Parsha Vayigash
Yosef now has his brothers where he
wants them. Benyamin is a full brother. Yehuda is responsible for selling
Yosef, how will he react to Benyamin becoming a slave? Has he learned? Has he
done Teshuva?
44:18
Then Judah came near unto him, and said: 'Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray
thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy
servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.
There is a double meaning of You are
like Pharaoh in stature and also here in this world one day and then in the
next world another day.
19 My
lord asked his servants, saying: Have ye a father, or a
brother? 20 And we said unto my lord: We have a father, an old man,
and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone
is left of his mother, and his father loves him.
For peace one can lie. He makes it
clear that Yosef is dead as he has no way of producing him. Now he tries to
explain that Benyamin is all that his left from his mother.
21 And
thou said unto thy servants: Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes
upon him. 22 And we said unto my lord: The lad cannot leave his
father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.
If he stays away, it will kill his
father.
23 And
thou said unto thy servants: Except your youngest brother come down with you,
ye shall see my face no more.
Your honor said to his servants
that unless the youngest brother comes down to see you, we cannot see your face
any more.
24 And
it came to pass when we came up unto thy servant my father, we told him the
words of my lord.
Because the brothers said “Thy
servant our father” 10 times, Yosef lost ten years of his life meaning dying at
110 instead of 120.
25 And
our father said: Go again, buy us a little food. 26 And we said: We
cannot go down; if our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down; for
we may not see the man's face, except our youngest brother be with
us. 27 And thy servant my father said unto us: Ye know that my wife
bore me two sons; 28 and the one went out from me, and I said: Surely
he is torn in pieces; and I have not seen him since;
Now he is explaining to Yosef what
Yacov believes happened to him.
29 and
if ye take this one also from me, and harm befall him, ye will bring down my
gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.
I will die of a broken heart.
30 Now
therefore when I come to thy servant my father, and the lad is not with us;
seeing that his soul is bound up with the lad's soul;
Since my father’s life depends on
the lad, we must bring him back.
31 it
will come to pass, when he sees that the lad is not with us, that he will die;
and thy servants will bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with
sorrow to the grave. 32 For thy servant became surety for the lad
unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the
blame to my father forever. 33 Now therefore, let thy servant, I pray
thee, abide instead of the lad a bondman to my lord; and let the lad go up with
his brethren.
Yehuda has done Teshuva. Instead of
putting himself before his half-brother as in the past, now he is putting a son
of Rachel ahead of himself and his freedom.
34 For
how shall I go up to my father, if the lad be not with me? lest I look upon the
evil that shall come on my father.'
I cannot bear to see what happens
to my father if the lad does not come home. Please take me in his place!
45:1
Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he
cried: ‘Cause every man to go out from me.' And there stood no man with him,
while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.
2 And
he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh
heard. 3 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'I am Joseph; doth my
father yet live?' And his brethren could not answer him; for they were
affrighted at his presence.
The biggest reproof he could give
his brothers: I am Yosef, the chosen one, by my father. He did not die when I
did not return why should he die if Benyamin does not return.
4 And
Joseph said unto his brethren: 'Come near to me, I pray you.' And they came
near. And he said: 'I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.
He came next to Benyamin and showed
them how similar they look. When he was the Goyishe second to Pharaoh with the
gold and servants. They could not recognize him. He showed them his Bris that
he is from Avraham. Suddenly, he is one of us.
5 And
now be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither; for God
did send me before you to preserve life. 6 For these two years hath
the famine been in the land; and there are yet five years, in which there shall
be neither plowing nor harvest.
You thought that selling me was
your plan; but it wasn’t it was designed during “Between the pieces” of our
forefather, Avraham.
7 And
God sent me before you to give you a remnant on the earth, and to save you
alive for a great deliverance.
G-D sent me here for a number of
purposes: To save most of the people in the area, to pave the way for Am
Yisrael to go into Mitzrayim and to make a home for Am Yisrael for the next
210years.
8 So
now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father
to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of
Egypt.
9 Hasten
ye, and go up to my father, and say unto him: Thus saith thy son Joseph: God
hath made me lord of all Egypt; come down unto me, tarry not.
From the dream of Avraham, Yacov
should have been taken to Egypt in chains as a slave but with the merits of
Yacov and Yosef, he went down as royalty.
10 And
thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou,
and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds,
and all that thou hast; 11 and there will I sustain thee; for there
are yet five years of famine; lest thou come to poverty, thou, and thy
household, and all that thou hast.
You and your animals will be able
to survive and be with food and shelter.
12 And,
behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth
that speaks unto you.
Benyamin and I have the same shaped
mouth and we both look like Mama Rachel.
13 And
ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen;
and ye shall hasten and bring down my father hither.'
14 And
he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his
neck.
Rashi says for the destruction of
two Temple that were built at the neck height of the area of the tribe of
Benyamin. But, the simple meaning like Esav falling on Yacov’s neck and crying
because of the years gone by without each other.
15 And
he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren
talked with him. 16 And the report thereof was heard in Pharaoh's
house, saying: 'Joseph's brethren are come'; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and
his servants.
Pharaoh had his loyal spies check
up on all his ministers. Yosef was no exception so a report not only of loyalty
to Pharaoh was brought but that after 9 years as Prime Minister, Yosef had
finally been united with his brothers.
17 And
Pharaoh said unto Joseph: 'Say unto thy brethren: This do ye: lade your beasts,
and go, get you unto the land of Canaan; 18 and take your father and
your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of
Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.
This is the land of Goshen that lay
between two branches of the Nile. (Later buried over the centuries before the
Suez Canal but could be seen from space.)
19 Now
thou art commanded, this do ye: take you wagons out of the land of Egypt for
your little ones, and for your wives, and bring your father, and
come. 20 Also regard not your stuff; for the good things of all the
land of Egypt are yours.' 21 And the sons of Israel did so; and
Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them
provision for the way.
These are the wagons that will
carry most of the Mishkan during the journeys of Yisrael back to Eretz Yisrael
or Canaan at the time.
22 To
all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three
hundred shekels of silver, and five changes of raiment.
They were not jealous but happy for
themselves and Benyamin.
23 And
to his father he sent in like manner ten asses laden with the good things of
Egypt, and ten she-asses laden with corn and bread and victual for his father
by the way. 24 So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and
he said unto them: 'See that ye fall not out by the way.' 25 And they
went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father. 26 And
they told him, saying: 'Joseph is yet alive, and he is ruler over all the land
of Egypt.' And his heart fainted, for he believed them not.
He was so shocked by the news that
he could not breathe for a brief moment and fainted.
27 And
they told him all the words of Joseph, which he had said unto them; and when he
saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their
father revived.
He remembered that Yosef was
learning with him the laws of Egel Arufa or the calf whose neck is broken by
the elders if a dead man is found near a city. The word for Wagon in Hebrew is
Agala and Egla or calf sound close to each other. This means that the man there
is really Yosef and has not forgotten his Torah! He may have aged physically
22years but in Spirit, he is the Tzadik Yosef.
28 And
Israel said: 'It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive; I will go and see him
before I die.'
I will make the journey to YOSEF before
I die so that I will be complete in this world and the next.
46:1
And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and
offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.
We learn from this that one should
stay in the same area/inn where he was going one way and coming back.
2 And
God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said: 'Jacob, Jacob.' And
he said: 'Here am I.' 3 And He said: 'I am God, the God of thy
father; fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great
nation.
Being depressed for 22years, Yacov
could not receive Prophecy. Now, it had returned to him.
4 I
will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again;
and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.'
You will enjoy being with Yosef
before you die and will return for burial in the Machpelah.
5 And
Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their
father, and their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had
sent to carry him.
He was 130 and it was necessary for
him to ride down to Egypt this way.
6 And they took their cattle, and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him; 7 his sons, and his sons' sons with him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt. 8 And these are the names of the children of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: all the souls were seven. 26 All the souls belonging to Jacob that came into Egypt, that came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six. … 27 And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob, that came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.
There were 66 people sons and wives
and Yosef was in Egypt with his two sons and wife (according to some the
daughter of Dina) so why does Rashi and the Sages gave to twist and turn to
have Yocheved born as they enter Egypt in Shemos?
28 And he sent Judah before him unto
Joseph, to show the way before him unto Goshen; and they came into the land of
Goshen.
Rashi says to establish a Yeshiva.
29 And
Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father, to
Goshen; and he presented himself unto him, and fell on his neck, and wept on
his neck a good while.
This time, the commentators don’t
play with ‘falling on the neck and crying’ as they did with Esav and Benyamin.
30 And
Israel said unto Joseph: 'Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, that thou
art yet alive.'
Now that I have both this world
with twelve sons and the next world, I can die a Tzadik.
31 And
Joseph said unto his brethren, and unto his father's house: 'I will go up, and
tell Pharaoh, and will say unto him: My brethren, and my father's house, who
were in the land of Canaan, are come unto me; 32 and the men are
shepherds, for they have been keepers of cattle; and they have brought their
flocks, and their herds, and all that they have. 33 And it shall come
to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say: What is your
occupation?
Why cattle herders and not
shepherds? Because, the sheep was one of the abominable gods of Egypt.
34 that
ye shall say: Thy servants have been keepers of cattle from our youth even
until now, both we, and our fathers; that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen;
for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.'
As they worship sheep. So why are
you herding their gods?
47:1
Then Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, and said: 'My father and my brethren, and
their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have, are come out of the land
of Canaan; and, behold, they are in the land of Goshen.' 2 And from
among his brethren he took five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.
From among his brothers - i.e., from those of lesser
strength, who would not appear strong, for if Pharaoh would view them as strong he would make them his warriors.
And these were the weaker brothers: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Benjamin – those whose
names Moses did not repeat when he blessed them – but the names of the stronger
ones he repeated: “And this blessing he gave to Judah and said, ‘God, hearken to the voice of Judah’”; “Of
Gad he said, ‘Blessed be He who expands Gad’s
territory’”; “Of Naphtali he
said, ‘Naphtali’”; 5 “Of Dan he said, ‘Dan’”; 6 and
similarly with Zebulun and with Asher. This is the version of Beresheis Rabbah, which is the Aggadah of
the Land of Israel. But in our Babylonian Talmud we find that those whose names
Moses repeated – they were the
weaker ones and them he brought before Pharaoh; and Judah, whose name was
repeated, was not repeated because of weakness but for a specific reason, as is stated in Bava
Kama. In the Baraita of Sifrei on Vezos
HaBracha, we have the same version as our Talmud.
3 And
Pharaoh said unto his brethren: 'What is your occupation?' And they said unto
Pharaoh: 'Thy servants are shepherds, both we, and our fathers.'
He did not want them to say this
but they did.
4 And
they said unto Pharaoh: 'To sojourn in the land are we come; for there is no
pasture for thy servants' flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan.
Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of
Goshen.'
This is far from the sheep
worshipping Egyptians and would not cause hatred.
5 And
Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying: 'Thy father and thy brethren are come unto
thee; 6 the land of Egypt is before thee; in the best of the land make
thy father and thy brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell. And
if thou know any able men among them, then make them rulers over my
cattle.' 7 And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before
Pharaoh. And Jacob blessed Pharaoh. 8 And Pharaoh said unto Jacob:
'How many are the days of the years of thy life?' 9 And Jacob said
unto Pharaoh: 'The days of the years of my sojourning’s are a hundred and
thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they
have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the
days of their sojourning’s.'
Can you imagine going before Trump, Putin or some other world
leader and telling them of your aches and pains!
And have not equaled (my fathers) - in regards to goodness.
10 And
Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from the presence of
Pharaoh. 11 And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave
them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of
Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded. 12 And Joseph sustained his
father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according
to the want of their little ones. 13 And there was no bread in all
the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and the land
of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. 14 And Joseph gathered
up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt, and in the land of
Canaan, for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into
Pharaoh's house. 15 And when the money was all spent in the land of
Egypt, and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph, and said:
'Give us bread; for why should we die in thy presence? for our money fails.'
In past times there was no
corporate “Chapter 11”. One would have to sell himself and family to be bonded
servants for the wealthy in order to eat.
16 And
Joseph said: 'Give your cattle, and I will give you [bread] for your cattle, if
money fail.'
Essentially, Yosef is buying for
Pharaoh everything in Egypt.
17 And
they brought their cattle unto Joseph. And Joseph gave them bread in exchange
for the horses, and for the flocks, and for the herds, and for the asses; and
he fed them with bread in exchange for all their cattle for that year.
Pharaoh is owning more and more.
18 And
when that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto
him: 'We will not hide from my lord, how that our money is all spent; and the
herds of cattle are my lord's; there is nought left in the sight of my lord,
but our bodies, and our lands.
Gradually, they were selling
everything to Pharaoh.
19 Wherefore
should we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? buy us and our land for
bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that
we may live, and not die, and that the land be not desolate.'
We have sold all but our bodies to
live.
20 So
Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every
man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became
Pharaoh's.
So, with the exception of the
Priestly Land, everything was belonging to Pharaoh.
21 And
as for the people, he removed them city by city, from one end of the border of
Egypt even to the other end thereof. 22 Only the land of the priests
bought he not, for the priests had a portion from Pharaoh, and did eat their
portion which Pharaoh gave them; wherefore they sold not their land.
The religious institutions under Pharaoh
had an exemption from everything.
23 Then
Joseph said unto the people: 'Behold, I have bought you this day and your land
for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the
land. 24 And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall
give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the
field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for
your little ones.'
Now they were given not only food
but seeds for planting.
25 And
they said: 'Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find favor in the sight of my
lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.' 26 And Joseph made it a statute
concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth;
only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh's.
80% of the crops were wages for
their labor and 20% belonged to Pharaoh or what we call the tax rate today.
27 And
Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen; and they got them
possessions therein, and were fruitful, and multiplied exceedingly.
The Bnei Yisrael in Goshen
prospered. This is the way of the Diaspora. First the country such as Spain,
Germany etc. welcome the Bnei Yisrael and then when they prosper jealousy
creeps in.
Hanukah Miracle: Policewoman
Hodaya Halperin shot in the head a month ago woke up and is communicating with
her family.
Miracles from Shalom
HaGalil War
Since there is a great debate running
right now in Israel about calling up Yeshiva Students. As I tell this story I
would like to say what Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Ben Porat HaCohain Shlita said: “Why
doesn’t anybody complain about avoidance of service of most of the
non-religious members of the Nation? 3,300 years ago on Mt. Sinai it was stated
that there is a law to Remember and Observe the Shabbos, Kashrus and Family
Purity.”
Back in 5742, Defense Minister Retired
General Ariel (Eric) Sharon made a phone call to Rav Eliezer Menachem Mann
Shach Ztzal. We are about to attack the surface to air missiles in Lebanon and
Syria this afternoon during the Yeshiva Siesta Time. An order went out from the
Rav that instead of napping, the Bochurim would be saying Psalms. Officially
two planes were lost and all pilots returned alive to base.
I was privileged to hear from a
retired IAF Officer two stories.
First, that at the beginning of the
war two F15 I’s were sent up to intercept four Syrian MIG29’s. From far away
the pilot pressed on the anti-aircraft missile and shot down MIG number 1. The
he started pressing the next anti-aircraft missile for the shot but it did not
go off as MIG number 2 made a 12G upwards lurch that would possibly destroy the
plane or kill the pilot and would have been out of range but suddenly after a
delay, the missile took off and was right on target. Impossible without help
from HASHEM.
Second, the same officer was sent to
the States to learn the F-15 aircraft flight and maintenance. While he was
there, he saw a computer based on various statistics on how long each country
was supposed to last. Switzerland had hundreds of years. So the three Israelis
asked a question how long could Yisrael last per the computer. The answer was
more or less “Not a day”. But Am Yisrael Chai!
If you recall I wrote a number of
years ago of a West Point Cadet who was learning tactics of war. He learned of Alexander,
Hannibal, Scipio, Caesar, etc. He asked the Colonel teaching the course in
class: “Why don’t we study the tactics of the Israelis in the Sinai Campaign or
Six Day War?” The Colonel ordered him to remain after class.
He then said to the soldier never ask
me a question like that in class again. But since you are Jewish and sensitive
to these things, I will tell you. According to all military logic, Israel
should have lost both. However, there is a higher guiding POWER that guards
over Israel. [Tehillim 121:4 4 Behold, He that keeps/guards
Israel doth neither slumbers nor sleeps.] Shomer Yisrael!
Lt. Avichai Kaplan wounded twice in Jabaliya
Gaza was not new to Lt. Avichai when he went back in last March. It was
his second deployment. He was given orders that he and his men would leave the
open area for the built up area to make way for the tanks to come in.
He was leading his men in and turned around to bark some orders to them
when boom an explosion behind his back knocked him to the ground. Before he
could say anything more, he was on being taken care of by his paramedic and his
second in command. He was taken to a female doctor in the rear and she prepared
him for the helicopter. With a pain killer or Morphine in his system a selfie
is taken with is first Lt. and paramedic all smiles waiting for the helicopter.
In the hospital, he realizes the miracle of his work-outs. He has massive
muscle mass and the shrapnel was stopped by his back muscle before it could
enter his lungs. As his left shoulder healed, he was back lifting weights
again. Dr. Shira Shabbat helped him with his recovery.
Like many other soldiers, Avichai was now in Jabaliya again. However, this
time in a command armored vehicle for evacuating the injured with the female
doctor and paramedics outside waiting for the injured soldiers.
An RPG or explosive devise injures the people in the armored vehicles
while the Dr. and Medics are outside uninjured. This time on the sole of his
foot . Back to rehabilitation with Dr. Shira and he said “If I go back into
Gaza, I am afraid that my mother will ‘kill’ me this time.”
Sgt. Yochai Bidlov
pronounce dead by the doctor.
Golani Battalion 13 was checking
out buildings in Gaza for terrorists. Yochai was the first to reach the second
floor. Suddenly coming through the window was a machine gun hail of bullets.
Yochai and some of his friends were hit. He was hit in his grenade that did not
explode and in his rifle but the other 7 bullets hit his arms and legs and
stomach. One bullet hit him in the neck paralyzing him. He was on the stairs
and fell into a hollow but not breathing. Somehow he managed to say the Shema
and Baruch Shem before losing consciousness.
All this time the paramedic is
trying to revive him and the doctor is saying “He’s dead”. But then the doctor
checked his eyes and they reacted. Somehow they restored his pulse and rushed
him to Tel HaShomer Hospital.
After many operations, Yochai sat
for his interview in a wheel chair. He is working most days from 8 in the
morning to 8 at night to try to walk again and move his arms. He is partially
paralyzed but is optimistic that he can somehow overcome it as he has done such
much rehabilitation already.
He believes that HASHEM has kept
him alive for a purpose.
The eight light is the last and the best by R. Yerachmiel
Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/Stories/Stories/5785/1412-14.html
It was a depressing
sight. The small boy stood in the bare room-long stripped of its furniture and
warmth-looking down at the pale man between the sheets. There was no use
denying the inevitable: his father's death was imminent.
"My dear
Zelig," whispered his father, his voice barely audible. "I know we
struggled, and although we were forced to sell almost everything else,
the menorah I didn't touch. An inheritance in our family for
generations, I leave it to you."
"Please,
Zelig," said the dying man, closing his eyes, "protect it as though
your life depends on it. No matter how bad things get, don't sell it..."
His voice trailed off, and with his heart's final beat, that was it. Zelig's
father had uttered his last words.
It hadn't always been
this bad. In fact, Zelig's parents had once been among the wealthiest citizens
of Szerencs, Hungary. But when his father's business suffered setback after
setback, furniture disappeared for money, even the food became scarce and
bland, and life was gloomy. Unable to cope, Zelig's mother died when he was
only eight.
Just two years later,
he witnessed his father's death, leaving him an orphan. Kind neighbors invited
the boy to live with them. They sent him to sit and learn in yeshivah, and
though Zelig tried his best, his studies never stuck with him.
Feeling he would
perhaps be better suited to handiwork, his foster parents set up an
apprenticeship with Chaim, the local carpenter. The idea excited Zelig, who
found he enjoyed-and was good at-whittling wood. In fact, he excelled. Years
passed, and when Chaim was ready to retire, he sold his shop to Zelig, who kept
things running smoothly.
When Zelig married a
young woman from Teglas, 80 kilometers to the south, he closed the workshop and
moved to his wife's hometown, where they lived close to her parents. He had
hoped to set up a new workshop, but an impressive and successful one was
already operating there, leaving no room for fresh competition.
With no work, the
young couple struggled to get by, and they lived off their savings until there
was nothing left. After consulting with his wife, Zelig decided to return to
Szerencs, where he hoped to reopen his shop. Unfortunately for him, Zelig found
a different carpenter already servicing the area.
Left with no recourse,
Zelig wandered from town to town, hoping to find an area he could service with
his carpentry. He made sure to send occasional letters to his family,
reassuring them that everything was fine and that he was still looking. But his
search took him further than he had ever imagined; he was far away in Paris
when Zelig decided to abandon hope of ever reopening his carpentry shop.
By this point, the
fruitlessness had driven him to near madness, which he would drown with
spirits.
One day, Zelig was
offered a job as a waiter. He seized the opportunity to escape the destructive
cycle of alcoholism, but the job was in an inn frequented by unruly characters,
and the unsavory atmosphere only added to his struggles. Little by little,
Zelig dropped Jewish observance, forgetting the wife and little ones left
behind too.
Back home, the young
woman found no solace and poured her misery out in tears. It was as if the
earth had swallowed her beloved husband. She tried whatever means she had at
her disposal, approaching strangers traveling through town and grilling them
about her husband's whereabouts, without success. No one had seen him.
The young woman's
neighbor relayed her plight to Rabbi Yechezkel of Shineva, who was passing
through Teglas. The Rebbe listened without saying a word. He sighed and handed
the neighbor something for the young woman: a pouch full of bills.
The desperate young
woman wanted more. Was this really the tzaddik's response? Giving the pouch a
reproachful glance, the young woman burst into tears and stormed into the
Rebbe's lodgings, demanding action. "Do you really think some money is a
substitute from my husband? I want him back!"
Seriousness clouded
Rabbi Yechezkel's features. A few moments later he responded, "Don't you
have an old menorah in your house? Light it for the first seven days of
Chanukah as usual. On the eighth, however, make sure to keep the menorah
burning through the night. If necessary, have someone refill it with oil as
needed."
It was evening as
Zelig made his way down the stairs. Rowdy as usual, the inn swelled with
patrons who had quickly finished the bar's stock of drink, forcing him to get
more from the cellar. He suddenly felt a strong grip on his shoulder. Zelig
spun around to see an old Jew staring at him in the dim light.
"How dare you
abandon your wife? Return home immediately!"
Forgetting the
bottles, Zelig fled up the stairs, fearing the strange apparition. But a look
down into the dark cellar revealed no one, much less an elderly Jew. He didn't
feel any better after telling his boss, who roared with laughter at his tale.
A few days later,
Zelig was confronted by the unhappy Jew once more. This time, the man sounded
ominous, promising unpleasant things if Zelig failed to follow his
instructions.
Zelig's boss
discovered him splayed on the floor, unconscious. Doctors suspected the
hallucinations were a result of his crushing workload, and ordered rest. But
Zelig had no intention of doing so. Telling his boss he needed to leave town
for several days, he began the long journey back to Teglas.
Drenched and chilled
to the bone, Zelig stared down the pitch-black and muddy street, barely able to
discern the houses. He had arrived in Teglas late at night, in the midst of
strong rain that made the streets run with brown sludge. Nothing seemed
familiar.
Finding his erstwhile
home in these circumstances was impossible, but something in the distance
caught his eye. Barely a flicker in the rain, a light shone from behind a
window. Zelig slogged through the thick mud, knocked at the door, and waited,
his heart pounding.
The door opened a
crack and Zelig invited himself inside to huddle near the stove. As feeling
returned to his fingers, he looked around and found the source of the light:
his father's silver menorah twinkling merrily on the windowsill. Realizing he
was, in fact, in his own home, Zelig lifted his eyes to meet his wife's.
With tears and
remorse, he tried to explain his struggles over the past years to his wife.
"Would you be kind enough to forgive me?" he implored.
For a while, neither
spoke. Zelig broke the silence with another question. "Why is my father's
menorah lit at such a late hour?"
His wife explained
everything, and in time, they settled back into the life they had shared
several years prior.
At one point, Zelig
wanted to meet Rabbi Yechezkel, whose counsel had guided him home. When they
came face to face, he could hardly contain his shock: before him stood the
strange old Jew who had confronted him in the cellar of the inn in Paris.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source:
Supplemented by Yerachmiel Tilles from the translation-adaption by Asharon
Baltazarit for the Parashat Vayeshev 5779 email of Chabad.Org Magazine,
from Sichat Hashavua #1303.
Why this week?
The Eighth Night of Chanukah starts on Wednesday of this week at sunset.
Biographic note:
Rabbi Yechezkel-Shraga Halberstam of Sieniawa (Shineva), (of blessed memory: 20
Shvat 5573 - 6 Tevet 5660 (Jan. 1813- Dec. 1899 C.E.)], was the
eldest son of the Divrei Chayim, Rabbi Chayim Halberstam of Sanz. As an
emissary of his father, he founded the Sanzer community and synagogue in Tsfat
in 1870. He served as the rabbi of Shineva from 1855 till 1868, and then again
from 1881 till his passing. A major Torah scholar, many of his Torah insights
into Scripture, Law and Kabbalah are collected in Divrei Yechezkel.
I came from a Reform Jewish
household with nothing but complete ignorance. This is an example of a “Rabbi”
who never required to learn a Mishnah, Gemara or true Halacha or accept oral
traditions: To this day, no pulpit talk by a contemporary American
rabbi has generated greater attention or controversy than a sermon delivered by
Rabbi David Wolpe on the morning of Passover 2001. “The truth,” Rabbi Wolpe
informed his Los Angeles congregation, “is [that] the way the Bible describes
the exodus [from Egypt] is not the way it happened, if it happened at all.” –
source Mosaic Magazine. He loves to advertise himself on Facebook. Of course he
cannot accept the Torah as Emmes otherwise he would have to demand that his
congregation observe Shabbos, Kashrus and Family Purity among things.
My forester son and nephew, Menashe, ripped his
garment for one of his Rabbanim. He sat with friends and read Psalm in the ice
room at the morgue. The following is a Chesped for the Rav. https://matzav.com/rav-zev-volf-shapiro-ztl/
In 1940, when the Nazis threatened to take over
Paris, the Jewish couple Hans and Margret Rey decided to flee. Hans built two
bicycles from spare parts and set off on their journey. Among the few things
they took with them was a manuscript - the basis for the famous children's book
Curious George. After a dangerous escape, they made it to the United States,
where the book was later published and became a timeless classic of children's
literature. Their story shows not only their courage and
ingenuity, but also how creativity and hope can survive even in dark times.
A Jewish Agent and an Actor with principles:
Sidney Poitier was a 20 year old dishwasher in NYC. He came from
the Bahamas and could only read 3rd grade level, having great trouble with 3
syllable words. He lost his dish washing job, so he looked in the want ads and
was about to throw the newspaper into the trash box on the street when he read:
Actors Wanted.
The 'wanted' seemed like an invitation, so he walked to the
address, was given a two page scene to read by a large man. Poitier slowly read
word by word in his Caribbean accent. The large man grabbed him by the belt and
collar and pushed him to the door saying, "Stop wasting people's time. You
can't speak and you can't read.
Go back to dish washing." Walking to the bus stop Poitier
stopped on the street thinking, "How did he know I was a dishwasher?"
Poitier said: "I realized that was his perception of me. No value but
something I could do with my hands. Even though he was correct in his anger to
characterize me that way, I was deeply offended. I said to myself, 'I have to
rectify that.' "I decided right then on that street, that I was going to
be an actor just to show him he was wrong about me. I had to take the
responsibility to change how people perceived me.
I continued as a dishwasher, but I began to work on
myself."
Poitier auditioned at the American Negro Theater in Harlem,
hoping to get into classes there. He didn't know that one could buy books with
plays in them, so he memorized an article in True Confessions magazine.
He wasn't accepted, but Sidney said, "I'll be your janitor
for free if you let me study here." The school accepted that deal. Months
later, he was told he had no gift for acting and had to leave. Unknown to
Poitier, three fellow students that liked him went to the head-master and asked
her to give him a walk on in the next play. She said, "No, but I'll make
him the understudy for the lead. (She had no intention to use him).
However, the night of the play, the lead, Harry Belafonte, had
to help his janitor father carry out the six heavy boxes of furnace ashes, and
it had to be done that night. So Poitier went on, knew his lines and did he
best he could. In the theater that night was a producer that offered him a bit
part in his next play. His character was the first to speak as an excited man who
has to tell some news in the first scene, and that was all.
Poitier said, "When I looked out through a peephole at the
1,200 people waiting for the play to begin, I became paralyzed with fear.
"I ran out on stage and started with my 7th line first. The other actor's
eyes bulged out, but he came up with the right answer. We skipped around lines,
then my character left the stage and that was my only scene. The audience
didn't know the play, so they liked my confused, excited character.
"However, walking back to the room I was renting, I decided
to give up on acting. I bought four newspapers on the way home and was
surprised that I was mentioned favorably in three of them, like: 'Who was that
funny kid that came on at the beginning?' So I decided to continue
acting." After a few small parts in small movies, it was 1954. Sidney
Poitier was sent to an audition for a movie by an agent named Martin Baum, but
was not Poitier's agent.
Poitier read a scene in front of the producers, they wanted him
and gave him a full script to take home. Poitier's character was a janitor who
saw a crime committed by gangsters. To keep him quiet, the gangsters kill his
daughter. And he stays quiet. Poitier said, "I really hated it. At that
time, I had no objections to playing a janitor, but I hated the idea of a
father not taking action on the gangsters. The janitor permits what the
gangster do to him. To the writers it's just a plot point, but I can't play
that because I have a father. And I know my father would never be like that. And
as a father myself, I would never be able to NOT attack those gangsters. I want
to do movies that show who I am as a human being."
Poitier called Martin Baum who said they will pay $750 for the
part. ($7,000 today). He told Baum, " I read it and I can't play it,"
and explained why. Baum said, “That’s why you don't want to do this? You need
that money don't you?" Poitier desperately needed the money. He had to pay
the hospital $75 for his 2nd daughter's birth. But didn't take the part. Poitier
said, "That speaks to who I was then and still am. And who I am is my
father's son. I saw how he treated my mother and family. I know how to be a
decent human being.
So I pawned my furniture, such as it was, got $75 and paid the
hospital. Then I went back to dish washing. "Months later, Martin Baum
called me and invited me to his office and said, "I have never been able
to understand why you turned down that job. I told him why again, but I don't
know if he understood it.
But Martin said, 'I have decided that anyone as crazy as you
are, I want to be their agent.' He's been my agent till now." Poitier won
an Academy Award for Best Actor for 'Lilies of the Field' in 1963. Five years
later, Sidney Poitier was offered the lead in 'In the Heat of the Night' to be
produced by Walter Mirisch (West Side Story, The Magnificent 7) Poitier said,
"When I read the script, I said, 'Walter I can’t play this. The scene
requires me to be slapped by a wealthy man and I just look at him fiercely and
walk away. That is not very bright in today's culture. It's dumb.
"This is 1968. You can't do that. The black community will
look at that and be appalled, because the human response would be different.
You certainly won't do the movie with me this way. 'If I do this movie, I
insist to respond as a human being; he pops me and I pop him right back. If you
want me to play it, you will put that in writing. Also in writing you will say
'If this picture plays in the south, that scene is never removed.' Walter said,
'Yeah, I promise you that and I'll put it in writing.' "But being the kind
of guy Walter is, his handshake and his word are the same, so I didn't need to
have it in writing, and he kept his word. That scene made the movie. Without
it, the movie wouldn't have been as popular."
'In the Heat of the Night' won five Academy Awards: Best Picture
- Best Screenplay - Best Editing - Best Sound - Best Actor Rod Steiger
Milestone: Jimmy Carter, 100, 39th
President of the USA. Only two were worse than him – Obama and Biden. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jimmy-carter-peace-broker-settlements-critic-advocate-for-soviet-jews-rights-activist/
Milestone: Arlene Agus, 75, Orthodox
Feminist. https://www.timesofisrael.com/arlene-agus-new-yorkan-advocate-of-orthodox-feminism-dies-at-75/
Milestone: Agnes Keleti, 103, Holocaust
Survivor. She
won a total of 10 Olympic medals in gymnastics, including five golds, for
Hungary at the 1952 Helsinki Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games. https://www.timesofisrael.com/agnes-keleti-holocaust-survivor-and-oldest-living-olympic-medalist-dies-at-103/
Inyanay Diyoma
Dec. 28th Dec. 29th
Day 449 and Day 450 start of week 64
https://www.foxnews.com/world/plane-drives-off-runway-crashes-fence-leaving-least-23-dead-report
Yesterday I slept and slept to ward off my
dizziness from lack of sleep due to tension. The Houthis launched a missile at
Yerushalayim and last night none. https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intercepts-rare-2-long-range-rockets-fired-from-gaza-at-jerusalem-area/
Jewish Dem switches party. Rep. Hillary
Cassel, who represents District 101 in Florida, wrote in her announcement on
Friday, “As a proud Jewish woman, I have been increasingly troubled by the
Democratic Party’s failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness
to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of
terrorism." https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401452
UN trying to ignore Oct. 7th. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401441
Israel
Police are investigating suspected incitement against Attorney General Gali
Baharav-Miara and Yesh Atid chairman MK Yair Lapid. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401433
Info that could have saved 6 hostages. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401439
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-to-undergo-prostate-removal-surgery-on-sunday/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-sides-with-musk-in-maga-civil-war-over-worker-visas/
Plot
vs. Opposition. Iran tried to use Mohammad Hawashmazada, a former political
prisoner currently held in Armenia, to lure Babak and another journalist to the
city of Van in Turkey, from where they were to be taken to Tehran. The plan
failed due to the refusal of Hawashmazada and his cellmate to cooperate due to
their personal connection to Babak. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401432
Yesterday
(Saturday), the IAF struck the launchers that were used yesterday to fire
projectiles toward the Lachish, HaShfela, Yarkon, Western Negev, Yehuda, and
Jerusalem areas. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401461
Israel
is considering the possibility of leaving IDF forces in several strategic
positions in southern Lebanon even after the ceasefire agreement's 60-day
deadline to withdraw to the international border, Israel Hayom reported
on Sunday. The first reason is the slow deployment of the Lebanese Armed Forces
in the south, and the second is the multitude of Hezbollah arms and
infrastructure that are still being uncovered as well as the terrorist
organization's efforts to reestablish itself with Iranian assistance. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401454
Fire from a Menorah that fell over. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401464
Two
grooms were detained this morning (Sunday) by the police on the Temple Mount
after dancing on the site on the occasion of their weddings today.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401469
In
recent days, two terrorists from the local "Jenin Battalions" terror
organization arrived at an IDF checkpoint and turned themselves in to the
forces for fear of being arrested by the Palestinian Authority security forces
during their
operation in Jenin. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401466
Two relatives of Assad arrested. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401449
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/amtrak-apologizes-after-stranding-110-passengers
Syria’s
newly established authorities initiated a major security operation on Thursday
in Tartus province, responding to the killing of 14 policemen the day before, Reuters
reported. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401381
A
bus struck two pedestrians this morning (Sunday) at a bus stop near the train
station in Ashkelon, killing one. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401462
The following horrors were
committed by Hamas on prisoners. Unpleasant to read skip if you want: Shocking Revelations from Israeli Hostages Held by Hamas. The
Israeli Health Ministry is about to submit a chilling report to the UN,
revealing the horrific treatment of hostages held by Hamas: Male teenage
hostages forced to commit sexual acts on each other, a grotesque violation of
their dignity and rights. Elderly woman was left in solitude, tied in a dark
room for 30 days, highlighting the cruel and inhumane conditions they endured.
Physical torture included whipping in private parts, unimaginable form of
abuse. Hostages forced to witness executions of their fellow captives, and
subjected to watching videos of rapes, adding psychological terror to their
ordeal. Sexual assault evidence was found on the majority of women who
returned, indicating widespread and systematic abuse.
Copied from Thomas B.
https://www.foxnews.com/world/plane-drives-off-runway-crashes-fence-leaving-least-23-dead-report
Dec. 30th
Day 451
Jabaliya: 1 Givati Officer seriously injured, 1
Nahal soldier seriously injured: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401505
https://www.timesofisrael.com/soldier-killed-in-northern-gaza-as-five-rockets-fired-into-israel/
Lebanese authorities have detained Abdul Rahman al-Qaradawi, an
Egyptian opposition activist and the son of the late Muslim Brotherhood
spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi, according to a Lebanese judicial official
who spoke to AFP on Sunday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401502
Hezbollah's
longtime leader Hassan Nasrallah believed he was safe from being killed in the
IDF up until the moment his life ended in an IAF airstrike in Beirut in
September, according to a report published by the New York Times today (Sunday)
on Israel's intelligence infiltration of the Lebanese terrorist organization. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401471
Police
officers from the Northern District are working to fight the phenomenon of
illegal Arab infiltrators from the Palestinian Authority. Drone caught him. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401482
In
late 2024, about 1.26 million haredi Jews will be living in Israel, comprising
about 12.5% of the population. One of the surprising findings is the sharp
decline in birthrates among haredi couples, which has reached a 43-year low of
6.1 children per family on average. The percentage of the haredi community in
the Israeli population in 2065 is expected to be significantly lower than
previous estimates, and stand at about 20-22%. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401512
Ritchie Torres condemns Columbia Intifada. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401512
https://www.timesofisrael.com/suicide-bomber-kills-police-officer-wounds-another-in-iran/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-arrest-murder-suspect-at-airport-as-he-tries-to-leave-country/
Cairo: https://www.timesofisrael.com/tourist-killed-another-injured-in-egypt-red-sea-shark-attack/
Dec.
31st
Day 452
Last night I was awake in bed after 11 due to
the fierce thunder storm. I heard a very faint siren. It turned out to be from
far away in the Modiin area so for security we went to the shelter but we got
there close to six minutes after the start. The speed of
sound in air, is about 343 m/s (1,125 ft/s; 1,235 km/h; 767 mph. It must have
come a bit of distance. Since we were not asleep it was not so much a bother.
But an engine of the rocket fell in Beit Shemesh that had no siren!
240 terrorists surrender from a hospital
hideout and 106 killed trying to make a getaway with two captured this week. https://www.timesofisrael.com/soldier-killed-in-northern-gaza-idf-airs-clip-of-hamas-planting-bombs-near-hospital/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-daycare-worker-indicted-for-12-counts-of-abuse-of-toddlers/
A senior Palestinian Arab leader stated to The New
York Post that US President-elect Donald Trump will “destroy Iran,” a move
he believes will weaken Hamas and diminish its influence. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401563
The US has raised concerns with Asaad Hassan
al-Shibani, the new foreign minister in Syria’s transitional administration,
over recent reports of violent attacks carried out by militant groups across
the country, US officials told Axios on Monday. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401562
Looking for Assad’s and Hezballah’s weapons. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401531
The
Telegram channel "Galilee Forces – The Lone Wolves," which is
associated with terrorists in Judea and Samaria, published a warning in which
it threatened to assassinate senior Israeli politicians and military officers. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401556
Former Senator expected to serve time. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401560
Like in Gemara Tanis, a drought and then in one
day a great down pour. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401546
Kinneret water level now stands at 211.295 meters below
sea level, 2.495 meters below the upper red line signaling maximum capacity. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401570
CHINESE
MONEY LAUNDRY: US Treasury Department has alerted lawmakers to a cybersecurity
breach involving a Chinese state-sponsored actor, marking what officials
describe as a “major incident.” https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401553
Jan. 1st
Day 453
This week in the rabbipauli.blogspot. com (broken link for Facebook) is the
miraculous story: Sgt. Yochai Bidlov pronounce dead
by the doctor. Golani soldier hit by nine bullets including one to his
hand grenade that did not explode.
Last night, we had hopefully our last
electrical blackout. Our next door neighbor had light. Today the electrical
company put in an input-output smart meter so and passed inspection this time
and I will be mostly off the grid and an electrical producer leaving me most
likely 5 to 6 hours of heating each night.
From the local Israeli News, a
17year old girl died from complications from the flu in a hospital last week. Last
night, a 13year old girl from El-Ad died of flu complications. If you have
not been vaccinated against the flu don’t play around with your life.
Yesterday, Israel’s
population stood at 10,027,000, the first time it was said to have crossed the
10-million benchmark. https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-population-growth-slows-as-stats-show-spike-in-residents-moving-abroad/
Another warning to Hamas from President Elect Trump: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401617
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ford-apologizes-for-x-post-declaring-israel-is-a-terrorist-state/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/islamist-rebel-commander-tapped-as-acting-syrian-defense-chief/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-slaps-sanctions-on-groups-in-iran-russia-for-election-interference/
Police officers from Bnei Brak and Ramat Gan arrested
a McDonald's employee on suspicion of attempting to attack female IDF soldiers
who purchased food at the Ramat Gan Diamond Exchange District. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401624
Noga
Noah, a tenth-grade student in a Sderot high school and a resident of the town
of Shokeda near the Gaza border, has been identified as the youth killed
Tuesday in a deadly traffic accident in Ashdod. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401629
A 45year old pushed in front of an
incoming train. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401620
IDF
soldiers on Tuesday identified Hezbollah terrorists transferring weapons from a
weapons storage facility to a vehicle parked nearby in southern Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401622
The United States has raised concerns with Asaad Hassan al-Shibani,
the new foreign minister in Syria’s transitional administration, over recent
reports of violent attacks carried out by militant groups across the country. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401562
Wizz Air more cheap flights Jan. 15. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401621
Netanyahu thinking of taking power from Ben
Gvir. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401607
In honor of Hanukkah, the Kaliver Rebbe visited IDF soldiers on Monday
in Gush Etzion. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401601
Murderous Nukhba Platoon Commander dead. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401600
The
769th Brigade, under the command of the 91st Division, continues its efforts to
dismantle Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure in line with agreements between
Israel and Lebanon. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401593
https://www.algemeiner.com/2024/12/31/iran-pushes-expand-ties-cuba/
Jan. 2nd
Day 454
Three events in the USA and two are terror:
Suicide Car by Trump Vegas Hotel. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6366608677112
Terror or Mafia in Jamaica Queens. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401682
Mafia in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401670
10 dead in mass shooting. https://apnews.com/article/montenegro-shooting-cetinje-bar-6b5bfe0a02341ef400eda318385f316b
I used to drive the City Plumber, an Arab,
across the check point if he worked for me. The city has no Arab workers since
Oct. 7th and I would not take him anymore. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401662
PTSD in Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401224
Since
the start of the war, 891 IDF soldiers have fallen, and 5,569 have been
wounded. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401688
Katz rejects Gallant’s draft law statement. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401696
Thomas sent me this from Barry Shaw: I know how Biden will stab Israel
in the back before he leaves the White House- and it's nasty.
It's
being cooked right now and almost fully boiled, and I am going to reveal the
details first of all, tomorrow Thursday, 2 January, in the presentation I am
due to deliver at AACI NETANYA at 12 noon.
I
am busy revising my script in light of the revelations I received this morning
So,
if you are in the area, get yourself to this event for vitally important
breaking news that threatens tremendous damage to Israel, post-Biden.
Bill to ban entrance of family of terrorists. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401701
Israeli
security forces conducted a raid on a Jewish farm in the Binyamin Region B this
morning. Dozens of border police officers, Civil Administration inspectors, and
workers presented a closed military zone order and evacuated the residents,
confiscated equipment, and demolished structures. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401703
The
IAF on Wednesday night conducted an intelligence-based strike in the
Humanitarian Area in Khan Yunis and eliminated the head of Hamas Internal
Security Forces in the southern Gaza Strip, terrorist Hassam Shahwan.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401700
A daring raid behind enemy lines: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401646
Pope trying for antisemite of the year. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401666
A
new study utilizing advanced remote sensing technology and data analysis has
found it is unlikely that Rujm el-Hiri, an ancient stone megalithic structure
in the Golan Heights, was used as an observatory as many had surmised.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/parents-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murdering-disabled-8-year-old-son/
Op-Ed D https://dianebederman.com/cultural-appropriation-of-the-swastika-and-kaffiyeh-from-love-to-hate/
Jan. 3rd
Day 455 end of week 64
There was a James Bond Movie “You only live
twice”. The Houthis must have produced it this morning. Once at 04:35 and
later out shot down a missile or drone well outside of Israeli Air Space. The IDF shot
down a Houthi attack drone on Friday, hours after a missile launched in Yemen
at central Israel including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, was intercepted by aerial
defenses. Picture shows siren areas in red. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/6e0riqlin#autoplay
When Shabbos comes in this week. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat
Real undercover war: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/h1jsnxhijg#autoplay
I wonder as the suicidal man in Vegas was in
the same army unit. https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-driver-in-new-orleans-rampage-acted-alone-was-100-inspired-by-islamic-state/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/5-years-later-things-we-know-and-still-dont-know-about-covid-19/
US Army Vet tried to join Hezballah. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401739
Syria – Jews are damned. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401736
Arab
media outlets reported on Thursday evening that Israel struck facilities
belonging to the Syrian Ministry of Defense, east of the city of Aleppo. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401726
Israel can contribute to overcoming the
Houthis. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835886
Israeli Intel lapses. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-835800
Almost an attack on Jews in FL. https://www.jpost.com/american-politics/article-835755
Turkey is the new Iran in Syria. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401667
Haredi Brigade forms. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/401707
There is lesser news that will be published
after Shabbos.
Next week Tomer Ben Asher survives
with most of his internal organs hit.
Have a healthy, happy, peaceful and
restful Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
