Parsha
Vayehi
Last week, Yacov and his whole
family went down to sojourn in Egypt. They were given the wet lands of Goshen
that had lush green pastures for their cattle. But Yacov was no youngster and
had a very harsh life. His days were numbered and we pick up this week here. When
Yacov passes so does the generations of the founding fathers of Am Yisrael.
Already at the end of our Parsha, the tribes are beginning to be a town –
village but not quite a nation.
47:27 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. 28 And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen
years; so the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and
seven years.
Yacov had a rough life. The life
expectancy has gone down from 900 to 1000 years at the start of Beresheis to
closer to the 120years mentioned around the time of the flood. Neither Avraham
non Yitzchak passed 200 years like Terach and Yacov only made it to 147. Levi
will live until 133 years old but Yosef only 110 as ten times his brothers said
“Our father thy servant” and he did not push them off. Example “What need do
have for a servant older than seventy.”
29
And the time drew near that Israel must die; and he called his son Joseph, and
said unto him: 'If now I have found favor in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy
hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray
thee, in Egypt. 30 But when I sleep with my fathers, thou shalt carry me out of
Egypt, and bury me in their burying-place.' And he said: 'I will do as thou
hast said.' 31 And he said: 'Swear unto me.' And he swore unto him. And Israel
bowed down upon the bed's head.
The Bris Milah of the original Tzadikim
was a holy object and relations with his wives was in holy matrimony and not
the lust of the modern generations. As with Avraham, the holiness of the Bris
made that area a holy object to hold on to and swear by. And the people in that
generation held to their oath even to their word. I may be one of the few
people who gives a personal pledge and keeps it no matter what. Nowadays, with
the example of our “leaders”, most people don’t hold their word sacred.
48:1
And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph: 'Behold, thy
father is sick.' And he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. 2 And
one told Jacob, and said: 'Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee.' And Israel
strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed.
Yosef knows that his father’s time
is limited so first of all he gathers his sons for a blessing.
3
And Jacob said unto Joseph: 'God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land
of Canaan, and blessed me, 4 and said unto me: Behold, I will make thee
fruitful, and multiply thee, and I will make of thee a company of peoples; and
will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession. 5 And
now thy two sons, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came
unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and
Simeon, shall be mine.
Menashe is the first born, yet in
this sentence, Ephraim is placed first.
6
And thy issue, that thou beget after them, shall be thine; they shall be called
after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.
These two boys shall head tribes but
no more of your children. I was supposed to marry Rachel and her children’s
portion should be double for the first born. Now after the Torah was given, the
“hated” wife’s children get the first born. In fact after Matan Torah, Yacov
could not have married two sisters and some say that Lavan also sired the two
servant girl-wives.
7
And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of
Canaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Ephrath; and I
buried her there in the way to Ephrath--the same is Beth-lehem.'
He still has longings for Rachel,
Yosef’s mother.
8
And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said: 'Who are these?' 9 And Joseph said
unto his father: 'They are my sons, whom God hath given me here.' And he said:
'Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them.' 10 Now the eyes of
Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see. And he brought them near
unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.
He wanted to give final hugs and
blessings to them.
11
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'I had not thought to see thy face; and, lo, God
hath let me see thy seed also.'
He counts his blessings that he has
Yosef and his children.
12
And Joseph brought them out from between his knees; and he fell down on his
face to the earth. 13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand
toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right
hand, and brought them near unto him. 14 And Israel stretched out his right
hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand
upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the
first-born.
Yisrael could not see well, but he
was able either by garments of color or height to distinguish who was Ephraim
and Menashe. Yosef wanted Menashe to get the blessing of the right hand but
Yacov has other plans.
15
And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'The God before whom my fathers Abraham and
Isaac did walk, the God who hath been my shepherd all my life long unto this
day, 16 the angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let
my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let
them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.'
Yacov puts his right hand on Ephraim
and left on Menashe.
17
And when Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand upon the head of
Ephraim, it displeased him, and he held up his father's hand, to remove it from
Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head. 18 And Joseph said unto his father: 'Not
so, my father, for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head.'
Yosef thought that Yacov might have
mixed up the boys.
19
And his father refused, and said: 'I know it, my son, I know it; he also shall
become a people, and he also shall be great; howbeit his younger brother shall
be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.'
He knew by prophecy.
20
And he blessed them that day, saying: 'By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God
make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh. 21
And Israel said unto Joseph: 'Behold, I die; but God will be with you, and
bring you back unto the land of your fathers.
Every Friday Night, we bless our
male children thus and Ephraim is always ahead of Menashe but both are
mentioned.
22
Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out
of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.'
Yosef will get Schem and will find
his eternal rest there.
49:1
And Jacob called unto his sons, and said: 'Gather yourselves together, that I
may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days.
- And I will tell
you. He wished to reveal when the end of their descendants’ exile would be, but the Divine Presence departed from him, so he began to
speak of other things.
2
Assemble yourselves, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your
father. 3 Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my
strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. 4 Unstable as
water, have not thou the excellency; because thou went up to thy father's bed;
then defiled thou it--he went up to my couch.
|
Water-like
impetuosity. The impetuosity and haste with which you were quick to
display your anger, like water runs hastily along its course. Therefore – You
will not be foremost - meaning: You will not receive
all these privileges that would have been yours. And what was the impetuosity
which you showed? For you mounted your father’s bed; You
then profaned - the Name of He who
ascended my bed, i.e., of the Divine Presence, which would regularly reside
over my bed. פַּחַז - is a noun (“impetuosity”), and therefore its accent is on the first syllable and all
its vowels are patach, whereas if it were a verb in the past tense (“he was impetuous”), half of it (the first syllable) would be vocalized with a kamatz and half of it (the second syllable) with a patach (פָּחַז), with its accent on the last syllable. יְצוּעִי - connotes an object for lying upon, because one spreads (מַצִּיעִים)
it with felt covers and sheets. There are many similar examples of this word: “nor will I go up onto the bed spread out for me (יְצוּעָי “I remember You
when on my couch (יְצוּעָי).” |
|
5
Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship. 6 Let my soul
not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united;
for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen. 7
Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I
will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.
|
Simeon and Levi are (lit.) brothers - i.e., they were of one mind in the plot against Shechem and against Joseph. In the episode about Joseph, it says: “They said to each other… ‘So now let us go and kill him.’”
Who were “they”? If you say that it refers to Reuben or Judah – they did not agree to have him killed! If
you say that it refers to the sons of the bondwomen – their hatred of him was not so great, for
it says about Joseph: “he acted like a young boy, and he spent time with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah….” Issachar and Zebulun would not have spoken
up in the presence of their older brothers. It must have therefore been
Simeon and Levi, whom their father called here “brothers.” Stolen
tools. This craft of murdering
is theirs by theft. It was part of Esau’s blessing; it is his craft and you
have stolen it from him. מְכֵרֹֽתֵיהֶֽם - is a term for
weaponry. The sword in Greek is “Machir.” Tanchuma. Another
explanation of מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם: In the land of their sojourning, they became accustomed to
using “weapons of violence.” This meaning of מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם is the same as in “Your dwelling (מְכֹרֹתַיִךְ) and your birthplace” – and this is how Onkelos translates
it. (There is more Rashi about
disowning their behavior see Chabad.org/parshah/) |
|
8
Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine
enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down before thee.
Judah, your brothers will
praise you. Because Jacob rebuked the first ones
with severe words, Judah began backing away so that Jacob not rebuke him for the
incident with Tamar. Jacob therefore called him with words of appeasement: “Judah! You are not like
them!” Your hand will be at the neck of your
enemies - in the time of King David, as it says: “You have made my enemies
turn their necks toward me.” Your father’s sons. Since the tribes were from several wives, Jacob did not say: “your
mother’s sons,” as Isaac had said.
9
Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped
down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up?
There is more Rashi see Chabad.org/parshah/
10
The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his
feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the
peoples be.
Until the coming of
Shiloh - i.e., the Messianic King, who
will have complete sovereignty. This is also how Onkelos translates it. And
according to the Midrashic explanation: שִׁילֹה is a combination of the
words שַׁי לוֹ “a gift to him,” as it says concerning the Messiah: “they will bring a gift (שַׁי) to the revered one.”
There is more Rashi see Chabad.org/parshah/
11
Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he
washes his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes; 12 His
eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.
There is more Rashi see Chabad.org/parshah/
13
Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships,
and his flank shall be upon Sidon.
לְחוֹף יַמִּים - means that his land will be “by the seashore.” The meaning of חוֹף is as Onkelos translates it: סְפָר “border”; “marche” in Old French. He – his tribe – will constantly be “at
the harbor,” at the docking place where ships bring merchandise, for Zebulun
engaged in commerce and provided sustenance for the tribe of Issachar so they would be free to study Torah. About this, Moses said:
“Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar, in your tents” – Zebulun
goes out to deal in merchandise while Issachar studies the Torah in tents. - means “the end of his border will be near Sidon.” יַרְכָתוֹ means “its end,” as in “And for
the back (וּלְיַרְכְּתֵי) of the Tabernacle.”
14
Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds. 15 For he
saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he
bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task-work.
“Issachar is a
strong-boned donkey” - i.e., he bears the yoke of the Torah like a strong donkey that one
loads with a heavy burden. Resting between the
towns - i.e., like a donkey that
travels day and night and does not lodge indoors; and when it wishes to rest,
it crouches between the boundaries – at the limits of the cities where it is
bringing merchandise. There is more Rashi see Chabad.org/parshah/
16
Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.
“Dan will avenge the vengeance
of his people from the Philistines.” יָדִין
has the same meaning as in “For God will plead the case (יָדִין) of His people.” כְּאַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל - means that the tribes of Israel will
be united with him, and he will take vengeance (יָדִין) for them all. Jacob made this prophecy
regarding Samson. Another way of explaining כְּאַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
“just like the most distinguished (מְיוּחָד) of the tribes,” referring to King David, who came from the tribe of Judah.
17
Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the
horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward.
שְׁפִיפֹן - is a kind of snake. I maintain that it
is so called because it hisses (נוֹשֵׁף), as we find in: “and you will hiss as you bite them (תְּשׁוּפֶנּוּ)
in the heel.” Biting the horse’s heel. This is the way of a snake. Scripture compares him to a snake
that bites the horse’s heel, causing its rider to fall backward without the snake touching him. We find a
similar case with Samson: “And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars…” –
and those on the roof died without Samson having
touched them. Onkelos translates שְׁפִיפֹן as: כְּחִוֵּי חוּרְמָן “like churman
snakes,” the name of a type of snake for whose bite there is no cure, which is
the צִפְעוֹנִי snake, called חוּרְמָן because it destroys (חֵרֶם) everything. וּכְפִתְנָא in Onkelos means “like an asp (פֶּתֶן)”; יִכְמוֹן means “it lies in wait.”
18
I wait for Thy salvation, O LORD.
I hope for Your salvation,
God! Jacob prophesied that the Philistines would put out Samson’s eyes, and he would
ultimately say: “Please remember me and strengthen me just this once .”
19
Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; but he shall troop upon their heel.
Troops will march forth
from Gad. All these words are forms of the word גְּדוּד “a troop of soldiers,” and so did Menachem ben Saruk classify them. Should you
ask that the word גְּדוּד always has two ד’s, the answer is: גְּדוּד in the noun form indeed requires two ד’s, because it is
usual for a word with a two-letter root to double its last root-letter, but its basic
form has only two letters (גד). Similarly, it says:
“Like a bird wanders (לָנוּד – a verb),” with the same root as
“and I had my fill of wandering (נְדֻדִים – a noun),” and “there he fell vanquished
(שָׁדוּד),” with the same root as “ravaging (יָשׁוּד) at noon.” Likewise, יָגוּד, יְגוּדֶנּוּ,
and גְדוּד are all from the same root (גד). When such a verb is in the יפעל (future-tense kal) form, the second of the two
root-letters is not doubled, as in יָגֻד (lit.) “he will troop,” יָנוּד “he will wander,” יָרוּם “he will be exalted,” יָשׁוּד “he will ravage,” יָשׁוּב “he will return.” But
when it is in the reflexive (hitpa’el) or in the causative (hif’il) form, it is doubled, as in the hitpa’el form: יִתְגּוֹדֵד “he will form into
groups,” יִתְרוֹמֵם “he will raise
himself,” יִתְבּוֹלֵל “he will be mixed,” and יִתְעוֹדֵד “he will be strengthened,” and in the hif’il form: “He
gives strength (יְעוֹדֵד) to the orphan and the widow,” “to bring Jacob back (לְשׁוֹבֵב) to Him,” and “restorer (מְשׁוֹבֵב) of paths.” Similarly יְגוּדֶנּוּ here is not a causative form, but is the equivalent of יָגֻד הֵימֶנּוּ “will troop out from
him,” as in “my sons have left me (יְצָאֻנִי),” which is the equivalent of יָצְאוּ מִמֶּנִּי. Thus, גָּד גְּדוּד
יְגוּדֶנּוּ means: troops will march forth
from him, who will cross the Jordan with their brothers to wage war – every armed soldier
– until the land is conquered. And they will return on
their tracks - i.e., all Gad’s troops will return on their tracks back to their inheritance
that they received on the other side of the Jordan, and none of them will be
missing. עָקֵֽב - means: on those same roads and in Old French
“trazes.”
20
As for Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.
מֵֽאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ - means: Food produced from
Asher’s portion will be rich - for there will be many olives in his territory,
which will therefore flow with oil like water flows from a spring. Moses blessed him in the same way: “he will immerse
his foot in oil.” Thus we have learned in Menachot: Once the people of
Ludkia were in need of oil….
21
Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.
A deer set loose. This refers to the valley of Ginosar, whose fruit are quick to ripen, just
like a deer that runs quickly. אַיָּלָה
שְׁלֻחָה means a hind released (מְשֻׁלַּחַת) to run freely. There is more Rashi see Chabad.org/parshah/
22
Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain; its branches run over
the wall. 23 The archers have dealt bitterly with him, and shot at him, and
hated him; 24 But his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made
supple, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from thence, from the
Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, 25 Even by the God of thy father, who shall help
thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, with blessings of heaven
above, blessings of the deep that couches beneath, blessings of the breasts,
and of the womb. 26 The blessings of thy father are mighty beyond the blessings
of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be
on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the prince among his
brethren.
Yacov heaps praise on both Yehuda and
Yosef even more so.
27
Benjamin is a wolf that ravens; in the morning he devours the prey, and at even
he divides the spoil.'
“Benjamin is like a wolf that grabs.” Jacob here prophesied that Benjamin’s descendants were destined to be “grabbers,” as it says: “and each one of you
shall seize a wife,” which came true in the aftermath of the
incident of the concubine of Giv’ah;
and he also prophesied about Saul that he would vanquish his enemies on all
sides, as it says: “Saul secured the kingdom…and he fought all his surrounding enemies, Moab, and Edom… condemning whomever he turned against.” In
the morning it will devour the plunder. The word עַד is a term synonymous with the words בִּזָּה וְשָׁלָל “booty and spoil,”
which are translated by Onkelos as עֲדָאָה. There is also a similar example of עַד with this sense in the Hebrew language: “then will a plunder of spoil (עַד שָׁלָל) be divided.” Here Jacob is speaking about Saul,
who rose to power at the initial flourishing and shining of the kingdom of Israel. In the afternoon it will
distribute the spoils - i.e., even after the sun of Israel would set through Nebuchadnezzar
exiling them to Babylon – It will distribute the
spoils- Mordechai and Esther, who
were from the tribe of Benjamin, will divide the spoils of Haman, as it says: “I have
indeed given Haman’s estate to Esther.” And Onkelos translates שָׁלָל as referring to the “spoil” of the priests from the holy Temple
sacrifices.
28
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father
spoke unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he
blessed them. 29 And he charged them, and said unto them: 'I am to be gathered
unto my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of
Ephron the Hittite, 30 in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is
before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from
Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a burying-place. 31 There they buried
Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and
there I buried Leah. 32 The field and the cave that is therein, which was
purchased from the children of Heth.' 33 And when Jacob made an end of charging
his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered
unto his people.
50:1
And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him. 2
And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. And the
physicians embalmed Israel. 3 And forty days were fulfilled for him; for so are
fulfilled the days of embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him threescore and
ten days. 4 And when the days of weeping for him were past, Joseph spoke unto
the house of Pharaoh, saying: 'If now I have found favor in your eyes, speak, I
pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying: 5 My father made me swear, saying:
Lo, I die; in my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there
shalt thou bury me. Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my
father, and I will come back.' 6 And Pharaoh said: 'Go up, and bury thy father,
according as he made thee swear.' 7 And Joseph went up to bury his father; and
with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all
the elders of the land of Egypt, 8 and all the house of Joseph, and his
brethren, and his father's house; only their little ones, and their flocks, and
their herds, they left in the land of Goshen. 9 And there went up with him both
chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. 10 And they came to the
threshing-floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they wailed with
a very great and sore wailing; and he made a mourning for his father seven
days. 11 And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning
in the floor of Atad, they said: 'This is a grievous mourning to the
Egyptians.' Wherefore the name of it was called Abel-mizraim, which is beyond
the Jordan. 12 And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them. 13 For
his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the
field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field, for a possession of a
burying-place, of Ephron the Hittite, in front of Mamre. 14 And Joseph returned
into Egypt, he, and his brethren, and all that went up with him to bury his
father, after he had buried his father. 15 And when Joseph's brethren saw that
their father was dead, they said: 'It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will
fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.' 16 And they sent a
message unto Joseph, saying: 'Thy father did command before he died, saying: 17
So shall ye say unto Joseph: Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy
brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray
thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father.' And
Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.
The following commentary is from
HaRav Yissachar Frand Shlita Torah.org:
The Pasuk says
“Yosef returned to Egypt – he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him
to bury his father – after he buried his father. And Yosef’s brothers saw that
their father was dead, and they said, ‘Perhaps Yosef will nurse hatred against
us and then he will surely repay us all the evil that we did him.'” (Beresheis
50:14-15). The brothers returned from the burial of Yaakov in Eretz Canaan and
suddenly panicked because maybe now that their father is dead, Yosef will take
his just revenge upon them. Therefore, they send a message to Yosef: “They
commanded that Yosef be told, ‘Your father commanded before his death saying:
Thus, shall you say to Yosef ‘Please forgive the spiteful deed of your brothers
and their sin for they have done you evil’; so now, please forgive the spiteful
deed of the servants of your father’s G-d.” And Yosef wept when they spoke to
him.” (Beresheis 50:16-17)
Rashi comments that the messengers who the
brothers sent to deliver this message were none other than the Bnei (sons of Bilhah),
who were accustomed to interacting with Yosef. We know from Parshas Vayeshev
that as a young boy, Yosef used to interact with the Bnei Bilhah. The sons
of the handmaidens (Bilhah and Zilpah) were the “second-class citizens” of the
family. They were mistreated by Leah’s sons and for that reason, Yosef
befriended them. Therefore, now, after Yaakov’s burial, the brothers figured
these would be the best family representatives to make the appeal to Yosef on
behalf of all of the brothers.
Yosef responded to them: “Fear not, for am
I instead of G-d? Although you intended me harm, G-d intended it for good: in
order to accomplish – it is as clear as this day – that a vast people be kept
alive.” (Beresheis 50:19-20). The simple reading of these Pasukim is that Yosef
is saying “You may have had evil thoughts against me, but look at the Divine
will that emerged from your actions. He had good thoughts regarding the matter
for it led to the saving of a vast people.”
A fascinating Targum Yongsan ben Uzziel,
however, adds significant content to these Pasukim to fill in the details of what was
happening over here. Previously, they already had this emotional embrace. They
kissed and made up long ago. Now, when they get back from their father’s levaya, they are suddenly
worried that Yosef will begin to mistreat them. What prompted that?
Targum Yonosan ben Uziel explains what
prompted the brothers to think that now Yosef was suddenly going to treat them
badly and take revenge against them. He explains that their concern did not
materialize out of thin air. They had good reason to believe that Yosef had it
in for them. Based on a Medrash, Targum Yonosan ben Uziel writes that up until
now, throughout the 17 years that Yaakov was alive in Mitzraim, Yosef ate
together with the family. Now that Yaakov died, guess what? Lunch is over! No
more lunches together!
If you have been eating together with
someone for seventeen years and suddenly the invitation is withdrawn, it is
certainly Reglayim
l’davar (circumstantial evidence) to believe “Hey! Something
has happened over here.” That is what prompted the brothers to think that Yosef
was about to take revenge on them, now that their father was out of the
picture. This was not paranoia. This was a very legitimate suspicion based on
the facts they encountered.
Targum Yonosan ben Uziel further analyzes:
Why in fact did Yosef stop inviting them? It was because Yosef had a dilemma.
He did not want to sit at the head of the table. His father had proclaimed that
Yehuda would be the Melech (king).
Furthermore, Reuven was the firstborn of the family. Yosef could not see
himself sitting at the head of the family table. However, Yaakov – during his
lifetime – insisted: Yosef, you must sit at the head of the table. You are the
equivalent of the king of Mitzrayim – the “Mishneh
L’melech.” Therefore, you need to sit at the head of the table. For
17 years, as long as Yaakov was alive, Yosef sat there, in discomfort, at the
head of the family table.
Now that Yaakov was no longer here, now
that Yaakov was no longer telling Yosef “You need to sit there,” Yosef faced a
dilemma: What am I going to do? Do I keep on inviting them and keep on sitting
at the head of the table? I don’t want to do that. To avoid that situation,
Yosef decided “There will be no more joint lunches.” That is how the Targum
Yonosan ben Uziel translates this Pasuk:
Yosef said “Do not fear, for am I under Elokim?
You thought evil about me.” In other words, you thought the reason I stopped
inviting you for lunch is because I have it in for you. “Elokim chashava l’tova” –
The Ribono shel Olam knew
what my real intention was. It was for the best! My intention was that I didn’t
want to insult Yehudah or Reuven. When our father was alive, I had to do that,
but now that he is no longer here, I am sorry but I am just not going to do
that anymore.
This is the context of what is happening in
these Pasukim,
according to Targum Yonosan ben Uziel.
I saw a very interesting observation from
Rav Elya Svei: After 17 years, a person can get used to anything. For 17 years,
Yosef had been sitting at the head of the table. Maybe he was uncomfortable for
the first week. Maybe for the first month. Maybe he was uncomfortable for the
first year. But after 17 years, he was still uncomfortable? Could it be that so
many years later he was still thinking “I really don’t belong here. This is
Yehuda’s rightful place?” Come on! People get used to kavod!
The way this hits me personally is as
follows: When I first became a Rebbe in Ner Yisrael, I did not initially change
my seat in the Beis
Medrash. I did not sit by the mizrach vant (eastern wall). After several
years of being a Rebbe, the Rosh Yeshiva told me that I should be sitting with
the other faculty members by the mizrach
vant. When I first moved my seat there, I must admit, I was
extremely uncomfortable. I was extremely self-conscious. These feelings of “not
being in the right place” persisted for perhaps six months or a year at most.
Now, after sitting on the mizrach
vant for over forty years, I don’t give it a second thought.
This is my place! So what if Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky is sitting next to me on
the mizrach vant and
he is old enough to be my father and he is the Gadol HaDor. This is my place so I don’t think
about it. You can get used to anything.
However, after 17 years, Yosef is still
thinking “I really don’t belong here.” He takes advantage of his first
opportunity to get out of the situation, “Sorry, no more lunch because I refuse
to continue insulting Yehudah or Reuven.” This speaks to the incredible
sensitivity of Yosef HaTzadik and the Shivtei
Kah.
When we learn these Parshiyos at the end of
Sefer Beresheis and we learn about jealousy and sibling rivalry, we think
“Yeah. Typical human emotions, just like you and me.” However, these people
were not just in a different league from us. They were on a different planet.
After 17 years, who of us thinks “What am I still doing here?”
“I
Remember the Kindness of Your Youth”
I saw the following insight from the
current Tolna Rebbe of Yerushalayim (Rabbi Yitzchak Menachem Weinberg). He asks
a very interesting question:
Earlier, I mentioned the Rashi that the
brothers sent the Bnei Bilhah
(who interacted with Yosef in their youth) as their delegation to Yosef. The
question is the following: Who out of all the brothers would be the best
candidate to go into Yosef to plead the brothers’ case? Out of all the other
brothers, the most logical candidate would be Reuven. Reuven did not
participate in the sale of Yosef. Yehudah might be a second choice because he
argued that Yosef should not be killed, but only sold instead. But the Bnei
Bilhah participated in the sale. The language of the Medrash is that when the
brothers were about the throw Yosef into the pit and then to sell him, Yosef
begged by the feet of each of his brothers. He got down on his knees and begged
each and every brother: “Please, don’t do this!” The Bnei Bilhah told him
“Sorry. You are not such a tzadik!
You went and tattled on us to our father!” Clearly the Bnei Bilhah are as
guilty as anyone else in the crimes committed against Yosef.
And yet, the brothers picked the Bnei Bilhah to plead
their case. Why was that?
The Tolner Rebbe cites an interesting
insight from Rav Yitzchak Hutner, zt”l (1906-1980),
about a totally unrelated matter. Rav Hutner once said that the first masechta he ever
learned was Bava Kama. He stated that he remembers Bava Kama better than any
other masechta.
It was his “girsa d’yankesa”
(knowledge acquired in youth) because it was the first masechta he ever
learned as a young boy! Rav Hutner was quick to add that his ‘havanah‘ (understanding) of
Bava Kama was “a kindereshe
havana” (a childish understanding). It was superficial
comprehension, but nothing stuck to his bones like Maseches Bava Kama, because
that was his first exposure to Talmud.
Rav Hutner, k’darko b’kodesh, said that
this is why Chazal say
that when a child first begins to speak, his father should teach him “Torah and Krias Shma.” The reason that
as soon as a child can speak the father teaches him to say “Shma Yisrael Hashem Elokeinu Hashem
Echad” is that we want this testimony of the unity of Hashem to be
in the marrow of his bones. Rav Hutner continues: The child asks his father
“Daddy, what do these words mean?” The father answers, “It means that Hashem is
one.” The father doesn’t explain to his child about the deep philosophical
nature of Hashem’s existence. One is one. Therefore, when the child grows up
and goes through life, he knows one thing: One is one. I don’t need any of the
writings of the Jewish philosophers: There is one G-d and that’s it! That is
the way we want it. This is part of his basic identity as a Jew because that is
what he heard in the crib. We want that Emunah
Peshitta (simple faith). No sophistication or philosophy are
necessary or even desirable. Hashem
Echad. This is a childish grasp but that is good, at least
for Shma Yisrael.
What is the upshot of all this? The upshot
is that what we absorb as children sticks with us. There was a lot of water
under the bridge since the days that Yosef and the Bnei Bilhah played
together, but they played together as kids. Granted, there was much ill feeling
in the interim years. Yes, Yosef did tattle on them and yes Yosef did beg for
forgiveness and they said no. But, “I remember you when we played together.” That
love from those initial years remains. It may be covered with layers of who
knows what, but it is still there.
We see that in families. Sometimes
families get into terrible fights. Sometimes it is years before they talk. But
they still remember – we played baseball together. And when that bully came and
started beating me up, you came to my rescue. That never leaves a person.
Therefore, when the brothers needed
someone to convince Yosef “please forgive the sins of your brethren,” they
didn’t send any of the other brothers. They sent the sandbox mates, the kids
Yosef used to build sand castles with. That love of the early years remains
with people for the rest of their lives and therefore the appeal was sent
to Yosef HaTzadik through
them.
And
his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said: 'Behold,
we are thy bondmen.' 19 And Joseph said unto them: 'Fear not; for am I in the
place of God? 20 And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for
good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. 21 Now
therefore fear ye not; I will sustain you, and your little ones.' And he
comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.
Yosef continued to take care of the
Bnei Yisrael for the next 54years.
22
And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father's house; and Joseph lived a
hundred and ten years. 23 And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third
generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon
Joseph's knees. 24 And Joseph said unto his brethren: 'I die; but God will
surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which He
swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.' 25 And Joseph took an oath of the
children of Israel, saying: 'God will surely remember you, and ye shall carry
up my bones from hence.'
He extracted the promise to bring
his bones to Eretz Yisrael.
26
So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and
he was put in a coffin in Egypt.
Similar to the Genghis Kahn Story a river was diverted over his
burial place.
Chazak – Chazak v’ nit Chazak
Nazi Prisoner 92740 by
Rabbi Yerachmiel Tilles
https://ascentofsafed.com/cgi-bin/ascent.cgi?Name=1464-15
Few survivors of the
Holocaust remain with us. Their lives and experiences tell a story not only of
man-made atrocity and silence in the face of unspeakable evil and willful
ignorance of events for personal or national agendas, but also a story of
families for the next generation. While the horror is past, like the numbered
tattoo's on their arms it left an indelible mark on the Jewish people. Today,
we live with the scars of the survivors, and the strengths of the survivors.
Certain fears have rightfully become a part of our family and national psyche,
and certain strengths to overcome the greatest of obstacles. I write this in
loving memory of Nazi Prisoner #92740…
Mr. Chone (redacted)
Born - July 15, 1917 in Utena (Lithuania)
Nationality - Stateless
Survivor of : Stutthof Concentration Camp & Dachau (Mulldorf sub-camp)
Concentration Camp
Nazi Prisoner #92740
was a Jew born in Lithuania. He grew up with two brothers and a sister. He
attended the Ponevez yeshiva until it was shut down by the war, at which point
he somehow returned home.
Soon after, he was
trapped with his family in the Kovno ghetto and avoided early deportation (to
work camps for able bodied men) by living in a kitchen cabinet!! One brother
had left a few years earlier for South Africa (avoiding the Holocaust). His
remaining brother was not so lucky, and he never saw him again.
His mother and
sister kept him fed (barely), while he sewed and cooked and hid. As the ghetto
was gradually being liquidated, his sister escaped with a small group into the
woods and joined the Jewish partisan's, fighting back against the Nazi's. He
didn't see her again for 40 years (she survived but was trapped behind the Iron
Curtain after the war, being expelled to Israel in the late 70's when her
daughter protested in the Soviet Union, but that's another story).
He was eventually deported
from the Kovno ghetto to work camps, and then to the infamous concentration
camp Dachau. How he survived almost a year in Dachau we don't know. We do know
that he traded 2 weeks of food rations for a pair of tefillin, and while
working in the kitchen somehow hid some children in the large 'coffee' pots,
keeping them alive.
He was liberated by
the 92nd Signal Battalion of the United States Army on April 29, 1945, having
entered Dachau from the labor camps on August 22, 1944. He spent 6 years in the
Displaced Persons camp Feldafing, run by the U.S. provisional governing
authority in Germany. During that time he assisted the numerous Jewish orphans
and was instrumental in starting both the camp girls and boys Jewish schools.
He also provided religious services and eventually became a camp staff member,
a paid rabbinical post. (Prisoner #92740 was a young ordained rabbi from Ponevez,
as well as a trained shochet [ritual slaughterer]).
Having no home or
family to return to, he worked to contact his brother in South Africa or family
(an uncle) that had emigrated to the U.S. before the war. He was eventually
successful in contacting his uncle in the U.S. and in obtaining sponsorship
both via his uncle and the Vaad Hatzalah to come to the U.S.
He arrived, started
life anew, such as he could. He eventually married, having the honor of having
2 great Rabbanim at his wedding. Rabbi Naftali Carlebach (the father of Reb
Shlomo Carlebach) wrote the tenoyim (engagement contract). Rabbi Yosef Kahneman,
the Rav of Ponevez the great rebuilder of the yeshiva in Israel, had only 5
students who survived the holocaust from the yeshiva in Lithuania. Prisoner
#92740 was one of those. The Rav honored him by performing his marriage
ceremony.
While Prisoner
#92740 did his best to rebuild his life and live as normal as possible, his
daughter speaks of his lifetime terrible fear of dogs, always sleeping in a
tiny balled up position, terrible fear of loud noises, and a great difficulty
with emotional closeness.
He worked in the
U.S. as a rabbi, shochet, mashgiach (kosher supervisor) and cantor, and was
known as a Torah scholar. As a cantor, he was in special demand for the high
holy days, where his prayer's had a depth of feeling that we cannot comprehend.
His parents were murdered,
as was one of his brothers. He didn't know the status of his sister for 40
years, after which she and her family emigrated from the USSR to Israel and
contacted him. They were briefly reunited in the late 70's.
He eventually made
contact with his brother in South Africa, but his brother passed away before he
could afford to visit.
He was buried at his
request in the holy land, Israel, with a simple marker. His Torah and Mesorah
(tradition) live on, a link in the chain forged in the fires of hell, through
his daughter and grandchildren, and through his oldest grandson (born after he
passed away) who carries his name.
Today one of his
grandchildren is serving on the Lebanese border, defending against the evil
ones.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Source: Slightly
modified by Yerachmiel Tilles from a post in 2025 on the Realtime WhatsApp
group by founder Akiva Marks: "I wrote this eleven years ago in 2014--
prescient--when my youngest daughter asked me, 'Is it true that Hamas wants to
kill us with another Holocaust? I'm afraid.' My oldest daughter strongly
suggested I re-share it."
Why This Week? Today, Tuesday Dec. 30, The Fast Day of The Tenth of
Tevet on the Jewish calendar, is the traditional occasion for the recital of
the Mourner’s Kaddish for the souls of the martyrs of the Holocaust whose date
of death is unknown.
Milestone: Julius Berman, 90, Rabbi Julius Berman, who led the
Orthodox Union and a myriad of other prominent Jewish communal organizations
across the Orthodox and secular Jewish world. https://www.timesofisrael.com/julius-berman-orthodox-rabbi-who-led-prominent-jewish-institutions-dies-at-90/
Milestone: Morris Kahn, 95, Funded Israel’s Moon
Shot. https://www.timesofisrael.com/billionaire-philanthropist-morris-kahn-who-led-israeli-moonshot-dies-at-95/
Inyanay
Diyoma
Dec. 27th and Dec. 28th
Swords of Iron Day 813 and Day 814 start of week
117
Israel recognizes Somaliland a break-away area
near the Houthis. The strategic importance cannot be under-estimated. The
terror attack on Friday was breaking during the final publication of the Blogspot
and too late on a short Friday to revise.
Thomas B. sent me the following which seems to
sum things in Israel up:
POLL CLAIMS AMONG
OPPOSITION VOTERS (AS PRESENTED IN THE REPORT): Among non-coalition voters, the
report cites the following positions:
On Daf 49B of Bavli Sotah it says: “The face of the generation
(before Moshiach) is the face of a dog.” Meaning that if the wind and the
public opinion polls blow southward so do the leaders. As a dog runs before the
master, if the master turns the corner and whistles so does the dog. Our
politicians go after the polls not principles.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/somaliland-celebrates-israel-recognition-but-trump-says-he-wont-follow-suit-for-now/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-killed-in-terror-attack-in-northern-israel-assailant-shot-injured-by-passerby/
Brothers of terrorist arrested also illegally in
Israel. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419961
https://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-set-to-rally-against-netanyahu-and-qatargate-treason-in-weekly-protests/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-5-bedouins-held-after-dozens-of-cars-torched-in-southern-jewish-communities/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israeli-scientists-say-tiny-organisms-can-revamp-their-own-rna-to-survive-extreme-heat/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-surprising-breakthrough-scientists-in-israel-find-cancer-may-help-heal-the-failing-heart/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/massive-russian-attack-on-kyiv-kills-one-leaves-hundreds-of-thousands-without-power/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-strikes-elite-hezbollah-units-training-site-in-northeastern-lebanon/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/mezuzahs-stolen-from-toronto-apartment-building-for-second-time-in-weeks/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/uae-backed-separatists-accuse-saudis-of-striking-forces-in-southern-yemen/
https://www.foxnews.com/world/stabbing-spree-chemical-attack-japan-factory-injures-15
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/extraordinary-mass-graves-from-centuries-old-battles-emerge-highway-route
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/despite-war-israel-sees-surge-in-multibillion-dollar-defense-tech-energy-deals-in-2025/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/melbourne-firebombing-suspect-identified-jewish-community-calls-federal-royal-commission/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/mamdani-taps-anti-israel-voices-ms-rachel-cynthia-nixon-jewish-voice-peace-director-inaugural-committee/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/explosion-alawite-mosque-syrias-homs-kills-eight/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/southern-yemeni-separatists-dismiss-saudi-call-withdraw-eastern-provinces/
A
Palestinian Authority Arab opened fire Saturday near the security fence barrier
near the Hasmonean checkpoint, and then fled the scene. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419960
An
IDF soldier arrived Friday at the Rosh Pina police station and reported that
his weapon had been stolen after he fell asleep on a bus. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419962
The
Only Way Forward for Bari Weiss at CBS: Total Purge - Geller Report
https://gellerreport.com/2025/12/the-only-way-forward-for-bari-weiss-at-cbs-total-purge.html/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/26/the-houthis-arent-done-are-we/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/self-appointed-chief-rabbi-of-saudi-arabia-says-he-was-denied-entry-at-border/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-first-iaf-helicopter-gunship-downs-two-arms-smuggling-drones-from-egypt/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/82-years-after-death-in-china-jewish-wwii-pilot-returned-to-us-for-burial/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/katz-again-vows-israel-will-never-fully-withdraw-from-gaza-strip-eyes-outposts/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-threatens-banks-with-extra-taxes-if-they-go-after-customers-benefits/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-missing-deadline-us-justice-dept-says-it-needs-more-time-to-release-epstein-files/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/saar-again-accuses-palestinian-authority-of-lying-about-reforms-to-pay-for-slay-policy/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fallen-soldiers-family-takes-military-headstone-to-idf-headquarters-in-protest/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ringleader-of-us-leftist-group-charged-in-bomb-plot-called-herself-a-hamas-fangirl/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/un-security-council-to-convene-emergency-meeting-on-israels-somaliland-recognition/
Despite
statements by the IDF and the political leadership declaring a hermetic cordon and full closure on the West Bank
town of Qabatiya — measures reminiscent of the Second Intifada, the
Palestinian uprising of the early 2000s — following Friday’s deadly terrorist attack in northern Israel,
heavy traffic of Palestinian vehicles was visible on Saturday in the town in
northern Samaria, the biblical term used by Israel for the northern West Bank. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byvwu00cmzg#autoplay
The
Haifa Magistrate’s Court has ruled that a severe navigation error aboard a navy
submarine directly caused extreme psychological stress that led to a senior
officer developing Type 1 diabetes, ordering the Defense Ministry to recognize
him as a disabled IDF veteran. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/bjkqqyr7wg
On
Sunday, the Brigitte Bardot Foundation announced “with great sadness the death
of its founder and president,” calling her a world-renowned actress and singer
who chose to leave a brilliant career to dedicate her life to animal welfare
and the foundation she established. https://www.ynetnews.com/culture/article/hjwgvy0mbl
The
character of a society depends on the character of the information it consumes.
This simple principle has been understood by leaders, thinkers and creators
throughout human history. They knew that whoever shapes the information
environment shapes human consciousness.
https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bjr7wopqbx
Hamas is planning
to hold internal elections to choose its new political bureau head. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-881511
IDF
and ISA (Shin Bet) forces, along with forces of the Israel Prison Service,
began operating on Friday in the area of the Palestinian Arab village of
Qabatiya to thwart terrorism, following the
terror attack that occurred in the area of Beit Shean, and later on in Ein
Harod and Afula. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419954
A
terrorist motive has reportedly been ruled out. Police believe the assault was
carried out by a disturbed or psychologically fragile individual. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419957
Former
National Security Minister Avigdor Kahalani addressed the phenomenon of illegal
Palestinian Authority (PA) residents from Judea and Samaria breaching the
security fence, noting that, "the State of Israel has decided not to deal
with the problem."
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419968
According
to the Authority, at the beginning of the year, 3,752 children of foreign
workers aged 15-25 lived in Israel. Approximately 3,200 of them hold temporary
resident certificates. According to the Security Service Law, foreign citizens
whose permanent residence is in Israel can be recruited, a figure that provides
the potential for recruitment on the scale of an entire brigade. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419996
MK
Zvika Fogel (Otzma Yehudit), is promoting a new bill to prevent unreasonable
noise caused by the operation of the muezzin in mosques, in support of the
enforcement policy led by the Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419998
Dvir
Amior, former Secretary General of the Ariel youth movement told Arutz
Sheva-Israel National News that a few days ago, terrorists threw rocks at
his vehicle while he was driving with his family towards Maale Adumim, near the
Silwan neighborhood in Jerusalem. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420000
Severe Weather: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/419994
Yasser
Hadaya Asadi graduated as the first Arab-Muslim
Battalion Commander of the Israeli Border Police. Asadi, 52, was the only
Muslim among 107 graduates, Ynet reported on Sunday. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-881556
Dec. 29th
Swords of Iron Day 815
The clouds are thick perhaps had 3 or more
inches of rain in this storm. Yesterday, I produced 22 kw and used 32 kw
warming up the hot water and house. Today, so far the production is closing in
on 11.5kw and even the back-up batteries just reached 70% before sundown.
A lot of flooding in gullies and creeks in
Israel (Wadis). A cement porch collapsed on a 70year old man who got off a bus
in Tel Aviv.
It may be that Hamas is “suddenly going to find
Ron Gvili” to put the pressure on Israel by Trump.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-the-us-netanyahu-aims-to-convince-trump-that-only-threat-of-war-can-bring-peace/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/defense-ministry-hands-idf-first-combat-ready-iron-beam-laser-interception-system/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/2025-saw-sharp-drop-in-immigration-to-israel-even-as-arrivals-from-western-nations-surged/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/former-hostages-matan-zangauker-and-ilana-gritzewsky-become-engaged/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/heavy-rain-and-high-winds-cause-downed-trees-floods-and-road-closures-across-israel/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/starmer-under-fire-for-welcoming-egyptian-activist-who-called-to-kill-all-zionists/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-freezes-governments-closure-of-army-radio-until-final-ruling-on-issue/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/violent-protests-erupt-as-ben-gvir-tours-bedouin-town-targeted-in-police-raids/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-and-ukraine-a-lot-closer-on-peace-deal-trump-says-after-meeting-with-zelensky/
Op-Ed: Qatar is a danger. https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/b1v3l2cxwe
Some people take a lifetime to earn their place in the next world
others a moment. An
extraordinary and deeply moving account has emerged about one of the victims of
the Bondi
terror attack, revealing the story of a man who rediscovered his Jewish
identity just minutes before he was murdered.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420017
Eight
hundred and fourteen days have passed since October 7, and Ran Gvili is still
in Gaza. On Sunday, a report published in the Saudi newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat
quoted Palestinian sources claiming that Israel abducted an operative from the
military wing of Islamic Jihad as part of efforts to recover the body of the
last remaining killed hostage. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/skn2qrc7we
Iranian satellites: https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bkjhdtrx11g
Bereaved families to Trump – Hamas must be
destroyed. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420069
20,000 illegal Arabs daily. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420079
Henrik
Lenkait, a 47-year-old German, discovered that his maternal biological
grandfather is Heinrich Himmler - a leading figure in the Nazi regime and a
central figure responsible for the genocide of European Jews. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420080
Defense
Minister Israel Katz on Monday announced that Jews will be allowed to visit
Joseph's Tomb in Shechem (Nablus) during daylight hours, for the first time in
25 years. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420078
They told him in captivity that his wife was
dead. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420047
Charedim blocked major road. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/hkw0ptam11l#autoplay
A
document written by the Hamas terror group's intelligence arm convinced the
organization's late leaders, arch terrorists Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif, to
carry out the massacre on October 7, 2023. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420061
https://www.timesofisrael.com/turkey-says-3-police-officers-6-terrorists-killed-in-raid-on-islamic-state-cell/
https://www.foxnews.com/health/alzheimers-disease-could-reversed-restoring-brain-balance-study-suggests
https://www.timesofisrael.com/houthi-leader-threatens-to-target-any-israeli-presence-in-somaliland/
Dec. 30th
Swords of Iron Day 816
For me, the parents of Ron Gvili and others the
war is not over. In fact Hezballah not disarming and Iran is acting up.
However, the Iranian People are fed up with no gasoline, rising prices, electrical
outages and no water. Speeding all their money on missiles and new nuclear
sites has gone too far. https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-protesters-clash-security-forces-tear-gas-fills-tehran-streets-amid-nationwide-unrest
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/29/greece-israel-cyprus-step-up-joint-exercises-eastern-mediterranean/
Hamas’s plan for the next massacre. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420119
The
Pentagon announced overnight that the American company Boeing has received a
contract to manufacture 25 upgraded F-15IA fighter jets for Israel, with an
option for 25 additional aircraft. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420121
According
to the sources, who requested anonymity, the IRGC Aerospace Force is developing
the warheads parallel to moving missile launchers to eastern Iran. In addition
to development of the warheads themselves, efforts are underway to optimize the
ballistic missiles to carry the unconventional warheads, and upgrade the
associated command and control systems. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420055
Israel
Fire and Rescue Services reported this morning (Tuesday) that the man who went
missing after being swept away in Nahal Meitar yesterday has been found dead. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420122
PLO (Palestinian Authority) is also planning a
surprise attack. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420140
Police try to bring law and order back to the
Negev. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420137
As
part of an undercover operation by officers from the Lev Tel Aviv station, a
26-year-old resident of Ashdod was arrested on Sunday on suspicion of breaking
into an apartment on Masaryk Street in Tel Aviv. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420130
Up to 2 years after service PTSD Suicides are to
be recognized. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420139
Trump Economics helps Israel. Fuel Prices going
down. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420136
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/unearthed-surveillance-exposes-how-parents-allegedly-involved-minnesotas-daycare-fraud-scheme
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/zelenskyy-says-peace-deal-close-trump-meeting-territory-remains-sticking-point
https://www.timesofisrael.com/peace-hopes-dented-as-russia-says-ukraine-tried-to-attack-putin-residence/
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/gold-treasure-survives-1400-years-ancient-christian-monastery-biblical-judean-desert
https://www.foxnews.com/us/texas-businessman-gov-abbott-appointee-shot-dead-border-city-police
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/29/sydney-project-menorah-harbour-bridge-new-years-eve-celebration-tribute-bondi-beach-attack/
Australian Man with Nazi Tattoos arrested.
https://www.ynetnews.com/jewish-world/article/bkwus00mbx
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/29/florida-gubernatorial-candidate-vows-divest-israel-bonds-elected/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/29/tucker-carlson-candace-owens-significantly-increased-anti-israel-content-2025-study-shows/
From Thomas B. why the “Palestinians” never talk
about their first leader. May because he was a Nazi spouting religious hatred?
(16minutes)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNfV1Efm6Fg
https://www.timesofisrael.com/syrian-authorities-release-jewish-antiquities-dealer-dismiss-charges-against-him/
I have more news items today but did an
intensive workout in the gym and am about to go to Mincha.
Dec. 31st
Swords of Iron Day 817
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-handful-of-kids-not-from-west-bank-behind-rising-settler-violence/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/freed-hostage-elkana-bohbot-hamas-made-me-film-mock-suicide-video/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/after-trumps-warning-of-strike-iran-threatens-harsh-response-to-any-attack/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/mammoth-defense-spending-at-risk-of-overburdening-israel-report-warns/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/pentagon-announces-8-6-billion-boeing-contract-for-israeli-f-15-fighter-jets/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-vows-to-trample-supreme-court-president-in-blistering-attack/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-claims-herzog-told-him-netanyahu-pardon-on-its-way-israeli-president-denies-it/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/meeting-pm-trump-warns-of-hell-to-pay-if-hamas-doesnt-disarm-in-very-short-time/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/german-paratrooper-unit-probed-over-alleged-openly-antisemitic-clique-sex-abuse/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/29/sydney-project-menorah-harbour-bridge-new-years-eve-celebration-tribute-bondi-beach-attack/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/30/russian-teen-assaulted-israeli-flag-photo-antisemitism-concerns-mount-calls-jews-leave-country/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/30/us-defends-israels-right-recognize-somaliland-likens-move-palestinian-state-recognition/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/30/spain-expands-anti-israel-measures-bans-golan-west-bank-products-rising-tensions-jerusalem/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/30/hundreds-israeli-medical-professionals-gather-miami-conference-following-mass-exodus-israel/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/30/uae-vows-pull-remaining-forces-yemen-crisis-saudi-arabia/
Isn’t it nice of Spain to make an exception for
Israeli Technology in Airbus.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420167
Discussing
efforts to reach a second phase of the ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu was candid:
“One word, disarmament.” He stated that Hamas still possesses 60,000
Kalashnikov rifles and maintains hundreds of kilometers of terror tunnels.
“You’ve got to take all these rifles, take them away from them,” he said,
noting Hamas’ refusal to disarm is the main obstacle to progress.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420161
Besides 151 soldiers that died in 2025 here are
the statistics. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420168
According
to the findings, Israel’s population growth rate dropped to 0.9% in 2025-the
lowest level since the country’s founding. This marks a steep decline from the
decade preceding the COVID-19 pandemic, when annual growth averaged roughly
double that rate. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420173
Among the Intel given to Trump, 60,000 automatic
weapons in Hamas hands.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420151
IDF punishes soldiers who without approval
damaged Arab Vehicles. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420153
https://www.foxnews.com/travel/worlds-most-contagious-virus-detected-two-major-us-airports-amid-holiday-traffic
A
local farmer in Ukraine destroyed an ancient Jewish cemetery in recent weeks
with a tractor, after he began plowing the land on the territory of the
historic cemetery. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420150
"The
regime did not hit them yesterday, there were even cases where the police fled
or at least withdrew from the protesters. The question is whether this will
hold for several days. The events spread beyond the bazaar to central Tehran
and to other cities. I believe they will continue because they did not receive
any promises. It may last several days," Sabeti said. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420131
The
United States has imposed sanctions on ten individuals and entities based in
Iran and Venezuela, targeting networks that have supported Iran’s unmanned
aerial vehicle (UAV) and ballistic missile programs. Among those sanctioned is
a Venezuelan company linked to the acquisition and assembly of Iranian-designed
combat UAVs, highlighting Tehran’s continuing efforts to proliferate
conventional weapons in the Western Hemisphere. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420148
New
York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Friday she has intervened to prevent the
destruction of a nearly century-old synagogue in Brooklyn. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420171
Heavy expose terror tunnels: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420095
The
Knesset plenary approved tonight (Monday), in the second and third readings,
the bill proposed by the Deputy Speaker of the Knesset, MK Limor Son
Har-Melech, which aims to stop the activities of UNRWA within the State of
Israel.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420093
Analysis by Amit Segal: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420107
https://www.timesofisrael.com/defending-israel-us-likens-somaliland-recognition-to-palestinian-statehood-acknowledgements/
Jan. 1st
Swords of Iron Day 818
A new month and a new year as gasoline prices
fall but municipal taxes, electricity, water rise. Most likely food and medical
supplies will rise. Welcome to Israel fiscal year 2026. https://www.timesofisrael.com/price-of-gasoline-to-fall-on-january-1-to-a-two-year-low/
First Simcha of 2026: Shira-Leah and Uri Rozman from the
community of Dolev welcomed their fifth son, weighing 2.884 kilograms, with
midwives Odelia Mandelovitz and Rachel Tsenvirt assisting. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420237
https://www.timesofisrael.com/new-west-bank-antiquity-bill-seeks-to-extend-israeli-authority-over-areas-a-and-b/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/high-court-halts-transfer-of-nis-1-billion-to-haredi-schools-as-it-reviews-case/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ombudsman-upholds-ethics-complaint-against-top-judge-doesnt-recommend-disciplinary-action/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-probing-claim-that-pms-chief-of-staff-tried-to-cover-up-bild-leak-reports/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-rings-in-2026-with-trump-at-mar-a-lago-new-years-eve-party/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/volunteer-in-irans-revolutionary-guard-reported-killed-during-widening-protests/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/report-nvidia-in-advanced-talks-to-buy-israels-ai21-labs-for-up-to-3-billion/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/more-than-69000-israelis-left-israel-in-2025-as-population-reached-10-18-million/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/128-journalists-killed-worldwide-in-2025-says-press-group-many-of-them-in-gaza/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/sydney-brings-in-new-year-with-commemoration-for-victims-of-bondi-hanukkah-terror-attack/
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-targets-minnesota-fraud-allegations-says-were-going-get-bottom-it
https://www.foxnews.com/world/explosive-fire-kills-multiple-people-swiss-alps-bar-during-new-years-celebrations
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/dr-marc-siegel-5-incredible-miracles-from-2025-that-give-me-hope-2026
https://www.timesofisrael.com/deni-avdija-places-seventh-in-nba-all-star-game-voting-continuing-breakout-season/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fate-of-israels-tiny-winter-olympics-delegation-on-thin-ice-over-bureaucratic-hurdles/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/somalilands-little-known-jewish-past-spans-yemenite-traders-and-contested-legends/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/31/call-division-australian-muslim-council-sparks-outrage-push-block-israeli-presidents-visit/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/31/london-cafe-owner-features-face-alleged-hamas-operative-outdoor-chairs/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/31/taiwan-stays-high-alert-chinese-ships-pull-back-massive-drills/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2025/12/31/uk-police-force-apologizes-claiming-jewish-community-supported-ban-maccabi-tel-aviv-fans-soccer-match/
People say that the decisions of the Israeli
Supreme Court causes death. An example: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420247
Another example: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420250
After the Arabs polluted half of Israel with
burning trash, the Gov. of Israel steps up: https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420246
Residents
of the Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Nof and the adjacent town of Beit Zayit on
Thursday morning attended a district-level hearing to voice opposition to three
planned towers slated for construction on Hai Taib Street in Har Nof. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420241
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-expected-to-reopen-rafah-in-coming-days-for-exit-and-entry-of-gazans-us-official/
Jan. 2nd
Swords of Iron Day 819
Egypt,
Qatar, and Turkey gave Hezbollah a "final chance" to disarm and
surrender its weapons to the Lebanese government, Saudi-owned outlet Asharq Al-Awsat reported on
Wednesday, citing Lebanese ministerial sources. https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-882016
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-says-us-intervene-iran-starts-killing-protesters-locked-loaded
Any Jew who voted for this character will have
to give an accounting before Beis Din Shel Maalah [heavenly court]. Newly inaugurated New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani
rescinded a series of executive orders on his first day in office on Thursday,
including one that deemed anti-Zionist rhetoric as antisemitic. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-882099
Katz tells the IDF get ready to
disarm Hamas if they keep refusing. https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-882103
Taiwan
has announced plans to produce 1,600 unmanned attack surface vessels (USV) to
strengthen the country’s defenses in the Taiwan Strait. https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-882008
India
buys Israeli Arms. Among the many arms included in the deal are SPICE 1000
guidance kits (SPICE 1000/Light Hail) manufactured by Israeli company Rafael
Advanced Defense Systems, according to reports in the Indian media.
https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-881868
The
wife of former
first lady Jill Biden’s ex-husband was found dead in the couple’s living
room by police responding to a domestic dispute
call, authorities in Delaware said Tuesday. https://www.jpost.com/international/article-881960
In
early September 2023, a significant meeting took place at a hotel in Jerusalem.
During the meeting, official Israeli representatives asked a senior Qatari
official to increase the transfer of funds to Hamas in
Gaza, money they knew, and the Qatari official also knew, would not reach needy
Palestinian families but rather Hamas’ governing apparatus. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byabrjsnzg
Op-Ed Meital Elmaliah New AI at Al Jazeera. https://www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/bkzoti7eze
Chinese Prisons for fat people. https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/by3ubfeezl
A
delegation from the Israel Prison Service, led by the Deputy
Commissioner, toured the crocodile farm at Hamat Gader on Thursday for a
“learning visit” focused on crocodile care and handling. https://www.ynetnews.com/article/byjhs7vv11e
https://www.foxnews.com/world/maduro-says-venezuela-ready-make-deal-us-drugs-oil-after-military-strikes
https://www.timesofisrael.com/two-arrested-on-suspicion-of-murder-after-woman-found-dead-in-haifa-apartment/
Poll:
According to the data, if elections were held today, the Likud party would win
27 seats, Naftali Bennett's party would get 19, the Democrats would receive 10,
Yesh Atid would have 10, Yisrael Beiteinu would get 10, Otzma Yehudit would get
10, Yashar would have 9, Shas would have 8, United Torah Judaism would have 7,
Hadash-Ta’al would get 5, and Ra'am would also get 5.
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420293
1800 UNIFIL Soldiers leave. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/420284
Shabbos times. https://www.israelnationalnews.com/shabat
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/01/01/california-judge-blocks-challenge-state-k-12-antisemitism-law/
https://www.algemeiner.com/2026/01/01/florida-sees-three-antisemitic-incidents-one-week-state-pushes-back/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/ag-to-high-court-netanyahu-should-be-made-to-explain-why-he-hasnt-fired-ben-gvir/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/i-dont-feel-like-a-hero-ex-hostage-segev-kalfon-tells-of-long-path-to-recovery/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-offers-help-to-switzerland-after-deadly-ski-resort-blaze-kills-dozens/
https://www.timesofisrael.com/fight-against-darkness-foreign-ministry-appears-to-back-iranian-protests/
A healthy, happy and peaceful
Shabbos,
Rachamim Pauli
