Friday, August 2, 2019

Parsha Massei, story, link to story, elections in Israel and other news.


Please pray for Tikva bas Chava. I think that unfortunately (no answer from her or daughter) that Devorah bas Sara no longer needs prayers.





Parsha Massei





34:1 These are the stages of the children of Israel, by which they went forth out of the land of Egypt by their hosts under the hand of Moses and Aaron. 2 And Moses wrote their goings forth, stage by stage, by the commandment of the LORD; and these are their stages at their goings forth.



For Moshe the journey is coming to an end with the war on Midian. The Bnei Yisrael are finishing their journey unto Eretz Yisrael. They will enter a few days before Pesach 2488.



3 And they journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying them that the LORD had smitten among them, even all their first-born; upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments. 5 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses, and pitched in Succoth. 6 And they journeyed from Succoth, and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness. 7 And they journeyed from Etham, and turned back unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baal-zephon; and they pitched before Migdol.



This journey was six days and on that place and night of the seventh the sea split.



8 And they journeyed from Penehahiroth, and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness; and they went three days' journey in the wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah. 9 And they journeyed from Marah, and came unto Elim; and in Elim were twelve springs of water, and threescore and ten palm-trees; and they pitched there. 10 And they journeyed from Elim, and pitched by the Red Sea. 11 And they journeyed from the Red Sea, and pitched in the wilderness of Sin. 12 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, and pitched in Dophkah. 13 And they journeyed from Dophkah, and pitched in Alush. 14 And they journeyed from Alush, and pitched in Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink. 15 And they journeyed from Rephidim, and pitched in the wilderness of Sinai.



There they remained for at least a year after the giving of the Torah. So these journeys occurred in 49-50 days for then the Torah was given.



16 And they journeyed from the wilderness of Sinai, and pitched in Kibroth-hattaavah.



This was the incident with the quail and the rest of the journeys occurred over 38 years.



37 And they journeyed from Kadesh, and pitched in mount Hor, in the edge of the land of Edom.-- 38 And Aaron the priest went up into mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there, in the fortieth year after the children of Israel were come out of the land of Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month.



At this point in time, the clouds of glory departed and the Amalek King who ruled Arad saw his opportunity.



39 And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died in mount Hor. 40 And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.—



Aaron died on Rosh Chodesh Av and now the rest of the journey was until the month of Teves as this Sefer starts on Rosh Chodesh Shevat. I assume the incident with Balaam and the war with Midian did take time. The whole time span could have been even more than a month.



41 And they journeyed from mount Hor, and pitched in Zalmonah. 42 And they journeyed from Zalmonah, and pitched in Punon. 43 And they journeyed from Punon, and pitched in Oboth. 44 And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched in Ije-abarim, in the border of Moab. 45 And they journeyed from Ijim, and pitched in Dibon-gad. 46 And they journeyed from Dibon-gad, and pitched in Almon-diblathaim. 47 And they journeyed from Almon-diblathaim, and pitched in the mountains of Abarim, in front of Nebo. 48 And they journeyed from the mountains of Abarim, and pitched in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. 49 And they pitched by the Jordan, from Beth-jeshimoth even unto Abel-shittim in the plains of Moab.



This was to show the immense size of the camp.



50 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 51 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 52 then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their figured stones, and destroy all their molten images, and demolish all their high places.



You are inheriting the land at it shall be holy. Only a holy nation is fit to dwell in the land and therefore destroy their idols and places of worship.



53 And ye shall drive out the inhabitants of the land, and dwell therein; for unto you have I given the land to possess it. 54 And ye shall inherit the land by lot according to your families--to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer thou shalt give the less inheritance; wheresoever the lot falls to any man, that shall be his; according to the tribes of your fathers shall ye inherit.



HASHEM determined the outcome of the lottery.



55 But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then shall those that ye let remain of them be as thorns in your eyes, and as pricks in your sides, and they shall harass you in the land wherein ye dwell.



If you do not drive these unworthy inhabitants out they will cause mayhem and terror among you. For they will remain and multiply.



56 And it shall come to pass, that as I thought to do unto them, so will I do unto you.



They will then replace you unless you follow the Torah and remove them.


35:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, saying: 2 'Command the children of Israel, that they give unto the Levites of the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and open land round about the cities shall ye give unto the Levites.

The Leviim inherited cities to dwell in and 2000 Amos in each direction for growing crops around the perimeter of the city. But the 2000 Amos were measured at the maximum rectangular space needed to fit in the city.

3 And the cities shall they have to dwell in; and their open land shall be for their cattle, and for their substance, and for all their beasts. 4 And the open land about the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall be from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about. 5 And ye shall measure without the city for the east side two thousand cubits, and for the south side two thousand cubits, and for the west side two thousand cubits, and for the north side two thousand cubits, the city being in the midst. This shall be to them the open land about the cities.


The cities are special for the Leviim and each of the 24 Cohanic Families had their set of Leviim to work with them (based on the Mishnayic and Talmudic descriptions of the second Mikdash). 

6 And the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites, they shall be the six cities of refuge, which ye shall give for the manslayer to flee thither; and beside them ye shall give forty and two cities. 7 All the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities: them shall ye give with the open land about them. 8 And concerning the cities which ye shall give of the possession of the children of Israel, from the many ye shall take many, and from the few ye shall take few; each tribe according to its inheritance which it inherited shall give of its cities unto the Levites.'

4 cities within each tribe for the Leviim located in such areas where they could teach and spread Torah to the farmers.

9 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 10 'Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye pass over the Jordan into the land of Canaan, 11 then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the manslayer that kills any person through error may flee thither.

Accidental manslaughter. Example: He was carrying something up a ladder or on a roof with a patch of ice on a black surface and he slipped and something feel from him and killed a person below. However, not so for the person going down the ladder as he should have shouted to the person below.

12 And the cities shall be unto you for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not, until he stand before the congregation for judgment. 13 And as to the cities which ye shall give, there shall be for you six cities of refuge. 14 Ye shall give three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan; they shall be cities of refuge. 15 For the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the settler among them, shall these six cities be for refuge, that every one that kills any person through error may flee thither.
The person who committed accidental manslaughter had to flee from the avenger of blood and because he and perhaps the Cohain Gadol did not pray that accidental homicide or manslaughter would not occur.

16 But if he smote him with an instrument of iron, so that he died, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. …

Lying in wait is first degree homicide. Giving somebody a scare that he got a stroke or heart attack is not accidental manslaughter.

19 The avenger of blood shall himself put the murderer to death; when he meets him, he shall put him to death.

The avenger of blood was within a family of the deceased and could take the like of the manslaughterer. However, one must remember that the Torah was written for the Tribes and those who lived in proximity were cousins to some degree. It was up to the elders to provide an escort for these people to flee to the city of refuge from the avenger.

20 And if he thrust him of hatred, or hurled at him anything, lying in wait, so that he died; 21 or in enmity smote him with his hand, that he died; he that smote him shall surely be put to death: he is a murderer; the avenger of blood shall put the murderer to death when he meets him.

The cities of refuge did not work for people ignoring safety precautions or not watching out. The avenger could take such a life but considering the family situation probably monetary compensation was worked out. However, a direct murder was to be tried in the Sanhedrin with witnesses.

… 26 But if the manslayer shall at any time go beyond the border of his city of refuge, whither he flees; 27 and the avenger of blood find him without the border of his city of refuge, and the avenger of blood slay the manslayer; there shall be no bloodguiltiness for him; 28 because he must remain in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the manslayer may return into the land of his possession. 29 And these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 30 Whoso kills any person, the murderer shall be slain at the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person that he die. 31 Moreover ye shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer, that is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death. 32 And ye shall take no ransom for him that is fled to his city of refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land, until the death of the priest. 33 So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood, it pollutes the land; and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it. 34 And thou shalt not defile the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the LORD dwell in the midst of the children of Israel.'

Murder should be repulsive. The month of July with the heat and temper flare-ups saw 16 murders of Israelis. If you rule out the Mafia and random Israeli Arab Criminals, you end up with 4 or 5 and that is too many. G-D is warning us that the land or even as far as Mexico City are not places to go and kill people that the land will vomit us out.


36:1 And the heads of the fathers' houses of the family of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near, and spoke before Moses, and before the princes, the heads of the fathers' houses of the children of Israel; 2 and they said: 'The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for inheritance by lot to the children of Israel; and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters. 3 And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then will their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of our fathers, and will be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they shall belong; so will it be taken away from the lot of our inheritance.





This whole section is about the inheritance of daughters marrying within a trip to keep the land that way. Also the Yovel Year where the land returns to the original family during the Jubilee.



…6 This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: Let them be married to whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they be married. that the children of Israel may possess every man the inheritance of his fathers.



There on one hand is a limited gene pool for the daughter who inherited something from her father and on the other hand, this daughter and her new husband are wealthy in land for they have as a minimum a double portion of land and if they both were first born the child of a first born even a larger portion.



9 So shall no inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe; for the tribes of the children of Israel shall cleave each one to its own inheritance.' …13 These are the commandments and the ordinances, which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho.



We end this Sefer about 40 days before the passing of Moshe. The whole of Sefer Devarim is 37 days long until the passing of Moshe. The location is important as it shows the people poised to enter the land opposite Yericho.

.




Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak





The Emergency – a true and recent story.





What to do when one has a seizure. This past Wednesday evening, … had a non-epileptic seizure. The 1st, and G-d willing, the only he'll ever have.  He's totally back to his humorous fun loving self & was okay once he'd been on an IV for about 30 minutes.  



It started with his eyes staring.  I asked if he was okay to which he responded with gibberish.  I thought he might be pranking so I called a friend I knew he'd be serious with.  He responded with gibberish over & over again.   I said please come help me while I call 911 thinking he was having a stroke.  I called 911 & got disconnected.  Now the seizure occurred which lasted about 2 minutes.  He bit his tongue during this.  His legs stiffened, he bent his arms & made jerking spastic motions with them, plus a lot of guttural sounds.  After the seizure he fell limp to his left on the soft sofa cushions.  He was scarily silent.  I checked for his pulse but his breathing was shallow now.   I called 911 again, & Daniel, the operator had me count & report each time he took a breath.  We were on the line together until the EMTs arrived within minutes.  Fortunately, our friends arrived while on with 911 & they let the EMTs in.  Now I was able to collect what was needed (list of his meds, Medicare info, his actual meds, etc.)  



Please note:  it's helpful to have the person's social security # handy so they can check medications & hospitalizations, etc.



… had a battery of tests:  a CAT scan, an MRI, diabetic glucose checks, an EEG, an EKG & an echocardiogram, blood testing for cardiac enzyme elevation, plus his cholesterol and obviously blood pressure, etc.  None of them led the medical staff any closer to the cause of his episode.  [Dr. Quack here thinks he was severely dehydrated] 



This week we're following up with his own cardiologist who we apprised of the situation while … was at Broward Memorial East (a member of the Young Israel, whose practice is at Holy Cross Hospital).  He's recommended a neurologist there as well.



Anyway, the purpose of this email is to help anyone else who might ever be faced with this situation.  While we pray that this never happens to anyone you know, we wanted to share the following: 



1 - carefully OBSERVE - what details you can so you can tell them to the medical team which will help them assess -- note duration of seizure



2 - SAFETY is most important:  if possible, try to lower the person to the floor so they don't fall & put them on their left side if possible 



3 - put a pillow or soft cushions under their head



4 - make sure you don't hold them down during the seizure



5 - put nothing in their mouth, no fingers to clear a possible obstruction unless 911 tells you to, no meds like an aspirin or nitroglycerin as they could choke & no liquids that they could drown from being unable to swallow



Please check the following out regarding their safety points: https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/about/first-aid.htm




A short Medrash to put you in the mood for the 9 days of mourning for the Temple. Two brothers were fighting over inheritance of a corner of the grounds. The local Rabbi went to see the land. As he got there one brother said the ground is mine and the other brother said the ground is mine. He lowered his head to the ground and told them that the ground said after 120 years, the brothers belong to me.





The not yet celebrated celebration by Rabbi Y. Tilles



The Letter with two sets of signatures:
By the grace of G-d.
We, the undersigned, undertake in our own names, and the names of our descendants and all our followers, to make the 26th of Tammuz, on this and every succeeding year, a day of joy and festivity, by virtue of the genuine miracle and the conspicuous good that G-d wrought for us on this day.
A heinous and implacable adversary, Jacob Frank - may his name be blotted out - rose up against us. Let the name of the impious rot, this fiend who inflamed and seduced a multitude of our Jewish brethren [a self-proclaimed Messiah, who eventually converted (with some of his more naïve followers) to Christianity].
Now, G-d has confounded his evil designs - may his name be blotted out - brought his machinations to nothing and him to his just desserts.
This [festival being proclaimed] is in payment for the following: That the Bishop Tikolski, of the city of Lvov, summoned us, the three undersigned, on the 23rd of Tammuz, 5519 (1759), to his city, in order to set forth the terms of our opposition to these sinners [in debate], ranged to the left of us.
In the event -- in the debates, the wrangling, in the hard questions that were traded -- G-d stood to the right of us, a bulwark to our righteousness, and vindicated the name of our people Israel.
On the 26th of Tammuz of the above year, we triumphed over the agents of wickedness - may their names be blotted out - and saved innumerable Jewish souls from a terrible fate, Heaven forfend.
We have resolved, therefore, on our own behalf and on behalf of our descendants and those who follow us, to make this day a day of feasting and gladness, of joy and jubilation, to the end of time. In the resolve thereof, we append our names to this, on this day, the 27th of Tammuz, in the year 5519 (1759), in our community of Lvov.
(signed)
Chaim HaKohen Rappaport, dayan [chief Rabbinical judge] of Lvov
Yisrael ben Eliezer Baal Shem of Mezibuzh
Yitzchak DovBer Margolies [Rabbi of Yazlowitz, a close disciple of the Baal Shem Tov (not to be confused with his brother, Rabbi Meir Margolies, one of the foremost disciples of the Besht).]

At the behest of our master, leader of the Jewish people, the Baal Shem Tov [the middle signature above], we hereby append our signature, in our community of Mezibuzh, this Sunday of parshat Vaetchanan, 5519 [1759]):
(signed)
DovBer ben Avraham [the Maggid] of Mezritch
Yaakov Yosef HaKohen of Polnoa [author of Toldos Yaakov Yosef]
Ze'ev-Wolf Kitzes [leading follower of the Besht]
* * *

The Question that Begs to be Asked

How is it that this festival is so little-known, in spite of the fact that it was proclaimed by the Baal Shem Tov himself and his disciples? In a letter of 8 Kislev, 5720/1959 [the 200th year after the signing of the letter], the Lubavitcher Rebbe gives the following explanation:

I have not heard of a specific explanation for this, but it seems to me that it can be compared to the case of a festival whose form and manner of acceptance is fixed only after the passage of time, …[such as] with the miracle of Chanukah, the annual celebration of which was only instituted in the following year.

Since its acceptance was in [the summer of] 5519 (1759), what emerges is that even before the first celebration of this festival was to take place, the passing of the Baal Shem [on Shavuot 5520] intervened and the group disbanded. We know something of the state of mind that existed among his disciples at that time. We are speaking, then, of a date that never became the occasion of an actual celebration.






According to the FCC, there are some easy steps you can take to help reduce robocalls:




Don't answer calls from blocked or unknown numbers.

Don't answer calls from numbers you don't recognize.

If someone calls you and claims to be with XYZ company, hang up and call the company yourself. Use the company's website to find an official number.

If you do answer a call and hear a recording such as "Hello, can you hear me?" just hang up.

The same goes for a call where you're asked to press a number before being connected to a representative.




When you answer a call and interact with the voice prompt or by pressing a number, it lets the spammer know your number is real. They can then sell your number to another company, or begin targeting your number more frequently.





United Right makes a final offer to far right. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266749


Rabbinical Court wanted large new building. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5560508,00.html

Ayelet must prove her political power. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5560430,00.html

Man murdered for parking spot collection for disabled wife and special needs children. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266638


After suspect fraud in elections, more cameras to be placed in areas where Arabs vote. https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-doubles-budget-for-program-placing-hidden-cameras-in-arab-polling-stations/

Milestone: First Jewish Senator in FL since Civil War at 90. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266672


Camp Morasha gets Secret Service protection. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266823



We cannot believe this irresponsibility. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266840

J-Lo brings 53,000 fans out on a hot evening. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266841



Inyanay Diyoma




Israel tests Arrow 3 antimissile defense. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5558756,00.html



New front the post office as Gazans order laser pointers, night vision googles, various cameras and drone making equipment. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5558971,00.html

Iranians somehow manage to surf the web. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5557848,00.html


Russian Police arrest 1000 opposition members. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266563


Man shot sitting outside of the Young Israel of North Miami Beach. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266611

Chester NY tries to keep out Chassidim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266597

Syrian spits and curses Jew in Germany. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266623


Iran building up a large front against Israel. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266667


Netanyahu does not want a right wing government. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266683





Elizabeth Warren employs anti-Israel radical. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266670






PLO does not pay collected electrical bills. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5560371,00.html



Milestone: First Jewish Senator in FL since Civil War at 90. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266672

After suspect fraud in elections, more cameras to be placed in areas where Arabs vote. https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-doubles-budget-for-program-placing-hidden-cameras-in-arab-polling-stations/


Man murdered for parking spot collection for disabled wife and special needs children. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266638




Peace Plan Conference before elections. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561021,00.html


After a fire balloon infiltration by Hamas. Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said the IDF had attained a high level of preparedness but warned the troops not to be lulled or deceived by the relative calm of recent weeks and to stand ready for the situation to change suddenly at any moment.
DEBKAfile’s sources: The incident occurred shortly after a senior Hamas delegation led by Salah Al-Arouri, returned from Tehran, where it was received by supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and discussed a fresh supply of Iranian arms to be smuggled into the Gaza Strip. Three soldiers injured with the officer receiving moderate injuries. Pillbox taken out.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-troops-exchange-gunfire-with-palestinians-on-gaza-border-reports/ http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266786




Syria reports that Israel attacked them. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561904,00.html

Thursday morning’s terror attack took time because the terrorist hid for two hours in the terrain and the officer did not want to shoot another soldier. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266809

Israeli Arab who joined ISIS wants home. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561827,00.html

Facebook defeats appeal claimed it aided Hamas Terror. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5561465,00.html

George Soros already involved to the tune of $5.1 million in the 2020 campaign. http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266827



Dutch Parliament approves a partial Burka ban. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5562119,00.html

EU wants to tell Israel how to battle terror! http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/266833



A blessed Chodesh and a good Shabbos,

Rachamim Pauli