The soul of Esther Georgette bas Misooda came to her eternal rest no more prayers needed.
Parsha Noach
A creation gone wrong.
The L-RD created the universe and the final finished product was mankind. We
were set to rule over the animals and fish. However, we were given one Mitzvah
which might have lasted a day and we could not even keep that. The generations
went further from the ways of HASHEM. They were spilling blood, worshipping
idols, stealing less than a minimum coin’s worth and lewdness that I suspect
had every Woke Idea forbidden in Vayikra (Leviticus) 18. You might call it
anything and everything. If the earth was not corrupt with idol worship, then
lewdness, stealing or murder were par for the course.
I began thinking about
the generation watching Noach build the Teva for 120years or at least he warned
about the approaching flood and perhaps changing their ways. Still, he was
laughed at. Only when the rain starting coming down in buckets and the
fountains of water started rising did the people wake up. Then I remembered the
letters from pilots, reserve colonels, and others saying that they would not
serve in the military if the government continued with Judicial Reform. These
letters were public and the Arab translations were found in the Hamas and
Hezballah encouragement instructions. And in the last month about nine spy
networks set up by Iran were caught.
6:9 These
are the generations of Noah. Noah was in his generations a man righteous and
whole-hearted; Noah walked with God.
The Sages debated if
Noach was righteous for his wicked generation and if he lived in the Generation
of Avraham if he would have been considered righteous. If one does the
calculation of deaths and births mentioned in the first two Parshiyos, Noach
lived unto Avraham’s 58th year. In my personal opinion, it appears
to me that if he could remain righteous in such a violent and wicked generation
that the earth had to be destroyed, all the more so in the generation of Avraham.
There are Rabbis that hold this opinion. In my own generation which had the
mini-skirt to Woke Culture there remained many modest women and many straight
thinking people so why not Noach who received part of his education from
Methuselah.
10 And
Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. 11 And the earth was
corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.
The word for violence is
Hamas and the whole earth was full of Hamas.
12 And
God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted
their way upon the earth.
Noach’s generation was
not similar to recent ones where a Chaffetz Chaim, Brisker Rav, Aharon Kotler,
Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Eliezer Menachem Mann Shach, the Stipler Rav, Rav
Chaim Kanievsky and a few other individuals could influence people to remain
righteous. He like Avraham had to go against the tide.
13 And
God said unto Noah: 'The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is
filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the
earth.
With people living close
to 1000 years and not aging all the forbidden things in mentioned in Vayikra 18
they tried and on the beasts too that is why it says the “the end of all
flesh”. Many people did have normal relations but they might have stole or
murdered over time. The violence and corruption were rampant.
14 Make
thee an ark of gopher wood; with rooms shalt thou make the ark, and shalt pitch
it within and without with pitch.
The Hebrew is sort of a
rhyme. Make ME a Teva of Gopher and cover it with Kofer (pitch).
15 And
this is how thou shalt make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, the
breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.
A cubit or Amar is 45cm
or 18in and since it was three stories that makes three floors of 33,750 sq.
ft. or 100,000 sq. ft or 3037.5 sq. m. or a grand total of over 9,112.5 sq. m. to
store food and animals. Waste could be dumped overboard without fear of an EPA.
Rabbi Avigdor Miller Ztzal wrote that is a train 25miles long or 40km.
16 A
light shalt thou make to the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it upward;
and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second,
and third stories shalt thou make it.
Light or Zohar and was
this a Tessler Tower within the Teva using granite with gold on top making it
generate electricity to light something? Or did he bring oil and a lamp to
light the Teva. This is different from a window or Holon which existed on the
top level of the Teva.
17 And
I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh,
wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the
earth shall perish.
Noach did as he was
told. The Sages ask what would have happened if he prayed for the generation or
for repentance? We do not know and perhaps he did but they were going to die.
18 But
I will establish My covenant with thee; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou,
and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.
You and your family will
be saved and you all will work hard for the animals. It can be assumed that certain
animals like bears hibernated during this period.
19 And
of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the
ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.
You should bring, but
according to the Midrash, they came on their own towards the designated time.
20 Of
the fowl after their kind, and of the cattle after their kind, of every
creeping thing of the ground after its kind, two of every sort shall come unto
thee, to keep them alive. 21 And take thou unto thee of all food that
is eaten, and gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for
them.'
The first command for
saving the animals is to gather a pair and their food that appears fruits,
berries, nuts and vegetables – hay.
22 Thus
did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.
His sons began helping
him at some stage but the task of packing dried fruits, berries, pickled and
other ways to preserve them. Grains and hay were packed. Perhaps seeds for
after the flood.
7:1 And
the LORD said unto Noah: 'Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee
have I seen righteous before Me in this generation. 2 Of every clean
beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, each with his mate; and of the
beasts that are not clean two [and two], each with his mate; 3 of the
fowl also of the air, seven and seven, male and female; to keep seed alive upon
the face of all the earth.
Now there was a request
to bring seven pairs of kosher foul, mammals and this made for large pens for
the bison, giraffes, cattle, sheep, goats, and non-domestic deer and elk.
4 For
yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty
nights; and every living substance that I have made will I blot out from off
the face of the earth.'
As soon as Methuselah
died, the heaven brightened like during the 7 days of creation. He then
received the order on the kosher animals and birds.
5 And
Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him. 6 And Noah
was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.
His 600 years in a world
without aging and disease, is not like our
7 And
Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him, into
the ark, because of the waters of the flood.
Noah together with his sons. The men by themselves and the women by themselves, because they
were forbidden to have marital relations since the world was in a state of
distress.
8 Of
clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of everything
that creeps upon the ground, 9 there went in two and two unto Noah
into the ark, male and female, as God commanded Noah.
Noach and sons did not
travel to Africa or Australia but the kiwis, penguins, platypus, etc. came in
pairs. How they got to the area where the Ark was is a wonder, but they all
managed to come. Same with the Kosher Animals.
10 And
it came to pass after the seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon
the earth.
It was swift and sudden.
The sky turned dark – black and suddenly a slight drizzle to rain to a downpour
and like drops like wash cups for a meal with bread and suddenly like buckets. This
may have
11 In
the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth
day of the month, on the same day were all the fountains of the great deep
broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
These were rocks that
hold water and they have underground more water than is in the oceans. This
would when combined with heat from underground produce geysers.
12 And
the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights. 13 In the
selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah,
and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark;
Noach may have been
outside praying while his wife and sons entered the Teva. They used a pulley
system to lift up the side of the Ark that acted as a ramp. It brought the
animals up to the second and third story. Noach put pitch inside and perhaps
with ropes outside. However, the Medrash says that HASHEM sealed him in.
14 they,
and every beast after its kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every
creeping thing that creeps upon the earth after its kind, and every fowl after
its kind, every bird of every sort.
The narrative started
off generally and moves into specific actions on how the animals got into the
Teva.
15 And
they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh wherein is the
breath of life. 16 And they that went in, went in male and female of
all flesh, as God commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.
HASHEM shut him in with
a waterproof seal.
17 And
the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bore up
the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.
Normal rains like hurricanes
can produce 18 – 24 inches or perhaps 60cm of precipitation in a day. However,
the abnormal rain and the fountains from inside the earth like Yellowstone Park
and other places caused the flood to rise. For if we had two feet of rain per
day over 40 days would not cover the mountains.
18 And
the waters prevailed, and increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went
upon the face of the waters. 19 And the waters prevailed exceedingly
upon the earth; and all the high mountains that were under the whole heaven
were covered.
Mount Ararat today has
the height of 5,137 meters. Assuming wear and tare over the centuries it most
likely was taller then and the rains prevailed. All over the world in the Andes
and Himalayas the legend persists.
20 Fifteen
cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered.
After 40 days, Noach
took a very long pole and measured 15 Amos or we are told this information by
HASHEM.
21 And
all flesh perished that moved upon the earth, both fowl, and cattle, and beast,
and every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth, and every man;
Even if at the last
moment somebody tried to make a raft and eat fish when the rain stopped, the
ocean was still salty and one could not survive.
22 all
in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life, whatsoever was in the
dry land, died.
Sharks are the cleaners
of the ocean and I assume they and other fishes feasted on the corpses.
23 And
He blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground,
both man, and cattle, and creeping thing, and fowl of the heaven; and they were
blotted out from the earth; and Noah only was left, and they that were with him
in the ark. 24 And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and
fifty days.
The earth was a water
planet for 150 days before the rocks inside again absorbed the water that had
sprouted out.
8:1
And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that were
with him in the ark; and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters
assuaged; 2 the fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven
were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.
We had just read about
150days after the rain but now the Torah as with the creation of man in chapter
1 goes into specifics in chapter 2.
3 And
the waters returned from off the earth continually; and after the end of a
hundred and fifty days the waters decreased.
Finally at this point,
the saturated earth and the rocks of the deep started absorbing the water.
4 And
the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon
the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters decreased continually until
the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the
tops of the mountains seen.
The Teva did not rest at
5,137 meters above sea level where it is colder and hard to breathe, but probably
much lower down the mountain.
6 And
it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the
ark which he had made.
This is a window with a shutter and not the Zohar for light.
7 And
he sent forth a raven, and it went forth to and fro, until the waters were
dried up from off the earth. 8 And he sent forth a dove from him, to
see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground. 9 But
the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him to
the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth; and he put forth
his hand, and took her, and brought her in unto him into the ark.
Ravens eat carcasses and
found none so returned for food in the Ark.
10 And
he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the
ark. 11 And the dove came in to him at eventide; and lo in her mouth
an olive-leaf freshly plucked; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from
off the earth.
Fresh budding olive
branch.
12 And
he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; and she returned not
again unto him anymore. 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and
first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were
dried up from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and
looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dried. 14 And in the
second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dry.
The dove was able to
subsist outside of the food from the Teva and preferred to be free.
15 And
God spoke unto Noah, saying: 16 'Go forth from the ark, thou, and thy
wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. 17 Bring forth
with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both fowl, and
cattle, and every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth; that they may
swarm in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth.'
So Noach freed the
animals and birds from the Ark. First the animals and birds that were not
predators that could have distance on the lions, tigers, bears, eagles, etc.
18 And
Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with
him; 19 every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, whatsoever
moves upon the earth, after their families; went forth out of the
ark. 20 And Noah built an altar unto the LORD; and took of every
clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt-offerings on the
altar. 21 And the LORD smelled the sweet savor; and the LORD said in
His heart: 'I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the
imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite
any more everything living, as I have done.
There will never be another
flood.
22 While
the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and
winter, and day and night shall not cease.'
It seems to imply that
until the end of the Solar System the earth will continue without a flood.
9:1 And
God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them: 'Be fruitful and multiply,
and replenish the earth. 2 And the fear of you and the dread of you
shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, and
upon all wherewith the ground teems, and upon all the fishes of the sea: into
your hand are they delivered. 3 Every moving thing that lives shall
be for food for you; as the green herb have I given you all.
A Ben Noach can eat
anything that moves not only plants as before.
4 Only
flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not
eat.
A Ben Noach is not
supposed to drink or eat the blood of animals but what is left over from
cooking seems OK unlike our koshering process with salt or roasting.
5 And
surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will
I require it; and at the hand of man, even at the hand of every man's brother,
will I require the life of man.
The Neshama is in the
blood.
6 Whoso
sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made
He man. 7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; swarm in the earth,
and multiply therein.'
Just like Cain was forbidden
to murder a man, so too after the flood.
8 And
God spoke unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying: 9 'As for Me,
behold, I establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after
you; 10 and with every living creature that is with you, the fowl,
the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you; of all that go out of the
ark, even every beast of the earth. 11 And I will establish My
covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of
the flood; neither shall there anymore be a flood to destroy the earth.'
The first time, was G-D’s
thought now it is a verbal decision.
12 And
God said: 'This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you
and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual
generations: 13 I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a
token of a covenant between Me and the earth. 14 And it shall come to
pass, when I bring clouds over the earth, and the bow is seen in the
cloud, 15 that I will remember My covenant, which is between Me and
you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become
a flood to destroy all flesh. 16 And the bow shall be in the cloud;
and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between
God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the
earth.' 17 And God said unto Noah: 'This is the token of the covenant
which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the
earth.'
The rainbow will show
that even if we are sinners and deserve the death penalty, the whole earth will
not be destroyed again.
18 And
the sons of Noah, that went forth from the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and
Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These three were the
sons of Noah, and of these was the whole earth overspread. 20 And
Noah the husbandman began, and planted a vineyard. 21 And he drank of
the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his
tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his
father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth
took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and
covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they
saw not their father's nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine,
and knew what his youngest son had done unto him. 25 And he said:
Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren.
He made Noach into a eunuch.
26 And
he said: Blessed be the LORD, the God of Shem; and let Canaan be their
servant. 27 God enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of
Shem; and let Canaan be their servant. 28 And Noah lived after the
flood three hundred and fifty years. 29 And all the days of Noah were
nine hundred and fifty years; and he died.
His influence wanes in
the future generations and remains an old grandfather but is still alive when Avram
is growing up.
10:1
Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and
Japheth; and unto them were sons born after the flood. … 21 And
unto Shem, the father of all the children of Eber, the elder brother of
Japheth, to him also were children born. 22 The sons of Shem: Elam,
and Asshur, and Arpachshad, and Lud, and Aram. 23 And the sons of
Aram: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. 24 And Arpachshad begot
Shelah; and Shelah begot Eber. 25 And unto Eber were born two sons;
the name of the one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his
brother's name was Joktan. … 31 These are the sons of Shem, after
their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their
nations. 32 These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their
generations, in their nations; and of these were the nations divided in the
earth after the flood.
The 70 nations of the
world outside of Israel.
11:1
And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech. 2 And it
came to pass, as they journeyed east, that they found a plain in the land of
Shinar; and they dwelt there. 3 And they said one to another: 'Come,
let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly.' And they had brick for stone, and
slime had they for mortar. 4 And they said: 'Come, let us build us a
city, and a tower, with its top in heaven, and let us make us a name; lest we
be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.' 5 And the LORD
came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. 6 And
the LORD said: 'Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language;
and this is what they begin to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them,
which they purpose to do. 7 Come, let us go down, and there confound their
language, that they may not understand one another's speech.'
Two things were very
stupidly done here. They were silly enough to think that they could fight
HASHEM and the heavenly beings. Instead of starting to build on Har Ararat or higher,
they chose to build the structure to make war on the heavens in the plains of Bavel
close to sea level.
When a brick fell down
from the top it was a tragedy but if it hit and killed a man on the way down,
that was nothing. A man falling down was not mourned. Something was rotten in
their thought process.
8 So
the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and
they left off to build the city. 9 Therefore was the name of it
called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the
earth; and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all
the earth.
So the earth now had 70
or more languages and the families scattered as one man saying howdy do to the
other would be a curse word in his language.
10 These
are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old, and begot Arpachshad
two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he begot
Arpachshad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters. 12 And
Arpachshad lived five and thirty years, and begot Shelah. 13 And
Arpachshad lived after he begot Shelah four hundred and three years, and begot
sons and daughters. 14 And Shelah lived thirty years, and begot
Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three
years, and begot sons and daughters. 16 And Eber lived four and
thirty years, and begot Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he begot Peleg
four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters. 18 And Peleg
lived thirty years, and begot Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he begot
Reu two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters. 20 And
Reu lived two and thirty years, and begot Serug. 21 And Reu lived
after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and
daughters. 22 And Serug lived thirty years, and begot
Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years, and
begot sons and daughters. 24 And Nahor lived nine and twenty years,
and begot Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he begot Terah a hundred
and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters. 26 And Terah lived
seventy years, and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran. 27 Now these are
the generations of Terah. Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot
Lot. 28 And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the
land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees. 29 And Abram and Nahor
took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's
wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of
Iscah. 30 And Sarai was barren; she had no child. 31 And
Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarai
his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from
Ur of the Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran,
and dwelt there. 32 And the days of Terah were two hundred and five
years; and Terah died in Haran.
Sarah and Avram will be
the main protagonists of our next few weeks of reading.
When Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos,
we add a second Sefer Torah and read Bamidbar or Numbers 28:9 -15 It starts off
with the Korbanos for Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh with the atonement goat if we
sinned the previous month.
Last Simchas Torah Miracle in the South
Before I go into this
miracle, I want to tell you of the discussion of the Satmar Rebbe and the
Brisker Rav. The Satmar was amazed on how many miracles occurred in the War of
Independence in Israel. The Brisker said that there were some but had the
Zionists been observant, there would have been many more.
I believe this
occurred in Ofakim: from the description of Rabbi Kahn. At 4AM the usually
quiet dogs started howling. It says in the Gemara that if the dogs are happy,
Eliyahu HaNovi is in the city but if howling the Angel of Death.
Yonatan Prinz’s Miracle from interview on TV 13
translated RP
Yonatan and his
commander were in their room during the Gaza War. Whatever hit them killed his
commanding officer on the spot. He got up and out with his last ounce of
strength and the soldiers and paramedics came and put six tourniquets on him as
he was sprouting blood. He had shrapnel in his lungs and stomach.
A helicopter landed but
the doctors said that he would not make it to the hospital. They took him off
the copter and made some incisions on the spot. He felt himself rise out of his
body above the operating theater with the doctors and him down below.
He stabilized enough to
return to his body and was flown to the hospital where for 10 hours the doctors
in Tel Hashomer operated upon him. He is now walking and talking to us as if
nothing happened today.
The Gideon Police Unit that stopped the Nukhba
Advance
Two calves for a
blessing by R’ Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1403-05
(1) Years ago, my wife Rochi (Rachel) and I [Yechiel-Shlomo
Levitansky] [1] were set to go on shalichus to Sumy,
a small city in northern Ukraine, near the Russian border. When we arrived, my
family stayed with the shluchim (emissaries) in Kharkov [a
3-hour ride southeast from Sumy], while I went to Sumy to search for an
apartment.
One night, I walked to my hotel room feeling very down. I had been
there for two weeks already, but I had not yet found a suitable place for us to
live. Was this all one big mistake?
The town square was mostly deserted. Over and over again, I
replayed the events of the past two weeks in my mind. Packing up our apartment
in California and shipping everything away. Flying with my wife and three
children across the ocean. Spending weeks looking for a suitable home to live
in; half of the buildings didn't even have running water or a bathroom.
Heavy footsteps interrupted my thoughts. I looked up to find a
Ukrainian man walking straight towards me. It was dark, and this man was
staring at me. I got a little nervous.
"Good evening," I called out in Russian.
"Good evening," he replied. "Are you Chabad
Lubavitch?"
I blinked. This was not what I expected to hear! "Yes," I
stammered. "Who are you?"
"I'm also Chabad Lubavitch!"
I looked the heavyset Ukrainian up and down. Him, a Lubavitcher?
"Are you Jewish?" I asked.
"No."
"So… how does that work?" I asked delicately.
"You're not Jewish, but you're Chabad Lubavitch?"
"I work for the Lubavitcher Rebbe!" He said proudly.
The Rebbe? I knew that in Ukraine, people refer to their Rabbis as
'Rebbe'. Maybe he works for a shaliach in a neighboring city?
"No, no, no!" he said. "I work for Rabbi Schneerson
himself!"
My eyes opened wide.
"A few years ago, I won a lottery for an American green
card," he explained. "When I went to live in Brooklyn, I worked for
the Rebbe! For three years, I was the janitor at the Ohel in Queens! I know all
the rabbi's there… Rabbi Refson, Rabbi Krinsky… if you want, you can ask them
about me!"
I was stunned. What were the odds? Just moments before, I was
doubting my decision to go on shalichus in such a remote location. And right
then, in the "remote" town of Sumy, Ukraine, Hashem (G-d) showed me
that he knew exactly where I was and that he was with me! How else could I
explain my encounter with a Ukrainian gentile who so proudly called himself a
Lubavitcher?
And if this Ukrainian man, who was the janitor at the Ohel, could
walk around proudly, saying that he works for the Lubavitcher Rebbe, where was
my own pride? I was a shaliach of the Rebbe!
All my doubts disappeared. I straightened my shoulders and
continued walking to my hotel room, ready to build my future in this city no
matter what it took. The next day, I found an apartment.
Who would have ever imagined that a little city in Ukraine would
have a shul with a minyan and daily Kollel (yeshiva-style
learning for married men), weekly classes for women and a beautiful mikvah?
Little did the Jews of Sumy, Ukraine know, but their lives were about to be
changed forever.
(2) Each month, I go to the
farm to watch the cows being milked so I can bring home fresh Chalav
Yisroel (Jewish supervised) milk for my family. When we first arrived
here, though, it wasn't so simple. I needed fresh milk for my baby, so I went
around asking the nearby farmers if I could watch them milk their cows.
To my dismay, they all refused! Apparently, they had this tradition
that if a stranger watches a cow being milked, the cow will die! I offered to
pay a lot of money, but they didn't budge. Finally, I found an old couple who
once had Jewish neighbors, so they were familiar with the concept.
I would come at 5 am, watch them milk their one and only cow for an
hour, and return home with three liters of milk. One week, they told me that
their cow was pregnant and would stop giving milk, so I should come every day
to stock up.
When the cow finally gave birth, it had twins! The couple was
ecstatic-they could sell one of the calves for a half a year's salary!
It was the talk of the town that "the rabbi blessed the
cow". From then on, all the farmers were eager to let me watch them milk
their cows in the hopes that their cows might be blessed as well!
(3) Let me conclude with a
story that might give you an even bigger laugh.
For the first few years of our shalichus, we had to renew our visa
very often. The rules constantly changed, and it was a big headache. I hired a
lawyer to figure it out for me, and eventually, he told me that I should try
applying for residency.
Two weeks after I submitted my application, I was called to the
immigration office. I was told that while my application was denied, the head
of immigration wanted to speak with me.
"I'll be honest with you," she told me. "I'm not
convinced by your story. You brought your entire family from California to live
in the small town of Sumy, Ukraine. The only logical reason I can see for you
to do that is either because you're a spy, or because you're not normal! And we
don't need spies nor crazy people here. So I have to deny your
application."
I couldn't believe my ears! There I had it: an official government
stamp that my going on shalichus to Ukraine was crazy. And that's exactly what
the Rebbe wanted from us! Not to go on shalichus because it makes sense, but
because of shtus d'kedusha ('holy craziness'), an
unexplainable desire to brighten up the world for the better!
I left the office on a high, ready to conquer the world.
In the end, we got our residency. My wife gave birth to our two
younger daughters in Ukraine, which gave us an official legitimate reason for
permanent residency. But I will never forget the lesson I learned in that
little government office: logic and reason cannot stand in the way of making
the world a better place and bringing Moshiach.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Extracted, copy
edited and supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from a report on
//dollardaily.org. ["Dollar Daily" is a creative tzadaka project
to benefit Chabad shluchim families.]
Why this week? All the animals came to Noah's Ark in pairs. :
Footnote:
[1] Yechiel Shlomo Levitansky lives at present in Sumy, Ukraine with his wife
Rachel and their six children. After serving as a rabbi in Los Angeles (where
he was born in 1974,) and South Africa (where she was born) he moved to Ukraine
to the city of Sumy to be the chief rabbi. His shalichus is the restoration of
Jewish life in Sumy and the Sumy region. [from the fjc.org.ua website]
Milestone: Paul Medes-Flor, , expert
on Martin Buber. https://www.timesofisrael.com/paul-mendes-flohr-israeli-american-authority-on-martin-buber-dies-at-83/
Milestone: Yacov Turner, 89, IAF
Major General and former Labor Minister. https://ground.news/article/former-mayor-of-beer-sheva-yaakov-turner-passed-away-at-the-age-of-89
Milestone: Phil Lesh, 84, Grateful
Dead. https://www.timesofisrael.com/phil-lesh-grateful-dead-bassist-who-hosted-passover-jam-session-seders-dies-at-84/
Milestone: Walter Jacob, 94, saved
Reform Judaism for German Jews. https://www.timesofisrael.com/walter-jacob-pittsburgh-rabbi-who-helped-revive-reform-judaism-in-germany-dies-at-94/
Inyanay Diyoma
Oct. 24th
Day 384 and a new Hebrew Year starts
Four combat reservists fall in
Lebanon. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-825998
Simchas Torah 2 moderate 3 light
from 125 rockets and drones on Simchas Torah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398040
Erev Chag IAF intercepts drones at
Eilat. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397994
A senior
staffer in the office of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was identified as
the leaker of the classified documents dealing with
the Israeli preparations for an attack on Iran, Sky News Arabic reported on
Tuesday, quoting a senior Pentagon Source. Fox News reported from their sources
that the report is false and that the staffer was at work and retains her
security clearance. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjmfxergjx https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-to-have-delayed-iran-strike-after-us-intel-leak-of-attack-plans/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fire-in-central-town-of-kochav-yair-destroys-several-homes/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-censures-right-wing-tv-network-for-mockery-of-military-chief/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/attackers-kill-4-injure-14-at-turkish-aerospace-industries-hq/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ireland-eyes-revival-of-bill-to-ban-trade-with-israeli-settlements/
Gallant: we will continue to strike
Hezballah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397980
Hamas schism. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397948
Oct. 25th
Day 385 end of week 55
I have the installation of Solar
Panels on Sunday so the Sukkah had to come down today. The cats played Havoc
with the Sukkah Bamboo and next year will need to buy new ones and place one on
top of the other for strength. I also decided to take a vacation after the
Solar Panels come in. With no training in the gym and schedule and off from Rav
Mimran I can relax and get things back in order with my Torah Drasha. The news and
war takes a lot from my strength and time.
Five more soldiers killed. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-826045
These are the previously announced
five. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398046
Radwan Commander killed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398063
Sinwar’s instructions and locations
of 70 hostages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398066
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lead-investigator-in-netanyahu-fraud-case-resigns-from-police/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/21/israel-outlines-us-demands-ending-lebanon-military-operations/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/21/hezbollah-massacred-syrians-they-are-glad-for-israels-help/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/21/how-facebook-whitewashes-from-the-river-to-the-sea/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/unrwa-confirms-hamas-nukhba-force-commander-killed-in-idf-strike-was-a-staff-member/ https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398049
What we struck and seized in
Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398052
The few places where no sirens went
off: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398057
Bereavement costs in people over the
last year. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398065
Col.
Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British armed forces in Afghanistan,
called for an investigation into Australian broadcaster SBS after the
network admitted to censoring
interviews it considered "too pro-Israel," including an interview
he gave. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398072
U.S. Department of State:
Security Alert - Worldwide
Caution, October 24, 2024 Event: Social media posts on various platforms are
calling for demonstrations at U.S. and Israeli facilities on Friday, October
25, 2024.
Day 385 Special three more soldiers
fall near Gazan Hospital that had 600patients evacuate. Rocket hits Druze town
injuring 2 critically, 1 serious and others up to 30 with various injuries or
shock. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/397780
Oct. 26th
Day 386 start of week 56
No earthquake but 400 tons of
explosives destroy 1.5km long tunnel in Lebanon. Hundreds of planes attack Iran
in three waves. One wave knocked out their radar and Russian level 3
anti-aircraft missiles. Last wave destroys rockets and launch pads. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-says-it-has-duty-to-defend-itself-after-israeli-strikes-2-soldiers-killed/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/mandelas-grandson-denied-uk-visa-over-his-support-for-hamas/
Man falls to death taking apart
Sukkah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398087
Oct. 27
Day 387
Ramming attack at main hitchhiking
spot for soldiers at least 37 wounded ramming driver neutralized. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-826264
4 soldiers died in Lebanon with 15
injured. (no article at the time of writing)
I picked up these names: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398145
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398133
2 injured by drone. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/2024-10-27/live-updates-826240
Gulf States refused fly-over. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398139
Iranian Missile Production halted by
strike. https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-said-alarmed-as-idf-cripples-its-missile-production-disables-key-air-defenses/
Iran will decide wither or not to
respond. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-826248
Murder in Algeria in the name of
Palestine. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398131
https://www.timesofisrael.com/clocks-in-israel-to-turn-back-as-daylight-saving-time-ends/
Prostate Cancer deaths go down among
Jews in Israel. https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-826183
IDF uses Vulcan Canon. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-826246
Oct. 28th
Day 388
Most soldiers killed in Lebanon the
last few days were religious. One was a Rabbi with 8 children another a
religious teacher with 10 children. 56 Orphans in 3 days. https://www.timesofisrael.com/five-soldiers-killed-in-lebanon-are-mourned-including-3-religious-zionist-teachers/
Since Yom Kippur 11 soldiers from
one Yeshiva killed or wounded in battle. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398178
Hezballah begins to crack: https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-826395
39 year old Orthodox Jew shot on
Shabbos on his way to Schul by shouting Muslim. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398194
Msg from the COS. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398172
On
Friday, with the direction of IDF intelligence, the IAF struck and eliminated
the terrorist Ahmed Jafar Maatouk, the commander of Hezbollah's Bint Jbeil
area. A day later, directed by IDF intelligence, the IAF struck and eliminated
his successor. Additionally, Hezbollah's head of artillery in the Bint Jbeil
area was eliminated in the strike. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398152
Madison Sq. Garden: “Next Tuesday, you have to stand up and you have to tell Kamala
Harris that you’ve done a terrible job, that Crooked Joe Biden has done a
terrible job. You've destroyed our country, we’re not going to take it anymore.
Kamala, you’re fired! Get out! Get out!” said Trump during a rally at Madison
Square Garden arena in New York.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398189
We need a strong America. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398168
John Fetterman defends his support
for Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398195
Khamenei X account suspended. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398187
Yemen’s
Houthi rebels on Sunday published footage from a military drill they had
carried out, which combined land and naval forces and simulated a large-scale
attack against Yemen. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398190
Norway Storebrand,
which manages 1.2 trillion crowns ($109 billion) in assets, said that it had
divested its investment in Palantir “due [to] its sales of products and
services to Israel for use in occupied Palestinian territories.” The asset
manager had previously held about 262 million crowns ($24 million) in Palantir.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/norways-storebrand-divests-from-palantir-over-use-of-its-software-by-israeli-forces/
Eric Adams: At a press
conference ahead of a Trump rally in the city's Madison Square Garden, the
mayor was asked if he believes the former president is a fascist, to which he
responded: "I have heard those terms hurled at me by some political
leaders in the city, using terms like Hitler and fascist. My answer is no, I
know what Hitler has done and I know what a fascist regime looks like.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398176
The
man killed in a suspected ramming attack in Glilot on Sunday has been
identified as Bezalel Carmi, 72, a father of four from Rishon LeTzion. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/rjg7673eyg
Oct. 29th
Day 389
Putting on solar panels on a roof
37years old can be a problem. Despite the fact that we strengthened part of the
roof, there was a weak spot and the safety harnesses saved the workers. So
while the enemy tries to destroy us, we continue building Israel. A setback for
me. Another drone from Yemen fell near
Ashkelon. Also Nahariya. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398279
Advances for a Lebanese Ceasefire. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ry1100fzagjx#autoplay
4 soldiers die in Jabaliya: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398288
Major succumbs to his wounds. This evening, a video of an address Guy gave to the students of the
Ramat HaNasi school in Haifa two months ago was published. He told the
students: "It's good to live for our country, it's good to live for our
country - and I'm not here to die for our country. We're here to fight and to
stay whole." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398244
The
Israel Police on Monday arrested two people aboard a pickup truck with a rocket
launcher installed on it that was taken as loot from Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398258
It appears that the last 600 terrorists in
Northern Gaza surrender. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-826573
New Hezballah Leader. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-826601
10 Iranian Police Officers killed in
Ambush. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398117
Rocket kills Mohammed near his
Mosque. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398280
Jewish support for Harris drops. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398262
https://www.timesofisrael.com/poll-shows-israelis-massively-favor-trump-over-harris-in-us-election/
The
Binyamin Regional Council announced the death of reserve combat fighter Yedidya
Bloch, a resident of Mevo Horon in Binyamin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398315
Iranian Threat: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398259
Pre-Noach settlement found: A 5,000-year-old settlement, which provides a view of the beginning
of the urbanization process in the Land of Israel, was discovered in the Israel
Antiquities Authority excavations near Beit Shemesh at the site of Hurvat
Husham. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398264
New anti-drone, anti-missile laser
system on order. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398230
Oct. 30th
Day 390
Two farm workers injured in Metula. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398359
Nissim
fell 57 years after his grandfather and 36 years ago his father's cousin, Lt.
Col. Amir Meytal fell. "The angel of death has knocked on our door for the
third time," she said. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398349
Ending Day Care for Charedim is discrimination.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398356
Because of Lebanese Drones PM wants
to delay the wedding of his son Avner. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398355
Stupid antisemite tears down Greek
Flags and is arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398357
The
Green Party’s vice presidential nominee has celebrated Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023
invasion of Israel, according to a report from Jewish Insider. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398347
Oct. 31st
Day 391
Attack
on Metula 5 dead one seriously farmer and 4 Thai workers and one worker in
serious condition: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1y7qybw1x
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398425
Hezballah supposedly agrees to
withdraw behind the Litani. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-826921
Following
the heinous
shooting of an Orthodox Jewish man as he was making his way to synagogue in
Chicago on Saturday morning, Agudath Israel of Illinois (AIOI) hosted a press
conference calling upon the appropriate parties to address community concerns,
to be transparent, and to prosecute the offender to the fullest extent. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398397
A
bill that changes the criteria for banning candidates from running for the
Knesset, which could make it easier to push out Arab-led parties and MKs,
passed a preliminary reading on Wednesday. https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-advances-legislation-that-could-make-it-easier-to-disqualify-arab-lawmakers/
Those who go to war are guaranteed a
heavenly place. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398376
Articles from yesterday: https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/29/jewish-man-severely-wounded-in-crown-heights-stabbing-attack-as-perpetrator-remains-at-large/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/29/change-in-the-middle-east-dont-hold-your-breath/
Ministry cuts ties with Haaretz
Newspaper reports lies, slander and other misleading information. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-826971
https://www.timesofisrael.com/kyiv-jewish-school-damaged-in-russian-drone-strike/
Has anybody noticed that Ukraine is on the backburner. The
Turkish-Kurd war is continuing. Wars in Africa, Sri Lanka but the antisemites
seem to hum in on the center of world. Ki Mi Tzion the Torah goes forth to the
world!
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/donald-trump-wears-garbage-vest-critical-swing-state-rally
https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-data-guru-signs-pointing-trump-victory-wins-obvious
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/30/three-men-charged-alleged-plot-attack-jewish-site-germany/
It was the Jews who were in the
forefront of the Civil Rights movement and two of the three dead in Mississippi
Burning were Jews. But look at these antisemitic Blacks. https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/30/candace-owens-slams-zionist-media-empire-being-denied-visa-australia-comments-jews-holocaust/
The education department in this
city has been run for years without fear of G-D in this place. https://www.aol.com/news/la-hit-looting-chaos-amid-101116559.html
Nov. 1st end of week 56
Day 392
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat
Terrorists smuggle weapons into
Tulkarm Hospital. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398472
Republican
presidential nominee Donald Trump filed a lawsuit against CBS on
Thursday, targeting an
interview with his Democratic opponent Kamala Harris that aired on the
network’s "60 Minutes" program in early October, and alleging that
the broadcast was misleading, Reuters reported, citing court documents. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398463
2UAV’s over Red Sea. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398458
Rachel
Weiss and three of her children were burned to death. 19-year-old IDF soldier
David Delarosa, who had entered the bus in an attempt to save the family, was
severely wounded and succumbed to his wounds a month and a half later. The
terrorist has completed high school and two degrees in jail. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/398439
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/10/31/russias-comprehensive-treaty-iran-include-defense-lavrov-says/
Have a healthy, joyous,
restful and peaceful Shabbos with a wonderful month of Cheshvan,
Rachamim Pauli
