Prayers for Men: Yoel HaCohain ben Henya,
Shalom Charles ben Gracia, Yosef ben Esther, Daniel ben Rivka, Moshe ben
Briendel, NEW NAME: Avrum ben Fagel
Women: Karen Neshama bas Esther Ruth, Chaya Melecha Rachel bas
Baila Alta, Rachel bas Chana, Hodaya Nirit bas Mazel Yaish, Rivka bas Idit,
Tsvia Simcha bas Devorah Yachad, Miriam bas Irene Taita Malka, Shulamis bas Etta, Chana
Friedel bas Sara, Drorah Rivka bas Chana, Zahava bas Sara, Esther bas Alice,
Sara Naomi bas Gittel, Rena Leah bas Chana Friedel, NEW
NAME : Golda Shulamis bas Celia
The following persons are recovering from
long term non-threatening injuries and need Psalms. Binum Benyamin Tuvia ben
Chana Friedel, Avraham HaCohain ben Yocheved, Melech
David ben Sulah Pearla,
There hopefully will be an
issue next week. I have something special for Naso planned. However, due to the
fact that we have so logistics issues with the Bar Mitzvah of our Forester
Child, Menashe, with the addition of the extra day, Yom Tov that slows down
writing it may come out only with the copy and pasted story or stories. Publication
of the blogspot should be by 2 PM Israel time at the latest or 7 AM Eastern
Time in the States. Please look for it as I will have close to zero time to
advertise for it on Facebook Groups.
Parsha Bamidbar
Am Yisrael has been wondering around the desert or wilderness for
a year. We are still in the time frame of the dedication of the Mishkan.
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. As much as the people complained it was a truly productive
time for them in turns of Torah, Mitzvah learning and very little work being
sustained by Mann from heaven.
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: 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; 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.
There is
no early or late in the Torah! This week there is the census of the second year
in the second month aka Iyar on our calendar. However, next week the dedication
by the princes took place starting the second year first month. Since the Torah
is above time, this need not bother us but only for the sake of chronological
time.
4 And
with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of his fathers'
house. 5 And these are the names of the men that shall stand with
you: of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur.
At this
point each prince is mentioned and then the census for each tribe. For living
in tents and marching purposes for war, the camps are broken up to not each
population of three tribes each. At this point the danger is from the east and
they are marching eastwards when they start out. The tribes under the flag of
Yehuda are the most populous with the west being covered by the flag of Ephraim
or essentially Rachel’s children in the west covering the rear. The North is
covered by the flag of Dan and there was also a danger from here. With the flag
of Reuven in the south, the least amount of population was needed as Egypt had
be squarely defeated.
\6 Of
Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. 7 Of Judah, Nahshon the
son of Amminadab. 8 Of Issachar, Nethanel the son of Zuar. 9 Of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon. 10 Of the
children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud; of Manasseh,
Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. 11 Of Benjamin, Abidan the son of
Gideoni. 12 Of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. 13
Of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ochran. 14 Of Gad, Eliasaph the son
of Deuel. 15 Of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan.' 16
These were the elect of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their
fathers; they were the heads of the thousands of Israel. 17 And
Moses and Aaron took these men that are pointed out by name.
These men were approved by HASHEM to lead the tribes. I
listed them all so as not to show favor to Reuven as I only needed the name of
one prince for my point. Since the Torah lists them all, they are men of
renowned and G-D fearing Sages.
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. …
44 These are those that were numbered, which Moses and
Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men; they were each one
for his fathers' house. 45 And all those that were numbered of
the children of Israel by their fathers' houses, from twenty years old and
upward, all that were able to go forth to war in Israel; 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.
The age
group numbered were 20 until 60 for the foot soldiers. Those older were excused
from Army Duty and those younger too unexperienced to be good fighters. The
person that were in the Census were men only and usually in this age group
there is close to the same amount of women not to mention children and elderly.
Without exaggeration, the population was probably close to 2,400,000 which also
included the Leviim.
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. 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.
They did
as they were commanded with joy. It is a lot of responsibility to take care of
holy objects. There is a high price to pay for damage to anything and they had
to be handled in purity and cautiously. Most of the people I know would be
happy not to have this responsibility and the dangers both in this world and
the next for be weak in their pursuit. In fact the age group of Leviim that did
the main brunt of the work were between 30 and 50. Before that was
apprenticeship and after that teachers of the apprentices.
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. 3 Now those that pitch on the east side toward the sunrising shall
be they of the standard of the camp of Judah, … 5 and those that pitch next
unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar; …7 and the tribe of Zebulun; … 9 all
that were numbered of the camp of Judah being a hundred thousand and fourscore
thousand and six thousand and four hundred, according to their hosts; they
shall set forth first. 10 On the south side shall be the standard of the camp
of Reuben according to their hosts. …12 and those that pitch next unto him
shall be the tribe of Simeon; … 14 and the tribe of Gad; … 16 all that were
numbered of the camp of Reuben being a hundred thousand and fifty and one
thousand and four hundred and fifty, according to their hosts; and they shall
set forth second. 17 Then the tent of meeting, with the camp of the Levites,
shall set forward in the midst of the camps; as they encamp, so shall they set
forward, every man in his place, by their standards. 18 On the west side shall
be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their hosts. … 20 and next
unto him shall be the tribe of Manasseh … 22 and the tribe of Benjamin; … 24 all that were numbered of the camp of
Ephraim being a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, according to
their hosts; and they shall set forth third. 25 On the north side shall be the
standard of the camp of Dan according to their hosts; … 27 and those that pitch
next unto him shall be the tribe of Asher; … 29 and the tribe of Naphtali; … 31
all that were numbered of the camp of Dan being a hundred thousand and fifty
and seven thousand and six hundred; they shall set forth hindmost by their
standards.' 32 These are they that were numbered of the children of Israel by
their fathers' houses; all that were numbered of the camps according to their
hosts were six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.
33 But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD
commanded Moses. 34 Thus did the children of Israel: according to all that the
LORD commanded Moses, so they pitched by their standards, and so they set
forward, each one according to its families, and according to its fathers'
houses.
3 … 5
And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 6 'Bring the tribe of Levi near, and set
them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him. 7 And they shall
keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tent of
meeting, to do the service of the tabernacle. 8 And they shall keep all the
furniture of the tent of meeting, and the charge of the children of Israel, to
do the service of the tabernacle. 9 And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and
to his sons; they are wholly given unto him from the children of Israel. 10 And
thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, that they may keep their priesthood; and
the common man that draws nigh shall be put to death.'
Previously
the danger of death was for doing the work of the Leviim and now for usurping the
Avoda of the Cohanim this included Leviim. Moshe handed over the reigns to
Aaron after the 7 days of Milluim.
11 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 12 'And I, behold, I have taken the Levites
from among the children of Israel instead of every first-born that openeth the
womb among the children of Israel; and the Levites shall be Mine; 13 for all
the first-born are Mine: on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land
of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the first-born in Israel, both man and beast,
Mine they shall be: I am the LORD.'
It
should have been the first-born but some first-born children participated in
the since of the Egel HaZahav while the Leviim did not participate. They were
rewarded by being granted the work of the Mishkan.
14 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying: 15 'Number the
children of Levi by their fathers' houses, by their families; every male from a
month old and upward shalt thou number them.' 16 And Moses numbered them
according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded. 17 And these were the
sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari. … these are the
families of the Gershonites. 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; 24 the prince of the
fathers' house of the Gershonites being Eliasaph the son of Lael, 25 and the
charge of the sons of Gershon in the tent of meeting the tabernacle, and the
Tent, the covering thereof, and the screen for the door of the tent of meeting,
26 and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the
court--which is by the tabernacle, and by the altar, round about--and the cords
of it, even whatsoever pertaineth to the service thereof. 27 And of Kohath was
the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of
the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the
Kohathites: 28 according to the number of all the males, from a month old and
upward, eight thousand and six hundred, keepers of the charge of the sanctuary.
29 The families of the sons of Kohath were to pitch on the side of the
tabernacle southward; 30 the prince of the fathers' house of the families of
the Kohathites being Elizaphan the son of Uzziel, 31 and their charge the ark,
and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the
sanctuary wherewith the priests minister, and the screen, and all that pertains
to the service thereof; 32 Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest being prince of
the princes of the Levites, and having the oversight of them that keep the
charge of the sanctuary. 33 Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the
family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari. 34 And those that
were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month
old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred; 35 the prince of the
fathers' house of the families of Merari being Zuriel the son of Abihail; they
were to pitch on the side of the tabernacle northward; 36 the appointed charge
of the sons of Merari being the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof,
and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the instruments
thereof, and all that pertaineth to the service thereof; 37 and the pillars of
the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords. 38
And those that were to pitch before the tabernacle eastward, before the tent of
meeting toward the sunrising, were Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the
charge of the sanctuary, even the charge for the children of Israel; and the
common man that drew nigh was to be put to death. 39 All that were numbered of
the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, by
their families, all the males from a month old and upward, were twenty and two
thousand.
The
subtribe of Kohath took care of the holiest objects and carried them on their
shoulders from Mt. Sinai onwards until the caravan rested. Gershon and Merari had wagons to move about
what they carried during transportation as these objects such as the planks and
the curtains were very heavy.
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.' 42 And Moses
numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the first-born among the children of
Israel. 43 And all the first-born males according to the number of names, from
a month old and upward, of those that were numbered of them, were twenty and
two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.
44 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 45 'Take the Levites instead of all the
first-born among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead
of their cattle; and the Levites shall be Mine, even the LORD'S. 46 And as for
the redemption of the two hundred and three score and thirteen of the
first-born of the children of Israel, that are over and above the number of the
Levites, 47 thou shalt take five shekels apiece by the poll; after the shekel
of the sanctuary shalt thou take them--the shekel is twenty gerahs. 48 And thou
shalt give the money wherewith they that remain over of them are redeemed unto
Aaron and to his sons.' 49 And Moses took the redemption-money from them that
were over and above them that were redeemed by the Levites; 50 from the
first-born of the children of Israel took he the money: a thousand three
hundred and threescore and five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 51
And Moses gave the redemption-money unto Aaron and to his sons, according to
the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.
Since
that time we do Pidyon HaBen unless the mother is a Levi or Cohain.
4:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 2 'Take the sum of the sons
of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, by their families, by their fathers'
houses, 3 from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all that
enter upon the service, to do work in the tent of meeting. … 17 And the LORD
spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying: 18 'Cut ye not off the tribe of the
families of the Kohathites from among the Levites; 19 but thus do unto them,
that they may live, and not die, when they approach unto the most holy things:
Aaron and his sons shall go in, and appoint them every one to his service and
to his burden; 20 but they shall not go in to see the holy things as they are
being covered, lest they die.'
Why did
the Kohathites go first as Gershon was the Bechor? Menashe suggested to me is
that they dealt with the holiest objects and carried on their shoulders and
therefore went first in the dismantling. We read in Pasuk 4:18 not to cut off
the family of Kohathites from the Leviim. If so why did the Sages when they
divided up the Parshiyos separate them from the other Leviim and not all the
Leviim together either in this Parsha or the next and divide up all the
Parshiyos in Bamidbar differently? The answer will appear in Parsha Naso.
The Silent Story Teller by Rabbi Y. Tilles
Before
the Baal Shem Tov passed away he called all of his main
disciples to his bedside and spoke to each one individually. He told each one
what occupation he was to undertake in the future and how he was to behave.
Last of all, he called his devoted student and attendant, Yaakov, to him and
said:
"You,
Yaakov, are to travel about telling stories about me. This will serve you as
your means of livelihood as well, for people will pay you to hear such
incidents and happenings."
"But
Rebbe," protested Yaakov, "is that to be my aim in life, to be
forever wandering and to tell stories?"
"Don't
you worry. You will be rich from this, with G-d's help"
The
Baal Shem Tov passed away. All the disciples fulfilled his last instructions
and Yaakov, too, went forth to visit settlements and villages to tell tales of
the Baal Shem Tov as he had witnessed them, earning a handsome income to the
bargain.
After
two and a half years of such an existence Yaakov head that there was a certain
wealthy man in Italy who paid a valuable gold coin for each story he was told
about the Baal Shem Tov. He rejoiced at this information for with his wealth of
stories he felt he could earn enough to let him stay home for a year or so.
As
soon as he was able, he bought himself a horse and wagon, hired an assistant,
and set forth on the long trip to Italy. The voyage took him seven months, for
he was forced to stop at the villages and towns along the way in order to earn
enough to cover his expenses.
When
he entered the city of his destination he asked around to find out what sort of
a person this wealthy man was.
"Oh,
he is a man of great means," he was told. "He holds court like a
king, though he himself is a pious and righteous man. He spends all his time in
study and prayer for he has faithful employees running his business for him.
And every Shabbos, at the Third Meal, he has someone tell stories about the
Baal Shem Tov. He later pays a gold coin for each story told!"
"Where
does this man come from?" asked Yaakov curiously.
"No
one really knows. He came here about ten years ago and bought himself a mansion
with expansive grounds. He built himself a Beit Midrash on his
property which is open to the public for daily prayers. And on Shabbos he
invites half of the city to join him at his table!"
Yaakov
told his attendant to go to this rich man and announce that his master, a former
close disciple of the holy Baal Shem Tov, had just arrived in town. The servant
was told that his master was very welcome to spend Shabbos in the mansion,
during which time he would have many opportunities to tell all the stories that
he knew of the Baal Shem Tov.
The
Jews of the town were overjoyed to hear of the arrival of a master storyteller.
They all gathered at the Shabbos table of the rich man after their own meals to
listen avidly to the stories that Yaakov had to offer. After the traditional Shabbos
night songs, the host finally turned to his important guest and nodded to him
to commence.
Yaakov
opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. Suddenly the strangest
sensation had come over him and he actually went blank. He forgot everything that
he had ever known concerning his rabbi. He tried desperately to reconstruct an
image of his rebbe before his mind's eye so that he might better recall some
incident of his life, but he couldn't even remember any of his features. He
tried to recall all the places that he had visited with his rebbe, but even his
most supreme efforts were of no help.
He was
utterly confused and helpless; he sat at his place with downcast eyes and a
fallen countenance.
The
townsfolk who had expressly come to hear his tales began whispering to one
another, hinting that he was really a fraud, that he only sought a free meal
and had never in his life seen the Baal Shem Tov. But the host, most
disappointed of all, contained himself and said:
"We
will wait until tomorrow. Maybe until then you will remind yourself of some
incident."
That
night Reb Yaakov wept in bed. He struggled to conjure up an image of his
rebbe's face or even the faces of some of his friends, the Baal Shem Tov's
disciples, but it was as if he had never seen the Baal Shem Tov at all. His
mind was a complete blank; every trace of those former days was completely
erased from his memory.
On
Shabbos day the whole city had again gathered at the rich man's table, this
time out of curiosity, to see if the guest had recovered his memory and had any
stories to tell of the Baal Shem Tov. They suspected him more than ever of
being a fraud, and when their host nodded to his guest after the zemiros, the guest only shrugged his shoulders
hopelessly with tears in his eyes.
"Believe
me", he said pathetically, "such a thing has never happened to me
before! This is a most unusual occurrence".
What
could be the reason for this unusual loss of memory - wondered the perturbed
Yaakov all the Shabbos. Is it maybe because I ventured out of my familiar
territory? The Baal Shem Tov said that I was to travel among the villages and
cities where he had been known, where people had heard of the Baal Shem Tov and
desired to hear more.
Yaakov
spent the whole day in tearful prayer seeking a solution to his dilemma.
At the
Third Meal, the rich man's house was packed. Everyone had come to scorn the
faker who had dared to take advantage of their benevolent host. They teased him
and jeered at him but he took it all in his stride.
However,
that evening after the havdala ceremony signaling the end
of Shabbos, Yaakov went to the rich man to bid him farewell. "I can no
longer avail myself of your gracious hospitality. I have been prevented by
heaven from telling any of the many stories that I know of my rebbe and have no
excuse to remain. I therefore beg your forgiveness and seek your permission to
leave."
"Please
remain until Tuesday," his host urged him. "Give yourself another
chance. It may be that the trials of your journey have made you temporarily forget.
Your memory may yet return to you. Stay until Tuesday and then we shall
see."
Yaakov
reluctantly prolonged his stay. But he did not remember anything in the
interval and when Tuesday finally arrived he again sought his host. "I
thank you kindly for your gracious hospitality and beg forgiveness for the
embarrassment I have caused you. Please let me go now."
The
wealthy man gave Yaakov a generous donation and bade him farewell.
Yaakov
took his place in his wagon and signaled to his attendant to drive. But as soon
as the horses began trotting he shouted at him to stop the wagon.
"I
remember! I remember!" he screamed excitedly as he jumped down and ran
back to the rich man's house.
The
rich man was waiting for him and begged him to tell his story.
It
happened, he began, once just before the gentiles celebrated their Easter. That
Shabbos the Baal Shem Tov seemed most upset and tense, continuously pacing back
and forth. Immediately after Shabbos he had Alexei, his customary driver,
prepare the wagon. He took along with him three of his close followers,
including myself. We sat in the wagon and traveled all that night. When we
reached our destination in the morning, the horses stopped of their own accord
at a large house in a big city.
The
windows and doors were tightly barred but the Baal Shem Tov told me to knock
nevertheless. An old woman peered out and shouted angrily:
"What
are you doing here now? Are you all mad? Do you want to be murdered? Don't you
know that today the gentiles kill any Jew who is out on the streets! Today is
the day that they take revenge on the Jews who they say killed their god. If
they find out it will be tragic for you and we will also suffer the
consequences. Now hurry, get out of town while you still can!"
The
Baal Shem Tov gently urged her aside and entered, ushering us after him and
closing the door behind us all. The members of the household were huddled
together, speechless with fright. The old woman began ranting and raving
against the Baal Shem Tov but he paid her no heed. He took his position by a
window, moved the curtain aside and looked out. The woman shrieked that he was
bringing destruction upon them all.
The
Baal Shem Tov could see the city square from his vantage point. He saw a high
platform with thirty steps erected in the center and a mob of people already
assembled, waiting for the bishop. The bishop's address was the signal for the
rampage, bloodshed and havoc that was annually wrought upon the lives and
property of the Jews of the city.
Soon
the sounds of bells announced the coming of the bishop's procession. The Baal
Shem Tov watched the procession advance until the bishop finally took his place
at the podium on the platform. Then he turned to me and said:
"Yaakov,
go to the bishop and tell him to come to me immediately!"
When
the members of the household heard these words they were shocked. "How can
you send a man to his slaughter! Why, that bloodthirsty mob outside will rip
him apart limb from limb!"
But
the Baal Shem Tov paid them no heed and just told me to do as he had bidden,
and to hurry.
I had
implicit faith in my master for I had seen him perform great wonders and
miracles in the past and I went forth fearlessly to do his bidding. And wonder
of all wonders, the mob ignored me. I passed through them unharmed and
untouched. I reached the central platform and climbed up the thirty steps while
all was silent.
I went
boldly up to the bishop and delivered my message.
"The
Baal Shem Tov is here and he summons you to come immediately."
"I
am aware of his presence," answered the bishop. "Tell him that after
I have finished my speech I will come to him."
As I
returned to the house I could see all the Jews peering out with baited breaths,
from cracks and slits, while I threaded my way back. I delivered the message to
the Besht and he answered angrily:
"Tell
the bishop that he must come instantly, without further delay! Tell him not to
be a fool!"
When I
made my way back to the platform the bishop had already commenced his address.
I tugged at this robe and repeated the words of the Baal Shem Tov. The bishop
listened and then turned to his audience.
"Please
excuse me. I shall presently return."
The
bishop followed me down the steps and back to the house. When we entered, the
Baal Shem Tov took the bishop aside into another room, and was closeted with
him there for two hours. When the rebbe emerged from the room, he ordered the
wagon prepared and we journeyed back home.
This
took place about ten years ago and to this day, I don't know what transpired
between them or what happened afterwards with that bishop.
It's
very strange, mused Yaakov, that I haven't remembered this story all these ten
years until today.
"Praise
be to G-d," said the rich man lifting his hands upward in thanksgiving.
"I can testify to the truth of your story. The moment that you came to me
I recognized you but I was silent. Now I shall tell you the end of the story.
"I
am the very bishop in your tale! I had converted from Judaism, tempted by the
lure of false knowledge. I was saved in the end by the merit of my ancestors
who were saintly men. They begged the Baal Shem Tov to help me. They appeared
to me in a dream as well, beseeching that I return to the fold. I promised them
that I would run away the next morning, before the crowd assembled.
"But
when the morrow dawned I was again swayed by my evil inclination. I saw all the
people gathered, waiting for me to address them. I also saw that the Baal Shem
Tov had arrived and I was undecided. When the church bells began chiming I
found myself walking to the central platform. I felt that I could not
disappoint the crowd that was waiting for me. I could not forego all the honor
and glory that went with my position.
"When
you called to me the first time, I was still in the clutches of my evil
inclination. But when you came the second time…I suddenly became another
person. I followed you to the Baal Shem Tov and he showed me how I was to
repent.
"I
subsequently gave half of my fortune to the poor and a quarter of it to the
king that he might permit me to leave the country upon some pretext that I had
given him.
"The
Baal Shem Tov gave me a sign at the time. He told me that if someone were to
come and tell me this very story - I would know that my repentance had finally
been accepted. When I first saw you in my house I was overjoyed, for I
remembered you. But when I realized that you had forgotten the incident, I knew
that heavenly intervention had prevented you from remembering.
"All
the time that you stayed by me, I prayed and repented and was finally rewarded
now when you returned to tell me this very story.
"You
will no longer have to continue your wandering. I shall shower you with gifts
and money that will last you for the rest of your life."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Lightly edited and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the English edition of Tales of the Baal Shem Tov (vol. 2) by Y. Y. Klapholtz , as translated by Sheindel Weinbach
Source: Lightly edited and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the English edition of Tales of the Baal Shem Tov (vol. 2) by Y. Y. Klapholtz , as translated by Sheindel Weinbach
Biographical notes:
Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5458 - 6 Sivan 5520 (Aug. 1698 - May 1760 C.E.)], the Baal Shem Tov ["Master of the Good Name"-often referred to as "the Besht" for short], a unique and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed his identity as an exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 5494 (1734 C.E.), and made the until-then underground Chasidic movement public. He wrote no books, although many works claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is the excellent annotated translation of Tzava'at Harivash, published by Kehos.
Rabbi Yisrael ben Eliezer [of blessed memory: 18 Elul 5458 - 6 Sivan 5520 (Aug. 1698 - May 1760 C.E.)], the Baal Shem Tov ["Master of the Good Name"-often referred to as "the Besht" for short], a unique and seminal figure in Jewish history, revealed his identity as an exceptionally holy person, on his 36th birthday, 18 Elul 5494 (1734 C.E.), and made the until-then underground Chasidic movement public. He wrote no books, although many works claim to contain his teachings. One available in English is the excellent annotated translation of Tzava'at Harivash, published by Kehos.
Connection: This Shavuot is the 258th yahrzeit of the Baal Shem Tov.
The Jewish Plot to Kill Hitler http://www.aish.com/print/?contentID=482144181§ion=/jw/s
Still,
I wrote down what he told me. He said the hit man or men selected for the job
had to be Yiddish speakers, so they could get around any language problems in
Germany. He said they would be paid $2,500 plus expenses. He said the
“respectable Jew” told him, “There are people in Germany ready to assist us.”
This is how he remembered the scheme to kill Hitler.
My
source’s nickname was “Dutch.” He was one of the elderly “retired” mobsters I
interviewed for my book, But He Was Good to His Mother: The Lives and Crimes of Jewish
Gangsters. According to my notes, I met him on Aug. 15, 1988, at
the Picasso Café in Herzlia Pituah, an upscale seaside suburb of Herzliya, 15
miles north of Tel Aviv. When we met, he was living in Israel. He said, “My
friends call me Dutch. You seem OK, so call me Dutch, too.” This was our only
face-to-face meeting, and he asked me not to use his family name while he was
still breathing. I promised him I would not. He died in 1993. Later I learned
his last name was Goldberg. As far as I know, I was the last person he spoke to
about this.
I
recall Dutch as being about 5 feet 7 and of stocky build with thinning gray
hair. I estimated his age to be somewhere in the 80s. I surmised he must have
been good-looking in his youth. But time took its toll. His skin showed age
spots, and his right hand shook slightly when he lifted his coffee cup. At
first, he asked me to tell him about my work and background and why I wanted to
speak to him. I told him that I’d grown up in Detroit, got my doctorate in
history at the University of Michigan, and was teaching at Tel Aviv University.
I explained that I was researching Jews and organized crime in the United
States. We then discussed some underworld figures, including Meyer Lansky, whom
I interviewed in 1980.
Dutch
looked at me for awhile. “Gangsters,” he said. “Why is a nice Jewish professor
like you writing about that stuff? There are a lot of other things you could
write about, but gangsters is not one of them.” For the next 10 minutes or so,
we went back and forth about my research and topics Dutch thought I could
pursue. Then he told me about his background. He said he grew up on New York’s
Lower East Side. He dropped out of school at the age of 13 and stole from
peddlers and robbed drunks to make some money. Because he was tough and a good
fighter, he worked as a shtarker (muscleman) and for a price would beat up someone
who owed money. He sometimes worked as a strikebreaker and for bootleggers
during Prohibition guarding their shipments of illegal liquor. He claimed he
was arrested more than 40 times and said he had killed “more than one man.” In
the early 1930s he became a soldier in the Bug (Siegel) and Meyer (Lansky) mob
in New York.
Dutch
finished his story about the alleged scheme to kill Hitler by saying that after
he had been approached, he “talked to some of the boys about it. They hated the
Nazis and knew what was happening to the Jews. And they were willing to go to
Germany and do the job.” But before the contract could be formalized, “that mamzer
[bastard] J. Edgar Hoover and his feds started snooping around and asking
questions.” So “the boys” thought it was wise to drop the matter. It was bad
for business. Reflecting on the plot, Dutch concluded: “It was really a shame.
I wish we’d done it and killed the son of a bitch. Can you imagine? We woulda
been heroes. They woulda given us all medals.”
When
he finished, I asked him if he had hard evidence on this plot. “Evidence,” he
asked. “What kind of evidence?”
“I’m
talking about documents, letters; I’m a historian after all. I like documents.”
He
laughed. “You gotta be kiddin’,” he said. “There’s no documents.” A moment
later though, Dutch told me that Hoover probably wrote something about it and
that maybe I should check in Washington. Other former Jewish mobsters I had
interviewed told me how they had helped Jews and how they had taken action
against anti-Semites and Nazi Bundists in the United States during the 1930s.
Maybe they were trying to impress me. Maybe in their old age they wanted to
erase some of the more nefarious deeds of their youth. They conveniently forgot
to tell me that they got their start in crime by beating and robbing Jews in
their neighborhood. The same, I thought, might be true with Dutch. Maybe he
made the story up, or told me what he thought I wanted to hear.
A
year later I was doing research in the archives of the FBI building in
Washington. I was seated at a desk waiting for a file to be brought to me when
a file on the adjacent table caught my eye. It was labeled “Adolf Hitler.” I
wondered why the FBI would have a file on Hitler. I opened the file and found
memos, reports, and letters documenting an alleged attempt by American Jews to
assassinate Hitler in 1933. Maybe Dutch had told me the truth.
The
file, number 65-53615, details a plot involving one man. The plot passed the
initial planning stage but may have been foiled by the U.S. Department of
Justice. In an effort to prevent an international incident—an American citizen
assassinating a German leader—American law-enforcement officials might have
helped save Hitler.
The
tale of the conspiracy to kill the German chancellor came to the attention of
the American government by way of a letter dated March 23, 1933, typed on plain
white paper and addressed to “The German Ambassador, Washington D.C.” The
ambassador passed the letter to the Secretary of State Cordell Hull on March
28, and Hull forwarded it to the U.S. Attorney General Homer Cummings. It read:
Dear
Sir:I have asked President Roosevelt to publicly remonstrate with your government [about] the outrages committed upon the Jews in Germany, and to demand an immediate and complete end of this persecution.
In the event that he does not make such a statement, I notify you that I shall go to Germany and assassinate Hitler.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Stern
German
diplomats demanded an immediate and full investigation of the threat. It should
be mentioned that the German ambassador, Friedrich Wilhelm von Prittwitz, resigned
from the German government in April 1933 in protest over Hitler’s appointment
as chancellor.
Franklin
Roosevelt had been in office only a few weeks and had a nationwide Depression
to contend with. Events in Germany, including Hitler’s accession to power,
hardly concerned the government or most of the American public. Nonetheless,
the threat expressed in the letter could not be ignored or simply attributed to
a crank. More militant members of the American Jewish community had reacted to
Hitler’s anti-Semitic policies by taking to the streets. Hundreds picketed
German consulates, businesses, and stores selling German products. Thousands
attended protest rallies and parades in New York, Chicago, Cleveland, Detroit,
and other cities. In this atmosphere, Stern’s personal declaration of war
against Hitler was taken seriously.
Attorney
General Cummings turned to J. Edgar Hoover, director of the Justice
Department’s Division of Investigation, and asked him to locate Daniel Stern
and stop him. Hoover headed the division since his appointment by President
Calvin Coolidge in 1924. The division became the Federal Bureau of
Investigation in 1935. Hoover’s “G-Men” (agents of the FBI) searched for Stern
through the spring, summer, and into the fall of 1933. Among their primary
contacts were figures in the Jewish American underworld, where Meyer Lansky,
Bugsy Siegel, Dutch Schultz, and Lepke Buchalter—all associated with New York’s
Murder, Inc. syndicate—had well-earned reputations for using violence to
protect their business interests or to defend their communities.
Hoover
assigned one of his top agents, Dwight Brantley, to coordinate the national
investigation. An early lead from Detroit sent that city’s G-Men scrambling but
went nowhere. Another lead came from a special agent in charge of the
division’s Chicago office. He’d heard about a Daniel Stern who was rumored to
have mob associations and who had moved to Philadelphia, where the letter to
the German embassy had been postmarked. Agents in Philadelphia searched local
telephone directories, but they failed to turn up the name Daniel Stern. They
did find a reference to a Daniel Stern in the city directory. When they went to
the address, the janitor told them that Daniel Stern had “left the apartment
over a year ago and that his present address is unknown.”
The
agents then turned to Jewish gang contacts for information. Max “Boo Boo” Hoff,
who dominated Philadelphia’s criminal enterprises at the time, offered to
cooperate. He talked to Agent G.R. Hardy for several hours but could not recall
meeting Stern or knowing anyone else who had met the man. Harvey interviewed
several of Hoff’s associates, but all claimed they’d never heard of Stern or of
a plan to kill Hitler. However, almost all of them, Harvey reported, were impressed
by the scheme and thought it was “a great idea.”
On
the other hand, the German consul in Philadelphia stated that, “in all
probability, it was written by some crank, who is a sympathizer of the Jewish
element.” The consul further stated that “he is besieged by individuals who
make threats upon him, but that they are all of the crank type, and he
dismisses them and pays no attention to them as he does not consider their
threats serious.”
In
April, the Justice Department received a promising lead from a letter dated
April 21 to the German embassy and postmarked Highbridge Station, New York. The
translation of the letter from German stated, “Having overheard a conversation
between several Jews in New York, I learned that there is a movement on foot to
assassinate Chancellor Adolf Hitler and that a young American Jew has already
been selected to commit this murder. The Jews present were joyfully enthused
over this plan. I communicate this to you in order that if possible any such
act be prevented. Very respectfully, C Portugall.”
Hoover
had Agent Brantley pass along the information to the division’s New York
office. From July 18 to July 23, agents scoured city directories, telephone
books, and postal records. They tapped their covert sources in the underworld
in search of Stern and the so-called “joyfully enthused” Jews. Every clue led
to a dead end.
Meanwhile
the Criminal Division received a letter dated May 27 from the German embassy
that had been written by an individual staying at the San Carlos Hotel in Phoenix,
Arizona. The writer, whose name has been blacked out of FBI memos, reported
that “he overheard two Jews say Hitler was to be assassinated between May and
September 1933 by an agent of New York City Jews.” He wrote that Hitler was
either to be poisoned or shot and “a young American Jew had already been chosen
to perform the act.” He immediately sent a letter reporting what he had heard
to the German embassy.
Brantley
immediately dispatched agents from Los Angeles to Phoenix. When they
interviewed the man, he was reluctant to discuss the matter and was unclear
about the details. The agents later reported that the man “is a political exile
from Mexico and is a citizen of that country. It seems that he is strongly
pro-Hitler and anti-Jewish in his conversation.” The agents searched the hotel
register from April to June 1933, without finding anyone by the name of Stern
or Stearn registered. They then interrogated everyone on the hotel’s staff. No
one remembered anything of the alleged meeting or recalled anything unusual.
The agents examined the hotel’s registry and wrote down every “Jewish sounding”
name. They transmitted the names and the results of their inquiry to division
headquarters in Washington.
The
trail went cold again.
On
Aug. 19, 1933, Special Agent J.M. Keith sent a progress report, “Daniel Stern
and the Threat to Assassinate German Chancellor Hitler” to Hoover. Keith
summarized the investigations in Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Phoenix, and
New York. He conceded that that the division had failed to locate Stern or to
uncover any assassination plot.
On
Sept. 2, Special Agent Brantley submitted a final report to Hoover. He wrote
that all outstanding leads regarding the threat to assassinate Hitler “have
been completed without any definite information having been obtained.
Accordingly, this case is being closed at the Washington field office.”
Brantley assured Hoover that the case would be reopened if the German embassy
received any additional information.
Upon
my return to Israel, I called Dutch and told him what I’d found in the FBI
files. I asked him if he had heard of Daniel Stern. Was the name an alias? Was
he a professional killer? He said he heard a rumor about a young man named
Stern but didn’t know much about him and had never met him. “Supposedly this
Stern fellow had a lot of enthusiasm, but not a lot of brains or seykhl
[sense]. Maybe he was meshuge [crazy]. He was determined to kill Hitler, and
someone thought he was expendable. The timing was all wrong,” he said. “And
maybe somebody backed the wrong horse. Nobody knew much about Stern. That was
supposed to be good at first. But you never know. You never know.”
“That
summer of 1933, we learned that just about everybody and his brother thought
about taking a whack at the Fuhrer. When you got to Germany, I mean, you had to
take a ticket and get in line for your shot. Later someone said there were more
than a dozen attempts to get Hitler in the 1930s. Public figures are
well-guarded, but Hitler, he was somethin’ else. I mean someone even tried to
kill Roosevelt in 1933. That was close. But Hitler? He was bulletproof. I swear
to God, the devil was his bodyguard. And you gotta remember that in the end,
the only guy who could whack Hitler was Hitler himself.”
Filmmaker
Daniel Benchimol is working with Robert Rockaway to turn this story into a
documentary film, "FBI file #65-53615:" The Jewish American plot to
kill Hitler. Click here to help support their
kickstarter campaign.
Sometimes one thinks his life is a unique
story and every individual has one to tell. Nissim Black is a Rapper who became
a Orthodox Jew. Chinese Jews, Baalei Teshuva but it is rarer when a Muslim
becomes a Jew especially one who is a fashion designer. Mordechai Ben Avraham.
Yaffah
Batya runs a Spanish Jewish Descendants Organization for non-Jews who want to
return. She sent me this regarding the US Jerusalem Embassy and Parsha. From
the Zohar Bamidbar commentary (Shabbat reading for week ending 5-18-2018).
"R. Eleazer began a discourse, citing the verse: 'Rejoice ye with
Jerusalem, and be glad in her, all ye that love her.' etc. (Isa. 66:19): ...
The truth is that so long as She (the Community of Israel) is in exile and lies
in the dust there will be no real gladness. But only when the Holy One blessed
be He, will raise Her from the dust, saying 'Shake thyself from the dust' (Isa
52:2). 'Arise, shine', etc. (Isa. 60:1); and the people will be assembled
together, then there will be gladness indeed - gladness for all"And later, in that same reading of the Zohar, it says "In all his deeds, it behooves a man to imitate the celestial model, and to realize that according to the nature of a deed below there is a responsive stirring on high."
I (Yaffah Batya) will be at the opening of the US Embassy in Jerusalem (GD willing) on Monday May 14th to represent ALL Bnei Anousim worldwide who are working on coming HOME to the Land of our Sephardi forefathers and foremothers. Bezrat HaShem !!!
Volcano National Park is closed for now how much a danger does
this pose to the people of Big Island Hawaii? www.foxnews.com/us/2018/05/13/hawaii-volcano-spurs-new-evacuations-on-big-island-after-new-lava-fissures-reported.html
When
a maid marries an Arab she is promised heaven but gets hell. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245899
Israeli
wins song contest. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5259044,00.html
Trudy
wrote: As I watched the opening ceremony of the
American Consulate in Jerusalem this morning, I had two recurrent
thoughts. First:
· We
are very fortunate to witness the full acceptance of the state of Israel by the
United States.
· We
are lucky to have a president of the United States who has the foresight and
the courage to recognize Israel’s capital.
· We
are lucky to have the state of Israel recognized for its incomparable
contributions to technology, agriculture and medicine.
· Finally,
all Jewish Americans (or American Jews) should realize how fortunate we are to
have elected Trump president.
Second:
· We
must remember that we were exiled from Israel because we failed to live the
life that the Torah prescribed.
·
Today, hatred, immorality and other violations of Torah life abound.
· What
will it take to avoid a recurrence of galut?
· Leadership
must arise within world Jews that all will accept and move us closer to keeping
the privilege of Yerushayim Hashlema.
Inyanay Diyoma
9th
Terror tunnel destroyed. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245842
Car
ramming attack. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245831
Homicide
bomber in Indonesia. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/suicide-bombers-attack-churches-in-indonesia-at-least-6-dead/ar-AAxbdAN?ocid=spartandhp
Iraq
basically controlled by Iran. https://www.debka.com/by-winning-baghdad-vote-iran-could-recoup-losses-from-us-israeli-beatings/
ISIS
attack in France. https://www.debka.com/mivzak/isis-claims-paris-stabbing-attack-killing-one-injuring-four/
Ed-Op
Caroline Glick: Netanyahu’s finest hour. https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/COLUMN-ONE-Netanyahus-finest-hour-556118
Real
target of T4 was a defense system. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5258754,00.html
This is the 4th or 5th torching of the home
of a member of this family but a poor “Hill-top Youth” was tortured by the Shin
Bet into “confessing” the murders when it was clear that two people were
needed. www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245812
3 articles
about Gaza. Kites-firebombs: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245845
Arabs
set fire to border crossing. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245834
Because
of this border closed. www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245841
Gaza
Riots planned. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-gears-up-for-mass-gaza-riots-warning-hamas-plans-to-massacre-israelis/ Ed
- Op Ben Yishai between Tehran and Gaza. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5259200,00.html
People
who have glass headquarters should not start up with Israel. https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-images-show-damage-at-damascus-international-airport-from-israeli-strike/
Nuke
test site to be dismantled. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5258538,00.html
How
Press Sec. deals with CNN: www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/13/sarah-sanders-says-whining-kids-best-practice-for-dealing-with-cnns-jim-acosta.html
Wrestling
the swamp. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/05/13/two-pro-wrestlers-in-2018-elections-trump-supporters-with-different-political-styles.html
Greek
Cemetery desecrated. https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/05/11/greek-jews-to-rally-against-antisemitism-following-cemetery-desecration/
Iran
turning to the EU https://www.algemeiner.com/2018/05/13/iran-may-bank-on-eu-support-after-us-leaves-nuclear-deal/
52
Shachidim 900 injured. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5260097,00.html
Infiltration
attempt. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5260406,00.html
Hamas
planning more riots https://www.debka.com/hamas-schedules-palestinian-riots-in-jerusalem-west-bank-tuesday-mulls-rocket-fire-from-gaza/
We
can hit his bunker. Silence! https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5260480,00.html
Another
antisemite in Dublin. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245978
Hamas
Terrorists with explosives. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246009
The
only reason that they stopped a second day of protests was their hospitals were
full. Grenades and explosives 2nd article. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5261606,00.html
Turkish Lira Collapses blame Israel. https://www.debka.com/erdogan-abuses-israel-as-a-distraction-from-the-plummeting-turkish-lira/
Time
to recognize Aramean Genocide. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246012
Hamas
incites due to shortcomings. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5260612,00.html
Muezzin
calls disrupt Ambassador. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/245997
Ed-Op
Hamas’s folly Ben Yishai. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5260688,00.html
50
or the 60 slain were terrorist. One baby with a heart condition was a
“Shachid”. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5261458,00.html
Sderot
- 6 houses hit from Gaza. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246085
One
stabbed in Yerushalayim. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246060
Two
MIAs and two civilians sold out. www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246040
Russians
patrolling the seas. Missiles to Syria. https://www.debka.com/russian-heavy-golan-1000-rocket-launchers-for-assad-kalibr-cruise-missiles-off-shore/
After
the bullets, Hamas was attacked. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246103
Turkey
sells Israeli Capacitors to Iran that can be used in Nukes. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5263040,00.html
Israel
has insufficiency in shelters. http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/05/16/homefront-chief-2-5-million-israelis-lack-proper-wartime-defenses/
Israeli Shelters insufficient
for the population. http://www.israelhayom.com/2018/05/16/homefront-chief-2-5-million-israelis-lack-proper-wartime-defenses/
Hamas
tricks women and children. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5263044,00.html
France
stopped Ricin Attack. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246177
Shooting
in FL at Trump Golf Course. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246178
Bibi
agrees w/Hamas they’re violent. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/246157
False
alarm sirens on N. Golan rest of Security Forces on High Alert for first Friday
of Ramadan. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5264011,00.html
Ed-Op
Fishman Gaza is not over. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5262110,00.html
Ed-Op
Ben Dror Arab Nakba self-made. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5261338,00.html
A wonderful Shabbos and a Joyous Sukkos Holiday,
Rachamim Pauli
