Friday, November 9, 2018

Parsha Toldos, Story, news


Parsha Toldos


A renewed religion and world outlook was established by Avraham. Why renewed? He live his first years in the generation before Migdal Bavel. Noach was alive in his day as were his forefathers Shem, Ever and others. Idol Worship and trying to outfox HASHEM was in the effort of the people who built the Migdal. Even his father Terach saw good business in manufacturing idols. It is Avraham who renews the true religion of Adam, Seth … Metushalah, Noach, etc. As he is about to depart the stage of history, Yitzchak has two sons that will continue on. There is one problem though. Just as Avraham had Yishmael and the Bnei Keturah, Yitzchak will have Esav. It will take Rivka who can see through evil, having grown up with Lavan, who can save the day for the religion.
5775 introduction: As for the rule that there is no early or late in the Torah. We ended Chayei Sara with the passing of Avraham. Now we return back to Avraham being 140 and well alive and Yitzchak and Rivka settling down. But we see that 20 years pass until Rivka conceives. This is not completely uncommon a neighbor of mine not far from my age after years of marriage in her 40’s managed to become a mother of 4 and both Yitzchak Isaac S. and my son Chaim and their spouses waited around 14 years before they had children. However, the worst thing is those who are blessed with children that abuse them. (I am not talking about a strapping, paddling or washing ones mouth with soap that many in my generation experienced and in the generations before but psychological and physical abuse and neglect.)

So finally at the age of 60, Yitzchak is about to become a father and although Avraham is a grandfather from Yishmael, his spiritual inheritance will go Yitzchak. So at the age of 160, he sees his spiritual potential is going to continue further.

I have written about the horrible deeds Esav did on the day that Avraham passed away. For Avraham should have lived five more years like Yitzchak to the age of 180, but due to the sins of Esav, so as not to pain Avraham more in this world, HASHEM gathered him in early.

25:19 And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son: Abraham begot Isaac. 20 And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah, the daughter of Bethuel the Aramean, of Paddan-aram, the sister of Laban the Aramean, to be his wife. 21 And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD let Himself be entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

Sara was barren, Rivka was barren and Rachel was barren. What did HASHEM want? HE wanted the prayers of the righteous that is why Yitzchak entreated him. But so did Sara, Rivka and Rachel but since women are not bound by Tephilla, the obligation said with Kavannah is more powerful. {In 1967 aka 5728 when I got my first Orthodox Siddur (English and Hebrew) I prayed with such Kavannah in English. When I started going to Hebrew, I gradually lost all Kavannah and was out in the 9-hour work day society plus over-time. The clock and the boss had not the mercy of HASHEM and I had to fulfill the obligation of prayer. It does not take a genius to figure out where the Kavannah went. We are not a society that wakes up and tends sheep. Working on engineering projects, offering solutions against enemy threats or making solutions for the comfort of soldiers in the field were also important. I ended up with a few days of Kavannah a year mostly Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with a day or two here and there. I made it my business to pray for a barren couple and people who are ill that make my list or a onetime prayer. What I lost from 51 years ago I have been unable to regain as my mind is not as sharp, alert and strong. Young people be wary, guard your prays and I should have prayed longer in English until my Hebrew had caught up please learn from the mistaken advice of my Rabbis and my own mistakes}

22 And the children struggled together within her; and she said: 'If it be so, wherefore do I live?' And she went to inquire of the LORD. 23 And the LORD said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger.

Esav hated Yacov even in the womb. He was for Olam Hazeh (this world) as Dr. Phil says, “The past is gone, the future did not happen, I have to live now.” Yacov and the Jews perhaps save money for a rainy day, store knowledge for the future and try to learn from mistakes for Olam Haba (the next world or world to come). Sad but true, the Christians quoting Yeshu record is prayer as a Rabbinical Student or young Rabbi, “YOUR Kingdom Come, YOUR will be done” which is a Jew thinking not of this world but of the next. So after thousands of years of Esav’s rule, Yacov will reign and Esav will donate and let Yacov pray and learn Torah for the prosperity of mankind. That is the meaning of the older will serve the younger but it shall only be in a future world when the Bnei Esav realize that prosperity in this world comes from the Torah and Mitzvos of the Bnei Yacov.

24 And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. 25 And the first came forth ruddy, all over like a hairy mantle; and they called his name Esau. 26 And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.

Yacov was born smooth or pure. What you see is what you got. The hairs of Esav hid is wickedness and with Yitzchak’s cataract or weak vision, Esav was literally able to pull the wool over his eyes. Yacov would do that too but only at the command of Rivka who saw through the older brother as she grew up with the wicked Lavan.

27 And the boys grew; and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.

Esav was cunning and we see he could raise a militia of 400 men to come after Yacov. Yacov was learning in tents his Torah from Parsha Beresheis through Parsha Chaya Sara with more insight then we have today as learned from Shem and Ever who learned from Noach who learned from Metushalah who learned from Adam. The Gemara Sanhedrin states that Esav was able to create a mermaid or merman that was half man and half fish. Secrets of creation that we do not know of today.

28 Now Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison; and Rebekah loved Jacob.

Yitzchak loved Esav for physical reasons and pleasure but Rivka saw through him and love Yacov for the sake of Heaven (Le Shaym Shemayim).

29 And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. 30 And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red pottage; for I am faint.' Therefore, was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said: 'Sell me first thy birthright.' 32 And Esau said: 'Behold, I am at the point to die; and what profit shall the birthright do to me?' 33 And Jacob said: 'Swear to me first'; and he swore unto him; and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 And Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way. So Esau despised his birthright.

We shall see this birthright sale was not known to Yitzchak until Esav blotted it out when Yacov took his blessing.

26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. 2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said: 'Go not down unto Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.'

Yitzchak the perfect Korban could not leave Eretz Yisrael. While Yacov being more worldly could.

… 34 And when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. 35 And they were a bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

This was the age when Yitzchak married Rivka but he did not look for a woman from Haran. Rather he married somebody from Canaan.

27: 1 And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said unto him: 'My son'; and he said unto him: 'Here am I.'

The “stealing” of the blessing of Avraham by Yacov was not so for he did what his mother foresaw and the deceived Yitzchak could not see. Yacov deserved the blessing of Avraham by merit.

… 40 And by thy sword shalt thou live, and thou shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt break loose, that thou shalt shake his yoke from off thy neck. 41 And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart: 'Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.' 42 And the words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him: 'Behold, thy brother Esau, as touching thee, doth comfort himself, purposing to kill thee. 43 Now therefore, my son, hearken to my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran; 44 and tarry with him a few days, until thy brother's fury turn away;

Stay away from him as out of sight is out of mind and his wrath will calm down in a few days.

45 until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him; then I will send, and fetch thee from thence; why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?'

Rivka sends Yacov away for his own protection but makes an excuse to tell Yitzchak.

46 And Rebekah said to Isaac: 'I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?'

Avraham sent Eliezer with prayers for me and what do I have to show for my life now in my old age as Esav married this Canaanites.

28: 1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him: 'Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. 3 And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou may be a congregation of peoples;

This time Yitzchak is well aware that he is blessing Yacov and a very strong one at that. Esav realizes that his parents did not like his Shidduch but rather than looking for Leah, he goes on to marry a daughter of Yishmael.

4 and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou may inherit the land of thy sojourning’s, which God gave unto Abraham.' 5 And Isaac sent away Jacob; and he went to Paddan-aram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Aramean, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother. 6 Now Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob and sent him away to Paddan-aram, to take him a wife from thence; and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying: 'Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan'; 7 and that Jacob hearkened to his father and his mother, and was gone to Paddan-aram; 8 and Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9 so Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebaioth, to be his wife.


Unexpected Gift by Rabbi Y. Tilles

The yeshiva katana (mesifta) in Netanya originally was located in Hadera. The structure there was one of the worst you've ever seen or even heard of--the boys were actually making traps to catch mice and rats! Finally, the municipality closed the yeshiva due to faulty kitchen etc., condemned the entire building, and issued a demolition order.
Then the yeshiva moved to Netanya, into the building of another Hassidic group. There, too, the conditions were not good. Rabbi Moshe Orenstein, the Rosh Yeshiva, wanted to purchase a new building, but had no money. A fund-raising campaign was initiated.
A number of years went by, Rabbi Orenstein saved every penny he could, and eventually a new building was constructed on a tight budget. In the beginning of 2016 they entered the new building, even though it was not finished.
This year, Rabbi Orenstein approached three professional tradesmen and asked for quotes for the construction of an institutional kitchen. One proposal was significantly cheaper than the others and of course that was the one he chose.
The contractor's builder arrived. A young man covered with tattoos. For three days he worked non-stop. When he finished, he said to Rabbi Orenstein, "I see that there are many unfinished things in the structure."
Ornstein said to him, "True, but we don't have the money to deal with it yet. When we raise the funds we will finish everything that needs to be done."
"Let me do it now. You saw that I was significantly cheaper than the others. It'll be worth it," offered the builder.
Orenstein agreed.
The builder worked for a few more days. When he finished he presented to Rabbi Orenstein his bill: NIS 200,000.
Rabbi Orenstein paled. He asked about the terms of payment - "How long can I take to pay it out? How many payments?"
The man stared at the rabbi for half a minute or so in silence. Then he took out his pen and wrote on the invoice: "PAID IN FULL."
Rabbi Orenstein was amazed and happy, but also confused. "Why are you doing this?"
The man replied simply, "I am repaying an old debt." He explained:
"Many years ago I lived in India. I was using drugs and also dealing them. In fact, I was quite a successful trader. But one day they caught me. I was condemned to a prison sentence of many years.
"One night when I was sitting in despair in my cell, the warden suddenly appeared and unlocked the door. He whispered to me, 'You have two minutes to escape.'
"I stared at him in amazement. 'What? How?'
He pointed to a young bearded man at the end of the corridor and said, 'Stop talking and go!'
I ran to the man, who was clearly a rabbi. He gave me a plane ticket to Israel, and told me to run outside and get in the taxi waiting near the gate. 'Your flight will soon take off. Just stay out of trouble and make sure to never come back to India.'
"'How can I ever repay you?' I stammered.
"'You do not owe me anything. One day you will do something for Chabad.'"
The man concluded his story by saying, "So now I am repaying the debt through the Chabad Yeshiva here in Netanya!"

Then he added, "Subsequently I found out that my rescuer was Gabi Holtzberg."*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Editor's note:
Rabbi Gabriel Noah (Gabi") Holtzberg was the Chabad representative in Mumbai who was cruelly murdered in his Chabad House during a terrorist attack along with his wife Rivka and 4 other people, Bentzion Kruman, Rabbi Leibish Teitelbaum, Mrs. Yoheved Orpaz and Norma Shvarzblat Rabinovich, on 28 Cheshvan 5769- Nov.26, 2008.
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from two English versions of the story that I received in two different WhatsApp groups. The Hebrew original was submitted by Chani Dunin, sister of Rivki Holtzberg, to I don't know what publication.
Connection: The murders occurred during the week leading up to Parshat Todot, this week's parsha


From Bernard S. article by Fatah, an Arab, on the Pittsburgh slaughter. https://torontosun.com/opinion/columnists/fatah-pittsburgh-synagogue-slaughter-not-easily-explained



Shoshana Tanya sent me this about Buchenwald. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxEj3QWu9bs

 
Bribery and Fraud case goes to Attorney General. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254446


Inyanay Diyoma







First 4 words of the Kaddish printed in Pittsburgh Paper. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254232



Single sex parents a deviance from the norm. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254228

GOP enthusiasm in Israel is higher than in 2016. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254240

Iranians chant death to Israel death to USA. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254235

After kidnapping of US Citizen, PLO offices searched. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254238

After measles outbreak in Europe and Israel with one infant dead in a Charedi Community, NYC braces for an outbreak among Charedim as it hit Monsey NY already. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254231

2 weeks 17 dead on highway 90 single lane no divider. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254214



New Gov. of FL very pro-Israel record. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254392



Tunisia gets a Jewish Tourist Minister. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254321

Ed-Op before elections if Trump loses the house. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5389655,00.html



Snowden warns Israelis of private and government surveillance. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254388


US urges Russia not to interfere with Israeli air strikes. https://www.debka.com/us-urges-russia-to-allow-resumed-israeli-air-strikes-in-syria/vvv


Hamas’s wait and see – Fishman Ed-Op: https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5390424,00.html

Traffic toll again on the highway this time Chevron Arabs. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254432

US and Europe warn Lebanon of pending attack. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254507

Vote tampering in FL. Suddenly absentee ballots turn up in Palm Beach and Broward FL and that is my area. Allen West lost because one polling place had 164% of the voters and another 120% of the voters. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/gop-senate-candidate-rick-scott-sues-florida-election-supervisor-brenda-snipes-as-rubio-sounds-alarm-about-dems-stealing-race

Measles outbreak in Europe spread to Israel and then to Monsey, NY as Charedim did not inoculate their children. Rabbis call up people not to murder children. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/254450




Have a good Shabbos and a good month of Kislev,
Rachamim Pauli