Friday, May 24, 2019

Parsha Bechukosai, Story, Omer Counting


Parsha Bechukosai


Last week’s Parsha started off on Har Sinai and this week’s ends on Har Sinai. Last week we learned about the Hebrew Slave and the selling of a house in Eretz Yisrael. This week deals with the valuation of a slave and also a person can dedicate his value or his house’s value to the Mikdash for redemption. It was a practice of some in the times of the existence of the Temple. The commandments were given on Sinai and now we are told what happens if we observe or heaven forbid disregard the commandments.

26:3 If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments, and do them;

The conditional “if” is not upon G-D as he is Neeman (faithful) to carry out HIS side of the bargain but rather upon us. For fragile humans violate Shmita, Shabbos, Kashrus, Family Purity and dozens of other Mitzvos.

4 then I will give your rains in their season, and the land shall yield her produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

Now we are supposed to draw conclusions during a drought or lack of normal crop and fruit production upon our behavior. Unfortunately, modern man blames it on temperature inversion, climate change, fairy tales and mother goose but the real cause in the world of truth is us. For there was once a drought in the days of Chroni and the Sanhedrin asked the righteous man to pray for Am Yisrael and he did so and rain came. The same story came in the days of Abba Hilkiah and Kalba Sauva with similar results to their prayers. For they were righteous enough to have their prayers answered by HASHEM despite the misbehavior of Am Yisrael. But it took some Repentance to have the first two prayer’s answered and the third story a Kiddush HASHEM by Kalba Sauva and a miraculous cloud burst at the last moment.

5 And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread until ye have enough, and dwell in your land safely. 6 And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will cause evil beasts to cease out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

Since rockets have been hitting our land we must draw our own conclusions to where our own personal behavior is and whom we are sending to the Knesset to represent us. The so-called “leaders” of this country are repeating the same mistake time after time and perhaps somebody with clear Torah thinking should take over.

7 And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. 8 And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall chase ten thousand; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

This blessing comes always close to Yom Yerushalayim won back in the Six Day War. It comes to remind us doubly of a miracle in our days. Since it happened 52 years ago, in my own household there are three generations that have sprung up. Yet at that time a country that was 87% Jewish with approximately a population of 3 million people fought off an enemy of a number of countries with gas chambers waiting (Egypt) with a combined population of 75 million. It was close enough to the ratio of the blessing. What made us deserve it is given at the end of the Parsha: After the Shoah, we were few in numbers, humble and struggling. That is when Pasuk 42 onwards came about.  

9 And I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you; and will establish My covenant with you. 10 And ye shall eat old store long kept, and ye shall bring forth the old from before the new. 11 And I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. 12 And I will walk among you, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people. 13 I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bars of your yoke, and made you go upright.

This is all wonderful and occurs for following the Mitzvos. But what are the consequences of disobedience and lacking on observation.

14 But if ye will not hearken unto Me, and will not do all these commandments; 15 and if ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul abhors Mine ordinances, so that ye will not do all My commandments, but break My covenant; 16 I also will do this unto you: I will appoint terror over you, even consumption and fever, that shall make the eyes to fail, and the soul to languish; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

Now we know why terrorists and terror happens to us. Some are affected and afflicted now but this lets them repent while others ignore the warnings.

17 And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be smitten before your enemies; they that hate you shall rule over you; and ye shall flee when none pursues you.

False sirens and alarms by “accident”.

18 And if ye will not yet for these things hearken unto Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins. 19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass.

Newton: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. You allow “Gay Pride” in your cities then your pride will be broken. You don’t go around with such pride then somehow life will be easier.

20 And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her produce, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruit. 21 And if ye walk contrary unto Me, and will not hearken unto Me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

In the beginning, gentle hints are given about repenting then a second time and finally a third time that is devastating.

22 And I will send the beast of the field among you, which shall rob you of your children, and destroy your cattle, and make you few in number; and your ways shall become desolate. 23 And if in spite of these things ye will not be corrected unto Me, but will walk contrary unto Me; 24 then will I also walk contrary unto you; and I will smite you, even I, seven times for your sins. 25 And I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute the vengeance of the covenant;

All sorts of problems and wild animals start multiplying and come towards you. Still there is a chance to see that the actions are bad. Peace still reigns in the land.

… 33 And you will I scatter among the nations, and I will draw out the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste. 34 Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths, as long as it lies desolate, and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and repay her Sabbaths. … 39 And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. 40 And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their treachery which they committed against Me, and also that they have walked contrary unto Me. 41 I also will walk contrary unto them, and bring them into the land of their enemies; if then perchance their uncircumcised heart be humbled, and they then be paid the punishment of their iniquity;

Once we repent, then we can return to our land.

42 then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land. 43 For the land shall lie forsaken without them, and shall be paid her Sabbaths, while she lies desolate without them; and they shall be paid the punishment of their iniquity; because, even because they rejected Mine ordinances, and their soul abhorred My statutes. 44 And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God. 45 But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. 46 These are the statutes and ordinances and laws, which the LORD made between Him and the children of Israel in mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

Below is a section on valuation of houses and people for dedication to Temple. If somebody proclaims that he wants to dedicate his value or that of his wife to the Temple, he does it based on the formulation below.

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When a man shall clearly utter a vow of persons unto the LORD, according to thy valuation, 3 then thy valuation shall be for the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, after the shekel of the sanctuary. 4 And if it be a female, then thy valuation shall be thirty shekels. 5 And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old, then thy valuation shall be for the male twenty shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 6 And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy valuation shall be for the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver. 7 And if it be from sixty years old and upward: if it be a male, then thy valuation shall be fifteen shekels, and for the female ten shekels. 8 But if he be too poor for thy valuation, then he shall be set before the priest, and the priest shall value him; according to the means of him that vowed shall the priest value him.

It is obvious that if a poor man would like to donate his value he may not even have the means to get to the value required by the Torah so the Cohain can value him that he feels good with his measly donation.

…16 And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD part of the field of his possession, then thy valuation shall be according to the sowing thereof; the sowing of a homer of barley shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver. 17 If he sanctify his field from the year of jubilee, according to thy valuation it shall stand. 18 But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain unto the year of jubilee, and an abatement shall be made from thy valuation. 19 And if he that sanctified the field will indeed redeem it, then he shall add the fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.

One can donate his field and redeem it or his house etc. This is all for the Mishkan-Mikdash.

20 And if he will not redeem the field, or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more. 21 But the field, when it goes out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.

For a limited time.

…24 In the year of jubilee the field shall return unto him of whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land belongs. 25 And all thy valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary; twenty gerahs shall be the shekel. …31 And if a man will redeem aught of his tithe, he shall add unto it the fifth part thereof. 32 And all the tithe of the herd or the flock, whatsoever passes under the rod, the tenth shall be holy unto the LORD. 33 He shall not inquire whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if he change it, at all, then both it and that for which it is changed shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed. 34 These are the commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel in mount Sinai.

This is not only the link with last week’s Parsha, Behar, but it is a link with all the Mitzvos that they were given on Har Sinai. So why do have get some after years, because some were specific for entering the land (fruits and confession, parapet around the roof, Cohain declaring who could go home from a pending battle, etc.). The only Mitzvah that appears to have been given elsewhere is that of the daughters of Zelophad about women’s inheritance in the land and keeping the land within the tribe.  

Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak


Blessing for a friend by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles


Due to the preparations for the 5744 (1984) "Lag B’Omer Children's Parade" and the associated heavy activity in front of 770 Eastern Parkway in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, the World Headquarters of Chabad, it was decided that the couples who wished to receive blessings for children[1] from the Lubavitcher Rebbe should not stand outside 770 as usual. Instead, they should wait at 10:00 am at the door of the Rebbe's house, a few streets away at 1304 President Street, where they would have more quiet and privacy.
Knowing that an enormous crowd would gather there, an organizers committee was established to maintain order, to be enforced by the students of the Kollel [2] , of which I - Alter Bukiet -- was a member.
As it was not my nature to push or order people around, I had requested to be in charge of the area immediately outside the Rebbe's car door, to open it as soon as the Rebbe arrives, and to close it as soon as the Rebbe is seated to ensure that the Rebbe's driver can depart without any delay.
I will never forget the scene that day. There were many couples. People from Chabad and those who were not from Chabad were waiting for the Rebbe to leave his house.
The Rebbe came out at 10:00 am. It took twenty minutes for the Rebbe to reach his car. People were crying and screaming for the Rebbe's attention. It was so intense.
The Rebbe got into the car and was seated. I began to close the door, when suddenly someone stuck his head into the car and exclaimed to the Rebbe that he is married already for several years and has no children, then hurriedly stated his name and wife's name to the Rebbe. I happened to notice that this individual was a Satmar Chassid. Meanwhile, the pressure on the door was mounting. I tried with all my might to hold the door open so that he wouldn't get smashed.
The Rebbe blessed him, and then, before the man could withdraw, I hear the Rebbe add something very unusual. He looked directly at the Satmar and said something like, "The child will need to have someone to play with."
The guy did not get at all what the Rebbe was trying to say. So the Rebbe said to him, Zucht Awmain (Say Amen)!" It finally registered and he responded with a loud shout: " Awmain!" and moved away from the vehicle. I closed the door and the Rebbe's car pulled away.

* * *
Years pass. I 'graduated' to be the emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to Lexington Massachusetts, near Boston. Life goes on.
Fifteen years after that Lag B’Omer incident, on the 24th of the Jewish month of Menachem Av 5759 [1999: August 6], on what would have been the 80th birthday of my father [Rabbi Chaim-Meir Bukiet] of blessed memory[3], had he not passed away a year and a half before on the 27th of Tevet, I decided to visit his grave. As it is located in the Montefiore cemetery in Queens NY, where also is located the "Ohel", the resting place of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, it meant that I would have to leave from home soon after midnight in order to arrive around 4:00 - 5:00 AM. That would give me enough time to visit my father's place as well as the Rebbe's, and still be able to get back by 9:00 am to start my regular work day.
At 5 in the morning I was in the Ohel and reading the Maaneh Lashon (the long texts recited by many at the grave of a Tzaddik, based on the Zohar). As I was standing there, I noticed a Satmar chasid enter with two young boys. I thought it strange that they should be here at such an hour. My bewilderment increased when after they all finished reciting the Maaneh Lashon, the father turned to his sons and told them, "take out the maamar (Chasidic in-depth discourse)."
Each son took out a printed copy of the maamar traditionally recited by Chabad boys who reach the age of Bar Mitzvah. The two Satmar boys proceeded to each read the entire maamar. After leaving the Ohel, I saw them again in the reception area, standing near the coffee stand. I couldn't resist the urge to satisfy my curiosity. I approached the father and asked him in Yiddish what brings him here and at such hour?
He responded: "These are the Rebbe's children, they were born as a result of the Rebbe's blessing." He continued that he had been married several years with no children and so decided to try getting a blessing for a son from 'the Lubavitcher.'
"The Rebbe blessed me as I requested and then said to me, "The child will need to have someone to play with." I was speechless, so the Rebbe added, "Zucht Awmain!" ('Say Amen'). Three times! Finally, I realized what he intended and I responded with a loud 'Amen.' And in the merit of his blessing, my wife gave birth to twins, the boys you see in front of you."
I couldn't believe my ears! I must admit I became emotional. "Tell me, when exactly did this happen? Was it perhaps on Lag B’Omer in 5744? Outside the Rebbe's House?"
"Yes and Yes, on Lag B’Omer in 5744 outside the Rebbe's house on President Street inside the Rebbe's car!" confirmed the Satmar.
"Wow! Amazing!" I exclaimed. "I am the one who held the door open with all my might that it shouldn't get slammed shut on you. Do you remember me?"
"That's right, of course!" he answered quickly, looking into my eyes to see if he could remember the face from so long ago. "And now you are seeing the happy outcome of the story. These twins were born two years and three months after that Lag B’Omer in the merit of the Rebbe's blessing. They are our only children and today is their Bar Mitzvah. They are the Rebbe's children!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
[1]It is a 200-year-old tradition in Chabad that the most propitious time of the year to request a blessing for children from a Lubavitcher Rebbe is on Lag B’Omer.
[1]Post-yeshiva center for advanced Torah study by young married men.
[1] An important and highly respected chasid of the 6th and 7th Lubavitcher Rebbes, and the father and grandfather of many Lubavitcher emissaries around the world today
Source: Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the version on a WhatsApp Chassidic Stories group.

Rabbi Alter Bukiet is the emissary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe in Lexington, Massachusetts. He established what became and still is a very popular Chabad House and synagogue, of which he is still the Rabbi and Director.

Day 34 ― Yesod of Hod: Bonding in Humility  https://www.aish.com/h/o/t/48969716.html

Humility should not be a lonely experience. It ought to result in deep bonding and commitment. There is no stronger bond than one that comes out of humility. Does my humility separate me from others or bring us closer? Does my humility produce results? Long term results? Does it create an everlasting foundation upon which I and others can rely and build.
Exercise for the day: Use your humility to build something lasting.
Day 35 ― Malchut of Hod: Nobility in Humility
Walking humbly is walking tall. Dignity is the essence of humility and modesty. The splendor of humility is majestic and aristocratic. Humility that suppresses the human spirit and denies individual sovereignty is not humility at all. Does my humility make me feel dignified? Do I feel alive and vibrant?
Exercise for the day: Teach someone how humility and modesty enhance human dignity.
WEEK 6 ― YESOD ― BONDING
During the sixth week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the emotional attribute of Yesod or bonding. Bonding means connecting; not only feeling for another, but being attached to him. Not just a token commitment, but total devotion. It creates a channel between giver and receiver. Bonding is eternal. It develops an everlasting union that lives on forever through the perpetual fruit it bears.
Bonding is the foundation of life. The emotional spine of the human psyche. Every person needs bonding to flourish and grow. The bonding between mother and child; between husband and wife; between brothers and sisters; between close friends. Bonding is affirmation; it gives one the sense of belonging; that "I matter", "I am significant and important". It establishes trust ― trust in yourself and trust in others. It instills confidence. Without bonding and nurturing we cannot realize and be ourselves.
Day 36 ― Chesed of Yesod: Loving-kindness of Bonding
Love is the heart of bonding. You cannot bond without love. Love establishes a reliable base on which bonding can build. If you have a problem bonding, examine how much you love the one (or the experience) with which you wish to bond. Do I try to bond without first fostering a loving attitude? Is my bonding expressed in a loving manner?
Exercise for the day: Demonstrate the bond you have with your child or friend through an act of love.
Day 37 ― Gevurah of Yesod: Discipline of Bonding
Bonding must be done with discretion and careful consideration with whom and with what you bond. Even the healthiest and closest bonding needs "time out", a respect for each individual's space. Do I overbond? Am I too dependent on the one I bond with? Is he too dependent on me? Do I bond out of desperation? Do I bond with healthy, wholesome people?
Exercise for the day: Review the discipline in your bonding experiences to see if it needs adjustment.
Day 38 ― Tiferet of Yesod: Compassion in Bonding
Bonding needs to be not only loving but also compassionate, feeling your friend's pain and empathizing with him. Is my bonding conditional? Do I withdraw when I am uncomfortable with my friend's troubles?
Exercise for the day: Offer help and support in dealing with an ordeal of someone with whom you have bonded.
Day 39 ― Netzach of Yesod: Endurance in Bonding
An essential component of bonding is its endurance; its ability to withstand challenges and setbacks. Without endurance there is no chance to develop true bonding. Am I totally committed to the one with whom I bond? How much will I endure and how ready am I to fight to maintain this bond? Is the person I bond with aware of my devotion?
Exercise for the day: Demonstrate the endurance level of your bonding by confronting a challenge that obstructs the bond.
Day 40 ― Hod of Yesod: Humility of Bonding
Humility is crucial in healthy bonding. Arrogance divides people. Preoccupation with your own desires and needs separates you from others. Humility allows you to appreciate another person and bond with him. Healthy bonding is the union of two distinct people, with independent personalities, who join for a higher purpose than satisfying their own needs. True humility comes from recognizing and acknowledging God in your life. Am I aware of the third partner ― God ― in bonding? And that this partner gives me the capacity to unite with another, despite our distinctions.
Exercise for the day: When praying acknowledge God specifically for helping you bond with others.
Day 41 ― Yesod of Yesod: Bonding in Bonding
Every person needs and has the capacity to bond with other people, with significant undertakings and with meaningful experiences. Do I have difficulty bonding? Is the difficulty in all areas or only in certain ones? Do I bond easily with my job, but have trouble bonding with people? Or vice versa?
Examine the reasons for not bonding. Is it because I am too critical and find fault in everything as an excuse for not bonding? Am I too locked in my own ways? Is my not bonding a result of discomfort with vulnerability? Have I been hurt in my past bonding experiences? Has my trust been abused? Is my fear of bonding a result of the deficient bonding I experienced as a child?
To cultivate your capacity to bond, even if you have valid reasons to distrust, you must remember that God gave you a Divine soul that is nurturing and loving and you must learn to recognize the voice within, which will allow you to experience other people's souls and hearts. Then you can slowly drop your defenses when you recognize someone or something you can truly trust.
One additional point: Bonding breeds bonding. When you bond in one area of your life, it helps you bond in other areas.
Exercise for the day: Begin bonding with a new person or experience you love by committing designated time each day or week to spend together constructively.
Day 42 ― Malchut of Yesod: Nobility in Bonding
Bonding must enhance a person's sovereignty. It should nurture and strengthen your own dignity and the dignity of the one you bond with. Does my bonding inhibit the expression of my personality and qualities? Does it overwhelm the one I bond with?
Exercise for the day: Emphasize and highlight the strengths of the one with whom you bond.
WEEK 7 ― MALCHUT ― SOVEREIGNTY, LEADERSHIP
During the seventh and final week of counting the Omer, we examine and refine the attribute of Malchut ― nobility, sovereignty and leadership. Sovereignty is a state of being rather than an activity. Nobility is a passive expression of human dignity that has nothing of its own except that which it receives from the other six emotions. True leadership is the art of selflessness; it is only a reflection of a Higher will. On the other hand, Malchut manifests and actualizes the character and majesty of the human spirit. It is the very fiber of what makes us human.
Malchut is a sense of belonging. Knowing that you matter and that you make a difference. That you have the ability to be a proficient leader in your own right. It gives you independence and confidence. A feeling of certainty and authority. When a mother lovingly cradles her child in her arms and the child's eyes meet the mother's affectionate eyes, the child receives the message: "I am wanted and needed in this world. I have a comfortable place where I will always be loved. I have nothing to fear. I feel like royalty in my heart." This is Malchut, kingship.
Day 43 ― Chesed of Malchut: Loving-kindness in Nobility
Healthy sovereignty is always kind and loving. An effective leader needs to be warm and considerate. Does my sovereignty make me more loving? Do I exercise my authority and leadership in a caring manner? Do I impose my authority on others?
Exercise for the day: Do something kind for your subordinates


In Memorial Herman Wouk “Marjorie Morningstar”, “This is My G-D”, “In Defense of Judaism” etc. soul comes to rest 10 days before his 104th Birthday. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263319

Shmuel F: Shabbos Observer stuns Bill Gates. https://mizrachi.org/bill-gates-stunned-shabbat-observer/


Police brutality on Autistic Charedi. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263594


Inyanay Diyoma





Gaza Protest cancelled due to Ramadan, Eurovision and Heatwave. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263304




Ed-Op Dr. Kedar Third Gulf War has started. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/23874

Non-vaccination could start a blood libel. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5510174,00.html


Syrian defenses activated Saturday night after Friday strike. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263332


Blood Libel could come from not vaccinating. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5510174,00.html

Police looking into arson of two Boston Chabad Centers. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263326

Study Democrats don’t follow Israel dislike Netanyahu. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263327

Swastika found on Donkey in southern Israel. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263330

Charedim and Chevron Rabbis protest against Chillul Shabbos. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263328

Jordanian King Isolated dangerous for Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5509626,00.html

Firebomb and explosive one from Gaza: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263338


No safety checks for cranes in Israel. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263352

Undoing the disengagement of Ariel Sharon. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263351




Jonathan Pollard asks how much does Israel care? http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263485


Dutch Soccer fans beat Jew sing SS Songs. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262977

Patriot Missiles to the Middle East. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262971

Likud fails to get Charedi Woman to defect from Blue and White. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/262971

Security breach lets hackers know PM’s travel plans and movement of senior intelligence people. https://www.calcalistech.com/ctech/articles/0,7340,L-3762693,00.html

Smuggling of thousands of balloons for Gaza thwarted. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263541



Part of Trump Peace Plan to be rolled out without the PLO. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5513333,00.html

Chicago two smashed cars near Synagogue not a hate crime. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263570


Temperatures at record highs. Dead Sea 48C which is 118F. Beer Sheva is 44C or 111F and Modiin 43C between 109.5 and 110F. Massive fires break out in central Israel from the heat all you need is grass and a broken bottle and this is besides the balloon fires. My granddaughter witnessed the start of the massive fire as she left work early for a wedding. My wife and forester child had to go via a different route as flames blocked the traffic. Road 443 closed as fire starts near the Modiin Cemetery and burns houses in Mevo Modiin. Shelat, Kfar Daniel and Gam Zu evacuated as the flames spread north and east. Other places near Yerushalayim and Kibbutz Har-El.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5514143,00.html  



Young Israel blasts antisemitic NYU speaker. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/263614





Have a good Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
Posted by Rabbi Rachamim Pauli at 2:27 PM