Parsha Vaetchanan Part 1
We are in the middle of
Moshe Rabbaynu’s first speech to the people as he is about to go into the next
world.
3:23 And
I besought the LORD at that time, saying: 24 'O Lord GOD, Thou hast
begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness, and Thy strong hand; for what god is
there in heaven or on earth, that can do according to Thy works, and according
to Thy mighty acts? 25 Let me go over, I pray Thee, and see the good
land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly hill-country, and Lebanon.'
Hidden meaning: When the
Moshiach comes, the whole of Lebanon, Yarden and Syria will become Eretz
Yisrael but now we live in pre-Messianic Times and the Nations of the World
under the guidance of Satan have rule over us. As it was written in Sotah 49B
“The truth will be absent”. So today in fact HASHEM works and mighty acts are
hidden. To see the miraculous saving of soldiers and other events in the current
war, one must look hard, analyze and realize the improbably under normal events
of what is going on.
26 But
the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and hearkened not unto me; and the
LORD said unto me: 'Let it suffice thee; speak no more unto Me of this
matter. 27 Get thee up into the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes
westward, and northward, and southward, and eastward, and behold with thine
eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Jordan. 28 But charge Joshua,
and encourage him, and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people,
and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt
see.' 29 So we abode in the valley over against Beth-peor.
Getting back to the
plain meaning from the Midrash: Moshe prayed 500 supplications before G-D to
enter Eretz Yisrael and was rejected. Finally, G-D told him enough and give
over the command to Yoshua. The Midrash goes on to state that HASHEM then gave
a prophecy to Yoshua and Moshe was almost jealous and then he said to himself:
“Better 100 deaths than to be jealous even once.” Moshe was on the level of
conquering jealousy. It is the equivalent of us seeing a neighbor becoming rich
and saying to the effect may G-D bless him with billions and me with 1/10th
of what he gets. [The story of the man who was told that he would be blessed
but his neighbor would get double so he was so jealous he said take out one
eye. The moral is that jealousy blinds a person.]
4:1 And
now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the ordinances, which I teach
you, to do them; that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the
LORD, the God of your fathers, gives you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the
word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep
the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.
You are about to merit
that which a number of generations missed out on. You are going to possess the
Land. A warning note is added not to add to the commandments that you were
given. Meaning there is not going to be a new restriction upon the people not
commanded in the Torah. Example of the Rabbis who look for every strict ruling
on meat slaughtered kosher. Even if there is a question over the piece of meat
and it is determined to be kosher, it is kosher for everybody to eat. [The
famous story of the Av Beit Din of Vilna vs. the Vilna Gaon and the kosher
chicken.]
3 Your
eyes have seen what the LORD did in Baal-peor; for all the men that followed
the Baal of Peor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from the midst of
thee. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every
one of you this day.
You followed the good
L-RD and lived.
5 Behold,
I have taught you statutes and ordinances, even as the LORD my God commanded
me, that ye should do so in the midst of the land whither ye go in to possess
it. 6 Observe therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your
understanding in the sight of the peoples, that, when they hear all these
statutes, shall say: 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding
people.' 7 For what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto
them, as the LORD our God is whensoever we call upon Him? 8 And what
great nation is there, that hath statutes and ordinances so righteous as all
this law, which I set before you this day?
There are many people in
the land that your will possess. You will follow MY LAWS and be great and
replace them.
9 Only
take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things
which thine eyes saw, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy
life; but make them known unto thy children and thy children's
children; 10 the day that thou stood before the LORD thy God in
Horeb, when the LORD said unto me: 'Assemble Me the people, and I will make
them hear My words that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they live
upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.'
The people are about to
be reminded of the decalogue. In the original Asera Dibros (ten utterances)
there is Remember the Shabbos and now there is Guard the Shabbos. This teaches
us that we not only have to remember for close to 25hours that it is Shabbos
but we have to guard ourselves from preforming any of the 39 Melachos that is
generally translated as “work” but it is more a creative or constructive
process. Plow, sowing, harvesting, … building, dismantling, … writing, erasing
… igniting, dousing … carrying, traveling … etc.
11 And
ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire
unto the heart of heaven, with darkness, cloud, and thick
darkness. 12 And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the
fire; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a
voice. 13 And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded
you to perform, even the ten words; and He wrote them upon two tables of
stone. 14 And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you
statutes and ordinances, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over
to possess it. 15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves--for ye
saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of
the midst of the fire-- 16 lest ye deal corruptly, and make you a
graven image, even the form of any figure, the likeness of male or
female, 17 the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the
likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the heaven, 18 the likeness
of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the
water under the earth; 19 and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto
heaven, and when thou see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host
of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD
thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole
heaven. 20 But you hath the LORD taken and brought forth out of the iron
furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this
day. 21 Now the LORD was angered with me for your sakes, and swore
that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that
good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an
inheritance; 22 but I must die in this land, I must not go over the
Jordan; but ye are to go over, and possess that good land. 23 Take
heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which
He made with you, and make you a graven image, even the likeness of anything
which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the LORD thy God
is a devouring fire, a jealous God. 25 When thou shalt beget
children, and children's children, and ye shall have been long in the land, and
shall deal corruptly, and make a graven image, even the form of anything, and
shall do that which is evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke
Him;
No sticks, stones,
molten images or any in-between but direct prays to your creator. You may ask,
“People go to the graves of Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakkai and his children, Rabbi
Akiva, Rebbe Meir & Sumcus, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai and his son Rebbe
Eleazar or Rabbi Pinchas ben Yair and pray.” The difference is that we do not
pray to these Tzadikim but rather ask that they act as lawyers upon our behalf
before the L-RD to help us plead our case.
26 I
call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon
utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it;
ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
In Kabbala, there is
nothing without HASHEM and even inanimate objects have an essence of creation.
Heaven and Earth in Kabbala can be witnesses. {Remember the story from Tractate
Niddah either Daf 23 or 26 that my great grandfather embellished with ‘Tales
from the Middle Ages (Sippurim)’ and embellished into the tale of the pit and
weasel as witnesses.}
27 And
the LORD shall scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in number
among the nations, whither the LORD shall lead you away.
Golda Meir once
mentioned that we should have been a nation of 190-200,000,000 people but over
the years we were slaughtered and exiled.
28 And
there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which
neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. 29 But from thence ye will
seek the LORD thy God; and thou shalt find Him, if thou search after Him with
all thy heart and with all thy soul. 30 In thy distress, when all
these things are come upon thee, in the end of days, thou wilt return to the
LORD thy God, and hearken unto His voice;
But after the transgression
of idolatry is over with, G-D will harken to us.
31 for
the LORD thy God is a merciful God; He will not fail thee, neither destroy
thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them. 32 For
ask now of the days past, which were before thee, since the day that God
created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other,
whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been
heard like it? 33 Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking
out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
Somewhere between 2-3,000,000 people witnessed the mountain,
lightnings, thunderings and the voice of the L-RD.
34 Or
hath God assayed to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation,
by trials, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by
an outstretched arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your
God did for you in Egypt before thine eyes?
You saw – those who were under 20 when the spies went out still
were old enough to have witnessed the 10 plagues of Mitzrayim and the splitting
of the sea.
35 Unto
thee it was shown, that thou might know that the LORD, He is God; there is none
else beside Him. 36 Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice,
that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He made thee to see His great fire;
and thou didst hear His words out of the midst of the fire. 37 And
because He loved thy fathers, and chose their seed after them, and brought thee
out with His presence, with His great power, out of Egypt, 38 to
drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou, to bring
thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this
day; 39 know this day, and lay it to thy heart, that the LORD, He is
God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath; there is none
else. 40 And thou shalt keep His statutes, and His commandments,
which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy
children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the land, which
the LORD thy God gives thee, forever.
This land shall be your
inheritance forever not Palestine or Hum-ho but yours.
41 Then
Moses separated three cities beyond the Jordan toward the
sunrising; 42 that the manslayer might flee thither, that slays his
neighbor unawares, and hated him not in time past; and that fleeing unto one of
these cities he might live: 43 Bezer in the wilderness, in the
table-land, for the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, for the Gadites; and
Golan in Bashan, for the Manassites. 44 And this is the law which Moses
set before the children of Israel;
These are the cities
where a person who committed accidental manslaughter could flee.
45 these
are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which Moses spoke
unto the children of Israel, when they came forth out of
Egypt; 46 beyond the Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-peor, in
the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and
the children of Israel smote, when they came forth out of Egypt; 47 and they took his land in possession, and the land of Og
king of Bashan, the two kings of the Amorites, who were beyond the Jordan
toward the sunrising; 48 from Aroer, which is on the
edge of the valley of Arnon, even unto mount Sion--the same is Hermon-- 49 and all the Arabah beyond the Jordan eastward, even unto
the sea of the Arabah, under the slopes of Pisgah. 5:1 And Moses called unto all Israel,
and said unto them: Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I
speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and observe to do
them. 2 The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. 3 The
LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all
of us here alive this day. 4 The LORD spoke with you face to face in
the mount out of the midst of the fire-- 5 I stood between the LORD
and you at that time, to declare unto you the word of the LORD; for ye were
afraid because of the fire, and went not up into the mount--saying:
Now Moshe is reviewing
after close to 40years the Asera Dibros. Pay attention that the first five are
between man and G-D and the second five starting with the honoring of parents
between man and man.
6 I am the LORD
thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of
bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before Me. 7 Thou shalt not
make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of likeness, of anything that is
in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under
the earth. 8 Thou shalt not bow down unto them, nor serve them; for I
the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of them that
hate Me, 9 and showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that
love Me and keep My commandments. 10 Thou shalt not take the name of the
LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His
name in vain.
If you do use the NAME
of G-D like requesting that Hitler’s name be erased does not fall under this
prohibition.
11 Observe the
sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the LORD thy God commanded
thee. 12 Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work;
Neither our concept of
work or labor but Melacha. I can have guests over and move many bottles of soft
drinks or water to the tables serving them that I really physically work up a
sweat but that is not a Melacha.
13 but the seventh
day is a sabbath unto the LORD thy God, in it thou shalt not do any manner of
work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man-servant, nor thy
maid-servant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy
stranger that is within thy gates; that thy man-servant and thy maid-servant
may rest as well as thou.
Even your non-Jewish
servant/slave is required to rest as he is your bondman or an extension of you.
14 And thou shalt
remember that thou was a servant in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God
brought thee out thence by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore
the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
It does not matter if
you were in Egypt, Auschwitz or deep in a tunnel in Gaza and required or forced
to do things, now that you are free; your servants/slaves are forbidden to
violate the Shabbos.
15 Honor thy
father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God commanded thee; that thy days may be
long, and that it may go well with thee, upon the land which the LORD thy God
gives thee.
This is one of the
Mitzvos that one is granted a long life in the “True World.”
16 Thou shalt not
murder. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou
steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor. 17 Neither
shalt thou covet thy neighbor's wife; neither shalt thou desire thy
neighbor's house, his field, or his man-servant, or his maid-servant, his ox,
or his ass, or anything that is thy neighbor's.
The Torah does not mince
words but if you notice those between man and G-D have a long more explanation
and Mitzvos between man and man have only two Pasukim one for the first four
and the second for the jealousy of the neighbor.
18 These words the
LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of
the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice, and it went on no
more. And He wrote them upon two tables of stone, and gave them unto
me. 19 And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst
of the darkness, while the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came near unto
me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; 20 and ye
said: 'Behold, the LORD our God hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and
we have heard His voice out of the midst oAf the fire; we have seen this day
that God doth speak with man, and he lives. 21 Now therefore why
should we die? for this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the
LORD our God any more, then we shall die. 22 For who is there of all
flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of
the fire, as we have, and lived?
After only 2 Mitzvos the
people were so afraid each utterance, their souls would leave and then return.
Had they heard all 10 they would never ever have sinned or left the land.
23 Go
thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God may say; and thou shalt speak
unto us all that the LORD our God may speak unto thee; and we will hear it and
do it.' 24 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spoke
unto me; and the LORD said unto me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of
this people, which they have spoken unto thee; they have well said all that
they have spoken. 25 Oh that they had such a heart as this always, to
fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them, and
with their children forever! 26 Go say to them: Return ye to your
tents. 27 But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak
unto thee all the commandment, and the statutes, and the ordinances, which thou
shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to
possess it.' 28 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God
hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the
left. 29 Ye shall walk in all the way which the LORD your God hath
commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye
may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
The Oneness of G-D in the Shema Prayer needs a deeper explanation.
To be continued in Part 2.
Rabbi Pinchas
Winston writes: THERE IS A difference
between being frum,
and living frum.
It’s like being a soldier. Most soldiers are not soldiers. They are citizens
forced to be soldiers because that is what the situation demands. But first
chance they have to get out of the army and back to civilian life, they will
take it.
Until
that time, they will play the part of a soldier. They will dress and act the
part. They will take commands from people whom, if they saw them in the
civilian world, they might not even give the time of day. They will put up with
conditions of life that back home they would never accept because that is what
soldiers do.
There
are other kinds of soldiers as well, the few who actually like being soldiers.
They enlist on their own and stay beyond the need. They’re professional
soldiers, meaning that they identify as soldiers, never as civilians. On the
contrary, should the army close up shop and disband, they would be at a loss as
to what to do with their lives. Their identity will disappear with the army.
When
it comes to being a soldier, that may not be a good thing. When it comes to
serving God, it is ideal. Yes, we’re all soldiers in God’s army, but not
because we have to be or else. We serve, but not out of fear of disciplinary
action. We accept our conditions, but not because we have no other choice. And
we follow the orders of our “commanding officers,” but not just because of
their “rank,” but because of the wisdom they have to guide us…even if they are
younger than we are.
It
should be that if someone were to ask us, “What would you do if you didn’t have
to be Torah observant?” that we immediately feel lost. Just the thought of the
idea should result in a sense of dread, emptiness, as if the world was coming
to an end and there wasn’t anything we could do to stop it.
To
look at two religious Jews standing side by side might not reveal much of a
difference between the two of them. The uniforms would be the same. The words
would sound similar. The activities would be identical. But the moment they
would move and deal with life, the difference would quickly become apparent
because we can tell when someone’s heart is not in what they are doing.
I’ve
asked people the question, “Why are you frum?” and almost every time the person has
been caught off guard and asked, “What do you mean?” I tell them, “Just what I
asked,” at which point they start to think about the kind of answer they think
they should give me.
Sadly,
I never got an immediate and enthusiastic answer, save from a new baal teshuva. He answered me, “Are you kidding?! This
is LIFE! I thought I was living before I discovered Torah, but now I feel as if
I was part of the living dead…a real zombie!”
He
gets it. So many others do not. He became religious because his head told him
to after learning enough information to intellectually obligate him. He didn’t
want to, and he resisted in the beginning. “But truth is truth,” he told me,
“and I could not imagine turning my back on it just because I would no longer
fit into the world I came from.”
“At
first,” he told me, “I was only concerned about getting it right, and fitting
into the new world I had stumbled into, head first. But after a couple of years
of that I still felt like I was missing out on something important, though I
did not know what it was. looking around, I wasn’t sure that many others did
either.”
So
what changed? “I personalized it,” he told me. “Fitting in is always important,
but you can live Torah through others, or an entire community. You have to
develop your own personal relationship with God. You have to learn to love Him
with your heart as well as your mind. Once I did that, what I had to do to properly serve God became
what I want to do to serve Him. We became one and the same thing, and my sense
of self and personal completion became so much more.”
How
does one come to do that? This week’s parsha spells it out:
You have been shown in order to know that God, He is
God; there is none else besides Him. (Devarim 4:35)
This
verse doesn’t just mean that there is no god other than God Himself. It means
that there is no meaning in life other than a relationship with Him. It means
there is no true pleasure if it is not the result of such a relationship. And
it means that the only route to personal fulfillment is through God and Torah.
But
the verse also says, it is not just something God expects us to buy just
because He said it. He went out of His way to show us things that would help us
to intellectually understand why it is true, so that our hearts would get on
board as well as our minds. And if we want that to happen for us as well, then
we have to take advantage of what He left for us to see, so that we can know as
well that He is God, and that, despite all the arguments the yetzer hara gives to the contrary, there really
is nothing else in life besides Him. perceptions@torah.org
Neta Portal of Kfar Aza
rescued by her estranged father. From Aish HaTorah video in English filmed Oct.
23rd: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP6dtCmrf-Y&t=3s
She is able to walk with
a special brace from the Technion. https://aish.com/oct-7-survivor-shot-7-times-saved-by-estranged-father/
Simchas Torah Miracle at Ofakim
Hebrew Rabbi Yosef Ben Porat Shlita English Rabbi Rachamim Pauli
On Oct. 7th,
the equivalent of a busload of terrorist arrive in Ofakim opposite where the
storyteller lived. There are two sections of the town. The old non-religious
section and the newer religious section in this case Shikun Ben Gurion. The
terrorist walked into the non-religious section.
We knew nothing of the
terrorists. They managed to kill 30 people and injure more than 80 people.
We continued with
Hakafos (dancing around the center of the Synagogue with Torah Scrolls), songs
and dances. About 1PM the mayor was told that terrorists had entered the city.
He said that the police should have contacted him and they didn’t. The Synagogue
continued dancing until the evening began to approach.
So in one of the
darkest hours for Yisrael, ELOKIM put HIS Hashgacha upon whom he wanted to
save.
Palm Reading and
Forehead Gazing by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5784/1391-48.html
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Tsfat, 'the 'Holy Ari' z'l (zichrono
l'bracha - 'May his memory be for a blessing') knew the art of palm
reading and also could gaze at the forehead of any person and decipher his
character and past deeds. Rabbi Chaim Vital wanted to learn palm
reading but the Arizal refused. "For you the knowledge in kabbalah is
enough!" he told him.
Rabbi Chaim continued to want to know and the Arizal continued to
refuse. So he came up with a scheme - he found a widow and asked her to go to
the Arizal during the Purim festive meal with her daughter and ask for tzedakah,
but then tell him, "you do not wish to take any money from him. Instead,
he should please read your palm. After," he added, "tell me what he
told you."
The women came and made her request. The Arizal immediately said,
"It is clear to me that you were sent here by Rabbi Chaim Vital and really
I shouldn't tell you. But I will do this act of kindness for you. Stand at a
distance and I will reveal something to you."
* * *
There were many others who asked the Arizal to look at their forehead and tell
them their sins so they could repent. Among them were Rabbi Avraham
Galante and his younger brother, Rabbi Moshe Galante, even
though when the Arizal first came to Tsfat they did not recognize his
greatness.
Then, one day, the Arizal told his students that they should
prepare to go out in the field and arrange a full meal, on condition that the
elder of these two Torah sages will join. They agreed. He also instructed them
to tell him now, before he takes upon himself to make tomorrow a personal fast
day, because if he makes such a decision, he will not revoke it.
Rabbi Chaim Vital and two of the other students were designated to
invite Rabbi Avraham to the meal. "Why are you coming now already and not
tomorrow?" he asked them.
They replied, "Because if you would make a vow that tomorrow
is a fast day then you wouldn't be able to come."
Rabbi Avraham retorted, "If this is the extent of your Rabbi's
prophecy, then I am not at all impressed with him." Still, he agreed to
join them.
The next day, they returned to Rabbi Avraham to bring him to the
field. On the way, they stopped at the nearby gravesite of Rabbi Yehuda
bar Elai,[1] where they engaged in Torah discussion.
The Arizal joined them and started to teach a deep Torah lesson. At
one point, he asked Rabbi Avraham, "Does this resonate with you?"
He answered, "Not at all. I have 22 questions on what you
said. Furthermore, it contradicts the teachings of Rabbi Shimon
bar-Yochai in the Zohar on this certain page, and a certain other book on
that page, etc."
The students were amazed. How can it be that someone could
contradict their Rebbe's teachings? The Arizal, however, was not disturbed. He
told Rabbi Avraham to study a discourse from a certain Rabbi and then they
would continue to discuss the issue.
Slowly, one by one each question was answered and clarified. The
Arizal then announced, "Finish learning so that we can all start eating,
the group is already hungry".
While eating, Rabbi Avraham conceded the honored place on the right
to the younger Arizal, because he finally realized that he had a G-dly sprit in
him, as opposed to before, when he thought that the Arizal wasn't even worthy
of being his student.
When they finished and were on their way home to Tsfat, Rabbi
Avraham did not allow the Arizal to leave his side. He begged for a way to
correct his past. He pleaded and pleaded, again and again, until the Arizal saw
that he was truly serious. He told him, "Come to me tomorrow and I shall
direct you in the correct righteous path."
The next day the Arizal told Rabbi Avraham that his true path to
righteousness is a difficult one. Rabbi Avraham stated that he was prepared to
agree to anything the Master said. The Arizal told him, "You should eat a
fattened chicken every day and deeply study Torah! There is no need for
fasting. Indeed, I must say I have never encountered any other person with your
corrective path."
Rabbi Avraham went home with a heart full of joy. He told his
brother about his experience, whereupon Rabbi Moshe also wanted to know what he
needed to correct, * so that his soul should not have to incarnate into a
physical body anymore.
~~~~~~~~~~~
* See the first story in my first book, "Saturday Night, Full Moon,"
which is story #247 on this email list. Or, view my video of it this Saturday
night--see "TillesTells" at the bottom of this page. **
Source: Free adapted and
supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the translation "The Life and
Stories of The Arizal" by Mrs. Zlata Ehrenstein (of Tsfat),
posted on her LinkedIN page on July 26, 2017.
Why this week? The 5th of the Jewish month of Menachem-AV (2024: Thursday
night-Friday, August 9-10) is the date of the passing of the Arizal and the
occasion of a large annual pilgrimage to his burial place.
Biographic notes:
Rabbi Yitzchak Luria ('the Holy Ari'), 1534 - (5
Av 1572), the leader of the Tsfat Kabbalists during the last years of his
life, was the most influential Jewish mystic since Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai
1800+ years ago. Much of Chasidic thought is based on the Ari's teachings, as
recorded by his main disciple, Rabbi Chaim Vital. (For a more detailed biography
of the Holy Ari and of Rabbi Vital, go to //ascentofsafed.com or
//KabbalaOnline.org.)
Rabbi Moshe
Galante was one of ten great scholars of Tsfat (although we know the names
of only four, including Rabbi Yosef Caro, author of Shulchan Aruch) to receive
rabbinical ordination from Rabbi Yaakov Beirav in the 'renewal of
biblical-level semicha' controversy in 1538. He and his older
brother, Rabbi Avraham Galante, who subsequently became the city's chief
rabbi, lived in Tsfat in the 1500's.
Footnote: [1] A sage of the Mishna. He was a leading student of Rabbi Akiva
together with Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Shimon bar-Yochai. The Talmud states that in
any dispute in Jewish law between R. Shimon and Rabbi Yehuda bar-Elai, the law
is decided according to Rabbi Yehuda!
Inyanay Diyoma
Aug. 10th
Day 309 start of week 45
https://www.australianjewishnews.com/motion-backs-armed-resistance/
Venezuela accuses Zionist for
election loss. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394403
Plane crash 62 dead in Brazil. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394392
3Km multilayer tunnel destroyed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394382
Civilian hit by drone dies.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394381
Aug. 11th
Day 310
Perseid Meteor Shower 80-100 an hour
in dark skies reaches maximum tonight.
Iran threatens several days of
attacks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394429
Several US troops injured by Iranian
Proxies. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394423
Victory in Gaza is still far away. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394431
The Trump campaign announced on Saturday that it
had been hacked and stated that Iran was behind the data breach. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394425
WHAT BUSINESS IS IT OF AN AMERICAN
LEFTIST ACTIVIST TO GO TO THE WEST BANK TO PARTICIPATE IN A RIOT AGAINST STATE
DEPT. POLICY? Every notice that I get from the US Embassy some or parts of that
I publish here says: “Stay away from crowds and riots.” The Israel Defense Forces on Friday indicated that troops
accidentally shot an American activist in the leg during a protest in the Beita
area in the northern West Bank earlier in the day. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-says-us-activist-shot-by-troops-accidentally-at-west-bank-anti-settlement-rally/
Young Charedi Man stabbed 100 ft
from 770 Eastern Pkwy Bklyn. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394420
Iran is now shaking in their boots
like on Apr. 13th. “Don’t,” Biden replied to reporters. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394419
Two mistakes will haunt Kamala. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394415
Tim Walz donated over 100K to
Neo-Nazi Group. The Washington Examiner reported
that Kamala Harris's running mate, Tim Walz, maintained close ties and even
donated money to an organization headed by an antisemitic Muslim Imam. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394406
Margret B. New cruise Missile. https://www.iai.co.il/p/wind-deamon
https://www.aol.com/news/russia-evacuates-towns-kursk-over-163703110.html
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394429
Aug. 12th
Day 311
Combat soldiers should not fast. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394453
The worry is that Iran and Hezballah
know about Tisha B’Av and may attack soon.
Sgt. Falls in Gaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394473
US is falling apart time to stop its
constraints. Former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin participated in the
special deliberation in the Knesset regarding the issue of the soldiers accused
of the murder of a captured terrorist and the Force 100 arrests. He shared his
experiences in an interview with Arutz Sheva - Israel National News. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394481
Guided missile sub. to our area. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394469
Poured gasoline on Swiss Schul. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394472
5 Iranian attackers die
mysteriously. https://www.timesofisrael.com/five-pro-iran-fighters-killed-in-syria-drone-strike-near-iraqi-border-war-monitor/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-sees-sharp-rise-in-addiction-amid-ongoing-gaza-war/
Barrage in Northern Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394468
Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran’s vice president for
strategic affairs and formerly its Foreign Minister, resigned from President
Masoud Pezeshkian’s cabinet on Sunday, citing unaddressed shortcomings within
the new leadership, according to Rudaw. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394470
Iran is reading for a large scale
attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394466
Stone falls onto Kotel Plaza. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394454
"A serious and dangerous situation is
unfolding as Iran works to establish a new eastern terror front against
Israel’s major population centers. Iranian Revolutionary Guard units are
collaborating with Hamas operatives in Lebanon to smuggle weapons and funds
into Jordan with the aim of destabilizing the regime," Katz stated. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394498
31 terrorists were killed in Gaza
strike. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394500
Poll Bennett could be the largest
party. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394488
Aug. 13th
Day 312
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394539
Israel will soon begin to manufacture heavy bombs
for the air force to overcome supply delays and establish independence in
weapons development. That was before Uncle Joe. For Ehud Barak, as chief of IDF
staff and prime minister, touted a doctrine by which Israel could depend on the
United States for arms.
5.5 Quake in Syria felt in Northern
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394525
Hamas and the psychological abuse of
the families of captives. They claim to have killed one and injured two. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394522
https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-rejects-impudent-western-calls-to-cool-tensions-with-israel/
Worshippers on the Temple Mount. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394540
On Monday, a projectile was identified crossing
from the Gaza Strip and fell in an open area in the area of Ein HaShlosha.
Shortly afterward, the IAF struck the terrorist cell that carried out the
launches and additional terrorist infrastructure in the area from which the
launches were identified. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394549
A courier with the military wing of Hamas passed on information to the
IDF that helped in the elimination of Mohammed
Deif, the head of Hamas’ military wing, Al-Arabiya reported
on Monday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394528
US Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign has
tapped Ilan Goldenberg, a senior advisor to Harris who previously worked on
US-led peace talks between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394530
Bedouin child dies in refrigerator. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394551
Israeli basketball guard Ben
Saraf continues to excite American commentators, certainly after his crazy
performance at the U18 European Championships, where he won fourth place with
the Israeli team and was named MVP of the tournament.
https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/rj49wyu9a
Cable Nazi Network sinks in ratings. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hjmc5w85a
Op-Ed Ben Dror Yemeni not a school
that was hit but Hamas Headquarters. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/s1jfteu9a
Ben Gurion may relocate in case of
attack. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-814479
Iranian attack might change hostage
deal. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-814446
5 suspects in Nukhba case now house
arrest. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-814511
Billions in Dollars & Euros
reach Russia. https://www.jpost.com/international/internationalrussia-ukraine-war/article-814432
Hospitals are ready now museums too.
https://www.jpost.com/israel-hamas-war/article-814468
Not the first time Greenland’s Ice
sheet melted. https://www.jpost.com/science/the-natural-world/article-814105
Warmer temperatures and the great
barrier reef. https://www.jpost.com/environment-and-climate-change/article-813819
Cholera scare. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-814362
RFK jr. kicked off of NY Ballot. https://www.aol.com/robert-f-kennedy-jr-kicked-004243948.html
Aug. 14th
Day 313
Biden Administration approves
another $20 Billion in arms for Israel. In a notification to Congress, the State Department said it
had approved a sale of 50 F-15 fighter-jets to Israel for $18.82 billion.
Israel will also buy nearly 33,000 tank cartridges, up to 50,000 explosive
mortar cartridges and new military cargo vehicles. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394583
25 rockets attack Meron.
Shas and Yesh Atid to make a law
preventing Jews from provocations on Temple Mount as Yeted Neeman condemns Ben
Gvir. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394580
https://www.timesofisrael.com/4-israelis-nabbed-in-greece-as-part-of-major-drug-bust/
ISIS hacker interrupts Yad Vashem
Zoom Conference on Tisha B’ Av. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394578
An American-Israeli lone soldier who returned to
Israel to fight following the October 7 massacre died suddenly on Monday night
from an allergic reaction. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394579
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/08/13/iran-rejects-impudent-european-calls-urging-not-attack-israel/
A little break from the Israeli news
to mention that the planets Jupiter and Mars can be seen in the Constellation
Taurus in Conjunction in the morning sky before dawn. If you miss this one, the
next is in nine years.
Delegitimize Hamas and Hezballah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394572
B”H two terrorist die by their bomb
exploding. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394584
Nearby the above incident some
soldiers playing with a grenade set it off. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394574
Blinken postpones trip to M.E. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394588
Pro-Arab Protestors block LA
Highway. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394589
Aug. 15th
Day 314
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394685 So far only 50 tunnels found into
Egypt. The Egyptians claimed none.
The news site quoted three independent sources in
Iran, who said that the Iranian government is advancing its nuclear weapons
program, and resuming tests to produce denotators for nuclear bombs. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394601
India: On Sunday, one of those two survivors
died: Newspapers in India reported that Queenie Hallegua, the last of the
Paradesi, or “foreign,” Jewish women in Kochi, died at age 89, leaving her
nephew Keith Hallegua as the last Jew in Kochi. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394607
50 rockets in the north today. https://www.timesofisrael.com/war-wrecked-golan-center-for-kids-with-disabilities-plans-to-be-larger-and-stronger/
Sudden Rockets Kibbutz Shamir,
Kiriat Shemona. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394629
https://www.timesofisrael.com/almost-100-us-rabbis-call-on-netanyahu-to-finalize-hostage-deal/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/anti-israel-protesters-disrupt-nyc-support-rally-for-harris-campaign/
The spokesman for the military wing of Hamas
claimed on Thursday afternoon that the alleged murder of one of the Israeli hostages was committed by one of its
operatives who violated his orders. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394682
Hamas claims Israelis pose as aid
workers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394679
Unvaccinated: Israel's Health Ministry has reported
that an 11-month-old infant has been hospitalized in the pediatric intensive
care unit with meningitis, after contracting Hemophilus influenza B (Hib). https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394680
The IDF's Home Front Command is concerned that
haredi hikers may be at risk due to the security situation, especially in
northern Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394660
Arab bus driver threatened Yeshiva Student. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394674
Flies wife and son but demands money
from Ganz. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394643
A large IDF base in central Israel, where
hundreds of soldiers serve, is not protected at all from rocket fire. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394664
After the murder of Yonatan,
operation in Tubas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394633
New medical evidence in the case of the alleged
abuse of Nukhba terrorists at the Sde Teiman military base significantly
challenges the military prosecution. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394640
The Rambam Health Care Campus in Haifa on
Wednesday morning reported that the condition of an 11-year-old girl who was
seriously injured in the rocket strike on a soccer field has improved significantly. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394611
The Civil Administration completed its work on
Wednesday and set the jurisdiction for a new town, to be named Nahal Heletz, in
Gush Etzion.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394614
Me thinks that somebody got snow
white and the evil queen backwards. https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/08/14/snow-white-star-rachel-zegler-declares-free-palestine-while-promoting-film-starring-gal-gadot/
AIPAC did not place money against
her: https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-squad-member-ilhan-omar-wins-democratic-primary-in-minnesota/
Sherriff used in Harris Campaign
advertisement furious of the use of his name. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6360385086112
UN convened with no proof but for
the 12 children dead nothing. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394598
Comet in the east in Sept.-Oct. https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/status-report-and-expectations-for-comet-tsuchinshan-atlas/#google_vignette
Aug. 16th
Day 315 end of week 45
Rioters not welcome here. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394702
Win quickly, finish your war as
hostages are mostly dead. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/en/news/394708
Hezballah will delay the war while
there are talks. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394713
Police in Paris are searching for a
man who verbally assaulted a Jewish family on the metro and shouted,
"Hitler was right". https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394710
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/394702
Nachamu or Consolation
Shabbos. Have a healthy, happy, peaceful and restful Shabbos.
Rachamim Pauli
