Parsha Vayeshev
Yacov has resettled in
Eretz Yisrael for about 10 years now. He has given over the business to his
sons to watch over. He is not dealing with Lavan or Esav. He is retired and
sitting in his tent doing what he loves and that is learning Torah. He has
taken Yosef as his Chavruta.
37:1 And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father's sojournings, in
the land of Canaan. 2 These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph,
being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren, being still
a lad even with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's
wives; and Joseph brought evil report of them unto their father.
These are the generations of Yacov –
Yosef! Yacov had 12 sons and we see from this favoritism. Worse than that, the
teen is a tattle-tale. In Yiddish he is called a Schtinker or stinker for
ratting on his brothers.
3 Now Israel loved Joseph more
than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a
coat of many colors. 4 And when his brethren saw that their father
loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak
peaceably unto him.
Al pe Halacha of today, Reuven would
be the first born as he came from the ‘hated’ wife. Yosef was the Bechor of his
beloved Rachel Zal and was treaded as such. After all, Yacov worked for Rachel
and not Leah. (Only by the trick of Lavan he ended up working another 7 years.)
Reuven also interfered with his father in bed wars between the women of the
house and therefore forfeited his right as first born.
5 And Joseph dreamed a dream, and
he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more. 6 And he
said unto them: 'Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have
dreamed: 7 for, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and,
lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves came
round about, and bowed down to my sheaf.'
Teenagers cannot see the consequences
of their actions as they tend to be self-centered. He is quite conceited and
his brothers are already jealous of him why open up your mouth prophecy dream
or not.
8 And his brethren said to him:
'Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?'
And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words.
He added insult to injury and they are
steaming with hatred.
9 And he dreamed yet another
dream, and told it to his brethren, and said: 'Behold, I have dreamed yet a
dream: and, behold, the sun and the moon and eleven stars bowed down to
me.' 10 And he told it to his father, and to his brethren; and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him: 'What is this dream that thou hast
dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down to
thee to the earth?'
Yacov wanted to prevent the brotherly
hatred and jealousy. Also there was nonsense in his dream as his mother had
died.
11 And his brethren envied him;
but his father kept the saying in mind.
Since the prophetic dreams repeated
each other, they must be true so Yacov remembered them.
12 And his brethren went to feed
their father's flock in Shechem. 13 And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Do
not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? come, and I will send thee unto
them.' And he said to him: 'Here am I.' 14 And he said to him: 'Go
now, see whether it is well with thy brethren, and well with the flock; and
bring me back word.' So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he came to
Shechem.
He was a messenger for his father and
should not have experienced any pain or sorrow.
15 And a certain man found him,
and, behold, he was wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying:
'What do you seek?' 16 And he said: 'I seek my brethren. Tell me, I
pray thee, where they are feeding the flock.'
He was looking for his brethren but
they were estranged from him.
17 And the man said: 'They are
departed hence; for I heard them say: Let us go to Dothan.' And Joseph went
after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.
Reading the translation, we get the
Pshat. But they departed is the Drash and departed from being a brother.
18 And they saw him afar off, and
before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay
him. 19 And they said one to another: 'Behold, this dreamer comes.
Shimon egging on Levi and then the
others.
20 Come now therefore, and let us
slay him, and cast him into one of the pits, and we will say: An evil beast
hath devoured him; and we shall see what will become of his
dreams.' 21 And Reuben heard it, and delivered him out of their hand;
and said: 'Let us not take his life.'
This time, Reuven as the Bechor pulled
rank and said no killing.
22 And Reuben said unto them:
'Shed no blood; cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, but lay no
hand upon him'--that he might deliver him out of their hand, to restore him to
his father.
Reuven had good intentions but G-D had
other plans. In fact, Rabbi Simcha the Cohain Kuk who passed away this year
used to ask “Where was G-D in our Pasha; as HE is not mentioned. The answer is that
G-D was busy making Moshiach Ben Yosef and Moshiach Ben Dovid.
23 And it came to pass, when
Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, the
coat of many colors that was on him; 24 and they took him, and cast
him into the pit--and the pit was empty, there was no water in it.
No water but like an Indiana Jones
scene from ‘Raiders of the lost Ark’ snakes and scorpions were there.
25 And they sat down to eat
bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of
Ishmaelites came from Gilead, with their camels bearing spicery and balm and
ladanum, going to carry it down to Egypt.
They now have the pest who is full of
Chutzpa under control and went to eat and enjoy themselves.
26 And Judah said unto his
brethren: 'What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his
blood? 27 Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not
our hand be upon him; for he is our brother, our flesh.' And his brethren
hearkened unto him.
Reuven is absent. Yehuda is a leader
and in rank lower than Shimon and Levi. But like the king whom he is, he leads
and guides them.
28 And there passed by
Midianites, merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and
sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver. And they brought
Joseph into Egypt.
The Medrash appears to read this as
two caravans. One of Midianites and the other Ishmaelites.
29 And Reuben returned unto the
pit; and, behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes. 30 And
he returned unto his brethren, and said: 'The child is not; and as for me,
whither shall I go?'
Reuven is beside himself. Since he is
in charge he is his brother’s keeper and has failed himself.
31 And they took Joseph's coat,
and killed a he-goat, and dipped the coat in the blood;
Mida kneged Mida – measure by measure.
Yacov cheated Yitzchak with a collar made of goat hair and goat gloves. Now
with Yosef’s coat; they, dip in goat’s blood.
32 and they sent the coat of many
colors, and they brought it to their father; and said: 'This have we found.
Know now whether it is thy son's coat or not.' 33 And he knew it, and
said: 'It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without
doubt torn in pieces.'
He knew Yosef’s coat and some evil
beast was in reality the jealousy and Yetzer HaRa of the brothers.
34 And Jacob rent his garments,
and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.
He also must have had self-blame
sending Yosef by himself.
35 And all his sons and all his
daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said:
'Nay, but I will go down to the grave to my son mourning.' And his father wept
for him.
The dead are slowly forgotten over 11
months but for somebody living one cannot
be
Forgotten so easily.
And all his daughters: Rabbi Judah says: Twin sisters were born with every tribe,
and they married them. Rabbi Nehemiah says: They were Canaanite women. But what
is the meaning of “and all his daughters?” A person does not hesitate to call
his son-in-law his son and his daughter-in-law his daughter. [From Gen. Rabbah
84:21]
36 And the Midianites sold him
into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the
guard.
At this point the narrative of
building Moshiach Ben Yosef ends and we are left in the dark what happens to
Yosef over the next few years.
38:1 And it came to pass at that time,
that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned in to a certain Adullamite,
whose name was Hirah.
Went down because he had been demoted
by his brothers because of selling Yosef and
how his father was affected.
2 And Judah saw there a daughter
of a certain Canaanite whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto
her. 3 And she conceived, and bore a son; and he called his name
Er.
Now we start the Narrative of the
making of Moshiach Ben Dovid. Yehuda is married now.
4 And she conceived again, and
bore a son; and she called his name Onan. 5 And she yet again bore a
son, and called his name Shelah; and he was at Chezib, when she bore him.
Yehuda’s wife gives birth to three
boys.
6 And Judah took a wife for Er
his first-born, and her name was Tamar.
The time from birth of Er to his
marriage is somewhere in the 22 years that Yosef is lost to the brothers and
the Torah views it as irrelevant.
7 And Er, Judah's first-born, was
wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.
Tamar was a perfectly built woman and
Er did not want her becoming pregnant. He scraped her here and there to satisfy
their Yetzer but not to reproduce. Obviously, he purposely wasted seed in his
shenanigans.
8 And Judah said unto Onan: 'Go
in unto thy brother's wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto
her, and raise up seed to thy brother.'
His task given to him by his father
was to preform Yebum a full marriage to Tamar based on the system used before
Er had to write a Ketuvah. She would be his wife and the portion of the Bechor
would go to sons born via Onan in the name of Er.
9 And Onan knew that the seed
would not be his; and it came to pass when he went in unto his brother's wife,
that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his
brother.
He did worse than Onan as his
inconsideration for Tamar’s beauty preservation but selfishly not to produce
seed in Onan’s name.
10 And the thing which he did was
evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him also.
This is perhaps a root of the
expression “only G-D knows” as Yehuda had not the faintest idea why Er and Onan
died. He thought that Tamar was so beautiful that she killed men so excited
over her that their hearts gave out during a relationship.
11 Then said Judah to Tamar his
daughter-in-law: 'Remain a widow in thy father's house, till Shelah my son be
grown up'; for he said: 'Lest he also die, like his brethren.' And Tamar went
and dwelt in her father's house.
He thinks that she kills men through
over exciting their hearts. She has no choice but to except the delay as his
son must have been under 13.
12 And in process of time Shua's
daughter, the wife of Judah, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto
his sheep-shearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.
We do not know how old Yehuda was but
he was probably 4 or more years older than Yosef. After the incident with Yosef
he most likely married to give his father comfort for his lost son by having
grandchildren. Estimating time of about 20 to 25 years for his sons to grow up
I estimate Yehuda was between his mid-forties to fifty and may have been very
active in marital relations.
13 And it was told Tamar, saying:
'Behold, thy father-in-law goes up to Timnah to shear his
sheep.' 14 And she put off from her the garments of her widowhood,
and covered herself with her veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in the entrance
of Enaim, which is by the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown up,
and she was not given unto him to wife.
She saw that Yehuda was withholding
her Yevama from her.
15 When Judah saw her, he thought
her to be a harlot; for she had covered her face. 16 And he turned
unto her by the way, and said: 'Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee';
for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law. And she said: 'What wilt thou
give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?'
Prostitute or Kedasha of a fertility
cult. Although Yehuda was a Tzadik, his urge and Libido took over and suddenly
he longed for a physical relationship.
17 And he said: 'I will send thee
a kid of the goats from the flock.' And she said: 'Wilt thou give me a pledge,
till thou send it?' 18 And he said: 'What pledge shall I give thee?'
And she said: 'Thy signet and thy cord, and thy staff that is in thy hand.' And
he gave them to her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.
He gave her his signet ring and sceptre
of kingship.
19 And she arose, and went away,
and put off her veil from her, and put on the garments of her
widowhood. 20 And Judah sent the kid of the goats by the hand of his
friend the Adullamite, to receive the pledge from the woman's hand; but he found
her not. 21 Then he asked the men of her place, saying: 'Where is the
harlot, that was at Enaim by the wayside?' And they said: 'There hath been no
harlot here.'
There was no Kedasha of a fertility
cult here.
22 And he returned to Judah, and
said: 'I have not found her; and also the men of the place said: There hath
been no harlot here.' 23 And Judah said: 'Let her take it, lest we be
put to shame; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her.'
He tried to find her but could not.
24 And it came to pass about
three months after, that it was told Judah, saying: 'Tamar thy daughter-in-law
hath played the harlot; and moreover, behold, she is with child by harlotry.'
And Judah said: 'Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.'
Burnt because she was a daughter of a
Priest from Shem.
25 When she was brought forth,
she sent to her father-in-law, saying: 'By the man, whose these are, am I with
child'; and she said: 'Discern, I pray thee, whose are these, the signet, and
the cords, and the staff.'
I am pregnant from the man who gave me
these.
26 And Judah acknowledged them,
and said: 'She is more righteous than I; forasmuch as I gave her not to Shelah
my son.' And he knew her again no more.
But he no longer continued: Heb. וְלֹא-יָסַף.
Some say: he did not continue [to know her] (Targum Onkelos), and others say:
he did not cease (Sotah 10b). (A similar instance is found in connection with
Eldad and Medad (Num. 11:25),
[where the verse reads:] וְלֹא יָסָפוּ,
they did not continue, which the Targum renders: וְלֹא
פָסְקוּ, they did not cease).
It is obvious that Tamar would live in
the same tent/house or tent complex with Yehuda as she would be raising the boys.
It would be nice to think that they lived happily ever after.
27 And it came to pass in the
time of her travail, that, behold, twins were in her womb. 28 And it
came to pass, when she travailed, that one put out a hand; and the midwife took
and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying: 'This came out
first.' 29 And it came to pass, as he drew back his hand, that,
behold his brother came out; and she said: 'Wherefore hast thou made a breach
for thyself?' Therefore, his name was called Perez. 30 And afterward
came out his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand; and his name
was called Zerah.
Thus ends the story of the roots of the
Moshiach.
39:1 And Joseph was brought down to
Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, the captain of the guard, an
Egyptian, bought him of the hand of the Ishmaelites, that had brought him down
thither.
Now Joseph had been brought down to Egypt: [Scripture] returns to the previous
topic, which it had interrupted in order to juxtapose the demotion of Judah
with the selling of Joseph, to imply that because of him (Joseph), they (his
brothers) demoted him (Judah) from his high position; and also to juxtapose the
incident of Potiphar’s wife with the incident of Tamar, to tell you that just
as that one [the incident of Tamar] was meant for the sake of heaven, so too
this one [the incident of Potiphar’s wife] was meant for the sake of heaven.
For she saw through her astrology that she was destined to raise children from
him (Joseph), but she did not know whether [they would be] from her or from her
daughter. [From Gen. Rabbah 85:2]
Rabbi Mimran Shlita and talked about
this as she saw herself with Yosef in Olam HaBa or at least imagined it.
2 And the LORD was with Joseph,
and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the
Egyptian. 3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that
the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. 4 And Joseph
found favor in his sight, and he ministered unto him. And he appointed him
overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his
hand. 5 And it came to pass from the time that he appointed him
overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the
Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all
that he had, in the house and in the field. 6 And he left all that he
had in Joseph's hand; and, having him, he knew not aught save the bread which
he did eat. And Joseph was of beautiful form, and fair to look
upon. 7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's
wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said: 'Lie with me.'
I suspect one of the reasons that Potiphar
did not kill Yosef but imprisoned him was the fact that others in the household
noticed this behavior or overheard her and warned the master when the accusations
came forth.
8 But he refused, and said unto
his master's wife: 'Behold, my master, having me, knows not what is in the
house, and he hath put all that he hath into my hand; 9 he is not
greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back anything from me but
thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and
sin against God?'
He tried to ward off this woman with
the laws of Noach. And sin
against God: The sons of Noah were commanded against immorality. [From
Sanh. 56a]
I command everything in the Master’s
House but thee.
10 And it came to pass, as she
spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or
to be with her. 11 And it came to pass on a certain day, when he went
into the house to do his work, and there was none of the men of the house there
within,
And it came about on a certain day: That is to say that a special day
arrived, a day of rejoicing, a religious festival when they (the household) all
went to the temple of their idols. She said, “I have no more fitting day to
consort with Joseph than today.” So, she said to them, “I am ill, and I cannot
go.” [from Sotah 36b] To do his work: [There is a controversy between] Rav and
Shmuel. One said: his actual work, and the other said: to perform his needs
with her, but his father’s image appeared, etc., as is stated in Sotah (36b).
12 that she caught him by his
garment, saying: 'Lie with me.' And he left his garment in her hand, and fled,
and got him out. 13 And it came to pass, when she saw that he had
left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, 14 that she called
unto the men of her house, and spoke unto them, saying: 'See, he hath brought
in a Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried
with a loud voice.
She was furious that Yosef refused or
rejected her and decided to make a scandal of it.
15 And it came to pass, when he
heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment by me, and
fled, and got him out.' 16 And she laid up his garment by her, until
his master came home. 17 And she spoke unto him according to these
words, saying: 'The Hebrew servant, whom thou hast brought unto us, came in
unto me to mock me. 18 And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice
and cried, that he left his garment by me, and fled out.' 19 And it
came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spoke unto
him, saying: 'After this manner did thy servant to me'; that his wrath was kindled.
Now it came about when his master heard, etc.: During intercourse she told him this, and that is the meaning of “Your
slave did such things to me,” [meaning] such acts of intimacy. [From Gen.
Rabbah 87:9]
His wrath was kindled perhaps at Yosef or rather
more at her from the rumors that may have gone around. Sorry although that
Rashi is my forefather and he most likely took his commentary from a Medrash or
the holy Zohar, I don’t buy the intercourse part of the commentary. A Eunuch
would have no capacity or desire for a woman. In fact it might be that he was
angry at Yosef for not obeying her command.
20 And Joseph's master took him,
and put him into the prison, the place where the king's prisoners were bound;
and he was there in the prison.
Had he thought that Yosef was guilty
of attempted rape he would not have put him in the prison but would have killed
him.
21 But the LORD was with Joseph,
and showed kindness unto him, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of
the prison. 22 And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's
hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there,
he was the doer of it. 23 The keeper of the prison looked not to anything
that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did,
the LORD made it to prosper.
It appears to me that he was sort of
the slave of the Prison Warden at this time and just could not leave the dungeon
but was more like an assistant than prisoner. There is a Medrash that states
that Mrs. Potiphar even here tried to seduce Yosef in order to get him out.
40:1 And it came to pass after these
things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker offended their lord
the king of Egypt.
Now it came about after these events: Because that cursed woman (Potiphar’s wife) had accustomed the people to
talk [badly] about the righteous man (Joseph), therefore the Holy One, blessed
be He, brought to them [the Egyptians] the sin of these [men], so that they
would turn [their attention] to them [the two chamberlains] and not to him (Joseph),
and also so that relief would come to the righteous man through them. [From
Gen. Rabbah 88:1, 88:3]
2 And Pharaoh was wroth against
his two officers, against the chief of the butlers, and against the chief of
the bakers. 3 And he put them in ward in the house of the captain of
the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound. 4 And
the captain of the guard charged Joseph to be with them, and he ministered unto
them; and they continued a season in ward.
Yosef was assigned to them because
they were VIP’s in prison.
5 And they dreamed a dream both
of them, each man his dream, in one night, each man according to the
interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who
were bound in the prison. 6 And Joseph came in unto them in the
morning, and saw them, and, behold, they were sad. 7 And he asked
Pharaoh's officers that were with him in the ward of his master's house,
saying: 'Wherefore look ye so sad to-day?'
The Medrash says they saw also the
interpretation of the other’s dream. The butler saw the baker hung and the
birds picking at his skin. The baker was worried.
8 And they said unto him: 'We
have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it.' And Joseph said
unto them: 'Do not interpretations belong to God? tell it me, I pray
you.' 9 And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to
him: 'In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; 10 and in the vine
were three branches; and as it was budding, its blossoms shot forth, and the
clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes, 11 and Pharaoh's cup was
in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I
gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.' 12 And Joseph said unto him: 'This
is the interpretation of it: the three branches are three
days; 13 within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head, and
restore thee unto thine office; and thou shalt give Pharaoh's cup into his
hand, after the former manner when thou was his butler.
For a fly can come into a cup of Pharaoh’s
wine without the Butler noticing so Pharaoh could forgive him for the fly in
the wine.
14 But have me in thy remembrance
when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me, and
make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house. 15 For
indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I
done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon.'
This should have come naturally not
via protection.
16 When the chief baker saw that
the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph: 'I also saw in my dream, and,
behold, three baskets of white bread were on my head; 17 and in the
uppermost basket there was of all manner of baked food for Pharaoh; and the
birds did eat them out of the basket upon my head.'
A stone in the bread or other baked
goods should have been sifted well and was not. Birds are sometimes afraid of
scarecrows if they have clothing flying in the wind like a flag and looking
like a live human. The fact that the birds ate from his pies showed that he was
not among the living.
18 And Joseph answered and said:
'This is the interpretation thereof: the three baskets are three
days; 19 within yet three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from
off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from
off thee.'
The hapless baker was killed and
attacked by the birds of prey for treason.
20 And it came to pass the third
day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants;
and he lifted up the head of the chief butler and the head of the chief baker
among his servants.
A propitious time for Pharaoh and
therefore he would celebrate and commute prison sentences so the Butler he had
mercy upon but the Baker was hung.
21 And he restored the chief
butler back unto his butlership; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand. 22 But
he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them. 23 Yet
did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.
Years ago, in a gas station, I saw a
sign regarding credit in a small town. It said: In G-D we trust, others pay
cash. This is what happened to Yosef that he trusted in the wine butler that he
got an extra two years in prison.
From Here and There:
While Judaism holds that Emmes (Truth) is a Names for G-D. the Torah is Emmes
and it is also Christianity has the value of Truth. Catholics say cross my
heart and hope to die if I ever tell a lie. However, one Religion established
had a prophet who declared it a Mitzvah to deceive the enemy in order to
conquer. One news item stood out in particular this week. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/13/ukraine-angrily-rejects-claim-that-iran-is-scaling-back-military-assistance-to-russia/ The same on Nuclear
Negotiations and with others.
Last week on Shabbos, I
saw suddenly a large hematoma on my side where I felt on Sunday that my muscle
or diaphragm ripped from my coughing. I decided not to wait to be on the safe-side
and go to the hospital. Halacha from the tooth inwards also eye one goes for
medical treatment. B”H it turned out to be from an earlier in the week bleed
and I was released quickly. I was so pressed with blood pressure reaching 178
over 93 that I forget the other Halacha that my wife could have driven me to
the hospital on Sofek Pikuach Nefesh and drive me home with the same Hetair.
Instead I called the ambulance and was stuck in the hospital until my wife
picked me up Motzei Shabbos. I went to the Synagogue and learned Torah and
Mishnayos even said a few Psalms. I usually have a ‘cool’ head and let logic
rule but this time I was too involved and forgot the Hetair.
Recognizing 3 Mistakes or Miracles – thanks to Ben S.
Sunday,
December 7th, 1941: Admiral Chester Nimitz was attending a concert in
Washington D.C. He was paged and told there was a phone call for him. When he
answered the phone, it was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the phone. He
told Admiral Nimitz that he (Nimitz) would now be the Commander of the Pacific
Fleet. Admiral Nimitz flew to Hawaii to assume command of the Pacific Fleet. He
landed at Pearl Harbor on Christmas Eve, 1941. There was such a spirit of
despair, dejection and defeat--you would have thought the Japanese had already
won the war.
On
Christmas Day, 1941, Adm. Nimitz was given a boat tour of the destruction
wrought on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Big sunken battleships and navy
vessels cluttered the waters everywhere you looked. As the tour boat returned
to dock, the young helmsman of the boat asked, "Well Admiral, what do you
think after seeing all this destruction?" Admiral Nimitz's reply shocked
everyone within the sound of his voice. Admiral Nimitz said, "The Japanese
made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could ever make or God was
taking care of America. Which do you think it was?" Shocked and surprised,
the young helmsman asked, "What do mean by saying the Japanese made the
three biggest mistakes an attack force ever made?"
Nimitz
explained: Mistake number one: the Japanese attacked on Sunday morning. Nine
out of every ten crewmen of those ships were ashore on leave. If those same
ships had been lured to sea and been sunk--we would have lost 38,000 men
instead of 3,800.
Mistake
number two: when the Japanese saw all those battleships lined in a row, they
got so carried away sinking those battleships, they never once bombed our dry
docks opposite those ships. If they had destroyed our dry docks, we would have
had to tow every one of those ships to America to be repaired. As it is now,
the ships are in shallow water and can be raised. One tug can pull them over to
the dry docks, and we can have them repaired and at sea by the time we could
have towed them to America. And I already have crews ashore anxious to man
those ships.
Mistake
number three: every drop of fuel in the Pacific theater of war is in top of the
ground storage tanks five miles away over that hill. One attack plane could
have strafed those tanks and destroyed our fuel supply. That's why I say the
Japanese made three of the biggest mistakes an attack force could make or God
was taking care of America.
Story and Prayer by
R. Yerachmiel Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1305-12
In 1977 there was a movement in the Israeli Knesset to try to pass
a bill that would legalize abortion. Spearheading the campaign was the Minister
of Justice [under PM Menachem Begin from 1977-1980], Shmuel Tamir.
When the rabbis and most all Torah-observant Jews in Israel and
throughout the world heard that Israel was trying to legalize killing fetuses
in the womb, there was tremendous consternation and concern. Leading rabbinical
authorities and leaders in Israel decided to send a delegation of prestigious
rabbis to speak with Shmuel Tamir, to try to dissuade him from going ahead with
this terrible idea.
Included in this delegation were Rabbi Michael Stern, the highly
respected rabbinical authority of Ezrat Torah [a district in Jerusalem], and
Rabbi Raphael Levin, the son of one of the most beloved rabbis in 20th century
Israel, Rabbi Aryeh Levin.[1]
The thinking behind the selection of R. Raphael Levin was because
many of the members of Etzel [Irgun] and Lechi ['Stern Gang'] had great respect
for R. Aryeh Levin[2]. The hope was that Shmuel Tamir, a prominent Israeli
independence fighter for the Irgun, would at least listen to Reb Raphael Levin,
the son of Reb Aryeh.
Two days before the meeting, R. Raphael got on the phone and called
each of the rabbis in the delegation and begged and pleaded with them that they
should storm the gates of heaven with prayer; they should supplicate and pray
before the Heavenly Throne that they should somehow be successful in their incredibly
important mission of dissuading the minister from this terrible destructive
idea.
Two days later the delegation sat with Shmuel Tamir in his office.
At one point, R. Raphael spoke up. " I am the son of R. Aryeh Levin."
The eyes of Shmuel Tamir lit up in delight. Facing everyone in the
delegation, he exclaimed: "Ah, he was our beloved rabbi,". Then,
turning his gaze towards R. Raphael, he said, "What do you want to say?
Please. Go ahead."
R. Raphael spoke up, saying, "I would like to share with you a
short story. When I was much younger, a secular couple knocked on our door one
day. They wanted to speak to the great man, my father, HaRav Aryeh
Levin. My father invited them in and sat them down, whereupon a large argument
ensued between the husband and the wife.
It turned out that the wife was expecting a child, and the husband,
who was in medical school, didn't want to bring the child into the world. He
felt it would impede his studies, and anyway, in general he didn't want a child
at this time.
"The wife equally strongly wanted the child and they couldn't
come to an agreement. They decided to consult my father -- everyone respected
Rabbi Aryeh Levin, even the secular.
"My father listened to both sides. He sat with them for over
an hour, trying to persuade the husband that they should bring the child into
the world. He emphasized that the child would only bring nachas [pleasure,
satisfaction], and would have a major positive impact on the family.
"By the end of the hour the father was persuaded; he agreed to
let the fetus live, that they would bring the child into the world and raise it
with love."
Upon concluding the story, R. Raphael leaned across the desk toward
Shmuel Tamir, looked him in the eyes intently, and said quietly, "Not long
after this disagreement the couple had a baby boy. They called him Shmuel. He
grew up to be the important person whose name is Shmuel Tamir[3]. It was
you!"
Shmuel Tamir was utterly shocked. "I never heard this
story," He insisted.
R. Raphael quickly responded. "Call your mother, Call her
right now!
On the spot, Shmuel Tamir picked up the phone and called his
mother. At first, silence. Then is mother stuttered and then she mumbled,
"You have to understand, times were different then… etc. etc."
Mr. Tamir slammed the phone down, looked up at the silent rabbis,
and said firmly, "You have nothing to worry about. This bill will never
hit the Knesset floor as long as I am the Minister of Justice."
Amazing, yeshuat Hashem keherev ayin.
On their way out, R. Michael Stern questioned R. Raphael. "I
don't understand something. You knew this story two days ago, right?"
R. Raphael smiled. "Yes. I did."
"So why did you call each of us to insist that we daven
(pray). It must already have been clear that the story would be a 'slam
dunk'."
R. Raphael’s powerful reply astonished the entire delegation, and
made a lasting impression.
"Slam dunk ahin (there) slam dunk aher (here);
story this way, story that way. Without Tefillah (prayer) we
are nothing. Ferkert (on the contrary), the reason that the
story had impact is only because of our Tefillah!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Freely Adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a transcript of an email
report by Rabbi Shlomo Landau, "Why 'Pro-Choice' never made it to the
Knesset floor."
Biographical note
[excerpted and adapted from the excellent profile on
Lehi.org.il/en/levin-rabbi-aryeh (plus one sentence from the Jerusalem Post)]:
Rabbi Aryeh Levin [1885 - 9 Sivan 1969], studied at the Yeshivas of Volozhin,
Slutsk and Slonim, he was known for his scholarship and genius. In 1905 he
emigrated to the Holy Land, where he became the spiritual director of Talmud
Torah Yeshivat Etz Hayim in Jerusalem, a position he held for the rest of his
life. In the five decades plus since his passing, he has become a legendary
figure -- remembered both as the "Father of the Prisoners" for his
loving and supportive devotion to the members of the Jewish underground
imprisoned by the British during the Mandate period, and as the "Tzadik of
Jerusalem" for his limitless generous acts of kindness, and his love and
tolerance of all Jews.
Connection - Weekly Reading
of Vayeshev:
Like Yosef when he was jailed in Egypt and cared for Pharaoh's two ministers,
Rabbi Aryeh Levin was "The Father of Prisoners."
Footnotes:
[1]You can read all about him in English-and it is certainly worthwhile to do
so!--in the book "A Tzaddik in our Time" by Simcha Raz (Feldheim
1976).
[2]Especially those arrested by the British and incarcerated in the Russian
Compound jail in Jerusalem. For them he was known as "the Father of
Prisoners" because of his extraordinary dedication to their welfare and
their souls.
[3]The original family surname was 'Katzenelson.'
The Hanukah Queen who saved the Jews. By Dr. Yvette
Alt Miller
https://aish.com/the-hanukkah-queen-who-saved-the-jews/
A generation after the Hanukkah miracle, in the midst
of great turmoil, Salome Alexandra defended Judaism and restored Jewish
practice.
The story of Hanukkah is one of the best-known in
Jewish history: how a small group of faithful Jews, led by the Maccabees,
revolted against their Hellenist Greek rulers during the years 167-160 BCE, and
restored the Temple in Jerusalem to Jewish worship once again.
Their unlikely military victory and the miracle of a single jug
of oil burning in the Temple’s golden Menorah for eight days are celebrated
during the holiday of Hanukkah. Less known is what came next.
The “Maccabee” brothers (named after one brother, Judas
Maccabeus) established the Hasmonean royal dynasty that ruled the Jewish
kingdom of Judea for over 200 years. Far from presiding over a peaceful nation,
the Hasmonean rulers were mercurial, autocratic, and ruled a land continually
on the brink of civil war. It fell to Queen Salome Alexandra - also known
as Shlomit Alexandra and as Shlomzion - to stand up to some of the most
terrifying dictators imaginable, champion traditional Judaism, and restore peace
to Judea.
A key fact that’s often ignored in telling the Hanukkah story is
that many Jews at the time embraced a Hellenist lifestyle, worshiping Greek
deities and embracing Greek values. Within a generation of the Hanukkah
miracle, the Jewish community was again riven into factions, most notably the
Sadducees, who rejected the Talmud and many Jewish elements of a traditional
Jewish lifestyle and who dominated the ruling classes, and the Pharisees who
clung to Jewish traditions and lifestyles.
Queen Salome was born into a prominent scholarly family and
married into royalty. She possessed incredible courage and
calmness. Salome’s brother was Shimon ben Shetach, one of Judea’s most
renowned rabbis and a champion of the Pharisee cause. When it became too
dangerous for her brother to remain in Judea because of Sadducee persecution,
Queen Salome hid him, as well as other rabbinic allies of traditional Judaism.
Salome’s first husband, Judah Aristobulus I, was a grandson of
Simon the Maccabee, and ascended the throne in 103 BCE. A paranoid leader
with delusions of grandeur, Judah Aristobulus imprisoned his brothers and his
mother, who starved to death in jail. He declared himself the first King
of Israel since the destruction of the First Temple 500 years before (when the
Kingdom of Israel was lost), and embarked on wars with Judah’s neighbors.
At a time of intense conflict between the upper-class Sadducees,
who controlled the daily worship in the Temple in Jerusalem, and the more pious
Pharisees, who had no such power, Judah Aristobulus allied himself with the
Sadducees. He must have been a terrifying, mercurial ruler to oppose, yet
Queen Salome used her power to alter his will in every way she could. The
few historical records we have of her life describe her as standing in staunch
opposition to his tyranny.
After Judah Aristobulus’ death, Salome married his brother
Alexander Jannai, who crowned himself King Jannai and outdid his brother in
mercurial cruelty. Once again, Salome used her position to alter royal decrees
that threatened traditional Judaism.
During the holiday of Sukkot, King Jannai insisted on serving as
High Priest in the Temple. When the time came to pour water on the Temple
altar, he shocked the populace by pouring the water on his own feet instead,
seemingly implying that he ought to be worshiped. The ensuing outcry sparked a
riot that led to widespread civil unrest, pitting traditional Jews against
their Sadducee Jewish neighbors. King Jannai took advantage of the turmoil
by having most of Israel’s rabbinic leaders executed; many of those he failed
to kill fled to safety in Egypt. He also disbanded the Sanhedrin, the
Jewish supreme court, and replaced it with Sadducee judges loyal to him.
Queen Salome used her royal position to reverse these brutal
decrees. The Talmud recounts a watershed meal the royal couple ate together.
“King Jannai and the Queen ate bread together. And since Jannai executed the
Sages, there was no one to recite the Grace after Meals.” Queen Salome had a suggestion:
“Swear to me that if I bring you such a man, you will not harass him.” King
Jannai swore, and Queen Salome fetched her own brother, Rabbi Shimon ben
Shetach, from hiding (Talmud Berachot 48a).
With her brother restored to his rightful position as a Jewish
leader, and with King Jannai often away fighting in foreign wars, Queen Salome
did all she could to promote the Pharisee cause, eventually restoring the
Sanhedrin itself. Under her reign, Rabbi Shimon, along with Rabbi Joshua
ben Gamla, instituted a rule that became a model of Jewish life for thousands
of years, mandating that each town and city set up Jewish schools to educate
all the local children, teaching poor children for free if they could not
afford tuition.
She was opposed at every turn by her husband, who often reversed
her popular decrees from afar, but Queen Salome kept trying, legislating
traditional Jewish life back into Judean law. Her very name became a testament
to her beloved stature. Known as Salome Alexandra during much of her life, she
gained the popular Hebrew moniker Shlomzion,
meaning “Peace of Zion,” from her grateful populace.
Queen Salome continued to reign after King Jannai’s death in 76
BCE. The nine years she ruled alone were among the most prosperous in
ancient Judea’s history. She strengthened Israel’s military, built
fortresses, and oversaw a period of peace and prosperity. The Talmud describes
the years of her rule as a time when “rain invariably fell for them on
Wednesday eves and on Shabbat eves (times when the Talmud describes people
traditionally stayed indoors, so they were not inconvenienced by the showers),
until wheat grew as big as kidneys, and barley as big as olive pits, and
lentils as golden dinars” (Taanit 23a).
On her deathbed, Salome was torn once again between Judea’s
internecine fighting. Her son Aristobulus, an ally of the Sadducees,
sought the throne. In her final months, she gave into his increasing demands
for power - until her last moments, when Salome gave her final instructions:
Pharisee leaders should rule Judea after her death, ensuring that traditional
Jewish practices would prevail - and preserving Judaism as we know it today for
future generations.
Queen Salome is forever remembered as a staunch and brave
defender of Judaism during an intensely chaotic time in our national history.
Excerpted from Yvette Alt Miller's new book Portraits
of Valor: Heroic Jewish Women You Should Know
Chief Rabbi makes a statement that
is not correct. Reform and Conservative Jews can’t return. Not true, I did and
also one Reform Rabbi started learning Mishnah and became Frum. True most not. https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-724567
Milestone: Moshe Mizrachi, 72,
Former MK and Police Superintendent. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364235
Milestone: Lord David Young, 90,
advices Margaret Thatcher. https://www.timesofisrael.com/british-jewish-politician-who-advised-margaret-thatcher-dies-at-90/
Milestone: Col. Danny Shapiro, 97,
Chief IDF test pilot. https://iaf.org.il/4372-37766-en/IAF.aspx
Inyanay Diyoma
Organized Crime leads to the high
cost of building and housing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364214
Bedouin mass theft in south. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-meters-of-cable-cut-stolen-from-train-signaling-system-in-south/
US against UN blacklists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364224
A federal judge in Washington declined to hold former US President
Donald Trump or his legal team in contempt of court. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364220
Last (Sat.) night there was a
surprised call-up drill planned by the top brass to keep Hezballah in check. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364219
Austria investigates antisemitic
incitement. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/09/cursed-zionists-austrian-authorities-order-investigation-into-rampant-antisemitism-at-vienna-mosque/
Erdogan hints of retirement. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364225
Ukraine War – Odessa losses power. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364221
Rabbi Druckman designated with
Covid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364211
Ben Gvir vs. left wing AG. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ben-gvir-pans-ag-for-opposing-expansion-of-power-over-cops-raises-major-questions/
First Solar Project on Bedouin Land.
https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/hyo002rjoo
Rumor rotating Foreign Minister. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364203
An IDF training grenade was found on Friday near the door of the
house of journalist Shimon Ifergan in Be'er Sheva. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364204
A series of private emails that were sent to all 168 members of
the Republican National Committee after former President Donald Trump met with
Kanye West and white nationalist Nick Fuentes give an inside look at RNC
members’ exasperation with Trump’s antics. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364201 At least an apology.
Dershowitz vs. Ben Gvir. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364156
Cyber-Dome exercise. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364172
Police are searching for two individuals accused of vandalizing
the Cincinnati Hillel building. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364190
Univ. of MI Mezuzah ripped from
Student’s door. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364186
3Million or 75Kg in drugs seized. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364236
David Amsalem to be named Justice
Minister. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364228
Car accident or ramming attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364237
US kills 2 ISIS terrorists in Syria.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364274
Beirut Airport may be bomb if used
for weapons. https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-israel-warns-will-bomb-beirut-airport-if-its-used-for-iran-weapon-shipments/
Raid in Jenin captures 3 terrorists.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364267
Most likely IDF being fired upon
shot at person on roof above them killing a 16year old. https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinian-gunmen-clash-with-israeli-troops-during-arrest-raid-in-jenin/
Rabbi Druckman’s Condition improves
slightly. The public is requested to pray for the recovery of Rabbi Chaim
Meir ben Milkah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364265
MK blasts political reporter for
rumors. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364266
Al-Jazeera’s star witness a Jihad
Terrorist. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364261
Severe wheat crop damage from
drought. https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/hjtwsueoi
2,600,000 Israelis under the poverty
level. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bjfcolv00s
Arab Dr. falsely accused of helping
terrorist not restored to his position. https://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-doctor-falsely-accused-of-praising-terrorist-still-not-allowed-back-to-work/
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan told
Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Sunday that it was imperative the Kremlin
“clear” Kurdish forces from northern Syria.
BKLYN -thugs with tasers chasing
Jews. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364273
Amino Acids form in spacer by Gamma
Rays. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-724473
New study on rough and rogue waves
in Med. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-724569
Arab sector victim 107. https://www.timesofisrael.com/kafr-qassim-man-once-imprisoned-on-terror-charges-shot-dead-in-city/
Antisemite of the year given to a
non-white. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364322
State Dept. to Banana Republic – we
want accountability while thousands of innocents died in Iraq, Afghanistan from
US Forces. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364326
Ben Gvir replies that any other army
would have left dozens of dead in Jenin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364334
Fearing international backlash, Iran wants to limit the range of the
missiles it plans to provide Russia for the war in Ukraine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364327
By 2050 only 41% of men will be
drafted. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364280
Charedi UTJ agreement to no
generation of electricity on Shabbos. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364313
Mossad Chief reveals how Israeli Spy
Eli Cohen was discovered. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364293
5 Bedouin arrested in kidnapping
22year old. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364324
Bill to limit benefits to Bennett
and Lapid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364318
Yair Netanyahu says State should pay
for Libel Suit. https://www.timesofisrael.com/yair-netanyahu-says-state-should-cover-nis-420000-he-needs-to-pay-in-libel-suit/
AG to oppose Deri Bill. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ag-said-unlikely-to-oppose-bill-aimed-at-legitimizing-deris-appointment/
Top Gum sweet products deal. https://www.timesofisrael.com/topgum-inks-5-year-deal-to-develop-gummy-supplements-for-major-international-firm/
Ukrainians blame the Jews. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-liberated-kherson-jewish-leaders-are-being-accused-of-collaboration-with-russia/
Space capsule return on Shabbos. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364271
Interview with Netanyahu on the
Rubin Report. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364250
IDF drops flyers over Syrian Golan. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-said-to-strike-site-in-syrian-golan-drop-threatening-flyers/
All bets are off in Iran makes a
Nuclear Weapon. https://www.timesofisrael.com/saudi-fm-says-all-bets-are-off-if-iran-makes-a-nuclear-weapon/
Scaffolding not secured to building
collapses killing 2 workers. https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-workers-fall-to-their-death-as-scaffolding-collapses-in-givat-zeev/
Iron Fist APC passes first test. https://www.timesofisrael.com/defense-ministry-tests-new-defense-system-on-advanced-eitan-apc/
Iran re-jails Bahai activists. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-throws-leading-bahai-activists-back-in-jail-for-10-years-each/
Israeli police announced Sunday that they will resume their
efforts to locate a missing Haredi teenager, after DNA evidence linked to the
case was found. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364249
Avraham Accords - Former
United States Assistant to the President and Special Representative for
International Negotiations Avi Berkowitz got engaged Sunday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364253
Levin elected temporary Knesset
Speaker. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-724735
Ancient Coins found prove Maccabean
Revolt. https://www.ynetnews.com/travel/article/bksfxjb00i#autoplay
We had perfect intelligence to hit
truck number 8 out of 25 in convoy. https://www.jpost.com/arab-israeli-conflict/article-724832
Time to repeal the law of return
only 28% of immigrants Jewish. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364347
HS stabbing teen in serious
condition. https://www.timesofisrael.com/16-year-old-seriously-injured-in-stabbing-at-rehovot-school/
Czech Pres. Asks PM to move Embassy
to Yerushalayim. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjc2piioj
Medivac Medic now Dr. helps PTSD. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/skhovxldj
NZ places lifetime ban on new
smokers. https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-zealand-imposes-lifetime-cigarette-ban-on-youths-in-bid-to-end-smoking/
Philip Morris spends 3million NIS in
ads on Charedim. https://www.timesofisrael.com/philip-morris-targeting-haredi-society-to-grow-next-generation-of-smokers-study/
40MK’s demand that two Jews be
removed form Adm. Detention. https://www.timesofisrael.com/40-mks-demand-release-of-2-detained-jewish-suspects-gantz-its-a-boost-to-terror/
School that banned Anne Frank:
Keller Independent School District brings in Messianic “rabbi” with sexual
assault crimes. I guess they don’t want Gehenna for a
Tikkun but Kaf Keller (Limbo for years or centuries in the next world). https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-school-that-banned-anne-frank-book-hosts-messianic-rabbi-charged-with-sex-crime/
Instead of killing 7billion
male-chicks Israeli Gene Therapy leads to only female production. https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-israeli-scientists-program-hens-to-lay-eggs-that-carry-only-female-chicks/
Prosecutors put words in her mouth. https://www.timesofisrael.com/court-rejects-states-request-to-declare-key-netanyahu-trial-witness-hostile/
Iran’s failed try to assassinate US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo & John Bolton was commanded by Mohammad-Reza Ansari. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364372
Approving laws to make new
coalition. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364373
Bill to stop racketeering bullies
and terror. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364373
Arab support “Lion’s Den” by 72%. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364378
CUNY supports anti-Zionism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364386
Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Tuesday blamed the power former
President Donald Trump exerted in GOP primaries for the “candidate quality”
issues his party struggled with in key races. No you wasted money on McCaskey
in Alaska. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364381
Ukraine rejects Iranian Lies. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/13/ukraine-angrily-rejects-claim-that-iran-is-scaling-back-military-assistance-to-russia/
Israel to open up a Fusion
Institute. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/energy-and-infrastructure/article-724783
5 Russians and 2 Americans charged
in smuggling military grade precise rifles. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-724806
Moderna launches Phase III for
melanoma injection. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-724778
FBI understates antisemitism. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/13/jewish-nonprofit-criticizes-fbi-for-understating-antisemitic-hate-crime-statistics/
Canadian HS swastika. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/13/disturbing-swastika-incident-at-canadian-high-school-prompts-hate-crime-investigation/
4more gun smugglers arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364374
Iranian soccer player Amir Nasr-Azadani faces the possibility of
execution “after campaigning for women’s rights and basic freedom in his
country.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364376
Lod Mayor Yair Revivo has come to the defense of the Haredi MKs
and explained that their suggestions for energy production are actually timely
and relevant. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364342
Denver drops charges for Mushroom
“rabbi”. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364343
MK proposes making it illegal for
IDF females to serve in prisons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364361
US charges Sam Bankman-Fried with
massive Fraud. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-charges-fallen-crypto-tycoon-bankman-fried-with-massive-years-long-fraud/
No Budget until Charedi exemption
from Draft Law. https://www.timesofisrael.com/likud-haredi-faction-said-to-agree-to-link-new-conscription-law-to-state-budget/
IDF on Wednesday released photos showing what
it said were rocket launch sites that Palestinian terror groups have positioned
next to several schools in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-releases-photos-showing-terror-groups-put-rocket-launchers-next-to-gaza-schools/
ALS experimental drug in use in Tel
Aviv. https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-era-of-treatment-israelis-among-first-to-receive-game-changing-als-medicine/
Irish UNIFIL soldier shot dead by
Hezballah. https://www.timesofisrael.com/unifil-peacekeeper-killed-by-gunfire-in-south-lebanon/
Goldin Family treated like the enemy
instead of terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364445
First Responder saves 14year old
girl. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364411
Israeli Police decrease in the force as salaries are low. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364444
Republican and Republican-leaning voters favor DeSantis over Trump
by a huge margin, 56 percent to 33 percent. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364446
Rabbi Druckman
making miraculous progress. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364463
Omer Bar Lev gave into terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364450
Leftist and activist AG fights the
duly elected Government. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364462
Paul Pelosi attacker wanted to kill
Nancy. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364442
80% of Charedim use the internet. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364457
Gun Runner taken off plane in Ben
Gurion Airport. https://www.timesofisrael.com/alleged-gun-smuggler-detained-on-flight-moments-before-fleeing-country/
Ukraine shooting down drones. https://www.timesofisrael.com/ukraine-claims-to-shoot-down-swarm-of-iran-made-attack-drones-over-kyiv/
Despite victim 108 tourists remain
in Nazareth. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-shot-dead-in-nazareth-the-108th-arab-murder-victim-this-year/
Turkey blaming the Mossad. https://www.timesofisrael.com/turkey-arrests-7-citizens-suspected-of-spying-on-palestinians-for-mossad/
AI predicts heart failure. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-ai-predicts-heart-failure-in-muscle-inflammation-patients-with-80-accuracy/
Jewish Death Row convict to get
retrial. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364417
The traditional signage at the entrance to the Temple Mount,
warning Jews from going up to the mountain, to be reinstated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364416
Trump will speak Friday at the annual President’s
Conference of Torah U’ Mesorah, Politico reported on Thursday, a days-long
event at his National Doral club in Miami. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-725052
Jewish Leaders meet with Egypt’s Al Sisi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364490
Congress approves $480,000,000 for Iron Dome,
David’s Sling and Arrow projects. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364488
F-35 crashes. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364500
Russia fires 60 missiles at Ukraine.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364506
Russia wants all of the Ukraine digging
in for a long war. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-724889
Russia warns US over Patriot
Missiles to the Ukraine. https://www.timesofisrael.com/russia-warns-of-consequences-if-us-sends-missiles-to-ukraine/
Soviet style antisemitism returns to
Russia. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/15/putins-russia-returning-to-soviet-era-antisemitism-former-chief-rabbi-of-moscow-asserts/
Moshe Gafni proposes bill limiting
banks from raising mortgage rates. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/real-estate/article-724665
Sunday is the first night of Hanukkah, and for
the first time ever, the National Football League’s at Giants-Commanders game will
feature a menorah lighting. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hanukkah-menorah-lighting-to-be-held-on-sunday-night-football-for-first-time/
Republican Senators call on FBI to
halt Journalist Killing Probe. https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/15/eight-republican-senators-call-on-fbi-to-cease-israel-investigation-over-journalist-killing/
NYC attack on elderly Jew using slurs.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2022/12/15/suspect-attacks-63-year-old-in-central-park-after-making-antisemitic-comments/
Ben Gvir gives the AG a clue that
she is not PM. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/364465
Satmar Rebbe visited sexual abuser
in prison. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-725058
TX Police Officer convicted for
manslaughter. https://www.aol.com/news/texas-officer-convicted-manslaughter-window-212633301.html
Saudi Arabia key for peace with the
local Arabs. https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-floats-peace-with-saudis-as-key-to-resolving-conflict-with-palestinians/
Drill in Yerushalayim to prepare for
a war. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-drills-at-jerusalem-hospital-for-potential-war-heavy-rocket-attacks-on-capital/
Albania sentences Iranian to 10years
for Terrorism. https://www.timesofisrael.com/albania-sentences-iranian-man-to-10-years-in-prison-on-terror-charges/
A healthy and peaceful Shabbos and Hanukah Samayach,
Rachamim Pauli
