22:8 When thou build a new house, then thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man falls from thence. The Torah is worried about your spiritual and physical safety. If a man ‘falls’ from there meaning that there was a heavenly Gezaira on the man that he should fall. But since we put up a fence/parapet for his safety, he only falls on his face-arms-knees on the roof but does not die.
In Elul where is our
spiritual parapet against falling into a bad judgement or as the Talmud calls
it - a dark pit?
Many books contain the Mussar (Ethics) we
need. The Gates of Repentance, Ways of the Righteous, Path of the Just, Ways
of HASHEM, The Duties of the Heart, and newer ones that some of my
grandchildren are reading.
This week I was on vacation. After reading the beginnings of the
biography of Rabbi Chaim Kanjevsky, I decided it was worth a longer trip to go
by bus from Modiin to the Dead Sea. It was much less convenient instead of
leaving at 10:30 or 11, I had to leave a few minutes before 8. I sat down on
the bus and learned orally 6 Dafim of Gemara Kiddushin. One was at the Tomb of
the Prophet Shmuel.
Shmuel is buried in
Mizpah. The last time that I was there the Mosque-Tomb was in a small forest
with parking next to the building with an Arab Caretaker. Now Parking about 200
meters away excavations and the Parks Authority in Charge. The guide talked but
I listened to Gemara except for a Psalm at the grave and the blessing to
resurrect the dead.
I was not learning like
Rav Chaim but it was a better use of my time. I did take off time to speak to
the wife and a little bit to hear the guide as sitting on the bus, his
microphone was king. This is just an example of strengthening of the Mitzvah or
learning we have 612 more that we can all work on.
As the holidays get
closer we should all look for ways to improve ourselves for a favorable
judgement.
Less than a month to Yom Kippur by Sivan Rachav Meir
Are you prepared? Are you Ready?
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376288
Translation by Yehoshua Siskin (yehoshua.siskin@gmail.com)
It's less than thirty days before Yom Kippur, less
than one month until Kol Nidrei. Are you prepared?
The Torah portion we just read in the synagogue on
Shabbat provides a valuable perspective on the task before us. The Parsha of Ki
Teitzei describes the mitzvah of returning a lost object. If we find something
(whether a donkey, money or a cell phone), we cannot ignore it or take it for
ourselves. Instead, we must try to return it to its owner.
Yet our commentators explain that the mitzvah of
returning a lost object has a deeper meaning. We too, as well as those around
us, are sometimes lost. *We are obligated to return to the best version of
ourselves and, beyond this, to the dream we dreamed of who we could be.*
Chodesh Elul presents us with a golden opportunity to
take stock and ask ourselves, before the holidays of Tishrei, where we got lost
during the previous year. Where did we get confused and go astray? Who and
where are we truly supposed to be? Do we belong to other persons, places, or
things -- or to ourselves, and to our dreams?
Parsha Ki Tavo
Back in Parsha Re’eh,
Moshe started his second Drasha on a blessing and a curse. Finally, this week
we are told which blessings and curses are said on Har Gerizim and Har Eval. According
to the calculation of 6000 years. Ki Tavo starts per the counting of the Vilna
Gaon with the year 5700 with Devarim starting the year 5000 and each Parsha 100
years. Ki Tavo starts 5700 (1940 CE) the Shoah curses and the Aliyah that
follows.
26:1 And it shall be, when thou art
come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance,
and dost possess it, and dwell therein; 2 that thou shalt
take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in
from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a
basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause
His name to dwell there. 3 And thou
shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: 'I
profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the land which the
LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.' 4 And
the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the
altar of the LORD thy God.
The first thing that
occurs after people come and settle the land they are to start agriculture.
Then from Shavuos to Sukkos the Bikurim (first-fruits) are brought.
5 And
thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my
father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he
became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted
us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 And
we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice,
and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty
hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with
signs, and with wonders.
This is the Nusach or
statement of the confession to be said to the Cohain telling our history and
then praising G-D for the land.
9 And
He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing
with milk and honey. 10 And now,
behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O LORD,
hast given me.' And thou shalt set it down before the LORD thy God, and worship
before the LORD thy God. 11 And thou
shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and
unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of
thee.
The L-RD has given me. From here we learn that it has
to be his land and roots should not be shooting into his neighbor’s land.
12 When
thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third
year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the
stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy
gates, and be satisfied, 13 then
thou shalt say before the LORD thy God: 'I have put away the hallowed things
out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the
stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandment
which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Thy commandments,
neither have I forgotten them. 14 I
have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being
unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the
LORD my God, I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me. 15 Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and
bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst
swear unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
Every Shmita cycle
the first two years are Maaser Sheni (eaten in Yerushalayim), then the third
and sixth Maaser Ani (poor man’s tithe) the fourth and fifth years are again
Maaser Sheni and finally Shmita the Sabbatical Year.
16 This
day the LORD thy God commands thee to do these statutes and ordinances; thou
shalt therefore observe and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy
soul. 17 Thou hast avouched the LORD
this day to be thy God, and that thou would walk in His ways, and keep His
statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken unto His
voice.
Wake up Bnei Yisrael
you have to observe the commands, statutes and ordinances.
18 And
the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be His own treasure, as He hath
promised thee, and that thou should keep all His commandments; 19 and to make thee high above all nations that He hath
made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that thou may be a holy people
unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken.
In Parsha Kedoshim we
are told to be holy because “I, the L-RD your G-D am holy”. Here we are
declared as a holy people unto the L-RD and therefore we are to be holy. It is
a slightly different perspective but the same end result.
27:1 And Moses and
the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying: 'Keep all the commandment
which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be
on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy
God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them
with plaster. 3 And thou shalt write
upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou
mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land flowing
with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised
thee. 4 And it shall be when ye are
passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you
this day, in mount Eval, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster. 5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy
God, an altar of stones; thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon them.
These stones were
smooth taken from the Yarden River and tremendous. Moving them up the mountains
until Har Eval was some feat as they did not have semitrailers to transport
them. The stones in the Yarden and by Har Eval existed until about 2000 years
ago. Witness reported at the time.
6 Thou
shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt
offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God. 7 And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt
eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of
this law very plainly.'
And the “People of the Book” were literate and could
read this.
9 And
Moses and the priests the Levites spoke unto all Israel, saying: 'Keep silence,
and hear, O Israel; this day thou art become a people unto the LORD thy
God. 10 Thou shalt therefore hearken
to the voice of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes,
which I command thee this day.'
Observe the Mitzvos
and do so whole heartedly.
11 And
Moses charged the people the same day, saying: 12 'These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people,
when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar,
and Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and
these shall stand upon mount Eval for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and
Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And
the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud
voice: 15 Cursed be the man that
makes a graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the
hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret. And all the people shall
answer and say: Amen.
It is hard to believe
in a modern society that people made such nonsense. There are a few religions
that do have figurines but are not given the power of these idols. I did find
one western religion in certain places that attribute power to certain statutes
but on the whole, there is a bigger problem in the west with atheism. The curse
still applies today so don’t be a wise guy and jokingly do something with the
great “who’s on first” statue or like that of Karl’s Bridge in Prague where
some lined up to kiss a statue.
16 Cursed
be he that dishonors his father or his mother. And all the people shall say:
Amen. 17 Cursed be he that removes
his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say: Amen.
The honoring of
Parents occurred outside of Eretz Yisrael but owning property and landmarks are
in the land given to us.
18 Cursed
be he that makes the blind to go astray in the way. And all the people shall
say: Amen.
This must have been a
laughing matter to curse the deaf and put a stumbling block before the blind as
we see the prohibition in Vayikra 19. Here such a individual who does such
things to a blind person is cursed. For if one curses the deaf, they are only
hurting their own Mitzvos, the deaf person will go on with his life without
much or any damage but not so the blind being led astray or with the stumbling
block.
19 Cursed
be he that perverts the justice due to the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And
all the people shall say: Amen.
Even the Goyim can
understand this. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said “Injustice anywhere is a
threat to Justice everywhere” – it is plain and simple one cannot do things.
Eventually it will catch up to you or your seed.
20 Cursed
be he that lies with his father's wife; because he hath uncovered his father's
skirt. And all the people shall say: Amen.
This goes with a woman
with a mother’s husband or her daughter’s husband. I have heard too many
stories from social workers about the Nations of the World. The Torah not only
forbade us but made it into a curse that has a greater effect.
21 Cursed
be he that lieth with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say: Amen.
In Vayikra Bestiality
is called a Perversion but there was something far greater called an
abomination and the Torah uses this for idol worship, homosexuality and cross
dressing.
22 Cursed
be he that lies with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of
his mother. And all the people shall say: Amen.
The close proximity
of one to another family member in the days of small wardrobes and sleeping
undressed at night in a tent or a one room house but a large burden on members
of the household. In the case of Amnon and Tamar in the days of Dovid HaMelech,
she was a daughter of a different wife of the father and no blood relation.
23 Cursed
be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say:
Amen.
If we cursed the man
who lay with his step mother all the more so a woman who looks like his wife so
this curse had to be put in.
24 Cursed
be he that smites his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say:
Amen.
In my Inyanay Diyoma
section today the news is harsh on the Arab-Druze Sector. Murder 163 of this
year just occurred which is worse than smiting. One cannot be a brute or a
bully and this is essence of the curse to prevent such behavior.
25 Cursed
be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall
say: Amen.
Even if it is not
physically slaying a person sometimes he will destroy the other person
psychologically and all this from the bribe and perversion of justice. It is
like killing him.
26 Cursed
be he that confirms not the words of this law to do them. And all the people
shall say: Amen.'
Somebody has to clue
in a few people today as they don’t have a hint of an idea.
28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken
diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His
commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee
on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings
shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice
of the LORD thy God.
Do the Mitzvos
properly and blessings will overtake you.
3 Blessed shalt thou be in
the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. 4 Blessed shall be
the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy cattle,
the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. 5 Blessed shall
be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when
thou comes in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou go out. 7 The LORD
will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee;
they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven
ways. 8 The LORD will command the blessing with thee in thy barns, and
in all that thou put thy hand unto; and He will bless thee in the land which
the LORD thy God giveth thee. 9 The LORD will establish thee for a
holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the
commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. 10 And all
the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon
thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD will make
thee over-abundant for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy
cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy
fathers to give thee. 12 The LORD will open unto thee His good
treasure the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless
all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt
not borrow. 13 And the LORD will make thee the head, and not the
tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou
shalt hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee
this day, to observe and to do them; 14 and shalt not turn aside from
any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the
left, to go after other gods to serve them.
If you do all the
commandments, statutes and ordinances from G-D then you shall have abundance
and good things for you and yours.
15 But it shall come to
pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe
to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that
all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee. 16 Cursed
shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. 17 Cursed
shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 18 Cursed shall be the
fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the
young of thy flock. 19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou come in, and
cursed shalt thou be when thou go out. 20 The LORD will send upon
thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou put thy hand unto to
do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the evil
of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken Me. 21 The LORD will make
the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land,
whither thou go in to possess it. 22 The LORD will smite thee with
consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and
with drought, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee
until thou perish.
If you rebel against
G-D then you shall bring bad things upon yourself. In other words, your own actions
will but a curse and rebuke upon you.
23 And thy heaven that is
over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be
iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of thy land powder and dust;
from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Brass heavens has a double
meaning. First there will be not enough water for your crops and secondly, your
prayers cannot get through to haven as the brass in the sky is blocking.
25 The LORD will cause thee
to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and
shalt flee seven ways before them; and thou shalt be a horror unto all the
kingdoms of the earth. 26 And thy carcasses shall be food unto all
fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none to
frighten them away. 27 The LORD will smite thee with the boil of
Egypt, and with the hemorrhoids, with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou
canst not be healed.
If you awake and
repent things will return to normal but if not.
28 The LORD will smite thee
with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of
heart. 29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in
darkness, and thou shalt not make thy ways prosperous; and thou shalt be only
oppressed and robbed always, and there shall be none to save thee.
Now the curses are
coming against you so that you are almost mad with all the loses and pain that
you are suffering.
30 Thou shalt betroth a
wife, and another man shall lie with her; thou shalt build a house, and thou
shalt not dwell therein; thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not use the
fruit thereof.
Now comes the direct
opposite of icing on a cake to top off things but instead of for good you are
getting things so bad. You will finally find a wife but either you will die or
you will divorce her so that another will have her. Somehow you shall be disposed
and another will enjoy your vineyard.
31 Thine ox shall be slain
before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof; thine ass shall be violently
taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee; thy sheep
shall be given unto thine enemies; and thou shalt have none to save thee.
A modern-day story of
somebody who was the head of a high-tech firm. The CEO decided to protest the
government by pulling their money out of Israel. The firm was worth at the
start of the year $4,500,000,000 who purposely wanted to remove the firm from
Eretz Yisrael. His main backer had made some money and pulled out his investment and sold at 80% loss
leading for a chance for a hostile takeover. The firm is now worth about $500,000,000.
Okay go against Eretz Yisrael and the Charedim. Somehow, his firm is being given
to his enemies.
32 Thy sons and thy
daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and
fail with longing for them all the day; and there shall be naught in the power
of thy hand.
This curse can turn
into a blessing through Teshuva. It could be a Sephardic, Yemenite, Chassidic
or Litvak marrying into a different Jewish Sect but a Talmud Chacham but it could
be without repentance as the Pshat.
33 The fruit of thy land,
and all thy labor, shall a nation which thou know not eat up; and thou shalt be
only oppressed and crushed away: 34 so that thou shalt be mad for the
sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. … 62 And ye shall be left
few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because
thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God.
We were unfortunate
to have this throughout the years from the Romans, in France, Spain, Mecca and
finally in the lifetime of my parents the Shoah.
… 67 In the
morning thou shalt say: ‘Would it were even!’ and at even thou shalt say: ‘Would
it were morning!’ for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the
sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
I don’t know about
you but some days I open up the news and it is like this. On the other hand, we
are coming towards the end of days, end of these curses and blessings of the
repentance and Moshiach.
… 69 These are the words of
the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel
in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.
I condensed the curses
this year. We are certainly having enough with the escalation in terror attacks
and the Chutzpa on our borders. It is time for us to repent and pray for salvation/redemption
through Moshiach.
29:1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and
said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land
of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; 2 the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs
and those great wonders; 3 but the LORD
hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto
this day. 4 And I have led you forty
years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe
is not waxen old upon thy foot. 5 Ye have not
eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know
that I am the LORD your God. 6 And when ye came
unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out
against us unto battle, and we smote them. 7 And
we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to
the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites. 8 Observe therefore the words of this covenant,
and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper.
Cantor Fitzgerald 9/11 Miracle
This story came from the
sister-in-law of David Furman HY”D who did not like working at Cantor
Fitzgerald for a year and wanted to find new work but he was on the 101th floor
and did not live to find another job. Her cousin Ari Schonbrun.
A whole bunch of
miracles in one day kept Ari alive. 1hr 1minute. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lyO9-33_CE
The story is worth
listening to and there is a wake-up call for all of us at the end if we will
only listen to it.
Ari is supposed to be on
his way to Cantor Fitzgerald early in the morning. His wife reminds him that he
is supposed to take care of his child’s books for school order. Child forgot on
Friday the list in the classroom. Has to go to the school and over the list
with the child.
Ari manages to take the
elevator to the 78th floor. On the floor the elevator to continue up
comes down jams half open. 3 people come out. A man with 2nd degree
burns Victoria with third degree burns and another woman burnt so badly that
after a few weeks she dies. Ari finds the security and fire Marshall of the
floor. They go down the stairs and a few people have flashlights.
Victoria was an auditor
and her report on Ari almost cost him his job but she asked for his help and he
said I will go ahead and if you are too tired I will try to carry you down.
He gets reception on his
cell phone calls his wife that he is on his way down the stairs but OK. They
continue and pass others as he is trying to get the burn victim to an
ambulance.
They head towards the
garage but some voice from the first floor tells them to exit here. He can go
out the main door or the back door. He goes out the back. On the main door
people are jumping to their deaths.
Victoria is placed in
the ambulance who is waiting to fill up. She carries on and wants Ari to go
with her to St. Vincent Hospital. He wants to stay, but to humor her with
Chesed, he goes when it fills up. He makes it uptown enough to go to a friend’s
office and gets water and a land line. He calls up his brother and his wife.
She only knew that he was safe on the 75th floor and figured that
when the building went down she was a widow and how to break the news to the
kids. He gets to his brother catches a Subway to Queens and a ride to Brooklyn
and even contacts his parents in Israel who thought that he was one of the over
600 Cantor Fitzgerald employees who perished that day.
The ending talks about
taking on one Mitzvah and the value of sharing time with your children and not
when they are 40 but when they are growing up.
After sending this out
on What’s App to friends, Bob Aiello replied to me the following condensed. I
was would have been going past the buildings (the Twin Towers) on 9/11 had my
aunt not picked that week and insisted that I visit her and get
papers/documents of my dad. As I had not heard from her in 10 years, she was
not taking no for an answer. I was in her kitchen watching the news when it
happened. I should have been there. At that time, I was both an EMT and an
auxiliary policeman. Many of my friends went to help.
Ki Teitzei - Miracles of the Six Day
War Hebrew. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVR1pU9vS7Y
English subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXasWa12wGw
Prohibition of eating trans-fats
by Rabbi Eliezer Melamed Shalita. https://en.yhb.org.il/revivim1059/
Saved by a
wedding by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
http://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5783/1342-49.html
Reb Aryeh, a Chasid
of Rabbi Shneur-Zalman, founder of Chabad Chasidism (the 'Alter Rebbe'),
had been appointed by the authorities as "burgomaster" of his town.
As chief magistrate and official record keeper for the government, one of Reb
Aryeh's responsibilities was keeping track of all marriages, births and deaths
in the Jewish community, entering them in a special register.
It happened once that
a local gentile converted to Judaism. This was a grave offense in those times
and in that place. Anyone even remotely suspected of having helped in the
conversion process was subject to stiff penalties. This being so, Reb Aryeh was
asked to conveniently "forget" to record the name of a certain Jew
who had just died. The convert, who was approximately the same age as the
deceased, would be given the dead man's papers and assume his identity.
It was a clever plan,
and it might have worked if not for the informer who brought the plot to light.
The burgomaster was caught and a trial date was set.
Reb Aryeh was in grave
danger. Being a true Chasid, he went to the Alter Rebbe and explained his
predicament. The Rebbe advised him to postpone the trial, and it was rescheduled
for a later date.
When the second trial
date rolled around Reb Aryeh returned to the Rebbe. Again, the Alter Rebbe
advised him to defer it. This happened several times, until finally Reb Aryeh
was unable to push it off any longer. At long last the burgomaster would be
tried for his "crime." The Chasid begged the Rebbe to save him.
Oddly enough, the
Alter Rebbe responded by inviting Reb Aryeh to his grandchild's wedding, which
was about to take place in the town of Zlobin, Ukraine, in 1807. It was a union
between two rabbinical dynasties: The Alter Rebbe's granddaughter,
Baila,[1] was marrying the grandson of Rabbi Levi-Yitzchak of
Berditchov,[2] Yekutiel-Zalman.
"Why don't you
come and present your problem to Reb Levi Yitzchak?" the Alter Rebbe suggested.
"I'm sure that he can help you."
* * *
Reb Aryeh traveled to
Zlobin, but getting in to see Reb Levi Yitzchak was very difficult, as
thousands of other people had arrived with the same idea. Unwilling to give up,
Reb Aryeh decided to come back in the middle of the night and stand outside
Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's door. The following morning, he would be first in line.
That night, Reb Aryeh
positioned himself outside Rabbi Levi Yitzchak's room and peeked inside. A
strange sight met his eyes!
On one side of
the Tzadik’s bed stood one of his attendants with a volume
of Mishnayos; on the other side stood a second gabbai with
the holy Zohar. Both men were reading aloud - at the same time -
while Reb Levi Yitzchak appeared to be sleeping. Yet, when one gabbai
mispronounced a word, the Tzadik turned and protested, "Nu! Nu!"
This continued for
some two hours, after which Rabbi Levi Yitzchak arose from his "nap"
and Reb Aryeh was allowed to enter.
The first thing Reb
Levi Yitzchak asked Reb Aryeh was who had sent him. "My Rebbe," the Chasid
replied.
"And who might
that be?"
"Rabbi
Shneur-Zalman, in Liadi, Belarus," Reb Aryeh answered.
"Ah, him!"
Reb Levi Yitzchak exclaimed. "My in-law is your Rebbe? Such a Tzadik and
scholar, such a holy man of G-d!" He continued in this vein for some time,
praising Rabbi Shneur-Zalman to the skies. "So, tell me," he said
fondly, "what can I do for you?"
Reb Aryeh explained
that he was the burgomaster of his hometown. "A burgomaster?"
the Tzadik repeated after him. "What does that
mean?"
The Chasid described
his various duties and responsibilities.
"You mean to say
that a Jew is in charge of the whole town?" Rabbi Levi Yitzchak asked,
duly impressed. "How can that be?"
"To tell you the
truth," Reb Aryeh replied, "the only reason I took the job was that
the Alter Rebbe urged me to do so."
"Aha!"
the Tzadik declared emphatically. "My in-law - the sage,
the saint, the learned scholar, the righteous one - guided you to take this
position. In that case you have nothing to worry about. G-d will surely help
and guard you from all harm."
* * *
Reb Aryeh went back to
the Alter Rebbe and related his conversation with Reb Levi Yitzchak.
"So, what do you
think?" the Alter Rebbe asked. "Did I give you good advice?"
He then repeated the
question. "I gave you good advice, didn't I?"
On the day before the
trial was due to begin a fire broke out in the courthouse. All the important
documents in the building were completely burned - including the official
indictment against Reb Aryeh. With no other record the case was dropped, and
that was the end of the accusation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Supplemented and slightly modified by Yerachmiel Tilles from a
post on ShabbosStories.com, based on LChaimWeekly.org.
Connection: Next Sunday night-Monday is Chai (18th) Elul, birthdate of Rabbi
Shneur-Zalman.
[It is also the birthdate of the Baal Shem Tov. If you feel you are missing
out on Besht stories, you might consider joining my video & audio story
WhatsApp group (with email option also), where there will be three of them on
the next two Saturday Nights. To join or for more information, click here.]
Biographical notes:
Rabbi Shneur-Zalman [18 Elul 1745-24 Tevet 1812], one of the main
disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, is the founder of the
Chabad-Chassidic movement. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as
well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings
Rabbi Levi-Yitzchak of
Berdichev [of blessed memory: 5500 - 25 Tishrei 5571 (1740 - Oct. 1810)]
is one of the most respected and popular Rebbes in Chasidic history. He was a
close disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal
Shem Tov. Many of his teachings are contained in the posthumously
published Kedushat Levi. He is best known, however, for his
love for every Jew and his perpetual intercession before Heaven on their
behalf.
Footnotes:
[1] Daughter of Rabbi
DovBer, the 'Mittler' Rebbe to-be.
[2] A son of his daughter.
Book Review: https://www.timesofisrael.com/caught-between-hitler-and-stalin-one-familys-miraculous-tale-of-survival/
Milestone: Amnon Ben-Tor, 88,
archeologist. https://www.timesofisrael.com/leading-archaeologist-who-dug-with-yigael-yadin-at-masada-and-hazor-dies-at-88/
Milestone: HaRav Aaron Moshe
Schechter, 95, passed away on August 24, 2023 at the age of 95. He was the
longtime Rosh HaYeshiva of Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Berlin and Kollel Gur Aryeh in
Brooklyn. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376137
Milestone: Claire Golomb, 95, child
psychologist survivor. https://www.timesofisrael.com/claire-golomb-holocaust-survivor-and-child-psychology-scholar-dies-at-95/
Inyanay Diyoma
Aug 27th
Gunman opened fire and targeted Black
people at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida. 3Dead! https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376125
Qatar has no war with Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376132
Head of Arab Knesset Faction gets
police protection. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376116
Russian President Vladimir Putin has
ordered Wagner Group fighters to sign an oath of allegiance to the Russian
state. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376133
Mother kidnaps daughters. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/crime-in-israel/article-756303
Bob Barker, an
affable fixture on US television for half a century who hosted the popular game
show "The Price Is Right" for 35 years and was a committed animal
rights activist, has died at age 99. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-756363
PM has to do damage control after
Ben Gvir makes remarks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376101
Shabbos shooting at IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376109
TN Jewish Couple denied forester
care. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376110
Sinai arrest forgot bag of bullets. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376111
Israel made history on Friday as it
won its first-ever group all-around gold medal at the 2023 World Rhythmic
Gymnastics Championships taking place in Valencia, Spain. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376105
US Copter crashes no casualties one
critical. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-756380
https://www.timesofisrael.com/34th-week-of-protests-set-to-focus-on-killings-in-arab-community/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/five-injured-two-seriously-in-shooting-in-northern-arab-town/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lebanon-claims-to-arrest-2-israeli-spies-trying-to-flee-country/
Disgusting behavior gets Rav fired. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-756071
Scientists view a star torn apart
near black hole. https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-755925
Aug 28th
Israel to have partial laser defense
by next year. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-756455
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jihadists-kill-11-syria-soldiers-in-tunnel-attack-says-war-monitor/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-shot-in-broad-daylight-on-street-in-tel-aviv/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/son-arrested-for-murder-of-80-year-old-father-in-hadera/
Libya suspends Foreign Minister over
meeting. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376173
Funds granted for Arab
Municipalities. The heads of the authorities agreed to the principle which
states that all the budgets will be transferred through activation, supervision
and control mechanisms that will ensure that the budgets are transferred to the
benefit of the Arab citizens of Israel and not to criminal organizations. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376174
France to ban Muslim female dress in
schools. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376170
RINO Hutchinson surprised at Trump
support. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376178
“Shabbos Goy” found to be Jewish and
buried as one. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376147
In 2022, 74,714 immigrants arrived in
Israel - a record number of immigrants since the beginning of the 2000s. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376154
Netanyahu threatens Hamas Leader. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376150
Joseph S. read in Newsweek that
Soros is backing Ramaswamy. https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/vivek-ramaswamys-voting-records-show-he-is-not/
Government forms independent
committee to look into police listening abuse. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1bssxy6n#autoplay
New IAI spy technology aircraft for
weeding out enemy aircraft closer to delivery. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-756424
If you think Switzerland is
expensive well Israel is the most expensive country to live in. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-756434
Aleppo Airport knocked out due to
Iranian Shipment. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-756491
Aug 29th
American-Israeli girls kidnapped by
mother returned to their father. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376229
Lapid trying to moderate views with
Charedi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376232
A plane carrying 128 Israelis, which
was flying from the island nation of Seychelles to Israel, was forced to land
at the airport in the city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia they were treated well PM
thanks them. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376254
Nazareth Major Candidate and two
others shot. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376219
Dr. Kedar – Arab shootings will stop
after elections total rises to 159. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376219
Two Russian citizens who were recently detained in Beirut on suspicion of spying
for Israel have been referred to an investigative military judge who issued
arrest warrants for them, two judicial officials said Monday, according
to The
Associated Press. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376231
A
41-year-old British man has been arrested over vandalism at a Jewish cemetery
in Kent, the BBC reports. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376230
Nasrallah warns against targeted
slayings. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376227
Two buses crash in Yerushalayim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376221
Constitutional Committee looking
into police spying. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376220
Loch Ness scientific research on
the lake. https://www.timesofisrael.com/largest-hunt-for-loch-ness-monster-in-decades-sets-off/
NC Faculty member murdered. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376225
https://www.timesofisrael.com/nasa-explores-development-of-supersonic-passenger-jet/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-utero-exposure-to-plastic-chemicals-tied-to-developmental-problems-in-toddlers/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/el-al-flight-to-new-york-delayed-by-birds-in-the-cargo-bay-amid-peak-travel-season/
Aug 30th
Terrorist attack an army post for the second day. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376273
Former ISA director Nadav Argaman and the former director
general of the Ministry of Defense, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, have submitted the
first Supreme Court petition against an investigation committee into the
Pegasus spyware scandal. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376295
Close to 3000years a mystery. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376292
Anti-Zionist Charedim attack Beit
Shemesh Mayor. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376276
The Tel Aviv light rail was shut down this morning
(Wednesday), just two weeks after opening to the public, with its first major
technical malfunction. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376285
Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said on Tuesday that the West
had failed to isolate his country. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376281
Arab rioters attack Jewish
Shepherds. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376259
As part of his routine visits to areas throughout Gush
Etzion, Gush Etzion Regional Council Mayor, and Yesha Council Chairman, Shlomo
Ne'eman, today (Tuesday) stopped at the illegal PA town under construction in a
strategic area, within a nature reserve, between Gush Etzion and the Judean
Desert. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376260
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-shot-dead-in-lod-as-2023-death-toll-in-arab-community-crimewave-reaches-160/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/biden-envoy-due-in-lebanon-as-us-aims-to-reduce-bubbling-israel-hezbollah-tensions/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-says-aleppo-airport-to-reopen-two-days-after-alleged-israeli-airstrike/ https://www.timesofisrael.com/crime-boss-arrested-for-alleged-blackmail-threats-against-prison-officials/
Egyptian investigative journalist
Mohammed Al-Alawi initially broke the news following his in-depth research and
interviews with sources familiar with the matter. He disclosed that the
Zelensky family acquired a luxury property valued at around $5 million in the
Egyptian city of El Gouna. https://www.naturalnews.com/2023-08-27-zelensky-buys-mansion-egypt-western-aid-money.html I do not know
the validity of this report.
Op-Ed A new generation of musicians has come to the forefront
and taken to the stage: Country and Western, to lead us back to our ideals,
protect the American Constitution against corrupt Woke propaganda, and take us
back to our God-given ethic that all people are born with equal intrinsic
value, all life is sacred and yes, dear souls, we have FREE WILL.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2023/08/29/new-jersey-town-reaches-settlement-state-antisemitism-lawsuit/
A Palestinian was
shot by troops on Wednesday in a suspected terror attack near Hebron. He was
seen accelerating with his car toward the troops outside the settlement of Beit
Hagai, when they opened fire. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1l1m9ha2#autoplay
3Ukrainian Brothers enlist in
Charedi Unit. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syatoxtt3
Yom Kippur War photos revisited. https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/syfro4q6h
Aug 31th
Breaking: Terrorist driving small
truck crashes into 4 soldiers at Maccabee Check Post. One in serious condition
one critical two slightly.
IED near Schem injures 4. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376327
Iran threatens Israel over Syrian
attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376332
An Israeli, about 22 years old, was
moderately wounded Wednesday evening in a stabbing attack at the Shivtei
Yisrael light-rail stop in Jerusalem. The 14-year-old terrorist was eliminated
by a Border Police officer at the light-rail stop. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376321
I neutralized him. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376326
Tunisian President Kais Saied said
that the word “normalization” does not exist for him when it comes to Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376336
Hurricane weakens to Tropical Storm.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376331
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-arrest-top-crime-boss-after-four-months-on-the-run/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/16-year-old-held-as-suspect-in-ramat-gan-underworld-bombing/
Sept 1st
The terrorist was stopped may a
kilometer west of my great grandchildren. IDF planning demolition of his home. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376397
Max donated bone marrow to a 12-year-old in a
moving act of kindness. Lone Soldier made Aliyah from the Ukraine before war. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376378
NOT ON TV. Hundreds of people
participated in a solidarity march in Bnei Brak this evening (Thursday), a week
after left-wing activists staged a provocative demonstration in the largely Haredi city. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376383
IDF Major Efrat Shrem Zrihan, head of the Cyber
Department in the IDF's Center of Computing and Information Systems, has been
named as the officer killed Wednesday on her way to base survived by her
parents, two sisters, husband, and two-year-old son. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376314
Rats in Bnei Brak threaten Sukkos. Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Stern, a top
rabbi in Bnei Brak, has issued an unexpected ruling regarding the upcoming
Sukkot holiday (Feast of Tabernacles). https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376372
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is
medically cleared to continue his schedule, the US Capitol physician said. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376389
Bedouin Arabs stole a MAG-type machine gun from
soldiers who were sleeping during training at the IDF base in Tze’elim, located
in southern Israel. Mag can shoot 1000 or more rounds a
minute. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376386
Israeli Pilot dies in helicopter
crash in NJ. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/376404
163 https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-shot-dead-inside-supermarket-in-northern-town-of-fureidis/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/controlled-explosion-in-golan-heights-one-of-largest-ever-in-israel/
Mida Knegged Mida or
measure for measure.
A healthy, happy and
wonderful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
