Parsha Va’etchanan
Last week, we had the
rebuke of Am Yisrael. This week, we have the repeat of the ten commandments and
the declaration of the first Paragraph of the Shema.
3:23 And I besought the LORD at that time, saying: 24 'O
Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong
hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth, that can do according to Thy
works, and according to Thy mighty acts? 25 Let me go over, I pray
Thee, and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly
hill-country, and Lebanon.'
After Moshe’s mistake at Meribah, he pleaded to
enter the land supplication after supplication until the L-RD put an end to it.
26 But the LORD was wroth with me for your
sakes, and hearkened not unto me; and the LORD said unto me: 'Let it suffice
thee; speak no more unto Me of this matter. 27 Get thee up into the
top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward, and northward, and southward,
and eastward, and behold with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this
Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him;
for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the
land which thou shalt see.'
Moshe had no choice but to view the land from a
distance. Places like Alon Moreh today one can see to the coast, Mt. Hermon and
the Galil and down to the Negev and the Dead Sea. So higher peaks like Har
Nevo, one could see even more.
29 So we abode in the valley over against
Beth-Peor. 4:1 And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the
ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and
possess the land which the LORD, the God of your fathers, gives
you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither
shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your
God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the LORD did in
Baal-peor; for all the men that followed the Baal of Peor, the LORD thy God
hath destroyed them from the midst of thee. 4 But ye that did cleave
unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day. 5 Behold,
I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the LORD my God commanded me,
that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess
it. 6 Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these
statutes, shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
people.'
When you enter the land, keep the Mitzvos. And if you do so,
you will be protected.
7 For
what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our
God is whensoever we call upon Him? 8 And what great nation is there,
that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set
before you this day?
Keep being a righteous people following your statutes and
ordinances that you may merit to live in the land.
9 Only
take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things
which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy
life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's children;
Three principles are set here: 1) diligently heed the
commandments 2) don’t forget what is written in the Torah all the days of your
life and 3) teach the Torah and Halachos to your children and their children.
10 the
day that thou stood before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto
me: …11 And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain
burned with fire unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick
darkness. 12 And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the
fire; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a
voice. 13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded
you to perform, even the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of
stone. 14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes
and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess
it.
You heard the L-RD’s voice of the first two of the ten
sayings.
15 Take
ye therefore good heed unto yourselves--for ye saw no manner of form on the day
that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the
fire-- 16 lest ye deal corruptly, and make you a graven image, even
the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the
likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl
that flies in the heaven, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on
the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the
earth; 19 and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou
see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be
drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath
allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven. … 21 Now the LORD was
angered with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan,
and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth
thee for an inheritance; 22 but I must die in this land, I must not
go over the Jordan; but ye are to go over, and possess that good land.
I essentially sacrificed my personal ability to enter the
land and taught your generation the laws, and gave you an example on how to
observe.
23 Take
heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which
He made with you, and make you a graven image, even the likeness of anything
which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD thy God
is a devouring fire, a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget
children, and children's children, and ye shall have been long in the land, and
shall deal corruptly, and make a graven image, even the form of anything, and
shall do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke
Him; 26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that
ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan
to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be
destroyed.
They are inanimate witnesses but will bring you to a Din
either the land vomiting you out or by earthquake, li
27 And
the LORD shall scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in
number among the nations, whither the LORD shall lead you
away. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood
and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
Only if you misbehave.
29 But
from thence ye will seek the LORD thy God; and thou shalt find Him, if thou
search after Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 In thy
distress, when all these things are come upon thee, in the end of days, thou
wilt return to the LORD thy God, and hearken unto His voice; 31 for
the LORD thy God is a merciful God; He will not fail thee, neither destroy
thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.
In the end: "כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעלם
הבא" All Israel have a share in the World to Come.
32 For
ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God
created man upon the earth,… 33 Did ever a people hear the voice of
God speaking out of the midst of the fire, … 34 Or hath God assayed to go
and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation, by trials, by signs,
and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by an outstretched arm,
and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in
Egypt before thine eyes? 35 Unto thee it was shown, that thou might
know that the LORD, He is God; there is none else beside Him. 36 Out
of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon
… 39 know this day, and lay it to thy heart, that the LORD, He is God in
heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none else. 40 And
thou shalt keep His statutes, and His commandments, which I command thee this
day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that
thou mayest prolong thy days upon the land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee,
forever. 41 Then Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan
toward the sunrising; 42 that the manslayer might flee thither, that
slays his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past; and that fleeing
unto one of these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness,
in the table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites;
and Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. 44 And this is the law which
Moses set before the children of Israel; … 5:1 And
Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes
and the ordinances which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them,
and observe to do them. 2 The LORD
our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The
LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all
of us here alive this day. 4 The
LORD spoke with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the
fire-- 5 I stood between the LORD
and you at that time, to declare unto you the word of the LORD; for ye were
afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount--saying:
Saying the Asera Dibros that I am paraphrasing today.
6 I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the
land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods
before Me. 7 Thou shalt not make
unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of anything that is in
heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth. 8 Thou shalt not bow down
unto them, nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the third and upon the
fourth generation of them that hate Me, 9 and
showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love Me and keep My
commandments.
The L-RD has both punishments for non-compliance but love for
thousands of generations for compliance.
10 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in
vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in
vain. 11 Observe the sabbath day, to
keep it holy, as the LORD thy God commanded thee.
The original was Remember the Shabbos Day. Remember by learning
Halachos of Shabbos and when we say the date: Today is Yom Rishon Le Shabbos,
Shayni, … Sheshi. That the week revolves around Shabbos Today is the first day
of the week to Shabbos.
12 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; 13 but the seventh day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy
God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy
daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine
ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy
man-servant and thy maid-servant may rest as well as thou.
You and yours cannot do Melacha. Why not the non-Jewish maid or
male servant then like we use folks for Shabbos Goyim? For the female Canaanite
‘Servant/slave’ already went to the Mikvah so if she was freed she would become
a full convert or essentially Jew. She could then become the wife of the son of
the master or her master’s wife. This is not so with the modern hired servant
that can go to his or her house and practice Islam, Christianity, Buddhism etc.
The original has only one’s cattle not the rest of one’s
material goods, livestock, etc. The Ger Tzedek is also mentioned there. However,
a free hired servant can do Melacha, posses Chametz on Pesach etc.
14 And thou shalt remember that thou was a servant in
the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God brought thee out thence by a mighty
hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to
keep the sabbath day.
I want to be very candid with my readership: The vast
majority of you are not 100% Shomer Shabbos in fact about 50% are somewhat
tradition. It is for you that I emphasize the observance of Shabbos.
It is for me like the billionaire who came to Rav Chaim
Kanievsky with his check book. He said “What can I do for you?” Rav Chaim said,
“Grow a beard!” A few months later the man grew a beard. Sometimes I request
money for Kollel Beit Shlomo as my charity is not enough to cover our expenses.
But it is far more important to bring Moshiach through the observance of
Shabbos, Kashrus and Family Purity than anything else.
Repentance, Prayer and Charity will help bring Moshiach and
brotherly love but with one’s nerves strained from lack of true Shabbos Rest,
how can we keep out of brotherly arguments or bring Moshiach. Resting on
Shabbos is a psychologically and physiological command. Try it. No news for
nerves, no internet, no phone calls but one is allowed relations with one’s
wife and that helps with Shalom Beis. Sitting at the table together eating in a
relaxed mood with no pressing plans and talking with the children or
grandchildren is lovely. It binds families together. Driving to the beach on
Shabbos with kids fighting or bored arguing with you from the back seat is not
quiet as relaxing. As Fox News states “We report, you decide.” Towards the end
of Devarim Moshe says “What does G-D want from you.” I guess you the answers to
three guesses at the end of the Paragraph above.
15 Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God
commanded thee; that thy days may be long, and that it may go well with thee,
upon the land which the LORD thy God gives thee.
Most of my readers have full adult status and most are
parents. This commandment is logical to you and makes sense. In fact against
murdering, you don’t want your spouse committing adultery, stealing and selling
people as slaves and perhaps you don’t really need that million dollar car your
neighbor has or his house and your car takes you from place to place and you
have a nice bed and dining place in your house. But yet Shabbos does not exactly
make the same sense to you. So, check out the order of the 10 sayings.
Believing and being grateful to G-D with no idols comes first but Shabbos comes
before these logical Mitzvos.
16 Thou shalt not murder. Neither shalt thou commit
adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false
witness against thy neighbor. 17 Neither
shalt thou covet thy neighbor's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy
neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox,
or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's. 18 These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in
the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick
darkness, with a great voice, and it went on no more. And He wrote them upon
two tables of stone, and gave them unto me. 19 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of
the midst of the darkness, while the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came
near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; 20 and ye said: 'Behold, the LORD our God hath shown us
His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of
the fire; we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he lives. 21 Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire
will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we
shall die. 22 For who is there of
all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the
midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? 23 Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God may say; and thou
shalt speak unto us all that the LORD our God may speak unto thee; and we will
hear it and do it.' 24 And the LORD
heard the voice of your words, when ye spoke unto me; and the LORD said unto
me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken
unto thee; they have well said all that they have spoken. 25 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to fear
Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and with
their children forever!
G-D wanted from them to be always G-D loving and fearing like
they were then.
26 Go say to them: Return ye to your tents. 27 But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will
speak unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances,
which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give
them to possess it.' 28 Ye shall
observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you; ye shall not
turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 29 Ye shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God
hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and
that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
TO BE CONTINUED.
This week, I ended up
with a Yeshiva Bachur on vacation with a What’s App application and filtered
Tik Tok. I stepped up and learned Gemara with him. Since it is my direct responsibility
to guide him I learned quite a few pages of Gemara with him. Next week we
should be learning the first and then second paragraphs of Shema Prayer.
I have a rule do not
Poskim for myself even if I am a Rabbi and basically knows the Halacha. Two
reasons: The first being involved I cannot be 100% and detached. The second is
that being involved I might be too strict on myself or pamper myself.
Case: Rabbi Pauli just
got a new pacemaker and is taking daily diuretics for congestive heart failure.
So, the Rabbi goes to the doctor to ask if he can fast on Yom Kippur. Tisha
B’Av is not a factor as it is with the Rabbis but Yom Kippur is with the Torah.
If you are taking diuretic A you cannot fast unless you go out of your way
three days before Yom Kippur and stop taking it so you can stop solid intact
but you must under all circumstances drink.
The questions on the
subject were sent via phone and what’s app to my son Chaim to Rabbi Yonah
Gewirtz Shlita.
If I can try the trick
of every 9minutes drink less than a measure mouthful of water and will it
suffice despite the nuisance and interruption of the prayers and intention to
repent? If I am drinking on a regular basis is there any reason to stop my
regular medications just to stop the eating part of the fast although by the
fact that I am drinking it is not a fast and I would not give myself an Aliyah
to Torah.
The Psak (law and
reason): A patient must listen to his doctor’s advice.
RP’s logic is correct
since one is not completely fasting, one can eat a regular amount but not go
overboard in eating.
Rabbi Pauli: The Din
(Halacha) is that if one eats on Yom Kippur, he must make Kiddush. One
can make on wine but if one has a bitter beer, it might be better as it is
written that “wine makes the heart of man joyful” (Tehillim 104:15). Since beer
is bitter and one is supposed to stress his soul on Yom Kippur, beer appears to
be better.
Curiosity Attracting
Salesman by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5783/1337-44.html
It was Belarus
towards the end of the 19th century and Jewish-run inns dotted the rural areas
like poppy seeds on a bagel. Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg didn't frequent inns; he
preferred the comfort of his straw bed at home and his wife's cooking. But he
was the Slonimer Rebbe and his people needed him, so from time to
time he set out on the road and stayed for a few days at different inns in his
area.
On the first night
of his stay in this particular inn, Rabbi Shmuel noticed an interesting
stranger. Rabbi Shmuel couldn't help but analyze him: "He's stately, well
dressed. He has an inner calm that I don't see often." Rabbi Shmuel was
even most impressed by the man's glow; he sensed a holiness in the man. He
wanted to know the source of the man's aura, yet he didn't feel it appropriate
to approach him right away.
Night two at the inn
found the Slonimer tired from a long day of activities on behalf of the Jewish
community. Weary, he opened the tractate of Talmud he had brought with him to
study a certain passage in depth before he retired. "Why would the
defendant be obligated to take an oath in this case and not...?"
Then he noticed the
man was present again. He was sorting through documents in his attaché case,
his appearance illuminated by contentment.
"I must
approach him tonight," Rabbi Shmuel decided. But he didn't because he
wanted to finish his committed time for learning, and by the time he was done,
the man had gone back to his room. "Tomorrow night," he promised
himself. That is when he would discover the source of this man's holiness.
The third night the
haze in the common room was even thicker than usual, a mixture of cigarette and
furnace smoke, and it was difficult to see clearly, but the Rebbe had no
trouble finding the man. "My dear fellow Yid! Vos
macht du? (How are you doing?)" Rabbi Shmuel asked, approaching the
man with slow determination.
The man looked up.
He was eating soup. "I'm doing well, Rabbi."
"Can I ask you
something?" Rabbi Shmuel asked.
"Of
course!"
"Who are
you?"
The man wasn't
perturbed by the rabbi's forwardness. "I'm a simple man. I sell shoes for
a living. I'm doing well, thank G d."
"I mean, what
do you do spiritually?" Like, he was concerned with the man's holiness,
not his income. "How long do you pray? How much Torah do you study?"
"I don't pray.
I mean, I try to but I don't know how to read, so I'm able to say the three
paragraphs of the Sh'ma Yisrael prayer by heart every morning
and evening, but nothing else. Same goes for learning."
The man cast his
gaze downward.
Of course, the rebbe
didn't judge the man. How could he? Nevertheless, he pursued.
"I'm sorry to
ask, but can you tell me about your day? I see something in you that I don't
usually see."
"Of course,
Rabbi. But I'm afraid that I'm quite ordinary. I wake up at 5 am every
morning..." said the man as he launched into a detailed review of his day.
He was nearing late afternoon and Rabbi Shmuel was still at a loss. Why did the
man glow?
The man concluded,
"And before I go to sleep, after I recite the Sh'ma, I say to
G-d:
"Master of the
world, I ask only one thing from you. If I don't have what it takes to fulfill
the mission for which you created me, don't wake me up tomorrow. Wake me up
only if you believe I can do everything you need me to do in the world."
Rabbi Shmuel
Slonimer had his answer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Freely
adapted by Yerachmiel Tilles from the story deftly written by Leibel Gniwisch,
which he heard from Rabbi Shlomo Katz. First published on Chabad.org.
Rabbi Gniwisch currently resides in Brooklyn, where he received his rabbinical
ordination. He has taught Jewish law at various schools in the US.
Connection: On the
Shabbos that completes the week in which Tisha B’Av falls, the weekly reading
includes (both a repetition of the Ten Commandments and) the first mention of
the Shma Yisrael prayer.
Biographical
note: Rabbi Shmuel Weinberg (1850-1916), the 2nd Rebbe of
Slonim (in Europe) and author of Divrei Shmuel, was the
grandson of Rabbi Avraham Weinberg, author of Yesod HaAvodah, the
first of the Slonim dynasty. (jewishaction.com) He was known for his tireless
efforts to unite the ultra-Orthodox communities, both Hasidic and Misnagdic, in
the struggle against the intrusion of modernity into towns in their region, and
was instrumental in founding the first pan-communal organization of Orthodox
communities in Eastern Europe, Knesset Yisrael, a short-lived
predecessor to the Agudas Yisroel movement. (YIVO) In 1900, he worked to
establish Yeshivas Ohr Torah in Tiberias, and twice visited in
the Land of Israel when he was younger. He passed away on the 19th of Shevat
5676, while he was in Warsaw for medical treatment, and was laid to rest there,
in the Jewish cemetery. (inner.org)
The Helpful Gentile Woman on the Airplane by Rabbi
Yerachmiel Tilles.
http://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5783/1336-43.html
One man stood out among all those present at
the Melaveh Malka (the Saturday night meal after the conclusion
of Shabbat) of the Bobover Rebbe, Rabbi Shlomo Halberstam. As was
usual at festive occasions like this, all those in attendance wore the
traditional chasidic shtreimel, (round flat fur hat). Only
he, Reb Pinchas Valston, wore a Chabad-style hat.
Reb Pinchas is, of course, a Chabad Chassid. He lives
in Sidney, Australia, yet from time to time he used to travel to New York to
the Lubavitcher Rebbe.
On this trip, he met a friend, a Bobover Chassid, who
asked Reb Pinchas to join him in a visit to his Rebbe.
In the course of the meal, the Bobover turned to Reb
Pinchas, who had been introduced to him as a Chabad Chassid, with a request.
"I want to make you a messenger for a Dvar
mitzvah (a sacred deed). A little while ago it became apparent that a
young couple in our community here in Boro Park (a strongly Torah-observant
Jewish section of Brooklyn) was having problems. Not long after the wedding,
the woman made it clear that she was unwilling to continue living with her
husband. For several months her parents negotiated between husband and wife,
trying to influence their daughter to reconcile, but without success.
"It became clear that the parents were incapable
of accepting the fact that their daughter would not budge from her desire to
divorce. They pressured her as much as possible to stay and try to make the
marriage work.
"As a result, the life of the woman became a
hell. In her marital home she felt out of place, while in her parents' house
she received no support. It got to a point where she could bear it no longer,
and she ran away without letting anyone know where she was going.
"Her parents were beside themselves with worry.
Her husband, who now was willing to give her a Get (document of divorce) so he
could move on with his life, was also distraught.
"I would be glad," continued the Rebbe,
"to get advice from your great Rebbe in this matter. Would you be willing
to serve as my emissary and forward my request to him?"
Reb Pinchas was happy to agree. A few days later he
was able to fulfill his mission, when those who were from overseas were
admitted to private audience with the Rebbe for a departing blessing. When Reb
Pinchas's turn came to enter, he told the Rebbe what Reb Shlomo of Bobov had
requested.
The Rebbe listened attentively. After, he answered
with a short sentence: "When you land in Sidney [22-hour flight], continue
to fly to the city of Brisbane [1.5 hr.]."
The Rebbe didn't elaborate, but for Reb Pinchas that
was not necessary. Being a Chassid, he followed the Rebbe's instructions exactly.
Just a few hours after having arrived in Sidney International Airport, he was
on a plane to Brisbane. Where he should go when he arrived, and what he was
supposed to do there, he had no idea.
* * *
During the flight a woman who occupied a nearby seat addressed him.
"Excuse me sir. I see by your appearance that you are a Jew. May I ask you
something?"
Reb Pinchas answered warmly, "Of course you
may".
"Tell me, what is the attitude among Jews about
those who distance themselves from their religion?"
Reb Pinchas scrutinized her face trying to decide if
she was referring to herself. He decided not. She was obviously a gentile.
"I am the manager of a chain of women's clothing
stores in Brisbane," she continued. "I am asking, because some time
ago a Jewish woman applied for a job in one of the branches. I hired her and
with time we became close. I learned that she comes from a religious family,
but because of certain circumstances she ran away from home and eventually
distanced herself from her religion entirely. That is why I am curious to know
what your attitude is toward a woman like that."
A red light immediately lit up for Reb Pinchas. He
had a strong hunch that the woman in question was the one he was going to
Brisbane for. How extraordinary that this woman was sitting near him…and that
she decided to speak to him, he thought.
"Well," he told the woman next to him,
"Judaism teaches us to relate kindly to anyone who stumbles, no matter
what the reason, and to help him or her to return to the way of their fathers.
"From the tone of your question," he added,
"I understand that the young woman you're talking about is rather
lonely."
"True," she answered. "She doesn't
have many friends, to put it mildly."
"If so, maybe I can help her," Reb Pinchas said.
"Specially to assist her, if she is willing, to reconnect
with the world she separated from. Would you mind to give me her name and
address?"
She agreed and gave him the information he requested.
The name was a non-Jewish name and gave no clue to who she was. But Reb
Pinchas's heart told him that 'Someone' is pulling the strings and leading him
to the person he was sent to help.
As soon as he left the plane he hurried to the
address he was given. His first encounter with the woman was not easy. She was
shocked to see a religious Jew in front of her and refused to interact with
him.
Reb Pinchas didn't give up. He related the miracle of
his finding her through the Bobover Rebbe sending him to the Lubavitcher Rebbe,
and the Rebbe instructing him to fly further, specifically to Brisbane. Despite
all that, however, he assured her, he had no intention of forcing her to do
anything.
Slowly she started to mellow, although she made it
clear that returning to the neighborhood of her parents was out of the question.
She did say that if she will receive a Get from
her husband, she then would be willing to return to Israel and make a new
start.
And that is what happened. Reb Pinchas was able to
obtain the Get for her. After she received it she moved back to Israel, where
she became involved in the study of chasidut Chabad. Eventually she married a
Chabad Chassid, all with the help of Reb Pinchas.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Freely adapted and
supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the excellent first-draft translation by
C. R. Benami, long-time editorial assistant for AscentOfSafed.com, from LchaimWeekly.org (#864).
Connection: Rosh Chodesh Av (this week, Wednesday) is the yahrzeit of
Rebbe Shlomo of Bobov
Biographic notes (in order of appearance):
Rabbi Shlomo (ben BenZion) Halberstam of Bobov (1907 - August 2000),
survived the Holocaust along with only 300 chasidim, succeeding his father who
was among those martyred. Settling in Manhattan and then different locations in
Brooklyn, he served as the third rebbe in the Bobover dynasty for over 50
years, rebuilding Bobov to an even more thousands than his father had before
the war. In addition to being wise and pious, he was noted for his commitment
to not taking sides in disputes. Interestingly, he passed away on the same
Hebrew date as Aharon the first High Priest, who was the first Jew to be known
for "loving peace and pursuing peace" (see Avot 1:12).
Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, the
Lubavitcher Rebbe (11 Nissan 1902 - 3 Tammuz 1994), became the seventh
Rebbe of the Chabad dynasty after his father-in-law, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak
Schneersohn, passed away in Brooklyn on 10 Shvat 1950. He is widely
acknowledged as the greatest Jewish leader of the second half of the 20th
century. Although a dominant scholar in both the revealed and hidden aspects of
Torah and fluent in many languages and scientific subjects, the Rebbe is best
known for his extraordinary love and concern for every Jew on the planet. His
emissaries around the globe dedicated to strengthening Judaism number in the
thousands. Many hundreds of volumes of his teachings have been printed, and
hundreds of English renditions too.
Milestone: David Leitner, 93,
Holocaust Survivor who ate Falafel every Jan. 18. David (Dugo) Leitner was born in 1930 in the city of
Nyíregyháza in Hungary, to an orthodox Jewish family. On March 19, 1944, the
Germans entered Hungary and the day after Passover, all the Jews of the city
were sent to the ghetto. After six weeks they were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Upon their arrival at the camp, the family was separated. Dugo remained in
Birkenau with about 4,000 other children. On January 18, 1945, he was forced to
go on a death march to Mauthausen and from there to Gunskirchen. He was
liberated there in May 1945. Dugo immigrated to Israel in 1949 and was
immediately drafted into the IDF. He is one of the founders of Moshav Nir Galim
where he lives to this day. Dugo married Sarah and they have two daughters,
grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Every January 18, the date he was sent
on the death march, Dugo eats falafel as a tribute to his survival. In 2016 the
Testimony House in Nir Galim, initiated "Operation Dugo" https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374759
Milestone: Mary Ann Hoberman, 92,
The author of dozens of children’s
books, including The
Llama Who Had No Pajama, The Seven Silly Eaters, and You Read to Me,
I’ll Read to You. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-752489
Inyanay Diyoma
July 23
The government cannot give in to
pressure from groups. Today it is a right government being pressured by the
left. Tomorrow water workers, electrical company or a left wing government by
the right. https://www.debka.com/air-force-dismayed-by-1142-air-crew-reservists-threat-to-balk-duty-in-protest-over-judicial-overhaul/
Netanyahu gets pacemaker. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374535
Pros and cons pray together. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374548
Military Rabbis call on volunteers
to recant. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374560
Trying to compromise. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374537
Defense Minister Yoav Gallant arrived this
morning at Sheba Hospital in Tel HaShomer for a conversation with Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374541
Reservist refusal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374526
Former New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind,
who currently heads the Americans Against Antisemitism organization, has
officially announced that he is leaving the Democratic Party and changing his
affiliation to the Republican Party. Well, the time has come because the Dems
have turned their back on Jews & Israel, so it’s officially done!” Hikind
wrote. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374517
Stabbing was a terror attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374522
https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-july-23-2023/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-shot-dead-while-trying-to-break-up-brawl-in-east-jerusalem/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-picks-female-admiral-to-lead-navy-to-be-first-woman-on-joint-chiefs-of-staff/
She polished up the handle on the big front door. She polished up the handle so
carefully.
July 24th
IDF discovers mine field near Tul
Karm. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374595
Fire Dept. slices chains and pipes
of protesters. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374591
All 4 gates of the Knesset blocked. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374591
Police Complaint. Facebook post published Saturday night
with explicit threats to the minister, stating: "Someone assassinate this
Ben-Gvir already. He should die a painful death. Idiot, Jewish hoodlum,
criminal." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374597
New Jewish Owner for the Charlotte
Hornets. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374583
Two sides hold hands going in
opposite directions. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374589
150 wealthy elitist companies
strike. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374576
Op-Ed His dream is bodies of Jews
killed by Jews. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374596
Rav Dov Landau Shlita "Don't get into arguments, don't get into confrontations
with secular people over anything. Just be respectful, Torah students are
respectable themselves. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374568
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-forum-aims-to-tackle-syria-jordan-drug-smuggling/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/wildfires-rage-in-greece-as-high-winds-hamper-firefighting-services/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-wins-silver-at-rhythmic-gymnastics-world-cup-circuit-meet/
Emulsifiers and gut bacteria. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/sjearqo5n
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu was released from the Sheba Medical Center on Monday after undergoing
a surgical procedure to implant a pacemaker in his body and was advised to rest
at home for 48 hours and refrain from exertion for up to two weeks. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/sjg1diic2
IDF to brief security cabinet. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkmb00ko92
Islamic Cleric has 3 charges of
terrorism. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-752222
Ukraine attacks Moscow. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-752180
Reckless not criminal. https://www.aol.com/news/pence-says-trump-conduct-around-135430635.html
https://www.foxnews.com/health/aspartame-chewing-gum-dental-experts-sweeteners-safety-teeth-gums
July 25,26,
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-bus-comes-under-fire-in-huwara-none-hurt/
https://www.debka.com/reasonability-law-passed-police-mass-against-protesters-storming-knesset/
Hezballah Tours Israeli border. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374652
Firebomb thrown at the home of
leader of Modern Orthodox leading Rabbi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374681
Jewish Murder solved. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374602
Post vote protests. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374623
Promises made, promises kept to the
voters. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374633
Should be put on trial for treason. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374625
56% fear civil war. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374672
Media bias against police. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374669
Anthropologist join BDS. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374632
Leftist leader fires in air against
rightists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374626
Left leading Thuggish Campaign. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374631
Polls show the current coalition
with 52 to 57 seats. A new poll published Monday evening showed that if elections
were to be held today, the current coalition would receive just 57 Knesset
seats, down from the current 64. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374621
Israel
Police is investigating an Arab youth in stabbing a Jewish man who entered the
Arab town of Dayr Qadis earlier this month. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374618
A reserve soldier who refused to show up for a battalion
training has been tried, and was ordered by his commander to pay a fine of
1,000 NIS, Kan
News reported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374619
Op-Ed David Singer: United Nations
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres continues to maintain his year-long silence
by burying any discussion of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine solution
(HKOPS) https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374603
https://www.timesofisrael.com/russian-fighter-jet-fires-at-us-drone-flying-over-syria/
Israel’s credit rating lowered. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-752401
A new species of venomous
snake, known as Demansia cyanochasma, has been identified in Australia. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-752216
Massive Galaxy
with no dark matter. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-752216
July 27th
Another Rocket from Jenin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374760
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli (Likud) arrived
on Wednesday, Tisha B'Av eve, at a Tisha B'Av conference titled: "Either
we unite, or we fall apart," where he was scheduled to participate in a
panel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374756
IDF Refusal will destroy the IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374665
IDF confiscates Hamas weapons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374758
1955 since the destruction: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374763
according to Jewish dating the destruction took place
in the year 68CE and not 70CE.
The Chief Rabbis forbid this and it
aggravates the Yardenim and PLO. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374763
Border Police, under the guidance of the Shin
Bet, arrested a Hamas terrorist at Birzeit University near Ramallah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374762
Shachid near Schem. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374704
30weeks of mob rule police stepping
up. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374511
Hunter Biden’s plea deal falls
apart. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374761
Man speaks the truth only ‘useful’
survived. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374754
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jewish-pilgrims-clash-with-christians-outside-iconic-haifa-church/
Ancient glass workshop in Europe. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-752678
El Al pilot helps 13year old on
delayed plane. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-752641
Israeli income tax evasion. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-752653
US hiding UFO information: https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-752638
US
Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell, 81,
appeared to freeze mid-sentence at a Wednesday press conference before being
ushered away in an apparent health scare. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-752650
EBV and MS. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-752689
How gas giants form. https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-752529
July 28th
Polls give everything from 63 seats
to current coalition to 52 seats. Depends on wording. Most like this. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374822
Poll most Israelis fear civil war. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374815
Situation with Hezballah to be discussed.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374808
Attorney Gen to stay. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374802
IDF & 5th fleet. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374779
Arabs vs. Yeshiva Boys. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374697
Op-Ed Defeat of Turks at Vienna was
in vain. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374641
Op-Ed IDF needs Charedim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/374693
Op-Ed Bederman: https://dianebederman.com/with-frenemies-like-thiswho-needs-enemies/
Have a healthy,
peaceful, restful and consoling Shabbos Nachamu, Nachamu Ami.
Rachamim Pauli
