Op-Ed Rabbi Rachamim Pauli Ephod Tzedek Hin Tzedek -
Vayikra 19
These few words came
into my head during the middle of Pesach. The manufacturers both in Israel and
the States started raising prices by only little but they are lowering
quantity.
Despite my diet from
time to time I look for a little treat. Matzos are like 2 pieces of bread and
we tend to gain on Pesach. I luckily lost a pound and a half plus. But my wife
and I make a Parve Ice Cream with a Kosher for Ashkenazim creamer.
The recipe calls for
small chocolate flakes 100g or 200g. The Chocolate bars that we always used was
a standard 100g bar. Well this year it was 85g each bar which makes me use
close to 2.5 bars.
Not only are the prices
going up but we are getting less for a higher price. Buyer beware and not
fooled.
Parsha Shemini
Aaron was consecrated
with his sons and it is now time to take over from Moshe. A tragedy of losing
two children is about to occur. In our recent terror attacks including the
first day of Chol HaMoed two siblings died in three different attacks. So unfortunately,
we can picture this all too vividly in our own day.
The dedication of the
Princes of the Tribes are in full swing when sudden the sons of Aaron put a
strange fire before the L-RD (strange as it was not according to the Seder of
the Korbanos but an addition). They catch fire and burn to death.
Most of the Parsha deals
with this and what is permitted and forbidden to a Cohain. Our Parsha ends on
permitted and forbidden foods for all of Am Yisrael.
9:1 And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called
Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel; 2 and he said unto
Aaron: 'Take thee a bull-calf for a sin-offering, and a ram for a
burnt-offering, without blemish, and offer them before the
LORD. 3 And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying:
Take ye a he-goat for a sin-offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first
year, without blemish, for a burnt-offering; 4 and an ox and a ram
for peace-offerings, to sacrifice before the LORD; and a meal-offering mingled
with oil; for to-day the LORD appears unto you.' 5 And they brought
that which Moses commanded before the tent of meeting; and all the congregation
drew near and stood before the LORD.
And they brought the animals for the
Korbanos before Moshe. The Am witnessed and the animals were properly
slaughtered, flayed, fats were put on the Mizbayach to be burned and where the
other innards were to be burned in a clean place outside of camp was set up.
6 And Moses said: 'This is the
thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do; that the glory of the LORD
may appear unto you.' 7 And Moses said unto Aaron: 'Draw near unto
the altar, and offer thy sin-offering, and thy burnt-offering, and make
atonement for thyself, and for the people; and present the offering of the
people, and make atonement for them; as the LORD commanded.' 8 So Aaron
drew near unto the altar, and slew the calf of the sin-offering, which was for
himself. 9 And the sons of Aaron presented the blood unto him; and he
dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and
poured out the blood at the base of the altar. 10 But the fat, and
the kidneys, and the lobe of the liver of the sin-offering, he made smoke upon
the altar; as the LORD commanded Moses. 11 And the flesh and the skin
were burnt with fire without the camp.
At this point it is a regularly kindled
fire as is the normal nature of things.
12 And he slew the
burnt-offering; and Aaron's sons delivered unto him the blood, and he dashed it
against the altar round about. 13 And they delivered the
burnt-offering unto him, piece by piece, and the head; and he made them smoke
upon the altar. 14 And he washed the inwards and the legs, and made
them smoke upon the burnt-offering on the altar. 15 And the people's
offering was presented; and he took the goat of the sin-offering which was for
the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first. 16 And
the burnt-offering was presented; and he offered it according to the
ordinance. 17 And the meal-offering was presented; and he filled his
hand therefrom, and made it smoke upon the altar, besides the burnt-offering of
the morning.
All the special dedication Korbanos
and the Tamid or daily sacrifice of the morning and evening were put on display
before the 600,000 men of war.
18 He slew also the ox and the
ram, the sacrifice of peace-offerings, which was for the people; and Aaron's
sons delivered unto him the blood, and he dashed it against the altar round
about, 19 and the fat of the ox, and of the ram, the fat tail, and
that which covered the inwards, and the kidneys, and the lobe of the
liver. 20 And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he made the fat
smoke upon the altar. 21 And the breasts and the right thigh Aaron
waved for a wave-offering before the LORD; as Moses commanded. 22 And
Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down
from offering the sin-offering, and the burnt-offering, and the
peace-offerings. 23 And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of
meeting, and came out, and blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD
appeared unto all the people. 24 And there came forth fire from
before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt-offering and the fat;
and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
Suddenly, the natural
order of things was interrupted and fire came down from heaven and consumed the
fats and sacrifices. Similar to the Aggadah of the splitting of the Sea, starts out the natural way and G-D takes over.
10:1 And
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer, and put fire
therein, and laid incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD,
which He had not commanded them.
It is normal for a
non-Cohain trying to make an offering to be called a stranger as it is strange
for a non-Cohain to even think about doing something like offering up a Korban.
But the two brothers had been anointed Cohanim the day before. The strange fire
is in the Chabad Translation as they were not commanded to offer incense in this
manner. “Each took his pan, put fire in them, and placed
incense upon it, and they brought before the Lord foreign fire, which He had
not commanded them.”
2 And there came forth fire from before the LORD,
and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.
From a physical
standpoint it appears to me that the incense exploded dousing them with flammable
chemicals and they burned to death. The spiritual standpoint is that one does
not add or detract from what is commanded.
3 Then Moses said unto Aaron: 'This is it that the
LORD spoke, saying: Through them that are nigh unto Me I will be sanctified,
and before all the people I will be glorified.' And Aaron held his peace.
Aaron was about to
collapse; but Moshe told him, “I thought that you and/or I would be taken as a
holy sacrifice but it was these two boys who were taken.” The Medrash says that
they were not married wanting to be something like a Catholic Priest and that
is not the way of HASHEM but to LIVE BY TORAH and living means marrying.
4 And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons
of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them: 'Draw near, carry your
brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp.'
Since the Cohanim could
not defile themselves from the service of HASHEM and Moshe might be called before
HASHEM any minute, the first cousins were called upon to bury the deceased.
5 So they drew near, and carried them in their
tunics out of the camp, as Moses had said. 6 And Moses said unto
Aaron, and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons: 'Let not the hair of your
heads go loose, neither rend your clothes, that ye die not, and that He be not
wroth with all the congregation; but let your brethren, the whole house of
Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled. 7 And ye
shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting, lest ye die; for the
anointing oil of the LORD is upon you.' And they did according to the word of
Moses.
So instead of you
mourning within yourselves let all of Israel Mourn. This week we witnessed the
funeral of the Dee Sisters and then their mother Lucy aka Leah Dee be buried and
both the government and opposition figures came to mourn their loss.
8 And the LORD spoke unto Aaron,
saying: 9 'Drink no wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with
thee, when ye go into the tent of meeting, that ye die not; it shall be a
statute forever throughout your generations.
Our Sages infer from this
that the brothers had wine and were possibly inebriated when offering up the
incense.
10 And that ye may put difference between the holy
and the common, and between the unclean and the clean; 11 and that ye
may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken
unto them by the hand of Moses.'
Cohanim had to be meticulous
in their holiness and purity.
12 And Moses spoke unto Aaron, and unto Eleazar
and unto Ithamar, his sons that were left: 'Take the meal-offering that remains
of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the
altar; for it is most holy. 13 And ye shall eat it in a holy place,
because it is thy due, and thy sons' due, of the offerings of the LORD made by
fire; for so I am commanded.
Even though they were in
mourning, due to the holiness they were required to eat it.
14 And the breast of waving and the thigh of
heaving shall ye eat in a clean place; thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters
with thee; for they are given as thy due, and thy sons' due, out of the
sacrifices of the peace-offerings of the children of Israel. 15 The
thigh of heaving and the breast of waving shall they bring with the offerings
of the fat made by fire, to wave it for a wave-offering before the LORD; and it
shall be thine, and thy sons' with thee, as a due forever; as the LORD hath
commanded.'
These are Priest Dues that
the Cohanim should be eating.
16 And Moses diligently inquired for the goat of the
sin-offering, and, behold, it was burnt; and he was angry with Eleazar and with
Ithamar, the sons of Aaron that were left, saying: 17 'Wherefore have
ye not eaten the sin-offering in the place of the sanctuary, seeing it is most
holy, and He hath given it you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to
make atonement for them before the LORD? 18 Behold, the blood of it
was not brought into the sanctuary within; ye should certainly have eaten it in
the sanctuary, as I commanded.'
Under most circumstances
they should have eaten of this.
19 And Aaron spoke unto Moses: 'Behold, this day
have they offered their sin-offering and their burnt-offering before the LORD,
and there have befallen me such things as these; and if I had eaten the
sin-offering to-day, would it have been well-pleasing in the sight of the LORD? 20 And
when Moses heard that, it was well-pleasing in his sight.
To sit and eat like a
normal day would not be respectful to the deceased and sort of callous before
HASHEM and not out of ignoring the command.
From this point on
starts the laws of Kashrus in animals, birds, insects and fish. There are
creatures that appear kosher but we have no tradition on them. Locusts,
grasshoppers and crickets the Ashkenazim don’t eat today lacking a tradition.
11:1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto
them: 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: These are the
living things which ye may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth. 3 Whatsoever
parts the hoof, and is wholly cloven-footed, and chews the cud, among the
beasts, that may ye eat.
Certain animals not
native to Israel make this criterion among the bison, deer, elk and moose
species. On the other hand, there is a Tapir that looks a bit like the pig but
ruminates and splits the hooves.
4 Nevertheless these shall ye not
eat of them that only chew the cud, or of them that only part the hoof: the
camel, because he chews the cud but parts not the hoof, he is unclean unto
you. 5 And the rock-badger, because he chews the cud but parts not
the hoof, he is unclean unto you. 6 And the hare, because she chews
the cud but parts not the hoof, she is unclean unto you.
These species ruminate
but don’t part the hooves and the pig puts its feet forward to try to promote
that it is kosher but it does not chew the cud but gulp down food.
7 And the swine, because he parts
the hoof, and is cloven-footed, but chews not the cud, he is unclean unto
you.
Swallows its food
without chewing well on it.
8 Of their flesh ye shall not
eat, and their carcasses ye shall not touch; they are unclean unto you.
If an American Football
is made of pigskin then it is forbidden to play with it on Yom Tov or Shabbos
even in an enclosed courtyard.
9 These may ye eat of all that
are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas,
and in the rivers, them may ye eat.
I was told that there is
one eel that meets this criterion but as it is taken out of the water, the
scales fall off so it becomes non-kosher.
10 And all that have not fins and
scales in the seas, and in the rivers, of all that swarm in the waters, and of
all the living creatures that are in the waters, they are a detestable thing
unto you, 11 and they shall be a detestable thing unto you; ye shall
not eat of their flesh, and their carcasses ye shall have in detestation.
This goes for the shark,
barracuda, and sea mammals do not have scales. Creatures like sea horses, star
fish, octopuses, squids etc. do not have fins.
12 Whatsoever hath no fins nor
scales in the waters, that is a detestable thing unto you.
The general rule is that if the fish
has scales, it has fins but not the opposite.
13 And these ye shall have in
detestation among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are a detestable
thing: the great vulture, and the bearded vulture, and the
ospray; 14 and the kite, and the falcon after its
kinds; 15 every raven after its kinds; 16 and the ostrich,
and the night-hawk, and the sea-mew, and the hawk after its
kinds; 17 and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great
owl; 18 and the horned owl, and the pelican, and the
carrion-vulture; 19 and the stork, and the heron after its kinds, and
the hoopoe, and the bat.
The birds of prey are
forbidden including fish hunters like the pelican and penguin. Leaving more
grain eating birds and others like the humming bird does not have sign of a Kosher
bird.
20 All winged swarming things
that go upon all fours are a detestable thing unto you.
This would be a rat or bat
but if six legged like the locust that is a different story.
21 Yet these may ye eat of all
winged swarming things that go upon all fours, which have jointed legs above
their feet, wherewith to leap upon the earth; 22 even these of them
ye may eat: the locust after its kinds, and the bald locust after its kinds,
and the cricket after its kinds, and the grasshopper after its
kinds. 23 But all winged swarming things, which have four feet, are a
detestable thing unto you. 24 And by these ye shall become unclean;
whosoever touches the carcass of them shall be unclean until even.
Not only are bats
unclean but their carcasses are unclean too.
25 And whosoever bears aught of
the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the
even. 26 Every beast which parts the hoof, but is not cloven footed,
nor chews the cud, is unclean unto you; every one that touches them shall be
unclean.
So impure or ritually
unclean that their carcasses dirty clothing.
27 And whatsoever goes upon its
paws, among all beasts that go on all fours, they are unclean unto you; whoso
touches their carcass shall be unclean until the even. 28 And he that
bears the carcass of them shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the
even; they are unclean unto you.
Paws implies dogs, cats,
bears, etc.
29 And these are they which are
unclean unto you among the swarming things that swarm upon the earth: the
weasel, and the mouse, and the great lizard after its kinds, 30 and
the gecko, and the land-crocodile, and the lizard, and the sand-lizard, and the
chameleon. 31 These are they which are unclean to you among all that
swarm; whosoever doth touch them, when they are dead, shall be unclean until
the even. 32 And upon whatsoever any of them, when they are dead,
doth fall, it shall be unclean; whether it be any vessel of wood, or raiment,
or skin, or sack, whatsoever vessel it be, wherewith any work is done, it must
be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the even; then shall it be
clean.
These lizards ae forbidden.
33 And every earthen vessel
whereinto any of them falls, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and it ye
shall break.
These lizards in an
earthen vessel make it impure spiritually.
34 All food therein which may be
eaten, that on which water cometh, shall be unclean; and all drink in every
such vessel that may be drunk shall be unclean. 35 And everything
whereupon any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean; whether oven, or
range for pots, it shall be broken in pieces; they are unclean, and shall be
unclean unto you. 36 Nevertheless a fountain or a cistern wherein is
a gathering of water shall be clean; but he who touches their carcass shall be
unclean.
These carcasses renders the
food, hands or item unclean. One would have to have go to the Mikvah to purify
himself and/or use wooden tongs to remove the dead creature.
37 And if aught of their carcass
fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it is clean. 38 But if
water be put upon the seed, and aught of their carcass fall thereon, it is
unclean unto you.
Because the water
upgrades the level of Tuma.
39 And if any beast, of which ye
may eat, die, he that touches the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the
even.
This is a Nevaila and
requires Mikvah for purity.
40 And he that eats of the
carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the even; he also
that bears the carcass of it shall wash his clothes, and be unclean until the
even.
He has to purify himself
and clothing.
41 And every swarming thing that
swarms upon the earth is a detestable thing; it shall not be eaten. 42 Whatsoever goes upon the belly, and whatsoever goes upon
all fours, or whatsoever hath many feet, even all swarming things that swarm
upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are a detestable thing. 43 Ye shall not make yourselves detestable with any swarming
thing that swarms, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye
should be defiled thereby.
This seems to be a
clarification of swarming animals and insects.
44 For I am the LORD your God;
sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye
defile yourselves with any manner of swarming thing that moves upon the
earth.
Frogs, snakes other amphibians
and reptiles.
45 For I am the LORD that brought
you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God; ye shall therefore be holy,
for I am holy. 46 This is the law of the beast, and of
the fowl, and of every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every
creature that swarms upon the earth;
As with Vayikra 19:1 we
are a holy people.
47 to make a difference between
the unclean and the clean, and between the living thing that may be eaten and
the living thing that may not be eaten.
Now you have learned
what is clean and unclean.
While I was learning
with Rabbi Mimran Shlita I told him this story and was sad that I did not have
this for the Congregation so now the correct version is here. Thanks to Rabbi
Yosef Yitzchak Jacobson Shlita.
The
Alcoholic’s Seder
Kobe vs.
Barditchov
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369574
Twenty-six years ago,
I observed a Passover in Japan.
It was a few weeks
before Passover 1997. Rabbi Moshe Kotlarsky of Chabad World Headquarters in
Brooklyn requested of a colleague and me to travel to the Far East and conduct
public Passover Seders for the Jewish community living in the remote city of
Kobe. Our journey to Japan and the numerous encounters with hundreds of Jews
residing in that part of the world remain etched in my heart.
My friend, Moshe
Lieberman (today a Rabbi in Boston), supervised the meticulous procedures of
koshering the Synagogue kitchen for Passover and preparing the food for the
Seder. We did not know how many people to expect; there are wandering Jews to
be found in every corner of Japan. To our astonishment, our first public Seder
attracted close to two hundred Jews, most of them from very secular
backgrounds, some had not attended a Passover Seder in decades.
The energy was great.
We sang, danced, ate the crunchy matzah and drank the tasty wine. The guests
were into it, eating up the discussions as much as the delicious meal.
In the middle of the
Seder, I was searching for words to describe my sentiments. My memory brought
forth a moving Chassidic tale -- one of my personal favorites -- about the holy
Rebbe (spiritual master) of Barditchov.
Here goes.
A
Drunkard’s Seder
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of
Barditchov (1740-1810) was one of the great spiritual masters of his
generation. One Passover, following an emotionally charged Seder, the Rebbe was
told from heaven, that Mosheleh the water carrier's Seder was superior to his. "This
year," he was informed from above, "G-d's most lovable Seder was that
of the water-carrier of Barditchov."
The next day after
services, the Rebbe's disciples went up to Mosheleh the water carrier and asked
him to come see the Rebbe. Mosheleh came before the Rebbe, and he began to cry
bitterly. He said, "Rebbe, I'll never do it again. I'm so sorry; I don't
know what came over me." The poor man was devastated. The Rebbe said,
"Listen, my dear Jew, don't worry so much; just tell us what you did last
night."
Here we must interrupt
the story for a moment. It is well known that generally, intoxication and
alcoholism are viewed in Judaism as repulsive and destructive. Yet our dear
Mosheleh was orphaned at a young age and was miserably poor. He sadly succumbed
to the temptation of alcohol as a way to deal with his agony and stress.
Essentially, Mosheleh was a good and innocent man, a G-d-fearing individual and
a pure heart, but this temptation, unfortunately, got the better of him, and he
drank often.
The "problem"
is that on Passover you can't drink whiskey. So Mosheleh had a tremendous idea:
He'll stay up the whole night before Passover and drink an amount of whisky
that would keep him "high" for eight days straight, throughout the
entire Passover holiday.
This Moshe did: When
the night before Passover arrived he drank and drank, until the minute when you
must stop eating Chametz (leaven) on the morning before Passover. When the
clock struck twenty minutes after nine, he took his last "Le Chaim"
and he was out cold.
Seder night arrived.
His wife came to wake him and said, "Mosheleh, it's really not fair. Every
Jewish home has a Seder. We have little children, and we are the only ones who
don't have a Seder." Mosheleh gazed at the Rebbe of Barditchov and continued
relating his tale: "By then, did I regret that I drank so much the night
before! Did I regret it! I would have done anything not to be drunk. But I
couldn't help it. So, I said to my wife: 'Please wake me up in an hour. I just
can't get it together yet.'
My wife kept waking me
every hour, and then every half-hour. Then, suddenly, she came to me and said,
'Moshe, in twenty minutes the Seder night is gone and the children are all
sleeping. Shame on you. You are a disgraceful father and husband!'
"Gevald! I was so
devastated," Mosheleh told the Rebbe. "Here, my children are precious
beyond words and I am a lousy alcoholic father, I didn't even give them a
Seder. I realized how low I have fallen, how my addiction destroyed my life and
my relationships, how I sold my soul to the devil of alcohol. So, with my last
strength I got out of bed and sat down at the Seder table. I said to my wife,
'Please, call our holy children.'
"She called the
children and I said to them, 'Please sit down very close to me, I have to talk
to you.
"I want you to
know, children, that I am so sorry that I drank. I am so sorry that I am a
drunkard. If my drinking can make me not have a Seder with you, then it's not
worth it." I said to my children, 'I swear to you, that I'll never drink
again in my life. But, right now, it's Seder night, so let me just tell you the
Passover story in a nutshell.'"
Mosheleh said to the
Rebbe, "You know, I was still drunk, and I barely know how to read Hebrew.
But, I tried my best. I said, 'Children, I want you to know that G-d created
heaven and earth in seven days. Then Adam and Eve ate from the Tree and were
thrown out of Paradise. Since then everything went downhill: There was a flood,
there was a tower of Babel—that was as much as I knew. Then came Abraham and
Sarah. They began fixing the world again. Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca,
Jacob and Rachel and Leah and their twelve holy sons. Then Pharaoh made slaves
out of us, and tonight, G-d took us out from Egypt.
"My Sweet
children, now we are also in exile. And I want you to know, that the same G-d
who took us out from Egypt is still alive and present and very soon He will
liberate us from this exile too."
"I turned to G-d,
and said: 'Father in heaven, thank you so much for taking us out of Egypt. And
I beg you, sweetest father, please take us out of our present exile very soon'!
Rebbe, I'm so sorry. I couldn't say anything more because I was still drunk.
"I Took the
Matzah, Maror and Charoses situated on the table and ate them. I filled four cups
and drank them one after another, I turned over and I fell asleep again."
The holy master Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Barditchov was crying bitter tears. He said to his disciples, “Did
you hear that? Did you hear that? I wish that one time in my life I should
communicate Yiddishkeit (the Jewish spirit) to my children, the way Mosheleh
the water carrier gave it over to his children on Seder night. I wish that once
in my life I should converse with G-d like Mosheleh did during his Seder.”
A woman’s
tale
I concluded the story
and then I said:
“I want you to know
that I celebrated many a Seder-night in a very observant Jewish community in
New York. Yet I get the feeling, that G-d's most lovable Seder was the one done
right here, in Kobe, Japan! Many of us here this evening may be unaware of the
detailed Seder rituals and customs, and so many of us may not even know how to
read the Haggadah in Hebrew. But, my dearest brothers and sisters, the
sincerity and the passion of so many Jews thirsty to reconnect with their inner
soul -- this I've never seen before during a Passover Seder and I thank you for
allowing me this special opportunity."
I felt that the story
has stirred up deep emotion in the audience. I could see tears streaming from
some people's eyes. But one woman was sitting at the other end of the room and
was weeping profusely. She later approached me and related her personal tale:
"I grew up in a
very assimilated home," the woman said. "I know almost nothing about
Judaism. I'm living here in Japan for more than twenty years, working as a
school teacher and involved in the mystical disciplines of the Far East."
She related to me that
she was uninterested in attending the Seder, as she felt completely alienated
from Judaism, yet a friend persuaded her to come.
"The only thing I
remember about Judaism," she continued, "was that my grandmother
would always tell me, that I have a special spiritual connection. Why?
"Because you are the tenth generation of Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of
Barditchov."
"Who is Rabbi Levi
Yitzchak of Barditchov? That my grandmother never knew. She just knew that he
was some great man who lived in Eastern Europe. And she insisted that I always
retain this piece of history in my memory.
"So, thank you
Rabbi for serving as the messenger of my holy grandfather to bring me to come
back home this Passover night," the woman said to me.
I wiped a tear from my
eye and thanked the Almighty for sending me to Japan for Passover.
Put the Potato aside for me. By Rabbi Yisrael Meir
Lau Shlita
Take from Yisrael HaYom translated and
paraphrased by Rachamim Pauli
Rabbi Lau writes that
one spring his older brother in the camp yelled “Sirulik aka Yisrael put this
potato away for me under your bunk.” I was too young to have learned about
Pesach in my house as I was taken away at a young age until finally being sent
to a camp. Since I was younger, I had a mattress and could hide potatoes inside
without the Nazis searching. My older brother slept on a plain plank.
He was busy bargaining
away his daily bread portion for a potato from the local Goyim. It was harsh on
him but it kept him with ‘Kosher’ for Pesach Potatoes.
Chava Willig Levy passed away this week at the age of
71.
At the age of 22, I was
offered her name as a possible Shidduch but emotionally as a Baal Teshuva
rejected her as I felt that Baalei Teshuva were only offered substandard
physically or psychologically beings and I ran with my pride and not my head. I
met her later on and she was a pleasant individual it was like Robert Frost’s
Poem the “Road not taken” but it is Gam Zu Le Tova (all for the best) as I
would be a widower this week.
https://aish.com/a-life-not-with-standing/
Invisible, Inaudible, inanimate: My adventures in a wheelchair.
The following is excerpted from Chava Willig Levy's new
memoir, A Life Not with Standing. Chronicling the adventures of an iron lung alumna, it shatters stereotypes
about people with disabilities, enabling others to view disability with pride,
not prejudice.
I was raised in a joy-filled home. One of its most joy-filled days
was April 12, 1955, when Dr. Jonas Salk announced that his polio vaccine
worked. Four months later, at the age of three, I contracted polio.
Years of hospitalizations and surgeries had me hungering for home.
But with each hospital discharge, one destination had me chomping at the bit to
fly the coop. My ninth birthday long behind me, I had yet to attend school.
Except for my synagogue’s afternoon program, home and hospital instruction was
all I knew. The only advantage to this lonely segregation was its tight
quarters. They afforded me the chance to minimize wheelchair use; at home, for example,
a few steps from bed to kitchen table, my ersatz school desk, were well within
my ambulatory range.
Finally, one spring day, after years on the New York City Board of
Education’s waiting list, I was admitted to a special education class. Finally,
I exulted, a chance to go to school like everyone else, with everyone else.
I was wrong. Each weekday morning, my special ed classmates and I
got off the segregated school bus, entered our segregated classroom and –
except for occasional visits to the physical therapist’s office or the separate
“handicapped” bathroom – stayed there until the segregated school bus brought
us home. We never mingled with able-bodied kids, not in the classroom, not in
the library, not in the cafeteria (even though it was just down the hall, we
were never allowed to eat there – an insurance risk, we were told).
The only advantage to this obscene segregation was, once again,
its tight quarters. They afforded me the chance to minimize wheelchair use, so
much so that my wheelchair stayed at home. A few steps from my front door to
the school bus, a few steps from the school bus to the health conservation
classroom (equating disability with illness was axiomatic in the 1960s; 50
years later, it still is) and reversing the order when homeward bound – nothing
to it.
But then an outing to the Bronx Zoo took place in June. Imma came
along; my wheelchair didn’t. For the
first 15 yards, I loped jauntily among my classmates, most of them in
wheelchairs. Then, without my saying a word, without my even knowing that I
needed it, Imma placed her right hand under my left elbow. Ten
yards later, her support was insufficient. I began to lag behind, out of
energy, out of breath. Five yards later, Imma guided her
enervated daughter to a bench, where we remained until my classmates paraded
back.
I’m not sure if I realized it before. I certainly realized it
then: My wheelchair was my friend. It still is. To this day, the final stanza
of Nurse Callahan’s ditty often comes to mind:
One finger, one thumb, one arm, one leg, one nod of the
head, stand up, sit down
Keep moving.
Stand up. Sit down. Either way, the point is to keep moving. For
me, sitting down in a motorized wheelchair (I took the leap from manual to
motorized wheelchair in 1980) offers a faster, more liberating, less exhausting
way to keep moving. For so many others, the mere thought of it fills them with
revulsion.
In the 1990s, when I lived on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, my
chariot of choice was a three-wheeled motorized scooter. Zipping along West End
Avenue, I’d often greet elderly people plodding painstakingly with walkers,
their pallid faces exuding exhaustion.
“I wonder if you’d find it easier to get around in a scooter like
mine.”
“Oh, no!” I’d hear, and sometimes, “I’d rather die!”
I’d wish them a good day and sprint ahead, reaching the corner in
seconds, leaving them far behind.
After that exhausting Bronx Zoo school outing, I didn’t mind
becoming a more frequent wheelchair user. What I did mind was becoming a
wheelchair.
The year was 1962. Another school year, another school trip. I was
sitting in a yellow “handicapped” school bus, the kind equipped with a
hydraulic lift and absolutely no shock absorbers. My class was on its way to
the Museum of Natural History. After battling traffic for over an hour, the bus
driver pulled into the parking lot and drove toward the museum’s rear – and
(surprise) only accessible – entrance. Before he had a chance to turn off the
ignition, a museum guard rapped authoritatively on the bus’s windshield and
pointed to a far-off sea of yellow, where school buses apparently were required
to park. Full of self-importance, our driver lowered his window and bellowed in
the most mellifluous Brooklynese, “I gotta pock heeya. I got wheelchairs!”
Now that was a difficult shock to absorb. I knew something was
dreadfully wrong with being defined as an inanimate object. I wanted to call
out, “You mean, ‘I got people in wheelchairs!’” But I was only ten years old. I
didn’t know how to speak my mind.
I have many more tales out of school to tell, but I can’t resist
telling a tale not of my own: a tale from the classic television series The Twilight Zone,
entitled “Eye of the Beholder.” For twenty of the twenty-five minutes Rod Sterling
needed to weave his riveting story, the bandaged face of a hospital patient is
the only one in view. When we meet her, she is about to endure the plastic
surgeon’s ninth and final attempt to correct, or at least diminish, her severe
disfigurement. As the last bandage is about to be removed, the camera swings
around. The doctor exclaims, “No change. No change at all!” The camera cuts
back to the patient. For the first time, we see her face. It is ravishingly
beautiful. Instantly, the camera cuts to the doctors and nurses. For the first
time, we see their faces. They are repugnant, pig-like.
For me, the most powerful moment in this drama occurs well before
that climax. The doctor tells his patient, “There are many others who share
your misfortune, people who look much as you do. Now, one of the alternatives,
just in the event that this last treatment is not successful, is simply to
allow you to move into a special area in which people of your kind have been
congregated.”
And the patient, her face swathed
in bandages, cries out, “People of my kind? Congregated? No, you mean
segregated!”
“Eye of the Beholder” first aired
in 1960. Perhaps the eight-year-old I was then would not have appreciated its
profundity. Still, I wish I had seen Sterling’s masterpiece before the shame
and rage that segregation engendered had taken their toll.
The invisibility, inaudibility and anonymity of my special
education days may be long gone. But every now and then, I still get to be
inanimate. Fifty years after my school bus driver hollered, “I gotta pock
heeya. I got wheelchairs,” a friend and I attended a dazzling concert at
Carnegie Hall. At its conclusion, we proceeded from the lobby to the sidewalk.
A man several inches in front of us said to his companion, “Let the wheelchair
pass.”
I smiled and said, “You mean, ‘Let the woman in the wheelchair
pass.’”
The man retorted, “Well, you’re a part of it.”
“No,” I replied, “it’s a part of me.”
A Life Not with Standing is available as a print book and as an e-book.
A few minutes about the
Holocaust Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat Heb. Translation to Russian. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ32eY-zfAQ
English translation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY4YyriqD2c
Milestone: Meir Shalev, 74, fiction
writer, kibbutznik. https://www.timesofisrael.com/meir-shalev-beloved-writer-of-fiction-and-complicated-israeli-lives-dies-at-74/
Milestone: Rabbi Hillel Silverman,
99, was the Rabbi of Jack Ruby (Rubinstein) who murdered Lee Harvey Oswald. https://www.timesofisrael.com/hillel-silverman-dallas-rabbi-whose-congregant-killed-jfks-assassin-dies-at-99/
Milestone: Chava Willig Levy, 71, New York-based lecturer, author,
editor and advocate Chava Willig Levy, the sister of Yeshiva University Rosh
Yeshiva Rabbi Mordechai Willig and Rabbi David Willig, passed away over the
Passover holiday at the age of 71. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369780 first cousin of another Rabbi David Willig.
Milestone: Mimi Sheraton, 97, food
critic. https://www.timesofisrael.com/mimi-sheraton-groundbreaking-food-critic-and-scholar-of-the-bialy-dies-at-97/
Milestone: Michael Lerner, 81,
actor. https://www.timesofisrael.com/michael-lerner-who-got-oscar-nod-for-role-in-barton-fink-dies-at-81/
Milestone: Benjamin Florencz, 103,
last of the Nuremburg prosecutors. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369771
Milestone: Seymour Stein, 80,
https://www.timesofisrael.com/seymour-stein-jewish-record-mogul-who-signed-madonna-dies-at-80/
Milestone: Margot Stern Strom, 81,
educator of children comparing Jim Crow with the start of the Holocaust. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369477
In a year from now, there will be a
great eclipse in North America. Some cities with totality: The major
cities inside the path are Mazatlán, Torreon, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth,
Indianapolis, Cleveland, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Montreal. The
ovals in the map show the shadow of the Moon at five minute intervals. This
path is called the path of totality. Apr. 8, 2024
Inyanay Diyoma
News April 1:
Three Israelis were injured in a ramming attack on Saturday
evening in Gush Etzion south of Jerusalem. According to MDA, one of the wounded
is in severe condition, the other is in moderate condition, and the third is in
minor condition. Soldiers? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369509
Bedouin Terrorist eliminated on Har HaBeis. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369506
Arkansas Tornado kills 11. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369508
Gallant to remain Defense Minister. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369503
When Netanyahu faced off against opposition leader and Yesh Atid
chairman Yair Lapid, there was a tie of 32% between the two. When Netanyahu was
placed against National Unity chairman Benny Ganz, Netanyahu received 31%
support from the public, while Ganz received 38%. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369505
Arab steals car with two children
inside. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369501
High Iranian Official killed in
Syrian Raid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369481
April 2:
5 injured in Syria after strike on Hizballah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369516
Melanie Philips. Whatever one thinks about Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, any true Israeli patriot will surely react viscerally to
U.S. President Joe Biden’s outrageous attack on Israel’s right to govern. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369482
Arabs: Har HaBeis is a Mosque not a
Temple. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369517
Pallywood Movies how to shoot
Israelis. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369489
Op-Ed Caroline Glick on Biden and
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369483
Iran no Hijab get yogurt poured on
you. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369519
Kushner: “As an American, it’s very troubling to me to see the
leader of the opposition party be indicted, and I think that that shows
obviously the fear that the Democrats have of Trump and the political strength
that he has.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369518
Trump way up in polls after
indictment. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369520
Man recovers from deadly fungus. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-736136
Montreal’s oldest Synagogue
vandalized. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-736004
X class Solar Flares hit earth. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-736086
14year old girl abused by six Arabs.
https://www.jpost.com/science/article-736086
Two Russian Drones explode near
Matzo Factory. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-736128
A significant minority of Russia's
200,000 Ukraine
War casualties have been due to non-combat
causes, with many linked to alcohol abuse. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736145
Magnetic Forces find ancient
civilization now under water. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-736139
AG opposes Ben Gvir’s National Guard. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736150
Ahmad Motevaselian disappeared in Lebanon in 1982 and for
many decades Iran blamed Israel for his disappearance. However, reports at the
time indicated that a Lebanese Christian armed group was involved in killing
him. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-736137
Probe into film of Policeman
whipping female protestor. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-736142
Actress Diane Neal makes Aliyah. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736145
April 3rd
Gun Battle in Jenin 2 Shachidim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369572
Jets scrambled but electronic
warfare was all it took to down the Iranian Drone. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369554
Blast in Damascus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369561
Rebellion in the Likud. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369559
Anousim from the Inquisition return.
Kassy Dillion becomes Devorah Ruth bas Sarah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369541
Depending on the outcome of the case, the indictment of Trump in
Manhattan could be “rocket fuel” to his 2024 presidential campaign. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369565
Two people rescued on flight from
Tel Aviv to Chicago. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369535
Malka Leifer, the former principal of the Adass Israel School in
Melbourne, Australia was found guilty of rape and sexual abuse of children
Monday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369571
Kohelet Director explains Judicial
Reform. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369563
Explaining Judicial Reform Part 1. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369513
Part 2. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369570
The Commander of the Israel Air Force, Maj. Gen. Tomer Bar warned
Sunday that reserve pilots who freeze their service in protest of the
government's judicial reform legislation will be expelled from their squadron. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369553
The commander of an IDF reserves battalion ordered the officer
charged with contacting reservists to try reservists who were summoned to
participate in an exercise and did not report in protest of the government's
judicial reform plan, Walla reported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369511
Op-Ed Ruthie Blum the unsung heroes of the IAF.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369545
Lieberman wants secular education
for Charedim but he has secular schools that don’t know Shema Yisrael. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369544
National Guard to be established to
fight crime. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369555
Female Officer Candidate collapses
and dies. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369536
Arab terrorists apparently fired shots at a low-flying Israel Air
Force cargo plane as it flew over northern Samaria Sunday afternoon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369552
Oligarch paid for apartment of
Putin’s teacher. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/real-estate/article-736179
Second Drone from Gaza shot down. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369587
6month old in stroller struck by bus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369585
Finland’s PM loses the election-job. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-736216
April 4/5
Biden Admin. Funding Regime Change
in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369671
Barrage of 18 rockets especially Sderot. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369662
Why hasn’t the cabinet met in 2 months? https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369674
Shooting in Chevron. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369664
We can manage by ourselves but US
help is invaluable. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369676
Monday night attack in Syria: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369607
Cyber attack on Charedi Paramedic
Rescue site. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369654
2 Soldiers wounded Tuesday near Army
Base. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369621
Wesleyan U. antisemitism. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-736318
These idiotic activist helped spark
Tuesday Night riots. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-736245
US Army is training with long range
hypersonic weapons. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-736328
Apple cutting jobs in Israel. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/bjpbrvtwh
https://www.timesofisrael.com/16-hurt-in-bus-bombing-in-southern-syria-near-jordanian-border/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/irans-supreme-leader-israels-demise-coming-faster-than-i-expected/
Cyber attack on Israeli
Universities. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/rj60juyw2
Tuesday commercial helicopter crash.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369627
Trump becomes a rallying call for
Republicans. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369615
Infant struck in stroller dies. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369602
Talks to continue during Chol
HaMoed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369605
April 6th Motzei Yom Tov Pesach
With 25 rockets in the south and 34
Katushas in the north and 3 or 4 mortars on Metulla. These are the headlines
with the exception that Rishon LeTzion and Ashkelon open up shelters.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-april-6-2023/ Hamas Lebanon behind attack. https://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-warning-sirens-sound-in-israel-towns-on-lebanese-border/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/rocket-warning-sirens-sound-in-israel-towns-on-lebanese-border/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/finland-to-purchase-israels-davids-sling-anti-missile-system/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/4-year-old-drowns-in-pool-hours-before-start-of-passover/
Apr. 7
Today
is one day in Omer or to Omer it is the B' or L' in Hebrew. Ashkenazi B' Nusach
Sephard of Ashkenaz L' and the Sephardim.
2 women dead 1 injured in Jordan River Valley
shooting by terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369733
After 44 rockets from Gaza, 34 from Lebanon and
3 mortars on Metulla, the IDF hits the terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369721 Gaza
Lebanon: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369723
Miraculously a man sleeping 2 meters
away in living room not hit by rocket that hits house. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369725
Netanyahu blah-blah our enemies will pay. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369722
Soldier Shot in Benyamin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369720
Elderly man attacked and then
arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369720
Hiding behind Holy Thursday, Good
Friday, Passover, Easter and Ramadan this comes out. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-admits-massive-intelligence-failure-in-disastrous-afghan-exit/
Sophia Richie converts to Judaism. https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hydezm5112
Apr 8th
Dee sisters to be buried. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369751
Ramming attack in Tel Aviv 1 dead 7
injured. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369750
Italian Tourist is the terror
victim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369753
Now more Muslims in France that
Christians. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369747
There is a credible threat against
the Kurds and the Iraqi Oil in the Northern part of Syria and Iraq where there
is a US Presence. US sends Sub with 154 Tomahawk Missiles. https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-navy-sends-nuclear-submarine-to-middle-east-amid-soaring-tensions/
Super Massive Black Hole leaves its Galaxy leaving new stars in its
path. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-738677
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi convened a situation
assessment on Friday afternoon, during which he ordered the call up of some
reserves, with an emphasis on air defense and offensive formations in the Air
Force, in light of the tensions in the region.
Ron
DeSantis is to be in the Israel 75 Celebrations. Balks at Disney not paying
fair share in FL. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/all-news/article-738724
Dee sisters to be buried. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369751
Apr. 9th
Large amount of Police on Temple
Mount after Arabs lock themselves in the Mosque prior to the Blessings of the
Cohanim. https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-april-9-2023/
6 Rockets from Syria and IAF fights
back. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369768
Iran installs cameras to ID women. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369770
Two Arab Clans fight. Six people were injured, one severely and five lightly,
late Saturday night on Dov Yosef Street on the outskirts of the Arab-populated
Beit Safafa neighborhood in southern Jerusalem, near Gilo. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369766
Apr.10th
Iranian Drone range 450km at
12,000ft revealed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369789
One of Menashe’s Yeshiva
Friends was killed in an “accident” with an Arab Truck right before Pesach. I
also lost a friend to one of these “truck accidents” on the old 446 road.
Funeral held for two sisters. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369778
Romanian and Bulgarian farmers rise up against Ukrainian grain
imports.
Farmers say Ukrainian wheat, cheaper than that produced in the EU. https://twitter.com/TheWakeninq/status/1644561093157703685?s=20
The “leaked” Pentagon Docs. May have
been hacked and manipulated by Russia. Everything is Russian disinformation but
this. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369808
Latest Opinion Poll Bibi loses and
Ganz will be PM. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369797
Lion’s Den kills suspected traitor. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369800
Op-Ed Dash: It’s the Deep State
Stupid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369757
https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-seriously-hurt-in-car-blast-in-lod-in-suspected-criminal-incident/
White Uber driver who shot and
killed a white man with an AK47 pointing at him during a BLM to be pardoned. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-738756
BDE Lucy (Leah) Dee dies of her
wounds. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369832
Apr 11th
Girl friend recovered alive but
brother and sister still missing.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/4-killed-in-shooting-at-bank-building-in-kentucky-suspect-shot-dead/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/teenage-girl-injured-by-toppling-tree-at-sea-of-galilee/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-arrests-alleged-palestinian-terror-cell-planning-imminent-attack/
Police and the Druse Guards capture
infiltrator in the woods around or in back of Chashmonayim.
Volcano blows in Russia. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-738939
Netanyahu to visit DC by the end of
the month. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369861
Breitbart News criticized opposition leader Yair Lapid after he
flew to the US on Monday to meet with Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), who has
proposed the most radical reforms in US history. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369859
50,000 march to Evyatar. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369837
Arab shelters Jewish Couple after
car hits rock barrier at night. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369825
Queens antisemitic team. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369811
Assad and Raisi discuss Israeli
failure. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369809
Inter-Agency link responsible for
leaks. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-738836
Analysis even with Saudi-Iran deal
war in Yemen not over. https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-738820
Russian economic statistics are a collection of lies and
distortions. They are meant to convince people at home that their economy is
chugging along despite the war, and people abroad that Western economic
sanctions don’t work and therefore should be rescinded. https://www.jpost.com/business-and-innovation/opinion/article-738731
The Islamic Republic of Iran exerted pressure
on the nation’s
tiny Jewish community to not celebrate the end of
Passover on Friday and instead participate in the annual
anti-Israel al-Quds Day demonstration. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-738818
Egypt planned to sell Russia 40,000
rockets. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-738954
April 12th
The government spent millions on the
4 lane highway from Ramon Airport to Eilat but some half baked engineer did not
take into account a flash flood lasting 2 plus days. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/by4kklez3#autoplay Brother and sister die in flood.
Iran under the cover of earthquake
aid supplies drones and other weapons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369910
Former US president Donald Trump accused French President
Emmanuel Macron of pandering to China's leader Xi Jinping. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-739036
A 76-year-old woman was found dead at her
Rehovot home Tuesday night, with her husband arrested on suspicion of murder. https://www.timesofisrael.com/woman-found-dead-in-rehovot-home-husband-arrested/
The IDF's Military
Intelligence Directorate warned the political
echelon in recent days that war is closer than calm, according to information
Walla! received on Tuesday. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-739053
Erev Chag and the thief in Chashmonayim. He used a devise
that mimics the electronic key code and then steals the car. Unfortunately, the
car had a device that causes the ignition to turn on. Only the car had a device
that notify drivers if their car is on the highway. But instead of going past
the exit by the guard house, he drove down the patrol road. The police were
notified and between the guards and police, he was caught B”H and the man got back
his car.
From Chaya when the pot calls the
kettle black. Reserve Lt. Col. Shlomi Riesman, Netanyahu's former commander
in the Sayeret Matkal unit, reacts to the PM's speech yesterday, in which he
blamed the calls for refusal to take responsibility for the security tensions:
"In the 1st Lebanon War, you withdrew from the reserves. You did zero
number of reserve days, so I removed you. You are the refuser."
I heard the TV interview about a
multi-front Iranian Attack. From Dr. Mordechai Kedar. https://www.israel365news.com/369409/middle-east-expert-iran-planning-multi-front-attack-on-israel/
Thanks to Rita H.
Bederman: https://dianebederman.com/rick-roberts-can-toddlers-be-transgender/ https://dianebederman.com/stop-the-hate-crimes-being-committed-against-our-children-a-la-mengele/
Then you wonder why 52+ years ago I moved to Israel.
Apr. 13th
War is closer than peace. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369928
Nazi
death threats. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369931
35 injured in 14 vehicle pile up. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369918
5 arrested 2 eliminated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369884
Bragg is trying to stop discovery
but now Trump has it as he sues Cohen. https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-sues-ex-lawyer-cohen-for-revealing-details-of-porn-star-hush-money-case/
https://www.debka.com/what-other-secrets-do-us-spy-agencies-hold-over-israel-after-pentagon-leak/
No Judicial Reform in May. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/politics-and-diplomacy/article-739124
Kyiv to name street for Nazi. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-738940
Apr. 14th
Poll right wing falls to 51seats as
Ganz goes to 26. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369962
Arab Mafia in Lod. https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-gunned-down-in-lod-hours-after-seven-injured-in-shooting/
3 Day Yom Tov – Shabbos without
electricity in Montreal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369822
After Pesach there was like a flash
flood in central Israel. A friend of mine from Rishon Le Tzion sent me pictures
of people standing on cars. But that was nothing compared to my neighbors in FL
where flash flood and tornados closed down Fort Lauderdale Airport and Sterling
Road through North 46th Ave were flooded. Hollywood got 14.19 inches
of rain with more in the forecast. I guess no Young Israel or Aish HaTorah
there and a few Sephardi Synagogues too. https://wsvn.com/news/local/miami-dade/severe-weather-leads-to-flash-flood-emergency-in-broward-fll-closure-tornado-warnings/
Israel Tech in space. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369960
Korea Israeli Tourist Bus overturns
killing one. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/369968
Have a peaceful, healthy
and restful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
