Elul the month of Repentance
When and where did this custom start? In the year 2448, the Bnei Yisrael left Mitzrayim, received the Torah on Chag Shavuos (Pentecost). Moshe went up the mountain on the 7th of Sivan and came down on the 17th of Tammuz and broke the two Luchos (Tablets of the 10 Commandments). On Rosh Chodesh Elul, Moshe ascended Har Sinai for a second time to etch out 10 more commandments and pray to atone for the people. He returned on the 10th of Tishrei (Yom Kippur) with his new Luchos.
It is our belief that on Rosh Hashanah all of G-D’s creatures are judged. In the book of Iyob, the Satan is going back and forth on earth awaiting to accuse Yisrael. The L-RD throws him a bone: Job(Iyob) 1:6 Now it fell upon a day, that the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them. {The day is Rosh Hashanah} 7 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Whence come thou?' Then Satan answered the LORD, and said: 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.' 8 And the LORD said unto Satan: 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a whole-hearted and an upright man, one that fears God, and shuns evil?' (The Medrash says that he got his punishment for not speaking up for the Bnei Yisrael positively when the birth of Moshe was foretold. Because he fled rather than join Yisro, Pharaoh took Balaam’s advice.)
Therefore, in Judaism, it is no joking matter when a Rabbi says: “The Day of Judgement is at hand!” He is talking about Rosh Hashanah. Who will live and who will die, who will die before his time or finish out his days, who by earthquake, who by plague, who will rise up and who will be pushed down, who will move from place to place or peaceful be at home, etc. On Yom Kippur the judgement is written in the book of life one way or the other depending on atonement and Hoshana Rabbah aka 21st of Tishrei the book is sealed.
We say this whole time “Le Dovid HASHEM” Tehillim (Psalm) 27 twice daily. [Ashkenazim Evening and Morning Nusach Shephard Morning and Afternoon].
It is customary to check over our deeds and privately say in pray. Our Father, our King, I have sinned such and such and transgressed such and such. Example, “I had a fly in my kitchen, forgot for an instant it was Shabbos and I swatted and killed it. Then I realized it was Shabbos and I can’t bring a Korban Chatas (Sin Offering) so please accept this prayer as if I offered a sin offering.”
Certain sins such as murder cannot be atoned for until death. Stealing if compensation or replacement occurs. Adultery only upon death. I am not going into reincarnation if repentance is not complete.
The two other actions that prevent a bad judgement after repentance is prayer like the brief example above and charity. It is the giving of 10-20% of income after taxes to charity [unless one is so poor that even on that, one cannot survive].
We don’t make resolutions such as diets, swearing off of cigarettes/alcohol/both or to be this or that. Rather we try to observe Jewish Halachic Laws, fix up our intentions (Kavana) in prayers and perhaps more compassion in charity.
With the Lunar Eclipse Elul is past half-way through. Ashkenazi Selichos start Motzei Shabbos (Sept. 13) this year. These forgiveness prayers continue until Yom Kippur. My problem and perhaps yours might be that we don’t understand the meaning of all the poetic words that our Sages wrote. Just hope that HASHEM will accept the forgiveness even if we botch up words and butch pronunciations.
The Power of Prayer in Hebrew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNYpjrBamA8
Rabbi Yosef Tzvi Ben Porat, HaCohain, Shlita tells us of the amazing victories that Hitler had. There had not been one Nazi Defeat. Rommel and his tanks were on their way to Eretz Yisrael. The secular soldiers were preparing a second Masada on Har Carmel above Haifa. The Charedim went into action, A 72 hour pray-in was declared at the graves of Ohr HaChaim HaKadosh in Yerushalayim, The Ari Zal, Rabbi Yosef Caro and others in Tzfat and perhaps more. At Tobruk he was stopped and after that, the Nazis met defeat after defeat.
Rabbi Ben Porat and the late Rabbi Pincus drove into the Hatzerim IAF Base to lecture Torah to Pilots and others. There was a man who did not have children with them. Rabbi Pincus told him. I am leaving you here near the entrance of the base. I want you to say Tehillim 17 (A Prayer of David. Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry; give ear unto my prayer.) and scream unto G-D what is in your heart for the next two hours and we will be back to pick you up. Rabbi Ben Porat doesn’t believe every story he hears, but he saw with his own eyes that 9 months to the day, a son was born unto the man.
More through Yom Kippur.
Parsha Ki Savo
We are in the last of for Parshiyos of Moshe’s second talk. We are finally explained about the blessing and the curse and where it will take place.
For more of the introduction I want to quote this week’s Drasha of Rabbi Pinchas Winston Shlita my spelling: When Mind Matters.
Rashi mentions something that needs to be understood. The Torah is talking about the special Vidui (confessional) a person is supposed to say upon bringing their first fruits up the Temple, and it mentions that an Arami, Lavan, destroyed our father, Yakov Avinu, which begs the question, how are we there to even make such a confession? No father, no son.
Thus, Rashi explains that Lavan didn’t actually carry out his plan, but that was only because God had stopped him. And, unfortunately for Lavan, that was enough for God to “join his thought to the act,” meaning that, for all intents and purposes, it was if he had wiped out Yakov and his family since he had already planned it.
The Gemara )Kiddushin 40a) says that this does not apply to a Jew. A Jew can plan to do evil, but if he is prevented from carrying out his plan then it is not assumed that he would have, and become culpable. Being Jewish, it is assumed that he would have come to his senses even if only at the last minute, either as a result of conscience or inner sense of mercy.
Ostensibly, this is not talking about just any Jew no matter the level of Torah observance. The Gemara elsewhere says:
The ways of these [the Jews] are like fire. Were it not for [the fact that] the Torah was given to the Jewish people, [whose study and observance restrains them], no nation or tongue could withstand them. And this is what Rebbe Shimon ben Lakish said: “There are three insolent ones: The Jewish people among the nations…” (Beitzah 25b)
What’s the difference? Everyone is born with a yetzer tov, a good inclination, but without the proper education it can be overlooked, forgotten about, and denied much of a voice in a person’s decision making. Humans can rise above instinct but often do not, or not high enough, and are very often led by it and often at the cost of noble causes. The world, for the most part, belongs to the yetzer hara and the people who are fighting it back are those with enough moral education to know to do so.
Just ask any baal teshuva. They will tell you how much more challenging their life became once they began to learn Torah. It woke up their yetzer tov and put restraints on their yetzer hara which never goes down without a good fight. Things they wouldn’t have thought twice about doing before becoming religious have become the source of great internal debate. They will tell you about times when they were on their way to do the wrong thing and, overcome by a newfound sense of Divine right and wrong, stopped themselves from following through.
The scary thing is what happens to a person who doesn’t have that. They don’t believe in God, they don’t accept the idea of Divine judgment or of the World to Come and Gehennom. As far as they are concerned, right and wrong is what they believe it is, and that is what guides their decisions and actions. The yetzer hara is not some ancient foreigner to battle against and keep at bay, but an accepted and integral part of who this group is, and they’re going to have a say in the direction of society.
They already do, big time. Both the GR”A and Ramchal identify four categories of Jews when it comes to be part of the final redemption. The first group are the talmidei chachamim. The second group are those Jews who may not be scholars, but they do their best to live by Torah and mitzvos. The third group are those who, for one reason or another, do not necessarily keep Torah as they should, but they definitely identify with the Jewish People. They may not be learned Jews, but they are proud Jews. The fourth group are the Erev Rav, those who divest themselves of anything traditionally Jewish and would love to impose their way on the rest of the nation.
Even within this last group, they say, some of the less intensely anti-Jewish elements might be reachable and will do Teshuvah in time. Most will not, and that is part of the role of the War of Gog and Magog, to deal with those elements of the nation once and for all. And history is doing a great job of surfacing them through the issues of the day. They might seem random, like whether or not yeshivah students should be forced into the Israeli army, but they are the result of a special Divine Providence to push people to have and voice their opinions.
We can’t forget, though we do, that history is about birur, the separation of good from bad, holy sparks from the impure Klipos. It happens either through us when we learn Torah and perform mitzvos, or because of us when we suffer because we didn’t. All of the ninety-eight curses mentioned in this parsha are not random punishments for misbehavior. They are the alternative means of birur when we don’t do the job ourselves, or at least well enough.
Changing the world, or even just most of the Jewish People to think like this and get in line is too tall an order for anyone short of Moshiach, and even he’ll require a War of Gog and Magog to help him out. But changing ourselves is not and even expected of us. Having an opinion about anything these days is crucial, and even more crucial to have the right one.
Have a great Shabbos,
Pinchas Winston
thirtysix.org / shaarnunproductions.org
26:1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God gives thee for an inheritance, and possess it, and dwell therein; 2 that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which thou shalt bring in from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee; and thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there.
Bikurim fruit is designated by the owner of the species of trees or grains mentioned in Torah: Wheat, Barley, Grapes, Figs, Olives, Pomegranates and Dates. The time to bring the Bikurim is after the Omer Counting finishes Chag Shavuos until Chag Sukkos.
3 And thou shalt come unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him: 'I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I am come unto the land which the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.'
It must be from the man’s land and have not taken roots in that of the neighbor.
4 And the priest shall take the basket out of thy hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God. 5 And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A wandering Aramean was my father, and he went down into Egypt, and sojourned there, few in number; and he became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous. 6 And the Egyptians dealt ill with us, and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage. 7 And we cried unto the LORD, the God of our fathers, and the LORD heard our voice, and saw our affliction, and our toil, and our oppression. 8 And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terribleness, and with signs, and with wonders. 9 And He hath brought us into this place, and hath given us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey. 10 And now, behold, I have brought the first of the fruit of the land, which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.' And thou shalt set it down before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God. 11 And thou shalt rejoice in all the good which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thy house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger that is in the midst of thee.
This confession/history is said in the Hagadah of Pesach. It is praising G-D for taking us from being Nomadic to having our own parcel or portion of land in Eretz Yisrael.
12 When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithe of thine increase in the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, that they may eat within thy gates, and be satisfied, 13 then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God: 'I have put away the hallowed things out of my house, and also have given them unto the Levite, and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandment which Thou hast commanded me; I have not transgressed any of Thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them. 14 I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I put away thereof, being unclean, nor given thereof for the dead; I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God, I have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me. 15 Look forth from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel, and the land which Thou hast given us, as Thou didst swear unto our fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
If you follow the Torah, you will have a land flowing with milk and honey. If not, then don’t be surprised if bad things happen to you. Remember from past teachings, according to the Kabbalah, the spark of HASHEM is in inanimate objects like the land and it tends to vomit out sinners. If you want to be scientific all it atomic frequencies.
16 This day the LORD thy God commands thee to do these statutes and ordinances; thou shalt therefore observe and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul. 17 Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and that thou would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His ordinances, and hearken unto His voice. 18 And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be His own treasure, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments; 19 and to make thee high above all nations that He hath made, in praise, and in name, and in glory; and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken.
Try your best to be a Torah Yisrael (today a Torah following Jew).
27:1 And Moses and the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying: 'Keep all the commandment which I command you this day. 2 And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster. 3 And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law, when thou art passed over; that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of thy fathers, hath promised thee.
The flat gigantic stones were taken from the Yarden River and brought to the area near Schem. From the land 12 giant stones were set up by the Tribes in the River.
4 And it shall be when ye are passed over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, in mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.
You must set up - in the Jordan River. Afterwards, you must take out other ones from there and with them build an altar on Mount Eval. It follows that there were three instances of boulder-construction: 12 were set up in the Jordan River, the same number at Gilgal – both serving as a memorial to the crossing – and the same number on Mount Eval (these being the same boulders that would later be taken to Gilgal), as stated in Tractate Sotah.
5 And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones; thou shalt lift up no iron tool upon them. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God. 7 And thou shalt sacrifice peace-offerings, and shalt eat there; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God. 8 And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly.'
These stones lasted until one of the various conquests. At that time, they were destroyed or buried. The 12 stones or boulders in the Yarden had still two standing in Talmudic Times or 1100 years after Yoshua bin Nun.
9 And Moses and the priests the Levites spoke unto all Israel, saying: 'Keep silence, and hear, O Israel; this day thou art become a people unto the LORD thy God. 10 Thou shalt therefore hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes, which I command thee this day.'
It appears to me that they spoke in unison so make like a loud speaker. Something like we say during the war Tehillim 120 and 130 “A song on the (south) steps of the Temple” mistranslated as a “Song of Degrees” instead of steps.
11 And Moses charged the people the same day, saying: 12 'These shall stand upon mount Gerizim to bless the people, when ye are passed over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand upon mount Ebal for the curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali. 14 And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice:
These tribes were chosen by G-D for what ever reason and the would answer Amen.
15 Cursed be the man that makes a graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and set it up in secret. And all the people shall answer and say: Amen.
No idols whatsoever!
16 Cursed be he that dishonors his father or his mother. And all the people shall say: Amen.
Means: He who disrespects his father, related to: “and your brother be belittled (וְנִקְלָה).”
17 Cursed be he that removes his neighbor's landmark. And all the people shall say: Amen.
Means: he who moves the landmark backward and steals the land, related to: וְהֻסַּג אָחוֹר “has been turned backward.”
18 Cursed be he that makes the blind to go astray in the way. And all the people shall say: Amen.
This is more than just having fun cursing the death forbidden in Vayikra (Lev.) 19 or putting a stumbling block but causing the blind to get lost. A very wicked person indeed.
19 Cursed be he that perverts the justice due to the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say: Amen.
The wicked taking advantage of the Ger, Orphan and Widow who have no family backing or guidance.
20 Cursed be he that lies with his father's wife; because he has uncovered his father's skirt. And all the people shall say: Amen.
There are sick people in this world and so this has to be reinforced because of them. Too many cases recently of female teachers and teens the reverse is also in puberty.
21 Cursed be he that lies with any manner of beast. And all the people shall say: Amen.
There are certain people that do these things so the Torah comes to reinforce the prohibition.
22 Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father, or the daughter of his mother. And all the people shall say: Amen.
His sister from both parents is forbidden in the Torah but not from one parent so here comes the clarification in the form of a curse.
23 Cursed be he that lies with his mother-in-law. And all the people shall say: Amen.
24 Cursed be he that smites his neighbor in secret. And all the people shall say: Amen.
He who strikes his fellow in secret. This refers to slander. I saw the following in the work of Rabbi Moshe HaDarshan: There are 11 curses listed here, corresponding to 11 tribes, but no curse is written corresponding to the tribe of Simeon. Since Moses planned not to bless this tribe explicitly when he blessed the other tribes before he died, he did not want to curse them either.
25 Cursed be he that taketh a bribe to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say: Amen.
I assume that there are Mafia types that would do such a thing.
26 Cursed be he that confirms not the words of this law (Torah) to do them. And all the people shall say: Amen.'
He who does not uphold. This statement refers to the entire Torah, which they thereby accepted upon themselves subject to this curse and oath.
28:1 And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 3 Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.
Harken unto G-D and you will be blessed any and everywhere you go.
4 Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock.
Your children shall be blessed along with your animals/business.
5 Blessed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough. 6 Blessed shalt thou be when thou come in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou go out.
Whatever you do, you shall be blessed. This is what happened to our father Yitzchak in Beresheis (Gen.) 26:12 And Isaac sowed in that land, and found in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 And the man waxed great, and grew more and more until he became very great. 14 And he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of herds, and a great household; and the Philistines envied him.
7 The LORD will cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thee; they shall come out against thee one way, and shall flee before thee seven ways.
If you observe properly, this happens. You will not have to tell the enemy to evacuate for they shall flee. But if your “leaders” violate the Shabbos and go abroad and eat non-kosher so life against enemies is not easy nor release of hostages.
8 The LORD will command the blessing with thee in thy barns, and in all that thou put thy hand unto; and He will bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee.
Observe then live in peace and prosper.
9 The LORD will establish thee for a holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee; if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God, and walk in His ways. 10 And all the peoples of the earth shall see that the name of the LORD is called upon thee; and they shall be afraid of thee. 11 And the LORD will make thee over-abundant for good, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee.
Now isn’t it easy to live well and prosper by following the Mitzvos as best as you possibly can!
12 The LORD will open unto thee His good treasure the heaven to give the rain of thy land in its season, and to bless all the work of thy hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow.
Something like in Perkei Avos (Ethics of our Fathers), the store is open come and take and the Synagogue will pay for it. (Paraphrasing meaning observe and get the benefits)
13 And the LORD will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them;
You shall lead and people will listen unto you. Your observance of Torah in everyday ordinary life will radiate forth upon others.
14 and shalt not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
How could anybody go after other gods or fake/cult man-made religions if one attaches himself to what is written in the Five Sefarim of Torah. One who attaches himself to the Commandments, Statutes and Laws written in the Torah as glued to his heart and mind will never go astray.
15 But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day; that all these curses shall come upon thee, and overtake thee.
This section is usually given to the Rav or a known G-D fearing man. The curses are harsh on the ears and the merits of the person called up to the Torah is supposed to block them from the congregation.
6 Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. 17 Cursed shall be thy basket and thy kneading-trough.
Abandoning G-D and Mitzvos might look good on the first day, like a loan from the Mafia helps somebody out, but then one starts paying back interest upon interest and it eats you up. Perkei Avos (Ethics of our Fathers): Consider the reward of a sin against its loss and consider the cost of a Mitzvah against its gain [in the end or in the after life].
18 Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy kine, and the young of thy flock. 19 Cursed shalt thou be when thou come in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou go out. 20 The LORD will send upon thee cursing, discomfiture, and rebuke, in all that thou put thy hand unto to do, until thou be destroyed, and until thou perish quickly; because of the evil of thy doings, whereby thou hast forsaken Me.
No matter what you do, how careful you are, you have gone against G-D and now it is time to pay the piper.
21 The LORD will make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou go in to possess it. 22 The LORD will smite thee with consumption, and with fever, and with inflammation, and with fiery heat, and with drought, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. 23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. 24 The LORD will make the rain of thy land powder and dust; from heaven shall it come down upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
One can read it like a person or like the whole land.
25 The LORD will cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them, and shalt flee seven ways before them; and thou shalt be a horror unto all the kingdoms of the earth. 26 And thy carcasses shall be food unto all fowls of the air, and unto the beasts of the earth, and there shall be none to frighten them away. 27 The LORD will smite thee with the boil of Egypt, and with the emerods, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.
You will think: “It is my strength this or that”; but flee when you release that without the Hashgacha (watching over/guidance) of the L-RD you are nothing and this is if you open up your eyes and mind to see.
28 The LORD will smite thee with madness, and with blindness, and with astonishment of heart. 29 And thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropes in darkness, and thou shalt not make thy ways prosperous; and thou shalt be only oppressed and robbed alway, and there shall be none to save thee.
If you do not open up your heart and mind unto G-D then you shall grope around without guidance, a purpose or hope.
30 Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her; thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein; thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not use the fruit thereof.
As I mentioned last week, Betrothal in ancient times was one step short of marriage. To separate one needed a divorce. The modern “shacking up together” that becomes public knowledge makes it a Suffak (Halachic/legal doubt) whether a divorce is needed, but a betrothal requires that either the death of a partner or a divorce will end it. The curse refers to the death of the man betrothing the woman or the usurping of the vineyard if no death occurs.
31 Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof; thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee; thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies; and thou shalt have none to save thee.
You will be helpless to do anything about this.
32 Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day; and there shall be nought in the power of thy hand.
I begin thinking about the parents with a child or the Cuneo Brothers in Gaza. What a curse and strain on the parents.
33 The fruit of thy land, and all thy labors, shall a nation which thou know not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed away:
I have not gone down south to see the damages occurred by the non and antireligious Kibbutzim vs. that of Kfar Maimon (religious untouched) but was it worth it to live secular or antireligious?
34 so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. 35 The LORD will smite thee in the knees, and in the legs, with a sore boil, whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the crown of thy head.
This happened during the destruction of the Temple, Holocaust and other times when Yisrael moved in the opposite direction that the Torah wanted.
36 The LORD will bring thee, and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee, unto a nation that thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers; and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.
So you wise guys think that you can serve idols in your own land with your own ruler, guess what you shall serve the idols in a foreign land under an oppressive foreign leader.
37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all the peoples whither the LORD shall lead thee away. 38 Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather little in; for the locust shall consume it. 39 Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worm shall eat them. 40 Thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olives shall drop off.
Anything that is bound to go wrong will go wrong and compound itself.
41 Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but they shall not be thine; for they shall go into captivity. 42 All thy trees and the fruit of thy land shall the locust possess. 43 The stranger that is in the midst of thee shall mount up above thee higher and higher; and thou shalt come down lower and lower.
The nations shall take your children away. Pope Pious XII saved the bodies of many Jewish Children but stole their souls. Cardinal Lustige in Paris was one of them. I always say to potential converts to Judaism: “If you want to come then come, but being a Ben Noach (Noahide) will get you a place in heaven too and with less Mitzvos.”.
44 He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. 45 And all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee. 46 And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed forever; 47 because thou didst not serve the LORD thy God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, by reason of the abundance of all things;
You shall be the down-trodden Jew. You shall be subservient, a serf or some person with dependency.
48 therefore shalt thou serve thine enemy whom the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee. 49 The LORD will bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as the vulture swoops down; a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand; 50 a nation of fierce countenance, that shall not regard the person of the old, nor show favor to the young. 51 And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle, and the fruit of thy ground, until thou be destroyed; that also shall not leave thee corn, wine, or oil, the increase of thy kine, or the young of thy flock, until he have caused thee to perish. 52 And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fortified walls come down, wherein thou didst trust, throughout all thy land; and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God hath given thee. 53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters whom the LORD thy God hath given thee; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall straiten thee.
In Medrash Lamentations and the siege mentioned in the time where the four lepers went out of the city in Melechim 2 (2 Kings 7:3-20).
54 The man that is tender among you, and very delicate, his eye shall be evil against his brother, and against the wife of his bosom, and against the remnant of his children whom he hath remaining; 55 so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he hath nothing left him; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall straiten thee in all thy gates. 56 The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not adventure to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil against the husband of her bosom, and against her son, and against her daughter;
The hunger and conditions will drive a mild man into being cruel from the maddening conditions he is facing.
57 and against her afterbirth that cometh out from between her feet, and against her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly; in the siege and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall straiten thee in thy gates. 58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and awful Name, the LORD thy God; 59 then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance. 60 And He will bring back upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou were in dread of; and they shall cleave unto thee. 61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
Health shall be a luxury that does not exist.
62 And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou didst not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. 63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish, and to destroy you; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou go in to possess it.
Before the destruction of the Second Temple there were 600,000 Korban Pesach. Each Sacrifice had 20 to 50 people so that it would be finished that night. It was eaten on a full stomach and it should not remain unto the morning. This makes the population 12-30,000,000 males over the age of 13 that were close enough to offer the Korban. Now take into account a similar amount of women. To this we add the people too far away, people who were not ritually pure, and children and you have a tremendous number of Jews. Yet before the Holocaust there were 16,600.000 and today 14,500,000 so where did they all go? Assimilation, murder, forced conversion, stolen away, etc. and that is why our population is so small. Yet all over the world the 7,500,000 Jews in Israel are the ones responsible for all the problems for the 8,142,000,000 people (as of 2024) in the world.
64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all peoples, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers, even wood and stone. 65 And among these nations shalt thou have no repose, and there shall be no rest for the sole of thy foot; but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and languishing of soul. 66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear night and day, and shalt have no assurance of thy life. 67 In the morning thou shalt say: 'Would it were even!' and at even thou shalt say: 'Would it were morning!' for the fear of thy heart which thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.
Up until the beginning of redemption that we are experiencing now this is what has happened to us.
68 And the LORD shall bring thee back into Egypt in ships, by the way whereof I said unto thee: 'Thou shalt see it no more again'; and there ye shall sell yourselves unto your enemies for bondmen and for bondwoman, and no man shall buy you.
This last one according to Eliyahu HaNovi (Elijah) is a blessing in disguise as since none will buy you will not be enslaved but somehow survive. None will buy means the end to the curses. Suddenly, we are seeing people who have violated Shabbos or been on anti-kosher/anti-religious Kibbutzim after captivity or just plan Oct. 7th returning en-mass to Torah Judaism. Not fully at first, but the trickle is turning into stream and the stream into of river of more and more observance from people who were far-far away from religion.
69 These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which He made with them in Horeb. 29:1 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; 2 the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders; 3 but the LORD hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
You aged over 40 through 60 standing here have witnessed these great Miracles.
4 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. 5 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.
Think about this having a garment 40 years old and shoes that never wear out. Is this not also a miracle?
6 And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them. 7 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Menashe. 8 Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper.
The whole section on blessings and curses are a warning to follow the Mitzvos similar to Parsha Bechukosai if you walk in MY ways then prosper but if not then faulter. Therefore, if one wants to succeed give Maaser/Charity and you will eventually become rich.
Meeting my personal goals. This week with Rabbi Mimran, we complete two sections of the Shulchan Aruch. Years ago we finished Eben HaEzer twice and now Aruch Chaim and Choshen Mishpat (mostly just reading through). We are completing Yeah Deah the laws of Mourning and lastly will be the laws of Trafe. Some places we learned a few times but never completed the full Shulchan Aruch. I want to be a Shulchan Aruch Yid.
From Ilana R.: One year after the September 11, 2001 tragedy, a quiet little note appeared in a U.S. newspaper.
It wasn’t loud or dramatic—just simple… and unforgettable.
It read:
“You may have heard about the CEO of a major company who survived the attacks because it was his turn to take his child to preschool.
Another man lived because it was his day to bring donuts.
One woman was late because her alarm clock didn’t go off.
Someone got stuck in traffic on the New Jersey Turnpike.
Another missed the bus.
One spilled coffee on her blouse and had to change.
One person’s car wouldn’t start.
Someone went back to answer a phone call.
Another’s child took too long getting ready.
One simply couldn’t catch a cab.
But the one that struck me most… was a man who survived because he wore new shoes that day.
They gave him a blister, so he stopped at a pharmacy to buy a bandage.
That’s why he lived.”
Now, whenever I’m stuck in traffic, miss the elevator, go back home for my keys, or pick up a call at the last moment…
I stop and think—
Maybe I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
Maybe this delay is protection I’ll never know about.
So the next time your morning feels “off”—
The kids are slow,
You can’t find your keys,
Or you hit every red light—
Don’t stress. Don’t get angry.
Maybe… just maybe… God is quietly protecting you in ways you can’t yet see.
R.P. One person was late because of Selichos. Another it was a day that he had to take his son to kindergarten.
A few minutes after United Airlines Flight 175 struck the South Tower of the World Trade Center, 24-year-old Welles Crowther left a final voicemail for his mother:
“Mom, it’s Welles. I just wanted to let you know that I’m OK.”
It was the last time she ever heard his voice.
Welles was a financial broker working on the 104th floor. When chaos erupted, he didn’t think of escape. Instead, he made a different choice—he went back into the heart of the destruction.
On the 78th floor, amid smoke and fire, he pulled a red handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around his face. It wasn’t for disguise—it was just something to breathe through. But that red bandana would come to define him forever.
He carried one injured woman down 15 flights of stairs. Then he went back up. He rescued another. And another. Each time, he returned into danger without hesitation.
“Anyone who can stand up, get up now. And if you can help others, do it,” he urged. Calm, steady, determined—his voice cut through the terror.
Welles was last seen heading upward again, alongside firefighters, a rescue tool in his hand. His body was later found among them. He had been climbing back into the flames one final time.
Ling Young, one of the survivors he saved, called him her guardian angel: “Without him, we would have just been stuck there, waiting for the collapse.”
That day, Welles Crowther saved at least 12 lives. He died wearing the red bandana that has since become a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and love.
Some heroes are soldiers. Some are leaders. But the greatest are ordinary people who, when the moment comes, choose to put others first. Welles Crowther was one of them. His red bandana reminds us still—that the strongest force in the world is the will to save others.
Exposing the Young Genius by Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1448-50
When the Alter-Rebbe-to-be [Rabbi Shneur-Zalman] made his first journey to Mezritch, he was a young and recently married man, just 16 years of age, but his phenomenal accomplishments in the study of Torah were already famed throughout White Russia. Aside from his brilliance and erudition in the study of nigleh [the "revealed" Torah: Scripture, Talmud, Halacha], he served the Creator with the deep-felt devotion and awe of a man far more advanced in years.
He was also proficient in the writings of the holy Shelah [Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz 1560-1630] by heart, from beginning to end, and it was from the Shelah that he had adopted his mode of divine service. And yet, despite this, his broad mind was still not at ease, until he came to hear intriguing reports of our holy Rebbe, the Maggid of Mezritch, successor to the Baal Shem Tov.
The journey to Mezritch was long, so it was necessary to stop on the way for Shabbat, which he did in the city of Minsk. He arrived there on a Friday, Erev Shabbos. He was wearing the clothes of a pauper so that no-one would recognize him. The gabbai [manager] of the shul (synagogue) arranged for him to stay for Shabbos in the home of a wealthy member of the community.
It happened that this wealthy householder had a son-in-law who was an exceptional Torah scholar, whose name had already become known far and wide, and would yet become even more acclaimed as a Torah genius. His name was Rabbi Shmuel Modils. However, he did not speak a word to the Alter Rebbe that entire Shabbos, thinking the ill-dressed young man to be one of the many itinerant beggars who would pass by such homes.
After Shabbos and havdala [the ceremony marking the end of Shabbat], Reb Shmuel and a colleague of his retreated to their quarters in order to study together in partnership. The young Rabbi Shneur-Zalman asked if he could come as well, so that he could warm himself by the fireplace in their room. They agreed and he followed.
The two prodigies were studying in depth the Masechta [volume of Talmud] named Shabbos, and they fell into a furious debate, centered around a powerful question on the words of Rashi's commentary. It seemed as though grasping the true intent behind Rashi's words was beyond them.
Meanwhile, the young guest could not hold himself back. "My brothers," he said to them, "At this point, you won't be able to understand Rashi's meaning."
The two scholars thought his statement amusing. "And why is that?" they chuckled.
"Because you made a mistake interpreting Rashi several pages ago. If you'll understand the proper meaning of his words back there, then Rashi's intention over here will reveal itself to you as a matter of course, and without any special effort."
He showed them the place he was referring to, and told them the interpretation of Rashi they had given on their previous reading of the passage.
"Yes, that's right," they said, for that was how they had learned it.
He then raised a question on their interpretation that was so incredibly and profoundly incisive that they were stunned by the depth of his comprehension. Both men were at a loss for reply.
"Extraordinary! But please, now tell us what the proper interpretation is," they requested.
Eventually, they saw that it was just as he had said; the Rashi whose meaning had originally been problematic for them was now straightforward and simple, with no cause for question whatsoever. "This little one is as fully versed in the Talmud as any of the great scholars of the generation" they exclaimed. "Indeed, it could be he is already the greatest of the great!"
Hearing that, the Alter Rebbe quickly exited the room, and took off as though he was fleeing for his life. His hosts dispatched people throughout the city in search for him, but they did not find him.
Only later on, after investigating and inquiring into who he was and from where he had come, did they hear that he was the son-in-law of a prominent Vitebsk businessman, and that he was highly esteemed as a prodigy even in comparison to the great scholars and to other prodigies.
Reb Shmuel longed to meet with R. Shneur-Zalman again, since with time he had heard of his fine reputation, and how he was a tzaddik (righteous person) in his generation. But Minsk was a long way away from Liozna where the Alter Rebbe lived, and he was unable to make such an endeavor.
After some years had gone by, there was a gathering in Minsk, a rabbinic conference attended by all of the greatest leaders and scholars of the region; from Lithuania, the great genius Reb Shaul of Vilna was at their head; and from White Russia, the Alter Rebbe.
When the brilliant Reb Shmuel Modils caught wind of the Alter Rebbe's attendance, he was filled with joy and delight; now, after what seemed like a lifetime, he would finally fulfill his long-awaited wish. He happily went to greet the holy Alter Rebbe, and brought along a great number of Sefarim (books), all carried by his attendant who followed closely behind. He intended to ask him all of his questions and scholarly doubts from across the Talmud Bavli and Yerushalmi, the Rishonim, and the Achronim.
Reb Shmuel went to the upper floor of the building in which the gathering was taking place, where the Alter Rebbe had set up his chambers. There, in the presence of nearly all of the superior Torah scholars in attendance at the conference, Reb Shmuel sat for nearly an hour and a half and asked the Alter Rebbe all of his questions, The Rebbe answered each one in turn, as all the brilliant scholars gathered at the assembly listened in astonished silence.
The Alter Rebbe's great disciple, the famous philanthropist Reb Pinchas Reizes of Shklov, was also present at that gathering, and I (Yaakov Kaidener-see "Source" below) personally heard from him how after all these questions, Reb Shmuel then asked about a certain Mishna.
The Rebbe told his disciple, "Pinchas! You say the meaning of the Mishna." Reb Pinchas said his understanding of the Mishna, whereupon the Rebbe challenged him on this interpretation with such profundity that he had nothing to answer. None of the other brilliant scholars present opened their mouths either.
Later, the brilliant Reb Shmuel Modils recited the blessing "Chacham Harazim" - "He Who is wise in secrets," on the occasion of seeing such a towering sage. He then took leave and departed.
As he descended the stairs leading from the upper floor, a great number of people stood on either side of the staircase, waiting to ask R. Shmuel about the Alter Rebbe. They excitedly quizzed him about the nature of the Rebbe, and he replied with great emotion, "There are several opinions in the Talmud, Bavli and Yerushalmi, regarding the characteristics of a Talmid Chacham, a true Torah scholar. And I, Rabbi Shmuel Modils, say that according to all of those opinions, the holy Rebbe is a leading Talmid Chacham [Torah scholar - lit. "student of the wise"] of our time!"
Those are the precise words I heard from a prominent member of our town who was also in Minsk at that time. He was present at that scene on the stairs and heard those words from the genius Reb Shmuel.
We also heard how, at that same gathering, the Rebbe posed a question on a certain law as ruled by the Rambam, and he proceeded to answer the question with a deep and intricate discussion on the subject that greatly pleased the learned scholars there.
The great genius Rabbi Shaul of Vilna, who was known to be proficient in the both Talmud Bavli and Talmud Yerushalmi, as well as the writings of all the 'Rishonim and Achronim' (Earlier and Later [Torah Authorities]), almost entirely by heart, rose from his seat. He addressed the Rebbe:
"It is true that G-D's Torah is in your mouth - for the question you pointed out is particularly powerful, and the answer you offered is also true Torah. However, there is something I would like to ask: You could have asked that same question on previous ruling, several pages earlier in the Rambam?!"
"I am also aware of that law written earlier," replied the Rebbe, citing the page and paragraph.
"Yes, that's right," said R. Shaul, "that was the ruling I was referring too."
The Rebbe then proposed an answer, demonstrating that there were no grounds at all to ask his question on that previous law in the Rambam. This answer involved such a profound pilpul (complex analysis) that none of the great scholars present at that rarefied assembly managed to plumb the depths of his thought, except for Rabbi Chaim of Volozhin [the main disciple of the Vilna Gaon and the patriarch of the Soloveitchik line of rabbinical scholars] and the genius Reb Shaul, who understood it perfectly well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Excerpted by Yerachmiel Tilles from a forthcoming translation of Sipurim Nora'im ("Wondrous Tales") -- by Rabbi Yaakov Kaidener, as posted on anash.org from Anash Magazine, issue 004. (Sipurim Nora'im is known for its commitment to accuracy. Throughout the book, the author emphasizes from whom he heard the story and the reliability of that person. Some of the stories occurred with the author himself present).
Why This Week? Thursday, Elul 18, is the date of the birth of the Alter Rebbe in 1745 (and of the Baal Shem Tov in1698).
Biographic note:
Rabbi Shneur-Zalman [18 Elul 1745-24 Tevet 1812], one of the main disciples of the Maggid of Mezritch, is the founder of the Chabad-Chassidic movement. He is the author of Shulchan Aruch HaRav and Tanya as well as many other major works in both Jewish law and the mystical teachings.
From Chabad: Dear Rabbi Pauli,
As we prepare for the new Jewish year 5786, I’d like to share some resources with you to help you take full advantage of the spiritual potential of these final days of the year, and to prepare well for the High Holidays (only three weeks away!):
The amazing Jewish month we’re in:
We are in the month of Elul, which – despite being holiday-less – contains some of the loftiest days on our calendar. Like with so much else in Judaism, the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory, illuminates Elul’s powerful potential and translates those teachings into practical application for our daily lives.
One overarching theme in the Rebbe’s teachings about Elul is that G-d's relationship to us this month is analogous to a benevolent “King who goes out to the Field” and radiates a loving, inviting countenance that encourages each of us to approach Him, no matter our past actions or feelings.
You can join as the Rebbe explains these lofty concepts to little children, and as he further illuminates the parable and its details here.
Here are some of the resources people are already turning to on Chabad.org this month:
· Elul basics and resources - A large repository of law, insight, and inspiration can be found at Chabad.org/Elul.
· The Rebbe’s annual pre-holiday pastoral letter - “To the Sons and Daughters of Our People of Israel, Everywhere.” With these words, the Rebbe would begin his annual pre-holiday pastoral letters, revealing layers of spirituality, inspiration, and practical guidance.
· 14 facts about Psalms - Throughout the month of Elul, and during the High Holidays, we echo King David’s heartfelt and divinely inspired pleas for divine mercy as expressed in the Book of Psalms (Tehillim).
· Film on the power of Tzedakah - Tzedakah is central to the month of Elul. In Jewish thought, giving to people in need is not considered something noble or extra. It’s an ordinary and integral part of our daily lives; the just and proper way to live. Learn more from our film about the power of Tzedakah.
· Rosh Hashanah 2025 FAQs - Some quick Rosh Hashanah facts. Get a head start with these handy FAQs.
· Ask the Rabbi - Throughout the year, day and night, our dedicated rabbis and counselors on our “Ask the Rabbi” team help people from all over the world who seek advice, information, assistance, or even just a friendly listening ear. Is there anything we can do for you?
There’s much more…!
Chabad.org contains thousands more pages of guidance and inspiration for this season. I encourage you to take full advantage of them.
Levi Yitzchak Pash’s last act of kindness before he was murdered: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/7026884/jewish/His-Last-Act-of-Kindness-Before-He-Was-Murdered.htm
Milestone: Ruth Weiss, 101, Ruth Weiss, who fled Nazi Germany and chronicled South African apartheid, dies at 101 | The Times of Israel
Milestone: Robert Jay Lifton, 99, https://www.timesofisrael.com/robert-jay-lifton-a-pioneering-scholar-of-nazi-doctors-and-jewish-memory-dies-at-99/
Inyanay Diyoma
Sept. 6th and Sept. 7th
Swords of Iron Day 701 and Day 702 start of week 101 and already 1 year and 11 months of war.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/focus-of-mass-rallies-shifts-to-jerusalem-as-fears-grow-for-lives-of-the-hostages/
I met a neighbor yesterday and we were talking about the children. His oldest is in Golani 51 Kahn Unis who met the son of another neighbor, who was home for his brother’s wedding. The other son is in Golani 13.
6 Drones from Teman Houthi drone strikes Ramon Airport | Israel National News
Massive Drone attack in Ukraine from Russia.
Live Updates: Witkoff sends war-ending principles to Hamas via mediator | The Jerusalem Post
Terrorist who bragged about murdering 10 Israelis is eliminated | Israel National News
US Jewish leaders refuse to meet with Macron | Israel National News
US House committee probes far-left anti-Israel group for alleged China links | The Times of Israel
Iran turns mass grave of 1979 revolution execution victims into a parking lot | The Times of Israel
Psychological terrorism: Hamas publishes video of two hostages | Israel National News
Plans to Dry Out Yesha Outposts | Israel National News
IDF strikes multi-story building in Gaza City | Israel National News IDF blows up a Gaza City high-rise building, says it housed Hamas infrastructure | The Times of Israel
Hurricane Kiko's close approach prompts Hawaii to declare state of emergency | Fox Weather
JD Vance acknowledges potential 2028 run, says focus is on current job | Fox News
Ahead of expanded IDF operations: Hamas prepares executions in Gaza | Israel National News
Reservist whose car was burned by leftist activists refuses donations | Israel National News
Terrorist eliminated by IDF at Samaria checkpoint | Israel National News
IDF strikes multi-story building used by Hamas for terror | Israel National News
New demands from Moldova complicate Uman agreement | Israel National News
Woman arrested on suspicion of trying to drown mother-in-law | Israel National News
Over 250 mayors gather in Australia to combat rising antisemitism | Israel National News
Security source says Gaza clans quietly challenge Hamas | The Jerusalem Post
Denmark not ready to recognize Palestinian state, FM says | The Jerusalem Post
Houthis claim: Detained UN staff spied for Israel and US | Israel National News
Poll shows coalition losing seats if Bennett and Eisenkot run | Israel National News
Poll: Bennett-Liberman alliance would secure 30 seats | Israel National News
At Hostages Square: Demonstration marks 700 days since Oct. 7 | Israel National News
The Blogs: Unilateral folly, again | Raoul Wootliff | The Times of Israel
WZO closes election fraud case without penalties for suspected cheaters | The Times of Israel
Israelis among the injured in Lisbon streetcar derailment | The Times of Israel
IDF says it already controls 40% of Gaza City ahead of main offensive | The Times of Israel
Trump to rename Department of Defense the 'Department of War,' official says | The Times of Israel
https://www.timesofisrael.com/witkoff-said-to-hold-hostage-talks-with-qataris-in-paris-but-israel-skeptical/
Sept. 8th
Swords of Iron Day 703
Last night, many Israelis took a few minutes time out to watch the Lunar Eclipse that was the first in 7 years and the last was early in the morning. The next is during the rainy season Dec. 2028. We even had clouds at the start this time.
This morning I received two videos on Oct. 7th from Diane Weber Bederman posted by Dalia. Elon Musk’s people “Freedom of speech for Nazis” but “This Video Has Been Deleted”. Now you know!
Last week, I was stuck in traffic trying to get through Ramot Junction in brings together Route 1 (Tel Aviv Yerushalayim, Maale Adumim, Har Zophim), Ramot-Sanhedria road, and Route 443 (Modiin Yerushalayim) together. Yesterday, my wife and I had to take some equipment to be repaired. Just about 10:10 in the morning, we took the quickest route via Waze and it was through that junction and to return via that junction. Today around 10:10 a terror attack occurred there leaving six dead and at least 11 injured. https://www.timesofisrael.com/six-killed-6-seriously-injured-in-jerusalem-as-terrorists-open-fire-on-bus-pedestrians/
Police officer shot dead during pursuit | Israel National News
IDF strikes Hezbollah targets in Beqaa | Israel National News
Initial inquiry: UAV that hit Ramon Airport was not classified as hostile | Israel National News
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-intercepts-three-houthi-drones-launched-at-southern-israel/
Sept. 9th
Swords of Iron Day 704
Yesterday, I forgot to mention that Ramot Junction also leads to Yericho and the Dead Sea.
A Miracle for Mohammed, the 320 Bus Driver to Kiriat Sefer: At first, Mohammed stopped the bus to let passengers off at the stop. During the terror attack, Mohammed opened up the back door of the bus and people fled. He then got the idea that he should also flee. The driver’s seat took 4 bullets two on the left side and two straight to the driver. His jacket absorbed all four. Had he remained seated, he would have been killed.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/09/07/israeli-military-spokesperson-issues-evacuation-warning-for-residents-in-gaza-city/
Defense Minister @Israel_Katz has ordered sanctions targeting the families and villages of the terrorists who carried out last night’s deadly attack in Jerusalem.
The measures include demolition of all illegal structures in their villages and revocation of 750 Israeli work permits and entry authorizations.
The decision was made in accordance with recommendations from the security establishment and COGAT head Maj. Gen. Rasan Alian. – Hillel Fuld
https://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-says-israel-bombed-3-locations-fumes-at-blatant-infringement-of-sovereignty/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/at-least-five-said-killed-as-israel-hits-hezbollah-sites-in-northeast-lebanon/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-rivals-increase-coordination-in-effort-to-optimize-bloc-ahead-of-next-election/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/montreal-based-human-rights-group-asks-city-to-bar-israeli-cyclists-from-race/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/thunbergs-gaza-flotilla-says-boat-attacked-by-drone-overnight/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/palestinians-say-two-teens-killed-by-idf-in-jenin-army-investigating/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/some-1500-actors-and-filmmakers-vow-to-boycott-israeli-movie-industry/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-mediating-source-witkoff-proposal-unlikely-to-break-hostage-talks-logjam/
Pay people next to nothing and this is what happens. Pay them like Hi-Tech and get the best. OECD report: Most teachers in Israel resign within 5 years | Israel National News
First official Israeli approval of Trump's proposal | Israel National News
French government collapses again as PM ousted in confidence vote | Israel National News
IDF strikes Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar | Israel National News
From fields of loss to single malt: Kibbutz Be’eri launches its first whiskey
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/09/07/israels-supreme-court-orders-improved-food-for-security-prisoners/
Jewish Voice for Peace Members Form New, More Radical Anti-Zionist Student Group | Algemeiner.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/four-soldiers-killed-in-hamas-attack-on-army-camp-near-gaza-city-idf-says/
Sept. 10th
Swords of Iron Day 705
Prayers for Tova Gila bas Miriam Shoshana injured in the terror attack.
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/09/09/hamas-claims-responsibility-mondays-deadly-jerusalem-terror-attack/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-officials-said-to-doubt-success-of-strike-on-hamas-leaders-in-doha/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-chief-presses-bloc-to-sanction-israel-slash-trade-ties-over-gaza-war/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/state-comptroller-exposes-gaps-in-emergency-response-during-war-with-iran/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/white-house-berates-israel-for-unilaterally-bombing-hamas-leaders-in-ally-qatar/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-idf-targets-hamas-leadership-in-qatar-fm-says-israel-accepts-us-hostage-proposal/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-jeered-by-pro-palestinian-protesters-at-dc-restaurant-called-hitler-of-our-time/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lebanon-says-hezbollah-will-be-disarmed-south-of-litani-within-months/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-plasma-filter-promises-cutting-edge-solution-to-life-threatening-bleeds/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-travelers-stranded-in-nepal-as-deadly-protests-shut-down-country/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/lawmakers-mull-lowering-military-exemption-age-for-ultra-orthodox-yeshiva-students/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/poland-says-it-downed-russian-drones-that-violated-its-airspace-during-attack-on-ukraine/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/nyc-voters-favor-mamdanis-campaign-rhetoric-on-israeli-palestinian-conflict-poll/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-has-2nd-most-crowded-classrooms-but-pupils-get-above-average-hours-oecd/
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hellfire-missile-bounces-mysterious-orb-stunning-uap-footage-shown-congress
https://www.foxnews.com/us/dramatic-video-shows-shipping-containers-toppling-off-cargo-ship-california
https://www.foxnews.com/us/coast-guard-burns-sinks-suspected-drug-boat-apprehends-7-alleged-drug-smugglers-video
Ted Cruz Slams Tucker Carlson for Comments on Osama bin Laden, World War II | Algemeiner.com
First haredi draft-dodger arrested en route to Uman | Israel National News
Tim Dillon Was Far From Funny in ‘Joke’ About Jewish Control of the Media | Algemeiner.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/elizabeth-tsurkov-released-from-captivity-in-iraq-to-return-to-israel-on-wednesday/
Sept. 11th
Swords of Iron Day 706
The main headline today is the assassination of Charlie Kirk founder of “Turning Point USA” and friend of Israel. https://www.foxnews.com/video/5614615980001
President Trump speaks out. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6379081960112
"The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us," Trump wrote. "Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!"
Wikipedia: In an April 2023 Turning Point USA event in Salt Lake City, Utah, Kirk said: "I think it's worth to have a cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights." -
On Sept. 9th, Israel knocked down a drone from Yemen and another Missile at News Time. Sept. 10th an attack on Yemen. Another missile towards an IAF Base this morning was shot down. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414741
35 or more dead in attack on Houthis yesterday after the attacks on us this week.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414711
Israeli-Russian researcher Elizabeth Tsurkov returned to Israel this evening (Wednesday), more than two years after she was abducted by Iran-linked terrorists in Iraq. Contrary to US Statement, they agreed to remove military bases from Iraq (probably due to cost). https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414731
Son of Hamas: Israel’s unprecedented strike on Hamas leaders in Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Tuesday was long overdue and should have been executed “almost two years ago,” the son of a Hamas founder told The Jerusalem Post in an exclusive interview following the dramatic operation. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-866935
The flotilla organized by the anti-Israel group Global Sumud Flotilla — joined by activist Greta Thunberg and actress Susan Sarandon — is not a humanitarian mission but rather a cover operation coordinated by Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, according to a report issued by the Diaspora and Antisemitism Ministry. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/b1dyr1ysxe#autoplay
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-tells-qatar-to-expel-hamas-chiefs-or-bring-them-to-justice-if-you-dont-we-will/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-response-lagged-as-kibbutz-magen-residents-fought-for-survival-on-oct-7-probe-finds/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hostage-families-express-grave-fear-that-doha-strike-could-endanger-the-captives/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ministry-sanctions-haredi-schools-for-refusing-sephardi-students-55-still-stuck-at-home/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ex-fm-eli-cohen-grilled-by-cops-over-diplomatic-passports-for-likud-mayors-pms-son/
Jerry Seinfeld compares ‘Free Palestine’ to KKK at Duke University | Israel National News
Qatar PM: Netanyahu 'killed any hope' for Gaza hostages with Doha attack | Israel National News
Not the first American Leak. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414708
Watch: IDF conducts series of strikes on 360 terror targets in Gaza | Israel National News
Unconfirmed: 5 Hamas Chiefs killed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/414653
Faculty Driving US Campus Antisemitism Crisis, New Survey Finds | Algemeiner.com
Self-Defense: A Pillar of Our New Jewish Life | Algemeiner.com
https://www.timesofisrael.com/waiting-for-gaza-city-residents-to-head-south-israel-readies-new-aid-sites-in-rafah/
Sept. 12th
Swords of Iron Day 707 end of week 101
This week on Monday or Tuesday it was quite cloudy and a power failure. That caused me to have the second worse power generation this year but now back to normal. By using most of my power while the sun shines, such as baking and washing, I am saving a lot.
Both main TV Channels exposed how easy it is for infiltrators to enter Yerushalayim. https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-terror-attack-exposes-fresh-holes-in-reliance-on-west-bank-security-barrier/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-formally-submits-appointment-of-david-zini-as-next-shin-bet-head/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/zebrafish-help-israeli-researchers-hook-potential-cure-for-deadly-genetic-disease/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netherlands-plans-to-ban-imports-from-israels-west-bank-settlements/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/australian-police-arrest-alleged-mastermind-of-string-of-antisemitic-attacks/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-fires-ambassador-to-the-us-peter-mandelson-over-his-links-to-jeffrey-epstein/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/knesset-panel-approves-nis-80-million-budget-transfer-for-religious-councils/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-wedding-was-canceled-due-to-iran-war-avner-netanyahu-calls-off-his-engagement/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/canada-closes-doors-to-fans-for-tennis-contest-vs-israel-citing-security-issues/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/syria-busts-armed-hezbollah-linked-cell-planning-national-security-threats/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/oracle-exec-larry-ellison-briefly-surpasses-elon-musk-as-richest-man-alive/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fbi-releases-photo-of-suspect-in-charlie-kirk-shooting-recovers-rifle-nearby/
https://www.foxnews.com/live-news/charlie-kirk-shot-utah-valley-university
https://www.foxnews.com/us/person-interest-charlie-kirk-assassination-pictured-photos-released-fbi
Erika Kirk with the Vances. https://www.foxnews.com/video/6379185509112
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/chicago-area-mayor-congressional-candidate-brags-about-lengths-hes-gone-flummox-ice
https://www.foxnews.com/sports/trump-receives-warm-welcome-from-yankees-fans-usa-chants-break-out-stadium
https://www.timesofisrael.com/london-police-hunt-for-man-suspected-of-smearing-feces-on-synagogues-other-jewish-sites/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/orthodox-us-couple-allegedly-attacked-in-venice-by-group-shouting-free-palestine/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/protesters-picket-a-disinvited-and-reinvited-oct-7-film-in-toronto-but-dont-deter-heroes/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/man-kills-ex-wife-shoots-himself-in-jerusalems-gilo-neighborhood/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/hamas-government-docs-detail-terror-groups-use-of-gaza-hospitals-medical-facilities/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/there-will-be-no-palestinian-state-pm-signs-plan-cementing-e1-settlement-expansion/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/struggling-to-walk-elizabeth-tsurkov-embraces-loved-ones-after-return-to-israel-from-captivity/
Antisemitic Graffiti Strikes New York University Days Into New Semester | Algemeiner.com
Smotrich orders: 900 million shekels from PA - for terror victims | Israel National News
Shabbat candle-lighting times | Israel National News
Baby in critical condition after nearly drowning in bathtub in Kiryat Gat | Israel National News
The World War 2 era gun used to murder Charlie Kirk | Israel National News
Terror tunnels dismantled on Gaza City outskirts | Israel National News
GHF warns of rising Hamas disruption at Gaza distribution centers | Israel National News
IDF eliminates terrorist working for Iran in Lebanon | Israel National News
Two IDF soldiers injured in explosion at Nitzanei Oz Crossing | Israel National News
https://www.timesofisrael.com/waiting-for-gaza-city-residents-to-head-south-israel-readies-new-aid-sites-in-rafah/
Have a healthy, happy, peaceful and restful Shabbos
as forgiveness prayers start,
Rachamim Pauli
