A few weeks ago I brought down a story of a
79-year-old Jewish woman killed by a foul ball at a Dodger game. Life throws us
curve balls and it is up to us to recognize that they come from HASHEM. When we
get a virus it may be because of Avairus (sins) outside of bodily resistance
weakness. Diseases are manifestations of something or some message from HASHEM.
If we ignore this and blame the physical we ignore the true cause. Of course,
it can be that we cannot find the cause as the problem is within ourselves.
This past Thursday-Friday I started feeling bad by
Shabbos I had fever of close to 38 or 101 and gradually rose past 39 or close
to 103 for the next few days with pneumonia suspected. I decided that the only
way I would be able to meet publication would be to take an anthology of past
writings for over 10 or even 12 years ago in which the majority of my readers
never read. The story is new. I did put in a few words on Shabbos and Yomim
Tovim myself this week.
Parsha Ki Sisa
We
covered the boards and cloth of the Mishkan in Parsha Teruma then the clothing
of the Cohanim in Tetzaveh now we are dealing the with population census. The
spices and the anointing of the Cohanim. We go on to Shabbos, Pessach,
redemption of the first born and the golden calf aka Egel HaZahav.
The
start of this week’s Parsha is also the section used in Parsha Shekelim that
will occur this year Parsha Vayekhel (Mar. 2).
5768:
From the Medrash: It does not say: I have called by name Bezalel, but
SEE, I HAVE CALLED. You find that when Moshe ascended on high, G-D showed him
all the vessels of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and told him: Thus and thus
shall you do. And you shall make a Menorah; a Table; and you shall make a Mizbayach
(Altar) – and so with all the work of the Mishkan. When Moshe was about to
descend (from heaven) he was under the impression that he was to make them, but
G-D called unto him Moshe, I have made you a King; it does not befit a King
to do anything (himself), but he gives orders and others do the things for him.
You likewise must not do anything yourself, but command others and let them do
it. G-D did however, tell Moshe, whom he should appoint, hence Moshe
enquired: To whom shall I speak? G-D replied: I will show you – So
what did the Holy One, blessed be HE, do? He brought him the book of Adam and
showed him the generations that would arise from Creation to Resurrection, each
generation and its Kings, its leaders and its Prophets, saying unto him: I
have appointed all this (for their destinies) from that time (Creation), and
Bezalel, too, I have appointed from that time. This is why it says, SEE,
I HAVE CALLED BY NAME BEZALEL.
Torah
MiTzion brings down the follow Drasha from HaRav Shachor Shlita about HASHEM
regretting making the Bnei Yisrael at the time of the golden calf.
One of the primary aspects of Parshat Ki Tisa is the episode of
the egel (the golden calf) and
the ensuing breaking of the luchot
(Tablets). This incident is followed by Moshe Rabbenu’s prayers, the
reconciliation, and the subsequent giving of the second set of luchot.
Moshe
recites the well-known K’brit Shlosh
Esreh (literally, “as the covenant of the thirteen”) prayer, listing HaKadosh Baruch Hu’s midot (attributes) which attest to
Hashem’s direct involvement in our lives. The Midrashim indicate that there was
no covenant attached to the first luchot,
and we must determine why not.
I heard a
response to this question from one of the gedolim of the previous generation: Rav Yitzchak Hutner zt”l, the Rosh Yeshiva of Yeshivat
Chaim Berlin in Brooklyn, New York. As a young man, Rav Hutner learned in
Yeshivat Hevron, and later in life, he returned to Eretz Yisrael, where he continued to disseminate the words of
the Torah via his writings (Pachad Yitzchak).
Rav Hutner zt”l explains that a covenant is not
necessary when both sides are fully connected by the binds of love. However,
during bad times, when one side does not act appropriately, a covenant is
needed to secure the relationship, to overcome the crisis, and to ensure that
the connection continues in anticipation of better times. As the pasuk says, “Renew our days as of old.” (Eichah 5:21) Without a covenant,
the relationship is dependent on both sides fulfilling their mutual
obligations. However, if chas
vichalilah one party reneges on its obligations, the other party is no
longer committed to the relationship. Therefore, the first luchot were broken as soon as Yisrael
sinned with the egel. But such
an occurrence is impossible with the second luchot, because they were accompanied by the brit shlosh esreh. Chazal teach that
this brit (covenant) guarantees
that: “‘And I shall show favor’ – even if he is undeserving. ‘And I shall show
mercy’ – even if he is undeserving.” (BT Brachot 7a)
This
paradigm was in effect from the very beginning of Creation. Adam HaRishon was created without a
covenant. His existence was dependent on his observing the Creator’s
commandments. Thus, when he sinned with the etz hadaat, he was sentenced to death. Yet, the creation of man
was renewed when Noach alone survived the flood. When Noach emerged from the
ark, HaKadosh Baruch Hu
established the brit hakeshet
(the covenant of the rainbow) with Noach, thus ensuring the existence of the
human race despite their sins.
Similarly,
the first king was Shaul HaMelech,
who was “from his shoulders and upwards.” (Shmuel I 9:2) In other words, he was
not only physically tall but also spiritually lofty. However, his monarchy’s
existence depended on his observing the Creator’s commandments. Consequently,
when he failed to do so, he lost the right to remain king. Although Shaul was
not party to a covenant, his successor David HaMelech was granted sovereignty with a covenant, and therefore,
his throne is eternal.
We can thus resolve the apparent
contradiction between two psukim
in the same perek: “I regret (neechamti) that I have made Shaul
king.” (Shmuel I 15:11)
And: “And also, the Eternal One of Israel
will neither lie nor repent, for He is not a man to repent." (Shmuel I
15:29)
The first pasuk refers to the negation of the original approach -
sovereignty without a covenant – in favor of a monarchy which will endure due
to the covenant. Yet, the second pasuk
represents the eternal truth that the Creator of the universe is not made of
flesh and blood and does not “change His mind”.
Interestingly, the word neechamti (I regret) can also be
found in a pasuk at the end of
Parshat Bereshit:
“And Hashem regretted (vayenachem) that He had made man… for I regret (neechamti)
that I made them." (Bereshit 6:6-7) Similarly, in our own parsha, we find:
“And Hashem reconsidered (vayenachem) concerning the evil He
had declared He would do to His people.” (Shmot 32:14)
What is this “evil”? HaKadosh Baruch Hu reconsidered the attribute of justice (midat hadin) which had said, “I will
annihilate them.” (Shmot 32:10) Instead, Hashem gave us the Torah based on the
strength of the covenant.
All this
brings us to the trilateral relationship between man, the monarchy, and the
Torah. In the context of Torah MiTzion and its emissaries, we have both Tzion
(Zion) - which corresponds to the Kingdom of Israel – and the Torah. Together,
both these elements reach out to each and every Jew in order to seek out their
humanity, which was created bitzelem
Elokim (in the Divine image).
And the
covenant serves as a guarantee that these three elements will endure until we
are privileged to reinstate the House of David, to see the Torah “as water covering the sea bed” (Yeshaya 11:9), and to ensure
the redemption and the well-being of each and every person. As Chazal state:
“Whoever saves a single life from Israel is
considered by Scripture as if he had saved an entire world.” (BT Sanhedrin 37a)
Full Shabbos observance is between HASHEM and the Bnei Yisrael only. Honoring the Shabbos as a special day can be done by Bnei Noach but full-fledged observance and refraining from the Melachos can only be done by a Ben/Bas Yisrael or Ger Tzeddek. It is a covenant or contract which no other nation has.
14 Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you; every one that profanes it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever does any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
A forceful violation justifies witnesses and a Sanhedrin death penalty. Work is Melacha. If there are no witnesses a person can suffer Kares. [To our great sorrow, today the knowledge of what the value of Shabbos is has been lost by too many and the violations so great that our generation has become that of Jews that have be captured by the Goyim or Goyish ideas. We can no long use a Sanhedrin against fools. For it says in the Psalm of Shabbos 92:7 A brutish man does not understand nor a fool know this. A Sanhedrin has to educate people before it can judge fools.]
15 Six days shall work be done; but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, holy to the LORD; whosoever does any work in the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
Work is the curse that Adam got for violating the one negative command that he had. Since we were in the imagine of G-D we should have been able to do everything via kinesis. But because of the curse we are reduced to the dust of the earth. So our Sages of blessed memory found 39 Avos of Melachos in the Mishkan and they and their Toldos (generations or derivatives) are forbidden on Shabbos with the death penalty for Mayzid or with intent and a Korban Chatos for Shogeg or accident. Meaning that there was a temporary loss of concentration that this was forbidden on Shabbos or one daydreaming turned on or off a light switch on Shabbos forgetting for a second that it was Shabbos Kodesh.
16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
It is in perpetuity. As long as there is mankind and a Shabbos so shall it be kept. When the first Astronauts were preparing to land on the moon, the discussion of observing Shabbos in space and prayer times were on the minds of Orthodox Jews. David Willig long before either of us were Rabbis told me the joke about the exhausted Jewish Astronaut putting on and off Tephillin on each orbit and davening while performing his duties. I had this problem about counting Omer with a Bracha while visiting Alaska. [There are those who allow in such a case for during the twilight but I managed to wake up at night and perform it correctly.]
17 It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He ceased from work and rested.'
G-D is giving us a G-D like gift called Shabbos and rest and reflection is its name.
18 And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of speaking with him upon mount Sinai, the two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
…
5767: A bunch of slaves and perhaps low level bureaucrats have to be told what
to do. The people have walked through dry land in the middle of the sea of
reeds, received a justice system with a court hierarchy and have just heard the
voice of HASHEM at the base of Har Sinai. All of a sudden the leader of this
flock is out of the public eye for 40 days and has not returned. I don’t want
to get into the story from the Medrash that the Satan showed them as if Moshe
had died on the mountain, but the simple Pshat that they are waiting around
bored out of their minds at the bottom of the mountain. While the tribe of Levy
and perhaps other tribes are studying all the integral implications of the laws
just received on Shavuos, the Erev Rav (mixed multitude of freed slaves) is
doing nothing. Like in many immoral societies all sorts forbidden things are
going on especially involving morals. This mass of 3000 men which we see is .5%
of the entire male population approaches Hur and Aaron who have been left in
charge. The Chief of Staff or Defense Minister Yehoshua is faithfully waiting
his master at the bottom of Har Sinai. Hur coming from Yehuda is afraid of
nothing and opposes the masses rebellion. They have already broken some of the
rules of coveting, adultery and now they go and murder Hur. The next step in
the process is to throw off what little respect they had for the blood in their
veins for the 12 tribes and of course Shabbos and the basis of Monotheism – one
G-D without any statute or graven image.
Aaron
believes that Moshe will return almost instantly and it is just a matter of a
short time. If Aaron is also killed, it is not just another person dying like
Hur, it is leaving the other 600,000 males in Israel without a leader. Aaron
then tries to stall off the mass riot. While Moshe and Hur were men of vision
and principles, Aaron is a man who loves peace pursues peace and loves everybody.
He is not up to the job of disciplinarian. He is only up to the job of
educator.
Aaron truly thought that this lusty bunch filled with the pleasures of this world would not want to part with their gold. However like a fanatic Shiite hitting his skull with a sword until blood flows so too the people immediately gave Aaron their gold and ripped the gold off of their wives and children. I am not sure what was Aaron’s plan and whose idea it was to make the calf but it seems that they were forcing him to do so and he wanted to regain charge from this lust drunk and perhaps physically drunk crowd.
4 And he received it at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said: 'This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' 5 And when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said: 'To-morrow shall be a feast to the LORD.' Here too, another delaying tactic is a play. Don’t call me, I’ll call you – tomorrow. Basically, sleep off your drunkenness and perhaps when you sober up things will be better and you will see the light.
6 And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt-offerings, and brought peace-offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make merry. 7 And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Go, get thee down; for thy people, that thou brought up out of the land of Egypt, have dealt corruptly; 8 they have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them; they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed unto it, and said: This is thy god, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.' 9 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiff necked people. 10 Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation.' 11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, The human shepherd is bargaining to save his flock. G-D is filled with such wrath that he puts his own Neshama on the line for Am Yisrael. Would you do it for your people??? and said: 'LORD, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, that Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, saying: For evil did He bring them forth, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants, to whom Thou didst swear by YOUR own self, and said unto them: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.' As a Rabbi, he could have forgiven the vow but instead demands adherence to the vow. And the LORD repented of the evil which He said He would do unto His people. Both Moshe and Aaron loved the people so much that they were willing to lose their place in the next world for Am Yisrael. Moshe being blotted out of the book in next week’s Parsha and Aaron possibly dying on Chillul HASHEM but with his beloved people. On the other hand, he thought, that if he is indicted along with others, G-D will have to forgive them like stray sheep.
15 And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, with the two tables of the testimony in his hand; tables that were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written. 16 And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables. 17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses: 'There is a noise of war in the camp.' 18 And he said: 'It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome, but the noise of them that sing do I hear.' 19 And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and broke them beneath the mount. Moshe was so enraged for HASHEM’s honor that he has such a fit that he breaks the very gift that HASHEM has given Am Yisrael.
20 And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it with fire, and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it. 21 And Moses said unto Aaron: 'What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought a great sin upon them?' 22 And Aaron said: 'Let not the anger of my lord wax hot; thou know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 So they said unto me: Make us a god, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what is become of him. 24 And I said unto them: Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off; so they gave it me; and I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.' 25 And when Moses saw that the people were broken loose--for Aaron had let them loose for a derision among their enemies-- 26 then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said: 'Whoso is on the LORD'S side, let him come unto me.' And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. I assume that only the Leviim had not intermarried with other nation’s slaves or Egyptians as opposed to mixed marriages by all the tribes.
27 And he said unto them: 'Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Put ye every man his sword upon his thigh, and go to and fro from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.' This would imply that nieces or nephews from a sister marrying another tribe might be mixed or their children mixed.
28 And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses; and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men. 29 And Moses said: 'Consecrate yourselves to-day to the LORD, for every man hath been against his son and against his brother; that He may also bestow upon you a blessing this day.' 30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people: 'Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto the LORD, peradventure I shall make atonement for your sin.' 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said: 'Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them a god of gold. 32 Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written.'
Like a Shepherd that risks his life against wild beasts to protect his livestock so Moshe risked his eternal place to protect Am Yisrael [But don’t think folks were grateful with all the rebellions but he was above it!]
33 And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book. 34 And now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee; nevertheless in the day when I visit, I will visit their sin upon them.' 35 And the LORD smote the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
… 33:18
The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat
unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month Abib,
for in the month Abib thou came out from Egypt.
Unlike the Muslim year where Ramadan can
fall in the summer or winter with the twelve-month lunar calendar, the Bnei
Yisrael have to have 7 leap months in 19 years so that Pessach falls in the
spring aka Aviv.
19
All that opens the womb is Mine; and of all thy cattle thou shalt sanctify the
males, the firstlings of ox and sheep. 20
And the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not
redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck. All the first-born of thy sons thou
shalt redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty.
Some form of a redemption is a most.
21
Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in plowing
time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
This Parsha besides the previous section
above and the Asera Dibros, Shabbos Kodesh gets re-emphasized again as it is a
Segula (treasure) before the L-RD.
22
And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, even of the first-fruits of wheat
harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the turn of the year.
Chag Shavuos is mentioned not only as the
feast of weeks but Chag HaBikurim (the first fruits). After this time, Bikurim
could be brought until Sukkos.
23
Three times in the year shall all thy males appear before the Lord GOD, the God
of Israel.
The Regelim one should come and gather
before the L-RD. Festivals have their roots in the word feet as one often
walked the distance in ancient times and at least up until Har HaBeis. However,
Sukkos as a separate Regel is not mentioned in this section and only hinted.
24
For I will cast out nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders; neither shall
any man covet thy land, when thou go up to appear before the LORD thy God three
times in the year.
Because of the false claims of those from
Arab lands, we are not quite at the days of Moshiach and we need more
repentance..
25
Thou shalt not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; neither
shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passover be left unto the morning.
No meat with blood is acceptable as a
sacrifice hence kosher slaughter and roasting to drive out the blood. The Pessach
shall be eaten in the night only and nothing shall be left over to the morning.
26
The choicest first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the
LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.'
This is the 2nd
of 3 times this prohibition is mentioned. One is against cooking, one is
against enjoyment from such mixtures like giving it to your dog and the third
is against selling it.
27
And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Write thou these words, for after the tenor of
these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.' 28 And he was there with the LORD
forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he
wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten words. 29 And it came to pass, when Moses
came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of the testimony in Moses' hand,
when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face
sent forth beams while He talked with him. 30 And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses,
behold, the skin of his face sent forth beams; and they were afraid to come
nigh him.
Moshe
had been so long with HASHEM that his face absorbed and put out a radiance so
that not to scare people he had to wear a veil while he was away from HASHEM
and among men.
31
And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation
returned unto him; and Moses spoke to them. 32 And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh, and he gave
them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had done speaking
with them, he put a veil on his face. 34
But when Moses went in before the LORD that He might speak with him, he took
the veil off, until he came out; and he came out; and spoke unto the children
of Israel that which he was commanded. 35
And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face
sent forth beams; and Moses put the veil back upon his face, until he went in
to speak with Him.
Purim
of Basra by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
This miracle happened in the days of Suleiman Pasha, the Turkish ruler who governed Basra with justice and righteousness and treated the Jews kindly. Under the guidance of their leader, Rabbi Jacob Aaron [Gabbai], the Jewish community flourished. That is, until one day in Nissan, in the year 5534 (1774). On that day, Karim Khan, the Vizier of the Shah of Persia, arrived with a great army and besieged the city. Suleiman Pasha fought against Karim Khan, but could not prevail over him. A great famine spread in Basra and the city could no longer be defended.
On the 27th day of Nissan the city fell into the hands of the invaders, [a disaster for the Jews. The rising importance of Basra's Jewish merchants had led to Persian fears that their own coastal ports on the Persian Gulf would decline. The Persians demanded a ransom from the Jews and when they could not meet this heavy tax, ordered troops to search Jewish homes for the money which they thought the Jews had hidden. This they did with great brutality.] The conquering soldiers robbed and pillaged the city, and many Jewish women threw themselves into the raging fires to escape the clutches of the barbarous hordes.
On the first day of the month of Iyar, Karim Khan established his rule over Basra. He imposed heavy fines on the people, particularly on the Jewish community, and took their leaders as hostages. Rabbi Jacob Aaron, with his wife and children, were sent as prisoners to the Shah in Shiraz, along with Suleiman and his family. And while Karim Khan and his men sat down to drink, the city of Basra was in despair.
Then, the Jews of Basra gathered in their synagogue, proclaiming a fast of repentance, and crying and weeping to G-d to save them from the hands of the wicked Karim Khan and his men. And G-d heard their cries.
The hearts of kings and rulers are in G-d's hands, Jewish teachings explain. G-d strengthened the heart of Karim Khan to seek more conquests and glory. Karim Khan went out to fight against the neighboring Arab tribesmen, but his army suffered defeat and retreated to Basra with great losses. Karim Kahn gathered a new army and went out to fight the Arabs again. But the Arabs ambushed them among the floods of the rivers and slaughtered them in great numbers. Karim Khan barely escaped with his life and returned to Basra with the beaten remnants of his army.
The Persian Vizier lost no time in trying to gather a new army to fight against the Arabs. But after the [four] difficult years of defeats, his battle-weary soldiers had no heart to fight any more and they plotted to kill Karim Khan. On the 27th day of Adar, thirteen days after the calendar date of the original Purim, the wicked Persian Vizier was found dead, poisoned by the hand of his own servants.
News of the death of his Vizier and of the defeat of his armies reached the Shah. He ordered the remnants of his army to leave Basra under the cover of darkness and return to Persia in secret.
On the second day of Nissan, in the year 5535 (1775), the Jews of Basra rose up in the morning and discovered that not one of Karim Khan's men remained in the city. Great was the rejoicing of the Jews of Basra at this miraculous deliverance from the hands of so wicked an enemy. They gathered in their synagogue to offer thanks to G-d for the miracle, and resolved to observe that day, year after year, as the day of the miracle.
[Following the death of the Shah of Persia. Jacob Aaron Gabbai returned from exile, was granted state privileges by the Turks and was re-appointed head of Baghdad Jewry.]
It so happened that a saintly rabbi and kabbalist from the Holy Land was visiting Basra at that time. He had been sent as a special messenger by the Jewish community of Hebron to obtain financial support for the poor and needy of that ancient city. His name was Rabbi Jacob Elyashar (he was the grandfather of the future Chief Rabbi of Jerusalem, Rabbi Jacob Saul Elyashar). Rabbi Jacob Elyashar composed a special scroll for the Jews of Basra, to be recited by them in the synagogue on this "Day of the Miracles," and to be followed by a special feast, with gifts to the poor, as on the day of Purim. [The scroll was subsequently printed in book form by Ezra Reuven Dangoor in 1905/6.]
The Jews of Basra willingly accepted all his suggestions and incorporated them into the by-laws of the community, and ever since they observed the 2nd day of Nissan as a special Purim, "The Purim of Basra."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Edited by Yerachmiel Tilles from //Lchaimweekly.org (issue #509), with bracketed historical additions from //jewishrefugees.blogspot.com that are based on an imprint to a Megilat (scroll/Book of) Esther in the British Library Hebrew and Judeo-Arabic collection which contains as a preface an account of the miracle in Basra in 1775.
5768: On a Miracles
In Sderot the parents were
convinced to go to a house with a shelter. They lived there. The house was hit
almost totally destroyed but they are alive thanks to the shelter. In Ashkelon
a family was saved by their security room even though the house is now
unlivable. The grandparents from Sderot were lucky to be there as their house
was totaled earlier by a Kassam. A family just left their house when the Kassam
hit, etc. etc. WHY MUST WE DEPEND ON MIRACLES INSTEAD OF ACTING PROPERLY AND
DESTROYING OUR ENEMIES?
5768 by the late Uri Orbach about a government that
relies on miracles to survive.
This was written in the Friday edition
of Yediot before the boy lost his legs: Running out of miracles - Government seems to be counting on miracles,
instead of action, in Sderot by Uri Orbach
Every
time a Kassam rocket explodes in Sderot, newspapers report that “miraculously
there were not casualties” or that “a disaster was miraculously averted.”
Stories about miracles arouse more powerful feelings among readers than a
rational reliance on statistics and probabilities. A Jew who thanks God for
everyday miracles will certainly be grateful for being spared great trouble.
Miracles are good for news reports, as they arouse excitement and amazement,
with people exclaiming: “Look at that. What a miracle! What a miracle!”
As
long as we are dealing with relations between a newspaper and its buyers, this
issue deserves theological and social discussion. A discussion that deals with
the factors that serve to deepen religious feelings, or alternately, factors
that help newspapers and news broadcasts gain more followers. Yet what happens
what the belief in miracles and particularly the reliance on miracles becomes
an official government matter? Theologically speaking, we can say that the
Israeli government is a very religious government. It relies on miracles and on
headlines such as “miraculously there were no casualties.” Yet sometimes there
are no miracles, and two brothers sustain serious wounds, and then the sages of
security start to grasp the sense of urgency: What shall we do now that
miracles no longer work? What should we do when the occasional thwarted attack
or surgical strike does not put an end to the great miracle barrages? The greatest miracle: Government’s survival
The
photos of Magen David Adom ambulance service volunteers mopping up the blood of
wounded children in Sderot Saturday night should serve to prompt the government
to stop thinking that the rocket barrages on Sderot are a natural disaster:
damaging like a cold spell, interesting like last year’s snow. As long as the
Qassams miss their targets, the defense minister can order the elimination of
some semi-senior Hamas member or the destruction of two houses in Khan Younis.
Yet once the miracles stop, Israel gets closer to a large-scale operation. This
is the operation that would restore complete quiet in Sderot for the coming
years. You may not believe it, but this is how it used to be in Sderot up until
seven years ago. Government ministers come to observe the miracles from up
close throughout the year, but show negligence in practical actions that are
meant to prevent the need for so many miracles. And perhaps the greatest
miracle is that our government has been able to survive all kinds of natural
disasters – such as the Winograd Commission and the Qassams – and is still
intact.
Meanwhile,
Sderot is running out of miracles
G-D’s
masterplan a 7minute video Rabbi Yoel Gold Shlita. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wqMp3J8FB4
Ed-Op
by Rabbi Maryles Shlita. Limits of modern Orthodoxy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/23452
Fire
– 7 people with various injuries. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259135
Lod
man murdered over parking spot. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259147
Ganz
Iran will not go nuclear on my watch. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5464992,00.html
Netanyahu
needs Ganz as a villain. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5465928,00.html
Sea
of Galilee expected to rise above the red line. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259254
Israeli
military exports hit $9.2 billion. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3756398,00.html
After
Netanyahu attacked Ganz there is push back. https://www.timesofisrael.com/gantz-makes-scathing-personal-attack-on-netanyahu-paints-him-as-us-trained-fake/
United
Torah Judaism wants Ganz inside. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259321
Labor
takes ex-general in 2nd spot. https://www.timesofisrael.com/seeking-to-boost-security-cred-gabbay-gives-labor-no-2-spot-to-ex-general/
Ganz,
Lapid joint forces against Netanyahu. https://www.debka.com/gantz-lapid-ashkenazi-set-up-joint-list-for-knesset-election/
To
get right together, Netanyahu postpones Putin meeting makes promises. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259358
Jewish
(from his father not Halachically), Black and Gay in trouble. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5467558,00.html
Inyanay Diyoma
Hezballah
upgraded a few rockets to missiles. https://www.debka.com/hizballahs-missile-precision-crash-project-slowed-250-upgraded-out-of-14000/
Stabbing
prevented. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259127
Stephen
Harper why shouldn’t Canada move the embassy to Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259133
Pence Iran is Nazi like: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259129
Iranian
guards targeted by opposition. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5463104,00.html
Is
Lebanon the next Russia-US confrontation point. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5463748,00.html
Friday
in Gaza riots continued. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5464219,00.html
Nauert
withdraws UN Ambassador nomination. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259149
Lod
man murdered over parking spot. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259147
Hamas
sued in USA for using bitcoins. https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-NGO-believes-Hamas-is-using-Bitcoin-to-fundraise-580499
Iran
trying to counter US sanctions: https://www.debka.com/exclusive-iran-charts-active-plans-for-fighting-trumps-economic-war/
Syracuse
Univ. called to stop offering credits for BDS. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/02/15/syracuse-university-called-stop-offering-credits-for-internships-with-bds-group/
US-Israeli had a joint antimissile drill. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/02/14/israel-us-complete-major-joint-military-exercise/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
Officer
charged with not preventing abuse of Arabs has video that backs him. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5465697,00.html
Ukrainian
antisemitism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259251
Hezballah
is now a real army. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/02/15/idf-tank-brigade-commander-with-syria-experience-hezbollah-no-longer-a-guerrilla-group-but-a-real-army/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
Terrorism
in Egypt. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259254
French
leaders decry 74% increase in antisemitism. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/02/12/french-jewish-leaders-decry-wall-of-indifference-surrounding-antisemitism-as-recorded-attacks-leap-by-74/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
Lesbian
pedophile deigned bail. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259268
Bederman
was does it mean to be a progressive. https://dianebederman.com/what-does-it-mean-to-be-progressive/
Ganz
Iran will not be nuclear on my watch. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5464992,00.html
Netanyahu
needs Ganz as a villain. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5465928,00.html
Sea
of Galilee expected to rise above the red line. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259254
Israeli
military exports hit $9.2 billion. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3756398,00.html
Israel
to plant flag on the moon. https://www.algemeiner.com/2019/02/18/selfie-taking-israeli-spacecraft-to-take-off-to-the-moon-this-week/?utm_content=news1&utm_medium=daily_email&utm_campaign=email&utm_source=internal/
Abbas
will continue to pay terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259329
Arab
Har HaBeis Riots. https://www.timesofisrael.com/19-palestinians-arrested-in-fresh-temple-mount-clashes/
It
is more than usual for Arab trucks to collide head on with Israeli Vehicles.
Neighbor up the block lost his son Yossi. https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/israel-news/1681737/double-tragedy-two-ofra-residents-rl-killed-in-crash-near-yishuv-eli-in-shomron.html
Looking
to add Niger and Mali. https://www.timesofisrael.com/map-shown-by-pm-shows-israel-having-potential-relations-with-mali-niger/
Rising
antisemitism especially in Europe. Bulgaria. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5464791,00.html
Poland
graves devastated as Israel’s FM opens big mouth. https://www.timesofisrael.com/polish-jewish-leaders-say-katz-holocaust-comments-damage-their-community/
Germany:
With the influx of 1,000,000 Muslims both from them and the Neo-Nazis.
UK:
8 lawmakers quit Labor. https://www.timesofisrael.com/eighth-lawmaker-quits-uks-labour-over-anti-semitism-and-brexit/
France
a strong msg. against antisemitism. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5466458,00.html
Paris
air rifle shots hit Jew by Synagogue. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259294
Hamas
threatening border raid. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-official-threatens-border-raid-if-israel-doesnt-keep-to-ceasefire-deal/
The
Gaza situation is warming up and could blow up. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259370
IDF
strikes Hamas over exploding arson balloons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259366
Macron
anti-Zionism is antisemitism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259372
Ben
Dror Yemeni on Hypocrisy and antisemitism https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5467032,00.html
Space
X launches Israeli Private Venture Satellite. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259437
Kurdish-US-Israeli cooperation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259433
Peace plan is not based on slogans. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259439
The coast guard terrorist. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259425
Dr. Martin Sherman Ed-Op on Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/23454
Eli Yishai could have been in with others but did
not get the OK of his Rav. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/259429
Have
a wonderful peaceful and healthy Shabbos,
Rachamim
Pauli
