already very late in the day. The
employees were about to head home after having seen a day’s worth of
draft-eligible men.
“Why did you show up
now?” the exasperated employees yelled at him, knowing they had no choice but
to evaluate him.
The staff conferred,
apparently trying to figure out how to rid themselves of the newcomer so they
could leave for home. At last they decided to give him a “white card,”
certifying him as so clearly unfit that there was no need for further
inspection.
After informing him
that he was released, they told Peretz to come back in a few days to pick up
the appropriate documents. Meanwhile, Peretz and his host were free to
celebrate the remainder of Shabbat with gladness and joy.
Adapted from Shemuot
Vesippurim Vol. 2, page 90 Adapted and translated by Asharon Baltazar from Rabbi Rephael Nachman
Kahan's Shemuot Vesippurim.
Minister Katz to the disabled – the Prime Minister does not give a
hoot about you. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5073131,00.html
Inyanay
Diyoma
Biggest terror tunnel stretching from Gaza to Sinai under Israel
looks like one could drive a car through or small truck with Iranian Missiles. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5070606,00.html
Jockeying for a position in Syria. https://www.debka.com/four-players-jockeying-post-war-positions-syria-us-israel-vs-russia-iran/
In Haifa, there was a “color red” alert that was wrong and things
were back to normal in a minute or two. Hawaii has a habit of pushing the wrong
button or lever at the polling booth too. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/01/13/hawaiis-scary-false-missile-threat-workers-push-wrong-button-to-blame.html
Ed-Op Ron Ben Yishai – The terror tunnel shows cooperation Hamas –
ISIS vs. Egypt and Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5070739,00.html
Ed-Op Analysis by Alex Fishman on the current Iranian threat both
north and south. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5069049,00.html
IDF and anti-tunnel technology. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/01/14/after-latest-anti-terror-tunnel-operation-israeli-military-hails-new-and-groundbreaking-technology-used-against-subterranean-threat/
Putin – Trump distrust in Syria. https://www.debka.com/fading-trump-putin-trust-derails-de-escalation-zones-syrias-borders-israel-jordan/
Abu abandons daughter. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/01/15/palestinian-girl-reunited-with-mother-in-gaza-after-being-abandoned-in-jerusalem-by-father-following-medical-treatment-at-israeli-hospital/
The never a nation “Palestinians” go against the existence of a
nation that out-lived Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Persia, Inquisition, Nazis,
Communism and they too will come to be past. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/01/15/palestinian-leader-abbas-attack-on-zionism-cites-late-egyptian-intellectuals-denial-of-jewish-peoplehood/
Miraculously an explosive device stopped the last minute.
http://israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/240733
Defense Min. legalizing outposts. https://www.timesofisrael.com/defense-ministry-team-examining-legalization-methods-for-west-bank-outposts/
Now reverse US Pressure getting UNRWA to clean up their act. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/01/16/seeking-reforms-trump-administration-to-withhold-65-million-in-funding-for-un-palestinian-refugee-agency/
Why not Jew us down? https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/01/16/youre-not-going-to-jew-us-down-us-reality-tv-hosts-antisemitic-outburst-sparks-anger/
Abbas believes his own lies. https://www.timesofisrael.com/abbas-couldnt-make-peace-with-the-jews-he-believes-his-own-lies-about-us/
3 Ed-Ops from my friend Thank
you, Diane ~ Your Passionate Voice of
Reason:
How the Shin Bet helped keep the radicalization from Arab Schools (but
still at times there text books slip by): https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5071236,00.html
Israel Embassy in Yarden resumes: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5073163,00.html
Terrorist who directed the murder appears to have gotten away. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/240902
Ed-Op Dr. Martin Sherman appeals to Alan Dershowitz. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/21579
A good and healthy Shabbos to all,
Rachamim Pauli
