A thought from Haftarah Balak:
Micah 6:8 He has told you, O man, what is good, and what
the Lord demands of you; but to do justice, to love loving-kindness, and to
walk discreetly with your God.
Parsha Balak Review
The Bnei Yisrael were not far from
the Arnon River. They were opposite Yarden ready to pass over the river to
Yericho. They had fought and defeated Og Melech Bashan and Sihon Melech Ha
Amorim.
Balak sees that they are fighting a
spiritual war and cannot be defeated by conventional means. I assume that he
did not learn if you can’t lick them join them and not though immoral behavior.
Balak calls upon Balaam (who was a
reincarnation of Lavan). Balaam was one of the advisors of Pharaoh who was
against Moshe as Moshiach. The hatred of Lavan for Am Yisrael would continue
even into the days of Dovid HaMelech.
Balaam is told not to go to curse
the Bnei Yisrael for they are blessed. Instead his internal hatred from Lavan
and Yacov makes him play big with the princes sent to him. When the more
prestigic princes come, HASHEM tells him to go. He did not know that if one is
so bent on a sin, HASHEM will hold him back once or twice but then if he
insists, then he is let go to do what he wants but will pay the price w/o
Teshuva.
His donkey who doubled as his
mistress for 30 years sees the angel and moves aside to save Balaam. His leg is
crushed into the wall made from his previous Gilgul (incarnation as Lavan)
which is made from Gal-Ed. He is told by the Angel that he could have killed
Balaam and kept the donkey alive. Instead since the donkey talked like a human
she must die. Balaam is warned to say only what G-D puts in his mouth.
Thrice he tries to curse the Bnei
Yisrael at the hour when G-D gets angry but these three days there is no anger
but pleasure in Yisrael. Balak loses and Balaam is disgraced but he tells
Balaam that G-D hates both immodesty and idolatry and Balak makes an Alliance
with Midian. The result is 24,000 that decided that they enjoyed temporary fun
at a fertility cult die by the sword and plague.
Zimri angrily chides Moshe for
marrying a Midian Woman and brings Cozbi into his tent. Pinchas takes his spear
at a strategic area during their intercourse and drags them out of the tent
while they are still alive and he remains ritually pure.
Parsha Pinchas
Our Parsha starts with a promise of
everlasting Kahuna to Pinchas and children.
25:10 And the LORD spoke unto Moses,
saying: 11 'Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the
priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, in that he was
very jealous for My sake among them, so that I consumed not the children of
Israel in My jealousy.
It was Pinchas’s action in killing
Zimri that calmed down G-D’s wrath.
12 Wherefore say: Behold, I give unto him My covenant of
peace;
Pinchas amazingly gets a covenant
of peace forever.
13 and it shall be unto him, and to his seed after him, the
covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was jealous for his God, and
made atonement for the children of Israel.'
Pinchas gets a guarantee that his
seed will continue forever.
14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was
slain with the Midian woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers'
house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midian woman that
was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a
fathers' house in Midian.
He was a great leader but, in the
end, died at the end of a sword.
16 And the LORD spoke unto
Moses, saying: 17 'Harass the Midianites, and smite
them; 18 for they harass you, by their wiles wherewith they have
beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of
the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in
the matter of Peor.'
Amalek is a battle between the forces
of good and the forces of evil. Midian went a step in a different direction. They
saw that Israel was blessed, modest and worshipping G-D. How can one attack
Israel through immodesty, accidental Idol Worship. For the Jews defecated and urinated
before or on the idol of Baal Peor as to make fun of it and little did they
know it was the preferred worship. As for the 24,000 seduced Yeshiva men it is
hard to resist the power of a woman set to entrap a man.
Diane Weber Bederman is a
Conservative Rabbi. Her latest is appropriate precisely for this place: https://dianebederman.com/hallelujah-i-am-woman-hear-me-roar/
26:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 11 'Phinehas, the
son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the
children of Israel, in that he was very jealous for My sake among them, so that
I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy. 12 Wherefore
say: Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace; 13 and it shall be
unto him, and to his seed after him, the covenant of an everlasting priesthood;
because he was jealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of
Israel.'
From Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlita: God could zap anyone He wants at any time He wants, and
people would learn to fear Him. But where’s the fun in that? God’s not after
obedience. He’s after relationship, and any good relationship produces
obedience on its own. When you love someone, you respect their rules. If you
really love them, then their rules become your own rules, if only to reflect the
love you feel for them.
14 Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain, who was
slain with the Midian woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a fathers'
house among the Simeonites. 15 And the name of the Midian woman that
was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur; he was head of the people of a
fathers' house in Midian.
He was one of the princes of
Shimon. He fell for what the original forefather Shimon fought against with Levi
and this time Pinchas from Levi stopped him.
16 And the LORD spoke unto
Moses, saying: 17 'Harass the Midianites, and smite
them; 18 for they harass you, by their wiles wherewith they have
beguiled you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of
the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in
the matter of Peor.'
The conventions of war at the time
of Moshe though after the Roman Empire was that men are killed and women are
captives. However, because her the women used their bodies to bring the plague
on Yisrael they were to be killed too. The exception is under the age of three
for they were too young to really know a man and young enough that their
virginity would grow back according to the Talmud if they did.
27:1 Then drew near the daughters of Zelaphad,
the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh,
of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his
daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. 2 And
they stood before Moses, and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes
and all the congregation, at the door of the tent of meeting,
saying: 3 'Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among
the company of them that gathered themselves together against the LORD in the
company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons.
His sin is not mentioned. According
to Rabbi Akiva he was the man who gathered wood on Shabbos but many say no as
his daughters were so righteous.
4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among
his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren
of our father.' 5 And Moses brought their cause before the
LORD.
Why should we lose out on our
father’s place in Yisrael as we are daughters?
6 And the LORD spoke unto
Moses, saying: 7 'The daughters of Zelaphad speak right: thou shalt
surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren;
and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto
them. 8 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying: If
a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto
his daughter.
Women owning land or voting was up
to the early 1900’s C.E. in many western countries was still a revolutionary
idea and here in Israel it was Halacha from the year 2487! Or 3295 years ago.
9 And if he have no daughter,
then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. 10 And if he
have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's
brethren. 11 And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give
his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him of his family, and he
shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of
judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.'
This there is a law of women owning
property and her husband has the right to eat of her fruits as long as they are
married although she can say “I will sustain myself” if she wants.
12 And the LORD said unto
Moses: 'Get thee up into this mountain of Abarim, and behold the land which I
have given unto the children of Israel. 13 And when thou hast seen
it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was
gathered; 14 because ye rebelled against My commandment in the
wilderness of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the
waters before their eyes.'--These are the waters of Meribath-kadesh in the
wilderness of Zin.--
My guess is that it is somewhere
between the ruins of Avdat and the wilderness of Zin on the Egyptian side of
Zin today. The border today is Kadesh Barnea.
15 And Moses spoke unto the
LORD, saying: 16 'Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh,
set a man over the congregation, 17 who may go out before them, and
who may come in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may bring them
in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no
shepherd.'
Unlike the modern Chabad model with
leading Rabbis management the people needed a leader and sub leaders to rule
over them.
18 And the LORD said unto
Moses: 'Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is spirit, and lay thy
hand upon him; 19 and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before
all the congregation; and give him a charge in their sight. 20 And
thou shalt put of thy honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children
of Israel may hearken.
Your student and faithful follower
will lead and guide them similar to the way you do.
21 And
he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the
judgment of the Urim before the LORD; at his word shall they go out, and at his
word they shall come in, both he, and all the children of Israel with him, even
all the congregation.' 22 And Moses did as the LORD commanded him;
and he took Joshua, and set him before Eleazar the priest, and before all the
congregation. 23 And he laid his hands upon him, and gave him a
charge, as the LORD spoke by the hand of Moses.
The was the first way of
ordination or the laying the hands upon the Rabbi being anointed.
28:1 And
the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying: 2 Command the children of Israel,
and say unto them: My food which is presented unto Me for offerings made by
fire, of a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in its due
season. 3 And thou shalt say unto them: This is the offering made by
fire which ye shall bring unto the LORD: he-lambs of the first year without
blemish, two day by day, for a continual burnt-offering. 4 The one
lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at
dusk; 5 and the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a
meal-offering, mingled with the fourth part of a hin of beaten
oil. 6 It is a continual burnt-offering, which was offered in mount
Sinai, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the
LORD. 7 And the drink-offering thereof shall be the fourth part of a
hin for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou pour out a drink-offering of
strong drink unto the LORD. 8 And the other lamb shalt thou present
at dusk; as the meal-offering of the morning, and as the drink-offering
thereof, thou shalt present it, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto
the LORD.
This is the Korban Tamid or daily
Korban in the morning and afternoon. Nighttime might have prayers but is not
the time for Korbanos.
9 And on the sabbath day two
he-lambs of the first year without blemish, and two tenth parts of an ephah of
fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, and the drink-offering thereof. 10 This
is the burnt-offering of every sabbath, beside the continual burnt-offering,
and the drink-offering thereof.
Shabbos is special as HASHEM
rested. However, it requires a special Korban. After Shabbos comes Rosh Chodesh
and then other sacrifices of Yomim Tovim but after the holiness of Shabbos.
11 And in your new moons ye
shall present a burnt-offering unto the LORD: two young bullocks, and one ram,
seven he-lambs of the first year without blemish; 12 and three tenth
parts of an ephah of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with oil, for each
bullock; and two tenth parts of fine flour for a meal-offering, mingled with
oil, for the one ram;
After Shabbos comes once a month
the Rosh Chodesh Korban unless it was uncertain. From the times of Moshe
through the observance of the New Moon. In the days of Rabban Gamliel, characters
began to falsify the physical observance of the crescent and it could also be cloudy.
He used the average Molad and calculated a calendar through the year 6,000. Today
we use this system until the coming of Moshiach when it shall return to
truthful people giving testimony about the new moon. On cloudy days in the
future we will have the current method as a substitute method.
13 and a several tenth part of
fine flour mingled with oil for a meal-offering unto every lamb; for a
burnt-offering of a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the
LORD. 14 And their drink-offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a
bullock, and the third part of a hin for the ram, and the fourth part of a hin
for a lamb. This is the burnt-offering of every new moon throughout the months
of the year. 15 And one he-goat for a sin-offering unto the LORD; it
shall be offered beside the continual burnt-offering, and the drink-offering thereof.
From here onwards are out Maftir
Torah Readings for Yomim Tovim and Chol HaMoed.
16 And in the first month, on
the fourteenth day of the month, is the LORD'S Passover. 17 And on
the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast; seven days shall unleavened
bread be eaten. 18 In the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye
shall do no manner of servile work; … 25 And on the seventh day ye
shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work.
Pesach is the first of the three
Regelim followed by the Bikkurim of the first fruits.
26 Also in the day of the first-fruits,
when ye bring a new meal-offering unto the LORD in your feast of weeks, ye
shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work; … 31 Beside
the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, ye shall offer
them--they shall be unto you without blemish--and their drink-offerings.
They were long before the 17th
of Tammuz and Tisha B’Av which are Rabbinical Fasts.
29:1 And in the seventh
month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation: ye
shall do no manner of servile work; it is a day of blowing the horn unto
you.
Rosh Hashanah.
2 And ye shall prepare a burnt-offering for
a sweet savor unto the LORD: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the
first year without blemish; 3 and their meal-offering, fine flour
mingled with oil, three tenth parts for the bullock, two tenth part for the ram.
… 7 And on the tenth day of this seventh month ye shall have a holy
convocation; and ye shall afflict your souls; ye shall do no manner of
work; 8 but ye shall present a burnt-offering unto the LORD for a
sweet savor: one young bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year; they
shall be unto you without blemish.
Yom Kippur
12 And on the fifteenth day of the seventh
month ye shall have a holy convocation: ye shall do no manner of servile work,
and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days; 13 and ye shall
present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savour unto the
LORD: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year;
they shall be without blemish; 14 and their meal-offering, fine flour
mingled with oil, three tenth parts for every bullock of the thirteen bullocks,
two tenth parts for each ram of the two rams, 15 and a several tenth
part for every lamb of the fourteen lambs; 16 and one he-goat for a
sin-offering beside the continual burnt-offering, the meal-offering thereof,
and the drink-offering thereof. 17 And on the second day ye shall present
twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen he-lambs of the first year without
blemish; 18 and their meal-offering and their drink-offerings for the
bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, according to their number, after the
ordinance; 19 and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside the
continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and their
drink-offerings. …
Sukkos with the different number of Korbanos until
70 Korbanos are offered up for the Nations of the World.
35 On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn
assembly: ye shall do no manner of servile work; 36 but ye shall
present a burnt-offering, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the
LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven he-lambs of the first year without
blemish; 37 their meal-offering and their drink-offerings the
bullock, for the ram, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number,
after the ordinance; 38 and one he-goat for a sin-offering; beside
the continual burnt-offering, and the meal-offering thereof, and the
drink-offering thereof. 39 These ye shall offer unto the LORD in your
appointed seasons, beside your vows, and your freewill-offerings, whether they
be your burnt-offerings, or your meal-offerings, or your drink-offerings, or
your peace-offerings.
This is Simchas Torah as one Korban
for the ‘Nation of the World that rules alone’ (Balaam’s blessing).
30:1 And Moses told the
children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.
The 17th of
Tammuz by Rabbi Yosef Bitton
https://halakhaoftheday.org/2018/06/28/what-happened-on-the-17-of-tamuz/
Five
tragedies happened to the Jewish people on the 17th of Tammuz.
1.
The Tablets of the Law were destroyed. 2. An idol was placed in the Sanctuary
of the Bet HaMikdash. 3. The daily sacrificial offering was interrupted. 4.
Apostomus publicly burned a Sefer Torah. 5. The walls of the city of Jerusalem
were destroyed.
The Three Weeks.
https://www.ou.org/holidays/halacha-lmaaseh-on-the-three-weeks-and-tisha-bav/
Three Weeks: Three
Stages of Mourning
Before Tisha B’Av we are in a type of mourning so the
laws are similar to mourning for a parent. There are three stages:
- The “Three Weeks”: The least severe stage
starts three weeks preceding the Ninth of Av
- The “Nine Days”: The next-most severe
stage begins on Rosh Chodesh Av.
- “Week” of Tisha B’Av: The most severe
mourning is during the “week” of Tisha B’Av (beginning after Shabbat
preceding Tisha B’Av).
Three Weeks:
Restrictions
Forbidden during the Three Weeks :
- Saying shehecheyanu;
- Shaving;
- Haircuts;
- Listening to music (even recorded);
- Getting married.
- You may move into a new home or apartment,
whether owning or renting, during the Three Weeks before Tisha B’Av.
Ideally, you should not move into a new place during the Nine Days but if
necessary, it is permitted.
- If you are swimming for:
- Pleasure, you may swim during the Three
Weeks but not during the Nine Days.
- Exercise (you don’t particularly enjoy
swimming or you are not doing it for fun or to cool off), you may be
permitted to swim even during the Nine Days. Consult a rabbi.
- Activities for socializing are not
prohibited during the Three Weeks before Rosh Chodesh Av (but the
activities might be prohibited for other reasons such as if they are
dangerous).
Three Weeks: Risky
Activities
We are discouraged from doing dangerous activities
during the Three Weeks before and including Tisha B’Av. But since it is
forbidden to do dangerous activities anyway, there are few relevant activities
that are forbidden. Some people do not travel during this time but it is not
forbidden to do so. Non-urgent surgery should be scheduled for after this
period.
First Nine Days of Av
Restrictions during the Nine Days before Tisha B’Av
are the same as for Three Weeks, plus:
You may not eat meat or drink wine.
Exceptions
- You may drink wine on Shabbat (but not on
Rosh Chodesh Av or erev Shabbat.)
- You may drink wine for Havdalah (but
ideally give the wine or grape juice to a child between ages 6 and 10).
- You may eat meat or drink wine at a brit, Siyum,
or pidyon HaBen.
You may not wear freshly laundered clothes, or wear
or buy new clothes.
Note: You may wear clean socks and underwear. Ideally, throw
them on the floor first but, b’di’avad, it is OK to wear them even if you did
not.
You may not wash yourself for pleasure.
Note: Showering or bathing to clean one’s soiled body is
permitted (except on Tish’a b’Av). So you may bathe or shower during the Nine
Days if you are dirty, sweaty, or smelly.
You may not do any activities that involve luxury.
You may not say shehecheyanu except on Shabbat.
Note: Therefore, you should not buy new fruits or new items that
you will enjoy during the Nine Days. But if you DO eat a new fruit or buy
something new, you must say shehecheyanu anyway.
Try not to be involved in a court case opposing a
non-Jew during the Nine Days.
Reason: The Nine Days are considered to be an inauspicious time
for Jews. But if you cannot avoid it, it is not forbidden and you may proceed.
If you are not likely to see the moon on any of the
days from the 10th to the 14th of Av, you may say Kiddush Levana during the
Nine Days. OUTSIDE OF ERETZ YISRAEL IT IS POSSIBLE THAT ONE WILL
NOT SEE THE MOON DUE TO CLOUDS AKA HURRICANE SEASON IN THE USA ETC. DO IT AT
THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY.
You should not start new projects or make investments
during the Nine Days if they can be delayed without incurring a loss.
Reason: The Nine Days are considered to be an inauspicious time
for Jews.
You may not paint your house during the Nine Days.
Ask a rabbi for possible exceptions.
For laws on swimming during the Nine Days, see Three
Weeks: Swimming.
You may say Birkat Hamazon with a Mezuman or with a
minyan during the Nine Days. But you may not do so at the meal preceding Tisha B’Av
(Seuda HaMafseket).
Reason: Only bread dipped in ashes and a hard-boiled egg should be
eaten and that is not a meal for socializing or togetherness.
When Tisha B’Av begins on Saturday night, the custom
is as follows:
Say baruch HaMavdil when Shabbat ends.
Say the blessing on the candle after Maariv.
Do not say the remainder of Havdala at all. Instead:
Wait until Sunday night, after the fast is over, and
then
Say only the blessing on the wine and the paragraph
of HaMavdil blessings.
I USE BEER OR TEA INSTEAD OF WINE.
Note: You will not say the blessings on the spices for Havdala
for that week.
You should not fly on Tisha B’Av, even if you are
flying to Israel to make aliya.
On Tisha B’Av, as on Yom Kippur, if you must wash
your hands to remove:
- Tuma, you may wash your hands only up to
the knuckle that connects your fingers to the rest of your hand (thumb:
second knuckle; fingers: third knuckle).
- Dirt from your hand, you may wash wherever
the dirt is on your hand.
On Tisha B’Av, you may not brush your teeth using
water. You may use a dry toothbrush. You may floss your teeth.
Tisha B’Av is similar to the day of burial of a
person and so tefillin are not worn in the morning.
The afternoon has a lower level of mourning and so
tefillin (and talit gadol) are worn at mincha.
Activities for Tisha
B’Av until halachic midday
- Thinking: Until halachic midday, you
should do things and think about things that will keep you in bad spirits
or will make you sad.
- Sitting: You may not sit on any kind of
seat that is higher than 12 inches (30 cm) above the floor or ground until
after halachic midday.
- After halachic midday on
Tisha B’Av, you may do any activities except the five activities forbidden
on Tisha B’Av (washing, anointing, eating/drinking, marital intercourse,
wearing leather shoes) or the Nine Days. But you may not greet anyone, or
reply to someone else’s greeting to you, including saying “hello,” “good
morning,” “how are you,” etc., until after dark.
ONE WHO HAS MOBILITY PROBLEMS WITH HIS FEET, LEGS AND
PAINS MAY BE ALLOWED TO WEAR A SHOE WITH LEATHER DUE TO HIS DISABILITY STATUS.
IF WALKING IN SLIPPERS, KEDS ETC. WILL RESULT IN PAINS FOR A WEEK OR A MONTH
THEN COMMON SENSE MUST PREVAIL.
FASTING ON TISHA B’AV IF ONE IS ON ANTIBIOTICS ETC.
SINCE THE FAST IS WITH THE RABBANIM AND NOT FROM THE TORAH ONE CAN BE MORE
LIBERAL.
Copyright 2015 Richard B. Aiken.
Halacha L’Maaseh appears courtesy of www.practicalhalacha.com Visit their web site
for more information. This material is provided for informational purposes only
– not a substitute for the consultation of a competent rabbi.
There
is a Philosophical Argument for the existence of G-D in creating the Universe.
A Hebrew Version and lecture about an hour long by Rabbi Amnon Yitzchak Shlita
is found in the tape “Logos, Ethos, Pathos …” and can be found in Hebrew also
perhaps in English at Shofar.org. Aish HaTorah has the following by Rabbi Adam
Jacobs: https://aish.com/the-cosmological-argument-for-gods-existence/
The argument has enjoyed a diverse and
multicultural history and has been expounded by many, including Aristotle
(pagan), Al-Gazali (Muslim), who in turn influenced Aquinas (Christian), and
Maimonides (Jewish). The Al-Gazali formulation goes like this:
- Whatever
begins to exist has a cause;
- The
Universe began to exist;
- Therefore,
the Universe had a cause.
Orthodox Jew and Hero of the American Revolution by Yvette
Alt Miller
https://aish.com/orthodox-jew-patriot-of-the-american-revolution/
Mordecai Sheftall, an
Orthodox Jew who lived in pre-revolutionary Georgia, was one of the first
colonists to call for rebellion against British rule. He helped organize
America’s revolutionary armies, at times paying for soldiers’ uniforms and
rations out of his own pocket. He was captured by the British, who called him
“a Very Great Rebel”, spent time on a brutal prison ship, and helped build
Jewish communities in the new United States he’d helped found.
Mordecai’s
parents, Benjamin and Perla Sheftall, were some of the earliest settlers in
Georgia. Benjamin sailed to the new colony in 1733 from London, along with 40
Jewish families, and settled in the Savannah area. When Mordecai was born in
1735 in Savannah, he was one of the very first native Georgians born in the new
colony.
The
family was poor and the few local schools could only educate Mordecai to the
age of 11. Mordecai quickly became a successful businessman. By 17 he was
tanning deerskins, and by 18 he’d saved enough money to buy grazing land in
Vernonburg, near Savannah, and raise cattle. By 25, Mordecai owned a warehouse
on the Savannah River and was a prominent local trader.
At the time,
Savannah’s Jewish community numbered only six families. Mordecai married a
Jewish woman named Fannie from Charleston, South Carolina, and together the
couple helped build up Savannah’s Jewish institutions. They were founding
members of the town’s sole synagogue, Congregation Mickve Israel, at first
holding services in a room in their house. Mordecai also donated land for
Savannah’s first Jewish cemetery. He was a pioneering member, and the sole
Jewish representative, in Savannah’s Union Society, a non-denominational
religious group helping widows and children. He maintained his religious
observance and ate only kosher food.
Politically, Mordecai
was an outspoken proponent of independence, a member of the pro-independence
Union Society, and one of a clandestine group of men dubbed “Liberty Boys” who
met in secret as early as 1774 to plan ways to protest British taxation and
control of its colonies. In 1775, these audacious men disabled British cannons
preventing them from being fired in public celebration of King George III’s
birthday, and erected a “Liberty Pole” monument in Savannah to protest British
rule. The group also stole gunpowder and bullets from British forces, secreting
them away to use in case of war with Britain.
In 1776, Mordecai’s
fellow patriots elected him chairman of Savannah’s Revolutionary Committee.
This group soon seized control of Savannah. The populist nature of the rebels
horrified the British. The Royal Governor of Georgia complained that Savannah
was now controlled by “a Parcel of the Lowest People, chiefly carpenters,
shoemakers, blacksmiths, etc., with a Jew at their head.”
In 1777, with the
Revolutionary War underway, the Continental Congress made Mordecai Commissary
General of Purchases and Issues for rebel troops in Georgia, and in 1778
appointed him Deputy Commissary General for troops in Georgia and South
Carolina. In other words, Mordecai was responsible for supplying Georgian
soldiers with food, clothing, weapons and other materiel. It was a nearly
impossible task; shortages plagued the American rebels during those years.
George Washington famously estimated that a third of his troops had no shoes.
Mordecai was
determined that troops under his care fared better. When the Continental
Congress failed to provide funds to outfit troops in Georgia and South
Carolina, Mordecai used his own money to pay for equipment and food, then took
out huge loans to buy even more, bankrupting himself in the process.
Mordecai saw action as
well, and fought British forces. Both Mordecai and his 15-year-old son Sheftall
fought in the First Battle of Savannah in December 1778. As British troops
overpowered the outnumbered patriots, many American rebels escaped by swimming
across the Savannah River to safety. Sheftall wasn’t able to swim, however, and
Mordecai refused to abandon his son. Both were captured by British soldiers,
along with 185 other rebels.
His British captors
called Mordecai a “Very Great Rebel”, and also noted his Jewishness, singling
him out for especially harsh treatment and questioning. Mordecai and his son
were denied food for two days and were threatened with death by bayonet unless
they divulged military secrets of the rebels. They refused to betray their
fellow rebels and were imprisoned for months on the infamous British prison
ship the Nancy, under harsh conditions. Knowing that he was an
observant Jew, his British captors gave Mordecai no meat other than pork, which
he refused to eat.
While he was held
captive, Mordecai’s fellow rebels elected him the president of the
pro-revolutionary Union Society of Savannah, in absentia. Eventually freed,
Mordecai and his son were allowed to live near Savannah under virtual house
arrest; the rest of the family fled to relative safety in Charleston.
When local colonists
who sympathized with the British started hunting and killing rebel troops, Mordecai
and Sheftall managed to gain berths on a ship heading to what they hoped was
freedom in Charleston. Instead, disaster struck: they were captured at sea by a
British frigate and sent to the British colony of Antigua in the Caribbean,
where they found themselves imprisoned once again.
From Antigua, Mordecai
petitioned the Continental Congress to negotiate for his release, and the
family was eventually able to regroup in Philadelphia 1780. There, Mordecai
continued to work for the Revolutionary cause, and also helped build a new
synagogue for the city’s burgeoning Jewish population. Though he tried to build
a shipping business, his ventures didn’t succeed, and family lived in poverty,
their former great fortune spent on supporting the Revolution.
After the war, the
Sheftalls finally returned to their beloved Savannah. Their extensive family
businesses were gone, and British troops had long ago seized and dispersed the
family’s property. Mordecai petitioned the new American Government to repay the
many loans he’d made to the Revolutionary cause, to no avail.
Mordecai worked as a
state employee, charged with procurement in new State of Georgia that he’s done
so much to help usher to freedom. He also threw himself into Jewish communal
work, serving as president of the synagogue he’d help found. Mordecai died on
July 6, 1797, and was buried in the same Jewish cemetery in Savannah that he’d
founded years before. The Sheftall Cemetery was named for his generosity,
reflecting his determination to build a Jewish community in his beloved home
town, in a free United States of America that this patriot had done so much to
help create.
Mordechai Manuel Noah
and the Jewish Community
Near Niagara Falls by
Emma Carrol
https://aish.com/mordecai-manuel-noah-and-the-jewish-colony-near-niagara-falls/
How did
Grand Island, a 33.3 sq. mile island located in the Niagara River sandwiched
between Canada and the United States, almost become a temporary haven for the
Jewish people in 1825?
Flashback
to the early 1800’s. There was no Jewish state. The area referred to as
Palestine was under the authority of the Ottoman Empire, which treated Jews as
second-class citizens throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Jews in
Western Europe were becoming integrated and assimilated into European society,
meanwhile antisemitism remained prominent in Eastern Europe.
Jews
throughout the world were struggling to be seen as equals. The United States of
America was just 50 years old; a country of immigrants, religious freedom and
unlimited opportunity. Seems like a pretty good place to build “A City of
Refuge for the Jews”, no?
Well,
that’s what Mordecai Manuel Noah thought. Noah was an early American Jew born
to German Ashkenazi and Portuguese Sephardic parents in Philadelphia in 1785.
He became a politician and a journalist in New York City, where he made a name
for himself.
In
1813, he was appointed as Consul to the Kingdom of Tunis, which granted him the
ability to travel around North Africa and Europe. Noah saw firsthand the
terrible conditions under which his Jewish brethren were living, igniting his
inner desire to establish a temporary safe haven - a City of Refuge - for the
Jewish people until they could return to Zion, their ultimate homeland.
The
United States had acquired Grand Island from the Seneca Nation in 1815, and in
1820, Noah petitioned in front of the New York legislature to purchase it as a
colony for the Jews. While he was biding his time to save enough money to
purchase that land, he continued to advocate for his vision. He thought Grand
Island was the perfect place – the open land could even re-ignite the ancient
agricultural practices of the Jewish people which were, for the most part, lost
in the Diaspora.
In
1825, he had finally saved enough money to purchase 3.9 sq. miles of the island
for the City of Refuge for the Jewish Nation which he called Ararat.
(Interestingly, Ararat was the name of the biblical land upon which Noah’s ark
had landed, and the idea of a city of refuge is found in the Torah itself,
although used for entirely different purposes.)
Noah,
being the politician and journalist that he was, knew how to get the word out.
He championed his idea in newspapers throughout the state, and to rabbis across
the world in Europe. People far and wide heard about the proposed Jewish City
of Refuge.
On
September 15th, 1825, Ararat’s inauguration was held at a church in
the nearby city of Buffalo; there were not enough boats to transport the crowds
of people to the island for the ceremony. Noah led a jubilant procession,
resplendent with prayers in Hebrew, loud music, singing, military troops,
officers, clergymen, and fellow citizens. According to a New York City newspaper
reporting on the event, Noah was “in black, wearing the judicial robes of
crimson silk, trimmed with ermine and a richly embossed gold medal suspended
from the neck” which historian Jonathan D. Sarna explains was lent by the local
Park Theater.
Hundreds
of people gathered to listen, including the Seneca Chief Red Jacket who arrived
by boat (Noah believed that the Native Americans were one of the Lost Tribes).
In
his speech, Noah proclaimed himself as the “Judge of Israel,” established
Ararat as a City of Refuge, and claimed that every Jew in the world must be
taxed “three shekels of silver” in order to sustain Ararat. He also decreed
that every four years the Paris Jewish consistory was to elect a Judge of
Israel (after Noah served his term, of course).
His
animated speech was delivered to an audience mainly consisting of Protestant
Christians, as most Jews viewed him as an imposturous Messiah and rejected his
idea. At the end of the event, a large stone (pictured below) was unveiled,
which was inscribed to commemorate the day of establishment of Ararat.
Alas,
Ararat never came to fruition, and the stone is now located in the Buffalo
History Museum in Downtown Buffalo. It reads:
The crowd
cheered and sang with Noah, but this was not the crowd he needed to bring his
vision to life. American Jews were largely absent and saw no need for a City of
Refuge. They were comfortable in America and ridiculed Noah for acting as a
self-appointed “Messiah.” The integrated Western and Central European Jews felt
the same way. Noah’s written proclamation was suppressed by the
Austro-Hungarian Empires and it didn’t even reach the ears of Eastern European
Jews. Nor did it reach the Jewish communities in North Africa and the Middle
East.
After
his failure, Noah spent his life advocating for rebuilding a Jewish homeland in
Palestine, believing that Jewish sovereignty in Zion would provide the only
long-term security for the Jews.
Noah,
who predated the establishment of the First Zionist Congress led by Theodor
Herzl by 72 years, did not live see the establishment of a Jewish State, but
his unwavering dedication and passion for his people is a testament to the
resolve of Jewish visionaries to seek out pathways that ensure that the Jewish
nation not only survives, but thrives.
So,
the next time you’re visiting the Niagara Falls, remember Ararat, the City of
Refuge for the Jewish People that almost was.
Bibliography:
Gordis, Robert. “MORDECAI MANUEL NOAH: A CENTENARY
EVALUATION.” Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society 41,
no. 1 (1951): 1–26. http://www.jstor.org/stable/43059806.New-York evening post. (New York [N.Y.]) 1801-1832, September
20, 1825, Page 2, Image 2 - NYS Historic Newspapers
Sarna.
(1981). Jacksonian Jew: the two worlds of Mordecai Noah (p.
xi, 233 pages;). Holmes & Meier Publishers.
Milestone: Max Eisen, 93, Holocaust survivor, “By
Chance Alone” author. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356169
Milestone: Monty Norman, 94, composer of James
Bond Music. https://www.timesofisrael.com/monty-norman-jewish-composer-of-james-bond-theme-music-dies-at-94/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-IDfoZuQLM
Milestone: Ivana Trump, 73, former wife of Pres.
Trump. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356537
Inyanay Diyoma
Lapid has no mandate to give up Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356256
New Hope to run with Blue and White. According
to the report, Blue & White chairman Benny Ganz will be first in the joint
list, while New Hope chairman Gideon Saar would be second. Third will be
Absorption Minister Penina Tamano-Shatta, followed by Culture Minister Yechiel
Tropper. Yifat Shasha Bitton, currently Education Minister, would be fifth, Michael
Biton sixth, and Housing & Construction Minister Ze'ev Elkin would be
seventh on the list. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356253
Conway blames Kushner for Trump defeat. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356257
Threat to San Antonio Schuls stopped. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356236
Military Court releases father of terrorist. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356242
5 Terrorists arrested in raids. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356243
One millionth tourist this year arrives in
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356258
Jihadist in Nigeria and other parts of Africa. https://bridgeofgracemissions.blogspot.com/2022/07/jihadist-attacks-ongoing-in-burkina-faso.html
Iran has enough Uranium for Nuclear Weapons.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356176
Twitter Deal off no data on fake accounts. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356218
Ohio teen plotted attack on Synagogue. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356217
Ukraine warns against visits to Uman.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356149
Herzog to visit Czech Republic. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sj8y21100s5
N. Korea fires missiles. https://www.timesofisrael.com/north-korea-fires-multiple-suspected-rocket-launchers-warns-seoul/
US Defense Contractor contacted with approval
NSO. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356277
Looking into peace and perhaps mass Egyptian
Graves. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356275
Liz Truss wants to replace Johnson. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356273
9 months of community service to a man who
threatened Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356274
Police terror unit called on family of dead
toddler rioting in hospital. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356271
Biden visit will include road closures 16,000
cops and some soldiers. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjy1hldoq
Israel tapping Jewish Doctors for Aliyah. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/hj0y0pgo9
Elderly death rate down after 4th
booster. https://www.timesofisrael.com/major-israeli-study-elderlys-covid-death-slashed-by-72-after-4th-vaccine/
Days after assassination, Abe’s party expected
to win. https://www.timesofisrael.com/days-after-japan-ex-pms-assassination-his-ruling-party-sees-projected-election-win/
Professor sold drugs to students. https://www.timesofisrael.com/breaking-bad-israeli-university-professor-suspected-of-selling-drugs-to-students/
El Al to restore pilot’s salaries to pre-Covid
levels. https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-al-inks-deal-to-restore-pilots-salaries-to-pre-covid-rate-ending-labor-dispute/
Mobileye IPO postponed. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/10/mobileye-ipo-set-to-be-postponed/
Lapid reaches out to Saudis. https://www.timesofisrael.com/lapid-in-message-to-saudi-arabia-we-reach-out-for-ties-with-all-nations-in-region/
Cold case solved. https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-nearly-30-years-man-gets-life-sentence-for-murdering-woman/
Russian Rocket kills at least 15. https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-15-dead-after-russian-rocket-hits-apartment-building-in-ukraine/
Sarah Netanyahu may have lied under oath about
not drinking. https://www.timesofisrael.com/olmert-says-sara-netanyahu-lied-when-she-told-court-she-never-drinks-alcohol/
Judoka Muki loses to Iranian friend. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-judoka-muki-loses-to-iranian-defector-and-friend-mollaei-in-1st-ever-matchup/
Israelis advised not to visit Sri Lanka. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-warns-against-travel-to-sri-lankan-capital-amid-turmoil-pm-agrees-to-quit/
Every year Israel loses the equivalent to a
medium size city. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-nature-loses-equivalent-of-a-medium-sized-city-to-development-every-year/
Staff cuts Biden’s visits short by skipping
Palmachim and ceremony in heat. https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-to-forgo-meet-and-greet-with-dignitaries-at-sweltering-tarmac-welcome/
https://www.debka.com/biden-to-meet-four-israeli-leaders-at-different-stages-of-premiership/
Web
telescope photo 6,000years or 13 billion years? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356346
Who by fire and who by water! From Utenaneh
Tokef Prayer of the High Holiday. Cousin was policeman killed in the Carmel
Fire, he dies trying to save daughter as he drowns. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-dies-while-saving-daughter-from-drowning-at-northern-beach/
Chart Topper Noa Kirel to represent Israel in
Eurovision Contest. https://www.timesofisrael.com/chart-topper-noa-kirel-chosen-to-represent-israel-at-eurovision-2023/
Attempted to abduct teenager now behind bars. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-arrested-for-attempted-abduction-of-teenage-girl-in-pardes-hanna/
8,000,000,000 population expected by Nov. 15th.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-worlds-8-billionth-person-expected-to-be-born-on-november-15/
Officer held back advances. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-general-previously-censured-over-troop-deaths-tapped-to-lead-west-bank-division/
Iranian Agent on Facebook. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-agent-who-was-helped-by-israelis-contacted-another-20-citizens-report/
18 Jewish oligarchs identified as likely
sanctions targets by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in March, 15 are now subject
to them. Together, they are worth over $120 billion. https://www.timesofisrael.com/with-their-planes-grounded-russias-jewish-oligarchs-see-consequences-of-putin-ties/
US wants female terrorist extradited. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syeel9co5
Biden’s visit analysis. https://www.debka.com/on-landing-in-israel-biden-evades-iran-issue-avoids-regional-air-defense-pact/
Day two of visit. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356485
Biden goes on his knees before the Holocaust
Survivors. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356478
Left Wing Nachman Shai – Yerushalayim is ours
no sense in fighting the Americans. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356482
Charedim prefer Netanyahu. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356483
Orthodox man beaten in his car in Crown
Heights. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356476
Drunk Secret Service man attacks woman sent
home. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356461
Ben Gvir no longer Kach Movement. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356487
Suspected clothes of missing boy found? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356472
Joint Exercises Israel and Greece. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356426
ISIS head and deputy killed in open. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356424
Two illegal Arabs in trunk. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356473
Terrorist Jenin
Brigade vs. IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356396
Ukraine optimistic on wheat export. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356470
Hezballah warns Israel on gas. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s10tbinjc#autoplay
Chilean Jews angry over antisemitic ad. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rkz2sd3s5
More BDS at art festival. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/13/new-revelations-of-support-for-anti-israel-bds-campaign-pile-pressure-on-beleaguered-german-art-festival/
Elor Azariya, who was convicted for killing a terrorist marries. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356361
Lev Tahor group breaking up. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356293
Saudis make get offensive weapons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356297
22year old soldier dies of heart failure. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356494
Polls politics still deadlocked. https://www.timesofisrael.com/polls-see-gantz-saar-party-as-israels-3rd-largest-but-election-deadlock-unbroken/
Sara Netanyahu’s suicide threat in testimony. https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahus-wife-threatened-suicide-demanded-46000-bracelet-key-witness-says/
Trio faces 115charges of antisemitism with
swastikas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356466
ME visits takes the pressure off of Biden Inflation.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjtn15ys9
Keep Military Option on the Table but Netanyahu
blocks no visas to USA Legislation. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356530
55th Arab victim. https://www.timesofisrael.com/12-year-old-badly-burned-in-suspected-arson-attack-in-may-dies-of-injuries/
Haifa Port sold to Indian Firm. https://www.reuters.com/business/indias-adani-ports-israels-gadot-buy-haifa-port-israels-finmin-2022-07-14/
Bullets fly again at Josef’s Tomb. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356546
Mass grave of 8,000 Shoah victims found in
Poland. https://www.timesofisrael.com/mass-grave-with-remains-of-about-8000-nazi-victims-found-in-poland/
Fresno U. honors Nazi Views. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/07/14/fresno-state-university-to-rename-library-honoring-nazi-sympathizer-with-disturbing-antisemitic-views/
Helmets, vests and gasmasks to the Ukraine. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-sends-second-shipment-of-protective-equipment-to-ukraine/
Saudis open airspace to all airlines. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356544
Erdan to remain in NY. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356551
Religious Singer does not shake hands with
Biden. SEE THE RABBI LONDON STORY FROM LAST WEEK. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356536
Two Jewish players made the Major League
Baseball All-Star game rosters this week: pitcher Max Fried of the Atlanta
Braves and outfielder Joc Pederson of the San Francisco Giants. https://www.timesofisrael.com/major-league-baseballers-max-fried-joc-pederson-named-to-all-star-line-up/
Two gold one silver to gymnastics. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israels-rhythmic-gymnast-atamanov-scoops-two-golds-a-silver-at-world-games/
One of Israel’s top cops jailed and given early
probation. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-top-cop-jailed-for-sex-crimes-is-granted-parole-after-4-months-behind-bars/
Former political pawn speaks of her jail time
in Russia. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/356488
Tory’s choose 6 candidates for PM run-off. https://www.timesofisrael.com/2-candidates-knocked-out-of-uk-conservative-leadership-race/
ME Tour takes pressure off 9.1% runaway
inflation. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjtn15ys9
Biden’s strategic goals as Euro drops below one
Dollar. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1rqassj5
Lev Tahor wants to move to Morocco. https://www.timesofisrael.com/leadership-behind-bars-lev-tahor-cult-now-seeking-to-move-to-morocco-opponents-say/
First Female Officer to lead a Infantry
Battalion. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-appoints-first-female-officer-to-lead-light-infantry-battalion/
Regulated Bread rises 20% because of wheat
shortage. https://www.timesofisrael.com/government-announces-20-rise-in-price-of-regulated-bread/
Ex-CIA Engineer Convicted in leak of data. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-cia-engineer-convicted-in-massive-theft-of-classified-information/
Politically appointed or just plain stupid Judges:
A Michigan woman was denied
a protection order against her husband two weeks before she and her family were
found dead Sunday in an apparent murder-suicide, court documents show. https://www.aol.com/news/weeks-she-denied-protective-order-002005075.html
Have a healthy, peaceful and
restful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
