Parsha Vayera Part I
The Parsha is a direct connection with the previous Parsha. Lech
Lecha ended on Avraham being circumcised. This week we start off with his
healing. One thing about this week’s Parsha I never understood. That is how did
the people of Sodom became so wicked? That was until the last year. Suddenly
the family unit is no good, we have Critical Race Theory, Defund the Police,
etc. This world like Sodom came from too much affluence. Sodom was described
when Lot made his choice and went as being like Gan Eden. In Rome, the Emperors
were bored. One bathed in blood and some took baths with both male and female
children as normal relationships began to bore them. This is what is happened
among some people today and the WOKE culture or lack thereof. Now we can
understand what happened in Sodom.
18:1 And the LORD appeared unto
him by the terebinths of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the
day;
The L-RD came to comfort him in his pain but Avraham desired to
make a Kiddush HASHEM and get passer-by idol worshippers to bless G-D before and
after eating. Sort of a fly-by-night Kiddush HASHEM.
2 and he lifted up his
eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw
them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the
earth,
These men were dressed in clothing like Arabs and Avraham thought
them to be such.
3 and said: 'My lord, if
now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy
servant. 4 Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and
recline yourselves under the tree.
Some Goyim at his time used to worship dust that is the reason for
washing their feet.
5 And I will fetch a
morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart; after that ye shall pass on; forasmuch
as ye are come to your servant.' And they said: 'So do, as thou hast
said.'
He promises them bread that was usually coarse in his day.
6 And Abraham hastened
into the tent unto Sarah, and said: 'Make ready quickly three measures of fine
meal, knead it, and make cakes.'
But Avraham delivers cakes of the finest Farina.
7 And Abraham ran
unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto the
servant; and he hastened to dress it.
He was going to cook or roast a calf and would give them tongue.
8 And he took curd, and
milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood
by them under the tree, and they did eat.
This food was to satisfy the Arabs as they waited for the main
course.
9 And they said unto
him: 'Where is Sarah thy wife?' And he said: 'Behold, in the tent.'
Either Sara and he were famous or they discovered the potential
just now.
10 And He said: 'I will
certainly return unto thee when the season cometh round; and, lo, Sarah thy
wife shall have a son.' And Sarah heard in the tent door, which was behind
him.-- 11 Now Abraham and Sarah were old, and well stricken in age;
it had ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.-- 12 And
Sarah laughed within herself, saying: 'After I am waxed old shall I have
pleasure, my lord being old also?'
Actually, it was neither the fame of Sara nor the food of Avraham
but the present blessing. One came to inform him of a son, another to heal him
and finally the last to inform him of Sodom and his nephew would be saved
because of Avraham’s merits.
13 And the LORD said
unto Abraham: 'Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying: Shall I of a surety bear a
child, who am old?
This is the first time that we see the example of implying some
alternative truth for Shalom Beis.
14 Is any thing too hard
for the LORD. At the set time I will return unto thee, when the season cometh
round, and Sarah shall have a son.' 15 Then Sarah denied, saying: 'I
laughed not'; for she was afraid. And He said: 'Nay; but thou didst
laugh.'
Sara learned an important lesson that before HASHEM and the Beis
Din after 120years there is no hiding and the truth comes out.
16 And the men rose up
from thence, and looked out toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring
them on the way.
They came under the protection of Avraham and he accompanied them
for protection in the area under his protection.
17 And the LORD said:
'Shall I hide from Abraham that which I am doing; 18 seeing that
Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of
the earth shall be blessed in him? 19 For I have known him, to the
end that he may command his children and his household after him, that they may
keep the way of the LORD, to do righteousness and justice; to the end that the
LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him.'
20 And the LORD said:
'Verily, the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and, verily, their sin is
exceeding grievous. 21 I will go down now, and see whether they have
done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not,
I will know.'
There are great sins in Sodom and we have come because of the
cries of souls before the L-RD.
22 And the men turned
from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the
LORD. 23 And Abraham drew near, and said: 'Wilt Thou indeed sweep
away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Peradventure there are fifty
righteous within the city; wilt Thou indeed sweep away and not forgive the
place for the fifty righteous that are therein? 25 That be far from
Thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that so
the righteous should be as the wicked; that be far from Thee; shall not the
Judge of all the earth do justly?' 26 And the LORD said: 'If I find
in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for
their sake.'
At this point Avraham realizes that they have come to bring Divine
Justice upon the cities of the plain.
27 And Abraham answered
and said: 'Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the LORD, who am but
dust and ashes. 28 Peradventure there shall lack five of the fifty
righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five?' And He said: 'I
will not destroy it, if I find there forty and five.'
We did not see this quality with Noah but Avraham begins pleading
for the righteous in these cities.
29 And he spoke unto Him
yet again, and said: 'Peradventure there shall be forty found there.' And He
said: 'I will not do it for the forty's sake.' … 30 … there shall thirty
be found there.' And He said: 'I will not do it, if I find thirty there.' …
31 … there shall be twenty found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy
it for the twenty's sake.'
Now it is like the bottom of 9th in baseball or the 89th
minute in soccer or at the end of the last quarter in American Football –
Avraham gives the last ploy for without a Minyan of Righteous Men the cities
will be unworthy.
32 And he said: 'Oh, let
not the LORD be angry, and I will speak yet but this once. Peradventure ten
shall be found there.' And He said: 'I will not destroy it for the ten's
sake.'
Avraham negotiated quite well but when society gets so wicked,
lustful and everything goes there is really nothing much Avraham can do.
33 And the LORD went His
way, as soon as He had left off speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned unto
his place. 19:1 And the two angels came to Sodom at
even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot saw them, and rose up to meet
them; and he fell down on his face to the earth; 2 and he said:
'Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant's house, and
tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your
way.' And they said: 'Nay; but we will abide in the broad place all
night.'
Lot learned from Avraham and did want to host them properly. He
also wanted to protect these “men” from the wicked elements in his town.
3 And
he urged them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house;
and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did
eat. 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of
Sodom, compassed the house round, both young and old, all the people from every
quarter. 5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him: 'Where are
the men that came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may
know them.'
To use and abuse these men. This is the root of the English word
Sodomize.
6 And
Lot went out unto them to the door, and shut the door after
him. 7 And he said: 'I pray you, my brethren, do not so
wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters that have not known man;
let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in
your eyes; only unto these men do nothing; forasmuch as they are come under the
shadow of my roof.'
He will risk all to protect these men once they are under his roof
to the extent of sacrificing everything including his two daughters.
9 And
they said: 'Stand back.' And they said: 'This one fellow came in to sojourn,
and he will needs play the judge; now will we deal worse with thee, than with
them.' And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and drew near to break the
door.
Lot was brave and foolish. These people would have been slaves if
it were not for Avram saving Lot and yet that lesson was long forgotten.
10 But
the men put forth their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and the
door they shut. 11 And they smote the men that were at the door of
the house with blindness, both small and great; so that they wearied themselves
to find the door.
I assume at this time, they have revealed themselves to Lot and
are willing to save his entire family including son-in-laws and married
daughters. But the son-in-laws like the generation of the flood look at him
incredulously.
12 And
the men said unto Lot: 'Hast thou here any besides? son-in-law, and thy sons,
and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city; bring them out of the
place; 13 for we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is
waxed great before the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy
it.' 14 And Lot went out, and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married
his daughters, and said: 'Up, get you out of this place; for the LORD will
destroy the city.' But he seemed unto his sons-in-law as one that jested.
They basically think that Lot has lost his mind.
15 And
when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying: 'Arise, take thy
wife, and thy two daughters that are here; lest thou be swept away in the
iniquity of the city.' 16 But he lingered; and the men laid hold upon
his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two
daughters; the LORD being merciful unto him. And they brought him forth, and set
him without the city.
And urged him to move on quickly as the pre-dawn sky began to
light up.
17 And
it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said: 'Escape
for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the Plain; escape
to the mountain, lest thou be swept away.' 18 And Lot said unto them:
'Oh, not so, my lord; 19 behold now, thy servant hath found grace in
thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in
saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest the evil overtake me,
and I die.
If we take into account that the Bris between the pieces was 29
years before and Lot was already established and married, independent of his
uncle so he must have been 20 or more, it appears that he is saying at close to
50 or more I am a bit old for this sudden fleeing.
20 Behold
now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one; oh, let me escape
thither--is it not a little one?--and my soul shall live.' 21 And he
said unto him: 'See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I
will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken.
He used the Heb. Na that is in Gematria 51 and the story of the
Migdal Bavel was 52 years previously. So Sodom and 3 other older cities had 52
years of sin but Zohar had only 51 years of sin.
22 Hasten
thou, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come
thither.'--Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.-- 23 The
sun was risen upon the earth when Lot came unto Zoar.
I have reason to believe that this was on the other side of the
Yarden or Dead Sea as there are a lot of springs coming down the Jordanian Side
while the Israeli side is drier and therefore not the ruins of Zohar near Ein
Bokek.
24 Then
the LORD caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from
the LORD out of heaven; 25 and He overthrow those cities, and all the
Plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the
ground. 26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a
pillar of salt.
We do not know why she lingered. Perhaps the thought of losing her
large house and possessions or juicy Lashon HaRa or watching the antics of the
townspeople. Although I have need seen commentaries to this effect it seems she
was addicted to at least the soap opera type stories of the area if not worse.
27 And
Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he had stood before the
LORD. 28 And he looked out toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all
the land of the Plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the land went up as
the smoke of a furnace. 29 And it came to pass, when God destroyed
the cities of the Plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the
midst of the overthrow, when He overthrew the cities in which Lot
dwelt. 30 And Lot went up out of Zoar, and dwelt in the mountain, and
his two daughters with him; for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a
cave, he and his two daughters.
Lot fled with some provisions with the clothing on his back. It
was customary for families to sleep under the covers undressed.
31 And
the first-born said unto the younger: 'Our father is old, and there is not a
man in the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the
earth. 32 Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie
with him, that we may preserve seed of our father.'
The girls did not learn in the modest schools of Haran but rather
with their neighborhood girls and perhaps mixed classes in Sodom. Even if they
did not receive any schooling they absorbed the philosophy of the environment.
For this reason the Chabad Shaliachim sent their children from their area after
a certain grade to be educated in a Jewish Area.
33 And
they made their father drink wine that night. And the first-born went in, and
lay with her father; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when she
arose.
Noach drank and was drunk but knew what Canaan did to him. Lot was
so drunk being ployed with wine and perhaps salty cheese the later story of
Yael beheading the enemy that he had no knowledge whatsoever of what occurred.
34 And
it came to pass on the morrow, that the first-born said unto the younger:
'Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink wine this
night also; and go thou in, and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our
father.' 35 And they made their father drink wine that
night also.
There is no indication that he would drink so much but they got
him so drunk with the salty food that he had to drink more than usual.
And the
younger arose, and lay with him; and he knew not when she lay down, nor when
she arose. 36 Thus were both the daughters of Lot with
child by their father. 37 And the first-born bore a
son, and called his name Moab--the same is the father of the Moabites unto this
day.
She was so brazen that she named the boy “from my father”. So the
world would know.
38 And
the younger, she also bore a son, and called his name Ben-ammi--the same is the
father of the children of Ammon unto this day.
She was shy and called him from my nation.
20:1 And Abraham
journeyed from thence toward the land of the South, and dwelt between Kadesh
and Shur; and he sojourned in Gerar. 2 And Abraham said of Sarah his
wife: 'She is my sister.' And Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took
Sarah. 3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream of the night, and said
to him: 'Behold, thou shalt die, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for
she is a man's wife.' 4 Now Abimelech had not come near her; and he
said: 'LORD, wilt Thou slay even a righteous nation? 5 Said he not
himself unto me: She is my sister? and she, even she herself said: He is my
brother. In the simplicity of my heart and the innocency of my hands have I
done this.' 6 And God said unto him in the dream: 'Yea, I know that
in the simplicity of thy heart thou hast done this, and I also withheld thee
from sinning against Me. Therefore suffered I thee not to touch
her. 7 Now therefore restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and
he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live; and if thou restore her not, know
thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that are thine.' 8 And
Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all
these things in their ears; and the men were sore afraid. 9 Then
Abimelech called Abraham, and said unto him: 'What hast thou done unto us? and
wherein have I sinned against thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my
kingdom a great sin? thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be
done.' 10 And Abimelech said unto Abraham: 'What sawest thou, that
thou hast done this thing?' 11 And Abraham said: 'Because I thought:
Surely the fear of God is not in this place; and they will slay me for my
wife's sake.
Avraham was afraid that he would be murdered for his beautiful
wife as there was no aging at this time according to the Midrash even though it
says that Sara did not have the ways of women any more before Yitzchak was
born.
12 And
moreover she is indeed my sister, the daughter of my father, but not the
daughter of my mother; and so she became my wife. 13 And it came to
pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto
her: This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me; at every place whither
we shall come, say of me: He is my brother.' 14 And Abimelech took
sheep and oxen, and men-servants and women-servants, and gave them unto
Abraham, and restored him Sarah his wife. 15 And Abimelech said:
'Behold, my land is before thee: dwell where it pleases thee.' 16 And
unto Sarah he said: 'Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of
silver; behold, it is for thee a covering of the eyes to all that are with
thee; and before all men thou art righted.' 17 And Abraham prayed
unto God; and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maid-servants; and
they bore children. 18 For the LORD had fast closed up all the wombs
of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah Abraham's wife.
Avimelech learned that Avraham was a prophet and beloved of G-D.
21:1 And the LORD remembered Sarah
as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken. 2 And
Sarah conceived, and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of
which God had spoken to him. 3 And Abraham called the name of his son
that was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac. 4 And Abraham
circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded
him. 5 And Abraham was a hundred years old, when his son Isaac was
born unto him. 6 And Sarah said: 'God hath made laughter for me;
every one that hears will laugh on account of me.' 7 And she said:
'Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should give children suck? for I
have borne him a son in his old age.'
The Angels told them of the name Yitzchak but Sara did not want to
tell such a fantastic story to non-believers so she used this excuse.
8 And the child grew,
and was weaned. And Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was
weaned. 9 And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had
borne unto Abraham, making sport. 10 Wherefore she said unto Abraham:
'Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not
be heir with my son, even with Isaac.' 11 And the thing was very
grievous in Abraham's sight on account of his son. 12 And God said
unto Abraham: 'Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and
because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah says unto thee, hearken unto her
voice; for in Isaac shall seed be called to thee. 13 And also of the
son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy
seed.' 14 And Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread
and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and
the child, and sent her away; and she departed, and strayed in the wilderness
of Beer-sheba.
He sent her away with
supplies and not empty handed but a mistake or two in the desert and all could
be lost.
15 And the water in the
bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the
shrubs. 16 And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way
off, as it were a bow-shot; for she said: 'Let me not look upon the death of
the child.' And she sat over against him, and lifted up her voice, and
wept. 17 And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God
called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her: 'What ails thee, Hagar? fear
not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.
G-D heard is the meaning of
Yishma-el. So he was saved.
18 Arise, lift up the
lad, and hold him fast by thy hand; for I will make him a great
nation.' 19 And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and
she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad
drink. 20 And God was with the lad, and he grew; and he dwelt in the
wilderness, and became an archer. 21 And he dwelt in the wilderness
of Paran; and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt. {P}
22 And it came to pass at that time, that
Abimelech and Phicol the captain of his host spoke unto Abraham, saying: 'God
is with thee in all that thou doest. 23 Now therefore swear unto me
here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with
my son's son; but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou
shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.'
He grew up and became prolific.
24 And Abraham said: 'I will
swear.' 25 And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of the well of
water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away. 26 And
Abimelech said: 'I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell
me, neither yet heard I of it, but to-day.' 27 And Abraham took sheep
and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and they two made a
covenant. 28 And Abraham set seven ewe-lambs of the flock by themselves. 29 And
Abimelech said unto Abraham: 'What mean these seven ewe-lambs which thou hast
set by themselves?' 30 And he said: 'Verily, these seven ewe-lambs
shalt thou take of my hand, that it may be a witness unto me, that I have
digged this well.' 31 Wherefore that place was called Beer-sheba;
because there they swore both of them.
Literally the well of the oath that this well belongs to Avraham.
Afterwards he continued to live in the area of Beer Sheva for many years.
32 So
they made a covenant at Beer-sheba; and Abimelech rose up, and Phicol the
captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the
Philistines. 33 And Abraham planted a tamarisk-tree in Beer-sheba,
and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God. 34 And
Abraham sojourned in the land of the Philistines many days.
To be continued. The stories this week were longer than usual and
the lessons from Sodom in the days of WOKE culture and a society gone mad
deserves more discussion than normal to my great sorrow.
Chesped for Rabbi Dr. Moshe
Tendler
The Talmud (Mo’ed Katan25b)
relates that following the death of Rabba and Rav Yosef, the bridges over the
Euphrates collapsed into one another, and following the death of Abaye and
Rava, the bridges over the Tigris collapsed into one another. These great sages
were ‘bridges’ - ba’alei mesorah - connecting one generation to the next. And
their deaths marked the end of an era.
Moreinu HaRav Moshe Dovid Tendler
zt”l was a living link in the chain of tradition. He connected us to the
gedolim of the previous generations, all the way back to Sinai. And his death
too marks the end of an era.
Rav Tendler was many things: A
posek and a professor. A rosh yeshiva and a scientist. A world-class talmid
chacham with a Phd in microbiology. A communal leader and synagogue rabbi. But
to me, he was a Rebbe. His shiur was unlike any other in the yeshiva. Rav
Tendler wouldn’t get lost in abstractions, pilpulim, or lomdus. Instead, his
shiur focused on halacha l’ma’aseh, the practical application of halacha. The
sugya would come to life - pirouetting off the page of the Gemara - as Rav
Tendler would share real questions and cases he was involved in, drawing on
years of experience as a posek. We would often look together at the teshuvot of
his beloved shver, HaGa’on Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, with Rav Tendler providing
fascinating footnotes and important background information to the teshuvah.
Rav Tendler defined ‘Torah
L’shmah’ - the study of Torah for its own sake - as ‘L’shem Hora’ah,’ for the
sake of being able to rule; to render p’sak halacha. He would invoke Kiddushin
30a: “The words of Torah should be sharp in your mouth, so should someone ask
you a question you will not stammer - instead - answer him immediately.” And he
was critical of those who study in yeshiva or kollel for many years, but when
asked how to make a cup of tea on Shabbos, ‘don’t want to pasken.’
It was not uncommon for me to be
sitting with him in his office at Yeshiva University, or at his home in Monsey,
NY, and he would receive a phone call - usually from across the great expanses
of the globe - on some serious matter. And it was also not uncommon for him to
quickly gesture to me to pick up the phone and listen in on the conversation,
so I could hear how he navigated the complex question. He wanted his talmidim
to be competent and confident in answering a shayla. He was also the address
when the answer was unclear, or the question too great for a newly-minted
rabbi. We knew we could turn to him and he would guide us. One of the poskei
ha-dor was just a phone call away, always magnanimous, always generous with his
time.
It’s no surprise he was so
generous with his talmidim, he loved us. Chazal compare the talmid-rebbe
relationship to the parent-child relationship (Sifrei, Va’etchanan). This was
tangible to anyone who merited to be a talmid of Rav Tendler. He treated us
like his own children, and our children like his grandchildren. Our s’machot
were his s’machot, and our successes were his successes. He was deeply invested
in his talmidim, and was so proud of their accomplishments. Together with his
late Rebbetzin Sifra a”h, he would open up his home to us for Shabbat, Yom Tov,
and Chanukah. And we talmidim didn’t call him Rav. We called him Rebbe.
For decades, Rav Tendler served
with distinction as a Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan
Theological Seminary and Professor of Biology and Jewish Medical Ethics at
Yeshiva College. He entered the yeshiva at the age of thirteen in 1939, and in
his own words, “never left.” YU’s motto of Torah U’Madda was his own personal
mantra. But he would often quip that there should “be more Madda in the Torah
classes, and more Torah in the Madda classes!” He brought science into the Beit
Midrash and Torah into the laboratory. Sophisticated sugyot were illuminated by
scientific material, and his biology classes were peppered with statements of
Chazal.
As a preeminent posek and pioneer
in the field of Medical Halacha, Rav Tendler ruled on the most difficult and
delicate areas of halacha: Complicated questions of pikuach nefesh, end-of-life
issues, organ donation, agunot, abortion, and reproductive medicine. He
answered them all with a surgical precision, a great finesse, and with a great
sense of responsibility. He had broad shoulders and garnered the confidence of
the broad community, recognized as a leading authority.
In addition to his many
accomplishments, he also developed a cancer drug he named Refuin. A Time
Magazine article dated May 31, 1963 described how “the discovery made by Dr.
Moses D. Tendler... took on an aura of romance because he spends only part of
his time in the laboratory, the rest in his study as a Talmudic scholar.” Even
Time magazine couldn’t ignore this Kiddush Hashem. As the Mishnah he was fond
of quoting states, “Lovely is the study of Torah together with worldly
pursuits!” (Avot 2:2). How many can boast that their rosh yeshiva discovered a
cure for cancer?
Rav Tendler was an invaluable
resource to his saintly father-in-law, HaGa’on Rav Moshe Feinstein. When Rav
Moshe was posed with questions of medical procedures, or innovations in science
and technology, he turned to his beloved son-in-law. Rav Tendler is quoted in
tens and tens of teshuvot in the Igrot Moshe, providing the necessary medical
or scientific information needed to pasken the shayla.
His Torah was a ‘Torat Chayim,’ a
living, breathing Judaism that engages the modern world and confronts its
challenges. He believed that an understanding of science, technology, and the
metzi’ut is indispensable. He would point to how Rav spent eighteen months
among the shepherds studying what types of blemishes on animals heal and which
are permanent (Sanhedrin 5b), or how Rabbi Zeira was hesitant to rule on issues
of family purity without requisite knowledge of the physiology involved (Niddah
20b), or the Talmud’s critique of one who knows how to calculate the calendar
based on astronomy and the constellations but does not, as such calculations
are considered a “mitzvah” (Shabbat 75a). “There is wisdom found among the
gentiles” (Eicha Rabbah 2:13), and for Rav Tendler, an understanding of that
wisdom is sine qua non for deciding halacha.
A rare scholar, he was an expert
in both Torah and science. And he saw no conflict between the two. For him,
they lived together in perfect harmony. They complemented one another. He was
equally at home quoting Galen as he was quoting the Rambam. Equally at home in
the dalet amot of the Beit Midrash and the four ells of the science lab.
Returning from the funeral of
Rav, the Talmud (Berachot 42b-43a) records how his students sat by the river
and ate. When they finished and wanted to bentsch, a question arose to which
they had no answer. Rav Adda bar Ahavah stood up, rent his garment a second
time and said, “Rav has died and we have not learned from him the laws of
Birkat Ha-Mazon!” Now that Rav Tendler is gone, who will answer our questions?
Who will provide us with direction and guidance in the most difficult questions
of Medical Halacha, innovations in science, and advancements in technology?
Born in 1926, he would often say
that he was born in a “small shtetl in Europe, known as the Lower East Side of
Manhattan.” “Hitler killed more than six million Jews, he destroyed a culture
that you kids don’t even know about,” he would remark. And in his shiur we were
transported to a long-lost world where a man dressed in tatters knew every
Tosafot by heart and could be asked any question on any page of the Talmud. Rav
Tendler would share stories of how as a child he would accompany his maternal
grandfather, Rav Shalom Baumrind, known as the Boyaner Mohel to the fish market
for kapporos, where he would buy a live carp and place a piece of bread soaked
in schnapps in its mouth. He shared how the same grandfather would take him to
the Boyaner Rebbe’s tisch, which he remembered as being regal and majestic, but
to his grandfather’s chagrin, still refused to take the Rebbe’s shi’rayim. He
recalled how his grandmother used to cut the bottoms of carrots first, as it’s
not to chop off the head.
He connected us to the gedolim of
previous generations. As a bachur, he would read the Gemara for an elderly,
blind Rav Yosef Eliyahu Henkin zt”l who sat on wooden orange crates so as not
to take money from the yeshiva for furniture. He shared stories of his father,
Rav Yitzchak Isaac Tendler zt”l, who served as a Rosh Yeshiva at RJJ and the
Rav of the Kaminetzer Shul for decades, and his father’s rebbe Rav Baruch
Boruch Ber Leibowitz zt”l. Unpublished, little known anecdotes and chiddushim
from the Rav, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik zt”l along with other former RIETS
roshei yeshiva from long ago. Stories of his interactions with Torah luminaries
like Rav Kahaneman zt”l, Rav Hutner zt”l, and the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l.
Often, while relating a story about his beloved shver, Rav Moshe, Rav Tendler
would have to hold back the tears.
For Rav Tendler, sharing these
stories and anecdotes was not ‘bittul Torah.’ “Even the mundane conversations
of Talmidei Chachamim requires study” (Avoda Zara 19b). He was connecting us
with the mesorah. He taught his students more than just a ‘blatt Gemara,’he
gave us a glimpse into greatness.
Rav Tendler was a towering
intellectual giant, but at the same time very down to earth, and easily
approachable. He was famous for his wry sense of humor. He possessed a sharp
wit and biting sarcasm. Always quick with a comment or a comeback. Once when
asked by a student if a certain decadent dessert made with dairy equipment can
be eaten after meat, he scratched his beard and wondered aloud if it should be
eaten at all, given just how unhealthy it is.
As a posek he could be
unyielding, uncompromising, and unapologetic. He lived the Torah’s charge to
the dayyan: “You shall not tremble before any man” (Devraim 1:17). Whether it
was brain death, metzitza b’peh, or ascending the Temple Mount, he was unafraid
to take a controversial position, even at great personal cost. He strove for
truth, often quoting the Maharshal’s comment that any distortion of the Torah
is yehareg ve’al ya’avor (See Yam Shel Shlomo, Bava Kamma 4:9) or Rav
Soloveitchik’s comparison of a posek who errs to a false prophet.
He had an illustrious career,
spanning decades dedicated to Jewish communal life. As a rosh yeshiva and the
rabbi of Community Synagogue of Monsey, he helped shape Orthodoxy in America in
the 20th Century. His books and dozens of scholarly articles on the
intersection of halacha, science and medicine guided generations, and will
continue to guide generations to come. He was blessed with arichut yamim, and
continued giving shiurim until his most recent illness made it too difficult.
He drew strength from his great love for the Torah and his great love for his
talmidim.
“From Moshe to Moshe, no one
arose like Moshe.” Like Moshe Rabbeinu, Moshe ben Maimon, and Rav Moshe
Feinstein, Rav Tendler taught Torah to generations, connecting them to our
mesorah.
Upon learning of the death of his
teacher and master, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva rent his garments and cried out,
“Woe is me, my teacher! Woe is me, my teacher! My master, who has left the
entire generation orphaned!” (Avot D’Rebbi Natan, 25).
With the passing of Moreinu HaRav
Moshe Dovid Tendler zt”l, our generation is orphaned. But he leaves a lasting
legacy in the myriads of talmidim he taught and inspired. Yehi zichro baruch.
Shimshon HaKohen Nadel lives and
teaches in Jerusalem, where he serves as mara d’atra of Har Nof’s Kehilat
Zichron Yosef and Rosh Kollel of the Sinai Kollel.
Hook-up culture harder to get married.- by Judy Gruen
https://www.aish.com/ci/s/Easy-Intimacy-Is-Making-It-Harder-for-Women-to-Get-Married.html?s=mpw
This article is for a mature
and Torah Structured Audience
A few weeks ago I was at an outdoor café, intent on getting
some reading done, but I was distracted by the conversation between two
20-something young women at the next table. One was complaining to her friend
that her boyfriend, whom she lived with, wouldn’t get serious about the
relationship, took her for granted, and was insensitive to her feelings on a
regular basis. Since the two were already living together, I supposed that “get
serious” meant some discussion about marriage.
The friend listened thoughtfully, but both women remained
stumped by the problem. What could the girlfriend do to make her boyfriend
behave more attentively?
The Jewish mother in me wanted to sidle over, lightly touch
the young woman on her arm, and say, “Dump him, honey. You deserve more
respect. And next time, don’t move in with a guy before you’re married! Then
you’ll know he’s serious!”
Obviously, I kept my mouth shut, but I felt for her,
knowing that her plight is all too common today. A large majority of women
today, despite their ability to support themselves in satisfying careers, yearn
for the commitment of marriage. On the flip side, there is a growing number of
“Peter Pans” out there, happy to dawdle along in uncommitted romances, or in a
so-called “friends with benefits” basis. Women are not only outpacing men in
attaining college degrees and in other measures of professional achievement,
but also, increasingly, in their aspirations to marry.
What is creating this yawning gap
between women’s and men’s attitudes towards marriage? In his new book, Cheap
Sex: The Transformation of Men, Marriage, and Monogamy, Mark Regnerus
argues that a perfect storm of technological advances – the birth control pill,
and much more recently, online dating and widespread access to pornography –
have eroded the perceived value of marriage. In the last fifteen years,
marriage rates have continued to fall as both online dating and porn have
skyrocketed. Regnerus doesn’t think this is a coincidence.
Regnerus, an associate professor of
sociology at the University of Texas, Austin, recently wrote about his findings
in the Wall Street Journal, noting, “Marriage is in open retreat.”
In 2015, the percentage of never-marrieds aged 25 to 34 outnumbered marrieds of
the same age range by 53% to 40%, an almost complete flip from 2000, when the
marrieds in the same age cohort outnumbered the never-marrieds by 55% to 34%.
The author dismisses arguments that
the marriage dip stems from economic concerns. Among other data, Regnerus noted
a May 2017 study from the National Bureau of Economic Research showing that
marriage rates remained stagnant even in regions where wages and jobs were
booming from the fracking industry. While most men still want to marry,
Regnerus states, they keep kicking that can further and further down the road,
for a time “when their independence becomes less valuable to them.” The median
age for marriage for American men today hovers around 30.
His conclusions are based on
research from several nationally-representative surveys, in-person interviews
with 100 men and women, and theories of other social scientists. His findings
are both “straightforward and primal.”
“For American men, sex has become
rather cheap,” he wrote in the WSJ. “As compared to the past, many women today
expect little in return for sex, in terms of time, attention, commitment or
fidelity. Men, in turn, do not feel compelled to supply these goods as they
once did.”
The scientific breakthrough that
allowed women to “play the field” like a man and empower her to be equal to a
man has backfired spectacularly for marriage-minded women. Economically
independent women don’t need to marry for financial support, making marriage a
values-based option. But despite their economic parity with men, women remain
at the mercy of men who won’t commit.
The author’s thesis has hit a nerve. Margaret Wente’s
recent column in the Globe and Mail was titled “Why are good men so hard to find?” and cited
Regnerus’ book as further evidence of the dismal dating market she sees around
her today, one that reflects a colossal inequity in male-female relationships.
“Since the women's cartel collapsed,” Wente wrote, “women's
bargaining power has seriously eroded. That's why so many single women hate
Tinder, which has further commodified sex for the benefit of men. Women are
just another consumer good in the shop window.
It may take a village to raise a child. But it takes a
village to raise a husband, too. And modern society has largely abdicated from
the job. ‘Good husband material doesn't occur naturally, but is instead the
product (in part) of socialization, development, and social control,’ Mr.
Regnerus writes. "[I]n the domain of sex and relationships men will act as
nobly as women collectively demand."
In contrast, Judaism regards physical intimacy as a sacred
expression of love between a married couple. Jewish philosophy regards marriage
as the foundation for a healthy society, and the ideal framework for personal,
spiritual and social stability and satisfaction. Judaism teaches men to equate
responsibility with manliness, and teaches women to equate their innate power
to attract as something to be treasured, a gift to be bestowed only on a man
who is committed to her.
It is women, not men, who tend to be exploited in sexual
relationships. The boundaries Jewish law sets around physical intimacy are
meant to teach and reinforce the self-control that men and women need in these
highly charged encounters to avoid emotional and physical exploitation. And as
current trends demonstrate, the transformation of sex from a protected and
consecrated act into just another recreational option hurts women in many ways,
not least of which is through degrading the institution of marriage.
Of course, life is never simple. There are numerous
pressures that work against marriage today, including a rising number of women
and men who have opted for the single life. Traditional Jewish marriages
sometimes fail despite our religious and philosophical framework, and many
couples live together first and then build successful marriages. But the
trendlines that continue to devalue marriage are real, and too many women have
discovered to their dismay and frustration what Regnerus has confirmed: the
“sexual freedom” that women thought would make them equal to men instead, too
often, leaves them stuck with Peter Pans who won’t grow up, as they yearn for
marriage and children that may never come.
There is a new popular TV show in Israel and my wife and I began
to watch it. It is called “Marriage at first sight”. Not a real Halachic
Marriage per sec in fact seclusion together that even without consummation
might require a GET Le Chumra (A bill of divorce because they lived in the same
apartment together consummation or not is a Sofek Marriage.)
What we saw on our screen was disturbing in a number of ways. Our
grandchildren are Shidduch Age and know that they will have to check the
background of the potential partner and look into the personality on meetings.
Within a few dates, they are expected to decide if the personality that they
are seeing before them is worth being with for 50 or more years.
Back to our TV couples they are in the same apartment whether or
not they have a relationship is not important. We have seen some females aged
30+ that need their space and cannot share anything with their potential
partner. More like living with a College Roommate than a mate in terms of
husband and wife. We also saw men who were clueless or not willing to commit.
We saw a man in a restaurant with his partner watch ask the female cook for the
recipe and she got jealous as if he wanted to make a play for her many miles
from where he lived.
The conclusion that my wife and I reached is that people who get
married young tend to stay together unless there is a personality conflict,
death of a partner or some other extenuating factor. The chance of remarriage
is higher than two people over 30 who were never married. WORLD WAKE UP!
Shadow of Chernobyl, I
found out that I was Jewish at Age 16.
By Rabbi Shraga Simmons
https://www.aish.com/sp/so/In-the-Shadow-of-Chernobyl-I-Found-Out-I-was-Jewish-at-Age-16.html?s=shl
Growing up in the
Soviet Union during the 1980s, Masha Merkulova didn’t realize she was Jewish.
Despite having Jewish aunts and uncles, being Jewish was never spoken about at
home. One time she probed, asking her parents about a possible Jewish heritage.
“What difference does it make?” her non-Jewish father replied. “It's not like
you could start going to synagogue – because there are none!”
“The Soviet Union
succeeded in stamping out the Jewish identity of millions of people,"
Masha said during an Aish.com interview. "Our only identity was that of a
Soviet. Nobody ever mentioned anything about being Jewish. Our main concern
was: Is there bread in the store?”
But Masha did
experience some curiosities at home. “Once a year, in springtime, I’d be
instructed to eat burnt crackers that would magically appear from an
underground bakery. And my mother lit a memorial candle for her mother – on the
Gregorian date, because she had no access to a Jewish calendar.”
Masha’s destiny changed
in 1986 following the catastrophic meltdown of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor.
With the Ukrainian wind blowing north, Belarus suffered the worst radiation.
Twelve-year-old Masha – her mother a doctor and her father working in the
health ministry – became acutely aware of the health issues involved.
“After the accident,
the Soviet government was paying triple-salary for people to work in Chernobyl.
We had friends who went there with their families – and they all died quickly
and painfully,” she says.
Soon after, Masha’s
mother traveled to America to visit her brother in the San Francisco Bay Area.
When she returned, Masha became obsessed with the idea of emigrating from the
Soviet Union. “We have to get out!” she told her parents. “I want to have a
normal life with normal children, not mutants.”
Masha took charge and
mailed an application to the U.S. requesting refugee status, with her uncle
listed as sponsor. Despite numerous attempts, the paperwork never made it
through. “Someone finally told me that for reliable mail delivery, I need to
leave the Soviet Union and mail it from another country. So when I was 14, I
joined a school trip to Poland – just to mail our documents.”
These were tense years
for Soviet émigrés; refuseniks like Natan Sharansky were
imprisoned in the Gulag. Yet Masha had no awareness of their plight; she didn’t
yet know she was Jewish.
Then, at age 16, she
was in a government office filling out some forms. For nationality, she wrote
“Russian.” The clerk, noting the Jewish-sounding name of Masha’s mother’s, Riva
Levovna, shouted: “Don’t you realize you’re Jewish?!”
Masha went to school
the next day and told everyone, “Guess what – I'm Jewish!” Some classmates
looked at her funny, but she was oblivious to any negative connotation. When
someone called her a derogatory term in Russian, Zhid, she
shot back: “So what if your nationality is Russian. Does that make you any
better?”
It took her family six
years to get out. In 1992, an 18-year-old Masha arrived in the Bay Area, eyes
wide open to a new frontier… and virtually zero Jewish identity.
A registered nurse,
Masha worked in a maternity critical care unit to help support her family. It
would take nearly a decade in America to experience a Jewish awakening.
“I wanted my son to
get a Jewish education, so I signed him up for Jewish day school,” she says.
“That increased my exposure to the Jewish community, but I still felt
disconnected. My English was not yet good, my Hebrew was worse, and I was even
unfamiliar with the songs.”
The school sent home a
weekly newsletter that included Israel-related articles. This planted a seed of
interest, and during the 2005 Gaza disengagement, Masha found herself “craving
information and crying my eyes out at the uprooting of Jewish homes.”
She turned to her
Jewish friends, but found them generally “unconcerned and even unaware.” Two
weeks later, at a family weekend at a Jewish overnight camp, Masha asked the
professionals running the event to explain the Mideast situation.
“Unfortunately, most were either uninformed or uninterested in what was going
on,” she says. “This seeming lack of connection to Israel disturbed me.”
A year later was the
Second Lebanon War. “My relatives in northern Israel were running to bomb
shelters. Meanwhile, my colleagues at work were standing around the nurses’
station, engaged in Israel-bashing, accusing Israel of apartheid and war
crimes. I knew it was all untrue, but I didn’t have the facts to confront
them.”
Just then, another
nurse, originally from Ghana, walked in and gave an informed defense of Israel,
using historical, archaeological, biblical, and ethical arguments. Feeling
inadequate to defend her own people, Masha committed to becoming an educated
Jew.
Masha came across Aish.com
which became her go-to site every day.
That evening, Masha
did a Google Search and came across Aish.com. She was instantly attracted to
the mix of Jewish national, historic, religious and traditional elements.
“Aish.com became my go-to site every day,” she says. “I watched all the videos
and Lori Almost Live. I read all the articles on holidays, current events, and Torah
portion. I devoured the website. One article spoke about lighting Shabbat candles every week, and that was the first piece of observance I
took on. It made huge difference in giving our home a Jewish flavor.”
Masha also went on the
Momentum trip for moms to Israel (“It was amazing!”), and began keeping kosher
after hearing an audio class by Rabbi Benny Friedman.
What
bothered Masha most of all was that many American Jews seemed uneducated – and
worse, apathetic – about the relevance of Israel to their lives.
“If it
was any other national movement, American Jews would be at the forefront. For
many Americans, Judaism starts with tikkun olam and ends
with tzedakah, charity. The community is very good at
fulfilling ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue’ (Deut. 16:20). But many forget
the second half of the verse, ‘So you will thrive and possess the land which I
am giving you.’ Israel is both the name of the land and the name of the people.
Jewish identity and Israel are deeply interconnected.”
Masha
perceives a fundamental misperception of the role of Zionism in America today.
“Many American Jews think that Zionism is only about making aliyah. It's also
about pride in Jewish identity. Jews are being attacked in the streets for
looking Jewish, irrespective of whether we support Israel or have family there.
A Jew who cares about Israel is connected to both Jewish history and destiny.
Standing up for Israel is standing up for yourself. Because if Hamas could get
away with bombing synagogues in America, they’d do it.”
Frustrated,
Masha summoned her feisty Soviet spirit and decided to change the situation.
“The Soviet Union did a great job of raising me to be a justice warrior,” she
says. “We’d march down the street for Nicaraguan rights and Cuban rights. Of course,
it was all just a show – because it was never about our own rights, but rather
about building communism around the world.”
Masha’s
nursing background came in handy, too. “I come from the world of medicine which
taught me to diagnose a problem,” she explains. “What is really going on and
how do we cut to the chase? I call things out and name them as they are. I'm
not politically correct or especially diplomatic. If I see a way to treat the
problem, I’ll pursue it.”
Seeking to identify
the core issue, Masha focused on the explosion of anti-Semitic bullying on college campuses, where Jewish students are ostracized
from progressive groups unless they first renounce their Jewish identity and
deny Israel's right to exist.
“College students
are entering a war zone,” she says, pointing to the extremist Students for Justice in
Palestine (SJP); Israel Apartheid Week operating on hundreds of campuses; and the infamous
Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement. “We’re sending our kids to a hostile environment and
they feel helpless and alone.”
Investigating further,
Masha was shocked to discover that even college students who attended Jewish
day school knew little about Israel. “They had no context of how the 1948 war
came about, or how the 1967 war helped transform Jewish destiny,” she says.
“Sure, they knew about cherry tomatoes, but once they got to college they’re
told, ‘Israelis are thieves who plant cherry tomatoes on Palestinian land!’
Parents are giving their children everything that they can – yet they send them
out into the world not knowing the true story of Israel.”
Masha cites the
example of a Jewish teen from a family of prominent pro-Israel donors. “By the
spring of her freshman year at Berkeley, this young woman was parading around
Berkeley with a Palestinian flag, and later became the founder and director of
organizations demonizing Israel and the Jewish people. When Jewish teens become
standard-bearers of anti-Israel movements on campus, it’s time for parents to
re-evaluate where their money is going.”
The reality hit home
in 2011, when Masha’s son came home from synagogue Hebrew school saying they’d
viewed an anti-Israel movie. Masha watched the film, Promises, promoted by PBS. “If you don't know anything about Israel,
you’ll walk away from this film thinking that Israeli soldiers shoot
Palestinians for sport, and that religious Jews are the scariest thing in the
entire country.”
With this, Masha
concluded that the problem begins one stage prior to campus life: in high
school. She discovered that in high schools, pro-Israel students are often
bullied by other students, given lower grades, and intimidated not to exercise
free speech.
“The principal of one
Bay Area Jewish school was adamant that American Jews do not need Israel, and
said, ‘If we have to rewrite our holy books, then so be it.’ This year we had
incidents at high school graduations where the valedictorian speaker suddenly
started shouting: ‘Free Palestine!’ That's the kind of indoctrination that
teens are getting.”
While various Jewish
organizations provide high school students with pro-Israel programming, Masha
decries the seeming dearth of young, pro-Israel leaders. “A few meetings or an
annual conference is great, but then what? The American Jewish community
invests hundreds of millions of dollars annually on teen education, sending
them to all the best Jewish camps and programs. Yet few of these students speak
up or take leadership roles in student government. Nobody has figured out this
critical audience.”
The situation is
indeed dire. A recent survey of America Jews under age 40 shows that 33% believe Israel
is committing genocide against the Palestinians, and 38% consider Israel an
apartheid state (with another 15% "unsure").
Masha is alarmed by
the barrage of anti-Israel content on social media. “Fashion model Bella Hadid, an outspoken critic of Israel
whose father is Palestinian, has 44 million Instagram followers,” she says.
“That’s triple the total number of Jews in the world! If this is reduced to a
game of numbers, we’re never going to win.”
In
2015, with confidence and clarity in her mission – “providing teens with a safe
space to explore, interact, and develop a genuine pro-Israel identity” – Masha
shifted into action mode. She located a study curriculum dealing with Jewish
identity and Israel, and the Palo Alto JCC agreed to provide space. Masha
arranged speakers and activities, her son invited some eighth-grade friends,
and the kids returned week after week.
“The
formula worked,” she says. “The more these teens learned about Israel, the more
they related to it as special and cool.”
Today,
Club Z operates full-time in five U.S. cities, with a calendar that includes
weekly study sessions, hangouts and retreats – plus an annual conference and
annual trip to Israel. “It’s a support network,” Masha explains. “A safe place
for teens to bravely say, ‘I am a Zionist’ – without fear of harassment,
intimidation, or violence.”
The
key to Club Z’s success is sustained, in-depth education. “People think you can
attend a three-hour workshop and come out with all the necessary confidence and
information. No band-aid will stop the hemorrhaging. Developing an identity
takes time, effort, respect and discussion. We encourage students to understand
and articulate both sides of an argument, and to conduct their own
research. We want them to have deep knowledge, not just talking points. For
example, at our annual national conference, we don't just invite speakers to
deliver one talk and fly away. They come and spend the entire weekend, so the
kids can comfortably pose their questions and interact.”
Masha
tells of one Club Z staff member who ran into an old friend, a staunch progressive,
and they shared updates on their career paths. “I work with an indigenous
rights organization, fighting for social and racial justice,” the Club Z
staffer explained. “We run educational programs for the tribal youth, teaching
them about their history, their heritage, and connection to their ancestral
land. We empower these youth to lead the liberation movement.”
“Wow,”
the friend said. “That’s so amazing! What’s the name of this tribe?”
“The
tribe of Judah,” the staffer said. At which point, the friend did a
double-take, saying, “Huh! I never thought about it!”
Masha contends that
pro-Israel activism has less to do with actual “defense” of Israel and more
about the positive way it impacts the activists. “Israel is a sovereign
country, thousands of miles away, with a powerful military that can defend
itself. The fact that anti-Israel sentiment takes place in the schools is not
something that threatens or worries most Israelis. Instead, defending Israel is
more about coming to one’s own place of identity. It is a privilege and an
honor to play a role in your people's history.”
Club Z supplies
college-bound students with the facts, skills, and confidence to proactively
speak out. Masha tells of one Club Z member who went off to college and hung an
Israeli flag over her bed. Her Asian roommate challenged: “Why do you support
Israel? It’s such a horrible place! IDF soldiers are baby killers!” The Jewish
student responded by opening her laptop and saying, “Ask me any question about
Israel.” They sat together for hours, while the Jewish student debunked –
point-by-point – her roommate’s misconceptions.
Masha emphasizes the
importance of using the right language. “Instead of saying that Jews were
‘exiled from our land,’ we should speak about being ‘ethnically cleansed by
imperialist colonizers’. This is the language that people today understand.”
Club Z does not shy
away from confrontation. When San Francisco State University invited
Palestinian terrorist Leila Khaled (involved in the 1972 Olympic murders) to
deliver a Zoom webinar, Club Z spearheaded a successful campaign to get the
talk cancelled. “Terrorists do not have First Amendment rights,” Club Z teens
reminded those in charge. “Khaled is not allowed to step foot on American soil,
so why give her the opportunity to speak on a virtual platform?!”
What bothered Masha
most of all was that many American Jews seemed uneducated – and worse,
apathetic – about the relevance of Israel to their lives.
“If it was any other
national movement, American Jews would be at the forefront. For many Americans,
Judaism starts with tikkun olam and ends with tzedakah, charity.
The community is very good at fulfilling ‘Justice, justice you shall pursue’
(Deut. 16:20). But many forget the second half of the verse, ‘So you will
thrive and possess the land which I am giving you.’ Israel is both the name of
the land and the name of the people. Jewish identity and Israel are deeply
interconnected.”
Masha perceives a
fundamental misperception of the role of Zionism in America today. “Many
American Jews think that Zionism is only about making aliyah. It's also about
pride in Jewish identity. Jews are being attacked in the streets for looking
Jewish, irrespective of whether we support Israel or have family there. A Jew
who cares about Israel is connected to both Jewish history and destiny.
Standing up for Israel is standing up for yourself. Because if Hamas could get
away with bombing synagogues in America, they’d do it.”
In
2015, with confidence and clarity in her mission – “providing teens with a safe
space to explore, interact, and develop a genuine pro-Israel identity” – Masha
shifted into action mode. She located a study curriculum dealing with Jewish
identity and Israel, and the Palo Alto JCC agreed to provide space. Masha arranged
speakers and activities, her son invited some eighth-grade friends, and the
kids returned week after week.
“The
formula worked,” she says. “The more these teens learned about Israel, the more
they related to it as special and cool.”
Today,
Club Z operates full-time in five U.S. cities, with a calendar that includes
weekly study sessions, hangouts and retreats – plus an annual conference and
annual trip to Israel. “It’s a support network,” Masha explains. “A safe place
for teens to bravely say, ‘I am a Zionist’ – without fear of harassment,
intimidation, or violence.”
The
key to Club Z’s success is sustained, in-depth education. “People think you can
attend a three-hour workshop and come out with all the necessary confidence and
information. No band-aid will stop the hemorrhaging. Developing an identity
takes time, effort, respect and discussion. We encourage students to understand
and articulate both sides of an argument, and to conduct their own
research. We want them to have deep knowledge, not just talking points. For
example, at our annual national conference, we don't just invite speakers to
deliver one talk and fly away. They come and spend the entire weekend, so the
kids can comfortably pose their questions and interact.”
Masha
tells of one Club Z staff member who ran into an old friend, a staunch
progressive, and they shared updates on their career paths. “I work with an
indigenous rights organization, fighting for social and racial justice,” the
Club Z staffer explained. “We run educational programs for the tribal youth,
teaching them about their history, their heritage, and connection to their
ancestral land. We empower these youth to lead the liberation movement.”
“Wow,”
the friend said. “That’s so amazing! What’s the name of this tribe?”
“The
tribe of Judah,” the staffer said. At which point, the friend did a
double-take, saying, “Huh! I never thought about it!”
Masha tells of one
Club Z staff member who ran into an old friend, a staunch progressive, and they
shared updates on their career paths. “I work with an indigenous rights
organization, fighting for social and racial justice,” the Club Z staffer
explained. “We run educational programs for the tribal youth, teaching them
about their history, their heritage, and connection to their ancestral land. We
empower these youth to lead the liberation movement.”
“Wow,” the friend
said. “That’s so amazing! What’s the name of this tribe?”
“The tribe of Judah,”
the staffer said. At which point, the friend did a double-take, saying, “Huh! I
never thought about it!”
Masha contends that
pro-Israel activism has less to do with actual “defense” of Israel and more
about the positive way it impacts the activists. “Israel is a sovereign
country, thousands of miles away, with a powerful military that can defend
itself. The fact that anti-Israel sentiment takes place in the schools is not
something that threatens or worries most Israelis. Instead, defending Israel is
more about coming to one’s own place of identity. It is a privilege and an
honor to play a role in your people's history.”
Looking to the future,
Club Z is poised to expand. “We run pilot programs to assess whether a city has
sufficient community support,” Masha explains. “The key is to assemble a small
group of dedicated parents who become ambassadors and assist with the programs.
This way, we not only influence teens, but entire families.”
Masha says it is also
crucial to find local educators who have the background and credibility – and
can relate to teens. Club Z recently opened a branch in Charlotte, North
Carolina, where they met Rabbi
Chanoch Oppenheim of the Charlotte Torah
Center, who’d studied and taught at Aish Jerusalem. “Rabbi Oppenheim is a rare
rabbi who can relate to teens and not be preachy,” Masha says. “Everyone raves
about him, and I am super-excited to partner with the Torah Center on our
programs.”
These days, the
connection between Israel and Jewish destiny is easier to make, Masha says.
“The 2021 war with Hamas triggered a wave of anti-Israel and violent
anti-Semitic sentiment across America. The intensity of hate was demoralizing
for American Jews. It brought home to many young people that they can’t be
silent any more. Particularly, children from progressive homes are now
realizing who their friends really are.
“We will only see
genuine change when Jews take a stand as Jews. The antisemitic genie is out of
the bottle. We need a generation of proud Jews who are not afraid to stand up
for who they are.”
Asst.
Rabbi of Park East Schul fired. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315445
Milestone
Rabbi Maklouf Fahima, 84, senior N. African Rabbi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315453
Milestone
David Sompolinsky, 100, Holocaust Hero and Microbiologist. https://www.timesofisrael.com/microbiologist-and-holocaust-hero-david-sompolinsky-dies-at-100/
Milestone
Colin Powell, 84, for head of Joint Chiefs of Staff, Secretary of State spoke
some Yiddish. https://www.foxnews.com/health/colin-powell-cancer-what-is-multiple-myeloma
Inyanay Diyoma
Chinese
know how to steal US Technology as they develop hypersonic earth circling
missile. https://www.timesofisrael.com/china-secretly-tests-earth-circling-nuclear-capable-hypersonic-missile-report/
IDF
upgrades plans as people ignore Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315179
Iranian
Air Defense Exercise. https://www.debka.com/irans-biggest-ever-air-defense-exercise-ready-for-any-threat-from-us-or-israel/
Yeted Neeman reported that this week the US, Germany, Italy, UK,
India, Greece and Israel have a multi-air force drill in Israel. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/14/israel-to-kick-off-largest-ever-international-air-drill-with-forces-from-seven-nations/
After the
successful cyber-attack on Hospital 9 more come under attack but defense wards
it off. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/hy5mghyby
Ali kills
Parliamentarian in terror attack. https://www.timesofisrael.com/terror-suspect-in-uk-politicians-murder-identified/
Police
have lead in Developer Murder. https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-police-have-lead-on-potential-killer-of-real-estate-developer/
Officer
Advancement delayed after he pushes interfering Jew and Arab on camera. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-nominally-censures-officer-who-used-excess-force-on-protesters-palestinian/
Virus
Czar very cautious fears 5th wave. https://www.timesofisrael.com/virus-czar-warns-against-easing-covid-restrictions-too-quickly-fearing-5th-wave/
Jewish Taliban dressed sect being prevented from reaching Iran. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315176
Conflict
on Consulate could break up government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315186
Green
Code goes into effect. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315182
Hamas
sends a strong msg. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315166
Lava
Tsunami on La Palma. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315181
Wild –
Wild Negev Ed-Op. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byqgrubrk
Allow
Jewish Prayer on Temple Mt. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rj5yynbry
Most Charedi Rabbis are against going up to the mount because of
Tuma.
Fast
track immigration for Jewish MD’s as interns quit. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/rkf1qekbf
Deterioration
in the USA as cops ambushed in Houston. https://www.foxnews.com/us/houston-deputy-killed-injured-ambush-attack
Woman
raped on train as nobody did anything. https://nypost.com/2021/10/16/passengers-did-nothing-during-rape-on-philadelphia-train-cops/
Who is
running the White House. https://www.foxnews.com/media/judge-jeanine-reveals-who-she-believes-is-running-the-white-house
Robert
Durst on ventilator after sentencing. https://www.timesofisrael.com/robert-durst-on-ventilator-with-covid-19-days-after-murder-sentencing/
Daytona
Vendor sells Nazi Gear. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1jnl4frt
He repented
for the last 5 years but is now a vegetable. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315191
Jewish
History being erased. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315196
Antisemitic
NYT blasts M. Bialik. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/14/new-york-times-faults-jeopardy-host-mayim-bialik-for-pro-israel-stance/
Miserable
Spirit haunted by lover in Babylonian Find. https://www.timesofisrael.com/oldest-known-drawing-of-ghost-found-on-ancient-babylonian-clay-tablet/
Shimon
Peres and abuse of women. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-labor-mk-recalls-difficult-memories-of-alleged-80s-sexual-assault-by-peres/
Strong
Israeli Economy harsh on PLO Supporters. https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-blame-shekel-surplus-for-weighing-down-west-bank-economy/
Non-Jewish
UK Actor abused for playing Jew. https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-actor-faces-relentless-abuse-for-playing-jewish-character-in-bbc-series/
700
bereaved children celebrate Bar & Bas Mitzvah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315183
Ganz a
headache for Coalition. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315161
Biden’s
Mandates ruining the USA. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315184
Woman
sets fire in front of Yeshiva. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315153
Bennett
to ask Putin to curb Iran by border. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315246
US new
Covid Tourist Policy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315244
89% of
Netflix Palestinian Stories from BDS
fiction. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315241
Scuba
Diver finds Crusader Sword. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315245
Joe Biden
Chant goes Global. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315252
Probe to
study Jupiter’s Trojan Asteroids. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315249
Ed-Op
Glick Lapid-Bennett policy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315215
Two
minors with an airsoft rifle injure Arab minor. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315226
Child
kidnapped in the Bronx in broad daylight. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315209
100 or
107 Arabs Mafia Victims. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-gunned-down-in-deir-al-asad-marking-100th-arab-israeli-homicide-in-2021/
Cyber
attack on hospitals were probably from corrupt Chinese. https://www.timesofisrael.com/top-cyber-official-hospital-attack-purely-financial-likely-by-chinese-group/
Eiland
Cyber attacks a great threat to security. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h194tbybf
Hamas
sentences two to death two jail. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-sentences-2-to-death-2-to-hard-labor-for-collaborating-with-israel/
Expecting
2000 Hezballah Rockets daily. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-official-israel-expects-hezbollah-to-fire-2000-rockets-a-day-in-wartime/
India –
Israel is our most trusted partner. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-is-our-most-trusted-partner-says-indias-foreign-minister-in-jerusalem/
Haifa-wild
boar attacks 70year old. https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/rkogv115ry#autoplay
Dangerous
Iranian Nuclear Expansion. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/17/saudi-foreign-minister-warns-of-dangerous-iran-nuclear-acceleration/
$300,000,000
to buy Triple Jump. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/17/medical-device-giant-medtronic-to-acquire-israels-triple-jump-for-300-million/
Israel is
angry with Biden Admin. https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/israel-demanding-answers-after-biden-quietly-removed-sanctions-iranian-missile
US has robotic AI force in Gulf. https://www.debka.com/us-sets-up-new-robotic-marine-air-task-force-operated-by-ai-in-arabian-gulf/
Money talks
BS walks. https://www.cnbc.com/2021/10/19/southwest-vaccine-mandate-unpaid-leave-exemptions.html
In 1957
Sputnik was launched sparking the Space Race but China did not move
Biden. https://www.foxnews.com/media/china-missile-test-mike-gallagher-sputnik-moment
More
arrested in cold cult murder case. https://www.timesofisrael.com/3-more-arrested-over-cold-case-murders-from-80s-90s-tied-to-hasidic-cult/
Shaked
slams left. https://www.timesofisrael.com/shaked-slams-coalition-partners-after-rabin-memorial-stop-the-wild-incitement/
Worker
falls to death from hot air balloon. https://www.timesofisrael.com/makes-me-shudder-man-photographed-hot-air-balloon-operator-before-fatal-fall/
IDF Officer
from civil administrator was tried for sexual bribes and rape. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkldfi6sk
A rose or
manure by another other name. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/rjxvxhary
Hezballah
sabre rattling not against Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hky7wo3bf
Another
murder in the Arab Sector. https://www.timesofisrael.com/2nd-man-murdered-in-umm-al-fahm-in-24-hours-amid-surging-arab-death-toll/
Israel-UAE
cooperation in moon exploration. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-and-uae-flags-on-moon-nations-said-planning-space-collaboration-deal/
Murdered by
UK inJustice. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315382
Covid AY4.2
arrives in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315360
Police
arrest 22 Arab near Schem Gate. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315352
Roads were
closed near Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315334
Rome
antisemite defeated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315374
N. Korea
challenges Biden. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315362
Need a
larger defense budget. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315343
New tax law
discriminates against Yehuda and the Shomron. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315341
Defense
Ministry approves residency for 4000 Arabs. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315325
Missionaries in
the IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315323
Iran takes
porn and models to target Israelis. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315333
The history
of the world Part II to be produced. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315330
Bari Weiss
talks to CNN of a Crazy World. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315331
Pray for
Rabbi Baruch Mordechai Ezrachi Shlita. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315313
Israel to
approve Sputnik Vax. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315342
Napthali
and Tony team up in Basketball. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315324
Earthquake
near enough to Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315308
MK's
physical altercation. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryymw82bk#autoplay
Foreigners
to be hired to fill tech jobs. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/bytgzhhrt
Portugal
honors diplomat who defied government and issued visas during Holocaust. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1mgorhsf
Court
rejects Pedophile's libel suit. https://www.timesofisrael.com/court-rejects-pedophiles-lawsuit-against-rabbi-who-likened-him-to-a-terrorist/
Says will
come back soon. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-losing-power-netanyahu-said-to-have-promised-putin-ill-be-back-soon/
Diplomats
want better conditions. https://www.timesofisrael.com/blasting-finance-ministry-diplomats-kick-off-fight-for-better-conditions/
Dr.
Levine becomes the first trans-4 star Admiral. https://www.aol.com/news/rachel-levine-nation-highest-ranking-144956634.html
Shopping
for hardware to stop Iran’s Nukes. https://www.debka.com/israels-1-5bn-shopping-list-for-a-potential-offensive-on-irans-nuclear-program/
W.H. and
Israel talking normalization with Saudis. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/white-house-discussing-israel-normalization-with-saudis/
Israel to
combat climate change. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/israeli-president-herzog-announces-forum-to-combat-climate-change/ People forget that the CREATOR is in
charge and not man.
American
troops attacked in S. Syria by Iranians. https://www.timesofisrael.com/explosions-rock-base-housing-us-troops-in-syrian-desert/
More prayers needed for Rabbi Ezrachi
Shlita. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315211
More
Aliyah to Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315452
Expensive
Perfume from Temple Era found in Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315447
Sharp
increase in drunk driving this past year. Lockdowns? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315448
Milestone
Rabbi Maklouf Fahima, 84, senior N. African Rabbi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315453
Milestone
David Sompolinsky, 100, Holocaust Hero and Microbiologist. https://www.timesofisrael.com/microbiologist-and-holocaust-hero-david-sompolinsky-dies-at-100/
Asst.
Rabbi of Park East Schul fired. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/315445
Gab
social media is antisemitic. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/ceo-of-social-media-platform-gab-favored-by-neo-nazi-behind-pittsburgh-synagogue-massacre-takes-aim-at-judeo-bolshevik-society/
Anti-vax
and antisemite sentenced. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/vaccine-refusal-activist-who-brandished-antisemitic-sign-that-went-viral-is-sentenced-by-french-court/
Mezuzah
torn from North Eastern University Hillel. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/mezuzah-torn-from-northeastern-university-hillel-house-in-despicable-act/
Oberlin
protects Iran hate filled Prof. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/oberlin-protects-professor-who-supported-mass-murder-and-violence-in-iran/
Ilhan
Omar free speech for me but not thee. https://www.algemeiner.com/2021/10/20/free-speech-for-me-not-for-thee-ilhan-omar-calls-for-newspaper-censorship-over-critical-op-ed/
Blind
study with vax and non-vax. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/sy11antrsf
Senate
Candidate Walker breaks with Trump. https://www.aol.com/sports/herschel-walker-breaks-trump-over-142657512.html
Bennett
meets with Putin. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ryge6xeit
Donald
Trump launches TRUTH a new social media network. https://www.timesofisrael.com/banned-from-facebook-and-twitter-trump-launching-own-social-network/
Why are
FL and TX Ports open? https://www.breitbart.com/economy/2021/10/19/record-breaking-100-ships-anchored-waiting-at-los-angeles-and-long-beach-ports/
Israel is
not prepared for a large quake. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/bkefzlart
Have a healthy, peaceful and restful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
