Parsha Tetzaveh
Last week we started
learning about the Mishkan. I skipped entirely the Menorah as it will come up
during the making of it. Our narrative continues with the Mishkan and the
clothing of the Cohanim especially the Cohain HaGadol.
27:20 And thou shalt command
the children of Israel, that they bring unto thee pure olive oil beaten for the
light, to cause a lamp to burn continually.
The oil that is used
is the first drops that form from the olives before being pressed. They come
from the weight of the olives themselves. In modern times we call this
extra-virgin olive oil.
21 In the tent
of meeting, without the veil which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons
shall set it in order, to burn from evening to morning before the LORD; it
shall be a statute forever throughout their generations on the behalf of the
children of Israel.
This is the command
for a Korban Tamid in the evening and morning.
28:1 And bring thou near unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him,
from among the children of Israel, that they may minister unto Me in the
priest's office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 2 And
thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for splendor and for
beauty.
In Shabbos 31B – 33B there is the
story of the non-Jew listening to the beautiful of the garments of the Cohain
Gadol and went to Shammai and asked to convert on the grounds to be Cohain
Gadol and got chased away with a stick. Hillel had no problem and said go out
and learn your duties. When he learned that a Jew is put to death if he wants
to do the work of a Cohain. He then learned for himself that he who comes in
with nothing like himself cannot become a Cohain.
3 And thou shalt speak unto all that are
wise-hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they make
Aaron's garments to sanctify him, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's
office.
All the other Cohanim had plain
white tunics and pants with a sash around the middle. The Cohain Gadol would
have a special garment.
4 And these are the garments which they shall
make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a tunic of checker work, a
mitre, and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother,
and his sons, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office.
The different threads were going
up & down with other over the width of the garment. Rashi calls them boxes
for beauty of the various colors gold, blue, purple and scarlet mentioned .
A choshen: An
ornament opposite the heart. an ephod: I
did not hear (that it was a garment) [i.e., I have no tradition concerning the
ephod], and I did not find the explanation of its pattern in the Baraitha
[Melecheth HaMishkan]. My heart tells me that he [the Kohen Gadol] was girded
with it [the ephod] from behind, its width being like the width of an [average]
man’s back, similar to a kind of apron called porzent [or pourceint], [a kind
of] belt, [like an] apron [back to front] that princesses wear when they ride
horseback. So it was made from below [i.e., for the lower part of the body], as
it is said: “and David was girded with a linen ephod” (II Sam. 6:14). [Thus] we
learn that the ephod was a belt. It is impossible, however, to say that it was
only a belt, because it is said: “and he put the ephod on him,” and afterwards,
“and he girded him with the band of the ephod (בְּחֵשֶׁב
הָאֵפוֹד) ” (Lev. 8:7), which Onkelos renders: בְּהֶמְיַן
אֵפוֹדָא. [Thus] we learn that the חֵשֶׁב
was the band and the ephod was a separate decoration. It is also impossible to
say that because of the two shoulder straps in it, it is called ephod, for it
is said: “the two shoulder straps of the ephod” (verse 27). [Thus] we learn
that the ephod was a separate entity, the shoulder straps were a separate
entity, and the band was a separate entity. Therefore, I say that because of
the apron below it is called ephod because he decorates and adorns himself with
it, as it is said: “and he decorated him with it” (Lev. 8:7); the חֵשֶׁב is the band above it, to which the
shoulder straps were attached. Moreover, my heart tells me that there is
evidence that it is a kind of garment, for Jonathan rendered “and David was
girded with a linen ephod” (II Sam. 6: 14) as כַּרְדּוּט
דְּבוּץ and he renders likewise מְעִילִים as כַּרְדּוּטִין,
in the narrative of Tamar, Absalom’s sister, “for in this manner the king’s
virgin daughters dressed, in robes (מְעִילִים)
” (II Sam. 13:18). a robe: Heb.
מְעִיל. It is a kind of tunic, as is the כְּתֹנֶת, only that the כְּתֹנֶת
is [worn] next to his flesh and the מְעִיל
is [what is] called the outside robe. of
checker work: Heb. ךְתַּשְׁבֵּץ. Made of boxes (מִשְׁבְּצוֹת)
for beauty. The boxes are similar to holes made in gold jewelry as a setting
for precious stones and pearls, as it is said regarding the ephod stones:
“enclosed in gold settings (מִשְׁבְּצוֹת)
” (verse 11), and in Old French it is called cha(s)tons, settings. [I.e., the
boxes of the checker work on the tunic are like settings for precious gems.] a
cap: Heb. מִצְנֶפֶת,
a type of dome-shaped hat, called cofia in Old French, because elsewhere (verse
40) [the Torah] calls them מִגְבָּעוֹת,
and the Targum [Onkelos] renders: כּוֹבָעִין. and
a sash: This is the belt on the
tunic, and the ephod is the belt on the robe, as we find in the order they were
put on: “and put upon him the tunic, girded him with the sash, clothed him with
the robe, put upon him the ephod” (Lev. 8:7). holy
garments: From the offering
sanctified for My name they shall make it.
5 And they shall take the gold, and the blue,
and the purple, and the scarlet, and the fine linen.
Rendering the garment beautiful
to look at.
6 And they shall make the ephod of gold, of
blue, and purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the skillful
workman. 7 It shall have two shoulder-pieces joined to the two ends
thereof, that it may be joined together.
The next few lines are copied and
pasted from my past writings on the subject where I took the time to go into
greater details than usual.
At both
its ends: [I.e.,]
to the width of the ephod. For its width was only against the Cohen’s back, and
its height extended opposite his elbows, which are called coudes in French, as
it is said: “they shall not gird themselves in a place that sweats” (Ezek.
44:18). [I.e.,] they should not gird themselves in a place of perspiration,
[namely] neither above their elbows nor below their waists, but opposite their
elbows. -[from Zev. 18b] and it
shall be entirely connected: the ephod
with those two shoulder straps of the ephod. He shall connect them [by sewing
them] with a needle below [the shoulder straps] to the band, and he shall not
weave them [together] with it, but weave them separately and then connect them.
The
shoulder stripes of this garment had the Onyx Stones in the middle and were not
bans like suspenders but wider similar one would see on a slash like the boy
and girl scouts wear. It was probably between 5 to 10 cm = 2 to 4 inches wide
at the shoulders and the larger number seems closer to the required width.
8
And the skillfully woven band, which is upon it, where with to gird it on,
shall be like the work thereof and of the same piece: of gold, of blue, and
purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen. 9 And thou shalt take two onyx
stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel: 10 six of their
names on the one stone, and the names of the six that remain on the other
stone, according to their birth.
According to their births: According
to the order in which they were born [i.e.,]: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan,
Naphtali, on the one; and on the second one, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zevulun,
Joseph, Benjamin spelled full, [בִּנְיָמִין],
for so it is written in the place of his birth (Gen. 35: 18) [totaling]
twenty-five letters on each one [stone].
11
With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt
thou engrave the two stones, according to the names of the children of Israel;
thou shalt make them to be enclosed in settings of gold. 12 And thou shalt put
the two stones upon the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, to be stones of memorial
for the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD
upon his two shoulders for a memorial. 13 And thou shalt make settings of gold;
14 and two chains of pure gold; of plaited thread shalt thou make them, of
wreathen work; and thou shalt put the wreathen chains on the settings. 15 And
thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the skillful workman;
like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it: of gold, of blue, and purple,
and scarlet, and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. 16 Four-square it shall
be and double: a span shall be the length thereof, and a span the breadth
thereof. 17 And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, four rows of stones: a
row of carnelian, topaz, and smaragd shall be the first row;
Taken from 3 years ago: Hebrew: אֹדֶם
פִּטְדָה וּבָרֶקֶת Now the Carnelian or Odem is on the top right
corner per the model that I have before me and is colored more pink than red
but the Wikipedia calls it: Carnelian (also spelled cornelian)
is a reddish-brown mineral which
is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is
generally harder and darker. (The difference is not rigidly defined, and the
two names are often used interchangeably.) Both carnelian and sard are
varieties of the silica mineral chalcedony colored by impurities of iron oxide. The color can vary greatly, ranging from
pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration.
Rashi comments later on every one
according to his name: According
to the order of their [the progenitors of the tribes] births shall be the order
of the stones, odem for Reuben, pitdah or jade for Simeon, and similarly for
all of them. The stone can be clear, blue or even an orange-red hue. The
Medrash indicates that on the Odem was also the names of Avraham, Yitzchak and
Yacov but most commentaries I have seen seem to hold the same way as Rashi.
Shimon’s stone was white in nature. And Levy bareket but the translation yields Agate.
Carnelian improves analytic abilities and clarifies perception. It
sharpens concentration and dispels mental lethargy. Protects against envy, rage
and resentment. Calms anger, banishes emotional negativity and replaces it with
a love of life. Carnelian boosts fertility. Carnelian treats lower back
problems, rheumatism, arthritis, neuralgia and depression. It regulates the
kidneys, and accelerates healing in bones and ligaments. Improves vitamin and
mineral absorption and ensures good blood supply to organs and tissues. Jade is
a symbol of serenity and purity. It signifies wisdom gathered in tranquility.
It increases love and nurturing. A protective stone, Jade keeps the wearer from
harm and brings harmony. Jade attracts good luck and friendship. It stabilizes
the personality and promotes self-sufficiency. Soothes the mind, releasing
negative thoughts. Stimulates ideas. A “dream stone”, Jade brings insightful
dreams. It aids emotional release, especially of irritability. Jade encourages
you to become who you really are. Jade aids the body’s filtration and
elimination organs. It is excellent for treating kidney problems and adrenal
glands. Jade removes toxins, rebinds skeletal and cellular systems, and heals
stitches. It assists fertility and childbirth. Jade balances body fluids. Green
Emerald is known as the “stone of successful love”. It brings loyalty and
provides for domestic bliss. It enhances unconditional love, unity and promotes
friendship. Keeps partnerships in balance and can signal unfaithfulness if it
changes colour. Emerald stimulates the heart chakra, having a healing effect on
the emotions as well as the physical heart. It ensures physical, emotional and
mental equilibrium, bringing harmony to all areas of one’s life. Focusing
intention and raising consciousness, it brings in positive actions, eliminating
negativity and enhancing the ability to enjoy life to the fullest. Emerald
enhances psychic abilities, opens clairvoyance, and stimulates the use of
greater mental capacity. It helps bring awareness of the unknown to conscious
recognition, imparting reason and wisdom. Emerald assists in inciting activity
and focus in ones actions. It strengthens memory and imparts clarity of
thought. It inspires a deep inner knowing, promoting truth and discernment.
Emerald treats disorders of the heart, lungs, spine and muscular system. It
aids in recovery after infectious illness, helps sinuses and soothes the eyes,
improving vision. It has a detoxifying effect on the liver and alleviates
diabetes and rheumatism. (This is also the color of Islam)
18
and the second row a carbuncle, a sapphire, and an emerald;
Hebrew: נֹפֶךְ סַפִּיר, וְיָהֲלֹם Nofach
is for Yehuda and a Yellow Diamond. Yissachar is the sapphire they have is not
the dark blue but purple in hue so I am not a gem expert but am uncertain to
the little model that I have at home and certainly my model has the wrong order
of things because the Yaalom or clear Diamond is way down in the wrong row
clear cut diamond. I went and googled the Sapphire for example and got
this: Sapphire (Greek: sappheiros) refers to gem varieties of the
mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide (Al2O3),
when it is a color other than red, in which case the gem would instead be
a ruby. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give corundum blue, yellow,
pink, purple, orange, or greenish color. Pink-orange corundum are also
sapphires, but are instead called padparadscha.
Yellow Diamond: Makes us more
considerate and thoughtful and also symbolizes purity. The Blue
Sapphire is traditionally associated with purity and love. It assists you to
stay on the spiritual path, releasing blockages and providing strength. Blue
Sapphire facilitates self-expression, assisting in communication and expressing
your truth and beliefs. It opens and heals the thyroid and the throat chakra
and has a calming and balancing effect on the nervous system and also
represents wisdom. Emerald - a mind stone. Enhances memory, promotes clear
and quick thinking, and right action stemming from right thought.
19
and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
Hebrew: לֶשֶׁם שְׁבוֹ,
וְאַחְלָמָה The Leshem or jacinth or opal is light sky blue in
color and is of the tribe of Yosef, the Shavu is very orange brown in color and
is used as a camaya (charm) for pregnant women that they should not have a
natural miss abort and the tribe of Benyamin where Rachel died in childbirth
hence the camaya. Achlamach is a darker purple than the sapphire and is of
the tribe of Dan.
Opal
is an emotional stone and reflects the mood of the wearer. It intensifies
emotions and releases inhibitions. Encourages both freedom and independence.
Opal enhances cosmic consciousness and induces psychic and mystical visions. It
stimulates originality and creativity. Helps to release anger and claim
self-worth, aiding in accessing and expressing one’s true self. Opal
strengthens memory. It encourages an interest in the arts. Wearing Opal brings
loyalty, faithfulness and spontaneity. Opal strengthens the will to live and
treats infections and fevers. Purifying the blood and kidneys, Opal also
regulates insulin. It eases childbirth and alleviates PMS. Agate is an
excellent stone for rebalancing and harmonizing body, mind and spirit. It
cleanses and stabilizes the aura, eliminating and transforming negativity.
Agate enhances mental function, improving concentration, perception and
analytical abilities. It soothes and calms, healing inner anger or tension and
creates a sense of security and safety. Agate heals the eyes, stomach and
uterus; cleanses the lymphatic system and the pancreas; strengthens blood vessels
and heals skin disorders. There is a loan fund in Bnei Barak for pregnant women
of this gem to prevent natural abortion of a fetus.
20
and the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be enclosed in gold in their settings.
Hebrew: תַּרְשִׁישׁ וְשֹׁהַם,
וְיָשְׁפֵה Tarshis is ivory white and the tribe of Naphtali. (I
found a translation which calls in the Aquamarine.) Onyx or Shoham is jet black
like the shoulder pieces and is the tribe of Gad. Yispah or Jasper was a
darkish brown and the tribe of Asher.
There is another opinion brought down by the OU Torah Tidbits in
5759 as follows: The name of Binyamin was engraved on the
stone known as YASHFEI, jasper. The Gematria of the name of the stone is
10+300+80+5 = 395. The gematria of Binyamin ben Yaakov is 2+50+10+40+ 10+50
(162) + 2+50 (52) + 10+70+100+2 (182) = 396. (apparently, +1 or -1 doesn't ruin
a Gematria match.) The name of Binyamin was engraved on the stone known as
YASHFEI, jasper. The Gematria of the name of the stone is 10+300+80+5 = 395.
The Gematria of Binyamin ben Yaakov is 2+50+10+40+ 10+50 (162) + 2+50 (52)
+ 10+70+100+2 (182) = 396. (Apparently, +1 or -1 doesn't ruin a Gematria
match.)
Mystical Properties: In Ancient Rome Beryl was used to treat liver
and eyes diseases. Romans also believed that this stone promotes matrimonial
love and glorifies the owner. The Onyx - one could be a master of his own fate
and control his Yetzer. Aquamarine is a stone of courage. Its calming energies
reduce stress and quiet the mind. Aquamarine has an affinity with sensitive
people. It can invoke tolerance of others and overcomes judgmentalism, giving
support to those overwhelmed by responsibility. Clarifies perception, sharpens
the intellect and clears confusion and is good for the throat and thyroid.
Jasper is known as the “supreme nurturer”. It sustains and supports through
times of stress, and brings tranquility and wholeness.
21
And the stones shall be according to the names of the children of Israel,
twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, every one
according to his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes.
Every one according to his name: According
to the order of their [the progenitors of the tribes] births shall be the order
of the stones, Odem for Reuben, pitdah for Simeon, and similarly for all of
them.
From the 5761 Torah Tidbits: Rashi,
however arranges the names in order of birth, so Reuven, Shimon, Levi, and
Yehuda are on the same stones, as are Yosef and Binyamin. Rashi puts Dan,
Naphtali, Gad, and Asher before Yissocher and Zevulun.
Rambam has the same arrangement as Chizkuni, but he puts the names Avraham,
Yitzchak, and Yaakov on the Reuven stone, and the words Shivtei Y'ah on the
Binyamin stone.
Note
that in addition to the names of the tribes, there are additional letters that
spell the names Avraham, Yitzchak, Yaakov, and Shivtei Yeshurun (another name
for Bnei Yisrael). These additional letters are added to each successive stone
so that each stone will end up with six letters engraved on it (according to
Chizkuni).
22 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate
plaited chains of wreathen work of pure gold.
I love it
when I can relax and a friend like Sophia B. look up and write: The Jewish people are likened to the olive, at it states in
Jeremiah (11:16): "An evergreen olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form,
did the L-RD call your name." In
the same way that all other liquids can be mixed together, whereas oil always
floats to the top, so too is it impossible for the Jewish people to fully assimilate
among the nations of the world. And when Jews carry out G-d's will, they merit
standing above the entire world. (Midrash Rabbah)
Garments of the High Priest various sketches for different
garments:
https://templeinstitute.org/priestly-garments/
Some of the sketches show the Yom Kippur Dress, weekday type of
dress, etc. One has the Hebrew Name of the Jews written but not the names of
the tribes.
23 And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of
gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the
breastplate. 24 And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold on
the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. 25 And the other two
ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt put on the two settings, and put
them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, in the forepart
thereof. 26 And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put
them upon the two ends of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which is
toward the side of the ephod inward. 27 And thou shalt make two rings
of gold, and shalt put them on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod underneath,
in the forepart thereof, close by the coupling thereof, above the skilfully
woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastplate by
the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a thread of blue, that it
may be upon the skilfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate be
not loosed from the ephod. 29 And Aaron shall bear the names of the
children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goes
in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
Also taken
from the past from Tzipora P.
In the Temple, שש and בד ['Shesh'
and 'Bad'] were eternal symbols of our duty to trust in G-d, Who created the
universe and directs it, Who 'brings low and raises up' (I Sam.
2:7). שש and בד evoke the Shesh [שש also meaning six] from the six days of creation, through
which G-d, alone [לבד] and set apart [בדד], created the world.
The purpose of Creation was
the Exodus from Egypt. That is, G-d created the world so mankind would
know His greatness and might, praise and extol Him, and seek to emulate Him in
thought and conduct. The Exodus concretely showed the world G-d's greatness
and might, when He withdrew His nation from servitude to a nation from which
until then not one slave had managed to escape, and established Israel as
the Chosen People who would make known G-d's might to the world.
There is great significance
to G-d's having called the ark poles [and, accordingly, the staves of the altar
in our Parsha] a בד, ['Bad'] and
not a מוט, ['Mot', also meaning stave or pole],
because while 'Mot' can mean something that carries, it also connotes
falling and collapse, as in, 'The earth trembles and totters ['mot
hit'motet']' (Isaiah 24:19); and, 'All the foundations of the
earth totter ['yimotu']' (Ps. 82:5). Thus, 'Mot' can mean both ascent
and lifting up, as well as falling down. This is the connection between 'Mot'
and 'Matah' [מטה] — meaning
'down'. Moreover, the person without strength collapses in bed ['mitah',מיטה]. 'Mavet' [מות]
— 'death' — is also tied to 'Mot', for death is permanent collapse.
Thus, every rod fashioned by
man to strengthen and support, carry and lift, can ultimately break and
collapse. Yet, the rod G-d commanded to be made to carry the ark cannot
collapse and break, because it symbolizes the power of G-d, Creator of the
Universe, of Whom it says, 'G-d established the earth upon its
foundations that it should never ever collapse' (Ps. 104:5); and, 'The
world is established. It cannot collapse' (Ps. 93:1).
The ark pole is not a 'Mot' —
it cannot collapse. Whoever trusts in what the ark pole represents, G-d's
infinite power, will never falter. As it says, 'He will never let
the righteous collapse' (Ps. 55:23), and, 'The righteous shall
never collapse' (Prov. 10:30). The 'Bad' is not a 'Mot', but the
symbol of Divine mastery and monarchy, of the yoke of His kingdom which will
never collapse. The 'Mot', on the other hand, symbolizes the yoke of the
nations which G-d broke during the first redemption: 'I am the L-RD
your G-d Who brought you out from Egypt where you were slaves. I broke the
bands of your yoke and led you forth with your heads held high' (Lev. 26:13).
So will G-d break the yoke of
the nations in the future, as it says, 'They shall know that I am
the L-rd, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them from
those who enslaved them' (Ezek. 34:27).
On the one hand, G-d called
the pole a בד 'Bad'. On the other
hand, He established for the Kohanim, the holiest segment of the holy
nation, linen [בד as well as שש also means linen] garments: 'The Cohain
shall put on his linen [בד] garment, and his
linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh' (Lev. 6:3). Likewise,
on Yom Kippur we find, 'He shall put on the holy linen [בד] tunic, and have linen pants on his body.
He must also gird himself with a linen sash and bind his head with a linen
turban. They are holy garments'(Lev. 16:4).
We find the same thing when
David dances before the ark: 'David was clothed with a robe of fine
linen, as were all the Leviim who bore the ark, and the singers... And David
had upon him an ephod of linen'(I Chron. 15:27). Metzudas David
comments, 'The linen ephod was akin to the ephod of the Cohain Gadol,
and was reserved for those who isolate themselves in the
service of G-d.'
Precisely when the Cohain
Gadol (reminder:
Gadol is big, large or high so the meaning is High Priest) is dressed in linen, and precisely when
he stands between the ark poles [Badim], the poles of faith and trust in G-d,
does the Cohain Gadol perform the Yom Kippur service. The holiest man is
Israel on the holiest day in Israel performs the service dressed in linen, as
stated above, and standing between the poles [בדים].
Indeed, linen garments were
reserved for those isolating themselves in Divine service in
the Temple, for they were the symbol of the Master of the Sanctuary Who created
His world in six ['Shesh'] days. G-d therefore decreed that His Kohanim must serve
Him in linen garb, called 'shesh' [שש].
Following is Or
HaChaim: “Israel shall thus dwell securely”: When? When they
are alone. “They shall dwell” naturally follows “He shall proclaim,
'Destroy!'” G-d commanded Israel to annihilate every soul of the inhabitants of
the land. By doing so, “Israel shall dwell securely, alone [בדד].”
The Jew who believes and
trusts in G-d, in בדים, will arrive at truth
and faith and tranquility, whereas he who trusts in man, in human strength,
will arrive, G-d forbid, at, 'How does the city sit alone'[בדד] (Lam. 1:1).
To our sorrow, those who try
to pervert the separatist faith and trust of 'a nation that shall
dwell alone [לבדד]' (Num. 23:9) by
claiming that it is forbidden to rile up the nations, and that the Jewish People,
even when powerful, still depend on the nations, have no faith and distort the
whole concept of trust in G-d.
Yet faith and trust in G-d
are no small matter. The Jewish People must prove their trust in G-d by
difficult, frightening, and sometimes ostensibly dangerous acts, acts that
demand of Israel courage, acts which by their very nature show disdain for the
non-Jew, anger him and threaten to bring a confrontation between him and
Israel, and all must be performed with complete faith and trust that if Israel
do what is decreed upon them, then G-d, too, will fulfill what He promised His
treasured nation.
We must know and grasp this
great principle, which is the key to speedy, magnificent redemption, without
suffering or tragedy. A brilliant redemption, in which G-d's promise of “haste”
(Isa. 60:22) is fulfilled, will come only when the Jewish People are alone,
set apart, in isolation, and trusting fully in G-d to defeat our
enemies.
[Dear readers, I'm aware that
this Parsha commentary is difficult to follow, especially for those who don't
know Hebrew. The commentary is excerpted and compiled from the Chapter 'Faith
and Trust' of Rabbi Meir Kahane's book 'The Jewish Idea' and I tried to
condense the explanation that the Rav zt”l gives in this chapter. While working
at it, it became clear to me that the translation into English itself is part
of the problem: it is not really possible to transmit what in Hebrew is an
elegant and powerful interpretation based on Hebrew word roots, into English
and leave it intact, despite the great, good job that Raphael Blumberg did. And
doubtlessly, my 'condensation' obfuscated it further. Someone famous, I forgot
who, once said 'A translation is like a kiss through a handkerchief'
– probably, a condensed translation is like a folded handkerchief
- so, good luck in trying to get the best out of it... Tzipora]
30 And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the
Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron's heart, when he goes in
before the LORD; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel
upon his heart before the LORD continually.
Perhaps they are hidden with the original Teva. Right now
what they were and how they looked like have been lost to us.
31 And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of
blue. 32 And it shall have a hole for the head in the midst thereof;
it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were
the hole of a coat of mail that it be not rent. 33 And upon the
skirts of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of
scarlet, round about the skirts thereof; and bells of gold between them round
about: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a
pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about.
To announce to HASHEM that he is coming in so as to lower the
visibility of HASHEM. For if he really saw HASHEM, the soul would depart but a
vision from the back like Moshe saw would be OK for the Cohain to see. In the
case of one Cohain Gadol a ‘man’ going in and coming out until one year,
he came not out and that year the Cohain died.
35 And it shall be upon Aaron to minister; and the sound
thereof shall be heard when he goes in unto the holy place before the LORD, and
when he cometh out, that he die not.
The announcement kept him from dying.
36 And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and engrave
upon it, like the engravings of a signet: HOLY TO THE LORD.
One thing
is for sure the Mitre had written on it “Kodesh L’ HASHEM”. We see in the days of the Moshiach even mundane things
will be Holy unto HASHEM. Zachariah 14:20 In that day shall there be upon the
bells of the horses: HOLY UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD'S house shall
be like the basins before the altar.
37 And thou shalt put it on a thread of blue, and it
shall be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall
be. 38 And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, and Aaron shall bear
the iniquity committed in the holy things, which the children of Israel shall
hallow, even in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead,
that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 And thou shalt weave
the tunic in cheeker work of fine linen, and thou shalt make a mitre of fine
linen, and thou shalt make a girdle, the work of the weaver in colors. 40 And
for Aaron's sons thou shalt make tunics, and thou shalt make for them girdles,
and head-tires shalt thou make for them, for splendor and for
beauty. 41 And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and upon
his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify
them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office. 42 And
thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness; from
the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.
For he shall not expose his nakedness before the Mizbayach.
43 And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when
they go in unto the tent of meeting, or when they come near unto the altar to
minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die; it shall be a
statute forever unto him and unto his seed after him.
No deviation from what is
requested that is how the two sons of Aaron died.
29:1 And this is the
thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the
priest's office: take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,
I noticed looking over my Drasha
from past years that I skipped this section completely. It is written here
about the Korbanos but I cover them in Sefer Vayikra. Chapter 30 returns to the
making of the Mishkan and not the burning of the Korbanos in the Mishkan.
30:1 And thou shalt make an altar
to burn incense upon; of acacia-wood shalt thou make it. 2 A cubit shall be the length thereof,
and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall
be the height thereof; the horns thereof shall be of one piece with it. 3 And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top
thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou
shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about. 4 And two golden rings shalt thou make for it under the
crown thereof, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou
make them; and they shall be for places for staves wherewith to bear it.
The incense burning Mizbayach is
built similar to both that of the golden and brazen Mizbayach. It too has rings
and staves for transport.
5 And thou shalt
make the staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold. 6 And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the
ark of the testimony, before the ark-cover that is over the testimony, where I
will meet with thee. 7 And Aaron
shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices; every morning, when he dresses the
lamps, he shall burn it.
The incense burning shall be
every morning and evening.
8 And when Aaron lite
the lamps at dusk, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the LORD
throughout your generations. 9 Ye
shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-offering, nor meal-offering;
and ye shall pour no drink-offering thereon.
The Gemara and daily prayer books
have the incense recipe and one should not change or substitute ingredients or
quantity ratios at all.
10 And Aaron shall
make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year; with the blood of the
sin-offering of atonement once in the year shall he make atonement for it
throughout your generations; it is most holy unto the LORD.'
It is a Kiddush HASHEM
to have a sweet and pleasant odor coming from the Mishkan/Mikdash with the
Korbanos.
The Eight
Ivys and the Seven Sisters by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1367-24
In the late 1950s, Jewish day school graduates began finding themselves in
Ivy League and Seven Sisters colleges[1] - and I [Dr. Rivka Blau] was one of
them.
On campus, we encountered an environment that was often hostile to Jews.
Classes were held on Shabbat and exams were often given on holidays; we bought
our own kosher food, but we still had to pay for room and board and could not
bring our food into the dormitories. We also found that people were asking us
questions about Judaism that we couldn't answer. Despite our years of yeshiva education,
many of us felt that we didn't know enough, and we wanted to continue learning.
We began organizing different groups: At Barnard, where I was, we called
our group Ari; at Columbia, they called theirs Yeshurun and
used to gather for afternoon prayers in the laboratory of a doctoral student;
in Harvard, they called it Taryag; while Cornell had a Young Israel
House with a kosher kitchen.
Once we heard about each other, we decided to establish a single body to
coordinate all the groups. We called it Yavneh and our
founding convention was in February 1960. Our goal was to promote Jewish
learning and observance on campus, to ensure that Jewish students wouldn't feel
alone, and that if they wanted to learn more, we would be there to help them.
Everybody had his or her own reason for the name, but I was trying to
carry on an organization that my father, Rabbi Mordechai-Pinchas Teitz,[2]
had started before immigrating to America, when he was a fourteen-year-old in
Latvia. After coming home from the Ponevezh yeshiva and discovering that the
boys he had grown up with had joined the Communist Party, he founded a club
- Yavneh - for Jewish boys to learn and have fun while getting
a better feeling about their Jewishness.
Communal leaders took a keen interest in our new group and rabbis like my
father and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik thought it was a wonderful
initiative, as did the Lubavitcher Rebbe. They helped us by speaking on
our behalf, raising money for us, introducing us to influential people, and
doing whatever they could to help Yavneh flourish.
At first, I was the secretary of the organization. By the next year, 1961,
I was its vice-president. At around this time, the Rebbe had a
representative, Rabbi Moshe Feller,[3] who would come to Columbia and who
became friendly with the president of Yavneh, Joel Levine. This young rabbi
told Joel, who then told me, that the Rebbe wanted to meet with two officers of
Yavneh, to discuss our activities and how we had gotten started.
Our appointment was for ten o'clock at night, but when we came to 770
Eastern Parkway there were so many people waiting to see him that we only came
into his office at midnight. The Rebbe greeted us warmly; I brought him regards
from my father, and he sent regards back. He was behind a desk, and he asked us
to sit in two chairs across from him.
The Rebbe started listing the languages in which we could conduct the
meeting - it was a funny moment, since he was giving so many options, and he
did it with a smile. When he reached Russian or French, we settled on English
as our language of choice.
He began asking us many detailed questions. He wanted to know how we had
started Yavneh and how we had found each other; the problems, the
possibilities, and the opportunities for people who were interested in finding
out more about their Jewishness; our plan for reaching those people; what we
found worked well and what did not. He had a purpose, and his questions were to
the point.
I didn't know it at that time, but it became evident to me later on that
since Chabad was planning to set up activities for Jewish college students, he
wanted to have a sense of what exactly was going on from people who were in the
thick of it. At the end he said, "I've asked you a lot of questions; would
you like to ask me some questions?"
"No, thank you." I declined. It had been a wonderful meeting and
I had nothing to ask him. However, the fellow who was with me did have a
question. "I have spent a Shabbat or two here in Crown Heights and I hear
all kinds of wonder stories about you. I hear that you know whether a person
should have surgery, and you know which way to proceed with a legal case. Do
you know more medicine than the doctors? Do you know more law than lawyers?
What is this?"
The Rebbe smiled, apparently unperturbed by the audaciousness of the
question. "You know," he replied, "when a house is built, the
architect draws up a blueprint. He gives the blueprint to the contractor and
then the contractor tells the plumber how to do the plumbing, the mason how to
do the masonry, the electrician how to do the electrical work. It's not that the
contractor can do the tasks better than everybody, but he can read the
blueprint, and that's why he can give the instructions."
He then quoted the Zohar which states that the Torah is
the blueprint for the world and explained that by understanding Torah, one can
determine what should be done in other realms as well. "No, I don't know
law better than the lawyers or medicine better than the doctors, but based on
what I have learned in the Torah, I can give people advice."
I thought that was a beautiful answer and was ready to go, but
unfortunately this young man had another question. "Alright," he
persisted, "but I hear these miraculous stories about you. Can they all be
true?"
I thought this question was inappropriate, but the Rebbe wasn't taken
aback at all. He had a sense of humor, and he knew how to respond to this young
man. Laughing, he said, "People don't tell me stories about myself - they
figure I know them already - so I have no idea what stories are being told
about me, and I can't vouch for them."
He then gave a list of great Torah sages who were either not Chasidic or
were opposed to the movement, and said, "I have read stories, in books
that I trust, about these people and the wondrous things that they did. You can
believe those stories, but I would have to check out the stories that are being
told about me."
It was such a wonderful answer, and he handled the interaction graciously.
When we came out, I saw Rabbi Herschel Schacter waiting in line, and I
apologized that our audience had gone on for so long.
"Oh, don't worry, this is going to go on until 3 or 4 in the
morning," he said. "This is what goes on every night at the
Rebbe's."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Lightly edited and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from a weekly email
of "Here's My Story," a part of JEM's extraordinary "My
Encounter with the Rebbe" project.
After earning her PhD at Columbia University, Dr. Rivka Blau worked
as an educator in several yeshivah high schools and colleges, and authored
"Learn Torah, Love Torah, Live Torah", a biography of her father,
HaRav Mordechai Pinchas Teitz, z'l. She was interviewed in May 2007.
Connection: You tell me!
Biographical note:
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
Footnotes:
1. In those days, The Ivy League colleges were all-male, but most of them had
associated all-women colleges.
2. Long term Rabbi and community leader in Elizabeth, NJ. {See also, story #216
in this Email stories list.)
3. Who since 1962 has been the chief Chabad representative in Minnesota.
Here comes the Sun. Let the Sun Shine In. By Rachamim
Pauli
Both are names of
popular songs from the 1960’s. I watch the dawn after leaving Israel and upon
returning.
On the way to the States
I was heading west and running away from the sun and the opposite upon
returning. The same thing but reverse with dusk and twilight.
Upon going to the
States, I had a long dawn to prayer the morning prayers. While returning from a
later rising sun north of I and going east into the sun. Suddenly it was dark
and I could see the clouds start to appear below the plane in a very short amount
of time it started getting lighter very fast. It was about a matter of five to
ten minutes from the appearance of clouds until the sun was up.
If you want to see a
real lingering sunset stay a little longer of the Burl Ives type, then fly
towards Hawaii or California from an area east of that.
The Pregnant Woman from Maalei Adumim own Miracle by
Rachamim Pauli
On Friday Morning, the
husband of the pregnant woman that was shot in the terror attack was
interviewed on Arutz 12 TV.
The woman was driving
do work on the way to the police check point. Suddenly a strange looking
accident occurred right in front of her car. The terrorist starting running
down the hill with his Carlo Automatic Rifle shooting at vehicles. She was the
first one hit and directly to the chest. He did not check if she died but
continued running and shooting from car to car.
She needed help and
managed to open up her door and crawl-creep to the first car that had an
unlocked door and asked to call an ambulance and her husband. She told her
husband take their son to nursery school. She then talked to her husband that
she was shot in the chest and not to worry.
The woman was taken to
the hospital with fragments of the bullet in precarious danger spots. She was
operated on and at the time of writing is in the ICU recovering and the fetus
is doing well B”H. If the husband without a Yarmulke can say it was a miracle
then you can take his word at face value for he is not out to make anybody a
Baal Teshuva.
Inyanay Diyoma
Feb. 16th
Day 133
The first two items made the
Blogspot last night but not the news update.
Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu commented on Thursday night on reports that the Biden
administration and several Arab countries are advancing a plan to establish a
Palestinian state. "At the Cabinet meeting, I clarified my position
regarding the recent talk of imposing a Palestinian state on Israel,"
Netanyahu said. "My position is summed up in the following two sentences:
Israel rejects
outright international dictates regarding a permanent settlement with the
Palestinians. Such a settlement will only be achieved through direct
negotiations between the parties, without preconditions," he added.
“2. Israel will
continue to oppose the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state. Such
recognition following the October 7 massacre would give a huge unprecedented
reward to terrorism and prevent any future peace settlement," said the
Prime Minister.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385295
Another
soldier dies. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/flashes/625864
Terror attack at the junction where
route 3 connects with route 40 in the direction of Yerushalayim. Terrorist with
Israeli ID from East Yerushalayim wearing white yarmulke with a rifle kills two
at short range and injures seriously 6 others.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385318
Yishai Gertner, 23, of Modiin Illit over the hill from us was
identified as one of the terror victims.
Dog locates terrorist. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385320
Russian opposition leader Alexei
Navalny died on Friday after collapsing and losing consciousness at the penal
colony north of the Arctic Circle where he was serving a long jail term, the
Russian prison service said. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385322
According to Ben David, the IDF has
been encountering "exhausted terrorists who come out of tunnels and
surrender all over the Strip. They say that they ran out of air and water and
that they haven't heard from their commanders in weeks. This is what the
collapse of a military organization looks like."
Ben David concluded, "If in the
first two months of the war, Hamas controlled and managed the distribution of
aid, in the third month it was already forced to fight and use force against
the hungry masses, and in recent weeks Hamas members have been seen storming
the trucks along with the masses in the hope of grabbing a piece of the
aid." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385313
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis: Thus
far, over 20 terrorists who participated in the October 7th massacre have been
apprehended, and dozens of suspects have been taken for questioning. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385316
Drone ID’s and eliminates terrorist.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385312
Hezballah’s Noes: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjrzlshot#autoplay
Hezballah wants vengeance. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385290
Hostage was murdered Oct. 7th.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385288
Russia planning to violate 1957
treaty put nukes with EMP in Space. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-787142
Massive Chemical blast in Iran. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-787188
Op-Ed on Charedi
Draft. The collective Haredi memory still remembers the unequivocal statement
of Rav Eliezer Menachem Shach, of blessed memory, who declared that those
Haredi men who are not engaged in full-time Torah study must enlist in the IDF,
and that evading this duty stains the entire community with the label of army
deserters. Rav Shach referred to anybody who is not engaged in Torah study yet
registers as a yeshiva student to evade military service as a rodef – an active
threat to the Torah world. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjj4xs5ja
Iceland massive eruption. https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-785846
Op-Ed Dubai vs. Gaza could Gaza
become like Dubai? https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1kj3x9ip
Are bodies of hostages in Nasser
Hospital? https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skce7m2op#autoplay
Biden blocks deportation of
Palestinian Arabs until 2025. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385272
UN Hamas not terrorist. Kirby are
terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385301
15 rockets on Kiriat Shemona. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385275
Indiana Man wanted to kill all Jews.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385303
Canada Jewish MP gets police
protection. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385299
Iranian Ship cyberattacked by US. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385300
During joint IDF and ISA operational
activity in Gaza City on Wednesday, Ahmed Ghoul, a commander in Hamas' Shati
Battalion who participated in the October 7th massacre, was eliminated by an
aircraft. Ghoul held IDF soldier Corporal Noa Marciano, who was murdered by the
Hamas terrorist organization inside the Shifa Hospital, hostage. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385273
Jan. 17th
Day 134 start of week 19.
Photo of Yeshiva Student killed in
Friday’s Attack. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sypr1bpop
One of the people murdered was a
soldier from Modiin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385342
Nasrallah threatens with rockets. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skszfzpo6
UNWRA employees who attacked Israel
on Oct. 7th. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjrqwx6ip#autoplay
IDF forces found
medicines bearing the names of hostages at the Nasser Hospital in the southern
Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, the army reported on Friday. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skc5xf6oa
Older model cars more reliable than
tech-loaded ones. https://www.ynetnews.com/business/article/sy9zgbti6
Rocket strikes Chicken Coop. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385315
UK PM to Netanyahu: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385306
"The essence of our struggle to
free the hostages is the negotiations and the strong military pressure,"
Netanyahu said. "Up to this moment, Hamas' demands are hallucinatory and
of unambiguous implications: defeat for Israel. It is clear that we will not
agree to them. But when Hamas wants to stop these hallucinatory responses, we
will be able to make progress." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385355
Footage that was circulated online on
Saturday night shows a left-wing protester in Tel Aviv punching a woman, a
right-wing protester, in the head. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385364
The 16-year-old yeshiva student
injured in Friday's terror attack at the Re'em Junction is still in very serious
condition and is in danger of his life, the hospital said. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385357
The President presented a book found
in a home in the Alfarkan region of Gaza, entitled, “The End of the Jews,”
authored by Mahmoud al-Zahar, Co-Founder of Hamas, former Foreign Minister of
the Palestinian Authority. The books cover depicts swords and daggers piercing
through Stars of David, and Jews drowning in a sea of blood. The book glorifies
and justifies the persecution of Jews in Europe, and praises the Nazis. It
includes chapters entitled among other things: “The world’s burning hatred for
the Jews,” “The general corruption of the Jews,” and, “Reasons to expel the
Jews.”
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385352
Herzog: "I met with the Prime Minister of Qatar yesterday. It was a good discussion," Herzog said
Saturday. "And I think he's doing major efforts. He's taken major efforts
and devoting an enormous focus on this issue. It's complicated, it's
difficult." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385351
Terrorist who fired towards Ashkelon
Shachid. Strikes in Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385020
UNWRA worker Faisal Ali Musalem Na’ami, 45, was
photographed during the massacre, and is believed to have abducted a body from
Beeri. He was killed in an airstrike targeting his house in Nuseirat, along
with five of his children and one of his wives. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385346
Two small Children different cities
found wondering in the rain. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385358
Feb. 18th
Day 135
200 terrorists surrendered in Nasser
Hospital and tens in Amal Hospital. I verified that the Yeshiva student murdered
on Friday is the first cousin of Elchanan who was injured in Gaza and returned
to battle. Dozens of terrorists die in Khan Unis. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385379
Ganz Path to peace is not through a
one-sided PA State. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385393
Government unanimously rejects
Palestinian State. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385389
The police published today (Sunday) new details
about a violent robbery that took place in Jerusalem about a month ago, during
which Arab residents of eastern Jerusalem robbed a couple in front of their
toddler son, stole a luxury car, and ran over a policeman during a chase. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385387
Egypt on the Yom Kippur War. According to the report, the documents
build the strategic preparations of Israel's military and detail operations on
the Egyptian and Syrian fronts. The documents include correspondence between
officers, details about the war, the beginning of preparations, crossing the
Suez Canal, strategic deceptions, and more. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385388
Dozens of Neo-Nazi protesters gathered near
Disney World and in nearby Orlando, Florida, yesterday. Dozens of Neo-Nazi
protesters gathered near Disney World and in nearby Orlando, Florida, Saturday.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385384
Ian Austin, a Jewish Member of the House of Lords
of the British Parliament, was suspended from his position as chairman of the
Midland Heart Housing Association after he posted a tweet criticizing UNRWA for
claiming to be unaware of the terror tunnels dug underneath its facilities in
Gaza and calling Hamas an "Islamist death cult." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385392
Son of Col. murdered in Intifada
wounded in Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385382
Munich Conference wants more aid to
Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385378
From Thomas B. https://www.israelunwired.com/israeli-spokesman-gave-the-greatest-response-to-the-palestinian-refugee-problem/
Israel
slams Brazilian president for comparing war in Gaza to the Holocaust | The
Times of Israel
Left-wing activists carjacked by
their Arab Friends. Woman thrown from vehicle. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385363
Israel Hayom reports that Prime Minister Netanyahu is considering
effectively agreeing with the USA's intention to recognize a Palestinian state
in exchange for a historic achievement in negotiations with Saudi Arabia. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385374
Northern District Police acted over the weekend
against illegal arms dealers and smugglers in the Galilee. During the
operation, the forces identified a Honda type vehicle and stopped the vehicle
near the Karmiel junction. A 'Matador' type shoulder-mounted missile with an
operating system, nine standard grenades, and over a thousand mag rounds were
found inside the car. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385380
Hamas in Belgistan. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hywt9wcoa
Feb. 19th
Day 136 please note I will be flying
back to Israel tomorrow so I may send out anything on Day 137 but hopefully
will make up for it.
Breaking two air attacks near Sidon
Lebanon on storage facilities.
Updates: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385399
Israeli mistaken for terrorist not
recognized by IDF. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385385
Border Policeman found shot dead Hwy
6. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385404
Hostile elements tried to take over
El Al Plane. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385401
IDF forces operating in southern Gaza found a
video of the members of the Bibas family alive from the first days of the war
in the southern Gaza Strip. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385470
More than 50% of Gaza Buildings damaged.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385408
A court hearing revealed that close to one
billion NIS that is transferred to the Palestinian Authority every year, end up
in the hands of terrorists and their families, Kan News reported
today (Sunday). https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385405
Gaza residents have received messages in recent
days calling on them to provide the security forces in Israel with information
about the hostages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385410
Northern Command: We will need to attack
with great intensity. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385409
Op-Ed. Putin Star Wars. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/hk8og5lh6
Op-Ed. Biden’s election strategy
costs Israel. Rather than
capitalizing on Israel’s military prowess, as evidenced daily in Gaza and
Lebanon, and letting the IDF loose, the Biden administration is energetically
trying to control and set limits to Israel’s power.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1o11sfg2t
Pictures of winter on the Golan
Heights. https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/sk00i45l3a
Following special talks held between State
President Isaac Herzog and President Aliyev of Azerbaijan, Jewish leaders
brought up the distress of the Jewish community in Armenia, which has been
experiencing harsh, violent antisemitic attacks as a result of Israel’s close
relations with Azerbaijan, who is considered an enemy of Armenia in the context
of the territorial conflict in the separatist enclave, in the Karabakh region
of Azerbaijan. Jewish community leaders requested the intervention of the
governments to protect the small Armenian Jewish community, most of whom live
in the capital city, Yerevan. The synagogue in Yerevan has been attacked
several times by antisemitic elements. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385462
One terrorist a lengthy battle. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385458
Bedouin worked for Hamas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385467
Citizens with guns have
responsibilities. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385467
Correspondence of Russian dissidents.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385469
Sinwar look alike. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385465
What we need is clan government for
Gaza and Shomron. Kedar says "We need a solution
for the Palestinian Authority in general because this Authority is illegitimate
in the eyes of the vast majority of the Arabs in Judea and Samaria and as well
as in Gaza. Therefore, the only solution is the only paradigm that works in the
Middle East which is the Emirate." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385460
On Monday morning, fragments of an aircraft were
identified in an open area in Arbel in the Lower Galilee in northern Israel.
The aircraft is most likely not an IDF aircraft. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385463
An indictment was filed recently against Dalal
Suleiman, sister of Hamas' deputy commander, Saleh al-Arouri. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385453
Foreign Min. to Brazil Ambassador
your president is persona non grata.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385457
Staff Sergeant falls in Gaza.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385434
The Kinneret's water level rose five centimeters
(1.97 inches) since Sunday, and now stands at 1.10 meters (3.61 feet) below the
upper red line signaling maximum capacity.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385439
Defense Min. meets with Senators. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385448
An unusual couple approached the Rabbinical Court
in Tel Aviv for a divorce - the husband was both deaf and mute, and the wife
was deaf, mute, and blind. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385454
On Sunday, terrorists fired a rocket from the
central Gaza Strip which crossed into Israeli territory and fell near Kibbutz
Beeri in an open area. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385447
IDF forces found technological equipment made in
Iran and China in the Hamas facility under the United Nations Relief and Works
Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East headquarters in Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385452
Israeli research artificial sperm. https://www.jpost.com/science/article-787598
The al-Qaeda terrorist organization is having a
resurgence in Afghanistan under
the ruling Taliban, setting up eight new training camps alongside five
madrasas, Islamic educational institutions, around the country, a report from
the UN Security Council in late January has revealed. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-787467
Two Iranian gas pipelines explode. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-787373
Leah Goldstein removed from cycling
event over IDF service. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-787277
Feb. 20th
Day 137
https://www.timesofisrael.com/widow-accuses-putin-of-killing-navalny-vows-to-keep-fighting-kremlin/
Paratrooper died of his wounds. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385480
85 votes to impeach but needed 90
MK’s. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385477
Israel Hayom reports that senior terrorist leader Marwan Barghouti was
served a dish which contains meat in the Ayalon Prison over Shabbat, in
violation of the regulations. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385481
Arabs threw explosive device at a
car. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385475
Malcolm Hoenlein, the Vice Chairman Emeritus of
the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations “Arab
States want Israel to destroy Hamas.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385464
Hezbollah terrorist organization is even more
extensive and sophisticated than the tunnel system created by Hamas under the
Gaza Strip. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385472
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday
evening commented on a proposal that will be brought before the Knesset plenum
and which declares that Israel rejects any attempt to establish a Palestinian
state unilaterally. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385483
IDF distributes newspaper with
picture of Sinwar in tunnel to Rafah residents. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385519
Feb. 21st
Day 138
Slept poorly on plane copying the
main headlines more detailed information will follow.
IDF
soldier killed as heavy fighting flares up again in northern Gaza | The Times
of Israel
Syria
says two killed in alleged Israeli strike on Damascus apartment building | The
Times of Israel
Troops
kill 3 gunmen, detain 14 terror suspects in overnight Jenin raid - IDF | The
Times of Israel
Rare
Second Temple-era merchants box displayed at Israel Museum | The Times of
Israel
Jews
who experience antisemitism give more to charity, US survey shows | The Times
of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-hindu-temple-inaugurated-in-abu-dhabi-by-indian-prime-minister/
Paris trying for new hostage release
talks cease fire. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385552
US Airlines should renew flights to
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385539
IDF troops operated in the area of Zaytun, south
of Gaza City over the past day, and killed dozens of terrorists in ground
encounters and targeted air strikes. The troops secured the area and searched
suspicious buildings. During the activity, the troops located weapons,
including an RPG and AK-47 rifle, inside a residential building.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385571
For the first time, Trump leads NY
Jews over Biden even Kennedy and West in race. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385550
Weapons found near UN Building in
Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385532
Statue of Any Winehouse defaced. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385574
Russian arrest warrant for Navalny’s
Brother. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385565
Bedouin hero of Oct. 7th
gets citizenship. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385582
Sinwar from leader to fugitive. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385587
Murder indictment filed against
widow of murdered Haitian President. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385581
Report, the Nukhba terrorists operated in systematic patterns
of group attacks, when in villages and kibbutzim, the sexual attacks were
sometimes done in front of relatives and friends. The terrorists targeted both
women and men, and the victims were executed during or after they were raped. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385573
Three Hezballah command centers hit
in Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385585
Feb. 22nd
Day 139
Attack near Maalei Adumim 1 dead 8
injured. 3 seriously including a 20year old who is pregnant but not life
threatening. The child in the womb is still alive. Terrorist came in two cars
the first caused an accident. They had an M16, Carlo, pistol and grenades one
fled and was killed in gun fight the other two were neutralized one of them
killed and the other captured. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385622
Eilat attack by Houthi Missile shot
down by Arrow System. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385618
Lone soldier, Simon Shlomov HY”D
from Azerbaijan, to be buried today after his mother arrives. Also in the north
anti-tank missiles at 3 Yeshuvim and one knocks out a house on Kfar Yuval.
Sinwar’s brother use Hamas youth for
his pedophilia. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-788195
Hamas is reportedly being pressured by Hezbollah and mediators to drop high demands from Israel in a
possible deal, Arab affairs commentator Jacky Hugi said in a Wednesday
interview with Army Radio. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-788080
Op-Ed Diane Weber Bederman: If there is one
lesson we must take away from the Horror of the October 7 massacre it is that
Israel cannot win the military war without winning the Propaganda War. https://dianebederman.com/the-missing-piece-to-end-the-wars-in-the-middle-east/
Feb. 23rd
Day 139 Part 2 and Day 140. The
completion of 20 weeks already!
Menashe told me of how broken up the
young first cousin of the murdered Yishai Gertner HY”D was as they are very
close friends.
The IDF is sending in
personnel to deal with PTSD in Gaza or the north and special few days of
classes of the unit together to talk about the battles and unwind with a
specialist so that they do not get PTSD and they plan more with each unit. Some
got early PTSD and then returned to battle on their own. One fellow on Oct. 7th
saw what happened and lost his sight for 5 days but B”H it returned unlike what
happened to Ray Charles the famous singer and band leader.
Finally, the Netanyahu Plan for the
day after Hamas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385675
Islamic Jihad releases film of
terror attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385605
Jenin: Jihad Terrorist eliminated by
drone. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385685
Delegation went to Cairo. The War Cabinet on Thursday evening approved the sending of a
negotiating delegation, headed by Mossad chief David Barnea, for a second
summit to be held on Friday in Paris, for talks on the formulation of an
agreement for the release of hostages held by Hamas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385676
Government to promote over 3,000 new homes in
Maalei Adumim and other areas near Yerushalayim https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385671
Other news not in the
headlines. Central Command closed up the section of the road that the Arab
Terrorist used to attack the traffic jam yesterday. Over 3600 Hezballah targets
have been hit in the last 20 weeks but still even today they sent over a number
of drones and rockets most shot down.
UK: Tory MP Andrew Percy said, "I was in Israel last week,
meeting with friends and survivors and hostage families, and I actually felt safer
in Israel than I do in this country at this moment in time." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385670
Op-Ed: Biden and his colleagues are first and
foremost politicians not strategists. Their primary objective right now is to
get reelected. And for attaining this goal they are un-swayed if they need to
pay in Israeli security currency.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1o11sfg2t
In the middle of the as their friends fought in
Gaza: Two soldiers from the Nahal Brigade are
suspected of attempting to sell a weapon to an illegal Palestinian Arab
infiltrator, Kan News reported on Thursday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385666
Christians in South Africa pray for Israel. https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-787482
Western antisemitism spurs Aliyah. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-788160
Hillary Clinton – Youth uninformed of Israeli
Conflict. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-788087
Target of the Raanana terror
attack was the IDF Arabic Spokesman. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-788148
Netanyahu failed to act on intel to stop Hamas
Finance before Oct. 7th.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-788004
Elbit has a new drone system. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-788202
Israel may open a new humanitarian aid
crossing. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-788147
IDF destroys Hamas Leaders Tunnel. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-788151
The Russian helicopter pilot who made
international headlines when he defected to Ukraine in 2023 has been found
murdered in Spain. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385606
Ganz unilateral Palestinian State would reward
terror. www.timesofisrael.com/rebuffing-biden-cabinet-rejects-palestinian-statehood-as-reward-for-terrorism/
The IDF is considering appointing Brigadier
General Barak Hiram, the commander of the 99th Division, to an office position
instead of the position of commander of the Gaza Division as was decided last
June. While the big brass did not know what was going on Oct. 7th
he was out fighting. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385604
Biden lashes out at Putin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385614
UK-Jordan air drop to Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/385619
Not war related but still news:
Private US venture Lunar Lander. https://www.jpost.com/science/space/article-788477
Spanish Fire 4 Dead 15 Missing. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-788516
11year old finds a 2000year old
coin. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-788008
Nature continues unabated by the
war. https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-787823
Stingray immaculate conception. https://www.jpost.com/omg/article-788180
Gazans could die from disease even
if the war stopped today. https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-787934
Salk Institute has new reversable
male contraception. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-788124
Have a healthy, happy
and peaceful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
